cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of microdialysis to study platinum anticancer agent pharmacokinetics in preclinical models.

Microdialysis sampling of blood and extracellular fluid (ECF) of living tissue offers unique advantages for studying anticancer drug distribution, metabolism, and mechanisms of tumor drug resistance. We applied microdialysis sampling in a rat model to describe the pharmacokinetics of cisplatin and carboplatin simultaneously in blood and several peripheral tissues, including tumor tissue. After i.v. bolus drug administration, samples were collected every 10 min for 4-6 h using microdialysis probes implanted into the jugular vein, kidney, and either liver or subcutaneously growing breast tumor tissue in anesthetized Fisher 344 rats. Analyte concentrations are expressed as absolute extracellular concentrations obtained by correction of the data for in vivo recovery. For cisplatin, peak renal concentrations (mean, 36.7 and 80.1 micrograms/mL) always exceeded peak plasma (8.4 and 13.2 micrograms/mL) and hepatic (6.3 and 10.4 micrograms/mL) concentrations following 5 and 10 mg/kg doses, respectively. For carboplatin, doses of 20 and 30 mg/kg also resulted in high peak renal concentrations, which were similar at both dose levels (mean, 87.9 and 89.3 micrograms/mL). However, at 30 mg/kg peak hepatic carboplatin concentrations were increased significantly, resulting in a disproportionate 3.5-fold increase in mean AUC at the higher dose level. Tumor cisplatin and carboplatin AUCs were similar to that in the circulation, but variable, ranging from 52 to 109% of the corresponding plasma AUCs. Microdialysis was determined to be a reliable methodology for examining the in vivo disposition of platinum anticancer agents in multiple tissue types. Our results revealed expected large renal exposures following i.v. administration, and variable tumor exposure with dose. Significant increases in hepatic carboplatin exposure with increasing dose suggest a possible mechanism for high-dose carboplatin-induced hepatic toxicity.
Lapland longspur mortality at an oil well drilling rig site, Laramie County, Wyoming

Two hundred fifty-one Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) carcasses were recovered around an oil well drilling rig in Laramie County, Wyoming, USA, on December 13–14, 2010, apparent victims of a winter storm and “light entrapment” from the lights on the drilling rig during foggy conditions. We found Lapland longspur carcasses distributed around the drilling rig from 33 m to 171 m. Investigators did not find evidence of bird carcasses on the drilling rig deck or equipment immediately adjacent to the drilling rig. We ruled out chemical toxins and disease as a cause of mortality. Weather conditions, the circular depositional pattern of carcasses around the drilling rig, and bird necropsy results led investigators to conclude that the Lapland longspur mortality was the result of the migrating birds entering the area illuminated by the drilling rig lights in freezing fog and the birds repeatedly circling the drilling rig until they fell to the ground in exhaustion and dying from subsequent trauma. Further research is needed to understand how to most effectively adjust lighting of onshore drilling rigs to reduce the potential for avian light entrapment. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Variation in search-phase calls of bats

Although echolocation calls of most bats exhibit species-specific characteristics, intraspecific variation can obscure differences among species and make reliable acoustic identification difficult. We examined levels of intraspecific variation in search-phase calls of 7 species of vespertilionid bats from several locations in the eastern and central United States. Echolocation calls were recorded from light-tagged bats using the Anabat II detector and associated software. Analook software was used to calculate values for 5 parameters of calls: duration, maximum frequency, minimum frequency, frequency of the body, and slope of the body. Analysis of our results indicates that most intraspecific variability in calls was attributable to differences among individuals and within individual call sequences. Observed levels of geographic variation, although significant in all species examined, were comparatively small and showed no trends among areas. We include a preliminary description of variability in echolocation calls of Nyticeius humeralis and Myotis leibii.
Implicit Definability in Arithmetic

We consider implicit definability over the natural number system N,+,×,=. We present a new proof of two theorems of Leo Harrington. The first theorem says that there exist implicitly definable subsets of N which are not explicitly definable from each other. The second theorem says that there exists a subset of N which is not implicitly definable but belongs to a countable, explicitly definable set of subsets of N. Previous proofs of these theorems have used finite- or infinite-injury priority constructions. Our new proof is easier in that it uses only a non-priority oracle construction, adapted from the standard proof of the Friedberg Jump Theorem.
G-CSF receptor-mediated up-regulation of c-fos but not c-raf mRNA expression in myeloid cells.

