cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The multiple roles of epidermal growth factor repeat O-glycans in animal development

The epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeat is a common, evolutionarily conserved motif found in secreted proteins and the extracellular domain of transmembrane proteins. EGF repeats harbor six cysteine residues which form three disulfide bonds and help generate the three-dimensional structure of the EGF repeat. A subset of EGF repeats harbor consensus sequences for the addition of one or more specific O-glycans, which are initiated by O-glucose, O-fucose or O-N-acetylglucosamine. These glycans are relatively rare compared to mucin-type O-glycans. However, genetic experiments in model organisms and cell-based assays indicate that at least some of the glycosyltransferases involved in the addition of O-glycans to EGF repeats play important roles in animal development. These studies, combined with state-of-the-art biochemical and structural biology experiments have started to provide an in-depth picture of how these glycans regulate the function of the proteins to which they are linked. In this review, we will discuss the biological roles assigned to EGF repeat O-glycans and the corresponding glycosyltransferases. Since Notch receptors are the best studied proteins with biologically-relevant O-glycans on EGF repeats, a significant part of this review is devoted to the role of these glycans in the regulation of the Notch signaling pathway. We also discuss recently identified proteins other than Notch which depend on EGF repeat glycans to function properly. Several glycosyltransferases involved in the addition or elongation of O-glycans on EGF repeats are mutated in human diseases. Therefore, mechanistic understanding of the functional roles of these carbohydrate modifications is of interest from both basic science and translational perspectives.
The Remedy of Apology in Comparative and International Law: Self-Healing and Reconciliation

This Article explores the role of apology in both the comparative and international context, building upon the pioneering analysis of Hiroshi Wagatsuma and Arthur Rosett. From their observation of Japanese and American societies, Wagatsuma and Rosett theorize that apology made with sincerity and commitment is an effective form of dispute resolution across cultures. Lawsuits might be avoided entirely if people apologized to those they have wronged. This thesis is extended to the realm of international law and international relations. Two judicial opinions, one by a Japanese court and the other by the International Court of Justice, are offered in support of the proposition that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki constituted grave violations of the law of armed conflict. This Article proposes that the United States initiate a cycle of virtue and formally apologize to Japan for the dropping of the atomic bombs. Such action would serve to exorcise deep-seated guilt and to regain respect from the international community.
Desert Termite Control in a Shortgrass Prairie: Effect on Soil Physical Properties

Control of the desert termite Gnathamitermes tubiformans (Buckley) in a shortgrass prairie in W Texas resulted in an improvement in the watershed value and soil-water relationships for forage plants. The percentages of > 1-mm soil aggregates were greater on termite-free soils, whereas percentages of < 1-mm aggregates were greater on termiteinfested soils. Organic carbon, forb production, and litter accumulation increased significantly on termite-free soils. Capillary pore space was normally higher in termite-free soils, while non-capillary pore space was normally higher in termite-infested soils. Termite control had no effect on total pore space, hydraulic conductivity, and bulk density in the soil studied. Rainfall infiltration was greater on termite-free soils after the 1st 15 min of a simulated rainstorm. Runoff and sediment load were greater on termite-infested rangeland than on termite-free rangeland. Evapotranspiration was greater on termite-free soils during a 7-day period following rainfall application. However, termite-free soils retained more moisture during dry periods than termite-infested soils.
Discordance Between Appropriate Use Criteria for Nuclear Myocardial Perfusion Imaging From Different Specialty Societies: A Potential Concern for Health Policy.

Importance Appropriate use criteria (AUC) assist health care professionals in making decisions about procedures and diagnostic testing. In some cases, multiple AUC exist for a single procedure or test. To date, the extent of agreement between multiple AUC has not been evaluated. Objective To measure discordance between the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) AUC and the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria for gauging the appropriateness of nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study at an academically affiliated Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants were Veteran patients who underwent nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging between December 2010 and July 2011 with rating of appropriateness by the ACCF and ACR criteria. Analysis was performed in March 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the agreement of appropriateness category as measured by κ statistic. The secondary outcome was a comparison of nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging results and frequency of ischemia across appropriateness categories for the 2 rating methods. Results Of 67 indications in the ACCF AUC, 35 (52.2%) could not be matched to an ACR rating, 18 (26.9%) had the same appropriateness category, and 14 (20.9%) disagreed on appropriateness. The study cohort comprised 592 individuals. Their mean (SD) age was 62.6 (9.4) years, and 570 of 592 (96.2%) were male. When applied to the patient cohort, 111 patients (18.8%) could not be matched to an ACR rating, 349 patients (59.0%) had the same appropriateness category for the ACR and ACCF methods, and 132 patients (22.3%) were discordant. Overall, the agreement of appropriateness between the 2 methods was poor (κ = 0.34,P Conclusions and Relevance Substantial discordance may exist between methods for assessing the appropriateness of advanced imaging tests. Discordance in methods may translate into differences in clinically relevant outcomes, such as the detection of myocardial ischemia.
Approaches to an Understanding of Pathogenetic Mechanisms in AIDS

