cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geographic Distribution and Dispersal Mechanisms of Bouteloua curtipendula in the Appalachian Mountains

Abstract The distribution of Bouteloua curtipendula in the eastern United States is generally limited to small and isolated populations on limestone-derived valley soils within the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province in the Appalachian Mountains. In Pennsylvania, populations are 16 km apart. Bouteloua curtipendula is found on extremely xeric sites: shallow, rocky, slightly alkaline, clay loams on south-southwest facing slopes. Diaspores of B. curtipendula can only travel at most a few meters on the wind and seeds are destroyed in the rumens of grazing ungulates; therefore, the long-distance dispersal mechanism is primarily by adhesion to animal fur. Two experiments tested the adhesion of B. curtipendula diaspores to eight mammal furs: coyote, red fox, rabbit, white-tailed deer, elk, bison, cattle and horse. A new index, the Dispersal Index (the product of “% diaspores that attached” and “% diaspores that remained after shaking”), was generated to represent the percentag...
Internet Economics [Guest editors' introduction]

The Internet has facilitated the creation of economies that might have been previously unimaginable -- ranging from targeted online advertising to crowdsourcing to peer-to-peer lending and digital currencies -- and the Internet is only growing in scale. This special issue discusses the modeling, analysis, and design of Internet-specific economic activity, considering research challenges surrounding both Internet economies that are "in plain sight" and "undercover."
Hydroxocobalamin. II. Absorption from the site of injection and uptake by the liver and calf muscle in man.

Labeled hydroxocobalamin, administered intramuscularly in man, is absorbed more slowly from the site of injection and deposited in the liver and calf muscle to a degree equal to or higher than that of cyanocobalamin at an equivalent dose. These findings, together with those reported in Part I of this paper, suggest the applicability of hydroxocobalamin as a long-acting vitamin B 12 in man. These conclusions, however, require the support to be obtained from long-range observations on patients with vitamin B 12 depletion.
Rigid Adenine Nucleoside Derivatives as Novel Modulators of the Human Sodium Symporters for Dopamine and Norepinephrine

Thirty-two congeneric rigid adenine nucleoside derivatives containing a North (N)-methanocarba ribose substitution and a 2-arylethynyl group either enhanced (up to 760% of control) or inhibited [125I] methyl (1R,2S,3S)-3-(4-iodophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylate (RTI-55) binding at the human dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) and inhibited DA uptake. Several nucleosides also enhanced [3H]mazindol [(±)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-3,5-dihydro-2H-imidazo[2,1-a]isoindol-5-ol] binding to the DAT. The combination of binding enhancement and functional inhibition suggests possible allosteric interaction with the tropanes. The structure-activity relationship of this novel class of DAT ligands was explored: small N6-substition (methyl or ethyl) was favored, while the N1 of the adenine ring was essential. Effective terminal aryl groups include thien-2-yl (compounds 9 and 16), with EC50 values of 35.1 and 9.1 nM, respectively, in [125I]RTI-55 binding enhancement, and 3,4-difluorophenyl as in the most potent DA uptake inhibitor (compound 6) with an IC50 value of 92 nM (3-fold more potent than cocaine), but not nitrogen heterocycles. Several compounds inhibited or enhanced binding at the norepinephrine transporter (NET) and serotonin transporter (SERT) and inhibited function in the micromolar range; truncation at the 4′-position in compound 23 allowed for weak inhibition of the SERT. We have not yet eliminated adenosine receptor affinity from this class of DAT modulators, but we identified modifications that remove DAT inhibition as an off-target effect of potent adenosine receptor agonists. Thus, we have identified a new class of allosteric DAT ligands, rigidified adenosine derivatives, and explored their initial structural requirements. They display a very atypical pharmacological profile, i.e., either enhancement by increasing affinity or inhibition of radioligand binding at the DAT, and in some cases the NET and SERT, and inhibition of neurotransmitter uptake.
Synthesis of a mononuclear, non-square-planar chromium(ii) bis(alkoxide) complex and its reactivity toward organic carbonyls and CO2.

