cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Similarity and familiarity: Second language sentence recognition in first- and second-language multi-talker babble

The intelligibility of speech in noisy environments depends not only on the functionality of listeners' peripheral auditory systems, but also on cognitive factors such as their language learning experience. Previous studies have shown, for example, that normal-hearing listeners attending to a non-native language have more difficulty in identifying speech targets in noisy conditions than do native listeners. Furthermore, native listeners have more difficulty in understanding speech targets in the presence of speech noise in their native language versus a foreign language. The present study addresses the role of listeners' experience with both the target and noise languages by examining second-language sentence recognition in first- and second-language noise. Native English speakers and non-native English speakers whose native language is Mandarin were tested on English sentence recognition in English and Mandarin 2-talker babble. Results show that both listener groups experienced greater difficulty in English versus Mandarin babble, but that native Mandarin listeners experienced a smaller release from masking in Mandarin babble relative to English babble. These results indicate that both the similarity between the target and noise and the language experience of the listeners contribute to the amount of interference listeners experience when listening to speech in the presence of speech noise.
A performance and schedulability analysis of an autonomous mobile robot

We present an autonomous, mobile, robotics application that requires dynamic adjustments of task execution rates to meet the demands of an unpredictable environment. The Robotic Safety Marker (RSM) system consists of one lead robot, the foreman, and a group of guided robots, called robotic safety markers (a.k.a., barrels). An extensive analysis is conducted of two applications running on the foreman. Both applications require adjusting task periods to achieve desired performance metrics with respect to the speed at which a system task is completed, the accuracy of RSM placement, or the number of RSMs controlled by the foreman. A static priority scheduling solution is proposed that takes into consideration the strict deadline requirements of some of the tasks and their dynamic periods. Finally, a schedulability analysis is developed that can be executed online to accommodate the dynamic performance requirements and to distinguish between safe operating points and potentially unsafe operating points.
Comparing the Distortionary Effects of Alternative Intergovernmental Transfers

This article compares the distortions associated with alternative intergovernmental allocation rules when a central authority provides inputs for the provision of social services by local governments, as well as when local governments differ in their needs. Under a quantity-based mechanism, the input choices of high-need localities will tend to be distorted downward. To convince the center of their higher needs, these communities signal their status by spending too little. However, under an expenditure-based mechanism, the direction of distortion of the input choices of high-need localities depends on the price elasticity of demand for the local input. When demand is inelastic (elastic), to signal their high needs, high-need localities spend too much (little) on local inputs. If social services have positive interjurisdictional externalities, expenditure-based mechanisms are preferred, at least in the case of inelastic demand.
Hydrologic Significance of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in Ground Water

Dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) is present in ground water produced from a variety of aquifer systems at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 20 nanomoles per liter (0.0056 to 0.56 microg/L). In two shallow aquifers, one an unconsolidated coastal plain aquifer in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the other a fractured-bedrock aquifer in West Trenton, New Jersey, long-term monitoring showed that CO concentrations varied over time by as much as a factor of 10. Field and laboratory evidence suggests that the delivery of dissolved oxygen to the soil zone and underlying aquifers by periodic recharge events stimulates oxic metabolism and produces transiently high CO concentrations. In between recharge events, the aquifers become anoxic and more substrate limited, CO is consumed as a carbon source, and CO concentrations decrease. According to this model, CO concentrations provide a transient record of oxic metabolism affecting ground water systems after dissolved oxygen has been fully consumed. Because the delivery of oxygen affects the fate and transport of natural and anthropogenic contaminants in ground water, CO concentration changes may be useful for identifying predominantly anoxic ground water systems subject to periodic oxic or microaerophilic conditions.
A strategic market game with complete markets

Abstract An exchange economy is modeled as a strategic market game with all pairwise markets available. Existence of noncooperative equilibria is proved. It is shown that if resources are distributed in a skewed manner, in equilibrium prices may not satisfy the no arbitrage condition. One round of trade even with all goods serving as money is not sufficient to provide enough liquidity for efficient trade
Socioeconomic status and health: mediating and moderating factors.

