cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
pKa calculations of aliphatic amines, diamines, and aminoamides via density functional theory with a Poisson-Boltzmann continuum solvent model.

In order to make reliable predictions of the acid−base properties of macroligands with a large number of ionizable sites such as dendrimers, one needs to develop and validate computational methods that accurately estimate the acidity constants (pKa) of their chemical building blocks. In this article, we couple density functional theory (B3LYP) with a Poisson−Boltzmann continuum solvent model to calculate the aqueous pKa of aliphatic amines, diamines, and aminoamides, which are building blocks for several classes of dendrimers. No empirical correction terms were employed in the calculations except for the free energy of solvation of the proton (H+) adjusted to give the best match with experimental data. The use of solution-phase optimized geometries gives calculated pKa values in excellent agreement with experimental measurements. The mean absolute error is 0.5 pKa ...
Error Correcting Codes

The identification number schemes we discussed in the previous chapter give us the ability to determine if an error has been made in recording or transmitting information. However, they are limited in two ways. First, the types of errors detected are fairly restrictive, e.g. single digit errors or interchanging digits. Second, they provide no way to recover the intended information. Some more sophisticated ideas and mathematical concepts enable methods to encoding and transmit information in ways that allow both detection and correction of errors. There are many applications of these so-called error correcting codes, among them transmission of digital images from planetary probes and playing compact discs and DVD movies.
Analysis of turbulent bending moments in tidal current boundary layers

As ocean current turbines move from the design stage into production and installation, a better understanding of localized loading is required in order to more accurately predict turbine performance and durability. In this study, large eddy simulations (LES) of tidal boundary layers without turbines are used to measure the turbulent bending moments that would be experienced by an ocean current turbine placed in a tidal channel. The LES model captures turbulence due to winds, waves, thermal convection, and tides, thereby providing a high degree of physical realism, and bending moments are calculated for an idealized infinitely thin circular rotor disc. Probability density functions of bending moments are calculated and detailed statistical measures of the turbulent environment are also examined, including vertical profiles of Reynolds stresses, two-point velocity correlations, and velocity structure functions. The simulations show that waves and tidal velocity have the largest impacts on the strength of be...
Interactions between endothelial cells and the cells of the immune system.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the interactions between endothelial cells and the cells of the immune system. Lymphocytes are motile cells, migrating from blood into lymphoid organs or sites of inflammation and then back to blood via the lymphatics. This process, known as lymphocyte recirculation, is of critical importance in the functioning of the immune system as it facilitates interactions between antigen-specific clones of lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in secondary lymphoid organs or sites o f inflammation. Thus, for the immune system to function properly, lymphocytes should adhere to, and then migrate through, the endothelial cells (ECs) of the vasculature. Based on in vitro studies, it has been suggested that vascular ECs can be capable of acting as APCs during the adhesion event. In addition to this direct interaction, it is also clear that the cells of the immune system, both lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, interact with ECs in an indirect way, by means of soluble factors known as cytokines.
Justifications Offered, Questions Asked, and Linguistic Patterns in Deceptive and Truthful Monetary Interactions

In this study, we investigate verbal production in people playing a monetary negotiation game who freely chose to lie or tell the truth. Participants were randomly assigned to the role of allocator or recipient; the allocator divided a small amount of money and was tasked with convincing the recipient to accept their share. Allocators were free to lie, and 30 % did. Our goal is to investigate the use of justifications, questions, and linguistics to assess if these factors differ between those telling the truth, lying by omission, and lying by commission. We find that liars were more likely to use some types of justifications, while truth-tellers were more likely to assert that their offer was fair. Recipient questions were unrelated to successful detection of deception, and linguistic patterns were largely non-significant, with the exception of liars using more negations. We also find no connection between emotions felt by allocators (more guilt for liars) and linguistic patterns, replicating past results. We discuss how these results mesh with past findings, offer discussion about what this means for the field, and consider where research on linguistic differences between liars and truth-tellers should go next.
The Emergent Romanian Post-Communist Ethos From Nationalism to Privatism

More than ten years after the fall of communism, Romanians are far more concerned with personal goals than communal issues.
Mid-Infrared Photothermal Imaging

In photothermal imaging label-free characterization of molecular vibrational bonds is combined with spatial information. A mid-infrared photothermal system with high specificity and sensitivity using a near-infrared fiber and a tunable quantum cascade laser is presented.
A Cantor set of nonconvergence

(1989). A Cantor Set of Nonconvergence. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 96, No. 7, pp. 604-608.
Adventitious Microbes Can Affect the Safety and Quality of Cheese: Microbial contaminants in milk or introduced later during production can lower cheese yields, lead to defects, and raise food safety concerns

