cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Vicious Cycle: A Social–Psychological Account of Extreme Racial Disparities in School Discipline

Can social–psychological theory provide insight into the extreme racial disparities in school disciplinary action in the United States? Disciplinary problems carry enormous consequences for the quality of students’ experience in school, opportunities to learn, and ultimate life outcomes. This burden falls disproportionately on students of color. Integrating research on stereotyping and on stigma, we theorized that bias and apprehension about bias can build on one another in school settings in a vicious cycle that undermines teacher–student relationships over time and exacerbates inequality. This approach is more comprehensive than accounts in which the predicaments of either teachers or students are considered alone rather than in tandem, it complements nonpsychological approaches, and it gives rise to novel implications for policy and intervention. It also extends prior research on bias and stigmatization to provide a model for understanding the social–psychological bases of inequality more generally.
Catenated Poly(ε-caprolactone) and Poly(l-lactide) via Ring-Expansion Strategy

Catenated poly(e-caprolatone) (PCL) and poly(l-lactide) (PLA) were synthesized by a ring-expansion strategy based on a catenated tin initiator. Catenated PCLs with different degrees of polymerization (DPn) were obtained by modifying the feed ratios of monomer to initiator, and subsequent decomplexation rendered the copper-free catenated PCL. Both the Cu(I)-templated catenated PCL and Cu(I)-free catenated PCL were characterized by UV–vis, 1H NMR, FT-IR, and GPC analyses. The comparative GPC analyses of catenated polymers and their linear analogues were also performed, which revealed a reduced hydrodynamic diameter for the catenated polymers. The crystallinity of the catenated PCL compared to that of linear PCL was also studied by DSC and WAXS, and the Cu(I)-free catenated PCL exhibited a lower degree of crystallinity but larger crystallite size.
Interfacial effects and emulsion stabilization by in situ surfactant generation through the saponification of esters

Abstract The stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions is critical for a wide variety of fields. Here, we explore the reaction dynamics of and emulsion stabilization by in situ surfactant generation through the saponification of esters that are commonly used in cosmetics and drug delivery. We combine measurements of dynamic interfacial tension and surface elasticity with emulsion stability to determine the dynamics of the interfacial reaction and its effect on interfacial properties. The rate of surfactant production through the in situ reaction depends on the surface area and thus the dynamics measured in a pendant drop may not reflect the dynamics in emulsification. To test this, we also measure the dynamics of surfactant production after emulsification. Further, we explore the effect of surfactant chain length and solution pH on the interfacial tension dynamics and the emulsion stability. The results show that the interfacial tension transients in a pendant drop correlate with the in situ reaction dynamics but that there are others factors to consider. The steady state interfacial tension represents a pseudo-steady state between rate of surfactant produced and that desorbing into the aqueous phase. The interfacial tension dynamics and emulsion stability also depend strongly on the charge. The emulsions retain stability after aqueous pH neutralization, suggesting that a portion of the adsorbed surfactant molecules remain ionized at neutral pH. Emulsion stability increases with increasing surfactant chain length, which is the expected trend because a longer chain length reduces aqueous solubility thereby increasing the surfactant surface coverage. Therefore, the approach of emulsion stabilization by in situ surfactant production is more useful for surfactants with very low aqueous solubility. Finally, the transients of surfactant concentration in the emulsions show a reduction in the rate of the in situ reaction with increasing coverage of the surface by the adsorbed anionic surfactant most likely due to the buildup of surface charge that reduces the concentration of the hydroxyl ions at the surface.
Can We Defend Required Programs

(1964). Can We Defend Required Programs? Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 32-32.
Using incomplete quantitative knowledge in qualitative reasoning

Incomplete knowledge of the structure of mechanisms is an important fact of life in reasoning, commonsense or expert, about the physical world. Qualitative simulation captures an important kind of incomplete, ordinal, knowledge, and predicts the set of qualitatively possible behaviors of a mechanism, given a qualitative description of its structure and initial state. However, one frequently has quantitative knowledge as well as qualitative, though seldom enough to specify a numerical simulation. We present a method for incrementally exploiting incomplete quantitative knowledge, by using it to refine the predictions of a qualitative rea-soner. Incomplete quantitative descriptions (currently ranges within which unknown values are assumed to lie) are asserted about some landmark values in the quantity spaces of qualitative parameters. Unknown monotonic function constraints may be bounded by numerically computable envelope functions. Implications are derived by local propagation across the constraints in the model. When this refinement process produces a contradiction, a qualitatively plausible behavior is shown to conflict with the quantitative knowledge. When all predicted behaviors of a given model are contradicted, the model is refuted. If a behavior is not refuted, propagation of quantitative information results in a mixed quantitative/qualitative description of behavior that can be compared with other surviving predictions for differential diagnosis.
Pictorial Race Activation in Priming Measures

