cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Curriculum Alignment with a Mission of Social Change in Higher Education

Institutions of higher education frequently acknowledge their role in contributing to the common good through their mission statements. The current literature suggests that in order to be effective mission statements must be clearly articulated and reflected in all the activities of the institution including its curriculum. Faculty members at Walden University developed a Curriculum Guide for Social Change that could serve as a tool for reviewing current course offerings and developing new courses to reflect its mission of “creating positive social change.” Those involved in piloting the Guide report on the process in this article. The general consensus is that it was time-consuming and frequently subjective; but the Guide gave substance to the institution’s mission, opening the way for its fuller implementation.
Effect on arterial pressure of rhythmically contracting the hindlimb muscles of cats

Although static contraction of the hindlimb muscles of anesthetized cats is known to reflexly increase arterial pressure and heart rate, the cardiovascular effects of rhythmic contractions of these muscles is unclear. To help clarify this issue, we determined, in chloralose-anesthetized cats, the effects on arterial pressure and heart rate of rhythmically contracting the hindlimb muscles at a frequency of 5 Hz. In addition, we determined the effect of rhythmic contractions on the impulse activity of group III and IV muscle afferents whose activation is known to increase cardiovascular function. We found that rhythmic contractions increased arterial pressure (from 108 +/- 8 to 134 +/- 9 mmHg; P less than 0.05) and heart rate (from 192 +/- 13 to 208 +/- 10 beats/min; P less than 0.05) in 10 cats and decreased arterial pressure (from 107 +/- 8 to 93 +/- 9 mmHg; P less than 0.05) but did not change heart rate in 9 other cats. The increases were reflex, because they were prevented by cutting the spinal roots innervating the contracting hindlimb. The decreases, however, were not reflex, because they persisted after spinal root section. The differences in the arterial pressure responses to rhythmic contractions may have been partly due to individual differences in the level of anesthesia, because in three cats the pressor responses to this maneuver were converted to depressor responses after giving the cats additional chloralose. Rhythmic contractions of the triceps surae muscles stimulated 8 of 10 group III afferents and 9 of 16 group IV afferents. We conclude that rhythmic contraction is capable of reflexly increasing cardiovascular function in cats provided that the effect is not depressed by anesthesia.
A Comment on David M. Reaume's 'Nonmarket Services: An Offset in Certain Cases'

The usual calculation of lost nonmarket services proceeds by first estimating the number of hours that had been spent by a decreased or injured person on performing certain tasks that he or she cannot now perform. Those estimates of lost hours are then multiplied by appropriate market wages. I show here that under certain reasonable assumptions the estimate of lost nonmarket services requires a negative offset to the usual calculation in wrongful death cases. In addition it is made clear why certain related elements of loss are better subsumed under loss of quality of life.
Secondary invasion: The bane of weed management

Abstract Exotic plant invasions present a global threat to natural ecosystems, yet the efficacy of management efforts in mitigating invader impacts remains unclear. A rapidly emerging problem is that of secondary invasion — an increase in abundance of non-target exotics following treatment of targeted invasive plants. Here, we present a global literature review and meta-analysis directed at quantifying the magnitude of secondary invasion effects and identifying possible causes. Of 168 studies examining the efficacy of exotic plant management in terrestrial habitats, 29% quantified community responses sufficiently to evaluate secondary invasion. Meta-analysis of 60 cases from 38 studies showed that control efforts strongly reduced target invader abundance overall, but secondary invaders increased, with a mean effect size double what was found for native plants, which increased only weakly. Moreover, 89% of the secondary invaders identified were classified as noxious or invasive plants. Increases in secondary invaders were correlated with target invader reductions, but control method and target invader growth form failed to explain variation in secondary invader responses. These results suggest that target invader suppression is the key factor driving release of secondary invaders. However, management side effects, target invader legacy effects, provenance effects, and shifting environmental conditions may all facilitate secondary invasion. Invasive plant management often successfully suppresses target invaders, but the result is largely secondary invasion. Addressing this problem requires management strategies that anticipate and suppress secondary invaders while rapidly restoring native plants to fill the space vacated by the target weed. Accomplishing the latter will require improved re-vegetation techniques.
Electrically Tunable Optical Delay Line in a Polymer Bragg Grating

A hybrid electro-optic polymer waveguide Bragg grating was designed and fabricated. Slow light propagation can be achieved by tuning the carrier wavelength around the reflection bandwidth. 30ps delays at <10V can be expected in transmission.
Non-Steady Three-Dimensional Flow Field Analysis in Supersonic Flow Induction

In this paper, supersonic pressure-exchange ejectors were studied through numerical analysis, CFD modelling. The critical role played by the geometry on ejector performance was clearly established. CFD simulations (3D) are capable of predicting all trends in the performance curves. Results show the effect that non-steady flow can achieve over the steady flow ejector.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Reply to "Comment on 'Numerics of the lattice Boltzmann method: Effects of collision models on the lattice Boltzmann simulations'".

