cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combining Verbal and Nonverbal Features to Overcome the ``Information Gap'' in Task-Oriented Dialogue

Dialogue act modeling in task-oriented dialogue poses significant challenges. It is particularly challenging for corpora consisting of two interleaved communication streams: a dialogue stream and a task stream. In such corpora, information can be conveyed implicitly by the task stream, yielding a dialogue stream with seemingly missing information. A promising approach leverages rich resources from both the dialog and the task streams, combining verbal and non-verbal features. This paper presents work on dialogue act modeling that leverages body posture, which may be indicative of particular dialogue acts. Combining three information sources (dialogue exchanges, task context, and users' posture), three types of machine learning frameworks were compared. The results indicate that some models better preserve the structure of task-oriented dialogue than others, and that automatically recognized postural features may help to disambiguate user dialogue moves.
Predicting Future Groundwater Resources of Coral Atoll Islands

Fresh groundwater reserves on small coral islands are under continual threat of salinization and contamination because of droughts, storm‐surge overwash events, over‐extraction, island community urbanization, and sea level rise. Whereas storm‐surge overwash events can cause sudden groundwater salinization, long‐term changes in rainfall patterns and sea level elevation have the potential of rendering these islands uninhabitable in the coming decades. This study demonstrates the use of a tested freshwater lens thickness simulator to estimate the groundwater resources of a set of atoll islands in the coming decades. The method uses ranges of projected rates of annual rainfall and sea level rise (SLR) to provide a range of probable lens thickness for each island. Projected rainfall is provided by General Circulation Models that accurately replicate the historical rainfall patterns in the geographic region of the islands. Methodology is applied to 68 atoll islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. These islands have widths that range between 150 and 1000 m, and experience annual rainfall rates of between 2.8 and 4.8 m. Results indicate that under average conditions of SLR, beach slope, and rainfall, almost half of the island will experience a 20% decrease in lens thickness by the year 2050. For worst‐case scenarios (high SLR, low rainfall), average decrease in lens thickness is 55%, with almost half of the islands experiencing a decrease of greater than 75% and half of the islands having a lens thickness less than 1.0 m. Small islands (widths less than 400 m) are particularly vulnerable because of shoreline recession. Groundwater on islands in the western region is less vulnerable to SLR because of a projected increase in rainfall during the coming decades. Results indicate the vulnerability of small islands to changing climatic conditions, and can be used for water resources management and community planning. Methodology can be applied to any group of islands as a first approximation of the effect of future climate conditions on groundwater resources. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gut microbiota regulates K/BxN autoimmune arthritis through follicular helper T but not Th17 cells

The bacterial community that colonizes mucosal surfaces helps shape the development and function of the immune system. The K/BxN autoimmune arthritis model is dependent on the microbiota, and particularly on segmented filamentous bacteria, for the autoimmune phenotype. The mechanisms of how the gut microbiota affects arthritis development are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the contribution of two T cell subsets, Th17 and follicular helper T (Tfh), to arthritis and how microbiota modulates their differentiation. Using genetic approaches, we demonstrate that IL-17 is dispensable for arthritis. Antibiotic treatment inhibits disease in IL-17–deficient animals, suggesting that the gut microbiota regulates arthritis independent of Th17 cells. In contrast, conditional deletion of Bcl6 in T cells blocks Tfh cell differentiation and arthritis development. Furthermore, Tfh cell differentiation is defective in antibiotic-treated mice. Taken together, we conclude that gut microbiota regulates arthritis through Tfh but not Th17 cells. These findings have implications in our understanding of how environmental factors contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases.
Instability: Dynamic Loading Models

Joint instability consistently leads to osteoarthritis. Instability represents excessive translation or rotation of the articulating structures causing articular stresses to be transmitted at abnormal rates and leading to an expanded footprint of joint contact. Excessive stress rates have been shown to be particularly damaging to cartilage in multiple isolated cartilage preparations. In this chapter, basic scientific evidence primarily generated from cadaveric macromechanical experiments, computational modeling, living-tissue preparations, and animal in vivo preparations are presented. Instability causes significant increases in contact stress rates which extrapolate into abnormal cartilage tissue strain. In vivo models demonstrate correspondence between instability and joint degeneration.
Enterovirus Typing by Complement Fixation.

SummaryThe results of complement-fixation tests using pooled and individual anti-sera of poliomyelitis Types I-III, ECHO Types 1-25, and Coxsackie Groups A Type 9, and B Types 1-5, agreed with viral neutralization tests in identifying 142 (95.9%) of 148 enteroviruses isolated by monkey kidney tissue culture.The authors are grateful to Mr. Jack Jacobs and Mr. Carl Senter for tissue culture work and to Mrs. Charlotte Carpenter, Mr. James Horton, Miss Claire Ducharme, and Mr. Laurence Gross fcr technical assistance in performing complement-fixation tests. Special thanks are due to Dr. John F. Kent for advice and counsel in preparation of this report.
Objective Assessment of the Interfrontal Angle for Severity Grading and Operative Decision-Making in Metopic Synostosis.

Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a previously validated interfrontal angle for classification of severity of metopic synostosis and as an aid to operative decision-making.Methods:An expert panel was asked to study 30 cases ranging from minor to severe metopic synos
Identification and Characterization of a cis-Regulatory Element for Zygotic Gene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Upon fertilization Chlamydomonas reinhardtii zygotes undergo a program of differentiation into a diploid zygospore that is accompanied by transcription of hundreds of zygote-specific genes. We identified a distinct sequence motif we term a zygotic response element (ZYRE) that is highly enriched in promoter regions of C reinhardtii early zygotic genes. A luciferase reporter assay was used to show that native ZYRE motifs within the promoter of zygotic gene ZYS3 or intron of zygotic gene DMT4 are necessary for zygotic induction. A synthetic luciferase reporter with a minimal promoter was used to show that ZYRE motifs introduced upstream are sufficient to confer zygotic upregulation, and that ZYRE-controlled zygotic transcription is dependent on the homeodomain transcription factor GSP1. We predict that ZYRE motifs will correspond to binding sites for the homeodomain proteins GSP1-GSM1 that heterodimerize and activate zygotic gene expression in early zygotes.
Synthetic and Genetically Encoded Fluorescence Probes for Quantitative Analysis of Protein Hydrodynamics

The fluorescence polarization technique that Prof. Weber developed at Cambridge University between the late 1940s and early 1950s has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the structure and dynamics of macromolecules and in the analysis of proteins interactions and detection of target proteins in biologically complex samples. His decision to develop dimethylaminonaphthalene sulfonyl chloride (Dansyl-Cl) as the first probe for fluorescence polarization studies was brilliant, as its long fluorescence lifetime and well-defined dipole are ideally suited to study protein conjugates as large as 100 kDa. Indeed, after almost 70 years, the Dansyl group is still the probe of choice for in vitro applications of fluorescence polarization. Unfortunately, Dansyl is not very suitable for related studies in living cells, primarily because it requires excitation in the near ultraviolet, while the in vivo labeling of a target protein with Dansyl group is challenging. We have developed a new class of genetically encoded fluorescent protein that may help to overcome these limitations. The lumazine-binding protein (LUMP) harbors a fluorescent probe with a cerulean-colored emission that like Dansyl has a long excited state lifetime (14 ns). Moreover, LUMP has a smaller mass than GFP that allows us to genetically append capture sequences as large as 20 kDa and still generate a fusion protein with sufficient dynamic range in the fluorescence polarization value to quantify the amounts of the free and target-bound states in an equilibrium. In this article, I will compare and contrast key features of Dansyl and LUMP as probes for fluorescence polarization studies and discuss the potential of using LUMP and related encoded proteins to advance the application of fluorescence polarization to analyze target proteins and protein interactions in living cells.
Air Force Research Laboratory Spacecraft Cryocooler Endurance Evaluation Facility Closing Report

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Spacecraft Component Thermal Research Group has been devoted to evaluating lifetime performance of space cryocooler technology for over twenty years. Long-life data is essential for confirming design lifetimes for space cryocoolers. Continuous operation in a simulated space environment is the only accepted method to test for degradation. AFRL has provided raw data and detailed evaluations to cryocooler developers for advancing the technology, correcting discovered deficiencies, and improving cryocooler designs. At AFRL, units of varying design and refrigeration cycles were instrumented in state-of-the-art experiment stands to provide spacelike conditions and were equipped with software data acquisition to track critical cryocooler operating parameters. This data allowed an assessment of the technology's ability to meet the desired lifetime and documented any long-term changes in performance. This paper will outline a final report of the various flight cryocoolers tested in our laboratory. The data summarized includes the seven cryocoolers tested during 2014-2015. These seven coolers have a combined total of 433,326 hours (49.5 years) of operation.
Receptor-mediated leukemogenesis

Murine leukemia virus (MuLV) induced T-lymphomas bear surface receptors specific for the leukemogenic retroviruses they produce. We have proposed that such virus receptors on lymphoid tumors are the antigen-specific receptors present on their normal lymphocyte counterparts. To determine the relationship between immune receptors and virus receptors on malignant lymphocytes, a spontaneous B cell lymphoma, BCL1, was investigated. BCL1-lymphoma cells from an in vivo passaged BCL1-cell line grew in vitro only in contact with splenic stromal cells. These stromal cells produced a retrovirus, termed BCL1-V, which was lymphotropic but not leukemogenic. BCL1 cells bound BCL1-V, whereas normal spleen cells did not. Isolated BCL1-IgM bound BCL1-V, whereas three other IgM myeloma proteins, MOPC-104E, CBPC-112, and HPC-76, did not. Rat anti-BCL1-IgM monoclonal antibodies recognizing mu chain isotypic determinants and BCL1-specific idiotypic specificities, blocked BCL1-V binding to BCL1 IgM. These data support the receptor mediated leukemogenesis hypothesis, suggest a role for virus:cell surface immunoglobulin interactions in the development of B cell lymphoma, and implicate an antigen presenting cell population in the lymphomagenic process.
Introduction: from colonies to Third World

