cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environment of Deposition and Uranium Host Rock Potential of Jurassic Morrison Formation, Northeastern New Mexico: ABSTRACT

A stratigraphic examination of the Morrison Formation in northeastern New Mexico indicates that its sediments were deposited in either a semiarid or arid environment when the area was located below 30°N lat. and was under the influence of the Northeast Trades. The dry environment and the prevailing northeasterly flow adversely affected the chance of commercial quantities of uranium from being incorporated into Morrison sediments. Dinosaurs that lived in the area were adapted to living in a dry and hot habitat. End_of_Article - Last_Page 563------------
Effects of Pink Bollworm Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis on Phenoloxidase Activity and Susceptibility to Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Widespread planting of crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) imposes selection on many key agricultural pests to evolve resistance to Bt. Fitness costs can slow the evolution of Bt resistance. We examined effects of entomopathogenic nematodes on fitness costs of Bt resistance in the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a major pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in the southwestern United States that is currently controlled by transgenic cotton that produces Bt toxin Cry1Ac. We tested whether the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) affected fitness costs of resistance to Cry1Ac in two laboratory-selected hybrid strains of pink bollworm reared on non-Bt cotton bolls. The nematode S. riobrave imposed a recessive fitness cost for one strain, and H. bacteriophora imposed a fitness cost affecting heterozygous resistant individuals for the other strain. Activity of phenoloxidase, an important component of insects' immune response, did not differ between Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptible families. This suggests phenoloxidase does not affect susceptibility to entomopathogenic nematodes in Bt-resistant pink bollworm. Additionally, phenoloxidase activity does not contribute to Bt resistance, as has been found in some species. We conclude that other mechanisms cause higher nematode-imposed mortality for pink bollworm with Bt resistance genes. Incorporation of nematode-imposed fitness costs into a spatially explicit simulation model suggests that entomopathogenic nematodes in non-Bt refuges could delay resistance by pink bollworm to Bt cotton.
Susceptibility of proliferating cells to benzo[a]pyrene-induced homologous recombination in mice.

The pink-eyed unstable mutation, p un , is the result of a 70 kb tandem duplication within the murine pink-eyed, p, gene. Deletion of one copy of the duplicated region by homologous deletion/recombination occurs spontaneously in embryos and results in pigmented spots in the fur and eye. Such deletion events are inducible by a variety of DNA damaging agents, as we have observed previously with both fur- and eye-spot assays. Here we describe a study of the effect of exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) at different times of development on reversion induction in the eye. Previously we, among others, have reported that the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) displays a position effect variegation phenotype in the pattern of pink-eyed unstable reversions. Following an acute exposure to B[a]P or X-rays on the tenth day of gestation an increased frequency of reversion events was detected in a distinct region of the adult RPE. Examining exposure at different times of eye development reveals that both B[a]P and X-rays result in an increased frequency of reversion events, though the increase was only significant following B[a]P exposure, similar to our previous report limited to exposure on the tenth day of gestation. Examination of B[a]P-exposed RPE in the present study revealed distinct regions where the induced events lie and that the positions of these regions are found at increasing distances from the optic nerve the later the time of exposure. This position effect directly reflects the previously observed developmental pattern of the RPE, namely that cells in the regions most distal from the optic nerve are proliferating most vigorously. The numbers and positions of RPE cells displaying the transformed (pigmented) phenotype strongly advocate the proposal that dividing cells are at highest risk to deletions induced by carcinogens.
Transcription of Nrdp1 by the androgen receptor is regulated by nuclear filamin A in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) progression is regulated by the androgen receptor (AR); however, patients undergoing androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for disseminated PCa eventually develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Results of previous studies indicated that AR, a transcription factor, occupies distinct genomic loci in CRPC compared with hormone-naive PCa; however, the cause of this distinction was unknown. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Nrdp1 is a model AR target modulated by androgens in hormone-naive PCa but not in CRPC. Using Nrdp1, we investigated how AR switches transcription programs during CRPC progression. The proximal Nrdp1 promoter contains an androgen response element (ARE); we demonstrated AR binding to this ARE in androgen-sensitive PCa. Analysis of hormone-naive human prostatectomy specimens revealed correlation between Nrdp1 and AR expression, supporting AR regulation of NRDP1 levels in androgen-sensitive tissue. However, despite sustained AR levels, AR binding to the Nrdp1 promoter and Nrdp1 expression were suppressed in CRPC. Elucidation of the suppression mechanism demonstrated correlation of NRDP1 levels with nuclear localization of the scaffolding protein filamin A (FLNA) which, as we previously showed, is itself repressed following ADT in many CRPC tumors. Restoration of nuclear FLNA in CRPC stimulated AR binding to Nrdp1 ARE, increased its transcription, and augmented NRDP1 protein expression and responsiveness to ADT, indicating that nuclear FLNA controls AR-mediated androgen-sensitive Nrdp1 transcription. Expression of other AR-regulated genes lost in CRPC was also re-established by nuclear FLNA. Thus, our results indicate that nuclear FLNA promotes androgen-dependent AR-regulated transcription in PCa, while loss of nuclear FLNA in CRPC alters the AR-regulated transcription program.
Engineering and environmental geophysics at the millennium

