cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immigrants or Minorities? Framing Asian Americans and the Implications for American Ethnoracial Politics

As a tide of immigrants has changed American society, there have been corresponding waves of speculation about how the immigration tide might transform the nature of race in America. Such a racial reconfiguration would likely have important consequences for American politics, given the central role race has played from the earliest years. Some hope for Jesse Jackson’s “rainbow coalition,” with people of color, other marginalized groups, and liberal whites joining together to create a political juggernaut. The 2008 and 2012 presidential election seemed to turn on just such a coalition, but it remains less certain how much this coalition shares a political perspective beyond an aversion for GOP presidential candidates. In this paper, I ask whether the foundations of Asian American politics are likely to orient Asian Americans toward political outlooks common to other communities of color. I argue that Asian Americans continue to be perceived through an immigrant frame, a perspective that can be beneficial and detrimental, but, in either case, is very different than the minority frame through which African Americans are perceived. Being framed differently by outsiders is not incompatible with being partners in an electoral coalition, but it might make it harder to reach agreement over public policy.
Complement-Dependent Mechanisms of Virus Neutralization

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the evidence documenting the ability of a number of different types of isolated viruses and virus-infected cells to activate the complement system directly, in the absence of antibody, as well as via antibody-dependent triggering. Complement appears, as is the case with a number of other infectious agents, to represent a natural surveillance system operative prior to the induction of specific humoral and cellular immune responses. It would, thus, be the humoral equivalent of the natural killer cell. The biologic significance and precise role of complement in antiviral defense in vivo is very uncertain. Although a few animal studies have shown a role for complement in limiting infection, humans with congenital complement deficiencies have not been generally found to be more susceptible to virus diseases. However, it should also be noted that firm evidence for a major role in vivo for numerous other immunologic defense mechanisms such as cytotoxic T lymphocytes and NK cells is also lacking. Thus, despite the existence of a number of forms of natural and induced humoral and cellular antiviral immune responses, each of which would appear from in vitro studies to be able to control viral infections readily, viruses are major human pathogens responsible for a number of acute and chronic infectious diseases.
Supporting Multiple Perspectives

In on-line systems intended to support Concurrent Engineering it is necessary to support the multiple perspectives that are taken by members of the various engineering disciplines involved. We report on Galileo2, a constraint programming language that enables constraint networks to be divided into different (possibly overlapping) regions, called fields of view. Engineers from different disciplines, who have different perspectives on the product development process, are assigned different fields of view when they interact with a program written in the language. Different fields of view may be presented through different types of interface, as dictated by the type of user who is expected for each field of view. Users of different fields of view may be given different levels of permission to edit the constraint network which they all share. The run-time system for the language facilitates interaction between users of different perspectives in the event of incompatible decisions by these users.
NanoLuc Complementation Reporter Optimized for Accurate Measurement of Protein Interactions in Cells

Protein-fragment complementation assays (PCAs) are widely used for investigating protein interactions. However, the fragments used are structurally compromised and have not been optimized nor thoroughly characterized for accurately assessing these interactions. We took advantage of the small size and bright luminescence of NanoLuc to engineer a new complementation reporter (NanoBiT). By design, the NanoBiT subunits (i.e., 1.3 kDa peptide, 18 kDa polypeptide) weakly associate so that their assembly into a luminescent complex is dictated by the interaction characteristics of the target proteins onto which they are appended. To ascertain their general suitability for measuring interaction affinities and kinetics, we determined that their intrinsic affinity (KD = 190 μM) and association constants (kon = 500 M–1 s–1, koff = 0.2 s–1) are outside of the ranges typical for protein interactions. The accuracy of NanoBiT was verified under defined biochemical conditions using the previously characterized interaction...
Gas Chromatography of δ1-Tetrahydrocannabinol

Abstract Quantitative gas chromatography of small amounts of δ1 - tetrahydrocannabinol has been demonstrated on a variety of silicone columns. Retention data in the form of methylene unit values were obtained on these columns.
Mother Knows Best? Evaluating the Roles of Stoic Parents in Gladiator (2000)

My paper uses the 2000 Ridley Scott film Gladiator as a vehicle for exploring Stoicism, specifically the ways that Stoic parents ought to behave in different situations. The film includes a portrayal of the historic emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius and uses Stoic themes. I explore the ways in which two of the main characters, the general Maximus and Marcus Aurelius’ daughter Lucilla, demonstrate Stoic values through their parenting. Through an analysis of the works of Stoic philosophers Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, I examine these characters’ decisions and ultimately conclude that Maximus upholds Stoic values better than Lucilla. Through my paper I hope to invite a unique perspective on parenting that differs greatly from the modern, Christian-centered tradition and to give readers a clearer understanding of Stoicism.
From Market Performance View on the Effect of Japanese "Big Store Low"

