cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Postexsanguination Dehairing on the Microbial Load and Visual Cleanliness of Beef Carcasses.

Ten grain-fed steers or heifers were selected to be dehaired at slaughter, while another 10 cattle (of the same kind) were slaughtered and dressed without dehairing. The carcasses of these animals were evaluated for bacterial contamination (aerobic plate count [APC], total coliform count [TCC], Escherichia coli biotype I, and count and presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) after sampling from the brisket, flank, and inside round at each of three sites (after dehiding, after evisceration, and after final carcass washing). Visual defects (hairs and specks) and weight associated with trimmings were also evaluated. Overall, there were no major differences in APC, TCC, or E. coli counts between samples from dehaired cattle and those from conventionally slaughtered animals. Dehaired carcasses had fewer (P < 0.05) visible specks and fewer total carcass defects before trimming (but not after trimming) than did carcasses of conventionally slaughtered animals. There were fewer (P < 0.05) visible h...
The Neurology Resident & Fellow Section: Year in review

The Neurology ® Resident & Fellow page was launched in 2004 by Berch Griggs, then the Editor-in-Chief of Neurology , and Karen Johnston, Associate Editor. The Editors envisioned a forum for trainees and educators to publish articles on topics relevant to residency and fellowship. Articles in this experimental page included clinical reviews and education research projects, as well as commentaries on practice, ethics, teaching, history, and international training experiences. By 2015, under the guidance of Mitch Elkind, former Section Editor, the “Page” had become a “Section,” articles appeared weekly, projects like Podcasts and a Writing Award were introduced, and a growing team of trainee editorial team members were recruited. Now with over a decade of accomplishment, the Resident & Fellow Section (RFS) continues its growth, expansion, and vision for the future. John Millichap, a former editorial team member and the new RFS Associate Editor, assumed leadership of the section as of July 1, 2015. He is joined by Deputy Associate Editor Roy Strowd, another former editorial team member.
Systematic Investigation of Benzodithiophene-Benzothiadiazole Isomers for Organic Photovoltaics

Two new donor–acceptor small molecules based on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) and benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BT) were designed and synthesized. Small molecules 4,4′-[(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(2,2′-bithiophene)-5,5′-diyl]bis(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (BDT-TT-BT) and 4,4′-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis[7-(2,2′-bithiophene-5-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole] (BDT-BT-TT) are structural isomers with the 2,2-bithiophene unit placed either between the BDT and BT units or at the end of the BT units. This work is targeted toward finding the effect of structural variation on optoelectronic properties, morphology, and photovoltaic performance. On the basis of theoretical calculations, the molecular geometry and energy levels are different for these two molecules when the position of the 2,2-bithiophene unit is changed. Optical and electrochemical properties of these two small molecules were characteriz...
Apprenticeship scheduling for human-robot teams

Resource optimization and scheduling is a costly, challenging problem that affects almost every aspect of our lives. One example that affects each of us is health care: Poor systems design and scheduling of resources can lead to higher rates of patient noncompliance and burnout of health care providers, as highlighted by the Institute of Medicine (Brandenburg et al. 2015). In aerospace manufacturing, every minute re-scheduling in response to dynamic disruptions in the build process of a Boeing 747 can cost up to $100.000. The military is also highly invested in the effective use of resources. In missile defense, for example, operators must =solve a challenging weapon-to-target problem, balancing the cost of expendable, defensive weapons while hedging against uncertainty in adversaries’ tactics. Researchers in artificial intelligence (AI) planning and scheduling strive to develop algorithms to improve resource allocation. However, there are two primary challenges. First, optimal task allocation and sequencing with upper and lower-bound temporal constraints (i.e., deadlines and wait constraints) is NP-Hard (Bertsimas and Weismantel 2005). Approximation techniques for scheduling exist and typically rely on the algorithm designer crafting heuristics based on domain expertise to decompose or structure the scheduling problem and prioritize the manner in which resources are allocated and tasks are sequenced (Tang and Parker 2005; Jones, Dias, and Stentz 2011). The second problem is this aforementioned reliance on crafting clever heuristics based on domain knowledge. Manually capturing domain knowledge within a scheduling algorithm remains a challenging process and leaves much to be desired (Ryan et al. 2013). The aim of my thesis is to develop an autonomous system that 1) learns the heuristics and implicit rules-of-thumb developed by domain experts from years of experience, 2) embeds and leverages this knowledge within a scalable resource optimization framework, and 3) provides decision support in a way that engages users and benefits them in their decision-making process. By intelligently leveraging the ability of humans to learn heuristics and the speed of modern computation, we can improve the ability to coordinate resources in these time and safety-critical domains.
Probing phase- and frequency-dependent characteristics of cortical interneurons using combined transcranial alternating current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation

Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and peripheral stimulation combined with TMS can be used to study cortical interneuronal circuitry. By combining these procedures with concurrent transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), Guerra and colleagues recently showed that different cortical interneuronal populations are differentially modulated by the phase and frequency of tACS-imposed oscillations (Guerra A, Pogosyan A, Nowak M, Tan H, Ferreri F, Di Lazzaro V, Brown P. Cerebral Cortex 26: 3977-2990, 2016). This work suggests that different cortical interneuronal populations can be characterized by their phase and frequency dependency. Here we discuss how combining TMS and tACS can reveal the frequency at which cortical interneuronal populations oscillate, the neuronal origins of behaviorally relevant cortical oscillations, and how entraining cortical oscillations could potentially treat brain disorders.
Strategic aspects of cyberattack, attribution, and blame

Cyber conflict is now a common and potentially dangerous occurrence. The target typically faces a strategic choice based on its ability to attribute the attack to a specific perpetrator and whether it has a viable punishment at its disposal. We present a game-theoretic model, in which the best strategic choice for the victim depends on the vulnerability of the attacker, the knowledge level of the victim, payoffs for different outcomes, and the beliefs of each player about their opponent. The resulting blame game allows analysis of four policy-relevant questions: the conditions under which peace (i.e., no attacks) is stable, when attacks should be tolerated, the consequences of asymmetric technical attribution capabilities, and when a mischievous third party or an accident can undermine peace. Numerous historical examples illustrate how the theory applies to cases of cyber or kinetic conflict involving the United States, Russia, China, Japan, North Korea, Estonia, Israel, Iran, and Syria.
Biomedical applications of nanodiamond (Review).

The interest to applications of nanodiamond in biology and medicine is on the rise over the recent years. This is due to the unique combination of properties that nanodiamond provides. Small size (~ 5 nm), low cost, scalable production, negligible toxicity, chemical inertness of diamond core and rich chemistry of nanodiamond surface, as well as bright and robust fluorescence resistant to photobleaching are the distinct parameters that render nanodiamond superior to any other nanomaterial when it comes to biomedical applications. The most exciting recent results have been related to the use of nanodiamonds for drug delivery and diagnostics – two components of quickly growing area of biomedical research dubbed theranostics. However, nanodiamond offers much more in addition: it can be used to produce biodegradable bone surgery devices, tissue engineering scaffolds, kill drug resistant microbes, help us to fight viruses, and deliver genetic material into cell nucleus. All these exciting opportunities require an in-depth understanding of nanodiamond. This review covers the recent progress as well as general trends in biomedical applications of nanodiamond, and underlines the importance of purification, characterization, and rational modification of this nanomaterial when designing nanodiamond based theranostic platforms.
Low nonlinearity Yb-doped fluorosilicate optical fiber with ultra-flat absorption spectrum

We report on new Yb-doped fluorosilicate optical fibers with reduced strength of Brillouin, Raman, and thermal Rayleigh scattering. Yb3+ absorption spectra strongly resemble borate glasses, with ultra-flat absorption in the 940nm region.
Enlightened Employers' Continuing Education Policies

An enlightened continuing education policy maintains an environment conducive to professional development. The successful application of such a policy requires a sharing of responsibility between the employer and his engineer employee. The individual must direct his own initiative and motivation toward professional advancement. The enlightened employer provides encouragement, resources, development opportunity, and recognition. Case studies describing the specifics of professional development support practiced by three organizations of modest size are presented. The essential elements of an effective policy are identified.
Improving Speech Recognition for Interviews with both Clean and Telephone Speech

High quality automatic speech recognition (ASR) depends on the context of the speech. Cleanly recorded speech has better results than speech recorded over telephone lines. In telephone speech, the signal is band-pass filtered which limits frequencies available for computation. Consequently, the transmitted speech signal may be distorted by noise, causing higher word error rates (WER). The main goal of this research project is to examine approaches to improve recognition of telephone speech while maintaining or improving results for clean speech in mixed telephone-clean speech recordings, by reducing mismatches between the test data and the available models. The test data includes recorded interviews where the interviewer was near the hand-held, single-channel recorder and the interviewee was on a speaker phone with the speaker near the recorder. Available resources include the Eesen offline transcriber and two acoustic models based on clean training data or telephone training data. The Eesen offline transcriber is on a virtual machine available through the Speech Recognition Virtual Kitchen and uses an approach based on a deep recurrent neural network acoustic model and a weighted finite state transducer decoder to transcribe audio into text. This project addresses the problem of high WER that comes when telephone speech is tested on cleanly-trained models by 1) replacing the clean model with a telephone model and 2) analyzing and addressing errors through data cleaning, correcting audio segmentation, and adding words to the dictionary. These approaches reduced the overall WER. This paper includes an overview of the transcriber, acoustic models, and the methods used to improve speech recognition, as well as results of transcription performance. We expect these approaches to reduce the WER on the telephone speech. Future work includes applying a variety of filters to the speech signal which could reduce both additive and convolutional noise resulting from the telephone channel.
Bridging the Gap: Identifying Global Trends in Gender Disparity Among the Radiology Physician Workforce

