cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cloud droplet sedimentation, entrainment efficiency, and subtropical stratocumulus albedo

[1] The effect of cloud droplet sedimentation on the entrainment rate and liquid water path of a nocturnal nondrizzling stratocumulus layer is examined using large-eddy simulations (LES) with bulk microphysics. In agreement with a prior study by Ackerman et al. (2004), sedimentation is found to decrease entrainment rate and thereby increase liquid water path. They suggested this is due to reduction of boundary-layer turbulence. Our simulations suggest otherwise. Instead, sedimentation reduces entrainment by removing liquid water from the entrainment zone. This inhibits two mechanisms that promote the sinking of entrained air into the cloud layer–entrainment-induced evaporative cooling and longwave radiative cooling. A sensitivity study shows that the radiative effect is less important than the reduced evaporation. A possible parameterization of the effect of sedimentation on entrainment rate in a mixed layer model is proposed and tested. Since the droplet sedimentation rate is inversely related to cloud droplet (and presumably aerosol) concentration and nearly nondrizzling marine stratocumulus are widespread, sedimentation impacts on stratocumulus entrainment efficiency should be considered in climate model simulations of the aerosol indirect effect.
Conversion of nucleoside to sedoheptulose monophosphate by rat liver.

SUMMARY A system is described for the formation of sedoheptulose mono- phosphate from adenosine by supernatant solution of rat liver homogenate. The product was identified as sedoheptulose phos- phate after sedoheptulose (as sedoheptulosan) was isolated fol- lowing hydrolysis with phosphatase. Its resistance to the ac- 1. 2. 3. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. tion of muscle aldolase strongly suggests a monophosphate ester probably at position 7. Its chemical and physical properties matched those of authentic sedoheptulosan monohydrate. The relative ability of rat tissues to accomplish this transformation is as follows: lung, spleen, kidney, liver, heart, brain, and blood he- molysates. Purine nucleosides were better substrates than pyrimidine nucleosides. Optimal conditions of pH, concentra- tion of substrate, phosphate, and enzyme have been studied. Heavy metals, glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, iodoacetate, and deoxynucleosides are strong inhibitors of this system. Two striking features of the nucleoside-sedoheptulose mono- phosphate transformation were its dependence and the apparent utilization of only 1 pentose molecule for each mole- cule of sedoheptulose monophosphate formed. REFERENCES
Submodular game for distributed application allocation in shared sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are evolving from single-application platforms towards an integrated infrastructure shared by multiple applications. Given the resource constraints of sensor nodes, it is important to optimize the allocation of applications to maximize the overall Quality of Monitoring (QoM). Recent solutions to this challenging application allocation problem are centralized in nature, limiting their scalability and robustness against network failures and dynamics. This paper presents a distributed game-theoretic approach to application allocation in shared sensor networks. We first transform the optimal application allocation problem to a submodular game and then develop a decentralized algorithm that only employs localized interactions among neighboring nodes. We prove that the network can converge to a pure strategy Nash equilibrium with an approximation bound of 1=2. Simulations based on three real-world datasets demonstrate that our algorithm is competitive against a state-of-the-art centralized algorithm in terms of QoM.
A least squares approach for the joint domain and range registration of images

An approach for jointly registering images in domain and range using a least squares formalism is presented. This joint approach is in contrast to almost all current registration methods that only register images with respect to their domains and neglect accounting for exposure differences between images. The inclusion of range into the registration process is accomplished by approximating the camera's nonlinear comparametric function with a piecewise linear one. This results in a computationally attractive least squares approach to an otherwise inherently nonlinear optimization problem. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated.
Transparency and Price Formation

We study the role that price transparency plays in determining the efficiency and surplus division in a sequential bargaining model of price formation with asymmetric information. Under natural assumptions on type distributions and for any discount factor, we show that the unobservability of past negotiations leads to lower prices and faster trading. Unobservability, therefore, enhances the “Coasian effect” by fostering efficiency and diverting more of the surplus to the player who possesses private information. In addition, we show that the equilibrium is unique and is in pure strategies in the nontransparent regime; this stands in sharp contrast to the existing literature and allows for a better understanding of the Coasian effect and price observability.
Predictive Value of the Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS)