This Reply addresses two issues raised in the Comment [Phys. Rev. E 84, 068701 (2011)] by Karlin, Succi, and Chikatamarla (KSC): (1) A lattice Boltzmann (LB) model, which is claimed to have an $H$ theorem, is not qualified to be called an entropic lattice Boltzmann equation (ELBE); and (2) the real ELBE with a variable relaxation time performs exceedingly well, as exhibited by their simulations of decaying ``Kida vortex'' flow in a three-dimensional periodic cube free of no-slip boundary. The first issue is a semantic one. We note that it was Karlin, Succi, and others who ``prove the $H$ theorem for lattice Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook models,'' which is the model we called ELBE in our original study to distinguish it from the usual lattice BGK model without the $H$ theorem. Regardless of how this model is named, it does not affect the results and conclusions of our study in any way. Second, the focus of our original study is to quantify the errors of various LB models near no-slip boundaries. Hence, KSC's example, which is free of no-slip boundaries, is not relevant to our study. The results in our original paper are valid and its conclusions remain unchallenged. On the other hand, KSC's assertion that their real ELBE ``provides a reliable subgrid simulation'' of turbulence is not substantiated.
Memorial of Rustum Roy, 1924–2010

Rustum Roy, Life Fellow of Mineralogical Society of America, passed away on August 26, 2010. He was a great champion of interdisciplinary materials research and will be missed by the worldwide scientific community. Born on July 3, 1924 in Ranchi, India, he first came to Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in 1946 to work on his doctorate in ceramics. He obtained his Ph.D. in ceramics from PSU in 1948. He had a B.Sc. (Hons) in 1942 and M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry in 1944, both from Patna University, India. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1961. He was associated with PSU for about 64 years as a graduate student and faculty member. He received the Evan Pugh Chair Professorship in 1981, the highest honor at PSU. He was the founder of Materials Research Laboratory and served as its first director during 1962–1985. He also served as the first director of Science, Technology and Society (STS) Program during 1984–1990. He was associated with Arizona State University as a Distinguished Professor in the Materials Program and was associated with University of Arizona as a Visiting Professor of Medicine. Rustum Roy, who was on PSU’s faculty for about 60 years, was among the two or three leading materials scientists in the U.S. Author of 816 scientific papers, 25 patents and …
Temporal and Spatial Distribution Patterns of Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Celery

Populations of aphids, which could cause economic losses from produce contamination, infested celery plants in fields in the central coast area of California. Densities of aphids were higher in the fall cropping period (4 August to 26 October 1992) as compared with the spring cropping period (14 April to 6 July 1992). Aphid population densities peaked at 640.5 per plant on 22 September. Aphid populations were clumped on celery plants as indicated with Taylor's power law; h values of 1.58 and 1.69 were found in the spring and fall celery crops, respectively (overall b value of 1.68). Petioles of intermediate maturity generally had the highest and most consistent aphid population levels, as compared with older and younger petioles and with growing point and sucker tissue. This plant region appears to be most conducive for sampling. Ten species of aphids were collected from celery plants; Dysaphis apiifulia (Theobald) was the most common aphid species in the spling and fall crops. Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Aphis fabae Scopoli were also relatively common aphid species infesting celery plants. Aphid captures in water pan traps and on yellow sticky traps appeared indicative of aphid densities on celery plants. In both crops, as aphid levels from the traps increased, densities on the plants increased the same sample week or the next sample week. Significant correlations were found between aphid densities from sticky traps and plant samples.
Introduction to the Special Section on Improving Research Practices: Thinking Deeply Across the Research Cycle.

RUNNING HEAD: INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL SECTION Introduction to the Special Section on Improving Research Practices: Thinking Deeply Across the Research Cycle Alison Ledgerwood University of California, Davis Address correspondence to: Alison Ledgerwood Department of Psychology UC Davis Davis, CA 95616 aledgerwood@ucdavis.edu
Structural Reforms and the Growth of Developing-Country Multinational Firms

We analyze the impact of structural reforms on the multinationalization strategy of developed, developing, and least-developed country firms. Structural reforms are a form of institutional change whereby a country's institutional framework is realigned to improve governance and facilitate market functioning. We argue that structural reforms help firms become multinationals by reforming institutions that support the international competitiveness and multinationalization of firms. However, we propose that structural reforms have a differential impact on the multinationalization strategy of firms depending on the level of institutional voids in the country. Specifically, we argue that structural reforms have the highest positive impact on the multinationalization strategy of developing-country firms, followed by developed-country firms, and then by least-developed country firms. Structural reforms especially accelerate the multinationalization of developing-country firms by reducing institutional voids that constrain their competitiveness, institutional voids that are not prevalent in developed countries. However, this is not the case for firms from the least-developed countries because countries have to be above a threshold of institutional development for their firms to fully benefit from structural reforms. As such, structural reforms reduce the multinationalization gap between developed and developing-country firms, but increase the gap between least-developed country firms and those from more developed countries.
Getting an Idea from Paper to Patient

