cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Oncogenic Potential of Membrane Receptor Proteins Encoded by Members of the Human erbB Proto-Oncogene Family

Investigations of genetic alterations associated with neoplasia have identified a limited set of cellular genes, termed proto-oncogenes, which are highly conserved in vertebrate evolution. Acute transforming retroviruses have substituted viral genes essential for replication with these discrete segments of host genetic information. When incorporated within the retroviral genome, such transduced sequences acquire the ability to induce neoplastic transformation (1,2). Analysis of products of viral oncogenes has revealed important insights concerning the physiological roles of their normal cellular counterparts, designated protooncogenes. In particular, recent evidence has established a direct link between oncogene products and growth factor receptors. The v-erbB. oncogene was identified as a structurally altered version of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (3), while v-fms shares homology with colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) receptor (4).
Developmental and Behavioral Effects and Retention of Incremental Rates of Rubidium Fed to Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Dietary Medium

Abstract The effects of rubidium chloride were characterized on immature and adult Grapholita molesta (Busck) in an effort to determine its suitability as a label to mark, release and recapture this species in field-based dispersal studies. Neonate G. molesta (Busck) larvae were fed lima bean-based diet enriched with 0, 600, 3,000 or 6,000 mg RbCI/L liquid diet (ppm). Both male and female adult G. molesta were successfully marked at the 3 highest concentrations. Increasing concentrations did not alter pupal mass or larva-to-adult development (first instar to adult death), but adult longevity decreased in response to increasing Rb concentrations in diet. All males and 83.3% of females reared on diet with 6,000 ppm RbCI retained a detectable Rb signature through 168 h post eclosion. Labeled males were more likely to exhibit stationary zig-zag flight prior to flying upwind to a sex pheromone lure in a wind tunnel. These experiments demonstrate that rubidium chloride may be used to label immature G. molesta f...
U.S. Environmentalism and the Politics of the Culture War

This paper uses 2008 national study data to assess the relationship between environmentalism and the liberal social issue positions associated with the political division sometimes characterized as a U.S. 'culture' war. At its origins in the 1960s and 1970s, the modern U.S. environmental movement did not align closely with the Democratic Party or with the ideological liberalism of those decades, and as recently as 1988, Republican candidate George Bush promised that he would be an environmental president. Over the past two decades, however, as national political elites have polarized ideologically, environmentalism has become identified as a distinctly Democratic and liberal cause. For example, surveys indicate that Democrats express far more concern about global warming than Republicans do, and that at this partisan separation is growing. A finding that environmentalism is now dominantly a concern of social issue liberals could indicate that environmentalism and social issue liberalism are merging into a coherent ideology, perhaps related to secularism. Such a finding could also support the conclusion that environmentalists have acquired a polarizing political identity.
Ecological Genetics and the Sampling of Insect Populations for Laboratory Colonization

All species possess basic characteristics which distinguish them from other species. However, genetic research has demonstrated the uniqueness of individuals in sexually reproducing organisms. Also, population studies have indicated that species consist of local units that can vary in both space and time. The differences observed among and within populations may extend to any part of the genotype and are believed to result from genetic adjustments that lead to the production of a phenotype adapted to the local environment. The idea that environmental selection patterns are responsible for the regulation of genetic variation in populations suggests the need to conduct ecological genetic studies on native populations being sampled to establish laboratory colonies for biological and/or genetic control programs. In the absence of field information, sampling procedures tend to be haphazard in terms of securing adequate amounts and kinds of genetic variation for initial colonization purposes.
Dynamical Systems for Audio Synthesis: Embracing Nonlinearities and Delay-Free Loops

Many systems featuring nonlinearities and delay-free loops are of interest in digital audio, particularly in virtual analog and physical modeling applications. Many of these systems can be posed as systems of implicitly related ordinary differential equations. Provided each equation in the network is itself an explicit one, straightforward numerical solvers may be employed to compute the output of such systems without resorting to linearization or matrix inversions for every parameter change. This is a cheap and effective means for synthesizing delay-free, nonlinear systems without resorting to large lookup tables, iterative methods, or the insertion of fictitious delay and is therefor suitable for real-time applications. Several examples are shown to illustrate the efficacy of this approach.
Prominence Ranking in Graphs with Community Structure.

