cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qué es la hipertensión portal no cirrótica idiopática

In spontaneously breathing, pentobarbitone anesthetized cats, we recorded simultaneously the impulses in the chemosensory fibers of both carotid (sinus) nerves, to analyze the correlations between the frequencies of chemosensory discharges (f chi) and their activation (?df chi/dt?a) and deactivation (?df chi/dt?d) rates. We studied the chemosensory responses to brief exposures to hypoxia (100% N2; 5-s and 10-s) and hyperoxia (100% O2; 30-s), and intravenous injections of excitatory (NaCN 0.2-100 micrograms/kg) and inhibitory (dopamine hydrochloride 0.02-20 micrograms/kg) chemoreceptor agents. Hypoxia increased f chi, with a high temporal correlation between frequency levels in both nerves. Prolonging hypoxic stimulation increased ?df chi/dt?d, with preservation of ?df chi/dt?a. Hyperoxic exposure produced highly correlated decreases in f chi in both nerves, but reduced correlation in df chi/dt. Increasing doses of NaCN produced analogous increments in f chi, df chi/dt and their correlations, the ?df chi/dt?a/?df chi/dt?d ratio remaining constant along all the experimental range, except in one animal in which the ratio increased in both nerves alike. Dopamine reduced f chi bilaterally, with chemosensory silencing being reached with doses of about 0.2-0.5 microgram/kg, the correlations between f chi's of both nerves remaining constant within the range analyzed. Maximal ?df chi/dt?d was not affected along the range of dopamine doses, except in one animal in which it increased in both nerves. It is concluded that both carotid nerves convey similar quantitative information to the brain stem. Thus, the carotid nerves constitute either cooperative inputs or redundant afferences contributing to a high safety factor.
Growth of Staphylococcus aureus in Milks and Creams with Various Amounts of Milk Fat.

Staphylococcus aureus strains 100-A, 196-E, 254, 473, 505, and 521 generally grew better in skim milk and whole milk (3.5% milk fat) than in light cream (18% milk fat) and heavy whipping cream (36% milk fat) at 25 and 37°C. S. aureus strains grew to greater than 106/ml from an inoculum of ca. 103/ml in skim and whole milk held at 37°C. From the same level of inoculum, strains grew to 106-107/ml in light cream held at 37°C. A 10 to 100-fold increase in population was observed for most strains in heavy whipping cream inoculated with ca. 104 S. aureus /ml and held at 37°C. Less than a 10-fold increase in population was noted for strain 254 in heavy whipping cream held at 37°C. When strains of S. aureus were inoculated into milks and creams and held at 25°C, populations of the pathogen increased approximately 100-fold in skim and whole milk and 10-fold or less in light cream and heavy whipping cream. S. aureus was enumerated using Chapman Stone, Mannitol Salt, Baird-Parker, and Vogel-Johnson agars; best results were obtained with Baird-Parker and Vogel-Johnson agars, particularly when high-fat fluid products were tested. Milk fat content, incubation temperature, and strain variation influenced the ability of S. aureus to grow in various dairy fluids.
Moscow in Movement: Power and Opposition in Putin’s Russia, by Greene, Samuel A.

In Moscow in Movement, Samuel A. Greene tackles the relationship between power and opposition both as a subject of political theory and in terms of contemporary Russia. In the first half of the boo...
Dance and early childhood cognition: The Isadora Effect

ABSTRACTThis article proposes the existence of an Isadora Effect: the propositions that motor development plays a primal role in brain development, and the first understanding of symbolic meaning among young children occurs from an understanding of movement and gesture. Anecdotal evidence for the past few decades has demonstrated that dance education and the early use of symbolic movement greatly enhance cognitive development in young children. The author presents (a) background and historical information about dance in early childhood in the United States; (b) research in which physical, emotional, and social development has served the backbone for rationalizing inclusion of dance in early education; (c) The Isadora Effect in early childhood dance education and its relationship to cognitive development, brain development, and intelligence; (d) the 21st Century Skills in relation to early childhood development and dance education; and (e) early childhood dance education and the National Core Arts Standard...
COMPARISON OF PROCEDURAL EFFICACY OF CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY IN OCTOGENARIAN, NONAGENARIAN AND GENERAL POPULATION

Background: The elderly patient population continues to grow in developed countries such as the United States. We evaluated procedural efficacy of coronary angiography in octogenarian patients (OC, age: 80–89), nonagenarian patients (NN, age ≥ 90), and the general patient population (GP, age <
Adaptive selection and validation of models of complex systems in the presence of uncertainty

