cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information Literacy and Retention: A Case Study of the Value of the Library

Objective - The authors investigated the impact of library instruction on information literacy (IL) skills as part of ACRL’s AiA initiative. Additionally, the researchers sought to determine whether there was a relationship between IL tests scores and research experiences with student success outcomes such as retention. Methods - The researchers administered a standardized IL test to 455 graduate and undergraduate students in multiple disciplines. They then collected outcome data on GPA, retention, and graduation three years later. Results - While there were no significant differences between those students who had instruction and those who did not on the IL test, a regression analysis revealed that experience writing research papers that required library resources and an individual’s use of library books throughout their academic career demonstrated significant, positive relationships with whether a student passed the information literacy test. Additionally, using the longitudinal data on GPA, retention, graduation, and employment, the researchers found that students’ IL scores were significantly correlated with their GPAs, and that students who passed the IL test were more likely to be retained or graduate within six years. Conclusion - The ability to demonstrate IL skills appears to contribute to retention and graduation and, therefore, may be an integral part of one’s academic success. Further, experience writing research papers and other meaningful assignments contributes to student success.
Assessing People’s Interest in Images with Violent or Disgusting Content: a Functional-Evolutionary Analysis

This study investigated variation in viewing time in response to different types of images with violent and/or disgusting content. We hypothesized that people should exhibit aversion to and avoidance of disgusting images and/or interest in and attraction to images of violence, especially those that represent a potential threat to them. Study participants were 101 White male and female college students. They viewed 60 images on a computer monitor and could control, within certain limits, their viewing time for each image. Viewing time was lowest for disgusting non-violent images, highest for violent non-disgusting images, and intermediate for images that were both violent and disgusting. Images of animal to human violence had higher viewing time than images of human to animal violence, and images of male-male violence in which an outgroup individual was the perpetrator of violence against an ingroup individual had the highest viewing time of all images in which we manipulated the ingroup/outgroup identity of perpetrator and victim. Images of outgroup-ingroup violence also had higher viewing time than images of accidental self-inflicted violence. Female participants had lower viewing time than male participants across most image types, but variation in viewing time in relation to the content of the image was largely similar in men and women. The results of our study are consistent with our hypothesis that differences in viewing time devoted to images with disgusting and violent content reflect functionally adaptive responses to different cues of danger: presence of pathogens vs threat of physical violence. Further research on responses to disgusting and nondisgusting images of violence may enhance our understanding of the role of emotions in the regulation of violent behavior and responses to displays of violence.
Spatiotemporal Metabolic Modeling of a Chronic Wound Biofilm Consortium

Abstract: Chronic wounds are often colonized by consortia comprised of different bacterial species growing as biofilms on a complex mixture of wound exudate. The spatial organization of biofilm consortia cause bacteria to exhibit phenotypes distinct from planktonic growth and often render the application of antibacterial compounds ineffective. We developed a spatiotemporal model to analyze the multispecies metabolism of a biofilm consortium comprised of two common chronic wound isolates: the aerobe Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the facultative anaerobe Staphylococcus aureus. By combining genome-scale metabolic reconstructions with partial differential equations for metabolite diffusion, the model was able to provide both temporal and spatial predictions with genome-scale resolution. The model was used to analyze the metabolic differences between single species and multispecies biofilms and to demonstrate the tendency of the two bacteria to spatially partition due to nutrient gradients. The model predicted that S. aureus would dominant throughout the biofilm, especially in the anaerobic region where P. aeruginosa had very low growth rates. Lactate secreted by S. aureus and consumed by both species was predicted to further diminish P. aeruginosa competitiveness due to its lower cell densities. Lysis of S. aureus by inhibitors secreted from P. aeruginosa was predicted to enhance spatial partitioning of the two species and to substantially enhance the competitiveness of P. aeruginosa in partially aerobic regions of the biofilm interior.
Acquiring Universal Values through a Particular Tradition: A Perspective on Judaism and Modern Pluralism

Religious traditions can be sources of values and attitudes supporting the liberal polity in ways that political theorizing and conceptions of public reason often fail to recognize. moreover, religious traditions can give support through the ways reason is crucial to their self-understanding. one understanding of Judaism is examined as an example. Also, the particularism of traditions can encourage commitment to universally valid values and ideals. reason’s role in Judaism and other religious traditions makes possible constructive interaction between those traditions and between religious and secular thought. exclusion of religiously grounded considerations from the discourse and deliberations of liberal polities can be counterproductively illiberal.
Abstract 1132: Lactate dehydrogenase expression in African American women with triple-negative breast cancer

