cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of temperature on two bio-insecticides for the control of confused flour beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Stored product pests account for as much as 10% of food loss worldwide. Insects such as the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), are major pests of small grain in storage bins and grain elevators in Montana. Cold winters and dry summers have traditionally helped reduce levels of T. confusum in storage bins. However, with change in winter temperatures, this pest has become harder to manage using physical measures such as desiccation. The alternative, the chemical insecticide aluminum phosphide, is effective at controlling T. confusum in grain stores but is highly toxic to mammals, and recently there has been development of resistance in grain pests. Newly approved biologically based insecticides can provide appreciable levels of control without the drawbacks of aluminum phosphide. In this study, we tested the short-term effectiveness of spinosad (extracts of Saccharopolyspora spinosa Mertz and Yao; Actinomycetales: Pseudonocardiaceae) and Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) (a fungus-based insecticide) for their effectiveness against T. confusum under various temperature regimes. Insects exposed to low temperature (8 °C) sustained high rates of mortality (about 80% for the control and both treatments). When held at 16 °C, mortality was low for both biologically based insecticide treatments and the control. At 22 °C, spinosad induced high mortality, whereas at 25 °C, B. bassiana induced mortality. Overall, our results indicate that temperature affected the effectiveness of these biologically based insecticides against the confused flour beetle and may be important when considering implementation of control programs in grain stores.
Ultramicro GC Determination of Amino Acids Using Glass Open Tubular Columns and a Nitrogen-Selective Detector

A glass open tubular (capillary) column together with a nitrogen-selective detector were evaluated for the analysis of amino acids by gas chromatography. Test samples included normal and abnormal human sera and urine and several hydrolysates of pure proteins. Amino acids in the biological samples were isolated by ion exchange pretreatment and derivatized to the n-propyl, N-acetyl derivatives. Protein hydrolysates were derivatized without pretreatment. Compared with a flame ionization detector, the nitrogen-selective detector gave a sensitivity enhancement of 80x-180x for the amino acid derivatives, depending on the particular amino acid. Long-term stability of the detector was excellent. Reproducibility studies gave a long-term precision of about 6% for serum or urine samples while a precision of 5% was obtainable on a day-to-day basis when analyzing protein hydrolyzates. The experiments showed that amino acids at the picomole level could be reliably analyzed with the system. The open tubular column coated with a mixture of Carbowax 20M and Silar 5 CP and having a very thin liquid phase film gave greatly improved thermal stability compared with a previously used packed column.
Quantum Collapse and the Emergence of Actuality from Potentiality

Orthodox quantum mechanics is built upon psychophysical collapse events that are the close analogs, within contemporary physical theory, of the the Whiteheadian actual occasions, with their mental and physical poles. This article describes the way in which these events enter into quantum theory, and mediate the emergence of actuality from potentiality.
Advertising–selling interactions: An attribution theory experiment.

Two common assumptions about advertising-selling interactions are challenged by a field experiment. The generality of “advertising paves the way for selling” is questioned by results showing sellin...
Effects of Mongolian medicine Sujid-11 on testis functions of ageing accelerating model mice

Objective To observe the effects of Mongolian medicine Sujid-11 on testis functions of ageing accelerating model mice.Methods Mice(1 month age) were divided into five groups: ageing-accelerating model and young control group,while control group was gavage instilled normal saline.Sujid-11 groups were instilled 0.2,0.1 g·kg-1·d-1 for 42 days respectively.The superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels in testis were measured.ELISA was used to detect the testosterone content in plasma and changes of PCNA were observed by optical microscope.Results The testosterone content in plasma and the SOD activity in testis of aging mice were decreased significantly compared with normal mice(P0.05).Sujid-11 could reduce the level of MDA and inhibit the decreasing of testosterone content in plasma and SOD activity in testis significantly(P0.05).Conclusions Mongolian medicine Sujid-11 can improve the testis functions of aging mice significantly and has anti-aging effects.
Analysis of occupational hazards among populations under occupational health surveillance in Zhuhai in 2010-2012

