cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symptomatic Ascites after Discontinuation of Continuous Peritoneal Dialysis

ObjectiveTo analyze pathogenetic associations, clinical features, management, and outcome of ascites following discontinuation of continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD).DesignRetrospective analysis o...
Using Relaxation and Guided Imagery to Address Pain, Fatigue, and Sleep Disturbances: A Pilot Study.

Background Few studies have been conducted on the use of patient-controlled relaxation and guided imagery interventions for the symptom cluster of pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance during cancer treatment. Objectives The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and participant satisfaction with use of patient-controlled relaxation and/or imagery interventions for pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. A secondary aim was to examine the data for trends in pain, fatigue, and sleep improvement because of the effects of relaxation and guided imagery. Methods Twelve adult patients with cancer were randomized to one of four groups. Findings Patients reported a high degree of satisfaction with the relaxation and guided imagery interventions. Patients in the relaxation and guided imagery or combined groups showed a trend toward improvement in fatigue and sleep disturbance scores. Pain remained a problem for the majority of patients. Difficulties in recruiting participants resulted in an insufficient sample size for generalizable findings. With hospital environments tending to be noisy, relaxation and guided imagery may facilitate rest and sleep for hospitalized patients. An examination of individual scores showed a trend toward improvement in sleep quality.
Conserving transmission power in wireless ad hoc networks

This paper introduces PARO, a power-aware routing optimization that helps to minimize the transmission power needed to forward packets between wireless devices in ad hoc networks. Using PARO, one or more intermediate nodes called "redirectors" elects to forward packets on behalf of source-destination pairs thus reducing the aggregate transmission power consumed by wireless devices. PARO is applicable to a number of networking environments including sensor networks, home networks and mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, we present the detailed design of PARO and evaluate the protocol using simulation and experimentation. We show through simulation that PARO is capable of outperforming traditional broadcast-based routing protocols (e.g., MANET routing protocols) due to its power conserving point-to-point on-demand design. We discuss some initial experiences from an early implementation of the protocol in an experimental wireless testbed using off-the-shelf radio technology.
How do Civic Associations Foster Political Participation? The Role of Scope and Intensity of Organizational Involvement

This paper investigates factors associated with individuals’ decisions in engaging in various modes of political participation, including voting, formal and informal political activities. Two aspects of civic association involvement are highlighted: scope and intensity. Using data from the U.S. Citizenship, Involvement, and Democracy Survey in 2006, we find that one’s memberships in civic associations only explain one’s participation in formal political activities, but the intensity of involvement, measured by the number of activities one performs at one’s most active voluntary association, is positively associated with both formal and informal participation modes. Neither the scope nor the intensity explains voting behavior. The study suggests ways to promote the development of civic associations and enhance democracy.
Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity: Mechanistic Insight into TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 Phosphorylation Integration

Troponin I (TnI) is a major regulator of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation. During physiological and pathological stress, TnI is differentially phosphorylated at multiple residues through different signaling pathways to match cardiac function to demand. The combination of these TnI phosphorylations can exhibit an expected or unexpected functional integration, whereby the function of two phosphorylations are different than that predicted from the combined function of each individual phosphorylation alone. We have shown that TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation exhibit functional integration and are simultaneously increased in response to cardiac stress. In the current study, we investigated the functional integration of TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 to alter cardiac contraction. We hypothesized that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation each utilize distinct molecular mechanisms to alter the TnI binding affinity within the thin filament. Mathematical modeling predicts that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation affect different TnI affinities within the thin filament to distinctly alter the Ca2+-binding properties of troponin. Protein binding experiments validate this assertion by demonstrating pseudo-phosphorylated Ser-150 decreases the affinity of isolated TnI for actin, whereas Ser-23/24 pseudo-phosphorylation is not different from unphosphorylated. Thus, our data supports that TnI Ser-23/24 affects TnI-TnC binding, while Ser-150 phosphorylation alters TnI-actin binding. By measuring force development in troponin-exchanged skinned myocytes, we demonstrate that the Ca2+ sensitivity of force is directly related to the amount of phosphate present on TnI. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ser-150 pseudo-phosphorylation blunts Ser-23/24-mediated decreased Ca2+-sensitive force development whether on the same or different TnI molecule. Therefore, TnI phosphorylations can integrate across troponins along the myofilament. These data demonstrate that TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation regulates muscle contraction in part by modulating different TnI interactions in the thin filament and it is the combination of these differential mechanisms that provides understanding of their functional integration.
Are We Asking the Right Questions to Grade Our Students In a Knowledge-State Space Analysis?