Objective To examine the predictive validity of measures of neurobehavioral change derived from the Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS) for predicting return to consciousness 4, 8, and 12 months after severe brain injury (BI). Design Prospective observational predictive validity study Setting Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and postrehabilitation residence Participants A total of 113 persons with a mean age of 38 ± 17.8 years who were unconscious for >28 days consecutively after severe BI; 73% (83/113) with traumatic BI and 27% (30/113) with other BI. Independent Variables Baseline DOCS, DOCS average, change from baseline DOCS to subsequent DOCS (DOCS2, DOCS3, DOCS4, DOCS5, DOCS6), and injury type (traumatic BI vs. other BI) Main Outcome Measure Time to consciousness at 4, 8, and 12 months after injury Results When controlling for injury type, the DOCS average as well as DOCS change between the first and second DOCS (DOCS1-2), first and fifth DOCS (DOCS1-5) and first and last DOCS (DOCStotalchg) significantly ( P ≤ .05) contributed to predicting recovery and lack of recovery of consciousness at 4, 8, and/or 12 months after injury. DOCS1-5 manifested the most balanced accuracy in predictions, where predicting recovery of consciousness is accurate 87% of the time and predicting lack of recovery of consciousness is accurate 88% of the time. Conclusion For persons with prolonged disorders of consciousness, the findings indicate that evidence-based prognostication for individual patients is possible. The implications for research are that the DOCS can be used as a meaningful, reliable, and valid primary outcome to measure treatment effects in clinical trials. The evidence indicates further that DOCS measures merit inclusion in future research that aims to develop multivariate prognostication models.
Balls Hierarchy: A Proximity Query for Metric Spaces and Covering Theorem

In recent years, considerable advances have been made in the field of storing and processing moving data points. Data structures that discretely update moving objects or points are called Kinetic Data Structures. A particular type of data structure that constructs geometric spanner for moving point sets is called Deformable Spanner. This paper explores the underlying philosophy of deformable spanner and describes its rudiments. Deformable Spanners create a multi-resolution hierarchical subgraph that reflects a great deal about the original graph while maintaining all the existing proximity information in the graph. This proximity information plays a crucial role in wide variety of application areas, such as fast similarity queries in metric spaces, clustering in both dynamic and static multidimensional data, and cartographic representation of the complex networks. The motivation behind our work is twofold: first, to provide comprehensive understanding of the deformable spanner with sample illustrations without sacrificing depth of coverage; second, to analyze and improve deformable spanner’s covering property for 2D case in Euclidean space.
Competition in Salaries, Credentials, and Signaling Prerequisites for Jobs

I. Introduction, 51. — II. The choice of behavioral hypothesis, 53. — III. Assumptions, 54. — IV. Analysis of equilibria, 55. — V. Comparison with the passive-response equilibria, 63. — VI. Specialized firms, 63. — VII. Equilibria with complementary factors, 66. — VIII. Concluding remarks, 72. — Appendix A: Summary of the passive-response model, 73. — Appendix B: The elimination of dominated, passive equilibria, 73.
Arthrofibrosis involving the middle facet of the talocalcaneal joint in children and adolescents.

Background: Pain over the anterolateral aspect of the ankle in a patient with a history of repeated ankle sprains and with restricted subtalar movement may be associated with a tarsal coalition. Nineteen patients presented with such a history, but conventional imaging did not reveal a cartilaginous or osseous coalition. Since symptoms persisted despite nonoperative treatment, the middle facet was explored surgically. The purpose of this study was to discuss the operative findings and to report the results of treatment. Methods: Nineteen patients (twenty-three feet) with pain over the anterolateral aspect of the ankle or a history of repeated ankle sprains had restricted subtalar joint motion and inconclusive findings on diagnostic imaging, except for bone-scanning. Their ages ranged from 9.1 to 18.5 years. The middle facet of the subtalar joint was explored surgically through a 3 to 4-cm-long incision centered over the sustentaculum tali. The results at a mean of 5.8 years were classified as good, fair, or poor on the basis of pain, talocalcaneal joint motion, and shoe wear. Results: Routine radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed no major abnormality, whereas technetium-99m bone scintigraphy consistently showed slightly increased isotope uptake in the middle facet. Surgical removal of a hypervascular and thickened capsule and synovium in the area of the middle facet of the subtalar joint decreased pain and improved subtalar motion. The final result was good in seventeen patients (twenty feet) and fair in two patients (three feet). There were no poor results. Conclusions: A diagnosis of inflammatory arthrofibrosis should be considered when a patient with a painful rigid flatfoot has normal findings on radiographs and hematological studies but increased isotope uptake in the middle facet of the talocalcaneal joint on bone scintigraphy. Excision of the hypervascular capsule and synovium from this area can result in resolution of the symptoms. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Multiple trains of same-color surface-plasmon-polaritons guided by the planar interface of a metal and a sculptured nematic thin film. Part VI: Spin and orbital angular momentums