We study prominence ranking in heterogeneous social networks with actors who collaborate to create artifacts which display some homophily based community structure (Figure 1). For example, a paper is an artifact and multiple authors may collaborate on the paper. Papers appear in venues, which are communities containing papers on similar topics and of similar quality. An artifact conferes a social tie on its contributors, and homophily based groups of artifacts serves to identify the artifacts of similar stature. Past research on prominence has only used the social ties, ignoring the relationships between the artifacts (two artifacts with common authors are linked). We incorporate the artifact relationships 1. Artifacts can belong to natural groupings. For example, conference venues have a topic and a prominence – papers in high impact conferences tend to be from prominent authors. This is true because of rigorous review cycles as well as self selection of submissions. Thus, artifact groupings convey valuable information on quality. On the other hand, conference venues can be a noisy source of information, containing peripherally related topics and papers of a wide range in quality. One needs robust measures to obtain information from the artifact groupings. We use the DBLP network of scientific publications to illustrate our algorithms, and our validation will be using citation counts (an external measure of prominence). We show that our algorithm, which considers the artifacts as well as the artifact groupings, provides a clear improvement over other well-known ranking methods. What if artifact groupings, such as conference venues are not available? In this case, using the link structure between artifacts, we use clustering algorithms to find groupings for the artifacts (Clauset, Newman, and Moore 2004; Magdon-Ismail and Purnell 2010; Sun et al. 2009). Note
Search for an Invisible Decaying Higgs Boson in Dilepton Events at CDF

Abstract A direct search at CDF for an exotic Higgs boson that decays to invisible particles is reported. The simplest H → invisible Standard Model (SM) process has a branching ratio of 10 −3 . However, Higgs boson decays to invisible particles can be significantly enhanced in many BSM models. One of the cleanest signatures in searching for this process is when the Higgs boson is produced in association with a Z boson that decays to a charged dilepton pair. In this analysis we model the ZH signal assuming the SM production cross section and a H → invisible branching ratio of 100%. We investigate several Higgs mass hypotheses from 115 to 150 Gev / c 2 , and place 95% credibility level limits on Higgs boson production in this final state. The results here use the full CDF data set corresponding to 9.7 f b − 1 of luminosity.
Density functional theory analysis of hexagonal close-packed elemental metal photocathodes

A density function theory based analysis of photoemission from hexagonal close packed (hcp) metals is presented and the calculated values of the rms transverse momentum (ΔpT) are in good agreement with the available experimental data on Be [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 237401 (2013)] and Mg [Proceedings of LINAC 2002, Gyeongju, Korea (2002)]. The lattice constants and work functions of the hcp metals are also examined and are consistent with the available experimental values. In addition, emission from (0001)-oriented Be is examined due to the presence of a strong surface state.
Individual and Day-to-Day Differences in Active Coping Predict Diurnal Cortisol Patterns among Early Adolescent Girls.

Prior work has identified alterations in activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as a potential mechanism underlying stress-induced emotional health problems, which disproportionately impact girls beginning in mid-adolescence. How adolescent girls differ from one another in dispositional coping tendencies and shift specific coping strategies in response to varying stressors have been theorized as important predictors of their adaptation, health, and well-being during this dynamic period of development. The goal of this study was to examine whether individual and day-to-day (within-person) differences in adolescent girls’ coping responses are associated with daily patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, indexed by cortisol. Participants were 122 early adolescent girls (Mage = 12.39) who provided three saliva samples per day for 3 days and completed daily coping reports, as well as a standard coping survey. Participants and primary caregivers also completed objective life stress interviews. On average, girls who were more likely to respond to interpersonal stress with voluntary engagement (active) coping exhibited generally adaptive daily physiological regulation—steeper diurnal cortisol slopes, lower total diurnal cortisol output, and lower cortisol awakening responses. Chronic interpersonal stress level significantly moderated these associations in different ways for two distinct components of the diurnal pattern—the slope and cortisol awakening responses. Regarding within-person differences, using active coping more than usual was associated with higher waking cortisol the following morning, which may help to prepare adolescent girls for perceived daily demands. These findings highlight the interactive influence of stress and coping in the prediction of daily hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and support the stress-buffering role of active coping for adolescent girls.
Medicaid Expansion And Grant Funding Increases Helped Improve Community Health Center Capacity

Through the expansion of Medicaid eligibility and increases in core federal grant funding, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to increase the capacity of community health centers to provide prima...
Beyond Group Work Camp: A bridge to symposia and conference participation via professional presentations

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is twofold - to describe a Group Work Camp workshop that facilitates continued professional involvement beyond the camp experience, and to share the information offered in this session. The workshop provides information about developing peer-reviewed presentations for professional association conferences and addresses the benefits of such presentations. It identifies different presentation formats and describes the abstract preparation, submission and review processes. It addresses the dissemination of supplemental material related to the presentation. Detailed recommendations for navigating the preparation and presentation processes are shared with the hope of easing anxieties for new presenters. By scheduling the workshop near the conclusion of camp, it builds upon the group experience to facilitate continued involvement with the association and its activities. It provides a bridge and a method for further professional groupwork engagement and outlines a path for post-camp connections. Keywords: Group Work Camp; groupwork; International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG); professional associations; conference abstract; poster and paper presentations.
Developing and Sequencing Community Engagement and Experiential Education: A Case Study of Urban Geography Teaching and Research