In this paper, we report the synthesis and reactivity of a rare mononuclear chromium(II) bis(alkoxide) complex, Cr(OR′)2(THF)2, that is supported by a new bulky alkoxide ligand (OR′ = di-t-butyl-(3,5-diphenylphenyl)methoxide). The complex is prepared by protonolysis of square-planar Cr(N(SiMe3)2)2(THF)2 with HOR′. X-ray structure determination disclosed that Cr(OR′)2(THF)2 features a distorted seesaw geometry, in contrast to nearly all other tetra-coordinate Cr(II) complexes, which are square-planar. The reactivity of Cr(OR′)2(THF)2 with aldehydes, ketones, and carbon dioxide was investigated. Treatment of Cr(OR′)2(THF)2 with two equivalents of aromatic aldehydes ArCHO (ArCHO = benzaldehyde, 4-anisaldehyde, 4-trifluorbenzaldehyde, and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde) leads cleanly to the formation of Cr(IV) diolate complexes Cr(OR′)2(O2C2H2Ar2) that were characterized by UV-vis and IR spectroscopies and elemental analysis; the representative complex Cr(OR′)2(O2C2H2Ph2) was characterized by X-ray crystallography. In contrast, no reductive coupling was observed for ketones: treatment of Cr(OR′)2(THF)2 with one or two equivalents of benzophenone forms invariably a single ketone adduct Cr(OR′)2(OCPh2) which does not react further. QM/MM calculations suggest the steric demands prevent ketone coupling, and demonstrate that a mononuclear Cr(III) bis-aldehyde complex with partially reduced aldehydes is sufficient for C–C bond formation. The reaction of Cr(OR′)2(THF)2 with CO2 leads to the insertion of CO2 into a Cr–OR′ bond, followed by complex rearrangement to form a diamagnetic dinuclear paddlewheel complex Cr2(O2COR′)4(THF)2, that was characterized by NMR, UV-vis, and IR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.
John Goldingay’s Theology of the Book of Isaiah: An Appreciative Response

This review of John Goldingay’s Theology of the Book of Isaiah, presented in the light of Goldingay’s fruitful engagements with Pentecostal scholars for many years, affirms its deft handling of the richness and complexities of Isaiah’s thought in a way that is highly accessible and refreshingly creative. Particular note is taken of Goldingay’s skillful way of laying out the theological themes of the book of Isaiah in relation to its structural features, both in its parts and in its entirety, and also to the author’s effective rhetorical tactic of drawing out the newness of Isaiah’s key theological terms by rendering and elaborating them in entirely fresh ways. The review points to two areas that might have been given more attention in Goldingay’s work as key embodiments of Isaiah’s theology: the historical narratives in Isaiah that focus on Ahaz and Hezekiah, respectively, and the theme of the raising up of children.
Amblyopia: Diagnosis and Management

Amblyopia is a difficult challenge for physicians caring for these children. If detected early with screening programs, the prognosis for successful treatment is greatly increased. If missed, the child may suffer from a lifetime of poor vision in one eye. Children who fail a visual screening test should be promptly referred to an ophthalmologist. Prompt detection and treatment of amblyopia secure a child the best chance for a good visual outcome.
An overview of the scientist's responsibilities: comments by an attorney.

Scientific research which utilizes human tissue produces valuable scientific knowledge and contributes to the development of medical therapy. But human tissue research, however valuable it may be, is and should be subject to regulations to prevent fraud, deception or other forms of overreaching to the acquisition of human tissue to protect potential contributors. (My discussion deals primarily with problems in connection with the acquisition rather than the utilization of human tissue. The latter topic, which also deserves careful study, lies beyond the scope of this paper.) Such regulations also help to define and limit the scope of liability of scientists or others who acquire and utilize human tissue. In addition, when one deals with human subjects, it is particularly important to prevent not only actual abuses, but also to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Because many contributors of human tissue for research are persons who are patients in medical centers or other institutions, they are more vulnerable to exploitation than healthy or noninstitutionalized persons. Accordingly, it is necessary to obtain informed consent of contributing human subjects, to regulate the procedures for acquiring human tissue and to critically examine the goals sought through the utilization of human tissue. It is necessary to be alert to potential conflicts among the needs of scientists, the legal doctrines relevant to protecting persons, and the moral values, emotions and religious sentiments connected with persons and their bodies. In what follows I attempt to identify some of the legal, moral and psychological issues which are germane to scientific research on human tissue and to suggest, in a preliminary way, some of the further steps that must be taken by scientists to maintain high standards of professional responsibility and sensitivity to human subjects.
Electrical field stimulation causes endothelium-dependent and nitric oxide-mediated relaxation of pulmonary artery

The objective of this study was to ascertain the mechanism by which electrical field stimulation (EFS) of bovine pulmonary arterial rings causes endothelium-dependent smooth muscle relaxation. Like acetylcholine-elicited relaxation, EFS-elicited relaxation was endothelium-dependent and accompanied by accumulation of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in the vascular smooth muscle. Relaxation in response to EFS was unaltered by tetrodotoxin, guanethidine, atropine, propranolol, chlorpheniramine, cimetidine, indomethacin, aminophylline, alpha, beta-methylene ATP, nifedipine, capsaicin, and certain antioxidants and free radical scavengers. Thus the relaxation was not neurogenically mediated and was not attributed to free radical formation during EFS. Like nitric oxide-elicited relaxation, EFS-elicited relaxation was antagonized by oxyhemoglobin and methylene blue. Relaxation was also antagonized by the three NG-substituted L-arginine analogues: NG-methyl-L-arginine, NG-nitro-L-arginine, and NG-amino-L-arginine. NG-amino-L-arginine also inhibited the tissue cGMP accumulation in response to EFS. The inhibitory effect of the NG-substituted L-arginine analogues was reversed by addition of excess L-arginine but not D-arginine. Relaxation in response to EFS was dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium and intracellular calmodulin, as removal of extracellular calcium or addition of trifluoperazine nearly abolished relaxation. EFS-elicited relaxation was inhibited also by tetraethylammonium chloride and elevated extracellular potassium concentration. These observations indicate that EFS-elicited relaxation of bovine pulmonary artery is mediated by neuronally independent, but endothelium- and calcium-dependent, stimulation of nitric oxide and cGMP formation.
Effects of Age and Acute Moderate Alcohol Administration on Electrophysiological Correlates of Working Memory Maintenance.