The microbiological quality and safety of cheese begin with milk. Its abundance of nutrients, high moisture, and near-neutral pH make it an excellent growth medium not only for the microorganisms that are used for making cheese but for adventitious microorganisms, including those that spoil milk and cheeses and those that cause illness in humans, as well.
Subtidal Exchange in Eastern Long Island Sound

AbstractLong Island Sound (LIS) is a large and wide macrotidal estuary with distributed river inputs, including the Connecticut River (the largest freshwater source) that flows into the eastern LIS near the mouth. In 2010, shipboard surveys of salinity, temperature, and currents were collected along an across-estuary transect in eastern LIS. Numerical model results are compared to these observations and used to study the spatial and temporal variability of salinity, velocity, and freshwater and salt fluxes over a 4-yr period. For all low wind conditions, observations and model results indicate an outward-flowing, low-salinity wedge on the south side with an inward-flowing, higher-salinity area underneath and to the north. Observations and model results during the low wind surveys indicate that stratification substantially decreases with increased tidal amplitude and decreased river discharge; the velocity field is less variable among surveys. Model analysis indicates strong sensitivities to both tides and...
The effect of VATs on government balance sheets

The value-added tax, VAT, has become a popular means of raising funds for governments around the world. Countries seeking to reduce variation in tax revenues as well as raise revenue to solve deficits often consider a VAT, and the IMF in particular has become an advocate for the tax for countries seeking tax reform. For all its popularity, its ability to deliver on these promises remains understudied. Countries with a lower cost of raising funds may instead choose to spend more instead of paying down their debts. This paper uses matching techniques to estimate the impact of a VAT on government debts and deficits. The tax is associated with falls in central government debt and deficits as well as expenditures as a share of GDP. There is limited evidence of increases in tax revenue and increases in stability of government spending. The choice of VAT rate is positively correlated with deficit reduction, and the effects of the tax are heterogeneous with respect to the probability of adoption of the treatment and what taxes it is replacing.
Intracellular dissipative structures (IDS) as ultimate targets of chemical cytotoxicity.

The primary objective of this communication is to present a general theory of chemically induced cell injury and cell death that is based partly on experimental observations on acetaminophen hepatotoxicity (Ji et al., 1985a) and partly on a recently developed theoretical model of the living cell called the Bhopalator (Ji, 1985a, b). First, we will summarize experimental data on acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. Second, the Bhopalator model of the living cell will be described. Finally, the idea that the universal mechanistic features of all chemical cytotoxicity can be recognized only at the level of intracellular dissipative structures (IDS) will be elaborated.
Antihypertensive Activity of Metyrosine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and its Enhancement by Carbidopa

1. Metyrosine (l-α-methyl-p-tyrosine, Demser), an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, has moderate antihypertensive activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (20–40 mmHg fall in mean arterial pressure) at 20–80 mg/kg intraperitoneally or 80 mg/kg orally. The maximal effect is reached at 4 h after treatment and the duration of action exceeds 12 h. 2. A peripheral inhibitor of amino acid decarboxylase, carbidopa ([—]-l-α-hydrazino-3,4-dihydroxy-α-methylbenzenepropanoic acid monohydrate), (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally) has little or no antihypertensive activity alone but if administered 5 min before metyrosine, it greatly enhances the antihypertensive potency of metyrosine. The relative potency of metyrosine + carbidopa (both intraperitoneally), as compared with metyrosine alone, was 74 with 95% confidence limits of 31 and 142. 3. In another series of experiments, the antihypertensive activity of metyrosine (80 mg/kg orally) was enhanced and prolonged by carbidopa, (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally). This effect was independent of the interval between administration of the two drugs (5 or 45 min). 4. Metyrosine (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally), reduced brain and heart noradrenaline concentrations in spontaneously hypertensive rats as determined 6 h after treatment. Carbidopa (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally) slightly enhanced the noradrenaline-depleting effect of metyrosine in the whole brain but not in the heart. 5. After metyrosine or carbidopa + metyrosine, low concentrations of α-methyldopamine were found in the brain of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Methyldopa at the same dose (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally) produced a 10 times greater increase in α-methyldopamine concentrations. 6. The inhibition by carbidopa of noradrenaline synthesis in sympathetic nerve endings in the heart and in peripheral blood vessels may be at least partially responsible for the carbidopa-induced enhancement of the antihypertensive action of metyrosine.
Lessening the Impacts from Non-Tectonic (Natural) Hazards and Triggered Events

Floods are a global problem. They are predictable to some degree by weather forecasting but to a greater degree and with more accuracy when drainage basin monitoring equipment is in place. This includes stream gauges that telemeter the elevation of stream/river surface in a channel and the rate of water flow to a central computing station. The computed data from the telemetered sites plus the input of stream/river channel cross-sections data allow prediction of where flooding will be a problem, when the flooding will reach an area, and to what level out of a channel (magnitude) the flood is estimated to reach. This gives the populations at risk of the flooding early warnings (hours, days) and time to prepare for the floodwaters or to gather important documents and evacuate to safe higher ground.
Determining Gene­Environment Interaction Using Projected Score Method:

