cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Field Tests of Pyrethrins and Resmethrin Applied with ULV Generators or Total Release Aerosols to Control the German Cockroach

Comparisons were made of 3 types of ULV generators and total release aerosol cans (TRA) of 8 formulations of pyrethrins or resmethrin to control Blattella germanica (L.). Supplemental spraying of 1.0% diazinon was used prior to treatments with ULV generators or TRA. Field tests showed that the most effective control of resident German cockroach infestations and German cockroaches confined in jars and placed in apartments was achieved using the following treatments: 3.0% pyrethrins plus a dual synergist system applied with a Leco Mini or Micro-Gen ULV generator at 2 oz/5000 ft3; 3.0% resmethrin plus 6.0% tetramethrin applied with a Micro-Gen ULV generator at 2 oz/5000 ft3; and 0.5% pyrethrins applied with TRA at 12 oz/5000 ft3. The least effective treatments were 0.25% resmethrin-tetramethrin applied with TRA at 5.25 or 10.5 oz/5000 ft3 for control of both resident and confined cockroaches and 1% diazinon residual spray or 0.5% diazinon plus 0.052% pyrethrins applied with a compressed air sprayer at 16–32 oz/apartment for control of resident cockroaches only.
Training Alternatives to Aggression

Aggressive behavior is a pervasive problem facing society. Different meanings ascribed to the term “aggression” make the problem difficult to conceptualize. Although a variety of different theories have been used to explain the problem of inappropriate aggression, a social-learning perspective seems most useful in terms of its implications for understanding and amelioration. Within this perspective, one of the major goals of intervention is to provide the client with more appropriate skills for handling interpersonal-conflict situations. This process is illustrated through the presentation of a case study which is followed through the four stages of intervention. These stages are: (1) establishing a working relationship; (2) assessment; (3) skill development; and (4) maintenance.
Analysis on the antibiotic resistance about Salmonella of foodborne diseases in Shijiazhuang from 2006 to 2008

Objective:To investigate the antibiotic resistance of Salmonella in foodborne diseases in Shijiazhuang from 2006 to 2008.Methods: The antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates was determined by K-B method.Resuits: 15 strains of Salmonella isolates were resistant to at least three antibiotics,four strains were resistant to five kinds,one strain to seventeen and one strain was resistant to twenty-one of the twenty-nine tested antibiotics.Conclusion: The antibiotic resistance of Salmonella isolates was high in Shijiazhuang.It is necessary to restrict the use of antimicrobial agents in animals bred which is a food source for humans.The government office should reinforce their survey to prevent the foodborne disease caused by Salmonella.
Differences in the role and administrative relationships of medical directors in community and migrant health centers

This study examined differences in medical directors of Community and Migrant Health Centers (C/MHCs) in the United States based on the size of the center, including demographics, job characteristics, roles, and their relationship with C/MHC administrators and governing boards. Data for this analysis came from a 1996 cross-sectional survey of Community and Migrant Health Centers medical directors. A total of 411 centers (68.3% surveyed) responded to the survey including 240 rural centers (67.4%) and 171 urban (68.7%) centers. Small centers were categorized as those with three or fewer physicians (n = 136), medium centers had more than three but less than eight ETE physicians (n = 14), and large centers had eight or more ETE physicians (n = 109). Several differences were found regarding the medical directors' roles and relationships with the administrator and governing boards on the size of the center. Large C/MHC medical directors had more autonomy than did small and medium C/MHC medical directors including in the areas of managing clinical staff, the budget, and strategic planning activities. They spent more time cultivating community resources than small and medium center counterparts and were more likely to possess the management skills needed in their role than do those in small and medium centers. They also reported a stronger working relationship with the C/MHC administrator and had more input with the C/MHC board than small or medium medical directors.
Plum polyphenols inhibit colorectal aberrant crypt foci formation in rats: potential role of the miR-143/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin axis

The nutritional prevention of aberrant crypt foci by polyphenols may be a crucial step to dietary cancer prevention. The objective of this study was to determine the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the anti-inflammatory and antitumorigenic properties of plum (Prunus salicina L.) polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid, in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats. The hypothesis was that plum polyphenolics suppress AOM-induced aberrant crypt foci formation through alterations in the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and relative micro-RNA expressions. Sprague-Dawley rats (n=10/group) received plum beverage (1346mg gallic acid equivalents/L) or a control beverage ad libitum for 10 weeks with subcutaneous injections of AOM (15mg/kg) at weeks 2 and 3. Results show that the consumption of the plum beverage decreased the number of dysplastic aberrant crypt foci by 48% (P<.05) and lowered proliferation of mucosal cells by 24% (P<.05). The plum beverage decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in mucosal scrapings, as well as the superoxide dismutase activity in serum. The results were accompanied by a down-regulation of proinflammatory enzymes nuclear factor κB, nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 messenger RNA. Plum inhibited the expression of AKT and mTOR messenger RNA, phosphorylated AKT, mTOR, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α protein levels, and the ratio of the phosphorylated/total protein expression of mTOR. Also, the plum beverage increased the expression of miR-143, which is involved in the regulation of AKT. These results suggest that plum polyphenols may exhibit a chemopreventive potential against colon carcinogenesis by impacting the AKT/mTOR pathway and miR-143.
Long-Term Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

