cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal biogeochemical hotspots in the streambed around restoration structures

Rapid exchange of stream water and groundwater in streambeds creates hotspots of biogeochemical cycling of redox-sensitive solutes. Although stream–groundwater interaction can be increased through stream restoration, there are few detailed studies of the increased heterogeneity of water and solute fluxes through the streambed and associated patterns of biogeochemical processes around stream restoration structures. In this study, we examined the seasonal patterns of water and solute fluxes through the streambed around a stream restoration structure to relate patterns of water flux through the streambed to morphology of the channel and biogeochemical processes occurring in the bed. We characterized different biogeochemical zones in the streambed using principal component analysis (PCA) and examined the change in spatial patterns of these zones during different seasons. The PCA results show that two principal components summarized 83% of the variance in the original data set. Streambed pore water was characterized as oxic (indicating production of nitrate), anoxic (indicating sulfate, iron and manganese reduction), or stream-like (indicating there was minimal change in the stream water chemistry in the bed). Regardless of season of the year, anoxic zones were predominantly located upstream of the structure, in a low-velocity pool, and oxic zones were predominantly located downstream of the structure, in a turbulent riffle. We expect structures that span the full channel, are impermeable, and permanent, such as those installed in natural channel design restoration will similarly impact biogeochemical processing in the streambed. The installation of these types of restoration structures may be a way to increase the degree of biogeochemical cycling in stream ecosystems.
Ku70, an essential gene, modulates the frequency of rAAV-mediated gene targeting in human somatic cells

Gene targeting has two important applications. One is the inactivation of genes (“knockouts”), and the second is the correction of a mutated allele back to wild-type (“gene therapy”). Central to these processes is the efficient introduction of the targeting DNA into the cells of interest. In humans, this targeting is often accomplished through the use of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV). rAAV is presumed to use a pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair termed homologous recombination (HR) to mediate correct targeting; however, the specifics of this mechanism remain unknown. In this work, we attempted to generate Ku70-null human somatic cells by using a rAAV-based gene knockout strategy. Ku70 is the heterodimeric partner of Ku86, and together they constitute an end-binding activity that is required for a pathway [nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ)] of DSB repair that is believed to compete with HR. Our data demonstrated that Ku70 is an essential gene in human somatic cells. More importantly, however, in Ku70+/− cells, the frequency of gene targeting was 5- to 10-fold higher than in wild-type cells. RNA interference and short-hairpinned RNA strategies to deplete Ku70 phenocopied these results in wild-type cells and greatly accentuated them in Ku70+/− cell lines. Thus, Ku70 protein levels significantly influenced the frequency of rAAV-mediated gene targeting in human somatic cells. Our data suggest that gene-targeting frequencies can be significantly improved in human cells by impairing the NHEJ pathway, and we propose that Ku70 depletion can be used to facilitate both knockout and gene therapy approaches.
Analysis of a conical optical beam deflector insensitive to motor wobble.

The analysis of a patented optical beam deflector based on a rotating prism is presented. It is shown that because of the transmissive, as opposed to reflective, nature of the proposed deflector, the resulting scan spot is for all practical purposes completely free of the tracking error that is so problematic to all reflective-type deflectors. In addition, if a conical scan is either acceptable or desirable, the scan lens design will be much simpler because the f − θ condition is not required and the scan field is inherently flat.
Multiple p44 Genes Encoding Major Outer Membrane Proteins Are Expressed in the Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis Agent

Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is caused by infection with an obligatory intracellular bacterium, the HGE agent. We previously cloned a gene encoding HGE agent 44-kDa major outer membrane protein and designated it p44. In this study, we (i) identified five different mRNAs that are transcribed from p44-homologous genes in the HGE agent cultivated in HL-60 cells; (ii) cloned genes corresponding to the mRNAs from the genomic DNA of the HGE agent; (iii) showed that the genes being expressed were not clustered in the HGE agent genome; (iv) estimated that a minimum copy number of the p44-homologous genes in the genome is 18; (v) detected two different P44-homologous proteins expressed by the HGE agent; and (vi) demonstrated existence of antibodies specific to the two proteins in sera from patients with HGE. These findings showed that p44 multigenes have several active expression sites and the expression is regulated at transcriptional level, suggesting a potentially unique mechanism for generating the diversity in major antigenic outer membrane proteins of the HGE agent. Characterization of p44-homologous genes expressed by the HGE agent in a tissue culture would assist in understanding a role of the p44 multigene family in pathogenesis and immune response in HGE.
Interaction of metal ions with polynucleotides and related compounds. IX. Unwinding and rewinding of poly(A + U) and poly(I + C) by copper(II) ions.

