cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cost-effectiveness and value of gynecological cancer biomarker screening in financially vulnerable female populations

Abstract Biomarkers are currently being developed and used to assess a female patient's risk of gynecological cancer such as ovarian cancer, which is one of the most lethal forms of gynecological cancer. Certain biomarkers can be measured in blood samples of female patients, and the results can be used to analyze, predict, and manage those patients' cancer outcomes. Financially vulnerable populations of women who could benefit from biomarker screening that either assesses cancer risk or detects early stage cancer face relatively higher mortality rates as a result of delayed and/or inefficient cancer screening. Delayed and/or inefficient cancer screening is largely due to their inability to afford such biomarker screenings. Given the financial hardship faced by this population of women, it is important to understand exactly what biomarkers are and the value they currently or could provide in clinical settings. It is also important to understand how biomarker screening contributes directly to our nation's goal of achieving a value-based healthcare system that emphasizes disease prevention and personalized medicine. This article explores the "value-added" portfolio of biomarker screening, and provides a written analysis of current literature. This article then describes how biomarkers can be used to achieve affordable gynecological cancer prevention and/or early-stage cancer detection and management in financially vulnerable populations of women.
On Computing the Fréchet Distance Between Surfaces.

We describe two (1+epsilon)-approximation algorithms for computing the Frechet distance between two homeomorphic piecewise linear surfaces R and S of genus zero and total complexity n, with Frechet distance delta. (1) A 2^{O((n + ( (Area(R)+Area(S))/(epsilon.delta)^2 )^2 )} time algorithm if R and S are composed of fat triangles (triangles with angles larger than a constant). (2) An O(D/(epsilon.delta)^2) n + 2^{O(D^4/(epsilon^4.delta^2))} time algorithm if R and S are polyhedral terrains over [0,1]^2 with slope at most D. Although, the Frechet distance between curves has been studied extensively, very little is known for surfaces. Our results are the first algorithms (both for surfaces and terrains) that are guaranteed to terminate in finite time. Our latter result, in particular, implies a linear time algorithm for terrains of constant maximum slope and constant Frechet distance.
Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: The Shared Wealth of Scholarly Resources in the Catholic Portal

The Catholic Portal, a gateway to rare and unique Catholic material, was created by the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA) in concert with its membership. This essay provides a brief overview of the Catholic Portal, its history, and its value as a research tool. It also introduces the following essays that describe specific contributed collections and explores the potential for the discovery of related resources within the portal.
Expert-Driven Topical Classification of Short Message Streams

We study the problem of expert-driven topical classification of short messages in time-evolving streams like Face book status updates, Twitter messages, and SMS communication. While high-level topics in these streams may be fixed (e.g., Sports, News), the content associated with these topics is typically less static, reflecting temporal change in interest as these streams evolve (e.g., tweets about the Olympics wane, while tweets about the World Cup rise in popularity). Coupled with this rapid concept drift, short messages themselves provide little contextual information and result in sparse features for effective classification. With these challenges in mind, we present an expert-driven framework for time-aware topical classification framework of short messages. Three of the salient features of the framework are (i) a novel expert-centric classifier, (ii) a sliding-window training for adaptive topical classification, and (iii) a suite of enrichment-based methods (lexical, link, collocation) for overcoming feature sparsity in short messages.
An Empirical Test of Carl Jungâ€™s Collective

The current study examined the ability of participants to recall archetypal symbols that have been matched with either their corresponding meanings or mismatched meanings. This experimental design was based on earlier work in this area (Rosen, Smith, Huston, & Gonzalez, 1991) which tested the hypothesis that archetypal symbols that are properly matched with their one word meanings are more easily remembered than mismatched symbol meaning pairs. Their results provided the first scientific evidence of the collective unconscious and enhanced recall of the meanings of unconscious archetypal symbols. The present study took this relationship one step further by using Spanish-English bilingual participants (N = 103) and testing not only the matched versus mismatched dimension, but also the use of Spanish versus English meanings. The addition of the language dimension allowed for a test of the universality of the collective unconscious. The results revealed a significant difference between matched versus mismatched pairs, but no significant differences between recall of English versus Spanish meanings. Thus, these findings also support Jungian theory regarding recall of previously unconscious archetypal symbols and their meanings from the collective unconscious.
History of Acoustical Imaging

A historical snapshot is presented of the development of acoustical imaging in the context of a Research Program in Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation (QNDE). This was an interdisciplinary program involving researchers at the Rockwell Science Center and several other institutes at universities, government laboratories, and industries. This program was first initiated by the Wright Patterson Air Force Base and continued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The main objective of the program was to develop techniques of non-destructive testing and give them a strong theoretical underpinning to render them as quantitative as possible. Thus in ultrasonic testing the objective was to combine the traditional manual search for flaws with computer automated search and elastic scattering theory to provide quantitative data on location, size, shape, and orientation. This approach led to several schemes to solve the Inverse Scattering Problem or the reconstruction of a flaw from just a few reflected ultrasonic echoes. Early efforts led to successes with idealized man-made flaws consisting of single and compound flaws embedded in Titanium-alloy. Later this work produced results with naturally occurring flaws in aerospace components.
Abstract TP240: Missed Ischemic Stroke Diagnosis in the Emergency Department at an Academic Center and Community Hospital