This research presents novel knowledge assessment analysis methods. We add a new parameter, which is the cognitive skill level, to the knowledge assessment. The cognitive skill levels refer to levels such as whether a student has acquired the concept at the level of understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, or creating. Identifying the cognitive skill level parameter of the concept in a knowledge domain provides an accurate measurement value to the assessment. In this attempt, we provide knowledge assessment analysis methods that help to design a proper test and that can measure exactly the covered knowledge of the course objective. The result of the assessment analysis is the concept states, which inform if a student has already learned, is ready to learn, or is not ready to learn a certain skill level.
Establishing an Interview Anxiety Baseline: Assessing Applicants’ Readiness:

This research includes survey data about the types of anxiety levels that college students experience while preparing for job interviews. Survey findings included female students reporting higher levels of anxiety than their male counterparts on four of the five scales. Results suggest that additional training for female applicants could reduce anxiety levels and help them excel in job interviews. Implications for job applicants, academic communities, and recruiters are discussed. The article concludes with study limitations and suggestions for future research.
Three peptides from the ANF prohormone NH(2)-terminus are natriuretic and/or kaliuretic

The present investigation was designed to determine whether peptides derived from the NH(2)-terminal portion of the 126-amino acid prohormone (pro) of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) have natriuret...
Abstract 265: Assessment Of Oxidative DNA Double Strand Break And Repair In Cardiomyocytes

Backgrounds: DNA damage occurs in cardiomyocytes during normal cellular metabolism and is significantly increased under cardiac stresses. How cardiomyocytes repair their DNA damage, especially DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), remains undetermined. We assessed DSBs caused by oxidative stress. More importantly, we investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of DNA repair protein assembly/disassembly in DNA damage sites. Methods: Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were treated with different doses of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 30 minutes to assess DNA damage response (DDR). To investigate the dynamics of DDR, cells were treated with 200 uM H2O2 and followed up to 72 hours. DSBs were evaluated by counting DNA damage foci after staining with antibody against histone H2AX phosphorylation at serine 139 (g-H2AX). The dynamics and posttranslational modification of DNA repair proteins were determined by Western blotting, immunolabeling, and confocal microscopy. Result: g-H2AX was proportionally increased to H2O2 dosage. Discrete nuclear g-H2AX foci were seen 30 minutes after hydrogen peroxide treatment with 50 uM, but became pannuclear when H2O2 was above 400 uM. At 200 uM of hydrogen peroxide, g-H2AX started to increase at 15 minutes and reached to highest levels at 60 minutes with up to 70 nuclear foci, started to decline at 2 hours, and returned to basal levels at 24 hours. DDR transducer kinase, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) was activated at 5 minutes with increased phosphorylation at serine 1981 (pATM) which started to decrease at 24 hours, but remained elevated up to 48 hours. Another DDR transducer kinase, ATM and Rad3-related (ATR) showed a biphasic activation at 30 minutes and 8 hours. ATM and ATR colocalized with g-H2AX. DNA damage mediator proteins such as MRN complex and p53BP1 were also recruited to sites of DNA damage at g-H2AX foci. Conclusions: DSBs and their repair have emerged as a new frontier of stress responses. Newly developed methods for studying g-H2AX and DNA repair protein dynamics can be explored to investigate DDR to oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes.
The availability and accessibility of basic concept vocabulary in AAC software: a preliminary study

Core vocabulary lists obtained through the analyses of children's utterances include a variety of basic concept words. Supporting young children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop their understanding and use of basic concepts is an area of practice that has important ramifications for successful communication in a classroom environment. This study examined the availability of basic concept words across eight frequently used, commercially available AAC language systems, iPad© applications, and symbol libraries used to create communication boards. The accessibility of basic concept words was subsequently examined using two AAC language page sets and two iPad applications. Results reveal that the availability of basic concept words represented within the different AAC language programs, iPad applications, and symbol libraries varied but was limited across programs. However, there is no significant difference in the accessibility of basic concept words across the language program page sets or iPad applications, generally because all of them require sophisticated motor and cognitive plans for access. These results suggest that educators who teach or program vocabulary in AAC systems need to be mindful of the importance of basic concept words in classroom settings and, when possible, enhance the availability and accessibility of these words to users of AAC.
Balancing Rewards and Cost in Relationships: An Approach–Avoidance Motivational Perspective

Abstract Social bonds have a profound effect on health and well-being. It is clear that people have a fundamental need to form and maintain social bonds, but interpersonal relationships present potential threats as well as potential incentives. In this article, I review a model of approach and avoidance social motivation ( Gable, 2006 ) that accounts for people's tendencies to both approach the incentives and avoid the threats in their social worlds. I also review research that has tested different aspects of the model including the consequences of approach and avoidance social motivation, mediators that link motivation to these outcomes, and moderators of these processes. The article concludes by examining gaps that persist in the literature.
Charge transfer-based sensorless voltage feedback in HV capacitor chargers