Community engagement curricula and course design can provide substantial experiences for both community members and participating students. Using a case study approach, this research focuses on four steps in this process: initial community relationship forming, engaging in community service, transitioning to civic engagement, and developing a community-based research program. Narrative examples from student course evaluations position these community-based experiences as transformative for multiple parties. Institutional structures are presented as helpful entrees to engagement for students, while noting that community relationships provide contextualized, powerful, and meaningful relationships, supporting recommendations for emerging and existing community engagement programs.
Comparison of Pterygium Recurrence Rates Among Different Races and Ethnicities After Primary Pterygium Excision by Surgeons in Training.

Purpose To evaluate the impact of race and ethnicity, surgical technique, and level of surgeon training on recurrence rates after primary pterygium excision. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent primary pterygium excision at our academic institution was performed. The surgical technique-conjunctival autografting (CAG) or amniotic membrane grafting (AMG)-was chosen at the attending surgeon's discretion, and all surgeries were performed by surgeons in training. The primary outcome measure was pterygium recurrence, defined as regrowth of fibrovascular tissue onto a clear cornea in the region of previous pterygium removal. Results There was a significant difference in age at presentation between white (64.3 ± 11.4), Hispanic (50.0 ± 13.5), black (64.8 ± 14.5), and Asian (59.3 ± 9.2) patients (P 0.05). Conclusions Hispanic and black patients are more likely to experience pterygium recurrence after AMG than CAG. White patients are less likely than Hispanic or black patients to experience recurrence regardless of the surgical technique. To reduce the likelihood of recurrence, surgeons may consider race and ethnicity when selecting their operative technique.
A Simple and Universal System for Gene Manipulation in Aspergillus fumigatus: In Vitro-Assembled Cas9-Guide RNA Ribonucleoproteins Coupled with Microhomology Repair Templates.

ABSTRACT CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-Cas9 is a novel genome-editing system that has been successfully established in Aspergillus fumigatus. However, the current state of the technology relies heavily on DNA-based expression cassettes for delivering Cas9 and the guide RNA (gRNA) to the cell. Therefore, the power of the technology is limited to strains that are engineered to express Cas9 and gRNA. To overcome such limitations, we developed a simple and universal CRISPR-Cas9 system for gene deletion that works across different genetic backgrounds of A. fumigatus. The system employs in vitro assembly of dual Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) for targeted gene deletion. Additionally, our CRISPR-Cas9 system utilizes 35 to 50 bp of flanking regions for mediating homologous recombination at Cas9 double-strand breaks (DSBs). As a proof of concept, we first tested our system in the ΔakuB (ΔakuBku80) laboratory strain and generated high rates (97%) of gene deletion using 2 µg of the repair template flanked by homology regions as short as 35 bp. Next, we inspected the portability of our system across other genetic backgrounds of A. fumigatus, namely, the wild-type strain Af293 and a clinical isolate, A. fumigatus DI15-102. In the Af293 strain, 2 µg of the repair template flanked by 35 and 50 bp of homology resulted in highly efficient gene deletion (46% and 74%, respectively) in comparison to classical gene replacement systems. Similar deletion efficiencies were also obtained in the clinical isolate DI15-102. Taken together, our data show that in vitro-assembled Cas9 RNPs coupled with microhomology repair templates are an efficient and universal system for gene manipulation in A. fumigatus. IMPORTANCE Tackling the multifactorial nature of virulence and antifungal drug resistance in A. fumigatus requires the mechanistic interrogation of a multitude of genes, sometimes across multiple genetic backgrounds. Classical fungal gene replacement systems can be laborious and time-consuming and, in wild-type isolates, are impeded by low rates of homologous recombination. Our simple and universal CRISPR-Cas9 system for gene manipulation generates efficient gene targeting across different genetic backgrounds of A. fumigatus. We anticipate that our system will simplify genome editing in A. fumigatus, allowing for the generation of single- and multigene knockout libraries. In addition, our system will facilitate the delineation of virulence factors and antifungal drug resistance genes in different genetic backgrounds of A. fumigatus.
Kinetics and dosimetric predictors of acute radiation-induced lymphopenia in pancreatic cancer.

