cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of the Tobacco SIP Kinase by Both a Cell Wall–Derived Carbohydrate Elicitor and Purified Proteinaceous Elicitins from Phytophthora spp

Two purified proteinaceous fungal elicitors, parasiticein (an α elicitin) and cryptogein (a β elicitin), as well as a fungal cell wall–derived carbohydrate elicitor all rapidly activated a 48-kD kinase in tobacco suspension cells. The maximum activation of this kinase paralleled or preceded medium alkalization and activation of the defense gene phenylalanine ammonia–lyase ( PAL ). In addition, the two elicitins, which also induced hypersensitive cell death, activated a 44- and a 40-kD kinase with delayed kinetics. By contrast, the cell wall–derived elicitor only weakly activated the 44-kD kinase and failed to activate the 40-kD kinase. The size and substrate preference of the 48-kD kinase are reminiscent of the recently purified and cloned salicylic acid–induced protein (SIP) kinase, which is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. Antibodies raised against a peptide corresponding to the unique N terminus of SIP kinase immunoreacted with the 48-kD kinase activated by all three elicitors from Phytophthora spp. In addition, the cell wall elicitor and the salicylic acid–activated 48-kD kinase copurified through several chromatography steps and comigrated on two-dimensional gels. Based on these results, all three fungal elicitors appear to activate the SIP kinase. In addition, inhibition of SIP kinase activation by kinase inhibitors correlated with the suppression of cell wall elicitor–induced medium alkalization and PAL gene activation, suggesting a regulatory function for the SIP kinase in these defense responses.
Integration of realistic simulation software with design into a power system curriculum: Power flow and transient stability case studies

Because of time constraints any undergraduate power engineering curriculum requires hard decisions about what important information to include and what to exclude. These choices can become particularly controversial when they involve choices between the algorithmic fundamentals of engineering analysis tools versus providing more practical discussions of how the tools are used. This paper provides an introduction to a panel presentation that explores these tradeoffs by focusing two of the most widely used power engineering tool, the power flow and transient stability.
Mixed Higher‐Order Cyanocuprate‐Induced Epoxide Openings: 1‐Benzyloxy‐4‐Penten‐2‐ol

Mixed higher-order cyanocuprate-induced epoxide openings: 1-benzyloxy-4-penten-2-ol reactant: (±)-benzyl 2,3-epoxypropyl ether (7.34 g, 44.7 mmol, 83%) product: (R)-1-Benzyloxy-4-penten-2-ol Keywords: acetal (and thioacetal) formation; alkylation, O-alkylation; ring opening reactions; assay methods, for butyllithium, with 2-butanol, menthol, 2-pentanol, or 2-propanol, 1,10-phenanthroline indicator; assay methods, for vinyllithium with 2-butanol, 1,10-phenanthroline indicator; lithium vinyl-2-thienylcyanocuprate; thiophene; copper cyanide, poison
Simulations of Titan’s paleoclimate

Abstract We investigate the effects of varying Saturn’s orbit on the atmospheric circulation and surface methane distribution of Titan. Using a new general circulation model of Titan’s atmosphere, we simulate its climate under four characteristic configurations of orbital parameters that correspond to snapshots over the past 42 kyr, capturing the amplitude range of long-period cyclic variations in eccentricity and longitude of perihelion. The model, which covers pressures from the surface to 0.5 mbar, reproduces the present-day temperature profile and tropospheric superrotation. In all four simulations, the atmosphere efficiently transports methane poleward, drying out the low- and mid-latitudes, indicating that these regions have been desert-like for at least tens of thousands of years. Though circulation patterns are not significantly different, the amount of surface methane that builds up over either pole strongly depends on the insolation distribution; in the present-day, methane builds up preferentially in the north, in agreement with observations, where summer is milder but longer. The same is true, to a lesser extent, for the configuration 14 kyr ago, while the south pole gains more methane in the case for 28 kyr ago, and the system is almost symmetric 42 kyr ago. This confirms the hypothesis that orbital forcing influences the distribution of surface liquids, and that the current observed asymmetry could have been partially or fully reversed in the past. The evolution of the orbital forcing implies that the surface reservoir is transported on timescales of ∼30 kyr, in which case the asymmetry reverses with a period of ∼125 kyr. Otherwise, the orbital forcing does not produce a net asymmetry over longer timescales, and is not a likely mechanism for generating the observed dichotomy.
Enamel Structure and Composition in the Tricho-Dento-Osseous Syndrome

Tricho-dento-osseous syndrome (TDO) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by curly hair, hypoplastic enamel, taurodontism, and dense bone. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the enamel defects in a TDO population in North Carolina. Twelve TDO teeth and 12 normal teeth were examined. The enamel thickness was decreased in all TDO teeth ranging from having no enamel to about 60% the thickness of normal teeth. Half of the TDO teeth had primarily prismless enamel while the remainder had at least occasional areas of prismatic enamel. TDO enamel crystallites appeared similar to normal crystallites with TEM. The mineral per volume of TDO enamel (n =9) (68.5%) was significantly less, on average, compared with normal enamel (n=8) (84.5). The genetic mutation responsible for the TDO phenotype results in alteration of a developmental pathway(s) common to hair, teeth and bone. This further illustrates that these embryologically diverse tissues share common developmental controls at the mol...
Arguing With Emotion: A Closer Look at Affect and the Inoculation Process

