cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Receptor-independent infection of mouse hepatitis virus: analysis by spinoculation.

Cell entry of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is mediated by the interaction of its spike (S) protein and cellular receptor carcinoembryonic antigen adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1, MHVR). However, a highly neurotropic MHV, wild-type (wt) JHMV is known to spread to receptor-negative BHK cells from firstly infected receptor-positive DBT cells (MHVR-independent infection). Although the mechanism of this infection is still unclear, it is hypothesized that the S protein attached on cell surface is activated for fusion by natural dissociation of S1 from S2, which was revealed in wt JHMV but not mutants derived from it, with or without MHVR-independent infection activity, respectively. Wild–type JHMV fails to infect BHK cells by a standard infection procedure, because the virus is not able to attach cells without MHVR. However, the S protein expressed on cell surface infected with wt can attach onto MHVR-negative cells by overlaying these cells, which induces fusion/infection of MHVR deficient cells (infected-cell overlay test). If MHVR-independent infection occurs as expected above, then we will be able to make wt JHMV infect cells by attaching virions onto cells without MHVR. To test this possibility, we employed the spinoculation method, which has been shown to facilitate the binding of 5
Polarization in Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and their Characterization by Scanning Probe Microscopy

In this chapter, we discuss recent developments in the characterization of polarization doped wide bandgap semiconductor (WBS) heterojunctions with an emphasis on characterization by scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Wide bandgap semiconductors, such as SiC and GaN, have a wide variety of applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices [1–6]. The operation of devices made from these materials is dominated by the polarization properties of III-N and SiC semiconductor crystals. For example, polarization doped 2 dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channels in undoped GaN/AlGaN and SiC polytypic heterojunctions have been fabricated with current densites in excess of 1A/mm. Other effects, such as surface charge instability stemming from polarization, offer interesting potentials and challenges.While some of these effects may be studied using more conventional techniques such as currentvoltage (IV) and capacitance-voltage (CV) techniques (described in sections 2 and 3), others require probes capable of investigation on the nanometer scale. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to investigate such polarizationinduced phenomena with atomic resolution, but involves destructive and laborious sample preparation. SPM techniques offer powerful, non-destructive tools to effectively and conveniently probe electronic materials and devices. Since the discovery of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in 1981 by Binnig and Rohrer [7], the field of SPM has advanced to encompass a large number of variations including, (i) STM, (ii) Atomic force microscopy (AFM), (iii) Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), (iv) Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM), (v) Scanning conduction microscopy (SCM), (vi) Magnetic force microscopy (MFM), (vii) Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), and (vii) Near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Of the above modes, the first five modes have been extensively used for semiconductor characterization [8–15]. For WBS characterization, especially III-N, AFM, EFM and SCM modes are the most important due to the strong polarization of III-N and SiC. In the latter half of this chapter, we focus on the characterization of III-N by EFM operated in
Complementary Medicine Use, Symptom Burden and Non-Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background Complementary Medicine (CAM) is often used by patients with chronic illness and may not be disclosed to health care providers without prompting. In other populations, patients who use CAM were more likely to alter medications without discussing it with their provider. This study examined the relationship between self-reported use of CAM, attitudes toward care, and adherence to medical therapy in a population of inner-City kidney transplant recipients. Methods Cross-sectional observational analysis in a random convenience sample from the outpatient transplant clinic. Data were obtained via face-to-face structured closed-ended interview using validated survey instruments. Results 45% of patients reported using CAM. Of the study participants who used CAM, 39.1% reported non-adherence to immunosuppressant medications within the past three months, while among the non-CAM users, 17.9% reported non-adherence (p value=0.084). Adherence to hypoglycemic medication was significantly lower CAM users,(p=0.029). Patients who reported having somatic symptoms were more likely to use CAM. Symptom sum was significantly associated with CAM use, p=0.030, with 47.8% CAM users reporting skin problems vs. 10.7% non-CAM users,p=0.003 and 17.4% CAM users noting loss of appetite, compared to 3.5% of non-CAM users,p=0.002 In a random subgroup of 26 patients, 15% who did not use CAM reported medication side effects, while 53% of CAM users reported them, p =0.039. Conclusions Use of CAM was common in our kidney transplant population. Patients who use CAM reported more somatic symptoms, more medication side effects and were more likely to be non-adherent to non-immunosuppressant medications. Positive response to questions about CAM use may be a surrogate marker for high symptom burden and risk of non-adherence to non-immunosuppresion medications in kidney transplant recipients.
Nuevo nombre para copépodo descrito en el archipiélago cubano (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Asterocheridae)

A new name is proposed for homonymy elimination in Asterocheres Boeck, 1859, species described from Cuban archipelago.
The Persistence of Organizational Deviance: When Informal Sanctioning Systems Undermine Formal Sanctioning Systems

