cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Removal of the Fe(III) site promotes activation of the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator by high-affinity Zn(II) binding

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel is activated by ATP binding at the interface of two cytoplasmic nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) and phosphorylation of the regulatory (R) domain by protein kinase A (PKA). The human CFTR has two functionally active thiol groups for gating regulation by chemical modification. Although modification of C832 in the R domain with N-ethylmaleimide promotes channel opening, glutathionylation of C1344 in NBD2 inhibits channel opening. Our recent studies demonstrated that the N-ethylmaleimide-induced potentiation involves a high-affinity inhibitory Fe3+ site at the interface between the R domain and intracellular loop 3 (ICL3). However, it is unknown whether the glutathionylation-evoked inhibition implies another stimulatory metal site. Here, Fe3+-insensitive mutations at the R-ICL3 interface were employed to further examine whether Zn2+ potentiated the activity of the human CFTR channel by targeting C1344 once the interfacial Fe3+ bridge was disrupted. The results showed that internal nanomolar Zn2+ increased its activity by about two- to threefold at a low level of protein kinase A, and the increase was reversed by EDTA or DTT or reduced glutathione but suppressed by a high level of protein kinase A, N-ethylmaleimide modification or a C1344A mutation. It is interesting that this Zn2+-triggered potentiation is not found in the wild type human CFTR to which endogenous Fe3+ is bound. Thus, the high-affinity binding of Zn2+ to C1344 in NBD2 may stimulate human CFTR activity in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, but the primary binding of Fe3+ to the ICL3-R interface may prohibit this stimulation.
Carriage of Cronobacter sakazakii in the Very Preterm Infant Gut.

Background Cronobacter sakazakii causes severe neonatal infections, but we know little about gut carriage of this pathogen in very low birthweight infants. Methods We sequenced 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes from 2304 stools from 121 children at St Louis Children's Hospital whose birthweight was ≤1500 g, attempted to isolate C. sakazakii from 157 of these stools, genome-sequenced the recovered isolates, and sought correlations between indices of Cronobacter excretion, host characteristics, and unit formula use. Results Of these 2304 stools, 1271 (55.2%) contained Cronobacter rRNA gene sequences. The median (interquartile range) per-subject percentage of specimens with at least 1 Cronobacter sequence and the median per-subject read density were 57.1 (25.5-87.3) and 0.07 (0.01-0.67), respectively. There was no variation according to commercially prepared liquid vs powdered formula use in the neonatal intensive care unit, or the day of life that specimens were produced. However, the proportion of specimens containing >4.0% of reads mapping to Cronobacter fell from 4.3% to 0.9% after powdered infant formula was discontinued (P 99.9% sequence identity in the approximately 93% of best-match reference genome that they contained, and shared multiple virulence loci. Conclusions Very low birthweight infants excrete putatively pathogenic Cronobacter. High-density Cronobacter sequence samples were more common during the use of powdered infant formula. Better understanding of the ecology of Cronobacter in infant guts will inform future prevention and control strategies.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin dose-dependently increases bone mass and decreases marrow adiposity in juvenile mice.

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and other aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists have been shown to regulate bone development and remodeling in a species-, ligand-, and age-specific manner, however the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the effect of 0.01–30 μg/kg TCDD on the femoral morphology of male and female juvenile mice orally gavaged every 4 days for 28 days and used RNA-Seq to investigate gene expression changes associated with the resultant phenotype. Micro-computed tomography revealed that TCDD dose-dependently increased trabecular bone volume fraction (BVF) 2.9- and 3.3-fold in male and female femurs, respectively. Decreased serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) levels, combined with a reduced osteoclast surface to bone surface ratio and repression of femoral proteases (cathepsin K, matrix metallopeptidase 13), suggests that TCDD impaired bone resorption. Increased osteoblast counts at the trabecular bone surface were consistent with a reciprocal reduction in the number of bone marrow adipocytes, suggesting AhR activation may direct mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards osteoblasts rather than adipocytes. Notably, femoral expression of transmembrane glycoprotein NMB (Gpnmb; osteoactivin), a positive regulator of osteoblast differentiation and mineralization, was dose-dependently induced up to 18.8-fold by TCDD. Moreover, increased serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 were in accordance with the renal induction of 1α-hydroxylase Cyp27b1 and may contribute to impaired bone resorption. Collectively, the data suggest AhR activation tipped the bone remodeling balance towards bone formation, resulting in increased bone mass with reduced marrow adiposity.
Taste as a marker for behavioral energy regulation:Replication and extension of meal pattern evidence from selectively bred rats.