The spin and the orbital parts of the angular momentum of multiple surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves guided by the planar interface of a metal and a periodically nonhomogeneous sculptured nematic thin film (SNTF) were theoretically investigated. Both the Minkowski and Abraham formulations of angular momentum were considered. Multiple SPP waves guided by the metal/SNTF interface propagating along a direction that does not lie wholly in the morphologically significant plane of the SNTF were found to have different magnitudes and directions of the spin and the orbital parts of the angular momentum. The spin angular momentum is oriented in a variety of directions, but the orbital angular momentum is perpendicular to the direction of propagation and lies in the interface plane. Not only does the periodic nonhomogeneity of the partnering dielectric material engender a multiplicity of SPP waves, but also it can enhance the magnitudes of the spin and orbital parts of their angular momentums.
A review of supportive care and recommended preventive approaches for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent type of adult leukemia encountered in the western world. Patients with CLL are typically older, with a median age in the 70s, and are at risk for certain complications due to the disease itself and due to the therapies imparted for this. Patients with CLL are at a higher risk of infections, partly due to disease and partly due to the immune dysfunction induced by treatment, such as purine analogous-based chemoimmunotherapy, which leads to lymphocyte depletion. Infections are a leading cause of complications and death in CLL patients. Also, CLL patients have been shown to have a higher incidence of other malignancies. Despite this knowledge, there are no definite guidelines as to what is the best approach to manage or prevent these associated complications of CLL. In this review, the authors discuss the data available and outline recommendations as to the best way to approach this issue in daily practice.
“Ravishing Odors of Paradise”: Jesuits, Olfaction, and Seventeenth-Century North America

In seventeenth-century North America, efforts at cultural accommodation through similarities in olfactory inclusive spiritual sensoriums helped to create cross-cultural concordance between Jesuit Fathers and Native Americans in New France, the St. Lawrence Valley, and the Pays d'en Haut. Jesuits engaged Native Americans towards Catholic conversion by using scentful tactics and sensory rhetoric. Jesuits increased their own respect for the olfactory during their North American encounters due to a siege mentality born of the Counter-Reformation and from a forcefully influential Native American respect for multisensory forms of environmental and spiritual literacy which included a heightened reverence for odors.
Non-Ataxic Symptoms Contribute to Gait Dysfunction in Spinocerebellar Ataxias (PD2.009)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence and magnitude of non-ataxia neurologic symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) and their contribution to gait dysfunction. BACKGROUND: SCAs are complex and heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases. While SCAs are characterized by ataxia, they also include non-ataxic symptoms. The presence and magnitude of these symptoms, and the degree to which non-ataxic symptoms contribute to gait dysfunction in SCAs, are not well known. DESIGN/METHODS: 26 patients with SCA were rated using the SARA (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia), and received general neurological examinations from movement disorders and neuromuscular experts. Eighteen patients received nerve conduction studies (NCS). No patients were diabetic or abused alcohol, and there were no known patients with vitamin deficiencies or comorbid conditions that would cause gait dysfunction. RESULTS: Diagnoses of participants were as follows: SCA1=1, SCA2=2, SCA3=5, SCA6=2, SCA7=1, SCA13=1, SCA14=1; sporadic SCA=13. Moderate impairment was noted with gait and balance (=9.90 (3% of maximum possible), speech (=1.46 (37% of maximum possible), limb coordination (=10.44 (39% of maximum possible) and spasticity (=1.92 (24% of maximum possible). Mild to moderate lower limb spasticity was noted in 81% of patients. Decreased lower limb vibratory sensation was noted in 58% (15 of 26) of patients. NCS was suggestive or showed evidence of peripheral neuropathy in the vast majority of these patients (83%). Thirty percent of patients had mild lower extremity weakness. Worsening symptoms of spasticity, weakness, vibratory and position sense, and pin sensibility were strongly correlated with higher 259 walk times (r=0.57) and the SARA total score (r=0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Non-ataxia symptoms, including spasticity, sensory,and motor dysfunction contribute to gait dysfunction in SCAs. Patients should be assessed in a systematic fashion to identify these symptoms. Further research is needed to determine the impact of treating non-ataxic symptoms on the overall function of patients with ataxia. Disclosure: Dr. Vu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sullivan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shaw has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jahan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Allison has nothing to disclose. Dr. Staffetti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gooch has received personal compensation for activities with NeuralStem, and Baxter Pharmaceuticas. Dr. Gooch has received research support from Baxter Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Greenstein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zesiewicz has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, GE, ProCE, and UCB Pharma as a speaker. Dr. Zesiewicz has received research support from Friedreich9s Ataxia Research Alliance, Allon Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. and UCB Pharma. Dr. Zesiewicz has received research support from Friedreich9s Ataxia Research Alliance.
Graduate study in hospitality management in the United States: master of science programs

ABSTRACTAs the higher education sector of hospitality management continues its growth in the United States, there has been an increasing need to fortify the foundation of information on master’s programs. Gaps in knowledge regarding institutional characteristics, admission requirements, degree requirements, and identity of the hospitality core curriculum have been identified through reviews of existing literature. This study focused on gathering objective, secondary data to fill those gaps and provide descriptive information that will be useful for program administrators, faculty, and prospective graduate students in the United States. The results of the study indicate a lack of strong identity in the hospitality curriculum and diverse options for students regarding degree requirements.
Crosslinking-Mass Spectrometry of Targeted Single Cys Mutants to Refine Allostery and Model Building in the Glycine Receptor

