cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological control and holistic plant-health care in agriculture

Biological control is defined broadly as the “use of natural or modified organisms, genes, or gene products” to reduce the effects of pests and diseases. Physical control is the use of tillage, open-field burning, heat-treatment (pasteurization), and other physical methods, usually to eliminate pests or separate them from the crop. Chemical control is the use of synthetic chemical pesticides to eliminate pests or reduce their effects. The many approaches to biological control can be categorized conceptionally into 1) regulation of the pest population (the classical approach), 2) exclusionary systems of protection (a living barrier of microorganisms on the plant or animal that deters infection or pest attack), and 3) systems of self-defense (resistance and immunization). The agents of biological control include the pest- or disease-agent itself (sterile males or avirulent strains of pathogens), antagonists or natural enemies, or the plant or animal managed or manipulated (immunized) to defend itself. The methods range from 1) conserving and making maximum use of indigenous (resident) biological control through cultural practices, 2) making one-time or occasional introductions of genes or natural enemies that are more or less self-sustaining and 3) making repeated introductions of a biocontrol agent (e.g. a microbial pesticide). Biological, physical, and chemical treatments and pest controls can be integrated into holistic plant-health care also known as integrated crop and pest management. Eight principles of plant health care are offered: 1) know the production limits of the agroecosystem; 2) rotate the crops; 3) maintain soil organic matter; 4) use clean planting material; 5) plant well-adapted, pest-resistant cultivars; 6) minimize environmental and nutritional stresses; 7) maximize the effects of beneficial organisms; and 8) protect with pesticides as necessary.
Oligonucleotide uptake in human hematopoietic cells is increased in leukemia and is related to cellular activation

The use of antisense oligonucleotides as tools for modulating gene expression represents a novel strategy for designing drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Several factors, including cellular uptake and internalization of the oligonucleotides, are important parameters in determining the effectiveness of antisense agents such as therapeutic drugs. We have studied oligonucleotides uptake in normal and leukemic human hematopoietic cells, such as peripheral blood, bone marrow (BM), and HL-60 cell line; and have found that, in normal human blood and BM, myeloid cells and B cells preferably took up more oligonucleotides than T cells. There was no marked difference in oligonucleotide uptake between CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+ cytolytic T cells. Leukemic cells had greater oligonucleotide uptake than their normal counterparts. Furthermore, oligonucleotide uptake was closely related to cell activation status and can be modulated by growth factors or inhibitors. These studies provide a basis for using oligonucleotides as therapeutic drugs both in vitro and in vivo.
The Role of Proactivity in Wireless and Ad Hoc Networks

The vast strides made in VLSI technology and the emergence of the Internet as a global communication infrastructure undoubtedly rank amongst the most profound developments of recent times. Advances in VLSI have made computer hardware faster, cheaper, smaller, and lighter with each passing year. Not only has this made computers more useful and affordable, it has also made them easily portable so that more and more people are beginning to carry them (in the form of PDAs, electronic organizers or notebooks, web-enabled cell-phones, etc.) on an almost permanent basis.
True hermaphroditism and chimerism: A case report

A case of true hermaphroditism is reported with feminine habitus, ovotestis, and XX/XY cell admixture. Whole body chimerism could be proved to exist by the discovery of different blood groups and PGM types. This is the eleventh case of "whole-body chimerism" reported, a condition thought to be more common than recognized. Diagnosis of the existence of two cell lines was enhanced by the use of the quinacrine mustard fluorescent technique. This technique is advocated for future study of similar cases, with touch preparations to obviate the necessary selection of cells occurring in tissue culture.
Preschool Physical Activity Level and Change in Body Fatness in Young Children: The Framingham Children's Study

This study examined the effect of preschool physical activity on the change in body fatness from preschool to first grade. The Framingham Children's Study, a longitudinal study of childhood cardiovascular risk behaviors, began in 1987 with the enrollment of 106 children aged 3-5 years and their parents. The present analyses include 97 healthy children with complete data from study entry into first grade. Physical activity was assessed twice yearly for 5 days with an electronic motion sensor. The authors estimated change in the child's level of body fat from preschool to first grade by using the slopes of triceps and subscapular skinfolds and body mass index. On average, active girls (i.e., those with above-median activity levels) gained 1.0 mm in their triceps skinfolds from baseline to first grade, while inactive girls gained 1.75 mm. Active boys lost an average of 0.75 mm in their triceps, while inactive boys gained 0.25 mm. When age, television viewing, energy intake, baseline triceps, and parents' body mass indices were controlled for, inactive preschoolers were 3.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4-10.6) times as likely as active preschoolers to have an increasing triceps slope during follow up (rather than a stable or decreasing slope). This relative risk estimate was slightly higher for children with more body fat at baseline. In this study, preschool-aged children with low levels of physical activity gained substantially more subcutaneous fat than did more active children.
Fast search of thousands of short-read sequencing experiments

