cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of artificially restricted rooting depth on soybean yield and seed quality

Abstract The amount of plant available soil water is strongly influenced by soil type and rooting depth. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of limited plant available soil water on soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) yield and seed composition. Six soybean cultivars were grown in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in a field with plastic liners inserted at depths of 0.30, 0.45, 0.60, 0.75, and 0.90 m to limit the rooting depth and thus the amount of available water. Compared to the long term mean (508 mm), distinct distribution patterns and amounts of rainfall among the three growing seasons (290, 675, and 440 mm in 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively) resulted in significant differences in yield and seed composition among years. The overall yield, seed weight (g seed −1 ), oil concentration, linoleic acid and linolenic acid were the lowest and protein concentration, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid were the highest in 2007 compared to the other two years. These differences were greater in plants grown under severe rooting depth restrictions. Restricted rooting depth affected soybean seed quality such as protein and oil concentration and fatty acid composition, not only when rainfall was below average, but also when it was above average. The amount of rainfall received from beginning of pod development through full pod (R3–R4) stages was highly correlated with yield, seed weight, oil and protein. Yield and seed weight were negatively correlated with protein and positively with oil, and protein and oil were strongly negatively correlated. Linoleic and linolenic acids were negatively correlated with palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. Under non-limiting moisture conditions (2008), a rooting depth of 0.30 m appeared to provide ample resources for plant growth, indicating that effects observed in drier years were largely a function of water availability. Results presented in this study illustrate that artificially limiting rooting depth under field conditions may serve as means to manipulate plant-available soil water to study plant responses to water deficit stress without modifying the above-ground environment.
Facile characterization of translation initiation via nonsense codon suppression

A new strategy for studying the mechanism of translation initiation in eukaryotes has been developed. The strategy involves the use of an in vitro translation system to incorporate a non-natural fluorescent amino acid into a protein from a suppressor tRNAPheCUA misacylated with that amino acid. It is thereby possible to monitor translation initiation efficiency at an AUG codon in different contexts; this is illustrated for three constructs encoding Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase mRNA with different translation initiation regions. Fluorescence measurements after in vitro translation of the mRNAs in rabbit reticulocyte lysate reflected differences in the position and efficiency of translation initiation and, therefore, can be used for characterization of the translation initiation process.
Dependence in a Micronesian economy

The inadequacy of the assumptions and implied policies of the modernization paradigm has led to a reaction against it by dependency theorists. Two major weaknesses of dependency theory are that it assumes a single kind of exploitative relation between rich and poor nations and that it fails to analyze the economic strategies of village people in dependent areas. Micronesia represents a form of dependency in which exploitation by capitalist powers is insignificant, but the population is dependent upon wages earned by employees of the United States government. Through an examination of Kosrae Island, the processes through which stagnation is exacerbated by the influence of these wages on economic choices are identified.
An augmented finite element model of femur for simulations involving frontal impacts

An enhanced finite element model of the human femur is presented as a reliable mean for prediction of bone failure mechanism for simulations involving frontal impacts. The original finite element representation of femur which was considered in this study did not encompass node connectivity at the interfaces between cortical shaft and condylar regions. Improvements made to the original model have been highlighted. The model has been validated for recorded longitudinal forces and possibility to locate a potential bone fracture. Results obtained from these validations are more in conformance with the cadaver tests than the previous numerical model and are more reliable and accurate in injury prediction.
Generation and replication-dependent dilution of 5fC and 5caC during mouse preimplantation development

One of the recent advances in the epigenetic field is the demonstration that the Tet family of proteins are capable of catalyzing conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) of DNA to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Interestingly, recent studies have shown that 5hmC can be further oxidized by Tet proteins to generate 5-formylcytosine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC), which can be removed by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG). To determine whether Tet-catalyzed conversion of 5mC to 5fC and 5caC occurs in vivo in zygotes, we generated antibodies specific for 5fC and 5caC. By immunostaining, we demonstrate that loss of 5mC in the paternal pronucleus is concurrent with the appearance of 5fC and 5caC, similar to that of 5hmC. Importantly, instead of being quickly removed through an enzyme-catalyzed process, both 5fC and 5caC exhibit replication-dependent dilution during mouse preimplantation development. These results not only demonstrate the conversion of 5mC to 5fC and 5caC in zygotes, but also indicate that both 5fC and 5caC are relatively stable and may be functional during preimplantation development. Together with previous studies, our study suggests that Tet-catalyzed conversion of 5mC to 5hmC/5fC/5caC followed by replication-dependent dilution accounts for paternal DNA demethylation during preimplantation development.
Utilizing dual-costimulation through CD134 and CD137 with varying levels of antigen presentation to elicit heterogeneous CD4+ T cell responses (IRC9P.703)

