cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quiet Transformation from the Bottom: Emerging Transnational Networks Among Non-State Actors in Northeast Asia Community-Building

If analyses of community-building efforts in Northeast Asia are fixated on the level of the nation-state and the central government, then one fails to capture the complex, transnational integration dynamics that are now vigorously at work in the region, contends Seung-Youn Oh in this chapter. Non-state Actors—less constrained than national authorities by political tensions and historical legacies—are not only generating a new capacity for regional community-building, they are also strengthening existing forms of regional cooperation.
Abstract 371: Deficiency in Microrna-155 Leads to Reduced Atherosclerosis, Increased Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease--A Novel Mouse Model of Metabolically Healthy Obesity

Metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) describes the phenomenon of overweight and obese patients paradoxically retaining a healthy metabolic profile. The molecular mechanisms underlying MHO remain enigmatic partly due to a dearth of animal models mirroring MHO in patients. Using apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE -/- ) mice on high-fat (HF) diet as an atherosclerotic obesity model, we demonstrated: 1) microRNA-155 (miRNA-155, miR-155) is significantly upregulated in aortas of ApoE -/- mice; and miR-155 deficiency in ApoE -/- mice inhibits atherosclerosis; 2) ApoE -/- /miR-155 -/- (DKO) mice show HF diet-induced obesity, adipocyte hypertrophy and present with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); 3) DKO mice demonstrate HF diet-induced elevations of plasma leptin, resistin, fed-state and fasting insulin, increased expression of adipogenic transcription factors, but lack glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Our results are the first to present a metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) model using DKO mice with features of decreased atherosclerosis, increased obesity and NAFLD. Our findings suggest the mechanistic role of reduced miR-155 expression in MHO and present a new MHO working model based on a single miRNA deficiency in diet-induced obese atherogenic mice. Furthermore, our results serve as a breakthrough in understanding the potential mechanism underlying MHO and provide a new biomarker and novel therapeutic target for MHO-related metabolic diseases.
Social Disadvantage and Instability in Older Adults' Ties to Their Adult Children.

Objective We examine whether racial and socioeconomic factors influence older adults' likelihood of experiencing instability in their social network ties with their adult children. Background Recent work shows that socially disadvantaged older adults' social networks are more unstable and exhibit higher rates of turnover, perhaps due to greater exposure to broader social-environmental instability. We consider whether this network instability applies to older adults' ties with their adult children, which are often the closest and most reliable social ties in later life. Methods We use two waves of data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N=1,456), a nationally representative, longitudinal study of older Americans. Through a series of multivariate regression models, we examine how race and education are associated with how frequently older adults reported being in contact with child network members, and how likely older adults were to stop naming their children as network members over time. Results African American and less educated individuals reported significantly more frequent contact with their adult child network members than did whites and more educated individuals. Nevertheless, these populations were also more likely to stop naming their children as network confidants over time. Conclusion African American and less educated older adults are at greater risk of losing access to the supports and other resources that are often provided by adult children, or of not being able to consistently draw on them as they age, despite the fact that these ties demonstrate greater potential for support exchange at baseline.
Capping the Deductibility of Corporate Interest Expense

Robert C. Pozen is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School. Lucas W. Goodman is a research assistant for Pozen. The authors are grateful to Alan Auerbach, Ted Buerger, Marc Goldwein, Don Marron, Jim Poterba, Richard Skillman, Alvin Warren, and Matthew Weinzierl for their helpful comments on previous drafts.Many lawmakers have indicated support for reducing the statutory corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 percent on a revenue-neutral basis. However, they have not made clear how they would broaden the base enough to pay for that rate reduction. This report proposes a specific approach for revenue neutral corporate tax reform: limiting the tax deductibility of interest expense for C corporations. That would significantly reduce the tax code’s bias in favor of debt-financed investment relative to equity-financed investment, while keeping the overall cost of capital roughly the same.The authors propose reform that lowers the corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 percent and allows nonfinancial C corporations to deduct only 65 percent of their interest expense, with special treatment for the financial sector and for companies that would have otherwise realized taxable losses. Based on a static analysis of aggregate data between 2000 and 2009, the authors calculate that the revenue loss from lowering the corporate tax rate to 25 percent would have been about the same as the revenue gain from their proposed limits on interest deductions.
From Black Aesthetics to Afrocentrism (Or, A Small History of An African and African American Discursive Practice

Chinua Achebe, the distinguished novelist, published the famous article, "The Novelist as Teacher," from which I culled the epigraph above, in 1965. He offers in it what still remains a discerning entry into an inquiry on the nature and functions of such social phenomena as Black Aesthetics and Afrocentrism, which he could very well have added to his list of "props" were it not for the circumstances of history which placed the latter two at a later moment. Even so, Achebe included "negritude," a significant lodestar in the genealogy of both black aesthetics and Afrocentrism.
Endocrinology of Pregnancy and Parturition

