cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quarantine host range testing of Pseudophilothrips ichini, a potential biological control agent of Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia, in North America and Hawaii

Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae), is an invasive weed of natural and agricultural areas of Florida, Hawaii, and Texas (USA). Biological control presents an environmentally safe and cost-effective control method for invasive populations of this weed. Though many potential agents have been tested for specificity, nearly all have been rejected due to a broad host range. However, one species, a thrips Pseudophilothrips ichini (Hood) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), shows promise from field observations and quarantine host range tests. A series of no-choice, choice, and multiple-generation tests was conducted on 127 plant taxa (including five mango and four pistachio varieties) from 45 families and 33 orders. In no-choice starvation tests, the thrips fed and produced offspring on the target weed (124 F1 adults per plant), whereas no or few (<4 F1 adults per plant) were obtained on non-target species. The primary exception was another exotic invasive tree Schinus molle L., on which an average 20 F1 thrips adults were produced. No-choice tests indicated that small numbers of F1 offspring were produced on nine other non-target plant species. The numbers of F1 offspring produced on these plants were <3% of those produced on the target weed. In choice tests, on average two or fewer F1 adults were produced on four non-target species tested, compared with 64 F1 adults on the target weed. Multiple-generation tests indicated that three generations of thrips were maintained only on the target weed and S. molle with no differences between these two plant species or across generations. Thus, this thrips species has a narrow host range that includes the two invasive Schinus spp. tested here. If released, the thrips P. ichini will constitute safe and potentially effective biological control of Brazilian peppertree in North America and Hawaii.
Effect of Prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Ultrasound Fusion-guided Biopsy on Radiation Treatment Recommendations.

Purpose Targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy (MRI-Bx) has recently been compared with the standard of care extended sextant ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (SOC-Bx), with the former associated with an increased rate of detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. The present study sought to determine the influence of MRI-Bx on radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) recommendations. Methods and Materials All patients who had received radiation treatment and had undergone SOC-Bx and MRI-Bx at our institution were included. Using the clinical T stage, pretreatment prostate-specific antigen, and Gleason score, patients were categorized into National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk groups and radiation treatment or ADT recommendations assigned. Intensification of the recommended treatment after multiparametric MRI, SOC-Bx, and MRI-Bx was evaluated. Results From January 2008 to January 2016, 73 patients received radiation therapy at our institution after undergoing a simultaneous SOC-Bx and MRI-Bx (n=47 with previous SOC-Bx). Repeat SOC-Bx and MRI-Bx resulted in frequent upgrading compared with previous SOC-Bx (Gleason score 7, 6.7% vs 44.6%; P P P =.027). Compared with SOC-Bx alone, including the MRI-Bx findings resulted in a greater percentage of pathologically positive cores (mean 37% vs 44%). Incorporation of multiparametric MRI and MRI-Bx results increased the recommended use and duration of ADT (duration increased in 28 of 73 patients and ADT was added for 8 of 73 patients). Conclusions In patients referred for radiation treatment, MRI-Bx resulted in an increase in the percentage of positive cores, Gleason score, and risk grouping. The benefit of treatment intensification in accordance with the MRI-Bx findings is unknown.
LAREAU, Annette. UNEQUAL CHILDHOODS: Class, Race, and Family Life

LAREAU, Annette. UNEQUAL CHILDHOODS: Class, Race, and Family Life. Berkeley, CA: The University of California Press, 2003, 331 pp., $21.95 softcover and $55.00 hardcover.Unequal Childhoods is an important contribution to the literature on social class and its effects on children's upbringing and life chances. Through observation and interview in ten family based vignettes, Annette Lareau illustrates the gradual transformation of the internal dynamics of families - for both the poor and the privileged. Focusing on the daily activities and routines of families, Lareau illustrates how differential access to resources of all kinds translate into class based differences in child rearing practices, especially when interfaced with community of residence, schooling, recreational patterns and relations with extended family.Among North American families, education and skill based disparities in income and opportunity are growing along with the erosion of equalizing social supports. Forty years ago John Porter noted in The Vertical Mosaic (1965) that middle class life styles rest on the consumption of unevenly distributed values - real middle class status did not rest on "gadgetry" but rather the ability to consume value associated goods. Lareau suggests such goods are having a transformative impact on child rearing practices.In her formulation of parenting styles, Lareau distinguishes between the middle class preoccupation with concerted cultivation and the working class and poor belief in overseeing the natural growth of children. The former encourages children to be competitive - even with siblings, acquire expertise in multiple tasking, and learn to interact with adults and adult institutions in an instrumental fashion - with parents as "back up". Overall, such children acquire a sense of entitlement absent in their working class and economically disadvantaged peers. Just as parents of their disadvantaged peers insist on authoritarian compliance, they in turn interact with schools, government services, and the like, as subordinates rather than aggressive advocates for their children.Lareau's middle and upper middle class children are involved in a broad array of extra curricular activities. Commitments to music lessons, sports teams, and academic clubs are amassed in such quantities that scheduling and participation sap the energy of children and parents. It would seem that some of Lareau's families are indeed overscheduled, with parent's lives revolving around their children's activities. Enhancing their children's Human Capital for the future seems to be the primary parental motivation, but children often enjoy these activities make friends through them, and using their own internal calculus, position themselves for the next step in social and educational development. …
Internal and external potential-field estimation from regional vector data at varying satellite altitude

