cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Thyroid Hormone on Growth Hormone Secretion and Action

Thyroid hormone (TH) is required for normal growth hormone (GH) synthesis and secretion. Both thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism) and thyroid hormone excess (hyperthyroidism) are associated with alterations in bone development and linear growth in children. This review summarizes the current understanding of the mechanisms mediating the interaction between thyroid hormone and growth hormone, at the level of secretion and action, as well as the clinical implications. In rodent models, thyroid hormone deprivation results in reduced growth hormone mRNA levels in the pituitary, as well as reduced growth hormone-releasing hormone and growth hormone secretion. Thyroid hormone is important for a normal response to agents that stimulate GH secretion, including thyrotropin-releasing hormone and growth hormone-releasing hormone, and stimulation from exercise, starvation, and critical illness. In the few clinical studies available, prompt normalization of thyroid status generally prevents long-term impact on bone development and linear growth, but a prolonged period of time without treatment has been associated with irreversible alterations. Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a clinical syndrome classically linked to mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor β gene, TRβ. Families have recently been identified with mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor α gene, TRα. Abnormalities of growth and development are seen in both forms of RTH but are more pronounced in individuals with mutation in the TRα gene, in which growth deficits and bony deformities are key clinical features. These clinical syndromes, as well as the study of mouse models with these mutations, have resulted in the identification of key actions of thyroid hormone on bone and linear growth and have expanded our understanding of the interaction of thyroid hormone with the secretion and action of growth hormone and IGF-I.
Test Results: Investment Spending and Borrowing Models (One-Variable Deficit)

This chapter undertakes 95 tests of different models to determine if the government deficit has a significant, measurable crowd out effect on private consumption as well as a stimulus effect. The models included 21 OLS and 26 2SLS models, and 48 tests of the robustness of those results by testing to see if results could be replicated in three different but overlapping time periods. Results overwhelmingly indicated crowd out adversely affected consumption spending. The single variable (Revenue Spending) definition of the deficit was used.
Interpretive Error in Radiology.

OBJECTIVE. Although imaging technology has advanced significantly since the work of Garland in 1949, interpretive error rates remain unchanged. In addition to patient harm, interpretive errors are a major cause of litigation and distress to radiologists. In this article, we discuss the mechanics involved in searching an image, categorize omission errors, and discuss factors influencing diagnostic accuracy. Potential individual- and system-based solutions to mitigate or eliminate errors are also discussed. CONCLUSION. Radiologists use visual detection, pattern recognition, memory, and cognitive reasoning to synthesize final interpretations of radiologic studies. This synthesis is performed in an environment in which there are numerous extrinsic distractors, increasing workloads and fatigue. Given the ultimately human task of perception, some degree of error is likely inevitable even with experienced observers. However, an understanding of the causes of interpretive errors can help in the development of too...
Implementing International Virtual Elementary Classroom Activities for Public School Students in the U.S. and Korea.

In today’s global society, individuals with an understanding of different cultures that have the ability to apply this understanding to real world problem solving are more likely to become leaders. Preparing students for a global society is becoming a significant part of education. While many international online exchange projects have been conducted at schools to help expose students to the world and experience international collaborations, few studies have focused on both developing intercultural competence for elementary school students and discovering practical ways of implementing a cross-cultural exchange program into the public elementary school systems as well. This study, International Virtual Elementary Classroom Activities (IVECA), planned to explore how American and Korean students can develop culturally meaningful interactions through asynchronous online communications in a content management system (CMS), Blackboard; and investigate the factors or strategies useful for integrating IVECA into public school curricula. Data were collected using observation and interview methods, and also included reviewing students’ journals. The data analysis involved interpretive analytic induction. Findings indicated that IVECA (a) promotes students’ intercultural competence; (b) developed their social interaction skills both in the regular classrooms and the virtual classroom; (c) facilitated diverse students’ motivations for learning at school; (d) enhanced writing and reading skills; and (e) engaged learning disabled students in the classroom activities. Additional findings from this study indicate that (a) a systematic support system for teachers’ technology use and instructional design is necessary, and (b) school administrators’ positive perception toward cross-cultural exchange activities and their coherent connections between state learning standards and IVECA objectives are important. Further considerations are addressed and the different influences of IVECA on the U.S. students and Korean students and its implementation, which takes into consideration such influences, will also be discussed.
Ruptured Globe Repair

Globe rupture, or open globe, is the term that encompasses both penetrating and perforating injuries to the cornea and/or sclera. Globe rupture can occur from either blunt or sharp trauma. The primary goal of initial repair is to restore the integrity of the globe and prevent infection. The secondary goal is to restore vision. This typically requires subsequent procedures based on the extent of the injury. In cases which involve additional adnexal or facial injury, globe repair should be the primary procedure.
Solubilization of Cs and K from Tetraphenylborate Precipitates in Highly Alkaline Environments

