cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A tracer investigation of obligatory oxidative amino acid losses in healthy, young adults

Background: Estimation of the minimum requirement for indispensable amino acids (IAAs) has been attempted by assuming that obligatory oxidative losses (OOLs) of IAAs can be approximated from nitrogen losses and that the efficiency of utilization of IAAs at requirement intakes is 70%. Objective: We wished to determine the rates of OOLs in healthy adults, using L-[1- 13 C]leucine and L-[1- 13 C, methyl- 2 H 3 ]methionine as tracers, after adjustment to a protein-free diet and how these rates compare with those when either sulfur amino acids (SAAs: methionine and cyst(e)ine) or leucine were removed from an otherwise adequate diet. Design: Eleven subjects were randomly assigned to a 5-d protein-free diet or a 5-d diet providing adequate nitrogen and amino acids except for the SAAs or leucine. A 24-h constant intravenous infusion of [ 15 N, 15 N]urea and L-[1- 13 C]leucine (Leu group; n = 5) or L-[1- 13 C, methyl- 2 H 3 ]methionine (Met group; n = 6 ) began at 1800 on day 5 and rates of amino acid oxidation were determined. Results: Mean (±SD) oxidation rates (mg.kg -1 .d -1 ) of methionine and leucine were 6.4 ± 1.4 and 24.7 ± 3.6, respectively, with the protein-free diet; rates were significantly lower (3.9 ± 2.2 and 7.2 ± 3.4, respectively) after the SAA- and leucine-free diets. Urea production was significantly lower (P < 0.01) with the protein-free than with the SAA- or leucine-free diet. Conclusions: Isotopically determined OOLs for methionine and leucine are consistent with losses predicted from nitrogen excretion, and consistent with our previous measurements of cysteine oxidation as an index of total SAA losses. The data further support our earlier conclusions regarding methionine sparing by cysteine and tentative recommended SAA requirements in adults.
The relationship between coastal plain pond vegetation and environment at local and broad spatial scales

Abstract Coastal plain ponds support many plant species that have been designated as threatened due to human alteration of the hydrology and nutrient availability. Understanding how these species respond to environmental gradients at multiple spatial scales can support conservation efforts. I examined the relationship between plant species composition and environmental variables that operate at two spatial scales: within (local-scale) and among (broad-scale) 18 coastal plain ponds on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Patterns in species composition occurred at both local and broad scales. Elevation along the water-depth gradient was the only local factor strongly correlated with species composition. Significant broad-scale environmental factors included surficial geology, hydrology, and specific conductance of pond water. Overall patterns in vegetation species composition and abundance were more closely related to broad-scale environmental variables than to local environmental variables, sug...
Barriers to adolescent prenatal care.

Abstract It is estimated that over one-half of all adolescent mothers receive inadequate prenatal care. Our objectives were to explore the barriers to care as perceived by adolescents and to develop a model to identify adolescents at risk for inadequate care. Structured interviews were conducted with 101 adolescents less than 17 years of age who delivered infants at an urban university hospital between September 1988 and January 1989. All the interviews were conducted within 48 hr of delivery by a single investigator. The Maternal Health Services Index was used to divide subjects into those who received inadequate care (Group 1, n = 37) and those who received intermediate or adequate care (Group 2, n = 64). Both groups were predominantly black (99%), poor (mean Hollingshead score=2), and unmarried (99%). Groups 1 and 2 differed ( p
Welcome to the Educational Pearls Column

Education matters. The lack of education on functional programming languages and techniques is visible on a daily basis. Our students, co-workers, friends, and colleagues just don't know enough about these ideas and therefore often fail to implement the best possible solutions for their programming problems.The purpose of Educational Pearls is to address the education problem of our community from many different angles. It will include contributions on curricula issues, educational software support, and educational experiences. They will help teachers, professors, researchers, and software developers to promote functional programming languages and techniques in their respective contexts.
TIME SERIES ANALYSIS: NONSTATIONARY AND NONINVERTIBLE DISTRIBUTION THEORY: by Katsuto Tanaka, John Wiley and Sons, 1996

Professor Tanaka has written a useful and unique book. Despite the main part of the title, the book does not seek to be a generalist work but rather has specific goals in mind and is focused on a single aspect of the large area of time series. This is not a criticism; there have been a large number of books that provide overviews of the field or components (Banerjee, Dolado, Galbraith, and Hendry, 1993; Hamilton, 1994; Hatanaka, 1996; Fuller, 1996). In directing his attention at a single subtopic, Tanaka has been able to do an excellent job of both covering the area in enough detail for the reader to obtain a solid foundation as a user of and potential contributor to this field and also to take time to include an extensive development of the basic skills necessary for the reader to understand the material at this level.
Extraction, Allocation, and the Rise and Decline of States A Simulation Analysis of Two-Level Security Management

