cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Book Reviews/Dialogue

AbstractIn Going against the Grain: Supporting the Student-Centered Teacher, Aaronsohn portrays many of the difficulties faced when teachers try to “go against the grain” in institutions of public education. In this instance, “going against the grain” refers to implementing constructivist curricula in a high school English class, where most of the school’s faculty did not support or approve of these types of curricular strategies. This study documents the ways Sheila, a beginning teacher, developed her own pedagogical philosophy during her first two years of teaching and how Aaronsohn supported Sheila in that pursuit. The goal of this critique is to argue for the importance of clarifying theoretical approaches and positionalities when working to “go against the grain.” Aaronsohn does not offer a clear theoretical framework underlying the methodology and pedagogical techniques employed by Sheila. Furthermore, Aaronsohn discusses issues related to social agency and empowerment without introspection into her...
Respiratory Disease in Adult Cattle

This article discusses the nomenclature of respiratory disease, acute respiratory distress syndromes, hypersensitivity diseases, chronic respiratory disease, and the differential diagnosis of respiratory disease.
The effect of ambient temperature and energy level on reproduction in Red-Legged partridges.

Abstract The effects of temperature and dietary energy on various reproductive parameters were studied in Red-Legged partridges (Alectoris graeca) reared in three environmental chambers at either 18.3, 23.9, or 29.5 C. These birds were then cycled through two consecutive production periods. In Period 1, at 38 weeks of age, the birds in each chamber, 118 pair total, were divided into four subgroups and fed a diet containing either 2600, 2800, 3000, or 3200 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy. The energy to protein ratio was held constant at 186. In Period 2, at 63 weeks of age, chambers with the lowest and highest temperatures were changed from 18.3 to 15.6 C and 29.5 to 32.2 C, respectively. Only the lowest and highest energy diets were used. In both periods, the birds kept at higher temperatures and fed the high energy diets consumed significantly less feed (P The best performance, as measured by salable chicks produced per hen, was obtained in the group kept under a constant temperature of 23. 9 C and fed the high energy diet (3200 kcal/kg).
Cardiac Muscle Models An Overextension of Series Elasticity

Quick-stretch and quick-release experiments were performed on right ventricular cat papillary muscles to test the applicability of the Hill model to cardiac mechanics. Series elastic component (SEC) force-length curves were calculated from stretches and releases carried out at various times during the contractile cycle. At any SEC force, the SEC elastic modulus depended on the time during the contractile cycle at which it was measured. When measured at the same time and at the same SEC force, elastic moduli obtained by releases of less than 1% of muscle length differed from those obtained by corresponding stretches. Larger stretches, in fact, appeared to yield negative elastic moduli. Thus, a unique SEC modulus could not be identified at any level of SEC force. It is concluded that the concept of the SEC as a passive elasticity appears unsatisfactory and, as a consequence, that the quantitative validity of the Hill model for cardiac muscle is questionable. Moreover, since an anatomical counterpart of the SEC has not been identified, the Hill model also appears unsatisfactory from a structural point of view.
Some factors influencing the hydrolysis of benzoyl-1-arginine ethyl ester by human plasma.

SummaryThe hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate BAEE (Benzoyl-1-arginine ethyl ester) by proteolytic enzymes present in plasma is increased by heparin and its synthetic analogue, Mepesulfate. This action of heparin and Mepesulfate is not produced by the calcium binding anticoagulant, potassium oxalate. The hydrolysis of BAEE by plasma is also catalyzed by glass contact resulting in values which are higher and statistically different from those obtained when the reaction is carried out in polyethylene tubes. The implications of these results and possible mechanisms for these findings are considered.
Recombination and segregation of resistance and auxotrophic characters in crosses of nocardia species (mycobacterium rhodochrous [overbeck] Gordon a. Mihm)

Nocardial recombination appears to be controlled by multiple mating factors of unknown characteristics. A single linear linkage group is indicated by studies of the segregation of unselected characters. In this single linkage group are all of the auxotrophic and resistance characters investigated to the present time. Because of the close relationship between the mycobacteria and nocardiae, it seems likely that similar hereditary control exists in the mycobacteria and can be studied by similar means.
Oviposition Preference and Host Recognition by the Black Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.), preferred to oviposit in containers with Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata Siebold and Zuccarini, cv. Densa, foliage over 10 other plant species when given alternating 5- or 7-d exposures. Host experience of larvae or prereproductive adults generally had no effect on their overall preference for Taxus. Weevils did not differentiate between pairs of most nonhosts but exhibited some preference for strawberry, Fragaria ananassa Duchesne. Females had to contact Taxus foliage to be stimulated to oviposit. Antennectomized weevils were able to differentiate between Taxus and Ilex crenata compacta Thunberg foliage, but they laid a greater proportion of their eggs on Ilex than intact weevils. It is suggested that T. cuspidata and possibly strawberry foliage contain an oviposition stimulant for the black vine weevil which is perceived only by contact or feeding.
Cornelius Becker Philip 1900–1987

