cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment Adherence Impact: The Systematic Assessment and Quantification of the Impact of Treatment Adherence on Pediatric Medical and Psychological Outcomes

Objective Treatment adherence impact (TAI) is the quantification of the effects of adherence behaviors on medical or psychological outcomes using systematic assessment and analytic methods. The purpose of this review is to provide a framework for the measurement and analysis of TAI. Methods Specific studies were selected from the treatment adherence literature to illustrate methods to assess TAI. Results There are many methods available to investigators to evaluate TAI and, when possible, multiple impact outcomes should be included in adherence studies. The methods available to assess TAI and barriers to assessing TAI vary across illness group requiring illness-specific applications of the concepts presented. Conclusions Systematically examining TAI in adherence studies could advance the state of the art of treatment adherence science.
Population Genetics and Population Ecology

BUuLARD, WILLIAM R. 1960 Maya settlement patterns in north eastern Peten, Guatemala. American Antiquity 25:355-72. CHiLDE, V. GORDON 1951 Social evolution. New York, Henry Schuman Inc. 1954 What happened in history. London. Pelican Books. COOK, SmERBURNE F. and L. B. SIrePSON. 1958 The populations of Central Mexico in the sixteenth century. Berkeley. University of California Press. KROEBER, ALFRED L. 1948 Anthropology. New York, Harcourt, Brace, and Company. MILLON, RENE 1957 Irrigation systems in the Valley of Teotihuacan. American Antiquity 23':160-66. PALERM, ANGEL 1954 La distribucion del regadio en el area central de Mesoamerica. Ciencias Sociales, Notas e informacione. 5:2-15, 64-74. Union Pan Americana. 1955 The agricultural bases of urban civilization in Mesoamerica. In Irrigation civilizations: a comparative study. Pan American Union, Social Science Monographs. SANDERS, WILLIAM T. 1956 The central Mexican symbiotic region: a study in prehistoric settlement patterns. Viking Fund Publication, no. 23: 115-28. SEARS, PAUL 1951 Pollen profiles and culture horizons in the basin of Mexico. In Civilization of ancient America. XXIX International Congress of Americanists. University of Chicago Press. SPINDEN, HERBERT J. 1928 Ancient civilizations of Mexico and Central America. American Museum of Natural History. Handbook series No. 3, 3rd and rev. ed. TAX, SOL 1952 Heritage of conquest. Glencoe, The Free Press. WEST, ROBERT and PEDRO ARaMILAS 1950 Las Chinampas de Mexico. Quadernos Americanos, ano 9, No. 2:165-82. Mexico. WITTFOGEL, KARL A. 1956 Hydraulic civilizations. In Man's role in changing the earth. University of Chicago Press. 1957 Oriental despotism. Yale University Press. 1958-59 Contemporary China. Hong Kong University Press. WOLF, ERIC R. and ANGEL PALERM 1955 Irrigation in the old Acolhua Domain, Mexico. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 11:265-81.
Boron Stimulates Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Growth

Boron is required for the growth of vascular plants and embryonic development in fish. The molecular basis of boron's essentiality, however, remains unknown for both. The objective of this study was to determine whether yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) could be used as a model for the evaluation of intracellular boron trafficking. Three experiments were conducted to assess the effect of boron supplementation on yeast growth. Cultures were grown in low boron media containing 0.04 micromol B/L. After 24 h, a new flask was inoculated with this culture; it was allowed to reach early log phase growth (9 h) and was then divided between two flasks. One flask was supplemented with ultrapure boric acid to achieve a concentration of 185 micromol B/L (+B); the other was supplemented with an equivalent volume of ultrapure water (NB). Boron significantly stimulated cell growth rate into the stationary phase of growth. Yeast cell boron concentrations decreased in both treatments over the course of the experiment, but analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICPMS) did not detect differences in cellular concentration between the boron supplemented (B) and nonsupplemented (NB) groups. Ethanol concentrations did not differ between the two treatments, demonstrating that boron-stimulated growth was not a secondary effect of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition. The demonstration of boron-dependent growth stimulation in yeast suggests that Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used as a model system for the study of intracellular boron trafficking.
Diversity combining for mobile FSO nodes in SIMO setup

The term mobile FSO refers to wireless optical nodes with mobility capabilities. Mobile FSO has emerged as a way to combat some of limitations facing FSO links, i.e. incompatibility of transmitters and receivers relative to movement and misalignment. In this paper we utilize an angular diversity model for characterizing the performance of mobile FSO over atmospheric turbulence. Switch-and-examine combining (SEC) technique is our suggestion for the diversity combining solution in such unbalanced multi-transceiving configuration. The channel fading is modeled as a lognormal distribution with spatially correlated samples. Analytical/ statistical discussion on the resultant output is presented and bit error performance and processing load are numerically evaluated and compared to a selection combining (SC) diversity.
A maladjustment and power conceptualisation of diversity in organisations: Implications for cultural stigmatisation and expatriate effectiveness

