cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prerequisites for Understanding Climate-Change Impacts on Northern Prairie Wetlands

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) contains ecosystems that are typified by an extensive matrix of grasslands and depressional wetlands, which provide numerous ecosystem services. Over the past 150 years the PPR has experienced numerous landscape modifications resulting in agricultural conversion of 75–99 % of native prairie uplands and drainage of 50–90 % of wetlands. There is concern over how and where conservation dollars should be spent within the PPR to protect and restore wetland basins to support waterbird populations that will be robust to a changing climate. However, while hydrological impacts of landscape modifications appear substantial, they are still poorly understood. Previous modeling efforts addressing impacts of climate change on PPR wetlands have yet to fully incorporate interacting or potentially overshadowing impacts of landscape modification. We outlined several information needs for building more informative models to predict climate change effects on PPR wetlands. We reviewed how landscape modification influences wetland hydrology and present a conceptual model to describe how modified wetlands might respond to climate variability. We note that current climate projections do not incorporate cyclical variability in climate between wet and dry periods even though such dynamics have shaped the hydrology and ecology of PPR wetlands. We conclude that there are at least three prerequisite steps to making meaningful predictions about effects of climate change on PPR wetlands. Those evident to us are: 1) an understanding of how physical and watershed characteristics of wetland basins of similar hydroperiods vary across temperature and moisture gradients; 2) a mechanistic understanding of how wetlands respond to climate across a gradient of anthropogenic modifications; and 3) improved climate projections for the PPR that can meaningfully represent potential changes in climate variability including intensity and duration of wet and dry periods. Once these issues are addressed, we contend that modeling efforts will better inform and quantify ecosystem services provided by wetlands to meet needs of waterbird conservation and broader societal interests such as flood control and water quality.
CD34+ Cell Selection Is Required to Accurately Measure HOXA9 Levels by Quantitative RT-PCR in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that overexpression of specific major HOX genes is linked to transformation of the malignant hematopoietic stem cells underlying human acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). For example, several recent studies indicate that overexpression of HOXA9 is associated with a poor outcome in AML and MDS. As we initiated our own studies of HOXA9 expression in MDS, we were concerned about the validity of studying whole bone marrow (BM) cell RNA obtained at diagnosis, due to the diversity of cell types and low blast cell numbers in the BM that characterize MDS, and prior studies of G. Savageau and K. Humphries demonstrating that HOXA9 expression in normal BM cells is limited to the CD34+ fraction, which is enriched for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Thus, we initiated this study to investigate whether valid HOXA9 expression levels can be determined from whole BM cell RNAs of MDS patients or whether CD34+ cell separation is required prior to analysis. BM aspirate samples were collected at diagnosis from 9 patients with MDS and subjected to Ficoll-Hypaque light density cell separation, followed by magnetic bead separation to remove CD3+/CD19+ mature lymphoid cells. The CD3−/CD19− fraction was further fractionated into CD34+ and CD34− populations. RNA was extracted by standard methods and two-step quantitative real-time RT-PCR was performed using SYBR Green to measure HOXA9 and control housekeeping gene expression levels. RNAs from peripheral blood CD34+ cells from 8 healthy donors served as controls. Relative HOXA9 expression levels were obtained by normalization to three housekeeping genes ( GAPDH , YWHAZ , and RPL4 ) for each fraction. Our results conclusively show that HOXA9 levels of CD34+ cells from MDS patients are on average three-fold higher than those of CD34− cells from the same patient (p=0.004, Wilcoxon signed rank). Thus, as is the case for normal BM cells, HOXA9 expression in MDS is highest in the stem and progenitor cell fraction. Our results indicate that CD34+ cell selection must be carried out to accurately assess the expression of HOXA9 in the malignant clone of MDS patients. Unselected BM cell measurements include variable fractions of CD34− and CD34+ cells, which can have significant variability, even in samples obtained from the same patient, thus confounding attempts to accurately measure HOXA9 levels and determine the contribution of this oncogene to MDS. Moreover, we detected levels of HOXA9 expression in the CD34+ cells of MDS patients that were on average 4.3 times those of normal controls (p=0.004, Wilcoxon rank sum). Our studies indicate that in order to advance understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of MDS, the expression levels of specific HOX genes and their co-regulators will need to be carefully evaluated in purified CD34+ BM cells from patients with this disease.
Determinants of Saltwater Anglers’ Satisfaction with Fisheries Management: Regional Perspectives in the United States

AbstractUnderstanding saltwater angler preferences, motivations, and satisfaction levels can assist recreational fisheries managers in providing high-quality fishing experiences for their constituents. To better understand the relationship between anglers’ motivations, preferences, and satisfaction with fisheries management and any regional differences that may exist, the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented a mail survey using a large national sample of saltwater recreational anglers. The survey collected information about recreational fisheries management, fishing trip characteristics, fishing motivations, aSnd demographic variables. Binary logit models estimated for six regions—Alaska, West Coast, Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and New England—show that several variables, including trip characteristics, fishing motivations, avidity, demographic variables, and angler preferences for specific types of management strategies, are significant determinants of satisfaction with the fis...
Correcting for Dependent P-values in Rhythm Detection

