cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of colloidal monomethyl mercury in natural waters using cross-flow ultrafiltration techniques

Abstract A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the appropriateness of cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF) techniques for the determination of the phase speciation of monomethyl mercury (MeHg) in natural waters. Spiral-wound cartridge (Amicon S1Y1) and Miniplate (Amicon) were evaluated for their nominal molecular weight cut-offs of 1 and 10 kDa, respectively. The ultrafiltration behavior of standard macromolecules showed that the permeation of high molecular weight (HMW) organic macromolecules was not significant when a concentration factor (CF)>15 was used. The retention of low molecular weight (LMW) molecules was significant, especially at a low CF K C =5.2) was higher than the partition coefficient based on particle/filter-passing (average log K D =4.6) or particle/truly dissolved MeHg (average log K P =4.8), suggesting that MeHg has stronger affinity for natural colloids than macroparticulate materials (>0.45 μm).
Factors Associated With Increased Reading Frequency in Children Exposed to Reach Out and Read.

Abstract Objective A 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Literacy Promotion recommends providers endorse daily caregiver–child reading during health supervision visits. Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a widely used model of office-based early literacy promotion. We hypothesized that exposure to ROR and other variables such as reading as part of a bedtime routine positively correlate with caregiver–child reading frequency. Methods This is a cross-sectional study based on a convenience sample of caregivers at 8 ROR-Milwaukee sites, which serve predominantly low-income populations in Milwaukee. On the basis of results of previously validated questionnaires, odds ratios were calculated to determine which variables are significantly associated with caregivers' reading to children 0 to 2 (rarely), 3 to 6 (often), and 7 (daily) days per week. Random forest analysis was performed to examine relative importance of variables in predicting caregivers' reading frequency. Results A total of 256 caregivers were eligible for analysis; those who reported receiving ≥4 books from pediatricians read to children more days per week compared to those receiving fewer books (5.07 vs 3.61, P Conclusions Exposure to ROR-Milwaukee's intervention is associated with increased reading frequency. Identified variables such as reading as a bedtime routine and number of children's books in the home should be targets for future literacy-promoting interventions.
Purification and Quantitation of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Immunoglobulin M

Summary A method is described for purification of channel catfish IgM from immune catfish serum. This should also be a feasible method for purification of IgM from other teleost fish species. The IgM concentration of adult channel catfish was determined to be 11 mg IgM per ml of serum.
Allostery vs. “allokairy”

A hallmark feature of biological systems is that they are tightly regulated. Whether it is turning genes on and off, controlling cell division, or tuning the activity of enzymes, nature has evolved an intricate array of regulatory measures to ensure that systems can optimally respond to the myriad of environmental queues that determine everything from cell fate to survival. Most often the tuning of an enzyme uses a phenomenon known as allostery, whereby the binding of substrate to one enzyme molecule is coupled to the binding of another molecule. The end result is that binding at one site can influence subsequent binding events at other sites. Thus, the term “allostery,” which is derived from the Greek allos meaning “other” and stereos meaning “structure,” describes the ability of biological molecules to transmit the effects of binding spatially through the protein to other sites. The association of oxygen with tetrameric hemoglobin is the prototypical example (1), and indeed almost every enzyme (2) is allosterically controlled by some ligand. However, is the coupling of spatially distinct events the only way to regulate function? In PNAS, Whittington et al. (3) demonstrate how regulation can arise not only by transmitting binding information spatially but also temporally. This mode of regulation forces a reconsideration of the strategies nature has at its disposal to tune biological systems.
Divalent cation inhibition of barley root plasma membrane‐bound Ca2+‐ATPase activity and its reversal by monovalent cations

The inhibitory action of divalent cations on the Ca2+-ATPase activity of a plasma membrane-rich microsome fraction isolated from the roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Conquest) was investigated. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure cation-induced changes in membrane lipid properties, it was demonstrated that certain divalent cations (Ca2+, Cd2+, UO2+2) inhibit the Ca2+ ATP-ase by restriction of lipid polar head group mobility and not by alteration of membrane surface potential. Monovalent cations which stimulate the Ca2+-ATPase of barley roots (Na+, K+, ethanolamine HCl) can also reverse the Ca2+-ATPase inhibition by Cd2+. The degree of Na+ reversal of Cd2+-induced Ca2+-ATPase inhibition was influenced by the nature of the anion.
Learning and Memory Capacity in Sons of Alcoholic Men

Male offspring, ages 12-17, of alcoholic and normal social-drinking men were compared on a battery of tests measuring intellectual ability, academic achievement, and learning and memory. The sons of alcoholic men were found to have significantly lower verbal IQ and achievement scores but did not perform more poorly on tests of learning and memory.
Efficacy of Soil Extracting Solutions for Assessing Potential Phosphorus Loss from a Dairy Waste Application Field Soil in North Central Texas

