cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can flat-ramp-flat fault geometry be inferred from fold shape?: A comparison of kinematic and mechanical folds

The inference of fault geometry from suprajacent fold shape relies on consistent and verified forward models of fault-cored folds, e.g. suites of models with differing fault boundary conditions demonstrate the range of possible folding. Results of kinematic (fault-parallel flow) and mechanical (boundary element method) models are compared to ascertain differences in the way the two methods simulate flexure associated with slip along flat-ramp-flat geometry. These differences are assessed by systematically altering fault parameters in each model and observing subsequent changes in the suprajacent fold shapes. Differences between the kinematic and mechanical fault-fold relationships highlight the differences between the methods. Additionally, a laboratory fold is simulated to determine which method might best predict fault parameters from fold shape. Although kinematic folds do not fully capture the three-dimensional nature of geologic folds, mechanical models have non-unique fold-fault relationships. Predicting fault geometry from fold shape is best accomplished by a combination of the two methods.
A Self-Organizing Neural Network for Contour Integration through Synchronized Firing

Contour integration in low-level vision is believed to occur based on lateral interaction between neurons with similar orientation tuning. The exact neural mechanisms underlying such interactions, and their developmental origins, are not well understood. This paper suggests through computational simulations that synchronized firing of neurons mediated by patchy lateral connections, formed through input-driven selforganization, can serve as such a mechanism. Furthermore, we argue that different degree of such patchy connections established during development may explain why different areas of the visual field show different degrees of contour integration in psychophysical experiments.
Pediatric thyroid surgery and management of thyroid nodules – an institutional experience over a 10-year period

Background We reviewed our institutional experience in the diagnosis and management of pediatric thyroid nodules and well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC), highlighting the unique challenges in this population.
Effect of hydrocortisone feeding on concentration of free fatty acids and other lipids of rabbit sera.

SummaryRabbits fed Purina rabbit chow supplemented with 30 mg of hydrocortisone/kg of diet showed a marked rise in FFA content of the serum as well as in serum cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides. The addition of coconut oil at a 5% level to the diet augmented the effect. It is postulated that the various changes in serum lipid may be secondary to an increased mobilization of FFA from the adipose tissue as a result of the hydrocortisone feeding.
Semi-automated construction of adversarial agents for trainable automated forces.

Virtual agents are used by the military for extensive training of pilots. However, creating virtual agents with the appropriate behaviors is a lengthy and specialized process. We describe a new tool (TAF) to allow rapid creation of virtual adversarial agents by non-specialized personnel. In TAF, users can draw diagrams of agent behavior which are matched within a pre-existing knowledge base. By combining several instances of similar behaviors a behavior model for a new agent is created that matches the diagram provided by the user.
Perioperative mortality rate in patients with unstable angina selected by exclusion of myocardial infarction.

Coronary bypass surgery may be associated with an increased perioperative mortality rate in patients with unstable compared to stable angina. The mortality rate is excessively high when surgery is performed during evolving myocardial infarction. Elevated plasma MB CPK isoenzyme activity is a remarkably sensitive and specific marker of myocardial damage. Accordingly, we studied 111 patients with unstable angina to determine whether exclusion of patients with initially elevated MB CPK improves the perioperative mortality rate. Plasma MB CPK activity was assayed prior to catheterization and every 2 hours thereafter. Of the 111 patients, 16, with initially elevated MB CPK activity, were excluded and managed medically. Catheterization was performed in 59 patients, and severe vessel obstruction was documented in 55. Coronary bypass surgery performed in 47 patients was associated with a mortality rate of 4 per cent. Thus, after exclusion of patients with evolving infarction by MB CPK isoenzyme analysis, catheterization and coronary bypass surgery in patients with unstable angina resulted in a mortality rate comparable to that in patients with stable angina.
The quorum‐quenching lactonase from Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus: purification, characterization, crystallization and crystallographic analysis

Lactonases are enzymes that are capable of hydrolyzing various lactones such as aliphatic lactones or acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), with the latter being used as chemical signaling molecules by numerous Gram-negative bacteria. Lactonases therefore have the ability to quench the chemical communication, also known as quorum sensing, of numerous bacteria, and in particular to inhibit behaviors that are regulated by this system, such as the expression of virulence factors or the production of biofilms. A novel representative from the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily, dubbed GcL, was isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus. Because of its thermophilic origin, GcL may constitute an interesting candidate for the development of biocontrol agents. Here, we show that GcL is a thermostable enzyme with a half-life at 75°C of 152.5 ± 10 min. Remarkably, it is also shown that GcL is among the most active lactonases characterized to date, with catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) against AHLs of greater than 106 M−1 s−1. The structure of GcL is expected to shed light on the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme and the molecular determinants for the substrate specificity in this class of lactonases. Here, the expression, purification, characterization, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data collection to 1.6 A resolution of GcL are reported.
Political Participation of the Arab Middle Class – Motivation and Access