AbstractPrecipitated Cs tetraphenylborate, along with K tetraphenylborate and aqueous alkaline supernate, is present in certain high-level waste tanks at the Savannah River Site. Two possible proce...
Pre-service elementary teachers' achievement goals and their relationship to math anxiety

Abstract Math anxiety remains a critical issue affecting student performance and confidence across grade levels, including pre-service elementary teacher education. Given the potential impact teachers' math anxiety might have on their learning as well as that of their future students, one unique purpose of this research is to investigate how achievement goals relate to math anxiety among 182 pre-service teachers enrolled in undergraduate elementary education math methods courses. While low self-efficacy is a significant predictor of math anxiety, our results indicate that taking into account pre-service teachers' achievement goals increases our ability to predict math anxiety over that afforded by their level of self-efficacy alone. In particular, students adopting either mastery-avoidance or performance-avoidance goals while learning mathematics, may be particularly susceptible to math anxiety. Further, self-efficacy does not moderate the relationship between achievement goals and math anxiety, so the relationship between achievement goals and math anxiety is consistent across levels of self-efficacy.
Lateral medullary infarction with cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction: an unusual presentation with review of the literature

We report an unusual case of lateral medullary infarction presenting with orthostatic hypotension with pre-syncope without vertigo or Horner’s syndrome. Case report with review of the literature. A 67-year-old man presented with pre-syncope and ataxia without vertigo. Initial brain CT and MRI were normal. Neurological evaluation revealed right-beating nystagmus with left gaze, vertical binocular diplopia, right upper-extremity dysmetria, truncal ataxia with right axial lateropulsion, and right-facial and lower extremity hypoesthesia. Bedside blood pressure measurements disclosed orthostatic hypotension. He had normal sinus rhythm on telemetry and normal ejection fraction on echocardiogram. A repeat brain MRI disclosed an acute right dorsolateral medullary infarct. Autonomic testing showed reduced heart rate variability during paced deep breathing, attenuated late phase II and phase IV overshoot on Valsalva maneuver, and a fall of 25 mmHg of blood pressure at the end of a 10-min head-up tilt with no significant change in heart rate. These results were consistent with impaired sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular reflexes. He was discharged to acute rehabilitation a week later with residual right dysmetria and ataxia. Lateral medullary infarctions are usually reported as partial presentations of classical lateral medullary syndrome with accompanying unusual symptoms ranging from trigeminal neuralgias to hiccups. Pre-syncope from orthostatic hypotension is a rare presentation. In the first 3–4 days, absence of early DWI MRI findings is possible in small, dorsolateral medullary infarcts with sensory disturbances. Physicians should be aware of this presentation, as early diagnosis and optimal therapy are associated with good prognosis.
Biofilm-Based Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Different types of central venous catheters (CVCs) have been used in clinical practice to improve the quality of life of chronically and critically ill patients. Unfortunately, indwelling devices are usually associated with microbial biofilms and eventually lead to catheter-related bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).
Chromosomal aberrations common to three types of monoclonal gammopathies.

1. Chromosomal patterns in 24 patients with γG-, γA- and γM-type monoclonal gammopathies (MG) are described. 2. Significant chromosomal abnormalities were observed in all three types of monoclonal gammopathies. Abnormal chromosomes in the AB size range, or larger (MG-chromosomes), were present in five of seven patients with γM-MG, in three of three patients with γA-MG and in seven of 14 patients with γG-MG. Abnormalities in the smallest group C chromosomes (pair 12), consisting of missing chromosomes, extra chromosomes, or structural anomalies, were noted in all γM-MG patients, in two with γA-MG and in eight with γG-MG. 3. The literature dealing with chromosomal aberrations in primary macroglobulinemia (Waldenstrom) and myeloma has been reviewed, and the various abnormalities have been discussed. 4. These chromosomal abnormalities suggest a common denominator for the three types of monoclonal gammopathies, without implying either etiologic or pathognomonic specificity.
A Distributed Transmitter for the Sensor Reachback Problem Based on Radar Signals

We consider the problem of reachback communication in sensor networks. In this problem, a large number of sensors are deployed on a field, to measure the state of some physical process that unfolds over the field and to then cooperatively send this information back to a distant receiver for further processing. We formulate the problem as a multiple-input, single-output (MISO) system, and develop a time-division scheme based on transmission of simulated radar echoes. Information is encoded in the spatial electromagnetic reflectivity function of virtual point reflectors, and decoded with a conventional range radar receiver. Transmitter diversity and the use of pulse compression radar waveforms are exploited for both increased reliability and increased data rate. Information theoretic and simulation-based performance characterizations are also presented.
On the Regularity of Weak Solutions of Elliptic Systems in Banach Spaces