Elevated phosphorus (P) from manure application field (MAF) soils transported to surface waters is a concern throughout the world because of P's role in eutrophication. Our goal was to determine why the common labile extractants alkaline-buffered sodium bicarbonate (Olsen), ammonium bicarbonate–diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), and dilute acid–fluoride (Mehlich III) produce different values given the same soil sample. Ten sites within a dairy MAF were sampled by genetic horizons from fine, mixed, Thermic, Udic Paleustalf (Windthorst) map units. In addition to determining plant labile P, soluble and total P were determined. All P pools decreased with depth, but concentrations between the labile P were variable. Mehlich III extracted more plant labile P at neutral and slightly alkaline pH values. Mehlich III also dissolved more carbonates. The fraction of labile P that Mehlich III extracts in excess of Olsen and DTPA warrants further characterization of carbonate associated P to assess its role in ...
The Project Data Sphere Initiative: Accelerating Cancer Research by Sharing Data

Background. Inthispaper,weprovidebackgroundandcontext regarding the potential for a new data-sharing platform, the ProjectDataSphere(PDS)initiative,fundedbyfinancialandinkind contributions from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, to transform cancer research and improve patient outcomes. Giventherelativelymodestdeclineincancerdeath ratesover the past several years, a new research paradigm is needed to accelerate therapeutic approaches for oncologic diseases. Phase III clinical trials generate large volumes of potentially usable information, often on hundreds of patients, including patientstreatedwithstandardofcaretherapies(i.e.,controls). Both nationally and internationally, a variety of stakeholders have pursued data-sharing efforts to make individual patientlevel clinical trial data available to the scientific research community.
Similarity Joins

Similarity Joins are extensively used in multiple application domains and are recognized among the most useful data processing and analysis operations. They retrieve all data pairs whose distances are smaller than a predefined threshold e. While several standalone implementations have been proposed, very little work has addressed the implementation of Similarity Joins as physical database operators. In this paper, we focus on the study, design, implementation, and optimization of a Similarity Join database operator for metric spaces. We present DBSimJoin, a physical database operator that integrates techniques to: enable a non-blocking behavior, prioritize the early generation of results, and fully support the database iterator interface. The proposed operator can be used with multiple distance functions and data types. We describe the changes in each query engine module to implement DBSimJoin and provide details of our implementation in PostgreSQL. We also study ways in which DBSimJoin can be combined with other similarity and non-similarity operators to answer more complex queries, and how DBSimJoin can be used in query transformation rules to improve query performance. The extensive performance evaluation shows that DBSimJoin significantly outperforms alternative approaches and scales very well when important parameters like e, data size, and number of dimensions increase.
Contributions of Mossy Fiber and CA1 Pyramidal Cell Sprouting to Dentate Granule Cell Hyperexcitability in Kainic Acid–Treated Hippocampal Slice Cultures

Axonal sprouting like that of the mossy fibers is commonly associated with temporal lobe epilepsy, but its significance remains uncertain. To investigate the functional consequences of sprouting of...
Information as discursive construct

By revisiting the notion of "information-as-thing" (Buckland, 1991) and investigating the notion of "regimes of information" (Ekbia and Evans, 2009), this paper shows that "information" is constituted by community consensus and is influenced by economic and political structures of social systems. As such, "information" should be understood as discursive construct. Understanding "information" as discursive construct not only rids us of distorted views of communication and cognition implicated in influential conceptions of information, but also opens up questions concerning "information" for critical social analyses, which in turn leads to epistemological and methodological discussions.
Murine visceral leishmaniasis: IgM and polyclonal B‐cell activation lead to disease exacerbation

In visceral leishmaniasis, the draining LN (DLN) is the initial site for colonization and establishment of infection after intradermal transmission by the sand fly vector; however, little is known about the developing immune response within this site. Using an intradermal infection model, which allows for parasite visceralization, we have examined the ongoing immune responses in the DLN of BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania infantum. Although not unexpected, at early times post-infection there is a marked B-cell expansion in the DLN, which persists throughout infection. However, the characteristics of this response were of interest; as early as day 7 post-infection, polyclonal antibodies (TNP, OVA, chromatin) were observed and the levels appeared comparable to the specific anti-leishmania response. Although B-cell-deficient JhD BALB/c mice are relatively resistant to infection, neither B-cell-derived IL-10 nor B-cell antigen presentation appear to be primarily responsible for the elevated parasitemia. However, passive transfer and reconstitution of JhD BALB/c with secretory immunoglobulins, (IgM or IgG; specific or non-specific immune complexes) results in increased susceptibility to L. infantum infection. Further, JhD BALB/c mice transgenetically reconstituted to secrete IgM demonstrated exacerbated disease in comparison to WT BALB/c mice as early as 2 days post-infection. Evidence suggests that complement activation (generation of C5a) and signaling via the C5a receptor (CD88) is related to the disease exacerbation caused by IgM rather than cytokine levels (IL-10 or IFN-gamma). Overall these studies indicate that polyclonal B-cell activation, which is known to be associated with human visceral leishmaniasis, is an early and intrinsic characteristic of disease and may represent a target for therapeutic intervention.
Malignant pericardial effusion as initial solitary site of metastasis from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