The present article proposes a new method for estimating multiplicative interactions between genetic and environmental factor on the risk of a dbease using projected score approach (Waterman and Lindsay {1996a, b)). First we review the existing methods for determining gene­environment interactions through case­control study and case­only study design. Then we discuss the proposed method based on projection theory. We derive an unbiased estimating equation for estimating the parameter of interest and then derive its asymptotic standard error. In addition, we derive a score statistic based on the derived estimating equation. The advantage of using the proposed method are : 1. Gain in efficiency of the parameter estimate and 2. Robustness to the other model parameters and gene­environment independence assumption. We apply the proposed method to a real case­control data on lung cancer. Finally, we compare the existing methods with the proposed method through a small simulation study which shows that the propo...
The PowerPC Reference Platform and machine abstractions

The PowerPC Reference Platform specification is an open specification whose goal is to create an industry standard for building PowerPC based computer systems. This standard allows for compatible differentiation between systems, that is, the ability for systems designers to substantially differentiate their hardware platform from other systems and still remain compatible with targeted operating systems and their applications. This is achieved largely through the use of machine abstractions which isolate the operating system from the areas of hardware most likely to change. >
Exposure to Violence and Conflict: Exploring Predictors of Unauthorized Migration to the USA

Recent shifts in the demographic composition of unauthorized immigration in the USA, along with an increase in asylum applications and concerns over human rights violations, have prompted new efforts to evaluate the effects of violence and conflict on current migration patterns. Prominent research in migration studies tends to focus on forced migratory movements or the migration of unaccompanied children, exposing a critical gap on the impact of exposure to violence among asylum seekers and migrants. Guided by a framework of threat-based decision-making, this article presents findings from a secondary data analysis using aggregate macro-level indicators by country (n = 157) for homicide rate, level of violent conflict, gross national income, and income inequality to predict apprehension (i.e., arrest) rates recorded by the US Department of Homeland Security, as a proxy for unauthorized migration. Findings indicate that the homicide rate and level of conflict in the country of origin are significant predictors of unauthorized migration, when accounting for distance and economic factors. Implications for immigration policy and practices related to immigration detention are discussed, as well as the need for macro-level interventions. Future research on individual or survey data may provide further insight into the impact of violence on a micro level.
Streptococcus pneumoniae IgA1 protease: A metalloprotease that can catalyze in a split manner in vitro

IgA1 proteases (IgA1P) from diverse pathogenic bacteria specifically cleave human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) at the hinge region, thereby thwarting protective host immune responses. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) IgA1P shares no sequence conservation with serine or cysteine types of IgA1Ps or other known proteins, other than a conserved HExxH Zn-binding motif (1604-1608) found in metalloproteases. We have developed a novel expression system to produce the mature S. pneumoniae IgA1P and we have discovered that this form is both attached to the bacterial cell surface and released in its full form. Our data demonstrate that the S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises two distinct regions that associate to form an active metalloprotease, the first such example of a metalloprotease that can be split in vitro and recombined to form an active enzyme. By capitalizing on this novel domain architecture, we show that the N-terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P comprises the primary binding region for IgA1, although the C-terminal region of S. pneumoniae IgA1P is necessary for cleavage of IgA1. Our findings lend insight into the protein domain architecture of the S. pneumoniae IgA1P and function of this important virulence factor for S. pneumoniae infection.
Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Retroviruses

Retroviruses are one of the most widespread and probably the most biologically diverse group of infectious agents of vertebrates. Virtually all mammals—as well as some birds, reptiles, and fish—have yielded infectious retroviruses when examined sufficiently closely. Within a species, the viruses isolated can display considerable diversity of biological properties. For example, within the group of closely related murine leukemia viruses are found agents which differ in receptors used for infection; in mode of transmission for genetic (as endogenous germline proviruses) to horizontal and vertical (via milk or infection in utero); in pathogenicity from benign to highly virulent; and in disease spectrum from a variety of malignancies of varying latency to immunodeficiencies, anemias, neurological diseases, and others.
Comment: The virtual neurologist.

In 1999, Levine and Gorman1 introduced telestroke as the first major application of telemedicine to neurology. Today telestroke is standard care globally. Now, Muller et al.2 have conducted one of the largest teleneurology clinical trials for nonacute headaches.
Materials science: Chemistry and physics happily wed

A major advance in the quantum theory of solids allows materials to be identified whose electronic states have a non-trivial topology. Such materials could have many computing and electronics applications. See Article p.298 Chemists and physicists have traditionally fostered very different perspectives on energy band theory. Barry Bradlyn et al. have developed a new and complete theory to calculate electronic band structure with the unique feature that it can be used to determine for any material whether it is topologically trivial or not. The theory consists of several parts, joining up the conventional band structure approach, which considers electron properties in non-local, momentum space, with a local viewpoint of chemical bonding and interactions. The authors classify the band structures for all 230 symmetry groups and show how this can be used to search for previously undiscovered materials with interesting topological properties.
A new method for sequencing the hypervariable Plasmodium falciparum gene var2csa from clinical samples.

