cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquid-gas phase transitions and C K symmetry in quantum field theories

A general field-theoretic framework for the treatment of liquid-gas phase transitions is developed. Starting from a fundamental four-dimensional field theory at nonzero temperature and density, an effective three-dimensional field theory is derived. The effective field theory has a sign problem at finite density. Although finite density explicitly breaks charge conjugation $\mathcal{C}$, there remains a symmetry under $\mathcal{C}\mathcal{K}$, where $\mathcal{K}$ is complex conjugation. We consider four models: relativistic fermions, nonrelativistic fermions, static fermions and classical particles. The interactions are via an attractive potential due to scalar field exchange and a repulsive potential due to massive vector exchange. The field-theoretic representation of the partition function is closely related to the equivalence of the sine-Gordon field theory with a classical gas. The thermodynamic behavior is extracted from $\mathcal{C}\mathcal{K}$-symmetric complex saddle points of the effective field theory at tree level. In the cases of nonrelativistic fermions and classical particles, we find complex saddle point solutions but no first-order transitions, and neither model has a ground state at tree level. The relativistic and static fermions show a liquid-gas transition at tree level in the effective field theory. The liquid-gas transition, when it occurs, manifests as a first-order line at low temperature and high density, terminated by a critical end point. The mass matrix controlling the behavior of correlation functions is obtained from fluctuations around the saddle points. Due to the $\mathcal{C}\mathcal{K}$ symmetry of the models, the eigenvalues of the mass matrix are not always real but can be complex. This leads to the existence of disorder lines, which mark the boundaries where the eigenvalues go from purely real to complex. The regions where the mass matrix eigenvalues are complex are associated with the critical line. In the case of static fermions, a powerful duality between particles and holes allows for the analytic determination of both the critical line and the disorder lines. Depending on the values of the parameters, either zero, one, or two disorder lines are found. Numerical results for relativistic fermions give a very similar picture.
Photoredox-Assisted Reductive Cross-Coupling: Mechanistic Insight into Catalytic Aryl-Alkyl Cross-Couplings.

Here, we describe a photoredox-assisted catalytic system for the direct reductive coupling of two carbon electrophiles. Recent advances have shown that nickel catalysts are active toward the coupling of sp3-carbon electrophiles and that well-controlled, light-driven coupling systems are possible. Our system, composed of a nickel catalyst, an iridium photosensitizer, and an amine electron donor, is capable of coupling halocarbons with high yields. Spectroscopic studies support a mechanism where under visible light irradiation the Ir photosensitizer in conjunction with triethanolamine are capable of reducing a nickel catalyst and activating the catalyst toward cross-coupling of carbon electrophiles. The synthetic methodology developed here operates at low 1 mol % catalyst and photosensitizer loadings. The catalytic system also operates without reaction additives such as inorganic salts or bases. A general and effective sp2–sp3 cross-coupling scheme has been achieved that exhibits tolerance to a wide array o...
Evaluation of exposure factors to support development of generic recreational reuse scenarios for land reclamation activities

Recreational reuse of contaminated lands can be a sustainable and cost-effective approach to address the increasing demand on land availability for community development as well as for ecologically...
Thermal diffusivity and perfusion constants from in vivo MR-guided focussed ultrasound treatments: a feasibility study.

AbstractPurpose: This study investigates the feasibility of non-invasively determining thermal diffusivity (α) and the Pennes perfusion parameter (w) from preclinical and clinical magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) temperature data.Materials and Methods: Pre-clinical MRgFUS experiments were performed in rabbit muscle (N = 3, 28 sonications) using three-dimensional MR thermometry. 8 sonications were made in a clinical QA phantom with two-dimensional thermometry. Retrospective property determination was performed on clinical uterine fibroid (N = 8, 9 sonications) and desmoid tumor (N = 4, 7 sonications) data.The property determination method fits an analytical solution to MRgFUS temperatures in the coronal MR plane, including all temperatures acquired during heating and one cooling image. When possible, additional cooling data were acquired for property determination.Results: Rabbit α and w from Heating Data (α=0.164 mm2s−1, w = 7.9 kgm−3s−1) and Heating & Cooling Data (α=0.146 mm2s−1, w ...
Consistency, Generality, Magnitude, and Significance of Experimenter Expectancy Effects in Human Research

Criteria are suggested for evaluating the significance of experimenter expectancy effects in specific research contexts. The evidence for consistency and generality of expectancy effects in professionally conducted experiments with well-structured tasks using human subjects is questioned. A lack of utility in continuing merely to demonstrate statistically significant bias effects is noted. Examples are given that illustrate the utility of studying magnitude of effects using estimated variance components for determining when major independent variable effects might be misjudged because of confounding with experimenter expectancies.
High pressure studies of A2Mo3O12 negative thermal expansion materials (A2=Al2, Fe2, FeAl, AlGa)

