cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water Pollution and Leukemia: A Model for Interdisciplinary Research in the Classroom Experiences Incorporating Effective Pedagogical Approaches for Community College General Biology I Lab Students

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in the United States faces a host of problems including low recruitment and retention in STEM disciplines, underrepresentation of multiple segments of the US population, and a host of other issues. These problems are well recognized and a variety of solutions are being implemented by interested parties at multiple points along the STEM education pipeline. Incorporating research into STEM classes is an effective way of enhancing student success in STEM education at the undergraduate level. This work describes the development and implementation of a research in the classroom project for community college General Biology I lab students which addresses possible relationships between water pollution and cancer while simultaneously implementing established High Impact Practices (HIPs). This work is part of a larger effort to recruit and retain the next generation of Earth and Environmental Systems engineering students at the undergraduate level. Our inherently interdisciplinary model, which integrates multiple pedagogical elements, can be easily modified for implementation in a wide variety of undergraduate STEM courses allowing students to benefit from participation in research while generating actual scientific data, making connections with global and personal issues, and illustrating relevant discipline concepts.
Pynchon and Electro-Mysticism

The novels of Pynchon are often discussed amongst literary experts as a prime example of so-called postmodernism. If Thomas Pynchon didn't already exist in secrecy, he would simply have to be invented, in order to verify postmodernism, just as Georg Cantor demonstrates Bacon's authorship of the works of Shakespeare. In any case, a vast cartel of quoters seem more than eager to ever increase a supposedly fresh complexity. Niklas Luhmann, when he was still smiling, occasionally joked that he knew not of any postmodernism, only of a modern post. Seeing themselves confronted with the facts and circumstances of Pynchon's novels, where the well-rehearsed tools of the humanities miserably fail, these prophets might find that the easiest way to escape their dilemma is simply to tag it as postmodern.
Loss of Ranbp2 in motoneurons causes disruption of nucleocytoplasmic and chemokine signaling, proteostasis of hnRNPH3 and Mmp28, and development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndromes.

ABSTRACT The pathogenic drivers of sporadic and familial motor neuron disease (MND), such amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are unknown. MND impairs the Ran GTPase cycle, which controls nucleocytoplasmic transport, ribostasis and proteostasis; however, cause-effect mechanisms of Ran GTPase modulators in motoneuron pathobiology have remained elusive. The cytosolic and peripheral nucleoporin Ranbp2 is a crucial regulator of the Ran GTPase cycle and of the proteostasis of neurological disease-prone substrates, but the roles of Ranbp2 in motoneuron biology and disease remain unknown. This study shows that conditional ablation of Ranbp2 in mouse Thy1 motoneurons causes ALS syndromes with hypoactivity followed by hindlimb paralysis, respiratory distress and, ultimately, death. These phenotypes are accompanied by: a decline in the nerve conduction velocity, free fatty acids and phophatidylcholine of the sciatic nerve; a reduction in the g-ratios of sciatic and phrenic nerves; and hypertrophy of motoneurons. Furthermore, Ranbp2 loss disrupts the nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of the import and export nuclear receptors importin β and exportin 1, respectively, Ran GTPase and histone deacetylase 4. Whole-transcriptome, proteomic and cellular analyses uncovered that the chemokine receptor Cxcr4, its antagonizing ligands Cxcl12 and Cxcl14, and effector, latent and activated Stat3 all undergo early autocrine and proteostatic deregulation, and intracellular sequestration and aggregation as a result of Ranbp2 loss in motoneurons. These effects were accompanied by paracrine and autocrine neuroglial deregulation of hnRNPH3 proteostasis in sciatic nerve and motoneurons, respectively, and post-transcriptional downregulation of metalloproteinase 28 in the sciatic nerve. Mechanistically, our results demonstrate that Ranbp2 controls nucleocytoplasmic, chemokine and metalloproteinase 28 signaling, and proteostasis of substrates that are crucial to motoneuronal homeostasis and whose impairments by loss of Ranbp2 drive ALS-like syndromes.
Energetic Constraints Produce Self-sustained Oscillatory Dynamics in Neuronal Networks.

OVERVIEW: We model energy constraints in a network of spiking neurons, while exploring general questions of resource limitation on network function abstractly. BACKGROUND: Metabolic states like dietary ketosis or hypoglycemia have a large impact on brain function and disease outcomes. Glia provide metabolic support for neurons, among other functions. Yet, in computational models of glia-neuron cooperation, there have been no previous attempts to explore the effects of direct realistic energy costs on network activity in spiking neurons. Currently, biologically realistic spiking neural networks assume that membrane potential is the main driving factor for neural spiking, and do not take into consideration energetic costs. METHODS: We define local energy pools to constrain a neuron model, termed Spiking Neuron Energy Pool (SNEP), which explicitly incorporates energy limitations. Each neuron requires energy to spike, and resources in the pool regenerate over time. Our simulation displays an easy-to-use GUI, which can be run locally in a web browser, and is freely available. RESULTS: Energy dependence drastically changes behavior of these neural networks, causing emergent oscillations similar to those in networks of biological neurons. We analyze the system via Lotka-Volterra equations, producing several observations: 1) energy can drive self-sustained oscillations, 2) the energetic cost of spiking modulates the degree and type of oscillations, 3) harmonics emerge with frequencies determined by energy parameters, and 4) varying energetic costs have non-linear effects on energy consumption and firing rates. CONCLUSIONS: Models of neuron function which attempt biological realism may benefit from including energy constraints. Further, we assert that observed oscillatory effects of energy limitations exist in networks of many kinds, and that these findings generalize to abstract graphs and technological applications.
Political Regime Type and Warfare: Evidence from 600 Years of European History

