cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionalized congeners of A3 adenosine receptor-selective nucleosides containing a bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ring system.

(N)-Methanocarba nucleosides containing bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane replacement of the ribose ring previously demonstrated selectivity as A3 adenosine receptor (AR) agonists (5′-uronamides) or antagonists (5′-truncated). Here, these two series were modified in parallel at the adenine C2 position. N6-3-Chlorobenzyl-5′-N-methyluronamides derivatives with functionalized 2-alkynyl chains of varying length terminating in a reactive carboxylate, ester, or amine group were full, potent human A3AR agonists. Flexibility of chain substitution allowed the conjugation with a fluorescent cyanine dye (Cy5) and biotin, resulting in binding Ki values of 17 and 36 nM, respectively. The distal end of the chain was predicted by homology modeling to bind at the A3AR extracellular regions. Corresponding l-nucleosides were nearly inactive in AR binding. In the 5′-truncated nucleoside series, 2-Cl analogues were more potent at A3AR than 2-H and 2-F, functional efficacy in adenylate cyclase inhibition varied, and introduction of a 2-al...
Computer Simulation of Cosolvent Effects on Hydrophobic Hydration

The effects of cosolvents on the solubility and hydration of small nonpolar solutes in solution has been investigated using a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and Widom particle insertion calculations. Results were obtained for helium, neon, argon, and methane solutes in solutions of sodium chloride, ammonium sulfate, calcium chloride, ammonium acetate, tetramethylammonium chloride, guanidinium chloride, urea, and TFE. The effects of varying the cosolvent concentration was also investigated for guanidinium chloride, urea, and TFE. The calculated salting out constants were in excellent agreement with experimental data even though the solvation free energy differences were small in magnitude. Analysis of the solvation properties of the solutes in different cosolvents using a preferential binding model indicated that, for low cosolvent concentrations, the degree of preferential cosolvent binding to the solute was the dominant factor in determining the change in free energy of solvation and hence ...
Nanotube array method for studying lipid-induced conformational changes of a membrane protein by solid-state NMR.

Abstract Anodic aluminum oxide substrates with macroscopically aligned homogeneous nanopores of 80 nm in diameter enable two-dimensional, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lipid-induced conformational changes of uniformly 15 N-labeled Pf1 coat protein in native-like bilayers. The Pf1 helix tilt angles in bilayers composed of two different lipids are not entirely governed by the membrane thickness but could be rationalized by hydrophobic interactions of lysines at the bilayer interface. The anodic aluminum oxide alignment method is applicable to a broader repertoire of lipids versus bicelle bilayer mimetics currently employed in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance of oriented samples, thus allowing for elucidation of the role played by lipids in shaping membrane proteins.
Civil War and Trajectories of Change in Women's Political Representation in Africa, 1985–2010

In recent decades, the expansion of women’s political representation in sub-Saharan Africa has been nothing short of remarkable. The number of women legislators in African parliaments tripled between 1990 and 2010, resulting in African countries having among the highest rates of women’s legislative representation in the world. The dominant explanations for this change have been institutional factors (namely, the adoption of gender quotas and presence of proportional representation systems) and democratization. We suggest that existing research has not gone far enough to evaluate the effects of one powerful structural change: the end of civil war. Using Latent Growth Curve modeling, we show that the end of long-standing armed conflict had large positive impacts on women’s political representation, above what can be explained by electoral institutions and democratization alone. However, post-conflict increases in women’s legislative representation materialize only after 2000, amid emerging international and regional norms of women’s political inclusion. In countries exiting armed conflict in these recent years, women’s movement into national legislatures follows a trajectory of social change that is much faster and more extensive than what we observe in other African countries.
Neuropsychological correlates of word identification in Down syndrome.

In order to better understand the neuropsychological underpinnings of the relative strength in word identification in individuals with Down syndrome, the performance of children and adolescents with Down syndrome (N = 29) was compared to the performance of a nonverbal-IQ matched group of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities of mixed etiologies (N = 20) on measures letter/word identification and cognitive-linguistic functioning. Though no between-group differences were observed for letter/word identification or visual processing performance, individuals with Down syndrome showed significantly poorer verbal short-term memory and receptive vocabulary skills. In terms of neuropsychological correlates of letter/word identification, significant linear associations were observed between letter/word identification (K-ABC reading/decoding) and verbal short-term memory (K-ABC number recall), as well as receptive vocabulary (PPVT-III) and visual processing (MVPT-R) in both groups. However, when only children with word identification competence (as opposed to letter identification competence) were included in analyses, visual perception scores (total MVPT-R) were significantly associated with word identification in the Down syndrome group, but not in the mixed comparison group. Implications for etiology-specific instructional approaches are discussed.
Oxide-field dependence of the NMOS hot-carrier degradation rate and its impact on AC-lifetime prediction

