cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 12,000 Year Record of Explosive Volcanism in the Siple Dome Ice Core, West Antarctica

[1] Air mass trajectories in the Southern Hemisphere provide a mechanism for transport to and deposition of volcanic products on the Antarctic ice sheet from local volcanoes and from tropical and subtropical volcanic centers. This study extends the detailed record of Antarctic, South American, and equatorial volcanism over the last 12,000 years using continuous glaciochemical series developed from the Siple Dome A (SDMA) ice core, West Antarctica. The largest volcanic sulfate spike (280 μg/L) occurs at 5881 B.C.E. Other large signals with unknown sources are observed around 325 B.C.E. (270 μg/L) and 2818 B.C.E. (191 μg/L). Ages of several large equatorial or Southern Hemisphere volcanic eruptions are synchronous with many sulfate peaks detected in the SDMA volcanic ice chemistry record. The microprobe “fingerprinting” of glass shards in the SDMA core points to the following Antarctic volcanic centers as sources of tephra found in the SDMA core: Balenny Island, Pleiades, Mount Berlin, Mount Takahe, and Mount Melbourne as well as Mount Hudson and possibly Mount Burney volcanoes of South America. Identified volcanic sources provide an insight into the poorly resolved transport history of volcanic products from source volcanoes to the West Antarctic ice sheet.
Habitat Productivity and Temporal Patterns of Monarch Butterfly Egg Densities in the Eastern United States

There is compelling evidence that numbers of eastern North American monarchs are declining, as documented by the area they occupy in their Mexican overwintering grounds. Decreasing availability of breeding habitat has been implicated in this decline. However, it is difficult to document population size during the breeding phase of the annual cycle because monarchs are dispersed over a large area, and eggs and larvae are only monitored in remaining milkweed patches. We assess monarch egg densities on a per host plant basis from 1997 to 2014, using data from the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP), a citizen science program. We analyzed the effects of habitat characteristics and overall trends in monarch egg densities within and between years. Gardens and sites with fewer milkweed plants tended to have higher egg densities, and natural areas tended to have lower densities. While there was a great deal of year-to-year variation in monarch egg densities, MLMP data document declining densities after 2006. Finally, breeding area egg density is a significant positive predictor of the area occupied in the Mexican overwintering grounds. Additionally, the area planted in herbicide-tolerant crops is a significant negative predictor of the area occupied in the Mexican overwintering grounds. Our findings suggest that monarchs are not compensating for the loss of breeding habitat by laying more eggs in the remaining habitat. We conclude that declining egg densities over the past eight years could indicate a lack of critical mass needed to ensure that monarchs find remaining habitat.
A review of gene delivery and stem cell based therapies for regenerating inner ear hair cells

Sensory neural hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction have become the most common forms of sensory defects, affecting millions of people worldwide. Developing effective therapies to restore hearing loss is challenging, owing to the limited regenerative capacity of the inner ear hair cells. With recent advances in understanding the developmental biology of mammalian and non-mammalian hair cells a variety of strategies have emerged to restore lost hair cells are being developed. Two predominant strategies have developed to restore hair cells: transfer of genes responsible for hair cell genesis and replacement of missing cells via transfer of stem cells. In this review article, we evaluate the use of several genes involved in hair cell regeneration, the advantages and disadvantages of the different viral vectors employed in inner ear gene delivery and the insights gained from the use of embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells in generating inner ear hair cells. Understanding the role of genes, vectors and stem cells in therapeutic strategies led us to explore potential solutions to overcome the limitations associated with their use in hair cell regeneration.
1,3-Dimethylimidazole-2-thione

1,3-Dimethylimidazole-2-thione reactant: 44.8 g (0.20 mol) of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide product: 1, 3-dimethylimidazole-2-thione Keywords: sulfuration (thiation); sulfur (lac); sulfur, odor
Development of a Quantitative Mechanical Test of Atherosclerotic Plaque Stability

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is the main cause of myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis and stroke. Current clinical observations suggest that an advanced plaque features a thin, collagen-rich fibrous cap infiltrated by macrophages, overlying a large lipid core rich in lipid-laden macrophages. However, due to relatively poor understanding of mechanisms associated with plaque rupture, there is no quantitative standard for plaque stability estimation.© 2010 ASME
Blogging for Teaching and Learning: An Examination of Experience, Attitudes, and Levels of Thinking.