AIDS, presumably caused by the human retrovirus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a disease with multiple pathologies, most of which are the consequence of a profound immunodeficiency. The first two sections of this review focus primarily on the normal development and function of the cells of the immune system and the known abnormalities that occur in this system in AIDS patients. Very little is known of the pathogenesis, in humans, of the four major clinical manifestations of AIDS--immunodeficiency, encephalopathy, Kaposi's sarcoma, and lymphoma. Because most pathologic studies derive from autopsy findings in terminal AIDS patients, it has been difficult to track the course of HIV infection from the time of initial contact with the virus through the evolution of the disease. Therefore, the final section of this review focuses on actual and potential animal models of AIDS and how such models might be valuable for studies on the pathogenesis of the disease, the development of relevant vaccines, and the testing of potential therapies.
Communications: “The Manager and His Job Skills” — Some Comments

The article presents a letter to the editor regarding Kenneth McLennan's paper titled “The Manager and His Job Skills,” from the September 1967 issue.
Experimental acidemia and muscle cell pH in chronic acidosis and renal failure

To test whether muscle intracellular pH (pHi) decreases when extracellular pH falls, 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance was utilized in rats made acidotic by infusion of HCl, gavage-feeding NH4Cl, or induction of chronic renal failure (CRF). A 2- or 4-h HCl infusion did not lower muscle pHi, even though serum bicarbonate fell to 5 mM. With chronic acidemia, blood pH was 7.15 +/- 0.01 vs. 7.38 +/- 0.02 in pair-fed controls, and muscle pHi was 7.09 +/- 0.01 and 7.14 +/- 0.02, respectively (P < 0.01). pHi in muscle of CRF rats (7.16 +/- 0.01) did not differ from sham-operated, pair-fed controls (7.19 +/- 0.01) despite a blood pH of 7.23 +/- 0.05 in CRF vs. 7.39 +/- 0.01 in controls. Because ion transport is abnormal in CRF, we examined whether recovery of pHi is impaired when muscles of six CRF and control rats were exercised to tetany by stimulation of the sciatic nerve. Neither pHi nor the recovery of pHi differed between CRF and control rats. We conclude that pHi is maintained in muscle in uremia and that signals other than changing pHi must be necessary to disrupt metabolism.
Shrub removal in reforested post-fire areas increases native plant species richness.

Abstract Large, high severity fires are becoming more prevalent in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests, largely due to heavy fuel loading and forest densification caused by past and current management practices. In post-fire areas distant from seed trees, conifers are often planted to re-establish a forest and to prevent a potential type-conversion to shrub fields. Typical reforestation efforts promote conifer survival and growth by reducing competing shrub cover, yet the effects of these practices on plant species richness and composition are not well understood. We compared the effects of treatment and time since fire on (1) native and exotic plant species richness, (2) plant community composition, and (3) stand structure. Plots were installed throughout three different aged but proximate fires located in the canyon of the South Fork of the American River in California, 10, 22, and 41 years after fire. All three fires included large patches of stand-replacing fire that had been reforested with conifers as well as unplanted areas. Native plant species richness was significantly higher in planted areas where shrub cover was lower and planted trees successfully established. Native species richness decreased as time since fire increased, but the relationship between shrub control and richness persisted. Exotic species richness was higher on treated sites in the more recent fires, while the opposite was true in the oldest fire. As time since fire increased, understory species composition shifted from a community dominated by annuals and perennials to one dominated by shrubs and shade-tolerant trees. Shrub cover and July soil moisture were the top two factors influencing understory richness levels. Natural regeneration was low in the youngest fire and high in the oldest fire but highly heterogeneous in all three fires. Our study suggests that while retaining some shrub cover for post-fire habitat may be desirable, some level of shrub reduction does favor native plant richness and overall herbaceous cover.
Unusual presentation of a pancreatic pseudocyst. A case report and review of literature.

Results and Conclusions Pancreatic pseudocysts may simulate renal cysts symptomatically and radiographically.
An empirical test of an Antecedents – Privacy Concerns – Outcomes model:

This study extends privacy concerns research by providing a test of a model inspired by the ‘Antecedents – Privacy Concerns – Outcomes’ (APCO) framework. Focusing at the individual level of analysis, the study examines the influences of privacy awareness (PA) and demographic variables (age, gender) on concern for information privacy (CFIP). It also considers CFIP’s relationship to privacy-protecting behaviours and incorporates trust and risk into the model. These relationships are tested in a specific, Facebook-related context. Results strongly support the overall model. PA and gender are important explanators for CFIP, which in turn explains privacy-protecting behaviours. We also find that perceived risk affects trust, which in turn affects behaviours in the studied context. The results yield several recommendations for future research as well as some implications for management.
Physical Attacks: An Analysis of Teacher Characteristics Using the Schools and Staffing Survey.

