cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development of Hot and Cool Executive Functions in Childhood and Adolescence: Are We Getting Warmer?

The domain of cognitive skills collectively referred to as executive function has intrigued and stymied researchers for the better part of a century. This chapter explores a distinction made within this general domain that has emerged only recently in the theoretical and empirical literature: hot vs. cool executive functions. Cool executive functions are defined as the goal-directed, future-oriented skills such as planning, inhibition, flexibility, working memory, and monitoring that are manifested under relatively decontextualized, nonemotional, and analytical testing conditions (e.g., Miyake, Freidman, Emerson, Witzki, & Howerter, 2000; Stuss & Benson, 1984; Welsh & Pennington, 1988). In contrast, hot executive functions are goal-directed, future-oriented cognitive processes elicited in contexts that engender emotion, motivation, and a tension between immediate gratification and long-term rewards (e.g., Zelazo & Muller, 2002; Zelazo, Qu, & Muller, 2005). Our examination of the validity of the hot/cool distinction in the context of developmental research is just one example of a burgeoning area of scientific inquiry into the intersection of cognition and emotion in the mental life and adaptive functioning of developing individuals. It is indeed startling that we are only beginning the discussion of the cognition-emotion intersection in executive functions given that arguably the most well-known case of frontal lobe damage could have served as a springboard to begin this inquiry more than 150 years ago. This story of Phineas Gage has provided a captivating opening for countless psychology chapters on the relationship between the brain and behavior; and yet until very recently, the central question that emerges from the study of frontal lobe damage—how does the prefrontal cortex contribute to cognition and emotion in the service of adaptive behavior—has been slighted.
Practical always-on taint tracking on mobile devices

Taint tracking is a crucial yet expensive security primitive. In the context of mobile devices, given the volume of sensitive data being generated and manipulated, taint tracking is an important aspect of defense in depth, yet is not widely adopted due to performance and energy constraints. Existing work has proposed several forms of optimization for desktop based systems -- software-only mechanisms, static analysis, hybrid analysis, and hardware-assisted techniques. This paper makes the case for an always-on taint tracking system for mobile devices that embraces the unique properties of mobile operating systems -- interpreted runtimes, well-defined APIs, and an overlooked ARM processor feature. Our proposed system combines precise static analysis on Java code and real-time instruction trace support widely available on ARM processors to enable efficient taint tracking.
Population Dynamics and Parasite Load of a Foraminifer on Its Antarctic Scallop Host with Their Carbonate Biomass Contributions.

We studied the population dynamics and parasite load of the foraminifer Cibicides antarcticus on its host the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki from three localities differing by sea ice cover within western McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea, Antarctica: Explorers Cove, Bay of Sails and Herbertson Glacier. We also estimated CaCO3 biomass and annual production for both species. Cibicides populations varied by locality, valve type, and depth. Explorers Cove with multiannual sea ice had larger populations than the two annual sea ice localities, likely related to differences in nutrients. Populations were higher on Adamussium top valves, a surface that is elevated above the sediment. Depth did not affect Cibicides distributions except at Bay of Sails. Cibicides parasite load (the number of complete boreholes in Adamussium valves) varied by locality between 2% and 50%. For most localities the parasite load was < 20%, contrary to a previous report that ~50% of Cibicides were parasitic. The highest and lowest parasite load occurred at annual sea ice localities, suggesting that sea ice condition is not important. Rather, the number of adults that are parasitic could account for these differences. Cibicides bioerosion traces were categorized into four ontogenetic stages, ranging from newly attached recruits to parasitic adults. These traces provide an excellent proxy for population structure, revealing that Explorers Cove had a younger population than Bay of Sails. Both species are important producers of CaCO3. Cibicides CaCO3 biomass averaged 47-73 kg ha-1 and Adamussium averaged 4987-6806 kg ha-1 by locality. Annual production rates were much higher. Moreover, Cibicides represents 1.0-2.3% of the total host-parasite CaCO3 biomass. Despite living in the coldest waters on Earth, these species can contribute a substantial amount of CaCO3 to the Ross Sea and need to be incorporated into food webs, ecosystem models, and carbonate budgets for Antarctica.
Debt Risk and Pricing of Risk

The calculation of risk and its pricing has been of great interest to the financial field(s) of economics. As issuance of bonds, loans, mortgages etc. has accelerated so have schemes to bundle, diversify and hedge such 'assets' and with a similarly accelerated 'need' or ever more accurate calculation methods of the risk associated with default, correlation between assets, economic fluctuations of periods of downturns and its converse. With trillions of dollars in such assets outstanding, the 'need' for accuracy is understandable and perhaps mandatory.
Impact Factors and Ratings of Open Access and Online Journals