This study explored the role of affect in the counterarguing process of inoculation by introducing the concept of affective counterarguments. Although previous studies have used affective inoculation treatments, this is the first study to identify and assess affective counterarguments. As expected, cognitive inoculation treatments led to the recognition of more cognitive counterarguments, whereas affective inoculation treatments led to the recognition of more affective counterarguments. Surprisingly, the study also found that participants rated affective counterarguments as significantly stronger than cognitive counterarguments. Results indicate that affective counterarguing does occur and that participants feel significantly stronger about affective counterarguments than they do about cognitive counterarguments.
Gender and Marital Decision Making: Negotiating Religious Ideology and Practice

This article uses quantitative data from the 1996 Religious Identity and Influence Survey to examine the relationship between religious identity, gender ideology, and marital decision making. The focus is on variation across religious groups in beliefs about the husband as the head of the family and reported patterns of marital decision making. While conservative Protestants espouse a traditional gender-role ideology, their marital decision-making practices are not significantly different from those of other religious groups. On the other hand, theologically liberal Protestants have more egalitarian ideology while reporting decision-making practices that are not significantly more egalitarian than those of conservative Protestants. The findings suggest that ideology should not be equated with practice without taking into consideration the broader context and subcultural meanings of the beliefs in question.
Acupuncture Modulation of Neural Transmitters/Modulators

Acupuncture has historically been in clinical practice in China since a long time and today has spread to many other parts of the world as well. Accumulating evidence shows that manual acupuncture (MA) and electroacupuncture (EA) induce therapeutic effects on multiple disorders that have been demonstrated not only by the Oriental clinicians but also by Western medical community. A large body of literature shows that acupuncture affects the central nervous system (CNS) through regulation of neurotransmitters in terms of their synthesis, release, uptake, and degradation, suggesting an involvement of neurotransmitters in acupuncture therapy. In this chapter, we will update on these vantage points in view of the recent studies on acupuncture effects on neural transmitters/modulators. Besides technical development (e.g., fMRI and PET for measuring endogenous opioid concentrations in the brain), recent evidence suggests that (1) acupuncture can induce dual-directional regulation of endogenous opioids, monoamine substance P, and other transmitters/modulators, depending on acupuncture condition and body status (e.g., normal vs. disease); (2) acupuncture can increase the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and enhance the expression of neurotrophic factor (NTF) receptors; (3) acupuncture downregulates the nitric oxide (NO) level in the CNS and elevates the NO content in plasma and certain organs; (4) EA can suppress the activation of acetylcholinesterase to attenuate acetylcholine degradation; (5) EA has a better effect on enhancing 5-HT mRNA expression than MA; (6) MA and EA have differential effects on different subtypes of glutamate receptors, leading to decreased expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and increased expression of AMPA receptor; and (7) EA increases the concentration of prostaglandins in plasma in some diseased states. These studies show that acupuncture induces comprehensive effects on transmitters/modulators in the CNS, and the outcome can be dual-directional depending on acupuncture approach and the body status.
Morphologic effects of artemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum

Ultrastructural changes induced in Plasmodium falciparum by artemisinin were studied in vitro. Electron microscopic autoradiography was performed on infected erythrocytes that were exposed in vitro to 3H-dihydroartemisinin and 14C-artemisinin. These drugs consistently were located in food vacuoles and mitochondria. Two hours after administration, changes were observed in parasite mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclear envelope. At four hours, in addition to the earlier changes, nuclear membranes and, to a lesser extent, some plasma membranes formed myelin figures. In addition, there was a disappearance of ribosomes, and a destruction of food vacuole membranes. These changes may lead to the total disorganization of the parasites. Approximately 30% of the parasites manifested these alterations.
Case 2: Respiratory distress and abdominal tenderness in 21-month-old girl.

1. Heather Lesage-Horton, MD* 2. Gina Ney, MD, PhD* 3. Jennifer Stojan, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. A 21-month-old girl with asthma and eczema (treated by albuterol and topical hydrocortisone as needed) presents in January with 5 days of cough, rhinorrhea, and fever. One day before presentation, she developed emesis and diarrhea with a decrease in oral intake and urine output. On presentation, her temperature is 101.7oF (38.7oC), with a respiratory rate of 60 breaths per minute, a pulse of 160 beats per minute, blood pressure of 110/68 mm Hg, and an oxygen saturation of 91% on room air. Mucous membranes are dry, and capillary refill is delayed. She is responsive but in moderate respiratory distress with intercostal and subcostal retractions. Crackles and coarse breath sounds are auscultated bilaterally. She has abdominal distension with significant right upper quadrant tenderness and guarding. Laboratory results are remarkable for a blood glucose level of 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L), venous pH 7.15, lactate level of 73.9 mg/dL (8.2 mmol/L), bicarbonate level of 16 mEq/L (16 mmol/L) with an anion gap of 17 mEq/L (17 mmol/L), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) level of 789 IU/L, and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) of 301 IU/L. Resuscitation with 25% dextrose achieved normal blood glucose levels, and further fluid resuscitation with 2 normal saline boluses followed by 5% dextrose and 0.45% normal saline was administered. Her total bilirubin level is 1.0 mg/dL (17.1 μmol/L) with an alkaline phosphatase level of 271 IU/L. Serum albumin, protein, …
Statistical Interpretation of Intraindividual Variability on the Test of Language Development—Primary

