cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of HIV-1 Genetic Variability on Vertical Transmission and Pathogenesis

HIV-1 exists as a genetically heterogeneous population within infected individuals and in infected population. Genetic variability or viral heterogeneity plays an important role in transmission, pathogenesis, immune response, disease progression and therapy as well as is the most effective way for the virus to evade the host immune response and persists in infected individuals. We have used HIV-1 infected motherinfant pairs as a transmitter-recipient model to elucidate the role of the molecular and biological properties of HIV-1 associated with transmission and pathogenesis. HIV-1 sequences derived from infected mothers were more heterogeneous than their younger infected infants’ HIV-1 sequences. However, the infants’ HIV-1 sequences diversified as they grew older. HIV-1 infants’ sequences were different from each other but similar or closer to their mother’s sequences. We found that the minor genotypes of HIV-1 found in mothers were transmitted to their infants, which was initially maintained as a homogeneous population in infants and diversified as the infants grew older. In addition, the phenotype of these minor geno types was macrophage-tropic, nonsyncytium inducing (NSI) referred as R5 HIV-1. We also analyzed several other regions of HIV-1 genome, including env, gag p17 and NC, pol RT, tat, rev, vif, vpr, vpu and nef infected mother-infant pairs and found that there was a high functional conservation of these genes. These findings suggested that HIV-1 heterogenity plays an important role in vertical transmission and pathogenesis. The properties of transmitted viruses and those that are associated with disease progression should be targeted for the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. Research should focus utilizing these findings in the development of better strategies for prevention and treatment of HIV-1.
0029 Evaluating a training program to increase infant safe sleep counselling in massachusetts

Statement of purpose An average of 41 infants died each year during 2004–2010 in Massachusetts due to sudden unexplained infant death (SUID). Safe sleep practices can reduce SUID risk. Approximately 40% of new mothers in Massachusetts are enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC provides a platform for deploying information on safe sleep practices. The purpose of our study is to evaluate a train-the trainer program among WIC counsellors to promote safe-sleep practices among post-partum WIC enrolled mothers. Methods/Approach A statewide train-the trainer program was conducted among WIC area office supervisors, who subsequently trained their staff on the revised (2011) American Academy of Paediatrics safe sleep recommendations. Pre-posttest assessments measured program impacts (knowledge, attitudes, behaviours) 6-months post intervention. Herein we report on WIC counsellors’ safe sleep client counselling behaviours. Counsellors were asked how many of their clients they had counselled in the last month about: (1) safe sleep positioning; (2) safe crib contents; and (3) risks of co-sleeping. Response categories were: None; Some; Half; Most; and All. Results Six month posttests were completed by 68% of WIC staff. Of staff whose jobs involved client counselling, 278 received training. Pre-posttest changes in proportions of trained counsellors who reported counselling" most or all" of their clients were: 11% (pretest) to 38% (posttest) for safe sleep positioning; 8% (pretest) to 28% (posttest) for safe crib contents; and, 9.7% to 32% for risks of co-sleeping. Conclusions WIC counsellors were more apt to promote safe sleep practices after receiving the intervention. Around 40% of new mothers in Massachusetts are enrolled in WIC. Thus, training WIC counsellors could be an efficient and effective method for promoting safe sleep practices. Significance and contribution to the field Safe sleep practices can reduce risk of SUID among WIC participants. The WIC program provides a unique venue to share information on best infant sleep practices. This program could serve as a national model for promoting safe-sleep.
Development and Application of Six-Port Technology

Because of the ability of accurately measuring amplitude and phase of reflection coefficient, the six-port measurement technique has developed fast.The operating of six-port technique for measurement is discussed. The application of six-port measurement technology in receiver is discussed, and the latest research in beam direction finding,software radio and polarmetric measurement is given. The advantages of six-port technology in range/speed measurement radar are analysed, which shows its wide application perspectives in range/speed measurement radar.
Study on Grounded Neutral System for Retrofit of 20 kV Distribution Network in Jiangsu Province

The selection of grounded neutral system is the one of key problem in 20 kV distribution network retrofit.The paper gave the characteristics and its suitable scope of 3 kinds of grounded neutral system for distribution network such as non-grounded neutral system,neutral grounded through arc suppression coil and neutral grounded through little resistance.The statistics of outgoing line type for 10 kV and 35 kV substation were made in Jiangsu province such as overhead transmission line,cable line and hybrid line.The selective schemes of grounded neutral system were given for the different outgoing line type of 20 kV distribution network,which can be as reference for retrofit of 20 kV distribution network in Jiangsu province.
Follicular size at the time of human chorionic gonadotropin administration predicts ovulation outcome in human menopausal gonadotropin-stimulated cycles.