300Background: Radiation (RT) induced lymphopenia (RIL) is an adverse prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer (PC) and is likely due to the irradiation of lymphocytes in the RT field. The goal of th...
The Psychosocial Impact of Withdrawing from Living Kidney Donation

We summarized data on the experience of people who withdraw from living kidney donation for non-medical reasons and suggest transplant centers strategies to enhance support for this population. Reported rates of opting out vary widely, from 0.2 to 22%. Individuals often describe more than one factor that contributed to their decision not to donate. Limited data suggests that most who withdraw from donation do not experience a long-term negative impact on their relationship with their intended recipient. For a minority, however, the decision to opt out may occasionally strain relationships and create significant emotional distress. Non-specific statements of ineligibility to donate may alleviate these complications, but they are rarely used. The psychosocial impact of opting out of donation is complex and merits further research.
Pollen inspired microscrapers for minimally invasive statistical tissue sampling

Inspired by pollen grain microstructures, we have microfabricated disc shaped microscrapers capable of collecting tissue samples as they pass through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These tissue samples possess a sufficient cell count to perform molecular pathology tests, which screen for potential tumorigenic mutations. The devices are coated in sharp tapered microbristles and are small enough so that tens of thousands can be potentially added to an orally ingestible capsule; additionally, they are magnetic to allow for easy retrieval. Using cell nuclei staining, we observe that optimized microscrapers collect over four times as many cells when compared to devices without microbristles.
The Tune of Christian Apocalyptic: Paul and John in Concert:

This article puts John and Paul in conversation concerning two issues: believers’ partaking of food sacrificed to idols and the question of who were the primary actors in Jesus’ death. While many m...
Eight-year performance of bareroot Douglas-fir and bareroot and plug western larch Seedlings following herbicide applications, northeast Oregon, USA

Plantation success in northeastern Oregon can be limited by poor survival for western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) seedlings. Vegetation management treatments may increase soil moisture availability during the dry summer months, thereby increasing the probability of seedling survival. Chemical site preparation treatments were applied in spring 2007, summer 2007, and spring 2008 to determine if such treatments would improve survival and growth of bareroot Douglas-fir and bareroot and plug western larch seedlings on three sites near Elgin, Oregon. Although some herbicide treatments significantly increased survival, results were not consistent among sites. Overall, Douglas-fir had greater survival after 7–8 years than larch seedlings. Seedling size 7–8 years after planting was also highly variable among sites and treatments with larch seedlings being taller and larger than Douglas-fir seedlings, on the average. Size for all stock types was negatively correlated with vegetative cover and positively correlated with first-year soil moisture. Macro- and microclimatic conditions, including topography and soil depth, were likely contributors to differences in survival and growth.
Preterm infants: ventilation and P100 changes with CO2 and inspiratory resistive loading.

The ventilatory effects of inspiratory flow-resistive loading and increased chemical drive were measured in ten neonates during progressive hypercapnia in control and loaded states. Hypercapnia (me...
A semi-empirical model for mean wind velocity profile of landfalling hurricane boundary layers

Abstract The existence of the super-gradient-wind region, where the tangential winds are larger than the gradient wind, has been widely observed inside the hurricane boundary layer. Hence, the extensively used log-law or power-law wind profiles under near-neutral conditions may be inappropriate to characterize the boundary layer winds associated with hurricanes. Recent development in the wind measurement techniques overland together with the abundance of data over ocean enabled a further investigation on the boundary layer wind structure of hurricanes before/after landfall. In this study, a semi-empirical model for mean wind velocity profile of landfalling hurricanes has been developed based on the data from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) network operated by the National Weather Service and the Global Positioning System (GPS) dropsondes collected by the National Hurricane Center and Hurricane Research Division. The proposed mathematical representation of engineering wind profile consists of a logarithmic function of the height z normalized by surface roughness z 0 ( z / z 0 ) and an empirical function of z normalized by the height of maximum wind δ ( z / δ ). In addition, the consideration of wind direction in terms of the inflow angle is integrated in the boundary layer wind profile. Field-measurement wind data for both overland and over-ocean conditions have been employed to demonstrate the accuracy of simulation and convenience in use of the developed semi-empirical model for mean wind velocity profile of landfalling hurricanes.
Assessment of Fine and Gross Motor Skills in Children

Motor skills refer to the movement and coordination of one’s muscles and body. Gross motor skills require coordination of an individual’s arms, legs, and other large body parts for actions such as running, jumping, and throwing. Fine motor skills require coordination of smaller movements between the fingers, hands, and feet for actions such as picking up and grasping small objects. The assessment of motor skills involves the examination of motor functioning and motor development. There are a number of standardized measures available to measure motor functioning in children, 15 of which are reviewed in this chapter. This chapter also includes discussion related to the selection of an appropriate measure and childhood disorders commonly associated with motor difficulties.
Enhanced fear memories and brain glucose metabolism ( 18 F-FDG-PET) following sub-anesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion in Sprague-Dawley rats