Objective To understand the proportions of occupational hazards among the people who were under occupational health surveillance in Zhuhai City. Methods According to the technical specifications for national occupational health surveillance,the data of populations under occupational health surveillance in Zhuhai City during 2010-2012were collected,and the main occupational hazards were analyzed. Results A total of 131,955workers were under occupational health surveillance in Zhuhai City during 2010-2012,of which the numbers of workers exposed to chemical,physical,dust and other occupational factors were 56,238(42.6%),50,521(38.3%),24,179(18.3%)and 1,017(0.8%), respectively.And noise was the major physical occupational hazard,accounting for 82.1%(46,171/56,238).Totally 3, 892workers with occupational contraindications were identified during the three-year period,of which the proportions of workers exposed to physical,chemical,dust and other occupational factors were 71.7%(2,791/3,892),26.7%(1,041/3, 892),1.2%(47/3,892)and 0.3%(13/3,892),respectively.Most of occupational contraindications had resulted from contacting with physical hazards,and noise hazard was the major physical occupational contraindication,accounting for 95.8%(2,675/2,791).Altogether 37workers with suspected occupational diseases were identified during the three-year period, and the top three diseases were suspected occupational diseases caused by chemical exposure,suspected pneumoconiosis and suspected occupational noise deafness,with the proportions of 78.4%(29/37),16.2%(6/37)and 5.4%(2/37)respectively.Suspected occupational toxic hepatopathy was the major chemical-induced occupational disease,accounting for 58.6%(17/29). Conclusions The main occupational hazard factors among populations under occupational health surveillance in Zhuhai City are physical,chemical and dust factors,moreover,occupational contraindications and suspected occupational diseases caused by the above-mentioned factors are found among these populations.It is necessary to enhance the occupational health surveillance on noise,suspected occupational toxic hepatopathy and suspected pneumoconiosis in Zhuhai City.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CaB_6 BY MOLTEN SALT ELECTROLYSIS

CaB_6 powder was synthesized by molten salt electrolysis method,and the effects of synthesis temperature,electrolysis voltage and time on the phase composition,particle size and shape of cathode products were analyzed by XRD and SEM.The experimental results show that the best synthesis conditions of CaB_6 powder in CaCl_2 molten salt system are:environment of argon,voltage of 3.0 V,temperature of 900℃for 30 h,under which the range of CaB_6 crystal size is 2—8μm and the morphology of particles is cuboid massive shape.Using cyclic voltammetry in cathode process,it is proved that the electrolysis process is controlled by the diffusion rate of borate to the cathode.
Structural and Material Perturbations of Lipid Bilayers Due to HIV-1 Tat Peptide

This chapter reports the effect on lipid bilayers of Tat, the transactivator of transcription, which is an important protein for HIV-1 infection. Synergistic use of low-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) and atomistic molecular dynamic simulations (MD) revealed Tat peptides binding to lipid headgroups. This binding induced the local lipid phosphate groups to move closer to the center of the bilayer. The position of the positively charged guanidinium components of the arginines was also indicated. A single lipid component sample and samples consisting of mixtures of different lipids were studied. Generally, the Tat peptide decreased the bilayer bending modulus and increased the area/lipid. Although a mechanism for translation remains obscure, this study suggests that the peptide/lipid interaction makes the Tat peptide poised to translocate from the headgroup region.
Lateral Eddy Mixing in the Subtropical Salinity Maxima of the Global Ocean

AbstractA suite of observationally driven model experiments is used to investigate the contribution of near-surface lateral eddy mixing to the subtropical surface salinity maxima in the global ocean. Surface fields of salinity are treated as a passive tracer and stirred by surface velocities derived from altimetry, leading to irreversible water-mass transformation. In the absence of surface forcing and vertical processes, the transformation rate can be directly related to the integrated diffusion across tracer contours, which is determined by the observed velocities. The destruction rates of the salinity maxima by lateral mixing can be compared to the production rates by surface forcing, which act to strengthen the maxima. The ratio of destruction by eddy mixing in the surface layer versus the surface forcing exhibits regional differences in the mean—from 10% in the South Pacific to up to 25% in the south Indian. Furthermore, the regional basins show seasonal and interannual variability in eddy mixing. Th...
Brief Report: Active Ingredients for Adherence to a Tracker-Based Physical Activity Intervention in Older Adults:

Objectives: To identify factors associated with weekly adherence to a 12-week tracker-based activity intervention in older adults. Method: Using generalized linear mixed models in a secondary analy...
Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase I-driven Production of IL-18 and IL-1β Protects from Severe Intestinal Inflammation and Mortality during Experimental Colitis

Altered endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) function has been linked to many pathological conditions that are characterized by chronic inflammation such as Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), however, a role for ERAP1 in colitis has not been described. Notably, AS patients are known to develop colitis. However, the exact molecular mechanism that predisposes AS patients to intestinal inflammation has not been defined. We previously demonstrated that ERAP1 deficiency alters innate immune responses during pathogen recognition. In addition, we also demonstrated that autoimmune disease-linked variants of ERAP1 activate the NLRP3/caspase-1 inflammasome pathway. Previous reports showed that mice deficient for NLRP3 inflammasome components are highly susceptible to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Here, we hypothesized that ERAP1 may modulate the susceptibility of animals to DSS challenge, due to ERAP1’s impact on innate immune responses. We show that mice deficient for ERAP1 (ERAP1−/−) were highly susceptible to DSS-induced colitis as compared to WT mice. This process was associated with decreased IL-1β and IL-18 production in ERAP1−/− mice, resulting in increased mortality rates and severe intestinal inflammation. Assessment of the intestinal inflammation marker, Lcn-2 revealed potent increases in Lcn-2 in DSS-treated ERAP1−/− mice as compared to WT controls. Furthermore, utilization of ERAP1/β2m double-knockout mice revealed that these responses are mediated by a mechanism that was independent of antigen presentation by ERAP1. These results demonstrate that ERAP1 mediates a protective function during colitis, a function that we correlated with its ability to allow production of IL-18 and IL-1β.
Detecting a History of Incest: A Predictive Syndrome:

The author describes thought content and perceptual symptoms shared by women survivors of childhood incest. The syndrome, if confirmed, may make it possible to detect such incest, through the expan...
Impact of multidisciplinary chart reviews on opioid dose reduction and monitoring practices.