Much progress has been recorded in the study of the endocrinology of pregnancy and parturition in mammalian species in the past two decades. Interestingly, the most completely defined endocrine physiology of pregnancy among mammalian species is that of the human. And, the endocrine changes that occur during pregnancy in women are among the most remarkable known in mammalian physiology or pathophysiology. Consider, for example, the following: In pregnant women at or near term, 75 to 125 mg of estrogen, 250 to 600 mg of progesterone, 1 to 2 mg of aldosterone, and 3 to 12 mg of deoxycorticosterone are produced each day. There also are phenomenal increases in the levels of plasma renin, angiotensinogen, and angiotensin II during pregnancy; and enormous amounts of protein hormones such as chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, chorionic ACTH, chorionic thyrotropin, and others are produced during pregnancy.1 But more than that, recent evidence is supportive of a role for growth factors, e. g., epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factors, and immunohormonal agents, e. g., interleukin-1 and colony-stimulating factors, in the events that are associated with labor.2 All investigators agree that maternal and fetal adaptations to this distinctive hormonal milieu are profound. And many if not all investigators also propose a role for one or a number of hormones, steroid and protein, in the coordinated set of events that facilitate the maintenance of pregnancy and lead to the timely onset of labor and successful parturition.
Psychological Expertise and the Role of Individual Differences: An Exploration of Issues

Cognitive scientists have suggested that individual differences are relatively unimportant in predicting who will become an expert in any particular domain. This stance is at variance with the admissions screening practices of graduate programs in professional psychology as well as with counseling psychology's individual differences tradition. The purpose of this article was to consider some of the issues involved on both sides of this apparent contradiction, with particular emphasis on expertise in professional psychology. I first examine some of the possible operational definitions of expertise in this domain. I then consider salient literature and conclude that there almost certainly are “threshold levels” of intellectual and interpersonal skills that trainees in professional psychology should have. Beyond these levels, though, it may be that motivation and persistence are the most important variables in predicting the eventual attainment of expertise in professional psychology.
Critical Error 5 Losing the Audience on the Trail

In 1860, James Clerk Maxwell, who is considered the father of electrodynamics and one of the greatest physicists of the last two centuries, applied for a chaired professorship at the University of Edinburgh. He did not get the job.
Preferences for cancer prevention strategies (CPS) in women with hereditary nonpolyposis colectal cancer (HNPCC)

1018 Background: Women with HNPCC have 40–60% lifetime risk of endometrial and colon cancer (CA) and 10–12% risk of ovarian CA. Because CPS have significant QOL implications, understanding how wome...
Telemedicine Infectious Diseases Consultations and Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Background Telemedicine use is increasing in many specialties, but its impact on clinical outcomes in infectious diseases has not been systematically reviewed. We reviewed the current evidence for clinical effectiveness of telemedicine infectious diseases consultations, including outcomes of mortality, hospital readmission, antimicrobial use, cost, length of stay, adherence, and patient satisfaction. Methods We queried Ovid MEDLINE 1946-, Embase.com 1947-, Scopus 1823-, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov 1997- through August 5, 2019, for studies looking at clinical outcomes of infectious diseases in the setting of telemedicine use. We did not restrict by language or year of publication. Clinical outcomes searched included 30-day all-cause mortality, 30-day readmissions, patient compliance/adherence, patient satisfaction, cost or cost-effectiveness, length of hospital stay, antimicrobial use, and antimicrobial stewardship. Bias was assessed using standard methodologies. PROSPERO CRD42018105225. Results From a search pool of 1154 studies, only 18 involved telemedicine infectious diseases consultation and our selected clinical outcomes. The outcomes tracked were heterogeneous, precluding meta-analysis, and the majority of studies were of poor quality. Overall, clinical outcomes with telemedicine infectious diseases consultation seem comparable to in-person infectious diseases consultation. Conclusions Although in widespread use, the clinical effectiveness of telemedicine infectious diseases consultations has yet to be sufficiently studied. Further studies, or publication of previously collected and available data, are warranted to verify the cost-effectiveness of this widespread practice. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018105225.
Extracting SIMD Parallelism from Recursive Task-Parallel Programs

The pursuit of computational efficiency has led to the proliferation of throughput-oriented hardware, from GPUs to increasingly wide vector units on commodity processors and accelerators. This hardware is designed to execute data-parallel computations in a vectorized manner efficiently. However, many algorithms are more naturally expressed as divide-and-conquer, recursive, task-parallel computations. In the absence of data parallelism, it seems that such algorithms are not well suited to throughput-oriented architectures. This article presents a set of novel code transformations that expose the data parallelism latent in recursive, task-parallel programs. These transformations facilitate straightforward vectorization of task-parallel programs on commodity hardware. We also present scheduling policies that maintain high utilization of vector resources while limiting space usage. Across several task-parallel benchmarks, we demonstrate both efficient vector resource utilization and substantial speedup on chips using Intel’s SSE4.2 vector units, as well as accelerators using Intel’s AVX512 units. We then show through rigorous sampling that, in practice, our vectorization techniques are effective for a much larger class of programs.
Venetoclax (Ven) added to intensive chemo with cladribine, idarubicin, and AraC (CLIA) achieves high rates of durable complete remission with low rates of measurable residual disease (MRD) in pts with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