It is demonstrated that, poly(A + U) and poly(I + C) are both formed under low ionic strength conditions. Continuous variation studies indicate the formation of copper(II) complexes of poly A, poly C, and poly I, but not of poly U. Copper(II) in a 1:1 ratio to polynucleotide prevents the formation of poly(A + U) and brings about the dissociation of the poly (A + U) complex produced in the absence of the metal. Poly (I + C) is similarly dissociated by copper(II) ions. The addition of sufficient electrolyte reverses the copper(II) induced dissociation of poly(I + C). The effect of copper(II) on ordered synthetic polynucleotides is thus very similar to its effect on DNA.
Microcomputers in urban and regional planning: Lessons from the past, directions for the future

Abstract This paper draws on the lessons of previous attempts to use computer technology in planning to evaluate the increasingly widespread use of microcomputers in planning practice and education. Microcomputer-based analytic models are fortuitously simple, easy-to-understand, and utilize available techniques and information to address concrete policy issues. Unfortunately, technological advances threaten to again raise expectations to unrealistic heights and overwhelm planners in a sea of machine readable data and poorly understood analytic models. As a result, planning agencies must recognize the inadequacies of current information and techniques and develop adversaria planning models that present and defend alternative policies for achieving desired futures.
Learning the cartography of terror: South African literature in the post-9/11 1 American 2 classroom

9/11 was the day the ‘West’ became aware of Third-World Others’ increased mobility, leading national governments to use the risk of terror as currency in political processes of increasing ‘security’ via amplified surveillance. Coupling the narratives of my own experiences in the United States and South Africa with an examination of the work of South African-born writers Ishtiyaq Shukri and Imraan Coovadia gave me an entry-point for beginning a conversation about how nations behave under perceived threat, projecting terror onto the bodies of the Other. Coovadia and Shukri explicitly link apartheid-era legislation aimed at categorisation and containment with the events following the September 11 2001 attacks on US landmarks, where we saw ‘western’ nations similarly attempt to immobilise threatening Dark Bodies. For me, as a professor of postcolonial and transnational work, whose passport, life experiences and scholarship have been stamped by the political decisions subsequent to 9/11, this tangential entry ...
The influence of time averaging and space averaging on the application of foraging theory in zooarchaeology

Use of models derived from foraging theory to explain variation in prey-abundance indices over time and space, evidenced in the zooarchaeological record, is common in western North America. Such use presumes that models derived from ecologically scaled observations are applicable to archaeologically scaled observations. The influence of time averaging and space averaging, whether inherent in the zooarchaeological record or resulting from analytical lumping, on interpretations of changes in relative availability of prey is demonstrated with real data to mask fine-scale variation. The critical issue that must be addressed at the beginning of any application of foraging-theory models is the specification of the spatio-temporal scale of the research question.
Particle size distributions in Saturn's rings from voyager 1 radio occultation

Information on Saturn ring particle sizes obtained with the Voyager 1 ring occultation experiment is discussed. The theory underlying the determination of the particle size distribution is presented, including differential extinction and inversion of the scattered signal. Experimental observations and results for the observed spectra, differential cross sections, suprameter and sub- to suprameter size distributions are presented. The size and mass distributions both cut off sharply at about 4-5 m; the mass distribution peaks over the 3-4 m size range for four ring system features at 1.35, 1.51, 2.01, and 2.12 Saturn radii. A power-law type model is consistent with the data over a limited size range of 0.01 to 1 m. The fractional contribution of the suprameter particles to the microwave opacity for the four features appears to be about 1/3, 1/3, 2/3, and 1, respectively, and their cumulative surface mass per unit area are about 11, 16, 41, and 132 g/sq cm if the particles are solid water ice.
CD40 and LMP‐1 both signal from lipid rafts but LMP‐1 assembles a distinct, more efficient signaling complex

CD40, a member of the TNFR-1 receptor family, shares several features with LMP-1, an oncoprotein encoded by Epstein–Barr virus. CD40 and LMP-1 activate transcription by binding to TRAFs, JAK3 and/or TRADD. CD40’s association with CD40L activates signaling. However, LMP-1 signals independently of a ligand but dependently on self-association. We demonstrate that activated CD40 and LMP-1 co-localize in lipid rafts and recruit TRAF3 there, findings consistent with signals of CD40 and LMP-1 being initiated from lipid rafts. To elucidate their signaling, we compared requirements for their aggregation and subcellular localization. Targeting CD40’s monomeric C-terminal signaling domain to lipid rafts activates signaling, as does rendering it trimeric. Addition of both modifications supports signaling more efficiently. Parallel experiments with LMP-1 indicate that targeting the monomeric C-terminal signaling domain of LMP-1 to lipid rafts activates signaling, but trimerizing it does not. Fusing LMP-1’s N-terminus and membrane-spanning domains to CD40’s C-terminus supports signaling more efficiently than CD40 plus ligand or CD40’s trimerized and/or localized derivatives. An activity of LMP-1’s N-terminus and membrane-spanning domains other than trimerization must contribute to its efficient signaling.
A COMPARISON OF SINGLE SHOT DIESEL SPRAY COMBUSTION EMISSIONS WITH TRENDS PREDICTED BY A CONCEPTUAL MODEL

