cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of SNP/haplotype map in gene discovery and drug development: An overview

Recent advances in genomics provide an opportunity to understand a detailed history of human genes and common diseases, and to predict the effectiveness and safety of medications for each individual. In order to accomplish this goal, it is thought that a high-density map of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the human genome is needed. By comparing SNP patterns in various patients and control populations, it may be possible to identify unique variants that predispose to disease and predict the effectiveness of drug therapy. But it will take a considerable amount of time and effort to develop new medicines. Additionally, diagnostic application of variants in clinics requires an understanding of their functional significance and appropriate clinical studies. Moreover, it is important that this rapidly developing genome information be incorporated in the continuing education of medical professionals so that the results of basic research can be translated to the welfare of patients. Drug Dev. Res. 62:143–150, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Security issues in mobile communications

Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of mobile computing environments. One of the major concerns in such environments is security, specially in the context of wireless communications. We describe some of the important issues which need to be addressed in designing a security scheme for mobile communications. These include autonomy of communicating entities, mobility of the users, limitations of the hardware, etc. We describe a scheme which addresses the above issues, and provides a correct and efficient mechanism to establish secure communications. Our scheme provides authentication of the communicating entities, location privacy, and secure messaging. >
On building the minimum number of tunnels: an ordered-split approach to manage IPSec/VPN policies

Most of the current work in policy management for IPSec/VPN focuses on how to configure a single IPSec box or a pair of IPSec boxes. However, it has been shown (Fu et al. (2001)) that the local correctness of IPSec policies in every box individually does not necessarily guarantee global correctness. Therefore, it is critical to have a systematic way to analyze the security requirements globally and to generate, automatically and correctly, a set of IPSec policies to ensure the security for all the end-to-end connections. Previously (Fu et al. (2001)), two different algorithms (i.e. bundle and direct) were introduced to solve the policy generation problem in an "offline" fashion. While these two algorithms are efficient in producing globally correct policy rules, the number of output policy rules (i.e., the results themselves) is much greater than necessary. In other words, while the existing approaches can produce a solution quickly, the quality of the solution is far from optimal. In practice, this is undesirable for several reasons. For instance, "more IPSec policy rules" implies "more complicated virtual network topology". Therefore, in this paper, we focus on "how to produce a minimum set of IPSec/VPN tunnels". We formulate this problem as a special type of task-scheduling problem and develop a new method, the ordered-split approach, to produce a provably minimum set of globally correct policy rules. We have also compared the new approach with existing methods in simulation, and our results clearly demonstrate that the ordered-split approach performs significantly better.
Performance of binary antipodal signaling over indoor UWB MIMO channel

We generalize a suitable, known indoor UWB SISO channel model to obtain a new discrete-time model for the indoor UWB MIMO radio channel. The properties and potential benefits arising from the channels specific correlation features benefits arising form the channels specific correlation features are investigated by means of simulations. We chow that the indoor UWB channel can offer much lower ISI than would be expected for a given rms delay spread, and confirm that systems operating on this channel require a small-scale fading margin of only a few dB. It is further demonstrated that an uncoded MIMO communication scheme applied to the UWB channel can offer superior SVEP performance compared to its use on the i.i.d. Rayleigh flat fading channel. Moreover, it was found that such an UWB scheme can offer very low SVEP with several transmitting and only a single receiving antenna (MISO), in contrast to a similar narrowband system.
Simultaneous binding of basic peptides at intracellular sites on a large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel. Equilibrium and kinetic basis of negatively coupled ligand interactions

The homologous Kunitz inhibitor proteins, bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and dendrotoxin I (DTX-I), interact with large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (maxi-KCa) by binding to an intracellular site outside of the pore to produce discrete substate events. In contrast, certain homologues of the Shaker ball peptide produce discrete blocking events by binding within the ion conduction pathway. In this study, we investigated ligand interactions of these positively charged peptide molecules by analysis of single maxi-KCa channels in planar bilayers recorded in the presence of DTX-I and BPTI, or DTX-I and a high-affinity homologue of ball peptide. Both DTX-I (Kd, 16.5 nM) and BPTI (Kd, 1,490 nM) exhibit one-site binding kinetics when studied alone; however, records in the presence of DTX-I plus BPTI demonstrate simultaneous binding of these two molecules. The affinity of BPTI (net charge, +6) decreases by 11.7-fold (Kd, 17,500 nM) when DTX-I (net charge, +10) is bound and, conversely, the affinity of DTX-I decreases by 10.8-fold (Kd, 178 nM) when BPTI is bound. The ball peptide homologue (BP; net charge, +6) exhibits high blocking affinity (Kd, 7.2 nM) at a single site when studied alone, but has 8.0-fold lower affinity (Kd, 57 nM) for blocking the DTX-occupied channel. The affinity of DTX-I likewise decreases by 8.4-fold (Kd, 139 nM) when BP is bound. These results identify two types of negatively coupled ligand–ligand interactions at distinct sites on the intracellular surface of maxi-KCa channels. Such antagonistic ligand interactions explain how the binding of BPTI or DTX-I to four potentially available sites on a tetrameric channel protein can exhibit apparent one-site kinetics. We hypothesize that negatively coupled binding equilibria and asymmetric changes in transition state energies for the interaction between DTX-I and BP originate from repulsive electrostatic interactions between positively charged peptide ligands on the channel surface. In contrast, there is no detectable binding interaction between DTX-I on the inside and tetraethylammonium or charybdotoxin on the outside of the maxi-KCa channel.
Terrain-based road vehicle localisation using particle filters

