cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil Hydraulic Property Impacts of Incorporating Prairie Vegetation within a Row Crop Production Area

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) and buffers have long been recognized as a viable option for managing land and water quality in regions where erosion is prevalent. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the extent to which introduction of VFS reduces runoff, limits soil loss, and influences soil properties. These studies have compared the use of various vegetation as well as various in-field management styles such as conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no tillage. However, there are still many questions as to the overall effectiveness of VFS dependent upon size, location, vegetation, existing soil characteristics, and age of the strips. Though many studies have been conducted there is still a need for investigating the use of alternative vegetation forms such as native prairie vegetation in filter strips. This research explores the use of native prairie vegetation within the filter strips which have been strategically located within an agricultural field managed under a no tillage cornsoybean rotation. The first objective was to determine if incorporation of native prairie vegetation within an agriculture system will have an effect on soil physical properties specifically hydraulic conductivity and soil bulk density. The second objective was to determine if slope position also had an effect on soil physical properties. Small experimental watersheds at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR) in Jasper County, Iowa were used. In the watersheds soil hydraulic properties under the cropped area were directly compared to the soil properties within the VFS to determine if the soil properties in the filter strips had changed significantly. Unsaturated and field saturated hydraulic conductivity were obtained in situ using tension infiltrometers near the same locations where soil cores were extracted for lab analysis of saturated hydraulic conductivity and bulk density.
Relationships of Prostaglandin E2 with Fatty Acid Concentrations and Gene Expression in Colon of Individuals at Increased Risk of Colon Cancer

PGE2 is a well-known biomarker for colon cancer risk. PGE2 is formed from arachidonic acid (AA) via cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and 2) and prostaglandin E synthases (PGES), whereas it is catabolized by1...
The Flexibility Imperative, the Transformation of the Building, and the “Unbecoming” of the Traditional Interior

A shift toward the post-modern in the humanities has fostered novel discourses on spatial phenomena including the production of space, the spatialization of society and culture, and the becoming of interiors. A recent debate on the unbecoming of interior had both puzzled me and encouraged me to explore further and to reinterpret emerging ideas in the interior design academic community. These new developments generate opportunities for investigating spatial phenomena in unconventional and novel ways, construing them as products of changing social practices rather than technical action or artistic serendipity. The problem of this study is the unbecoming of interior as a result of the new sociocultural realities. These realities have led to the unbecoming of the conventional building and in effect, the unbecoming of the interior the way society construes it today. The methodology utilizes a Symbolic Interactionist perspective and a case study approach. The paper interprets the becoming and unbecoming of interior as a dialectical processes of developing and changing relationships between types of spatialities and human agency with respect to particular sociocultural context. The findings highlight how the concerns with social indeterminacy and unpredictability translate into a requirement for building flexibility and then into the unbecoming of conventional spatial paradigms and the interior the way we know it today. These ideas spur questions about the nature and purpose of buildings and interiors, the relationships between them, and the role of impending cultures in the production of new kinds of spatialities.
Forms, Foundations, and the Ethos of Foremost: Zen Practice, Epistemology, and Ontology in Reflective Knowledge Organization

In reflecting on the practice of knowledge organization, we tacitly or explicitly root our conceptions of work and its value in some epistemic and ontological foundation. Zen Buddhist philosophy offers a unique set of conceptions vis-a-vis organizing, indexing, and describing documents. When we engage in knowledge organization, we are setting our mind to work with an intention. We intend to make some sort of intervention. We then create a form a realization of an abstraction (like classes or terms), we do this from a foundation of some set of beliefs (epistemology, ontology, and ethics), and because we have to make decisions about what to privilege, we need to decide what is foremost in our minds. We must ask what is the most important thing? Form, foundation, and the ethos of foremost require evoke in our reflection on work number of ethical, epistemic, and ontological concerns that ripple throughout our conceptions of space, “good work”, aesthetics, and moral mandate. We reflect on this.
Diseases of the central nervous system caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and other arenaviruses.

Abstract This chapter highlights the neurologic sequelae of viruses from two major groups of arenaviruses, the Lassa-lymphocytic choriomeningitis serocomplex and the Tacaribe serocomplex. Fundamental features of these viruses are reviewed, including the rich history of their discovery and the large influence that the study of arenaviruses has had on the disciplines of virology and immunology more generally. Virus morphology, viral genome organization, individual viral protein functions, and small-animal models of disease are also discussed. The epidemiology, natural history, and laboratory evaluation of the arenaviruses that cause human illness are presented. In particular, the neurologic complications of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in immunocompetent, pregnant, and solid-organ transplant patients are highlighted. The neurologic sequelae of the arenaviruses that cause hemorrhagic fever (i.e., Lassa fever, Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever) are also presented. Lastly, potential treatment and vaccine strategies of these diseases are reviewed.
Abstract 166: Activation of T Cells by Dendritic Cells in Hypertension: A Potential Role of Isoketal-modified Proteins