Studies regarding glycine receptor (GlyR) allostery can help provide insight into receptor function and allow us to develop novel therapeutics to modulate its activity. To conduct these studies, single active thiols are introduced into a Cys null background (C41S/C290A/C345S) or in the same background with a double mutation (F207G/A288G) that causes GlyR to be activated in a non-desensitizing manner to ivermectin (IVM). The crosslinker, MTS-Benzophenone, is attached via disulfide linkage to a single active Cys and the receptor is enriched in an allosteric state, resting (no ligand), desensitized (excess glycine) or open (F207G/A288G + ivermectin), before photoactivation and generation of non-specific crosslinks that examine the local topography near the sites of attachment. The crosslinked peptides, generated by trypsin digestion of monomeric and oligomeric bands, are analyzed using crosslinking mass spectrometry (CX-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) to sensitively identify sites of intra- and intermolecular crosslinking, respectively. In this study, we examine the network of interactions generated by three mutations, introduced singly at A41C, H419C or M287C in the resting, open and desensitized states. Recent studies using M287C, a position near the top of TM3, potentially provides information on how this helix moves and how the membrane regions are involved in the opening and closing of the channel.
Midostaurin approved for FLT3-mutated AML

Midostaurin was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of FLT3-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is the first drug to receive regulatory approval for AML in the United States since the year 2000. Midostaurin is a small-molecule kinase inhibitor with activity against the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3, and its approval will hopefully mark the beginning of an era of targeted agents for the treatment of molecularly defined subtypes of AML.
The Defect Performance of UO2-PuO2 Thermal Reactor Fuel

The defect performance of Zircaloy-clad mixed-oxide fuel operating in a pressurized-water environment was studied from the standpoint of fission product activity release to the coolant and the effe...
Individual fluid plans versus ad libitum on hydration status in minor professional ice hockey players

Despite exercising in cool environments, ice hockey players exhibit several dehydration risk factors. Individualized fluid plans (IFPs) are designed to mitigate dehydration by matching an individual’s sweat loss in order to optimize physiological systems and performance. A randomized control trial was used to examine IFP versus ad libitum fluid ingestion on hydration in 11 male minor professional ice hockey players (mean age = 24.4 ± 2.6 years, height = 183.0 ± 4.6 cm, weight = 92.9 ± 7.8 kg). Following baseline measures over 2 practices, participants were randomly assigned to either control (CON) or intervention (INT) for 10 additional practices. CON participants were provided water and/or carbohydrate electrolyte beverage to drink ad libitum. INT participants were instructed to consume water and an electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate electrolyte beverage to match sweat and sodium losses. Urine specific gravity, urine color, and percent body mass change characterized hydration status. Total fluid consumed during practice was assessed. INT consumed significantly more fluid than CON (1180.8 ± 579.0 ml vs. 788.6 ± 399.7 ml, p = 0.002). However, CON participants replaced only 25.4 ± 12.9% of their fluid needs and INT 35.8 ± 17.5%. Mean percent body mass loss was not significantly different between groups and overall indicated minimal dehydration (<1.2% loss). Pre-practice urine specific gravity indicated CON and INT began hypohydrated (mean = 1.024 ± 0.007 and 1.024 ± 0.006, respectively) and experienced dehydration during practice (post = 1.026 ± 0.006 and 1.027 ± 0.005, respectively, p < 0.001). Urine color increased pre- to post-practice for CON (5 ± 2 to 6 ± 1, p < 0.001) and INT (5 ± 1 to 6 ± 1, p < 0.001). Participants consistently reported to practice hypohydrated. Ad libitum fluid intake was not significantly different than IFP on hydration status. Based on urine measures, both methods were unsuccessful in preventing dehydration during practice, suggesting practice-only hydration is inadequate to maintain euhydration in this population when beginning hypohydrated.
Exploring the influence of flow and psychological ownership on security education, training and awareness effectiveness and security compliance

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of flow and psychological ownership on security education, training, and awareness (SETA) effectiveness, self-efficacy, and security compliance intention. The important role of experiencing flow in SETA is presented as focal antecedents of psychological ownership, self-efficacy, SETA effectiveness, and security compliance intention. To achieve these goals, we propose a theoretical framework and analyze survey data to test the hypotheses. Flow components in SETA are extended to include challenge, feedback, autonomy, immersion, and social interaction. The results illustrate that experiencing flow in SETA shows significant relationships with SETA effectiveness and psychological ownership, which in turn positively influence security compliance intention. Appropriate theoretical contributions and managerial implications are also discussed.
The Gulf and the Horn: Changing Geographies of Security Interdependence and Competing Visions of Regional Order

The historical proximity between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa has in recent years been increasingly experienced as a relationship of growing insecurity. Gulf States have rapidly exp...
Children, Adolescents, and HIV: Ethical Issues

Ethical-legal concerns that are encountered with regard to HIV/AIDS include duty to treat, confidentiality and the right to privacy, informed consent, duty to warn, and duty to know. Ethical issues around infants and HIV/AIDS include prenatal screening for HIV, counseling regarding termination of pregnancy, HIV screening of newborns, HIV status at birth, and infants who develop AIDS. Issues for children and adolescents include providing appropriate care to those with severe chronic or terminal illness, dealing with when and how to disclose diagnosis, attendance in school, treatment in hospitals, HIV testing, and needs for comprehensive care. Ethical questions also come up in relation to research and prevention.
The Sun under a microscope.