This work develops a particle filter algorithm to localise a vehicle in the direction of travel without the use of GPS. The inputs to the algorithm include a terrain map of road grade, pitch measurements from an in-vehicle pitch sensor, and wheel odometry. Simulations and experiments at The Thomas D. Larson Transportation Institute test track are used to demonstrate the algorithm, observe the speed of convergence, and to determine key parameters for practical implementation. The results indicate that the method can quickly localise a vehicle with 1 m accuracy or better. Experiments over 5 km along Highway 322 in State College, Pennsylvania, were also used to demonstrate the algorithm.
Periodic sequences with optimal properties for channel estimation and fast start-up equalization

The problems of fast channel estimation and fast start-up equalization in synchronous digital communication systems are considered from the viewpoint of the optimization of the training sequence to be transmitted. Various types of periodic sequences having uniform discrete power spectra are studied. Some of them are new and may be generated with data sets commonly used in phase modulation systems. As a consequence of their power spectra being flat, these sequences ensure maximum protection against noise when initial equalizer settings are computed via channel estimates and noniterative techniques.
Challenges of Qualitative Inquiry and the Need for Follow-Up in Descriptive Science

The present article explores problems of descriptive reporting, relativism, and the lack of systematic follow-up of qualitative research. Such issues are discussed in relation to components of phenomenologically based research reports, with emphasis on the articulation of the research approach, and steps to facilitate validation. The value of a descriptive science derived from phenomenological principles is discussed as forming a common ground for initial qualitative inquiry, while providing a critically reflective base upon which rational consensus can be developed. I suggest that the values of follow-up, tentativeness, and humility in research reporting, and a rational framework of critical validation, constitute a common core of science. In addition, phenomenological tenets are discussed as providing a corrective to the uncritical search for absolutes, or the "anything counts" conception of relativistic movements.
Improved methods for the halogenation of the [HCB11H11]− anion

Expedient and economical methods for the synthesis of undecahalogenated carborane anions have been developed.
The role of pelvic exenteration in the management of recurrent rectal cancer.

Abstract Background Use of extirpative surgery in the setting of recurrent rectal cancer is controversial given the poor overall outcome of such patients and the morbidity associated with exenteration. Methods A retrospective review of patients treated for recurrent rectal cancer from 1990 to 2002 was performed. Results Twenty-two patients underwent pelvic exenteration. Seventeen underwent potentially curative resection, 5 were for palliation only. There was 1 operative death. Fifteen suffered at least 1 complication; 9 suffered multiple complications. Ten patients required readmission to the hospital. The overall disease-free interval was 11 months. Potentially curative and palliative resections resulted in median survivals of 20.4 and 8.4 months, respectively ( P = 0.049). Conclusions While patients may derive oncologic and palliative benefits from exenteration, the price in terms of operative morbidity remains high. Newer measures of operative morbidity are necessary to better appraise the value of this radical approach to recurrent rectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer screening, 1997-1999: role of income, insurance and policy.

Background. Receipt of age-appropriate cancer screens can lead to reduced incidence and mortality. Yet, low-income and uninsured experience barriers to screening. This paper examines colorectal cancer rates by income, racial and insured groups 1997 and 1999. These years focus on changes pre/post a 1998 policy change for Medicare beneficiaries that reduced their out-of-pocket costs for colorectal screening. Methods. The 1997 and 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey is used to examine changes in age-appropriate fecal-occult blood testing (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy screens. Differences in the odds that Medicare beneficiaries, relative to private insured, receive screens pre/post 1998 are examined using multivariate logit models. Results. Average rates of sigmoidoscopy increased significantly during 1997–1999 but remain below desired levels. While Medicare beneficiaries are more likely than privately insured to be screened, gaps between low- versus high-income groups in both Medicare and non-Medicare populations remain. The 1998 Medicare policy change was associated with a significant increase in the odds of screening among low-income (<$25,000) Medicare beneficiaries. Conclusions. Policy makers should consider reasons for continued low colorectal screening rates among all insured groups. Barriers such as patient perceptions and physician advice should be considered along with the vulnerability that low income and lack of insurance imposes.
Florence Nightingale Centennial: Commemorative Global Service Celebrating Nursing, Washington National Cathedral, 4 p.m., April 25, 2010