This study investigated physical attacks as reported by public school teachers on the most recent Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) from the National Center for Education Statistics administered by the Institute of Educational Sciences. For this study, characteristics of teachers who responded affirmatively to having been physically attacked in the past 12 months were examined. Teacher characteristics associated with being physically attacked appeared to be proportionate to those found in the general population of teachers who were not physically attacked. Several notable exceptions were gender, school type, years of experience, and school location. The mean number of physical attacks varied greatly within all characteristics examined. Of the twelve teaching areas, special education had the highest percentage of teachers who reported being physically attacked in the past 12 months and the highest mean number of physical attacks per teaching area.
Leader-follower consensus with unknown control direction

The paper considers leader-follower consensus of multi-agent networks with unknown control direction. Sliding mode control is used to achieve consensus tracking under fixed topology with the assumption that the position of the leader is known to a subset of the followers. The proposed consensus law assumes unknown sign in the control input matrix of the followers and does not require the knowledge of the leader's velocity. Lyapunov-based analysis is presented to show that if the directed graph of the network has a directed spanning tree then sliding mode control law can guarantee consensus tracking. Simulations results are provided to verify the feasibility of the proposed controller.
Simultaneous load and temperature measurement using Lophine-coated fiber Bragg gratings

This paper presents a single fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor that is capable of measuring the axial load and temperature simultaneously. The FBG sensor is coated with a block of recrystallized Lophine, which introduces the bandwidth modulation of the FBG reflectance spectrum. Thermal-mechanical testing of the Lophine-coated FBG sensor under different load and temperature combinations was carried out. It was discovered that the FBG bandwidth is linearly proportional to the applied load and temperature. By fitting the measured FBG bandwidths and central Bragg wavelengths as linear functions of the axial load and temperature, we demonstrated that the axial load and temperature can be inversely determined from the measured reflectance spectrum of a single Lophine-coated FBG sensor. The measurement errors for the axial load and the temperature were found to be ±4 gm and ±4 °C, respectively.
Time dependence of risks and benefits in pediatric primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

Background— Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in children not only provide appropriate therapy in 25% of patients but also result in a significant incidence of inappropriate shocks and other device complications. ICDs placed for secondary prevention have higher rates of appropriate therapy than those placed for primary prevention. Pediatric patients with primary prevention ICDs were studied to determine time-dependent incidence of appropriate use and adverse events. Methods and Results— A total of 140 patients aged <21 years (median age, 15 years) at first ICD implantation at Boston Children’s Hospital (2000–2009) in whom devices were placed for primary prevention were retrospectively identified. Demographics and times to first appropriate shock; adverse events (including inappropriate shock, lead failure, reintervention, and complication); generator replacement and follow-up were noted. During mean follow-up of 4 years, appropriate shock occurred in 19% patients and first adverse event (excluding death/transplant) occurred in 36%. Risk of death or transplant was ≈1% per year and was not related to receiving appropriate therapy. Conditional survival analysis showed rates of appropriate therapy and adverse events decrease soon after implantation, but adverse events are more frequent than appropriate therapy throughout follow-up. Conclusions— Primary prevention ICDs were associated with appropriate therapy in 19% and adverse event in 36% in this cohort. The incidence of both first appropriate therapy and device-related adverse events decreased during longer periods of follow-up after implantation. This suggests that indications for continued device therapy in pediatric primary prevention ICD patients might be reconsidered after a period of nonuse.
NIH's mentoring makes progress

A 2012 Report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee to the Director highlighted the unacceptable lack of diversity among biomedical and behavioral researchers and recommended a comprehensive strategy, including a call to improve research mentoring and career preparation ([ 1
Clinical presentations and outcomes of Takotsubo syndrome in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Evidence remains inconsistent regarding the incidence and prognosis of Takotsubo syndrome in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the clinical presentation ...
Una reflexión de la relación: educación, economía y desequilibrio ambiental