VAR2CSA, a member of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family, mediates the binding of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes to chondroitin sulfate A, a surface-associated molecule expressed in placental cells, and plays a central role in the pathogenesis of placental malaria. VAR2CSA is a target of naturally acquired immunity and, as such, is a leading vaccine candidate against placental malaria. This protein is very polymorphic and technically challenging to sequence. Published var2csa sequences, mostly limited to specific domains, have been generated through the sequencing of cloned PCR amplicons using capillary electrophoresis, a method that is both time consuming and costly, and that performs poorly when applied to clinical samples that are commonly polyclonal. A next-generation sequencing platform, Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), offers an alternative approach to overcome these issues. PCR primers were designed that target a 5 kb segment in the 5′ end of var2csa and the resulting amplicons were sequenced using PacBio sequencing. The primers were optimized using two laboratory strains and were validated on DNA from 43 clinical samples, extracted from dried blood spots on filter paper or from cryopreserved P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Sequence reads were assembled using the SMRT-analysis ConsensusTools module. Here, a PacBio sequencing-based approach for recovering a segment encoding the majority of VAR2CSA’s extracellular region is described; this segment includes the totality of the first four domains in the 5′ end of var2csa (~5 kb), from clinical malaria samples. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated, showing a high success rate from cryopreserved samples and more limited success from dried blood spots stored at room temperature, and characterized the genetic variation of the var2csa locus. This method will facilitate a detailed analysis of var2csa genetic variation and can be adapted to sequence other hypervariable P. falciparum genes.
Reducing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers using bundle methodology in pediatric and neonatal patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: An integrative review and call to action.

Purpose This review focuses on identifying (1) evidence of the effectiveness of care bundle methodology to reduce hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) in pediatric and neonatal patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy and (2) barriers to implementing HAPU care bundles in this at-risk population. Design and Methods An integrative review was conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A search of the scientific literature was performed. Studies included were published between January 2011 and February 2016. A total of seven articles met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from each published article and analyzed to identify common themes, specifically bundle methodology and barriers to implementing HAPU bundles, in this population. Results There is limited research on effectiveness of care bundle methodology in reducing HAPUs in children, and no research specific to its effectiveness in pediatric or neonatal ECMO patients. No research was identified studying barriers to implementation of HAPU care bundles in this population. Practice Implications Nurses are well poised to test innovative strategies to prevent HAPUs. Nurses should consider implementing and testing bundle methodology to reduce HAPU in this at-risk population, and conduct research to identify any barriers to implementing this strategy. There is literature to support the use of nurses as unit-based skin care champions to facilitate teamwork and reliable use of the bundle, both critical components to the success of bundle methodology.
Justice for All? Suspension Bans and Restorative Justice Programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

To address disproportionalities in suspensions for students of color, many districts have prohibited schools from suspending students for willful defiance of school authorities and implemented rest...
Reactive Deposition of Ultrathin Conformal Vanadium Pentoxide within Carbon Nanotube Buckypaper in Supercritical Fluid CO2 for Electrochemical Capacitor

Vanadium oxide carbon nanotubes sheets (buckypaper) composite electrodes were fabricated by supercritical fluid deposition to produce high performance, binder-free electrochemical capacitor electrodes. The precursor vanadium acetylacetonate (V(acac)3) was deposited using carbon dioxide within the buckypaper followed by in situ oxidation by oxygen. The deposition process, and the morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of the composite electrodes, were analyzed in detail. Continuous ultrathin layers of V2O5 (up to ∼1 nm) of high conformity were deposited on the carbon nanotubes and uniformly distributed throughout the buckypaper, which was up to ∼200 μm thick. Compared to deposition by physical adsorption, substantially higher loading of the vanadium oxide was achieved, which resulted in excellent electrode performance. For example, a composite with 50 wt % of V2O5 was achieved, which had a total capacitance of 187 F/g in KCl aqueous electrolyte.
Evidence of photoacclimatization at mesophotic depths in the coral- Symbiodinium symbiosis at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and McGrail Bank