There is much interest in using genome-wide expression time series to identify circadian genes. Several methods have been developed to test for rhythmicity in sparsely sampled time series typical of such measurements. Because these methods are statistical in nature, they rely on estimating the probabilities that patterns arise by chance (i.e., p-values). Here we show that leading methods implicitly make inappropriate assumptions of independence when estimating p-values. We show how to correct for the dependence to obtain accurate estimates for statistical significance during rhythm detection.
A theoretical study of ascorbic acid oxidation and HOO˙/O2˙− radical scavenging

Ascorbic acid is a well-known antioxidant and radical scavenger. It can be oxidized by losing two protons and two electrons, but normally loses only one electron at a time. The reactivity of the ascorbate radical is unusual, in that it can either disproportionate or react with other radicals, but it reacts poorly with non-radical species. To explore the oxidation mechanism of ascorbic acid, the pKa's and reduction potentials have been calculated using the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) and CBS-QB3 levels of theory with the SMD implicit solvent model and explicit waters. Calculations show that the most stable form of dehydroascorbic acid in water is the bicyclic hydrated structure, in agreement with NMR studies. The possible oxidation reactions at different pH conditions can be understood by constructing a potential-pH (Pourbaix) diagram from the calculated pKa's and standard reduction potentials. At physiological pH disproportionation of the intermediate radical is thermodynamically favored. The calculations show that disproportionation proceeds via dimerization of ascorbate radical and internal electron transfer, as suggested by Bielski. In the dimer, one of the ascorbate units cyclizes. Then protonation and dissociation yields the fully reduced and bicyclic fully oxidized structures. Calculations show that this mechanism also explains the reaction of the ascorbic acid radical with other radical species such as superoxide. Ascorbate radical combines with the radical, and intramolecular electron transfer followed by cyclization and hydrolysis yields dehydroascorbic acid and converts the radical to its reduced form.
The role of forensic anthropology in mass disaster resolution

On Dec.12, 1985, a military charter DC-8 crashed shortly after takeoff at Gander, Nfld., Canada. All 256 aboard were killed, making this the deadliest U.S. military aircraft accident in history. The investigation team (consisting of forensic pathologists, odontologists, radiologists, anthropologists, graves registration personnel, and systems engineers) succeeded in identifying the remains of all 248 manifested passengers and 8 crewmembers. The unique contribution of anthropology necessitates that a forensic anthropologist be included in all phases of casualty resolution from recovery and initial processing to final evaluation, rather than being summoned as a last resort. This approach would yield immediate information on "unknowns" and would eliminate subsequent duplication of effort. Language: en
Relationship partners of transgender individuals: A qualitative exploration

Relationship partners of transgender-identified individuals have distinctive couple-related experiences that are important to understand. The current qualitative study explored the unique elements ...
A systems level approach to temporal expression dynamics in Drosophila reveals clusters of long term memory genes

The ability to integrate experiential information and recall it in the form of memory is observed in a wide range of taxa, and is a hallmark of highly derived nervous systems. Storage of past experiences is critical for adaptive behaviors that anticipate both adverse and positive environmental factors. The process of memory formation and consolidation involve many synchronized biological events including gene transcription, protein modification, and intracellular trafficking: However, many of these molecular mechanisms remain illusive. With Drosophila as a model system we use a nonassociative memory paradigm and a systems level approach to uncover novel transcriptional patterns. RNA sequencing of Drosophila heads during and after memory formation identified a number of novel memory genes. Tracking the dynamic expression of these genes over time revealed complex gene networks involved in long term memory. In particular, this study focuses on two functional gene clusters of signal peptides and proteases. Bioinformatics network analysis and prediction in combination with high-throughput RNA sequencing identified previously unknown memory genes, which when genetically knocked down resulted in behaviorally validated memory defects.
Approaches to learning and science education in Head Start: Examining bidirectionality

Abstract Recent national focus on early childhood science education highlights the need for research on early science, particularly with children from low-income families, as science is the lowest performing school readiness domain in that population. Given this achievement gap, the Office of Head Start has emphasized the development of children’s domain-general skills, such as approaches to learning, because they help children succeed in the classroom regardless of academic content area. Recent research suggests a unique relationship between early science and approaches to learning, in that approaches to learning predicts gains in science readiness more so than math or language readiness. This study further explored this relationship by examining the potential bidirectionality between science and approaches to learning. Results obtained from hierarchical linear modeling suggest a significant bidirectional relationship, such that residualized change approaches to learning across the school year predicted gains in science across the year, and residualized change in science across the year predicted gains in approaches to learning across the year. These results suggest that development of children’s approaches to learning relates to gains science knowledge, and that gains in children’s science knowledge relates to the positive development of approaches to learning across the school year. This study provides support for future research examining the potential of science interventions to serve as a context for developing approaches to learning skills that will in turn help children engage in quality science learning. Such research would leverage the bidirectional relationships between these two constructs and could be a step in the national attempt to narrow the science and school readiness achievement gaps.
Climate adaptation in the Anthropocene: Constructing and contesting urban risk regimes:

The Anthropocene heralds a new era of heightened and unknown risks, particularly regarding the impacts of climate change. This article explores the initial phase of organizing for climate adaptatio...
Milking and Handling of Raw Milk | Effect of Storage and Transport on Milk Quality

Whether raw milk is produced on small farms (less than 75 cows) or on mega-farms (several thousand cows), the importance of safe, high-quality milk is critical. The animals must be healthy, be fed high-quality feed, and be milked in clean, well-ventilated parlors. Milking machines, lines, pumps, and bulk tanks that come in contact with milk must be properly cleaned and sanitized, and milk must be stored at low temperatures (less than 40 °F) and handled under good manufacturing practices from cow to consumer. Raw milk must be critically tasted at the processing plant before the acceptance of the milk by the plant. This ensures the acceptance of safe, high-quality milk, which results in benefits for the consumer. The raw milk must be microbiologically acceptable and free of inhibitory substances and must have desirable sensory properties. It is important to remember that raw milk with high microbiological numbers or poor sensory properties will likely lead to finished products that fail to meet established shelf-life standards. High-quality raw milk that is stored at low temperatures and processed and packaged under sanitary conditions provides the basis for consumer acceptability.
Algorithms of Late Effects by Disease

This chapter provides algorithms designed to facilitate understanding of subsequent chapters. By locating the tumor type, information can be accessed from the algorithms regarding standard tumor therapies, common late effects, and methods of detection. Since the algorithms are relatively inclusive, not all patients will have received all therapies. Availability of the treatment record can assist in determining potential risk and streamlining screening procedures.
El desafío de la economía del conocimiento en América Latina .

El entorno internacional competitivo es ahora mucho mas exigente y acelerado por diversos motivos, a saber, la creciente rapidez en la creacion y diseminacion del conocimiento, la reduccion de los costes de transporte y comunicaciones, la creciente participacion de las importaciones y exportaciones en la actividad economica global, la duplicacion de la mano de obra global y un mayor control de las cadenas de produccion por parte de las empresas globales. Mientras determinadas regiones del mundo, en concreto la region asiatica, producen una gama diversificada de productos manufacturados y servicios, America Latina se esta especializando en la produccion de materias primas y productos basicos claramente ciclicos y con menor perspectiva de crecimiento a largo plazo. Para evitar quedarse rezagados, los paises de America Latina deben mejorar sus regimenes macroeconomicos e institucionales, asi como la calidad y el nivel de la educacion y la formacion. Tambien deben ser mas eficaces en el aprovechamiento y el uso mas eficaz del conocimiento global, desarrollar su propio conocimiento y mejorar sus tecnologias de informacion y comunicacion, ademas de las infraestructuras y la logistica. Para enfrentarse a estos desafios, es necesario tomar conciencia de lo que esta en juego, tener una mente visionaria, desarrollar e implementar estrategias mas a largo plazo y lograr mecanismos eficaces de supervision y coordinacion.
Catalytic Cyclooligomerization of Enones with Three Methylene Equivalents

Cyclic structures are highly represented in organic molecules, motivating a wealth of catalytic methods targeting their synthesis. Among the various ring-forming processes, cyclooligomerization reactions possess several attractive features but require addressing a unique challenge associated with controlling ring-size selectivity. Here we describe the catalytic reductive cocyclooligomerization of an enone and three carbene equivalents to generate a cyclopentane, a process that constitutes a formal [2 + 1 + 1 + 1]-cycloaddition. The reaction is promoted by a (quinox)Ni catalyst and uses CH2Cl2/Zn as the C1 component. Mechanistic studies are consistent with a metallacycle-based pathway, featuring sequential migratory insertions of multiple carbene equivalents to yield cycloalkanes larger than cyclopropanes.
College Rejection Letters

In this analysis, we consider the matter of college rejection letters and the fact that for some young people, being rejected at an elite university is the first time they have been disappointed in a major way. That is because the number of people applying to elite universities is enormous and institutions such as Stanford and Harvard accept only a small number of applicants. Being accepted at an elite university confers lifelong benefits on young people in terms of their sense of achievement and of accomplishment.
Cancer Type Prediction and Classification Based on RNA-sequencing Data

Pan-cancer analysis is a significant research topic in the past few years. Due to many advancing sequencing technologies, researchers possess more resources and knowledge to identify the key factors that could trigger cancer. Furthermore, since The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project launched, using machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze TCGA data has been recognized as a useful solution in the line of research. Therefore, this study uses RNA-sequencing data from TCGA and focuses on classifying thirty-three types of cancer patients. Five ML algorithms include decision tree (DT), k nearest neighbor (kNN), linear support vector machine (linear SVM), polynomial support vector machine (poly SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN) are conducted to compare the performances of their accuracies, training time, precisions, recalls, and F1-scores. The results show that linear SVM with a 95.8% accuracy rate is the best classifier in this study. Several critical and sophisticated data pre-processing experiments are also presented to clarify and to improve the performance of the built model.
Intersystem crossing in the exit channel.