Near‐surface geophysics is being applied to a broader spectrum of problems than ever before, and new application areas are arising continually. Currently, the tools used to examine the near‐surface environment include a variety of noninvasive methods employing electrical, electromagnetic, or mechanical energy sources, along with passive techniques that measure the physical parameters of the earth. Some of the advances of recent years have emerged from breakthroughs in instrumentation and computer‐processing techniques, and some have been driven by societal needs, such as the increasing demand for the accurate geophysical characterization of polluted sites. Other compelling factors, such as the ever‐expanding need for groundwater, the enactment of laws that have spurred geophysical surveying for archaeological purposes, and the necessity for better soil‐physics information in geotechnical engineering and agriculture, are present worldwide. For historical context, the reader is referred to an excellent revi...
Combinatorial activation and concentration-dependent repression of the Drosophila even skipped stripe 3+7 enhancer

Despite years of study, the precise mechanisms that control position-specific gene expression during development are not understood. Here, we analyze an enhancer element from the even skipped (eve) gene, which activates and positions two stripes of expression (stripes 3 and 7) in blastoderm stage Drosophila embryos. Previous genetic studies showed that the JAK-STAT pathway is required for full activation of the enhancer, whereas the gap genes hunchback (hb) and knirps (kni) are required for placement of the boundaries of both stripes. We show that the maternal zinc-finger protein Zelda (Zld) is absolutely required for activation, and present evidence that Zld binds to multiple non-canonical sites. We also use a combination of in vitro binding experiments and bioinformatics analysis to redefine the Kni-binding motif, and mutational analysis and in vivo tests to show that Kni and Hb are dedicated repressors that function by direct DNA binding. These experiments significantly extend our understanding of how the eve enhancer integrates positive and negative transcriptional activities to generate sharp boundaries in the early embryo.
RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND EVOLUTION: PAUL TILLICH'S FOURTH WAY

. In his book God After Darwin John Haught provides a useful categorization of theological approaches to evolution: some theologians actively oppose Darwinian evolution, another group maintains that science and religion have nothing to say to one another, and a third seeks to engage evolution. Haught wishes to pursue the third way. But many theological attempts to talk about divine action in the world, including divine involvement in the process of evolution, run afoul of the scientific principle of the conservation of matter-energy. Haught's reliance on the now-familiar notion that information can have causal efficacy does not in fact escape this difficulty. I suggest a fourth approach, represented by a constructive reading of Paul Tillich's theology. The central argument is that Tillich offers a way of taking Darwinian evolution up into one's ultimate concern without claiming that God has any causal relation to evolution. God provides no historical telos for evolution, but rather a “depth teleology” that springs from the manner in which God, as the depth of the structure of finite being, is the object of Christian faith.
Non-invasive assessment of cardiac function and pulmonary vascular resistance in an canine model of acute thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension using 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Background The purpose of this study was to quantify right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular function, pulmonary artery flow (QP), tricuspid valve regurgitation velocity (TRV), and aorta flow (QS) from a single 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) (time-resolved three-directionally motion encoded CMR) sequence in a canine model of acute thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (PH).
Striving for synergy: how to improve cancer immunotherapy through multiple agonist costimulation.

Tumors must be attacked on multiple fronts The mainstay therapies for patients with advanced cancer have long been radiation and chemotherapeutics that exact substantial adverse effects on healthy tissue. Fortunately, the recent revolution in our understanding of the molecular, biochemical and immunological properties of tumors has facilitated the development of rational approaches that target tumors, but not healthy cells, with greater precision. An excellent example is the development of small molecule inhibitors that target an oncogenic driver mutation in the BRAF signaling protein expressed within the majority of melanomas [1]. Although BRAF inhibitors produce impressive clinical responses with minimal adverse effects owing to its specificity for mutant but not wild-type BRAF, tumor clones that acquire additional oncogenic mutations typically cause disease recurrence, thus necessitating the development of additional small molecules targeting these secondary mutations [2]. Vaccines and immune modulators represent another class of targeted therapies. Most rely on CD8 cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) that recognize short processed peptide fragments generated from proteins within tumor cells and presented on their surface complexed to MHC class I molecules. The high DNA mutation rate in tumor cells results in MHC display of peptide epitopes unique to the tumor, enabling cognate CTLs to selectively target tumor, but not healthy cells. Although tumor-specific CTLs can mediate tumor regression, a common outcome observed in both mouse models and in human clinical trials is that disease recurrence can be caused by the outgrowth of antigen-loss variant tumor clones. The mechanism of this process is thought to be either loss of expression of specific targeted epitopes or global downregulation of MHC class I [3,4].
Competition and equilibrium in multiuser networks with multiple service providers

