cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CD103 Expression Is Required for Destruction of Pancreatic Islet Allografts by CD8+ T Cells

The mechanisms by which CD8 effector populations interact with epithelial layers is a poorly defined aspect of adaptive immunity. Recognition that CD8 effectors have the capacity to express CD103, an integrin directed to the epithelial cell-specific ligand E-cadherin, potentially provides insight into such interactions. To assess the role of CD103 in promoting CD8-mediated destruction of epithelial layers, we herein examined the capacity of mice with targeted disruption of CD103 to reject pancreatic islet allografts. Wild-type hosts uniformly rejected islet allografts, concomitant with the appearance of CD8+CD103+ effectors at the graft site. In contrast, the majority of islet allografts transplanted into CD103−/− hosts survived indefinitely. Transfer of wild-type CD8 cells into CD103−/− hosts elicited prompt rejection of long-surviving islet allografts, whereas CD103−/− CD8 cells were completely ineffectual, demonstrating that the defect resides at the level of the CD8 cell. CD8 cells in CD103−/− hosts exhibited normal effector responses to donor alloantigens in vitro and trafficked normally to the graft site, but strikingly failed to infiltrate the islet allograft itself. These data establish a causal relationship between CD8+CD103+ effectors and destruction of graft epithelial elements and suggest that CD103 critically functions to promote intragraft migration of CD8 effectors into epithelial compartments.
Who Are “We”? An Important Question for Geography's Future

AAG President Alec Murphy's invitation to reflect on “where we have come from and where we stand” sent me scurrying to Preston James and Geoffrey Martin's official history of the AAG's first sevent...
Toward a Molecular Understanding of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels

Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels. Many different types of potassium (K+) channels exist and they play a central role in the fine tuning of excitability properties. Of the distinct subpopulations of K+ channels expressed in different cells, voltage-gated K+ channels have been studied most thoroughly at a molecular level. Over the last few years, the joint application of recombinant DNA technology together with electrophysiology, such as the voltage clamp and the patch clamp techniques, has produced a wealth of information. We have begun to unravel the genetic basis of ion channel diversity. In particular, the Xenopus oocyte expression system has turned out to be of enormous experimental value. Oocytes microinjected with “cloned” mRNA have been used to gain insight into biophysical and pharmacologic properties of voltage-gated K+, Na+, and Ca2+ channels. Here, we will review our understanding of K+ channel diversity based upon the fact that ion channels are encoded as a large multigene family. We have caught a first glimpse at possible molecular mechanisms underlying several biophysical properties characteristic for voltage-gated ion channels: voltage dependence of activation and inactivation, and ion permeation and selectivity. We will discuss molecular mechanisms of K+ channel activation and inactivation. We will also describe experiments that led to the identification of the “pore region,” and we will present a model of a potassium selective ion channel pore.
Networks, disrupted: Media use as an organizing mechanism for rebuilding

Longitudinal interorganizational relationships in New Orleans are used to assess the ways in which organizations employed information and communication technologies to (re)connect to their social networks and with what impact regarding post-disruption capacity building. Findings reveal tensions in old and new media use and that using multiple media is an organizing mechanism that improves rebuilding efficiency and effectiveness. Specifically, using mixed media, more so than any one old or new media, facilitated bridging and bonding social capital to expand network capacity. An Organizational Media Spectrum model integrates media intimacy, familiarity, and network capacity to illustrate the relationship between media strategies and organizing processes for building capacity in social networks.
Reliability of Candidate Photovoltaic Module-Integrated-Inverter (PV-MII) Topologies—A Usage Model Approach

This paper proposes a new methodology for calculating the mean time between failure (MTBF) of a photovoltaic module-integrated inverter (PV-MII). Based on a stress-factor reliability methodology, the proposed technique applies a usage model for the inverter to determine the statistical distribution of thermal and electrical stresses for the electrical components. The salient feature of the proposed methodology is taking into account the operating environment volatility of the module-integrated electronics to calculate the MTBF of the MII. This leads to more realistic assessment of reliability than if a single worst case or typical operating point was used. Measured data (module temperature and insolation level) are used to experimentally verify the efficacy of the methodology. The proposed methodology is used to examine the reliability of six different candidate inverter topologies for a PV-MII. This study shows the impact of each component on the inverter reliability, in particular, the power decoupling capacitors. The results confirm that the electrolytic capacitor is the most vulnerable component with the lowest MTBF, but more importantly provide a quantified assessment of realistic MTBF under expected operating conditions rather than a single worst case operating point, which may have a low probability of occurrence.
Strain Relaxation by Dislocation Arrays in Thin Films

An analytical model for strain relaxation by misfit dislocation arrays in thin films is presented that takes into account all components of the strain tensor, including shear strains. The model is developed for (001) films and applied to strain relaxation in (011) oriented FCC metal films. Our results show that shear strains strongly influence the total strain energy of the film. Since both the critical strain for dislocation formation, and the equilibrium spacing of dislocations in arrays depend on the minimum energy values, these quantities are found to be different from those predicted by previous models. This model is useful for understanding both critical strain data and strain relaxation in films.
Benzoic acid is not the only important product of accelerated metabolism of cocaine.

