cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sphingosine-1-phosphate plays a role in the suppression of lateral pseudopod formation during Dictyostelium discoideum cell migration and chemotaxis.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S-1-P) is a bioactive lipid that plays a role in diverse biological processes. It functions both as an extracellular ligand through a family of high-affinity G-protein-coupled receptors, and intracellularly as a second messenger. A growing body of evidence has implicated S-1-P in controlling cell movement and chemotaxis in cultured mammalian cells. Mutant D. discoideum cells, in which the gene encoding the S-1-P lyase had been specifically disrupted by homologous recombination, previously were shown to be defective in pseudopod formation, suggesting that a resulting defect might exist in motility and/or chemotaxis. To test this prediction, we analyzed the behavior of mutant cells in buffer, and in both spatial and temporal gradients of the chemoattractant cAMP, using computer-assisted 2-D and 3-D motion analysis systems. Under all conditions, S-1-P lyase null mutants were unable to suppress lateral pseudopod formation like wild-type control cells. This resulted in a reduction in velocity in buffer and spatial gradients of cAMP. Mutant cells exhibited positive chemotaxis in spatial gradients of cAMP, but did so with lowered efficiency, again because of their inability to suppress lateral pseudopod formation. Mutant cells responded normally to simulated temporal waves of cAMP but mimicked the temporal dynamics of natural chemotactic waves. The effect must be intracellular since no homologs of the S-1-P receptors have been identified in the Dictyostelium genome. The defects in the S-1-P lyase null mutants were similar to those seen in mutants lacking the genes for myosin IA, myosin IB, and clathrin, indicating that S-1-P signaling may play a role in modulating the activity or organization of these cytoskeletal elements in the regulation of lateral pseudopod formation. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 59:227–241, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The role of social support in students' perceived abilities and attitudes toward math and science.

Social cognitive models examining academic and career outcomes emphasize constructs such as attitude, interest, and self-efficacy as key factors affecting students’ pursuit of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses and careers. The current research examines another under-researched component of social cognitive models: social support, and the relationship between this component and attitude and self-efficacy in math and science. A large cross-sectional design was used gathering data from 1,552 participants in four adolescent school settings from 5th grade to early college (41 % female, 80 % white). Students completed measures of perceived social support from parents, teachers and friends as well as their perceived ability and attitudes toward math and science. Fifth grade and college students reported higher levels of support from teachers and friends when compared to students at other grade levels. In addition, students who perceived greater social support for math and science from parents, teachers, and friends reported better attitudes and had higher perceptions of their abilities in math and science. Lastly, structural equation modeling revealed that social support had both a direct effect on math and science perceived abilities and an indirect effect mediated through math and science attitudes. Findings suggest that students who perceive greater social support for math and science from parents, teachers, and friends have more positive attitudes toward math and science and a higher sense of their own competence in these subjects.
Loss of lever press-related firing of rat striatal forelimb neurons after repeated sessions in a lever pressing task

Lateral striatal neurons that fire phasically in relation to active movement of the contralateral forelimb (determined via daily sensorimotor examination) were studied during acquisition of cued lever pressing. Rats were trained to lift the contralateral forepaw from the floor to press a lever in the presence of a tone. The tone was presented 70 times per day (session) for 18 consecutive days. All animals acquired the task, evidenced by gradual improvements across sessions and eventual asymptotic levels in tone discrimination, reaction time, and efficiency of the lever press. Forelimb neurons fired in relation to the lever press during early sessions of acquisition but not after repeated sessions on the task. This difference in firing could not be attributed to differences in forelimb movements during lever pressing or to sampling from different populations of neurons in early versus late sessions. In view of evidence that striatal damage impairs acquisition of motor skills, the change in firing suggests that the striatal activity present in early sessions may be necessary for the acquisition of, but not the automatic performance of, learned motor responses.
Effect of crystallinity and flexibility on the photodegradation of polyurethanes

Using fluorescence spectroscopy and gel content measurement, the photolysis of simple polyurethanes based on methylene 4,4′-diphenyldiisocyanate (MDI) is shown to depend on both the flexibility and crystallinity of the polymer. Polyurethane films based on MDI and 1,12-dodecanediol (MDI-12) can be either annealed or quenched to yield a semicrystalline (as measured by DSC and X-ray diffraction) or amorphous film, respectively. In the case of the quenched (amorphous) film, photolysis yields an ortho photo-Fries product whereas the annealed (semicrystalline) film does not. Similarly, for a given photolysis time the annealed film generates a lower extent of crosslinked gel. In addition, photolysis of amorphous polyurethane films derived from MDI and ethylene oxide oligomers shows that for relatively inflexible polymers with only three ethylene oxide segments, little or no ortho photo-Fries rearrangement products are generated upon photolysis. In contrast, photolysis of more flexible polyurethane films with approximately 13 ethylene oxide linkages yields the ortho photo-Fries product. Apparently, for aromatic diisocyanate based polyurethanes, the extent and mechanism of degradation is directly dependent on the crystallinity and main-chain flexibility of the polymer.
Power system preventive control using artificial neural network based generation rescheduling method

