cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Book Review: Transforming Education with New Media

Peter DePietro’s Transforming Education with New Media: Participatory Pedagogy, Interactive Learning, and Web 2.0 covers multiple aspects of integrating technology in education, ranging from social media to cloud services. He supports his assertions with case studies carried out in his own classes. Although the text can, at times, seem more like a personal reflection than a theoretical work, Transforming Education with New Media is a valuable contribution for educators, administrators, policy-makers and even parents who wish to familiarize themselves with various applications of technology in the educational field. DOI: 10.2458/azu_itet_v2i1_polat
Strategies for quality management in clinical microbiology

Quality assessment and performance improvement are important management functions that add value to information and services produced by the clinical microbiology laboratory. Analytical quality control procedures are well standardized, and in many cases regulated. Whereas preanalytical and postanalytical factors have considerable impact on quality, performance assessment and improvement in this area have received less consideration. This article describes an approach to quality management of the total testing process in clinical microbiology, including interdisciplinary participation, specimen quality, test use, result use, turnaround time, information quality, user perceptions, and benchmarking.
Family processes that supportschool readiness: Specific behaviors and contextual conditions thatset this process in motion

Considerable national attention is currently focused on improving young children’s readiness to learn as they enter the formal school years. As a large number of children enter kindergarten without the foundational skills necessary to succeed in school, educators and policy makers are discussing how to change this discouraging picture (Landry, 2004). Research investigating this national crisis describes the inequality in school readiness for children from varying economic backgrounds (Keating & Hertzman, 1999). Advances in the neuroscience of brain development have accelerated interest and investments in the early years of life as these advances delineate the critical nature of development in the early years and the role of the child’s environment (Levitt, 2004; McCain & Mustard, 2002). Studies of the developing brain demonstrate how the pathways through which physical brain development occurs are susceptible to sources of stimulation both inside and outside the home (McCain & Mustard, 2002). For example, synapses in the developing brain are created through input from a child’s interactions with people and objects in their environment. Thus, much of the “wiring” process in the brain is dependent upon a child’s activities and experiences with others. As parents represent, perhaps, the single most influential factor in children’s development, a close examination of the research delineating the influence of parenting on the skills necessary for school readiness reveals areas in need of further attention in order to change our national picture.
Functional analysis of antioxidant in thermoplastic cable insulations

DSC and CL measurements are shown to be potential tools for monitoring functional antioxidant activity in LDPE cable insulation. Data from the two procedures are consistent for unaged polyethylene samples. The results suggest that either method could be used to determine quantitatively the amount of functioning AD in the dielectric if it has no aging history.
Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral γ-Amino Ketones via Umpolung Reactions of Imines

The first direct catalytic asymmetric synthesis of γ-amino ketones was realized by the development of a highly diastereoselective and enantioselective C–C bond-forming umpolung reaction of imines and enones under the catalysis of a new cinchona alkaloid-derived phase-transfer catalyst. In a loading ranging from 0.02 to 2.5 mol %, the catalyst activates a broad range of trifluoromethyl imines and aldimines as nucleophiles to engage in chemo-, regio-, diastereo- and enantioselective C–C bond-forming reactions with acyclic and cyclic enones, thereby converting these readily available prochiral starting materials into highly enantiomerically enriched chiral γ-amino ketones in synthetically useful yields. Enabled by this unprecedented umpolung reaction of imines, conceptually new and concise routes were developed for the asymmetric synthesis of nitrogen-heterocycles such as pyrrolidines and indolizidines.
Patent Trolls and Small Business Employment

We analyze how frivolous patent-infringement claims made by “patent trolls” affect small firms’ ability to create jobs, raise capital, and survive. Our identification strategy exploits the staggered passage of anti-patent-troll laws at the state level. We find that the passage of this legislation leads to a 1.8% increase in employment at small firms in high-tech industries, which are a frequent target of patent trolls. By contrast, the laws have no significant impact on employment at larger or non high-tech firms. Anti-troll legislation is also associated with fewer business bankruptcies. Financing appears to be a key channel driving our findings: in states with an already established VC presence, the passage of anti-troll laws leads to a 19% increase in the number of firms receiving VC funding. Consistent with this financing channel, we find that the effect of patent laws on employment is driven by states with above-median VC presence. Our findings suggest that measures aimed at curbing the recent explosion in patent litigation may play an important role in reducing both real and financing frictions faced by small businesses.
Enhanced Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment for Human-in-the-Loop Systems.