It is well known that the world of publishing is divided into what can be described as a class system. There are A journals, B journals and C journals depending on acceptance rates. According to Cabell's International ratings are calculated primarily using the acceptance rates. The harder it is to get published in a journal the higher the ranking. I have edited special issues for such journals and published articles in a few of them and relate to this process.It seems that MDPI Journals among other open access journals that have higher relatively acceptance rates do not earn the rankings and thus the respect of the publishing community. The following discussion compares and contrasts the various rubrics used by journals that are classified top journals in the management sciences that includes entrepreneurship journals.
High Strain-Rate Response of Polyurethane-Clay Nanocomposites and Their Use for Blast Applications

The dispersion of strong nanoscale building blocks into polymers may result in nanocomposites that can mimic the structural and mechanical properties of advanced materials found in nature. In this study, exceptionally high strength and stiffness (in-plane modulus: 270 GPa) clay nanoparticles are used to synthesize polyurethane-clay nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties using a layer-by-layer (LBL) technique. The LBL technique allows spatial and orientational control of these clay nanoparticles within the polymer matrix at the nano-scale. Moreover, the structure of LBL manufactured nanocomposites resembles the structure of naturally occurring tough biocomposite Nacre. A series of nanocomposite films with a wide range of volume fractions of clay nanoparticles was manufactured and investigated at low and high strain rates in uniaxial tension and compression deformation states respectively. The growth of these films in the thickness direction was enhanced by replacing alternate layers of MTM nanoparticles with (poly) acrylic acid. Thick samples for the uniaxial compression tests were made by hot-pressing several of these films together. The nanocomposites demonstrated an increasing yield strength and stiffness with volume fractions of MTM nanoparticles. The nanocomposites, at high-strain rate compression, showed a rapid strain hardening with true stresses as high as 0.45 GPa at a strain of 0.8. The incorporation of clay nanoparticles resulted in a plastic deformation leading to large energy dissipation which makes these materials suitable for applications in increasing the survivability of structures under blast loadings.© 2009 ASME
Peripheral chemoreceptor inputs to the parabrachial nucleus of the rat

In the urethan-anesthetized rat, extracellular recordings were made from 60 neurons within the region of the parabrachial nucleus (PBN). The activity of 37 of 44 neurons was altered by selective stimulation of peripheral chemoreceptors via intracarotid injection of NaH2PO4 or CO2-saturated NaHCO3. Most of these neurons (28 of 37) were excited during chemoreceptor stimulation. Twenty-four of 48 neurons responded to changes in baroreceptor input via changes in blood pressure. Most of these neurons (18 of 24) were inhibited during baroreceptor stimulation. Eleven of 32 neurons were affected by both chemoreceptor and baroreceptor inputs. Seven of these neurons had opposite responses during selective afferent stimulation; that is, they were excited during chemoreceptor activation and inhibited during baroreceptor activation. Our observations reveal that neurons within the medial and lateral PBN are responsive to peripheral chemoreceptor input. A subgroup of PBN neurons was shown to integrate information from chemoreceptors and baroreceptors. These results suggest that both the medial and lateral PBN may play a role in the central integration of cardiovascular inputs.
Abstract 379: Insulin Attenuated Albuminuria by Upregulating Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) in Type 1 Diabetic Akita Mice

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a microvascular complication of diabetes that is clinically diagnosed by a progressive increase in albuminuria. Alterations within renin angiotensin system balance contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a metallocarboxypetidase, has a renoprotective role due to its ability to form Angiotensin (1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] by degrading Angiotensin II (Ang II). Accumulating evidence shows that strict glycemic control attenuates diabetic kidney damage. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that normalizing hyperglycemia with insulin will reduce albuminuria by increasing ACE2 in Akita diabetic mice. Type 1 diabetic Akita mice (C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J) and their wild type (WT) littermates were used. Metabolic parameters were monitored weekly. Urine was collected over 24 hours to measure the urinary albumin, total protein and ACE2 activity. Akita mice developed significant hyperglycemia (Akita: 452±6; WT: 118±2 mg/dL), hypoinsulinemia (Akita: 0.5; WT: 1.5 ng/mL) and hypoadiponectinemia (Akita: 3.0; WT: 6.0 μg/mL) compared to WT mice. There was a significant increase in urinary albumin excretion (Akita: 2.1±0.2; WT: 0.2±0.06 mg/day) in Akita mice compared to WT mice. In addition, Akita mice demonstrated a significant decrease in renal (Akita: 3±0.3; WT: 4.1±0.1 pmol/hr/μg protein) and urinary (Akita: 0.2±0.03; WT: 0.7±0.1 pmol/hr/μg protein) ACE2 activity compared to WT mice (P
Establishment of susceptibility baselines of Anopheles sinensis to various insecticides and their diagnostic doses