A method for computing generation rescheduling for preventive control using artificial neural network (ANN) and transient energy margin (EM) is proposed. A two stage hybrid paradigm is used first to obtain the energy margin sensitivities with respect to generation and second to obtain the generation shift for rescheduling. The sensitivities are derived from the final connecting weights of the ANN.
Preprocessing Stochastic Shortest-Path Problems with Application to PERT Activity Networks

We present an algorithm for preprocessing a class of stochastic shortest-path problems on networks that have no negative cost cycles, almost surely. Our method adds utility to existing frameworks by significantly reducing input problem sizes and thereby increasing computational tractability. Given random costs with finite lower and upper bounds on each edge, our algorithm removes edges that cannot be in any optimal solution to the deterministic shortest-path problem, for any realization of the random costs. Although this problem is NP-complete, our algorithm efficiently preprocesses nearly all edges in a given network. We provide computational results both on sparse networks from PSPLIB---a well-known project evaluation and review technique library [Kolisch, R., A. Sprecher. 1996. PSPLIB---A project scheduling problem library. Eur. J. Oper. Res.96(1) 205--216]---and dense synthetic ones: on average, less than 0.1% of the edges in the PSPLIB instances and 0.5% of the edges in the dense instances remain unclassified after preprocessing.
Talk about race: when student stories and multicultural curricula are not enough

What happens when a White, university teacher of diverse students tries to promote discussion of race by heeding Critical Race Theorists' call for multicultural curricula and student stories? This teacher and his co‐investigator discover that adoption of multicultural curricula and privileging of student stories are not enough. That is, despite this teacher's following the advice of Critical Race Theorists, discussions in his classroom about race were counterproductive, with students hardening their conflicting positions and turning deaf ears to one another. The authors suggest two reasons for this. First, the instructor was not self‐reflexive about his own White biases. Second, he failed to help students place their stories about race within an historical framework. In other words, he failed to help his students see their stories as representing particular moments in our US national dialogue about racism and ways to de‐center White privilege. Thus, in addition to multicultural curricula and student stori...
GEOCARBSULF: A combined model for Phanerozoic atmospheric O2 and CO2

Abstract A model for the combined long-term cycles of carbon and sulfur has been constructed which combines all the factors modifying weathering and degassing of the GEOCARB III model [Berner R.A., Kothavala Z., 2001. GEOCARB III: a revised model of atmospheric CO2 over Phanerozoic time. Am. J. Sci. 301, 182–204] for CO2 with rapid recycling and oxygen dependent carbon and sulfur isotope fractionation of an isotope mass balance model for O2 [Berner R.A., 2001. Modeling atmospheric O2 over Phanerozoic time. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 65, 685–694]. New isotopic data for both carbon and sulfur are used and new feedbacks are created by combining the models. Sensitivity analysis is done by determining (1) the effect on weathering rates of using rapid recycling (rapid recycling treats carbon and sulfur weathering in terms of young rapidly weathering rocks and older more slowly weathering rocks); (2) the effect on O2 of using different initial starting conditions; (3) the effect on O2 of using different data for carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthesis and alternative values of oceanic δ13C for the past 200 million years; (4) the effect on sulfur isotope fractionation and on O2 of varying the size of O2 feedback during sedimentary pyrite formation; (5) the effect on O2 of varying the dependence of organic matter and pyrite weathering on tectonic uplift plus erosion, and the degree of exposure of coastal lands by sea level change; (6) the effect on CO2 of adding the variability of volcanic rock weathering over time [Berner, R.A., 2006. Inclusion of the weathering of volcanic rocks in the GEOCARBSULF model. Am. J. Sci. 306 (in press)]. Results show a similar trend of atmospheric CO2 over the Phanerozoic to the results of GEOCARB III, but with some differences during the early Paleozoic and, for variable volcanic rock weathering, lower CO2 values during the Mesozoic. Atmospheric oxygen shows a major broad late Paleozoic peak with a maximum value of about 30% O2 in the Permian, a secondary less-broad peak centered near the Silurian/Devonian boundary, variation between 15% and 20% O2 during the Cambrian and Ordovician, a very sharp drop from 30% to 15% O2 at the Permo-Triassic boundary, and a more-or less continuous rise in O2 from the late Triassic to the present.
Gentrification Trends in New Transit-Oriented Communities: Evidence from 14 Cities That Expanded and Built Rail Transit Systems