Blogs have been widely used in education since their emergence. Educational researchers and practitioners have integrated blogs into teaching and learning in different subject areas, but does blog use encourage critical thinking? This paper presents a study, which explores peer commenting for critical thinking in blog writing. In order to discover blogging for skill development, survey method and focus group were employed in this study. Results of blog content analysis indicate levels of critical thinking remain constant with or without peer commenting. Based on the findings, recommendations are provided for effective use of blogs for instruction.
Recovery From Acute Kidney Injury and CKD Following Heart Transplantation in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in children following surgery for congenital heart disease and has been associated with poor long-term kidney outcomes. Children undergoing heart transplantation may be at increased risk for the development of both AKI and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study examines AKI rates in children, adolescents, and young adults after heart transplantation and analyzes the relationship between AKI and CKD in this population. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 88 young patients who underwent heart transplantation at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, CA, September 1, 2007, to November 30, 2013. Predictor The primary independent variable was AKI within the first 7 postoperative days, ascertained according to the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) creatinine criteria (increase in serum creatinine ≥ 1.5 times baseline within 7 days). Outcomes Recovery from AKI at 3 months, ascertained as serum creatinine level 2 for more than 3 months. Results 63 (72%) patients developed AKI; 57% had moderate (stage 2 or severe stage 3) disease. Recovery occurred in 39 of 63 (62%), 50% for stage 2 or 3 versus 78% for stage 1 ( P =0.04). At 6 and 12 months, 3 of 82 (4%) and 4 of 76 (5%) developed CKD, respectively. At both time points, CKD was more common in those without recovery (3/22 [14%] vs 0/38 (0%); P =0.04, and 3/17 (18%) vs (0/34) 0%; P =0.03, respectively). Limitations Retrospective design, small sample size, and single-center nature of the study. Conclusions AKI is common after heart transplantation in children, adolescents, and young adults. Nonrecovery from AKI is more common in patients with more severe AKI and is associated with the development of CKD during the first year.
The Effect of 2 Hepta-5-Methylbenzimidazole and Hydrochloric Acid on the. Growth of Microflora Found on Poultry Carcasses

Abstract Vaughn and Stewart (1960) have reported a number of difficulties in the use of antibiotics to preserve poultry meat. A possible approach to overcoming some of the limitations of antibiotics in inhibiting resistant strains of bacteria, yeasts, and molds would be to select an inhibitor to supplement the action of the antibiotics. One group of compounds, the benzimidazoles, merits further investigation for this use. Benzimidazoles and the homologues of benzimidazole inhibit the growth of some viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi and protozoa. Wolley (1944) reported that benzimidazole inhibited the growth of Sacckaromyces cerevesiae and Endomyces veneralis and the bacteria Escherichia coli and Streptococcus lactis and in later work (1950 (1951) Lactobacillus lactis, L. Leichmannii and Euglena gracilis. Other workers have shown that benzimidazoles also inhibit other microorganisms and the multiplication of some viruses. Preservation of poultry carcasses by immersion in acid also offers possibilities. Heather and Vanderzant (1957) in work with…
Determination of larval instars of the bronze birch borer, Agrilus anxius (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

The bronze birch borer, Agrilus anxius Gory (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has four larval instars in young European white birch, Betula pendula Roth, planted in Pennsylvania for surface mine reforestation. Of seven morphological variables measured, the width of the peristoma, an exposed sclerotized portion of the head capsule, provides the clearest separation of instars. Although any of three variables measured in the caudal region of the larva is satisfactory, the anteriormost width of the urogomphi is the most reliable caudal variable.
Epitaxial Growth of GaAs on 4-Inch Diameter Silicon Substrates by OMCVD.

GaAs epitaxial layers grown on Si substrates up to 4 inches in diameter by OMCVD are characterized with respect to the materials parameters important for their application for device and circuit manufacturing. The layers are characterized using commercial flatness and surface quality measurement instrumentation, x-ray diffraction, Schottky diode characteristics, and photoluminescence. The 4-inch diameter GaAs epilayers are a singleoriented phase and are of comparable quality to GaAs epilayers grown on smaller diameter Si substrates.
Zinc Vapor Trapping Using Copper-Based Materials

As part of the development of a long range solution for zinc vapor capture, a series of experiments utilizing commercially available copper and bronze screen and bronze sheet materials were conducted. The testing used a high-vacuum system in which zinc was vaporized and condensed on the zinc getter material at various temperatures. A fixed zinc vaporization temperature was used and the zinc getter material, and consequently the condensation temperature, was varied. The testing revealed that zinc vapor was captured over a wider range of temperatures on bronze materials than on the copper screens.
Nutritional status of preschoolers. An ecologic perspective.