Organizations adopt formal sanctioning systems to deter ethical violations, but the formal systems’ effectiveness may be undermined by informal sanctioning systems which promote violations. I conducted an ethnographic study of six trading crowds on two financial exchanges to understand how informal and formal sanctioning systems, which are grounded in different interpretations of equity, interact to affect trader deviance from rules established by the financial exchange (exchange deviance). To deter informal trader norms that conflict with exchange rules, the exchanges formally prohibit traders’ informal sanctions. The exchanges, however, underestimate traders’ informal sanctions related to ostracism and social rejection, which are not only difficult for the exchanges to detect, but also interpersonally hurtful and harmful to trader performance. Consequently, the traders’ informal social sanctions lead to secondary sanctions from trading firms. Ultimately, the informal sanctioning system evades the formal sanctioning system by exploiting what the exchanges deem to be minor rule violations.
Band mixing and structure of Pd 106 , 108

A simple two-state mixing model has been applied to members of the two lowest ${0}^{+}$ rotational bands in $^{106,108}\mathrm{Pd}$. Unique solutions are found for the ${0}^{+}$ and ${2}^{+}$ mixing in both cases, and for the E2 matrix elements connecting the basis states. The lower basis-state band is found to be somewhat more collective than the second one. Results indicate that $^{108}\mathrm{Pd}$ is slightly more collective than $^{106}\mathrm{Pd}$. In $^{106}\mathrm{Pd}$, The ${2}^{+}$ wave functions from the fit are used to compute matrix elements for 4 \ensuremath{\leftrightarrow} 2 transitions, one of which is unknown.
“You Never Know What Could Happen”: Women’s Perspectives of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in the Context of Recent Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract Background Vulnerability to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a significant public health issue for women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection, women only represent 4.6% of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users in the United States. IPV may present additional difficulties to PrEP access. In this qualitative study, we examined how IPV and the relational context shaped women's decisions, attitudes, and engagement in the PrEP care continuum. Methods We conducted semistructured interviews with 19 women residing in Connecticut who participated in a prospective cohort study. We purposively recruited our sample to include women who reported physical and/or sexual IPV in the past 6 months, and used a grounded theory approach to analyze the qualitative data. Results Our findings suggest multiple ways that the relational context can affect women's decisions, attitudes, and engagement in the PrEP care continuum. We identified five aspects of women's relationships that can shape women's interest, intentions, and access to PrEP: 1) relationship power struggles, 2) infidelity, 3) trust and monogamy, 4) male partner's reactions, and 5) “season of risk” (i.e., PrEP use only during times of perceived human immunodeficiency virus risk). Collectively, these findings suggest that women experiencing IPV might face additional relational challenges that need to be adequately addressed in settings administering PrEP. Conclusions Communication on sexual risk reduction strategies should address relational factors and promote women's autonomy. Future research on long-acting and invisible forms of PrEP may help to circumvent some of the relational barriers women experiencing IPV may face when considering PrEP care.
CHD7 Negatively Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Potency

Abstract Abstract 850 The molecular mechanisms governing HSC homeostasis and potency are incompletely understood. Runx1-CBFb is required for HSC formation in the embryo and for maintaining normal HSC and progenitor cell frequencies in the adult. To identify chromatin regulatory proteins that function with Runx1-CBFb during hematopoiesis, we performed co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry using a FLAG-tagged CBFb protein, and as a control a FLAG-CBFb (G61A/N104A) mutant that cannot bind Runx1. Multiple unique peptides of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme Chromodomain Helicase DNA binding protein 7 (CHD7) were immunoprecipitated specifically with FLAG-CBFb. Autosomal dominant CHD7 mutations are associated with CHARGE syndrome (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth and/or development, Genital and/or urinary abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities and deafness). Several subunits of the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylase (NuRD) complex were also identified, including p66a, p66b, MTA2, and histone binding protein RBBP4. Hence Runx1-CBFb may associate with distinct CHD7 and NuRD containing complexes to regulate HSC function. The CHD7 interaction with Runx1 requires the Runx1 transactivation domain, which is critical for all stages of hematopoiesis. The interaction of CHD7 with Runx1 does not require heterodimer formation with CBFb. Runx1+/−; Chd7+/− double heterozygous mice are born in a sub-Mendelian ratio, indicating that Runx1 and Chd7 interact genetically. Knockdown of chd7 in zebrafish embryos increased the number of runx1 expressing cells specified in the AGM, and this effect is cell autonomous as determined by blastula transplantation. Downstream lineages such as myeloid and erythroid cells were also expanded. Consistent with these results, conditional pan-hematopoietic deletion of Chd7 in mice with Vav1-Cre did not cause mature lineage differentiation defects. Methylcellulose colony forming assays of CHD7 deficient cells resulted in increased granulocyte/monocyte progenitors. Although CHD7 deficient bone marrow had a normal frequency of CD48− CD150+ Lin−Sca-1+c-kit+(LSK) phenotypic long term repopulating HSCs (LT-HSCs), it has a three fold higher frequency of functional LT-HSCs as determined by whole bone marrow limiting dilution transplants. By serial transplantation, a higher percentage of tertiary recipient mice were engrafted with CHD7 deficient bone marrow cells compared to wild type. In summary, our study identifies CHD7 as a novel epigenetic regulator of HSC and progenitor function that functions with Runx1 and members of the NuRD complex to negatively regulate HSC numbers and potency. Disclosures: Zon: Fate Therapeutics: Founder Other.
A Zika Reference Panel for Molecular-Based Diagnostic Devices as a US Food and Drug Administration Response Tool to a Public Health Emergency.

