cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engagement: gaming throughout the curriculum

This paper considers how gaming has been infused into the computing curriculum of institutions in the United States. To increase motivation of students and improve retention, many programs have begun using gaming in their introductory courses, as upper level electives, or as separate degree programs. The authors review the current use of gaming within curricula and analyze the content of game development degree programs. Finally, the authors describe plans at their institution to incorporate gaming throughout the computing curriculum and present initial results.
The Proposed Michigan Government Ethics Act of 1999: Providing Guidance and Counsel on Ethics to Public Officials and Employees

This article proposes a new Government Ethics Act for Michigan which would include the three cornerstone elements of any truly effective ethics law - (1) a clearly defined list of proscribed activities, (2) meaningful disclosure requirements, and (3) a strong independent ethics board. The article proceeds by first surveying the existing ethics laws in all fifty states, then sets forth a proposed Act for Michigan, and concludes with a section-by-section commentary of the Act. The article suggests public officials should welcome such a comprehensive code of ethics that provides certainty and clear standards; as contrasted to the alternative status quo where they "lack guidance as to what they may and may not do, and consequently too often fall prey to accusations by self-proclaimed ethics 'experts' of unspecified "unethical' conduct."
Culture-centered approaches: the relevance of assessing emotional health for Latinos with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Within Latino culture, there is a belief that strong emotions can cause diabetes. Because of this belief and evidence regarding the bi-directional relationship between depression and diabetes, the objectives of this study were to determine if medical doctors are asking Latinos with diabetes about emotional problems and to assess attitudes toward professional help for emotional problems. Research design and methods: Data come from the nationally representative National Latino and Asian American Study and the National Comorbidity Survey Replication study. Only Latino subsamples were included (n=3076). A smaller subsample with complete data (n=2568) was used for the inquiry outcome variable. Weighted χ 2 analysis and logistic regression were conducted to determine the likelihood of being asked about emotional problems and attitudes toward professional help. Results: Latinos with mood disorders or anxiety (MD/ AX; OR 2.84, 95% CI 2.02 to 4.00), diabetes only (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.69), and co-occurring diabetes and MD/AX (OR 6.67, 95% CI 2.33 to 19.04) were more likely to be asked about emotional problems, relative to Latinos without diabetes or MD/AX. A minority of respondents with diabetes (32%) were asked about emotional problems. Respondents with diabetes only were more likely to feel comfortable talking to a professional for personal problems compared with those without diabetes or MD/AX (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.09). Although the relationship between having diabetes and feeling comfortable taking to a professional is not statistically significant, z-test statistics indicate that having diabetes influences attitudes about discussing emotional problems. Conclusions: Among Latinos, having diabetes is associated with greater likelihood of being asked about emotional problems and feeling comfortable talking to a professional about personal problems. Consistent with the cultural relevance of emotions as a cause of diabetes, asking about emotional problems may be a useful approach for engaging Latinos into a discussion about their diabetes self-care activities.
Eine obere Schranke für den Φ-Wert der Information

Ausgegangen wird von einer Entscheidungssituation, die durch eine Aktionenmenge D = {d1,....,dn}, einen Zustandsraum θ = {ϑ 1, ...., ϑn} und eine Schadensfunktion s: 8 × D → ℝ beschrieben sei. Durch Randomisierung geht nan zu (∂,D*,S*) uber, wobei D* die Menge der Wahrscheinlichkeitsmase auf D und s*(ϑ,q) der Schadenserwartunqswert bzql. q ∈ D* sind. Da keine Verwechslungen auftreten konnen, wird der “*”im folgenden weggelassen.
Probing Ni[S2PR2]2 Electronic Structure to Generate Insight Relevant to Minor Actinide Extraction Chemistry

A method to evaluate the electronic structure of minor actinide extractants is described. A series of compounds containing effective and ineffective actinide extractants (dithiophosphinates, S2PR2–) bound to a common transition metal ion (Ni2+) was analyzed by structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical methods. By using a single transition metal that provides structurally similar compounds, the metal contributions to bonding are essentially held constant so that subtle electronic variations associated with the extracting ligand can be probed using UV-vis spectroscopy. By comparison, it is difficult to obtain similar information using analogous techniques with minor actinide and lanthanide complexes. Here, we demonstrate that this approach, supplemented with ground state and time-dependent density functional theory, provides insight for understanding why high separation factors are reported for the extractant HS2P(o-CF3C6H4)2, while lower values are reported and anticipated for other HS2PR2 derivatives (R ...
A learning flight control system for the F8-DFBW aircraft