ABSTRACTThis review explores characteristics of facial primes employed in priming studies of racial prejudice and stereotyping. It addresses the role of perceptual, cue-based processing of visual stimuli characteristics in altering racial typicality, and the effects of different moderators. The authors document the nature of variability in primes and moderators used in priming studies (N = 96) up to 2009. Methodological and conceptual implications are discussed, along with gaps in the field. Better control over facial primes employed, more accuracy in reporting and open access to procedural information are suggested in an effort to improve the state of racial priming research.
A Matter of Framing: Explaining the Failure of Post-Islamist Social Movements in the Arab Spring

Shortly after the Arab Spring began in 2010, multiple scholars noted that the dominant discursive trend present within these protests was that of post-Islamism. Post-Islamism is broadly defined as an ideology seeking to establish a democratic state within a distinctly Islamic society. Despite the presence of post-Islamist opportunity structures, social movements embodying post-Islamist principles have had little success consolidating power. The theoretical argument presented here is that the failure of these movements is the result of inherent flaws within post-Islamist frames. Specifically, this study posits that unlike traditional Islamist frames (i.e., frames emphasizing the creation of a state governed by Shari‘a) post-Islamist frames limit the ability of movements’ to monopolize religion as a cultural asset. As such, when post-Islamist movements face political challenges during contentious periods they cannot rely on nontemporal legitimacy to retain power. Additionally, the challenging task of integrating Islamic and democratic frames in contentious moments renders post-Islamist movements susceptible to counterframing. The preceding claims will be tested through a comparative analysis of the Iranian Hierocracy (1977–1979), and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (2011–2014). Comparing the experiences of a post-Islamist movement (Brotherhood) with that of an Islamist movement (Hierocracy) will explicate the flaws within post-Islamist frames.
The infrared retina: Moving towards the fourth generation infrared detectors with quantum dots and superlattices

Infrared detectors operating in the 3–20 µm are important due to three main reasons. Firstly, the atmosphere is transparent in the two bands referred to as mid wave infrared (MWIR, 3–5 µm) and long wave infrared (8–12 µm) making it possible to see through fog and smoke under poor visibility conditions. Secondly, a lot of chemical species have characteristic absorption features in this wavelength range making these detectors vital for remote sensing and stand off detection. Finally, there is blackbody emission from living objects at these wavelengths making it possible to use them for “night vision” and thermography applications such as surveillance and medical diagnostics.
The fallacy of interpreting SSDS with different types of breccias as seismites amid the multifarious origins of earthquakes: Implications

Abstract At present, there are no criteria to distinguish soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) formed by earthquakes from SSDS formed by the other 20 triggering mechanisms (see a companion paper in Vol. 5, No. 4 of this journal by Shanmugam, 2016). Even if one believes that earthquakes are the true triggering mechanism of SSDS in a given case, the story is still incomplete. This is because earthquakes (seismic shocks) are induced by a variety of causes: 1) global tectonics and associated faults ( i.e. , mid-ocean ridges, trenches, and transform faults); 2) meteorite-impact events; 3) volcanic eruptions; 4) post-glacial uplift; 5) tsunami impact; 6) cyclonic impact; 7) landslides (mass-transport deposits); 8) tidal activity; 9) sea-level rise; 10) erosion; and 11) fluid pumping. These different causes are important for developing SSDS. Breccias are an important group of SSDS. Although there are many types of breccias classified on the basis of their origin, five types are discussed here (fault, volcanic, meteorite impact, sedimentary-depositional, sedimentary-collapse). Although different breccia types may resemble each other, distinguishing one type ( e.g. , meteorite breccias) from the other types ( e.g. , fault, volcanic, and sedimentary breccias) has important implications. 1) Meteorite breccias are characterized by shock features ( e.g. , planar deformation features in mineral grains, planar fractures, high-pressure polymorphs, shock melts, etc .), whereas sedimentary-depositional breccias ( e.g. , debrites) do not. 2) Meteorite breccias imply a confined sediment distribution in the vicinity of craters, whereas sedimentary-depositional breccias imply an unconfined sediment distribution, variable sediment transport, and variable sediment provenance. 3) Meteorite, volcanic, and fault breccias are invariably subjected to diagenesis and hydrothermal mineralization with altered reservoir quality, whereas sedimentary-depositional breccias exhibit primary (unaltered) reservoir quality. And finally, 4) sedimentary-collapse breccias are associated with economic mineralization ( e.g. , uranium ore), whereas sedimentary-depositional breccias are associated with petroleum reservoirs. Based on this important group of SSDS with breccias, the current practice of interpreting all SSDS as “seismites” is inappropriate. Ending this practice is necessary for enhancing conceptual clarity and for advancing this research domain.
Demand the Impossible: Greece, the Eurozone Crisis, and the Failure of the Utopian Imagination