Health disparities (differences in health by socioeconomic groups) are a pressing issue in our society. This article provides an overview of a multilevel approach that seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying health disparities by considering factors at the individual, family, and neighborhood levels. In addition, we describe an approach to connecting these factors to various levels of biological processes (systemic inflammation, cellular processes, and genomic pathways) that drive disease pathophysiology. In the second half of the article, we address the question of why some low-socioeconomic-status (low-SES) individuals manage to maintain good physical health. We identify naturally occurring psychosocial factors that help buffer these individuals from adverse physiological responses and pathogenic processes leading to chronic disease. What is protective for low-SES individuals is not the same as what is protective for high-SES individuals, and this needs to be taken into account in interventions ai...
Temperature mapping of metal interconnects using scanning thermoreflectance microscope

High spatial and temporal resolution thermometry techniques are needed to investigate the impact of temperature rise, distribution and gradients on the electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electromigration (EM) phenomena in microelectronic devices and interconnects. This paper presents a laser scanning thermoreflectance microscope capable of mapping the transient surface temperature rise of microdevices subjected to the brief electrical heating pulse. The calibration of the thermoreflectance coefficient is performed using a differential scheme and by performing electrical resistance thermometry in the same structure. The temperature profile along the suspended metal bridge subjected to electrical stress was obtained to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to study the impacts of absolute temperature rise, as well as its gradient on the failure due to electromigration in interconnects.
Genetically encoded short peptide tag for versatile protein labeling by Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase

An 11-residue peptide with the sequence DSLEFIASKLA was identified from a genomic library of Bacillus subtilis by phage display as an efficient substrate for Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase-catalyzed protein labeling by small molecule-CoA conjugates. We name this peptide the “ybbR tag,” because part of its sequence is derived from the ybbR ORF in the B. subtilis genome. The site of Sfp-catalyzed ybbR tag labeling was mapped to the underlined Ser residue, and the ybbR tag was found to have a strong tendency for adopting an α-helical conformation in solution. Here we demonstrate that the ybbR tag can be fused to the N or C termini of target proteins or inserted in a flexible loop in the middle of a target protein for site-specific protein labeling by Sfp. The short size of the ybbR tag and its compatibility with various target proteins, the broad substrate specificity of Sfp for labeling the ybbR tag with small-molecule probes of diverse structures, and the high specificity and efficiency of the labeling reaction make Sfp-catalyzed ybbR tag labeling an attractive tool for expanding protein structural and functional diversities by posttranslational modification.
Myosin Light Chain 2 Into the Mainstream of Cardiac Development and Contractility

See related article, pages 323–331 Myocardium exhibits a remarkably broad dynamic range of function that is normally well matched to the circulatory load on the heart. Regulation of cardiac contraction is a multifaceted process that is well understood in terms of the activating role of Ca2+ but much less well in terms of modulation by thick filament accessory proteins and by post-translational modification of thick and thin filament proteins.1,2 In this issue of Circulation Research , an elegant study by Fishman and colleagues3 dramatically reinforces the idea that the light chain 2 subunit of myosin (MLC-2) is critically important in myocardium by showing that MLC-2 loss because of mutation abolishes myofibrillar assembly in zebrafish, resulting in embryonic lethality. Earlier work had shown that mutations in MLC-2 account for some cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy4 and that phosphorylation of MLC-2 contributes to cardiac pump function,5 but now it is evident that MLC-2 has an obligatory role in development. Cardiac isoforms of myosin II comprise the motor of myocardial contraction and like all members of this family are composed of 6 subunits6: 2 myosin heavy chains of &200 kDa molecular weight, 2 so-called essential light chains (or light chain 1) of &17 kDa, and 2 regulatory light chains (or light chain 2) of >20 kDa. Subfragment 1 of the heavy chain (Figure) comprises the business end of the motor, containing both the nucleotide and actin-binding sites, whereas the light chains wrap around the rod-like extension of subfragment 1 and are believed to function (minimally) as mechanical stabilizers of this part of myosin during force generation and mechanical work performance. This motor is impressive for its efficiency and its …
How Did the Increase in Economic Inequality between 1970 and 1990 Affect Children’s Educational Attainment?1

This study estimates the effect of changes in economic inequality between 1970 and 1990 on children’s educational attainment. Data on individual children from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics is combined with other data on state characteristics. Growing up in a state with widespread economic inequality increases educational attainment for high-income children and lowers it for low-income children. Most of the effect is due to factors unassociated with family income or economic segregation in the state. These other factors include state spending for schooling and the increase in the returns to schooling over this period.
Pigments and Pathogenesis

In recent years pigments have been identified in human nutrition to have a positive effect on human health and reduction to oxidative stress exposure. In the media it has become common wisdom that colourful food is naturally better to consume for humans and animals. Now recently it has been shown that pigments aid microbial species as well, and conversely these microbial pigments may result in more morbidity and mortality for the human host infected by these colourful microbes. Similar pigments that are available for consumption in food are also present in many bacterial species. Presumably these pigments aid the bacteria in their survival in the environment and within a human or animal host. Importantly, interference with the production of certain microbial pigments results in some bacterial strains that are more susceptible to environmental stressors and the host immune system. These studies seem to indicate a role of pigments for in vivo survival by microbial species.
Project D.A.R.E. outcome effectiveness revisited.