Abstract High pressure powder X-ray diffraction studies of several A 2 Mo 3 O 12 materials (A 2 =Al 2 , Fe 2 , FeAl, and AlGa) were conducted up to 6–7 GPa. All materials adopted a monoclinic structure under ambient conditions, and displayed similar phase transition behavior upon compression. The initial isotropic compressibility first became anisotropic, followed by a small but distinct drop in cell volume. These patterns could be described by a distorted variant of the ambient pressure polymorph. At higher pressures, a distinct high pressure phase formed. Indexing results confirmed that all materials adopted the same high pressure phase. All changes were reversible on decompression, although some hysteresis was observed. The similarity of the high pressure cells to previously reported Ga 2 Mo 3 O 12 suggested that this material undergoes the same sequence of transitions as all materials investigated in this paper. It was found that the transition pressures for all phase changes increased with decreasing radius of the A-site cations.
Experimental performance of RC moment frame beams with rectangular openings

Abstract A large-scale experimental case study was carried out to investigate the cyclic behavior of T-shaped, moment-resisting frame (MRF) beams with openings. The beams are located in an existing structure in the western U.S., which was designed according to ACI 31-95 and UBC97. Limited availability of test data in current literature and lack of guidance in existing design standards motivated the construction of four replica cantilever test specimens with lengths of 3.8–5.3 m. All other specimen dimensions were scaled to 80%, resulting in cross-sections of 0.61 in width and 0.98 m in height. Three beam specimens had openings with dimensions of 0.98 m × 0.37 m; the control specimen did not have openings. Each beam replica was instrumented with internal and external instrumentation consisting of strain gauges, linear voltage differential transducers (LVDTs) and string potentiometers, and tested to complete structural failure under quasi-static symmetric displacement reversals. The cyclic performance of all beams was evaluated in terms of failure progression and plastic hinge development, strength and stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, the contribution of shear and flexural deformations to the overall displacement profile was studied. Simple monotonic strut and tie modeling was utilized to estimate and compare the beams’ capacities in the elastic range. A discussion of deficient and successful test results highlights the suitability of introducing openings in moment frame beams.
Fake ℝ 4

In this chapter we give an account of the topological ideas leading to the existence of a “fake R4” What distinguishes R fake 4 is its differentiable structure. After first reviewing the notion of a differentiable structure on a manifold, we describe the algebraic invariants used to classify topological 4-manifolds. Not all 4-manifolds admit a smooth structure, and specific nonexistence results, including Donaldson’s Theorem, are stated. Finally, all of this is tied together by a sketch of the proof that an exotic differentiable structure exists on R4. We refer the reader to [Fr 2 ] for another expository account of this material.
Enhancement and automated segmentation of ultrasound knee cartilage for early diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis

Ultrasound(US) has emerged as a valid imaging modality for quantitative assessment of femoral cartilage thickness for early diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA). In this work, we are presenting a framework for automated segmentation of knee cartilage from enhanced US images. The proposed framework involves enhancement of US bone surfaces by calculating local phase image features, dynamic programming for bone segmentation and the use of segmented bone surfaces as initial seeds to random walker (RW) algorithm. Qualitative and quantitative validation was performed on 100 scans obtained from eight healthy volunteers. Validation against expert manual segmentation achieved a mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.8758.
Sphingosine kinase/sphingosine 1-phosphate signaling in cancer therapeutics and drug resistance.

In this chapter, roles of bioactive sphingolipids, specifically sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) and 2 (SK2) and their product—sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)—will be reviewed with respect to regulation of cancer growth, metastasis, chemotherapeutics, and drug resistance. Sphingolipids are known to be key bioeffector molecules that regulate cancer proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell death. Sphingolipid molecules such as ceramide and S1P have been shown to control cancer cell death and proliferation, respectively. Roles of S1P have been described with respect to their intracellular and extracellular pro-survival and drug resistance functions mostly through S1P receptor (S1PR1-5) engagement. Identification of novel intracellular SK/S1P targets has broadened the existing complex regulatory roles of bioactive sphingolipids in cancer pathogenesis and therapeutics. Thus, deciphering the biochemical and molecular regulation of SK/S1P/S1PR signaling could permit development of novel therapeutic interventions to improve cancer therapy and/or overcome drug resistance.
Caring Labor and Class Consciousness: The Class Dynamics of Gendered Work