The 2010 International Year of the Nurse (IYNurse) is a collaborative, grassroots, global initiative honoring nurses’ voices, values, and wisdom. The year 2010 is the centennial year of the death of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (1820e1910). To celebrate this historic milestone, the 2010 IYNurse was established to actively involve the world’s nursesdestimated to be more than 15 milliondin a yearlong celebration of commitment to bring health to the communities, locally and worldwide. The group gathered in the Washington National Cathedral to pray in thanksgiving for and in celebration of the contributions of nurses globally in the promotion of world health, including the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, Figure 1).
The particular kindness of friends: ex-Fascists, clientage and the transition to democracy in Italy, 1945–1960

This article examines some of the social implications of Italy’s limited purge of the bureaucracy and Fascist political class following the Second World War. Using the postwar personal correspondence of former Fascist government ministers Giuseppe Bottai (1895–1959) and Dino Alfieri (1886–1966), the article analyses the informal networks that promoted the continued influence of these ex-Fascists with high-ranking bureaucrats and other prominent individuals (such as Pope Paul VI and Aldo Moro). Thanks to the long-standing social practice of the raccomandazione, Bottai and Alfieri maintained their Fascist-era connections well into the postwar period, often serving as intermediaries between ‘ordinary Italians’ and governmental, political and cultural elites. Although they no longer held political power, these ex-Fascists represented a class of ‘alternative elites’ unassociated with the democratic values of the new Republic.
Management of Telecommunications 2/e w/ NetViz CD

Rather than solely concentrating on the technology of telecommunications, Carr and Snyder's The Management of Telecommunications: Business Solutions to Business Problems 2/e caters more to the needs of today's business students. Management Of Telecommunications is the ideal textbook for exposing students to all facets of being a telecommunications end-user. It stresses the importance of the managerial decision-making side of telecommunications by applying the use of an integrated continuing case to illustrate key concepts and show the decision process. This book will provide business students with the technical vocabulary, technical understanding, and decision-making ability necessary to be an effective business telecommunications manager. Students using Carr and Snyder's book will lead the decision-making process by having an understanding of technology tradeoffs in relation to costs, marketing, customer service, and competition. Students will learn how telecommunications and telecommunications-intensive information systems, in particular, are part of the strategic, tactical, and operational decision processes of an organization. Table of contents Part I Communication Basics Chapter 1 What is Technology? What is Telecommunications? Chapter 2 Where did the Telephone come from and how does it Work? Chapter 3 What Media do we use for Telecommunications? Part II Networks Chapter 4 Data Communications: What is it? Chapter 5 Data Communications: Conversion, Modulation, and Multiplexing Chapter 6 Telecommunications Models Chapter 7 Networks by Topology: Protocols Chapter 8 Networks by Geography: Network Equipment Part III Uses of Networks Chapter 9 The Internet – The Ultimate WAN Chapter 10 Using Telecommunications for Accommodation Chapter 11 Business Applications of Telecommunications Part IV Legislation and Global Issues Chapter 12 How do Legislation and Regulation affect Telecommunications? Part V Managing Telecommunications Chapter 13 How do you Manage Telecommunications in Organizations? Chapter 14 How do you Manage Telecommunications Projects? Part VI The Need for Bandwidth Chapter 15 How much Bandwidth do you need? Chapter 16 Lower reaches of Broadband Technologies Chapter 17 Competing Broadband Technologies Part VII The Future Chapter 18 The End . . . The Beginning
Lifetime exposure to traumatic and other stressful life events and hair cortisol in a multi-racial/ethnic sample of pregnant women

We examined whether lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic events alters hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, as indexed by hair cortisol, regardless of associated psychopathology, among pregnant women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. 180 women provided hair samples for measurement of integrated cortisol levels throughout pregnancy and information regarding their lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic life events. Results indicate that increased lifetime exposure to traumatic events was associated with significantly greater hair cortisol over the course of pregnancy. Similarly, greater lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic events weighted by reported negative impact (over the previous 12 months) was associated with significantly greater hair cortisol during pregnancy. All analyses controlled for maternal age, education, body mass index (BMI), use of inhaled corticosteroids, race/ethnicity, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. Following stratification by race/ethnicity, associations between stressful and traumatic life events and hair cortisol were found among Black women only. This is the first study to consider associations between lifetime stress exposures and hair cortisol in a sociodemographically diverse sample of pregnant women. Increased exposure to stressful and traumatic events, independent of PTSD and depressive symptoms, was associated with higher cortisol production, particularly in Black women. Future research should investigate the influence of such increased cortisol exposure on developmental outcomes among offspring.
Hankel operators on the weighted Bergman spaces with exponential type weights