Using realist models of international politics that deemphasize the two-level security game that states play, most analyses of hegemonic decline argue that decline is caused by the differential growth of power between hegemons and challenging states. The authors argue that decline is affected highly by states' resource extraction and allocation decisions, and that the international and domestic consequences of these decisions must be analyzed. A model of how states respond to external and internal security threats is outlined and analyzed via computer simulation. The authors find that states are likely to decline if they overemphasize increasing capabilities to deter threats instead of allocating resources to reduce opponents' willingness to attack. In addition, a more “dovish” allocation strategy can be very effective against internal threats. Thus the decline of hegemons and rise of challengers is determined as much by strategies as by constraints posed by the system structure.
What and when to “want”? Amygdala-based focusing of incentive salience upon sugar and sex

Rationale Amygdala-related circuitry helps translate learned Pavlovian associations into appetitive and aversive motivation, especially upon subsequent encounters with cues.
Growth of Complex Oxide Single Crystals from Fluoride Melts

Single crystals of a barium magnesium tantalate, a lead tantalate, calcium niobate, and potassium germanate were synthesized by the reactions of oxides and fluorides at high temperatures. The technique is very much like the flux method, except that some of the fluoride cations combine chemically with the oxide nutrients. Starting compositions and conditions for growth are given. The most probable reactions were calculated using free energies of formation with known thermo-chemical data for an analogous system. Complex fluoride-forming reactions, hydrolysis reactions, and reactions which form fluorides and oxyfluorides are possible. The reaction products were also studied by X-ray analysis of the single crystal and polycrystalline products. Lattice parameters, space groups, and X-ray powder patterns are presented for the single crystal materials.
The incidence and risk factors for developing depression after being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease: a cohort study.

Summary Background Studies have found that depression is more frequent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than the general population. Clinicians are now trying to pinpoint risk factors for psychological impairment in the IBD population. Aims To examine the demographic and phenotypic variables associated with the development of depression among a diverse cohort of IBD patients. We also sought to describe psychotropic therapy prescribed to IBD patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) without a prior psychiatric diagnosis and followed in the gastroenterology clinics of the private university hospital and public safety net hospital at a large academic centre in Miami (Florida). Predictive variables included demographic characteristics, IBD phenotype, exposure to IBD medications, history of a surgical stoma or seton placement, extra-intestinal manifestations, laboratory indices, aggressive disease and disease activity (based on imaging and endoscopic parameters). Proportional hazard regression models and stepwise Cox regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Independent predictors of depression were female gender [HR: 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1–1.7), P = 0.01], aggressive disease [HR: 1.4 (95% CI: 1.02–1.9), P = 0.03] and active disease [HR: 1.5 (95% CI: 1.1–2.0), P = 0.04]. In the group that did develop a depressive disorder, 65% received pharmacologic therapy with one or more psychotropic agents. Conclusions We found female gender, aggressive disease and increased endoscopic/radiological activity to be independently associated with the development of depression in inflammatory bowel disease.
Fate of viruses in water systems

AbstractThis paper reviews the state of knowledge regarding human viruses in water systems from an environmental engineer's perspective. The authors describe (1) viruses of concern and potential human diseases; (2) waterborne outbreaks related to viruses; (3) the sources, reservoirs, and fate of viruses in the environment; (4) the use of viruses as microbial source tracking tools; (5) virus survival and virus transport; (6) virus concentration and detection methods; (7) the fate of viruses in water treatment; (8) the removal of viruses in full-scale, bench, and pilot-scale conventional and membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater systems; and (9) other issues related to viruses in water systems such as the role of bacterial viruses (phages) and viral risk assessment. Occurrence of human pathogenic viruses in environmental waters (i.e., surface waters, groundwater, drinking water, recreational water, and wastewater) raises concerns regarding the possibility of human exposure and waterborne infections. Commonly...
Concurrent D-algorithm on reconfigurable hardware

In this paper, a new approach for generating test vectors that detects faults in combinational circuits is introduced. The approach is based on automatically designing a circuit which implements the D-algorithm, an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) algorithm, specialized for the combinational circuit. Our approach exploits fine-grain parallelism by performing the following in three clock cycles: direct backward/forward implications, conflict checking, selecting next gate to propagate fault or to justify a line, decisions on gate inputs, loading the state of the circuit after backup. In this paper, we show the feasibility of this approach in terms of speed, and how it compares with software based techniques.
Trends in myocardial infarction secondary prevention: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 1999-2012.

