cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traffic-related exposures and biomarkers of systemic inflammation, endothelial activation and oxidative stress: a panel study in the US trucking industry

Background: Experimental evidence suggests that inhaled particles from vehicle exhaust have systemic effects on inflammation, endothelial activation and oxidative stress. In the present study we assess the relationships of short-term exposures with inflammatory endothelial activation and oxidative stress biomarker levels in a population of trucking industry workers. Methods: Blood and urine samples were collected pre and post-shift, at the beginning and end of a workweek from 67 male non-smoking US trucking industry workers. Concurrent measurements of microenvironment concentrations of elemental and organic carbon (EC & OC), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) combined with time activity patterns allowed for calculation of individual exposures. Associations between daily and first and last-day average levels of exposures and repeated measures of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1 & VCAM-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) blood levels and urinary 8-Hydroxy-2′-Deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were assessed using linear mixed effects models for repeated measures. Results: There was a statistically significant association between first and last-day average PM2.5 and 8-OHdG (21% increase, 95% CI: 2, 42%) and first and last-day average OC and IL-6 levels (18% increase 95% CI: 1, 37%) per IQR in exposure. There were no significant findings associated with EC or associations suggesting acute cross-shift effects. Conclusion: Our findings suggest associations between weekly average exposures of PM2.5 on markers of oxidative stress and OC on IL-6 levels.
Rural Response to Increased Demand: Crop Choice in the Midwest, 1860-1880

Civil War and 1880, and the demand for food and other farm products increased. At the same time, Europe opened its markets to American farmers. The rural economy of the interior United States developed in response to these new sources of demand. With the rapid construction of trunk and feeder railroads after the Civil War, farmers in the Midwest-especially in the states west of the Mississippi Riverseized the opportunity to produce for wider markets. Rising demand for farm produce and falling transportation and other marketing costs changed the production strategies of midwestern farmers in two ways. First, a smaller spread between farm-gate and market prices prompted farmers to sell a larger portion of their total output. Second, differential decreases in the price spread changed relative
Adopting Rare Diseases

In the United States, rare diseases are defined as conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 individuals at any given time. Worldwide, an estimated 300 million people are affected by rare diseases, also known as “orphan diseases” because with few financial incentives for developing new treatments, the pharmaceutical industry did not “adopt” them. In his book entitled Orphan, Phillip Reilly paints a picture of several rare diseases and the quest to find treatments for them.
Throwing Dough Over Castle Walls: Improving the Rule of Law with Foreign Aid Challenge Commitments

Philanthropic challenge commitments in developed countries usually take the form of private philanthropists conditionally matching financial contributions by other citizens to a charitable cause. Foreign aid could adopt this strategy. Developed countries, multilateral organizations, foundations, and international nonprofits could issue challenge commitments to motivate wealthy individuals within developing countries to match foreign aid grants. Alternatively, developing country politicians could institute challenge commitments unilaterally. Foreign aid challenge commitments would have three benefits over the current system of overseas development assistance. First, foreign aid that is contingent on challenge commitments being met would provide reformers within a developing country with a rare, yet valuable tool — a mechanism to signal to the international community as well as to their own constituencies that the developing country is serious about improving governance and the rule of law. Second, the developing country elite who donate matching funds to foreign aid projects would be more committed to putting pressure on public officials to reduce corruption because any lost funds would include their own donations. Third, foreign aid challenge grants would be a mechanism to help cultivate a sense of responsibility among the developing country elite in the spirit of Aristotelian virtue ethics.
Production of Biocrude from Biomass by Acidic Subcritical Water Followed by Alkaline Supercritical Water Two-Step Liquefaction

Increased demand in transportation fuels, environmental concerns, and depletion of fossil fuels require the development of efficient conversion technologies for second-generation biofuels. The main...
Particle Image Velocimetry of a Three-Dimensional Supersonic Cavity Flow.

Particle image velocimetry measurements have been conducted for supersonic flow over a three-dimensional cavity of variable width using two different experimental configurations. Two-component data were acquired of the entire streamwise extent of the cavity, peering partially into the cavity at an angle, which introduced a perspective bias error in the vertical velocity component. Stereoscopic data at the cavity’s aft end were obtained using a more complex camera orientation to see much greater depth of the cavity without introducing perspective error. The data reveal the turbulent shear layer over the cavity and the recirculation region within it. Both the mean structure of the recirculation region and the shear layer turbulence intensity were found to be a function of the length-towidth ratio of the cavity. Large-scale turbulent eddies are prominent within the shear layer but not evident in the recirculation region.
THRESHOLD SPECIFICATION AND PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION IN THE GENERALIZED ORDINAL PROBIT MODEL