Cornelius Becker Philip, a distinguished medical entomologist and world authority on Tabanidae, died at his home in San Francisco, Jan. 8, 1987. His death followed an illness of several months.
Xanthene Dye-sensitized Photooxidation in the Black Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis richteri

Lethal dye-sensitized photooxidation reactions in the black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri (Forel), have been defined as a function of whole body concentrations of a series of xanthene dyes. Log probit analysis of mortality data has allowed calculation of LD50 values of 1.1×10−3M for dietary levels and 2.3×10−7 moles/ gm wet weight for whole body concentrations of rose bengal in ants illuminated with 3800 μW/cm2 light for 4 h. Comparative LT50 values were calculated for the xanthene dye series and related to whole body dye concentrations.
Antigenic determinant in human coagulation factor IX: immunological screening and DNA sequence analysis of recombinant phage map a monoclonal antibody to residues 111 through 132 of the zymogen

As an approach to the study of structure-function relationships in the normal and defective forms of human coagulation factor IX, we have begun to develop a series of monoclonal antibodies against specific sites on the protein. Zymogen and activated forms of normal factor IX were used initially as antigen for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies. Recombinant phage were prepared by cloning small (50- to 500-nucleotide) random DNA fragments from the coding region of a factor IX cDNA clone into the expression vector lambda gt11. Immunological screening of these recombinants with mixtures of monoclonal antibodies identified several immunoreactive phage. Further analysis showed that the monoclonal antibody designated IX-30 was generating the positive signals at a frequency of approximately 1/2,500 recombinants. Subcloning and sequence analysis of the inserted DNA in the immunoreactive phage revealed overlapping in-frame insertions, from which it could be inferred that the site in factor IX recognized by IX- 30 is confined to residues 111 through 132 in the light chain. Similar mapping with other monoclonal antibodies should provide additional probes for the protein structure of human factor IX.
High Frequency CT Findings within 24 Hours after Cerebral Infarction

Twenty-six patients with clinically documented acute cerebral infarction were evaluated by computed tomography within the first 24 hr. In 21 patients, subtle mass effects and/or focal areas of decreased attenuation corresponding to areas of clinical deficit were demonstrated. Enhancement occurred in only five of 15 infarctions re-scanned after contrast administration. In three of these, the region of infarction became isodense after contrast administration. In a patient with multifocal infarcts, enhancement was the only clue to infarction in one focus. The improved spatial and contrast resolution of current generation scanners appears to have Significantly increased the sensitivity of computed tomography in demonstrating acute cerebral infarction and has important clinical application.
216 IDENTIFYING MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER RECEIVING DOSE-DENSE NEOADJUVANT/INDUCTION CHEMOTHERAPY.

Introduction The current treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is debated. Induction strategies with dose-dense chemotherapy may provide additional benefit. My research focuses on improving treatment and understanding mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance in this patient population. A phase II protocol with genomic correlates is proposed. Methods Patients with stage III NSCLC will be enrolled in a trial examining the efficacy of dose-dense neoadjuvant/induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel. The primary outcome is overall response. The understanding mechanism of chemotherapy resistance is a secondary outcome and involves complementary in vivo and in vitro approaches. In vivo, pretreatment tumor samples are collected and processed for microarray analysis based on radiographic response. In vitro, chemotherapy sensitivity assays on lung cancer cell lines are performed with subsequent microarray analysis based on a spectrum of sensitivity. Genes and pathways associated with resistance will be identified. The ability of in vitro results to predict response in vivo will be assessed. Combining in vivo and in vitro analyses will prioritize candidate genes and/or pathways associated with resistance for future evaluation. Results Dose-dense chemotherapy appears safe and well tolerated in 4 of 42 planned patients. Toxicity and response assessments are ongoing. In vitro, EC50 determinations (drug-specific concentration resulting in cell growth halfway between the baseline and maximum response) in 40 lung cancer cell lines revealed greater than a 21-fold and 17-fold difference between the most and least sensitive cell lines for cisplatin (221-4,662 nM) and docetaxel (0.28-4.8 nM), respectively. Expression analysis of tumor tissue collected as part of the trial and from cell lines is ongoing and will be reported at the meeting. Conclusions Validation of identified signatures, genes, and pathways will be crucial in understanding the underlying biology associated with resistance mechanisms and will allow for the identification of patients for whom standard cytotoxic agents, as well as pathway-specific targeted therapeutics, will most benefit.
The unique myelopoiesis strategy of the amphibian Xenopus laevis.