Objective:The objective of this study was to enhance the existing system hazard analysis (SHA) technique by introducing the concepts of human and automation reliability quantification as well as fu...
Abstract 189: The Role of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase, Syk, in CD36-Toll Like Receptor Cooperative Signaling in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is characterized by chronic sterile inflammation of the artery wall in which cells of the monocyte lineage accumulate in response to the deposition of low density lipoprotein (LDL). We previously established that recognition of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) by CD36 triggers assembly of a novel Toll-like receptor heterodimer composed of TLR4 and TLR6. Here we set out to understand the molecular mechanisms of CD36/TLR4/TLR6 activation and establish how it triggers downstream signals that lead to the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediators that have been directly implicated in the deleterious effects of oxLDL and atherosclerosis progression. By confocal microscopy we demonstrate that oxLDL induces CD36, TLR4 and TLR6 co-localization in intracellular compartments, but not on the cell surface of macrophages. Notably, inhibition of oxLDL endocytosis (with Dynasore) or lysosomal maturation (with Bafilomycin A or NH4Cl) blocks CD36-TLR4-TLR6 complex formation and oxLDL-induced cytokine responses in macrophages. These data indicate that both ligand internalization and lysosomal acidification are required for assembly of a functional CD36/TLR4/TLR6 signaling complex. Notably, CD36 contains a hemi-ITIM motif in the C-terminus that is reported to interact with the spleen tyrosine kinase Syk through its SH2 domain. As Syk has recently been implicated in the trafficking of CD14 and TLR4 to the endosome in response to LPS, we investigated the role of this kinase in CD36/TLR4/TLR6 signaling. We find that Syk is required for CD36 internalization and TLR4/TLR6 heterodimerization. Using a pharmacological inhibitor, we show that inhibition of Syk activity blocks oxLDL-induced TLR4-TLR6 co-precipitation and abrogates macrophage expression of both MyD88- (IL-1b, CXCL1) and TRIF-dependent (CCL5) cytokines/chemokines. Together, our data are consistent with a key role for Syk in the trafficking of CD36 and oxLDL to the lysosome, where it coordinates the assembly of a functional TLR4-TLR6 heterodimer to initiate signaling. This model highlights the importance of CD36 as a co-receptor that orchestrates TLR4-TLR6 trafficking and assembly to initiate the detrimental inflammatory responses that promote the progression of atherosclerosis.
Plants Showing Tolerance of Urban Stress

Temperature, wind, water, compacted soil and reduced sunlight are environmental stresses that are commonly magnified when landscape plants are grown in urban situations, as contrasted to rural or suburban areas. With careful selection, landscape plants which are tolerant to adverse conditions can and should be considered for use in urban landscape environments.
A new genus of hell ants from the Cretaceous (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Haidomyrmecini) with a novel head structure

An unusual Cretaceous trap jaw ant is described from Burmese amber dated to the Late Cretaceous. Linguamyrmex vladi gen.n. sp.n. is distinguished by an unusual suite of morphological characters indicating specialized predatory behaviour and an adaptive strategy no longer found among modern ant lineages. The clypeus, highly modified as in other closely related haidomyrmecine hell ants, is equipped with a paddle-like projection similar to Ceratomyrmex. X-ray imaging reveals that this clypeal paddle is reinforced, most probably with sequestered metals. Presumably this fortified clypeal structure was utilized in tandem with scythe-like mandibles to pin and potentially puncture soft-bodied prey. This unique taxon, which stresses the diversity of stem-group ants, is discussed in the context of modern and other Cretaceous trap jaw ant species. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:40D636A3-4D88-470A-BC5B-85ABFD1A49E2.
Temple Mount pilgrimage in the name of human rights: the use of piety practice and liberal discourse to carry out proxy-state conquest

Since 2010, Jewish pilgrimage to the Temple Mount/Haram ash-Sharif compound has become an increasingly popular practice within Israeli society. On the Temple Mount, pilgrimage guides and their Jewi...
Efficient tuning of second-harmonic generation in a lithium niobate nanophotonic waveguide

We report flexible spectral tuning of second-harmonic generation in a lithium niobate nanophotonic waveguide, with a thermal tuning slope of 0.84 nm/K for a telecom pump, by utilizing the significant thermo-optic birefringence of lithium niobate.
Reconciling Rapacious Wolves and Misguided Sheep: Law and Responsibility in Martin Luther’s Response to the German Peasants’ War

This paper reexamines Martin Luther's legacy and ongoing importance by examining the insights and challenges in his response to the German Peasants' War by advancing two major claims. First, Luther...
Correlating Transcription Initiation and Conformational Changes by a Single-Subunit RNA Polymerase with Near Base-Pair Resolution

Summary We provide a comprehensive analysis of transcription in real time by T7 RNA Polymerase (RNAP) using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer by monitoring the entire life history of transcription initiation, including stepwise RNA synthesis with near base-pair resolution, abortive cycling, and transition into elongation. Kinetically branching pathways were observed for abortive initiation with an RNAP either recycling on the same promoter or exchanging with another RNAP from solution. We detected fast and slow populations of RNAP in their transition into elongation, consistent with the efficient and delayed promoter release, respectively, observed in ensemble studies. Real-time monitoring of abortive cycling using three-probe analysis showed that the initiation events are stochastically branched into productive and failed transcription. The abortive products are generated primarily from initiation events that fail to progress to elongation, and a majority of the productive events transit to elongation without making abortive products.
Problems in Lewis’s Theory of Induction