Rationale and Objectives Women make up half of American medical school graduates, but remain underrepresented among radiologists. This study sought to determine whether workforce gender disparities exist in other countries, and to identify any country-specific indices associated with increased female representation. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 95 professional radiology organizations in 75 countries were contacted via email to provide membership statistics, including proportion of female members, female members aged 35 or under, and women in society leadership positions. Country-specific metrics collected included gross domestic product, Gini index, percent female medical school enrollment, and Gender Development Index for the purposes of univariate multiple regression analysis. Results Twenty-nine organizations provided data on 184,888 radiologists, representing 26 countries from Europe (n = 12), North America (n = 2), Central/South America (n = 6), Oceania (n = 2), Asia (n = 3), and Africa (n = 1) for a response rate of 34.7% (26/75). Globally, 33.5% of radiologists are female. Women constitute a higher proportion of younger radiologists, with 48.5% of radiologists aged 35 or under being female. Female representation in radiology is lowest in the United States (27.2%), highest in Thailand (85.0%), and most variable in Europe (mean 40.1%, range 28.8%–68.9%). The proportion of female radiologists was positively associated with a country's Gender Development Index (P = .006), percent female medical student enrollment (P = .001), and Gini index (P = .002), and negatively associated with gross domestic product (P = .03). Conclusions Women are underrepresented in radiology globally, most notably in the United States. Countries with greater representation of women had higher gender equality and percent female medical school enrollment, suggesting these factors may play a role in the gender gap.
Cost of Production

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an example of the methods and procedures used by university specialists in developing potato production cost estimates for potato growers. The methods and procedures described are those used by the University of Idaho, illustrating a typical approach used in developing cost of production estimates. Also discussed are procedures that a grower might use to develop cost-of-production estimates for individual farms.
Neurological Complications of the Treatment of Pediatric Neoplastic Disorders

Neurological complications resulting from childhood cancer treatments are common. Treatment for childhood neoplastic disorders is often multimodal and may include procedures, cranial irradiation, chemotherapy, transplant, and immunotherapy, each of which carries distinct neurological risks. Procedures, such as lumbar punctures, are commonly used in this population for diagnostic purposes as well as intrathecal medication administration. Surgery is associated with an array of potential neurological complications, with posterior fossa syndrome being a common cause of morbidity in pediatric brain tumor patients after neurosurgical resection. Cranial irradiation can cause late neurological sequelae such as stroke, cerebral vasculopathy, secondary malignancy, and cognitive dysfunction. Neurotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents are common and include neuropathy, coagulopathy causing stroke or cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, encephalopathy, seizures, cerebellar dysfunction, myelopathy, and neuropsychologic difficulties. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant has a high risk of neurological complications including central nervous system infection, seizures, and stroke. Immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cells (CAR T-cells) and immune checkpoint inhibitors, are emerging as potentially effective strategies to treat some types of childhood cancer, but may carry with them substantial neurotoxicity which is just beginning to be recognized and studied. With evolving treatment protocols, childhood cancer survivorship is increasing, and the role of the neurologist in managing both the acute and chronic neurological consequences of treatment is becoming more important. Prevention, early recognition, and treatment of therapy-associated neurotoxicity are imperative to ensuring children can remain on the most effective therapeutic regimens and to improve the neurological function and quality of life of childhood cancer survivors.
Naturally occurring toxicants in foods and their significance in the human diet.

Among the many biologically active and potentially toxic factors known to be present in plant foodstuffs normally consumed by man, those that are present in legumes have received the most attention. Two categories of legume toxins will be considered — those whose effects have been extensively studied in experimental animals but whose significance in man must remain open to conjecture, and those which are known to produce toxic effects in man but whose identity remains uncertain because similar effects are not readily reproduced in animal models.
SNP genotyping reveals major QTLs for plant architectural traits between A-genome peanut wild species