Rapid capacitor chargers are typically used to charge a bank of capacitors with the purpose of discharging it into a pulsed power load [1,3]. Previous research shows that the charging voltage of the load can be accurately calculated in real-time using microcontroller software algorithms [1,5]. The objective of this paper is to report a hardware based approach to measure the charge transfer into the load capacitor and implicitly the capacitor charging voltage. The proposed circuit uses operational amplifiers in order to integrate the input charge. A microcontroller receives the integrated signal to compute the output voltage and stop the charging process when the target voltage has been reached. Failure to accurately detect the end of charge time could lead to an excessively large capacitor bank voltage. For this reason, the proposed method can be utilized as a primary means of end-of-charge detection in conjunction with a traditional voltage sensing scheme.
Electro-Fenton process for water and wastewater treatment

Electro-Fenton process is an emerging treatment technology for water and wastewater treatment. Electro-Fenton utilizes hydroxyl radicals to oxidize hazardous contaminants and is especially useful t...
The Tentorial Bridge to Deep Skull Base Exposure: Anatomic Morphometric Study

Background Skull base surgeons split the tentorium to expand exposure, minimize brain retraction, and combine the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments for resection of large skull base lesions. The aim of this study was to describe stepwise techniques for splitting the tentorium to access deeply located skull base lesions and morphometrically assess gained exposure. Methods Surgical exposures were performed through transsylvian, subtemporal, posterior transpetrosal, and combined posterior supratentorial/infratentorial–transsinus approaches. A custom software program was used to trace the surgical exposure region of interest for area analysis with the ability to accurately assess most irregular areas. Qualitative morphometric assessment was done of the gain in anatomic exposure achieved by splitting the tentorium. Results In the transsylvian transtentorial approach, mean surface area increased 154.17%, from 0.14 cm 2 before expansion to 0.32 cm 2 after expansion. In the subtemporal transtentorial approach, mean surface area increased 137.61%, from 0.66 cm 2 before expansion to 1.52 cm 2 after expansion. In the posterior transpetrosal transtentorial approach, mean surface area increased 171.06%, from 1.08 cm 2 before expansion to 2.81 cm 2 after expansion. In the combined supratentorial/infratentorial–transsinus approach, mean surface area increased 222.03%, from 0.78 cm 2 before expansion to 2.38 cm 2 after expansion. Conclusions With splitting of the tentorium, a substantial area of expansion is obtained, minimizing the need for brain retraction and improving visualization of deep neurovascular structures in the skull base.
Analysis with SPSS (Versions Without MI Module) Following Multiple Imputation with Norm 2.03

In this chapter, I cover analyses with SPSS (v. 16 or lower) following multiple imputation with Norm 2.03. This chapter also applies to newer versions of SPSS that do not have the MI module installed. The chapter is split into three parts: (a) preliminary analyses for testing reliability, including exploratory factor analysis; (b) hypothesis testing analyses with single-level, multiple linear regression; and (c) hypothesis testing with single-level, multiple (binary) logistic regression (I also touch on other hypothesis testing analysis, such as multilevel regression with the Mixed routine).
Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture Analgesia in Experimental Animal Models

Acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are two different procedures which result in analgesia by stimulation of peripheral tissues. Acupuncture, using either the traditional technique of manual rotation of needles [3, 35, 36, 62] or electroacupuncture [2, 3, 36], has been used successfully as an anesthetic [5, 32] and as a treatment for chronic pain [6,24,42,61]. TENS has been widely used in the West to produce analgesia clinically, as well as in experimental animal models [31, 44, 50, 56, 63, 73]. Like TENS, the effects of acupuncture appear to be due to the activation of peripheral nerve fibers [11, 22, 25, 43, 53, 59, 69]. Although acupuncture is effective in producing analgesia, the reported effectiveness varies greatly between studies. For example, in studies performed in the West alone, analgesia produced by acupuncture ranges from a mild effect to the one spectacular enough to allow performance of open heart surgery [32]. Not only the effectiveness but also the methodology of stimulation varies between laboratories. For example, frequency of stimulation for electroacupuncture ranges from several pulses per second [2, 26] to 10 KHz [43,48]. The lack of a standard method of application and the inconsistency of the effects between studies are primarily due to incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of acupuncture (and TENS) analgesia, which greatly hampers further development of the technique.
The War in West Philadelphia