My study of Peirce’s theory of induction has shown that Peirce has made two justifications of induction, the probabilistic and non-probabilistic. By the probabilistic justification of induction, induction is shown to be a valid inference which consists in having a logical leading principle and drawing conclusions with probability. This justification of induction, as stated in Peirce’s own terms, as we have seen, is inadequate. But I have suggested the way in which Peirce’s argument can be mended. There are two conclusions which we may draw from this probabilistic justification of induction. First, we may say that there is always a logical and a priori-determinable relation between premises, which assure us of the existence of a fair sample with a given composition, and the inductive conclusion drawn from such premises. This relation we express by saying that the inductive conclusion follows with probability from its premises in accordance with a logical leading principle. It is wherein the validity of inductive inference consists. In other words, the validity of inductive inference consists in a probability relation between its conclusion and its premises.
A Hybrid Switch based Arcless Voltage Regulator

For almost 80 years, step-type voltage regulators have used tap changing mechanisms which arc under oil during tap changes. Although this approach has proven itself over the years and has been well accepted in the utility industry, there are significant advantages to eliminate the arcing nature of these tap changers and improve the reliability and life time of the voltage regulators. This paper first reviews the development of the arcless technology for distribution voltage regulators. A new power electronic assisted arcless voltage regulator is proposed by using a hybrid switch configuration which utilizes both electromechanical and power-electronic switching devices. A silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) gating approach and a novel control method are proposed to provide a cost-effective gate driver and enable SCR to be used for eliminating arc in voltage regulators. The proposed method requires minimum changes to the existing step voltage regulator and increases the number of electrical operations and life time of the traditional voltage regulators.
STEM Media in the Family Context: The Effect of STEM Career and Media Use on Preschoolers' Science and Math Skills.

Children’s learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is important for their achievement in related fields. Before formal schooling, families can expose children to STEM by sharing knowledge and influencing children’s use of learning tools, including media. We investigated whether parent attitudes towards STEM media and having a family member with a STEM career is related to children’s science and math media use, and whether these factors predict children’s science and math skills. We surveyed 296 American parents of children 3- to 5.5-years old on their attitudes toward STEM and their children’s use of STEM television, computer games, and apps. Regression analyses showed that positive attitudes toward science and math media positively predicted children’s science and math media use. Having a STEM-career family member was a negative predictor. Children’s science and math media use was negatively related to their reported science and math skills. However, there was an interaction: children from non-STEM career families who consumed the most science and math media reportedly had worse science and math skills. Our findings have implications for how families can support science and math learning. These results can direct research on the role of media in early STEM education.
The Death of the Unarmed Assailant on Racial Fears, Ambiguous Movement, and the Vulnerability of Armed Police

The firearms that 600,000 police officers carry in the United States are a double-edged sword. They kill about 1,000 citizens each year but also can be used to attack the police officer. Often, the reason police kill unarmed citizens is they fear their guns will be turned against them. Statistics suggest that African American men are 40% of the 94 unarmed victims who were shot and killed by police in 2015, a much larger share of unarmed deaths than of other killings by police. Clear rules from police administrators are a much more promising method of reducing this death toll than the criminal law.
Mitogenic Signals Stimulate the CREB Coactivator CRTC3 through PP2A Recruitment

The second messenger 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates gene expression via the cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivator (CRTC) family of cAMP response element-binding protein coactivators. In the basal state, CRTCs are phosphorylated by salt-inducible kinases (SIKs) and sequestered in the cytoplasm by 14-3-3 proteins. cAMP signaling inhibits the SIKs, leading to CRTC dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Here we show that although all CRTCs are regulated by SIKs, their interactions with Ser/Thr-specific protein phosphatases are distinct. CRTC1 and CRTC2 associate selectively with the calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, whereas CRTC3 interacts with B55 PP2A holoenzymes via a conserved PP2A-binding region (amino acids 380-401). CRTC3-PP2A complex formation was induced by phosphorylation of CRTC3 at S391, facilitating the subsequent activation of CRTC3 by dephosphorylation at 14-3-3 binding sites. As stimulation of mitogenic pathways promoted S391 phosphorylation via the activation of ERKs and CDKs, our results demonstrate how a ubiquitous phosphatase enables cross talk between growth factor and cAMP signaling pathways at the level of a transcriptional coactivator.
Field trial of spiral-wound facilitated transport membrane module for CO2 capture from flue gas

