cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accurate timing simulation of gallium arsenide circuits

Due to the differing topologies and physics between silicon MOSFET and gallium arsenide MESFET systems, the algorithms previously developed for timing simulation of silicon MOS circuits are ineffective for gallium arsenide MESFET circuits. The authors briefly describe some of these limitations and their impact on simulator development. An algorithm for the efficient timing simulation of large scale GaAs MESFET digital integrated circuits that correctly models the physics is then developed. The approach is shown to be an order of magnitude faster than circuit level simulations but at comparable accuracy. This simulator effectively models the nonlinear voltage dependent junction capacitances for timing analysis purposes and utilizes relaxation based methods to de-couple the system of equations. >
Confocal microscopy in cornea guttata and Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy

Aims—To report the appearances of cornea guttata and Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy from white light confocal microscopy. Methods—Seven eyes of four consecutive patients with cornea guttata were prospectively examined. Of the seven eyes, three also had corneal oedema (Fuchs’ dystrophy). In vivo white light tandem scanning confocal microscopy was performed in all eyes. Results were compared with non-contact specular microscopy. Results—Specular microscopy was precluded by corneal oedema in one eye. In the remaining six eyes, it demonstrated typical changes including pleomorphism, polymegathism, and the presence of guttae appearing as dark bodies, some with a central bright reflex. In all seven eyes, confocal microscopy revealed the presence of round hyporeflective images with an occasional central highlight at the level of the endothelium. Changes in cell morphology and size were readily appreciated. Conclusion—By comparison with specular microscopy, the hyporeflective images with an occasional central highlight seen on confocal microscopy are consistent with the presence of guttae. Confocal microscopy may confirm the diagnosis of cornea guttata and Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy by demonstrating the presence of guttae. This technique is especially valuable in cases of corneal oedema, where specular microscopy may fail to visualise the endothelium. However, specular microscopy should remain the method of choice to evaluate the endothelium, principally because it is easier to use. (Br J Ophthalmol 1999;83:185‐189)
Emerging Infectious Diseases That Threaten the Blood Supply

Following the devastating effects of blood-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), blood establishments have become increasingly vigilant for the emergence or re-emergence of new threats to the safety of the blood supply. Many agents have fulfilled the broad definition of emerging blood-transmitted infections, including West Nile virus (WNV), Trypanosoma cruzi, Plasmodium spp., Babesia spp., parvovirus B19, dengue virus, and the prions that cause variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (vCJD). Other agents such as human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8-Kaposi's sarcoma virus) and Borellia (Lyme disease) and, perhaps, avian flu virus, are known to have a viremic phase, but have not yet been proved to be transfusion-transmitted. In the wake of these threats, transfusion services use a variety of donor screening interventions, including serologic assays, nucleic acid assays, and geographic exclusions based on potential exposure. The ultimate safeguard may be a pre-emptive pathogen inactivation strategy that will disrupt all nucleic acid-containing agents (though not prions). Considerable effort and resources have been invested in this arena, but currently no single technique is effective for inactivation of both liquid and cellular blood products and toxicity issues have not been completely resolved. The blood supply is remarkably safe with the risk of major pathogens such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV now reduced to less than one transmission per 2 to 3 million exposures. However, to approach near-zero infectious disease risk for emerging and re-emerging pathogens, new strategies such as pathogen inactivation or multi-pathogen microarray technology will need to be developed or refined.
First studies for a low temperature higher-order-mode absorber for the Cornell ERL prototype

Cornell University, in collaboration with Jefferson Laboratory, has proposed the construction of a prototype energy-recovery linac (ERL) to study the energy recovery concept with high current, low emittance beams. The beam with a current of up to 100 mA will excite significant higher-order-mode (HOM) power in the superconducting (s.c.) RF cavities with frequencies up to 100 GHz. Strong damping of the HOMs is essential for beam stability and to reduce the HOM losses to a few hundred Watts per meter. To achieve this demanding goal we plan to place RF absorbing material in the beam tubes between the cavities in the linac. However, this will require operating the HOM absorbers at temperatures below 80 K to simplify the thermal transition to the cavities at 2 K with low static losses to 2 K. One possible material candidate is ferrite, as it is used at room temperature in the HOM absorbers in the s.c. CESR cavities. In this paper we present experiments performed to study the RF absorption properties of ferrite at cryogenic temperatures in the frequency range from 1 GHz to 15 GHz. First results are shown and the resulting HOM damping is evaluated and discussed.
The UK tour-operating industry: A competitive analysis