Many cancer vaccines target CD8 T cells, but cytotoxic CD4+ T cells are emerging as important players. Our lab utilized a dual-costimulation immunotherapy approach through CD134 (OX40) and CD127 (4-1BB) agonist antibodies together with T cells specific to a widespread antigen which induced cytotoxic CD4+ T cell differentiation. Drawing upon a novel transgenic mouse model where CD11c+ cells present a specific antigen, we now demonstrate that antigen-specific dual-costimulated CD4+ T cells can be heterogeneous with differential expression of Eomes, KLRG1, GzmB, and the IL-33R (ST2). Specifically, in one transgenic mouse line with lower levels of CD11c antigen presentation, CD4+ T cells developed into Eomes+KLRG1+GzmB- cells. Despite comparable costimulation however, CD4+ T cells developed into Eomes-KLRG1-GzmB+ cells in a mouse line with greater levels of CD11c antigen presentation. Analysis of known helper T cell transcription factors and cytokines also showed expression of other helper T cell subset markers in these cells. Further, the capacity of these cells to become activated and kill target cells is currently being investigated with an in vitro assay. These findings are novel, demonstrating that cytotoxic CD4+ T cells may in fact be a heterogeneous population influenced by antigen presentation levels. Thus, this data should greatly impact immunotherapeutic targeting of cytotoxic CD4+ T cells.
Minimizing L∞-norm functional on divergence-free fields

In this paper, we study the minimization problem on the L ∞ -norm functional over the divergence-free fields with given boundary normal component. We focus on the computation of the minimum value and the classification of certain special minimizers including the so-called absolute minimizers. In particular, several alternative approaches for computing the minimum value are given using L q -approximations and the sets of finite perimeter. For problems in two dimensions, we establish the existence of absolute minimizers using a similar technique for the absolute minimizers of L ∞ -functionals of gradient fields. In some special cases, precise characterizations of all minimizers and the absolute minimizers are also given based on equivalent descriptions of the absolutely minimizing Lipschitz extensions of boundary functions.
Political Institutions, Minorities, and Punishment: A Pooled Cross-National Analysis of Imprisonment Rates

Despite their plausibility, political explanations for incarceration rates have not been intensely investigated. Centralized democracies that reduce public influence by using corporatist methods to resolve disputes should have lower incarceration rates, but the opposite should be true in decentralized polities with federalist political arrangements where mass publics have greater control over punishment. Threat hypotheses are assessed by examining the effects of minority presence and economic inequality. This study uses a panel design to examine these effects on imprisonment rates in 13 of the most progressive democracies from 1970 to 1995. With the murder or overall crime rates, social disorganization, and additional indicators held constant, the presence of corporatist and federalist political arrangements explain cross-national differences in incarceration rates. The evidence suggests that internal racial or ethnic threat produces larger imprisonment rates as well. The findings indicate that a well-developed comparative political sociology of punishment should help us understand contrasts in the proportion of the population that is incarcerated in advanced democracies.
Unicode in Domain-Specific Programming Languages for Modeling & Simulation ScalaTion as a Case Study

As recent programming languages provide improved conciseness and flexibility of syntax, the development of embedded or internal Domain-Specific Languages has increased. The field of Modeling and Simulation has had a long history of innovation in programming languages (e.g. Simula-67, GPSS). Much effort has gone into the development of Simulation Programming Languages. The ScalaTion project is working to develop an embedded or internal Domain-Specific Language for Modeling and Simulation which could streamline language innovation in this domain. One of its goals is to make the code concise, readable, and in a form familiar to experts in the domain. In some cases the code looks very similar to textbook formulas. To enhance readability by domain experts, a version of ScalaTion is provided that heavily utilizes Unicode. This paper discusses the development of the ScalaTion DSL and the underlying features of Scala that make this possible. It then provides an overview of ScalaTion highlighting some uses of Unicode. Statistical analysis capabilities needed for Modeling and Simulation are presented in some detail. The notation developed is clear and concise which should lead to improved usability and extendibility.
Characterization of the tumorigenic and metastatic potential of a poorly differentiated human colon cancer cell line

We characterized the tumorigenic and metastatic potential of a poorly differentiated, non-CEA-producing colon cancer cell line, MIP-101, after injection at different sites in athymic mice. After subcutaneous and intrasplenic injection tumor grew locally in 100 and 50%, respectively, but no metastases were found, even after intravenous injection. Intraperitoneal implantation, however, resulted in a high tumor take (10/10) and subsequent liver colonization (8/10 mice). Exogenous CEA prior to intrasplenic injection induced metastasis in 7/8 mice (in 2 mice to the liver and in 5 mice to the lung). Intrasplenic injection of CX-1, a good CEA producer, resulted in hepatic metastases in 100% of the animals. These data suggest a direct or indirect role of CEA in the metastatic process. We conclude that MIP-101 has a high tumorigenic and invasive potential but a low metastatic proclivity, except when grown in the peritoneum, and that pretreatment of tumor-bearing animals with CEA affects the metastatic proclivity.
Evaluation and Management of Vascular Disease in the Diabetic Patient