∗Over 25 billion dollars were spent between 1970 and 2000 in 14 major cities in the United States on the construction of new rail transit lines. This massive investment in rail transit construction and expansion allows me to study the consequences of local public goods improvements for communities nearby new stations. This article uses a 14-city census tract‐level panel data set covering the years 1970 to 2000 to document significant heterogeneity in the effects of rail transit expansions across the 14 cities. Communities receiving increased access to new “Walk and Ride” stations experience greater gentrification than communities that are now close to new “Park and Ride” stations. Over 25 billion dollars were spent between 1970 and 2000 in many major cities in the United States on the construction of new rail transit lines. Billions more have been spent on maintaining and improving existing rail transit lines. While the supply of rail transit has increased, the fraction of metropolitan-area workers commuting using public transit has declined from 12% in 1970 to 6% in 2000
The Progress of Management-Science Activities in Large US Industrial Corporations

On the basis of a field survey involving a sample of 108 US firms, this paper analyzes the progress of management-science activities. In large corporations through December 1970; it extends the findings of a 1968 paper by our research team [Opnal. Res. Quart. 19, 117-141 1968]. Here we describe changing trends in such key areas as: types of personnel performing and leading OR/MS, organizational location of management science, project-portfolio characteristics, problems and success with implementation, formalization processes, communication problems, the role of top management, and the general diffusion of OR/MS skills within organisations. Finally, we draw a general conclusion that OR/MS is in a "success" phase of its developmental history.
Does Compensating Primary Care Providers to Produce Higher Quality Make Them More or Less Patient Centric

Both payment reform and patient engagement are key elements of health care reform. Yet the question of how incentivizing primary care providers (PCPs) on quality outcomes affects the degree to which PCPs are supportive of patient activation and patient self-management has received little attention. In this mixed-methods study, we use in-depth interviews and survey data from PCPs working in a Pioneer Accountable Care Organization that implemented a compensation model in which a large percentage of PCP salary is based on quality performance. We assess how much PCPs report focusing their efforts on supporting patient activation and self-management, and whether or not they become frustrated with patients who do not change their behaviors. The findings suggest that most PCPs do not see the value in investing their own efforts in supporting patient self-management and activation. Most PCPs saw patient behavior as a major obstacle to improving quality and many were frustrated that patient behaviors affected their compensation.
Projecting Range Limits with Coupled Thermal Tolerance - Climate Change Models: An Example Based on Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) along the U.S. East Coast

We couple a species range limit hypothesis with the output of an ensemble of general circulation models to project the poleward range limit of gray snapper. Using laboratory-derived thermal limits and statistical downscaling from IPCC AR4 general circulation models, we project that gray snapper will shift northwards; the magnitude of this shift is dependent on the magnitude of climate change. We also evaluate the uncertainty in our projection and find that statistical uncertainty associated with the experimentally-derived thermal limits is the largest contributor (∼ 65%) to overall quantified uncertainty. This finding argues for more experimental work aimed at understanding and parameterizing the effects of climate change and variability on marine species.
Laser Spectroscopic Studies of Solid State Defect Chemistry in Perovskites

Mixed-metal oxides of formula ABO3 crystallize in the perovskite (CaTiO3) structure when the A and B cations differ drastically in radius. Many oxide perovskites display interesting and technologically useful properties including photoconductivity, ferroelectricity and very high dielectric constants, piezoelectricity, high nonlinear optical coefficients, water photoelectrolysis, and superconductivity. These properties show sensitivity to preparative parameters which influence defect chemistry and grain growth, e.g. stoichiometry, impurity concentrations, and annealing history. To characterize fully the defects in ABO3 perovskites, luminescent probe ions must be separately substituted for both the A and B cation sites. Several such systems are currently under study in our laboratories.
Binding sites for basic fibroblast growth factor on solid tumors are associated with the vasculature

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a member of a family of heparin binding growth factors that exhibit mitogenic and proliferative effects on many mesoderm-and ectoderm-derived cells [1, 2]. It has been shown to be a major angiogenic factor involved in the neovascularization of development and wound healing, as well as the abnormal proliferation of vasculature associated with tumor growth, metastases, diabetic retinopathy and atherosclerosis [3–5]. Multiple forms of the protein have been shown to exist and multiple classes of receptors have been identified [6].
Biochemical investigations into the mutagenic potential of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine using nucleotide analogues.