When modeling global satellite data to recover a planetary magnetic or gravitational potential field and evaluate it elsewhere, the method of choice remains their analysis in terms of spherical harmonics. When only regional data are available, or when data quality varies strongly with geographic location, the inversion problem becomes severely ill-posed. In those cases, adopting explicitly local methods is to be preferred over adapting global ones (e.g., by regularization). Here, we develop the theory behind a procedure to invert for planetary potential fields from vector observations collected within a spatially bounded region at varying satellite altitude. Our method relies on the construction of spatiospectrally localized bases of functions that mitigate the noise amplification caused by downward continuation (from the satellite altitude to the planetary surface) while balancing the conflicting demands for spatial concentration and spectral limitation. Solving simultaneously for internal and external fields in the same setting of regional data availability reduces internal-field artifacts introduced by downward-continuing unmodeled external fields, as we show with numerical examples. The AC-GVSF are optimal linear combinations of vector spherical harmonics. Their construction is not altogether very computationally demanding when the concentration domains (the regions of spatial concentration) have circular symmetry, e.g., on spherical caps or rings - even when the spherical-harmonic bandwidth is large. Data inversion proceeds by solving for the expansion coefficients of truncated function sequences, by least-squares analysis in a reduced-dimensional space. Hence, our method brings high-resolution regional potential-field modeling from incomplete and noisy vector-valued satellite data within reach of contemporary desktop machines.
Changes in Health Perceptions among Older Grandparents Raising Adolescent Grandchildren

This research study explores health perceptions before and after becoming a primary caregiver among older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren. Qualitative, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with grandparents age 40 and older (N = 15) who were raising adolescent grandchildren age 12 and older. Most grandparents were female, had some college education, White/Non-Hispanic, were married, had an average age of 65 years, and reported never attending a grandparent support group. Before assuming the primary caregiver role, older grandparents described their physical health as good, filled with physical activity, and reasonably free of health conditions. After entering the primary caregiving role, older grandparents of adolescents described functional restrictions and visible changes in physical health requiring intensive medical interventions. In terms of mental health, older grandparent caregivers experienced anxiety, worry, depression, sadness, and frustration. These findings highlight the complex caregiving circumstances encountered by older grandparents raising adolescents and the need for health education and policy development to increase comprehensive supportive services targeting this population.
Abstract SY14-01: Colon cancer screening and genetics