The amount of sequence information in public repositories is growing at a rapid rate. Although these data are likely to contain clinically important information that has not yet been uncovered, our ability to effectively mine these repositories is limited. Here we introduce Sequence Bloom Trees (SBTs), a method for querying thousands of short-read sequencing experiments by sequence, 162 times faster than existing approaches. The approach searches large data archives for all experiments that involve a given sequence. We use SBTs to search 2,652 human blood, breast and brain RNA-seq experiments for all 214,293 known transcripts in under 4 days using less than 239 MB of RAM and a single CPU. Searching sequence archives at this scale and in this time frame is currently not possible using existing tools.
Increases in Fecundity of Brown Soft Scale Exposed to Methyl Parathion

Potted citrus seedlings were used to determine the effect of methyl parathion, azinphosmethyl, a degradation product of parathion ( p -nitrophenol), and 2 related compounds (2.4-dinitrophenol and 4,6-dinitro- o -cresol) on the biotic potential of Coccus hesperidum L. Exposure to methyl parathion produced the sharpest increases and greatest total numbers of scales both in the absence of parasites and predators and with parasites present. The p -nitrophenol and the 2.4-dinitrophenol also produced greater numbers of scales than the check when entomophagous species were excluded. The 4,6-dinitro- o -cresol showed no effect, and the azinphosmethyl eliminated the scales for as long as 10 weeks. The increase in scales following-exposure to methyl parathion and to the decomposition products suggests that these materials may have a stimulating effect on fecundity.
Mechanistic insights into the role of truncating PREX2 mutations in melanoma

PREX2 is a PTEN binding protein that is significantly mutated in melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We recently reported the molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis associated with PREX2 mutations: truncating PREX2 mutations activate its RAC1 guanine nucleotide exchanger activity leading to increased PI3K/AKT signaling and enhanced cell proliferation.
The history of avian reovirus.

In 1957, while studying the pathogenesis of Mycoplasma synoviae, Dr. Norman Olson et al. (22), at West Virginia University, reported the isolation of an agent producing synovitis from lesions in broilers that exhibited a lack of sensitivity to chlortetracycline and furazolidone. Olson reported in 1959 (23) that this particular agent was not susceptible to streptomycin either, and Kerr and Olson (13) also observed that the newly found synovitis agent was pathogenic only in young chicks, whereas such age resistance was uncommon for M. synoviae infections. Subsequently, Olson and his coworkers (25) determined that the synovitis agent was a virus, which they called "viral arthritis agent." It was first misdiagnosed as a poxvirus (25) because of its double-stranded nucleic acid. How-
Status Quowith aQuid Pro Quo

(1959). Status Quo with a Quid Pro Quo. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 15, No. 7, pp. 288-292.
Magnesium Intake and Chronic Disease in Humans

The importance of magnesium intake in relation to the risk of chronic diseases has been increasingly recognized. As an essential mineral and cofactor of numerous enzymes, magnesium is critical for a number of metabolic functions in the human body. Experimental and observational studies suggest that magnesium intake may be beneficial to the prevention and/or management of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The potential mechanisms include improvement of glucose and insulin homeostasis and lipid metabolism, as well as its antihypertensive, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant function. The goal of this chapter is to summarize briefly the epidemiological data relating magnesium to major chronic diseases.
Unplanned 30-day hospital readmission as a quality measure in gynecologic oncology.

Abstract Objectives Thirty-day readmission is used as a quality measure for patient care and Medicare-based hospital reimbursement. The primary study objective was to describe the 30-day readmission rate to an academic gynecologic oncology service. Secondary objectives were to identify risk factors and costs related to readmission. Methods This was a retrospective, concurrent cohort study of all surgical admissions to an academic, high volume gynecologic oncology service during a two-year period (2013–2014). Data were collected on patient demographics, medical comorbidities, psychosocial risk factors, and results from a hospital discharge screening survey. Mixed logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with 30-day readmission and costs of readmission were assessed. Results During the two-year study period, 1605 women underwent an index surgical admission. Among this population, a total of 177 readmissions (11.0%) in 135 unique patients occurred. In a surgical subpopulation with >1 night stay, a readmission rate of 20.9% was observed. The mean interval to readmission was 11.8days (SD 10.7) and mean length of readmission stay was 5.1days (SD 5.0). Factors associated with readmission included radical surgery for ovarian cancer (OR 2.87) or cervical cancer (OR 4.33), creation of an ostomy (OR 11.44), a Charlson score of ≥5 (OR 2.15), a language barrier (OR 3.36), a median household income in the lowest quartile (OR 6.49), and a positive discharge screen (OR 2.85). The mean cost per readmission was $25,416 (SD $26,736), with the highest costs associated with gastrointestinal complications at $32,432 (SD $32,148). The total readmission-related costs during the study period were $4,523,959. Conclusions Readmissions to a high volume gynecologic oncology service were costly and related to radical surgery for ovarian and cervical cancer as well as to medical, socioeconomic and psychosocial patient variables. These data may inform interventional studies aimed at decreasing unplanned readmissions in gynecologic oncology surgical populations.
Effectiveness of Integrated Best Management Practices on Mitigation of Atrazine and Metolachlor in an Agricultural Lake Watershed

