cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of Pasteurella haemolytica and production of its leukotoxin in semi-defined media

Objective To develop semi-defined media that support growth of the bovine pathogen, Pasteurella haemolytica, and use them to examine production of leukotoxin and an arginine-binding protein by this organism. Sample population 10 P haemolytica A1 strains and 1 P multocida strain. Procedure Bacterial strains were cultivated at 37 C in media containing various amino acids, carbon sources, vitamins, and cofactors, and absorbance (OD600) was measured. Leukotoxin and arginine-binding protein production were assessed by immunoblot analysis. Results Optimal growth required supplementation with 0.1% fetal bovine serum, gelatin, or purified bovine serum albumin. Calcium pantothenate and thiamine were essential for growth, and a variety of carbon sources could be utilized. In the complete medium, 15 amino acids were included; however, in the minimal medium, no amino acids were required. All strains (except P multocida) grew in the complete medium and 7 grew well in the minimal medium. Leukotoxin was not produced when amino acids were limiting, but could be enhanced by addition of 0.2% NH4SO4. Production of the arginine-binding protein was not affected by nitrogen availability or by presence of L-arginine. Conclusions Two media that support good growth of P haemolytica strains were developed. The minimal medium is simple to prepare and manipulate and its use revealed a potential role of nitrogen availability in the regulation of leukotoxin expression. Clinical relevance Creation of these media will permit continued studies of the response of P haemolytica to environmental conditions that may mimic those encountered in the bovine respiratory tract during shipping.
Active Learning Works! Until it Doesn't: Measuring the Effectiveness of Activity-Based Learning Exercises on Information Anxiety

ABSTRACTThis study served to investigate how information literacy instruction can alleviate information anxiety in online learners. While there has been much research to demonstrate that hands-on or activity-based learning is beneficial in reducing library anxiety, those studies have not been conducted for the online classroom. Using a required, first-semester course in the University of Southern California's School of Social Work online program, this study hypothesized that activity-based online library instruction sessions will result in a measurable reduction of information anxiety. Using a pre- and post-session survey instrument, this study discovered that activity-based instruction for online students may not be as effective in reducing information anxiety as previous research suggested.
9/11 Changed Things: The (Post-Traumatic) Religious Studies Classroom

The events of September 11, 2001 brought issues of religious difference and similarity, of violence and healing, and of societal cohesion and divisiveness into sharp focus in the American religious studies classroom. This essay explores how a teacher might responsibly engage students in scholarly exploration that allows them to move across the fragile landscape between what scholars think of when they juxtapose “religious studies” and “theology,” especially in an era when more and more people are moving away from strict affiliation with a particular, institutionally inflected religious identity. A teacher must take care lest the framework of “theology,” as an exploratory lens, lead to a sense of alienation and exclusion, especially at a point when many students are in a liminal space regarding their own identity formation.
SP0070 How To Treat IGG4-Related Disease

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an emerging condition highly relevant to rheumatologists because of its immune-mediated nature, its propensity to cause multi-organ disease, and its ability to mimic multiple classic rheumatologic conditions. IgG4-RD readily mimics Sjogren9s syndrome, lupus nephritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, sarcoidosis, large-vessel vasculitis (e.g., giant cell arteritis) and others. Despite its only recent recognition approximately a dozen years ago, we have learned much about the pathophysiology of this condition. Our understanding of disease mechanisms informs both current and future approaches to treatment. I will discuss the practical, hands-on management of IgG4-RD and also consider ways in which our mechanistic understanding is driving current treatment trials. Disclosure of Interest J. Stone Grant/research support from: Roche, Genentech, Xencor, Consultant for: Roche, Genentech, Xencor
Strain fields and electronic structure of antiferromagnetic CrN

We present a theoretical analysis of the role that strain plays on the electronic structure of chromium nitride (CrN) crystals. We use local spin-density approximation + $U$ calculations to study the elastic constants, deformation potentials, and strain dependence of electron and hole masses near the fundamental gap. We consider the lowest energy antiferromagnetic models believed to describe CrN at low temperatures, and apply strain along different directions. We find relatively large deformation potentials for all models, and find increasing gaps for tensile strain along most directions. Most interestingly, we find that compressive strains should be able to close the relatively small indirect gap $(\ensuremath{\simeq}100$ meV) at moderate amplitudes $\ensuremath{\simeq}1.3%$. We also find large and anisotropic changes in the effective masses with strain, with principal axes closely related to the magnetic ordering of neighboring layers in the antiferromagnet. It would be interesting to consider the role that these effects may have on typical film growth on different substrates, and the possibility of monitoring optical and transport properties of thin films as strain is applied.
Attack Surface Expansion Using Decoys to Protect Virtualized Infrastructure