Background Nationally representative data evaluating recent trends and future projections of vascular risk factor treatment and control rates in secondary prevention of ischemic heart disease are sparse. Methods and Results We evaluated sex‐ and race‐stratified cholesterol, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c levels and risk factor treatment and control rates in 1580 individuals who self‐reported a history of myocardial infarction from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999 to 2012. We used weighted linear regression to estimate time trends and created forward linear projections to 2020. Participants were 30% to 41% women, 73% to 85% white, and had a mean age of 63 to 66 years. Cholesterol treatment rates increased and reached above 80% in men and women by 2011–2012, with significant increases in control rates (as then defined) in men to 85% in 2011–2012, with projections to reach 100% by 2020. Cholesterol treatment rates significantly increased in non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics. Statin use increased significantly to 73% of myocardial infarction survivors by 2011–2012, and aspirin use increased significantly but only to 28% by 2011–2012. There were no changes in blood pressure treatment or control rates by sex, and hypertension treatment increased only in non‐Hispanic blacks. Projected hypertension control rates remained suboptimal. Conclusions While temporal trends suggest improvements in cholesterol treatment, unchanged treatment and control of blood pressure and persistently low aspirin use represent missed opportunities. Urgent action is needed to improve secondary prevention rates projected by 2020 to reduce recurrent events in this high‐risk group.
Extensor mechanism repair: A synthetic mesh approach

Complications involving the extensor mechanism have a devastating effect on overall function following a primary or revision total knee arthroplasty. There are intraoperative, postoperative, and patient-related risk factors that can increase the occurrence of this complication. The results of previously described techniques utilizing direct repair, allograft reconstruction, and/or autograft reconstruction have been discouraging. The purpose of this article is to describe a technique utilizing a synthetic mesh for reconstruction of extensor mechanism disruptions after total knee arthroplasty.
A luminescence assay for natural product inhibitors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteasome.

Introduction Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes a large global burden of disease, with a high mortality rate in healthy and immuno-compromised patients. A number of molecular targets have been identified for treatment of this disease, including the Mtb proteasome. The Mtb proteasome enhances Mtb survival during nitrosative and oxidative stress in the latent, non-replicative phase. Therefore, Mtb proteasome inhibition could help to combat Mtb infections that do not respond to current therapies. Objective To develop and validate a novel biochemical assay to assess Mtb proteasome activity in the presence of organic and aqueous plant test extracts. Method Fluorescence (photoluminescence) and luminescence (chemiluminescence) assays were investigated as potential methods to determine the robustness and repeatability for use in screening natural product extracts for Mtb proteasome inhibitors. Results The fluorescence assay, used widely for Mtb proteasome activity assays, was subject to interference due to the natural fluorescence of compounds in many of the extracts; there is little interference with the luminescence approach. As proof of principle, we used the luminescence assay to screen a small set of plant test extracts. Conclusions Luminescence is the more suitable assay for assay of plant natural product extracts. The sensitivities of the luminescence and fluorescence assays are comparable. A Z′-factor of 0.58 for the luminescence assay makes it suitable for medium-to-high throughput screening efforts. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Co-Interpreting Movement With Sensors: Assessing Parkinson’s Patients’ Deep Brain Stimulation Programming

Movement sensors have been touted as providing the next generation of health care through objective measurements that will replace “subjective” health assessments and remove the fallible memory of patients from health decision making. However, assessing the level of disability and assessing the efficacy of treatment are iterative and constructive acts reliant on an alignment of shared perceptions between clinician and patient. The challenge then is to utilize movement sensors as a resource for this co-interpretation as opposed to a replacement. The examples presented in this article are from fieldwork of Parkinson’s patients’ deep brain stimulation programming sessions. We employed a design research study that included observations of the noninstrumented movement assessment in 10 naturally occurring deep brain stimulation clinical programming sessions, design explorations of a sensor for evaluating upper limb movement, and the resulting uptake of the system in the assessment and co-interpretation practices by clinicians and patients through a deployment of this sensor in eight naturally occurring clinical assessments. Our findings highlight how sensors can provide much needed co-interpreted assessment of movement but sensors can also intrude on this process through clinician or sensor authority.
Line Integrals in a Multiply Connected Region

The purpose of this note is to prove, with no demands on topology other than the property that the interior of a sphere is simply connected, the known theorem that conditions (2) below imply the invariance of the line integral (1) in a multiply connected region under deformations leaving the end points fixed, assuming the standard theorem for simply connected regions. A similar result holds for two closed curves, one of which can be deformed into the other. Let P1(x1 x )9 Pn(x1, *x x_) n > 2, be real single-valued functions of class C ' in an open set 1 of x * x7.z space, where R need not be simply connected. A curve xi = xi(t)q i = 1, *..., n, in R will be called admissible if it is of a type for which it has been proved that
The Microprocessor: Business Educator Beware!