Objectives. We provide an updated meta-analysis on the effectiveness of Project D.A.R.E. in preventing alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among school-aged youths. Methods. We used meta-analytic techniques to create an overall effect size for D.A.R.E. outcome evaluations reported in scientific journals. Results. The overall weighted effect size for the included D.A.R.E. studies was extremely small (correlation coefficient = 0.011; Cohen d = 0.023; 95% confidence interval = −0.04, 0.08) and nonsignificant ( z= 0.73, NS). Conclusions. Our study supports previous findings indicating that D.A.R.E. is ineffective. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1027‐1029)
Efficient randomized routing on Clos networks

Clos networks are well-known universal multistage networks that realize all permutations. However, the routing algorithms to realize permutations on these networks are so slow that their usefulness is severely limited. This paper gives a simple, efficient randomized algorithm that routes any given permutation on Clos networks. Randomization takes place in the first column of the network, while self-routing is used in the remaining columns. Probabilistic analysis of the algorithm is conducted and the queueing delay of any permutation is shown to be bounded by a small constant ( >
Helmut Wielandt, 19 December 1910-14 February 2001: A personal memoir

We present two well-known mathematicians' views on Wielandt written in 1964, some prescient remarks by Wielandt summing up his attitude to mathematics, and some thoughts on his mathematical power.
Evaluation of the Effects of Liquid Bridges on the Bulk Properties of Model Powders

Measured amounts of water were admixed with uniform size glass beads (107-475 micron) to form model powders with controlled interparticle liquid films. The viscosity of the films was modified by dissolving carrageenan and its surface tension by a detergent. These model powders were tested for loose bulk density, compressibility, irrecoverable work in compaction, cohesion and residual modulus after relaxation. The effect of the films on these bulk characteristics was considerable in the fine model powders but diminished with the increase of particle size. In comparison to particle size, the film viscosity (l-2000 cp) and surface tension (72 and 35 dyne cm−1) had little or insignificant effect on the bulk properties. The results are explained in terms of the internal structure of the bed and their possible implications in real powders are evaluated.
First Rib Fractures in Abused Infants A Report of Three Cases

The authors describe 4 first rib fractures in 3 infants, highlighting the difficulty in detecting first rib fractures on skeletal survey. All 4 fractures were the result of physical abuse. A literature search does not find a case of first rib fracture in a healthy infant that is not the result of child abuse. The diagnosis of first rib fracture in an infant should prompt a thorough medical and social evaluation for child abuse.
Hollow Cathode Conditioning and Discharge Initiation Studies

Summary form only given. Orificed hollow cathodes have been developed and used as the plasma electron source for a wide variety of applications including (1) ion and Hall thrusters and (2) plasma contactors for electromagnetic tethers and spacecraft charging control. Many theoretical and experimental efforts have been performed to understand and improve the emission current level, lifetime, and reliability of these devices. The results obtained to date allow optimization of the cathode design and the models provide accurate estimates of cathode performance. Relatively little information is available, however, concerning the process of hollow cathode discharge initiation. In order to develop fast-starting cathodes, which are necessary, for example, in short-duration sounding rocket experiments, a better understanding of the cathode activation process is required. It is also important to study and optimize the process of cathode conditioning, which must precede cathode activation and which can take several hours to perform. In the present work, an experimental study of conditioning and starting processes is presented of barium-dispenser-based cathodes. An important part of this problem is the temperature field (transient and steady-state) throughout the cathode and supporting structure, and, consequently, a transient, three-dimensional finite-element thermal model has been developed to provide this information. Measurements of steady-state temperatures and transient temperature profiles are presented for different heater power levels, and these measurements are compared to the thermal model predictions. Vacuum emission current characteristics are key measures of cathode health and the dependence of the electron emission characteristics on heater power, cathode temperature, and conditioning sequence are presented. These tests are performed in tandem with cathode discharge ignition tests, and the obtained results are used to propose an approach to quickly condition and start hollow cathode plasma discharges.
Computation of the Stability Condition

Seeing if the Hopf theorem applies in any given situation is a matter of analysis of the spectrum of the linearized equations; i.e. an eigenvalue problem. This procedure is normally straightforward. (For partial differential equations, consult Section 8.)
Graft Copolymers of Pivalolactone: Synthesis and Properties

The rapid ring-opening polymerization of pivalolactone (PVL), initiated and propagated anionically by the carboxylate anion, occurs under mild conditions relatively free of interfering reactions. The driving force for the reaction is the relief of the strain in the four-membered ring and the heat of polymerization is reported (1) as 18.4 kcal. per mole, including 2.9 kcal. for crystallization. The aliphatic polyester formed is high melting, thermally and hydrolytically stable, and highly crystalline (2–4).
The Context of Disease