Abstract Introduction The Veterans Affairs (VA) Eastern Colorado Health Care System implemented an Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI); this included multidisciplinary chart reviews of patients with chronic, non-malignant pain on high-dose opioid therapy to provide safety recommendations to prescribers through the electronic medical record. Our study objective was to evaluate the impact of these documented recommendations. Outcomes included change in total daily opioid dose, concurrent prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, adherence to local VA/Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) policy, and monitoring practices. Methods This retrospective chart review of patients prescribed ≥200 mg of morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) collected data from OSI chart reviews conducted between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015. Outcomes were assessed during the 12 months following initial review. Primary outcomes included: opioid dose reduction, discontinuation of concurrent benzodiazepines, and adherence to VA/VISN policy, including documentation of signed informed Consent for Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Pain, biannual urine drug screens (UDS), and follow-up every six months with primary opioid prescriber. Results Of 147 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 50 patients (34%) reduced opioid dose with the baseline median MEDD decreasing from 315 mg to 278 mg. Of the 48 patients prescribed benzodiazepines and opioids, 10 patients discontinued benzodiazepines (21%). Completion of informed consents increased from 31% to 48%, biannual UDS increased from 44% to 61%, and follow-up with opioid prescriber was unchanged. Conclusion After completion of OSI chart reviews, reduction in opioid dose and concurrent prescribing of benzodiazepines was observed. VA/VISN policy and monitoring adherence also showed improvement.
The RSI and the Italian Catholic World

Controversy still swirls around Pope Pius XII’s general silence regarding the Holocaust. Given the Vatican’s ambiguity, the Catholic clergy divided between obedience to the Salo government and support of the partisans. The Church supported the regime against atheistic Communism, the all-important Cardinal Schuster of Milan was hardly a fan of the worst features of Fascism, and the anti-Semite Diego Don Calcagno, editor of the journal Crociata Italica (Italic Crusade), exercised a baleful influence throughout the RSI.
Sodium rubidium disaccharinate tetra­hydrate

1,2-Benzo­thia­zol-3(2H)-one 1,1 dioxide (more commonly known under its commercial name saccharin) forms a double salt with sodium and rubidium, Na+·Rb+·2C7H4NO3S−·4H2O. The coordination numbers of the sodium and rubidium ions are 6 and 8, respectively; the coordination polyhedra can be described as distorted triangular and rectangular prisms. Both Rb+ and Na+ cations and flat saccharinate moieties are positioned at mirror planes parallel to the (010) crystallographic plane. Metal ions and saccharinate anions are assembled into infinite layers parallel to the (001) plane via electrostatic inter­actions and hydrogen-bonded networks. These layers are connected by stacking inter­actions and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional structure.
Illicit drug use and risky sexual behavior among African American and Puerto Rican urban adolescents: The longitudinal links

The authors assessed whether (a) early illicit drug use predicted later risky sexual activity, (b) early risky sex predicted later illicit drug use, and (c) common factors affected both risky sexual behavior and illicit drug use. African American and Puerto Rican youth completed questionnaires in their classrooms at Time 1 (T1) and face-to-face interviews with the authors in their homes 5 years later at Time 2 (T2). Logistic regression analyses showed the association between T1 illicit drug use and T2 risky sexual activity and between T1 risky sexual behavior and T2 illicit drug use. With few exceptions, T1 illicit drug use was associated with all of the T2 risky sexual behaviors. After controlling for demographic factors, the authors found that multiple sex partners at T1 was not related to illicit drug use at T2. Condom use at T1 was related to illicit drug use at T2, whereas sexually transmitted diseases and adolescent pregnancy were not related to this drug use. The findings indicated that assessments of and treatments for substance use should focus on the risky sexual behaviors that seem to accompany illicit drug use.
Nucleation and Growth of Films

This chapter is designed to study the principles governing the structure, development, and evolution of polycrystalline thin films during processing. These have to be supplemented by material-specific concerns to completely control the performance and reliability of individual films. To obtain films with a prescribed structure and composition to exhibit the desired properties, a whole number of parameters is required to be controlled. High-temperature superconducting and piezoelectric films, compounds with low-saturated vapor density, such as GaN, TiN, films containing quantum wires and dots put a premium on understanding the variety of physical phenomenon that take place during thin film growth. Technological advances in device miniaturization depend largely on the degree to which one can control the growth process, the epitaxial quality of the film, and the morphology of the surface. It is mandatory to understand the microscopic processes occurring during film growth and relate it to the eventual structure of the film.
Discussion of Bickel and Rosenblatt’s work on Global Measures of Deviations for Density Estimates