This report contains a complete description of a learning control system designed for the F8-DFBW aircraft. The system is parameter-adaptive with the additional feature that it 'learns' the variation of the control system gains needed over the flight envelope. It, thus, generates and modifies its gain schedule when suitable data are available. The report emphasizes the novel learning features of the system: the forms of representation of the flight envelope and the process by which identified parameters are used to modify the gain schedule. It contains data taken during piloted real-time 6 degree-of-freedom simulations that were used to develop and evaluate the system.
An application of John ellipsoids to the Szegő kernel on unbounded convex domains

We use convex geometry tools, in particular John ellipsoids, to obtain a size estimate for the Szegő kernel on the boundary of a class of unbounded convex domains in Given a polynomial satisfying a certain growth condition, we consider domains of the type .
Core Course Analysis for Undergraduate Students in Mathematics

In this work, we develop statistical tools to understand core courses at the university level. Traditionally, professors and administrators label courses as "core" when the courses contain foundational material. Such courses are often required to complete a major, and, in some cases, allocated additional educational resources. We identify two key attributes which we expect core courses to have. Namely, we expect core courses to be highly correlated with and highly impactful on a student's overall mathematics GPA. We use two statistical procedures to measure the strength of these attributes across courses. The first of these procedures fashions a metric out of standard correlation measures. The second utilizes sparse regression. We apply these methods on student data coming from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) department of mathematics to compare core and non-core coursework.
Children's Disease Burden of MMR Due to Lead Exposure in an Industrial City

[Objective] To estimate the children's disease burden of mild mental retardation(MMR)due to lead exposure in an industrial city. [Methods] 1 950 students of primary school and junior high school were randomly selected in 5 districts of the city. Blood lead levels were measured by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The children s disease burden due to lead exposure was estimated using the methods recommended by WHO. [Results] The mathematical mean, the standard deviation and the geometric mean of children's blood lead level (BLL) were 0.233, 0.113 and 0.208 mmol/L, respectively. The disease burden due to lead exposure were 5 199 DALYs and the economic loss was about 7.5 billion RMB. [Conclusion] Although the BLL of children in the city is lower than the criteria of lead intoxication, the local government and the society should keep on in reducing children a lead exposure.
Experiences with Artificial Intelligence as an Undergraduate Creative Capstone Course.

This paper introduces a model called the “creative capstone” for teaching Artificial Intelligence at the undergraduate level. The model leverages AI’s image as a creative endeavor, while mitigating its image as a less practical option. The course was implemented and taught five times, and the resulting experiences are described. Specific techniques for helping ensure the success of the course are also detailed.
A dyadic analysis of Head Start parents’ depressive symptoms and parent involvement: sense of mastery as a mediator

ABSTRACTThis study used the actor–partner interdependence mediation model to examine the association among parents’ depressive symptoms, sense of mastery, and parent involvement. To address the research goal, this study conducted secondary analysis using the cross-sectional data collected from the 2000 cohort of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey. Both mothers and fathers with children enrolled in Head Start programmes completed the phone interviews and questionnaires. Results showed that sense of mastery significantly mediated the association between parents’ depressive symptoms and Head Start involvement for both parents. Specifically, mothers’ increased depressive symptoms were related to lower sense of mastery, which in turn was related to fathers’ increased involvement at Head Start. Implications of this study and future research are discussed.
Fundamental Characteristics of New High Modulus CFRP Materials for Strengthening Steel Bridges and Structures

Due to corrosion and the continuous demand to increase traffic loads, there is a great need for an effective, cost-efficient system which can be used for the repair and strengthening of steel highway bridge girders. Recently, research has been conducted to investigate the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials to address this need. This paper describes the details of an experimental program which was conducted to investigate the fundamental behavior of steel-concrete composite bridge girders strengthened with new high modulus CFRP (HM CFRP) materials. The behavior of the beams under overloading conditions and fatigue loading conditions was studied as well as the possible presence of a shear-lag effect between the steel beam and the CFRP strengthening. A series of proposed flexural design guidelines are presented which can be used to establish the allowable liveload increase for a strengthened beam and to design the required HM CFRP strengthening.
Herbicide Application Technology

Integrated weed management (IWM) can be defined as a set of multidisciplinary strategies sharing the common objective of effectively controlling invasive weeds. Herbicide application has to be considered in order for IWM strategies to be as successful as possible. For applications to be applied in as successful a way as possible, application practices should be relatively low cost combined with fast and flexible procedures, improve the operating capacity and ensure satisfactory weed control, and result in minimal yield losses from weed competition. Application technology is central to the performance of agrochemical deposition pattern on the weed, influencing the rate of product deposited on the target, the efficacy of the product, and the safety of the surrounding environment. Thus, understanding the best use of application technology concepts is a key factor to ensure a successful and environmentally safe herbicide application.
Sex difference in choice of concealed or exposed refuge sites by preschool children viewing a model leopard in a playground simulation of antipredator behavior