On a domain Ω⊂RN we consider weak solutions u: Ω→RMfor elliptic systems of the kind A(u) + B(u) = f. Here A(u) is a quasilinear elliptic operator of second order satisfying certain structure conditions and B(u) is a perturbation with critical growth in the gradient, i.e. the growth exponent for the gradient p, 1 < p <∞, is the same as the integration exponent of the Sobolev Space W1,p(Ω) for which (the Nemitzky operator of) A(u)is coercive.
Serious game design principles: the impact of game design on learning outcomes

This dissertation examines the research question "How do video game design principles affect learning outcomes in serious games?" This research first develops a theoretical foundation concerning the meaning of the terms "game" and "serious game". This conceptual clarification is broken down into analytic propositions, which state that games have participants, rules, goals and challenges, and synthetic propositions, which state that the games should be intrinsically compelling, provide meaningful choices, and be self encapsulated. Based on these synthetic propositions, three hypotheses were developed. The hypotheses are that games with an enhanced aesthetic presentation, more meaningful choices, or provide player competition will elicit higher learning outcomes than identical games without these factors. These hypotheses were tested via a quantitative experiment involving 172 undergraduate students in the Old Dominion University Chemistry Department. The students were asked to play a chemistry-oriented serious game entitled Element Solitaire©, which was created by the research author. The students were randomly given different treatments of the Element Solitaire© game to play, and the difference between their learning outcomes were compared. The experimental results demonstrated that the aesthetic presentation of a game can have a significant impact upon the learning outcome. The experiment was not able to discern significant effects from the choice or competition conditions, but further examination of the experimental data did reveal some insight into these aspects of serious game design. Choices need to provide the player with options that have a sufficient value that they will be considered and the application of competition within games needs to be judiciously implemented to promote a positive affect for all players. The results of the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence were then combined with additional theoretical research to develop a set of design principles and a proposed serious game development process. These guidelines were researched and examined via the design and development process of several serious game prototypes and the examination of a large body of existing serious games. The end result is a practical procedure that is rooted in theory and quantitative experimentation.
Influencing Radial Vibration in Switched Reluctance Machine via Altering the Design of Endcaps

Vibration and acoustic noise in Switched Reluctance Machine is originated from magnetic forces that act on the stator has been an undesirable feature that limited its application. As a result, various modeling and control techniques have been proposed to minimize the vibration of the stator and torque pulsation acting on the rotor. However, few works have been done on the effect of the mass distributions of the stator endcaps that might have on the vibration. This paper investigates various endcap designs with different hole configurations using structural finite-element method demonstrating a basic pattern between acceleration and mass distribution in endcaps, which might further assist the reduction of vibration and acoustic noise in SRM and other electric machines.
Case 27-2018: A 3-Year-Old Boy with Seizures

A Boy with Seizures A 3-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital because of a seizure. Decreased language output, lethargy, mood lability, unsteady gait, and abnormal movements developed. CSF anal...
Un si long voyage : Marco Polo Le Devisement du monde

Devisement of the world, more known under the title of Book of the Marvels (1298) tells the journey of Marco Polo, Venetian trader, up to the court of Koubilai Khan, in China. This book stays in the memory collective as the most famous travel story because it made discover parts of the country, practices and unknown inventions in Europe. It is a question in this article of putting in the context of the XIIIth century a text, which tells customs outside the borders of the Christendom by drawing from epics, but also from antique literature to restore a picture of the East. Testimony of the approach of the otherness, its posterity participates widely in the exotic infatuation and the desire for discoveries, according to the Christopher Columbus’s logbook.
Long-term residue and water management practice effects on particulate organic matter in a loessial soil in eastern Arkansas, USA

Abstract Long-term sustainability of soils with a prolonged history of crop production can be better understood by characterizing soil aggregation, particularly the distribution of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) among particulate organic matter (POM) fractions within various soil aggregate-size fractions. The objective of this field study was to evaluate the effects of residue level, residue burning, tillage, and irrigation on macro-aggregate (>250 μm), micro-aggregate (53–250 μm), coarse (>250 μm) and fine POM (53–250 μm), and silt-clay fractions and their associated C and N in the top 10 cm of a highly erodible loessial soil (Glossaquic Fraglossudalf) after 13 years of consistent management in a wheat-soybean, double-crop (WSDC) system in the Lower Mississippi River Delta region of eastern Arkansas. The total aggregated soil fraction was 11.2% greater (P = 0.02) in the no-tillage (NT)-irrigated compared to the average of the other three tillage-irrigation combinations, which did not differ. Averaged over irrigation, burn, and residue-level treatments, the C concentration in the sand-free macro-aggregate fraction was 8.8% less (P
Postoperative Infection in Cementless and Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