Background Previous studies suggest older adults may be differentially susceptible to the acute neurobehavioral effects of moderate alcohol intake. To our knowledge, no studies have addressed acute moderate alcohol effects on the electrophysiological correlates of working memory in younger and older social drinkers. This study characterized alcohol-related effects on frontal theta (FTP) and posterior alpha power (PAP) associated with maintenance of visual information during a working memory task. Methods Older (55 to 70 years of age; n = 51, 29 women) and younger (25 to 35 years of age; n = 70, 39 women) community-dwelling moderate drinkers were recruited for this study. Participants were given either placebo or an active dose targeting breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.04 or 0.065 g/dl. Following absorption, participants completed a visual working memory task assessing cue recognition following a 9-s delay. FTP and PAP were determined via Fourier transformation and subjected to 2 (age group) × 3 (dose) × 2 (repeated: working memory task condition) mixed models analysis. Results In addition to expected age-related reductions in PAP, a significant age group × dose interaction was detected for PAP such that 0.04 g/dl dose level was associated with greater PAP in younger adults but lower PAP in their older counterparts. PAP was lower in older versus younger adults at both active doses. Further mixed models revealed a significant negative association between PAP and working memory efficiency for older adults. No effects of age, dose, or their interaction were noted for FTP. Conclusions Results bolster the small but growing body of evidence that older adults exhibit differential sensitivity to the neurobehavioral effects of moderate alcohol use. Given the theoretical role of PAP in attentional and working memory function, these findings shed light on the attentional mechanisms underlying effects of acute moderate alcohol on working memory efficiency in older adults.
A Bioorthogonal Near-Infrared Fluorogenic Probe for mRNA Detection

There is significant interest in developing methods that visualize and detect RNA. Bioorthogonal template-driven tetrazine ligations could be a powerful route to visualizing nucleic acids in native cells, yet past work has been limited with respect to the diversity of fluorogens that can be activated via a tetrazine reaction. Herein we report a novel bioorthogonal tetrazine uncaging reaction that harnesses tetrazine reactivity to unmask vinyl ether caged fluorophores spanning the visible spectrum, including a near-infrared (NIR)-emitting cyanine dye. Vinyl ether caged fluorophores and tetrazine partners are conjugated to high-affinity antisense nucleic acid probes, which show highly selective fluorogenic reactivity when annealed to their respective target RNA sequences. A target sequence in the 3′ untranslated region of an expressed mRNA was detected in live cells employing appropriate nucleic acid probes bearing a tetrazine-reactive NIR fluorogen. Given the expansion of tetrazine fluorogenic chemistry to...
An individual-based model of forest volatile organic compound emissions—UVAFME-VOC v1.0

Abstract Forests produce and emit abundant non-methane volatile hydrocarbon species (VOCs) influencing the atmosphere chemistry and climate. Over a half century of research has produced significant understandings of the biochemistry and eco-physiology of biogenic VOCs. However, VOCs production is highly species-specific, and the impact of changes in species composition and abundance on VOCs emissions is unobservable in the time scales usually seen in field experiments. Prior modelling efforts are based on cases with an aggregate representation of vegetation. Individual-based models of forests simulate the dynamics of complex forest ecosystems based on birth, growth, and death of the individual trees comprising a simulated forest. Here an individual-based forest VOCs emissions model—UVAFME-VOC v1.0—is developed from the state-of-the-art individual-based forest gap model, UVAFME, coupled with a canopy VOCs emission model. UVAFME-VOC v1.0 implementation for the temperate deciduous forest in the southeastern United States is tested by comparisons to independent data in the region. A model application tested the hypothesis that the historical collapse of American Chestnut ( Castanea dentate ) resulted in the dominance of oak trees ( Quercus spp.) and enhanced isoprene emissions. The model demonstrated a capability to simulate the forest compositional and structural dynamics and forest isoprene emission dynamics. The simulations show isoprene emissions depend heavily on forest successional stage and species composition, suggesting that environmental change can affect forest VOCs emissions primarily by influencing forest species composition. Prediction of isoprene emissions, of other phytogenic volatile organic compounds, and of impacts on atmospheric chemistry of various global change agents (e.g., warming, rising CO 2 , ozone elevation, and herbivory) should explicitly consider forest diversity change. This individual-based model could provide widespread applications in addressing these problems.
Recurrent rewiring and emergence of RNA regulatory networks