In this study, socioeconomic and environmental factors were correlated with nutritional status and dietary intake.
Resisting the Orthodox Smart Label: High School Latinas and the Redefinition of Smartness on the Western Frontier

ABSTRACTDrawing from Chicana feminist epistemology and counter-storytelling, I argue that Latina high school students’ refusal to attach the culturally constructed and hegemonically imposed label of smartness to themselves, while easily identifying that label within others, stems from a resistance to associate themselves with traditional notions of smartness, a label they often frame as exclusive, inappropriate, and/or incongruous within their experiential contexts. I suggest that the participants in this study agentically embrace their own constructions of smartness to include alternative funds of knowledge and, in this way, coopt smartness in a culturally relevant and specific way.
3.5 Quantifying Integrin–Ligand Engagement and Cell Phenotype in 3D Scaffolds

The use of cells in clinical therapies holds great promise for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and disorders. However, the fate of cells depends on several soluble and insoluble environmental factors. It is well known that bonds formed between cells and their surrounding environments can direct cellular activities, phenotypes, etc. Therefore, extensive efforts have been made to develop methods to characterize the engagement of integrins with adhesion ligands and their effects on cell adhesion, signaling activation, and phenotypic activities, both in vitro and in vivo . This chapter summarizes methods developed to quantitatively evaluate (1) cell adhesion forces and (2) the number of integrin–ligand bonds formed on two-dimensional (2D) and within 3D platforms, all of which can be examined with respect to cellular phenotypic properties and cellular fates.
Miniaturized low profile dual-band antenna enabled by a novel two-layered metasurface loaded with CSRRs and rectangular patches

In this paper a novel two-layered metasurface (MS) based antenna is proposed and simulated results are presented. Using the proposed MS as an artificial ground plane for a monopole antenna, the integrated antenna realizes both size miniaturization and dual-band functionality. The footprint of the proposed integrated antenna is only 0. 06λq with two operation bands around 4.1 and 5.1 GHz.
Outcomes after primary or adjuvant radiotherapy for salivary gland carcinoma.

AbstractBackground: We report long-term outcomes of patients treated with primary radiotherapy (RT) or surgery and adjuvant RT for salivary gland malignancies.Materials and methods: From 1964 to 2012, 291 patients received primary RT (n = 67) or RT combined with surgery (n = 224).Results: The 5-, 10-, and 15-year local control, local-regional control, distant metastasis-free survival, cause-specific survival and overall survival rates were 82%, 77% and 73%; 77%, 72% and 67%; 74%, 70% and 70%; 70%, 59% and 54%; and 63%, 47% and 38%, respectively. Per multivariate analysis, combined surgery and RT and T stage impacted local control; overall stage and combined surgery and RT impacted local-regional control; overall stage impacted distant metastasis-free survival; and overall stage, node positivity, clinical nerve invasion, and surgery and RT impacted cause-specific and overall survival. Five percent of patients experienced grade 3 or worse toxicity.Conclusion: Combined surgery and RT improves local control, ...
Regulation of Expression of the Human Proenkephalin Gene in Heterologous Cell Systems

Gene transfer studies allow for different aspects of the regulation of neuropeptide gene expression to be studied. Stable integration of the human proenkephalin gene into the genome of a mouse pituitary cell line (AtT-20) results in the accurate transcription of the proenkephalin gene. Protein analysis revealed that the translated proenkephalin is accurately cleaved to mature Met-enkephalin peptides. A second gene transfer approach used to study the processing pathway of precursor proteins is to transiently express the proenkephalin mRNA directly into the cell cytoplasm. The unique biology of vaccinia virus allows for this type of study. Infection of a variety of cell lines with a recombinant vaccinia virus containing the human proenkephalin gene lead to rapid expression and secretion of human proenkephalin. Of all cell lines tested, only AtT-20 cells possessed the capacity to cleave human proenkephalin to small enkephalin peptides.
Framework for Mentoring East Asian Women Scientists and Engineers

The goal of this preliminary study was to develop a framework for success in mentoring East Asian women scientists and engineers. Six women participated in 2-hour interviews providing an oral history. Common themes from their interviews revealed they brought some shared experiences from Asia. While science and engineering studies were encouraged, especially for girls, they had little mentoring. Upon coming to the US they found themselves isolated as an Asian and female minority, while feeling family and cultural expectations. The findings of the study suggest a 4-part mentoring framework. 1. Mentors should be assigned. 2. At least 1 mentor should be a woman. 3. Mentors needed understanding of and to be able to discuss work/life balance and 4. Mentors need to work with proteges to help them with mission and goal setting. This research supports findings of other studies that describe mentoring teams working with minority faculty and the importance of women mentors in providing psychosocial mentoring functions. This research uncovered the limited role of East Asian mentors. Not all of the women had mentors from East Asia and some did not feel it was important.
Delayed Hypoxic Reversible Leukencephalopathy Syndrome( DHRLS): (P02.122)