The paper [1] of Murray Rosenblatt’s, which I coauthored, seems to have had a reasonably long shelf life. I believe Murray enjoyed working on this paper—I certainly did! The question posed by Murray was that of obtaining asymptotic approximations to the distribution of the maximum deviation of a kernel density estimate f n of an unknown density f based on a sample X 1 ,…,X n .
Structural signatures of the class III lasso peptide BI-32169 and the branched-cyclic topoisomers using trapped ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry

Lasso peptides are a class of bioactive ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) characterized by a mechanically interlocked topology, where the C-terminal tail of the peptide is threaded and trapped within an N-terminal macrolactam ring. BI-32169 is a class III lasso peptide containing one disulfide bond that further stabilizes the lasso structure. In contrast to its branched-cyclic analog, BI-32169 has higher stability and is known to exert a potent inhibitory activity against the human glucagon receptor. In the present work, tandem mass spectrometry, using collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron capture dissociation (ECD), and trapped ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) experiments were carried out to evidence specific structural signatures of the two topologies. CID experiments showed similar fragmentation patterns for the two topoisomers, where a part of the C-terminal tail remains covalently linked to the macrolactam ring by the disulfide bond, which cannot clearly constitute a signature of the lasso topology. ECD experiments of BI-32169 showed an increase of hydrogen migration events in the loop region when compared with those of its branched-cyclic topoisomer evidencing specific structural signatures for the lasso topology. The high mobility resolving power of TIMS resulted in the identification of multiple conformations for the protonated species but did not allow the clear differentiation of the two topologies in mixture. When in complex with cesium metal ions, a reduced number of conformations led to a clear identification of the two structures. Experiments reducing and alkylating the disulfide bond of BI-32169 showed that the lasso structure is preserved and heat stable and the associated conformational changes provide new insights about the role of the disulfide bond in the inhibitory activity against the human glucagon receptor. Graphical abstract ᅟ.
Connaught Tunnel, UK: condition and repairs

The aims of this paper are to record how the Connaught Tunnel was surveyed, assessed and repaired by Crossrail for use for the new Elizabeth line in London, UK. The challenges and changes involved ...
Post-stroke deficits in the step-by-step control of paretic step width

Abstract Background Humans partially maintain gait stability by actively controlling step width based on the dynamic state of the pelvis – hereby defined as the “dynamics-dependent control of step width”. Following a stroke, deficits in the accurate control of paretic leg motion may prevent use of this stabilization strategy. Research Question Do chronic stroke survivors exhibit paretic-side deficits in the dynamics-dependent control of step width? Methods Twenty chronic stroke survivors participated in this cross-sectional study, walking on a treadmill at their self-selected (0.57 ± 0.25 m/s; mean ± s.d.) and fastest-comfortable (0.81 ± 0.30 m/s) speeds. To quantify the dynamics-dependent control of step width, we calculated the proportion of the step-by-step variance in step width that could be predicted from mediolateral pelvis dynamics, and used partial correlations to differentiate the relative effects of pelvis displacement and velocity. Secondarily, we calculated the mean and standard deviation of more traditional gait metrics: step width; lateral foot placement; and mediolateral margin of stability (MoS). We used repeated measures ANOVA to test for significant effects of leg (paretic vs. non-paretic) and speed (self-selected vs. fastest-comfortable) on these measures. Results Relative to non-paretic steps, paretic steps exhibited a weaker (p ≤ 0.005) link between step width and pelvis dynamics, attributable to a decreased partial correlation between step width and pelvis displacement (p ≤ 0.001). Paretic steps were also placed more laterally (p Significance Pelvis displacement was less tightly linked to step width for paretic steps than for non-paretic steps, indicating a decrease in the step-by-step reactive control normally used to ensure mediolateral stability. Instead, stroke survivors placed their paretic leg farther laterally to ensure a larger MoS, behavior consistent with a greater reliance on a generalized feed-forward gait stabilization strategy.
Injury Prevention Considerations in Adolescent Overhead-Throwing Athletes

The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize concepts to consider when implementing ways to prevent injuries in adolescent overhead-throwing athletes. The goal of this review is to provide an updated and novel overview for the practitioner who cares for this specific patient population. This manuscript will review all factors related to the prevention of overhead-throwing injury risk in adolescents. The latest studies as well as well-cited literature are cited to provide up-to-date and accurate data backing up our conclusions. There are many overhead-throwing injuries in adolescent athletes. This manuscript will educate practitioners by discussing a multimodal approach to injury prevention through discussion of risk factors, recognition of the importance of the kinetic chain, use of patient-centered outcome tools to detect risk for injury, appropriate volume and workload throwing recommendations, a review of appropriate pitching biomechanics, and designing age-specific strength and conditioning programs.
The Incidence of Neuropathy Following Upper Extremity Nerve Blocks