The current study of preschool children characterizes a semi-natural extension of experimental questions on how human ancestors evaded predation when encountering dangerous felids. In a pretend game on a playground, we presented full-size leopard and deer models to children ( N = 39) in a repeated-measures experimental design. Prior to viewing the model presented 15-m away, each child was instructed by the experimenter to go where she or he would feel safe. The rationale for this study was based on the anthropological construct of “sexual dinichism,” positing that, during the Pliocene, smaller-bodied hominin females engaged in more arboreal behavior than larger-bodied males. Consistent with this construct, our previous simulation research using images of an African rock outcrop showed that, after viewing a lion, girls preferred a tree as refuge rather than a crevice or large boulder whereas boys did not differentiate these refuge sites. In this follow-up study, we predicted that, after viewing the model leopard, the preschool girls would differ from the boys by not choosing enclosed refuge sites analogous to the crevice. Analyses of a contingency table for the leopard model supported this hypothesis by yielding a significant interaction of sex and refuge location ( p = .031, d = .76), the source of which was a reliably larger percentage of girls not choosing concealed refuge ( p = .005, d = 2.3). The interaction of sex and refuge location for the model deer was not significant ( p > .5). Our findings suggest that, in contrast to the deer, the girls selected exposed playground refuge sites rather than concealing ones to maintain visual contact with the leopard as a contingency for future action.
Undermining Genetic Privacy? Employee Wellness Programs and the Law

A bill in the House of Representatives would substantially change legal protections related to the collection and treatment of genetic and other personal health information by workplace wellness programs, threatening autonomy, fair treatment, and medical progress.
A new approach for the computation of halfspace depth in high dimensions

ABSTRACTHalfspace depth (HD), aka Tukey depth, is one of the most prevailing depth notions among all its competitors. To exactly compute the HD in Rd(d>2) is a challenging task nevertheless, due to its definition involving infinitely many directional projections. Existing algorithms to compute HD in Rd (d ⩾ 2), more or less involve data projection to the directions perpendicular to hyperplanes (therefore involving polytopes or polyhedral cones) are either dimension d-, or sample size n-limited, or slow. Thanks to the work of Merkle and Bogicevic and Merkle, algorithms for the fast computation of HD in ultra high dimension d for large n are proposed and addressed. They are sheer ball-based (or essentially point-wise distances) computations. The worst time complexity to approximately compute the depth m/n of a single point is O((d + m + log (n))n2) which seems to be one of the best known results so far among the competitors for extra large d and n. Unlike most previous algorithms, they do not require the un...
TRANSLATION PRODUCTS OF THE 124 STRAIN OF MOLONEY MURINE SARCOMA VIRUS (Mo-MuSV): CHARACTERIZATION OF A 23,000 DALTON CANDIDATE ‘src’ GENE PRODUCT

ABSTRACT Analysis of translation products of Mo-MuSV RNA indicated that at the 5′ half of the viral RNA codes for a 63,000 dalton polypeptide (P63 gag ) derived from the ‘gag’ gene; the 3′ half of the RNA codes a P38 and a P23 polypeptide. Immunoprecipitation and peptide mapping experiments showed that P23 is not a product of the ‘gag’, ‘pol’ or ‘env’ genes, suggesting it to be a product of the ‘src’ gene. P63 gag was readily detectable in Mo-MuSV-124 infected cells. No fused ‘gag-src’ gene products were detected in these cells. A mutant sarcoma virus derived from a subclone of Mo-MuSV-124 containing a temperature sensitive lesion in the transforming function contains a candidate ‘gag-src’ protein (P85). P85 is detectable at 33°, the transformed temperature but not at 40°, the normal phenotype. Part of the sequences in P85 are derived from p15, pp12 and p30 whereas the origin of the remaining ~25,000 to 40,000 daltons is as yet unknown. Initial peptide mapping studies suggest that part of the unidentified sequences in P85 may be present in P23.
TWO-PHASE FLUID MODELING: THE CRITICAL HEAT FLUX.

Modeling of two-phase hydrodynamic phenomena with a refrigerant (Freon) has been carried out for several years because of the lower cost of experimentation with this working fluid. Freon-12a modeli...
High levels of abiotic noise in volatile organic compounds released by a desert perennial: implications for the evolution and ecology of airborne chemical communication