This paper describes versions of OPAL, the Occam-Plausibility Algorithm (Farrell et al. in J Comput Phys 295:189–208, 2015) in which the use of Bayesian model plausibilities is replaced with information-theoretic methods, such as the Akaike information criterion and the Bayesian information criterion. Applications to complex systems of coarse-grained molecular models approximating atomistic models of polyethylene materials are described. All of these model selection methods take into account uncertainties in the model, the observational data, the model parameters, and the predicted quantities of interest. A comparison of the models chosen by Bayesian model selection criteria and those chosen by the information-theoretic criteria is given.
Urban Noise Pollution in Nigerian Cities: Imperatives for Abatement

Noise, it is said, is any sound that is unpleasant to the ear. Medically, when it persists, it can damage the ear. Considering the ear organ, it has been said that human ears were designed to process naturally-occurring sounds, and they are beautifully adapted to handle that task. They are able to detect sounds of intensities that vary across many orders of magnitude, and to meaningfully transmit these signals to our brains. But they are not well equipped to deal with the high noise levels that are common in Nigeria’s urban centres today, because such loud sounds occur only rarely in nature. Although the eardrum may sometimes be ruptured by severe noise (acoustic trauma) or pressure changes, the part that is most vulnerable to damage by noise lies more deeply in the inner ear, where the final processing takes place before the sound is converted into nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain. The extent of damage noise pollution could inflict on man provided the impetus for this study which aims to verify the persistent incidence and magnitude of noise pollution in urban Nigeria. Findings revealed that urban dwellers in Nigeria are exposed to high noise levels (above 70 decibels), with the attendant health implications. The study recommends technical, planning, behavioural and public enlightenment strategies to abate noise pollution in urban Nigeria.
Portrait in Blue: A Demographic and Behavioral Profile of Police Sexual Harassers

Abstract Extant research indicates that women who work in traditional male dominated fields are more likely to be subjected to sexual harassment by their male colleagues. Female police officers are no exception. Although there is empirical evidence that women in general may exhibit certain characteristics that make them more or less vulnerable to sexual harassment victimization, little is known about male police officers that commit these offenses. The primary purpose of this article is to enhance existing knowledge by presenting a demographic and behavioral profile of male police officers in the state of Florida who were found guilty of sexual harassment by their law enforcement employers. The article begins with a brief review of the research on sexual harassment in policing and a general description of harasser traits and characteristics, which was taken from the social psychological and interpersonal aggression literature. Following is an articulation of the study's methodology and results. The articl...
A cognitive anti-jamming and interference-avoidance stochastic game

This paper presents a design of a wideband autonomous cognitive radio (WACR) for anti-jamming and interference-avoidance. The proposed system model allows multiple WACRs to simultaneously operate over the same spectrum range producing a multi-agent environment. The target of each radio is to predict and evade a dynamic jammer signal as well as avoiding transmissions of other WACRs. The proposed cognitive framework is made of two operations: sensing and transmission. Each operation is helped by its own learning algorithm based on Q-learning, but both will be experiencing the same RF environment. The simulation results indicate that the proposed cognitive anti-jamming technique has low computational complexity and significantly outperforms non-cognitive sub-band selection policy while being sufficiently robust against the impact of sensing errors.
Disparities in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: Does Where You Live Matter?

This study focused on (1) whether disparities in timely receipt of substance use services can be explained in part by the characteristics of the community in which the clients reside and (2) whether the effect of community characteristics on timely receipt of services was similar across racial/ethnic groups. The sample was composed of adults receiving publicly funded outpatient treatment in Washington State. Treatment data were linked to data from the US census. The outcome studied was “Initiation and Engagement” in treatment (IET), a measure noting timely receipt of services at the beginning of treatment. Community characteristics studied included community level economic disadvantage and concentration of American Indian, Latino, and Black residents in the community. Black and American Indian clients were less likely to initiate or engage in treatment compared to non-Latino white clients, and American Indian clients living in economically disadvantaged communities were at even greater risk of not initiating treatment. Community economic disadvantage and racial/ethnic makeup of the community were associated with treatment initiation, but not engagement, although they did not entirely explain the disparities found in IET.
Yoshiki Sasai (1962–2014).

