cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Loss of Bladder Epithelium Induced by Cytolytic Mast Cell Granules
Creators: name: Abraham, Soman N.
name: Bowen, Samantha E.
name: Moeser, Adam J.
name: Miao, Edward A.
name: Abrink, Magnus
name: Chan, Cheryl Y.
name: Choi, Hae Woong
name: Miao, Yuxuan
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: Programmed death and shedding of epithelial cells is a powerful defense mechanism to reduce bacterial burden during infection but this activity cannot be indiscriminate because of the critical barrier function of the epithelium. We report that during cystitis, shedding of infected bladder epithelial cells (BECs) was preceded by the recruitment of mast cells (MCs) directly underneath the superficial epithelium where they docked and extruded their granules. MCs were responding to interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secreted by BECs after inflammasome and caspase-1 signaling. Upon uptake of granule-associated chymase (mouse MC protease 4 [mMCPT4]), BECs underwent caspase-1-associated cytolysis and exfoliation. Thus, infected epithelial cells require a specific cue for cytolysis from recruited sentinel inflammatory cells before shedding.
Lymphoid-Tissue-Resident Commensal Bacteria Promote Members of the IL-10 Cytokine Family to Establish Mutualism
Creators: name: Goc, Jeremy
name: Shibata, Naoko
name: Ziegler, Carly G.K.
name: Sullivan, Kaede V.
name: Sartor, R. Balfour
name: Kobuley, Dmytro
name: Bessman, Nicholas J.
name: Umesaki, Yoshinori
name: Sonnenberg, Gregory F.
name: Wang, Kelvin
name: Fung, Thomas C.
name: Kiyono, Hiroshi
name: Lawley, Trevor D.
name: Shima, Tatsuichiro
name: Kumar, Nitin
name: Kunisawa, Jun
name: Hepworth, Matthew R.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: Physical separation between the mammalian immune system and commensal bacteria is necessary to limit chronic inflammation. However, selective species of commensal bacteria can reside within intestinal lymphoid tissues of healthy mammals. Here, we demonstrate that lymphoid-tissue-resident commensal bacteria (LRC) colonized murine dendritic cells and modulated their cytokine production. In germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice, LRCs colonized intestinal lymphoid tissues and induced multiple members of the IL-10 cytokine family, including dendritic-cell-derived IL-10 and group 3 innate lymphoid cell (ILC3)-derived IL-22. Notably, IL-10 limited the development of pro-inflammatory Th17 cell responses, and IL-22 production enhanced LRC colonization in the steady state. Furthermore, LRC colonization protected mice from lethal intestinal damage in an IL-10-IL-10R-dependent manner. Collectively, our data reveal a unique host-commensal-bacteria dialog whereby selective subsets of commensal bacteria interact with dendritic cells to facilitate tissue-specific responses that are mutually beneficial for both the host and the microbe.
Cigarette smoking and quitting by individuals in Malaysia
Creators: name: Lee, Helen S.H.
name: Su, Shew-Jiuan
name: Yen, Steven T.
name: Tan, Andrew K.G.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health

description: Understanding the sociodemographic characteristics associated with cigarette smoking and quitting decisions allows policy decision-making to attempt to curtail smoking. Individual smoking and quitting decisions are examined using an endogenous sample selection model. Using data for 4,110 individuals from the 2011 Malaysian Global Adult Tobacco Survey, a probit model is estimated for quitting, subject to sample selection for smokers. Marginal effects of exposure variables are calculated for the probability of smoking and probability of quitting conditional on smoking. Ethnic Malays/Bumiputera, urbanites, ignorance of the hazards associated with secondhand smoke, lack of smoking rules at home, and lack of religious restriction contribute to smoking likelihoods. Older age, being a female, ethnic Chinese, married, at home smoking prohibition, and knowledge of secondhand smoke risks are associated with higher probability of quitting conditional upon smoking. Working in non-government occupations, individuals of other ethnic background, and smoking consent at home are associated with lower quitting probability conditional upon smoking. Health awareness and educational programs should be directed at specific population groups with the above sociodemographic characteristics to discourage smoking initiation and promote quitting among smokers.
A population-based descriptive study of neonatal abstinence syndrome using hospital discharge and birth certificate data
Creators: name: Rainey, Jacob C.
name: Satcher, Lacee
name: Nechuta, Sarah J.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy

