cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wound-healing trajectories as outcome measures of venous stasis ulcer treatment.

Outcome measures of venous ulcer healing are not uniformly accepted. Stringent criteria of 100% closure fail to provide information of healing over the entire span of repair. Wound-healing trajectories (plot of percentage of wound closure versus time of wound treatment) were constructed for 232 patients treated in eight clinical trials at two independent wound care/research centres. Trajectories were constructed for ulcers that totally healed (100% closure) and those that did not (<100% closure) over a 20-week period. Kaplan–Meier survival plots determined the percentage of patients achieving total healing versus time of treatment. The wound-healing trajectories were almost identical for patients achieving complete ulcer healing, as were the trajectories for patients with less than 100% closure. The trajectories for the ulcers healing completely were significantly different from those with <100% closure. Only 60% of all patients achieved 100% closure by 20 weeks. Using linear regression, it was predicted that it would take 31 weeks for all patients to achieve total healing. Total healing is an inadequate outcome measure for healing of venous stasis ulcers. Clinical trials using this measure would require excessive time periods. As wound-healing trajectories for patients treated at two centres mimic one another, shifting the wound-healing trajectory from one of impaired healing to one of a more ideal healing course may be considered a better outcome measure for determining healing of venous stasis ulcers.
Comprehensive and definitive structural identities of Pneumocystis carinii sterols

Pneumocystis causes a type of pneumonia in im- munodeficient mammals, such as AIDS patients. Mammals cannot alkylate the C-24 position of the sterol side chain, nor can they desaturate C-22. Thus, the reactions leading to these sterol modifications are particularly attractive targets for the development of drugs against fungal and protozoan pathogens that make them. In the present study, the defini- tive structures of 43 sterol molecular species in rat-derived Pneumocystis carinii were elucidated by nuclear magnetic res- onance spectroscopy. Ergosterol, � 5,7 sterols, trienes, and tetraenes were not among them. Most (32 of the 43) were 24-alkylsterols, products of S -adenosyl- L -methionine:C-24 sterol methyl transferase (SAM:SMT) enzyme activity. Their abundance is consistent with the suggestion that SAM:SMT is highly active in this organism and that the enzyme is an excellent anti- Pneumocystis drug target. In contrast, the com- prehensive analysis strongly suggest that P. carinii does not form � 22 sterols, thus C-22 desaturation does not appear to be a drug target in this pathogen. The lanosterol deriva- tives, 24-methylenelanost-8-en-3 � -ol and ( Z )-24-ethylidene- lanost-8-en-3 � -ol (pneumocysterol), previously identified in human-derived Pneumocystis jiroveci , were also detected among the sterols of the rat-derived P. carinii organisms. — Giner, J-L., H. Zhao, D. H. Beach, E. J. Parish, K. Jayasim- hulu, and E. S. Kaneshiro. Comprehensive and definitive structural identities of Pneumocystis carinii sterols. J. Lipid Res. 2002. 43: 1114-1124.
Discharge β-Blocker Use and Race after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Results: A total of 853 (88%) black (nD 970) and 3,038 (88%) white (nD 3,460) patients had a history of b-blocker use at discharge (ND 4,430). Black patients who received b-blockers survived longer than those not receiving b-blockers and the survival advantage was comparable with white patients (black, adjusted HRD 0.33, 95% CID 0.23‐0.46; white, adjusted HRD 0.48, 95% CID 0.39‐0.58; p-for-interactionD 0.74). Among patients discharged on bblockers, we did not observe a long-term survival advantage for white compared with black patients (HRD 1.2, 95% CID 0.95‐1.5).
Object-oriented recursive descent parsing in C#

An object-oriented recursive descent parsing technique that is suitable for use in advanced programming classes where no language theory is required is presented. The C# code for a calculator is shown as an example.
Millennium Development Goals: update from North America.

In the past 15 years, North America made significant advances towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets despite a crippling and global financial crisis beginning in 2008. The three countries making up North America—Canada, the USA and Mexico—aspired to reach MDGs under strikingly different political and cultural contexts; yet within their own countries, they all face the common challenge of reducing the disparities that exist in education, employment and health across socioeconomic, racial and gender spectrums. Progress towards reduction of disparities in poverty and hunger is evident in North America. Mexico met its goal to cut in half the percentage of people living off <$1.25 per day 3 years before the anticipated date. This reduction is consistent with the change in percentage of people living in poverty across Latin America, decreasing from 12% in 1990 to 6% in 2010. Middle-income countries, however, including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, are largely responsible for this change. The USA achieved a historic change in the lives of people living in poverty with the adoption in 2010 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) providing access to healthcare for all citizens. ACA will improve healthcare access; however, it will not impact non-medical factors, such as poverty, driving poor health outcomes in the USA. Income inequality in the USA and Mexico is currently at an all-time high and remains significantly higher than in European countries …
Targeting metabolic plasticity in breast cancer cells via mitochondrial complex I modulation