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) regulates survival, proliferation, and differentiation of myeloid precursor cells. One of the signaling mechanisms for the G-CSF receptor (G-CSF-R) involves the activation of Ras/MAP kinase (MEK) pathway. Since Raf is an important, common link between Ras and MEK in the Ras-Raf-MEK cascade, we studied the expression of c-raf mRNA in G-CSF-treated myeloid precursor cell lines - NFS-60 and HL-60. G-CSF did not alter c-raf mRNA expression in these cells up to 24 h, but induced a transient up-regulation of c-fos mRNA expression between 15-60 min post-treatment. Our results show that G-CSF triggers a de novo induction of c-fos but not c-raf mRNA, and suggests that G-CSF-R-mediated activation of Ras/MEK pathway may involve post-transcriptional mechanisms of Raf regulation.
The Story of Luck v. Southern Pacific Transportation Co.: The Struggle to Protect Employee Privacy

In the mid-1980's, urinalysis drug testing of workers by government and private employers expanded rapidly, provoking a spate of lawsuits challenging their legality. The high profile cases involved constitutional challenges based on the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures. For the typical private sector employee, however, constitutional arguments were unavailable, and a worker who wished to challenge mandatory workplace drug testing had to rely primarily on existing common law doctrines. The Story of Luck tells of one such worker and how one California court of appeal attempted to fashion a framework for analyzing employee privacy claims under the common law. Barbara Luck was an ordinary worker, arriving at work on an ordinary day, when she was confronted with the unexpected request that she produce a urine sample for testing, even though her employer admitted that it had no basis for suspecting her of drug use and had no complaints about her job performance. When she objected, she was first suspended, then terminated from her job. Her subsequent lawsuit raised the issue of whether an employer could require an employee in a non-safety-sensitive job to submit to suspicionless urinalysis testing, or whether such testing infringed the privacy rights of the employee. Luck's suit alleged that her employer's requirement that she submit to drug testing violated her right to privacy and that she was wrongfully discharged when she refused to comply. A jury agreed, awarding her nearly a half million dollars in damages. On appeal, the California court of appeal directly confronted the tension between what it acknowledged was Luck's substantial interest in privacy and the law's traditional deference to an employer's decision to discharge a worker. Although the court of appeals ultimately upheld the jury award, it did so in a way that weakened employee privacy rights in the long run. The judges who decided the case produced a deeply ambivalent opinion. On the one hand, it recognized the fundamental nature of privacy and acknowledged that urinalysis testing infringed that right in significant ways. On the other hand, it exhibited a reluctance to permit employees to fully vindicate that right vis a vis their employers by confining its approval of the jury's verdict to a narrow contract analysis and rejecting a potentially more expansive public policy tort claim. In this way, the decision clearly illustrates the deep tension between recognition of basic employee rights of privacy and the traditional rule of employment-at-will.
Alzheimer Gene Linked to Brain Development

Investigators at Brown University, Providence, RI, and other imaging genetic centers in the US, compare MRI measurements of white matter myelin water fraction (MWF) and gray matter volume (GMV) in healthy infant carriers and noncarriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele, the major susceptibility gene for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD).
Stable maintenance of a 35-base-pair yeast mitochondrial genome

Small deletion variants ([rho-] mutants) derived from the wild-type ([ rho+]) Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial genome were isolated and characterized. The mutant mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) examined retained as little as 35 base pairs of one section of intergenic DNA, were composed entirely of A.T base pairs, and were stably maintained. These simple mtDNAs existed in tandemly repeated arrays at an amplified level that made up approximately 15% of the total cellular DNA and, as judged by fluorescence microscopy, had a nearly normal mitochondrial arrangement throughout the cell cytoplasm. The simple nature of these [rho-] genomes indicates that the sequences required to maintain mtDNA must be extremely simple.
The shield intrauterine device. A superior modern contraceptive.

Abstract Improvements in the performance of sophisticated intrauterine devices are producing results greatly superior to the empirically designed devices used in clinical practice. Pregnancy rates have been reduced with these modern devices to levels superior to the sequential oral contraceptives and only slightly inferior to the protection afforded by combined oral contraception. Expulsion and removals for bleeding complications have been greatly reduced with the modern shield type of IUD, yielding continuation rates distinctly superior to barrier methods, oral contraceptives or the older types of intrauterine device in general use.
From sea to spirit: Resilience conceptions in coastal communities of Kaledupa, Indonesia

Understandings of fisheries community resilience were studied in two artisanal fishing communities in the Wakatobi Regency of Indonesia. Ecological and spiritual factors were understood as the primary components of community resilience in this region both as independent drivers and interactively. Fundamental ecological concepts such as species distribution and abundance were often mentioned alongside spiritual understandings of hope and fear, space and time. Furthermore, not only did these spiritual and ecological factors operate independently, they were also interactive and intrinsically linked in the way they informed understandings of resilient coastal communities. This spiritual–ecological dimension is unique and relatively unstudied elsewhere in relation to resilience. Both resilience and fisheries can be conceived as ‘boundary objects’. Fisheries, defined as systems involving human communities and aquatic ecosystems in which organisms are collected for use by the human community, inherently blend hu...
On the Robust Solution to SCUC With Load and Wind Uncertainty Correlations