Introduction: The failure to recognize an ischemic stroke in the emergency department (ED) is a missed opportunity for acute interventions and for prompt treatment with secondary prevention therapy. Our study examined the characteristics of misdiagnosed strokes in the ED of an academic teaching hospital and a large community hospital. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed from February 2013 to February 2014. A stroke was “missed” if practitioners in the ED did not initially consider stroke in the differential, or the diagnosis was delayed causing the patient to miss the therapeutic window for thrombolytic therapy. Results: A total of 465 ischemic stroke patients were included; 280 patients from the academic hospital and 185 patients from the community hospital. One hundred three strokes were initially misdiagnosed. Fifty-five of these were missed at the academic hospital (22%) and 48 were at the community hospital (26%, p=0.11). Of the missed stroke patients, 26 at the academic hospital (47%) and 10 at the community hospital (21%) presented within 3 hours of symptom onset. At the academic hospital where a neurologist is consulted on all potential acute strokes, a neurologist was called for 95% of the accurate stroke diagnoses but only 36% of the stroke misses (p Factors independently associated with greater odds of a missed stroke diagnosis were nausea/vomiting (OR=4.02, 95% CI=1.60-10.1), dizziness (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.03-3.84), and a positive stroke history (OR=2.40, 95% CI=1.30-4.42). Thirty-seven percent of posterior strokes were initially misdiagnosed compared with 16% of anterior strokes (p Conclusion: Greater than 20 percent of stroke patients admitted through the ED at both an academic center and community hospital had a missed diagnosis. These strokes were more likely to be posterior circulation strokes and associated with nausea, vomiting and dizziness. A neurologist consultation decreased the likelihood of a missed stroke. Next steps are the development of improved identification systems and tools in the ED to improve the accuracy of stroke diagnosis.
Scar Revision and Recontouring Post-Mohs Surgery

Following Mohs reconstruction, several options are available to improve the appearance of the resulting scars. It is critical that the patient has realistic goals before beginning any treatment because scars can be improved but never erased. The surgical and nonsurgical options aim to replace pre-existing scars with ones that are less conspicuous. This article addresses the different available options (listed in order of invasiveness) for improving scarring following Mohs reconstruction.
Viral organization of human proteins

A compilation of experimentally verified interactions between HIV-1 and human proteins allows insights into the intricate interplay between viral and host proteins on a large scale.We find that HIV-1 predominantly targets rich-clubs, human proteins that are not only well connected but also strongly intertwined among each other. These assemblies of proteins putatively serve as an infection gateway, allowing the virus to take control of the human host by reaching protein pathways and diversified cellular functions in a pronounced and focused way. In particular, HIV-1 utilizes its small number of proteins in a combinatorial manner, exerting a significant influence on pathways that deal with transcriptional, translational and degradation processes. Surprisingly, the small repertoire of HIV proteins also interferes loosely with many signaling and regulation pathways, suggesting that a widespread involvement in such pathways secures the control of the host cell. Such insights offer novel perspectives to investigate the progression of HIV infection and potentially can contribute to our abilities to fight this virus.
Bioactive products from singlet oxygen photooxygenation of cannabinoids

Abstract Photooxygenation of Δ8 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA) and some derivatives (acetate, tosylate and methyl ether) yielded 24 oxygenated derivatives, 18 of which were new and 6 were previously reported, including allyl alcohols, ethers, quinones, hydroperoxides, and epoxides. Testing these compounds for their modulatory effect on cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 led to the identification of 7 and 21 as CB1 partial agonists with Ki values of 0.043 μM and 0.048 μM, respectively and 23 as a cannabinoid with high binding affinity for CB2 with Ki value of 0.0095 μM, but much less affinity towards CB1 (Ki 0.467 μM). The synthesized compounds showed cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines (SK-MEL, KB, BT-549, and SK-OV-3) with IC50 values ranging from 4.2 to 8.5 μg/mL. Several of those compounds showed antimicrobial, antimalarial and antileishmanial activities, with compound 14 being the most potent against various pathogens.
Keeping the Little Guy Down: A Debt Trap for Lending with Limited Pledgeability