Intersystem crossing plays an important role in photochemistry. It is understood to be efficient when heavy atoms are present due to strong spin–orbit coupling, or when strongly bound long-lived complexes are formed that increase the chance of finding the singlet–triplet intersection seam. Here we present evidence for a different intersystem crossing mechanism in the bimolecular reaction of O(3P) with alkylamines. In crossed-beam experiments, product velocity–flux maps are measured for aminoalkyl radicals produced from H abstraction from the methyl group, which also gives OH radicals as co-fragments. The low translational-energy release and isotropic angular distributions of the products indicate that such reactions undergo the formation of a complex before OH and aminoalkyl are produced. However, there is no well on the triplet potential energy surface that could support such a complex. Multi-reference ab initio calculations suggest, instead, that intersystem crossing occurs in the exit-channel region due to the long-range dipole–dipole interaction between the nascent radical product pair coupled with the vanishing singlet–triplet splitting at long range. Intersystem crossing then leads to a deep hydroxylamine well before OH elimination. Intersystem crossing (ISC) is a radiationless process that is important in many photophysical systems. It has now been observed to take place in the exit channel for the reaction of ground-state atomic oxygen with alkylamines.
Japan eyes China

A research trip to Tokyo found contrasts between Japanese policies of engaging China economically and the U.S. emphasis on human rights. It also found distinct differences between Washington and Tokyo in assessing the present and future security threat of China in Asia. While the United States is apprehensive about increasing military power, Japan is more concerned with China’s political and economic stability.
Proceedings of the second symposium on Operating systems principles

Being busy builders, many who research operating system design principles are given little opportunity to write down their results and experience, or to meet and discuss them. Thus the unusual success of the first Symposium on Operating Systems Principles at Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in October, 1967. Thus, we hope, the success of this, the second symposium.These Proceedings constitute the permanent record of the Second Symposium on Operating Systems Principles. The papers cover a wide range of topics, including general design principles, new ideas and new approaches to old ideas, and performance evaluation.
U-NetPlus: A Modified Encoder-Decoder U-Net Architecture for Semantic and Instance Segmentation of Surgical Instrument

Conventional therapy approaches limit surgeons' dexterity control due to limited field-of-view. With the advent of robot-assisted surgery, there has been a paradigm shift in medical technology for minimally invasive surgery. However, it is very challenging to track the position of the surgical instruments in a surgical scene, and accurate detection & identification of surgical tools is paramount. Deep learning-based semantic segmentation in frames of surgery videos has the potential to facilitate this task. In this work, we modify the U-Net architecture named U-NetPlus, by introducing a pre-trained encoder and re-design the decoder part, by replacing the transposed convolution operation with an upsampling operation based on nearest-neighbor (NN) interpolation. To further improve performance, we also employ a very fast and flexible data augmentation technique. We trained the framework on 8 x 225 frame sequences of robotic surgical videos, available through the MICCAI 2017 EndoVis Challenge dataset and tested it on 8 x 75 frame and 2 x 300 frame videos. Using our U-NetPlus architecture, we report a 90.20% DICE for binary segmentation, 76.26% DICE for instrument part segmentation, and 46.07% for instrument type (i.e., all instruments) segmentation, outperforming the results of previous techniques implemented and tested on these data.
Fear of AIDS.

Americans in general are still influenced by the fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This fear, often uninformed and unwarranted, has an impact on many of the issues discussed in some of the chapters in this volume. A number of these chapters focus on the issue of sexual transmission, a subject which is of great concern. The fear of other routes of transmission persists, including those that either do not exist or, if they do, are really inconsequential in terms of the total AIDS epidemic. To some extent we have been hampered in our efforts to deal with the disease by an obsessive fear of transmission by nonsexual, “casual” contact. What appear to be really important factors in terms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission are sexuality and substance abuse. Yet there is a great deal of difficulty in publicly and intelligently dealing with these particular aspects of basic human existence in the context of the AIDS epidemic. We are all sexual beings, and many in our society are abusers of either legal or illegal drugs. These behaviors are deeply embedded in our psychology and our culture, making them difficult to approach in such a way that behavior can be changed.
The Assessment and Aural Rehabilitation Tool for Cochlear Implant Recipients With Unilateral Hearing Loss

Purpose Cochlear implantation may be a viable treatment option for patients with moderate-to-profound hearing loss in 1 ear and normal to near-normal hearing in the contralateral ear. There is a ne...
Synthesis of homoleptic, divalent lanthanide (Sm, Eu) complexes via oxidative transmetallation.