On April 27, 1994, black South Africans, for the first times in their lives, voted in an election to decide who would govern their country. The lines at polling stations snaked around many blocks. It had been over thirty years since African political movements had been banned, and the leader of the strongest of them, Nelson Mandela, had spent twenty-seven of those years in prison. Most activists and observers inside and outside South Africa had thought that the “apartheid” regime, with its explicit policy promoting white supremacy, had become so deeply entrenched and its supporters so attached to their privileges that only a revolution would dislodge it. In a world that, some thirty to forty years earlier, had begun to tear down colonial empires and denounce governments which practiced racial segregation, South Africa had become a pariah, subject to boycotts of investment, travel, and trade. Now it was being redeemed, taking its place among nations which respected civil rights and democratic processes. This was indeed a revolution – whose final act was peaceful. Three weeks earlier, a part of the vast press corps assembled to observe the electoral revolution in South Africa had been called away to report on another sort of event in another part of Africa. On April 6, what the press described as a “tribal bloodbath” began in Kigali, capital of Rwanda. It started when the plane carrying the country's President, returning from a peace discussions in Arusha, Tanzania, was shot down.
Impact of Misalignment of Trading Agent Strategy across Multiple Markets

We examine the effect of a market pricing policy designed to attract high-valued traders in a multiple market context using JCAT software. Our experiments show that a simple change to pricing policy can create market performance effects that traditional adaptive trading agents are unable to recognize or capitalize on, but that market-policy-aware trading agents can generally obtain. This suggests as parameterized and tunable markets become more common, trading strategies will increasingly need to be conditional on each individual market’s policies.
WEX-HIL: Design of a Wireless Extensible hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulator for electric vehicle applications

A real-time simulator is an essential tool for swiftly designing and verifying embedded time-sensitive and/or real-time applications in both academia and industry. An FPGA-based wireless extensible hardware-in-the-loop (WEX-HIL) real-time simulator was developed for designing subsystems of an electrical vehicle (EV). The WEX-HIL platform is capable of providing a design and test environment of virtual and real embedded system prototypes for academic research and education. The WEX-HIL platform permits a relatively quick turnaround time for software model development. The FPGA-based virtual hardware prototyping is also effectively done with the WEX-HIL platform by interfacing software models executing in the baseline real-time simulator with the virtual prototypes. Furthermore, the proposed real-time simulation platform provides a user friendly GUI-based model development environment with the commercial software IDEs from high-level to low-level and with the hardware IDEs from simulation to synthesis. The WEX-HIL platform particularly offers an ample means of integrating software and hardware models and virtual and real prototypes via high-speed wire and flexible wireless communications. The WEX-HIL real-time simulation achieved 2.89% of distance error accuracy with the sensing system, 2.5× faster acceleration and 0.3% HIL simulation error, the 50 µs responding timing constraints, and intuitive intra and inter model and prototype integration at different abstract levels in SIL and HIL real-time simulations. With the WEX-HIL platform, a comprehensive hands-on multi-inter-disciplinary course in Electrical and Computer Engineering was created and offered. The course comprises a series of the subjects for successful designing and utilizing the WEX-HIL platform and related applications in Computer, Communication, Electrical and Power-Electronics Engineering. Hands-on laboratories equipped with hardware/software design tools were also developed for further experiments of current and emerging applications in the embedded and real-time systems. The proposed course is expected to alleviate the technology gap developed and utilized between industry and academia.
Impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) On Overall Survival in Myeloma