I didn’t hear the cars screech to a halt, but one of the trauma nurses did. He ran outside with two emergency department medics to find several people in a car, all of their clothes soaked with blood. The passengers were screaming for someone to help the young man in the front seat, who was unresponsive. The team threw the limp victim onto a gurney, one of several that stand waiting for these types of scenarios, which occur almost nightly at our trauma center.
Invertebrate Defense Systems an Overview

Invertebrate immunity, a vast, still relatively unexplored, but exciting area, offers many reasons for sustained analysis. First, we will continue to reveal immune reactions as biological phenomena characteristic of all living species. Second, we are interested in mechanisms—the quest for cause-and-effect relationships such as the possible evolutionary pressures causing immunogenesis. Third, we can search for origins of vertebrate immune responses by experimenting with ancestral animals. A fourth, perhaps more practical reason is to question the utility of any immune system—this we do by comparing immune capabilities, whether primitive or advanced, invertebrate or vertebrate. In other words, the question of why the immune system evolved to its present status in humans can be answered only by understanding less complex immune systems.
LIVE: A Community-Based Intervention to Reduce CVD Risk Factors in Rural Community-Dwelling African Americans

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Americans. Rural African American (AA) adults are disproportionately affected by CVD—a disease whose risk can be mitigated ...
A multiscale approach to study molecular and interfacial characteristics of vesicles

The functions of colloids, such as membranes and vesicles, are dictated by interfacial properties which are determined by an interplay of physical interactions and processes spanning multiple spatiotemporal scales. The multiscale characteristics of membranes and vesicles can be resolved by the hybrid molecular dynamics-lattice Boltzmann technique. This technique enables the resolution of particle dynamics along with long range electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions. We have examined the feasibility of an implementation of the hybrid technique in conjunction with a Martini-based implicit solvent coarse-grained force field to capture the molecular and interfacial characteristics of membranes and vesicles. For simplicity, we have examined two types of vesicles whose molecular components have different sustained interactions with the solvent. One of the vesicles encompassed phospholipids and the other vesicle was composed of phospholipids and poly ethylene glycol (PEG)-grafted lipids. The molecular and interfacial characteristics of the phospholipid vesicle and PEGylated, or hairy, vesicles are found to be in good agreement with earlier experimental, computational and theoretical findings. These results demonstrate that the multiscale hybrid technique used with a Martini-based implicit solvent coarse-grained model is suitable for capturing the molecular and interfacial characteristics of membranes and vesicles. Furthermore, other implicit solvent coarse-grained models can be used in conjunction with the hybrid molecular dynamics-lattice Boltzmann technique to examine the molecular and interfacial characteristics of membranes and vesicles. Our study demonstrates the potential of the hybrid technique in capturing multiscale interfacial characteristics of intra- and inter-colloid interactions in suspensions under different flow conditions, and their relation to molecular properties. In addition, this technique can be applied to design colloids with multiscale characteristics which yield desired interactions with other colloids and responses to external stimuli.
Glancing Angle Deposited CdTe: Optical Properties and Structure

Optical and microstructural properties of as-deposited CdTe films deposited on soda lime glass by magnetron sputtering at various source flux angles have been investigated using GIXRD, SEM, unpolarized transmittance / reflectance, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Influence of deposition angle on resultant crystalline grain size and orientation are tracked for these films. All CdTe films studied are found to have cubic crystal structure and (111) preferential grain orientation. Films deposited at $0 ^{circ}$ and $45 ^{circ}$ are almost entirely (111) oriented, whereas films deposited at higher angles exhibit a wider variety of competing grain orientations, suggesting that deposition angle can be used as an effective parameter towards controlling grain orientation. With increasing numbers of grain orientations, grain size is found to decrease. Ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to obtain the structural and optical properties. Stress induced in the film is calculated based on shifts of critical point energies.
The third shift: Multiple job holding and the incarceration of women's partners.

Abstract A large body of research documents the sensitivity of women's employment to changing family circumstances, but we know little about the relationship between partner incarceration—a common family transition in the lives of disadvantaged women—and employment. Despite reasons to suspect that changes in resources associated with incarceration have consequences for the employment of family members, previous research suggests that partner incarceration does not influence the number of hours women work at their main jobs. This paper uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3835) to examine how partner incarceration is associated with multiple job holding, an alternative strategy for increasing earnings. Results show that women with incarcerated partners are more likely to work multiple jobs than women in otherwise similar circumstances, suggesting partner incarceration is linked to a “third shift”—to additional employment on top of the paid work and caregiving women already do.
Changing temporal context in human temporal lobe promotes memory of distinct episodes.