As cloud services using the virtualized technique are emerging and developing rapidly, protection of cloud services is a key issue. Most research efforts focus on reducing the attack surface observed by the external attackers, which is an impractical solution for a complex system like virtualized infrastructure. In order to deceive the attackers and waste their time and efforts, three attack surface expansion approaches for moving target defense are proposed in this paper. These three approaches provide different protection capability with different system complexity by using decoy virtual machines that co-exist with the real virtual machines in the same physical host. The probability that the external attacker successfully exploits the valid assets is theoretically analyzed. Simulation results show the attackers' success rate can be significantly reduced by adding decoy virtual machines. Simulation results also show that the greater the knowledge about the attackers' capability, the better protection the proposed approaches can provide.
The application of systems thinking concepts, methods, and tools to global health practices: An analysis of case studies

Objectives This review of systems thinking (ST) case studies seeks to compile and analyse cases from ST literature and provide practitioners with a reference for ST in health practice. Particular attention was given to (1) reviewing the frequency and use of key ST terms, methods, and tools in the context of health, and (2) extracting and analysing longitudinal themes across cases. Methods A systematic search of databases was conducted, and a total of 36 case studies were identified. A combination of integrative and inductive qualitative approaches to analysis was used. Results Most cases identified took place in high-income countries and applied ST retrospectively. The most commonly used ST terms were agent/stakeholder/actor (n = 29), interdependent/interconnected (n = 28), emergence (n = 26), and adaptability/adaptation (n = 26). Common ST methods and tools were largely underutilized. Social network analysis was the most commonly used method (n = 4), and innovation or change management history was the most frequently used tool (n = 11). Four overarching themes were identified; the importance of the interdependent and interconnected nature of a health system, characteristics of leaders in a complex adaptive system, the benefits of using ST, and barriers to implementing ST. Conclusions This review revealed that while much has been written about the potential benefits of applying ST to health, it has yet to completely transition from theory to practice. There is however evidence of the practical use of an ST lens as well as specific methods and tools. With clear examples of ST applications, the global health community will be better equipped to understand and address key health challenges.
CCN5 in alveolar epithelial proliferation and differentiation during neonatal lung oxygen injury

Lung immaturity is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants, especially those born <28 weeks of gestation. These infants are at high risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), a lung disease caused by insufficient surfactant production and immaturity of saccular/alveolar type II epithelial cells in the lung. RDS treatment includes oxygen and respiratory support that improve survival but also increase the risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease characterized by arrested alveolarization, airway hyperreactivity, and pulmonary hypertension. The mechanisms regulating normal alveolar development and how injury disrupts normal development to cause BPD are not well understood. We examined the role of the matricellular protein CCN5 (Cysteine-rich protein 61/Connective tissue growth factor/Nephroblastoma-overexpressed protein) in the development of BPD. Cultured non-proliferating alveolar type II cells expressed low levels of CCN5 protein, and displayed higher levels during proliferation. siRNA targeting of CCN5 reduced alveolar type II cell proliferation and migration in cell culture. In a mouse model of hyperoxia-induced BPD, CCN5 protein was increased only in proliferating alveolar type I cells. Alveolar epithelial cells co-expressing markers of type II cells and type I cells also appeared. The results suggest that hyperoxic injury in immature lungs induces proliferation of type I cells and trans-differentiation of type II cells into type I cells. We propose that the mechanism of the injury response in BPD includes CCN5 expression. Study of CCN5 in neonatal alveolar injury will further our understanding of BPD pathophysiology while providing a mechanistic foundation for therapeutic approaches.
The internalist virtue theory of knowledge

Here is a definition of knowledge: for you to know a proposition p is for you to have an outright belief in p that is correct precisely because it manifests the virtue of rationality. This definition resembles Ernest Sosa’s “virtue theory”, except that (a) on this definition, the only virtue that must be manifested (at least to some degree) in all instances of knowledge is rationality, and (b) no reductive account of rationality is attempted—rationality is assumed to be an irreducibly normative notion. This definition is compatible with “internalism” about rationality, and with a form of “pragmatic encroachment” on the conditions of rational outright belief. An interpretation is given of this definition, and especially of the sense of ’because’ that it involves. On this interpretation, this definition entails that both safety and adherence are necessary conditions on knowledge; it supports a kind of contextualism about terms like ‘knowledge’; and it provides resources to defend safety, adherence, and contextualism, against some recent objections.
Pain amplification—A perspective on the how, why, when, and where of central sensitization

