cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How CS undergraduates make course choices

Students in most CS curricula have to make a wide variety of educational decisions including what courses to take. Frequently, they must make these decisions based on a very limited knowledge of the content of the topics they are choosing between. In this paper, I describe a theory of CS undergraduate course choices, based on 37 qualitative interviews with students and student advisors, analyzed with grounded theory. Most students did not have specific educational goals in CS and, as long as their classes were enjoyable, tended to assume that any course required by the curriculum had useful content (even if they could not articulate way). Particularly enjoyable or frustrating courses caused them to make long term course/specialization decisions and use a more strategic goal-oriented approach.
Pharmacologic Actions of Tetrodotoxin Studied by Direct Perfusion of the Sinus Node

The effects of tetrodotoxin on sinus node activity were studied by direct perfusion through its nutrient artery. Tetrodotoxin suppresses action potentials by blocking sodium entry into the cell. In the open-chest anesthetized dog, direct perfusion of the sinus node artery with tetrodotoxin, 1.0 µg/ml, caused immediate sinus slowing lasting 12 to 60 minutes. This slowing was not affected by intranodal atropinization. Tetrodotoxin also produced complete blockade of sinus node response to vagal stimulation. Blockade of sinus node responses to stellate stimulation was less profound. Tetrodotoxin had no effect on chronotropic responses to intranodal acetylcholine and norepinephrine. These findings suggest that blockade of transmembrane sodium transport (or the rapid entry channel) has a negative chronotropic effect which is not cholinergic and during which response to neurotransmitter substances is normal. Concomitant with this effect there is blockade of neurotransmitter release (or synthesis) in the sinus node.
A Reexamination of the Proposed Inactivation of Thyroid Peroxidase in the Rat Thyroid by Propylthiouracil

The antithyroid drug 6-propylthiouracil (PTU) was previously shown in our laboratory to have an unexpectedly prolonged inhibitory effect on iodination in the thyroid glands of rats. Eighteen hours after injection of a relatively small dose, iodination in the thyroid remained inhibited by more than 90%. We previously suggested that the prolonged inhibitory effect might be due to inactivation of thyroid peroxidase (TPO), a reaction previously shown to occur under certain conditions in an in vitro iodinating system containing highly purified TPO. However, the analytical procedure used in our earlier study did not exclude the possibility that sufficient PTU remained in the thyroid even after 18 h to inhibit TPO-catalyzed iodination by a reversible mechanism. Development of an improved analytical procedure, based on HPLC, led us to reexamine the mechanism of the prolonged inhibitory effect of PTU on iodination in rat thyroid glands. Rats were injected with [35S]PTU (1 mumol/100 g BW), and ultrafiltrates prepared from their homogenized thyroid glands were analyzed by HPLC. The major 35S-labeled metabolites were identified as sulfate/sulfite, PTU sulfinate, and PTU sulfonate. However, even after 18 h, a significant amount of unchanged [35S]PTU was also present. The calculated mean concentration of residual PTU was 20 microM, a sufficiently high level to explain the observed inhibition of iodination on the basis of a reversible mechanism. Experiments were also performed to examine the intrathyroidal distribution of 35S at intervals after the injection of [35S]PTU. All of the oxidation products of PTU showed marked increases between 2 and 16 h after injection. Based on our view that TPO is the major mediator of intrathyroidal metabolism of PTU, this observation is inconsistent with our previous proposal that TPO is inactivated after PTU injection. The results of the present study, therefore, lead us to withdraw our previous suggestion that TPO is inactivated after injection of PTU into rats. It is more likely that inhibition of iodination by PTU in the rat thyroid involves competition between PTU and tyrosyl residues of thyroglobulin for oxidized iodine, comparable to the reversible mechanism of inhibition observed in the TPO model system.
Redistribution of motor proteins by Cytochalasin J treatment

In this study we extend our analysis of the effect of Cytochalasin J (CJ) on mitotic and interphase cells by the use of immunocytochemical techniques to localize antigens to anti-β-tubulin, anti-dynein heavy chain (HC), anti-dynein intermediate chain (IC), and anti-kinesin antibodies following CJ treatment. Anti-dynein IC and HC staining of CJ treated cells showed a significant reduction in anti-dynein staining in the nuclear region of interphase cells. Monolayer cultures of PtK1cells treated with 10 μg/ml CJ for 10 min showed a significant reduction in pixel luminosity of fluorescence staining using anti-dynein IC and HC antibodies (P<0.05). Cytochalasin J treatment reorganized anti-dynein staining from a cytoplasmic punctate staining with greatest intensity in the perinuclear region, to a more uniform staining throughout the cytoplasm.
Reciprocal expression in CD4 or CD8 subsets of different members of the V alpha 11 gene family correlates with sequence polymorphism.

