cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing Price Risk in Volatile Grain Markets, Issues and Potential Solutions

During 2008 extreme price volatility in grain markets led to country elevators incurring unprecedentedly large margin calls on their futures hedges. As a result elevators’ traditional liquidity sources and lines of credit were stretched to breaking point. This article explores the potential liquidity benefits of making available an Over-the-Counter Margin Credit Swap contract to grain hedgers. The swap would enable hedgers to draw upon sources of capital outside the farm credit system to provide liquidity needed to make margin calls. Simulation results clearly show that a Margin Credit Swap contract would provide significant liquidity benefits to hedgers during volatile periods.
QA/Testing Bi-directional Languages Software: Issues and Challenges

Testing global software differs from conventional software testing in that the test design approach must consider the defined and implied issues of specific culture, language, date format, currency format, etc. In bi-directional software testing (software targeting Arabic, Hebrew, etc.) has many unique issues. Target users of Arabic software demand the same high quality standards as other users. Developers and localizers must fully understand the unique aspects of the Arabic language and ensure complete test coverage to the software quality attributes. In this paper we briefly discuss the critical issues and challenges concerning QA/testing of bidirectional languages software.
AlGaN/GaN HEMTs: Experiment and Simulation of DC Characteristics

This paper presents simulated DC characteristics of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT along with corroborating experimental measurements for validation. GaN-based HFETs are vigorously pursued for possible applications in high power presented in I. Daumiller et al. (1998), high temperature presented in Y.-F. Wu et al. (2004), and high frequency devices and circuits. Theoretical experimentation is required for device optimization to realize higher power and operation at frequencies through W-band
Approximate conditional-mean type smoothers and interpolators

A class of robust smoother and interpolator algorithms is introduced. The motivation for these smoothers and interpolators is a theorem concerning approximate conditional-mean smoothers for vector Markov processes in additive non-Gaussian noise. This theorem is the smoothing analog of Masreliez’s approximate non-Gaussian filter theorem (IEEE-Auto. Control, AC-20, 1975). The theorem presented here relies on the assumption that a certain conditional density is Gaussian, just as does Masreliez’s result. This assumption will rarely, if ever, be satisfied exactly. Thus a continuity theorem is also presented which lends support to the intuitive notion that the conditional density in question will be nearly Gaussian in a strong sense when the additive noise is nearly Gaussian in a comparatively weak sense. Approaches for implementing the robust smoothers and interpolators is discussed and an application to a real data set is presented.
Complex Volcanic-Sedimentary Patterns in the Magog Belt of Northeastern Newfoundland

Lower Paleozoic strata are well exposed and only weakly metamorphosed at the northern end of the Appalachian volcanic belt in northeastern Newfoundland. The region has been segmented by major faults into structural-stratigraphic blocks which reflect differing sedimentary and tectonic histories. Faulting probably commenced in the Ordovician, contemporaneous with widespread outpourings of submarine volcanics. The stratified sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the region compose an eugeosynclinal assemblage of deposits over 2300 m thick ranging in age from earliest Ordovician through early Silurian. The typical succession represents a coarsening flysch pattern of deposition. Early deposits interfinger with mafic lavas and are richly volcanogenic in provenance. Later strata, although not devoid of the effects of volcanism, reflect increasing introduction of felsic detritus, probably from plutonic sources. Latest deposits are quite coarse clastics, representing both cannibalization of earlier deposits raised by internal tectonic lands and the influx of plutonic debris from proximal sources. The most interesting aspect of the succession is lateral variability. Faunal age control establishes complex relationships between volcanic and sedimentary facies throughout the Ordovician. Characteristic lithic units, such as lava flows or conglomerate lentils, are spatially restricted, but may be found at any stratigraphic level. Stratigraphic complexities in this region may also pertain in unfossiliferous or highly metamorphosed terranes throughout the Appalachian Magog Belt. The stratigraphic record of the region reflects a tectonic history that is probably analogous with other parts of the Appalachian orogenic belt. The evidence supports a model for the evolution of that orogen which is in accord with recent hypotheses on global tectonics and sea-floor spreading.
Total esophagectomy and descending colon bypass for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Abstract Twenty patients with carcinoma of the esophagus were treated with descending colon bypass and combined radiation and chemotherapy. The results obtained are described. In ten patients, total esophagectomy was also performed with a significant prolongation of life and well-being. The advantages as well as the disadvantages of using the descending colon for esophageal bypass are described. The merits of treating esophageal carcinoma in a sequence of stages, including use of the descending colon for bypass radiation therapy, and total esophagectomy are reviewed.
Carbon pellet cloud striations