Similar to shallower conspecifics, mesophotic scleractinian corals found at ~ 30–150 m depths maintain important symbioses with photosynthetic microalgae in the genus Symbiodinium. Despite the importance of coral-algal symbioses in corals’ ability to thrive in multiple dynamic environments and potential role in connectivity, few studies have focused on mesophotic Symbiodinium assemblages. This study examines these assemblages in Montastraea cavernosa found at shallow (20–25 m) and mesophotic (45–50 m) depths at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and McGrail Bank, in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Mesophotic corals contained significantly more Symbiodinium cells, more chlorophyll a per Symbiodinium cell, and more chlorophyll a and c2 per unit area coral tissue than shallow corals. However, both mesophotic and shallow M. cavernosa contained similar chlorophyll c2 per Symbiodinium cell. Next-generation sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA indicated similar Symbiodinium assemblage diversity at all banks and between depths. All assemblages were dominated by sequences most closely related to S. goreaui, type C1, with three additional low-abundance sequences, identified as 2 C types and 1 A type, also consistently observed among colonies. Both the dominant C1 sequence and the background sequences persisted over two sampling years. These results suggest that algal symbiont assemblages will not limit connectivity potential in M. cavernosa in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, we hypothesize that increased Symbiodinium abundance may represent an effective light-harvesting strategy on light-limited mesophotic coral reefs.
Compartmentation of Hexokinase and Creatine Phosphokinase, Cellular Regulation, and Insulin Action

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on two enzymes, hexokinase (HK) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK), and their compartmentation in association with mitochondria. It discusses how hexokinase might be influenced by insulin in the creation or maintenance of a compartment affecting cellular metabolism in a significant way. In the acceptor theory of insulin action, the energy is supplied by enhanced mitochondrial activity. This model is based on the proposition that insulin induces a coupling of hexokinase to an energy-generating site in the mitochondrion. This attachment creates a “compartment” in which the efficiency of two processes, specifically the transfer of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to hexokinase and the return of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to the oxidative phosphorylation site, is increased.
Race, Legal Cynicism, and the Machine Politics of Drug Law Enforcement in Chicago

Using a wide array of official and unofficial data spanning two decades in the neighborhoods of Chicago, we explore connections between legal cynicism, the electoral regime of Mayor Richard M. Daley, and citizen calls for police assistance and police reports of drug crime. We find that the disproportionate concentration of legal cynicism about law enforcement in African American neighborhoods played a prominent and insufficiently understood role in building opposition to Mayor Daley’s political machine. This race linked legal cynicism was grounded in neighborhood concerns about effective prevention of and protection from drug crime. The more punitive than preventative and protective approach to drug law enforcement that characterized the politics of the Daley crime machine contributed to a legacy that foreshadowed the growing and ultimately explosive demands for new mechanisms of police accountability in Chicago.
Fractional-order Internal Model Based Frequency Self-adaption Control for Active Power Filter

Precise current tracking is one of the important techniques to ensure the compensation performance of shunt active power filter (SAPF). Repetitive control is favored for its superior steady-state accuracy, but it has the problem of poor adaptability when frequency changes. This paper proposes a fractional-order internal model based frequency self-adaption control strategy. Fractional-order theory is introduced and Lagrange interpolation algorithm is implemented to achieve the superimposed fractional models. Parameter of the fractional delay link is designed and frequency characteristics of different methods are compared. Finally, this paper’s strategy is used on a SAPF prototype and experiments are carried out.
COMICS: A pipeline for the composite identification of selection across multiple genomic scans using Invariant Coordinate Selection in R

Abstract Identifying loci that are under selection versus those that are evolving neutrally is a common challenge in evolutionary genetics. Moreover, with the increase in sequence data, genomic studies have begun to incorporate the use of multiple methods to identify candidate loci under selection. Composite methods are usually implemented to transform the data into a multi-dimensional scatter where outliers are identified using a distance metric, the most common being Mahalanobis distance. However, studies have shown that the power of Mahalanobis distance reduces as the number of dimensions increases. Because the number of methods for detecting selection continue to grow, this is an undesirable feature of Mahalanobis distance. Other composite methods such as invariant coordinate selection (ICS) have proven to be a robust method for identifying outliers in multi-dimensional space; though, this method has not been implemented for genomic data. Here we use simulated genomic data to test the performance of ICS in identifying outlier loci from multiple selection scans and compare the results to the performance of Mahalanobis distances. We show that the ICS out performed Mahalanobis distance in all aspects including false positives, false negatives, and recall. Furthermore, ICS also performed better when identifying loci with weaker selection coefficients. We also introduce a pipeline in a R-Shiny smart wrapper environment that implements the ICS on multiple scans of selection. Importantly, we show that the ICS is a robust method for identifying outliers in multi-dimensional space and recommend its use for studies aimed at identifying loci under selection in the genome.
Impacts of feeding a flax-seed based feed supplement on productive and reproductive performance of early lactation multiparous Holstein cows