Is the democratic peace a wholly modern phenomenon or a continuation of previous historical trends? This paper offers the first quantitative analysis of political regime type and conflict in late medieval and early modern Europe. We argue that the modern democratic peace is borne out of centuries of conflict between early parliamentary regimes, which enabled states to raise greater fiscal resources to put toward warfare. To test this argument, we construct a new dyadic panel database of all conflicts, belligerents, and political regime types for the full universe of sovereign polities in Europe between 1200 and 1800. Our database includes more than 900 conflicts and 80 polities. We find that parliamentary regimes fought significantly more than non-parliamentary regimes, both overall and against each other. Furthermore, we find that the causal relationship between parliaments and warfare was reciprocal, with war participation creating the demand for parliamentary institutions, and such institutions creating the capacity for more war. Our results suggest that the institutional predecessors of modern democracies were regimes with significant capacity to make war, but -- until recently -- not enough constraints to prevent it.
Backward Second-Order Conditioning in Flavor Aversion Learning

Three experiments are reported which addressed the possibility that a neutral-flavor stimulus (CS2) can become aversive by pairing it with a previously established aversive-flavor stimulus (CS1). Unlike previous higher-order conditioning studies in which CSl followed CS2 (CS2-CS1 pairings), the present studies reversed this order (CS1-CS2 pairings) to determine the extent that backward second-order conditioning produces an aversion to CS2. In Experiment 1, rats received zero, one, or three pairings of a walnut-flavored solution (CS1) with LiCI. The walnut flavor was then presented just prior to forced consumption of a neutral lemon-flavored solution (CS2). A significant aversion developed to lemon only when three walnut-LiCI pairings were used. Experiment 2 manipulated the flavors used as CS1 and CS2 (lemon or walnut). Results indicated that regardless of the flavors used, a significant aversion developed to CS2 as a result of CS1-CS2 pairings. In Experiment 3, the level of aversion to CS2 with the backward higher-order conditioning paradigm was compared to forward higher-order conditioning. An unconditioned stimulus (UCS) alone treatment and a handling control treatment were included to evaluate the level of neophobia to novel flavors. Results showed that the percentages of CS2 (lemon) flavor consumed relative to total consumption was significantly lower in the backward higher order conditioning group than in the UCS alone and handling control treatments. The forward higher-order conditioning group was quite variable and differed from the control groups at the.08 level. These findings are discussed in terms of higher-order conditioning and flavor aversion learning.
Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) on an IVUS Circular Array

