cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of FTY720 against Viral-Induced Immunopathology: Role of Drug-Induced Conversion of T Cells to Become Foxp3+ Regulators

FTY720 has been used to control inflammatory lesions, but the mechanisms by which the drug acts in vivo are poorly understood. Such mechanisms may result primarily from effects on lymphocyte and dendritic cell homing to lymphoid and inflammatory sites. We demonstrate that FTY720 may also act by causing the conversion of TCR-stimulated nonregulatory CD4(+) T cells to Foxp3(+)CD4(+) regulatory T cells and by enhancing their suppressive activity. In a model in which mice were ocularly infected with HSV, daily treatment with FTY720 resulted in significantly diminished ocular lesions. The treated animals showed increased frequencies of Foxp3(+) T cells in lymphoid organs and at two inflammatory sites, namely cornea and trigeminal ganglia. In a second series of experiments, immunized DO11.10RAG2(-/-) animals, normally lacking endogenous Foxp3(+) T cells, that were given FTY720 treatment developed high frequencies of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells in lymph nodes. Some converted cells persisted in treated animals for several weeks after drug administration was discontinued. Finally, FTY720 could effectively induce Foxp3-expressing cells from Foxp3(-) cells in vitro, an effect inhibited by anti-TGF-beta or the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. Accordingly, the anti-inflammatory effects of FTY720 could be mediated at least in part by its ability to cause the conversion of Ag-stimulated conventional T cells to become Foxp3(+) regulators. The use of FTY720 along with Ag administration could represent a useful therapeutic means to selectively expand Ag-specific regulators, which could be valuable in many clinical situations such as allotransplants, some autoimmunities, as well as with some chronic infections.
Do Principals' Interpersonal Attitudes Agree with those of Teachers and Pupils?

This study found that pupils' and principals' ratings of teachers lack significant relationship. Attitudes of teachers and principals toward children correlated positively, varying with the social class of the pupils.
Effect of winter wind variability on plankton transport over Georges Bank

Abstract A detailed physical model of Georges Bank, including M2 tidal rectification, realistic topography, Mellor-Yamada 2.5 mixed-layer dynamics, and time-varying wind forcing, was used to simulate plankton transport. Wind records from January 1 through March 4 of each year from 1968 through 1993 were selected to force the model. For each year, two model runs were made, one time-variant and the other using the mean wind stress for the entire period. Simulations using no wind and a 26-year climatological mean (1968–1998) also were conducted. Differences in net transport and 2-month mean currents between the vector-averaged and time-varying runs for a given year were slight. Plankton distribution in time-varying winds moved in response to transient wind events, but distributions at the end of the 60-day simulation period were remarkably similar to those from model runs using vector-averages of the same winds. Interannual differences were significant; depending on the direction of the mean wind stress, tracers were transported to several different regions on and off the bank. The use of wind-stress averages over a 2-month period is supported for models addressing transport on that time scale. Interannual variability in winter wind stress may play a major role in determining transport and subsequent recruitment of plankton on the bank.
The relationship of homologous synapsis and crossing over in a maize inversion

Frequency of homologous synapsis at pachytene for a relatively short heterozygous inversion was compared to the frequency of crossover occurrence within the inversion and to the frequency of the presence of a recombination nodule within the homologously synapsed inverted region. Crossover frequencies were estimated from bridge-fragment frequencies at anaphase I and anaphase II. Recombination nodules (RNs) were observed in electron micrographs. Results show very similar frequencies of homologous synapsis and the occurrence of reciprocal recombination within the inverted region, consistent with the interpretation that establishment of homologous synapsis in this case is related to at least commitment to the form of resolution of crossover intermediates which gives rise to reciprocal recombination, not conversion only, events. An RN was generally found at pachytene in homologously synapsed inverted regions.
Molecular modeling of the major adduct of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE (N2-dG) in the eight conformations and the five DNA sequences most relevant to base substitution mutagenesis

