cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A broadly neutralizing anti-influenza antibody reveals ongoing capacity of haemagglutinin-specific memory B cells to evolve.

Understanding the natural evolution and structural changes involved in broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) development holds great promise for improving the design of prophylactic influenza vaccines. Here we report an haemagglutinin (HA) stem-directed bnAb, 3I14, isolated from human memory B cells, that utilizes a heavy chain encoded by the IGHV3-30 germline gene. MAb 3I14 binds and neutralizes groups 1 and 2 influenza A viruses and protects mice from lethal challenge. Analysis of VH and VL germline back-mutants reveals binding to H3 and H1 but not H5, which supports the critical role of somatic hypermutation in broadening the bnAb response. Moreover, a single VLD94N mutation improves the affinity of 3I14 to H5 by nearly 10-fold. These data provide evidence that memory B cell evolution can expand the HA subtype specificity. Our results further suggest that establishing an optimized memory B cell pool should be an aim of ‘universal’ influenza vaccine strategies. A major goal of vaccine design is to protect against a broad range of pathogen strains. Here the authors isolate a new broadly neutralizing antibody against influenza haemagglutinin from human memory B cells, and identify mutations that increase and broaden the neutralization towards H5 HA subtype.
Extraction of Protein Conformational Modes from Distance Distributions Using Structurally Imputed Bayesian Data Augmentation

Protein conformational changes are known to play important roles in assorted biochemical and biological processes. Driven by thermal motions of surrounding solvent molecules, such a structural remodeling often occurs stochastically. Yet, regardless of how random the conformational reconfiguration may appear, it could in principle be described by a linear combination of a set of orthogonal modes which, in turn, are contained in the intramolecular distance distributions. The central challenge is how to obtain the distribution. This contribution proposes a Bayesian data-augmentation scheme to extract the predominant modes from only few distance distributions, be they from computational sampling or directly from experiments such as single-molecule Forster-type resonance energy transfer (smFRET). The inference of the complete protein structure from insufficient data was recognized as isomorphic to the missing-data problem in Bayesian statistical learning. Using smFRET data as an example, the missing coordinate...
Extracting Temporal Characteristics from Sensor Network Data Streams

The extraction of temporal characteristics from sensor data streams can reveal important properties about the sensed events. Knowledge of temporal characteristics in applications where sensed events tend to periodically repeat, can provide a great deal of information towards identifying patterns, building models and using the timing information to actuate and provide services. In this paper we outline a methodology for extracting the temporal properties, in terms of start time and duration, of sensor data streams that can be used in applications such as human, habitat, environmental and traffic monitoring where sensed events repeat over a time window. Its application is demonstrated on a 30-day dataset collected from one of our assisted living sensor network deployments.
From theory to practice of ecotourism: major obstacles that stand in the way and best practices that lead to success

Ecotourism has been described as the ideal kind of tourism, as it aims to conserve the natural, cultural and other tourist resources for continuous use for future generations whilst still bringing benefits to the present societies. Theoretically, it sounds so promising and attractive, but when it comes to its actual implementation, significant constraints bar the way to success. Various countries that attempted to foster sustainable development in their communities, either partially achieved their goals or their implementation totally lapsed. These fruitless efforts clearly reflect the huge gap that still exists between the theory and practice of ecotourism. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap that seems to have been growing in recent years by explaining what has been done wrong and what specific policies and procedures could help bring a positive change. This paper aims to move from theory to practice and concentrate on how the implementation of ecotourism can be achieved properly and lead to success. The key factors responsible for failure are addressed, so they can be avoided and mistakes of the past will not be repeated. It also serves as a guide to more effective strategies of promoting ecotourism successfully around the world.
Chapter 13 – Disruptive Innovations of the Collection Services Supply Chain

This chapter presents an overview of emerging trends in authorship and publishing and their innovative and disruptive characteristics that pose a challenge to the established knowledge supply chain. The patterns include open access, demand-driven acquisitions, self-publishing, open bibliographic data, and crowdsourcing. The chapter suggests they not be seen as threats, but rather as opportunities for modifying currently established processes to respond to increasing authorship and readership demands. The chapter argues that embracing the patterns will strengthen the authoritative and high-quality reputation of both libraries and publishers and fulfill their missions under the changing circumstances. The goal of this chapter is to provide some out-of-the-box ideas for managing collection services and set up a context for discussion of emerging standards, practices, and technologies presented in Chapter 14 .
Languages Between Context Free and Context Sensitive