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of delayed hypoxic reversible leukencephalopathy and review of literature. BACKGROUND: Delayed hypoxic leukoencephalopathy is a rare complication of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Prolonged hypoxia leading to impaired oxygen delivery is thought to disrupt ATP-dependent enzymatic pathways involved in myelin turnover, resulting in delayed demyelination.Majority recover spontaneously. DESIGN/METHODS: Case report and review of literature. RESULTS: A 36 year old male admitted after being found unresponsive for unknown period. He has a significant history of hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, depression and substance abuse. He developed multiorgan failure but made complete recovery within a week and was discharged home. Three weeks later,he was readmitted with acute onset neuropsychiatric menaifestations, incontenence and gait imbalalance. His examiantiuon showed gross impairement of memory, language function( MMSE 14), disinhibited behavior,primitive reflexes without any weakness, normal DTrs and flexor plantar. The Brain MRI showed non enhancing diffuse white matter lesions.He has normal CSF with normal MBP, IgG index along with normal level of Arylsulphatase.The SPECT scan showed normal cortical perfusion. EEG showed diffuse slowing with disruption of sleep architecture. Brain biospy showed leukoencephalopathy with marked gliosis and microglial activation.Cerebral angiogram was normal.A trial of steroids did not bring upon any change. His declining cognition reached a nadir in 3 weeks at which time he was discharged to a nursing home. A follow up at three months showed significant recovery with normal cognitive fucntions( MMSE30) with normal gait and no incontinenence.His MRI brain also showed significant reduction in white matter lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed hypoxic encephalopathy is a rare condition mostly reported with CO poisoning.There are also case reports with pseudo arylsulphatase deficiency.Most common pathology is demylination and most patients recover.Our patient has normal arylsuphatase, demyelination on biopsy, complete clinical recovery with significant radiological resolution of white matter lesion.The pathophysiological picture has resemblalne to acute disseminated encephalopmeylitis but exact pathogenesis still eludes us. Disclosure: Dr. Bollu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vellipuram has nothing to disclose. Dr. Uppal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Singh has nothing to disclose.
Pilot study on the impact of F18-labeled thymidine PET/CT on gross tumor volume identification and definition for pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Purpose Accurate target definition for radiation therapy planning in localized pancreatic cancer is critical, particularly when using strategies that omit elective coverage. Standard imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and endoscopic ultrasound have limited concordance with pathologic evaluation. Biologic imaging with [F18]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) can also be difficult to interpret because increased activity is indicative of increased glucose metabolism, rather than cellular proliferation. [F18]-3′-deoxy-3′-fluorothymidine labeled thymidine (FLT) is a proliferative marker which exploits the expression of pyrimidine-metabolizing enzymes. We evaluate the impact of FLT-PET on pancreatic target definition for radiation planning. Methods and materials Patients with biopsy-proven, newly diagnosed, untreated pancreatic adenocarcinoma were enrolled on an institutional review board–approved prospective study. Patients were injected with FLT and scanned 20 to 30 minutes later. Two physicians (referred to as observer 1 and observer 2) independently contoured the gross tumor volume (GTV) and involved nodes on CT scan only and then again with the assistance of coregistered FLT-PET. Conformality index (CI), the ratio of the volumes of intersection and union, was used as the metric for volume comparison (where CI=0 represents no overlap and CI=1 represents perfect overlap). Results Nine patients were enrolled in this study. FLT-avidity was discerned in 8 of 9 patients. Average CT-GTV volume for observers 1 and 2 was 38.1 and 26.5 mL, respectively. Average FLT-GTV volume for observers 1 and 2 was 39.1 and 25.0 mL, respectively. For the 8 patients with FLT-avid tumors, addition of FLT data improved concordance of GTV definition between physicians in 6 of 8 tumors. Average CI for interobserver CT-GTV was 0.325. Addition of FLT-PET information improved the average CI to 0.400. Conclusions FLT-PET improves interobserver concordance in GTV definition. Further studies will focus on verification of these findings, pathologic verification of the FLT-PET signal, and optimization of the FLT-PET signal threshold for autosegmentation.
From independent ratings to communal ratings: A study of CWA raters’ decision-making behaviors

Abstract The present exploratory study maps the decision-making behaviors of raters in a well-established communal writing assessment (CWA) context, tracing their behaviors all the way from independent rating sessions, where initial images and judgments are formed, to communal rating sessions, where final scores are assigned on the basis of collaboration between two raters. Results from think-aloud protocols, recorded discussions, and retrospective reports from 20 experienced raters rating 15 EFL essays showed that when moving from independent ratings to communal ratings, raters gradually refined their assessments and balanced their attention more evenly among the official assessment criteria to reach what they believed to be more accurate scores. These interpretations support a hermeneutic rather than a psychometric approach to establishing the validity of the CWA practices.
Simulating autosomal genotypes with realistic linkage disequilibrium and a spiked-in genetic effect