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and second deadliest cancer in the U.S. with 134,490 cases and 49,190 deaths in 2016. Its pathogenesis stems from genetic susceptibility coupled with environmental interactions in the colon that synergize ideal conditions for neoplastic growth, initially from benign adenomatous polyps that might progress to carcinoma over several years. Adenoma initiation and progression to carcinoma may take one of a few identified genetic pathways that determine the tempo of progression as well as morbidity and mortality of the patient. Each patient’s CRC is genetically unique with variable numbers of passenger mutations and propelled by 2-8 driver mutations. CRCs can be classified as hypermutated, possessing hundreds to thousands of somatic mutations and including CRCs driven by defects in DNA mismatch repair and POLE mutations; and non-hypermutated, with tens of somatic mutations containing multiple copy number alterations and aneuploidy with oncogenic activation of KRAS and PIK3CA coupled with mutations and loss of heterozygosity of tumor suppressors APC and TP53. Epigenetic events as well as inflammatory-driven cellular alterations in DNA mismatch repair further contribute to CRC pathogenesis and metastasis. Because CRC is deadly, prevention through screening (and/or surveillance in high-risk patients) is an ideal and effective approach. Screening provides the opportunity to identify and remove the adenoma precursors before they can become CRC; it also can utilize the somatic genetic knowledge to effectively screen patients noninvasively. There are seven CRC screening tests suggested by the USPSTF and a Multi-society Task Force for effective screening, with varying abilities to detect significant colonic neoplasia and various specificities; even the most noninvasive and least sensitive test has shown a durable reduction in CRC mortality and is cost effective. Thus, any of the seven CRC screening tests is better than no test. Noninvasive strategies include guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing, fecal immunochemical testing, fecal DNA testing, and CT colonography. Luminal-invasive tests include flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy and their combinations with a noninvasive test. If any of the noninvasive tests shows a positive result, a colonoscopy should be performed to identify the cause of the positive test. For high-risk patients or the surveillance of patients, colonoscopy is the modality that should be used. Knowledge of the patient’s age and family history and personal adenoma or CRC history can influence when to commence screening; additionally, multiple lines of evidence suggest that race should be included in the algorithm influencing the timing and tempo of screening and/or surveillance. Citation Format: John M. Carethers. Colon cancer screening and genetics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY14-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-SY14-01
The effect of post-synthesis aging on the ligand exchange activity of iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract Hypothesis Ligand exchange is a widely-used method of controlling the surface chemistry of nanomaterials. Exchange is dependent on many factors including the age of the core particle being modified. Aging of the particles can impact surface structure and composition, which in turn can affect ligand binding. Experiments To quantify the effects of aging on ligand exchange, we employed a technique to track the exchange of radiolabeled 14C-oleic acid with unlabeled, oleic acid bound to iron oxide nanoparticles. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was used to determine the amount of 14C-oleic acid adsorbing to the particles throughout the duration of the exchange for particles aged for 2 days, 7 days, and 30 days. Findings Results revealed an increase in the total amount of ligands exchanged with aging up to 30 days. Kinetic analysis of these results revealed a significant decrease in the overall rate of ligand exchange between 2 and 30 days. The change in extent of adsorption with age could suggest increased availability of free binding sites. A follow-up study comparing exchange with oxidized and unoxidized particles suggested this increase in ligand adsorption may be due to changes in the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio on the surface as the particles aged.
Morphometric Evaluation of the Frontal Migraine Trigger Site.

Background:Migraine headache has been attributed to specific craniofacial peripheral nerve trigger sites. Some have postulated that hypertrophy of the corrugator muscles causes compression of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves, resulting in migraine headache. This study uses morphometric eva
Identity Work as Deliberation: AAPI Political Discourse in the 2016 US Presidential Election

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are perceived as the "model minority" with a monolithic identity, in contrast to other marginalized racial groups in the United States. In reality, they are composed of different ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and political ideologies. AAPIs share their political views online, engaging in the public sphere through a collaborative process we coin, "identity work as deliberation." Using the 2016 US Presidential Election as a case study, we retrieved 4,406 Reddit comments posted between October 2016 to December 2016. We examine how users engage in an online community through a deliberation lens to understand the extent to which Reddit supports identity work as a deliberative process. Under the collective AAPI umbrella, we find that ethnic identifications complicate the types of discussion possible within r/asianamerican. We discuss how the expression of identity, and thereby solidarity, in a politicized online setting may lead to a social movement.
Protein Targets of Frankincense: A Reverse Docking Analysis of Terpenoids from Boswellia Oleo-Gum Resins

Background: Frankincense, the oleo-gum resin of Boswellia trees, has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. Frankincense has been used to treat wounds and skin infections, inflammatory diseases, dementia, and various other conditions. However, in many cases, the biomolecular targets for frankincense components are not well established. Methods: In this work, we have carried out a reverse docking study of Boswellia diterpenoids and triterpenoids with a library of 16034 potential druggable target proteins. Results: Boswellia diterpenoids showed selective docking to acetylcholinesterase, several bacterial target proteins, and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Boswellia triterpenoids targeted the cancer-relevant proteins (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, tankyrase, and folate receptor β), inflammation-relevant proteins (phospholipase A2, epoxide hydrolase, and fibroblast collagenase), and the diabetes target 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Conclusions: The preferential docking of Boswellia terpenoids is consistent with the traditional uses and the established biological activities of frankincense.
Clinical measures associated with knee function over two years in young athletes after ACL reconstruction.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how patient-reported knee function changed over a two-year period in young athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and return-to-sport (RTS), and to determine the impact of clinical measures, after controlling for demographic and surgical covariates. Methods At the time of RTS after primary, unilateral ACLR, the following data were collected in 67 young athletes: Quadriceps (QF), hamstring (HS), and hip abduction (HA) strength; knee range-of-motion, effusion, and anterior laxity; and patient-reported function using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). At two years post-RTS, patient-reported function was reevaluated using the KOOS. Absolute KOOS scores and proportions of participants meeting functional recovery cutoffs were compared between time-points. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine clinical measures at RTS associated with two-year post-RTS KOOS scores. Results KOOS scores for all subscales were higher at two years post-RTS (all p Conclusions In this cohort, after controlling for graft type, higher QF strength symmetry, higher involved-limb QF peak torque, and lower involved-limb HA peak torque from the time of RTS were associated with higher function at two years post-RTS.
The Historical and Institutional Settings