Alterations in regulatory networks contribute to evolutionary change. Transcriptional networks are reconfigured by changes in the binding specificity of transcription factors and their cognate sites. The evolution of RNA–protein regulatory networks is far less understood. The PUF (Pumilio and FBF) family of RNA regulatory proteins controls the translation, stability, and movements of hundreds of mRNAs in a single species. We probe the evolution of PUF–RNA networks by direct identification of the mRNAs bound to PUF proteins in budding and filamentous fungi and by computational analyses of orthologous RNAs from 62 fungal species. Our findings reveal that PUF proteins gain and lose mRNAs with related and emergent biological functions during evolution. We demonstrate at least two independent rewiring events for PUF3 orthologs, independent but convergent evolution of PUF4/5 binding specificity and the rewiring of the PUF4/5 regulons in different fungal lineages. These findings demonstrate plasticity in RNA regulatory networks and suggest ways in which their rewiring occurs.
Vibration compensation of display contents in smart devices using accelerometer feedback

This paper examines a filtering and control algorithm for stabilizing the electronic display contents under external shocks and vibrations to reduce eye strain and discomfort. A cascade of a first order high-pass filter and a stable second order double-integrator-like filter is used to generate a stable position estimate from the real-time accelerometer data. The estimated position signal is then used to compensate the high-frequency movements of the frame by offsetting the display contents in the opposite direction of the motion. Analyzing the error dynamics indicates there is a low-frequency error amplification range as a result of high-frequency disturbance rejection, suggesting the strength of the proposed method is in rejecting higher frequency disturbances. To validate the design, an experimental test bed comprising a microcontroller equipped with an accelerometer and an LCD screen is developed. Using an image processing algorithm, the movements of the display contents with and without the proposed controller were quantified and analyzed. Experimental results show that the vibrations of the display contents can be reduced by up to 70% at 4 Hz excitation frequency. The proposed method is expected to provide significant eye strain relief for users with motion sicknesses and hand tremor if successfully deployed in smart devices.
Compressive Traffic Analysis: A New Paradigm for Scalable Traffic Analysis

Traffic analysis is the practice of inferring sensitive information from communication patterns, particularly packet timings and packet sizes. Traffic analysis is increasingly becoming relevant to security and privacy with the growing use of encryption and other evasion techniques that render content-based analysis of network traffic impossible. The literature has investigated traffic analysis for various application scenarios, from tracking stepping stone cybercriminals to compromising anonymity systems. The major challenge to existing traffic analysis mechanisms is scaling to today's exploding volumes of network traffic, i.e., they impose high storage, communications, and computation overheads. In this paper, we aim at addressing this scalability issue by introducing a new direction for traffic analysis, which we call \emph{compressive traffic analysis}. The core idea of compressive traffic analysis is to compress traffic features, and perform traffic analysis operations on such compressed features instead of on raw traffic features (therefore, improving the storage, communications, and computation overheads of traffic analysis due to using smaller numbers of features). To compress traffic features, compressive traffic analysis leverages linear projection algorithms from compressed sensing, an active area within signal processing. We show that these algorithms offer unique properties that enable compressing network traffic features while preserving the performance of traffic analysis compared to traditional mechanisms. We introduce the idea of compressive traffic analysis as a new generic framework for scalable traffic analysis. We then apply compressive traffic analysis to two widely studied classes of traffic analysis, namely, flow correlation and website fingerprinting. We show that the compressive versions of state-of-the-art flow correlation and website fingerprinting schemes\textemdash significantly\textemdash outperform their non-compressive (traditional) alternatives, e.g., the compressive version of Houmansadr et al. [44]'s flow correlation is two orders of magnitude faster, and the compressive version of Wang et al. [77] fingerprinting system runs about 13 times faster. We believe that our study is a major step towards scaling traffic analysis.
Ethanol and Endogenous Opioids