Xiabin Chen et al. (1) describe pioneering work with a modified drug-metabolizing enzyme, a butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) analog, intended to prolong BChE activity in humans, hoping that the result would be accelerated cocaine metabolism. This work is exciting to those involved in pharmacokinetic approaches to drug toxicity; such constructs promise to be the first drug-metabolizing enzymes used as therapeutic agents. The analog described (1) seems to be the third of its type; this analog is apparently the longest lasting in the series (2, 3).
Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Commitment-to-School Scale Using a Sample of Junior High School Youth in Ghana.

Empirical evidence from developed countries suggests that students' commitment to school is fundamental to their academic success. However, in developing countries, validated measures of student commitment to school do not exist. The current study helps fill this research gap by examining the validity and reliability of a commitment-to-school scale (CSS) adapted for the Ghanaian context. With a sample of 6,252 middle school–age students, the study employs exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with weighted least squares means and variance adjusted (WLSMV) to establish and validate the construct as bidimensional. Measurement invariance tests confirm that the two-factor commitment model is generalizable across grade levels but not genders. Given its parsimony and good fit, the adapted CSS might be useful for future research in Ghana. Similarity of the model across grade levels suggests that the scale has potential uses in education research among diverse groups. We suggest that the CSS be developed f...
Development of Epitaxial, Tiling, and Cutting Processes for a Diamond Single Crystal Wafer Technology

Development of a diamond homoepitaxial deposition process that utilizes water and ethanol at a growth temperature of ~600°C is described. Topographies are excellent, and etch pit densities (EPD) are in the 106 cm−2 range when growth is done on type Ia C(100) substrates. This process has been used to epitaxially join diamond single crystals that were bonded in close proximity to each other. This process of “tiling” single crystal diamonds in close proximity in order to manufacture a large-area diamond single crystal template is also described. Specially prepared diamonds that have had their faces and edges oriented to {100} were coated with heteroepitaxial Ni, then pressed onto a Si wafer while being heated in an inert gas atmosphere. The resulting bond is excellent; thereby permitting our 600°C diamond deposition process to epitaxially join the diamonds. A diamond wafer cutting technology has been addressed using a specific sequence consisting of: ion implantation, homoepitaxial diamond growth, annealing, and contactless electrochemical etching. This “lift-off’ method of cutting has thus far resulted in a 2mm×0.5mm×17.5µm transparent, synthetic, free-standing, single crystal diamond plate being fabricated. Raman spectroscopy and EPD show the plate to be comparable to our best homoepitaxial diamond.
Cooperation Within and Among State Agricultural Experiment Stations—Implications for Entomologists and Engineers

The history of the state agricultural experiment stations has been one of bringing disciplines together. With their establishment in 1875, and later through their augmentation by the Hatch Act of 1887, the very philosophy of ag research as provided by the SAES has been one of solving problems—not maintaining the status quo. In so doing, the scientists of the state agricultural experiment stations have been provided the opportunity to work together.
The Pathogenicity of Bagasse, II. Effect on Rabbits of Prolonged Exposure to Bagasse.

ConclusionsThese experimental and comparative studies permit the conclusion that the inorganic part of the inhaled bagasse dust produces a long-standing tissue reaction which is primarily a foreign body response. It is unlike silicosis and amenable to healing by resolution. Superimposed on these lesions there occurs in those animals which are more susceptible to the causative microorganisms acute bronchiolitic and pneumonic changes which, if sufficiently extensive, may cause death of the animal. A similar combination of etiologic factors seems to be the most plausible explanation of the complex picture of human bagasse disease.Summary. Bagasse irrespective of the route ol administration, produces a complex and frequently progressive inflammatory reaction of the exposed animal. By employing native, in contrast to autoclaved bagasse and its extracted resins and minerals, it could be demonstrated that the fiber itself calls forth a long-standing foreign body reaction which is amenable to healing. The progres...
SURGICAL ADVANCES IN THE CORRECTION OF HEARING LOSS.