Most investigators supposed from the time that the Chomsky Hierarchy was first established that natural languages, considered as string sets, would fall somewhere between the context free and the context sensitive languages and, further, that they would lie in some sense “close” to the context free class. On the one hand, the context sensitive languages seemed much too inclusive, containing as they do species such as {a n bn!} (n! is n factorial, i.e., 1 x 2 x 3 x ... x n ) and {a n : n is prime}, which seem unlikely candidates for any sort of linguistic model. On the other hand, a large part of natural language syntax seems to be handled quite nicely by a cfg, and the aspects which seem to cause languages to fall outside the cfl class (as string sets) could be considered rather isolated and infrequent. After all, it took nearly thirty years to find one completely convincing example of a natural language which was not context free.
Pulsed laser remelting of A384 aluminum, part I: Measuring homogeneity and wear resistance

Abstract The objective of this study is to understand how pulsed laser remelting of aluminum alloy A384 redistributes its surface compositions, and affects its hardness and wear resistance. As a result of each laser pulse, the material experiences rapid heating (melting) and cooling (solidification), which can change the microstructure and degree of chemical homogeneity significantly. These changes in microstructure would manifest themselves as changes in mechanical properties. The proeutectic silicon precipitates found in as-cast A384 melt and disperse into the aluminum matrix during pulsed laser remelting, and do not have sufficient time to grow into large precipitates due to the rapid cooling rate. The result is a more homogeneous surface. The homogeneity is investigated by scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy and two-dimensional power spectral density analysis. Nanoindentation and wear tests at micro- and meso-length scales are applied to identify the effect of element redistribution on hardness and wear resistance. Compared to the base material, the hardness of the pulsed laser remelted surface becomes more uniform, which is an expected consequence of elemental homogenization. The remelted surface exhibits a higher hardness compared with the matrix of the base material, and homogenization is found to improve the wear resistance at both the micro- and meso-length scale.
Exploiting genetic variation to uncover rules of transcription factor binding and chromatin accessibility

Single-nucleotide variants that underlie phenotypic variation can affect chromatin occupancy of transcription factors (TFs). To delineate determinants of in vivo TF binding and chromatin accessibility, we introduce an approach that compares ChIP-seq and DNase-seq data sets from genetically divergent murine erythroid cell lines. The impact of discriminatory single-nucleotide variants on TF ChIP signal enables definition at single base resolution of in vivo binding characteristics of nuclear factors GATA1, TAL1, and CTCF. We further develop a facile complementary approach to more deeply test the requirements of critical nucleotide positions for TF binding by combining CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutagenesis with ChIP and targeted deep sequencing. Finally, we extend our analytical pipeline to identify nearby contextual DNA elements that modulate chromatin binding by these three TFs, and to define sequences that impact kb-scale chromatin accessibility. Combined, our approaches reveal insights into the genetic basis of TF occupancy and their interplay with chromatin features.
The Immune System in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Interactions and Therapeutic Opportunities

Squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract exhibit complex interactions with the host immune system that may simultaneously explain resistance to various therapeutic modalities and that may also provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention. The interplay between developing or established malignancy and the host immune system is best understood through a careful analysis of the key components and effector arms of the immune system. These include the complex cellular network of immune modulation as well as tumor-derived factors such as chemokines and cytokines. While the host response to the developing tumor may successfully curtail tumor growth in some cases (immunosurveillance), squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck are characterized by their ability to create an immunosuppressive environment powerful enough to evade the immune response. It is increasingly apparent that efforts to stimulate a therapeutically effective immune response against established tumors must be coupled with strategies to abrogate this immune-suppressive environment. Preclinical studies and clinical trials have yielded promising results and provide the foundation for further refinements in a broad variety of immunotherapeutic strategies targeting all components of the immune system. Combining such approaches with the established treatment options of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy may ultimately yield substantive improvements in overall survival that to date have been lacking and simultaneously reduce disease-related and treatment-related morbidities for this debilitating and deadly disease.
Immunotargeting of liposomes containing lipophilic antitumor prodrugs.

Potential therapeutic applications of recently developed liposomes with a reduced affinity to the reticuloendothelial systems and a prolonged circulation time as targeting systems for lipophilic prodrugs were examined. In these studies, liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, additionally containing monosialoganglioside (GM1) or polyethylene glycol conjugated to phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (PEG-PE), were used. Three antitumor lipophilic prodrugs, N-trifluoroacetyl-adriamycin-14-valerate (AD32), araC-diphosphate-diglyceride (araCdPdG), and 3′,5′-o-dipalmitoyl-5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (dpFUdR), were used to examine the effect of lipophilic prodrug incorporation into long-circulating liposomes and immunoliposomes on their biodistribution in mouse. Biodistribution studies with antibody-free liposomes containing lipophilic prodrugs showed that the activities of GM1 or PEG2000-PE in prolonging the circulation time of liposomes appeared to be preserved in the presence of each of the three lipophilic prodrugs at a drug/lipid molar ratio of 3:97. The effect of lipophilic prodrug incorporation on target binding of immunoliposomes was then examined using a mouse model. Incorporation of AD32 or dpFUdR into immunoliposomes, directed to the normal endothelium, did not affect the targetability of immunoliposomes, suggesting a potential effectiveness of these lipophilic prodrug-containing immunoliposomes in therapy for lung tumors. On the contrary, incorporation of araCdPdG resulted in significantly reduced target binding of immunoliposomes by yet unknown mechanism(s).
Growth Cone Guidance and Cell Recognition in Insect Embryos