Ketamine is a multimodal dissociative anesthetic, which provides powerful analgesia for victims with traumatic injury. However, the impact of ketamine administration in the peri-trauma period on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains controversial. Moreover, there is a major gap between preclinical and clinical studies because they utilize different doses and routes of ketamine administration. Here, we investigated the effects of sub-anesthetic doses of intravenous (IV) ketamine infusion on fear memory and brain glucose metabolism (BGluM) in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received an IV ketamine infusion (0, 2, 10, and 20 mg/kg, 2 h) or an intraperitoneal (IP) injection (0 and 10 mg/kg) following an auditory fear conditioning (3 pairings of tone and foot shock [0.6 mA, 1 s]) on day 0. Fear memory retrieval, fear extinction, and fear recall were tested on days 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The effects of IV ketamine infusion (0 and 10 mg/kg) on BGluM were measured using 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed tomography (CT). The IV ketamine infusion dose-dependently enhanced fear memory retrieval, delayed fear extinction, and increased fear recall in rats. The IV ketamine (10 mg/kg) increased BGluM in the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus, while decreasing it in the cerebellum. On the contrary, a single ketamine injection (10 mg/kg, IP) after fear conditioning facilitated fear memory extinction in rats. The current findings suggest that ketamine may produce differential effects on fear memory depending on the route and duration of ketamine administration.
Introduction of Water-Solubility in Palladacycles and Their Catalytic Applications

Abstract Aqueous biphasic catalysis has received significant attention as a method to decrease the environmental impact of synthetic methods and improve their safety. In metal-catalyzed processes, the use of a water-soluble catalyst allows the catalyst species to be readily separated from the organic product stream and potentially recycled. Hydrophilic palladacycles have been explored as precatalysts in aqueous solvents. Palladacycles are highly stable precatalysts that often provide high catalyst turnovers. This chapter reviews the use of water-soluble palladacycles in aqueous-phase cross-coupling reactions. Water-soluble palladacycles can be achieved by incorporating hydrophilic substituents on the organic ligand. Alternatively, ionic palladium complexes with noncoordinating anions have been successfully used in cross-coupling reactions.
Signal models for brain interfaces based on evoked response potential in EEG

Electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are developed to provide access channels for alternative communication and control systems to people with severe speech and physical impairments. Designs that exploit evoked response potentials (ERPs) in EEG constitute the majority of research efforts dedicated to noninvasive BCIs. Visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation paradigms are used to actively probe the user's brain to collect EEG evidence towards inferring intent in the context of the particular application. As assistive technology devices, however, existing EEG-based BCIs lack sufficient speed and accuracy to safely and reliably restore function at acceptable levels. This is mainly because the recorded EEG signals are not only noisy with a low signal-to-noise ratio, but are also nonstationary, due to physiological or environmental artifacts, sensor failure, and user fatigue. In this chapter, we address how reliable intent inference engines with reasonable speed and accuracy can be developed using parametric modeling. Examples of real-world data in the framework of the ERP-based BCI paradigm are provided to exemplify our detection and classification methods.
Understanding Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Physical Performance in Midlife Women: Findings From SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation).

Objectives Evaluate degree to which racial/ethnic differences in physical performance are mediated by sociodemographic, health, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. Methods Physical performance was evaluated using a decile score derived from grip strength, timed 4-meter walk, and timed repeat chair stand in 1,855 African-American, Caucasian, Chinese, Hispanic, and Japanese women, mean age=61.8 (SD=2.7). in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Mediators included education, financial strain, co-morbidities, pain, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and perceived stress. Structural equation models provided estimates of the total difference in physical performance between Caucasians and each race/ethnic groups and differences due to direct effects of race/ethnicity and indirect effects through mediators. Results The mean decile score for Caucasian women was 16.9 (SD=5.6), 1.8, 2.6, and 2.1 points higher than the model-estimated scores in African-Americans, Hispanics and Chinese respectively, and 1.3 points lower than the Japanese. Differences between Caucasians and the Chinese and Japanese were direct effects of race/ethnicity whereas in African-Americans and Hispanics 75% or more of that disparity was through mediators, particularly education, financial strain, BMI, physical activity and pain. Discussion Addressing issues of poverty, racial inequality, pain and obesity could reduce some racial/ethnic disparity in functional limitations as women age.
Thionated organic compounds as emerging heavy-atom-free photodynamic therapy agents

This minireview focuses on recent progress in developing heavy-atom-free photosensitizers based on the thionation of nucleic acid derivatives and other biocompatible organic compounds for prospective applications in photodynamic therapy. Particular attention is given to the use of thionated nucleobase derivatives as “one-two punch” photodynamic agents. These versatile photosensitizers can act as “Trojan horses” upon metabolization into DNA and exposure to activating light. Their incorporation into cellular DNA increases their selectivity and photodynamic efficacy against highly proliferating skin cancer tumor cells, while simultaneously enabling the use of low irradiation doses both in the presence and in the absence of molecular oxygen. Also reviewed are their primary photochemical reactions, modes of action, and photosensitization mechanisms. New developments of emerging thionated organic photosensitizers absorbing visible and near-infrared radiation are highlighted. Future research directions, as well as, other prospective applications of heavy-atom-free, thionated photosensitizers are discussed.
Don’t Hold Your Breath! Procedural Inefficiencies during Rapid Sequence Intubation in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Detailed Video Analysis