On August 5, the stem cell community was shocked by news that one of its most admired and respected leaders, Yoshiki Sasai, had died by his own hand. The humiliating circumstances surrounding the retraction of two papers, which he coauthored, proved overwhelming to him. On this terribly sad occasion it is fitting to reflect on the spectacular scientific legacy he leaves behind.
Effects of environmental support on overt and covert visuospatial rehearsal

People can rehearse to-be-remembered locations either overtly, using eye movements, or covertly, using only shifts of spatial attention. The present study examined whether the effectiveness of these two strategies depends on environmental support for rehearsal. In Experiment 1, when environmental support (i.e., the array of possible locations) was present and participants could engage in overt rehearsal during retention intervals, longer intervals resulted in larger spans, whereas in Experiment 2, when support was present but participants could only engage in covert rehearsal, longer intervals resulted in smaller spans. When environmental support was absent, however, longer retention intervals resulted in smaller memory spans regardless of which rehearsal strategies were available. In Experiment 3, analyses of participants' eye movements revealed that the presence of support increased participants' fixations of to-be-remembered target locations more than fixations of non-targets, and that this was associated with better memory performance. Further, although the total time fixating targets increased, individual target fixations were actually briefer. Taken together, the present findings suggest that in the presence of environmental support, overt rehearsal is more effective than covert rehearsal at maintaining to-be-remembered locations in working memory, and that having more time for overt rehearsal can actually increase visuospatial memory spans.
Gestión urbana del recurso pluvial: aproximación histórica

El articulo reflexiona en torno a la gestion del agua en las ciudades, centrandose en dos aspectos: el malgasto de agua potable en labores domesticas como la descarga de sanitarios, y el desinteres por las aguas pluviales que caracterizo a las ciudades del siglo XX, rompiendo con una tradicion de milenios. En el corpus del articulo se realiza una aproximacion a la historia de la gestion del recurso pluvial en diversas culturas, continentes y epocas. Se concluye que es urgente el retorno al concepto de ‘cosechar agua lluvia’ en las ciudades, con tecnicas y tecnologias actuales, para: i) reducir la presion sobre ecosistemas, a los que se les secuestra el agua; ii) incrementar la resiliencia urbana; iii) reducir las inundaciones en areas urbanizadas; iv) fomentar la descentralizacion del recurso agua en las ciudades; y v) fortalecer la independencia hidrica de los ciudadanos.
Massive impalement wound of the chest: A case report

A 29-year-old man sustained an impalement wound of the right side of the chest with a 6 foot long, 4 by 4 inch wooden post during a high-speed automobile accident. The post entered the right side of the chest anteriorly and exited posteriorly. The great vessels of the chest were spared, but the right lung was lacerated and contused. Removal of the post, treatment of pulmonary parenchymal damage, and reconstruction of the two large chest wall defects presented problems in management. Rapid transport of the patient to the hospital, effective emergency treatment, surgical repair of the chest injury, and appropriate supportive measures contributed to his survival.
Adaptive Backlash Compensation for Robot Control

Abstract Adaptive backlash inverse control schemes are designed for robot manipulators with unknown actuator backlash. When implemented with the exact backlash parameters the backlash inverse controllers cancel the effect of backlash and preserve the desired properties of feedback control laws for systems without backlash; when implemented with the adaptive estimates of the backlash parameters, the adaptive backlash inverse controllers ensure the signal boundedness and improve the tracking performance of the closed-loop system.
Nachlese: Mathematik, 15-prozentig

Funf ganze Jahre habe ich fur eine simple Erkenntnis gebraucht! Keine Erkenntnis hat mehr Geld gekostet als diese. Ich verrate sie hier, damit nicht weiterhin so viel Geld verschwendet wird.
Postoperative stroke after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in patients with carotid artery stenosis: a statewide database analysis.

Abstract BACKGROUND Carotid artery injury and stroke secondary to prolonged retraction remains an extremely rare complication in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). However, multiple studies have demonstrated that carotid artery retraction during the surgical approach may alter the normal blood flow, leading to a significant reduction in the cross-sectional area of the vessel. Others have suggested that dislodgment of atherosclerotic plaques following manipulation of the carotid artery can be a potential risk for intracranial embolus and stroke. PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate: (1) the incidence of postoperative stroke following ACDF and (2) incidence of other postoperative complications in a cohort of patients who had a diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis (CAS) versus those who did not. PATIENT SAMPLE This study utilized the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013. All patients who underwent (ACDF) and had a preoperative diagnosis of CAS were identified using the International Classification of Disease, ninth revision codes. Those who had a previous history of stroke were excluded. Patients who had CAS were propensity score matched to patients without history of CAS for demographics and Charlson/Deyo comorbidity scores. OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of postoperative stroke and other complications were compared between the cohorts. The threshold for statistical significance was set at a p RESULTS There were 34,975 patients who underwent an ACDF in the study time period. After excluding those under the age of 18 and with history of previous stroke, there were 61 patients who had CAS that were compared with a propensity-matched cohort. The CAS cohort had a significantly higher incidence of postoperative stroke during their hospitalization (6.6% vs 0%, p CONCLUSIONS Patients with CAS who underwent ACDF had a statistically significant greater incidence of developing a postoperative stroke. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has evaluated the development of postoperative stroke in patients with CAS undergoing ACDF. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to estimate the true incidence of stroke in this specific patient population. However, our results may illustrate the importance of preoperative optimization, approach-selection, and postoperative stroke surveillance in patients with a history of CAS who undergoes ACDF.
Learning to care