In contrast to the complex central nervous system of most vertebrates, the insect CNS is relatively simple. The grasshopper CNS, for example, consists of a brain and a chain of segmental ganglia, each of which contains about 1000 neurons. Most of these neurons can be individually identified according to their unique axonal and dendritic morphology and their unique pattern of synaptic connections. This notion of unique identified neurons first arose dur ing the nineteenth century with descriptions of giant axons, which were repeatedly located in particular regions of the nerve cord. With the advent of intracellular dye-injection techniques (e.g., Stretton and Kravitz, 1968; Pitman et al., 1972; Stewart, 1978), many neurons became individually identified according to the location of their axons and dendrites in the neuropil and connectives. The spatial relationship of these processes to one another within the neuropil was then explored (e.g.,Tyrer and Gregory, 1982); it was shown that the axons and dendrites of identified neurons run in particular regions of specific tracts and commissures.
Does Gender in the C-Suite Really Matter?:

This study empirically tests the implications of five theories on the importance of gender in the C-suite, employing two different settings. Specifically, we examine the impact of gender of the Chi...
Central Neurocytoma: Rare Presentation in Fourth Ventricle and Review of Literature.

Central neurocytomas are rare tumors, typically found in the third ventricle. We present the unusual case of a fourth ventricular central neurocytoma in a 70-year-old female presenting with imbalance and headaches, with an enhancing fourth ventricular mass on imaging. We examine the details of her clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, histopathologic analysis, and postoperative course. We performed a critical literature review of fourth ventricular central neurocytoma, identifying 6 previously reported cases. In contrast to our patient, the majority of these cases were in young males. The 2 females with fourth ventricular neurocytoma developed it at a much later age (mean 63.5 years) than their male counterparts (mean 22.8 years; P = 0.005). Despite being a rare cause for a fourth ventricular lesion, given the appropriate clinical context and radiographic findings, this should remain part of the differential diagnosis.
Immunohistochemical evaluation of estrogen and progesterone receptor content in 183 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Part II: Correlation between biochemical and immunohistochemical methods and survival.

One hundred eighty-three patients with endometrial carcinoma had both immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) content of the tumor. Biochemical analysis was done on a homogenate of uterine curettings; immunohistochemical stainings were done on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. The biochemical method was scored quantitatively and the immunohistochemical, in a semiquantitative way. There was a significant correlation between the immunohistochemical categories of the malignant component of the tumor and the biochemical levels of receptor content ( P = 0.0001). The sensitivity of the immunohistochemical method for the ER content was 78.5% and the specificity was 58.2%. The sensitivity for the PR was 52.5% and the specificity was 92.8%. Changing cut-off levels for positivity of the biochemical analysis changed the sensitivity and specificity. Survival was predicted by the immunohistochemical status of the ER ( P = 0.001) and PR ( P = 0.01). Similarly, it was predicted by the biochemical receptor status. Multivariate analysis of the immunohistochemical receptor status and the biochemical receptor status showed that the immunohistochemically determined estrogen status was the most significant predictor of survival ( P = 0.001). The immunohistochemical analysis of sex steroid receptor status on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is not only possible and practical, but also predicts survival.
Persistent Central Apnea and Long-Term Outcome After Posterior Fossa Decompressive Surgery for Arnold Chiari Type 1 Malformation in a Pediatric Patient

Arnold Chiari malformation (ACM) is the most common cause of central sleep apnea (CSA) in otherwise healthy children. Although there are several case reports and series reported on this topic, ther...
Molecular sieves promote stereocontrolled αα-disaccharide formation via direct dimerization of free sugars

Abstract Some commercial molecular sieves promote direct dimerization of free pyranose and furanose sugars stereoselectively into the corresponding α,α-disaccharides.
Addition of gluten values to a food and nutrient database