Our long-term goal is the detection and characterization of vulnerable plaque in the coronary arteries of the heart using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters. Vulnerable plaque, characterized by a thin fibrous cap and a soft, lipid-rich necrotic core is a precursor to heart attack and stroke. Early detection of such plaques may potentially alter the course of treatment of the patient to prevent ischemic events. We have previously described the characterization of carotid plaques using external linear arrays operating at 9 MHz. In addition, we previously modified circular array IVUS catheters by short-circuiting several neighboring elements to produce fixed beamwidths for intravascular hyperthermia applications. In this paper, we modified Volcano Visions 8.2 French, 9 MHz catheters and Volcano Platinum 3.5 French, 20 MHz catheters by short-circuiting portions of the array for acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) applications. The catheters had an effective transmit aperture size of 2 mm and 1.5 mm, respectively. The catheters were connected to a Verasonics scanner and driven with pushing pulses of 180 V p-p to acquire ARFI data from a soft gel phantom with a Young's modulus of 2.9 kPa. The dynamic response of the tissue-mimicking material demonstrates a typical ARFI motion of 1 to 2 microns as the gel phantom displaces away and recovers back to its normal position. The hardware modifications applied to our IVUS catheters mimic potential beamforming modifications that could be implemented on IVUS scanners. Our results demonstrate that the generation of radiation force from IVUS catheters and the development of intravascular ARFI may be feasible.
Abstract 3211: Inhibition of autophagy potentiates cytotoxicity of CX-5461 treatment in chemoresistant epithelial ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer remains a deadly diagnosis with poor prognosis and patients succumbing to chemoresistant disease in 80% of cases. Mechanisms of chemoresistance are numerous, but we have identified ribosomal biogenesis basal machinery as being a common upregulated signaling network in response to chemotherapeutic insult. Tumors treated with chemotherapy showed dramatic increases in size and morphology of nucleoli, suggesting global changes in ribosomal synthesis with stress. We next sought to use the RNA Polymerase I inhibitor CX-5461 to identify biologic changes in targeting ribosomal machinery that may allow resensitization to chemotherapy. CX-5461 induced autophagy, senescence and mitotic catastrophe in ovarian cancer cell lines Overall, 13 ovarian cancer lines examined were highly sensitive to Pol I inhibition by MTT, with IC50s ranging from 25nM to 2μM, and chemoresistant lines were generally more sensitive to CX-5461. In p53 mutant cells CX-5461 appears to be primarily cytostatic with mitotic catastrophe being a relatively rare event accompanying cytokinesis failure. This could be indicative of the cells successfully using autophagy to decrease ribosome requirements and evade treatment. When treated in combination with chloroquine as an autophagy inhibitor IC50s decreased to 550nM in HeyA8 (from 2μM), 70nM for HeyA8MDR (from 191nM), 110nM in SKOV3 (from 595nM) and 60nM for SKOV3TR-ip2 (from 109nM) with abundant multinucleated cells, suggesting synergy between ribosomal synthesis and autophagy inhibitors in vitro. Chloroquine administration appears to push cell to mitotic catastrophe after co-administration with CX-5461, thereby enhancing cytotoxicity over cytostatic endpoints after treatment, even in multi-drug resistant cell populations. Inhibition of autophagy appears to enhance efficacy of RNA Polymerase I inhibition in both sensitive and chemoresistant populations, prompting a potential new approach to chemoresistant disease. Citation Format: Robert Cornelison, Danielle C. Llaneza, Yulia Petrova, Zachary C. Dobbin, David A. Schneider, Charles N. Landen. Inhibition of autophagy potentiates cytotoxicity of CX-5461 treatment in chemoresistant epithelial ovarian 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 3211. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3211
Cycling on the fast track: Ovulatory shifts in sexual motivation as a proximate mechanism for regulating life history strategies

Abstract In an ancestral world without modern contraception, how did women regulate their fertility? We argue that fertility may be regulated by context-dependent changes in sexual motivation that are specific to the high-fertility phase of the menstrual cycle. Accordingly, we predicted that ovulatory changes in sexual motivation would vary as a function of women's life history strategies, operationalized in terms of exposure to adverse childhood environments (high unpredictability, low SES, and low father quality). We tested this prediction in a sample of 1004 naturally cycling, pair-bonded women recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Data show that women from adverse childhood backgrounds experienced higher in-pair sexual motivation and engaged in more in-pair sexual behavior at high fertility, compared to women from childhood backgrounds with low adversity. Women from low-adversity childhood backgrounds were more likely to exhibit ovulatory decreases in sexual motivation at early stages in their relationships. We found little evidence, however, that childhood environments interact with conception risk to predict women's extra-pair motivation and behavior. Results offer evidence that women may possess evolved psychological and behavioral mechanisms for regulating the timing of reproduction.
Randomization Inference for Outcomes with Clumping at Zero

While randomization inference is well developed for continuous and binary outcomes, there has been comparatively little work for outcomes with nonnegative support and clumping at zero. Typically, o...
Use of bovine carotid artery for buttonhole technique hemodialysis

Purpose:Assess the feasibility of using a bovine carotid artery graft for buttonhole technique hemodialysis in patients who are not candidates for a native fistula.Methods:Case reports used to demo...
Effect of Prophylactic Calcitriol Administration on Serum Ionized Calcium Concentrations after Parathyroidectomy: 78 Cases (2005-2015).

BACKGROUND Prophylactic administration of calcitriol has been suggested to mitigate the risk of hypocalcemia after parathyroidectomy. The effect of calcitriol on postoperative serum ionized calcium concentrations has not been evaluated in dogs after parathyroidectomy. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of prophylactic calcitriol administration on postoperative serum ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations in dogs with primary hyperthyroidism (PHPTH) treated by parathyroidectomy. ANIMALS Seventy-eight dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism treated surgically. METHODS Multi-institutional retrospective case study. Medical records from 2005 to 2015 were evaluated. Dogs were included if they had a diagnosis of PHPTH and had surgery to remove parathyroid tissue. Serum iCa concentrations were monitored for a minimum of 2 days postoperatively. Two study groups were evaluated: calcitriol administration and no calcitriol administration. RESULTS Serial postoperative iCa concentrations measured at 12-hour time intervals for 2 days postoperatively were positively associated with preoperative iCa concentrations. This association was evident at each time interval, and the effect of preoperative iCa concentrations on postoperative iCa concentrations decreased as time elapsed (12 hours, P < 0.0001; 24 hours, P < 0.0001; 36 hours, P < 0.04; and 48 hours, P = 0.01). Prophylactic calcitriol administration was not found to be significantly associated with postoperative iCa concentrations or its rate of decrease after parathyroidectomy. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE We found no protective value in administering calcitriol prophylactically to prevent hypocalcemia in the immediate postoperative period (48 hours) after parathyroidectomy. Preoperative iCa concentrations had a significant positive association with postoperative iCa concentrations throughout the monitoring period.
Peace and conflict at different stages of the FDI lifecycle

