cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensible Input and Second Language Acquisition: What Is the Relationship?.

This study attempts to test aspects of the input hypothesis (Krashen, 1980, 1983, 1985) and Long's modification of it (Long, 1980, 1983a, 1985). Specifically, it experimentally tests the hypothesis that both input and interactional modifications facilitate second language acquisition, using Japanese as the target language. Three experimental groups were differentiated in terms of input and interaction conditions: (1) unmodified input with no interaction, (2) premodified input with no interaction, and (3) unmodified input with the chance for negotiated interaction. The groups were compared in terms of (a) their degree of comprehension of the input and (b) their subsequent retention of vocabulary items and acquisition of two Japanese locative structures. The results indicated that moment-to-moment comprehension was highest for the negotiated interaction group, whereas there was no significant difference between the two noninteraction groups. Furthermore, there was no correlation found between differences in moment-to-moment comprehension and gains in vocabulary recognition and acquisition of structures, though significant gains on both measures were found for all three groups. Discussion of these findings centers on the relationship between comprehension and acquisition.
LEPTOTYPHYLOPS GREENWELLI, A NEW WORMSNAKE OF THE L. BICOLOR SPECIES GROUP FROM NIGERIA (SERPENTES: LEPTOTYPHLOPIDAE)

ABSTRACT A new diminutive, long-tailed species of African wormsnake related to Leptotyphlops bicolor is described from Nigeria. The new species differs from L. bicolor by possessing a single anterior supralabial, a longer tail with fewer subcaudals, and the absence of brown pigment and an apical spine on the tail tip. The new species, which with L. bicolor, L. broadleyi, and L. sundewalli form the L. bicolor species group, shares characteristics with several New World taxa; these characteristics are probably plesiomorphic in the Old World radiation of Leptotyphlops.
Community health nursing education: where we are going and how to get there

Abstract This article discusses practical aspects of providing community health nursing (CHN) education in community-based care in partnership with a community. Changing from traditional CHN clinicals to more current models involves a shift in values and implementation of principles leading to the change. These values are: refocusing the purpose of CHN education; broad (generalist) scope of practice; problem-solving as a means of discovery; collaboration with peers, faculty, community, and service providers; and working to empower individuals, families, and the community, as well as the students themselves. Principles for developing community-based educational programs in partnership with a community are: examining and incorporating critical concepts; identifying community needs and basing activities on these needs; providing services as a means of studying the community and its problems/needs; expanding and refining services based on problems/needs and assets of the community; and maintaining services ba...
Exploring the Cortical Dynamics of Learning by Leveraging BCI Paradigms

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—systems that can record neural activity and translate them into commands for computer systems—are sufficiently advanced to allow users to volitionally guide them through simple tasks. Contemporary BCI research focuses on squeezing additional functionality out of standardized paradigms, be it achieving more bits per second, increased degrees of freedom, or increasing accuracy. While these studies have shown marginal advancements in recent years, our lack of understanding concerning the underlying neurophysiology continues to be the limiting factor in BCI development. In this chapter, we propose turning the way research is done on BCI systems on its head; instead of using our understanding of neural signals to incrementally advance the state of brain-machine interfaces, we apply a BCI system as a form of experimental control to study changes in neural activity. By using current BCI systems as a tool for neuroscientific study, we can probe the underlying neuroanatomy in novel, behaviorally controlled ways.
Beyond the 'Prejudice Polygraph'

Behavioral realists urge the law to re spond to new scientific discoveries about the reality of contemporary discrimination. But in thinking about how the law might respond, it is easy to frame the question as: When should evidence from scientific instruments, such as the Implicit Association Test, be admissible in a discrimination lawsuit. In other words, should we admit into evidence the results of some “Prejudice Polygraph”? But this framing, which focuses on specific facts, found ex post is too narrow and obscures a much broader range of potential legal responses. Indeed, by considering both specific and general facts, as well as both ex post and ex ante time orientations, four separate quadrants of analysis emerge. Psychologists, legal scholars, and policymakers should not miss these other quadrants of anti-discrimination.
On the Spherical Form of the Mammalian Erythrocyte

Red cells placed in hypotonic media swell until a certain "critical volume" is reached, after which the cell haemolyses. Shortly before reaching this critical volume, the cell becomes a perfect sphere, and in hypotonic serum the area of the sphere is substantially the same as the area of the disk in an isotonic medium. Thus the increase in cell volume is not accompanied by an increase in cell surface, but rather by a change in cell shape, and lysis occurs when the volume has increased to such an extent that the cell membrane is subject to stretching forces. In hypotonic NaCl the critical volume is smaller than it is in hypotonic plasma, and the cell haemolyses before its membrane is subject to extension. The volume increase which a cell can undergo by becoming a sphere with the same surface area as that of the disk obviously depends on the shape of the disk, and approximately on its length/breadth ratio, so cells of different shapes haemolyse at different critical volumes, attained in different tonicities. This idea, originally due to Haden, can be made to explain quantitatively the differences in resistance which are observed in the case of the red cells of different mammals, and also to account for the frequency distribution of resistances found in the case of the different red cells of the same animal.
Technology in Support of Good Pedagogy: Electronic Response Systems and Peer Instruction in an Economics Classroom