7539Background: Ven is a BCL2 inhibitor that is approved in combination with lower intensity therapy for pts with newly diagnosed AML who are ineligible for intensive chemo. We previously reported ...
Septic arthritis of the hip, an unreported complication of perforated appendicitis: A case report.

Abstract Introduction Progression of inflammation in acute appendicitis can lead to appendiceal perforation, which is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Bacteremia due to a perforated appendicitis can lead to distal bacterial seeding, resulting in further complications. Presentation of case We present here a case of appendiceal perforation in a 32-year-old previously healthy male. Patient was conservatively managed with intravenous (IV) antibiotics and was discharged on hospitalization day-6. Prior to scheduled interval appendectomy, he developed right sided hip pain with decreased range of motion. Computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast showed right hip abscess and enlarged pelvic lymph nodes. Arthrocentesis yielded purulent fluid with leukocytosis (84.8 k/CMM) and neutrophilia (89%). Patient underwent emergent incision and drainage of the hip abscess followed with 42-days of IV antibiotics for septic arthritis. Conclusion This case presents a unique occurrence of a complication from appendiceal perforation in patients who are initially managed non-operatively. Clinicians should be mindful of rare complications associated with non-operative management of appendicitis.
Unexpected Differences between Two Closely Related Bacterial P450 Camphor Monooxygenases.

The bacterial cytochrome P450cam catalyzes the oxidation of camphor to 5-exo-hydroxycamphor as the first step in the oxidative assimilation of camphor as a carbon/energy source. CYP101D1 is another...
Challenges of Teaching Organic Chemistry during COVID-19 Pandemic at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

With a sudden move to remote and online teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic, Organic Chemistry became more challenging for both students and educators with the emergence of new technological challenges and instructional strategies. The Organic Chemistry I class at SUNY Plattsburgh was shifted to an online learning model in an attempt to mimic face-to-face teaching as well as maintaining active learning. This communication highlights the instructor’s perspectives on the challenges and insights gained for teaching Organic Chemistry I (lecture component) for the Spring 2020 semester in the time of COVID-19. A combination of asynchronous and synchronous teaching methods was found to be effective for content delivery, active learning, and increasing student’s engagement. Synchronous class attendance was monitored and compared with typical face-to-face class attendance. Synchronous problem-solving exercises had an effect on student’s attendance rate and learning. An exit survey indicated about 64% of students had a preference for face-to-face teaching over online teaching of Organic Chemistry.
Pore size effect on selective gas transport in shale nanopores

Abstract In shale gas production, gas composition may vary over time. To understand this phenomenon, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the permeation of CH4, C2H6 and their mixture from a source container through a pyrophyllite nanopore driven by a pressure gradient. For a pure gas, the flow rate of CH4 is always higher than that of C2H6, regardless of pore size. For a 1:1 C2H6: CH4 mixture, however, C2H6:CH4 flow rate ratio is higher than the compositional ratio in the container (i.e., 1:1) when the pore size is smaller than ~1.8 nm. The selective transport is caused by the competitive adsorption of C2H6 over CH4 in the nanopore. The selectivity is also determined by the interplay between the surface diffusion of the adsorbed molecules and the viscous flow in the center of the pore, and it diminishes as the viscous flow becomes to dominate the surface diffusion when the pore size becomes larger than 1.8 nm. Our work shows that compositional differentiation of shale gas in production is a consequence of nanopore confinement and therefore a key characteristic of an unconventional reservoir. The related compositional information can potentially be used for monitoring the status of a production well such as its recovery rate.
Band Anticrossing in Dilute Germanium Carbides Using Hybrid Density Functionals