(1980). The Microprocessor: Business Educator Beware! The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 55, No. 7, pp. 298-299.
Economic Theories in China, 1979-1988

Preface 1. Introduction and overview 2. The market under socialism 3. Socialism: ownership, state enterprise and planning 4. Strategies of economic development 5. Prices and wages 6. Summaries and conclusions Notes Bibliography.
Multibrand Transition Probabilities as a Function of Explanatory Variables: Estimation by a Least-Squares-Based Approach:

A model is formulated to express the relationship between first-order Markov transition probabilities for a multibrand market and explanatory variables. The author shows that the parameters of the model can be estimated through a proposed restricted weighted least squares procedure. An empirical implementation of the estimation procedure illustrates the structure, goodness of fit, and predictive validity of the proposed model.
Single voltage-dependent potassium channels in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

Single-channel recordings using the gigohm seal patch-clamp technique were carried out on the somatic membranes of dissociated embryonic rat hippocampal neurons grown in cell culture. The recording...
An hypothesis concerning the relationship of syringeal structure to vocal abilities

-Neither the possession of large vocabularies or repertoires nor the ability to learn phonations can be precisely correlated with the structural complexity of a syrinx. Hence, some recent investigators have suggested that avian vocal plasticity arises solely from a neurological shift. A simple syrinx, i.e. one with only extrinsic musculature, is subject to certain constraints, however. Its configuration changes as a unit, and the factors responsible for modulating sounds cannot be independently varied. Thus, the temporal characteristics of sound patterns can be varied easily, but rapid juxtaposition of different modulatory patterns is difficult. Intrinsic musculature permits isolation and independent control of syringeal components and thereby simplifies control of modulations. Syringeal complexity may not be an adaptation (i.e. did not evolve under selection) for plastic vocal behavior, but it is permissive of and probably prerequisite for such behavior. Received 17 November 1982, ac-
Identification of the morphotropic phase boundary in the lead scandium tantalate–lead titanate solid solution system

A morphotropic phase boundary between rhombohedral and tetragonal phase regions has been identified to lie in the composition range x=0.4–0.45 by means of X-ray diffraction, and dielectric, pyroelectric, and piezoelectric measurements. Some curvature to this boundary at high temperatures is indicated in the temperature dependences of the dielectric constants and pyroelectric coefficients of poled specimens.
Cytotoxicity of lipoxygenase inhibitors towards prostate cancer cells in culture

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 5863 Free radicals may play a prominent role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. The lipid oxidation product 12-(S)-hydroxy-(5Z,8Z,10E,14Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-S-HETE), which disrupts normal signal transduction in cells, has been associated with hormone refractory prostate cancer. Prostate cancer cells that overproduce 12-S-HETE are relatively resistant to apoptosis. Therefore inhibitors of 12-lipoxygenase may be useful for eradicating hormone refractory cells. The cytotoxicities of non specific lipoxygenase inhibitors such as nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), coumarin and 4-hydroxycoumarin towards androgen independent human prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU-145 were evaluated using the MTT assay for cell viability. The anthracycline mitoxantrone is used for treating advanced prostate cancer. Therefore the cytotoxicities of the lipoxygenase inhibitors and mitoxantrone were compared. For these studies, attached monolayers of cells were exposed to graded concentrations of NDGA (1 to 20 mM) for either 6 hours or 72 hours, and cell viability was assayed at 72 hours. Cell viability was similar for both 6 and 72 hour treatments with NDGA, suggesting that NDGA was inactivated by metabolism during prolonged exposure to cells. Mitoxantrone toxicity was studied over the micromolar range, whereas the coumarins were tested in the millimolar range. Cell viability decreased to 50, 70, 72 and 64% (relative to control) as a result of 6 hour exposure of PC-3 cells respectively to mitoxantrone (0.1μM), nordihydroguaiaretic acid (20mM), coumarin (1mM) and 4-hydroxycoumarin (1mM). All three lipoxygenase inhibitors were cytotoxic to PC-3 and DU-145 cells, albeit less so than mitoxantrone, which carries some clinical risk of cardiotoxicity. When NDGA (5 mM) was combined with mitoxantrone, it decreased the cytotoxicity of mitoxantrone. Coumarin in the 1 to 5 mM range, was less cytotoxic than 4-hydroxycoumarin towards PC-3 and DU-145 cells after a 6 or 72 hour treatment. The cytotoxicity of coumarin over the 1 to 5 mM range was enhanced when combined with 4-hydroxycoumarin (1 or 5 mM). These results suggest that lipoxygenase inhibitors may have some therapeutic potential without risk of cardiotoxicity. This work was supported in part by grant # DAMD17-03-1-0123 from USMRMC, and grant 2G12 RR003048 from the RCMI program, NCRR/NIH.
Arnoldi-Like Methods for Sparse Generalized Systems

