cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient perception of quality of care provided by specialists and generalists.

Efforts to control medical care costs have focused on reducing the number of specialists directing patient care. This cross-sectional survey evaluated multiple sclerosis patient perceptions of the quality of care across three patterns of care: primary care (n=156), single specialty care (n=338), and comprehensive care (n=75). The pattern of medical care received by the patient was defined by: (1) whether the MS provider was a primary care physician or (2) a neurologist; (3) whether the patient reported using other specialty services, such as psychological, rehabilitation, or social work services. Process indicators of quality of care were measured by subscales for interpersonal aspects of care, access to care, and perceived action plan. The MSQOL-54 was used to measure health-related quality of life. Pattern of care was not related to the Interpersonal or Access dimensions of care, after adjusting for health status and sociodemographic characteristics. Patients in the Single Specialty and Comprehensive Ca...
Hypohalite-induced oxidative decarboxylation of α-amino acids

Abstract As a model for certain in vivo alkaloid transformations and as a possible means for the preparation of specific enamines, the hypohalite-induced oxidative decarboxylation of various primary, secondary and tertiary α-amino acids was studied. The following reactions were observed: (1) N,N-dimethylglycine → N-chlorodimethylamine; (2) N-methyl-pipecolic acid → N-methyl-Δ 2 -piperideine dimer (VIII); (3) quinolizidine-4-carboxylic acid (X) → Δ 5, 10 dehydroquinolizidine-4-carboxylic acid (IX); (4) 2-methyl-tryptophan (XVIII) → 4-acetylquinoline (XXV); (5) kynurenine (XXVI) → kynurine (XXVII); (6) 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-β-carboline-4-carboxylic acid (XXXIX, R = H) → norharman (XXXI); (7) 3-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-β-carboline-4-carboxylic acid (XXXIX, R = Me) → mono- and dichloro-3-methyliso-β-carbolines and a dichloro spiro lactam oxindole (XXXIII). The mechanisms of certain of these changes are discussed.
Estimation in sensor networks: a graph approach

In many sensor networks applications, sensors collect correlated measurements of a physical field, e.g., temperature field in a building or in a data center. However, the locations of the sensors are usually inconsistent with the application requirements. In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating the field at arbitrary positions of interest, where there are possibly no sensors, from the irregularly placed sensors. We map this sensor network on a graph, and, by introducing the concepts of interconnection matrices, system digraphs, and cut point sets, we can pose sensor network tradeoffs and derive real-time field estimation algorithms. The results of temperature field estimation, obtained from simulations and real world experiments, show that the methodology presented in this paper can successfully predict the field values at arbitrary locations, including others than the ones with sensors.
Mycobacterial Protein HbhA Binds Human Complement Component C3

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium are facultative intracellular pathogens that are able to survive and replicate in mononuclear phagocytes. Human complement component C3 has previously been shown to mediate attachment and phagocytosis of these bacteria by mononuclear phagocytes. In this study, a C3 ligand affinity blot protocol was used to identify a 30-kDa C3-binding protein in M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis and a 31-kDa C3-binding protein in M. avium. The C3-binding proteins in M. tuberculosis and M. avium localized to the cell membrane fraction and partitioned to the detergent fraction during Triton X-114 phase partitioning. The C3-binding protein from M. tuberculosis was partially purified using a cation exchange column and was shown to bind concanavalin A. The N terminus and an internal fragment of the partially purified C3-binding protein were subjected to amino acid sequence analysis. The resulting amino acid sequences matched the M. tuberculosis heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HbhA) protein. Recombinant full-length HbhA and the C terminus of HbhA fused to maltose-binding protein, but not recombinant HbhA lacking the C-terminal region, bound human C3. Recombinant full-length HbhA coated on polystyrene beads, was found to enhance the adherence and/or phagocytosis of the coated beads to J774.A1 cells in both the presence and absence of human serum. The presence of complement-sufficient serum increased the adherence of the HbhA-coated beads to the J774.A1 cells in a C3-dependent manner. If HbhA within the bacterial cell membrane functions similarly to isolated HbhA, this protein may enhance the adherence and phagocytosis of M. tuberculosis and M. avium to mononuclear phagocytes through the binding of C3 and interaction with C3 receptors on mononuclear phagocytes.
Integration of Different Fire Protection/Life Safety Elements into the Building Design Process

A building constitutes an integrated collection of systems that together provide a controlled environment for its occupants. And as such, in addition to the frames and foundations, such components as fire protection, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineered subsystems are also a vital part of any building. Considering the variety of subsystems that make up of a building, an overall design and construction process would then require a proper planning for integration of these various subsystems into the building. Furthermore, system integration has also long been recognized as the key to an effective and efficient building operation. The integration process of a fire protection subsystem, along with MEP subsystems, within a building is quite challenging indeed and can have a profound impact on client satisfaction. This process becomes especially critical when one considers the integration of technology into the building, including the possibility for future changes in technology and plan for th...
Genetic architecture of natural variation in cuticular hydrocarbon composition in Drosophila melanogaster

Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) prevent desiccation and serve as chemical signals that mediate social interactions. Drosophila melanogaster CHCs have been studied extensively, but the genetic basis for individual variation in CHC composition is largely unknown. We quantified variation in CHC profiles in the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and identified novel CHCs. We used principal component (PC) analysis to extract PCs that explain the majority of CHC variation and identified polymorphisms in or near 305 and 173 genes in females and males, respectively, associated with variation in these PCs. In addition, 17 DGRP lines contain the functional Desat2 allele characteristic of African and Caribbean D. melanogaster females (more 5,9-C27:2 and less 7,11-C27:2, female sex pheromone isomers). Disruption of expression of 24 candidate genes affected CHC composition in at least one sex. These genes are associated with fatty acid metabolism and represent mechanistic targets for individual variation in CHC composition.
Monetary Policy News and the Response of Commercial Paper Market Rates

We find that the commercial paper markets do not conform with the hypothesis of market efficiency and the expectations hypothesis over sample period. Only the overnight commercial paper market yields show a significant response to changes in Federal Reserve policies, and then they show nearly equivalent responses to both anticipated and unanticipated changes.
Thematic Analysis of the "Games" Students Play in Asynchronous Learning Environments

The dynamics of the student-student relationship within the asynchronous online classroom, as evidenced by conversations in an online discussion board, is one of a balancing act and are potentially more complex than those occurring in real-time. In order for learning to truly be considered effective, a collaborative, safe environment needs to exist among students within the online conversation (McDonald & Gibson, 1998). Conversations and postings made by students were examined by three raters using qualitative analysis. Thematic coding and member checking was conducted. Several prevalent themes emerged around the metaphor of playing a game. Students established rules for the game of asynchronous learning. They followed suit of the lead of player and formed team alliances while establishing who was ‘in’ and who was ‘out’ of the game. Based on these results, strategies have been identified to demonstrate techniques in how instructors can create a more effective learning environment for students, and what strategies can be used to examine and advance conversations, regardless of discipline. The techniques focus on creating awareness among students of potential issues of conflict in asynchronous student to student interactions, how to examine and engage a diversity of student perspectives, and ways to facilitate intellectual growth and advancement in the asynchronous online classroom.
Characterization of the stereochemical configuration of lanthionines formed by the lanthipeptide synthetase GeoM

The biosynthesis of the class II lanthipeptide geobacillin II was reconstituted in vitro. The purified precursor peptide was modified by the lanthipeptide synthetase GeoM at temperatures ranging between 37 and 80°C demonstrating the thermostability of the enzyme. Geobacillin II shares with cytolysin, haloduracin, and carnolysin a DhxDhxXxxXxxCys motif (Dhx = dehydroalanine or dehydrobutyrine) as precursor to its N-terminal A-ring. Like in these other three lantibiotics, the lanthionine in the A-ring of geobacillin II had the LL stereochemical configuration as shown by chiral gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Various analogues of geobacillin II were produced using co-expression of mutants of the precursor peptide GeoAII and the synthetase GeoM in Escherichia coli. The findings in this study suggest that the stereochemical outcome of the A-ring in geobacillin II is not solely dependent on the peptide sequence as previously suggested for haloduracin © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 834-842, 2016.
The Research of Cache Hit Rate of Disk Array

The paper introduces cache hits process and tells how to compute cache hit rate,at same time,the impact to responding time of disk array is discussed. By example,it is discovered that increase of cache capacities will improve cache hit rate,and increase of cache hit will shorten responding time of disk array,which will improve the I/O performance of array disk.
Further Studies in Antigen Emulsion Preparation for the Ball Test for Syphilis

Several years ago a ball test for syphilis was described. The results with this test are very easy to read accurately with the naked eye. The negative test shows a uniformly turbid fluid. A strongly positive test on the other hand shows a thoroughly clear fluid and suspended in its upper portion a large opaque white ball. A positive test shows a few large white clumps inthe upper half of a slightly turbid fluid and a doubtful test shows numerous small white clumps suspended in turbid fluid. The phenomenon of ball formation in this test is apparently dependent upon the interlocking of numerous small clumps of needle like particles which dovetail into each other upon centrifugation. The ball test applied in two slightly different ways gives results of about equal sensitivity with the two microscopic slide precipitation tests (1, for the diagnosis and 2, for the exclusion of syphilis) and serves as an excellent check for the slide tests. The antigen emulsion for the ball test as described is prepared by mixing salt solution and cholesterinized antigen, the resultant combined antigen cholesterin particles although of desirable shape (long thin needles) are satisfactory for use for only a few to several hours after preparation following which time the emulsion breaks down, the particles become granular and the globules of antigen only present in the emulsion clump together. As described previously, emulsions generally employed in precipitation tests for syphilis (including the ball test mentioned above) are made by mixing salt solution with cholesterinized antigen. The resultant aggregates are composed of antigen
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: an update on the current understanding