Previous staining studies with TCR Vα11-specific mAbs showed that Vα11.1/11.2 (AV11S1 and S2) expression was selectively favored in the CD4+ peripheral T cell population. As this phenomenon was essentially independent of the MHC haplotype, it was suggested that AV11S1 and S2 TCRs exert a preference for recognition of class II MHC molecules. The Vα segment of the TCR α-chain is suggested to have a primary role in shaping the T cell repertoire due to selection for class I or II molecules acting through the complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1α and CDR2α residues. We have analyzed the repertoire of Vα11 family members expressed in C57BL/6 mice and have identified a new member of this family; AV11S8. We show that, whereas AV11S1 and S2 are more frequent in CD4+ cells, AV11S3 and S8 are more frequent in CD8+ cells. The sequences in the CDR1α and CDR2α correlate with differential expression in CD4+ or CD8+ cells, a phenomenon that is also observed in BALB/c mice. With no apparent restriction in TCR Jα usage or CDR3α length in C57BL/6, these findings support the idea of Vα-dependent T cell repertoire selection through preferential recognition of MHC class I or class II molecules.
Application of Nonbinary LDPC Cycle Codes to MIMO Channels

In this paper, we investigate the application of nonbinary low-density parity-check (LDPC) cycle codes over Galois field GF(q) to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Two types of LDPC coded systems that employ either joint or separate MIMO detection and channel decoding are considered, depending on the size of the Galois field and the modulation choice. We construct a special class of nonbinary LDPC cycle codes called the parallel sparse encodable (PSE) codes. The PSE code, consisting of a quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC cycle code and a simple tree code, has the attractive feature that it is not only linearly encodable, but also allows parallel encoding which can reduce the encoding time significantly. We provide a systematic comparison between nonbinary coded systems and binary coded systems in both performance and complexity. Our results show that the proposed nonbinary system employing the PSE code outperforms not only the binary LDPC code specified in the 802.16e standard, but also the optimized binary LDPC code obtained using the EXIT chart methods. Through a detailed complexity analysis, we conclude that for the MIMO channel considered, the nonbinary coded systems achieve a superior performance at a receiver complexity that is comparable to that of the binary systems.
Climate Variability and Residential Water Use in the City of Phoenix, Arizona

Abstract In this investigation, how annual water use in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, was influenced by climatic variables between 1980 and 2004 is examined. Simple correlation coefficients between water use and annual mean temperature, total annual precipitation, and annual mean Palmer hydrological drought index values are +0.55, −0.69, −0.52, respectively, over the study period (annual water use increases with higher temperature, lower precipitation, and drought). Multivariate analyses using monthly climatic data indicate that annual water use is controlled most by the overall state of drought, autumn temperatures, and summer-monsoon precipitation. Model coefficients indicate that temperature, precipitation, and/or drought conditions certainly impact water use, although the magnitude of the annual water-use response to changes in climate was relatively low for an urban environment in which a sizable majority of residential water use is for outdoor purposes. People’s perception of the landscape’s water n...
"Managing" the Placebo Effect: The Single-Blind Placebo Lead-in Response in Two Pain Models.

Objective. “Placebo effects” in analgesic medication trials for chronic pain are pervasive; however, little is known regarding mechanisms or factors that may influence the presence or magnitude of these effects. Our objective is to consider elements of the placebo response in the context of two pain models using a “single-blind placebo lead-in” design (SBPLI). Methods. As part of two pilot drug trials using knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and non-radicular low back pain (LBP) subjects, SBPLI protocols were conducted. We examined whether gender and/or diagnosis affected placebo responses as observed in changes in patient self-reported pain, depressive and pain anxiety symptoms. We also evaluated the placebo response on performance-based tests (stair climbing, range of motion (ROM), sit to stand repetitions, and 6-minute treadmill distance). Results . VAS Pain Intensity (Now) values decreased significantly during the SBPLI for the sample as a whole, but the effects appeared stronger among LBP subjects. CES-D short form values (depressive symptoms) did not decrease significantly during the SBPLI for the sample as a whole, but some placebo effects appeared to emerge for women in the KOA group. PASS values (pain anxiety symptoms) decreased significantly, albeit mildly, during the SBPLI for the sample as a whole. Stair Climb (time) revealed no significant SBPLI effects. Bend Forward to Floor (ROM) increased significantly at the end of the SBPLI period for the sample as a whole, but the effects appeared stronger among KOA subjects. Sit to Stand Repetitions increased during the SBPLI for the sample as a whole. Treadmill Distance did not change significantly from Visit 1 to Visit 2; however, a significant Sex difference for the KOA group was found such that women showed greater Treadmill Distance at Visit 2. Conclusion . Placebo effects emerged across psychometric and performance-based measures, indicating the pervasiveness of this phenomenon. In this design, diagnostic and (to a lesser extent) gender categories differentials were observed during the placebo period. The SBPLI design may prove not only a robust method in studying the placebo phenomena, but also as a design element to mitigate some aspects of the placebo response in clinical trials.
Modeling the Partial Atomic Charges in Inorganometallic Molecules and Solids and Charge Redistribution in Lithium-Ion Cathodes