Fine-scale striations, with alternating rows of bright and dark zones, have been observed in the ablation clouds of carbon pellets injected into the TEXT tokamak. The striations extend along the magnetic field for about 1 cm with quite regular cross-field variations characterized by a wavelength of a few millimeters. It is proposed that the striations are the manifestation of the saturated state of growing fluctuations inside the cloud. The instability is generated by E*B rotation of the ablation cloud. The outward centrifugal force points down the ablation density gradient, inducing the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The instability is not present for wave numbers along the field lines, which may explain why the striations are long and uniform in that direction. The E field develops inside the ablation cloud as a result of cold electron return currents that are induced to cancel the incoming hot plasma electron current streaming along the lines. >
Adhesion, stability, and bonding at metal/metal-carbide interfaces: Al/WC

We examine the relative stability and adhesion of the polar Al(1 1 1)/WC(0 0 0 1) interface using density functional theory. Relaxed atomic geometries and the ideal work of adhesion were calculated for six different interfacial structures, taking into account both W- and C-terminations of the carbide. The interfacial electronic structure was analyzed to determine the nature of metal/carbide bonding. Based on the surface and interfacial free energies, we find that both the clean WC(0 0 0 1) surface and the optimal interface geometry are W-terminated. Although both terminations yield substantial adhesion energies in the range 4–6 J/m 2 , bonding at the optimal C-terminated structure is nearly 2 J/m 2 stronger, consistent with an argument based on surface reactivity. In addition, we examine the effects of Li and Mg alloying elements at the interface, and find that they result in a strain-induced reduction of metal–ceramic adhesion. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
On the distribution of anomalous mass within the Earth: forward models of the gravitational potential spectrum using ensembles of discrete mass elements

SUMMARY We investigate forward models of the gravitational potential spectrum generated by ensembles of discrete sources of anomalous mass, having radial distributions with different statistical properties. Models with a random distribution of point source locations throughout the volume of the mantle produce spectra similar to that of the Earth only when the (absolute) source magnitudes increase strongly with depth, at least as d'.5. The effects of the geographic (latitude-longitude) distribution of source locations are generally unimportant in determining the general degree dependence of the potential spectrum. The dimensions of the sources are also of secondary importance, at least up to an angular diameter of about 40°, i.e., continent-sized. Sources of this size confined to the upper mantle do not appear capable of producing the degree dependence of the observed geopotential spectrum; the low harmonics (2-4) in particular appear to require lower mantle sources of considerable strength. Further, at least some of these deep sources must be largely monopolar in nature, (i.e., uncompensated) due to the stronger depth attenuation of dipole (compensated) sources. Because topography on the core-mantle boundary must be either isostatically or dynamically compensated, it may contribute little strength to the observed potential spectrum.
Neuroendocrine regulation of sexually dimorphic brain structure and associated sexual behavior in male rats is genetically controlled.

Abstract Steroid hormones, particularly 17β-estradiol (E2), regulate the development and expression of neural structures and sexual behavior. Recently, we demonstrated that E2-regulated responses are controlled by quantitative trait loci. In this study, we quantified 1) volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the preoptic area (POA); 2) medial basal hypothalamic (MBH)-POA aromatase and 5α-reductase enzyme activities during prenatal development and in adults; 3) serum LH, testosterone, FSH, E2, prolactin (PRL), and corticosterone levels; 4) reproductive organ (i.e., testis and ventral prostate) weights; and 5) male mating behavior in Noble (NB/Cr) and Wistar-Furth (WF/NCr) rat strains to determine the genetic influence on the measured parameters. Maximal phenotypic divergence in male SDN-POA volumes was seen between NB/Cr versus WF/NCr and BDIX/Cr rats (among nine rat strains initially examined), with the average SDN-POA volume of NB/Cr male rats being significantly greater (≈30%) than that of ei...
Sowing The Seeds Of Reform In 1994

Abstract: The prospects for reforming health care financing revolve around five questions: (1) Will Congress mandate universal coverage? (2) Will Congress require employers to pay most of the cost of employee coverage? (3) Will Congress authorize effective limits on health care spending? (4) What role should regional health alliances play in the reformed system? (5) How much change in health insurance arrangements can be implemented over the remainder of this decade? The author argues that the prospects are slight for quickly implementing reforms as sweeping as those that President Clinton has proposed. But prospects are good for beginning a process that will lead to universal coverage and effective cost controls. The key is the creation of regional alliances.
How society treats smoking

Bans on smoking in bars and other public places can make an important contribution to public health. However, for these bans to be effective, they require broad public support. Qualitative studies of the attitudes and perceptions of bar owners and patrons can help public health professionals identify the steps needed to promote public support for smoking bans. Such studies can also generate narratives and quotes that can help public health professionals translate findings on perceptions and attitudes into effective public education campaigns and related policy changes.
Double nicking of Mohs tissue specimen.

