cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions Among Western Ragweed and Other Sandhills Species After Drought

Interannual differences in yield and species composition of herbaceous vegetation on semiarid rangelands are common and often related to variations in precipitation regime. Interspecific interactions that occur after drought-induced population fluxes of western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya D.C.) were evaluated by removing western ragweed or associated species from 1-m 2 quadrats at weekly intervals beginning in early May, June, or July 1991 or 1992 on high-seral sandhills prairie in Nebraska. The composite of peak standing crops for ragweed and each group of associated species was 77% greater during May‐October 1991
Functional analysis of the Rad51d (E233G) breast cancer associated polymorphism and a pharmacogenetic evaluation of RAD51D status

Background & Objective RAD51D, a paralog of the mammalian RAD51 gene, is an important component for DNA repair and telomere maintenance. A RAD51D variant, E233G, was initially identified as a potential susceptibility allele in high-risk, sitespecific, familial breast cancer. We describe in this report, the effects of this amino acid change on RAD51D protein interaction and function. Methods & Results To examine the effect of the variant on cellular resistance to DNA damage, a complementation analysis using Rad51d-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFS) was performed. Results indicated that the E233G variant actually increased the cellular resistance to the DNA damaging agents, mitomycin C, cisplatin, methyl methane sulfonate and UV light as well as to taxol. Additionally, the E233G variant reduced the anaphase bridge index, a telomere dysfunction correlate, and conferred increased cellular proliferation, suggesting that the E to G substitution may affect telomere function. Yeast-2-hybrid analyses demonstrated that interaction between RAD51C and RAD51D (E233G) was decreased by 2-fold, while normal levels of interaction between XRCC2 and the variant were maintained. Molecular modeling suggested that the glutamic acid-233 forms a salt bridge with lysine-23 in the N-terminal domain of RAD51D, and the glycine substitution may disrupt an inter-domain interaction.
Microstructure evolution of compressible granular systems under large deformations

Abstract We report three-dimensional particle mechanics static calculations that predict the microstructure evolution during die-compaction of elastic spherical particles up to relative densities close to one. We employ a nonlocal contact formulation that remains predictive at high levels of confinement by removing the classical assumption that contacts between particles are formulated locally as independent pair-interactions. The approach demonstrates that the coordination number depends on the level of compressibility, i.e., on Poisson's ratio, of the particles. Results also reveal that distributions of contact forces between particles and between particles and walls, although similar at jamming onset, are very different at full compaction. Particle–wall forces are in remarkable agreement with experimental measurements reported in the literature, providing a unifying framework for bridging experimental boundary observations with bulk behavior.
Mycotoxicosis in Food Producing Animals

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi. Diseases caused by mycotoxins are collectively referred to as mycotoxicosis. Disease is usually initiated after ingestion of feeds containing toxic doses of mycotoxins. Signs and symptoms vary and depend on the animal, the organ system involved, and on the dose and type of mycotoxins ingested. The symptoms can range from acute death, immunosuppression to skin lesions or to signs of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, or genotoxicity. In addition to concerns over adverse effects of mycotoxins on food animals consuming mycotoxin-contaminated feeds, there is also a public health concern over the potential for human beings to consume animal-derived food products such as meat, milk, or eggs, containing residues of those mycotoxins or their metabolites.
Monte-Carlo Simulation for Fractal Growth of inclusions in the Continuous Casting Mold

A mathematical model was developed to describe the inclusion dynamic growth process in the continuous casting mold. This model included Eulerian method to predict turbulent flow and inclusion distribution in the continuous casting mold, and Lagrangian method to trace a single inclusion in the inclusion concentration field and to study its collision and aggregation. Numerical results showed that the fluid flow is a key factor to affect inclusion distribution. In the continuous caster, the flow of liquid steel and inclusion distribution have the upper and lower recirculation zones, and have W shaped distribution at the exit. For a single inclusion, the seed inclusions can grasp other inclusions continuously, thus, the bigger inclusions are of cluster-like morphologies with some tips and arms. KEY WOEDS turbulent flow, inclusion, dynamic growth, random rain model, fractal, Euler-Lagrange method
Resistance of Selected Accessions of Bermuda grass to Phytotoxemia Caused by Adult Two-Lined Spittle bugs

Resistance of selected accessions of bermuda grass, Cynodon spp., to damage caused by adult Prosapia bicincta (Say) resulted partly from preferential feeding and partly from tolerance to the toxin injected with the insect’s saliva. One accession, Georgia Accession no. 239, shown to be a non preferred host for feeding by 1st-instar fall armyworm larvae, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), in other investigations is reported to be a non preferred host of adult spittle bugs.
Spending Strategies in World Politics: How Japan Has Used Its Economic Power in the Past Decade