Myeloid progenitors reside within specific hematopoietic organs and commit to progenitor lineages bearing megakaryocyte/erythrocyte (MEP) or granulocyte/macrophage potentials (GMP) within these sites. Unlike other vertebrates, the amphibian Xenopus laevis committed macrophage precursors are absent from the hematopoietic subcapsular liver and instead reside within their bone marrow. Presently, we demonstrate that while these frogs' liver-derived cells are unresponsive to recombinant forms of principal X. laevis macrophage (colony-stimulating factor-1; CSF-1) and granulocyte (CSF-3) growth factors, bone marrow cells cultured with CSF-1 and CSF-3 exhibit respectively archetypal macrophage and granulocyte morphology, gene expression and functionalities. Moreover, we demonstrate that liver, but not bone marrow cells possess erythropoietic capacities when stimulated with a X. laevis erythropoietin. Together, our findings indicate that X. laevis retain their MEP within the hematopoietic liver while sequestering their GMP to the bone marrow, thus marking a very novel myelopoietic strategy as compared to those seen in other jawed vertebrate species.
Bridge Instrumentation: Needs, Options, and Consequences

Seismic design procedures are in transition from strength-based to performance-based approaches. Faster and larger computers and improved nonlinear behavior models have paved the way. Nevertheless, validations of these predictive models have typically been confined to experiments conducted at the component scale. Controlled experiments at the system level are scarce. At the present time, the next best option for model validation is to use dynamic data collected from instrumented structures. These data include recorded accelerations due to impact excitations, ambient forces, weak or distant earthquakes, and strong ground motions. Different techniques are needed to extract useful information for such diverse types of data. Herein, we examine a long-span bridge located in California-which is instrumented through the joint efforts of Caltrans and the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP)-as a case study for demonstrating how and what types of information may be extracted from recorded data that bear consequences for engineering practice. Some of the highlights of this study include the observation of some inconsistencies between data and meta-data, calculation of wave delays, and response prediction with updated finite element models.
The Lemon Grove Case and School Segregation in the Southwest

During the Great Depression a wave of anti-Mexican sentiment swept through the Southwest. Mexicans and Mexican Americans found themselves blamed for the economic crisis that faced the nation. One of the results was school segregation of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. This article revisits the particular case in the community of Lemon Grove, San Diego, California. This event is of significance because it was the first successful twentieth century desegregation case of children of Mexican ancestry. It reviews the background of segregation of Mexicans and Chicanos in the Southwest and address the problem of Latino segregation in the context of today. The article concludes that the Lemon Grove case constitutes a primary example of a community organizing in solidarity to achieve social and educational goals. The Lemon Grove incident should serve as an example for anyone who believes in the positive aspects of organized struggle to achieve diversity in education. In the same way, the article denounces segregat...
Joint Image-Text Representation by Gaussian Visual-Semantic Embedding

How to jointly represent images and texts is important for tasks involving both modalities. Visual-semantic embedding models have been recently proposed and shown to be effective. The key idea is that by learning a mapping from images into a semantic text space, the algorithm is able to learn a compact and effective joint representation. However, existing approaches simply map each text concept to a single point in the semantic space. Mapping instead to a density distribution provides many interesting advantages, including better capturing uncertainty about each text concept, and enabling better geometric interpretation of concepts such as inclusion, intersection, etc. In this work, we present a novel Gaussian Visual-Semantic Embedding (GVSE) model, which leverages the visual information to model text concepts as Gaussian distributions in semantic space. Experiments in two tasks, image classification and text-based image retrieval on the large scale MIT Places205 dataset, have demonstrated the superiority of our method over existing approaches, with higher accuracy and better robustness.
URIs and Intertextuality: Incumbent Philosophical Commitments in the Development of the Semantic Web

Examines two commitments inherent in Resource Description Framework (RDF): intertextuality and rationalism. After introducing how rationalism has been studied in knowledge organization, this paper then introduces the concept of bracketed-rationalism. This paper closes with a discussion of ramifications of intertextuality and bracketed rationalism on evaluation of RDF.
Block match denoising for the Integrated Digital Vision System (IDVS)

There is a need to develop fast vision systems capable of supporting real time operations that require split-second decision making. To perform at high speed, these vision systems are subject to stringent latency requirements thus hindering their light sensing elements to collect a meaningful number of photons with an acceptable Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). As a result, high amplifier gains end up amplifying large amounts of noise along with image content. Rockwell Collins developed an all-digital vision system, dubbed Integrated Digital Vision System (IDVS) with very low latency capable of operating real time in conditions ranging from complete darkness to daylight. This paper presents an algorithmic approach to denoise IDVS frames based on state of the art image denoising algorithms including Block Matching 3D (BM3D) and Non Local Mean (NLM) algorithms that are modified to meet IDVS hardware restrictions.
Temporal trends in craniometric estimates of admixture for a modern American sample.

