cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature sensitivity of soil enzyme kinetics under N-fertilization in two temperate forests

Soil microbes produce extracellular enzymes that degrade carbon (C)-containing polymers in soil organic matter. Because extracellular enzyme activities may be sensitive to both increased nitrogen (N) and temperature change, we measured the effect of long-term N addition and short-term temperature variation on enzyme kinetics in soils from hardwood forests at Bear Brook, Maine, and Fernow Forest, West Virginia. We determined the Vmax and Km parameters for five hydrolytic enzymes: a-glucosidase, b-glucosidase, b-xylosidase, cellobiohydrolase, and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase. Temperature sensitivities of Vmax and Km were assessed within soil samples subjected to a range of temperatures. We hypothesized that (1) N additions would cause microbial C limitation, leading to higher enzyme Vmax values and lower Km values; and (2) both Vmax and Km would increase at higher temperatures. Finally, we tested whether or not temperature sensitivity of enzyme kinetics is mediated by N addition. Nitrogen addition significantly or marginally significantly increased Vmax values for all enzymes, particularly at Fernow. Nitrogen fertilization led to significantly lower Km values for all enzymes at Bear Brook, but variable Km responses at Fernow Forest. Both Vmax and Km were temperature sensitive, with Q10 values ranging from 1.64–2.27 for enzyme Vmax and 1.04–1.93 for enzyme Km. No enzyme showed a significant interaction between N and temperature sensitivity for Vmax, and only b-xylosidase showed a significant interaction between N and temperature sensitivity for Km. Our study is the first to experimentally demonstrate a positive relationship between Km and temperature for soil enzymes. Higher temperature sensitivities for Vmax relative to Km imply that substrate degradation will increase with temperature. In addition, the Vmax and Km responses to N indicate greater substrate degradation under N addition. Our results suggest that increasing temperatures and N availability in forests of the northeastern US will lead to increased hydrolytic enzyme activity, despite the positive temperature sensitivity of Km.
Naturalist Semantics and the Appeal to Structure

We need not accommodate facts about meaning if Quine is right about the indeterminacy of subsentential expressions; there can be no such facts to accommodate. Evans argued that Quine's approach overlooks the ways speakers use predication to endow their use of subsentential expressions with the necessary determinacy. This paper offers a critical assessment of the debate in relation to current arguments about naturalism and shows how Evans's response depends on a basic claim that turns out to be false.
New Routes to Low Mortality in Poor Countries? Crossover in the Roles of Income and Female Education

This paper explores how the cross-national determinants of infant mortality and life expectancy at birth have evolved over the past two decades. In particular, I examine the relative roles of female education and per capital income in the mortality decline. Contrasting the recent shift away from economic determinism by a large bloc in the literature, my findings indicate that per capita income has become a stronger determinant of mortality, while the revealed effect of female education has declined. Part, but not all, of the observed shift can be attributed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This change may imply a shift back to the Malthusian paradigm, in which economic constraints are the prime forces at work behind the course of mortality. This article is available in Undergraduate Economic Review: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol1/iss1/4 Undergraduate Economic Review A publication of Illinois Wesleyan University
The effects of insecure attachment on child asthma: Depression and autonomic dysregulation as potential mechanisms

Attachment disturbance such as, infant-mother separation causes prolonged depressed behavior and sympathetic withdrawal plus vagal activation(i.e.vagal bias).Vagal neural pathways mediate airway constriction in asthma. Miller’s ANS Dysregulation Model posits that depression, accompanied by ANS vagal bias potentiates airway instability. Purpose: Our study tests the hypothesis that insecure attachment is linked to child depression, which potentiates vagal bias and pulmonary compromise under stress. Method: 171 child asthmatics watched the film “E.T.” The ET death scene elicited separation/loss-related emotions. Self-report indexed insecure attachment (IS), and the CDI indexed depression (D). Asthma disease activity (ADA) was assessed using NHLBI criteria. Children viewed the film while ECG and impedance measures indexed sympathetic activation (pre-ejection period,PEP) and vagal activation(RSA). ANS vagal bias was measured: Zrsa-Zpep (i.e.,RSA minus PEP standardized scores). Respiratory resistance (Rint) indexed pulmonary function. Results: Children with IA had higher D (t=3.6,p=.001), greater vagal bias in the death scene (t=1.9,p=.06) and greater ADA (t=2.1,p=.04) When stratified by D score, D versus non-D children had greater vagal bias in response to ET death scene (t=2.25,p=.03), and greater ADA(t=3.2,p=.002). Finally both D and vagal bias were correlated with post-movie Rint (r=.43,p =.001;r=.39, p=.004). Conclusion: These findings suggest that insecure attachment may contribute to depression, stress vulnerability, and ANS dysregulation which potentiate pulmonary compromise in child asthma under stressful conditions.
Comprehensive simulations and comparative analysis of the electric propulsion motor for a solar/battery electric auto rickshaw three-wheeler