QTL mapping of important architectural traits was successfully applied to an A-genome diploid population using gene-specific variations. Peanut wild species are an important source of resistance to biotic and possibly abiotic stress; because these species differ from the cultigen in many traits, we have undertaken to identify QTLs for several plant architecture-related traits. In this study, we took recently identified SNPs, converted them into markers, and identified QTLs for architectural traits. SNPs from RNASeq data distinguishing two parents, A. duranensis (KSSc38901) and A. cardenasii (GKP10017), of a mapping population were identified using three references—A. duranensis V14167 genome sequence, and transcriptome sequences of A. duranensis KSSc38901 and OLin. More than 49,000 SNPs differentiated the parents, and 87.9% of the 190 SNP calls tested were validated. SNPs were then genotyped on 91 F2 lines using KASP chemistry on a Roche LightCycler 480 and a Fluidigm Biomark HD, and using SNPType chemistry on the Fluidigm Biomark HD. A linkage map was constructed having ten linkage groups, with 144 loci spanning a total map distance of 1040 cM. Comparison of the A-genome map to the A. duranensis genome sequence revealed a high degree of synteny. QTL analysis was also performed on the mapping population for important architectural traits. Fifteen definitive and 16 putative QTLs for petiole length, leaflet length and width, leaflet area, leaflet length/width ratio, main stem height, presence of flowers on the main stem, and seed mass were identified. Results demonstrate that SNPs identified from transcriptome sequencing could be converted to KASP or SNPType markers with a high success rate, and used to identify alleles with significant phenotypic effects, These could serve as information useful for introgression of alleles into cultivated peanut from wild species and have the potential to allow breeders to more easily fix these alleles using a marker-assisted backcrossing approach.
Getting Off the Leash.

Klugman and colleagues (2018) provide a very useful overview of the tremendous variety of ethical and legal questions raised by the emergence of “digital medicines,” especially those that monitor a...
Perioperative Management of the Right and Left Ventricles

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve survival in select advanced heart failure patients and rates of LVAD implantation are growing. LVAD support carries significant morbidity and mortality with the greatest risk in the perioperative period. Strategies have evolved to minimize this risk. Medical and mechanical support is used for right and left ventricular optimization. Other strategies emphasize improving nutrition, hematologic abnormalities, infection risk, and renal function. Intraoperative approaches highlight anesthesia-related issues, management of concomitant valve disease, right ventricular failure, and weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperative efforts concentrate on augmenting right ventricular function, supporting end-organ recovery, and quickly identifying complications.
Studies of the homologs and pseudo-homologs of flerovium with crown ether based extraction chromatography resins

A crown-ether based extraction chromatography resin, Eichrom Pb, has been characterized for separations of the flerovium (Fl) pseudo-homolog Hg. Previous results on the batch uptake of Pb(II) and Sn(IV) are compared with newly investigated Hg(II) in HCl matrices. It was determined that all three elements can be strongly retained by the resin at different HCl concentrations. To assess the feasibility for performing an experiment on the chemical properties of Fl using this resin the extraction kinetics were studied. A separation method for the isolation of the homologs Pb(II) and Sn(IV) and pseudo-homolog Hg(II) has been established using 2 mL pre-packed Pb resin columns under vacuum flow.
Early Medieval Charitable Institutions and Hospitals, c. 500–1000 CE

The decline of the Roman Empire signaled many changes for Western Europe, including the evolution of the early medieval hospital. Prior to the early Middle Ages, hospitals and healthcare were the responsibility of governments and private individuals. A lack of stabilizing forces c. 500 CE obliged others to provide healthcare. Christians, and especially monasteries, took up the reins; the concern that Christians had for those less fortunate merged with the Roman notion of Amor civicus , love for one’s city. The end of the early Middle Ages witnessed a major change as new concepts of healthcare, from Byzantium, and medical treatises, especially from the Islamic world, made their way into Italy, setting the stage for an explosion of lay hospitals in the next two hundred years.
Emissivity of solar cell cover glass calculated from infrared reflectance measurements

Abstract The thermal emissivity of solar cell cover glasses with differences in glass composition or manufacture and surface texture are evaluated using specular and specular+diffuse infrared reflectance at different angles of incidences. Non-textured and textured glasses all exhibit similar emissivity at all angles of incidence regardless of composition and patterning. Both diffuse and specular reflectance must be included for textured glass at any angle of incidence and may be needed for planar glass at a high angle of incidences to properly determine emissivity.
Investigations on the directive effects of a single meso -substituent via nitration of 5,12,13,17,18-pentasubstituted porphyrins: syntheses of conjugated β-nitroporphyrins

Abstract Vilsmeier formylation of 5-substituted 1,9-diunsubstituted dipyrromethanes afforded 1,9-diformyldipyrromethanes in good yields. Their MacDonald condensation with tetra-β-alkyldipyrromethanes produced 5,12,13,17,18-pentasubstituted porphyrins. A meso-electron-donating group, presumably acting by destabilizing the porphyrin a2u ground state, directs the nitrations to the meso-carbons. β-Nitration takes place on porphyrins bearing a meso-electron-withdrawing group. Unhindered β-nitro groups are shown to exert stronger electronic effects relative to meso-nitro groups by conjugating effectively with the porphyrin macrocycle.
Environmental and individual predictors of medication adherence among elderly patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease: A geospatial approach.