In 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) appeared as an emerging pathogen, generating a global and urgent need for accurate diagnostic devices. During this public health crisis, several nucleic acid testing (NAT)–based Zika assays were submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization. The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in collaboration with the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, responded to this Zika emergency by developing and producing a reference panel (RP) for Zika RNA (Zika FDA-RP) suitable for performance assessment of ZIKV NAT-based in vitro diagnostic devices. Reference panels are a fundamental tool for performance assessment of molecular tests. The panel is composed of five vials: two different heat-inactivated ZIKV strains (PRVABC59 and FSS13025) in concentrated stocks and three blinded concentrations prepared from those strains. The Zika FDA-RP was shared with developers who had devices in the final stages of validation. In vitro diagnostic developers tested the Zika FDA-RP using the FDA-provided protocol. Depending on sample type, 85% (12/14) of the NAT assays had analytical sensitivities between 500 and 5000 RNA NAT-detectable units/mL (NDUs/mL). One device showed better performance (100 NDUs/mL), and another one showed lower performance (10,000 to 30,000 NDUs/mL). Vials of the Zika FDA-RP are available on request to developers who have interacted with the FDA through the review process.
Why Do People Buy Seemingly Irrelevant Items in Voice Product Search?: On the Relation between Product Relevance and Customer Satisfaction in eCommerce

One emerging benefit of voice assistants is to facilitate product search experience, allowing users to express orally which products they seek, and taking actions on retrieved results such as adding them to their cart or sending the product details to their mobile phone for further examination. Looking at users' behavior in product search, supported by a digital voice assistant, we have observed an interesting phenomenon where users purchase or engage with search results that are objectively judged irrelevant to their queries. In this work, we analyze and characterize this phenomenon. We provide several hypotheses as to the reasons behind it, including users' personalized preferences, the product's popularity, the product's indirect relation with the query, the user's tolerance level, the query intent, and the product price. We address each hypothesis by conducting thorough data analyses and offer some insights with respect to users' purchase and engagement behavior with seemingly irrelevant results. We conclude with a discussion on how this analysis can be used to improve voice product search services.
Computational thinking embedded in engineering design: capturing computational thinking of children in an informal engineering design activity

Just as engineering and computational thinking have recently gained increased attention in pre-college school-based education, many museums and science centers have also designed exhibits and experiences to promote computational thinking and engineering learning. Recent reports suggest that computational and engineering thinking can empower each other, and engineering design can be an appropriate context for children’s engagement in computational thinking. Previous studies have documented young children’s abilities to engage in engineering thinking and other studies have collected evidence of young children’s abilities to engage in computational thinking. However, there is little research that explores how children’s engagement in both engineering and computational thinking can support each other. Hence, in this qualitative case study, we aimed to examine how 5 to 7-year-old children engage in computational thinking competencies in the context of a family based engineering design activity. This activity was conducted at a small science center exhibit. In our presented findings we map children’s enactment of at least one CT competency to children’s engagement in engineering design actions.
Experiments On Forced, Quasi-Two-Dimensional Turbulence at Upwelling Fronts

Coastal upwelling fronts have been generated around the outer edge of a cylindrical tank, filled with a two-layer fluid system and driven by a surface stress. Initially, an axisymmetric front was observed which subsequently became unstable to small baroclinic eddies. These eddies continued to grow until, eventually, they reached an equilibrium size. Under some circumstances, cyclonic eddies pinched-off from the fully developed front and moved away from the mean position of the front into the fluid interior. Streak photographs of the fully-developed, flow field were digitized to generate a velocity field interpolated onto a regular grid. A direct two-dimensional FFT was performed on the turbulent kinetic energy deduced from such images and one-dimensional energy (E) wavenumber (K) spectra were extracted. Consistently, K −5/3 energy spectra were found at lower K and approximately K −5 spectra at higher K. In any given experiment, the two spectral slopes meet close to a wavenumber K w = 2π/λ w (where λ w is the mean diameter of a frontal eddy). According to classical theories, K w would be the input wavenumber and the range of K with a K −5/3 spectrum the inverse energy cascade which yielded a Kolmogorov constant (C) that varied within the limits 3.6 ≤ C ≤ 6.3. The approximately K −5 range, which is much steeper than that predicted by the theories, is consistent with those found frequently in numerical experiments.
Pro-Social versus Anti-Social Innovation: The Role of Corporate Strategy, Governance and Resources