This study presents a general relationship between the NMOS hot-carrier degradation rate n and the oxide-electric field at the drain E/sub ox/, which is valid over a wide range of stress-bias conditions and device parameters. Physical mechanisms for this oxide-field dependence are explored. It is also shown that failure to account for the oxide-field dependence of n and the inherent non-linearity of the degradation time dependence can result in significant overestimation of the predicted AC lifetime.
Rate of para-aortic lymph node micrometastasis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer

Abstract Objective Patients with micrometastasis to para-aortic lymph nodes may benefit from extended field chemoradiation. To determine the rate of para-aortic node micrometastasis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer undergoing laparoscopic extraperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Methods We prospectively identified consecutive patients diagnosed with stage IB2-IVA biopsy-proven cervical cancer. Eligible patients included those who were candidates for treatment with radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy and had no evidence of para-aortic lymphadenopathy (all lymph nodes Results Thirteen (22%) of 60 consecutive patients had para-aortic lymph node metastases detected on routine H&E staining. Of the remaining 47 patients, one (2.1%) had evidence of micrometastasis, which was detected by ultrastaging. This patient completed whole pelvic radiotherapy and chemotherapy but had a recurrence 27months after completion of therapy. Conclusions The rate of para-aortic node micrometastasis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer is low. The role of routine ultrastaging and immunohistochemical analysis in such patients remains uncertain. Future studies are needed to determine the clinical impact of para-aortic node micrometastasis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
Discoveries of Vitamin B12 and Selenium Enzymes

My undergraduate education at Cornell University was followed by graduate studies on methane fermentations under the guidance of H.A. Barker at the University of California, Berkeley. My Ph.D. degree was granted in June 1949. Two anaerobic microorganisms isolated from the mud flats of San Francisco Bay served as sources of biochemical research material for later studies at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. These organisms, Methanococcus vannielii and Clostridium sticklandii, proved to be especially rich sources of selenium-dependent enzymes and seleno-tRNAs. New B12 coenzyme-dependent enzymes that catalyzed intermediate steps in the anaerobic conversion of lysine to fatty acids and ammonia were isolated from C. sticklandii and characterized. My research efforts since 1970 have dealt primarily with various aspects of selenium biochemistry. We have shown that selenium is an essential constituent of several enzymes in prokaryotes. Se is present in these either as a selenocysteine residue in the protein or alternatively, in a few molybdoenzymes, as a component of a bound cofactor. Recent studies with a human adenocarcinoma cell line led to the unexpected discovery that selenocysteine occurs in mammalian thioredoxin reductase. The selenium located in a redox center of this enzyme is essential for catalytic activity.
CD4+ T-cell activation by antigen-presenting cells infected with urease-deficient recombinant Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin

We constructed a recombinant Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG-ΔUT) that lacks urease, providing acidic intraphagosomal conditions to drive an effective human immune T-cell response. BCG-ΔUT-infected macrophages stimulated autologous CD4+ T cells more efficiently than parent BCG-infected macrophages. For further T-cell activation, BCG-ΔUT-infected macrophages required pretreatment with exogenous recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or costimulation with either CD40 ligand or interferon-γ. By contrast, BCG-ΔUT-infected dendritic cells induced significant activation of naive CD4+ T cells without costimulating signals. C57BL/6 mice intradermally inoculated with BCG-ΔUT more efficiently produced memory T cells that responded to recall antigen. Therefore, the depletion of urease from BCG is useful for the activation of T cells.
Proton T2 relaxation study of water, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine in human brain using Hahn and Carr-Purcell spin echoes at 4T and 7T

Carr-Purcell and Hahn spin-echo (SE) measurements were used to estimate the apparent transverse relaxation time constant (T2) of water and metabolites in human brain at 4T and 7T. A significant reduction in the T2 values of proton resonances (water, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine/phosphocreatine) was observed with increasing magnetic field strength and was attributed mainly to increased dynamic dephasing due to increased local susceptibility gradients. At high field, signal loss resulting from T2 decay can be substantially reduced using a Carr-Purcell-type SE sequence.
Introduction: empiricism and rationalism