En el presente articulo se realiza una reflexion sobre como el ser humano ha usado ilimitadamente su pensamiento racional para producir ciencia y resolver problemas que le permitieron avanzar cientificamente y distancio sus dimensiones esteticas, eticas, emocionales y de entorno generando consecuencias nefastas como planeta por ejemplo con las plantas nucleares. Se teje una relacion con el sistema educativo para pensar la educacion desde una mirada ambiental y espiritual como lo estan desarrollando cientificos como Capra, Boff entre muchos otros que han venido estudiando el tema. En ese sentido, se ha hecho necesario enmarcar la educacion en un ambiente para la vida; en la tarea grande que involucre Educacion para lograr que comunidades aprendientes tengan un gran desarrollo social y politico apoyado en el bienestar de todas las especies y la proteccion de Gaia, la gran Madre.
Vascular Surgeons: Leading the Way in Global Quality Improvement

Article, see p 1948 The development of vascular registries and practice guidelines by the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the European Society for Vascular Society (ESVS) represent a major step forward in achieving the goals of best practice and quality outcomes for patients with major vascular diseases. The report in this issue of Circulation by Beck et al1 analyzes international variation in the contemporary management of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with registry data from 11 countries across 3 continents in relation to 2 recommended treatment guidelines from the SVS and the ESVS. This ambitious project represents a collaboration of national quality improvement registries participating in the International Consortium of Vascular Registries. The IVCR was founded in 20142 as a partnership of >12 national registries, including the SVS’s Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) and the Vascunet program of the ESVS. The US Food and Drug Administration, through its Medical Device Epidemiology Network,3 also participates in the IVCR, along with manufacturers and other stakeholders, with a coordinating center housed at Cornell University. The International Consortium of Vascular Registries mission is to provide a collaborative platform through which “registries around the world can share data to improve vascular health care.” The current article represents a retrospective International Variations in Vascular Surgery project to compare treatment type (open vs endovascular) and patient selection between and within countries. Analysis of 51 153 patients undergoing open and endovascular AAA repair (both intact and ruptured) during a contemporary 3-year period revealed significant variation in the management of AAA despite relatively homogenous guidelines from the SVS and the ESVS. The most notable variations existed for the diameter of intact AAAs at repair, the utilization of endovascular (EVAR) versus open repair, and the treatment of elderly (octogenarian) patients. Of note, in addition to the among-country variations observed, …
Elasticity in Macrophage‐Synthesized Biocrystals

Supramolecular crystalline assembly constitutes a rational approach to bioengineer intracellular structures. Here, biocrystals of clofazimine (CFZ) that form in vivo within macrophages were measured to have marked curvature. Isolated crystals, however, showed reduced curvature suggesting that intracellular forces bend these drug crystals. Consistent with the ability of biocrystals to elastically deform, the inherent crystal structure of the principal molecular component of the biocrystals-the hydrochloride salt of CFZ (CFZ-HCl)-has a corrugated packing along the (001) face and weak dispersive bonding in multiple directions. These characteristics were previously found to be linked to the elasticity of other organic crystals. Internal stress in bent CFZ-HCl led to photoelastic effects on the azimuthal orientation of polarized light transmittance. We propose that elastic, intracellular crystals can serve as templates to construct functional microdevices with different applications.
Nonelective colon cancer resection: A continued public health concern.

Background Little is known regarding recent trends in the rate of nonelective colon cancer resection in the United States and its impact on both short-term and long-term outcomes. Methods The New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning & Research Cooperative System identified stage I–III colon cancer resections from 2004–2011. Propensity-matched analyses assessed differences in short-term adverse outcomes and 5-year disease-specific and overall survival between elective and nonelective colon cancer operations. Further analyses assessed the association among patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors and outcomes within the nonelective operation group. Results Among 26,420 patients, 26.5% underwent nonelective operations. There was no significant change in the rate of nonelective resection from 2004–2011 (P = .25). Nonelective operations were independently associated with greater odds of 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.87–4.06), stoma creation (OR = 4.49, 95% CI = 3.95–5.09), intensive care unit admission (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.53–1.84), complications (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 2.18–2.52), and discharge to another health care facility (OR = 2.46, 95% CI = 2.26–2.68), longer duration of stay (incidence rate ratio = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.76–1.83), and worse disease-specific (hazard ratio = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.61–1.88) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.55–1.75). Other than an association among high-volume surgeons, adequate lymph node yield, and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy and lower mortality, no other potentially modifiable factors were associated with survival after nonelective operations. Conclusion Nonelective colon cancer resection remains a concerning public health issue with >25% of cases being performed on a nonelective basis and an independent association with poor short-term and long-term survival compared with elective operations. Given that few potentially modifiable factors appear to have an impact on survival after nonelective operations, these findings highlight the importance of adherence to colon cancer screening guidelines to limit the number of nonelective colon cancer resections.
A pilot study of the Pathways program to address fear of recurrence and reduce distress among breast cancer survivors.