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of selected chemotherapeutic agents. Previous work has suggested that patients often under report the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and physicians fail to recognize the presence of such symptoms in a timely fashion. The precise pathophysiology that underlies chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, in both the acute and the chronic phase, remains complex and appears to be medication specific. Recent work has begun to demonstrate and further clarify potential pathophysiological processes that predispose and, ultimately, lead to the development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. There is increasing evidence that the pathway to neuropathy varies with each agent. With a clearer understanding of how these agents affect the peripheral nervous system, more targeted treatments can be developed in order to optimize treatment and prevent long-term side effects.
Visible (657-nm) InGaP/lnAlGaP strained QW vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

We report what we believe to be the first visible-light (657-nm) photopumped operation of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have recently attracted a great deal of interest because of their surface-normal operation, potential for extremely low-threshold currents, ease of fabrication of closely spaced 1 - and 2-D arrays and integration with other devices such as transistors for photonic switching uses. To date, operation of the VCSEL has been limited to the range between 740 nm and ~1.0 μm. We have, for the first time we believe, extended this range into the visible («700 nm) where numerous applications exist including ultrafast holographic memory, visible laser projection displays, replacement of the He-Ne laser, and local area networks based on inexpensive, rugged plastic fibers.
Law as a Reflection of Her/His-Story: Current Institutional Perceptions of, and Possibilities for, Protecting Transsexuals' Interests in Legal Determinations of Sex

This case involves the most basic of questions. When is a man a man, and when is a woman a woman? Every schoolchild, even of tender years, is confident he or she can tell the difference, especially if the person is wearing no clothes. These are observations that each of us makes early in life and, in most cases, continue to have more than a passing interest in for the rest of our lives. It is one of the more pleasant mysteries. The deeper philosophical (and now legal) question is: can a physician change the gender of a person with a scalpel, drugs and counseling, or is a person's gender immutably fixed by our Creator at birth?'
Centrifugal pumps and hemolysis in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients: An analysis of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry data.

Abstract Purpose It is currently unclear whether centrifugal pumps cause more hemolysis than roller pumps in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits. The aim of this study was to help answer that question in pediatric patients. Methods A limited deidentified data set was extracted from the international multicenter Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry comprising all reported ECMO runs for patients 18years or younger between 2010 and 2015. Logistic regression was used to evaluate a possible association between hemolysis and pump type, controlling for patient demographics, circuit factors, and complications. Results 14,776 ECMO runs for 14,026 patients had pump type recorded. Centrifugal pumps were employed in 60.4% of ECMO circuits. Hemolysis was a reported complication for 1272 (14%) centrifugal pump runs and for 291 (5%) roller pump runs. 1755 (20%) centrifugal pump runs reported kidney injury as compared to 797 (14%) roller pump runs. In the full logistic regression, the odds of hemolysis were significantly greater for runs using centrifugal pumps (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.9–3.8, p Conclusions In this retrospective analysis of a large international data set, the use of centrifugal pumps was associated with increased rates of hemolysis, hyperbilirubinemia, and kidney injury. Type of study Retrospective cohort study. Level of evidence Level III.
Novel in vivo flow cytometry platform for early prognosis of metastatic activity of circulating tumor cells (Conference Presentation)

Approximately 8 million people lose their lives due to cancer each year. Metastatic disease is responsible for ~90% of those cancer-related deaths. Only viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that can survive in the blood circulation can create secondary tumors. Thus, real-time enumeration of CTCs and assessment of their viability in vivo has great biological significance. However, little progress has been made in this field. Conventional flow cytometry is the current technique being used for the assessment of cell viability, but there are many limitations to this technique: 1) cell properties may be altered during the extraction and processing method; 2) collection of cells from blood prevents the long-term study of individual cells in their natural biological environment; and 3) there are time-consuming preparation procedures. Whether it be for the assessment of antitumor drugs, where induction of apoptosis or necrosis is the preferred event, or the identification of nanoparticle-induced toxicity during nanotherapeutic treatment, it is clear that new approaches for assessment of the viability circulating blood cells and CTCs are urgently needed. We have developed a novel high speed, multicolor in vivo flow cytometry (FC) platform that integrates photoacoustic (PA) and fluorescence FC (PAFFC) and demonstrate its ability to enumerate rare circulating normal and abnormal (e.g. tumor) cells and assess their viability (e.g. apoptotic and necrotic) in a mouse model.
Lagrangian analysis of high-speed turbulent premixed reacting flows: Thermochemical trajectories in hydrogen–air flames