8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (OdG) is an abundant DNA lesion produced during oxidative damage to DNA. It can form relatively stable base pairs with both dC and dA that mimic natural dG:dC and dT:dA base pairs, respectively. Thus, when in the template strand, OdG can direct the insertion of either dCTP or dATP during replication, the latter of which can lead to a dG → T transversion. The potential for OdG to cause mutation is dependent on the preference for dCTP or dATP insertion opposite OdG, as well as the ability to extend past the resulting base pairs. The C2-amine and C8-oxygen could play major roles during these reactions since both would lie outside the Watson–Crick cognate base pairs shape in the major groove when OdG base pairs to dA and dC, respectively, and both have the ability to form strong interactions, like hydrogen bonds. To gain a more generalized understanding of how the C2-amine and C8-oxygen of OdG affect its mutagenic potential, the incorporation opposite and extension past seven analogues...
The Curious Case of Mesityl Azide and Its Reactivity with bpyNiEt2

A DFT analysis of the reaction of bpyNiEt2 with ArN3 was performed for para-tolyl-azide (Ar = pTol), 3,5-dimethyl-phenyl-azide (Ar = mXy) and ortho-tolyl-azide (Ar = oTol), and mesityl-azide (MesN3). Of particular interest were the different products obtained for the latter (ethylene, butane, azomesitylene, mesityl-ethylamine, etc.) versus the other reagents, i.e., (bpyNi(N(Ar)Et)(Et)). Calculated thermodynamics and kinetics for metal-free reactions did not differentiate MesN3 from the other aryl azides. Once (2)bpyNiEt(•) was generated via bond homolysis, formation of ethylene by β-H elimination was facile, as was formation of nickel-imidyl (NR(-•)) intermediates by reaction of ArN3 with bpyNiEtx (x = 0-2). On the basis of computed energetics, three reactions of bpyNiEt2 were proposed to compete: Ni-C bond homolysis, reductive elimination of butane, and nucleophilic attack (NA) by ArN3. Inspection of their temperature dependence suggested that NA and Ni-Et bond homolysis dominated at lower and higher temperatures, respectively. Calculated Ni-N and Ni-C bond dissociation free energies (BDFEs) suggested the role of radical pathways in discriminating bpyNiEt2/ArN3 reactions, and implied that the concentration of radicals such as aminyl (ArN(•)(Et)), (2)bpyNiEt(•), and Et(•) will be greatest for MesN3.
CLINICAL DECISION MAKING FOR THE HEMODYNAMIC GRAY ZONE (FFR 0.75-0.80) AND IMPACT ON LONG TERM OUTCOMES

A fractional flow reserve (FFR) value between 0.75 and 0.80 is considered the “gray zone” and outcomes data are limited in this group. We sought to evaluate the impact of revascularization vs. medical therapy alone (deferral) on long term outcomes for patients in the gray zone. Consecutive
The Mystery of the Gun Turret in the Desert

The mystery of the gun turret in the desert began with an ingenious idea: to develop a reusable open-air line of sight diagnostic device to support LLNL’s early nuclear weapons development efforts. Obtained from the Mare Island Navy Shipyard (MINS) in January 1957, the gun turret traveled by ship to the Naval Construction Battalion base at Port Hueneme, California, and then by truck to Area 2 in the Yucca Flats valley at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS).
Collapse Fragility Curves for Concrete Dams: Comprehensive Study

AbstractThis paper explores the seismic fragility curves for gravity dams with or without ground motion vertical component within the context of performance-based earthquake engineering. Structural analyses are performed using multiple-record incremental dynamic ones. The resulting capacity curves are contrasted with the well-established ones of framed structures. An optimal intensity measure parameter is also selected among 37 variations, and it is determined that the combined spectral acceleration leads to lowest dispersion. Finally, the derived fragility curves using the scaled records are compared with those from probabilistic seismic demand analysis (unscaled records). Results show acceptable consistency between the two methods. In addition, the effect of accounting for the epistemic uncertainty and pool elevation are discussed and are found to respectively alter the dispersion and median value of the collapse fragility curves.
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Coronary Heart Disease Without Objective Findings