Every list of the great empiricists would include John Locke (1632–1704), George Berkeley (1685–1753) and David Hume (1711–1776), but many commentators argue that they do not agree on a doctrine we can call empiricism. But this is premature. There is a basic and important thesis they share. Locke states it clearly in a note about proofs of the existence of God. He says: Real existence can be proved only by real existence; and, therefore, the real existence of a God can only be proved by the real existence of other things. The real existence of other things without us can be evidenced to us only by our senses; but our own existence is known to us by a certainty yet higher than our senses give us of the existence of other things, and that is internal perception, self-consciousness, or intuition; from whence therefore may be drawn, by a train of ideas, the surest and most incontestable proof of a God. (Locke 1972: 316) These remarks are a comment on Rene Descartes (1596–1650), who holds that God's existence can be proved from our concept of him. By definition he is a perfect being and, according to Descartes, the idea of perfection could only come from an actually perfect being. Locke claims that we cannot prove the existence of anything without appealing to experience.
Lilly Ledbetter: A Tour of the Three Branches

Lilly Ledbetter worked in a man’s world. When she discovered that her paychecks were substantially lower than those of her male co-workers performing the same work, she filed a charge of pay discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The US Supreme Court held that Ledbetter’s charge was filed too late, barring her claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision galvanized members of Congress to reverse it, producing legislation that was later promised passage by Democrats in a historic presidential election year, and which ultimately became law. It also made a pay equity advocate out of Lilly Ledbetter. This article tells Lilly’s story, a story about how public participation and dissenting opinions can lead to change in the law. After the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (LLFPA) was passed early in the 111th Congress, the EEOC experienced an all-time high in charge-filing activity in FY 2010, in part attributable to the LLFPA. This surge in activity brings to the forefront concerns raised by Republican lawmakers in the 110th Congress who debated over earlier versions of the LLFPA, concerns that the Act was too broad and possibly created new claims. Proponents of earlier versions of the LLFPA maintained that this tweak of Title VII was needed to restore pre-Ledbetter law in the majority of federal appellate courts, and to close the pay gap. Recently documented in a March 2011 federal statistical report on the status of women, the pay gap persists and continues to be the target of equal pay measures like the LLFPA that bolster existing pay discrimination laws. Lilly Ledbetter personally advocated for passage of equal pay measures and is a model of public participation for anyone seeking government information to engage the legislative process. Her story, as told here, is a map to the many sources that are freely available online and is therefore useful for teaching and training in legislative histories and government documents research.
The Gender Influence: Creating Access to the Public Policy Process

The role of women in public policy has increased over the years. Women have different leadership styles, ideological perspectives, policy preferences and voting tendencies than their male counterparts. Female legislators are more likely than their male counterparts to place a high emphasis on representing the needs of multiple interests, including women and other groups which have been disenfranchised or marginalized. The extant literature demonstrates fundamental differences in how males and females approach public policy. It is therefore reasonable to question if and how women legislators influence who has access to the legislative process. For instance, do women have different sources of information that they value and rely on when making policy decisions than their male colleagues? Similarly, are women more likely to value a broader array of information sources? Based on original survey data and legislator demographics, this research examines how gender impacts which individuals and organizations gain access to the policy process. Of particular interest is the relative importance of ethnic associations, grassroots organizations and other non-traditional sources of information. The research demonstrates that women are more likely to consult with different sources then men, typically policy outsiders, thereby increasing the chances that women would be willing to grant access to those individuals and organizations whose voices might otherwise be left out of the process.
Activity of Dimilin on the Developmental Stages of Phyllocoptruta oleivora and Its Performance in the Field

In the laboratory, Dimilin® (TH-6040, 1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl) urea), applied to the egg stage, was found to inhibit molting of the citrus rust mite in the 2nd nymphal stage at dosages of 0.04–0.30g AI/liter, but had no effect on eggs, adults, or reproduction of F1 females exposed to the compound in their developmental stages. In the field, Dimilin at a rate of 0.15 g AI/fliter, with and without oil, gave excellent control of citrus rust mite and protection of fruit from external blemish for 21 wk.
The Elementary Exploration for Calculation Model to the People's Power Value

Calculation of the people's power value comes down to the calculation of the corporation's value and the distribution of the profit. It is very important. Because the calculation is so different, now there is no uniform knowledge about it. Through the analyzing for the difference of the people's power and the exploration in the practice, we work out a set of model to individual value and colony value.
Monitoring and Analysis on Iodized Salt of Households in Jiyuan City during 2004—2009

[Objective]Based on the quality of iodized salt after the implementation of odized salt monitoring in Jiyuan city,to study the progress in prevention and cure of Iodine Deficiency Disorders(IDD),provide basis for eliminating IDD continuously.[Methods]Acoording to the requirements of "Scheme for Iodinated Salt Surveillance of He'nan Province" during 2004—2006 and "Scheme for IDD Surveillance of He'nan Province" during 2007—2009,the direct titration method of GB /T13025.7-1999 were adopted in the detection.[Results]During 2004—2009,1728 salt samples were tested,in which 1604 were qualified iodized salt,111 were unqualified and 13 were non-iodized salt.The iodized salt coverage was 99.25%,the qualified rate of iodized salt was 93.53%,the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 92.82%,and the rate of non-iodized salt was 0.75%.[Conclusion]The policy of universal salt iodization has been implemented since 1994 in Jiyuan city,and the stage goal of IDD elimination has been achieved in 2000.Since 2004,the odized salt coverage kept on high level,but the qualified rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt were unstable with less than 90% in 2 years,this result showed that iodized salt quality should be improved.
EMC testing on the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM): A summary of the EMC test campaign for the science payload of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