The present paper complements recent research at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCWA) on the Arab Middle Class and discusses the political role of the Middle Class. The objective of the paper is to lay the groundwork for a contextual model of analysis on political participation of the Middle Class in the Arab region by focusing on a sub-group and to develop a policy and research agenda on meaningful political participation based on democratic principles.
Threatened James River shipwreck and historical sites

Historical records of shipwrecks in the James River indicate that large numbers of vessels were wrecked, abandoned, or scuttled there during the 18th and 19th centuries. These physical elements of maritime history are central to the history of Virginia and the United States and can yield valuable information, yet, many of these sites have been destroyed by looting and through regular dredging of the river. State and federal agencies have been largely unaware of the archaeological potential of the river and, until recently, unresponsive to notices that government inaction allowed important archaeological sites to be destroyed. This article describes several large archaeological sites: the wrecks of USS Cumberland and CSS Florida in Hampton Roads, the City Point wharves and anchorage, and two sunken fleets at Drewry’s Bluff; discusses threats to the sites; looting, maintenance dredging, and channel widening projects; considers governmental responsibility and complex ownership issues; and finally makes recommendations for resolution of the management problems associated with shipwrecks in the James.
Learning image similarity from Flickr groups using Stochastic Intersection Kernel MAchines

Measuring image similarity is a central topic in computer vision. In this paper, we learn similarity from Flickr groups and use it to organize photos. Two images are similar if they are likely to belong to the same Flickr groups. Our approach is enabled by a fast Stochastic Intersection Kernel MAchine (SIKMA) training algorithm, which we propose. This proposed training method will be useful for many vision problems, as it can produce a classifier that is more accurate than a linear classifier, trained on tens of thousands of examples in two minutes. The experimental results show our approach performs better on image matching, retrieval, and classification than using conventional visual features.
Sleep complaints cosegregate with illness in older adults Clinical research informed by and informing epidemiological studies of sleep

Objective: The more recent epidemiological studies of sleep complaints have shown that when factors such as physical and psychiatric illness, medication use and drug and alcohol use are accounted for, the age-related increase in prevalence of sleep complaints is strikingly less than in those earlier studies without such controls. In an effort to support this finding, we examined the relationships between clinical health screenings and sleep complaints and disorders in two large groups of potential research volunteers (total N=2954). Methods: As part of a study of older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease, two large groups of potential research volunteers (n=1619 and 1335, respectively) replied to advertisements that made no mention of sleep and underwent three increasingly rigorous levels of health screening. At each level of screening, medical and psychiatric health and history were assessed and, where appropriate, subjects were excluded from further study participation before any mention of sleep quality or sleep complaint was made. The remaining subjects then underwent polysomnography. Results: Of 1619 elderly adult volunteers screened in this manner, only 51 (3.14%) were found to have significant sleep complaints or disorders. The second group of 1335 screened in this manner revealed a similar pattern with only 18 (1.35%) having significant sleep complaints or disorders. Conclusions: These findings indicate that careful health assessments will screen out most sleep complaints and disorders in the older population and lend further support to the epidemiological evidence demonstrating that the bulk of geriatric sleep complaints and disorders is not the result of age per se, but rather cosegregates with medical and psychiatric disorders and related health burdens.
Incidence and Levels of Bacillus cereus in Processed Spices

Spices purchased by the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force were tested for incidence and levels of Bacillus cereus. One hundred and ten processed spices, including bay leaves, red pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, mustard powder, and oregano were tested. Bacillus cereus was found in 53% of the spices and counts ranged from 50 to 8500 per gram. Eighty-nine percent (88/99) of the isolates tested were toxigenic in rabbits, by the vascular permeability assay, and toxigenic B. cereus was found in each kind of spice. These data have significant implications for food safety and sanitation and for fumigation of spices by gas, or irradiation.
The relation between a microscopic threshold-force model and macroscopic models of adhesion

This paper continues our recent work on the relationship between discrete contact interactions at the microscopic scale and continuum contact interactions at the macroscopic scale (Hulikal et al., J. Mech. Phys. Solids 76, 144–161, 2015). The focus of this work is on adhesion. We show that a collection of a large number of discrete elements governed by a threshold-force based model at the microscopic scale collectively gives rise to continuum fracture mechanics at the macroscopic scale. A key step is the introduction of an efficient numerical method that enables the computation of a large number of discrete contacts. Finally, while this work focuses on scaling laws, the methodology introduced in this paper can also be used to study rough-surface adhesion.
Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation of the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of π-Conjugated Optoelectronic Peptides.