"Big Store Law" is a special regulation law on Japanese big retail store.The aim of the law is to coordinate conflict among different scale retail store.Although the law give more living space for little stores,it brings lots of negative effects to Japanese retail industry.So the competition of Japanese retailer cannot be competed with other countries.So it is not necessary to do such thing in our country.
Water quality control result analysis in 2008 and status quo of tap water in residents in Fuyang

Objective:To investigate the safety of drinking water for residents in Fuyang in recent years.Methods:The results of water quality monitor in 2008 in our city were analyzed to determine the quality of drinking water.Massive funds were invested to improve the quality of drinking water.Results:The annual total qualified rate of water was 69.49% in 2008 and the data comprehensive qualified rate 92.27%.The quality of drinking water was better in city than in rural area.The qualified rate of free chlorine in drinking water was less than 10% in rural area.Conclusion:The low quality of drinking water in rural area is no continuous disinfection with chlorine and non-standard management.
Renovations of an Obstetrics Suite: Regional Center for Tertiary Perinatal Care of Presbyterian Hospital in the City of New York

The major issues in the planning, design, and construction of a new labor and obstetrics suite are discussed.
Introduction to the Modern Theory of Dynamical Systems: METRIC STRUCTURE OF HYPERBOLIC SETS

In the previous chapter we concentrated on the behavior of purely topological invariants associated with hyperbolic sets. The topological dynamics of a hyperbolic set is closely related to that of a topological Markov chain and since a hyperbolic set appears as an invariant set of a smooth dynamical system it is relevant to study how this topological dynamics is embedded in a smooth manifold. The main conclusion is that all principal structures associated with the dynamics are Holder continuous and sometimes possess a moderate degree of differentiability (for example, C 1 ). Higher differentiability is very exceptional. It turns out that Holder regularity is also natural for treating cohomological equations of the kind discussed in Section 2.9 over hyperbolic dynamical systems. Our main conclusion, the Livschitz Theorem 19.2.1, asserts that periodic obstructions provide complete systems of invariants of Holder cocycles up to Holder coboundaries. This result as well as its C 1 version has a number of useful applications. Holder structures a. The invariant class of Holder-continuous functions . Earlier (Section 1.9a and Exercises 1.9.1–1.9.3) we encountered the class of Holder-continuous functions on the phase space of a dynamical system. It arose there naturally since the space was a sequence space and there was a one-parameter family of naturally defined metrics. We observed that these metrics not only induced the same topology, but had the same class of Holder-continuous functions. In this section we will see that the class of Holder-continuous functions on a hyperbolic set also arises rather naturally. One of the main points of studying such functions is that they will enable us to study the ergodic theory of smooth hyperbolic systems in greater detail.
SU‐G‐IeP1‐04: Comparison of Cerebral Blood Volume Estimated by DSC‐ and DCEMRI

Purpose: The cerebral blood volume (CBV) is commonly estimated from T2*/T2-weighted dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI acquired by an EPI sequence. There are several challenges with DSC imaging, including geometric distortion, limited brain spatial coverage, and unreliable arterial input function (AIF) due to the partial volume effect. However, CBV can be estimated from T1-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI. This study aimed to examine whether CBV estimated from DCE-MRI is comparable to one from DSC-MRI. Methods and Materials: Of 16 patients with brain metastases, both DCE and DSC series were acquired on a 3T scanner. 3D T1-weighted DCE images were acquired using a gradient-echo (GRE) sequence, while 2D multi-slice DSC (14–19 slices) were obtained using a GRE EPI sequence. CBV maps were generated from DCE images by the modified Toft model and from DSC images by a pharmacokinetic model with leakage correction. After image registration, CBV values estimated by the two methods were compared in two volumes of interest (VOIs) of normal appearing gray matter and white matter (NAGMWM) and in metastatic lesions at both voxel-level and the VOI-level. Results: In the two normal tissue VOIs, means (±std) of CBV were 2.04(±0.45)% and 1.86(±0.45)% from DCE imaging and 1.95(±0.46)% and 1.82(±0.44)% from DSC imaging, which were not significantly different in either VOIs. The voxel-by-voxel correlations within the two normal tissue VOIs led to averaged R=0.53 and 0.59 across 16 patients, suggesting high correlation between the two methods. Conclusion: The CBV estimated from DCE imaging was highly comparable to one from DSC imaging. The CBV estimated from DCE imaging is less affected by the susceptibility effect, and can cover the whole brain, which could be an alternative approach for the CBV estimation. This research work was supported by NIH grant: U01 CA183848
LA LENGUA DE MARGARITA: EL SILENCIO IMPUESTO Y LA ESCRITURA ACTIVISTA EN CRÓNICA DEL DESAMOR