From the Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati. Reprint requests: Hugh M. Gloster, MD, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, PO Box 670592, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0592. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:1067-8. Copyright © 2000 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. 0190-9622/2000/$12.00 + 0 16/74/105553 doi:10.1067/mjd.2000.105553 M ultiple articles review in detail the process of Mohs micrographic surgery. The skin tumor is debulked using a curet, the tumor is circularly excised at a 45° angle, the tissue is oriented and compressed, and its sides are dyed. The tissue is then frozen and horizontal sections are made; subsequently the tissue is microscopically examined to delineate the margins of tumor. By carefully constructing a map of the excisional specimen and the skin from which it was taken, the Mohs surgeon is able to precisely locate and excise residual tumor, ultimately resulting in tissue preservation and high cure rates.1-3 Accurate mapping and maintenance of tissue orientation is critical during this process. To prevent disorientation during tissue processing, surgeons have utilized different color dyes to stain the edges.4 Some authors have reported unique methods to ensure correct orientation without the use of dye staining.5 For several reasons, disorientation may also occur simply during the transport of the specimen to the processing room. To assist in proper orientation, frequently single nicks are drawn at equal distances around the specimen to be removed and the adjacent remaining skin.1,2 In addition to superficial scoring with a surgical blade, sutures and staples have been reported as aids in specimen orientation.1 To our knowledge, only one report plainly advises using different numbers of nicks along the edges of the specimen and the defect.5 As an added safety measure, the surgeon also orients the excisional specimen during transport by placing an identifying mark on the gauze.
Combined error correcting and compressing codes

Traditionally the two encoding operations of compression and error detection/correction are at odds with one another. In the cases where these two encoding operations are combined, they are generally done as two separate encoding steps. Error correcting and compression coding (ECCC) explores the possibility of performing both compression and error correction in a single coding step. ECCC encodes using codewords of varying lengths, but selects codewords such that a minimum Hamming (1980) distance between codewords is maintained, enabling error detection and correction. Four results are presented. First, a motivating example of ECCC is shown. Second, a generalization of the Kraft-McMillen inequality bounding the existence of ECCC codes is presented. Third, preliminary techniques for generating ECCC codes are explored. Finally, a construction is presented which allows more complex ECCC codes to be built from simple codes.
Cross-Gendered Romans and Mark's Jesus: Legion Enters the Pigs (Mark 5:1–20)

This reading engages two important and related dimensions of Mark’s scene of Legion entering the pigs. First, is the name Legion to be understood as signifying numbers (Gundry), or as a largely nonintegrated or secondary military detail (Marcus, Collins), or, as will be argued here, a military reference that is, along with other military terms and motifs, central to the scene? Second, how might we understand the demon’s unusual request to enter the pigs? Seeking to integrate a military meaning for the name “Legion” with an explanation for the demon’s request to enter the pigs, and employing imperial-critical, masculinity, and sociopolitical-narrative approaches, this paper highlights the scene’s polyvalent gendered and military-imperial language that has often been neglected since Derrett’s brief but undeveloped 1979 reference to it. My argument is that the scene inscribes Jesus’s hegemonic masculinity even while it mocks Roman power as an out-of-control, demonic, militaristic, and (self-)destructive masculinity, and fantasizes Rome’s defeat as womanly weakness at Jesus’s superior, commanding, masculine hands. Attention to the scene’s cross-gendering, which draws from imperial-critical and gendered perspectives, has been ignored in previous work.
Abstract LB-258: The human Aurora-A kinase Phe31Ile polymorphism affects cancer susceptibility in a knock-in mouse model.

Aurora-A kinase is a serine/threonine kinase that is essential for faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis. A single nucleotide polymorphism T91A (amino acid Phe31→Ile) present in the coding region of human Aurora-A is associated with susceptibility to multiple cancer types, yet the precise biochemical mechanisms by which these different polymorphisms function are still not well characterized. To investigate the functional differences between the two alleles of Aurora-A, we have generated a knock-in mouse that carries the human-specific Aurora-A Phe31 allele. Normally, rodents only carry the Ile allele. Homozygous (F/F) and heterozygous (F/I) mice for this knock-in allele were born healthy and fertile with no obvious phenotype. Growth rates of MEFs isolated from F/F, F/I, and I/I embryos showed no significant differences. To investigate the oncogenic properties of each variant in tumor development in the context of different p53 status, we generated a series of Aurora-A knock-in/p53-deficient double mutant mice. All mice were exposed to a single dose of 4Gy whole-body γ-radiation at 5 weeks of age and observed daily until they were moribund, then sacrificed and autopsied. While the I/I genotype conferred increased risk (reduced latency) compared to the F/F genotype in the p53+/- mice (p=0.037), the reverse was observed in the p53-/- mice (p=0.009); 43% of the I/I mice versus 25% of the F/F mice developed lymphomas in the p53+/- background, while 55% of the I/I mice versus 76% of the F/F mice developed lymphomas in the p53-/- background. These results support our hypothesis that the two polymorphisms confer differential susceptibility to lymphoma development in a p53-dependent manner. Interestingly, Aurora-A+/- heterozygous null mice (F/- and I/- on the p53+/- background) showed increased incidence and decreased latency of tumor formation compared to the Aurora-A+/+ mice. These data suggest dual roles for Aurora-A as both an oncogene and a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in lymphomagenesis. There exist complex regulatory mechanisms between Aurora-A and p53, emphasizing that a balanced level of Aurora-A is critical for cell survival and maintenance of genome integrity. These data highlight the critical role of interactions between common inherited genetic variants in determining tumor susceptibility, a phenomenon that may underlie the “Missing heritability” noted in GWAS in human populations. Citation Format: Ihn Young Song, Atul Kumar, Reyno Delrosario, Jian-Hua Mao, Allan Balmain. The human Aurora-A kinase Phe31Ile polymorphism affects cancer susceptibility in a knock-in mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-258. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-258
Instrumental Texts and Stereotyping in Hill Street Blues: The Police Procedural on Television