Heterogeneity commonly observed in clinical tumors stems both from the genetic diversity as well as from the differential metabolic adaptation of multiple cancer types during their struggle to maintain uncontrolled proliferation and invasion in vivo. This study aims to identify a potential metabolic window of such adaptation in aggressive human breast cancer cell lines. With a multidisciplinary approach using high-resolution imaging, cell metabolism assays, proteomic profiling and animal models of human tumor xenografts and via clinically-relevant pharmacological approach for modulating mitochondrial complex I function in human breast cancer cell lines, we report a novel route to target metabolic plasticity in human breast cancer cells. By a systematic modulation of mitochondrial function and by mitigating metabolic switch phenotype in aggressive human breast cancer cells, we demonstrate that the resulting metabolic adaptation signatures can predictably decrease tumorigenic potential in vivo. Proteomic profiling of the metabolic adaptation in these cells further revealed novel protein-pathway interactograms highlighting the importance of antioxidant machinery in the observed metabolic adaptation. Improved metabolic adaptation potential in aggressive human breast cancer cells contribute to improving mitochondrial function and reducing metabolic switch phenotype—which may be vital for targeting primary tumor growth in vivo.
Transmission improvement in ultralong dispersion-managed soliton WDM systems by using pulses with different widths

It was shown that one can improve transmission performance in ultra-long-haul wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) systems by matching the input pulsewidth to the path-averaged dispersion (PAD) in the line. Wider pulses should be used for higher values of PAD, and vice versa. It was also noted that this pulsewidth selection is only effective in the dispersion-managed soliton (DMS) propagation regime but not in the chirped return-to-zero (CRZ) regime.
Gelsolin is depleted in post-shock mesenteric lymph.

Background Gelsolin is a plasma protein that functions to depolymerize actin filaments preventing capillary plug formation following tissue injury. It also functions to mediate the inflammatory response by binding proinflammatory lipids such as lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate and phosphoinositides. Clinically, reduced gelsolin concentrations have been associated with increased mortality in critically ill, trauma, and burn patients. We have previously shown that following hemorrhagic shock with splanchnic hypoperfusion, mesenteric lymph contains lipid components that cause neutrophil and EC activation and that protein concentrations are severely diluted due to resuscitation. We hypothesized that lipid binding proteins such as gelsolin may be depleted after trauma/hemorrhagic shock leading to increased lipid bioactivity. Methods Shock was induced in SD rats by controlled hemorrhage and the mesenteric duct cannulated for lymph collection. Resuscitation was performed by infusing 2× SB volume in NS over 30 min, followed by 1/2 SB volume over 30 min, then 2× SB volume in NS over 60 min. Pre and post-shock lymph was loaded at equal protein concentrations on 2D-gels, followed by trypsin digestion and identification with mass spectrometry (MS-MS). Proteomics data were confirmed with Western blotting then quantitated by densitometry. Analysis of variance was used evaluate statistical data. Results Gelsolin decreased in mesenteric lymph following hemorrhagic shock. Conclusions Gelsolin is found at high levels (comparable to plasma) in mesenteric lymph. Following hemorrhagic shock, gelsolin levels decrease significantly, possibly due to consumption by the actin scavenging system. The magnitude of this change in concentration could release lipid bioactivity and predispose the lung and other organs to capillary injury.
Classification and potential mechanisms of intravascular ultrasound patterns of stent fracture.

We sought to examine the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings of stent fracture. Stent fracture has been implicated as a cause of drug-eluting stent failure. IVUS is more likely to identify mechanisms of stent failure -- including stent fracture -- than angiography. Twenty stent fractures diagnosed by IVUS in 17 patients were evaluated. Eighteen stent fractures (90%) occurred in sirolimus-eluting Cypher stents, and 2 stent fractures (10%) occurred in bare metal stents, but none occurred in paclitaxel-eluting Taxus stents. Half of the stent fractures presented 1 year after implantation. IVUS analysis showed that 9 stent fractures were complete (45%) and 11 were partial (55%); 10 (50%) were adjacent to stent metal overlap; and 5 occurred in a coronary aneurysm accompanied by malapposition (all Cypher stents) despite the absence of an aneurysm at index stenting. Compared with 60 matched control segments in patients without stent fracture, but with similar clinical events, the stent fracture group had longer stent segments (45.2 +/- 23.0 vs 28.5 +/- 14.9 mm, p = 0.003). Comparing stent fractures associated with an aneurysm (n = 5) with those that did not occur in association with an aneurysm (n = 15) showed that complete stent fracture was more frequent (100% vs 27%, p = 0.008), and all presented >1 year after index stenting (vs 33%, p = 0.03). In conclusion, IVUS is helpful to identify stent fracture as a cause of stent failure and to understand possible mechanisms of stent fracture such as aneurysm formation.
Tricritical Point in KDP

