cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Longitudinal Study of Depressive Symptoms, Neuropsychological Functioning, and Medical Responsibility in Youth With Spina Bifida: Examining Direct and Mediating Pathways.

Objective Given the increased risk for cognitive deficits and development of depressive symptoms in youth with spina bifida (SB), this study aimed to examine two pathways through which depressive symptoms and neuropsychological dysfunction may be associated with medical autonomy in this population: (1) depressive symptoms as predictors of medical autonomy as mediated by attention/executive functioning (the cognitive scarring model), and (2) attention/executive functioning as predictors of medical autonomy as mediated by depressive symptoms (the cognitive vulnerability model). Methods Participants were recruited as part of a larger, longitudinal study, and included 114 youth with SB (M age = 10.96 at Time 1), their parents, and teachers. Neuropsychological constructs included attention, working memory, and planning/organizing abilities, which were measured with questionnaire and performance-based data. Depressive symptoms and medical responsibility were assessed via questionnaires from multiple respondents. Results Bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that teacher-reported depressive symptoms significantly mediated the relations between neuropsychological functioning (i.e., attention and working memory) and medical responsibility (all p's < .05); neuropsychological dysfunction did not mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and medical responsibility. Conclusions One way in which neurocognitive dysfunction may hinder the development of medical autonomy in youth with SB is through an increased risk for depressive symptoms.
Visuo-Haptic Illusions for Improving the Perceived Performance of Shape Displays

In this work, we utilize visuo-haptic illusions to improve the perceived performance of encountered-type haptic devices, specifically shape displays, in virtual reality. Shape displays are matrices of actuated pins that travel vertically to render physical shapes; however, they have limitations such as low resolution, small display size, and low pin speed. To address these limitations, we employ illusions such as redirection, scaling, and retargeting that take advantage of the visual dominance effect, the idea that vision often dominates when senses conflict. Our evaluation of these techniques suggests that redirecting sloped lines with angles less than 40 degrees onto a horizontal line is an effective technique for increasing the perceived resolution of the display. Scaling up the virtual object onto the shape display by a factor less than 1.8x can also increase the perceived resolution. Finally, using vertical redirection a perceived 3x speed increase can be achieved.
The influence of sodium glycocholate and other additives on the in vivo transfection of plasmid DNA in the lungs.

Purpose. A plasmid containing the luciferase ‘marker’ cDNA was constructed to test non viral gene delivery formulations in vivo.
Variational Variance Reduction for Monte Carlo Eigenvalue and Eigenfunction Problems

A new variational variance reduction (VVR) technique is developed for improving the efficiency of Monte Carlo multigroup nuclear reactor eigenvalue and eigenfunction calculations. The VVR method employs a variational functional, which requires detailed estimates of both the forward and adjoint fluxes. The direct functional, employed in standard Monte Carlo calculations, requires only limited information concerning the forward flux. The variational functional requires global information about the forward and adjoint fluxes and hence is more expensive to evaluate but is more accurate than the direct functional. In calculations, this increased accuracy outweighs the extra expense, resulting in a more efficient Monte Carlo simulation. In our work, we evaluate the variational functional using Monte Carlo-calculated forward flux estimates and deterministically calculated adjoint flux estimates. Also, we represent the adjoint flux as a low-order polynomial in space and angle, which is accurate for diffusive systems. (In such systems, which are common in reactor analysis problems, the angular flux is locally nearly linear in space and angle.) Using this adjoint representation, we develop specific VVR methods for eigenvalue problems, in which an estimate of the eigenvalue k in a criticality calculation is desired, and eigenfunction problems, in which an estimate of a detector responsemore » due to a fission neutron source during a criticality calculation is desired. The resulting VVR method is very efficient for the problems of interest. With a set of example problems, we demonstrate the increased efficiency of the VVR method over standard Monte Carlo.« less
Proceduralism reconceived: Political conflict resolution under conditions of moral pluralism

L'A. plaide pour une regulation sociale des conflits normatifs autour d'un socle minimum commun qui lui semble devoir etre une forme de proceduralisme allege. L'A. estime que cette forme de regulation, base de la democratie, permet notamment de faire cohabiter les minorites religieuses les plus diverses, a l'exception de celles dont les vues fondamentalistes les rendent retives aux compromis. L'A. applique son analyse en grande partie a l'integration des immigres non-europeens dans les societes europeennes
Regional and Interregional Input-Output and Programming Models

From the point of view of data requirements and the cost of operation, regional econometric models, as described in the previous chapter, fall between two other techniques—namely, the economic base theory and input-output analysis.
Recent Studies of the 3T3-L1 Adipocyte-Like Cell Line