Abstract A field trial with 1.4 m2 spiral-wound (SW) membrane modules fabricated from an amine-containing facilitated transport membrane was conducted with actual flue gas at the National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, AL, U.S.A. Prior to the field test, the membrane modules were systematically evaluated with simulated flue gas to identify the optimal operating conditions, including feed flow rate, feed pressure and operating temperature. With the actual flue gas, the membrane modules showed ca. 1450 GPU CO2 permeance and 185 CO2/N2 selectivity at 67 °C with feed and permeate pressures of 4 and 0.3 atm, respectively. A 500-h stability was demonstrated in spite of the interference of system upsets and flue gas outages. During the field trial, carbon capture rates of better than 40% were achieved by a single SW module with coal-derived flue gas. Except for a few flue gas upsets, the CO2 purities in the captured stream were 94.5% or better on dry basis. The data obtained from this project validates the membrane material and provide basis for the design and fabrication of full-scale SW module with a membrane area larger than 50 m2. It should be noted that no significant amounts of Cr, As and Se were deposited onto the membrane during this 500-h test.
Correction to: Metabolomic richness and fingerprints of deep-sea coral species and populations

The article “Metabolomic richness and fingerprints of deep-sea coral species and populations”, written by Samuel A. Vohsen, Charles R. Fisher and Iliana B. Baums, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 02 March, 2019 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 30 March, 2019 to © The Author(s) 2019 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made. The original article has been corrected.
Enhanced phase detector using nonlinear transmission lines

Phase detectors are essential for phase-locked loops, synthesizing stable micro- and millimeter-wave frequencies, and measuring phase noise. We present a phase detector setup built around a self-sampling nonlinear transmission line transient generator integrated circuit that trades capture range for high phase sensitivity, observing 4.4 V/rad at 9 GHz. This phase detector constant could be doubled by trivially reducing the on-chip attenuation and utilizing the full range of the on-chip sampler.
Strategies for a fluorescent sensor with receptor and fluorophore designed for the recognition of heavy metal ions

Abstract The ligand DC-18-ane-N2O4 (7,16-bis(6,7-dimethoxy-1-benzopyran-2-one-4-methyl)-1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane) is synthesized and its fluorescence responses to the binding of a set of metal ions (Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Cu2+ and Ag+) are investigated. Among the metal-ligand complexes studied here, the crystal structures of [Ag(DC-18-ane-N2O4)]ClO4·H2O, [Pb(DC-18-ane-N2O4)(ClO4)2H2O] 3·.5H2O and [DC-18-ane-N2O4)H2](ClO4)2.ClCH2CH2Cl are reported. Design of DC-18-ane-N2O4 as a selective turn-on sensor for heavy metal ions is based on two important factors: 1) target metal ions can be selectively complexed according to their sizes, and 2) quenching of fluorescence is related to the ability to form π contacts between the complexed metal ion and the fluorophore of the sensor. The fluorescence study shows that the size of macrocyclic 18-ane-N2O4 is too large for the Zn2+ to bind tightly, but right for Cd2+. This leads to a strong CHEF (Chelation enhanced fluorescence) effect for Cd2+, but not for Zn2+, which renders DC-18-ane-N2O4 a selective Cd2+ sensor over the ubiquitous Zn2+. In fact, it is found that Zn2+ induces fluorescence quenching, which is quite unusual as Zn2+ almost always causes a CHEF effect. For the heavier and larger metal ions tested in this work, the fluorescence intensities are found to be in line with the ability to form π contacts with the fluorophore: Cd2+
U Distinct Roles of IL-12Rβ1 and IL-23R in the Development of Acute and Chronic Gvhd