The direct synthesis of neutral, divalent samarium and europium complexes supported by the bulky bis(tris-tert-butoxysilyl)amide (BTTSA) ligand via oxidative transmetallation is reported. Through the use of a copper(I) ligand complex, conventional lanthanide halide starting materials for complex formation are circumvented and the clean formation of divalent complexes is achieved directly from the bulk metal. The structures of the [Ln(BTTSA)2] (Ln = Sm, Eu) complexes are isotypic, presenting divalent lanthanide ions with distorted, six-coordinate geometries.
Psychometric evaluation of the Pinocchio Illusion Questionnaire.

Perceived nose elongation resulting from vibratory stimulation to the bicep brachii tendon in the absence of visual input while the finger is touching the nose, known as the Pinocchio Illusion (PI), is used to investigate how afferent signals can contribute to aberrant top-down perception of body representation. The Pinocchio Illusion Questionnaire (PIQ) was developed to empirically quantify PI perception, allowing for external validation of the PI with psychologically relevant phenomenon. The current study (N = 60) examined the PIQ’s test-retest reliability, internal consistency, factor structure, and correlations with self-reported interoceptive awareness and schizotypal traits. The PIQ demonstrated strong test-retest reliability and internal validity; however, a Principal Component Analysis did not yield a latent variable structure that distinguished PI-specific perceptual aberrations from unrelated or contradictory perceptual experiences. Additionally, decreased reports of PI-specific perceptual aberrations during two elicitations of the PI on the PIQ’s open-ended free-response section (percent of sample endorsement = 5% (first elicitation); 8.3% (second elicitation)) compared to its 11-item section (endorsement of PI-specific items ranging 30–53.33% (first)]; 31.67–46.67% (second)) suggest that these responses may be heavily influenced by demand characteristics rather than accurately capturing PI perception. Therefore, further psychometric development of the PIQ and standardization of procedures to elicit the illusion are recommended.
The Influence of Gender and Customer Status on Foreigners' Perceptions of Individuals Who Sell Sex in Thailand

Current estimates suggest there are between 800,000 and 2 million-plus individuals in Thailand that are currently selling sex and/or sexual services. Previous literature has shown that attitudes held towards individuals who sell sex (ISS) can have a significant impact on their day-to-day lives. Further, foreigners in Thailand are exhibiting increasing financial and social power in the country. Given this impact, it stands to reason that greater understanding of attitudes held by the growing population of foreigners in Thailand may have important implications worthy of further focus in both research and clinical settings. The current study examined the attitudes of 224 self-identified foreigners currently residing in Thailand towards ISS in the country. Results indicate significant differences in attitudes based on the gender of the participant, the gender of the individual selling sex, and whether participants had previously purchased sex in the country. Overall, men who have previously purchased sex reported a significantly more positive attitude towards ISS in Thailand when compared to women and men who had not previously purchased sex. Further, attitudes differed based on the gender of the individual selling sex. For instance, transgender individuals who sell sex were significantly more likely to be perceived as enjoying their work when compared to women and men who sell sex in Thailand. Ultimately, these results can help inform future awareness and educational interventions targeted at foreigners in Thailand to reduce violence and abuse of ISS in the country.
Quality Assessment of Intraoperative Adverse Event Reporting During 29 227 Robotic Partial Nephrectomies: A Systematic Review and Cumulative Analysis.

The definition of intraoperative adverse events (IAEs) still lacks standardization, hampering the assessment of surgical performance in this regard. Over the years, efforts to address this issue have been carried out to improve the reporting of outcomes. In 2019, the European Association of Urology (EAU) proposed a standardized reporting tool for IAEs in urology. The objective of the present study is to distill systematically published data on IAEs in patients undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) for renal masses to answer three key questions (KQs). (KQ1) Which system is used to report the IAEs? (KQ2) What is the frequency of IAEs? (KQ3) What types of IAEs are reported? A comprehensive systematic review of all English-language publications on RPN was carried out. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to evaluate PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases (from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2019). Quality of reporting and grading complications were assessed according to the EAU recommendations. Globally, 59 (35.3%) and 108 (64.7%) studies reported zero and one or more IAEs, respectively. Overall, 761 (2.6%) patients reported at least one IAE. Intraoperative bleeding is reported as the most common IAE (58%). Our analysis showed no improvement in reporting and grading of IAEs over time. PATIENT SUMMARY: Up to now, an agreement regarding the definition and reporting of intraoperative adverse events (IAEs) in the literature has not been achieved. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reporting of IAEs in patients undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) after a systematic review of the literature. More rigorous reporting of IAEs during RPN is needed to measure their impact on patients' perioperative care.
Endpoint and epitope-specific antibody responses as correlates of vaccine-mediated protection of mice against ricin toxin