Abstract Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and their crossbred varieties and derivatives. It is responsible for triggering hypersensitivity reactions in people with celiac disease, and research is underway to determine whether it may contribute to other health outcomes. The objective of the study was to add gluten values to the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) Food and Nutrient Database so that researchers conducting studies related to gluten may assess intake of this food component. Gluten values were assigned to foods in the NCC Food and Nutrient Database using imputation procedures based on two assumptions. The first is that foods that do not include any wheat, rye, or barley grain ingredients or their derivatives are presumed to contain 0 grams of gluten. Thus, foods such as fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils were assigned gluten values of 0 grams. The second is that a specified fraction of protein found in wheat, rye, barley and their crossbred varieties and derivatives (0.75) is presumed to be gluten. A factor of 0.75 was selected based on findings from studies in which chemical analysis of some gluten - containing grains and their derivatives were carried out to estimate the percentage of gluten. It is important to note that gluten values in the NCC Database may not be appropriate for use in determining whether a food or diet is gluten-free because foods with “zero” values may not meet the FDA definition of gluten-free (
Urologist Practice Structure and Quality of Prostate Cancer Care

AbstractIntroduction:We examined 3 aspects of urologist practice structure that may affect quality of prostate cancer care, including practice size, ownership of an intensity modulated radiation th...
Fe-HBED Analogs: A Promising Class of Iron-Chelate Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is an essential tool for disease diagnosis and management; all marketed clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) are gadolinium (Gd) chelates and most are extracellular fluid (ECF) agents. After intravenous injection, these agents rapidly distribute to the extracellular space and are also characterized by low serum protein binding and predominant renal clearance. Gd is an abiotic element with no biological recycling processes; low levels of Gd have been detected in the central nervous system and bone long after administration. These observations have prompted interest in the development of new MRI contrast agents based on biotic elements such as iron (Fe); Fe-HBED (HBED = N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine-N,N′-diacetic acid), a coordinatively saturated iron chelate, is an attractive MRI CA platform suitable for modification to adjust relaxivity and biodistribution. Compared to the parent Fe-HBED, the Fe-HBED analogs reported here have lower serum protein binding and higher relaxivity as well as lower relative liver enhancement in mice, comparable to that of a representative gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). Fe-HBED analogs are therefore a promising class of non-Gd ECF MRI CA.
Nephrology Fellows' and Program Directors' Perceptions of Hospital Rounds in the United States.

Background and objectives Hospital rounds are a traditional vehicle for patient-care delivery and experiential learning for trainees. We aimed to characterize practices and perceptions of rounds in United States nephrology training programs. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We conducted a national survey of United States nephrology fellows and program directors. Fellows received the survey after completing the 2019 National Board of Medical Examiners Nephrology In-Training Exam. Program directors received the survey at the American Society of Nephrology’s 2019 Nephrology Training Program Directors’ Retreat. Surveys assessed the structure and perceptions of rounds, focusing on workload, workflow, value for patient care, and fellows’ clinical skill-building. Directors were queried about their expectations for fellow prerounds and efficiency of rounds. Responses were quantified by proportions. Results Fellow and program director response rates were 73% (n=621) and 70% (n=55). Most fellows (74%) report a patient census of >15, arrive at the hospital before 7:00 am (59%), and complete progress notes after 5:00 pm (46%). Among several rounding activities, fellows most valued bedside discussions for building their clinical skills (34%), but only 30% examine all patients with the attending at the bedside. Most directors (71%) expect fellows to both examine patients and collect data before attending-rounds. A majority (78%) of directors commonly complete their documentation after 5:00 pm, and for 36%, after 8:00 pm. Like fellows, directors most value bedside discussion for development of fellows’ clinical skills (44%). Lack of preparedness for the rigors of nephrology fellowship was the most-cited barrier to efficient rounds (31%). Conclusions Hospital rounds in United States nephrology training programs are characterized by high patient volumes, early-morning starts, and late-evening clinical documentation. Fellows use a variety of prerounding styles and examine patients at the beside with their attendings at different frequencies. Podcast This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2020_03_17_CJN.10190819.mp3
A Metaregression Analysis of the Effects of School Racial and Ethnic Composition on K–12 Reading, Language Arts, and English Outcomes:

Racial and ethnic differences in educational outcomes significantly narrowed during the 1970s and 1980s when K–12 public schools were desegregated. However, when schools resegregated starting rough...
My Journey in Gerontological Nursing

I am so fortunate to share my story during the 2020 International Year of the Nurse and Midwife as designated by the World Health Organization. I entered the profession of nursing to specialize in ...
Assessment of Constant Envelope OFDM as a Class of Random FM Radar Waveforms