Abstract A Lagrangian analysis approach is used to examine the effects of high-speed turbulence on thermochemical trajectories in unconfined, stoichiometric hydrogen–air (H 2 –air) premixed flames. Two different intensities of turbulence in the unburnt reactants are considered, giving premixed flames with Karlovitz numbers of roughly 150 and 450. These two cases are modeled using direct numerical simulations (DNS) with both multi- and single-step H 2 –air reaction kinetics. In each of the four resulting simulations, trajectories of fluid parcels are calculated using a high-order Runge–Kutta method, and time series of temperature and chemical composition within each parcel are recorded. The resulting thermochemical trajectories are used to examine the evolution of thermodynamic quantities and chemical composition, as well as measure fluid parcel residence times and path lengths during different phases of the combustion process. Fuel mass fraction and temperature within fluid parcels are shown to be frequently non-monotonic along fluid trajectories in both single- and multi-step H 2 –air simulations, and the prevalence of non-monotonic trajectories increases with increasing turbulence intensity. Using results from single-step simulations, it is shown that this non-monotonicity can be caused solely by molecular transport processes resulting from large gradients in temperature and species concentrations created by turbulent advection. As a related consequence of advection, fluid parcel residence times are found to be smaller than in a laminar flame and the ratio of turbulent to laminar residence times decreases from roughly 0.8 to 0.6 as the turbulence intensity increases. By contrast, fluid parcel path lengths in the present high-speed turbulent flames are found to be substantially greater than laminar path lengths, resulting in fluid parcels that travel 4 and 7 times further than in a laminar flame for the two different turbulence intensities considered here.
Adenovirus-Mediated Delivery of Decoy Hyper Binding Sites Targeting Oncogenic HMGA1 Reduces Pancreatic and Liver Cancer Cell Viability

High mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) protein is an oncogenic architectural transcription factor that plays an essential role in early development, but it is also implicated in many human cancers. Elevated levels of HMGA1 in cancer cells cause misregulation of gene expression and are associated with increased cancer cell proliferation and increased chemotherapy resistance. We have devised a strategy of using engineered viruses to deliver decoy hyper binding sites for HMGA1 to the nucleus of cancer cells with the goal of sequestering excess HMGA1 at the decoy hyper binding sites due to binding competition. Sequestration of excess HMGA1 at the decoy binding sites is intended to reduce HMGA1 binding at the naturally occurring genomic HMGA1 binding sites, which should result in normalized gene expression and restored sensitivity to chemotherapy. As proof of principle, we engineered the replication defective adenovirus serotype 5 genome to contain hyper binding sites for HMGA1 composed of six copies of an individual HMGA1 binding site, referred to as HMGA-6. A 70%–80% reduction in cell viability and increased sensitivity to gemcitabine was observed in five different pancreatic and liver cancer cell lines 72 hr after infection with replication defective engineered adenovirus serotype 5 virus containing the HMGA-6 decoy hyper binding sites. The decoy hyper binding site strategy should be general for targeting overexpression of any double-stranded DNA-binding oncogenic transcription factor responsible for cancer cell proliferation.
Worsening Cardiac Function in a Patient with Friedreich’s Ataxia Secondary to Profound Hypothyroidism

We present a case of declining cardiac function in a patient with Friedreich's Ataxia, however, her worsening cardiac function was not related to her chronic disease. Her declining cardiac function was associated with hypothyroidism that was initially overlooked. The purpose of this article is to remind physicians of the role that thyroid hormone has in cardiac function and overall health. Autoimmune hypothyroidism is a common condition, and physicians should consider screening thyroid function in any patient with poor or worsening cardiac function.
Mechanical Testing of Aluminum Weldments

The design of any airborne device requires the most efficient use of materials of construction as well as the selection of the most suitable materials. In the design of missiles this problem is made most acute by two factors: (1) every ounce of excess weight exacts a tremendous penalty in reduced performance and (2) the temperature environment, while roughly predictable, generally changes through a wide range, and very rapidly. While a great deal of data are available in the published literature with which to predict the performance of materials of construction at various elevated and low temperatures, emphasis in the past has always been on long-time exposures. Using such data for the design of a missile would most certainly mean over-design, and reduced performance because of the excess weight.
2-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid, a new hexuronic acid of biological origin.