Abstract The successful licensure of vaccines for biodefense is contingent upon the availability of well-established correlates of protection (CoP) in at least two animal species that can be applied to humans, without the need to assess efficacy in the clinic. In this report we describe a multivariate model that combines pre-challenge serum antibody endpoint titers (EPT) and values derived from an epitope profiling immune-competition capture (EPICC) assay as a predictor in mice of vaccine-mediated immunity against ricin toxin (RT), a Category B biothreat. EPICC is a modified competition ELISA in which serum samples from vaccinated mice were assessed for their ability to inhibit the capture of soluble, biotinylated (b)-RT by a panel of immobilized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against four immunodominant toxin-neutralizing regions on the enzymatic A chain (RTA) of RT. In a test cohort of mice (n = 40) vaccinated with suboptimal doses of the RTA subunit vaccine, RiVax®, we identified two mAbs, PB10 and SyH7, which had EPICC inhibition values in pre-challenge serum samples that correlated with survival following a challenge with 5 × LD50 of RT administered by intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Analysis of a larger cohort of mice (n = 645) revealed that a multivariate model combining endpoint titers and EPICC values for PB10 and SyH7 as predictive variables had significantly higher statistical power than any one of the independent variables alone. Establishing the correlates of vaccine-mediated protection in mice represents an important steppingstone in the development of RiVax® as a medical countermeasure under the United States Food and Drug Administration’s “Animal Rule.”
Prevalence of and Recovery From Anemia Following Hospitalization for Critical Illness Among Adults

Importance Anemia is common and has been associated with poor outcomes in the critically ill population, yet the timing and extent of hemoglobin recovery remains incompletely described, which may have important implications for clinical outcomes following discharge from intensive care. Objectives To describe longitudinal changes in anemia status during and after critical illness and assess the associations between hemoglobin concentrations and postdischarge mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants A population-based cohort study was conducted from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2016, in Olmsted County, Minnesota; data analysis was performed from June 1 to December 30, 2019. Participants included 6901 adults (age ≥18 years) admitted to intensive care. Main Outcomes and Measures Hemoglobin concentrations in the 12 months before hospitalization, during hospitalization, and in the 12 months after discharge, categorized by anemia severity (mild, hemoglobin ≥10.0 to Results Of the 6901 patients included in the study, 3792 were men (55%); median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 67 (IQR, 52-79) years. Prehospitalization hemoglobin concentrations were available in 83% of the population (n = 5694), with median hemoglobin concentrations of 13.1 (IQR, 11.6-14.4) g/dL. Forty-one percent of the patients (n = 2320) had anemia preceding hospitalization. Hemoglobin values at hospital discharge were 10.8 g/dL (IQR, 9.5-12.4 g/dL), with 80% (n = 5182 of 6460) having anemia: 58% mild, 39% moderate, and 3% severe. The prevalence of anemia post hospitalization was 56% (95% CI, 55%-58%) at 3 months, 52% (95% CI, 50%-54%) at 6 months, and 45% (95% CI, 43%-47%) at 12 months among those alive with available hemoglobin measurements. Rates of complete recovery from anemia at 12 months were 58% (95% CI, 56%-61%) for mild anemia, 39% (95% CI, 36%-42%) for moderate anemia, and 24% (95% CI, 15%-34%) for severe anemia. Of those without baseline anemia surviving hospitalization, 74% of the patients were anemic at hospital discharge, with rates of complete 12-month recovery of 73% (95% CI, 69%-76%) for mild anemia, 62% (95% CI, 57%-68%) for moderate anemia, and 59% (95% CI, 35%-82%) for severe anemia. Higher hospital discharge hemoglobin concentrations were associated with decreased mortality after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 0.95 per 1-g/dL increase; 95% CI, 0.90-0.99,P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that anemia is common and often persistent in the first year after critical illness. Further studies are warranted to identify distinct anemia recovery profiles and assess associations with clinical outcomes.
Unique Needs and Challenges of Women Veteran Students with Disabilities: Conceptualizing Identity in Higher Education

This paper focuses on interviews conducted with women veterans with disabilities in Virginia and how they feel their needs would best be met as they transition to civilian college life. The interview questions were designed to capture the basic experiences of women veterans with disabilities who were enrolled in higher education. Those interviewed responded to 13 questions, which focused on background information, how their disability affected their education, what resources they used, and how schools can best meet their needs as women veterans with disabilities. Two members of the project staff conducted independent thematic content analyses, then discussed and agreed on common themes identified. Those themes were: cultural differences, military identity, bureaucracy, experiences, and disability influence. These women veterans revealed that they have difficulty transitioning from the highly structured military world to the less-structured civilian world; their disabilities have an impact on their education options: they seek out quiet spaces, they need more communication and direction on resources and accommodations, and they would like women-specific support groups. Project staff concluded that women veteran students should be treated as a cultural group with specific needs, such as quiet spaces, transition training and mentoring by women peers, and increased communication about veteran-eligible services.
Clinical and molecular characterization of myeloid sarcoma without medullary leukemia.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) in the setting of concomitant medullary AML is relatively well described, while much less is known about patients presenting with MS with <20% bone marrow blasts. We conducted ...
Use of yttrium-90 (Y90) glass microspheres (TheraSphere) as neoadjuvant to transplantation/resection in hepatocellular carcinoma: Analyses from the LEGACY study.