Esta critica feminista examina la novela Cronica del desamor por Rosa Montero y su presentacion del silenciamiento de la voz femenina en la Espana de la Transicion democratica. En particular, analiza las experiencias de unas personajes de la novela, quienes se encuentran silenciadas en situaciones profesionales, familiares y sexuales. Ademas, este trabajo considera la escritura femenina dentro de la novela de Montero y propone que esta escritura les presenta una oportunidad de expresarse a las mujeres de la novela y, tras la metaficcion, a las mujeres del mundo real tambien.
Received Ideas and International Institutions

Years ago, an African reminded fellow diplomats of the practical limitations of the UN in dealing with conflicts which the contestants do not wish to resolve: ‘When there is a dispute between small countries,’ he said, ‘the dispute in question disappears. When there is a dispute between a large country and a small country, the small country disappears. When there is a dispute between two large countries, the United Nations disappears.’
Summary of emerging targets in anal cancer: the case for an immunotherapy based-approach

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) remains a less common gastrointestinal malignancy despite a continued increase in the annual incidence in the United States and globally. The vast majority of all cases are attributed to persistent infection and integration into host cell DNA by human papillomavirus (HPV). For patients with metastatic anal cancer, there is currently no accepted consensus standard of care. Given the viral etiology associated with the oncogenesis of this tumor, great interest exists for the development of immunotherapy as a novel approach to improving clinical outcomes for patients afflicted with this disease. This review highlights various immunotherapies under investigation in the treatment of advanced human malignancies and discusses their potential as future treatments for metastatic anal cancer.
Two subunits of human ORC are dispensable for DNA replication and proliferation

The six-subunit Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) is believed to be an essential eukaryotic ATPase that binds to origins of replication as a ring-shaped heterohexamer to load MCM2-7 and initiate DNA replication. We have discovered that human cell lines in culture proliferate with intact chromosomal origins of replication after disruption of both alleles of ORC2 or of the ATPase subunit, ORC1. The ORC1 or ORC2-depleted cells replicate with decreased chromatin loading of MCM2-7 and become critically dependent on another ATPase, CDC6, for survival and DNA replication. Thus, either the ORC ring lacking a subunit, even its ATPase subunit, can load enough MCM2-7 in partnership with CDC6 to initiate DNA replication, or cells have an ORC-independent, CDC6-dependent mechanism to load MCM2-7 on origins of replication.
Pardon the Interruption: A Modification of Fischer's Venerable Reaction for the Synthesis of Heterocycles and Natural Products.

This account provides an overview of our laboratory’s studies of an unusual variant of the Fischer indolization reaction. We describe the discovery of the so-called ‘interrupted Fischer indolization’ and the development of the reaction from a methodological standpoint. In addition, our efforts to evaluate and apply this methodology in the context of akuammiline alkaloid total synthesis are discussed. 1 Introduction 2 Interrupted Fischer Indolization Methodology 3 Applications in Akuammiline Alkaloid Total Synthesis 4 Concluding Thoughts
The neuroscience of persuasion: A review with an emphasis on issues and opportunities

ABSTRACTPersuasion, a prevalent form of social influence in humans, refers to an active attempt to change a person’s attitudes, beliefs, or behavior. There is a growing literature on the neural correlates of persuasion. As is often the case in an emerging literature, however, there are a number of questions, concerns, and alternative interpretations that can be raised about the research and interpretations. We provide a critical review of the research, noting potential problems and issues that warrant attention to move the field forward. Among the recommendations are greater integration of neuroimaging approaches with existing behavioral theories and methods on the information processes (cognitive and affective) underlying persuasion, and moving beyond solely correlative approaches for specifying underlying neural mechanisms. Work in this area has the potential to contribute to our understanding of brain–behavior relationships as well as to advance our understanding of persuasion and social influence more...
Recent highlights in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is an elemental analysis technique that has been employed for virtually all types of samples. Traditionally, hollow cathode lamps, line excit...
Hispanics’ Behavioral Intentions Toward Energy Conservation: The Role of Sociodemographic, Informational, and Attitudinal Variables

Objectives This study is aimed at examining energyâ€ related behavioral intention among Hispanics in the United States. It examines the role of nationality and geographic location, as well as informational and attitudinal factors. Method The study used survey data from the University of Texas at Austin Energy Poll. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and regressions analysis. Results Results show that Hispanics overall in the West had higher levels of intention to save energy than those in any other region, while there is no clear pattern indicating that intentions to save energy were linked to Hispanics' ethnic groups. Besides information dissemination and various measures of environmental concern, belief and interest were strongly related to energyâ€ related behavioral intentions. Conclusions Findings contribute to the understanding of Hispanicsâ€™ energy behaviors, concluding that environmentalism and information dissemination are important predictors of behavioral intention within the Hispanic population.
*Matrix-Bound Nanovesicles Recapitulate Extracellular Matrix Effects on Macrophage Phenotype