The ongoing debate on fixation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become increasingly relevant with its increased use in a younger patient population and the advent of novel cementless prostheses. Recent literature suggests modern cementless implants are comparable to their cemented counterparts in terms of survivorship and functional outcomes. What has not been well-assessed is whether the two modalities differ with respect to infection rates which was the purpose of this study. Specifically, a propensity score matched study population was used to compare: (1) overall infection; (2) prosthetic joint infection (PJI); and (3) surgical site infection (SSI) rates between cementless and cemented TKAs. Using a large institutional database, 3,180 consecutive primary TKAs were identified. Cementless and cemented TKA patients were propensity score matched by age (p = 0.069), sex (p = 0.395), body mass index (BMI; p = 0.308), and Charlson's comorbidity index (CCI) score (p = 0.616) in a 1:1 ratio. Univariate analysis was performed to compare 2-year overall infection rates. Infections were further analyzed separately as PJIs (deep joint infections requiring surgery) and SSIs (skin/superficial wound infections). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate infection incidences after adjusting for procedure-related factors (i.e., operative time, hospital volume, and surgeon volume). There were no significant differences between the matched cohorts in terms of overall infection rates (3.8 vs. 2.3%, p = 0.722), as well as when PJI (p = 1.000) and SSI (p = 1.000) rates were analyzed separately. Multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences in overall postoperative infection rates (p = 0.285), PJI rates (p = 0.446), or SSI rates (p = 0.453) even after adjusting for procedure-related factors. There is increasing literature investigating various outcomes demonstrating the comparable efficacies of cementless versus cemented TKAs. To the best of the author's knowledge, this was the first matched case-control study to directly compare their post-operative infection rates. The findings from this study show that post-operative infection rates were similar between fixation modalities even after accounting for a range of patient- and procedure-related factors.
Leveraging phytochemicals: the plant phylogeny predicts sources of novel antibacterial compounds.

Aim: The goal of this study was to use phylogenetic evidence to determine plant families with high representation of antibacterial activity and identify potential sources to focus on for antibacter...
Social support and monetary resources as protective factors against food insecurity among older Americans: findings from a health and retirement study

We examined the association between social support, monetary resources, and food insecurity among a nationally representative sample of older Americans. Analyses included 1164 Americans aged 65 and above from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study and the 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the likelihood of food insecurity as a function of social support (including social contact, emotional support, and social strain), monetary resources (including household income and household assets), and covariates. We found older adults with greater social strain and lower emotional support were at increased risk of food insecurity. Greater monetary resources were associated with lower risk of food insecurity. Select indicators of social support appeared to moderate the effect of monetary resources on food insecurity, with increasing social strain reducing the protective benefits of greater household assets, and low emotional support reducing the protective effect of increased household income to non-significance. Emotional support and social strain are aspects of social relationships that may play important roles in the relationship between monetary resources and food insecurity. Interventions seeking to reduce the burden of food insecurity should consider the quality and quantity of social relationships as potential risk factors.
Safety and Efficacy of an Auto-Titrating Diuretic Protocol: A Pilot

Introduction In general, clinicians round on patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) once per day. Additionally, the metrics commonly used to determine response to diuretics, such as fluid and weight loss, are often not recorded after each diuretic dose. Given these limitations, diuretics are generally titrated at best daily. In patients with diuretic resistance, this can translate to lost hospital days with ineffective doses of diuretics. To address this issue, we designed a protocol (herein referred to as the Yale Diuretic Pathway or YDP) to allow for rapid and safe loop diuretic escalation. Hypothesis The nurse driven auto-titrating YDP will lead to rapid dose escalation, without an excessive incidence of hypokalemia, worsening renal function, or hypotension. Methods Advanced heart failure physicians selected 51 patients, largely those who were failing traditional diuretic therapy, for this non-randomized pilot of the YDP. The provider could select the starting dose of diuretic (though the default was 2 mg of bumetanide). Additionally, providers would select safety parameters such as lowest tolerable blood pressure (default was a systolic reading of 90 mmHg or less) and largest allowable increase in creatinine (0.5 mg/dL). Diuretics were titrated based on predicted sodium excretion after each dose, which was predicted using an equation based on a spot urine sample taken 2 h after administration. Based on the predicted sodium output diuretic doses were either held, kept constant, or increased. Patients could receive up to 3 doses daily and a maximum of 12.5 mg bumetanide, equivalent to 500 mg of furosemide per dose and 1500 mg of furosemide per day. Signals for safety such as hypotension, electrolyte abnormalities, and changes in renal function were examined. Results Patients were on the YDP for an average of 3 ± 1.3 days, and the median starting dose was 80 mg of furosemide equivalents (IQR 80-160 mg). The majority of patients required the maximum daily dose of furosemide equivalents over this period (median = 1500mg, IQR 980 to 1500mg) and they reached their peak dose within 1.9 ± 0.7 days. Despite this degree of diuretic resistance, YDP still resulted in a weight loss of 4.0± 3.3 kgs total and fluid output of 9.4L ± 5.1L over the average 3 days of the protocol. With respect to safety, the average rise in creatinine was 0.1 mg/dL. No patients experienced a serum potassium below 3.0 mg/dL and only 3 patients had a serum magnesium below 1.5 mg/dL. Discontinuation of YDP for issues such as a rise in creatinine (10%) and reduction in systolic blood pressure (8%) were relatively uncommon. Conclusion The YDP lead to safe and rapid loop diuretic titration in a population comprised largely of diuretic resistant HF patients. Randomized studies are needed better characterize the safety and efficacy of the YDP.
Diffusion kurtosis imaging of gray matter in schizophrenia