Objective The objectives of this study were: (1) to correlate follicle size by transvaginal sonography with ovulation outcome in cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins; (2) to determine if follicular size on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration predicts the incidence of ovulation; and, if so, (3) to derive a mathematical model that predicts the number of expected ovulations in any given cycle of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Design A retrospective analysis. Participants Forty-nine consecutive patients undergoing 122 cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation were studied in a tertiary care setting. Main Outcome Measures Follicular size and evidence of ovulation were determined sonographically. The main outcome measure was the rate of ovulation per follicle size. Results The percentages of follicles measuring ≤14mm, 15 to 16mm, 17 to 18mm, 19 to 20mm, and >20mm on the day of hCG administration that subsequently ovulated were 0.5%, 37.4%, 72.5%, 81.2%, and 95.5%, respectively. Conclusions (1) Follicular size on the day of hCG administration correlates with the incidence of ovulation. (2) The expected number of ovulations in any given controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycle can be predicted with 95% confidence using the accompanying equation.
Contamination of the operative wound.

Summary A study of the bacteriologic environment of the conventional operating rooms in the hospitals used by the Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgical section revealed several areas of potential contamination of the surgical wound. Such areas included the back table and the unsterile suction receptacle. Use of an impermeable hood with a large mask diminished contamination of the instruments and the wound originating in direct fallout from members of the surgical team. Irrigation of the operative wound with 0.1 per cent neomycin solution for brief periods was not as effective as previously thought. The level of airborne bacterial contamination in the operating room can be reduced by limiting the traffic and controlling the activity and the number of operating room personnel. Although none of these factors could be directly related to operative wound sepsis in any of our studies, their potential was obvious. They can be controlled by the methods we have described.
Performance analysis of route discovery in wireless ad hoc networks: a unified model

Consider a mobile ad hoc network with source-routing. The frequency of route discovery is an important performance metric. Such a metric measures the overhead of transmitting data in the network. Conventionally, this metric was derived from the exponential distribution. While appropriate to light-tailed traffic, the exponential model is inadequate in characterizing heavy-tailed traffic. In this paper, we propose a unified model to take both traffic types into account. The proposed model is based on the reliability analysis of series and parallel connections. Analysis is conducted with the compound Weibull distributions.Network performance is evaluated by the first and second moments.
The Impact of Combined Radiation and Chemotherapy on Outcome in Uterine Clear Cell Carcinoma Compared with Chemotherapy Alone

Abstract Aims To investigate the impact of pelvic radiation on survival in patients with uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCC) who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and methods Patients with stage I–IV UCC who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) programm 2000–2009. Patients were divided into those who received only chemotherapy and those who received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models were used for analysis. Results Of the 317 patients included, 195 (62%) were in the chemotherapy only group and 122 (38%) were in the chemotherapy and radiation therapy group. Pelvic radiation was associated with significant improvement in overall survival (median 88 versus 25 months, 5 year survival: 58% versus 33%, P P P = 0.69). In multivariable analysis, pelvic radiation was associated with improved survival in patients with late stage disease (hazard ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.35–0.94, P = 0.03) but not for early stage disease (hazard ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.33–2.0, P = 0.65). Other significant predictors were advanced stage, positive cytology and extensive lymphadenectomy. Conclusions Radiation was associated with significant improvement in survival in advanced stage UCC, but not in early stage UCC. These data support the beneficial role of radiation therapy in UCC, especially in patients with advanced stage disease.
The Petit Bleu (1896–1897)

The bordereau sent Dreyfus to Devil’s Island; a second mysterious document freed him. In March 1896, more than a year after Dreyfus’s trial and imprisonment, the ‘ordinary path’ for pilfering Schwartzkoppen’s wastebasket produced another dramatic revelation. It was a note written on the lightweight blue paper Parisians used for sending messages through pneumatic tubes between post offices for hand-delivery to the final address. This petit bleu stated, ‘Sir, I await above all a more detailed explanation than the one you gave me the other day on the question at issue. Consequently, I ask you to give it to me in writing so I may judge whether I should continue my relations with the firm of R. or not. C.’ The officers of the Statistical Section immediately suspected that this was evidence of further betrayal, which brought to mind the traitor Dreyfus. ‘It’s horrifying’, said Captain Lauth, ‘is there yet another?’ But unlike the bordereau this new discovery provided the name of the presumed traitor, for it was addressed to ‘Commandant Esterhazy, 27, rue de la Bienfaisance’.
Nrf2 Induces IL-17D to Mediate Tumor and Virus Surveillance.