While innovation is generally thought to provide value to society, the organization literature is beginning to examine this issue more closely by noting that innovation may also lead to negative social outcomes - oftentimes unintended consequences of policies or market incentives to innovate. In this research, we investigate the firm-specific characteristics under which innovations are likely to result in socially desirable versus undesirable outcomes. Our empirical setting is the regulation of auto emissions in the EU. Using a unique 14-year on-road emission dataset and multiple sources to characterize individual automakers, we build a two-stage Heckman model to investigate how firms’ strategy, governance and resources impact the social value of their innovations. Our findings suggest that firms with superior internal governance, abundant resources, and those following a differentiation-oriented strategy are more likely to engage in pro-social innovations, while firms with weaker internal governance, limited resources, and those undertaking a cost-leadership strategy are more likely to engage in anti-social innovations. Our findings have both managerial and regulatory policy implications.
Sports Stadiums and Local Economic Activity: Evidence from Sales Tax Collections

Though most studies find that sports stadiums are not strong drivers of economic activity in metropolitan areas, localized development effects may be sufficient to justify public subsidies for a host municipality if circumstances are favorable. This analysis examines the economic ramifications of an intra-metropolitan area relocation of Atlanta’s professional baseball team from a traditional standalone downtown stadium to a new stadium-anchored mixed-use development in suburban Cobb County. Using the synthetic control method, the study employs metro-Atlanta counties to construct a counterfactual outcome for estimating changes in sales tax revenue after the ballpark opened. The findings indicate a net increase in taxable sales in the county; however, the magnitude of the effect is small and not statistically significant. Though net new spending is evident, approximately one-third of the project’s sales appear to derive from crowding out other local economic activity. In total, added tax collections fall well short of covering the public subsidies provided by Cobb. The stadium’s limited economic impact, despite its favorable location and ancillary mixed-use development, further supports past findings that sports venues are poor investments as economic development projects.
Alternatives to the Cerebrospinal Fluid Venereal Disease Research Laboratory Test for Neurosyphilis Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of neurosyphilis relies in large part on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test, which is diagnostically specific but not sensitive. METHODS We determined the sensitivity and specificity of 3 CSF tests in addition to the CSF-VDRL in participants with syphilis enrolled in a research study: detection of Treponema pallidum ribosomal RNA, T. pallidum particle agglutination titer, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) concentration. Neurosyphilis was defined as asymptomatic or symptomatic meningitis: CSF white blood cells >10/μL without or with neurological symptoms, including new vision or hearing loss. RESULTS Cerebrospinal fluid-VDRL, CSF T. pallidum ribosomal RNA detection, and CSF T. pallidum particle agglutination titer ≥1:640 were specific (89%-96%) but not sensitive (12%-48%). In contrast, diagnostic sensitivity of CSF-CXCL13 thresholds established from receiver operating characteristic curves using the Youden index was 78% to 83% and specificity was 76% to 81%. In individuals with nonreactive CSF-VDRL, neurosyphilis diagnosis could be confirmed by CSF-CXCL13 concentration in 69% to 75%. CONCLUSIONS Further studies of CSF-CXCL13 should include CSF samples from multiple cohorts and countries and should use standard neurosyphilis definitions to establish uniform thresholds for diagnosis.
Analyzing the impact of missing values and selection bias on fairness

Algorithmic decision making is becoming more prevalent, increasingly impacting people’s daily lives. Recently, discussions have been emerging about the fairness of decisions made by machines. Researchers have proposed different approaches for improving the fairness of these algorithms. While these approaches can help machines make fairer decisions, they have been developed and validated on fairly clean data sets. Unfortunately, most real-world data have complexities that make them more dirty. This work considers two of these complexities by analyzing the impact of two real-world data issues on fairness—missing values and selection bias—for categorical data. After formulating this problem and showing its existence, we propose fixing algorithms for data sets containing missing values and/or selection bias that use different forms of reweighting and resampling based upon the missing value generation process. We conduct an extensive empirical evaluation on both real-world and synthetic data using various fairness metrics, and demonstrate how different missing values generated from different mechanisms and selection bias impact prediction fairness, even when prediction accuracy remains fairly constant.
Ochlocracy as a Critique of Democracy in the Ancient Greek World