With the increasing penetration of variable renewable generations, independent system operators (ISOs)/regional transmission organizations (RTOs) are faced with new challenges for the secure and economic operation of power systems. This paper proposes an effective approach for deriving robust solutions to the security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) problem, which considers load and wind uncertainties via interval numbers. Different from most robust optimization-based SCUC approaches in literature which explore robust unit commitment (UC) solutions for immunizing against the worst economic scenario in terms of the highest minimum dispatch cost, the proposed robust SCUC model minimizes operation cost for the base case while guaranteeing that the robust UC and dispatch solutions could be adaptively and securely adjusted in response to uncertain intervals. Thus, the proposed model achieves smaller unit commitment costs while maintaining the solution robustness as compared with literature. In addition, the proposed model describes base case dispatches and corrective actions in uncertain intervals, which is more consistent with the current day-ahead and real-time markets. Furthermore, besides budget constraints used in literature, this paper also considers load and wind variability correlations in constructing uncertain intervals, which would eliminate unlike-to-happen scenarios and further limit the level of conservatism of the robust solution. The proposed robust SCUC model is solved by Benders decomposition, which decomposes the original problem into a master UC problem for the base case and subproblems for the base case network evaluation and the security checking for uncertain intervals. Feasibility cuts are generated and fed back to the master problem for further iterations when violations are identified in subproblems. Numerical case studies on the modified IEEE 118-bus system illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed robust SCUC model for the secure and economic operation of power systems under various uncertainties.
Why is KPZ type surface roughening so hard to observe

The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) surface roughening model was proposed nearly fifteen years ago. Although there have been many theoretical studies, there are very few experimental examples of thin film evolution obeying the KPZ equation. We discuss the physical basis of the KPZ equation and suggest possible reasons for the departure from KPZ behavior that is usually observed in surface growth/etching processes. Particularly, we construct a non-local, KPZ-like growth model that takes into account the effect of surface re-emission and show that, for certain limits, our model reduces to the KPZ model. We also discuss various experimental results in the context of known roughening models, including our model.
Exploration of Historical Evolution and Aesthetic Connotation of Taotie Pattern

Taotie pattern,which appeared very early,continued for a long time and was applied in large quantities to bronze,has the typical significance in the evolution history of Chinese patterns.Taotie pattern is the product of worship of ancestors and spirits;furthermore,its shape gives people the mysterious atmosphere and strength.This paper mainly explores the aesthetic connotations of Taotie pattern by analyzing its historical backgrounds,religious overtones and cultural contents.
Prevalence and homology analysis on human and animals severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection in Yantai of Shandong province

Objective To learn the prevalence of infection of human and animals severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus（SFTSV）in Yantai,Shandong province,and to analyze the pathogenic features of SFTSV as well as its relationship between human and animal hosts. Methods From April to November in 2011,3 576 serum samples were collected from domesticated animals,including sheep,cattle,pigs,dogs,chickens,in Laizhou and Penglai areas where fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome frequently occured among local residents. Total SFTSV antibodies and virus-specific nucleic acids of the serum were tested by ELISA and Real time RT-PCR,respectively. SFTSV infection on each animal was observed in different months. 2 590 human serum samples were also collected in Laizhou and Penglai areas,with IgG antibodies tested by ELISA. Virus was isolated with Vero cells from the serum which SFTSV viral nucleic acids were positive. S fragments were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced,with homology analysis conducted on these sequences. Results The overall positive rate of serum samples from animals on the total SFTSV antibodies was 40.24%（1 439/3 576）while the positive rate for specific nucleic acids was 4.56%（163/3 576）. The positive rates for SFTSV antibodies were 62.78%,52.97%,45.56%,28.73%,1.45%and the positive rates for specific nucleic acids were 5.72%,4.63%,3.02%,5.25%and 3.73%,in sheep,cattle,chickens,dogs, pigs,respectively. The antigens/antibodies for SFTSV in animals changed seasonally. The overall positive rate for SFTSV IgG antibody from 2 590 human samples was 5.41%. Thirteen virus strains were isolated from these serum samples（10 strains from human and 3 strains from animals）. The nucleotide homology of 13S fragments’sequences ranged from 95.23%to 100.00%and the nucleotide homology with the isolates from other provinces were between 94.72%and 99.13%. The homology was considered to be high. Conclusion High prevalence of SFTSV infections occured both in human and domestic animals in Yantai city. The nucleotide sequences of SFTSV were highly homologous among human and domestic animals. The findings suggested that domesticated animals might serve as SFTSV proliferation and the hosts for transmission thus should be attached great importance. Key words: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus; Animal; Human; Infection; Homology
Evidence of Splitting 1,2,3-Triazole into an Alkyne and Azide by Low Mechanical Force in the Presence of Other Covalent Bonds.