Theoretically, instability and violence should deter foreign investment. Empirically, the evidence has been inconsistent. I highlight two key deficiencies in existing research, and present a more n...
Is Mental Illness a Risk Factor for Hospital Readmission

People with mental illnesses (MI) receive suboptimal care for medical comorbidities and their high risk for readmission may be addressed by adequate medication management and follow-up care. We examined the association between MI, medication changes, and post-discharge outpatient visits with 30-day readmission in 40,048 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure or pneumonia. Beneficiaries with MI were more likely to be readmitted than those without MI (14 vs. 11%). Probability of readmission was 13 and 12% when medications were dropped or added, respectively, versus 11% when no change was made. Probability of readmission also increased with outpatient visits.
Phonological, Lexical, Syntactic, and Semantic Disorders in Children

This article focuses on different developmental disabilities with known language impairments and for which there is evidence identifying at some level the neurofunctional bases for such disabilities. Developmental disabilities may exist in isolation, but they more commonly occur with other disabilities (i.e., are ‘comorbid’ with other disabilities), such as dyscalculia (mathematics) and attention deficit disorder both with and without hyperactivity. For the purposes of this chapter, the review of brain structures and functions involved in developmental disabilities with language impairments will be limited to autism, Down syndrome, developmental dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), and Williams syndrome.
Moral–Ethical Character and Science Education: EcoJustice Ethics Through Socioscientific Issues (SSI)

Socioscientific issues (SSI) provide situations where science teachers and students analyze complex issues associated with ethical, political, and social dilemmas, such as whether animals should be kept in zoos or whether plants should be genetically modified. While engaging in socioscientific issues, students become informed about scientific conditions and develop epistemological styles for dealing with scientific research and the consequences thereof. During a time of increasing awareness around cultural diversity, biodiversity, and ecological degradations, epistemic development is paramount for helping students evaluate how they frame their relationships with others including nonhuman species and physical environments. In this regard, social justice movements have been too limited and exclusive, with a higher priority for humankind. Social justice, as currently conceptualized in the science education literature, is seldom extended to nonhuman animals, plants, and the land. Social justice is often associated with disparities between the haves and have-nots, which is historically contrived with middle-class values, norms, and conventions. It is inherently limited to what is considered right for humans without considering how decisions convened around social justice will impact nonhumans.
The Ratio of Gas-Phase to Liquid-Phase Mass Transfer Coefficients in Gas-Liquid Contacting Processes

The results of multicomponent experiments with mass transfer at the air-water interface are analyzed using the indirect approach of fitting overall mass transfer rate constants to the two-resistance model with appropriate corrections for molecular diffusivities. We show that the ratio of mass transfer coefficients (kG/kL) is significantly smaller than the suggested value of kG/kL = 150 customarily used to model surface aeration, bubble aeration, and countercurrent packed columns. Hence the gas-phase resistance has been underestimated, which can lead to the overestimation of overall mass transfer rate constants. Also, kG/kL varies for a given process depending on the hydrodynamic conditions.
Sliding control of force reflecting teleoperation: Preliminary studies

In this paper, sliding mode nonlinear control is applied to force reflecting teleoperation. Various forms of the sliding mode control law are derived for force feedback master manipulation with an arbitrary factor for force and position scaling. Experiments were performed on a one axis test system and frequency domain Hybrid 2-port matrices are measured and compared between the sliding mode controller and a classical position error-based feedback controller. Time domain experiments are also performed. The model-based portion of the sliding mode controller was shown to be responsible for most of its performance improvement, but the nonlinear “sliding” component was essential for steady-state position accuracy and robust stability.
Abstract WP263: Early Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and It’s Potential Role in Epileptogenesis

Introduction: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) accounts for up to 5% of strokes each year and has a mortality around 40%. Early brain injury (EBI) develops within the first 72 hours of the SAH and inv...
Salt and Fish Processing in the Ancient Mediterranean: A Brief Survey

The demand for salt generated by the dietary and domestic needs of most Greek city-states could be usually fulfilled by local resources given the general abundance of salt along the coasts of the ancient Mediterranean. The extremely rare references to interregional salt trade in literary and documentary sources corroborate this idea. As a bulky commodity with little economic value, salt was too expensive to be transported over long distances and was more conveniently obtainable from local resources. However, the situation was different when large-scale fish processing centers entered into the equation. The production and widespread distribution of processed fish required a steady supply of both fish and salt. Salt only was able to transform fish—which is otherwise extremely perishable—into a durable commodity, easy to store and trade. The strategic importance that salt assumed at these centers transformed its economic significance and made interregional trade both convenient and profitable. Also, it was through the medium of processed fish that the surplus of salt production available in certain regions was redistributed across the Mediterranean and came to play an important, albeit indirect, role in interregional trade.
Effect of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma on inactivation of Listeria innocua on Queso Fresco cheese, cheese model and tryptic soy agar

