cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Measurement of Dynamic Modulus and Energy Losses in Single Textile Filaments Subjected to Forced Longitudinal Vibrations

Apparatus and techniques for measuring the dynamic properties of single fibers in the frequency range 1-100 cycles/sec. at 70° F and 65% R.H. are described. For the viscose rayon, acetate rayon, nylon, feather keratin, silk, and polyethylene fibers studied, it was found that the quantities ηω and E were approximately independent of frequency in this range, where η is the internal friction, ω the radian frequency, and E the dynamic modulus. Measured values of the energy dissipated per cycle were found to be proportional to the square of the amplitude, in accordance with the prediction of the simple differential equation of vibration assumed (viscous damping and Hookean elastic reaction). Stress relaxation data were obtained with the same fibers and the results are given. Theoretical interpretation of the results is given in another paper [19].
Evidence for recombination among the alleles encoding TEM and SHV β-lactamases

Objectives: The objective of this research was to determine whether recombination occurs in class A b-lactamases. Methods: We performed x 2 analysis of the observed and expected numbers of times that b-lactamases from the TEM, SHV and CTX-M groups co-occurred. Additionally, we performed phylogenetic analysis to detect independent occurrences of silent mutations in blaTEM and blaSHV variants. Results: We found that the distribution of co-occurring blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M alleles in clinical microbial populations is consistent with the regular occurrence of recombination among alleles within the groups. We also found that the distribution of silent mutations in blaTEM and blaSHV alleles is inconsistent with spontaneous point mutations. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that recombination has an important effect on the sequence evolution and population distribution of the alleles that encode class A b-lactamases.
One-dimensional single and multipulse simulations of the ON/OFF voltages and the bistable margin for He, Xe, and He/Xe filled plasma display pixels

A one-dimensional plasma model developed for AC plasma display pixels is used to perform multipulse and single-pulse simulations to model the maximum sustain voltages, the minimum sustain voltages, and the voltage margins for 100% helium, 100% xenon, and for 2% xenon in helium and a 400 torr pressure (p) and a gap (L) of 100 /spl mu/m. The multipulse simulations describe the growth in wall voltage at the so-called ON voltage and the decay in wall voltage at the so-called OFF voltage. For square wave forms, the ON voltage is the voltage at which a pixel attains to a stable operation in which a discharge occurs in each succeeding pulse and the wall voltage equal to the applied voltage. The OFF voltage is the voltage at which a pixel that is ON goes off and no further discharges occur. Experimental data for helium show the hysteresis in the discharge current observed when the voltage is increased to turn ON pixels and then reduced to turn OFF-pixels in a panel. Simulations which match the helium data are also shown. The difference between the ON and OFF voltages defines the bistable margin. For the helium-xenon Penning mixture, the ON and OFF voltages determined by multipulse simulations are almost identical to the values obtained from the wall voltage transfer curve method. In the helium-xenon Penning mixture, the ionization rate for xenon ground state increases dramatically compared to its ionization rate in pure xenon due to the modification in the electron velocity distribution function in the mixture. This feature provides enhanced volumetric ionization in the discharge and hence a rapid growth rate of the wall voltage which is desirable for a sharp transition from OFF to ON in a pixel.
Urban Cultivation Amidst Modernization: How Should We Interpret It?

Many African cities are currently marked by the decline of the formal urban economy and the simultaneous upsurge of household cultivation by the urban poor. This has generated two types of critical responses, though for very different reasons. The modernization proponents view urban cultivation as a manifestation of rural habits, predominantly relied upon by recent migrants lacking integration into the urban economy and culture. The New-Marxist critics, on the other hand, blame such activities for contributing to the “double exploitation of labor” and for maintaining the status quo of capitalist social relations of production. This paper, based on a survey of 250 low-income households in Zambia, attempts to respond to both criticisms. First, it demonstrates that the modernization proponents' assumption regarding who cultivates and why are basically incorrect. The paper then provides evidence that urban cultivation is an innovative response from below which was initially strongly resisted by capitalist cou...
Processor-based built-in self-test for embedded DRAM

A built-in self-test engine and test methodology have been developed for testing a family of high-bandwidth, high-density DRAM macros. The DRAM macros range in size from 256/spl times/16/spl times/128 to 2 K/spl times/16/spl times/256 (Word/spl times/Bit/spl times/Data) and are targeted for embedded applications in application-specific integrated circuit designs. The processor-based test engine, with two separate instruction storage memories, combines with flexible address, data, and clock generators to provide DRAM high-performance ac testing using a minimum of dedicated test pins. Test results are compressed through on-macro, two-dimensional, redundancy allocation logic to provide direct programming information for the fuser via a serial scan port. The design is intended for reuse on future DRAM-generation subarrays and can be adapted to any number of address or data-pin configurations.
Under-reporting of drug use among individuals with schizophrenia: prevalence and predictors.