Physicians understand patient needs and are in the ideal position to identify technologies that can improve patient care. Innovation involves a long process from the initial idea to utilization in patients. This chapter outlines characteristics for the successful innovator which include personal fortitude, understanding of intellectual property rights, ability to engineer prototypes, and collaborative capabilities in business to overcome obstacles which may include time commitments, financing, and the FDA.
Mechanical characterization of crosslinking effect in polydimethylsiloxane using nanoindentation

Abstract Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is one of the widely-used silicone-based organic polymers. It can serve as a substrate to grow cells, mainly because of its controllable range of mechanical properties. Varying the degree of crosslinking in the polymer network allows tuning its mechanical properties in a range similar to living tissues. To study the PDMS stiffness effect on the growth and behavior of cells, it is of significant importance to explore the mechanical properties of a series of PDMS samples cured to different crosslink densities. In this paper, nanoindentation tests were conducted using spherical, Berkovich, cube corner and conical indenters to characterize PDMS mechanical properties. To interpret the nanoindentation data, the nano-JKR force curve method was successfully extended to include Berkovich, cube corner and conical indenters by conducting a numerical simulation in which the adhesive interactions are represented by an interaction potential and the surface deformations are coupled by using half-space Green's functions discretized on the surface.
Thrombospondin-1 and microRNA-1 expression in response to multiwalled carbon nanotubes in alveolar epithelial cells.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a glycoprotein that plays a role in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Previously, we have shown that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) regulate ECM components TGFβ and its target Col3A1 in alveolar epithelial cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of MWCNT on TSP-1 and microRNA-1 (miR-1) in the regulation of TGFβ in ECM remodeling using alveolar epithelial A549 cells. A549 cells were treated with MWCNT (20 or 50 µg/mL) for 6 or 24 h and the expression of TSP-1 and miR-1, and the exogenous miR-1 effect on cell morphology were analyzed. MWCNT induced in a time- and dose-dependent manner the expression of TSP-1. miR-1 was suppressed by MWCNT after 6 or 24 h of treatment regardless of the dose. TSP-1 and miR-1 negatively correlated with each other, r = -0.58. Exogenous administration of miR-1 induced alveolar epithelial cell morphology changes including cell clustering, whereas inhibition of miR-1 induced less cell to cell contact, cell rounding, and cellular projections. IntAct molecular network interactions analysis revealed that TSP-1 interacts with 21 molecular factors including ECM genes, and molecules. These results indicate a relationship between that TSP-1, MWCNT, and TGFβ, and suggest TSP-1 may play a role in MWCNT-induced TGFβ and ECM remodeling. Moreover, these data also suggest an inverse relationship between TSP-1 and miR-1 and a potential role of miR-1 in MWCNT-induced fibrotic signaling. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1596-1606, 2017.
Integrative behavioral ecotoxicology: bringing together fields to establish new insight to behavioral ecology, toxicology, and conservation

The fields of behavioral ecology, conservation science, and environmental toxicology individually aim to protect and manage the conservation of wildlife in response to anthropogenic stressors, including widespread anthropogenic pollution. Although great emphasis in the field of toxicology has been placed on understanding how single pollutants affect survival, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach that includes behavioral ecology is essential to address how anthropogenic compounds are a risk for the survival of species and populations in an increasingly polluted world. We provide an integrative framework for behavioral ecotoxicology using Tinbergen's four postulates (causation and mechanism, development and ontogeny, function and fitness, and evolutionary history and phylogenetic patterns). The aims of this review are: 1) to promote an integrative view and re-define the field of integrative behavioral ecotoxicology; 2) to demonstrate how studying ecotoxicology can promote behavior research; and 3) to identify areas of behavioral ecotoxicology that require further attention to promote the integration and growth of the field.
Energy efficient multi-hop wireless backhaul in heterogeneous cellular networks

This paper considers multi-hop wireless backhaul in randomly distributed heterogeneous cellular networks. Following the framework of stochastic geometry, we model the distribution of access points with wireless backhauls and that of base stations with dedicated wired backhauls as two independent Poisson Point Processes. A routing protocol that aims to maximize the network throughput is proposed. To improve the spectral efficiency, intra-cell resource reuse is applied. A tractable interference model is established by taking both the inter-cell and intra-cell interferences into consideration. Our performance analysis shows that the proposed scheme is a more energy efficient alternative to the single-hop backhaul.
Frequency-domain measurement of spontaneous emission lifetime in rare-earth-doped gain media