Plants release airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in response to abiotic and biotic stimuli, including herbivory. These chemicals are used by insect parasitoids as sources of information that aid in finding hosts. It is unclear how biotic and abiotic factors interact to affect blend composition and the ability of insects to interpret signals. Here, we present a novel stimulus-space model, and use it to examine patterns of VOC emission. In field experiments, we manipulated herbivory levels and collected VOCs in a population of wild Datura wrightii, while simultaneously measuring key abiotic factors. We mirrored field experiments under controlled conditions in the lab, and used both sets of data to test predictions made by our proposed model. VOC blends were structured mainly by variation in abiotic factors, not herbivory. However, linear discriminant analysis showed that it is possible to distinguish different herbivory levels. We show that most compounds produced by D. wrightii are invariant, or respond solely to environmental variation or herbivory. Our results suggest that blend composition may be under selection for noise reduction, to maximize responses from potential receivers, and that abiotic variation can act as potentially strong sources of noise in chemical communication displays.
Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Reduction of Oxidative Damage in Retina

Cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (nanoceria) have attracted significant attention in the area of biomedical applications recently, although they have been widely used in a variety of fields for more than 10 years. In its nanometer (atomic scale) range, nanoceria exhibit unique properties, such as resistance to high temperature degradation, solid electrolytes, regenerative abilities to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalytic antioxidant activities, and a defined lattice structure. These features make nanoceria a unique nanomedicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases in which ROS have been demonstrated to be a major causative factor. The use of specially designed nanoceria to treat inherited ocular diseases was first demonstrated by our lab, and they have been shown to be effective and persistent in preventing ROS-induced damage and preserving retinal structure and function without any adverse side effects. In this chapter, we review recent publications of nanoceria characteristics, biological effects, their application in biological fields—including our recent work, evaluation of their toxicity, and perspectives for the future applications.
Area Deprivation Index Score is Associated with Lower Rates of Long Term Follow-up after Upper Extremity Vascular Injuries.

The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) has been shown to be a determinant of healthcare outcomes in both medical and surgical fields, and is a measure of the socioeconomic status of patients. We sought to analyze outcomes in patients with upper extremity vascular injuries that were admitted over a five-year period to a Level I trauma center sorted by ADI. All patients with upper extremity vascular injury presenting to a level one trauma center between January 2013 and January 2017 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into two groups based on their ADI with the first group representing the lowest quartile of patients and the second group the higher three quartiles. Patient's demographics were analyzed as well as modes of trauma, hospital transfer status prior to receiving care, type of intervention received, follow-up rates and outcomes including both complication and amputation rates. Over this time period, a total of 88 patients with traumatic upper extremity vascular injuries were identified. The majority of injuries were due to penetrating trauma (74/88, 84%) with 41% (10/24) of patients in the lower ADI being victims of gunshot wounds compared to 27% (17/64) of those in the higher ADI (P = 0.19). Patients in the lowest ADI quartile were more likely to be African Americans (P= 0.0001), and more likely to be transferred to our university hospital prior to receiving care (P= 0.007). Arrival Glasgow Coma Scale and Injury Severity Score were similar as was time spent in the emergency room. Length of stay trended longer in the lowest ADI quartile as compared to the higher ADI (7.5 vs. 11.8, P= 0.59). The rates of long term follow-up were significantly lower in patients with the lowest ADI scores as opposed to the higher ADI group (P= 0.0098), however, there was no statistically significant difference in outcomes between the two groups including both complication and amputation rates. The ADI is associated with lower rates of long term follow-up after upper extremity vascular injuries, despite patients in both the high and low ADI groups having similar outcomes in regards to complication and amputation rates. Further study is warranted to investigate the role of the socioeconomic status in outcomes following traumatic injury.
Biomaterializing the promise of cardiac tissue engineering

During an average individual's lifespan, the human heart pumps nearly 200 million liters of blood delivered by approximately 3 billion heartbeats. Therefore, it is not surprising that native myocardium under this incredible demand is extraordinarily complex, both structurally and functionally. As a result, successful engineering of adult-mimetic functional cardiac tissues is likely to require utilization of highly specialized biomaterials representative of the native extracellular microenvironment. There is currently no single biomaterial that fully recapitulates the architecture or the biochemical and biomechanical properties of adult myocardium. However, significant effort has gone toward designing highly functional materials and tissue constructs that may one day provide a ready source of cardiac tissue grafts to address the overwhelming burden of cardiomyopathic disease. In the near term, biomaterial-based scaffolds are helping to generate in vitro systems for querying the mechanisms underlying human heart homeostasis and disease and discovering new, patient-specific therapeutics. When combined with advances in minimally-invasive cardiac delivery, ongoing efforts will likely lead to scalable cell and biomaterial technologies for use in clinical practice. In this review, we describe recent progress in the field of cardiac tissue engineering with particular emphasis on use of biomaterials for therapeutic tissue design and delivery.
Free-space optical communication over strong atmospheric turbulence channels