Narrative strategies in prime-time television drama do more than dodge commercials and provide fast-paced vehicles for charismatic performers. Most prime-time shows draw on institutional settings or hierarchies, furthering the romance of highly motivated professional activity and lending irony to the world outside a task-oriented community. The police procedural on television, particularly in the Hill Street Blues series, establishes an atmosphere of "accounting for" disruptions featured in narratives much as does detective fiction. But while detective
Strange Relations: The Evangelical and Anthropological Roots of Imperial Anxiety

In their discussion of the ironies of Englishness, both Ian Baucom (1999) and Simon Gikandi (1996) trace a historical trajectory that culminates in the twentieth century. Granting that “it has never been clear where the identity between colonizer and colonized ends and the difference between them begins,” as Gikandi puts it, both critics characterize postcolonial culture as the moment in which the overlap reaches its clearest expression (2). Gikandi speculates that the “loss of empire has forced the imagined community [of Englishness] to unravel” in a particularly visible way (31). From this perspective, Victorian culture might be misunderstood as a prefatory moment during which the nation imagined itself as a ‘deep horizontal comradeship’ set in opposition to dark-skinned colonial othemess.1 The ‘Englishness of the past’, as Robert Young (1995) points out, “is often represented in terms of fixity, of certainty, centredness, homogeneity, as something unproblematically identical with itself” (2). Neither Gikandi nor Baucom promotes this misunderstanding, but the extent to which Victorian culture anxiously perceived forms of colonial “otherness” built into the framework of English identity requires further study.
By optimization tests on the phosphate stage addition of reagents,reject silicate minerals from phosphate ores by reverse flotation process

Reverse flotation process with batch addition of reagents was conducted to reject silicate minerals from phosphate ores in Yichang,followed by optimization tests on the phosphate sample with uniform sizes of coarse and fine grains.The experiments results indicated that batch addition of silicate collector could improve the efficiency of silicate remove in reverse stage and the quality of concentrate.However,the separation effect was not enhanced further with the increase of the stages of reagent addition.The efficiency of reverse flotation could be effectively optimized by means of adding sodium hexametaphosphate to disperse fine gangue minerals and adopting kerosene to strengthen the adsorption on coarse grains.The P2O5 grade of concentrate climbed from 30.13% to 31.87%,and SiO2 remove rate surged from 58.98%to 70.98%.
Neurologic complications of systemic lymphoma.

Systemic lymphomas may cause neurologic symptoms by either infiltrating the meninges or brain parenchyma, invading bone thereby causing epidural compressions, or via a number of more indirect effects.
Cell type-specific regulation of the Drosophila FMRF-NH2 neuropeptide gene by Apterous, a LIM homeodomain transcription factor

We describe the direct and cell-specific regulation of the Drosophila FMRFa neuropeptide gene by Apterous, a LIM homeodomain transcription factor. dFMRFa and Apterous are expressed in partially overlapping subsets of neurons, including two of the seventeen dFMRFa cell types, the Tv neuroendocrine cells and the SP2 interneurons. Apterous contributes to the initiation of dFMRFa expression in Tv neurons, but not in those dFMRFa neurons that do not express Apterous. Apterous is not required for Tv neuron survival or morphological differentiation. Apterous contributes to the maintenance of dFMRFa expression by postembryonic Tv neurons, although the strength of its regulation is diminished. Apterous regulation of dFMRFa expression includes direct mechanisms, although ectopic Apterous does not induce ectopic dFMRFa. These findings show that, for a subset of neurons that share a common neurotransmitter phenotype, the Apterous LIM homeoprotein helps define neurotransmitter expression with very limited effects on other aspects of differentiation.
Technical, allocative, and total profit efficiency of loblolly pine forests under changing climatic conditions ☆