Self-assembled aggregates of peptides containing aromatic groups possess optoelectronic properties that make them attractive targets for the fabrication of biocompatible electronics. Molecular-level understanding of the influence of microscopic peptide chemistry on the properties of the aggregates is vital for rational peptide design. In this study, we construct a coarse-grained model of Asp-Phe-Ala-Gly-OPV3-Gly-Ala-Phe-Asp (DFAG-OPV3-GAFD) peptides containing OPV3 (distyrylbenzene) π-conjugated cores explicitly parameterized against all-atom calculations and perform molecular dynamics simulations of the self-assembly of hundreds of molecules over hundreds of nanoseconds. We observe a hierarchical assembly mechanism, wherein approximately two to eight peptides assemble into stacks with aligned aromatic cores that subsequently form elliptical aggregates and ultimately a branched network with a fractal dimensionality of ∼1.5. The assembly dynamics are well described by a Smoluchowski coagulation process, fo...
Teamscope: Scalable Team Evaluation via Automated Metric Mining for Communication, Organization, Execution, and Evolution

Teaching software development teams can be difficult to scale. Based on various cloud-based software development tools, Teamscope provides automated or semi-automated metrics to improve the scalability of a course with team projects. Metrics developed in Teamscope provide a synthesized view of a student team. Our preliminary results have shown the validity of these metrics. We also present a case study of applying metrics to teaching software development course in this paper.
The Magic Formula: Value, Profitability, and the Cross Section of Global Stock Returns

Buying profitable, undervalued stocks and shorting unprofitable, overvalued stocks yields significant return differentials in North America, Europe, Japan, and Asia. Using data from 1991-2016, we test Greenblatt’s (2006) “Magic Formula” (MF) and find that a modified MF which uses gross profits as a measure of profitability yields significant abnormal returns for all size groups and in all regions. Results from double sorts and Fama-MacBeth regressions show that MF explains the cross-section of returns in addition to size, book-to-market and momentum.
(Re) Capturing the Wisdom of Our Tradition: The Importance of Reynolds and Towle in Contemporary Social Work Education

This article argues that social work education has distanced itself from founding principles articulated by Bertha Reynolds and Charlotte Towle in ways that compromise the professional development of the learner in social work education. The authors trace persistent and historical professional social work education themes and identify key changes that have contributed to threats to educational integrity, with particular attention to field education and supervisory practice. After identifying both positive and negative trends and challenges to the quality of field education, the authors examine implications for field supervision and its place in the overall educational environment.
The mode of inheritance of PTA deficiency: evidence for the existence of major PTA deficiency and minor PTA deficiency.

Plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA) activity was measured with a quantitative assay in the available members of the families of eight propositi with severe PTA deficiency. PTA deficiency was found to exist in two forms: major PTA deficiency , characterized by PTA levels of up to 20 per cent of our standard reference plasma and by the potential for serious surgical bleeding, and minor PTA deficiency , characterized by PTA levels between 30 and 65 per cent of our standard reference plasma and by the absence of significant surgical bleeding. Minor PTA deficiency was found in parents and children of subjects with major PTA deficiency. It would appear that the gene for PTA deficiency is an incompletely recessive or "intermediate" gene which produces major PTA deficiency in the homozygote and minor PTA deficiency in the heterozygote.
The adequacy of using a broad spectrum pH paper to obtain pH values for [18F]FDG

2133 Objectives The USP monograph states that [18F]FDG must have a pH value between 4.5 and 7.5. USP general chapter “pH” permits the use pH test paper where approximate pH values suffice. Because of the large sample volumes and ALARA concerns associated with pH meter use, pH paper is commonly used for radiopharmaceutical pH measurement. This experiment investigates whether a readily available broad spectrum pH paper is able to acceptably test [18F]FDG to its USP limits. Methods pH values measured by pH paper were obtained at time points of 15 sec, 3, 5, 7, and 10 min for samples calibrated with a pH meter at values ranging from 3.0 to 8.0 (n=10) in 0.5-unit increments. Specific attention was paid to pH values at and just beyond the acceptable limits stipulated by the USP to measure the prevalence of false positive and false negative results. Values obtained with pH paper at each pH level and time point were plotted against the known value of the sample. Results pH values obtained using paper deviated from the target values as a function of immersion time. However, fewer experiments failed at critical pH points when tested between 5 and 7 min after immersion. Specifically, all paper readings at pH 4.0 and 8.0 (n=10) taken at 5 and 7 min correlated with their pH meter values and yielded no false negative sample readings. No readings of pH 4.5 (n=4) sample readings yielded a false positive result during this time frame. One measurement of the pH 7.5 (n=6) group gave a false positive result at both 5 and 7 min. Conclusions The use of a reputable broad spectrum pH paper is an acceptable method for testing the pH of [18F]FDG. 5 to 7 min after immersion time is critical for accurate pH readings.
Relation of self-weighing to future weight gain and onset of disordered eating symptoms.