Acid hydrolysis of the extracellular polysaccharide of Porphyridium cruentum (a unicellular red alga) produced a mixture of aldobiuronic acids and free hexuronic acids. Fractionation of this mixture on an ion-exchange column yielded a hexuronic acid characterized as the title compound. Its identity was confirmed by chromatographic comparisons with the authentic compound, by reduction to the corresponding methylated aldose, by resistance to controlled lead tetra-acetate oxidation and by chemical-ionization mass spectrometry. Complete spectra have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP50062 (7 pages) with the British Library (Lending Division), Boston Spa, Wetherby, W. Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained under the terms given in Biochem. J. (1976) 153, 5.
Earth electricity: a review of mechanisms which cause telluric currents in the lithosphere

Telluric currents are natural electrical phenomena in the Earth or its bodies of water. The strongest electric currents are related to lightning phenomena or space weather. Earth electricity can cause damage to structures, and may be useful for earthquake forecasting and other applications. Thirty-two distinct mechanisms that cause Earth electricity are described, and a broad selection of current research is highlighted.
Modelling of propylene oxidation in a circulating fluidized-bed reactor

The performance of a circulating solids fluidized-bed riser reactor for the partial oxidation of propylene t o acrolein has been analyzed using a detailed reaction engineering model. The model accounts for the complex interaction between gas-solid hydrodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and intrinsic kinetics using a core-annular model as the basis for the gas and solid phase flow patterns. Key hydrodynamic model parameters are obtained by interpretation of gas and solid tracer experiments under cold-flow conditions in a pilot-scale reactor. The model predictions give insight into the factors that affect the riser performance, and demonstrate that it has potential as an alternate reactor type for the commercial scale production of acrolein.
Ethical decision making in the critical care patient.

In addition to the complex nursing care decisions that critical care nurses must make concerning the physical care of their patients, they are increasingly being required to make difficult ethical decisions as well. This article presents the critical care nurse with some ethical decision making tools that can be used in resolving complex ethical dilemmas. Ethical systems and codes of ethics do not offer prefabricated solutions, but rather provide a framework within which the nurse can apply known ethical principles. Thoughtful application of these principles will allow nurses to make sound and defensible ethical decisions.
Workshop during the pacific symposium of biocomputing, Jan 3-7, 2019: Reading between the genes: Interpreting non-coding DNA in high-throughput

Identifying functional elements and predicting mechanistic insight from non-coding DNA and noncoding variation remains a challenge. Advances in genome-scale, high-throughput technology, however, have brought these answers closer within reach than ever, though there is still a need for new computational approaches to analysis and integration. This workshop aims to explore these resources and new computational methods applied to regulatory elements, chromatin interactions, non-protein-coding genes, and other non-coding DNA.
Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Liver Biopsy.

Endoscopic-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) is a more recent approach to doing parenchymal liver biopsy, complementing the current methods of percutaneous or transjugular biopsy. Studies have shown that tissue yields are comparable between the methods. For patients who require an endoscopy or an EUS in addition to a liver biopsy, EUS-LB allows combining both procedures at the same time, which is more convenient for patients and can lower health care costs. This chapter will review the technique of EUS-LB, with specific attention paid to needle selection and preparation, endosonographic identification of targets, post-procedure recovery, possible adverse events, as well as tissue handling after liver biopsy. A section is included regarding considerations that the pathologist should keep in mind. Future directions for clinical applications and research are also discussed.
The Protective Action of Nitrone-Based Free Radical Traps in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Nitrone-based free radical traps (NRTs) have been shown to protect in several experimental animal models of neurodegenerative diseases and to mitigate other parameters associated with the aging process in brain. Since the prototype NRTs were first utilized in analytical chemistry to trap and characterize the presence of free radicals in chemical and biochemical systems, it is the simplest hypothesis that they protect by trapping crucial free radicals involved in the oxidative damage that occurs in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. This remains to be rigorously proven. Pertinent data supporting this concept are presented in a framework of the knowledge accrued from studies on oxidative damage in brain.
Qualitative Analysis of Multiple Mini Interview Interviewer Comments

Qualitative studies of the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) have investigated the attitudes and thoughts of prospective students and interviewers (i.e., raters) on the MMI interview, but none have examined rater’s written assessments. Concerns regarding what the MMI measures, especially across and within each interview, have sparked investigations to determine how and what raters are measuring. Raters communicate their student evaluation(s) through numerical ratings and written comments that provide score context. This study explores rater’s written comments to better understand the specific information gathered during the MMI process that contributes to interviewee evaluations. Randomized data from two US medical schools were examined with no numerical scores or other information about the interviewee provided to reviewers. In reviewing the rater comments, common words and phrases were identified to help construct themes that characterized the content (domains). Authors reviewed each other’s notes and comments regarding themes and worked together to verify themes for accuracy. Using a directed content approach to content analysis and reviewing the rater’s comments, the results indicate that raters are focused on seven different domains: perspective taking, presentation, qualities, communication, coherence, comprehension, and non-verbal. Many of the rater comments contained multiple themes. Raters’ MMI comments provide the context for numerical scores allowing admissions committees to more fully understand a candidate’s strengths or weaknesses. Identifying the themes in rater comments can ultimately assist the admissions committee to more comprehensively understand assessment elements that raters are using and consider important during the MMI evaluation.
Monitoring the interplay between transposable element families and DNA methylation in maize