Objectives Temporal trends in craniometric estimates of admixture are investigated for three U.S. populations in the FDB. Patterns of association between birth years and posterior probabilities of cluster membership are identified to assess how these proportions of admixture have changed over recent time. Demographic and genetic data correlates, patterns of morphological expression, and shifts in source populations are evaluated. Materials and Methods Estimates of three-way admixture were obtained for 1,521 individuals of documented population, sex, and birth years that span the 20th century. Correlations were calculated between birth years and admixture proportions for members of each FDB population. Population and sex-specific admixture variation was further assessed by ANOVA and regression. Correlation analysis was used to identify, per population, which of the cranial measurements change in dimension under increased or decreased admixture. Results Admixture proportions differ significantly by population and change over time. No sex differences are detected. Analysis of the relationship between admixture proportions and ILDs finds that admixture drives morphological change in areas of the cranium known to vary among populations. Results agree with prior work on secular change. Discussion Findings reveal a progressive increase in White-European population admixture for the self-identified Black individuals, a recent demographic shift toward the increased representation of Hispanic individuals carrying greater Native American ancestry, and reduction in admixture for White individuals that suggest a loss of diversity over time. Changes in admixture produce tractable differences in morphological expression. Both sexes exhibit similar admixture proportions and self-identification patterns. Observed diachronic trends are corroborated by information on recent U.S. demographic change.
Sum Rate Analysis of Massive MIMO Downlink with Hybrid Beamforming

The achievable sum rate of multi-cell multi-user massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink is investigated. Hybrid beamformers, which are constructed by using estimated/imperfect channel state information, are employed at the base-station. Thus, the massive MIMO base-station in each of the L cells is enabled with a typical power-intensive digital precoder and a quantized analog beamformer. This setup can significantly reduce the number of radio frequency (RF) chains required for the digital precoder, and thereby, the power consumption in the digital signal processing and the complexity of circuitry at the massive MIMO base-station. The achievable asymptotic sum rate expressions are derived for linear digital precoders namely, (i) zero-forcing transmission and (ii) maximum ratio transmission cascaded with a phase-shifting analog beamformer. Thereby, the asymptotic sum rate degradation due to the hybrid beamforming is quantified and compared against the full-dimensional digital beamforming. This sum rate loss is a function of the number of phase quantization levels and cannot be canceled completely even in the asymptotic base-station antenna regime. Nevertheless, our analysis reveals that the detrimental effects of phase quantization and reduced number of RF chains of the hybrid beamforming can be mitigated in the limit of increasingly many base-station antennas when the receiver thermal noise power is negligibly smaller than the residual interference due to pilot contamination.
Neonatal epilepsy genetics

Neonatal epilepsy genetics is a rapidly expanding field with recent technological advances in genomics leading to an expanding list of genetic disorders associated with neonatal-onset epilepsy. The genetic causes of neonatal epilepsy can be grouped into the following categories: (i) malformations of cortical development, (ii) genetic-metabolic, (iii) genetic-vascular, (iv) genetic-syndromic, and (v) genetic-cellular. Clinically, epilepsy in the neonate shows phenotypic overlap with pathogenic variants in unrelated genes causing similar clinical presentation (locus heterogeneity) and variants in the same gene leading to a wide clinical spectrum ranging from benign familial neonatal seizures to more severe epileptic encephalopathies (variable expressivity). We suggest a diagnostic approach to obtaining a genetic diagnosis with emphasis on clinical features such as electro-clinical phenotype and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Rapid identification of genetic disorders with targeted treatments should be a clinical priority. Achieving a genetic diagnosis can be challenging in a rapidly changing genetic landscape, but is increasingly possible.
Plasticization and conglutination improve the tensile strength of electrospun starch fiber mats

Abstract Electrospun starch fiber mats have many potential applications, but an improvement in their mechanical properties is required to realize them. In the present study, wet-electrospun starch fiber mats were subjected to post-drying conditioning at controlled equilibrium relative humidity and equilibration time. The weight-normalized ultimate tensile strength of starch fiber mats increased significantly with equilibration at relative humidity >0.75 after 28 days. Morphological observation and X-ray diffraction analysis excluded significant changes in fiber size or crystallinity, and thus we concluded that conglutination brought about by the plasticizing effect of water and observed microscopically was primarily responsible for this mechanical improvement.
Effect of heat on the nutritional quality and safety of soybean cultivars.