Optical communication can be deployed over a fiber-optic link or a free-space optical (FSO) link. Fiber-optic links are based on a closed two waveguide layers (core and cladding), protected by the jacket, for signal transmission, which are characterized by low-loss, extremely large bandwidth, small distortions, and represent relatively stable channels. FSO links are known for the “free” communication media, and have been widely used in shot-reach optical transmission systems. Despite the advantages of FSO channels, the performance of FSO transmission systems may be degraded by the atmospheric effects such as absorption, scattering effects, and atmospheric turbulence. Atmospheric turbulence is the main reason for channel fluctuation, as a result, the received beam will be affected by the intensity scintillation and spatial phase distortion. When spatial-mode multiplexing is used for FSO communication, mode crosstalk may become the limiting factor for the system capacity. In this chapter, we first analyze the atmospheric turbulence, and build a model to emulate the atmospheric turbulence channel. Then orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing/demultiplexing will be introduced, followed by the description of approaches to mitigate the turbulence effects.
A hydrogel beads based platform for single-cell phenotypic analysis and digital molecular detection

Microfluidic platforms integrating phenotyping and genotyping approaches have the potential to advance the understanding of single cell genotype-to-phenotype correlations. These correlations can play a key role in tackling antibiotic heteroresistance, cancer cell heterogeneity, and other related fundamental problems. Herein, we report a novel platform that enables both high-throughput digital molecular detection and single-cell phenotypic analysis, utilizing nanoliter-sized biocompatible polyethylene glycol hydrogel beads produced by a convenient and disposable centrifugal droplet generation device. The hydrogel beads have been demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, and achieved uncompromised efficiencies in digital polymerase chain reaction, digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification, and single cell phenotyping. The crosslinked hydrogel network highlights the prospective linkage of various subsequent molecular analyses to address the genotypic differences between cellular subpopulations exhibiting distinct phenotypes. Our platform shows great potential for applications in clinical practice and medical research, and promises new perspectives in mechanism elucidation of environment-evolution interaction and other basic research areas.
The Impact of Ad-Blockers on Product Search and Purchase Behavior: A Lab Experiment.

. Ad-blocking applications have become increasingly popular among Internet users. Ad-blockers offer various privacy- and security-enhancing features: they can reduce personal data collection and exposure to malicious advertising, help safeguard users' decision-making autonomy, reduce users' costs (by increasing the speed of page loading), and improve the browsing experience (by reducing visual clutter). On the other hand, the online advertising industry has claimed that ads increase consumers' economic welfare by helping them find better, cheaper deals faster. If so, using ad-blockers would deprive consumers of these benefits. However, little is known about the actual economic impact of ad-blockers. We designed a lab experiment (N=212) with real economic incentives to understand the impact of ad-blockers on consumers' product searching and purchasing behavior, and the resulting consumer outcomes. We focus on the effects of blocking contextual ads (ads targeted to individual, potentially sensitive, contexts, such as search queries in a search engine or the content of web pages) on how participants searched for and purchased various products online, and the resulting consumer welfare. We find that blocking contextual ads did not have a statistically significant effect on the prices of products participants chose to purchase, the time they spent searching for them, or how satisfied they were with the chosen products, prices, and perceived quality. Hence we do not reject the null hypothesis that consumer behavior and outcomes stay constant when such ads are blocked or shown. We conclude that the use of ad-blockers does not seem to compromise consumer economic welfare (along the metrics captured in the experiment) in exchange for privacy and security benefits. We discuss the implications of this work in terms of end-users' privacy, the study's limitations, and future work to extend these results.Presented at the 29th USENIX Security Symposium, August 12-14, 2020
Recent developments in trichodysplasia spinulosa disease

Trichodysplasia Spinulosa (TS) is a rare proliferative skin disease that occurs primarily in immunocompromised patients, specifically organ transplant recipients. TS is characterized by uncontrolled inner root sheath cell proliferation and folliculocentric papular eruption that can progress to disfiguring leonine facies when left untreated. TS presents with distinct histological features including the presence of large eosinophilic, trichohyaline granules within hyperproliferating inner root sheath cells of the hair bulb. The discovery of the Trichodysplasia Spinulosa Polyomavirus (TSPyV) and recent studies highlighting the role of TSPyV tumor antigens in cell proliferation pathways have provided new insight into the mechanisms of TS development. In this review, we discuss the expansion of our understanding of TS, specifically over the past 5 years. We summarize novel cases of TS and recent developments in the mechanisms underlying TSPyV-mediated disease progression. We also evaluate advancements in diagnostic methods and treatment options. As the incidence of TS continues to rise, it is becoming critical for clinicians to understand the clinical features of TS and emerging research regarding pathogenesis and therapeutics for early treatment of this potentially disfiguring disease.
COVID-19 hospital designation: Effect on emergency department patient self-selection and volume