ObjectiveTo establish the susceptibility baselines of Anopheles sinensis to commonly used insecticides.Methods The An. sinensis was provided by the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which was reared in the laboratory for more than 50 years without exposure to any pesticides. Impregnation method and filter paper contact method were used to determine the susceptibility to commonly used insecticides for the larvae and adults of An. sinensis.ResultsThe susceptibility baselines of An. sinensis larvae to deltamethrin, beta-cypermethrin, permethrin, dichlorvos, BPMC, fenitrothion, and temephos were established by impregnation method; the results were described as y=13.0586+3.8987x, y=9.2950+2.1510x, y=10.3449+4.4594x, y=4.3319+8.7669x, y=11.3541+ 11.2014x, y=11.5447+6.9681x, and y=10.8033+4.6466x, respectively. The susceptibility baselines of adult An. sinensis to deltamethrin, beta- cypermethrin, permethrin, and BPMC were established by filter paper contact method; the results were described as y=12.5204+3.6871x, y=10.2596+3.0291x, y=8.4266+2.6610x, and y=13.8210+5.0963x, respectively. ConclusionThe susceptibility baselines of An. sinensis larvae to seven insecticides and those of adult An. sinensis to four insecticides have been established. The results can be used as the reference for the discriminating doses for the larvae and adults of An. sinensis in China.
Genotype influence in responses to therapy for atrial fibrillation

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Over the last decade, tremendous progress has been made in defining the genetic architecture of atrial fibrillation (AF). This has in part been driven by poor understanding of the pathophysiology of AF, limitations of current therapies and failure to target therapies to the underlying mechanisms.Areas covered: Genetic approaches to AF have identified mutations encoding cardiac ion channels, and signaling proteins linked with AF and genome-wide association studies have uncovered common genetic variants modulating AF risk. These studies have provided important insights into the underlying mechanisms of AF and defined responses to therapies. Common AF-risk alleles at the chromosome 4q25 locus modulate response to antiarrhythmic drugs, electrical cardioversion and catheter ablation. While the translation of these discoveries to the bedside care of individual patients has been limited, emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that genotype-directed approaches that target the underlying m...
The Codimension of the Zeros of a Stable Process in Random Scenery

We show that for any α∈(1,2], the (stochastic) codimension of the zeros of an α-stable process in random scenery is identically 1-(2α)-1. As an immediate consequence, we deduce that the Hausdorff dimension of the zeros of the latter process is almost surely equal to (2α)-1. This solves Conjecture 5.2 of [6], thereby refining a computation of [10].
The Role of Personal Attributes and Social Backgrounds on Judging

Social background theory formalizes and tests the intuition that jurists’ attributes and experiences will affect their rulings. This chapter explores the source and development of social background theory. The theory can be seen as evolving through four stages: legal realism, behavioralism, new institutionalism, and computation. After briefly assessing the contributions and limitations of the theory, the chapter ends with a proposal for a relevancy threshold for social background research.
The role of diode array ultraviolet detection for the identification of synthetic cathinones.

The utility of diode array ultraviolet (UV) detection for aiding in the identification of synthetic cathinones, including different sub-classes and positional isomers is presented. For 35 synthetic cathinones, unique UV spectra are obtained for seven sub-classes, including mostly beta ketones, where position and type of substitution on benzene rings give rise to differences in UV maxima and relative intensity of the spectral bands. This aspect is key to distinguishing positional isomers that contain differences in R substitution (mono and di) around the benzene ring, which provides complementary information to electron ionization mass spectrometry, where the latter technique cannot distinguish between these types of positional isomers. In addition, it is possible to ascertain the substitution position based on the UV spectra. For ten sets of positional isomers, it was possible to distinguish most of the positional isomers within a set. For ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography (UHPSFC) versus reversed phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), there was at least a 10 nm blue shift in UV maximum (shift to shorter wavelengths). This highlights the importance of taking in account the effect of mobile phase on the UV maximum when performing method development in UHPSFC. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computational video editing for dialogue-driven scenes

We present a system for efficiently editing video of dialogue-driven scenes. The input to our system is a standard film script and multiple video takes, each capturing a different camera framing or performance of the complete scene. Our system then automatically selects the most appropriate clip from one of the input takes, for each line of dialogue, based on a user-specified set of film-editing idioms. Our system starts by segmenting the input script into lines of dialogue and then splitting each input take into a sequence of clips time-aligned with each line. Next, it labels the script and the clips with high-level structural information (e.g., emotional sentiment of dialogue, camera framing of clip, etc.). After this pre-process, our interface offers a set of basic idioms that users can combine in a variety of ways to build custom editing styles. Our system encodes each basic idiom as a Hidden Markov Model that relates editing decisions to the labels extracted in the pre-process. For short scenes (
Learning to See with Milton Bradley