Ethanol is an organic chemical that belongs to the chemical class of alcohols; it is also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, methyl carbinol, and ethyl hydrate. The molecular formula of ethanol is C2H6O. Ethanol is used as a food, a drug, and in the manufacture of industrial and consumer products. Moderate alcohol use, up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for non-pregnant women and older people, is not harmful for most adults. Long-term use of large amounts of alcoholic beverages causes alcohol dependency, which is manifested by intense physical disturbances that occur when drinking is discontinued. There is a genetic link between the abnormality in the brain opioidergic system function, and increased alcohol use in vulnerable individuals who are exposed to stress. Chronic alcohol use causes deficiencies of endogenous opioids that may contribute to ethanol self-administration.
Poly (ethylene glycol) Prodrugs: Altered Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacological activity and therapeutic significance are often correlated to the plasma concentration versus profile of the drug. Polymeric prodrugs, as a class, generally achieve areas under the curve (AUCs) of great magnitude, as they slowly release native drug over longer periods of time (Sinko and Kohn, 1993). It has been demonstrated conclusively by Greenwald et al. (1996a,b) that substantial increments to the AUC can be achieved by polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugation to small molecule drugs if the molecular weight (MW) of the PEG exceeds 20,000 Da. This effect is essentially one of increasing the apparent AUC for the drug itself. It is important that the polymeric species demonstrates good blood and tissue compatibility; for this purpose, a neutral or slightly negative electric charge appears to be optimal since polycationic polymers are readily captured by the first-pass effect, and are known to possess various degrees of toxicity (Maeda, 1992; Nishikawa et al., 1996). The focus of this review will be on the design, applications, and current investigations of polymeric prodrugs with the main emphasis on PEG. The exploitation of PEG prodrugs has been especially effective with anticancer agents, but other drugs in the areas of antibacterials and antifungals have also been successfully modified with PEG to produce prodrugs that demonstrate the desired increased AUCs. It would appear that other types of drugs such as antiviral agents can be similarly modified when a continuous controlled release of drug is desired, but only one report using low molecular weight (LMW) PEG has appeared in the literature (Zacchigna et al., 2002).
International Workshop on Electron Correlations and Materials Properties

I am very happy, as I imagine we all are, to have been invited to such an interesting conference on this beautiful, fabled island where, even if we are not Greek, we can admire and feel proud of some of the great achievements of mankind near the beginning of its history.
Critical Race Theory in Education Research

Critical race theory (CRT) is a relatively new but ever-evolving movement formalized in the legal field during the 1970s in order to grapple with the nexus between race, racism, and the American jurisprudence, in a better manner. While CRT has origins in the legal field, scholars in other fields have also engaged in the analytical utility of race. This article presents a brief historical overview of CRT, describes two central features, and discusses the use of CRT in educational research. The authors advance previous arguments that CRT is crucial for examining, understanding, and overcoming educational inequities for historical, political, and analytical reasons. To conclude, the authors provide implications for the future of educational research as it relates to a critical race framework.
Hunter–Gatherers Optimize Their Foraging Patterns Using Lévy Flights

We present evidence that human hunter-gatherers employ foraging movement patterns that are described by the statistics of Levy flights rather than by conventional Gaussian statistics. Human movement across the landscape is not usually considered an anthropological problem as such. For example, Green (1987, p. 273) observed that the way foragers move between resource patches has been the subject of little quantitative work. Nevertheless, movement patterns influence not only foraging itself but also cultural diffusion, demic diffusion, gene flow, and perhaps migration into virgin territory. So the discovery of Levy flights in foraging patterns carries implications for various theories in anthropology, including optimal foraging theory as applied to hunter-gatherers and by extension for archeological models of human subsistence settlement systems in prehistory. Moreover, it may help us understand the processes of diffusion and migration. Here, however, we focus our discussion on the implications for optimal foraging theory in cultural ecology and archeology.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy: An Evaluation After a Decade

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy has established itself as a preferred method of enteral access. Outstanding success rates with this technique, accompanied by low complication rates and high patient satisfaction, are well attested. Novel and extended applications of percutaneous stoma techniques continue to be developed. Further progress is needed in the area of patient selection to ensure optimal use of this modality.
The role of the built environment and private rooms for reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections

Private hospital rooms are believed to offer some protective effect against hospital-acquired infections, including central line-associated bloodstream infections. Yet a recent meta-analysis found the evidence-base to be lacking from a policy perspective. We sought to determine whether private rooms were associated with a lower risk of central-line infections. We examined the discharge records of more than one million inpatients from 335 Texas hospitals to determine patients that stayed in private rooms. Patients who stayed in bay rooms had 64 percent more central line infections than patients who stayed in private rooms. Even after adjusting for relevant covariates, patients assigned to bay rooms had a 21 percent greater relative risk of a central line infection (p = 0.005), compared with patients assigned to private rooms. At the hospital level, a 10% increase in private rooms was associated with an 8.6% decrease in central line infections (p<0.001), regardless of individual patients' room assignment. This study demonstrates and validates the use of private rooms as a structural measure and independent predictor of hospital quality.
Assimilating All-Sky Infrared Radiances from GOES-16 ABI Using an Ensemble Kalman Filter for Convection-Allowing Severe Thunderstorms Prediction

AbstractThis article presents the first practice of assimilating real-world all-sky GOES-16 ABI infrared brightness temperature (BT) observations using an ensemble-based data assimilation system co...
Parallelized, real-time, metabolic-rate measurements from individual Drosophila