300Background: The objective of the LEGACY study was to assess the Objective Response Rate (ORR) and Duration of Response (DoR) following treatment with Yttrium-90 (Y90) glass microspheres in patie...
Tabs.do: Task-Centric Browser Tab Management

Despite the increasing complexity and scale of people’s online activities, browser interfaces have stayed largely the same since tabs were introduced in major browsers nearly 20 years ago. The gap between simple tab-based browser interfaces and the complexity of users’ tasks can lead to serious adverse effects – commonly referred to as “tab overload.” This paper introduces a Chrome extension called Tabs.do, which explores bringing a task-centric approach to the browser, helping users to group their tabs into tasks and then organize, prioritize, and switch between those tasks fluidly. To lower the cost of importing, Tabs.do uses machine learning to make intelligent suggestions for grouping users’ open tabs into task bundles by exploiting behavioral and semantic features. We conducted a field deployment study where participants used Tabs.do with their real-life tasks in the wild, and showed that Tabs.do can decrease tab clutter, enabled users to create rich task structures with lightweight interactions, and allowed participants to context-switch among tasks more efficiently.
Oxidation Modes of Non‐Oxide Particles in Oxide Matrix Composites

Oxidation studies were conducted at 1200{degrees}C and 1400{degrees}C on mullite/zirconia/SiC-platelet composites containing 10 vol.% SiC platelets and various amounts of ZrO{sub 2}. Conventional mass change measurements, as well as direct microscopic measurements of oxide layers on particles at various depths, were accomplished. They showed that adding ZrO{sub 2} to the matrix will significantly lower oxidation resistance of the composites due to the high oxygen diffusivity in the zirconia phase. Measured oxide thicknesses were rationalized, based on a theoretical model involving ratios of oxygen diffusivities in the matrix and the SiO{sub 2} layer.
Atmospheric mercury emissions from mine wastes and surrounding geologically enriched terrains

Waste rock and ore associated with Hg, precious and base metal mining, and their surrounding host rocks are typically enriched in mercury relative to natural background concentrations (<0.1 {micro}g Hg g{sup -1}). Mercury fluxes to the atmosphere from mineralized areas can range from background rates (0-15 ng m{sup -2} h{sup -1}) to tens of thousands of ng m{sup -2} h{sup -1}. Mercury enriched substrate constitutes a long-term source of mercury to the global atmospheric mercury pool. Mercury emissions from substrate are influenced by light, temperature, precipitation, and substrate mercury concentration, and occur during the day and night. Light-enhanced emissions are driven by two processes: desorption of elemental mercury accumulated at the soil:air interface, and photo reduction of mercury containing phases. To determine the need for and effectiveness of regulatory controls on short-lived anthropogenic point sources the contribution of mercury from geologic non-point sources to the atmospheric mercury pool needs to be quantified. The atmospheric mercury contribution from small areas of mining disturbance with relatively high mercury concentrations are, in general, less than that from surrounding large areas of low levels of mercury enrichment. In the arid to semi-arid western United States volatilization is the primary means by which mercury ismore » released from enriched sites.« less
PAT goes to college: evaluating a cognitive tutor for developmental mathematics

This report describes an adaptation of the Practical Algebra Tutor, "PAT," for college-level developmental mathematics, and initial evaluations of PAT at two college sites. PAT is a software learning environment that presents students with real-world problem situations, modern mathematical representational tools to analyze these situations, and constant background support from a "cognitive tutor"-- an intelligent computer tutor based on the ACT theory of cognition. Previous classroom evaluations showed that high-school students using PAT outperformed students in regular classes by 15% on standardized tests, and by 100% on assessments of authentic problem-solving. In two colleges, PAT students performed more than 50% better than students in regular classes on a performance-based assessment. This assessment requires students to use mathematical representations to analyze a real-world problem situation. It captures the reform objectives of the PAT approach, which are consistent with new national standards for mathematics.
Present-day CO2 emissions from volcanos