The cycloaddition reaction of an alkyne and azide to form a 1,2,3-triazole is widely used in many areas. However, the stability of the triazole moiety under mechanical stress is unclear. To see if a triazole could be selectively split into an alkyne and azide in the presence of other typical covalent bonds, a mica surface functionalized with a molecule containing a triazole moiety in the middle and an activated ester at the end was prepared. An atomic force microscope (AFM) tip with amino groups on its surface was ramped over the mica surface at predefined locations, which could temporarily link the tip to the surface through amide bond formation. During retraction, the triazole or another bond in the linkage broke, and a force was recorded. The forces varied widely at different ramps from close to 0 pN to 860 pN due to nonspecific adhesions and to the inherent inconsistency of single bond rupture. If some of the forces were from triazole cycloreversion, there would be alkynes at the predefined ramping locations. The surface was reacted with an azide carboxylic acid followed by labeling with amino Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). AFM imaging revealed AuNPs at the predicted locations, which provided evidence that under certain conditions triazole could be split selectively in the presence of other bonds at forces below 860 pN.
The fine structure of certain ocular tissues

The vertebrate cornea consists, basically, of a multilayered epithelium with a basement membrane, a stroma of oriented collagen fibrils and interspersed stroma cells, and a single layer of mesothelial cells, commonly called the endothelium, with a thickened and modified basement membrane known as Descemet’s membrane. In stained sections the stroma appears fibrous, while Descemet’s membrane and often a thin layer of stroma just beneath the epithelium have no resolvable internal structure.
Analysis and effects of space radiation induced single event transients

Spacecraft electronics are affected by the space radiation environment. Among the different types of radiation effects that can affect spacecraft electronics is the single event transients. The space environment is responsible for many of the single event transients which can upset the performance of the spacecraft avionics hardware. In this paper we first explore the origins of single event transients, then illustrate the bahaviors of a single event transient in a digital circuit. We then provide a discussion concerning propagation of a single event transient event at the local, subsystem, and system level. The final goal of the paper is to provide a qualitatively methodology for asessing single event transients and its effects so that spacecraft avionics engineers can develop either hardware or software coutermeasures in their designs.
High-resolution studies of the Majorana atomic chain platform

High-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements show that chains of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor provide a promising platform for realizing and manipulating Majorana fermion quasiparticles.
Stability and Sterility of Sucrose-Formulated Recombinant Factor VIII (Kogenate® FS/Bayer) for Use during Continuous Infusion.

Continuous infusion of factor VIII (FVIII) is an alternative treatment approach to bolus dosing for providing hemostatic control in patients with hemophilia A undergoing surgery. Continuous infusion maintains consistent circulating FVIII, thus avoiding wastefully high or dangerously low levels. Potential advantages of continuous infusion include improved protection from excessive bleeding, reduced factor consumption, and easier monitoring. Continuous infusion requires FVIII usage parameters that are typically outside of the tested and approved ranges for the product, including extended time in an aqueous state at room temperature and exposure to a large surface area of tubing. Here we present in vitro data on the stability and sterility of a sucrose-formulated recombinant FVIII product (Kogenate ® FS/Bayer; rFVIII-FS) under conditions comparable to those that would be experienced during the continuous infusion of patients. Three lots for each of 3 vial sizes (250, 500, and 1000 IU) were tested. Twenty vials of each size were reconstituted in Water for Injection, pooled into a 50 mL volume (100, 200, or 400 IU/mL for the 250, 500, and 1000 IU vial sizes, respectively), and aseptically transferred to pump reservoirs. Two mini-pumps were evaluated (WalkMed 350 Ambulatory Infusion Pump and CADD-Legacy PLUS Ambulatory Infusion Pump Model 6500) using a flow rate of 0.6 mL/hr. Reservoir bags containing reconstituted rFVIII-FS, pumps, and tubing were incubated at 30°C and samples were withdrawn to test coagulation activity via one-stage and chromogenic assays after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. Sample remaining in the reservoir after 48 hours was tested for sterility. The reservoirs and tubing used in this study were made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which has a high FVIII adsorption potential. Results for all 1000 IU lots based on the recoveries obtained at the first time point demonstrated >80% activity at the end of the study using both the one-stage and chromogenic assays on both pumps. Results for all 500 IU lots showed similar recoveries (≥80%) for both pumps at study end using the chromogenic assay. However, the one-stage assay gave higher recovery values for the WalkMed pump (>90%) compared to the CADD pump (>75%). Results for all 250 IU lots demonstrated ≥79% activity at the end of the study using both pumps and both assays. All lots passed the sterility test. These findings indicate that rFVIII-FS is stable in both the WalkMed and CADD pumps and that sterility of rFVIII-FS is maintained for at least 48 hours. This suggests that rFVIII-FS is suitable for use in continuous infusion.
How HR systems Can Work Better: the Moderating Effect of HR Content and HR Process

This study examined the role of content and the process of the HR system in fostering organizational climate and leading to better organizational performances. Using the South Korean panel data set...
Ownership and Spatial Distribution of Eagle Ford Mineral Wealth in Live Oak County, Texas