DNA methylation and epigenetic silencing play important roles in the regulation of transposable elements (TEs) in many eukaryotic genomes. A majority of the maize genome is derived from TEs that can be classified into different orders and families based on their mechanism of transposition and sequence similarity, respectively. TEs themselves are highly methylated and it can be tempting to view them as a single uniform group. However, the analysis of DNA methylation profiles in flanking regions provides evidence for distinct groups of chromatin properties at different TE families. These differences among TE families are reproducible in different tissues and different inbred lines. TE families with varying levels of DNA methylation in flanking regions also show distinct patterns of chromatin accessibility and modifications within the TEs. The differences in the patterns of DNA methylation flanking TE families arise from a combination of non-random insertion preferences of TE families, changes in DNA methylation triggered by the insertion of the TE and subsequent selection pressure. A set of nearly 70,000 TE polymorphisms among four assembled maize genomes were used to monitor the level of DNA methylation at haplotypes with and without the TE insertions. In many cases, TE families with high levels of DNA methylation in flanking sequence are enriched for insertions into highly methylated regions. The majority of the >2,500 TE insertions into unmethylated regions result in changes in DNA methylation in haplotypes with the TE, suggesting the widespread potential for TE insertions to condition altered methylation in conserved regions of the genome. This study highlights the interplay between TEs and the methylome of a major crop species.
Intestinal IL-17R Signaling Constrains IL-18-Driven Liver Inflammation by the Regulation of Microbiome-Derived Products

Interleukin (IL)-17 signaling to the intestinal epithelium regulates the intestinal microbiome. Given the reported links between intestinal dysbiosis, bacterial translocation, and liver disease, we hypothesize that intestinal IL-17R signaling plays a critical role in mitigating hepatic inflammation. To test this, we study intestinal epithelium-specific IL-17RA-deficient mice in an immune-driven hepatitis model. At the naive state, these mice exhibit microbiome dysbiosis and increased translocation of bacterial products (CpG DNA), which drives liver IL-18 production. Upon disease induction, absence of enteric IL-17RA signaling exacerbates hepatitis and hepatocyte cell death. IL-18 is necessary for disease exacerbation and is associated with increased activated hepatic lymphocytes based on Ifng and Fasl expression. Thus, intestinal IL-17R regulates translocation of TLR9 ligands and constrains susceptibility to hepatitis. These data connect enteric Th17 signaling and the microbiome in hepatitis, with broader implications on the effects of impaired intestinal immunity and subsequent release of microbial products observed in other extra-intestinal pathologies.
D-SEA: The Underwater Depth Sensing Device for Standalone Time-Averaged Measurements

Access to accurate depth information is important for a wide variety of oceanographic science applications. For example, it is crucial in the creation of 3D models. Currently, divers are manually measuring the depth by using dive watches, but this method is inconsistent because of variable depth readings caused by changing wave heights and human errors. To combat these problems, we created the Depth-Sensor Enclosed Application (D-SEA) to automatically collect and average pressure data while displaying the calculated depth readings underwater. To use D-SEA, the user places it on top of the area of study to measure and gather the underwater depth readings over time. We are working on an affordable, waterproof prototype with a display that is readable underwater, an automatic transition between on and off states when submerged in seawater, and automatic data logging onto an SD card. From testing the recent prototype, results show that D-SEA lasted for weeks in the sleep state and days in the wake state while under depths of 4.40 meters.
THE REQUIREMENT OF Ia POSITIVE MACROPHAGES IN THE PRIMARY IN-VITRO HUMORAL RESPONSE

Adherent splenic macrophages contain a subpopulation which expresses an Ia determinant. This Ia positive accessory cell is required for the development of a primary in-vitro antibody response to a T cell dependent antigen by murine lymphoid cells. Genes controlling Ia antigen(s) on this subset of functional macrophages map to the I-J and I-E subregions. Antibodies specific for the I-J subregion determinant (s) are also capable of blocking the function of macrophages in the in-vitro humoral response.
Modified gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel regimen in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background Gemcitabine (GEM) plus nab-paclitaxel (NabP) (GEM 1000 mg/m2 IV over 30 minutes + NabP 125 mg/m2 IV given days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days) is one of the two standard of care combination therapies for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our cancer center has utilized GEM-NabP given every two-weeks due to tolerability and patient convenience. Here, we review the safety and efficacy of this modified regimen. Methods Metastatic PDAC patients (pts) who initiated front-line or second-line GEM-NabP during 2013-2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Primary objective was overall survival. Secondary objectives were disease control rate, progression-free survival, and the incidence of dose delays and/or adjustments. Results From a total of 235 patients, 140 pts received GEM-NabP front-line while 95 pts received GEM-NabP second-line. Median dosing was 600 mg/m2 at fixed-dose rate for GEM and 125 mg/m2 for NabP given predominantly (~90%) every two-weeks. Eastern Cooperative Group performance status of 0 and 1 pts had front-line OS of 12.7 and 9.6 months and when given second-line had OS of 8 months and 7.3 months, respectively. ECOG 0 and 1 pts had front-line progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.3 months and 2.8 months and second-line PFS was 3.5 months and 2.4 months, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated with limited dose modifications. Conclusion Our analysis revealed safety with every two-week low dose GEM-NabP while maintaining efficacy. Patient schedule convenience should factor into metastatic incurable malignancies. We suggest the use of every two-week GEM-NabP particularly in patients desiring a modified schedule.
LEARNING THE “LANGUAGE” OF MOTHERHOOD AS INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS: A POETIC ETHNOGRAPHY