Abstract High voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) is a novel technology which has shown promising results on microbial inactivation under low temperature, and thus offers opportunities on decontamination of biological materials. In this study, Listeria innocua spot inoculated tryptic soy agar (TSA), Queso Fresco cheese (QFC) and cheese model (CM) samples were treated with HVACP under direct and indirect mode of exposure in dry air gas environment for 5 min. After direct HVACP treatment, a reduction of 5.0, 3.5 and 1.6 log10 CFU/g was observed for TSA, CM and QFC, respectively. Direct plasma treatment was more effective in Listeria innocua inactivation on CM and QFC compared to indirect treatment. Surface analysis has shown that the differences in surface roughness and micro-structure of the substrate hugely impact the efficacy of the HVACP treatment by affecting the attachment of the bacteria cells on the surface and providing protective locations for the microbes within the surface.
3D Printing for Whole Blood Filters Designed for Simple Integration with a Variety of Sensor Platforms

The ability to quickly and easily measure biomarker concentrations in a blood sample is an important element in bringing lab-on-a-chip devices to widespread point of care use. One challenge facing the development of these systems is sample preparation, specifically in the case of whole human blood. Because the red blood cells present in a whole blood sample can interfere with sensor operation, cell-free plasma is often desired as the analyte. However, at the point of care, the input into such a device is most often whole blood from a finger prick. Thus, a system is required which can easily extract the plasma from a whole blood sample and deliver it to the sensor. Because of the wide range of sensing mechanisms available, a versatile sample preparation and delivery system is desired. In this work, we introduce a PDMS microchannel system, produced partially through the use of 3D printing, which can be easily integrated with any flat form factor sensor platform, such as electrodes deposited on a silicon wafer. The system is passive, requiring no external actuation. The channel system is tested with both blood mimicking fluid (100% particle removal) and porcine whole blood (95% particle removal), and the ease of integration with a sensor platform is demonstrated. Such a device is a step toward the realization of widespread lab-on-a-chip deployment.
Cumulative meta-analysis identifies declining but negative impacts of invasive species on richness after 20 yr.

A principal impact of invasive species is that they reduce local species richness. However, it is unknown whether the magnitude of the richness decrease has been consistent over the past two decades of published research. We used cumulative meta-analysis to synthesize evidence from 240 articles evaluating whether this cumulative evidence base generally supports, or refutes, the association between invasive species presence and richness declines. First, we determined whether evidence accumulation lowered the mean effect size of invasive species on local native richness through time; termed the "decline effect." Then, as mean effect sizes changed over time, we identified when accumulated evidence reached sufficiency, indicating that the mean effect direction (positive or negative) was unlikely to be reversed by unpublished research. We also assessed whether the mean effect size reached a threshold of stability over publication years. To date, no research has tested mechanisms of the decline effect, and here we determine whether publication bias, sample size, time since invasion, or invader trophic position are driving a decline effect in the published evidence base. We found a clear decline in the cumulative mean effect of invasive species on local native species richness as published evidence accumulated between 1999 and 2016. Despite this decline, an average negative association was stable and sufficiently robust to unpublished studies by 2007, showing a 21% mean richness decrease by 2016. Contrary to our expectation, the decline effect manifested consistently regardless of invasive species trophic position, time since invasion, or journal rank. Within taxonomic subgroups, trees, insects, and herbaceous plants exhibit a decline effect, yet still show sufficient and stable negative impacts on richness. However, many other taxonomic subgroups (e.g., crustaceans, fish, mammals) lack evidence for average negative impacts on richness, or have not met sufficiency or stability thresholds.
The Bright and Dark Sides of Technostress: A Mixed-Methods Study Involving Healthcare IT

Today’s healthcare workers, specifically nurses, are experiencing technostress associated with the use of healthcare information technology (HIT). Technostress is often characterized by IS researchers as negative, or as being on the “dark side” of technology. However, a broader reading of the stress literature suggests that technostress may be both positive and negative, and can therefore have a “bright side” in addition to a dark side. The objective of this study is to conceptualize a holistic technostress process that includes positive and negative components of technostress embedded in two subprocesses: the techno-eustress subprocess and the techno-distress subprocess, respectively. The study instantiates this holistic technostress model through a sequential mixed-methods research design in the context of HIT. Phase 1 of the design is a qualitative, interpretive case study involving interviews with 32 nurses. Based on the findings from the case study, the paper builds a research model that operationalizes the concepts embedded in the holistic technostress model and identifies contextually relevant challenge and hindrance technostressors and outcomes. In Phase 2, the research model is empirically validated by analyzing survey data collected from 402 nurses employed in the United States. Results reveal that several challenge and hindrance technostressors are related to positive and negative psychological responses, respectively, and that such responses are related to job satisfaction and attrition, which impact turnover intention. Contributions to theory and practice are also discussed.
Detecting Deep-Fake Videos From Phoneme-Viseme Mismatches