Microcredit and other forms of small-scale ﬁnance have failed to catalyze entrepreneurship in developing countries. In these credit markets, borrowers and lenders often bargain over not only the division of surplus but also contractual ﬂexibility. We show these lending relationships may lead to endogenous poverty traps for poor borrowers if future income is not pledgeable, yet richer borrowers unambiguously beneﬁt. Improving the bargaining position of rich borrowers can harm poor borrowers, as the lender tightens restrictions and prevents them from growing. The theory rationalizes the low average impact and low demand of microﬁnance despite its high impact on larger businesses.
Gastrointestinal spindle cell tumor of the rumen with metastasis to the liver in a goat

Many neoplasms have been reported in goats; however, neoplasia of the rumen is rarely reported. A 9-y-old castrated male pygmy goat was presented with a history of respiratory stertor, fever, and anorexia. A respiratory diagnostic work-up including skull and thorax radiographs and endoscopy revealed minor enlargement of the arytenoids but no other abnormal findings. After a month of little improvement on symptomatic treatment and worsening general health, the goat was euthanized. On autopsy, the forestomachs, liver, spleen, diaphragm, and the ventral and lateral aspects of the cranial third of the walls of the peritoneal cavity were adhered to one another by fibrinous and fibrous adhesions. Numerous firm, white, up to 2 cm diameter nodules were found throughout the liver. A large sessile mass extended from the rumen wall into the lumen. The rumen mass was a gastrointestinal stromal tumor with metastasis to the liver.
Genetic diversity of Magnolia ashei characterized by SSR markers

The Ashe magnolia (Magnolia ashei) is a deciduous small tree most noted for its large 1–2 foot long leaves and fragrant creamy white flowers. Although the species is adapted to and used in landscapes in many parts of the U.S., it is endemic only to Northwest Florida where it is limited to ten counties growing on undisturbed bluffs and ravine banks. The populations are highly fragmented and are threatened by degradation of habitat, leading the species to be listed as endangered in the state of Florida. SSR markers were developed to determine the genetic diversity of wild populations of M. ashei in order to guide long-term conservation strategies. 18 marker loci identified a total of 82 alleles that were used to characterize allelic diversity of M. ashei from 11 wild populations, 14 cultivated sources, five accessions of M. macrophylla, and three interspecific hybrids. Results indicated a higher than expected level of heterozygosity within populations, and a clear distinction between Eastern and Western populations; conservation efforts should therefore focus on maintaining these distinct groups in corresponding ex situ seed orchards to counteract pressures due to overcollection, pollution, and loss of habitat due to development. Clustering of individuals was similar using several analytical methods, indicating that despite relatively small sample sizes, our analysis is a valid reflection of the diversity among and relationships between these populations.
All My Roe

The mystery of mysteries was not a thing to be spoken lightly of, night after night we guessed but never asked, it meant that we were on our way to the Earth, a convulsive shudder now and then and one of us would leave, it was the end of mental, there would be object lessons, butter, sugar, cake and bones, but never the times we talked late into the fire and adored one another the way we were just there, just together we would never speak of it but it was there and never again a comrade like that, to open a door and find every thing in love, which somehow made us, daylight we never looked at and went by with a run, out of that door we believed came time, we guessed but never asked, possible back after away and over again we did not know, there was never a weeping like ours, a thousand good nights so next to the next we did not have to speak, who we are we don't know, we are heard thoughts we think, there is a mystery in our atmosphere as yet of nothing and I, the uninitiated, the untried, venture to ask the little beggars of the old Earth each to say a word about it, I did every now and then watch some of them come to the edge of a wide water, and pause, one foot in the air, looking with their keen eyes across it, and swim over, one after the other, till they were all out of sight, and I could only guess where they were by the screaming birds above them.
The Death Penalty and the Absolute Prohibition of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment or Punishment

IntroductIon As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I have the responsibility every year to select two emerging issues that contribute substantially to the debate on the prohibition of torture. The conclusions of these studies, along with my recommendations to States, are included in thematic reports. One of these reports is presented in March before the Human Rights Council, and another in October before the UN General Assembly. My most recent thematic report, presented in October 2012 to the General Assembly, explores the death penalty as it relates to the international prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment (CIDT).
Global Heterogeneity in the Pattern of the Cybercrime Industry

This chapter draws upon literatures on psychology, economics, international relation, and warfare to propose a framework to explain international heterogeneity in cybercrimes. We found that countries across the world differ in terms of regulative, normative, and cognitive legitimacy to different types of web attacks. Cyber-wars and crimes are also functions of the stocks of hacking skills relative to the availability of economic opportunities. An attacking unit’s selection criteria for the target network include symbolic significance and criticalness, degree of digitization of values, and weakness in defense mechanisms.
Combining computational chemistry and crystallography for a better understanding of the structure of cellulose.