One of the difficulties of writing about disease is that our understanding of disease changes with time. We tend to think of the scientific core of medicine as unchanging. Medicine, as a science, speaks about what is, not about what may be for the moment but inevitably will change. However, much has been made recently of the changing character of medicine and science. As the contributions of Ludwik Fleck (1979 [1935]) and Thomas Kuhn (1970 [1962]) to the history and philosophy of science and of medicine have shown, there are no such things as neutral, naked, and bare facts. Facts always appear interpreted within the embrace of theoretical frameworks, whether or not these frameworks are formally or informally developed as scientific accounts. In addition, they are always given in a particular socio-historical context. There is no timeless or contextless account of reality, including disease, or at least there is no such interpretation available to humans. This chapter argues that disease is contextual. In so doing, it explores the character of contextualism in medicine, why contextualism is not relativism, and how conflicts among competing interpretations of disease may be resolved. In the end, a localized account of disease is offered.
Comparison of continuous bed motion (CBM) image quality to standard step and shoot (S&S) techniques

2082 Objectives CBM technology provides continuous motion throughout the axial range during the entire acquisition time. This provides improved axial sampling as well as better results at the end planes. This study examines phantom imaging and clinical patient data to assess any key differences between CBM and S&S techniques. Methods A uniform cylindrical phantom filled with ~3 mCi of FDG was imaged using S&S and CBM methods. The phantom was placed with the end planes near the edge of a single FOV. The same range was selected using a CBM acquisition. ROIs were drawn centrally and at the ends of the phantom. For clinical comparison, 60 patients were imaged using CBM and S&S techniques. To adjust for time differences between the scans, 30 patients were acquired as S&S followed by CBM while the remaining 30 patients were acquired with the CBM acquisition first. ROIs were drawn in sites of disease and mean SUV along with confidence intervals were calculated. Two-tailed p-tests were used to compare groups. Results Phantom data showed improvement in SUV measurements at the end planes. ROI analysis showed that mean SUVs to be almost identical, even in end plane regions. SUV max was reduced by up to 80% in the end planes and standard deviation reduced by up to 50%. Clinical patient data showed no significant change (p>0.05) between mean SUVs measured in CBM and S&S data. For all regions of interest, the average SUV calculated for CBM studies were 1.93 with a 95% CI of 1.78-2.07. Mean SUV calculated in S&S data were 1.89 with a 95% CI of 1.76-2.03. Visual comparison of data indicate similar images with slight visual noise reduction, although not significant numerically. Conclusions End plane analysis shows improved image quality with CBM imaging, most likely from overscan using CBM. Improved end planes imaging results in more slices of the PET volume being diagnostically useful. All results show clinical use of CBM improves end plane image quality while providing similar visual quality as that of S&S techniques with a slight reduction in perceived image nose.
Piezoelectric polymers

Polymers with piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties that make them useful for biomedical applications and devices are considered. The characteristics of such polymers are examined, and transducers made from them are discussed. Laboratory developments of devices using piezoelectric polymers are briefly reviewed, and the slowness of product development in this area is commented on. >
Evidence for the existence of locally-generated body waves in the short-period noise at the Large Aperture Seismic Array, Montana

Abstract The approximate hexagonal configuration of LASA subarrays enables their use as omnidirectional arrays. This property is used to study the phase velocity of short-period seismic noise at different frequencies. It is found that the noise in the low-frequency band consists mainly of surface waves traveling with average velocities in the range 3.0 to 3.5 km/sec. The high-frequency noise, in the band 0.45 to 1.0 Hz, has an average velocity of about 6.0 km/sec. It is quite likely that the high-frequency noise has the nature of locally-generated body waves. Statistical analysis of P g velocities observed during a crustal refraction experiment at LASA lends support to this hypothesis.
Tailoring the Spectroscopic Properties of Semiconductor Nanowires via Surface-Plasmon-Based Optical Engineering.

Semiconductor nanowires, due to their unique electronic, optical, and chemical properties, are firmly placed at the forefront of nanotechnology research. The rich physics of semiconductor nanowire optics arises due to the enhanced light–matter interactions at the nanoscale and coupling of optical modes to electronic resonances. Furthermore, confinement of light can be taken to new extremes via coupling to the surface plasmon modes of metal nanostructures integrated with nanowires, leading to interesting physical phenomena. This Perspective will examine how the optical properties of semiconductor nanowires can be altered via their integration with highly confined plasmonic nanocavities that have resulted in properties such as orders of magnitude faster and more efficient light emission and lasing. The use of plasmonic nanocavities for tailored optical absorption will also be discussed in order to understand and engineer fundamental optical properties of these hybrid systems along with their potential for n...
Hydrodynamic Coulomb drag of strongly correlated electron liquids

We develop a theory of Coulomb drag in ultraclean double layers with strongly correlated carriers. In the regime where the equilibration length of the electron liquid is shorter than the interlayer spacing the main contribution to the Coulomb drag arises from hydrodynamic density fluctuations. The latter consist of plasmons driven by fluctuating longitudinal stresses, and diffusive modes caused by temperature fluctuations and thermal expansion of the electron liquid. We express the drag resistivity in terms of the kinetic coefficients of the electron fluid. Our results are nonperturbative in interaction strength and do not assume Fermi-liquid behavior of the electron liquid.
Coxsackie A9 Myocarditis in Adult Mice.