In the ancient Greek city-states, 5000 citizens or more might meet in the Democratic citizens assembly. Under such conditions, sometimes “crowd psychology” took over, and the citizens acted like a mob—out of control—rather than a national debating assembly. Herodotus, in his “dialogue on the forms of government” in his Histories, mentions mob psychology as one of the criticisms of democracy. This was echoed by Plato and asserted by Polybius, a Greek, who wrote the first history in Rome (in Book VI). Even the American founding fathers worried about “mob rule.”
Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant is Associated with Higher Infectious Virus Loads Compared to the Alpha Variant in both Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Individuals

Abstract Background The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) B.1.6.17.2 (Delta) quickly displaced the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and is associated with increases in COVID-19 cases nationally. The Delta variant has been associated with greater transmissibility and higher viral RNA loads in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals. Data is lacking regarding the infectious virus load in Delta infected individuals and how that compares to individuals infected with other SARS-CoV-2 lineages. Methods Whole genome sequencing of 2,785 clinical isolates was used to characterize the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the National Capital Region between January and July 2021. Clinical chart reviews were performed for the Delta, Alpha, and B.1.2 (a control predominant lineage prior to both VOCs) variants to evaluate disease severity and outcome and Cycle threshold values (Cts) were compared. The presence of infectious virus was determined using Vero-TMPRSS2 cells and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were determined from upper respiratory specimen. An analysis of infection in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated populations was performed. Results The Delta variant displaced the Alpha variant to constitute 88.2% of the circulating lineages in the National Capital Region by July, 2021. The Delta variant associated with increased breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated individuals that were mostly symptomatic when compared to the Alpha breakthrough infections, though it is important to note there was a significantly longer period of time between vaccination and infection with Delta infections. The recovery of infectious virus on cell culture was significantly higher with the Delta variant compared to Alpha in both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The impact of vaccination on reducing the recovery of infectious virus from clinical samples was only observed with Alpha variant infections but was strongly associated with low localized SARS-CoV-2 IgG for both variants. A comparison of Ct values showed a significant decrease in the Delta compared to Alpha with no significant differences between unvaccinated and vaccinated groups. Conclusions Our data indicate that the Delta variant is associated with increased infectious virus loads when compared to the Alpha variant and decreased upper respiratory antiviral IgG levels. Measures to reduce transmission in addition to increasing vaccinations rates have to be implemented to reduce Delta variant spread. Funding NIH/NIAID Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance contract HHS N2772201400007C, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland department of health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contract 75D30121C11061.
History of Redistricting Through the 1980s in the United States and North Carolina

This chapter presents a brief history of North Carolina’s redistricting up to World War II, followed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting revolution and the major cases impacting redistricting activities in the state. Congress enters the redistricting arena with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. North Carolina enacts new redistricting efforts following these congressional and judicial actions, leading to the 1985 Gingles case that presents the first major U.S. Supreme Court analysis of redistricting based on race.
Outcomes of Sprint Fidelis and Riata lead extraction: Data from 2 high-volume centers

Background The Sprint Fidelis (SF) and the Riata (RT) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads have been recalled for premature failure. Objective Data on SF and RT extractions are limited; therefore, we performed a pooled analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of lead extraction for the SF and RT lead families. Methods We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients undergoing transvenous extraction of SF and RT leads at Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from January 2007 to October 2013. Patients were placed into 2 groups based on the presence of an SF or RT lead. The primary endpoint was a major procedural complication, defined as death, need for urgent cardiac surgery, and hemopericardium or hemothorax that required an intervention. Results A total of 462 patients underwent extraction of recalled leads (SF, n=360; RT, n=102). The mean number of leads extracted in the RT group was higher than in the SF group (1.8 ± 0.9 vs 1.3 ± 0.7, P P P =.024). Clinical success was similar (SF 99.4% vs RT 97.1%, P = .075). There were 6 major procedural complications in the entire cohort (1.3%). The rate of major complications was not different between the SF and RT groups (SF 1.1% vs RT 2.0%, P = .618). Total mortality was 0.65%, with no difference between the groups Conclusion Our data from 2 high-volume centers suggest that extraction of SF and RT leads is associated with excellent clinical success and a similar rate of major procedural complications.
Factors Affecting Faculty Use Of Learning Object Repositories: An Exploratory Study Of Orange Grove And Wisc-online

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that motivate or impede faculty use of learning object repositories (LORs). The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) served as the theoretical framework for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in the study to explore two research questions relating to factors affecting faculty use of LORs. Research subjects were faculty and instructional staff users from two LORs: Orange Grove and Wisc-Online. This study was a two-phase design study. In Phase I, I conducted 13 interviews and analyzed data by a content analysis method. Phase II of the study was designed based on the results of Phase I. I collected data by a survey instrument from 38 respondents and analyzed the data by descriptive statistics and analysis of variance in Phase II. The results of the study indicated 22 factors as motivators for faculty use of LORs and 13 factors as barriers for faculty use of LORs. The study is the first to identify factors affecting faculty use of LORs from actual faculty users’ perspectives based on UTAUT. The study’s findings contribute to understanding the reasons that faculty use or do not use LORs and provide foundations for designing strategies to increase faculty use of LORs.
Alternative Life-Histories in Callosobruchus maculatus: Environmental and Genetic Bases