Random FM radar waveforms designed to possess a desirable spectral shape (on average) have been experimentally demonstrated for an increasing number of applications. However, the benefits of these waveforms can be offset by the computational cost of performing real-time spectral-shaping optimization for each random initial waveform. Here the constant-envelope orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CE-OFDM) framework from communications is examined as a means to generate random FM radar waveforms. This scheme is attractive from a radar perspective because it inherently provides useful spectrum shaping without the need for optimization, thereby realizing an effective form of random FM that can be produced in real-time on systems with modest computational resources, in addition to the obvious communication capability. Radar performance is assessed in simulation and using free-space experimental measurements.
ENRICHMENT ZONING STUDY FOR THE VERSATILE TEST REACTOR

The primary mission of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is to provide peak fast flux in excess of 4.0 x 1015 n/cm2 -s to support fuel and material testing. To achieve a high fast flux, it is beneficial to maximize the flux peaking in the center of the core. With a single enrichment zone, a highly peaked flux distribution produces a highly peaked power distribution. Coolant inlet orifices can be designed to handle the peaked power distribution but orifice design can be simplified if a more even radial power distribution can be achieved. An approach to reduce the power peaking factor is to use enrichment zoning, which would improve coolant flow homogeneity. Several alternative VTR core configurations are considered with two enrichment zones (15 wt% Pu and 20 wt% Pu). These alternative configurations require more assemblies to maintain reactivity than the reference VTR core, which leads to failure to achieve the design criterion for experimental fast flux with the target core power. Configurations using 20 wt% Pu with different fuel assembly designs having smaller and larger fuel volume fractions are also analyzed. The case having a larger fuel volume fraction reduces the number of fuel assemblies required for criticality, which keeps the experimental flux higher. Configurations with volume fraction zoning can slightly decrease the peaking factor while maintaining the desired fast flux, although some thermal hydraulic limits may not be satisfied. Volume fraction zoning configurations may offer benefits, but determining the feasibility of these configurations requires further thermal hydraulic design and analysis work beyond the scope of the present work.
The Role of Primary Dealers, Investment Banks and Foreign Banks in Federal Reserve Efforts to Change Bank Reserves and the Money Supply

This chapter examines the types of banks through which the Fed purchases securities when it wants to enact stimulative monetary policy. The chapter compares the effectiveness of securities purchases from investment banks with that of commercial and savings banks to determine which is more effective in stimulating the economy and concludes commercial and savings banks are more effective. Purchases from foreign banks are also found to be less effective.
Social Media Use, Physical Activity, and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence: Cross-sectional Analysis.

Background: Most American adolescents have access to smartphones, and recent estimates suggest that they spend considerable time on social media compared with other physical and leisure activities. A large body of literature has established that social media use is related to poor mental health, but the complicated relationship between social media and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents is yet to be fully understood. Objective: We aim to investigate the relationship between social media use and depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents by exploring physical activity as a mediator. Methods: A Qualtrics survey manager recruited adult panel participants between February and March 2019, who indicated that they had adolescent children who spoke English. A total of 4592 adolescent-parent dyads completed the survey that took approximately 39 minutes. The survey entailed completing web-based questionnaires assessing various aspects of social media use, psychological symptoms, and psychosocial factors. The average age of the adolescent participants was 14.62 (SD 1.68; range 12-17) years, and the majority of the adolescent sample was male (2392/4592, 52.09%). Results: Total social media use was associated with more depressive symptoms (multiple R2=0.12; F3,4480=207.1; P<.001), anxiety (multiple R2=0.09; F3,4477=145.6; P<.001), and loneliness (multiple R2=0.06; F3,4512=98.06; P<.001), controlling for age and gender. Physical activity was associated with decreased depression and anxiety symptoms after controlling for other extracurricular activities and social media use (multiple R2=0.24; F5,4290=266.0; P<.001). There were significant differences in symptoms based on gender: female adolescents reported higher rates of social media use and males reported higher rates of depression. Nonbinary and transgender adolescents had higher rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness than the female and male adolescents in the sample. Conclusions: In a nationally representative sample of adolescents, more social media use was associated with more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Increased physical activity was associated with decreased depression and anxiety symptoms. Physical activity partially mediated the relationship between social media use and depression and anxiety. As this was a cross-sectional study, we cannot conclude that social media use causes internalizing symptoms or that physical activity leads to decreased internalizing symptoms—there may be additional confounding variables producing the relationships we observed. Physical activity may protect against the potentially harmful effect of social media on some adolescents. The effect sizes were small to medium, and the results should be interpreted with caution. Other limitations of this study include our reliance on self-reporting. Future work should examine social media use beyond how much time adolescents spend using social media and instead focus on the nature of social media activity.
Rate dependent adhesion of nanoscale polymer contacts