This paper describes the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests performed on the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM), the science payload of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in August 2015. By its very nature of being an integrated payload, it could be treated as neither a unit level test nor an integrated spacecraft/observatory test. Non-standard test criteria are described along with non-standard test methods that had to be developed in order to evaluate them. Results are presented to demonstrate that all test criteria were met in less than the time allocated.
Comparative effectiveness of primary tumor resection in patients with stage IV colon cancer

Background Although the safety of combination chemotherapy without primary tumor resection (PTR) in patients with stage IV colon cancer has been established, questions remain regarding a potential survival benefit with PTR. The objective of this study was to compare mortality rates in patients who had colon cancer with unresectable metastases who did and did not undergo PTR. Methods An observational cohort study was conducted among patients with unresectable metastatic colon cancer identified from the National Cancer Data Base (2003-2005). Multivariate Cox regression analyses with and without propensity score weighting (PSW) were performed to compare survival outcomes. Instrumental variable analysis, using the annual hospital-level PTR rate as the instrument, was used to account for treatment selection bias. To account for survivor treatment bias, in situations in which patients might die soon after diagnosis from different reasons, a landmark method was used. Results In the total cohort, 8641 of 15,154 patients (57%) underwent PTR, and 73.8% of those procedures (4972 of 6735) were at landmark. PTR was associated with a significant reduction in mortality using Cox regression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.47) or PSW (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0. 44-0.49). However, instrumental variable analysis revealed a much smaller effect (relative mortality rate, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96). Although a smaller benefit was observed with the landmark method using Cox regression (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.55-0.64) and PSW (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.54-0.64), instrumental variable analysis revealed no survival benefit (relative mortality rate, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.87-1.06). Conclusions Among patients with unresectable metastatic colon cancer, after adjustment for confounder effects, PTR was not associated with improved survival compared with systemic chemotherapy; therefore, routine noncurative PTR is not recommended. Cancer 2017;123:1124-1133. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Building Effective Management for the Regime

The regime for the verification of the elimination of weapons of mass destruction is only as good as the organizations that have been set up to implement the agreed procedures to verify compliance. The question has to be asked, and has been asked: are the international organizations up to the job?
Welcoming Cities: Immigration Policy at the Local Government Level:

In the face of continued immigration to the United States and federal policy inertia, many local governments have started to adopt their own immigrant-related policies to cope with the newcomers. A...
Automated Algorithm for Detection of Transient Adenosine Release

Spontaneous adenosine release events have been discovered in the brain that last only a few seconds. The identification of these adenosine events from fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) data is difficult due to the random nature of adenosine release. In this study, we develop an algorithm that automatically identifies and characterizes adenosine transient features, including event time, concentration, and duration. Automating the data analysis reduces analysis time from 10 to 18 h to about 40 min per experiment. The algorithm identifies adenosine based on its two oxidation peaks, the time delay between them, and their current vs time peak ratios. In order to validate the program, four data sets from three independent researchers were analyzed by the algorithm and then compared to manual identification by an analyst. The algorithm resulted in 10 ± 4% false negatives and 9 ± 3% false positives. The specificity of the algorithm was verified by comparing calibration data for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), his...
The Social Determinants of Health Core: Taking a Place-Based Approach.

Introduction There is growing recognition that health disparities research needs to incorporate social determinants in the local environment into explanatory models. In the transdisciplinary setting of the Mid-South Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center (TCC), the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Core developed an approach to incorporating SDH across a variety of studies. This place-based approach, which is geographically based, transdisciplinary, and inherently multilevel, is discussed. Methods From 2014 through 2016, the SDH Core consulted on a variety of Mid-South TCC research studies with the goal of incorporating social determinants into their research designs. The approach used geospatial methods (e.g., geocoding) to link individual data files with measures of the physical and social environment in the SDH Core database. Once linked, the method permitted various types of analysis (e.g., multilevel analysis) to determine if racial disparities could be explained in terms of social determinants in the local environment. Results The SDH Core consulted on five Mid-South TCC research projects. In resulting analyses for all the studies, a significant portion of the variance in one or more outcomes was partially explained by a social determinant from the SDH Core database. Conclusions The SDH Core approach to addressing health disparities by linking neighborhood social and physical environment measures to an individual-level data file proved to be a successful approach across Mid-South TCC research projects.
Impedance-based structural health monitoring of additive manufactured structures with embedded piezoelectric wafers