This chapter starts off with an ethnic/territorial perspective on the history of nationalism. Then, it gives a brief historical overview of the institution of citizenship from its origins in Western antiquity and to its peculiarities in the Russian Empire, the USSR, and today’s Russia. Finally, it ends with a historical overview of the birthright citizenship policy of jus soli.
A Virtual Reality Approach to Pediatric Conflict De-escalation and Anger Management

In recent years, anger management has received considerable attention in the school setting. Youth suffering from elevated anger often relates to health problems, typically cardiovascular diseases; physical aggression, negative verbal responses, and drug use have also been reported as a negative consequence of unmanaged anger. While many forms of treatment currently exist, they often require a counselor's assistance in providing suitable de-escalation methods. For public schools, most states have difficulties allocating funding to establish a large enough school counseling program; therefore, anger management services are not commonly accessible in schools. Virtual Reality (VR) creates an immersive experience through computer-generated environments. First popularized as a game enhancement, VR has contributed to academia by recreating a desired atmosphere, notably within psychological research. This study investigates the potential of a virtual reality de-escalation mechanism to increase its accessibility and affordability in a school setting. The program aims to achieve an immediate de-escalation for the youth through a calm room with minimal adult assistance and prepare them to re-enter the real world by creating a solution to a common anger trigger which can hopefully eventually reduce their dependence on the technology.
Empirical Assessment of State Water Rights Protection Efforts

This chapter offers an empirical assessment of the theory advanced in Chapter 4. The theory argues that a combination of “Adaptation Interactions” and the threat of securitization create the conditions in which states experience increased pressure for “water accountability.” I build and employ a typology to explain variation of water right enforcement mechanisms, and utilize a series of data sources to capture the variation in state response to unauthorized water use and related policies. I then present an illustrative case study of the State of Idaho’s action on the declining aquifer levels in Mountain Home, Idaho located in Elmore County, examining the specific policy environment, and shows how the changes observed at the Idaho Department of Water Resources represent the process of state capacity building. I utilize data collected interviews with Elmore County water users and local officials, as well as a range of primary and secondary sources. The findings of the chapter indicate that there is a wide range in response across western states, and that this is caused by a range of factors related to scarcity and the “adaptation capacity” infrastructure at the state level.
Responding to depression-related Imgur posts: A content analysis of social support and non-bona fide features in user-generated comments:

ObjectivesA growing body of health communication scholarship has explored the utility of social media platforms for eliciting social support, although much of this scholarship has focused on Facebo...
Effectiveness of physical therapy treatment in addition to usual podiatry management of plantar heel pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Many patients will seek care from a podiatrist for plantar heel pain (PHP), while few of these patients will also be seen by a physical therapist. Physical therapists can provide treatment that is not a part of routine podiatric care for PHP and may provide additional improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of interdisciplinary care for PHP that incorporated physical therapy treatment after initiating podiatric treatment. Eligible individuals with PHP that presented to a podiatrist were randomized to receive usual podiatric care (uPOD) or usual podiatric care plus physical therapy treatment (uPOD+PT). The primary outcome was change in foot and ankle ability measure (FAAM) at 6-months. Secondary outcomes included change in numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), patient-reported success, and 6-week and 1-year endpoints. Patient-reported success was defined as the top two global rating of change scale rankings. Primary analysis was intention-to-treat (ITT) using analysis by covariance adjusted to baseline scores, and a secondary per-protocol (PP) analysis was performed analyzing only those who completed treatment. Ninety-five individuals participated and were included in the ITT analysis, and 79 were included in the PP analysis. For the primary outcome of FAAM change from baseline to 6-months, both groups improved significantly (uPOD+PT: 26.8 [95% CI 21.6, 31.9]; uPOD: (20 [15.6, 24.4]), but there was no between-group difference (4.3 [− 1, 9.6]). For secondary outcomes, the uPOD+PT group demonstrated greater improvement in NPRS at 6 weeks (0.9 [0.3, 1.4]) and 1 year (1.5 [0.6, 2.5]) in the ITT analysis. In the PP analysis, the uPOD+PT group demonstrated greater improvement in FAAM at 6 months (7.7 [2.1, 13.3]) and 1 year (5.5 [0.1, 10.8]), NPRS at 6 weeks (0.9 [0.2, 1.6]), 6 months (1.3 [0.6, 2.1]) and 1 year (1.3 [0.6, 2.1]), and in patient-reported success (relative risk [95% CI]) at 6 weeks (2.8 [1.1, 7.1]), 6 months (1.5 [1.1, 2.1]), and 1 year (1.5 [1.1, 1.9]). There was no significant benefit of uPOD+PT in the primary outcome of FAAM change at 6 months. Secondary outcomes and PP analysis indicated additional benefit of uPOD+PT, mostly observed in individuals who completed treatment. Prospectively registered May 24, 2013 at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01865734).
Common Skin Condition in Black Skin