Objective Frequent self-weighing is recommended in weight loss interventions and may prevent weight gain. However, concerns regarding the associations between self-weighing and eating disorders have been expressed and the relations between self-weighing and weight gain/eating pathology have not been examined prospectively. We tested whether (a) frequency of baseline self-weighing in college students with weight concerns predicted weight change over 2-year follow-up, (b) this relation was moderated by eating disorder symptoms, and (c) self-weighing predicted future eating disorder symptoms. Method Data were merged from two trials evaluating obesity/eating disorder prevention programs in 762 students (Mage = 18.7; 86% women). Participants reported how often they weighed themselves at baseline; body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder symptoms were assessed over 2-year follow-up. Results Baseline self-weighing predicted weight gain, with more frequent weighers experiencing greater gains (i.e., +0.8 of BMI) over follow-up. This relation was moderated by the frequency of binge eating but not weight/shape concerns or compensatory behaviors; the combination of more frequent self-weighing and binge eating was associated with greatest weight gain (+1.6 of BMI). More frequent weighers also reported higher onset of compensatory behaviors, relative to non-self-weighers (odds ratio = 3.90, 95% confidence interval [1.76, 8.75]). Conclusions Young adults who weighed themselves more frequently had greater weight gain than those who self-weighed less frequently, especially those who engaged in binge eating, and were at risk for future unhealthy compensatory behaviors. Findings suggest that frequent self-weighing may have negative effects for some young adults, and that relations between self-weighing and weight control outcomes require further investigation. (PsycINFO Database Record
Alice and Bob and Whit and Martin: Public-Key Cryptography

The key exchange problem occurs with symmetric cipher systems because the same key is used for both enciphering and deciphering messages. This means that both the sender and receiver must have the same key and it must be distributed to them via a secure method. While this is merely inconvenient if there are only two correspondents, if there are tens or hundreds of people exchanging secret messages, then distributing keys is a major issue. Public-key cryptography eliminates this problem by mathematically breaking the key into two parts, a public key and a private key . The public key is published and available to anyone who wants to send a message and the private key is the only key that can successfully decipher a message enciphered with a particular public key. This chapter investigates the mechanisms used to implement public-key cryptography.
Association Between Cognitive Tests and Antiretroviral Medication Adherence in Older Adults With HIV

Background: One of the fastest growing populations living with HIV is older adults especially those 65 years of age or older. Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) has prolonged life expectancy of p...
Strategic Responses to Entry in Communications Markets: Evaluating Financial Consequences for Incumbents:

In the last few decades, communications markets have undergone several major institutional disruptions. This article examines the relationship between the entry of new competitors and the economic ...
Phosphorylation of the HCN channel auxiliary subunit TRIP8b is altered in an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy and modulates channel function

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a prevalent neurological disorder with many patients experiencing poor seizure control with existing anti-epileptic drugs. Thus, novel insights into the mechanisms of epileptogenesis and identification of new drug targets can be transformative. Changes in ion channel function have been shown to play a role in generating the aberrant neuronal activity observed in TLE. Previous work demonstrates that hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels regulate neuronal excitability and are mislocalized within CA1 pyramidal cells in a rodent model of TLE. The subcellular distribution of HCN channels is regulated by an auxiliary subunit, tetratricopeptide repeat-containing Rab8b-interacting protein (TRIP8b), and disruption of this interaction correlates with channel mislocalization. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for HCN channel dysregulation in TLE are unclear. Here we investigated whether changes in TRIP8b phosphorylation are sufficient to alter HCN channel function. We identified a phosphorylation site at residue Ser237 of TRIP8b that enhances binding to HCN channels and influences channel gating by altering the affinity of TRIP8b for the HCN cytoplasmic domain. Using a phosphospecific antibody, we demonstrate that TRIP8b phosphorylated at Ser237 is enriched in CA1 distal dendrites and that phosphorylation is reduced in the kainic acid model of TLE. Overall, our findings indicate that the TRIP8b-HCN interaction can be modulated by changes in phosphorylation and suggest that loss of TRIP8b phosphorylation may affect HCN channel properties during epileptogenesis. These results highlight the potential of drugs targeting posttranslational modifications to restore TRIP8b phosphorylation to reduce excitability in TLE.
Quantifying the influence of surface chemical composition on surface energy during powder flow

In this study, the dominant intermolecular interactions at powder surfaces were investigated using inverse gas chromatography. Silica beads coated with molasses, corn starch, butter, or wheat glute...
Attention-Guided Network for Iris Presentation Attack Detection.