Embedding sensors within additive manufactured (AM) structures gives the ability to develop smart structures that are capable of monitoring the mechanical health of a system. AM provides an opportunity to embed sensors within a structure during the manufacturing process. One major limitation of AM technology is the ability to verify the geometric and material properties of fabricated structures. Over the past several years, the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method for structural health monitoring (SHM) has been proven to be an effective method for sensing damage in structurers. The EMI method utilizes the coupling between the electrical and mechanical properties of a piezoelectric transducer to detect a change in the dynamic response of a structure. A piezoelectric device, usually a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic wafer, is bonded to a structure and the electrical impedance is measured across as range of frequencies. A change in the electrical impedance is directly correlated to changes made to the mechanical condition of the structure. In this work, the EMI method is employed on piezoelectric transducers embedded inside AM parts to evaluate the feasibility of performing SHM on parts fabricated using additive manufacturing. The fused deposition modeling (FDM) method is used to print specimens for this feasibility study. The specimens are printed from polylactic acid (PLA) in the shape of a beam with an embedded monolithic piezoelectric ceramic disc. The specimen is mounted as a cantilever while impedance measurements are taken using an HP 4194A impedance analyzer. Both destructive and nondestructive damage is simulated in the specimens by adding an end mass and drilling a hole near the free end of the cantilever, respectively. The Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) method is utilized as a metric for quantifying damage to the system. In an effort to determine a threshold for RMSD, the values are calculated for the variation associated with taking multiple measurements and with re-clamping the cantilever, and determined to be 0.154, and 3.125 respectively. The RMSD value of the cantilever with a 400 g end mass is 11.39, and the RMSD value of the cantilever with a 4 mm hole near the end is 12.15. From these results, it can be determined that the damaged cases have much higher RMSD values than the RMSD values associated with measurements and set up variability of the healthy structure.
Optimal policy-based control of generation and HVDC lines in power systems under uncertainty

Developing methodologies with a good trade-off between operational costs and reliability in the presence of uncertainty from renewable energy sources is a challenging research problem. Formulating a stochastic optimal power flow (OPF) typically results in higher operational costs compared with a solution based on zero forecast error. Given a fixed response of the network to the realization of the uncertain variables, the increase of uncertainty may decrease the feasibility space that the system is reliable. In this paper, we formulate a stochastic OPF problem under wind power forecast uncertainty and deploy scenario-based optimization that offers solution with probabilistic guarantees. We assume that we can control in real time the generated power and HVDC line power flows as a function of the wind power forecast error. We will find the optimal policy-based functions using tools from multiparametric optimization and in this way increase the feasibility space compared to the state-of the-art control. We demonstrate the results on the IEEE 30-bus system.
Histologic Inflammatory Response to Transvaginal Polypropylene Mesh: A Systematic Review

To evaluate the inflammatory response following transvaginal implantation of polypropylene (PP) mesh. A comprehensive literature search was performed in the following databases from inception in April 2017: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library (Wiley). The studies retrieved were screened for eligibility against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-three articles were included in this review. Following the implantation of PP mesh, there are immediate and local inflammatory responses. PP mesh elicits an inflammatory response that decreases over time; however, no studies documented a complete resolution. Further studies are needed to determine if there is a complete resolution of inflammation or if it persists.
Queer of color worldmaking: in the rhetorical archive and the embodied repertoire

In front of our peers, we methodologically marry ideographic analysis and queer of color worldmaking to map out the complex terrain of as it functions as an ideograph. However, we propos...
Morphogen-Lineage Selector Interactions During Surface Epithelial Commitment

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation promises advances in regenerative medicine(1-3), yet conversion of hESCs into tissues such as keratinocytes requires a better understanding of epigenetic interactions between the inductive morphogens retinoic acid (RA) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP), and the master regulator p63(4,5). Here we develop a robust, defined, keratinocyte differentiation system, and use a multi-dimensional genomics approach to interrogate the contributions of the morphogens and lineage selector to chromatin dynamics during early surface ectoderm commitment. In stark contrast to other master regulators(6-9), we find using p63 gain and loss of function hESC lines, that p63 effects major transcriptional changes only after morphogenetic action. Morphogens alter chromatin accessibility and histone modifications, establishing an epigenetic landscape for p63 to modify. In turn, p63 closes chromatin accessibility and promotes the accumulation of repressive H3K27me3 histone modifications at sites distal to where it binds. Surprisingly, cohesin HiChIP(10) visualization of genome-wide chromosome conformation reveals that both p63 and the morphogens contribute to dynamic long-range genomic interactions that increase the probability of negative transcriptional regulation at p63 target loci. p63-regulated accessibility, not H3K27me3 deposition, appears to drive early transcriptional changes. We illustrate morphogen-selector interactions by studying p63 negative feedback regulation of TFAP2C(11), whereby disruption of the single p63 binding site results in a loss of p63-mediated transcriptional control and dramatic increases in TFAP2C and p63 expression. Our study reveals the unexpected dependency of p63 on morphogenetic signaling to control long-range chromatin interactions during tissue specification and provides novel insights into how master regulators specify diverse morphological outcomes.
On Snake-Orbit Matching