Abstract A key feature of energy regulation among species that eat discrete meals is meal patterning – meal frequency, size, and duration. Such animals can adjust to internal states and external circumstances with changes in one or more of those meal parameters, with or without altering total food intake. Relatively little is known about individual differences in meal patterning. We previously reported meal patterning differences between rat lines selectively bred for differential saccharin solution intake, lines that also differ in sensitivity to metabolic challenges: Relative to high-saccharin-consuming counterparts (HiS), male low-saccharin-consuming rats (LoS) ate smaller, more frequent meals. Those findings provided evidence of an association between taste and short term satiety. Twenty generations later, we describe systematic replication of the line difference in meal patterns in males and females using two different kinds of reinforcer pellet. The previous study was further extended by examining meal parameters (1) with bi- and multivariate analyses and (2) after acute food restriction and a moderate stressor. Results are discussed within a behavior-systems framework incorporating taste as a marker for behavioral energy regulation.
Should obesity affect suitability for kidney donation

As with the suitability for kidney transplantation for obese recipients, there is no universally accepted guideline for clinicians for obese donors; criteria for acceptance are variable among transplant centers. Obesity is on the rise in the United States and the number of living kidney donors who are obese parallel this national trend. Careful risk assessment and informed consent must be undertaken predonation prior to accepting an obese kidney donor in order to minimize long- and short-term complications. Likewise, close postdonation follow-up for this higher risk group should be implemented.
Prosodic Development in Normal and Autistic Children

Deficits in prosody have been consistently described as an integral part of the speech and language disorder in autistic children (Kanner, 1946; Ornitz & Ritvo, 1976). Such deficits still remain evident in the language characteristics of children whose speech showed considerable improvement over time (DeMyer, Barton, DeMyer, Norton, Allen, and Steele, 1973; Rutter & Lockyer, 1967; Baltaxe & Simmons, 1983). However, there is still a paucity of research investigating the deficits in this important aspect of speech and language. The present review is an effort to summarize prosodic studies in autism and to consider the findings to date in terms of what is known about prosody in normal language acquisition and in language pathology. Finally, we will present some speculation on how the prosodic deficits might fit into the general picture of the autistic language disturbance and brain dysfunction.
There Will be Fighting in The Streets: The Distorting Lens of Social Movement Theory

We argue that the disproportionate attention accorded the struggles of the sixties has created a stylized image of social movements that threatens to distort our understanding of popular contention, not only in earlier periods and in nondemocratic contexts, but also in the contemporary U.S. This stylized view tends to equate movements with (a) disruptive protest in public settings, (b) loosely coordinated national struggles over political issues, (c) urban and/or campus based protest activities, and (d) claim making by disadvantaged minorities. Drawing on a larger study of trends and patterns in collective civic engagement in metropolitan Chicago, we employ new data on some 1,000 protest events between 1970 to 2000 to assess these four stylized views and address a number of related questions. The data do not support the common imagery of social movements—since 1980 there has been a marked transformation of the movement form to the point where public protest is now largely peaceful, routine, suburban, loca...
Sam: A Decision Support System for Retail Supply Chain Planning for Private-label Merchandise with Multiple Vendors

A number of retail firms use a “private-label” strategy in which merchandise is sold under a brand name exclusive to the retail firm, but manufactured by one or more independent vendors. While offering a number of benefits, this approach also poses a different set of supply chain challenges than manufacturer-brand-based retailing, in that the retail firm must take a more active role in organizing and coordinating the planning and materials management activities in a supply base that is often dispersed and heterogenous.
ENDOCAPNIA AND EXOCAPNIA: THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EXERCISE HYPERPNEA

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the relationship of endocapnia and exocapnia to exercise hyperpnea. Exocapnia can be produced by means of CO2 inhalation. The ventilation response during this exocapnic state is known to be because of the activation of the CO2 receptors, which are mainly located centrally, but some effect is shared by the peripheral chemoreceptors. The central CO2 receptors are supposed to be located on the arterial side of the circulation or bathed by the cerebrospinal fluid under the influence of the arterial blood. These receptors eventually drive the central switch-on-off oscillation mechanisms to augment ventilation. Endocapnia can be produced by means of perfusing artifically CO2 enriched blood via the venous circulation. The chapter highlights that a manipulation of recombinant exercise mechanisms offers a unique method for studying mechanisms of exercise hyperpnea. This procedure can be accomplished employing cross-circulation techniques, which offer a clear-cut analysis of each component. The chapter also presents a summary of the major findings concerning the regulation of ventilation during exercise as obtained by employing dogs with intact or recombinant components related to the regulation of ventilation.
Infuse-as-you-go convective delivery to enhance coverage of elongated brain targets: technical note.