This chapter investigates the affinities between color pedagogy and consumer culture revealed in the work and writing of the manufacturer Milton Bradley. It begins by establishing the industrial problems that prompted Bradley to compose a system of color instruction. Then, through an analysis of the exercises and principles that defined Bradley’s method, the chapter connects the ways of seeing fostered in Bradley’s educational program to the imperatives of the emerging world of consumerism. Gaskill argues that Bradley’s example shows how the introduction of color as a topic of childhood education was inseparable from the proliferation of mass-produced colored goods at the end of the nineteenth century.
Deep Learning, Dynamic Sampling and Smart Energy-dispersive Spectroscopy

A convolutional neural network (CNN) classifier is trained using simulated energy-dispersive spectroscopy data. The CNN incorporated within a dynamic sampling method is to reduce radiation exposure and data acquisition time for elemental mapping.
The effect of water-containing electrolyte on lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract Dissolved polysulfides, formed during Li-S battery operation, freely migrate and react with both the Li anode and the sulfur cathode. These soluble polysulfides shuttle between the anode and cathode – the so-called shuttle effect – resulting in an infinite recharge process and poor Columbic efficiency. In this study, water present as an additive in the Li-S battery electrolyte is found to reduce the shuttle effect in Li-S batteries. Batteries where water content was below 50 ppm exhibited a substantial shuttle effect and low charge capacity. Alternatively, addition of 250 ppm water led to stable charge/discharge behavior with high Coulombic efficiency. XPS results show that H2O addition results in the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film with more LiOH on Li anode which protects the Li anode from the polysulfides. Batteries cycled without water result in a SEI film with more Li2CO3 likely formed by direct contact between the Li metal and the solvent. Intermediate quantities of H2O in the electrolyte result in high cycle efficiency for the first few cycles which then rapidly decays. This suggests that H2O is consumed during battery cycling, likely by interaction with freshly exposed Li metal formed during Li deposition.
Volatile species of technetium and rhenium during waste vitrification

Abstract Volatile loss of technetium (Tc) during vitrification of low-activity wastes is a technical challenge for treating and immobilizing the large volumes of radioactive and hazardous wastes stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. Various research efforts are being pursued to develop technologies that can be implemented for cost effective management of Tc, including studies to understand the behavior of Tc during vitrification, with the goal of eventually increasing Tc retention in glass. One of these studies has focused on identifying the form or species of Tc and Re (surrogate for Tc) that evolve during the waste-to-glass conversion process. This information is important for understanding the mechanism of Tc volatilization. In this paper, available information collected from the literature is critically evaluated to clarify the volatile species of Tc and Re and, more specifically, whether they volatilize as alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate or as technetium and rhenium oxides after decomposition of alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate. The evaluated data ranged from mass spectrometric identification of species volatilized from pure and binary alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate salts to structural and chemical analyses of volatilized materials during crucible melting and scaled melter processing of simulated wastes.
Accelerated clearance of ultrasound contrast agents containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) is associated with a PEG-specific immune response

Lipid-shelled microbubbles (MBs) are routinely used as contrast agents for ultrasound imaging. Such MBs are often formulated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), with the intention of shielding them from recognition and clearance by the innate immune system, prolonging their intravenous circulation time. Paradoxically, the immune system is able to generate specific antibodies that bind PEG. This has been associated with accelerated blood clearance of PEGylated particles when dosed repeatedly over multiple days. Here we aim to (1) study how PEGylated MB pharmacokinetics changes during repeat contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging schedules and (2) investigate whether administration of these MBs generates an anti-PEG antibody response in rats.
Tumorablative conditioning regimen for haploidentical stem cell transplantation in 102 children with hematologic malignancies: a single-center experience

// Luo Rongmu 1, 2, 3 , Zhang Xiaomei 1, 2, 3 , Du Zhenlan 1, 2, 3 , Wang Ya 1, 2, 3 , Chen Wei 1, 2, 3 , Si Yingjian 1, 2, 3 , Gu Wenjing 1, 2, 3 , Xing Guosheng 1, 2, 3 , Wang Yang 1, 2, 3 and Da Wanming 1, 4 1 Affiliated BaYi Children’s Hospital, PLA Army General Hospital, Beijing, China 2 National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China 3 Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China 4 Department of Hematology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China Correspondence to: Da Wanming, email: Dwanming@medmail.com.cn Luo Rongmu, email: luorongmu@163.com Keywords: conditioning; haploidentical; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; hematologic malignancy; graft-versus-host disease Received: August 21, 2017 Accepted: November 13, 2017 Published: December 04, 2017 ABSTRACT Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Haplo-HSCT) is widely carried out in China, and transplantation related complications decreased gradually with the transplant technology improving, and the overall survival(OS) increased year by year. However, relapse after transplantation is still one of the main causes of death in patients with hematological malignancy. In order to reduce the recurrence after HSCT, we set a tumorablative conditioning regimen (TAC ) regimen; the aim is as much as possible to eliminate the malignant clone to reduce the recurrence without increasing the conditioning toxicity. We retrospectively analyzed 102 cases of haplo-HSCT in our hospital from 2012 to 2017. Ninety-eight out of the 99 (99.0%) patients achieved primary engraftment. The 2-year OS and disease free survival (DFS) are 81.4% (83/102) and 77.45% (79/102). The cumulative incidence of leukemia relapse is 16.2% (16/99), Twenty-nine patients developed II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (29%) within 100 days and only nine patients have grade III-IV aGVHD (9%) in measurable 99 patients. The conditioning regimen was relatively well tolerated with limited regimen-related toxicity. The preliminary results show that TAC is safe and effective in haplo-HSCT of children with hematologic malignancies. This study will provide a clinical basis for the individualized conditioning regimen.
Experiences in Teaching the Internet of Things Courses