Auto rickshaws are three-wheeled vehicles commonly used as taxis of people and goods in many Asian countries. In the design of a new solar/battery electric auto rickshaw, the most critical components (i.e. the motor and motor controller) of the drive train must be vigorously studied. The results of such a comprehensive study are needed to balance the design trade-offs in order to achieve an optimally sized and controlled system. This paper focuses specifically on the electric propulsion motor. The size and speed capabilities of the motor are varied in the advanced vehicle simulator, ADVISOR, and the results in terms of efficiency, vehicle gradeability and acceleration abilities of the vehicle are presented and analyzed.
Patronage and Elections in U.S. States

Does control of patronage jobs significantly increase a political party’s chances of winning elections in U.S. states? We employ a differences-in-differences design, exploiting the considerable var ...
A rapidly adaptive lossless compression algorithm for high fidelity audio coding

A new adaptive algorithm for lossless compression of digital audio is presented. The algorithm is derived from ideas from both dictionary coding and source-modeling. An adaptive Lempel-Ziv (1977) style fixed dictionary coder is used to build a source model that fuels an arithmetic coder. As a result, variable length strings drawn from the source alphabet are mapped onto variable length strings that are on average shorter. The authors show that this algorithm outperforms arithmetic coding or Lempel-Ziv coding working alone on the same source (in their experiments the source is an ADPCM quantizer). Adaptation heuristics for the Lempel-Ziv coder, relevant data structures, and a discussion of audio source modeling (entropy estimation) experiments are described. While the algorithm presented herein is designed to be used as a post-compressor in a lossy audio transform coding system, it is well suited for any instance where non-stationary source outputs must be compressed. >
Fungal responsive fatty acid acetylenases occur widely in evolutionarily distant plant families

The fungal elicitor-induced ELI12 gene from parsley has been previously shown to encode a divergent form of the Delta12-oleic acid desaturase. In this report, we show that the ELI12 gene product is a fatty acid acetylenase or a triple-bond-forming enzyme. Expression of this enzyme in transgenic soybean seeds was accompanied by the accumulation of the Delta12-acetylenic fatty acids, crepenynic and dehydrocrepenynic acids. Using PCR with degenerate oligonucleotides, we also show that homologs of the ELI12 gene are present in other members of the Apiaceae family. In addition, cDNAs for divergent forms of the Delta12-oleic acid desaturase were detected among the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from English ivy, an Araliaceae species, and sunflower, an Asteraceae species. As with the ELI12 gene, expression of these cDNAs in transgenic soybean embryos was accompanied by the accumulation of crepenynic and dehydrocrepenynic acids. Homologs of the sunflower acetylenase gene were also detected in other Asteraceae species, as revealed by PCR analysis of isolated genomic DNA. Results from Northern blot and EST analyses indicated that the expression of the sunflower gene, like ELI12, was induced by fungal elicitation. Overall, these results demonstrate that expressed genes for Delta12-fatty acid acetylenases occur in at least three plant families, and are responsive to fungal pathogenesis. Natural products derived from crepenynic and dehydrocrepenynic acids that display antifungal, insecticidal, and nematicidal properties are distributed through at least 15 plant families. The acetylenases described here provide probes for chemotaxonomists, and facilitate functional genomic and molecular investigations of these defensive mechanisms.
Organizing Healthcare Delivery Systems for Persons with Ongoing Care Needs and Their Families: A Best Practices Framework

How systems of care delivery are structured can have a major impact on their relative efficiency and on the quality of care provided to individuals. As the population continues to age, as more people are able to continue to live with disabilities or chronic conditions, and as demands continue from consumers and lobby groups to allow individuals to be more fully integrated into customary Canadian life, pressures to deal with the needs of persons with ongoing care requirements will only continue to mount.
Short- and long-term effects of embodied experiences in immersive virtual environments on environmental locus of control and behavior

Immersive virtual environments successfully promote environmental behaviors.Embodying perceptually rich, interactive experiences leads to paper conservation.Individuals use 20% less paper after cutting down a virtual tree.The increase in environmental behavior lasts for up to one week afterwards.An internal environmental locus of control is the underlying mechanism. Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) allow individuals to see, hear, and feel digital stimuli as if they were in the physical world. Two studies tested the power of embodied experiences within IVEs by comparing the effects of cutting a virtual tree against reading a print description or watching a video depiction of the tree-cutting process to encourage paper conservation. Experiment 1 found that IVEs led participants to consume 20% less paper than participants who read a print description of tree cutting. Experiment 2 demonstrated that IVEs elicited greater self-reported internal environmental locus of control and self-reported environmental behaviors than print and video messages one week following the virtual experience. Moreover, internal environmental locus of control served as a mediator, driving environmental behaviors. We discuss the implications of using embodied experiences for behavior change.
Estimating and Pricing Credit Risk: An Overview