College instructors and students participated in a pilot project at The University of Akron to enhance student learning through the use of a common teaching pedagogy, peer instruction. Peer instruction is a teaching pedagogy which can be used to engage students through activities that require each student to apply the core concepts being presented and then to explain these concepts to their fellow students. The teaching pedagogy was supported by the use of technology, an electronic response system, which recorded student responses. We report our experiences in using this technology enhanced teaching pedagogy and provide another example of an active and collaborative learning tool that instructors can use to move beyond chalk and talk. Preliminary results from student and instructor surveys are also reported.
THE INFLUENCE OF ANEMIA ON PHAGOCYTIC FUNCTIONS AND RESISTANCE TO INFECTION IN MICE

The increase in phagocytic function of neutrophiles of mice was measured during the progressive development of anemia due to blood loss. The animals were bled from the tail, 2 per cent of total body weight being removed twice weekly for nine bleedings. Phagocytosis was 161 per cent of normal at the end of this period, and the erythrocyte totals and hemoglobin values were approximately two thirds of normal. The anemic mice were infected intraperitoneally with a suspension of Salmonella typhimurium and their survival rate was compared with normal mice similarly infected. Twenty-eight of 63 anemic mice survived and 14 of 63 normal mice survived. In a second experiment, mice were subjected to bleeding every third day for nine bleedings, and were then infected along with a control group. One half of the anemic animals were bled for three additional bleedings after the infection. Two of 48 control animals survived, 5 of 47 anemic mice, additionally bled, survived, and 19 of 47 anemic mice, not bled after infection, survived. This suggests that the increase in phagocytosis that accompanies anemia may be, at least in part, responsible for the increased resistance to infection.
Anisotropy barrier reduction in fast-relaxing Mn 12 single-molecule magnets

An angle-swept high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) technique is described that facilitates efficient in situ alignment of single-crystal samples containing low-symmetry magnetic species such as single-molecule magnets (SMMs). This cavity-based technique involves recording HFEPR spectra at fixed frequency and field, while sweeping the applied field orientation. The method is applied to the study of a low-symmetry Jahn-Teller variant of the extensively studied spin $S=10$ ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$ SMMs (e.g., ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$-acetate). The low-symmetry complex also exhibits SMM behavior, but with a significantly reduced effective barrier to magnetization reversal $({U}_{\text{eff}}\ensuremath{\approx}43\text{ }\text{K})$ and, hence, faster relaxation at low temperature in comparison with the higher-symmetry species. ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$ complexes that crystallize in lower symmetry structures exhibit a tendency for one or more of the Jahn-Teller axes associated with the ${\text{Mn}}^{\text{III}}$ atoms to be abnormally oriented, which is believed to be the cause of the faster relaxation. An extensive multi-high-frequency angle-swept and field-swept electron paramagnetic resonance study of $[{\text{Mn}}_{12}{\text{O}}_{12}{({\text{O}}_{2}{\text{CCH}}_{2}{\text{Bu}}^{t})}_{16}{({\text{H}}_{2}\text{O})}_{4}]\ensuremath{\cdot}{\text{CH}}_{2}{\text{Cl}}_{2}\ensuremath{\cdot}{\text{MeNO}}_{2}$ is presented in order to examine the influence of the abnormally oriented Jahn-Teller axis on the effective barrier to magnetization reversal. The reduction in the axial anisotropy, $D$, is found to be insufficient to account for the nearly 40% reduction in ${U}_{\text{eff}}$. However, the reduced symmetry of the ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$ core gives rise to a very significant second-order transverse (rhombic) zero-field-splitting anisotropy, $E\ensuremath{\approx}D/6$. This, in turn, causes a significant mixing of spin projection states well below the top of the classical anisotropy barrier. Thus, magnetic quantum tunneling is the dominant factor contributing to the effective barrier reduction in fast relaxing ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$ SMMs.
PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETENCE AND CONTROL AND THE USE OF COPING STRATEGIES BY CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

This study examined the interaction between children's self-perceptions of competence, perceptions of control, and the use of effective coping strategies. Fifty-six children in grades 2–6, who were...
Suppression of Populations of Aphis gossypii and A. spiraecola by Soap Sprays

A specially formulated soap spray was effective for removal of Aphis gossypii Glover and A. spiraecola Patch on highway plantings of Pyracantha in California. Water alone produced a removal rate of 46–47% for both species, and a general pattern of increased removal rate with higher concentrations of the soap solution was noted. The maximum soap concentration tested, 0.1%, produced removal rates of 72 and 79% for A. spiraecola and A. gossypii , respectively.
Determination of nitrate and nitrite in cans and frozen food by ion chromatography