To evaluate whether soybean strains with reduced levels of trypsin inhibitors have enhanced nutritional and safety characteristics, we measured protease inhibitor content of a standard cultivar (Williams 82) and an isoline (L81–4590) lacking the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor, using enoyme inhibition assays and enoyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Less heat was needed to inactivate the remaining trypsin inhibitory activity of the isoline than that of the standard soybean cultivar. In fact, autoclaving (steam heating at 121°C) of the isoline for 20 min resulted in a near zero level of trypsin inhibitor activity, while 20% remained in the Williams 82 sample. Feeding studies with rats showed that the raw soy flour prepared from the isoline was nutritionally superior to the raw flour prepared from the standard variety, as measured by PER and pancreatic weights. Since the content of amino and fatty acids of the flours from both strains was identical and the hemagglutinating activities were within a factor of 2, the increased PER was likely due to the lower level of trypsin inhibitory activity in the isoline. Steam heating the flours for up to 30 min at 121°C progressively increased the PER for both strains. Preliminary screening of several accessions from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection showed considerable variation in the content of trypsin inhibitors, sulfur amino acids, and lectins. The BBI content of these cultivars, determined by chymotrypsin inhibition assays, was identical to that found by ELISA. The results indicate that further screening studies could lead to the discovery of soybeans which yield flour that is safe and nutritious, with minimal need for heating.
Modular Equations of Higher and Composite Degrees

In this chapter, we continue to examine Ramanujan’s discoveries about modular equations. In the previous chapter, modular equations of degrees 3, 5, and 7 were derived. Modular equations of degrees 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 31, 47, and 71 are established in this chapter. Also, modular equations of composite degree, or “mixed” modular equations, are studied. Most of the equations of the latter type involve four distinct moduli, and so we begin by defining such a modular equation.
MELD is the only predictor of short-term mortality in cirrhotic patients with C. difficile infection.

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common nosocomial infection in the US and cirrhotic patients with CDI have increased risk for poor outcome. AIM The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of CDI on short-term mortality in patients with cirrhosis and identify predictors of mortality in these patients. METHODS We retrospectively identified patients at Montefiore Medical Center from 2010 to 2014 with cirrhosis, diarrhea and a C. difficile toxin assay. Demographics, co-morbidities, medications, laboratory data and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS Of 701 patients with cirrhosis who had a CDI assay, 183 were CDI+ and 518 CDI-. Patients with CDI were older, had more frequent CKD on hemodialysis and heart failure, were less frequently on rifaximin and lactulose and had increased glucocorticoid exposure. 30-day mortality was higher in patients with CDI (23.0% vs 16.6%, p < 0.05) compared to those without. Univariate predictors of 30-day mortality included WBC, corticosteroid use, AST, ALT, MELD, albumin, HBV and HCV infection; however, via multivariate analysis, only MELD (HR: 1.04 ± 0.02, p < 0.05) remained significant. CONCLUSION Patients with cirrhosis and CDI are at greater risk of 30-day mortality than those without CDI and the only multivariate predictor of mortality is MELD. These patients should have their disease severity triaged based upon MELD score.
Multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 Targeting of Genes Implicated in Retinal Regeneration and Degeneration.

Thousands of genes have been implicated in retinal regeneration, but only a few have been shown to impact the regenerative capacity of Muller glia-an adult retinal stem cell with untapped therapeutic potential. Similarly, among nearly 300 genetic loci associated with human retinal disease, the majority remain untested in animal models. To address the large-scale nature of these problems, we are applying CRISPR/Cas9-based genome modification strategies in zebrafish to target over 300 genes implicated in retinal regeneration or degeneration. Our intent is to enable large-scale reverse genetic screens by applying a multiplexed gene disruption strategy that markedly increases the efficiency of the screening process. To facilitate large-scale phenotyping, we incorporate an automated reporter quantification-based assay to identify cellular degeneration and regeneration-deficient phenotypes in transgenic fish. Multiplexed gene targeting strategies can address mismatches in scale between "big data" bioinformatics and wet lab experimental capacities, a critical shortfall limiting comprehensive functional analyses of factors implicated in ever-expanding multiomics datasets. This report details the progress we have made to date with a multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9-based gene targeting strategy and discusses how the methodologies applied can further our understanding of the genes that predispose to retinal degenerative disease and which control the regenerative capacity of retinal Muller glia cells.
Radiative Transfer Modeling of Phytoplankton Fluorescence Quenching Processes

We report the first radiative transfer model that is able to simulate phytoplankton fluorescence with both photochemical and non-photochemical quenching included. The fluorescence source term in the inelastic radiative transfer equation is proportional to both the quantum yield and scalar irradiance at excitation wavelengths. The photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching processes change the quantum yield based on the photosynthetic active radiation. A sensitivity study was performed to demonstrate the dependence of the fluorescence signal on chlorophyll a concentration, aerosol optical depths and solar zenith angles. This work enables us to better model the phytoplankton fluorescence, which can be used in the design of new space-based sensors that can provide sufficient sensitivity to detect the phytoplankton fluorescence signal. It could also lead to more accurate remote sensing algorithms for the study of phytoplankton physiology.
A First-Order Design Requirement to Prevent Edema in Mechanical Counter-Pressure Space Suit Garments