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are being increasingly used to address the problem of iris presentation attack detection. In this work, we propose attention-guided iris presentation attack detection (AG-PAD) to augment CNNs with attention mechanisms. Two types of attention modules are independently appended on top of the last convolutional layer of the backbone network. Specifically, the channel attention module is used to model the inter-channel relationship between features, while the position attention module is used to model inter-spatial relationship between features. An element-wise sum is employed to fuse these two attention modules. Further, a novel hierarchical attention mechanism is introduced. Experiments involving both a JHU-APL proprietary dataset and the benchmark LivDet-Iris-2017 dataset suggest that the proposed method achieves promising results. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that exploits the use of attention mechanisms in iris presentation attack detection.
Influence of the physicochemical features of TiO2 nanoparticles on the formation of a protein corona and impact on cytotoxicity

Due to their unique properties TiO2 nanoparticles are widely used. The adverse effects they may elicit are usually studied in relation to their physicochemical features. However, a factor is often neglected: the influence of the protein corona formed around nanoparticles upon contact with biological media. Indeed, although it is acknowledged that it can strongly influence nanoparticle toxicity, it is not systematically considered. The aim of this study was to characterize the formation of the protein corona of TiO2 nanoparticles as a function of the main nanoparticle properties and investigate potential relationship with the cytotoxicity nanoparticles induce in vitro in human lung cells. To that purpose, five TiO2 nanoparticles differing in size, shape, agglomeration state and surface charge were incubated in cell culture media (DMEM or RPMI supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum) and the amount and profile of adsorbed proteins on each type of nanoparticle were compared to their toxicological profile. While nanoparticle size and surface charge were found to be determinant factors for protein corona formation, no clear impact of the shape and agglomeration state was observed. Furthermore, no clear relationship was evidenced between the protein corona of the nanoparticles and the adverse effect they elicited.
Subverting the Role of Les Lieux de Mémoire: Alaga Syrup as a Symbol in King Hedley II

An analysis of the impact Alaga Syrup has had on Black communities and its relevance within August Wilson’s play, King Hedley II .
Quality and Reliability of YouTube for Patient Information on Neurotoxins.

YouTube is a common source of medical information for patients. This is the first study to assess the reliability and educational value of YouTube videos on neurotoxin procedures. YouTube.com was searched on June 15, 2020 using the keyword “Botox” or “neurotoxin.” A total of 100 videos were reviewed. Sixty-one videos met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Video characteristics were noted, and a score was assigned to each video using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Global Quality Score (GQS) to measure source reliability and educational value, respectively. A total of 61 videos that met the inclusion criteria had an average length of 589 seconds (9 minutes and 49 seconds), 210,673 views, 5,295 likes, 318 dislikes, and 478 comments. A total of 30 videos (49%) were posted with an intention to educate patients while 31 videos (51%) were posted with the intention to detail a personal experience with neurotoxin. Patient education videos were significantly more reliable (P JAMA< 0.001) and had more educational value (P GQS Key Points
AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MISHEMTs) using plasma deposited BN as gate dielectric

AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator–semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MISHEMTs) were fabricated on Si substrates with a 10 nm boron nitride (BN) layer as a gate dielectric deposited by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. The material characterization of the BN/GaN interface was investigated by X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS) and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. The BN bandgap from the B1s XPS energy loss is ∼5 eV consistent with sp2 bonding. The MISHEMTs exhibit a low off-state current of 1 × 10−8 mA/mm, a high on/off current ratio of 109, a threshold voltage of −2.76 V, a maximum transconductance of 32 mS/mm at a gate voltage of −2.1 V and a drain voltage of 1 V, a subthreshold swing of 69.1 mV/dec, and an on-resistance of 12.75 Ω·mm. The interface state density (Dit) is estimated to be less than 8.49 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1. Gate leakage current mechanisms were investigated by temperature-dependent current–voltage measurements from 300 K to 500 K. The maximum breakdown electric field is no less than 8.4 MV/cm. Poole–Frenkel emission and Fowler–Nordheim tunneling are indicated as the dominant mechanisms of the gate leakage through the BN gate dielectric at low and high electric fields, respectively.
Novel Tests of the Key Innovation Hypothesis: Adhesive Toepads in Arboreal Lizards.

The evolution of key innovations-unique features that enable a lineage to interact with the environment in a novel way-may drive broad patterns of adaptive diversity. However, traditional tests of the key innovation hypothesis, those which attempt to identify the evolutionary effect of a purported key innovation by comparing patterns of diversity between lineages with and without the key trait, have been challenged on both conceptual and statistical grounds. Here, we explore alternative, untested hypotheses of the key innovation framework. In lizards, adhesive toepad structures increase grip strength on vertical and smooth surfaces such as tree trunks and leaves and have independently evolved multiple times. As such, toepads have been posited as a key innovation for the evolution of arboreality. Leveraging a habitat use dataset applied to a global phylogeny of 2692 lizard species, we estimated multiple origins of toepads in three major clades and more than 100 origins of arboreality widely across the phylogeny. Our results suggest that toepads arise adaptively in arboreal lineages and are subsequently rarely lost while maintaining arboreal ecologies. Padless lineages transition away from arboreality at a higher rate than those with toepads, and high rates of invasion of arboreal niches by non-arboreal padbearing lineages provides further evidence that toepads may be a key to unlocking evolutionary access to the arboreal zone. Our results and analytical framework provide novel insights to understand and evaluate the ecological and evolutionary consequences of key innovations.
Viral Buzz: Rumor and Its Disruptions in Pandemic Uncertainty