This paper studies the issue of resource allocation in multiuser wireless networks with multiple service providers. We investigate the feasibility of modeling the resource allocation problem as a voting game and study the resulting strategic behaviors of the agents. In other words, competing transmitters are modeled as candidates in an election, while the receivers form the electorate. We study both deterministic and stochastic voting models and point out the salient features of each. The existence and structure of equilibrium outcomes of the proposed voting game for wireless networks are studied in detail. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed voting-theoretic mechanism.
Structure-Function Analysis of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Sequences from 70 Organisms

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase families (DGATs) catalyze the final and rate-limiting step of triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis in eukaryotic organisms. Understanding the roles of DGATs will help to create transgenic plants with value-added properties and provide clues for therapeutic intervention for obesity and related diseases. The objective of this analysis was to identify conserved sequence motifs and amino acid residues for better understanding of the structure-function relationship of these important enzymes. 117 DGAT sequences from 70 organisms including plants, animals, fungi and human are obtained from database search using tung tree DGATs. Phylogenetic analysis separates these proteins into DGAT1 and DGAT2 subfamilies. These DGATs are integral membrane proteins with more than 40% of the total amino acid residues being hydrophobic. They have similar properties and amino acid composition except that DGAT1s are approximately 20 kDa larger than DGAT2s. DGAT1s and DGAT2s have 41 and 16 completely conserved amino acid residues, respectively, although only two of them are shared by all DGATs. These residues are distributed in 7 and 6 sequence blocks for DGAT1s and DGAT2s, respectively, and located at the carboxyl termini, suggesting the location of the catalytic domains. These conserved sequence blocks do not contain the putative neutral lipid-binding domain, mitochondrial targeting signal, or ER retrieval motif. The importance of conserved residues has been demonstrated by site-directed and natural mutants. This study has identified conserved sequence motifs and amino acid residues in all 117 DGATs and the two subfamilies. None of the completely conserved residues in DGAT1s and DGAT2s is present in recently reported isoforms in the multiple sequences alignment, raising an important question how proteins with completely different amino acid sequences could perform the same biochemical reaction. The sequence analysis should facilitate studying the structure-function relationship of DGATs with the ultimate goal to identify critical amino acid residues for engineering superb enzymes in metabolic engineering and selecting enzyme inhibitors in therapeutic application for obesity and related diseases.
The role of least frequent item sets in association discovery

Advances in commercial and scientific data collection have generated a flood of data which has triggered the need to turn such data into useful information and knowledge to identify novel, potentially useful patterns in data stored in databases. This work presents the development, implementation and application of an adaptive apriori algorithm for mining large datasets focusing on extracting interesting associations rules for less frequent item sets. The relevance of the adaptive apriori algorithm has been studied with respect to the set of data that was obtained by applying the transitive closure property among objects obtained from the biomedical scientific literature where both frequent and infrequent events need to be detected. Three adaptive apriori association rule mining methods, the weight induced apriori association rule mining (WIAARM), weight and significance induced apriori association rule mining (WSIAARM) and significance induced apriori association rule mining (SIAARM) are presented to effectively prune and extract meaningful association rules. These rules were applied on a large set of biological entity-entity association records and the results indicated that both WIAARM and WSIAARM were able to discover item sets with low and high frequency.
Health Care in the Marketplace: Implications for Decisionally Impaired Consumers and Their Surrogates and Advocates

This article examines the prevailing paradigm shift in health care financing and delivery away from pervasive regulation toward greater consumer choice, with a focus on consumer choice and direction in the area of publicly funded health care and long term care services. Particular attention is devoted to consumer control by older and disabled persons, who comprise the population group most likely to be eligible for, and dependent on, public financing for these services. Objections to the paradigm shift from pervasive regulation toward the competitive marketplace are outlined and ultimately rejected in favor of an overall policy endorsement of more emphasis on consumer choice and control for older and disabled persons in this context. Finally, the article devotes substantial attention to identifying and analyzing the legal and practical implications of the marketplace paradigm shift for decisionally incapacitated older and disabled persons and their surrogates and advocates.
The Rocking Movements of Bees

Rocking movements are performed by young bees. The purpose of these movements is the cleansing and polishing of the interior of the hive. The same operations are also performed on exterior parts of the hive to provide a clean clustering space. The liking of bees for smooth surfaces seems to cause this mechanical cleansing process.
Effect of divalent cations on AMPA-evoked extracellular alkaline shifts in rat hippocampal slices.