A patient is presented whose first and sole evidence of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was pericardial metastasis with life-threatening cardiac tamponade. Definitive diagnosis and management was achieved with fluid cytology and video-assisted thoracic surgical pericardial biopsy and pericardial window.
Environmental effects on CGA-248757 and flumiclorac efficacy/soybean tolerance

Abstract The effect temperature, light intensity, time to initial light exposure, relative humidity, and the presence of dew have on CGA-248757 and flumiclorac efficacy was evaluated in laboratory trials. Increasing temperature from 10 to 40 C increased CGA-248757 and flumiclorac activity on common lambsquarters by 79 and 87%, respectively. Similarly, increasing temperature from 10 to 40 C increased CGA-248757 and flumiclorac activity on redroot pigweed by 68 and 60%, respectively. Increasing light intensity from 0 to 1,000 μmol m−2 s−1 increased CGA-248757 activity on common lambsquarters and redroot pigweed by 92 and 93%, while flumiclorac activity increased 91 and 99%. Time to initial light exposure and relative humidity did not affect CGA-248757 or flumiclorac activity on common lambsquarters and redroot pigweed. The presence of dew reduced herbicidal activity of both compounds on common lambsquarters by 5% and redroot pigweed control with CGA-248757 and flumiclorac by 21 and 20%, respectively. Field ...
Strengthening Supervision in Systems of Care: Exemplary Practices in Empirically Supported Treatments

The last few decades have witnessed major growth in the evidence base on effective client interventions used by social workers and other health and social service professionals. As the pressure for service agencies to offer empirically supported treatments has been increasing, financial and time constraints have driven a decline in the frequency and amount of supervision provided within many of these organizations. While the reduction in staff supervision presents a challenge for effective implementation of all treatments, there are comprehensive empirically supported treatment models for clients that serve as exemplars of supervisory practice through their explicit requirements, processes and tools for supervision and supervisor development. After a review of the current status of supervision nationally, an implementation science-based approach is described, which builds organizational support for supervision and promotes optimal supervisory practice through training and consultation of supervisors and supervisees. The elements of this comprehensive approach, developed by the Yale Program on Supervision, are detailed. Supervisory policies, practices, and tools created by the developers of empirically supported treatments and similarly grounded in the principles of implementation science are offered as further examples of strategies for ensuring effective supervision.
Women's Center Volunteer Intern Program: Building Community While Advancing Social and Gender Justice.

This program description explores the purpose, structure, activities, and outcomes of the volunteer intern program at the Wright State University Women’s Center. Designed to create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for students and to advance the center’s mission, the volunteer intern program builds community while advancing social and gender justice. Interns report many positive outcomes, including stronger understandings of themselves and others, a greater sense of belonging and feminist community on campus, and the intention to remain involved in work for social and gender justice after graduation.
In Vivo Deep Tissue Imaging via Iterative Multiphoton Adaptive Compensation Technique

Multiphoton microscopy has been widely adopted in biological studies for its advantages in deep tissue imaging at subcellular resolutions. However, aberration and scattering in the sample often lead to a distorted laser focus with reduced focus intensity, limiting the achievable resolution and penetration depth. Adaptive optics has been adopted in microscopy to correct wavefront distortions and recover the diffraction-limited focus. Here, we review the Iterative MultiPhoton Adaptive Compensation Technique (IMPACT) that can perform in vivo high-speed wavefront measurement and compensation at large depth. We describe the working principle of IMPACT, demonstrate its applications for in vivo deep tissue imaging, and discuss its advantages and aspects to be improved.
An Argument for Ethical, Proactive, Archaeologist-Artifact Collector Collaboration

This essay addresses the contentious issue of collaboration between archaeologists and artifact collectors. I argue that in many instances, alienating members of the collecting public is not just bad practice; such alienation itself also violates the Society for American Archaeology's (SAA's) Principles of Archaeological Ethics. I make my case by first exploring the SAA's ethical code. I focus initially on “stewardship” and “commercialization,” which many cite as reasons for rejecting relationships with artifact collectors. I then discuss other SAA principles that support the perspective that archaeologists should actively reach out to citizens with private collections whenever possible. Second, I present a case study exploring what the Clovis archaeological record might look like had archaeologists rejected the overtures of a century of collectors who brought Pleistocene finds to the attention of professionals. Had practitioners accepted only those Clovis sites free of collector involvement, our understanding of Clovis lifeways would be quite different from what it is today. This essay has two messages. First, collectors can advance, and have advanced, archaeology by reaching out to archaeologists willing to reach back. Second, our own code of ethics suggests that responsibly engaging artifact collectors is not just “okay,” it is its own ethical imperative.
Analysis on the Chinese food safety management system certification based on ISO22000