The books of Mick Inkpen, which feature characters such as Kipper, Wibbly Pig and Penguin Small are a great starting point for observing animals and understanding their environments and needs.
Trust-Region Minimization Algorithm for Training Responses (TRMinATR): The Rise of Machine Learning Techniques

Deep learning is a highly effective machine learning technique for large-scale problems. The optimization of nonconvex functions in deep learning literature is typically restricted to the class of first-order algorithms. These methods rely on gradient information because of the computational complexity associated with the second derivative Hessian matrix inversion and the memory storage required in large scale data problems. The reward for using second derivative information is that the methods can result in improved convergence properties for problems typically found in a non-convex setting such as saddle points and local minima. In this paper we introduce TRMinATR - an algorithm based on the limited memory BFGS quasi-Newton method using trust region - as an alternative to gradient descent methods. TRMinATR bridges the disparity between first order methods and second order methods by continuing to use gradient information to calculate Hessian approximations. We provide empirical results on the classification task of the MNIST dataset and show robust convergence with preferred generalization characteristics.
m 6 A enhances the phase separation potential of mRNA

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modified nucleotide in mRNA1,2, with around 25% of mRNAs containing at least one m6A. Methylation of mRNA to form m6A is required for diverse cellular and physiological processes3. Although the presence of m6A in an mRNA can affect its fate in different ways, it is unclear how m6A directs this process and why the effects of m6A can vary in different cellular contexts. Here we show that the cytosolic m6A-binding proteins-YTHDF1, YTHDF2 and YTHDF3-undergo liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro and in cells. This phase separation is markedly enhanced by mRNAs that contain multiple, but not single, m6A residues. Polymethylated mRNAs act as a multivalent scaffold for the binding of YTHDF proteins, juxtaposing their low-complexity domains and thereby leading to phase separation. The resulting mRNA-YTHDF complexes then partition into different endogenous phase-separated compartments, such as P-bodies, stress granules or neuronal RNA granules. m6A-mRNA is subject to compartment-specific regulation, including a reduction in the stability and translation of mRNA. These studies reveal that the number and distribution of m6A sites in cellular mRNAs can regulate and influence the composition of the phase-separated transcriptome, and suggest that the cellular properties of m6A-modified mRNAs are governed by liquid-liquid phase separation principles.
Balance and preference in activity participation for informal caregivers of people with aphasia: A questionnaire study

With increased attention to third-party disability, there is a need to evaluate how informal caregivers of people with aphasia participate in diverse life activities. Qualitative research has impro...
Quantifying and Characterizing Distributive Conjugal Transfer in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in prokaryotes disseminates genetic information throughout a population and can facilitate adaptation and evolution of the species. Mycobacteria utilize an atypical method of conjugation called distributive conjugal transfer (DCT), which results in mosaic genomes and the potential for accelerated evolution beyond that enabled by the more classical oriT-mediated conjugation. The following is a description of the basic DCT protocol, some possible variations of the assay, and examples of downstream applications to better understand mycobacterial functions.
Improving believability of simulated characters

In recent years the video game industry has experienced rapid expansion developing virtual environments that accurately mimic a real-world setting. However, the industry almost entirely relies on finite state machines for deploying computer-controlled characters within these environments. This has resulted in simulated inhabitants that lack the same degree of believability as their surroundings. As part of this research a simulation was developed using Java in which an agent was placed. In a survey students were asked to rank the believability of different artificial intelligence techniques employed by the simulation. The genetic algorithm developed for this simulation provided for an agent whose decisions were more believable than the decisions generated by a finite state machine or random selection process.
Abstract B008: South Carolina's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program narrows the gap in South Carolina breast cancer disparities

