cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Novel Knowledge-Driven Systems Biology Approach for Phenotype Prediction upon Genetic Intervention

Deciphering the biological networks underlying complex phenotypic traits, e.g., human disease is undoubtedly crucial to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms and to develop effective therapeutics. Due to the network complexity and the relatively small number of available experiments, data-driven modeling is a great challenge for deducing the functions of genes/proteins in the network and in phenotype formation. We propose a novel knowledge-driven systems biology method that utilizes qualitative knowledge to construct a Dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) to represent the biological network underlying a specific phenotype. Edges in this network depict physical interactions between genes and/or proteins. A qualitative knowledge model first translates typical molecular interactions into constraints when resolving the DBN structure and parameters. Therefore, the uncertainty of the network is restricted to a subset of models which are consistent with the qualitative knowledge. All models satisfying the constraints are considered as candidates for the underlying network. These consistent models are used to perform quantitative inference. By in silico inference, we can predict phenotypic traits upon genetic interventions and perturbing in the network. We applied our method to analyze the puzzling mechanism of breast cancer cell proliferation network and we accurately predicted cancer cell growth rate upon manipulating (anti)cancerous marker genes/proteins.
Espécies de partidos políticos: uma nova tipologia

Embora a literatura especifica ja inclua um grande numero de tipologias de partidos, e cada vez mais dificil dar conta da grande diversidade de tipos de partido politico surgidos em todo o mundo nas ultimas decadas, especialmente porque a maioria das tipologias baseou-se em partidos da Europa Ocidental, ja existentes entre o final do seculo XIX e a metade do seculo XX. Alguns novos tipos evoluiram, mas de maneira fortuita e com base em criterios muito variaveis e frequentemente inconsistentes. Este artigo e uma tentativa de encaixar muitas das concepcoes de partido comumen­te utilizadas em uma estrutura coerente e de delinear novos tipos de agremiacao partidaria sempre que os modelos existentes se mostrarem incapazes de apreender aspectos importantes das legendas contemporâneas. De acordo com seu “genero”, classificamos cada uma das 15 “especies” de partido com base em tres criterios: 1) a natureza da organizacao partidaria (forte/fraca, elitista ou de massa, etc.); 2) a orien­tacao programatica do partido (ideologica ou particularista-clientelista, etc.); e 3) o carater tolerante e pluralista (ou democratico) versus o proto-hegemonico (ou antis­sistema). Embora falte parcimonia nesta tipologia, acreditamos que ela indique com maior precisao a diversidade de partidos existentes no mundo democratico contem­porâneo, sendo mais adequada ao teste de hipoteses e a construcao de teorias do que outras.
The stream channel incision syndrome and water quality.

Abstract Watershed development often triggers channel incision that leads to radical changes in channel morphology. Although morphologic evolution due to channel incision has been documented and modeled by others, ecological effects, particularly water quality effects, are less well understood. Discharge, basic physical parameters, solids, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), chlorophyll and bacteria were monitored for five years at two sites along a stream in a mixed-cover watershed characterized by rapid incision of the entire channel network. Concurrent data were collected from two sites on a nearby stream draining a watershed of similar size and cultivation intensity, but without widespread incision. Data sets describing physical aquatic habitat and fish fauna of each stream were available from other studies. The second stream was impacted by watershed urbanization, but was not incised, so normal channel–floodplain interaction maintained a buffer zone of floodplain wetlands between the study reach and the urban development upstream. The incised stream had mean channel depth and width that were 1.8 and 3.5 times as large as for the nonincised stream, and was characterized by flashier hydrology. The median rise rate for the incised stream was 6.4 times as great as for the nonincised stream. Correlation analyses showed that hydrologic perturbations were associated with water quality degradation, and the incised stream had levels of turbidity and solids that were two to three times higher than the nonincised, urbanizing stream. Total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl N, and chlorophyll a concentrations were significantly higher in the incised stream, while nitrate was significantly greater in the nonincised, urbanizing stream ( p ≤ 0.02). Physical aquatic habitat and fish populations in the nonincised urbanizing stream were superior, as it supported almost twice as many species and yielded more than four times as much biomass per unit of effort. These results suggest that channel incision is associated with a complex of ecological stressors that includes channel erosion, hydrologic perturbation, and water quality and physical habitat degradation. Ecological engineering of stream corridors must focus at least as much energy on mediating hydrologic perturbations and managing habitat quality as on pollutant loadings.
Synthesis, Structure, and Ligand Redistribution Equilibria of Mixed Ligand Complexes of the Heavier Group 2 Elements Containing Pyrazolato andβ‐Diketiminato Ligands