The food safety management system(FSMS) background, significance and trend of certification were introduced in this paper. Reform history of FSMS certification polices in China was summed up. The purpose and significance of revision of the new policy were analyzed concurrently. After that, the legal basis for FSMS certification was expounded; some regulations and standards for FSMS certification were listed. The adoption of legislation principles to enterprises need gain certification was illustrated. According to official data, the amount of the FSMS certification, certification covering tissue types were introduced; the actual benefits of the certification were discussed from the perspectives of administrative supervision, enterprise management, and foreign trade, reduce food safety risk. In addition to the Chinese FSMS authentication supervision system, supervision method was briefly introduced.
Diagnostic Tests in the Evaluation of Male Infertility

Semen analysis remains the most important initial diagnostic tool in the evaluation of male fertility. It not only provides valuable information for creating a management strategy, it also offers insight into the patient’s overall prognosis. However, semen analysis leaves the clinician on many occasions with unanswered questions. For this reason, efforts were made to help establish new diagnostic modalities capable of addressing specific queries. Sperm viability, genetic function, and fertilizing ability can be assessed with viability studies, sperm DNA fragmentation, and acrosome reaction, respectively. In this chapter, we aim to present a practical guide on different diagnostic modalities used in the evaluation of male infertility.
Improvisation as a Meta-Counseling Skill

ABSTRACTCounselor education tends to see the development of basic counseling and communication skills as the foundation of clinical training. Improvisation has historically and primarily been connected to theater training and as a performance mechanism. By developing skills in spontaneity and the nature of narrative (or story) one becomes more able to be in-the-moment with a client or clients and thus less anxious and more able to meet the client where they are. As such, improvisation can really be seen as a meta-counseling skill—a skill that can form a firmer foundation for the learning of the basic counseling and communication micro-skills. This article outlines the core concepts of improvisational training for counselors and includes examples of improvisational games that can specifically help in preparing counselor trainees for their future clinical work.
Relation of Psychiatric Symptoms with Epilepsy, Asthma, and Allergy in Youth with ASD vs. Psychiatry Referrals

The present study aimed to characterize the association of psychopathology with the clinical correlates of epilepsy, asthma, and allergy within and between neurobehavioral syndromes. Participants were consecutively evaluated youth (6–18 years, 75 % male) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 589) and non-ASD outpatient psychiatry referrals (n = 653). Informants completed a background questionnaire (parents) and a psychiatric symptom severity rating scale (parents, teachers). Youth with ASD had higher rates of epilepsy and allergy but not asthma than psychiatry referrals, even when analyses were limited to youth with IQ ≥ 70. Somatic conditions evidenced variable associations with medical services utilization, educational interventions, family income, and maternal education. Youth with ASD with versus without epilepsy had more severe ASD social deficits (parents’ ratings) and less severe ASD repetitive behaviors (teachers’ ratings). Epilepsy was associated with more severe depression, mania, and schizophrenia symptoms in youth with ASD. Youth with allergy (psychiatry referrals only) had more severe anxiety and depression symptoms (parents’ ratings) but less severe aggression (teachers’ ratings) thus providing evidence of both context- and diagnostic-specificity. Youth with ASD versus non-ASD psychiatry referrals evidence a variable pattern of relations between somatic conditions and a range of clinical correlates, which suggests that the biologic substrates and psychosocial concomitants of neurodevelopmental disorders and their co-occurring somatic conditions may interact to produce unique clinical phenotypes.
A Field-Based Teacher Education Internship for Middle Level Teacher Candidates

AbstractIn the fall of 1998, the middle level program at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) embarked on a unique integrated teacher education pilot program. The primary intent of EIU’s pilot program was to offer a motivational, meaningful, unique, and experience-based internship. A secondary focus was to present to other higher education institutions the structure of this pilot program and its impact on teacher education candidates. First, students were involved in six weeks of intensive on-campus course work. The constructivist focus of the course work offered students the opportunity to develop numerous in-class presentations, projects, and group activities. Interdisciplinary teaching, advisory program development, teaming activities, and content area reading strategies enriched students broadening the participants; and the program gave teacher candidates a clear perception of what it means to be an effective middle school teacher. Other important components of the class included promoting use of adolesc...
The Neuroscientific Non-Challenge to Meaning, Morals, and Purpose