Building on theory and research on rumor dynamics, I examine how the search for and acquisition of information during a time of medical crisis relies on the politics of plausibility and the politics of credibility. In this, I examine how the content and the source of information affects the spread of uncertain knowledge during periods of disaster, recognizing the social dynamics of ignorance, a key issue for domains of knowledge of which the public has little ability to judge. The assertion of multiple truth claims about the current pandemic leads to challenges to previously taken-for-granted realities, but also potentially provides solutions. The dynamic may be different in conditions that require an immediate response and those that evolve over a longer period (fast and slow rumors). Using rumors about the COVID-19 pandemic, I address how epistemic disruption undercuts established norms (disruption-of) but also creates the possibility of desirable change through new negotiations, strengthening community (disruption-for).
A rapid F0 CRISPR screen in zebrafish to identify regulators of neuronal development in the enteric nervous system

The enteric nervous system (ENS) provides the intrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract with millions of neurons and diverse neuronal subtypes and glial cells. The ENS regulates essential gut functions such as motility, nutrient uptake, and immune response, but basic information about the genes that control ENS neuronal specification and differentiation remains largely unknown. Deficits in ENS neuron numbers and composition cause gut dysfunction with debilitating GI symptoms, and are associated with e.g. Hirschsprung disease, inflammatory gut diseases, autism spectrum disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson9s disease. The genetic basis of most of these ENS disorders remains unknown. Recent transcriptomic analyses have identified many candidate genes for regulating ENS neurogenesis. However, functional evaluation of these candidate genes significantly lags because experimental testing of their role in ENS neurogenesis is time-consuming and expensive. Here, we have developed a rapid, scalable F0 CRISPR genome editing screen in zebrafish to functionally determine which candidate genes control neuronal development in the ENS. Proof-of-concept experiments targeting the known ENS regulators sox10 and ret phenocopy stable mutants with high efficiency and precision showing that our approach is reliable to identify regulators ENS neurogenesis using F0 guide RNA-injected larvae (F0 crispants). We then evaluate the role of 10 transcription factor genes for regulating ENS neurogenesis and function. Pools of guide RNAs targeting 2-3 candidate genes are co-injected with Cas9 protein into one-cell stage phox2bb:GFP transgenic zebrafish embryos to directly assess qualitative change in ENS neuron numbers compared to controls in 6-day old F0 crispants. Target genes from crispant pools exhibiting reduced ENS neuronal numbers were then tested individually to identify the responsible gene(s). We identify five transcription factors that show a reduction in ENS neurons indicating an influence on enteric progenitor cell differentiation into ENS neurons. Adding a simple and efficient test to further assess crispant gut motility, we find that loss-of-function of two of the transcription factor genes reduced intestinal transit of fluorescently labeled food through the gut. In summary, our novel, multistep, yet straight-forward CRISPR screening approach in zebrafish enables testing the genetic basis of ENS developmental and disease gene functions that will facilitate high-throughput evaluation of the manifold candidate genes emerging from transcriptomic, genome-wide association or other ENS-omics studies. Such in vivo ENS crispant screens will contribute to a better understanding of ENS neuronal development regulation in vertebrates and what goes awry in ENS disorders.
Snapshots of War (1939–1945)

This chapter and the following, “Art and Intelligence” highlight Bowen’s wartime experiences. Being as old as the century, she lived through World War I and the Irish War of Independence as an adolescent and young woman, and World War II and the Cold War, when mature. During World War II, she emerged as a public intellectual and informer, and developed as documentary writer. In addition, she wrote a major novel about the war that was more an account of wartime climate and feeling than a page of history, The Heat of the Day, and also short stories about life between battles, Ivy Gripped the Steps. Her novel, The House in Paris reflects on the personal pain and impersonal history of England and Europe between the wars.
An efficient THz source with a tuning range of 71.1-2830 /spl mu/m (0.106-4.22 THz) based on frequency mixing in a GaP crystal

The authors present the result of efficiently producing the THz radiations by using collinear phase-matched difference-frequency generation (DFG) in a GaP crystal. The authors have extended the THz output wavelengths to as long as 2830 mum. In addition, the peak power has reached 15.6 W. Since GaP is a cubic crystal, there is no need to rotate this in order to tune the output wavelength in a wide range. The two mixing beams used for the DFG experiments were an idler beam (0.73-1.8 mum) from a BBO-based master oscillator/power oscillator pumped by a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser and a Nd:YAG laser beam (1.064 mum) with the pulse width of 10 ns. A GaP crystal with a dimension of 19.9 mm along [001] and 25 mm times 25 mm for the cross section was used
New Conjugated Polymers and Synthetic Methods