The potent mutagen/carcinogen 7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S, 10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyren [(+)-anti-B[a]PDE], which is the activated form of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), is able to induce different kinds of mutations (G→T, G→A, etc.). One hypothesis for this is that different mutations are induced depending upon the conformation of its major adduct ([+ta]-B[a]P-N 2 -dG) when bypassed during DNA replication. Based on molecular modeling, there appear to be at least 16 potential conformations that the major adduct [+ta]-B[a]P-N 2 -dG can adopt in dsDNA. Regarding base substitution mutagenesis, eight conformations are most likely to be relevant. In two conformations the dG moiety of the adduct is base paired with its complementary dC and the B[a]P moiety is in the minor groove. In two others the dG moiety of the adduct is in the Hoogsteen orientation and the B[a]P moiety is in the major groove. There are four base displaced structures in which the B[a]P moiety of the adduct is stacked with the surrounding base pairs, two with dG in the major groove and two with dG in the minor groove. Using a simulated annealing protocol, these eight conformations were evaluated in five different DNA sequence contexts (5'-TGC-3', 5'-CGT-3', 5'-AGA-3', 5'-CGG-3' and 5'-GGG-3'); the latter were chosen because they may be particularly revealing about mutagenic mechanism based on studies with [+ta]-B[a]P-N 2 -dG and (+)-anti-B[a]PDE. For each conformation and each sequence context, 25 simulated annealing runs were conducted by systematically varying several parameters (such as the initial annealing temperature) based on a protocol established recently. The goal of this work was to exclude conformations that are clearly inferior. Three conformations are virtually always high in energy, including the two Hoogsteen oriented species and one of the base displaced species with dG in the major groove. Remarkably, the remaining five conformations are often quite close in energy and are deemed most likely to be relevant to mutagenesis (see accompanying paper).
Is there evidence that bracing could provide adequate stability for a 47-year-old man with a deficient anterior cruciate ligament to resume downhill skiing?

The purpose of “Evidence in Practice” is to illustrate the literature search process to obtain evidence that can guide clinical decision making. This article is not a case report. The examination, evaluation, and intervention sections are purposely abbreviated. A 47-year-old man was referred by an orthopedic surgeon to our outpatient physical therapy facility for examination and consultation about the possible use of a knee brace. Two months before the referral, the patient twisted his right knee while skiing. The knee became swollen within 2 hours after the injury, and the patient felt that his knee was unstable during ambulation, when descending stairs, and when performing pivoting movements. He saw an orthopedic surgeon who performed a physical examination that yielded a score of 2+ on the Lachman test (indicating greater than 9 mm of excessive anterior tibial translation on the femur1(p701)) and a negative result on a pivot shift test (indicating no rotational subluxation of the tibia on the femur1(707–709)). The surgeon also referred the patient for magnetic resonance imaging, which confirmed a partial tear of the right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The surgeon discussed the option of reconstruction with the patient, but he indicated that the size of the tear and the functional limitations were not enough to warrant surgery at that time. The patient decided against having the tear surgically repaired because he did not want to have postsurgical pain and disability or make a commitment to the lengthy rehabilitation that would be required. The patient was initially referred to us to regain full knee range of motion (ROM), increase lower-extremity muscle force, and improve the stability of his knee during activities such as descending stairs and pivoting. Ultimately, the patient wanted to return to recreational skiing with his family and participate in activities, such as baseball, …
Book and Resource Reviews

Reviews several books. "Adventure in the Amazon, Leader's Manual," by Lorraine L. Ukens; "Earthquake Survival, Leader's Guide," by Arlette C. Ballew and Marian K. Prokop; "Wilderness Survival," by Donald T. Simpson.
Pardies and the Cartesian Beast-Machine

The Jesuit father Ignace-Gaston Pardies, mathematician and physicist of some renown in his time, published in 1672 a Discours de la Connoissance des Bestes, famous then, but little known today. Amidst the mass of material on the general controversy of the souls of beasts, this work is outstanding for its brilliance, literary charm, and degree of originality. It is well worth examination, for its own merits and its bearings on the dispute in which it proved an influential contribution, and because of the curious fate to which the book was destined. For the Discourse, which went through numerous editions and caused considerable stir in the Republic of Letters was, although purporting to be a refutation of the Cartesian mechanistic view, reputed to be intended as a defense of that system. From Pardies' own day to the present age, uncertainty has existed as to how the treatise is to be classified.
A Mixing Mechanism In the Nearshore Region

A dispersive mixing caused by the interaction of the longshore currents and the undertow is found to exist in the nearshore region. It is found to depend critically on the depth variation of both the cross-shore and the longshore currents. The effect is calculated for the simplest possible current profiles which yield a non-zero contribution. It is demonstrated that the dispersive mixing totally dominates the mixing in the nearshore region, exceeding the effect of turbulence by an order of magnitude even inside the surf-zone. In consequence, accounting for this interaction of the nearshore currents makes it possible to model longshore currents using realistic turbulent mixing levels. The vertical variation of those currents become part of the results provided. The predicted depth variation of the longshore currents is shown to be consistent with the only set of such measurements presently available.
Survival of metabolically inhibited ventricular myocytes is enhanced by inhibition of rigor and SR Ca2+ cycling