Pain is an essential physiological defense against danger, be it external, from the environment, or internal, arising from within the body. The initiation of this acute defensive pain is driven by activation in the periphery of the terminals of high threshold nociceptor sensory neurons by intense or irritant noxious stimuli and comprises both the distinct unpleasant sensation of pain and protective motor responses. Clinical pain, is though, very different from the immediate detection of and reaction to noxious stimuli, it includes ongoing pain and development of pain hypersensitivity in the presence of tissue damage, after nerve injury and in some cases, in the absence of any peripheral pathology. In all these situations, a prominent feature and sometimes prime driver of the pain, is an altered modulation of pain processing within the central nervous system, an amplification consequent on increased excitability and/or reduced inhibition in specific neural networks, which constitute the phenomenon of central sensitization. Recognition of the importance of central sensitization for the maintenance and manifestation of clinical pain states has led to an appreciation that such pain typically is an expression of an altered/disease state of nociceptive circuits in the central nervous system, one triggered but not necessarily sustained by peripheral injury, rather than only a symptom of some ongoing peripheral pathology, and treatment needs to be targeted accordingly.
Induction of Cyclophosphamide-Resistance by Aldehyde-Dehydrogenase Gene Transfer

The identification of genes inducing resistance to anticancer chemotherapeutic agents and their introduction into hematopoietic cells represents a promising approach to overcome bone marrow toxicity, the limiting factor for most high-dose chemotherapy regimens. Because resistance to cyclophosphamide has been correlated with increased levels of expression of the aldehyde-dehydrogenase (ALDH1) gene in tumor cell lines in vitro, we tested whether ALDH1 overexpression could directly induce cyclophosphamide resistance. We have cloned a full-length human ALDH1 cDNA and used retroviral vectors to transduce it into human (U937) and murine (L1210) hematopoietic cell lines that were then tested for resistance to maphosphamide, an active analogue of cyclophosphamide. Overexpression of the ALDH1 gene resulted in a significant increases in cyclophosphamide resistance in transduced L1210 and U937 cells (50% inhibition concentration [IC50], approximately 13 mumol/L). The resistant phenotype was specifically caused by ALDH1 overexpression as shown by its reversion by disulfiram, a specific ALDH1 inhibitor. ALDH1 transduction into peripheral blood human hematopoietic progenitor cells also led to significant increases (4- to 10-fold; IC50, approximately 3 to 4 mumol/L) in cyclophosphamide resistance in an in vitro colony-forming assay. These findings indicate that ALDH1 overexpression is sufficient to induce cyclophosphamide resistance in vitro and provide a basis for testing the efficacy of ALDH1 gene transduction to protect bone marrow cells from high-dose cyclophosphamide in vivo.
Switching performance analysis of GaN OG-FET using TCAD device-circuit-integrated model

This paper presents the superior switching performance of the in-situ Oxide-GaN interlayer FET (OG-FET) obtained by modeling a 1.4 kV/2.2 mΩ□cm2 device fabricated by the authors [1]. Based on the parameters extracted from fabricated devices, an accurate 2D physics-based device model was developed. Using the device-circuit-integrated model built in Silvaco's MixedMode platform [2], we evaluated the switching performance of the OG-FET in 1) a double-pulse switch circuit, and 2) in a 200 V : 800 V boost converter as well. The OG-FET showed a remarkably low device figure-of-merit (Ron·Qgd) of 1275 mΩ□nC. Our results indicate that our recently fabricated large area GaN OG-FET has the potential of attaining higher efficiencies and also enabling MHz range conversions.
Nonprofit Management Studies in the United States: Current Developments and Future Prospects.

AbstractThe development of nonprofit management education programs in U.S. universities parallels wider societal concerns about the efficacy of management in contemporary nonprofit organizations. T...
A method for model selection using reinforcement learning when viewing design as a sequential decision process

In an emerging paradigm, design is viewed as a sequential decision process (SDP) in which mathematical models of increasing fidelity are used in a sequence to systematically contract sets of design alternatives. The key idea behind SDP is to sequence models of increasing fidelity to provide sequentially tighter bounds on the decision criteria thereby removing inefficient designs from the tradespace with the guarantee that the antecedent model only removes design solutions that are dominated when analyzed using the more detailed, high-fidelity model. In general, efficiency in the SDP is achieved by using less expensive (low-fidelity) models early in the design process, before using high-fidelity models later on in the process. However, the set of multi-fidelity models and discrete decision states result in a combinatorial combination of model sequences, some of which require significantly fewer model evaluations than others. Unfortunately, the optimal modeling policy can not be determined at the onset of the SDP because the computational costs of executing all models on all designs and the discriminatory power of the resulting bounds are unknown. In this paper, the model selection problem is formulated as a finite Markov decision process (MDP) and an online reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm, namely, Q-learning, is used to obtain and follow an approximately optimal modeling policy, thereby overcoming the optimal modeling policy limitation of the current SDP. The outcome is a Reinforcement Learning based Design (RL-D) methodology able to learn efficient sequencing of models from sample estimates of the computational cost and discriminatory power of different models while analyzing design alternatives in the tradespace throughout the design process. Through application to two different design examples, the RL-D is shown to (1) effectively identify the approximate optimal modeling policy and (2) efficiently converge upon a choice set.
Novel mutation of type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) gene in a severe short stature pedigree identified by targeted next-generation sequencing.

Insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) deficiency is a rare form of short stature, and is difficult to clinically diagnose. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows for the rapid and inexpensive assessment of short stature. We identified mutations in the pedigree of a Chinese boy with severe short stature using targeted NGS; we then assessed the clinical characteristics and evaluated the efficacy of growth hormone therapy. NGS analysis revealed a novel heterozygous missense mutation in exon3 ( $$\hbox {c.926C}{>}\hbox {T}$$ , p.S309L) of the type-I IGF-1R gene in the proband, which was inherited from the mother. The proband, mother and grandfather suffered from severe growth failure. After recombinant human growth hormone therapy, the patient’s growth rate increased. The novel missense mutation in IGF-1R ( $$\hbox {c.926C}>\hbox {T}$$ , p.S309L) is associated with severe short stature in Chinese individuals. Targeted NGS may enable efficient diagnosis and genetic consultation of children with short stature.
Diffusion-limited relic particle production

We examine the thermal evolution of particle number densities in the early Universe when the particles have a finite diffusion length. Assuming that annihilations are impossible when the mean separation of the particles is larger than their diffusion length, we derive a version of the Boltzmann equation for freeze-out in this scenario and an approximate solution, accurate to better than 2%. The effect of a finite diffusion length is to increase the final relic freeze-out abundance over its corresponding value when diffusion effects are ignored. When diffusion is limited only by scattering off of the thermal background, and the annihilation cross section is bounded by unitarity, a significant effect on the freeze-out abundance requires a scattering cross section much larger than the annihilation cross section. A similar effect is demonstrated when the relic particles are produced via the freeze-in mechanism, but in this case the finite diffusion length is due to the scattering of particles that annihilate into the relic particle of interest. For freeze-in, the effect of a finite diffusion length is to reduce the final relic particle abundance. The effects of a finite diffusion length are most important when the scattering cross section or the relic mass are very large. While we have not found a particularly compelling example where this would affect previous results, with the current interest in new dark matter candidates it could become an important consideration.
Evaluation of anterior versus posterior component separation for hernia repair in a cadaveric model.

Component separation remains an integral step during ventral hernia repair. Although a multitude of techniques are described, anterior component separation (ACS) via external oblique release (EOR) and posterior component separation (PCS) via transversus abdominis muscle release (TAR) are commonly utilized. The extent of myofascial medialization after ACS or PCS has not been well elucidated. We conducted a comparative analysis of ACS versus PCS in an established cadaveric model. Fifteen cadavers underwent both ACS via EOR and PCS via TAR. Following midline laparotomy (MLL), baseline myofascial elasticity was measured. Steps for ACS included creation of subcutaneous flaps (SQF), external oblique release (EOR), and retrorectus dissection (RRD). For PCS, steps included retrorectus dissection (RRD), transversus abdominis muscle division (TAD), and retromuscular dissection (RMD). Maximal advancement of anterior rectus fascia (ARF) was measured following application of tension to the fascia as a whole, and separately at upper, middle, and lower segments. Statistical analysis was performed with Mann–Whitney U test. Values are represented as average myofascial medialization in centimeters. Following MLL an average of 5.0 ± 0.9 cm (range 3.4–6.0 cm) of baseline medialization was obtained. Complete ACS provided 8.8 ± 1.2 cm (range 6.3–10.7 cm) of ARF advancement compared to 10.2 ± 1.7 cm (range 7.6–12.7 cm) with PCS, p = 0.046. In the upper and mid-abdomen, we noted increased ARF advancement with PCS versus ACS (8.1 ± 1.4 cm vs. 6.7 ± 1.2 cm and 11.4 ± 1.5 vs. 9.6 ± 1.4 cm, respectively, p = 0.01). Similar levels of ARF advancement were observed in the lower abdomen, 9.1 ± 1.7 cm versus 8.7 ± 1.8 cm, p = 0.535. Component separation via both anterior and posterior approaches provide substantial myofascial advancement. In our model, we noted statistically greater anterior fascial medialization after PCS versus ACS as a whole, and especially in the upper and mid-abdomen. We advocate PCS as a reliable and possibly superior alternative for linea alba restoration for reconstructive repairs, especially for large defects in the upper and mid-abdomen.
Which Police Departments Want Reform? Barriers to Evidence-Based Policymaking

Political elites increasingly express interest in evidence-based policymaking, but transparent research collaborations necessary to generate relevant evidence pose political risks, including the discovery of sub-par performance and misconduct. If aversion to collaboration is non-random, collaborations may produce evidence that fails to generalize. We assess selection into research collaborations in the critical policy arena of policing by sending sincere requests to discuss research partnerships to roughly 3,000 law enforcement agencies in 48 states. A host of agency and jurisdiction attributes fail to predict affirmative responses to generic requests, alleviating concerns over generalizability. However, across two experiments, mentions of agency performance in our correspondence depressed affirmative responses --- even among top-performing agencies --- by roughly eight percentage points. Many agencies that indicate interest in transparent, evidence-based policymaking are likely engaging in cheap talk, and recoil once performance evaluations are made salient. These dynamics can inhibit valuable policy experimentation in many communities.
Complete Genome Sequence of wBp, the Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Brugia pahangi FR3.