Static dielectric measurements on the ferroelectric crystal KH2PO4 (KDP) at pressures to 3 kbar indicate a tricritical point at 2.4±0.2 kbar. The exponent δ at this pressure agrees well with the value of 5 obtained from mean-field theory for the tricritical exponent.
Location, Location, Location: On Judicial Attitudes and Transitional Justice in Spain and Chile

Based on a paired comparison of Spain and Chile, I argue that the location of judges in socio-political time and space, both domestic and international, shapes how they understand and respond to transitional justice claims and does so in ways that don’t simply reflect personal political preferences. Contextual differences have worked to constitute contrasting perspectives within the judiciaries of the two countries on the importance and viability of legal accountability for past human rights violations in the post-transitional era, accounting for the different attitudes and levels of assertiveness among judges on authoritarian-era political crimes and abuses. The analysis suggests that judicial responsiveness in rights cases more generally varies and evolves within and across countries not necessarily with how politically “liberal” or “conservative” judges are, but rather with social and political dynamics that induce or discourage judicial action in specific rights categories.
Reptile and Amphibian Response to Hardwood Forest Management and Early Successional Habitats

Herpetofauna responses to forest management and early successional habitats are influenced by species-specific adaptations to historical disturbance regimes. It can take decades for woodland salamander diversity to recover after heavy overstory removal for even-aged forest regeneration or hot fires that yield higher light, drier microclimates, and reduced leaf litter cover, but some frog and toad species may tolerate or even increase after disturbances. In particular, disturbances that retain some canopy cover, such as selection harvests or low intensity burns, can mitigate effects on terrestrial salamanders. The same early successional conditions that are detrimental to salamanders can benefit many reptile species, such as fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus). Maintaining stand age diversity across central hardwood forest landscapes, including retention of mature forest communities, should provide habitats for both early successional wildlife and mature forest species.
Ligand regulation of a constitutively dimeric EGF receptor

Ligand-induced receptor dimerization has traditionally been viewed as the key event in transmembrane signalling by epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs). Here we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans EGFR orthologue LET-23 is constitutively dimeric, yet responds to its ligand LIN-3 without changing oligomerization state. SAXS and mutational analyses further reveal that the preformed dimer of the LET-23 extracellular region is mediated by its domain II dimerization arm and resembles other EGFR extracellular dimers seen in structural studies. Binding of LIN-3 induces only minor structural rearrangements in the LET-23 dimer to promote signalling. Our results therefore argue that EGFR can be regulated by allosteric changes within an existing receptor dimer--resembling signalling by insulin receptor family members, which share similar extracellular domain compositions but form covalent dimers.
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Nb6C70

Nb6C7+ is studied using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer coupled to a compact supersonic source. Its reactions with H2O, NH3, CH3OH, CH3CN, and C6H6 are reported. For each of these ligands, sequential attachment reactions occur leading to the initial truncation products Nb6C7L4+. Minor amounts of Nb6C7L5+ and Nb6C7L6+ are observed for polar molecules, but they grow in slowly. A measurement of the relative rate constants for the sequential addition reactions of CH3OH, for example, demonstrates quantitatively that addition of the fifth CH3OH is very slow compared to the first four additions. Multiple excitation collisional activation (MECA) on Nb6C7+ yields Nb5C6+, and MECA on Nb5C6+ yields Nb4C4+ as predominant products. Nb6C7+ undergoes iodine abstraction from one CH3I molecule to yield the truncation product, Nb6C7I+. Ab initio Hartree−Fock calculations of Nb6C7 suggest a structure consisting of two cubes with one carbon at the exact inversion center of the D2h symmet...
Teaching to Different Levels of Experience: What I Learned from Working with Experienced Writers from Different Fields

Legal writing teachers have certain requirements that we feel must be met in each piece of student writing. Most significantly, we expect to see analysis that follows a predictable, logical pattern, whether it be IRAC, CREAC, or some variation thereon. However, not all of our students come to us fresh from undergraduate school; many arrive after, or even during, careers in which they have developed an effective writing style of their own. Our response to these students' writing should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the experiences that they bring to the classroom.
Bromide oxidation by ferrate(VI): The formation of active bromine and bromate.

Ferrate (VI) (abbreviated as Fe(VI)) has long been considered as a green oxidant that does not produce any known hazardous byproducts. However, this work shows that Fe(VI) can slowly oxidize bromide forming active bromine (HOBr/OBr(-)) and bromate, and in natural waters total organic bromine (TOBr) can also be detected. Results showed that the highest levels of active bromine and bromate were formed at lower pHs and in the absence of phosphate. Hydrogen peroxide, which forms from the reaction of Fe(VI) and water, plays an essential role in suppressing bromate formation by reducing active bromine back to bromide. Fe(VI) decomposition products (assumed to be particulate phase Fe(III)) can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by Fe(VI). Phosphate had a substantial inhibiting effect on the formation of active bromine, but less so on bromate formation. The presence of the raw water matrix in natural water suppressed bromate formation. For a natural water spiked with 0.1 mg/L of bromide, the bromate and TOBr concentrations after Fe(VI) oxidation were below 3.0 and 15 μg/L, respectively. No consistent trend regarding the effect of pH or buffer ions on TOBr formation was observed due to the competition between Fe(VI), hydrogen peroxide, and natural organic matter (NOM) for reaction with active bromine. Under environmentally relevant conditions, the formation of bromate and TOBr would not be a problem for Fe(VI) application as their concentration levels are quite low.
Hierarchical Structure of Porosity in Cortical and Trabecular Bones