This paper examines the growth and structure of the UK tour-operating industry using competitive analysis models as developed by Porter and more latterly Thurlby. It argues that after a period of aggressive consolidation through acquisitions and mergers, a situation has arisen whereby the major tour operators maintain power over buyers and suppliers and have concurrently formed barriers to entry for new entrants. However, with the emergence of new forces, the major players face fresh challenges from virtual and niche entrants who are gaining a competitive position with the tour-operating environment.
A comparative study on feature extraction for fingerprint classification and performance improvements using rank-level fusion

Fingerprint classification represents an important preprocessing step in fingerprint identification, which can be very helpful in reducing the cost of searching large fingerprint databases. Over the past years, several different approaches have been proposed for extracting distinguishable features and improving classification performance. In this paper, we present a comparative study involving four different feature extraction methods for fingerprint classification and propose a rank-based fusion scheme for improving classification performance. Specifically, we have compared two well-known feature extraction methods based on orientation maps (OMs) and Gabor filters with two new methods based on "minutiae maps" and "orientation collinearity". Each feature extraction method was compared with each other using the NIST-4 database in terms of accuracy and time. Moreover, we have investigated the issue of improving classification performance using rank-level fusion. When evaluating each feature extraction method individually, OMs performed the best. Gabor features fell behind OMs mainly because their computation is sensitive to errors in localizing the registration point. When fusing the rankings of different classifiers, we found that combinations involving OMs improve performance, demonstrating the importance of orientation information for classification purposes. Overall, the best classification results were obtained by fusing orientation map with orientation collinearity classifiers.
Middle Ear Effusions: Further Studies on Experimentally Produced Pathologic Changes in the Dog Bulla

As over 60% of the long-term dog ears, in which cauterization of the nasopharyngeal eustachian tube orifice was performed, had mucus secreting glands in the lamina propria of the middle ear and bulla and as these were not found in the control ears, the findings were not likely coincidental. In this study and those reported earlier, it has been shown that following cautery to the nasopharyngeal orifice of the eustachian tube, islands of epithelium are buried in the granulation tissue found in the mucoperiosteum of the tympanum and bulla. Late in this experimental disease thickening of the mucoperiosteum persists and glands appear and persist in the fibrotic lamina propria of the middle ear and bulla. Focal hyperplasia of the epithelium was striking in two of the animals one year following the trauma.
Correlation of Performance and Hot Carrier Stress Reliability of Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Transistors With Substrates and Substrate Coating

We report on the performance and hot carrier stress (HCS) reliability of n-channel poly-Si TFTs fabricated on bare or SiO2-coated low-alkali glass, or fused silica substrates. Low-pressure chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) SiO2 films with different thicknesses are used as impurity diffusion barrier layers. We have found that the performance and HCS reliability of n-TFTs on the SiO2-coated glass are superior to those of n-TFTs on bare glass, and comparable to those of TFTs on fused silica. We also explore the impact of the SiO2 coating thickness on the performance and HCS reliability of the TFTs. The HCS reliability of the TFTs on SiO2-coated glass substrates is observed to depend on the SiO2 coating thickness. This is explained in terms of a phenomenological model which involves impurity and grain boundary traps.
Improving the connectivity of PRM roadmaps

In this paper we investigate how the coverage and connectedness of PRM roadmaps can be improved by adding a connected component (CC) connection step to the general PRM framework. We provide experimental results establishing that significant roadmap improvements can be obtained relatively efficiently by utilizing a suite of CC connection methods, which include variants of existing methods such as RRT and a new ray tracing based method. The coordinated application of these techniques is enabled by methods for selecting and scheduling pairs of nodes in different CCs for connection attempts. In addition to identifying important and/or promising regions of C-space for exploration, these methods also provide a mechanism for controlling the cost of the connection attempts. In our experiments, the time required by the improvement phase was on the same order as the time used to generate the initial roadmap.
Recombinant GM-CSF reduces lung injury and mortality during neutropenic Candida sepsis

Cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced neutropenia exacerbates septic shock and acute lung injury during Candida albicans (CA) fungemia in conscious rats. We hypothesized that treatment of such animals with recombinant murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) improves host defense during disseminated candidiasis by increasing peripheral neutrophils (PMNs) and enhancing endogenous production of antifungal cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF). Naive (neutrophil-replete) or neutropenic rats were infected with 10(7) yeast-phase CA; subgroups received GM-CSF (25 micrograms/kg sc) or sterile 0.9% NaCl (NS) twice a day beginning 3 days before CA infection. Arterial hemodynamics, formed blood elements, bioactive TNF in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung histopathology were monitored for up to 72 h after infection. All naive animals receiving GM-CSF (n = 5) and 78% of naive rats given NS (n = 9) remained normotensive through 72 h with no lung injury, differing principally in baseline PMNs before CA infection (8.8 +/- 1.8 x 10(3)/microliters, mean +/- SE, vs. 3.7 +/- 0.4 x 10(3)/microliters, respectively, P < 0.01). Neutropenic rats given NS (baseline PMN = 41 +/- 10/microliters, n = 7) were sensitized to CA, and 100% died of hypothermic shock with severe respiratory distress within 56 h of infection. Pulmonary periarterial and alveolar hemorrhage were prominent. Although GM-CSF did not increase baseline PMNs in CY animals by the outset of infection (162 +/- 58/microliters, n = 8), 62% of these rats remained normotensive and eupneic through 72 h (P < 0.01), and their lungs showed no perivascular hemorrhage, alveolar disruption, or fungi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A hiccup in holiday plans.