Objective:To study a method for determination of nitrate and nitrite in cans and frozen food by ion chromatography.Methods:Nitrate and nitrite were separated on the metrosep A Supp 5-250 column using a 1 mmol/L NaHCO3+3.2 mmol/L Na2CO3 solution,and detected using ion chromatography with conductivity detection.Results:The linear range of nitrate and nitrite was 0~1 mg/L and 0~100 mg/L.This method has a good linear relationship(r=1.00000 and r=0.99851).The RSD% of the samples were less than 2.6% and 0.42% respectively.The spike recovery rate in samples was 98.7%~102.1% and 100.3%~101.8%.Conclusion:The method is suitable for the analysis of nitrate and nitrite in spinach,frozen spinach,can of spinach,carrot,can of green soya bean,etc.The results are satisfactory.
Charge carrier effective mass and concentration derived from combination of Seebeck coefficient and Te 125 NMR measurements in complex tellurides

Thermoelectric materials utilize the Seebeck effect to convert heat to electrical energy. The Seebeck coefficient (thermopower), $S$, depends on the free (mobile) carrier concentration, $n$, and effective mass, ${m}^{*}$, as $S\ensuremath{\sim}{m}^{*}/{n}^{2/3}$. The carrier concentration in tellurides can be derived from $^{125}\mathrm{Te}$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin-lattice relaxation measurements. The NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, $1/{T}_{1}$, depends on both $n$ and ${m}^{*}$ as $1/{T}_{1}\ensuremath{\sim}{({m}^{*})}^{3/2}n$ (within classical Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics) or as $1/{T}_{1}\ensuremath{\sim}{({m}^{*})}^{2}{n}^{2/3}$ (within quantum Fermi-Dirac statistics), which challenges the correct determination of the carrier concentration in some materials by NMR. Here it is shown that the combination of the Seebeck coefficient and $^{125}\mathrm{Te}$ NMR spin-lattice relaxation measurements in complex tellurides provides a unique opportunity to derive the carrier effective mass and then to calculate the carrier concentration. This approach was used to study $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{g}}_{x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{G}{{\mathrm{e}}_{50\text{\ensuremath{-}}2}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{50}$, well-known GeTe-based high-efficiency tellurium-antimony-germanium-silver thermoelectric materials, where the replacement of Ge by [Ag+Sb] results in significant enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient. Values of both ${m}^{*}$ and $n$ derived using this combination show that the enhancement of thermopower can be attributed primarily to an increase of the carrier effective mass and partially to a decrease of the carrier concentration when the [Ag+Sb] content increases.
Cutaneous mucinosis of infancy

We present a case of a 4-year-old fair-skinned girl, with no significant medical history, who presented to the outpatient clinic of an academic medical center with an asymptomatic, flesh-colored, cobblestoned plaque on her lateral left thigh (Fig 1). Per the family's report, the lesion had grown significantly since it was first noticed 2 years ago, with current measurements of 7.5 cm by 6.5 cm at the time of clinical presentation. The patient denied pain, tenderness, or pruritus at the site, and there was no history of drainage or infection. Further interrogation found no family history of cutaneous malignancies and no history of trauma to the area. The clinical differential diagnosis included lymphangioma, granuloma annulare, and scleromyxedema. Fig 1 Flesh-colored cobblestone plaque seen on left thigh. Healing biopsy site is visible near the center of the lesion. An incisional biopsy of the lesion was performed after obtaining informed consent from the patient's mother. Sections showed increased mucin, highlighted by alcian blue stains, confined to the dermis. The subcutis was normal (Fig 2). There was no evidence of abnormal lymphatic pattern or interstitial histiocytes. A diagnosis of cutaneous mucinosis of infancy (CMI) was made. The patient and her family were assured of the benign nature of CMI. She will be monitored for any acute changes to the lesion, but she is not being treated with any pharmacologic intervention or further surgical action at this point. Fig 2 Sections show a subtle thickening of the reticular dermis with widening of the interstitial spaces, seen in low power (A) and high power (B). C, Alcian blue stains highlight the increased mucin.
The Invisible Schism: Teachers' and Administrators' Differing Perceptions of Education Reforms.