I investigate how Japan has used its economic power in the past decade, focusing on two issues: (1) Japan has chosen to be a supporter rather than a challenger in using its economic power or “spending”; (2) Japan has adopted a “Second Strategy,” balancing more accommodating spending strategies with less accommodating “earning” ones; this is in contrast to the “First Strategy” or the Yoshida Doctrine, with its focus on developing its economy while accepting U.S. military protection and political leadership. On the first level, interdependence and institutionalization explain why Japan wants to be a supporter. On the second level, there are domestic roots for Japan's unwillingness to accommodate as much in earning strategies as in spending ones; elected politicians have a political stake in earning strategies, which affect the special interests of the social sectors crucial to their electoral success. Moreover, domestic bureaucrats resist changes in Japan's earning patterns.
The ecology of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in some southern California streams.

The ecology of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in 2 distinct biotopes, desert and mountain streams, was studied in southern California, USA. The multivoltine species Simulium argus was the dominant species breeding in a warm, uniformly flowing limnocrene (a stream fed by a pond) during March 1978–July 1979. In this stream 4 other less abundant species, Simulium tescorum, S. aureum, S. vittatum and S. virgatum , were found associated with the larval and pupal populations of S. argus . The larval-pupal populations of S. argus had 2 peaks per year; however, they were most abundant in May–June. S. canadense (bivoltine) and S. piperi were found to be the dominant simuliids in the San Jacinto River (North Fork) and Indian Creek, respectively, during July–November 1978 and June–November 1979. Both of these streams are rheocrenes located in the San Jacinto Mountains and are fed by cool mountain springs and melting snow. Computer analysis revealed that the following abiotic (independent) variables, listed in descending order of importance, significantly affected the larval-pupal density (dependent variable). For S. argus these were day length, water temperature, air temperature, wind velocity and pH; for S. piperi they were water depth, water velocity, air temperature and precipitation; for S. canadense the only significant variable was water velocity. The interrelationships among the biotic and abiotic variables together with their biological impact on larval-pupal populations are discussed.
Digitized Heat Transfer: Thermal Management of Compact Micro Systems using Electrostatic Droplet Actuation

This paper presents theoretical and numerical results describing digitized heat transfer (DHT), a newly developing active management technique for high-power-density electronics and integrated micro systems. In DHT, thermal energy is transported by a discretized array of electrostatically activated microdroplets of liquid alloy or aqueous solution; internal circulation within each fluid slug results in significantly increased overall heat transfer coecients when compared to continuous Graetz-type flows. This paper identifies and describes a periodic fluctuation in Nusselt number resulting from this circulation eect. Proposed DHT coolants, especially liquid metals and alloys, support significantly higher heat transfer rates than classical air-cooled heat sinks, and can be digitally actuated and controlled with a high degree of both precision and programmability. As a consequence, DHT can be used both for steady state cooling of an entire integrated device and for precise, ecient, on-demand suppression of transient hot spots. A theoretical characterization of the governing parameters for DHT is presented, with a basic comparison of the heat transfer rates achieveable by liquid alloys and aqueous solutions. The eectiveness of DHT for managing both localized temperature spikes and steady state cooling is demonstrated. This analysis defines the key parameters for optimization of the DHT method and forms the basis of ongoing experimental work.
AN AUTONOMIC COMPUTING FRAMEWORK FOR SELF-MANAGED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

The delivery of cost-effective and quality Emergency Department (ED) services remains an important and ongoing challenge for the healthcare industry. ED overcrowding has become a common problem in hospitals around the world, threatening the safety of patients who rely on timely emergency treatment. Despite numerous advances in medical procedures and technologies, EDs continue to experience overcrowding problems. The combination of increased demand and diminished resources makes optimizing emergency departments a difficult problem for healthcare decision makers. We examine this problem by applying an autonomic computing framework for self-managed emergency departments to maintain optimal Quality of Service (QoS) during its operation. Our work has potential implications in guiding a hospital’s effort to optimize their emergency department system.
Controlled trial of infusion cavernosometry in impotent and potent men.

AbstractInfusion cavernosometry often is performed to diagnose venous leak impotence. However, normal values have seldom been established in proved potent men. We performed a prospective study of infusion cavernosometry on nocturnal penile tumescence confirmed potent male volunteers and impotent men. Of 20 potent male controls 19 had resistance values of greater than 5 (mm. Hg·minute)/ml. Of 38 impotent men 20 (53%) had resistance values of less than 5 (mm. Hg·minute)/ml. There was considerable overlap between resistance values and infusion rates in potent and impotent men. Impotent men with resistances of greater than 5 (mm. Hg·minute)/ml. more often had normal nocturnal penile tumescence results than men with lower resistance values. Venous leakage is a significant cause of impotence.
HCO3- secretion in mitochondria-rich cells is linked to an H+-ATPase.