Background Illicit drug use is common in individuals with schizophrenia, and it has been suspected that many individuals under-report their use of substances, leading to significant barriers to treatment. This study sought to examine the degree to which individuals with schizophrenia disclose their use of drugs on self-rated assessments, compared to laboratory assays, and to determine the contributors of under-reported drug use in this population. Method A total of 1042 individuals with schizophrenia who participated in screening/baseline procedures for the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) completed self-rated assessments of substance use and laboratory drug testing. Laboratory tests assayed cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine use; the procedures included radioimmunoassay (RIA) and urine drug screens. Results A significant proportion of participants tested positive for drug use on laboratory measures (n = 397; 38%), and more than half (n = 229; 58%) did not report using these drugs. Logistic regression models confirmed that patients who were most likely to conceal their use tended to be older, and presented with greater neurocognitive deficits. Patients who accurately reported drug use tended to have greater involvement with the criminal justice system. Illness severity and psychopathology were not associated with whether patients disclosed drug use. Conclusions Rates of under-reported drug use are considerable among individuals with schizophrenia when compared to laboratory assays, and the exclusive reliance on self-rated assessments should be used with caution. Patients who under-report their drug use are more likely to manifest neurocognitive deficits, which could be improved by interventions attempting to optimize treatment.
Formulation of different shapes of nanoparticles and their incorporation into polymers

Shape controlling of nanoparticles is a very important aspect in nanotechnology. By controlling the particle sizes and shapes in the 1-100 nm range virtually all material properties can be controlled. The current work focuses on the synthesis of such nanoparticles and subsequent incorporation of the different shaped nanoparticles into epoxy matrix. The object of current interest is to evaluate the use of metal nanoparticles in polymer-metal composites. Of particular interest is the case where the first connected path of metal particles occurs across the sample, called the percolation threshold. There has been evidence of a giant increase in capacitance at room temperature just below the percolation threshold. The current work is an initial step to use the current developments in nanotechnology to incorporate various shaped fillers in polymer matrices. This can shed light on fundamental theory behind the dielectric properties of polymer-metal dielectrics. For the current work silver has been chosen as the metal and epoxy has been chosen as the polymer matrix. Nanocubes, spheres and wires have been synthesized by current and novel methods and incorporated into epoxy.
Responses of estuarine and coastal marine phytoplankton to nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment

A cross-ecosystem comparison of data obtained from 92 coastal zone ecosystems worldwide revealed a strong positive response of marine phytoplankton biomass to nutrient enrichment that is highly consistent with the general patterns reported previously in the limnological literature for freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Average concentrations of chlorophyll a in estuarine and coastal marine systems were strongly dependent on the mean concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the water column. Moreover, as is true of freshwater ecosystems, the identity of the primary growth-limiting nutrient for marine phytoplankton appeared to be generally predictable from watercolumn total nitrogen : total phosphorus (TN : TP) ratios. This similarity in physiological response to nutrients likely derives from the shared evolutionary histories of marine and freshwater phytoplankton.
Recruitment to Teaching: Patterns of Selection and Retention*

Utilizing data from a seven-year longitudinal study of high school graduates, this paper focuses on the careers of girls who planned to become and/or eventually became elementary and secondary school teachers. The concern of the paper is the way in which factors such as socioeconomic status background, rural-urban residence, measured intelligence, time of occupational choice, level of education, marital status, and husbands' occupational status are related to recruitment to teaching and to retention in the teaching profession. SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE LONG been interested in the way in which occupations selectively recruit persons with distinctive social characteristics. In particular they have been concerned with the "social origins" (e.g., class, rural-urban, ethnic origins) of persons who enter a variety of occupations. The present paper is in this tradition. The focus is on a high school senior cohort followed over a seven year period. Our interest is in the characteristics of the young women in this group who aspired to become and/or became elementary and secondary school teachers.
Abstract B48: Identification of novel drug interactions with MYC via a quantitative chemical-genetic interaction map