Previous research on class consciousness has not examined the gendered nature of paid labor. Paid caring laborwork that involves the direct provision of care to clients or customers—now comprises 20% of the labor force. This is work that tends to place workers in conflict with the goals of management. The conflict between caring values and exchange values may lead workers to greater levels of class consciousness. I use national survey data to examine whether workers in caring labor occupations are more class conscious than other workers. Results indicate that caring laborers are more likely to be pro–working-class conscious than other workers after controlling for class position, income, education, government and nonprofit sectors, sex, and race. Workers in high intensity caring jobs are especially likely to be class conscious. This suggests that, at crucial points, the logic of caring and the logic of commodification are at odds.
Extremophiles: Dry Environments (Including Cryptoendoliths)

Microorganisms in desert environments can form rich assemblages in spite of the harsh environmental conditions. These include extensive biological soil crusts dominated by cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses in semiarid and arid regions, and epilithic, endolithic, and hypolithic phototrophic associations wherever suitable substrata are available. In the more arid regions, the cyanobacterial Chroococcidiopsis gains in importance. The extent of these associations depends on the moisture availability, the hyperarid core of the Atacama being near the limits of life on Earth. Survival of desert microorganisms in these environments is dependent on their ability to survive extended periods in the desiccated state. Low water activity and desiccation can result in damage to cell membranes, oxidation and photooxidation of macromolecules, and desiccation-induced breaks in DNA. Endolithic and hypolithic growth can alleviate the damage by prolonging the period of activity and reducing the amount of photooxidative damage. Biological adaptations include the production of exopolysaccharide sheaths; the production of compatible solutes, especially trehalose; the production of UV-blocking chemicals such as scytonemin and mycosporine-like amino acids; and the possible use of special DNA-repair mechanisms such as are found in radiation-resistant bacteria.
Surgical management of camptocormia in Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVECamptocormia is a potentially debilitating condition in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is described as an abnormal forward flexion while standing that resolves when lying supine. Although the condition is relatively common, the underlying pathophysiology and optimal treatment strategy are unclear. In this study, the authors systematically reviewed the current surgical management strategies for camptocormia.METHODSPubMed was queried for primary studies involving surgical intervention for camptocormia in PD patients. Studies were excluded if they described nonsurgical interventions, provided only descriptive data, or were case reports. Secondarily, data from studies describing deep brain stimulation (DBS) to the subthalamic nuclei were extracted for potential meta-analysis. Variables showing correlation to improvement in sagittal plane bending angle (i.e., the vertical angle caused by excessive kyphosis) were subjected to formal meta-analysis.RESULTSThe query resulted in 9 studies ...
Implementing an Occupancy Sensor Lighting Control System in a University Lab Classroom

Occupancy sensors are lighting control devices that automatically turn lights on when they detect motion, and off when motion is not detected for an allotted time period. These sensors can be applied anywhere, indoor or outdoor, and can provide substantial energy savings. One potential application where occupancy sensors are not often used is in classrooms. This paper will examine the operation and maintenance of the current lighting control system in a university lab classroom; the operating cost of the current lighting system, the specifics of a proposed occupancy sensor system, the payback period of the occupancy sensor system, conclusions of the study, and recommendations for implementing a wireless occupancy sensor system.
Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Faraday Rotation Spectroscopy

Cavity attenuated phase shift Faraday rotation spectroscopy has been developed and demonstrated by oxygen detection near 762 nm. The system incorporates a high-finesse cavity together with phase-se...
„Persuasibility“: Wer lässt sich am leichtesten überzeugen ?

Schon die Yale-Studien der Hovland-Gruppe der 40er und 50er Jahre fragten, ob es nicht Leute geben konnte – oder genauer: Personlichkeitstypen –, die leichter zu uberzeugen sind als andere, und zwar immer und uberall. In dem Band „Personality and persuasibility“ von Janis, Hovland und acht weiteren Autoren (1959) sind die Befunde der damaligen Zeit zusammengestellt.
The Mu2e Experiment

The Mu2e experiment will measure the charged-lepton flavor violating (CLFV) neutrino-less conversion of a negative muon into an electron in the field of a nucleus. The conversion process results in a monochromatic electron with an energy of 104.97 MeV, slightly below the muon rest mass. The goal of the experiment is to improve the previous measurement by four orders of magnitude and reach of a SES (single event sensitivity) of 3 x 10^{-17} on the conversion rate, a 90% CL of 8 x 10^{-17}, and a 5sigma discovery reach at 2 x 10^{-16}$. The experiment goal is obtained with a intense pulsed negative muon beam. The pulsed beam is essential to reducing backgrounds. The other essential element is a sophisticated magnetic system composed of three consecutive solenoids to form the muon beam. Mu2e will use an aluminum target and examine ~10^{18} stopped muons in three years of running. The Mu2e experiment is under design and construction at the Fermilab Muon Campus. The experiment will begin data-taking near the end of 2020 with 3 years of running from 2021 to 2023. Upgrades to other materials than aluminum are already planned. This article is written specifically for younger researchers to bridge the gap between conference presentations and detailed design reports, and examines issues not covered in the former without the details of the latter.
Hypoalbuminemia in Patients Post LVAD Implantation