Turtle bladder mitochondria-rich (MR) cells secrete H+ by an ATP-dependent process. MR cells also secrete HCO3= by an energy-requiring, Cl= –dependent process that may depend on a serosal H+–ATPase. To determine whether HCO3- is linked to an H+–ATPase, O2 consumption was assessed in MR and granular (G) cells exposed to H+ and HCO3- transport inhibitors alone and also with an H+–ATPase inhibitor. MR and G cells were separated by Ficoll density-gradient centrifugation and treated with ouabain and 4–acetamido-4'–isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'–disulfonic acid (SITS) to maximally inhibit Na+ and luminal H+ transport. O2 consumption was measured before and after cells were additionally treated with 10 microM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), an inhibitor of nonmitochondrial H+-ATPase. O2 consumption of MR cells fell after treatment with NEM (delta = 8.64 +/- 2.35 microliters O2.h-1.mg protein-1, P less than 0.025, n = 5). There was no significant difference in G cells similarly treated (delta = 1.61 +/- 0.62 microliters O2.h-...
Does Competency-Based Education Have a Role in Academic Pharmacy in the United States?

Competency-based Education (CBE) is an educational model that allows students to learn and demonstrate their abilities at their own pace. CBE is growing in popularity in undergraduate educational programs and its role in pharmacy education in the United States (US) is under review. In comparison, medical education is utilizing competency-based approaches (such as competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities) to ensure that students possess the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes prior to graduation or program completion. The concept of competency-based approaches is growing in use in pharmacy education in the US, but the future related to aspects of this concept (e.g., mandatory Entrustable Professional Activities) is not certain. A review of pharmacy education’s evolution in the US and a comparison of competency-related terms offers insight into the future use of competency-based approaches and CBE in pharmacy education in the US through the lens of benefits and challenges.
Magia Transformo: Designing for Mixed Reality Transformative Play

This work-in-progress paper presents a first look at Magia Transformo: a mixed reality game for transformative play. Drawing on techniques of backleading and outside->in transformation from theater practice, Magia Transformo uses costumes, props, sets, narration, and physical enactment to transform the bodies and environment of its players. We argue that these design techniques, although still in their early development, can broadly inform the work of designers and scholars seeking to create experiences of character identification and transformation in games.
Conditional Function of Autoaggregative Protein Cah and Common cah Mutations in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Cah is a calcium-binding autotransporter protein involved in autoaggregation and biofilm formation. Although cah is widespread in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), we detected mutations in cah at a frequency of 31.3% in this pathogen. In STEC O157:H7 supershedder strain SS17, a large deletion results in a smaller coding sequence, encoding a protein lacking the C-terminal 71 amino acids compared with Cah in STEC O157:H7 strain EDL933. We examined the function of Cah in biofilm formation and host colonization to better understand the selective pressures for cah mutations. EDL933-Cah played a conditional role in biofilm formation in vitro : it enhanced E. coli DH5α biofilm formation on glass surfaces under agitated culture conditions that prevented autoaggregation but inhibited biofilm formation under hydrostatic conditions that facilitated autoaggregation. This function appeared to be strain dependent since Cah-mediated biofilm formation was diminished when an EDL933 cah gene was expressed in SS17. Deletion of cah in EDL933 enhanced bacterial attachment to spinach leaves and altered the adherence pattern of EDL933 to bovine recto-anal junction squamous epithelial (RSE) cells. In contrast, in trans expression of EDL933 cah in SS17 increased its attachment to leaf surfaces, and in DH5α, it enhanced its adherence to RSE cells. Hence, the ecological function of Cah appears to be modulated by environmental conditions and other bacterial strain-specific properties. Considering the prevalence of cah in STEC and its role in attachment and biofilm formation, cah mutations might be selected in ecological niches in which inactivation of Cah would result in an increased fitness in STEC during colonization of plants or animal hosts. IMPORTANCE Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) harbors genes encoding diverse adhesins, and many of these are known to play an important role in bacterial attachment and host colonization. We demonstrated here that the autotransporter protein Cah confers on E. coli DH5α cells a strong autoaggregative phenotype that is inversely correlated with its ability to form biofilms and plays a strain-specific role in plant and animal colonization by STEC. Although cah is widespread in the STEC population, we detected a mutation rate of 31.3% in cah , which is similar to that reported for rpoS and fimH . The formation of cell aggregates due to increased bacterium-to-bacterium interactions may be disadvantageous to bacterial populations under conditions that favor a planktonic state in STEC. Therefore, a loss-of-function mutation in cah is likely a selective trait in STEC when autoaggregative properties become detrimental to bacterial cells and may contribute to the adaptability of STEC to fluctuating environments.
Handling Big Data Using a Data-Aware HDFS and Evolutionary Clustering Technique