There is an urgent need in oncology to link molecular aberrations in tumors with therapeutics that can be administered in a personalized fashion. One approach identifies synthetic-lethal genetic interactions or emergent dependencies that cancer cells acquire in the presence of specific mutations. Using engineered isogenic cells, we generated an unbiased and quantitative chemical-genetic interaction map that measures the influence of 51 aberrant cancer genes on 90 drug responses. The dataset strongly predicts drug responses found in cancer cell line collections, indicating that isogenic cells can model more complex cellular contexts. Applied to triple-negative breast cancer, we report clinically actionable interactions with the MYC oncogene including resistance to AKT/PI3K pathway inhibitors and an unexpected sensitivity to dasatinib through LYN inhibition in a synthetic-lethal manner, providing new drug and biomarker pairs for clinical investigation. This scalable approach enables the prediction of drug responses from patient data and can be used to accelerate the development of new genotype-directed therapies. Citation Format: Alicia Y. Zhou, Maria M. Martins, Alexandra Corella, Dai Horiuchi, Christina Yau, Taha Rakshandehroo, John D. Gordan, Rebecca S. Levin, Jeff Johnson, John Jascur, Mike Shales, Antonio Sorrentino, Jaime Cheah, Paul A. Clemons, Alykhan Shamji, Stuart L. Schreiber, Nevan J. Krogan, Kevan M. Shokat, Frank McCormick, Andrei Goga, Sourav Bandyopadhyay. Identification of novel drug interactions with MYC via a quantitative chemical-genetic interaction map. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Myc: From Biology to Therapy; Jan 7-10, 2015; La Jolla, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2015;13(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B48.
A Study of the awareness of patient safety culture in nursing staff

Objectives: To understand the awareness of patient safety culture among staff nurses, the level of their acceptance of patient safety-related education and the status of implementation; to explore if there is a need for nurses to have patient-safety training. Methods: A convenience sample of 193 nurses involved in the questionnaire survey. Results: The awareness level of safety culture was relatively high among staff nurses, but their acceptance and implementation of safety-related education were at medium level among the overall scores. The majority (67%) of nurses believed that it is necessary for nursing staff to attend safety-related training. Conclusion: Health care facilities should provide patient safety training course for staff nurses to improve patient safety and raise the awareness of patient safety culture.
Are you up to date with new immunization recommendations

Vaccines are one of the most important and effective tools for protecting the health of the public and family physicians are instrumental in insuring that vaccine recommendations are implemented. With the development of new vaccines come increasingly complex recommendations. Staying current is challenging. This column describes the most recent changes to the immunization schedules made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Can Destination Therapy be implemented in children with heart failure? A study of provider perceptions

DT is an established final therapeutic choice in adult patients with severe heart failure who do not meet criteria for cardiac transplantation. Patients are given VADs, without the prospect of care escalation to transplantation. VADs are now established therapy for children and are currently used as a bridge until transplantation can be performed or heart failure improves. For children who present in severe heart failure but do not meet transplantation criteria, the question has emerged whether DT can be offered. This qualitative study aimed to elicit the perspectives of early adopters of DT at one of the few institutions where DT has been provided for children. Responses were recorded and coded and themes extracted using grounded theory. Interviewees discussed: envisioning of the DT candidate; approach to evaluation for DT; contraindications to choosing DT; and concerns about choosing DT. Providers articulated two frameworks for conceptualizing DT: as a long bridge through resolution of problems that would initially contraindicate transplantation or, alternatively, as a true destination instead of transplantation. True destination, however, may not be the lasting concept for long-term VAD use in children given improvement in prognosis for current medical contraindications and improving VAD technology.
Across US Hospitals, Black Patients Report Comparable Or Better Experiences Than White Patients

Patient-reported experience is a critical part of measuring health care quality. There are limited data on racial differences in patient experience. Using patient-level data for 2009–10 from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), we compared blacks’ and whites’ responses on measures of overall hospital rating, communication, clinical processes, and hospital environment. In unadjusted results, there were no substantive differences between blacks’ and whites’ ratings of hospitals. Blacks were less likely to recommend hospitals but reported more positive experiences, compared to whites. Higher educational attainment and self-reported worse health status were associated with more negative evaluations in both races. Additionally, blacks rated minority-serving hospitals worse than other hospitals on all HCAHPS measures. Taken together, there were surprisingly few meaningful differences in patient experience between blacks and whites across US hospitals. Although blacks te...
Prevalence of Hearing Loss by Severity in the United States

Objectives. To estimate the age- and severity-specific prevalence of hearing impairment in the United States.Methods. We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 2001 through 2010 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 9648 individuals aged 12 years or older. Hearing loss was defined as mild (> 25 dB through 40 dB), moderate (> 40 dB through 60 dB), severe (> 60 dB through 80 dB), or profound (> 80 dB).Results. An estimated 25.4 million, 10.7 million, 1.8 million, and 0.4 million US residents aged 12 years or older, respectively, have mild, moderate, severe, and profound better-ear hearing loss. Older individuals displayed a higher prevalence of hearing loss and more severe levels of loss. Across most ages, the prevalence was higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites than among non-Hispanic Blacks and was higher among men than women.Conclusions. Hearing loss directly affects 23% of Americans aged 12 years or older. The majority of these individuals have mild hearing loss; howev...
Measuring earthquake source parameters in the Mendocino triple junction region using a dense OBS array: Implications for fault strength variations