The sections in this article are Introduction New Polymers Prepared via Chain-Growth Methods End-Functionalized Polymers All-Conjugated Block Copolymers Mechanism Initial Observations and Mechanistic Proposal Subsequent Mechanistic Studies End-Group Analysis Rate and Spectroscopic Studies Indirect Support for an Intermediate Ni(0)-Polymer π-Complex Remaining Limitations Conclusions and Outlook Keywords: conjugated polymer; nickel; catalysis; chain-growth polymerization; mechanism; cross-coupling
Radiative transfer in spherical shell atmospheres: I. Rayleigh scattering

The plane-parallel approximation and the more realistic spherical shell approximation for the radiance reflected from a planetary atmosphere are compared and are applied to the study of a planet the size of the earth with a homogeneous conservative Rayleigh scattering atmosphere extending to a height of 100 km. Inadequacies of the approximations are considered. Radiance versus height distributions for both single and multiple scattering are presented, as are results for the fractional radiance from altitudes in the atmosphere which contribute to the total unidirectional reflected radiance at the top of the atmosphere. The data can be used for remote sensing applications and planetary spectroscopy.
Evaluation of anti-vibration interventions for the hand during sheet metal assembly work

OBJECTIVE Occupational use of vibrating hand tools contributes to the development of upper extremity disorders. While several types of vibration damping materials are commercially available, reductions in vibration exposure are usually tested in the laboratory rather than in actual work environments. This study evaluated reductions in hand vibration with different vibration damping interventions under actual work conditions. METHODS Three experienced sheet metal assemblers at a manufacturing facility installed sheet metal fasteners with a pneumatic tool using no vibration damping (bare hand) and each of six anti-vibration interventions (five different gloves and a viscoelastic tool wrap). Vibration was measured with tri-axial accelerometers on the tool and the back of the hand. RESULTS Unweighted mean vibration measured at the hand showed reduced vibration (p<0.001) for all six interventions (range = 3.07-5.56 m/s(2)) compared to the bare hand condition (12.91 m/s(2)). CONCLUSIONS All of the interventions were effective at reducing vibration at the hand during testing under usual work conditions. Field testing beyond laboratory-based testing accounts for the influences of worker, tools, and materials on vibration transmission to the body from specific work operations.
Observations of Solar P-Mode Rotational Splittings

In the last two years, several groups of workers have observed the splitting of solar p-mode frequencies that arises from the Sun’s differential rotation. Early results suggested that throughout much of the convection zone, the differential rotation was much different than that seen at the surface. However, Duvall et al. (1986) found splittings that are consistent with the differential rotation being independent of depth, even within the radiative interior. We describe here the results of a new set of observations obtained with the Fourier Tachometer at NSO/Sunspot (Brown and Morrow 1986). The rotational splittings from these observations fall between those of Brown (1985) and Duvall et al. (1986). They appear consistent with a model in which the differential rotation resembles that seen at the surface throughout the convection zone, but becomes constant on spherical surfaces within the radiative interior.
Kv channel subunits that contribute to voltage-gated K + current in renal vascular smooth muscle

The rat renal arterial vasculature displays differences in K+ channel current phenotypes along its length. Small arcuate to cortical radial arteries express a delayed rectifier phenotype, while the predominant Kv current in larger arcuate and interlobar arteries is composed of both transient and sustained components. We sought to determine whether Kvα subunits in the rat renal interlobar and arcuate arteries form heterotetramers, which may account for the unique currents, and whether modulatory Kvβ subunits are present in renal vascular smooth muscle cells. RT-PCR indicated the presence of several different Kvα subunit isoform transcripts. Co-immunoprecipitation with immunoblotting and immunohistochemical evidence suggests that a portion of the K+ current phenotype is a heteromultimer containing delayed-rectifier Kv1.2 and A-type Kv1.4 channel subunits. RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses also demonstrated the presence of both Kvβ1.2 and Kvβ1.3 in renal arteries. These results suggest that heteromultimeric formation of Kvα subunits and the presence of modulatory Kvβ subunits are important factors in mediating Kv currents in the renal microvasculature and suggest a potentially critical role for these channel subunits in blood pressure regulation.
Diagnostic Cytologic Features of Uveal Melanoma