Results from a unique experimental system that quantifies combustion products from a single diesel combustion event are presented and the implications of these results are discussed. Data presented in this paper are the emission levels for carbon monoxide and nitric oxide, normalized by carbon dioxide produced, as a function of fuel quantity injected. Carbon monoxide is notably present in very short duration (or small mass) injection burns where the spray event concludes before the beginning of the major heat release. However, the trend for NO emission levels appears to be influenced by the interaction of combustion with injection. For events with an overlap between injection and the combustion event, reduced NO emission levels are observed. Examination of data from engines indicates a similar trend in NO emission behavior; residence time effects and/or entrainment of post combustion gases into the fuel jet are hypothesized as the physical mechanisms that explain the overall emission behavior.
Steroid Inhibition of Rat Neuronal Nicotinic α4β2 Receptors Expressed in HEK 293 Cells

Steroids, in addition to regulating gene expression, directly affect a variety of ion channels. We examined the action of steroids on human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably transfected to express rat alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors. Each steroid that was tested inhibited acetylcholine responses from these receptors, with slow kinetics requiring seconds for block to develop and recover. The action of one steroid [3alpha,5alpha, 17beta-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile (ACN)] was studied in detail. Block showed enantioselectivity, with an IC(50) value of 1.5 microM for ACN and 4.5 microM for the enantiomer. Inhibition curves had Hill slopes larger than 1, indicating more than one binding site per receptor. Block did not require intracellular compounds containing high-energy phosphate bonds and was not affected by analogs of GTP, suggesting that the mechanism does not require the activation of second messengers. Block did not appear to be strongly selective between open and closed channel states or to involve changes in desensitization. A comparison of different steroids showed that a beta-orientation of groups at the 17 position produced more block than alpha-orientated diastereomers. The stereochemistry at the 3 and 5 positions was less influential for block of alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptors, despite its importance for potentiation of gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) receptors. The ability of steroids to block neuronal nicotinic receptors correlated with their ability to produce anesthesia in Xenopus tadpoles, but the concentrations required for inhibition are generally greater. Similarly, the concentrations of endogenous neurosteroids required to inhibit receptors are larger than estimates of brain concentrations.
A Comparison of Batterers to Nonbatterers on Behavioral and Self-Reports Measures of Control

This study compared batterers to nonbatterers on self-report and behavioral measures of perceived control and desire for control. Differences were found for perceived control over general life events (batterers greater than nonbatterers), but not perceived control over relationship conflict or desire for control. Batterers low in desire for control and in perceived control over relationship conflicts reported higher levels of physical abuse. Perceived control was manipulated using Burger, Brown, and Allen's (1983) behavioral choice task. Batterers who were given no choice reported increased negative affect. Batterers appear to respond to loss of control with negative affect, which may be a factor contributing to abuse perpetration. These results highlight the complexity of the relationship of perceived control and intimate partner violence.
Delivery of nanoparticles to brain metastases of breast cancer using a cellular Trojan horse

As systemic cancer therapies improve and are able to control metastatic disease outside the central nervous system, the brain is increasingly the first site of relapse. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) represents a major challenge to the delivery of therapeutics to the brain. Macrophages originating from circulating monocytes are able to infiltrate brain metastases while the BBB is intact. Here, we show that this ability can be exploited to deliver both diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles specifically to experimental brain metastases of breast cancer.
WBC Count and the Risk of Cancer Mortality in a National Sample of U.S. Adults: Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Mortality Study

Inflammation has been shown to be a risk factor for several chronic diseases. Few epidemiologic studies have examined the relationship between markers of inflammation and cancer. The current study included 7,674 Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) participants, 30 to 74 years of age, between 1976 and 1980. Mortality follow-up through December 31, 1992 was assessed using the National Death Index and Social Security Administration Death Master File. A graded association between higher WBC and higher risk of total cancer mortality was observed [highest versus lowest quartile (relative risk [RR] 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-3.23)] after adjusting for age, sex, and race. After further adjustment for smoking, physical activity, body mass index, alcohol intake, education, hematocrit, and diabetes, WBC remained significantly associated (P trend = 0.03) with total cancer mortality [highest versus lowest quartile (RR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.56)]. In stratified analyses, increased WBC was associated with higher risk of non-lung cancer (P trend = 0.04), but not lung cancer (P trend = 0.18). Among never smokers, a 1 SD increase in WBC (2.2 x 10(9) cells/L) was associated with greater risk of total (RR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05-1.67) and non-lung (RR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03-1.63) cancer mortality. These findings support the hypothesis that inflammation is an independent risk factor for cancer mortality. Additional studies are needed to determine whether circulating levels of inflammatory markers are associated with increased risk of incident cancer.
Putative Domain-Domain Interactions in the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus L Polymerase Protein Appendage Region