Memories of experiences that occur around the same time are linked together by a shared temporal context, represented by shared patterns of neural activity. However, shared temporal context may be problematic for selective retrieval of specific memories. Here, we examine intracranial EEG (iEEG) in the human temporal lobe as participants perform a verbal paired associates memory task that requires the encoding of distinct word pairs in memory. We find that the rate of change in patterns of low frequency (3–12 Hz) power distributed across the temporal lobe is significantly related to memory performance. We also find that exogenous electrical stimulation affects how quickly these neural representations of temporal context change with time, which directly affects the ability to successfully form memories for distinct items. Our results indicate that the ability to retrieve distinct episodic memories is related to how quickly neural representations of temporal context change over time during encoding. Memories formed around the same time are linked together by a shared temporal context. Here, the authors show that the ability to selectively retrieve distinct episodic memories formed close together in time is related to how quickly neural representations of temporal context change over time during encoding.
eMNCs (and aMNCs) on the “Schumpeterian development ladder”: toward a new paradigm of interactive growth between the emerging and the advanced worlds

This paper aims to build theoretical foundations for a new paradigm of MNC-driven interactive growth. Catch-up growth (during which eMNCs emerge on the global stage) is derived from close interacti...
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)

Lee Shulman (1986) who proposed the concept of PCK, describes it as teachers’ understanding of “the most useful forms of representation of the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations – in a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject … that make it comprehensible to others” ( p. 9).
Splenic sequestration crisis as an index manifestation of heterozygous hemoglobinopathy in an adult.

Sickle β+-thalassemia rarely manifests with acute splenic sequestration crisis in adults. We report a case of a 20-year-old female who presented with fever and left upper quadrant abdominal pain. Laboratory studies revealed hemolytic anemia. Tests for autoimmune hemolysis and hemolytic diseases were negative except for Hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis, which revealed sickle cell trait (Hb AS). Infectious workup was unremarkable. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed marked splenomegaly. The patient received blood transfusions and empiric antibiotics with no improvement; thus, splenectomy was performed. Pathology specimen revealed peripheral serpiginous infarcts alternating with surrounding acute inflammation and small capillaries plugged with sickle cell shaped red blood cells consistent with splenic sequestration. DNA test later revealed beta-globin mutations consistent with sickle cell-beta+ thalassemia. Post-splenectomy, there was a gradual improvement in her clinical symptoms with concomitant rise in Hb to 10.6 g/dl at discharge.
Kernel Density Estimation Method for Monte Carlo Global Flux Tallies

The kernel density estimator (KDE) is used to represent Monte Carlo tallies. Two new neutron flux estimators and their variances are developed, namely the KDE collision and KDE track-length tallies...
Use of Survival Analysis to Predict Attrition Among Women Participating in Longitudinal Community-Based Nutrition Research.

Abstract Objective To identify participant characteristics and study methodology that influenced the completion of a 15-month community-based longitudinal study evaluating the impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Design Observational longitudinal 15-month study across 12 data collection timepoints. Sociodemographic characteristics were collected with a paper-based survey at baseline. Setting Five counties across central and southern Illinois. Participants Women, aged 18 to 65 years (n = 297), recruited at sites likely to serve families eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (housing departments, child care centers, etc). Main Outcome Measures Predictors of participant attrition during the study duration. Analysis Cox proportional hazard models. Results Ninety-seven participants were retained across the full study. In unadjusted models, greater income and education levels were significantly related to lower attrition; however, this relationship did not persist in a multivariate model. When adjusted for other characteristics, larger household size was the only measured variable significantly related to greater odds of attrition (odds ratio = 1.09; 95% confidence interval = 1.02, 1.17). Conclusions and Implications Several characteristics predicting attrition in other settings were not significant in this study. Future attrition analyses that evaluate social support, transportation capacity, and type of phone in longitudinal nutrition education studies are warranted.
Elevated Galectin-3 Plasma Concentrations in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding lectin with an established association to inflammatory and fibrotic conditions. We investigated galectin-3 levels in 68 recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to look for associations with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Plasma galectin-3 concentrations were measured at 1 year post-HCT and correlated with clinical data collected from individual medical records. The median serum galectin-3 level at that time point was 14.9 ng/mL (range, 5.5-61.6), which was significantly higher than that among healthy controls (14.9 versus 6.2, p 14.9 ng/mL) (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03 (0.60, 6.88), p = 0.26). However, among patients with cGVHD at the date of sample collection, active systemic corticosteroid therapy was associated with elevated galectin-3 levels (OR: 20.32 (1.66, 249.39), p = 0.02). Furthermore, in a competing risk regression model, elevated galectin-3 levels at 1 year post-HCT were not associated with future development of moderate or severe cGVHD (OR: 1.24 (0.21, 7.45), p = 0.81). In conclusion, plasma galectin-3 concentrations are elevated in recipients of allo-HCT, especially among patients with cGVHD. Further investigation will be required to determine whether galectin-3 has a pathophysiologic role in cGVHD or serves as a marker of ongoing inflammation following allogeneic HCT.
Children’s exposure to spatial language promotes their spatial thinking.

