cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Dennis Pirages' ‘The Ecological Perspective and the Social Sciences’

There is much that is attractive in what might be called 'inclusionism', a view of the world which Harold and Margaret Sprout made a significant contribution in articulating. It can hardly be denied that the earth at any stage of its development can be regarded as a total system. Some aspects of it, however, are more total than others. The atmosphere today certainly behaves as a single system, and always has. There may be certain local effects as a result of volcanic action or human production, but these soon tend to be dispersed throughout the whole atmosphere. The oceans are less of a total system. Very diverse ecosystems, for instance, developed on the West and East coasts of the Central American isthmus since these oceans were divided by the rising land mass. Plate tectonics is certainly a world system, though here, again, particular changes-volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, and so on may have limited local significance. By contrast, the biosphere is much more localized. Indeed, it has been the isolation of the biosphere into a very large number of relatively self-contained ecosystems, like Darwin's finches, which is the key to a great deal of evolution. The isolation of the Australian continent, for instance, gave rise to a very distinctive ecosystem, even more so in the case of the oceanic islands like New Zealand or Mauritius that the land mammals never reached. On the other hand, migration has a very important role to play, as in, for instance, the almost catastrophic ecological changes that took place on land as a result of the joining of the North American and South American continents a relatively short time ago. With the advent of the human race, evolution on this planet went into a new gear because of the extraordinary capacity of human beings for knowledge and for the production of artifacts. Since Adam and Eve whatever their names were human artifacts have become an increasingly important part of the planetary ecosystem. They are just as much part of that ecosystem as are biological artifacts or organisms. Human beings soon divided into fairly isolated groups, as the incredible proliferation of languages suggests. Even as late as one thousand years ago, the Mayan Empire could collapse without this producing any perceivable effect on either China or Europe. They simply did not know about it. In the last 500 years, however, with the rise of science and of science-based technology, the old barriers to migration have broken down: humans are everywhere, mammals are everywhere; rabbits are in Australia, kangaroos in zoos at least all over the world; automobiles are everywhere, skyscrapers are nearly everywhere, books and movies, television and radio are everywhere and perhaps for almost the first time in its history the earth is in real danger of becoming a single system, both biologically and in terms of
Exo-Selective Reductive Macrocyclization of Ynals

A general protocol for the highly exo-selective macrocyclization of ynals using a nickel/N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst system has been developed. A series of 10- to 21-membered macrocycles bearing an exomethylene substituent was synthesized in good yields with excellent regioselectivity (exo/endo >95:5). Very high levels of long-range diastereocontrol can also be achieved for some classes of macrocycles. Complementary to previously reported endo-selective macrocyclizations, this method provides accesses to exoalkylidene macrocycles from simple ynals in high selectivity.
How do emergency department physicians rate their orthopaedic on-call coverage?

PURPOSE Throughout the United States, the lack of orthopaedic on-call coverage at many institutions has been described as a "crisis." This study sought to understand how emergency department (ED) physicians perceive their orthopaedic on-call coverage. Specifically, the study looked at availability of orthopaedic coverage, adequacy of coverage, and reasons for patient transfers. METHODS After Institutional Review Board approval, written questionnaires were mailed to the ED directors at 39 of the 41 emergency departments in New Hampshire and Vermont. The instrument consisted of 25 items. Survey domains included ED physician demographics, availability and adequacy of orthopaedic coverage, and reasons for patient transfer. All responses were anonymous. RESULTS A total of 31 questionnaires was returned. Approximately one third (36%) of ED physicians reported they had full-time orthopaedic coverage with 8% reporting they "never" had coverage. Almost two thirds (64%) of respondents felt their daytime orthopaedic coverage was adequate, but this number dropped to 52% for night coverage and 48% for weekend coverage. Over half (55%) of respondents felt their orthopaedist was reluctant to come in to evaluate a patient when the ED physician felt the patient warranted orthopaedic consultation. Approximately half (52%) felt it was often the case that a patient's care could have been improved if they had been evaluated by an orthopaedist. Only 29% of respondents said their orthopaedist always came in when asked to evaluate a patient. The top three reasons ED physicians felt their orthopaedist declined to care for a patient were complexity of the injury, the time of day/night, and if it was a weekend. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS The findings in this study suggest there is substantial room for improvement in orthopaedic on-call coverage for emergency departments.
Laser-assisted myringotomy for otitis media: a feasibility study with short-term followup.