In this paper the amount and morphology of cortical and trabecular bone porosities were estimated using optical microscopy and micro-computed tomography technique. The hierarchical structure of porosity at different structural scales spanning from a single lacuna (sub-microscale) to trabecular or cortical bone levels (mesoscale) was characterized and described. This study was conducted by using samples of untreated, deproteinized and demineralized bones, to obtain better insight into the bone structure and porosities. The motivation of this work is that the porosity in bone has a major effect on its mechanical response, yet it is often neglected in bone models. Investigations of the mechanical properties of bone and its main components (collagen and mineral phases), complemented by modeling, are of importance in orthopedics.
Characterization of arak liquor with the contents of four kinds of esters analysis

Arak liquor,which is another flavor,is a kind of special liquor in the southern area.Nowdays,the development of arak relatively is slow,lagging far behind other liquor,mainly because of backward technology,low liquor yield,unhappy taste,incense inadequate after taste,astringent miscellaneous,and so on.The relationship between the inadequacies of arak and ester content was found to be significant by researcher.The four esters(ethyl acetate,ethyl butyrate,ethyl caproate and ethyl lactate) of arak liquor were invetisgated in this experiment.On the basis of this work,we aimed to improve the texture and taste of arak liquor.The results indicated that the relative content of the ethyl lactate of total esters was 74%,which was far higher than other flavor liquors.
Heart-Focused Anxiety in Patients With Noncardiac Chest Pain: Structure and Validity

Heart-focused anxiety (HFA) is a fear of cardiac sensations driven by worries of physical health catastrophe. HFA is impairing and distressing and has been shown to disproportionately affect individuals with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP), chest pain that persists in the absence of an identifiable source. The Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) is a measure designed to assess HFA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the CAQ in a sample of 229 adults diagnosed with NCCP. Results demonstrated that the CAQ is a useful measure of HFA in patients with NCCP and that a four-factor model including fear of cardiac sensations, avoidance of activities that elicit cardiac sensations, heart-focused attention, and reassurance seeking was the best fit for the data. Additionally, associations between CAQ subscales and two measures of health-related behaviors-pain-related interference and health care utilization-provided evidence of concurrent validity. Treatment implications are also discussed.
The Empathy-Morality Connection

In recent years, empathy has received significant popular attention from scholars and pundits who believe it is the basis of the moral life, and who suggest that developing empathy will be the solution to our moral failings. When Phoebe Prince, a 15-year old from South Hadley, Massachusetts, committed suicide after being bullied by her schoolmates, TIME magazine ran a story stating that research in empathy suggests that it is a “key, if not the key, to all human social interaction and morality.”1 Psychologists and moral educators interviewed for the article argued that to prevent severe bullying in schools, students needed to be taught how to “put themselves in another person’s shoes,” so that they can consider others’ feelings and stop abusing their peers. In a similar vein, political advisor and activist Jeremy Rifkin states in The Empathie Civilization that empathy is the “social glue” that keeps society functioning as a cohesive whole. “Without empathy it would be impossible to even imagine a social life and the organization of society … Society requires being social and being social requires empathic extension.”2
Overview of the Studies

This chapter provides an overview of the initial studies on MMT that were performed in 1995 and 1997. These studies are part of our on-going effort to explore the ways in which MMT is practiced in health care delivery organizations.
Comparison of Enrichment and Plating Media for Recovery of Virulent Strains of Yersinia enterocolitica from Inoculated Beef Stew.

Five plating agar media were evaluated for their ability to recover pure cultures of virulent strains of Yersinia enterocolitica serotypes O:3, O:8 and O:5,27. Cellobiose-arginine-lysine and bismuth sulfite agars were unproductive at 32°C but gave quantitative recovery with 48 h of incubation at 22°C. Adjustment of the pH of bismuth sulfite agar to 7.4 made the medium inhibitory. MacConkey, DHL and cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agars gave quantitative recovery with 24 h of incubation at 32°C. Four preenrichment media incubated at four different temperatures, three selective enrichment media incubated at 22°C, and the five plating media were evaluated for their ability to recovery Y. enterocolitica from beef stew seeded with a background of ten other gram-negative bacteria. None of the plating media was superior for recovery; however, cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar showed the highest confirmation rate for presumptive colonies. Buffered-sorbitol-bile broth was inferior to richer media such as trypticase soy broth for preenrichment. Of the three selective enrichment media examined, only bile-oxalate-sorbose broth was found useful, especially for strains of serotype O:8 which could be recovered after 1 d of preenrichment and 3 d of selective enrichment at 22°C. Strains of serotypes O:8 and O:3 were recovered when two cells with 107 cells of ten other gram-negative bacteria were added to 10 g of beef stew following preenrichment in trypticase soy broth at 2°C for 7 d and selective enrichment in bile oxalate-sorbose broth at 22°C for 3 to 5 d. Strains of serotype O:5,27 were more difficult to recover even with longer enrichment times. These studies indicated that the most comprehensive enrichment system for recovery of Y. enterocolitica from foods is preenrichment in trypticase soy broth at 22°C for 1 d and 2 to 4°C for 4 to 7 d followed by selective enrichment in bile-oxalate-sorbose broth at 22°C for 3 to 5 d and isolation on cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar.
SWAPCO Nuclear Corporation (SWAPCO)