To evaluate statistical methods for genome-wide genetic analyses, one needs to be able to simulate realistic genotypes. We here describe a method, applicable to a broad range of association study designs, that can simulate autosome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism data with realistic linkage disequilibrium and with spiked in, user-specified, single or multi-SNP causal effects. Our construction uses existing genome-wide association data from unrelated case-parent triads, augmented by including a hypothetical complement triad for each triad (same parents but with a hypothetical offspring who carries the non-transmitted parental alleles). We assign offspring qualitative or quantitative traits probabilistically through a specified risk model and show that our approach destroys the risk signals from the original data. Our method can simulate genetically homogeneous or stratified populations and can simulate case-parents studies, case-control studies, case-only studies, or studies of quantitative traits. We show that allele frequencies and linkage disequilibrium structure in the original genome-wide association sample are preserved in the simulated data. We have implemented our method in an R package (TriadSim) which is freely available at the comprehensive R archive network. We have proposed a method for simulating genome-wide SNP data with realistic linkage disequilibrium. Our method will be useful for developing statistical methods for studying genetic associations, including higher order effects like epistasis and gene by environment interactions.
Newbuild and Replacement Cost Functions

Rigs are the primary assets of drilling contractors and their newbuild and replacement costs are frequently required in corporate planning and financial valuation. In this chapter, newbuild and replacement cost functions are derived based on rig class, age and upgrade status, water depth, and other factors using 2010 market data. A U.S. jackup newbuild cost function explained 77 % of the variance in construction cost using water depth, drilling depth and an environmental indicator variable. Water depth was the single best predictor across all models and rig classes. Replacement cost models explained larger proportions of variance than newbuild models but this is likely due to the manner in which replacement cost estimates are performed rather than superior methodologies. A brief discussion of the limitations of analysis concludes the chapter.
The geographic and sociodemographic transformation of multifamily rental housing in the Texas Triangle

AbstractThis study catalogues the location, clustering and sociodemographic distribution of the development of multifamily rental housing over the last five decades in the Texas Triangle, one of the fastest growing megaregions in the United States. The research reveals prior to the 1970s, apartments clustered in downtown areas; throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the development of apartments expanded to the suburbs and along major interstates; and in the 2000s, apartment growth continued in the peripheral areas while returning downtown. During this time period, apartments were developed most often in majority white, high-income and low-poverty neighbourhoods. These geographic and sociodemographic characteristics challenge widespread conceptions that equate multifamily rental housing with central city locations and low-income populations. The findings suggest that multifamily rental housing offers a powerful tool to increase residential density in downtown and suburban locations, while also accommodating a so...
R-spondin-2 is a Wnt agonist that regulates osteoblast activity and bone mass

The R-spondin family of proteins are Wnt agonists, and the complete embryonic disruption of Rspo2 results in skeletal developmental defects that recapitulate the phenotype observed with Lrp5/6 deficiency. Previous work has shown that R-spondin-2 (Rspo2, RSPO2) is both highly expressed in Wnt-stimulated pre-osteoblasts and its overexpression induces osteoblast differentiation in the same cells, supporting its putative role as a positive autocrine regulator of osteoblastogenesis. However, the role of Rspo2 in regulating osteoblastogenesis and bone formation in postnatal bone has not been explored. Here we show that limb-bud progenitor cells from Rspo2 knockout mice undergo reduced mineralization during osteoblastogenesis in vitro and have a corresponding alteration in their osteogenic gene expression profile. We also generated the first Rspo2 conditional knockout (Rspo2floxed) mouse and disrupted Rspo2 expression in osteoblast-lineage cells by crossing to the Osteocalcin-Cre mouse line (Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f). Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f male and female mice at 1, 3, and 6 months were examined. Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f mice are decreased in overall body size compared to their control littermates and have decreased bone mass. Histomorphometric analysis of 1-month-old mice revealed a similar number of osteoblasts and mineralizing surface per bone surface with a simultaneous decrease in mineral apposition and bone formation rates. Consistent with this observation, serum osteocalcin in 3-month-old Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f was reduced, and bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells from Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f mice undergo less mineralization in vitro. Finally, gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry of mature bone shows reduced beta-catenin signaling in Ocn-Cre + Rspo2f/f. Overall, RSPO2 reduces osteoblastogenesis and mineralization, leading to reduced bone mass. A loss of R-spondin-2 reduces osteoblastogenesis (production of osteoblasts, the cells from which bone develops) and mineralization, thereby leading to decreased bone mass in adults. R-spondin-2 is one of a family of four proteins that are expressed in the developing mouse limb as well as other tissues; each R-spondin family member exerts a different functional effect. R-spondins clearly influence several aspects of skeletal biology, but their specific roles—especially in postnatal bone—remained to be elucidated. A team headed by Kurt Hankenson at the University of Michigan Medical School investigated the role of R-spondin-2 in osteoblastogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo, using a mouse model. For the first time, the team was able to demonstrate that R-spondin-2 promotes osteoblastogenesis, bone development, and consequent bone mass growth in adult mice.
Tracking Higher Order Protein Structure by Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