Intermediate-duration middle ear ventilation appears to be a good treatment option for selected children with otitis media, Laser-assisted myringotomy is one way to provide such ventilation, It can provide prompt pain relief and resolution of middle ear effusion and effusion-related hearing loss, and it can provide an opportunity for surveillance of antibiotic-resistant organisms. We performed laser-assisted myringotomy on 97 ears of 54 children over a 5-month period. All children had acute or recurrent otitis media or persistent middle ear effusions. Our experience suggests that laser-assisted myringotomy is a feasible treatment option for selected patients. Practitioner experience and patient and family considerations will contribute to the decision whether to use general or topical anesthesia.
Safety and Mortality Benefits of Delivering Vitamin A Supplementation at 6 Months of Age in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background:Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among children 6 to 59 months of age reduces vitamin A deficiency (VAD)-related mortality. Child health days (CHDs) only reach an estimated 16.7% of child...
Tissue Interactions in Regeneration

This chapter highlights the role of tissue interactions in a variety of regenerating systems. Tissue interactions in limb regeneration are important from the beginning of the process, starting with epithelialization of the amputation surface. In the absence of a wound epithelium in which epidermis directly abuts underlying mesodermal tissues, regeneration does not begin. The role of the wound epidermis does not cease with the initiation of dedifferentiation. During dedifferentiation, the wound epidermis greatly thickens, forming what is known as the apical epidermal cap. The importance of morphogenetic tissue interactions is not apparent until the tissues of the limb are surgically manipulated. Fingertip amputations occur surprisingly commonly, especially in young children. For decades, the standard treatment was to graft full-thickness skin over the amputation surface to seal off the wound. The first growth of an antler in a young deer is the formation of two bony pedicles from the periosteum of the frontal bones. This appears to be a process controlled intrinsically by the local periosteum without the need for significant tissue interactions.
Developments in Research on Pricing on the Internet

With the Internet shopping channel growing in popularity, research on online consumer behavior has become more important than ever. Distinct characteristics associated with shopping online, such as the ease of price search and facilitated price comparisons, have triggered an intense price competition and have given rise to new pricing tactics or adaptations in existing pricing practices. This special session focuses on examining consumer response to selected Internet pricing practices, specifically, online daily deal promotions and pay-what-you-what participative pricing mechanism. Further, it provides a broad overview of challenges of online pricing practices and explores some Internet-enabled capabilities that may enhance online retailers’ competitiveness without solely relying on price decreases.
Friedrich Hölderlin, Gedichte. Selected and Edited with an Introduction by A. Closs: London: Duckworth, 1942. Pp. 160.

(1943). Friedrich Holderlin, Gedichte. Selected and Edited with an Introduction by A. Closs. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 305-306.
Solvation Dynamics and Proton Transfer in Diethylaminohydroxyflavone.

4′-N,N-Diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (DEAHF) exhibits dual fluorescence in most solvents as a result of a rapid excited-state intramolecular proton transfer reaction. The high sensitivity of its dual emission to solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding make DEAHF of interest as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor. In addition, prior work has suggested that the rate of this proton transfer should depend on solvent relaxation in an unusual manner. It has been proposed that rapid solvation of the initially excited reactant should retard reaction. The present work tests this idea by using femtosecond Kerr-gated emission spectroscopy to measure the reaction kinetics of DEAHF in mixtures of propylene carbonate (PC) + acetonitrile (ACN). This mixture was chosen to maintain constant solvent polarity and thereby constant reaction energies while varying solvation times ∼10-fold with composition. The reaction kinetics observed in these mixtures are multiexponential, consisting of resolvable components of ∼2 and ∼30 ps an...
Training Parents of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Advocate for Adult Disability Services: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study presents findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial, testing a 12-week intervention to train parents of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to advocate for adult disability services—the Volunteer Advocacy Program-Transition (VAP-T). Participants included 41 parents of youth with ASD within 2 years of high school exit, randomly assigned to a treatment (N = 20) or wait-list control (N = 21) group. Outcomes, collected before and after the intervention, included parental knowledge about adult services, advocacy skills-comfort, and empowerment. The VAP-T had acceptable feasibility, treatment fidelity, and acceptability. After participating in the VAP-T, intervention parents (compared to controls) knew more about the adult service system, were more skilled/comfortable advocating, and felt more empowered.
Synthesis of two fluorescent GTPγS molecules and their biological relevance

Fluorescent GTP analogues are utilized for an assortment of nucleic acid and protein characterization studies. Non-hydrolysable analogues such as GTPγS offer the advantage of keeping proteins in a GTP-bound conformation due to their resistance to hydrolysis into GDP. Two novel fluorescent GTPγS molecules were developed by linking fluorescein and tetramethylrhodamine to the γ-thiophosphate of GTPγS. Chemical and biological analysis of these two compounds revealed their successful synthesis and ability to bind to the nucleotide-binding site of tubulin. These two new fluorescent non-hydrolysable nucleotides offer new possibilities for biophysical and biochemical characterization of GTP-binding proteins.
Menschenrechte und Internationale Soziale Arbeit in transnationalen Gesellschaften