The increased use of cyber-enabled systems and Internet-of-Things (IoT) led to a massive amount of data with different structures. Most big data solutions are built on top of the Hadoop eco-system or use its distributed file system (HDFS). However, studies have shown inefficiency in such systems when dealing with today's data. Some research overcame these problems for specific types of graph data, but today's data are more than one type of data. Such efficiency issues may lead to large-scale problems, including larger space requirements in data centers, and waste in resources (like power consumption), that in turn lead to environmental problems (such as more carbon emission) [1] , as per scholars. We propose a data-aware module for the Hadoop eco-system. We also propose a distributed encoding technique for genetic algorithms efficient data processing. Our framework allows Hadoop to manage the distribution of data and its placement based on cluster analysis of the data itself. We are able to handle a broad range of data types as well as optimize query time and resource usage. We performed experiments on multiple datasets generated via LUBM (Lehigh University Benchmark) and reported results along with performance analysis.
Elements of Judicial Style: A Quantitative Guide to Neil Gorsuch's Opinion Writing

Commentary on judicial writing often features Neil Gorsuch’s opinions, but no one has attempted to examine his stylistic proclivities in a systematic way. This article presents results from my quantitative study of published opinions from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals during Gorsuch’s tenure there. The data analysis illuminates Gorsuch’s stylistic fingerprint, revealing how he has achieved the stylistic effect that has impressed many observers. I find that Gorsuch’s writing style is remarkably informal and unconventional compared to his Tenth Circuit peers. Moreover, Gorsuch’s opinions have a lot in common with fiction writing. They are often suspenseful, and they contain a broad range of vocabulary but limited legal jargon and citation. I also analyze Gorsuch’s stylistic drift over the past decade, revealing trends that might give us a sense of what to expect from the Justice’s writing for the Supreme Court.
Execution Skill Estimation

In domains with continuous action spaces, one characteristic of an agent is their precision in executing intended actions. An agent's execution skill significantly impacts their success as it determines how much executed actions deviate from intended actions. We introduce the problem of estimating an agent's execution skill level given only observations of their executed actions. The main difficulty is that while executed actions are observed, the intended actions are not, thus the amount of action deviation due to imperfect execution skill is not obvious. We introduce a simple experimental domain in which this problem can be studied and present a method that focuses on observed rewards to estimate execution skill. This method is experimentally evaluated and shown be able to estimate an agent's execution skill under certain conditions.
Flexor Tendon Injuries

Flexor tendon injuries are potentially debilitating injuries with developing strategies for treatment. A solid understanding of flexor tendon and flexor pulley anatomy, discerning examination maneuvers, and operative treatment is important for improving outcomes.
Vom flexiblen Budget zur statistischen Korrelatanalyse

Die bisher erlauterten Budgets hatten zumeist starren oder statischen Charakter. Sie werden periodischen Anderungen der Beschaftigung nicht angepast. Die Anderung eines starren Budgets ware eine Budgetkorrektur, eine Planungsanderung. Ein flexibles Budget hingegen ermoglicht fur jeden Abrechnungszeitraum der Planperiode Anpassungen der Planzahlen an die tatsachlich erreichte Beschaftigung — gegebenenfalls unterteilt nach verschiedenen Stufen der Beschaftigung.
IL-36γ induces a transient HSV-2 resistant environment that protects against genital disease and pathogenesis

Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) causes a persistent, lifelong infection that increases risk for sexually transmitted infection acquisition. Both the lack of a vaccine and the need for chronic suppressive therapies to control infection presents the need to further understand immune mechanisms in response to acute HSV-2 infection. The IL-36 cytokines are recently identified members of the IL-1 family and function as inflammatory mediators at epithelial sites. Here, we first used a well-characterized three-dimensional (3-D) human vaginal epithelial cell (VEC) model to understand the role of IL-36γ in the context of HSV-2 infection. In 3-D VEC, IL-36γ is induced by HSV-2 infection, and pretreatment with exogenous IL-36γ significantly reduced HSV-2 replication. To assess the impact of IL-36γ treatment on HSV-2 disease pathogenesis, we employed a lethal genital infection model. We showed that IL-36γ treatment in mice prior to lethal intravaginal challenge significantly limited vaginal viral replication, delayed disease onset, decreased disease severity, and significantly increased survival. We demonstrated that IL-36γ treatment transiently induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and antimicrobial peptides in murine lower female reproductive tract (FRT) tissue and vaginal lavages. Induction of the chemokines CCL20 and KC in IL-36γ treated mice also corresponded with increased polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte infiltration observed in vaginal smears. Altogether, these studies demonstrate that IL-36γ drives the transient production of immune mediators and promotes PMN recruitment in the vaginal microenvironment that increases resistance to HSV-2 infection and disease. Our data indicate that IL-36γ may participate as a key player in host defense mechanisms against invading pathogens in the FRT.
Candidemia Following Ureteric Stent Placement in a Patient With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Canagliflozin