The TOLD-P manual presents adequate information related to generating normative statements regarding an individual child's over-all language development; however, the manual provides little directi...
Natural Occurrence of Ametadoria misella (Diptera: Tachinidae) and the Granulovirus of Harrisina brillians (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) in California

In southern California, populations of the western grapeleaf skeletonizer, Harrisina brillians Barnes & McDunnough, appear to be maintained at low levels of abundance by the combined activity of Harrisina brillians granulovirus (HbGV) and the parasitoid Ametadoria misella (Wulp). In contrast, outbreaks of H. brillians were common in central California in the late 1970s and 1980s. We investigated field populations of H. brillians in Fresno and nearby Madera Counties from 1992 to 1995 to determine the prevalence and impact of both natural enemies. A double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing polyclonal antibodies to HbGV was developed to detect virus in field samples. The sensitivity of the ELISA was a10 ng of viral protein (equivalent to 100 ng/ml in the assay) detecting granulovirus in infected H. brillians larvae 72 h after infection. The ELISA did not cross react with the multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus Autographa californica MNPV at concentrations as high as 105 ng/ml, but did cross react with another granulovirus Cydia pomonella GV at concentrations >103 ng/ml. H. brillians pupae were collected from 4 vineyards. Both natural enemies were abundant at all sites, and the total mortality of host pupae ranged from 53 to 98%. Granulovirus accounted for as much as 97% mortality, whereas parasitism by A. misella ranged from 12 to 33% as estimated by marginal death rate analysis. These data indicate that both natural enemies cause significant mortality of H. brillians and that, contrary to earlier reports, A. misella is established in central California. Additionally, up to 47% of H. brillians adults eclosing from overwintering pupae tested positive for granulovirus by ELISA, indicating that host adults are an important mechanism of intergenerational and interseasonal persistence of the virus in host populations.
Understanding the Crystallization Mechanism of Delafossite CuGaO2 for Controlled Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanoparticles and Nanoplates

The delafossite CuGaO2 is an important p-type transparent conducting oxide for both fundamental science and industrial applications. An emerging application is for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells. Obtaining delafossite CuGaO2 nanoparticles is challenging but desirable for efficient dye loading. In this work, the phase formation and crystal growth mechanism of delafossite CuGaO2 under low-temperature (<250 °C) hydrothermal conditions are systematically studied. The stabilization of CuI cations in aqueous solution and the controlling of the hydrolysis of GaIII species are two crucial factors that determine the phase formation. The oriented attachment (OA) growth is proposed as the crystal growth mechanism to explain the formation of large CuGaO2 nanoplates. Importantly, by suppressing this OA process, delafossite CuGaO2 nanoparticles that are 20 nm in size were successfully synthesized for the first time. Moreover, considering the structural and chemical similarities between the Cu-based delafossite serie...
Isolating and identifying hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome vivus from rodent animal in Liaoning Province

Objective: We initially learned the type of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome HFRS virus(Hantavirus),which rodent were naturally infected in Liaoning province,by separating virus from lungs of mice in HFRS epidemic area.And it will provide reliable bases for the work of prevention and control.Methods:We divided the subjects of mice lung into two groups: in the first group the virus was separated directly by vero-E6 cells and in the second one it was firstly multiplied in vivo and separated in the same way;Then we used RT-PCR to amplify RNA of two groups virus above by type specific primer and sequenced the M piece in it.Results:We separated 3 strains of virus in the first group,while from the second group animals we received 3 portions of strong positive subjects and 1 portion of light one,from which we got 2 strains of virus.We identified them as Hantavirus,one was Hataan virus(HTNV),the other four were Seoul virus(SEOV).
Pharmacokinetics of an extended-release formulation of eprinomectin in healthy adult alpacas and its use in alpacas confirmed with mange.

The study objective was to determine the pharmacokinetics and clinical effects of an extended-release 5% eprinomectin formulation (Longrange®) following subcutaneous (s.c.) injection in healthy (n = 6) and mange-infected (n = 4) adult alpacas. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze plasma samples obtained at regular intervals for 161 days following a single 5 mg/kg injection s.c. in healthy alpacas, and for 5 days following each dose (3 treatments, 2 months apart) in mange-affected animals. Skin scrapings and biopsies were performed pre- and post-treatment at two comparable sites in alpacas with mange. Four alpacas served as healthy controls. Eprinomectin plasma concentrations showed a biphasic peak (CMAX-1: 5.72 ± 3.25 ng/mL; CMAX-2: 6.06 ± 2.47 ng/mL) in all animals at 3.88 ± 5.16 days and 77 ± 12.52 days, respectively. Eprinomectin plasma concentrations remained above 1.27 ± 0.96 ng/mL for up to 120 days. Hematocrit (35.8 vs. 31.3%, P < 0.003) and albumin (3.5 vs. 2.8 g/dL P < 0.006) reduced significantly over 6 months in multidose animals, while fecal egg counts did not differ between groups. Self-limiting injection site reactions occurred in 9 of 10 animals. Pre- and post-treatment skin biopsies showed reduced hyperkeratosis, but increased fibrosis, with 1 of 4 alpacas remaining positive on skin scraping for mange. In conclusion, alpacas require a higher eprinomectin dose (5.0 mg/kg s.c.) than cattle, to reach comparable plasma concentrations.
Bringing ultra-large-scale software repository mining to the masses with boa