Background Apnea is an expected result of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) and is the primary driver of procedural risk. Although studies describe the performance of RSI in emergency settings, very little has been published describing the actual performance and duration of procedural intervals during the apneic period, primarily due to limitations of traditional approaches to data collection. Purpose We will characterize both the specific procedural intervals of the apneic period during RSI and the specific inefficiencies in each interval that contribute to prolonged, failed attempts at tracheal intubation. Methods This is a prospectively planned, observational study …
Cerebrospinal fluid drainage kinetics across the cribriform plate are reduced with aging.

Background Continuous circulation and drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are essential for the elimination of CSF-borne metabolic products and neuronal function. While multiple CSF drainage pathways have been identified, the significance of each to normal drainage and whether there are differential changes at CSF outflow regions in the aging brain are unclear. Methods Dynamic in vivo imaging of near infrared fluorescently-labeled albumin was used to simultaneously visualize the flow of CSF at outflow regions on the dorsal side (transcranial and -spinal) of the central nervous system. This was followed by kinetic analysis, which included the elimination rate constants for these regions. In addition, tracer distribution in ex vivo tissues were assessed, including the nasal/cribriform region, dorsal and ventral surfaces of the brain, spinal cord, cranial dura, skull base, optic and trigeminal nerves and cervical lymph nodes. Results Based on the in vivo data, there was evidence of CSF elimination, as determined by the rate of clearance, from the nasal route across the cribriform plate and spinal subarachnoid space, but not from the dorsal dural regions. Using ex vivo tissue samples, the presence of tracer was confirmed in the cribriform area and olfactory regions, around pial blood vessels, spinal subarachnoid space, spinal cord and cervical lymph nodes but not for the dorsal dura, skull base or the other cranial nerves. Also, ex vivo tissues showed retention of tracer along brain fissures and regions associated with cisterns on the brain surfaces, but not in the brain parenchyma. Aging reduced CSF elimination across the cribriform plate but not that from the spinal SAS nor retention on the brain surfaces. Conclusions Collectively, these data show that the main CSF outflow sites were the nasal region across the cribriform plate and from the spinal regions in mice. In young adult mice, the contribution of the nasal and cribriform route to outflow was much higher than from the spinal regions. In older mice, the contribution of the nasal route to CSF outflow was reduced significantly but not for the spinal routes. This kinetic approach may have significance in determining early changes in CSF drainage in neurological disorder, age-related cognitive decline and brain diseases.
God at War: A Meditation on Religion and Warfare: by Mark Juergensmeyer, New York, Oxford University Press, 2020, viii + 107 pp., US$19.95 (hardback), ISBN 978 019 007917 8

God at War, although a slim book, is of large importance in the wake of what happened at the US Capitol on January 6 of this year. Subtitled A Meditation on Religion and Warfare, this inquiry into ...
Campus Climate and the Sexual Assault Victimization of LGBQ College Students

Sexual minority college students are disproportionately impacted by sexual assault in college, however, there is a paucity of research exploring the role of the college environment in victimization...
An Interactive Dashboard to Study the Impact of Hurricane Florence on Food Bank Operations

North Carolina is the third most hurricane-prone states in the US. In 2018, Hurricane Florence caused a lot of damages to households in North Carolina. The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (FBCENC) serves 34 counties in North Carolina, and 22 of them were affected by Hurricane Florence. This research aims to investigate the impact of Hurricane Florence on the operations of FBCENC. We developed interactive dashboards to visualize food bank operational data and other relevant data and studied the trends and patterns of food distribution in three key stages: preparedness, response, and recovery. These dashboards enable food bank operations managers to explore and interact with the data with ease to explore the operational data at different stages, at different branch level, and on a different time scale (monthly, weekly, or daily). The impact on the operations of affected service areas vs. not affected areas could be investigated as well. The findings of this research will provide insight into how humanitarian relief agencies can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from the disruptions caused by hurricanes.
Experimental Study of Big Raster and Vector Database Systems