Abstract Background Few studies have examined how adherence to antihypertensive medications varies across different regions or how neighborhood-level factors were related to individuals’ medication-taking behaviors in patients. Objective To explore local variation in medication adherence and examine environmental and individual influences on adherence to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) among elderly hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the United States. Methods The Medicare 5% sample claim data (2006-2013), American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2005-2009) and the Health Resources and Services Administration Primary Care Service Area data (2007). The primary outcome was medication adherence, measured by Proportion of Days Covered (PDC). Geographically weighted regression (GWR) and linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the relationship between environmental factors, individual risk factors and medication adherence. Results A total of 70,201 hypertensive CKD patients residing in 2,981 counties of the US were selected. Significant spatial autocorrelation was observed in ACEIs/ARBs PDC. The West North Central and New England regions demonstrated higher adherence compared to the East South Central and West South Central regions. Residing in Medically Underserved Areas, counties with high deprivation scores, and not receiving Part D Low-income Subsidy were associated with poor medication adherence. Conclusions Medication adherence is geographically differentiated across the US. Environmental and individual factors identified may be helpful in the design of local interventions focused on improving patient outcomes from a population perspective.
Use of virtual reality in underground roof fall hazard assessment and risk mitigation

Abstract Virtual reality (VR) simulations are some of the alternative practice environments for safety education. Trainees gain experience under the most realistic conditions without being exposed to any real hazard. Virtual reality also serves as a tool to expedite the decision-making process where quick decisions and actions are necessities for a safe operation. One example of such a situation in underground mines is the failure risks in a tunnel face after blasting. Ground support systems must be installed based on the stand-up time to ensure the safe access of personnel and equipment to the working area. Generally, a competent person inspects the area to identify risks and determines the required support systems. However, training of a competent person requires large amount of time and effort. This study presents virtual reality simulations developed for improving the assessment of the roof fall hazards and taking necessary measures for mitigating the risk related to roof fall. The virtual reality simulation involves decision-making tasks for a particular scenario in which participants can experience creating a safe working environment in a timely manner. First, they are asked to identify the potential hazard in a tunnel after blasting, namely, rock fall, wedge failure or groundwater inflow. If the hazard identification is successful, participants are requested to install rock bolts as a safety measure by selecting the bolt pattern (e.g. bolt length and spacing). Finally, participants evaluate the roof fall hazard by viewing displacements around the opening, before and after the support measures. This study illustrates the benefits of VR in safety training as well as enhancing the decision-making process to enhance safety.
Effects of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed and protein supplementation on stocker steers: I. Growth performance and hemodynamic responses.

Fescue toxicosis is a multifaceted syndrome common in cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue and is detrimental to growth and performance. Recent research has shown that supplementing protein has the potential to enhance growth performance in weaned steers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplemental CP on physiological parameters in stocker steers experiencing fescue toxicosis. Thirty-six weaned Angus steers (6 mo of age) stratified by weight (196.1 ± 3.6 kg) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for 56 d: endophyte-free (EF) seed and 14% CP (EF-14; n = 9), EF seed and 18% CP (EF-18; n = 9), endophyte-infected (EI) seed and 14% CP (EI-14; n = 9), and EI seed and 18% CP (EI-18; n = 9). Steer growth and hemodynamic responses were collected weekly during ergot alkaloid exposure. On day 14 of the trial, iButton temperature data loggers were subcutaneously inserted in the lateral neck region to record hourly body temperature for 42 d. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS with repeated measures. No differences were observed in DMI, BW, ADG, F:G, or BCS during the treatment period (P > 0.05). Hair shedding scores, rectal temperatures, surface temperatures, and respiration rates were greater in EI steers compared to EF steers regardless of supplemental CP (P 0.05). Based on the data, exposure to low to moderate levels of ergot alkaloids during the stocker phase had a negative impact on hemodynamic responses and supplemental CP had minimal impact to alleviate symptoms. Therefore, feeding additional protein above established requirements is not expected to help alleviate fescue toxicosis.
Towards Safe Spaces Online: A Study of Indian Matrimonial Websites

We studied Indian matrimonial websites that facilitate arranged marriages, focusing on how they are designed to foster safety and inclusivity. We conducted 20 interviews with marriage seekers and parents to understand how they use the sites. We examined government policy, technical affordances, human services, and the presence of the social network. We contrast matrimonial sites to dating websites in the Indian context. Matrimonial websites’ affordances suggest ways we might make other kinds of sites safer.
Macrophage-Derived microRNA-155 Increases in Obesity and Influences Adipocyte Metabolism by Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma.