Die Lebenswirklichkeiten von Menschen wurden und werden durch Globalisierungs- und Migrationsprozesse transnationalisiert. Dabei entsteht ein Spannungsfeld zwischen der nachlassenden Bedeutung nationaler Grenzen einerseits und der weiterhin starken Bezugnahme auf den Nationalstaat andererseits. Mit der Transnationalisierung verbunden sind auch soziale Probleme, die ebenfalls Transnationalisierungstendenzen in der Sozialen Arbeit nach sich ziehen. Da sich Soziale Arbeit hierbei aus den rechtlichen Bezugsrahmen von Nationalstaaten herausbewegt, bedarf es globaler rechtlicher Koordinaten fur die Ausgestaltung der Sozialen Arbeit. Der vorliegende Beitrag fokussiert die menschenrechtlich orientierten Perspektiven Sozialer Arbeit, deren Ursprunge bis ins beginnende 20. Jahrhundert zuruckreichen, in ihren transnationalen Bezugen. Dabei werden auch Kontroversen offengelegt, zu deren Uberwindung ein postnationaler Ansatz vorgeschlagen wird.
Coulomb Dynamics Near Equilibrium of Two Equal Negative Charges in the Field of Two Fixed Identical Positive Charges

Periodic and quasiperiodic solutions of the Coulomb equation of motion of two equal negative charges in the field of two fixed identical positive charges are found with the help of the Lyapunov center theorem.
A Pseudospectral Transformation of the Convectors of Optimal Control Systems

Abstract A symmetric covector mapping theorem is presented for quick and accurate numerical estimates of the covectors that provide the optimality conditions for the state-constrained Bolza problem. Instead of solving the highly sensitive Hamiltonian boundary value problem, a Legendre pseudospectral method is presented to directly discretize the optimal control problem to a nonlinear programming problem. It is shown that the dual variables corresponding to the D-form of the Lagrangian can be obtained by a very simple diagonal transformation of the Lagrange multipliers associated with the nonlinear programming problem. One practical advantage of this theorem is that it allows a very simple way to check the optimality of the direct solution by way of the Minimum Principle. A numerical example demonstrates the method.
Auto-Shaping: A Three-Manipulanda Technique for Dogs

5 dogs were given lever-press training with a 3-lever auto-shaping technique. Results indicated that all Ss rapidly acquire the lever-pressing behavior. This new procedure eliminates the requirement for continuous presence of E to monitor behavior and deliver reinforcers for lever-pressing. It also provides a method for standardization which does away with the effects of individual E differences which originate during the “art of hand-shaping.”drawn between two psychological research strategies which suggests a solution to the paradox.
What African media? Rethinking research on Africa’s press:

This article looks at the representation of Darfur in Kenya from 2003 to 2008. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory and Rodney Benson’s habitus affinity and habitus disaffinity, this article highli...
Dynamics of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus infection within the vector, Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides sonorensis biting midges are confirmed vectors of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), which causes mortality in white-tailed deer and ruminant populations. Currently, of the seven EHDV serotypes, only 1, 2, and 6 are detected in the USA, and very few studies have focused on the infection time course of these serotypes within the midge. The objective of this current research was to characterize EHDV-2 infection within the midge by measuring infection prevalence, virus dissemination, and viral load over the course of infection. Midges were fed a blood meal containing 106.9 PFU/ml EHDV-2, collected every 12 h from 0–2 days post feeding (dpf) and daily from 3–10 dpf, and cohorts of 20 C. sonorensis were processed using techniques that assessed EHDV infection and dissemination. Cytopathic effect assays and quantitative (q)PCR were used to determine infection prevalence, revealing a 50% infection rate by 10 dpf using both methods. Using immunohistochemistry, EHDV-2 infection was detectable at 5 dpf, and shown to disseminate from the midgut to other tissues, including fat body, eyes, and salivary glands by 5 dpf. Stain intensity increased from 5–8 dpf, indicating replication of EHDV-2 in secondary infection sites after dissemination. This finding is also supported by trends in viral load over time as determined by plaque assays and qPCR. An increase in titer between 4–5 dpf correlated with viral replication in the midgut as seen with staining at day 5, while the subsequent gradual increase in viral load from 8–10 dpf suggested viral replication in midges with disseminated infection. Overall, the data presented herein suggest that EHDV-2 disseminates via the hemolymph to secondary infection sites throughout the midge and demonstrate a high potential for transmission at five days at 25°C after an infective blood-meal.
JENA: The Teaching Collection at the Zoological Institute of the University of Jena: Its Importance, Value and Conservational Problems

A clear separation between a zoological teaching and a scientific museum collection at the University of Jena was not realised before the 1960’s. We report the brief history of the teaching collection, its importance, value and problems. We illustrate selected objects and provide an overview of the material that is currently part of this collection.
FIFA—Where Crime Pays