The early macrophage response to biomaterials has been shown to be a critical and predictive determinant of downstream outcomes. When properly prepared, bioscaffolds composed of mammalian extracellular matrix (ECM) have been shown to promote a transition in macrophage behavior from a proinflammatory to a regulatory/anti-inflammatory phenotype, which in turn has been associated with constructive and functional tissue repair. The mechanism by which ECM bioscaffolds promote this phenotypic transition, however, is poorly understood. The present study shows that matrix-bound nanovesicles (MBV), a component of ECM bioscaffolds, are capable of recapitulating the macrophage activation effects of the ECM bioscaffold from which they are derived. MBV isolated from two different source tissues, porcine urinary bladder and small intestinal submucosa, were found to be enriched in miRNA125b-5p, 143-3p, and 145-5p. Inhibition of these miRNAs within macrophages was associated with a gene and protein expression profile more consistent with a proinflammatory rather than an anti-inflammatory/regulatory phenotype. MBV and their associated miRNA cargo appear to play a significant role in mediating the effects of ECM bioscaffolds on macrophage phenotype.
How is the weather? Forecasting inpatient glycemic control

Aim: Apply methods of damped trend analysis to forecast inpatient glycemic control. Method: Observed and calculated point-of-care blood glucose data trends were determined over 62 weeks. Mean absolute percent error was used to calculate differences between observed and forecasted values. Comparisons were drawn between model results and linear regression forecasting. Results: The forecasted mean glucose trends observed during the first 24 and 48 weeks of projections compared favorably to the results provided by linear regression forecasting. However, in some scenarios, the damped trend method changed inferences compared with linear regression. In all scenarios, mean absolute percent error values remained below the 10% accepted by demand industries. Conclusion: Results indicate that forecasting methods historically applied within demand industries can project future inpatient glycemic control. Additional study is needed to determine if forecasting is useful in the analyses of other glucometric parameters an...
Interactive 3D Objects, Projections, and Touchscreens

It is widely recognized that features of objects in a user interface can impact aspects of user experience, including visual perception and problem solving. The current study looked at two such issues: 3D object projection and interactivity. Both factors are known to separately influence perception and problem solving; this work connected them together. Utilizing a fixed touchscreen user interface, we used two projections of 3D interactive cubes: oblique and parallel. The task was the Cube Comparison Task (CCT), a task known to be sensitive to both projection of 3D objects and interactivity. We measured the impact of projection of the interactive 3D objects on behaviors relating to alignment of object and environmental axes, foreshortening, and mapping of user interface controls. We also collected general performance measures of response time and accuracy in the CCT. We found minimal impact of projection of the interactive 3D objects on foreshortening, mapping of controls or general performance. However, we found that in both projections of interactive 3D objects, alignment between the object and environmental axes had a significant effect, leading to anisotropies in initial patterns of cube rotations. These anisotropies differed by projection. The results suggested that the manipulation of perceptual factors such as projection of interactive 3D objects can have effects on interactive problem solving, though the nuance of such effects may be influenced by additional factors. In particular, the interactive nature of our touchscreen user interface may have mitigated some effects that were otherwise predicted from prior research.
Effects of Soil pH and Aluminum on Plant Respiration

Interactions among external (soil) pH, cellular pH, and their effects on respiratory metabolism are complex. While the effects of changes in the apoplastic pH on the cytosolic pH are not clearly understood, pH directly affects enzymatic reactions in the cell, and pH-regulated ion uptake has profound indirect effects on cellular respiratory metabolism. A major consequence of soil acidification is the release of aluminum in solubilized forms from its insoluble forms, which, in turn, adversely affects the uptake of cations, causes organic acid secretion, and inhibits cell division and growth in the roots. Consequently, the respiratory metabolism is redirected to meet the needs of organic acid efflux from the roots. The effects of changes in external pH on cellular pH and consequent effects of this change on respiratory metabolism, particularly through effects on soil aluminum are summarized.
Relationship between Stress and Temperature Dependence of Ultrasonic Shear Velocity