Among the many complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) are osteopenia and osteoporosis. We and others have previously documented a high prevalence of low serum 25-OH vitamin D level with accompanying osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with SCD; however the long-term effects of treatment on BMD have not been reported. We hypothesized that supplementation with oral vitamin D and calcium will result in an improvement in BMD and accordingly, treated 6 adult subjects with SCD for 12 months with oral supplementation with vitamin D and calcium and studied the effects of treatment on BMD. Subjects with serum 25-OH D levels <20 ng/ml were placed on 50,000 IU of oral vitamin D weekly for 8 weeks, followed by 50,000 IU every other week for 44 weeks; subjects also received 1000 mg of elemental calcium daily. We evaluated BMD at weeks 1 and 52. Subjects had a mean pre-treatment plasma 25-OH vitamin D of 9.1 ng/ml. BMD was abnormal in all subjects; 4 subjects had osteoporosis with a Z-score <-2.5, and 2 subjects had osteopenia with a Z-score −1.9 to −2.5 (in the lumbo-sacral vertebrae). All subjects had mildly elevated intact PTH levels which were within the reference range but declined further post-treatment. Following one year of treatment with vitamin D and calcium, we observed a mean post-treatment increase in BMD of 5.4% (p value <0.02) and a 176% increase in plasma 25-OH D level (from 9.1ng/ml to 28ng/ml; p value <0.009). All patients with SCD we have studied have hypovitaminosis D that in adults is associated with low BMD. In patients followed for one year who received supplementation with calcium and vitamin D, 25-OH D level increased in all and BMD improved in four of six subjects. These results suggest that this treatment regimen can be effective is restoring BMD. The reasons for apparent unresponsiveness in some patients must be further evaluated. Clinical trials to document the effectiveness of treatment for this ubiquitous problem should be instituted. ![Figure][1] Mean change in 25-OH vitamin D level ![Figure][1] Mean Change in BMD: Pre and Post Treatment [1]: pending:yes
Nonlinear Kalman Filtering With Divergence Minimization

We consider the nonlinear Kalman filtering problem using Kullback–Leibler (KL) and $\alpha$ -divergence measures as optimization criteria. Unlike linear Kalman filters, nonlinear Kalman filters do not have closed form Gaussian posteriors because of a lack of conjugacy due to the nonlinearity in the likelihood. In this paper, we propose novel algorithms to approximate this posterior by optimizing the forward and reverse forms of the KL divergence, as well as the $\alpha$ -divergence that contains these two as limiting cases. Unlike previous approaches, our algorithms do not make approximations to the divergences being optimized, but use Monte Carlo techniques to derive unbiased algorithms for direct optimization. We assess performance on radar and sensor tracking, and options pricing, showing general improvement over the extended, unscented, and ensemble Kalman filters, as well as competitive performance with particle filtering.
Comparative analysis of von Willebrand factor profiles after implantation of left ventricular assist device and total artificial heart

Background Bleeding remains a challenge during mechanical circulatory support and underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Functional von Willebrand Factor (VWF) impairment due to loss of high molecular weight multimers (MWM) produces acquired von Willebrand Disease (VWD) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Little is known about VWF multimers with total artificial hearts (TAHs). Here, VWF profiles with LVADs and TAHs are compared using a VWD panel. Methods VWD evaluations for patients with LVAD or TAH (2013-14) were retrospectively analyzed and included: VWF activity (Ristocetin Cofactor, VWF:RCo), VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), ratio of VWF:RCo to VWF:Ag, and quantitative VWF multimeric analysis. Results Twelve patients with LVADs and 12 with TAHs underwent VWD evaluation. All had either normal (47.8%) or elevated (52.2%) VWF:RCo, normal (26.1%) or elevated (73.9%) VWF:Ag and 50.0% were disproportional (ratio ≤ 0.7). Multimeric analysis showed abnormal patterns in all patients with LVADs: 7 with high MWM loss, 5 with highest MWM loss. With TAH, 10/12 patients had abnormal patterns: all with highest MWM loss. High MWM loss correlated with presence of LVAD and highest MWM loss with TAH. Increased low MWM were detected in 22/24. Conclusion Using VWF multimeric analysis, abnormalities after LVAD or TAH were detected that would be missed with measurements of VWF level alone: loss of high MWM predominantly in LVAD, loss of highest MWM in TAH, and elevated levels of low MWM in both. This is the first study to describe TAH-associated highest MWM loss, which may contribute to bleeding. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Bicultural: Examining Teenage Latinas' Perspectives on Technologies for Emotional Support