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is an effective means by which to treat a wide variety of diseases resulting from dysfunctional hematopoiesis. However, the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality after allo-HCT. GVHD has been shown to occur in 2 phases: acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD). The IL-12 family of cytokines is comprised of IL-12, IL-23, IL-27 and IL-35. This family of cytokines is biologically distinct in that they are composed of functional heterodimers consisting of α and β-chain subunits. Of these, IL-12 and IL-23 have well documented proinflammatory functions responsible for Th1 differentiation and Th17 stabilization, respectively, and play critical roles in GVHD development. IL-12 (p35/p40) and IL-23 (p19/p40) share a common receptor chain, IL-12 receptor β1 (IL-12Rβ1), among the IL-12R and IL-23R signaling complexes, which consist of IL-12Rβ1/IL-12Rβ2 and IL-12Rβ1/IL-23Rα, respectively. While IL-23R expression is widely implicated in autoimmunity, the role of IL-12Rβ1 in this context remains much less defined. In agreement with previous publications, we found a pathogenic role for IL-23R on donor T cells in aGVHD; however, a similar effect was not seen for IL-12Rβ1. In contrast, using a transition mouse model for cGVHD (B6 to BALB/c), donor splenocytes deficient for either IL-12Rβ1 or IL-23R had an impaired ability to induce cGVHD compared to WT controls, indicating distinct roles for these receptors in the development of GVHD. We further investigated how these receptors on T cells function during cGVHD development by evaluating donor T and B cell reconstitution and differentiation in recipients at day 60 post-BMT. In the T cell compartment, cohorts that received IL-12Rβ1 and IL-23R- deficient splenocytes showed significantly decreased frequencies of donor Tfh cells (CD4+CXCR5+PD1+) in addition to decreased IFNg, IL-17 and IL-4/5. Conversely, donor B cell frequencies and double positive thymocytes were significantly increased in recipients of both IL-12Rβ1-deficient and IL-23R-deficient donor splenocytes compared to WT controls. Interestingly, germinal center B cells (B220+GL7+FAS+) were significantly decreased with a consistent decrease CD86 MFI in cohorts receiving IL-23RKO, but not that received IL-12Rβ1KO splenocytes, implying a pathogenic role for IL-23R on B cells in cGVHD. Taken together, our studies indicate that IL-23R plays an essential role, whereas IL-12Rβ1 is dispensable, for donor T cells to induce aGVHD. However, both IL-12Rβ1 and IL-23R play a similar, albeit not identical, pathogenic role on donor T cells in the induction of cGVHD. We interpret that donor T cells have a differential requirement for IL-12Rβ1 or IL-23R which is dependent on the level of inflammation (e.g. acute vs. chronic phase of GVHD) and, under certain circumstances, that IL-23R signaling can be transmitted without IL-12Rβ1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Fibroblasts in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Fibroblasts in the Synovium in Rheumatoid Arthritis A recent study showed that the differentiation of fibroblasts in the sublining of the synovium of the rheumatoid joint capsule is influenced by t...
FastSK: fast sequence analysis with gapped string kernels.

Motivation Gapped k-mer kernels with support vector machines (gkm-SVMs) have achieved strong predictive performance on regulatory DNA sequences on modestly sized training sets. However, existing gkm-SVM algorithms suffer from slow kernel computation time, as they depend exponentially on the sub-sequence feature length, number of mismatch positions, and the task's alphabet size. Results In this work, we introduce a fast and scalable algorithm for calculating gapped k-mer string kernels. Our method, named FastSK, uses a simplified kernel formulation that decomposes the kernel calculation into a set of independent counting operations over the possible mismatch positions. This simplified decomposition allows us to devise a fast Monte Carlo approximation that rapidly converges. FastSK can scale to much greater feature lengths, allows us to consider more mismatches, and is performant on a variety of sequence analysis tasks. On multiple DNA transcription factor binding site prediction datasets, FastSK consistently matches or outperforms the state-of-the-art gkmSVM-2.0 algorithms in area under the ROC curve, while achieving average speedups in kernel computation of ∼100× and speedups of ∼800× for large feature lengths. We further show that FastSK outperforms character-level recurrent and convolutional neural networks while achieving low variance. We then extend FastSK to 7 English-language medical named entity recognition datasets and 10 protein remote homology detection datasets. FastSK consistently matches or outperforms these baselines. Availability and implementation Our algorithm is available as a Python package and as C++ source code at https://github.com/QData/FastSK. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Green Innovations, Supply Chain Integration and Green Information System - A Moderation Model

Focusing on green innovations to deal with the increasing environmental concerns and improve green productions is an important way in improving a company’s performance and sustainability. The sophisticated processes involved in green innovations have been attracting a great amount of attention in business field as well as in academia. In this study we empirically investigate the effects of supplier integration and customer orientation on green innovations, and identify the moderating effect of green information system in this process. Drawing on the information-processing theory, we propose a conceptual framework that specifies the relationship stated above and empirically test those relationships based on 231 China-based firms. This study contributes to the much-needed efforts in finding ways to improve green innovations through the management of the whole supply chain, and provides helpful managerial implications to practitioners on how to successfully manage external resources to improve green innovations and achieve expected benefits.
Understanding the Experiences of Elderly Bereaved Men and the Bond With Their Pets

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the bereaved Older males’ experiences with the interaction and ownership of a companion animal after the death of their p...
Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by mass vaccination: emergent lessons from the United States and India