During severe ATP depletion, sarcolemmal rupture resulting from rigor- and/or Ca(2+)-induced myofilament force development is considered to be an important cause of irreversible cell injury. Recent experiments in our laboratory demonstrated that during prolonged metabolic inhibition (MI) in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes, in which rigor was prevented by exposure to 30 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), cyclic uptake and release of cystolic Ca2+ occurred and was associated with strong phasic contractions. To investigate the relative contribution of this sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ cycling and associated force development to energy depletion injury, the effects of BDM together with 7 mM caffeine were examined in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes subjected to MI with 2 mM NaCN and 20 mM 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). During 90 min of MI with CN and 2-DG, no cells retained a rod shape in the absence of BDM or caffeine. In the presence of both 30 mM BDM and 7 mM caffeine during MI, preservation of rod morphology was enhanced, and 52 +/- 6.2% of cells retained a rod shape 48 h after metabolic inhibition and had normal ATP content and resting membrane potential. Both systolic and diastolic functions of cells that survived MI, however, were impaired. We conclude that exposure to caffeine together with BDM markedly enhances survival of myocytes during severe prolonged ATP depletion. After recovery, these isolated myocytes show some characteristics of stunning.
Population Distribution and Poverty

The goal of this chapter is to analyze the relationship between population distribution and poverty. We examine recent research on the subject, including a review of the range of approaches to measuring poverty, the literature on rural and urban poverty, the interdependencies between the two and the policy implications of our findings. Our findings indicate that the measurement of poverty may take many forms, including relative and absolute measures, consumption based measures, resource deprivation measures and measures of social exclusion. Rural poverty, particularly in developing nations, tends to be directly influenced by the processes of globalization and development. The rural poor tend to often seek a better life through migration to places of economic opportunity, particularly to cities. Urban poverty, particularly in North American and European cities, tends to disproportionately impact recent immigrant populations and/or racial minorities. We conclude that the long-standing division of research between urban and rural poverty would be enhanced by the development of alternative approaches that challenge the rural/urban divide. We also suggest that future research into poverty accounts for not only the distribution of the poorest populations, but the spatial distribution of the affluent as well.
Colony Expansion of Socially Motile Myxococcus xanthus Cells Is Driven by Growth, Motility, and Exopolysaccharide Production.

Myxococcus xanthus, a model organism for studies of multicellular behavior in bacteria, moves exclusively on solid surfaces using two distinct but coordinated motility mechanisms. One of these, social (S) motility is powered by the extension and retraction of type IV pili and requires the presence of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by neighboring cells. As a result, S motility requires close cell-to-cell proximity and isolated cells do not translocate. Previous studies measuring S motility by observing the colony expansion of cells deposited on agar have shown that the expansion rate increases with initial cell density, but the biophysical mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. To understand the dynamics of S motility-driven colony expansion, we developed a reaction-diffusion model describing the effects of cell density, EPS deposition and nutrient exposure on the expansion rate. Our results show that at steady state the population expands as a traveling wave with a speed determined by the interplay of cell motility and growth, a well-known characteristic of Fisher’s equation. The model explains the density-dependence of the colony expansion by demonstrating the presence of a lag phase–a transient period of very slow expansion with a duration dependent on the initial cell density. We propose that at a low initial density, more time is required for the cells to accumulate enough EPS to activate S-motility resulting in a longer lag period. Furthermore, our model makes the novel prediction that following the lag phase the population expands at a constant rate independent of the cell density. These predictions were confirmed by S motility experiments capturing long-term expansion dynamics.
Evidence for $${K^ + } \to {\pi ^ + }v\bar v$$ from E787

A collaboration from KEK, INS, Osaka, TRIUMF, Princeton, and BNL is currently running E787 at the AGS. The experiment is designed primarily to search for the rare decay \({K^ + } \to {\pi ^ + }v\bar v\), with an expected branching ratio of ~ 10−10. We report evidence that we have observed this decay. We also discuss the future outlook for the experiment.
Functional differentiation of mouse uterine epithelial cells grown on collagen gels or reconstituted basement membranes

Epithelial cells were isolated from mouse endometrium and cultured on two types of extracellular matrix, namely, rat-tail collagen (type I) gels and basement membrane extract (BME) derived from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm murine sarcoma. Cell attachment in serum-free medium during the initial 24 h after seeding was approximately twofold higher on BME compared with collagen type I. Addition of serum to the medium enhanced cell attachment on both matrices. On both collagen and BME, uterine cells grew as smooth-bordered colonies, and within a week of culture the cells became cuboidal to columnar in shape. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of apical microvilli associated with a glycocalyx, junctional complexes, tonofilaments, short strands of undilated endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and lipid droplets. However, cells on BME showed a higher degree of differentiation as assessed by occasional formation of small patches of basement membranelike structure subjacent to the flattened basal surface and formation of glandlike structures within the matrix. Proliferation of these cells as measured by radioactive thymidine incorporation into DNA was increased threefold by addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin to the medium, but was not changed by 17 beta-estradiol. The expression of progesterone receptors by uterine epithelial cells grown on both matrices was doubled by addition of EGF and estradiol to the medium.
Composite Environments of Severe and Nonsevere High-Shear, Low-CAPE Convective Events

