cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased city-level influenza mortality and state-level influenza severity is associated with greater functional decline among nursing home residents

Commentary on: Gozalo PL, Pop-Vicas A, Feng Z, et al. Effect of influenza on functional decline. J Am Geriatr Soc 2012;60:1260–7.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] In the USA, 90% of the estimated 24 000 influenza-related deaths each year occur in older adults,1 and rates (per 100 000 person-years) of hospitalisation for influenza and its complications increase steadily with age, from 111 … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJournal%2Bof%2Bthe%2BAmerican%2BGeriatrics%2BSociety%26rft.stitle%253DJ%2BAm%2BGeriatr%2BSoc%26rft.aulast%253DGozalo%26rft.auinit1%253DP.%2BL.%26rft.volume%253D60%26rft.issue%253D7%26rft.spage%253D1260%26rft.epage%253D1267%26rft.atitle%253DEffect%2Bof%2Binfluenza%2Bon%2Bfunctional%2Bdecline.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fj.1532-5415.2012.04048.x%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22724499%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04048.x&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22724499&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F16%2F4%2F122.atom
Rural Gentrification and Livestock Raising: Texas as a Test Case, 1940–1995

One characteristic of an affluent society is that wealthy individuals often seek a place in the country to spend weekends and summer vacations. In the United States second homes in rural areas first became popular in the Gilded Age when elites in the northeast tried to ape English patterns of leisured country living. Americans, however, had to contend with hot and humid summers. As a result, access to water became a vital ingredient in any choice of a country retreat. An alternative motivation for migration to the countryside in the late nineteenth century came when elites desired to take part in field sports, especially foxhunting. In New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and of course, Virginia, where reasonably mild winters permitted activities to continue with some frequency throughout the winter, foxhunting became part of the yearly ritual of small numbers of urban based elites. Horse ownership went hand in hand with livestock raising. By the twenties cattle breeding had become another hobby pursuit of the gentry in northeastern states; herds of Angus or other breeds grazed in paddocks on either side of a long driveway which led up to a large country home.
Harvest of Mississippi River sturgeon drives abundance and reproductive success: a harbinger of collapse?

Summary Within harvested populations, relationships between harvest intensity and reproductive responses are typically unclear, rendering regulatory decisions difficult. Harvest of the commercially important shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) is increasing in the upper Mississippi River; standardized seasonal sampling revealed that adult abundance is declining. Relative density of annual cohorts varied negatively with historical harvest intensity (r 2 ¼ 0.84), suggesting that removal of mature adults is reducing the contribution of cohorts to population density. The results of simulation modeling suggest that this currently unregulated fishery is experiencing both growth and recruitment overfishing. Further, the current proposed multi-state minimum length regulation was insufficient to maintain a sustainable stock. Only a more conservative minimum length limit (685 mm) produced yields that were sustainable at the current level of mortality and provided room for the fishery to grow. The annual mortality rate of the sympatric, federally endangered pallid sturgeon (S. albus) was similar to that of the shovelnose sturgeon population, raising concerns that harvest-induced mortality is affecting this congener’s vital rates.
Effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin on anti-HLA antibodies in sensitized kidney transplant candidates.

Limited data exist on the effect of IVIg on anti-HLA antibodies as determined by solid phase assays. We reviewed our experience treating sensitized waitlisted kidney transplant recipients with IVIg as a method for desensitization and report our results utilizing Luminex single antigen (LSA) bead assay to quantify antibody reactivity (MFI). Fifteen patients with a cPRA>40% received 2 g/kg IVIg per month for 4 months or until transplanted. LSA testing was done before and after IVIg. Median MFI for anti-class I antibodies fell in 11 (73%), and increased in 4 (27%) patients after IVIg. Similar significant changes in MFI for anti-class II antibodies were observed in 10 patients (66%). Administration of IVIg was associated with a modest decrease in reactivity to both class I and II HLA antigens (median MFI change 493 and 1110 respectively; p<0.0001) but did not significantly alter mean cPRA (85% before IVIg vs. 80% after IVIg; p=0.1). Our data suggest a smaller effect of IVIg on HLA antibody reactivity than previously described, leading us to question how best to measure the efficacy of a desensitization protocol in current practice.
Temporal distribution and taxonomic composition differences of larval fish in a large navigable river: a comparison of artificial dike structures and natural habitat.