ABSTRACT Introduction Mechanical counter-pressure (MCP) space suits may provide enhanced mobility relative to gas-pressure space suits. One challenge to realizing operational MCP suits is the potential for edema caused by spatial variations in the applied body-surface pressure (dP). We determined a first-order requirement for these variations. Methods Darcy’s law relates volume flux, of fluid from capillaries to the interstitial space, to transmural hydraulic and osmotic pressure differences. Albumin and fibrinogen levels determine, to first order, the capillary oncotic pressure (COP). We estimated dP, neglecting hydrostatic pressure differences, by equating the volume flux under MCP and under normal with the volume flux under abnormal variations in COP; then we compared these estimates to results from MCP garment studies. Results Normal COP varies from 20-32 mm Hg; with constant hydraulic conductivity, dP≈12 mm Hg. In nephrotic syndrome, COP may drop to 11 mm Hg, yielding dP≈15 mm Hg relative to mid-normal COP. Previous studies found dPmax =151 mm Hg (MCP glove; finger and hand dorsum relative to palm), dPmax=51 mm Hg (MCP arm; finger, hand dorsum, and wrist relative to arm), and dP=52, 90 and 239 mm Hg (three MCP lower leg garments). Conclusions MCP garments with dPmax≤12 mm Hg are unlikely to produce edema or restrict capillary blood flow; however, garments with dPmax>12 mm Hg will not necessarily produce edema. For example, the hydrostatic pressure gradient at the feet in 1g can range from 70-90 mm Hg. Current garment prototypes do not meet our conservative design requirement.
HETEROGENEITY, POLYMORPHISM, AND SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE FROM HORSE LIVER

ABSTRACT: Electrophoresis on starch gel demonstrates the presence of multiple (9–12) components in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH). Some of the cathodal components are active with steroids. The subunit composition of only-three of these components can be accounted for in terms of genetically distinct subunits E and S (occurring in all horse livers) and subunit A (occurring in some horse livers). On starch gels the AA isozyme is electrophoretically superimposable with the SS isozyme and cannot be distinguished from it before purification. The A subunit can hybridize with the S subunit to form AS isozyme and can probably also hybridize with the E subunit. Consequently, an additional complexity in the postulated (Pietruszko and Theorell) subunit composition of the electrophoretically separable isozymes of HLADH is introduced.
Production of an Fc Fragment from Human Immunoglobulin a by an IgA-Specific Bacterial Protease

Enzymatic proteolysis of human immunoglobulin A yields Fabα fragments but the Fcα is degraded to small peptides. The unavailability of Fcα has hampered to some extent certain studies of IgA, e.g., its primary structure and the attachment site of secretory component and J chain. Recently, while studying human intestinal immunoglobulins, it was observed by Mehta et al. (1) that normal feces contain an IgA fragment which was shown to be Fcα, and that feces contain a proteolytic enzyme which cleaves both serum and secretory IgA to yield Fabα and Fcα. Of considerable interest is that the enzyme is produced by bacteria in those regions of the alimentary tract heavily populated by bacteria, principally the mouth and the colon. We have termed the enzyme IgA protease because enzymatic activity has thus far been found only against IgA.
The perils of personalism

ABSTRACTWhat impact does personalism, or presidential dominance of a weakly organized ruling party, have on the level of democracy? We argue that presidents who dominate their own weakly organized ...
Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs for Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review

Participation in cardiac rehabilitation is associated with improved quality of life and physical functioning and may be an effective strategy to assist in the recovery from cancer. We conducted a scoping review to identify studies that enrolled cancer survivors into cardiac rehabilitation programs. We identified nine studies that included 662 cancer survivors. Five studies integrated cancer survivors and cardiac patients into the same sessions, three studies developed cancer-only rehabilitation sessions, and one study did not report details on the rehabilitation sessions. On average, more than 60% of enrolled cancer survivors completed the rehabilitation programs and many health and psychosocial outcomes improved after rehabilitation. Cardiac rehabilitation appears to be acceptable and favorably impacts many health and psychosocial outcomes among cancer survivors. Future research should consider randomized controlled trial study designs, enrolling diverse survivor populations, and using a set of core physical function and psychosocial outcomes.
The Tokyo 2020 Games and the End of Olympic History

On 24 July 2019 International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stepped to the dais at the Tokyo International Forum and opined, “I have never seen an Olympic city as prepared as Tokyo with o...
MicroRNA-451 Escapes Global MicroRNA Crisis by Clustered Neighboring MicroRNA-144 During Erythropoiesis