Abstract 4289 Introduction: Excess body weight has been identified as a risk factor for developing myeloma. From a meta-analysis of 15 cohort studies evaluating myeloma incidence and 5 others on mortality, the risk of multiple myeloma was significantly elevated among overweight patients and obese patients. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) promotes normal plasma cell development and proliferation of myeloma cells in culture. A polymorphism (allele 174C) in the IL-6 gene promoter is associated with obesity and hence, the hypothesis that overweight may be a surrogate for IL-6 promoter genotypes, and associated with increased risk of plasma cell neoplasms has been proposed. However, data is limited in evaluating the outcomes in these patients, based on BMI. We have evaluated the impact of BMI on overall survival in patients with myeloma. Methods: We have evaluated a total of 589 patients that underwent ASCT during the period January 2005 through June 2011 from our myeloma database. The median time of follow up is 50 months in all patients and 23 months post ASCT. We used IBM SPSS version 20 to generate the survival statistics. Results: The median patient age at the time of diagnosis and at ASCT is 57 years (range, 26–77) and 59 years (range, 26–78), respectively. Patient characteristics: 55%/45% male/female; 56%/36% white/black; ISS stage I/II/III 38%/19%/43%; ASCT conditioning melphalan 140/200 15%/85%. At a median follow up of 50 months from the time of diagnosis and 23 months from the time of ASCT, 75% of the patients are expected to be alive at 109 months. OS was not statistically different between the groups stratified on gender and race. OS from the time of diagnosis and from the time of ASCT was not statistically significant in patients stratified by BMI 18.5–24.9; 25–29.9; 30–34.9; 35–39.9 and ≥40. However, for the patient group with BMI Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients that received ASCT have significant survival benefit. Higher BMI does not confer a negative impact on the prognosis of obese patients, as they actually have better survival after ASCT. Patients that are underweight (BMI Disclosures: Kaufman:Millenium: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Waller:Outsuka: Research Funding.
Modeling strain across mechanical sedimentary lithologic interfaces: geomechanical models derived from outcrop analysis

In the brittle crust, the distribution of natural rock fractures and their failure modes are a function of rock strength and its interactions between overburden pressure, pore-fluid pressure, and tectonic loading. The characterization of variability in rock strength and the associated changes in subsurface strain distribution is especially important for modeling the response of low-permeability rocks to changes in effective stress. This paper documents the effect variations in elastic mechanical properties have on the nature and distribution of fractures in the subsurface. Outcrop and geophysical wireline log evaluation of the Jurassic Carmel Formation and Navajo Sandstone was used to identify mechano-stratigraphic units and model subsurface strain distribution within sedimentary successions and across sedimentary interfaces. Two finite element models were constructed and populated with elastic moduli derived from geophysical wireline data in order to understand where natural fractures form in rocks with varying layer thickness and elastic properties. Strain distribution results from a 3-layer and a 5-layer model are compared to the natural deformation response visible in outcrop. Model results show that more fractures are expected in high strain regions and fewer fractures in low strain regions. Strain variations are observed in both model scenarios and occur at material interfaces. The simple 3-layer model results in a smoothing of strain variations, while the 5-layer model captures strain variations that more closely match the fracture density observed in outcrop. Results from the 5-layer model suggests an interplay between Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio and that high strain regions form in thin (1-m thick) layers with moderate Young modulus (17.2 GPa) and Poisson ratio (0.26) values. Outcrop observations and modeling results indicate that the potential for subsurface failure and fluid flow would not be restricted to the low fracture strength units but can cut vertically across interfaces of varying mechanical strength. Results from this work indicates that these types of models can be used to identify stratigraphic layers that are more prone to mechanical failure or identify layers that have more natural fractures or are more likely to form induced fractures.
High-κ Lanthanum Zirconium Oxide Thin Film Dielectrics from Aqueous Solution Precursors.

Metal oxide thin films are critical components in modern electronic applications. In particular, high-κ dielectrics are of interest for reducing power consumption in metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) field-effect transistors. Although thin-film materials are typically produced via vacuum-based methods, solution deposition offers a scalable and cost-efficient alternative. We report an all-inorganic aqueous solution route to amorphous lanthanum zirconium oxide (La2Zr2O7, LZO) dielectric thin films. LZO films were spin-cast from aqueous solutions of metal nitrates and annealed at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C to produce dense, defect-free, and smooth films with subnanometer roughness. Dielectric constants of 12.2–16.4 and loss tangents <0.6% were obtained for MIS devices utilizing LZO as the dielectric layer (1 kHz). Leakage currents <10–7 A cm–2 at 4 MV cm–1 were measured for samples annealed at 600 °C. The excellent surface morphology, high dielectric constants, and low leakage current densities ma...
Historical and philosophical perspectives concerning immune cognition.

Les themes intellectuels qui ont domine le developpement de l'immunologie sont analyses en decrivant comment les immunologistes ont compris la cognition immune
IC layout weak point effectiveness evaluation based on statistical methods

Design hotspots, a.k.a. layout weak points are layout patterns that are susceptible to systematic failure and yield loss in high-volume manufacturing (HVM). Therefore, understanding the yield impact of layout weak point is a crucial step for yield learning. Layout weak points can be identified by layout analysis based on simulation or silicon learning from past failures. In advanced technology nodes, the interaction between design and manufacturing process is increasingly significant, making it paramount to quantify which layout weak points are causing yield loss for a specific manufacturing process. This can be achieved by collecting volume scan diagnosis results and then map the call-outs to suspected weak points for defect root-cause analysis. One major challenge in this process is the often-false assumptions that correlation is causation, especially as scan diagnosis resolution is typically not ideal and random correlation hits can be common as the weak point count grows. In this work, we propose a novel approach for quantitatively assessing the impact of layout weak points on IC failure using statistical methods. We develop a new weak point effectiveness metric to help guide the decision on whether a specific weak point is a root cause in a population of volume scan diagnosis results. Experimental results show that our approach is able to interpret high count weak points for “meaningful” root-cause and rank the relative contribution of different weak point sets.
Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Sebaceous Gland Hyperplasia