Abstract Forest ecosystem services (ES) provide significant value to society. Without means to adequately capture that value, societal ES values have little influence on landowners' management decisions, leading to inefficiencies in forest-based ES provision. To understand these inefficiencies, we employ data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess three types of efficiency – technical, allocative and total profit – of planted pine forests using loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the Southern US as an example. Field data from n = 28 plots are used to assess stand-level efficiency in the production of timber, carbon sequestration, and species richness considering inputs such as site index, age and number of trees, precipitation and temperatures. Given the impacts of climate change on key inputs, we also assess efficiency under climate scenarios representing moderate (RCP4.5) and high (RCP8.5) greenhouse gas emissions pathways. We find that 96% of forest plots are technically efficient in providing timber, carbon sequestration and species richness and 75% are allocative or total profit efficient. With climate change, allocative or total profit efficiency remains similar to the initial conditions, and total profit substantially increases (42.8% and 45.6% for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). These findings highlight the increasingly important role that forests play in providing socially valuable ES.
Is Quorum Signaling by Mycotoxins a New Risk-Mitigating Strategy for Bacterial Biocontrol of Fusarium verticillioides and Other Endophytic Fungal Species?

Bacterial endophytes are used as biocontrol organisms for plant pathogens such as the maize endophyte Fusarium verticillioides and its production of fumonisin mycotoxins. However, such applications are not always predictable and efficient. In this work, we hypothesize and review work that quorum sensing inhibitors are produced either by fungi or by pathogenic bacteria for competitive purposes, altering the efficiency of the biocontrol organisms. Recently, quorum sensing inhibitors have been isolated from several fungi, including Fusarium species, three of which are mycotoxins. Thus, we further postulate that other mycotoxins are inhibitors or quenching metabolites that prevent the protective abilities and activities of endophytic biocontrol bacteria within intercellular spaces. To test the aforementioned suppositions, we review work detailing the use of bioassay bacteria for several mycotoxins for quorum activity. We specifically focus on the quorum use of endophytic bacteria as biocontrols for mycotoxic ...
Steric Enforcement about One Thiolate Donor Leads to New Oxidation Chemistry in a NiSOD Model Complex.

Ni-containing superoxide dismutase (NiSOD) represents an unusual member of the SOD family due to the presence of oxygen-sensitive Ni–SCys bonds at its active site. Reported in this account is the synthesis and properties of the NiII complex of the N3S2 ligand [N3S2Me2]3– ([N3S2Me2]3– = deprotonated form of 2-((2-mercapto-2-methylpropyl)(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)-N-(2-mercaptoethyl)acetamide), namely Na[Ni(N3S2Me2)] (2), as a NiSOD model that features sterically robust gem-(CH3)2 groups on the thiolate α-C positioned trans to the carboxamide. The crystal structure of 2, coupled with spectroscopic measurements from 1H NMR, X-ray absorption, IR, UV–vis, and mass spectrometry (MS), reveal a planar NiII (S = 0) ion coordinated by only the N2S2 basal donors of the N3S2 ligand. While the structure and spectroscopic properties of 2 resemble those of NiSODred and other models, the asymmetric S ligands open up new reaction paths upon chemical oxidation. One unusual oxidation product is the planar NiII–N3S complex [...
Design of 600-W Low-Loss Ultra-Wideband Ferriteless Balun

We present the development of a low-loss, high-power, and ferriteless balun that operates over 0.1–1.6 GHz bandwidth. The proposed balun employs a novel compensated circuit, a single quarter-wave semirigid coaxial cable and an on-board inductor on a thermoset ceramic board to achieve high power and ultrawide bandwidth performance. The experimental results show that the balun achieves a measured average insertion loss of less than 0.5 dB and return loss of better than 10 dB from 100 MHz to more than 1.6 GHz. Within the measured bandwidth, the amplitude and phase imbalances are within ±1 dB and ±5°, respectively. Multiphysics analysis and high-power measurements demonstrate that the balun can handle more than 600 W and above at 1.6 GHz. To the best of our knowledge, the reported balun has the highest measured power handling capability per the largest 16:1 bandwidth ratio to date.
Coordination Cannot Establish Political Authority

One of the most common arguments in favour of the state's authority is that without the coordinating hand of political institutions, we could not achieve important moral benefits. I argue that if we understand authority correctly, then coordination cannot even in principle establish that coordinators have political authority.
Doxycycline suppresses Chlamydia pneumoniae induced interferon-gamma responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in children with allergic asthma.