The incidence of breast cancer in African American women (AAW) is much lower than those of their Caucasian counterparts. However, the age adjusted mortality rates are much greater for AAW compared to Caucasian American women (CAW). These differences in survival between AAW and CAW were attributed to socioeconomic factors and access to health care. Yet, after adjusting these differences, AAW still had lower survival rates than CAW. Genetic and immunohistochemical studies have revealed that biological variations may account for this disparity. These studies have suggested as a causative: a higher prevalence of basal-like tumors in premenopausal AAW and low prevalence of luminal tumor. These are characterized by being high-grade aggressive tumors that are estrogen receptor negative (ER-), progesterone receptor negative (PR-), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) +/-; with high rate of lymph node involvement. Despite this understanding, there is little evidence to indicate which genetic or non-genetic factors contribute to causing aggressive breast cancer thereby limiting the development of prevention and treatment option. We proposed that the phenotypic diversity of breast cancer might be accompanied by a corresponding diversity in protein expression patterns that can be reveal using proteomic technologies. We hypothesized that in addition to ER- and PR-, and the absence in expression of HER-2, the protein composition of triple-negative tumors varies among African-American and Caucasian. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrophotometry and data analysis of protein from breast cancer tissues were used to identify differentially expressed proteins from African American and Caucasian women. Western blot of luminal and TNBC cell lines were used to confirm the expression of identified proteins. We have found that many proteins were differentially expressed in AAW breast cancer tissues compared to CAW. One of these is lactate dehydrogenase which was found to be overexpressed in tissues from AAW. Western blot analysis confirmed expression. Citation Format: Odalys J. Torres-Luquis, Sulma Mohammed. Lactate dehydrogenase expression in African American women with triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1132. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1132
Outpatient Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder and Allied forms of Dissociative Disorder not Otherwise Specified in Children and Adolescents

The treatment of children and adolescents with dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified is a phase-oriented therapy that resembles the treatment of adults with these conditions in many ways but differs from it in crucial concerns. Environmental interventions, forensic considerations, and the importance of developmental and relationship concerns are especially crucial. The dissociative psychopathology must receive specific therapeutic attention. Unique considerations apply to the adolescent, who may have difficulties identifying with the change-oriented goals of the treatment, and to the acutely traumatized youngster.
Potential Step Chronoamperometry and Chronocoulometry

The mathematical techniques developed in Chapter 3 for solving Fick’s second law of diffusion are now used to predict and analyze the response of an electrochemical system to a potential step perturbation. Two kinds of response are frequently monitored: (a) the current as a function of time (chronoamperometry) and (b) the charge as a function of time (chronocoulometry). The two methods yield essentially the same information, since the difference between them lies principally in the method of acquisition and treatment of data.
Stem Cell Differentiation: General Approaches

Regardless of the cell type used as a building block for differentiation/transdifferentiation into pancreatic cells, there are only a few strategies that can be used to modify, both in vitro and in vivo, their fate and behavior. Conventional approaches are based on the addition of chemical soluble agents to the culture medium (signal-driven strategies), in an attempt to mimic the complex symphony of differentiation/specification factors that drive the process in vivo. Extracellular matrices and cell growth substrates may help increase the overall efficiency of these methods. Alternatively, external signaling can be bypassed by means of adding constitutively activated copies of key transcription factors or – more recently – cell-permeable proteins. The rationale of in vivo differentiation is that only the recipient’s body can provide developing cells with the adequate microenvironment to support terminal maturation.
Next-Generation Approaches for the Treatment of Food Allergy

IgE-mediated food allergies are an increasing health concern, and current management includes food avoidance and use of emergency medications. Effective treatment of food allergy is highly desirable. Next generation approaches for the treatment of food allergy aim to improve both safety and efficacy, potentially including long-term tolerance. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) and epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) will likely be integrated into clinical practice as part of food allergy management in the near future. Newer approaches, such as sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), modified proteins, lysosomal-associated membrane protein DNA (LAMP DNA) vaccines, and the use of immunomodulatory agents, are early in development and depending on results, could also become important treatment options. This is a review of novel approaches to the treatment of food allergy that are currently under investigation, including the use of SLIT, modified proteins, probiotics, Chinese herbal supplements, biologic therapies, and DNA vaccines, as well as a summary of the current status of OIT and EPIT.
Contributions of language-specific and metacognitive skills to science reading comprehension of middle school English learners

This nonexperimental study examined academic performance profiles and contributions of language-specific and metacognitive skills to science reading comprehension of Grade 7 students of varied Engl...
Evolution of Ideas on Entropy

Our stated goal is to develop a general theory of thermodynamics that we may apply to stochastic processes, but what is thermodynamics? At the mathematical level, thermodynamics is the calculus of entropy. The inequality of the second law forms the starting point for a large number of mathematical relationships that are written among the set of primary variables, entropy, energy, volume and number of particles, and a number of defined functions based on the primary set. The mathematical framework of classical thermodynamics is established as soon as the second law is formulated in mathematical form. The subsequent development of statistical mechanics left this framework intact, while making the connection to the microscopic structure of matter. Even as the basic mathematical framework did not change, the revolution lead by Gibbs introduced a statistical view of entropy that opened an entirely new viewpoint. Starting with Shannon’s work on information theory and Jaynes’s formulation of maximum entropy has now escaped from the realm of physics to invade other fields. In this chapter we review the evolution of ideas on entropy, from the classical view, to Gibbs, Shannon, and Jaynes, and cover the background that gives rise to our development in the chapters that follow.
A superdimension formula for &#x1d524;&#x1d529;(m|n)-modules