The generation of activity-evoked extracellular alkaline shifts has been linked to the presence of external Ca2+ or Ba2+. We further investigated this dependence using pH- and Ca2+-selective microe...
RHEED Intensity Oscillations for the Stoichiometric Growth of SrTiO3 Thin Films by Reactive Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The growth of high quality multicomponent oxide thin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) requires precise composition control. We report the use of in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) for the stoichiometric deposition of SrTiO3 (1 0 0) from independent strontium and titanium sources. By monitoring changes in the RHEED intensity oscillations as monolayer doses of strontium and titanium are sequentially deposited, the Sr:Ti ratio can be adjusted to within 1% of stoichiometry. Furthermore, the presence of a beat frequency in the intensity oscillation envelope allows the adjustment of the strontium and titanium fluxes so that a full monolayer of coverage is obtained with each shuttered dose of strontium or titanium. RHEED oscillations have also been employed to determine the doping concentration in barium- and lanthanum-doped SrTiO3 films.
The Politics of Adopting Televised Sessions

Why do legislators adopt television coverage? The legislators themselves have proposed several reasons, during the debates over televised sessions. Some U.S. Representatives and Senators viewed the public’s “right to know” about its government as reason enough to support coverage. Others, as we quoted in Chapter 1, expressed concern over the loss of visibility in the upper chamber versus the lower chamber. The other side of this question, obviously, is why do some legislators vote to bar cameras from legislative sessions? Again, if we listen to the legislators, we hear concerns expressed for voters. John Anderson said that the House TV system represented, “...one more incumbent protection device at the taxpayer’s expense.” To listen to some politicians would lead us to believe that they have the good of the legislative process at heart. Senator Russell Long and others have voiced concern over TV’s effects on legislative business. They expect politicians to grandstand and slowdown legislative business.
Skeletal Blood Flow in Bone Repair and Maintenance

Bone is a highly vascularized tissue, although this aspect of bone is often overlooked. In this article, the importance of blood flow in bone repair and regeneration will be reviewed. First, the skeletal vascular anatomy, with an emphasis on long bones, the distinct mechanisms for vascularizing bone tissue, and methods for remodeling existing vasculature are discussed. Next, techniques for quantifying bone blood flow are briefly summarized. Finally, the body of experimental work that demonstrates the role of bone blood flow in fracture healing, distraction osteogenesis, osteoporosis, disuse osteopenia, and bone grafting is examined. These results illustrate that adequate bone blood flow is an important clinical consideration, particularly during bone regeneration and in at-risk patient groups.
Punitive politics in the states

The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction “is concerned with the ‘hardening public attitudes’ which, he feels, threaten any humane approach to correction.” (The Boston Globe, December 8, 1976) The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world —; unless we consider the individual states. In 2013, sixteen states ranked above the overall US incarceration rate. Louisiana topped the list with an incarceration rate more than one-and-a-half times the US rate. One out of every thirty-one Louisianans was incarcerated, on probation, or on parole. These numbers show that to fully understand the rise of mass incarceration in the United States, we must also look to the states. Not only do the states house the lion's share of the prison population — around 90 percent of all inmates — but state governments have played a crucial role in the growth of the carceral state. And as this chapter's opening quote from Frank A. Hall (the former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction) implies, public opinion in the states was a major contributing factor. Perhaps the most important way political actors influenced the incarceration rate (at both the state and federal levels) has been through changes in sentencing laws, such as the adoption of determinate sentencing and mandatory minimum sentences. New York's “Rockefeller Drug Laws,” which Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed into law on May 8, 1973, illustrate the two ways that sentencing laws can influence the incarceration rate. First, these laws increased the number of people going to prison by legislating mandatory prison sentences for crimes that previously did not result in prison time. For example, prior to the Rockefeller Drug Laws, possession of a small amount of LSD or methamphetamines was a misdemeanor crime. The maximum punishment was one year in a local jail, but probation, conditional discharge (no imprisonment or probation, conditional on meeting court-ordered requirements, such as drug treatment), or unconditional discharge (no imprisonment or probation) was more likely. However, after the Rockefeller Drug Laws, the possession of a tab of LSD carried a mandatory sentence of one year to life and possession of two ounces of methamphetamines carried a mandatory sentence of one to fifteen years. In addition to increasing the number of people going to jail, changes in sentencing laws increased the incarceration rate by extending the length of sentences.
Distributed agreement in the presence of noise

In this paper, we propose a distributed dynamic consensus scheme which exhibits noise resilient property. In our setup, each node is modeled as a simple integrator. We use frequency-domain analysis to establish that the output of each node tracks the (weighted) average of the inputs of all nodes with zero steady-state error and show that a certain kind of graph Laplacain (called feasible Laplacian) is necessary in our framework. The eigenvalue location of feasible Laplacians turns out to be an LMI region, which allows us to derive an LMI test condition. When the noise is present, we show that the output tracking error has a bounded covariance.
PiB correlates of cerebral FDG metabolism in autosomal dominant AD