The primary quarries of those who think that neuroscience poses a challenge to meaning, morals, and purpose are the related concepts of responsibility and desert, especially as they play a role in criminal law. After all, responsibility and desert are intrinsic features of present moral and criminal legal concepts, practices, and institutions, including the imposition of punishment. This chapter begins by reviewing the law's psychology, concept of personhood, and criteria for criminal responsibility. It then turns to neuroscience’s two primary challenges, determinism and the “victim of neuronal circumstances”/“pack of neurons” (VNC/PON) model, suggesting that neither is new to neuroscience and neither at present justifies revolutionary abandonment of moral and legal concepts and practices that have been evolving for centuries in both common law and civil law countries. I then turn to the new version of determinism, called by its proponents “hard incompatibilism.” First, I suggest some concerns internal to the approach. Then, because the metaphysical premises for responsibility or jettisoning it cannot be decisively resolved, I suggest that the real issue is the type of world we want to live in and that the hard incompatibilist vision is not normatively desirable, even if it is somehow achievable.
Reaction velocity response of the Escherichia coli biosynthetic L-threonine deaminase to rapid changes in substrate and modifier ligand concentrations.

Abstract It has been determined that the biosynthetic L-threonine deaminase from Escherichia coli responds rapidly to a sudden increase in the concentration of either L-isoleucine or L-valine but, in the presence of L-isoleucine, exhibits a hysteretic response to a rapid increase in the level of the substrate, L-threonine. This effect is observed only at L-threonine concentrations much higher than that required for saturation of the catalytic site.
A Comparison of Three Developmental Stage Scoring Systems

In social psychological research the stage metaphor has fallen into disfavor due to concerns about bias, reliability, and validity. To address some of these issues, I employ a multidimensional partial credit analysis comparing moral judgment interviews scored with the Standard Issue Scoring System (SISS) (Colby and Kohlberg, 1987b), evaluative reasoning interviews scored with the Good Life Scoring System (GLSS) (Armon, 1984b), and Good Education interviews scored with the Hierarchical Complexity Scoring System (HCSS) (Commons, Danaher, Miller, and Dawson, 2000). A total of 209 participants between the ages of 5 and 86 were interviewed. The multidimensional model reveals that even though the scoring systems rely upon different criteria and the data were collected using different methods and scored by different teams of raters, the SISS, GLSS, and HCSS all appear to measure the same latent variable. The HCSS exhibits more internal consistency than the SISS and GLSS, and solves some methodological problems introduced by the content dependency of the SISS and GLSS. These results and their implications are elaborated.
Higher Education and Quality Assurance: Some Observations

Quality assurance (QA), quality indicators, quality registers, pan-Asia accreditation as well as other topics related to the desire of universities and colleges in the Asian region to achieve higher standards become the critical issue for higher education (HE) in the Asian region. Although the title of the book is Measuring Quality of Undergraduate Education in Japan: Comparative Perspective in a Knowledge Based Society, this book focuses on the quality of undergraduate education in Japan. However, quality of undergraduate education and QA is the common urgent issue for HE in the Asian region. Thus, this chapter looks at some illustrative national examples of QA trends and issues and provides a brief outline of the context in which this is occurring. Throughout the region a number of factors influence the QA movement. HE has become more diverse, it is more available, more international, there is less money to go around, the private sector has expanded, governance has undergone dramatic changes, and all of this results in more competition. Through the outline of QA trends in the Asian region, the readers understand the commonalities of HE policy in the Asian region, and it is worthwhile to understand the common and specific issues of Japanese higher education in such trends.
Representación textual del indígena en la literatura colombiana: entre el buen salvaje y el salvaje por naturaleza

Este articulo rastrea y analiza las dos tendencias contradictorias que sobre el indigena se reflejaron en la literatura hispanoamericana en el siglo XIX, las cuales continuan influenciando la perce...
Design Criteria for Micro-Optical Tandem Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) harness light generated by luminophores embedded in a light-trapping waveguide to concentrate onto smaller cells. LSCs can absorb both direct and diffuse sunlight, and thus can operate as flat plate receivers at a fixed tilt and with a conventional module form factor. However, current LSCs experience significant power loss through parasitic luminophore absorption and incomplete light trapping by the optical waveguide. Here, we introduce a tandem LSC device architecture that overcomes both of these limitations, consisting of a poly(lauryl methacrylate) polymer layer with embedded cadmium selenide core, cadmium sulfide shell (CdSe/CdS) quantum dot (QD) luminophores and an InGaP microcell array, which serves as high bandgap absorbers on the top of a conventional Si photovoltaic. We investigate the design space for a tandem LSC, using experimentally measured performance parameters for key components, including the InGaP microcell array, CdSe/CdS QDs, and spectrally selective waveguide filters. Using a Monte Carlo ray-tracing model, we compute the power conversion efficiency for a tandem LSC module with these components to be 29.4% under partially diffuse illumination conditions. These results indicate that a tandem LSC-on-Si architecture could significantly improve upon the efficiency of a conventional Si photovoltaic cell.
Ab initio based investigation of thermal transport in superlattices using the Boltzmann equation: Assessing the role of phonon coherence