We give a formula for the superdimension of a finite-dimensional simple &#x1d524;&#x1d529;(m|n)-module using the Su–Zhang character formula. This formula coincides with the superdimension formulas proven by Weissauer and Heidersdorf–Weissauer. As a corollary, we obtain a simple algebraic proof of a conjecture of Kac–Wakimoto for &#x1d524;&#x1d529;(m|n), namely, a simple module has nonzero superdimension if and only if it has maximal degree of atypicality. This conjecture was proven originally by Serganova using the Duflo–Serganova associated variety.
Intermittence and Space-Time Fractional Stochastic Partial Differential Equations

We consider time fractional stochastic heat type equation $$\partial^{\beta}_{t}u_{t}(x)=-\nu(-{\Delta})^{\alpha/2} u_{t}(x)+I^{1-\beta}_{t}[\sigma(u)\overset{\cdot}{W}(t,x)] $$ in (d + 1) dimensions, where ν > 0, β ∈ (0, 1), α ∈ (0, 2], $d<\min \{2,\beta ^{-1}\}\alpha $ , $\partial ^{\beta }_{t}$ is the Caputo fractional derivative, −(−Δ) α/2 is the generator of an isotropic stable process, $\overset {\cdot }{W}(t,x)$ is space-time white noise, and $\sigma :\mathbb {R}\to \mathbb {R}$ is Lipschitz continuous. The time fractional stochastic heat type equations might be used to model phenomenon with random effects with thermal memory. We prove: (i) absolute moments of the solutions of this equation grows exponentially; and (ii) the distances to the origin of the farthest high peaks of those moments grow exactly linearly with time. These results extend the results of Foondun and Khoshnevisan (Electron. J. Probab. 14(21), 548–568, 2009) and Conus and Khoshnevisan (Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 152(3–4), 681–701, 2012) on the parabolic stochastic heat equations.
Affordable patient record automation for small clinics: field testing the piClinic console

Small clinics in low-middle-income countries frequently lack the financial and technical resources to support patient-record automation---relying instead on paper records to track patient visits. Earlier successes introducing automated solutions into these clinics often eroded quickly after external support was withdrawn. The piClinic Console is designed to automate key aspects of patient information management in small, limited-resource clinics so as to introduce automation into a clinic in a way that the clinic can sustain with little or no additional support. Unlike previous efforts to scale down existing medical records systems for a small clinic, the piClinic Console was developed to include only the functions that benefit most from automation. The design was implemented to work on low-cost hardware to minimize initial cost and dependence on external support. After encouraging laboratory test results, this design was tested in four Honduran clinics to evaluate the users' experiences and the utility of the design. Clinic response was universally positive; however, field testing identified that success relied on accommodating the different roles in the clinic, supporting at least one printer, and enabling multiple users to access the system from multiple devices.
The Expansion of Slavery in Benguela During the Nineteenth Century

This article explores the nature and expansion of slavery in Benguela, in West Central Africa, during the nineteenth century, engaging with the scholarship on second slavery. Robert Palmer, Eric Hobsbawm, and Janet Polasky have framed the nineteenth century as the age of contagious liberty, yet, in Benguela, and elsewhere along the African coast, the institution of slavery expanded, in part to attend to the European and North American demand for natural resources. In the wake of the end of the slave trade, plantation slavery spread along the African coast to supply the growing demand in Europe and North America for cotton, sugar, and natural resources such as wax, ivory, rubber, and gum copal. In Portuguese territories in West Central Africa, slavery remained alive until 1869, when enslaved people were put into systems of apprenticeship very similar to labor regimes elsewhere in the Atlantic world. For the thousands of people who remained in captivity in Benguela, the nineteenth century continued to be a moment of oppression, forced labor, and extreme violence, not an age of abolition.After the 1836 abolition of slave exports, local merchants and recently arrived immigrants from Portugal and Brazil set up plantations around Benguela making extensive use of unfree labor. In this article, I examine how abolition, colonialism, and economic exploitation were part of the same process in Benguela, which resulted in new zones of slavery responding to industrialization and market competition. Looking at individual cases, wherever possible, this study examines the kinds of activities enslaved people performed and the nature of slave labor. Moreover, it examines how free and enslaved people interacted and the differences that existed in terms of gender, analyzing the type of labor performed by enslaved men and women. And it questions the limitations of the “age of abolition”.
Hypoxia in tumor microenvironment regulates exosome biogenesis: Molecular mechanisms and translational opportunities.