A 35-year-old man presented with 5 days of persistent hiccups and vomiting just prior to a major holiday. Twice in the past month he had visited the hospital for hiccups and had experienced no relief with chlorpromazine. This time he noted left-sided paraesthesias, previously attributed to existing C3–5 disc herniation. Physical examination revealed left-sided pronator drift, left index finger past-pointing, left upper extremity numbness and inability to ambulate due to imbalance. Routine laboratory studies were …
Publishable Humanly Usable Secure Password Creation Schemas

What can a human compute in his/her head that a powerful adversary cannot infer? To answer this question, we define a model of human computation and a measure of security. Then, motivated by the special case of password creation, we propose a collection of well-defined password-generation methods. We show that our password generation methods are humanly computable and, to a well-defined extent, machine uncrackable. For the proof of security, we posit that password generation methods are public, but that the human’s privately chosen seed is not, and that the adversary will have observed only a few input-output pairs. Besides the application to password generation, our proposed Human Usability Model (HUM) will have other applications.
The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K–12 Community

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.
Methods of Reducing Social Stress, Fighting and Subsequent Mortality of Confinement Reared Cockerels

Abstract MORTALITY among breeder males held in confinement is often quite significant, especially so as they approach maturity. Many extra birds have to be kept to insure that an adequate number of breeders will be available. Housing males in individual cages would seem to be the most efficient means of reducing mortality, however, this is not always possible. The present study was conducted to determine if debeaking and specs, singly or in combination, would significantly reduce mortality among males reared in confinement from 8–38 weeks of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four treatments (control, debeaking, specs, debeaking and specs) were replicated twice over a total of eight pens. Six male lines were represented in proportionate numbers in each pen with 68 males per pen being housed at eight weeks of age. Each pen was 10′ × 20′, allowing three square feet of floor space per bird at eight weeks of age.…
The role of gas desorption on gas outbursts in underground mining of coal

Violent gas outbursts are one of the most severe hazards in underground mining. When outbursts occur, a large amount of coal and gas is suddenly and violently ejected into the roadway and working area with the possibility of serious hazard and injury. Recent studies have shown that the physical behavior responsible for the energetic failure of coal is entirely consistent with coal viewed as a dual porosity–dual permeability–dual stiffness continuum where strength is proportional to effective stresses, and where effective stresses are controlled by both the pore pressure and varying stress field. Gas desorption driven by overstress is highlighted in this study as the key factor responsible for the increase in pore pressure close to the working face, and implicated together with elevated stress level, permeability evolution and drainage conditions in the triggering of outbursts. In this work, we incorporate the likely mass rates of desorption driven by an increase in abutment stress and mediated by permeability evolution to define the rates and distributions of gas pressure changes. The changing pattern of pressure redistribution is identified, and parametric studies are then performed to investigate all the key factors that influence the redistribution of pore pressure with respect to the deformation of the coal seam. Permeability evolution in the overstressed zone is determined by the evolution of porosity, which is attributed to both the change in effective stresses in the abutment and sorption-induced strain. Considering the weakening effects of desorption-induced pressure increase, energetic failure may be triggered from the pillar as defined by the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. According to this analysis, the pore pressure adjacent to the working face may be lowered by drainage in a measurable way to reduce the likelihood of an outburst. This model is capable of predicting the potential risk ahead of the working face during mining and can be adapted to different conditions in terms of varying mechanical factors, coal properties and mining methods.
Analysis of Acoustic Signal from PD in Disc-void of Epoxy Insulation

A set of acoustic detection system is built to measure PD(partial discharge).The PD in disc-void of epoxy insulation in GIS is simulated.Both the acoustic method and pulse current method are used to measure PD and verified each other.The influence of applied voltage and defect size to PD signals is analyzed.Test results show that both acoustic method and pulse current method have the similar typical PRPD(phase resolved partial discharge),and when applied voltage is increased,the magnitude of acoustic signal is increased with the increase of electric charge quantity,and the bigger the defect size the more the initial quantity of electric discharge.The result can provide test basis for the study on PD characteristics in disc-void epoxy insulation detected by acoustic method.
SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL LEARNING IN THE CHILD.