As international students seek degrees in U.S. institutions of higher education, their role as students is forefronted and recognizable by faculty and peers. However, what often remains invisible are international students' social and personal experiences during academic study abroad. Although there is a great deal of feminist research on academic identity and motherhood, almost nothing has been written regarding the experiences of international women who become mothers while pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. This poetic ethnographic study focuses on the lived experiences of eleven international graduate student first-time mothers from Chinese mainland and Taiwan who became new mothers during their programs of study in the U.S., especially how they kept learning their ongoing, dynamic, multifaceted, and embodied “language” of motherhood through various kinds of social interactions, and among divergent practices, beliefs, and cultures. This article explores how poetic inquiry can contribute to the understanding of international graduate student mothers’ experiences as a social, cultural, and educational phenomenon. This article also discusses the issues of ethics and self-reflexivity of conducting poetic inquiry research.
Identifiability of speciation times under the multispecies coalescent

The advent of rapid and inexpensive sequencing technologies has necessitated the development of computationally efficient methods for analyzing sequence data for many genes simultaneously in a phylogenetic framework. The coalescent process is the most commonly used model for linking the underlying genealogies of individual genes with the global species-level phylogeny, but inference under the coalescent model is computationally daunting in the typical inference frameworks (e.g., the likelihood and Bayesian frameworks) due to the dimensionality of the space of both gene trees and species trees. Here we consider estimation of the branch lengths in a fixed species tree, and show that these branch lengths are identifiable. We also show that in the case of four taxa simple estimators for the branch lengths can be derived based on observed site pattern frequencies. Properties of these estimators, such as their asymptotic variances and large-sample distributions, are examined, and performance of the estimators is assessed using simulation. Finally, we use these estimators to develop a hypothesis test that can be limit species under the coalescent model.
Diagnosing the Time-Varying Value of Forecasts in Multiobjective Reservoir Control

AbstractThis work forwards time-varying sensitivity analysis of control policies as an approach to identify the value of the alternative timing of forecasts in a complex multipurpose reservoir syst...
Assessing Treatment Integrity of Parent-to-Parent Phone Support for Families of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disturbance

Assessing treatment integrity is essential to understanding how well school-based interventions are delivered. The assessment of treatment integrity is especially challenging for interventions that provide one-on-one peer support over the phone. To address this gap, we explored treatment integrity approaches used for the Parent Connectors program, which provides parent-to-parent support via weekly phone calls to families of students receiving special education services for emotional and behavioral disturbance. Our multi-dimensional approach to assessing treatment integrity includes the consideration of dose, adherence, quality of service delivery, participant responsiveness to the intervention and program differentiation. We share and discuss data from a variety of approaches that have been used with this intervention to collect treatment integrity data such as logs completed by the trained parents following each phone call, content ratings of behavioral rehearsals between trained parents and research staff and surveys regarding services received from participants. We discuss obstacles collecting treatment implementation data, ways our approach is continually evolving and possibilities of applying some treatment integrity approaches to wide-scale intervention applications in the field.
When Can a Photo Increase Credit?: The Impact of Lender and Borrower Profiles on Online P2P Loans

This paper examines the effects of lender and borrower personal characteristics (perceived attractiveness, age and gender) on online peer-to-peer lending decisions. The extant research in finance, marketing, and psychology provides substantial support for the "beauty premium" effect, where ceteris paribus, more (as opposed to less) attractive individuals are favored (e.g., Ravina 2012). Our results qualify these findings, suggesting that (1) when perceived age is a clear signal of competence (college-age signals low competence, while middle age signals significant competence), attractiveness has no effect on loan success; (2) when lender and borrower are of the same gender, attractiveness may actually hurt one’s chances to secure a loan (we observe "beauty is beastly" effect), and (3) loan success is sensitive to the relative age and attractiveness of lenders and borrowers.
Economics Returns from the Biosphere