While the incidence of diabetics with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is low in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, failure to recognize and treat these patients appropriately can lead to significant complications. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations and then describe the evaluation and management of diabetics with PAD. We also make recommendations on the use of tourniquets and antiplatelet agents, questions we are often asked by our orthopedic colleagues.
Is there a Socioeconomic Dimension to Household Extension in Latin America

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether and how urban/rural residence or in urban areas husbands occupation is related to household extension in six Latin American countries (Colombia Costa Rica the Dominican Republic Mexico Panama and Peru)....This paper addresses the strategy of adding an extended family member to the household which could mean pooling earnings and/or enlarging the households work force....This paper provides an overview asking: 1) Are lower status residents of urban areas more likely to live in extended households than their rural counterparts and 2) Is there a generally negative relationship between socio-economic status and extension among urban households? (EXCERPT)
Monolithic integration of WDM components using QW shape modification

We illustrate the performance of an actual WDM photonic integrated circuit (PIC); a two-wavelength, waveguide demultiplexer, fabricated using QW intermixing. They use the technique of spatially selective quantum well shape modification.
NKS for Fully Coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction with Application

Newton-Krylov-Schwarz algorithms have been used in many areas and are often quite scalable and robust. In this paper we explore the application of Schwarz type domain decomposition preconditioners to some fully coupled systems for fluidstructure interaction. In particular, we are interested in developing a scalable parallel framework for the simulation of blood flow in human arteries [11]. In [2, 3], coupled fluid-structure problems are solved in 3D for patient-specific artery models, with emphasis on accurately representing vessel geometry, on constitutive model for the artery walls, and other physical concerns. In this paper we focus on a class of parallel domain decomposition algorithms for solving the coupled systems and report on the robustness and parallel scalability of the algorithms. Very often in the simulation of fluid-structure interaction, fluid and structure are iteratively coupled, as in [4, 5, 7]. That is, fluid and structure subproblems are solved alternately (or in parallel), passing boundary conditions between them, until the solutions are compatible at the fluid-structure interface, and then the simulation proceeds to the next time step. However, this approach often requires small timesteps, can become unstable, and can reduce the order of accuracy of the solution [8]. In contrast, we use fully monolithic coupling, where the fluid and the structure are solved together as one system.
Critical Thinking Skills and the Intervention Specialist

For the Intervention Specialist in the field of Special Education, critical thinking and the ability to process information are essential to the implementation of research based interventions, the development of individualized education plan, and lesson plan development. To assess overall critical thinking ability,91 students in special education courses responded to the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Form Short (WGCTA-FS) and the Inventory of Learning Processes (ILP). Total Critical Thinking of the WGCTA-FS significantly related to the Deep Processing and the Elaborative Processing Subscale of the ILP. Since current research supports a significant relationship between critical thinking and research skills (Onwueguzie, 2001) and scientific inquiry and IEP development (Smith & Brownell, 1995), this study supports incorporating explicit critical thinking activities that encourage deep processing and elaborate processing of information into coursework for special education intervention specialists.
The Role of Early Gestation Ultrasound in the Assessment of Fetal Anatomy in Maternal Obesity

Objectives The 2012 Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health fetal imaging consensus suggested that fetal anatomy ultrasound in obese pregnancies be performed at 20 to 22 weeks, with follow-up in 2 to 4 weeks if anatomy is incomplete. It was postulated that imaging in early gestation may improve visualization, although no prospective trials had been done to date. Methods We performed a prospective longitudinal blinded trial comparing an early gestation ultrasound (13 + 0 to 15 + 6 weeks) with the traditional second-trimester ultrasound for completion of the fetal anatomy survey in obese patients. Inclusion criteria included singleton gestation, body mass index (BMI) more than 30, less than 16 + 0 weeks' gestation, and no karyotype abnormality; exclusion criteria included age younger than 18 years, more than 16 weeks' gestation at time of consent, and BMI less than 30. Participants received a transvaginal and/or transabdominal sonogram for fetal anatomic survey at 13 + 0 to 15 + 6 weeks' gestation (US1). Images from US1 were blinded to physicians and sonographers performing subsequent examinations. All participants underwent the traditional transabdominal sonogram at 18 to 24 weeks (US2). If US2 failed to complete the anatomic survey, a repeat transabdominal sonogram (2-US2) was performed 2 to 4 weeks later. Results A total of 152 pregnancies met the criteria. Anatomy completion rate was 57.2% for US1 and 62.5% for US2, which was not statistically significant, even when stratified by BMI. Excluding the philtrum, the US1 performed better than US2 for class III obesity (65.5% versus 45.5% [P = .035]). Combination of US1 + US2 yielded a higher completion rate than US2 + 2-US2 (94.1% versus 83.6% [P = .0023]). Conclusions In the setting of maternal obesity, the addition of an ultrasound in early gestation may be of highest benefit for patients with class III obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2).
Distinguished Scholars Invited Essay: Are Secret Proceedings Why Longer Tenured Employees Trust Their Organizations Least?:

We address the effects of secrecy in organizational policy enforcement. First, the legal literature that explains why court proceedings are open is summarized: openness more effectively holds decision makers and claimants accountable for truthfulness and unbiased decisions, demonstrates that the rich or powerful have not bought off the weak, supports adaptation to changing norms, and enhances the legitimacy of state authority. Next, we propose that when organizational policy enforcement is kept secret from other employees, organizations lose these benefits. One reflection of these loses will be lower employee trust in their organizations the longer their tenure there. Using questionnaire data from a large U.S. governmental agency, we found that lower employee trust with tenure is incrementally linearly lower over the course of employment, not the result of an early breach of the psychological contract. This occurs for employees at all hierarchical levels but is steepest for nonsupervisory employees, sugge...
Relationship of the Interval of Time between Paired Auditory and Visual Stimuli and Reaction Time

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of the interval of time between paired auditory-visual and paired visual-auditory stimuli and hand reaction time. Two groups of ten subjects each were used, and the interval of time between stimulus presentation was manipulated within the range 50 to 500 milliseconds. The results supported previous reports citing characteristic delays in second response reaction times when the interval between stimulus presentation was 0.5 seconds or less. An analysis of the compatibility of results with proposed theories concerning the psychological refractory period as the cause of these characteristic delays was made.
Autoregressive Statistical Modeling of a Peru Margin Multi-Proxy Holocene Record Shows Correlation Not Causation, Flickering Regimes and Persistence

Abstract. Correlation does not necessarily imply a causation, but in climatology and paleoclimatology, correlation is used to identify potential cause-and-effect relationships because linking mechanisms are difficult to observe. Confounding by an often unknown outside variable that drives the sets of observables is one of the major factors that lead to correlations that are not the result of causation. Here we show how autoregressive (AR) models can be used to examine lead-lag relationships – helpful in assessing cause and effect – of paleoclimate variables while addressing two other challenges that are often encountered in paleoclimate data: unevenly spaced data; and switching between regimes at unknown times. Specifically, we analyze multidimensional paleoclimate proxies, sea surface temperature (SST), C37, ∂15N, and %N from the central Peru margin to find their correlations and changes in their variability over the Holocene epoch. The four proxies are sampled at high-resolution but are not synchronously sampled at all possible locations. The multidimensional records are treated as evenly spaced data with missing parts, and the missing values are filled by the Kalman filter expected values. We employ hidden Markov models (HMM) and autoregressive HMM (AR-HMM) to address the potential that the degree of variability and the correlations between in these proxies appears to show changes over time. The HMM, which is not autoregressive, shows instantaneous correlations between observables in two regimes. However, our investigation of lead-lag relationships using the AR-HMM shows that the cross-correlations do not indicate a causal link. Each of the four proxies has predictability on decadal timescales, but none of the proxies is a good predictor of any other, so we hypothesize that a common unobserved variable – or a set of variables – is driving the instantaneous relationships among these four proxies, revealing probable confounding without prior knowledge of potential confounding variable(s). These findings suggest that the variability at this site is remotely driven by processes such as those causing the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, rather than locally driven by processes such as increased or decreased vertical mixing of nutrients.
A comprehensive analysis of clinical trials including both immunotherapy and radiation therapy

Radiation therapy (RT) may work synergistically with cancer immunotherapies but clinical trial data is needed to validate this paradigm. We isolated the portfolio of trials that investigate the primary immunomodulatory properties of RT and examined recent trends in clinical trials that combine immunotherapy and RT (ITRT). We queried clinicaltrials.gov for trials initiated since 2002 using both radiation and immunotherapy as mandated interventions. We designated the trials that examine the specific aspects of RT or its abscopal properties as “Primary RT Immunomodulation” trials. Chi-squared analysis determined differences between primary RT immunomodulation trials and those that incorporate RT as a secondary intervention. Joinpoint regression modeling determined the rate of change of the introduction of new trials over time. One hundred and ninety trials met inclusion criteria. Targeted immunostimulatory agents, including checkpoint inhibitors, were the most common immunotherapy (n = 79 [41.6%]). Sixty-six (34.7%) trials included RT as the primary intervention, with 50 (75.6%) of these utilizing stereotactic body radiation (SBRT). All ITRT trials increased at a rate of 14.8% per year. Primary RT immunomodulation trials increased at a rate of 26.8% per year. Primary RT immunomodulation trials were more likely to utilize targeted immunostimulatory agents (p < 0.01), and SBRT (p < 0.01), and more likely to involve metastatic sites (p < 0.01). The number of ITRT studies increased drastically in the latest two years of the study. The number of new ITRT clinical trials is increasing rapidly. This increase in quantity may improve the clinical application of the immunomodulatory properties of RT.
Pilot Study of the Gait Deviation Index in Quantifying Overweight Children's Mobility

Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past three decades. Differences in lower extremity kinematics between obese and nonobese children during walking have been investigated, but the validity of using the gait deviation index (GDI) for measuring gait in obese children has not been explored. Nine obese children (13.9 ± 2.4 years old) with a body mass index of 33.3 ± 3.5 participated in the study. Reflective markers were placed on all children in a widely used standard lower extremity marker configuration. All participants walked along a 20-foot walkway at a self-selected speed. The kinematic and kinetic measurements for all children were taken, and the GDI for each subject was calculated. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) GDI of the nine obese children was 88.5 ± 12, which was significantly lower than the GDI of the typically developing children (100 ± 10, p
Interpolation in Multiscale Representations

The decomposition of images into multiscale representations provides a fundamental starting point for the analysis of grey-scale images. This paper examines some practical implementation issues centered on the traditional tradeoff between computational complexity and storage. Critically sampled wavelet transforms provide compact, complete, orthonormal representations, but interpolation is computationally expensive. Oversampled, non-orthogonal pyramid representations provide computationally simpler interpolation at a modest cost of increased storage, leading to more efficient image analysis systems.
Detecting high-emitting methane sources in oil/gas fields using satellite observations

Abstract. Methane emissions from oil/gas fields originate from a large number of relatively small and densely clustered point sources. A small fraction of high-mode emitters can make a large contribution to the total methane emission. Here we conduct observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs) to examine the potential of recently launched or planned satellites to detect and locate these high-mode emitters through measurements of atmospheric methane columns. We simulate atmospheric methane over a generic oil/gas field (20–500 production sites of different size categories in a 50×50 km 2 domain) for a 1-week period using the WRF-STILT meteorological model with 1.3×1.3 km 2 horizontal resolution. The simulations consider many random realizations for the occurrence and distribution of high-mode emitters in the field by sampling bimodal probability density functions (PDFs) of emissions from individual sites. The atmospheric methane fields for each realization are observed virtually with different satellite and surface observing configurations. Column methane enhancements observed from satellites are small relative to instrument precision, even for high-mode emitters, so an inverse analysis is necessary. We compare L1 and L2 regularizations and show that L1 regularization effectively provides sparse solutions for a bimodally distributed variable and enables the retrieval of high-mode emitters. We find that the recently launched TROPOMI instrument (low Earth orbit, 7×7 km 2 nadir pixels, daily return time) and the planned GeoCARB instrument (geostationary orbit, 2.7×3.0 km 2 pixels, 2 times or 4 times per day return times) are successful (> 80 % detection rate, < 20 % false alarm rate) at locating high-emitting sources for fields of 20–50 emitters within the 50×50 km 2 domain as long as skies are clear. They are unsuccessful for denser fields. GeoCARB does not benefit significantly from more frequent observations (4 times per day vs. 2 times per day) because of a temporal error correlation in the inversion, unless under partly cloudy conditions where more frequent observation increases the probability of clear sky. It becomes marginally successful when allowing a 5 km error tolerance for localization. A next-generation geostationary satellite instrument with 1.3×1.3 km 2 pixels, hourly return time, and 1 ppb precision can successfully detect and locate the high-mode emitters for a dense field with up to 500 sites in the 50×50 km 2 domain. The capabilities of TROPOMI and GeoCARB can be usefully augmented with a surface air observation network of 5–20 sites, and in turn the satellite instruments increase the detection capability that can be achieved from the surface sites alone.
Leveraging Visual Programming Language and Collaborative Learning to Broaden Participation in Computer Science

Engaging underrepresented populations of women and minorities in Computer Science (CS) represents our greatest untapped resource for increasing the STEM workforce. In recent years, tremendous efforts have been geared towards developing learning materials to increase the interest of underrepresented students in CS. More recently, CS education researchers are beginning to recognize the need to apply the learning sciences to develop age- and grade-appropriate curricula and pedagogies for developing computing competencies among children. One effective approach to build learning competencies among young underrepresented students is through Collaborative Learning, which is an educational approach that involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem or create a product. Our goal, in this paper, is to report our experiences on designing and delivering a curriculum that teaches programming to middle school students using App Inventor through collaborative learning. Our curriculum is developed on the hypothesis that visual programming environment, in this case, App Inventor, present an alternative way of learning programming, which in the collaborative learning environment can enhance programming competencies and interests in underrepresented students. In this experience report, we will describe how we implemented this curriculum as a block course; present our lessons learned, and few findings from the evaluation.
Urban and Rural Socioeconomic Disparities: Scientific Views and Domestic Practices

This article contains a historical journey into the theory and Russian practice of overcoming urban and rural disparities. The methodology and calculations of an integral indicator of the social situation in the city and the village are presented, and a strategy of the social development of the village as a socioterritorial subsystem with a broad spectrum of nationwide functions and of overcoming urban and rural disparities is formulated.
Small RNA warfare: exploring origins and function of trans-species microRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta.