description: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), largely a consequence of prenatal opioid exposure, results in substantial morbidity. Population-based studies of NAS going beyond Medicaid populations and hospital discharge data (HDD) alone are limited. Using statewide Tennessee (TN) HDD and birth certificate (BC) data, we examined trends and evaluated maternal and infant factors associated with NAS. We conducted a population-based descriptive study during 2013–2017 in TN. NAS infants were identified with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9-Clinical Modification (CM) and ICD-10-CM codes in HDD and linked to BC data using iterative deterministic matching algorithms. Descriptive analyses were conducted for infant and maternal factors (exposures) by NAS (outcome). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted ORs and 95% CIs. NAS incidence increased from 13.4 to 15.4 per 1,000 live births between 2013 and 2017 (15% increase; ptrend<0.001), but remained stable in 2017. In adjusted models, maternal factors associated with reduced odds of NAS included breastfeeding (OR:0.55, 95%CI:0.52–0.59) and prenatal care (OR:0.36, 95%CI:0.32–0.41). Smoking, preterm birth, and lower birthweight were associated with increased odds of NAS. This study highlights the value of utilizing surveillance data to monitor trends and correlates of NAS to inform prevention efforts and targeting of public health resources.
HIV antibodies for treatment of HIV infection
Creators: name: Ferrari, Guido
name: Koup, Richard A.
name: Margolis, David M.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: The bar is high to improve on current combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), now highly effective, safe, and simple. However antibodies that bind the HIV envelope are able to uniquely target the virus as it seeks to enter new target cells, or as it is expressed from previously infected cells. Further, the use of antibodies against HIV as a therapeutic may offer advantages. Antibodies can have long half-lives, and are being considered as partners for long-acting antiretrovirals for use in therapy or prevention of HIV infection. Early studies in animal models and in clinical trials suggest that such antibodies can have antiviral activity but, as with small molecule antiretrovirals, the issues of viral escape and resistance will have to be addressed.
Multimodal CRISPR perturbations of GWAS loci associated with coronary artery disease in vascular endothelial cells
Creators: name: Wuennemann, Florian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: This repository contains all the code for the manuscript: "Multimodal CRISPR perturbations of GWAS loci associated with coronary artery disease in vascular endothelial cells"
The role of poor mental health in substance use across socioeconomic strata of Armenian adolescents: a counterfactual mediation analysis
Creators: name: Torchyan, Armen Albert
name: Bosma, Hans
name: Houkes, Inge
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: Medicine
Biotechnology
Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
Science Policy