Abstract Prior postmortem studies have shown gray matter (GM) microstructural abnormalities in schizophrenia. However, few studies to date have examined GM microstructural integrity in schizophrenia in vivo. Here, we employed diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) to test for differences in GM microstructure in eighteen schizophrenia (SZ) patients versus nineteen healthy controls (HC). GM microstructure was characterized in each participant using DKI-derived metrics of mean kurtosis (MK) and mean diffusivity (MD). Individual T1-weighted images were used to create subject-specific cortically-labelled regions of interest (ROIs) of the four cortical lobes and sixty-eight cortical GM regions delineated by the Desikan-Killiany atlas, and to derive the associated cortical thickness and area measures. The derived ROIs were also registered to the diffusion space of each subject and used to generate region-specific mean MK and MD values. We additionally administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop test, and Trail Making Test part B (Trails-B) to test the relationship between GM metrics and executive function in SZ. We found significantly increased MK and MD in SZ compared to HC participants in the temporal lobe, sub-lobar temporal cortical regions (fusiform, inferior temporal, middle temporal and temporal pole), and posterior cingulate cortex after correcting for multiple comparisons. Correlational analyses revealed significant associations of MK and MD with executive function scores derived from the WCST, Stroop, and Trails-B tests, along with an inverse relationship between MK and MD and cortical thickness and area. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis showed that up to 85% of the inter-subject variability in cognitive function in schizophrenia measured by the WCST could be explained by MK in combination with either GM thickness or area. MK and MD appear to be sensitive to GM microstructural pathology in schizophrenia and may provide useful biomarkers of abnormal cortical microstructure in this disorder.
“Please Keep Mom Alive One More Day”—Clashing Directives of a Dying Patient and Her Surrogate

All medical care providers are legally and ethically bound to respect their patients' wishes. However, as patients lose decision-making capacity and approach end of life, their families or surrogates, who are confronted with grief, fear, self-doubt, and/or uncertainty, may ask physicians to provide treatment that contradicts the patients' previously stated wishes. Our work discusses the legal and ethical issues surrounding such requests and provides guidance for clinicians to ethically and compassionately respond-without compromising their professional and moral obligations to their patients.
A Review of Global Radioxenon Background Research and Issues

Among the most important problems for the world-wide nuclear explosion monitoring is the interference of naturally occurring and man-made radionuclides. The International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) frequently detects these interferences using sensitive radionuclide measurement equipment. We commonly refer to the presence of radionuclides that are relevant to the CTBT but do not originate from a nuclear explosion as “background”. Backgrounds are highest near the sources but are known to have regional and global effects on the IMS. This review paper summarizes much of the relevant work in the area of background and discusses issues of interest for nuclear explosion detection.
Structural Basis of CD4 Downregulation by HIV-1 Nef

The HIV-1 Nef protein suppresses multiple immune surveillance mechanisms to promote viral pathogenesis and is an attractive target for the development of novel therapeutics. A key function of Nef is to remove the CD4 receptor from the cell surface by hijacking clathrin- and adaptor protein complex 2 (AP2)-dependent endocytosis. However, exactly how Nef does this has been elusive. Here, we describe the underlying mechanism as revealed by a 3.0-A crystal structure of a fusion protein comprising Nef and the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 bound to the tetrameric AP2 complex. An intricate combination of conformational changes occurs in both Nef and AP2 to enable CD4 binding and downregulation. A pocket on Nef previously identified as crucial for recruiting class I MHC is also responsible for recruiting CD4, revealing a potential approach to inhibit two of Nef's activities and sensitize the virus to immune clearance.
What Do Prosecutors Maximize? An Analysis of the Federalization of Drug Crimes