The spontaneous emission lifetime in Al 2 O 3 :Tm3+ waveguides is measured to be 568 ± 48 μs, using a frequency-domain method. The method is studied and verified in Er3+-doped silica fiber, yielding a measured lifetime of 9.73 ± 0.08 ms.
Using Interactive Video Games to Enhance Physical Activity Among Children

The World Health Organization (Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_young_people/en/, 2016) recommends children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. In order to increase physical activity, children can participate in a plethora of activities, such as exergames. Exergames are interactive video games that require physical movement to participate. Children’s heart rate increases when engaging in exergames, such as the Nintendo Wii Fit and Just Dance, providing users the ability to achieve a moderate to vigorous activity level (Adkins M, Brown GA, Heelan K, Ansorge C, Shaw BS, Shaw I, Afr J Phys Health Educ Recreat Dance 19(3):576–585, 2013; Gao Z, Chen S, Stodden DF, J Phys Act Health 12(3):349–354, 2015; George AM, Rohr LE, Byrne J, Sports 4(3):2–10, 2016). This chapter describes how exergames can be effectively implemented in the classroom setting to increase physical activity. Specifically, Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii Fit, Just Dance, and Zumba exergames are discussed. Educators can utilize these exergames into their classroom while increasing enjoyment and motivation to provide positive exergaming experiences to children.
The Development of the Brigham and Women’s Multimodality Treatment Plan for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Model for Improving the Treatment of Rare Diseases

Mesothelioma of the pleural space is an uncommon disease. The current incidence within the United States is 2000 to 3000 cases per year as compared with esophageal and lung cancer, which are at least four and 50 times more common, respectively (1). Few physicians treat more than a handful of cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) over the course of their professional careers. Even fewer academic centers in North America and Europe have been able to acquire a collective experience large enough to develop new treatment protocols for this devastating disease. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts, are a combined cancer center with a large experience treating MPM. The diagnosis and management of this disease has become a major interest of the academic thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, nurses, and educational house staff of our hospital over the past 20 years. Current treatments are based on two decades of research and experience, and new treatments are being developed. This chapter traces the historical development of the current treatment of MPM at BWH, explains the development of our working paradigm of this disease, and serves as a template for other surgical innovators to design unique treatment algorithms for similarly uncommon diseases. Improved treatment of a rare disease depends on three critical elements coexisting at the same place and time: a relative high frequency
Suppressing unstable deformation of nanocolloidal crystals with atomic layer deposition

Abstract Despite their useful photonic properties, poor mechanical robustness hinders the application of nanocolloidal crystals (NCCs). Understanding the mechanical behavior of NCCs is critical to propose effective reinforcement techniques. We find that as-assembled NCCs exhibit unstable deformation, manifested as pop-ins upon nanoindentation. By deepening indentation, the unstable deformation mode transitions from NC dislodging to shear band (SB) formation. We find that alumina atomic layer deposition (ALD) significantly suppresses NC dislodging and SB formations in NCCs by increasing interparticle bonding.
A context-specific circadian clock in adipocyte precursor cells modulates adipogenesis.

The circadian clock is an intricate molecular network that paces a variety of physiological process to ~ 24 hour day/night cycles. Whereas the central circadian clock in the brain is primarily entr...
Colon Cancer Screening for Colorado's Underserved A Community Clinic/Academic Partnership

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is largely preventable by finding and removing adenomas, but many people have not been screened, especially the uninsured with low income. Purpose To establish a statewide infrastructure to ensure that low-income Coloradans receive colonoscopy for CRC screening and diagnostic evaluation. Design In 2006, a statewide program to provide free colonoscopy to uninsured Coloradans was developed as a partnership between the University of Colorado Cancer Center and Colorado safety-net clinics. Funded by excise tax revenues, the Colorado Colorectal Screening Program (CCSP) successfully embedded screening into primary care, providing patient navigation support and reimbursement that allowed primary care providers to refer patients for colonoscopy. Setting/participants More than 50 safety-net clinics joined the CCSP to provide colonoscopies to uninsured Coloradans with low income, aged ≥50 years or Main outcome measures Process and clinical outcomes included people screened, show rates, patient satisfaction, and quality measures, such as adenoma detection rate, bowel cleansing quality, and timeliness of care. Program costs and benefits were estimated. The 2013 analysis was completed using 2006−2012 data on 13,252 of 13,774 people receiving colonoscopy. Results In 2006−2012, the CCSP screened 13,774 people, with 38% minorities and 39% men. Patient navigators ensured >90% of those referred attended their colonoscopy. Adenomas were removed from 27% of patients and 1% had cancers diagnosed. Total direct medical services cost was $998/person receiving colonoscopy. About 325 fewer future incident CRCs were predicted due to adenoma removal, projecting substantial future cost savings. Conclusions The CCSP, a successful community clinic/academic partnership provides cost-effective CRC screening and prevention services to low-income uninsured Coloradans and establishes the infrastructure to support screening low-income Coloradans as Affordable Care Act reforms provide payer coverage for them.
The chiral phase transition for QCD with sextet quarks