The following note corrects errors in the review and exposition of the generalized ordinal probit model as offered by Greene et al. (2014, Journal of Economic Surveys 28: 109‐133).
Targeting change: Assessing a faculty learning community focused on increasing statistics content in life science curricula

Transformation of research in all biological fields necessitates the design, analysis and, interpretation of large data sets. Preparing students with the requisite skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, and interpretation, and mathematical reasoning will require both curricular reform and faculty who are willing and able to integrate mathematical and statistical concepts into their life science courses. A new Faculty Learning Community (FLC) was constituted each year for four years to assist in the transformation of the life sciences curriculum and faculty at a large, Midwestern research university. Participants were interviewed after participation and surveyed before and after participation to assess the impact of the FLC on their attitudes toward teaching, perceived pedagogical skills, and planned teaching practice. Overall, the FLC had a meaningful positive impact on participants' attitudes toward teaching, knowledge about teaching, and perceived pedagogical skills. Interestingly, confidence for viewing the classroom as a site for research about teaching declined. Implications for the creation and development of FLCs for science faculty are discussed. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(6):517-525, 2016.
Paleoflood Records and Risk Assessment: Examples from the Colorado River Basin

Geological evidence of extraordinary floods provides quantitative information on magnitude and frequency that increases the reliability of risk analyses for extreme floods. The long-term paleoflood records can be incorporated into flood frequency analyses, identify the maximum expected flood, and document the stationarity of flood series. Case studies from the Colorado River Basin are presented to illustrate the applicability of these data and procedures.
Five Myths About Economic Inequality in America

Economic inequality has risen to the top of the political agenda, championed by political candidates and best-selling authors alike. Yet, many of the most common beliefs about the issue are based on misperceptions and falsehoods.Although we are frequently told that we are living in a new Gilded Age, the U.S. economic system is already highly redistributive. Tax policy and social welfare spending substantially reduce inequality in America. But even if inequality were growing as fast as critics claim, it would not necessarily be a problem.For example, contrary to stereotypes, the wealthy tend to earn rather than inherit their wealth, and relatively few rich people work on Wall Street or in finance. Most rich people got that way by providing us with goods and services that improve our lives.Income mobility may be smaller than we would like, but people continue to move up and down the income ladder. Few fortunes survive for multiple generations, while the poor are still able to rise out of poverty. More important, there is little relationship between inequality and poverty. The fact that some people become wealthy does not mean that others will become poor.Although the wealthy may indeed take advantage of political connections for their own benefit, there is little evidence that, as a group, they pursue a political agenda designed to suppress the poor or prevent policies designed to help them. At the same time, rather than reducing economic inequality, more government intervention may actually make the situation worse. Since policies to reduce inequality, such as increased taxes or additional social welfare programs, are likely to have unintended consequences that could cause more harm than good, we should instead focus on implementing policies that actually reduce poverty, rather than attacking inequality itself.
Differential examination, diagnosis and management for tingling in toes: fellow's case problem.

Background: The diagnosis of chronic exertional compartment syndrome can be challenging as other pathologies involving bone, muscle, nerve and vascular structures can mimic the syndrome. The purpos...
Endonasal septal perforation repair using posterior and inferiorly based mucosal rotation flaps

Abstract Importance Repair of nasal septal perforations is challenging regardless of surgical technique due to their location and the health of surrounding tissue. There is currently no surgical procedure which is completely effective in the treatment of anteriorly located perforations. Objective To report a novel method of closing anterior septal perforations using an inferiorly based mucosal rotation flap and an acellular dermal interposition graft, as well as expand upon a previous series. Design The study includes patients who underwent surgical repair for septal perforations by the senior author between 2003 and 2015. Setting The study took place at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Participants Thirty-nine patients (15 male) with septal perforations of various size and etiology underwent endonasal repair using rotation flaps. The average age of patients was 42-years old (range 10–67 years). Intervention for clinical trials or exposure for observational studies Five patients had perforations such that we used inferiorly based flaps, while 35 cases utilized posteriorly based flaps. Acellular dermis was used in addition to a unilateral rotation flap. Main outcomes and measures The primary outcome desired was a complete closure of the septal perforation. The success, or lack thereof, was monitored after healing from surgery. Results Thirty-seven of the forty surgical procedures demonstrated complete closure of the perforation, a 92.5% success rate. Perforations were separated based upon size. Small perforations ( 2 cm) were closed successfully. In addition, all five of the inferiorly based procedures resulted in complete closure of the perforation. Of the failed repairs, one required revision surgery to repair a recurring perforation, while the other two were asymptomatic following the procedure. Conclusions and relevance Endonasal repair using inferiorly based mucosal rotation flaps coupled with an acellular dermal interposition graft is a valid technique for the repair of septal perforations. Posterior rotation flaps are preferred due to major septal blood supply from branches of the sphenopalatine artery, but inferiorly based flaps are also viable options for repair for perforations located in the anterior septum.
Optimally Selecting Standby Virtual Routers for Node Failures in a Virtual Network Environment