AbstractSevere convection occurring in environments characterized by large amounts of vertical wind shear and limited instability (high-shear, low-CAPE, or “HSLC,” environments) represents a considerable forecasting and nowcasting challenge. Of particular concern, NWS products associated with HSLC convection have low probability of detection and high false alarm rates. Past studies of HSLC convection have examined features associated with single cases; the present work, through composites of numerous cases, illustrates the attributes of “typical” HSLC severe and nonsevere events and identifies features that discriminate between the two. HSLC severe events across the eastern United States typically occur in moist boundary layers within the warm sector or along the cold front of a strong surface cyclone, while those in the western United States have drier boundary layers and more typically occur in the vicinity of a surface triple point or in an upslope regime. The mean HSLC severe event is shown to exhibit...
Mechanistic validation of a clinical lead stapled peptide that reactivates p53 by dual HDM2 and HDMX targeting

Hydrocarbon-stapled peptides that display key residues of the p53 transactivation domain have emerged as bona fide clinical candidates for reactivating the tumor suppression function of p53 in cancer by dual targeting of the negative regulators HDM2 and HDMX. A recent study questioned the mechanistic specificity of such stapled peptides based on interrogating their capacity to disrupt p53/HDM2 and p53/HDMX complexes in living cells using a new recombinase enhanced bimolecular luciferase complementation platform (ReBiL). Here, we directly evaluate the cellular uptake, intracellular targeting selectivity and p53-dependent cytotoxicity of the clinical prototype ATSP-7041. We find that under standard serum-containing tissue culture conditions, ATSP-7041 achieves intracellular access without membrane disruption, dose-dependently dissociates both p53/HDM2 and p53/HDMX complexes but not an unrelated protein complex in long-term ReBiL experiments, and is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells bearing wild-type p53 by inducing a surge in p53 protein level. These studies underscore the importance of a thorough stepwise approach, including consideration of the time-dependence of cellular uptake and intracellular distribution, in evaluating and advancing stapled peptides for clinical translation.
Factorizations in self-idealizations of PIRs and UFRs

The self-idealization of a commutative ring R is isomorphic to the ring \(R[x]/(x^2)\) or, equivalently, the ring of upper-triangular Toeplitz matrices \({{\mathrm{\mathcal {T}}}}(R)=\left\{ \left( \begin{matrix} a &{} b \\ 0 &{} a \end{matrix}\right) :a,b\in R\right\} \). Recently, Chang and Smertnig characterized the sets of lengths of factorizations in \({{\mathrm{\mathcal {T}}}}(D)\) where D is a principal ideal domain. In this work, in addition to correcting an error in their paper, we extend the study to \({{\mathrm{\mathcal {T}}}}(R)\) when R is either a principal ideal ring or a unique factorization ring.
Abstract A069: Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in the trafficking behavior of regulatory versus conventional CD4+ T cells

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) express the canonical marker Foxp3 and are critical for suppressing the immune response in homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. Despite how widely studied CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs are in mice, their physiologic trafficking and scanning behavior of antigen-presenting cells in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) have yet to be quantitatively analyzed in the intravital setting. Our laboratory has previously described the dynamics of T cell trafficking through SLOs and scanning of dendritic cells (DCs), revealing that CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells exhibit different transit kinetics through lymph nodes (LNs). On average, CD4+ T cells spend less time scanning for self-peptide/MHC (self-pMHC), dwell shorter in LNs, and egress faster compared to CD8+ T cells. Here we use flow cytometry and 2-photon laser scanning microscopy (2-PLSM) to quantitate the homeostatic trafficking behavior and surveillance strategy of Tregs in LNs and to compare their behavior to conventional T cells (Tconvs). Our data reveal surprising differences in Treg versus Tconv trafficking in mesenteric versus other peripheral LNs. We find that Treg LN transit time is heavily dependent on recognition of self-pMHC in peripheral but not mesenteric LN. Furthermore, we describe a novel imaging platform which enables high resolution intravital imaging of gut SLOs, especially mesenteric LN, for up to 10 hours. Finally, we use intravital 2-PLSM to quantify the contribution of self-pMHC recognition to Treg kinetics and scanning of DCs in peripheral and mesenteric LNs. These results add quantitative data to the emerging paradigm that self-pMHC interactions dynamically control homeostatic Treg retainment and localized suppressive function in peripheral LNs. Citation Format: Alexander Tong. Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in the trafficking behavior of regulatory versus conventional CD4+ T cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A069.
Integrating computational approaches into high throughput screening for rational drug discovery