Purpose Hypoalbuminemia is a prognostic indicator in patients with heart failure but few studies have examined low albumin levels in patients after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between heart failure medications (ACE-inhibitors, beta blockers, aldosterone antagonists, diuretics) and subsequent albumin measurement post LVAD implantation. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients who had LVAD implantation between 2010 and 2016. RM ANOVA was used for the analysis of albumin and NT-proBNP. The first analysis used 390 observations of albumin over one year. We examined to see if patients were started on heart failure medications at any time point (baseline to 1 year post LVAD implant) would there be an improvement in albumin. A post-hoc comparison of measures was done for further analysis. Results Results showed that albumin decreased from baseline (3.19 mg/dl) (before the surgery) to one week (2.62 mg/dl) post LVAD implant, but then increased over one year (3.69 mg/dl) reaching significance at 1 month (3.23 mg/dl) post LVAD implant. Pairwise comparison noted significance at all measures except from baseline to 3 months and 6 months to 1 year. Use of ACE-inhibitors was the only pharmacologic factor associated with the improvement of albumin over time. None of the other medications were significant. Conclusion Albumin increases after the LVAD implantation and reached steady normal values by 3 months after surgery. Low preoperative albumin should not be a basis for denying an LVAD. ACEi inhibitors contribute to improvement in serum albumin levels post LVAD implantation, while other guideline directed medications do not contribute.
A Reversed Trend: Care for Limited English Proficiency Patients in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Objectives. Previous studies in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) showed patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) had gaps in care compared with English-speaking patients. In 2010, the Joint Commission released patient-centered communication standards addressing these gaps. We evaluate the current care of LEP patients in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) EDs. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients <18 years that presented to our EDs in 2016. Length of stay (LOS), change in triage status, return-visit rates, and hospital disposition were compared between patients who requested an interpreter and those who did not. Results. The population included 152,945 patients from 232,787 ED encounters in 2016. Interpreters were requested for 12.1% of encounters. For ED LOS, a model-adjusted difference of 0.77% was found between interpreter groups. For change in triage status, adjusted odds were 7% higher in the interpreter requested cohort. For ED readmission within 7 days, adjusted odds were 3% higher in the interpreter requested cohort. These effect sizes are small (ES < 0.2). Conclusions. Our study showed low ES of the differences in ED metrics between LEP and English-speaking patients, suggesting little clinical difference between the two groups. The impact of this improvement should be further studied.
Low-cost materials yield high resolution assessment of anatomic knowledge in surgical residents.

Abstract Introduction Knowledge of anatomy is essential for surgeons. We sought to determine whether it is possible to effectively assess and differentiate the anatomic knowledge of general surgery residents, using pieces of fabric and yarn. Methods Postgraduate years 2, 3, and 4 general surgery residents were assessed during a simulation-based assessment known as the Surgical X-Games. Residents were allowed 3 minutes to assemble the anatomic structures of the right upper quadrant region and 2 minutes to create the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, using colored felt and yarn. One point (each) was given for naming and placing the structures in the correct position. A checklist was used to assess trainees with a maximum combined score of 150 points. Results A total of 34 residents (postgraduate year 2 = 16, postgraduate year 3 = 8, postgraduate year 4 = 10) participated in the 2017 fall Surgical X-Games and 31 residents (postgraduate year 2 = 13, postgraduate year 3 = 9, postgraduate year 4 = 9) participated in the spring Surgical X-Games. Total scores increased respective to the level of clinical training in both the fall Surgical X-Games (postgraduate year 2 = 77, postgraduate year 3 = 84, postgraduate year 4 = 93, P = .04) and the spring Surgical X-Games (postgraduate year 2 = 94, postgraduate year 3 = 101, postgraduate year 4 = 109). We observed significant improvement in the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, and total scores from the fall to the spring postgraduate year (P Conclusion Surgical residents showed an increase in mean anatomical scores from postgraduate years 2 to postgraduate years 3 to postgraduate years 4, using low-fidelity models. This inexpensive, 5-minute test based on a simple checklist may offer surgical educators insight in to residents’ anatomic knowledge and potential readiness for clinical rotations.
Assessing Retinal Structure in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: The retina is an extension of the central nervous system (CNS), and ocular symptoms can precede manifestations of CNS disorders. Given that several neurodegenerative conditions that affect the brain exhibit ocular symptoms, the retina may be an accessible biomarker to monitor disease progression. Dopamine, the key neurotransmitter related to Parkinson’s disease (PD), is contained in amacrine and interplexiform cells, which reside in specific retinal layers. Understanding how loss of dopaminergic cells affects retinal anatomy could be relevant for monitoring disease progression. Here, our objective is to evaluate retinal structure (foveal pit morphology and thickness) in patients with PD. Methods: Thirty-three Caucasian subjects diagnosed with PD and 40 age-matched Caucasian control subjects underwent retinal imaging with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Axial length measurements were used to correct the lateral scale of each macular volume scan. From these corrected volumes, foveal morphology was quantified with previously described algorithms, and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grids of retinal thickness were generated and incorporated into a logistic regression model to predict PD. Results: Interocular foveal morphology measurements were highly symmetrical in PD patients and control subjects. There were no significant differences in foveal pit morphology between PD patients and control subjects. Using a model incorporating gender and axial-length corrected ETDRS regions; we generated a receiver operating characteristic curve with a c-statistic of 0.80. Conclusion: Our study, which to our knowledge is the first to properly scale OCT measurements when quantifying retinal thickness, demonstrates that PD patients retain foveal symmetry between eyes. When constructing a model to predict PD, gender, along with the center 1mm and temporal outer ETDRS regions, were significant predictors of PD. In addition to proper scaling of OCT measures, gender and racial differences in retinal anatomy should be considered in building future predictive PD models when using OCT.
Tree Root Growth and Development. II. Response to Culture, Management and Planting