Latina adolescents are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the USA and have been found to experience higher levels of emotional distress than their non-Latino counterparts. Reliance on emotional support from the teens' social network is a common coping mechanism. While digital media is increasingly used by Latinas to communicate and express themselves, few, if any, studies have explored the perspectives of Latinas on the role of technology in helping the enactment of emotional support. In this paper, we share the perspectives of thirteen Latina adolescents (15-18 years old) that emerged through a series of participation design workshops. Our findings suggest that bicultural aspects of Latina identity can influence perspectives on the role of technology, and provide insights into attitudes towards bicultural conflicts in emotional health. We also share our participatory design technique that incorporated an ecological framework and suggestions for future use of such an approach.
Doubled Haploid Laboratory Protocol for Wheat Using Wheat–Maize Wide Hybridization

In traditional wheat breeding, the uniformity of lines derived from a breeding population is obtained by repeated selfing from the F1 which takes several generations to reach homozygosity in loci controlling traits of interest. Using doubled haploid technology, however, it is possible to attain 100% homozygosity at all loci in a single generation and completely homogeneous breeding lines can be obtained in 1-2 years. Thus, doubled haploid technology may significantly reduce cultivar development time. Two major methods for producing wheat doubled haploids are androgenesis (anther culture and microspore culture) and embryo culture using wheat-maize wide hybridization, the latter being the most effective and widely used method. The method of wide hybridization between wheat and maize is laborious but is widely successful for rapidly obtaining homozygous lines. This technique includes six major steps: emasculation of the wheat flower; pollination of the emasculated flower with maize pollen; hormone treatment; embryo rescue; haploid plant regeneration in tissue culture medium; and chromosome doubling. It has been observed that the efficiency of doubled haploid production depends on both maize and wheat genotypes, good plant health and proper greenhouse conditions (without disease, insects, or drought stress), and proper conduct of all procedures. Therefore, the procedures may need minor modification in order to produce higher numbers of embryos, haploid green plants, and doubled haploid plants.
The Curious Case of Wellbutrin: How the Third Circuit Mistook Itself for the Supreme Court

FTC v. Actavis was one of the most important antitrust cases of the modern era. In one fell swoop, the Supreme Court ensconced antitrust’s role in analyzing settlements by which brand firms pay generics to delay entering the market. The Court underscored the harms presented by large and unjustified payments and rejected some of the prized justifications that settling parties had previously offered. Since Actavis, the lower courts have begun to flesh out the antitrust analysis of drug patent settlements. In particular, the federal appellate courts have held that “payment” extends beyond cash to noncash forms of consideration and have liberally interpreted the pleading requirements for noncash conveyances. A recent opinion, however, threatens the orderly development of the post-Actavis caselaw. In analyzing plaintiffs’ claim of antitrust injury in In re Wellbutrin XL Antitrust Litigation, a Third Circuit panel mistook itself for the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs had alleged that the generic would have entered the market earlier if not for the settlement, but the Third Circuit found that they could not make such a showing because they did not definitively prove that the patent was invalid or not infringed. The panel only reached this conclusion, however, by studiously ignoring the evidence of a large and unjustified payment that the Supreme Court had indicated was a surrogate for the patent’s weakness and accepting a defense based on avoiding risk that the Supreme Court had rejected. This Essay first provides a background on pharmaceutical patent settlements. It then discusses the Actavis and Wellbutrin cases. Finally, it shows how the Third Circuit panel issued a ruling that was based on inappropriate assumptions and is inconsistent with Supreme Court caselaw, Third Circuit precedent, and relevant regulatory policies.
Indicators of the Financial Statement Fraud (Red Flags)

Red flags are symptoms or warning signals for fraud possibility. It relates to specific financial statement fraud schemes, and raise the awareness of fraud possibility but do not prove fraud existence. The red flags were classified based on the fraud triangle model to red flags related to pressure, opportunities, and rationalization. The red flags were also categorized to red flags related to analytical anomalies, accounting anomalies, internal control weaknesses, unusual behavior, extravagant lifestyle, and tips and complaints. The management fraud is rarely observed, but fraud symptoms/indicators (red flags) are observed; therefore, it can be used as a tool to detect fraud. The current study analyzed five potential fraud indicators: financial performance indices, financial health indices, management efficiency indices, accounting practices, and corporate governance indices; and tested their efficacies in predicting the probability of FSF and differentiating the fraudulent financial reporting from the non-fraudulent one.
Selective formation of heteroaryl thioethers via a phosphonium ion coupling reaction.