The adaptive immune system contributes to development of hypertension but the mechanisms or antigens involved are not known. Isoketals (IsoKs) are products of arachidonic acid oxidation that can cross-link lysine residues on proteins which in turn can be immunogenic. We sought to determine if IsoK-modified proteins serve as neoantigens presented by dendritic cells (DCs) to activate T cells in hypertension. Superoxide production by DCs was increased 5-fold by angiotensin II infusion compared to sham treated mice (334.0±49.7 versus 65.8±4.5 pmol/mg protein). This was NADPH-dependent as it did not occur in the gp91 phox-/- mice. This increase in superoxide was associated with accumulation of IsoKs in DCs and activation of DC IL-6 production (1411.0±1330.2 versus 576.2±512.8 pg/ml). Treatment with a potent IsoK scavenger, 2-hydroxybenzylamine, markedly attenuated angiotensin II-induced hypertension (131.4 ± 9.4 mmHg versus 160.1 ± 5.1 mmHg in control mice). Finally we employed an immunization assay involving priming by adoptive transfer of DCs from either sham or angiotensin II-treated mice to naive recipients. T cells from these recipients were then cultured for 10 days with DCs from either sham or angiotensin II treated mice. DCs from angiotensin II treated mice, but not sham mice, caused a striking activation of CD8 + cells in this assay, as reflected by proliferation and polarization to Tc1 and Tc17 phenotypes. These studies show that angiotensin II-induced hypertension activates DCs, in large part by causing superoxide production and formation of IsoKs. We propose that IsoK-modified proteins can be presented as neoantigens by DCs, which in turn trigger T cell activation leading to hypertension.
Transsphenoidal Surgery for Craniopharyngiomas

Complication avoidance and management with craniopharyngioma patients should focus more on avoidance; these complex lesions demand multidisciplinary evaluation and management long before knife is put to skin except if a patient presents in extremis. Although benign histologically, the invasiveness and location of these tumors makes their management difficult over the long term. Expertise in endocrinology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, ophthalmology, reproductive medicine, and, frequently, pediatric medicine are required to deliver the best possible care. In our practice, these patients are managed by a multidisciplinary team that is intimately involved in all phases of care.
The Impact of Combinations of Alcohol, Nicotine, and Cannabis on Dynamic Brain Connectivity

Alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis are among the most commonly used drugs. A prolonged and combined use of these substances can alter normal brain wiring in different ways depending on the consumed cocktail mixture. Brain connectivity alterations and their change with time can be assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) because of its spatial and temporal content. Here, we estimated dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) as derived from fMRI data to investigate the effects of single or combined use of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis. Data from 534 samples were grouped according to their substance use combination as controls (CTR), smokers (SMK), drinkers (DRN), smoking-and-drinking subjects (SAD), marijuana users (MAR), smoking-and-marijuana users (SAM), marijuana-and-drinking users (MAD), and users of all three substances (ALL). The DRN group tends to exhibit decreased connectivity mainly in areas of sensorial and motor control, a result supported by the dFNC outcome and the alcohol use disorder identification test. This trend dominated the SAD group and in a weaker manner MAD and ALL. Nicotine consumers were characterized by an increment of connectivity between dorsal striatum and sensorimotor areas. Where possible, common and separate effects were identified and characterized by the analysis of dFNC data. Results also suggest that a combination of cannabis and nicotine have more contrasting effects on the brain than a single use of any of these substances. On the other hand, marijuana and alcohol might follow an additive effect trend. We concluded that all of the substances have an impact on brain connectivity, but the effect differs depending on the dFNC state analyzed.
Quantitative MDCT assessment of binder effects after pelvic ring disruptions using segmented pelvic haematoma volumes and multiplanar caliper measurements

To assess effects of pelvic binders for different instability grades using quantitative multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) parameters including segmented pelvic haematoma volumes and multiplanar caliper measurements. CT examinations of 49 patients with binders and 49 controls performed from January 2008–June 2016, and matched 1:1 for Tile instability grade and Pennal/Young-Burgess force vector, were compared for differences in pubic symphysis and sacroiliac displacement using caliper measurements in three orthogonal planes. Pelvic haematoma volumes (ml) were derived using semi-automated seeded region-growing segmentation. Median caliper measurements and volumes were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, and correlations assessed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Relevant caliper measurement cutoffs were established using ROC analysis. Rotationally unstable (Tile B) patients with binders showed significant decreases in sacroiliac diastasis (2.7 mm vs. 4.5 mm; p=0.003) and haematoma volumes (135 ml vs. 295 ml; p=0.008). Globally unstable (Tile C) binder patients showed decreased sacroiliac diastasis (4.7 mm vs. 6.4 mm, p=0.04), without significant difference in haematoma volumes (284 ml vs. 234 ml, p=0.34). Four Tile C patients with binders demonstrated over-reduction resulting in pubic body over-ride. Rotationally unstable patients with binders have significantly less sacroiliac diastasis versus controls, corresponding with significantly lower haematoma volumes. • Haematoma segmentation and multiplanar caliper measurements provide new insights into binder effects. • Binder reduction corresponds with decreased pelvic haematoma volume in rotationally unstable injuries. • Discrimination between rotational and global instability is important for management. • Several caliper measurement cut-offs discriminate between rotationally and globally unstable injuries. • Pubic symphysis over-ride is suggestive of binder over-reduction in globally unstable injuries.
Derivation of a Distribution for the Piezometric Head in Groundwater Flow Using Entropy