The role of the coherent interference of phonons on thermal transport in artificial materials such as superlattices is of intense interest. Recent experimental studies report a non-monotonic trend in thermal conductivity with interface density which is attributed to band-folding of thermal phonons. Various models have been proposed to interpret these measurements, but most make simplifying assumptions that make definitively attributing the trends to the coherent transport difficult. Here, we investigate thermal transport in superlattices in the incoherent limit using the Boltzmann equation with intrinsic phonon dispersions and lifetimes calculated from first-principles. We find that the Boltzmann equation is unable to predict the non-monotonic behavior of thermal conductivity versus superlattice period, supporting the interpretation of phonon interference in recent experiments.
Early Childhood Obesity Among Underserved Families: A Multilevel Community–Academic Partnership

A community-academic partnership, based on a social-ecological framework, addressed pediatric obesity by implementing a multilevel intervention for underserved families in Los Angeles, California. Individual- and interpersonal-level outcomes included significant positive changes in preschoolers' identification of unhealthy foods and in parents' shopping, cooking, and parenting behaviors. Organizational-, community-, and policy-level outcomes included healthy options at restaurants and a coalition supporting a parental initiative to create healthy checkout aisles in supermarkets. The multilevel intervention demonstrated favorable results using descriptive statistics and the paired-samples t-test.
Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition.

Humans and their gut bacteria have evolved multiple ways to communicate with and regulate one another. Psychological stress and depression can promote consumption of highly palatable foods, influencing which gut bacteria thrive. Additionally, stress and depression can reshape the gut bacteria’s composition through stress hormones, inflammation, and autonomic alterations. In turn, the gut bacteria release metabolites, toxins, and neurohormones that can alter eating behavior and mood. Some bacterial species may encourage dysregulated eating. The gut bacteria may also upregulate stress responsiveness and heighten the risk for depression, which probiotic supplementation may attenuate. This review focuses on human studies to address the bidirectional links among diet, stress, and the gut bacteria, and their impact on immune function and health.
Rheumatic Care in Under-Resourced Areas Using the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Model

Objective To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) in educating primary care clinicians (PCCs) to provide best practice rheumatic care to patients in under-resourced communities in New Mexico. Methods Attendee data for weekly teleECHO sessions, lectures, grand rounds, and mini-residency trainings were evaluated from June 2006 to June 2014. Participant feedback was evaluated from January 2009 to December 2014, when the program was approved for continuing medical education (CME) credits. Retrospective review of diagnoses associated with case presentations was conducted from June 2006 to June 2014 to evaluate the types of cases presented. A focus group was conducted with a convenience sample of 8 New Mexico PCCs who participated in ECHO Rheumatology (ECHO Rheum) for 1 year or longer. Results Over the course of 9 years, ECHO Rheum educated 2,230 clinicians, consisting primarily of physicians (53%) and nurse practitioners (22%). A total of 1,958 CME credits were awarded to those who participated. There were 1,173 cases presented; 85% of the cases reflected the 3 most common diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis (n = 715), fibromyalgia (n = 241), and systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 54). In addition, ECHO Rheum conducted 15 two-day mini-residencies involving 30 PCCs; 21 of these clinicians subsequently completed the American College of Rheumatology online certification. Conclusion Results from this study demonstrate that participation in ECHO Rheum provides clinicians in under-resourced areas access to best-practice knowledge and training in rheumatology.
Instabilities via negative Krein signature in a weakly non-Hamiltonian DNLS model

In the present work we consider a model that has been proposed at the continuum level for self-defocusing nonlinearities in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in order to capture phenomenologically the loss of condensate atoms to thermal ones. We explore a model combining dispersion, nonlinearity and gain/loss at the discrete level, and illustrate the idea that modes associated with negative “energy” (mathematically: negative Krein signature) can give rise to instability of excited states when non-Hamiltonian terms are introduced in a nonlinear dynamical lattice. We showcase this idea by considering one-, two- and three-site discrete modes, exploring their stability via analytical approximations, and corroborating their continuation numerically over the relevant parameter controlling the strength of the weakly non-Hamiltonian term. We also manifest through direct numerical simulations their unstable nonlinear dynamics.
Versatile transcription control based on reversible dCas9 binding