ABSTRACT Lymphatic filariasis is a devastating disease caused by filarial nematode roundworms, which contain obligate Wolbachia endosymbionts. Here, we assembled the genome of wBp, the Wolbachia endosymbiont of the filarial nematode Brugia pahangi, from Illumina, Pacific Biosciences, and Oxford Nanopore data. The complete, circular genome is 1,072,967 bp.
Inteligencia Emocional y practica clínica en tiempos de pandemia

Los cambios generados por la pandemia COVID-19 han significado innumerables retos en la practica clinica, en los que el personal de salud ha tenido que adaptarse profesional y emocionalmente. Fortalecer la inteligencia emocional en los profesionales de la salud contribuye a su bienestar personal, previene el sindrome de burnout y ayuda a la creacion de ambientes laborales seguros, objetivos fundamentales a la hora de enfrentar desafios como la pandemia actual. Cuatro habilidades de la inteligencia emocional que son particularmente importantes en la practica clinica (autoconciencia, autorregulacion, conciencia social y manejo de relaciones) son objeto de reflexion en el presente articulo.
A Protocolized Approach for Dexmedetomidine Use in The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Introduction Dexmedetomidine is one of the sedative agents recommended by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) as a preferred option over benzodiazepines in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients. Its use has been associated with increased hypotension and bradycardia compared to alternative sedative agents, which may be particularly dangerous in patients in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). No recommendations exist for appropriate use of this agent in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) for which many patients may be vulnerable to its side effect profile. Hypothesis A CICU sedation protocol will reduce use of dexmedetomidine in patient populations at risk for adverse events. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study on patients 18 years of age and older admitted to the University of Michigan cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) from June 2014 to March 2020 who received dexmedetomidine. Baseline comorbidities, medication data, and adverse events were extracted from the electronic medical record. The CICU sedation guideline was implemented in September 2019. Before and after cohorts were defined based on this date. The primary endpoint was use of dexmedetomidine in acute systolic heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or severely depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Severely depressed LVEF was defined as ≤15%. Results Two-hundred thirteen patients were included, with 187 in the before group and 27 in the after cohort. There was no difference in median age (62 vs 66 years; p=0.26), baseline median LVEF (50 vs 35%; p=0.23), or baseline systolic blood pressure (124 vs 126 mmHg; p=0.69). After implementation, there were fewer patients with ADHF, cardiogenic shock or severely depressed LVEF (79 vs 6; p=0.047) who received dexmedetomidine. The median duration was shorter after implementation (18 vs 16 hours; p=0.16) and the median maximum dosage was lower (0.8 vs 0.5; p=0.007). The incidence of rebound hypertension and tachycardia was lower (14 vs 0; p=0.22) after implementation potentially due to maximum duration of therapy in the guideline of 48 hours. Conclusions A CICU sedation guideline led to fewer patients with ADHF, cardiogenic shock, or severely depressed LVEF receiving dexmedetomidine for sedation. Future studies should investigate the safety of alternative agents to determine optimal sedative strategies in these patients.
The role of bullying-related policies: Understanding how school staff respond to bullying situations

This study examined school staff reported behavioural responses to bullying, general likelihood of intervening and perceived self-efficacy for intervening with student bullying. We explored if the ...
Impact of 360° vs 2D Videos on Engagement in Anatomy Education

Medical education is constantly evolving, especially as students were forced to study from home during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and new technologies have driven the rapid development of supplemental online educational resources. In this study, we examine if 360° videos can promote increased engagement over standard two-dimensional (2D) videos among medical students learning anatomy. We enrolled 39 fourth-year medical students to watch two four-minute videos of anatomy lab exercises in a 360° three-dimensional format using an immersive headset or in a 2D format on a laptop computer. Every two minutes, students were asked to rate their engagement from 0-100. Following the videos, they reported their degree of agreement with 14 statements related to engagement, practicality, and interest in the technology. While watching the videos, the average engagement reported by the 360° video group was higher at each time point than the engagement reported by the two-dimensional group. Further, the engagement remained high in the 360° group through the six- and eight-minute timepoints. In the post-video survey, the 360° group reported a statistically significantly higher average engagement in seven of eight measures on the assessment. A 360° video was rated as more practical and interesting than a two-dimensional video. No significant difference existed in the perceived ease of learning. Overall, the use of 360° video may improve engagement for short videos used in medical education. However, developing a better understanding of its impact on learning outcomes will be critical for determining the overall value and effectiveness of this tool.
The Population Factor

The above passage was penned in the early 1970s, but human overpopulation is an idea with a very long history—indeed, the idea appears in works written during antiquity.
The association between intended drinking contexts and alcohol expectancies in college students: A daily diary study.