The effects of applied elastic stress on the temperature dependence of 10 MHz ultrasonic shear velocity have been studied in A533B steel. The measurements were performed with stress perpendicular to the propagation direction of ultrasonic shear waves. The polarization direction was either parallel to or perpendicular to that of stress. In all these measurements, the ultrasonic velocity is found to decrease linearly with temperature, and the slopes of the lines of best fit of ultrasonic velocity versus temperaturevary considerably when the specimen is subjected to stress. The results obtained when the stress is applied in a direction perpendicular to ultrasonic propagation and parallel to polarization show that the temperature dependence of ultrasonic shear velocity increases linearly with applied tensile stress, and decreases when the stress is compressive. When the stress is applied in a direction perpendicular to both propagation and polarization, the temperature dependence decreases linearly with applied tensile stress and increases with compressive stress. Calibration curves relating relative changes in the temperature dependence of ultrasonic velocity to applied stress in A533B steel are constructed. Using these curves, the sensitivity in determining unknown applied stress in steel is estimated to be ±32 MPa, when the stress is parallel to polarization and ±35 MPa when the stress is applied perpendicular to polarization.
The Vlasov–Poisson–Landau System in $${\mathbb{R}^{3}_{x}}$$

For the Landau–Poisson system with Coulomb interaction in $${\mathbb{R}^{3}_{x}}$$ , we prove the global existence, uniqueness, and large time convergence rates to the Maxwellian equilibrium for solutions which start out sufficiently close.
p53 Status als prognostischer Faktor bei gastrointestinalen Tumoren: eine Meta-Analyse

Hintergrund: Eine p53 Mutation wird in der Literatur sowohl als negativer — wie auch begunstigender Faktor fur das Behandlungsergebnis bei gastrointestinalen Tumoren beschrieben. Zur Klarung der Frage, ob der p53 Status ein klinisch relevanter prognostischer Faktor ist, wurde eine Meta-Analyse der verfugbaren Literatur durchgefuhrt.
Impact of short-term flavanol supplementation on fasting plasma trimethylamine N-oxide concentrations in obese adults

The gut microbiome metabolizes choline and carnitine to release trimethylamine (TMA), which subsequently undergoes hepatic conversion to trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Elevated TMAO levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality risk. Dietary flavanols modulate the composition and function of the gut microbiome. Therefore, the possibility exists that these compounds could reduce intestinal TMA production and lower circulating TMAO. However, this hypothesis has never been tested in humans. A secondary analysis was performed on blood samples from a clinical study in which obese subjects at risk for insulin resistance consumed tea or cocoa flavanols in a randomized crossover design while consuming a controlled diet. These subjects generally had elevated TMAO levels (∼5 μM) compared to levels previously measured in healthy subjects (∼1 μM). None of the interventions significantly altered TMAO levels. Individual variability for choline and carnitine was relatively low. However, TMAO exhibited somewhat greater inter-individual variability. No differences in mean TMAO concentrations observed across interventions were seen based on separating subjects by glycemic status, body mass index (BMI), race, age, or gender. However, subject minimum and maximum values observed across the interventions appeared to be more strongly associated with glycemic status and age than mean values across interventions, suggesting that average TMAO values over time may be less useful than maximum or minimum values as markers of disease risk. Traditional physiological characteristics do not appear to predict TMAO responsiveness to flavanol interventions. However, African-American subjects appeared less responsive compared to non-Hispanic white subjects for both green tea and high cocoa treatments, and female subjects appeared less responsive than males for the high cocoa treatment. The present results suggest that a short-term flavanol intervention does not generally reduce fasting TMAO levels in subjects with elevated circulating TMAO.
Induction Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer: Does Dose Affect Outcomes?

Background Wide variation is seen in the dosage of preoperative induction radiation therapy for esophageal cancer. We investigated associations between outcomes after esophagectomy and dosage of induction radiation therapy. Methods Patients undergoing induction radiation therapy (30 to 70 Gy), followed by esophagectomy, were identified from the National Cancer Database and classified as low ( 50.4 Gy). Perioperative outcomes and overall survival were compared. Subgroup analysis compared two common dosages: 45 Gy and 50.4 Gy. Results From 2004 to 2014, 10,738 patients (84.7%) received standard-dose radiation, increasing from 69.7% in 2004 to 93.6% in 2014 (p Conclusions High-dose induction radiation (>50.4 Gy) is associated with increased perioperative death after esophagectomy, without a significant improvement in tumor response. Low-dose radiation (
Genotyping-by-Sequencing Reveals Fine-Scale Differentiation in Populations of Pseudoperonospora humuli.