206Background: Breast cancer patients endorse anxiety and fear of recurrence for years after diagnosis. The Pathways for Survivors is a one-day program intended to address this distress by teaching...
The Web and the Quilt: Alternatives to the Heroic Journey Toward Spiritual Development

This paper poses a feminist challenge to stage models of spiritual development and suggests alternative metaphors to the common image of a heroic journey. Women’s spirituality is typically more intuitive and relational than rational and individualistic and to express this, we employ metaphors of “the web” and “the quilt.” Support for the relevance of these metaphors comes from the spiritual autobiography of Jane Goodall, an anthology of African American women’s writings about spirituality, and two qualitative research investigations of older women’s spirituality. We conclude with an autobiographical account of our own spiritual development and engage in a dialogue-on-the-page in which we respond to each other’s narratives.
Dietary fiber and bowel function in tube-fed patients

In tube-fed patients, dietary fiber is often used to manage constipation/diarrhea. Dietary fiber consists of water-soluble and insoluble plant compounds that are resistant to digestion by small-bowel enzymes but are fermented to varying degrees by colonic bacteria. Many physiologic effects of fiber may be related to the degree of fermentation. Few controlled studies of fiber-containing tube feedings have been performed. These studies have limitations and are nondefinitive as to whether fiber prevents or controls constipation/diarrhea. Constipation in tube-fed patients has not been shown to respond to mixed soluble/insoluble fiber in the few studies performed to date. Likewise, fiber may be of only limited benefit in controlling diarrhea in acute illness because of such factors as stress or medication. Fiber does play a role in maintaining gut integrity in all patients, whether they have diarrhea or not. Fiber may be recommended as part of a standard tube-feeding regimen to help assure gut mucosal integrity but not specifically to treat constipation/diarrhea. Further studies are necessary before the role of fiber in the management of constipation/diarrhea in tube-fed patients is determined.
Surface Characteristics of Bacillus Spores

SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF BACILLUS SPORES Darlene D. Sabio, M.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004 Director: Dr. Stanley R. Webb, Associate Professor, Department of Biology Rapid isolation and identification of spores from various environmental samples is necessitated because anthrax spores can be used as biological weapons. The hydrophobic nature of spores may allow for their rapid concentration and partial purification from contaminating materials. In this study, spores from four taxonomic groups of Bacillaceae were isolated, purified and characterized for hydrophobicity by hexadecane partitioning, surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy, and steady-state fluorescence by spectroscopy. The morphology of spores was similar within taxonomic groups and dissimilar between groups. Spore hydrophobicity ranged from 0.3% to 65% and all spores had fluorescence emission peaks at 335 nm and 450 nm. The excitation maxima for the peak at 450 nm were shifted to higher wavelengths for the least hydrophobic spores. Regression analysis demonstrated a correlation between the taxonomic identity, as established by fatty acid analyses, and hydrophobicity. Hydrophobicity can be used to help isolate spores from complex environmental samples and intrinsic fluorescence is helpful in discriminating the taxonomic groups.
Porous Perovskite-Type Lanthanum Cobaltite as Electrocatalysts toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Porous lanthanum cobaltite (LaCoO3) was prepared by hydrothermal reaction and converted into hollow nanospheres through heat treatment. These hollow spheres were examined as electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) using the rotating disk electrode technique in an alkaline solution. The obtained mass-specific OER activity was 7.51 A/g for porous LaCoO3 particles and 12.58 A/g for hollow LaCoO3 nanospheres at 1.60 V. These values were more than 4–6 times higher than that of bulk LaCoO3 compound (1.87 A/g). The OER performance of these perovskite-type LaCoO3 compounds was characterized using the Tafel equation, which showed the hollow nanospheres had the fastest kinetics among the three morphologies. The amorphous surface of these porous structures could contribute to the enhanced OER performance. The electrocatalytic and structural analysis results show the porous nanostructures with amorphous surface layers are important to achieve high activity toward OER for water splitting.
Gender Disparities in Park Use and Physical Activity among Residents of High-Poverty Neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Abstract Introduction Physical inactivity is more prevalent among women than men and is related to poor health outcomes. Neighborhood parks constitute an important resource for physical activity (PA), however, previous studies of park users have found fewer women being physically active. Methods We conducted a hierarchical mixed-effect regression analysis of the independent associations between gender and park use and PA among a population-based sample in high-poverty neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Data sources included 1) structured interviews with adults (≥18 years of age) in randomly selected households within 1 mile of study parks (n = 2,973), 2) systematic observations of study parks (n = 48), and 3) neighborhood characteristics from the 2010 U.S. Census. Results After controlling for race/ethnicity, education, body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater, health status, proximity to park, having children under the age of 18, perceived park safety, estimated screen time, and park- and neighborhood-level variables, statistically significant differences were found between women and men on all outcomes. Compared with men, women reported fewer park visits in the past week (−0.28 times/week; p Conclusions Women living in high-poverty neighborhoods use parks less for PA than men. Improved park-level design, programming, and other policy interventions may be needed to mitigate disparities in park use and PA for all.
A POMDP Approach to the Dynamic Defense of Large-Scale Cyber Networks