Fine details of the filamentary structure of sunspots are revealed in new observations. These high-resolution measurements herald the quality of data to be expected from a new generation of solar telescopes.
A method for online analysis of structured processes using bayesian filters and echo state networks

We propose a Bayesian filtering framework for online analysis of visual structured processes, which can be combined with the Echo State Network (ESN) to capture prior information. With the proposed method we mitigate the effective Markovian Behavior of the ESN. We are able to keep a set of hypotheses about the entire history of behaviors and to evaluate them online based on new observations. The performance is evaluated under two complex visual behavior understanding scenarios using public datasets: a visual process for a kitchen table preparation and a real life manufacturing process.
On-line training of memory-driven attractor networks

A rigorous mathematical analysis is presented of a class of continuous networks having rather arbitrary activation dynamics, with input patterns classified by attractors by a special training scheme. Memory adapts continually, whether or not a training signal is present. It is shown that consistent input-output pairs can be learned perfectly provided every pattern is repeated sufficiently often, and input patterns are nearly orthogonal.
Power and Pleasure in 19th Century Tobacco Art

The 19th century media explosion based upon the power press, inexpensive paper, lithography, rail distribution, etc., gave advertising unprecedented power to stimulate desire and mold visual consciousness. Commercial art, such as tobacco posters and cigar box labels, omnipresent in daily life, may have had more impact on imaginations than fine art in museums.
The Political Community

Some who agree that Hocking offers a compelling interpretation of the free and social self may question whether liberty and community can be compatible in contemporary political institutions. Cynicism toward the state, the dominant form of political organization of the modern era, is not only becoming more open among the young, but also underlies the unarticulated malaise of large sectors of Western populations. Books with such titles as The Eclipse of Citizenship 1 and The Crisis of Political Imagination 2 have described how growing numbers of people feel that political participation does not fulfill their deepest needs. Increasing affluence in the West has contributed to what has been called the “privatization” of life, the conviction that one can find his total meaning in family, hobbies, and friends. The World Wars, the Cold War, and the nuclear terror have led many to see that the state can no longer offer great security to its citizens. In fact, some now say that nuclear technology has made it impossible for any state to “protect” its citizens.3 Increasing numbers therefore echo the words of Emery Reves, “The modern Bastille is the nation-state, no matter whether the jailers are conservative, liberal or socialist.” 4 Coupled with this attitude is the growing realization that the state is neither the only possible form of political organization nor the form that has existed throughout human history.
SMFM Consult Series #46: Evaluation and management of polyhydramnios.

Polyhydramnios, or hydramnios, is an abnormal increase in the volume of amniotic fluid. Identification of polyhydramnios should prompt a search for an underlying etiology. Although most cases of mild polyhydramnios are idiopathic, the 2 most common pathologic causes are maternal diabetes mellitus and fetal anomalies, some of which are associated with genetic syndromes. Other causes of polyhydramnios include congenital infection and alloimmunization. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the evaluation and management of polyhydramnios. The following are Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommendations: (1) we suggest that polyhydramnios in singleton pregnancies be defined as either a deepest vertical pocket of ≥8 cm or an amniotic fluid index of ≥24 cm (GRADE 2C); (2) we recommend that amnioreduction be considered only for the indication of severe maternal discomfort, dyspnea, or both in the setting of severe polyhydramnios (GRADE 1C); (3) we recommend that indomethacin should not be used for the sole purpose of decreasing amniotic fluid in the setting of polyhydramnios (GRADE 1B); (4) we suggest that antenatal fetal surveillance is not required for the sole indication of mild idiopathic polyhydramnios (GRADE 2C); (5) we recommend that labor should be allowed to occur spontaneously at term for women with mild idiopathic polyhydramnios; that induction, if planned, should not occur at
Comparison of the Abbott Architect BRAHMS and the Biomérieux Vidas BRAHMS Procalcitonin Assays.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a well-established marker for bacterial infection. Recently the US Food and Drug Administration approved the expanded use of this biomarker to guide clinical decisions for antibiotic treatment in patients with lower respiratory tract infections. Both the Architect BRAHMS PCT (PCT-A) and Vidas BRAHMS PCT (PCT-V) are approved for this indication. The aim of this study is to evaluate analytical performance of PCT-A in comparison to PCT-V. Methods: PCT-A and PCT-V were evaluated for intra- and interassay precision and functional sensitivity. To assess the accuracy of PCT-A, 108 residual plasma specimens were randomly selected from routine hospital orders, and PCT was measured concurrently with PCT-A and PCT-V. Results: Both assays demonstrated excellent precision, with intraassay precision ranging from 2.2% to 4.0% CV and interassay precision ranging from 2.5% to 3.6% CV. The functional sensitivity was verified at 0.01 ng/mL for PCT-A and at 0.05 ng/mL for PCT-V. The Passing–Bablok regression revealed approximately 20% negative bias of PCT-A compared to PCT-V (PCT-A = 0.042 + 0.79 × PCT-V, r = 0.995). The concordance of the 2 methods at diagnostically important cutoffs (0.10, 0.25, 0.50, and 2.0 ng/mL) was excellent, with overall agreement >93% at each threshold. Conclusion: The results of our study show improved sensitivity and equivalent clinical performance of PCT-A compared to PCT-V. The availability of this test on common clinical immunoassay analyzers may help accelerate its adoption into antimicrobial stewardship programs and thereby improve antibiotic use and patient outcomes.
Viral Encephalitis and Neurologic Diseases: Focus on Astrocytes