OBJECTIVE To develop and assess a convective delivery technique that enhances the effectiveness of drug delivery to nonspherical brain nuclei, the authors developed an occipital "infuse-as-you-go" approach to the putamen and compared it to the currently used transfrontal approach. METHODS Eleven nonhuman primates received a bilateral putamen injection of adeno-associated virus with 2 mM gadolinium-DTPA by real-time MR-guided convective perfusion via either a transfrontal (n = 5) or occipital infuse-as-you-go (n = 6) approach. RESULTS MRI provided contemporaneous assessment and monitoring of putaminal infusions for transfrontal (2 to 3 infusion deposits) and occipital infuse-as-you-go (stepwise infusions) putaminal approaches. The infuse-as-you-go technique was more efficient than the transfrontal approach (mean 35 ± 1.1 vs 88 ± 8.3 minutes [SEM; p < 0.001]). More effective perfusion of the postcommissural and total putamen was achieved with the infuse-as-you-go versus transfronatal approaches (100-µl infusion volumes; mean posterior commissural coverage 76.2% ± 5.0% vs 32.8% ± 2.9% [p < 0.001]; and mean total coverage 53.5% ± 3.0% vs 38.9% ± 2.3% [p < 0.01]). CONCLUSIONS The infuse-as-you-go approach, paralleling the longitudinal axis of the target structure, provides a more effective and efficient method for convective infusate coverage of elongated, irregularly shaped subcortical brain nuclei.
Therapeutic Monosaccharides: Looking Back, Moving Forward

In this review, we focus on the metabolism of mammalian glycan-associated monosaccharides, where the vast majority of our current knowledge comes from research done during the 1960s and 1970s. Most monosaccharides enter the cell using distinct, often tissue specific transporters from the SLC2A family. If not catabolized, these monosaccharides can be activated to donor nucleotide sugars and used for glycan synthesis. Apart from exogenous and dietary sources, all monosaccharides and their associated nucleotide sugars can be synthesized de novo, using mostly glucose to produce all nine nucleotide sugars present in human cells. Today, monosaccharides are used as treatment options for a small number of rare genetic disorders and even some common conditions. Here, we cover therapeutic applications of these sugars and highlight biochemical gaps that must be revisited as we go forward.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of tick-borne disease risk factors in residential yards, neighborhoods, and beyond.

Exposure to blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis that transmit pathogens is thought to occur peri-domestically. However, the locations where people most frequently encounter infected ticks are not well characterized, leading to mixed messages from public health officials about where risk is highest. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on spatial risk factors for tick-borne disease and tick bites in eastern North America. We examined three scales: the residential yard, the neighborhood surrounding (but not including) the yard, and outside the neighborhood. Nineteen eligible studies represented 2741 cases of tick-borne illness and 1447 tick bites. Using random effects models, we derived pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates. The meta-analysis revealed significant disease risk factors at the scale of the yard (OR 2.60 95% CI 1.96 – 3.46), the neighborhood (OR 4.08 95% CI 2.49 – 6.68), and outside the neighborhood (OR 2.03 95% CI 1.59 – 2.59). Although significant risk exists at each scale, neighborhood scale risk factors best explained disease exposure. Analysis of variance revealed risk at the neighborhood scale was 57% greater than risk at the yard scale and 101% greater than risk outside the neighborhood. This analysis emphasizes the importance of understanding and reducing tick-borne disease risk at the neighborhood scale. Risk-reducing interventions applied at each scale could be effective, but interventions applied at the neighborhood scale are most likely to protect human health. The study was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017079169.
Intragastric Balloon Versus Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty for the Treatment of Obesity: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

We aimed to individually evaluate IGB and ESG procedures and compare the efficacy, durability, and safety of these procedures. Bibliographic databases were systematically searched for studies investigating the use of IGB and ESG for the treatment of obesity. Studies reporting percent total weight loss (%TWL) or percent excess weight loss (%EWL) with at least 12 months of follow-up were included. A total of 28 studies were included in the final analysis. Only 1 study directly compared ESG to IGB, 9 studies evaluated ESG alone, while 18 studies evaluated IGB. At 12-month follow-up after ESG, mean %TWL was 17.51 (95% CI 16.44–18.58), and %EWL was 60.51 (95% CI 54.39–66.64). Mean %TWL and %EWL after IGB at 12 months was 10.35 (95% CI 8.38–12.32) and 29.65 (95% CI 25.40–33.91), respectively. Mean %TWL and %EWL after IGB were significantly decreased at 18 or 24 months compared to 6 months indicating weight regain after IGB removal. ESG achieved significantly superior weight loss compared to IGB, the difference in mean %TWL was 7.33 (95% CI 5.22–9.44, p value = 0.0001) at 12 months. Serious adverse events were observed in < 5% for both procedures. Although ESG and IGB are safe and effective for weight loss, our study suggests that ESG results in more significant and sustained weight loss. Nevertheless, a variety of approaches are essential to care for this underserved population, and there are several factors other than weight loss that should be considered in selecting the ideal therapy for individual patients.
In Situ Observation of β-Ga 2 O 3 Schottky Diode Failure Under Forward Biasing Condition