Cells undergoing xenobiotic or oxidative stress activate the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2), which initiates an intrinsic "stress surveillance" pathway. We recently found that the cytokine IL-17D effects a form of extrinsic stress surveillance by inducing antitumor immunity, but how IL-17D is regulated remains unknown. Here, we show that Nrf2 induced IL-17D in cancer cell lines. Moreover, both Nrf2 and IL-17D were induced in primary tumors as well as during viral infection in vivo. Expression of IL-17D in tumors and virally infected cells is essential for optimal protection of the host as il17d(-/-) mice experienced a higher incidence of tumors and exacerbated viral infections compared to wild-type (WT) animals. Moreover, activating Nrf2 to induce IL-17D in established tumors led to natural killer cell-dependent tumor regression. These data demonstrate that Nrf2 can initiate both intrinsic and extrinsic stress surveillance pathways and highlight the use of Nrf2 agonists as immune therapies for cancer and infection.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepiapterin Reductase Deficiency

The diagnosis and long-term effects of treatment of two cases of sepiapterin reductase deficiency (SRD) are reported from Service de Neuropediatrie, CHU Montpellier, France; University de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; and centers in Germany and Switzerland.
On the optimum number of hops in linear wireless networks

We consider a wireless communication system with a single source node, a single destination node, and multiple relay nodes placed equidistantly between them. We limit our analysis to the case of coded TDMA multihop transmission, i.e., the nodes do not cooperate and do not try to access the channel simultaneously. Given a global constraint on bandwidth, we determine the number of hops that achieves a desired end-to-end rate with the least total transmission power. Furthermore, we examine how the optimum number of hops changes when an end-to-end delay constraint is introduced using the sphere-packing bound and computer simulations. The analysis demonstrates that the optimum number of hops depends on the end-to-end rate and the path-loss exponent. Specifically, we show the existence of an asymptotic per-link spectral efficiency, which is the preferred spectral efficiency in TDMA multihop transmission.
Surface gating of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots to optimize mid-infrared detection and emission (Conference Presentation)

This talk will discuss surface gating of the carrier density in colloidal quantum dots and the applications for infrared detection and emission. Doping of carriers in colloidal quantum dots (CQD) is important for a number of applications. While doping in bulk semiconductors is achieved with heterovalent impurities, CQDs can be doped by charge transfer from outside using reducing reagents or electrochemistry. In addition, the positions of the energy levels inside the particle and the outside Fermi level depend on the polarity of the interface, such that the surface composition can affect doping. This is the concept of surface gating. A striking demonstration is the filling and emptying of the quantum states of HgSe and HgS quantum dots by enrichment of the surface in metal or sulfur atoms. These are the first CQDs to exhibit carrier doping in ambient conditions. CQDs for infrared photodetection or emission is now extended to wider gap systems by using the intraband transitions of the doped quantum dots, first investigated nearly two decades ago.
A Hybrid Approach to FPGA Configuration Scrubbing

This paper describes a FPGA configuration scrubbing approach for Xilinx 7-Series FPGAs that combines the high-speed internal scrubbing available within these devices with an external scrubber. The internal scrubbing unit continuously monitors the frames of the FPGA configuration memory and corrects single-bit frame errors and is used to detect multi-bit frame errors. Multi-bit upsets are repaired by means of a secondary scrubbing mechanism that is primarily external to the FPGA fabric. This Xilinx 7-Series hybrid configuration scrubbing architecture scans 25,636,224 bits of the XC7Z020 device in several microseconds and detects upsets within 8 ms and then corrects most multi-cell upsets in under an additional 6 ms. This configuration scrubber was validated with configuration fault injection and neutron radiation testing.
NEW INSIGHTS ON NEUROMYELITIS OPTICA

Neuromyelitis-optica is a relapsing inflammatory autoimmune condition characterized mainly by acute myelitis and optic neuritis although other criteria exist. IgG against AQP-4 receptor on the astrocyte foot processes is 76% sensitive and 100% Specific for Neuromyelitis-optica. Immunosuppression with Azathioprine is 50% effective but never reported to worsen Neuromyelitis-optica. A 52-year-old-female with history of blindness secondary to bilateral optic neuritis and Myasthenia gravis, in remission, underwent extensive work up for relapsing remitting brain and cervical spine demyelinating lesions and frequent muscle spasms. Initial work up was positive for ANA and DS-DNA but she lacked sufficient diagnostic criteria for SLE. Serum and CSF angiotensin-converting-enzyme, oligoclonal bands, AQP4-IgG, infectious and paraneoplastic panel were negative. Repeat AQP4-IgG titers were elevated despite unchanged neuroimaging. Neuromyelitis-optica was diagnosed; she received pulse corticosteroid therapy and plasma-exchange. She was started on azathioprine two weeks later. After four weeks, she developed paraparesis. MRI showed acute pan-myelitis involving C2 to L2. Repeat AQP4-IgG titers were further elevated. This is the first reported case of paradoxical fulminant deterioration after starting azathioprine. AQP4 IgG titer assay revealed significant rise. This potentially indicates a hyperactive immune response to initiation of azathioprine. Clinical course and prior laboratory studies support our hypothesis.
Structuring Volunteered Geographic Information Collection to Improve Information Processing Efficiency in Environmental Management