Dilute germanium carbides (Ge1−x C x ) offer a direct bandgap for compact silicon photonics, but widely varying properties have been reported. This work reports improved band structure calculations for Ge1−x C x using ab initio simulations that employ the HSE06 exchange–correlation density functional. Contrary to Vegard’s law, the conduction band minimum at Γ is consistently found to decrease with increasing C content, while L and X valleys change much more slowly. The calculated Ge bandgap is within 11% of experimental values. A decrease in energy at the Γ conduction band valley of (170 meV ± 50)/%C is predicted, leading to a direct bandgap for x > 0.008. These results indicate a promising material for Group IV lasers.
HIV, Vascular Risk Factors, and Cognition in the Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Mounting evidence indicates that vascular risk factors (VRFs) are elevated in HIV and play a significant role in the development and persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder. Given the increased longevity of people living with HIV (PLWH), there is a great need to better elucidate vascular contributions to neurocognitive impairment in HIV. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine relationships between traditional VRFs, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cognition in PLWH in the combination antiretroviral therapy era. Methods: For the systematic review, 44 studies met inclusion criteria and included data from 14,376 PLWH and 6,043 HIV-seronegative controls. To better quantify the contribution of VRFs to cognitive impairment in HIV, a robust variance estimation meta-analysis (N = 11 studies) was performed and included data from 2139 PLWH. Results: In the systematic review, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies supported relationships between VRFs, cognitive dysfunction, and decline, particularly in the domains of attention/processing speed, executive functioning, and fine motor skills. The meta-analysis demonstrated VRFs were associated with increased odds of global neurocognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR ]= 2.059, p = .010), which remained significant after adjustment for clinical HIV variables (p = .017). Analyses of individual VRFs demonstrated type 2 diabetes (p = .004), hyperlipidemia (p = .043), current smoking (p = .037), and previous CVD (p = .0005) were significantly associated with global neurocognitive impairment. Conclusions: VRFs and CVD are associated with worse cognitive performance and decline, and neurocognitive impairment in PLWH. Future studies are needed to examine these relationships in older adults with HIV, and investigate how race/ethnicity, gender, medical comorbidities, and psychosocial factors contribute to VRF-associated cognitive dysfunction in HIV.
Maternal Intake of Lutein and Zeaxanthin during Pregnancy Is Positively Associated with Offspring Verbal Intelligence and Behavior Regulation in Mid-Childhood in the Project Viva Cohort.

Background Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids associated with better cognition at older age. To our knowledge, no previous study has evaluated their cognitive implications in the prenatal period, when the brain undergoes its most rapid development. Objective The objective of this study was to examine associations of maternal lutein and zeaxanthin (L/Z) intake during pregnancy with child cognition. Design Among 1580 mother-child pairs in Project Viva, a prospective cohort, we assessed maternal intake of L/Z during pregnancy using food frequency questionnaires and offspring cognition by the Visual Recognition Memory paradigm in infancy, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA) in early childhood, and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT-II), the WRAVMA drawing subtest, and the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning in mid-childhood. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results Mothers consumed a daily mean (SD) of 2.6 (2.0) mg L/Z in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Mean mid-childhood KBIT-II verbal scores were higher with greater maternal L/Z intake [difference of Q4-Q1 means for first trimester: 2.67 (95% CI: 0.13, 5.20) and for second trimester: 3.55 (95% CI: 0.81, 6.28)], indicating better verbal intelligence. Secondary analyses on cognitive subtests showed that mean mid-childhood BRIEF Behavioral Regulation Index scores were lower with greater maternal L/Z intake [difference of Q4-Q1 means for first trimester: -1.63 (95% CI: -3.22, -0.04) and for second trimester: -1.89 (95% CI: -3.58, -0.21)], indicating better behavior regulation ability. Conclusions Higher maternal L/Z intake during pregnancy was associated with better offspring verbal intelligence and behavior regulation ability in mid-childhood, suggesting a potential benefit during prenatal development. We did not find a benefit of higher maternal L/Z intake on other child cognitive or behavioral outcomes. Project Viva is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02820402.
Using synthetic control methodology to estimate effects of a Cure Violence intervention in Baltimore, Maryland

Objective To estimate the long-term impact of Safe Streets Baltimore, which is based on the Cure Violence outreach and violence interruption model, on firearm violence. Methods We used synthetic control methods to estimate programme effects on homicides and incidents of non-fatal penetrating firearm injury (non-fatal shootings) in neighbourhoods that had Safe Streets’ sites and model-generated counterfactuals. Synthetic control analyses were conducted for each firearm violence outcome in each of the seven areas where Safe Streets was implemented. The study also investigated variation in programme impact over time by generating effect estimates of varying durations for the longest-running programme sites. Results Synthetic control models reduced prediction error relative to regression analyses. Estimates of Safe Streets’ effects on firearm violence varied across intervention sites: some positive, some negative and no effect. Beneficial programme effects on firearm violence reported in prior research were found to have attenuated over time. Conclusions For highly targeted interventions, synthetic control methods may provide more valid estimates of programme impact than panel regression with data from all city neighbourhoods. This research offers new understanding about the effectiveness of the Cure Violence intervention over extended periods of time in seven neighbourhoods. Combined with existing Cure Violence evaluation literature, it also raises questions about contextual and implementation factors that might influence programme outcomes.
Inverted long-baseline acoustic navigation of deep-towed CSEM transmitters and receivers