This review considers within- and between-population variation in three traits that mediate intraspecific competition in Callosobruchus maculatus: 1) the production of the “active” or dispersing morph, 2) the tendency to distribute eggs uniformly among seeds, and 3) the competitiveness of larvae confined to the same seed. The proportion of active progeny in different strains ranged from near zero despite intense crowding to > 30% even in the absence of crowding. Similarly, distributions of eggs varied from nearly uniform to nearly random. A strain producing highly uniform egg distributions also exhibited unusually competitive larvae; if two larvae entered a small seed simultaneously, only one adult emerged. In contrast, > 50% of seeds bearing two larvae from a different strain yielded two adults. Each trait was under polygenic control, but differences between strains were caused by both additive (in the case of morph determination) or non-additive (in the case uniform egg-laying) genetic variation. Quantitative-genetic analysis within an outbred strain produced significant heritabilities for body size, development time, fecundity, and egg dispersion. Comprehensive genetic and demographic analyses are needed to determine if morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits in C. maculatus covary in a predictable way to form alternative life-histories.
Apparent/spurious multifractality of absolute increments sampled from truncated fractional Gaussian/Lévy noise

[1] Many earth and environmental variables appear to scale as multifractals with spatial or temporal increments having exceedance probability tails decaying as powers of −α where 1 < α ≤ 2. The literature considers multifractal scaling to be associated with multiplicative random fields or processes. Elsewhere the author has demonstrated theoretically that square increments, sampled across a finite domain from one or several realizations of additive fractional Gaussian noise (fGn), behave as if the field was multifractal when in fact it is monofractal self-affine; square increments sampled from additive fractional Levy noise (fLn) with 1 < α < 2 exhibit spurious multifractality. This brief letter demonstrates the same numerically for random absolute increments. The results have broad implications vis-a-vis the scaling of variables considered in the literature to be multifractal, raising the possibility that some if not all may in fact represent truncated monofractal phenomena.
The Regulatory Systems for Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits Law is complex and often misunderstood. This article explains the regulatory systems developed by Congress over nearly a century. Initially Congress created tax preferences to encourage employers to offer retirement and healthcare benefits to employees. Several decades later, Congress enacted the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), providing substantive regulation under labor law and tax law. Since ERISA, there have been about three dozen public laws which have changed the systems. Not surprisingly, confusion has accompanied the regular modifications to a very technical area of law. Nevertheless, the multitude of laws can be simplified. This is possible with an understanding of how the parts combine to form cohesive regulatory systems. In short, Congress overlapped tax law and labor law to create the bounds of the regulatory systems for employer-provided retirement and healthcare benefits. Within these systems, two types of rules were employed: incentives and sanctions. This article explains how all of the pieces fit together to promote retirement and healthcare security, and suggests that a systematic method of analysis may be the best approach for creating the benefits law of tomorrow.
A Comparative Study of the Cognitive Function of the Hearing-Impaired and Non-Hearing Impaired in Two Primary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria

Background: The study was carried out in two primary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria using 302 respondents aged 6-20 years. The study compared the cognitive function of pupils from Wesley School for the hearing-impaired with pupils from Onitolo Primary School a main stream school to see if similarities or differences existed in their cognitive function and to determine the factors determining their performance on a standard non-verbal test. Method: The instrument of data collection was the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices, a standard, non-verbal intelligence test. Statistical association using Chi-Square was used to test for associations between categorical variables. Kruskal-Wallis was used to test for association that was not normally distributed. The students were statistically matched and compared by bivariate analysis and multiple regression analysis for selected variables. Correlation Coefficient was used to examine linear relationships between selected independent variables and multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine which variables were significant predictors of performance taking possible confounders into consideration. Results: Respondents from Wesley School were much older than respondents from the public main-stream school, class for class. There was no statistically significant difference in their cognitive functions. The mean score difference between the two schools was 0.54 with respondents from Wesley School scoring higher. Sex and class in primary school were determinants of score. Males scored higher than females. Respondents of skilled parents had the highest scores. There was no relationship between the time the child became hearing-impaired and their scores. The mean score difference between children that became hearing-impaired by their first year of life and children that became hearing-impaired after the first year of life was 1.83. The children that became hearing-impaired after their first year of life scored higher (P=0.46). Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in the cognitive functions between the hearing-impaired and the non-hearing-impaired pupils. Children that are hearing-impaired should be given equal opportunities. Keywords: Lagos, Nigeria; hearing-impaired; cognitive function; Standard non-verbal test; Deaf; Wesley School; Onitolo School; Cognition; Intelligence Test; Raven’s Intelligence Test.
Trapped fourth ventricle phenomenon following aneurysm rupture of the posterior circulation: case reports.