Let $$AL_\varphi ^2 \left( \mathbb{D} \right)$$ denote the closed subspace of $$L^2 \left( {\mathbb{D},e^{ - 2\varphi } dA} \right)$$ consisting of analytic functions in the unit disk $$\mathbb{D}$$ . For certain class of subharmonic $$\varphi :\mathbb{D} \to \mathbb{Z}$$ , the Hankel operatorH b on $$AL_\varphi ^2 \left( \mathbb{D} \right)$$ with symbol $$b \in L^2 \left( \mathbb{D} \right)$$ is studied. Criteria for boundedness and compactness of such kind of Hankel operators are presented.
Stretching and bending deformations due to normal and shear tractions of doubly curved shells using third-order shear and normal deformable theory

ABSTRACTWe analyze static infinitesimal deformations of doubly curved shells using a third-order shear and normal deformable theory (TSNDT) and delineate effects of the curvilinear length/thickness ratio, a/h, radius of curvature/curvilinear length, R/a, and the ratio of the two principal radii on through-the-thickness stresses, strain energies of the in-plane and the transverse shear and normal deformations, and strain energies of stretching and bending deformations for loads that include uniform normal tractions on a major surface and equal and opposite tangential tractions on the two major surfaces. In the TSNDT the three displacement components at a point are represented as complete polynomials of degree three in the thickness coordinate. Advantages of the TSNDT include not needing a shear correction factor, allowing stresses for monolithic shells to be computed from the constitutive relation and the shell theory displacements, and considering general tractions on bounding surfaces. For laminated shel...
Do Buyer Incentives Work for Houses

The impact of incentives on marketing duration is examined for residential real estate using data from the Multiple Listing Service during a real estate downturn. The focus is on incentives offered directly by sellers to potential homebuyers. The evidence suggests that incentives are not capitalized into the selling price during the softened market conditions. Alternatively, incentives are found to have a significant reduction in marketing time, however this is found to be true only for closing costs and not for other incentive classifications. The benefit of reduced expected market time from offering incentives is quickly diminished when the seller initially overprices the listing by a large amount.
Adjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for resected primary and metastatic liver cancers.

487Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for hepatobiliary cancers. However, little is known about the efficacy of adjuvant SBRT for resected liver tumors with positive margins. We examined the characteristics and outcomes of patients who received adjuvant SBRT for both primary and metastatic cancers of the liver. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients who had received liver SBRT from 2009-2015 at our institution. During that time frame, 11 patients were identified as having received adjuvant SBRT post resection. Patient data such as age, gender, portal vein thrombosis, cirrhosis, ECOG performance status, prior liver directed therapies, and SBRT dose were collected. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis given the small number of patients in this series. Results: Median age at the time of treatment was 63 years (range 51-79), and the majority of patients (72.7%) were male. Seven tumors (63.6%) were hepatocellular c...
Improved lagrangian relaxation-based gate size and V T assignment for very large circuits

The 2013 International Symposium of Physical Design (ISPD) contest for discrete (library-based) gate sizing with wire loads has led to improved algorithms for gate (cell) size optimization and threshold voltage (VT) optimization. However, it was noted that the best of the prior published algorithms fall well short of optimal for very large circuits, on the order of one million cells or larger. In order to get substantially better results for very large circuits, several critical extensions to the standard Lagrangian Relaxation (LR) based sizing formulation were added. First, we developed the first LR extension that explicitly treats wire delays in the formulation. Also, we enhanced the LR formulation to include the depth of the cell in the logic network during the LR λ propagation scheme, thereby controlling the effects of λ accumulation for gates nearer the primary inputs. Thirdly, we propose the first global heuristics for the recovery of slack and excess leakage during the LR iterations. Indeed, the new LR formulation achieves a significant 50% lower leakage for the benchmark designs on the order of one million cells. For small benchmarks around 100k cells or smaller, we believe that the prior published results are near optimal, and indeed our new approach yields similar results.
Ethnomethodology in Education Research

This article develops a reading of ethnomethodology’s influence and relevance for educational study from two assessments: on the one hand, the analytic and moral commitments of education’s research and professional communities are deeply, culturally invested in the promise of a science of education; and on the other, ethnomethodology points to impossible conceptual knots for a science of meaningful social worlds and recommends instead the local study of everyday life, including everyday classroom life, as methodic social productions. In the difference, ethnomethodology holds a transformative relevance for educational study, and the article tracks its mark over the last 40 years to clarify what is both disruptive and promising about it.
Incorporation of Biochar Carbon into Stable Soil Aggregates: The Role of Clay Mineralogy and Other Soil Characteristics