Abstract Background Because of the role alcohol outcome expectancies play in subsequent drinking, it is important to understand factors that can shape alcohol expectancies to guide intervention efforts. This study examined among college students whether intended social contexts for drinking were associated with positive and negative alcohol expectancies at the daily-level. Methods Participants included in analyses were 323 students, ages 18 to 24 years, enrolled at a 4-year university in the Pacific Northwest. At four 2-week measurement bursts across one year, participants were asked each afternoon to report whether they planned to drink alcohol later that day. If so, they were further asked how much they intended to drink, whether they plan to drink alone or with others, whether they plan to drink at home or bar/party, and their positive and negative expectancies of alcohol use that evening. Results A total of 2953 person-day observations from planned drinking days were used. Results from linear mixed models, adjusted for covariates including intended number of drinks, showed that students reported greater positive alcohol expectancies on days when they intended to drink with others vs. alone and intended to drink at a bar or party vs. at home. For negative expectancies, only intended drinking with others showed a statistically significant association. Conclusion This study suggests that contextual factors may shape college students’ expectancies about effects of alcohol at the daily-level. Intended drinking contexts may be important to address in event-level interventions to reduce high-risk drinking in young adults.
Reducing Election Litigation

Election litigation has exploded, and judges have increasingly been asked to evaluate ever-finer points of election administration. This Article posits some reasons that the judiciary has done so, and it offers potential ways to reduce election litigation. Part I examines the increase in litigation and attributes at least some of that increase to several causes: increased campaign expenditures on litigation; increased partisanship in state legislatures yielded more contentious election laws; the decline of preclearance under the Voting Rights Act after Shelby County v. Holder; and Supreme Court extensions of the Anderson v. Celebrezze framework to broad areas of election law. Undoubtedly, a part of the tale of litigation in 2020 arose from the arrival and spread of the novel coronavirus in the United States in 2020, which precipitated extensive actions (or attempted actions) to alter, postpone, or cancel previously-scheduled elections. But this Article sees a challenge—cash-laden litigants pressing judges to provide a preferred set of election practices, seizing on inconsistencies within the states or an absence of federal oversight to do so. Election law standards vary by federal circuit, and not as the result of state-driven legislative choices. States executives enter into consent decrees with plaintiffs to effectively rewrite election codes without legislative input. Or state executives fail to appeal adverse findings in short-fuse litigation. Part II suggests that less litigation is desirable. While acknowledging that litigation can advance important interests, it can undermine confidence in elections or add needless complexity to election law close in time to the election. It then offers what might be substantively-neutral solutions. The objective is to improve uniformity in legislation by "leveling up" decisions, which reduces friction in decision-making, reduces incentives to litigate, and increases consistency, both in terms of voter treatment and in terms of judicial precedent, across jurisdictions. Eliminating federal incentives for campaigns to raise money for litigation would compel campaigns to allocate resources for litigation like all other competing resources within the political campaign. These imperfect solutions may help reduce election litigation going forward.
25-Pin metallic fuel performance benchmark case based on the EBR-II X430 experiments series

Abstract A metallic fuel benchmark case was developed for the fuel performance code BISON based on 25 uranium-zirconium and uranium-plutonium-zirconium pins of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II X430 experiment series. Results of the benchmarks were compared with measurements and calculations made at the time of the experiment as well as subsequent measurements reported in 2019. The comparisons were used to quantify the accuracy of the BISON predictions and to identify patterns in the BISON differences. BISON predicted burnup, plenum pressure, and fission gas release fractions accurately. BISON temperature predictions were somewhat cooler than the temperatures determined at the time of the experiment but appeared to be reasonably accurate considering uncertainties in the legacy temperature calculations, uncertainties in the legacy linear heat rate calculations, and the high sensitivities of the BISON-predicted temperatures to BISON inputs. Fuel axial elongation predictions had errors correlated to fuel composition; BISON tended to underpredict the elongation of binary fuels and overpredict the elongation of ternary fuels. BISON cladding radial dilation predictions were also significantly lower than legacy PIE measurements. Recommendations were made to improve the BISON fuel gaseous swelling model to account for fuel composition, to add additional capabilities to the coolant channel temperature model to ease benchmark development, and to continue developing benchmark cases based on a wide range of experiments in several reactors. Once a wide array of benchmarks is developed, an attempt can be made to enhance or calibrate BISON models to improve the cladding dilation predictions.
Use of Diagnostic CT and Patient Retention in a Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Abstract Purpose The aims of this study were to assess the rate of subsequent diagnostic chest CT examinations in a lung cancer screening (LCS) program and examine the effect on retention of patients in the program. Methods Patients who underwent LCS CT between June 2011 and August 2018 were included. The occurrence of patients’ being subsequently imaged with diagnostic CT versus LCS CT and the effect this had on patients’ returning for LCS CT (patient retention) were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate variables associated with undergoing diagnostic CT and risk factors associated with loss of patient retention. Results Of the 5,912 patients who underwent LCS CT, 2,756 underwent subsequent diagnostic or LCS chest CT. Increasing Lung-RADS® score was more likely to lead to subsequent diagnostic chest CT (P Conclusions A higher Lung-RADS score is a risk factor for subsequent diagnostic chest CT, and this is an independent risk factor for loss from the LCS program.
What drives variations in public health and social services expenditures? the association between political fragmentation and local expenditure patterns.