The Federation Internationale de Football Association, universally known as FIFA, was the personal fiefdom of its president, Sepp Blatter, until 2015 when the United States Justice Department indicted dozens of FIFA officials for bribery and corruption. FIFA administers football, known as soccer in Australia and North America, and organizes its immensely profitable World Cup championship once every four years. Tragically, international football has been corrupt for decades, making Blatter and other males at the top wonderfully wealthy. Blatter’s 17 years as president has been characterized as a “neverending governance crisis.” FIFA’s most recent troubles began in 2010 when FIFA announced Russia and Qatar as the shockingly unlikely hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, a result widely believed to be the result of massive bribes. In response, Blatter announced a series of “reforms” which were actually an elaborate charade, an ongoing facade of Potemkinlike changes which made for good press releases. However, once Blatter’s successor as president, Gianni Infantino, took control, these reforms changed almost nothing. Football suffers in this way because, while FIFA is domiciled in Switzerland, it is best understood as a supra-national, stateless conglomerate answerable to no authority. This lack of accountability creates a moral hazard where football’s leaders enrich themselves with impunity, enjoying the many fruits of their perfect crimes. This will never be remedied from inside football. Although the proceedings brought by the U.S. Justice Department have secured 26 guilty pleas and verdicts, that effort is hardly a start at reforming football. Action by Switzerland and internationally is essential to reining in the “cesspit of corruption” at the world’s most popular sport.
Radial Motion in a Coulombic Field

Two submicroscopic particles bound together as a system are subject to (a) movement of their center of mass, (b) unidirectional and back-and-forth rotation about this center, and (c) oscillation in the interparticle distance, also about the center of mass. The first two movements have been considered in Chapters 1 and 2; but the third motion is generally different from and more complicated than the simple harmonic motion treated in Chapter 3.
The combination of magnetoelastic (ME) wireless biosensing with surface swab sampling

To perform rapid sensing of pathogens on the surface of food or food preparing plates, ME wireless biosensing system was combined with surface swab sampling techniques in this research. The ME biosensors which consist of ME resonators E2 phage was generally used for Salmonella typhimurium direct detections on the surfaces. E2 phage used in this research was designed for Salmonella typhimurium specific binding. Instead of measuring one spot at a time, the desired area or the whole area of a target surface can be swabbed for the inexpensive, rapid and easy-to-use pathogen collections. In this study, we first investigated the efficiency of capture and release of a model pathogen, Salmonella Typhimurium, by swab sampling on wet or dry surfaces. Plate counting was used to identify the recovery rates. The efficiency of capture and release was calculated and compared between various kinds of swabs which were composed of different tip materials, including cotton, rayon, and nylon-flocked ones.
Acid Rain: Biological Effects and Implications

There are people who argue that sulfur pollution in the atmosphere is perhaps not entirely a bad situation. Sulfur in the atmosphere is not a phenomenon that originated with man. There is a natural sulfur cycle, and considerable amounts of sulfur in the atmosphere result from sea spray, biogenic emissions, and volcanic fumes. Furthermore, sulfur is a necessary plant nutrient, and the supply of sulfur in the soil is replenished by deposition from the atmosphere. Since many soils in the world are sulfur deficient, some people feel that sulfur pollution could act to remedy this deficiency. It has even been noted that acid rain has, under some circumstances, been shown to increase plant productivity. Indeed, work at the University of Arizona has demonstrated that there are soils in which application of sulfur acid releases nutrients for utilization by plants. But even though sulfur in the atmosphere probably can act as a fertilizer when concentrations are low, higher concentrations which result in large-scale changes in ecosystems or serious alterations in the physiological processes of plants or animals must be avoided. A world already short of food and forest products can ill afford the rich (and sheer economic waste) of possible decreasedmore » productivity of these critical resources.« less
Release of immunoreactive inhibin from perifused rat ovaries: effects of forskolin and gonadotropins during the estrous cycle.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the effects of forskolin and gonadotropins during the estrous cycle in perifused rat ovaries. It has been indicated that the perfusion system is suitable for studying factors controlling the release of irIα in vitro and that the effects of forskolin and gonadotropins vary depending on the cycle stage of the donor rat and presumably the microanatomy of the follicular pool. The effects of gonadotropins and forskolin in a more dynamic system monitor minute-to-minute changes in inhibin release. Additionally, the system permits the study of effects of potential regulators on ovaries containing intact follicles, including thecal cells and granulosa cells, and allows to study the effects of potential regulators on ovaries removed under varying physiological conditions. The stimulatory effects of gonadotropins and forskolin on inhibin release from cultured granulosa cells are well documented. However, serum levels of gonadotropins and inhibin and ovarian levels of mRNA for inhibin subunits change frequently during the 4-day rat estrous cycle. Thus, incubating granulosa cells with potential stimulants for 48 hours or longer does not necessarily reflect true physiological circumstances.
Direct observation of the τ neutrino

Abstract The DONUT experiment has observed four events in a hybrid emulsion spectrometer detector due to ν τ N interactions in a hybrid emulsion spectrometer. The produced τ leptons are identified by the decay τ → one charged particle. The expected background is 0.41±0.15 events from mis-tagged charm decays and secondary interactions of neutral current interactions. The poisson probability that the four events are due to these background processes is 8×10 −4 .
Instructional Methods and Nomenclature