In this article, we investigate defect nucleation leading to device degradation in $\beta $ -Ga2O3 Schottky barrier diodes by operating them inside a transmission electron microscope. Such in situ approach allows simultaneous visualization and quantitative device characterization, not possible with the current art of postmortem microscopy. High current density and associated mechanical and thermal fields are shown to induce different types of crystal defects, from vacancy cluster and stacking fault to microcrack generation prior to failure. These structural defects can act as traps for carrier and cause device failure at high biasing voltage. Fundamental insights on nucleation of these defects and their evolution are important from materials reliability and device design perspectives.
Approximation Algorithms for Sparse Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a widely used dimension reduction technique in machine learning and multivariate statistics. To improve the interpretability of PCA, various approaches to obtain sparse principal direction loadings have been proposed, which are termed Sparse Principal Component Analysis (SPCA). In this paper, we present three provably accurate, polynomial time, approximation algorithms for the SPCA problem, without imposing any restrictive assumptions on the input covariance matrix. The first algorithm is based on randomized matrix multiplication; the second algorithm is based on a novel deterministic thresholding scheme; and the third algorithm is based on a semidefinite programming relaxation of SPCA. All algorithms come with provable guarantees and run in low-degree polynomial time. Our empirical evaluations confirm our theoretical findings.
Young Adults Make Rational Sexual Decisions

We examined risky sexual choice under the lens of rational decision-making. Participants (N = 257) completed a novel sexual-choice task in which they selected from among hypothetical sexual partners varying in physical attractiveness and in the probability that one would contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from a one-time sexual encounter with them. We found that nearly all participants evaluated the sexual-choice alternatives in a coherent fashion consistent with utility-based theories of rational choice. In subsequent analyses, we classified participants' responses according to whether their sexual preferences were based on maximizing attractiveness or minimizing the risk of STIs. Finally, we established an association between sexual choice in our task and reported real-world sexual risk-taking.
Dynamic idle core management and leakage current reuse in MPSoC platforms

In this paper, algorithmic and circuit techniques are proposed for dynamic power management that allows for the reuse of the leakage current of idle circuit blocks and cores in a multiprocessor system-on-chip platform. First, a novel scheduling algorithm, longest idle time - leakage reuse (LIT-LR), is proposed for energy efficient reuse of leakage current, which generates a supply voltage of 340 mV with less than ±3% variation across the tt, ff, and ss process corners. The LIT-LR algorithm reduces the energy consumption of the leakage control blocks and the peak power consumption by, respectively, 25% and 7.4% as compared to random assignment of idle cores for leakage reuse. Second, a novel usage ranking based algorithm, longest idle time - simultaneous leakage reuse and power gating (LIT-LRPG), is proposed for simultaneous implementation of power gating and leakage reuse. Applying power gating with leakage reuse reduces the total energy consumption of the MPSoC by 50.2%, 14.4%, and 5.7% as compared to, respectively, a baseline topology that includes neither leakage reuse or power gating, only includes power gating, and only includes leakage reuse.
Laser aortic septotomy during thoracic endovascular aortic repair for chronic type B aortic dissection.

Abstract Objective Persistent false lumen perfusion due to the presence of a thick aortic septum is a significant obstacle to successful thoracic endovascular aortic repair for chronic type B aortic dissection (cTBAD). We describe our new approach of laser aortic septotomy to optimize the landing zone. Methods Between 2019 and 2020, 11 patients with cTBAD with degenerative aneurysm underwent laser aortic septotomy during thoracic endovascular aortic repair. A prospectively maintained database was retrospectively reviewed. Results The median age was 70.0 years, and 10 (91%) were men. Six (55%) were de novo type B aortic dissection and 5 (45%) were residual type B aortic dissection. The age of aortic dissection was 2.9 years (interquartile range, 1.1-12.1). Technical success was achieved in 91% (10/11). In 1 case (9%), laser aortic septotomy was not feasible due to extremely tortuous aorta. Among successful cases, the median extents of proximal and distal laser fenestrations were Th7.5 and Th11.0, respectively and distal landing zones included zone 4 (40%) and zone 5 (60%). Two (18%) underwent a continuous longitudinal laser fenestration, and 8 (73%) had longitudinal spot laser fenestrations with immediate balloon dilatations. Apposition of the stent-graft to the outer aortic wall of the newly created common aortic lumen with elimination of retrograde false lumen flow was achieved in all cases. Conclusions This is the first description using the laser technology to optimize the distal landing zone for cTBAD. This new technique is safe and reproducible, with excellent controllability to achieve aortic septotomy at the desired target aorta segment.
Model Reuse in Machine Learning for Author Name Disambiguation: An Exploration of Transfer Learning