Abstract The approaches in this article seek to enhance understanding of cellulose at the molecular level, independent of the source and the particular crystalline form of cellulose. Four main areas of structure research are reviewed. Initially, the molecular shape is inferred from the crystal structures of many small molecules that have β-(1 → 4) linkages. Then, conformational analyses with potential energy calculations of cellobiose are covered, followed by the use of Atoms-In-Molecules theory to learn about interactions in experimental and theoretical structures. The last section covers models of cellulose nanoparticles. Controversies addressed include the stability of twofold screw-axis conformations, the influence of different computational methods, the predictability of crystalline conformations by studies of isolated molecules, and the twisting of model cellulose crystals.
A multicenter analysis of patient reported risk factors for not working during cancer therapy.

6523Background: Treatment for most types of cancer results in work disruptions. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for not working during cancer therapy using a patient-reported outc...
Improving quality care through IT/analytics for team-based care interventions.

316Background: Team based care is essential to achieve coordinated, high-quality care. We recognized a responsibility to identify new treatment patients to provided targeted, team based interventions. Previous attempts at identifying new patients were difficult, manual, and delayed. Our aim was to provide personnel with the appropriate means to identify new patients for services such as patient education, financial navigation, social work assessments and outreach calls for care coordination. As a result of multiple barriers and challenges, only 51% of our new patients were being identified. This project fit well in the larger context of the transformation of health care delivery through our participation in the Oncology Care Model, which places an emphasis on team based care. Methods: We used the Plan-Do-Study-Act continuous improvement model to develop an automated data set to identify new treatment patients across the oncology service line and leveraged our Information Technology (IT) Analytics team. A ...
Feminist Judgments: Comparative Socio-Legal Perspectives on Judicial Decision Making and Gender Justice

This collection of essays is the product of the workshop Feminist Judgments: Comparative Socio-Legal Perspectives on Judicial Decision Making and Gender Justice held at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law (Onati, Spain) in May, 2017. The papers explain and explore the multiple global projects that attempt to rewrite judicial opinions by incorporating feminist legal reasoning or methods. Each essay grows out of the authors’ experiences working with projects based in a particular socio-political, geographical, historical and jurisprudential context: Canada, England, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and a multi-jurisdictional international law project. Collectively, the essays bring new insights, methods and challenges to the study of the feminist project of equal justice across the boundaries of culture, race, nation and gender. Esta coleccion de articulos es producto del seminario Feminist Judgments: Comparative Socio-Legal Perspectives on Judicial Decision Making and Gender Justice , que tuvo lugar en el Instituto Internacional de Sociologia Juridica (Onati, Espana), en mayo de 2017. Los articulos explican y exploran los multiples proyectos globales que intentan reescribir opiniones judiciales incorporando razonamientos o metodos juridicos feministas. Cada articulo proviene de las experiencias de las autoras en su trabajo con proyectos basados en un contexto sociopolitico, geografico, historico y jurisprudencial concreto: Canada, Inglaterra, Australia, Irlanda, Nueva Zelanda, Escocia y un proyecto juridico internacional multijurisdiccional. En conjunto, los articulos aportan nuevos enfoques, metodos y desafios al estudio del proyecto feminista de justicia igualitaria, mas alla de los limites de culturas, razas, paises y generos. Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-0999
Non-native species dominate herpetofaunal community patterns in both native and non-native habitat patches in urban Miami-Dade County

Land use change and invasive species are two of the leading causes of native biodiversity loss, yet our understanding of how these interact in urban centers is limited. In South Florida (USA), urbanization and increased anthropogenic pressure has led to massive land conversion and species introductions. South Florida has the largest number of established non-native reptile and amphibian species in the world, while detection of many native species has decreased. Native species may be adapted to the unique and rare habitats of South Florida such as the pine rocklands, which have been reduced to 2% of their original extent. We conducted surveys for reptiles and amphibians in 15 pairs of native/non-native parks to examine the interaction between habitat modification and herpetofaunal invasion. Less than 10% of the individuals recorded were native, and we found no difference in the relative abundance or richness of native species between native and non-native parks. Community analyses indicate that only 9% of the total variance in herpetofaunal community composition is between native and non-native parks, and that even this difference is driven by non-native species. The brahminy blind snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus), the most widely introduced snake species in the world, is the best indicator of native habitat patches, and two invasive lizards from the Caribbean (Anolis sagrei and A. equestris) are the best indicators of non-native habitat. These results demonstrate that non-native reptiles and amphibians dominate both non-native and native habitat patches in Miami-Dade County.
Hope Is Around the Corner: Determining the Effect of Neighborhood Revitalization on Crime Through an Evaluation of Houston HOPE:

Vacant lots can attract debris, are often covered with overgrown vegetation, and at times, serve as hot spots for crime. Given the alignments associated with vacant lots, cities often try to revita...
The discoverers of the reaction