In a virtual network environment, a substrate network provider allocates computing and networking resources for service providers who request virtual networks to be created for particular services, and it also has the capability to provide resilient virtual network management with redundant resources, such as dynamic virtual network restoration from failures. In this papers, we consider the situation where the substrate network provider desires to have standby virtual routers ready to serve virtual networks under node failures. Such a failure can affect one or more virtual routers in multiple virtual networks. The goal of this paper is to make the optimal selection of standby virtual routers so that virtual networks can be dynamically reconfigured back to their original topologies right after the failures. We present an optimization formulation and a heuristic for this problem. By considering a number of factors, we present numerical studies to show how the optimal selection was affected by those factors, and the proposed heuristic’s performance was close to the optimization model when there were sufficient standby virtual routers for each virtual network and the substrate nodes have the capability to support multiple standby virtual routers to be in service concurrently.
Bariatric Surgery for Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes: an Emerging Therapeutic Strategy.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing public health problem in youth, but conventional treatments are often insufficient to treat this disease and its comorbidities. We review evidence supporting an emerging role for bariatric surgery as a treatment for adolescent T2D. Paralleling what has been seen in adult patients, bariatric surgery dramatically improves glycemic control in patients with T2D. In fact, remission of T2D has been observed in as many as 95–100% of adolescents with diabetes after bariatric surgery, particularly vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. This striking outcome may be due to both weight-dependent- and weight-independent factors, and recent studies suggest that T2D-related comorbidities may also improve after surgery. Bariatric surgery including RYGB and VSG is a powerful therapeutic option for obese adolescents with T2D. Benefits must be weighed against risk for postoperative complications such as nutritional deficiencies, but earlier surgical intervention might lead to more complete metabolic remission in obese patients with T2D.
Vehicle Speed Characteristics in States with Uniform and Differential Speed Limit Policies: Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine the travel speed characteristics of passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses in states with different speed limit policies, primarily to ascertain the effects of differential speed limits (DSLs) versus those of uniform speed limits (USLs) for large vehicles. Spot-speed studies were conducted in the neighboring states of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; these studies permitted examination of speed characteristics under several speed limit settings along the same freeways. The sites included urban and rural locations, with speed limits at individual locations that varied from 55 to 70 mph. These sites included USLs and DSLs, with 5 mph differentials on rural freeways in Indiana and 10 mph differentials at rural locations in Michigan. Spot-speed data were collected at 157 freeway sites in the three states along flat, tangent segments. Regression models were estimated to ascertain differences in the mean speeds, the 85th percentile speeds, and the standard deviation in speeds...
Distributed algorithm for time-varying optimal power flow

Future power system applications may require real-time optimization of a large network of distributed energy resources. This has motivated recent development of online algorithms for solving time-varying optimal power flow problems. We have proposed a centralized quasi-Newton algorithm and have derived theoretical guarantees for its tracking performance. In this paper we show how this algorithm can be implemented in a distributed manner by a network of controllable energy resources coordinated by an operator. The proposed distributed implementation now can handle general convex quadratic constraints on power injections, and only requires minimal communication between the operator and local controllers. Simulation shows that the proposed distributed implementation has good performance.
Quantifying Changes in Total and Pyrogenic Carbon Stocks Across Fire Severity Gradients Using Active Wildfire Incidents