The US spends two times more than the OECD average in health expenditure but has a much smaller portion of public health spending to total health expenditure than other OECD countries. While it has been suggested that public health and social services spending is crucial to promoting health outcomes, less is known about what drives variations in public health expenditure across regions. This study aims to examine whether political fragmentation in local governance is associated with variations in public health and social services expenditures. Using the US Census of Governments, we constructed a panel dataset of political fragmentation and local government spending patterns (1997-2012) for 792 US counties (population > 60,882, top 25%) and employed Least Squares Dummy Variable (LSDV) and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models. We found that per capita public health spending tended to be smaller in areas where the degree of political fragmentation was higher (Coef: - 0.034; p < 0.01), particularly when general-purpose governments were more fragmented (Coef: - 0.087; p < 0.001). The proportion of public health spending also decreased when local governments were more fragmented (Coef: - 0.012; p < 0.001). Social services expenditures and their proportions to total government expenditure fell with an increase in the degree of political fragmentation. Our findings suggest that fragmented governance settings, in which localities are more likely to face competition with others, may lead to a reduction in public spending essential for population health and that political fragmentation can also have a deterrent effect on broader categories of health-related social services spending.
Development of Mid-Frequency Multibeam Sonar for Fisheries Applications

Abstract : The long-term goal of this program is to investigate the utility of mid-frequency (approx. 1O kHz) acoustics to detect, enmuerate, and identify pelagic fish distributions. Objectives of this research include: comparisons of fish backscatter models, models of mid frequency sound propagation, development of a mid-frequency multibeam sonar, and backscatter measurements using splitbeam echosounders and the multibeam sonar.
ACTION OF A HISTIDINE ANALOGUE, 1,2,4-TRIAZOLE-3-ALANINE, IN SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM

Levin, Alfred P. (The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.), and Philip E. Hartman. Action of a histidine analogue, 1,2,4-triazole-3-alanine, in Salmonella typhimurium. J. Bacteriol. 86:820-828. 1963.-The effect of the histidine analogue, 1,2,4-triazole-3-alanine (TRA), on growth and enzyme synthesis in histidine auxotrophs of Salmonella typhimurium has been studied. TRA allows an increase of approximately 50% in the amount of protein in a culture but does not allow concomitant synthesis of ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid. Although the analogue prevents the formation of active bacteriophage and of enzymatically active inosine 5'-phosphate dehydrogenase, it does not prevent the formation of enzymatically active l-histidinol phosphate phosphatase or of imidazoleacetol phosphate transaminase, two enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of histidine. Of the three known functions of histidine in the cell, TRA mimics two: it is incorporated into protein, and it acts as a repressor material for synthesis of enzymes involved in the formation of histidine. TRA fails to act as a feedback inhibitor of the first step in the formation of histidine.
Scheduling algorithms for wireless ad-hoc sensor networks

We define a simple discrete mathematical model for wireless ad-hoc sensor networks and study the problems of data distribution and data collection which arise in those networks. We show how those tasks can be optimally performed on tree sensor networks that use directional antennas. Furthermore we compare the performance of a network equipped with directional antenna elements with one equipped with omnidirectional antenna elements and show the former outperforms the latter by 50% at most on a line network.
Weak Linkage Between HIV Epidemics in Homosexual Men and Intravenous Drug Users

Since homosexual men who are also intravenous drug users interact sexually with homosexual men and share needles with intravenous drug users, they are a potential transfer linkage between the HIV epidemics in homosexual men and intravenous drug users. One theory is that these HIV epidemics are not crucially linked by homosexual intravenous drug users so that neither epidemic is feeding or sustaining the other. A simulation model with HIV transmission and progression to AIDS is formulated for three risk groups. Evidence based on fitting this model to AIDS incidence data in New York City supports the theory that neither HIV epidemic sustains the other. Thus the HIV epidemics in homosexual men and intravenous drug users are only weakly linked and can be modeled as separate epidemics.
QCD2 in the axial gauge