Belonging to a group that is in the minority in an organisation (e.g., racial, cultural) inherently puts individuals at a social disadvantage among the majority group, which can position them in ways so as not to be able to build political skill and acquire power and influence in organisations. Those in the minority must feel genuinely committed to their groups while simultaneously leveraging opportunities outside their groups, if they are to secure and maintain personal power. The propositions provided in this conceptualisation argue that individuals who are less committed to their group tend to be significantly more personally maladjusted, which, in turn, reduces the degree of political skill they develop and undermine their personal power levels and effectiveness.
A 5000-year record of agriculture and tropical forest clearance in the Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

We present pollen and microscopic charcoal evidence from securely dated lake sediments, located in the Tuxtlas region of Veracruz, Mexico. Two periods of agricultural activity are recognized. The earliest phase reflects a low level of forest clearance and agriculture. The data provides a minimum date of 4830 cal. BP for the introduction of maize agriculture to the region. The second phase indicates intensive and prolonged human activity within the tropical forest. Commencing approximately 2600 years ago and ending a thousand years later, this episode reflects Pre-Classic to Middle Classic agricultural intensification. Coincident with this phase, we find evidence for drier climatic conditions. Subsequent to each episode of disturbance the forest regenerated within approximately 300 years.
Note on the analogy between momentum transfer and heat or mass transfer for a homogeneous isotropic turbulent field

A mathematical analysis is presented for a fully developed velocity profile in a pipe by using Taylor's statistical description of turbulent diffusion for a homogeneous isotropic field as the basis of an analogy between momentum transfer and mass transfer. (W.L.H.)
MERA: meta language for software engineering

MERA (Meta Entity-Relation-Attribute) is a versatile graphical language which can be used for modeling and analysis of the user requirements, for building a prototype, for representing designer's knowledge for controlling design process, etc. The current version of MERA has capacity for animation, view operation, user adaptability, and some semantic level processing. It also contains dozens of modeling formalisms which were created to support various tasks in the software engineering practice. The authors have created many tools to support the MERA language including a syntax-driven graph editor, user interface simulator, requirements analysis and prototyping environments, methodology adaptable design environment, requirements interview system and program understanding system. This paper presents the important features of the MERA language and MERA based software engineering tools. >
Experiencing the Dynamics of Inclusiveness: A Model for Teaching Graduate Management Students.

Teaching inclusiveness in power relationships helps graduate students understand many leader-group behaviors. Inclusiveness, as well as recognizing, valuing, and promoting contributions of different group members, can be taught in a design that includes case study; theoretical discussions of power, influence, and group process; and a simulated exercise that allows students to experience the effects of group inclusiveness and exclusiveness. This article describes the designs, uses, and out-comes of teaching inclusiveness in a graduate course in organizational behavior in public administration. It also describes the implications for other management courses.
Cooperative recruitment of HMGB1 during V(D)J recombination through interactions with RAG1 and DNA

During V(D)J recombination, recombination activating gene (RAG)1 and RAG2 bind and cleave recombination signal sequences (RSSs), aided by the ubiquitous DNA-binding/-bending proteins high-mobility group box protein (HMGB)1 or HMGB2. HMGB1/2 play a critical, although poorly understood, role in vitro in the assembly of functional RAG-RSS complexes, into which HMGB1/2 stably incorporate. The mechanism of HMGB1/2 recruitment is unknown, although an interaction with RAG1 has been suggested. Here, we report data demonstrating only a weak HMGB1-RAG1 interaction in the absence of DNA in several assays, including fluorescence anisotropy experiments using a novel Alexa488-labeled HMGB1 protein. Addition of DNA to RAG1 and HMGB1 in fluorescence anisotropy experiments, however, results in a substantial increase in complex formation, indicating a synergistic binding effect. Pulldown experiments confirmed these results, as HMGB1 was recruited to a RAG1-DNA complex in a RAG1 concentration-dependent manner and, interestingly, without strict RSS sequence specificity. Our finding that HMGB1 binds more tightly to a RAG1-DNA complex over RAG1 or DNA alone provides an explanation for the stable integration of this typically transient architectural protein in the V(D)J recombinase complex throughout recombination. These findings also have implications for the order of events during RAG-DNA complex assembly and for the stabilization of sequence-specific and non-specific RAG1-DNA interactions.
Limb deformity proteins: role in mesodermal induction of the apical ectodermal ridge