(1965). Sexuality and Sexual Learning in the Child. Psychiatry: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 212-228.
Parent- and Community-focused Approaches to Supporting Parents of Young Children: The Family Networks Project

Parents and primary caregivers are the most important influences on the development of young children; providing support to caregivers is thus a critical priority. Parenting supports and interventions that assist parents to engage responsively and warmly with their children, encourage positive daily interactions, establish and maintaining safety, and provide structure and limits in a non-coercive manner are particularly important. This chapter begins with a brief overview of several examples of evidence-based parenting interventions that focus on parents as the agents of change. The remainder of the chapter describes the Family Networks Project, a collaborative intervention designed to prevent child maltreatment and strengthen protective factors in parents of very young children with disabilities. Two randomized studies are described, and implications for future research in this area are discussed.
Cardiac conditioning for healthy individuals: primary prevention of heart disease

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are highly prevalent. The benefits and risks of physical activity and evidence base for exercise prescription are not widely known by healthcare providers. Regular exercise and reducing sedentary time are essential elements of primordial and primary prevention in healthy adults. The underlying physiological mechanisms, such as physiologic cardiac hypertrophy, enhanced autonomic and vascular function, and improved circulation and mitochondrial function, are extensive. The recent scientific evidence supporting the current recommendations for the quantity and quality of exercise and evidence-informed principles of exercise prescription for improving cardiorespiratory fitness in the healthy adult are explained. All adults should receive a prescription for exercise due to its powerful effect upon health. Using evidence-based prescription principles tailored to the individual can maximize the beneficial effects of exercise in chronic disease and disability prevention.
RELIABLE ADHERENCE TO BEST PRACTICES THAT MITIGATES SYSTEM-LEVEL ERRORS REDUCES COPD READMISSIONS: A SYSTEM REDESIGN USING IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE

Background Although COPD readmissions adversely affect patient outcomes and health care costs, interventions that reduce readmissions have not been identified. Setting University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a regional referral, safety net hospital. Objectives Identify failures in care delivery for COPD patients readmitted within 30 days. Reduce COPD readmissions through system redesign. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of COPD 30-day readmissions from 10/2014–3/2015. Readmitted COPD patients were interviewed to identify needs at discharge. We reviewed published literature to identify best practices. We formed a multidisciplinary team to identify a 5-element COPD care bundle designed to mitigate system failures. “Model for Improvement” was used to redesign care delivery. Time-series analysis was performed using statistical process control (SPC) chart. Compliance to bundle components and all-cause 30-day readmissions were observed. Results There were 52 readmissions among 31 patients. Median time to readmission was 7+7.9 days. COPD was the most common readmission diagnosis (55%), followed by CHF and pneumonia. 42 system-level failures were identified (figure 1). Patient interviews revealed lack of clarity about discharge instructions, including inhaler use. COPD care bundle comprised of; appropriate inhaler regimen, bedside inhaler education, 30-day supply of medications, follow-up within 15 days and standardized discharge instructions. Compliance to COPD care bundle improved over time approaching 90% reliability (figure 2). COPD 30-day all-cause readmission rate decreased from 22.7% to 14.79% with system shift on SPC chart (figure 3). Conclusions System-level failures and unmet patient needs are modifiable risks for COPD readmissions. Using improvement science to mitigate institution specific system-level failures reduces COPD readmissions.
Examinations of the Role of Individual Adaptability in Cross-Cultural Adjustment:

We present the results of two studies utilizing the novel theoretical perspective of individual adaptability (I-ADAPT) theory in the study of cross-cultural adjustment. Study 1, implementing a two-...
Sometimes Science is Personal

I am happy to reach out to you from the National Centers for Environmental Information's Center for Weather and Climate in Asheville, North Carolina, home of the world's largest weather library. We preserve and distribute weather and climate observation data sets and use them to study and track climate here at the center. Yes, we do really big science! As you may know, the intersection between climate and biology is not simply a crossroads. It's a giant, busy, loud, and interwoven set of superhighways. Our fields touch and impact each other just like the climate and biosphere affect each other. In our cross-disciplinary relationship the most fundamental connection is our shared reliance on data. But, in addition, our fields share a mission to measure and understand the world around us while sharing these findings with - and inspiring - learners. Whether measured by thermometers, through changes in the distribution of species, or by tracking the frequency and timing of extreme weather events, we are seeing rapid and consequential change. Again, our fields share a goal to quantify what is changing, and to help understand what those changes mean. …
Abstract 54: Differential Regulation of NADPH-oxidases 1 and 2 and a Common Syk/PLC/Calcium-dependent ROS Signaling Pathway Mediating Platelet Activation