In the best of all worlds and with a highly proficient teaching staff and limitless resources at the disposal of schools, the issue of instructional methods would revolve almost exclusively around the central questions of the goals and objectives of the lessons to be taught, and the appropriate teaching strategies on which to draw. But this is not the best of all worlds (at least we hope not), the proficiency of the teaching staff is variable and spotty, and the available resources for education are frequently well below even the modest expectations of teachers and administrators. In this “real world” situation other questions also require attention. On what teaching strategies can the teacher draw? What instructional materials are available? What logistical considerations influence strategies? To answer these questions in ways that make operational sense while maintaining the integrity of the educational goals requires a great deal of juggling and balancing. Even so, these “real world” situations occasionally take on a life of their own. In so doing, they significantly influence or even determine the goals for a class, a unit, or even a course. Stories of teachers who downplay or discard the development of writing skills as a goal because the class is too large, or who give up the idea of group work because students are less orderly than is desired, are but two typical examples.
Open Label Trial of Ranolazine for the Treatment of Paramyotonia Congenita (P3.436)

Objective: To assess the effect of ranolazine in patients with paramyotonia congenita Background: Paramyotonia congenita (PC) is a non-dystrophic myotonic disorder caused by mutations in the SCN4A gene. Muscle stiffness, related to muscle hyperexcitability and resulting myotonia, is the most common complaint in PC patients. There are currently no FDA approved treatments for this disorder. Prior studies have shown that mexiletine can effectively reduce the symptom burden of muscle hyperexcitability and resulting myotonia, but some patients are non-responsive or intolerant to mexiletine. Our recent clinical study suggested that ranolazine is effective in myotonia congenita and may be an alternative treatment for myotonia. As there are only in vitro studies assessing the effect of ranolazine in PC, we performed an open label trial of ranolazine in PC patients. Design/Methods: Ten subjects were enrolled and assessed at baseline, 2, 4, and 5 weeks. Ranolazine was started after baseline assessment (500 mg twice daily), increased as tolerated after week 2 (1000 mg twice daily), and maintained until week 4. Results: Subjective symptoms of stiffness, pain, and weakness as measured on a 9-point scale were significantly improved at Week 4 compared to baseline (p=0.0001, p=0.0001, and p=0.0008, respectively). Timed-Up-and-Go, eyelid opening time, and hand opening times all improved significantly at Week 4 compared to baseline (p=0.0001, p=0.0010, and p=0.0009, respectively). Duration of electrical myotonia showed reduction in the tibialis anterior at Week 4 compared to baseline (66% reduction, p=0.0023) whereas duration of electrical myotonia in the abductor digit minimi showed a 60% reduction at Week 4 but this was not significant (p=0.0760). No participant discontinued ranolazine due to side effects. Conclusions: This study provides the first clinical evidence that ranolazine is well tolerated and effective for treatment of PC, and should be investigated in a larger controlled study. Study Supported by: Gilead Sciences Disclosure: Dr. LoRusso has received research support from Catalyst. Dr. Kline has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bartlett has nothing to disclose. Dr. Agriesti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Freimer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rich has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kissel has received research support from Novartis, Biomarin, Cytokinetics, CSL Behring, Avexis, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Quintiles, Axelacare. Dr. Arnold has nothing to disclose.
Continuously Monitoring Bank Risk, Reputation, and Opportunity

ABSTRACT The explosion of social and other digital media now provides virtually a continuous stream of information about organizations, their people, and their products. Although CEOs and others se...
A new stiffness degradation model for fatigue life prediction of GFRPs under random loading

Abstract A new phenomenological fatigue model based on stiffness degradation is proposed for life prediction of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRPs) under random ocean current loading. The model used Weibull cumulative density function to account for a shift in failure modes and corresponding changes in the rate of damage accumulation. The effects of stress ratio and stress amplitude on the model parameters were characterized using the results from constant amplitude tests. The fatigue life of GFRP coupons under random ocean current loadings was predicted both by the proposed model and by the conventional life prediction methodologies using Palmgren-Miner’s rule. The prediction was more accurate than the conventional methods.
A Crisis of Identity, a Crisis of Place.

Erika Blacksher (2018) offers a compelling argument for addressing the fundamental causes of the recent shift in life expectancy for less-educated whites. As many have noted, such contractions in l...
Hepatocyte tPA: where have you been hiding?