The ability to control transcription in a time-dependent manner in vitro promises numerous applications in molecular biology and nanotechnology. Here we demonstrate an approach that enables precise, independent control over the production of multiple RNA transcripts in vitro using single guide RNA (sgRNA)-directed transcription blockades by catalytically dead Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-Cas9 enzyme (dCas9). We show that when bound to a DNA template, the dCas9:sgRNA complex forms a robust blockade to transcription by RNA polymerases (RNAPs) from bacteriophages SP6, T3, and T7 (>99.5% efficiency), and a partial blockade to transcription by Escherichia coli RNAP (∼70% efficiency). We find that all three bacteriophage RNAPs dissociate from the DNA template upon encountering the dCas9 blockade, while E. coli RNAP stays bound for at least the 90-min duration of our experiments. The blockade maintains >95% efficiency when four mismatches are introduced into the 5' end of the sgRNA target sequence. Notably, when using such a mismatched blockade, production of specific RNA species can be activated on demand by addition of a double-stranded competitor DNA perfectly matching the sgRNA. This strategy enables the independent production of multiple RNA species in a temporally controlled fashion from the same DNA template, demonstrating a new approach for transcription control.
The effects of the dependent coverage provision on young women's utilization of sexual and reproductive health services.

Abstract The Affordable Care Act dependent coverage provision expanded insurance for young adults by allowing maintained coverage through a parent's plan until the age of 26. This study examines whether this provision was associated with changes in sexual and reproductive health service utilization among young adult women, and if effects differed by race/ethnicity. The National Survey of Family Growth data were used to examine utilization among women before (2006–2009) and after (2011−2013) enactment of the provision. A difference-in-differences model was used to evaluate the effects on four measures of sexual and reproductive health services and one measure of health insurance coverage, treating women 19–25 years old as the exposure group and women 27–34 years old as the control group. This study finds that the dependent coverage provision was associated with a significant decrease in the probability of lacking health insurance, but finds no effects on sexual and reproductive health service utilization overall. In stratified models, increases in receipt of birth control prescriptions and methods as well as birth control check-ups or tests were present only for Hispanic women. There were no significant effects on birth control counseling or information or STD service utilization for any groups. Lacking health insurance coverage decreased only among non-Hispanic White women and Hispanic women, but was not significant for non-Hispanic Black women. These results suggest that women's utilization of sexual and reproductive health services overall may not increase with parental insurance gains, but Hispanic women do increase utilization of some birth control services with this improved coverage.
Temporal Artery Biopsy

This chapter describes the surgical procedure for temporal artery biopsy as performed by the open approach. The text includes an introduction that outlines the indications, risks, alternatives, essential steps, needed equipment, and variations in technique for the procedure in question. This is followed by a template operative dictation, which provides the reader with an operative report, such as is found in a patient chart or electronic medical record. A description is provided of the following critical concepts for this procedure: preoperative identification of the artery, incision and dissection, and resection of the specimen.
Molecular architecture and domain arrangement of the placental malaria protein VAR2CSA suggests a model for receptor binding

VAR2CSA is the placental-malaria specific member of the antigenically variant Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. It is expressed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum infected host red blood cells and binds to specific chondroitin-4-sulfate (CSA) chains of the placental proteoglycan receptor. The functional ~310 kDa ectodomain of VAR2CSA is a multi-domain protein that requires a minimum 12-mer CSA molecule for specific, high affinity receptor binding. However, how these domains interact to create the receptor binding surface is not known, limiting efforts to exploit its potential as an effective vaccine or drug target. Using small angle X-ray scattering and single particle reconstruction from negative stained electron micrographs of the ectodomain and multidomain constructs, we have determined the structural architecture of VAR2CSA. The relative location of the domains creates two distinct pores that can each accommodate the 12-mer of CSA, suggesting a model for receptor binding. This model has important implications for understanding cytoadherence of IRBCs and potentially provides a starting point for developing novel strategies to prevent and/or treat placental malaria.
Dynamic Changes in EEG Power Spectral Densities During NIH-Toolbox Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort Test and Episodic Memory Tests in Young Adults

Much is known about electroencephalograph (EEG) patterns during sleep, but until recently, it was difficult to study EEG patterns during conscious, awake behavior. Technological advances such as powerful wireless EEG systems have led to a renewed interest in EEG as a clinical and research tool for studying real-time changes in the brain. We report here the first normative study of EEG activity while healthy young adults completed a series of cognitive tests recently published by the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIH-TCB), a commonly-used standardized measure of cognition primarily used in clinical populations. In this preliminary study using a wireless EEG system, we examined power spectral density (PSD) in four EEG frequency bands. During baseline and cognitive testing, PSD activity for the lower frequency bands (theta and alpha) was greater, relative to the higher frequency bands (beta and gamma), suggesting participants were relaxed and mentally alert. Alpha, beta and gamma activity was increased during a memory test compared to two other, less demanding executive function tests. Gamma activity was also inversely correlated with performance on the memory test, consistent with the neural efficiency hypothesis which proposes that better cognitive performance may link with lower cortical energy consumption. In summary, our study suggests that cognitive performance is related to the dynamics of EEG activity in a normative young adult population.
The effects of membrane potential and extracellular matrix composition on vascular differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells.