Abstract Cultural factors influencing root growth in the landscape or nursery include soil management, irrigation, fertilization, shoot pruning and root pruning. These affect root density, depth of penetration, spread, vertical distribution in the soil profile and mineral uptake. Root morphology varies widely among genera, species and individuals within a species. The distribution, length and weight of roots within the root ball of transplanted field-grown trees can be modified with cultural management practices. Growth of transplanted trees may be affected by these modifications. Root spread diameter increases at a rate of 0.9–2.4 m (36–96 in)/year following planting. From 1 to 10 years is required to replace the pre-transplant root system for trees transplanted from field nurseries. Root system in urban environments can be modified by cultural techniques which direct their growth.
The Optical Effective Attenuation Coefficient as an Informative Measure of Brain Health in Aging.

Aging is accompanied by widespread changes in brain tissue. Here, we hypothesized that head tissue opacity to near-infrared light provides information about the health status of the brain’s cortical mantle. In diffusive media such as the head, opacity is quantified through the Effective Attenuation Coefficient (EAC), which is proportional to the geometric mean of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients. EAC is estimated by the slope of the relationship between source–detector distance and the logarithm of the amount of light reaching the detector (optical density). We obtained EAC maps across the head in 47 adults (age range 18–75 years), using a high-density dual-wavelength optical system. We correlated regional and global EAC measures with demographic, neuropsychological, structural and functional brain data. Results indicated that EAC values averaged across wavelengths were strongly associated with age-related changes in cortical thickness, as well as functional and neuropsychological measures. This is likely because the EAC largely depends on the thickness of the sub-arachnoid cerebrospinal fluid layer, which increases with cortical atrophy. In addition, differences in EAC values between wavelengths were correlated with tissue oxygenation and cardiorespiratory fitness, indicating that information about cortical health can be derived non-invasively by quantifying the EAC.
A Graph Theory Approach towards IJTAG Security via Controlled Scan Chain Isolation

The IEEE Std. 1687 (IJTAG) was designed to provide on-chip access to the various embedded instruments (e.g. built-in self test, sensors, etc.) in complex system-on-chip designs. IJTAG facilitates access to on-chip instruments from third party intellectual property providers with hidden test-data registers. Although access to on-chip instruments provides valuable data specifically for debug and diagnosis, it can potentially expose the design to untrusted sources and instruments that can sniff and possibly manipulate the data that is being shifted through the IJTAG network. This paper provides a comprehensive protection scheme against data sniffing and data integrity attacks by selectively isolating the data flowing through the IJTAG network. The proposed scheme is modeled as a graph coloring problem to optimize the number of isolation signals required to protect the design. It is shown that combining the proposed approach with other existing schemes can also bolster the security against unauthorized user access as well. The proposed countermeasure is shown to add minimal overhead in terms of area and power consumption.
Two Intellectual Landmarks in the Year 1749

In the year 1749 Adam Smith conceived his theory of commercial liberty and David Hume laid the foundation of his monetary theory. These two intellectual developments, despite their brevity, heralde...
SRSF1 Is a Mediator of Radiation-Induced Alternative Splicing in B-Lymphocytes