Incorporating volunteered geographic information (VGI) in environmental monitoring has been treated as a great way to enhance public participation and improve the coverage of data collection. This research assumed that structuring VGI would improve manager use of VGI within decision-making. A better structure includes a clearly pre-defined geographic location and/or an organized content that fits managers’ needs. This research tested the effectiveness of using a spatial decision unit (SDU) and compared the usability of free-form VGI and highly structured VGI. By using a case comparison method, four cases from recreation management and invasive species control were compared to explore if structured VGI can increase the usability of VGI in environmental management. Results showed that using SDUs shortens the matching process between VGI and management interests, but potential negatives might arise as side effects. Different structured monitoring forms have different functions. A highly structured monitoring form provides data processing efficiency, whereas free-form participation provides flexibility for volunteers. Managers should clearly define VGI usage and use appropriately structured forms for their needs.
The World's Medical Schools: Past, Present and Future

The academic structure and curriculum of today's medical school reflects the maturation of a centuries-old educational process. All cultures require a teaching system that produces ‘compassionate healers,’ and originally, medical care was supported relatively informally by an apprenticeship system. With the Renaissance, better understanding about physiology, pathology, and therapy and an expanded role for the university created a more organized form of medical education. Flexner's 1910 review of U.S. medical teaching, the institution of standards, and the expansion of scientific knowledge solidified the current ‘Western’ model of medical schools. A changing society, new health-care systems, and scientific discoveries are now creating a demand for a revised, globally oriented, medical education system.
HDL Cholesterol Efflux is Impaired in Older Patients with Early Sepsis: A Subanalysis of a Prospective Pilot Study.

ABSTRACTBackground:Proper functioning of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is necessary for protection against sepsis. However, previous work has demonstrated that HDL becomes oxidized and dysfunctional (Dys-HDL) during sepsis. Older (aged >65 years) patients are at particularly high risk of sepsis and
A new technique for correction of leg length discrepancies in combination with complex axis deformities of the lower limb using a lengthening nail and a locking plate

Abstract Purpose Intramedullary lengthening nails are an accepted alternative to external fixators but are limited by anatomical preconditions. Therefore, to date the use of external fixators is so...
MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CALMODULIN–DEPENDENT MYOSIN LIGHT CHAIN KINASE FROM CHICKEN SMOOTH MUSCLE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses molecular analysis of calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase from chicken smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle Myosin Light Chain Kinase (MLCK) is the only such enzyme that has been sequenced at the amino acid level. A cDNA library was constructed in the expression phage λgt11 representing mRNA present in gizzards of sexually immature chickens. Within the 443–506 region of MK 2 .1 are a series of amino acids that bear some resemblance to the 27 amino acid CaM binding domain of rabbit skeletal muscle MLCK defined by Blumenthal et al. To continue the analyses of the two species of RNA recognized by MK 2.1, the cDNA insert from this clone was divided into 7 contiguous but not overlapping fragments by digestion with restriction endonucleases. At this point, the molecular basis for the approximately 500 bp sequence identity shared between MLCK and the 2.7 kb mRNA remains speculative.
24. Sexual dimorphism in the placenta

There is a sexual dimorphism in pregnancy outcomes with male fetuses generally being at higher risk for adverse outcomes. The underlying physiologic mechanisms likely involve sexual dimorphism in placental function given the role of the placenta in directing both maternal metabolic and cardiovascular changes in gestation and fetal growth and development. Gene expression in the human placenta is sexually dimorphic and is affected by maternal inflammatory status, diet and fatty acids in a sex-dependent manner. We find increased markers of inflammation, hypoxia and apoptotic cell death in the placenta with preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnancies but with sexual dimorphism as TNFa, Il-6, Il-8, HIF1a, apoptotic markers and DNA binding of the NFkB p65 transcription factor are significantly higher, but the angiogenic marker VEGF significantly lower, in male vs female preeclamptic placentas. Obesity and gestational diabetes are associated with increased placental inflammation and oxidative and nitrative stress, increased miR-210 expression and consequent decreased trophoblast respiration, altered autophagic responses and altered antioxidant defenses, however all of which occur in a sexually dimorphic manner. In trophoblast from a female, but not a male, placenta TNF stimulates the NFkBp50 pathway to increase miR210 expression which in turn depresses mitochondrial respiration. Interestingly miR210 expression is significantly higher in placenta from a female vs a male fetus across all birthweight centiles with the difference being greatest in placentas of large for gestational age fetuses. The mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in placenta with preeclampsia, obesity or GDM and the range of functional effects remain to be elucidated; however evidence links sex differences to gonadal steroids. Placental levels of aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme converting androgens to estrogens, are higher in placentas of preeclamptic women with female vs male fetuses and aromatase can be downregulated by TNF α , hypoxia, insulin and leptin, factors which mirror placental conditions with maternal obesity.
Supporting Family Strengths: Orienting Policy and Practice toward the 21st Century:

Families today are under siege as they try to respond to economic, social, and cultural challenges beyond their control. The myths of economic self-sufficiency and psychological normalcy have engen...
Should Law Subsidize Driving

A century ago, captains of industry and their allies in government launched a social experiment in urban America: the abandonment of mass transit in favor of a new personal technology, the private automobile. Decades of investment in this shift have created a car-centric landscape with Dickensian consequences. In the United States, motor vehicles are now the leading killer of children and the top producer of greenhouse gases. Each year, they rack up trillions of dollars in direct and indirect costs and claim nearly 100,000 American lives via crashes and pollution, with the most vulnerable paying a disproportionate price. The appeal of the car’s convenience and the failure to effectively manage it has created a public health catastrophe. Many of the automobile’s social costs originate in individual preferences, but an overlooked amount is encouraged—indeed enforced—by law. Yes, the United States is car-dependent by choice. But it is also car-dependent by law. This Article conceptualizes this problem and offers a way out. It begins by identifying a submerged, disconnected system of rules that furnish indirect yet extravagant subsidies to driving. These subsidies lower the price of driving by comprehensively reassigning its costs to non-drivers and society at large. They are found in every field of law, from traffic law to land use regulation to tax, tort, and environmental law. Law’s role is not primary, and at times it is even constructive. But where it is destructive, it is uniquely so: Law not only inflames a public health crisis but legitimizes it, ensuring the continuing dominance of the car. The Article urges a reorientation of law away from this system of automobile supremacy in favor of consensus social priorities, such as health, prosperity, and equity.
Quantitation of Cannabinoids in Breath Samples Using a Novel Derivatization LC–MS/MS Assay with Ultra-High Sensitivity

As the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana use expands, measurement of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in human breath has become an area of interest. The presence and concentration of cannabinoids in breath have been shown to correlate with recent marijuana use and may be correlated with impairment. Given the low concentration of THC in human breath, sensitive analytical methods are required to further evaluate its utility and window of detection. This paper describes a novel derivatization method based on an azo coupling reaction that significantly increases the ionization efficiency of cannabinoids for LC-MS/MS analysis. This derivatization reaction allows for a direct derivatization reaction with neat samples and does not require further sample clean-up after derivatization, thus facilitating an easy and rapid "derivatize & shoot" sample preparation. The derivatization assay allowed for limits of quantitation (LOQ's) in the sub-pg/mL to pg/mL range for the five cannabinoids in breath samples, i.e., only 5~50 femtograms of an analyte was required for quantitation in a single analysis. This ultrahigh sensitivity allowed for the quantitation of cannabinoids in all breath samples collected within 3 hours of smoking cannabis (n = 180). A linear correlation between THC and cannabinol (CBN) in human breath was observed, supporting the hypothesis that CBN is converted from THC during the combustion of cannabis. The derivatization method was also applied to the analysis of cannabinoids in whole blood samples, achieving LOQ's at ten-pg/mL to sub-ng/mL level. This azo coupling-based derivatization approach provided the needed analytical sensitivity for the analysis of THC in human breath samples using LC-MS/MS and could be a valuable tool for the analysis of other aromatic compounds in the future.
Rotational analysis of the [15.1] A″–X∼ 1A′ transition of CuOH and CuOD observed at high resolution with Intracavity laser spectroscopy

Abstract While mentioned briefly in the analysis of the A ∼ 1A′– X ∼ 1A′ transition of CuOH by Jarman et al. (1991), the 6640 A band system of CuOH has never been rotationally analyzed. In this work, that band system has been observed and recorded in absorption at high resolution using Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy (ILS), and has been assigned as the v″ = v′ = 0 vibrational band of the [15.1] A″– X ∼ 1A′ transition of CuOH. The CuOH molecules were produced in current-regulated RF discharges formed when 0.40 A was applied to a Cu hollow cathode in ∼500 mTorr of O2 with a trace amount of H2. CuOD molecules were produced in a similar fashion with a discharge current of 0.45 A, and a gas mixture that was ∼80:20% O2:D2. The hollow cathode was located within the resonator cavity of a DCM dye laser that was tuned over the 14,500–16,500 cm−1 range with an optically transparent wedge. Pathlengths of ∼10 km were utilized with the ILS method. The (1,0), (0,1), and (1,2) Ka sub-bands with (Ka′,Ka″) of 63CuOH; the (1,0) and (0,1) Ka sub-bands of 65CuOH; and the (2,1), (1,0), (0,1), (1,2) and (2,3) Ka sub-bands of 63CuOD were included in the rotational analysis. The transitions were fit to a Watson S-reduced Hamiltonian using PGOPHER, and the pure rotational transitions for 63CuOH, 65CuOH, and 63CuOD [J. Chem. Phys., 112, 641 (2000)] were included in the fit. The molecular constants determined by the fit were used to calculate an r0 structure for the [15.1] A″ state. A global perturbation was observed for J′ > 20 in Ka = 1 of the [15.1] A″ state of CuOH, but no perturbations were observed for CuOD. Finally, a correlation diagram has been constructed, comparing the observed and calculated electronic states of the isoelectronic species CuF and CuOH.
Time-Gated Word Recognition in Children: Effects of Auditory Access, Age, and Semantic Context