Research conducted over the past 50 years has shown that the general health of dairy cows (i.e., immunity and uterine health) as well as pregnancy rates (i.e., fertilization and embryo development) can be improved through enhanced post-ruminal delivery, and absorption, of poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially omega-3 (n-3) PUFA. Since flax-seed contains very high concentrations of n-3 PUFA relative to other oilseeds, our objective was to evaluate effects of substituting conventional ration ingredients (mainly Pima cottonseed) with a flax-seed based product ‘LinPRO-R’ on production, reproduction and health of multiparous Holstein cows through 150 days in milk (DIM). The LinPRO-R is designed to be a rumen stable, free flowing source of n-3 FA created using dry extrusion. Pens of ˜315 early lactation cows were offered rations formulated to contain 0 g/kg (NoLin), 25 g/kg (LoLin) and 50 g/kg (HiLin) dry matter (DM) of LinPro. Samples were collected monthly for 5 months after assignment to treatment at 13.4 ± 0.84 DIM. The DM intake was unaffected by treatment while milk and component yields all increased (P < 0.05) for LinPro fed cows. However milk variables and BCS all had treatment*DIM interactions (P < 0.05) which indicated different responses to the three diets in the 1st ˜80 days post treatment assignment. Feeding LinPro successfully transferred dietary n-3 PUFA into milk, with marked increases in the n-3 to n-6 FA ratio versus the NoLin diet, thereby improving the health-related quality of milk to its human consumers. Milk SCC were quadratically affected (P = 0.05) by LinPro feeding, with lowest SCC occurring for the LoLin fed cows, although SCC as linear score was not treatment impacted. In addition, the proportion of cows culled for mastitis were substantively lower in both LinPro fed groups versus the NoLin group, suggesting improved health of LinPro fed cows. The 1st service conception rate was lower (P < 0.05) for both LinPro groups, although 2nd service conception rates were similar among all groups. Rapid and substantial BCS losses observed with the LoLin group in the 1st ˜80 DIM was rapidly regained after 85 DIM, and maintained through 150 DIM. Overall, results suggest improved animal health, lower conception rates, higher milk yield and improved nutritional value of milk for both LinPro groups versus the NoLin group. However, the lower 1st service conception rate when feeding flax-seed as LinPro, which is not consistent with many previous studies, suggests that the potential positive effects of higher PUFA absorption on conception rates observed in previous studies were likely negated by higher BCS losses in this study.
Estimating reservoir evaporation losses for the United States: Fusing remote sensing and modeling approaches

Abstract Evaporation from open surface water is a critical and continuous process in the water cycle. Globally, evaporation losses from reservoirs are estimated to be greater than the combined consumption from industrial and domestic water uses. However, this large volume of water loss is only coarsely considered in modern water resources management practices due to the complexities involved with quantifying these losses. By fusing remote sensing and modeling approaches, this study developed a novel method to accurately estimate the evaporation losses from 721 reservoirs in the contiguous United States (CONUS). Reservoir surface areas were extracted and enhanced from the Landsat based Global Surface Water Dataset (GSWD) from March 1984 to October 2015. The evaporation rate was modeled using the Penman Equation in which the lake heat storage term was considered. Validation results using in situ observations suggest that this approach can significantly improve the accuracy of the simulated monthly reservoir evaporation rate. The evaporation losses were subsequently estimated as the product of the surface area and evaporation rate. This paper presents a first of its kind, comprehensively validated, locally practical, and continentally consistent reservoir evaporation dataset. The results suggest that the long term averaged annual evaporation volume from these 721 reservoirs is 33.73 × 109 m3, which is equivalent to 93% of the annual public water supply of the United States (in 2010). An increasing trend of the evaporation rate (0.0076 mm/d/year) and a slightly decreasing trend of the total surface area (−0.011 × 109 m2/year) were both detected during the study period. As a result, the total evaporation shows an insignificant trend, yet with significant spatial heterogeneity. This new reservoir evaporation dataset can help facilitate more efficient water management practices.
Anthropology of tourism in central and Eastern Europe: bridging worlds: edited by Sabina Owsianowska and Magdalena Banaszkiewicz, Lanham, Lexington Books, 2018, xiv + 334 pp., $110 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-4985-4381-1 / $104.50 (ebook), ISBN 978-1-4985-4382-8

Sabina Owsianowska and Magdalena Banaszkiewicz’s volume metaphorically describes the anthropology of tourism as a ‘meeting on a road’ (ix) that is both physical ‘(when the anthropologist goes out t...
ROLLINS IN SHANGHAI: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN CHINA