Abstract In this paper, Arnoldi-like methods for sparse generalized systems are studied. An algorithm, based on the Krylov subspace technique, to transform a pair of sparse matrices to a Hessenberg-triangular form is developed. The proposed algorithm may be viewed as the Arnoldi algorithm for matrix quotient E -1 A. To avoid destroying the sparsity of the matrices, the computation of the matrix inverse and matrix product are replaced by the GMRES (generalized minimal residual algorithm for solving sparse systems), Arnoldi iterations and QR decomposition. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to extract minimal order realizations of sparse generalized systems.
Genome of Azotobacter Vinelandii : Counting of Chromosomes by Utilizing Copy Number of a Selectable Genetic Marker

Studies utilizing several physical, biochemical and spectroscopic methods have suggested that Azotobacter vinelandii contains multiple copies (40–80) of its chromosome per cell, whereas genetic analysis indicated that these cells function like haploid cells. To further verify if A. vinelandii indeed contains 40–80 copies of its chromosome per cell, we have developed an ‘in vivo chromosome counting’ technique. The basic principle of this technique is to introduce the same genetic marker on the chromosome and on an extrachromosomal element of known copy number into the bacterium. The copy number of the chromosome can be determined by comparing the intensity of the hybridization signal generated by the DNA fragment carrying the chromosomal marker with that of the extrachromosomal marker when the total DNA isolated from this strain is hybridized with a probe made of the same genetic marker DNA. To do this we used an A. vinelandii BG102 strain which carries a kanamycin resistance marker gene integrated into the nifY locus on its chromosome(s). The plasmids pRK293 and pKT230, which can replicate in A. vinelandii and carry the kanamycin resistance gene (similar to the one present on the chromosome of A. vinelandii BG102), served as the extrachromosomal elements with known copy number. Southern blotting and hybridization analysis of the total DNA, isolated from A. vinelandii BG102 containing these plasmids, with a probe made of the kanamycin resistance gene clearly indicated that the copy number of A. vinelandii chromosome is slightly lower than the copy number of the low-copy plasmid pRK293 and about 21-fold lower than the copy number of the high copy plasmid pKT230. We believe that this ‘In vivo chromosome counting’ technique can be used for determination of the copy number of the chromosome in other cells with appropriate modifications in the nature of the extrachromosomal element and the genetic marker.
Advanced FDSOI design: The U-channel device for 7nm node and beyond

Planar ultra-thin body and box (UTBB1–3) fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) devices have many advantages for future low-cost energy-efficient applications. However, process steps for scaling to ultra-thin FDSOI devices can be difficult to control, and extrinsic resistance can hinder any performance improvement. In this paper, we present a novel planar U-channel UTBB FDSOI device that can alleviate these problems.
Approaching Regulatory Approval of Cardiovascular Regenerative Therapy

> For the race is not always to the swift …. > > —Aesop (600–564 BC) After 25 years of research and well over a decade after the first randomized blinded clinical trials suggested benefit of stem cell therapy on cardiac performance, the field seems no closer to clinical approval of a product, and skepticism exists about the viability of the idea that myocardial regeneration can be effected. What has kept the field from crossing the finish line of clinical approval and is the goal in site? From a regulatory perspective, the efficacy and safety of regenerative approaches remain unproven.1 Despite significant expenditures of time and funding, definitive adequately powered trials have yet to be completed. Many of the challenges in the field of myocardial regeneration reflect obstacles in cardiovascular drug development as a whole. Improvements in the treatment of cardiovascular disease have resulted in dramatic reductions in cardiovascular mortality and have extended the life span of patients with cardiovascular disease but have also resulted in an increased prevalence of chronic conditions like congestive heart failure and refractory angina. These improvements in care have paradoxically increased the burden of disease and need for new therapies while exponentially increasing the number of patients required to demonstrate effectiveness. Recent estimates indicate that the cost of bringing a new drug to market increased from $140 million in the 1970s to >$2.5 billion in 2014 and tripled in the past decade alone.2 The implications of this can be seen in an example from the field of heart failure: although the CONSENSUS (Cooperative North Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study; published in 1987) proved a mortality benefit of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition after following up 253 patients for 6 months, the benefit of sacubitril/valsartan in 2014 required enrollment of >8000 patients and 27-month follow-up to demonstrate an effect on …
Promoting Positive Early Parent-Infant Relationships Through Interaction Guidance

This article describes the interaction guidance treatment approach and provides the reader with a conceptual framework for understanding and treating the early parent-infant caregiving relationship using this therapeutic model. Clinical case vignettes are presented to illustrate how the interaction guidance therapist engages the family in a therapeutic alliance and how the treatment process evolves through the strength of the family-therapist relationship. The narrative also specifies some of the challenges and opportunities facing clinicians who treat early parent-infant relationship problems within the caregiving context.
Embracing Uncertainty: Complexity-Inspired Innovations at Billings Clinic