Distributions of larval fish in a regulated river were determined by sampling 15 sites in 2003 using larval fish light traps. Typical of large river systems in the Mississippi River drainage, collections in the Kanawha River were dominated (>93%) by Cyprinidae and Percidae species. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) along artificial dike structures were higher than CPUE along other shoreline sites, indicating the importance of these structures as nurseries. Taxonomic richness within artificial dike structures was greater than or equal to normal shoreline reference sites. Cyprinidae (Pimphales type and Notropis type) were collected significantly more on artificial structures than reference sites (p < 0.01). We collected higher numbers and observed greater CPUE of some sport fishes (Percidae) at the artificial dike structures. Percidae CPUE was significantly higher (p < 0.01) on artificial dike structures than reference sites. Percidae distribution appears to be positively influenced by the introduction of artificial dike structures in comparison to other abundant fish groups. Artificial dike structures encouraged taxonomic and larval fish diversity, and positively influenced some game fish species. The results of this study suggest that artificial dike structures are habitats that increase larval fish diversity in large, navigable rivers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A neuromotor apparatus in the ciliate Dileptus gigas

A system of fibers has been found in Dileptus gigas which is probably a neuromotor apparatus. A distinct elongated basal rod, found near the base of the gullet, gives rise to three sets of fibers: (1) a set of heavy fibers radiates out around the funnel-shaped gullet; (2) a pair of heavy fibers pass directly from the basal rod to the band of trichocysts, one on each side, extending to the tip of the proboscis; (3) a set of very delicate branching fibers is distributed over the surface of the organism. This system of fibers is held to be a neuromotor apparatus, because, (1) the general structure and appearance of the fibers suggest a neuromotor function and, (2) there is little or no evidence indicating any other function; and because, (3) the fibers in this system are connected to the most highly specialized structures in Dileptus, and, finally, because, (4) they are similar to structures found in other forms for which a neuromotor function has been experimentally demonstrated.
The quasi-harmonic approximation and a generalized Grneisen equation of state

The validity of the Gruneisen equation of state for a solid having a continuous distribution of frequencies is investigated. It is shown that one cannot generally replace ∂S/∂V with the heat capacity multiplied by appropriate Gruneisen constants. A model frequency distribution is used to show the difference that can arise.
More g's than the Space Shuttle: ballistospore discharge

Ballistospores of basidiomycete fungi form at the tips of spear-shaped projections called sterig- mata that extend from basidia. At maturity, a spher- ical drop of fluid appears at the base of each spore, and a few seconds later the spore is propelled into the surrounding air. The development of the fluid drop was first reported in 1889, but a century of in- novative research was necessary to solve the mecha- nistic link between the drop and spore discharge. Through an extraordinary series of experiments the composition of the drop has now been established, its development is explained, and an effective solu- tion to the relationship between drop appearance and spore discharge has been proposed. Drop for- mation is initiated when a femtomole quantity of mannitol and hexoses is excreted from a specific site at the base of the spore, forming a hygroscopic nu- cleus upon which water condenses from the sur- rounding air. Discharge of the spore occurs when the drop fuses with a film of liquid that curves over the adjacent spore surface. This rapid coalescence results in a decrease in surface free energy within the liquid and displaces the center of mass of the spore. The change in weight distribution exerts a force that is opposed by the pressurized sterigma, and the spore is shot away from the basidium into the surrounding air. The mechanism is described as a surface-tension catapult. During discharge, ballistospores are subject- ed to an acceleration of 25 000 g, which is about ten thousand times the acceleration experienced by as- tronauts during the launch of the Space Shuttle! Even more impressive is the fact that while the Shut- tle consumes 50% of its weight in fuel in the first 2 min of flight, ballistospore discharge is fueled by the mannitol and hexoses that cause water to condense on the spore surface, and these solutes represent only 1% of the mass of the spore.
Determination of pyrethroids pesticide residues by solid phase extraction and gas chromatography in vegetables

Objective:An efficient and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of seven pyrethroid pesticides has been established and validated.Methods: Samples were determinated by ECD detecter with DB-5MS capillary column after extraction,salting-out,concentration,purified.Results: There was a good linearity between the peak area and its concentration within 0.0202 mg/L～0.836 mg/L,the correlation coefficient was 0.9989-0.99992.The recoveries of standard addition were in the range of 89.9%～106.8%.and RSD was in the range of 4.3%～7.4%.The lowest detection limits were in the range of 0.076 μg/kg～0.486 μg/kg.Conclusion: The established determinated method of seven pyrethroid pesticides residues in vegetable :simple,fast,sensitive,highly accurate and precise.It meets the need of present pyrethroid pesticide residues determination.
A Comparison of Transmitter and Synephrine on Luminescence Induction in the Firefly Larva

1. The pharmacological effects of neural transmitter and synephrine are compared with respect to induction of luminescence in extirpated larval firefly lanterns. 2. Transmitter and synephrine show many similarities of action. They are as follows: ( a ) They both act directly on the lantern. ( b ) Their response latencies are relatively constant. ( c ) Both stimulate ATP production. ( d ) Neither induces a persistent intermediate in anoxic lanterns. ( e ) No monoamine oxidase enzyme appears to act on them. ( f ) The luminescence-inducing action of both is rapidly blocked by chlorpromazine. ( g ) They show identical responses in the presence of dichloroisoproterenol. 3. Luminescence induced by transmitter is much more rapidly extinguished than that induced by syneprine. 4. The possible reasons for the difference in luminescence extinction rate between the two agents are discussed and their different modes of delivery are emphasized.
Observation of the effect of TCM Xiaodaoyin in infantile diarrhea