A 38-year-old female patient with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with canagliflozin underwent ureteral stent placement for obstructive renal calculi. Ten days following ureteroscopy and ureteral stenting, she developed fevers and blood cultures grew Candida glabrata (C. glabrata). The patient was successfully treated with an extended course of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal agents. The clinical presentation of candidemia is indistinguishable from bacteremia resulting in delay in diagnosis and treatment. Candiduria is commonly seen in patients with type 2 diabetes, however it rarely leads to candidemia in an otherwise healthy person following a relatively simple urologic procedure. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors act by its glycosuric effect and further increases the risk of genitourinary candida infection. Urologic procedures may lead to bloodstream entry of the genitourinary fungal organisms and result in life-threatening fungemia. Our case emphasizes the importance of awareness of the increased risk of potentially life threatening fungemia in patients using SGLT-2 inhibitors to avoid delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Does the method of primary treatment affect the pattern of first recurrence in high-grade serous ovarian cancer?

Abstract Purpose To determine if the primary treatment approach (primary debulking surgery (PDS) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery (NACT-IDS)) influences the pattern of first recurrence in patients with completely cytoreduced advanced high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Materials and methods This retrospective study included 178 patients with newly diagnosed stage IIIC–IV HGSOC, complete gross resection during PDS (n = 124) or IDS (n = 54) from January 2008–March 2013, and baseline and first recurrence contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans. Clinical characteristics and number of disease sites at baseline were analyzed for associations with time to recurrence. In 135 patients who experienced recurrence, the overlap in disease locations between baseline and recurrence and the number of new disease locations at recurrence were analyzed according to the primary treatment approach. Results At univariate and multivariate analyses, NACT-IDS was associated with more overlapping locations between baseline and first recurrence (p ≤ 0.003) and fewer recurrences in new anatomic locations (p ≤ 0.043) compared with PDS. The same results were found in a subgroup that received intra-peritoneal adjuvant chemotherapy after either treatment approach. At univariate analysis, patient age, primary treatment approach, adjuvant chemotherapy route, and number of disease locations at baseline were associated with time to recurrence (p ≤ 0.009). At multivariate analysis, older patient age, NACT-IDS, and greater disease locations at baseline remained significant (p ≤ 0.018). Conclusion The distribution of disease at the time of first recurrence varied with the choice of primary treatment. Compared to patients treated with PDS, patients who underwent NACT-IDS experienced recurrence more often in the same locations as the original disease.
Informational cascades can be avoided with non-myopic agents

We study informational cascades in a scenario where a finite number of players need to decide whether to buy a product, which is either good or bad, or not. The true value of the product is not known to the players, but each player has her own private information on it. Each player observes the previous actions of other players and forms a belief on the quality of the product. In this work, players get more than one opportunity to act, although, a player can only buy the product once. This is in contrast to the existing literature on informational cascades, where each player only acts once. We consider an exogenous random process for choosing the players to act in each turn. We provide a characterization of structured perfect Bayesian equilibria (sPBE) with forward-looking strategies through a fixed-point equation of dimensionality that grows only quadratically with the number of players. We show the existence of sPBE and prove that bad informational cascades can be avoided entirely for infinitely patient players when the product is bad. Furthermore, we show that for sufficiently patient players, bad informational cascades happen only when at least half of the players have revealed their private information.
Hospitality As An Organizational Culture

This article proposes a new definition of the concept of hospitality organizational culture. It identifies its components/dimensions and suggests a conceptual framework for determining the effect o...
Extending Fisch and Block’s (2018) tips for a systematic review in management and business literature

A systematic literature review is designed to synthesize meaningful knowledge from a large number of studies on a research topic. Over the past decade, management researchers have begun to adopt this review methodology with a goal of providing a comprehensive understanding of a business literature topic. This methodology can provide a context for existing literature, guide future research, and by translating theoretical observations into useable real-world principles, help business leaders make better decisions. A systematic literature review serves a different purpose than a traditional literature review, providing a more organized and complete exploration of research literature. However, systematic literature review is new to many management researchers. To aid in the understanding of this methodology, the editors of Management Review Quarterly, Fisch and Block (Mange Rev Q 68:103–106,2018), present six tips for conducting a systematic literature review. In this paper, we will examine their six tips, which we applied in a recent systematic literature review of leader credibility. By sharing our thoughts on the application of their tips, we hope to bolster the rigor and consistency of future systematic reviews of management literature. In addition to Fisch and Block’s six tips, based on our experiences, we offer three additional tips that became evident in our work to aid in future systematic literature reviews.
Cellular characterization and successful transfection of serially subcultured normal human esophageal keratinocytes.