We investigate the problem of optimally mitigating the progression of an adversary through a network in real-time, decreasing the probability of it reaching its goal(s), while minimizing the negative impact to availability. Our model is based on a type of attack graph, termed a condition dependency graph, which models the dependencies between security conditions (attacker capabilities) and exploits. By embedding a state space on the graph, we are able to quantify the progression of the attacker over time. The defender is able to interfere with the attacker’s progression by blocking some exploits from being carried out. The nature of the attacker’s progression through the network is dictated by its private strategy, which depends on the defender’s action. The defender’s uncertainty of the attacker’s true strategy is modeled by considering a finite collection of attacker types. Using noisy security alerts (exhibiting both missed detections and false alarms), the defender maintains a belief representing the joint distribution over the attacker’s current capabilities and true strategy. The resulting problem of determining how to optimally interfere with the attacker’s progression is cast as a partially observable Markov decision process. To deal with the large state space, we develop a scalable online defense algorithm for tracking beliefs and prescribing defense actions over time. Using the context provided by the state, we are able to efficiently process security alerts even in the presence of a high rate of false alarms. The behavior of the computed defense policy is demonstrated on an illustrative example.
Readability of online material related to skin cancer

Abstract Objectives The key to reducing mortality from skin cancer depends on early detection and treatment, which, in many cases, means a patient should be informed and possess the self-efficacy necessary to seek expert opinion. The purpose of this study was to determine the readability of skin cancer materials on the Internet using the commonly used readability tests. Study design This is a cross-sectional study. Methods A search was conducted using the key words ‘skin cancer.’ The first 15 pages of websites that contained English language articles on skin cancer comprised the sample for this study. All English language articles appearing on these websites were analyzed using the Readable.io service to automate popular readability scores. For each article, it was determined if it was generated from a .org, .com, .gov, .net, .edu or other source. Five readability tests were conducted on the materials to determine the ease with which one can read each article. Results Of the 102 websites sampled, none received an acceptable score on all five assessments. In fact, more than 90% of the websites sampled received an unacceptable score on any one of the five assessments, and more than 78% of the websites sampled received an unacceptable level on all five assessments. All five readability assessments demonstrated statistically significant results; each P- value obtained from the t -tests was substantially below 0.01 and, hence, below the α = 0.05 threshold. These results indicate that it is unlikely that skin cancer websites are being written at the recommended level. Of the websites sampled, roughly 42% were .com, and slightly more than 36% were .org. Statistical evidence indicated that neither .com nor .org websites are likely to be written at the acceptable level. Conclusions Both for-profit and non-profit agencies which aim to provide health information to consumers should be mindful of the readability levels of the materials they disperse.
Do demographic disparities exist in the diagnosis and surgical management of otitis media

Objective Determine if demographic disparities exist between the diagnosis of otitis media (OM) and the provision of myringotomy and tubes in children. Study design Cross-sectional analysis of a national database. Methods The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2010 and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey-Ambulatory Surgery 2010 were abstracted for cases with a diagnosis of OM and myringotomy and tube (MT) procedures in children, respectively. Sex, race, ethnic, and insurance distributions were computed for OM and MT and then compared for healthcare disparities between rates of OM diagnoses and MT procedures. Results A total of 13.6 million ambulatory pediatric OM diagnoses were identified in 2010 (55.9% male; 82.4% white, 11.3% black, and 6.3% other; 14.3% Hispanic, 85.7% non-Hispanic). A total of 413 thousand ambulatory myringotomy procedures were identified (59.6% male; 86.0% white, 11.0% black, and 3.0% other; 13.0% Hispanic, 87.0% non-Hispanic). There was no statistically significant difference in the provision of MT versus OM diagnosis according to sex (P = 0.400), race (P = 0.313), or ethnicity (P = 0.228). There was also no statistically significant difference in the percentage of Medicaid coverage for OM children (37.0%) versus those undergoing MT (31.1%; P = 0.376). There does, however, appear to be a statistically higher percentage of non-Hispanic children being diagnosed with otitis media than Hispanic children (P = 0.049). Conclusion There were no significant demographic differences in the incidence of children with OM undergoing MT with respect to sex, race, ethnicity, or insurance status. As a specialty, otolaryngology does not appear to exhibit any disparate healthcare access bias in providing MT to children with OM. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 128:2898-2901, 2018.
Cannabinoid Use in Patients With Gastroparesis and Related Disorders: Prevalence and Benefit.