In this issue of Blood, Zheng et al provide insight into the source of intravascular tissue–type plasminogen activator (tPA). They demonstrate an important role for hepatocytes in determining the basal level of plasma tPA and identify regulatory factors that control tPA expression by hepatocytes.
Engaging Learners in Online Environments Utilizing Universal Design for Learning Principles

Learner engagement in any instructional environment, including online, is critical to ensuring meaningful learning outcomes. Researchers discuss engagement as a complex construct consisting of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. In e-learning, student engagement is difficult to achieve. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework focused on overcoming barriers to learning and providing learners with multiple ways to engage, receive instruction, and express learning. This framework is based on a premise of variability of all learners and designing learning that is flexible and systematically planned. This manuscript provides background information on UDL alongside practical strategies for planning e-instruction that is engaging and aligned with UDL principles.
Characterization of nurses' duty to care and willingness to report.

Background:Nurses must balance their perceived duty to care against their perceived risk of harm to determine their willingness to report during disaster events, potentially creating an ethical dil...
Abstract 4692: Deconvolution reveals cell-type specific transcriptional effects across cancer types

Background: Most tumor samples consist of a variable proportion of malignant and nonmalignant cells including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and infiltrating immune cells, which confounds biomarker studies of response to treatment. Deconvolution approaches have been developed for transcriptomes to address this heterogeneity in tumor samples. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project has generated high-throughput RNAseq in over 11,000 patient samples across 33 cancer types. Using these data, we systematically investigated Pan-Cancer cell-type-specific transcriptional activities using deconvolution tools. Method: We established a new deconvolution framework, DeMixT, which deconvolves high-dimensional transcriptome data from mixtures of tumor and stromal components. Besides estimating mixing proportions, DeMixT uniquely provides per-gene per-sample expression levels of each component. To further address variations observed in real data, we propose a profile likelihood-based prefiltering method to adaptively select a gene set with a high signal-to-noise ratio for proportion estimation, which sequentially improves gene expression estimation for the whole transcriptome. We applied the pre-filter-enabled DeMixT to 16 TCGA solid primary tumor types: BLCA, BRCA, COAD, HNSC, KICH, KIRC, KIRP, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, PAAD, PRAD, READ, STAD, THCA, UCEC. In 2 cancer types: PRAD (Prostate Adenocarcinoma) and KIRC (Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma), we compared results of pathway analyses, clustering, and survival analyses from the original mixed expression data with those from the deconvolved expression data. Results: For the 16 cancer types, we obtained tumor purities and deconvolved individual-level gene expression of both tumor and stromal components. Per cancer type, the mean number of genes recovered was 13,239 (sd=886), and the mean number of tumor samples deconvolved was 371 (sd=201). In PRAD, we identified important pathways that were missed previously but are now statistically significant (FDR In KIRC, hierarchical clustering of deconvolved expression data resulted in a better enrichment of a PBRM1 mutant in one cluster of patients, who had better survival outcomes. This observation is consistent with the previous report by Kapur et al. Lancet Oncol 2013. Conclusion: We provide comprehensive transcriptome deconvolution results for the TCGA Pan-Cancer datasets. These findings will enable novel studies of admixed human tumor samples and improve the understanding of tumor malignancy. Citation Format: Shaolong Cao, Rongjie Liu, Liuqing Yang, Jaeil Ahn, Jingxiao Chen, Zeya Wang, Eleni Efstathiou, Daniel E. Frigo, Hongtu Zhu, Wenyi Wang. Deconvolution reveals cell-type specific transcriptional effects across cancer types [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4692.
Hormonal Regulation of Age Polyethism in the Honeybee, Apis mellifera

This paper develops a model of hormonally regulated division of labor in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies. According to the model, changes in juvenile hormone (JH) titers modulate the bees’ responses to stimuli associated with the tasks they perform. JH seems to act as a behavioral primer, regulating a colony’s allocation of labor by altering the probabilities with which individual bees perform different tasks. JH also coordinates the tightly coupled processes of age-dependent exocrine and behavioral development. Results implicating JH in the control of age polyethism are reviewed, including the findings that JH analog methoprene causes precocious foraging, affects the timing and frequency of task performance in the nest and induces premature production of alarm pheromones. Methoprene also causes a premature decrease in the threshold sensitivity to alarm pheromones, which agrees with the prediction that JH modulates the perception of task-related stimuli. This model is consistent with the data currently available, but needs considerable testing; relevant studies are suggested.
Guests at our own tables: Privilege, paradox, and Southern hospitality:

As is true of any region experiencing significant migration, the identity of the US South, and with it the identity of Nashville, Tennessee, is shifting. Both the city and the region have the oppor...
Stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective trials.