Neurotropic RNA virus infections cause a major neurological disease burden. Due to the morbidity and mortality rates of viral encephalitides worldwide, there is a need to develop clinical treatments. Features of the central nervous system (CNS), including interconnected cell types and limited regeneration, provide unique challenges. Viral encephalitis and antiviral immunity can disrupt the CNS environment, leaving patients with poor neurological outcomes despite virologic control. The cellular mechanism(s) underlying neurological recovery are not fully understood, but involve neuroimmune interactions that, until recently, primarily focused on microglia. With increasing evidence that astrocytes also have significant roles in inflammatory responses to viruses, here we summarize recent astrocyte contributions to acute virologic control and neurological impairments during recovery from viral infection.
FGF2-FGFR1 signaling regulates release of Leukemia-Protective exosomes from bone marrow stromal cells.

Leukemias are cancers of white blood cells. The cells grow and divide rapidly, often because of mutations in proteins called kinases. Since the kinase mutations do not occur in healthy cells, they provide a good target for anti-leukemia drugs. Several such kinase inhibitors are effective at treating leukemia patients. However, most leukemia cells develop ways to resist the effects of the kinase inhibitors over time, leading to relapses of the disease. One way that leukemia cells resist kinase inhibitors is by taking advantage of signals coming from supportive cells, known as stromal cells, in the bone marrow. When patients are treated with kinase inhibitors, the bone marrow stromal cells produce more of a signaling protein called FGF2. The leukemia cells then use FGF2 to survive the effects of the kinase inhibitors. It was not clear how the FGF2 signal reaches the leukemia cells from the bone marrow stromal cells. Now, using biochemical techniques, Javidi-Sharifi, Martinez et al. show that bone marrow stromal cells package FGF2 into small compartments called exosomes. The stromal cells release the exosomes into the bone marrow, and the leukemia cells then engulf and internalize the exosomes. Leukemia cells that had taken up FGF2 in this way were better able to survive kinase inhibitor treatment than leukemia cells that had not. Javidi-Sharifi, Martinez et al. also observed that FGF2 also affects the bone marrow stromal cells themselves, causing them to grow faster, produce more FGF2 and release more exosomes. Blocking the effects of FGF2 on the stromal cells slowed their growth and caused fewer exosomes to be released. In addition, mice whose bone marrow stromal cells could not produce FGF2 survived leukemia for longer than mice whose stromal cells provided protective FGF2 in exosomes to leukemia cells. This suggests that taking advantage of drugs that prevent bone marrow stromal cells from releasing FGF2 in exosomes might improve treatments for leukemia. Further research will be needed to confirm whether this strategy would be effective in humans.
Reducing Parent Distress and Increasing Parent Coping-Promoting Behavior During Children's Medical Procedure

The study investigated whether involving parents in their child's cognitive-behavioral intervention would effectively reduce parent distress during their child's medical procedure. Parents participating with their 3- to 7-year-old children prior to a voiding cystourethrogram were randomly assigned to an intervention (N = 20) or a standard care (N = 20) condition. The intervention included provision of information, coping skills training, and parent coaching. Parents participating in the intervention had a significant reduction in anxiety following the intervention relative to parents in standard care. Trained parents displayed fewer distress-promoting and more coping-promoting behaviors during the procedure, even though parents in both conditions reported similar levels of anxiety during the procedure. Involving parents in children's interventions is crucial to reduce parent distress and prepare parents to assist their child during the medical procedure.
Small Things of Greatest Consequence: Miniature Bibles in America