Nancy Iversen is a former critical care nurse and one of the leaders in the battle against emerging infections at Billings Clinic. She is also a marathon runner whose practiced physical endurance is applied professionally as well.
Sensor fusion techniques for predicting thunderstorm evolution using lightning and radar networks

A pattern recognition scheme that is used to generate initial seeds or 'first guess' fields for clustering the discrete lightning discharges into storm cells is presented. The clustering process is critically dependent on the prior accuracy of the lightning location estimates. The generation of subsequent storm life-cycle time series (for extrapolation forecasting) also relies on the cluster analysis procedure assigning the correct number of lightning discharges (objects) to the proper storms (groups). The advantages and limitations of different clustering strategies for storm identification and tracking are examined. Storm identification with lightning data alone is compared to storm identification with radar alone, and some synergies for sensor fusion are explored.
New Challenges for a Core Procedure: Development of a Faculty Workshop for Skills Maintenance for Abdominal Hysterectomy.

Objective To describe the development of a low-cost educational module for OB/GYN faculty skills maintenance for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), a low frequency core procedure in obstetrics and gynecology. Design After review of existing educational tools and utilization of a modified Delphi method to establish consensus regarding key procedural components for skills maintenance, a 2-hour workshop was developed to review knowledge and participate in a simulation focused on the critical steps in performing TAH. An expert in TAH delivered a lecture highlighting important surgical considerations. Participants then rotated through simulation stations for critical steps in TAH: dissecting the bladder, identifying the ureter, and closing the cuff. Knowledge gains were assessed with a written pre- and posttest. Consecutive focus groups were conducted with participants on effectiveness of the workshop, and suggestions for improvement. Ideas identified in the first focus group were incorporated into the second workshop. Setting Massachusetts General Hospital, an academic tertiary care facility with a single Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty group, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Participants Eligible participants were recruited via email from full time specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Of the 25 eligible gynecology faculty subjects, 22 participated (88%). Results On pre or post-test comparison, 70% of participants scored higher on the posttest, demonstrating an increase in knowledge of critical TAH surgical steps. Focus group analyses identified the need for increased review and training demonstrations of TAH, and recommended continued offering of the workshop. Conclusions Based on focus group responses and pre or posttest comparisons, the workshop was deemed feasible and enhanced short-term learning. Future directions include utilizing more challenging anatomic models and simulation scenarios and optimizing integration of expert demonstration and individualized coaching, as well as identifying regionally tailored surgical workshop programming.
School Personnel Knowledge and Perceived Skills in Diabetic Emergencies in Georgia Public Schools.

Diabetes affects tens of thousands of school-aged children in the United States. The ability to appropriately manage their diabetes is essential to preventing life-threatening health complications ...
Scrotal Hydrocele in Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a common diagnosis. Although extremely rare, extravasated pancreatic fluid has the potential to third space into the peritoneal cavity or retroperitoneal space. We report the case of a 33-year-old male with idiopathic subacute pancreatitis who developed acute scrotal pain and swelling. Computer tomography of the abdomen/pelvis revealed tracking of peritoneal fluid into the scrotum consistent with a pancreatic hydrocele, confirmed by ultrasound. He was taken to the operating room for exploration and evacuation of the scrotal hydrocele. This case highlights the importance of active surveillance for the potential development of a scrotal hydrocele in acute pancreatitis.
On Symmetries, Reachability and Controllability of Nonlinear Systems

This paper discusses the reachability and the controllability of symmetric and generalized symmetric systems.It is shown that if a generalized symmetric system is controllable on a neighborhood of a point,then the system is controllable on some open set which includes the group action-orbit at the point.With generalized symmetries an approach to calculate control laws is given in principle.A sufficient and necessary condition of controllability for symmetric systems is also presented in this paper.
Examining the limits of memory-guided planning in 3- and 4-year olds

Abstract Stored memories may be drawn upon when accomplishing goals. In two experiments, we investigated limits on the ability to use episodic memories to support planning in 3- and 4-year-old children. We designed a new memory-guided planning task that required children to both retrieve memories and apply those memories to accomplish multiple, nested goals. We manipulated the difficulty of the task by varying the number of steps required to achieve the goals, and examined the impact of this manipulation on both memory retrieval and planning. We found that, overall, 4-year-olds outperformed 3-year-olds, but as task difficulty increased, all children made more errors. Analysis of these errors suggested that retrieval and planning processes might impose separate limits on memory-guided planning in early childhood, but that these limits may ease across early childhood.
Microbe–MUC1 Crosstalk in Cancer-Associated Infections

Infection-associated cancers account for ∼20% of all malignancies. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying infection-associated malignancies may help in developing diagnostic biomarkers and preventative vaccines against malignancy. During infection, invading microbes interact with host mucins lining the glandular epithelial cells and trigger inflammation. MUC1 is a transmembrane mucin glycoprotein that is present on the surface of almost all epithelial cells, and is known to interact with invading microbes. This interaction can trigger pro- or anti-inflammatory responses depending on the microbe and the cell type. In this review we summarize the mechanisms of microbe and MUC1 interactions, and highlight how MUC1 plays contrasting roles in different cells. We also share perspectives on future research that may support clinical advances in infection-associated cancers.
How an Energy Drink Affects Planarians: A High School Investigation.