Objective To observe the clinical effect of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Xiaodaoyin in the treatment of infantile diarrhea.Methods 350 cases of diarrhea were randomly divided into two groups, including the observation group and the control group.The observation group was given Xiao-Dao-Yin treatment,in addition to the routine clinical treatment as the control group.After 72 hours,the curative effects of each group were determined.Results The effective rate of cases in the observation group was 61.7% superior to that of the control group(46.3%),and this difference was statistically significant(P0.01).The total effective rate of the observation group was 96.6% superior to that of the control group(89.7%),and the difference was statistically significant(P0.05).Conclusion The traditional Chinese medicine Xiaodaoyin can improve the curative effect in infantile diarrhea,which can be promoted in clinical application as an integrated remedy of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
ABRCMS 2005: Excellent Presentations, Expectations of Inclusion

Over the span of three days, 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, along with their mentors and recruiters, participated in the 2005 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), held in Atlanta, Ga., 2–5 November.
The Gender of Form and British Modernism: Rebecca West’s Vorticism and Blast

In 1914, Mary Richardson, an artist and suffragette, walked into the British National Gallery, stood in front of the “Rokeby Venus” by Velazquez, withdrew an ax, and gave the painting seven strikes...
ELKS controls the pool of readily releasable vesicles at excitatory synapses through its N-terminal coiled-coil domains

In a presynaptic nerve terminal, synaptic strength is determined by the pool of readily releasable vesicles (RRP) and the probability of release (P) of each RRP vesicle. These parameters are controlled at the active zone and vary across synapses, but how such synapse specific control is achieved is not understood. ELKS proteins are enriched at vertebrate active zones and enhance P at inhibitory hippocampal synapses, but ELKS functions at excitatory synapses are not known. Studying conditional knockout mice for ELKS, we find that ELKS enhances the RRP at excitatory synapses without affecting P. Surprisingly, ELKS C-terminal sequences, which interact with RIM, are dispensable for RRP enhancement. Instead, the N-terminal ELKS coiled-coil domains that bind to Liprin-α and Bassoon are necessary to control RRP. Thus, ELKS removal has differential, synapse-specific effects on RRP and P, and our findings establish important roles for ELKS N-terminal domains in synaptic vesicle priming.
The role of ribosomal ribonucleic acid in the structure and function of mammalian brain ribosomes.

Abstract In order to resolve the functional role of intact rRNA in polypeptide chain elongation mouse brain ribosomes were treated with dilute pancreatic or T1 RNAase (ribonuclease). After RNAase treatment, several physical–chemical properties as well as the functional activity of the ribosomes were measured. RNAase treatment resulted in the extensive hydrolysis of both 18S and 28S rRNA; however, the sedimentation properties of mono-ribosomes were unaltered and more than 90% of the relatively low-molecular-weight RNA fragments remained associated with ribosome particles. Analysis of the ability of RNAase-treated ribosomes to participate in cell-free protein synthesis showed that ribosomes with less than 2% intact rRNA retained more than 85% of their activity in polyphenylalanine incorporation. Proof that the incorporation of phenylalanine by ribosomes with hydrolysed rRNA actually represented active translocation was obtained by the effective inhibition of incorporation by diphtheria toxin. In addition, the oligopeptide products of protein synthesis could be identified by BD (benzoylated diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose column chromatography. Analysis of the size distribution of oligopeptides synthesized by normal and RNAase-treated ribosomes showed no significant differences which indicated that there was no change in the proportion of ribosomes engaged in protein synthesis. Thus strong RNA–protein and protein–protein interactions must serve to maintain the functional integrity of ribosomes even when the rRNA is extensively degraded. The ability of the enzyme-treated ribosomes to efficiently incorporate amino acids clearly demonstrated that `intact' rRNA is not required for protein-synthetic activity.
Stress, Coping, and Mood Among Latino Adolescents: A Daily Diary Study.