Abstract Heteroaryl thioethers, comprised of pyridines and diazines, are an important class of compounds with relevance to medicinal chemistry. Metal-catalyzed cross-couplings and SNAr reactions are traditionally used to form C–S bonds in these systems but are limited by available halogenated precursors. An alternative approach is presented where pyridines and diazines are transformed into heterocyclic phosphonium salts and then C–S bonds are formed by adding thiolate nucleophiles. The process is 4-selective for pyridines, simple to execute and can be used to make derivatives of complex pharmaceuticals.
Alternation of parties in power and economic volatility: testing the rational partisan hypothesis and policy learning hypothesis

Right and left parties have distinct macroeconomic preferences that could create different levels of volatility during their executive tenures. But rational partisan theory argues that, because actors in the economy anticipate ruling party behavior, partisan differences only matter when election outcomes are uncertain. We argue that policy risk from ruling parties extends beyond elections, leading to important variation in growth volatility that occurs during a ruling party’s tenure. Building on theories of policy risk and learning, we argue that after elections, economic actors still face uncertainty about the policies of new ruling parties. With time in power, new ruling parties build policy track records, reducing policy risk and, thus, volatility. We estimate a learning curve model of ruling party duration’s effect on the variation in quarterly GDP growth rates. Using data from 44 democracies between 1981 and 2009, we find that learning processes extend beyond the conclusion of uncertain elections.
Predicting teen dating violence perpetration

OBJECTIVES: With our study we aimed to (1) understand what factors uniquely conferred risk for physical and sexual forms of teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration and (2) create a screening algorithm to quantify perpetration risk on the basis of these factors. METHODS: A total of 1031 diverse public high school students living in Southeast Texas participated in our study (56% female; 29% African American, 28% white, and 31% Hispanic). Self-report measures concerning TDV and associated risk factors were completed annually for 6 years. RESULTS: Results suggested that family violence (domestic violence exposure, maltreatment) together with deficits in conflict resolution incrementally improved our forecasts above and beyond lifetime history of physical TDV perpetration (net reclassification improvement = 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30–0.59). Meanwhile, a violent dating history (TDV sexual perpetration, sexual victimization, and emotional perpetration) and acceptance of TDV incrementally improved our models for forecasting sexual forms of perpetration (net reclassification improvement = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.24–0.58). These models adequately discriminated between future perpetrators and nonoffenders (area under the curve statistic >0.70; 95% CI: 0.69–0.74). Overall, adolescents with positive test results on our algorithms were over twice as likely to perpetrate dating violence over the course of 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our study represents one of the first applications of reclassification analyses to psychosocial research in a pediatric population. The result is a theoretically informed, empirically based algorithm that can adequately estimate the likelihood of physical and sexual TDV perpetration during vulnerable developmental periods. These findings can immediately aid emerging preventive initiatives for this increasing public health concern.
Sound wave attenuation due to the magnon-phonon interaction

The quantum mechanical (ωτ→∞) calculations ofKaganov andChikvashvili [6] of the sound wave attenuation due to the magnon-phonon interaction in a ferromagnetic dielectric are extended to a more interesting and practical temperatur regime. Also, the dependence of the attenuation on applied magnetic field is derived in this regime. Using Yttrium Iron Garnet as a “typical” material, it is found that the magnon-phonon attenuation is probably large enough to be easily observed, and should be separable from other sources of attenuation via its dependece on magnetic field. The effects of magnon lifetime broadening and magnon renormalization on the attenuation are briefly considered.
Measurement of interleukin-21.

This unit describes three procedures for measurement of interleukin-21 (IL-21). The first employs the use of an antibody sandwich ELISA. An alternative procedure measures proliferative responses of T cells to a combination of IL-21 and IL-15 using CFSE. Finally, a method to assess IL-21-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3 in splenic CD8+ T cells using a flow cytometry–based analysis is described. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 78:6.30.1-6.30.8. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: cytokine; ELISA; CFSE; tyrosine phosphorylation; flow cytometry; IL-21; IL-15
FP9 Improving Vegetable Selection in Middle School Lunch Through Project SELECT: Student Engagement, Lunchroom Environment, and Culinary Training

Objective To study the impact of culinary/operations and Smarter Lunchrooms training and technical assistance on the cafeteria nutrition environment and middle school students’ vegetable selection. Description The cafeteria environment and the vegetables served to students under the National School Lunch Program can positively impact students’ health and wellness. In Maryland's 2016 Team Nutrition grant, 23 middle schools were randomized to receive culinary/operations and Smarter Lunchroom training and technical assistance versus control (2:1 randomization). The culinary/operations training and technical assistance focused on maximizing efficiency and operations of vegetables and salads, vegetable cookery (roasting, steaming), and bundling vegetables with entree items. The Smarter Lunchroom activities focused on improving the oral communication and written marketing of vegetables along service line/cafeteria and taste testing of vegetables. Evaluation Production records for each school for a four week period were collected each spring (baseline and follow-up). Total vegetable selection and USDA vegetable sub-group selected were analyzed. An observational audit tool (Observation School Environment Checklist, OSEC) built from the smarter lunchroom scorecard, with face validity and inter-rater reliability determined, was completed at baseline/follow-up and included observations of the cafeteria environment, focusing on meal service, menus, and the service line. The cafeteria environment was given a score in atmosphere (n = 13 items), advertising (n = 16 items), accessibility (n = 11 items), attractiveness (n = 4 items), and a total score (n = 44 items). Conclusion and Implications The schools differ in the number of students that eat a reimbursable school lunch. Measured as the average daily participation of students, the range is 205 students to 1,000 students with the median of 471 students. Production records show, at baseline the ‘starchy’ vegetable overwhelmingly represents the number one selected vegetable subgroup (other subgroups include dark green, red/orange, and beans/peas/legumes, and other). Grant Year 2016
Adaptation of two strains of rinderpest virus to tissue culture.