Persistent respiratory infections caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases (e.g. asthma). Antibiotics are used to treat C. pneumoniae respiratory infections; however, the use of antibiotics as anti-inflammatory agents in treatment of asthma remains controversial. The current study investigated whether ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or doxycycline can suppress C. pneumoniae-induced production of immunoglobulin (Ig) E or cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from asthmatic children. Apart from blood, nasopharyngeal swab specimens were also collected to test for the presence of C. pneumoniae and/or M. pneumoniae (qPCR). PBMC (1.5 x 106) from asthmatic pediatric patients (N = 18) were infected or mock infected for 1 h ± C. pneumoniae AR-39 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) = 0.1, and cultured ± ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or doxycycline (0.1 or 1.0 μg/mLmL) for either 48 h (cytokines) or 10 days (IgE). Interleukin (IL)-4, interferon (IFN)-γ and IgE levels in supernatants were measured (ELISA). When PBMC were infected with C. pneumoniae, IL-4 and IFNγ production increased (p = 0.06 and 0.03, respectively); IgE levels were low. The now-elevated levels of IL-4 didn't decrease significantly after addition of ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or doxycycline. However, infected PBMC IFNγ formation decreased significantly when 0.1 μg/mL doxycycline was employed (p = 0.04); no dose of ciprofloxacin or azithromycin had any impact. This inhibitory outcome with doxycycline lends support to the use of tetracyclines as immune modulators and anti-inflammatory medications in treatment of C. pneumoniae-infected asthma patients.
GWAS analysis using interspecific backcross progenies reveals superior blue catfish alleles responsible for strong resistance against enteric septicemia of catfish

Infectious diseases pose significant threats to the catfish industry. Enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC) caused by Edwardsiella ictaluri is the most devastating disease for catfish aquaculture, causing huge economic losses annually. Channel catfish and blue catfish exhibit great contrast in resistance against ESC, with channel catfish being highly susceptible and blue catfish being highly resistant. As such, the interspecific backcross progenies provide an ideal system for the identification of quantitative trait locus (QTL). We previously reported one significant QTL on linkage group (LG) 1 using the third-generation backcrosses, but the number of founders used to make the second- and third-generation backcross progenies was very small. Although the third-generation backcross progenies provided a greater power for fine mapping than the first-generation backcrosses, some major QTL for disease resistance may have been missing due to the small numbers of founders used to produce the higher generation backcrosses. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study using first-generation backcrosses with the catfish 690 K SNP arrays to identify additional ESC disease resistance QTL, especially those at the species level. Two genomic regions on LG1 and LG23 were determined to be significantly associated with ESC resistance as revealed by a mixed linear model and family-based association test. Examination of the resistance alleles indicated their origin from blue catfish, indicating that at least two major disease resistance loci exist among blue catfish populations. Upon further validation, markers linked with major ESC disease resistance QTL should be useful for marker-assisted introgression, allowing development of highly ESC resistant breeds of catfish.
Anatomic markers of human mammary premalignancy and incipient breast cancer.

Word definitions in the broad area of incipient mammary carcinoma are as imprecise as our understanding of carcinogenetic events themselves. What is known is that the development of a malignant neoplasm having the capacity at time of detection to produce metastases and death involves a complex series of events. This series of events is complete when a population of cells is capable of invading stroma, traveling to distant parts of the body, and establishing distant colonies capable of growth with detrimental effects to the host. The identification of any stage or event in this series may not guarantee with certainty that metastatic capacity will be attained. The development of malignant capacity is a stochastic process in which our predictions rest upon percentage likelihood of attaining death-dealing capability. In the breast, unlike at sites where anatomic identification of these early stages may rest upon exfoliated cells, the performance of the biopsy itself obviously alters the process by removing cells and stroma for microscopic analysis. In summary, we must be content with identifying processes having different levels of magnitude of risk for subsequent development of carcinoma. Where or at what level of risk one might decide that such identification merits the appellation of incipient carcinoma may vary, but is usually reserved for lesions with stromal invasion. Word assignment is less important than the understanding of relevance to an individual patient, and this presentation will focus upon those anatomic changes which have relevance in assessing risk for breast carcinoma (Page 1986). We have chosen to utilize anatomic terms rather than phrases relating such changes to malignancy such as “precancerous”. This has been done with the exception of lesions long accepted as carcinoma in situ. One important consequence of the risk assessment approach is that different types of carcinoma in situ should be understood with regard to their specific natural history, or at least our current knowledge thereof. Thus the natural history of each reliably identifiable histologic lesion is assessed, rather than accepting them as carcinoma or precancer because of the terminology utilized.
Identifying the molecular and cellular signature of cardiac dilation following myocardial infarction.

Abstract Establishing molecular and cellular indicators that reflect the extent of dilation of the left ventricle (LV) after myocardial infarction (MI) may improve diagnostic and prognostic capabilities. We queried the Mouse Heart Attack Research Tool (mHART) 1.0 for day 7 post-MI mice (age 3–9 months, untreated males and females) with serial echocardiographic data at days 0, 1, and 7 (n = 51). Mice were classified into two subgroups determined by a median fold change of 1.6 in end-diastolic dimensions (EDD) normalized to pre-MI values; n = 26 fell below (moderate; mean of 1.42 ± 0.01) and n = 25 fell above this cut-off (extreme; mean of 1.79 ± 0.01; p
Supportive Oncodermatology: Addressing dermatologic adverse events associated with oncologic therapies

Supportive oncodermatology is an emerging collaborative subspecialty between oncology and dermatology that aims to address dermatologic events associated with cancer therapy. An estimated 1.685 mil...
“Trying to blend in, what else can we do?” Intergenerational relationships among aged inmates: Research