The clinical features and management of many common cutaneous conditions, including acne, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea, are consistent across skin types, but some findings associated with these entities, most importantly skin inflammation, can present uniquely in skin of color and lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. This chapter provides an overview of commonly encountered skin diseases, highlighting the variations in presentation that can be seen in skin of color. The aim of this chapter is to aid the practitioner in recognizing common skin diseases and selecting appropriate treatments for a wide variety of skin types.
Simple and Analytical Model of RNA Collapse.

An analytical model for the free energy change during collapse of an RNA molecule from an extended to a compact conformation is proposed. It considers explicit binding of water and ion molecules to...
The 21 μm and 30 μm emission features in carbon-rich objects

We review the observational properties and possible carriers of the 21 and 30 μm features seen in the spectra of evolved carbon-rich objects. The 30 μm feature is generally taken to be due to MgS, possibly in combination with other sulfides. It is commonly assumed that the sulfides coat grains of SiC or amorphous carbon, but it remains unclear if coated grains can produce the observed feature given the low relative abundance of sulfur and the optical constraints on the thickness of the coating and size of the grains. The lack of optical constants for MgS at wavelengths below 1 μm hampers attempts to model the dust shells of these objects. A small number of alternative carriers have been proposed, but these have not been investigated thoroughly. The situation for the 21 μm feature is more ambiguous. Many carriers have been proposed, but each has issues, and none have gained broad support. The feature only appears in carbon-rich objects which have evolved off of the asymptotic giant branch but have not yet become planetary nebulae. The spectral class of the central star is typically F or G. The transient nature of the 21 μm feature is an important clue to the nature of its carrier. It appears with a variety of other infrared emission features related to complex hydrocarbons, including aliphatic species and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, but correlations with specific features have proven difficult to quantify.
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is important to enable treatment to be administered with minimal delay. However, diagnosing SSc-ILD is challenging because key symptoms are non-specific. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest is recognized as a sensitive imaging method for diagnosing and assessing SSc-ILD. Exposure of patients to ionizing radiation may be considered as a limitation, although methodological steps may be taken to moderate this. We present practical recommendations for performing HRCT scans and interpreting the results. Key features of SSc-ILD on HRCT include a non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) pattern with peripheral ground-glass opacities and extensive traction bronchiectasis. Despite similarities between SSc-ILD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), HRCT can be used to differentiate between these conditions: in SSc-ILD compared with IPF, there is a greater proportion of ground-glass opacity and fibrosis is less coarse. A dilated, air-filled esophagus with diameter >10 mm, suggestive of esophageal dysmotility is commonly seen in SSc-ILD. Pulmonary artery size greater than the adjacent ascending aorta suggests coexistent pulmonary hypertension. Nodules must be monitored due to the increased risk of lung cancer. A large extent of disease on HRCT (≥20%) or a high fibrosis score suggests an increased risk of mortality. HRCT is central to diagnosing SSc-ILD, and serial assessments can be helpful in monitoring disease progression or treatment response.
Far-infrared spectrally selective LiTaO3 and AlN pyroelectric detectors using resonant subwavelength metal surface structures

Plasmonic near-perfect absorbers, comprising metal films with a periodic array of subwavelength openings, were deposited on the surface of pyroelectric materials to create wavelength-selective far-infrared detectors. The detectors fabricated and investigated were based on one of two pyroelectric materials: (i) z-cut monocrystalline lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) wafers or, (ii) reactively sputtered aluminum nitride (AlN), with absorbers fabricated by contact photolithography. Spectrally selective absorption resonances were demonstrated by Fourier-transform spectroscopy. Spectrally-selective photoresponse was demonstrated with a tunable THz backward wave oscillator. Responsivity was estimated using a black body source to be ∼ 1 mV/W for AlN samples and ∼ 100 mV/W for LiTaO3 samples. Most similar work has focused on detectors for mid-wave and long-wave infrared spectral regions. Our focus on THz wavelengths beyond 20 μm is motivated by specific security and contraband sensing applications.
Final cooling for a high-energy high-luminosity lepton collider