Abstract In 1911, Russian chemist Nikolai Matveevich Kizhner (1867–1935) at Tomsk Technological Institute, in Siberia, discovered the decomposition of the hydrazones of aldehydes and ketones by solid potassium hydroxide at elevated temperatures to give the corresponding methylene compounds. In 1912, Ludwig Wolff, at Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat in Jena described the same overall transformation starting from the semicarbazone of the carbonyl compound. In this chapter, the lives of both chemists, and their other contributions to the development of organic chemistry (the Kizhner cyclopropane synthesis, the Wolff rearrangement) are summarized.
The link between SMEs alliance portfolio diversity and top management’s entrepreneurial and alliance orientations

To be able to survive and grow in twenty-first century global network economies, small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strive to develop various types of interfirm alliances that provide them with bundles of resources and network security. Therefore, creating and configuring a beneficial and diverse alliance portfolio has become an important strategic issue for SMEs. The purpose of this article is to investigate how the entrepreneurial orientation and alliance orientation of the SMEs’ top managements lead to functional diversity of alliance portfolio configurations. Based on resource dependency and upper echelons theories, this study develops a model using survey data from 230 managers of Australian SMEs. The results suggest a significant link between the SME top management’s strategic orientations and the diversity of their alliance portfolios. When both entrepreneurial orientation and alliance orientation are high, the firms prefer to form portfolios that are functionally diverse. On the other hand, when either one or both strategic orientations are low, firms prefer to form portfolios that specialize on one of the functional areas like operations, logistics, marketing, or strategic management.
Epigenetic Modifications in Peripheral Blood as Potential Noninvasive Biomarker of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose Progression of diabetic retinopathy is related to the duration and severity of hyperglycemia, and after 25 years of diabetes, 90% of patients show some signs of retinopathy. Despite initiation of many retinal molecular/biochemical abnormalities, including mitochondrial damage and epigenetic modifications, the disease remains asympotomatic in the initial stages. Our goal is to examine the utility of DNA methylation as a possible biomarker of diabetic retinopathy. Methods Genomic DNA (gDNA) was isolated from the buffy coat, isolated from blood of diabetic patients with proliferative (PDR) or no retinopathy (No-DR), and nondiabetic subjects (CONT). Methylation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), especially its D-Loop (the site of mtDNA transcription/replication), was quantified by methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and methyl-specific PCR techniques. Results were confirmed in purified mtDNA. The specific D-Loop region with the highest DNA methylation was identified using five overlapping primers, and DNMT1 binding was quantified by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Promoter DNA methylation of DNA mismatch repair (MLH1) and superoxide scavenging (SOD2) enzymes were also quantified. Results Compared to CONT, D-Loop methylation was higher in PDR and No-DR groups, and the D-Loop region responsible for encoding the majority of the mtDNA-encoded genes had significantly higher methylation in the PDR group versus No-DR. Similarly, compared to No-DR, the PDR group also had hypermethylated MHL1 and SOD2 promoters. Conclusions Blood from PDR patients have higher DNA methylation, than seen in diabetic patients without retinopathy. Thus, DNA methylation can be used as a possible biomarker of diabetic retinopathy. Translational Relevance DNA methylation status in the blood of diabetic patients could serve as a potential noninvasive biomarker of retinopathy, and also an important readout parameter for testing longitudinal outcome of novel therapeutics for this blinding disease.
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: A Neglected Risk Factor for Sudden Cardiac Death?

Despite recent declines in mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD), this entity remains the major cause of death in the United States for blacks and whites [1]. A majority of deaths from CAD are classified as sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs). A significant body of evidence from epidemiology and pathology studies has emerged showing that the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an important predictor for SCD, and that the mortality risk associated with LVH may be particularly high when underlying CAD is present. Conventional risk stratification algorithms have not taken into account the adverse effects of LVH on prognosis and its interaction with other indices of increased risk.
Historical Aspects of Zinc

Raulin (1869) was the first to show that zinc was essential for the growth of Aspergillus niger. This was confirmed forty years later by Bertrand and Javillier (1911). In 1926, its essentiality for higher forms of plant life was established (Sommer and Lipman, 1926) (see Figs. 1-1 and 1-2).
High-Order Random Walks and Generalized Laplacians on Hypergraphs

Despite the extreme success of spectral graph theory, there are relatively few papers applying spectral analysis to hypergraphs. Chung first introduced Laplacians for regular hypergraphs and showed some useful applications. Other researchers have treated hypergraphs as weighted graphs and then studied the Laplacians of the corresponding weighted graphs. In this paper, we aim to unify these very different versions of Laplacians for hypergraphs. We introduce a set of Laplacians for hypergraphs through studying high-order random walks on hypergraphs. We prove that the eigenvalues of these Laplacians can effectively control the mixing rate of high-order random walks, the generalized distances/diameters, and the edge expansions.
Public Attitudes Toward Xenotransplantation: A Theological Perspective

Among the myriad factors contributing to public attitudes toward xenotransplantation, religious belief offers a complex picture. In April 2019, xenotransplantation researchers at the University of ...
Crop climate suitability mapping on the cloud: a geovisualization application for sustainable agriculture.