Abstract Hypoxia is a key feature of solid tumors, associated with disease aggressiveness and poor outcome. Besides undergoing broad intracellular molecular and metabolic adaptations, hypoxic tumor cells extensively communicate with their microenvironment to concoct conditions favorable for their survival, growth and metastatic spread. This mode of communication is through diverse secretory factors including exosomes (extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin and ~30–150 nm in diameter) which could carry package of molecular information including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and metabolites wrapped in lipid bilayer. Numerous studies have concluded that hypoxia promotes exosomes secretion by cancer cells. Moreover, exosomal cargo is considerably altered under hypoxia, dictating tumor cells communication with its local and distant microenvironment. In this review, we have summarized the effects of hypoxia on exosomes (ExoHypoxic) secretion and cargo sorting (miRNAs, proteins, lipids and metabolites) as well as their biological effects in local and distant microenvironment. We have described the key molecular mechanisms (e.g. HIF-1α, ceramides, RAB GTPases, tetraspanins, oxidative stress etc) involved in the production of ExoHypoxic. Lastly, we have highlighted the potential usefulness of ExoHypoxic in cancer prognosis as well as therapeutic opportunities in targeting ExoHypoxic.
Review: A Course in Item Response Theory and Modeling with Stata, and Using R for Item Response Theory Model Applications

, by Tenko Raykov & George A. Marcoulides, College Station, TX, Stata Press, 2018, 270 pp., $54.00 (paperback) ISBN: 9781597182669 , by Insu Paek & Ki Cole, New York, NY, Routledge, 2019, 272 pp., ...
Beyond crisis management: the lessons of US interventions in Indo–Pakistani nuclear crises: Brokering Peace in Nuclear Environments: U.S. Crisis Management in South Asia, Moeed Yusuf (Stanford, CA; Stanford University Press, 2018), 304 pages, $65 (hardcover), $30 (paperback).

An Indo–Pakistani nuclear and missile race—combined with recent changes in both countries’ nuclear doctrines and the resulting increase in danger of nuclear use—has made it extremely difficult to s...
Individual and Interpersonal Factors Associated with Psychosocial Functioning Among Adolescents in Foster Care: A Scoping Review

Abstract Risk reduction and strength enhancement are both necessary strategies to improve outcomes for youth in foster care who have experienced adversity. Decades of research have articulated the negative long-term outcomes of youth in foster care, but less is known about youth-level modifiable protective factors that can be nurtured through intervention to improve well-being. This scoping review was conducted to synthesize the state of the science on proximal, modifiable individual and interpersonal factors that are associated with psychosocial well-being among adolescent youth in foster care. Following rigorous and recommended methods, we systematically searched, selected and synthesized 20 years of peer-reviewed literature focused on 13–19 year olds in foster care. 41 peer-reviewed, quantitative studies met specified inclusion criteria and were included in this review. We charted the data and synthesized our findings in consultation with an advisory group of researchers, practitioners, and youth with lived experience. Overall, the review highlighted key categories of individual factors (individual strengths, psychosocial needs, and developmental skills) and interpersonal factors (relationships with peers/siblings, caregiving adults, and caring adults in the community) that can have protective value and are associated with psychosocial functioning for adolescent youth in foster care. Moreover, when youth have their needs met, increase their skills and develop strengths, it often leads to better outcomes as well as more and/or higher quality relationships with important people in their lives. Similarly, when youth develop and maintain quality relationships, those connections often lead to opportunities to advance their skills, strengths and positive outcomes. The results of this review contribute new insights for research, practice, and policy intended to enhance psychosocial well-being for young people in foster care. Findings also highlight specific individual and interpersonal factors that interventionists might consider as potential targeted mechanisms of change when developing programming for this population. Implications are discussed.
MAPK activity dynamics regulate non-cell autonomous effects of oncogene expression

A large fraction of human cancers contain genetic alterations within the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling network that promote unpredictable phenotypes. Previous studies have shown that the temporal patterns of MAPK activity (i.e. signaling dynamics) differentially regulate cell behavior. However, the role of signaling dynamics in mediating the effects of cancer driving mutations has not been systematically explored. Here, we show that oncogene expression leads to either pulsatile or sustained ERK activity that correlate with opposing cellular behaviors (i.e. proliferation vs. cell cycle arrest, respectively). Moreover, sustained-but not pulsatile-ERK activity triggers ERK activity waves in unperturbed neighboring cells that depend on the membrane metalloprotease ADAM17 and EGFR activity. Interestingly, the ADAM17-EGFR signaling axis coordinates neighboring cell migration toward oncogenic cells and is required for oncogenic cell extrusion. Overall, our data suggests that the temporal patterns of MAPK activity differentially regulate cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous effects of oncogene expression.
Investigating the Relationship between Food Insecurity and Fertility Preferences in Tanzania