In January 2015, voters in Greece—the eurozone nation hit hardest by austerity and the site of an extraordinarily militant anti-austerity movement—elected a government led by Syriza, the newly influential, decade-old party of the radical left. Hopes ran high. Syriza pledged to roll back austerity and restore Greek pride. The telegenic new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, and his irrepressible finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, negotiated with Greece’s stern, German-led creditors in an entirely new spirit—unapologetically, with more than a hint of defiance.
Catalytic Reaction Rates Controlled by Metal Oxidation State: C-H Bond Cleavage in Methane over Nickel-Based Catalysts.

The role of low concentrations of carbon complexes in hydrocarbon decomposition over transition metal surfaces has been a topic of much debate over the past decades. It is also a mystery as to whether or not electric fields can enhance hydrocarbon conversion in an electrochemical device at lower than normal reforming temperatures. To provide a “bottom-up” fundamental insight, C−H bond cleavage in methane over Ni-based catalysts was investigated. Our theoretical results show that the presence of carbon or carbide-like species at the interface between the Ni cluster and its metal-oxide support, as well as the application of an external positive electric field, can significantly increase the Ni oxidation state. Furthermore, the first C−H bond cleavage in methane is favored as the local oxidation state of Ni increases. Thus, the presence of a low concentration of carbon species, or the addition of a positive electric field will improve the hydrocarbon activation process.
Morse-Smale Analysis of Ion Diffusion in Ab Initio Battery Materials Simulations

Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are increasingly useful in modeling, optimizing and synthesizing materials in energy sciences. In solving Schrodinger’s equation, they generate the electronic structure of the simulated atoms as a scalar field. However, methods for analyzing these volume data are not yet common in molecular visualization. The Morse-Smale complex is a proven, versatile tool for topological analysis of scalar fields. In this paper, we apply the discrete Morse-Smale complex to analysis of first-principles battery materials simulations. We consider a carbon nanosphere structure used in battery materials research, and employ Morse-Smale decomposition to determine the possible lithium ion diffusion paths within that structure. Our approach is novel in that it uses the wavefunction itself as opposed distance fields, and that we analyze the 1-skeleton of the Morse-Smale complex to reconstruct our diffusion paths. Furthermore, it is the first application where specific motifs in the graph structure of the complete 1-skeleton define features, namely carbon rings with specific valence. We compare our analysis of DFT data with that of a distance field approximation, and discuss implications on larger classical molecular dynamics simulations.
Emoluments and Implications from Conflict of Interest Laws and Private Sector Fiduciary Duty

In this article, the ethics of public service and the relatively untested Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution will be considered and contrasted with the jurisprudence surrounding conflict of interest in the private sector. Part I establishes the framers’ understanding of law and ethics for U.S. public service. Part II considers the clause itself, and whether it applies to the office of the President. Part III relates just a few of the foreign-based business interests of the 45th U.S. President and how they could compromise his loyal discharge of duties to the nation he serves. Part III also analyzes the President’s plan to avoid conflicts of interest, finds it inadequate, and concludes that only full disclosure of his tax returns would reveal the complete range of conflicts that might color his judgment as President of the United States. Moving beyond the descriptive to the more normative business ethics issues, Part IV describes the insights of behavioral psychology to demonstrate how common it is for people and politicians to overlook their own conflicts of interest, even where those conflicts strongly influence their decisions. Part V summarizes observations related to conflict of interest laws and fiduciary duties in business, lending support to the conclusion that Trump’s attempt to hold the office of president would be untenable in other contexts. Returning to legal issues raised by the President’s conflicts of interest, Part VI describes the federal lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW seeks an injunction on Mr. Trump’s holding office while holding various assets subject to foreign governmental influence, and Part IV offers insight into how a challenge to standing could be overcome. Both courts and Congress — the ultimate judges of the President’s conflicts of interest, at least until the next election cycle — should support the original intent and plain meaning of the Emoluments Clause. Without Congressional action, however, it is unlikely that the President’s conflicts of interest will be resolved early in his term of office.
Safety evaluation of HOWARU® Restore (Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 and B. lactis Bi-07) for antibiotic resistance, genomic risk factors, and acute toxicity.