description: To study the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and adolescent substance use and explore the role of poor mental health in that relationship. Adolescents aged 11–15 years participated in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey in Armenia. Robust Poisson regression and counterfactual mediation analysis were used. In a pooled analysis with 6512 adolescents, the adjusted prevalences of current smoking (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.93, 95%CI = 1.29–2.88), weekly beer (PR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.07–2.01), spirits (PR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.01–2.37) or lifetime cannabis use (PR = 3.10, 95%CI = 0.91–10.59) were greater in low-SEP adolescents compared to the middle-SEP group. Poor mental health explained 25.6%-54.7% of that relationship. Similarly, high-SEP adolescents had increased risks of current smoking (PR = 1.54, 95%CI = 0.98–2.42), weekly beer (PR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.11–2.18), spirit (PR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.02–2.45), wine (PR = 1.33 95%CI = 1.01–1.75) intake, than middle-SEP adolescents. Both low- and high-SEP adolescents in Armenia are at greater risk of substance use than the middle-income group. Poor mental health substantially contributes to substance use among low-SEP adolescents. Additional studies are needed to clarify the motives for substance use among high-SEP adolescents.
Microbiota and host immune responses: a love-hate relationship
Creators: name: Tomkovich, Sarah
name: Jobin, Christian
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: A complex relationship between the microbiota and the host emerges early at birth and continues throughout life. The microbiota includes the prokaryotes, viruses and eukaryotes living among us, all of which interact to different extents with various organs and tissues in the body, including the immune system. Although the microbiota is most dense in the lower intestine, its influence on host immunity extends beyond the gastrointestinal tract. These interactions with the immune system operate through the actions of various microbial structures and metabolites, with outcomes ranging from beneficial to deleterious for the host. These differential outcomes are dictated by host factors, environment, and the type of microbes or products present in a specific ecosystem. It is also becoming clear that the microbes are in turn affected and respond to the host immune system. Disruption of this complex dialogue between host and microbiota can lead to immune pathologies such as inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes and obesity. This review will discuss recent advances regarding the ways in which the host immune system and microbiota interact and communicate with one another.
$B\toπ\ell\ell$ form factors for new-physics searches from lattice QCD
Creators: name: Bailey, Jon A.
name: Bazavov, A.
name: Bernard, C.
name: Bouchard, C. M.
name: DeTar, C.
name: Du, Daping
name: El-Khadra, A. X.
name: Freeland, E. D.
name: Gamiz, E.
name: Gottlieb, Steven
name: Heller, U. M.
name: Kronfeld, A. S.
name: Laiho, J.
name: Levkova, L.
name: Liu, Yuzhi
name: Lunghi, E.
name: Mackenzie, P. B.
name: Meurice, Y.
name: Neil, E.
name: Qiu, Si-Wei
name: Simone, J. N.
name: Sugar, R.
name: Toussaint, D.
name: Van de Water, R. S.
name: Zhou, Ran
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Lattice (hep-lat)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The rare decay $B\toπ\ell^+\ell^-$ arises from $b\to d$ flavor-changing neutral currents and could be sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Here, we present the first $ab$-$initio$ QCD calculation of the $B\toπ$ tensor form factor $f_T$. Together with the vector and scalar form factors $f_+$ and $f_0$ from our companion work [J. A. Bailey $et~al.$, Phys. Rev. D 92, 014024 (2015)], these parameterize the hadronic contribution to $B\toπ$ semileptonic decays in any extension of the Standard Model. We obtain the total branching ratio ${\text{BR}}(B^+\toπ^+μ^+μ^-)=20.4(2.1)\times10^{-9}$ in the Standard Model, which is the most precise theoretical determination to date, and agrees with the recent measurement from the LHCb experiment [R. Aaij $et~al.$, JHEP 1212, 125 (2012)]. Note added: after this paper was submitted for publication, LHCb announced a new measurement of the differential decay rate for this process [T. Tekampe, talk at DPF 2015], which we now compare to the shape and normalization of the Standard-Model prediction.
description: V3: Corrected errors in results for Standard-Model differential and total decay rates in abstract, Fig. 3, Table IV, and outlook. Added new preliminary LHCb data to Fig. 3 and brief discussion after outlook. Replaced outdated correlation matrix in Table III with correct final version. Other minor wording changes and references added. 7 pages, 4 tables, 3 figures
Transient activation of mucosal effector immune responses by resident intestinal bacteria in normal hosts is regulated by interleukin-10 signalling
Creators: name: Tonkonogy, Susan L.
name: Sartor, R. Balfour
name: Wu, Cong
name: Huang, Kehe
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a key regulator of mucosal homeostasis. In the current study we investigated the early events after monoassociating germ-free (GF) wild type (WT) mice with an E. coli strain that we isolated previously from the cecal contents of a normal mouse housed under specific pathogen free (SPF) conditions. Our results show that IFN-γ secreted by mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cells from both IL-10 deficient mice and WT mice, stimulated ex vivo with E. coli lysate, was dramatically higher at day 4 after monoassociation compared to IFN-γ secreted by cells from GF mice without E. coli colonization. Production of IFN-γ rapidly and progressively declined after colonization of WT but not IL-10 deficient mice. E. coli lysate-stimulated WT MLN cells also produced IL-10 that peaked at day 4 and subsequently declined, but not as precipitously as IFN-γ. WT cells that express CD4, CD8, and NKp46 produced IFN-γ; WT CD4-positive cells and B cells produced IL-10. Recombinant IL-10 added to E. coli-stimulated MLN cell cultures inhibited IFN-γ secretion in a dose-dependent fashion. MLN cells from WT mice treated in vivo with neutralizing anti-IL-10 receptor antibody produced more IFN-γ compared with MLN cells from isotype control antibody-treated mice. These findings show that a resident E. coli that induces chronic colitis in monoassociated IL-10 deficient mice rapidly but transiently activates the effector immune system in normal hosts, in parallel with induction of protective IL-10 produced by B cells and CD4(+) cells that subsequently suppresses this response to mediate mucosal homeostasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Addressing challenges in scaling up TB and HIV treatment integration in rural primary healthcare clinics in South Africa (SUTHI): a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol
Creators: name: Barker, Pierre
name: Naidoo, Kogieleum
name: Yende-Zuma, Nonhlanhla
name: Gengiah, Santhanalakshmi
name: Padayatchi, Nesri
name: Subrayen, Priashni
name: Abdool Karim, Salim S.
name: Nunn, Andrew
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: A large and compelling clinical evidence base has shown that integrated TB and HIV services leads to reduction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- and tuberculosis (TB)-associated mortality and morbidity. Despite official policies and guidelines recommending TB and HIV care integration, its poor implementation has resulted in TB and HIV remaining the commonest causes of death in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. This study aims to reduce mortality due to TB-HIV co-infection through a quality improvement strategy for scaling up of TB and HIV treatment integration in rural primary healthcare clinics in South Africa.
Implementing a standardized sleep bundle in the cardiothoracic ICU stepdown unit
Creators: name: Almirante, Jywel
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2022