Objective: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from activated platelets is known to regulate platelet activation. This study investigates how different isoforms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleo...
Remaking Singapore's heartland: sustaining public housing through home and neighbourhood upgrade programmes

Singapore's public housing system is regarded as a model of modernisation and efficiency. By 1990, over 80% of the country's citizens lived in towns and estates created by the Housing Development B...
ENERGY COST OF VESSEL DISTURBANCE TO KITTLITZ'S MURRELETS BRACHYRAMPHUS BREVIROSTRIS

We evaluated the energy cost of vessel disturbance for individual Kittlitz’s Murrelets Brachyramphus brevirostris in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska, USA. We used Monte Carlo simulations to model the daily energy expense associated with flight from vessels by both breeding and non-breeding birds and evaluated risk based on both the magnitude of costs incurred and the degree to which the costs may be chronic. We used two scenarios of vessel disturbance for average- and peak-vessel traffic. Because they are more likely to fly away from vessels, non-breeding birds had a greater increase in energy expenditure when disturbed (up to 30% increase under the average scenario and >50% increase under the peak scenario) than breeders (up to 10% and 30% increases under the average and peak scenarios, respectively). Likewise, non-breeding birds were more likely to experience chronic increases in energy expense (i.e. a greater percentage of days with an increase in energy expenditure) than breeding birds. Our modeling results indicated that breeding and non-breeding birds were both susceptible to fitness consequences (e.g. reduced reproductive success and survival) resulting from the energy cost.
THE GENERAL SECOND-DEGREE EQUATION

This chapter illustrates that the general second-degree equation: Ax 2 + Bxy + Cy 2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0, B ≠ 0, represents a parabola, ellipse, hyperbola, two straight lines, a point, or no locus at all. This equation may always be transformed by an appropriate rotation of axes into an equation of the form Ax 2 + By 2 + Cx + Dy + E = 0 , that is, a second-degree equation in which there is no xy term. If a quantity is unchanged under a transformation, it is called an invariant under the given transformation. The chapter discusses invariants and identification.
Modest Influence of Velocity of Shortening on Systolic Force in the Left Ventricular Free Wall

During normal, auxotonic contractions of the left ventricle (LV), wall force builds up to a high value during the isovolumic, pre- ejection phase and falls to lower levels during ejection. The drop in systolic force may be attributed to two main factors: 1) the reduction of the ventricular volume and consequent reduction of ventricular wall dimensions may cause force drop according to a direct force — length relationship; and/or 2) the shortening velocity may induce a drop in wall force through a force-velocity relationship which may reflect an influence of wall viscosity on the developed force or an inactivation effect like that seen during rapid length changes in isolated myocardial fiber preparations.
Global and Local Forces for a Nation-State Yet to be Born: The Paradoxes of Palestinian Television Policies

Tracing the history of Palestinian television industry from its birth in 1993 to the mid-2000’s, this paper analyzes changing television policies and discusses the influences of the Palestinian Authority and Israel in hijacking media policy for their own political purposes. Palestinian broadcasting regulations have been caught in a bind: reflecting the geographic, political and economic conditions of the Territories – fragmented, isolated and in a state of arrested development; and responding to regional cultural changes, such as the rise of pan-Arab satellite television, and political challenges stemming from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Discontinuity and scaling: their scope and likely limitations

Chapter E1 stated emphatically my view that Gaussianity, random walks and martingales are attractive hypotheses, but disagree with the evidence concerning price variation. This chapter presents, in largely non-mathematical style, the processes I propose as replacements for Brownian motion. Their foundations include an evidence-based theme and a conceptual tool.
Effect of Word Complexity on L2 Vocabulary Learning

Research has shown that a number of factors, such as maturational constraints, previous language background, and attention, can have an effect on L2 acquisition. One related issue that remains to be explored is what factors make an individual word more easily learned. In this study we propose that word complexity, on both the phonetic and semantic levels, affect L2 vocabulary learning. Two studies showed that words with simple grapheme-to-phoneme ratios were easier to learn than more phonetically complex words, and that words with two or fewer word senses were easier to learn that those with three or more.
Uses of Stable Theory

The problems of this chapter require no more apparatus than the stable age distribution expressed in terms of the birth rate b, the rate of increase r, and the probability l(x) of surviving from birth to age x. If these quantities are fixed over time the fraction of the population between age x and x + dx is be −rx l(x) dx, a proposition due to Euler (1760). The population is supposed closed to migration.
The Health Threat Posed by the Hidden Epidemic of Anabolic Steroid Use and Body Image Disorders Among Young Men.