Climate change, food security, and environmental sustainability are pressing issues faced by today’s global population. As production demands increase and climate threatens crop productivity, agricultural research develops innovative technologies to meet these challenges. Strategies include biodiverse cropping arrangements, new crop introductions, and genetic modification of crop varieties that are resilient to climatic and environmental stressors. Geography in particular is equipped to address a critical question in this pursuit—when and where can crop system innovations be introduced? This manuscript presents a case study of the geographic scaling potential utilizing common bean, delivers an open access Google Earth Engine geovisualization application for mapping the fundamental climate niche of any crop, and discusses food security and legume biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The application is temporally agile, allowing variable growing season selections and the production of ‘living maps’ that are continually producible as new data become available. This is an essential communication tool for the future, as practitioners can evaluate the potential geographic range for newly-developed, experimental, and underrepresented crop varieties for facilitating sustainable and innovative agroecological solutions.
Assessment of Daily Routine Uniformity in a Smart Home Environment Using Hierarchical Clustering

The gradual decline in routine patterns is a major symptom of early-stage dementia, therefore an unobtrusive real-life assessment of the elder's routine can potentially be of significant clinical importance. This article focuses on the assessment of changes in a person's daily routine using longitudinal data recorded from a network of nonintrusive motion sensors in a smart home environment. In this article, we propose to identify repeating patterns in a person's daily routine over the span of multiple days using hierarchical clustering algorithms, which provide an effective way to mitigate noise artifacts and confounding factors that contribute to the momentary variability of the sensor data. We have evaluated our proposed algorithm on both synthetic and real-world data recorded in the span of 50–100 days from four elderly adults. Our results indicate that the proposed hierarchical clustering approach can more reliably capture the gradual change in the degree of routineness compared to baseline approaches that measure the similarity between two consecutive days or capture variations in the occurrence of recognized activities.
From urban dust and marine sediment to Ginkgo biloba and human serum—a top ten list of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)

During the past 40 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed over 180 natural matrix Standard Reference Materials® (SRMs) for the determination of trace organic constituents in environmental, clinical, food, and dietary supplement matrices. A list of the Top Ten SRMs intended for organic analysis was identified based on selection criteria including analytical challenge to assign certified values, challenges in material preparation, novel matrices, longevity, widespread use, and unique design concept or intended use. The environmental matrix SRMs include air particulate matter, marine sediment, mussel tissue, and human serum with the focus on contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Human serum and plasma SRMs for clinical diagnostic markers including vitamin D metabolites represent clinical analysis, whereas infant formula, multivitamin/multielement tablets, and Ginkgo biloba constitute the food and dietary supplement matrices on the list. Each of the SRMs on the Top Ten list is discussed relative to the selection criteria and significance of the material, and several overall lessons learned are summarized.
The effect of postoperative steroid dosing on readmission rates following radiofrequency ablation tonsillectomy.

Abstract Objective To examine the effect of postoperative steroid dosage on postoperative telephone calls, emergency department (ED) visits, and hemorrhage rates for two groups receiving different steroid dosing following radiofrequency ablation tonsillectomy. Study design Retrospective chart review between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2019. Setting Tertiary care pediatric hospital. Methods Two postoperative steroid dosing protocols studied: 1) three postoperative doses of 0.5 mg/kg dexamethasone, or 2) three postoperative doses of 4 mg dexamethasone. Otherwise, postoperative care and pain control were similar for all patients. We hypothesized that standardized steroid dosing would achieve similar postoperative outcomes when compared to weight-based dosing with regards to patient phone calls, ED visits, readmission rates, and bleeding rates. Results Overall, 279 patients were included (n = 100 at 4 mg, n = 179 at 0.5 mg/kg). There were no differences between groups in age, gender, race, BMI, or comorbidities (P > 0.05). Readmission and ED visit rates were 2.8% and 12.2% respectively, with no significant difference between groups (P > 0.05)). The overall hemorrhage rate was 6.3%, including those patients presenting to the ED but not requiring intervention for bleeding concerns. There was no difference in hemorrhage rates between groups (P = 0.22); the hemorrhage rate requiring operative intervention was 1.4% with no difference between groups (P = 0.27). Postoperative phone calls to physicians’ office occurred in 13.3% of cases with no difference between groups (P = 0.41). Conclusion Comparable rates of readmission, ED visits, hemorrhage, and patient phone calls were seen with a standard dose of 4 mg versus 0.5 mg/kg weight-based dosing of a short course of postoperative dexamethasone following radiofrequency ablation tonsillectomy.
Nowe idee w biologii ewolucyjnej: od NDMS do EES

The neo-Darwinian modern synthesis (NDMS) has been the bedrock of evolutionary theory for many decades. But the NDMS has proven limited and out of date with respect to several areas of biological research. A new extended evolutionary synthesis (EES), which takes into account more complex interactions between genomes, the cell and the environment, allows for a reexamination of many of the assumptions of the NDMS. To the standard paradigm of slow accumulation of random point mutations as the major mechanism of biological variation must now be added new data and concepts of symbiosis, gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, retrotransposition, epigenetic control networks, niche construction, stress-directed mutations, and large-scale reengineering of the genome in response to environmental stimuli. There may be implications for Christian faith in this opening of evolutionary theory to a broader and more exciting view of Darwin’s great theory.
Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: Predictors of Vaccine Uptake Among Adults in the US.

The uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine will determine the trajectory for improved population health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying factors associated with vaccine acceptance is imperative as public health officials strategize to improve uptake. In this study, we identified predictors of vaccine willingness and acceptance using univariate logistic regression to model predictors and calculate odds ratios. Participants (N = 946) who reported greater vaccine willingness were male, older, and had a higher level of education and income. Behaviors indicative of reducing the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., testing) and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection were associated with vaccine willingness, as were participants who believed they were "highly likely" to be infected (by a factor of 8). Education tailored to demographic groups with low vaccine uptake should focus on the high degree of communicability associated with COVID-19. Implementing mobile healthcare screenings could remove barriers to healthcare, thereby improving health equity.
The role of cellular folates in the enhancement of activity of the thymidylate synthase inhibitor 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate against hepatoma cells in vitro by inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase.

Abstract Exposure of growing cultures of hepatoma cells in vitro to the lipid-soluble dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors metoprine (36 nM) or trimetrexate (2 nM) at subtoxic concentrations causes little change in cell growth rate, colony forming ability, cell cycle distribution, and de novo purine and thymidylate biosynthesis. The reductase inhibitors augment the cytotoxic activity of the thymidylate synthase inhibitor, 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate by nearly 10-fold under optimal conditions. Treatment of the hepatoma cells with the reductase inhibitors for 72 h during growth caused approximately a 75% reduction in total cellular folates and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (primarily as polyglutamates) the substrate for thymidylate synthase. The reductase inhibitors also cause a doubling in the accumulation of 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate polyglutamates. The combined antifolate treatment (metoprine or trimetrexate plus 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate) expands the dUMP pool by 30-fold, which is more than the sum of either of the antifolates alone. Consequently, it is postulated that the enhanced activity of 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate in combination with low concentrations of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors is due to an increase in the ratio of inhibitor to substrate for thymidylate synthase of nearly 10-fold and an extensive enhancement of the dUMP pool. These conditions predispose the target enzyme and the cells to more effective metabolic blockade by 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate which is presumably caused by the formation of an inhibited 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate[polyglutamate]-thymidylate synthase-dUMP ternary complex.
EMAGEN: an efficient approach to multiple whole genome alignment

Following advances in biotechnology, many new whole genome sequences are becoming available every year. A lot of useful information can be derived from the alignment and comparison of different genomes. However, most of the current research focuses on pairwise genome alignment, and only a few available applications can efficiently align multiple genomes. In this paper, we present an efficient approach to align closely related multiple whole genomes, combining suffix arrays, graph theoretic formulation and existing tools for gap (short sequence) alignment. Our approach first finds a maximum set of aligned conserved regions among multiple whole genomes, then aligns the gaps between consecutive conserved regions with Clustal W. We present two methods to find the maximum set of aligned conserved regions among whole genomes. In first method, called Direct Matching (DM), multiple whole genomes are aligned with their DNA sequences. However, because most parts of prokaryotic genomes are encoded regions, we introduce second method, Functional Matching (FM), to especially align multiple prokaryotic genomes with their concatenated protein sequences. We present experimental results for both methods and give the analysis of the results. The FM method generates much better results for less closely related prokaryotic genomes than DM method. It outputs more and longer conserved regions, which conveys more accurate and detailed information about the conservation and inheritance of genomes, and generates more detailed alignments.
Correlating Aggregate Properties and Concrete Rheology to Dynamic Segregation of Self-Consolidating Concrete

AbstractSegregation is a common problem in self-consolidating concrete (SCC), which is sensitive to mix proportions such as superplasticizer dosage, as well as the size, volume, and gradation of the aggregate. Dynamic segregation, when coarse aggregate lags behind during the flowing process, is distinguishable from static segregation, when coarse aggregate settles in concrete at rest. In the research reported in this paper, a flow trough and a concrete rheometer were used to study the effects of various aggregate properties and concrete rheology on dynamic segregation of SCC. An equation for the drag force was found useful to understand how various mix proportions and concrete rheology affecting dynamic segregation. Higher paste volume, lower superplasticizer percent by weight of cement, lower slump flow, smaller coarse aggregate, and better gradation may increase dynamic stability. Smaller aggregate size has more significant effect than other aggregate properties. Mixtures with dynamic yield stress less ...
Liberalism, Communitarianism, and Moral Education