1. The Pak Chong and Pendik strains of rinderpest virus have been adapted to calf kidney cell tissue culture (TC). 2. The cytopathic changes that are caused by the virus resemble those described for measles virus. 3. A comparative infectivity titration of TC virus in cattle and in TC indicated that both were equally effective in detecting minimal amounts of virus. 4. Tissue culture neutralization tests indicated only slight differences in titer when Nakamura and Kabete “O” antisera were titrated against the Kabete “O” and the Pak Chong and Pendik strains. 5. Rinderpest virus multiplying in calf kidney cell TC forms a satisfactory, specific complement-fixing antigen.
The temporary shutdown decision: Lessons from the Great Recession

The temporary shutdown condition provides guidance on dealing with a serious transitory downturn in demand. The traditional condition says managers should stop production when revenues fall below avoidable costs. This condition is flawed because it ignores how lost human capital and reputational damage harm future profits. As a consequence, firms may optimally operate with losses far larger than stipulated by the traditional condition. We provide the first broad empirical analysis of the temporary shutdown decision, focusing on the Great Recession. We show that large operating losses were common and temporary shutdowns were exceedingly rare, even among very small public firms.
Associations of parental ages at childbirth with healthy aging among women.

Abstract Objective To examine associations of parental ages at childbirth with healthy survival to age 90 years among older women. Study Design This study included a racially and ethnically diverse sub-cohort of 8,983 postmenopausal women from the larger Women’s Health Initiative population, recruited during 1993–1998 and followed for up to 25 years through 2018. Main Outcome Measures The outcome was categorized as: 1) healthy survival, defined as survival to age 90 without major morbidities (coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, or hip fracture) or mobility disability; 2) usual survival, defined as survival to age 90 without healthy aging (reference category); or 3) death before age 90. Women reported their own and their parents’ birth years, and parental ages at childbirth were calculated and categorized as Results Women were aged on average 71.3 (standard deviation 2.7; range 65–79) years at baseline. There was no significant association of maternal age at childbirth with healthy survival to age 90 or death before age 90. Women born to fathers aged ≥35 compared with 30–34 years at their births were more likely to achieve healthy than usual survival (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00–1.32). There was no association of paternal age at childbirth with death before age 90. Conclusions Findings suggest that being born to older fathers was associated with healthy survival to age 90 among women who had survived to ages 65–79 years at study baseline. There was no association of maternal age at childbirth with healthy survival to age 90 among these older women.
The Benefit of Direct-Acting Antiviral HCV Cure Therapies

Although more than 600,000 patients in the USA have now been cured of HCV, the clinical benefits of cure have been seen primarily in patients with more advanced liver disease. This has resulted in a reduced incidence of liver cancers and reduced liver-related mortality. Benefits of cure in patients without cirrhosis have not been seen yet in systemic review, but are likely to be seen in the future years. There remain unresolved issues regarding patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis who are cured of their HCV. It is not clear if fibrosis reverses after cure in everyone, if so by how much, and for how long patients with cirrhosis need to be monitored after cure. We have shown that 62% had improved liver stiffness measured by transient elastography (TE) that was consistent with regression of at least one stage of fibrosis over 1 year. Fifteen patients with matched liver biopsies prior to SVR underwent a biopsy after SVR. However, the post-SVR liver biopsies of only 4 patients showed F1–F2, while 11 patients still showed F3–F4, indicating that TE improvements are overstated when compared to histologic staging and that patients with cirrhosis before DAA therapy need to be monitored for hepatocellular carcinoma after cure.
Effective design of massive open online courses for mathematics teachers to support their professional learning

Three MOOCs for Educators (MOOC-Eds) were designed for mathematics and statistics teachers based on principles of effective online professional development that include: self-directed learning, learning from multiple voices, job-connected learning, and peer-supported learning (Kleiman et al., in: Kim (ed) Massive Open Online Courses: the MOOC Revolution, Routledge, New York, 2015). We examined how these design principles were enacted in the development of the MOOC-Eds and how they influenced the engagement of 5767 participants. We also analyzed opportunities the MOOC-Eds provided for participants to develop their knowledge of, beliefs about, and attitudes towards teaching mathematics and statistics. The Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (Clarke and Hollingsworth in Teach Teach Educ 18(8):947–967, 2002) was used to guide analysis of click data, discussion forum posts, and interviews to consider the ways in which elements of the external domain influenced the personal domain of participants. Evidence is presented to illustrate the enactment of design principles and their effects.
CMB-Normalized Predictions for Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect fluctuations