Spatial data is traditionally represented using two data models, raster and vector. Raster data refers to satellite imagery while vector data includes GPS data, Tweets, and regional boundaries. While there are many real-world applications that need to process both raster and vector data concurrently, state-of-the-art systems are limited to processing one of these two representations while converting the other one which limits their scalability. This paper draws the attention of the research community to the research problems that emerge from the concurrent processing of raster and vector data. It describes three real-world applications and explains their computation and access patterns for raster and vector data. Additionally, it runs an extensive experimental evaluation using state-of-the-art big spatial data systems with raster data of up-to a trillion pixels, and vector data with up-to hundreds of millions of edges. The results show that while most systems can analyze raster and vector concurrently, but they have limited scalability for large-scale data.
Hyperlipidemia induced metabolic changes in regulatory T cells result in altered function

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in maintaining self-tolerance and controlling inflammation. However, physiologically relevant conditions that alter Treg function and drive disease pathogenesis are poorly understood and few have been defined. We have previously shown that induction of hyperlipidemia in mice results in changes in Tregs that reduce their function. Here we set out to examine mechanisms by which hyperlipidemia alters Tregs. Using live-cell metabolic assays, we observed that induction of hyperlipidemia increases metabolism in Tregs but not conventional T cells. Increased metabolism resulted from preferential activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt2 (PKBβ). Expression of a constitutively activated form of Akt2 in CD4 T cells was sufficient to increase glycolysis in Tregs and drive changes in Treg subsets. Induction of hyperlipidemia did not alter Treg metabolism in mice lacking Akt2. Activation of Akt2 was sufficient to drive production of inflammatory cytokines by Tregs. We suggest that hyperlipidemia alters Treg function through effects on metabolism via Akt2 activation thereby promoting plasticity and decreased function of FoxP3+ T cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The single-leg heel raise does not predict maximal plantar flexion strength in healthy males and females.

Introduction The single-leg heel raise test (SLHR) is commonly used in clinical settings to approximate plantar flexor strength, yet this is neither validated nor supported physiologically. The purposes of this study were to: determine (1) associations between SLHR repetitions, maximal plantar flexor strength, and reductions in strength; and (2) whether sex differences exist in performance of the SLHR. Methods Twenty-eight young, healthy participants (14 males,14 females, 19–30 years) performed repeated single-leg heel raises to task failure. Pre- and post-task measures included maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), and voluntary activation and contractile properties of the plantar flexor muscles, assessed using peripheral electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve. Surface electromyography was recorded for the medial and lateral gastrocnemius, soleus, and anterior tibialis muscles. Results The SLHR resulted in 20.5% reductions in MVIC torque (p<0.001). However, the number of SLHR repetitions was not correlated with either the baseline MVIC (maximal strength; p = 0.979) or the reduction in MVIC following the SLHR (p = 0.23). There were no sex differences in either the number of SLHR repetitions (p = 0.14), baseline MVIC torque (p = 0.198), or the reduction of MVIC (p = 0.14). MVIC decline was positively associated with the reduction in voluntary activation (r = 0.841, p<0.001), but was not associated with the change in twitch amplitude (p = 0.597). Conclusions The SLHR was similar in young males and females yet was a poor predictor of maximal plantar flexor strength but evaluates performance fatigability of the lower extremity specific to dynamic contractions. The reduction in maximal strength at task failure was explained by reduced neural drive to the plantar flexor muscles in both males and females. Impact statement SLHR performance is not a clinical assessment of plantar flexor strength but assesses dynamic lower extremity fatigability that is similar in males and females. Alternate clinical measures for maximal plantar flexion strength need to be developed.
Intergroup Conflict Reduction Through Identity Affirmation: Overcoming the Image of the Ethnic or Enemy “Other”

This paper first argues that a conflict between groups can be lessened by the explicit affirmation by one group of the other group’s identity, including its past pain, defeats and collective losses, when appropriate. A model of group affirmation is then proposed, consisting of: Leadership, Recognition, Validation and the Transparency of Future Time. The groups involved can be ethnic or national in scope. This model is defined in terms of another possible ARIA model to be added to the one already proposed, though quite different in content, by Jay Rothman (1997). Limitations concerning the use of this model are discussed as well.
A Functionally Graded Composite for Service in High-Temperature Lead- and Lead-Bismuth–Cooled Nuclear Reactors—I: Design

AbstractA material system that resists lead-bismuth attack and retains its strength at very high temperatures has been developed that enables increased outlet temperature and the promise of allowing increased coolant velocity and efficiency of lead- and lead-bismuth-cooled reactors if the behavior reported here is confirmed by long-term tests. The development of this system represents an enabling technology for lead-bismuth-cooled reactors. The system is a functionally graded composite (FGC), with separate layers engineered to perform corrosion resistance and structural functions. Alloy F91 was chosen as the structural layer of the composite because of its strength and radiation resistance. An Fe-12Cr-2Si alloy was developed based on previous work in the Fe-Cr-Si system, and was used as the corrosion-resistant cladding layer because of its chemical similarity to F91 and its superior corrosion resistance in lead and lead-bismuth in both oxidizing and reducing environments. The availability of the FGC will ...
Black-white differences in severe maternal morbidity and site of care