// Taylor R. Cushman 1 , Vivek Verma 2 , Rahul Khairnar 3 , Joseph Levy 3 , Charles B. Simone 2nd 4 and Mark V. Mishra 4 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 2 Department of Radiation Oncology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 3 Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA 4 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Correspondence to: Vivek Verma, email: vivek333@gmail.com Keywords: prostate cancer; stereotactic body radiation therapy; stereotactic ablative radiation therapy; hypofractionation; toxicities Received: April 17, 2019 Accepted: August 05, 2019 Published: September 24, 2019 ABSTRACT Background: Despite the increasing worldwide utilization of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer, there are no known summative data regarding its safety and efficacy. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective prostate SBRT trials. Results: Fourteen trials with a total of 2,038 patients were included. Median follow-up was 37 months (range 6-55 months). Most patients had cT1-T2a, Gleason ≤7 disease with median pre-treatment PSAs of 5–10; 1,042 (51%) were low-risk, 744 (37%) were intermediate-risk, 158 (8%) were high-risk, and the remainder were unreported. Doses ranged from 33.5–50.0 Gy, most typically in 5 fractions, with nearly all studies delivering nondaily fractionation with some type of daily image guidance. Outcomes were converted into counts at the end of one year. The pooled rate of FFBF was 98% [95% confidence interval, 97–98%]. The pooled rate of late grade ≥3 gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were 1% [0–5%] and 2% [1–3%], respectively. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were queried for prospective studies evaluating survival and/or toxicity outcomes in SBRT (≤5 fractions) for localized prostate cancer. Pooled rates of freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) and late grades ≥3 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were assessed. Meta-analysis of proportions was logit transformed and pooled using generalized linear mixed models (both fixed and random effects) and subsequently back transformed to standard proportions. Conclusions: Despite the lack of long-term follow-up and heterogeneity of the available evidence, prostate SBRT affords appropriate biochemical control with few high-grade toxicities. These data have implications for ongoing worldwide utilization of prostate SBRT as well as ongoing prospective investigations.
Intestinal pioneer colonizers as drivers of ileal microbial composition and diversity of broiler chickens

Given that recent advances in metagenomics have highlighted the importance of intestinal microbes for poultry health, there has been a corresponding search for early manipulation strategies of intestinal microbiota in order to advance immune system development and optimize functional properties of growth. In this study, we used the in ovo technique as an experimental model to address how early bacterial intestinal colonization could affect the development and establishment of the mature ileal microbiota. Inoculations containing one of the following: 0.2 ml of 0.9% sterile saline (S), approximately 102 cells of Citrobacter freundii (CF), Citrobacter species (C2) or lactic acid bacteria (L) were administered via in ovo into the amnion. Results showed that Enterobacteriaceae abundance was negatively correlated with aging, although its high population at day of hatch affected the microbiota composition, delaying mature microbiota establishment. L treatment increased colonization of butyrate-producing bacteria by three and 10 days, and segmented filamentous bacteria in the lower ileum by 10 days. On the other hand, L-probiotic decreased the population of Enterococcaceae. In addition, L and C2 microbial communities were less diverse at 10 days than at three days in the upper ileum. Importantly, these findings provide a valuable resource for a potential study model for interactions between microbial colonization and associated immune responses. In conclusion, our analysis demonstrates that intestinal pioneer colonizers play a critical role in driving the course of microbial community composition and diversity over time, in which early-life exposure to L-based probiotic supported selection alongside greater colonization of symbiotic populations in the ileum of young broilers.
Alcohol shifts gut microbial networks and ameliorates a murine model of neuroinflammation in a sex-specific pattern

Alcohol is a widely consumed dietary component by patients with autoimmune neuroinflammatory diseases, but current evidence on the effects of alcohol in these conditions is confounding. Epidemiological studies suggest moderate consumption of alcohol may be protective in some autoimmune diseases; however, this correlation has not been directly investigated. Here, we characterize the effects of moderate-dose alcohol in a model system of autoimmune neuroinflammation, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Male and female C57BL/6J mice were fed a 2.6% alcohol or isocaloric diet for 3 wk prior to MOG35-55 EAE induction. Surprisingly, alcohol-fed males experienced significantly greater disease remission compared to alcohol-fed females and control-fed counterparts. We observed a male-specific decrease in microglial density in alcohol-consuming animals in cervical and thoracic spinal cord in late-stage disease. In the gut, alcohol diet resulted in several sex-specific alterations in key microbiota known for their regulatory immune roles, including Turicibacter, Akkermansia, Prevotella, and Clostridium Using a correlation network modeling approach, we identified unique bacterial modules that are significantly enriched in response to treatment and sex, composed of Clostridial taxa and several Firmicutes known to be protective in EAE. Together, these data demonstrate the potential of alcohol to significantly alter the course of autoimmunity differentially in males and females via effects on gut bacterial networks and support further need to evaluate dose and sex-specific alcohol effects in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune neuroinflammatory conditions.
Segmental body composition evaluation by bioelectrical impedance analysis and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry: Quantifying agreement between methods.