34 Objectives Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD) is a rare form of AD with early onset. This population has been studied longitudinally in the context of the DIAN consortium. This consortium has characterized the imaging pattern of the disease evolution using amyloid deposition (PiB-PET), PET glucose metabolism (FDG-PET) and volumetric MRI. For practical and safety aspects, it would be desirable to identify surrogate imaging biomarkers in order to reduce the participant burden of multiple imaging sessions and radiation dose. It has been proposed that early frames of PiB, corresponding to perfusion of the tracer, are well correlated with glucose metabolism (1). In order to evaluate the use of early PiB PET perfusion images as a surrogate for FDG in ADAD, we compared PiB with FDG-PET measures. Methods Thirty participants underwent PIB, FDG PET and MRI. The PET images were co-registered with the MR images. Standard uptake values (SUVs) from early PiB frames (at 1min; for 7min) and late PiB frames (at 40min; for 30min) were compared with late FDG frames (at 40min; for 30min). SUVs were defined with cerebellar cortex as reference. Mean cortical binding potential with a threshold of 0.18 was used to define PiB positivity. Correlations were performed at the level of the whole brain. PiB (negative; positive), mutation (non-carriers; carriers), and cognitive (CDR0; CDR0.5; CDR1) status were considered. Results The correlations are high between early PiB frames and late FDG frames (mean r=0.80±0.01) and are low between late PiB and late FDG frames (mean r=0.09±0.06). The high correlations are not affected by PiB, mutation or cognitive status. Low correlations of late frames are significantly different between PiB (p Conclusions These results suggest that combined measures of early and late frames of PiB could be sufficient to evaluate both perfusion and amyloid deposition in ADAD. Research Support U01AG032438
Abstract 021: Extended Proliferation Capacity of Cardiomyocytes is Insufficient to Complete Cardiac Regeneration in Mice with a Mutation of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C

Introduction: Adult mammalian cardiac regeneration rate is inadequate to compensate for the loss of myocardium following injury. One-day old (P1) mice fully regenerate myocardium after ventricular apex resection by division of cardiomyocytes (CMs). This regeneration ability is lost by P7. While CMs of a P1 mouse are mostly mononuclear, CMs withdraw from cell cycle and become mostly binuclear in the first post-natal week. CMs in mice with a mutation of a sarcomeric cardiac myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-Ct/t) have an extended proliferating capacity. In MyBP-Ct/t mice, there are more CMs per ventricle and a significant number of CMs remain mononuclear compared to WT. Hypothesis: The loss of regeneration potential during the first post-natal week in WT mice is a result of rigid sarcomeric structure of maturing CMs, and a mutation of sarcomeric MyBP-C would extend the regenerative capacity of CMs beyond P1. Methods: We performed apical resections on P10 MyBP-Ct/t and WT mice with sham-operated controls (n=61 of 118 survived surgery). For the resection surgery, neonates were anesthetized on ice, causing transient sedation, apnea and asystole. We assessed cardiac regeneration over two weeks by measuring cell cycle activity: Ki67 and pH3 expressions, and BrdU incorporation. Results: All cell cycle activity markers in MyBP-Ct/t CMs were significantly higher than in WT. At 7 days-post resection (dpr) the number of BrdU-positive CM nuclei per 40X field was (mean±SD): 1.8±1.2 in MyBP-Ct/t resections (n=4), 0.7±0.3 in MyBP-Ct/t shams (n=5), 0.3±0.3 in WT resections (n=3), and 0.2±0.2 in WT shams (n=3). However, an increase in cell cycle activity in MyBP-Ct/t resected hearts was not significant compared to MyBP-Ct/t sham controls. Interestingly, using VonKossa silver staining, we observed pronounced dystrophic calcifications due to CM necrosis in MyBP-Ct/t resected hearts only. The calcifications filled the resected area and were positive for cardiac troponin and proliferation markers as early as 3dpr, suggesting that proliferating CMs underwent necrosis and aborted regeneration. Conclusion: An extended proliferation capacity of MyBP-Ct/t CMs beyond the first post-natal week is insufficient for complete cardiac regeneration following apical resection.
Double Shift, Double Balance: Housework in the Presence of Children in the United States

This chapter focuses on the extent to which women combine housework with simultaneously minding children. Given that housework can be done along with child caregiving, but presumably at a cost, this characteristic of home production time constitutes another margin in women’s lives where the balancing act of their many roles plays out. After exploring the existing literature and a simple conceptual model, the authors analyze data from the American Time Use Surveys, 2003–2011. The results indicate systematic differences in doing housework alone or with or without children present according to a number of characteristics of women and their households. Women with more minutes in employment that day are more likely to engage in household chores alone and are less likely to have children present while doing housework.
Impact of Objective Echocardiographic Criteria for Timing of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair

Objective To assess the impact of specific echocardiographic criteria for timing of congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair on the incidence of acute postoperative clinical decompensation from pulmonary hypertensive crisis and/or acute respiratory decompensation, with secondary outcomes including survival to discharge, duration of ventilator support, and length of hospitalization. Study design The multidisciplinary congenital diaphragmatic hernia management team instituted a protocol in 2012 requiring the specific criterion of echocardiogram-estimated pulmonary artery pressure ≤80% systemic blood pressure before repairing congenital diaphragmatic hernias. A retrospective review of 77 neonatal patients with Bochdalek hernias repaired between 2008 and 2015 were reviewed: group 1 included patients repaired before protocol implementation (n = 25) and group 2 included patients repaired after implementation (n = 52). Results The groups had similar baseline characteristics. Postoperative decompensation occurred less often in group 2 compared with group 1 (17% vs 48%, P = .01). Adjusted analysis accounting for repair type, liver herniation, and prematurity yielded similar results (15% vs 37%, P = .04). Group 2 displayed a trend toward improved survival to 30 days postoperatively, though this did not reach statistical significance (94% vs 80%, P = .06). Patient survival to discharge, duration of ventilator support, and length of hospitalization were not different between groups. Conclusions The implementation of a protocol requiring echocardiogram-estimated pulmonary arterial pressure ≤80% of systemic pressure before congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair may reduce the incidence of acute postoperative decompensation, although there was no difference in longer-term secondary outcomes, including survival to discharge.
Molecular Electronics: An Opportunity for a Biotecnical Synergism

The scientific, technological, and humanitarian opportunities inherent in the strong interaction between molecular biology (and biochemistry) and the developing new field of molecular electronics are unusually abundant and stimulating. It is an object of this paper to discuss a sampling of these opportunities and to indicate their importance, which in some cases, are revolutionary in scope.
Informal Reasoning, Psychology of

Informal reasoning refers to reasoning that occurs in situations in which information and the inferences made may vary in their certainty or acceptability. This reasoning is contrasted with deductive reasoning based upon the rules of formal logic. A basic component of informal reasoning is the form of argument termed an enthymeme consisting of a claim and supporting reason. This article summarizes informal reasoning research selectively and addresses related theoretical issues.
Phase Behavior and Rheological Properties of Amorphous Polymers Plasticized by Crystalline Solids

Many high-Tg thermoplastics are difficult to process because of the close proximity of the glass transition and degradation temperatures. For these polymers only a few degrees of latitude in processing temperature are available to the fabricator, causing a high rate of rejection of the finished parts. Common problems include short shots and weak welds because of low temperatures, or splash and poor color because of excessively high temperatures. To increase the processability of high performance polymers, processing aids can be added. These include plasticizers, which lower melt viscosity but also adversely affect the high temperature performance of the resin. Because of the close relationship between melt viscosity and glass transition -- as described, for example, by the WLF relationship -- it seems evident that true plasticizers are not desirable as processing aids unless they can be removed from the polymer after fabrication. Removal of the plasticizer might be, conceivably, by its polymerization, vaporization, or solidification as a separate phase. The latter was chosen as the subject of this work.
Influences of Vegetation and Abiotic Environmental Factors on Salt Marsh Invertebrates

Sediment-dwelling fauna are a ubiquitous component of salt marshes yet we have limited understanding of their roles in marsh functioning and of the environmental conditions that control their distributions and abundances. This paper examines the influence of vegetation (presence, type, density, and biomass) and other environmental variables (marsh age, sediment and porewater properties, elevation, flow, oxygen, and biogenic structures) on salt marsh macrofauna and meiofauna. We review studies from a variety of geographical locations and include new information from systems with adjacent natural and restored sites in southern California. The influence of environmental factors on faunal assemblages varies with marsh system, factor intensity or concentration, taxon studied, and with other interacting factors present. We hypothesize a hierarchy of environmental variables in which abiotic properties such as marsh age, elevation and salinity act over large space and time scales, and are most likely to influence the presence or absence of species. Sediment properties (organic matter and particle size) and vegetation presence or type act on intermediate scales affecting macrofaunal abundance and composition. Plant biomass, culms and biogenic structures generated by fauna are patchy and act on small scales, often interacting with flow, to affect distribution and abundance patterns. Resolution of these processes in salt marshes should improve our understanding of controls on invertebrate communities and will ultimately aid the conservation and restoration of salt marsh habitat.
Crystallization and Melting