Background and importance Cerebral ventricular noncommunication has been described in the setting of infection and acutely in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage. We describe the first adult case series of individuals who developed delayed isolated fourth ventricles after rupture of intracranial posterior circulation aneurysms and define treatment modality. Clinical presentation A retrospective review was performed of all patients with aneurysms treated at a single institution from 2005 to 2009. Both microsurgical obliteration and endovascular cases were queried. Of 1044 aneurysms treated in this period, 3 patients were identified who required fourth ventricular shunting, for the treatment of the isolated ventricle. All 3 patients underwent microsurgical clip obliteration of their aneurysms and had subsequent frontal approach ventriculoperitoneal cerebrospinal fluid diversion. These patients had no evidence of infection of the cerebrospinal fluid as measured by serial cultures. Subsequently, all 3 patients presented in a delayed fashion with symptoms attributable to a dilated fourth ventricle and syringomyelia or syringobulbia. Either exploration or percutaneous tapping confirmed the function of the supratentorial shunt. These patients then underwent fourth ventriculoperitoneal cerebrospinal fluid diversion by the use of a low-pressure shunt system. The symptoms attributable to the isolated fourth ventricle resolved rapidly in all 3 patients after shunting. This clinical improvement correlated with the fourth ventricular size. Conclusion Isolated fourth ventricle, in an adult, is a rare phenomenon associated with intracranial posterior circulation aneurysm rupture treated with microsurgical clip obliteration. Fourth ventriculoperitoneal cerebrospinal fluid diversion is effective at resolving the symptoms attributed to the trapped ventricle and associated syrinx.
The Heiltsuks: Dialogues of Culture and History on the Northwest Coast

In an incisive and wide-ranging critique of ethnohistory and historical anthropology, Michael E. Harkin develops an innovative approach to understanding the profound cultural changes experienced during the past century by the Heiltsuks (Bella Bella), a Northwest Coast Indian group. Between 1880 and 1920, the Heiltsuks changed from one of the most traditional and aggressive groups on the Northwest Coast to paragons of Victorian virtues. Why and how did this dramatic transformation occur? Harkin answers these questions by tracing the changing views the Heiltsuks had of themselves and of their past as they encountered colonial powers. Rejecting many of the common methods and assumptions of ethnohistorians as unwittingly Eurocentric or simplistic, Harkin argues that the multiple perspectives, motives, and events constituting the Heiltsuks' world and history can be productively conceived of as dialogues, ongoing series of culturally embedded communicative acts that presuppose previous acts and constrain future ones. Historical transformations in three of these dialogues, centring on the body, material goods, and concepts of the soul, are examined in detail. Michael E. Harkin is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming and the author of a forthcoming study of Northwest Coast Indians.
Euphorbiaceae of the Guianas: Annotated species checklist and key to the genera

An annotated checklist of species of Euphorbiaceae of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana) and the adjacent region is presented and a key to the genera is provided. A total of 47 indigenous genera and 153 species are known from the Guianas, where species endemism is 14%, with the greatest number of endemics occurring in Guyana and the fewest in French Guiana. An additional 86 species and an additional seven genera are known from neighboring areas of the Guayana Region; many of these may be expected to occur in the Guianas. Taxa known only in cultivation in the Guianas include 22 species and an additional six genera. The following new combination is proposed,Croton vergarenae.
On Espenshade’s comments on Mitra’s generalization

In responding to Professor Espenshade's comment on my (Mitra, 1983) paper let me begin with his finding the title misleading in the sense that for below replacement fertility Espenshade et al.'s (1982) results are more general than mine. According to him, this is so because I have assumed that immigrant women adopt the fertility pattern of the host country immediately. In order to derive my results, I used their model equation (Espenshade et al., 1982 eq. [3]) as a starting point, obtained by them on the assumption of immigrant women's immediate adoption of the host country's reproductive behavior. So my assumption had to be the same as theirs. However, I did not remove the restriction as they did at the end of their paper, since I felt that interested readers can do that themselves and compare the results. Perhaps I was too presumptuous on that account and, therefore, in order to set the record straight I shall show in the following that the model is general enough to handle cases in which the ith generation descendants of the immigrants, experience changing fertility schedules mi(a) for i = 1, 2, . . . k 1 and all generations thereafter adopt the host country's fertility schedule m(a). When the process is in operation for an indefinite length of time, the number of female births B(T) at any given time , can be decomposed into the following:
Role of RhoA, mDia, and ROCK in cell shape-dependent control of the Skp2-p27kip1 pathway and the G1/S transition