There are patients with acute coronary heart disease who have no objective evidence of myocardial infarction by electrocardiogram or laboratory tests, in fact who have no objective evidence of any cardiac change whatsoever. In such patients, the clinician, purely on a history as he obtains it, is faced with the necessity of making a diagnosis which carries with it at least initially, potential consequences of grave significance. The complexity of such a serious diagnosis is compounded by the fact that the history is usually atypical. It is such atypical histories that frequently lead to a reassuring pat on the back with some vague remark about “muscle pain.” It is also such histories that occasionally end with sudden death. Given a patient, middle aged or beyond, with a vague chest discomfort that has no diagnostically helpful relationship, and in whom there are no objective evidences of heart disease, one is faced in the first instance with the necessity of excluding acute coronary heart disease. In the usual situation any other diagnostic possibility is such that it can await the fullest possible consideration of the cardiac status. If an electrocardiogram can be recorded during the course of the pain, transient ischemic changes will occasionally be diagnostically helpful. If such changes are not observed, it is my belief that any suspicion of an acute coronary episode should justify a tentative diagnosis of acute coronary heart disease. The index of suspicion should be especially high in any patient middle aged or above who spontaneously develops chest or upper abdominal distress of any sort that is not clearly or easily identifiable as due to some non-cardiac cause. In such a situation one can do little more than conclude that it is impossible to eliminate acute coronary heart disease as a diagnosis. Therefore, it is impossible to exclude the possibility of sudden death, or of the development of a major myocardial infarction. Since such serious complications cannot be discounted, management must be directed accordingly. Even a known history of peptic ulcer or x-ray evidence of gallstones should be ignored initially unless the clinical picture can be surely related to these conditions. There should be no diagnostic difficulty when a patient presents himself with a history that is fairly typical of the pain of acute coronary heart disease but without objective findings. This includes patients with the onset of classical angina of effort, or the acute worsening of pre-existing angina. The typical history should suffice for a tentative diagnosis of acute coronary heart disease. The patient with an atypical history, however, may present himself with little more than mild to moderate substernal discomfort that comes and goes spontaneously and is often associated with belching and indefinite upper abdominal distress, in other words “indigestion.” The discomfort may extend into the neck. If the
Associations of Household Wealth and Individual Literacy with Prenatal Care in Ten West African Countries.

Objective To examine associations of household wealth and individual literacy with prenatal care in West Africa. Methods Data on women with recent births in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone were obtained from 2006 to 2010 Demographic and Health Surveys (n = 58,512). Separate logistic regressions estimated associations of literacy and wealth quintiles with prenatal care, controlling for age, parity, marital status, rural/urban residence, religion, multiple births, pregnancy wantedness, and the woman’s involvement in decision-making at home. Any prenatal care was defined by ≥1 prenatal care visit. Adequate prenatal care was defined as at least four prenatal care visits beginning in the first trimester, at least one with a skilled provider. Results Seventy-eight percent of women had any prenatal care; 23 % had adequate care. Women who were not literate had lower odds of having any prenatal care (odds ratio, OR 0.29; 95 % confidence interval, CI 0.26–0.33) and lower odds of adequate care (OR 0.73, CI 0.68–0.78). Women in the poorest wealth quintile were substantially less likely to have any prenatal care than women in the wealthiest quintile (OR 0.24, CI 0.11–0.18), and less likely to have adequate care (OR 0.31, CI 0.27–0.35). Conclusions for Practice A substantial percentage of women in West Africa have no prenatal care. Few have adequate care. Illiteracy and poverty are important risk factors for having little or no prenatal care. Increasing education for girls, promoting culturally appropriate messages about prenatal care, and building trust in providers may increase prenatal care.
A robust approach to human-computer interface design using the Taguchi method

The application of Dr. Genichi Taguchi's approach for design optimization, called Robust Design, to the design of human-computer interface software is investigated. The Taguchi Method is used to select a near optimum set of interface design alternatives to improve user acceptance of the resulting interface software product with minimum sensitivity to uncontrollable noise caused by human behavioral characteristics. Design alternatives for interaction with personal micro-computers are identified. Several important and representative alternatives are chosen as design parameters for the Taguchi matrix experiment. A noise field with three human behavioral characteristics as noise factors were chosen as a representative noise array. Task accomplishment scenarios were developed for demonstration of the design parameters on an interactive human-computer interface. Experimentation was conducted using selected human subjects to study the effect of the various settings of the design parameters on user acceptance of the interface. Using the results of the matrix experiment, a near optimum set of design parameter values was selected. A verification experiment was developed and performed using the predicted near optimum design parameter values. Analysis of the follow-up experiment indicated improved levels of user acceptance with the near optimum values. This study suggests that the Taguchi Method of design optimization is applicable to human-machine engineering in general, and to the design of human-computer interface software in particular, as a means of selecting a near optimum set of design alternatives. This methodology is useful in reducing the number of total experiments required for optimization where several design alternatives exist in a richly interdependent context.
A low cost monolithic accelerometer; product/technology update

Described is a complete monolithic accelerometer, which combines a surface micromachined polysilicon sensor with BiMOS interface circuitry. As much as possible, the device exploits existing high volume wafer fabrication technology. Ultimately, this scheme should make acceleration sensing a commodity function, with signal span accuracy approaching 5%. The circuit architecture is reviewed and recent characterization results reported. >
Immunization disparities in older Americans : Determinants and future research needs