Recent legislation has expanded the jurisdiction of the federal government over crimes that were traditionally prohibited only by state law. We model the decision-making process of state and federal prosecutors, and the determinants of prosecutors` decisions to allocate drug cases to the state versus the federal systems. Using 1991 surveys of state and federal inmates incarcerated for drug crimes, we find that individuals who hire private attorneys and who are high-human-capital and successful in the legitimate sector are more likely to end up in the federal system. This is consistent with the model in which prosecutors maximize both the payoffs from eliminating crime and their private human capital.
Ramsey Numbers for Non-trivial Berge Cycles

In this paper, we consider an extension of cycle-complete graph Ramsey numbers to Berge cycles in hypergraphs: for $k \geq 2$, a {\em non-trivial Berge $k$-cycle} is a family of sets $e_1,e_2,\dots,e_k$ such that $e_1 \cap e_2, e_2 \cap e_3,\dots,e_k \cap e_1$ has a system of distinct representatives and $e_1 \cap e_2 \cap \dots \cap e_k = \emptyset$. In the case that all the sets $e_i$ have size three, let $\mathcal{B}_k$ denotes the family of all non-trivial Berge $k$-cycles. The {\em Ramsey numbers} $R(t,\mathcal{B}_k)$ denote the minimum $n$ such that every $n$-vertex $3$-uniform hypergraph contains either a non-trivial Berge $k$-cycle or an independent set of size $t$. We prove \[ R(t, \mathcal{B}_{2k}) \leq t^{1 + \frac{1}{2k-1} + \frac{2}{\sqrt{\log t}}}\] and moreover, we show that if a conjecture of Erdős and Simonovits \cite{ES} on girth in graphs is true, then this is tight up to a factor $t^{o(1)}$ as $t \rightarrow \infty$.
Surveillance of adverse events following the introduction of inactivated poliovirus vaccine made from Sabin strains (sIPV) to the Chinese EPI and a comparison with adverse events following inactivated poliovirus vaccine made from wild strains (wIPV) in Jiangsu, China.

One dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) was introduced into the Chinese Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in 2016. IPV made from Sabin strains (sIPV) was newly licensed in China and i...
Assisted Living Residents with Dementia: Being Out in the World and Negotiating Connections.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Persons living with dementia, including long-term care residents, and their care partners emphasize the importance of meaningful engagement and stress the need for activity and opportunities to go outdoors or offsite. Yet, little is known about getting out in this population. Here, our objectives are to: 1) identify residents' opportunities for, and experiences with, getting out; 2) understand the significance of getting out; and 3) explain influential factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Guided by grounded theory methods, we analyzed qualitative data collected over a one-year period in four diverse assisted living communities. We followed 33 residents with dementia and their care partners. Data include detailed fieldnotes capturing 1,560 observation hours, 114 interviews with residents (where possible), assisted living staff, family members, and other visitors, and record review. RESULTS We identified the centrality of "being out in the world and negotiating connections," which characterizes residents' experiences with the outside world as a process of 'working out' engagement with nature, others, and the community. Being out in the world was consequential to well-being and quality of life. Most residents got out at least occasionally; some lacked opportunities. Among residents who got out, most benefitted from ensuing connections. Yet, not all experiences were positive. Being out in the world varied over time and by individual-, convoy-, AL community-, and neighborhood-level factors. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice surrounding meaningful engagement among persons with dementia, including during crises such as the pandemic.
Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities and Housing Reconstruction in Puerto Rico After Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico in 2017. In the absence of government recovery support and denial of assistance based on ownership, many households have engaged in a process of informal reconstruction. While informal reconstruction can provide an alternate path to recovery, its uncontrolled and unchecked nature carries inherent safety risks and ambiguous legal status. Due to the inherent uncertainties in informal housing and its known consequences, it is important to identify households that may be more likely to engage in informal reconstruction, to promote and support safe building practices and access to resources. This is especially important in a context where informality is often seen as ‘inevitable.’ Socioeconomic vulnerability is a useful framework to understand these trends as vulnerability can restrict a household’s ability to engage with the formal construction sector, encouraging those households to pursue other methods of recovery. This study aims to understand the individual and compounding effects of socioeconomic vulnerabilities on household use of informal reconstruction. Data collection includes household surveys (N = 305) in the municipalities of Loiza and Yabucoa in Puerto Rico. Results suggest that socioeconomic vulnerabilities work in a compounding manner affecting household decisions to use informal reconstruction; specifically, a compounding effect exists in the combination of the absence of ownership documents and unemployment. Results from this study can inform housing recovery programs to identify households that are more likely to engage in informal housing reconstruction and ensure they receive the right support and resources to promote safe recovery.
Impacts of Landscape Evolution on Heterotrophic Carbon Loss in Intensively Managed Landscapes