Some of the more common conditions causing conduction hearing loss are discussed in relation to the newer surgical measures available for correction. Results have been encouraging and in many cases even dramatic. The restoration of serviceable hearing changes a person's life far more than most of us realize. Unfortunately, not every patient with conduction hearing loss can be benefited, and before a corrective procedure is undertaken the patient should be thoroughly informed concerning the chances of success and failure. Sensorineural hearing loss still is not amenable to surgical correction.
Specimens for Molecular Testing in Breast Cancer

Molecular testing can be performed on different specimen types. DNA- and RNA-based ancillary studies play an important role in identifying molecular portraits of breast carcinoma and in influencing routine therapies. Preanalytical factors coupled with differences in chemical and physical conditions have a significant impact on the quality of the nucleic acids. Although there are different types of fixative for surgical specimens in breast pathology, the 10 % neutral buffered formalin (NBF) is the preferred and most widely used fixative, which most molecular assays have been optimized for. Among different molecular testing methods, in situ hybridization (ISH) and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are more commonly used. However, next generation sequencing (NGS) set the pace in changing our understanding of the molecular traits of tumors at the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic levels and is rapidly gaining pace in clinical testing.
Screening of nonfatty fish for organochlorine pesticide residues by solid-phase extraction cleanup: interlaboratory study.

Six U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratories participated in an interlaboratory trial of a solid-phase extraction cleanup method for determination of pesticides in nonfatty seafood products. The participants analyzed control and fortified (about 0.050 ppm lindane, heptachlor epoxide, p,p'-DDE, and endrin) croaker and flounder samples and a sea trout sample containing incurred p,p'-DDE residues. Mean recoveries of the fortified residues from the fish ranged from 89.1 to 107.8%. The within-laboratory coefficients of variation (CVs) ranged from 4.2 to 8.5%, and the among-laboratory CVs ranged from 10.9 to 26.5%. The 6 laboratories reported a mean value of 0.040 ppm p,p'-DDE in a fish sample which contained incurred residues. The same value (0.040 ppm) was obtained by using official methodology. The within-laboratory CVs ranged from 3.5 to 18.3%, and the among-laboratory CV was 17.3%.
Cognitive-behavioral treatment of adult rumination behavior in the setting of disordered eating: A single case experimental design

The integration of feeding and eating disorders into a single DSM-5 chapter introduces an opportunity to explore common mechanisms and transdiagnostic treatment approaches. In contrast to a robust literature on the evidence-based treatment of eating disorders, very few data guide the treatment of rumination disorder (RD). In a single case experimental design, we describe the treatment of a 27-year-old woman who presented to an eating-disorder clinic with a 15-year history of untreated rumination and intermittent binge eating. According to time series analysis, she reduced rumination frequency at trend-level during the initial baseline phase (self-monitoring only), and exhibited significant reductions during the active intervention phase (self-monitoring + cognitive-behavioral techniques including diaphragmatic breathing and behavioral experimentation). She maintained these gains at 23 weeks post-intervention. Although more rigorous systematic investigation is needed, these data suggest that selected cognitive and behavioral techniques already familiar to eating-disorder clinicians may have heuristic value for RD treatment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:967-972).
Psychobiography as a Means to Understanding Langer’s Contributions to Psychological Science

Trained as a generalist viewing psychology as a unified science, one of my most frequently cited publications (Demick 2000) is an article arguing that Langer’s theory of mindfulness has the makings of becoming aunifying framework for the field. Since that article demonstrated my academic bent, the present chapter employs my complementary practitioner leanings, using psychobiography as a framework for understanding Langer's contributions to psychological science. Independent transactions in similar cultural and the same academic environments simultaneously, 30 years of a professional friendship, and informal observations in laboratory meetings serve as data to reconstruct the underpinnings of her worldview shaping the problems, theory, and methods that have led her to become one of the most influential psychologists of all time.
Neutrino flavor evolution in neutron star mergers

We examine the flavor evolution of neutrinos emitted from the disklike remnant (hereafter called ``neutrino disk'') of a binary neutron star (BNS) merger. We specifically follow the neutrinos emitted from the center of the disk, along the polar axis perpendicular to the equatorial plane. We carried out two-flavor simulations using a variety of different possible initial neutrino luminosities and energy spectra and, for comparison, three-flavor simulations in specific cases. In all simulations, the normal neutrino mass hierarchy was used. The flavor evolution was found to be highly dependent on the initial neutrino luminosities and energy spectra; in particular, we found two broad classes of results depending on the sign of the initial net electron neutrino lepton number (i.e., the number of neutrinos minus the number of antineutrinos). In the antineutrino-dominated case, we found that the matter-neutrino resonance effect dominates, consistent with previous results, whereas in the neutrino-dominated case, a bipolar spectral swap develops. The neutrino-dominated conditions required for this latter result have been realized, e.g., in a BNS merger simulation that employs the ``DD2'' equation of state for neutron star matter [Phys. Rev. D 93, 044019 (2016)]. For this case, in addition to the swap at low energies, a collective Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein mechanism generates a high-energy electron neutrino tail. The enhanced population of high-energy electron neutrinos in this scenario could have implications for the prospects of $r$-process nucleosynthesis in the material ejected outside the plane of the neutrino disk.
Prayer and Forgiveness: Beyond Relationship Quality and Extension to Marriage.