Treatment of M[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (THF) 2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) with various stoichiometries of N-tert-butyl-4-(tert-butylimino)-2-penten-2-amine (L t B u H) and 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole (tBu 2 pzH) afforded [(η 2 -tBu 2 pz)Ca(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(μ-η 2 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)Ca(η 5 -L t B u )] (17%), [Sr(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )] 2 (50%), and [Ba(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )] 2 (66%) as colorless crystalline solids. The formulations of the new complexes were assigned from spectral and analytical data and by X-ray crystal structure determinations. In the solid state, [(η 2 -tBu 2 pz)Ca(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(μ-η 2 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)Ca(η 5 -L t B u )] exists as a dimer that is held together by μ-η 5 :η 2 - and μ-η 2 :η 2 -pyrazolato ligands, with a terminal η 2 -tBu 2 pz ligand on one calcium ion and an η 5 -L t B u ligand on the other. The dimeric structures of [Sr(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )] 2 and [Ba(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )] 2 are connected by two μ-η 5 :η 2 -pyrazolato ligands, and the coordination sphere of each metal ion is capped with an η 5 -L t B u ligand. In toluene solution, [(η 2 -tBu2pz)Ca(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(μ-η 2 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)Ca(η 5 -L t B u )] exists as an equilibrium mixture of at least four compounds. In toluene solution, [Sr(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )] 2 exists in equilibrium with Sr(η 5 -L t B u ) 2 and Sr 4 (tBu 2 Pz) 8 . A van't Hoff analysis of this equilibrium between 46 and 104 °C afforded AH° = 22.2 ′0.7 kcal/mol, AS° = 43.7 ′ 1.9 cal/mol-K, and AG°(298 K) = 9.2′0.9 kcal/mol. [Ba(μ-η 5 :η 2 -tBu 2 pz)(η 5 -L t B u )]2 exists in toluene solution as a single, pure species between -60 and +80 °C. The overall results suggest that the η 5 -L t B u ligand is better at saturating the coordination sphere of the metal ion to which it coordinates than is the tBu 2 pz ligand, and is suggested as a more promising ligand for the construction of practical, volatile chemical vapor deposition film growth precursors.
Bayesian estimation for multiscale image segmentation

We present a solution to the problem of intensity image segmentation using Bayesian estimation in a multiscale set up. Our approach regards the number of regions, the data partition and the parameter vectors that describe the probability densities of the regions as unknowns. We compute their MAP estimates jointly by maximizing their joint posterior probability density given the data. Since the estimation of the number of regions is also included into the Bayesian formulation we have a fully automatic or unsupervised method of segmenting images. An important aspect of our formulation is to consider the data partition as a variable to be estimated. We provide a descent algorithm that starts with an arbitrary initial segmentation of the image when the number of regions is known and iteratively computes the MAP estimates of the data partition and the associated parameter vectors of the probability densities. Our method can incorporate any additional information about a region while assigning its probability density. It can also utilize any available training samples that arise from different regions.
Undifferentiated Malignant Neoplasms of the Sinonasal Tract

Abstract Context.—The most commonly encountered malignant neoplasms of the sinonasal tract are the keratinizing and nonkeratinizing types of squamous cell carcinoma. However, this complex anatomic region may represent the site of aggressive, non–squamous cell epithelial and nonepithelial malignant neoplasms of varying histogenesis, which are grouped under the term undifferentiated malignant neoplasms. Frequently, these undifferentiated malignancies share clinical and light microscopic features, which makes differentiation of one from the other virtually impossible without the use of adjunct analyses (eg, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, or molecular biologic studies). These tumors often are clinically aggressive and usually fatal, despite all attempts at controlling disease. Nevertheless, differentiating these tumors has clinical import because advances in therapeutic intervention may increase survival with good quality of life, and in some instances may achieve a cure. Objective.—To compare and...
Low Temperature Synthesis of Silicon Oxide Nanowires

Silicon Nanowires (SiNWs) have many potential applications that include diodes, transistors, logic gates, circuitry, and sensors. SiNWs also open the possibility for integrating optoelectronics with microelectronics, since silicon has semiconducting properties and amorphous silicon nanowires have been shown to emit blue light. It has been demonstrated that SiNWs have tunable electrical properties, depending on the dopant used. With such a range of applications, the ability to mass-produce silicon nanowires simply and easily with no other source of silicon needed other than the substrate itself will prove very useful. Such methods have previously been reported, but our method involves production of the SiNWs at a lower temperature than those widely observed. A (100) silicon substrate was cleaned for five minutes each in ethanol followed by acetone. Films with thicknesses of less than 20 nm of either gold or 60/40 gold/palladium were deposited on the substrate through physical vapor deposition to serve as the growth center for the SiNWs. The samples were placed in a furnace and annealed to 900° C, under a 1500 sccm flow of argon at atmospheric pressure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for characterization of the SiNWs. The resulting SiNWs were amorphous in structure and very convoluted, with lengths on the order of tens of microns, diameters of 40 nm and a bed thickness of approximately 10 m. The effect of varying gold concentration, annealing time, temperature, and gas flow rate were then investigated. The results, which will be discussed in further detail, indicate that adjusting these parameters allows for control over the length, thickness, density, and morphology of the nanowires.
Measuring Progress on the Control of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) at a Regional Level: The Minnesota N212 Regional Control Project (Rcp) as a Working Example