Background: The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides screening for breast cancer and, ultimately, navigation to treatment services for women who are economically disadvantaged and unable to afford such services. Consequently, SC9s NBCCEDP, the Best Chance Network (BCN), is crucial in helping to address the excess burden of breast cancer mortality experienced by black women as well as those with lower socio-economic status. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare time to each treatment modality (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy) between BCN participants and participants in Medicaid or a private payor insurance plan. Methods: SC Central Cancer Registry data (2002-2010) were linked to administrative data from Medicaid or another private payor insurance plan. Eligibility criteria included white or black race and continuous enrollment in their respective insurance plan for 3 years post diagnosis. Time from diagnosis to date of first surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy were calculated from administrative data files. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare descriptive statistics as appropriate. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relationship among BCN participation, treatment times, and survival. Results: No significant differences were noted for time to surgery, chemotherapy, or hormonal therapy between BCN participants and the rest of the cohort. Interestingly, significant differences were noted between the two groups for time to radiation therapy (178 days for BCN vs. 150 days for the rest of the cohort, p=0.05). In multivariable Cox models, there were no breast cancer survival differences by BCN participation (p=0.94) after adjusting for age, stage, and insurance type. Among BCN participants, Cox models did not demonstrate any relationship between treatment time (for any treatment type) or race with survival after adjusting for age and stage. Conclusion: This work provides evidence that emphasizes the important role that state programs such as the BCN play in navigating women into timely treatment and eliminating the disparity that is often seen for the receipt of breast cancer treatment among economically disadvantaged women. Furthermore, this work highlights the potential for these programs to decrease mortality disparities experienced by black women in SC. Citation Format: Swann Arp Adams, Samantha C. Truman, Oluwole Babatunde, Tisha M. Felder, Jan M. Eberth, Sue P. Heiney, Christian R. Alvarado, James R. Hebert. South Carolina9s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program narrows the gap in South Carolina breast cancer disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B008.
Controlled deposition of silica on titania-silica to alter the active site surroundings on epoxidation catalysts

Lewis acidic Ti-SiO2 materials are workhorse oxidation catalysts, and they range from microporous substituted zeolites to meso/macroporous materials, often with tradeoffs between steric accessibili...
In vitro amplification of pathogenic tau conserves disease-specific bioactive characteristics.

The microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) forms hyperphosphorylated aggregates in the brains of tauopathy patients that can be pathologically and biochemically defined as distinct tau strains. Recent studies show that these tau strains exhibit strain-specific biological activities, also referred to as pathogenicities, in the tau spreading models. Currently, the specific pathogenicity of human-derived tau strains cannot be fully recapitulated by synthetic tau preformed fibrils (pffs), which are generated from recombinant tau protein. Reproducing disease-relevant tau pathology in cell and animal models necessitates the use of human brain-derived tau seeds. However, the availability of human-derived tau is extremely limited. Generation of tau variants that can mimic the pathogenicity of human-derived tau seeds would significantly extend the scale of experimental design within the field of tauopathy research. Previous studies have demonstrated that in vitro seeding reactions can amplify the beta-sheet structure of tau protein from a minute quantity of human-derived tau. However, whether the strain-specific pathogenicities of the original, human-derived tau seeds are conserved in the amplified tau strains has yet to be experimentally validated. Here, we used biochemically enriched brain-derived tau seeds from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patient brains with a modified seeding protocol to template the recruitment of recombinant 2N4R (T40) tau in vitro. We quantitatively interrogated efficacy of the amplification reactions and the pathogenic fidelity of the amplified material to the original tau seeds using recently developed sporadic tau spreading models. Our data suggest that different tau strains can be faithfully amplified in vitro from tau isolated from different tauopathy brains and that the amplified tau variants retain their strain-dependent pathogenic characteristics.
Practice Improvement for Standardized Evaluation and Management of Acute Tracheitis in Mechanically Ventilated Children.

There is no consensus definition for ventilator-associated tracheitis and limited evidence to guide diagnosis and treatment. To improve acute tracheitis evaluation and management, this quality improvement project aimed to (1) improve the appropriateness of tracheal aspirate cultures while decreasing the number of unnecessary cultures by 20% and (2) decrease antibiotic use for acute tracheitis not consistent with local guidelines by 20% over 12 months among pediatric patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Methods All patients admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit requiring mechanical ventilation via an artificial airway were included. Tracheal aspirate sampling criteria, technique, and minimum intervals were standardized. Primary outcome measures were the number of tracheal aspirate cultures obtained per 100 ETT/tracheostomy days and ventilator-associated antibiotic days per 100 ETT/tracheostomy days. Improvement cycles included: Implementation of tracheal aspirate sampling criteria, sampling technique standardization, limiting repeat cultures to >72-hour intervals, and standardizing empiric antibiotic therapy. Results Tracheal aspirate culture rate decreased from 10.70 to 7.10 cultures per 100 ETT/tracheostomy days (P < 0.001). Cultures meeting sampling criteria increased from 28% to 80%. Ventilator-associated antibiotic use decreased from 24.88 to 7.30 ventilator-associated antibiotic days per 100 ETT/tracheostomy days. There were no associated increases in ventilator-associated events or days of mechanical ventilation. Conclusions Implementation of standardized criteria for tracheal aspirate sampling, improved tracheal aspirate sampling technique, limiting repeat tracheal aspirate cultures, and utilizing standardized antibiotic treatment guidelines safely decreased resource utilization and antibiotic use among critically ill children requiring mechanical ventilation.
Comparing $f(R)$ modified gravity and noncommutative geometry in the context of dark matter and traversable wormholes: a survey