Globalizing the educational experience for undergraduate students – especially in emerging market societies - can take place through a variety of models, most of which involve outsourcing most of the education and the experience. The Rollins in Shanghai program, instead, is based on Rollins faculty and students together for a semester in an environment that integrates formal and experiential education. This involves an administrative commitment to finance such an undertaking, the willingness of faculty to teach abroad for a semester, the creation and delivery of new courses focused around China, development of a wide range of experiential activities across China, and students ready for learning about and experiencing China. The academic program offers a wide array of courses based on liberal arts principles of multiple perspectives, historical and cultural depth and critical thinking. The outcome is to educate students for a global life.
Some Correspondence with Paul Samuelson on Economic Theory: An Intimate Memoir

This memoir presents some extracts from the correspondence and conversations between Paul Samuelson and me about topics in economic theory over a period of fifty-three years. It is an informal intellectual biography, not a research paper. It is of interest because it presents previously unpublished comments that Samuelson made on major questions that arose in the course of the development of economic theory during his lifetime. His letters illuminate those questions with scientific analyses and enliven his treatment of them with frank expression of opinions about the work and personalities of many leading economists. The memoir also reveals the personal qualities that he had to an extraordinary degree: steadfastness of friendship, intellectual integrity, graciousness, receptivity, and generosity.
18 – Flow Cytometric Analysis of Toxic Chemical-induced Alterations in Testicular Cell Kinetics and Sperm Chromatin Structure

Publisher Summary The tremendous capacity of flow cytometry for rapidly measuring the multiparameters of male reproductive cells makes it a very valuable instrument for evaluating the toxic action of chemicals on germ-cell function. Within only 5–10 min, thousands of testicular cells can be measured to determine whether a potential toxin has affected cell metabolism and/or the kinetics of growth and differentiation. The sperm chromatin structure assay is a sensitive means for monitoring toxin-induced damage to sperm chromatin structure as it is related to infertility and induced mutations. The technique is simple and highly reproducible and is a useful test for the risk assessment of drugs and environmental chemicals. There is continued and growing concern over the reproductive consequences to public health created by the large and complex array of environmental and industrial chemicals. Although the field of reproductive toxicology utilizes a number of established assays to characterize the potential damage of chemicals and other agents, new approaches and assays are needed for the rapid characterization of a large number of newly appearing chemicals. The mammalian testis is characterized by a very high rate of cell proliferation and complex patterns of cell differentiation. Therefore the male reproductive tract is very sensitive to chemical toxins that can pass through the blood–testis barrier. This emphasizes the importance of testing chemicals for damaging effects to sperm in terms of fertility and also induction of mutations.
CHAPTER 4 – POSSIBLE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THE RELEASE AND MODULATION OF RELEASE OF NEUROACTIVE AGENTS

Although it is almost universally assumed that exocytosis is the mechanism whereby the release of neuroactive agents is effected, a critical examination of the evidence reveals that other mechanisms may be operative. Possibilities involving gating mechanisms include Na+, K+-ATPase, protein phosphorylation, protein carboxymethylation, the “phosphatidyl inositol effect” and lipid transmethylation. Because of the speed of neurotransmitter release, the more leisurely biochemical cascades are more likely referable to modulation of release rather than functioning in the release process itself.
Construction and Application of an AMR Algorithm for Distributed Memory Computers

While the parallelization of blockstructured adaptive mesh refinement techniques is relatively straight-forward on shared memory architectures, appropriate distribution strategies for the emerging generation of distributed memory machines are a topic of on-going research. In this paper, a localitypreserving domain decomposition is proposed that partitions the entire AMR hierarchy from the base level on. It is shown that the approach reduces the communication costs and simplifies the implementation. Emphasis is put on the effective parallelization of the flux correction procedure at coarse-fine boundaries, which is indispensable for conservative finite volume schemes. An easily reproducible standard benchmark and a highly resolved parallel AMR simulation of a diffracting hydrogen-oxygen detonation demonstrate the proposed strategy in practice.
Whose Dark Pasts? War Memories and the “Tunnel Vision” of the Nation: Dark Pasts: Changing the State’s Story in Turkey and Japan, by Jennifer M. Dixon, Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 2018, 276 pp., USD$55.00 (hardcover), ISBN 9781501730245

While I was reading Jennifer Dixon’s Dark Pasts, the new right-wing president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, was visiting Israel. While there Bolsonaro visited Israel’s main Holocaust memorial, Yad Vas...
Violence Against Women: Reflecting on 25 Years of the Violence Against Women Act and Directions for the Future

The year 2019 marked the 25th anniversary of the passage of the landmark legislation, the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As we reflect on the Act, it is important to examine how the VAWA influenced the response to violence against women. This guest editors' introduction provides a preview of five articles devoted to a special issue of Violence Against Women. The articles highlight key aspects of VAWA. With H.R. 15851 awaiting consideration by the Senate, we suggest that perhaps now is an appropriate time to assess the Act's impact.
Helping the Neighborhood: Creating a Sustainability Indicator of Substandard Housing