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mechanism of action of hormones and the regulation of cAMP -dependent protein kinases. It describes a study of3T3-L1 cell line that possesses the unusual property of differentiating from fibroblasts into adipocyte-like cells in vitro. The 3T3-L1 cell line was established and cloned from the original stock of Swiss mouse 3T3 cells. During exponential growth and the approach to confluence, 3T3-L1 cells appeared indistinguishable from other 3T3 cells with respect to growth rate, sensitivity to density-dependent inhibition, and morphological and biochemical properties. When the cells were maintained at confluence, some cells spontaneously entered a differentiation program that paralleled the development of mammalian adipose tissue. Their content of lipoprotein lipase and glutamine synthetase also changed dramatically. As mammalian fat cells responded to a wide variety of hormones, the 3T3-L1 cells also offered the potential for studying the development, regulation, and physiological coupling of hormone receptors and affecter systems. The activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the phosphorylation and activation of hormone-sensitive triglyceride lipase subsequently lead to an enhanced rate of lipolysis. The chapter describes a study in which hormone sensitivity was evaluated by assessing adenylate cyclase activity in broken-cell preparations using homogenates or crude membrane fractions. Adenylate cyclase activity was measured by monitoring the conversion of [α-32P]-ATP to cyclic [32P] AMP. The accumulation of cAMP in intact cells was measured by radioimmunoassay. The incubation of cells with supraphysiological concentrations of insulin for 16 to 48 hours brought about a reversible 50% to 70% decrease in receptor number.
Help or Hindrance: Female Probationers’ Navigation of Supervision Requirements Through Personal Support Networks:

This study integrates egocentric social network analysis techniques and qualitative methods to examine (a) the characteristics of female offenders’ semiregular interaction partners and their provis...
The Challenges of Dealing with Nitrogen Pollutants in Groundwater

Nitrogen compounds are being injected into the environment by human activities, which are altering the global nitrogen cycle and, thus, water systems. There is principally serious growing concern about the actual environmental consequences of the nitrogen pollutants in groundwater since a safe supply of clean water is needed for human consumption. Recent observations in the field of measurements and studies in the laboratory suggest that there are limitations of effective methods that detect and quantify biogeochemical reactions of nitrogen loss occurred in this aquatic body. This review explores our understanding of nitrogen pollutants on groundwater, taking into consideration the biogeochemical reactions of nitrogen cycle, and the limitations and advantages of analytical methods used in the detection of nitrogen compounds.
Ideas and Graphs: The Tetrad of Activity

ABSTRACTA graph can specify the skeletal structure of an idea, onto which meaning can be added by interpreting the structure. This paper considers several directed and undirected graphs consisting of four nodes, and suggests different meanings that can be associated with these different structures. Drawing on John G. Bennett’s “systematics”, specifically on the Tetrad that systematics offers as a model of “activity”, the analysis formalizes and augments the systematics account and shows that the Tetrad is a versatile model of problem-solving, regulation and control, and other processes. Discussion is extended to include hypergraphs, in which links can relate more than two nodes, and the possibility of a “reconstructability analysis of ideas” is suggested.
Challenges and solutions in the design and execution of the PROSPECT Phase II/III neoadjuvant rectal cancer trial (NCCTG N1048/Alliance).

BackgroundMore than half of the 40,000 incident rectal cancer patients in the United States each year are diagnosed at clinical stage II and III (locally advanced stage). For this group, high rates...
Infection Based Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the world. Helicobacter pylori is currently the strongest known risk factor for this disease and is classified as a type I carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Many factors play a role in the progression towards gastric cancer including, but not limited to, bacterial virulence factors, host genetics, diet, and the gastric microbiota. The stomach, once thought to be a sterile environment, is now known to host a rich microbiota, which is unique to each individual. A complex interplay exists between H. pylori and the gastric microbiota which may one day become a target for personalized medicine to attenuate the progression towards gastric cancer. In this chapter, we discuss how the infectious bacterium, H. pylori, interacts with its host to augment the risk of developing gastric cancer.
Humanitarian logistics in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria: the experience of the American Red Cross in Puerto Rico

Using an action research approach, this paper investigates challenges associated with the distribution of emergency supplies (DES) in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Through the descriptive analysis of open- and closed-survey questions, it was observed that many challenges such as demand uncertainty, asymmetries in information, and warehouse location were all challenges in the response to the disaster. As a result, recommendations for enhancing humanitarian logistics in future disaster situations are presented at the end of this paper, in addition to recommendations for future research.
The Organizational Scheme of High-Altitude Summer Pastures: The Dialectics of Conflict and Cooperation

I discuss the organizational scheme of summer high-altitude pastures associated with transhumance in the Hautes-Pyrenees, France. My objective is to identify and analyze cultural codes used to regulate access to scarce resources and to manage them as commons. I employ the linguistic, ethnographic, and historic data on the communal-level collective action and rules regulating access to vital, but limited, resources and hypothesize that high cost of defendability forces users to engage in cooperative interactions. I theorize on socioeconomic rationale of such arrangements and conclude that access to sparse resources must be regulated and communal rational cooperation becomes a viable strategy to mitigate conflict and to ensure sustainable group wellbeing (but not political autonomy).
Cortical Hyper-Excitability in Migraine in Response to Chromatic Patterns.