We develop an inverted long-baseline (ILBL) acoustic navigation system for determining the position of deep-towed instruments, such as controlled-source electromagnetic transmitters and receivers. The ILBL system uses a deep-tow mounted acoustic transceiver system to measure travel times to a pair of surface transponders towed on paravanes behind the survey vessel. The travel times, transponder positions and pressure depth data are inverted for the lateral position of the deep-tow vehicle, as well as the positions of any relay transponders on the antenna and receiver array that are towed horizontal behind the deep-tow vehicle. Three example applications demonstrate position accuracies of about 5 and 37 m in the inline and crossline directions for 3 km water depths and around 6 m for 1 km depth. The portability and generality of the system make it suitable for deep-tow applications for geophysical, geochemical and geological surveying purposes. We have shown that the accuracy of the ILBL system is similar to that of commercial USBL systems, but is considerably more cost effective than even portable USBL systems, and can be used on vessels lacking permanently installed USBL transceiver heads. Further, it can be used in water depths of 5,000 m or more. It could also be readily modified for further improving its position accuracy if desired.
Ion-Induced Mesoplasma Formation and Thermal Destruction in 4H-SiC Power MOSFET Devices

Both experiments and simulations have shown that single-event burnout (SEB), a catastrophic event, occurs at less than half of the rated blocking voltage in commercial 4H-SiC power devices under a heavy-ion strike. The failure was shown to be due to significant impact ionization near the epi/substrate interface. Adding a buffer layer between the drift epi and substrate layers reduces the impact ionization effect and changes the thermal failure location. In this article, the SEB phenomenon in a 4H-SiC power MOSFET utilizing a buffer layer is investigated. Heavy-ion transport and 3-D electro-thermal transient simulations were performed to study the device response to a heavy-ion strike. In examining the time evolution of electric field profile, charge carrier dynamics, and thermal heat transfer, it is determined that the failure mode for this design is the location shift of the mesoplasma (or hot spot) to within the drift epi region, away from the high field area. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the dominant electrical or thermal factors contributing to device failure due to second breakdown. From these simulations, it is found that the semiconductor thermal conductivity is the primary material parameter that influences the mesoplasma formation.
Genistein enhances cell kill in cisplatin-sensitive and resistant ovarian cancer cells

1502 Purpose: Platinum-resistance continues to be a major problem in the management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Response to various chemotherapeutic agents is poor in patients determined platinum-resistant. Genistein, a soy isoflavone, has been shown to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer cells by reversing chemo-resistance pathways. The goal of this study is to investigate the in-vitro effects of combination therapy with genistein and cisplatinum in platinum-sensitive and resistant epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Materials/Methods: The cisplatinum-sensitive human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and its cisplatinum-resistant clone C200 were obtained and grown in RPMI 1640 media with L-glutamine, insulin, 10% fetal bovine serum and penicillin and streptomycin. Cells were subjected to treatments consisting of media alone for control, genistein 10μM, cisplatinum at various concentrations (range 100 to 500nM) and the combination of genistein and cisplatinum 24 hours after plating. The cell viability was analyzed at 48 and 72 hours after treatment with the MTT colorimetric assay. Statistical analysis was performed using the unpaired t-test with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Treatment of A2780 and C200 cells with 10μM genistein alone for 72 hours resulted in a reduction in cell survival of 43.5% and 22.8%, respectively. In the A2780 cell line, treatment with cisplatinum at concentrations ranging form 100 to 500 nm resulted in significant cell kill ranging from 17% to 63% after 72 hours of exposure. The combination treatment with 10 μM genistein and similar concentrations of cisplatinum significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effect of cisplatinum alone, increasing cell kill to 49 to 73% (P
Refugees in America: stories of courage, resilience, and hope in their own words: by Lee T. Bycel, New Brunswick, Rutgers University Press, 2019, x+201 pp., $19.95(paperback), ISBN 978-1-9788-2520-8

Lee Bycel presents a well-crafted, nuanced text about the lives of eleven individuals of refugee background. As a qualitative researcher, I found these straightforward yet powerful stories provide ...
Earth's inner core rotation, 1971 to 1974, illuminated by inner-core scattered waves

Abstract The solid inner core is at the center of the Earth, gravitationally held within the liquid outer core. It is one of the most dynamic parts of Earth's interior. Since the initial claim of inner core differential rotation relative to the mantle, its existence and rate have been challenged for over two decades. Here, we re-examine the seismic records of two megaton nuclear tests in Novaya Zemlya, Russia, three years apart, from the Large Aperture Seismic Array in Montana, USA. Using an improved static time correction from an antipodal earthquake, we refine the resolution of the beamforming of PKiKP and its inner-core scattered coda. Then, we measure the slight time shifts (tenths of seconds) between the inner-core-scattered waves from the two events with moving-time-window cross-correlation. Applying a novel back-projection method, we locate the inner-core regions that scatter the energy within the PKiKP coda based on its slowness and the lapse time. We then measure the inner core rotation, first assuming alignment with Earth's rotation axis, then finding the best-fitting differential rotation axis with a grid search. The rotation rates here are robust and consistent across the many scattered arrivals throughout the inner core scattering wavetrain. Our results indicate 0.10°/year inner core super-rotation rate from 1971 to 1974 aligned with Earth's rotation axis, or 0.125°/year with the rotation axis tilting about 8° from the Earth's rotation axis, which yields a marginally better fit to the observed time shifts.
Structure, Interaction, and Evolution: Reflections on the Natural History of Proteins