Abstract Subduction zones produce earthquakes on a set of faults that operate under a wide variety of conditions resulting from considerable variations in depth, temperature, rock type, and fluid pressure. These variations likely lead to variation in the stress levels that drives particular earthquakes and that in turn effects the magnitude of seismic shaking they produce. In the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) region, intraplate faults within the mantle of the subducting plate fail regularly in energetic earthquakes while the adjacent thrust interface of the Cascadia subduction zone remains seismically quiet despite the likelihood that it operates at much lower levels of stress and strength. In 2012, as part of the Cascadia Initiative community experiment, an ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) array was deployed in the MTJ area, providing unusually dense data covering both the inter- and intra-plate earthquakes. Combining these data with onshore networks, we detect and relocate 1137 earthquakes with a three dimensional velocity model. We perform detailed spectral and time domain analysis to study variations in earthquake source properties between the different types of faults. We observe a wide variability of stress drops and systematic lateral and depth variations in the earthquake source spectra resulting from the different types of tectonic fault systems in this region: intraplate faults within the subducted oceanic mantle, the Mendocino transform plate boundary fault, and the thrust interface of the Cascadia subduction zone. Some of the depth variability of source spectra can be explained by the expected increase in rupture velocity with depth. However, the overall variation in stress drop estimates is consistent with the highest stress drop earthquakes occurring in the depth range predicted by strength envelopes. Moreover, the earthquakes in the vicinity of the thrust interface, likely including some within the subducted oceanic crust, show clearly lower stress drops and depletion of high-frequency radiation for their size compared to events in the oceanic mantle and along the transform fault at a given depth. Our results suggest that the variability in earthquake source spectra that can be expected in the Cascadia subduction zone is systematic and that the thrust interface operates at a lower stress level than the core of the subducted plate a few kilometers away.
Electronic detection of surface plasmon polaritons by metal-oxide-silicon capacitor

An electronic detector of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is reported. SPPs optically excited on a metal surface using a prism coupler are detected by using a close-coupled metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitor. Incidence-angle dependence is explained by Fresnel transmittance calculations, which also are used to investigate the dependence of photo-response on structure dimensions. Electrodynamic simulations agree with theory and experiment and additionally provide spatial intensity distributions on and off the SPP excitation resonance. Experimental dependence of the photoresponse on substrate carrier type, carrier concentration, and back-contact biasing is qualitatively explained by simple theory of MOS capacitors.
Climate change increases the production of female hatchlings at a northern sea turtle rookery.

The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures, along with major adjustments to precipitation, throughout the 21st century. Species exhibiting temperature-dependent sex determination are highly susceptible to such changes since the incubation environment influences critical offspring characteristics such as survival and sex ratio. Here we show that the mean incubation duration of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests from a high-density nesting beach on Bald Head Island, North Carolina has decreased significantly over the past 25 years. This decrease in incubation duration is significantly positively correlated with mean air temperature and negatively correlated with mean precipitation during the nesting season. Additionally, although no change in hatching success was detected during this same period, a potentially detrimental consequence of shorter incubation durations is that they lead to the production of primarily female offspring. Given that global temperatures are predicted to increase by as much as 4°C over the next century, the mass feminization of sea turtle hatchlings is a high-priority concern. While presently limited in number, studies using long-term data sets to examine the temporal correlation between offspring characteristics and climatic trends are essential for understanding the scope and direction of climate change effects on species persistence. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Quantum transport simulations of electron field emission

The authors report on the comparison of various quantum transport calculations for metal-vacuum tunneling structures under high electric fields. Specifically, they compared the WKB approximation to the transmission coefficient (TC) for evaluating current-voltage relationships to the more accurate Airy function approach, and both of these approaches to the Wigner distribution function (WDF) approach to quantum transport. The purpose of this study is to examine electron transport through metal (or semiconductor)-vacuum interfaces and to assess the utility of various techniques for their incorporation into larger simulation packages, such as ensemble particle Monte Carlo. As the WDF has been used for the first time to study issues of interest to vacuum microelectronics, the authors assess its advantages and shortcomings. >
A Kaleidoscope of Languages: When and How Non-Native English Speakers Shift between English and Their Native Language during Multilingual Teamwork

Multilingual teams often include subgroups of members who share a native language different from the team's common language. Linguistic choices by members of these subgroups can have implications for information exchange at the team level. We reported a field study of language use in 3 multilingual teams, each of which consisted of some native English speakers (NS) and some non-native English speakers (NNS) who shared a native language with at least one other team member. We found that NNS often shifted between English and their native language. The way language shift happened differed for formal meetings, informal conversations, and instant messaging. Language variation was often associated with shifts in content, participants, and communication medium. Further analysis indicated that language shift had both benefits and costs for team communication, depending on the context in which it happened. Based on these findings, we outline suggestions for designing multilingual collaboration systems.
The Pathogenesis of Chronic Subdural Hematomas: A Study on the Formation of Chronic Subdural Hematomas and Analysis of Computed Tomography Findings