A probability distribution for the piezometric head in groundwater flow was derived using the principle of maximum entropy (POME). The constraints imposed on the system were the natural probability theorem and the conservation of mass. Two cases of one dimensional steady flow for confined and unconfined aquifers were considered. The only constraint needed for the confined case was that of the total probability. The constraints used for the unconfined flow were those of the total probability and the conservation of mass. Both derivations result in the classical solution for these types of groundwater flow.
Is Temporal Variation of Soil Respiration Linked to the Phenology of Photosynthesis

If recent photosynthate is the primary source of carbohydrates for root respiration and possibly for much of soil microbial respiration through root exudates, then temporal variation in soil respiration (SR) may be linked to plant phenological patterns at hourly to seasonal time scales. Here we review the evidence for this linkage and identify the research needs for improving our understanding of the physiological and ecological linkages between photosynthesis and respiration in ecosystems. The linkage is clearest at the season time scale, where the importance of substrate supply to belowground carbon processes follows a seasonal pattern in temperate and boreal ecosystems. Correlations of SR with canopy light, temperature, and vapor pressure deficit also suggest a link between root respiration and canopy photosynthesis on times scales of a few hours to about 3 weeks. Temporal correlations between photosynthetic activity and SR make it tempting to view patterns in SR as the direct outcome of variation in substrate delivery rates, but these analyses provide only inferential evidence of a physiological linkage. Isotopic labeling studies indicate that the lag between fixation by foliage and respiration of the label in the rhizosphere is usually on the order of a day or more in forest ecosystems. More rapid transmission of pressure/concentration waves through the phloem is theoretically possible, and current understanding of phloem physiology and the regulation of growth suggests that the linkage between canopy and root processes is based on more than the mass transport of substrate from sources to sinks. However, improved understanding of assimilate transport and partitioning is needed before variation in SR patterns can be linked mechanistically to the physiology and the phenology of the plants fueling belowground metabolism.
Contributions of nucleus accumbens dopamine to cognitive flexibility.

There is a compelling evidence that midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and their projections to the ventral striatum provide a mechanism for motivating reward-seeking behavior, and for utilizing information about unexpected reward prediction errors (RPEs) to guide behavior based on current, rather than historical, outcomes. When this mechanism is compromised in addictions, it may produce patterns of maladaptive behavior that remain obdurate in the face of contrary information and even adverse consequences. Nonetheless, DAergic contributions to performance on behavioral tasks that rely on the ability to flexibly update stimulus-reward relationships remains incompletly understood. In the current study, we used a discrimination and reversal paradigm to monitor subsecond DA release in mouse NAc core (NAc) using in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). We observed post-choice elevations in phasic NAc DA release; however, increased DA transients were only evident during early reversal when mice made responses at the newly rewarded stimulus. Based on this finding, we used in vivo optogenetic (eNpHR) photosilencing and (Channelrhodopsin2 [ChR2]) photostimulation to assess the effects of manipulating VTA-DAergic fibers in the NAc on reversal performance. Photosilencing the VTA → NAc DAergic pathway during early reversal increased errors, while photostimulation did not demonstrably affect behavior. Taken together, these data provide additional evidence of the importance of NAc DA release as a neural substrate supporting adjustments in learned behavior after a switch in expected stimulus-reward contingencies. These findings have possible implications for furthering understanding the role of DA in persistent, maladaptive decision-making characterizing addictions.
Phytobiome and Transcriptional Adaptation of Populus deltoides to Acute Progressive Drought and Cyclic Drought

Plant drought stress causes systematic changes to photosynthesis, metabolism, growth, and potentially the phytobiome. Additionally, drought affects plants in both a species-specific and water-defic...
MoviePass: The 'Get Big Fast' Strategy