In an effort to better understand processes that control sources of CO2 in the carbon cycle, the U.S. Global Change Research Program [CEES, 1990] identifies imbonate deposition, and burial of organic matter would deplete the CO2 content of the atmosphere in 10,000 years and the atmosphere-ocean system in 500,000 years [Holland, 1978; Berner et al., 1983]. The CO2 content of the atmosphere-ocean system has varied in the past, but not at the rate expected if CO2 were removed and not replenished. It is assumed, therefore, that CO2 de gassing from the Earth's interior restores the deficit from surficial processes and balances the atmospheric CO2 budget on a time scale of 104–106yr. Earlier atmospheric balancing calculations imply present-day (pre-industrial) CO2 degassing rates of 6–7×1012 mol yr−1 [Holland, 1978; Berner et al., 1983]; recent calculations suggest degassing rates may be as high as 11×1012 mol yr−1 [Berner, 1990].
Measurement of spontaneous emission spectrum in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Summary form only given. We describe an improved method for measuring the spontaneous emission (SE) spectra from the cleaved side of a VCSEL cavity using a 62.5-/spl mu/m multimode fiber and present experimental results. The VCSEL under study was grown and fabricated in the AlGaAs/GaAs material system. The advantage of this method is that distortion due to top transmission measurements through the distributed Bragg reflectors and filters is avoided. Furthermore, by integrating the SE spectrum rather than directly measuring side emission power, we ensure that the side emission is indeed SE and not due to scattering of stimulated emission from the resonant cavity into the side emission.
Metabolic and Development Changes in Growing Rats Born to Dams Restricted in Protein and/or Energy Intake

During gestation and lactation, the food intake of female rats was restricted to 50% of the ad libitum stock diet intake of controls (C). One restricted group (M1) was fed stock diet while another restricted group (M2) was fed casein-supplemented stock diet containing 66% protein. Observations were directed to their progeny. After weaning at 21 days, all progeny were fed the stock diet ad libitum for 2 weeks. Mean birth weight of M2 was lower than M1 which was lower than C. Weight gain of progeny was faster in M2 than M1 but both were less than C. At 5 weeks, M2 had normal brain weight but lower mg protein/g brain than either M1 or C. M1 had the lowest brain weight. Livers of M1 and M2 were smaller than C, and M2 had higher RNA and protein, and lower DNA per g liver than either M1 or C. Both M1 and M2 had about three-fold elevation in hepatic serine dehydratase and slightly lower phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase than C. The lower birth weight and normal brain size of M2 suggested that some of the protein consumed by M2 dams was conserved for synthesis of vital components despite energy restriction.
Aircraft-derived regional scale CO2 fluxes from vegetated drained thaw-lake basins and interstitial tundra on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

The landscape surface of the Barrow Peninsula of Alaska is a mosaic of small ponds, thaw lakes, different aged vegetated drained thaw-lake basins (VDTLBs), and interstitial tundra which have been dynamically formed by both short- and long-term processes. We used a combination of tower- and aircraft-based eddy covariance measurements to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of CO2, latent, and sensible heat fluxes along with MODIS NDVI, and were able to scale the aircraft-based CO2 fluxes to the 1802 km 2 Barrow Peninsula region. During typical 2006 summer conditions, the midday hourly CO2 flux over the region was � 2.04 � 10 5 kg CO2 h � 1 . The CO2 fluxes among the interstitial tundra, Ancient, and Old VDTLBs, as well as between the Medium and Young VDTLBs were not significantly different. Combined, the interstitial tundra and Old and Ancient VDTLBs represent � 67% of the Barrow Peninsula surface area, accounting for � 59% of the regional flux signal. Although the Medium and Young VDTLBs represent � 11% of the surface area, they account for a large portion, � 35%, of the total regional flux. The remaining � 22% of the surface area are lakes and contributed the remaining � 6% of the total regional flux. Previous studies treated vegetated areas of the region as a single surface type with measurements from a few study sites; doing so could underestimate the regional flux by � 22%. Here, we demonstrate that aircraft-based systems have the ability to cover large spatial scales while measuring the turbulent fluxes across a number of surfaces and combined with ground- and satellite-based measurements provide a valuable tool for both scaling and validation of regional-scale fluxes.
Wireless Ambient Radio Power

Radio frequency (RF) signals provide a near ubiquitous energy source due to the large number of TV, radio, cellular, and Wi-Fi transmitters throughout our urban environments. While the traditional use of RF signals is for data transfer, it is possible to harvest, convert, and store the energy in these signals for use in a variety of applications. In general, the energy harvesting process includes four stages: excitation of current in an antenna by an incident electromagnetic wave, recti?cation of the resulting power at the antenna output, conversion of this power to optimal voltage and current levels, and ?nally, energy storage in a capacitor or battery for later use. This chapter describes a sensor node that is powered by UHF television broadcast signals. The sensor node transmits the measured data wirelessly over a short distance using a IEEE 802.15.4 radio. Typically broadcast television signals are considered to be sources of information, but this chapter demonstrates that these ubiquitous ambient signals can be used as a power source to do non-trivial work.