Context The prevalence of body image disorders and anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use is increasing, despite the evidence of their serious adverse health effects and despite the passage of laws regulating their sales. Here we review the evolution of the dual emerging epidemics of body image disorders and AAS use, adverse health effects of AASs, and the need for an integrated health policy and regulatory response. Evidence acquisition We searched for studies published prior to June 2018. Quality of evidence was low to moderate because of its observational nature; heterogeneity of eligibility criteria; variable doses; reliance on retrospective self-reported data in many studies; and variable quality of outcome ascertainment. Evidence synthesis Most AAS users are nonathlete young men, who use these substances to look lean and more muscular. Some of these men suffer from "muscle dysmorphia," a form of body dysmorphic disorder. AASs has been associated with cardiovascular disorders, psychiatric disorders, AAS-withdrawal hypogonadism, infertility, neurotoxic effects, musculoskeletal injuries, liver toxicity, and needle-borne infections. Potential adverse effects may be compounded by the use of other substances (e.g., opioids) and high-risk behaviors. Unregulated Internet sales of AASs and selective androgen receptor modulators, which are easily purchased without a prescription, are of concern because of their potential to fuel the epidemic among adolescents and the military. Conclusions Integrated nationwide efforts are necessary to raise public awareness of this epidemic, to study long-term health effects of AASs and treatment strategies, and to reform regulations to stem the epidemics of AAS use and body image disorders.
Food Technology and Therapeutic Nutrition in the Biology Textbooks of the Intermediate Stage

The aim of the study is to analyze the content of biology textbook for the intermediate stage through using the criteria of food technology and therapeutic nutrition, which is prepared by the two researchers. The method of content analysis has been adopted to accomplish the paper aim. The results show that the biology textbook (Human being and Health) for the third intermediate school is the highest in repetitions about (59) of (%53,3). The dietary habits have been emphasized within the textbooks of principles of biology for the intermediate stage where the repetitions are (70) with (%63,6). The researchers introduced some recommendations including the necessity to include biology textbooks concepts and ideas about food technology and therapeutic nutrition. Also, some suggestions introduced as conducting similar studies on the textbooks of biology for the secondary and primary stages.
Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy: Case report☆.

Abstract Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancies are a rare form of extrauterine pregnancies, yet their incidence is increasing given the rise in cesarean deliveries. Similar to other ectopic pregnancies, cesarean scar ectopic pregnancies pose a great risk for maternal hemorrhage and ultimately maternal mortality. This study presents the case of a cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy in a patient with 3 prior cesarean deliveries. Here, we highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of cesarean scar ectopic pregnancies.
Multiple feedback mechanisms fine-tune Rho signaling to regulate morphogenetic outcomes

Rho signaling is a conserved mechanism for generating forces through activation of contractile actomyosin. How this pathway can produce different cell morphologies is poorly understood. In the Drosophila embryonic epithelium, we investigate how Rho signaling controls force asymmetry to drive morphogenesis. We study a distinct morphogenetic process termed 'alignment'. This process results in striking columns of rectilinear cells connected by aligned cell-cell contacts. We found that this is driven by contractile actomyosin cables that elevate tension along aligning interfaces. Our data show that polarization of Rho effectors, Rok and Dia, directs formation of these cables. Constitutive activation of these effectors causes aligning cells to instead invaginate. This suggests that moderating Rho signaling is essential to producing the aligned geometry. Therefore, we tested for feedback that could fine-tune Rho signaling. We discovered that F-actin exerts negative feedback on multiple nodes in the pathway. Further, we present evidence that suggests that Rok in part mediates feedback from F-actin to Rho in a manner independent of Myo-II. Collectively, our work suggests that multiple feedback mechanisms regulate Rho signaling, which may account for diverse morphological outcomes.
Retinal Gene Distribution and Functionality Implicated in Inherited Retinal Degenerations Can Reveal Disease-Relevant Pathways for Pharmacologic Intervention

The advent of genetic therapies for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) has spurred the need for precise diagnosis and understanding of pathways for therapeutic targeting. The majority of IRDs that are clinically diagnosed, however, lack an identifiable mutation in established disease-causing loci and thus can be investigated with limited rational drug discovery methods. Transcriptome profiling of the retina can reveal the functional state of the tissue, and geographic profiling can uncover the various clinical phenotypic presentations of IRDs and aid in pharmaceutical intervention. In this investigation, we detail the retinal geographic expression of known retinal disease-causing genes in the primate retina and functional targetable pathways in specific IRDs. Understanding the genetic basis as well as the resulting functional consequences will assist in the discovery of future therapeutic interventions and provide novel insights to medicinal chemists. Herein, we report that, despite the genetic heterogeneity of retinal diseases, potential functional pathways can be elucidated for therapeutic targeting and be used for predictive phenotypic and genotypic modeling of novel IRD presentations.
Queer Students, International Service-Learning, and Inclusivity: Insights into Identity, Activism, and Learning

This qualitative study examines the experiences of LGBTQ students involved in international service-learning, exploring the possibilities, positive impacts, and complexities of navigating LGBTQ ide...
One compound with two distinct topological states.