Sebaceous gland hyperplasia (SGH) is seen routinely in both traditional ­medical and in surgical or esthetic-based dermatologic practices. Treatment options vary and will be reviewed herein; ALA-PDT has proven efficacious in the treatment of SGH.
The Mystery and History of Magnetism

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the history of magnetism and its influence on the development of human culture. Magnetic lodestones have been known to mankind for many thousands of years, but not until iron smelting was discovered did the practical applications of magnets become apparent. In earlier times they were used in occult practices and for healing purposes, and eventually came to be employed in the center piece of navigation, the compass. In addition to providing a brief look into these early uses of magnets, an overview of current technical and medical applications of magnets is given.
Management of Bulky Advanced Disseminated Testicular Cancer

Recent advances in the chemotherapy of advanced testicular cancer and the availability of the specific serum tumor markers alfa-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) have made a dramatic improvement in the management of patients with non-seminomatous testicular cancer. Cis-platinum containing combination chemotherapy regimens have produced improved overall response rates in metastatic disease[1–15]. Over two-thirds of patients with Stage III disease can be expected to achieve a complete response to chemo-therapy. The relapse rate in these patients is rare, with over 90% of the relapses occurring in the first 2 years. Since the median follow-up in a number of reported series is greater than 2 years, it is likely that the majority of patients who achieve a complete response to chemotherapy are cured of their disease.
Leveraging artifact trees to evolve and reuse safety cases

Safety Assurance Cases (SACs) are increasingly used to guide and evaluate the safety of software-intensive systems. They are used to construct a hierarchically organized set of claims, arguments, and evidence in order to provide a structured argument that a system is safe for use. However, as the system evolves and grows in size, a SAC can be difficult to maintain. In this paper we utilize design science to develop a novel solution for identifying areas of a SAC that are affected by changes to the system. Moreover, we generate actionable recommendations for updating the SAC, including its underlying artifacts and trace links, in order to evolve an existing safety case for use in a new version of the system. Our approach, Safety Artifact Forest Analysis (SAFA), leverages traceability to automatically compare software artifacts from a previously approved or certified version with a new version of the system. We identify, visualize, and explain changes in a Delta Tree. We evaluate our approach using the Dronology system for monitoring and coordinating the actions of cooperating, small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Results from a user study show that SAFA helped users to identify changes that potentially impacted system safety and provided information that could be used to help maintain and evolve a SAC1.
Caregiver physical health and child maltreatment reports and rereports

Abstract This study examined the relationship between caregiver health problems and maltreatment occurrence and recurrence, extending the limited prior research in this area. Data sources included the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and a regional longitudinal administrative data study of low income children with or without official reports of maltreatment and caregiver health diagnoses. Research questions addressed the relationship of caregiver health to child maltreatment occurrence and recurrence, with an additional emphasis on effects for younger and older children. Multinomial and Cox regression models were constructed to evaluate the research questions. Key findings included that poor caregiver health was associated with increased risk of neglect across both datasets used. In models of recurrence, caregiver health remained important, but only for families not receiving services after the initial report. Key implications of this study include the desirability of providing effective health services to families at risk for child maltreatment, and that any resultant improvements in caregiver health may result in attenuation of child maltreatment risk.
Is subjective well-being independently associated with mortality? A 14-year prospective cohort study in a representative sample of 25 139 US men and women.

Objectives To examine whether the inverse association of subjective well-being with mortality is independent of self-rated health and socioeconomic status in healthy adults. Design A population-based prospective cohort study based on an in-person interview. Cox regression was used to examine mortality hazards for happiness alone and for a standardised summary well-being measure that included happiness, life satisfaction and negative emotions. Using prespecified analyses, we first adjusted for age and then additionally adjusted for self-rated health and then race/ethnicity, marital status, smoking and socioeconomic status. Setting Probability sample of adult US residents interviewed in their homes in 2001. Participants 25 139 adults free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline. Primary outcome measure All-cause mortality 14 years after the baseline interview as assessed by probabilistic matching using the National Death Index. Results Age-adjusted unhappiness was associated with mortality (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.45, p=0.001) but the association attenuated after adjusting for self-rated health (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.16, p=0.85). A similar pattern was seen for the summary well-being measure in fully adjusted models (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.00, p=0.30). In contrast, self-rated health was strongly associated with mortality. In the fully adjusted model with the summary well-being measure the hazards for good, very good and excellent self-rated health were 0.71 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.80, p Conclusions In this representative sample of US adults, the association between well-being and mortality was strongly attenuated by self-rated health and to a lesser extent socioeconomic status.
Glyceollin Transcription Factor GmMYB29A2 Regulates Soybean Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