The multidomain polymerase protein (L) of nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses catalyzes transcription and replication of the virus genome. The N-terminal half of the protein forms a ring-like polymerase structure, while the C-terminal half encoding viral mRNA transcript modifications consists of a flexible appendage with three distinct globular domains. To gain insight into putative transient interactions between L domains during viral RNA synthesis, we exchanged each of the four distinct regions encompassing the appendage region of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) Indiana serotype L protein with their counterparts from VSV New Jersey and analyzed effects on virus polymerase activity in a minigenome system. The methyltransferase domain exchange yielded a fully active polymerase protein, which functioned as well as wild-type L in the context of a recombinant virus. Exchange of the downstream C-terminal nonconserved region abolished activity, but coexchanging it with the methyltransferase domain generated a polymerase favoring replicase over transcriptase activity, providing strong evidence of interaction between these two regions. Exchange of the capping enzyme domain or the adjacent nonconserved region thought to function as an “unstructured” linker also abrogated polymerase activity even when either domain was coexchanged with other appendage domains. Further probing of the putative linker segment using in-frame enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) insertions similarly abrogated activity. We discuss the implications of these findings with regard to L protein appendage domain structure and putative domain-domain interactions required for polymerase function. IMPORTANCE NNS viruses include many well-known human pathogens (e.g., rabies, measles, and Ebola viruses), as well as emerging viral threats (e.g., Nipah and Hendra viruses). These viruses all encode a large L polymerase protein similarly organized into multiple domains that work in concert to enable virus genome transcription and replication. But how the unique L protein carries out the multiplicity of individual steps in these two distinct processes is poorly understood. Using two different approaches, i.e., exchanging individual domains in the C-terminal appendage region of the protein between two closely related VSV serotypes and inserting unrelated protein domains, we shed light on requirements for domain-domain interactions and domain contiguity in polymerase function. These findings further our understanding of the conformational dynamics of NNS L polymerase proteins, which play an essential role in the pathogenic properties of these viruses and represent attractive targets for the development of antiviral measures.
Noninvasive prenatal testing creates an opportunity for antenatal treatment of Down syndrome.

Trisomy 21 (T21) is the most common autosomal aneuploidy that is associated with intellectual disability. It is the focus of many prenatal screening programs across the globe. Pregnant women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of T21 in their fetus currently have the option of continuing or terminating their pregnancy, but no fetal treatment is available. In this paper, we review compelling morphogenetic, cellular, and molecular studies that, taken together, suggest that there is an important window of opportunity during fetal life to positively impact brain development to improve postnatal neurocognition and behavior. Although substantial progress has been made in understanding the basic neurobiology of Down syndrome (DS), the majority of pre-clinical trials is currently focused on adults. There are a number of challenges in the identification and development of novel antenatal therapies for DS, including the lack of toxicity and teratogenicity for the pregnant woman and the fetus, evidence that the compounds can cross the placenta and achieve therapeutic levels, and the demonstration of clinical improvement. Preliminary experiments in mouse models suggest that prenatal treatment of DS is an achievable goal. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal stability of hydrogen networks by chemical stress relaxation

Abstract : The thermal stability of hydrocarbon networks by chemical stress relaxation was investigated in vacuum and in the temperature ragne 300C - 350C. The polymers studied were low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and ethylene-propylene terpolymer. Carbon-carbon crosslinked networks were produced either by dicumyl peroxide or by radiation. The results show that the overall thermal stability is in the order: peroxide cured EPT > peroxide cured LDPE > peroxide cured HDPE > radiation cured HDPE. The results are in apparent contradiction to the belief that linear structures are more stable than branched structures. We believe that this can be explained in terms of weak linkages introduced during curing. Scission probably occurs at weak linkages, at crosslinkages, and along the main chain. (Author)
Topics in computer‐aided design: Part I. An optimum tearing algorithm for recycle systems

The concepts of ineligible streams and two-way edge reduction are extended to simplify the signal flow diagram of a recycle process flow sheet graph. The solution to a tearing problem can be obtained readily by repeated reduction of ineligible streams and two-way edges. When this fails, a branch and bound method will guarantee optimality at the expense of a few enumerations.
Study of 2-bit Antenna–Filter–Antenna Elements for Reconfigurable Millimeter-Wave Lens Arrays

This paper presents a new reconfigurable antenna-filter-antenna (AFA) element based on slot antennas and switchable resonators. This reconfigurable AFA can operate in four modes of operation as a three- or four-pole filter, and yields a 2-bit variable phase delay. As a result, the multimode AFA can be used as the building block of 2-bit adaptive lens arrays. This paper details design, modeling, and miniaturization of the reconfigurable AFA, and demonstrates its performance through preconfigured prototypes. The proposed AFA has a loss of 1.4-1.6 dB measured at 32 GHz in both three- and four-pole filter modes, and exhibits a frequency response that is almost insensitive to the angle of incidence. Several proof-of-concept fixed lens arrays have been also fabricated for output beams scanned to 0deg, 15deg, 30deg, 45deg, and 60deg in the E- and H-plane. The measurement results show that the output beam can be scanned to plusmn60deg in both principle planes, with a worst case sidelobe level of less than -11 dB and a scan loss that hardly exceeds the theoretical limit
Simulated microgravity increases myogenic tone in rat cerebral arteries