Noncommutative geometry, as conceptualized by Nicolini, Smailagic, and Spallucci, may be viewed as a slight modification of Einstein's theory. The same can be said for $f(R)$ modified gravity for an appropriate choice of the function $f(R)$. Since such an $f(R)$ could be determined from the noncommutative-geometry background, these gravitational theories make very similar predictions in the discussion of (a) dark matter and (b) traversable wormholes; they can therefore be taken as equally viable models.
Seasonal nonstructural carbohydrate patterns in dewberry (Rubus spp.) roots

Applying control measures when carbohydrate levels are low can decrease the likelihood of plant survival, but little is known about the carbohydrate cycles of dewberry (Rubus spp.), a problematic weed group on cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) farms. Weedy Rubus plants were collected from areas adjacent to production beds on commercial cranberry farms in Massachusetts, two locations per year for 2 yr. For each site and year, four entire plants were collected at five phenological stages: budbreak, full leaf expansion, flowering, fruit maturity, and after onset of dormancy. Root sections were analyzed for total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC; starch, sucrose, fructose, and glucose). Overall trends for all sites and years showed TNC were lowest at full leaf expansion or flowering; when sampled at dormancy, TNC concentrations were greater than or equal to those measured at budbreak. Starch, a carbohydrate form associated with long-term storage, had low levels at budbreak, leaf expansion, and/or flowering with a significant increase at fruit maturity and the onset of dormancy, ending at levels higher than those found at budbreak. The concentration of soluble sugars, carbohydrate forms readily usable by plants, was highest at budbreak compared with the other four phenological samplings. Overall, our findings supported the hypothesis that TNC levels within the roots of weedy Rubus plants can be predicted based on different phenological growth stages in Massachusetts. However, recommendations for timing management practices cannot be based on TNC cycles alone; other factors such as temporal proximity to dormancy may also impact Rubus plants recovery, and further research is warranted. Late-season damage should allow less time for plants to replenish carbohydrate reserves (before the onset of dormancy), thereby likely enhancing the effectiveness of weed management tactics over time. Future studies should consider tracking the relationship between environmental conditions, phenological stages, and carbohydrate trends.
Health Information Seeking Behaviors on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Social Networking Site Users: Survey Study.

Background: In recent years, medical journals have emphasized the increasingly critical role that social media plays in the dissemination of public health information and disease prevention guidelines. However, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter continue to pose unique challenges for clinical health care providers and public health officials alike. In order to effectively communicate during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is increasingly critical for health care providers and public health officials to understand how patients gather health-related information on the internet and adjudicate the merits of such information. Objective: With that goal in mind, we conducted a survey of 1003 US-based adults to better understand how health consumers have used social media to learn and stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent to which they have relied on credible scientific information sources, and how they have gone about fact-checking pandemic-related information. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted with a sample that was purchased through an industry-leading market research provider. The results were reported with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 3. Participants included 1003 US-based adults (aged ≥18 years). Participants were selected via a stratified quota sampling approach to ensure that the sample was representative of the US population. Balanced quotas were determined (by region of the country) for gender, age, race, and ethnicity. Results: The results showed a heavy reliance on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic; more than three-quarters of respondents (762/1003, 76%) reported that they have relied on social media at least “a little,” and 59.2% (594/1003) of respondents indicated that they read information about COVID-19 on social media at least once per week. According to the findings, most social media users (638/1003, 63.6%) were unlikely to fact-check what they see on the internet with a health professional, despite the high levels of mistrust in the accuracy of COVID-19–related information on social media. We also found a greater likelihood of undergoing vaccination among those following more credible scientific sources on social media during the pandemic (χ216=50.790; φ=0.258; P<.001). Conclusions: The findings suggest that health professionals will need to be both strategic and proactive when engaging with health consumers on social media if they hope to counteract the deleterious effects of misinformation and disinformation. Effective training, institutional support, and proactive collaboration can help health professionals adapt to the evolving patterns of health information seeking.
Mosquito-bite infection of humanized mice with chikungunya virus produces systemic disease with long-term effects