We analyze fertility preferences among women at risk of pregnancy with children ages five or younger as a function of two food security metrics: perceptions of household hunger and child stunting (height for age z scores ≤ −2.0) in order to convey a robust picture of food insecurity. We use data from the 2016 Tanzania Demographic and Health Surveys to analyze this research question. Multinomial generalized logit models with cluster-adjusted standard errors are used to determine the association between different dimensions of food insecurity and individual-level fertility preferences. On average, women who experience household hunger are 19% less likely to want more children compared to women who do not experience household hunger (AOR: 0.81, p = 0.02) when controlling for education, residence, maternal age, number of living children, and survey month. Adjusting for the same covariates, having at least one child ≤ 5 years old who is stunted is associated with 13% reduced odds of wanting more children compared to having no children stunted (AOR: 0.87, p = 0.06). In the context of a divided literature base, this research aligns with the previous work identifying a preference among women to delay or avoid pregnancy during times of food insecurity. The similarity in magnitude and direction of the association between food insecurity and fertility preferences across the two measures of food insecurity suggest a potential association between lived or perceived resource insecurity and fertility aspirations. Further research is needed in order to establish a mechanism through which food insecurity affects fertility preferences. Individual fertility preferences are sensitive to dynamic multi-level factors in a woman’s life. While qualitative research has explored the effect that food insecurity and associated resource constraints have on fertility preferences, results are conflicting. Here, we quantitatively examine how individual woman’s fertility preferences associate with two measures of food insecurity and qualitatively compare the associations across food insecurity measures. We establish that two food insecurity measures- household hunger and child stunting- capture similar populations and have similar associations with fertility preferences. This is a critical step forward in understanding the dynamic relationship between resource availability, child well-being, and fertility preferences.
A alternativa nacional e o setor de infraestrutura = The national alternaive and the infrastructure sector

In this paper, which is the transcript of a conference, the development strategies which occurred in the history of our country are examined to show that we need to organize a new strategy, a vital condition to solve the issue of infrastructure. Hence, a method for this new strategy is outlined, together with the description of the social, political and intellectual conditions for its creation. Several ideas are proposed, such as the creation of an “including productivity” and the qualification and democratization of the economy in relation to the production and the offer, paired with a revolution in the nature of education. Moreover, the qualities necessary to an infrastructure policy are explained: agnosticism regarding the sectors of the economy, social capillarity and a strengthening of the federation. Last, but not least, the necessary components to forward a national development strategy are outlined: strong public investment, cooperation and coordination between the states and the private sector, and the fundamental role of judges to make the legal detailing of the models required to organize this new infrastructure policy (institutional imagination).
High Fructose Drives the Serine Synthesis Pathway in Acute Myeloid Leukemic Cells

A significant increase in dietary fructose consumption has been implicated as a potential driver of cancer. Metabolic adaptation of cancer cells to utilize fructose confers advantages for their malignant growth, but compelling therapeutic targets have not been identified. Here, we show that fructose metabolism of leukemic cells can be inhibited by targeting the de novo serine synthesis pathway (SSP). Leukemic cells, unlike their normal counterparts, become significantly dependent on the SSP in fructose-rich conditions as compared to glucose-rich conditions. This metabolic program is mediated by the ratio of redox cofactors, NAD+/NADH, and the increased SSP flux is beneficial for generating alpha-ketoglutarate from glutamine, which allows leukemic cells to proliferate even in the absence of glucose. Inhibition of PHGDH, a rate-limiting enzyme in the SSP, dramatically reduces leukemia engraftment in mice in the presence of high fructose, confirming the essential role of the SSP in the metabolic plasticity of leukemic cells.
Using internal electrostatic fields to manipulate the valence manifolds of copper complexes.

A series of tetradentate tris(phosphinimine) ligands (R3P3tren) was developed and bound to CuI to form the trigonal pyramidal, C3v-symmetric cuprous complexes [R3P3tren-Cu][BArF4] (1PR3) (PR3 = PMe3, PMe2Ph, PMePh2, PPh3, PMe2(NEt2), BArF4 = B(C6F5)4). Electrochemical studies on the CuI complexes were undertaken, and the permethylated analog, 1PMe3, was found to display an unprecedentedly cathodic CuI/CuII redox potential (−780 mV vs. Fc/Fc+ in isobutyronitrile). Elucidation of the electronic structures of 1PR3via density functional theory (DFT) studies revealed atypical valence manifold configurations, resulting from strongly σ-donating phosphinimine moieties in the xy-plane that destabilize 2e (dxy/dx2−y2) orbital sets and uniquely stabilized a1 (dz2) orbitals. Support is provided that the a1 stabilizations result from intramolecular electrostatic fields (ESFs) generated from cationic character on the phosphinimine moieties in R3P3tren. This view is corroborated via 1-dimensional electrostatic potential maps along the z-axes of 1PR3 and their isostructural analogues. Experimental validation of this computational model is provided upon oxidation of 1PMe3 to the cupric complex [Me3P3tren-Cu][OTf]2 (2PMe3), which displays a characteristic Jahn–Teller distortion in the form of a see-saw, pseudo-Cs-symmetric geometry. A systematic anodic shift in the potential of the CuI/CuII redox couple as the steric bulk in the secondary coordination sphere increases is explained through the complexes' diminishing ability to access the ideal Cs-symmetric geometry upon oxidation. The observations and calculations discussed in this work support the presence of internal electrostatic fields within the copper complexes, which subsequently influence the complexes' properties via a method orthogonal to classic ligand field tuning.
A 12-bit Hexagonal Chip-less Tag for Radio Frequency Identification Applications