The advent of vaccinations has heightened global optimism that the end of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic could be in sight. However, concerns, including the impact of variations in the rates of vaccination between countries, raise questions about the use of mass vaccination for accomplishing a quick recovery from the contagion. Here, we used a SEIR-based model calibrated to data on the pandemic and vaccinations reported for the United States (US) and India to gain strategic insights into using mass vaccinations for ending COVID-19. We estimate that while up to 65% of the US population is already immune to the virus due to the recent rapid mass vaccinations carried out, only 13% of the Indian population may be immune currently owing to a slow rate of vaccination and the effect of a stricter lockdown imposed to curb the first wave of the pandemic. We project that due to the higher immune to susceptible ratio already achieved in the US, the pandemic will only decline if the present rates of vaccinations and social mitigations are continued and remain effective. By contrast, the recent loosening of social measures coupled with a slow rate of vaccination is the chief reason for the virus resurgence in India, with only immediate lockdowns coupled with ramping up of vaccinations providing the means to control the present wave. These results highlight that using mass vaccination to achieve a speedy recovery from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will depend crucially on the ability to carry out national vaccinations as rapidly as possible.
Animal models of respiratory syncytial virus infection and disease

The study of human respiratory syncytial virus pathogenesis and immunity has been hampered by its exquisite host specificity, and the difficulties encountered in adapting this virus to a murine host. The reasons for this obstacle are not well understood, but appear to reflect, at least in part, the inability of the virus to block the interferon response in any but the human host. This review addresses some of the issues encountered in mouse models of respiratory syncytial virus infection, and describes the advantages and disadvantages of alternative model systems.
Utilization of 5-Bromouracil by Thymineless Bacteria

Several thymineless Escherichia coli strains have been examined for their ability to replicate their deoxyribonucleic acid when bromouracil is substituted for thymine. The procedure we describe was used to identify a thymineless strain with characteristics relatively favorable to its use in bromouracil labeling experiments. In addition, mutants with an “absolute” thymine requirement could be easily distinguished from one with a “leaky” thymine requirement.
Topographic locations and size of earthquake- and typhoon-generated landslides, Tachia River, Taiwan

Analysis of mapped landslide locations using a high-resolution (5-m grid) digital elevation model (DEM) in the Tachia River basin, Taiwan, finds distinct differences in the topographic locations and size of landslides during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake and the 2001 Toraji typhoon. Our analysis supports Densmore and Hovius' hypothesis that earthquake-induced landslides cluster near ridgetops due to topographic amplification of ground shaking, and that typhoon-induced landslides occur with greater frequency lower on slopes. In addition, the differing topographic locations of seismically-induced and subsequent typhoon-induced landslides shows no evidence of residual post-earthquake influences on landslides during typhoon Toraji previously hypothesized for drainage basins closer to the earthquake epicenter. Our results support the interpretation that in this tectonically active landscape, seismically-induced landslides help shatter and erode ridgetops but typhoon-triggered landslides concentrate erosion farther downslope, with the combination acting to more uniformly lower upland terrain than either process does individually. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inflammatory cytokine expression on the ocular surface in the Botulium toxin B induced murine dry eye model

PURPOSE: Inflammation plays an important role in dry eye syndrome. In this study, inflammatory cytokine expression on the ocular surface in the Botulium toxin B (BTX-B) induced mouse dry eye model was investigated. METHODS: CBA/J mice received an injection of saline or 20 milliunits (mU) of BTX-B into the lacrimal gland. Tear production and corneal fluorescein staining were evaluated in all groups before injection and at 3 time points after. The pro-inflammatory cytokines macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-1beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in conjunctival and corneal epithelium were evaluated by real time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: BTX-B injected mice showed significantly decreased aqueous tear production and increased corneal fluorescein staining at the 1 week and 2 week time points compared with normal control and saline-injected mice. The BTX-B injected mice mRNA expression levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta from conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells increased significantly at two early time points comparing with that of normal and saline injected mice, but IL-1beta returned to normal levels at the 4 week time point. Saline injected mice showed no difference in mRNA expression of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, MIF, and IL-6 on the ocular surface tissue at all time points. Immunohistochemistry confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS: BTX-B induced mouse model showed decreased aqueous tear production, increased corneal fluorescein staining, and TNF-alpha and IL-1beta increased expression on the ocular surface within one month. The patterns seen appeared to mimic those in humans with non-Sjogren's syndrome keratoconjunctivitis sicca (NS-KCS).
HISTOCHEMICAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF LYSOSOMES IN THE RAT SPINAL CORD.

Various histochemical tests were performed to study the nonenzymatic components of lysosomes in the neurons of rat spinal cord. The lysosomal granules are periodic acid Schiff positive and this reaction can be blocked by acetylation, but not by bromination. They are performic and peracetic acid Schiff positive also. Both these reactions can be blocked by bromination. It is concluded that 1:2 glycol as well as ethylene groups are present. Lysosomes stain metachromatically after sulfation and are sudanophilic. They are chemical complexes containing protein, neutral polysaccharide, phospholipids and possibly glycolipids and are present in dendrites as well as axons. A topographical relationshiop exists between lysosomes and Golgi apparatus which was stained with nucleoside diphosphatase method. Lysosomes share Schmorl reaction with lipofuscin pigment. In some preparations there is a tendency for them to be localized along the cell membrane.
Modeling and Measurements of Low Frequency Noise in Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Films with Bulk and Percolation Configurations