QCD with 2 massless colour-sextet quarks is studied as a model of Walking Technicolor. We simulate lattice QCD with 2 light color-sextet staggered quarks at finite temperature, and use the dependence of the coupling at the chiral transition on the te mporal extent, Nt , of the lattice in lattice units to study the running of the bare lattice coupli ng with lattice spacing. Our goal is to determine whether this theory is QCD-like and ‘walks’, or if it is conformal. If it is QCDlike, the coupling at the chiral transition should tend to ze ro as Nt → ∞ in a manner controlled by asymptotic freedom, i.e. by the perturbative β -function. On the other hand, if this theory is conformal, this coupling will approach a non-zero limit in t he Nt → ∞ limit. We are extending our simulations on an Nt = 8 lattice to determine the position of the chiral transition with greater accuracy, and are performing simulations on an Nt = 12 lattice.
Self-Weighing and Visual Feedback Facilitates Self-Directed Learning in Adults Who Are Overweight and Obese

Abstract Objective Understanding how and why self-weighing works for some individuals but not others in weight management is vital. This study investigated how self-weighing and tracking of weight using a Web site facilitated a self-directed learning process in overweight or obese adults interested in losing weight. Design Semistructured interviews with study completers (n = 47) and voluntary withdrawals (n = 10) about their experience after 6 and 12 months of using the program or when they withdrew. Analysis Qualitative, guided by self-directed learning theory. Results Although both completers and those who withdrew engaged in self-directed learning, often exemplifying the same concepts (eg, instrumental learning), experiences described a positive sense of control over weight in completers and a lack of sense of control in those who withdrew. Conclusions and Implications Overall, it seemed that frequent self-weighing and visual feedback of body weight over time facilitated a self-directed learning process in both completers and those who withdrew. This research provides a rich understanding of how adults use self-weighing to facilitate self-directed learning for weight loss. Future studies assessing how self-weighing and visual displays of weight facilitate a self-directed learning process in diverse populations and age groups are necessary to better understand how self-weighing works and for whom self-weighing is beneficial.
Unsupervised Projection Networks for Generative Adversarial Networks.

We propose the use of unsupervised learning to train projection networks that project onto the latent space of an already trained generator. We apply our method to a trained StyleGAN, and use our projection network to perform image super-resolution and clustering of images into semantically identifiable groups.
Development and validation of an assay for a novel ghrelin receptor inverse agonist PF-5190457 and its major hydroxy metabolite (PF-6870961) by LC-MS/MS in human plasma.

Abstract PF-5190457 is a selective and potent ghrelin receptor inverse agonist presently undergoing clinical trials to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). We describe the development and validation of a selective and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based method for quantification of PF-5190457 and its recently discovered hydroxy metabolite PF-6870961 in human plasma. Analytes were extracted after simple protein precipitation using methanol (2.5 ng mL−1 tacrine as an internal standard). A gradient liquid chromatography method was used to separate the analytes on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 analytical column. The separation was achieved at a flow rate of 0.25 mL min−1 and the total chromatographic runtime was 11.30 min. Positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode were used for the quantification of all the analytes. The calibration curves from six validation runs were linear with a correlation coefficient of ≥0.996 for the concentration range of 1–1000 ng mL−1 and 2–250 ng mL−1 for PF-5190457 and PF-6870961, respectively. The retention time for PF-5190457, PF-6870961 and tacrine were 4.4, 3.8, and 4.6 min, respectively. The lower limit of quantification for PF-5190457 and PF-6870961 was 1 and 2 ng mL−1, respectively. The inter-assay precision and accuracy results obtained were within the Food and Drug Administration recommended ±15% limit of nominal values. All the analytes were found to be stable under varied stability conditions. The recovery of PF-5190457 and PF-6870961 ranged from 95 to 103%. Further, the application of the method was demonstrated by measuring the concentration of PF-5190457 and its hydroxy metabolite in patient plasma samples from 100 mg dose.
A comparison of humans and baboons suggests germline mutation rates do not track cell divisions