Objective Individuals with migraine exhibit heightened sensitivity to visual input that continues beyond their migraine episodes. However, the contribution of color to visual sensitivity, and how it relates to neural activity, has largely been unexplored in these individuals. Background Previously, it has been shown that, in non-migraine individuals, patterns with greater chromaticity separation evoked greater cortical activity, regardless of hue, even when colors were isoluminant. Therefore, to investigate whether individuals with migraine experienced increased visual sensitivity, we compared the behavioral and neural responses to chromatic patterns of increasing separation in migraine and non-migraine individuals. Methods Seventeen individuals with migraine (12 with aura) and 18 headache-free controls viewed pairs of colored horizontal grating patterns that varied in chromaticity separation. Color pairs were either blue-green, red-green, or red-blue. Participants rated the discomfort of the gratings and electroencephalogram was recorded simultaneously. Results Both groups showed increased discomfort ratings and larger N1/N2 event-related potentials (ERPs) with greater chromaticity separation, which is consistent with increased cortical excitability. However, individuals with migraine rated gratings as being disproportionately uncomfortable and exhibited greater effects of chromaticity separation in ERP amplitude across occipital and parietal electrodes. Ratings of discomfort and ERPs were smaller in response to the blue-green color pairs than the red-green and red-blue gratings, but this was to an equivalent degree across the 2 groups. Conclusions Together, these findings indicate that greater chromaticity separation increases neural excitation, and that this effect is heightened in migraine, consistent with the theory that hyper-excitability of the visual system is a key signature of migraine.
Can income differences explain the racial wealth gap? A quantitative analysis

Abstract We use a quantitative, overlapping-generations, incomplete markets, life-cycle model to explore the extent to which income differences can explain the racial wealth gap. The model features race, education, and family structure-specific stochastic household income processes estimated using data from the PSID, race and education-specific lifespan risk, an income floor, and intergenerational transfers of wealth and labor market ability. A calibrated version of the model fully accounts for the racial wealth gap observed in the data. In addition, it endogenously generates an empirically plausible degree of wealth inequality, both conditional and unconditional on race, and is broadly consistent with observed patterns of wealth accumulation over the life cycle. Simulations of the model suggest that income differences, on their own, can explain 43.0% of the racial wealth gap in levels, while bequest motives and intergenerational transfers of wealth, in the presence of income differences, account for 28.6% and 25.8% of the gap, respectively. We find that the income floor has a negligible impact on the racial wealth gap in levels, but causes the ratio of median wealth (white/black) to more than double as it disproportionately reduces the incentive that low income, low wealth households, the majority of whom are black, have to save. We also find that differences in lifespan risk have only a small impact on the racial wealth gap levels, but lead to a 13.7% increase in the ratio of median wealth.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing Molecule Alters Skeletal Muscle Protein Homeostasis by Perturbing the Antioxidant Defense System.

ABSTRACT Skeletal muscle function is compromised in many illnesses, including chronic infections. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS) signal, 2-amino acetophenone (2-AA), is produced during acute and chronic infections and excreted in human tissues, including the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. We have shown that 2-AA facilitates pathogen persistence, likely via its ability to promote the formation of bacterial persister cells, and that it acts as an interkingdom immunomodulatory signal that epigenetically reprograms innate immune functions. Moreover, 2-AA compromises muscle contractility and impacts the expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis in skeletal muscle and in mitochondrial functions. Here, we elucidate the molecular mechanisms of 2-AA’s impairment of skeletal muscle function and ROS homeostasis. Murine in vivo and differentiated C2C12 myotube cell studies showed that 2-AA promotes ROS generation in skeletal muscle via the modulation of xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, NAD(P)H oxidase2 (NOX2) protein level, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. ROS accumulation triggers the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), likely upstream of the observed locations of induction of ubiquitin ligases Muscle RING Finger 1 (MuRF1) and Muscle Atrophy F-box (MAFbx), and induces autophagy-related proteins. The protein-level perturbation in skeletal muscle of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 (PGC-1), and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is rescued by the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). Together, these results unveil a novel form of action of a QS bacterial molecule and provide molecular insights into the 2-AA-mediated skeletal muscle dysfunction caused by P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that is resistant to treatment, causes serious acute, persistent, and relapsing infections in humans. There is increasing evidence that bacterial excreted small molecules play a critical role during infection. We have shown that a quorum sensing (QS)-regulated excreted small molecule, 2-AA, which is abundantly produced by P. aeruginosa, promotes persistent infections, dampens host inflammation, and triggers mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. QS is a cell-to-cell communication system utilized by bacteria to promote collective behaviors. The significance of our study in identifying a mechanism that leads to skeletal muscle dysfunction, via the action of a QS molecule, is that it may open new avenues in the control of muscle loss as a result of infection and sepsis. Given that QS is a common characteristic of prokaryotes, it is possible that 2-AA-like molecules promoting similar effects may exist in other pathogens.
Nonreplication of functional connectivity differences in autism spectrum disorder across multiple sites and denoising strategies