Monte Carlo simulations and noise modeling are used to study the scaling of 1/f noise in single‐walled carbon nanotube films as a function of device parameters and film resistivity. This computational approach provides a general framework for the characterization of 1/f noise in nanotube films and explains experimental observations.
Doubly excited 1,3 P e states in heliumlike systems

Doubly excited or Feshbach-type resonant states in heliumlike systems, Z=2--10, have been calculated using the complex-rotation method. Using Hylleraas-type wave functions having up to 825 terms, we predict resonance parameters (both resonance positions and widths) below the N=3, 4, and 5 thresholds of the hydrogenic systems. The present results for Z=7 and 8 are compared with those of the close-coupling calculations and experimental results where available.
Project CREST: a new model for mental health intervention after a community disaster.

The CREST training team included psychologists, psychiatry residents, psychiatric nurses and nurse specialists, clinical social workers, marital and family counselors, activity therapists, and doctoral candidates in psychology and social work. Most were recruited from university medical center employees or advanced doctoral students in social work or clinical psychology. Funding from the James S. McDonnell Foundation supported the authors, first, in developing the CREST curriculum and training the trainers and, later, in providing consultation. The curriculum development and training occupied 2 months in late 1993 and early 1994; the consultation was ongoing through the summer of 1994. The authors—a psychiatrist who had clinical expertise with disaster populations and a psychologist experienced in training health professionals and community volunteers—also led the 52member CREST training team. CREST participants were recruited through team outreach to community agencies that were known for their flood relief activities. The outreach was accomplished via telephone, letters describing the program, and “word of mouth” from previous trainees. Participating agencies included police departments and academies, school districts, churches, the Red Cross, women’s self-help centers, neighborhood health cen
The Comparative Utility of Viromer RED and Lipofectamine for Transient Gene Introduction into Glial Cells

The introduction of genes into glial cells for mechanistic studies of cell function and as a therapeutic for gene delivery is an expanding field. Though viral vector based systems do exhibit good delivery efficiency and long-term production of the transgene, the need for transient gene expression, broad and rapid gene setup methodologies, and safety concerns regarding in vivo application still incentivize research into the use of nonviral gene delivery methods. In the current study, aviral gene delivery vectors based upon cationic lipid (Lipofectamine 3000) lipoplex or polyethylenimine (Viromer RED) polyplex technologies were examined in cell lines and primary glial cells for their transfection efficiencies, gene expression levels, and toxicity. The transfection efficiencies of polyplex and lipoplex agents were found to be comparable in a limited, yet similar, transfection setting, with or without serum across a number of cell types. However, differential effects on cell-specific transgene expression and reduced viability with cargo loaded polyplex were observed. Overall, our data suggests that polyplex technology could perform comparably to the market dominant lipoplex technology in transfecting various cells lines including glial cells but also stress a need for further refinement of polyplex reagents to minimize their effects on cell viability.
Comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging-measured adipose tissue depots in HIV-infected and control subjects.

BACKGROUND Studies in persons without HIV infection have compared adipose tissue measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but no such study has been conducted in HIV-infected (HIV+) subjects, who have a high prevalence of regional fat loss. OBJECTIVE We compared DXA- with MRI-measured trunk, leg, arm, and total fat in HIV+ and control subjects. DESIGN A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 877 HIV+ subjects and 260 control subjects in FRAM (Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection), stratified by sex and HIV status. RESULTS Univariate associations of DXA with MRI were strongest for total and trunk fat (r > or = 0.92) and slightly weaker for leg (r > or = 0.87) and arm (r > or = 0.71) fat. The average estimated limb fat was substantially greater for DXA than for MRI for HIV+ and control men and women (all P < 0.0001). Less of a difference was observed in trunk fat measured by DXA and MRI, but the difference was still statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Bland-Altman plots showed increasing differences and variability. Greater average limb fat in control and HIV+ subjects (both P < 0.0001) was associated with greater differences between DXA and MRI measurements. Because the control subjects had more limb fat than did the HIV+ subjects, greater amounts of fat were measured by DXA than by MRI when control subjects were compared with HIV+ subjects. More HIV+ subjects had leg fat in the bottom decile of the control subjects by DXA than by MRI (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Although DXA- and MRI-measured adipose tissue depots correlate strongly in HIV+ and control subjects, differences increase as average fat increases, particularly for limb fat. DXA may estimate a higher prevalence of peripheral lipoatrophy than does MRI in HIV+ subjects.
Enhancing real-time DBMS performance with multiversion data and priority based disk scheduling