In the past five years, many sophisticated models for pricing credit risk have been developed. The rapid progress in this area is primarily a result of the growth of credit derivatives, securitized asset pools, and other structured products. Factors such as regulatory concerns and the availability of empirical data on default, rating changes, and asset recovery have also sparked interest in credit-risk-pricing models. This article reviews the development of modeling and pricing credit risk during the last three decades. It starts with a discussion of the statistical properties of credit spread behavior over time. It then reviews various quantitative models for assessing a company's creditworthiness and default probabilities. Next, it focuses on the ultimate objective of credit-risk assessment—how credit risk should be priced. First, the basic building blocks of a credit-risk-valuation model—interest rates, default/rating migration, and recovery rates—are discussed. Then, based on these building blocks, th...
An open system protocol for agent-oriented programming

The concepts of virtual agents (VAs) and virtual communities (VCs) are proposed for interagent communication and cooperation based on 'scientific community' metaphor. VAs are 'images' of autonomous agents (expert decision support systems and human decision makers) dynamically created in a local agent's 'mind' (or knowledge base) and linked to the remote host through attached network routines. This feature enables VAs to be defined as network domain objects which conceal the details of computer communications and provide an agent-oriented environment for perspective sharing and coordination. Using this protocol, VAs can be organized into VCs and different social protocols may be modeled as virtual sessions in a virtual conference setting. A prototype system is developed in C and C++ using the UDP/IP protocol. The basic ideas are illustrated with an application example. The major advantage of this approach lies in its utility for coordination without coercion. >
Real-time monitoring of tumorigenesis, dissemination, & drug response in a preclinical model of lymphangioleiomyomatosis/tuberous sclerosis complex

Background TSC2-deficient cells can proliferate in the lungs, kidneys, and other organs causing devastating progressive multisystem disorders such as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Preclinical models utilizing LAM patient-derived cells have been difficult to establish. We developed a novel animal model system to study the molecular mechanisms of TSC/LAM pathogenesis and tumorigenesis and provide a platform for drug testing. Methods and Findings TSC2-deficient human cells, derived from the angiomyolipoma of a LAM patient, were engineered to co-express both sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). Cells were inoculated intraparenchymally, intravenously, or intratracheally into athymic NCr nu/nu mice and cells were tracked and quantified using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT). Surprisingly, TSC2-deficient cells administered intratracheally resulted in rapid dissemination to lymph node basins throughout the body, and histopathological changes in the lung consistent with LAM. Estrogen was found to be permissive for tumor growth and dissemination. Rapamycin inhibited tumor growth, but tumors regrew after the drug treatment was withdrawn. Conclusions We generated homogeneous NIS/GFP co-expressing TSC2-deficient, patient-derived cells that can proliferate and migrate in vivo after intratracheal instillation. Although the animal model we describe has some limitations, we demonstrate that systemic tumors formed from TSC2-deficient cells can be monitored and quantified noninvasively over time using SPECT/CT, thus providing a much needed model system for in vivo drug testing and mechanistic studies of TSC2-deficient cells and their related clinical syndromes.
Young, Jobless, and Black: Young Black Women and Economic Downturns

This research challenges William Julius Wilson's (1980) postulation that social class has superseded race in predicting economic outcomes among African Americans. Among the evidence Wilson used to support his claim was the strong position of black degree holders, particularly women. Shortly after the publication of The Declining Significance of Race, however, the United States experienced a severe recession and slow recovery, contributing to a marked growth in the black-white wage gap among women. Young black women were particularly hard hit. Over the 1980s, their cumulative work experience became increasingly correlated with educational attainment, leading to an absolute loss in experience among less educated black women. Although black degree holders were able to keep pace in cumulative work experience, their wage trajectories flattened over their twenties, relative to both a previous cohort and young white degree holders. The declining relative work experience and wage erosion of young black women during the 1980s does not bode wellfor young black women weathering the 2007-2009 recession. Initial indicators find an increase in the black-white wage gap and disproportionate growth in the length of unemployment spells among young black women, particularly degree holders. The losses sustained by young black degree holders during two severe recessions and their inability to regain ground during subsequent recoveries challenge Wilson's thesis that educational attainment and social class can insulate African Americans from racial inequality.
Optical property tuning of bismuth chalcogenides using chemical intercalation (Presentation Recording)