Positive feedbacks between wildfire emissions and climate are expected to increase in strength in the future; however, fires not only release carbon (C) from terrestrial to atmospheric pools, they also produce pyrogenic C (PyC) which contributes to longer-term C stability. Our objective was to quantify wildfire impacts on total C and PyC stocks in California mixed-conifer forest, and to investigate patterns in C and PyC stocks and changes across gradients of fire severity, using metrics derived from remote sensing and field observations. Our unique study accessed active wildfires to establish and measure plots within days before and after fire, prior to substantial erosion. We measured pre- and post-fire aboveground forest structure and woody fuels to calculate aboveground biomass, C and PyC, and collected forest floor and 0–5 cm mineral soil samples. Immediate tree mortality increased with severity, but overstory C loss was minimal and limited primarily to foliage. Fire released 85% of understory and herbaceous C (comprising <1.0% of total ecosystem C). The greatest C losses occurred from downed wood and forest floor pools (19.3 ± 5.1Mg ha−1 and 25.9 ± 3.2Mg ha−1, respectively). Tree bark and downed wood contributed the greatest PyC gains (1.5 ± 0.3Mg ha−1 and 1.9 ± 0.8Mg ha−1, respectively), and PyC in tree bark showed non-significant positive trends with increasing severity. Overall PyC losses of 1.9 ± 0.3Mg ha−1 and 0.5 ± 0.1Mg ha−1 occurred from forest floor and 0–5 cm mineral soil, with no clear patterns across severity. Fire resulted in a net ecosystem PyC gain (1.0 ± 1.0Mg ha−1) across aboveground and belowground components of these forests, and there were no differences among severity levels. Carbon emissions represented only 21.6% of total forest C; however, extensive conversion of C from live to dead pools will contribute to large downed wood C pools susceptible to release in a subsequent fire, indicating that there may be a delayed relationship between fire severity and C emissions. This research advances understanding of forest C loss and stabilization as PyC in wildfires; however, poor relationships between C and PyC gains or losses and fire severity highlight the complexity of fire impacts on forest C.
A Variational Principle for Visco-Elastic Memory Fluids and its Use in Finite Element Analysis of Steady Flows

With a view toward a numerical solution by means of the finite element method a general variational statement for elasto-plastic problems at finite strains is given assuming the full nonlinear expression for the incremental strain definition. The formulation involves independent variation of the increments of the displacements, strains and stresses and includes both the boundary and jump conditions. The arbitrary moving reference configuration is considered which, when properly specified, yields classical total (stationary) Lagrangean and updated (moving) Lagrangean descriptions, respectively. The reference configuration introduced can also be used to describe the finite elasto-plastic strain problems within the stress-free configuration concept. Different solution algorithms applied to problems with and without incremental steps linearization are discussed for the displacement model and illustrated on a numerical example.
TERMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: ASSENT AND UNCONSCIONABILITY IN CONTRACTS THAT CONTEMPLATE AMENDMENT

“Change of terms” provisions are ubiquitous in contracts today. Sometimes these clauses purport to give one party an unfettered right to alter the terms of a contract. Other times the provisions identify actions which the parties agree will suffice for assent to modifications proposed in the future. Particularly in the consumer context, contracting parties seem determined to create easy methods to amend their agreements via alteration or modification. When confronted with terms amended under change of terms provisions, courts generally divide into two camps in determining whether to enforce the altered or modified term. Some courts focus almost exclusively on assent. Other courts focus on the policing doctrine of unconscionability. The result is polarization. Assent-based courts do not conduct robust unconscionability inquiries; unconscionability-based courts make conclusory assent findings. This is a problem. Courts impair some basic tenants of contract law when they fail to conduct both assent and unconscionability inquiries in dealing with change of terms provisions. The dichotomy between assent and unconscionability analysis in change of terms jurisprudence stems from opposing theories of contract. Unfortunately, this means that the division cannot be resolved by merely encouraging assent-based courts to take unconscionability more seriously and urging unconscionability-based judges to conduct thorough assent inquires.This Note suggests a “heightened assent” rule to resolve the division between assent-based and unconscionability-based approaches to change of terms provisions. A heightened assent rule requires that in order to add, change, or abrogate terms on the strength of a change of terms provision, each party must have received heightened notice of, and therefore provided a heightened assent to, the clause which conferred the right to add, change, or abrogate the terms of the agreement. This rule respects the classical values of discreteness and presentiation which motivate the classically-minded judges who focus on assent in their change of terms analysis. But by alerting parties to their forfeiture of control over the terms of the agreement, a heightened assent rule also soothes the purported relational fairness concerns of the courts that focus on unconscionability when evaluating change of terms provisions. A heightened assent approach thus provides a principled and uniform solution for this unsettled area of contract law.
Structure and mechanics of 2D and 3D textile composites

Abstract: This chapter introduces the reader to the basic technology and nomenclature associated with textile reinforced composites and presents various theoretical methodologies for the elastic characterization of textile reinforced composites.
Pseudobulbar affect after stroke: a narrative review.