Parasitic plants make direct contact with their host’s vasculature. In parasitism by Cuscuta, RNA and other macromolecules regularly move between host and parasite. Recently, trans-species microRNA from Cuscuta have been shown to functionally target host genes which have essential roles in host defense. Known pathways for the evolution of microRNAs, and the prevalence of horizontal gene transfer events in the Cuscuta lineage, hint that trans-species microRNAs could originate from captured host genes. It is unknown how the delivery of microRNAs from the parasite to the host takes place. One exciting possibility is through apoplastic export using extracellular vesicles, a process which has recently been shown to transport select small RNAs in plants and fungi. These discoveries represent the initial findings of what may be a widespread mechanism of interactions between species.
Apathy and Disinhibition Related to Neuropathology in Amnestic Versus Behavioral Dementias.

Objectives:Investigating the frequency of apathy and disinhibition in patients clinically diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) or behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) w...
Exploring System Features of Primary Care Practices that Promote Better Provider Experience

Objective: To investigate system features of primary care practice that improve provider experience of care and work satisfaction in their clinical practices. Study Setting: Nineteen Harvard-affili...
Double jeopardy: Minority stress and the influence of transgender identity and race/ethnicity

Background: Prior research suggests transgender individuals with multiple minority statuses experience higher psychological stress compared to their singly disadvantaged counterparts, and both Blac...
Dialysis Regret: Prevalence and Correlates.

Background and objectives Although some patients regret the decision to start dialysis, modifiable factors associated with regret have rarely been studied. We aimed to identify factors associated with patients’ regret to initiate dialysis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A 41-item questionnaire was administered to adult patients receiving maintenance dialysis in seven dialysis units located in Cleveland, Ohio, and its suburbs. Of the 450 patients asked to participate in the study, 423 agreed and 397 provided data on decisional regret. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of regret, which was assessed using a single item, “Do you regret your decision to start dialysis?” We report adjusted odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the following candidate predictors: knowledge of CKD, attitudes toward CKD treatment, and preference for end-of-life care. Results Eighty-two of 397 respondents (21%) reported decisional regret. There were no significant demographic correlates of regret. Regret was more common when patients reported choosing dialysis to please doctors or family members (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.27 to 4.31; P Conclusions Dialysis regret was common in this sample. Demographic factors (age, sex, marital status, race, or educational attainment) were not significantly associated with regret, but modifiable care processes were. Podcast This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2020_06_09_CJN13781119.mp3
Flow-based likelihoods for non-Gaussian inference

We investigate the use of data-driven likelihoods to bypass a key assumption made in many scientific analyses, which is that the true likelihood of the data is Gaussian. In particular, we suggest using the optimization targets of flow-based generative models, a class of models that can capture complex distributions by transforming a simple base distribution through layers of nonlinearities. We call these flow-based likelihoods (FBL). We analyze the accuracy and precision of the reconstructed likelihoods on mock Gaussian data, and show that simply gauging the quality of samples drawn from the trained model is not a sufficient indicator that the true likelihood has been learned. We nevertheless demonstrate that the likelihood can be reconstructed to a precision equal to that of sampling error due to a finite sample size. We then apply FBLs to mock weak lensing convergence power spectra, a cosmological observable that is significantly non-Gaussian (NG). We find that the FBL captures the NG signatures in the data extremely well, while other commonly used data-driven likelihoods, such as Gaussian mixture models and independent component analysis, fail to do so. This suggests that works that have found small posterior shifts in NG data with data-driven likelihoods such as these could be underestimating the impact of non-Gaussianity in parameter constraints. By introducing a suite of tests that can capture different levels of NG in the data, we show that the success or failure of traditional data-driven likelihoods can be tied back to the structure of the NG in the data. Unlike other methods, the flexibility of the FBL makes it successful at tackling different types of NG simultaneously. Because of this, and consequently their likely applicability across datasets and domains, we encourage their use for inference when sufficient mock data are available for training.
Perception of femininity and attractiveness in Facial Feminization Surgery