Background The origin of chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) and the pathophysiology of its enlargement remain unknown. The chemical fluid composition of CSDH, the contribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to its enlargement, and the relationship to its appearance on computed tomography (CT) also are not entirely clear. Methods In this prospective study, 58 samples in 41 patients treated surgically for CSDH were analyzed. CSDHs were evaluated for the presence of CSF via β-2 transferrin and substances related to cell breakdown and hemolysis. These were compared with normal value of those substances in the serum and the CT appearances of the CSDH. Results In this study, 24% of the samples contained β-2 transferrin, which was statistically significant. Total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, total bilirubin, and red blood cells also were statistically different when compared with their normal serum concentration, indicating an active process of rebleeding and hemolysis rather than plasma ultrafiltration; however, their concentrations did not correlate with specific CT scan appearance. The absence of CSF in CSDH in 76% of cases did not support the theory that most CSDHs originate from subdural hygromas. The presence of hemolysis and cell breakdown, byproducts supports the hypothesis that the primary enlargement of CSDH develops through neomembrane and neovascular formation, rebleeding, and inhibition of the blood coagulation process. Our study did not test for serum transudation as a component of the enlargement of CSDH. Conclusions Our study confirms that the origin and enlargement of CSDH is multifactorial, but the contribution of individual factors and condition under which it occurs still remains unclear. CT scan findings do not correlate with the chemical composition or the presence of CSF in the CSDH.
Fourier-based spectral method solution to finite strain crystal plasticity with free surfaces

Abstract A plastically dilatational material model is proposed that enables to simulate the mechanical response of non-compact geometries (containing free surfaces) by means of established spectral methods without any particular adaptations, i.e. in combination with arbitrary constitutive laws describing the remainder of the simulated geometry and under mixed boundary conditions. The versatility of this material model and more accurate representation of empty space in comparison to an isotropic elastic model employing low stiffness is demonstrated for the cases of void growth under biaxial extension and grain-scale deformation behavior of an oligocrystalline dogbone-shaped aluminum sample under uniaxial tension.
Migraine, Children and

Migraine is common in children and adolescents. There are several subtleties to diagnosing migraine in children that relate to how the phenotype of the disorder differs in the developing brain, as well as to the incipient language abilities of young children leading to the need to sometimes infer symptoms from their behavior. Accurate and early diagnosis of migraine in children is important in order to limit unnecessary pain, as well as disability and school absences. In young children, childhood periodic syndromes may manifest before migraine headache. Knowing about the association between periodic syndromes and migraine may help clinicians diagnose children presenting with these syndromes, and asking about a history of such disorders may assist in the diagnosis of migraine headache in older children. A number of safe and effective options are available for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine in children and adolescents.
Scent Over-Marking and Adjacent-Marking as Competitive Tactics Used During Chemical Communication in Voles

This chapter reviews studies on meadow voles and prairie voles that test the broad hypothesis that over-marking, a phenomenon in which an individual places its own scent on top of the scen mark of a conspecific, is a competitive tactic that provides advantages in the transfer of chemical information to the top-scent donor but not to the bottom-scent donor of an over-mark. To establish whether over-marking is a competitive tactic, four specific hypotheses were tested. One, voles over-mark the scent marks of same-sex conspecifics. Two, male voles over-mark the scent marks of same-sex conspecifics more than female voles do. Three, voles over-mark the scent marks of age-matched, unfamiliar, nonsiblings more than those of familiar siblings. Four, individuals investigating areas containing over-marks respond preferentially to the odor of the vole whose scent is on top, but not to that of the vole whose scent is on the bottom. The reviewed data support the first, third, and fourth hypotheses, but do not support the second hypothesis. Overall, the findings indicate that 1) investigating animals attach a greater value to the odor of the topscent donor than that of the bottom-scent donor and 2) over-marking and adjacent-marking may be used by voles as competitive tactics.
Innocence is No Defense - The Reasons Offered to Justify or Excuse the Killing of Innocent Persons in War

A leading scholar-historian of just war theory has said all wars, of course, produce noncombatant casualties. The of course shocks one into pacifism or realism. Since protecting the innocent from harm has in certain circumstances been considered a causus belli, for the realist there is a paradox, if not a contradiction. Wars to protect innocent people, of course, kill them! This essay reviews the excuses and justifications used to explain away such killing.
Microcrack-Interaction Induced Toughening in Ceramics and Advanced Composites

The generation of microcracks, which causes an extension of the damage zone at values of stress intensity factor, K, below the expected critical level represented by K IC has been recognized as an important strength limiting mechanism in a number of advanced materials. The understanding of the effects - toughening and shielding - of microcrack array interaction with the main crack is viewed to be critical for the design of ceramics and brittle matrix composites. This paper investigates the interaction problem using the technique of double layer potentials, and extends the results to toughening in composites that show a crackbridging mode.
Decreased erythrocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide redox potential and abnormal pyridine nucleotide content in sickle cell disease.