OF ARGUMENT First, discussions of liberalism and communitarianism are not, as some have thought, a debate between two clearly distinguishable competing orientations. These discussions do display a renewed interest in community, a topic of educational importance, as John Dewey recognized, for example, in Democracy and Education. Dewey is arguably a liberal and a communitarian both, and consistent in this. For purposes of educational theory, as Dewey noticed, “community” is used both as a descriptive or explanatory concept, and a normative concept. This essay is particularly concerned with certain normative issues about community and moral education.
The pharmacokinetics of 125I-atrial natriuretic factor in anaesthetized rats. Effects of neutral endopeptidase inhibition with candoxatrilat and of ANF-C receptor blockade.

Abstract The effects of candoxatrilat (cis-4-[[2-carboxy-3-(2-methoxyethoxy)propyl]-1-cyclo-pentanecarbonylamino]-1-cyclohexane carboxylic acid) and the ring-deleted atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) analogue C-ANF4–23 (des[Gln18, Ser19, Gly20, Leu21, Gly22]ANF4–23−-NH2) on the clearance of (3-[125I]iodotyrosyl28)ANF (125I-ANF) were studied in both intact and nephrectomized anaesthetized rats. HPLC analysis was used to verify that the 125I-labelled material isolated by solid phase extraction of rat plasma was intact ANF. In intact animals, clearance of 125I-ANF was biphasic with a T 1 2 α of 17 sec and T 1 2 β of 95 sec. Volume of distribution (Vd) was 564 mL/kg and plasma clearance (Clp) 248 mL/min/kg. Candoxatrilat, over the dose range 0.01–10 mg/kg i.V., increased T 1 2 β (by a maximum of 56%) and decreased Clp (by up to 52%) with no effect on T 1 2 α or Vd. C-ANF4–23 (10 μg/kg + 1 μg/kg/min i.v.) reduced Vd (by 57%) and Clp (by 54%) with no effect on T 1 2 β, whilst abolishing the T 1 2 α phase in over 50% of animals. Increasing the dose of C-ANF4–23 did not increase the effect on any of these parameters, apart from a small increase in T 1 2 β. Combining the two agents resulted in a substantial decrease in Clp (76%) whilst the reduction in Vd and increase in T 1 2 β were comparable to those seen with C-ANF4–23 and candoxatrilat alone, respectively. In nephrectomized rats, the pharmacokinetics of 125I-ANF and the changes induced by candoxatrilat were similar to those observed in intact animals, whilst the effects of C-ANF4–23 alone were greater than in intact animals. The combination of C-ANF4–23 and candoxatrilat again produced a substantial increase in T 1 2 β (153%) and decreases in Vd (55%) and Clp (78%) in nephrectomized animals, although these changes could not be distinguished from those seen in intact animals treated with the same combination. Our studies indicate that neutral endopeptidase and ANF-C receptors are both major, and approximately equal, clearance mechanisms for 125I-ANF, together accounting for at least 75% of the total clearance of this peptide in the rat.
How ice sheets flow

Melt waters at the bases of glaciers and ice sheets play an important role in their flow behavior. In her Perspective, [Hulbe][1] highlights the report by [ Fahnestock et al .][2], who have identified high basal melting rates below a part of the Greenland Ice Sheet as the cause for fast ice sheet flow. They attribute the observation to higher than expected geothermal heat flow. But melt waters are not uniformly distributed underneath the ice. Many regions are frozen to the bedrock. Determining the conditions under which basal melting occurs is important for understanding ice sheet histories and predicting their future behaviors. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5550/2300 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/294/5550/2338
Bose-Einstein condensates in a large-volume optical trap

Summary form only given. Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) are generally produced by evaporative cooling of laser cooled atomic samples in magnetic traps. Though magnetic traps are indispensable for the production of a BEC, they pose restrictions on the possible studies with a BEC. Previous experiments of our group have demonstrated that it is possible to trap a BEC in the circular focus of a far-detuned infrared laser beam. This first realization of an optical dipole trap (ODT) for BEC was used to prepare and investigate spinor condensates of Na atoms in the F=1 hyperfine manifold. However, the initial peak density in this ODT after loading from the magnetic trap reached 10/sup 15/ atoms/cm/sup 3/, leading to rapid losses due to three-body collisions. To realize an ODT capable of storing large condensates for a long time, we have used a laser beam with an elliptical beam profile. The optical trap is loaded by superimposing the light field onto the magnetic trap and then slowly turning off the magnetic fields. The transfer efficiency is close to 100%, and thus more than 10/sup 7/ Bose-condensed atoms can be loaded into the ODT.