The current study examines whether daily coping moderates the effects of daily stress on same-day mood and next-day mood among 58 Latino adolescents (Mage = 13.31; 53% male). The daily diary design capitalized on repeated measurements, boosting power to detect effects and allowing for a robust understanding of the day-to-day experiences of Latino adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that on days when youth reported higher levels of peer and academic stress, they also reported more negative moods. However, only poverty-related stress predicted mood the following day. Engagement coping buffered the effect of poverty-related stress on next-day negative and positive mood, while disengagement exacerbated the effects of academic and peer stress. The need for interventions promoting balanced coping repertoires is discussed.
Subject-wise empirical likelihood inference in partial linear models for longitudinal data

In analyzing longitudinal data, within-subject correlations are a major factor that affects statistical efficiency. Working with a partially linear model for longitudinal data, a subject-wise empirical likelihood based method that takes the within-subject correlations into consideration is proposed to estimate the model parameters. A nonparametric version of the Wilks Theorem for the limiting distribution of the empirical likelihood ratio, which relies on a kernel regression smoothing method to properly centered data, is derived. The estimation of the nonparametric baseline function is also considered. A simulation study and an application are reported to investigate the finite sample properties of the proposed method. The numerical results demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method.
Primary Cilia in Cystic Kidney Disease

Primary cilia are small, antenna-like structures that detect mechanical and chemical cues and transduce extracellular signals. While mammalian primary cilia were first reported in the late 1800s, scientific interest in these sensory organelles has burgeoned since the beginning of the twenty-first century with recognition that primary cilia are essential to human health. Among the most common clinical manifestations of ciliary dysfunction are renal cysts. The molecular mechanisms underlying renal cystogenesis are complex, involving multiple aberrant cellular processes and signaling pathways, while initiating molecular events remain undefined. Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease is the most common renal cystic disease, caused by disruption of polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 transmembrane proteins, which evidence suggests must localize to primary cilia for proper function. To understand how the absence of these proteins in primary cilia may be remediated, we review intracellular trafficking of polycystins to the primary cilium. We also examine the controversial mechanisms by which primary cilia transduce flow-mediated mechanical stress into intracellular calcium. Further, to better understand ciliary function in the kidney, we highlight the LKB1/AMPK, Wnt, and Hedgehog developmental signaling pathways mediated by primary cilia and misregulated in renal cystic disease.
Thin Grey Lines: Confrontations With Risk on Colorado's Front Range

This paper reports on two years of ethnographic observation of the science and politics of flood risk in Colorado, as well as design research that examines citizen interaction with expert knowledge about flooding in the region. We argue that the 100-year floodplain standard that inform maps produced by the USA Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) represent a problematic form of discursive closure of scientific understanding of flood hazard. We show that in order to meet the requirements of the NFIP, this standard acts as a closure that conveys a certainty that the underlying science does not warrant and foreshortens dialogue on disaster risk and public understanding of flood hazard. Engaging with literature in science and technology studies and human-centered computing, we investigate design opportunities for resisting closure and supporting public formation through encounters with the uncertainty and complexities of risk information.
Don’t Know or Won’t Say? Exploring How Colorblind Norms Shape Item Nonresponse in Social Surveys:

Colorblind norms play an important role in shaping how people discuss race. There is reason to believe that these norms also affect the ways respondents interact with social surveys. Specifically, ...
A Convenient and “Greener” Synthesis of Methyl Nitroacetate

A new procedure for the synthesis and isolation of methyl nitroacetate is described. The previously published method required drying the explosive dipotassium salt of nitroacetic acid in a vacuum desiccator, followed by grinding this material into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle prior to esterification. To obtain the desired product, benzene was employed as the extraction solvent, sodium sulfate was used as the drying agent, and two distillations were required. The new procedure eliminates drying and grinding of the explosive dipotassium salt, employs ethyl acetate or dichloromethane as the extraction solvent, eliminates the need for a drying agent, and requires a single distillation to furnish the end product in high yield and purity.
Political Photoromances: The Italian Communist Party, Famiglia Cristiana, and the Struggle for Women’s Hearts

AbstractThis essay examines the Italian fotoromanzo (photoromance) as a case study, vis-a-vis questions of cultural hierarchies, gender representations, and governance. In particular, it focuses on...
Teaching Bits: Statistics Education Articles from 2015

(2015). Teaching Bits: Statistics Education Articles from 2015. Journal of Statistics Education: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. null.
Alteration of Knee Kinematics After Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Is Dependent on Associated Meniscal Injury

Background:Limited in vivo kinematic information exists on managing meniscal injury during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).Hypothesis:Isolated anatomic ACLR restores knee kinematics, whereas ACLR in the presence of medial meniscal injury is associated with altered long-term knee kinematics.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:From March 2011 to December 2012, 49 of 57 participants in a clinical trial underwent anatomic ACLR with successful kinematic testing at 24 months after ACLR. Twenty-five patients had associated meniscal tears: medial (n = 11), lateral (n = 9), or bilateral (n = 5). With a dynamic stereo radiography system with superimposed high-resolution computed tomography scans of patient knees, kinematics were measured during downhill running. The initial single-support phase of the gait cycle (0%-10%) was analyzed.Results:Anterior tibial translation (ATT) was the only kinematic outcome between patients’ ACLR and contralateral knees that had significant intera...
Solitons in Physics