Background: Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a neuropsychological condition of emotional lability and affective dysregulation associated with a variety of neurological conditions such as stroke, trauma...
Sensitivity to National Business Culture: Effects on U.S.-Mexican Channel Relationship Performance:

The need to be sensitive to foreign cultures is often stated axiomatically in the international marketing management literature despite little empirical research on its nature and consequences. To ...
Excited state dynamics of organic semiconductors measured with shot-to-shot correction of scatter and photoluminescence

Abstract Molecular aggregates and crystallites that emerge during the casting of semiconducting organic films from solution are highly sensitive to deposition conditions. Their structure determines the electronic properties, and ultimately the utility, of these materials as semiconductors. We report the development of a single-shot transient absorption (SSTA) spectrometer to measure the evolving excited state dynamics of organic molecules and polymers in situ during their casting into films from solution. The formation of molecular aggregates and crystallites changes the electronic structure, excited state dynamics, and concomitantly, the photoluminescence (PL) yield and structural heterogeneity. When these latter contributions are dynamic, they hinder accurate SSTA measurements of excited state dynamics. In this work, an additional optical chopper in the probe beam path is shown to correct for dynamic scatter and PL from the pump pulse. The importance of the correction provided by this optical chopping scheme to the measurement of photoluminescent and/or scattering samples is demonstrated using SSTA measurements of a sulforhodamine solution with high PL, a drop-cast sulforhodamine film with less PL, and a film of a prototypical organic semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl).
Transport Measurements on 2D Systems at Low-Filling Factors: Evidence for Wigner Crystal

A review of recent transport measurements on low disorder, two-dimensional (2D) electron and hole systems at semiconductor interfaces in the regime of low Landau-level filling factor (v) is given. This is the regime where transition(s) from liquid/gas to (Wigner) solid has been long expected. The presentation will highlight and contrast the experimental results reported by different groups. None of these results provide direct and conclusive evidence for the transition to a Wigner crystal. However, in 2D electron systems at the GaAs/AlGaAs interface, the observation of an insulating phase reentrant around the v=1/5 fractional liquid state, and the nonlinear IV, noise, and the temperature characteristics of the insulating phase are consistent with the formation of a pinned Wigner crystal. The recent results for dilute 2D hole systems which show strikingly similar behavior at a much larger v=1/3 provide additional evidence for the Wigner crystal interpretation.
Trap Designs, Colors, and Lures for Emerald Ash Borer Detection

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is the most damaging invasive forest insect pest ever to have invaded North America. It is native to Asia and is established in the United States, Canada, European Russia and Ukraine where it threatens native ash across North America and Europe. We evaluated trap designs, colors, and lures for A. planipennis detection at sites with varying infestation levels. Sticky prism traps and multiple funnel traps (purple and green) hung in the canopy of ash trees and double-decker traps had high capture rates even at sites with very low infestation levels. At a low infestation site, females were more attracted to dark purple sticky prism traps hung in the canopy and to Manuka oil and Phoebe oil lures than to light green sticky prism traps or cis-3-hexenol lures; whereas, males were more attracted to light green sticky prism traps in the canopy and cis-3-hexenol lures than to dark purple sticky prism traps or Manuka and Phoebe oil lures. More males and females were captured in double-decker traps with dark green upper prisms and light purple lower prisms, baited with cis-3-hexenol, than in double-decker traps with dark purple upper and lower prisms. Dark green funnel traps and double-decker traps with dark green upper and light purple lower prisms baited with cis-3-hexenol lures captured more females than dark green sticky prism traps hung in the canopy at sites with very low infestation levels. Detection rates were similar among trap types and ranged from 75-80% for dark green sticky prism traps, 82.5-100% for dark green funnel traps, and 100% for double-decker traps with dark green upper and light purple lower prisms at sites with very low population densities. Each trap type has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of costs, ability to reuse the traps, and ease of deployment. These and other factors including trap placement, host density and condition should be considered in selecting traps for operational surveys. Future research is needed to determine effective trapping radius, relationship of trap catches to population density, cost benefit of different trap types, and optimal deployment strategy.
Loss of mural cell-derived laminin aggravates hemorrhagic brain injury

Mural cells synthesize and deposit laminin to the basement membrane. To investigate the function of mural cell-derived laminin, we generated a mutant mouse line lacking mural cell-derived laminin (termed PKO). In a previous study, we showed that the PKO mice were grossly normal under homeostatic condition, but developed blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown with advanced age (> 8 months), suggesting that these mutants are intrinsically weak. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that PKO mice have exacerbated injuries in pathological conditions. Using collagenase-induced intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) as an injury model, we examined various stroke outcomes, including hematoma volume, neurological function, neuronal death, BBB integrity, paracellular/transcellular transport, inflammatory cell infiltration, and brain water content, in PKO mice and their wildtype littermates at young age (6–8 weeks). In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis and an in vitro ICH model were used to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Compared to age-matched wildtype littermates, PKO mice display aggravated stroke outcomes, including larger hematoma size, worse neurological function, increased neuronal cell death, enhanced BBB permeability, increased transcytosis, and elevated inflammatory cell infiltration. These mutants also exhibit high baseline brain water content independent of aquaporin-4 (AQP4). In addition, mural cell-derived laminin significantly reduced caveolin-1 without affecting tight junction proteins in the in vitro ICH model. These results suggest that mural cell-derived laminin attenuates BBB damage in ICH via decreasing caveolin-1 and thus transcytosis, regulates brain water homeostasis, and plays a beneficial role in ICH.
Salt templated and graphene nanoplatelets draped copper (GNP-draped-Cu) composites for dramatic improvements in pool boiling heat transfer.