Glyceollin isomers I, II, and III are the major pathogen-elicited secondary metabolites (i.e. phytoalexins) of soybean (Glycine max) that, collectively with other 5-deoxyisoflavonoids, provide race-specific resistance to Phytophthora sojae. The NAC-family transcription factor (TF) GmNAC42-1 is an essential regulator of some but not all glyceollin biosynthesis genes, indicating other essential TF(s) of the glyceollin gene regulatory network remain to be identified. Here, we conducted comparative transcriptomics on soybean hairy roots of the variety Williams 82 and imbibing seeds of Harosoy 63 upon treatment with wall glucan elicitor from P. sojae and identified two homologous R2R3-type MYB TF genes, GmMYB29A1 and GmMYB29A2, up-regulated during the times of peak glyceollin biosynthesis. Overexpression and RNA interference silencing of GmMYB29A2 increased and decreased expression of GmNAC42-1, GmMYB29A1, and glyceollin biosynthesis genes and metabolites, respectively, in response to wall glucan elicitor. By contrast, overexpressing or silencing GmMYB29A1 decreased glyceollin I accumulation with marginal or no effects on the expressions of glyceollin synthesis genes, suggesting a preferential role in promoting glyceollin turnover and/or competing biosynthetic pathways. GmMYB29A2 interacted with the promoters of two glyceollin I biosynthesis genes in vitro and in vivo. Silencing GmMYB29A2 in Williams 82, a soybean variety that encodes the resistance gene Rps1k, rendered it compatible with race 1 P. sojae, whereas overexpressing GmMYB29A2 rendered the susceptible Williams variety incompatible. Compatibility and incompatibility coincided with reduced and enhanced accumulations of glyceollin I but not other 5-deoxyisoflavonoids. Thus, GmMYB29A2 is essential for accumulation of glyceollin I and expression of Phytophthora resistance.
Longitudinal Monitoring of Pain Associated Distress With the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome Yellow Flag Tool: Predicting Reduction in Pain Intensity and Disability

Abstract Objective To investigate the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF) tool for longitudinal monitoring of pain associated distress with the goal of improving prediction of 50% reduction in pain intensity and disability outcomes. Design Cohort study with 12-month follow-up after initial care episode. Setting Ambulatory care, participants seeking care from outpatient physical therapy clinics. Participants Participants (N=440) were seeking care for primary complaint of neck, low back, knee, or shoulder pain. This secondary analysis included 440 subjects (62.5% female; mean age, 45.1±17y) at baseline with n=279 (63.4%) providing follow-up data at 12 months. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures A 50% reduction (baseline to 12-mo follow-up) in pain intensity and self-reported disability. Results Trends for prediction accuracy were similar for all versions of the OSPRO-YF. For predicting 50% reduction in pain intensity, model fit met the statistical criterion for improvement (P .05). Conclusions These results suggested that longitudinal monitoring improved prediction accuracy for reduction in pain intensity but not for disability reduction. Differences in OSPRO-YF item sets (10 vs 17 items) or scoring methods (simple summary score vs yellow flag count) did not affect predictive accuracy for pain intensity, providing flexibility for implementing this tool in practice settings.
Stress, burnout and diminished safety behaviors: An argument for Total Worker Health® approaches in the fire service.

Abstract Introduction: Firefighting is stressful work, which can result in burnout. Burnout is a safety concern as it can negatively impact safety outcomes. These impacts are not fully understood within the fire service. Further, the fire service needs support that safety strategies are needed to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of firefighters. Methods: Structural equation modeling was completed to examine a hypothesized model that linked stress and burnout to diminished safety behavior outcomes among a sample of career firefighters. Results: Findings support a full mediation model. Firefighter stress perceptions were positively associated with burnout and burnout was negatively associated with safety compliance behavior, personal protective equipment behavior, safe work practices, and safety citizenship behavior. Conclusions: These results illustrate the negative impact of health impairment on firefighter safety behaviors. Practical Applications: These outcomes suggest that interventions aimed at protecting and promotion firefighter health are needed. Total Worker Health® (TWH) approaches may provide the framework for these interventions.
456 Comparisons of clinical outcomes in women with advanced ovarian cancer treated with frontline intraperitoneal versus dose-dense platinum/paclitaxel chemotherapy without bevacizumab