Given Bullough’s review of the mathematics of soliton solutions of nonlinear field equations, we see how distinctly different those are from our traditional linear wave experiences. Therein lies the most serious barrier which limits much of physics today in this regard: during this century, generations of physicists have trained in and practiced linear thought, normal mode decomposition or superposition, and nonlinearity introduced only by perturbative corrections was used to varying degrees to correct this limited base. But in no way does an extended wave turn into a soliton by perturbation theory. The other side of the coin, however, is that in strongly nonlinear problems, mathematicians had not generally provided us with a game plan for systematically approaching nonlinearity, in the sense that mode analysis was utilitarian. But that is just what is happening with regard to solitons. It is being discovered that there is a non-negligible class of nonlinear field equations which, if not bearing exact soliton solutions, clearly have both spatially extended and spatially compact solutions, that these solutions are functionally independent to a high degree (if not exactly so), and that they are stable with respect to small perturbations. Now the physicist can do something with these as an augmented set of ingredients in the analysis of nature — in statistical mechanics, quantum liquids, structural phase transitions, quantum field theory, epitaxy in surface physics, polymer science, etc., to name some major areas whose utilization is growing.
Developing a Training Course for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

An undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) training course was developed using existing best practices and Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives as a framework. Course goals included developing...
Semi-Supervised Collective Classification via Hybrid Label Regularization

Many classification problems involve data instances that are interlinked with each other, such as webpages connected by hyperlinks. Techniques for "collective classification" (CC) often increase accuracy for such data graphs, but usually require a fully-labeled training graph. In contrast, we examine how to improve the semi-supervised learning of CC models when given only a sparsely-labeled graph, a common situation. We first describe how to use novel combinations of classifiers to exploit the different characteristics of the relational features vs. the non-relational features. We also extend the ideas of "label regularization" to such hybrid classifiers, enabling them to leverage the unlabeled data to bias the learning process. We find that these techniques, which are efficient and easy to implement, significantly increase accuracy on three real datasets. In addition, our results explain conflicting findings from prior related studies.
20 Years of TIMSS: Lessons for Indonesia

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has been administered to countries around the world every four years since 1995, generating rich cross-national data on school resources and student achievement that can inform policy and classroom practice. Although Indonesia has participated in every round of TIMSS, there is very little published research in English drawing educational lessons from these data for Indonesia. In this article, I described Indonesia’s performance on TIMSS over time and relative to other countries. Reviewing TIMSS reports on mathematics and science, I offered both positive and negative lessons from Indonesia’s participation in TIMSS since 1995.
Contextual recruitment of selective attention can be updated via changes in task relevance.

Evidence across a wide variety of attention paradigms shows that environmental cues can trigger adjustments to ongoing priorities for attending to relevant and irrelevant information. This context-specific control over attention suggests that cognitive control can be both automatic and flexible. For instance, in selective attention tasks, congruency effects are larger for items that appear in a context associated with infrequent conflict than in a context associated with frequent conflict. Because the to-be-presented context cannot be predicted or prepared for in advance, attention is assumed to be rapidly updated on-the-fly, triggered by the currently presented context. Context-specific control exemplifies how learning and memory processes can influence attention to enable cognitive flexibility. However, what determines the use of previously learned associations remains unclear. In the current study, we examined whether task relevance would influence the learning and use of context cues in a flanker task. Using a secondary counting task, context dimensions associated with differing levels of conflict were made task-relevant or -irrelevant across the experiment. In short, we found that making new contextual information task-relevant caused participants to suppress a previously learned context-attention association and adopt a new context-specific control strategy--all without changing the experimental stimuli. Furthermore, we found participants did not spontaneously learn about context-specific proportion manipulations (Experiment 2) and explicit instructions were insufficient for producing context-specific effects (Experiment 3). These results suggest that task relevance is a key determinant of context-specific control. All data, analyses, article preparation, and experimental design code is available at https://osf.io/ztcyb/. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Grand Unification with and without Supersymmetry

These lectures notes provide a general introduction to grand unified theories and their supersymmetric generalizations.
Temporal Lags in Post-Rain Greenhouse Gas Cycling and Fluxes from Septic Leach Field Soils and Associated Greenhouse Gas Cycling Microbial Populations

AbstractGlobally, one in six people depends on septic systems for onsite wastewater treatment; however, little is known about leach field system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and microbial GHG cyc...
Redistributing work during covid-19 Penn State University Libraries' job bank

March 2020 became a pivoting moment for higher education in the United States, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges and universities to switch to remote delivery of instruction within weeks. The impact of this event is deep and far-reaching. There is already a deluge of articles about how most faculty and students have had to adjust to a new way of teaching and learning--or how administrators have had to brace for financial losses. However, little has been written about the situations librarians and library staff are facing.
Elucidation of the functions of genes central to diterpene metabolism in tobacco trichomes using posttranscriptional gene silencing.