Protein interactions are critical to many cell functions and yet studying their evolution is challenging because comparative protein interaction data are vanishingly scarce. I discuss what we know so far, including the effect of structure, expression, and protein interactions on the rate of protein evolution, the interplay of gene duplication and protein interaction, neutral and selective forces that may shape interaction evolution, and what is known about how conserved protein interactions are over evolutionary time. I then discuss future directions where I think new insights may be found, including how new approaches to protein structure modeling may help us resolve the question of how well interactions are conserved over evolutionary time and whether we need to expand our intuition about how protein interactions direct cell function.
Hypocretin/Orexin System

The hypocretins (also called the orexins) are excitatory neurotransmitters produced in a few thousand neurons of the lateral hypothalamus. Two G protein-coupled receptors for the hypocretins have different distributions within the CNS and differential affinities for the two hypocretin peptides. Hypocretins efferents project to areas within the posterior hypothalamus that are implicated in feeding behaviors and hormone secretion. Hypocretin fibers also project to diverse targets in other brain regions and the spinal cord, including several areas implicated in cardiovascular function and sleep-wake regulation. Administration of the hypocretins stimulates food intake, affects blood pressure, hormone secretion and locomotor activity, and increases wakefulness while suppressing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Narcolepsy is a disorder of the hypocretin system. One aspect of hypocretin activity is the direct excitation of cholinergic forebrain neurons, brainstem monoaminergic REM-off neurons in the locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe nucleus, and histaminergic tuberomammillary nucleus, which together suppress slow-wave sleep. The hypocretins also modulate the activity of cholinergic REM-on neurons in the brainstem, which gate REM entry. Keywords: hypocretin; orexin; arousal; narcolepsy; feeding; motivation; REM
Transformational Leadership and the Mental Health Team

Bass's (1990) multifactor model contrasts transformational and transactional styles of leadership with an essentially ineffective style: laissez-faire leadership. This study examines the relationship between these leadership styles and measures of organizational culture and staff burnout in mental health services teams. There were 236 leaders and 620 subordinates from 54 mental health teams who provided their perceptions of leadership style, organizational culture, and burnout in their program. Results show transformational leadership to be positively associated with a cohesive organizational culture and negatively associated with burnout. Moreover, leaders and subordinates differ in their ratings of transformational leadership—leaders viewed themselves more positively. These findings are helpful for understanding the central role of leaders in the organizational structure of teams.
Transforming research education for translational science and implementation of evidence-based practices

Statement of the problem Children’s mental health researchers have made great gains in demonstrating the effectiveness of interventions that result in desirable outcomes for children with behavioral health issues. However, despite proven efficacy, empirically supported treatments are not widely adopted in community practice settings. There is a growing body of evidence in support of guiding principles for participatory research and, at its core is the development of academic-community partnerships for more effective health disparities research.
Modulation of Protein A Formation in Staphylococcus aureus by Genetic Determinants for Methicillin Resistance

Many methicillin-resistant (Mec r ) strains of Staphylococcus aureus either produce no protein A or secrete it extracellularly (S. Winblad and C. Ericson, Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. Sect. B 81: 150–156, 1973). We found that methicillin resistance and protein A production were apparently lost coordinately from the natively Mec r strain A676. Restoration of the genetic determinant for methicillin resistance ( mec ) by transduction or transformation restored protein A production. In two other Mec r strains, loss of mec was accompanied by marked reduction in protein A formation. Genetic transfer of mec to derivatives of S. aureus 8325 affected protein A formation differently with different mec determinants. Those derived from strain A676 and two other Mec r strains reduced the scanty amount of protein A produced by strain 8325 to even lower or undetectable levels, whereas mec from two more Mec r strains increased its protein A content. This “ mec -effect,” i.e., stimulation or inhibition of protein A formation dependent on the combination of host strain and mec determinant, was reduced in methicillin-susceptible (Mec s ) mutants produced by ethyl methane sulfonate treatment of Mec r strains. The mec -effect reappeared in spontaneous revertants to methicillin resistance. Phenotypic reduction of methicillin resistance in Mec r strains grown at 44°C was accompanied by reduction of the mec -effect on protein A, but it had no effect on protein A formation in Mec s strains. Two independent mutants of strain 8325 produced large amounts of protein A at rates that were unaffected by growth at 44°C or by the introduction of mec determinants.
Numerical modeling of transient progression of plasma formation in biological tissues induced by short laser pulses