During early limb development, distal tip ectoderm is induced by the underlying mesenchyme to form the apical ectodermal ridge. Subsequent limb growth and patterning depend on reciprocal signaling between the mesenchyme and ridge. Mice that are homozygous for mutations at the limb deformity (ld) locus do not form a proper ridge and the anteroposterior axis of the limb is shortened. Skeletal analyses reveal shortened limbs that involve loss and fusion of distal bones and digits, defects in both anteroposterior and proximodistal patterning. Using molecular markers and mouse-chick chimeras we examined the ridge-mesenchymal interactions to determine the origin of the ld patterning defects. In the ld ridge, fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) RNA is decreased and Fgf4 RNA is not detected. In the ld mesenchyme, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Evx1 and Wnt5a expression is decreased. In chimeras between ld ectoderm and wild-type mesenchyme, a ridge of normal morphology and function is restored, Fgf8 and Shh are expressed normally, Fgf4 is induced and a normal skeletal pattern arises. These results suggest that the ld mesenchyme is unable to induce the formation of a completely functional ridge. This primary defect causes a disruption of ridge function and subsequently leads to the patterning defects observed in ld limbs. We propose a model in which ridge induction requires at least two phases: an early competence phase, which includes induction of Fgf8 expression, and a later differentiation phase in which Fgf4 is induced and a morphological ridge is formed. Ld proteins appear to act during the differentiation phase.
Mineral nutrition of Curcuma longa L. in bioreactors affects subsequent development of curcuminoids following transfer to the greenhouse

Abstract This work examined the concentrations of the curcuminoids in Curcuma longa L. from an experimental array (response surface method using D-optimal selection of treatments) of greenhouse plants repeated in both high and low-input fertilizer treatments. Curcuminoids concentrations in dry rhizomes were analyzed by HPLC–ESI–MS/MS. In vitro mineral concentrations (PO43−, Ca2+, Mg2+, and KNO3) and plant density significantly influenced the subsequent growth of turmeric plants in the greenhouse during a six-month growing season. In the high fertilizer treatments, the in vitro interaction of PO43− with Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations maximized curcumin and demethoxycurcumin concentrations in the rhizomes. The highest concentrations of curcumin and demethoxycurcumin were 154.7 ± 4.1 μg/g and 1258.9 ± 58.8 μg/g with 1.25 mM PO43−, 3 mM Ca2+, 1.5 mM Mg2+, and 60 mM KNO3 and with 18 or 11 buds/vessel respectively. Reducing KNO3 concentration to 20 mM at 1.5 mM Mg2+ and 9 mM Ca2+ maximized bisdemethoxycurcumin concentration to 25.0 ± 2.6 μg/g with 9 buds/vessel. The best induction media under the low-input fertilizer treatments had similar optimal set points for all three curcuminoids; curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin concentrations were maximized to 201 ± 26.8 μg/g, 813 ± 138 μg/g, and 23.5 ± 4.6 μg/g respectively with 6 buds/vessel, 6.25 mM PO43−, 3 mM Ca2+, 1.5 mM Mg2+, and 60 mM KNO3. High plant density with moderate mineral concentrations in vitro increased curcumin/bisdemethoxycurcumin ratio to 17.5 ± 1.7 under low-input fertilizer. In the high fertilizer treatments, maximum concentrations of each curcuminoid had distinct mineral requirements, but in the nutrient limited treatments, all curcuminoids had similar optima for mineral concentrations and plant density requirements. With low-fertilizer input, the low in vitro plant density was the primary factor to maximize the concentration of curcuminoids in the rhizomes. The multi-factor design sufficiently identified the interactive effects among varied minerals on curcuminoids concentrations. This approach allows a propagation laboratory to develop propagation stock best suited to secondary metabolite production in the end-user facility.
Assessing productive efficiency and operating scale of community blood centers.

BACKGROUND In recent years demand for blood products has decreased, and as a result, the blood product marketplace has become much more competitive. Reducing inefficiency in the procurement and processing of blood products at blood centers can reduce costs while assuring that demand for blood products is met. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS This study uses data envelopment analysis to compare the productive efficiency of 65 community blood centers to determine to what extent efficiency can be improved, what cost savings and increases in platelet (PLT) production may be obtained by eliminating inefficiency, and what scales of operation are the most efficient from a budgetary and staffing standpoint. Data were collected from the 2012 to 2013 AABB Directory of Community Blood Centers and Hospital Blood Banks. RESULTS The study found that 27 of 65 blood centers are efficient. The remaining 38 blood centers can reduce budget and staff levels and may be able to expand output. If inefficient centers were to eliminate all inefficiency, the total savings would be $671 million, approximately 20% of the aggregated budget ($3.45 billion) of all centers in the study. In addition, the centers would also see a 36% increase in PLT production. Inefficiency of some large blood centers stems from operating at too large a scale, while inefficiency of most small blood centers is scale independent. CONCLUSION The results suggest that reducing inefficiency in blood procurement may be a good strategy to maximize competitiveness in the blood product marketplace. These findings further suggest that the trend of blood center consolidation may be ill advised from a cost containment perspective.
General advice and medical kit

Physicians must be prepared to provide comprehensive pretravel advice to their patients. Because world conditions are constantly changing, it is necessary to obtain accurate and current information. Common health problems that may be faced by any traveler include accidents, motion sickness, and jet lag. Physicians must familiarize themselves with the many forms of insurance available for the traveler.
Biochemical Genetics and Molecular Biology: The Contributions of George Beadle and Edward Tatum.