Pseudoperonospora humuli is the causal agent of downy mildew of hop, one of the most important diseases of this plant and a limiting factor for production of susceptible cultivars in certain environments. The degree of genetic diversity and population differentiation within and among P. humuli populations at multiple spatial scales was quantified using genotyping-by-sequencing to test the hypothesis that populations of P. humuli have limited genetic diversity but are differentiated at the scale of individual hop yards. Hierarchical sampling was conducted to collect isolates from three hop yards in Oregon, plants within these yards, and infected shoots within heavily diseased plants. Additional isolates also were collected broadly from other geographic regions and from the two previously described clades of the sister species, P. cubensis. Genotyping of these 240 isolates produced a final quality-filtered data set of 216 isolates possessing 25,227 variants. Plots of G'ST values indicated that the majority of variants had G'ST values near 0 and were scattered randomly across contig positions. However, there was a subset of variants that were highly differentiated (G'ST > 0.3) and reproducible when genotyped independently. Within P. humuli, there was evidence of genetic differentiation at the level of hop yards and plants within yards; 19.8% of the genetic variance was associated with differences among yards and 20.3% of the variance was associated with plants within the yard. Isolates of P. humuli were well differentiated from two isolates of P. cubensis representative of the two clades of this organism. There was strong evidence of linkage disequilibrium in variant loci, consistent with nonrandom assortment of alleles expected from inbreeding and/or asexual recombination. Mantel tests found evidence that the genetic distance between isolates collected from heavily diseased plants within a hop yard was associated with the physical distance of the plants from which the isolates were collected. The sum of the data presented here indicates that populations of P. humuli are consistent with a clonal or highly inbred genetic structure with a small, yet significant differentiation of populations among yards and plants within yards. Fine-scale genetic differentiation at the yard and plant scales may point to persistence of founder genotypes associated with planting material, and chronic, systemic infection of hop plants by P. humuli. More broadly, genotyping-by-sequencing appears to have sufficient resolution to identify rare variants that differentiate subpopulations within organisms with limited genetic variability.
Investigation into the sub-lethal effects of the triazole fungicide triticonazole in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos/larvae.

Global use of azole fungicides is expected to increase over the next several years. Triticonazole is a triazole fungicide that is used for turf protection, residential, and other commercial applications. As such, it can enter local rural and urban water systems via run-off and rain events. Early life stages of aquatic organisms can be susceptible to pesticides that enter the water, but in the case of triticonazole, data on the potential for subacute toxicity are lacking. Here, we determined the effects of triticonazole on development, oxygen consumption rates, and locomotor activity in zebrafish to address this knowledge gap. Wild-type zebrafish (ABTu strain) embryos and larvae were exposed to triticonazole (1-100 μM) in early development for different lengths of time depending on the assay conducted. Triticonazole did not affect survival nor induce significant deformity (pericardial edema, skeletal defects) in zebrafish at doses up to 100 μM. Oxygen consumption rate was measured in embryos after 24 and 48 hour exposure to triticonazole beginning at ∼6 hpf using the XFe flux analyzer. Triticonazole did not affect basal respiration, oligomycin-induced ATP linked respiration, FCCP-induced maximum respiration, proton leak, spare capacity, nor non-mitochondrial respiration at doses up to 100 μM for 24 hours, even for exposure up to 250 μM for 48 hours. To determine whether the fungicide affected larval swimming activity, the visual motor response test was conducted following triticonazole exposure for 6 days. Larval zebrafish exposed to triticonazole showed hypoactivity in the dark following a 100 μM treatment, suggesting that the fungicide can affect the locomotor activity of zebrafish, albeit at relatively high levels. Given the fact that sublethal biological responses were absent at lower environmentally relevant concentrations, we conclude that triticonazole, relative to other triazole fungicides and types of pesticides, exhibits a relatively low risk of toxicity to the early life stages of fish.
Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E3) Summer Teacher Program: Analysis of Student Surveys Regarding Engineering Awareness

Ongoing efforts across the U.S. to encourage K-12 students to consider engineering careers have been motivated by concerns that the workforce pipeline for this profession is shrinking. Enlightening K-12 teachers about engineering is one strategy to encourage student interest in the discipline. The Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E3) for Teachers Summer Research Program at Texas A&M University engages high school math and science teachers in an engineering research experience. Since 2003, the E3 program has hosted over 190 teachers, most of whom teach in low socioeconomic status (SES) schools with a high percentage of minority students. The mission of the E3 program is to educate and excite teachers about the field of engineering so that they can introduce engineering concepts to their students and encourage them to consider a career in engineering. During the summer program, teachers are involved in: (1) hands-on participation in current engineering research, (2) activities to broaden their awareness of engineering and career opportunities for their students, and (3) development of engineering-related lesson plans for implementation in their high school classroom. As part of their lesson plan implementation, teachers from the 2009-2013 cohorts were required to administer pre- and post-surveys to their students. The identical survey was administered to the students before and after classroom implementation of the E3 lesson/activity. The survey included five questions regarding engineering awareness and three questions regarding college plans. The survey was designed to determine if the studentsâ€™ exhibited an increased awareness of engineering after implementation of the E3 lesson/activity and if there was any progress in forming college plans (specifically as it pertains to engineering.) This paper presents the student survey findings. Forty-six (46) teachers from Cohorts 2009-2013 administered the pre- and post-survey to their students (2,263 total). For the â€œengineering awarenessâ€ questions, there were large differences in the pre- vs post-survey responses that indicated increased awareness of engineering. Depending on the question, the percentages ranged from 20% to 113%. Regarding increased interest in considering an engineering major in college, in the pre-survey, 32.4% of the students indicated interest in pursuing an engineering major (â€œagreeâ€ or â€œstrongly agreeâ€ responses). In the post-survey, that percentage rose to 40.6%. These findings demonstrate the value in exposing high school students to engineering to create awareness for students who might not have considered this career path.
Simulation for cyber risk management: where are we, and where do we want to go?