In August 2017, MoviePass dramatically lowered its monthly subscription price from $50 to just $10 which allowed subscribers to see up to one movie per day. The idea was to rapidly scale the business to the point where they could generate incremental revenue streams from related businesses (e.g., a share of ticket and concession revenues from theaters, advertising revenue from movie studios; and revenue from ride-sharing companies). Within two days, MoviePass had gotten 150,000 new subscribers; within six months, they had more than 2 million. But as of February 2018, the company faced four challenges: theaters were resisting the concept, investors were shorting the stock in record numbers, competitors were beginning to appear, and cash was running short. Could CEO Mitch Lowe (a co-founder of Netflix and former President of Redbox) convince investors that they did, indeed, have a viable business model and could monetize their growing subscriber base? Lowe also had to decide whether to raise subscription prices to cover the growing losses or keep prices low to attract subscribers as quickly as possible. The goal of this case is to understand the advantages, disadvantages, and economics of a "get big fast" strategy as well as the determinants of viability for a subscription business.
Approximate Tests and Confidence Intervals Using the Jackknife

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion of relevant papers that have been significant in bringing the jackknife technique to its present status. This technique is almost universally applicable in aiding a researcher to obtain approximate tests or confidence intervals for parameters of interest. To understand its potential pitfalls, however, it is important to understand the development of some of the theory behind it. This development is far from complete as of this writing. There are two problems that are very important from a practical viewpoint that have received virtually no attention. These are the problems of deciding if one's data is adequate for the asymptotic result and what, if any, transformation should be used in conjunction with the jackknife. Only limited results give an indication of an answer to the former question. The answer to the second question is variance stabilizing transformation until a better answer comes along.
Glutamate receptor interacting protein acts within the prefrontal cortex to blunt cocaine seeking.

Abstract Glutamate receptor interacting protein (GRIP) is a neuronal scaffolding protein that anchors GluA2-containing AMPA receptors to the cell membrane. GRIP plays a critical role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, including that which occurs after drug exposure. Given that cocaine administration alters glutamate receptor trafficking within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a better understanding of the role of receptor trafficking proteins could lead to a more complete understanding of addictive phenotypes. AMPA receptor trafficking in general, and GRIP specifically, is known to play a role in cocaine seeking and conditioned reward in the nucleus accumbens, but its role in the PFC has not been characterized. The current study demonstrates that conditional deletion of GRIP1 in the medial prefrontal cortex increases the motivation for cocaine and potentiates cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in male and female mice. As no effects of PFC GRIP1 deletion were seen in reinstatement of food seeking, strategy set-shifting, or reversal learning the effects on cocaine seeking are not related to generalized alterations in cognitive function. While disrupting GRIP1 might be expected to lead to decreased AMPA transmission, our electrophysiological data indicate an increase in sEPSC amplitude in the prefrontal cortex and a corresponding decrease in paired pulse facilitation in the nucleus accumbens. Taken together this suggests a strengthening of the PFC to NAc input following prefrontal GRIP1 deletion that may mediate the enhanced drug seeking behavior.
Comparison of Cancer Burden and Nonprofit Organization Funding Reveals Disparities in Funding Across Cancer Types.

Background Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in oncology are vital for patient advocacy and funding research for rare cancers, young investigators, and innovative projects. However, some cancers may be underfunded relative to their burden. This study examined the alignment of cancer burden by histology with NPO funding for each histology. Patients and methods This nationwide, cross-sectional study conducted from October 2017 through February 2018 included all oncology NPOs with >$5 million in annual revenue. Total revenue from NPOs supporting individual cancer types with the incidence, mortality, and person-years of life lost (PYLL) for each cancer type was compared using scatter plots and Pearson correlation coefficients. Correlation of expenditure types (eg, fundraising, patient education) with revenue was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients. Effect of disease association with a stigmatized behavior (eg, lung cancer and smoking) was evaluated using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 119 cancer-related NPOs were included, generating approximately $6 billion in annual revenue in 2015. Cancers with the largest revenue were breast cancer ($460 million; 33.2%), leukemia ($201 million; 14.5%), pediatric cancers ($177 million; 12.8%), and lymphoma ($145 million; 10.5%). Breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and pediatric cancers were all well funded compared with their incidence, mortality, and PYLL. Gastrointestinal (colorectal, pancreas, and hepatobiliary), gynecologic (ovarian, cervical, and endometrial), brain, and lung cancers were poorly funded in all 3 metrics. All cancers associated with a stigmatized behavior were poorly funded in at least 2 metrics. Increased spending on fundraising, administrative costs, patient education, and treatment was highly correlated with increased revenue (Pearson correlation coefficients all >0.92). Conclusions NPO funding by cancer type is not proportionate with individual cancer burden on society. Disease stigma negatively impacts funding. A significant need exists to increase awareness and funding for many undersupported but common and highly lethal cancers.
Fiscal policy uncertainty and US output