Abstract The adhesive interactions between polymer nanofibers strongly influence the mechanical behavior of their networks in synthetic materials and biological systems. A treatment of the adhesive interactions at polymer contacts must take into account the viscoelastic behavior of the material in the contact region and the associated energy dissipation. This study focuses on the rate-dependent adhesion of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers which interact with strong van der Waals forces. Experimental measurements of the detachment force between PAN fibers with diameters 400 and 4000 nm showed that the apparent work of adhesion increases with the rate of unloading by a factor of two within a three orders of magnitude increase in the unloading rate. In order to obtain further insights into this rate-dependent adhesion, the Maugis-Dugdale (M-D) elastic contact model for normal detachment was extended to include a linear viscoelastic behavior of the PAN nanofibers. The extended model predicted the normal pull-off force instabilities in good agreement with the experiments, capturing well the effect of the unloading rate. The calculated viscoelastic time constants were of the order of milliseconds, suggesting fast relaxations in the contact region, which explain the instantaneous full-strength reattachment of nanoscale polymer fibers during slip-stick experiments.
Tools to study the severity of itch in 8- to 17-year-old children: Validation of TweenItchyQoL and ItchyQuant.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Validated pruritus-specific quality of life and self-reported severity instruments exist primarily for adults. Clinical trials to develop therapeutics for children with chronic pruritus are hampered by the paucity of appropriate outcome measures. To address this gap, we aimed to develop validated instruments to measure itch-specific quality of life and self-reported severity in children. METHODS We conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews of itchy children and generated concepts to develop TweenItchyQoL. We administered TweenItchyQoL, ItchyQuant, a cartoon-annotated self-reported pruritus severity numeric rating scale (NRS), and a non-cartoon NRS to 175 itchy children aged 8-17 years. We analyzed the data for feasibility, preference, reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness. RESULTS Average completion time was 4.8 minutes for TweenItchyQoL and 33 seconds for ItchyQuant. The majority of patients either preferred ItchyQuant or found no difference between ItchyQuant and the NRS. Cronbach's alpha for TweenItchyQoL total and subscales ranged from 0.84 to 0.95. Test-retest reliability coefficients were ≥0.7 for TweenItchyQoL and 0.4 for ItchyQuant. A 3-dimensional bifactor model was most appropriate (RMSEA = 0.048) on the confirmatory factor analyses. As a function of those reporting worsening, improvement, or no change at their final visit, TweenItchyQoL and ItchyQuant scores in those cohorts changed as expected. CONCLUSIONS This new set of validated and feasible instruments shows promise to quantify itch severity and QoL impact in older children.
Civil Unrest and the Role of the Attorney General: A Comparison of Ramsey Clark to William Barr

This article compares and contrasts the manner in which former Attorneys General Ramsey Clark and William Barr dealt with racially-motivated civil unrest. Clark faced this challenge multiple times during the tumultuous late 1960s. Barr, on the other hand, dealt with such unrest in 1992 and again in 2020 following the police-killing of George Floyd. The respective strategies taken by these two men reveal much about their personal values and how those may have, rightly or wrongly, shaped their perspectives on the attorney general’s role. More importantly, Clark’s and Barr’s conflicting approaches in carrying out their responsibilities in addressing social discord provide a lens through which to reflect upon the critical need for independence in the nation’s chief prosecutor.
Turfgrass and Soil Responses to Soil Wetting Agents

ABSTRACT Soil wetting agents are used to improve water infiltration into soil, particularly in turfgrass management. These wetting agents may also have a positive effect on soiI microbial activity as well asenhance penetration of water into leaves withoutcausing leaf burn. We evaluated three commercially-available, non-ionic soil wetting agents in terms of effects on turf quality, soil and leaf water content, and soil microbial respiration at different water application rates on bentgrass sod. Effects were evaluated under greenhouse conditions over a period of 22 days. Turf quality was not affected by the application of any of the wetting agents tested, regardless of watering regime. Wetting agents appeared to have no effect on soil moisture. Microbial activity was not significantly affected by any of the wetting agents tested. Watering levels were generally more important in controlling leaf moisture levels than differences in wetting agent applied. It appears that soil wetting agents have little impact ...
‘British to the bootstraps?’: H.V. Evatt, J.B. Chifley and Australian policy on Indian membership of the Commonwealth, 1947–49