U.S. unconventional hydrocarbon production is a driver of economic growth, but mineral wealth ownership is poorly understood and shrouded in “local wealth” mythology that claims royalties from hydrocarbons mostly benefit people who live near sites of production. Mineral property tax appraisals, as proxies for mineral wealth from Live Oak County, a representative Eagle Ford Shale county in Texas, show that 96 percent of assessed mineral wealth concentrates among energy firms and individuals in Texas metropolitan regions; 1.95 percent of mineral wealth remains “local” to the production county, challenging local wealth myths. Deviating from nation-state scalar approaches, local and regional spatial studies of other energy regions might reveal similar wealth distributions, enabling generalizations about hydrocarbon production economic outcomes.
Abstract WMP47: Nrf2 Deficiency Exacerbates Sensorimotor Deficit and Impairs Long-term Functional Recovery After Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Ischemic stroke is a devastating form of stroke with extremely high disability that affects more than 690,000 adults each year. Over the past decade, the transcriptional factor Nrf2 h...
Model of Transition Delay for Unaccommodated Pedestrian Timing

AbstractThis paper addresses signal transitions due to outsized or oversized pedestrian timing. This form of transition happens at coordinated intersections when the side-street required green time...
Formation of Micelles of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide in Water-Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solutions

The critical micellar concentration of aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) containing different amounts of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been determined at 25° and 40° C by means of surface tensiometry. In general, the experimental results indicate that micelle formation is hindered by a raise in temperature. In addition, DMSO was found to have an inhibitory effect on the formation of micelles of CTAB. This effect is relatively small at low cosolvent concentrations, but it increases dramatically as the mole fraction of DMS0 ap-proaches 0.33. This mole fraction corresponds to the formation of the stoichiometric complex DMSO.2H20. At mole fractions of DMSO higher than 0.33 the formation of CTAB micelles does not take place. Although the free energy values determined for the process of micellization in the mixed solvent system are comparable to those determined for pure water, they increase linearly with the mole fraction of DMSO. The values determined for ∆S m o indicate that an increase in the ordering of the surfactantwater-cosolvent system takes place as the mole fraction of DMSO is increased. This is consistent with a strong interaction, such as hydrogen bonding, between water and DMSO. The inhibitory effect on micelle formation can be explained in terms of a decrease of hydrophobic forces in the ternary system due to interactions between water and DMSO.
Biology and structure of scrapie prions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the biology and structure of scrapie prions. The studies determining the sedimentation properties of the scrapie agent in fixed angle rotors and sucrose gradients are discussed. The chapter demonstrates the efficacy of nuclease and protease digestions as well as sodium dodecyl sarcosinate gel electrophoresis in the development of purification protocols. Once a 100-fold purification is achieved, convincing evidence demonstrating that a protein is required for infectivity is obtained. Even before the scrapie protein is indentified, the intensive search for the putative nucleic acid genome within the scrapie agent can be started. The requirement of a protein for infectivity and the extraordinary resistance of the scrapie agent to inactivation by procedures that modify or hydrolyze nucleic acids led to the introduction of the term “prion” to denote these infectious particles. In the search for a scrapie-specific protein, a purification scheme is developed that led to the first identification of a macromolecule within the scrapie prion.
Adaptive Multifunctional Supramolecular Assemblies of Glycopeptides Rapidly Enable Morphogenesis.

Despite the well-established biophysical principle of adhesion-guided in vitro morphogenesis, there are few single synthetic molecular species that can rapidly enable morphogenesis (e.g., a cell mo...
Embedding Characterizations for Collectionwise Normality and Expandability

Publisher Summary J. C. Nichols and J. C. Smith obtained a number of embedding-type characterizations for classes of topological spaces such as collectionwise normal, strongly normal, expandable, almost expandable, etc. This chapter presents similar embedding characterizations using the notion of weak θ-covers. Moreover, embedding characterizations are obtained for normal and collection-wise normal spaces and similar characterizations are obtained for expandable and almost expandable spaces.
The Science of Social Cyber-Security

Social Cyber-Security is an emerging scientific and engineering area. It is an applied field focused on the science to characterize, understand, and forecast cyber-mediated changes in human behavior and activity, and the related social, cultural, economic and political outcomes. From the engineering side it is concerned with building the cyber-infrastructure needed for society to persist in its essential character in a cyber-mediated information environment under changing conditions, in the presence of actual or imminent social cyber-threats. Research in social cyber-security has demonstrated that social media and personalized data assistants are critical technologies that affect the ways humans navigate this cyber-mediated information space, and the way they interact and engage in discussions. This impact is complex and is related to the human socio-cognitive response, engineered features of the technologies, and the policy/legal environment in which humans and technology interact. The changing nature of interaction in the cyber-mediated information environment are creating new scientific and policy challenges that those in social cyber-security must address. This talk will describe the nature, promise of, and challenges in social cyber-security. The role of network science and AI, as to of the core methodologies, in addressing these challenges is addressed. Illustrative examples will be drawn from areas such as disaster response, state stability, and the distribution of false information.
Role of CO2 in Catalytic Ethane-to-Ethylene Conversion Using a High-Temperature CO2 Transport Membrane Reactor