Purpose To report the cytologic characteristics of uveal melanoma. Design This is a prospective, single-center study of consecutive patients. Subjects All patients with a clinical diagnosis of uveal melanoma from May 2009 to July 2013 who underwent prognostication fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included. Methods The cytologic characteristics of uveal melanoma were analyzed for 150 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of uveal melanoma who were treated at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute between May 2009 and August 2012. Main Outcome Measures Cellular features of all cases were analyzed for cell type, presence of melanin, nuclear grade, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and necrosis. Cytology was then correlated with histopathology in enucleated eyes. Results A total of 150 patients were included. Seven samples of tumor resections were excluded from the study because they were studied by impression smears. A total of 143 FNAB samples of 143 patients formed the basis for analysis. Fifty-three percent of the patients were male, and the average age for all patients was 60 years. Transcorneal (n = 8), transscleral (n = 71), and transvitreal (n = 64) approaches were used. Of 143 samples, 131 were adequate. Among these, spindle cells were observed in 98% (63% mixed and 35% spindle only), whereas only epithelioid cells were observed in 2 samples. Melanin granules were observed in 80% of samples. Tumor nuclear grade (atypia) increased with tumor height and by tumor location (least atypia with iris tumors). Conclusions Cytologic features such as spindle cells and melanin granules, present in 98% and 80% of samples, respectively, are important cytologic diagnostic features. Tumor nuclear grade (atypia) increased with tumor height. Iris melanoma has bland features compared with ciliary and choroidal melanoma.
Ritual, Performance, Media

Ritual, Performance, Media. Felicia Hughes-Freeland. ed. New York and London: Routledge, 1998. + 233pp., photographs. (Paper US$25.99).
CHANGING INSTITUTIONAL PATTERNS OF MORTGAGE LENDING

AN ATTEMPT TO SUMMARIZE recent institutional changes in mortgage lending requires a review of some of the outstanding characteristics of recent decades which have created the environment in which institutional change has occurred. Such a review can make no pretense of presenting a complete statistical picture-the data are too fragmentary and scattered. As these decades recede into history, there is some justification for setting down some of their salient aspects. In this paper, therefore, will be found a mixture of quantitative material and qualitative observation which, it is hoped, will serve at least as a useful summary and reminder of some things we tend to forget and a record for those who will struggle with some aspects of the same problems that have confronted uswhen our memories are no longer available. Some of the outstanding characteristics of the decade of the twenties relevant to our purposes are, then, first appropriate. The general economic expansion of that period found no more dramatic expression in any area than in that of mortgage lending. The expansion of mortgage lending was, in turn, a manifestation of a rapid expansion of our urban real estate inventory. Unfortunately, this expansion cannot be measured with a satisfactory degree of accuracy. The estimates approach their greatest accuracy in connection with the expansion of our residential facilities. During the decade I920 to I929, according to the best evidence available, new construction accounted for about 7 million dwelling units, reflected in an increase in inventory from an estimated I7.6 million dwelling units in I920 to nearly 23.3 million in I930, an increase of over 32 per cent.' The highest rate of expansion in one year was in I925 when there were added approximately 937,000 dwelling units.2 This is a mark which has now been reached in the fourth year of the fantastic post-World War II boom. Likewise, a rapid rate of expansion occurred in office structures and industrial plants. But this expansion cannot be measured as accurately as can the expansion in residential facilities. And the most spectacular
INFLUENCE OF A MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS AND/OR RHIZOBIUM ON GROWTH AND BIOMASS PARTITIONING OF SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER EXPOSED TO OZONE

The influence of soilborne symbionts such as rhizobia or mycorrhizal fungi on plant response to ozone (O3) has not been well defined. Leguminous plants in the field are infected by both types of organisms, which influence plant nutrition and growth. We studied the effects of infection with Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii and/or Gigaspora margarita on response of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv Mt. Barker) to O3. Exposures were conducted in greenhouse CSTR chambers using four O3 concentrations [charcoal-filtered (CF), 50, 100, or 150 ppb; 6 h day-1, 5 day wk-1 for 12 weeks] as main plots (replicated). Four inoculum types were subplot treatments, i.e., inoculated with one, both, or neither microorganisms. At 2-wk intervals, plants were exposed to 14CO2 and harvested 24 h later for determination of biomass and 14C content of shoots and roots. Ozone at 100 or 150 ppb suppressed clover growth during the experiment. Inoculation with G. margarita alone suppressed clover growth by the last two harvests, whereas R. leguminosarum alone enhanced growth during this time period. When both symbionts were present, the plants grew similarly to the noninoculated controls. Shoot/root ratios were increased by 100 or 150 ppb O3 compared to that for CF-treated plants. Shoot/root ratios were greater for all inoculated plants compared to noninoculated controls. Under low O3 stress (CF or 50 ppb), plants inoculated with both R. leguminosarum and G. margarita transported a greater proportion of recent photosynthate (14C) to roots than did noninoculated plants; we attribute this to metabolic requirements of the microorganisms. At the highest level of O3 stress (150 ppb), this did not occur, probably because little photosynthate was available and the shoots retained most of it for repair of injury. Statistically significant interactions occurred between O3 and inoculum types for shoot and total biomass. When averaged across harvests, 50 ppb O3 suppressed biomass in the plants inoculated with G. margarita alone. Apparently, the mycorrhizal fungus is such a significant C drain that even a small amount of O3 stress suppresses plant growth under these conditions.