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with natural layer structures have been proven to provide extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Bismuth chalcogenides are examples of such two-dimensional materials. They are strongly bonded within layers and weak van der Waals interaction ties those layers together. Such naturally layered structure allows chemical intercalation of foreign atoms into the van der Waals gaps. Here, we show that by adding large number of copper atoms into van der Waals gaps of bismuth chalcogenides, we observed counter-intuitive enhancement of optical transparency together with improved electrical conductivity, which is on the contrary to most bulk materials in which doping reduces the light transmission. This surprising behavior is caused by substantial tuning of material optical property and nanophotonic anti-reflection effect unique to ultra-thin nanoplates. With the intercalation of copper atoms, large number of electrons have been added into the semiconducting material system and effectively lift the Fermi level of the resulting material to its conduction band, as proved by our densityfunctional- theory computations. Occupied lower states in the conduction band do not allow the optical excitation of electrons in the valence band to the bottom of the conduction band, leading to an effective widening of optical band gap. Optical transmission is further enhanced by constructive interference of reflected beams as bismuth chalcogenides have large permittivity than the environment. The synergy of these two effects in two-dimensional nanostructures can be exploited for various optoelectronic applications including transparent electrode. The reversible intercalation process allows potential dynamic tuning capability.
Abstract 685: Wnt5a/JNK Signaling Mediates Endothelial Insulin Resistance in Human Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with endothelial dysfunction that contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and promotes cardiovascular disease. Recent work has identified the secreted Wnt5a as a pro-inflammatory mediator of metabolic dysfunction in obesity acting through a non-canonical signaling pathway involving JNK activation. In animal models, JNK activity has been widely described to be involved in systemic insulin resistance. However, the relevance of Wnt5a/JNK axis in the vasculature is unknown. Our study aimed to evaluate the involvement of Wnt5a/JNK in endothelial dysfunction, studying its potential role in altered eNOS activation and insulin signaling in patients with DM. We measured protein expression, and insulin response in freshly isolated endothelial cells (ECs) from patients with DM (n=26) and non-diabetic controls (n=32). ECs from patients with DM displayed impaired insulin-mediated eNOS activation and reduced NO release in conjunction with higher expression of Wnt5a (P=0.01...
Efficacy of oral moxifloxacin monotherapy for Japanese HCAP patients with low potentially drug-resistant pathogens

Background: Moxifloxacin (MFLX) is one of the recommended drugs for the patients with low potentially drug-resistant pathogens according to Japanese healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) guideline. The difference between MFLX monotherapy and combination therapy of MFLX and β-lactam for Japanese HCAP patients was unclear. Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Matsushita Memorial Hospital in Japan. Eligible patients were diagnosed as mild or moderate grade HCAP with chest radiography findings and their history and treated with oral MFLX. The evaluation of efficacy was judged from improvement of clinical symptom, laboratory data and chest radiography findings within 7days. Result: Of 151 Japanese HCAP patients from December 2008 to October 2011 were eligible. Their mean age was 74.6 years (SD 11.4), and 101 patients (66.9%) were treated with MFLX monotherapy. Efficacy rate was 81.2% and 80% (p=n.s.). The rate of gastroenterological trouble in the combination therapy group was significantly higher than that of the trouble in the monotherapy group (p=0.05). Conclusion: Combination antibiotic therapy did not improve the outcome in HCAP patients with low potentially drug-resistant pathogens. If HCAP patients with low potentially drug-resistant pathogens can ingest, they should be treated with oral MFLX monotherapy.
Study on the Frequency Characteristic of Low-Frequency Oscillation Mode Under Large-Area Mode Formed by Interconnection of North China Power Grid With Central China Power Grid and East China Power Grid

Taking the project interconnecting North China Power Grid with Central China Power Grid and East China Power Grid as the research background,the frequency characteristic of low-frequency oscillation mode of the interconnected power grids is studied.Firstly,based on the features of actual networks a equivalent system model of the interconnected power grid is built and the effectiveness and accuracy of this equivalent system are verified by testing data of actual power networks;then based on the built equivalent system,by means of combining theoretical analysis with numerical simulation the frequency characteristic and impacting factors of the dominant oscillatory mode of the interconnected power grids are studied.Study results show that the scale of the interconnected grids and the increasing expansion of the interconnected area are the root cause leading to the decrease of oscillation frequency under dominant mode.The excitation windings,excitation systems of generators and power system stabilizers are important factors causing further decrease of oscillation frequency under the dominant mode.
SYNTHESIS OF AHF IN VON WILLEBRAND'S DISEASE.

A 5 year old girl suffering from a severe hemorrhagic disorder which appears identical to von Willebrand’s disease is presented. Transfusion of either normal or hemophilic plasma resulted in brief shortening of the bleeding time and gradual and sustained elevation of the AHF (factor VIII) level. The latter observation suggested that this patient was able to synthesize her own AHF when infused with a material present in normal or hemophilic plasma.
The U.S. Response to OECD-BEPS and the EU State Aid Cases

This is the slightly expanded text of a talk that the author gave on June 1, 2016, at a conference in Amsterdam that was cosponsored by NYU Law School and the Amsterdam Centre for Tax Law. The conference concerned anti-BEPS implementation in the EU, and the talk concerned the U.S. response to such efforts.
Fielding in the Theatre