This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of neuropathy following upper extremity nerve blocks when these blocks were administered by a group of private-practicing and experienced anesthesiologists. The block history of 854 consecutive patients was recorded and an overall incidence of post-block neuropathy of 0.36% was found, (i.e., three patients out of 854). The numbers were felt to be too small to draw a valid conclusion as to etiology. We concluded that the incidence of post-block neuritis is relatively low and the severity of the neuropathy is not great. Studies purporting to demonstrate significant differences in incidence of neuropathy related to technique or drugs must be based on very large populations. No such studies are currently in the literature.
Infusing Computing: Analyzing Teacher Programming Products in K-12 Computational Thinking Professional Development

In summer 2018, we conducted two week-long professional development workshops for 116 middle and high school teachers interested in infusing computational thinking (CT) into their classrooms. Teachers learned to program in Snap!, connect CT to their disciplines, and create infused CT learning segments for their classes. This paper investigates the extent to which teachers were able to successfully infuse CT skills of pattern recognition, abstraction, decomposition, and algorithms into their learning products.In this work, we analyzed 58 teacher-designed programming products to look for common characteristics, such as project type, intended coding requirements for their students, and code features/functionality. Teacher-created products were classified into five types: animation, interactive story, quiz, intended game, and simulation/exploration tools. Coding requirements varied from using and/or explaining provided code, modifying existing code, programming with starter code, to building entire programs. Products were classified according to the extent to which they involved sprite manipulation, questions/answers, event handling, drawing, and control blocks. We found that teachers from different disciplines created products that vary in type, coding requirements, and features to suit their specific needs. Moreover, we found relationships between discipline, project type, and the required coding teachers expected students to do.Our results inform future Infusing Computing Professional Development (PD) to provide more targeted training to support different teacher needs.
Soil Warming Accelerates Biogeochemical Silica Cycling in a Temperate Forest

Biological cycling of silica plays an important role in terrestrial primary production. Soil warming stemming from climate change can alter the cycling of elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, in forested ecosystems. However, the effects of soil warming on the biogeochemical cycle of silica in forested ecosystems remain unexplored. Here we examine long-term forest silica cycling under ambient and warmed conditions over a 15-year period of experimental soil warming at Harvard Forest (Petersham, MA). Specifically, we measured silica concentrations in organic and mineral soils, and in the foliage and litter of two dominant species (Acer rubrum and Quercus rubra), in a large (30 × 30 m) heated plot and an adjacent control plot (30 × 30 m). In 2016, we also examined effects of heating on dissolved silica in the soil solution, and conducted a litter decomposition experiment using four tree species (Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, Betula lenta, Tsuga canadensis) to examine effects of warming on the release of biogenic silica (BSi) from plants to soils. We find that tree foliage maintained constant silica concentrations in the control and warmed plots, which, coupled with productivity enhancements under warming, led to an increase in total plant silica uptake. We also find that warming drove an acceleration in the release of silica from decaying litter in three of the four species we examined, and a substantial increase in the silica dissolved in soil solution. However, we observe no changes in soil BSi stocks with warming. Together, our data indicate that warming increases the magnitude of silica uptake by vegetation and accelerates the internal cycling of silica in in temperate forests, with possible, and yet unresolved, effects on the delivery of silica from terrestrial to marine systems.
Cloud and Weather Symbols in the Historic Language of Weather Map Plotters

AbstractWeather mapping began in the nineteenth century when telegraphs began sending simultaneous observations of conditions at the surface of Earth to weather stations around the world. Indicatin...
Homeless Advocacy and the Rhetorical Construction of the Civic Home

The solution to homelessness is housing, according to most contemporary homeless advocates. And most people experiencing homelessness, when asked, will reply that what they want and need is housing...
Depot-specific adipocyte-extracellular matrix metabolic crosstalk in murine obesity

Subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissues have distinct metabolic phenotypes. We hypothesized that the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates depot-specific differences in adipocyte metabolic function in murine obesity. VAT and SAT preadipocytes from lean or obese mice were subject to adipogenic differentiation in standard 2D culture on plastic tissue culture plates or in 3D culture in ECM, followed by metabolic profiling. Adipocytes from VAT relative to SAT manifested impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and decreased adipogenic capacity. In 3D-ECM-adipocyte culture, ECM regulated adipocyte metabolism in a depot-specific manner, with SAT ECM rescuing defects in glucose uptake and adipogenic gene expression in VAT adipocytes, while VAT ECM impaired adipogenic gene expression in SAT adipocytes. These findings demonstrate that ECM-adipocyte crosstalk regulates depot-specific differences in adipocyte metabolic dysfunction in murine obesity.
Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in an obstetrician-gynecologist and orthopedic surgeon.