A rapidly growing number of studies on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have used resting-state fMRI to identify alterations of functional connectivity, with the hope of identifying clinical biomarkers or underlying neural mechanisms. However, results have been largely inconsistent across studies, and there remains a pressing need to determine the primary factors influencing replicability. Here, we used resting-state fMRI data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange to investigate two potential factors: denoising strategy and data site (which differ in terms of sample, data acquisition, etc.). We examined the similarity of both group-averaged functional connectomes and group-level differences (ASD vs. control) across 33 denoising pipelines and four independently-acquired datasets. The group-averaged connectomes were highly consistent across pipelines (r = 0.92 ± 0.06) and sites (r = 0.88 ± 0.02). However, the group differences, while still consistent within site across pipelines (r = 0.76 ± 0.12), were highly inconsistent across sites regardless of choice of denoising strategies (r = 0.07 ± 0.04), suggesting lack of replication may be strongly influenced by site and/or cohort differences. Across-site similarity remained low even when considering the data at a large-scale network level or when considering only the most significant edges. We further show through an extensive literature survey that the parameters chosen in the current study (i.e., sample size, age range, preprocessing methods) are quite representative of the published literature. These results highlight the importance of examining replicability in future studies of ASD, and, more generally, call for extra caution when interpreting alterations in functional connectivity across groups of individuals.
Assessment of Alcohol Use and Consequences: Comparison of Data Collected Via Timeline Followback Interview and Daily Reports

Objective:The aim of this study was to compare data on both alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences between intensive longitudinal data collection and the retrospective Timeline Followback (TL...
CHAPTER XII – Spectral Purity

Publisher Summary This chapter explains spectral purity. The sensor aperture is bombarded with unwanted flux from sources outside the sensor spectral band pass. The sensor output for a spectrally pure measurement is a function of the flux originating from within the sensor spectral band pass and is completely independent of any flux originating from outside the region. Spectral purity is a serious calibration problem. The evaluation of the out-of-band response to the in-band response is a difficult aspect of sensor calibration. These are problems arising from response that exhibit nonideal spectral responsivity and source spectral distribution that is nonuniform and often discontinuous or unknown. The chapter defines a spectral band and describes the errors associated with the measurement of nonuniform sources. The chapter further discusses the conditions for which the exact value of source flux can be obtained from a field measurement.
Open Repair of Right Common Femoral Artery Aneurysm

Open repair of right common femoral artery aneurysm with interposition of an 8 mm knitted Dacron graft and right femoral-popliteal bypass with non-reversed greater saphenous vein was performed for symptoms of intermittent claudication with satisfactory outcome.
Green development or greenwashing? A political ecology perspective on China’s green Belt and Road

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – China’s multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure program across 138 countries and counting – has provoked concern among observers that China is exporting its pollut...
On Mathusian Models of Migration and Population Growth

By separating the migrant community from the natural population a multi-regional migration model of the mathusian type is developed for human populations. Closed form solutions for the proposed model are obtained using a quotient or per capita argument and some remarks pertaining to the population behavior in Italy are provided.
Day-to-day Relationships between Physical Activity and Sleep Characteristics among People with Heart Failure and Insomnia

Examine the bidirectional relationships between within-person day-to-day fluctuations in physical activity (PA) and sleep characteristics among people with heart failure (HF) and insomnia. Ninety-s...
TRIP13 promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer regardless of p53 and microsatellite instability status