With the increasing impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) in our everyday lives, it is imperative that a work force would be needed not only to develop the new IoT solutions but also to maintain the established IoT systems. In this paper, we discuss our experiences in curriculum development for three courses on the topic of IoT. This paper's main focus is course development for the latest offering (Spring 2017), and a discussion about what we changed from the previous two offerings. We discuss our weekly lecture plans for IoT topics' coverage along with programming assignments and other assessment activities. We also discuss our observation of students' interest levels, and how we used an incremental project development approach to keep students engaged and motivated. We conclude with our observations of what did and didn't worked for us. We also discuss what we missed because of time constraints but would try to include in our next offering.
La etnobotánica: su alcance y sus objetos

Existe entre la Botanica y la Antropologia una ciencia intermedia a la que, desde hace medio siglo, se ha dado el nombre de Etnobotanica. Como ocurre con otras ciencias interfacultativas o interdisciplinales la Etnobotanica no se puede definir facilmente y por esto ha habido muchas diferencias de opinion en cuanto a su alcance y sus objetos. En su mas amplio sentido, la Etnobotanica es el estudio de las relaciones que existen entre el hombre y su ambiente vegetal, es decir las plantas que lo rodean. En un sentido mas restringido, se ha considerado solamente como el estudio del uso de las plantas cultivadas y silvestres por los pueblos primitivos, usualmente los aborigenes.
Leadership and Management in the 1990’s

So many people including myself have speculated about management and labor in the year 2000 (Bass, 1968, 1972, 1976; Bass & Ryterband, 1973; Ryterband & Bass, 1973) that I thought it might be useful today to focus in more detail on one important element involved — leadership. My motivation is also influenced by the fact that I have just completed a revision of the Handbook of Leadership (Stogdill & Bass, 1981). I noted there in a concluding chapter on future research in leadership that we can look ahead in several ways by extrapolation. We also can examine societal forces that will shape organizational management in the 1990’s. Finally revolutionary paradigms may appear.
What to Expect During Open-Enrollment Season: Findings From the SHRM/EBRI 2014 Health Benefits Survey

This paper examines data from the SHRM/EBRI 2014 Health Benefits Survey. The survey was conducted in February and March 2014 by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) to better understand changes to employer-sponsored health coverage in 2015. Plan sponsors -- especially larger employers -- usually have a sense of the changes they are going to make to their health benefits a year early, as it takes time to prepare such information to communicate during open-enrollment season. About 3,300 plan sponsors were interviewed this year, with 55.6 percent employing between 100 and 2,499 workers. They were distributed throughout the United States, represented different types of businesses and sectors, and different business activities. Collectively, these plan sponsors employed 5.1 million workers in 2014 and spent $30 billion on health coverage in 2013. The survey focused on upcoming changes in eligibility, financial incentives, and plan design other than traditional use of premiums, deductibles, and co-payments for office visits and prescription drugs. The SHRM/EBRI 2014 Health Benefits Survey found that only 1 percent of plan sponsors are planning to eliminate health benefits in 2015. However, while most workers will not see major changes to their benefits next year, they are likely to see a continuation of changes that employers have been making for a number of years. A relatively large number of employers continue to introduce wellness rewards and penalties, possibly the result of the combination of the PPACA-allowed higher financial incentives and the 2018 excise tax on high-cost health plans. Employers may also be focusing on wellness programs because of the link to worker risks and behaviors, which drive chronic conditions and account for a large percentage of overall health spending. Few employers are planning to make changes to eligibility for spousal coverage and part-time worker benefits, and few are moving toward tiered networks, private health insurance exchanges, value-based insurance design, and reference pricing. Employers may be waiting for evidence from early adopters before making untested changes. Ultimately, concerns about the excise tax on high-cost health plans may result in accelerated adoption of tiered networks, private health insurance exchanges, value-based insurance design, and reference pricing.
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Steroids are a very important class of hormones and are mainly synthesized in specialized steroidogenic cells in the adrenal gland, in the ovary and placenta of females and in the testis of males. The adrenal glucocorticoids are important for the maintenance of carbohydrate metabolism and stress management and the mineralocorticoids for maintaining salt balance. The estrogens and progestins, steroids synthesized in the ovary and placenta, function to induce and maintain secondary sex characteristics and are essential for reproductive function. As the initial characterization of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein in MA-10 cells, and with the availability of new reagents, such as antipeptide antisera and cDNAs to StAR, a number of subsequent studies have also demonstrated close correlations between its presence and steroid hormone biosynthesis in other experimental systems. Studies using the rat ovary as a model indicated that StAR expression and serum progesterone levels rose in parallel in response to trophic hormone stimulation, whereas P450scc enzyme levels were unchanged during the time period observed.
Mapping the spatio-temporal distribution of solar radiation within street canyons of Boston using Google Street View panoramas and building height model