This study examined teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of education reforms, focusing on a state legislated education bill that altered teacher evaluations. A mixed-method design, including an electronic survey, was used to gather perceptions of Colorado Senate Bill 10-191: Great Teachers and Leaders Act from teachers and administrators in the Rockies School District (RSD), as well as these two groups’ general perceptions of teacher evaluations, education reforms, and change. Results revealed that teachers collectively hold similar views of education reforms, as do administrators; however, how each group perceives these elements of education policy and reform differs significantly. Both teachers and administrators believed that their groups see education reforms similarly, yet these groups had statistically significant differences on more than half of the survey questions. Qualitative data, in the form of open-ended responses to survey questions and semi-formal interviews, corroborated these findings. The two groups were unaware that their perceptions vary on critical issues related to the successful implementation of this education reform. This perception gap raises the questions of whether and how they can work together as reform implementation moves forward, and whether and how they can collectively support student learning as each group envisions, regardless of the policy itself.
Trends in Health Coverage for Part-Time Workers, 1999-2012

This paper reviews recent trends in coverage for workers by hours worked and firm size. It examines data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Current Population Survey. It examines trends in coverage for workers employed full time, 30-39 hours, and fewer than 30 hours. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) requires that employers with 50 or more full-time workers pay a penalty if they fail to provide health coverage to full-time workers in 2014. Although enforcement has been delayed by the Obama administration, it has raised concern that employers may respond by cutting back on health coverage for part-time workers or by increasing the proportion of part-time workers employed. The recent recession has already resulted in an increased use of part-time workers. However, since enactment of PPACA there has been a slight drop in the use of part-time workers. Part-time workers have experienced a much larger decline in coverage than full-time workers. While the recent erosion in coverage for workers employed 40 or more hours per week was stronger in small firms than in large firms, the opposite was true for workers employed less than 30 hours per week. Between 2008 and 2012, workers employed fewer than 30 hours in a small firm experienced an 11 percent decline in coverage while those in a large firm experienced a 15 percent decline. Among workers employed 30-39 hours per week, both those who worked for a large employer and those who worked for a small employer experienced a 9 percent decline in coverage between 2008 and 2012. Overall, those employed by a large firm were slightly more than twice as likely as those employed by a small firm to have coverage through their own job. In 2012, 45.1 percent of these workers employed by a large employer had coverage through their own job compared with 20.5 percent among workers employed by a small employer. While PPACA may affect whether part-time workers get coverage through their job, and employers may adjust the mix of full-time and part-time workers in the future, unemployment rates and the strength of the economy may play a larger role on workforce patterns than PPACA. The PDF for the above title, published in the May 2014 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another May 2014 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Take it or Leave it? The Disposition of DC Accounts: Who Rolls Over into an IRA? Who Leaves Money in the Plan and Who Withdraws Cash?”
The value of synthetic peptides as vaccines for eliciting T-cell immunity.

As our understanding of T-cell activation has increased at the molecular level, several investigators have begun to discuss the idea of using synthetic peptides as vaccines for inducing T-cell immunity (LERNER 1984; LAVER and AIR 1985). My view as to the value of such an approach is rather pessimistic. In this paper I will briefly outline our current understanding of antigen recognition by T cells and then discuss in detail what I see to be the major pitfalls in the peptide approach to Vaccine development. I do not mean to imply in this discussion that developing vaccines to induce T-cell immunity represents a fruitless endeavor. Rather, I wish to stress that the synthetic peptide approach may not be the most rational one to choose or the most cost-effective at the present time.
Role of the innate immune system and host-commensal mutualism.

Host organisms live in intimate contact with indigenous microflora. The interactions between the host and commensal microbiota are highly complex and heterogeneous. A growing body of evidence indicates that commensal symbionts provide many benefits to the host physiology, particularly in the gastrointestinal system. The molecularmechanisms of themutualistic interactions between the host and commensals are largely unknown but can be due either to bioactivity of the commensals or to the reaction of the host immune system to the commensal-derived products. Recent advances in our understanding of the innate immune system allow re-evaluation of some of the older findings regarding the mechanisms of benefits conferred by microflora. Here we review the examples of the benefits of host-commensal interactions that are due to recognition of commensal microbial products by the host innate immune system.
Determination of ethyl carbamate in distilled alcoholic beverages by gas chromatography with flame ionization or mass spectrometric detection

Quantitative methods are detailed for determination of ethyl carbamate in distilled alcoholic beverages by capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and by packed-column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using selected ion monitoring. Five g samples of distillate of known ethanol concentration are diluted with water to 25% ethanol (v/v), washed with petroleum ether, and extracted with dichloromethane prior to GC/FID or GC/MS analysis. As necessary, sample extracts that exhibit GC/FID interference are passed through alumina for additional cleanup. When internal standards (tert-butyl carbamate and n-butyl carbamate for GC/FID, or ethyl 13C-15N-carbamate for GC/MS) were used for quantitation, the limit of detection for ethyl carbamate was in the range of 5-25 ppb. Coefficients of variation ranged from 3.5 to 6.0% for GC/FID determinations, and from 1.4 to 3.2% for GC/MS. Correlation between methods for 22 random distillate samples ranging in concentration from approximately 40 to 800 ppb gave a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.996.
Effects of Turnaround Command (TAC) on SGLS C/No and SNR performance