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne alphavirus responsible for acute to chronic arthralgias and neuropathies. Although it originated in central Africa, recent reports of disease have come from many parts of the world, including the Americas. While limiting human CHIKV cases through mosquito control has been used, it has not been entirely successful. There are currently no licensed vaccines or treatments specific for CHIKV disease, thus more work is needed to develop effective countermeasures. Current animal research on CHIKV is often not representative of human disease. Most models use CHIKV needle inoculation via unnatural routes to create immediate viremia and localized clinical signs; these methods neglect the natural route of transmission (the mosquito vector bite) and the associated human immune response. Since mosquito saliva has been shown to have a profound effect on viral pathogenesis, we evaluated a novel model of infection that included the natural vector, Aedes species mosquitoes, transmitting CHIKV to mice containing components of the human immune system. Humanized mice infected by 3-6 mosquito bites showed signs of systemic infection, with demonstrable viremia (by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescent antibody assay), mild to moderate clinical signs (by observation, histology, and immunohistochemistry), and immune responses consistent with human infection (by flow cytometry and IgM ELISA). This model should give a better understanding of human CHIKV disease and allow for more realistic evaluations of mechanisms of pathogenesis, prophylaxis, and treatments.
COVID-19 Impact on Community-Based Participatory Randomized Controlled Trials--Lessons From the Oral Health Disparities in Children Consortium

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on nearly every sector of science and industry worldwide, including a significant disruption to clinical trials and dentistry. From the beginning of the pandemic, dental care was considered high risk for viral transmission due to frequent aerosol-generating procedures. This resulted in special challenges for dental providers, oral health care workers, patients, and oral health researchers. By describing the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on four community-based randomized clinical trials in the Oral Health Disparities in Children (OHDC) Consortium, we highlight major challenges so researchers can anticipate impacts from any future disruptions.
Modulation of p66Shc impairs cerebrovascular myogenic tone in low renin but not low nitric oxide models of systemic hypertension.

We demonstrate that the modulation of p66Shc signaling impairs cerebral artery myogenic tone in a low renin model of hypertension. This impairment is dependent upon the genetic background, as modul...
Observation of sea ice properties with the Nimbus-7 SMMR

Techniques for treating Nimbus-7 scanning multispectral microwave radiometer (SMMR) data to retrieve information on sea ice parameters are discussed. The SMMR produces information on ice concentration, temperature, multiyear ice fraction, thin ice fraction, difference between thin and thick ice temperatures, and atmospheric opacity. Sea ice emissivities as determined from ground truth and Nimbus-7 SMMR observations are provided, noting the necessity to further characterize the values with a larger data base. It was found that longest wavelengths displayed the largest contrast between open water and sea. Ice emissivity polarization differences are no more than 0.15 at any wavelength, while water polarizations are never less than 0.52. Ice emissivity increases directly with wavelength, and water emissivity increases inversely. Algorithmic representations of SMMR data to retrieve sea ice parameters are described.
Pressure vessels for coal liquefaction: An overview

The existing world economic and political climate has intensified the need for a domestic source of liquid fuels. With dwindling crude oil reserves the need for alternative sources of liquid fuels has become pressing. Coal-derived liquids can be an important substitute for crude oil. A key component of process plants designed to liquefy coals is the "reactor". Coal liquefaction pressure vessels (reactors) for anticipated commercial operations are large by conventional standards. They must maintain a high level of reliability for lifetimes from 20 to 30 years while operating at tamperatures near 425°C (800°F) and while containing a variety of sulfurous species and hydrogen at pressures up to about 28 MPa (4000 psi). This paper attempts to emphasize the role of reactors in the coal liquefaction process and to point out potential life-limiting aspects that must he considered in the design construction, and operation of these large thick-walled pressure vessels.
Apple v. Franklin: An Essay on Technology and Judicial Competence

Commenting on the close relationship between technological and legal developments, Grant Gilmore once wrote: "The reason for the dramatic change in English law during the second half of the eighteenth century is not far to seek. We know it as the industrial revolution."1 His insight, although directed to trends in commercial law in eighteenth century England, is not limited to a particular legal discipline or a single historical epoch. Indeed, the many new activities and products stemming from recent technological innovations are provoking changes in American law comparable in magnitude to those experienced during the industrial revolution.
Human perception of audio-visual skew

Multimedia synchronization comprises the definition and the establishment of temporal relationships among audio, video, and other data. The presentation of ‘in sync’ data streams by computers is essential to achieve a natural impression. If data is ‘out of sync’, the human perception tends to identify the presentation as artificial, strange, or annoying. Therefore, the goal of any multimedia system is to present all data without perceptible synchronization errors. The achievement of this goal requires a detailed knowledge of the synchronization requirements at the user interface. This paper presents the results of a series of experiments about human media perception of skew mainly related to audio and video data. It leads to a first guideline for the definition of a synchronization quality of service. The results show that a skew between related data streams may still let data appear ‘in sync’. It also turned out that the notion of a synchronization error highly depends on the types of media.
Effect of Nutrient Levels and Ascogregarina taiwanensis (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae) Infections on the Vector Competence of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) for Dirofilaria immitis (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae)