description: Purpose of the Project: The purpose of this project was to determine whether a standardized sleep bundle increased nurses' prioritization of sleep hygiene and improved HCAHPS scores for night time noise. Methodology: This was a quality improvement project which was quasi-experimental in design. Data was analyzed retrospectively and prospectively to measure outcomes. Outcome measures were nursing prioritization of sleep hygiene and HCAHPS scores for night time noise, pre-intervention and post-intervention. The intervention was to incorporate an evidence-based, standardized sleep bundle called the SLEEP-MAD mnemonic to routine nursing care. Results: A paired t-test was used to analyze pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys on Microsoft Excel. A level of significance (α = 0.05) was used in the analysis. Pre-intervention surveys yielded a mean score of 2.1733. Post-intervention surveys yielded a mean score of 1.9600. The lower score reflected greater prioritization of sleep hygiene in nursing care. Therefore, implementing the SLEEP-MAD mnemonic increased nurses’ prioritization of sleep hygiene. HCAHPS scores of night time noise remained the same. Implications on Practice: This project’s results suggest that implementing a standardized sleep bundle increases nurses’ prioritization of sleep hygiene. By increasing prioritization, a sleep bundle may increase patients’ overall sleep quality. This project has the potential to be launched in other units within other specialties to create a more standardized approach to sleep hygiene in acute care settings.
Lyman-alpha Emission from a Luminous z=8.68 Galaxy: Implications for Galaxies as Tracers of Cosmic Reionization
Creators: name: Zitrin, Adi
name: Labbe, Ivo
name: Belli, Sirio
name: Bouwens, Rychard
name: Ellis, Richard S.
name: Roberts-Borsani, Guido
name: Stark, Daniel P.
name: Oesch, Pascal A.
name: Smit, Renske
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We report the discovery of Lyman-alpha emission (Ly$α$) in the bright galaxy EGSY-2008532660 (hereafter EGSY8p7) using the MOSFIRE spectrograph at the Keck Observatory. First reported by Roberts-Borsani et al. (2015), it was selected for spectroscopic observations because of its photometric redshift ($z_{phot}=8.57^{+0.22}_{-0.43}$), apparent brightness (H$_{160}=25.26\pm0.09$) and red Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]-[4.5] color indicative of contamination by strong oxygen emission in the [4.5] band. With a total integration of $\sim$4.3 hours, our data reveal an emission line at $\simeq$11776 Å which we argue is likely Ly$α$ at a redshift $z_{spec}=8.683^{+0.001}_{-0.004}$, in good agreement with the photometric estimate. The line was detected independently on two nights using different slit orientations and its detection significance is $\sim7.5σ$. An overlapping skyline contributes significantly to the uncertainty on the total line flux although the significance of the detected line is robust to a variety of skyline-masking procedures. By direct addition and a Gaussian fit, we estimate a 95\% confidence range of 1.0--2.5$\times10^{-17}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, corresponding to a rest-frame equivalent width of 17--42 Å. EGSY8p7 is the most distant galaxy confirmed spectroscopically to date, and the third luminous source in the EGS field beyond $z_{phot}\gtrsim7.5$ with detectable Ly$α$ emission viewed at a time when the intergalactic medium is believed to be fairly neutral. Although the reionization process was probably patchy, we discuss whether luminous sources with prominent IRAC color excesses may harbor harder ionizing spectra than the dominant fainter population thereby creating earlier ionized bubbles. Further spectroscopic follow-up of such bright sources promises important insight into the early formation of galaxies.
description: V3: ApJL accepted; 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
title: Interregionalism as a Foreign Policy of the European Union: A Case for Soft Power?
Creators: name: Miroshnikov, Maxim
Publisher: name: Old Dominion University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: This paper looks at the interregionalism as a part of the European Union's foreign policy. It argues that the EU's use of soft power can be traced within this policy. The paper proposes two methods of defining soft power in action: through presence and through purposive action. Three case studies are analyzed to support this. It is shown that indeed the EU exercised soft power toward other actors using these mechanisms. Success of these actions was however not always present.
Psychometric assessment of three newly developed implementation outcome measures
Creators: name: Clary, Alecia S.
name: Stanick, Cameo
name: Halko, Heather
name: Powell, Byron J.
name: Dorsey, Caitlin N.
name: Boynton, Marcella H.
name: Weiner, Bryan J.
name: Lewis, Cara C.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: BACKGROUND: Implementation outcome measures are essential for monitoring and evaluating the success of implementation efforts. Yet, currently available measures lack conceptual clarity and have largely unknown reliability and validity. This study developed and psychometrically assessed three new measures: the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM), Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM), and Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM).