This article provides an overview of miniature books designated as “Bibles” that were produced in North America, with a focus on popular nineteenth-century children’s “thumb Bibles.” It examines the intended use of these Bibles, as evidenced in the prefaces to the printed books, as well as the ways that American printers altered their English prototypes and produced new volumes that reflected ideals of childhood and Christian education in the U.S. during the time. The study also addresses how developments in printing technology affected the form, content, and use of miniature Bibles since the end of the nineteenth century.
Random networks with interacting nodes

We study the network systems in which the nodes and their interconnections are subject to random dynamics. Both static and moving nodes models are considered in the context of network reliability in the steady-state. Potential applications range from transport to communication networks.
Violated Bodies: Combat Injuries and Sexual Assault in the U.S. Military

What role does gender play in conceptualizations of “military wounding”? Through a discourse analysis juxtaposing war wounding against wounding through solider-on-soldier sexual assault, the chapter argues that narratives on wounding marginalize, and exclude, forms of injury that do not conform to narrow constructions, discrediting forms of gendered harm (Weldes, Constructing National Interests: The US and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999). It suggests a degendered definition of military injury would not only include psychological injuries incurred through military operations, but other “invisible” wounds, such as those suffered through military sexual assault. Instead, military officials position the institution as victim through medicalization and securitization rhetoric, pathologizing sexual assault as a “cancer” or “plague” infiltrating the organization. The chapter presents rape survivor testimonials documented in the 2012 documentary, The Invisible War, which showcases narratives used in the military to mask, silence, and ignore sexual and psychological injuries. The use of documentaries represents an alternative mode through which average citizens may receive messages about gender and the military.
Pan-Cancer Analysis of Pathway-Based Gene Expression Pattern at the Individual Level Reveals Novel Biomarkers of Clinical Prognosis

Identifying biomarkers to predict the clinical outcomes of individual patients is a fundamental problem in clinical oncology. Multiple single-gene biomarkers have already been identified and used in the clinics. However, multiple oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes are involved during the process of tumorigenesis for each individual patient. Additionally, the efficacy of single-gene biomarkers is limited by the extensively variable expression levels measured by high-throughput assays. Inspired by the success of Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), in this study, we advocate for the use of individual-level expression patterns of pre-defined pathways or gene sets as biomarkers. We hypothesize that in individual tumor samples, the disruption of transcription homeostasis plays an important role in tumorigenesis and has profound implications for the patient’s clinical outcome. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis by studying tumor samples across 14 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We devised a novel computational method named iPath to identify, at the individual sample level, which pathways or gene sets significantly deviate from their norms. We demonstrated that iPath is capable of identifying highly predictive biomarkers for clinical outcomes, including overall survival, tumor subtypes, and tumor stage classifications. Compared to single-gene biomarkers, we found that pathway-based biomarkers are more robust and effective. We are able to validate top biomarker pathways using random permutations as well as online SurvExpress resource with independent datasets.
The Pro-cyclical Unemployment Gender Gap: A Household Occupational Portfolio Choice?

An empirical regularity in the US business cycles is that in recessions men's unemployment rate rises faster than women. This stylized-fact raises both empirical and theoretical questions. The notion of such distinctive pattern in the data is addressed with another regularity through an expenditure lens: can the relative volatility of consumption expenditures on non-durable goods, durable goods, and services inform about the corresponding occupational labor demand? And what if occupational demand meets a gender segregated occupational supply? By mapping a gender-colored occupational index into the three aggregate types of real personal consumption expenditures, we are able to show a correspondence between gender unemployment dynamics and consumption volatility. As for the cause, we develop a model that shows that gender differences in risk-aversion can lead to labor segregation based on occupational economic risk, which , in turn is realized in terms of the likelihood of unemployment spells. We look at the time series data of consumption expenditure as well as different gender- decomposition of labor market variables provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the United States for the period 2000-2019.
Embedded Statistical Analysis and Selection Procedures in Air Traffic Simulations

Air traffic simulations benefit when the level of statistical confidence achieved can be automatically analyzed during run-time. Embedded statistical calculations can generate immediate analysis and can also determine whether longer simulation runs are needed to gather more data. Three modifications are made to typical simulation architecture. First, statistical analysis is embedded in the simulation. Second, fewer computational resources are needed since the statistical selection methods identifies how many observations are needed. Third, simulation runs are distributed across a networks-of-workstation (NOW) configuration which executes each run independently on one processor, increasing computational efficiency and decreasing the need for specialized software.
In Love with My Job

The research program in Amy Cheng Vollmer's own lab focused on bacterial stress response, and she and her team of researchers have been studying the role of the universal stress protein (UspA), which they believe, based on recent work, acts as a set of "brakes" on most of the stress responses in the cell. Absence of this protein results in an "over-reaction" to stress and drains Escherichia coli of its precious energy reserve. Presently, they are investigating the roles of the two genes that show homology to UspA to determine if they also serve in similar capacities. They are also investigating bacterial responses to ultrasound in E. coli as part of a study to determine how ultrasound can be best used to sterilize water and contaminated objects. The stress response field is exploding with new ideas and discoveries in the areas of microbial ecology, pathogenesis, genetics, physiology, and general microbiology. In the author's field of research (bacterial stress response), she meet interesting and dynamic people who work on ecological, medical, and evolutionary problems. The author's professional society, the American Society for Microbiology (the ASM), represents a diverse community of people and works to further the professional development of its members, as well as to encourage potential new members.
Role of redox cycling and lipid peroxidation in bipyridyl herbicide cytotoxicity. Studies with a compromised isolated hepatocyte model system.