Due to the highly transmissible nature of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), implementation of regional programs to control the disease may be critical. Because PRRS is not reported in the US, numerous voluntary regional control projects (RCPs) have been established. However, the effect of RCPs on PRRS control has not been assessed yet. This study aims to quantify the extent to which RCPs contribute to PRRS control by proposing a methodological framework to evaluate the progress of RCPs. Information collected between July 2012 and June 2015 from the Minnesota Voluntary Regional PRRS Elimination Project (RCP-N212) was used. Demography of premises (e.g. composition of farms with sows = SS and without sows = NSS) was assessed by a repeated analysis of variance. By using general linear mixed-effects models, active participation of farms enrolled in the RCP-N212, defined as the decision to share (or not to share) PRRS status, was evaluated and used as a predictor, along with other variables, to assess the PRRS trend over time. Additionally, spatial and temporal patterns of farmers’ participation and the disease dynamics were investigated. The number of farms enrolled in RCP-N212 and its geographical coverage increased, but the proportion of SS and NSS did not vary significantly over time. A significant increasing (p<0.001) trend in farmers’ decision to share PRRS status was observed, but with NSS producers less willing to report and a large variability between counties. The incidence of PRRS significantly (p<0.001) decreased, showing a negative correlation between degree of participation and occurrence of PRRS (p<0.001) and a positive correlation with farm density at the county level (p = 0.02). Despite a noted decrease in PRRS, significant spatio-temporal patterns of incidence of the disease over 3-weeks and 3-kms during the entire study period were identified. This study established a systematic approach to quantify the effect of RCPs on PRRS control. Despite an increase in number of farms enrolled in the RCP-N212, active participation is not ensured. By evaluating the effect of participation on the occurrence of PRRS, the value of sharing information among producers may be demonstrated, in turn justifying the existence of RCPs.
A STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WEB-BASED TOOL TO REDUCE AVIATION MAINTENANCE ERRORS

The safety and reliability of air transportation depends on minimizing inspection and maintenance errors that occur in the aircraft maintenance system. Efforts have been invested to track maintenance errors. These efforts are reactive in nature: they analyze maintenance errors after their occurrence. There is a lack of standardization in the assessment of maintenance errors across the maintenance industry. Surveillance and auditing of maintenance activities are two important functions which help ensure airworthiness of an aircraft. A system that will document the processes and outcomes of these maintenance activities and will make this documentation more accessible will accomplish the goal of this research to reduce maintenance error. Such a system would then support robust and safer aircraft maintenance operations. Our research is developing a web-based surveillance and auditing tool (WebSAT) that promotes a standardized format for maintenance data collection, reduction and analysis to proactively identi...
MULTIPLE MYELOMA WITH MANIFESTATION OF A BONY LESION IN THE MAXILLA; REPORT OF A CASE.

Abstract A case of multiple myeloma with characteristic clinical, roentgenographic, and histopathologic features has been presented. As evidenced by the concerted efforts of the health team for total patient care, the composite of the disease is a montage created by the specialties of medicine and dentistry. The process requires the complete utilization of clinical, roentgenographic, hematologic, biochemical, and histopathologic study.
Abdominoplasty: Risk Factors, Complication Rates, and Safety of Combined Procedures.

BACKGROUND Among aesthetic surgery procedures, abdominoplasty is associated with a higher complication rate, but previous studies are limited by small sample sizes or single-institution experience. METHODS A cohort of patients who underwent abdominoplasty between 2008 and 2013 was identified from the CosmetAssure database. Major complications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed evaluating risk factors, including age, smoking, body mass index, sex, diabetes, type of surgical facility, and combined procedures. RESULTS The authors identified 25,478 abdominoplasties from 183,914 procedures in the database. Of these, 8,975 patients had abdominoplasty alone and 16,503 underwent additional procedures. The number of complications recorded was 1,012 (4.0 percent overall rate versus 1.4 percent in other aesthetic surgery procedures). Of these, 31.5 percent were hematomas, 27.2 percent were infections and 20.2 percent were suspected or confirmed venous thromboembolism. On multivariate analysis, significant risk factors (p < 0.05) included male sex (relative risk, 1.8), age 55 years or older (1.4), body mass index greater than or equal to 30 (1.3), multiple procedures (1.5), and procedure performance in a hospital or surgical center versus office-based surgical suite (1.6). Combined procedures increased the risk of complication (abdominoplasty alone, 3.1 percent; with liposuction, 3.8 percent; breast procedure, 4.3 percent; liposuction and breast procedure, 4.6 percent; body-contouring procedure, 6.8 percent; liposuction and body-contouring procedure, 10.4 percent). CONCLUSIONS Abdominoplasty is associated with a higher complication rate compared with other aesthetic procedures. Combined procedures can significantly increase complication rates and should be considered carefully in higher risk patients. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Risk, II.
The Automotive-Repair Industry and the Practice of Insurance Steering: Is There a Fulfilling Escape Route Available for Auto-Repair Facilities?