Overexpression of TRIP13, a member of the AAA-ATPase family, is linked with various cancers, but its role in metastasis is unknown in colorectal cancer (CRC). In the current study, we investigated the role TRIP13 in experimental metastasis and its involvement in regulation of WNT/β-catenin and EGFR signaling pathways. Evaluation of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and frozen tissues of adenomas and CRCs, along with their corresponding normal samples, showed that TRIP13 was gradually increased in its phenotypic expression from adenoma to carcinoma, and that its overexpression in CRCs was independent of patient's gender, age, race/ethnicity, pathologic stage, and p53 and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. Moreover, liver metastases of CRCs showed TRIP13 overexpression as compared to matched adjacent liver tissues, indicating the biological relevance of TRIP13 in CRC progression and metastasis. TRIP13 knockdown impeded colony formation, invasion, motility, and spheroid-forming capacity of CRC cells irrespective of their p53 and MSI status. Furthermore, xenograft studies demonstrated high expression of TRIP13 contributed to tumor growth and metastasis. Depletion of TRIP13 in CRC cells decreased metastasis and it was independent of the p53 and MSI status. Furthermore, TRIP13 interacted with a tyrosine kinase, FGFR4; this interaction could be essential for activation of the EGFR-AKT pathway. In addition, we demonstrated the involvement of TRIP13 in the Wnt-signaling pathway and in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Cell-based assays revealed that miR-192 and PNPT1 regulate TRIP13 expression in CRC. Additionally, RNA sequencing of CRC cells with TRIP13 knockdown identified COL6A3, TREM2, SHC3, and KLK7 as downstream targets that may have functional relevance in TRIP13-mediated tumor growth and metastasis. In summary, our results demonstrated that TRIP13 promotes tumor growth and metastasis regardless of p53 and MSI status, and indicated that it is a target for therapy of CRC.
Rechargeable alkaline zinc–manganese oxide batteries for grid storage: Mechanisms, challenges and developments

Abstract Rechargeable alkaline Zn–MnO2 (RAM) batteries are a promising candidate for grid-scale energy storage owing to their high theoretical energy density rivaling lithium-ion systems (∼400 Wh/L), relatively safe aqueous electrolyte, established supply chain, and projected costs below $100/kWh at scale. In practice, however, many fundamental chemical and physical processes at both electrodes make it difficult to achieve commercially competitive energy density and cycle life. This review presents a detailed and timely analysis of the constituent materials, current commercial status, electrode processes, and performance-limiting factors of RAM batteries. We also examine recently reported strategies in RAM and related systems to address these issues through additives and modifications to the electrode materials and electrolyte, special ion-selective separators and/or coatings, and unconventional cycling protocols. We conclude with a critical summary of these developments and discussion of how future studies should be focused toward the goal of energy-dense, scalable, and cost-effective RAM systems.
Backgrounds and behaviors: Which students successfully identify online resources in the face of container collapse

In a digital environment, students have difficulty determining whether an information resource comes from a book, magazine, journal, blog, or other container, and lose the contextual information that these containers provide. This study of students from primary through graduate school looks at their ability to identify the containers of information resources, and how this ability is affected by their demographic traits, the resource features they attended to, and their behaviors during a task-based simulation. The results indicate that correct container identification requires deep engagement with a resource. Those who attended to cues such as genre and source were better able to identify container, while those who paid attention to heuristics such as its visual appearance and URL were not. Demographic characteristics, including educational cohort and first-generation student status, also had an effect.
Item-Based Collaborative Filtering and Association Rules for a Baseline Recommender in E-Commerce

In the ever-growing data-driven world today, data increases in many forms, e.g. e-commerce sites uploading new products, streaming services adding TV shows and movies, and music platforms uploading new songs. It would be highly infeasible for end users to quickly browse all this data. Hence recommender systems can benefit end users (individuals as well as companies) in efficiently finding suitable products. Rather than making end users search through a vast array of items, recommender systems can suggest suitable items to users based on popularity of the items and the respective users’ buying behavior. Accordingly, in this paper we explore two techniques widespread in recommender systems, i.e. item-based collaborative filtering and association rule mining, over Amazon review data on cellphones and accessories, and build a baseline recommender system scalable to larger data. Association rule mining is explored using the Apriori algorithm to find patterns in the data from transaction history. Item-based collaborative filtering is deployed using a correlation matrix to find similar products. Both these techniques yield useful results as evident from our baseline experiments. This work constitutes an exploratory study with longtime products in e-commerce and sets the stage for mining online data on relatively new products pertinent to the Covid-19 pandemic. These include face masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, antibacterial wipes etc. Since multiple vendors are designing such crucial products today, it is important to provide recommendations to potential buyers. An ultimate goal in our work is to build a recommender app for e-commerce based on interesting results from our findings. This work constitutes intelligent data mining scalable over big data in e-commerce. It makes broader impacts on smart cities, since this fits the smart living and smart economy characteristics.
Identifying program confusion using electroencephalogram measurements

In this paper, we present an experimental study in which an electroencephalogram (EEG) device was used to measure cognitive load in programmers as they attempted to predict the output of C code sni...
Prenatal paternal stress predicts infant parasympathetic functioning above and beyond maternal prenatal stress.