The functions of two key, trichome-expressed genes were assessed using different posttranscriptional gene silencing strategies (PTGS). Efficient RNA interference (RNAi) revealed the function of a cembratriene-ol (CBT-ol) cyclase gene responsible for conversion of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to CBT-ols, and verified the function of a P450 gene responsible for conversion of CBT-ols to CBT-diols. CBT-diols are abundant diterpenes that comprise about 60% and 10% of trichome exudate weight and leaf dry weight, respectively, in Nicotiana tabacum, T.I. 1068. The relative efficiencies and levels of suppression using antisense (AS), sense co-suppression (S), and RNAi were compared for these two genes. With a partial cDNA of the P450 gene, the suppression efficiencies (percent of primary transformants with high CBT-ols/CBT-diols) were low, 3.3% for AS and 0% for S plants. In contrast, using RNAi with a partial gene sequence, a knockdown efficiency of about 45% was achieved. For the CBT-ol cyclase gene, no suppression was observed using partial cDNAs in AS or S orientations, while RNAi with a partial gene sequence yielded an efficiency of about 64%. The efficiencies of gene silencing using full-length coding reigons of both genes in AS and S orientations were ≤20%. Our results identify the function of a CBT-ol cyclase gene and demonstrate the efficacy and superiority of RNAi for assessing the functions of two trichome-specific genes that encode enzymes having widely different functions.
Sources of Revenue Loss and Recovery in Radiology Practices During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Rationale and Objectives This study seeks to quantify the financial impact of COVID-19 on radiology departments, and to describe the structure of both volume and revenue recovery. Materials and Methods Radiology studies from a large academic health system were retrospectively studied from the first 33 weeks of 2020. Volume and work relative value unit (wRVU) data were aggregated on a weekly basis for three periods: Presurge (weeks 1–9), surge (10–19), and recovery (20–33), and analyzed compared to the pre-COVID baseline stratified by modality, specialty, patient service location, and facility type. Mean and median wRVU per study were used as a surrogate for case complexity. Results During the pandemic surge, case volumes fell 57%, while wRVUs fell by 69% relative to the pre-COVID-19 baseline. Mean wRVU per study was 1.13 in the presurge period, 1.03 during the surge, and 1.19 in the recovery. Categories with the greatest mean complexity declines were radiography (−14.7%), cardiothoracic imaging (−16.2%), and community hospitals overall (−15.9%). Breast imaging (+6.5%), interventional (+5.5%), and outpatient (+12.1%) complexity increased. During the recovery, significant increases in complexity were seen in cardiothoracic (0.46 to 0.49), abdominal (1.80 to 1.91), and neuroradiology (2.46 to 2.56) at stand-alone outpatient centers with similar changes at community hospitals. At academic hospitals, only breast imaging complexity remained elevated (1.32 from 1.17) during the recovery. Conclusion Reliance on volume alone underestimates the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as there was a disproportionate loss in high-RVU studies. However, increased complexity of outpatient cases has stabilized overall losses during the recovery.
Commentary on can complex surgical interventions be standardized? Reaching international consensus on posterior sagittal anorectoplasty using a modified-Delphi method.

Abstract This is a commentary on the manuscript entitled “Can Complex Surgical Interventions be Standardized? Reaching International Consensus on Posterior Sagittal Anorectoplasty Using a Modified-Delphi Method” by Hanke, R, Ponsky T, Garrison A, et al.
Overlay thickness design for low-volume roads: Mechanistic-empirical approach with nondestructive deflection testing and pavement damage models

Identifying the appropriate overlay thicknesses is critical to a local transportation agency’s ability to maintain its pavement network. Local agencies often use empirical approaches for designing the overlay thickness for low-volume pavements. For example, overlay design for low-volume roads in Illinois is currently carried out using assumed layer coefficients for a limited number of material types. Although such empirical approaches are fairly simple to use, they are often not suitable for considering the effects of recycled and nontraditional construction materials that are more commonly considered in current-day sustainable pavement applications. The lack of mechanical testing for evaluating the pavement structural condition often leads to uneconomical practices in the rehabilitation of low-volume roads. This paper presents a mechanistic–empirical approach for overlay thickness designs of low-volume pavements through a combination of nondestructive deflection testing and preestablished pavement damage...
Methods for assessing protective clothing effects on worker mobility

Worker mobility in protective clothing can be assessed both objectively through range of motion (ROM) measurement, and subjectively through perceived freedom of movement. Ten male subjects performed a set of gross body movements while wearing coveralls that were undersized, appropriately sized, and oversized. ROM measurements were collected simultaneously with a universal goniometer and an electrogoniometer, and with a Leighton Flexometer and an electrogoniometer. Subjects rated the perceived impediment and comfort of each of nine test garments, using a Rating of Perceived Impediment, and a comfort rating system. The universal goniometer was found to be leas expensive, easier to use, more sensitive, more durable, and less intrusive than either the Flexometer or the electrogoniometer. Subjective measures were positively correlated with each other, and with the objective measures. The subjective rating scales developed for this study can easily be adapted for use with ASTM F 1154-88, "Standard Practices for Qualitatively Evaluating the Comfort, Fit, Function, and Integrity of Chemical-Protective Suit Ensembles".
Meteorologically Driven Simulations of Dengue Epidemics in San Juan, PR