Does spatial language contribute to the growth of preschool children's spatial skills? Four-year-old children (N = 50) were randomly assigned to a play-only (n = 24) or a spatial-language and play condition (n = 26). Their mental rotation and spatial vocabulary were assessed at baseline and several days after 5 play sessions. Children in the spatial-language condition scored higher at posttest on a mental rotation task than those in the play-only condition. The amount and diversity of experimenter spatial language during the play sessions accounted for a significant amount of the variance on children's posttest mental rotation. Significant gains in mental rotation were replicated in a second study (N = 34) with a broader range of play activities and with children enrolled in Head Start. These results show that the facilitative effects of spatial language on spatial cognition are not restricted to the context in which the spatial language is provided. In particular, 4-year-old children's experience with spatial language during play can transfer to promote their mental rotation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
An alternate vegetation type proves resilient and persists for decades following forest conversion in the North American boreal biome

Climate change and natural disturbances are catalysing forest transitions to different vegetation types, but whether these new communities are resilient alternate states that will persist for decades to centuries is not known. Here, we test how changing climate, disturbance and biotic interactions shape the long‐term fate of a deciduous broadleaf forest type that replaces black spruce after severe wildfires in interior Alaska, USA. We simulated postfire deciduous forest that replaced black spruce after severe fires in 2004 for tens to hundreds of years under different climate scenarios (contemporary, mid 21st century, late 21st century), fire return intervals (11–250 years), distances to seed source (50–1,000 m) and browsing intensities (background, moderate, chronic). We identified combinations of conditions where deciduous forest remained the dominant vegetation type and combinations where it returned to black spruce forest, transitioned to mixed forest (where deciduous species and black spruce co‐dominate) or converted to nonforest. Deciduous forest persisted in 86% of simulations and was most resilient if fire return intervals were short (≤50 years). When transitions to another vegetation type occurred, mixed forest was most common, particularly when fire return intervals were long (>50 years) and the nearest seed source was 500 m or farther. Moderate and chronic browsing also reduced deciduous sapling growth and survival, helping black spruce compete if fire return intervals were long and seed source was distant. Dry soils occasionally caused conversion to nonforest following short‐interval fire when simulations were forced with a late 21st‐century climate scenario that projects warming and increased vapor pressure deficit. Return to black spruce forest almost never occurred. Synthesis. Conversion from black spruce to deciduous forest is already underway at regional scales in interior Alaska, and similar transitions have been widely observed throughout the North American boreal biome. We show that this boreal deciduous forest type is likely a resilient alternate state that will persist through the 21st century, which is important, because future vegetation outcomes will shape biophysical feedbacks to regional climate and influence subsequent disturbance regimes.
Diagnostic Evidence GAuge of Single cells (DEGAS): A transfer learning framework to infer impressions of cellular and patient phenotypes between patients and single cells

With the rapid advance of single cell sequencing techniques, single cell molecular data are quickly accumulated. However, there lacks a sound approach to properly integrate single cell data with the existing large amount of patient-level disease data. To address such need, we proposed DEGAS (Diagnostic Evidence GAuge of Single cells), a novel deep transfer-learning framework which allows for cellular and clinical information, including cell types, disease risk, and patient subtypes, to be cross-mapped between single cell and patient data, provided they share at least one common type of molecular data. We call such transferrable information impressions, which are generated by the deep learning models learned in the DEGAS framework. Using eight datasets from a wide range of diseases including Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), Alzheimers Disease (AD), and Multiple Myeloma (MM), we demonstrate the feasibility and broad applications of DEGAS in cross-mapping clinical and cellular information across disparate single cell and patient level transcriptomic datasets. Specifically, we correctly mapped clinically known GBM patient subtypes onto single cell data. We also identified previously known neuron loss from AD brains, then mapped the impression of AD risk to single cell data. Furthermore, we discovered novel differences in excitatory and inhibitory neuron loss in AD data. From the exploratory MM data, we identified differences in the malignancy of different CD138+ cellular subtypes based on impressions of relapse information transferred from MM patients. Through this work, we demonstrated that DEGAS is a powerful framework to cross-infer cellular and patient-level characteristics, which not only unites single cell and patient level transcriptomic data by identifying their latent links using the deep learning approach, but can also prioritize both patient subtypes and cellular subtypes for precision medicine.
Evaluating English Learner Progress in Reading: How Much Growth Can We Expect?.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not English learners (ELs) have the same annual rates of reading progress as non-EL counterparts in Grades 1 through 3 when accounting for beginn...
Birationality of Berglund–Hübsch–Krawitz Mirrors