We demonstrate a novel technique to achieve highly surface active, functional, and tunable hierarchical porous coated surfaces with high wickability using a combination of ball milling, salt-templating, and sintering techniques. Specifically, using ball-milling to obtain graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) draped copper particles followed by salt templated sintering to induce the strength and cohesiveness to the particles. The salt-templating method was specifically used to promote porosity on the coatings. A systematic study was conducted by varying size of the copper particles, ratio of GNP to copper particles, and process parameters to generate a variety of microporous coatings possessing interconnected pores and tunnels that were observed using electron microscopy. Pool boiling tests exhibited a very high critical heat flux of 289 W/cm2 at a wall superheat of just 2.2 °C for the salt templated 3 wt% GNP draped 20 µm diameter copper particles with exceedingly high wicking rates compared to non-salt-templated sintered coatings. The dramatic improvement in the pool boiling performance occurring at a very low surface temperature due to tunable surface properties is highly desirable in heat transfer and many other engineering applications.
Assessing the Perturbing Effects of Drugs on Lipid Bilayers Using Gramicidin Channel-Based In Silico and In Vitro Assays.

Partitioning of bioactive molecules, including drugs, into cell membranes may produce indiscriminate changes in membrane protein function. As a guide to safe drug development, it therefore becomes ...
Utility of an Observational Social Skill Assessment as a Measure of Social Cognition in Autism

Models of impaired social competence in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) highlight deficits in social cognition and social behavior. The Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS) is a laboratory-based assessment of conversation ability in which participants interact with trained confederates who act interested (CASS-I) and bored (CASS-B), sequentially. The increased ecological validity of the CASS allows for better generalization to real-world social situations. Participants' perceptions of confederate behavior, assessed by the CASS Conversation Rating Scale (CRS), might offer additional utility as a metric of social cognition. The current study examined CASS confederate behavior (adherence to interested or bored condition) and both internal validity and convergent validity of the CASS as a measure of social behavior and social cognition. Fifty adolescents with ASD participated as part of a multisite randomized clinical trial. Adherence ratings were consistent across gender and site, with interested confederates significantly out-performing bored confederates. The ability to distinguish between interested and bored confederates was positively associated with CASS social behavior and social cognition tasks, although social behavior during the CASS was not consistently associated with parent-rated social behavior. Controlling for confederate behavior did not significantly alter these associations. Findings demonstrate strong internal validity of the CASS and, partially, external validity of the CASS as a measure of social cognition. Findings highlight nuanced differences in social behavior and social cognition. The CASS shows promise as an outcome measure for clinical interventions and should be incorporated into a multimethod battery to assess social competence in individuals with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Social cognition and social behavior should be studied together to examine social competence in youth with autism. The Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS), a behavioral observation measure, shows promise toward this end; findings suggest the CASS taps social cognition and social behavior when administered alongside a participant rating scale of their conversation partner's engagement. Continued research, including examination of the CASS, may inform best practices in comprehensive assessment of social competence in autism. Autism Res 2021, 14: 709-719. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The Angelus: Devotional Television, Changing Times:

The ringing of the Angelus, a Catholic call to prayer, is a staple of Irish state television broadcasting, occurring at 6 o’clock every evening. Over the years, the image track accompanying the bel...
The Crime of Amateurism