Objective This study aimed to investigate cellular sources of microRNAs (miRNA) within adipose tissue and the impact of obesity on miRNA expression, as well as to examine targets of miRNAs. Methods miRNA expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction was examined in adipocytes, adipose tissue macrophages (ATM), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from and individuals with normal weight and with obesity. Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were cocultured with macrophages, and 3T3-L1 and differentiated human mesenchymal stem cells were transfected with miR-155, with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) and solute carrier family 2 member 4 (GLUT4) abundance measured via Western blot analysis. Results Abundance of miR-155 and miR-210 was increased in ATM of participants with obesity by 6.7-fold and 2.9-fold (P = 0.002 and P = 0.013, respectively). miR-130b expression was increased 1.8-fold in ATM and 4.3-fold in adipocytes from participants with obesity (P = 0.007 and P = 0.02, respectively). PPARG mRNA expression decreased 32% (P = 0.044) in adipocytes from individuals with obesity. In 3T3-L1 cells exposed to macrophages, PPARG expression decreased 99.4% (P = 0.02). PPAR-γ protein content declined 75% (P = 0.001) in 3T3-L1 cells transfected with miR-155. GLUT4 protein levels were reduced by 55% (P = 0.021) in differentiated human mesenchymal stem cells exposed to miR-155. Conclusions Adipose tissue miRNAs are influenced in a cell type-specific fashion by obesity, with macrophage miR-155 potentially impacting neighboring adipocytes.
Application of Combined Special Staining in the Observation of Vascular Pathology

Objective To evaluate the value of combined special staining technique in observing pathological changes in blood vessels. Methods Totally 999 vascular specimen were harvested from patients with complete medical records,clear diagnosis,and age≥18 years in the Pathology Department of Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2014 to September 2017.All specimen were stained with HE,Verhoef-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson. Then,the result of HE staining was compared with that of the combined special staining (Verhoef-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson).Results HE staining only showed a small amount of elastic fiber fracture. In contrast,the combined special staining clearly showed the pathological changes including fractures,decreased elastic fibers,and aggregation of extracellular mucous matrix. Diseases in these 999 patients included aneurysm of sinus of valsalva (SVA) (n=3),aortic root aneurysm (ARA) (n=177),thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) (n=78),abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) (n=17),total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (tTAAA) (n=32),and aortic dissection (AD) (n=692). The median scores of combined special staining of SVA (Z=3.857,P=0.040),ARA (Z=14.307,P=0.000),TAA (Z=26.939,P=0.000),AAA (Z=22.412,P=0.000),tTAAA (Z=15.926,P=0.000),and AD (Z=39.213,P=0.000) were significantly higher than that of HE staining. Conclusion The combined Verhoeff-Van Gieson,AB/PAS,and Masson special staining is an effective technique for observing pathological changes of elastic fibers and mucus in blood vessels.
Effect of salt stress during early seedling growth on phenology and yield of spring wheat

Grain yield potential of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be markedly affected by environmental stresses that occur early in the life cycle of the crop. This study was conducted in greenhouse sand cultures to determine the effects of salinity either applied or withdrawn at three different stages of wheat shoot organogenesis: (1) late in the leaf primordium initiation phase (LLPI), (2) double ridge stage (DRS), or (3) terminal spikelet formation (TSF). Plant response to changes in salinity was evaluated in terms of mainstem phenology, timing of tiller appearance, yield, and yield components. Leaf primordium initiation was more sensitive to changes in salinity than was spikelet primordium initiation. For changes in salinity at LLPI, final mainstem leaf number was controlled by the new, rather than the original, stress level, whereas when salinity was changed at DRS, final spikelet number was controlled by the original salinity level. Changes in salinity level did not inhibit tiller bud initiation, but affected the timing of tiller emergence. Grain yields were reduced by relatively brief periods of salinity, but losses were minimized if stress was withdrawn at LLPI or DRS or if stress application was delayed until TSF.
RNA decay during gammaherpesvirus infection reduces RNA polymerase II occupancy of host promoters but spares viral promoters

Author(s): Hartenian, Ella; Gilbertson, Sarah; Federspiel, Joel; Cristea, Ileana; Glaunsinger, Britt | Abstract: In mammalian cells, widespread acceleration of cytoplasmic mRNA degradation is linked to impaired RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. This mRNA decay-induced transcriptional repression occurs during infection with gammaherpesviruses including Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68), which encode an mRNA endonuclease that initiates widespread RNA decay. Here, we show that MHV68-induced mRNA decay leads to a genome-wide reduction of Pol II occupancy at mammalian promoters. This reduced Pol II occupancy is accompanied by down-regulation of multiple Pol II subunits and TFIIB in the nucleus of infected cells, as revealed by mass spectrometry-based global measurements of protein abundance. Viral genes, despite the fact that they require Pol II for transcription, escape transcriptional repression. Protection is not governed by viral promoter sequences; instead, location on the viral genome is both necessary and sufficient to escape the transcriptional repression effects of mRNA decay. We propose a model in which the ability to escape from transcriptional repression is linked to the localization of viral DNA within replication compartments, providing a means for these viruses to counteract decay-induced transcript loss.
GFAP IgG associated inflammatory polyneuropathy