Machine learning for author name disambiguation is usually conducted on the training and test subsets of labeled data created for a specific task. As a result, disambiguation models learned on heterogeneous labeled data are often inapplicable for other purposes that either do not use the same labeled data or do not make use of any labeled data at all. This article explores the idea of transfer learning in a new context, author name disambiguation. We focus on cases where a disambiguation task lacking labeled training data uses models trained on labeled data generated for other tasks. For this purpose, two labeled source datasets are used for training of disambiguation models to be applied to three test target datasets that are deficient of labeled training data. Our results show that transfer learning can produce disambiguation performances similar to those achievable by traditional machine learning in which training and test datasets come from the same labeled data source. The good performance through transfer learning are possible when training source datasets have similar feature distributions as test target datasets. This study suggests that through transfer learning, rich disambiguation models in previous studies can be retained and reused across ambiguous bibliographic data from different fields and data sources, motivating further research on how to correct feature distribution differences between source and target datasets to expand the application of transfer learning in author name disambiguation beyond the model sharing explored in this research.
Where do the children play…in a pandemic? Personal observations of U.S. children’s social learning of preventative health through embodied experiences while sheltering-in-place

Social learning from peer reference groups is vital to children’s socialization (Allen & Antonishak, 2008) and is effective at equipping children with prosocial behaviors (Hofmann & Muller, 2018). ...
Minimizing the ex vivo confounds of cell-isolation techniques on transcriptomic -profiles of purified microglia

Modern molecular neuroscience studies require analysis of specific cellular populations derived from brain tissue samples to disambiguate cell-type specific events. This is particularly true in the analysis of minority glial populations in the brain, such as microglia, which may be obscured in whole tissue analyses. Microglia have central functions in development, aging, and neurodegeneration and are a current focus of neuroscience research. A long-standing concern for glial biologists using in vivo models is whether cell isolation from CNS tissue could introduce ex vivo artifacts in microglia, which respond quickly to changes in the environment. Mouse microglia were purified by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), as well as cytometer- and cartridge-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) approaches to compare and contrast performance. The Cx3cr1-NuTRAP mouse model was used here to provide an endogenous fluorescent microglial marker and a microglial-specific translatome profile as a baseline comparison lacking cell isolation artifacts. All methods performed similarly for microglial purity with main differences being in cell yield and time of isolation. Ex vivo activation signatures occurred principally during the initial tissue dissociation and cell preparation and not the microglial cell sorting. Utilizing transcriptional and translational inhibitors during the cell preparation prevented the activational phenotype. These data demonstrate that a variety of microglial isolation approaches can be used, depending on experimental needs, and that inhibitor cocktails are effective at reducing cell preparation artifacts. Table of Contents Image O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=97 SRC="FIGDIR/small/452509v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (19K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f818b3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11da85forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@191a79org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@191bbb_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Main PointsMACS, cytometer-FACS, and cartridge-FACS give equivalent and sufficient yield/purity for microglial analyses. Ex vivo microglial activation is prevented by supplementation with transcription/translation inhibitors during cell preparation.
The Social Work Student's Research Handbook

Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Problem Formulation: What to Study Key Concepts Selecting a Study Topic Now What Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 2. Using the Literature Key Concepts Introduction Part 1: The Search Part 2: Writing the Review Major Points to Remember Exercises Chapter 3. Working from Questions or Hypotheses Key Concepts Introduction Hypotheses and Questions The Notion of Proof Null Hypothesis Is Question-Driven Research Real Research Major Points to Remember Exercises Chapter 4. Variables Key Concepts Introduction Defining Variables Measuring Variables Major Points to Remember Exercises Chapter 5. Assumptions Key Concepts Introduction Types of Assumptions Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 6. Design Options Key Concepts Introduction From Purpose to Design Constructive Combinations Connections Give Direction Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 7. Exploratory Design Key Concepts Introduction When to Use It Three Common Approaches Overview of Method Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 8. Descriptive Design Key Concepts Introduction When to Use It Overview of Method Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 9. Experimental Design Key Concepts Introduction When to Use It Concepts Basic to This Design Overview of Method Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 10. Correlational Design Key Concepts Introduction When to Use It Correlation Four Common Approaches Overview of Method Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 11. Plausible Alternative Explanations Key Concepts Introduction How Do They Fit In How Big a Worry Are They Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 12. Practice Evaluation Key Concepts Introduction When to Use It Overview of Method A Few Variations Analysis Choosing the System Issues to Consider Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 13. Program Evaluation Key Concepts Introduction Applying Design Types to Program Evaluation Overview of Method Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 14. Working Toward Reliability and Validity Key Concepts Introduction A Balancing Act: Purpose and Trade-Offs Working Toward Reliability: The Rubber Ruler Pitfall Working Toward Validity: Reaching the Heart of the Matter Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 15. Sampling Key Concepts Introduction Going to the Source Probability Samples: Forms and Methods Nonprobability Samples: Forms and Methods Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 16. Data Collection Key Concepts Introduction Observation Interview Questionnaire Major Points to Remember Exercise Chapter 17. Data Analysis: An Overview Key Concepts Introduction Qualitative Data Analysis Quantitative Data Analysis The
Rate Equation Modeling of Energy Transfer Processes