METHODS: Thirty-six implementation scientists and 27 mental health professionals assigned 31 items to the constructs and rated their confidence in their assignments. The Wilcoxon one-sample signed rank test was used to assess substantive and discriminant content validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) and Cronbach alphas were used to assess the validity of the conceptual model. Three hundred twenty-six mental health counselors read one of six randomly assigned vignettes depicting a therapist contemplating adopting an evidence-based practice (EBP). Participants used 15 items to rate the therapist's perceptions of the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of adopting the EBP. CFA and Cronbach alphas were used to refine the scales, assess structural validity, and assess reliability. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess known-groups validity. Finally, half of the counselors were randomly assigned to receive the same vignette and the other half the opposite vignette; and all were asked to re-rate acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess test-retest reliability and linear regression to assess sensitivity to change.

RESULTS: All but five items exhibited substantive and discriminant content validity. A trimmed CFA with five items per construct exhibited acceptable model fit (CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.08) and high factor loadings (0.79 to 0.94). The alphas for 5-item scales were between 0.87 and 0.89. Scale refinement based on measure-specific CFAs and Cronbach alphas using vignette data produced 4-item scales (α's from 0.85 to 0.91). A three-factor CFA exhibited acceptable fit (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.08) and high factor loadings (0.75 to 0.89), indicating structural validity. ANOVA showed significant main effects, indicating known-groups validity. Test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.73 to 0.88. Regression analysis indicated each measure was sensitive to change in both directions.

CONCLUSIONS: The AIM, IAM, and FIM demonstrate promising psychometric properties. Predictive validity assessment is planned.
title: Department of Defense Resource Allocations and Progress Toward U.S. Foreign Policy Objectives in Latin America
Creators: name: Rodriguez, Melissa Rene
Publisher: name: Old Dominion University Libraries
Year: 2023

description: This research addresses the issue of insufficient or stagnated progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives for Latin America through an analysis of Department of Defense resource allocations toward the region. These resources are critical to achieving progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives because the relationships and engagements the DOD establish with Latin American partner nations largely precede and characterize the role of the U.S. in the region.

First 'efficiency' is defined, and then U.S. foreign policy objectives for the region and the regional issues are outlined. Next, Department of Defense resources are characterized and their posture and allocations in the region are reviewed. The research finally proposes potential modifications to resource allocations which could increase their efficiency in achieving progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives for the region.

The research finds that if internal Department of Defense processes are improved, the efficacies of their programs are consistently evaluated for self-improvement purposes, and their networks within and outside of the DOD are strengthened, then strategic obstacles to achieving efficient resource allocation and progress toward foreign policy objectives can be overcome.
Impact of Smartphone and Tablet based Application incorporating Social Stories and Games on Children with Mild and Moderate Intellectual Disability
Creators: name: Ahmad, Hafiz Maaz
name: Ashfaque, Saad
name: Khan, Hammad Ahmed
name: Yasir, Tahreem
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Computer Software
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: 80602 Computer-Human Interaction
subject: FOS: Psychology
subject: 170299 Cognitive Science not elsewhere classified
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Developmental and Educational Psychology