Purpose We employed a time-gated word recognition task to investigate how children who are hard of hearing (CHH) and children with normal hearing (CNH) combine cognitive–linguistic abilities and ac...
A monolithic mixed finite element method for a fluid-structure interaction problem

Abstract We propose a numerical method for modeling the interaction of a Stokes fluid and a linear elastic solid. The model problem is expressed in the stress-displacement formulation for the linear elastodynamics in the solid region and the stress-velocity formulation for the Stokes equations in the fluid region. These two systems are coupled in such a way that the interface conditions are imposed naturally in the resulting weak formulation, which is based on the Hellinger–Reissner variational principle. For the time discretization, we use a three-level scheme for each time step, with an exception at the first time step. We provide a priori error analysis for fully-discrete, nonconforming mixed finite element methods and show some numerical results to confirm our theoretical results.
Learning with Rare Disasters

Financial crises appear to have long-lasting effects, even after the crisis itself has past. This paper offers a simple explanation through Bayesian learning from rare events. Agents face a latent and time-varying probability of economic disaster. When a disaster occurs, learning results in greater effects on asset prices because agents update their probability of future disasters. Moreover, agents' belief that the disaster risk is high can rationally persist for years, even when it is in fact low. We generalize the model to allow for a noisy signal of the disaster probability. This generalized model explains excess stock market volatility together with negative skewness, effects that previous models in the literature struggle to explain.
Conscientious vaccination exemptions in kindergarten to eighth-grade children across Texas schools from 2012 to 2018: A regression analysis.

Background As conscientious vaccination exemption (CVE) percentages rise across the United States, so does the risk and occurrence of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. In the state of Texas, the median CVE percentage across school systems more than doubled between 2012 and 2018. During this period, the proportion of schools surpassing a CVE percentage of 3% rose from 2% to 6% for public schools, 20% to 26% for private schools, and 17% to 22% for charter schools. The aim of this study was to investigate this phenomenon at a fine scale. Methods and findings Here, we use beta regression models to study the socioeconomic and geographic drivers of CVE trends in Texas. Using annual counts of CVEs at the school system level from the 2012–2013 to the 2017–2018 school year, we identified county-level predictors of median CVE percentage among public, private, and charter schools, the proportion of schools below a high-risk threshold for vaccination coverage, and five-year trends in CVEs. Since the 2012–2013 school year, CVE percentages have increased in 41 out of 46 counties in the top 10 metropolitan areas of Texas. We find that 77.6% of the variation in CVE percentages across metropolitan counties is explained by median income, the proportion of the population that holds a bachelor's degree, the proportion of the population that self-reports as ethnically white, the proportion of the population that is English speaking, and the proportion of the population that is under the age of five years old. Across the 10 top metropolitan areas in Texas, counties vary considerably in the proportion of school systems reporting CVE percentages above 3%. Sixty-six percent of that variation is explained by the proportion of the population that holds a bachelor’s degree and the proportion of the population affiliated with a religious congregation. Three of the largest metropolitan areas—Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth, and Houston—are potential vaccination exemption "hotspots," with over 13% of local school systems above this risk threshold. The major limitations of this study are inconsistent school-system-level CVE reporting during the study period and a lack of geographic and socioeconomic data for individual private schools. Conclusions In this study, we have identified high-risk communities that are typically obscured in county-level risk assessments and found that public schools, like private schools, are exhibiting predictable increases in vaccination exemption percentages. As public health agencies confront the reemerging threat of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, findings such as ours can guide targeted interventions and surveillance within schools, cities, counties, and sociodemographic subgroups.
Imperial Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