OBJECTIVES:Gastroparesis (Gp) can be a challenging disorder to manage due to the paucity of treatment options. We do not know how frequently patients with Gp symptoms resort to cannabinoids to address their symptoms. This study (i) determines the prevalence of cannabinoid use in patients with Gp sym
The Investigation into the Toxic Potential of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Utilizing Rat Pheochromocytoma and Human Neural Stem Cells.

Magnetic iron oxide (Magnetite, Fe3O4) nanoparticles are widely utilized in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug delivery applications due to their superparamagnetism. Surface coatings are often employed to change the properties of the magnetite nanoparticles or to modulate their biological responses. In this study, magnetite nanoparticles were fabricated through hydrothermal synthesis. Hydrophobicity is often increased by surface modification with oleic acid. In this study, however, hydrophobicity was introduced through surface modification with n-octyltriethoxysilane. Both the uncoated (hydrophilic) and coated (hydrophobic) individual nanoparticle sizes measured below 20 nm in diameter, a size range in which magnetite nanoparticles exhibit superparamagnetism. Both types of nanoparticles formed aggregates which were characterized by SEM, TEM, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The coating process significantly increased both individual particle diameter and aggregate sizes. We tested the neurotoxicity of newly synthesized nanoparticles with two mammalian cell lines, PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma) and ReNcell VM (human neural stem cells). Significant differences were observed in cytotoxicity profiles, which suggests that the cell type (rodent versus human) or the presence of serum matters for nanoparticle toxicology studies. Differences in nanoparticle associations/uptake between the two cell types were observed with Prussian Blue staining. Finally, safe concentrations which did not significantly affect neuronal differentiation profiles were identified for further development of the nanoparticles.
Amplification and Molecular Cloning of Transfected Genes

The transfection of genes into recipient cells is a very exciting tool because of the diversity of problems that can be attacked and because of the elegance of the answers. For instance, transfer of cloned MHC or immunoglobulin genes has provided important knowledge of the structure, function, and regulation of these genes. Many important genes have been cloned by transfecting with total cellular DNA, selecting transfectants expressing the gene, and then isolating the transferred gene by one of several methods. The identification and cloning of cellular oncogenes, a major breakthrough in the past few years, was an achievement that may not have been possible or have occurred as swiftly without our ability to transfer DNA into mammalian cells and isolate transfectants.
Borderline personality disorder symptoms and exposure to violence as risk factors for opioid use in adulthood

Borderline personality disorder and exposure to violence are both risk factors for opioid use. While past research has identified these relationships, there has yet to be any study which investigates the potential that exposure to violence may help explain the relationship between borderline personality disorder symptoms and opioid use as a mediator. The present study used data from the Pathways to Desistance study to test these proposed relationships. Results indicated that greater levels of borderline personality disorder symptoms were associated with increased opioid use frequency. However, when exposure to violence variables were included in the model, the magnitude of this effect was attenuated by more than 20% and reduced to non-significance. These results indicate the importance of identifying and treating borderline personality disorder symptomatology and to provide increased oversight of the environments which juvenile offenders are exposed to upon reentry. Doing so may help to address the opioid crisis in the United States.
Hexaborides: a review of structure, synthesis and processing

Abstract Hexaboride compounds are a subset of borides with many interesting thermal, electrical, magnetic and physical properties. As such, interest has grown in this class of ceramics not only to understand their peculiar characteristics, but also to apply them to modern scientific and engineering problems. Hexaborides are currently used or show promise for a variety of applications such as electron emitters, thermoelectric materials, coatings, single-photon detectors and superconductors. A shared crystal structure amongst all hexaborides permits them to readily form solid solutions, allowing for fine-tuning of electrical, optical and thermal properties with mixed-metal compounds. Recent advances in characterization techniques have allowed researchers to gain new insights and renewed interest in some of the more exotic hexaboride behaviors such as surface conductivity in SmB6 or magnetic ordering in CeB6. Like many other non-oxide ceramics, borides present certain synthesis and processing challenges. This paper presents an overview of the structure, synthesis and processing of hexaboride compounds in an effort to guide researchers with the first step in pursuing these interesting and unique materials.
Enhanced photoredox activity of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals by quantitative colloidal ligand exchange

Quantitative colloidal ligand exchange on lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) has remained a challenge due to the dynamic passivation of amines and carboxylic acids and the instability of core lead-halide perovskite systems. Here, we present a facile colloidal ligand exchange process using cinnamate acid ligands to quantitatively displace native oleate ligands on CsPbBr3 NCs. The short cinnamate ligands lead to a 23-fold enhancement of the electron-donating ability of the CsPbBr3 NCs when benzoquinone is used as an electron acceptor. A significantly increased photoredox activity is also observed in a complete photocatalytic reaction: the α-alkylation of aldehydes. Our results provide a new strategy to tune the photoredox activity of halide perovskite NCs as well as the exploration of NC-ligand interactions.
Digitalization of Russia’s Electricity Sector