Background In vitro cell culture models can provide unique insights into squamous epithelial proliferation, differentiation, and neoplastic transformation. Cultures of human esophageal keratinocytes could be advantageous for the study of these processes. Methods Normal human esophageal keratinocytes were cultivated on 3T3 fibroblast feeder layers in vitro and expanded through four serial subcultivations. Confluent tertiary cultures were analyzed by morphological and immunohistochemical techniques to define their basic properties. The ability to transiently transfect cultured esophageal epithelium was tested using a Rous sarcoma virus-luciferase reporter gene by the calcium phosphate and lipofection methods. Results Postconfluent cultures displayed a predominantly basal cell phenotype with limited stratification, widespread expression of keratins 5 and 14, and production of attachment specialization proteins such as alpha6beta4 integrin and collagen VII. Terminal differentiation markers (involucrin and transglutaminase) were prematurely expressed. The cells expressed growth factors important in proliferation and differentiation, such as transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-1beta. Tertiary cultures were successfully transiently transfected with a Rous sarcoma virus-luciferase reporter gene construct. Conclusion Normal human esophageal cells can be serially passaged through extended numbers of cell generations and transfected by standard methods. This in vitro system may be useful in the study of fundamental cellular processes governing proliferation and differentiation in the esophageal epithelium.
Predictive Factor of Preresidency Publication on Career Academic Achievement in Urologists

AbstractIntroduction:Publications at any point in training can impact future academic interest and achievement. Implications of publishing scholarly work prior to residency on accomplishments durin...
SPOP mutations in prostate cancer: Clinical and genomic features.

151Background: Point mutations in the gene encoding speckle-type pox virus and zinc finger protein (SPOP) are the most frequently identified mutations in prostate cancer, occurring at a frequency o...
Vo2peak in Adult Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Rate of Decline, Sex Differences, and Cardiovascular Events.

Abstract Background Adult survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events secondary to mediastinal radiation therapy (RT). Objectives In this group of patient...
Self-oscillating Buck Converter LED Driver with Indirect Inductor Current Reconstruction

In this work, a blocking-diode self-oscillating buck converter (SOBuC) is proposed to meet the demand for high performance LED drivers. For robustness and tight LED current regulation, multiple closed loop controls such as indirect inductor current reconstruction using offline PWM controller and peak current control using a common comparator were proposed and implemented. To cater for the lost signal during indirect inductor current reconstruction, control adjustments were made, and other strategies were proposed. The desired transient/steady state performance verified via simulation yielded a maximum efficiency of 94.8% and 2.7% LED current ripple factor.
The 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Debates: Exploring Politeness Strategies for Facing an Aggressive Incumbent

This study applied politeness theory to the thirteen Democratic primary debates of the 2020 campaign with comparisons to previous findings regarding the 2012 and 2016 Republican primary debates, th...
Evaluation of Human-Robot Teleoperation Interfaces for Soft Robotic Manipulators

Soft robotic manipulators (SRM) are biologically inspired from animal appendages such as elephant trunks and octopuses’ arms. In contrast to traditional rigid robotic manipulators, SRMs are made of flexible material and generate motion through structural deformation. Thus, they more easily adapt to unstructured environments. Teleoperated SRMs can be used in spaces harmful or impractical to humans (i.e., nuclear radiation or minimally invasive surgical sites). Limited research is available on the factors that affect human performance during the teleoperation of SRMs. We present two Human-Robot Interfaces (HRI) and conduct user studies on an SRM in object handling tasks and assess the performance of teleoperators using spatial input devices and augmented reality-based input devices. The user interaction is quantified for two types of controllers (Direct and Indirect) in an immersive pick and place operation. A System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire is administered to assess the usability of each HRI. Results suggest that the users perform more effectively, make fewer errors using the Indirect Control HRI and participants rated the Indirect Control HRI as more usable regardless of the hardware device.
Urea and acetamide rich solutions circumvent the strand inhibition problem to allow multiple rounds of DNA and RNA copying

For decades prebiotic chemists have attempted to achieve replication of RNA under prebiotic conditions with only limited success. One of the long-recognized impediments to achieving true replication of a duplex (copying of both strands) is the so-called strand inhibition problem. Specifically, while the two strands of an RNA (or DNA) duplex can be separated by heating, upon cooling the strands of a duplex will reanneal before mononucleotide or oligonucleotide substrates can bind to the individual strands. Here we demonstrate that a class of plausible prebiotic solvents, when coupled with thermal cycling and varying levels of hydration, circumvents the strand inhibition problem, and allows multiple rounds of information transfer from both strands of a duplex (replication). Replication was achieved by simultaneous ligation of oligomers that bind to their templates with the aid of the solvents. The solvents used consisted of concentrated solutions of urea and acetamide in water (UAcW), components that were likely abundant on the early Earth. The UAcW solvent system favors the annealing of shorter strands over the re-annealing of long strands, thereby circumventing strand inhibition. We observed an improvement of DNA and RNA replication yields by a factor of 100x over aqueous buffer. Information transfer in the UAcW solvent system is robust, being achieved for a range of solvent component ratios, various drying conditions, and in the absence or presence of added salts.
Allocating Visual Attention: How Relevance to Driving Impacts Attention When Drivers Are Distracted