The noncatalytic, thermo-dehydrogenation-based steam cracking is a benchmark technology for ethylene production from ethane or naphtha. However, this technology is energy-and emission-intensive. Ai...
Episodic forward prolongation of trunk channels in the Western United States

Abstract Neither the concepts of antecedence nor superposition from an overlying sedimentary surface can explain many drainage networks that traverse ranges in the Basin and Range geomorphic province of the western U.S. Rather, much of the regional drainage network growth has resulted from pluvial lake overflows and basin breaching, causing episodic extensions of the trunk streams in a downstream direction. In this model, the primary role of sediment is to reduce basin volumes, thus increasing the chances of basin breaching by overflow. After basin breaching, a significant base-level drop often results, which leads to the erosion and recycling of sediments, and drainage network permanency. Therefore, remnants of basin fills reaching rim elevations, and other evidence of superposition are unlikely. Drainage network evolution appears to be closely tied to the large Plio-Pleistocene climatic shifts, suggesting that regional drainage integration in the Basin and Range is most likely a Pliocene or Quaternary phenomenon.
Iran Nuclear Programme, a Brief History

Iran nuclear programme dates back to the time of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the country’s last monarch. Whilst Iran became a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), under the Shah’s rule, the first aspirations of the country for building nuclear weapons have also been expressed by his government. More than a decade after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Islamic Republic restarted the country’s existing programme. Although, it was never proven that Iran’s nuclear programme had an active military dimension, Iran’s regional balance of power struggle, the experience of eight devastating years of war with Iraq, sharing borders with a nuclear nation (Pakistan) and having multiple domestic security challenges led the international community to conclude that it would have made perfect sense for the Islamic Republic to aspire nuclear military capability. The nuclear negotiations that concluded with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) became a milestone in Iran–US relations since the Islamic Revolution. The unilateral withdrawal of Trump’s Administration from the JCPOA has reinstated uncertainties about the future of Iran–US relations. This chapter provides a review of the history of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its impacts at domestic, regional and international levels.
Molecular characterization of the Drosophila genome.

A remarkable feature of evolution in the genus Drosophila is the conservation of the basic karyotype. Postulation of Robertsonian centric fusions (ROBERTSON 1916) is sufficient to explain most of the karyotypic rearrangements found in the various species. The fixation of large duplications of genetic material during the evolution of this genus appears to have been rare (STONE 1955). On the other hand, amino acid sequence data for proteins of other organisms indicate that many cistrons have very similar nucleotide sequences, and are presumably related by prior gene duplication (JUKES 1966). Physical studies of DNA of various eucaryotes also suggest that these genomes contain very large families of related cistrons (BRITTEN and KOHNE 1968). The size of such families is often in excess of that inferred from existing protein data (BRITTEN and KOHNE 1968; MCCARTHY 1967; WETMUR and DAVIDSON 1968). This may in some cases reflect the presence of cistrons with similar nucleotide sequences which specify proteins of overtly different functions. It is also likely that some of these families of genes have functions other than the determination of amino acid sequences. In keeping with the cytological studies, the reassociation kinetics of denatured Drosophila melanogaster DNA imply that the genome of this organism is much less complex, in terms of intragenome nucleotide sequence homologies, than those of vertebrates (LAIRD and MCCARTHY 1968b). Estimates made from these measurements suggest that perhaps 90% of D. melanogaster nucleotide sequences are not closely related to others elsewhere in the genome. In light of the extensive diversity within the genus Drosophila (LAIRD and MCCARTHY 1968a) , a detailed analysis of the intragenome homologies of representative species is expected to provide information about the evolution of genomes. In particular, our results indicate that genome simplicity extends to other Drosophila species and to a representative of another Dipteran family. In addition, there are variations among Diptera in genome size as inferred from the informational content of nucleotide sequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS Details of labeling and isolation of DNA and RNA from Drosophila, preparation of filterbound DNA, hybridization and duplex formation procedures, and analytical CsCl pycnography
Fast predictions of liquid-phase acid-catalyzed reaction rates using molecular dynamics simulations and convolutional neural networks