Significant recent evidence suggests that metabolism is intricately linked to the regulation and dysfunction of complex cellular and physiological responses ranging from altered metabolic programs in cancers and aging to circadian rhythms and molecular clocks. While the metabolic pathways and their fundamental control mechanisms are well established, the precise cellular mechanisms underpinning, for example, enzymatic pathway control, substrate preferences or metabolic rates, remain far less certain. Comprehensive, continuous metabolic studies on model organisms, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, may provide a critical tool for deciphering these complex physiological responses. Here, we describe the development of a high-resolution calorimeter, which combines sensitive thermometry with optical imaging to concurrently perform measurements of the metabolic rate of ten individual flies, in real-time, with ~100 nW resolution. Using this calorimeter we have measured the mass-specific metabolic rates of flies of different genotypes, ages, and flies fed with different diets. This powerful new approach enables systematic studies of the metabolic regulation related to cellular and physiological function and disease mechanisms.
Cultural Competence Considerations for Health-System Pharmacists:

Purpose: An introduction to cultural competency is provided for health system pharmacists, including communication tools and considerations to personalize care for diverse patient populations. Summary: Disparities in patient outcomes, health care utilization, and treatment adherence exist across diverse patient populations in the United States. Cultural competence of health system pharmacists is important to optimize medication use in diverse patient populations. The LARA (Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add) methodology, Kleinman's explanatory model, and the teach-back method are communication tools to facilitate culturally integrated discussions with patients. Health system pharmacists should be cognizant of cultural considerations that may emphasize spiritual care, nonpharmacologic therapy, patient privacy, and potential distrust of health care professionals. Conclusion: Health system pharmacists should strive to increase awareness of the impact that cultural beliefs and traditions have on patient care.
Jean Tirole, Economics for the Common Good

Abstract. The economics discipline is a dynamic, foundational field in the social sciences. With a host of scholars eager to share the knowledge they create with the general public, the discipline addresses how scarce resources are allocated to meet human needs and objectives. Since resources are scarce and societies have to make tradeoffs between competing ends, economics offers a unique set of tools to address many of society’s most pressing concerns. Furthermore, it is common that once a scholar wins a Nobel Prize in economics that they produce a book for a broader public audience to explain their ideas. Keywords. Role of economics, History of economic thought, Economic methodology. JEL. A10, B00, B40.
Deep Learning Method for Automated Classification of Anteroposterior and Posteroanterior Chest Radiographs.

Ensuring correct radiograph view labeling is important for machine learning algorithm development and quality control of studies obtained from multiple facilities. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the performance of a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) for the automated classification of frontal chest radiographs (CXRs) into anteroposterior (AP) or posteroanterior (PA) views. We obtained 112,120 CXRs from the NIH ChestX-ray14 database, a publicly available CXR database performed in adult (106,179 (95%)) and pediatric (5941 (5%)) patients consisting of 44,810 (40%) AP and 67,310 (60%) PA views. CXRs were used to train, validate, and test the ResNet-18 DCNN for classification of radiographs into anteroposterior and posteroanterior views. A second DCNN was developed in the same manner using only the pediatric CXRs (2885 (49%) AP and 3056 (51%) PA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with area under the curve (AUC) and standard diagnostic measures were used to evaluate the DCNN’s performance on the test dataset. The DCNNs trained on the entire CXR dataset and pediatric CXR dataset had AUCs of 1.0 and 0.997, respectively, and accuracy of 99.6% and 98%, respectively, for distinguishing between AP and PA CXR. Sensitivity and specificity were 99.6% and 99.5%, respectively, for the DCNN trained on the entire dataset and 98% for both sensitivity and specificity for the DCNN trained on the pediatric dataset. The observed difference in performance between the two algorithms was not statistically significant (p = 0.17). Our DCNNs have high accuracy for classifying AP/PA orientation of frontal CXRs, with only slight reduction in performance when the training dataset was reduced by 95%. Rapid classification of CXRs by the DCNN can facilitate annotation of large image datasets for machine learning and quality assurance purposes.
The antimicrobial properties of the puroindolines, a review

Antimicrobial proteins, and especially antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold great promise in the control of animal and plant diseases with low risk of pathogen resistance. The two puroindolines, a and b, from wheat control endosperm softness of the wheat caryopsis (grain), but have also been shown to inhibit the growth and kill various bacteria and fungi, while showing little toxicity to erythrocytes. Puroindolines are small (~ 13 kDa) amphipathic proteins with a characteristic tryptophan-rich domain (TRD) that is part of an 18 or 19 amino acid residue loop subtended by a disulfide bond. This review presents a brief history of the puroindolines, their physical–chemical characteristics, their interaction with lipids and membranes, and their activity as antimicrobial proteins and AMPs. In this latter context, the use of the TRDs of puroindoline a and b in puroindoline AMP function is reviewed. The activity of puroindoline a and b and their AMPs appear to act through similar but somewhat different modes, which may involve membrane binding, membrane disruption and ion channel formation, and intra-cellular nucleic acid binding and metabolic disruption. Natural and synthetic mutants have identified key elements of the puroindolines for antimicrobial activity.
Implementation of Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR): experience from the national Healthy Start program.