Background Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) alters bone and soft tissue to feminize facial features of transgender females. This study aims to evaluate perceptions of femininity, attractiveness, and ideal surgical outcomes in transgender females, non-transgender females and plastic surgeons. Methods The data was extracted from a survey of transgender females (n=104), non-transgender females (n=192) (completion rate of 48.4%) and plastic surgeons who performed FFS (n=23) (survey response rate of 31.5%). Five virtually-modified forms of three facial features, the nasal tip width, supratip break, mandibular gonial angles, and the composite images of the above features of an individual, assigned male at birth, were used. Respondents were requested to select and rank images based on personal perceptions of femininity and attractiveness. Results Transgender females chose a narrower nasal tip width as more attractive (P≤0.001), and evaluated a more acute supratip angle, and more obtuse mandibular gonial angle as both more feminine and attractive (all P≤0.023) compared to non-transgender females. Plastic surgeons chose a more obtuse mandibular gonial angle as more feminine (P=0.007) and a more ideal surgical outcome (P=0.046), compared to transgender female respondents. In the assessment of composite images, non-transgender female ranked the options with more obtuse mandibular gonial angle as more feminine (all P≤0.036) than transgender females. Conclusions Acknowledging the difference in transgender females' perceptions of facial femininity and attractiveness from non-transgender females and plastic surgeons could assist plastic surgeons in managing expectations of surgical outcomes.
Consumer sensory evaluation and quality of Sorghum-Peanut Meal-Okra snacks☆

Healthful tasty high protein, vegetable, gluten-free snacks are needed for all as well as those sensitive to gluten for in between meals and for after school events. Peanut meal a low value farm by-product was used to increase protein content and to add value for growers. Bile acid binding okra with cholesterol lowering potential and jalapeno, turmeric and ginger with healthy phytonutrients were included to increase vegetable consumption. The objective was to have healthy tasty snacks with ≥24% protein content. Gluten-free, whole grain, high protein, Sorghum-Peanut meal-Okra (SPO) and SPO-Jalapeno, SPO-Turmeric root and SPO-Ginger root snacks were sensory evaluated by 73 volunteers. Physical testing of the snacks included water activity, true and bulk density, texture and proximate analyses. Taste and Odor of the SPO and SPO-Jalapeno snacks were similar and significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than SPO-Turmeric root and SPO-Ginger root. Acceptability of SPO and SPO-Jalapeno snacks were both 88%; this value is quite desirable. Acceptability of SPO-Turmeric and SPO-Ginger were only 56 and 51% respectively. Turmeric and ginger have been reported with many health benefits; however these snacks were not preferred by the tasters. Water activity (Aw) of the snacks tested was SPO (0.42) < SPO-Turmeric (0.52) < SPO-Jalapeno (0.54) < SPO-Ginger (0.62). Water activity indicates that all the snacks were crispy and had longer shelf life. Expansion of these snacks was SPO-Ginger root 84%, SPO-Turmeric root 76%, SPO-Jalapeno 42% and SPO only 14%. Data suggest snacks containing spices were fluffy and would give good presentation in packaging. The objective of attaining protein level was clearly attained, as values ranged 24-26%. These snacks are easy to make in house kitchens or by food companies. These healthy snacks offer a gluten-free, high protein, tasty choice for all, including vegetarians and individuals hypersensitive to gluten.
An Investigation of Students’ Identity Work and Science Learning at the Classroom Margins

We investigate fifth-grade students’ identity work and science learning at the margins of a science classroom. By “margins” we refer to activities unrelated to formal classroom instructional conten...
Promoting awareness of donation-related iron depletion among high risk blood donors

Background The potential for iron deficiency is a known blood donor health concern and suggests the need to inform donors about the potential risks of low iron levels as well as strategies to address these risks. Study design and methods Frequent (n = 904) and young (n = 629) donors were randomly assigned within risk group to either a control (n = 548) or an intervention (n = 985) group. The control group answered questions at baseline and 6-month follow-up regarding their awareness of the risk of donation-related iron depletion and whether they were taking actions to address their iron status. The intervention group answered the same questions at baseline and follow-up, but after completing the baseline survey, they received information regarding their risk of iron depletion and behaviors they could adopt to mitigate this risk. Intervention group participants were also offered the opportunity to develop an action plan to help them supplement their iron intake. Results The intervention enhanced overall awareness of donation-related iron loss (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.171-1.864, p = .001), with no negative impact on retention. Reported iron health behaviors (iron supplementation, speaking with a doctor) showed significant increases when action planning was paired with the educational information. Conclusion These findings suggest that it is possible to increase awareness of donation-related risk for iron depletion without negatively influencing retention, and combining education with encouragement to develop an action plan may increase the likelihood of both retention and behavioral changes to promote healthy iron levels.
The Prison Industry Authority

The California Prison Industry Authority (PIA) has not fulfilled its three statutory purposes: to be self-supporting, to employ inmates, and to give inmates work skills. PIA's management deserves most of the blame. PIA management failures include keeping excessive inventory, supporting failing businesses, and incompetence in sales. To better take advantage of the PIA's potential, the PIA should bring in new managers who have significant business experience. The PIA needs to shed the civil service rules that shackle its ability to pay managers for performance. It needs reward performance - where performance includes how much the PIA profits and how well the PIA rehabilitates inmates. This will encourage PIA managers to tighten their inventory, close unprofitable enterprises, increase sales, and rehabilitate prisoners.
Perceptions of body mass index (BMI) in pediatric cancer survivors and their providers.