![Figure][1] > It will concern us particularly to take note of those cases in which men not only solved a problem but had to alter their mentality in the process, or at least discovered afterwards that the solution involved a change in their mental approach ([Butterfield 1962][2]). SEVENTY-
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF MINIMUM QUENCH ENERGY OF HTS TAPE

This paper presents some analytical results of the minimum quench energy (MQE) of the Bi2223/Ag high temperature superconducting multifilament tape with the finite element method (FEM). We derived the relation between MQE and transport current (I-t) and compared these with the case of experiments. After local-zone quench is induced by the pulse heater, the temperature profile of space and time in the quench propagation process can be conveniently derived by computer simulation. The research results show that the temperature transition behaviors from superconducting-state to normal-state in quench propagation process of superconductor can be simulated through establishing the suitable thermal analytical model.
On Lifelong Moral Education under the Background of Lifelong Education

Lifelong moral education ought to be an important ingredient in the system of lifelong education not only in practice but also in theory,which should be one indispensable subsystem.Affected by utilitarianism,lifelong moral education becomes the invisible part in lifelong education.Lifelong moral education originates from appealing inherent human nature,which has reflected the need of the social development as well as the certainty of particular self-development and self-enhancement.Emphasizing the importance of lifelong moral education,life-long education will gain value rationality and then develop vigorously.
Analysis of Process Brazeability of Ni-Cu-Mn-Co Brazing Alloy

By the physics simulation when the solder of Ni-Cu-Mn-Co transferred heat in high-brazing the aeroplane pipes,the factors were attained to control the brazing gap. With the classic electromagnetic field theory,the temperature field that is heated by the high-frequency reaction was forecasted and the set-up reaction-brazing was set down.
Robust CNN-based speech recognition with Gabor filter kernels.

As has been extensively shown, acoustic features for speech recognition can be learned from neural networks with multiple hidden layers. However, the learned transformations may not sufficiently generalize to test sets that have a significant mismatch to the training data. Gabor features, on the other hand, are generated from spectro-temporal filters designed to model human auditory processing. In previous work, these features are used as inputs to neural networks, which improved word accuracy for speech recognition in the presence of noise. Here we propose a neural network architecture called a Gabor Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) that incorporates Gabor functions into convolutional filter kernels. In this architecture, a variety of Gabor features served as the multiple feature maps of the convolutional layer. The filter coefficients are further tuned by back-propagation training. Experiments used two noisy versions of the WSJ corpus: Aurora 4, and RATS re-noised WSJ. In both cases, the proposed architecture performs better than other noise-robust features that we have tried, namely, ETSI-AFE, PNCC, Gabor features without the CNN-based approach, and our best neural network features that don’t incorporate Gabor functions.
Pharmaceuticals for prolonged action

During about the last ten years the pharmaceutical industry both here and abroad has become increasingly active in the fabrication of dosage forms intended to impart prolonged, sustained, or long-acting effect from their contained drug. A large number of papers concerned with their evaluation continue to appear in both the clinical and the scientific literature.
A case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in late pregnancy

TO THE EDITOR: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was first described by Eli Moschowitz about 90 years ago [1]. TTP is caused by a severe deficiency in the protein A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin 1 motifs 13 (ADAMTS13), a metalloprotease that cleaves ultra-large von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimers [2]. Deficiency in this enzyme causes the accumulation of large vWF multimers, which increase platelet adhesiveness and impair fibrinolytic activity with subsequent thrombotic occlusion of the microvasculature. TTP is a rare and potentially life-threatening disorder. The incidence rate of suspected TTP-hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP-HUS) in the general population is 11 cases per 1,000,000 people [3], compared to the estimated incidence of one in 25,000 deliveries [4]. The clinical features of TTP may resemble those of the more common pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia or of hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. However, the management of TTP is completely different from that of preeclampsia/HELLP. Here, we present the case of a young woman who developed TTP in late gestation.
Analysis of Variance

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to test for differences among three or more population means. It allows for multiple comparisons while holding the probability of a type I error (rejection of a true null hypothesis) at a preselected level. ANOVA works by comparing variance estimates: one due to chance factors alone and one due to chance plus treatment effect (if there is a treatment effect). ANOVA can also be used to study two or more treatment variables simultaneously. Although many researchers routinely use ANOVA in combination with post hoc comparisons to make all possible pair-wise comparisons, one should consider using planned comparisons in place of ANOVA if it is known in advance which comparisons are important to the study.
Porosity and permeability of Green River oil shale and their changes during retorting

Abstract Oil shales are organic-rich mudstones that generally have little porosity and permeability until kerogen is transformed into oil and gas. A simple mathematical model is reported for how porosity and permeability values for the Green River Formation change during retorting under confinement. Unlike when retorted unconstrained, during which numerous fractures occur due to the limited tensile strength of retorted oil shale and the permeability increases from micro or nano-Darcy levels to Darcy levels, fracture permeability is minor when constrained by lithostatic loads typical of in-situ retorting, so permeabilities increase only to the milli-Darcy level. The permeability increase is related to an increase in both porosity and pore diameter, and measured permeabilities are consistent with measurements and calculations of those properties and inter-relationships developed for naturally matured petroleum source rocks.
Insights into Platinum-Cobalt Electrochemical Dissolution from Platinum-Cobalt Alloy Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Fuel Cell Cathode Catalysts Using Online ICP-MS