Background Marked racial disparities persist in influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations among Medicare beneficiaries. This study sought to assess the contribution that patient, physician, health system, and area-level characteristics make to these racial disparities in immunization. Methods Cross-sectional and decomposition analyses were performed on a nationally representative sample of 18,013 non-institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries who responded to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) in 2000 to 2002. The physician characteristics of interest included specialty type, accessibility, information-giving skills, perceived quality, and continuity of care. Health system characteristics included HMO enrollment and numbers of primary care physicians per elderly. The outcomes were receipt of influenza vaccine in the past year and ever having received a pneumococcal vaccine. Results Immunization rates were below recommended levels for all Medicare beneficiaries. Disparities between white and black beneficiaries in the receipt of vaccinations were large—an absolute 17% difference for each vaccine. After adjusting for patient, physician, health system, and area-level characteristics, white beneficiaries had significantly higher odds of vaccination than did black beneficiaries: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.35–1.71) for influenza vaccination, and aOR=1.82 (95% CI=1.61–2.07) for pneumococcal vaccination. Beneficiaries with a usual physician that they rated as having good information-giving skills and whose practice was more accessible, had higher immunization rates. Beneficiaries with a primary care generalist as their usual physician had higher odds of immunization than those with a specialist as their usual physician. At the county level, a higher number of primary care physicians per elderly resident was associated with higher odds of immunization. Only 7% of the racial disparity in influenza immunization was explained by the measured characteristics of beneficiaries and their health systems. Conclusions Despite similar insurance coverage and presence of a usual physician, black beneficiaries were significantly less likely than their white counterparts to receive influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. The implications for future research are discussed, including the need for system-based interventions that make the offering and discussion of vaccination routine.
Hydrodynamics of defecation

Animals discharge feces within a range of sizes and shapes. Such variation has long been used to track animals as well as to diagnose illnesses in both humans and animals. However, the physics by which feces are discharged remain poorly understood. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we investigate the defecation of mammals from cats to elephants using the dimensions of large intestines and feces, videography at Zoo Atlanta, cone-on-plate rheological measurements of feces and mucus, and a mathematical model of defecation. The diameter of feces is comparable to that of the rectum, but the length is double that of the rectum, indicating that not only the rectum but also the colon is a storage facility for feces. Despite the length of rectum ranging from 4 to 40 cm, mammals from cats to elephants defecate within a nearly constant duration of 12 ± 7 seconds (N = 23). We rationalize this surprising trend by our mathematical model, which shows that feces slide along the large intestine by a layer of mucus, similar to a sled sliding down a chute. Larger animals have not only more feces but also thicker mucus layers, which facilitate their ejection. Our model accounts for the shorter and longer defecation times associated with diarrhea and constipation, respectively. This study may support clinicians use of non-invasive procedures such as defecation time in the diagnoses of ailments of the digestive system.
Drinking beyond the binge threshold: predictors, consequences, and changes in the U.S.

Introduction Binge drinking, five or more drinks on an occasion for men and four or more for women, marks risky alcohol use. However, this dichotomous variable removes information about higher, more dangerous consumption. This paper examines predictors, consequences, and changes over a decade in drinking one to two times, two to three times, and three or more times standard gender-specific binge thresholds, labeled Levels I, II, and III. Methods In 2001–2002 and 2012–2013, respectively, 42,748 and 36,083 U.S. respondents aged ≥18 years were interviewed in person in cross-sectional waves of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (response rates, 81% and 61%). Respondents were asked their past-year maximum drink consumption per day, categorized as Levels I, II, or III. Predictors and whether Levels II and III were associated with more negative consequences were analyzed in 2012–2013 data. Results In 2001–2002, 23% of adults reported past-year binge drinking, with 15% peaking at Level I, 5% at Level II, and 3% at Level III. In 2012–2013, those percentages increased significantly to 33% binging, and 20%, 8%, and 5% binging at Levels I, II, and III, respectively. After adjusting for alcohol use disorder, the strongest predictor of Level I, II, and III binging, Level III versus I and non-binge drinkers had higher odds of past-year driving after drinking and, after drinking, experiencing physical fights, injuries, emergency department visits, arrests/detentions, and other legal problems. Conclusions Level II and III—relative to Level I—binging is associated with more negative alcohol consequences and may be increasing nationally. Research needs to explore prevention and counseling interventions.
Seed-mediated co-reduction in a large lattice mismatch system: synthesis of Pd-Cu nanostructures.