Abstract Studying the solar radiation within street canyons would provide an important reference for increasing human thermal comfort and decreasing the potential health issues caused by too much exposure from sunlight. In this study, we used building height model and publicly accessible Google Street View panoramas to map the spatio-temporal distribution of solar radiation within street canyons of Boston, Massachusetts. Hemispherical images generated from Google Street View panoramas and building height model together with sun paths in summer and winter were used to estimate the spatio-temporal distribution of solar radiation within street canyons. Results show that street canyons in the downtown area have shorter sunshine duration and lower solar radiation to the ground compared with other regions of the study area in the whole year. The southwestern part of the study area with the abundance of vegetation canopies has relatively short direct sunshine duration and low solar radiation reaching the ground in summer, and relatively long direct sunshine duration and high solar radiation reaching the ground in winter. This study also shows that it is possible to estimate shading precisely within street canyons for a specific time and date at a specific location. Considering the public accessibility of Google Street View data in cities around the world, this study can be easily deployed in other cities. This study would give a great impetus to all studies relating the solar radiation at street level in future.
Training population selection and use of fixed effects to optimize genomic predictions in a historical USA winter wheat panel

The optimization of training populations and the use of diagnostic markers as fixed effects increase the predictive ability of genomic prediction models in a cooperative wheat breeding panel. Plant breeding programs often have access to a large amount of historical data that is highly unbalanced, particularly across years. This study examined approaches to utilize these data sets as training populations to integrate genomic selection into existing pipelines. We used cross-validation to evaluate predictive ability in an unbalanced data set of 467 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes evaluated in the Gulf Atlantic Wheat Nursery from 2008 to 2016. We evaluated the impact of different training population sizes and training population selection methods (Random, Clustering, PEVmean and PEVmean1) on predictive ability. We also evaluated inclusion of markers associated with major genes as fixed effects in prediction models for heading date, plant height, and resistance to powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici). Increases in predictive ability as the size of the training population increased were more evident for Random and Clustering training population selection methods than for PEVmean and PEVmean1. The selection methods based on minimization of the prediction error variance (PEV) outperformed the Random and Clustering methods across all the population sizes. Major genes added as fixed effects always improved model predictive ability, with the greatest gains coming from combinations of multiple genes. Maximum predictabilities among all prediction methods were 0.64 for grain yield, 0.56 for test weight, 0.71 for heading date, 0.73 for plant height, and 0.60 for powdery mildew resistance. Our results demonstrate the utility of combining unbalanced phenotypic records with genome-wide SNP marker data for predicting the performance of untested genotypes.
"Raincoat for explosives": Surface chemistry approach to control wetting of nitrocellulose with nitroglycerin.

Abstract Hypothesis Wicking and percolation of a liquid in porous media is, among other factors, strongly affected by wettability of the pores. Nitrocellulose (NC) fibrous matrix impregnated with nitroglycerin (NG) is a main component of propellant formulations. Over time, NG, being a wetting liquid, leaks out from the matrix causing fires and explosions resulting from the storage. Here, we propose a chemical functionalization approach aimed at preparation of lyophobic coatings of NC to control wetting and to inhibit leakage of NG. Experimental NC was functionalized by a two-step process using the reaction of 3-(triethoxysilyl-propyl) isocyanate followed by reactions with either alkyl-, fluoroalkyl-, or phenyl-silane producing NC surfaces ranging in lyophobicity. The wettability of the NC pellets was characterized using water, hexadecane, and NG as probe fluids. Findings FTIR and chemical analysis supported the covalent attachment of organosilanes to NC via robust carbamate and siloxane bonds. SEM and DSC of the modified NC materials suggested that the bulk properties of NC were not affected by the reactions with silanes. The contact angles of the modified NC changed over a wide range demonstrating surfaces with “tunable” wetting. NC grafted with fluoroalkyl-groups showed the most NG-repelling properties (θAdv/θRec ∼ 90°/50°): NG beaded up and did not penetrate these surfaces.
Simplified Monitoring of Anatoxin-A by Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography and the Sub-Acute Effects of Anatoxin-A in Rats