Partial atomic charges are widely used for the description of charge distributions of molecules and solids. These charges are useful to indicate the extent of charge transfer and charge flow during chemical reactions in batteries, fuel cells, and catalysts and to characterize charge distributions in capacitors, liquid-phase electrolytes, and solids and at electrochemical interfaces. However, partial atomic charges given by various charge models differ significantly, especially for systems containing metal atoms. In the present study, we have compared various charge models on both molecular systems and extended systems, including Hirshfeld, CM5, MK, ChElPG, Mulliken, MBS, NPA, DDEC, LoProp, and Bader charges. Their merits and drawbacks are compared. The CM5 charge model is found to perform well on the molecular systems, with a mean unsigned percentage deviation of only 9% for the dipole moments. We therefore formulated it for extended systems and applied it to study charge flow during the delithiation process in lithium-containing oxides used as cathodes. Our calculations show that the charges given by the CM5 charge model are reasonable and that during the delithiation process, the charge flow can occur not only on the transition metal but also on the anions. The oxygen atoms can lose a significant density of electrons, especially for deeply delithiated materials. We also discuss other methods in current use to analyze the charge transfer and charge flow in batteries, in particular the use of formal charge, spin density, and orbital occupancy. We conclude that CM5 charges provide useful information in describing charge distributions in various materials and are very promising for the study of charge transfer and charge flows in both molecules and solids.
Mind–Body Skills Training to Improve Distress Tolerance in Medical Students: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTProblem: Medical students face rigorous and stressful work environments, resulting in high rates of psychological distress. However, there has been a dearth of empirical work aimed at modifying risk factors for psychopathology among this at-risk group. Distress tolerance, defined as the ability to withstand emotional distress, is one factor that may be important in promoting psychological well-being in medical students. Thus, the aim of the current mixed-methods study was (a) to describe changes in facets of distress tolerance (i.e., emotional tolerance, absorption, appraisal, regulation) for medical students who completed a mind–body skills training group, and a no-intervention control group of students; (b) to examine the relationship between changes in psychological variables and changes in distress tolerance; and (c) to report students' perceptions of the mind–body group, with an emphasis on how the group may have affected personal and professional functioning due to improvements in distress t...
Effect evaluation on omni tracing mode for increasing classification ratio of acute viral hepatitis

[Objective] To explore a comprehensive management mode to increase classification ratio of acute hepatitis cases.[Methods] To analyze the cause of low classification ratio of acute viral hepatitis reported by hospitals in Zhabei District in 2008-2009,then propose,practice and evaluate the management mode in 2010.[Results] Lack of tracing unclassified cases was found to be the main cause of low classification ratio.An omni tracing mode for hepatitis classification was introduced and found to be very effective to increase tracing ratio of unclassified cases and furthermore increase classification ratio.The tracing ratio and classification ratio reached 90.38% and 93.06% in 2010 which were significantly higher than the two of 72.38%(χ2=13.61,P=0.00)and 69.44%(χ2=28.92,P=0.00) in 2008,also the two of 80.14%(χ2=4.84,P=0.03)and 80.92%(χ2=9.52,P=0.00) in 2009.[Conclusion] The omni tracing mode is effective and practical to increase classification ratio.
Analysis of detection results on water quality in swimming pool in Putuo of Zhejiang

Objective:To investigate the hygienic situation of the water quality in swimming pool in Putuo District of Zhoushan City,Zhejiang,for the management of swimming places provide a scientific basis to protect the health of the population swimming.Methods:Examine the hygienic indices of swimming water,these indices include the total count of bacterial,coliform group,the levels of turbidity,urea,pH values,residual chlorine.Evaluated and analyzed the water quality test results.Results: A total of 329 were detected,the overall pass rate was 54.4%,failed the project is the residual chlorine,urea,the total count of bacterial.Conclusion: Although the annual pass rate showed a rising trend year by year,but the swimming pool water quality in the health situation remains worried,the relevant departments still need to increase supervision and management of swimming places.
Definitive Radiation Therapy for Prostatio Carcinoma: Mayo Clinic Experience

AbstractPrimary radiation therapy for clinically localized prostatic cancer is effective and safe. Of our 147 patients treated between 1964 and 1973, 144 were evaluated 5 years after the initial date of radiation therapy. At 5 years the over-all survival rate was 80 per cent and the rate of survival free of disease was 63 per cent. More than 70 per cent of the patients were free of progression 5 years after the date of the first radiation treatment. Analysis revealed a highly significant association between tumor grade and patient survival (p less than 0.001), and between tumor grade and the interval free of disease (p less than 0.002). The relationship between tumor stage and time to progression of disease also was significant (p approximately equal to 0.01) but there was no relationship between lower stage and longer survival. Of the 142 patients who completed treatment only 20 (14 per cent) had local recurrence of the prostatic cancer after radiation therapy, representing a local control rate of 86 per...
Convergences and divergences in contemporary psychoanalytic technique