Background Orthopedic and obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) surgeons have risks for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) during work in the operating room (OR). Risks for MSD have not been identified as a result of work outside the OR or during non-work tasks. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine risk factors for MSD in an orthopedic and OB/GYN surgeon. Methods A case study format and mixed method design were used to gather data by using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) to measure MSD risks in the OR; the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) to measure surgeons' upper extremity disability; observation of surgeon office hours; and semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data. Results Both surgeons had risks for MSD during occupational performance outside of work, with some risks similar to those experienced at work. Both surgeons had MSD risks during work inside and outside the OR. Both surgeons experienced MSD symptoms exacerbated by work and non-work tasks. Conclusions Identifying and reducing MSD risk should include a comprehensive analysis of occupational performance for orthopedic and OB/GYN surgeons.
Changes in arginase isoforms in a murine model of neonatal brain hypoxia-ischemia.

Author(s): Mike, Jana K; Pathipati, Praneeti; Sheldon, R Ann; Ferriero, Donna M | Abstract: BackgroundArginases (ARG isoforms, ARG-1/ARG-2) are key regulatory enzymes of inflammation and tissue repair; however, their role after neonatal brain hypoxia (H) and hypoxia-ischemia (HI) remains unknown.MethodsC57BL/6 mice subjected to the Vannucci procedure on postnatal day (P9) were sacrificed at different timepoints. The degree of brain damage was assessed histologically. ARG spatiotemporal localization was determined via immunohistochemistry. ARG expression was measured by Western blot and activity spectrophotometrically.ResultsARG isoform expression increased during neurodevelopment (P9-P17) in the cortex and hippocampus. This was suppressed with H and HI only in the hippocampus. In the cortex, both isoforms increased with H alone and only ARG-2 increased with HI at 3 days. ARG activity during neurodevelopment remained unchanged, but increased at 1 day with H and not HI. ARG-1 localized with microglia at the injury site as early as 4 h after injury, while ARG-2 localized with neurons.ConclusionsARG isoform expression increases with age from P9 to P17, but is suppressed by injury specifically in the hippocampus and not in the cortex. Both levels and activity of ARG isoforms increase with H, while ARG-1 immunolabelling is upregulated in the HI cortex. Evidently, ARG isoforms in the brain differ in spatiotemporal localization, expression, and activity during neurodevelopment and after injury.ImpactArginase isoforms change during neurodevelopment and after neonatal brain HI. This is the first study investigating the key enzymes of inflammation and tissue repair called arginases following murine neonatal brain HI. The highly region- and cell-specific expression suggests the possibility of specific functions of arginases. ARG-1 in microglia at the injury site may regulate neuroinflammation, while ARG-2 in neurons of developmental structures may impact neurodevelopment. While further studies are needed to describe the exact role of ARGs after neonatal brain HI, our study adds valuable data on anatomical localization and expression of ARGs in brain during development and after stroke.
Assessing the Role of Virtual Reality with Passive Haptics in Music Conductor Education: A Pilot Study

This paper presents a novel virtual reality system that offers immersive experiences for instrumental music conductor training. The system utilizes passive haptics that bring physical objects of interest, namely the baton and the music stand, within a virtual concert hall environment. Real-time object and finger tracking allow the users to behave naturally on a virtual stage without significant deviation from the typical performance routine of instrumental music conductors. The proposed system was tested in a pilot study (n = 13) that assessed the role of passive haptics in virtual reality by comparing our proposed “smart baton” with a traditional virtual reality controller. Our findings indicate that the use of passive haptics increases the perceived level of realism and that their virtual appearance affects the perception of their physical characteristics.
A sexual health course for advanced practice registered nurses: Effect on preparedness, comfort, and confidence in delivering comprehensive care.

Abstract Background Sexual healthcare is a critical component of well-being. Sexual health disparities persist nationally. Nurses and advanced practice nurses are well positioned to provide sexual healthcare to diverse patient populations. However, many nurses do not feel prepared to provide comprehensive care and sexual health curricula vary widely across schools of nursing. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a new sexual health course for graduate students in improving nurses' knowledge, preparedness, comfort, and confidence in delivering comprehensive, culturally informed sexual healthcare. Design A pre-post-intervention survey study design was utilized to assess course effectiveness. Setting Medium-sized, private university. Participants Graduate nursing students enrolled in the course (intervention group, n = 30) were recruited. Graduate students enrolled at the institution but not enrolled in the course served as controls (n = 64). Methods Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate pre- to post-course changes in knowledge, preparedness, comfort, and confidence in the intervention group and differences between the intervention and control group at baseline. Results At baseline, all participants (n = 94) exhibited high objective clinical sexual health knowledge. The intervention group had significantly increased overall preparedness, comfort, and confidence in providing sexual healthcare to diverse patient populations. In particular, participants in the intervention group had statistically significant increases associated with care for marginalized minority populations (sexual minorities, gender minorities, sex workers, and persons with a history of sexual trauma). Conclusions The graduate-level course on sexual health and sexual health disparities effectively increased perceived preparedness, comfort, and confidence in delivering comprehensive and culturally informed care to diverse populations. Nursing programs should evaluate their curricula to determine whether graduates are optimally prepared.
Autonomous Suturing Framework and Quantification Using a Cable-Driven Surgical Robot