Anatoxin-a is a potent neuromuscular blocking agent produced by certain strains of the blue-green algae Anabaena flos-aquae. Its sporadic and unpredictable production during algal blooms, occasionally causing animal deaths, led to a concern that animals and humans may ingest sub-chronic doses of anatoxin-a, resulting in delayed toxicity. A method to detect and monitor anatoxin-a in natural water bodies was therefore a primary concern. Toxic A. flos-aquae was cultivated and the toxin extracted by centrifugation and solvent extraction procedures. Anatoxin-a was then analyzed by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an isocratic gradient. A useful concentration range where detector response remained linear to toxin concentration went from 1 to 500 ppm. Combined with the extraction procedure, which averaged 90% recoveries, an overall assay sensitivity of 0.1 ppm was achieved.
Chapter 10 – Field Capacity, Wilting Point, Available Water, and the Nonlimiting Water Range

This chapter defines field capacity, permanent wilting point, and available water to plants, which is the difference between field capacity and the permanent wilting point. The permanent wilting point was described in 1912 by Briggs, a physicist, and Shantz, a botanist, who called it the wilting coefficient. The nonlimiting water range (NLWR), first defined by John Letey at the University of California in 1985, acknowledges that water may not be equally available to plants between field capacity and the permanent wilting point. The NLWR includes the effects of aeration and mechanical resistance on water availability. In follow-up Letey's work, researchers have defined the least limiting water range, which sets limits for water uptake based on the wetness and mechanical resistance of the soil. Biographies of Briggs and Shantz are given in the appendix along with documentation showing they were two of the most important scientists of their time.
A Literature Review Comparing Clinicians' Approaches and Skills to In-Person, Synchronous, and Asynchronous Care: Moving Toward Competencies to Ensure Quality Care

Introduction: Research is increasing on asynchronous technologies used by specialist clinicians and primary care, including e-mail, text, e-consultation, and store-and-forward (asynchronous) options. Studies typically describe interventions and care outcomes rather than development of clinical skills for using technology. Methods: This article attempts to compare clinicians' approaches to, and skills for, asynchronous technologies versus in-person and synchronous (i.e., video) care. Literature from technology, health care, pedagogy, and business were searched from 2000 to 2019 for title words, including synchronous (e.g., video, telemental or behavioral health, telepsychiatry), asynchronous (e.g., app, e-consultation, e-mail, text, sensor in a wearable device), education, clinical, and consultation. Results: From a total of 4,812 potential references, two authors (D.M.H., J.T.) found 4,622 eligible for full text review and found 381 articles directly relevant to the concept areas in combination for full text review. However, exclusion criteria subtracted 305, leaving a total of 76 articles. While in-person and synchronous care are similar in many ways, the clinical approach to asynchronous care has many differences. As asynchronous technologies and models of care are feasible and effective, often for consultation, an outline of patient, primary care provider, and specialist clinician goals and skills are presented. Few studies specifically discuss skills or competencies for asynchronous care, but components from published clinical informatics, video, social media, and mobile health competencies were organized into Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education domains. Conclusions: Further implementation of science research is needed for asynchronous technology interventions, as well as clinician competencies using asynchronous technologies, to ensure optimal outcomes for patients in health care.
GAT: Generative Adversarial Training for Adversarial Example Detection and Robust Classification

The vulnerabilities of deep neural networks against adversarial examples have become a significant concern for deploying these models in sensitive domains. Devising a definitive defense against such attacks is proven to be challenging, and the methods relying on detecting adversarial samples are only valid when the attacker is oblivious to the detection mechanism. In this paper we first present an adversarial example detection method that provides performance guarantee to norm constrained adversaries. The method is based on the idea of training adversarial robust subspace detectors using generative adversarial training (GAT). The novel GAT objective presents a minimax problem similar to that of GANs; it has the same convergence property, and consequently supports the learning of class conditional distributions. We first demonstrate that the minimax problem could be reasonably solved by PGD attack, and then use the learned class conditional generative models to define generative detection/classification models that are both robust and more interpretable. We provide comprehensive evaluations of the above methods, and demonstrate their competitive performances and compelling properties on adversarial detection and robust classification problems.
Teacher and student enactments of a transdisciplinary art-science-computing unit