Between 1728 and 1737, by which time he was only 30 years old, Fielding became England’s most successful living playwright. During that decade he wrote over two dozen comedies of various kinds, many of which he revised, either to meet the exigencies of continuing production or of publication. About a third of the plays are five-act traditional comedies or serious social satires – mainpieces – like Love in Several Masques and The Modern Husband. The rest are shorter works – afterpieces – which typically followed a five-act play on the programme. The afterpieces include burlesques like The Welsh Opera, farces like The Lottery, and topical satires like The Historical Register for the Year 1736. In some of his plays of all these kinds except the traditional comedies, Fielding used the dominant convention of ballad opera, which John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera (1728) had made immensely popular; airs are sung throughout the course of the play, with lyrics by the playwright, set to melodies everyone in the audience would recognize.
Stereospecific Cross Couplings To Set Benzylic, All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters in High Enantiopurity.

Asymmetric preparation of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters is an important goal. Despite advances in formation of highly enantioenriched products with quaternary stereocenters proximal to a functional group, methods to install quaternary stereocenters isolated from functional groups are limited. Transition metal catalysis offers a potential solution, but prior cross couplings are limited to allylic substrates or deliver little to no enantiomeric enrichment. We report a stereospecific, nickel-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura arylation of tertiary benzylic acetates to deliver products with diaryl and triaryl quaternary stereocenters in high yields and ee’s. This reaction employs an inexpensive, air-stable Ni(II) salt and commercially available phosphine ligand to transform tertiary alcohol derivatives, which are easily available in exceptional ee, into valuable products with stereoretention.
Corpora amylacea and molluscum contagiosum on a cervical pap smear

When evaluating a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, the cytology of the squamous epithelial cells is of utmost importance. This is what cytopathologists use to render a diagnosis, ranging from normal to atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) to high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, or even squamous cell carcinoma. However, occasionally the pathologist will run into microscopic noncellular material as in our case, such as corpora amylacea on the slides, or even uncommon viral inclusions such as Molluscum contagiosum (MCV). When these less common entities make their way on to a cervical Pap smear, it is important not only to correctly recognize them, but to understand their clinical implications as well. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:179-181. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Poroelastic Finite Element Models in Biomechanics — an Overview

During the last two decades, biological structures with soft tissue components have been modeled using poroelastic constitutive laws, i.e. the material is viewed as a deformable porous solid matrix that is saturated by mobile tissue fluid. These structures exhibit a highly nonlinear, history-dependent material behavior; undergo finite strains; and may swell or shrink when tissue ionic concentrations are altered. Given the geometric and material complexity of soft tissue structures and that they are subjected to complicated initial and boundary conditions, finite element models (FEMs) have been very useful for quantitative structural analyses. This paper surveys recent applications of poroelasticity and the associated FEMs for the study of the biomechanics of soft tissues and indicates future directions for research in this area.
Applications of the Self-Determination Construct to Disability

Causal Agency Theory grew out of research and intervention development with, primarily, youth with disabilities. Much of the self-determination research in the disability context has examined interventions to teach or promote skills such as problem solving, goal setting, self-advocacy, and such and was, often, not theory-driven. Causal Agency Theory, however, emerged from research and theory pertaining to self-determination in the broader context of personality psychology and within the context of adolescent development, and understanding of the self-determination construct, from the onset, was heavily influenced by and drew from work in the early stages of the development of SDT. This chapter provides an overview of research in special education and related disciplines, as driven by Causal Agency Theory. We then discuss the knowledge and information from this literature base that can inform knowledge pertaining to self-determination, in general.
Candida albicans mannans mediate Streptococcus mutans exoenzyme GtfB binding to modulate cross-kingdom biofilm development in vivo

Candida albicans is frequently detected with heavy infection by Streptococcus mutans in plaque-biofilms from children with early-childhood caries (ECC). This cross-kingdom biofilm contains an extensive matrix of extracellular α-glucans that is produced by an exoenzyme (GtfB) secreted by S. mutans. Here, we report that mannans located on the outer surface of C. albicans cell-wall mediates GtfB binding, enhancing glucan-matrix production and modulating bacterial-fungal association within biofilms formed in vivo. Using single-molecule atomic force microscopy, we determined that GtfB binds with remarkable affinity to mannans and to the C. albicans surface, forming a highly stable and strong bond (1-2 nN). However, GtfB binding properties to C. albicans was compromised in strains defective in O-mannan (pmt4ΔΔ) or N-mannan outer chain (och1ΔΔ). In particular, the binding strength of GtfB on och1ΔΔ strain was severely disrupted (>3-fold reduction vs. parental strain). In turn, the GtfB amount on the fungal surface was significantly reduced, and the ability of C. albicans mutant strains to develop mixed-species biofilms with S. mutans was impaired. This phenotype was independent of hyphae or established fungal-biofilm regulators (EFG1, BCR1). Notably, the mechanical stability of the defective biofilms was weakened, resulting in near complete biomass removal by shear forces. In addition, these in vitro findings were confirmed in vivo using a rodent biofilm model. Specifically, we observed that C. albicans och1ΔΔ was unable to form cross-kingdom biofilms on the tooth surface of rats co-infected with S. mutans. Likewise, co-infection with S. mutans defective in GtfB was also incapable of forming mixed-species biofilms. Taken together, the data support a mechanism whereby S. mutans-secreted GtfB binds to the mannan layer of C. albicans to promote extracellular matrix formation and their co-existence within biofilms. Enhanced understanding of GtfB-Candida interactions may provide new perspectives for devising effective therapies to disrupt this cross-kingdom relationship associated with an important childhood oral disease.
A Bayesian geostatistical approach to modeling global distributions of Lygodium microphyllum under projected climate warming