This paper presents a Chip-Less RFID tag working in 2–14 GHz. The tag consists of a hexagonal patch surrounded by multiple closed loop hexagonal rings. The tag generates 5 low-point RCS signatures within the operating band resulting in a 12-bit sequence code. Complementary bits are separated by 25 dB RCS transitions indicating a satisfactory code resolution capability. The overall tag dimension is $2.5\times 2.5\mathrm{cm}^{2}$ and a code density of 1.76 bits/cm2. Due to the tag's ability to store a long bit-sequence code, it can be a good candidate for use in various different RFID applications.
Developmental atrazine exposure in zebrafish produces the same major metabolites as mammals along with altered behavioral outcomes.

Abstract Atrazine (ATZ) is the second most commonly applied agricultural herbicide in the United States. Due to contamination concerns, the U.S. EPA has set the maximum contaminant level in potable water sources at 3 parts per billion (ppb; μg/l). Depending on the time of year and sampling location, water sources often exceed this limit. ATZ is an endocrine disrupting chemical in multiple species observed to target the neuroendocrine system. In this study the zebrafish vertebrate model was used to test the hypothesis that a developmental ATZ exposure generates metabolites similar to those found in mammals and alters morphology and behavior in developing larvae. Adult AB zebrafish were bred, embryos were collected, and exposed to 0, 0.3, 3, or 30 ppb ATZ from 1 to 120 h post fertilization (hpf). Targeted metabolomic analysis found that zebrafish produce the same major ATZ metabolites as mammals: desethyl atrazine (DEA), deisopropyl atrazine (DIA), and diaminochloroatrazine (DACT). The visual motor response test at 120 hpf detected hyperactivity in larvae in the 0.3 ppb treatment group and hypoactivity in the 30 ppb treatment group (p 0.05). These findings suggest that a ATZ exposure during early development generates metabolite profiles similar to mammals and leads to behavioral alterations supporting ATZ as a neurodevelopmental toxicant.
What comes after entanglement?: by E. H. Giraud, Durham, Duke University Press, 2019, 250 pages, Paperback: US$26.95, Electronic version available via Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble book, Google Play, and Kobo, ISBN: 978-1-4780-0625-1

In What Comes After Entanglement? (WCAE), Eva Haifa Giraud (2019) says “yes” to all the major concepts of materialist media theory—irreducible complexity, relational ontology, entanglement—and foll...
Biogeomorphic influence of soil depth to bedrock, volcanic ash soils, and surface tephra on silversword distribution, Haleakalā Crater (Maui, Hawai'i)

Abstract This research examines the spatial distribution of Haleakalā silverswords (Argyroxiphium sandwicense DC subsp. macrocephalum) over basaltic 'a'ā lava flows at Silversword Loop, Haleakalā Crater (Maui, Hawai'i). The overall study goal is to situate an extensive field data set within an historical geomorphic framework to propose a conceptual, biogeomorphic model of landscape development at Silversword Loop. Landscape features were investigated along two belt transects (111–120 m long) crossing lava-flow deposits at ~ 2175 m; the lava flows, > 4.5 km long, originated ~ 2700 YBP at Pu’u O Māui, a large cinder cone. Transects consist of contiguous 3 × 3 m (9 m2) quadrats; plot data include topographic profiles, soil depth to bedrock, size of surface tephra – determined by photosieving – and plant density; 23 soil samples were analyzed within 10 profiles. Weathered lava outcrops, tephra blocks (≥ 10 cm), and cobbles (5–10 cm) cover lava-flow ridges; the gently sloping flanks of lava-flow deposits merge into intervenient concave troughs, filled with volcanic ash and small tephra. Soils along ridges are thin (≤ 17 cm), whereas profiles on troughs are deeper (≤ 110 cm). Soils are sandy volcanic Inceptisols (Lithic, Typic, and Aridic Lithic Haplustepts) averaging 21.6% gravel, 96.8% sand, and 3.2% fines (silt + clay); mean organic matter is just 0.92%. These soils provide low water retention (23.2% at field capacity) and rapid infiltration. Deeper trough soils are largely devoid of plants. In contrast, silverswords are virtually restricted to shallow soils on lava-flow crests, where they densely cluster about outcrops and blocks: 90% of plants grow on soils ≤ 40 cm deep, and 71.3% occupy plots with ≤ 40% ash cover; 84.4% of rosettes are rooted on outcrops or near stones; only 4.4% grow on soil; and 11.2% germinated on plant litter. Patterns of lava-flow weathering and soil depth to bedrock control silversword distribution at Silversword Loop. Shallow basalt bedrock and outcrops restrict soil drainage, providing a perched water table that silversword roots can exploit. Surface blocks also provide safe, stable microhabitats, thus rosettes grow preferentially near stones. Geomorphological, pedological, and ecological data are integrated into a biogeomorphic sequence of soil development and landscape evolution at Silversword Loop for the past three millennia, first through the eruptions and ash deposits of Pu'u O Māui, followed (~ 970–940 BP) by pyroclastic activity in Halāli'i and Ka lu'u o Ka 'O'o cinder cones.
A Review of “Laboratory Manual on the Geometric Interpretation of Human Bloodstain Evidence”