The automotive-repair industry has fallen victim to the insurance industry’s ability to manipulate a market in which fairness is obsolete. Operating an automotive-repair facility largely depends on engaging in agreements with insurance companies. Repair facilities highly depend on insurance companies for customers, which in turn allows insurance companies more control in the relationship between the two businesses. Through the practices of steering, creating a prevailing rate, and creating direct-repair programs, insurance companies have caused significant injury to the automotive-repair industry. Many repair facilities suffer a loss of business, fail to maintain a profit, and suffer a competitive disadvantage due to these insurance practices. The author contends that a number of Louisiana and federal laws have the potential to remedy the injuries repair facilities endure, yet the issue remains whether these laws are meant to protect the automotive-repair industry from such insurance practices. Because Louisiana courts have yet to establish jurisprudence on this issue, the author examined jurisprudence from other state and federal courts. These cases indicate insurance companies are abusing these practices and causing an unfair restraint on competition in the automotive-repair market. Throughout this article, the author explains how insurance companies discretely steer insureds to the companies’ preferred repair facilities, which, in effect, causes significant injury to repair facilities having customers steered away from them. By detailing every Louisiana law that can potentially provide protection and redress to the automotive-repair industry, this author urges the State of Louisiana to take steps towards ensuring the laws provide justice to injured repair facilities. The anti-steering provisions in states where repair facilities have prevailed are more directly aimed toward protecting the automotive-repair industry. Thus, the author also recommends that the Louisiana legislature amend the state’s anti-steering provision to expressly, in writing, provide a right of action for automotive-repair facilities.
Analysis of Huhhot centralized water supply and secondary water current health survey

Objective To understand the water quality of Hohhot health status of various water types.Methods The 2008-2009 monitoring data on the various drinking water supply respectively the type of comparative analysis and comparative analysis between years.Results The various types of water quality in 2009 than in 2008 declined,finished water sanitation was better than the secondary water supply.Conclusion We should strengthen the health management of secondary water supply,health departments should strengthen supervision and monitoring efforts,and guarantee the quality of health security.
Do stakeholders analyze their audience? The communication switch and stakeholder personal versus public communication choices

In the spirit of the policy sciences, knowledge should be used to improve the practice of democracy. In today’s policy world, communication is a key element of policy making. Too often groups become trapped in promoting their own narrative rather than building bridges to other groups by adopting alternative narratives. In this study, we ask, when involved in a public policy issue, do stakeholders analyze their audience? In other words, do stakeholders consider larger values and beliefs in an attempt to help orient a problem or issues when they move from discussing the issue with like-minded groups to discussing the issue with the general public? Our study uses a survey to examine how stakeholders involved in a river restoration issue switched or did not switch from their own personal message choice to what they believed was the best communication choice for talking about river restoration with the public. Overall, 47% of stakeholders switched their preference when asked how river restoration should be discussed with the public. We examine how attitudinal indicators, background information, and demographics related to which stakeholders switch and which did not switch their choices. The implications of these findings for democracy and policy analysis along with the ethical considerations of the research are discussed.
Developing best practices teaching procedures for skinfold assessment: observational examination using the Think Aloud method

Skinfold assessment is valid and economical; however, it has a steep learning curve, and many programs only include one exposure to the technique. Increasing the number of exposures to skinfold ass...
Metabolic responses of the North Pacific krill, Euphausia pacifica , to short- and long-term pCO 2 exposure