Aggregation and structure play key roles in water-holding capacity and stability of soils. In this study, the incorporation of carbon (C) from switchgrass biochar into stable aggregate size fractions was assessed in an Aridisol (from Colorado, USA) dominated by 2:1 clays and an Alfisol (from Virginia, USA) containing weathered mixed 1:1 and 2:1 mineralogy, to evaluate the effect of biochar addition on soil characteristics. The biochar was applied at 4 levels, 0, 25, 50, and 100 g kg−1, to the soils grown with wheat in a growth chamber experiment. The changes in soil strength and water-holding capacity using water release curves were measured. In the Colorado soil, the proportion of soil occurring in large aggregates decreased, with concomitant increases in small size fractions. No changes in aggregate size fractions occurred in the Virginia soil. In the Colorado soil, C content increased from 3.3 to 16.8 g kg−1, whereas in the 2 000 µm fraction. The greatest increase (from 6.2 to 22.0 g kg−1) occurred in the 53–250 µm fraction. The results indicated that C was incorporated into larger aggregates in the Virginia soil, but remained largely unassociated to soil particles in the Colorado soil. Biochar addition had no significant effect on water-holding capacity or strength measurements. Adding biochar to more weathered soils with high native soil organic content may result in greater stabilization of incorporated C and result in less loss because of erosion and transport, compared with the soils dominated by 2:1 clays and low native soil organic content.
The Designer/Embroiderer Relationship: A Comparison between Europe and India

An analysis of the similarities and differences in the fashion designer/fashion embroiderer relationship between the high fashion industry in Europe and the high fashion industry in India. The analysis seeks to answer the question, why do European designers have difficulty obtaining the same quality embroidery from India as from Europe. The analysis is the result of three separate studies: a qualitative study conducted in the embroidery ateliers of France, England, and Italy, a qualitative study conducted in the design workrooms of Kolkata, India, and a study designed to compare the findings of the previous two studies.
HIV-Related Peripheral Nervous System Illness

As HIV has been transformed into a chronic disease by the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART), focus has shifted toward management of the chronic complications of HIV-infected individuals. These include a variety of disorders of the peripheral nervous system, which are addressed in this chapter. Among these disorders, distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is the most common and typically presents with uncomfortable sensory symptoms in the feet. Given the lack of neuroregenerative treatment for DSP, therapy focuses on control of painful symptoms with agents such as antiepileptics and antidepressants. DSP may predispose HIV-infected patients to other forms of neuropathy. These include autonomic neuropathy, the symptoms of which vary depending on the organ systems involved, and mononeuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition to these common peripheral nerve disorders, which are thought to be mechanistically linked to HIV, we also discuss other disorders that are common in the HIV-infected population perhaps due to accentuated aging, such as radiculopathy due to degenerative spine disease. Finally, we address rare neuromuscular conditions that have been reported in HIV-infected patients including the demyelinating neuropathies, mononeuropathy multiplex, the diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and myopathy.
State-Space Modeling, Analysis, and Distributed Secondary Frequency Control of Isolated Microgrids

A comprehensive modular state-space model of a microgrid is developed that handles basic components and loads, as well as inverter-based generation, such as PQ inverter and voltage-source inverter (VSI). Specifically, the developed model is suitable for control design utilizing the nominal set-point values of frequency and voltage of the VSI inverters, and active and reactive power set points of the PQ inverters. The model is also useful for small-signal stability assessment and enhancement. It is shown that when a PQ inverter is added to the system, the low-frequency modes of the power-sharing dynamics drift to new locations and the relative stability is improved. Meanwhile, to preserve the power-sharing stability, a decentralized droop controller of paralleled VSI inverters is designed. Finally, the dynamic model is used to design and implement distributed secondary frequency controllers taking into consideration the characteristics of storage devices. The proposed modeling and control methodologies are demonstrated using an 11 bus microgrid with and without PQ inverters.
Mild Fluid Percussion Injury Induces Diffuse Axonal Damage and Reactive Synaptic Plasticity in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb.