Abstract Historically, the field of tissue engineering has been adept at modulating the chemical and physical microenvironment. This approach has yielded significant progress, but it is imperative to further integrate our understanding of other fundamental cell signaling paradigms into tissue engineering methods. Bioelectric signaling has been demonstrated to be a vital part of tissue development, regeneration, and function across organ systems and the extracellular matrix is known to alter the bioelectric properties of cells. Thus, there is a need to bolster our understanding of how matrix and bioelectric signals interact to drive cell phenotype. We examine how cardiac progenitor cell differentiation is altered by simultaneous changes in both resting membrane potential and extracellular matrix composition. Pediatric c-kit+ cardiac progenitor cells were differentiated on fetal or adult cardiac extracellular matrix while being treated with drugs that alter resting membrane potential. Smooth muscle gene expression was increased with depolarization and decreased with hyperpolarization while endothelial and cardiac expression were unchanged. Early smooth muscle protein expression is modified by matrix developmental age, with fetal ECM appearing to amplify the effects of resting membrane potential. Thus, combining matrix composition and bioelectric signaling represents a potential alternative for guiding cell behavior in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Context and Conclusions

Libellus de medicinalibus Indorum herbis (Codex Cruz-Badianus) of 1552 is surely one of the most amazing botanical documents of the sixteenth century. Its history is legendary. It was written in Nahuatl by Martin de la Cruz (Silvermoon 2007:209), an indigenous Nahua (Aztec) physician at the Colegio de Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco and translated to Latin by Juan Badiano, an indigenous faculty member and former student. The illustrated Latin volume was sent as a gift to King Carlos I of Spain and ended up in obscurity in the Vatican library until it was rediscovered in 1929 by Charles Upson Clark, professor of history at Columbia University. The Latin version was independently translated into English by William Gates and Emily Walcott Emmart, both associated with Johns Hopkins University. The Codex Cruz-Badianus never received the attention it deserved despite its importance in understanding Aztec medicine and botany and the history of the colonial period in New Spain. As Bruce Bylund (2000) points out: “Several facsimiles and a handful of analytical studies exist, but not nearly as many as would be expected to have come from the earliest complete medical texts in the New World.”
Toward a new conceptualisation of language revitalisation

This paper outlines a new model of language revitalisation that understands language to be a characteristic of a nexus of social activities rather than an independent object. Language use is one of...
Elucidation of Low Molecular Weight Polymers in Vehicular Engine Deposits by Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry

Engine oil is mainly comprised of base oils and various additives, which are low molecular weight polymers mixed into the oil resulting in a polymer blend. Dispersants and detergents, the two most ...
Determining material properties of components with complex shapes using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy

Abstract In this paper, Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) is used to invert the elastic properties of components with complex shapes from a limited selection of mode matched frequencies. RUS is based on the unique relationship between the vibrational resonance response (resonance frequencies and mode shapes) of a component and its set of material properties, geometry, and boundary conditions. The study is conducted on 3 nominally identical components that have geometric imperfections due to the manufacturing process. The study reveals that an accurate characterization of the shape is critical to the success of the RUS process. The RUS process presented in this paper also relies on matching measured and computed vibrational mode shapes, in addition to the resonance frequencies. This strategy enables using high-order modes with complex modal information, in a frequency range with high modal density where modal identification based on the resonance frequencies alone would be challenging. This approach contrasts with the traditional approach of matching a number of resonance frequencies in sequential order. With the proposed approach, the elastic constants for the three components are similar, consistent with values found in the literature, and lead to small error of the RUS inversion, despite variations in the shapes and the resulting changes in the resonance response of the components.
A Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition Tensor Emulator for Spatiotemporal Simulators

We introduce methodology to construct an emulator for environmental and ecological spatiotemporal processes that uses the higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) as an extension of singular value decomposition (SVD) approaches to emulation. Some important advantages of the method are that it allows for the use of a combination of supervised learning methods (e.g., random forests and Gaussian process regression) and also allows for the prediction of process values at spatial locations and time points that were not used in the training sample. The method is demonstrated with two applications: The first is a periodic solution to a shallow ice approximation partial differential equation from glaciology, and second is an agent-based model of collective animal movement. In both cases, we demonstrate the value of combining different machine learning models for accurate emulation. In addition, in the agent-based model case we demonstrate the ability of the tensor emulator to successfully capture individual behavior in space and time. We demonstrate via a real data example the ability to perform Bayesian inference in order to learn parameters governing collective animal behavior.