While ocean acidification is likely to have major effects on many marine organisms, those species that regularly experience variable pCO2 environments may be more tolerant of future predicted changes in ocean chemistry. Euphausia pacifica is an abundant krill species along the Pacific coast of North America and one that regularly experiences varying pCO2 levels during seasonal upwelling, as well as during daily vertical migrations to depth where pCO2 is higher. Krill were collected from Monterey Bay, California (36.8°N, 121.9°W), and experiments were performed from June to August 2014 and maintained at two pCO2 levels (400 and 1200 µatm). Three metabolic responses (oxygen consumption, ingestion rate, and nutrient excretion rates) of E. pacifica were measured. Oxygen consumption declined by 31 % in the first 24 h following exposure to high pCO2 and remained low after 21 days. Oxygen consumption at low pCO2 was low for the first 12 h, increased by 34 % at 24 h, but returned to initial values by 21 days. After 3 weeks of continuous exposure, oxygen consumption rates were 32 % lower in the high pCO2 group. Ingestion and ammonium excretion rates were both significantly lower in the high pCO2 group after 24-h exposure, but not after 7 or 21 days. There was no effect of pCO2 on phosphate excretion. Taken together, these results indicate that E. pacifica has a lower metabolic rate during both short-term (24 h) and longer-term (21 days) exposure to high pCO2. Such metabolic depression may explain previously reported declines in growth of E. pacifica exposed to high pCO2.
Cytoskeletal remodeling via Rho GTPases during oxidative and thermal stress in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Biological systems are highly sensitive to changes in their environment. Indeed, the molecular basis of the environmental stress response suggests that the specialized stress responses share more commonalities than previously believed. Here, we used the nematode C. elegans to gain insight into the role of Rho signaling during two common environmental challenges, oxidative and thermal stress. In response to heat shock (HS), wild type (N2) worms demonstrated reduced viability which was rescued by genetic suppression of CDC42 and RHO-1. Visualization of F-actin by phalloidin-rhodamine underscored a strict correlation between the levels of F-actin following GTPase suppression and survival. Additionally, genetic ablation of OSG-1, a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (GEF) previously implicated in oxidative stress, was associated with constitutively lower levels of F-actin and increased mortality. However, upon an oxidative insult F-actin stability decreased in N2 worms, a rescue of this affect was observed in OSG-1 null worms, consistent with the resistance exhibited by these worms to oxidative stress (OS). Together these data suggest that during conditions of thermal or oxidative stress Rho signaling promotes vulnerability by altering actin dynamics. Thus, the stability of the actin cytoskeleton, in part through a conserved mechanism mediated by Rho signaling, is a crucial factor for the cell's survival to environmental challenges.
Abstract 20605: Population Trends in the Incidence, Etiology and Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis

Background: Data regarding the epidemiology of infective endocarditis in the United States are insufficient to allow effective evaluation of healthcare promotion efforts. Study aim: The aim of this...
Risk and parameter convergence of logistic regression

Gradient descent, when applied to the task of logistic regression, outputs iterates which are biased to follow a unique ray defined by the data. The direction of this ray is the maximum margin predictor of a maximal linearly separable subset of the data; the gradient descent iterates converge to this ray in direction at the rate $\mathcal{O}(\ln\ln t / \ln t)$. The ray does not pass through the origin in general, and its offset is the bounded global optimum of the risk over the remaining data; gradient descent recovers this offset at a rate $\mathcal{O}((\ln t)^2 / \sqrt{t})$.
Altitude Acclimatization Alleviates the Hypoxia-Induced Suppression of Exogenous Glucose Oxidation During Steady-State Aerobic Exercise

This study investigated how high-altitude (HA, 4300 m) acclimatization affected exogenous glucose oxidation during aerobic exercise. Sea-level (SL) residents (n=14 men) performed 80-min, metabolically-matched exercise (VO2 ~ 1.7 L/min) at SL and at HA < 5 h after arrival (acute HA, AHA) and following 22-d of HA acclimatization (chronic HA, CHA). During HA acclimatization, participants sustained a controlled negative energy balance (-40%) to simulate the “real world” conditions that lowlanders typically experience during HA sojourns. During exercise, participants consumed carbohydrate (CHO, n=8, 65.25 g fructose + 79.75 g glucose, 1.8 g carbohydrate/min) or placebo (PLA, n = 6). Total carbohydrate oxidation was determined by indirect calorimetry and exogenous glucose oxidation by tracer technique with 13C. Participants lost (P ≤ 0.05, mean ± sd) 7.9 ± 1.9 kg body mass during the HA acclimatization and energy deficit period. In CHO, total exogenous glucose (g) oxidized during the final 40 min of exercise was lower (P < 0.01) at AHA (7.4 ± 3.7 g) than SL (15.3 ± 2.2 g/min) and CHA (12.4 ± 2.3 g/min), but there were no differences between SL and CHA. Blood glucose and insulin increased (P ≤ 0.05) during the first 20 min of exercise in CHO, but not PLA. In CHO, glucose declined to pre-exercise concentrations as exercise continued at SL, but remained elevated (P ≤ 0.05) throughout exercise at AHA and CHA. Insulin increased during exercise in CHO, but the increase was greater (P ≤ 0.05) at AHA than at SL and CHA, which did not differ. Thus, while acute hypoxia suppressed exogenous glucose oxidation during endurance exercise, that hypoxic suppression is alleviated following altitude acclimatization and concomitant negative energy balance.
Quantitative classification of life-style types in predaceous phytoseiid mites