The effect of habitat nutrients and Ascogregarina taiwanensis (Lein & Levine) infection on the vector competence of a New Orleans strain of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) for Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) were evaluated. Larvae were infected with A. taiwanensis oocysts and reared under high and deficient nutrient conditions using leaf litter as a food source. Ascogregarine-infected and uninfected females were fed on D. immitis-infected blood and examined after 15 d for filariae. Susceptibility to infection with filaria was 60-70% for all females. In groups reared under high nutrients, the infective rate (3rd-stage larvae present) of coinfected females (18%) was significantly greater than females infected only with heartworm (6%). Host mortality following blood meals was significantly less in coinfected (22%) than in heartworm-infected females (37%). Under deficient nutrient conditions, there was no significant difference between the infective rate (8%) or post-blood meal mortality (5%) of coinfected females compared with heartworm-infected females. Prevalence of melanization reactions in coinfected females was significantly higher (31%) than in females infected only with heartworm (6%) at both nutrient levels. It is concluded that high nutrient levels and ascogregarine infection increase the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for D. immitis by enhancing the immune response so that fewer filariae develop, causing lower host mortality. Under low nutrient conditions, the smaller host contains less food reserves for filariae development, and in coinfected females melanization reactions and damage to the Malpighian tubules may reduce vector survival.
The epidemiology of Acanthamoeba keratitis in the United States.

We surveyed members of the Ocular Microbiology and Immunology. Group and reviewed laboratory requests at the Centers for Disease Control to determine better the epidemiology of Acanthamoeba keratitis in the United States. A total of 208 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis were identified. The number of cases increased gradually between 1981 and 1984, with a dramatic increase beginning in 1985. Males and females were equally affected. Of the 208 patients, 85 (41%) resided in California, Texas, Florida, or Pennsylvania. Of 189 patients, 160 (85%) wore contact lenses, predominantly daily-wear or extended-wear soft lenses. Of the 138 patients who wore contact lenses and for whom information was available, 88 (64%) used saline prepared by dissolving salt tablets in distilled water. Patients aged 50 years and older were more likely to have had a history of trauma than younger patients, and males were more likely to have a history of trauma than females.
Capacity of pepsin-digested antibody to inhibit antibody formation.

THE capacity of passively administered serum antibody to inhibit specific antibody formation1 has suggested that serum antibody may act as a type of “feedback” mechanism2–5. It is not known whether this effect of antibody results from its interaction with antigen or from a “direct” effect of some kind on the antibody-producing cells themselves5. A “direct” effect might be mediated by the Fc fragment of antibody, because this fragment, which does not contain the combining sites for antigen, is known to be essential for many other biological functions of antibody, such as complement fixation6, combination with skin7 and passage across the placenta8. The purpose of our experiments was to determine whether this fragment of the antibody gamma-globulin plays a part in the inhibition by antibody of specific antibody formation.
The role of the waveform in pulse pile-up

Abstract Pulse pile-up is the distortion of pulse-height distributions due to the overlap of detector responses to the arrival of two or more particles or photons within the detector resolving time. This paper presents a computational technique for simulating pile-up effects, which includes explicitly the dependence on the pulse-shape of the detector system. The basis of the technique is the manipulation of probability densities. The method is applicable to all types of linear pulse counting systems for nucleons, electrons, and photons, as long as the result is a pulse-height distribution. The algorithms are highly efficient in the amount of computing required for simulations, and internal checks for the numerical accuracy of the results are included. Studies of pile-up by monoenergetic pulses are used to determine the interrelationship between pulse shapes and spectral features; this information can be used to minimize pile-up. For broad spectra, the square wave approximation is compared with the present model including the correct waveform; introducing the pulse shape information smooths spectral features but does not qualitatively change the spectrum.
An Aroma of Complexity: How the Unique Genetics of Aromatase (CYP19A1) Explain Diverse Phenotypes From Hens and Hyenas to Human Gynecomastia, and Testicular and Other Tumors

The development of visible breasts in males has fascinated human culture for millennia, at least since Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and his family ruled Egypt; medical journals still discuss whether or not his son, Tutankhaten (Tutankhamun), had gynecomastia (1). There is no question that a breast for “male” activities was at least as impractical as the Amazons had discovered—they underwent right mastectomy so that they could use their bows or throw their javelin better—and that femininity (at least in the eyes of culture) depended on the presence of breast, as Saint Agatha of Sicily found when she underwent bilateral mastectomy as part of her faith-defending torture. The medical term we use today, “gynecomastia,” is indicative of these cultural assumptions; it defines the presence, in a male, of “μαστoς” (breast in Greek) as if he were a “γυναiκα” (female in Greek).