Background: Paternal stress is often assessed by maternal report and is posited to influence infant development indirectly by contributing to a mother’s stress and experiences during pregnancy. Far...
Adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) by aluminum-based drinking water treatment residuals

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a family of emerging persistent organic pollutants. Cost-effective remediation of PFAS contamination via chemical or biochemical degradation is challenging due to their extremely high stability. This study reports the removal of two representative PFAS species, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), from water by adsorption using aluminum-based water treatment residuals (Al-WTR), a non-hazardous waste generated during the process of drinking water treatment by alum salts. Rapid adsorption of PFOA and PFOS onto Al-WTR followed a pseudo 2nd order kinetic pattern. Lower pH facilitated the adsorption process with a faster adsorption rate and greater adsorption capacity. At pH 3.0 and an initial concentration of 1.0 mg/L, 97.4 % of PFOA and 99.5 % of PFOS were adsorbed onto Al-WTR. Adsorption isotherm modeling showed that the maximum adsorption capacities of PFOA and PFOS on Al-WTR at pH 3.0 were 0.232 and 0.316 mg/g, respectively. Desorption tests indicated that the adsorption by Al-WTR was irreversible, making Al-WTR an excellent candidate for treating PFOA and PFOS in solution. The highly encouraging results of this preliminary study indicate that Al-WTR may be a promising, viable, and cost-effective PFOA/PFOS treatment option for water reuse, industrial wastewater treatment, and groundwater remediation.
Controlling for group-level heterogeneity in causal forest

Causal forest is part of a growing class of doubly-robust machine learning based estimators that non-parametrically recovers heterogeneity in treatment effects. However, causal forest’s usefulness is currently limited because the group-level heterogeneity present in many economics settings violates a key assumption of causal forest required for the recovery of unbiased effects. We provide a solution: estimate group-level fixed effects in a regression, create a vector of fixed effects coefficients, and include this vector in the casual forest estimation. Monte Carlo simulations show our solution’s success and the shortcomings of alternatives. Our study greatly increases the number of settings in which unbiased, heterogeneous treatment effects are recoverable.
Interactions of Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Apolipoproteins with the Blood-Brain Barrier

Lipids and lipoproteins are a diverse group of substances and their interactions with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is similarly diverse. Some lipoproteins such as high density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apoJ, some free fatty acids, and triglycerides cross the BBB whereas others such as apoE do not. Some forms of cholesterol can cross the BBB and others do not. Lipids can have effects on BBB preservation and function: HDL may protect the BBB during multiple sclerosis, cholesterol can disrupt the BBB, and triglycerides inhibit the transport of leptin across the BBB and the activation of the hypothalamic leptin receptor. ApoE is associated with many effects on the BBB, with the specific isoform apoE4 having detrimental effects. In summary, the diverse ways in which lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins interact with the BBB is important in both health and disease.
The ultrastructure of human cervical epithelial cells during pregnancy

Abstract Normal human cervical epithelial cells have been studied during the three trimesters of pregnancy for the first time with the electron microscope. The cells revealed strikingly few changes, the only conspicuous fine structural change noted was an expansion of the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum during the third trimester. Quite surprisingly, although a tremendous (in an electron microscope frame of reference) amount of tissue was surveyed, not a single mitotic figure was encountered. The secretion of mucus apparently involves the same segregating role of the Golgi apparatus as has been described in other secretory cells. Centrioles and an unidentified inclusion were described. Epon appears to be a more effective embedding medium than methacrylate for this material.
Hypoellipticity: Geometrization and speculation

To any finite collection of smooth real vector fields X j in ℝ n we associate a metric in the phase space T✱ℝ n . The relation between the asymptotic behavior of this metric and hypoellipticity of \( \sum\limits_{}^{} {X_j^2} \), in the smooth, real analytic, and Gevrey categories, is explored.
A new resonant tunneling transistor fabricated by cleaved edge overgrowth

A new three-terminal resonant tunneling transistor is realized by the molecular beam epitaxial cleaved edge overgrowth technique in GaAs/AlGaAs system. In addition to negative differential resistance, this device exhibits both positive and negative transconductance behavior which can find useful applications in high speed logic circuits. >
Lyme disease spirochaetes possess an aggrecan-binding protease with aggrecanase activity