The role of active oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in the toxic effects of diquat, paraquat and other bipyridyl herbicides remains controversial. In vitro studies have shown that these compounds are potent generators of active oxygen species by redox cycling and that they stimulate lipid peroxidation. In vivo studies have failed, however, to show clear evidence of lipid peroxidation resulting from toxic exposures to these compounds. We have directly compared the abilities of three bipyridyl herbicides, diquat (DQ), paraquat (PQ) and benzyl viologen (BV), to generate Superoxide anion radical (O2) in rat liver microsomes and H2O2 in hepatocytes and correlated this with their relative toxicities to a compromised isolated hepatocyte system. DQ was the most potent generator of O2 and H2O2, being slightly more potent than BV and much better than PQ. This ability of the bipyridyls to generate active oxygen was positively correlated with the ability to induce toxicity in hepatocytes pretreated with 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) to inhibit their glutathione reductase activity, i.e. DQ > BV > PQ. DQ caused a rapid depletion of cellular GSH and a concomitant increase in GSSG in this system. Toxicity, measured as loss of plasma membrane integrity, was pronounced after only 30–60 min of incubation and was accompanied by a significant increase in lipid peroxidation. The onset of lipid peroxidation could not be separated temporally from the expression of toxicity. However, the total inhibition of lipid peroxidation by the antioxidants Trolox C, promethazine and N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine only delayed toxicity, indicating that, even though lipid peroxidation may play some role in enhancing bipyridyl herbicide toxicity, it is not essential for the toxicity to manifest itself.
A novel RalGEF-like protein, RGL3, as a candidate effector for rit and Ras.

Abstract The small GTPase Rit is a close relative of Ras, and constitutively active Rit can induce oncogenic transformation. Although the effector loops of Rit and Ras are highly related, Rit fails to interact with the majority of the known Ras candidate effector proteins, suggesting that novel cellular targets may be responsible for Rit transforming activity. To gain insight into the cellular function of Rit, we searched for Rit-binding proteins by yeast two-hybrid screening. We identified the C-terminal Rit/Ras interaction domain of a protein we have designated RGL3 (RalGEF-like 3) that shares 35% sequence identity with the known Ral guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RalGEFs). RGL3, through a C-terminal 99-amino acid domain, interacted in a GTP- and effector loop-dependent manner with Rit and Ras. Importantly, RGL3 exhibited guanine nucleotide exchange activity toward the small GTPase Ral that was stimulated in vivo by the expression of either activated Rit or Ras. These data suggest that RGL3 functions as an exchange factor for Ral and may serve as a downstream effector for both Rit and Ras.
Effects of Intermittent Diethylstilbestrol Diphosphate Administration on the R3327 Rat Prostatic Carcinoma

Abstract Clinical trials have utilized intermittent diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DES) therapy in advanced symptomatic prostatic carcinoma to diminish the morbidity of standard endocrine therapy. To determine the effect of intermittent DES administration on the Dunning R3327 rat prostatic adenocarcinoma 60 days following tumor implant, 6 groups were randomly assigned: control ( N = 8), castrate ( N = 10), high dose DES ( N = 8, 1.6 µg/ml DES continuously in drinking water), low dose DES ( N = 10, 0.4 µg/ml continuously in drinking water), intermittent high dose DES ( N = 10, 1.6 µg/ml DES in drinking water for 1 week, then off for 3 weeks), and intermittent low dose DES ( N = 10, 0.4 µg/ml DES for 1 week, then off for 3 weeks). Results indicate that low or high dose DES, and intermittent low or intermittent high dose DES during the week of administration were able to reduce serum testosterone to castrate levels (0.1 ng/ml). After withdrawal of intermittent DES, serum testosterone returned toward control levels (1.0 ng/ml). Initial mean tumor burden between control and treatment groups was not significantly different. All DES exposed rats had a tumor volume at death (range, 15.6–18.3 cm 3 ) smaller than control (mean, 25.4 cm 3 ) or castrate (mean, 40.8 cm 3 ) rats. Despite this, significant survival advantage from the time of randomization was achieved only in castrate (median survival, 331 days) or high dose DES (median survival, 359 days) groups compared to control (median survival, 225 days). Similarly, significant prolongation in tumor doubling time was achieved only by rats receiving castration or high dose DES. Intermittent DES administration controls tumor volume but does not provide a survival advantage. In this respect, intermittent DES is inferior to castration.