We predict the level of small-scale anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) due to the Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (SZ) effect for the ensemble of cosmological models that are consistent with current measurements of large-scale CMB anisotropy. We argue that the recently reported detections of the small-scale (arcminutes) CMB anisotropy are only marginally consistent with being the SZ effect when cosmological models are calibrated to the existing primary CMB data on large scales. The discrepancy is at more than 2-2.5 sigma, and is mainly due to a lower sigma_8 1 favored by the SZ effect. A degeneracy between the optical depth to Thomson scattering and the CMB-derived value of sigma_8 suggests that the discrepancy is reduced if the universe was reionized very early, at a redshift of about 25.
Advance in studies on molecular mechanisms of cisplatin resistance and intervention with traditional Chinese medicines

Cisplatin is a firs-line anticancer drug widely used in clinic.However,its resistance reduces its efficacy.With a non-specific cell cycle,cisplatin's main targets are nucleophilic protein,DNA and RNA in cells.Among cisplatin's multi-factorial resistance mechanisms,abnormal expression of transport protein,intracellular detoxification enhancement,DNA repair capacity increase and apoptosis blocking are the main mechanisms.Because traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) have unique advantages in cancer treatment,their combination with cisplatin can improve the efficacy.In this paper,the authors summarized the advance in studies on cisplatin's resistance and the combination of TCMs and cisplatin in recent years.
Comparative Assessment of Geospatial and Statistical Methods to Estimate Local Road Annual Average Daily Traffic

AbstractCollecting traffic data and/or estimating and reporting annual average daily traffic (AADT) is important for planning, designing, building, and maintaining the road infrastructure. However,...
The Immersive Graph Genome Explorer: Navigating Genomics in Immersive Virtual Reality

Genome graphs, a new frontier of genomics, have begun to redefine how we approach the reference genomes. These spatial representations of genetic variation are an important step forward in capturing the genetic diversity of life, but are visually challenged by highly variable regions. To make complex graph genomes usable towards visualization, we present a cross-platform immersive virtual reality (iVR) system to enable 3DUI graph genome interaction and analysis. We explore iVR design through a variety of graph-network based interaction tools developed with genomics experts and discuss our implementations of visualizing genome variation within the Unity Game Engine. Lastly, we share our Immersive Graph Genome Explorer (IGGE) and reflect on iVR's interaction potential for serious applications in genomics.
COVID-19 and the Credit Cycle: 2020 Revisited and 2021 Outlook

This study continues the author’s examination and forecasts as to the impact of Covid-19 on the U.S. credit cycle after one and a half years since the pandemic first began. We explore the enormous build-up of global debt even before the pandemic commenced and the subsequent record debt expansion through mid-2021. New debt peaks, especially for non-financial corporate debt, is analyzed as to its potential impact on future default rates and the implications for the U.S. credit markets once again starting a new benign cycle in a continuing low interest rate environment. We ask the question whether the spectacular success of the U.S. central bank and its monetary policy and secondary market purchases has also promoted potentially destructive unforeseen consequences for debt rated BBB and below. Large versus small firm defaults and bankruptcies are examined in both 2020 and 2021, as well as our expectations about these firms’ solvency status once the government and central bank supports diminish and are eliminated. Finally, we introduce the concept of global zombie firms and suggest that this growing phenomenon be analyzed more robustly and critically with new criteria and empirical analysis.
Confidence of social judgments is not just error: Individual differences in the structure, stability, and social functions of perceptual confidence

Abstract The present research uses a Social Relations Model approach to focus on individual differences in perceptual confidence – a person’s confidence in her or his impressions of others. Across two samples of group interactions, we found that the majority of variance in perceptual confidence was explained by individual differences in how people tended to perceive others (i.e., perceiver effects). A smaller percentage of variance was explained by differences in how people tended to be perceived by others (i.e., target effects). Both these individual differences were stable over time, were related to relevant personality measures, and group outcomes. Together, these results demonstrate that although perceptual confidence may not be substantially related to accuracy, it exists as a stable individual difference dimension that has important consequences for social interactions.
War and Moral Dissonance: The Moral Challenge of Collective Memories