Abstract Background GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein)-IgG is predominantly associated with meningoencephalomyelitis, and neuropathy presentations are rare. Methods We reviewed clinical, electrodiagnostic and histopathological presentations of GFAP-IgG associated peripheral neuropathy. Results We identified six cases, five of whom had peripheral neuropathy as the initial presentation. Acute/subacute polyradicluoneuropathy or proximal nerve involvement was a common presentation. Three had demyelinating neuropathies on electrophysiological studies. Nerve biopsies (n = 2) demonstrated T-cell predominant perivascular inflammatory collections, and all patients with clinical follow up responded favorably to immunotherapy. Conclusion GFAP neuropathy represents a potentially treatable immune-mediated neuropathy and can occur with or without co-existing meningoencephalomyelitis.
The Systems Movement and Isss in the New Millennium

Those familiar with the rise of human civilization have little doubt that the emergence of new and enduring sets of relationships and interactions among individual humans is prehistoric. For at least 5,000 years, individuals have introduced novel and innovative ideas and artifacts designed to inter-connect humans in higher orders of life processes. And with every biological generation, different ideas and artifacts were introduced evolving the higher order systems—sometimes to greater effectiveness, sometimes to destruction.
Spectroscopic and Computational Assessment of Silicon’s Electrophilicity in Phosphinosilylium Cations

An experimental method of determining the electrophilicity of silicon in phosphinosilylium cations is reported and compared to Djukic’s DFT method of computing relative intrinsic silylicity, Π. We ...
Fabrication and initial testing of the μDBS: a novel Deep Brain Stimulation electrode with thousands of individually controllable contacts.

High frequency electrical stimulation of deep brain structures such as the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson’s disease or thalamus for essential tremor is used clinically to reduce symptom severity. Deep brain stimulation activates neurons in specific brain structures and connection pathways, overriding aberrant neural activity associated with symptoms. While optimal deep brain stimulation might activate a particular neural structure precisely, existing deep brain stimulation can only generate roughly-spherical regions of activation that do not overlap with any target anatomy. Additionally, side effects linked to stimulation may be the result of limited control over placement of stimulation and its subsequent spread out of optimal target boundaries. We propose a novel lead with thousands of individually controllable contacts capable of asymmetric stimulation profiles. Here we outline the design motivation, manufacturing process, and initial testing of this new electrode design, placing it on track for further directional stimulation studies.
REACTER: A Heuristic Method for Reactive Molecular Dynamics

REACTER is a heuristic protocol that allows complex, predefined reactions to be modeled in atomistic, fixed-valence molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The method is applicable to a broad range of...
Top-quark pair production in association with a W± gauge boson in the POWHEG-BOX

We present a new Monte Carlo event generator for the production of a top-quark pair in association with a ${W}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ boson at hadron colliders in the POWHEG-BOX framework. We consider the next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to the $pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t\overline{t}{W}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ cross section, corresponding to the $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}^{3}\ensuremath{\alpha})$ and $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{3})$ terms in the perturbative expansion of the parton-level cross section, and model the decays of $W$ and top quarks at leading order retaining spin correlations. The fixed-order QCD calculation is further interfaced with the pythia8 parton-shower event generator via the POWHEG method as implemented in the POWHEG-BOX. The corresponding code is now part of the public repository of the POWHEG-BOX. We perform a comparison of different event generators for both the case of inclusive production and the case of the two same-sign leptons signature at the Large Hadron Collider operating at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. We investigate theoretical uncertainties in the modeling of the fiducial volume stemming from missing higher-order corrections, the different parton-shower-matching schemes, and the modeling of decays. We find that the subleading contribution at $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{3})$ is particularly sensitive to differences in the matching scheme and higher-order parton-shower effects. We observe that in particular jet observables can differ quite visibly although these differences play only a subordinate role in the description of physical observables once all contributions are combined.
Psychometric properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 in adults with substance use disorders.

Abstract Anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety-related sensations, has demonstrated relevance to a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Anxiety sensitivity is typically measured through self-report instruments, most commonly the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3). Despite the widespread use of the ASI-3 in studies of SUDs, little is known about its psychometric properties within this population. Patients on an inpatient detoxification unit seeking treatment for SUDs (N = 1248) completed a battery of self-report measures, including the ASI-3. Psychometric properties of the ASI-3 were examined. An exploratory factor analysis with half of the sample (n = 624) supported a 3-factor structure corresponding to the ASI-3 subscales (Social Concerns, Cognitive Concerns, Physical Concerns). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate this 3-dimensional structure in a separate subsample (n = 624), resulting in adequate fit when testing a second-order hierarchical model. Internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity results also supported the use of the ASI-3 in people with SUDs. Despite its widespread use in SUD research, this is the first psychometric investigation of the ASI-3 among individuals seeking treatment for SUDs.
COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Balancing Fear, Safety, and Risk as America Goes Back to Work