Despite the regenerative capacity of the olfactory bulb (OB), head trauma causes olfactory disturbances in up to 30% of patients. While models of olfactory nerve transection, olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) ablation, or direct OB impact have been used to examine OB recovery, these models are severe and not ideal for study of OB synaptic repair. We posited that a mild fluid percussion brain injury (mFPI), delivered over mid-dorsal cortex, would produce diffuse OB deafferentation without confounding pathology. Wild type FVB/NJ mice were subjected to mFPI and OB probed for ORN axon degeneration and onset of reactive synaptogenesis. OB extracts revealed 3 d postinjury elevation of calpain-cleaved 150-kDa αII-spectrin, an indicator of axon damage, in tandem with reduced olfactory marker protein (OMP), a protein specific to intact ORN axons. Moreover, mFPI also produced a 3-d peak in GFAP+ astrocyte and IBA1+ microglial reactivity, consistent with postinjury inflammation. OB glomeruli showed disorganized ORN axons, presynaptic degeneration, and glial phagocytosis at 3 and 7 d postinjury, all indicative of deafferentation. At 21 d after mFPI, normal synaptic structure re-emerged along with OMP recovery, supporting ORN afferent reinnervation. Robust 21 d postinjury upregulation of GAP-43 was consistent with the time course of ORN axon sprouting and synapse regeneration reported after more severe olfactory insult. Together, these findings define a cycle of synaptic degeneration and recovery at a site remote to non-contusive brain injury. We show that mFPI models diffuse ORN axon damage, useful for the study of time-dependent reactive synaptogenesis in the deafferented OB.
Effects of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi on soybean aphid and identification of Metarhizium isolates from agricultural fields

Terrestrial plants can harbor endophytic fungi that may induce changes in plant physiology that in turn affect interactions with herbivorous insects. We evaluated whether the application of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum to soybean seeds could become endophytic and affect interactions with soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura). It was found that A. glycines population sizes increased on plants with M. brunneum (strain F52) seed inoculum, but no significant effects were shown with analogous treatments with B. bassiana (strain GHA). Fungi recovered from soybean plant tissues indicate that endophytism was established, and that B. bassiana was more prevalent. Metarhizium brunneum was only recovered from stems, but B. bassiana was recovered from stems and leaves. This work confirms that some entomopathogenic fungi can be endophytic in soybean, however, some of these fungi may have a negative effect on the plants by increasing susceptibility of soybean to A. glycines. We also used DNA sequence data to identify species of Metarhizium obtained from agricultural fields in Iowa. Phylogenetic analyses, based on DNA sequence data, found that all isolates were Metarhizium robertsii, which is consistent with past studies indicating a cosmopolitan distribution and wide host range for this species. These results are important for understanding the dynamics of implementing environmentally sustainable measures for the control of pest insects.
Teaching biology to prospective elementary school teachers so as to promote transition from receiver to giver of information

Advanced knowledge acquisition differs in important ways from introductory learning. Advanced knowledge acquisition refers to learning a content area beyond the introductory stage but before extensive experience and practice (Spiro, Coulson, Feltovich, and Anderson, 1988; Spiro & Nix, 1990; Jacobson & Spiro, 1995). At this stage, knowledge must be reasonably correct and active rather than inert. The goals of learning shift from knowledge reproduction to knowledge use. The theory was initially developed to describe the instructional needs of advanced medical students. It applies equally well to advanced undergraduates who are nearing completion of their professional program. In both cases, students need to attain a deeper understanding of content material, a sense of mastery over it, an ability to reason with it, and the fluency to apply it flexibly in diverse contents.
The Use of Bone Marrow Concentrate in the Treatment of Full-Thickness Chondral Defects.

This article is a critical analysis of a study, “Minimally Manipulated Bone Marrow Concentrate Compared with Microfracture Treatment of Full-Thickness Chondral Defects: A One-Year Study in an Equin...
Entitlement and Perceived Racial Discrimination: The Missing Links to White Opinions Toward Affirmative Action and Preferential Hiring and Promotion:

This article seeks to explain why some White Americans support affirmative action while others do not. Much of what has been written on White opinions on affirmative action is from an oppositional ...
Information-based autonomous reconfiguration in systems of interacting DNA nanostructures

The dynamic interactions between complex molecular structures underlie a wide range of sophisticated behaviors in biological systems. In building artificial molecular machines out of DNA, an outstanding challenge is to develop mechanisms that can control the kinetics of interacting DNA nanostructures and that can compose the interactions together to carry out system-level functions. Here we show a mechanism of DNA tile displacement that follows the principles of toehold binding and branch migration similar to DNA strand displacement, but occurs at a larger scale between interacting DNA origami structures. Utilizing this mechanism, we show controlled reaction kinetics over five orders of magnitude and programmed cascades of reactions in multi-structure systems. Furthermore, we demonstrate the generality of tile displacement for occurring at any location in an array in any order, illustrated as a tic-tac-toe game. Our results suggest that tile displacement is a simple-yet-powerful mechanism that opens up the possibility for complex structural components in artificial molecular machines to undergo information-based reconfiguration in response to their environments.
Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions of Biphenylene with Olefins, Arylboronic Acids, and Ketones Involving C−C Bond Cleavage

The reaction of biphenylene with olefins in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4 leads to the catalytic formation of products arising from addition of the vinylic C−H bond across the carbon−carbon bond of bip...
Social Welfare Functions

This article provides an introduction to the use of social welfare functions for the comparative evaluation of social alternatives. Three main approaches are considered: BergsonâSamuelson social welfare functions, Arrovian social welfare functions, and Sen's social welfare functionals. How the measurability and comparability of utility can be modelled and how limitations on the types of utility comparisons that are possible restricts the kinds of social welfare functions that can be considered is also discussed. Extensive social choice theory is used to deal with heterogeneous opinions about how to make utility comparisons.
Effect of experimental cardiopulmonary bypass on systemic and transcardiac thromboxane B2 levels.