Today’s buzzword is digitalization. It has been going on for several years and covered multiple sectors of economy and manufacturing. In 2017, the Russian Federation adopted its Digital Economy State Program, which covers all the major industries. In this regard, digitalization experience, in particular that in the electricity sector, is of both theoretical and practical significance.
“I wish I didn’t look so White”: examining contested racial identities in second-generation Black–White Multiracials

Multiracials are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. However, we are still learning how the children of Multiracial individuals understand their racial identity. I intervie...
#FeministAntibodies: Asian American Media in the Time of Coronavirus

This article examines the tensions, communal processes, and narrative frameworks behind producing collective racial politics across differences. As digital media objects, the Asian American Feminis...
VEHICLE SULFURIC ACID LEVEL CHARACTERIZATION

This paper describes sulfate emission data that were gathered on a series of 2.3L and 400 CID engine vehicles. Determinations were made of the variability of the sulfate emission data from various test cycles and the effect of catalyst pre-conditioning temperature on initial sulfate test levels was studied. An effect due to the size of the vehicle cooling fan during chassis roll testing also was noted. The 1974 production (non-catalyst) and lean burn prototype (non-catalyst) vehicles convert less than or equal to 2% of consumed fuel sulfur to sulfates and are essentially equivalent in this regard. Vehicles with catalysts convert from 1 to 60% of fuel sulfur to sulfates depending upon temperature, oxygen in the exhaust gas, prior catalyst history and test cycles. /GMRL/
Parametric robustness analysis for Cassini spacecraft using the LMI approach without frequency sweep

A generalized Popov multiplier theory enables one to analyze system robustness with mixed real/complex parameters, repeated uncertainties, and multi-dimensional block uncertainties. Using the Cassini spacecraft thrust vector control (TVC) system as a design case study, modern robust control theory has been applied to the real flight project.
Protein stability engineering in staphylococcal nuclease using an AI-Neural network hybrid system and a genetic algorithm

With the recent increases in the use of protein-based therapeutics for the treatment of disease, protein stability engineering is an area of growing importance. Feed forward neural networks are trained to predict mutation induced protein stability changes in Staphylococcal nuclease to an accuracy of 93%. These neural networks are then implemented as part of a larger AI framework that is capable of engineering mutations within a protein sequence to yield the target stability or as the basis for a fitness function of a genetic algorithm capable of producing a population of mutation containing sequences of the desired stability. The AI neural network hybrid and genetic algorithm based approaches are significantly faster than other computational methods of protein engineering and can be utilized for proteins in which structural information is lacking.
The Effect of Restatement Detection Speed on Reporting Credibility

A primary goal of the regulatory reforms enacted around the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was to improve the credibility of financial reporting. While earnings restatements resulting from accounting issues damaged investor trust prior to the implementation of SOX, we hypothesize that quicker detection of restatements in the post-SOX era should dampen investors’ skepticism that accounting problems will have long-lasting effects on reporting credibility. This study documents that irregularity-related restatements were detected more quickly after SOX, which is consistent with greater attention paid to reporting quality and higher levels of audit scrutiny. The results also show that investors have modest credibility concerns regarding firms that announced irregularity-related restatements in the post-SOX era, as the decline in the information content of earnings is short-lived and contagion effects for industry-peer firms are limited. However, this study shows that changes in reporting credibility are influenced by how quickly restatements are discovered and disclosed, as the adverse credibility effects are confined to accounting irregularities that have lengthy detection periods. The evidence from this study highlights the importance of monitoring mechanisms for discovering and resolving accounting irregularities quickly, as the market does not seem to have significant suspicions about ongoing reporting credibility for such firms.
Characterization of transcription factors by mass spectrometry and the role of SELDI-MS.

Over the last decade, much progress has been made in the field of biological mass spectrometry, with numerous advances in technology, resolution, and affinity capture. The field of genomics has also been transformed by the sequencing and characterization of entire genomes. Some of the next challenges lie in understanding the relationship between the genome and the proteome, the protein complement of the genome, and in characterizing the regulatory processes involved in progressing from gene to functional protein. In this new age of proteomics, development of mass spectrometry methods to characterize transcription factors promises to add greatly to our understanding of regulatory networks that govern expression. However, at this time, regulatory networks of transcription factors are mostly uncharted territory. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in characterization of transcription factors by mass spectrometry including affinity capture, identification of complexes of DNA-binding proteins, structural characterization, determination of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions, assessment of modification sites and metal binding, studies of functional activity, and the latest chip technologies that use SELDI-MS that allow the rapid capture and identification of transcription factors.