Mining software repositories provides developers and researchers a chance to learn from previous development activities and apply that knowledge to the future. Ultra-large-scale open source repositories (e.g., SourceForge with 350,000+ projects, GitHub with 250,000+ projects, and Google Code with 250,000+ projects) provide an extremely large corpus to perform such mining tasks on. This large corpus allows researchers the opportunity to test new mining techniques and empirically validate new approaches on real-world data. However, the barrier to entry is often extremely high. Researchers interested in mining must know a large number of techniques, languages, tools, etc, each of which is often complex. Additionally, performing mining at the scale proposed above adds additional complexity and often is difficult to achieve. The Boa language and infrastructure was developed to solve these problems. We provide users a domain-specific language tailored for software repository mining and allow them to submit queries via our web-based interface. These queries are then automatically parallelized and executed on a cluster, analyzing a dataset containing almost 700,000 projects, history information from millions of revisions, millions of Java source files, and billions of AST nodes. The language also provides an easy to comprehend visitor syntax to ease writing source code mining queries. The underlying infrastructure contains several optimizations, including query optimizations to make single queries faster as well as a fusion optimization to group queries from multiple users into a single query. The latter optimization is important as Boa is intended to be a shared, community resource. Finally, we show the potential benefit of Boa to the community by reproducing a previously published case study and performing a new case study on the adoption of Java language features.
Renewable high density fuels containing tricyclic sesquiterpanes and alkyl diamondoids

Three new advanced biofuels have been produced from sesquiterpene feedstocks. Cedarwood oil, which is primarily composed of the sesquiterpenes thujopsene, α-cedrene, and β-cedrene, was hydrogenated to generate a fuel blend (HCWO) with a cetane number of 31 and a volumetric net heat of combustion (NHOC) more than 12% higher than conventional jet fuel. Hydrogenation under pressures ranging from 400 to 440 psi allowed for reduction of the double bond in thujopsene while keeping the cyclopropane ring intact. A single component high density fuel containing only hydrogenated α-cedrene (cedrane) was then prepared by dehydration and hydrogenation of α-cedrol, and found to have an even higher NHOC and lower viscosity than HCWO. Cedrane was then isomerized to 1-ethyl-3,5,7-trimethyladamantane (ETMA) and a mixture of other alkyl adamantanes. The adamantane mixture had a cetane number of 46 and a viscosity suitable for use in a conventional diesel engine. This work shows that sustainable multicyclic sesquiterpenes are versatile feedstocks to ultra-performance fuels that combine high densities with high cetane numbers.
Sex differences and hormonal modulation of ethanol-enhanced risk taking in rats.

Abstract Background Ethanol (EtOH) intake correlates with increased risk-taking, and sex differences exist in both EtOH use and risk-taking in humans and rats. However, the interaction of sex and gonadal hormones to affect risk-taking under the influence of EtOH has not been determined. This was the focus of the current study. Methods Adult Long-Evans rats (n = 18 males and females) were gonadectomized and received hormone replacement at physiologic levels or blank implants (n = 7-9/group). Risk-taking was assessed with probability discounting, requiring rats to choose between a small/certain reward and a large/uncertain reward delivered with decreasing probability throughout each daily session. Before testing, rats received saline or EtOH (0.5 or 1.0 g/kg) ip. Results In males, EtOH increased preference for the large/uncertain reward lever (F2,28 = 10.462, p 0.05). At baseline, ORCHX+T males showed a greater preference for the large/uncertain reward lever then ORCHX males (F1,14 = 13.805, p Conclusions These results show that EtOH, sex, and hormones interact to influence decision making. EtOH increases risk taking in males, but not in females. However, EtOH selectively decreases choice latency in females, and decreases loss sensitivity in both sexes. These findings are relevant to understanding human behavior, particularly in adolescents who experience increased hormone levels and often drink EtOH and engage in risky behavior.
Vorausschauende Produktionsplanung unter Beachtung des operativen Risikos

Kurzfassung Produzierende Unternehmen in Deutschland sehen sich aufgrund der gestiegenen Qualitatsanforderungen der Kunden, sich immer weiter verkurzenden Produktlebenszyklen sowie einer steigenden Variantenvielfalt vor immer neue Herausforderungen gestellt. Zu deren Bewaltigung ist fur jedes Industrieunternehmen eine zuverlassige Produktion von elementarer Bedeutung. Ein funktionierendes Risikomanagementsystem kann hier dazu beitragen, das Auftreten kritischer Situationen in der Produktion fruhzeitig zu erkennen. Somit lassen sich der Schadenseintritt in seiner Eintrittswahrscheinlichkeit senken und die Leistungsfahigkeit sowie die Zuverlassigkeit eines Produktionsunternehmens steigern.
“I am more than my past”: Parents' attitudes and perceptions of the Positive Parenting Program in Child Welfare