Use of cell phones while driving, and safety implications thereof, has captured public and scientific interest. Previous research has shown that driver reactions and visual attention are impacted by cell phone use, even when a handsfree device is used. In addition to these effects, Strayer and colleagues also found lower recognition for items present in the driving environment when drivers were using a cellular phone than when not using the phone. Strayer and colleagues used recognition as their primary measure of attention. Relevance to driving may have an impact on how attention is allocated to the environment via eye movements, separate from the impact on recognition memory. The current project used a medium-fidelity driving simulator to extend previous research by investigating how attention is allocated across driving-relevant and -irrelevant objects in the environment. Driving-relevant objects consisted of signs and potential hazards. Driving-irrelevant objects were billboards. Eye movement patterns (primarily measured by number of gazes) were impacted by distraction, and the pattern of gazes also differed across relevance levels, with hazards receiving the most gazes, and signs receiving the fewest. When only considering driving-relevant objects (i.e., signs vs. hazards), the eye movement measures showed an interaction between distraction and relevance. Signs received fewer gazes when drivers were distracted, whereas there was no comparable decrease in gazes to hazards.
A Comparison of Logistic Regression Models for DIF Detection in Polytomous Items: The Effect of Small Sample Sizes and Non-Normality of Ability Distributions

This study investigated the effectiveness of logistic regression models to detect uniform and non-uniform DIF in polytomous items across small sample sizes and non-normality of ability distributions. A simulation study was used to compare three logistic regression models, which were the cumulative logits model, the continuation ratio model, and the adjacent categories model. The results revealed that logistic regression was a powerful method to detect DIF in polytomous items, but not useful to distinguish the type of DIF. Continuation ratio model worked best to detect uniform DIF, but the cumulative logits model gave more acceptable type I error results. As sample size increased, type I errors increased at cumulative logits model results. Skewness of ability distributions reduced power of logistic regression to detect non-uniform DIF. Small sample sizes reduced power of logistic regression.
A Time-Recursive Algorithm for the Computation of Auto-AmbiguityFunction and the Wigner Distribution

In this paper, a time-recursive algorithm for the computation of discrete-time, discrete-frequency, auto-ambiguity function is given, which in turn is used to compute the Wigner time-frequency distribution. We use the Richman-Parks-Shenoy‘s definition of the discrete-time, discrete-frequency, auto-ambiguity function for finite data sequences. Block diagram implementation of the time-recursive algorithm is described, computational complexity with respect to increasing block size is compared with straight forward computation, and the proper time-recursive block size is suggested.
Assays of fatty acid beta-oxidation activity.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the methods to measure unique metabolites, specific enzymes, and genes in fatty acid oxidation and monitor metabolic flux through the entire pathway. It also describes the methods for the diagnosis of diseases of fatty acid oxidation. Frequently, patients are identified in whom there are clinical hallmarks of impaired fatty acid oxidation but no clues from metabolite or enzyme analysis. In these situations, there are a number of ways in which flux through the entire fatty acid oxidative pathway can be studied. Using appropriately radiolabeled fatty acid substrates, it is possible to monitor the production of radiolabeled CO 2 and H 2 O and test the entire pathway in intact living cells. Alternate methods to study the whole pathway have been developed that monitor the production of fatty acid intermediates, including acylcarnitines and free fatty acids. The relative merits of each of these approaches are discussed in the chapter. Fatty acid oxidation can be performed using a variety of different and usually complementary techniques, including metabolite measurement, classical enzymology, and studies of metabolic flux, using both product formation and intermediate accumulation. These assays have an important role to play in the diagnosis of genetic diseases of the pathway. Metabolite measurement, most specifically acylcarnitine measurement, is rapidly developing into the method of choice for whole population newborn screening for these disorders in the Western world, such that the diagnosis can be established prior to the development of potentially fatal clinical signs. The tools that are available for metabolic flux studies can be applied in any experimental system in which alterations in metabolic flux are required to be evaluated.
Defective counterregulation and hypoglycemia unawareness in diabetes: Mechanisms and emerging treatments

For people with diabetes, hypoglycemia remains the limiting factor in achieving glycemic control. This article reviews recent advances in how the brain senses and responds to hypoglycemia. Novel mechanisms by which individuals with insulin-treated diabetes develop hypoglycemia unawareness and impaired counterregulatory responses are outlined. Prevention strategies for reducing the incidence of hypoglycemia are discussed.
Group Work: Theories and Practices by Siddiqui, H. Y.