SWAPCO is a nuclear fuel brokerage company which has managed to survive in a highly competitive niche market for fourteen years. The market is currently declining and the company must develop a strategy for survival and future growth. The case is designed to enable students to think about the effects of a rapidly changing market on a company's business and the effect of changes in the external environment on the company. It leads to discussion of market strategies, the role of government in business, the effects of competition and other external factors in the survival and growth of a business.
Solving inverse problems using residual neural networks

We demonstrate that deep neural networks can be trained on object-intensity pairs to efficiently and accurately produce object estimates from unseen raw intensity images at test time, thus solving the inverse problem.
Targeted therapy-induced differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia blasts.

![Figure][1] A 75-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Bone marrow (BM) showed intermediate-sized blasts (78%) with scant agranular cytoplasm (panel A: Wright-Giemsa stain, original magnification ×1000) and occasional “fish-mouth” morphology. Auer rods were
Teacher spatial skills are linked to differences in geometry instruction

Background Spatial skills have been linked to better performance in mathematics. Aim The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher spatial skills and their instruction, including teacher content and pedagogical knowledge, use of pictorial representations, and use of gestures during geometry instruction. Sample Fifty-six middle school teachers participated in the study. Methods The teachers were administered spatial measures of mental rotations and spatial visualization. Next, a single geometry class was videotaped. Result Correlational analyses revealed that spatial skills significantly correlate with teacher's use of representational gestures and content and pedagogical knowledge during instruction of geometry. Spatial skills did not independently correlate with the use of pointing gestures or the use of pictorial representations. However, an interaction term between spatial skills and content and pedagogical knowledge did correlate significantly with the use of pictorial representations. Teacher experience as measured by the number of years of teaching and highest degree did not appear to affect the relationships among the variables with the exception of the relationship between spatial skills and teacher content and pedagogical knowledge. Conclusion Teachers with better spatial skills are also likely to use representational gestures and to show better content and pedagogical knowledge during instruction. Spatial skills predict pictorial representation use only as a function of content and pedagogical knowledge.
How do students experience the problem-solving studio?

Student-centered learning environments, including flipped classrooms, are becoming increasingly common in engineering education. Numerous advantages have been ascribed to these approaches, including that they increase student engagement and achievement. Unfortunately, not all students respond favorably to student-centered courses. To understand why, we are studying how students perceive their experiences in the Problem-Solving Studio (PSS). PSS is a cognitive apprenticeship learning environment that heavily emphasizes student-student interactions. In this work-in-progress paper, we describe the results of the first phase of a two-phase mixed-methods study that seeks to answer the question “How do students perceive the various features of PSS, and how do these perceptions affect their motivation and approach to learning?” The purpose of this phase of the study was to identify participants whose perceptions of PSS varied widely. We prompted students in an entry-level biomedical engineering course that used the PSS approach to reflect on their motivation for the course and their approach to learning. We coded the students' responses, quantized them, and used cluster analysis to identify groups of students with similar response profiles. We identified four groups of students whose perceptions of their experience in PSS differed with respect to their motivation and approaches to learning, but whose demographics (with respect to age, gender, grades, and minority-status) were similar. We used these results as a guide to determine who to invite to participate in the second phase of our study. We successfully recruited thirteen participants with proportional representation from each group, which supports our phase two goal of interviewing students with a wide range of perceptions and experiences in PSS. Phase two of the study is currently in progress.
Zum ersten „Bericht zur Nachhaltigkeit“ von hessnatur

Immer mehr Konsumenten mochten nicht nur wissen, ob ein Unternehmen umweltfreundlich produziert und seine Mitarbeiter angemessen entlohnt, sondern auch, ob es in den Produktionslandern Kinderarbeit duldet. Unternehmen stehen deshalb verstarkt im Blickfeld des offentlichen Interesses. Ganzheitliches und modernes Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement verlangt nach praxistauglichen und effizienten Werkzeugen. Stakeholder fragen immer haufiger nach verlasslichen und zeitgerechten Geschafts- und Nachhaltigkeitsdaten.
Influence of Planting Date and Insecticide on Injury Caused by Tobacco Thrips and Peanut Yield in North Carolina