The study examined the influence of land-use (cropping patterns) and integrated agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on spring herbicide levels in an agricultural watershed. Atrazine and metolachlor were applied for weed control during spring of 1998–2002, 2005, and 2007–2013. Watershed-wide mass of applied herbicides ranged from 12.7 to 209.2 g atrazine and 10.9–302.2 g metolachlor with greatest application during 1998, 2009–2010 (atrazine) and 2007–2013 (metolachlor). Spring herbicide concentrations in Beasley Lake water ranged from below detection to 3.54 μg atrazine/L and 3.01 μg metolachlor/L. Multiple linear regression analyses with cropping patterns, BMPs, rainfall and time as independent variables, showed atrazine applications were associated with increases in cotton acreage and quail buffer, while metolachlor applications increased over time. Multiple linear regressions showed lake atrazine concentrations were associated with conservation tillage, rainfall, and corn, while lake metolachlor concentrations were associated with the cumulative metolachlor application and sediment retention pond installation.
Strategies for designing high performance interference coatings for 1–2 μm high energy lasers

High reflection and anti-reflection interference coatings based on amorphous oxides for high energy lasers operating at wavelengths in the 1–2μm with superior performance to laser damage are demonstrated.
Non-apoptotic cell death in animal development

Programmed cell death (PCD) is an important process in the development of multicellular organisms. Apoptosis, a form of PCD characterized morphologically by chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, and cytoplasm compaction, and molecularly by the activation of caspase proteases, has been extensively investigated. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, mice, and the developing chick have revealed, however, that developmental PCD also occurs through other mechanisms, morphologically and molecularly distinct from apoptosis. Some non-apoptotic PCD pathways, including those regulating germ cell death in Drosophila, still appear to employ caspases. However, another prominent cell death program, linker cell-type death (LCD), is morphologically conserved, and independent of the key genes that drive apoptosis, functioning, at least in part, through the ubiquitin proteasome system. These non-apoptotic processes may serve as backup programs when caspases are inactivated or unavailable, or, more likely, as freestanding cell culling programs. Non-apoptotic PCD has been documented extensively in the developing nervous system, and during the formation of germline and somatic gonadal structures, suggesting that preservation of these mechanisms is likely under strong selective pressure. Here, we discuss our current understanding of non-apoptotic PCD in animal development, and explore possible roles for LCD and other non-apoptotic developmental pathways in vertebrates. We raise the possibility that during vertebrate development, apoptosis may not be the major PCD mechanism.
Molecular bases of the crosstalk between bone and muscle

Exercise is an evolutionary conserved survival function that nowadays has beneficial health effects. The increased metabolic activity of contracting skeletal muscle affects the biology of many organs involved in regulating muscle functions. The discovery of hormones and cytokines secreted by bone and skeletal muscle during exercise, has recently added experimental credence to the notion that a crosstalk exists between these organs. Bone through the hormone osteocalcin, promotes exercise capacity in the mouse. After binding to a G-coupled protein receptor, Gprc6a, osteocalcin increases nutrients uptake and catabolism in myofibers during exercise. The catabolic aspect of osteocalcin distinguishes it from insulin signaling. In addition, osteocalcin regulates the endocrine function of skeletal muscle because it enhances the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is produced and secreted by contracting skeletal muscle and exerts autocrine, paracrine and systemic effects. One of the systemic functions of IL-6 is to drive the generation of bioactive osteocalcin. Altogether, these studies have revealed a feed-forward loop between bone and skeletal muscle that are necessary and sufficient for optimum exercise capacity. This endocrine regulation of exercise biology, suggest novel and adapted strategies for the prevention or treatment of age related muscle loss.
MILC: inverted list compression in memory