SummaryCoxsackie A9 virus, Strain 13, replicated in the hearts of 1-yr old mice and produced an isolated myocarditis in some of them without concomitant lesions of striated muscle. The differential susceptibility of striated muscle and heart was shown to vary with age; in suckling mice there was only myositis with 10,000 times more virus per gram produced in skeletal muscle than in myocardium, whereas in 1-yr old mice, myocardium contained 10,000 times as much virus as the limb.
The Single-Molecule Approach to Membrane Protein Stoichiometry

The advent of techniques for imaging solitary fluorescent molecules has made possible many new kinds of biological experiments. Here, we describe the application of single-molecule imaging to the problem of subunit stoichiometry in membrane proteins. A membrane protein of unknown stoichiometry, prestin, is coupled to the fluorescent enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and synthesized in the human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell line. We prepare adherent membrane fragments containing prestin-eGFP by osmotic lysis. The molecules are then exposed to continuous low-level excitation until their fluorescence reaches background levels. Their fluorescence decreases in discrete equal-amplitude steps, consistent with the photobleaching of single fluorophores. We count the number of steps required to photobleach each molecule. The molecular stoichiometry is then deduced using a binomial model.
The Romantic Retreat Is Not Club Med

“Feminist standpoint epistemology” is not a serious philosophy but a romantic evasion of the application of science to social services. There are numerous limitations to the application of the scie...
The Usage of Emotional Language in Snyder v. Phelps

We deploy the Dictionary of Affect in Language (DAL) to examine the content of justices' utterances during oral argument in Synder v. Phelps before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Design of a second generation firewire based data acquisition system for small animal PET scanners

The University of Washington developed a Firewire based data acquisition system for the MiCES small animal PET scanner. Development work has continued on new imaging scanners that require more data channels and need to be able to operate within a MRI imaging system. To support these scanners, we have designed a new version of our data acquisition system that leverages the capabilities of modern field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). The new design preserves the basic approach of the original system, but puts almost all functions into the FPGA, including the Firewire elements, the embedded processor, and pulse timing and pulse integration. The design has been extended to support implementation of the position estimation and DOI algorithms developed for the cMiCE detector module. The design is centered around an acquisition node board (ANB) that includes 65 ADC channels, Firewire 1394b support, the FPGA, a serial command bus and signal lines to support a rough coincidence window implementation to reject singles events from being sent on the Firewire bus. Adapter boards convert detector signals into differential paired signals to connect to the ANB.
Wetting of a partially immersed compliant rod

The force on a solid rod partially immersed in a liquid is commonly used to determine the liquid-vapor surface tension by equating the measured force required to remove the rod from the liquid to the vertical component of the liquid-vapor surface tension. Here, we study how this process is affected when the rod is compliant. For equilibrium, we enforce force and configurational energy balance, including contributions from elastic energy. We show that, in general, the contact angle does not equal that given by Young's equation. If surface stresses are tensile, the strain in the immersed part of the rod is found to be compressive and to depend only on the solid-liquid surface stress. The strain in the dry part of the rod can be either tensile or compressive, depending on a combination of parameters that we identify. We also provide results for compliant plates partially immersed in a liquid under plane strain and plane stress. Our results can be used to extract solid surface stresses from such experiments.
Interest in using mobile technology to help self-manage alcohol use among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus: A Florida Cohort cross-sectional study

ABSTRACTBackground: Alcohol consumption at hazardous levels is more prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH). Although PLWH are receptive to using technology to manage health issues, it is unknown whether a cell phone app to self-manage alcohol use would be acceptable among PLWH who drink. The objectives of this study were to determine factors associated with interest in an app to self-manage drinking and to identify differences in baseline mobile technology use among PLWH by drinking level. Methods: The study population included 757 PLWH recruited from 2014 to 2016 into the Florida Cohort, an ongoing cohort study investigating the utilization of health services and HIV care outcomes among PLWH. Participants completed a questionnaire examining demographics, substance use, mobile technology use, and other health behaviors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors significantly associated with interest in ...
US Household Demand for Organic Fruit