Soil respiration releases CO2 into the atmosphere that roughly balances the net primary productivity. It varies widely due to human disturbance on the land surface, particularly in intensively managed landscapes, including altering land cover, use of surface and sub-surface drainage tiles, and tillages. However, predictions of the spatial variability of soil respiration are facing great challenges due to a lack of understanding of the roles of accelerated soil erosion in agriculture fields. Here we simulate the soil respiration due to microbial decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC), also called the heterotrophic carbon loss (HCL), by coupling soil transport, landscape evolution, redistribution of soil organic carbon on the land surface, soil moisture dynamics, and biogeochemical turnover in an agricultural field. The average HCL is higher in depositional areas than erosional areas, but it shows the highest spatial variance in areas that exhibit small soil depth change. It is the SOC redistribution, not the SOC stock or soil depth that directly controls HCL in a near-linear relationship. This work characterizes the roles of soil and SOC transport in restructuring the spatial variability of HCL at a high spatio-temporal resolution in a watershed.
Adeno-associated Virus as a Mammalian DNA Vector

In the nearly five decades since its accidental discovery, adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a highly versatile vector system for both research and clinical applications. A broad range of natural serotypes, as well as an increasing number of capsid variants, has combined to produce a repertoire of vectors with different tissue tropisms, immunogenic profiles and transduction efficiencies. The story of AAV is one of continued progress and surprising discoveries in a viral system that, at first glance, is deceptively simple. This apparent simplicity has enabled the advancement of AAV into the clinic, where despite some challenges it has provided hope for patients and a promising new tool for physicians. Although a great deal of work remains to be done, both in studying the basic biology of AAV and in optimizing its clinical application, AAV vectors are currently the safest and most efficient platform for gene transfer in mammalian cells.
Room Temperature Tensile Behavior and Damage Accumulation of Hi-Nicalon Reinforced SiC Matrix Composites

Composites consisting of woven Hi-Nicalon fibers, BN interphases, and different SiC matrices were studied in tension at room temperature. Composites with SiC matrices processed by CVI and melt infiltration were compared. Monotonic and load/unload/reload tensile hysteresis experiments were performed. A modal acoustic emission (AE) analyzer was used to monitor damage accumulation during the tensile test. Post test polishing of the tensile gage sections was performed to determine the extent of cracking. The occurrence and location of cracking could easily be determined using modal AE. The loss of modulus could also effectively be determined from the change in the velocity of sound across the sample. Finally, the stresses where cracks appear to intersect the load-bearing fibers correspond with high temperature low cycle fatigue run out stresses for these materials.
β-Arrestin--Not Just for G Protein-Coupled Receptors

The-arrestin adaptor proteins are known to mediate the endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors. In this way, they down-regulate the activated receptors ensuring that they are degraded or recycled within the cell. As Spiegel explains in his Perspective, it now turns out that-arrestins are also important for the endocytosis and down-regulation of a variety of other receptors including Frizzled 4 and TGF--receptors, II and III ( Chen et al., Chen et al.).
Multiuser scheduling for multiple antenna systems

Significant throughput gains can be leveraged in multiuser wireless systems by taking advantage of the spatial diversity provided by multiple antennas and the multiuser diversity inherent in the system. For delay tolerant data applications, this gain in system throughput can be realized through a scheduling scheme where the resources are allocated to the user experiencing the most favorable channel. In this paper, we investigate scheduling algorithms for the downlink of a multiple antenna multiuser wireless system. We propose a novel scheduling scheme that exploits spatial and multiuser diversities available in the channel. We provide numerical results demonstrating that by allowing more bits in the feedback channel, the proposed scheme enjoys significant performance gains over the existing schemes with comparable complexity. Furthermore, compared to schemes requiring perfect channel information at the base station, the proposed scheme has less complexity at the expense of a loss in throughput.
Bayesian Inference in the Presence of Determinism.

In this paper, we consider the problem of performing inference on Bayesian networks which exhibit a substantial degree of determinism. We improve upon the determinismexploiting inference algorithm presented in [4], showing that the information brought to light by constraint propagation may be exploited to a much greater extent than has been previously possible. This is confirmed with theoretical and empirical studies.
Verification with small and short worlds

We consider the verification of safety properties in systems with large arrays and data structures. Such systems are common at the low levels of software stacks; examples are hypervisors and CPU emulators. The very large data structures in such systems (e.g., address-translation tables and other caches) make automated verification based on straightforward statespace exploration infeasible. We present S2W, a new abstraction-based model-checking methodology to facilitate automated verification of such systems. As a first step, inductive invariant checking is performed. If that fails, we compute an abstraction of the original system by precisely modeling only a subset of state variables while allowing the rest of the state to evolve arbitrarily at each step. This subset of the state constitutes a “small world” hypothesis, and is extracted from the property. Finally, we verify the safety property on the abstract model using bounded model checking. We ensure the verification is sound by first computing a bound on the reachability diameter of the abstract model. For this computation, we developed a set of heuristics that we term the “short world” approach. We present several case studies, including verification of the address translation logic in the Bochs x86 emulator, and verification of security properties of several hypervisor models.
Determinantes y características de los independientes en México