In the fall of 2017, the Department of Justice indicted a series of individuals — shoe executives, assistant coaches, runners, and financial advisors — alleging bribery and fraud. What made the actions of these individuals criminal was that they violated the NCAA’s amateurism rules, and in doing so, defrauded publicly funded universities of the benefit of an eligible amateur athlete. NCAA rules have effectively created the crime of violating amateurism rules — a kind of federal amateurism fraud. While not unprecedented, the scope and extent of the prosecutions in these recent cases open the door to a novel set of implications for athletics boosters, coaches, and compliance units within athletic departments. Having framed the issue, the Article explores the question of the proper scope of criminal liability in this context, hypothesizing that to some degree, the universities may not be such significant victims, while intercollegiate athletes in some contexts can be. The Article then advances its central claim — that the effect of the criminal prosecutions for violating amateurism rules has been, and will continue to be, a loosening of the amateurism rules. Further, this shift away from amateurism will inform the NCAA’s move toward allowing intercollegiate athletes to profit off of the use of their name, image, and likenesses. In Part I, the Article describes the recent criminal cases. Part II presents the theory of amateurism fraud related to intercollegiate athletics. In Part III raises questions as to the prudence of this increased criminality and challenges the theoretical framing of universities as victims and college athletes as accomplices. In Part IV, the Article explores the immediate and wide-ranging implications of the criminalizing and prosecution of NCAA rule violations. Finally, Part V argues that the consequence of the heightened criminality of amateurism fraud has been and will continue to be a shift away from amateurism by the NCAA and its member institutions.
Evaluating the Safety of West Nile Virus Immunity During Congenital Zika Virus Infection in Mice.

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a phenomenon that occurs when cross-reactive antibodies generated from a previous flaviviral infection increase the pathogenesis of a related virus. Zika virus (ZIKV) is the most recent flavivirus introduced to the Western Hemisphere and has become a significant public health threat due to the unanticipated impact on the developing fetus. West Nile virus (WNV) is the primary flavivirus that circulates in North America, and we and others have shown that antibodies against WNV are cross-reactive to ZIKV. Thus, there is concern that WNV immunity could increase the risk of severe ZIKV infection, particularly during pregnancy. In this study, we examined the extent to which WNV antibodies could impact ZIKV pathogenesis in a murine pregnancy model. To test this, we passively transferred WNV antibodies into pregnant Stat2-/- mice on E6.5 prior to infection with ZIKV. Evaluation of pregnant dams showed weight loss following ZIKV infection; however, no differences in maternal weights or viral loads in the maternal brain, spleen, or spinal cord were observed in the presence of WNV antibodies. Resorption rates, and other fetal parameters, including fetal and placental size, were similarly unaffected. Further, the presence of WNV antibodies did not significantly alter the viral load or the inflammatory response in the placenta or the fetus in response to ZIKV. Our data suggest that pre-existing WNV immunity may not significantly impact the pathogenesis of ZIKV infection during pregnancy. Our findings are promising for the safety of implementing WNV vaccines in the continental US.
Interstrand crosslinks due to 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen and near ultraviolet light in specific sequences of animal DNA: Effect of constitutive chromatin structure and of induced transcription

Abstract We have used low-level photocrosslinkage to study chromatin effects on psoralen intercalation at specific DNA sequences of various complexities in intact, cultured, Drosophila cells. Alkali-denatured DNA connected in both strands to a 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP) interstrand crosslink is insensitive to digestion by the single strand-specific nuclease S 1 and does not hybridize to complementary DNA. Crosslink number at any ultraviolet light exposure increases in proportion to the concentration [PS] of TMP dark binding sites that are occupied. The crosslinking constant, K , is the increase in crosslink number per length DNA per increment [PS]. Many factors influence K , including sequence composition and ionic strength. We show here that the ratio of K at any specific sequence ( K h , from hybridization measurements) to K h at any other specific sequence or to K of total DNA ( K f , from fluorimetry measurements) can be calculated from measurements of crosslinkage, the mass fraction of the sequence in question or of total DNA that is connected in both strands to a crosslink. When crosslinked and uncrosslinked DNAs fragmented by mechanical shear were mixed in known proportions, K f exceeded K h of a single-copy gene by 15%. We treated cells with TMP plus near ultraviolet light, then tested for crosslinkage and for hybridization. A single-copy, larval gene at 70D , and a 250-copy type 1 ribosomal DNA intervening sequence, neither of which is transcribed in these cells, were as sensitive to crosslinkage as total, cell DNA. However, single-copy, heat shock gene sequences from loci 63BC and 95D , and the 180-copy ribosomal DNA coding sequence were more sensitive to crosslinkage than total DNA in the same preparations. The excess was largest in the shortest fragments, indicating a localized effect. The same sequences were crosslinked less readily than total DNA in vitro ; we calculate a 3·4 to 3·8-fold excess crosslink number in these sequences due to chromatin microenvironment. We tested for effect of transcriptional induction on crosslink sensitivity in the heat shock genes. At low [TMP], heat shock stimulated crosslinkage at or very near heat shock genes in cells, but not in other sequences or in naked DNA. However, overall crosslink sensitivity was unaffected by heat shock. This suggests that transcription increased the affinity of some heat shock gene DNA binding sites for TMP without increasing the number of such sites.
AN EDDY-VISCOSITY TREATMENT OF THE UNSTEADY TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYER ON A FLAT PLATE IN AN EXPANSION TUBE