Summary Connective tissues are the most common area of colonization for the Lyme disease spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. Colonization is aided by the interaction between numerous bacterial adhesins with components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we describe a novel interaction between B. burgdorferi and the major ECM proteoglycan found in joints, aggrecan. Using affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry we identify two borrelial aggrecanbinding proteins: the known ECM ligand Bgp (BB0588) and an uncharacterized protease BbHtrA (BB0104). Proteinase K studies demonstrate that BbHtrA is surface exposed. Immunoblots using sera from patients with both early and late Lyme disease establish that BbHtrA is expressed during human disease, immunogenic, and conserved in the three major Lyme disease spirochaete species. Consequences of the interaction between aggrecan and BbHtrA were examined by proteolysis assays. BbHtrA cleaves aggrecan at a site known to destroy aggrecan function and which has been previously observed in the synovial fluid of patients with Lyme arthritis. These data demonstrate that B. burgdorferi possess aggrecanbinding proteins which may provide the organism with additional capability to colonize connective tissues. Moreover, our studies provide the first evidence that B. burgdorferi possess proteolytic activity which may contribute to the pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis.
Aminopyridines as protein kinase Cθ inhibitors

There is a continued interest in pursuing protein kinase C (PKC)θ as a potential novel therapeutic target. A recently published patent application from Boeh- ringer Ingelheim discloses pyridine derivatives as PKCθ inhibitors, many of which possess inhibitory activity down to low nM. These compounds display selective inhibition profiles over other kinases.
Actin and Microtubules: Working Together to Control Spindle Polarity

Centrosomes are frequently amplified in cancer cells, but centrosome clustering pathways act to minimize their detrimental impact on mitosis. Recent data published online in Genes & Developments by Kwon et al. (2008) suggest that these pathways involve microtubule motors, actin, and focal adhesions. Since centrosomal amplification is rarely seen in normal cells, could blocking clustering lead to the selective killing of tumor cells?
Testing for monotonicity in the intensity of a nonhomogeneous Poisson process

Abstract Based on the times of occurrences of a nonhomogeneous Poisson process in a fixed time interval, a pseudo-likelihood ratio test of the null hypothesis that the intensity is nondecreasing with the alternative that it is not nondecreasing is developed. The modifications needed to test for a nonincreasing intensity are also presented. For these statistics, the collection of constant intensities is shown to be least favorable within the collection of nondecreasing intensities. For constant intensities, a suitable approximation to the conditional distribution of the likelihood ratio statistics, given the number of occurrences, is obtained and the approximate conditional tests are studied. Through Monte Carlo work certain types of alternatives are identified which require a large number of occurrences for the likelihood ratio test to detect with reasonable probability. Some inferences about nonhomogeneous Poisson processes are based on a researcher's a priori belief that the intensity is nondecreasing (nonincreasing). These tests provide a statistical method for assessing the validity of the researcher's belief.
Same-Day Intrauterine Device Placement is Rarely Complicated by Pelvic Infection

Abstract Purpose To compare rates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) among women who did and did not receive an intrauterine device (IUD) the day they sought emergency contraception (EC) or pregnancy testing. Methods Women, 15 to 45 years of age, who sought EC or pregnancy testing from an urban family planning clinic completed surveys at the time of their clinic visit (August 22, 2011, to May 30, 2013) and 3 months after their clinic visit. The surveys assessed contraceptive use and symptoms, testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and PID. We reviewed the medical records of participants who reported IUD placement within 3 months of enrollment and abstracted de-identified electronic medical record (EMR) data on all women who sought EC or pregnancy testing from the study clinic during the study period. Findings During the study period, 1,060 women visited the study clinic; 272 completed both enrollment and follow-up surveys. Among survey completers with same-day IUD placement, PID in the 3 months after enrollment was not more common (1/28 [3.6%]; 95% CI, 0%–10.4%) than among women who did not have a same-day IUD placed (11/225 [4.9%]; 95% CI, 2.7%–8.6%; p = .71). Chart review and EMR data similarly showed that rates of PID within 3 months of seeking EC or pregnancy testing were low whether women opted for same-day or delayed IUD placement. Conclusions Same-day IUD placement was not associated with higher rates of PID. Concern for asymptomatic STI should not delay IUD placement, and efforts to increase the uptake of this highly effective reversible contraception should not be limited to populations at low risk of STI.
Internal Sorting by Radix Plus Sifting

A method is proposed for internal sorting which has the property that the expected time required per record, to sort n records with random keys, is a bounded function of n. Moreover the storage required in addition to that for the records is only 2n address fields. It appears that the method may be a good choice when the number of records to be sorted is of the order of 10,000 or more.The method consists of partially sorting the records by a radix sort and completing the sort by sifting. In the radix sort, a list type of structure is used to present the distribution of the records.
Chitin and cellulose in the cell walls of the oomycete, Apodachlya sp.