RBCs from individuals with sickle cell disease are more susceptible to oxidant damage. Because key antioxidant defense reactions are linked to the pyridine nucleotides nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), we tested the hypothesis that the RBC redox potential as manifested by the NADH/[NAD+ + NADH] and NADPH/[NADP+ + NADPH] ratios is decreased in sickle erythrocytes. Our data demonstrate that sickle RBCs have a significant decrease in the NADH/[NAD+ + NADH] ratio compared with normal RBCs (P less than .00005). Interestingly, sickle RBCs also had a significant increase in total NAD content compared with normal RBCs (P less than .00005). In contrast, although sickle RBCs had a significant increase in the total NADP content compared with normal RBCs (P less than .00005), sickle RBCs had no significant alteration in the NADPH/[NADP+ + NADPH] ratio. High reticulocyte controls demonstrated that these changes were not related to cell age. Thus, sickle RBCs have a decrease in NAD redox potential that may be a reflection of their increased oxidant sensitivity. The changes in these pyridine nucleotides may have further metabolic consequences for the sickle erythrocyte.
Postural and Locomotor Adaptations of Australopithecus Species

This paper briefly reviews what is known about locomotor anatomy and behavior of Australopithecus. I argue that the evidence most strongly supports the hypothesis that Australopithecus species were fully upright, committed terrestrial bipeds that walked with a fundamentally human-like gait despite the fact that not all aspects of their morphology were identical to that of humans. Certainly, they retained some ape-like aspects of their morphology not seen in Homo. Whether selection was also acting to retain arboreal traits, and the extent to which they engaged in arboreal behaviors, is more difficult to test rigorously. Even if they did climb trees, it is apparent that selective pressures for doing so well were of considerably weaker than those on traveling bipedally. From what little fossil evidence is available, the various species of Australopithecus postcranial adaptations show only minor interspecific variation. Further research into determining the primitive condition on which selection acted to produce earliest hominins, plasticity of the skeleton, and on variation among Australopithecus species is needed to obtain a better understanding of the evolution of locomotor and postcranial anatomy in this genus.
Where do our graduates go? A toolkit for retrospective and ongoing career outcomes data collection for biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral scholars

Universities are at long last undertaking efforts to collect and disseminate information about student career outcomes, after decades of calls to action. Organizations such as Rescuing Biomedical Research and Future of Research brought this issue to the forefront of graduate education, and the second Future of Biomedical Graduate and Postdoctoral Training conference (FOBGAPT2) featured the collection of career outcomes data in its final recommendations, published in this journal (Hitchcock et al., 2017). More recently, 26 institutions assembled as the Coalition for Next Generation Life Science, committing to ongoing collection and dissemination of career data for both graduate and postdoc alumni. A few individual institutions have shared snapshots of the data in peer-reviewed publications (Mathur et al., 2018; Silva, des Jarlais, Lindstaedt, Rotman, Watkins, 2016) and on websites. As more and more institutions take up this call to action, they will now be looking for tools, protocols, and best practices for ongoing career outcomes data collection, management, and dissemination. Here, we describe UCSF9s experiences in conducting a retrospective study, and in institutionalizing a methodology for annual data collection and dissemination. We describe and share all tools we have developed, and we provide calculations of the time and resources required to accomplish both retrospective studies and annual updates. We also include broader recommendations for implementation at your own institutions, increasing the feasibility of this endeavor.
Cross-regulation of defective endolysosome trafficking and enhanced autophagy through TFEB in UNC13D deficiency