Abstract Ionizing radiation is used in the treatment of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (Spetch et al. 2014; Illidge et al. 2014). Despite its effectiveness, radiation is a "blunt" therapy that damages indiscriminately both cancer and normal cells, and can result in secondary malignancies (Dores et al. 2002). To better understand cellular response to radiation, we examined alternative splicing, and its regulation, in irradiated human cells. To accomplish this, we exposed cultured B-lymphocytes from 10 individuals to 10 Gy of ionizing radiation, and performed RNA sequencing before, and two and six hours after radiation treatment. With these data, we first identified alternative splicing events. From about 60 million reads per sample, we detected over 20,000 alternatively spliced events. In total, 1,600 events were radiation responsive (ANOVA, FDR Next, we looked for how alternative splicing is regulated in response to radiation. To identify putative mediators of this response, we determined the expression levels of over 60 trans-acting splicing factors. We found that the expression level of 26 splicing factors changed significantly in irradiated cells (ANOVA, FDR Finally, we examined the link between SRSF1 and exon skipping in irradiated cells more closely. For example, in the transcripts for RNA-binding protein 3 (RBM3), SRSF1 binds an RBM3 exon that contains a premature termination codon (Sanford et al. 2009), and mediates exclusion of this exon. We confirmed experimentally that this results in an increase in RBM3 protein expression. Together, our data demonstrate that alternative splicing is a key part of cellular response to radiation, and SRSF1 plays a role in mediating exon skipping. In this presentation, we will describe radiation-induced alternative splicing by discussing the genes that are alternatively spliced, and its regulation by the splicing factor SRSF1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Predicting transfer from a game-based learning environment

Abstract This study examined the predictive impact of variables from self-regulated learning models on transfer following multiple gameplay sessions in a classroom game-based learning environment (GBLE). The game focused on science curriculum including map models, map navigation, and landforms. Fifth-grade students (N = 594) interacted with CRYSTAL ISLAND - UNCHARTED DISCOVERY during six 50-min sessions over four weeks integrated with classroom instruction. The transfer activity required students to create an island on grid paper that included at least seven different landforms, a map navigation activity created for peers, and an attached map scale model. Results of multiple regression analyses revealed that when other variables were accounted for, none of the measured motivational variables including interest for the game, performance-approach goal orientation, mastery-approach goal orientation, or self-efficacy for science were significant positive predictors of transfer. Interestingly, video game self-efficacy was a significant negative predictor of transfer performance. Prior knowledge and change in science knowledge after gameplay were also significant predictors of transfer. Girls performed as well as boys on the transfer task despite completing less game quests and had significantly lower posttest content scores. Interest was a consistent predictor of performance for girls but not boys for in-game performance, posttest content scores, and transfer scores. Regression models were systematically less able to predict performance moving from content knowledge, to in-game performance, to transfer. Implications for the design of GBLEs to facilitate transfer are discussed.
Synthesis of cis-Cu(gly)2·H2O, trans-Cu(gly)2, and cis-Ni(gly)2(H2O)2 and their Characterization Using Thermal and Spectroscopic Techniques—A Capstone Inorganic Laboratory

Capstone teaching laboratory activities can serve as a crucial part of the undergraduate learning experience. With this in mind, a laboratory activity that combines synthesis and multiple character...
The creation and curation of all things worthy: Inspiration as vital force in persons and cultures

Abstract Inspiration is an epistemic-motivational episode in which an individual is awoken to what is valuable and imbued with the spirit to express this understanding. In this article, I tell the story of my research program on inspiration. I begin by describing the origin of my research program as a corrective to the emphasis on personal agency in the motivation literature. I then review work on foundational issues of conceptualization, typology, methodology, and construct validation. Next I review research on the role of inspiration in the creative process. Inspiration is a response to, not a source of, creative ideas. Its function is to motivate transmission (e.g., actualization) of an idea in the form of a tangible product. Inventors prone to inspiration receive more patents, and inspired writers are more creative, productive, and efficient. Next I situate inspiration within a broader cultural-evolutionary context. Inspiration is infectious, such that inspired writers inspire their readers. Processes of transmission and contagion suggest that the core significance of inspiration lies in its procultural function. Inspiration, I argue, is a genetically evolved adaptation that catalyzes and guides cultural evolution by compelling selective retention of cultural wisdom in the form of cultural artifacts (e.g., scripture, poetry, inventions, actualized selves), thereby making the species more adaptable to local and changing environments. Finally, I discuss benefits to well-being. Inspiration marks moments of peak functioning that integrate the hedonic well-being of the primitive creature, the eudaimonic well-being of the social creature, and the self-transcendent well-being of the cultural creature.
Queueing Theory in the Context of Shared Resources

In many sharing economy applications, it may happen that the request for a given resource exceeds the available supply. One way to address this problem is by regulating access to the resource through a queueing system. This chapter offers a primer on queueing theory with focus on sharing economy systems. The chapter has been organized so that the mathematical development is linked to concrete examples.
Resonance in the $\Lambda \pi$ System