Background For every maternal death, >100 women experience severe maternal morbidity, which is a life-threatening diagnosis, or undergo a life-saving procedure during their delivery hospitalization. Similar to racial/ethnic disparities in maternal death, black women are more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity than white women. Site of care has received attention as a mechanism to explain disparities in other areas of medicine. Data indicate that black women receive care in a concentrated set of hospitals and that these hospitals appear to provide lower quality of care. Whether racial differences in the site of delivery contribute to observed black-white disparities in severe maternal morbidity rates is unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether hospitals with high proportions of black deliveries have higher severe maternal morbidity and whether such differences contribute to overall black-white disparities in severe maternal morbidity. Study Design We used a published algorithm to identify cases of severe maternal morbidity during deliveries in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for 2010 and 2011. We ranked hospitals by their proportion of black deliveries into high black-serving (top 5%), medium black-serving (5% to 25% range), and low black-serving hospitals. We analyzed the risks of severe maternal morbidity for black and white women by hospital black-serving status using logistic regressions that were adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbidities, hospital characteristics, and within-hospital clustering. We then derived adjusted rates from these models. Results Seventy-four percent of black deliveries occurred at high and medium black-serving hospitals. Overall, severe maternal morbidity occurred more frequently among black than white women (25.8 vs 11.8 per 1000 deliveries, respectively; P P P P Conclusion Most black deliveries occur in a concentrated set of hospitals, and these hospitals have higher severe maternal morbidity rates. Targeting quality improvement efforts at these hospitals may improve care for all deliveries and disproportionately impact care for black women.
Hydrolysis of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate to hydroxyapatite.

Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) was hydrolysed in water and in 1 M Na2HPO4 solution at temperatures from 25-60 degrees C. Hydrolysis was incomplete in water. At 25 degrees C, DCPD partially hydrolysed to hydroxyapatite (HAp). Formation of HAp is indicative of incongruent DCPD dissolution. At the higher temperatures, hydrolysis to HAp was more extensive and was accompanied by the formation of anhydrous dicalcium phosphate (DCP). Both of these processes are endothermic. When hydrolysis was carried out in 1 M Na2HPO4 solution, heat absorption was greater at any given temperature than for hydrolysis in water. Complete hydrolysis to HAp occurred in this solution. The hydrolysis of DCPD to HAp in sodium phosphate solution was also endothermic. The complete conversion of DCPD to HAp in sodium phosphate solution would not be expected if the only effect of this solution was to cause DCPD dissolution to become congruent. Because of the buffering capacity of a dibasic sodium phosphate solution, DCPD hydrolysed completely to HAp. Complete conversion to HAp was accompanied by the conversion of dibasic sodium phosphate to monobasic sodium phosphate. The formation of DCP was not observed indicating that the sodium phosphate solution precluded the DCPD-to-DCP dehydration reaction. In addition to affecting the extent of hydrolysis, reaction in the sodium phosphate solution also caused a morphological change in the HAp which formed. HAp formed by hydrolysis in water was needle-like to globular while that formed in the sodium phosphate solution exhibited a florette-like morphology.
The receptor Msn5 exports the phosphorylated transcription factor Pho4 out of the nucleus

The movement of many transcription factors, kinases and replication factors between the nucleus and cytoplasm is important in regulating their activity1. In some cases, phosphorylation of a protein regulates its entry into the nucleus2; in others, it causes the protein to be exported to the cytoplasm3,4,5,6. The mechanism by which phosphorylation promotes protein export from the nucleus is poorly understood. Here we investigate how the export of the yeast transcription factor Pho4 is regulated in response to changes in phosphate availability. We show that phosphorylation of Pho4 by a nuclear complex of a cyclin with a cyclin-dependent kinase, Pho80–Pho85, triggers its export from the nucleus. We also find that the shuttling receptor used by Pho4 for nuclear export is the importin-β-family member Msn5 (refs 7, 8), which is required for nuclear export of Pho4 in vivo and binds only to phosphorylated Pho4 in the presence of the GTP-bound form of yeast Ran in vitro. Our results reveal a simple mechanism by which phosphorylation can control the nuclear export of a protein.
On formal equivalence verification of hardware

When modeling the logic functionality, hardware can be viewed as a Finite State Machine (FSM) [7]. The power-up state of hardware cannot be determined uniquely, therefore the FSM modeling the hardware does not have an initial state (or a set of initial states). Instead, it has a set of legal operation states, and it must be brought into this set of operation states from any power-up state by a reboot sequence.