The rise in US partisan conflict following the Great Recession led to a popular belief that uncertainty about fiscal policy was impeding output growth. I explore this hypothesis by nesting it in a standard structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model traditionally used for estimating fiscal multipliers. I augment the model with stochastic volatility (a measure of uncertainty) and allow that to interact with the endogenous variables. I consider various trend assumptions, subsamples and information sets and find that the evidence does not support this hypothesis. The results reveal that there is no systematic relationship between fiscal policy uncertainty and output. Moreover, a time-varying parameter version of the model shows that the lack of consistency across specifications is not driven by changes in the transmission of uncertainty shocks over time. Finally, I revisit Fernandez-Villaverde, Guerron-Quintana, Kuester, and Rubio-Ramirez (Fernandez-Villaverde, J., P. Guerron-Quintana, K. Kuester, and J. Rubio-Ramirez. 2015. “Fiscal Volatility Shocks and Economic Activity.” American Economic Review 105: 3352–3384) who find a significant negative relationship between fiscal policy uncertainty and output. I show that when their estimation is modified to incorporate the uncertainty around the estimate of uncertainty, their empirical result falls in line with the findings in this paper.
A method to identify Job's tears, Coix lacryma-jobi L., phytoliths in northern China

Abstract This paper presents a quantitative method to distinguish Job's tears, Coix lacryma-jobi L., phytoliths from other wild and cultivated grasses in northern China. The method is based on previously developed techniques to identify maize in the neotropics, but here it is adapted to temperate northern China where maize was not cultivated until recent historic times. Job's tears is a very ancient and important food source in East Asia. Its presence in northern China has been documented through starch grain analyses. We add a method for identifying Job's tears phytoliths that will enhance our understanding of Job's tears use in prehistory and possibly its distribution and domestication over time.
Intensity non-uniformity correction in MR imaging using deep learning

Correcting or reducing the effects of voxel intensity non-uniformity (INU) within a given tissue type is a crucial issue for quantitative MR image analysis in daily clinical practice. Although having no severe impact on visual diagnosis, the INU artifact, can highly degrade the performance of automatic quantitative analysis such as feature extraction and radiomics. In this study, we present a deep learning-based approach for MR image INU correction. Particularly, a cycle generative adversarial network (GAN) was trained and tested using a cohort of 25 abdominal patients with T1-weighted MR INU images. The results show that our cycle GAN-based method achieves a higher accuracy than the most commonly used algorithm N4ITK, and highly speeds up the correction without any unintuitive parameter tuning process.
High-Density Surface Electromyography Assessment of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Women with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Purpose:Up to 85% of women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome have pelvic floor dysfunction and hypertonicity. Current evaluation methodologies lack objective measures of pelvic floor...
A brief telephone-delivered peer intervention to encourage enrollment in medication for opioid use disorder in individuals surviving an opioid overdose: Results from a randomized pilot trial.

Abstract Background Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can decrease the risk of opioid overdose (OOD) in individuals with opioid use disorder. Peer recovery support services (PRSS) are increasingly used to promote MOUD engagement but evidence of their efficacy is limited. This study’s objective was to evaluate a single 20-minute telephone-delivered PRSS intervention for increasing MOUD enrollment and decreasing recurring OODs. Method This single-site, randomized controlled pilot trial enrolled adults, primarily recruited from a syringe service program, with an opioid-positive urine drug screen (UDS) reporting having been treated for an OOD within the past 6 months. Participants (N = 80) were randomized to PRSS (n = 40) or Control (n = 40) condition with all participants receiving personally-tailored OOD education and naloxone. Outcome measures obtained at 3 (n = 66), 6 (n = 58), and 12 (n = 44) months post-randomization included verified MOUD enrollment (primary), self-reported OOD, and opioid use assessed by self-report and UDS. Results Through 12-month follow-up, 32.5 % of PRSS, compared to 17.5 % of Control participants enrolled in MOUD (X2 = 2.4, p = 0.12; odds ratio = 2.27 (0.79–6.49)). PRSS participants were significantly less likely to have experienced an OOD through 12-month follow-up (12.5 % of PRSS participants, 32.5 % of Control, p = 0.03). No significant treatment effect was found for opioid use through 12-month follow-up as measured by either opioid-positive UDSs or self-reported past month opioid use days. Based on self-report, PRSS had good acceptability for both the interventionists and participants. Conclusions The results suggest that further development and testing of this PRSS telephone intervention to encourage MOUD enrollment and reduce OOD may be warranted.
Acute chest syndrome in the setting of SARS-COV-2 infections-A case series at an urban medical center in the Bronx.