Two distinct topological states that are closely tied to the spin configurations of a layered compound, here MnBi2Te4, have been demonstrated. Such control of the topological state should enable new opportunities to realize quantum and spintronic devices.
Extracellular vesicle mimics made from iPS cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells improve the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their mimics from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising drug carriers to improve cancer treatment, but their application is hindered by donor variations and expansion limitations of conventional tissue-derived MSCs. To circumvent these issues, we made EV-mimicking nanovesicles from standardized MSCs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with a theoretically limitless expandability, and examined the targeting capacity of these nanovesicles to prostate cancer. Nanovesicles are made from intact iPSC-MSCs through serial extrusion. The selective uptake of fluorescently labeled nanovesicles by prostate cancer cells vs. non-tumor cells was examined with flow cytometry. For in vivo tracing, nanovesicles were labeled with fluorescent dye DiR or renilla luciferase. In mice carrying subcutaneous or bone metastatic PC3 prostate cancer, the biodistribution of systemically infused nanovesicles was examined with in vivo and ex vivo imaging of DiR and luminescent signals. A chemotherapeutic drug, docetaxel, was loaded into nanovesicles during extrusion. The cytotoxicities of nanovesicle-encapsulated docetaxel on docetaxel-sensitive and -resistant prostate cancer cells and non-tumor cells were examined in comparison with free docetaxel. Therapeutic effects of nanovesicle-encapsulated docetaxel were examined in mice carrying subcutaneous or bone metastatic prostate cancer by monitoring tumor growth in comparison with free docetaxel. iPSC-MSC nanovesicles are more selectively taken up by prostate cancer cells vs. non-tumor cells in vitro compared with EVs, membrane-only EV-mimetic nanoghosts and liposomes, which is not affected by storage for up to 6 weeks. In mouse models of subcutaneous and bone metastatic PC3 prostate cancer, systemically infused nanovesicles accumulate in tumor regions with significantly higher selectivity than liposomes. The loading of docetaxel into nanovesicles was efficient and did not affect the selective uptake of nanovesicles by prostate cancer cells. The cytotoxicities of nanovesicle-encapsulated docetaxel are significantly stronger on docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells and weaker on non-tumor cells than free docetaxel. In mouse models of subcutaneous and bone metastatic prostate cancer, nanovesicle-encapsulated docetaxel significantly decreased the tumor growth and toxicity to white blood cells compared with free docetaxel. Our data indicate that EV-mimicking iPSC-MSC nanovesicles are promising to improve the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.
Evolutionary Debunking and Normative Arguments Against Theism

The levers of natural selection are random genetic mutation, fitness for survival, and reproductive success. Defenders of the evolutionary debunking account (EDA) hold that such mechanisms aren’t likely to produce cognitive faculties that reliably form true moral beliefs. So, according to EDA, given that our cognitive faculties are a product of unguided natural selection, we should be in doubt about the reliability of our moral cognition. Let the term ‘sanspsychism’ describe the view that no supramundane consciousness exists. In arguing against theism, some sanspsychists advance a normative claim about the moral significance of phenomena like sentient suffering. But if no supramundane consciousness exists, our cognitive faculties are a product of unguided natural selection. It follows that if EDA is correct, the sanspsychist should not think that our moral cognition is reliable. So unless the sanspsychist has a defeater for EDA, she should not think herself justified in appealing to normative reasons for denying the existence of God.
Fast and accurate genome-wide predictions and structural modeling of protein-protein interactions using Galaxy

Abstract Protein-protein interactions play a crucial role in almost all cellular processes. Identifying interacting proteins reveals insight into living organisms and yields novel drug targets for disease treatment. Here, we present a publicly available, automated pipeline to predict genome-wide protein-protein interactions and produce high-quality multimeric structural models. Application of our method to the Human and Yeast genomes yield protein-protein interaction networks similar in quality to common experimental methods. We identified and modeled Human proteins likely to interact with the papain-like protease of SARS-CoV2’s non-structural protein 3 (Nsp3). We also produced models of SARS-CoV2’s spike protein (S) interacting with myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein receptor (MOG) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4). The presented method is capable of confidently identifying interactions while providing high-quality multimeric structural models for experimental validation. The interactome modeling pipeline is available at usegalaxy.org and usegalaxy.eu.
Large-scale wildfire reduces population growth in a peripheral population of sage-grouse