A broad survey of the psychoanalytic field reveals both convergences and divergences in technique. The major convergences include earlier interpretation of the transference, increased focus on transference analysis, as well as growing attention to countertransference analysis and increasing concern with the risks of 'indoctrinating' patients. Greater emphasis is found on character defences and the unconscious meanings of the 'here-and-now'. Also noted are trends toward translating unconscious conflicts into object-relations terminology, as well as toward considering a multiplicity of royal roads to the unconscious. Regarding divergences, significant controversies continue about the importance of the 'real' relationship, and the therapeutic versus the resistance aspect of regression. Divergences also continue regarding reconstruction and recovery of preverbal experience, drawing the lines between psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, the role of empathy, and the relation of historical to narrative truth.
CSSR: Cloud Services Security Recommender

The emerging paradigm of cloud computing (CC) presents many security risks that can potentially and adversely impact any one of the plethora of stakeholders. The widespread deployment and service models of CC in addition to the wide variety of stakeholders make it difficult to comprehend security and privacy (Saamp;P). In this paper, we present CSSR1, a Cloud Services Security Recommender tool. CSSR codifies a stakeholder-oriented taxonomy. The goal for CSSR is to identify the various Saamp;P risks for the kaleidoscope of different CC models from the stakeholder's perspective. CSSR will recommend a comprehensive list of Saamp;P attributes that must be considered as controls necessary to minimize the CC attack surface. By identifying the Saamp;P concerns that are unique to the particular usage scenarios (again from a stakeholder perspective), CSSR provides a comprehensive basis from which to choose alternative security solutions. This model then provides a structured and well-informed process of mitigating risk as envisioned by each and every stakeholder based on their needs.
Progress on FP13 Total Cross Section Measurements Capability

An accurate knowledge of the neutron capture cross section is important for many applications, both within the weapons program and in other fields. Experimental measurements are important since theoretical calculations of capture have been notoriously difficult, with the ratio of measured to calculated cross sections often a factor of 2 or more in the 10 keV to 1 MeV region. However, a direct measurement of capture cannot be made on many interesting radioactive nuclides because of their short half life or backgrounds caused by their nuclear decay. On the other hand, neutron transmission measurements of the total cross section are feasible for a wide range of radioactive nuclides since the detectors are far from the sample, and often are less sensitive to decay radiation. The parameters extracted from a total cross section measurement, which include the average resonance spacing, the neutron strength function, and the average total radiation width, (Γγ), provide tight constraints on the calculation of the capture cross section, and when applied produce much more accurate results. It was pointed out by Koehler, et al. (LA-UR-14-21656) that these measurements can be made using the intense epithermal neutron flux at the Lujan Center on relatively small quantities of targetmore » material. It was the purpose of this project to investigate and develop the capability to make these measurements. A great deal of progress was made towards establishing this capability during 2016, but more work remains to be done.« less
The role of the mother's mental state in mentalizing homeostasis: Commentary on “Mentalizing Homeostasis” by Fotopoulou & Tsakiris

Fotopoulou and Tsakiris both extend and narrow the concept of mentalization. Its meaning is broadened through the concept of homeostatic mentalization highlighting the crucial function of the mother's bodily interaction in supporting basic, life preservative functions. However, they problematically argue the mother's mental state is minimally relevant to this more primal function. The absence of elements pertinent to a psychoanalytic perspective in the research the authors review contributes to minimizing this factor. We suggest, relying on psychoanalytic conceptualizations, that the mother's mental state is critical in how she serves a homeostatic function for her infant. Considering Bick's ‘skin container' and Winnicott's notion of ‘illusion' offers the potential for useful dialogue. We close by applying the authors' work to panic disorder to illustrate the utility of the authors' contribution.
Apolipoprotein C-III: The Small Protein With Sizeable Vascular Risk.

Nearly 60 years have transpired since Albrink and Man1 first observed an association between high triglyceride levels and coronary artery disease (CAD). Yet, the mechanisms underlying this association gained minimal traction until 2 decades later2 and even after many years of exhaustive investigative work, remains incompletely understood.3 What has been clearly demonstrated, however, is that triglyceride serves as a primary mammalian energy source and is not directly atherogenic. Furthermore, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (eg, chylomicrons, very low-density lipoprotein) develop atherogenic characteristics on their conversion to cholesterol-enriched remnant particles. In this issue of ATVB , van Capelleveen et al4 demonstrate that apoC-III also plays a central role in promoting vascular risk. See accompanying article on page 1206 Human apoC-III is an 8.8-kDa polypeptide that contains 79 amino acids and is considerably smaller than other major apolipoproteins regulating lipoprotein metabolism, including apoB100 (512 kDa, 4563 amino acids), apoE (34 kDa, 299 amino acids), and apoA1 (45 kDa, 396 amino acids).5 ApoC-III resides on the surface of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and serves several important metabolic functions. They include triglyceride raising by direct inhibition of lipoprotein lipase …
Changing attitudes about spanking using alternative biblical interpretations

Social scientists are generally in agreement that spanking is not an especially effective method of discipline and is associated with a variety of behavioral and mental health problems in children....
Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Induces an Innate Immune Response In vivo via TLR4.

Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of the Filoviridae family, causes the most severe form of viral hemorrhagic fever. Although no FDA licensed vaccine or treatment against Ebola virus disease (EVD) is currently available, Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) is the major antigen used in all candidate Ebola vaccines. Recent reports of protection as quickly as within six days of administration of the rVSV-based vaccine expressing EBOV GP before robust humoral responses were generated suggests that the innate immune responses elicited early after vaccination may contribute to the protection. However, the innate immune responses induced by EBOV GP in the absence of viral vectors or adjuvants have not been fully characterized in vivo. Our recent studies demonstrated that immunization with highly purified recombinant GP in the absence of adjuvants induced a robust IgG response and partial protection against EBOV infection suggesting that GP alone can induce protective immunity. In this study we investigated the early immune response to purified EBOV GP alone in vitro and in vivo. We show that GP was efficiently internalized by antigen presenting cells and subsequently induced production of key inflammatory cytokines. In vivo, immunization of mice with EBOV GP triggered the production of key Th1 and Th2 innate immune cytokines and chemokines, which directly governed the recruitment of CD11b+ macrophages and CD11c+ dendritic cells to the draining lymph nodes (DLNs). Pre-treatment of mice with a TLR4 antagonist inhibited GP-induced cytokine production and recruitment of immune cells to the DLN. EBOV GP also upregulated the expression of costimulatory molecules in bone marrow derived macrophages suggesting its ability to enhance APC stimulatory capacity, which is critical for the induction of effective antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Collectively, these results provide the first in vivo evidence that early innate immune responses to EBOV GP are mediated via the TLR4 pathway and are able to modulate the innate-adaptive interface. These mechanistic insights into the adjuvant-like property of EBOV GP may help to develop a better understanding of how optimal prophylactic efficacy of EBOV vaccines can be achieved as well as further explore the potential post-exposure use of vaccines to prevent filoviral disease.
Complexity in targeting membrane proteins

For a cell, making hydrophobic integral membrane proteins (IMPs, or transmembrane proteins) is a complicated, but critical, process. All proteins are made by ribosomes in the cytosol, but IMPs, which account for ∼30% of the proteins encoded in the eukaryotic genome, must also be properly delivered to and inserted into their respective subcellular membranes, a process known as targeting. This is important because hydrophobic IMPs are rapidly degraded in the cytoplasm to prevent aggregation, which can lead to broad disruptions in cellular homeostasis. Because of the number and diversity of IMPs, identifying and targeting them relies on pathways that often overlap in function. The information for targeting, typically stored in hydrophobic α-helical transmembrane domain (TMD) signals in the IMPs, is recognized by factors that then ferry the IMP client to the destined lipid bilayer. On page 470 of this issue, Guna et al. ( 1 ) demonstrate that, for an essential class of IMPs, the current picture is incomplete. They identify a new targeting pathway for these IMPs, contributing to the elucidation of how the cell synthesizes this important class of proteins.
Interrogating Discursive Data: How News Media Narratives Assemble Truths About the Teaching Profession

This project provides a framework for interrogating the language often used in media reporting on education, and making those often hidden ideological underpinnings more visible. Explored through t...
A rough set approach for traffic light system with no fixed cycle

Traffic congestion is one of the leading causes of lost productivity and decreased standard of living in urban areas. The paper applies rough set theory to show the rough relationships between historical and current traffic pattern data and proposes a traffic signal system based on the patterns of historical data. The proposed system does not follow a fixed cycle method which is commonplace in today's traffic light systems. Through the application of probability the system forecasts the traffic loads on lanes and assigns higher credits to a particular one based on the probabilistic values of historical data.
Effects of Bilateral Occipital Lobectomies on Eye Movements in Monkeys: Preliminary Observations

In afoveate animals, most visually-guided ocular motor behavior is little affected by removal of visual cortex. In primates, however, the situation is less clear. To further explore the ocular motor capabilities of “cortically blind” monkeys we studied optokinetic responses, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain adaptation, and smooth pursuit tracking in three juvenile macaques before and after bilateral occipital lobectomies.
Protein moonlighting elucidates the essential human pathway catalyzing lipoic acid assembly on its cognate enzymes

The lack of attachment of lipoic acid to its cognate enzyme proteins results in devastating human metabolic disorders. These mitochondrial disorders are evident soon after birth and generally result in early death. The mutations causing specific defects in lipoyl assembly map in three genes, LIAS, LIPT1, and LIPT2. Although physiological roles have been proposed for the encoded proteins, only the LIPT1 protein had been studied at the enzyme level. LIPT1 was reported to catalyze only the second partial reaction of the classical lipoate ligase mechanism. We report that the physiologically relevant LIPT1 enzyme activity is transfer of lipoyl moieties from the H protein of the glycine cleavage system to the E2 subunits of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases required for respiration (e.g., pyruvate dehydrogenase) and amino acid degradation. We also report that LIPT2 encodes an octanoyl transferase that initiates lipoyl group assembly. The human pathway is now biochemically defined.
"Children in Crisis": Maya Identity in Guatemalan Children's Drawings.