The dynamics of energy transfer processes in Tm-Ho laser materials are analyzed to determine the performance of 2.0 μm laser systems. These laser systems can utilize laser diode pumping and operate in the nominal eye-safe region of the spectrum. They are strong candidates for remote sensing applications such as the measurements of wind speed as well as CO2 and H2O concentrations. Here, the dynamics are analyzed using a rate equation model for two operating regimes, the weak excitation where most of the excitation is stored in the first excited manifolds of Tm and Ho and up-conversion is negligible and the strong excitation where up-conversion can no longer be ignored. In the first case closed form analytical solutions are obtained both in the steady state and the time dependent limits. In the second case, the steady state approach allows the expressions in closed form. These solutions are in terms of the population densities of all of the relevant manifolds rather than the first excited manifolds of Tm and Ho. A dynamical approach for the strong excitation case requires numerical techniques.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of FSW Lap Joint between Pure Copper and 1018 Mild Steel Using Refractory Metal Pin Tools

Friction stir welding was conducted on a copper/steel lap joint configuration. Two different W-25%Re-4% HfC pin tools, having two different pin diameters and pin lengths, were investigated to examine the combined effect of plunge depth and bonding area on joint properties. The effects of travel speeds and alternating the top and bottom sheet materials on the microstructure and mechanical properties were also investigated. Structures of the joining interface were analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Joint strength and fatigue strength were also evaluated. The results showed a “hook-like” feature on both the advancing and retreating sides, but more severe on the retreating side. The interface was bonded both by mechanical mixing between copper and steel and metallurgically as evidenced by a diffusion zone formed between Fe-Cu.
Planning with complex actions.

In this paper we address the problem of planning with complex actions. We are motivated by the problem of automated Web service composition, in which planning must be performed using predefined complex actions or services as the building blocks of a plan. Planning with complex actions is also compelling in primitive action planning domains because it enables the exploitation of reusable subplans, potentially improving the efficiency of planning. This paper provides a formal, semantically-justified account of how to plan with complex actions using operator-based planning techniques. A key contribution of this work is the definition, characterization, and computation of preconditions and conditional effects for complex actions. While we use the situation calculus and Golog to formalize the task and our solution, the results in this paper are directly applicable to most action theories and planning systems. In particular, we have developed a PDDLequivalent compiler that computes the preconditions and effects of complex actions, thus enabling wide-spread use of these results. Finally we provide an approach to planning that enables us to exploit deductive plan synthesis or alternatively ADL planners to plan with complex actions. Our approach to complex-action planning is sound and complete relative to the corresponding primitive action domain.
Inducible Activation of RelB in Fibroblasts

RelB, a member of NF-κB/Rel family of transcriptional regulators, is an immediate-early gene product that mediates constitutive lymphoid-specific κB-directed gene expression. Data presented here show that RelB also functions as a mitogen-inducible DNA binding activity in fibroblasts. Activation of RelB was observed in three mouse fibroblast lines, and agents activating RelB in quiescent and cycling cells included platelet-derived growth factor, phorbol ester, and serum. Additional data implicate cyclic AMP in the regulation of RelB activity. These findings suggest that RelB may play different roles in different cell types.
Prediction gradients for feature extraction and analysis from convolutional neural networks

Despite their impact on computer vision and face recognition, the inner workings of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have traditionally been regarded as uninterpretable. We demonstrate this to be false by proposing prediction gradients to understand how neural networks encode concepts into individual units. In constrast, existing efforts to understand convolutional nets focus on visualizing units and classes in pixel space, often using optimization. Our method for calculating prediction gradients is very efficient, and provides an effective technique to rank and quantify importance of internal units and their learned features based on the unit's relevance to any prediction. We use prediction gradients to analyse the features learned by a CNN on a standard face recognition data set. Our analysis identifies strong patterns of activation which are unique for each identity. In addition, we validate the rating produced by prediction gradients to remove the most important features of the network, knocking out their respective units in the network, and demonstrating detrimental effects on network prediction. Our experiments validate the utility of the prediction gradient in understanding the importance and relationships between units inside a convolutional neural network.
Studies of carbohydrate metabolism in the newborn. I. Capillary-venous differences in blood sugar in normal newborn infants.