Abstract Species distribution modeling aimed at forecasting the spread of invasive species under projected global warming offers land managers an important tool for assessing future ecological risk and for prioritizing management actions. The current study applies Bayesian inference and newly available geostatistical tools to forecast global range expansion for the ecosystem altering invasive climbing fern Lygodium microphyllum. The presented modeling framework emphasizes the need to account for spatial processes at both the individual and aggregate levels, the necessity of modeling non-linear responses to environmental gradients, and the explanatory power of biotic covariates. Results indicate that L. microphyllum will undergo global range expansion in concert with anthropogenic global warming and that the species is likely temperature and dispersal limited. Predictions are undertaken for current and future climate conditions assuming both limited and unlimited dispersal scenarios.
Using Data-Independent Mass Spectrometry to Extend Detectable Dynamic Range without Prior Fractionation

Abstract Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) is widely used in shotgun proteomics to profile the protein components of complex samples. Although very popular, it presents major drawbacks in terms of detectable dynamic range. Recently, we demonstrated the superior performance of a data-independent acquisition (DIA) method that we termed precursor acquisition independent from ion count (PAcIFIC), which showed increased protein identification as well as extended detectable dynamic range over DDA methods. In this chapter, we discuss recent improvements to PAcIFIC that make it faster, more accurate, and quantitative. Currently, the time needed to perform a PAcIFIC experiment can be reduced to less than two days using an ion trap with an overall tandem mass spectral acquisition rate of 0.2 seconds or less.
Pathophysiology of Immune Thrombocytopenia

There are 3.3 per 100,000 adults diagnosed with ITP per year, while the incidence in children is estimated at 1.9-6.4 per 100,000 annually. Approximately a quarter of those pediatric patients go on to develop chronic ITP, while chronic disease is much more common in adults. An estimated 80% of ITP cases are primary, with the remaining cases presenting in the setting of chronic infection, lymphoproliferative disorders, or other autoimmune disease. ITP affects both children and adults; however, the clinical course varies significantly between the two groups and may actually represent different underlying molecular pathologies. Despite many advances, our understanding of ITP pathophysiology remains incomplete. Continued research is bringing to light an increasingly complex web of interactions within the immune system which may be contributory. This chapter reviews what is currently known about the role of antiplatelet antibodies, cellular immunity, platelet production abnormalities, and genetics in the development and perpetuation of ITP.
Staffing patterns in rural health services for children and adolescents

This paper reviews several current human resources issues in delivering mental health services to children and adolescents, focusing primarily on the lack of systematic data regarding staff involved in these programs. Data from twenty counties in rural western Pennsylvania are then presented demonstrating the personal, educational, employment, and caseload characteristics of this group of staff, as well as their primary job functions and areas of job satisfaction. Professional staff were likely to have terminal master's degrees and to work primarily in outpatient services, whereas bachelor's-level staff were more likely to perform “generalist” functions, often without adequate supervision and clinical training. Paraprofessional staff were most numerous in community residential settings and performed a variety of functions. The implications of these findings for services development and staff training are discussed.
Congenital abnormalities of the urinary system. I. A postmortem survey of developmental anomalies and acquired congenital lesions in a children's hospital.