Previous satellite telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) link analyses [Ref 1, 4] for Space Ground Link Subsystem (SGLS) considered C/No and SNR (or Eb/N0), without including the effects of command turnaround noises. This paper analyzes SGLS services that include the Turnaround Command (TAC) intermodulation (IM) noises in addition to the regular thermal noise. The SGLS pseudorandom noise (PRN) ranging signals use a 500 kHz clock, which is a component (C1) of 1 Mcps PRN long ranging codes (C1, x, a, b, and c codes). Satellite test data shows that running a PRN ranging test with a 500 kHz clock is an acceptable approximation for the PRN case. The difference between PRN and 500 kHz clock ranging is small (same residual carriers of C= −40 dBm for PRN and 500 kHz clock ranging in Figures 1 and 2). This paper shows that the TAC robs power from SGLS signals, degrading their C/No or SNR and link performances. Also test data (Figure 2) is used to show that the TAC IM noises are as predicted by theories in the Appendix, and that they will reduce SGLS C/No and degrade the carrier and ranging acquisition performances. Luckily these TAC IM noises will not affect carrier and ranging tracking performances or telemetry demodulation, because these IM noises are outside of the narrow tracking or detection bandwidths.
Protein Folding and Assembly

In order to carry out their biological functions, most polypeptide chains must fold into stable three-dimensional structures, for it is the precise spatial distribution of chemical groups within a protein that gives the molecule its ability to interact specifically with other molecules and, in the case of an enzyme, catalyze a chemical reaction. In many cases, individual polypeptide chains must also assemble into larger structures containing additional proteins or nucleic acids. The folding of many proteins is reversible, so that the native structure can be disrupted by a change in temperature or addition of a chemical denaturant, and the unfolded protein can then be induced to refold and assemble by returning it to physiological conditions. Experiments of this type demonstrate that the information specifying the native structure of a protein resides in its amino acid sequence, and in vitro studies have provided important insights into the energetic factors that drive folding and assembly and the kinetic mechanisms of these processes. Folding in vivo is often facilitated by transient interactions with other proteins, molecular chaperones. Folding may also compete with the formation of aberrant aggregates in vivo , sometimes leading to pathological conditions such as amyloid diseases.
Conceptualizing Service-Learning in Christian Higher Education

Christian higher education is charged with the distinct mission of integrating faith and learning, and course-based service-learning has been identified as a supportive platform for this undertakin...
Processing of novel pseudomorphic Cu–Mo hierarchies in thin films

A new processing route has been discovered through which far-from-equilibrium, metastable architectures with unprecedented properties are synthesized. This novel architecture contains many orders o...
Comorbid anxiety in bipolar CHOICE: Insights from the bipolar inventory of symptoms scale.

Abstract Background Approximately 86–89% of patients with BD have a comorbid anxiety disorder associated with poor quality of life and reduced likelihood of recovery from an acute mood episode. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence and impact of comorbid anxiety using the Bipolar Inventory of Symptoms Scale (BISS) in patients with BD who participated in a 6-month pragmatic trial. Methods Participants (N = 482) in the Bipolar Clinical Health Outcomes Initiative in Comparative Effectiveness (CHOICE) study were adults with BD I or II. Anxiety diagnoses were assessed with the MINI. Global illness severity was assessed using the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Version. Mood symptoms and anxiety severity were assessed using the BISS. Results 61% of the study sample met criteria for a current anxiety disorder. Patients with a higher BISS anxiety score at baseline had a higher overall BD illness severity, depressive severity, and manic episode severity (p Limitations Sample size limitations prevented an analysis of whether the BISS cutoff score of 10 performed differently across varied anxiety disorders. Conclusions Given its ability to identify patients with co-occurring anxiety, the BISS anxiety subscale shows clinical utility as a screening measure though its application as a clinical assessment measure may not be advisable.
Literary and Rhetorical Theory in Irenaeus, Part 2

In his well-known Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church Manlio Simonetti asserted that Irenaeus of Lyons was unable to offer principled opposition to Gnostic allegorical interpretations of the Scriptures and, therefore, resorted to the authority of tradition. Such a reading not only overlooks the hermeneutical principles upon which Irenaeus founds his polemic against Gnostic interpretations, but fails to recognize the theory undergirding those principles. This article, the second of a two-part study, offers a new reading. I argue that Irenaeus opposes Gnostic interpretations of Scripture, including their allegorical readings (broadly conceived), by articulating and applying hermeneutical principles that draw upon ancient literary and rhetorical theory.
Social Disorganization Theory: Past, Present and Future

Social disorganization theory is one of the most popular theories researchers employ to understand the spatial distribution of crime across communities. In this chapter, we outline the theory’s historical trajectory, discuss its main arguments, and present key findings about neighborhoods and crime from the literature. We also summarize the theory’s thorniest substantive and methodological issues, which include testing mediating concepts like informal social control and defining a neighborhood unit. Finally, we introduce newer challenges facing the theory including theorizing the role of neighborhood subculture and understanding how immigration impacts community crime rates in the context of current immigration patterns in the U.S. In the conclusion we encourage researchers to consider innovative methods and data sources in future tests of social disorganization theory.
Predicting risk for Alcohol Use Disorder using longitudinal data with multimodal biomarkers and family history: a machine learning study.