Abstract Cell shape-dependent control of cell-cycle progression underlies the spatial differentials of growth that drive tissue morphogenesis, yet little is known about how cell distortion impacts the biochemical signaling machinery that is responsible for growth control. Here we show that the Rho family GTPase, RhoA, conveys the “cell shape signal” to the cell-cycle machinery in human capillary endothelial cells. Cells accumulating p27kip1 and arrested in mid G1 phase when spreading were inhibited by restricted extracellular matrix adhesion, whereas constitutively active RhoA increased expression of the F-box protein Skp2 required for ubiquitination-dependent degradation of p27kip1 and restored G1 progression in these cells. Studies with dominant-negative and constitutively active forms of mDia1, a downstream effector of RhoA, and with a pharmacological inhibitor of ROCK, another RhoA target, revealed that RhoA promoted G1 progression by altering the balance of activities between these two downstream effectors. These data indicate that signaling proteins such as mDia1 and ROCK, which are thought to be involved primarily in cytoskeletal remodeling, also mediate cell growth regulation by coupling cell shape to the cell-cycle machinery at the level of signal transduction.
GM1 Ganglioside for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Trial Design Issues

GM1 ganglioside decreases the severity of ischemic brain lesions in experimental models, although the mechanism is uncertain. In clinical trials involving patients with stroke, efficacy has been reported in some but not in others. However, some of the latter also showed efficacy after analyses not planned before the trial began. Analyses of the trials done to date revealed design differences sufficiently large so as to preclude meta-analysis of the results. Moreover, flaws in these studies may account for some of their failure to demonstrate that GM1 therapy is efficacious in ischemic stroke. Several of these flaws are discussed, including small sample size; attrition of the study cohort; inclusion of stroke severity and type that made demonstrations of a beneficial effect difficult; use of inappropriate clinical and outcome measuring instruments; delay in enrollment; inappropriate statistical analyses; inadequate dose; inappropriate route of administration; a too short duration of treatment. Improvements in these design features in future clinical trials of GM1 may yet demonstrate efficacy of this drug in acute ischemic stroke.
Interactions between radiation-sensitive mutations in double-mutant haploids of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Haploid strains of Dictyostelium discoideum carrying radiation-sensitive mutations in both the radA and radC genes are more sensitive to UV light irradiation than the “additive” sensitivity of the single-mutant haploids. This synergistic interaction indicates that the radA and radC gene products are involved in two different pathways of repair following UV-induced DNA damage. Double-mutant haploids bearing mutations in both the radA and radB genes have the same sensitivity as the radB single mutant indicating that the radA and radB gene products are involved in the same repair pathway.
A decade of epigenetic research in Toxoplasma gondii

In the past 10 years, the field of parasitology has witnessed an explosion of studies investigating gene regulation. In this review, we will describe recent advances largely stemming from the study of Toxoplasma gondii, a significant opportunistic pathogen and useful model for other apicomplexan protozoa. Surprising findings have emerged, including the discovery of a wealth of epigenetic machinery in these primitive eukaryotes, unusual histone variants, and a battery of plant-like transcription factors. We will elaborate on how these unusual features impact parasite physiology and potential therapeutics as we summarize some of the key discoveries from the last decade. We will close by proposing a few questions to address in the next 10 years.
Fluorine in Iceland and Reykjanes Ridge basalts

Unlike chlorine and bromine, fluorine is not appreciably outgassed from basalts erupted above 500 m depth along the Reykjanes Ridge and subaerially over Iceland. The mantle beneath Iceland seems to be twice as rich in fluorine as the asthenosphere source of normal ridge basalts south of 61°N.
Functional and regulatory analysis of the dictyostelium G-box binding factor.

The Dictyostelium discoidium G-box binding factor (GBF) is required for the induction of known postaggregative and cell-type-specific genes. gbf-null cells undergo developmental arrest at the loose-mound stage due to the absence of GBF-targeted gene transcription. GBF-mediated gene expression is activated by stimulation of cell-surface, seven-span cAMP receptors, but this activation is independent of heterotrimeric G-proteins. To further characterize GBF, we assayed a series of GBF mutants for their ability to bind a G-box in vitro and to complement the gbf-null phenotype. In vitro DNA-binding activity resides in the central portion of the protein, which contains two predicted zinc fingers. However, in vivo GBF function requires only one intact zinc finger. In addition, expression of some GBF mutants results in a partial complementation phenotype, suggesting that these mutants are hypomorphic alleles. We used a 2.4-kb GBF-promoter fragment to examine the regulation of GBF expression. GBF promoter-reporter studies confirmed the previous finding that GBF transcription is induced by continuous, micromolar extracellular cAMP. We also show that, like the activation of GBF-regulated transcription, the induction of GBF expression requires cell-surface cAMP receptors, but not heterotrimeric G-proteins. Finally, reporter studies demonstrated that induction of GBF-promoter-regulated expression does not require the presence of GBF protein, indicating that GBF expression is not regulated by a positive autoregulatory loop.