Drastic increases in wildfire size and frequency threaten western North American sagebrush (Artemisia L. spp.) ecosystems. At relatively large spatial scales, wildfire facilitates type conversion of sagebrush-dominated plant communities to monocultures of invasive annual grasses (e.g., Bromus tectorum L.). Annual grasses provide fine fuels that promote fire spread, contributing to a positive grass–fire feedback cycle that affects most sagebrush ecosystems, with expected habitat loss for resident wildlife populations. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus Bonaparte, 1827) are sagebrush obligate species that are indicators of sagebrush ecosystem function because they rely on different components of sagebrush ecosystems to meet seasonal life history needs. Because wildfire cannot be predicted, chronic impacts of wildfire on sage-grouse populations have been largely limited to correlative studies. Thus, evidence from well-designed experiments is needed to understand the specific mechanisms by which wildfire is detrimental to sage-grouse population dynamics. Following a significant wildfire event in the southwest periphery of sage-grouse range, we implemented a before-after-control-impact study with long-term paired (BACIP) datasets of male sage-grouse surveyed from traditional breeding grounds (leks) within and outside the wildfire boundary. We estimated sage-grouse population rate of change in apparent abundance ( $$ \hat{\uplambda} $$ ) at burned and unburned areas before and after wildfire and derived BACIP ratios, which provide controlled evidence of wildfire impact. We found that $$ \hat{\uplambda} $$ at leks within the wildfire boundary decreased approximately 16% relative to leks at control sites. Furthermore, we estimated a 98.5% probability that the observed change in $$ \hat{\uplambda} $$ could be attributed to the wildfire. We demonstrated adverse wildfire impacts on sage-grouse population growth using an experimental BACIP design, which disentangled the effect of wildfire disturbance from natural population fluctuations. Our results underscore the importance of active and comprehensive management actions immediately following wildfire (i.e., seeding coupled with planting sagebrush), that might offset short-term impacts of wildfire by timing rapid recovery of sagebrush to meet short-term species’ habitat requirements. Burned leks likely have substantial immediate impacts that may extend beyond wildfire boundaries, especially if critical source habitats are removed. Such impacts could fragment habitat and disrupt connectivity, thereby affecting larger populations and possibly contributing to more widespread declines in sage-grouse populations.
Dowsing for Bone: A Blind Test

Locating clandestine graves is often a significant challenge for law enforcement and other investigators. A number of search techniques can be employed including visual assessments, canines, geophysical techniques, and imaging, often depending on the location/terrain, case information, and available resources. Dowsing is believed by some to be a reliable method for locating underground items of interest including water, oil, ore, and even graves; others, however, consider the practice to be controversial or even pseudoscience. Here we assess the ability of dowsing rods (wielded by previously inexperienced dowsers) to locate buried bones using a controlled blind test. Assemblages of bones were buried in three of nine holes. A control group of participants was asked to identify which holes they believed to contain bones by visual inspection, and a test group was asked to identify which holes they believed to contain bones using dowsing rods. Results indicate that neither method had a significant relationship with the true location of the bones (Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient –0.19 for the control group and 0.00 for the test group), and that there was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.36). In this study, dowsing was not found to be a reliable method of detecting buried bones. Some practitioners continue to advocate dowsing or other scientifically questionable search methods, even charging investigators or families substantial fees for these services. It is therefore important that such techniques are well-understood and rigorously tested, and that investigators seek and employ methods that are appropriate and valid.
“I needed to have this relief”: engaging with critical and indigenous methodologies as developing scholars

Developing critical and Indigenous scholars is an important imperative as universities and colleges consider how to address ongoing marginalization within higher education. To do this, we need more...
PROPOSTA DE UMA ABORDAGEM MULTICRITERIAL BASEADA NA MCDA-C PARA A AVALIAÇÃO DE DESEMPENHO: UMA ANÁLISE NO DEPARTAMENTO DE OBRAS, MANUTENÇÃO E SERVIÇOS AUXILIARES DE UM INSTITUTO FEDERAL

Este trabalho propoe um modelo multicriterial de avaliacao de desempenho para apoiar o processo de gestao em instituicoes publicas. O modelo foi aplicado ao setor de obras, manutencao e servicos de uma instituicao federal. A Metodologia Multicriterio de Apoio a Decisao - Construtivista (MCDA-C) foi o instrumento de intervencao adotado para a obtencao e analise dos dados por ser capaz de tratar diferentes tipos de informacoes e por elicitar os objetivos de decisao conforme os valores dos decisores, possibilitando que eles reflitam sobre suas prioridades e preferencias. Como resultados, o modelo possibilitou (i) a medicao do desempenho do setor a partir dos aspectos considerados relevantes pelo decisor; (ii) a analise da evolucao no desempenho de cada indicador e de suas tendencias; (iii) o entendimento dos principais problemas de desempenho do setor e dos pontos passiveis de melhoria; (iv) e a realizacao de recomendacoes para resolver os problemas de desempenho identificados.