In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Kretov et al. (2020) demonstrate that microRNA-144 targets Dicer in a negative feedback loop, affecting global canonical microRNA expression in erythrocytes. MicroRNA-451 is refractory to the loss of Dicer because of its Ago2-dependent processing.
Effect of curvature and placement of donor and acceptor units in cycloparaphenylenes: a computational study

Cycloparaphenylenes have promise as novel fluorescent materials. However, shifting their fluorescence beyond 510 nm is difficult. Herein, we computationally explore the effect of incorporating electron accepting and electron donating units on CPP photophysical properties at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311G** level. We demonstrate that incorporation of donor and acceptor units may shift the CPP fluorescence as far as 1193 nm. This computational work directs the synthesis of bright red-emitting CPPs. Furthermore, the nanohoop architecture allows for interrogation of strain effects on common conjugated polymer donor and acceptor units. Strain results in a bathochromic shift versus linear variants, demonstrating the value of using strain to push the limits of low band gap materials.
Dynamic Analysis of Alternative Polyadenylation from Single-Cell RNA-Seq(scDaPars) Reveals Cell Subpopulations Invisible to Gene Expression Analysis

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a major mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation in various cellular processes including cell proliferation and differentiation, but the APA heterogeneity among single cells remains largely unknown. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has been extensively used to define cell subpopulations at the transcription level. Yet, most scRNA-seq data have not been analyzed in an "APA-aware" manner. Here, we introduce scDaPars, a bioinformatics algorithm to accurately quantify APA events at both single-cell and single-gene resolution using standard scRNA-seq data. Validations in both real and simulated data indicate that scDaPars can robustly recover missing APA events caused by the low amounts of mRNA sequenced in single cells. When applied to cancer and human endoderm differentiation data, scDaPars not only revealed cell-type specific APA regulation but also identified cell subpopulations that are otherwise invisible to conventional gene expression analysis. Thus, scDaPars will enable us to understand cellular heterogeneity at the post-transcriptional APA level.
Large deviations of the greedy independent set algorithm on sparse random graphs

We study the greedy independent set algorithm on sparse Erdős-Renyi random graphs ${\mathcal G}(n,c/n)$. This range of $p$ is of interest due to the threshold at $c=e$, beyond which it appears that greedy algorithms are affected by a sudden change in the independent set landscape. A large deviation principle was recently established by Bermolen et al. (2020), however, the proof and rate function are somewhat involved. Upper bounds for the rate function were obtained earlier by Pittel (1982). By discrete calculus, we identify the optimal trajectory realizing a given large deviation and obtain the rate function in a simple closed form. In particular, we show that Pittel's bounds are sharp. The proof is brief and elementary. We think the methods presented here will be useful in analyzing the tail behavior of other random growth and exploration processes.
Cognitions That Support Concussion Reporting in Collegiate Athletes: An Analysis of a Worksheet Activity.

BACKGROUND Sports related concussions continue to be a public health concern and improving reporting behavior a focus of educational programs. While educational programs have addressed changes in knowledge of concussion symptoms, it has been challenging to design educational programs which have lasting effects on reporting behavior. AIMS The current analysis describes an intervention in which thoughts about reporting behavior are actively written down in a worksheet exercise to "pre-arm" athletes with cognitions designed to enhance reporting behavior prior to the injury event. METHOD A total of 503 male and female college athletes participating in collision (football, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer) and contact sports (baseball, basketball, and softball) from 7 colleges/universities competing across all three NCAA divisions provided data collected during a randomized trial of a peer concussion education program. RESULTS Qualitative analysis revealed 10 themes that would improve reporting including short-term benefits, faster recover, safe and healthy return to play, reporting helps the team, reporting protects the brain, risk aversion, long-term benefits, coach will be supportive, teammates will be supportive and understanding, and academic performance will be affected. DISCUSSION Athletes had awareness of key risks involved in concussions and understood both short- and long-term consequences. CONCLUSION These findings have important implications for understanding how to change athletes' thoughts about reporting concussions.
The MPG Illusion

Using "miles per gallon" as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles.
Willingness to Pay for Multiple Quantities of Animal Welfare Dairy Products: Results from Random Nth‐, Second‐Price, and Incremental Second‐Price Auctions

Nonhypothetical experimental auctions are used to elicit willingness to pay for humane animal care-certified dairy products: cheese and ice cream. We use second-price, random Nth-price, and incremental second-price auctions in multiproduct, multiquantity, and multiround contexts. The results contrast participants’ bids across different auction mechanisms and different products. Differences in bidding patterns are detected across auction mechanisms as well as products. Our results suggest that subjects on average are only willing to pay a premium price for one unit of humane animal case-certified ice cream but not for multiple quantities.
Relationship between acculturation and mental health for Asian Indian immigrants in the United States