Hyphal walls of Apodachlya sp. (Leptomitales) gave a positive reaction when tested cytochemically for chitin. The color reaction indicative of the presence of chitin developed uniformly throughout the walls, but did not appear in the numerous cellulin granules found in this fungus. Chitin and cellulose fractions were prepared from chemically isolated walls and identified by X-ray diffraction.
Theoretical approaches to the promotion of physical activity: Forging a transdisciplinary paradigm

Abstract Background: Research in the physical activity promotion arena has focused on the application of theoretical perspectives aimed primarily at personal levels of understanding and analysis. The investigation of such theories has provided some insights related to potentially useful mediators of physical activity behavior. However, to continue to expand this field, new perspectives on personal-level theories, in addition to the exploration of more macro-level conceptual perspectives, are required. Objective: The purpose of this article is to: (1) briefly review the current strengths and limitations of the personal-level, physical activity-theory literature; and (2) introduce concepts and perspectives from other fields, including the social-ecology and urban-planning fields, of potential relevance to the physical activity arena. Method: We provide an overview of potentially relevant theoretical perspectives aimed at different levels of understanding and analysis, from the personal level through the broader-scale meso- and macro-environmental perspectives. In addition, we suggest initial steps to take in developing a transdisciplinary paradigm encompassing all such levels of analysis and investigation. Conclusions: Given the scope of the physical inactivity epidemic facing the U.S. population currently and in the future, methods and approaches that integrate theory and concepts across a broader group of disciplines will be increasingly necessary.
Induction of T-lymphocyte adhesion by histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein and concanavalin A

Abstract Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) is a plasma protein which binds to a specific receptor on T-lymphocytes and represses T-cell activation and proliferation. In the presence of Concanavalin A (Con A). HPRG causes human T-lymphoblastic MOLT-3 cells and a fraction of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes to attach to the culture dish and significantly change morphology by either extending processes or becoming elongated at the poles, respectively. HPRG and Con A are just as effective at inducing MOLT-3 attachment in a soluble or an immobilized form. MOLT-3 cell attachment is specific for HPRG, dose-dependent, and reversible in 72 hr. Only certain T-cell mitogenic lectins. Con A and phytohemagglutinin, are effective at stimulating adherence. Mannose, glucose, fucose, and N -acetylglucosamine inhibit HPRG-induced MOLT-3 cell attachment to different degrees, with methyl α-D-mannopyranoside being the most potent inhibitor. We propose that in vivo HPRG together with a naturally expressed lectin induces T-lymphocyte adhesion to initiate cell migration to sites of inflammation.
Postmodern information science and its “journal”

For 50 years JASIS has reflected the modern information era when scholars sought tenure by publishing in paper journals, and universities paid twice for scholarly products (once as academic salaries, and again as subscriptions to academic serials). The Internet has placed JASIS in the cross hairs of tumultuous technical and social change. In the twenty-first century, scholars will, I predict, abandon print in favor of more immediate and multidimensional venues. In the postmodern information era, scholars will be publishers, academic review will be instantaneous with publication, and universities will seek to maximize their assets and vend a product. We may be witnessing the last days of the paper-based scholarly journal. This essay suggests that JASISWeb should become the more appropriate postmodern information science journal.
Correlated-k based fast accurate bandpass radiance and transmittance calculations for hyperspectral and multispectral scenes

The ability to rapidly calculate at-sensor radiance over a large number of lines of sight (LOSs) is critical for hyperspectral and multispectral scene simulations and look-up table generation, both of which are increasingly used for sensor design, performance evaluation, data analysis, and software and systems evaluations. We have demonstrated a new radiation transport (RT) capability that combines an efficient multiple-LOS (MLOS) multiple scattering (MS) algorithm with a broad-bandpass correlated- k methodology called k URT-MS, where k URT stands for correlated- k -based Ultra-fast Radiative Transfer. The MLOS capability is based on DISORT and exploits the existing MODTRAN-DISORT interface. k URT-MS is a new sensor-specific fast radiative transfer formalism for UV-visible to LWIR wavelengths that is derived from MODTRAN's correlated- k parameters. Scattering parameters, blackbody and solar functions are cast as a few sensor-specific and bandpass-specific k -dependent source terms for radiance computations. Preliminary transmittance results are within 2% of MODTRAN with a two-orders-of-magnitude computational savings. Preliminary radiance computations in the visible spectrum are within a few percent of MODTRAN results, but with orders of magnitude speed up over comparable MODTRAN runs. This new RT capability (embodied in two software packages: k URT-MS and MODTRAN- k URT) has potential applications for remote sensing applications such as hyperspectral scene simulation and look-up table generation for atmospheric compensation analysis as well as target acquisition algorithms for near earth scenarios.
AN APPRAISAL OF AN ULTRAMICRO ANALYTICAL SYSTEM.

The Beckman Spinco ultramicro system was assessed for precision and accuracy. It was found to require more care and practice than conventional techniques and a few slight modifications were needed. Apart from this, the system was found to be completely satisfactory, and to compare well with standard methods.