Predictive models have succeeded in distinguishing between individuals with Alcohol use Disorder (AUD) and controls. However, predictive models identifying who is prone to develop AUD and the biomarkers indicating a predisposition to AUD are still unclear. Our sample (n = 656) included offspring and non-offspring of European American (EA) and African American (AA) ancestry from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) who were recruited as early as age 12 and were unaffected at first assessment and reassessed years later as AUD (DSM-5) (n = 328) or unaffected (n = 328). Machine learning analysis was performed for 220 EEG measures, 149 alcohol-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a recent large Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) of alcohol use/misuse and two family history (mother DSM-5 AUD and father DSM-5 AUD) features using supervised, Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to test which features assessed before developing AUD predict those who go on to develop AUD. Age, gender, and ancestry stratified analyses were performed. Results indicate significant and higher accuracy rates for the AA compared with the EA prediction models and a higher model accuracy trend among females compared with males for both ancestries. Combined EEG and SNP features model outperformed models based on only EEG features or only SNP features for both EA and AA samples. This multidimensional superiority was confirmed in a follow-up analysis in the AA age groups (12–15, 16–19, 20–30) and EA age group (16–19). In both ancestry samples, the youngest age group achieved higher accuracy score than the two other older age groups. Maternal AUD increased the model’s accuracy in both ancestries’ samples. Several discriminative EEG measures and SNPs features were identified, including lower posterior gamma, higher slow wave connectivity (delta, theta, alpha), higher frontal gamma ratio, higher beta correlation in the parietal area, and 5 SNPs: rs4780836, rs2605140, rs11690265, rs692854, and rs13380649. Results highlight the significance of sampling uniformity followed by stratified (e.g., ancestry, gender, developmental period) analysis, and wider selection of features, to generate better prediction scores allowing a more accurate estimation of AUD development.
Toward Preventing Enamel Hypoplasia: Modeling Maternal and Neonatal Biomarkers of Human Calcium Homeostasis.

Aim The aim of this study was to assess biomarkers of calcium homeostasis and tooth development, in mothers during pregnancy and their children at birth, for enamel hypoplasia (EH) in the primary maxillary central incisor teeth. Methods Bayesian methodology was used for secondary data analyses from a randomized, controlled trial of prenatal vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy mothers (N = 350) and a follow-up study of a subset of the children. The biomarkers were serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), total circulating 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). The maternal biomarkers were assayed monthly during pregnancy, and the child's biomarkers were derived from cord blood. Digital images of the child's 2 teeth were scored for EH using Enamel Defects Index criteria for each of the incisal, middle, and cervical regions for an EH extent score. Results The child EH prevalence was 41% (60/145), with most defects present in the incisal and middle tooth regions. Cord blood iPTH and 1,25(OH)2D levels were significantly associated with EH extent after controlling for maternal factors. For every 1 pg/mL increase in cord blood iPTH, the EH extent decreased by approximately 6%. For every 10 pg/mL increase in cord blood 1,25(OH)2D, the EH extent increased by almost 30% (holding all other terms constant and adjusting for subject-level heterogeneity). The relationship between maternal 25(OH)D and maternal mean iPTH varied significantly by EH extent. Conclusion The results suggest possible modifiable relationships of maternal and neonatal factors of calcium homeostasis during pregnancy and at birth for EH, contributing to the frontier of knowledge regarding sound tooth development for dental caries prevention.
Eyes wide open minds shut best identify disorders of arousal in adult sleepwalkers.

CITATIONGrigg-Damberger M, Foldvary-Schaefer N. Eyes wide open minds shut best identify disorders of arousal in adult sleepwalkers. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(1):7–8.
Dying concerns in young parents with advanced cancer (PWAC): A scoping review