H screening (HTS) and structure/ligand-based virtual screening (VS) are two well-established techniques that are widely used in drug discovery. Progress on the applications of virtual and biological screening is currently moving towards the integration of these two synergistic approaches. Given the fact that more than 86% of the molecular targets in Pub Chem have related structural information in PDB, it is expected that a combined campaign with HTS and VS can be conducted in parallel to maximize their output and greatly improve the screening efficiency. Various computational approaches have been introduced to foster the screening process and data integration; however, it remains a challenging task to integrate these two distinct approaches efficiently in practice. Here we present case studies in finding small molecule inhibitors of bacterial virulence effectors combining HTS and computational approaches including molecular modeling and binding-site predication, ligandbased QSAR and pharmacophore search, structure-based docking and virtual screening, MD simulation and binding free energy calculations, and ADME/T modeling. To facilitate the comparative analysis and visualization of VS and HTS data, we developed a web-based tool that integrates the rich biochemical assay data of HTS, 3D structures of protein targets, and predicted proteinligand binding models from VS into a unified system for efficient data mining. A user-friendly graphical user interface allows users to visualize and manipulate the multidimensional data in an interactive environment, providing a useful informatics platform for computer-aided rational drug discovery. Xin Hu, Med chem 2013, 3:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0444.S1.007
Mushroom Polysaccharides: Chemistry and Antiobesity, Antidiabetes, Anticancer, and Antibiotic Properties in Cells, Rodents, and Humans

More than 2000 species of edible and/or medicinal mushrooms have been identified to date, many of which are widely consumed, stimulating much research on their health-promoting properties. These properties are associated with bioactive compounds produced by the mushrooms, including polysaccharides. Although β-glucans (homopolysaccharides) are believed to be the major bioactive polysaccharides of mushrooms, other types of mushroom polysaccharides (heteropolysaccharides) also possess biological properties. Here we survey the chemistry of such health-promoting polysaccharides and their reported antiobesity and antidiabetic properties as well as selected anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects that demonstrate their multiple health-promoting potential. The associated antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating activities in fat cells, rodents, and humans are also discussed. The mechanisms of action involve the gut microbiota, meaning the polysaccharides act as prebiotics in the digestive system. Also covered here are the nutritional, functional food, clinical, and epidemiological studies designed to assess the health-promoting properties of polysaccharides, individually and as blended mixtures, against obesity, diabetes, cancer, and infectious diseases, and suggestions for further research. The collated information and suggested research needs might guide further studies needed for a better understanding of the health-promoting properties of mushroom polysaccharides and enhance their use to help prevent and treat human chronic diseases.
Influence of Feed Intake Fluctuation, Feeding Frequency, Time of Feeding, and Rate of Gain on Performance by Limit-Fed Steers1

Abstract Four experiments were conducted to determine the effects of feed intake fluctuation, feeding frequency, time of feeding, and rate of gain on performance by limit-fed steers. Mean initial BW for steers in Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 378 ± 43, 225 ± 19, 227 ± 20, and 249 ± 17 kg, respectively. All experiments were complete random designs, and pen was the experimental unit. In Experiment 1, 10% daily variation in feed intake resulted in decreased (P 0.10) ADG or G/F. Average daily gain and G/F by steers programed to gain 1.25 kg/d were not affected (P>0.10) by 10% fluctuation in feed intake or twice daily feeding in Experiment 3. Treatments used in Experiment 4 consisted of 1) steers fed to gain 0.9 kg/d, 2) steers fed to gain 0.9 kg/d with 10% daily feed intake fluctuation, 3) steers fed to gain 1.25 kg/d, and 4) steers fed to gain 1.25 kg/d with 10% daily feed intake fluctuation. Fluctuation in feed intake did not affect (P>0.10) ADG at either rate of gain. Results suggest that feed intake fluctuation in limit-fed cattle might decrease performance early in the feeding period; however, cattle seem to adapt to fluctuating feed intake as the feeding period progresses. Time and frequency of feeding did not affect performance by limit-fed steers.
Proximale gastrale Vagotomie

Wie in Kap.9 bereits erwahnt, hat die proximale gastrale Vagotomie ohne Drainage die geringsten postoperativen Folgekomplikationen und die geringste Operationsmortalitat von alien Operationen zur Behandlung des Duodenalulkus. Auf der anderen Seite liegt die Rezidivhaufigkeit bei dieser Operationsmethode bei 10% wahrend 5–10 Jahren Verlaufsuntersuehungen. Da die Komplikationen nach einer Drainageoperation und Magenresektion, wie Dumping-Syndrom, Gewichtsverlust, Malabsorption, fur den Patienten sehr unangenehm sein konnen, besteht weltweite Ubereinstimmung darin, das Risiko von 10% Rezidivmoglichkeit gegenuber diesen Komplikationen in Kauf zu nehmen.
The anti-human trafficking collaboration model and serving victims: Providers' perspectives on the impact and experience.