Adaptation of the cerebral circulation to microgravity was investigated in rat middle cerebral arteries after 20 days of hindlimb unweighting (HU). Myogenic responses were measured in isolated, pre...
Transport Properties of Steroid Glucuronides

The D-ring glucuronide conjugate of estradiol, estradiol-17β- (β-D-glucuronide) (E217G) induces a rapid, dose-dependent and reversible cholestasis in the rat when given intravenously (Meyers et al., 1981). This organic anion is taken up into the hepatocyte by a saturable process which is at least partially dependent on metabolic energy and an intact sodium gradient and is inhibited by other anions such as bromosulfophthalein (BSP) (Brock and Vore, 1984; Brock et al., 1985). These data suggested that E217G shares an uptake mechanism with other organic anion dyes. Such carrier-mediated uptake involves two processes: 1) binding of ligand to the carrier and 2) translocation of ligand across the membrane.
Regulation of MI Transport in Retinal Pigment Epithelium by Sugars, Amiloride, and pH Gradients: Potential Impairment of Pump-Leak Balance in Diabetic Maculopathy

Impairment of transport and metabolism of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been recognized to play a role in the development of diabetic macular edema. To understand the mechanism(s) of action of high glucose levels in alteration of RPE metabolism, primary cultures of RPE cells were used as an in vitro model of diabetic retinopathy/maculopathy. RPE cells were grown with 5 mM (control) or 40 mM glucose (a monosaccharide that enters the cells), or 40 mM sucrose (a disaccharide that does not enter the cells), and the extent of Na+-dependent active transport of an osmolyte ([3H]-myo-inositol, MI, 10µM) into cells was determined. While 40 mM glucose down-regulated 3H-MI transport, 40 mM sucrose stimulated it, compared to 5 mM glucose feeding. Addition of 1 mM amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchanger, in the incubation media, significantly inhibited MI transport. Cells treated with high sucrose or high glucose were more sensitive toward amiloride inhibition, compared to controls. Inhibition of either pum...
Thermal comfort evaluation for mechanically conditioned buildings using response surfaces in an uncertainty analysis framework

An uncertainty analysis methodology is proposed to aid in quantifying the risks of thermal comfort under-performance posed by changes to variations in physical and operational characteristics of a building and its environment. This includes those implemented for building energy savings, peak electricity load reductions, or those due to climatic changes. Using building performance data as input, a response surface methodology is used to develop a model to predict building thermal performance for ranges of user-defined design variables. This model is verified for accuracy using in- and out-of-sample data. Uncertainly analysis is then used to estimate the probability of achieving an acceptable threshold of thermal comfort performance. A case study is presented to demonstrate the implementation and interpretation of the results of this methodology, which evaluates the effects of a 1-h demand response event on thermal comfort of a residential mechanically-conditioned building. The case study finds that a secon...
The future of literature : Complex surfaces of electronic texts and print books

SUMMARY A group of contemporary print novels has emerged that entwine narrative with the expanded resources of the print book considered as a visual as well as a verbal medium. These novels appropriate and rerepresent in their own expanded forms many other media types. The dynamic suggests that the novel itself as a form is undergoing the traumatic experience of having its traditional territory taken over by the colonizing incursions of other media. These books respond to this trauma by bursts of anxious creativity, thereby changing what it means to be a novel in print.
Decoherence and the Existential Interpretation of Quantum Theory, or ”No Information Without Representation”

Quantum theory allows many more states for the objects described by it than we seem to encounter. Moreover, quantum dynamics (especially the dynamics required to model measurements) takes simple, localized initial states of individual systems into entangled nonlocal superpositions. We do not perceive such superpositions. Macroscopic objects always appear to us in a small classical subset of a much .larger quantum menu which is in principle available in the Hilbert space. No one has made this point more clearly than Albert Einstein, who, in a 1954 letter to Max Born writes1: “Let Ψ1 and Ψ2 be solutions of the same Schrodinger equation … When the system is macroscopic and Ψ1 and Ψ2 are ‘narrow’ with respect to the macrocoordinates, then … [typically] this is no longer the case for Ψ = Ψ1 + Ψ2. Narrowness with respect to macrocoordinates is not only independent of the principles of quantum mechanics, but, moreover, incompatible with them…” Hence, predictions of quantum theory seem to be in conflict with our perceptions.
Towards a sustainable paradigm of waste-to-energy process: Enhanced anaerobic digestion of sludge with woody biochar