Meteorological factors influence dengue virus ecology by modulating vector mosquito population dynamics, viral replication, and transmission. Dynamic modeling techniques can be used to examine how interactions among meteorological variables, vectors and the dengue virus influence transmission. We developed a dengue fever simulation model by coupling a dynamic simulation model for Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito vector for dengue, with a basic epidemiological Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model. Employing a Monte Carlo approach, we simulated dengue transmission during the period of 2010–2013 in San Juan, PR, where dengue fever is endemic. The results of 9600 simulations using varied model parameters were evaluated by statistical comparison (r2) with surveillance data of dengue cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To identify the most influential parameters associated with dengue virus transmission for each period the top 1% of best-fit model simulations were retained and compared. Using the top simulations, dengue cases were simulated well for 2010 (r2 = 0.90, p = 0.03), 2011 (r2 = 0.83, p = 0.05), and 2012 (r2 = 0.94, p = 0.01); however, simulations were weaker for 2013 (r2 = 0.25, p = 0.25) and the entire four-year period (r2 = 0.44, p = 0.002). Analysis of parameter values from retained simulations revealed that rain dependent container habitats were more prevalent in best-fitting simulations during the wetter 2010 and 2011 years, while human managed (i.e. manually filled) container habitats were more prevalent in best-fitting simulations during the drier 2012 and 2013 years. The simulations further indicate that rainfall strongly modulates the timing of dengue (e.g., epidemics occurred earlier during rainy years) while temperature modulates the annual number of dengue fever cases. Our results suggest that meteorological factors have a time-variable influence on dengue transmission relative to other important environmental and human factors.
On the Inefficiency Ratio of Stable Equilibria in Congestion Games

Price of anarchy and price of stability are the primary notions for measuring the efficiency (i.e. the social welfare) of the outcome of a game. Both of these notions focus on extreme cases: one is defined as the inefficiency ratio of the worst-case equilibrium and the other as the best one. Therefore, studying these notions often results in discovering equilibria that are not necessarily the most likely outcomes of the dynamics of selfish and non-coordinating agents. The current paper studies the inefficiency of the equilibria that are most stable in the presence of noise. In particular, we study two variations of non-cooperative games: atomic congestion games and selfish load balancing. The noisy best-response dynamics in these games keeps the joint action profile around a particular set of equilibria that minimize the potential function. The inefficiency ratio in the neighborhood of these "stable" equilibria is much better than the price of anarchy. Furthermore, the dynamics reaches these equilibria in polynomial time. Our observations show that in the game environments where a small noise is present, the system as a whole works better than what a pessimist may predict. They also suggest that in congestion games, introducing a small noise in the payoff of the agents may improve the social welfare.
Building a Performance Information System for Statewide Residential Treatment Services

This article presents a process for building a state-level performance information system for psychiatric residential treatment facilities for children and youth. Based on a consensus-based program model, researchers identified information needs of stakeholders for measuring clinical outcome measures and for monitoring outcomes after clients are discharged from programs. After reviewing the extant outcome measurement instruments and the array for information needs, researchers recommended a comprehensive package of measures for stakeholders. The article illustrates collaborative efforts made by researchers, state agency, and stakeholders to develop sets of indicators in three areas of performance information: access, process, and client status outcome.
Orientation Selectivity and the Arrangement of Horizontal Connections in Tree Shrew Striate Cortex

Horizontal connections, formed primarily by the axon collaterals of pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of visual cortex, extend for millimeters parallel to the cortical surface and form patchy terminations. Previous studies have provided evidence that the patches formed by horizontal connections exhibit modular specificity, preferentially linking columns of neurons with similar response characteristics, such as preferred orientation. The issue of how these connections are distributed with respect to the topographic map of visual space, however, has not been resolved. Here we combine optical imaging of intrinsic signals with small extracellular injections of biocytin to assess quantitatively the specificity of horizontal connections with respect to both the map of orientation preference and the map of visual space in tree shrew V1. Our results indicate that horizontal connections outside a radius of 500 microm from the injection site exhibit not only modular specificity, but also specificity for axis of projection. Labeled axons extend for longer distances, and give off more terminal boutons, along an axis in the map of visual space that corresponds to the preferred orientation of the injection site. Inside of 500 microm, the pattern of connections is much less specific, with boutons found along every axis, contacting sites with a wide range of preferred orientations. The system of long-range horizontal connections can be summarized as preferentially linking neurons with co-oriented, co-axially aligned receptive fields. These observations suggest specific ways that horizontal circuits contribute to the response properties of layer 2/3 neurons and to mechanisms of visual perception.
El jefe político en México