Several lines of evidence support the occurrence of cross-regulation between the endocytic pathway and autophagy, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process are not well-understood. Here, we show that the calcium sensor UNC13D regulates the molecular mechanism of late endosomal trafficking and endosomal maturation, and defects in UNC13D lead to macroautophagy upregulation. unc13d-null cells showed impaired endosomal trafficking and defective endocytic flux. The defective phenotypes were rescued by the expression of UNC13D but not by its STX7-binding-deficient mutant. This defective endosomal function in UNC13D-deficient cells resulted in increased autophagic flux, increased long-lived protein degradation, decreased SQSTM1/p62 protein levels and increased autolysosome formation as determined by biochemical, microscopy and structural methods. The autophagic phenotype was not associated with increased recruitment of the UNC13D-binding proteins and autophagy regulators, RAB11 or VAMP8, but was caused, at least in part, by TFEB-mediated upregulation of a subset of autophagic and lysosomal genes, including Atg9b. Downregulation of TFEB decreased Atg9b levels and decreased macroautophagy in unc13d-null cells. UNC13D upregulation corrected the defects in endolysosomal trafficking and decreased the number of accumulated autophagosomes in a cellular model of the lysosomal-storage disorder cystinosis, under both fed and starvation conditions, identifying UNC13D as an important new regulatory molecule of autophagy regulation in cells with lysosomal disorders. Abbreviations ACTB: actin, beta; CTSB: cathepsin B; EEA1: early endosome antigen 1; ESCRT: endosomal sorting complex required for transport; FHL3: familial hemophagocytic; lymphohistiocytosis type 3; HEX: hexosaminidase; HLH: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; LSD: lysosomal storage disorder; MEF: mouse embryonic fibroblast; SEM: standard errors of the mean; SNARE: soluble n-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment receptor; STX: syntaxin; SYT7: synaptotagmin VII; TFE3: transcription factor E3; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TIRF: total internal reflection fluorescence ULK1: unc-51 like kinase 1; UNC13D: unc-13 homolog d; VAMP: vesicle-associate membrane protein; WT: wild-type.
What Would Mama Do: Save Our Sons and Daughters and Anti-Violence Organizing Among Black Mothers of Murdered Children in Detroit

This project takes up the question of how we understand activism among black mothers of murdered children as both historical and current forms political work in the context of the role of race and gender in U.S. politics. I focus on activism as both the move from grief to politics and the impact of these mothers on the political landscape in which they are active. Women’s use of their identity as mothers to effect change or as a mobilizing tool is not a new phenomena in the U.S. or globally, but the political construction of black motherhood has been fraught with arguments of pathology and in need of reform since its nascence in chattel slavery. Little scholarly attention has been given to this particular type of activism among black women and how it challenges our understanding of black motherhood and politics. Moreover the proximity of black mothers in recent incidents of racialized violence raises questions about the form that such activism may take in the era of hash tag politics. This paper will offer a short history of the organization Save Our Sons and Daughters and the kinds of activities the organization focused on. Clementine Barfield, who founded the organization, is a significant part of the group’s work, not only because she was so critical in its creation but also because she was the primary spokesperson and leader throughout the life of the organization. I am currently thinking in multiple ways about how her work fits into existing conversations about race, gender, and activism. What is clear from the research so far is that Clementine Barfield and Save Our Sons and Daughters made significant contributions to our current understanding of urban peace and justice efforts and challenges the common images of Black mothers in this time period.
Localized Random Sampling for Robust Compressive Beam Alignment

Compressed sensing (CS)-based beam alignment is a promising solution for rapid link configuration in millimeter wave (mmWave) systems that use large arrays. Translating CS to practical mmWave radios, however, can be challenging due to carrier frequency offset (CFO). Standard sparse recovery techniques that use random sampling strategies to acquire channel measurements can fail even if there is a slight mismatch in carrier frequencies. In this paper, we show that restricting the randomness in compressive sampling to local sets can achieve robustness to structured errors due to CFO. The proposed approach requires fewer channel measurements than comparable algorithms and has the same complexity as standard CS.
How Could Systems Analysis Use the Idea of “Responsible Information System”?

“Responsible Information Systems,” the theme of CAISE 2019, is an intriguing idea that has not been explored in the readily available literature. After defining the term information system (IS), this paper applies an initial five-part framework to many examples of problematic IS to explore what the idea of responsible information system (RIS) might mean and how it might be useful. That initial exploration leads to focusing on how the concept of responsibility applies to IS in a way that is useful for systems analysis and design (SA&D). This paper addresses that question by using a new set of ideas related to facets of work system capabilities. Its application of those ideas to an EMR case study imply that they could be applied in identifying ways in which an IS might be more responsible. Overall, this paper illustrates that focusing on responsibilities related to facets of capabilities is more valuable than trying to characterize information systems as responsible or not.
Validity testing of commercial urine cocaine metabolite assays: IV. Evaluation of the EMIT® d.a.u.® cocaine metabolite assay in a quantitative mode for detection of cocaine metabolite