Purpose. A coalition model is often used to serve victims of human trafficking but little is known about whether the model is adequately meeting the needs of the victims. The purpose of this study ...
EFFECTS OF POWER DISTANCE ON ICT STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT IN KENYA’S COMMERCIAL BANKS

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of power distance on ICT strategic alignment in Kenya’s commercial banks. Methodology: The study adopted the positivism research philosophy and descriptive correlational research design. The study’s population was the 43 commercial banks registered and licensed to operate in Kenya. To select the sample, the study used Yamane (2001) to calculate a sample of 215 senior managers of commercial banks. Further, the study used purposive sampling technique to select the managers to be included in the sample. The study used primary data for analysis which was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The study used three types of data analysis methods namely, descriptive analysis, factor analysis and multiple linear regression. The results from descriptive analysis were presented in form of frequencies, percentages and graphs, while the results from regression analysis were presented in tables. Results: The findings revealed that power distance explained 55% of the changes in ICT strategy alignment in commercial banks in Kenya. Further, the results revealed that the F-Critical, F 0.05, 1, 169 was 6.635. Since F calculated, 206.773, was greater than F-Critical, F 0.05, 1, 169 , 6.635, the study concluded that the model was satisfactory. In addition, the results showed that the relationship between power distance and ICT strategic alignment was negative and significant. This was supported by a beta coefficient of -0.304 and P-value of 0.000. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Following the study results, it was recommended that commercial banks top management should create a working environment where employees can feel free to express their concerns. This will ensure that there is good interaction between the employees and the management. This will result to improved ICT strategy alignment. Further, the study recommended that commercial banks should review their management policy. They should consider establishing a middle power distance management system as opposed to low or high power distance extremes.
Current perspectives and practices of newborn vitamin K administration in low and middle income countries.

Background Vitamin K prophylaxis can prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), and current global recommendations support universal prophylactic use in newborns. Data about access to and use of vitamin K in low and middle income countries (LMIC) are scarce. To address this gap, we explored current perspectives and practices of newborn vitamin K administration in LMIC in order to better understand the barriers to more widespread coverage of this lifesaving preventative treatment. Methods We conducted an online survey of stakeholders involved in newborn health. We sent the survey via e-mail to 109 individuals who were based primarily in LMIC and 23 responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 21%. Respondents were generally health or development professionals from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Results Incidence rates at the country level were mostly unknown or not supported by adequate data. Many respondents (17/23) indicated that vitamin K prophylaxis is included in their national newborn care guidelines and policies, while 12 respondents indicated that administration at birth was widely practiced. Around half of respondents reported that health workers were trained in the diagnosis and treatment of VKDB. The most frequently cited barriers to more widespread vitamin K prophylaxis were (in rank order) high rates of home birth (which preclude injections that must be given by skilled health workers), lack of access to and availability of vitamin K, perception that vitamin K prophylactic treatment is not a priority among health workers, lack of vitamin K formulations appropriate for infants, cultural practices suggesting that injection at birth is not acceptable to parents, and vitamin K not being included in national guidelines and policies. There was no consensus as to the ideal formulation, respondents preferring both the current intramuscular (IM) injection and oral formulation. Reported product attributes of IM and oral formulations are summarized. Conclusion Prophylactic administration of vitamin K to newborns is relatively well integrated into policy at the global and country levels, but its practice is underutilized. Barriers to use are access, supply chain logistics, provider attitudes, and restrictions on the use of injections by providers at the community level. Technology innovation may offer some promise to mitigate these barriers, although advocacy and health system strengthening might be more likely to yield improved coverage. Further investigation using in-depth bottleneck analysis at the country level could help identify specific health system improvements.
Anti-AIDS drug development : challenges and strategies

A myriad of chemical derivatives has been shown to inhibit in vitro replication of the AIDS virus at concentrations that are nontoxic to the host cells. The majority of these agents acts by either (i) inhibiting enzymes such as reverse transcriptase (RT), protease, or glucosidase, (ii) arresting expression of genes or gene products, or (iii) inhibiting viral processes such as giant cell (syncytia) formation or viral binding to the target cell. The nucleoside RT inhibitors are the most widely studied agents at both the preclinical and the clinical levels. Their inability to cure AIDS has stimulated the discovery of several novel nonnucleoside RT inhibitors, possessing varied structures and demonstrating activity at nanomolar concentrations. These agents demonstrate a unique mode of binding to RT and show a high specificity for HIV-1. Protease inhibitors, soluble CD4 derivatives, oligonucleotides, and many anionic derivatives also demonstrate potent anti-HIV-1 activities. These derivatives possess mechanisms of action different to the nucleosides and exhibit selectivity as exemplified by their high in vitro therapeutic indices. This article discusses the structural parameters that govern activity in these agents, the pros and cons regarding the development of these compounds as putative and-AIDS agents, and the future promise of searching for newer agents directed at novel targets to inhibit the AIDS virus.
LSTM Based Multiple Squashing Functions Deep Learning Model for Advanced Traffic Management System Attack Detection