Abstract Child welfare workers are challenged on a daily basis to achieve the goals of promoting child safety, permanency, and well-being. To achieve these goals, system leaders in two child welfare agencies in a large-Mid-Atlantic City received external funding to implement the Positive Parenting Program (TripleP), an evidence-supported parenting intervention (ESPI). While contextual and organizational barriers have been illuminated among clinicians and child welfare workers and leaders, less is known about the attitudes and perceptions of ESPIs among parents involved in the child welfare system. Thirty-five parents who graduated from or who were near completing Triple-P participated in one of four focus groups. Grounded Theory methods illuminated three core themes. Categories within the first theme “barriers of engagement” included lack of immediate acceptability, multiple demands, limited time and visitation privileges to practice new skills, and biased assessments by caseworkers. However, the parents overcame barriers (theme two) due to Triple-P providers' ability to cultivate positive therapeutic alliances by praising and recognizing progress, adapting case studies for increasing applicability, and facilitating bonds between peers. Consequently, the parents illuminated the impacts of engagement (theme three), which included: confidence to engage in positive talk with children, increased insight of previous negative parenting practices, and recognition of positive and prosocial child behaviors. Findings underscore the salience of providing support and resources for clinicians and child welfare workers to effectively engage parents in ESPIs. Future research is needed to validate these findings in other agency contexts, and with attention to other ESPIs implemented in child welfare agencies.
Gene Transfer into the Central Nervous System: Neurotrophic Factors

Neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), in addition to their role in neuronal development, have protective effects on neuronal survival and stimulatory effects on neuronal regeneration in adult animals (Barde, 1988; Snider and Johnson, 1989; Johnson et al, 1992). For this reason, treatment strategies for human neurodegenerative disease have focused on techniques by which neurotrophic factor gene products can be introduced into the adult central nervous system (CNS) (Hefti, 1986; Gage et al, 1987; Kromer, 1987; Dreyfus, 1989; Morgan, 1989; Gage et al, 1990; Olson, 1990; Lindvall, 1991).
Game Playing Families

The husband of a 35 year old insulin-dependent (type 1 ) diabetic nursing supervisor insists that the severity of his wife’s kidney failure be hidden. In his view, the patient is too fragile to bear the news that she is at risk of near-term loss of vision, dialysis and/or kidney transplantation, with a substantive probability of dying. Despite presentation of the argument that his wife will be better able to bear the stresses ahead if she is informed rather than distanced from the truth, the husband warns that “under no circumstance are you to tell my wife this terrible news.” A resident states that he is not bound by unreasonable requests and will, indeed, discuss the patient’s illness with the patient and family.
Visual pathway study using in vivo diffusion tensor imaging tractography to complement classic anatomy.

Background Knowledge of the individual course of the optic radiations (OR) is important to avoid post-operative visual deficits. Cadaveric studies of the visual pathways are limited because it has not been possible to accurately separate the OR from neighboring tracts and results may not apply to individual patients. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies may be able to demonstrate the relationships between the OR and neighboring fibers in vivo in individual subjects.
Monod-Wyman-Changeux Allosteric Shift Analysis in Mutant α1β3γ2L GABAA Receptors Indicates Selectivity and Crosstalk among Intersubunit Transmembrane Anesthetic Sites.

Propofol, etomidate, and barbiturate anesthetics are allosteric coagonists at pentameric α1β3γ2 GABAA receptors, modulating channel activation via four biochemically established intersubunit transmembrane pockets. Etomidate selectively occupies the two β+/α− pockets, the barbiturate photolabel R-5-allyl-1-methyl-5-(m-trifluoromethyl-diazirynylphenyl) barbituric acid (R-mTFD-MPAB) occupies homologous α+/β− and γ+/β− pockets, and propofol occupies all four. Functional studies of mutations at M2-15′ or M3-36′ loci abutting these pockets provide conflicting results regarding their relative contributions to propofol modulation. We electrophysiologically measured GABA-dependent channel activation in α1β3γ2L or receptors with single M2-15′ (α1S270I, β3N265M, and γ2S280W) or M3-36′ (α1A291W, β3M286W, and γ2S301W) mutations, in the absence and presence of equipotent clinical range concentrations of etomidate, R-mTFD-MPAB, and propofol. Estimated open probabilities were calculated and analyzed using global two-state Monod-Wyman-Changeux models to derive log(d) parameters proportional to anesthetic-induced channel modulating energies (where d is the allosteric anesthetic shift factor). All mutations reduced the log(d) values for anesthetics occupying both abutting and nonabutting pockets. The Δlog(d) values [log(d, mutant) − log(d, wild type)] for M2-15′ mutations abutting an anesthetic’s biochemically established binding sites were consistently larger than the Δlog(d) values for nonabutting mutations, although this was not true for the M3-36′ mutant Δlog(d) values. The sums of the anesthetic-associated Δlog(d) values for sets of M2-15′ or M3-36′ mutations were all much larger than the wild-type log(d) values. Mutant Δlog(d) values qualitatively reflect anesthetic site occupancy patterns. However, the lack of Δlog(d) additivity undermines quantitative comparisons of distinct site contributions to anesthetic modulation because the mutations impaired both abutting anesthetic binding effects and positive cooperativity between anesthetic binding sites.
Second-generation Micro-Spec: A compact spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter space missions