Many students consume energy drinks without knowing or thinking about the adverse side effects. The purpose of this article is to share student procedures and results after testing the effects of a...
COVID en Español: Reflections of a trauma therapist serving Spanish-speaking Latinx survivors of violence

In this reflexive essay I share my experiences as a trauma-focused psychotherapist serving Spanish-speaking Latinx survivors of violence in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Successes and challenges of working with this population during the pandemic are highlighted and connected to broader realities in the mental health field. Vicarious trauma is presented from the lens of a practitioner who shares a similar background to the population served.
Epistatic interactions drive biased gene retention in the face of massive nuclear introgression

Phylogenomic analyses are recovering previously hidden histories of hybridization, revealing the genomic consequences of these events on the architecture of extant genomes. We exploit a suite of genomic resources to show that introgressive hybridization occurred between close relatives of Arabidopsis, impacting our understanding of species relationships in the group. We show that cytonuclear discordance arose via massive nuclear, rather than cytoplasmic, introgression. We develop a divergence-based test to distinguish donor from recipient lineages and find that selection against epistatic incompatibilities acted to preserve alleles of the recipient lineage, while neutral processes also contributed to genome composition through the retention of ancient haplotype blocks.
Prognostic impact of chemoradiation-related lymphopenia in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

439Background: Chemoradiation (CRT) induced lymphopenia is common and associated with poorer survival in multiple solid malignancies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impa...
Recombination and low-diversity confound homoplasy-based methods to detect the effect of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on viral transmissibility

The SARS-CoV-2 variant carrying the Spike protein mutation G614 was first detected in late January 2020 and within a few months became the dominant form globally. In the months that followed, many studies, both in vitro and in animal models, showed that variants carrying this mutation were more infectious and more readily transmitted than the ancestral Wuhan form. Here we investigate why a recently published study by van Dorp et al. failed to detect such higher transmissibility of the G614 variant using homoplasy-based methods. We show that both low diversity and recombination confound the methods utilized by van Dorp et al. and significantly decrease their sensitivity. Furthermore, though they claim no evidence of recombination in their dataset, we and several other studies identify a subset of the sequences as recombinants, possibly enough to affect their statistic adversely.
A Dynamic Program for a Team of Two Agents with Nested Information.

In this paper, we investigate a sequential dynamic team problem consisting of two agents with a nested information structure. We use a combination of the person-by-person and prescription approach to derive structural results for optimal control strategies for the team. We then use these structural results to present a dynamic programming (DP) decomposition to derive the optimal control strategies for a finite time horizon. We show that our DP utilizes the nested information structure to simplify the computation of the optimal control laws for the team at the final time step.
Validating a partial-credit scoring approach for multiple-choice science items: an application of fundamental ideas in science

This study provides a partial-credit scoring (PCS) approach to awarding students’ performance on multiple-choice items in science education. The approach is built on fundamental ideas, the critical...
A 1 mW 0.1-3 GHz Cryogenic SiGe LNA with an Average Noise Temperature of 4.6 K

A 0.1-3 GHz integrated cryogenic LNA exploiting SiGe HBT has been designed and implemented. The cryogenic performance of the HBT technology is investigated and a bias dependent small-signal noise model is extracted. An amplifier achieving a 4.6 K average noise temperature and 30.5 dB average gain over the desired frequency band is designed and measured at a physical temperature of 15 K. The amplifier consumes just 1 mW of dc power, which is about an order of magnitude lower than previous broadband SiGe cryogenic LNAs.
The use and extended lifetimes of microfurnaces for thermogravimetry: Part I. Construction, application, and cleaning

Abstract The role and application of microfurnace technology in modern thermogravimetry are discussed. The construction and advantages and disadvantages of such microfurnaces are presented. All the microfurnaces considered are commercial platinum-wound ceramic mandrels which have been coated with an alumina-based ceramic material by a special flame spray mechanism. Methodology for extending the lifetime of such furnaces through proper cleaning procedures is also given.
Quantitation of Nucleic Acids with Absorption Spectroscopy