There is a dearth of simulation environments that conduct a comprehensive cyber risk assessment and provide insights that are accessible for decision makers and operational folks. During the Winter Simulation Conference 2019, a group of experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities for developing simulation platforms for cyber risk management. The panel will focus on issues with integrating technologies into simulation platforms, loss of fidelity due to lack of access to cyber datasets and complexity involved in representing cyber-physical systems. This paper is a collection of position papers of the participating experts supporting their viewpoints that will be captured in the panel discussion.
Progress Extrapolating Algorithmic Learning to Arbitrary Sequence Lengths.

Recent neural network models for algorithmic tasks have led to significant improvements in extrapolation to sequences much longer than training, but it remains an outstanding problem that the performance still degrades for very long or adversarial sequences. We present alternative architectures and loss-terms to address these issues, and our testing of these approaches has not detected any remaining extrapolation errors within memory constraints. We focus on linear time algorithmic tasks including copy, parentheses parsing, and binary addition. First, activation binning was used to discretize the trained network in order to avoid computational drift from continuous operations, and a binning-based digital loss term was added to encourage discretizable representations. In addition, a localized differentiable memory (LDM) architecture, in contrast to distributed memory access, addressed remaining extrapolation errors and avoided unbounded growth of internal computational states. Previous work has found that algorithmic extrapolation issues can also be alleviated with approaches relying on program traces, but the current effort does not rely on such traces.
Mechanisms of Fetal T Cell Tolerance and Immune Regulation

The developing human fetus generates both tolerogenic and protective immune responses in response to the unique requirements of gestation. Thus, a successful human pregnancy depends on a fine balance between two opposing immunological forces: the semi-allogeneic fetus learns to tolerate both self- and maternal- antigens and, in parallel, develops protective immunity in preparation for birth. This critical window of immune development bridges prenatal immune tolerance with the need for postnatal environmental protection, resulting in a vulnerable neonatal period with heightened risk of infection. The fetal immune system is highly specialized to mediate this transition and thus serves a different function from that of the adult. Adaptive immune memory is already evident in the fetal intestine. Fetal T cells with pro-inflammatory potential are born in a tolerogenic environment and are tightly controlled by both cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms, suggesting that compartmentalization and specialization, rather than immaturity, define the fetal immune system. Dysregulation of fetal tolerance generates an inflammatory response with deleterious effects to the pregnancy. This review aims to discuss the recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular composition of fetal adaptive immunity and the mechanisms that govern T cell development and function. We also discuss the tolerance promoting environment that impacts fetal immunity and the consequences of its breakdown. A greater understanding of fetal mechanisms of immune activation and regulation has the potential to uncover novel paradigms of immune balance which may be leveraged to develop therapies for transplantation, autoimmune disease, and birth-associated inflammatory pathologies.
Serial assessment of fat and fat-free mass accretion in very preterm infants: a randomized trial.