Systemic and cardiac metabolism of thromboxane was studied in a canine model (n = 13) of standard cardiopulmonary bypass and surgical cardioplegia. Sterile techniques were applied and no donor blood was used. Systemic samples (thoracic aorta) and transcardiac gradients (coronary sinus—aortic root) were obtained (1) 5 minutes after cannulation, (2) 20 minutes after the onset of partial bypass, (3) 5 seconds after the first administration of cardioplegic solution (CP-1), and (4) 5 seconds after the second administration of cardioplegic solution (CP-2). Cardioplegic doses were administered 30 minutes apart and consisted of 500 ml of hypothermic (8° C), hyperkalemic (25 mEq potassium chloride) solution infused into the aortic root at 60 to 70 mm Hg. Thromboxane B2 was determined by a double-antibody radioimmunoassay (picograms per milliliter ± standard error of the mean). Onset of partial bypass was followed by a significant rise in systemic arterial thromboxane B2 levels: after cannulation, 115 ± 21 pg/ml; after the onset of partial bypass, 596 ± 141 pg/ml; p
SeaVizKit: Interactive Maps for Ocean Visualization

With the increasing availability of high-resolution comprehensive spatio-temporal ocean models and observation systems, ocean data visualization has become ubiquitous. This is due to the major impact of ocean products on disaster management, shipping, fisheries, autonomy, coastal operations, and scientific studies. Yet, there are several challenges for effective communication of data through visualization techniques. Specifically, ocean data is multivariate (e.g. temperature, salinity, velocity, etc.), is available for multiple depths and multiple time instants, and contains uncertainties, all of which leads to large, multi-dimensional datasets. Thus, it is necessary to have an interactive multiscale multivariate visualization tool that can assist scientists, engineers, policy makers, and the public in making insights from big data produced by ocean predictions and observations. In this work, we present a 3D (spatial) + 1 (temporal) multi-resolution multivariate visualization tool that produces interactive, dynamic, fast and portable ocean maps.
Voice-based Reformulation of Community Answers

Community Question Answering (CQA) websites, such as Stack Exchange1 or Quora2, allow users to freely ask questions and obtain answers from other users, i.e., the community. Personal assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, can also exploit CQA data to answer a broader range of questions and increase customers’ engagement. However, the voice-based interaction poses new challenges to the Question Answering scenario. Even assuming that we are able to retrieve a previously asked question that perfectly matches the user’s query, we cannot simply read its answer to the user. A major limitation is the answer length. Reading these answers to the user is cumbersome and boring. Furthermore, many answers contain non-voice-friendly parts, such as images, or URLs. In this paper, we define the Answer Reformulation task and propose a novel solution to automatically reformulate a community provided answer making it suitable for a voice interaction. Results on a manually annotated dataset3 extracted from Stack Exchange show that our models improve strong baselines.
Treatment of severe pneumonia due to COVID-19 with peginterferon alfa 2a

The outbreak of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide. Until now, no definite effective treatment has been identified. We reported 3 patients with severe COVID-19 treated with pegylated interferon alfa 2a with satisfactory recovery. Based on these observations, randomized studies with interferons should be considered in deteriorating patients infected with COVID-19.
Psychiatric Sequelae Among Community Social Service Agency Staff 1 Year After a Mass Shooting.

This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of mental health disorders and substance use among professional staff members at community social service agencies 1 year after a mass shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mechanical basis for fibrillar bundle morphology

Understanding the morphology of self-assembled fibrillar bundles and aggregates is relevant to a range of problems in molecular biology, supramolecular chemistry and materials science. Here, we propose a coarse-grained approach that averages over specific molecular details and yields an effective mechanical theory for the spatial complexity of self-assembling fibrillar structures that arises due to the competing effects of (the bending and twisting) elasticity of individual filaments and the adhesive interactions between them. We show that our theoretical framework accounting for this allows us to capture a number of diverse fibril morphologies observed in natural and synthetic systems, ranging from Filopodia to multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and leads to a phase diagram of possible fibril shapes. We also show how the extreme sensitivity of these morphologies can lead to spatially chaotic structures. Together, these results suggest a common mechanical basis for mesoscale fibril morphology as a function of the nanoscale mechanical properties of its filamentous constituents.
Response of petroleum seep mussels to changing environmental conditions: Parasite transmission, infection intensification, and health