The rates of liquid-phase, acid-catalyzed reactions relevant to the upgrading of biomass into high-value chemicals are highly sensitive to solvent composition and identifying suitable solvent mixtures is theoretically and experimentally challenging. We show that the complex atomistic configurations of reactant–solvent environments generated by classical molecular dynamics simulations can be exploited by 3D convolutional neural networks to enable accurate predictions of Bronsted acid-catalyzed reaction rates for model biomass compounds. We develop a 3D convolutional neural network, which we call SolventNet, and train it to predict acid-catalyzed reaction rates using experimental reaction data and corresponding molecular dynamics simulation data for seven biomass-derived oxygenates in water–cosolvent mixtures. We show that SolventNet can predict reaction rates for additional reactants and solvent systems an order of magnitude faster than prior simulation methods. This combination of machine learning with molecular dynamics enables the rapid, high-throughput screening of solvent systems and identification of improved biomass conversion conditions.
Early life household intactness and timing of pubertal onset in girls: a prospective cohort study

Girls who experience early-life familial stress may have heightened risk of early puberty, which has adverse implications for adolescent and adult health. We assessed the association between household intactness and pubertal onset using a racially/ethnically diverse cohort of girls from Northern California. A prospective cohort study of 26,044 girls born in 2003-10. Girls living with both parents from birth up to 6 years were considered to come from “intact” households while others constituted “non-intact” households. Pubertal development was measured using pediatrician-assessed Tanner staging for breast and pubic hair. Pubertal onset was defined as the transition from Tanner Stage 1 to 2+ for breast (thelarche) and pubic hair (pubarche). Menarche data was collected from routine well-child questionnaires. Weibull regression models accommodating left, right, and interval censoring were used to determine risk of earlier thelarche and pubarche, and logistic regressions were used to assess the risk of early menarche (age < 12). Girls exposed to non-intact households before age 2 years were at increased risk for earlier thelarche and pubarche with significant effect modification by race/ethnicity, compared with girls from intact households. The associations were strongest among Black girls (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29,1.98; HR: 1.42, 95%CI: 1.15,1.77 for thelarche and pubarche, respectively). There were no significant associations among Asian/Pacific Islanders. Girls who lived in non-intact households before age 2 years were also at increased risk for earlier menarche, but without race/ethnic interaction. Adjustment for prepubertal obesity did not change these associations. Associations between living in non-intact households after age 2 years and early puberty were weaker but still significant. Exposure to a non-intact household early in life may increase the risk of early puberty in girls. Future psychosocial interventions focused on improving family cohesiveness and efforts to reduce childhood stress among families that are non-intact may mitigate these negative associations, thereby preventing future adverse health effects of early puberty and health disparities.
Do safety-net hospitals provide equitable care after decompressive surgery for acute cauda equina syndrome?

Abstract Introduction Safety-net hospitals provide care to a substantial share of disadvantaged patient populations. Whether disparities exist between safety-net hospitals and their counterparts in performing emergent neurosurgical procedures has not yet been examined. Objective We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), a national all-payer inpatient healthcare database, to determine whether safety-net hospitals provide equitable care after decompressive surgery for acute cauda equina syndrome (CES). Methods The NIS from 2002 to 2011 was queried for patients with a diagnosis of acute CES who received decompressive surgery. Hospital safety-net burden was designated as low (LBH), medium (MBH), or high (HBH) based on the proportion of inpatient admissions that were billed as Medicaid, self-pay, or charity care. Etiologies of CES were classified as degenerative, neoplastic, trauma, and infectious. Significance was defined at p Results A total of 5607 admissions were included in this analysis. HBHs were more likely than LBHs to treat patients who were Black, Hispanic, on Medicaid, or had a traumatic CES etiology (p Discussion Emergent decompressive surgery for CES performed at SNHs is associated with greater inpatient costs, but not greater inpatient adverse events or LOS. Differences in workflows at SNHs may be the drivers of these disparities in cost and warrant further investigation.
“How Did I Do?”: Giving learners effective and affective feedback

Borup et al. (Educ Technol Res Dev 63: 161–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-015-9367-8 , 2015) examined teacher candidate and instructor perceptions of feedback in blended learning environments. Their work juxtaposed two different modalities of learning and feedback; it serves as a critical anchor to support future efforts to ensure students and instructors are engaged in an efficient feedback experience that offers affective benefits in digital learning spaces. In this article, I offer applicable feedback delivery strategies for educators as an extension of Borup et al.’s work.
Analyses of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Taking the Hepatitis C Virus from Mystery Killer to Preventable and Treatable Disease

Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles M. Rice share the 2020 Nobel in Physiology or Medicine for their contributions to the identification, treatment, and eventual elimination of the hepat...
Highlights in COVID-19 from the 62nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting

The high incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and its consequent morbidity and mortality-along with an elevated risk for arterial thrombotic disease-was recognized early on by providers caring for individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many hypotheses have been presented to explain the pathologic hypercoagulability seen in these patients. It has been difficult to determine how each potential risk factor contributes to the development of thrombotic complications, however. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 typically have underlying medical conditions, and the illness affects multiple organs. The use of various therapeutic modalities to mitigate the systemic effects of the illness can further obscure the direct effects of COVID-19. At this time, physicians are searching for ways to predict which patients with COVID-19 are most likely to be affected by thrombosis. Identifying them is important because aggressive VTE prophylaxis may increase the rates of major bleeding complications and mortality, even as it reduces thrombogenesis. The concept of individualizing the dosing of low-molecular-weight heparin according to the severity of each patient's COVID-19 clinical status is emerging, and adaptive therapeutic trials are in progress. Until results are available, however, it is important to recognize potential risk factors for thrombosis. The following observational studies from the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting provide some insights on how to accomplish this.
Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 Infection from an Urban Ambulatory COVID-19 Clinic-Guidance for Outpatient Clinicians in Triaging Patients.