Objectives: The implementation of the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) process was examined as part of the evaluation of the national Healthy Start program, a federal program designed to reduce infant mortality in several communities. The implementation of the FIMR process over the 5-year funding period is described in terms of productivity, barriers and facilitators to implementation, and project expenditures. Methods. Data were derived from grant continuation applications and personal interviews with program staff to produce a qualitative description. Results: As of the summer of 1996, 14 of the 15 Healthy Start sites in the national evaluation had successfully implemented the FIMR process. Most sites had developed a two-tiered review process for examination of case data in which a review by health and social services professionals was followed by community review. In the period 1993 to 1995, the percentage of fetal and infant deaths reviewed had a median of 34% with a range of 4–79% across the sites at a cost of $600 to $3400 per death reviewed. Recommendations were variably implemented. Conclusions: The FIMR process provides an important opportunity to contribute to the knowledge base regarding infant mortality in these communities. The process, however, has important logistical requirements and may require substantial financial resources that may affect implementation of confidential inquiries into infant mortality and other health problems.
P41 The Relationship Between Unpaid School Meal Policies and Debt in Child Nutrition Programs

Background Most local education agencies (LEA) report unpaid school meal debt. Starting July 2017, the USDA required LEAs to have an unpaid meal policy. The Food & Research Action Center released best practices for unpaid meal policies, including anti-shaming strategies. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strength of unpaid meal policies and examine the relationship between the policy strength and amount of debt. Study Design, Settings, Participants In this cross-sectional, primary data collection study, Food Service Directors (FSDs) from five states were recruited to complete an online survey. FSDs submitted unpaid meal policies and reported debt from 2017-18. Policies were reviewed and scored for strength of anti-shaming statements (0 = not present, 1 = weak, 2 = strong; 25 items scored). Measureable Outcome/Analysis The main outcome was the amount of school debt from full-price and reduced-price meals. Variables examined included percent of students enrolled in free and reduced-price lunch (FRL), LEA size and classification (urban, suburban, rural). Univariate statistics were summarized, bivariate relationships were examined through chi-square analysis. Results The sample was 59 FSDs. The FRL rate across the schools was 50.1% (± 18.6); 75% were rural schools. Few schools had strong policies; almost 40% of the sample had a score less than five. The highest frequency of school meal debt (23.1%) from full price meals was between $1,001-$5,000; four schools reported > $30,000 in debt from full price meals. For debt from reduced-price meals, 46% reported $1-$500 in unpaid meals; 20% reported no debt from reduced-price meals. There were no significant relationships between the amount of unpaid meal and strength of policy. Conclusion Many schools did not have strong anti-shaming policies. Because there was no relationship between strength of policy and amount of debt, LEAs can create stronger policies without concern for its effect on increased debt. Funding None.
Meaningful Opportunity for Release: Parole Board Standards for Juveniles Under the Graham, Miller, and the Eight Amendment

After states were no longer able to issue mandatory life sentences to juveniles, many utilized parole as a way to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to juveniles as required by Supreme Court jurisprudence. However, this opportunity is often in name only because parole boards rarely grant parole and there is limited transparency and oversight to those decisions. Parole boards are in the best place to determine growth and rehabilitation, but constitutional standards need to be established for adult parole boards reviewing juvenile cases. Although this has been mentioned, there is little scholarship on what these particular standards should be. These standards will ensure that parole boards are complying with Supreme Court jurisprudence. First, juveniles need notice that they will be given a chance to demonstrate maturity and rehabilitation. Second, juvenile cases should have a parole hearing within thirty years so that juveniles have the chance to present evidence of rehabilitation. Third, at least every ten years after the first parole hearing, the juvenile should have an additional review before the parole board so that there is not an illusory opportunity for release. Fourth, parole boards need to consider growth in impulse control, maturity, and rehabilitation when evaluating juveniles. This includes receiving advice from experts in brain development. These standards will allow parole boards to provide review that is meaningful and consistent with the Supreme Court’s understanding of what makes children different from adults. Parole boards are in the best place to determine growth and rehabilitation, and the above constitutional standards will allow for actual meaningful opportunity for release.
Uncertainty Quantification for Parameter Estimation and Response Prediction

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) is an engineering approach where the materials, manufacturing process, and component designs are optimized concurrently before an actual physical component is realized. This requires the integration of models across vast length and timescales. A key benefit of ICME is the ability to reduce the bulk of expensive and lengthy experiments via tailored simulation. However, ICME introduces new challenges and limitations as the statistical confidence in the final design and manufacturing process must be established from simulation rather than experimental observation and testing. The computational materials science community has not formally adopted tools for verification and validation or UQ for materials simulations. In this study, a Bayesian hierarchical model is considered which accounts for parameter uncertainty, the inherent variability in the properties of material samples tested, and measurement noise. The Bayesian inferential framework is used to calibrate model parameters given calibration data and also to make forward predictions with a confidence level established through the highest posterior density intervals. The generality of the framework is demonstrated through two case studies: (1) parameter estimation for a crystal plasticity model which provides key microstructural and grain-level deformation information to use within the ICME chain; (2) the estimation in uncertainty in thermodynamic phase stability from multiple databases for phase stability.
Theology at the Crossroads of University, Church and Society: Dialogue, Difference and Catholic Identity