Background We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between intraperitoneal chemotherapy and dose-dense chemotherapy for the frontline treatment of advanced ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer in women not receiving bevacizumab. Methods All consecutive women with stage II~IV cancer treated with either frontline intraperitoneal or dose-dense platinum/paclitaxel chemotherapy and not receiving bevacizumab between March 2006 and June 2019 were reviewed. Results A total of 50 women (intraperitoneal group, n=22; dose-dense group, n=28) were reviewed. Median progression-free survival (32.6 months versus 14.2 months; adjusted hazard ratio=0.38; 95% CI=0.16 to 0.90, p=0.03, figure 1a) and overall survival (not reached versus 30.7 months; adjusted hazard ratio=0.23, 95% CI=0.07 to 0.79, p=0.02, figure 1b) were significantly higher in the intraperitoneal group than in the dose-dense group. A multivariable Cox proportional-hazards model also indicated that the number of frontline chemotherapy cycles (adjusted hazard ratio=0.66, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.94, p=0.02, table 1) was a predictor of better overall survival. Nausea/vomiting and nephrotoxicity occurred more frequently in the intraperitoneal group (p=0.02 and Conclusion Intraperitoneal chemotherapy seems to be superior in progression free survival and overall survival to dose-dense chemotherapy in the frontline treatment of women with advanced ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer and not receiving bevacizumab.
Expanding Opportunities: An Evaluation of Uniformed Services University's Premedical Program for Enlisted Service Members.

INTRODUCTION Medical school leaders are seeking strategies to increase the diversity of their student populations. Post-baccalaureate premedical (PBPM) programs are one such pipeline that has supported diversity in medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Uniformed Services University's (USU's) PBPM program (the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program, EMDP2) to determine how well it prepares its learners for the School of Medicine (SOM). MATERIALS AND METHODS The National Board of Medical Examiners Clinical Science Subject Examination scores of EMDP2 learners from the SOM classes of 2020-2023 were compared to those of four similarly sized cohorts of their peers that varied by age and prior military service. RESULTS We found that the performance of program graduates was comparable to their peers who followed more traditional and other alternative preparatory paths. CONCLUSIONS The EMDP2 appears to prepare medical students on a par with their non-EMDP2 peers. The EMDP2 contributes to USU's commitment to train physicians who represent the nation and its citizens by making medical education available to enlisted service members, a population that closely mirrors the diversity of the nation.
The Blue Stuff or the Brown Stuff

Sanitation and biosecurity involve not only preventive practices to reduce potential exposure of cattle to disease, but also cleaning and disinfection of items and areas that can transmit or harbor disease agents. Important to understand are the types of different cleaning and disinfectant chemicals and the kinds of disease agents they are effective against. The purpose of this article is to provide bovine veterinarians and technicians with guidelines for use of cleaning and disinfectant products.
Validation of spline modeling for calculation of electron insert factors for varian linear accelerators.

There are several methods available in the literature for predicting the insert factor for clinical electron beams. The purpose of this work was to build on a previously published technique that uses a bivariate spline model generated from elliptically parameterized empirical measurements. The technique has been previously validated for Elekta linear accelerators for limited clinical electron setups. The same model is applied to Varian machines to test its efficacy for use with these linear accelerators. Insert factors for specifically designed elliptical cutouts were measured to create spline models for 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV electron energies for four different cone sizes at source-to-surface distances (SSD) of 100, 105, and 110 cm. Insert factor validation measurements of patient cutouts and clinical standard cutouts were acquired to compare to model predictions. Agreement between predicted insert factors and validation measurements averaged 0.8% over all energies, cones, and clinical SSDs, with an uncertainty of 0.6% (1SD), and maximum deviation of 2.1%. The model demonstrated accurate predictions of insert factors using the minimum required amount of input data for small cones, with more input measurements required for larger cones. The results of this study provide expanded validation of this technique to predict insert factors for all energies, cones, and SSDs that would be used in most clinical situations. This level of accuracy and the ease of creating the model necessary for the insert factor predictions demonstrate its acceptability to use clinically for Varian machines.
Thermomechanical Examination of Fabric Composed of Synthetic Polymers

As the variety of synthetic fibers increases and their use continues to grow the forensic scientist is faced more and more with the problem of identifying them. The work is generally difficult because the available clue samples are usually very small. Fibers found in car headlights after a hit-and-run injury to a pedestrian or under fingernails after a violent crime may consist of only a single filament not more than 1 cm long. Such clues do not provide adequate amounts of material for standard microchemical analysis methods. Moreover, the chemical compositions are very similar within a given class of fibers, such as the nylons, although the fibers within that class frequently differ in mechanical properties as a result of intentional modifications of the fiber-manufacturing processes [1,2]. Consequently, infrared spectrophotometry and pyrolysis gas chromatography produce similar spectra from various nylons, although the nylons differ in mechanical properties.
Increased expression of Galpha(q/11) and of phospholipase-Cbeta1/4 in differentiated human NT2-N neurons: enhancement of phosphoinositide hydrolysis.