Background Clinicians could modify dietary interventions during early infancy by monitoring fat and fat-free mass accretion in very preterm infants. Methods Preterm infants were randomly assigned to either having reports on infant body composition available to the clinicians caring for them (intervention group) or not having reports available (control group). All infants underwent serial assessments of body composition by air-displacement plethysmography before 32 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) and at 36 weeks PMA. The primary outcome was percent body fat (%BF) at 3 months of corrected age (CA). Results Fifty infants were randomized (median gestational age: 30 weeks; mean ± SD birth weight: 1387 ± 283 g). The mean %BF increased from 7 ± 4 before 32 weeks PMA to 20 ± 5 at 3 months CA. The differences in mean %BF between the intervention group and the control group were not statistically significant at 36 weeks PMA (14.5 vs. 13.6) or 3 months CA (20.8 vs. 19.4). Feeding practices and anthropometric measurements during hospitalization did not differ between groups. Conclusions Serial assessments of body composition in both intervention and control groups showed consistent increments in %BF. However, providing this information to clinicians did not influence nutritional practices or growth. Impact Serial assessments of body composition in preterm infants at 32 and 36 weeks postmenstrual age show consistent increments in % body fat up to 3 months of corrected age. However, providing this information to the clinician did not influence nutritional practices or growth.
Research synthesis of information theory measures of uncertainty: Meta-analysis of entropy and mutual information of diagnostic tests.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES Assessing the performance of diagnostic tests requires evaluation of the amount of diagnostic uncertainty a test reduces. Statistical measures, such as sensitivity and specificity, currently dominating the evidence-based medicine (EBM) and related fields, cannot explicitly measure this reduction in diagnostic uncertainty. Mutual information (MI), an information theory statistic, explicitly quantifies diagnostic uncertainty by measuring information gain before vs after diagnostic testing. In this paper, we propose the use of MI as a single measure to express diagnostic test performance and demonstrate how it can be used in the meta-analysis of diagnostic test studies. METHODS We use two case studies from the literature to demonstrate the applicability of MI meta-analysis in assessing diagnostic performance. Meta-analysis of studies evaluating (a) ultrasonography (US) to detect endometrial cancer and (b) magnetic resonance angiography to detect arterial stenosis. RESULTS The results of MI meta-analyses are comparable to those of traditional statistical measures' meta-analyses. However, the results of MI are easier to understand as it relates directly to the extent of uncertainty a diagnostic test can reduce. For example, the US test, diagnosing endometrial cancer, is 40% specific and 94% sensitive. The combination of these values is difficult to interpret and may lead to inappropriate assessment (eg, one could favour the test due to its high sensitivity, ignoring its low specificity). In terms of MI, however, a single metric shows that the test reduces diagnostic uncertainty by 10%, which many users may consider small under most circumstances. CONCLUSIONS We have demonstrated the suitability of MI in assessing the performance of diagnostic tests, which can facilitate easier interpretation of the true utility of diagnostic tests. Similarly, to the guidance for interpretation of effect size of treatment interventions, we also propose the guidelines for interpretation of the utility of diagnostic tests based on the magnitude of reduction in diagnostic uncertainty.
Loss of CTRP4 alters adiposity and food intake behaviors in obese mice.

Central and peripheral mechanisms are both required for proper control of energy homeostasis. Among circulating plasma proteins, C1q/TNF-related proteins (CTRPs) have recently emerged as important ...
Impact of Workload on Service Time and Patient Safety: An Econometric Analysis of Hospital Operations

Much of prior work in the area of service operations management has assumed service rates to be exogenous to the level of load on the system. Using operational data from patient transport services and cardiothoracic surgery---two vastly different health-care delivery services---we show that the processing speed of service workers is influenced by the system load. We find that workers accelerate the service rate as load increases. In particular, a 10% increase in load reduces length of stay by two days for cardiothoracic surgery patients, whereas a 20% increase in the load for patient transporters reduces the transport time by 30 seconds. Moreover, we show that such acceleration may not be sustainable. Long periods of increased load (overwork) have the effect of decreasing the service rate. In cardiothoracic surgery, an increase in overwork by 1% increases length of stay by six hours. Consistent with prior studies in the medical literature, we also find that overwork is associated with a reduction in quality of care in cardiothoracic surgery---an increase in overwork by 10% is associated with an increase in likelihood of mortality by 2%. We also find that load is associated with an early discharge of patients, which is in turn correlated with a small increase in mortality rate.
Peter: An Authentic and Transparent Leader

This chapter presents a study of authentic leadership through the framework of Shamir and Eilam’s (Leadersh Quart 16:395–417, 2005) intrapersonal perspective, Eagly’s (2005) interpersonal perspective, and Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson (J Manage, 34:89–126, 2008) developmental perspective. Specific attention is offered to the aspect of relational transparency within the developmental perspective of authentic leadership. Various accounts of the disciple Peter’s life are examined for illustration of an intrapersonal perspective of authentic leadership, an interpersonal perspective of authentic leadership, and a developmental perspective of authentic leadership. Additional exploration of the relational transparency aspects of the developmental perspective of authentic leadership is put forward to better appreciate how in the person of Peter, both appropriate and inappropriate examples of relational transparency exist. An appreciation and understanding of authentic and transparent leadership are gained from Peter’s example.
Simulation in Undergraduate Medical Education

Use of simulation in undergraduate EM education is prominent and multifaceted. It can be used to teach clinical and procedural skills as well as teamwork and communication. Simulation can be a tool for student assessment and an aid in maintaining compliance with Liaison Committee on Medication Education (LCME) standards. Design and maintenance of a simulation program requires significant departmental and institutional resources, the availability of which will differ between institutions. In addition to physical and personnel resources, simulation involves a significant time commitment for both students and teaching faculty. By considering how simulation best integrates with their program’s curricular objectives and assessment needs, and balancing this against resource requirements and availability, educators can tailor simulation programs that are effective and sustainable.