Suturing is required in almost all surgeries but it is challenging to perform with surgical robots due to limited vision and/or haptic feedback. To tackle this problem, we present an autonomous suturing framework that encompasses a novel needle path planner, as well as an accurate needle pose estimator and a six degrees-of-freedom controller. A novel needle grasper is developed that enables needle pose estimation both inside and outside the tissue. The framework was evaluated experimentally using the Raven IV surgical system and important suture parameters were quantified. The experiment results confirmed a needle pose estimation accuracy of $ 0.87 mm in position and $ 3.46 $^\circ$ in orientation across all directions. Moreover, the results revealed that using the proposed framework enabled following the reference needle trajectories with errors of 2.07 mm in position and 4.29 $^\circ$ in orientation. These are drastic improvements of more than 10× in position and 5× in orientation compared to the Raven IV kinematic controller. Additionally, the results verified that our framework delivered the desired clinical suture parameters successfully across tissue phantom environments with different mechanical properties and under various needle trajectories. A supplementary video can be found at: http://bionics.seas.ucla.edu/research/surgeryproject18.htmlhttp://bionics.seas.ucla.edu/research/surgeryproject18
Non-covalent TMPRSS2 inhibitors identified from virtual screening

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted researchers to pivot their efforts to finding anti-viral compounds and vaccines. In this study, we focused on the human host cell transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), which plays an important role in the viral life cycle by cleaving the spike protein to initiate membrane fusion. TMPRSS2 is an attractive target and has received significant attention for the development of drugs against SARS and MERS. Starting with comparative structural modeling and binding model analysis, we developed an efficient pharmacophore-based approach and applied in a large-scale in silico database screening for small molecule inhibitors against TMPRSS2. A number of novel inhibitors were identified, providing starting points for further development of drug candidates for the treatment of COVID-19.
Mechanistic Insights into Co and Fe Quaterpyridine-Based CO2 Reduction Catalysts: Metal-Ligand Orbital Interaction as the Key Driving Force for Distinct Pathways.

Both [CoII(qpy)(H2O)2]2+ and [FeII(qpy)(H2O)2]2+ (with qpy = 2,2':6',2″:6'',2‴-quaterpyridine) are efficient homogeneous electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 to CO. The Co catalyst is more efficient in the electrochemical reduction, while the Fe catalyst is an excellent photoelectrocatalyst ( ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 3411-3417). This work uses density functional theory to shed light on the contrasting catalytic pathways. While both catalysts experience primarily ligand-based reductions, the second reduction in the Co catalyst is delocalized onto the metal via a metal-ligand bonding interaction, causing a spin transition and a distorted ligand framework. This orbital interaction explains the experimentally observed mild reduction potential and slow kinetics of the second reduction. The decreased hardness and doubly occupied dz2-orbital facilitate a σ-bond with the CO2-π* in an η1-κC binding mode. CO2 binding is only possible after two reductions resulting in an EEC mechanism (E = electron transfer, C = chemical reaction), and the second protonation is rate-limiting. In contrast, the Fe catalyst maintains a Lewis acidic metal center throughout the reduction process because the metal orbitals do not strongly mix with the qpy-π* orbitals. This allows binding of the activated CO2 in an η2-binding mode. This interaction stabilizes the activated CO2 via a π-type interaction of a Fe-t2g orbital and the CO2-π* and a dative bond of the oxygen lone pair. This facilitates CO2 binding to a singly reduced catalyst resulting in an ECE mechanism. The barrier for CO2 addition and the second protonation are higher than those for the Co catalyst and rate-limiting.
Developing Leadership as a Federal Service Academy Peer Tutor

Federal service academy students participated in this transcendental phenomenological study regarding their experiences as peer tutors at military federal service academies. Outcomes from this arti...
Mistreating birth-death models as priors in phylogenetic analysis compromises our ability to compare models

Time-calibrated phylogenetic trees are fundamental to a wide range of evolutionary studies. Typically, these trees are inferred in a Bayesian framework, with the phylogeny itself treated as a parameter with a prior distribution (a "tree prior"). This prior distribution is often a variant of the stochastic birth-death process, which models speciation events, extinction events, and sampling events (of extinct and/or extant lineages). However, the samples produced by this process are observations, so their probability should be viewed as a likelihood rather than a prior probability. We show that treating the samples as part of the prior results in incorrect marginal likelihood estimates and can result in model-comparison approaches disfavoring the best model within a set of candidate models. The ability to correctly compare the fit of competing tree models is critical to accurate phylogenetic estimates, especially of divergence times, and also to studying the processes that govern lineage diversification. We outline potential remedies, and provide guidance for researchers interested in comparing the fit of competing tree models.
Correlation of Auscultatory Severity of Aortic Stenosis with Trans Thoracic Echocardiography (CASSETTE): Pilot study for tele-stethoscopy in rural or global health applications