The crystallization of flexible chain molecules, of sufficient structural regularity, is widely observed in both naturally occuring macromolecular systems as well as those of synthetic origin. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns have established that long range three-dimensional order is a characteristic of polymer crystallinity and is thus similar to crystals formed by low molecular weight substances. A major difference exists, however, since for low molecular weight species individual molecules occupy equivalent points in each unit cell while in polymers the chain repeating units play a corresponding role. The special feature of polymer structure, which manifests itself in all aspects of polymer crystallization, is the covalent connectivity of chain atoms and repeating units. This connectivity of hundreds to thousands of chain atoms sets the crystallization of polymers apart from other types of molecular systems. It is the underlying reason for the differences that are observed. For example, for the flexible type chain molecules the crystallization process is rarely if ever complete. For homopolymers, depending upon molecular weight and crystallization conditions, the extent of crystallization can range from 30 to 90%.1, 2 Because of the basic structural differences that exist it should be apparent that one cannot tacitly assume that polymers and low molecular weight substances display the same crystallization behavior and properties. Each aspect of the crystallization phenomenon needs to be examined separately to see what correlations actually exist. We shall find that for many aspects of the problem there are strong elements of similarity between the different molecular systems; there are, however, also major differences.
Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Causing Airway Obstruction in an Adult

Thyroglossal duct cysts, though not uncommon, rarely present with evidence of laryngeal compromise. The case presented is one of the very few cases with documented laryngeal invasion reported in the English language. Of clinical significance is the patient's presentation with laryngeal symptoms of choking and dysphonia in the presence of a small anterior cervical mass. While the thyroglossal duct cyst usually presents as an asymptomatic anterior neck mass, this case illustrates the importance of considering a thyroglossal duct cyst in any patient with airway compromise in the absence of a neck mass.
The American family meal.

Abstract In this chapter, the American family meal is examined. Recent trends in eating by both individuals and families are explored. Frequency of eating various meals, time spent eating, and which, if any, family members participate in these meals are studied. Effects of parental employment, income, and other characteristics indicate the frequency and time spent in some family meals are constrained by resources such as time and by parental work schedules. Foods currently consumed at family dinner tables are presented.
Faster Gait Speeds Reduce Alpha and Beta EEG Spectral Power From Human Sensorimotor Cortex

Objective: Our aim was to determine if walking speed affected human sensorimotor electrocortical dynamics using mobile high-density electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: To overcome limitations associated with motion and muscle artifact contamination in EEG recordings, we compared solutions for artifact removal using novel dual-layer EEG electrodes and alternative signal processing methods. Dual-layer EEG simultaneously recorded human electrocortical signals and isolated motion artifacts using pairs of mechanically coupled and electrically independent electrodes. For electrical muscle activity removal, we incorporated electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the neck into our mobile EEG data processing pipeline. We compared artifact removal methods during treadmill walking at four speeds (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 m/s). Results: Left and right sensorimotor alpha and beta spectral power increased in contralateral limb single support and push off, and decreased during contralateral limb swing at each speed. At faster walking speeds, sensorimotor spectral power fluctuations were less pronounced across the gait cycle with reduced alpha and beta power ( p Conclusion and significance: Dual-layer EEG enabled us to isolate changes in human sensorimotor electrocortical dynamics across walking speeds. A comparison of signal processing approaches revealed similar intrastride cortical fluctuations when applying common (e.g., artifact subspace reconstruction) and novel artifact rejection methods. Dual-layer EEG, however, allowed us to document and rule out residual artifacts, which exposed sensorimotor spectral power changes across gait speeds.
Emergent anomalous higher symmetries from topological order and from dynamical electromagnetic field in condensed matter systems

Global symmetry (0-symmetry) acts on the whole space while higher $k$-symmetry acts on all the codimension-$k$ closed subspaces. The usual condensed matter lattice theories do not include dynamical electromagnetic (EM) field and do not have higher symmetries (unless we engineer fine-tuned toy models). However, for gapped systems, (anomalous) higher symmetries can emerge from the usual condensed matter theories at low energies (usually in a spontaneously broken form). We pointed out that the emergent spontaneously broken higher symmetries are nothing but a kind of topological order. Thus the study of emergent spontaneously broken higher symmetries is a study of topological order. The emergent (anomalous) higher symmetries can be used to constrain possible phase transitions and possible phases induced by certain types of excitations in topological orders. (Anomalous) higher symmetry can also emerge in gapless systems if the gapless excitations contain gapless gauge fields. In particular, EM condensed matter systems that include the dynamical EM field have an emergent anomalous $U(1)$-1-symmetry below the energy gap of the magnetic monopoles. So EM condensed matter systems can realize some physical phenomena of anomalous higher symmetry. In particular, any gapped liquid phase of an EM condensed matter system (induced by arbitrary fluctuations and condensations of electric charges and photons) must have a nontrivial bosonic topological order.
Korean Neo-Confucian Thought