description: Abstract: The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools such as tablets or smartphone based applications incorporating Social Stories (video modelled) and games on children with Mild and Moderate Intellectual Disability (ID) is the main focus of the study. Literature review, field observations and contextual task analysis was done to study ID, its relationship with children, intervention techniques and role of ICT in wellbeing of these children. Following hypothesis were formulated 1) Tablets and smartphone based application, would be more helpful to enhance the capabilities of children with Mild Intellectual Disability, 2) Tablets and smartphone based applications, would be more helpful to enhance the capabilities of children with Moderate Intellectual Disability, 3) Animated Social Stories (video modelled) would be more effective to impact the overall social skills of children with ID. A comprehensive application containing Social Stories and games was developed and its impact was measured. The developed application was deployed on Android platform. Random sampling technique was used to collect the sample. A sample of forty six children with Mild and Moderate ID (twenty three experimental group and twenty three control group) were selected from Ameen Maktab (LHE) and Rising Sun (LHE). The collected data was analysed by calculated mean. There is a significant relationship between Social Stories and mild category. It is also found that culturally tailored Social Stories were effective in helping children. The overall result revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between tablet and smartphone based application and children with Mild and Moderate ID. With the growing population day by day in Pakistan and all over the world number of special children are also increase and it is very important to overcome or manage this problem. It is suggested that the community should give a good quality social support to these children to reduce their problems and take measures for their wellbeing. Since there is a very little research available to guide the practitioners which application to implement, it was also suggested that the developers of smartphone based applications for children with ID should verify before applying these applications on children.
Fast Simulation of Gaussian-Mode Scattering for Precision Interferometry
Creators: name: Brown, Daniel
name: Smith, Rory
name: Freise, Andreas
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Understanding how laser light scatters from realistic mirror surfaces is crucial for the design, com- missioning and operation of precision interferometers, such as the current and next generation of gravitational-wave detectors. Numerical simulations are indispensable tools for this task but their utility can in practice be limited by the computational cost of describing the scattering process. In this paper we present an efficient method to significantly reduce the computational cost of optical simulations that incorporate scattering. This is accomplished by constructing a near optimal representation of the complex, multi-parameter 2D overlap integrals that describe the scattering process (referred to as a reduced order quadrature). We demonstrate our technique by simulating a near-unstable Fabry-Perot cavity and its control signals using similar optics to those installed in one of the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors. We show that using reduced order quadrature reduces the computational time of the numerical simulation from days to minutes (a speed-up of $\approx 2750 \times$) whilst incurring negligible errors. This significantly increases the feasibility of modelling interferometers with realistic imperfections to overcome current limits in state-of-the-art optical systems. Whilst we focus on the Hermite-Gaussian basis for describing the scattering of the optical fields, our method is generic and could be applied with any suitable basis. An implementation of this reduced order quadrature method is provided in the open source interferometer simulation software Finesse.
description: 15 pages, 11 figures
Reproducibility and the real case implementation of the method
Creators: name: Gundogdu, Pelin
name: Loucera, Carlos
name: Nepomuceno-Chamorro, Isabel A.
name: Dopazo, Joaquín
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: neuralnetwork
pathways
scRNA-seq

description: ESR9 - Milestone 1.23 - Real case application of the method This report is a guidance to preprocess datasets and generate result of each experiment. Researchers can follow the steps either to replicate experiments or to execute their own experiments with own dataset.
title:  Hijacking the Syrian Revolution
Creators: name: Nanoua, Iman Khairat
Publisher: name: Old Dominion University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: The civil war in Syria (started in March 2011) marks one of the greatest tragedies in the Middle East during the twenty-first century, and a fear that its destructive consequences may affect the entire region. The Syrian crisis coincides with the democratic wave that shaped the Arab Spring. The thesis will discuss the decision-making system and the primary actors in the Syrian crisis within the framework of three distinct phases. Each phase contributed to the hijacking of the peaceful demonstrations that sought freedom in a democratic state and of the dramatic developments on the Syrian stage. The first stage of the crisis started domestically with a peaceful demonstration founded on the principles of liberty and equality but that evolved rapidly into political upheaval and civil war. The second stage was the involvement of regional actors in the Syrian crisis motivated by various political or religious viewpoints. The third stage witnessed the involvement of the two global powers, the United States and Russia, and the revival of the Cold War. This thesis will discuss the Syrian Democratic Revolution, its short history, the actors, and their motivations, and of how these actors hijacked the Syrian Revolution and deviated it from the original peaceful goals. I conclude with a prognosis for the future of Syria.
Matrix Coefficient Identification in an Elliptic Equation with the Convex Energy Functional Method
Creators: name: Hinze, Michael
name: Quyen, Tran Nhan Tam
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Numerical Analysis (math.NA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 65N21, 65N12, 35J25, 35R30