Abstract This study presents an integrated waste-to-energy process, using two waste streams, sludge generated from the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and biochar generated from the biomass gasification systems, to produce fungible biomethane and nutrient-rich digestate with fertilizer value. Two woody biochar, namely pinewood (PBC) and white oak biochar (WOBC) were used as additives during anaerobic digestion (AD) of WWTP sludge to enhance methane production at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. The PBC and WOBC have porous structure, large surface area and desirable chemical properties to be used as AD amendment material to sequester CO2 from biogas in the digester. The biochar-amended digesters achieved average methane content in biogas of up to 92.3% and 79.0%, corresponding to CO2 sequestration by up to 66.2% and 32.4% during mesophilic and thermophilic AD, respectively. Biochar addition enhanced process stability by increasing the alkalinity, but inhibitory effects were observed at high dosage. It also alleviated free ammonia inhibition by up to 10.5%. The biochar-amended digesters generated digestate rich in macro- and micronutrients including K (up to 300 m/L), Ca (up to 750 mg/L), Mg (up to 1800 mg/L) and Fe (up to 390 mg/L), making biochar-amended digestate a potential alternative used as agricultural lime fertilizer.
Decomposing Solution Sets of Polynomial Systems Using Derivatives

A core computation in numerical algebraic geometry is the decomposition of the solution set of a system of polynomial equations into irreducible components, called the numerical irreducible decomposition. One approach to validate a decomposition is what has come to be known as the “trace test.” This test, described by Sommese, Verschelde, and Wampler in 2002, relies upon path tracking and hence could be called the “tracking trace test.” We present a new approach which replaces path tracking with local computations involving derivatives, called a “local trace test.” We conclude by demonstrating this local approach with examples from kinematics and tensor decomposition.
Reproduction in Mesozoic birds and evolution of the modern avian reproductive mode

ABSTRACT The reproductive biology of living birds differs dramatically from that of other extant vertebrates. Although some attributes of modern avian reproduction had their origin within theropod dinosaurs like oviraptors and troodontids, even the most derived non-avian theropods lack key features of modern birds. We review the current knowledge of reproduction in Mesozoic birds and 3 lines of evidence that contribute to our understanding of the evolution of the modern avian reproductive mode: (1) efforts to define the ancestral reproductive condition on the basis of extant birds, (2) the fossil record of non-avian theropod dinosaurs, and (3) the fossil record of reproduction in primitive Mesozoic birds (e.g., Enantiornithes). The fossil evidence from Mesozoic birds and non-avian theropods suggests that reproduction passed through 5 stages from basal theropods to neornithines: (1) pre-maniraptoran theropods, (2) oviraptor-grade maniraptorans, (3) troodontid-grade paravians, (4) Enantiornithes, and (5) ba...
Rapidly Exploring Random Cycles: Persistent Estimation of Spatiotemporal Fields With Multiple Sensing Robots

This paper considers the problem of planning trajectories for both single and multiple sensing robots to best estimate a spatiotemporal field in a dynamic environment. The robots use a Kalman filter to maintain an estimate of the field value and to compute the error covariance matrix of the estimate. Two new sampling-based path-planning algorithms (rapidly expanding random cycles and an improved variant of rapidly expanding random cycles) are proposed to find periodic trajectories for the sensing robots that minimize the largest eigenvalue of the error covariance matrix over an infinite horizon. The algorithms are proven to find the minimum infinite horizon cost cycle in a random graph, which grows by successively adding random points. The algorithms leverage recently developed methods for periodic Riccati recursions to efficiently compute the infinite horizon cost of the cycles, and they use the monotonicity property of the Riccati recursion to efficiently compare the costs of different cycles without explicitly computing their costs. The algorithms are demonstrated in a study using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data to plan sensing trajectories in the Caribbean Sea. Our algorithms significantly outperform random, greedy, and receding horizon approaches in this environment.
The "stone heart" syndrome.

Two types of myocardial failure have been encountered in patients undergoing open-heart surgery with ischemic cardiac arrest and nonblood prime while maintaining the patient at normothermic levels: [ 1) in which the left ventricle is flaccid and nonresponsive to inotropic drugs and (2) a tetanic contracture or myocardial rigidity which we have called “stone heart.” From July, 1966, through June, 1971,4,732 patients underwent total cardiopulmonary bypass with the use of this technique at the Texas Heart Institute, and 51 died in the operating room from acute myocardial insufficiency. Among these, 13 patients developed stone heart during or immediately after bypass. Exhaustive attempts to resuscitate these hearts by using pharmacological and physical means were uniformly unsuccessful. Before operation all patients had evidence of advanced left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial conduction disturbance. Patients with concentric hypertrophy and high pressure gradients across a stenotic aortic valve were most prone to develop this complication. Microscopic study of the myocardium revealed only hypertrophy and usually diffuse fibrosis. Since September, 1971, all patients having left ventricular hypertrophy caused by aortic and/or mitral valve disease have been cooled to 30” C. before the ascending aorta was cross-clamped. lschemic arrest was used, and while the aorta was cross-clamped, body temperature was raised to 34” C. No instance of stone heart has occurred when hypothermia was utilized in a consecutive series of 266 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement in whom an incidence of 0,8 percent would have been expected if normothermic anoxic arrest had been used. We believe that the mechanism causing this myocardial complication is prevented by the hypothermic technique.
Cyberinfrastructure as a Platform to Facilitate Effective Collaboration between Institutions and Support Collaboratories