It is observed that Siberian Snakes express the substantial focusing effects on proton beams at low energies (about 1–10 GeV). The reduction of the transverse beam size in the Snake takes place during matching snake focusing with outside regular focusing of a beam and permits one to reduce the necessary aperture of snake magnets. Main limitations of the aperture and possibilities of snake-orbit matching are discussed.
Effects of the Upper State Position and the Number of Wells on the Performance of Intersubband Quantum Well Detectors

We present a systematic study of two series of intersubband quantum well detectors. With the first series of samples, we found that the detector efficiency strongly depends on the exact position of the upper state. The optimum arrangement occurs when the upper state is resonant with the top of the barrier. With the second series, we found that the detector efficiency is not proportional to the number of wells, and that only a small number of wells is necessary to obtain reasonable responsivity.
Environmental controls on extracellular polysaccharide accumulation in a California grassland soil

Abstract Areas with Mediterranean climate regimes, such as California, have cool wet winter growing seasons and hot dry summers. Summer is a time of stress for plants, yet soil microbes survive and biochemical processes continue. One mechanism soil microorganisms might use to survive drought is to produce extracellular polysaccharides (EPSac). We hypothesized that in dry soils, pools of microbial EPSac would therefore increase, but that this increase would depend on having carbon available from fresh plant inputs. We manipulated plant cover and dry season length and measured soil saccharides in a seasonally dry California grassland soil; we evaluated total sugars as well as the mix of sugars present in the soil. Soil cores were collected monthly from July 2014 to February 2015. Sugar residues were analyzed using Gas Chromatography—Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Drier soils showed larger pools of sugar residues; these residues decreased as moisture increased across sample dates and treatments. Plant removal only slightly reduced soil saccharide levels. However, the pools of individual saccharides varied only modestly across all treatments and dates, and correlated with total microbial biomass, suggesting that extracellular polysaccharides may be a constitutive response to survival in soil, rather than an inducible response to dry conditions.
The Life and Times of A Sea Spike: A Study of Wideband Sea Clutter at High Range Resolutions and Very Low Grazing Angles

Because the wideband spiky sea clutter that is frequently observed at low grazing angles and high resolutions plays a critical role in the performance of modern naval radars, it is necessary to analyze two important quantities, the mean spike duration and the mean interval between spikes. These analyses need to be conducted upon representative examples of such wideband clutter taken from a suitable database. Microwave backscatter (X-band, 9.5–10.0 GHz) observed at near grazing incidence (0.2 degrees) from the sea off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, was measured with a wideband radar characterized by a high spatial resolution in range (0.3 meters) and a high temporal resolution (2000 Hz pulse repetition frequency). Extensive amounts (over 20 minutes per measurement) of both vertically and horizontally polarized wideband sea clutter data were taken with upwind and crosswind transmit geometries during the data collection campaign. The analyses of the dependence of the mean spike duration and the mean interval between spikes upon three parameters, the spike amplitude threshold, the minimum spike width, and the minimum interval between spikes, were carried out using all of the extensive data within a number of selected individual range cells for both vertically and horizontally polarized clutter, measured with an upwind transmit geometry.
Super-Resolution of 3-D GPR Signals to Estimate Thin Asphalt Overlay Thickness Using the XCMP Method

The extended common midpoint (XCMP) method can be used on multichannel 3-D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to estimate the asphalt pavement thickness and dielectric constant without the need for calibration by taking cores. The XCMP method requires accurate time delay determination of pavement reflection. However, for thin asphalt overlay, the range resolution of 3-D GPR signal is insufficient to resolve the overlapped pulses of asphalt concrete (AC). The objective of this paper is to use multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm to increase the resolution of 3-D GPR signals, such that thin asphalt overlay thickness can be accurately estimated. An evaluation of the MUSIC algorithm at a full-scale test section and a comparison with regularized deconvolution algorithm showed the MUSIC algorithm is an effective approach for increasing the 3-D GPR signal range resolution when the XCMP method is applied on thin AC overlay.
Tape nanolithography: a rapid and simple method for fabricating flexible, wearable nanophotonic devices