In humans, most germline mutations are inherited from the father. This observation is widely interpreted as resulting from the replication errors that accrue during spermatogenesis. If so, the male bias in mutation should be substantially lower in a closely related species with similar rates of spermatogonial stem cell divisions but a shorter mean age of reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we resequenced two 3-4 generation nuclear families (totaling 29 individuals) of olive baboons (Papio anubis), who reproduce at ~10 years of age on average. We inferred sex-specific mutation rates by analyzing the data in parallel with three three-generation human pedigrees (26 individuals). The mutation rate per generation in baboons is 0.55×10−8 per base pair, approximately half that of humans. Strikingly, however, the degree of male mutation bias is approximately 3:1, similar to that of humans; in fact, a similar male bias is seen across mammals that reproduce months, years or decades after birth. These results echo findings in humans that the male bias is stable with parental ages and cast further doubt on the assumption that germline mutations track cell divisions. Our mutation rate estimates for baboons raise a further puzzle in suggesting a divergence time between apes and Old World Monkeys of 67 My, too old to be consistent with the fossil record; reconciling them now requires not only a slowdown of the mutation rate per generation in humans but also in baboons.
Defining “normal recovery” of pelvic floor function and appearance in a high-risk vaginal delivery cohort

Childbirth pelvic floor trauma leads to pelvic floor disorders. Identification of significant injuries would facilitate intervention for recovery. Our objectives were to identify differences in pelvic floor appearance and function following delivery and patterns of normal recovery in women sustaining high-risk labor events. We completed a prospective cohort study comparing women undergoing vaginal births involving risk factors for pelvic floor injury with women undergoing cesareans. Data were collected on multidimensional factors including levator ani muscle (LA) tears. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to compare the groups. We identified potential markers of pelvic floor injury based on effect size. Eighty-two women post-vaginal delivery and 30 women post-cesarean enrolled. The vaginal group had decreased perineal body length between early postpartum, 6 weeks (p 0.05). Measures of strength improved between each time point (all p < 0.002). When compared with cesarean delivery, women post-vaginal birth had longer genital hiatus and lower anterior and posterior vaginal walls (all p < 0.05). Based on theoretical considerations and effect sizes, those with Bp ≥0 cm, Kegel force ≤1.50 N, and/or an LA tear on imaging were considered to have significant pelvic floor injury. Using this definition, at 6 weeks, 27 (46.4%) women were classified as injured. At 6 months, 13 (29.6%) remained injured. We propose that pelvic floor muscle strength, posterior vaginal wall support, and imaging consistent with LA tear are potential indicators of abnormal or prolonged recovery in this cohort with high-risk labor events.
Contextualizing Future Health: A Parent and Resident Discuss Down Syndrome.

When I saw an e-mail with the subject line “Pediatric Resident Interested in Down Syndrome,” I was intrigued but skeptical. As the parent of Henry, an 11-year-old with Down syndrome, I look for opportunities to learn about the latest research and health care recommendations, but I am also wary of medical approaches that diminish the personhood of people with intellectual disabilities. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sender was less interested in etiology or treatments for Down syndrome than in studying the social dimensions of health. She had read an article I wrote about my son’s love of the Muppets. In the vibrant world he shares with the Muppets, Henry finds comfort and a sense of belonging; there is no disability because nobody is perfect, and difference is the norm.1 This resident realized the value of looking at patients as individuals embedded in families and lived environments, and she wanted to treat my son and me (his mother but also an English professor with a long-standing interest in disability culture) as collaborators rather than as research subjects. This was the promising beginning of my ongoing dialogue with Katharine Press Callahan, a small portion of which is represented below. As a pediatric resident pursuing neonatology, I have often wondered about the lives of patients beyond the NICU and what genetic findings can and cannot foretell about patients’ futures. Teaching about Down syndrome centers on acute health concerns, but we receive little information about living with disabilities during medical education. We learn that Down syndrome is caused by trisomy of the 21st chromosome, with consequences that … Address correspondence to Katharine Press Callahan, MD, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, 2NW53, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: kpresscallahan{at}gmail.com
An Integrated Analysis of the Fundamental Determinants of Credit Risk Premiums on Corporate Debt

This research investigates the fundamental components of corporate credit spreads through an integrated examination of how well different models, default probability functions, and market factors explain CDS prices. Individual company yield spreads are discovered to be determined by the interrelated risks of cash, income, and valuation insolvency, along with various measures of systematic downside risk. The empirical findings indicate that the priced risk of a jump to and at default is well explained by those fundamentals, including in ex-post tests, although the financial determinants of credit spreads are found to vary significantly across different groups of companies.
New York University Science Training Enhancement Program