Background Abnormalities in BMI are well documented in childhood cancer survivors. Perceptions of BMI status in cancer survivors have been understudied. This study determines the accuracy of parent/survivor and provider reporting of BMI status in a cancer survivor program. Procedure This is a retrospective study. Parent/survivor assessment of BMI status was obtained from a baseline questionnaire of subjects enrolled in Children's Healthcare of Atlanta-Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study (CHOA-CAYACSS). Provider reporting of BMI was obtained from a clinic visit close in date to completion of the survey. Perceptions of BMI were compared to actual BMI status calculated from clinic visits and categorized based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI guidelines. Results Perceptions of BMI were collected from 290 survivors of pediatric cancer or their parents (range, 4.3–22.9 years). Nearly 5% of survivors were underweight, 19.7% overweight and 16.2% obese. High BMI was the BMI state least likely to be correctly identified by parents, survivors, and providers. Among survivors with high BMI, parents, survivors, and providers failed to identify the problem 49.4%, 66.7%, and 26.9% of the time, respectively. Providers were less likely to correctly identify overweight compared to obese status (P < 0.0001). Accuracy of BMI recognition was independent of gender of survivor, ethnicity, or primary cancer diagnosis. Conclusion Abnormal BMI states, especially overweight, are frequently not correctly perceived by parents/survivors or providers. Assessment of BMI status and discussion about steps to normalize BMI is needed to prevent weight related morbidities in this population. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014; 61:1445–1450. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Acute otitis media unresponsive to treatment

Unresponsive acute otitis media is characterized by clinical signs and symptoms associated with otoscopic findings of inflammation that continue beyond 48 h of therapy. This occurs in about 10% of children treated initially with a 10-day course of antibiotics. This article reviews the management of this condition.
Uterine blood flow distribution after indomethacin infusion in the pregnant rabbit

The distribution of uterine blood flow (UBF) in the chronically instrumented pregnant term rabbit was examined before and after indomethacin infusion. A significant fall in placental but not myometrial blood flow was observed. The fall in placental blood flow was significantly higher in placentas which were implanted in the midsection of the uterine horn than in those implanted in both ends of the horn. The results suggest that different physiologic mechanisms may regulate the blood flows in the placenta and the myometrium.
Biochemical changes in the efferent lymph plasma after oxazolone stimulation

The lymph node is a specialized microenvironment for the regulation of immune responses. The reticular network of the lymph node provides a structure that facilitates not only intercellular interactions, but the intranodal flow of lymph fluid. To assess biochemical changes in the nodal lymph plasma after antigen stimulation, prescapular lymph nodes in sheep were stimulated with the epicutaneous antigen oxazolone. The efferent lymph from both antigen-stimulated and contralateral control prescapular lymph nodes was continuously monitored for more than 120 h. The oxazolone-stimulated lymph plasma was associated with a selective increase in cholesterol content during the 'recruitment' phase of lymph node enlargement. The peak in cholesterol was followed closely by a significant increase in lymph plasma LDH concentration. In contrast, there was no significant difference between oxazolone-stimulated and control lymph plasma in the concentration of triglycerides, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine transferase. These selective biochemical changes in the efferent lymph appeared to reflect the dynamics of lymphocyte activation within the lymph node as well as provide a practical measure of the lymph node response to antigen stimulation.
Access control policies without inside queues: Their properties and public policy implications

An access control policy that eliminates all queues beyond the entry points to a network has obvious benefits, which include smooth travel and predictable travel times inside the network. Yet it has never been proven, to the best of our knowledge, whether excluding inside queues yields sub-optimal network performance or, in other words, allowing inside queues can actually further reduce the system travel cost. Moreover, it is not clear whether an optimal control policy derived from efficiency considerations can also be a fair policy to all road users. This paper provide answers to these questions in the context of a monocentric network. By analyzing the structure of the access control problem considering all feasible policies (with/without inside queues), we show that the minimal system cost realizable by access control can be obtained without directly solving a non-convex optimization program, and can indeed always be achieved by a control policy excluding all of the inside queues. These optimal policies are defined by a polyhedral set and a Finite Generation Algorithm can be applied to derive the analytical form of this set. The optimal policies are not unique in general, thus making it possible to achieve both minimal system cost and fairness simultaneously.