The reaction K/sup -/ + p -- LAMBDA /sup o/ + pi /sup +/ + pi /sup -/- was studied using 1.15-Bev/c K/sup -/ mesons in a 15-in. H/sub 2/ bubble chamber; of the total 255 events found, 141 were chosen to represent the reaction although 10 to l5% of them are estimated to be actually SIGMA /sup 0/ events. The energy distribution of the two pions on a Dalitz plot shows a nonuniform distribution of the points with peaks near 285 Mev. This distribution is consistent with a quasi-two-body reaction of the type K/sup -/ + p -Y*/sup s + pi ? (1), where Y* has a mass spectrum peaking at approximately 1380 Mev and breaks up in this way Y* plus or minus -- LAMBDA /sup oo/ + pi approximately ; 59 Y*+ /s++>s and 82 Y*/sup -/ events were observed, using the criterion that the high-momentum pion is the pion from reaction (1). Production angular distributions for Y*/sup +/ and Y*/sup -/ in the K-p rest system are given. An attempt was made without success to determine the spin of Y* by analyzing its angular momentum, the relations between its decay angle and the polarization of themore » resulting LAMBDA , and its anisotropy. The possibility that Y* corresponds to a resonance in pionhyperon scattering was studied by fitting a p-wave resonance formula to the pi LAMBDA data; the results were compared with those of Gell-Mann and Watson for the 3-3 resonance and found to be similar. (D.L.C.)« less
Emerging Technologies for Use in the Study, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Patients with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented health and economic worldwide crisis. Innovative solutions are imperative given limited resources and immediate need for medical supplies, healthcare support and treatments. The purpose of this review is to summarize emerging technologies being implemented in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Key focus areas include the applications of artificial intelligence, the use of Big Data and Internet of Things, the importance of mathematical modeling for predictions, utilization of technology for community screening, the use of nanotechnology for treatment and vaccine development, the utility of telemedicine, the implementation of 3D-printing to manage new demands and the potential of robotics. The review concludes by highlighting the need for collaboration in the scientific community with open sharing of knowledge, tools, and expertise.
Skimming the Surface or Digging Deeper: The Role of Emotion in Students’ Reflective Journals During an Experiential Criminal Justice Course:

Background: In successful experiential learning, cycling between experience and reflection promotes higher-order thinking skills. Emotions can either help or hinder productive reflection. The role ...
Counterfactuals and modality

This essay calls attention to a set of linguistic interactions between counterfactual conditionals, on one hand, and possibility modals like could have and might have, on the other. These data present a challenge to the popular variably strict semantics for counterfactual conditionals. Instead, they support a version of the strict conditional semantics in which counterfactuals and possibility modals share a unified quantificational domain. I’ll argue that pragmatic explanations of this evidence are not available to the variable analysis. And putative counterexamples to the unified strict analysis, on careful inspection, in fact support it. Ultimately, the semantics of conditionals and modals must be linked together more closely than has sometimes been recognized, and a unified strict semantics for conditionals and modals is the only way to fully achieve this.
Mindfulness and intergroup bias: A systematic review:

People’s proclivity for favoring their ingroups over outgroups has negative consequences for individuals, groups, and societies. Social psychologists have explored a variety of techniques to reduce...
Toward Better Data Dashboards for US Drug Value Assessments.

Abstract Objectives To explore the use of data dashboards to convey information about a drug’s value, and reduce the need to collapse dimensions of value to a single measure. Methods Review of the literature on US Drug Value Assessment Frameworks, and discussion of the value of data dashboards to improve the manner in which information on value is displayed. Results The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year ratio is a useful starting point for conversation about a drug’s value, but it cannot reflect all of the elements of value about which different audiences care deeply. Data dashboards for drug value assessments can draw from other contexts. Decision makers should be presented with well-designed value dashboards containing various metrics, including conventional cost per quality-adjusted life-year ratios as well as measures of a drug’s impact on clinical and patient-centric outcomes, and on budgetary and distributional consequences, to convey a drug’s value along different dimensions. Conclusions The advent of US drug value frameworks in health care has forced a concomitant effort to develop appropriate information displays. Researchers should formally test different formats and elements.
PNA Microprobe for Label-Free Detection of Nucleic Acid Repeat Mutations

We present a PNA-based microprobe sensing platform to detect nucleic acid repeat mutations by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The microprobe platform discriminated Huntington’s disease-associated CAG repeats in cell-derived total RNA. This sensitive, label-free, and PCR-free detection strategy has the potential to detect a plethora of length mutation disorders.
Genetic Risk Scores and Blood Pressure — The Heart is What Matters