The CNS is enriched in phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) and in the G proteins linked to its activation. Although the regional distributions of these signaling components within the brain have been determined, neither their cell type-specific localizations (i.e., neuronal versus glial) nor the functional significance of their high expression has been definitively established. In this study, we have examined the expression of phosphoinositide signaling proteins in human NT2-N cells, a well characterized model system for CNS neurons. Retinoic acid-mediated differentiation of NT2 precursor cells to the neuronal phenotype resulted in five- to 15-fold increases in the expression of PLC-beta1, PLC-beta4, and Galpha(q/11) (the prime G protein activator of these isozymes). In contrast, the expression of PLC-beta3 and PLC-gamma1 was markedly reduced following neuronal differentiation. Similar alterations in cell morphology and in the expression of PLC-beta1, PLC-beta3, and Galpha(q/11) expression were observed when NT2 cells were differentiated with berberine, a compound structurally unrelated to retinoic acid. NT2-N neurons exhibited a significantly higher rate of phosphoinositide hydrolysis than NT2 precursor cells in response to direct activation of either G proteins or PLC. These results indicate that neuronal differentiation of NT2 cells is associated with dramatic changes in the expression of proteins of the phosphoinositide signaling system and that, accordingly, differentiated NT2-N neurons possess an increased ability to hydrolyze inositol lipids.
Subsidence Crack Closure: Rate, Magnitude, and Sequence

Tension cracks are a major disturbance resulting from subsidence and differential settlement above underground coal mines. Recent engineering studies of subsidence indicate that cracks may close where tensile stresses causing the cracks are reduced or relaxed. This stress reduction occurs as mining in the area is completed. Crack closure was confirmed by a study in the Wasatch Plateau coal field of central Utah. Cracks occurred in both exposed bedrock and regolith in an area with maximum subsidence of 3 m. Mean closure rate was 0.3 cm per week with individual crack closure rates between 0.2 cm and 1.0 cm per week. The mean crack closure magnitude was 80% with closure magnitudes varying between 31% and 100%. Actual magnitude values ranged from 0.6 cm to 6.5 cm with a mean value of 3.8 cm. Statistical analysis compared width change status among cracks over time. It was found that: 1) a 41% probability existed that a crack would exhibit decreasing width per weekly measurement, 2) closure state sequences seem random over time, and 3) real differences in closure state sequence existed among different cracks.
Boundary layer analysis in the homogenization of neutron transport equations in a cubic domain

The homogenization of neutron transport source problems in a finite domain with periodic structure is considered. It is known that the solution of such problems can be factored asymptotically as the product of two terms. The first one gives the local behavior of the neutron transport and is a solution of a periodic transport equation. The second term contains the large scale fluctuations of the neutron density and is a solution of a homogeneous diffusion equation in finite domain. In this paper we present a detailed analysis of the first-order correction to the expansion that accounts for the neutron leakage at the boundary of the domain. We study a multi-dimensional boundary layer equation by considering half-space problems with heterogeneous boundary conditions and exponentially decaying source terms. Modified boundary conditions are then obtained for the homogeneous diffusion equation.
Novel hydrocarbon monooxygenase genes in the metatranscriptome of a natural deep-sea hydrocarbon plume.

Summary Particulate membrane-associated hydrocarbon monooxygenases (pHMOs) are critical components of the aerobic degradation pathway for low molecular weight hydrocarbons, including the potent greenhouse gas methane. Here, we analysed pHMO gene diversity in metagenomes and metatranscriptomes of hydrocarbon-rich hydrothermal plumes in the Guaymas Basin (GB) and nearby background waters in the deep Gulf of California. Seven distinct phylogenetic groups of pHMO were present and transcriptionally active in both plume and background waters, including several that are undetectable with currently available polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. The seven groups of pHMOs included those related to a putative ethane oxidizing Methylococcaceae-like group, a group of the SAR324 Deltaproteobacteria, three deep-sea clades (Deep sea-1/symbiont-like, Deep sea-2/PS-80 and Deep sea-3/OPU3) within gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs, one clade related to Group Z and one unknown group. Differential abundance of pHMO gene transcripts in plume and background suggests niche differentiation between groups. Corresponding 16S rRNA genes reflected similar phylogenetic and transcriptomic abundance trends. The novelty of transcriptionally active pHMOs we recovered from a hydrocarbon-rich hydrothermal plume suggests there are significant gaps in our knowledge of the diversity and function of these enzymes in the environment.
Molecular population genetics of female-expressed mating-induced serine proteases in Drosophila melanogaster

Population genetic analyses have shown that directional selection causes amino acid substitution in several seminal fluid proteins (Acps) and that in general, Acps tend to diverge rapidly. If rapid, adaptive divergence of such male reproduction-related genes is driven by sexual conflict, we might also expect to observe rapid, adaptive evolution in female reproduction-related genes, especially those mediating conflicts between the sexes. Female expressed genes differentially expressed shortly after mating were recently identified using whole genome expression micro-arrays. Such genes may play roles in storing sperm and mediating effects of seminal fluid proteins. Here, we report the results of a molecular population genetic survey from five female reproductive tract expressed serine proteases that show increased transcription shortly after mating. These genes are evolving rapidly, in some cases under directional selection, consistent with models of conflict.