This appendix describes a protocol for measuring absorption of nucleic acid samples at several different wavelengths to assess purity and concentration. A(260) measurements are quantitative for relatively pure nucleic acid preparations in microgram quantities. Absorbance readings cannot discriminate between DNA and RNA; however, the ratio of A at 260 and 280 nm can be used as an indicator of nucleic acid purity.
Collections of Objects in SQL3

SQL3 generalizes the relational model into an object model offering abstract data types, multiple inheritance, and dynamic polymorphism. Tables may then contain collections (multisets) of objects, and sets and lists are defined as closely related collection types. By specifying an SQL-Table type template to correspond to the existing Table concept, it is possible to treat sets and lists as subtypes of tables that inherit the behavior (and SQL syntax) for tables, while adding their own specializations. The SQL set-at-a-time data manipulation kanguage can then be applied to collections of objects, i.e. tables in which each row is an object.
Energy-efficiency research, development and demonstration: New roles for US states

Abstract At least eight states have established energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) programmes. In contrast to federal and utility energy RD&D, most states emphasize applied research on end-use efficiency and renewable energy. States also try to closely link research and technology deployment, in some cases deliberately blurring the line between the two. The states discussed in this paper spend about US$39 million per year for energy RD&D, or one-fifth of the US Department of Energy (DOE) budget for conservation and renewable energy RD&D. When indexed per capita or per energy dollar, the average rate of state RD&D spending on conservation and renewables is about 65–75% that of the US DOE.
Role of Complement During Experimental Candida Infection in Mice

The role of complement during experimental Candida albicans infection was investigated in mice. It was found that complement-positive CF-1 mice, infected with the test organism, survived significantly longer than complement-deficient mice of the same strain. This implies the participation of the relatively late acting complement component in host defense mechanisms directed against this systemic mycotic infection.
The ability of pseudorabies virus to grow in different hosts is affected by the duplication and translocation of sequences from the left end of the genome to the UL-US junction

Pseudorabies virus is a herpesvirus which has a class 2 genome. However, under certain growth conditions it acquires a genome with class 3-like characteristics. In these variants, the leftmost sequences of the long (L) component of the viral genome have been duplicated and translocated to the right of the L component next to the short (S) component, resulting in an L component that is bracketed by inverted repeats. Consequently, the L component can invert and is found in two orientations relative to the S component. The translocation is accompanied invariably by a deletion of sequences that are normally present in the wild-type genome at the right end of the L component. The virion variants with an invertible L component have a growth advantage over wild-type virus in chicken embryo fibroblasts and chickens; they also have a growth disadvantage in mice or rabbit kidney cells. The changed growth characteristics of the variants reside entirely in the changed structure of the junction between the S and L components. Replacement of that region of the DNA with wild-type sequences restores the wild-type phenotype. To determine whether the modified growth characteristics of the variants are related to the translocation or to the deletion, mutants that have a deletion or that have a deletion as well as a translocation similar to those observed in the variants were constructed, and the growth characteristics of these mutants were determined. We show that the modified growth characteristics of the mutants with an invertible L component can be attributed to the translocation of the leftmost terminal sequences of the genome next to the inverted repeat; they are not related to the deletion of the sequences normally present at the right end of the L component. The translocation of the leftmost 325 bp of the genome is sufficient to confer upon the virus the modified cell-type-specific growth characteristics. Furthermore, the modified growth characteristics are contingent upon the presence of 68 bp spanning the internal junction between the L and S components.
Phosphoinositide Recognition Domains

Domains or modules known to bind phosphoinositides have increased dramatically in number over the past few years, and are found in proteins involved in intracellular trafficking, cellular signaling, and cytoskeletal remodeling. Analysis of lipid binding by these domains and its structural basis has provided significant insight into the mechanism of membrane recruitment by the different cellular phosphoinositides. Domains that target only the rare (3-phosphorylated) phosphoinositides must bind with very high affinity, and with exquisite specificity. This is achieved solely by headgroup interactions in the case of certain pleckstrin homology (PH) domains [which bind PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and/or PtdIns(3,4)P2], but requires an additional membrane-insertion and/or oligomerization component in the case of the PtdIns(3)P-targeting phox homology (PX) and FYVE domains. Domains that target PtdIns(4,5)P2, which is more abundant by some 25-fold, do not require the same stringent affinity and specificity characteristics, and tend to be more diverse in structure. The mode of phosphoinositide binding by different domains also appears to reflect their distinct functions. For example, pleckstrin homology domains that serve as simple targeting domains recognize only phosphoinositide headgroups. By contrast, certain other domains, notably the epsin ENTH domain, appear to promote bilayer curvature by inserting into the membrane upon binding.
The loss of location privacy in the cellular age

How to have the best of location-based services while avoiding the growing threat to personal privacy.