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) are of interest for applications in catalysis, electronics, chemical sensing, and more. Their utility is dictated by their composition and physical parameters such as particle size, particle shape, and overall architecture (e.g., hollow vs. solid). Interestingly, the addition of a second metal to create bimetallic NPs adds multifunctionality, with new emergent properties common. However, synthesizing structurally defined bimetallic NPs remains a great challenge. One synthetic pathway to architecturally controlled bimetallic NPs is seed-mediated co-reduction (SMCR) in which two metal precursors are simultaneously co-reduced to deposit metal onto shape-controlled metal seeds, which direct the overgrowth. Previously demonstrated in a Au–Pd system, here SMCR is applied to a system with a larger lattice mismatch between the depositing metals: Pd and Cu (7% mismatch for Pd–Cu vs. 4% for Au–Pd). Through manipulation of precursor reduction kinetics, the morphology and bimetallic distribution of the resultant NPs can be tuned to achieve eight-branched Pd–Cu heterostructures with Cu localized at the tips of the Pd nanocubes as well as branched Pd–Cu alloyed nanostructures and polyhedra. Significantly, the symmetry of the seeds can be transferred to the final nanostructures. This study expands our understanding of SMCR as a route to structurally defined bimetallic nanostructures and the synthesis of multicomponent nanomaterials more generally.
Fast Consensus in Multi-Agent Systems With Star Topology Using High Gain Observers

This letter addresses the consensus problem of multi-agent systems for a static undirected communication topology. It is known that for a static undirected graph, the convergence rate of the consensus protocol depends on the second smallest eigenvalue of the graph Laplacian. The fastest convergence rate can be achieved when the communication topology is given by a complete graph which is costly in terms of the required number of communication links. On the other hand the star topology is ubiquitous in nature and widely used in practical applications due to its robustness property but the convergence rate of the consensus protocol with the star topology is slower than the complete graph. In this letter, we show that the convergence rate of the star topology can be increased by adding observers to each agent except the root agent. The complete graph is chosen as a reference target system and we show that the convergence rate of the consensus protocol with the star topology approaches the convergence rate of the consensus protocol with the complete graph for sufficiently small $\epsilon $ , which is a high-gain observer parameter. Furthermore, we show that for sufficiently small $\epsilon $ , the trajectories of the agents with the star topology approach the trajectories of the agents with the virtual complete graph. Simulations are provided that show the effectiveness of our theoretical results.
Portable perfusion phantom for quantitative DCE-MRI of the abdomen

Purpose To develop a portable perfusion phantom and validate its utility in quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen. Methods A portable perfusion phantom yielding a reproducible contrast enhancement curve (CEC) was developed. A phantom package including perfusion and static phantoms were imaged simultaneously with each of three healthy human volunteers in two different 3T MR scanners. Look-up tables correlating reference (known) contrast concentrations with measured ones were created using either the static or perfusion phantom. Contrast maps of image slices showing four organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, and paravertebral muscle) were generated before and after data correction using the look-up tables. The contrast concentrations at 4.5 minutes after dosing in each of the four organs were averaged for each volunteer. The mean contrast concentrations (4 organs x 3 volunteers = 12) were compared for the two scanners, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Also, the ICC of the mean Ktrans values between the two scanners was calculated before and after data correction. Results The repeatability coefficient of CECs of perfusion phantom was higher than 0.997 in all measurements. The ICC of the tissue contrast concentrations between the two scanners was 0.693 before correction, but increased to 0.974 after correction using the look-up tables (LUTs) of perfusion phantom. However, the ICC was not increased after correction using static phantom (ICC: 0.617). Similarly, the ICC of the Ktrans values was 0.899 before correction, but increased to 0.996 after correction using perfusion phantom LUTs. The ICC of the Ktrans values, however, was not increased when static phantom LUTs were used (ICC: 0.866). Conclusions The perfusion phantom reduced variability in quantifying contrast concentration and Ktrans values of human abdominal tissues across different MR units, but static phantom did not. The perfusion phantom has the potential to facilitate multi-institutional clinical trials employing quantitative DCE-MRI to evaluate various abdominal malignancies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Suppresses Innate Immune Responses via a Ubiquitin and ISG15 Specific Protease

Antiviral responses are regulated by conjugation of ubiquitin (Ub) and interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) to proteins. Certain classes of viruses encode Ub- or ISG15-specific proteases belonging to the ovarian tumor (OTU) superfamily. Their activity is thought to suppress cellular immune responses, but studies demonstrating the function of viral OTU proteases during infection are lacking. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV, family Nairoviridae) is a highly pathogenic human virus that encodes an OTU with both deubiquitinase and deISGylase activity as part of the viral RNA polymerase. We investigated CCHFV OTU function by inactivating protease catalytic activity or by selectively disrupting its deubiquitinase and deISGylase activity using reverse genetics. CCHFV OTU inactivation blocked viral replication independently of its RNA polymerase activity, while deubiquitinase activity proved critical for suppressing the interferon responses. Our findings provide insights into viral OTU functions and support the development of therapeutics and vaccines.
Conversations with Suzanna: Exploring Gender, Motherhood, and Research Practice