An analysis is presented for the relaxation of a turbulent boundary layer on a semiinfinite flat plate after passage of a shock wave and a trailing driver gas-driven gas interface. The problem has special application to expansion tube flows. The flow-governing equations have been transformed into the Lamcrocco variables. The numerical results indicate that a fully turbulent boundary layer relaxes faster to the final steady-state values of heat transfer and skin-friction than a fully laminar boundary layer.
Nonlinear electrostriction in the mixed ferroelectric KTa 1 − x Nb x O 3

The dielectric resonance previously reported in the paraelectric phase of the mixed ferroelectric ${\mathrm{KTa}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{x}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is studied quantitatively. A theoretical model is developed that incorporates a field-induced electrostrictive coupling mediated by polar nanoregions appearing above the transition, and their orientational relaxation. Theoretical expressions for the dielectric dispersion and absorption are calculated, fitted to the experimental data, and values are obtained for the electrostriction coefficient and the relaxation time of the polar regions. Starting approximately 5 K above the transition, and upon repetitive excitation, a remarkable growth in the resonance is observed, ending in a singular behavior where the resonance splits into two very sharp spikes. This observation is described in the framework of the model as a nonlinear electrostrictive effect.
Uric Acid Metabolism

Nitrogenous compounds are continuously derived from digestion of proteins in ingested food, degradation of nucleic acids, purine salvage pathways, de novo purine biosynthesis, and purine nucleotide interconversion. Nitrogenous waste products are highly toxic; therefore, efficient mechanisms of elimination have evolved, that are optimally suited for the particular class of organism. All animals excrete three main nitrogenous products – ammonia, urea and uric acid – as well as minor nitrogen excretory products. Keywords: uric acid; ammonia; urea; purines; xanthine; oxidase; xanthinuria; gout; hyperuricemia
Anthropogenic Disturbance and Environmental Associations with Fish Assemblage Structure in Two Nonwadeable Rivers

Nonwadeable rivers are unique ecosystems that support high levels of aquatic biodiversity, yet they have been greatly altered by human activities. Although riverine fish assemblages have been studied in the past, we still have an incomplete understanding of how fish assemblages respond to both natural and anthropogenic influences in large rivers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between fish assemblage structure and reach-scale habitat, dam, and watershed land use characteristics. In the summers of 2011 and 2012, comprehensive fish and environmental data were collected from 33 reaches in the Iowa and Cedar rivers of eastern-central Iowa. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to evaluate environmental relationships with species relative abundance, functional trait abundance (e.g. catch rate of tolerant species), and functional trait composition (e.g. percentage of tolerant species). On the basis of partial CCAs, reach-scale habitat, dam characteristics, and watershed land use features explained 25.0–81.1%, 6.2–25.1%, and 5.8–47.2% of fish assemblage variation, respectively. Although reach-scale, dam, and land use factors contributed to overall assemblage structure, the majority of fish assemblage variation was constrained by reach-scale habitat factors. Specifically, mean annual discharge was consistently selected in nine of the 11 CCA models and accounted for the majority of explained fish assemblage variance by reach-scale habitat. This study provides important insight on the influence of anthropogenic disturbances across multiple spatial scales on fish assemblages in large river systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
LONG‐TERM COTTONWOOD FOREST DYNAMICS ALONG THE UPPER MISSOURI RIVER, USA

The upper Missouri River bottomland in north-central Montana, USA, retains much of the physical character it had when traversed by Lewis and Clark around 1805. We used geospatial data to quantify long-term changes in the distribution of bottomland vegetation, land use patterns and channel planform for a 257-rkm segment of the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir. This segment is less ecologically altered than downstream segments, but two dams completed in the mid-1950s have decreased the frequency and magnitude of floods. The area of forest is sparse because of geomorphic setting but, contrary to public perception, has remained relatively constant during the past century. However, the stability of forest area obscures its spatial and temporal dynamics. We used state and transition models to quantify fates and sources of forest during two periods: 1890s–1950s and 1950s–2006. Total forest area was 6% greater in 2006 than it was in the 1890s, largely due to reduced forest loss to erosional processes and gains related to progressive channel narrowing. Channel narrowing resulted in part from human-caused peak flow attenuation. A modified transition matrix, used to examine future steady-state conditions, projected little change in forest area; however, these projections are likely an overestimate. The extent to which 2006 forest area represents a transient adjustment to a new flow regime versus a dynamic, quasi–steady state will be determined by the long-term interplay among hydrologic factors, channel processes, water management and land use practices. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.