A N O M A L I E S of the genitourinary tract occur in approximately 10 per cent of the population and account for a third of all congenital malformations?, 2 The incidence, classification, and morphology of urinary tract anomalies have been the subjects of extensive studies} -6 Detailed histologic investigations of renal malformations have provided information about their morphogenesis 7, 8; cystic conditions, in particular, have been studied by serial reconstruction 9 and microdissection? ~ As an initial step in studying congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract and their morphogenesis we have undertaken a survey of postmortem material at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Particular attention has been directed toward patterns of malformation in a n at tempt to delineate the effect of one abnormal part on other components of the system and to separate developmental anomalies from secondarily acquired lesions.
Emerging strategies to disrupt the central TGF-β axis in kidney fibrosis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 20 million people in the United States and the global burden of this disorder is increasing. Many affected individuals will progress to end stage kidney disease necessitating dialysis or transplantation. CKD is also a major independent contributor to the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a final common pathway for most causes of progressive CKD. Currently, there are no clinically available therapies targeting fibrosis that can slow the decline in kidney function. Although it has long been known that TGF-β signaling is a critical mediator of kidney fibrosis, translating this knowledge to the clinic has been challenging. In this review, we highlight some recent insights into the mechanisms of TGF-β signaling that target activation of this cytokine at the site of injury or selectively inhibit pro-fibrotic gene expression. Molecules directed at these targets hold the promise of attaining therapeutic efficacy while limiting toxicity seen with global inhibition of TGF-β. Kidney injury has profound epigenetic effects leading to altered expression of more than a thousand genes. We discuss how drugs targeting epigenetic modifications, some of which are in use for cancer therapy, have the potential to reprogram gene regulatory networks to favor adaptive repair and prevent fibrosis. The lack of reliable biomarkers of kidney fibrosis is a major limitation in designing clinical trials for testing CKD treatments. We conclude by reviewing recent advances in fibrosis biomarker development.
Associations between attachment anxiety and intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization: consideration of genetic covariation

Abstract Adult attachment anxiety shows consistent and robust associations with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and IPV victimization. Prior research, however, has not investigated whether this association would be robust to genetic covariation between the traits of interest. We expand the limited research regarding genetic influences on IPV by examining the extent to which accounting for potential genetic covariation between IPV and attachment anxiety can inform our understanding of both perpetration and victimization. Study 1 analyzed self-report data (n = 277), which included measures of romantic attachment and IPV perpetration and victimization. Study 2 employed simulation-based modeling procedures to estimate the extent to which genetic covariation can explain observed phenotypic associations between attachment anxiety and IPV. Study 1 demonstrated significant positive associations (βs = 0.20–0.30) between attachment anxiety (but not avoidance) and IPV perpetration and victimization. Models from Study 2 showed that genetic covariation has the potential to explain approximately 25% of the phenotypic association between attachment and IPV. Findings suggest that attachment anxiety is a robust predictor of both IPV perpetration and victimization. Future IPV research should consider both genetic and environmental mediation of the association between attachment anxiety and IPV outcomes.
Public Media and Marginalized Publics: Online and offline engagement strategies and local storytelling networks

Curious City, a series produced by WBEZ Chicago Public Media, invites listeners to participate in the reporting process. Using the Hearken digital engagement platform, listeners ask and then vote on questions that are turned into radio stories. Over a year, Curious City attempted to engage residents of Chicago areas that traditionally had few public radio listeners, mostly stigmatized African-American and Latinx neighborhoods, to participate via face-to-face outreach, outreach via community partners, or social media marketing. Using a communication infrastructure theory framework, this study draws from observations and 25 interviews with journalists, participating audience members, residents of targeted outreach areas, and partner organizations to examine best practices to combine digital and offline strategies, and the importance of pre- and post-broadcast engagement. The study also reflects on journalistic norms and approaches to participatory media, local news “storytelling networks,” and relations bet...
Swiss Film Music: Anthology 1923–2012

Swiss Film Music: Anthology 1923–2012 Edited by Mathias Spohr on behalf of Fondation SUISA. Zurich: Chronos, 2014 [398 pp. ISBN 978-3-0340-1265-2. £93.00 (paperback in slipcase)]. 171 color photos, with 3 CDs and 1 DVD
Greening the Gulag: Austerity, neoliberalism, and the making of the “green prisoner”:

Over the past 30 years the U.S. prison population has exploded. With the impact of climate change already here, we are also seeing new critiques of mass incarceration emerge, namely their environme...
Unveiling coupled electronic and vibrational motions of chromophores in condensed phases

The quest for capturing molecular movies of functional systems has motivated scientists and engineers for decades. A fundamental understanding of electronic and nuclear motions, two principal components of the molecular Schrodinger equation, has the potential to enable the de novo rational design for targeted functionalities of molecular machines. We discuss the development and application of a relatively new structural dynamics technique, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy with broadly tunable laser pulses from the UV to near-IR region, in tracking the coupled electronic and vibrational motions of organic chromophores in solution and protein environments. Such light-sensitive moieties hold broad interest and significance in gaining fundamental knowledge about the intramolecular and intermolecular Hamiltonian and developing effective strategies to control macroscopic properties. Inspired by recent experimental and theoretical advances, we focus on the in situ characterization and spectroscopy-guided tuning of photoacidity, excited state proton transfer pathways, emission color, and internal conversion via a conical intersection.
L5 Fracture Dislocation Secondary to Cold Abscess Treated by Posterior Corpectomy With Expandable Cage Placement.