Objective: Combating Coronavirus 2019 has stretched hospital resources to the extreme. In an effort to cohort personnel and equipment, NorthShore University HealthSystem (NSUHS) designated Glenbrook Hospital (GBH) as our “COVID hospital”, which became public knowledge on April 6, 2020. We hypothesize that with this public declaration our emergency department (ED) total volumes and COVID-19 related visits would be affected. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of our total ED volumes and COVID-19 related ED visits from March 12, 2020 until April 30, 2020. The pre public declaration timeframe of March 12-April 5, 2020 acted as our control whereas the post-public declaration acted as the testing group (April 6-April 30, 2020). NSUHS four primary hospitals were included in the analysis. We ran a chi-squared analysis on both groups to determine if there was statistical significance. Results: Both total ED volumes and COVID-19 related ED visits, when comparing pre VS post-public declaration of GBH as the “COVID hospital”, showed statistical significance ( p < .001). Three of the four hospitals had a decrease in total ED volumes, whereas the COVID-19 related ED visits increased at two hospitals and decreased at the others. Conclusions: Our results support our hypothesis that after the public declaration of Glenbrook Hospital as the “COVID hospital”, patients’ decision making regarding which ED to visit was significantly affected. Certain limitations, including socioeconomic status and a small geographical footprint of NSUHS, may have affected our results. Further work should be done to reproduce these results to ensure replication.
The RNA-Binding Protein HuD Regulates Alternative Splicing and Alternative Polyadenylation in the Mouse Neocortex.

The neuronal Hu/ELAV-like proteins HuB, HuC and HuD are a class of RNA-binding proteins that are crucial for proper development and maintenance of the nervous system. These proteins bind to AU-rich elements (AREs) in the untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) of target mRNAs regulating mRNA stability, transport and translation. In addition to these cytoplasmic functions, Hu proteins have been implicated in alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation in the nucleus. The purpose of this study was to identify transcriptome-wide effects of HuD deletion on both of these nuclear events using RNA sequencing data obtained from the neocortex of Elavl4-/- (HuD KO) mice. HuD KO affected alternative splicing of 310 genes, including 17 validated HuD targets such as Cbx3, Cspp1, Snap25 and Gria2. In addition, deletion of HuD affected polyadenylation of 53 genes, with the majority of significantly altered mRNAs shifting towards usage of proximal polyadenylation signals (PAS), resulting in shorter 3'-UTRs. None of these genes overlapped with those showing alternative splicing events. Overall, HuD KO had a greater effect on alternative splicing than polyadenylation, with many of the affected genes implicated in several neuronal functions and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dynamic Competition in Digital Markets: A Critical Analysis of the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Report

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, often referred to as the “big four” tech companies, are four of the five most valuable US companies traded on the public market and together control over $5 trillion in market capitalization, almost one-fifth of the S&P 500. As these companies have grown in size and power, so has public scrutiny of them, including calls for them to be broken up. The latest example is the recent antitrust report from the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The report focuses specifically on competition in digital markets. The report is the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by the subcommittee. It attempts to assess the state of competition in digital markets and the effects of competition within these markets. It focuses primarily on the power and conduct of the big four tech companies and provides a detailed analysis of its findings with regard to each of these companies. It also proposes several reforms that seek to strengthen antitrust law and enforcement in light of the problems affecting these growing markets. This policy brief provides a critical analysis of the report and its recommendations based on the consumer welfare standard, which has governed antitrust policy since the late 1970s. It also proposes a theoretical framework for refutation of the report’s allegations about anticompetitive conduct of the big four tech companies that we hope will be useful for future empirical work. Using this framework, we find that the report likely overstates the market power held by these tech companies and the extent to which their conduct is actually harmful to consumers. In addition, our framework leads us to hypothesize that the reforms advocated in the report may actually make consumers worse off by interfering with market dynamism and slowing innovation.
Hemiplegic migraine episode triggered by regadenoson.

SPECT and PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) are widely used to evaluate patients for coronary artery disease. Regadenoson (a selective A2A adenosine receptor agonist) is a commonly used vasodilator agent for stress MPI because of its safety profile and ease of use. Common adverse reactions such as headache, shortness of breath, flushing, and chest and abdominal discomfort are typically mild and can be effectively reversed using methylxanthines such as aminophylline and caffeine. Neurological adverse reactions such as seizure and stroke have rarely been reported with the use of regadenoson. The hemodynamic changes associated with regadenoson administration, such as an exaggerated hypotensive or hypertensive response, may be the cause for the reported cerebrovascular accidents. Activation of central nervous system A2A adenosine receptors is thought to be responsible for seizure episodes in patients with or without known histories of seizure. A2A adenosine receptors activation is also believed to play a role in headaches and migraine. This patient reported who has a history of hemiplegic migraine developed left side weakness and headache following the administration of regadenoson during a PET MPI study. Imaging work-up to rule out cerebrovascular accident was normal. After 1 hour from the onset of his symptoms, his weakness and headache significantly improved with complete resolution within 24 hours. We concluded that regadenoson triggered a hemiplegic migraine episode in this patient, which has not been previously reported in the literature. It may be prudent to avoid regadenoson and adenosine use in patients with a history of hemiplegic migraine.
Mathematical Metaphors: Problem Reformulation and Analysis Strategies