Party identification is the best predictor of vote choice. Independents (those who do not identify with any party) represent in Mexico around a third of the electorate since more than a decade ago. Using data from the Second National Survey of Political Culture and Citizen Customs (ENCUP), carried out in March 2003, I find that independents in Mexico have more education than partisans, belong to a higher social class, are not as interested in politics, do not vote, do not trust political institutions, and think that Mexico does not live in full democracy. Independents are potentially decisive in a competitive electoral context, given their volatility and sensibility to political campaigns.
Invited Editorial on “Comparison between the uptake of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide in the human nose”

in 1924, haggard ([5][1]) stated that “the more soluble the irritant the greater the damage to the upper respiratory tract since it is there that a highly soluble irritant is largely removed from the air.” This statement indicates that the phenomenon and mechanisms of nasal gas scrubbing have
Weight cycling in female rats subjected to varying meal patterns

The effect of weight cycling on energy balance was examined in female rats. Two groups of adult female rats were subjected to three bouts of weight cycling, each bout consisting of 8 days of food restriction (9 g/day or approximately 50% of usual intake) followed by 16 days of refeeding. During refeeding animals were given 22.8 g/day of food so that they were offered, during the 24-day cycle, the same amount of food offered to control rats that were not subjected to weight cycling. One group of weight-cycled rats (gorgers) was given its daily intake in a few large meals (i.e., allowed to gorge). The other weight-cycled group (nibblers) was fed by automated feeders in several small meals during each 24-h period (i.e., prevented from gorging). Neither weight-cycled group displayed an increased food efficiency or an increased body fatness compared with noncycled controls. Weight-cycled rats allowed to gorge did have an increased food efficiency and a greater carcass energy content compared with weight-cycled rats not allowed to gorge. These results suggest a pattern of gorging promoted food efficiency and body energy gain compared with a pattern of nibbling, but gorging during refeeding cannot account for reports of increased food efficiency in weight-cycled rats.
Personal bankruptcy costs: Their relevance and some estimates

Abstract The paper argues that there is a need for the formal treatment of personal bankruptcy costs in the finance literature. The need arises out of the relevance of such costs to both corporate and personal financing decisions. We show that (a) personal bankruptcy costs (like personal taxes) are relevant to the corporate capital structure problem and that (b) differential bankruptcy costs across corporations and individuals can result in a clientele model of individual investment-borrowing decision which could lead to institutional arrangements designed to minimize combined bankruptcy costs. Further, we develop a theory of personal bankruptcy and a set of testable hypothesis with regard to their costs. Some preliminary estimates of personal bankruptcy costs are reported which suggest that they are higher than corporate bankruptcy costs. There is also some evidence of economics of scale in personal bankruptcy costs.
Geometry optimization of molecules within an LCGTO local-density functional approach

We describe our implementation of geometry optimization techniques within the linear combination of Gaussian-type orbitals (LCGTO) approach to local-density functional theory. The algorithm for geometry optimization is based on the evaluation of the gradient of the total energy with respect to internal coordinates within the local-density functional scheme. We present optimization results for a range of small molecules which serve as test cases for our approach.
Genome Engineering of Crops with Designer Nucleases

Recent advances in the fi eld of genome engineering indicate that it will soon be routine to make site-directed modifi cations to the genomes of crop species, including targeted mutations, gene insertions, and gene replacements. This new technology will be used to help elucidate gene function and develop new and valuable traits. Key to enabling site-directed genome modifi cations are sequence-specifi c nucleases that generate targeted double-stranded DNA breaks in genes of interest. To date, three different sequence-specifi c nuclease systems have been used in crop plants: zinc fi nger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases, also termed “meganucleases.” In this review, we report on the current state of genome engineering in crop plants, comparing the different nuclease and gene delivery systems. We also consider some of the limitations that nucleasemediated crop improvement technologies may encounter.
Theoretical studies of carrier transport in HgI2.

Theoretical studies of the electron-phonon coupling and carrier mobility for red mercuric iodide are presented. The electronic states are calculated by an empirical pseudopotential method, while the lattice vibrations are described via a rigid-ion model. Effects due to the deformation potential and polar-optical scattering are discussed. Carrier mobilities along both {ital c} and {ital a} axes as functions of temperature are calculated and they are in good agreement with the experimental data. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}