Background Advanced cancer in young parents (PWAC) can increase dying concerns, the fluctuating thoughts, or feelings, conscious, or unconscious, about an approaching death by a person facing a terminal illness or a family member coping with the impending death of a loved one. However, limited research has been conducted to identify dying concerns in an ill parent as the research has focused on older adults. Objective Our goal was to identify dying concerns that PWAC are expressing and to understand how these concerns affect measurable outcomes. Method CINHAL, MEDLINE, PsychARTICLES, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched. Articles included were samples of PWAC, peer-reviewed, and published within the last 10 years. Elderly or pediatric populations, PWAC with adult children, and early-stage cancer were excluded. The initial search resulted in 1,526 articles, 18 were identified as potentially relevant. Fourteen articles were identified and reviewed. Results PWAC expressed concerns for their children (n = 11), concerns for their co-parent (n = 4), and personal concerns (n = 11). Additionally, PWAC have decreased quality of life, have significant emotional and psychological distress, and have increased family dysfunction in relation to their concerns. Samples limit the generalizability of the findings. Majority of the articles consisted of White, upper, middle-class (n = 8) women (n = 7) diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 11) within nuclear families (n = 11). Significance of results Dying concerns are described in the literature from a fairly narrow sample of PWAC. Future research should focus on recruiting participants from diverse backgrounds, genders, diagnosis types, and non-nuclear families. Identifying concerns for the co-parent would also add to the understanding of dying concerns.
Critical Finding of Wellens' Syndrome in a Patient who Presented With a Fibular Fracture.

Diagnosing myocardial infarction is not always straightforward; there are many insidious presentations that can be overlooked resulting in deadly consequences. We present a 76-year-old male who came to the ED complaining of right ankle pain. A routine electrocardiogram (ECG) done was noted to have biphasic T waves in leads V2 and V3 which was characteristic of Wellens' syndrome. Subsequent workup showed an increase in troponin T levels in a chest pain-free setting. The patient underwent urgent cardiac catheterization which showed significant triple vessel coronary artery disease, with 90% proximal occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, eventually requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Timely diagnosis and management prevented serious consequences of his underlying severe coronary artery disease.
Magnetoconvection: by N.O. Weiss and M.R.E. Proctor, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, October 2014, Part of Cambridge Monographs on Mechanics, 432pp., £75.00 (hardback), ISBN 9780521190558.

Thermal convection in an electrically conducting fluid with an imposed magnetic field, or magnetoconvection, provides a remarkable pallet of dynamical behaviour. The authors Weiss and Proctor are m...
COVID-19: Counseling With Bereaved Parents

In an era with death from COVID-19 increasing daily, this article emphasizes grief and loss issues of which the family counselor should be aware. Specifically, this article focuses on the needs for...
A targeted approach to phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin-induced hyperglycemia

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway inhibitors are a novel class of antineoplastic agent available for the treatment of various cancers. With improved cancer outcomes and survival, individuals are exposed to these antineoplastic therapies for longer periods of time and therefore, the consideration of adverse effects is of increasing importance. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway plays a critical role in regulating cellular processes such as growth and proliferation, but also regulates the metabolic effects of insulin such as glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis. Therefore, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance are frequently reported adverse effects. There are no recent consensus guidelines on the management of hyperglycemia secondary to PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors, with the latest guidelines produced in 2012 - when many of these agents were still undergoing development. As we now have a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms and patterns in which hyperglycemia is induced and access to an increasing array of glucose-lowering agents, an update of the previous guidelines accommodating these understandings and developments is timely. This review will provide a comprehensive summary of the current literature with regards to the incidence of hyperglycemia associated with each agent, as well as the different pathways and mechanisms in which hyperglycemia is induced. Our proposed up-to-date strategy for the specific management of PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitor-induced hyperglycemia will also aim to facilitate management of this complex oncological population.
Opioid use after endoscopic skull base surgery: A descriptive, prospective, longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND Opioid abuse is a public health crisis and the perioperative period can be a time of first opioid exposure. Little is known about postoperative pain management after endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS). METHODS This investigation was a single-institution, longitudinal, prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing ESBS between November 2019 and March 2020. Participants completed preoperative questionnaires and were contacted every 48 hours postoperatively to quantify pain and opioid consumption. RESULTS A total of 33 patients were enrolled and 28 of 33 patients (85%) underwent ESBS for sellar pathology. Mean total morphine milligram equivalents (MME) consumed was 381.9 ± 476.0. History of a headache disorder (p = 0.025) and previous opioid use within 60 days preoperatively (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with greater opioid use. Mean duration of opioid use was 6.7 ± 5.1 (range, 0-20) days. Headache disorder (p = 0.01), depression (p = 0.03), anxiety (p = 0.03), age ≤46 years (p = 0.029), and previous opioid use (p = 0.008) were all associated with longer mean opioid use. Patients with headache disorder also reported higher mean postoperative pain scores. Fewer than half of the participants required opioids by postoperative day 8. Prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at discharge was significantly associated with less outpatient opioid use (p = 0.032). At 2-month follow-up, 37% of patients reported keeping excess opioids. CONCLUSION After ESBS, greater total opioid use was significantly associated with history of headaches and previous opioid use within 60 days. Overall, opioid use declined among all patients in the postoperative period, but several factors may contribute to longer duration of use.
How does host social behavior drive parasite non-selective evolution from the within-host to the landscape-scale?