Traduccion del articulo publicado en 1933. Explica los origenes, funciones y poderio de las jefaturas politicas como institucion espanola creada en Cadiz (1812). Analiza su papel como eslabon centralizador porfirista, hasta su supresion con Carranza.
Isolation and characterization of Drosophila multidrug resistance gene homologs

Mammalian multidrug-resistant cell lines, selected for resistance to a single cytotoxic agent, display cross-resistance to a broad spectrum of structurally and functionally unrelated compounds. These cell lines overproduce a membrane protein, the P-glycoprotein, which is encoded by a member(s) of a multigene family, termed mdr or pgp. The amino acid sequence of the P-glycoprotein predicts an energy-dependent transport protein with homology to a large superfamily of proteins which transport a wide variety of substances. This report describes the isolation and characterization of two Drosophila homologs of the mammalian mdr gene. These homologs, located in chromosomal sections 49EF and 65A, encode proteins that share over 40% amino acid identity to the human and murine mdr P-glycoproteins. Fly strains bearing disruptions in the homolog in section 49EF have been constructed and implicate this gene in conferring colchicine resistance to the organism. This work sets the foundation for the molecular and genetic analysis of mdr homologs in Drosophila melanogaster.
The reaction 26Mg(d, τ)25Na and the structure of 25Na

Abstract The nuclear structure of the nucleus 25 Na has been studied with the (d, τ) proton pick-up reaction on 26 Mg at a bombarding energy of 29 MeV with an energy resolution of 25 to 30 keV FWHM. Excited states in 25 Na have been measured up to excitation energies of 8 MeV. The experimental angular distributions show good agreement with the predictions from the standard distorted-wave Born-approximation theory (code DWUCK; non-local and finite range). However, the agreement is improved considerably if the procedure of Kunz, Rost and Johnson is applied which accounts approximately for strong couplings to inelastic channels in the initial and final (strongly deformed) nuclei. The influence of this treatment on the evaluation of spectroscopic factors has been investigated and was found to be particularly pronounced for l = 0 transitions. The measured spectroscopic factors are compared to those from other experimental work and from shell-model and Nilsson-model calculations.
Surgical Management of Acute Septic Pericarditis

Four patients with acute septic pericarditis were treated by emergency pericardiectomy through a bilateral anterior thoracotomy. The findings of exudative loculated fluid, extensive granulation tissue and septate adhesions, not only indicated the limitations of antibiotic therapy, but portended the development of subsequent chronic constrictive pericarditis. There was immediate relief of cardiac tamponade and dramatic interruption of the septic course. All have been longterm survivors who have exhibited no postoperative complications.
A Multi-Exon-Skipping Detection Assay Reveals Surprising Diversity of Splice Isoforms of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Genes

Humans have two near identical copies of Survival Motor Neuron gene: SMN1 and SMN2. Loss of SMN1 coupled with the predominant skipping of SMN2 exon 7 causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disease. SMA patient cells devoid of SMN1 provide a powerful system to examine splicing pattern of various SMN2 exons. Until now, similar system to examine splicing of SMN1 exons was unavailable. We have recently screened several patient cell lines derived from various diseases, including SMA, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Batten disease. Here we report a Batten disease cell line that lacks functional SMN2, as an ideal system to examine pre-mRNA splicing of SMN1. We employ a multiple-exon-skipping detection assay (MESDA) to capture simultaneously skipping of multiple exons. Our results show surprising diversity of splice isoforms and reveal novel splicing events that include skipping of exon 4 and co-skipping of three adjacent exons of SMN. Contrary to the general belief, MESDA captured oxidative-stress induced skipping of SMN1 exon 5 in several cell types, including non-neuronal cells. We further demonstrate that the predominant SMN2 exon 7 skipping induced by oxidative stress is modulated by a combinatorial control that includes promoter sequence, endogenous context, and the weak splice sites. We also show that an 8-mer antisense oligonucleotide blocking a recently described GC-rich sequence prevents SMN2 exon 7 skipping under the conditions of oxidative stress. Our findings bring new insight into splicing regulation of an essential housekeeping gene linked to neurodegeneration and infant mortality.
The Failure of Hooker’s Argument for Rule Consequentialism

Brad Hooker argues for rule consequentialism using narrow reflective equilibrium resources along with a handful of wider resources. One of his important claims in defense of rule consequentialism is that it begins from a familiar and attractive idea about morality. I argue that his defense of rule consequentialism fails and more particularly, that rather than beginning from a familiar and attractive idea, it begins from an idea that is quite unattractive. I show this by applying the method rule consequentialists use to derive moral advice for the real world to non-moral cases where its unattractiveness is clear. I then argue that the basic idea behind rule consequentialism is attractive if considered as an account of moral reform, in so far as the account of moral reform can be divorced from one’s account of right and wrong, something that occurs in theories like that of Stephen Toulmin.