Recent advances in machine learning and computer graphics have made it easier to convincingly manipulate video and audio. These so-called deep-fake videos range from complete full-face synthesis and replacement (face-swap), to complete mouth and audio synthesis and replacement (lip-sync), and partial word-based audio and mouth synthesis and replacement. Detection of deep fakes with only a small spatial and temporal manipulation is particularly challenging. We describe a technique to detect such manipulated videos by exploiting the fact that the dynamics of the mouth shape - visemes - are occasionally inconsistent with a spoken phoneme. We focus on the visemes associated with words having the sound M (mama), B (baba), or P (papa) in which the mouth must completely close in order to pronounce these phonemes. We observe that this is not the case in many deep-fake videos. Such phoneme-viseme mismatches can, therefore, be used to detect even spatially small and temporally localized manipulations. We demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of this approach to detect different types of deep-fake videos, including in-the-wild deep fakes.
A computational study on the reduction of O2 to H2O2 using small polycyclic aromatic molecules

Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly oxidizing agent that is important in several industries. It is currently produced industrially via the anthrahydroquinone (AHQ) process where O2 reacts with a functionalised version of anthrahydroquinone to produce H2O2 and anthraquinone. In the previously published DFT pathway for this process the transition of the OOH˙ radical across the partially dehydrogenated AHQ catalyst was not explored. In this paper, we will use DFT to explore this step and show that there is a deep potential energy minimum that inhibits the OOH˙ from being fully reduced. We then examine other similar sized polycyclic molecules with two OH-groups on the same side that could serve as alternative catalysts without this issue. In this analysis, we identify phenanthraquinone as a possible alternative and present the pathway for this candidate to produce H2O2 as well as its regeneration with H2.
Impact of Oral Steroids on Tonsillectomy Postoperative Complications and Pain

Objectives:To analyze the impact of steroids on postoperative tonsillectomy recovery and implement findings for improvement in postoperative management.Methods:Institutional review board approved p...
Inclusion of an Optimized Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 2-Based Antigen in a Trivalent, Multistage Malaria Vaccine

Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein (PfMSP)2 is a target of parasite-neutralizing Abs. Inclusion of recombinant PfMSP2 (rPfMSP2) as a component of a multivalent malaria vaccine is of interest, but presents challenges. Previously, we used the highly immunogenic PfMSP8 as a carrier to enhance production and/or immunogenicity of malaria vaccine targets. In this study, we exploited the benefits of rPfMSP8 as a carrier to optimize a rPfMSP2-based subunit vaccine. rPfMSP2 and chimeric rPfMSP2/8 vaccines produced in Escherichia coli were evaluated in comparative immunogenicity studies in inbred (CB6F1/J) and outbred (CD1) mice, varying the dose and adjuvant. Immunization of mice with both rPfMSP2-based vaccines elicited high-titer anti-PfMSP2 Abs that recognized the major allelic variants of PfMSP2. Vaccine-induced T cells recognized epitopes present in both PfMSP2 and the PfMSP8 carrier. Competition assays revealed differences in Ab specificities induced by the two rPfMSP2-based vaccines, with evidence of epitope masking by rPfMSP2-associated fibrils. In contrast to aluminum hydroxide (Alum) as adjuvant, formulation of rPfMSP2 vaccines with glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion, a synthetic TLR4 agonist, elicited Th1-associated cytokines, shifting production of Abs to cytophilic IgG subclasses. The rPfMSP2/8 + glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion formulation induced significantly higher Ab titers with superior durability and capacity to opsonize P. falciparum merozoites for phagocytosis. Immunization with a trivalent vaccine including PfMSP2/8, PfMSP1/8, and the P. falciparum 25 kDa sexual stage antigen fused to PfMSP8 (Pfs25/8) induced high levels of Abs specific for epitopes in each targeted domain, with no evidence of antigenic competition. These results are highly encouraging for the addition of rPfMSP2/8 as a component of an efficacious, multivalent, multistage malaria vaccine.
Bayesian Learning Model Predictive Control for Process-Aware Source Seeking

Classical source seeking algorithms aim to make the robot reach the source location eventually. This letter proposes a process-aware source seeking approach which finds an informative trajectory to reach the source location. A multi-objective optimization problem is formulated based on rewards for both the search process and the terminal condition. Due to the unknown source location, solutions are found through Bayesian learning model predictive control (BLMPC). The consistency of the Bayesian estimator, as well as the convergence of the proposed algorithm are proved. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through simulation results. The process-aware source seeking algorithm demonstrates improvements over other classical source seeking algorithms.
Feedback, Flow-induced Fire Sales, and Option Returns