This paper describes a tape nanolithography method for the rapid and economical manufacturing of flexible, wearable nanophotonic devices. This method involves the soft lithography of a donor substrate with air-void nanopatterns, subsequent deposition of materials onto the substrate surface, followed by direct taping and peeling of the deposited materials by an adhesive tape. Without using any sophisticated techniques, the nanopatterns, which are preformed on the surface of the donor substrate, automatically emerge in the deposited materials. The nanopatterns can then be transferred to the tape surface. By leveraging the works of adhesion at the interfaces of the donor substrate-deposited material-tape assembly, this method not only demonstrates sub-hundred-nanometer resolution in the transferred nanopatterns on an area of multiple square inches but also exhibits high versatility and flexibility for configuring the shapes, dimensions, and material compositions of tape-supported nanopatterns to tune their optical properties. After the tape transfer, the materials that remain at the bottom of the air-void nanopatterns on the donor substrate exhibit shapes complementary to the transferred nanopatterns on the tape surface but maintain the same composition, thus also acting as functional nanophotonic structures. Using tape nanolithography, we demonstrate several tape-supported plasmonic, dielectric, and metallo-dielectric nanostructures, as well as several devices such as refractive index sensors, conformable plasmonic surfaces, and Fabry-Perot cavity resonators. Further, we demonstrate tape nanolithography-assisted manufacturing of a standalone plasmonic nanohole film and its transfer to unconventional substrates such as a cleaved facet and the curved side of an optical fiber.
Learning Ordinal Information Under Bipartite Stochastic Block Models

A problem of learning ordinal information from noisy data is studied under bipartite stochastic block models with stochastically identical and ordinally homogeneous settings. Two clustering-based algorithms are proposed for the two settings. In the stochastically identical setting, a value-oriented plug-in approach is developed to recover rankings by estimating parameters through a reduction from maximizing likelihood to minimizing clustering cost. In the ordinally homogeneous setting, a ranking-oriented empirical risk minimization approach is developed to cluster users based on a ranking distance and aggregate rankings optimally through a reduction to a minimum bipartite matching problem. It is shown that both algorithms converge in polynomial time with the problem size.
Zinc deficiency induces hypertension by promoting renal Na+ reabsorption.

Zn2+ deficiency (ZnD) is a common comorbidity of many chronic diseases. In these settings, ZnD exacerbates hypertension. Whether ZnD alone is sufficient to alter blood pressure (BP) is unknown. To ...
The Suspect Statistics of Best Practices: A Triple Critique of Knowledge Production and Mobilisation in the Global Education Policy Field.

The present article addresses the production and global dissemination of ‘policy relevant knowledge’. It not only unpacks the methodological assumptions of a particular type of knowledge production...
A Genealogy of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: Considering the Future of Federal Public Lands

In September 1996, President Clinton proclaimed the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in southern Utah in order to protect its scientific and historic resources. In December 2017,...
Genetics and breeding of beef cattle

Abstract Animal breeding and genetics have changed significantly over the past decades. Genetic improvement of beef cattle use to be largely dependent on visual appraisal. While this remains extremely valuable in selection programs, beef cattle breeding is now based predominately on the use of technology. The development of computer and information technology had a major impact on data collection and genetic evaluation procedures, allowing incorporation of new traits and comparison of breeding values across herds, breeds and countries. Today's consumers are increasingly aware of health, environmental and animal welfare issues. Successful genetic improvement programs for a sustainable beef industry need to balance these issues with price and production efficiency. This chapter reviews some historical and current aspects related to the genetic improvement programs in the US beef cattle industry. The focus is on challenges, opportunities and innovations related to use of genetics and genomics technologies to address current and future issues facing the beef industry.
Pregnancy intentions and contraceptive uptake after miscarriage