A theoretical model based on the rate equation for free electron density is proposed to investigate transient progression of plasma formation in soft biological tissues during laser shock processing. The laser focusing region around the focus point is considered to be one-dimensional along the direction of the incident beam, and is discretized into numerous thin control volumes. In simulation of the transient plasma progression, the laser intensity distribution and the temporal evolution of the free electron density are calculated sequentially for each control volume using a fourth-order Runge–Kutta method with adaptive time step control. The rate-equation formalism is first validated with previously published theoretical and experimental results. Simulation of the dynamics of plasma formation is then performed. The results include temporal evolution and spatial distribution of the free electron density as well as the growth of the plasma. It is shown that the threshold laser intensity for optical breakdown in water and the maximum length of the resulting plasma obtained from the present model are in good agreement with existing experimental data.
The study of the core part and non-repeating elements of the O-antigen of Brucella lipopolysaccharide

Brucella is an animal and human pathogen that expresses several virulence factors required for host cell invasion and intracellular survival. It produces LPS with unusually low toxicity, which hampers the detection of bacteria by the host immune system and thus provides resistance against intracellular antimicrobial mechanisms of the host. By chemical and spectroscopic methods we determined the structure of the LPS core and of a non-repetitive oligosaccharide fragment at the reducing end of the O-specific polysaccharide. These data should be useful for understanding the biological role of the Brucella LPS.
Measurement and interpretation of terrestrial heat flow in Israel

Abstract Sixty-eight new determinations of terrestrial heat flow in Israel have a range of 0.17-11.07 μcal/cm 2 s. The average value of deep conductive heat flow in the undisturbed complex of the Arabo-Nubian Massif is 0·94 μcal/cm 2 s; it is least affected by circulation of groundwater. This value is only slightly higher than the heat flow of 0·88 μcal/cm 2 s in the Levantine Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Several values that exceed 2·0 μcal/cm 2 s are due either to (probable) deep hydrothermal activity or to small domal structures of the basement. Within the sedimentary sequence which blankets the crystalline massif, terrestrial heat flow is often redistributed by circulating groundwater. Recharge regions, particularly Judean-Samarian Galilee, where cool meteoric waters percolate into the subsurface have anomalously low heat flow, ranging from 0·17 to about 1·0 μcal/cm 2 s. Part of the original deep thermal flux in those regions is intercepted at moderate depths by the recharge flow, and is carried into deeper aquifers of the Foothills, Coastal Plain, or the Jordan-Dead Sea Rift. Movement of groundwater occurs mainly along faults. Deep faults associated with the Jordan-Dead Sea Rift system act as conduits for hot waters ascending from deep confined aquifers. The most tangible surface expression of the convective hydrothermal system are the numerous warm to hot springs, emerging along the margins of the Rift. However, the waters emerging on the surface as the warm and hot springs are a minor fraction of the convective system. Most of the ascending thermal waters are absorbed by shallow aquifers with lower hydraulic potential. Such regions are characterized by anomalously high heat flow; several values exceed 2 and one value is 11 μcal/cm 2 s.
Application of the WKB method to X-ray diffraction by one dimensional periodic structures

Abstract The problem of X-ray diffraction by one dimensional periodic structures is solved by the WKB method. It is shown that this approach is equivalent to the usual thin film theory if the effect of multiple reflections may be ignored. The WKB method permits analytical solution for a large class of periodic structures, in particular, all Fourier representable profiles may now be solved.
Modeling kinetics and equilibrium of membranes with fields: Milestoning analysis and implication to permeation

Coarse graining of membrane simulations by translating atomistic dynamics to densities and fields with Milestoning is discussed. The space of the membrane system is divided into cells and the different cells are characterized by order parameters presenting the number densities. The dynamics of the order parameters are probed with Milestoning. The methodology is illustrated here for a phospholipid membrane system (a hydrated bilayer of DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) lipid molecules). Significant inhomogeneity in membrane internal number density leads to complex free energy landscape and local maps of transition times. Dynamics and distributions of cavities within the membrane assist the permeation of nonpolar solutes such as xenon atoms. It is illustrated that quantitative and detailed dynamics of water transport through DOPC membrane can be analyzed using Milestoning with fields. The reaction space for water transport includes at least two slow variables: the normal to the membrane plane, and the water density.
Characteristics of flat, laminar coal-dust flames

Abstract This paper contains a description of a flat-flame burner used to study atmospheric flame velocities in a coaldust and air system. Also descirbed are experiments conducted with the burner as well as the results obtained. In the program, the flame velocity was determined as a function of coal concentration, volatility, and particle size. Other tests included adding 2% CH4 to a particular flame and observing the resultant change in flame velocity. For selected flames, temperature profiles were measured and the results were used to infer the relative rates of phenomena occurring in the flame front.
Distribution and Persistence of Aureomycin in the Chick Embryo.