Abstract Although probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are generally considered safe by various regulatory agencies, safety properties, such as absence of transferable antibiotic resistance, must still be determined for each strain prior to market introduction as a probiotic. Safety requirements for probiotics vary regionally and evaluation methods are not standardized, therefore methodologies are often adopted from food ingredients or chemicals to assess microbial safety. Four individual probiotic strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM®, Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37®, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains Bl-04®, and Bi-07®, and their combination (HOWARU® Restore) were examined for antibiotic resistance by broth microdilution culture, toxin genes by PCR and genome mining, and acute oral toxicity in rats. Only B. lactis Bl-04 exhibited antibiotic resistance above a regulated threshold due to a tetW gene previously demonstrated to be non-transferable. Genomic mining did not reveal any bacterial toxin genes known to harm mammalian hosts in any of the strains. The rodent studies did not indicate any evidence of acute toxicity following a dose of 1.7–4.1 × 1012 CFU/kg body weight. Considering a 100-fold safety margin, this corresponds to 1.2–2.8 × 1012 CFU for a 70 kg human. Our findings demonstrate a comprehensive approach of in vitro, in silico, and in vivo safety testing for probiotics.
Irritability Trajectories, Cortical Thickness, and Clinical Outcomes in a Sample Enriched for Preschool Depression.

Objective Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and genetic associations exist between irritability and depression. Prior studies have examined developmental trajectories of irritability, clinical outcomes, and associations with child and familial depression. However, studies have not integrated neurobiological measures. The present study examined developmental trajectories of irritability, clinical outcomes, and cortical structure among preschoolers oversampled for depressive symptoms. Method Beginning at 3 to 5 years old, a sample of 271 children enriched for early depressive symptoms were assessed longitudinally by clinical interview. Latent class mixture models identified trajectories of irritability severity. Risk factors, clinical outcomes, and cortical thickness were compared across trajectory classes. Cortical thickness measures were extracted from 3 waves of magnetic resonance imaging at 7 to 12 years of age. Results Three trajectory classes were identified among these youth: 53.50% of children exhibited elevated irritability during preschool that decreased longitudinally, 30.26% exhibited consistently low irritability, and 16.24% exhibited consistently elevated irritability. Compared with other classes, the elevated irritability class exhibited higher rates of maternal depression, early life adversity, later psychiatric diagnoses, and functional impairment. Further, elevated baseline irritability predicted later depression beyond adversity and personal and maternal depression history. The elevated irritability class exhibited a thicker cortex in the left superior frontal and temporal gyri and the right inferior parietal lobule. Conclusion Irritability manifested with specific developmental trajectories in this sample enriched for early depression. Persistently elevated irritability predicted poor psychiatric outcomes, higher risk for later depression, and decreased overall function later in development. Greater frontal, temporal, and parietal cortical thickness also was found, providing neural correlates of this risk trajectory.
Code Help: Can This Unique State Regulatory Intervention Improve Emergency Department Crowding?

Author(s): Michael, Sean S.; Broach, John P.; Kotkowski, Kevin A.; Brush, D. Eric; Volturo, Gregory A.; Reznek, Martin A. | Abstract: Introduction: Emergency department (ED) crowding adversely affects multiple facets of high-quality care. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts mandates specific, hospital action plans to reduce ED boarding via a mechanism termed “Code Help.” Because implementation appears inconsistent even when hospital conditions should have triggered its activation, we hypothesized that compliance with the Code Help policy would be associated with reduction in ED boarding time and total ED length of stay (LOS) for admitted patients, compared to patients seen when the Code Help policy was not followed. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of data collected from electronic, patient-care, timestamp events and from a prospective Code Help registry for consecutive adult patients admitted from the ED at a single academic center during a 15-month period. For each patient, we determined whether the concurrent hospital status complied with the Code Help policy or violated it at the time of admission decision. We then compared ED boarding time and overall ED LOS for patients cared for during periods of Code Help policy compliance and during periods of Code Help policy violation, both with reference to patients cared for during normal operations. Results: Of 89,587 adult patients who presented to the ED during the study period, 24,017 (26.8%) were admitted to an acute care or critical care bed. Boarding time ranged from zero to 67 hours 30 minutes (median 4 hours 31 minutes). Total ED LOS for admitted patients ranged from 11 minutes to 85 hours 25 minutes (median nine hours). Patients admitted during periods of Code Help policy violation experienced significantly longer boarding times (median 20 minutes longer) and total ED LOS (median 46 minutes longer), compared to patients admitted under normal operations. However, patients admitted during Code Help policy compliance did not experience a significant increase in either metric, compared to normal operations.Conclusion: In this single-center experience, implementation of the Massachusetts Code Help regulation was associated with reduced ED boarding time and ED LOS when the policy was consistently followed, but there were adverse effects on both metrics during violations of the policy.
Cadmium and Teratogenesis of the Central Nervous System