Researchers, scientists, engineers, granting agencies, and increasingly complex research problems have given rise to the scientific "collaboratory" large organizations that span many institutions, with individual members working together to explore a particular phenomenon. These organizations require computational resources in order to support analyses and to provide platforms where the collaborators can interact. The XSEDE Community Infrastructure (XCI) group assists campuses in using their own resources and promotes the sharing of those resources in order to create collaboratories improving use of the nation's collective cyberinfrastructure. Currently XCI provides toolkits and training, and collaborates with organizations such as ACI-REF, XSEDE Campus Champions, and the Open Science Grid to identify tools and best practices that support the community. This paper discusses the progress in and barriers to developing a robust collaborative environment where computational resources can be shared.
Perspective Paper—Can AC Computing Be an Alternative for Wirelessly Powered IoT Devices?

An alternative computing paradigm is explored in this letter with application to wirelessly powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Contrary to existing methods that rely on DC computing, the wirelessly harvested AC power is directly used for computation by leveraging charge-recycling theory. The proposed approach has the potential to significantly reduce the energy cost, one of the primary barriers that slows down the global scalability of IoT devices. This opportunity and related challenges are investigated in this letter to provide guidelines for future research in the field.
Cell Adhesion Molecule CD166/ALCAM Functions Within the Crypt to Orchestrate Murine Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis.

Background & Aims Intestinal epithelial homeostasis is maintained by active-cycling and slow-cycling stem cells confined within an instructive crypt-based niche. Exquisite regulating of these stem cell populations along the proliferation-to-differentiation axis maintains a homeostatic balance to prevent hyperproliferation and cancer. Although recent studies focus on how secreted ligands from mesenchymal and epithelial populations regulate intestinal stem cells (ISCs), it remains unclear what role cell adhesion plays in shaping the regulatory niche. Previously we have shown that the cell adhesion molecule and cancer stem cell marker, CD166/ALCAM (activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule), is highly expressed by both active-cycling Lgr5+ ISCs and adjacent Paneth cells within the crypt base, supporting the hypothesis that CD166 functions to mediate ISC maintenance and signal coordination. Methods Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing a CD166–/– mouse combined with immunohistochemical, flow cytometry, gene expression, and enteroid culture. Results We found that animals lacking CD166 expression harbored fewer active-cycling Lgr5+ ISCs. Homeostasis was maintained by expansion of the transit-amplifying compartment and not by slow-cycling Bmi1+ ISC stimulation. Loss of active-cycling ISCs was coupled with deregulated Paneth cell homeostasis, manifested as increased numbers of immature Paneth progenitors due to decreased terminal differentiation, linked to defective Wnt signaling. CD166–/– Paneth cells expressed reduced Wnt3 ligand expression and depleted nuclear β-catenin. Conclusions These data support a function for CD166 as an important cell adhesion molecule that shapes the signaling microenvironment by mediating ISC–niche cell interactions. Furthermore, loss of CD166 expression results in decreased ISC and Paneth cell homeostasis and an altered Wnt microenvironment.
Exploring the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) and Its Application to a Comprehensive Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative: Evidence from Project C.O.P.E. (Communities Organizing for Prevention and Empowerment)

The inextricable link between substance abuse and HIV/AIDS poses a serious public health threat in the United States. Of particular concern has been the detrimental impact that this crisis has wrought on urban centers, where people of color, particularly racial and ethnic minority youth, are disproportionately impacted by this twin epidemic. The U.S. federal government has made a concerted effort to fund demonstration projects through its Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) in geographic areas with high rates of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevalence, with the specific intent of introducing culturally-resonant, model prevention protocols with proven effectiveness. Responding to this public health emergency, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), introduced the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to guide prevention planning and implementation efforts throughout the U.S. This paper illustrates the five steps of the SPF (e.g., assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation) by describing its application to Project C.O.P.E. (Communities Organizing for Prevention and Empowerment), which is a comprehensive substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention program located in the northeastern United States.
Screening Buddleia Cultivars for Acute Ozone Sensitivity