We investigate a multiple mirror phenomenon arising from Berglund–Hubsch–Krawitz mirror symmetry. We prove that the different mirror Calabi–Yau orbifolds which arise in this context are in fact birational to one another.
The influence of elevated temperatures and composition on the water activity of egg powders

This study aimed to investigate water activity (aw) changes in different egg powders (egg white, egg yolk, and whole egg) as influenced by temperature between 20°C and 80°C. A high‐temperature test cell was used to measure the aw in egg powders of different moisture contents (2 to 30% wet basis) during heating in a closed environment. Then, the net isosteric heat of sorption (qₛₜ) of the egg powders was calculated. The qₛₜ values were used in the Clausius–Clapeyron equation to generate the isotherms of the egg powders at 40°C and 80°C. The results showed that at fixed moisture content and temperature, egg yolk powder had higher aw than whole egg and egg white powders. In addition, aw of the three egg powders in closed containers all increased with temperature. Egg white powder had stronger binding capacity to water, as reflected by the higher qₛₜ, compared to the other two egg powders. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: An important determinant for the survival of microorganisms during thermal treatments is food water activity (aw), which changes with temperature. Currently, there is no scientific data regarding aw changes in egg powders at elevated temperatures. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the aw changes in egg powders as a function of temperature and composition. Data produced by this study regarding aw changes provide useful information for designing effective heat treatments to control pathogens in egg powders. The isosteric data should also help estimate the energy efficiency of egg powder drying operations.
Impact of External Environmental Dimensions on Financial Performance of Major Teaching Hospitals in the U.S.

Teaching hospitals have a unique mission to not only deliver graduate medical education but to also provide both inpatient and ambulatory care and to conduct clinical medical research; therefore, they are under constant financial pressure, and it is important to explore what types of external environmental components affect their financial performance. This study examined if there is an association between the short-term and long-term financial performance of major teaching hospitals in the United States and the external environmental dimensions, as measured by the Resource Dependence Theory. Data for 226 major teaching hospitals spanning 46 states were analyzed. The dependent variable for short-term financial performance was days cash on hand, and dependent variable for long-term financial performance was return on assets, both an average of most recently available 4-year data (2014–2017). Utilizing linear regression model, results showed significance between outpatient revenue and days cash on hand as well as significant relationship between population of the metropolitan statistical area, unemployment rate of the metropolitan statistical area, and teaching hospital’s return on assets. Additionally, system membership, type of ownership/control, and teaching intensity also showed significant association with return on assets. By comprehensively examining all major teaching hospitals in the U.S. and analyzing the association between their short-term and long-term financial performance and external environmental dimensions, based upon Resource Dependence Theory, we found that by offering diverse outpatient services and novel delivery options, administrators of teaching hospitals may be able to increase organizational liquidity.
Impact of bisphenol-A and synthetic estradiol on brain, behavior, gonads and sex hormones in a sexually labile coral reef fish

Abstract Endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and ethinylestradiol (EE2), are detected in the marine environment from plastic waste and wastewater effluent. However, their impact on reproduction in sexually labile coral reef fish is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine impacts of environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA and EE2 on behavior, brain gene expression, gonadal histology, sex hormone profile, and plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) levels in the anemonefish, Amphiprion ocellaris. A. ocellaris display post-maturational sex change from male to female in nature. Sexually immature, male fish were paired together and fed twice daily with normal food (control), food containing BPA (100 μg/kg), or EE2 (0.02 μg/kg) (n = 9 pairs/group). Aggression toward an intruder male was measured at 1, 3, and 6 months. Blood was collected at 3 and 6 months to measure estradiol (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), and Vtg. At the end of the study, fish were euthanized to assess gonad morphology and to measure expression of known sexually dimorphic genes in the brain. Relative to control, BPA decreased aggression, altered brain transcript levels, increased non-vitellogenic and vitellogenic eggs in the gonad, reduced 11-KT, and increased plasma Vtg. In two BPA-treated pairs, both individuals had vitellogenic eggs, which does not naturally occur. EE2 reduced 11-KT in subordinate individuals and altered expression of one transcript in the brain toward the female profile. Results suggest BPA, and to a lesser extent EE2, pollution in coral reef ecosystems could interfere with normal reproductive physiology and behavior of the iconic sexually labile anemonefish.
Critical Issues in Moral Development