Abstract The New York University Scientific Training Enhancement Program (NYU STEP) was designed as a three-phase effort to improve the career readiness of trainees. Our goal was to bridge the gap between perceived career opportunities and the actual careers biomedical Ph.D.s ultimately pursue. NYU STEP functioned as an open program, rather than a cohort model, and focused on career exploration, general skill building, and career-specific skill building. The core element of STEP was the IDP Course, Hope Is Not A Plan: Taking Charge of Your Scientific Career, which was the foundation of career exploration and planning for subsequent phases of the program. NYU STEP evolved from organizing 23 courses, workshops, or career panels with 525 registrants in 2013 to 45 such activities in 2018 with over 1600 registrants. Additionally, NYU STEP functioned as an organizing hub for other NYU and NYC career development programming, and helped connect trainees with resources provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, NYU Wasserman Career Center, New York Academy of Sciences, and numerous local employers. The five-year funding period concluded with NYU STEP organizing 186 career development activities with a total enrollment of approximately 6000 trainees. The funding provided allowed NYU STEP to develop more rigorously structured career training courses and more detailed analytical tools to study the effectiveness of these resources. Although it is too soon to definitively describe the results, we have built a program that allows for evaluation and modification for a comprehensive array of career preparation that is broad enough to be relevant to all biomedical trainees while being specific enough to provide meaningful training for the most common careers pursued by our trainees.
A cruciate-retaining implant can treat both knees of most windswept deformities when performed with calipered kinematically aligned TKA

Surgeons performing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on the osteoarthritic valgus deformity often use a posterior stabilized (PS) and semi-constrained implants to substitute for the release of a contracted posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) instead of a cruciate retaining (CR) implant. Calipered kinematic alignment (KA) strives to retain the PCL and use a CR implant. The aim of this study of the windswept deformity was to determine whether the level of implant constraint, outcome scores, and alignment after bilateral calipered KA TKA are different between a pair of knees with a varus and valgus deformity in the same patient. A review of a prospectively collected database identified all patients with a windswept deformity treated with bilateral TKA (n = 19) out of 2430 consecutive primary TKAs performed between 2014 and 2019. Operative reports determined the level of implant constraint. Patient response to the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS) assessed outcomes at a mean follow-up of 2.3 years. Postoperative alignment was measured on an A-P computer tomographic scanogram of the limb. CR implants were used in 15 of 19 (79%) valgus deformities and 17 of 19 (89%) of varus deformities (n.s.). No knees required a semi-constrained implant. There was no difference in the median postoperative FJS and OKS (n.s.), and a 1° or less difference in the mean postoperative distal lateral femoral angle (p = 0.005) and proximal medial tibial angle (n.s.) between the paired varus and valgus knee deformity. Based on this small series, surgeons that use calipered KA TKA can expect to use CR implants in most patients with windswept deformity and achieve comparable outcome scores and alignment between the paired varus and valgus deformity. IV
Biofuel Development: Institutional Design Across the World

Biofuel – biodiesel and bioethanol – is primarily made from biomass obtained from variety of plants and agriculture crops. The biomass availability varies across countries/region. Biofuel is used as an alternative to the petroleum fuel. For this study biofuel is operationalized as production of biodiesel and bioethanol from – land-intensive – plants and agriculture crops. Institutions are humanly devised informal and formal constrains that structures the social, political, and economic interaction, to create order and reduce uncertainty in exchange (North 1991). Institutions can be defined as the sets of working rules that are used to determine who is eligible to make decisions in some arena, what actions are allowed or constrained, what aggregation rule will be used, what procedures must be followed, what information must or must not be provided, and what payoffs will be assigned to individuals dependent on their actions (Ostrom 1991). Institutional design (ID) is thought to be as creation of specifications of components and rules of engagement (Weimer 1995). The understanding of ID facilitates institutional actors to formulate effective strategies for program formalization, resource allocation, and policy implementation. These strategies of ID are outcome of technologies interface with nature of natural resources, community collectivization, state’s policy environment, and market characteristics.
Administration of Multivalent Influenza Virus Recombinant Hemagglutinin Vaccine in Combination-Adjuvant Elicits Broad Reactivity Beyond the Vaccine Components

Combining variant antigens into a multivalent vaccine is a traditional approach used to provide broad coverage against antigenically variable pathogens, such as polio, human papilloma and influenza viruses. However, strategies for increasing the breadth of antibody coverage beyond the vaccine are not well understood, but may provide more anticipatory protection. Influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is a prototypic variant antigen. Vaccines that induce HA-specific neutralizing antibodies lose efficacy as amino acid substitutions accumulate in neutralizing epitopes during influenza virus evolution. Here we studied the effect of a potent combination adjuvant (CpG/MPLA/squalene-in-water emulsion) on the breadth and maturation of the antibody response to a representative variant of HA subtypes H1, H5 and H7. Using HA protein microarrays and antigen-specific B cell labelling, we show when administered individually, each HA elicits a cross-reactive antibody profile for multiple variants within the same subtype and other closely-related subtypes (homosubtypic and heterosubtypic cross-reactivity, respectively). Despite a capacity for each subtype to induce heterosubtypic cross-reactivity, broader coverage was elicited by simply combining the subtypes into a multivalent vaccine. Importantly, multiplexing did not compromise antibody avidity or affinity maturation to the individual HA constituents. The use of adjuvants to increase the breadth of antibody coverage beyond the vaccine antigens may help future-proof vaccines against newly-emerging variants.
Prevalence of gastrointestinal disease in US Military Veterans under outpatient care at the Veterans Health Administration