ABSTRACTAged inmates comprise a growing segment of the incarcerated population world-wide, yet very little research has been devoted to examining the intergenerational experiences of this cohort an...
Polarization sensitive black phosphorus nanomechanical resonators

We report on the demonstration of polarization sensitive black phosphorus (P) nanomechanical resonators. Thanks to the unique in-plane optical anisotropy of black P crystals, optical absorption varies depending on the polarization of incident light, which translates into the difference in shifts of resonance frequency. We employ two-dimensional (2D) black P drumhead resonators operating in the ~5−10 MHz range to reveal the polarization responsivity. For an optical illumination with fixed intensity, we observe an ~0.4−0.6 MHz resonance frequency shift upon 90° change of polarization angle. The observed polarization responsivity of resonance frequency can be harnessed to realize polarimetric nanodevices to detect the optical polarization rotation of optically active substances. Further, from polarization sensitive resonance frequency shift, it is viable to identify two unknown in-plane crystal directions, armchair (AC) and zigzag (ZZ), of black P crystals.
Slot-Jamming Effect and Mitigation Between LTE-LAA and WLAN Systems With Heterogeneous Slot Durations

To improve spectrum sharing between long-term evolution license-assisted access (LAA) and incumbent systems such as wireless local area networks (WLANs) in unlicensed spectrum, listen before talk (LBT) has been proposed as a candidate for LAA channel access. To allow for a robust spectrum sensing performance, LBT may use a backoff-slot duration that is substantially larger than its WLAN counterpart. There is a potential for an unknown backoff slot-jamming (SJ) effect, which may significantly decrease the channel access probability (CAP) and throughput of LAA-LBT links. In this paper, we study the SJ effect and propose an effective anti-SJ (ASJ) LBT scheme. To gain theoretical insight, we develop a new performance analysis approach on coexisting systems with different slot durations. We model the LAA backoff process with super-counters, provide an in-depth analysis of the backoff process, and derive key performance indicator (KPI) statistics. These KPIs include backoff hold time, successful transmission probability, CAP, and throughput. The simulation results thoroughly validate our analytical results and show that the ASJ-LBT scheme is effective in mitigating the SJ effect. These results fill a major technical gap in spectrum sharing research and may be extended to support system optimization and coexistence analysis of other heterogeneous systems.
Total Gastrectomy with D2 Nodal Dissection, Roux-en-Y Reconstruction, Feeding Tube Jejunostomy

Total gastrectomy with D2 nodal dissection is indicated when the carcinoma extends to or is located in the proximal stomach and cannot be resected with adequate margin without taking down the short gastric vessels. This chapter lists the indication, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of the procedure. A detailed operative dictation note template is included.
Are there racial differences in colorectal cancer care timeliness among users of the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System

6555 Background: The Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. While the quality of VA colorectal cancer (CRC) care is well chronicle...
The struggle for higher education gender equity policy in Afghanistan: Obstacles, challenges and achievements

The struggle for gender equity in Afghanistan has been a long and difficult one under war conditions. Nonetheless, amazing progress has been made both in transforming higher education and in improving the situation for women students and women faculty members over the last few years. What is particularly striking about this effort is the level of success in a very challenging environment. Part of the success, as we suggest, is a consequence of the focus on gender policy in higher education, which operates in an amazingly free environment. That has allowed the kind of analysis and discussion of traditional views about women to be examined and new policies put in place moving toward the MoHE goal of gender equity. Higher education has moved from a situation of virtually no women students, faculty, or staff in 2001 to 28% women students and 14% women faculty members in 2017. The atmosphere for women has changed remarkably with a Higher Education Gender Strategy to continue the process of change and a range of other policies and actions designed to create an open, comfortable, and equal environment for women. What is striking about these changes is that we think their success is due in large part to the narrow focus of change on higher education – a process that probably would not have succeeded if tried at the national level. Nonetheless, it is a first step in expanding improved conditions for women broadly in Afghanistan and is suggestive of a successful approach for other countries with serious problems of gender discrimination.
A systematic review to assess seizure risk with chloroquine therapy in persons with epilepsy