Australian policy-makers gave considerable attention to the question of India's relationship to the British Commonwealth in the years following the Second World War. Australia's Minister for External Affairs, H.V. Evatt, was eager to retain India in the Commonwealth, but insisted that the Indians, who were committed to a republican constitution, be required to give some recognition to the royal prerogative. While Evatt's notion of dominion status was consistent with the aspirations and national identities of some of the old dominions, and Australia in particular, it was ill-suited to the ‘new’ Asian members of the Commonwealth in a period of rapid decolonisation in their region. Ultimately, it was only after Australian Prime Minister J.B. Chifley took control of Australia's policy in this field, and adopted a more flexible and less legalistic approach, that a resolution of the difficulty began to emerge. Ultimately, Australian policy contributed to a recasting of the Commonwealth in the late 1940s that ca...
What Intuitions Are Like

Some philosophers think that intuitions are a source of justification, and in particular a source of justification for beliefs about abstract matters, such as numbers, shapes, freedom, truth, and beauty. Other philosophers are more skeptical. They doubt that intuitions are a source of justification for beliefs about abstract matters, though they might concede that intuitions are a source of justification for beliefs about what our own implicit theories about numbers, shapes, freedom, truth, and beauty are. The motivation to defend one or the other of these orientations, non-skeptical or skeptical, drives most discussions about intuition. As a consequence most of these discussions focus on issues that seem to bear immediately on the epistemological status of intuitions: Are intuitions reliable? How could they justify beliefs about abstract matters? Do recent experimental studies of intuition provide reason for skepticism about intuition? Is skepticism about intuition coherent? Prior to all these questions, however, is the question: What are intuitions? Depending on what intuitions are, they might or might not be reliable, they might or might not possibly justify beliefs about abstract matters, they might or might not be embarrassed by recent experimental studies, and they might or might not be coherently foresworn.
Unexplained Fe, Ni and S anomalies in CV chondrite components

Large negative anomalies in Fe, Co, Ni, S and Se are present in Allende Type B Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAI's). Based on compilations of all the known published analyses, Allende chondrules, aggregates and other types of CAI's also display anomalies. These observations show that: (1) since Fe, Co, Ni, S and Se are more depleted than elements bracketing them in volatility (such as Pt and Au, and Su and Cd), the anomalies were not produced during the volatility dependent, high temperature CAI forming processes; (2) since Pt, Au, Ge and other siderophiles are not as depleted as Fe, Co and Ni, the anomalies are not due to a metal/silicate fractionation; (3) the association of Fe, Co, and Ni anomalies with S and Se anomalies suggests that the anomalies are due to the removal of FeNi sulfide; and (4) since these anomalies occur in all types of Allende inclusions, aggregates and chondrules, the Allende parental material must have undergone sulfide loss before the formation of these components.
Vitamin A deficient mice exhibit increased viral antigens and enhanced cytokine/chemokine production in nasal tissues following respiratory virus infection despite the presence of FoxP3+ T cells

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 250 million children under the age of five suffer from vitamin A deficiencies (VAD). Individuals with VAD experience higher rates of mortality and increased morbidity during enteric and respiratory infections compared with those who are vitamin A sufficient. Previously, our laboratory has demonstrated that VAD mice have significantly impaired virus-specific IgA and CD8(+) T-cell responses in the airways. Here, we demonstrate that VAD mice experience enhanced cytokine/chemokine gene expression and release in the respiratory tract 10 days following virus infection compared with control vitamin A sufficient animals. Cytokines/chemokines that are reproducibly up-regulated at the gene expression and protein levels include IFNγ and IL-6. Despite previous indications that cytokine dysregulation in VAD animals might reflect low forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)-positive regulatory T-cell frequencies, we found no reduction in FoxP3(+) T cells in VAD respiratory tissues. As an alternative explanation for the high cytokine levels, we found that the extent of virus infection and the persistence of viral antigens were increased on day 10 post-infection in VAD animals compared with controls, and consequently that respiratory tract tissues had an increased potential to activate virus-specific T cells. Results encourage cautious management of viral infections in patients with VAD, as efforts to enhance FoxP3(+) T cell frequencies and quell immune effectors could potentially exacerbate disease if the virus has not been cleared.
Quantitative Analysis of Learner Performance in a Distance Educational Program

Colleges and universities are using various distance learning (DL) formats for program and course delivery. Around the country, health education, including dental and dental hygiene training programs, are employing these types of program delivery models. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), 35 undergraduate, and 12 graduate programs in the US use various forms of DL for degree completion (ADHA, 2006). Several programs, including Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), offered their entire lecture classes in dental hygiene via distance technology. Interactive television (ITV) was the distance media used. From a program perspective, quantitative evaluation of student performance on benchmark assessments was necessary to identify if students located at a distance were performing statistically differently than students taking courses with an instructor using a traditional face-to-face format. Three research questions were asked: a) Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)?; B) Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance when considering GPAs?; and C) Did statistically significant differences in performance exist relating to individual course grades? A longitudinal assessment for a 10-year period was conducted to answer these questions. T-tests were used for data analysis. While examining benchmark data from a cumulative perspective, and year-by-year, no statistically significant differences were apparent for the NBDHE and GPAs. From a cumulative perspective, similar results were found for individual courses. Interactive Television (ITV) was considered effective for delivering education to learners if similar performance outcomes were the evaluation criteria. Mixed results were identified when individual course data by year and course-by-course data were considered. These various mixed results identify potential future research.
Pondering the potential of quantitative analysis of video capsule endoscopy images in the management of children with celiac disease