Capillary-venous differences in concentrations of blood sugar were measured in 55 newborn infants during the first 15 hours of life. The capillary-venous difference is related to the capillary level under fasting conditions. The administration of glucose by gavage in doses of 2 to 3 gm./kg. led to a prompt rise in concentration of glucose in capillary blood and an increase in capillary-venous difference. The administration of .03 µg./kg. of epinephrine led to a prompt increase in concentration of glucose in capillary blood but to a decrease in the capillary-venous difference. The relation of these findings to homeostatic mechanisms in the newborn was discussed.
Physiological actions of renal collecting duct endothelin.

the contribution of endothelin to regulation of renal function under normal physiological conditions is unclear. Many cells in the kidney produce endothelin ([9][1]). Endothelin has been reported to have effects that both promote ([2][2], [3][3], [5][4]–[7][5], [12][6]–[14][7], [16][8], [18][9
The sunspot transition region - Where are the bright plumes and the downflows?

Measurements of umbral-to-quiet sun and umbral-to-plage contrast in five active regions have been obtained in the transition region emission lines Si IV 1402.77 A, C IV 1548.19 A, and O V 1371.29 A, using the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter on the Solar Maximum Mission. The umbral transition region in these lines appears generally indistinguishable from the quiet transition region. In addition, high-resolution profiles of the C IV lines 1548.19 A, 1550.77 A in the umbrae of eight individual sunspots in different active regions show only weak, mostly subsonic, redshifted components. This result differs sharply from the observations of multiple, strong, often supersonic downflows observed with the HRTS instrument (e.g., Brekke et al., 1987).
Electrical conduction in discontinuous metal thin films

This paper has three objectives. For those who have no prior knowledge of discontinuous thin metal film research, it serves to introduce the basic concepts of electrical conduction in such structures, i.e., electron tunneling between discrete metal islands, with an associated activation energy of electrostatic origin. In addition, some of the properties and potential applications which continue to drive research in the field are summarized. For those with greater familiarity with the field, the objective is to argue for the concept of contact injection of charge carriers as a fundamental basis of the conduction mechanism. The argument is based on the observation of asymmetric electrode effects with both ac and dc properties. The primary difficulty in both research and application of such films lies with drift and lack of reproducibility, problems which may now be resolved by use of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or atomic force microscope (AFM) for structural control.
Feasible Trajectory Generation for Atmospheric Entry Guidance

Author(s): Leavitt, JA; Mease, KD | Abstract: An atmospheric entry trajectory planner is developed that generates a feasible trajectory and associated bank angle profile. Feasibility denotes that the initial and final state conditions, the path and control constraints, and the nominal equations of motion are all satisfied. Feasible trajectories are easier to track, and thus enhanced performance is expected when the trajectory planner is combined with a tracking law for entry guidance. Insights from computing maximum crossrange trajectories are factored into the design of the planner, and as a result that it can generate trajectories to most of the landing footprint Drag profile design is central in the planning approach, but in addition both longitudinal and lateral motions are accounted for, including bank reversal planning, and the assumption of zero flight path angle is not required. Comparisons of trajectories created by the new planner and optimal trajectories and guidance simulation results using an algorithm based on the new planner demonstrate the performance improvements.
Lootable resources and third-party intervention into civil wars:

Third parties intervene in ongoing civil wars frequently and at times with nefarious intentions. In this paper, we consider the possibility that lootable natural resources motivate third parties to intervene in wars on the side of the opposition. Such resources offer a host of benefits to the intervener, including resource extraction and greater likelihood of rebel success. When rebels have access to lootable resources, we hypothesize that third parties will be more likely to intervene on the side of the rebels and simultaneously less likely to intervene on behalf of the government. Rare-events logit and split population (mixture-cure) survival models, in conjunction with close attention to the mechanisms found in individual cases, offer support for the theoretical argument. This paper advances our understanding of the motivations for intervention into civil war by highlighting the largely neglected role of economic factors in motivating opposition-biased interventions. It further adds insights into the r...
Vitamin D3 repletion in chronic kidney disease stage 3: effects on blood endotoxin activity, inflammatory cytokines, and intestinal permeability.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population and even more prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels have been associated with cardiovascular disease, though a definitive mechanistic link has not been established. Further, it is unclear if repleting vitamin D mitigates the excess risk observed in epidemiologic studies. Because vitamin D may regulate innate immunity and gut epithelial differentiation, we hypothesized that oral cholecalciferol (D3) would result in decreased blood endotoxin activity, a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Study design, setting & participants, intervention: We studied 12 stable outpatients with CKD stage 3 and 25(OH)D deficiency, who received D3 30,000 units weekly for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in blood endotoxin activity. Results: Baseline endotoxin activity correlated with 25(OH)D levels (r = –0.60, p = 0.04). Endotoxin activity decreased by 25% from baseline (p =...
Prasugrel development - claims and achievements.