ABSTRACT Planting date can affect pest incidence and severity in peanut. Research was conducted from 2013 to 2016 in North Carolina to determine tobacco thrips [Frankliniella fusca (Hinds)] injury and pod yield when peanut was planted in early, mid-, and late-May when phorate was applied in the seed furrow at planting, acephate was applied to emerged peanut 3 wk after planting, or when both insecticides were applied. Differences in visible injury to peanut caused by tobacco thrips feeding were observed across yr, planting dates, and insecticide treatments. Applying either phorate or acephate was often as effective as the combination of both insecticides in preventing injury caused by tobacco thrips although in some instances applying both insecticides was more effective than a single insecticide. Visible injury caused by tobacco thrips was often greater when peanut was planted in early May compared with later plantings. Peanut yield was protected equally from tobacco thrips injury by phorate, acephate, an...
The Human Dimension of RBD

The human dimension of RBD encompasses the experience of RBD in the patient and in the spouse affected by the RBD, and the adverse physical, psychological, marital, and quality-of-life consequences from the RBD, including both idiopathic RBD (iRBD) and RBD associated with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
PChem Challenge Game: Reinforcing Learning in Physical Chemistry

Physical chemistry has an abstract and demanding nature, and research reveals that students hold negative dispositions toward it. The PChem Challenge Game described in this work is a board game dev...
A new approach towards climate monitoring in Rocky Mountain alpine plant communities: A case study using herb-chronology and Penstemon whippleanus

ABSTRACTThe alpine ecosystem of the Rocky Mountains is experiencing significant increases in growing season length, summer maximum temperatures, and shifting patterns in precipitation. Alpine herbs...
Characterizing the Current State of Training Courses Available to US Disaster Professionals.

Objective:The objective of this study is to characterize US-based disaster training courses available to disaster response and disaster health professionals. Its purpose is to better inform policies and decision-making regarding workforce and professional development to improve performance.Methods:Courses were identified from 4 inventories of courses: (1) National Library of Medicine Disaster Lit database; (2) TRAIN National Learning Network; (3) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Preparedness Course Catalog; and (4) Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers. An online search used 30 disaster-related key words. Data included the course title, description, target audience, and delivery modality. Levels of learning, target capability, and function were categorized by 3 expert reviewers. Descriptive statistics were used.Results:There were 3662 trainings: 2380 (65%) for professionals (53% for public health); 83% of the courses were distance learning, with 16% via classroom. Half of all trainings focused on 3 of 37 disaster capabilities and 38% of them were related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE). The educational approach was knowledge-based for all courses and 99.6% imparted only lower levels of learning.Conclusion:Despite thousands of courses available, there remain significant gaps in target audience, subject matter content, educational approaches, and delivery modalities, particularly for health and public health professionals.
Use of Different Proteins to Produce Biodegradable Films and Blends

The objective of this study was to develop, characterize and evaluate biodegradable films produced from different proteins and their blends. The proteins of hake (Cynoscion guatacupa), obtained by the process of pH variation, as well as gluten and zein proteins were used in this study. The hake protein films (HF) showed the highest tensile strength (TS) and solubility in water, while the gluten films (GF) presented the higher elongation at break comparing to the others. The blend (BL) produced with hake and gluten (BL H/G) showed higher TS, water vapor permeability and elongation (WVP), and lower water solubility than HF. BL H/G still showing good thermal properties and its biodegradability occurred in less than 10 days. The zein film presented more crystalline zones and less mechanical properties when compared to the others. The zein blends with gluten (BL Z/G) presented higher elongation and WVP, and lower solubility when compared to ZF. These changes indicate that the BL Z/G may be an alternative to improve the properties of individual zein films. The BL Z/G showed complete biodegradability in less than 40 days, while the zein films showed about 75% degraded in 60 days. The BL H/G presented good mechanical and thermal resistance, with ΔH superior to the other films, also showed complete biodegradability in less than 10 days, proving to be the most promising blend for the development of sustainable materials for food packaging.
Impact of Walking and Running on the Heel bone: the Adventist Health Study-2.

Aims Physical activity is well recognized for its bone health benefit. We examined the benefit of walk/run/jog on bone health using broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the calcaneus. Methodology Caucasian and African American males (n=593) and females (n=1,106) had their calcaneal BUA measured two years later after enrollment into the AHS-2. The association between calcaneal BUA (dB/Mhz) and the distance of walk/run/ jog level per week (miles) was assessed using multiple linear regression. Results In a multivariable model adjusted for important covariates, BUA was positively associated with BMI (P < .001), total calcium intake (P =0.31), total protein intake (P =0.38) and inversely associated with age (P < .001) and smoking (P < .05). Compared to women who did not walk/ run/ jog, women walking 10 or more miles per week had an increase in BUA by 4.08 (dB/Mhz) (Ptrend=0.03). Similarly, compared to men who did not walk/ run/ jog, men walking 10 or more miles per week had an increase in BUA by 5.97 (dB/Mhz) (Ptrend=0.01). Conclusions We concluded that BUA is positively associated with walk/ run/jog after accounting for age, BMI, smoking status, calcium intake, protein intake and estrogen usage.
Heteroleptic cationic iridium(III) complexes bearing phenanthroline derivatives with extended π-conjugation as potential broadband reverse saturable absorbers