We identify a feedback loop between fire sales and equity option returns. The demand effect of fire sales induced by mutual fund extreme outflows decreases delta-hedged put option returns by 4-10% per year and increases the expensiveness by 2.5%. We address endogenous concerns using instrumental variable and difference-in-differences designs. The demand effect is more substantial under equity illiquidities than volatility, distress, sustainability risks, or short-sale constraints. Option returns also have anticipation effects on predicting fire sales, where information leakage in derivatives markets exacerbates extreme outflows.
Spectroscopy of HII Regions in the 1–15 μm Region

Infrared spectroscopy of HII regions can provide valuable information about heavy ions in regions too heavily obscured to be studied optically. Three such areas of study are discussed: elemental abundances in the Galaxy, excitation of compact, young, HII regions, and the structure and dynamics of compact HII regions.
Enzymatic Determination of Residual Hydrogen Peroxide in Milk

Abstract A method for enzymatically detecting hydrogen peroxide at low levels in milk was developed. It involved the use of horseradish peroxidase with o -dianisidine as a ehromogenic hydrogen donor. The milk curd was precipitated at pH 4.5 with hydrochloric acid and the whey added to a mixture of peroxidase and chromogen. The amount of color developed (measured at 400m μ ) as a result of the enzymatic reaction gave a measurement of the peroxide. The method detected levels of less than 1μg/milliliter in milk.
Gestational age-specific associations between infantile acute bronchiolitis and asthma after age five.

Asthma is a complex disease common in children; between 2008 and 2010 in the United States, 9.5% of children under the age of 17 had a current asthma diagnosis.1 In this population, the repercussions of asthma include poor sleep and increased absences from school, in addition to increased medical services.1,2 Identification of children at high risk of asthma at an early age is needed for optimal symptom management and possible prevention efforts.3,4 Associations between first year of life hospitalization for acute infantile bronchiolitis (AB) and subsequent risk of asthma later in life have frequently been reported,5 although whether this association is causal or simply reflects an underlying predisposition towards wheeze is debated.6 One non-causal explanation is confounding by risk factors for both AB and asthma. For example, most cases of AB are caused by viral infections, and viral infections are also common triggers of asthma exacerbations; thus, risk factors that predispose children towards viral infections (e.g., formula vs. breast milk) could be confounders.7 Other potential confounders include family history of asthma, gestational age, and environmental factors such as environmental tobacco smoke and air pollution.2,5 In a recent review Beigelman and Bacharier speculate that the association between AB and subsequent asthma might be causal for some children (e.g., those hospitalized for AB caused by respiratory syncytial virus infections) and might be a marker of asthma tendency for others (e.g., those with a family history of atopy who have AB caused by human rhinovirus infections).7 A recent analysis of data from Swedish population registers found children who were hospitalized for respiratory infections during the first year of life were at 1.5-fold increased risk of asthma after age 5 years, with a 2.2-fold increased risk for children born with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks.8 Preterm delivery is a marker of high-risk for both AB and asthma, and the authors postulated that the damage caused by early infections might be exacerbated in extremely preterm infants because these infants have developmental deficits of the airways.8 These results suggest biological interaction and may ultimately help clinicians identify children at high risk of asthma, although findings need to be replicated in other settings. In our study we undertook a similar analysis using a linked dataset of emergency department (ED) records and live birth records from the U.S. state of Georgia to investigate whether gestational age modified the association between an ED visit for AB and subsequent risk of an ED visit for asthma after age 5 years.
Relief of the Crabtree Effect by Arsenate

Arsenate, an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, relieved the Crabtree effect in Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid ascites tumor cells. Respiration was measured with an oxygen electrode. High arsenate concentrations (30 to 60 mm) were needed to produce a 2-fold increase in the depressed respiratory rate. Arsenate concentrations below 10 mm had little or no effect. The relief by arsenate was reversible with oligomycin, indicating that arsenate had not caused a nonspecific uncoupling. A comparison of the effects of arsenate on oxidative phosphorylation in isolated Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid ascites tumor mitochondria and on the onset of the Crabtree effect in intact Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid ascites tumor cells suggested that the high arsenate concentrations were needed to overcome a strong antagonism by inorganic phosphate for the arsenate uncoupling. The results support the concept that the Crabtree effect is caused by a decrease in the availability of ADP and/or inorganic phosphate to oxidative phosphorylation.
Chapter 8 Achmatowicz approach to 5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one containing natural products

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the enantioselective synthesis of eight target molecules accomplished by the use of the Achmatowicz reaction. The asymmetry of furan alcohol can be installed by either a sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction or a Noyori reduction. In all cases, the target molecules are prepared with greater efficiency than previous syntheses, which rely on either chiral starting material or resolution procedures. The latter two routes provide sufficient material for biological testing, with the ultimate route allowing for the rapid preparation of C-5/C-6 analogs. Substituted α,β-unsaturated δ-lactones (5,6-dihydro-2 H -pyran-2-ones) molecules have an α,β-unsaturated δ-lactones moiety A with various substituents (for example, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or hydroxyl) at the C-5 and C-6 positions. The numbering of the lactones ring begins with the ring oxygen and proceeds clockwise around the ring, with substituents at the C-6 and C-5 positions differentiated using prime and double prime numbers, respectively. The biological diversity of these natural products ranges from plant growth inhibition, cytotoxicity against tumor cells, and antifungal or antimicrobial activity.
Schedule-induced polydipsia and size of water dipper.