SummaryData were presented on the distribution and persistence of aureomycin in the allantoic fluids and tissues of 9- and 11-day-old embryos following injection of the drug into allantoic cavity. The drug was found associated with allantoic fluid, membrane, blood and liver, but not with brain or heart. The amount of drug found following injection decreased with an increase in time.
How Adolescents Counterargue Television Beer Advertisements: Implications for Education Efforts

Abstract Critical viewing of advertisements is incorporated in many substance abuse and health education programs in hopes of reducing advertising impact on adolescents' behavior. Persuasion research suggests that counterarguing advertisements is crucial to limiting their impact. The present study describes the types of counterarguments generated by 401 Anglo and Latino adolescents who were each exposed to four beer ads from a pool of 48 beer ads randomly selected from network and major national cable network channels. The study also identifies counterarguing differences based on demographic and behavior variables. The most common categories included comments about the absence of portrayals of realistic outcomes of alcohol use; the irrelevance of the associations of the product with social activities, sports, the outdoors, etc.; and the misleading suggestions of social, romantic, or athletic success implied in many ads. Comments that made moral or ethical judgments about the ad were less common. Participa...
Timing, propagation, coordination, and effect of esophageal shortening during peristalsis

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Minimal information exists on the characteristics and effect of esophageal shortening during peristalsis in the human esophagus. The aim of this study was to quantify esophageal shortening during peristalsis and determine the relationship between shortening, circular muscle contraction, and generation of propulsive force. METHODS: Ten volunteers had three metal clips endoscopically affixed at the squamocolumnar junction and 4.5 and 9 cm proximal to it, defining proximal and distal segments in the lower esophagus. A strain gauge manometer was positioned within the proximal segment along with a traction force sensing balloon. Axial clip movement was assessed with concurrent manometry and videofluoroscopy during swallowing to examine the determinants of propulsive force. RESULTS: Esophageal shortening was coordinated with circular muscle contraction such that each propagated distally as overlapping segments of contraction at a velocity of about 2.5 cm/s. Propulsive force within the proximal segment occurred after shortening, during the circular muscle contraction, with the magnitude of propulsive force correlated with the degree of distal shortening. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Both circular and longitudinal esophageal muscle contraction occur as propagating segments during peristalsis, with the longitudinal muscle contraction leading the circular muscle. (2) Propulsive force occurs during proximal circular and distal longitudinal muscle contraction. (Gastroenterology 1997 Apr;112(4):1147-54)
Outpatient evaluation of hematuria: locating the source of bleeding.

PREVIEWA patient presents with bright red or brownish discoloration in the urine. Is it hematuria? Another patient is found on routine urinalysis to have microscopic hematuria. What is the underlying cause? Dr McCarthy discusses the significant factors in each of these scenarios and how these factors determine the direction of the diagnostic workup.
DIST: a distributed spatio-temporal index structure for sensor networks

We consider the general problem of tracking moving objects in sensor networks. The specific application we consider is that of tracking a chemical plume moving over a large infrastructure network. We present a distributed index structure DIST that stores and updates distributed summaries as the plume moves. We present algorithms for range queries on the history of the plume. DIST localizes information with respect to time and space using a hierarchy that scales with the plume size. The highlight of our work is an analytical model to predict the cost of query algorithms based on the query location, query size, and plume's spatio-temporal distribution. Using this model, our adaptive scheme chooses the optimal scheme. Experimental results show that DIST outperforms alternative techniques in query, update, and storage costs, and scales well with the number of plumes.
Quantitative Evaluation of Sediment Delivery Ratios

Summary Ability to adequately estimate sediment yield is an important step in dealing effectively with soil erosion problems. Predictions of sediment yield made using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with different forms of sediment delivery ratio (SDR) are compared with those made by Modified USLE (MUSLE) and a fundamentally derived Erosion-Deposition Model (EDM). The USLE and USLE with SDR are poor predictors of sediment yield for individual storms compared to the MUSLE and EDM. Although MUSLE gave better results than USLE it showed somewhat more scatter of data points than the recently developed EDM.
Mechanisms of mucosal immunity: how does the dendritic cell fit in?

207 UNDERSTANDING THE MUCOSAL LEUKOCYTES is critical to understanding the immune responses that are induced against HIV-1 infection if we wish to target this system in strategies designed to prevent transmission of HIV-1. A combined approach where the mucosal immune system is activated while cell to cell transmission is blocked represents an important way in which we should direct our efforts. We are specifically focusing on one type of leukocyte, the dendritic cell (DC), and the DC’s involvement in HIV-1 transmission and immune activation.