Three cationic heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes [Ir(piq)2(N^N)]+ (where piq refers to 1-phenylisoquinoline and N^N represents the fluorenyl-substituted phenanthroline (phen, 1), dipyrido-[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine (dppz, 2) and benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine (dppn, 3)) were synthesized and their singlet and triplet excited-state characteristics were investigated via spectroscopic methods and theoretical calculations. The electronic absorption spectra of 1–3 in toluene all featured strongly absorbing ligand-center 1π,π* transitions below 380 nm, broad and intense diimine ligand-localized 1ILCT (intraligand charge transfer)/1π,π* transitions at 380–450 nm, weaker 1LLCT (ligand-to-ligand charge transfer)/1MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) transitions at 450–520 nm, and very weak spin-forbidden 3LLCT/3MLCT/3π,π* transitions at 550–680 nm. Variations of the core diimine ligand from phen to dppz caused a slight red-shift of the absorption bands at 2 > 1. Fluorenyl substitution not only enhanced the RSA at 532 nm for 2 and 3, but also made them potential broadband reverse saturable absorbers.
Archaeology, climate, and global change in the Age of Humans

We live in an age characterized by increasing environmental, social, economic, and political uncertainty. Human societies face significant challenges, ranging from climate change to food security, biodiversity declines and extinction, and political instability. In response, scientists, policy makers, and the general public are seeking new interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches to evaluate and identify meaningful solutions to these global challenges. Underrecognized among these challenges is the disappearing record of past environmental change, which can be key to surviving the future. Historical sciences such as archaeology access the past to provide long-term perspectives on past human ecodynamics: the interaction between human social and cultural systems and climate and environment. Such studies shed light on how we arrived at the present day and help us search for sustainable trajectories toward the future. Here, we highlight contributions by archaeology-the study of the human past-to interdisciplinary research programs designed to evaluate current social and environmental challenges and contribute to solutions for the future. The past is a multimillennial experiment in human ecodynamics, and, together with our transdisciplinary colleagues, archaeology is well positioned to uncover the lessons of that experiment.
Contracts and Copyright: Contemporary Musician Income Streams

Musicians typically earn revenues from two sources: copyright law and contract. The proportion of revenue derived from each of these sources varies from artist to artist, but an understanding of the general distribution of earnings from each source is useful when considering proposed legislative amendments. Through a series of qualitative interviews with working musicians, this chapter contributes to the ongoing conversation around copyright’s import to, and impact on, musician revenue at different career stages.
A preliminary examination of the multiple dimensions of opioid craving.

Abstract Background Although craving is a formal DSM-5 criterion and a commonly reported feature of opioid use disorder (OUD), there is no universally accepted assessment of opioid craving for treatment outcome studies or clinical trials. This mixed-methods study characterized dimensions of opioid craving identified in qualitative responses collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Method Thirty-nine participants completed an online screener on AMT and met inclusion criteria (e.g., > = 18 years old and past 30-day illicit opioid use). These participants completed a series of closed- and open-ended questions about their opioid use and craving, including several commonly-used craving measures. They also rated their preference for how different questions described craving. Responses to the open-ended question “What do you mean when you say you are craving opioids?” were coded according to dimensions in existing opioid craving assessments and other common themes identified in the data. Results Among the 39 participants, 8 different dimensions were identified and coded. Descriptions of craving were most frequently categorized as “Anticipation of Negative Reinforcement” (n = 17/39) and “Interfering Thoughts” (N = 14/39). Individuals with drug use characteristics reflecting greater severity of use were more likely to describe craving as “Interfering Thoughts”. Participants may prefer opioid craving questions that included Visual Analog Scale response formats relative to Likert scales. Conclusions There is a wide range of dimensions that were used to describe opioid craving and no single unifying dimension was identified. These data suggest opioid craving is a multidimensional construct including dimensions currently not included in common craving assessments.
Towards Fire Forensic Characteristics of Failed Cylindrical Format Lithium–Ion Cells and Batteries

Fire forensic investigators are challenged to determine in what scenarios can lithium ion batteries initiate a fire, and what post-fire signatures exist to determine if the battery was more likely the cause of the fire or a victim of the fire. Towards this goal, this study experimentally characterizes the ignition characteristics of cylindrical format 18650 cells and the post-failure properties of the cells. First, failure tests of individual 18650 cell were used to quantify the temperature of vented gases and heat fluxes from these gases to cold objects for battery thermal failure at various states-of-charge (SOC) in either inert or normal oxygen environments. Experiments were then conducted with 18650 cells failed on composite cushion materials to evaluate how failures from different SOC cells ignite common fabric materials. Finally, laptop tests were conducted to investigate the effect of a common appliance package on the propagation of individual cell thermal runaway within the power bank of a common laptop configuration. The experimental results show that in the event of a thermal runaway, batteries can either explode or release a jet flame. The ignition behavior of fabric materials varies with varying SOCs with more vigorous ignition occurring at larger SOC. It was observed that the final mass of failed batteries is lower for higher SOC cells. Finally, propagation of thermal runaway inside a laptop power bank can be facilitated by having the failure take place at the center location of the power bank and can be hindered if the SOC is sufficiently low.
The Healthcare System: More Questions than Answers