Effects of cadmium on the developing embryo or fetus have been studied by many investigators since the report by Parizek in 196435 that a single maternal injection of cadmium at gestation days 17–21 resulted in a destruction of the fetal portion of the placenta and fetal death. The first published reports of cadmiuminduced teratogenesis described studies with the hamster14,15; cadmiuminduced teratogenicity was subsequently reported for the rat,1,5 and for the mouse 30,31,37–39 Using a different experimental approach, Klein et al.29 reported abnormal development of head-fold stage rat embryos cultured in vitro on serum taken from rats injected with cadmium.
Overview of Global Atmospheric Change

On November 8,1989, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher addressed the 44th Session of the United Nations General Assembly regarding environmental change. For the first time in the United Nations’ history, a prominent national leader discussed in detail the threats to world peace and economic stability flowing from the changes that man is imposing on the global environment. Her thesis is captured in the following quote: While the conventional political dangers—the threat of global annihilation, the fact of regional war—appear to be receding, we have all recently become aware of another insidious danger. It is as menacing in its ways as those more accustomed perils with which international diplomacy has concerned itself for centuries. It is the prospect of irretrievable damage to the atmosphere, to the oceans, to the earth itself.
Possible Existence of Curium in Nature. II

A lower limit to the alpha half-life of ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{247}$ was previously reported as 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{7}$ yr, but the determination reported here, with a curium sample containing 30 times more ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{247}$, yields a half-life of (1.64\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.24)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{7}$ yr. This result implies that no detectable amount of primordial ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{247}$ exists on earth and that ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{247}$ could not account for the high ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$: ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$ ratios reported for certain minerals.
Physician experience and understanding of clinical trial adverse event attribution.

e14524Background: The NCI and FDA mandate the collection of adverse events (AEs) in cancer clinical trials to ensure patient safety. Clinicians are also required to declare whether or not each AE i...
Characterizing Bone Mineral Density Using Lumbar Spine Computed Tomography Attenuation in Patients With Distal Radius Fractures

Introduction:This study examines how many patients with distal radius fracture (DRF) eligible for bone health evaluation could potentially be screened using bone mineral density (BMD) estimation by...
ARTIFACTS AFFECTING DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY MEASUREMENTS.

ABSTRACT Objective: To present 3 cases in which the presence of artifacts altered the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar field. Methods:...
Limitations of Fixed-Effects Models for Panel Data

Although fixed-effects models for panel data are now widely recognized as powerful tools for longitudinal data analysis, the limitations of these models are not well known. We provide a critical di...
3D Printed Loading Device for Inducing Cellular Mechanotransduction via Matrix Deformation

This manuscript details the design, fabrication, characterization, and application of a 3D printed loading device for the investigation of cellular mechanotransduction pathways activated by matrix deformation. The device, which works as a screw jack, applies out-of-plane substrate distention to a thin polymer membrane via platen displacement. Load induces a strain gradient on the top surface of the membrane where cells are cultured. A high performance poly-lactic acid 3D filament was used for printing, resulting in a compact, cost-effective device that is fully autoclavable and compatible with standard laboratory incubators. The device was customized to accommodate a loadable polydimethylsiloxane chip developed in our lab for culturing MLO-Y4 osteocytes; however, the design can be easily adapted to load any mechanosensitive cells grown on an elastomeric membrane. Using finite element analysis, we demonstrated that the device can generate a range of strains to induce a variety of responses by the osteocytes. Cell viability data demonstrated that these ranges had the ability to engender load-induced apoptotic differences.
Abstract C067: Mechanistic study of the superior anti-cancer properties of a first-in-class small molecule targeting PCNA

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), through its interaction with various proteins involved in DNA synthesis, cell cycle regulation, and DNA repair, plays a central role in maintaining genome stability. We previously reported a novel cancer associated PCNA isoform (dubbed caPCNA), which was predominantly expressed in a broad range of cancer cells and tumor tissues, but not significantly in non-malignant cells. We found that the caPCNA-specific antigenic site lies between L126 and Y133, a region within the interdomain connector loop of PCNA that is known to be a major binding site for many of PCNA’s interacting proteins. A cell permeable peptide harboring the L126-Y133 sequence inhibited PCNA function in cancer cells and selectively kills cancer cells and xenograft tumors. Based on these observations, we sought small molecules targeting this peptide region of PCNA as potential broad-spectrum anti-cancer agents. Our effort led to a drug candidate, AOH1996, which selectively kills a broad range of cancer cells at high nanomolar concentrations, but is not associated with significant toxicity to non-malignant cells. It also works synergistically with DNA damaging chemotherapeutic drugs, such as cisplatin and irinotecan, to selectively kill cancer cells. This compound is orally available to animals and suppresses tumor growth in a dosage form compatible to clinical applications. Importantly, it doesn’t cause significant toxicity at 2.5 times its effective dose. Mechanistically, AOH1996 competes with T3, a known PCNA ligand, for binding to PCNA. However, the mechanism by which AOH1996 exerts its effect on cancer cells may not be identical to what have been reported for the T3 analogs. In particular, we found that AOH1996 interferes with the association of PCNA and its binding proteins, leading to DNA replication stress, blockade of homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair, and induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. These findings demonstrated the potential of this compound as a novel therapeutic agent warranting clinical investigation for cancer treatment. We have started planning a phase 1 clinical study for this compound. Citation Format: Long Gu, Min Li, Robert Lingeman, Robert J Hickey, Yilun Liu, Linda H Malkas. Mechanistic study of the superior anti-cancer properties of a first-in-class small molecule targeting PCNA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C067. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-C067
Single-cell chromatin profiling reveals demethylation-dependent metabolic vulnerabilities of breast cancer epigenome