The majority of the world population profess religious/spiritual beliefs and prayer is a form of spiritual activity common across numerous religious/spiritual belief systems. Three studies therefore examined the role of prayer in romantic relationships. Study 1 (n = 91) showed that prayer for a dating partner predicted lower aggressive tendencies and greater forgiveness of partner transgressions, independently of relationship closeness. Study 2 (n = 89 married couples) is among the first to examine the prayer-forgiveness association using dyadic data. Controlling for relationship satisfaction in the actor-partner interdependence model, prayer for the spouse predicted own forgiveness but not partner's reports of their own forgiveness. To obviate the problem of obtaining all the data from the same reporter, Study 3 (n = 91 married couples) used partner reports of the spouse's forgiveness in an actor-partner interdependence model analysis. Controlling for religiosity, the results showed that prayer for the partner predicted partner reports of the prayer's forgiveness. The implications of these results are then discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
From reading comments to seeking news: exposure to disagreements from online comments and the need for opinion-challenging news

This study examined the influence of exposure to blog comments on opinion-challenging news use. Based on studies in selective exposure and deliberative democracy, a 2 × 2 mixed factorial design exp...
The Culture of Service at Alverno College

For more than a century, commitment to others through service has been a core value of Alverno College. In this paper we most fundamentally and urgently hope to show, first, how service remains at the center of our educational enterprise for both students and faculty through the operation of our curriculum and the norms and values guiding our daily life; and second, how we collectively judge whether we are succeeding. We say “fundamentally” because, from our experience, we are convinced that a service-learning program can work only if in some way it is located in the commons of the institution, where the curriculum and co-curriculum, the goals of students and the goals of faculty, intersect. And we say “urgently” because we share with the editors of this book the concern for the future of this country, and believe that effective service-learning programs in colleges can go far to help create the citizens we need to better our social order.
Supplementary Schools and Acculturation Metanarratives

Within this chapter the analytical scope is extended outwards, beyond the micro-level school setting. It is within this chapter that the book again engages with wider discussions of migration and acculturation, establishing direct links between these processes and the operations of supplementary schools. This chapter highlights the metanarratives that were evident within the cohort of schools investigated, which include various combinations or clusters of purpose components. These combinations are representative of community acculturation dynamics and are discussed in light of wider acculturation discourses. The aim of this chapter is not to establish a definitive typology of communities, schools or experiences but rather to highlight the complex and diverse social positionings of schools and allow for certain inferences to be made with regard to the acculturation experiences and outlooks of ethnic minority communities depending on identity characteristics.
Necessary Nomenclatural Corrections for Mycophtorus Lacordaire, 1842 and Neomycotretus Deelder, 1942, with the Establishment of Myceporthus Skelley and Powell, New Genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Tritomini)

Abstract Study of type specimens for the two species originally described in the presumed New World genus Mycophtorus Lacordaire, 1842 (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Tritomini) revealed they belong to different genera from different continents. Mycopthorus melanocerus Lacordaire, 1842, the type species of Mycophtorus, is conspecific with Neomycotretus hilaris (Arrow, 1917), the type species of Neomycotretus Deelder, 1942. These findings necessitate a transfer of the generic name and type species of Mycophtorus to Neomycotretus, resulting in 23 new combinations for species of this African taxon. In addition, Petaloscelis hilaris Arrow, 1917 and Neomycotretus liberianus Deelder, 1942 are synonymized under M. melanocerus, new synonymies. Having the same type species, Neomycotretus Deelder is synonymized with Mycophtorus Lacordaire, new synonymy, the latter having priority. Mycophtorus peruvianus Kirsch, 1876 belongs in the genus Mycotretus Lacordaire, 1842 (sensu lato), becoming Mycotretus peruvianus (...
Microbial shelf life determination of vacuum-packaged fresh beef treated with polylactic acid, lactic acid, and nisin solutions.