By the late eighteenth century, the European empires had become imperial nation-states, and the framework within which European history in this period unfolded included both colonial powers and colonies, colonizers and colonized peoples. Colonial subjects were pulled into the economic, political, and cultural systems of empire by the force of conquest, colonial government, and the daily presence of colonizers in their midst. These forces attempted, as we have seen, to control multiple aspects of the lives of the Americans, Pacific islanders, Asians, and Africans who came under colonial rule. While never perfect, this control increased as European states improved their ability to exert power both in Europe and in the colonies. Europeans also felt the force of empire, and European versions of themselves and their home countries were shaped by their colonial experiences. It was virtually impossible for any European to live without contact with the empire and its colonial holdings, products, and peoples. Their perceptions of such central aspects of European civilization as property relations, human and civil rights, political democracy, and industrial capitalism were marked by the colonial empires. All Europeans, as isolated as they may have been from their country’s colonies, were drawn into the imperial nation-state. Governance by these imperial nation-states was marked by paradoxes and contradictions. The creation of colonial empires brought European states and peoples into close contact with non-Europeans and with parts of the world distant from Europe. Yet these states dedicated significant resources to maintaining boundaries between Europeans and the people they found there. European states were able to project their power into corners of the globe previously inaccessible to them. A remarkably small number of Europeans managed to govern large numbers of non-Europeans and huge swatches of territory. Each of these states also met limits to their power, as they were unable to gain their desired control over territory, colonial subjects, and colonists. The colonial state was a work constantly in progress, but its ultimate end was failure, not only because of resistance and eventual decolonization, but also because even on its best days there were things that the colonial state simply could not get people in the colonies to do.
The Second Generation of Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Pharmacological Aspects

Present genetic findings do not point to a rapid therapeutic solution. In 1987, genetic linkage studies (St. George-Hyslop et al., 1987; Goate et al., 1989) revealed co-segregation of a familial form of Alzheimer disease (AD) with the D21S1/S11 and D21S16 loci on chromosome 21. The discovery of a gene mapped to chromosome 21 encoding for the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the identification of the closely located gene locus segregating with a familial form raised strong hopes for a rapid development of a cure. However, the AAP gene and the gene for AD are not always inherited together. Recent genetic linkage studies suggest that AD may not be a single homogeneous disorder but rather result from several genetic defects as well as from non-genetic factors (St. George-Hyslop et al., 1990). Genetic analysis performed in a large number of AD families demonstrates that the disease is genetically heterogeneous involving two or more genes (St. George-Hyslop, 1990). The segregation of a missense mutation in the APP gene with familial AD is probably rare (Goate et al., 1991). It was not present in most of the families screened by Goate et al. (1991) and Tanzi et al. (1988) did not find it in any of their 21 AD families.
A policy paradox: why gender equity is men’s work

Even in contexts of gender parity, people who identify as men comprise a modest to bare majority; in administrative and other leadership positions, men comprise a broad majority and are thereby una...
MitoTEMPOL, a Mitochondrial Targeted Antioxidant, Prevents Sepsis Induced Diaphragm Dysfunction

Clinical studies indicate that sepsis-induced diaphragm dysfunction is a major contributor to respiratory failure in mechanically ventilated patients. Currently there is no drug to treat this form of diaphragm weakness. Sepsis-induced muscle dysfunction is thought to be triggered by excessive mitochondrial free radical generation; we therefore hypothesized that therapies that target mitochondrial free radical production may prevent sepsis-induced diaphragm weakness. The present study determined whether MitoTEMPOL, a mitochondrially targeted free radical scavenger, could reduce sepsis-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Using an animal model of sepsis, we compared four groups of mice: 1) sham-operated controls, 2) animals with sepsis induced by cecal ligation puncture (CLP), 3) sham controls given MitoTEMPOL (10 mg·kg-1·day-1 ip), and 4) CLP animals given MitoTEMPOL. At 48 h after surgery, we measured diaphragm force generation, mitochondrial function, proteolytic enzyme activities, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) content. We also examined the effects of delayed administration of MitoTEMPOL (by 6 h) on CLP-induced diaphragm weakness. The effects of MitoTEMPOL on cytokine-mediated alterations on muscle cell superoxide generation and cell size in vitro were also assessed. Sepsis markedly reduced diaphragm force generation. Both immediate and delayed MitoTEMPOL administration prevented sepsis-induced diaphragm weakness. MitoTEMPOL reversed sepsis-mediated reductions in mitochondrial function, activation of proteolytic pathways, and decreases in MHC content. Cytokines increased muscle cell superoxide generation and decreased cell size, effects that were ablated by MitoTEMPOL. MitoTEMPOL and other compounds that target mitochondrial free radical generation may be useful therapies for sepsis-induced diaphragm weakness.
Outcomes of Open Retro-Rectus Hernia Repair With Mesh in Obesity Class III.

BackgroundAbdominal wall hernias continue to be one of the most common general surgery pathologies. Patients with an elevated body mass index (BMI) are routinely counseled about weight loss before ...
Age- and sex-dependent clinical equations to estimate glomerular filtration rates in children and young adults with chronic kidney disease.