BackgroundCoronavirus infection (COVID) presents with flu-like symptoms and can cause serious complications. Here, we discuss the presentation and outcomes of COVID in an ambulatory setting along w...
Critical Theoretical Methodology for Nonideal Contributions to Bioethics

Karl Marx argued that the preferable starting point for influencing social practices is to understand their workings—not to simply moralize social systems through idealization. This thread in Marx informs contemporary critical social theories such as feminism and critical race theory. Such work attempts to diagnose and analyze internal contradictions, limitations, and dysfunctions in social structures as they actually are in order to connect them to normative dissatisfactions in lived experience. This critical theoretical methodology thus embodies what Charles Mills calls for in nonideal explanatory models that abstract without idealizing. In this chapter I argue that Marx’s theory of society, which informs his critique of political economy in Capital, offers bioethics a nonideal framework through which to analyze normative dissatisfactions in health care practice. What may appear to be moral problems or dilemmas in health care can be the result of, or significantly influenced by, structural patterns in health care’s material production—not its abstract moral content. Therefore, understanding health care structurally, as a set of productive practices within a larger systematic whole of capitalist production, can help diagnose systemic dysfunctions in health care’s material production that produce or make worse normative dissatisfactions of concern for bioethics. I call such morally significant structural dysfunctions social pathologies of health care, and contend that a Marx-informed bioethics can descriptively theorize structural bases of moral discontent and conflict in health care, and therein inform its social and political transformation for the better.
Research Issues: Multiple Tests: Some Practical Considerations

procedures: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 589-596. Kirk, R. E. (1968). Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Petrinovich, L. F., & Hardyck, C. D. (1969). Error rates for multiple comparison methods: Some evidence concerning the frequency of erroneous conclusions. Psychological Bulletin, 71, 43-54. Ryan, T. A. (1959). Multiple comparisons in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 26-47. Shavelson, R. J. (1981). Statistical reasoning for the behavioral sciences. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Stevens, J. (1986). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Wilson, W. (1962). A note on the inconsistency inherent in the necessity to perform multiple comparisons. Psychological Bulletin, 59, 296-300.
Keynote: Primitives for Physical Trust

This talk explores the question of whether wireless communication can achieve security - confidentiality (unicast and broadcast), authentication, non-repudiation, anonymity - without assuming any shared secrets and using only low-cost computation primitives. The key idea is to exploit physical characteristics of the network medium to develop a basis of physical primitives that suffice for rethinking a security protocol suite.
Global Optimization of Homogeneous Polynomials on the Simplex and on the Sphere

We obtain rigorous estimates for linear and semidefinite relaxations of global optimization problems on the simplex and on the sphere
Inhibitory effect of PYY on vagally stimulated acid secretion is mediated predominantly by Y1 receptors

Two molecular forms of peptide YY (PYY), PYY-(1--36) and PYY-(3--36), are abundant in rabbit intestine and blood. We have previously shown that PYY-(1--36) (PYYI) activates equipotently Y1 and Y2 receptors and PYY-(3--36) (PYY II) is a highly selective agonist for Y2 receptors. In the present study, we examined the effect of exogenous infusion of PYY on vagally stimulated gastric acid secretion in awake rabbits with chronic gastric fistula. To determine the specific PYY receptor(s) that mediates this effect, we used a highly selective Y1 agonist, Pro34-PYY, a synthetic PYY, and a Y2-selective agonist, PYY II. Vagal stimulation of acid secretion was elicited by an intravenous bolus injection of insulin (0.125 U/kg) 30 min after beginning a 180-min intravenous infusion of either PYY I, PYY II, or [Pro34]-PYY after a 50 micrograms/kg i.v. bolus of atropine followed immediately by a 500 micrograms/kg sc injection. During infusion of 200 pmol.kg 1.h-1 PYY I, acid output was significantly inhibited to 45 +/- 13...
Determination of SMA—Mark X1,2 Set Points for Bilirubin by Standard Addition Technique

A technique based on the standard addition method is described for calibration of the bilirubin channel on the SMA and Mark X analytical systems. Reference sera used for set point calibration contain significant blanks that are compensated in the present technique, which is based on actual bilirubin response of the respective instruments. Precision is improved by use of a least squares technique.