The effectiveness of polylactic acid, lactic acid, nisin, and combinations of the acids and nisin on extending the shelf-life of raw beef was determined. Fresh beef pieces (5 by 5 by 2.5 cm) were dipped in a solution of 2% low molecular weight polylactic acid (LMW-PLA), 2% lactic acid (LA), 200 IU of nisin per ml, or the combinations of nisin in either 2% LMWPLA or 2% LA. The samples were then drip-dried, vacuum-packaged, and stored at 4°C for up to 56 days. The beef surface pH values and numbers of psychrotrophic aerobic bacteria, psychrotrophic and mesophilic Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas, and Lactobacillus were determined weekly for 56 days. The average surface pH values of the beef samples treated with 2% LMW-PLA or the combination of 200 IU of nisin per ml and 2% LMW-PLA were significantly reduced to 5.19 and 5.17, respectively, at day 0 (P ≤ 0.05), while those decontaminated with 2% LA or 200 IU of nisin per ml in 2% LA solution were significantly decreased from 5.62 to 4.98 and 4.96, respectively...
Accuracy of expectant mothers' predictions of fathers' attitudes regarding breast-feeding.

BACKGROUND: Breast-feeding plays a well-recognized role in lowering infant morbidity and mortality during the first year of life. Previous research has demonstrated that fathers contribute to the decision of which infant feeding method will be used, and can be effective promoters of breast-feeding. A woman's decision to breast-feed her infant may rest on her assumptions of the father's attitude regarding this feeding method. As the perception of a negative paternal attitude toward breast-feeding may discourage some women from breast-feeding, this study was designed to determine whether a mother can accurately predict the father's attitude on this subject. METHODS: Subjects were 268 pairs of expectant mothers and fathers enrolled in childbirth preparation classes at five private hospitals in Houston, Texas. Participants individually completed pretested surveys assessing their attitudes regarding breast-feeding. Mothers' surveys additionally assessed their partner's attitudes toward breast-feeding. RESULTS: More mothers than fathers reported exclusive breast-feeding as their preferred feeding plan (69% vs 58%), whereas only 54% of partners both responded they preferred breast-feeding. Overall, fathers had more favorable attitudes toward breast-feeding than their partners predicted, but large numbers of fathers harbored misconceptions and negative attitudes toward breast-feeding. Mothers' predictions were little more accurate than random guessing in predicting their partner's response (range: 56% to 83%). CONCLUSIONS: A mother's perception of her partner's attitudes toward breast-feeding influences her choice of infant feeding method. If she perceives that the father has a negative attitude about breast-feeding, she will probably not choose this method. Additional efforts to dispel misconceptions about breast-feeding should be made during childbirth preparation classes and prenatal visits.
Scaling-Field Approach to Critical Phenomena

We review the scaling-field method, which provides a novel renormalization-group technique for the investigation of critical phenomena in three-dimensional systems. Applications to the Potts, percolation, cubic, random Ising, and isotropic N-vector models demonstrate the versatility of the approach.
Diversified Strategies for Mitigating Adversarial Attacks in Multiagent Systems

In this work we consider online decision-making in settings where players want to guard against possible adversarial attacks or other catastrophic failures. To address this, we propose a solution concept in which players have an additional constraint that at each time step they must play a \em diversified mixed strategy: one that does not put too much weight on any one action. This constraint is motivated by applications such as finance, routing, and resource allocation, where one would like to limit one's exposure to adversarial or catastrophic events while still performing well in typical cases. We explore properties of diversified strategies in both zero-sum and general-sum games, and provide algorithms for minimizing regret within the family of diversified strategies as well as methods for using taxes or fees to guide standard regret-minimizing players towards diversified strategies. We also analyze equilibria produced by diversified strategies in general-sum games. We show that surprisingly, requiring diversification can actually lead to higher-welfare equilibria, and give strong guarantees on both price of anarchy and the social welfare produced by regret-minimizing diversified agents. We additionally give algorithms for finding optimal diversified strategies in distributed settings where one must limit communication overhead.
Are Chief Financial Officers Merely the 'Yes Person?' Evidence from CFO Social Networks in the Financial Industry

We study the importance of CFOs by investigating their roles in information transmission between their firms and the financial industry. We find that firms with CFOs who are socially connected with bankers tend to hold less cash. We show that this relation is due to less information asymmetry between these firms and their banks, not sweetheart deals to these connected firms. Our findings indicate that CFO outside social networks provide a conduit for transmitting firm private information to outside investors and creditors. More importantly, we show that, among firm executives and directors, CFO outside social networks are the most important in building such an information channel to reduce information asymmetry.
Understanding Vulnerable Families in Multiple Service Systems Understanding Vulnerable Families

We analyze Illinois families facing multiple barriers and their interactions with public-sector services. Using administrative data from five state agencies to identify families' receipt of child welfare, mental health, and substance abuse services as well as adult and juvenile incarcerations, we identify individuals across systems using probabilistic record-linkage techniques, defining family clusters based on networks of individuals who share child welfare and food stamp cases. We show that 23 percent receive services in two or more of these areas. This concentration accounts for 86 percent of the funding for these services used by the entire sample. They experience more and more severe problems. This population is otherwise heterogeneous, engaging with different types of services and clustered in certain parts of the state.
Exercise prevents the adverse effects of maternal obesity on placental vascularization and fetal growth.