Conversations about the purpose and value of theology in society and in higher education reveal a recognizable dichotomy: the marginalization of faith dialogue to either a tolerant, inoffensive rel...
Outcomes After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt in Cirrhotic Patients 70 Years and Older

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is effective at treating ascites and variceal bleeding but may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older patients. Our aim was to report outcomes in patients 70 years and older who underwent TIPS because data are limited in this population. We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent TIPS at our institution over 10 years. We matched those 70 years and older to those 50-59 years old by year of TIPS and the Model for End-Stage Liver Diseae-Sodium (MELD-Na). Thirty-day readmissions were higher in the elderly group (n = 50) compared to the younger group (n = 50), n = 17 (34%) and n = 6 (12%) (p = 0.02), respectively. Readmissions for post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in the older and younger groups were n = 14 (28%) and n = 5 (10%) (p = 0.04), respectively. Thirty-day mortality was higher in the older group compared to the younger group, but the difference was not statistically significant, 24% and 12%, respectively (p = 0.19). TIPS can be performed safely in patients 70 years and older, but the overall readmissions, and specifically for HE, were significantly higher in older patients. Patients 70 years and older should be followed closely after TIPS, and early introduction of treatment for encephalopathy should be considered.
SSE-PT: Sequential Recommendation Via Personalized Transformer

Temporal information is crucial for recommendation problems because user preferences are naturally dynamic in the real world. Recent advances in deep learning, especially the discovery of various attention mechanisms and newer architectures in addition to widely used RNN and CNN in natural language processing, have allowed for better use of the temporal ordering of items that each user has engaged with. In particular, the SASRec model, inspired by the popular Transformer model in natural languages processing, has achieved state-of-the-art results. However, SASRec, just like the original Transformer model, is inherently an un-personalized model and does not include personalized user embeddings. To overcome this limitation, we propose a Personalized Transformer (SSE-PT) model, outperforming SASRec by almost 5% in terms of NDCG@10 on 5 real-world datasets. Furthermore, after examining some random users’ engagement history, we find our model not only more interpretable but also able to focus on recent engagement patterns for each user. Moreover, our SSE-PT model with a slight modification, which we call SSE-PT++, can handle extremely long sequences and outperform SASRec in ranking results with comparable training speed, striking a balance between performance and speed requirements. Our novel application of the Stochastic Shared Embeddings (SSE) regularization is essential to the success of personalization. Code and data are open-sourced at https://github.com/wuliwei9278/SSE-PT.
Real-time 3T MRI-guided cardiovascular catheterization in a porcine model using a glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire.

Author(s): Li, Xinzhou; Perotti, Luigi E; Martinez, Jessica A; Duarte-Vogel, Sandra M; Ennis, Daniel B; Wu, Holden H | Abstract: PURPOSE:Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising alternative to X-ray fluoroscopy for guiding cardiovascular catheterization procedures. Major challenges, however, include the lack of guidewires that are compatible with the MRI environment, not susceptible to radiofrequency-induced heating, and reliably visualized. Preclinical evaluation of new guidewire designs has been conducted at 1.5T. Here we further evaluate the safety (device heating), device visualization, and procedural feasibility of 3T MRI-guided cardiovascular catheterization using a novel MRI-visible glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire in phantoms and porcine models. METHODS:To evaluate device safety, guidewire tip heating (GTH) was measured in phantom experiments with different combinations of catheters and guidewires. In vivo cardiovascular catheterization procedures were performed in both healthy (N = 5) and infarcted (N = 5) porcine models under real-time 3T MRI guidance using a glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire. The times for each procedural step were recorded separately. Guidewire visualization was assessed by measuring the dimensions of the guidewire-induced signal void and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the guidewire tip signal void and the blood signal in real-time gradient-echo MRI (specific absorption rate [SAR] = 0.04 W/kg). RESULTS:In the phantom experiments, GTH did not exceed 0.35°C when using the real-time gradient-echo sequence (SAR = 0.04 W/kg), demonstrating the safety of the glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire at 3T. The catheter was successfully placed in the left ventricle (LV) under real-time MRI for all five healthy subjects and three out of five infarcted subjects. Signal void dimensions and CNR values showed consistent visualization of the glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire in real-time MRI. The average time (minutes:seconds) for the catheterization procedure in all subjects was 4:32, although the procedure time varied depending on the subject's specific anatomy (standard deviation = 4:41). CONCLUSIONS:Real-time 3T MRI-guided cardiovascular catheterization using a new MRI-visible glass-fiber epoxy-based guidewire is feasible in terms of visualization and guidewire navigation, and safe in terms of radiofrequency-induced guidewire tip heating.