The ability to effectively communicate with the patient and their families during what is the most difficult time in their live is essential. The goals of care change from cure to palliate and provide comfort. Knowing the questions to ask and what should be asked provide everyone with a better opportunity to achieve a care plan that is attainable. Skills discussed includes providers listening as well as informing, putting aside one set of goals and focusing on another, and providing information and resources that can allow the family to make informed decision about the future.
Numerical NetworkPreserving BCU Method

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Computational Considerations Numerical Scheme to Detect Exit Points Computing the MGP Computation of Equilibrium Points Numerical Examples Large Test Systems Concluding Remarks
The mechanisms of H2 activation and CO binding by hydrogenase I and hydrogenase II of Clostridium pasteurianum.

Hydrogenase I (bidirectional) and hydrogenase II (uptake) of Clostridium pasteurianum have been investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, in the presence and absence of the inhibitor, CO. These hydrogenases contain both a novel type of iron-sulfur cluster (H), which is the proposed site of H2 catalysis, and ferredoxin-type [4Fe-4S] clusters (F). The results show that the H clusters of these two hydrogenases have very different properties. The H cluster of oxidized hydrogenase II (Hox-II) exhibits three distinct EPR signals, two of which are pH-dependent. Hox-II binds CO reversibly to give a single, pH-independent species with a novel, rhombic EPR spectrum. The H cluster of reduced hydrogenase II (Hred-II) does not react with CO. In contrast, the EPR spectrum of Hox-I appears homogeneous and independent of pH. Hox-I has a much lower affinity for CO than Hox-II, and binds CO irreversibly to give an axial EPR signal. Hred-I also binds CO irreversibly. The EPR spectra of Fred-I and Fred-II show little or no change after CO treatment. Prior exposure to CO does not affect the catalytic activity of the reduced or oxidized hydrogenases when assayed in the absence of CO, but both enzymes are irreversibly inactivated if CO is present during catalysis. Mechanisms for H2 activation by hydrogenase I and hydrogenase II are proposed from the determined midpoint potentials (Em, pH 8.0) of H-I and H-II (Em approximately −400 mV, −CO; approximately −360 mV, +CO), F-I (Em = −420 mV, +/− CO), and F-II (Em = −180 mV, +/- CO). These allow one to rationalize the different modes of CO binding to the two hydrogenases and suggest why hydrogenase II preferentially catalyzes H2 oxidation. The results are discussed in light of recent spectroscopic data on the structures of the two H clusters.
Matrix Attachment Regions and Transcriptional Gene Silencing

It was realized early in the history of transgenic work that the expression of genes transferred to plant genomes was not always stable or predictable. Such variation has often been attributed to position effects, such as those known to occur in Drosophila (Pal-Bhadra et al., 2004). Position effects are presumed to reflect pre-existing differences in chromatin structure or other genomic features at different sites of transgene integration. However, it is now clear that transgene expression is also affected, and may even be blocked altogether (silenced), by mechanisms that are largely independent of chromosomal integration site. For example, in 1989 the Matzke group reported inactivation and methylation of transgenes from a first transformation following a second transformation with another T-DNA. Soon thereafter, back to back papers from Napoli et al. (1990) and van der Krol et al. (1990) reported cosuppression of transgene and homologous host genes, and Lindbo et al. (1993) reported that transgene-induced virus resistance was associated with a cytoplasmic activity that targets specific RNA sequences for inactivation. Many subsequent reports have highlighted the fact that transgenes are quite frequently subject to position effects and silencing. One particularly dramatic example comes from work by Meyer et al. (1992), who set up an experiment designed to trap transposons inserting into a transgene in petunia. The maize A1 gene, transferred to a white-flowered mutant of petunia, conferred a salmon-red color phenotype in the flowers. Transposon insertions inactivating the transgene should, therefore, create white sectors in otherwise salmoncolored flowers. Expecting such events to be rare, Meyer et al. set up a large field experiment involving 30 000 transgenic individuals. Instead of the expected rare events, however, they found a variety of white-flowered phenotypes, including fully white and variegated flowers, at a very high frequency. A few of the white flowers were found to be associated with deletions of the transgene, but many others, including those showing variegation and developmental shifts in expression, were associated with variation in the methylation status of the 35S promoter. The likelihood of methylation seemed to increase with the age of the plant from which the seed was derived, as well as in response to several environmental factors such as temperature.