Classification of species into different functional groups based on biological criteria has been a difficult problem in ecology. The difficulty mainly arises because natural classification patterns are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The more group characteristics overlap, the more difficult it is to identify the membership of a species in the overlapping portions of any two groups. In this paper, we present an application of discriminant analysis by creating classification models from life history and morphological data for two specialist and two generalist life-styles type of predaceous phytoseiid mites. Two stages can be distinguished in our method: life-style group membership assignment and trait variable evaluation. We use a Bayesian framework to create a classifier system to locate or assign species within a mixture of trait distributions. The method assumes that a mixture of trait distributions can represent the multiple dimensions of biological data. The mixture is most evident near the boundaries between groups. Because of the complexity of analytical solution, an iterative method is used to estimate the unknown means, variances, and mixing proportion between groups. We also developed a criterion based on information theory to evaluate model performance with different combinations of input variables and different hypotheses. We present a working example of our proposed methods. We apply these methods to the problem of selecting key species for inoculative release and for classical introductions of biological pest control agents.
Cell Fusion and Cell Poration by Pulsed Radio­ Frequency Electric Fields

Cell fusion plays a very important role in modern biotechnology. For example, one key procedure in genetic engineering is the introduction of exogenous genetic material into a host cell. Such insertion of genes is accomplished by either permeabilizing the cell membrane to allow entry of genetic material, or fusing the host cell with a cell containing the desired genetic material. Furthermore, cell fusion is important in the production of monoclonal antibodies, which requires fusion of antibody-producing cells with continuously dividing cancer cells such as myeloma cells (Galfre et al., 1977; Lo et al., 1984). Also, cell fusion can be used as a microinjection technique to deliver drugs which normally cannot enter a cell. One can simply fuse the cell with liposomes or red blood cell ghosts that have been preloaded with specific drugs (Schlegel and Lieber, 1987).
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTABILITY

This chapter focuses on all the processes that can be performed in a determinate, precisely specified manner, using only steps which are mechanically executable by unitary methods. It presents a definition of the class of all effectively computable functions and the class of all effectively decidable predicates, and to establish the basic properties and limits of these classes. An effective process is a general problem-solving method, which is used to solve any one of a class of questions to which it is applicable. Further, the process must give the correct answer to each question which is within its domain of applicability. Its behavior when applied to questions outside this domain is not of interest, except that the process is not allowed to give incorrect answers. The process must be one which can be performed in a purely finitary manner, one step at a time. An interesting analogy can be drawn with the classically unsolvable problems of trisection of an angle, or solution of the fifth degree equation.
Evangelical Worship: A Conversation with Three Publics

In this article the author makes an argument for evangelical worship as a form of public theology. The analysis proceeds in three parts. The first section examines depictions of evangelicals in American public media in order to show how evangelicalism and worship are closely linked in society’s imagination. The second section draws on debates between David Tracy and George Lindbeck to explain evangelicals’ distinctive approach to worship and witness. The third section presents a case study of a Sunday service at an evangelical megachurch, and suggests that increased attention to congregational worship practices can mitigate tensions between populist and academic understandings of public theology.
Pulmonary Embolism While on Aspirin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Total Knee Arthroplasty

A 62-year-old Caucasian man with past medical history significant for coronary artery disease, status post drug eluting stent to the left anterior descending artery 10 years prior, was admitted for elective total right knee arthroplasty. His intraoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on hospital day 2 on aspirin 325 mg twice daily for 6 weeks for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. Three weeks later the patient developed chest pain shortly after an approximately 1-hour flight and presented to a local emergency department where computed tomography angiogram showed pulmonary emboli involving segmental and subsegmental pulmonary arteries bilaterally. He was transitioned from aspirin 325 mg twice a day to rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily for 21 days, with a plan to transition to 20 mg daily to complete a 3-month course. He returned to his primary care physician 6 days after discharge with questions about his current anticoagulation therapy as well as the regimen he was on prior to the pulmonary embolism. Two major organizations, The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and The American College of Chest Physicians, provide recommendations for VTE prophylaxis, but they differ regarding the preferred pharmacologic modality and duration. Although the goal is to provide optimal patient care, lack of guideline consensus may lead to different postoperative recommendations. It is important for clinicians to discuss with their patients the pharmacologic options available for VTE prophylaxis, how organizations differ in their recommendations, and the limitations of these pharmacologic agents.
Older adults with acute myeloid leukemia treated with intensive chemotherapy: "old" prognostic algorithms may not apply.

The notion that older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a major therapeutic challenge due to host biological factors and intrinsic disease features leading to poor outcomes is accepted by consensus. Older adults have diminished stem cell reserve, more frequent comorbid medical
Power Pre-Layout Optimization Tool (PPLOT) for Early Design Phase Power Integrity Layout Assessment