Real-time multiversion concurrency control algorithms are proposed, to: increase concurrency, adjust the serialization order dynamically and work without an estimate of a transaction's runtime. The authors also propose disk scheduling algorithms which consider not only the transactions which request input/output (I/O) but also those affected by I/O. They consider transactions which are directly affected when priorities of I/O requests are assigned, in addition to transactions which generates these requests. The real-time disk resident database system model and the multiversion concurrency control algorithms are described. The real-time disk scheduling algorithms and their properties are also described. Real-time multiversion concurrency control and disk scheduling algorithms are shown to decrease miss ratio significantly. >
“First time use” (FTU) name headings, authority control, and NACO

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine “first time use” (FTU) name headings in the context of outsourced authorities processing and NACO participation, with consideration given to workflow and management issues in cataloging operations, and to the concept of achieving authority control in a catalog.Design/methodology/approach – For this study, a report was produced from an integrated library system of 295 “headings used for first time” (FTU) on one day in a month during which more than 10,000 bibliographic records were cataloged system‐wide. Of these FTU headings, 100 were from fields used for author names (field 1xx, 7xx) in 80 bibliographic records. This represents a snapshot of FTU headings rather than a random sample but is typical of reports from this system. Issues addressed include FTU headings as errors; matching of bibliographic headings to existing authority records in the LC/NACO national file; and the need for NACO contribution when the heading has no supporting authority record.F...
Liquid crystal smart reflectors

We report on the development of liquid crystal smart reflectors, consisting of a cholesteric liquid crystal with temperature sensitive helix pitch, in combination with a light absorbing dye. Light entering the liquid crystal is absorbed by the dye, generating heat which raises the temperature of the liquid crystal. The resulting change in the helix pitch of the cholesteric causes an increase in its reflectivity, reducing the intensity of light that can be absorbed by the dye. This negative feedback stabilizes the reflector for a given light intensity. The smart reflector thus achieves a reflectivity which increases with increasing intensity of incident light. We report on two configurations of the device, with both experimental measurements and mathematical models of the system.
Probing Electron Dynamics by High Harmonic Generation

High harmonic spectroscopy contains rich information about atomic and molecular electronic structure. The combination of multiple-orbital HHG studies with transient grating techniques allow for monitoring electronic structure change during chemically relevant processes.
Probabilistic descriptions of resistance of safety-related structures in nuclear plants

Abstract Calculations of reliability of safety-related nuclear plant structures require a knowledge of the probability distributions that describe their resistance. This study considers the applicability of existing statistical data for describing the resistance of steel and reinforced concrete nuclear plant structures. Probability distributions are recommended which can be used in assessing the reliability of containments and other Category I structures, developing fragilities, and selecting appropriate resistance criteria for probability-based structural design.
Farmland rental markets: trends in contract type, rates, and risk

Purpose – This article aims to explore recent trends in farmland rental markets using data for the state of Illinois. Trends in the types of rental agreements used and the relationship between the rental rate for those contracts, land values, crop revenues, production costs, and farm returns are examined.Design/methodology/approach – Data from various sources and at different levels of aggregation for the state of Illinois are used to provide illustrations of historical trends in farmland rental agreements and rental rates, and how they are related to various market and industry factors. Focus is placed on the more recent period since 2005 characterized by high commodity price levels and volatility.Findings – The majority of farmland in the Midwest is controlled under rental agreements which are increasingly of the fixed cash rent type. Rental rates have increased, but at a slower rate than farm returns. Average rental and interest rates imply that land values are consistent with the current market enviro...
A mechanism for the production of unequal bond lengths in some states of AB2 triatomic molecules

Abstract The evidence for the existence of unequal equilibrium bond lengths in the first 2 B 2 electronic state of NO 2 is summarized. A mechanism analogous to the Renner-Teller effect is suggested which could produce states of unequal bond lengths in AB 2 type triatomic molecules.
DAMAGE TO OVARIAN DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION

Ovarian function in women can be compromised by exposure to toxic environmental factors. Chemicals that affect ovarian function can act through direct effects on hormone action (ovary) or by interference with steroid hormone action (hypothalamus and/or pituitary). These effects can cause problems in the form of infertility. Alternatively, ovarian toxicants can directly cause ovarian failure by extensive follicular destruction. This targeting can result in loss of ovarian steroid hormones, eventual ovarian failure (menopause), and ultimate disruption of neuroendocrine feedback causing increased levels of FSH and LH. This article provides an overview of chemicals that in animal studies have been identified to cause disrupted ovarian function with a focus on the sites of targeting by which these disruptions occur. In predicting the impact of environmental factors on reproductive function in women, it is critical to gain a better appreciation of the physiological consequences resulting from the potential variety of mechanisms by which toxicants can disrupt ovarian function. This article attempts to provide such a perspective within the context of specific chemicals for which ovarian sites of toxicity have been identified.