A high-energy muon collider scenario require a “final cooling” system that reduces transverse emittance by a factor of ~10 while allowing longitudinal emittance increase. The baseline approach has low-energy transverse cooling within high-field solenoids, with strong longitudinal heating. This approach and its recent simulation are discussed. Alternative approaches which more explicitly include emittance exchange are also presented. Round-to-flat beam transform, transverse slicing, and longitudinal bunch coalescence are possible components of an alternative approach. Wedge-based emittance exchange could provide much of the required transverse cooling with longitudinal heating. Li-lens and quadrupole focusing systems could also provide much of the required final cooling.
Protocol for dissection and culture of murine dorsal root ganglia neurons to study neuropeptide release

Summary In this protocol, we provide step-by-step instructions for dissection and culture of primary murine dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which provide an opportunity to study the functional properties of peripheral sensory neurons in vitro. Further, we describe the analysis of neuropeptide release by ELISA as a possible downstream application. In addition, isolated DRGs can be used directly for immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, RNA sequencing or proteomic approaches, electrophysiology, and calcium imaging. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Perner et al. (2020) .
America Classifies the Immigrants: from Ellis Island to the 2020 census: by Joel Perlmann, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, UK, Harvard University Press, 2018, viii + 451 pp., $46.50/£37.95/€42.00 (hardback), ISBN: 9780674425057

Joel Perlmann’s timely overview of the US government’s efforts to classify immigrants from the end of the nineteenth century to the present stands out as a powerful reminder of how such classificat...
Immediate Physiological Responses to Inspiratory Flow Limited Events in Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Rationale: Inspiratory flow limitation (IFL), characterized by flattening of individual breaths on the airflow/time tracing, is a non-invasive indicator of elevated upper airway resistance. An IFL ...
Antigen-Specific Immunointervention in Experimental Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) and its animal model experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) are neuromuscular junction transmission defect disorders. Both MG and EAMG are autoimmune diseases caused by antibodies attacking the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of the neuromuscular junctions. Conventionally, MG has been treated with immunosuppressive drugs, such as corticosteroids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine A, and symptom-relieving drugs. These medications may be effective, but the main drawback of immunosuppressive therapy is its non-specificity, which causes side effects due to global immunosuppression [1–5].
Two prokaryotic transcriptional enhancer systems.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes two systems of positive transcription control in prokaryotes, in which the transcriptional activation is exerted from distant sites that can properly be called “enhancers.” Both of these transcriptional systems are currently amenable to genetic and biochemical analyses that already provide a relatively concrete picture of several aspects of their mechanisms of transcriptional activation. Equally importantly, both systems allow new theoretical and mechanistic issues and corresponding programs of further analysis to be clearly set forth. The two systems function in two very different regulatory settings. (1) A wide variety of bacteria use RNA polymerase containing one specific promoter-recognition subunit, σ, and its homologs to regulate diverse signal-responsive gene expression relating to nitrogen fixation, nitrogen metabolism, the catabolism of aromatic compounds, and diverse other metabolism, as well as cell cycle-dependent organelle (flagellum) biosynthesis, and virulence. The best studied of these gene expression systems involves the control of transcription of the gln A gene of enteric bacteria. (2) The late genes of bacteriophage T4 are expressed only after viral DNA replication. Recent in vitro analysis specifies that the transcriptional activation at late promoters involves a specific set of replication proteins and requires the presence of cis -acting promoter-distal sites. The chapter also discusses the mechanism of transcriptional activation in these two systems. The subsequent comparative discussion points out the similarities of action and also emphasizes fundamental mechanistic distinctions.
An Empirical Analysis of Merger Enforcement under the 1992 Merger Guidelines

This paper presents an analysis of merger enforcement at the Federal Trade Commission under the 1992 Merger Guidelines. Econometric analysis suggests that enforcement decisions are best predicted with the Herfindahl when the relevant theory is collusion and the number of significant rivals when the relevant theory is unilateral effects. As one would expect, hot documents, customer complaints, event evidence of competitive problems and ease of entry also impact enforcement. Efficiencies seem to affect the process through their effect on reducing serious customer complaints, while econometric estimation of sophisticated market models does not appear to impact the outcome of the merger review process. Finally, no evidence exists to suggest that the enforcement structure has changed during the 10 year period under review.
Pitx2 regulates myosin heavy chain isoform expression and multi-innervation in extraocular muscle

Non-technical summary The visual system requires the generation of a variety of eye movements ranging from extremely rapid saccades to slow pursuit movements which all necessitate great precision and fatigue resistance. The extraocular muscles, which are the final generators of eye movements, must be adapted to fulfill these expectations. Therefore, it is not surprising that these muscles contain a diversity of myosin heavy chains, which specify the contraction speed of a muscle. Here, we show the transcription factor Pitx2 is critical in the establishment of the mature myosin heavy chain composition of extraocular muscle. We also demonstrate the absence of Pitx2 after birth leads to the loss of multi-innervation, a unique feature of the adult extraocular muscle phenotype. Knowledge of how expression of contractile proteins is regulated and their influence on eye movements may lead to potential therapeutics for strabismus and other disorders of ocular motility.
The intrauterine contraceptive device. A prospective 5 year clinical study.