Power delivery network (PDN) and power integrity (PI) design quality is critical to system stability and performance. PDN and PI design, analysis and review are challenging and complicated, but usually reviewed using visual eye ball checks which is time consuming, inaccurate, inconsistent and does not provide a comprehensive system level PDN assessment due to below reasons:•Power design is always the last to be reviewed which power delivery design practice and issue easily to be overlooked•The design diversity such as stackup, shape, decoupling caps characteristics due to different form factor and type makes review challenging to use only eye ball check based on "rule of thumb" to ensure PDN design quality without running PI simulation•Very few hardware design engineers have in-depth PDN design concept or PI simulation experience: as well as time for the complete review process manual power simulation still takes timeIn this paper, a novel approach called Power Pre-Layout Optimization Tool (PPLOT) for PDN and PI estimation provides the opportunity of optimizing PCB sizing/shaping for more integrated designs with simple, free and acceptable accuracy using simple methodologies/processes which will greatly transform the PDN design processes:•PPLOT is an windows excel spreadsheet based tool which is viable transportable with all hardware designers without requirement of special tool or license•PPLOT developed for end users who have zero PI simulation background or knowledge such as hardware or voltage regulator (VR) design engineers•PPLOT instantly indicates the estimate resistance, IR drop and the end users can base on their design criteria to know whether the estimated PCB width, length or stack-up is adequate to support the DC current/power at the early component placement stage to avoid potential PDN and PI design layout issues•PPLOT concept can be used on most computing systems such server, desktop, AIO, notebook, tablets and smartphones to ensure good PDN, PI design quality as well as system stability and performance
Psychological Considerations of the Child with a Progressive Terminal Condition in a Residential Setting

Psychosocial aspects of dealing with the child with a progressive terminal disease are discussed, particularly in relation to areas of concern for the psychologist or counselor in a residential pro...
Abstract 156: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Sentinel Cerebral Embolic Protection Device During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been established as a standard of care for patients with severe aortic stenosis deemed at prohibitive or high risk for surgery. Howev...
Anti-biofilm activity of quinazoline derivatives against Mycobacterium smegmatis

Bacteria employ a number of mechanisms to resist the effects of antibiotics, including the formation of biofilms. We explored the anti-biofilm capabilities of a library of compounds based upon a 2-aminoquinazoline (2-AQ) scaffold against Mycobacterium smegmatis. This study resulted in the identification of 2-AQ derivatives with biofilm inhibition activity against M. smegmatis.
Photodefined In-Plane Heterostructures in Two-Dimensional In2Se3 Nanolayers for Ultrathin Photodiodes

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials and related heterostructures have shown a wide variety of novel electronic and optoelectronic properties. However, a key challenge in fully realizing th...
Automating the B2B Salesperson Pricing Decisions: A Human-Machine Hybrid Approach

In a world advancing towards automation, we propose a human-machine hybrid approach to automating decision making in high human interaction environments and apply it in the business-to-business (B2B) retail context. Using sales transactions data from a B2B aluminum retailer, we create an automated version of each salesperson, that learns and automatically reapplies the salesperson's pricing policy. We conduct a field experiment with the B2B retailer, providing salespeople with their own model's price recommendations in real-time through the retailer's CRM system, and allowing them to adjust their original pricing accordingly. We find that despite the loss of non-codeable information available to the salesperson but not to the model, providing the model's price to the salesperson increases profits for treated quotes by 11% relatively to a control condition. Using a counterfactual analysis, we show that while in most of the cases the model's pricing leads to higher profitability by eliminating inter-temporal human biases, the salesperson generates higher profits when pricing special quotes with unique or complex characteristics. Accordingly, we propose a machine learning Random Forest hybrid pricing strategy, that automatically allocates quotes to the model or to the human expert and generates profits significantly higher than either the model or the salespeople.
Hill Climbing with Trees: Detail Placement for Large Windows

Integrated circuit design encompasses a wide range of intractable optimization problems. In this paper, we extend linear time hill climbing techniques from graph partitioning to address detailed placement -- this results in a new way to refine circuit designs, dramatically expands the size of practical optimization windows, and enables wire length reductions on a variety of benchmark problems. The approach is versatile and straight-forward to implement, allowing it to be applied to a wide range of problems within design automation, and beyond.
Inflammasomes as contributors to periodontal disease.

A genome-wide association study of ∼2.5 million markers identified unique biologically informed periodontal complex traits with distinct microbial communities and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels. Each trait was associated with different single nucleotide polymorphisms. These variants include genes associated with immune responses, microbial colonization, and the epithelial barrier function. The specific set of variants leads to individual biological paths that converge into an overlapping clinical phenotype of periodontal tissue destruction. This concept suggests that periodontal disease is a group of distinct conditions. We identified polymorphisms in inflammasome genes Interferon Gamma Inducible Protein 16 (IFI16) and Absent In Melanoma 2 (AIM2) that were associated with increased severity of periodontal disease. Inflammasomes respond to pathogen or tissue "danger" signals and assemble into multiprotein "machineries" that are essential for the cleavage of pro-inflammatory mediator IL-1β into an active form. Thus, understanding how variants of IFI16 and AIM2 contribute to periodontal disease pathogenesis may lead to treatment options that address individual biological variations and precision therapies for oral health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
COVID-19 highlights the policy barriers and complexities of postpartum sterilization.