The authors have studied the large-N limit of two-dimensional QCD using the axial gauge. First they solved numerically the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the quark propagator. Then the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the meson wavefunctions was solved in the zero-momentum frame of the quark-antiquark pair. The spectrum obtained agrees with that calculated by 't Hooft (1974) in the light-cone gauge.
Rate, affinity and calcium dependence of nitric oxide synthase isoform binding to the primary physiological regulator calmodulin

Using interferometry-based biosensors the binding and release of endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and nNOS) from calmodulin (CaM) was measured. In both isoforms, binding to CaM is diffusion limited and within approximately three orders of magnitude of the Smoluchowski limit imposed by orientation-independent collisions. This suggests that the orientation of CaM is facilitated by the charge arrays on the CaM-binding site and the complementary surface on CaM. Protein kinase C phosphorylation of eNOS T495, adjacent to the CaM-binding site, abolishes or greatly slows CaM binding. Kinases which increase the activity of eNOS did not stimulate the binding of CaM, which is already diffusion limited. The coupling of Ca(2+) binding and CaM/NOS binding equilibria links the affinity of CaM for NOS to the Ca(2+) dependence of CaM binding. Hence, changes in the Ca(2+) sensitivity of CaM binding always imply changes in the NOS-CaM affinity. It is possible, however, that in some regimes binding and activation are not synonymous, so that Ca(2+) sensitivity need not be tightly linked to CaM sensitivity of activation. This study is being extended using mutants to probe the roles of individual structural elements in binding and release.
Autoassociative dynamics in the generation of sequences of hippocampal place cells

Neuronal circuits produce self-sustaining sequences of activity patterns, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Here we provide evidence for autoassociative dynamics in sequence generation. During sharp-wave ripple (SWR) events, hippocampal neurons express sequenced reactivations, which we show are composed of discrete attractors. Each attractor corresponds to a single location, the representation of which sharpens over the course of several milliseconds, as the reactivation focuses at that location. Subsequently, the reactivation transitions rapidly to a spatially discontiguous location. This alternation between sharpening and transition occurs repeatedly within individual SWRs and is locked to the slow-gamma (25 to 50 hertz) rhythm. These findings support theoretical notions of neural network function and reveal a fundamental discretization in the retrieval of memory in the hippocampus, together with a function for gamma oscillations in the control of attractor dynamics.
Reentrant stability of Bose-Einstein-condensate standing-wave patterns

We describe standing-wave patterns induced by an attractive finite-ranged external potential inside a large Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). As the potential depth increases, the time-independent Gross-Pitaevskii equation develops pairs of solutions that have nodes in their wave function. We elucidate the nature of these states and study their dynamical stability. Although we study the problem in a two-dimensional BEC subject to a cylindrically symmetric square well potential of a radius that is comparable to the coherence length of the BEC, our analysis reveals general trends that are valid in two and three dimensions, independent of the symmetry of the localized potential well, and suggestive of the behavior in general short-range and large-range potentials. One set of nodal BEC wave functions resembles the single particle n-node bound-state wave function of the potential well, the other wave functions resemble the n-1-node bound-state wave function with a kink state pinned by the potential. The second state, though corresponding to the lower free energy value of the pair of n-node BEC states, is always unstable, whereas the first can be dynamically stable in intervals of the potential well depth, implying that the standing-wave BEC can evolve from being dynamically unstable to stable and back tomore » unstable as the potential well is adiabatically deepened - a phenomenon that we refer to as 'reentrant dynamical stability'.« less
Testing a rapid Floristic Quality Index on headwater wetlands in central Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract Floristic Quality Assessment is a proven technique for evaluating the condition of a variety of habitats including wetlands. Its utility in state monitoring and assessment programs, however, has been curtailed by the additional effort and expertise needed for deployment. In this study, we tested the validity of two prerequisites of floristic quality assessment: the need for a comprehensive species list and the requirement that all taxa be identified to species. The mean coefficient of conservatism (mean C) was shown to be the most sensitive variable of the index and was used to test its efficacy in a rapid context. Mean C demonstrated a lack of significant response when graminoid taxa were selectively removed and also when scores were calculated based on dominant taxa only ( C ¯ dom ). The muted response observed is likely due to redundancy in the species list (many plants with the same C value) and the averaging of C values. Site ranks did shift when based on C ¯ dom , however, and this result may have implications on how individual sites are prioritized for restoration and protection. Ultimately, resource managers must determine if the decreased level of accuracy obtained from abridged plant lists is an acceptable trade-off for increased savings in time and effort.
Synthetic oligonucleotide probes differentiate respiratory syncytial virus subgroups in a nucleic acid hybridization assay.

A new approach to respiratory syncytial virus subgroup differentiation has been developed on the basis of the hybridization of subgroup-specific synthetic oligonucleotides with viral mRNA. Two oligonucleotide probes were designed from the nucleotide sequences of an A and a B subgroup respiratory syncytial virus glycoprotein G gene. All 28 virus isolates tested were correctly classified by subgroup with these probes. Images