New York City has emerged as one of the epicenters of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, with the Bronx being disproportionately affected. This novel coronavirus has caused significant respiratory manifestations raising the concern for development of acute chest syndrome (ACS) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We report a series of pediatric SCD SARS-COV-2-positive patients admitted with ACS. SARS-COV-2-positive SCD patients, who did not develop ACS, were the comparison group. Hydroxyurea use (P-value = .02) and lower absolute monocyte counts (P-value = .04) were noted in patients who did not develop ACS. These preliminary findings need to be further evaluated in larger cohorts.
Resource Review: Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness

Youth-serving professionals have unique opportunities to help support military families in promoting positive youth development. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness provides information, resources, and tools on effective programs and practices youth development professionals, schools, and communities can use to help support military families. It is a comprehensive, trusted, easy-to-navigate source of evidence-based and evidence-informed resources, technical assistance, and support that helps professionals who support military families do that work more effectively.
A Novel Application of Head Tracking Data in the Analysis and Assessment of Operational Cervical Spine Range of Motion for Army Aviators.

Introduction Neck pain among rotary-wing aviators has been established as an important issue in the military community, yet no U.S. Army regulation defines exactly what cervical spine range of motion (CROM) is adequate for flight. This lack of regulation leaves flight surgeons to subjectively determine whether an aviator affected by limited CROM is fit to maintain flight status. The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory is conducting a study among AH-64 and UH-60 pilots to define CROM requirements in simulated and actual flight using optical head tracking equipment. Presented here is a preliminary analysis of head position data from a pilot and co-pilot in two AH-64 missions. Methods Maintenance data recorder (MDR) files from two AH-64 missions were provided by the Apache Attack Helicopter Project Management Office. Data were filtered down to three-dimensional pilot and co-pilot head position data and each data point was analyzed to determine neck posture. These neck postures were then categorized as neutral, mild, and severe for flexion/extension, lateral bending, and twist rotation postural categories. Results Twist rotation postures reached 90 degrees, particularly early in the flight; additionally, a few instances of 90-degree lateral bends were observed. Co-pilots spent more time than pilots in mild and severe twist rotation posture for both flights. Co-pilots also spend a high percentage of time in mild flexion and twist rotation. Conclusion This investigation provides a proof of concept for analysis of head tracking data from MDR files as a surrogate measure of neck posture in order to estimate CROM requirements in rotary-wing military flight missions. Future studies will analyze differences in day and night flights, pilot versus co-pilot CROM, and neck movement frequency.
Naturally occurring three-way junctions can be repurposed as genetically encoded RNA-based sensors.

Summary Small molecules can be imaged in living cells using biosensors composed of RNA. However, RNA-based devices are difficult to design. Here, we describe a versatile platform for designing RNA-based fluorescent small-molecule sensors using naturally occurring highly stable three-way junction RNAs. We show that ligand-binding aptamers and fluorogenic aptamers can be inserted into three-way junctions and connected in a way that enables the three-way junction to function as a small-molecule-regulated fluorescent sensor in vitro and in cells. The sensors are designed so that the interhelical stabilizing interactions in the three-way junction are only induced upon ligand binding. We use these RNA-based devices to measure the dynamics of S-adenosylmethionine levels in mammalian cells in real time. We show that this strategy is compatible with diverse metabolite-binding RNA aptamers, fluorogenic aptamers, and three-way junctions. Overall, these data demonstrate a versatile method for readily generating RNA devices that function in living cells.
Psychiatric presentation of a secondary high-grade glioma in a teenager with high-risk pre-B-cell acute lymphoid leukaemia in remission.

A 16-year-old female adolescent with a history of high-risk pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in remission after 2 years following chemotherapy and whole brain irradiation was seen for a follow-up oncological visit, where she was found to have suicidal indications. The patient’s mother had died
Radiation Source Mapping with Bayesian Inverse Methods

We present a method to map the spectral and spatial distributions of radioactive sources using a limited number of detectors. Locating and identifying radioactive materials is important for border ...
A prospective study of filgrastim pharmacokinetics in morbidly obese patients compared with non-obese controls.

Introduction Filgrastim is a human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). There is limited data on dosing filgrastim in obesity. The objective of this study was to compare filgrastim pharmacokinetic parameters for morbidly obese and non-obese patients after a single subcutaneous dose of filgrastim dosed per actual body weight. Methods This prospective, matched-pair study (NCT01719432) included patients ≥18 years of age, receiving filgrastim at 5 mcg/kg with a weight >190% of their ideal body weight (IBW) for "morbidly obese" patients or within 80-124% of IBW for matched control patients. The control group was prospectively matched for age (within 10 years), degree of neutropenia, and gender. Filgrastim doses were not rounded to vial size, to allow more accurate assessment of exposure. Blood samples were collected at 0 (prior to dose), 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after the first subcutaneous administration of filgrastim. Results A total of 30 patients were enrolled in this prospective pharmacokinetic study, with 15 patients assigned to each arm. Non-compartmental analysis showed that the systemic clearance (Cl) was 0.111 ± 0.041 mL/min in the morbidly obese group versus 0.124 ± 0.045 mL/min in the non-obese group (p=0.44). Additionally, the mean area under the curve (AUC0-24h ) was 49.3 ± 13.9 ng/mL x min in the morbidly obese group versus 46.3 ± 16.8 ng/mL x min in the non-obese group (p=0.6). No differences were seen in maximum concentrations (Cmax ) between the two groups (morbidly obese: 48.1 ± 14.7 ng/mL vs. non-obese: 49.2 ± 20.7 ng/mL (p=0.87)). The morbidly obese group had a numerically higher, but not statistically significant, increase in time to maximum concentration (Tmax ) compared to the non-obese group (544 ± 145 min vs 436 ± 156 min (p=0.06), respectively). Conclusion Calculating subcutaneous filgrastim doses using actual body weight appears to produce similar systemic exposure in morbidly obese and non-obese patients with severe neutropenia.
Fractal Analysis of Binding and Dissociation Interactions of Prions on Biosensor Surfaces