Abstract Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells not only sustains bioenergetic and biosynthetic needs but also influences transcriptional programs, yet how chromatin regulatory networks are rewired by altered metabolism remains elusive. Here we investigate genome-scale chromatin remodeling in response to 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) oncometabolite using single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin with sequencing (scATAC-seq). We find that 2HG enantiomers differentially disrupt exquisite control of epigenome integrity by limiting α-ketoglutarate (αKG)-dependent DNA and histone demethylation, while enhanced cell-to-cell variability in the chromatin regulatory landscape is most evident upon exposure to L2HG enantiomer. Despite the highly heterogeneous responses, 2HG largely recapitulates two prominent hallmarks of the breast cancer epigenome, i.e., global loss of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and promoter hypermethylation, particularly at tumor suppressor genes involved in DNA damage repair and checkpoint control. Single-cell mass cytometry further demonstrates downregulation of BRCA1, MSH2 and MLH1 in 2HG-responsive subpopulations, along with acute reversal of chromatin remodeling upon withdrawal. Collectively, this study provides a molecular basis for metabolism-epigenome coupling and identifies metabolic vulnerabilities imposed on the breast cancer epigenome.
Examining the relationship between food environment and gestational diabetes.

Background Studies have shown an association between the incidence of gestational diabetes and living in neighborhoods oversaturated with unhealthy foods. Objective This study sought to determine if the food environment also affects the management of gestational diabetes. We hypothesized that living in areas with a higher quality of food decreased the risk of requiring medication to treat gestational diabetes. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of singleton births at the Christiana Care Health System between 2015 and 2018. Patients with gestational diabetes who live in Delaware (N=1327) were geocoded and classified according to their census tract food environment. The food environment was assessed using the modified Retail Food Environment Index, which measures the percentage of healthy food retailers among all food retailers within a half-mile radius of the census tract boundaries. The modified Retail Food Environment Index scores were divided into 3 categories: poor (modified Retail Food Environment Index score, 0–3), average (modified Retail Food Environment Index score, 4–10), and good or above average (modified Retail Food Environment Index score, ≥11) food environments. The primary outcome was the prevalence of A2 gestational diabetes mellitus. Several neonatal and obstetrical outcomes were also examined including type II diabetes mellitus (defined as a 2-hour glucose tolerance test with at least 1 value above the threshold), cesarean delivery, shoulder dystocia, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, neonatal hypoglycemia, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, and macrosomia. Results A total of 689 (52%) women were diagnosed as having A2 gestational diabetes mellitus. Women in the average or good or above average food environment groups had a lower prevalence of A2 gestational diabetes mellitus than women in the poor food environment group (modified Retail Food Environment Index score, 4–10 [adjusted odds ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.37–0.92] and modified Retail Food Environment Index score, ≥11 [adjusted odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.40–0.82]). They also had a lower prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus (modified Retail Food Environment Index score, 4–10 [adjusted odds ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.72] and modified Retail Food Environment Index score, ≥11 [adjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.27–0.86]). There were no differences in the other secondary outcomes of interest. Conclusion The food environment affects the requirement for medication to obtain glycemic levels that are within the target range for those with gestational diabetes.
Safety Assessment of Charging Stations Connected to the Power Grid Considering Distribution Network Constraints

The problem of harmonics and voltage fluctuations in the distribution network leads to prominent safety problems during the operation of the charging station. Aiming at this problem, a Norton equivalent circuit of the DC charger of the charging station is constructed, and the constraints of the charging station’s access to the power grid under the background of grid harmonics are analyzed; From the flow calculation, the constraints of charging stations connected to the grid under the background of grid voltage fluctuations are analyzed; Considering the constraints of voltage and current and the constraints analyzed above, a safety evaluation index system for charging stations connected to the power grid was constructed, and a gram correlation method was used to analyze the calculation examples of charging stations connected to the power grid. The results show that the method can improve the rationality of the planning and operation of the charging station, effectively avoid the safety risks of the charging station operation.
Giving Home: Diaspora Giving from the United States as a Funding Source for Indigenous Philanthropic and Nonprofit Institutions