Abstract A 5 year prospective clinical study into the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) was undertaken. The study involved the insertion of 2,547 IUD's in 2,300 patients. Use of the IUD is shown to be effective in temporarily reducing fertility and is associated with a low incidence of serious side effects. Further research into the IUD as a vehicle for antifertility agents and a broader approach to IUD use in clinical practice are combining to increase its general efficacy and acceptability.
Integrated Learning in Rana Computatrix

To survive, organisms must control the interactions between their external and internal worlds and accordingly adapt Iheir behavioral responses to environmental situations and to internal states. We are building a model of the circuitry underlying the mechanisms responsible for most of the different learning capabilities of anuran. One of our goals being the study of systems composed of various structures where different environmental conditions will give place to different adaptational characteristics which must be integrated as a holistic life experience. In particular we simulate the modulation of Innate Releasing mechanisms IRM (approach and avoidance) in the anuran system maintaining as much fidelity as possible to the anatomical and physiological data. One of the central structures in the modulatory loop is the medial pallium (MP). This “plastic” substrate is where the trace of the experience is “imprinted”. In turn it modulates the Tectal/Pretectal pattern recognition system whose integrated action determines whether to approach or to avoid.
Reduction relations in strict applicative languages

We investigate the reduction relations for a strongly typed higher-order applicative language employing function application, conditional, function abstraction and recursion. In particular, we propose a new approach how to correctly implement a strict (“call-by-value”) semantics in the setting of term rewriting. We study the confluence and termination properties of the reduction system obtained.
Utilizing the Surrogate Dual Bound in Capacity Planning with Economies of Scale

Minimizing a nondecreasing separable concave cost function over a polyhedral set arises in capacity planning problems where economies of scale and fixed costs are significant, as well as production planning when a learning effect results in decreasing marginal costs. This is an NP-hard combinatorial problem in which the extreme points of the polyhedral set must be enumerated, each of them a local optimum. Branch-and-bound methods have been frequently used to solve these problems. Although it has been shown that in general the bound provided by the surrogate dual is tighter than that of the Lagrangian dual, the latter has generally been preferred because of the apparent computational intractability of the surrogate dual problem. In this paper we describe a branch-and-bound algorithm that exploits the superior surrogate dual bound in a branch-and-bound algorithm without explicitly solving the dual problem. This is accomplished by determining the feasibility of a set of linear inequalities.
Chapter 8 Elk Winter Resource Selection in a Severe Snow Pack Environment

Theme Animals utilize heterogeneous landscapes to obtain the resources needed to meet their physiological requirements, reproduce, and survive. Their movements and choices within these landscapes determine distributional patterns and population dynamics. In most temperate and high latitude environments, including Yellowstone National Park, snow is a dominant characteristic of the landscape for much of the year. During this time, large herbivores such as elk (Cervus elaphus) experience a chronic energy deficit due to poor quality and restricted availability of forage. Snow dramatically increases energetic demands as it is displaced to access underlying forage and when moving among habitat patches. Though such constraints clearly influence patterns of habitat selection and movement, understanding such responses to snow is challenging. Unlike relatively static landscape attributes such as elevation or plant community type, snow is a dynamic attribute that is highly variable over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. We combined our knowledge of snow pack dynamics in central Yellowstone with seven years of location data from radio-collared elk in the Madison headwaters area to better understand the influence of snow pack on large herbivore spatial dynamics. The severe winter climate of this area, combined with the high concentration of geothermal features, results in an extremely heterogeneous landscape. Thus, animals were presented with a wide range of habitat choices in a severe environmental setting that, in turn, provided a unique opportunity to gain insights into the influence of snow on large herbivore ecology.
Petite Mutation in Yeast

A series of petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, generated after treatment for various times with ethidium bromide, was isolated, and the mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid size for each member was estimated. It was found that, as the treatment time with ethidium bromide was increased, the mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from the petite series was increasingly reduced in size.
Tucker decomposition for compressing translation operator tensors in FMM-FFT accelerated SIE solvers