A prion is described as an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein that can interact with its normal counterpart and cause it to become abnormal. It represents a distinct class of infectious agents, which are proteinaceous and devoid of nucleic acid. Considering the importance of detecting the presence of prions in cattle before they are consumed, it is important to quantitatively estimate the amount of scrapie prions present for effective treatment. In this chapter, a conformation dependent immunoassay (CDI) developed by Dr. Pruisner's group at the University of California at Sanfrancisco (UCSF) is presented, and the data obtained by this assay procedure is analyzed using single-fractal and dual-fractal analysis. The results of the CDI are received and discussed in the chapter. The fractal analysis that is provided also aids in this direction by reanalyzing data on the CDI by providing fresh physical insights into the Phuman Fab antibody interaction with Bo 96–115.
Crystallization in Al88RE8Ni4 glass-forming alloys

Abstract The results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) microstructural studies of devitrified amorphous alloys with a composition Al88RE8Ni4 are presented as a function of average rare-earth atomic radii (between 1.76 and 1.87 A). Rare-earth elements RE [tbnd] Gd, Er and La were co-substituted to vary the average atomic radius rRE, while maintaining an 8 at.% rare-earth concentration. As reported previously for Al88La2Gd6Ni4 glasses, compositional phase separation prior to crystallization was observed in all alloys of this series. TEM examination of amorphous samples following low-temperature annealing treatments showed the development of strong image contrast prior to crystallization, corresponding to a segregation of the glassy matrix into aluminium-rich and solute-rich regions over a length scale of a few tens of nanometres. The subsequent crystallization behaviour depended on the average rare-earth radii, with metastable intermetallic phases forming first in glasses made with larger r RE and...
Improving the bandwidth efficiency and of CPM signals via shaping and iterative detection

In this paper, we investigate the effects of shaping on the bandwidth efficiency and performance of continuous phase modulated (CPM) signals. We show that, theoretically, by properly shaping the unmodulated signal, better bandwidth efficiency and performance can be obtained. We then develop the soft-input soft-output (SISO) de-shaper for trellis shaping and block shaping schemes. For a coded, shaped CPM system, the SISO de-shaper enables joint decoding and de-shaping via iterative detection. We demonstrate that using the SISO deshaper, together with iterative decoding and de-shaping, the theoretical advantage of shaping can be realized with practical complexity
ID modulation: embedding sensor data in an RFID timeseries

This paper reports the first use of ID Modulation to embed a bitstream representing sensor information in a standards-compliant Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) channel. Like other forms of information hiding, ID Modulation embeds a new, lower bit-rate channel in a pre-existing host channel, without requiring any changes to the protocols defining the host channel. Like most other forms of information hiding, the embedded data is represented as correlations introduced into the host channel data stream. Most previous applications of information hiding have emphasized either secrecy (as in steganography) or robustness to removal (as in watermarking). The benefit of information hiding that is most important for the application reported here is backward compatibility with pre-existing standards and hardware. It has allowed us to build a new communication layer (for transmitting sensor data) on top of current RFID infrastructure.
The Hygiene of Physical Training

(1909). The Hygiene of Physical Training. I. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 14, No. 7, pp. 468-478.
Documentation of Naturally-Occurring Pathogens and Their Impact in Agroecosystems

Microbial pathogens play a vital role in the natural regulation of many arthropod populations in agricultural systems. Their importance has been underemphasized compared to parasitoids and predators because fewer specialists work on pathogens, and pathogens are generally less noticeable than parasitic and predaceous arthropods.
Development of patient-derived xenograft models from a spontaneously immortal low-grade meningioma cell line, KCI-MENG1