Abstract Multiple barriers exist to sterilization in the postpartum period. One such barrier, the Medicaid Title XIX sterilization policy, requires publicly insured patients to complete a sterilization consent form at least 30 days prior to their scheduled procedure. While this policy was set in place in the 1970s to address the practice of coerced sterilization among marginalized women, it has served as a significant barrier to obtaining the procedure in the contemporary period. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted specific complexities surrounding postpartum sterilization and created additional barriers for women desiring this contraceptive method. Despite the time constraints to perform postpartum sterilization, some hospital administrators, elective officials, and state Medicaid offices deemed sterilization as “elective.” Additionally, as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised telemedicine reimbursement and encouraged its increased use, it has provided no guidance for the sterilization consent form, use of oral consents, and change to the sterilization consent form expiration date. This leaves individual states to create policies and recommended procedures that may not be accepted or recognized by CMS. These barriers put significant strain on patients attempting to obtain postpartum sterilization, specifically for patients with lower incomes and women of color. CMS can support reproductive health for vulnerable populations by providing clear guidance to state Medicaid offices, extending the 180-day expiration of a sterilization consent form signed prior to the pandemic, and allowing for telemedicine oral consents with witnesses or electronic signatures.
Pediatric Vaccines and Cost-Effectiveness Thresholds: How Much is Too Much to Pay for Prevention?

Cost-effectiveness evaluations play an important role in recommendations for use of pediatric vaccines that are set forth by the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The fact that these evaluations are undertaken and accorded weight suggests that a critical value for designating pediatric vaccines as cost-effective (or not) must exist. For recommended pediatric vaccines, however, reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) have varied greatly, and there does not appear to be an explicit threshold used by the ACIP to define how much is too much to pay for the prevention of communicable diseases in children. Further complicating this issue is the fact that conventional ICER thresholds—expressed in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained—accord value only to length and quality of life and may not reflect our preferences as individuals or a society. For example, risk, an important attribute of many healthcare decisions, is ignored by the QALY model, as is the distribution of health benefits across different members of society. Are we indeed indifferent about risk and do we really believe that the value of disease prevention in children should be measured by the same “yardstick” as that for older adults? Accordingly, do we really believe that “a QALY is a QALY”? These issues, which are reviewed and discussed in this article, are more than just of theoretical interest; the answers impact how public health policy is determined, which impacts the lives and well-being of entire populations as well as the budgets of payers.
Geographies of hybrid war: rebellion and foreign intervention in Ukraine

What explains the variation in violence in the internationalized civil conflict? This study identifies such conflict as an adaptation of insurgency warfare by the state. The analysis of the conflic...
A novel disinfection protocol using ATP testing for lead garments in the electrophysiology lab

Electrophysiology procedures pose infection risk and require surgical room sterility. Currently, there is no universally approved protocol for disinfecting lead garments in the electrophysiology laboratory. This study explores the feasibility of using ATP testing to assess the microbial burden of lead aprons and evaluates the impact of a sanitary intervention. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing is a well-established hospital standard to quantify biological matter on a surface and, by proxy, the microbial burden. It is measured in RLU (relative light units). Pre-intervention ATP testing was performed on 34 lead garments after use for electrophysiology procedures. The thyroid collar, mid-chest vest, and left axillary areas of the garments were swabbed using a Hygiena SystemSure II luminometer with ATP swabs (Hygiena, Camarillo, CA). These sites were then disinfected with disinfectant wipes (PDI Super Sani-cloth Germicidal Disposable Wipe) and ATP testing was repeated. The mean duration of garment wear was 213 min. The thyroid collars had the highest mean RLU before intervention, followed by the mid-chest vest and the left axillary areas. The intervention was found to significantly decrease ATP readings for all three sites (p = 0.0002, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0002 respectively). Linear regression modeling to assess the impact of intervention showed a significant correlation with pre-intervention ATP values for all three sites but no correlation with fluoroscopy time, fluoroscopy dose, or total time spent within the procedure. Lead garments harbor microbial contamination after use according to ATP testing. A sanitary intervention can decontaminate lead garments and potentially reduce rates of hospital infection.
Pediatric Gliomas: Molecular Landscape and Emerging Targets

Next-generation sequencing of pediatric gliomas has revealed the importance of molecular genetic characterization in understanding the biology underlying these tumors and a breadth of potential therapeutic targets. Promising targeted therapies include mTOR inhibitors for subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in tuberous sclerosis, BRAF and MEK inhibitors mainly for low-grade gliomas, and MEK inhibitors for NF1-deficient BRAF:KIAA fusion tumors. Challenges in developing targeted molecular therapies include significant intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity, highly varied mechanisms of treatment resistance and immune escape, adequacy of tumor penetrance, and sensitivity of brain to treatment-related toxicities.