The authors have written this manual as a sequel to Mr. MacDonnell's work on the physical interpretation of bloodstain evidence, Flight Characteristics and Stain Patterns of Human Blood. The manual allows the nonscientist the opportunity to evaluate bloodstain patterns produced under known conditions and to draw his own conclusions. The results can be preserved as reference standards. There are twelve experiments as follows: (1) volume of a drop of blood, (2) spot size as a function of distance fallen, (3) effect of target surface on spatter, (4) spot shape versus impact angle, (5) effect of horizontal motion, (6) splashed blood versus distance fallen, (7) projected blood versus distance fallen, (8) “cast off” bloodstains, (9) medium velocity blood spatter, (10) high velocity blood spatter, (11) spot size versus horizontal projection, and (12) drying time of blood.
Transcriptional regulation of T cell metabolism.

T cells express specific metabolic programs to promote diverse cellular differentiation states. The activation of naive T cells upregulates the expression of genes encoding components of the glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and lipid biosynthesis pathways to promote robust proliferation and effector T cell activity. In contrast, memory T cells downregulate these pathways and predominantly rely on catabolic pathways for long-term survival. Dynamic changes in the expression of the genes encoding components of metabolic pathways in part define which metabolic programs are utilized in diverse T cell states. The current data suggest that key transcription factors involved in T cell specialization decisions, including T-bet, Bcl-6, HIF1, IRF4 and Myc, link the selective programming of cellular metabolism with fate decisions. In this review, we will highlight the transcriptional regulatory events that define metabolic pathways involved in effector and memory T cell differentiation.
Continuous learning process model for work zone safety management

Work zone safety remains an important issue because of limited knowledge of the causes of crashes, their relationship to characteristics of the Zone, and effectiveness of countermeasures. Based on a study conducted for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), this paper introduces a model to gather, process, and continuously use information during the life of a work zone for safety enhancement. The model develops preconstruction work zone crash and exposure measures and formulates recommendations to evaluate safety measures es during the planning and designing stages; monitors work zone safety performance and configuration on an ongoing basis; and performs early analysis of work zone crashes to support rapid selection and deployment of countermeasures. Responsibility is centered in a small task force, which integrates multiple perspectives to assure work zone safety. This approach is designed to systematically use information collected at individual work zones to assess, diagnose, and improve safety.
Image classification using tree-structured discriminant vector quantization

According to the principle of minimum description length, the best classifier is the one that minimizes the sum of the complexity of the model and the description length of the training data. As the complexity of any realizable model is finite, the emphasis should be on minimizing the description length of the training data. Discriminant vector quantization (DVQ) tries to achieve precisely this goal by minimizing the description length of the training data through a two-stage vector quantization. We propose a tree-structured version of DVQ based on the generalized BFOS algorithm. This reduces the search complexity, while increasing the correct classification rate. Further, we propose a split criterion based on the mismatch due to quantizing a source with a quantizer optimized for a probability distribution function different from that of the source.
Social and demographic predictors of no transport prior to premature cardiac death: United States 1999–2000

In the United States, over one-third of premature cardiac deaths occur outside of a hospital, without any transport prior to death. Transport prior to death is a strong, valid indicator of help-seeking behavior. We used national vital statistics data to examine social and demographic predictors of risk of no transport prior to cardiac death. We hypothesized that persons of lower social class, immigrants, non-metropolitan residents, racial/ethnic minorities, men, and younger decedents would be more likely to die prior to transport. Our study population consisted of adult residents of the United States, aged 25 to 64 years, who died from heart disease during 1999–2000 (n = 242,406). We obtained transport status from the place of death variable on the death certificate. The independent effects of social and demographic predictor variables on the risk of a cardiac victim dying prior to transport vs. the risk of dying during or after transport to hospital were modeled using logistic regression. Results contradicted most of our a priori hypotheses. Persons of lower social class, immigrants, most non-metropolitan residents, and racial/ethnic minorities were all at lower risk of dying prior to transport. The greatest protective effect was found for racial/ethnic minority decedents compared with whites. The strongest adverse effect was found for marital status: the risk of dying with no transport was more than twice as high for those who were single (OR 2.35; 95% CI 2.29–2.40) or divorced (OR 2.29; 95% CI 2.24–2.34), compared with married decedents. Geographically, residents of the Western United States were at a 47% increased risk of dying prior to transport compared with residents of the metropolitan South. Our results suggest that marital status, a broad marker of household structure, social networks, and social support, is more important than social class or race/ethnicity as a predictor of access to emergency medical services for persons who suffer an acute cardiac event. Future research should focus on ascertaining "event histories" for all acute cardiac events that occur in a community, with the goal of identifying the residents most susceptible to cardiac fatalities prior to medical intervention and transport.
Isolation of a Sponge-derived Extracellular Matrix Adhesion Protein