Group Work: Theories and Practices is the first group work textbook written by an Indian author. It is clearly meant for students and practitioners in the Indian subcontinent, particularly, India, ...
Gas hydrates in aqueous-organic systems. VII. Linear crystallization velocities of the hydrates of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran.

Abstract Linear crystallization velocities of hydrates (aqueous clathrates) of type I ethylene oxide and type II tetrahydrofuran were determined in simple solutions and polyacrylamide gels supercooled from 3.1 to 24 °C. At any given degree of supercooling, all hydrate-forming solutions crystallized much more slowly than pure water, and the hydrate of tetrahydrofuran crystallized more slowly than the hydrate of ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide hydrate formed at a velocity greater than tetrahydrofuran hydrate even when the solutions were designed to bind approximately equal numbers of water molecules during hydrate formation. In all instances, the presence of polyacrylamide gel decreased the velocity of hydrate formation.
Methods for improving the design and performance of evolutionary algorithms

Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) can be applied to almost any optimization or learning problem by making some simple customizations to the underlying representation and/or reproductive operators. This makes them an appealing choice when facing a new or unusual problem. Unfortunately, while making these changes is often easy, getting a customized EA to operate effectively (i.e. find a good solution quickly) can be much more difficult. Ideally one would hope that theory would provide some guidance here, but in these cases, evolutionary computation (EC) theories are not easily applied. They either require customization themselves, or they require information about the problem that essentially includes the solution. Consequently most practitioners rely on an ad-hoc approach, incrementally modifying and testing various customizations until they find something that works reasonably well. The drawback that most EC theories face is that they are closely associated with the underlying representation of an individual (i.e. the genetic code). There has been some success at addressing this limitation by applying a biology theory called quantitative genetics to EAs. This approach allows one to monitor the behavior of an EA by observing distributions of an outwardly observable phenotypic trait (usually fitness), and thus avoid modeling the algorithm's internal details. Unfortunately, observing a single trait does not provide enough information to diagnose most problems within an EA. It is my hypothesis that using multiple traits will allow one to observe how the population is traversing the search space, thus making more detailed diagnosis possible. In this work, I adapt a newer multivariate form of quantitative genetics theory for use with evolutionary algorithms and derive a general equation of population variance dynamics. This provides a foundation for building a set of tools that can measure and visualize important characteristics of an algorithm, such as exploration, exploitation, and heritability, throughout an EA run. Finally I demonstrate that the tools can actually be used to identify and fix problems in two well known EA variants: Pittsburgh approach rule systems and genetic programming trees.
Teaching Post Keynesian economics to undergraduate students

This paper argues that providing alternative perspectives, such as Post Keynesian economics, is important to students and for the success of the economics profession. Comparing and contrasting different views allow students to develop critical reasoning skills that they will need later in their lives. Such knowledge is important to students in understanding how changes occur in economic thinking. Finally, it is explained how a student-oriented supplementary volume is one way to enrich an economics course.
A History of Modern Morocco: The Closing of the Era of Jihad (1830–1860)

In 1830, Morocco found itself under attack by an assertive and expansive Europe, in the shape of France’s massive and well-planned attack on the city of Algiers. With this event, Morocco was ineluctably drawn into an economic and political maelstrom that would absorb its energies and color its outlook for years to come. Europe for Morocco was a familiar adversary. Morocco had lived in Europe’s shadow for centuries, sometimes amicably, at other times in a state of violent confrontation. Their histories were intertwined due to proximity and political necessity. Traders from Marseilles set up a funduq (merchants’ inn) in Ceuta in 1236; in the fifteenth century Jews banished from Iberia after centuries of settlement found a safe haven in Fez; and in the seventeenth century, Moriscos – Muslims who had adopted Catholicism but were forced to leave Spain by the Inquisition – transformed Morocco’s maritime economy into a corsairing one, returning the confrontation with the Christian West to Europe’s shores. From the mid-eighteenth century onward, Europe’s slow and steady march toward what historians call “modernity,” meaning greater degrees of state integration, capitalist development, and technological progress, inevitably shaped its attitudes and actions toward Morocco. Meanwhile, Morocco responded by adopting ploys and stratagems that it hoped would mitigate foreign influence and allow it to preserve its independence. The year 1830 marks the beginning of a transition to a new phase in which Europe is no longer an intermittent factor in Moroccan affairs, but an omnipresent reality looming over political events, the economy, and even social life. Yet, at the same time, the European factor was not all-determining; other salient features of Morocco’s interior landscape continued to evolve, change and confront one another, testing the capacity of the state to meet challenges at home and abroad. Factors that moved quite independently of the European encounter remained in play, such as the struggle for quotidian existence against the forces of nature, changes in intellectual life, the tension between the sultanate and the ruling classes, and the arrival of new ideas from the Muslim East that swept over society.