Summary Background & aims Segmental estimates add specificity to body composition evaluation and could potentially have greater health and function implications than whole-body estimates alone. The aim of this study was to quantify the level of agreement between total and segmental fat mass (FM) and lean soft tissue (LST) estimates from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SFBIA). Methods Assessments via DXA (GE® Lunar Prodigy) and SFBIA (RJL Systems® Quantum V) were performed in 179 adults (103 F, 76 M; 30% racial/ethnic minorities). Total and segmental FM and LST estimates were compared in the entire sample, females, and males using null hypothesis significance testing (NHST; via paired-samples t-tests), equivalence testing with 5% equivalence regions, Bland–Altman analysis with linear regression, and additional error metrics. Results In females and the entire sample, all LST variables except LSTARMS exhibited equivalence between methods, despite statistically significant differences via NHST for most variables. In males, only estimates of LSTTOTAL and appendicular lean soft tissue (ALST) were equivalent between methods. LST variables exhibited minimal proportional bias. All FM variables failed to exhibit equivalence, and most FM variables were underestimated by SFBIA. The magnitude of relative errors for FM generally appeared larger in males than females. Proportional bias was observed for FMLEGS and FMARMS, as well as FMTOTAL in females only. ALST estimates were equivalent between DXA and SFBIA in all analyses, did not differ between methods based on NHST, exhibited relatively low errors, and displayed no proportional bias. Conclusions In the context of the present study, DXA and SFBIA LST estimates appear to exhibit better overall agreement than FM estimates. Additionally, overall agreement between SFBIA and DXA may be superior in females as compared to males. The relatively strong agreement between ALST estimates indicates potential utility of SFBIA for clinical applications, such as evaluation of sarcopenia. Further investigation into the explanatory physiological (e.g. hydration) and anthropometric (e.g. segment lengths, circumferences, and volumes) variables predicting individual discrepancies between DXA and BIA is warranted.
Epidemiological and geospatial profile of the prescription opioid crisis in Ohio, United States

The underlying reasons behind the unprecedented increase of the mortality rates due to the opioid epidemics in the United States are still not fully uncovered. Most efforts have been focused on targeting opioids, but there is little information about vulnerable populations at high risk of opioid abuse and death. In this study, we used data from the Ohio Department of Health for deaths caused by prescription opioids from 2010-2017 to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of the opioid overdose epidemic. Our results showed a rapid increase in prescription opioid death rates among the white male population aged 30-39 but also a considerable increase among the black male population with an exponential growth trend. Our geospatial analysis suggests that the increasing rates of the opioid overdose epidemic in Ohio were driven by the epidemic hotspot areas. Our findings highlight the relevance of prioritizing public health measures targeting specific locations and vulnerable populations to mitigate the current opioids crisis.
Extreme Stock Market Performers, Part II: Do Technology Stocks Dominate?

This study reports on decade-horizon outcomes for investors in U.S. common stocks since 1950. Despite the stellar performance of investments in firms such as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, Technology stocks as a group are more likely to appear on a list of the worst rather than best performers. Telecommunications, Healthcare/Pharmaceutical, and Energy firms are disproportionately represented among those with the best decade-horizon stock returns, though Telecommunications stocks are also more likely to appear among the investments with the worst decade-horizon stock returns.
Approaches for Laparoscopic Uterine Artery Identification

Abstract Introduction: Identification of the uterine artery during laparoscopic surgery allows the surgeon to secure the uterine blood supply by permanent or temporary ligation if significant blood...
Neural Response to Social Exclusion Moderates the Link Between Adolescent Anxiety Symptoms and Substance Use.

Abstract Background Substance use (SU) typically increases from middle to late adolescence. Anxiety is one factor associated with greater SU, although variability in who uses substances remains. Some models suggest that brain-based susceptibility markers could reveal which adolescents are at a higher risk for psychopathology, but it is unknown whether these individual differences attenuate or accentuate the association between anxiety and elevated SU even if normative. This study addressed this gap by testing whether neural response to social exclusion moderates the association between anxiety symptoms and increased SU from middle to late adolescence. Methods Participants were 181 Mexican-origin adolescents (48% female; 16–17 years old) who completed a social exclusion task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan and filled out questionnaires about their SU and anxiety symptoms. Analyses focused on neural response to social exclusion versus inclusion within 3 regions of interest and change in SU across 2 years. Results Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex response to social exclusion, but not subgenual anterior cingulate cortex or anterior insula, moderated the relation between anxiety symptoms and SU, such that higher anxiety symptoms predicted a greater relative increase in SU only for those youth with a lower dorsal anterior cingulate cortex response to exclusion. Conclusions Blunted dorsal anterior cingulate cortex response to social exclusion may serve as a neural susceptibility marker of altered conflict monitoring or emotion regulation in middle adolescence that, in combination with high levels of anxious feelings, elevates the risk for onset of and/or increased SU by late adolescence. These findings have implications for designing targeted interventions to mitigate SU among adolescents.
Application of a density-based spatial clustering algorithm for fully automatic picking of surface-wave dispersion curves

Abstract Surface waves can be used to enhance the characterization of the shallow subsurface in desert environments. A high-resolution shear-wave velocity model is typically obtained by inverting d...