Industrial companies and environmentalists are traditional opponents. But conflict may not he necessary: there is money to be made in projects that embrace environmental goals.
A Review of Tsing, Swanson, Gan, and Bubandt’s (2017) Edited Volume: Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet

This is a review of Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet: Ghosts and Monsters of the Anthropocene, an edited volume from Anna Tsing, Heather Swanson, Elaine Gan, and Nils Bubandt. The text showcases historical abuses of the earth and offers a myriad of opportunities to creatively inquire about our current relationship and interactions with other matter, creating a sense of urgency within the precarity of the Anthropocene.
Intimate Partner Violence and Trauma-Informed Care in Pregnancy

Abstract Intimate partner violence is defined as any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in the relationship. Globally, women are disproportionately victims of intimate partner violence. The risk increases during pregnancy, with rates estimated as high as 20% among pregnant persons. Intimate partner violence is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, including perinatal and maternal death. As pregnancy is a period of frequent interaction with the healthcare system, it is an opportune time to screen and intervene for intimate partner violence. Universal screening at the first prenatal visit and subsequently every trimester is recommended, with either written or verbal validated tools. Pregnant persons experiencing intimate partner violence need nonjudgmental, compassionate, confidential and trauma-informed care. The goal of this review is to outline pregnancy-specific care considerations.
Insolation Gradients and the Paleoclimatic Record

Hemispheric insolation gradients play an important role in driving the global atmospheric circulation, and may have contributed to the growth and decline of continental ice sheets by modulating the transport of moisture to high latitudes. Mid-monthly insolation differences between 30° and 90° latitude in each hemisphere were computed at 1000 years intervals for the past 150 000 years. Times of rapid ice build-up correpond to a distinctive seasonal pattern of insolation gradient deviations, with generally high gradients throughout the year, and follow closely times of strong autumn insolation gradients. The opposite patterns are observed at times of ice wastage.
Innate inflammatory signals induced by various pathogens differentially dictate the IFN-I dependence of CD8 T cells for clonal expansion and memory formation.

Type-I IFNs (IFN-I) provide direct survival signals to T cells during Ag-driven proliferation. Because IFN-I production differs depending on the pathogen, we assessed CD8 T cell requirement for direct IFN-I signals during responses to vaccinia virus (VV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), and Listeria monocytogenes (LM) immunizations in vivo. IFN-I-receptor-deficient (IFN-IR°) CD8 T cells expanded 3- to 5-fold less and formed a diminished memory pool compared with wild-type (WT) CD8 T cells in response to VV, VSV, or LM. WT CD8 T cells expanded more robustly in response to LCMV-encoded Ags than to Ags encoded by the other three pathogens, and under these conditions the lack of direct IFN-I signals inhibited their expansion by ∼100-fold. To test whether the high antigenic-load provided by LCMV caused greater expansion and greater IFN-I dependency, we primed WT and IFN-IR° OVA-specific OT-1 CD8 T cells with a fixed-number of OVA-peptide-pulsed dendritic cells along with adjuvant effect provided by LCMV, VV, VSV, or LM. Both WT and IFN-IR° OT-1 cells were recruited, proliferated, and differentiated into effectors in all the four cases. However, WT OT-1 cells expanded similarly in all four cases. IFN-IR° OT-1 cells expanded ∼20-fold less than the WT OT-1 CD8 T cells when LCMV was used as adjuvant, whereas their expansion was affected only marginally when VV, VSV, or LM were used as adjuvants. Thus, innate/inflammatory signals induced by different pathogens contribute to CD8 T cell expansion and memory formation via distinct levels of IFN-I dependence.
Effect of Y/sub 2/BaCuO/sub 5/ and PtO/sub 2//spl middot/H/sub 2/O additions on the microstructural development in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// superconductors

Results are presented concerning the formation kinetics of Y/sub 2/BaCuO/sub 5/ (211) and YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// (123) phases during melt processing of melt quench (MQ) precursors and phase pure 123. The influence of Pt and 211 additions on microstructural development within YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// system are examined quantitatively via XRD analysis and DTA. Real time dynamic XRD analysis showed the phase reaction sequences for the MQ and phase pure 123 (SSC) precursor systems, and revealed the activation energy (E/sub a/) for 211 formation to be lower for MQ powders upon peritectic decomposition. The SSC precursors developed greater amounts of 211 at 1100/spl deg/C when compared to MQ precursors, (/spl sim/28 wgt% vs. 10 wgt% respectively). The addition of 0.5 m/o 211 additions in SSC resulted in lower 123 temperatures and E/sub a/ than that without 211 addition. Pt additions did alter the residual 211 content upon texturing. The presence of Pt with excess 211 additions was seen to inhibit 211 formation upon texturing. >