This article examines the context and content of 15 drawings created in the early 1990s by Guatemalan children who survived government-led systemic violence against their Maya Tz’utujil community. ...
Predictability of non-phase-locked baroclinic tides in the Caribbean Sea

Abstract. The predictability of the sea surface height expression of baroclinic tides is examined with 96 h forecasts produced by the AMSEAS operational forecast model during 2013 – 2014 . The phase-locked tide, both barotropic and baroclinic, is identified by harmonic analysis of the 2 -year record and found to agree well with observations from tide gauges and satellite altimetry within the Caribbean Sea. The non-phase-locked baroclinic tide, which is created by time-variable mesoscale stratification and currents, may be identified from residual sea level anomalies (SLAs) near the tidal frequencies. The predictability of the non-phase-locked tide is assessed by measuring the difference between a forecast – centered at T+36 , T+60 , or T+84 h – and the model's later verifying analysis for the same time. Within the Caribbean Sea, where a baroclinic tidal sea level range of ±5 cm is typical, the forecast error for the non-phase-locked tidal SLA is correlated with the forecast error for the subtidal (mesoscale) SLA. Root mean square values of the former range from 0.5 to 2 cm , while the latter ranges from 1 to 6 cm , for a typical 84 h forecast. The spatial and temporal variability of the forecast error is related to the dynamical origins of the non-phase-locked tide and is briefly surveyed within the model.
Since Open image in new window

The compositional analysis of sentences like “Tony has been happy since he’s been taking Prozac” becomes feasible through a combination of a maximal informativeness semantics for definite descriptions and an elided second “since” inside the “since”-clause.
Antibody-Targeted Liposomes: Development of a Cell-Specific Drug Delivery System

We have described the following important parameters for the development of antibody-directed liposomes in drug delivery. (i) Liposome-dependent cytotoxic agents: Drugs such as methotrexate-γ-aspartate which are unable to enter cells without a carrier are essential since their use eliminates the non-specific effects of drug which may leak from the liposomes. (ii) Multivalency of liposome interactions: Liposomes conjugated to antibody have a higher valency than the soluble antibody and can bind to cells with up to 1,000-fold higher affinity constant. (iii) Use of multiple ligands: Liposomes which interact with more than one ligand on the cell surface show marked resistance to inhibition of cell association by soluble ligands. (iv) Optimal liposome size for drug delivery: The optimal liposome size appears to vary from 0.05 to 0.1 µm depending on target cell type.
Inferring prior distributions of recruitment compensation metrics from life-history parameters and allometries

The recruitment compensation metrics, the stock–recruit steepness (h) and compensation ratio (κ), are difficult to estimate, yet they are integral components of contemporary fishery models. To aid ...
The Role of Age Structure in the Dynamics of Interacting Populations

The dynamics of populations may be treated on several levels. Most models of interacting populations have been at the overall population level, couched in terms of time invariant ordinary differential or difference equations. All populations, however, have an internal age structure which profoundly affects their dynamical response to external influences. Populations are intrinsically distributed parameter systems; to model them as finite dimensional systems is to assume a stable age distribution. Moreover, few populations live in a constant environment; both seasonal and circadian exogenous and endogenous periodicities militate against a pure and continuing Malthusian growth. Therefore, even granting a stable age distribution one is forced to abandon finite dimensional, autonomous equations as viable models. To relax either the assumption of stable age distribution or constant environments is to dramatically alter, even reverse, the qualitative and quantitative consequences of the model as they pertain to actual populations.
Perceptions of male students in a baccalaureate nursing program: A qualitative study.

Abstract Prominent nursing organizations globally have called for a concerted effort to increase diversity in nursing education. While the number of men in the nursing workforce in the United States has increased slowly over the past five decades, the proportion of men in the profession remains low in comparison to the U.S. population. In response to research indicating a less-than-optimal experience for male nursing students, faculty and students embarked on a collaborative effort to improve the experience of this student population. This paper explores the reasons that men choose to enter nursing as well as the lived experience of men in a baccalaureate prelicensure nursing program in the United States. The purpose of the study was to determine if progress had been made toward a shared goal of an improved experience for male students. Of the 19 male students who met the inclusion criteria, 13 students agreed to participate in the descriptive phenomenological study. Findings of this study indicate that previous interventions aimed at creating a more welcoming environment for male nursing students at the research site have been moderately successful. Clinically, it is evident that there is still more work left to be done, specifically regarding the maternal-newborn clinical experience.
Anesthesia for Laser Lead Extraction