Abstract Objective To identify factors associated with contraceptive uptake among participants in a miscarriage management clinical trial. Study design We performed a secondary analysis of a multi-center, randomized controlled trial of medical management regimens for miscarriage between 5 and 12 completed weeks. Pregnancy intention was measured by patient report after miscarriage diagnosis. Participants were offered contraception in accordance with standard clinical care once their miscarriage was completed. We analyzed participants as a cohort and fit a multivariable model to describe demographic characteristics and pregnancy intentions independently associated with contraceptive uptake. Results Of 244 participants with available contraceptive outcomes, 121 (50%) stated that this pregnancy was planned, and 218 (90%) stated that they had planned to continue the pregnancy to term. Ninety-seven participants (40%) initiated contraception: 33 (14%) selected a long-acting reversible method, 44 (18%) a short-acting reversible method, and 20 (8%) condoms or emergency contraception, while 147 (60%) declined contraception after miscarriage completion. In the multivariable model, unplanned pregnancy (aRR 2.13, 95% CI: 1.45–3.13) and lack of intention to continue the pregnancy (aRR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.18–2.20) were independently associated with contraceptive uptake. Of participants who declined contraception, 85 (57%) did so in order to conceive again. Nearly one-quarter of participants who declined contraception described the index pregnancy as unplanned, but after miscarriage planned to conceive a new pregnancy. Conclusion Patients with unplanned pregnancy who miscarried were twice as likely to initiate contraception as those with planned pregnancy, however pregnancy intentions sometimes changed after miscarriage. Implications Miscarriage management represents an important opportunity to clarify pregnancy goals and provide contraceptive counseling. Although unplanned pregnancy correlates with contraceptive uptake, we do not recommend using this clinically to predict contraceptive need. Future research should examine how best to measure pregnancy intention and its relationship to the experience of miscarriage.
Construyendo nuevos paradigmas socioeducativos e identitarios: el cabello como representación de lucha y reconocimiento de la mujer afrodescendiente.

El articulo presenta la lucha protagonizada por las mujeres afrodescendientes por ejercer el derecho a asumir su identidad reflejada en el cabello rizado. Destacando un recorrido historico del significado social del pelo en distintas etapas de la civilizacion, se centra en las actitudes de resistencia a los patrones eurocentricos de belleza, reveladas en la obra Quarto de Despejo: Diario de uma favelada , de la escritora negra brasilena Carolina Maria de Jesus. Se concluye que Carolina de Jesus planta, a traves de la metafora del cabello, la semilla hacia la construccion de nuevos paradigmas en las luchas de resistencia protagonizadas por mujeres negras en pos del derecho a su reconocimiento y valoracion de su identidad.
Theory of Fluorescence Quenching in Low-Field Chromium Complexes in Solids

Low crystal-field octahedral complexes of Cr3+ exhibit broadband (4T2g→ A2g) fluorescence, but their potential application to tunable lasers is limlted by host-dependent thermal quenching of fluorescence. Several theoretical models for radiationless transitions in Cs2NaYCl6:Cr3+, whose parameters are constrained by experimental data on the temperature dependence of fluorescence spectra and lifetimes, are compared. Single configuration-coordinate and multi-mode linear coupling models fail by many orders of magnitude. A new model, which combines linear coupling to an a1g mode with quadratic coupling to a t2g mode within the harmonic approximation, is much more successful.
The Impact of an In-school Dance Program on At-risk Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Development

This study examined the impact of an in-school dance curriculum on the social-emotional development of at-risk preschoolers in a southern California public preschool program. The preschoolers (N = ...
Review: Writing Programs, Veterans Studies, and the Post-9/11 University: A Field Guide : D. Alexis Hart & Roger Thompson | National Council of Teachers of English, 2020 | pp. 178 ISBN: 978-0814175057

This review carefully examines D. Alexis Hart and Roger Thompson’s March 2020 published book entitled: Writing programs, veterans studies, and the post-9/11 university: A Field guide. The author of this review touches on the overall themes of the volume, gives insight into each chapter’s contents, and concludes with an evaluation of the book as it stands within the field of Veterans Studies.
The Impact of Gender and Area of Residence on Adjustment of Retired Old Person

Age sixty is usually considered the dividing line between middle and old age. Old age is the closing period in the life span. It is a stage when people move away from previous more desirable period to less desirable period. The unfavorable social attitudes towards the elderly are reflected in the way the social group treats them. It is not surprising that many elderly people develop unfavorable self concepts. These tend to be expressed in maladjustive behavior. The main aim of present research is focused on the comparison of old persons living in the family and in the institution with regard adjustment. On the basis of aim, researcher formulated two hypotheses i.e, the level of adjustment will be higher in retired old persons living in families than institutionalized retired old persons. Second was the adjustment level will be more in retired old males than retired old females. Four hundred retired old persons belong to both the sexes to various families and institutions, of Aurangabad city. Purposive sampling technique was used for the selection. The age group of all respondents was sixty onwards and some factors as like, financial aspects, educational status, fitness, ward less factors will be matched for the sample selection. The old age adjustment inventory was developed by Shamshad Jasbir for data collection. 2*2 factorial research design was applied and two-way ANOVA was used for analysis of data. Results shown that main effect of area of residence is not significant (F =0.107, df-1, 396).Thus Area of residence has no influence on Adjustment and Second main effect nature of gender is significant i.e male and female retired old persons (F = 106.55, df-1, 396). Thus gender was influence on adjustment. Hence it concluded that there was no significant difference on adjustment of retired old persons living in Families and institutions and the adjustment level was high in male retired old persons than female retired old persons. Justification and details are given in full-length of paper