Key points Maternal exercise improves the metabolic health of maternal mice challenged with a high-fat diet. Exercise intervention of obese mothers prevents fetal overgrowth. Exercise intervention reverses impaired placental vascularization in obese mice. Maternal exercise activates placental AMP-activated protein kinase, which was inhibited as a result of maternal obesity. Abstract More than one-third of pregnant women in the USA are obese and maternal obesity (MO) negatively affects fetal development, which predisposes offspring to metabolic diseases. The placenta mediates nutrient delivery to fetuses and its function is impaired as a result of MO. Exercise ameliorates metabolic dysfunction resulting from obesity, although its effect on placental function of obese mothers has not been explored. In the present study, C57BL/6J female mice were randomly assigned into two groups fed either a control or a high-fat diet (HFD) and then the mice on each diet were further divided into two subgroups with/without exercise. In HFD-induced obese mice, daily treadmill exercise during pregnancy reduced body weight gain, lowered serum glucose and lipid concentration, and improved insulin sensitivity of maternal mice. Importantly, maternal exercise prevented fetal overgrowth (macrosomia) induced by MO. To further examine the preventive effects of exercise on fetal overgrowth, placental vascularization and nutrient transporters were analysed. Vascular density and the expression of vasculogenic factors were reduced as a result of MO but were recovered by maternal exercise. On the other hand, the contents of nutrient transporters were not substantially altered by MO or exercise, suggesting that the protective effects of exercise in MO-induced fetal overgrowth were primarily a result of the alteration of placental vascularization and improved maternal metabolism. Furthermore, exercise enhanced downstream insulin signalling and activated AMP-activated protein kinase in HFD placenta. In sum, maternal exercise prevented fetal overgrowth induced by MO, which was associated with improved maternal metabolism and placental vascularization in obese mothers with exercise.
Deploying Machine Learning for a Sustainable Future

To meet the environmental challenges of a warming planet and an increasingly complex, high tech economy, government must become smarter about how it makes policies and deploys its limited resources. It specifically needs to build a robust capacity to analyze large volumes of environmental and economic data by using machine-learning algorithms to improve regulatory oversight, monitoring, and decision-making. Three challenges can be expected to drive the need for algorithmic environmental governance: more problems, less funding, and growing public demands. This paper explains why algorithmic governance will prove pivotal in meeting these challenges, but it also presents four likely obstacles that environmental agencies will need to surmount if they are to take full advantage of big data and predictive analytics. First, agencies must invest in upgrading their information technology infrastructure to take advantage of computational advances. Relatively modest technology investments, if made wisely, could support the use of algorithmic tools that could yield substantial savings in other administrative costs. Second, agencies will need to confront emerging concerns about privacy, fairness, and transparency associated with its reliance on Big Data and algorithmic analyses. Third, government agencies will need to strengthen their human capital so that they have the personnel who understand how to use machine learning responsibly. Finally, to work well, algorithms will need clearly defined objectives. Environmental officials will need to continue to engage with elected officials, members of the public, environmental groups, and industry representatives to forge clarity and consistency over how various risk and regulatory objectives should be specified in machine learning tools. Overall, with thoughtful planning, adequate resources, and responsible management, governments should be able to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of the use of artificial intelligence to improve environmental sustainability. If policy makers and the public will recognize the need for smarter governance, they can then start to tackle obstacles that stand in its way and better position society for a more sustainable future.
Solitary Confinement and the U.S. Prison Boom

Solitary confinement is a harsh form of custody involving isolation from the general prison population and highly restricted access to visitation and programs. Using detailed prison records coverin...
Pupillometric decoding of high-level musical imagery

Humans report imagining sound where no physical sound is present: we replay conversations, practice speeches, and "hear" music all within the confines of our minds. Research has identified neural substrates underlying auditory imagery; yet deciphering its explicit contents has been elusive. Here we present a novel pupillometric method for decoding what individuals hear "inside their heads". Independent of light, pupils dilate and constrict in response to noradrenergic activity. Hence, stimuli evoking unique and reliable patterns of attention and arousal even when imagined should concurrently produce identifiable patterns of pupil-size dynamics (PSDs). Participants listened to and then silently imagined music while eye-tracked. Using machine learning algorithms, we decoded the imagined songs within- and across-participants following classifier-training on PSDs collected during both imagination and perception. Echoing findings in vision, cross-domain decoding accuracy increased with imagery strength. These data suggest that light-independent PSDs are a neural signature sensitive enough to decode imagination.
Impacts of Plug-in Electric Vehicles on a Distribution Level Microgrid

Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) have been transforming the fossil fueled transportation system into a sustainable and emission free transportation system. This paper studies the integration of electric vehicles and associated complexities involved with energy management in a distribution level microgrid. The microgrid is situated at University of California Riverside College of Engineering- Center for Environmental Research and Technology (UCR CE-CERT). Efficiency issues of electric vehicles in comparison to conventional gasoline engine vehicles have been discussed from the source of energy viewpoint. The real time charging characteristics for different types of electric vehicles have been addressed considering level II and level III chargers. The charging impacts on building load and distribution grid of the system are also shown to assess the future challenges of large scale EV integration.
A novel spatio-temporal interpolation algorithm and its application to the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper describes several interpolation methods for predicting the number of cases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interpolation methods include some well-known temporal interpolation algorithms including Lagrange interpolation, cubic spline interpolation, and exponential decay interpolation. These temporal interpolation algorithms enable the interpolation of the COVID-19 cases at locations where measures on prior days are available. However, pandemics are not purely temporal but spatio-temporal phenomena. Therefore, the neighboring locations need to be considered too in order to derive accurate interpolation values for future days. This paper introduces a novel spatio-temporal interpolation algorithm that is shown to be better than any purely temporal interpolation algorithm in predicting the COVID-19 cases in the continental United States. In particular, the novel spatio-temporal interpolation method achieves a mean absolute error of 8.44 cases over a million people when predicting two days ahead the number of cases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Think globally, act locally”: A glocal approach to the development of social media literacy

Abstract Despite the documented number of studies that investigate social media in teaching and learning settings, the topic of social media literacy is still an under-researched area. This study adopts the theoretical lens of New Literacy studies to suggest a combined perspective for investigating social media literacies. This perspective considers both social media skills that are transversal across different social media (global skills), and those that pertain to a specific social media platform (local skills). It examines practices that are decontextualized (literacy as something to be acquired), and those that are situated and context-dependent (literacy through participation). To map current research on social media skills, a systematic literature review was conducted. Analysis of 54 publications was carried out following the UNESCO DLGF framework for digital literacy competencies, and also using a critical lens based on four metaphors whereby, for learning purposes, social media are seen as a tool, as a process, as collaboration, and as participation. The results show that most of the studies consider global social media skills, while only a few examine skills sets specific to a particular social media platform. In addition, most of the identified skills concern decontextualized practices, with very few studies emphasizing the importance of fostering situated social media practices. We conclude that there is a need for more expansive theoretical elaboration in the field, and provide a number of recommendations for investigating, understanding, and designing educational curricula and activities that support the development of social media literacy.
Effect of penicillin allergy on prophylactic antibiotic administration in the parturient undergoing cesarean delivery.

Background Administering antibiotics is often difficult in patients with specific medication allergies. This investigation aimed to determine if a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy increased the risk for not receiving correct timing of prophylactic antibiotics at cesarean delivery. We hypothesized that patients with a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy would be less likely to receive antibiotics prior to incision for cesarean delivery. Methods All women undergoing cesarean delivery at Mayo Clinic Hospital, from March 1, 2008, to February 28, 2018 were retrospectively identified by electronic medical record query. Patients were grouped based on allergy status to penicillin/cephalosporins. Data recorded included the type and time of antibiotic given in relation to surgical incision. The primary outcome of this study was administration of antibiotics within 60 minutes prior to surgical incision. Characteristics potentially associated with the primary outcome were assessed using logistic regression. Results Of the 818 patients with a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy, 75 (9.2%) did not receive prophylactic antibiotic within 60 minutes prior to skin incision. Conversely, 326 (6.9%) of the 4,744 patients without a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy did not receive their prophylactic antibiotic within 60 minutes prior to skin incision (p=0.019). Patients undergoing an emergent cesarean delivery were also at an increased risk of not receiving their prophylactic antibiotic within 60 minutes prior to skin incision (p Conclusion Patients with a penicillin or cephalosporin allergy were less likely to receive prophylactic antibiotics within the recommended 60 minutes prior to surgical incision. Clear plans and communication are important for ensuring proper antibiotic administration at cesarean delivery to prevent surgical site infection.
Views of Safety in Gynecologic Surgery