As indigenous philanthropies and other nonprofits seek sustainable, longterm sources of funds, a number of organizations have sought to tap emigre resources abroad. The Bangladeshi community in England, for example, which hails largely from Sylhet in northeast Bangladesh, has been a key source of financing for educational, religious and charity projects at the village level in Sylhet. Vietnamese-Americans have begun to fund scholarships, schools, clinics, temples and village relief back in Vietnam. Chinese-Americans have been active in similar initiatives in China for well over a decade. Hispanic-Americans are supporting educational and charitable projects on the border between the United States and Mexico, and further into Mexico as well.
Quality and Cost in Community Health Centers.

Background Quantifying health care quality has long presented a challenge to identifying the relationship between provider level quality and cost. However, growing focus on quality improvement has led to greater interest in organizational performance, prompting payers to collect various indicators of quality that can be combined at the provider level. Objective To explore the relationship between quality and average cost of medical visits provided in US Community Health Centers (CHCs) using composite measures of quality. Research design Using the Uniform Data System collected by the Bureau of Primary Care, we constructed composite measures by combining 9 process and 2 outcome indicators of primary care quality provided in 1331 US CHCs during 2015-2018. We explored different weighting schemes and different combinations of individual quality indicators constructed at the intermediate domain levels of chronic condition control, screening, and medication management. We used generalized linear modeling to regress average cost of a medical visit on composite quality measures, controlling for patient and health center factors. We examined the sensitivity of results to different weighting schemes and to combining individual quality indicators at the overall level compared with the intermediate domain level. Results Both overall and domain level composites performed well in the estimations. Average cost of a medical visit was negatively associated with quality, although the magnitude of the effect varied across weighting schemes. Conclusion Efforts toward improvement of primary health care quality delivered in CHCs need not involve greater cost.
The Mobile Thriving Respite With and for the Street Community

We report on our work with the street community of Pittsburgh, specifically, a community-based action initiative we call the Mobile Thriving Respite (Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from our university). For 5 years, student advocate ethnographers from Point Park University have gathered data (e.g., long- and short-term interviews, participant-observations generating fieldnotes). The data revealed and supported the need for thriving beyond surviving homelessness. The data endorsed the creation of the mobile thriving respite. In the first part of this work, we will discuss some critical concepts regarding homelessness as a phenomenon and then argue that while surviving as enduring is necessary, there are some for whom survival is a perpetual, lethal state of being. We will discuss the theoretical foundations to the respite and offer researchers’ ethnographic accounts of the respite’s process and progress (We had to temporarily end the respite during the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, the respite has returned with “pop up” events outside at various locations). We will outline how the mobile thriving respite is a praxis as site of resistance as well as an emergent strategy, and an instantiation of communitas. We will then revisit surviving as collectively bearing witness and testifying to the lived experiences of those living outside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Humanistic Psychology is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Optimal VCG mechanisms to assign multiple bads

For the problem of assigning economic “bads” (for example, costly tasks or undesirable objects), Vickrey–Clarke–Groves (VCG) mechanisms achieve efficient allocations via money transfers. However, they can produce arbitrarily large budget surpluses or deficits. We construct a performance index for a VCG mechanism to measure its budget surplus and deficit in the worst-case. Using this index, we develop mechanisms whose surpluses or deficits vanish as the number of participants increases, for both cases of bads and goods. We find that individual rationality creates an asymmetry between surplus and deficit, particularly in the case of bads. When the number of agents is large enough, a minute amount of deficit can replace unit surplus to achieve a budget balance. For the case of economic goods, unit surplus can only be replaced with unit deficit, regardless of individual rationality. This result shows that the model with bads differs fundamentally from the model with goods.
U.S. DOD Technology Transfer Policy and Mechanisms

The Cold War has ended and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has responded with massive reductions in manpower and expenditures for procurement. These reductions not withstanding, however, the world remains a highly uncertain place, with potential threats to U.S. interests from regional or ethnic conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and possible failure of political reform in newly democratic states. DoD strategy is evolving to counter these threats and one element of that strategy is an $8B Science and Technology (S&T) program aimed at ensuring technological superiority for future warfighting needs. In light of reduced procurement budgets, it is clear that the DoD can no longer afford to maintain a separate defense industrial base and, hence, a major thrust of the DoD S&T program is to develop dual-use technology and promote DoD/industrial interactions for technology transfer.
Fully Integrated Applications of Thin Films on Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic (LTCC).