The catalysts of choice in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) remain Pt-based nanoparticles on high-surface-area carbon support. One critical challenge facing commercialization of this fuel cell is the gradual decline in performance during operation, mainly caused by the loss of electrochemical surface area (ECA) of the Pt or Pt alloy nanoparticles at the cathode. In this respect, the understanding of the dominant mechanisms of the loss of ECA and loss of oxygen reduction activity, such as the electrochemical dissolution of Pt or the transition metal alloy component, is of vital importance. Several mechanisms for dissolution of platinum have been proposed including direct Pt dissolution and electrochemical oxidation of the Pt surface atoms followed by chemical dissolution of the resulting Pt surface oxide. This presentation will outline the dissolution of PtCo under various operating conditions. Studies are performed to quantify the amount of dissolved Co and Pt during potentiodynamic conditions in an electrochemical flow cell system connected to an inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) capable of detecting trace concentrations (<ppb) of dissolved elements in solution. The electrochemical data combined with the ICP-MS data are used to evaluate the influence of various factors such as potential, potentiodynamic profile parameters (e.g., scan rate, upper and lower potential limits), particle size, and support type on the dissolution processes in acidic electrolytes at room temperature. Preliminary measurements showed that Pt dissolution occurs during both the positive-going and negative-going potential sweeps. When the potential was cycled from 0 to 1.0 VRHE, two distinct dissolution peaks were detected by the ICP-MS online analysis. The ratio of the amount of Pt dissolved during the two sweeps was found to be dependent on the sweep rate, potential hold times, and potential profile. Fundamental models will be developed to explain the mechanisms of degradation process under various potential conditions. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fuel Cell Technologies Office under the auspices of the Fuel Cell Performance and Durability Consortium (FC-PAD). Argonne National Laboratory is managed for the U.S Department of Energy by the University of Chicago Argonne, LLC, also under contract DE-AC-02-06CH11357.
Optical and IR observations of SN 2013L, a Type IIn Supernova surrounded by asymmetric CSM

We present optical and NIR photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2013L for the first four years post-explosion. SN 2013L was a moderately luminous (M$_{r}$ = -19.0) Type IIn supernova (SN) that showed signs of strong shock interaction with the circumstellar medium (CSM). The CSM interaction was equal to or stronger to SN 1988Z for the first 200 days and is observed at all epochs after explosion. Optical spectra revealed multi-component hydrogen lines appearing by day 33 and persisting and slowly evolving over the next few years. By day 1509 the H$\alpha$ emission was still strong and exhibiting multiple peaks, hinting that the CSM was in a disc or torus around the SN. SN 2013L is part of a growing subset of SNe IIn that shows both strong CSM interaction signatures and the underlying broad lines from the SN ejecta photosphere. The presence of a blue H$\alpha$ emission bump and a lack of a red peak does not appear to be due to dust obscuration since an identical profile is seen in Pa$\beta$. Instead this suggests a high concentration of material on the near-side of the SN or a disc inclination of roughly edge-on and hints that SN 2013L was part of a massive interactive binary system. Narrow H$\alpha$ P-Cygni lines that persist through the entirety of the observations measure a progenitor outflow speed of 80--130 km s$^{-1}$, speeds normally associated with extreme red supergiants, yellow hypergiants, or luminous blue variable winds. This progenitor scenario is also consistent with an inferred progenitor mass-loss rate of 0.3 - 8.0 $\times$ 10$^{-3}$ M$_{sun}$ yr$^{-1}$.
Mechanistic insights into photoinduced damage of DNA and RNA nucleobases in the gas phase and in bulk solution

DNA/RNA photohydrates represent a class of well-known biomolecular lesions formed by the absorption of near- to mid-UV light. They are formed via a photoinduced nucleophilic hydrolysis reaction in which water is split (via nucleobase sensitisation) into H + OH radicals. These nascent radicals can then add across C5C6, saturating the preexisting double bond. If unrepaired, such lesions can lead to mutagenic carcinogenesis, which is responsible for several forms of cancer. Using high-level electronic structure theory (CASPT2), we map the key excited-state reaction paths associated with the reactivity of DNA (guanine and thymine) and RNA (uracil) nucleobases with water. At the outset, we consider the intrinsic reactivity in the isolated gas phase – in which the water (cluster) + chromophore complex is free from environmental perturbations. We then extrapolate the thymine nucleobase to the bulk DNA environment in aqueous solution in order to ascertain the relative importance of hydrate formation in a more complex biological environment. In this latter study we use high-level mixed quantum/classical (QM/MM: CASPT2/AMBER) methods.
Right-to-Try Investigational Therapies for Incurable Disorders