We estimate US household monthly elasticities of demand for some of the more popular organic fruits. To our knowledge, this is the first US-wide, multi-year analysis of price and income elasticities for various organic fruits. We calculate elasticities of demand for low-income, middle class, and rich income bracket households using three estimation techniques: two econometric methods and one machine learning method (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)). Demand estimates are based on Nielsen scanner data from approximately 60,000 households collected from 2011 to 2013. Generally, we find that own-price conditional and unconditional elasticities of demand for organic fruits are negative. Unconditional elasticity magnitudes tend to be largest in the representative middle-class household. Income elasticities of demand measurements are inconsistent and often statistically insignificant. This finding is consistent with the survey literature finding that many consumers buy organic food for mostly moral or ethical reasons. We run two policy experiments: a 10% subsidy of organic fruits, and a 10% tax on conventional fruits. Our hypothetical policies engender a stronger reaction among the general public than habitual buyers of organic fruit; unconditional purchase and expenditure elasticities are generally larger than conditional purchase and expenditure elasticities. Finally, we find that elasticities measured with the LASSO technique are not radically different than those measured with econometric methods. The most noticeable difference between the two analytical techniques is that LASSO is more likely to find price and income elasticities of demand that indistinguishable from zero, both substantively and statistically.
Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Subjective Age, and Self-Rated Memory in Middle-Aged and Older Adults:

Memory concerns are common in middle-aged and older adults. This study investigated the relation of leisure-time physical activity to self-rated memory and the possible mediating role of subjective age in this relationship in middle-aged and older adults. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted with a sample of 1,608 middle-aged and older adults from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS2). In a path analysis conducted with Mplus, a higher level of leisure-time physical activity was associated with a more positive appraisal of memory compared to others of one's age; younger subjective age partially mediated this relationship. Neither gender nor age-group moderated the association. Age, race, education, marital status, health status, and negative affect were controlled for in the analyses. These findings suggest a possible role of physical activity in countering the effects of age stereotypes on perceived memory.
Computer tools for better public sector management

Almost any public sector task employing a computer can be accomplished more efficiently with a variety of tools rather than any single one. Basic tools are word processing, spreadsheet, statistics, and database management programs. Beyond these, Web authoring software, presentation graphics, optical character recognition (OCR), and project planning and management software can be helpful depending upon the job at hand.
Left Ventricular Midwall Dynamics from Surgically Implanted Markers in Intact Unanesthetized Man

Since 1974 we have been using single and biplane computer-aided video fluoroscopy to measure the dynamics of myocardial sites identified by miniature tantalum coils implanted into the left ventricular midwall in man. The present report summarizes our findings from these studies relating to the theme of this symposium.
Vitamin B6 and Exercise

This paper presents an overview of vitamin B6 and exercise, including the role that vitamin B6 plays in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis and changes in vitamin B6 metabolism during exercise. The dietary vitamin B6 intakes of athletes are also reviewed. Most studies report that male athletes have adequate dietary intakes of vitamin B6, whereas some females, especially those with low energy intakes, appear to have low vitamin B6 intakes. Few studies have assessed the vitamin B6 status of nonsupplementing athletes using the recommended status criteria. The role that vitamin B6 may play in attenuating the rise in plasma growth hormone observed during exercise is also reviewed. Finally, recommendations are given for further research in the area of vitamin B6 and exercise.
Abstract 1805: Development of a selective androgen receptor degrader (SARD) for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer

Current treatments for prostate cancer are centered on blocking androgen-signaling axis, which is the target of several clinical androgen receptor (AR) antagonists such as enzalutamide. Recent studies have shown that a single AR mutation (F876L) converts enzalutamide from an antagonist to an agonist—a fate shared by earlier antagonists as well such as bicalutamide and flutamide. While hormonal therapy is often successful in the initial stages of the disease, prostatic tumors inevitably become resistant to these therapeutics. Remarkably though, several mechanistic studies suggest that the androgen receptor signaling remains active even in these hormonal refractory cancers, which suggests that AR remains a viable target in the castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC). Thus, novel therapeutics that target and degrade AR could provide unique druggable opportunities for complete and more sustained AR inhibition in prostate cancers. Based on an AR-gelsolin interaction in a mammalian two-hybrid luciferase assay, we conducted a screen of an in-house library of 170,000 compounds, re-assayed and validated the top 2K hits. The top 500 hits were then characterized in a battery of assays such as AR-driven gene expression, inhibition of cell proliferation in WT and mutant cell lines, ChIP-seq, transcriptional and conformational profiling, and AR degradation studies. We have identified a selective androgen receptor degrader (SARD) series that shows efficacy against both WT and AR mutants. Further structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed analogs with IC50 equivalent or superior to enzalutamide. In vivo studies are currently under way to evaluate the efficacy of the optimized lead in mouse tumor xenografts. These preclinical findings highlight the utility of SARDs as an effective therapeutic prostate tumor strategy in the context of AR mutations and overexpression that bestow resistance to the second-generation AR antagonists. Citation Format: ZhongKe Yao, Suzanne Wardell, Ivan Spasojevic, John Norris, John Katzenellenbogen, Donald McDonnell, Jatinder S. Josan. Development of a selective androgen receptor degrader (SARD) for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1805.
Infertility and teratogenicity after paternal exposure to systemic dermatologic medications: A systematic review.