Background Structural biology has provided a fundamental understanding of protein structure and mechanistic insight into their function. However, high-resolution structures alone are insufficient for a complete understanding of protein behavior. Higher energy conformations, conformational changes, and subtle structural fluctuations that underlie the proper function of proteins are often difficult to probe using traditional structural approaches. Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange with Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) provides a way to probe the accessibility of backbone amide protons under native conditions, which reports on local structural dynamics of solution protein structure that can be used to track complex structural rearrangements that occur in the course of a protein's function. Conclusion In the last 20 years the advances in labeling techniques, sample preparation, instrumentation, and data analysis have enabled HDX to gain insights into very complex biological systems. Analysis of challenging targets such as membrane protein complexes is now feasible and the field is paving the way to the analysis of more and more complex systems.
Joint Synchronization and Compressive Estimation for Frequency-Selective mmWave MIMO Systems

A major challenge to establish and maintain millimeter wave (mmWave) links amounts as to how to obtain channel information to configure hybrid precoders and combiners in a hybrid architecture. Owing to lack of prior information on the wireless channel, achieving time-frequency synchronization between transmitter and receiver is one of the greatest challenges that needs to be solved in order to acquire Channel State Information (CSI). In this paper, we study and find the Maximum Likelihood (ML) solution to the joint problem of time-frequency synchronization and compressive channel estimation for broadband mmWave MIMO systems with hybrid architectures. Simulation results show that, using as few training symbols as in the 5G New Radio (NR) communications standard, near-optimum data rates can be achieved even at the very low SNR regime, thereby emphasizing the suitability of compressive channel estimation even when synchronization has not been performed at the receiver side.
Single-Cell Omics in CVDs

Abstract This chapter highlights the role of single-cell omics in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It starts by highlighting CVDs as a major issue worldwide, covering their genetics and the inheritance pattern that differs from disease to disease. It then explains the two basic techniques, association studies and linkage analysis, used to determine candidate genes, reported to play an important role in the development of CVDs. It then discusses the complex genotype–phenotype correlation that is the outcome of different environmental factors playing a crucial role in disease development. It also explains techniques for single-cell analysis (SCA), which has great prospects to work miracles in the domain of CVDs. The chapter also highlights cardiometabolic phenotype analysis. By the end of the chapter, the utility of single-cell omics in special reference to CVDs has been discussed along with the challenges posed to this emerging method.
Big Five Personality and CTRA gene expression: Lack of association in a midlife sample of US adults (MIDUS-Refresher).

Abstract A previous study found that Extraversion and Conscientiousness were associated with increased and decreased expression of a pre-specified set of pro-inflammatory indicator genes. The present study aimed to replicate these findings in a sample of adults from the Refresher Cohort of the Study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). Analysis of gene expression composite scores and generalized linear models that took into account the heterogeneity and non-independence of RNA expression across different genes found no significant associations between the pro-inflammatory indicator gene set and the Big Five domains of personality. In addition, there was no significant association between a pre-specified antiviral indicator gene set and the Big Five domains. These findings suggest that relations between Big Five personality and expression of these two immune response indicator gene sets do not consistently appear across samples and may be context-dependent in ways that remain to be elucidated.
Donors after circulatory death heart trial.

Orthotopic heart transplantation is the gold standard treatment for end-stage heart failure. However, the persistent shortage of available donor organs has resulted in an ever-increasing waitlist and longer waiting periods for transplantation. On the contrary, increasing the number of heart transplants by preserving extended criteria donors and donation after circulatory death hearts with the Organ Care System™ (OCS) Heart System has the potential to provide the gold standard, life-saving treatment to patients with end-stage heart failure. The objective of the Donation After Circulatory Death Heart Trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the OCS Heart System to preserve and assess hearts donated after circulatory death for transplantation to increase the pool of donor hearts available for transplantation, which can potentially provide patients with end-stage heart failure with the life-saving treatment. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03831048 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Building Regional Expertise: Perspectives from Show-Me ECHO Participants.