Abstract Eight cultivars of buddleia were exposed to ozone (O3) concentrations up to 375 ppb for two 4-hour periods on consecutive days in 1995. Visible injury to all cultivars consisted of small, discrete spots, reddish purple in color, on the adaxial leaf surface. Cultivars differed in sensitivity to acute O3 exposure with ‘Empire Blue’ and ‘Opera’ being the most tolerant and ‘Black Knight’, ‘Nanho Blue’, ‘Pink Delight’, and ‘Royal Red’ the most sensitive. Severe injury occurred on the most sensitive cultivars with O3 exposures of 250 or 375 ppb. At the highest O3 concentration, the severity index (SI), an indicator of foliar injury, ranged from 1.3 (less injury) for ‘Opera’ to 4.6 (more injury) for ‘Pink Delight’. An exposure-response study with ‘Black Knight’ resulted in visible injury increasing as both concentration and number of exposures increased, with the most severe injury to plants given the most exposures (5 days) to the highest concentration (375 ppb, SI of 6.3).
Bicarbonate Is Not a General Acid in Au-Catalyzed CO2 Electroreduction

We show that bicarbonate is neither a general acid nor a reaction partner in the rate-limiting step of electrochemical CO2 reduction catalysis mediated by planar polycrystalline Au surfaces. We formulate microkinetic models and propose diagnostic criteria to distinguish the role of bicarbonate. Comparing these models with the observed zero-order dependence in bicarbonate and simulated interfacial concentration gradients, we conclude that bicarbonate is not a general acid cocatalyst. Instead, it acts as a viable proton donor past the rate-limiting step and a sluggish buffer that maintains the bulk but not local pH in CO2-saturated aqueous electrolytes.
Editorial Commentary: The Long Head of the Biceps Brachii Tendon—The Shoulder Surgeon's Conundrum

Abstract The long head of the biceps tendon can be a significant pain generator in the setting of rotator cuff tearing. Surgeons who encounter long head of biceps tendon pathology at the time of rotator cuff repair can be confident in a high likelihood of statistically significant clinical improvement with concomitant long head of biceps surgery. Patients can be reliably counseled preoperatively that if they have both clinically apparent long head of biceps tendon pathology and rotator cuff tearing, and if they undergo long head of biceps tendon surgery with rotator cuff repair, they can expect comparable or better outcomes than isolated rotator cuff repair.
Impact of Home Health Care on Health Care Resource Utilization Following Hospital Discharge: A Cohort Study.

Abstract Background As healthcare costs rise, home health care represents an opportunity to reduce preventable adverse events and costs following hospital discharge. No studies have investigated the utility of home health care within the context of a large and diverse patient population. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 1/1/2013 and 6/30/2015 at a single tertiary care institution to assess healthcare utilization after discharge with home health care. Control patients discharged with "self-care" were matched by propensity score to home health care patients. The primary outcome was total healthcare costs in the 365-day post-discharge period. Secondary outcomes included follow-up readmission and death. Multivariable linear and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to adjust for covariates. Results Among 64,541 total patients, 11,266 controls were matched to 6,363 home health care patients across 11 disease-based Institutes. During the 365-day post-discharge period, home health care was associated with a mean unadjusted savings of $15,233 per patient, or $6,433 after adjusting for covariates (p Conclusions Discharge with home health care was associated with significant reduction in healthcare utilization and decreased hazard of readmission and death. These data inform development of value-based care plans.
Are there sex differences in the etiology of youth antisocial behavior

Sex differences in the etiology of youth antisocial behavior are an intuitively appealing hypothesis given the consistently higher prevalence of antisocial behavior in boys versus girls. Although a few early studies supported this possibility, reporting stronger genetic influences in females and stronger environmental influences in males, subsequent meta-analyses found that antisocial behavior was equally heritable in males and females. Critically however, none of the meta-analyses evaluated whether sex differences in etiology might be enhanced in particular subpopulations or contexts. The current study sought to do just this. We examined 1,030 child twin pairs from the Michigan State University Twin Registry, half of whom were oversampled for neighborhood disadvantage, thereby allowing us to meaningfully evaluate whether sex differences in etiology were enhanced in disadvantaged contexts. We also directly evaluated the possibility of sex differences in the etiology of teacher- versus maternal-informant reports of antisocial behavior, evaluating each informant-report for possible sex differences. Results were not consistent with differential effects of sex on etiology in disadvantaged versus advantaged contexts, but did suggest moderation by informant-report. Namely, genetic influences were stronger in girls, and environmental influences were stronger in boys, when antisocial behavior was assessed using teacher informant-reports, but not when assessed using maternal informant-reports. Critically, these findings were confirmed when we reanalyzed meta-analytic data from Burt (2009a) separately by informant. Such findings suggest that, at least in school contexts, the etiology of antisocial behavior does indeed vary across sex. Implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Life and Death of Raquette in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans

Raquette, a two-stick version of the ubiquitous Native American stick-and-ball game from which lacrosse evolved, was played in New Orleans and elsewhere in Louisiana from the mid-eighteenth century...
Endometrial Carcinoma of the Prostatic Utricle: A Tumor of Prostatic Origin

Abstract Endometrial carcinoma of the prostatic utricle previously was believed to be of mullerian origin. We report 2 cases studied by ultrastructural and immunoperoxidase techniques. Our results, as well as those presented by others, demonstrate the prostatic origin of this tumor.