This paper addresses the critical need for the development of intelligent or assisting software tools for the scientist who is working in the initial problem formulation and mathematical model representation stage of research. In particular, examples of that representation in fluid dynamics and instability theory are discussed. The creation of a mathematical model that is ready for application of certain solution strategies requires extensive symbolic manipulation of the original mathematical model. These manipulations can be as simple as term reordering or as complicated as discovery of various symmetry groups embodied in the equations, whereby Backlund-type transformations create new determining equations and integrability conditions or create differential Grobner bases that are then solved in place of the original nonlinear PDEs. Several examples are presented of the kinds of problem formulations and transforms that can be frequently encountered in model representation for fluids problems. The capability of intelligently automating these types of transforms, available prior to actual mathematical solution, is advocated. Physical meaning and assumption-understanding can then be propagated through the mathematical transformations, allowing for explicit strategy development.
Essentials of environmental health. Enhancing your occupational health nursing practice (Part II).

1. In the United States, approximately 24 million people use water daily from unregulated water supplies. Agents of water pollution can be categorized as biological (e.g., Cryptosporidium parvum), chemical (e.g., industrial solvents), or radionuclide (e.g., radon). 2. More than 600 chemicals are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as pesticides in the United States. Human exposure occurs through direct contact or dermal absorption, inhalation, and ingestion of food, water, and breast milk. It is estimated that 50% of all the pesticides ingested in a lifetime are ingested in the first 5 years of life. 3. Children are at particular risk for exposure to environmental toxicants like pesticides because of time spent crawling and playing on floors, lawns, and other potentially contaminated surface areas, and hand to mouth behaviors. At this time, toxicity data for many pesticides in common use are inadequate to determine potential for neurotoxicity and adverse effects on the developing immune and endocrine system. 4. To meet the challenge of environmental health issues, occupational and environmental health nurses have important opportunities to promote health in the workplace and the community through research, direct clinical services, advocacy, and education.
Stochastic model prediction of nonlinear creep in glassy polymers

Abstract Nonlinear creep is one of the generic features of deformation response of glassy polymers, where a rich set of strain vs time responses is observed that depend upon the applied stress and the thermal history used to form the glass. Although existing constitutive models may be able to describe some aspects of nonlinear creep, these models are unable to provide a unified description of the diverse nonlinear creep behaviors exhibited by glassy polymers, where predicting the effects of thermal history has proved especially challenging. In this paper the ability of a recently developed Stochastic Constitutive Model (SCM) to describe nonlinear creep is critically examined, where it is demonstrated that the SCM qualitatively captures all of the major features of nonlinear creep of glassy polymers, including the tertiary creep. In particular the SCM predicts how the duration of the secondary creep and the range of the tertiary creep depend on the aging time prior to deformation. The SCM predicts the existence of Stage IV creep, which comes after the tertiary creep – where examination of nonlinear creep data clearly indicate the presence of Stage IV creep, although heretofore not recognized, in the experimental data. The SCM unifies the description of nonlinear creep, and provides a detailed mesoscopic picture of the processes that underlie both strain controlled and stress controlled experiments.
Prohibiting sexual harassment in the European Union

European Union policymakers have taken a courageous step toward outlawing sexual harassment as a form of gender‐based discrimination throughout the EU with the recent passage of the amended equal treatment directive. While the edict seeks to harmonize member states' laws regarding the equal participation of men and women in the labor market, a number of public policy issues will arise as individual member states formally implement the directive. This article begins by identifying the principal components of the directive. It then focuses on two likely areas of intense public policy debate: operationalizing the definition of “sexual harassment,” and protecting employers from liability under certain circumstances. Where appropriate, the article draws upon corollaries and parallels in US law that may provide guidance to policy makers on these issues. The article concludes by offering practical suggestions for employers who would like to take the initiative in creating workplace reforms consistent with the principles underlying the directive.
Flow structures and sandbar dynamics in a canyon river during a controlled flood, Colorado River, Arizona