Open in a separate window Melissa Warne-Griggs, PhD, (above), is an Administrative Consultant; Lea Brandt, PhD, OTD, MA, is Associate Professional Practice Professor; Kimberly Hoffman, PhD, is Professor Emerita, Family and Community Medicine; and E. Rachel Mutrux, BA is Senior Program Director, Missouri Telehealth Network, Director, Show-Me ECHO, State Director, Heartland Telehealth Resource Center; All are at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri. Tracy Greever-Rice, PhD, is Director, Center for Health Policy, Assistant Research Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia Disclosures None reported.
The political economy of shipping US food and aid under the cargo preference regime

The way in which US agricultural cargo preference that regulates the international transportation of US Government-generated goods may affect food aid provision is of concern. This article considers specifically the efficiency of the current arrangements whereby 50 per cent of food aid has to be moved by US registered ships, and the potential implications of changing this. This is done within a much broader critique of the ways in which such policies tend to be evaluated. The findings are that, when opportunity costs are netted out, there are likely to be fewer quantifiable benefits to the US economy of the cargo preference structure than are often posited. In particular, many of the estimates of the economic gains to the United States found in prior studies often involve those of vested interests and are frequently gross calculations based on not only a weak underlying methodology, but also a distorted use of that methodology.
Breaking Stereotypes or Stereotypical Breakdowns?: Analyzing Television Casting Breakdowns for Latina Characters

This study examines casting Breakdowns (character descriptions used by actors, agents, and casting directors) as a central factor influencing Latina representation on scripted television shows. Through a textual analysis of the Breakdowns for the January 2017–August 2017 casting season, this study analyzed the Breakdowns of 3,714 characters in 269 SAG-AFTRA television shows across 21 broadcast, cable, and streaming networks. The research demonstrates intersectional discrimination of Latina actors in television. While the Breakdowns’ specification of race/ethnicity for characters would allow Latinas to be cast in 63.6% of female roles, in practice they are cast in 6.4% of female roles and 2.9% of all roles. Additional textual analysis of the Breakdowns’ descriptive language highlights ongoing Latina stereotyping in television depictions. This study furthers media representation research by exposing the Breakdown text as a fundamental element contributing to and maintaining stereotypical portrayals and discriminatory casting in television.
Error-related negativity predicts increases in anxiety in a sample of clinically anxious female children and adolescents over 2 years.

Background: An increased neural response to making errors has emerged as a biomarker of anxiety. Error negativity (Ne) or error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related potential generated when people commit errors; the Ne/ERN is greater among people with anxiety and predicts increases in anxiety. However, no previous study has examined whether the Ne/ERN can be used as a prognostic indicator among people with current anxiety. The present study addressed this gap by examining whether the Ne/ERN prospectively predicts increases in anxiety symptoms in clinically anxious children and adolescents. Methods: The sample included 34 female participants between the ages of 8 and 14 years who met the criteria for a clinical anxiety disorder based on clinical interview. The Ne/ERN was measured using a flanker task. Results: Increased Ne/ERN at baseline predicted increases in total anxiety symptoms 2 years later, even when accounting for baseline symptoms. The Ne/ERN predicted increases in the symptom domains of generalized anxiety, social anxiety and harm avoidance/perfectionism, but not panic, separation anxiety, school avoidance or physical symptoms. Limitations: The sample size was small, which may have inflated the false discovery rate. To mitigate this possibility, we used multiple self-report measures, and the results for the 2 measures (as well as their symptom domains) converged. Conclusion: These data suggest that the Ne/ERN can delineate specific risk trajectories, even among those who already meet the criteria for a clinical anxiety disorder. Considering the need for prognostic markers among people with clinical anxiety, the current findings are an important and novel extension of previous work.
Ship’s optimum safe trajectory in a collision situation of passing many moving targets in fuzzy environment

Ship safe sailing consists in continuous observation of the situation at sea, determination the anticollision manoeuvre, if necessary, the realisation of it and safe voyage to a point of destination. So it is necessary to determine ship safe trajectory as a sequence of ship course changing manoeuvres. Each manoeuvre is undertaken on the basis of information obtained from the anticollision system. In this paper safe ship control in a collision situation is presented with taking into account passing many moving objects, considered as multistage decision-making process in a fuzzy environment. A branch-and-bound method is used to determine optimum safe trajectory of the ship according to the International Rules of the Road at Sea.
Systemic Impact: Methods and Procedures

Having assessed the impact of the Adolescent Diversion Project on the youth and the change agents and explored the relationship between process variables and outcome, we now turn our attention to systemic impact. This chapter presents a discussion of the four models used to assess systemic impact. First, an overview sets the context from which these analyses of system-level impact grew. Following this, the methods used to examine each of the four models are presented. This chapter and the next draw heavily on John Saul’s (1981) masters thesis. His contribution is acknowledged.
Gender, Communication, and Aviation Incidents/Accidents