The priority task to develop better and safer antiplatelet agents is difficult to overestimate. In fact, oral antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin in ISIS-2 study, and clopidogrel in COMMIT mega trial in moderate doses are among the very few classes of drugs, which lead to the absolute mortality reduction benefit in patients after acute vascular thrombotic events. Prasugrel is an experimental thienopyridine, and irreversible antagonist of ADP P2Y12 receptor leading to inhibition of platelet activation and aggregation. The recent TRITON trial, assessing head-to-head prasugrel versus standard of care clopidogrel, both on top of aspirin, reveals numerous controversies with regard to the trial design, definition of events, interpretation of the results, and suitability of the high maintenance prasugrel dose for chronic preventive human use. We critically review various aspects of prasugrel development, focusing on the discrepancies between claims and achievements. We conclude that the benefits of prasugrel are overestimated, and the risks, especially during chronic use are underestimated. Very careful maintenance-dose selection with the main focus on long-term safety profile for the new agents will become a key to success for the future oral antiplatelet drug development.
Fiber Inline Core–Cladding-Mode Mach–Zehnder Interferometer Fabricated by Two-Point CO $_{2}$ Laser Irradiations

We report a fiber inline Mach-Zehnder-type core-cladding-mode interferometer fabricated by two-point CO2 laser irradiations on a single-mode fiber. The laser irradiations caused efficient light coupling from the core mode to the lower order cladding modes and vise versa. High-quality interference spectra with a fringe visibility of about 20 dB were observed for four different interferometer lengths (5, 10, 20, and 40 mm). The temperature sensitivity of the device with a length of 5 mm was measured to be 0.0817 nm/degC. The sensitivity for refractive index measurement of the device was comparable with a long-period fiber grating of LP04 cladding mode.
A Test of the Uniformly Rotating Source Hypothesis for the South Equatorial Belt Disturbances on Jupiter

Uniformly rotating source hypothesis for catastrophic Jupiter south equatorial belt disturbances tested with computer
A conserved mechanism for steroid receptor translocation to the plasma membrane.

Multiple steroid receptors (SR) have been proposed to localize to the plasma membrane. Some structural elements for membrane translocation of the estrogen receptor α (ERα) have been described, but the mechanisms relevant to other steroid receptors are entirely unknown. Here, we identify a highly conserved 9 amino acid motif in the ligand binding domains (E domains) of human/mouse ERα and ERβ, progesterone receptors A and B, and the androgen receptor. Mutation of the phenylalanine or tyrosine at position–2, cysteine at position 0, and hydrophobic isoleucine/leucine or leucine/leucine combinations at positions +5/6, relative to cysteine, significantly reduced membrane localization, MAP and PI 3-kinase activation, thymidine incorporation into DNA, and cell viability, stimulated by specific SR ligands. The localization sequence mediated palmitoylation of each SR, which facilitated caveolin-1 association, subsequent membrane localization, and steroid signaling. Palmitoylation within the E domain is therefore a crucial modification for membrane translocation and function of classical sex steroid receptors.
Microscopic analysis of t-->+ 12 C scattering

Optical model calculations with double-folded microscopic real central and spin-orbit potentials and an imaginary Woods-Saxon potential have been carried out for previously reported t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${+}^{12}$C and $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ elastic scattering data. The t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${+}^{12}$C calculations are not able to reproduce the changes in the measured analyzing powers as a function of bombarding energy, whereas they do describe the t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${+}^{58}$Ni data. This analysis suggests that information about the cluster-core t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${+}^{12}$C spin-orbit potential, necessary for cluster structure calculations, cannot be determined without considerably more data. Three-particle-transfer reactions leading to $^{15}\mathrm{N}$ show numerous structures that could appear in the t${+}^{12}$C entrance channel. Excitation functions are needed for both the elastic and 4.43 MeV first excited state in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ if this scattering is to be understood.
A framework for understanding and improving multisite evaluations

Multisite evaluations are increasingly being used by the federal government and large foundations. A framework for understanding the variations among multisite evaluations and developing ways to improve them is presented in this chapter.
Factors associated with lapses to heroin use during methadone maintenance

This prospective, observational study investigated factors predicting a lapse to heroin use in 74 heroin-abstinent methadone maintenance patients. After baseline data collection, participants were assessed twice per week for 7 weeks and again at 6 months after baseline. Proportional hazards regression and logistic regression were used to investigate the effects of study predictors on heroin use. A goal of absolute heroin abstinence consistently predicted a lower risk of a lapse, whereas marijuana use was associated with a greater risk. Stress variables were not predictive. The abstinence goal and stress results were consistent with the authors' previous studies of other drug treatment samples. This line of research suggests that factors influencing lapses are similar across drug treatment populations and the role of stress in precipitating relapse remains unresolved.