Abstract Trematode sporocyst and rickettsia weighted prevalences were found to be extremely high in Gulf of Mexico petroleum seep mussels, Bathymodiolus childressi, in comparison to shallow-water mytilids. Understanding the role that parasites might play in mussel population dynamics and health requires an understanding of the rapidity with which parasite infections and physiological condition respond to changes in host population structure and environment. To evaluate the influence of the seep environment on B. childressi, a transplant experiment was conducted between several donor (population of origin) and receiver (population of transplant) populations from three seep sites on the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico. Donor and receiver populations varied significantly in prevalence and infection intensity for many parasites and often varied in physiological condition for most physiological indices. Transplanted populations came into equilibrium with the receiver populations relatively fast for single-celled parasites; trematode sporocysts responded less often and more slowly. In a few cases, these transplanted populations retained the donor population condition, most frequently for the trematode sporocysts and rarely for the single-celled parasites. Of the physiological indices, gonadal stage came into equilibrium with all receiver populations in one year. Mussels lost condition rapidly in cases where the receiver population had lower condition but gained condition more slowly in the opposite case. Digestive gland atrophy and gill tissue atrophy responded rapidly in most cases where the transplanted mussels varied initially from the receiver populations. Transmission rates could be approximated from changes in prevalence for gill rickettsia and the trematode sporocysts. For gill rickettsia, transmission rates varied between 0.36 and 0.45 yr−1. Loss rates were much higher, estimated at 1.95 yr−1, suggesting a short life span for any individual rickettsial body and that infection intensity is a balance between rapid rates of proliferation and loss. Transmission rates for the trematodes, likewise approximated, were slower: 0.13 to 0.29 yr−1; nevertheless, infection intensification was rapid, in one case reaching 3 on a 0-to-4-point semiquantitative scale in one year. Apparent loss rates were minimal in one case but reached 1.25 yr−1 in another. Mussels live for a relatively long time and the transmission rates measured for the trematode sporocysts are relatively high, yet population prevalences are often well below 100%. One possibility is that these trematode sporocysts have life spans considerably shorter than their hosts, a fact that is of some consequence because while infected, the mussels lose any capacity to reproduce. The alternative is that infected mussels have a relatively high mortality rate.
Risk factors for infusion-related reactions following Ocrelizumab infusion in a community setting: Development of an electronic medical record-based explanatory model

Abstract Background: In 2017, ocrelizumab became the first FDA approved disease modifying therapy (DMT) for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Although effective, adverse infusion-related reactions (IRR), such as erythema, pruritus, hives, and throat irritation, were frequently reported. Objective: To develop an explanatory model of factors associated with increased odds of IRR development to further enhance clinical decision-making when administering ocrelizumab in a community setting. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed (n = 422) by extracting patient demographic factors and co-occurring conditions and symptoms from electronic medical records. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine which demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with IRR development, and variables with a p-value of Results: Being female (odds ratio [OR]: 2.60), Hispanic/Latinx (OR: 3.98), and having a history of a co-occurring tremor (OR: 3.78) were risk factors for increased odds of having an IRR. Conclusions: These findings may be helpful in guiding clinical practice routines and improving patient expectations regarding the likelihood of IRR development based on their individual demographics and co-occurring conditions and symptoms.
Key ePortfolio features and strategies for student success in a competency-based clinical research program.

Abstract Background Student ePortfolios provide an interactive space for faculty, student peers, and potential employers to view skillsets and reflective expressions of students. Educational Activity The adoption of ePortfolios in an interdisciplinary, competency-based, master's degree program in clinical research at a university in the Midwestern United States is described. Students submitted their ePortfolios as their culminating assessment. A survey was used to collect objective and open-ended responses from 104 students between 2015 and 2019 followed by a voluntary post-survey interview. Two ePortfolio platforms and instructional methods were compared. Critical Analysis of the Educational Activity A user-friendly platform enhanced student engagement and reduced student and faculty frustration with the ePortfolio requirement. Thirty-seven students and alumni responded to an ePortfolio survey, and five students shared their experiences in a post-survey interview. Students described positive experiences related to their academic program and job search as a result of completing the ePortfolio. However, alumni were not strongly motivated to maintain their ePortfolio post-graduation. ePortfolios provide evidence of student acquisition of core competencies in a professional graduate degree. Facilitating the process of ePortfolio creation with instruction guides, exemplar ePortfolios, and an evaluation rubric support student success. A user-friendly ePortfolio platform with social media linking features will enhance exposure of the student's work to key stakeholders during and after their academic program. If the ePortfolio is to have an impact on a student's professional trajectory after graduation, it should contain meaningful examples of academic work that can be shared publicly and allow updating of ePortfolio content.