The early 1980s have begun with a vigorous concern about American families; a concern which is in large measure linked to serious questioning of contemporary values and a renewed interest in the moral upbringing of children. Noting the magnitude of public anxiety about the family, Charlotte Saikowski (1980) indicates that 45 percent of Americans think family life has grown worse since the mid-1960s, and over one-third of the population believes the situation will continue to deteriorate. Changing moral standards, decline in moral behavior, and uncertainty in the moral realm are frequently cited as causes of the numerous problems confronting families, problems ranging from the increasing divorce rate to the high incidence of domestic violence.
The Pricing of Housing and Mortgage Services for First-time versus Repeat Homebuyers

This study examines efficiency in the pricing of housing and mortgage services across first-time and repeat homebuyers. A logit model is used to test a number of variables for significant differences across first-time buyers and repeat buyers for a sample of brokered real estate sales. The results show that the housing market is somewhat less than completely efficient in providing its services. The logit results for the adjustable-rate mortgage segment show that first-time homebuyers are more likely to be associated with a higher sale price per square foot and higher discount points than repeat buyers. The results show that first-time homebuyers tend to be younger and have less household income than repeat homebuyers. For the full sample of data, the results show that higher sale price/square foot ratios and lower downpayment/sale price ratios are more likely to be associated with first-time homebuyers.For the fixed-rate mortgage segment of the data, the only distinguishing variables are down-payment/sale...
Complex Systems and the Evolution of Matter

How can order arise from complex, irregular, and chaotic states of matter? In classical antiquity philosophers tried to take the complexity of natural phenomena back to first principles. Astronomers suggested mathematical models in order to reduce the irregular and complex planetary orbits as they are experienced to regular and simple movements of spheres. Simplicity was understood, still for Copernicus, as a feature of truth (Sect. 2.1). With Newton and Leibniz something new was added to the theory of kinetic models. The calculus allows scientists to compute the instaneous velocity of a body and to visualize it as the tangent vector of the body’s trajectory. The velocity vector field has become one of the basic concepts in dynamical systems theory. The cosmic theories of Newton and Einstein have been described by dynamical models which are completely deterministic (Sect. 2.2).
Microbial Aerosols: Estimated Contribution of Combine Harvesting to an Airshed

From plate counts of the airborne microorganisms in the downwind dust plume of operating grass-seed combines, the mean source concentrations were calculated to be 6.4 × 108 and 4.7 × 108/m3, respectively, potentially accounting for at least 41.9% of the bacteria and 35.1% of the fungi in the airshed in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Personal Safety in Library Buildings: Levels, Problems, and Solutions

Summary Libraries, whatever they may represent to the public, are also workplaces for their employees, and-given human nature-can become dangerous places to visit or in which to work. A recent study of violence in the workplace conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reveals that “workers most at risk to workplace violence are those who deal with the public, exchange money and deliver goods and services.”1 Naturally, library staff are included in this at-risk category. When people do not feel safe in public buildings, they tend to avoid them (or working in them) for fear of danger, assault, injury, or worse. Other types of workplaces often have levels of security, commensurate with their functions, features and design, but most libraries-public places, with intentionally easy (or non-existent) admission requirements-place both employees and visitors at risk of violence. Demonstrably, there is a need for security in library buildings, but how much and what kinds of security a...
DDT residues in marine phytoplankton.

DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] residues have become widely dispersed in the biosphere, causing much attention to be focussed on the mechanisms of transport of these substances. Woodwell et al. (1971) have identified the three major reservoirs for extant residues of DDT now in global circulation: the land surface, the trophosphere, and the mixed layer of the oceans. Transport into and from the mixed layer of the ocean must involve, at least partially, marine phytoplankton and detrital material derived from it.
Supporting adaptive application mobility

Application mobility has the potential to enhance user experience in ubiquitous computing environments by providing a flexible and reusable solution to managing applications across myriad computing devices, especially when applications adapt to the characteristics of individual devices. Using example scenarios, we argue that application mobility is a better solution to the problem of accessing remote applications than schemes like remote desktop which only export displays. Our mobile application framework provides the opportunity for applications to better adapt their user interface to the new environment. This ability is enhanced through the use of the Model-View-Controller design pattern. Our framework also uses discovery mechanisms to find potential migration targets. Lost applications are recovered through a simple scheme called homing. A preliminary implementation for our framework is based on the JADE mobile agent platform.
Mechanical and heat sensitization of cutaneous nociceptors after peripheral inflammation in the rat.

Tissue injuries commonly cause an increase in pain sensitivity, so that normally painful stimuli become more painful (hyperalgesia), and those usually associated with nonnoxious sensations evoke pa...