This is a story of two mothers who met through a narrative research project that looked at young adults’ gender transitions from their parents’ perspectives. Focusing on one mother’s experiences with her daughter’s transition, this chapter traces the course of the researcher-respondent relationship through interview transcripts, field notes, memos, and recollections. Over the course of five years, tears were shed, fundamental truths were questioned, and a friendship was forged. The chapter closes with reflections on research practice, touching on the challenge of authentically representing another person’s narrative, the role of subjectivity, and the merits of prolonged engagement.
A study of dynamic information display and decision-making in abstract trust games

Abstract User interfaces that display dynamic information have the ability to influence decision makers in networked settings where many individuals collaborate. To understand how varying levels of information support affects behavior (cooperation vs. defection) in a social dilemma, a user interface (UI) was developed and an online experiment (N=901) was conducted based on the iterated Diner’s Dilemma, a version of the n-player Prisoner’s Dilemma. There were 3 main findings: (1) as more UI support was given, participants became more likely to retaliate against defection than they were to initiate defection; (2) participant situation awareness (SA) increased as more UI support was given but decreased in the presence of forgiving co-actors; and (3) the need for UI support to make good decisions was diminished as co-actors became more likely to exploit. These results can inform the design of information support tools for collaborative settings.
Inhibition of HSPs for Enhanced Immunity

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly abundant proteins found in all cell types in the body, where they comprise approximately 1–2% of the cellular proteome. Due to the physiologically stressful conditions of the progressive tumor microenvironment (TME, i.e., hypoxia, acidosis, and high interstitial fluid pressure), expression of HSPs in tumor cells can be increased by a factor of two- to tenfold over that found in normal cells. Larger HSPs (HSP70 and HSP90) maintain the structural integrity of a broad range of tumor client proteins associated with oncogenesis and disease progression. HSPs can also be translocated to the tumor cell surface or shed into the extracellular space where they have recently been found to serve as “chaperokines” capable of modulating the function of antigen-presenting cells and immune effector cells. This chapter will provide a summary of the pleiotropic impact of HSPs on tumor immunity and suggest strategies by which HSP inhibitors (HSPi) might be best applied to optimize the antitumor efficacy of combination immunotherapy approaches.
Pregnancy and Cancer Treatment

Following treatment for cancer, parents have many concerns about the effects on the developing embryo and future cancer risks to offspring and to maternal health during pregnancy. With close monitoring of maternal status during pregnancy, female cancer survivors can achieve a successful pregnancy.
Types of Aggressive Relationships, Peer Rejection, and Developmental Consequences

The phrase social competence has been used in the literature to refer to two separate lines of research. The first line has focused on the development and maintenance of close friendships (Berndt, 1986; Furman, 1982, 1985; Gottman, 1983; Gottman & Parker, 1986; Selman, 1981; Youniss, 1980) and the second on the ability to interact effectively in a more general social environment, like the peer group (Asher & Coie, in press; Asher & Hymel, 1981; Coie, Dodge, & Coppotelli, 1982; Hartup, Glazer, & Charlesworth, 1967; Putallaz & Gottman, 1981). Such differentiation reflects researchers’ acknowledgment that both areas are important components of social competence. At the same time, it indicates their awareness that close friendships and peer relations may be quite distinct in nature and function. Furman (1985), for example, proposed that intimacy, affection, loyalty, and availability are primarily obtained in the context of close friendships, whereas a sense of inclusion is more likely to develop within the context of peer relations. In the present chapter, we will focus on the peer relations side of social competence, and we will discuss some of the aspects of poor peer relations that appear particularly problematic or are predictive of adjustment problems in later life.
Covering maps in top N

We develop the first step in a theory of covering spaces in TopN beginning by extending a categorical definition of covering space in Top due to E. Dyer and S. Eilenberg.
The U.S. Business Press and Prohibition

AbstractClaims that national Prohibition owed its passage to the support of business interests are as old as Prohibition itself. The reasoning is typically that business saw the banning of alcoholic beverages as a means to a more productive, reliable, docile workforce. Yet little systematic evidence has been brought to bear on the question of whether the business community did in fact push for prohibition. Toward an answer, this paper examines the leading business periodicals of the time and their coverage of the issue, as well as newspaper coverage of local business figures’ and organizations’ stances on local and national prohibition. Preliminary results indicate that the national business press regarded prohibition as a minor issue, giving it little space or visible concern compared with other key reforms of the day. At the level of individual sectors, business attitudes toward prohibition seem to have varied widely. For example, as the national prohibition movement came to a crescendo in 1916–19, the ...