Objectives: This pilot study seeks to evaluate the utility of an electronic stethoscope in assessing the severity of isolated aortic stenosis. Methods: Echocardiograms for 653 patients with aortic stenosis were screened. 50 patients with isolated aortic stenosis were enrolled in the study. Patients were excluded for more than mild non-aortic valvular disease. Participants received an updated echocardiogram and cardiac recordings in the supine position were performed at four standard sites utilizing the Littmann 3200 electronic stethoscope. Recordings were analyzed using the Zargis Cardioscan® Software and the correlation of the aortic valve mean gradient by echocardiography to the time of peak systolic murmur (ASAI) averaged over the auscultative points was obtained. Results: 36 enrolled subjects met the criteria for study inclusion. The ASAI was averaged across each site and compared to the mean aortic gradient. A receiver operator characteristic curve was calculated for an ASAI value, which reliably predicted a mean pressure gradient of >30mmHg. An ASAI of 33 gave a sensitivity of 1.0 and a specificity of 0.72 with a corresponding negative predictive value of 100% and a positive predictive value of 47%. Conclusion: In patients with greater than mild aortic stenosis without other significant valve disease, the Littmann 3200 stethoscope and Cardioscan software package provides an easy to use screening tool for aortic valve stenosis severity. With continued validation, electronic stethoscope monitoring would provide cheap, reliable and instantaneous surveillance for aortic stenosis in remote areas with constrained medical assets or for patients without access to care.
Flexible Principal Component Analysis for Exponential Family Distributions

Traditional principal component analysis (PCA) is well known in high-dimensional data analysis, but it requires to express data by a matrix with observations to be continuous. To overcome the limitations, a new method called flexible PCA (FPCA) for exponential family distributions is proposed. The goal is to ensure that it can be implemented to arbitrary shaped region for either count or continuous observations. The methodology of FPCA is developed under the framework of generalized linear models. It provides statistical models for FPCA not limited to matrix expressions of the data. A maximum likelihood approach is proposed to derive the decomposition when the number of principal components (PCs) is known. This naturally induces a penalized likelihood approach to determine the number of PCs when it is unknown. By modifying it for missing data problems, the proposed method is compared with previous PCA methods for missing data. The simulation study shows that the performance of FPCA is always better than its competitors. The application uses the proposed method to reduce the dimensionality of arbitrary shaped sub-regions of images and the global spread patterns of COVID-19 under normal and Poisson distributions, respectively.
Rousseau’s Critique of Locke’s Education for Liberty

Locke and Rousseau both address the question of how best to educate children, who love both freedom and power, to be free adults who submit only to reason. Contrary to the common view that Rousseau’s disagreement with Locke stems from Rousseau’s radical understanding of freedom, I argue that the disagreement stems from Rousseau’s view, for which he argues convincingly, that Lockean education cannot secure even Lockean freedom. This reconception of Rousseau’s disagreement with Locke makes Rousseau difficult to dismiss and leaves us at an impasse with respect to the question of how to educate for liberty.
The Evolution of Autonomic Space as a Method of Mental Workload Assessment for Driving

Because heart rate lacks diagnosticity, an autonomic space approach for the assessment of mental workload has been proposed. In addition to increasing the capability to identify differences between tasks, the autonomic space approach can be used to make better inferences about the psychological processes involved. In this paper, the approach and its application to a simulated driving task are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research and its development.
Luteinizing hormone as a key player in the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease

This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Alzheimer's disease is one of the most prevalent and costly neurological diseases in the world. Although decades of research have focused on understanding Alzheimer's disease pathology and progression, there is still a great lack of clinical treatments for those who suffer from it. One of the factors most commonly associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease is a decrease in levels of gonadal hormones, such as estrogens and androgens. Despite the correlational and experimental data which support the role of these hormones in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease, clinical trials involving their reintroduction through hormone therapy have had varied results and these gonadal hormones often have accompanying health risks. More recently, investigation has turned toward other hormones in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that are disrupted by age-related decreases in gonadal hormones. Specifically, luteinizing hormone, which is increased with age in both men and women (in response to removal of negative feedback), has surfaced as a potentially powerful player in the risk and onset of Alzheimer's disease. Mounting evidence in basic research and epidemiological studies supports the role of elevated luteinizing hormone in exacerbating age-related cognitive decline in both males and females. This review summarizes the recent developments involving luteinizing hormone in increasing the cognitive deficits and molecular pathology characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.