Using data (2655 observations from 928 participants) from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Study, we developed and internally validated new glomerular filtration rate estimating equations for clinical use in children and young adults: two forms of K × [heigh(ht) / serum creatinine(sCr)] and two forms of K × [1 / cystatin C(cysC)]. For each marker, one equation used a sex-dependent K; in the other, K is sex-and age-dependent. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured directly by plasma iohexol disappearance. The equations using ht⁄sCr had sex-specific constants of 41.8 for males and 37.6 for females. In the age- dependent models, K increased monotonically for children 1-18 years old and was constant for young adults 18-25 years. For males, K ranged from 35.7 for one-year-olds to 50.8 for those 18 and older. For females, the values of K ranged from 33.1 to 41.4. Constant K values for cystatin-C equations were 81.9 for males and 74.9 for females. With age-dependency, K varied non-monotonically with the highest values at age 15 for males (K of 87.2) and 12 years for females (K of 79.9). Use of an age-dependent K with ht/sCr models reduced average bias, notably in young children and young adults; age-dependent cystatin-C models produced similar agreement to using a constant K in children under 18 years, but reduced bias in young adults. These age-dependent proposed equations were evaluated alongside estimated GFRs from 11 other published equations for pediatrics and young adults. Only our proposed equations yielded non- significant bias and within 30% accuracy values greater than 85% in both the pediatric and young adult subpopulations.
Digital Testimonios: A personal journey towards healing and empowerment

I explore my journey of creating my digital testimonios and how this intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and aesthetic process has aided in my healing journey. Throughout this process I illuminate ...
Structures of flavivirus RNA promoters suggest two binding modes with NS5 polymerase.

Flaviviruses use a ~70 nucleotide stem-loop structure called stem-loop A (SLA) at the 5′ end of the RNA genome as a promoter for RNA synthesis. Flaviviral polymerase NS5 specifically recognizes SLA to initiate RNA synthesis and methylate the 5′ guanosine cap. We report the crystal structures of dengue (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) SLAs. DENV and ZIKV SLAs differ in the relative orientations of their top stem-loop helices to bottom stems, but both form an intermolecular three-way junction with a neighboring SLA molecule. To understand how NS5 engages SLA, we determined the SLA-binding site on NS5 and modeled the NS5-SLA complex of DENV and ZIKV. Our results show that the gross conformational differences seen in DENV and ZIKV SLAs can be compensated by the differences in the domain arrangements in DENV and ZIKV NS5s. We describe two binding modes of SLA and NS5 and propose an SLA-mediated RNA synthesis mechanism. Flaviviruses use a ~70 nucleotide stem-loop structure called stem-loop A (SLA) at the 5’ end of the RNA genome as a promoter for RNA synthesis by the viral polymerase NS5. Here the authors describe the structures of dengue and Zika virus SLAs, identify the SLA-binding site on NS5, and propose models for how NS5 recognizes the RNA promoter.
Specific heat of epoxies and mixtures containing silica, carbon lamp black, and graphite

Abstract We present specific heat measurements in the 2 – 20 K range of several commercially available epoxies (Stycast 1266, Stycast 2850FT, EPO-TEK 377, and EPO-TEK 377H) and mixtures of one of these epoxy binders and fillers such as silica, carbon lamp black, and graphite. The results are briefly described in the context of the Debye model.
Crimes Against Humanity in the ‘Western European and Other’ Group of States: A Continuing Tradition

This article appears in a volume of the African Journal of International Criminal Justice devoted to the International Law Commission's Draft Articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity and its reception in different regions of the world. This article focuses on the Western Europe and Other Group (WEOG) of states. WEOG states have a long history with crimes against humanity. They were pivotal in the juridical creation of this concept, in launching prosecutions in both international and national courts, and in formulating the modern definition of the crime. However, some members have expressed concerns around the International Law Commission (ILC)’s Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. This article provides a summary of the history of crimes against humanity in Western Europe and the Other Group of states, as well as the current status of crimes against humanity in their legal systems. It argues that although these states have successfully incorporated crimes against humanity into their legal frameworks, it would be beneficial for them to embrace the proposed Crimes Against Humanity Convention.
Designing Software Product Lines with the Unified Modeling Language (UML)

This tutorial addresses how to develop object-oriented requirements, analysis, and design models of software product lines using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0 notation. During requirements modeling, the tutorial covers how to develop kernel, optional, and alternative use cases for defining the software functional requirements of the system. The tutorial also describes the feature model for capturing product line requirements and how it relates to the use case model. During analysis, the tutorial covers how to develop static models for defining kernel, optional, and variant classes and their relationships. It also describes how to create dynamic models in which interaction models describe the dynamic interaction between the objects that participate in each kernel, optional, and alternative use case, and in which statecharts define the state-dependent aspects of the product line. The tutorial then covers how to develop component-based software architecture for the product line using the new UML 2.0 notation for structured classes and composite structure diagrams. That notation allows components, ports, and connectors, as well as provided and required interfaces, to be depicted. The tutorial gives an overview of the architectural structure patterns and architectural communication patterns that can be used in designing component-based product lines. The tutorial is illustrated by several examples and based on the book by Hassan Gomaa titled Designing Software Product Lines with UML to be published by Addison-Wesley in July 2004.