This paper reviews the history of Korean Neo-Confucian thought from its introduction in the late fourteenth century until the end of the Joseon dynasty in the early twentieth century. With the founding of Joseon in 1392 the Neo-Confucian synthesis that had swept China was adopted in Korea, replacing the Buddhist establishment of the previous dynasty. The introductory section discusses the major figures in this transition and their grasp of the new metaphysical framework and ascetical theory which now supplemented the traditional Confucian ethical core. The new teaching took deep root in the fifteenth century, but it did so in the context of succession problems leading to a series of “literati purges” of Confucians serving in government. The sixteenth century marked the coming to full intellectual maturity of the Neo-Confucian thought of the Cheng-Zhu school on the Korean peninsula. Toegye and Yulgok, the most famous names in Korean Neo-Confucian thought, represented opposing sides in the celebrated Four Seven Debate concerning the origination of feelings in the mind-and-heart. As the Mongols established the new Qing dynasty in China in the seventeenth century, Korean Neo-Confucians felt they had become the sole heritors and defenders of true civilization, leading to a period of intense and conflicted conservative orthodox orientation towards the Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucian school. In the intense factional struggles of the time the Yulgok followers of a faction led by Song Siyeol rose to dominance, and in the early eighteenth century the second most celebrated controversy, the Horak Debate, broke out within the ranks of this single intellectual lineage. The debate is best known for the question of whether and how humans and all other creatures share the same “original nature,” but it also inquired deeply into the accessibility of the original nature in techniques of meditative self-cultivation. The latter part of the eighteenth century is known for the emergence of a broad, loosely coordinated movement away from philosophical questions towards “practical learning,” or “Silhak” as twentieth century historians have named it. Philosophical inquiry continued to have a lively life well into the nineteenth century, however, with a deepening and radicalization of lines of thought established in the earlier debates, as well as some creative crossing and merging of the boundaries that separated the intellectual lineages of Toegye and Yulgok.
Spider Telangiectases and Palmar Erythema as Harbingers of Structural Liver Changes in Three Breast Cancer Patients on Ado-trastuzumab Emtansine

Objective: We describe three patients treated with ado-trastuzumab emtansine who developed either palmar flushing or spider angiomas. We then correlate these findings with radiologic imaging results of the liver. Design: Three consecutive referrals to dermatology for patient skin complaints while taking ado-trastuzumab emtansine were evaluated and found to have either telangiectases or palmar flushing. Two patients who did not have prominent nodularity on computed tomography of the liver underwent transient elastography. Results: All three patients with stigmata of liver disease that developed during the course of ado-trastuzumab emtansine demonstrated parenchymal liver abnormalities. Conclusion: Patients presenting with spider angiomas and/or palmar flushing on adotrastuzumab emtansine should be considered for elastography studies to ensure early structural damage is not occurring. Further investigation is needed to define the precise etiology for these telangiectases and the role of elastography imaging in monitoring patients on long-term adotrastuzumab emtansine.
Virtualized Speech Practice for the College Classroom

For at least 20 years, Virtual Reality (VR) environments have been created and deployed as a tool to help treat, assess, and manage the anxiety many people associate with public speaking. However, these studies have been conducted primarily in controlled environments in either a clinical or a research lab setting. In this paper we describe an adventure into the wild—our experience designing and installing a virtual reality audience environment into a university public speaking laboratory for use in practice of speeches that were classroom assignments for undergraduate students. In particular, we report on system design, how the system was incorporated into a standard university course, and how practice in front of a virtual audience affected student performance on a speech given in front of their class.
Co-development of emotion regulation: shifting from self-focused to child-focused perezhivanie in everyday parent-toddler dramatic collisions

Early development of emotion regulation plays a vital role in children’s school readiness and later academic success. Most studies on toddlers’ emotion regulation are laboratory-based and correlati...
Constructing and evaluating automated literature review systems

Automated literature reviews have the potential to accelerate knowledge synthesis and provide new insights. However, a lack of labeled ground-truth data has made it difficult to develop and evaluate these methods. We propose a framework that uses the reference lists from existing review papers as labeled data, which can then be used to train supervised classifiers, allowing for experimentation and testing of models and features at a large scale. We demonstrate our framework by training classifiers using different combinations of citation- and text-based features on 500 review papers. We use the R-Precision scores for the task of reconstructing the review papers’ reference lists as a way to evaluate and compare methods. We also extend our method, generating a novel set of articles relevant to the fields of misinformation studies and science communication. We find that our method can identify many of the most relevant papers for a literature review from a large set of candidate papers, and that our framework allows for development and testing of models and features to incrementally improve the results. The models we build are able to identify relevant papers even when starting with a very small set of seed papers. We also find that the methods can be adapted to identify previously undiscovered articles that may be relevant to a given topic.