Background This systematic review assesses effects of paternal exposure to dermatologic medications by using the former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pregnancy categories as a benchmark. Objective To assess whether systemic dermatologic medications can cause infertility and teratogenicity when taken by men. Methods Categories D and X dermatologic medications were identified; a systematic review of the literature and reviews of the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System and prescribing information were performed to identify the effects of these medications on male fertility and teratogenicity. A secondary search was performed to assess for other systemic dermatologic medications causing teratogenicity or infertility following paternal exposure. Results A total of 13 medications met the inclusion criteria. Of 1,032 studies identified, 19 were included after a systematic review of the literature. Studies evaluating medication effects with paternal exposure were identified for 10 of the 13 evaluated medications, and evidence of a negative effect was identified for 6 medications. Limitations We did not encounter any studies for 3 medications that met the inclusion criteria. Information submitted to the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System may not reflect the incidence of side effects. Conclusions Many former pregnancy category D and X systemic dermatologic medications also have effects on male fertility. More research and better-quality studies are required in this area, particularly studies assessing potential teratogenicity.
A Framework for Audience and Context Analysis in an Engineering Consulting Environment

To an experienced project manager in an engineering consulting environment, the significant characteristics of each client and project establish successful communication strategies for routine work documentation (meeting minutes, status reports, emails). Entry-level engineers lack the work experience to recognize these characteristics, yet they frequently are expected to create this documentation. Direct coaching by the project manager might occur for milestone documents but will not occur for the routine documents where habits and expectations are formed. This paper presents an initial framework that helps entry-level engineers analyze the rhetorical situation of their work—by rating their client and project along a series of low/high characteristics. The ratings suggest specific communication and project management strategies that bring entry-level engineers’ understanding closer to that of the expert. The framework was developed through repeated observation of client meetings, interviews with project managers and interns, and analysis of both intern-created documents and project-manager created documents.
Augmented Design-Space Exploration by Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction Methods

The paper presents the application of nonlinear dimensionality reduction methods to shape and physical data in the context of hull-form design. These methods provide a reduced-dimensionality representation of the shape modification vector and associated physical parameters, allowing for an efficient and effective augmented design-space exploration. The data set is formed by shape coordinates and hydrodynamic performance (based on potential flow simulations) obtained by Monte Carlo sampling of a 27-dimensional design space. Nonlinear extensions of the principal component analysis (PCA) are applied, namely kernel PCA, local PCA and a deep autoencoder. The application presented is a naval destroyer sailing in calm water. The reduced-dimensionality representation of shape and physical parameters is set to provide a normalized mean square error smaller than 5%. Nonlinear methods outperform the standard PCA, indicating significant nonlinear interactions in the data structure. The present work is an extension of the authors’ research [1] where only shape data were considered.
Proofs and algebra in al-Fārisī's commentary

Abstract The Persian mathematician al-Fārisī (late thirteenth century) wrote a commentary on a practical arithmetic book as a means of giving techniques associated with mental reckoning a foundation in proofs modeled on those in Euclid's number theory books. One problem with this intercultural project is the incompatibility of Euclidean and Arabic numbers, while another is the occasional inadequacy of Euclid's mode of representing numbers via lines labeled with letters. Like others, al-Fārisī found a partial solution to the former by identifying fractions with ratios of integers, and for the latter he turned to the algebra of polynomials to work through one proof. To properly interpret this proof, Arabic algebra is situated in its contemporary mathematical context.
Distinguishing between common cause variation and special cause variation in a manufacturing system: A simulation of decision making for different types of variation

Abstract Controlling variation is an important aspect of quality improvement. Deming distinguishes between common cause variation and special cause variation and argues that both types of variation frequently result from people participating in the process. Confusing common cause and special cause variation can lead to incorrect decisions. This article analyzes the impact of an individual's ability to distinguish between common cause and special cause variation by simulating a manufacturing system with several human operators and a production manager. We use a recognition primed decision (RPD) model to simulate how human operators and the production manager would interpret the variation and make decisions to reduce the variation. A shared mental model with the RPD framework describes the interactions between different operators and the production manager. Results from this simulation demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between common cause and special cause variation, especially when problems occur at bottleneck points in the manufacturing system.
Tocopherols and Tocotrienols Are Bioavailable in Rats and Primarily Excreted in Feces as the Intact Forms and 13'-Carboxychromanol Metabolites.