Modern management of cardiovascular disease includes an increasing number of pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD), and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) inserted annually. Over time, many of these leads become defective, fractured, or infected. Accordingly, the incidence of laser-lead extraction (LLE) has dramatically increased. This chapter focuses on the indications for LLE, preoperative evaluation and risk stratification, the steps for LLE, and the anesthetic management for LLE.
Viral Voter Suppression

While data about racial disparities in health has traditionally played only a very limited role in assessing how voting rules affect the voting rights of racial minorities, the COVID-19 voter experience has powerfully exposed how those disparities undermine minority voice and voting power not just during pandemics, but in every election. Empirical evidence generated by our novel COVID-19 Vulnerability Index demonstrates that politicians leveraged health disparities, rooted in the subordination of racial minorities, to suppress the vote of racial minorities in the 2020 general election and to further entrench racial inequity in voting. This evidence arrives at a critical juncture for the Voting Rights Act, which has been stripped of much of its bite by the Supreme Court and is currently being debated by Congress. A new focus on the disparate health effects of voting rules, grounded in the kind of solid empirical evidence we provide, could reinvigorate the VRA—providing new avenues for assessing voting rights, for litigating and judging voter suppression claims under Section 2, and even informing a new coverage formula to resurrect Section 5. The clear and compelling story told by our data are a clarion call to legislators, courts, and litigators to reconceptualize and strengthen voting rights by accounting for the barriers that health disparities pose to minority access to the ballot.
Rapid evolution of the functionally conserved gap gene giant in Drosophila

Developmental processes in multicellular organisms, and the outcomes they produce, are often evolutionarily conserved. Yet phylogenetic conservation of developmental outcomes is not reflected in functional preservation of the genes regulating these processes, a phenomenon referred to as developmental system drift (1, 2). Little is known about the evolutionary forces producing change in the molecular details of regulatory genes and their networks while preserving development outcomes. Here we address this void in knowledge by systematically swapping the Drosophila melanogaster coding and noncoding regions of the essential gap gene, giant, a key regulator of embryonic pattern formation, with orthologous sequences drawn from both closely and distantly related species within the genus. Employing sensitized genetic complementation assays, the loss of a transgenes ability to restore viability occurs across phylogeny at every interspecific level of comparison and includes both coding and noncoding changes. Epistasis is present as well -- both between coding and noncoding sequences and, in a dramatic example of change-of-sign epistasis, between the only two coding substitutions separating two very closely related species. A continuous process of functional divergence hidden under conserved phylotypic developmental outcomes requires reconsideration of the prevailing view that the essential genes in conserved regulatory networks are protected from the driving forces of evolutionary change.
Lichen striatus post-COVID-19 vaccination.

Reports of cutaneous reactions to COVID-19 vaccination are increasing as the scope of vaccination expands, and more data are available for study. For example, a recent review of 414 registry patients with dermatologic reactions following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination demonstrated that cutaneous eruptions often occurred in individuals without a dermatologic history and typically arose in the vaccinated arm within days.1 The same study also reported a female predominance of 90% in cutaneous reactions to COVID-19 vaccination. Adding to this body of evidence, we, herein, describe an eruption of lichen striatus occurring several days after COVID-19 vaccination in a middle-aged woman. Of note, there is 1 recently reported case of lichen planus that developed 48 hours following the receipt of the Pfizer vaccine in a patient with a history of successfully treated lichen planus.2 Our case, however, to our knowledge, is the first reported instance of lichen striatus following COVID-19 vaccination, with more profound implications on the pathogenesis of this dermatologic condition.
Single-molecule electrochemistry

Abstract Single-molecule electrochemistry (SME) is a subfield of electrochemistry with the goal of detecting, manipulating, and characterizing the faradaic response of individual redox molecules. The field of SME has received considerable attention since its first demonstration in the 1990s. This chapter summarizes various physical and analytical methods toward characterization of single molecules in electrochemistry. We introduce the concept of redox cycling and various experimental strategies of creating effective nanostructures to measure the faradaic signal of single redox molecules using redox cycling. We then describe the method of resistive-pulse sensing and discuss how a nanopore allows single biomolecules to be studied in great detail. In the second half of the chapter, we turn our attention to the use of optical microscopy to study electrochemical reactions of single redox molecules. Here, we concentrate on the uses of two main categories of optical methods: fluorescence microscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
Ultrasound Image-Guided Drug Delivery using a Spherically Focused Phased Array Transducer