Thin film multilayers have previously been introduced on multilayer low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC), as well as initial thin film capacitors on LTCC. The ruggedness of a multipurpose Ti-Cu-Pt-Au stack for connectivity and RF conductivity has continued to benefit fabrication and reliability in state of-the-art modules, while the capacitors have followed the traditional Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) style. The full integration of thin film passives with thin film connectivity traces is presented. Certain passives, such as capacitors, require specifically tailored and separately patterned thin film (multi-)layers, including a dielectric. Different capacitance values are achieved by variation of both the insulator layer thickness and the active area of the capacitor. Other passives, such as filters, require only the conductor - a single thin film multilayer. This can be patterned from the same connectivity thin film material (Ti-Cu-Pt-Au), or a specially tailored thin film material (e.g. Ti-Cu-Au) can be deposited. Both versions are described, including process and integration details. Examples are discussed, ranging from patterning for maximum tolerances, to space and performance-optimized designs. Cross-sectional issues associated with integration are also highlighted in the discussion.
Flapping-Wing Propelled Micro Air Vehicles

In recent years, several micro air vehicles have been built and flown that use flapping wings to generate lift and/or thrust. These designs can be classified as either biomimetic, trying to mimic nature as closely as possible, or biomorphic, being inspired by nature but adopting only certain features from nature. The basic physics of the flapping-wing phenomenon is first discussed, followed by a description of the recently developed flapping-wing micro air vehicles. Keywords: micro air vehicle; flapping-wing propulsion
Ginkgo biloba for the improvement of cognitive performance in multiple sclerosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Objectives To determine if Ginkgo biloba (GB) improves the cognitive performance of subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of GB, 120 mg twice a day or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were: the long delay free recall from the California Verbal Learning Test-II; the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test; the Controlled Oral Word Association Test; the Symbol Digit Modalities Test; Useful Field of View Test; and the color-word interference condition from the Stroop Color and Word Test.Results On completion, the GB group (n =20) was 4.5 seconds (95% confidence interval (Cl) (7.6, 0.9), P =0.015) faster than the placebo group (n = 18) on the color-word interference condition of the Stroop test. Subjects who were more impaired at baseline experienced more improvement with GB (treatment*baseline interaction, F=8.10, P=0.008). We found no differences on the other neuropsychological tests. Subjects on GB reported fewer cognitive difficulties in the Retrospective Memory Scale of the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire than subjects on placebo (1.5 points, 95% CI (2.6, 0.3), P=0.016). No serious drug related side-effects occurred and GB did not alter platelet function assays.Conclusion Overall, GB did not show a statistically significant improvement in cognitive function. A treatment effect trend, limited to the Stroop test, suggests that GB may have an effect on cognitive domains assessed by this test, such as susceptibility to interference and mental flexibility.
Silencing gastrin-releasing peptide receptor suppresses key regulators of aerobic glycolysis in neuroblastoma cells.

Background Under normoxic conditions, cancer cells use aerobic glycolysis as opposed to glucose oxidation for energy production; this altered metabolism correlates with poor outcomes in neuroblastoma. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) regulate aerobic glycolysis, while pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 2 (PDP2) promotes glucose oxidation. Here, we sought to determine whether gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRP-R) signaling regulates glucose metabolism. Procedure Neuroblastoma cell lines, BE(2)-C and SK-N-AS, were used. PCR microararay for glucose metabolism was performed on GRP-R silenced cells. Target protein expression was validated using Western blotting and VEGF ELISA. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was used to induce chemical hypoxia. Efficacy of targeting PDK regulation in neuroblastoma was assessed using dichloroacetate (DCA) by conducting cell viability assays and Western blotting for apoptotic markers. Results Silencing GRP-R decreased HIF-1α expression and blocked VEGF expression and secretion in both normoxic and CoCl2 induced hypoxia. PCR array analysis identified that GRP-R silencing reduced PDK4 and increased PDP2 mRNA expression. These findings were validated by Western blotting. CoCl2 induced hypoxia increased VEGF secretion, HIF-1α, and PDK4 expression. PDK4 silencing decreased HIF-1α expression and VEGF expression and secretion. DCA treatment decreased BE(2)-C and SK-N-AS proliferation while promoting cell death. GRP-R silencing and DCA treatment synergistically halted BE(2)-C proliferation. Conclusions We report that GRP-R regulates glucose metabolism in neuroblastoma by modulating HIF-1α, PDK4 and PDP2. PDK4 regulates glucose metabolism, in part, via regulation of HIF-1α. Synergistic consequences of GRP-R inhibition and DCA treatment may suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of aggressive neuroblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:581–586. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.