description: In this paper we study the inverse problem of identifying the diffusion matrix in an elliptic PDE from measurements. The convex energy functional method with Tikhonov regularization is applied to tackle this problem. For the discretization we use the variational discretization concept, where the PDE is discretized with piecewise linear, continuous finite elements. We show the convergence of approximations. Using a suitable source condition, we prove an error bound for discrete solutions. For the numerical solution we propose a gradient-projection algorithm and prove the strong convergence of its iterates to a solution of the identification problem. Finally, we present a numerical experiment which illustrates our theoretical results.
Development and evaluation of an ultrasonic personal aerosol sampler
Creators: name: Leith,
name: Mehaffy,
name: Quinn,
name: Henry,
name: Volckens,
name: Miller-Lionberg,
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: Assessing personal exposure to air pollution has long proven challenging due to technological limitations posed by the samplers themselves. Historically, wearable aerosol monitors have proven to be expensive, noisy, and burdensome. The objective of this work was to develop a new type of wearable monitor, an ultrasonic personal aerosol sampler (UPAS), to overcome many of the technological limitations in personal exposure assessment. The UPAS is a time-integrated monitor that features a novel micro-pump that is virtually silent during operation. A suite of on-board environmental sensors integrated with this pump measure and record mass air flow (0.5-3.0 L/min, accurate within 5%), temperature, pressure, relative humidity, light intensity, and acceleration. Rapid development of the UPAS was made possible through recent advances in low-cost electronics, open-source programming platforms, and additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping. Interchangeable cyclone inlets provided a close match to the EPA PM2.5 mass criterion (within 5%) for device flows at either 1.0 or 2.0 L/min. Battery life varied from 23-45 hrs depending on sample flow rate and selected filter media. Laboratory tests of the UPAS prototype demonstrate excellent agreement with equivalent federal reference method samplers for gravimetric analysis of PM2.5 across a broad range of concentrations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Treatment of pediatric Clostridium difficile infection: a review on treatment efficacy and economic value
Creators: name: So, Tsz-Yin
name: D’Ostroph, Amanda R.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in pediatric patients continues to rise. Most of the pediatric recommendations for CDI treatment are extrapolated from the literature and guidelines for adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends oral metronidazole as the first-line treatment option for an initial CDI and the first recurrence if they are mild to moderate in severity. Oral vancomycin is recommended to be used for severe CDI and the second recurrent infection. Additional pulsed regimen of oral vancomycin, which is tapered, may increase efficacy in refractory patients. However, there is lack of large studies evaluating the use of fidaxomicin in pediatrics to know whether it could be a safe and effective treatment option for difficult-to-treat patients. Fidaxomicin is associated with higher total drug costs compared to metronidazole and vancomycin, but the literature supports its use due to a lower rate of CDI recurrence, which may result in cost savings. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the use of fidaxomicin in patients <18 years old and to understand its role in the standard of care for pediatric patients with CDI.
Open-source underwater trigger camera for marine and aquatic studies.
Creators: name: Humbert, Jefferson
name: Onthank, Kirt
name: Williams, Kresimir
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: open-source, marine, population studies, benthic, trigger-camera, camera, motion-detecting

description: Software and associated files for building an open source underwater trigger camera system for use in aquatic ecology studies.
Average Atom Model based on Quantum Hyper-Netted Chain Method
Creators: name: Chihara, Junzo
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The study shows how to define "exactly" the average ion charge $Z_{\rm I}$ in the electron-ion model for plasmas and liquid metals: this definition comes out of the condition that a plasma consisting of electrons and nuclei can be described by the electron-ion model. Based on this definition of the average ion charge, the Quantum Hyper-Netted Chain (QHNC) method takes account of the resonant-state contribution to the bound electrons to form an ion. On the other hand, Blenski and coworkers have derived a formula to determine the electron density $n_0$ in a plasma as an electron-ion mixture by using the variational method with help of the local density approximation. Without use of any approximation, we derived the formula determining the electron density in an extended form on the basis of the DF theory. This formula is shown to be valid also for the QHNC method.
description: Discussion:added
How much cosmological information can be measured?
Creators: name: Ma, Yin-Zhe
name: Scott, Douglas
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: It has become common to call this the "era of precision cosmology," and hence one rarely hears about the finiteness of the amount of information that is available for constraining cosmological parameters. Under the assumption that the perturbations are purely Gaussian, the amount of extractable information (in terms of total signal-to-noise ratio for power spectrum measurements) is the same (up to a small numerical factor) as an accounting of the number of observable modes. For studies of the microwave sky, we are probably within a factor of a few of the amount of accessible information. To dramatically reduce the uncertainties on parameters will require three-dimensional probes, such as ambitious future redshifted 21-cm surveys. However, even there the available information is still finite, with the total effective signal-to-noise ratio on parameters probably not exceeding $10^7$. The amount of observable information will increase with time (but very slowly) into the extremely distant future.
description: 8 pages, 3 figures
Additional file 1 of Navigating pregnancy and early motherhood in prison: a thematic analysis of mothers’ experiences
Creators: name: Sapkota, Diksha
name: Dennison, Susan
name: Allen, Jyai
name: Gamble, Jenny
name: Williams, Corrie
name: Malope-Rwodzi, Nomxolisi
name: Baar, Laura
name: Ransley, Janet
name: Renae McGee, Tara
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy
subject: Computational Biology

description: Supplementary Material 1
Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of prediabetes among college students
Creators: name: Mery, Andrew
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2022