Infections of the lumbar spine can have serious sequelae, including neurological deficits, paralysis, and death. Prolonged infection can result in fracture of the vertebrae, local abscesses, and infiltration and compression of local vascular structures. In cases with significant instability or neurological compromise, a common treatment approach is vertebral corpectomy with interbody cage followed by long-term antibiotics. The following case describes a patient with a three-month history of progressively worsening lower back pain, lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity edema, in the setting of a nontraumatic three-column fracture dislocation of L5 with grade 4 retrolisthesis of L4 on L5. A posterior-only corpectomy with placement of an expandable cage, to be followed by pedicle screw placement from L3-S1/ilium, was performed. The procedure was successful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 5 without complication and with resolution of his edema. Histopathological analysis demonstrated acute and chronic inflammation, but extensive tests and cultures failed to identify a causative organism. This case highlights several interesting features, including a technically challenging and seldom-performed procedure, as well as the ability of lumbar spinal infections to present with leg edema due to involvement the inferior vena cava and iliac vessels. For patients with three-column fractures of L5 due to an inflammatory process or trauma, a single-stage posterior corpectomy with placement of an expandable cage may be considered as an appropriate treatment option.
High level MYCN amplification and distinct methylation signature define an aggressive subtype of spinal cord ependymoma

We report a novel group of clinically aggressive spinal cord ependymomas characterized by Grade III histology, MYCN amplification, an absence of NF2 alterations or other recurrent pathogenic mutations, and a unique methylation classifier profile. Seven cases were found to have MYCN amplification in the course of routine mutational profiling of 552 patients with central nervous system tumors between December 2016 and July of 2019 and an eighth patient was identified from an unrelated set of cases. Methylation array analysis revealed that none of the 8 cases clustered with any of the nine previously described ependymoma methylation subgroups, and 7 of 8 formed their own tight unique cluster. Histologically all cases showed grade III features, and all demonstrated aggressive clinical behavior. These findings are presented in the context of data from three other studies describing similar cases. Therefore, a combined total of 27 MYCN amplified spinal cord ependymoma cases have now been reported in the literature, warranting their consideration as a distinctive subtype of spinal cord ependymoma (SP-EPN-MYCN) with their unique molecular characteristics and aggressive clinical behavior.
Numerical Simulation of a Microscale Dynamo Driven by Tethered, Magnetized Bacterial Cell

Advancements in micro and nanofabrication techniques have lead to the development of power supplies of decreasing scale. This paper reports on the numerically simulated performance of a microscale dynamo created by integrating a magnetized Escherichia coli (E. coli) cell with a nanofabricated coil in a microfluidic system. We magnetize the cell with the attachment of magnetic beads to the cell wall and dictate the flagellar filaments tethered location to the center of 3D and 2D nanofabricated coils. When the flagella motor attempts to rotate the filament the cell body will rotate instead, inducing a current within the coil. Simulation results indicate 2D coils designs perform relatively better than 3D coils.
The Human Power Amplifier Technology at the University Of California, Berkeley

Abstract We define "extenders" as a class of robot manipulators worn by humans to augment human mechanical strength, while the wearer's intellect remains the central control system for manipulating the extender. Our research objective is to determine the ground rules for the design and control of robotic systems worn by humans through the design, construction, and control of several prototype experimental direct-drive/non-direct-drive multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic/electric extenders. The design of extenders is different from the design of conventional robots because the extender interfaces with the human on a physical level. Two sets of force sensors measure the forces imposed on the extender by the human and by the environment (i.e., the load). The extender's compliances in response to such contact forces were designed by selecting appropriate force controllers. This paper gives a summary of some of the selected research efforts related to Extender Technology, during the last decade at the Human Engineering Laboratory (HEL).
Cataloging Principles and Objectives: History and Development

Cataloging principles and objectives guide the formation of cataloging rules governing the organization of information within the library catalog, as well as the function of the catalog itself. Cha...
Detection of Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia by Central Venous Pressure

Central venous pressure (CVP) is the blood pressure in the venae cavae, near the right atrium of the heart. This signal waveform is commonly collected in clinical settings, and yet there has been limited discussion of using this data for automatically detecting and monitoring arrhythmia and other cardiac events. In this paper, we introduce a signal processing and feature engineering pipeline for CVP waveform analysis. Through a case study on pediatric junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET), we show that our extracted CVP features reliably detect JET with comparable results to the more commonly used electrocardiogram (ECG) features. This machine learning pipeline can thus improve the clinical diagnosis and ICU monitoring of arrhythmia. It can also corroborate and complement the ECG-based diagnosis, especially when the ECG measurements are unavailable or corrupted.
Edge-enhancing gradient echo with multi-image co-registration and averaging (EDGE-MICRA) for targeting thalamic centromedian and parafascicular nuclei.

Background and purposeDeep brain stimulation of the thalamus is an effective treatment for multiple neurological disorders. The centromedian and parafascicular nuclei are recently emerging targets ...