ABSTRACT Background The goal of this systematic review is to assess the published literature for seizure risk with chloroquine therapy in persons with and without epilepsy. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a desperate need for therapy against the SARS CoV-2 virus. Chloroquine is one proposed medication that has received substantial public attention. However, drug labeling in the package insertion states that persons with epilepsy have the risk of chloroquine provoking seizures, and this has increased questions and anxiety in the epilepsy community. Methods PubMed (1970 to March 27, 2020) and the Embase (1970 to March 27, 2020) were searched with the terms chloroquine and seizure or epilepsy. Selected studies were reviewed, and the adverse drug reaction was classified. Results Only nine out of 27 studies were deemed eligible for systematic analysis. Out of the nine studies, only one was a prospective study (N=109), two were case series (N=6), and the remaining 6 were case reports. The dose of chloroquine ranged between 100-500 mg/day, except in one patient, the seizure was after taking 1000 mg. The strength of causality for the drug causing seizures in healthy and persons with epilepsy was mostly possible or unlikely, and none were certain. The only clinical trial that evaluated seizure risk with chloroquine failed to find any significant relation. Conclusion Although the drug insertion label states an increased risk of seizure, the systematic review highlights that such a statement is not supported by any class I studies but by anecdotal case reports. The only randomized clinical study revealed that seizures were not associated with an increased blood level of chloroquine or its metabolite. The present systematic review should provide reassurance to busy clinicians and persons with epilepsy that chloroquine, if prescribed to treat COVID-19, lacks any substantial evidence to suggest that the medication increases the risk of seizure.
Cultures of Fear: Individual Differences in Perception of Physical (but Not Disease) Threats Predict Cultural Neophobia in both Immigrant and Mainstream Americans

Previous research indicates that dispositional worry about potential threats is associated with greater ingroup biases. However, the nature of this relationship within minority cultural groups, and the specificity of which threats matter most for this relationship, remain poorly understood. The current study thus aimed to build on existing work in three key ways: by simultaneously examining the effects of threat in both a mainstream and an immigrant population, by examining associations between threats and cultural practices and real-life interactions, and by addressing whether concerns about disease threats or physical threats were more robust predictors. Thus, we investigated the relative influence of physical- and disease-threat concerns for acculturation and ingroup preferences in both immigrant and non-immigrant Americans (N = 964, 171 immigrants). Immigrant Americans completed an acculturation survey in which their engagement with their heritage culture was compared with their engagement with mainstream American culture. Meanwhile, non-immigrant Americans responded to similar items assessing their engagement with US versus foreign cultural practices. Results indicated that dispositional worry about physical threats was associated with lower acculturation in immigrant participants, and lower engagement with foreign cultures in non-immigrant Americans. Further, in the combined sample, participants who were more concerned about physical threats were less likely to have had a romantic partner of a different ethnicity than their own. By contrast, dispositional worry about disease threat did not reliably predict cultural engagement or partner choice. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that physical-threat concern leads to less engagement with foreign cultures.
Unique, yet Typical Oxyanion Holes in Aspartic Proteases

From studies on pepsin nearly 200 years ago to the modern pursuit of drugs targeting renin, HIV protease, and β-secretases, aspartic proteases continue to shape the understanding of proteins. Thoug...
Interventions to Reduce Opioid Use for Pain Management in the Older Adult Population: A Systematic Review:

Question:What interventions are being conducted to reduce opioid use among older adults (age 65+ years)?Design:Systematic review.Method:Five databases were searched for publications from 2005 throu...
Effects of Computerized Social Skills Instruction for At-Risk Adolescents:

This study reports the effects of an interactive multimedia computer program for teaching social skills to youths with social-adjustment problems. Twelve youths (aged 11–17) were referred by the co...
Experimental evidence for non-exponential decay in quantum tunnelling

An exponential decay law is the universal hallmark of unstable systems and is observed in all fields of science. This law is not, however, fully consistent with quantum mechanics and deviations from exponential decay have been predicted for short as well as long times1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Such deviations have not hitherto been observed experimentally. Here we present experimental evidence for short-time deviation from exponential decay in a quantum tunnelling experiment. Our system consists of ultra-cold sodium atoms that are trapped in an accelerating periodic optical potential created by a standing wave of light. Atoms can escape the wells by quantum tunnelling, and the number that remain can be measured as a function of interaction time for a fixed value of the well depth and acceleration. We observe that for short times the survival probability is initially constant before developing the characteristics of exponential decay. The conceptual simplicity of the experiment enables a detailed comparison with theoretical predictions.
Transition State Spectroscopy of Bimolecular Reactions Using Negative Ion Photodetachment

This chapter summerizd several studies of the transition state region in bimolecular reactions using negative ion photodetachment.
Finger-Wheel Cultivators for High-Speed Cultivation of Vegetable Crops

ABSTRACT The Precision Cultural System (PCS) developed by the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station allows simple and precise cultivation of vegetable crops; however, speed of the cultivators in small vegetable crops has been limited. The standard PCS sweep cultivator was limited to about 1–1f mph in small crops because it would throw soil over the crop plants at higher speed. The standard PCS rotary tiller cultivator could operate at 2–3 mph in small crops but could not be operated faster in larger crops, due to its tendency to “walk out of the soil at higher speeds”. The standard PCS sweep cultivator was modified by replacing the sweeps between the twin drills with two pairs of straight finger-wheel (rolling cultivator) spiders non-angled and in tandem. The finger-wheel gangs on the bed sides were also inactivated by raising them above the soil. The resulting PCS cultivator was successfully operated in very small crop plants (≤ 1 inch high) at speeds of 5–6 mph with no crop damage. The cultivato...