Study Objective The objective of this video is to demonstrate critical views in gynecologic surgery with the finality of decreasing inadvertent injury to vascular and genitourinary structures. Through this video, we will highlight these critical views when the risk of injury to important surrounding anatomic structures is high, and pathology that causes anatomic distortion is present. Our video emphasizes the importance of achieving these views before proceeding to the next step of the procedure. Design In general surgery, the rise of laparoscopic cholecystectomy was associated to a higher incidence of common bile duct injuries when compared to open. This was attributed to the common bile duct being mistakenly identified as the cystic duct. This injury was so common it was named “classical injury”. Subsequently, a “Critical view of safety” was described by identifying key anatomic landmarks and isolating key structures. If these landmarks were not isolated and key structures identified, the procedure would be halted until deemed safe to proceed. We adapted these concepts of “culture of safety” to gynecologic surgery and identified key anatomic landmarks and structures, in various scenarios, that could prevent genitourinary and vascular injury. The steps to identification and safety views are described in this video. Setting Academic medical center. Patients or Participants Surgical footage. Interventions Establish critical views in gynecologic surgery. Measurements and Main Results N/A Conclusion Critical views have been used in the field of General Surgery to minimize injury to the common bile duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with observational literature supporting that these critical views have led to a decrease in inadvertent injury. Our goal with this video is to adopt this concept of “culture of safety” to gynecologic surgery by identifying views of safety that can minimizing operative complications.
National Trends and Disparities in Health Care Access and Coverage Among Adults With Asthma and COPD: 1997-2018

Background Racial and ethnic as well as economic disparities in access to care among persons with asthma and COPD have been described, but long-term access trends are unclear. Research Question Have health coverage and access to care and medications among adults with airways disease improved, and have disparities narrowed? Study Design and Methods Using the 1997 through 2018 National Health Interview Survey, we examined time trends in health coverage and the affordability of medical care and prescription drugs for adults with asthma and COPD, overall and by income and by race and ethnicity. We performed multivariate linear probability regressions comparing coverage and access in 2018 with that in 1997. Results Our sample included 76,843 adults with asthma and 30,548 adults with COPD. Among adults with asthma, lack of insurance rose in the first decade of the twenty-first century, peaking with the Great Recession, but fell after implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). From 1997 through 2018, the uninsured rate among adults with asthma decreased from 19.4% to 9.6% (adjusted 9.27 percentage points; 95% CI, 7.1%-11.5%). However, the proportions delaying or foregoing medical care because of cost or going without medications did not improve. Racial and ethnic as well as economic disparities present in 1997 persisted over the study period. Trends and disparities among those with COPD were similar, although the proportion going without needed medications worsened, rising by an adjusted 7.8 percentage points. Interpretation Coverage losses among persons with airways disease in the first decade of the twenty-first century were reversed by the ACA, but neither care affordability nor disparities improved. Further reform is needed to close these gaps.
From helical nanowires, nanocrosses to aligned micro-carbon fibers

We successfully synthesized helical core-shell crystalline SiC/SiO2 nanowires, core-shell crystalline SiC/C nano-crosses and well-aligned core-shell crystalline SiC/C fibers by using a chemical vapor deposition technique. For the helical crystalline SiC/SiO2 nanowires, the SiC core typically has diameters of 10-40 nm with a helical periodicity of 40-80 nm and is covered by a uniform layer of 30-60 nm thick amorphous SiO2. Detailed structural characterizations suggested that the growth of this novel structure was induced by screw dislocations on the nanometer scale. For the core-shell nanocrosses, the crystalline SiC core typically has diameters of 10 to 40 nm and is covered by a uniform layer of 80-110 nm graphitic carbon. The wellaligned SiC/C fibers were shown to be formed by two sequential steps: catalytic SiC growth and graphitic carbon nano-sheets coating. The helical nanowires and core-shell nanocrosses may have potential applications in nano-electronics. The formation mechanism of the carbon fibers suggested that fabrication of field emission filament carbon nano-fibers may be realized by using the aligned crystalline nanowires as templates.
An Expert Interview Study of IoT Wearable Technologies for an Aging Population from Product, Data, and Society Dimensions

This research focuses on investigating the product, data, and society dimensions around IoT (Internet of Things) wearable technologies with insights and empirical knowledge from exploratory expert interviews. The purpose is to find implications around future designs of IoT wearable technologies for the aging population. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through in-depth expert interviews and pre-surveys to explore topics and insights related to the design and development of IoT wearable technologies. Through synthesizing findings from expert interviews and pre-surveys, insights and concerning issues were summarized into three dimensions: product, data, and society. The implications from this research can help overcome the obstacles that impede the inclusiveness and adaptability of IoT wearable technologies. This study concludes that it is essential for designers, engineers, and researchers to consider these non-technological issues when designing and developing future IoT wearable technologies for the aging population.