Abstract Micro-Spec is a direct-detection spectrometer which integrates all the components of a diffraction-grating spectrometer onto a ≈ 10 -cm2 chip through the use of superconducting microstrip transmission lines on a single-crystal silicon substrate. The second generation of Micro-Spec is being designed to operate with a spectral resolution of at least 512 in the far-infrared and submillimeter (420–540 GHz, 714–555 μm) wavelength range, a band of interest for NASA's experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping called EXCLAIM. EXCLAIM will be a balloon-borne telescope that is being designed to map the emission of redshifted carbon monoxide and singly-ionized carbon lines over a redshift range 0 z 3.5 and it will be the first demonstration of the Micro-Spec technology in a space-like environment. This work reviews the status of the Micro-Spec design for the EXCLAIM telescope, with emphasis on the spectrometer's two-dimensional diffractive region, through which light of different wavelengths is focused on kinetic inductance detectors along the instrument focal plane. An optimization process is used to generate a geometrical configuration of the diffractive region that satisfies specific requirements on size, operating spectral range and performance. An initial optical design optimized for EXCLAIM is presented in terms of geometric layout, spectral purity and efficiency.
China’s Belt-Road Initiative as the Signature of President Xi Jinping Diplomacy: Easier Said than Done

This article examines the design, objectives, and implementation of the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) six years after its inception. It argues that although the BRI as a top-level design on which Pres...
What Can “Big Data” Methods Offer Human Services Research on Organizations and Communities?

ABSTRACTIn this commentary, we examine the role that human services professionals might play in the use of Big Data and data science applications that promise to reshape human service organizations...
Optimal Tracking Control Experiments for 2-DOF Helicopter: An Open-Implementation Approach

This paper advances the previous work done by Janiak et al., by implementing a generic optimal tracking control law for tracking the motion of a 2-DOF helicopter. While most of the 2-DOF helicopter control algorithms proposed in the literature to date are tested using computer simulations, the focus of the current work is to practically implement a leading optimal tracking control scheme for converging a 2-DOF helicopter to its desired configuration asymptotically. The contribution of the current manuscript is to generalize the implementation framework for various control strategies that can be deployed for controlling the motion of a set of 2-DOF helicopters. The optimal tracking control scheme considered in this work takes into account the measurements of pitch and yaw angles, and their angular speeds to generate actuator commands for main and tail propellers of a 2-DOF helicopter. The performance of the optimal tracking controller is demonstrated using a set experiments conducted in a laboratory setting.
Image Analysis of Eosinophil Peroxidase Immunohistochemistry for Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

Diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) requires manual quantification of tissue eosinophils. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) is an eosinophil-specific, cytoplasmic granule protein released during degranulation. The objective of this study was to evaluate image analysis of EPX immunohistochemistry as an automated method for histologic diagnosis of EoE. We performed a secondary analysis of prospectively collected esophageal biopsies obtained from adult subjects with EoE and controls. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and evaluated for peak eosinophils per high power field (eos/hpf). The same slides were de-stained and re-stained to detect EPX for direct comparison. Slides were digitized, and EPX staining area/mm2 was quantified using image analysis. Paired samples were compared for changes in EPX staining in treatment responders and non-responders. Thirty-eight EoE cases and 49 controls were analyzed. Among EoE subjects, matched post-treatment biopsies were available for 21 responders and 10 non-responders. Baseline EPX/mm2 was significantly increased in EoE subjects and decreased in treatment responders. EPX quantification correlated strongly with eos/hpf (r = 0.84, p < 0.0001) and identified EoE subjects with high diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.95, p < 0.0001). The optimal diagnostic EPX-positive pixel/area threshold was 17,379 EPX/mm2. Several controls (5/49) with < 15 eos/hpf on H&E staining exceeded this cutoff. EPX/mm2 correlates strongly with eos/hpf, accurately identifies subjects with EoE, and decreases in treatment responders. Automated quantification of intact eosinophils and their degranulation products may enhance pathologic assessment. Future studies are needed to correlate EPX/mm2 with symptoms, endoscopic findings, and esophageal distensibility.
Mapping of DNA damage genome-wide at nucleotide resolution by circle damage sequencing (CD-seq)

To establish relationships between mutations, for example in cancer genomes, and possible mechanisms linked to DNA damage, it is necessary to know at what sequence positions of the genome the damage occurs. However, it has been challenging to specifically map DNA damage at the nucleotide level of resolution and genome-wide with high sensitivity. Here, we describe a new method, which we named circle damage sequencing (CD-seq), to accomplish this goal. The method is based on circularization of DNA molecules and DNA damage-selective cleavage of the circularized DNA followed by adapter ligation and sequencing. Based on the design of this approach, only DNA damage-containing molecules are sequenced. We conducted proof-of-principle studies to show that mapping of ultraviolet B-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) can easily be achieved with high precision using pyrimidine dimer-specific DNA repair enzymes. Our approach shows strongly reduced levels of CPDs near transcription start sites and a spike of this damage near the transcription end sites of genes. We then show that 1,N6-etheno-deoxyadenosine DNA adducts created after treatment of cells with the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal can be mapped genome-wide at adenine positions and obtained a preferential sequence context of these adducts as 5TAC/G3. The CD-seq method can be adapted for a variety of DNA lesions for which specific excision enzymes are available and should prove useful for studies of DNA damage, DNA repair and cancer etiology.
Adjustable Ptosis Correction via Posterior Levator Advancement With Minimal Superior Tarsectomy.