Patients with life-threatening disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for which only minimally effective medical therapies currently exist, often seek treatments not proven to be effective and not approved by regulatory agencies for use outside of experimental treatment trials. The expanded access (compassionate use) provisions of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for access to such therapies are often perceived as being inadequate. In response, states have passed right-to-try laws designed to improve access to experimental therapies for patients willing to assume the risks associated with such treatments. This situation has resulted in conflicts between those who perceive access to such treatments as their right as autonomous individuals and those who believe that the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence justify actions of physicians and regulators in controlling access to such treatments. A variety of factors also contribute to the inequitable distribution of such treatments. Better systems are needed to improve access to promising new treatments while protecting these vulnerable patients from the abuses associated with human research in the preregulatory era.
HDAC8 Substrates Identified by Genetically Encoded Active Site Photocrosslinking

The histone deacetylase family comprises 18 enzymes that catalyze deacetylation of acetylated lysine residues; however, the specificity and substrate profile of each isozyme remains largely unknown. Due to transient enzyme–substrate interactions, conventional co-immunoprecipitation methods frequently fail to identify enzyme-specific substrates. Additionally, compensatory mechanisms often limit the ability of knockdown or chemical inhibition studies to achieve significant fold changes observed by acetylation proteomics methods. Furthermore, measured alterations do not guarantee a direct link between enzyme and substrate. Here we present a chemical crosslinking strategy that incorporates a photoreactive, non-natural amino acid, p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine, into various positions of the structurally characterized isozyme histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8). After covalent capture, co-immunoprecipitation, and mass spectrometric analysis, we identified a subset of HDAC8 substrates from human cell lysates, which were f...
Repeated and random components in Oklahoma's monthly precipitation record

Abstract Precipitation across Oklahoma exhibits a high degree of spatial and temporal variability and creates numerous water resources management challenges. Risk-based decision making in agricultural and water resources management may find value in knowing the extent to which historical precipitation can provide guidance for inferring expectations of future monthly precipitation. A 123-year long monthly precipitation record from the central Oklahoma climate division was evaluated, in a proof-of-concept analysis, to establish whether a simple monthly precipitation decomposition into repeatable (expected) and random (unexpected) components could identify the odds of encountering repeatable or random monthly precipitation in the future. The metric for identifying precipitation kind was based on it falling within or outside of a predetermined range, defined by the relative difference between random and a percentage of repeatable precipitation. For climate conditions in central Oklahoma, the odds of future precipitation being repeatable were between 18% and 33%, depending on the month of the year. The corresponding odds of precipitation being random were 67–82%. Thus, management decisions that rely solely on historical precipitation records to anticipate future monthly precipitation have a low probability of success in central Oklahoma.
Associations of alcohol use disorder, alcohol use, housing, and service use in a homeless sample of 255 individuals followed over 2 years.

BACKGROUND Homeless individuals with alcohol use disorders have multiple comorbidities and therefore various service needs. Despite need for services, homeless individuals face numerous barriers to treatment. Little is known about the associations of specific services in relation to homelessness in the context of alcohol problems. The current study analyzed 2-year prospective longitudinal data on a homeless sample, examining relationships between alcohol use disorder, alcohol use, housing status, and service use over time. METHODS Two hundred fifty-five of 400 individuals recruited systematically from shelters and street locations completed 3 annual assessments (69% completion). Data on lifetime and current psychiatric disorders, housing status, and past-year service use were obtained and merged with service use data gathered from local agencies. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were created to predict dependent outcome variables of stable housing, alcohol use, and service use in both follow-up years. RESULTS Lifetime alcohol use disorder was positively associated with substance and medical service use. Alcohol problems did not hinder attainment of stable housing, and placement in housing did not necessarily increase risk for alcohol use. Stable housing was negatively associated with psychiatric and substance service use. In the second year, when alcohol use was finally associated with receiving substance services, it appears that these services provided a gateway to psychiatric services. The psychiatric services in turn appeared to provide a gateway to medical services. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol use behaved differently compared with lifetime alcohol use disorder in relation to service use. Lack of association between alcohol use and housing supports Housing First policy. Obtaining housing may have ameliorative effects on mental health, diminishing perceived need for psychiatric services. Services may also be more accessible during homelessness. Obtaining substance treatment may provide a gateway for those who use alcohol after becoming homeless to connect with psychiatric and medical services, informing policy and practice.
AEROTHERMODYNAMIC FEASIBILITY OF GRAPHITE FOR HYPERSONIC GLIDE VEHICLES