Advanced Traffic Management System is started as a standalone system and now with the developed technology, it has turned to more complex networks through which many types of attacks are occurring on the system. These attacks are difficult to identify and to resolve them. In this paper, we are focusing on detecting these attacks present in the Advanced Traffic Management systems through the booming concept “Deep learning model”. The model proposed in the paper is the extension of Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM) recurrent model. The basics of Recurrent Neural Networks(RNN) model is taken due to its feedback behavior. The model is applied on a dataset that is collected from the online website and validated the model by coding it in python. By the end of the code execution, the model gives us whether the given test data has any attack in it or not. The model checks for more number of features for attack detection than the LSTM
Resolving Ambiguity: The Continued Relevance of Legislative History in an Era of Textualism

This article argues that Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s decision in Allina Health Servs. v. Price, 863 F.3d 937 (D.C. Cir. 2017), currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, was the correct one, but only by chance. Kavanagh based his ruling on subjective textualism. Congress’ true intent for the provision at issue, 42 U.S.C. 1395hh(a)(2), can be found in legislative history that has gone largely overlooked. This paper examines this history and shows how legislative history, in general, should, at the very least, continue to be persuasive evidence of statutory meaning.
Community Services, Needs, and Resources in Visual Impairment: A 21st Century Public Health Perspective:

This article suggests that a 21st century public health perspective on community needs and resource mobilization in vision impairment be grounded in a holistic concept of the community. This perspective should recognize the nature and magnitude of blindness and visual impairment within the significant technological, demographic, political, and sociocultural changes that characterize today's complex community structures. These changing community dynamics are linked with strategies for organizing and mobilizing resources. The article concludes with three propositions and a call for political action to transform our currently fragmented system of providing services into an integrated strategy for the 21st century.
Microstructural development in cast and aged Ni–Al–Cr-based alloys derived from the B2 type β-NiAl structure

The formation of intermetallic compounds consisting of nickel-rich B2-type NiAl (β-phase) ductilized by two-phase A1 (γ)/L12 (γ′) regions provides the possibility of combining ductility and high-temperature performance. Similar microstructures can also form the basis of high-temperature shape memory alloys, due to martensitic transformation of the β-phase to an L10-type product. One route by which β−γ/γ′ microstructures can be produced involves the use of chromium as a γ-stabilizer. However, microstructural development in such a case is complicated by the formation of α-Cr precipitates.
The Use of 'Boot Camps' and Periods in Externships and Clinics: Lessons Learned from a Criminal Prosecution Clinic

Clinical faculty and externship supervisors often desire for students to hit the ground running in their field placement experiences in order to make maximum use of the limited time available for learning. This article proposes a solution to a chronic dilemma in clinical legal education: how to use a classroom component to prepare students effectively for concurrent work in an externship or clinic. Pre-semester orientation periods - or what I term boot camps - can infuse skills and knowledge into students to enable them to start their externship or clinic experience with immediate, practical skills and knowledge. This empowers them to make effective use of their first few weeks in the course. A boot camp can be as simple as a one- or two-hour orientation to the clinic office. It could also be a week-long seminar on skills development. Boot camps are, in effect, a way of front-loading instruction in a course. This provides a number of benefits to students and instructors alike. There are, however, costs associated with front-loading portions of a course. On balance, I believe the benefits far exceed the costs in most situations. In Part I of this article, I discuss my own boot camp experiences, both as a law student and later as a law professor. In Part II, I layout the challenges as I see them in structuring a classroom component for a clinical or externship course. In Part III, I turn to the specifics of frontloaded instruction, discussing different types of boot camps and the advantages and disadvantages of each model. In Part IV, I discuss two areas of possible, future direction for boot camps.
Micro-cyberwar vs. macro-cyberwar: towards the beginning of a taxonomy

This essay proposes and begins a taxonomy of cyberwar, with a fundamental dichotomy between micro-cyberwar, as in attacks on individual email and automobiles, and macro-cyberwar, defined as all-out attacks on the infra-structure of society, such as hospital systems and air-traffic control. Although both can be deadly, the scale of death and destruction is usually much greater in macro-cyberwar, and it would be useful for public figures to address this dichotomy when discussing cyberwar.
Atom probe tomography characterization of ion and neutron irradiated Alloy 800H

Abstract Alloy 800H is a high temperature and creep resistant alloy, and is considered as a candidate alloy for use in Generation IV nuclear reactor systems. To clarify the alloy's behavior under irradiation, samples were subjected to single ion irradiations up to 20 dpa at 440°C, a dual ion/He irradiation to 17 dpa at 460°C, and a neutron irradiation to 17 dpa at 385°C. The irradiated microstructures were characterized using atom probe tomography to complement previously published transmission electron microscopy studies. After single ion irradiation, sparse fine Al and Ti clusters were observed after 1dpa, while high number densities of nanoscale Ni-Al-Ti clusters, Cr-Ti rich carbides, and Si-decorated dislocation loops developed after 10 and 20 dpa. The microstructure formed during single ion irradiation exhibited a strong depth dependence. No significant differences were observed between the single and dual ion irradiations. While Ni-Al-Ti clusters, Cr-Ti rich carbides, and Si-decorated dislocation loops were also observed after neutron irradiation, the neutron-irradiated microstructure differed from those found in the ion-irradiated samples.
Oil Prices, the Housing Market, and Spillover Effects: Evidence from California’s Central Valley