description: Purpose of ProjectIn the United States, 1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes (CDC, 2021). In the setting of COVID-19, containment policies to mitigate disease contagion had secondary physical implications. To date, little is known regarding the impacts of COVID and prediabetes. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of prediabetes and its associated risk factors in college students. The guiding questions of the study included: What is the prevalence of prediabetes and its associated risk factors among college students in 2019? How does it compare to 2020 in the setting of COVID? MethodologyA retrospective chart review of college students' electronic medical records (EMR) was conducted. Using convenience sampling, 204 patient charts for 2019 and 2020 were reviewed and compared to assess if there was an increased prevalence of prediabetes during the pandemic. ResultsThere was a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of diagnostic or at-risk criteria for prediabetes among the Asian American population in the setting of COVID-19. Asian Americans had the highest prevalence in both years compared to the other ethnic groups. These findings suggest an upward trend in prediabetes and its associated risk factors, particularly among high-risk groups. Implications For PracticeBased on the findings, a wellness campaign called “Wellness Wednesdays” was designed to increase health literacy regarding prediabetes. The aim was to motivate lifestyle changes that can lead to better outcomes and reduce the risk of prediabetes and its risk factors among college students.
A Nutrient-Regulated Cyclic Diguanylate Phosphodiesterase Controls Clostridium difficile Biofilm and Toxin Production during Stationary Phase
Creators: name: Purcell, Erin B.
name: Cheney, Richard E.
name: McBride, Shonna M.
name: Tamayo, Rita
name: Garrett, Elizabeth M.
name: Courson, David S.
name: McKee, Robert W.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: ABSTRACT The signaling molecule cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) mediates physiological adaptation to extracellular stimuli in a wide range of bacteria. The complex metabolic pathways governing c-di-GMP synthesis and degradation are highly regulated, but the specific cues that impact c-di-GMP signaling are largely unknown. In the intestinal pathogen Clostridium difficile , c-di-GMP inhibits flagellar motility and toxin production and promotes pilus-dependent biofilm formation, but no specific biological functions have been ascribed to any of the individual c-di-GMP synthases or phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Here, we report the functional and biochemical characterization of a c-di-GMP PDE, PdcA, 1 of 37 confirmed or putative c-di-GMP metabolism proteins in C. difficile 630. Our studies reveal that pdcA transcription is controlled by the nutrient-regulated transcriptional regulator CodY and accordingly increases during stationary phase. In addition, PdcA PDE activity is allosterically regulated by GTP, further linking c-di-GMP levels to nutrient availability. Mutation of pdcA increased biofilm formation and reduced toxin biosynthesis without affecting swimming motility or global intracellular c-di-GMP. Analysis of the transcriptional response to pdcA mutation indicates that PdcA-dependent phenotypes manifest during stationary phase, consistent with regulation by CodY. These results demonstrate that inactivation of this single PDE gene is sufficient to impact multiple c-di-GMP-dependent phenotypes, including the production of major virulence factors, and suggest a link between c-di-GMP signaling and nutrient availability.
Additional file 1 of HUSH-mediated HIV silencing is independent of TASOR phosphorylation on threonine 819
Creators: name: Vauthier, Virginie
name: Lasserre, Angélique
name: Morel, Marina
name: Versapuech, Margaux
name: Berlioz-Torrent, Clarisse
name: Zamborlini, Alessia
name: Margottin-Goguet, Florence
name: Matkovic, Roy
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Neuroscience
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: 60506 Virology

description: Additional file 1: Figure S1. TASOR is phosphorylated on T819 in primary activated CD4+ T cells. A Activated CD4+ T cells from three donors were treated with nocodazole or etoposide. Indicated proteins were revealed by western blot. A CD4+ quiescent T cells from two donors were activated with CD3 and CD28 antibodies and, 3 days following activation, cells were harvested and indicated proteins detected by western blot.
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies longer than 13 months in naturally infected, captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Texas
Creators: name: Hamer, Sarah A.
name: Nunez, Chase
name: Roundy, Christopher M.
name: Tang, Wendy
name: Thomas, Logan
name: Richison, Jack
name: Benn, Jamie S.
name: Auckland, Lisa D.
name: Hensley, Terry
name: Cook, Walter E.
name: Pauvolid-Corrêa, Alex
name: Hamer, Gabriel L.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Ecology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Hematology
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: 60506 Virology
subject: Computational Biology

description: After identifying a captive herd of white-tailed deer in central Texas with >94% seroprevalence with SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in September 2021, we worked retrospectively through archived serum samples of 21 deer and detected seroconversion of all animals between December 2020 and January 2021. We then collected prospective samples to conclude that the duration of persistence of neutralizing antibodies is at least 13 months for 19 (90.5%) of the animals, with two animals converting to seronegative after six and eight months. Antibody titres generally waned over this time frame, but three deer had a temporary 4- to 8-fold increases in plaque reduction neutralization test titres over a month after seroconversion; anamnestic response cannot be ruled out.