Fear, apprehension, and hysteria will likely be factors affecting employment decisions in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, which creates an environment ripe for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Few physical impairments “give rise to the same level of public fear and apprehension as contagiousness,” which places COVID-19 survivors particularly at risk for discrimination. Therefore, as Americans go back to work, the ADA will play a key role in helping bring the COVID-19 workplace disruption to resolution. Balancing legitimate concerns of disease transmission and health risks with individual employee rights while avoiding discrimination based upon stereotypes or unfounded fears will be a challenge for employers as the COVID-19 outbreak resolves. This article analyzes the COVID-19 outbreak through the lens of the ADA and assesses how COVID-19 survivors and susceptible individuals may be viewed and how employers may be expected to react under the ADA as the crisis resolves.
Exploring the thymic niche requirements for regulatory T cell development (HEM4P.230)

Development of regulatory T cells in the thymus is crucial for maintenance of tolerance to self. Here we demonstrate a new approach to systematically study the niche requirements for development of regulatory T cells in thymus. Using a thymic slice model, delivery of a model antigen leads to synchronized Treg development over the course of 72 hours. Antigen delivered by an exogenous antigen loaded dendritic cell population, or expressed as a transgene in medullary thymic epithelial cell populations, or a mixture of the two results in similar Treg numbers developing, and in all cases the number of developing regulatory T cells does not exceed 20% of antigen specific thymocytes. Addition of IL2 to thymic slices enhanced development, providing evidence that IL2 availability is a limiting factor for Treg development. We observed diminished Treg development when IL2-/- dendritic cells are used to present antigen, providing evidence that the APC population can be an important source of IL2 for developing Tregs. Overall, the thymic slice model provides an excellent system to dissect the niche requirements for the development of Tregs. Here we show that both antigen availability and IL2 exposure from a novel source can influence Treg development, but additional factors remain to be uncovered.
Atp8a1 Deficiency is Associated with Phosphatidylserine Externalization in Hippocampus and Delayed Hippocampus-Dependent Learning

The molecule responsible for the enzyme activity plasma membrane (PM) aminophospholipid translocase (PM-APLT), which catalyzes phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation from the outer to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, is unknown in mammals. A C.elegans study has shown that ablation of Tat-1, which is an ortholog of a mammalian P-type ATPase, Atp8a1, causes PS externalization in the germ cells. We demonstrate here that the hippocampal cells of the dentate gyrus (DG), and Cornu Ammonis (CA1, CA3) in mice lacking Atp8a1 exhibit a dramatic increase in PS externalization. Although their hippocampi showed no abnormal morphology or heightened apoptosis, these mice displayed increased activity and a marked deficiency in hippocampusdependent learning, but no hyper-anxiety. Such observations indicate that Atp8a1 plays a crucial role in PM-APLT activity in the neuronal cells. In corroboration, ectopic expression of Atp8a1 but not its close homolog, Atp8a2, caused an increase in the population (Vmax) of PM-APLT without any change in its signature parameter Km in the neuronal N18 cells. Conversely, expression of a Ptype phosphorylation-site mutant of Atp8a1 (Atp8a1*) caused a decrease in Vmax of PM-APLT without significantly altering its Km. The ATp8a1*-expressing N18 cells also exhibited PS externalization without apoptosis. Together, our data strongly indicate that Atp8a1 plays a central
Perspectives on Designing Design Managers By Lee D. Green, Jeff Smith, Gary Bryant, Rachel Cooper, Kyung‐Won Chung, and Maryann Finiw

The strongest and strangest rift in academia is perhaps between business and design. For two fields that are so interdependent on one another, the separation is appalling—and completely unnecessary. In the world of fashion, for example, designers know they must be creators (each season, twice a year, year after year), as well as manufacturers, originators and retailers, loners and team players, empathizers and pathbreakers. By the time they are seniors, fashion students know where to outsource, who to go to for publicity and marketing, what margins are needed to stay in business. Nearly all have been required to intern in successful fashion businesses and have learned the realities of the fashion world from the ground up. In the best fashion schools, from Parsons in New York to Central Saint Martins in London, this is what professors teach and what the curriculum is composed of. Yet in this article, we clearly see that other design schools are not doing this job. Designers graduate without the abilities to function in a business environment, much less build a new business. This is a tragedy with a cause—bad design education. What is needed to be great corporate designers and design managers? The deepest need is understanding—not of the customer, but of business itself. Learning the language and values of business and integrating them into the designer's practice and presentation is the key to success. What is valuable? How is it measured? How can you deliver it? These are all key questions. Designers need to know not only their own process but also the process of bringing their creations to the marketplace. This is what unites such an unlikely pair of designers as Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Ive. One made incredible clothes; the other makes incredible consumer electronics. Yet both obsessed over materials, manufacturing, marketing, and price. This is what designers have to learn to either be part of a team or lead one. It isn't magic.