This paper examines the effects of oil prices on home values in Kern County, California’s top oil producer. Using monthly data from 1990:01 to 2018:03, results from an ARDL model indicate that ther...
The scope of U.S. state soil health legislation: A mixed-methods policy analysis

Links between soil health and public health are established and growing in the scientific literature, and soil health bills in the U.S. have increased since 2016, but the extent to which current soil health legislation addresses public health implications has not been examined. Does the scope of current legislation explicitly address links to public health? This question will grow more pressing as popula­tion growth places higher demands on soils. In this study, we examine the scope and content of recent soil health legislation and investigate the impor­tance of context, processes, and actors through semistructured interviews with soil health profes­sionals involved with identified bills. Twelve bills from 11 states were analyzed and 10 interviews were conducted. Legislation focused primarily on soils’ capacity to sequester carbon and improve water quality, while public health had minimal representation. Interviews illuminated themes such as climate change motivating bill proposals and recognition of soils as living ecosystems, yet also demonstrated structural and knowledge limitations to including public health in soil health policies. These findings provide a novel perspective on the scope and passage of soil health legislation and demonstrate the opportunity for broader collaboration with public health.
Computational Study of Microflaps with Application to Vibration Reduction in Helicopter Rotors

A comprehensive study on unsteady effects of oscillating Gurney flaps, or microflaps, has been conducted. Two-dimensional unsteady airloads for lift, moment, and drag due to an oscillating microflap were computed using a compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier―Stokes flow solver. The computational fluid dynamics results were generated with an overset-mesh approach that captures oscillatory microflap motion. Three microflap configurations were examined to determine the type most suitable in terms of actuation efficiency and practical implementation. Furthermore, a reduced-order model for the unsteady microflaps was developed based on computational fluid dynamics simulations, using the rational function approximation approach. The resulting rational function approximation model is a state-space time-domain aerodynamic model that accounts for unsteadiness, compressibility, and time-varying freestream effect. The agreement between the reduced-order model and direct computational fluid dynamics calculations was found to be excellent for a wide range of flow conditions examined. The approximate model is suitable for incorporation in a comprehensive code, from which the potential of microflaps for active control of vibrations in rotors can be determined. Open-loop control studies indicated that the microflap produces substantial vibration reduction (80% reduction in vertical shear), whereas closed-loop control using combined harmonic inputs consisting of a sum of four harmonics (2―5/rev) reduced the vibration objective by 92%, on a hingeless rotor configuration resembling the Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm BO-105. These results confirmed the control authority and effectiveness of the microflap for vibration reduction in rotorcraft.
The Effectiveness of Membership Free Shipping: An Empirical Investigation on Consumer's Purchase Behaviors and Retailer's Profits

Although the membership free shipping policy has been widely adopted by e-commerce giants, its effectiveness is still understudied. The authors leverage a unique consumer panel dataset provided by a top online retailer in Asia and use a quasi-experimental approach to quantify the enrollment effect of MFS on consumer’s purchase behaviors and retailer’s profits. The authors find that MFS enrollment does not lift average consumer spending during the annual membership period. Yet, it enhances retailers' profits as membership fees offset the increased shipping costs. The effectiveness of MFS changes over time. At the early stage, the MFS program does not generate profits as members exploit free shipping benefits and place smaller orders without spending more. However, it becomes profitable as the retailer benefits from increased customer engagement and loyalty in the long run. Members spend more, purchase a greater variety of products, and become less sensitive to price promotions over time. Using casual forest, we further estimate the enrollment effect of MFS at an individual level and find that the retailer can generate profits from only around 50% of members. We recommend retailers target customers based on their potential profit contributions when promoting MFS, as it can generate up to 90% higher profits than standard practices.
What's the smallest part of spinach? A new experimental approach to the count/mass distinction

This paper reports on a study that uses a novel methodology, the minimal part identification task , in order to probe the relationship between morphosyntax and interpretation. English, Korean and Mandarin Chinese differ from one another with regard to the count/mass distinction. Building on prior research but using a new methodology, this study examines whether speakers of these three languages also differ in how they interpret count vs. mass nouns. The findings, while uncovering some language-specific effects of morphosyntax, point to the importance of universality, and suggest that interpretation drives morphosyntax rather than the other way around.