Purpose To report the surgical technique and outcomes for adjustable ptosis correction using a posterior levator advancement with minimal superior tarsectomy. Methods A retrospective single-center study was conducted on patients who underwent adjustable ptosis repair via posterior levator advancement with minimal superior tarsectomy by a single surgeon from 2002 to 2018. Patients with greater than 1 mm asymmetry between eyes or contour abnormalities underwent nonsurgical adjustment in the office within 6 days of surgery. Results A total of 79 patients (146 eyelids) were included in this study. The patients were female (67%), underwent bilateral surgery (87%) with mean age of 63 years (range, 20-92). The mean improvement in marginal reflex distance 1 at postoperative month 1 was 2.56 ± 1.04 mm (p ≤ 0.0001). Postoperative symmetry of 1 mm or less between eyes was achieved in 96.6% of patients. Only 8 eyes (5.4%) underwent in-office adjustment postoperatively. No demographic or clinical differences were noted in eyes that required adjustments. Postoperative complications included dry eyes that resolved by 3 months (13.6%), suture cyst (1.4%), corneal abrasion (1.4%), and persistent eyelid edema (1.4%). Surgical revision was required in 2.8% of eyes. Conclusions The adjustable posterior levator advancement with minimal superior tarsectomy is an effective surgical technique for ptosis repair with the added benefit of in-office adjustability to correct minor asymmetries.
Lower soil moisture and deep soil temperatures in thermokarst features increase old soil carbon loss after 10 years of experimental permafrost warming.

Almost half of the global terrestrial soil carbon (C) is stored in the northern circumpolar permafrost region, where air temperatures are increasing two times faster than the global average. As climate warms, permafrost thaws and soil organic matter becomes vulnerable to greater microbial decomposition. Long-term soil warming of ice-rich permafrost can result in thermokarst formation that creates variability in environmental conditions. Consequently, plant and microbial proportional contributions to ecosystem respiration may change in response to long-term soil warming. Natural abundance δ13 C and Δ14 C of aboveground and belowground plant material, and of young and old soil respiration were used to inform a mixing model to partition the contribution of each source to ecosystem respiration fluxes. We employed a hierarchical Bayesian approach that incorporated gross primary productivity and environmental drivers to constrain source contributions. We found that long-term experimental permafrost warming introduced a soil hydrology component that interacted with temperature to affect old soil C respiration. Old soil C loss was suppressed in plots with warmer deep soil temperatures because they tended to be wetter. When soil volumetric water content significantly decreased in 2018 relative to 2016 and 2017, the dominant respiration sources shifted from plant aboveground and young soil respiration to old soil respiration. The proportion of ecosystem respiration from old soil C accounted for up to 39% of ecosystem respiration and represented a 30-fold increase compared to the wet-year average. Our findings show that thermokarst formation may act to moderate microbial decomposition of old soil C when soil is highly saturated. However, when soil moisture decreases, a higher proportion of old soil C is vulnerable to decomposition and can become a large flux to the atmosphere. As permafrost systems continue to change with climate, we must understand the thresholds that may propel these systems from a C sink to a source.
Angiopoietin-1 protects against endotoxin-induced neonatal lung injury and alveolar simplification in mice.

Background Sepsis in premature newborns is a risk factor for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), but underlying mechanisms of lung injury remain unclear. Aberrant expression of endothelial cell (EC) angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) disrupts angiopoietin 1 (ANGPT1)/TIE2-mediated endothelial quiescence, and is implicated in sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults. We hypothesized that recombinant ANGPT1 will mitigate sepsis-induced ANGPT2 expression, inflammation, acute lung injury (ALI), and alveolar remodeling in the saccular lung. Methods Effects of recombinant ANGPT1 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial inflammation were evaluated in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC). ALI and long-term alveolar remodeling were assessed in newborn mice exposed to intraperitoneal LPS and recombinant ANGPT1 pretreatment. Results LPS dephosphorylated EC TIE2 in association with increased ANGPT2 in vivo and in vitro. ANGPT1 suppressed LPS and ANGPT2-induced EC inflammation in HPMEC. Neonatal mice treated with LPS had increased lung cytokine expression, neutrophilic influx, and cellular apoptosis. ANGPT1 pre-treatment suppressed LPS-induced lung Toll-like receptor signaling, inflammation, and ALI. LPS-induced acute increases in metalloproteinase 9 expression and elastic fiber breaks, as well as a long-term decrease in radial alveolar counts, were mitigated by ANGPT1. Conclusions In an experimental model of sepsis-induced BPD, ANGPT1 preserved endothelial quiescence, inhibited ALI, and suppressed alveolar simplification. Impact Key message: Angiopoietin 1 inhibits LPS-induced neonatal lung injury and alveolar remodeling. Additions to existing literature: Demonstrates dysregulation of angiopoietin-TIE2 axis is important for sepsis- induced acute lung injury and alveolar simplification in experimental BPD. Establishes recombinant Angiopoietin 1 as an anti-inflammatory therapy in BPD. Impact Angiopoietin 1-based interventions may represent novel therapies for mitigating sepsis-induced lung injury and BPD in premature infants.
DOAV Estimation Using Non-Linear Least Squares and ULA

The Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) is the optimum beamformer when the noise distribution is white Gaussian. But in practice, the background noise hardly follows this strong assumption. Therefore, approaches that allow us to relax this assumption, non-white Gaussian noise, provide a more realistic estimator. In this presentation, a closed-form solution is derived that minimizes the square error at the output of the array in the Least-Squares (LS) sense. As compared to the ML, the LS approach is computationally less intensive and applies well to many parameter estimation problems. In recent years, there have been many advances in the wireless communication field that require advanced approaches to bring meaningful solutions to user demands. Massive MIMO, in the mmWave and Terahertz frequency bands, promises innovative solutions and presents new challenges. The path loss in these regimes places severe constraints on the 5G, 6G and beyond wireless systems and forces the User Equipment (UE) to operate at a closer range. One such constraint is the need to guarantee the high data rate requirement. At high frequency, Base Stations (BS) must increase the number of antenna elements in order to increase antenna gain to combat high signal attenuation. Furthermore, the wider aperture for a half-wavelength spacing will produce a narrower beamwidth which is a significant problem for moving UEs. Recently, a solution was proposed to estimate the Direction of Arrival (DOA) and angular velocity of a moving object. In this paper, the LS is used to estimate the parameters of a moving point source impinging a signal on a Uniform Linear Array (ULA) of antennas in a Line of Sight (LOS) configuration. We then compare the results with the results obtained using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE). The performance of the LS algorithm is comparable to the MLE with significantly reduced computations.
Staying Present with Suffering- Images Still and Moving

ABSTRACT This article expands on a technique used in educational and clinical settings to stimulate the creative imaginations of practitioners and persons living with HIV/AIDS. By jolting us out of our ruts of ordinary perception, the use of visuals with clients and colleagues leads to new awareness, the generation of creative options and problem-solving possibilities, increasing empathy and healing. A repertoire of case studies from the visual and literary arts and from popular culture is being compiled to elicit concerns, introduce concepts, enhance/build skills, explore attitudes, and to promote healing. The technique is offered as a practice tool and readers are invited to submit responses, examples and images from their own experience.
Hospital Information Systems in Nigeria: A Review of Literature

This literature review was developed to examine empirically the factors hindering adoption of hospital information systems in Nigeria. The study was focused on the perceived paucity of health information technology policy in Nigeria and the causes of poor implementation of hospital information systems in the country. The findings of the literature review highlighted hindrances to the adoption of hospital information systems to include; the high cost of full implementation of a hospital information system, inadequate human capital, corruption, and problems associated with poor infrastructure in Nigeria. The recommendations were that, the Nigerian government needs to provide stable electricity, basic communication infrastructures, and Internet access to boost private initiatives in the adoption of health information technology across the country.
The Effect of Demand and Supply factors on the Affordability of Housing

This paper uses supply and demand analysis to examine the housing market within twenty-eight metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the Midwest. Examining trends of the housing market provides an opportunity to analyze which factors contribute to a shortage of affordable housing. Specifically, this paper focuses on factors contributing to a MSA’s housing market and the share of homes affordable to households of median income as measured by the Housing Opportunity Index. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol11/iss1/15
An innovative hybrid loop-pool design for sodium cooled fast reactor

The existing sodium cooled fast reactors (SFR) have two types of designs – loop type and pool type. In the loop type design, such as JOYO (Japan) [1] and MONJU (Japan), the primary coolant is circulated through intermediate heat exchangers (IHX) external to the reactor tank. The major advantages of loop design include compactness and easy maintenance. The disadvantage is higher possibility of sodium leakage. In the pool type design such as EBR-II (USA), BN-600M(Russia), Superphenix (France) and European Fast Reactor [2], the reactor core, primary pumps, IHXs and direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS) heat exchangers (DHX) all are immersed in a pool of sodium coolant within the reactor vessel, making a loss of primary coolant extremely unlikely. However, the pool type design makes primary system large. In the latest ANL’s Advanced Burner Test Reactor (ABTR) design [3], the primary system is configured in a pool-type arrangement. The hot sodium at core outlet temperature in hot pool is separated from the cold sodium at core inlet temperature in cold pool by a single integrated structure called Redan. Redan provides the exchange of the hot sodium from hot pool to cold pool through IHXs. The IHXs were chosen as the traditional tube-shell design. This type of IHXs is large in size and hence large reactor vessel is needed.