Crew communication and crew resource management are readily recognized as critical to safety of flight. With the inclusion of a greater number of female pilots in a traditionally male crew environment, it is imperative to investigate how gender characteristics impact crew communication. This study was a meta-review of existing literature. There have been a number of studies that examined differences in masculine versus feminine communication characteristics in general. Additional work has been done in the field of aviation, some with respect to differences between male pilots and female pilots and some with respect to the role communication deficiencies or breakdown played in aviation incidents or accidents. However, most researchers recognized the relative dearth of current studies of the effect of gender integration with respect to the collaboration and communication necessary for effective use of increasingly more technologically advanced equipment. This study should serve as a framework for examining more current practices in how possible gender differences in communication might be related to aircraft incidents or accidents, with the overarching purpose to inform current and future training programs so that the human side of aviation keeps pace with the increasingly more advanced technological side.
Testing Trade-Off and Pecking Order Models Under Different Institutional Environments

In this paper, we examine the differences in information asymmetry and financing patterns and a generalized version of the trade-off theory across countries with different institutional environments. We find that firms in Civil law countries have higher information asymmetry, rely more on internally generated funds, and use more short-term debt to finance their financing deficit, relative to those in Common law countries. In both Civil law and Common law countries, factors suggested by the trade-off theory explain the financing deficit coefficient in the generalized version of the trade-off model. Overall, the generalized version of the trade-off theory provides a better explanation for the changes in capital structure relative to the pecking order theory, even in countries with higher information asymmetry.
A possible role for K+ channels in tumor cell injury: Membrane vesicle shedding and nuclear DNA fragmentation

Mastocytoma P815 tumor cells subjected to low temperature (O degrees C/l h) and shifted to 22 degrees or 37 degrees C undergo morphological, physiological and biochemical changes which are analogous to those induced by immune effector cells, i.e., changes in cell-surface morphology and membrane permeability, elevated O2 consumption rates and nuclear DNA fragmentation [18-21]. Utilizing this low-temperature shift method for the induction of cell injury, we investigated the possible role of K+ channels in this process. Results show that the two classical K+ channel blockers, tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), inhibited the low temperature-induced cell-surface membrane vesicle shedding as well as the nuclear DNA-fragmentation process. These results indicate that K+ channel function is required for tumor-cell injury as manifested by nuclear DNA fragmentation and cell-surface membrane vesicle (MV) shedding.
The Role of Flux Advection in the Development of the Ablation Streams and Precursors of Wire Array Z-pinches

B‐dot probes for the first time have successfully measured the field through implosion of wire arrays on COBRA. The probe data confirm an advective magnetic evolution of closed field lines during the onset of ablation that was first seen in 2D GORGON simulations.
Movement during cure of latex building joint sealants

The level of performance of high performance building joint sealants clearly diminishes if during cure, the joint in which sealant is placed, undergoes cyclic movement. However, it is less well known the degree to which the movement capability is adversely affected. A preliminary study was undertaken to ascertain the change in performance of a series of water-based sealants and a chemical cured product subjected to movement during cure. Model sealant specimens were subjected to cyclic movement during cure at rates of 12.7mm and 3.2mm/hour such that complete cycles were achieved in 1 and 4 hours respectively. Specimens were evaluated over a single movement cycle having undergone various intervals of cure starting with those cured for 1 day and thereafter cured at 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 50 and 100 days. Failure was recorded if the sealant bead ruptured or become detached from the substrate. Also, a series of specimens was continuously cycled for 4 days and the change in mechanical response was recorded with time such that the increase in modulus during cure could readily be determined. Standard tests were also conducted as to the tack free time of these products.
Investigating the role of semantic priming in query expression: A framework and two experiments

Modern search systems often meet their users' information needs, but when the system fails, searchers struggle to formulate effective queries. Query suggestions may help, but research suggests these often go unused. Although much is known about how searchers scan results pages when assessing relevance, little is known about the processes searchers use when struggling to reformulate queries. Investigating how searchers overcome query difficulties, and how search systems help and hinder that process, requires enquiry into the cognitive procedures searchers use to select words for queries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate one cognitive process involved: semantic priming of words in memory. A framework for conceptualizing the role of semantic priming in search interaction is presented, along with results from two experiments that applied research methods from cognitive psychology, in an investigation of word selection and subsequent search for selected words. The results show that word selection activates related words in memory and that looking for a selected word among related words is effortful. The finding suggests that semantic priming may play a role in the difficulties people experience when reformulating queries. Ideas for continued development of semantic priming methods and their use in future research are also presented.
Applications of edge-colorings of graphs and characteristic polynomials to spectroscopy and quantum chemistry

Abstract Three different applications of combinatorics and graph theory to chemical problems are considered here. The enumeration and construction of edge-colorings of graphs using Polya's theorem is reviewed. The applications of edge-colorings of graphs to three different areas of chemistry are discussed. The recent developments in obtaining the characteristic polynomials of edge/vertex weighted graphs and directed graphs are reviewed.