A community sample of Indian immigrants in the United States (N = 195) completed a survey to assess the relationship between acculturation and mental health. The relationship among several social and demographic variables, three aspects of acculturation (perception of acceptance, cultural orientation, and language usage), and three aspects of mental health (psychological distress, acculturative stress, and satisfaction) were examined. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify statistical predictors of a composite index of mental health. Results indicated that acceptance and cultural orientation play crucial roles in mental health, independent of various social and demographic variables. Feeling accepted by the host society and being involved with Americans and U.S. culture were related to better mental health.
MR Elastography Derived Shear Stiffness – A New Imaging Biomarker for the Assessment of Early Tumor Response to Chemotherapy

Purpose: The overall goal is to develop magnetic resonance elastography derived shear stiffness as a biomarker for the early identification of chemotherapy response, allowing dose, agent type and treatment regimen to be tailored on a per patient basis, improving therapeutic outcome and minimizing normal tissue toxicity. The specific purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of this novel biomarker to measure the treatment response in a well-known chemotherapy model. Methods: Tumors were grown in the right flank of genetically modified mice by subcutaneous injection of DoHH2 (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) cells. Magnetic resonance elastography was used to quantify tumor stiffness before and after injection of a chemotherapeutic agent or saline. Histological tests were also performed on the tumors. Results: A significant decrease (P < 0.0001) in magnetic resonance elastography-derived tumor shear stiffness was observed within 4 days of chemotherapy treatment, while no appreciable change was observed in saline-treated tumors. No significant change in volume occurred at this early stage, but there were decreased levels of cellular proliferation in chemotherapy-treated tumors. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that magnetic resonance elastography-derived estimates of shear stiffness reflect an initial response to cytotoxic therapy and suggest that this metric could be an early and sensitive biomarker of tumor response to chemotherapy. Magn Reson Med 71:1834–1840, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dating firn cores by vertical strain measurements

We have developed a system for measuring a vertical strain-rate profile in the firn on polar ice sheets using a readily available video camera to detect metal bands inserted in an air-filled hole. We used this system in 1995 and 1996 at Taylor Dome, Antarctica. We use density measurements combined with our strain rates to infer vertical velocities. From our velocities we calculate a steady-state depth age scale for the firn at Taylor Dome. The age of a visible ash layer from 79.1 m is 675 ± 25 years; this ash can be correlated with ash found at 97.2 m in a recent ice core at Siple Dome, West Antarctica.
Transport properties of large-angle grain boundaries containing point defects in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ

The transport properties of large-angle grain boundaries (GBs) containing point defects and charges in ${\text{YBa}}_{2}{\text{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ (YBCO) are studied by computer simulation methods. The results of simulation of the atomic structures of large-angle symmetrical tilt GBs $\ensuremath{\Sigma}5$ (misorientation angles $36.87\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $53.13\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$), $\ensuremath{\Sigma}13$ (misorientation angles $22.62\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $67.38\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$), $\ensuremath{\Sigma}17$ (misorientation angles $28.07\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $61.93\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$), and $\ensuremath{\Sigma}29$ (misorientation angle $43.60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$) containing point defects (neutral and charged oxygen and yttrium vacancies) are presented. The techniques of the strain analysis and the bond-valence-sum analysis are applied to determine the thicknesses of nonsuperconducting layers enveloping these GBs. Our data shows that the presence of neutral oxygen vacancies decreases the thicknesses of nonsuperconducting layers and may improve transport properties of some large-angle GBs. Adsorption capability of GBs with respect to neutral oxygen vacancies is evaluated. Its analysis demonstrates that the tilt GBs in YBCO are most probably intrinsically nonstoichiometric.
Physeal Arrest of the Distal Radius

Fractures of the distal radius are among the most common pediatric fractures. Although most of these fractures heal without complication, some result in partial or complete physeal arrest. The risk of physeal arrest can be reduced by avoiding known risk factors during fracture management, including multiple attempts at fracture reduction. Athletes may place substantial compressive and shear forces across the distal radial physes, making them prone to growth arrest. Timely recognition of physeal arrest can allow for more predictable procedures to be performed, such as distal ulnar epiphysiodesis. In cases of partial arrest, physeal bar excision with interposition grafting can be performed. Once ulnar abutment is present, more invasive procedures may be required, including ulnar shortening osteotomy or radial lengthening.
EFFECT OF GATE OXIDE PROCESSES ON 4H-SiC MOSFETs ON (000-1) ORIENTED SUBSTRATE

We have fabricated, characterized and compared the performance of lateral n-channel 4H-SiC MOSFETs on (000-1) oriented substrates, using two different gate oxide processes. These processes include low-temperature deposited oxide and plasma-enhanced CVD oxide. Different MOSFET parameters, such as field-effect mobility, threshold voltage, Hall mobility and inversion sheet carrier concentration has been compared for the two processes.