Celiac disease is common throughout the world, affecting approximately 1% of patients of all age groups. In this review, the role of video capsule endoscopy in characterizing the small intestinal lumen of pediatric patients with celiac disease is discussed in detail. Quantitative aspects of video capsule endoscopy which may be helpful in diagnosing pediatric patients are highlighted.
Composition Models: Dynamic and Static Imitations.

Michael C. Flanigan Indiana University The use of models has been a mainstay of rhetoricians as far back as 3,000 B.C. when the Sumerians had students keep "copybooks" to imitate works central to the culture.' The Greeks, of course, are well known for advocating the use of models in discourse. Aristotle's Rhetoric is filled with examples worthy of imitation. The Romans, too, represented by Cicero2 and Quintilian3 thought highly of good models that would serve the aspiring rhetorician in perfecting the substance, shape and style of his discourse. The use of models has not decreased by any means today. Well known leaders in composition such as William F. Irmscher4 and W. Ross Winterowds
β-Carotene Biosynthesis in Probiotic Bacteria

Susceptibility to deadly diarrheal diseases is partly due to widespread pediatric vitamin A deficiency. To increase vitamin A coverage in malnourished children, we propose to engineer a probiotic bacterium that will produce β-carotene in the intestine, which will be metabolized to vitamin A. Such a therapy has the potential to broadly stimulate mucosal immunity and simultaneously reduce the incidence and duration of diarrheal disease. To that end, a β-carotene-producing variant of the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN-BETA) was generated. Notably, the strain produces β-carotene under anaerobic conditions, reflective of the gut environment. EcN-BETA also retains β-carotene production capability after lyophilization, suggesting that it may be amenable to dry formulation. Moreover, EcN-BETA activates murine dendritic cells in vitro, suggesting that the presence of β-carotene may not diminish the immunostimulatory capacity of EcN. Finally, we present a framework through which further improvements may enable approaches such as the one described in this report to yield innovative life-saving therapies for the developing world.
FULLY DEVELOPED LAMINAR FLOW IN A HELICALLY COILED TUBE OF FINITE PITCH

Solutions for steady, fully developed, laminar flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid through a helically coiled tube of finite pitch were obtained by finite difference calculations. Prior theoretical solutions have apparently been limited to toroidal flow (with zero pitch). The computed results are consistent with those for this limiting case and with prior experimental data for finite pitch. The behavior for helical coils is intermediate between that for a straight pipe and a torus, and, for a moderate degree of pitch differs only slightly from that for a torus. A correlating equation was developed for the friction factor for all Reynolds numbers, all ratios of coil radius to lube radius and all ratios of pitch to coil radius for which the flow remains laminar.
Chapter 11 Cell types using glutamate as a neurotransmitter in the vertebrate retina

The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence for glutamate as the neurotransmitter of 6 major retinal cell types; rods, cones, ON bipolar cells, OFF bipolar cells, rod bipolar cells and ganglion cells
Mutation frequency decline revisited.

'Mutation frequency decline' (MFD) was discovered about forty years ago, and described as the disappearance of a particular class of ultraviolet light-induced mutations in Escherichia coli that occurred whenever protein synthesis was briefly inhibited immediately after irradiation. Later, MFD was interpreted as an excision repair anomaly uniquely affecting nonsense suppressor mutations induced in certain tRNA genes. Never fully understood, MFD has recently been linked to the newly discovered transcription-coupled rapid repair of ultraviolet damage on the template strand of active genes. This article recalls the emergence and development of the MFD story, and offers a new way to explain it and its relation to strand-specific excision repair.
Photochemical Generation of Ribose Abasic Sites in RNA Oligonucleotides

[reaction: see text] A general method for the photochemical generation of ribose abasic sites within RNA oligonucleotides is reported. Photochemically caged nucleoside phosphoramidite analogues were prepared and incorporated into RNA oligonucleotides by automated RNA synthesis. Irradiation of the modified RNA at 350 nm efficiently produced ribose abasic sites at specific sites within RNA sequences. The current approach offers a chemical route to RNA abasic lesions for RNA biochemical studies.