The social, health, and economic consequences of substandard housing are a threat to people and their environment. It is because of this that the proportion of people living in inadequate housing is one of the key indicators of goal 11 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although the goal makes explicit reference to slums, just the presence of substandard housing compromises the sustainability goals of any community. Determining the number of inadequate housing units in a community is crucial in order not only to understand the proportion of people living in such conditions but also to have the necessary data in planning for sustainability. The case study presented in this article aims to provide communities with a methodology for creating an indicator of inadequate housing for policymaking purposes. Specifically, this research aims to support implementation of goal 11 of the SDGs in these communities. Two indices aiming to measure inadequate housing were created using data from a community-based research project in a traditional inner-city neighborhood in the Midwestern United States. The housing quality index is created by using information from an assessment of exterior conditions of housing units. The value ratio index is created by using information contained in administrative records of tax assessments. The results and analysis presented in this paper not only validate the use of these measures but also show that communities could easily create them by using local resources.
The Barmen Declaration and the American Church

The faithful church took a brave stand for truth against the false German Christian Church in Nazi Germany with the Barmen Declaration. The Declaration serves as a good guide for the American Church which facing an increasingly secular and hostile culture and government.
Changes in initiation of adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer after state health reform

Socioeconomic differences in receipt of adjuvant treatment contribute to persistent disparities in breast cancer (BCA) outcomes, including survival. Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) substantially reduces recurrence risk and is recommended by clinical guidelines for nearly all women with hormone receptor-positive non-metastatic BCA. However, AET use among uninsured or underinsured populations has been understudied. The health reform implemented by the US state of Massachusetts in 2006 expanded health insurance coverage and increased the scope of benefits for many with coverage. This study examines changes in the initiation of AET among BCA patients in Massachusetts after the health reform. We used Massachusetts Cancer Registry data from 2004 to 2013 for a sample of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BCA surgical patients aged 20–64 years. We estimated multivariable regression models to assess differential changes in the likelihood initiating AET after Massachusetts health reform by area-level income, comparing women from lower- and higher-income ZIP codes in Massachusetts. There was a 5-percentage point (p-value< 0.001) relative increase in the likelihood of initiating AET among BCA patients aged 20–64 years in low-income areas, compared to higher-income areas, after the reform. The increase was more pronounced among younger patients aged 20–49 years (7.1-percentage point increase). The expansion of health insurance in Massachusetts was associated with a significant relative increase in the likelihood of AET initiation among women in low-income areas compared with those in high-income areas. Our results suggest that expansions of health insurance coverage and improved access to care can increase the number of eligible patients initiating AET and may ameliorate socioeconomic disparities in BCA outcomes.
The ABA Presidential Summit on Diversity in the Legal Profession - The Next Steps

In 2009, the American Bar Association conducted an intensive, year-long study of diversity in the legal profession in an attempt to ascertain the next steps for the Association and the profession to achieve the goals of elimination of bias and enhancement of diversity. This article reviews the fact-finding process that led up to the 2009 ABA Presidential Summit on Diversity in the Legal Profession, identifies the key themes that emerged, and summarizes the key points made that most directly affect the judiciary. Over the coming year, ABA President Carolyn Lamm has pledged to follow up on the past year's work and develop a more specific prioritized road map for the Association and the profession in their quest for diversity.
Stability of Whole Blood Electrolyte Specimens at Room Temperature vs. Slushed Ice Conditions.

BACKGROUND Data on the stability of whole blood electrolytes is limited to small sample sizes. We sought to determine the stability of whole blood electrolytes under room temperature and slushed iced conditions in human patients at a major hospital center. METHODS Whole blood samples were obtained from 203 patients hospitalized for various pathophysiological conditions. Electrolyte concentrations of sodium, potassium [K+], ionized calcium, and chloride were measured at 5 different timepoints spanning 3 h. Samples were stored at room temperature (22-24 °C) or under slushed ice conditions (0.1-0.2 °C) before analysis. RESULTS Under both conditions, sodium, ionized calcium, and chloride did not show a measurable change up to 109 min compared to baseline; however, the mean increase in [K+] over 138 min of storage in slushed ice was 0.0032 (0.0021 [5th percentile] to 0.0047 [95th percentile]) mmol/L/min (adjusted R2 = 0.62, P < 0.001). Five percent of the specimens demonstrated a ≥0.3 mmol/L change in [K+] from baseline after 67 min of storage in slushed ice. In contrast, 1% of the specimens stored at room temperature showed the same change at the same timepoint. CONCLUSIONS Whole blood sodium, [K+], ionized calcium, and chloride concentrations remain stable for at least 109 min at room temperature. However, whole blood specimens stored in slushed ice for not more than 67 min exhibit a 5% probability that the [K+] concentration will increase by at least 0.3 mmol/L compared to baseline. The other analytes do not destabilize for up to 178 min of slushed ice storage.