Social interactions with conspecifics are key to the fitness of most animals and, through the transmission opportunities they provide, are also key to the fitness of their parasites. As a result, research to date has largely focused on the role of host social behavior in imposing selection on parasites, particularly their virulence and transmission phenotypes. However, host social behavior also influences the distribution of parasites among hosts, with implications for their evolution through non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift, and thus ability to respond to that selection. Here, we review the paucity of empirical studies on parasites, and draw from empirical studies of free-living organisms and population genetic theory to propose several mechanisms by which host social behavior potentially drives parasite evolution through these less-well studied mechanisms. We focus on the guppy host and Gyrodactylus (Monogenea) ectoparasitic flatworm system and follow a spatially hierarchical outline to highlight that social behavior varies between individuals, and between host populations across the landscape, generating a mosaic of ecological and evolutionary outcomes for their infecting parasites. We argue that the guppy-Gyrodactylus system presents a unique opportunity to address this fundamental knowledge gap in our understanding of the connection between host social behavior and parasite evolution. Individual differences in host social behavior generates fine-scale changes in the spatial distribution of parasite genotypes, shape the size, and diversity of their infecting parasite populations and may generate non-random mating on, and non-random transmission between hosts. While at population and metapopulation level, variation in host social behavior interacts with landscape structure to affect parasite gene flow, effective population size, and genetic drift to alter the coevolutionary potential of local adaptation. Social interactions between animals shape the evolution of the pathogens that infect them. Most research exploring this phenomenon has focused on the selection such interactions impose, but social hosts also shape parasite evolution by determining the ability of their parasites to respond to that selection. Here, we explore how host social behavior drives parasite evolution by shaping non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift, from the scale of the individual to the landscape. The relative strength of these evolutionary mechanisms can have striking implications for the evolution of parasite traits such as virulence and alter the evolutionary trajectories of populations across the landscape. We emphasize the importance of studies combining parasite population genetics, host social behavior, and landscape processes to illuminate complex host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics.
Beyond Error: The Language of Coordination and Stability

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the language of coordination and stability. The chapter begins with the assumption that the problem of adaptation and breakdown in complex socio-technical systems is not one of identifying the causes of errors, but rather of understanding the constraints on coordination and stability. It is important to use control theory, which can provide a useful framework. The value of this framework will depend on the precision and consistency in the use of the concepts. Noise from the perspective of regulation is information from the perspective of observation. Each perspective reveals a piece of the overall puzzle, but no perspective is complete. Some distinctions within the control theory framework are useful in addressing the problem of coordination. The search for the cause of errors in complex socio-technical systems will always lead to an infinite regress into a bottomless and turbulent sea. The language of control theory offers a more global perspective. Complex systems cannot be engineered so that error is eliminated but perhaps they can be engineered in a way that promotes and facilitates coordination.
Isoform-specific dynamic translocation of PKC by α1-adrenoceptor stimulation in live cells.

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays key roles in the regulation of signal transduction and cellular function in various cell types. At least ten PKC isoforms have been identified and intracellular localization and trafficking of these individual isoforms are important for regulation of enzyme activity and substrate specificity. PKC can be activated downstream of Gq-protein coupled receptor (GqPCR) signaling and translocate to various cellular compartments including plasma membrane (PM). Recent reports suggested that different types of GqPCRs would activate different PKC isoforms (classic, novel and atypical PKCs) with different trafficking patterns. However, the knowledge of isoform-specific activation of PKC by each GqPCR is limited. α1-Adrenoceptor (α1-AR) is one of the GqPCRs highly expressed in the cardiovascular system. In this study, we examined the isoform-specific dynamic translocation of PKC in living HEK293T cells by α1-AR stimulation (α1-ARS). Rat PKCα, βI, βII, δ, e and ζ fused with GFP at C-term were co-transfected with human α1A-AR into HEK293T cells. The isoform-specific dynamic translocation of PKC in living HEK293T cells by α1-ARS using phenylephrine was measured by confocal microscopy. Before stimulation, GFP-PKCs were localized at cytosolic region. α1-ARS strongly and rapidly translocated a classical PKC (cPKC), PKCα, (<30 s) to PM, with PKCα returning diffusively into the cytosol within 5 min. α1-ARS rapidly translocated other cPKCs, PKCβI and PKCβII, to the PM (<30 s), with sustained membrane localization. One novel PKC (nPKC), PKCe, but not another nPKC, PKCδ, was translocated by α1-AR stimulation to the PM (<30 s) and its membrane localization was also sustained. Finally, α1-AR stimulation did not cause a diacylglycerol-insensitive atypical PKC, PKCζ translocation. Our data suggest that PKCα, β and e activation may underlie physiological and pathophysiological responses of α1-AR signaling for the phosphorylation of membrane-associated substrates including ion-channel and transporter proteins in the cardiovascular system.