Objectives:There are currently no reliable estimates of the prevalence of gastrointestinal disease in the US Military Veterans. Hence, the study aims to determine its prevalence in military Veteran...
The improvements of high temperature Zn-based lead free solder

To comply with the European regulations regarding the use of high-Pb solders in electronics, researchers have been working for many years to develop a high melting temperature Pb-free die attach substitute. As of now, there is still no known substitute for high-Pb solders that can withstand board-level reflow temperature of 260°C and demonstrate the same reliability that high-Pb solders afford.
Delay moments for FIFO GI/GI/s queues

For stable FIFO GI/GI/s queues, s \geq 2, we show that finite (k+1)st moment of service time, S, is not in general necessary for finite kth moment of steady-state customer delay, D, thus weakening some classical conditions of Kiefer and Wolfowitz (1956). Further, we demonstrate that the conditions required for \mathrm{E}[D^k]<\infty are closely related to the magnitude of traffic intensity \rho (defined to be the ratio of the expected service time to the expected interarrival time). In particular, if \rho is less than the integer part of s/2, then \mathrm{E}[D] <\infty if \mathrm{E}[S^{3/2}]<\infty, and \mathrm{E}[D^k]<\infty if \mathrm{E}[S^k]<\infty,\ k\geq 2. On the other hand, if s-1 < \rho < s, then \mathrm{E}[D^k]<\infty if and only if \mathrm{E}[S^{k+1}]<\infty,\ k\geq 1. Our method of proof involves three key elements: a novel recursion for delay which reduces the problem to that of a reflected random walk with dependent increments, a new theorem for proving the existence of finite moments of the steady-state distribution of reflected random walks with stationary increments, and use of the classic Kiefer and Wolfowitz conditions.
Engineering Development off the Probe IV Advanced Concept Vehicle

The application of aerodynamics to the automobile in the last several years has grown considerably. Ford Motor Company, a forerunner in the use of this technology in both their production and concept vehicles, recently unveiled its latest advanced concept vehicle--Probe IV. This paper discusses the various engineering developments which made this vehicle a reality. Specifically addressed are those engineering developments which were necessary to accommodate the unique styling and aerodynamic functions.
A stateless QoS routing algorithm subject to multiple constraints

One of the key issues in QoS provisioning in high-speed networks is how to determine a feasible route that satisfies the given QOS requirements while efficiently utilizing network resources. In this paper, we study the NP-complete problem of path selection subject to multiple constraints and propose a heuristic solution, which essentially divides an entire QoS-path into at most two "superedges" that is connected by a "relay node". A superedge is defined as a connected segment of the path on which all routers use the same routing metric for packet forwarding. The node connecting the two superedges is called relay node. This property makes the heuristic be able to support stateless forwarding, i.e., no flow-specific state information is required to maintained at intermediated nodes on a QoS routing protocol. Its computational complexity is deduced to be 0(m|V/sup 2/|), where m, a very small integer, is the number of the concerned QoS metrics and |V| is the number of nodes in network. Simulation results show that the heuristic can achieve near optimal performance.
Structural isoforms of a membrane transport protein from Leishmania enriettii.

Abstract A membrane transport protein of the glucose transporter superfamily from Leishmania enriettii is encoded by a family of tandemly repeated genes. The first gene in this tandem repeat codes for a structural isoform that contains a unique amino-terminal hydrophilic domain, probably located in the cytoplasm; the remainder of the protein is identical to the polypeptide encoded by the internal genes in the tandem repeat. The unique isoform is represented by a distinct stable RNA.
Phase stability and alloying behavior in the Mo-Si-B system

The effect of transition metal (TM) substitution for Mo has been examined in terms of the phase stability and multiphase microstructures in the Mo-Si-B ternary system. The metal-rich portion of the ternary Mo-Si-B system at equilibrium is comprised of thermally stable bcc Mo(ss) phase, a ternary-based Mo5SiB2 (T2) phase, and a binary-based metal-rich silicide (Mo3Si [A15]). The structures that are developed by following systematic alloying with a wide range of TMs, which are substitutional in both Mo(ss) and T2 phases (group IVB, VB, and VIB metals), have been analyzed to elucidate the roles of the substitution on the stability of the three phase fields of Mo(ss) + T2 + Mo3Si. In particular, the borosilicide ternary-based T2 phase shows an extended solid solution with a wide range of TMs. The extended solubility in the T2 phase essentially mimics the alloying behavior of the TM-based bcc phase. The critical factor for the phase stability appears to be the existence of a unique feature of bcc-like TM clusters within the T2 lattice structure. The combined criteria of atomic size factor and the valence electron concentration per atom (e/a) have been used to elucidate the observed alloying behavior.