In The Virtues of Vengeance , I maintained that there are two types of morally impaired people and that the differences between them are crucial for whether or not they ought to be held morally responsible for what they do. I want to offer some reasons that I believe suggest that a potential source of one of the types of moral impairment for individual members of groups is the “collective memories” of those groups. The Morally Challenged Throughout the history of moral philosophy and in ordinary discourse, we find various versions of the “could-not-have-done-otherwise” argument to justify not holding a person morally responsible for what he or she did. As previously noted, Harry Frankfurt famously attacked such arguments, maintaining that unavoidability is not what John Martin Fischer calls “a responsibility-undermining factor.” What then does undermine moral responsibility? I think that it is the absence in a person of what I will call (with a major debt to Fischer and Mark Ravizza) the moderately moral-reasons responsiveness of the person's own “springs of action.” What that means is that a person may be held morally responsible when his or her actions issue from a process in the person that is at least moderately moral-reasons responsive, regardless of whether or not the person could have done otherwise in the circumstances. In cases where a person's actions issue from a process that is not at least moderately moral-reasons responsive, the person is morally incompetent with respect to that case and should not be held morally responsible for his or her behavior in that case. If a person's actions never issue from his or her own moderately moral-reasons-responsive springs of action, the person is profoundly morally incompetent and ought never to be held morally responsible for what he or she does.
Lessons from History

The long-term history of the Sun is patchy, being based mainly on the implications of the Standard Solar Model and the record of flares recovered from the lunar regolith and meteorites exposed to cosmic rays at different times. However the fossil neutrino evidence, especially from tellurides, may eventually provide successive snapshots of the solar interior. Cyclical and aperiodic changes in TSI and UV are well documented for recent millennia, although they may turn out to be minor oscillations with wavelengths measured in ≥104 yr, and they provide the basis for approximate but robust forecasts for solar behaviour and its impact on space weather and terrestrial climate.
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Retained Lens Fragments in the Anterior Chamber After Phacoemulsification.

Purpose To review the clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of patients with retained lens fragments in the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification with an intact posterior capsule. Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods setting: Duke University Eye Center. study population: Fifty-four eyes of 54 patients with a diagnosis of retained lens fragment in the anterior chamber following otherwise uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Patient demographics, clinical examination findings, ocular biometry measurements, treatment received, and pre– and post–lens fragment removal visual acuity were recorded. main outcome measures: Corneal edema, time to surgical extraction of lens fragment, and visual acuity. Results All lens fragments were located in the inferior angle or the inferior anterior chamber, with 13% of cases requiring gonioscopy for diagnosis. Fifty-six percent of eyes had associated corneal edema, most often located inferiorly. Forty-four percent of patients were initially managed medically, but in all 54 cases the lens fragment was eventually removed surgically. The mean time to removal of the lens fragment from the date of cataract surgery was 70 days (range 1 day – 30 months). Five patients had corneal edema that did not resolve following fragment extraction and 3 eventually received an endothelial keratoplasty. Best-corrected visual acuity improved from an average of 20/51 before lens fragment removal to 20/28 after surgical extraction ( P Conclusions Corneal edema is common in the setting of retained lens fragments and can evolve to corneal decompensation requiring transplantation. Inferior corneal edema, in particular, should alert the practitioner to possible retained lens fragment. Surgical removal of retained lens fragments should be considered at the time of diagnosis.
Myometrial and cardiovascular effects of an adrenergic blocking drug in human pregnancy

Abstract The effects of the beta adrenergic receptor blocking agent, propranolol, have been studied in term human pregnant subjects during spontaneous or oxytocin-induced labor. The influence of propranolol upon subsequent intravenous infusion of isoxsuprine was also assessed. Twenty subjects were studied by electronic monitoring of intrauterine pressure, maternal heart rate, and, in 4 cases, fetal heart rate. There was apparent increase of uterine activity during the intravenous infusion of propranolol in 11 of 20 subjects. In 9 subjects the effects of isoxsuprine infusion were compared with a second infusion of isoxsuprine immediately preceded by an infusion of propranolol. Both uterine inhibitory and cardioacceleratory actions of isoxsuprine were blocked. It is concluded that, in the dosage range of drugs studied, there is no evidence of selective cardiovascular blockade over uterine effects.
Measurement of electro-optic effect in N-(4-Nitrophenyl)-L-Prolinol (NPP) single crystal films

Summary form only given. Large area single crystal films of N-(4-Nitrophenyl)-L-Prolinol (NPP) were prepared by a modified shear method. The method of direct coating was used to deposit electrodes on the surface of the single crystal film. Electrodes with different orientations with respect to the charge transfer axis of the molecules were deposited and the electro-optic effect was measured for different electric field orientations. The relationship between electric field orientation and electro-optic effect in these films was determined.
Decreased Microvascular Cerebral Blood Flow Assessed by Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy after Repetitive Concussions in Mice