Hypertension affects millions of people around the world and continues to be a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many studies have shown the direct association of high BP with increased risk of cardiovascular events and progression to ESKD. Although lowering of BP directly lowers cardiovascular events, studies, including a meta-analysis by Xie et al. (1), have not demonstrated kidney protective effects of general BP lowering. This contrasts with the decreased risk for kidney disease progression with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, as noted by Lewis et al. (2) in 1993 and confirmed by others (3). These divergent results indicate that, although high BP increases risk for kidney disease, BP lowering alone is not sufficient to decrease risk for kidney disease; targeted treatment of hypertension ( e.g. , renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition) is necessary to slow progression of kidney disease. Genome-wide association studies have led to identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BP and hypertension prevalence. Evangelou et al. (4) reported the genetic association of BP traits in >1 million people of European ancestry using 535 BP loci. Studies using genetic data as a proxy for lifetime exposures have become another assessment tool, with studies showing that genetic risk scores (GRSs) associate with disease outcomes. Studies have consistently predicted increased cardiovascular end points in those with elevated genetic risk for high BP. However, the International Consortium for Blood Pressure Genome-Wide Association Studies (5), among others, found that GRSs have neither associated with kidney function nor CKD in the general population. In this issue of Kidney360 , Nierenberg and colleagues sought to investigate whether BP GRSs are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CKD progression and kidney failure in patients with kidney disease. They used data from 3074 Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) participants with available genotype, covariate, …
Immune Responses in Fully Vaccinated Individuals Following Breakthrough Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Background A cluster of over a thousand infections with the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant was identified in a predominantly fully vaccinated population in Provincetown, Massachusetts in July 2021. Immune responses in breakthrough infections with the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant remain to be defined. Methods Humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed in 35 vaccinated individuals who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health outbreak investigation. Results Vaccinated individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated substantially higher antibody responses than vaccinated individuals who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, including 28-fold higher binding antibody titers and 34-fold higher neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. Vaccinated individuals who tested positive also showed 4.4-fold higher Spike-specific CD8+ T cell responses against the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant than vaccinated individuals who tested negative. Conclusions Fully vaccinated individuals developed robust anamnestic antibody and T cell responses following infection with the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. These data suggest important immunologic benefits of vaccination in the context of breakthrough infections.
Some Integrated Squared Error Procedures for Multivariate Normal Data

Abstract : Two methods of estimation for the parameters of the multivariate normal distribution based on the sample characteristic function are given. These methods are shown to have an equivalent basis in terms of Parzen kernel-like density estimation. The estimators for the mean vector and covariance matrix are dependent on a user-specified parameter. Variation of the user-specified parameter produces a response surface in the parameter estimates and therefore allows for an informal sensitivity analysis of the data with respect to a tentative working model. The informal sensitivity analysis is intricately related to formal tests of fit of the model. The estimators of mean vector and covariance matrix have desirable robustness properties, are easy to compute and use, are relatively efficient at the multivariate normal, and are useful in identifying potential outliers and inconsistencies in some statistical assumptions. These methods are directly applicable to structured data such as multivariate experimental designs. Several illustrations are provided.
Group Treatment with Substance Abusing Clients: A Model of Treatment During the Early Phases of Outpatient Group Therapy

SUMMARY Group treatment is frequently viewed as treatment of choice for people abusing or addicted to alcohol and other drugs (substance abusers). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the dynamics of substance abusers and present a model of treatment during the early phases of outpatient group therapy.
Bringing the Social Media #Revolution to Health Care:

Bringing the Social Media #Revolution to Health Care is a book developed by the Mayo Clinic focused on using the social media revolution to improve patient care and communication at every stage of ...
Potential for atmospheric-driven lead paint degradation in the South Coast Air Basin of California.

Exposure to lead in paint or lead residues in house dust and soil is one of the leading environmental risks to the health of children in the United States. Components of photochemical smog can increase the degradation of binders in lead paint, leading to increased release of lead pigment granules to hands in surface contact or for deposition in house dust and soil. This study uses photochemical air quality modeling to map areas susceptible to increased lead paint degradation as a result of photochemical atmospheric pollutants to prioritize areas of concern. Typical air quality episodes in the South Coast Air Basin of California (SoCAB) are modeled for the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Results indicate that large areas of the SoCAB were susceptible to atmospheric-driven accelerated lead paint degradation. Inner city urban areas from central Los Angeles to Azusa and most of Orange County had the highest susceptibility to accelerated lead paint degradation, followed by inland locations near the San Bernardino Mou...
Workers' Protest in Egypt: Neo-liberalism and Class Struggle in 21st Century

From 1998 to 2008 some 2 million Egyptian workers participated in 2,623 factory occupations, strikes, demonstrations, or other collective actions. This social movement does not have a national leadership or program and has not been supported by the Egyptian Trade Union Federation. It is propelled by locally generated grievances that have been produced by the acceleration of the neo-liberal transformation of Egypt since 2004. This workers movement has not changed the existing structures of power that constrain Egyptian working people because the informal, local networks that have sustained the movement are, by their nature, unable to organize a national-scale political movement on their own.