Abstract The aerothermodynamic heating problems of lifting re-entry vehicles require a fundamentally different materials approach than did the ballistic re-entry problem. During ballistic re-entry, severe heating occurs over a time period of the order of several minutes, whereas hypersonic glide vehicles are subjected to prolonged heating for times of the order of several hours. Because of the long heating times and heat flux levels encountered, special materials problems exist at the leading edges of the aerodynamic control surfaces (i.e. nose, wings and fins). If a refractory material is considered, it is readily found that radiation cooling results in radiation equilibrium temperatures which can easily exceed 4000°R, a temperature regime which is much higher than can be tolerated by all but a very select class of “passive” materials. In this paper, analytical studies of transient heat transfer and surface oxidation are presented for a range of typical glide vehicle re-entry trajectories. In particular, a typical value of lift to drag ratio L/D = 2.0, a flight time of approximately two hours, and a range of values of the wing loading parameter W/CLS between 25 and 100 lb/ft2 have been selected. The instantaneous heat transfer, surface and back face temperature, and rate of surface recession are determined, by using representative properties of both commercial and pyrolytic graphite. The peak temperature and the total shape change at the leading edge are normalized and correlated so that many combinations of aerodynamic, geometric and structural factors can be evaluated systematically. It is concluded that due to its excellent high temperature properties, and its relatively low oxidation (ablation) rate, graphite may be used today in designing the leading edges of the aerodynamic control surfaces of hypersonic lifting vehicles.
Kinetically Doped Silica Sol–Gel Optical Biosensors: Expanding Potential Through Dip-Coating

Kinetic doping has previously been shown to be an effective method of doping silica sol-gel thin films with an enzyme to construct biosensors. Until now, kinetic doping has only been applied to films produced through the spin-coating method. In this study, we present the use of dip-coating to produce thin films kinetically doped for biosensor development. In this way, kinetically doped biosensors may benefit from the increased range of substrate material shapes and sizes that may be easily coated through dip-coating but not spin-coating. The biosensors produced through dip-coating continue to show enhanced performance over more conventional enzyme loading methods with horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome C samples, showing an increase of 2400× and 1300× in enzyme concentration over that in their loading solutions, respectively. These correspond to enzyme concentrations of 5.37 and 10.57 mmol/L all while preserving a modest catalytic activity for the detection of hydrogen peroxide by horseradish peroxidase. This leads to a 77% and 88% increase in the total amount of horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome C, respectively, over that from coating the same glass coverslip via spin-coating methods.
Coupled thermal- and deformation-induced degradation in planar rubber membranes under radial loading:

Elastomers at elevated temperatures can undergo microstructural changes owing to the scission, re-coiling, and re-crosslinking in their macromolecular network. These result in chemically based stre...
Seismic attribute enhancement of weak and discontinuous gas hydrate bottom-simulating reflectors in the Pegasus Basin, New Zealand

AbstractGas hydrates in the oceanic subsurface are often difficult to image with reflection seismic data, particularly when the strata run parallel to the seafloor and in regions that lack the pres...
A Darwinian Genetic Algorithm for State Encoding Based Finite State Machine Watermarking

We propose an extended Darwinian Genetic Algorithm that builds upon the traditional genetic algorithm in the efforts to more accurately depict the process of natural selection We demonstrate the capabilities of this algorithm by employing it with an existing state encoding based watermarking system for sequential circuits that was previously hindered by attempting to naively solve the subgraph isomorphism problem that arises during the watermark embedding process. Wherein using the proposed approach we are able to demonstrate maximal savings for a 64-bit watermark of 26%, 23%, and 20%, in addition to the 128-bit watermark where maximal savings were 30%, 29%, and 20% over the current state-of-the-art in terms of literals, area, and delay required for synthesizing the watermarked finite state machines, respectively. Additionally, average savings for the 64-bit watermark were 1%, and 2% with 4% overhead and for the 128-bit watermark average savings were 12%, 7%, and 2%, in terms of literals, area, and delay.
The Beard Conceals and Reveals: Covert Hair in Fourteenth-Century Chivalric Romance

What do beards indicate beyond physical aspects of sex? What do literary representations of beards and hair suggest in terms of masculinity? In the character portraits from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, male hair and beards are used by the characters to keep their secrets and portray who they want other characters to see while the author uses beards and hair to reveal the hypocrisy of this to the reader. Inversely, in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” hair is used for concealment; in this poem it is used to conceal Bertilak de Hautdesert’s true identity as the Green Knight. In this essay I argue the beards and hair of male characters in both The Canterbury Tales and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” are a synecdoche, standing in for both the key attributes of the figure and revealing his hypocrisy. Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Elizabeth E. Tavares
Backscatter Coefficient Estimation Bias under Acoustic Nonlinearities