The tumor microenvironment presents a physical barrier for successful drug delivery. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) in combination with a microbubble (MB) contrast agent has been shown to safely and reversibly increase microvascular permeability. This procedure temporarily allows anticancer drugs to more effectively extravasate to the targeted tumor tissue. Previously, focused US therapies were performed throughout a single two-dimensional plane using either a single or a multiple focused US configuration. This research demonstrated that a multi-focus, multi-repetition approach was superior to a single focus US therapy. The goal of this research was to build upon those findings and introduce a new three-dimensional (3-D) focused US therapeutic system that incorporates US imaging guidance and functionality for user-defined planning in volume space. To evaluate drug delivery, a small molecule infrared (IR) dye was used for in vivo detection in live animals and represents a surrogate anticancer drug. 3-D US therapy was compared to a 2-D approach using breast cancer-bearing mice. Prior to US therapy, each mouse received a bolus injection of MBs (Lantheus Medical Imaging) and IR dye. Both 2-D and 3-D US therapy was performed using a custom US image-guided system (HIFUPlex-06, Verasonics Inc). In vivo optical imaging (Pearl Trilogy, LI-COR Biosciences) was performed at 0, 24, and 48 h. Tumors were then excised for ex vivo optical imaging and analysis. Preliminary results revealed up to a 3-fold increase in dye uptake ( $p ) at both 24 and 48 $h$ for tumors treated with the 3-D US therapy. These findings were consistent with ex vivo optical imaging results.
The extracellular loops of OmpA control the slow rate of in vitro folding

Outer membrane proteins are all beta barrels and these barrels have a variety of well-documented loop conformations. Here we test the effect of three different loop types on outer membrane protein A (OmpA) folding. We designed twelve 5-residue loops and experimentally tested the effect of replacing the long loops of outer membrane protein OmpA with the designed loops. Our studies succeeded in creating the smallest known outer membrane barrel. We find that significant changes in OmpA loops do not have a strong overall effect on OmpA folding. However, when decomposing folding into a fast rate and a slow rate we find that changes in loops strongly affect the slow rate of OmpA folding. Extracellular loop types with higher levels of hydrogen bonds had more instances of increasing the slow folding rate and extracellular loop types with low levels of hydrogen bonds had more instances of decreasing the slow folding rate. Having the slow rate affected by loop composition is consistent with the slow rate being associated with the insertion step of outer membrane protein folding.
VLSI Sensors in Medicine

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the application of very-large-scale integration (VLSI) technology in medicine. It highlights some of the recent progress made in solid-state sensors and some of the special problems associated with instrumenting living systems, particularly with indwelling devices. The area of solid-state sensors is now undergoing a period of dramatic growth as attempts are being made to remove the last major obstacle to the application of VLSI in new areas such as biomedicine. Solid-state technology offers a rich array of processes that can be applied to sensor realization and many innovative designs are currently being evaluated. In the biomedical area, a number of difficult problems remain, but over the next few years solutions to many of them should be forthcoming. In many cases, the sensors themselves will become systems on a chip as circuitry and VLSI-based intelligence are used to reduce packaging and lead problems and allow the realization of a wide range of devices for biomedical research and improved health care.
SU-E-P-13: Quantifying the Geometric Error Due to Irregular Motion in Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT)

Purpose: Respiratory correlated 4DCT images are generated under the assumption of a regular breathing cycle. This study evaluates the error in 4DCT-based target position estimation in the presence of irregular respiratory motion. Methods: A custom-made programmable externally-and internally-deformable lung motion phantom was placed inside the CT bore. An abdominal pressure belt was placed around the phantom to mimic clinical 4DCT acquisitio and the motion platform was programmed with a sinusoidal (±10mm, 10 cycles per minute) motion trace and 7 motion traces recorded from lung cancer patients. The same setup and motion trajectories were repeated in the linac room and kV fluoroscopic images were acquired using the on-board imager. Positions of 4 internal markers segmented from the 4DCT volumes were overlaid upon the motion trajectories derived from the fluoroscopic time series to calculate the difference between estimated (4DCT) and “actual” (kV fluoro) positions. Results: With a sinusoidal trace, absolute errors of the 4DCT estimated markers positions vary between 0.78mm and 5.4mm and RMS errors are between 0.38mm to 1.7mm. With irregular patient traces, absolute errors of the 4DCT estimated markers positions increased significantly by 100 to 200 percent, while the corresponding RMS error values have much smaller changes. Significant mismatches weremore » frequently found at peak-inhale or peak-exhale phase. Conclusion: As expected, under conditions of well-behaved, periodic sinusoidal motion, the 4DCT yielded much better estimation of marker positions. When an actual patient trace is used 4DCT-derived positions showed significant mismatches with the fluoroscopic trajectories, indicating the potential for geometric and therefore dosimetric errors in the presence of cycle-to-cycle respiratory variations.« less
Rapid discrimination among individual DNA hairpin molecules at single-nucleotide resolution using an ion channel.

RNA and DNA strands produce ionic current signatures when driven through an α-hemolysin channel by an applied voltage. Here we combine this nanopore detector with a support vector machine (SVM) to analyze DNA hairpin molecules on the millisecond time scale. Measurable properties include duplex stem length, base pair mismatches, and loop length. This nanopore instrument can discriminate between individual DNA hairpins that differ by one base pair or by one nucleotide.