Fast multipole method - Fast Fourier transform (FMM-FFT) accelerated surface integral equation (SIE) solvers allow for accurate and efficient analysis of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from and radiation by complex and large scale structures (R. L. Wagner et. al., IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., 45(2), 235–245, 1997). These solvers (and their multilevel extensions) provide an increasingly appealing avenue for solving EM scattering problems involving hundreds of millions (and billions) of unknowns (Taboada et. al., IEEE Antennas Propagat. Mag., 51(6), 20–28, 2009; Taboada et. al., Progress in Electromagnetics Research, 105, 15–30, 2010). When used on present high-performance computers to solve practical problems of current interest, these solvers tend to be memory as opposed to CPU-limited. The solvers' memory requirements directly depends on the storage requirements for (i) near-field interaction matrices, (ii) matrices that hold the far-field signatures of basis functions, and (iii) tensors that hold FFT'ed translation operator values on a structured grid. In past, the memory requirements of the first two data structures were successfully reduced by singular value decomposition (SVD) (Kapur and Long, IEEE Comp. Sci. Eng., 5(4), 60–67, 1998; Rodriguez et. al., IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., 56(8), 2325–2334, 2008). To date, no compression scheme has been reported to reduce the memory requirements of translation operator tensors.
The Psychological Benefits of Humor

In Men and Their Religion: Honor, Hope, and Humor (2002), I proposed that men have two primary ways of being religious—the religion of honor and the religion of hope. I also proposed that because these two religions do not always have their desired outcomes, men have developed a third way of being religious, the religion of humor. In A Time To Laugh (2005) I have expanded on my claim in Men and Their Religion that if men have three religions—honor, hope, and humor—the greatest of these is humor. In the course of doing the necessary research for a book on humor, I acquired and read a few books and a host of articles that explored the psychological benefits of humor. While I did not report on these studies in the book, I believe they are relevant to the assumption that a religion will have psychological benefits for those who embrace it. This article therefore provides a review of empirical studies of the psychological benefits of humor in order to answer the question whether a religion of humor is likely to have psychological benefits and, if so, what these might be.
Cell wall is required for fixation of the embryonic axis in Fucus zygotes

Establishment of a primary developmental axis generally is thought to involve rearrangements in the plasma membrane or cytoplasm of the egg. In this report the additional requirement for cell wall in polarization of Fucus zygotes was investigated. Protoplasts of fertilized eggs were tested for their ability to establish an axis in accordance with an orienting vector of unilateral light. The results demonstrate that cell wall is not required for axis formation. However, the orientation of the axis remains labile until new cell wall is synthesized. The presence of a cell wall is an absolute requirement for axis fixation.
Nature's most squishy ion: The important role of solvent polarization in the description of the hydrated electron

The aqueous electron, e −(aq), and its finite analogues, the anionic water clusters , have attracted significant attention from both theory and experiment over the past few decades. Nevertheless, some of the most basic structural aspects of these systems, as well as the interpretation of certain spectroscopic features, remain controversial or else have defied theoretical explanation altogether. Due to the solvent-supported nature of the ion, a large number of water molecules is required in order to obtain a realistic model of e −(aq), and a wide variety of structural morphologies are available in clusters. These aspects severely limit the role of ab initio quantum chemistry in elucidating the properties of solvated-electron systems, but at the same time, the fundamentally quantum-mechanical nature of the ion must be taken into account. Most theoretical studies have therefore relied upon one-electron pseudopotential models and mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics. In view of the highly diffuse, polar...
Regulation and function of the mitochondrial genome

Molecular changes in human mitochondrial DNA play a significant role in causing certain human diseases. Mitochondrial DNA mutations range from single base pair changes in the 16.5 kilobase pair genome up to large deletions and rearrangements. This report summarizes the current overall understanding of the mode and mechanism of mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription, and how this relates to mitochondrial gene expression, which is essential for cellular energy production and organelle biogenesis. Special attention is given to recent findings that bear on early steps in the process of transcription and, in turn, the consequences for initiating DNA replication
Chemotaxis, induced gene expression and competitiveness in the rhizosphere

Rhizobia are soil bacteria which symbiotically infect legume roots and generate nodules in which they fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plant in exchange for photosynthetically fixed carbon. A crucial aspect of signal exchange between these symbionts is the secretion of phenolic compounds by the host root which induce nodulation gene expression in the bacteria. Stimulation of nod gene expression by host phenolics is required for nodule formation, is biochemically specific at 10-6 M, and is mediated by nodD. We and others have shown that rhizobia display chemotaxis to 10-9 M of the same phenolic compounds. Chemotaxis to inducer phenolics is selectively reduced or abolished by mutations in certain nod genes governing nodulation efficiency or host specificity. Conversely, mutations in rhizobia that affect general motility or chemotaxis have substantial effects on nodulation efficiency and competitiveness. These findings suggest that microbes entering the rhizosphere environment may utilize minor, non-nutrient components in root exudates as signals to guide their movement towards the root surface and elicit changes in gene expression appropriate to this environment.