There is a paucity of effective therapies for recurrent/aggressive meningiomas. Establishment of improved in vitro and in vivo meningioma models will facilitate development and testing of novel therapeutic approaches. A primary meningioma cell line was generated from a patient with an olfactory groove meningioma. The cell line was extensively characterized by performing analysis of growth kinetics, immunocytochemistry, telomerase activity, karyotype, and comparative genomic hybridization. Xenograft models using immunocompromised SCID mice were also developed. Histopathology of the patient tumor was consistent with a WHO grade I typical meningioma composed of meningothelial cells, whorls, and occasional psammoma bodies. The original tumor and the early passage primary cells shared the standard immunohistochemical profile consistent with low-grade, good prognosis meningioma. Low passage KCI-MENG1 cells were composed of two cell types with spindle and round morphologies, showed linear growth curve, had very low telomerase activity, and were composed of two distinct unrelated clones on cytogenetic analysis. In contrast, high passage cells were homogeneously round, rapidly growing, had high telomerase activity, and were composed of a single clone with a near triploid karyotype containing 64–66 chromosomes with numerous aberrations. Following subcutaneous and orthotopic transplantation of low passage cells into SCID mice, firm tumors positive for vimentin and progesterone receptor (PR) formed, while subcutaneous implant of high passage cells yielded vimentin-positive, PR-negative tumors, concordant with a high-grade meningioma. Although derived from a benign meningioma specimen, the newly-established spontaneously immortal KCI-MENG1 meningioma cell line can be utilized to generate xenograft tumor models with either low- or high-grade features, dependent on the cell passage number (likely due to the relative abundance of the round, near-triploid cells). These human meningioma mouse xenograft models will provide biologically relevant platforms from which to investigate differences in low- vs. high-grade meningioma tumor biology and disease progression as well as to develop novel therapies to improve treatment options for poor prognosis or recurrent meningiomas.
Removal of excess nuclear protein from cells heated in different physiological states

The relationship between heat-induced cell kill and alterations in nuclear protein content was investigated by heating quiescent 66 mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells in three different physiological states: (1) quiescent, nutrient deprived cells (Q); (2) Q cells placed in fresh medium 2 h prior to heating (QM); and (3) Q cells made thermotolerant by a previous heat treatment (QTT). Although cell survival varied by a factor of 80, the increase in nuclear protein after a 30 min exposure to 45°C was similar in Q, QM and QTT cells. Removal of the excess nuclear protein from cells in the three physiological states differed both in the percentage of the population that could remove the protein and the rate at which the protein was removed. While all of the QM and QTT cells removed the excess nuclear protein, approximately 30% of the Q cells did not remove the excess nuclear protein, and continued to accumulate protein over the 48 h after the heat treatment. The time for complete removal of the excess protein (...
Nanoparticle Spectroscopy: Plasmon Coupling in Finite-Sized Two-Dimensional Arrays of Cylindrical Silver Nanoparticles

This study provides new data for interpreting plasmon coupling in finite two-dimensional arrays, which are important in plasmonic devices and sensing applications. Finite square arrays of cylindrical silver nanoparticles with two different nanoparticle diameters (339 and 163 nm) and two different interparticle spacings (400 and 450 nm) were fabricated by e-beam lithography. The plasmonic properties of these arrays were obtained by UV−visible−near-IR extinction spectroscopy and compared with isolated particle spectra. In the case of the large-diameter particle arrays, the semi-infinite array resonance is quite blue-shifted from the isolated particle resonance; the resonant wavelength of the 2 × 2 particles and successively larger blocks keeps blue-shifting relative to the isolated particle resonance and converges to that of a semi-infinite array. For the small-diameter particle arrays, the semi-infinite resonance is red-shifted from the isolated particle resonance; the resonant wavelength of the 2 × 2 part...
Mixing equations in various geometries

In flow through porous media, the mixing characteristics of the flowing fluids are often defined by the diffusivity equation. Solutions of this equation are available for linear flow, and close approximations are available for radial flow. In this paper, one of the radial flow approximation methods has been generalized to a variety of geometries. The solution is assumed to be in the form of an error function; and equations are derived for the standard deviation-i.e., the argument of the error function. By breaking the flow system into segments and by repeated use of these solutions, mixing can be calculated in a large variety of flow systems. For example, equations can be used to calculate tracer flow behavior in reservoirs and mixing in vertical miscible displacement.
Inbreeding and homozygosity in the fern Ceratopteris pteridoides (Hooker) Hieronymus (Parkeriaceae)

Ceratopteris pteridoides is an inbreeding species. Intralocus homozygosity is deduced from the almost total absence of genetic load (recessive deleterious and lethal genes) in sporophytes from natural populations, and from gametangial sequences which indicate intragametophytic selfing. This mating system and the profound capacity of the species for vegetative reproduction, coupled with the small size and geographical isolation of many populations, strongly support the hypothesis of individual homozygosity. However, polymorphism is exhibited both within and between populations in specific, genetically mediated, gametophytic characteristics. The population genetic structure of C. pteridoides is similar to other inbreeding species.