The backscatter coefficient (BSC) describes the scattering properties of a medium and can be used to characterize tissue. To calculate the BSC a calibration spectrum is required, which can be acquired using either a reference phantom method (RPM) or the planar reflector method (PRM). Although ultrasonic propagation is quasilinear at low acoustic pressures, for high acoustic pressures, acoustic nonlinear distortion becomes prevalent. Because water is low loss, use of the PRM method may introduce significant nonlinearities to the BSC estimation. In this study, we assessed the effects of the acoustic nonlinearities on BSC estimation when using the RPM and the PRM. Phantoms were scanned by exciting a single-element focused transducer (f/2) using one excitation level from low-power (LP) equipment (5800 PR, Panametrics Olympus, USA) and six excitation levels (EL1 to EL6) from high-power (HP) equipment (RAM-5000, Ritec, USA). This resulted in scanning the phantoms with increasingly higher pressures, but still within FDA limits for diagnostic ultrasound. The two phantoms, labelled phantoms A and B, had glass beads with diameters in the range 75-90 and 9-43 μm, respectively. The BSCs estimated with the LP system were used as a baseline. The normalized root-mean-squared error (RMSE) was calculated from BSCs estimated using the HP system with respect to the baseline. The BSC was parameterized to estimate the effective scatterer diameters (ESD) for each phantom using Faran’s scattering theory. The BSC estimates resulted in smaller variations versus excitation levels for the RPM compared to the PRM. In the PRM, the RMSE was 0.62 ± 0.42 and 0.98 ± 0.77 for phantoms A and B, respectively; whereas, in the RPM, the RMSE was 0.21 ± 0.06 and 0.25 ± 0.12 for phantoms A and B, respectively. The ESD for the phantom A using the PRM decreased from 75 μm for EL1 to 39 μm for EL6; and using the RPM the ESD was 74.7 ± 2.3 μm across all settings. The ESD for the phantom B using the PRM decreased from 47 μm for EL1 to 0.5 μm for EL6; and using the RPM the ESD was 39.2 ± 5.6 μm across all settings. The RPM method was more robust against nonlinear distortion compared to the PRM because the PRM was used in water, where low loss resulted in large nonlinear distortion of the reference pulse.
Shifting agricultural practices to produce sustainable, low carbon intensity feedstocks for biofuel production

The carbon intensity (CI) of biofuel's well-to-pump life cycle is calculated by life cycle analysis (LCA) to account for the energy/material inputs of the feedstock production and fuel conversion stages and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during these stages. The LCA is used by the California Air Resources Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program to calculate CI and monetary credits are issued based on the difference between a given fuel's CI and a reference fuel's CI. Through the Tier 2 certification program under which individual fuel production facilities can submit their own CIs with their facility input data, the LCFS has driven innovative technologies to biofuel conversion facilities, resulting in substantial reductions in GHG emissions as compared to the baseline gasoline or diesel. A similar approach can be taken to allow feedstock petition in the LCFS so that lower-CI feedstock can be rewarded. Here we examined the potential for various agronomic practices to improve the GHG profiles of corn ethanol by performing feedstock-level CI analysis for the Midwestern United States. Our system boundary covers GHG emissions from the cradle-to-farm-gate activities (i.e., farm input manufacturing and feedstock production), along with the potential impacts of soil organic carbon change during feedstock production. We conducted scenario-based CI analysis of ethanol, coupled with regionalized inventory data, for various farming practices to manage corn fields, and identified key parameters affecting cradle-to-farm-gate GHG emissions. The results demonstrate large spatial variations in CI of ethanol due to farm input use and land management practices. In particular, adopting conservation tillage, reducing nitrogen fertilizer use, and implementing cover crops has the potential to reduce GHG emissions per unit corn produced when compared to a baseline scenario of corn-soybean rotation. This work shows a large potential emission offset opportunity by allowing feedstock producers a path to Tier 2 petitions that reward low-CI feedstocks and further reduce biofuels' CI. The prevalence of significant acreage that has not been optimized for CI suggests that policy changes that incentivize optimization of this parameter could provide significant additionality over current trends in farm efficiency and adoption of conservation practice.
Increased Tau Expression Correlates with Neuronal Maturation in the Developing Human Cerebral Cortex.

Although best known for its role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), tau is expressed throughout brain development, although it remains unclear when and which cell types this expression occurs and how it affects disease states in both fetal and neonatal periods. We thus sought to map tau mRNA and protein expression in the developing human brain at the cellular level using a combination of existing single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNAseq) data, RNA in situ hybridization (RNAscope), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using sc-RNAseq, we found that tau mRNA expression begins in radial glia but increases dramatically as migrating neuronal precursors mature. Specifically, TBR1 + maturing neurons and SYN + mature neurons showed significantly higher mRNA expression than GFAP +/NES + radial glia or TBR2 + intermediate progenitors. By RNAscope, we found low levels of tau mRNA in subventricular zone (SVZ) radial glia and deep white matter intermediate progenitors, with an increase in more superficially located maturing and mature neurons. By total-tau IHC, the germinal matrix and SVZ showed little protein expression, although both RNAscope and sc-RNAseq showed mRNA, and Western blotting revealed significantly less protein in those areas compared with more mature regions. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cortical organoids showed a similar tau expression pattern by sc-RNAseq and RNAscope. Our results indicate that tau increases with neuronal maturation in both the developing fetal brain and iPSC-derived organoids and forms a basis for future research on regulatory mechanisms triggering the onset of tau gene transcription and translation, which may represent potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative tauopathies and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Effect of Flexibility on Thermal Transport in Breathing Porous Crystals

With the aim of understanding heat transfer during structural changes in breathing porous crystals upon gas loading, we study the effect of pore expansion on the thermal conductivity of a series of...