Transdisciplinary learning environments have potential to bring together the arts, sciences, and computing within schools. We investigate the student and teacher enactment of sensemaking practices that break down disciplinary silos. We describe a pedagogical approach, Luminous Science, where students make dynamic, computationally-rich artistic representations of data from a classroom garden. Then we present an analysis of students’ sensemaking practices used during the transdisciplinary unit in three cases of art, science and computing classrooms. Qualitative analysis of a student group and teachers’ curricular materials in each of these classrooms elucidates how teachers’ enactment choices, organization, and facilitation of the unit we co-designed with them facilitated opportunities for students’ transdisciplinary thinking and learning. We show that when teachers’ enactments supported increased computational complexity and ties between artifact and phenomenon, then students participated in deeper transdisciplinary sensemaking. We discuss the implications for the design of curricular materials and professional development to support effective organization and discourse practices by teachers in orchestrating transdisciplinary sensemaking.
How the Use of Temporal Immediacy and Video Conference Calls Jointly Impact Investors’ Willingness to Invest

CEOs can alter the temporal immediacy of their language (i.e., changing the tense of verbs and active vs. passive voice) in describing firm performance. For example, using temporal immediate language to describe good news would make it seem more immediate, and using temporal nonimmediate language to describe bad news would make it seem more distant. In an experiment, we examine whether a CEO’s effective use of this simple linguistic cue can successfully impact investors’ willingness to invest. Furthermore, as video communication of earnings conference calls has become more popular, our study also investigates this linguistic effect in both text and video formats. We predict and find that investors are more likely to increase their investment willingness when managers effectively use temporally immediate language to describe positive news and temporally nonimmediate language to describe negative news than otherwise. However, such an effect only exists with text communication but not with video communication. Our findings have important implications for investors, managers, and regulators.
Repair of Heat-Injured Clostridium perfringes During Outgrowth

Clostridium perfringens strain NCTC 8798 spores were injured by ultrahigh temperature treatment and were unable to outgrow in the presence of antibiotics used in selective enumeration media. Injured spores underwent repair in a nonselective laboratory medium and in foods.
One-donor, two-recipient extracranial-intracranial bypass series for moyamoya and cerebral occlusive disease: rationale, clinical and angiographic outcomes, and intraoperative blood flow analysis.

OBJECTIVE Cerebral extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) direct bypass is a commonly used procedure for ischemic vasculopathy. A previously described variation of this technique is to utilize one donor artery to supply two recipient arteries, which the authors designate as 1D2R. The purpose of this study is to present a single surgeon's series of 1D2R direct bypasses for moyamoya and ischemia using detailed clinical, angiographic, and intraoperative blood flow measurement data. To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest series reported to date. METHODS Hospital, office, and radiographic imaging records for all patients who underwent cerebral revascularization using a 1D2R bypass by the senior author were reviewed. The patients' demographic information, clinical presentation, associated medical conditions, intraoperative information, and postoperative course were obtained from reviewing the medical records. RESULTS A total of 21 1D2R bypasses were performed in 19 patients during the study period. Immediate bypass patency was 100% and was 90% on delayed follow-up. The mean initial cut flow index (CFI(i)) was 0.64 ± 0.33 prior to the second anastomosis and the mean final value (CFI(f)) was 0.94 ± 0.38 after the second anastomosis (p < 0.001). The overall bypass flow increased on average by 50% (mean 17.9 ml/min, range -10 to 40 ml/min) with the addition of the second anastomosis. There was no significant difference in the overall flow measurements when the end-to-side anastomosis or side-to-side anastomosis was performed first. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 or 1 postoperatively compared to preoperatively (p < 0.01). Through the application of Poiseuille's law, the authors analyzed flow dynamics, deduced the component vascular resistances based on an analogy to electrical circuits and Ohm's law, and introduced the new concepts of "second anastomosis relative augmentation" and "second anastomosis sink index" in the evaluation of 1D2R bypasses. CONCLUSIONS The application of the 1D2R technique in a series of 19 consecutive patients undergoing direct EC-IC bypass for flow augmentation demonstrated high patency rates, statistically significantly higher CFIs compared to 1D1R, and improved mRS scores at last clinical follow-up. Additionally, the technique allows a shorter dissection time and preserves blood flow to the scalp. The routine utilization of intraoperative volumetric flow measurements in such surgeries allows a deeper understanding of the hemodynamic impact on individual patients.
Inter-Individual Variation and Cardioprotection in Anthracycline-Induced Heart Failure

Anthracyclines are one of the most widely used and effective chemotherapies in oncology, but their most important side effect is the cumulative, dose-related cardiotoxicity leading to congestive heart failure in ~5% of individuals. Methodology and pharmacogenetic studies for predicting which individuals are at high risk and subsequently the development of targeted and individualized cardioprotective plans are beginning to make progress. Here, we review current putative risk genes and variants, the strength of evidence for each genetic association and the interaction between risk genes, in the context of known clinical risk factors and potential novel cardioprotective strategies.