Background Vitamin E α-, γ-, or δ-tocopherol (αT, γT, δT) and γ- or δ-tocotrienol (γTE, δTE) are metabolized to hydroxychromanols and carboxychromanols including 13'-carboxychromanol (13'-COOH), 11'-COOH, and carboxyethyl hydroxychroman (CEHC), some of which have unique bioactivities compared with the vitamers. However, the bioavailability of these metabolites has not been well characterized. Objective We investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of vitamin E forms and metabolites in rats. Methods Six-week-old male Wistar rats received 1-time gavage of γT-rich tocopherols (50 mg/kg) containing γT/δT/αT (57.7%, 21.9%, and 10.9%, respectively) or δTE-rich tocotrienols (35 mg/kg) containing δTE/γTE (8:1). We quantified the time course of vitamin E forms and metabolites in the plasma and their 24-h excretion to the urine and feces. The general linear model repeated measure was used for analyses of the PK data. Results In the rats' plasma, Cmax of γT or δTE was 25.6 ± 9.1 μM (Tmax = 4 h) or 16.0 ± 2.3 μM (Tmax = 2 h), respectively, and sulfated CEHCs and sulfated 11'-COOHs were the predominant metabolites with Cmax of 0.4-0.5 μM (Tmax ∼5-7 h) or ∼0.3 μM (Tmax at 4.7 h), respectively. In 24-h urine, 2.7% of γT and 0.7% of δTE were excreted as conjugated CEHCs. In the feces, 17-45% of supplemented vitamers were excreted as unmetabolized forms and 4.9-9.2% as unconjugated carboxychromanols, among which 13'-COOHs constituted ∼50% of total metabolites and the amount of δTE-derived 13'-COOHs was double that of 13'-COOH derived from γT. Conclusions PK data of vitamin E forms in rats reveal that γT, δT, γTE, and δTE are bioavailable in the plasma and are mainly excreted as unmetabolized forms and long-chain metabolites including 13'-COOHs in feces, with more metabolites from tocotrienols than from tocopherols.
Yulesville! 33 Rockin’ Rollin’ Christmas Blasters for the Cool Season: 2019, Various Artists CD, Bear Family BCD 17608

Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Perry Como, and Nat King Cole dominated the world of Christmas recordings from the 1940s into the early 1950s. During the rock era, Elvis Presley, Kathy Mattea, Brian Setze...
Rationale for the advancement of PI3K pathway inhibitors for personalized chordoma therapy

Chordomas are rare and serious tumors with few effective treatments outside of aggressive surgery and radiation. Targeted therapies may present a more effective option for a subset of patients with lesions possessing certain genetic biomarkers. A small molecule inhibitor library was tested in patient-derived UM-Chor1 cells to identify targeted therapies with potential efficacy. Targeted exome sequencing of UM-Chor1 and UM-Chor2 cells was performed to investigate genetic aberrations in relevant pathways. Chordoma cell lines were treated with inhibitors of the phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) pathways, and responses were determined using resazurin cell viability assays, Annexin V apoptosis assays, and western blotting. Pan-PI3K inhibitor BKM120 was also tested in five chordoma xenograft models. Unbiased small molecule profiling nominated PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway inhibitors as a promising therapy in chordoma, and genetic analyses of UM-Chor1 and UM-Chor2 cell lines revealed aberrations in PTEN, EGFR, and CDKN2A. Treatment of UM-Chor1 and UM-Chor2 with targeted PI3K, EGFR, and CDK inhibitors inhibited growth and proliferation and induced apoptosis more robustly than imatinib, a currently used chordoma therapy. Furthermore, BKM120 significantly inhibited tumor growth in a subset of the xenograft models tested. Targeted therapies, especially those inhibiting PI3K, display promising effects in multiple chordoma cell line and xenograft models. Nevertheless, the limited effects of PI3K, EGFR, and CDK targeting agents in other models reveal the presence of resistance mechanisms, which motivates future research to both identify biomarkers of response and develop combination therapies.
Non-Fumigant Nematicides Registered for Vegetable Crop

Non-fumigant nematicides are formulated as liquids or granules that are moved through the soil by water. This 4-page fact sheet written by T. T. Watson and J. A. Desaeger and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department is a major revision. It was first published in 1999 and most recently revised in April 2019. The fact sheet lists and describes chemical and biological non-fumigant nematicides and provides some information about how these products work against nematode pests.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng033
Improving Energy Efficiency of Small Water-Resource Recovery Facilities: Opportunities and Barriers

AbstractApproximately 80% of US centralized Small Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) serve populations less than 10,000 and can be significantly less energy efficient (E2) relative to large...