Repetitive concussions are associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction that can be attenuated by increasing the time intervals between concussions; however, biomarkers of the safest rest interval between injuries remain undefined. We hypothesize that deranged cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a candidate biomarker for vulnerability to repetitive concussions. Using a mouse model of human concussion, we examined the effect of single and repetitive concussions on cognition and on an index of CBF (CBFi) measured with diffuse correlation spectroscopy. After a single mild concussion, CBFi was reduced by 35±4% at 4 hours (P<0.01 versus baseline) and returned to preinjury levels by 24 hours. After five concussions spaced 1 day apart, CBFi was also reduced from preinjury levels 4 hours after each concussion but had returned to preinjury levels by 72 hours after the final concussion. Interestingly, in this repetitive concussion model, lower CBFi values measured both preinjury and 4 hours after the third concussion were associated with worse performance on the Morris water maze assessed 72 hours after the final concussion. We conclude that low CBFi measured either before or early on in the evolution of injury caused by repetitive concussions could be a useful predictor of cognitive outcome.
Chimeric antithrombin peptide. Characterization of an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)- and hirudin carboxyl terminus-containing synthetic peptides.

Abstract We investigated the properties of an artificial chimeric peptide that contains an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-tripeptide, the versatile cell recognition signal of extracellular matrix protein components, coupled to a carboxyl-terminal fragment of the highly specific alpha-thrombin inhibitor, hirudin (residues 53-64): WGRGDSANGDFEEIPEEYL (RGD-hirudin53-64). Hirudin53-64 and RGD-hirudin53-64 inhibited the fibrinogen clotting activity of alpha-thrombin and prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time of human plasma. In addition, both peptides afforded total protection to thrombin from trypsionolysis. Neither hirudin53-64 nor RGD-hirudin53-64 dramatically interfered with the thrombin-antithrombin inhibition reaction either in the absence or presence of added heparin. alpha-Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was effectively inhibited by hirudin53-64 and RGD-hirudin53-64. Unlike hirudin53-64, RGD-hirudin53-64 in solution inhibited integrin-mediated endothelial cell and fibroblast cell attachment to polystyrene wells in the presence of fetal bovine serum. Collectively, our results demonstrate that RGD-hirudin53-64 has anticoagulant/antiplatelet aggregation activity attributable to its hirudin sequence and integrin-directed cell attachment activity due to its RGD site. Our results suggest that this chimeric motif may serve as a prototype for a new class of anticoagulants where an integrin-specific sequence "targets" the peptide to a cell (ultimately through the platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3) trapped amid a thrombus with ensuing proteinase inhibition.
Z --> b macro b decay asymmetry: lose-lose for the standard model.

Combining precision measurements and the Higgs boson search limit, the electroweak data have evolved to a point where new physics is favored whether the $3.2\ensuremath{\sigma}$ ${A}_{\mathrm{FB}}^{b}$ anomaly is genuine or not. Such new physics could greatly alter the inferred value of the Higgs boson mass.
Does Inservice Training Make a Difference?: Results of a Pilot Study of Task-Centered Dissemination in a Public Social Service Setting

An evaluation of the impact of training in the task-centered approach on the practice of public agency social workers is reported. Trained workers scored significantly higher at post-test than control workers on an analogue test of task-centered problem solving and their clients reported more use of the approach in their counseling than did clients of control workers. Implications for further training and evaluations are discussed.
Character and Fitness Inquiries in Law School Admissions

In all fifty states, bar admission authorities perform inquiries into the character and fitness of applicants. In some states, the process is formalized into a declaration of intent to study law or a law student registration. In other states, the process is very informal with a short questionnaire filled out by applicants a few months before sitting for the bar examination. Despite relatively powerful rhetoric and argument against such inquiries, bar authorities have continued to stress the importance of ex ante inquiries into character and fitness.Thus, the inquiry into bar character and fitness continues to remain a major feature of admission to the legal profession.
Performance driven technology mapper for FPGAs with complex logic block structures

In this work, a technology-mapping procedure for FPGAs was developed, which takes into consideration multiple objectives while focusing on delay optimization. A constructive heuristic was used to minimize circuit delay and maximize the utility of CLBs. The target architecture of this mapper is Xilinx 4000 series, and a set of MCNC benchmarks was used to test the performance.
Effect of blood in amniotic fluid on the detection of phosphatidylglycerol

Abstract Samples of amniotic fluid were mixed with serum or red blood cells (RBC) in order to determine the effect of blood contamination on the detection of phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Samples of amniotic fluid were obtained from patients in the second trimester of pregnancy and at term. PG standard was added to half of the aliquots of the second-trimester fluid. The samples of fluid were tested before and after the addition of maternal or fetal serum or RBC in concentrations up to 20%. Two-dimensional thin-layer chromatographic procedures were performed to determine the presence or absence of PG. The results obtained showed that serum or RBC contamination of amniotic fluid without PG did not result in the appearance of a PG spot on the chromatographic plate. Neither serum nor RBC contamination interfered with the detection of PG in those fluids in which it was present. Maternal and fetal blood were similar in their failure to affect the detection of PG. These data suggest that PG determination for fetal lung maturity is a reliable test in the presence of bloody amniotic fluid.