Abstract The development of stable intercellular adhesions in the animal kingdom permitted the evolution of the metazoans, of which the sponges are primitive examples. Intercellular adhesion in these simple animals is mediated by a high affinity interaction between the sponge cell surface and aggregation factor, a 2 × 107-Da proteoglycan that is one of the major components of the sponge extracellular matrix. This report describes a sponge cell surface and extracellular matrix ligand for the sponge proteoglycan, aggregation factor. The 210-kDa protein binds aggregation factor proteoglycan with high affinity (Kd = 7 × 10−9 M). Importantly, in soluble form, it also inhibits aggregation factor-mediated cell adhesion. This glycoprotein is expressed on the sponge cell surface and within the extracellular matrix. This novel sponge extracellular matrix protein may represent a primitive antecedent of the extracellular matrix adhesion proteins of higher organisms.
Analyses of a Yang-Mills field over the three-level quantum systems

Utilizing a number of results of Dittmann, we investigate the nature of the Yang-Mills field over the eight-dimensional convex set, endowed with the Bures metric, of three-level quantum systems. Adopting a numerical strategy, we first decompose the field into self-dual and anti-self-dual components, by implementing the octonionic equations of Corrigan, Devchand, Fairlie and Nuyts. For each of these three fields, we obtain approximations to: (1) the Yang-Mills functional; (2) certain quantities studied by Bilge, Dereli, and Kocak in their analysis of self-dual Yang-Mills fields in eight dimensions; and (3) other measures of interest.
Low-density-lipoprotein-receptor-related protein (LRP) interacts with a GTP-binding protein

The low-density-lipoprotein-receptor-related protein (LRP) binds and internalizes numerous ligands, including lipoproteins, proteinase-inhibitor complexes and others. We have shown previously that LRP-mediated ligand internalization is dependent on cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity. Here, we investigated whether ligation of LRP increases the intracellular cAMP level and PKA activity via a stimulatory GTP-binding protein. Treatment of LRP-expressing cell lines with the LRP ligands lactoferrin or urokinase-type plasminogen activator caused a significant elevation in cAMP and stimulated PKA activity in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of the 39 kDa receptor-associated protein (RAP), an antagonist for ligand interactions with LRP, blocked the lactoferrin-induced increase in PKA activity, demonstrating a requirement for ligand binding to LRP. Incubation of cell membrane fractions with lactoferrin increased GTPase activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and treatment with LRP ligands suppressed cholera-toxin-mediated ADP-ribosylation of the Gsalpha subunit of a heterotrimeric G-protein. Affinity precipitation of LRP with RAP resulted in co-precipitation of two isoforms of Gsalpha from detergent extracts. We thus conclude that LRP is a signalling receptor that associates directly with a stimulatory heterotrimeric G-protein and activates a downstream PKA-dependent pathway.
The Calculus Concept Readiness (CCR) Instrument: Assessing Student Readiness for Calculus

The Calculus Concept Readiness (CCR) instrument is based on the broad body of mathematics education research that has revealed major understandings, representational abilities, and reasoning abilities students need to construct in precalculus level courses to be successful in calculus. The CCR is a 25-item multiple-choice instrument, and the CCR taxonomy articulates what the CCR assesses. The methodology used to develop and validate the CCR is described and illustrated. Results from administering the CCR as a readiness examination in calculus are provided along with data to guide others in using the CCR as a readiness examination for beginning calculus.
MATmarks: a shared memory environment for MATLAB programming

MATmarks is an extension of the MATLAB tool that enables shared memory programming on a network of workstations by adding a small set of commands. The authors present a high level overview of the MATmarks system, the commands we added to MATLAB, and the performance gains we achieved as a result.
Support vector machines with evolutionary feature weights optimization for biomedical data classification

In support vector machines (SVMs) learning, data to be classified are directly fed to the algorithms without modification. In many real world applications, objects however cannot be represented by original feature vectors accurately because the original features of vectors might contain noise, imprecise description, or unrelated information, which negatively affect SVMs to learn useful knowledge from raw given data. To challenging this problem, we in this paper present an evolutionary feature weights optimization method, which is used to transform the raw data into a "better" feature space to improve SVMs classification accuracies.