In canyon rivers, debris fan constrictions create rapids and downstream pools characterized by secondary flow structures that are closely linked to channel morphology. In this paper we describe detailed measurements of the three-dimensional flow structure and sandbar dynamics of two pools along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon during a controlled flood release from Glen Canyon Dam. Results indicate that the pools are characterized by large lateral recirculation zones (eddies) resulting from flow separation downstream from the channel constrictions, as well as helical flow structures in the main channel and eddy. The lateral recirculation zones are low-velocity areas conducive to fine sediment deposition, particularly in the vicinity of the separation and reattachment points and are thus the dominant flow structures controlling sandbar dynamics. The helical flow structures also affect morphology but appear secondary in importance to the lateral eddies. During the controlled flood, sandbars in the separation and reattachment zones at both sites tended to build gradually during the rising limb and peak flow. Deposition in shallow water on the sandbars was accompanied by erosion in deeper water along the sandbar slope at the interface with the main channel. Erosion occurred via rapid mass failures as well as by gradual boundary shear stress driven processes. The flow structures and morphologic links at our study sites are similar to those identified in other river environments, in particular sharply curved meanders and channel confluences where the coexistence of lateral recirculation and helical flows has been documented.
Absorption and Utilization of Organic Matter by the Strict Autotroph, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, with Special Reference to Aspartic Acid

Butler, Richard G. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.), and Wayne W. Umbreit. Absorption and utilization of organic matter by the strict autotroph, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, with special reference to aspartic acid. J. Bacteriol. 91:661-666. 1966.-The strictly autotrophic bacterium, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, can be shown to assimilate a variety of organic materials. Aspartic acid can be assimilated into protein and can be converted into CO(2), but even in the presence of sulfur it cannot serve as the sole source of carbon for growth. The reason appears to be that aspartic acid is converted into inhibitory materials.
Scaling and uncertainty: in search of conceptual linkages and practical approaches

The authors of Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology have cast a broad net in reviewing and synthesizing these two all-encompassing topics. Scaling has become a major ecological issue in the fifteen years since Levin (1992) defined the problem of pattern and scale as a central theme in ecology, as evidenced by the number of books on this topic that have already been published (e.g., Schnieder 1994; Bissonette 1997; Peterson and Parker 1998; Waring and Running 1998; Gardner et al. 2001). Similarly, the need to quantify uncertainty has been the driving force behind the development and application of statistical methods in ecology, and uncertainty analysis has always been an important aspect of ecological simulation modeling. As with scaling, uncertainty is a pervasive theme in nearly all ecological research and has been the subject of recent books focusing on spatial uncertainty in ecology and natural resource management (Mowrer and Congalton 2000; Hunsaker et al. 2001). Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology takes the unique perspective of addressing these two important topics simultaneously, providing an opportunity to consider how they are interlinked. The first section of the book consists of several background chapters describing concepts and methods related to scaling and uncertainty. Chapter 1 (Wu and Li) provides a useful framework for understanding the multitude of scale-related concepts and definitions based on a three-tiered model of dimensions, kinds, and components of scale. Chapter 2 (Wu and Li) similarly characterizes and classifies the different quantitative methods and models used in scaling research. The next two chapters provide background on the topic of uncertainty. Chapter 3 (Li and Wu) primarily addresses techniques for uncertainty analysis of ecological simulation models. Chapter 4 (Berk and de Leeuw) provides an overview of statistical approaches for analyzing hierarchical, multi-scale datasets (e.g. patches nested within landscapes) and spatially autocorrelated phenomena. Additional chapters in the concepts and methods section address downscaling species distribution patterns to estimate local abundance (Chapter 5, He and Reed), upscaling experimental results from model systems to real landscapes (Chapter 6, Bradford and Reynolds), and upscaling results from plot-level studies to heterogeneous landscapes (Chapter 7, Peters et al.). Finally, Chapter 8 (Wessman and Bateson) provide a thorough discussion of scale-related considerations in applying satellite remote sensing to measure earth-surface patterns and processes. The second section of Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology provides several case studies that illustrate the myriad ways in which scaling techniques M. C. Wimberly (&) Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA e-mail: michael.wimberly@sdstate.edu
Securitization and Its Discontents: The Dynamics of Financial Product Development

This article takes as its point of departure the financing technique referred to as "securitization," a close cousin of secured lending that has grown to enormous size since its origin more than two decades ago. The article pursues two themes. One is a critique of the legal foundations of securitization, which includes a perspective on aspects of fraudulent transfer law that are well established historically but have been neglected in recent decades. The other is exploration of the implications of this product growing so vast despite its dubious legal foundations. In that regard, the article explores two points of legal sociology that apply to new financial products generally. The first is that a product can become so widely used that it cannot be permitted to fail, notwithstanding its dubious legal foundations. The second is that the debt rating agencies have become de facto lawmakers, because it is their decision to give a favorable rating to a financial product the credit quality of which depends on a debatable legal judgment that allows the product to grow too big to fail. Two nascent products are identified as candidates for the operation of a similar dynamic. The article ends with a normative assessment of securitization from a pragmatic perspective, concluding that legislative action is appropriate to ratify the product's object, with constraints.