The EMIT® d.a.u.™ cocaine metabolite assay (EMIT dau) was evaluated in a quantitative mode for analysis of clinical specimens obtained after controlled cocaine administration to human subjects. The quantitative results showed high concordance with those of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) assays of the same specimens for benzoylecgonine, and no false positive or false negative results were obtained. The evaluation also included analysis of standardized solutions containing benzoylecgonine, cocaine, and other cocaine metabolites and isomers. The EMIT dau antibody demonstrated high selectivity for benzoylecgonine. The precision was somewhat less than that reported earlier for other commercial cocaine metabolite immunoassays. Quantitation of initial screening results from EMIT dau testing can serve as a useful guide for confirmation by GC/MS in forensic science urine testing.
Altered Expression of Immune Checkpoint Molecules Including Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) and Its Ligands PD-L1/PD-L2 in Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Abstract Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WM) is an indolent B-cell malignancy that is characterized by bone marrow infiltration of lymphoplasmacytic cells and excessive synthesis of IgM. Despite improved treatment strategies and increased understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to malignant disease progression, WM remains incurable. While whole exome sequencing analysis has revealed the genomic events associated with malignant B cell transformation in WM, the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is also emerging as a major player in the pathogenesis of WM. Previously, our lab has reported that an array of cytokines, including IL-21 and IL-6 are increased in the WM BM and such increases are associated with high proliferation rates and IgM secretion by WM cells. In this study, we aimed to identify how immune checkpoint molecules in the BM microenvironment, specifically programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2, contribute to malignant cell expansion in WM. Using Real-Time PCR analysis, we show that the expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 are all significantly elevated in the cells of WM BM as compared to their normal BM counterparts. Interestingly, PD-L1 expression is also upregulated in the malignant WM cells. These findings were further confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. Subsequent in vitro analysis showed that PD-L1 and PD-L2 are cleaved from the WM cells and these soluble ligands (sPD-L1 and sPD-L2) are able to bind to the cells in the BM microenvironment, including T-cells. This results in reduced activation and proliferation of T-cells, and is accompanied by a reduction in cyclin A and p-ERK levels. In validation of the in vitro data, we also found sPD-L1 and sPD-L2 in the bone marrow plasma obtained from WM patients. While sPD-L2 was found to be present in both WM and normal BM plasma (though in a reduced level in WM), sPD-L1 was exclusive to the WM samples, implying that the function of these molecules are differentially regulated in WM. Furthermore, overexpression of PD-L1 in a WM cell line, MWCL.1, resulted in an increase in IgM secretion. Interestingly, treatment with IL-21 increased the expression of PD-L1 in WM cells, indicating that elevated IL-21 in WM BM could contribute to increased expression of PD-L1 by malignant WM cells. In summary, our data support a role for PD-1 ligands as immune regulatory molecules in WM. Further studies are ongoing to explore the molecular mechanisms by which PD-1/PD-L1/PD-L2 signaling affects the pathophysiology of WM cells. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Full waveform analysis for high pressure ultrasonic measurement

We report a data analysis protocol for ultrasonic velocity measurements carried out in a synchrotron x-ray facility based multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus. Synthetic ultrasonic signals for the time period between echoes from the two ends of the sample assembly are created with a few simple parameters as the echo waveform is modeled by the first echo from the anvil-assembly boundary. Each echo is modeled as a delta function with an amplitude and arrival time and convolved with this waveform. The final waveform, fit to the data, enables analysis of signals with overlapped echoes as they are common in small cell assemblies and high pressure.
Reducing The Rate of Inappropriate Inpatient Transthoracic Echocardiograms Through an Educational Intervention

Introduction Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is a popular imaging modality frequently ordered in the inpatient setting for diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. However, TTEs are a limited resource, and inappropriate use contributes to unnecessary cost and delays in patient care. Our aim was to decrease the burden of inappropriate inpatient TTEs by 50% over 6 weeks through an educational intervention at an academic medical center. Methods We developed and implemented an educational intervention in January 2020 at a large tertiary care academic medical center by delivering lectures to Internal Medicine residents during daily conferences about the 2011 appropriate use criteria (AUC) for TTEs according to the American College of Cardiology. We chart reviewed all TTEs ordered for patients admitted to the general medicine service in the 6 weeks preceding and 6 weeks following our educational intervention. TTEs ordered by the cardiology team or CCU were excluded. We analyzed the proportion of appropriate TTEs ordered based on the AUC and total time to completion over these two periods. Results The median proportion of appropriately ordered TTEs over the duration of the study was 88.3% (Figure 1). In the pre-intervention period, the median proportion of appropriately ordered TTEs was 95.5% with an average time to completion of 23.6 hours. In the post-intervention period, the median proportion of appropriately ordered TTEs was 85.7% with an average time to completion of 29.2 hours. Conclusion The TTEs ordered by internal medicine residents are largely appropriate even before being educated on AUC. The proportion of appropriate TTEs decreased slightly in the post-intervention period, which may be related to normal variation or a by-product of the continual rotation of trainees and need for a longer study duration. Future efforts to achieve a higher rate of appropriately ordered TTEs will include providing this education on AUC to other non-medicine services and implementing a TTE order set containing the AUC.