Schedule-induced polydipsia as a function of six water dipper sizes was examined in four food-deprived rats under Fixed Time 1- and 2-minute schedules. Increasing dipper size increased session water intake but did not affect the number of intervals containing at least one barpress (i.e., number of bouts), nor the number of barpresses per bout, nor the temporal distribution of barpressing within the interfood interval. Previous research showing polydipsic intake to be impervious to other types of restrictions on water availability have suggested the notion of a volume constancy mechanism. The present research raises questions about the operation of the volume constancy mechanism, questions about how to conceptualize the dipper size manipulation, and questions about variables which affect the temporal locus of drinking.
Sequence and complementation analysis of recF genes from Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis: evidence for an essential phosphate binding loop

Abstract We have compared the recF genes from Escherichia coli K-12, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas putida, and Bacillus subtilis at the DNA and amino acid sequence levels. To do this we determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the recF gene from Salmonella typhimurium and we completed the nucleotide sequence of recF gene from Pseudomonas putida begun by Fujita et al. (1). We found that the RecF proteins encoded by these two genes contain respectively 92% and 38% amino acid identity with the E. coli RecF protein. Additionally, we have found that the S. typhimurium and P. putida recF genes will complement an E. coli recF mutant, but the recF gene from Bacillus subtilis [showing about 20% identity with E. coli (2)] will not. Amino acid sequence alignment of the four proteins identified four highly conserved regions. Two of these regions are part of a putative phosphate binding loop. In one region (position 36), we changed the lysine codon (which is essential for ATPase, GTPase and kinase activity in other proteins having this phosphate binding loop) to an arginine codon. We then tested this mutation (recF4101) on a multicopy plasmid for its ability to complement a recF chromosomal mutation and on the E. coli chromosome for its effect on sensitivity to UV irradiation. The strain with recF4101 on its chromosome is as sensitive as a null recF mutant strain. The strain with the plasmid-borne mutant allele is however more UV resistant than the null mutant strain. We conclude that lysine-36 and possibly a phosphate binding loop is essential for full recF activity. Lastly we made two chimeric recF genes by exchanging the amino terminal 48 amino acids of the S. typhimurium and E. coli recF genes. Both chimeras could complement E. coli chromosomal recF mutations.
MicroRNA-21 orchestrates high glucose-induced signals to TOR complex 1, resulting in renal cell pathology in diabetes.

Hyperglycemia induces a wide array of signaling pathways in the kidney that lead to hypertrophy and matrix expansion, eventually culminating in progressive kidney failure. High glucose-induced reduction of the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) contributes to renal cell hypertrophy and matrix expansion. We identified microRNA-21 (miR-21) as the molecular link between high glucose and PTEN suppression. Renal cortices from OVE26 type 1 diabetic mice showed significantly elevated levels of miR-21 associated with reduced PTEN and increased fibronectin content. In renal mesangial cells, high glucose increased the expression of miR-21, which targeted the 3′-UTR of PTEN mRNA to inhibit PTEN protein expression. Overexpression of miR-21 mimicked the action of high glucose, which included a reduction in PTEN expression and a concomitant increase in Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, expression of miR-21 Sponge, to inhibit endogenous miR-21, prevented down-regulation of PTEN and phosphorylation of Akt induced by high glucose. Interestingly, high glucose-stimulated miR-21 inactivated PRAS40, a negative regulator of TORC1. Finally, miR-21 enhanced high glucose-induced TORC1 activity, resulting in renal cell hypertrophy and fibronectin expression. Thus, our results identify a previously unrecognized function of miR-21 that is the reciprocal regulation of PTEN levels and Akt/TORC1 activity that mediate critical pathologic features of diabetic kidney disease.
Computing efficient frontiers using estimated parameters

The mean-variance model for portfolio selection requires estimates of many parameters. This paper investigates the effect of errors in parameter estimates on the results of mean-variance analysis. Using a small amount of historical data to estimate parameters exposes the model to estimation errors. However, using a long time horizon to estimate parametes increasers the possibility of nonstationarity in the parameters. This paper investigates the tradeoff between estimation error and stationarity. A simulation study shows that the effects of estimation error can be surprisingly large. The magnitude of the errors increase with the number of securities in the analysis. Due to the error maximization property of mean-variance analysis, estimates of portfolio performance are optimistically biased predictors of actual portfolio performance. It is important for users of mean-variance analysis to recognize and correct for this phenomenon in order to develop more realistic expectations of the future performance of a portfolio. This paper suggests a method for adjusting for the bias. A statistical test is proposed to check for nonstationarity in historical data.