Inverted list compression is a topic that has been studied for 50 years due to its fundamental importance in numerous applications including information retrieval, databases, and graph analytics. Typically, an inverted list compression algorithm is evaluated on its space overhead and query processing time. Earlier list compression designs mainly focused on minimizing the space overhead to reduce expensive disk I/O time in disk-oriented systems. But the recent trend is shifted towards reducing query processing time because the underlying systems tend to be memory-resident. Although there are many highly optimized compression approaches in main memory, there is still a considerable performance gap between query processing over compressed lists and uncompressed lists, which motivates this work.In this work, we set out to bridge this performance gap for the first time by proposing a new compression scheme, namely, MILC (memory inverted list compression). MILC relies on a series of techniques including offset-oriented fixed-bit encoding, dynamic partitioning, in-block compression, cache-aware optimization, and SIMD acceleration. We conduct experiments on three real-world datasets in information retrieval, databases, and graph analytics to demonstrate the high performance and low space overhead of MILC. We compare MILC with 12 recent compression algorithms and experimentally show that MILC improves the query performance by up to 13.2× and reduces the space overhead by up to 4.7×.
Variability in Spatially and Temporally Resolved Emissions and Hydrocarbon Source Fingerprints for Oil and Gas Sources in Shale Gas Production Regions

A gridded inventory for emissions of methane, ethane, propane and butanes, from oil and gas sources in the Barnett Shale production region, has been developed. This inventory extends previous spatially resolved inventories of emissions by characterizing the overall variability in emission magnitudes, and the composition of emissions, at an hourly time resolution. The inventory is divided into continuous and intermittent emission sources. Sources are defined as continuous if hourly averaged emissions are greater than zero in every hour, otherwise they are classified as intermittent. In the Barnett Shale, intermittent sources accounted for 13-30% of the mean emissions for methane and 10-32% for ethane, leading to spatial and temporal variability in the location of hourly emissions. The combined variability due to intermittent sources and variability in emission factors can lead to wide confidence intervals in the magnitude and composition of time and location specific emission inventories, therefore, includ...
Electrostatic differences: A possible source for the functional differences between MCF7 and brain microtubules

Abstract Recent studies suggested a link between diversity of beta tubulin isotypes in microtubule structures and the regulatory roles that they play not only on microtubules' intrinsic dynamic, but also on the translocation characteristics of some of the molecular motors along microtubules. Remarkably, unlike porcine brain microtubules, MCF7 microtubules are structured from a different beta tubulin distribution. These types of cancer microtubules show a relatively stable and slow dynamic. In addition, the translocation parameters of some molecular motors are distinctly different along MCF7 as compared to those parameters on brain microtubules. It is known that the diversity of beta tubulin isotypes differ predominantly in the specifications and the electric charge of their carboxy-terminal tails. A key question is to identify whether the negative electrostatic charge of tubulin isotypes and, consequently, microtubules, can potentially be considered as one of the sources of functional differences in MCF7 vs. brain microtubules. We tested this possibility experimentally by monitoring the electro-orientation of these two types of microtubules inside a uniform electric field. Through this evaluation, we quantified and compared the average normalized polarization coefficient of MCF7 vs. Porcine brain microtubules. The higher value obtained for the polarization of MCF7 microtubules, which is associated to the higher negative charge of these types of microtubules, is significant as it can further explain the slow intrinsic dynamic that has been recently reported for single MCF7 microtubules in vitro. Furthermore, it can be potentially considered as a factor that can directly impact the translocation parameters of some molecular motors along MCF7 microtubules, by altering the mutual electrostatic interactions between microtubules and molecular motors.
Allergy and the Patient Requiring Revision Sinus Surgery

• Allergic rhinitis is an IgE-mediated response to allergens including pollens, fungi, animal danders, insects, and dust mites.
The Effects of Computers on Male and Female Statistics Achievement.

THIS STUDY COMPARED the effects of microcomputer-based software and hand-held calculators on the statistics achievement of university males and females. The subjects, 50 graduate students enrolled in univariate statistics classes at a public, comprehensive university, were randomly assigned to groups that used either microcomputer-based software or hand-held calculators in performing their statistical calculations. The effects of the independent variables of microcomputer-based software and hand-held calculators on the dependent variable of statistics achievement were analyzed with an independent t-test and a two-way analysis of variance. Results of the independent t-test and a two-way analysis of variance. Results of the independent t-test revealed no significant difference between the achievement of students who used hand-held calculators and those who used microcomputer-based software (p=.556). Furthermore, the two-way analysis of variance revealed no significant difference on the basis of gender (p=.993); however, a significant interaction effect (p=.013) was disclosed. The effect size of 0.912 indicates that, on the average, those males who used microcomputers outperformed 82% of the females who used microcomputers in performing their statistical calculations; while the females who used calculators outperformed 71% of the male users of calculators, on the basis of an effect size calculation of 0.545.
False positive bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan: Effect of host and cut-off value.

OBJECTIVES Bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan (BAL-GM) is a mycological criterion for diagnosis of probable invasive aspergillosis (IA) per European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORT-MSG) consensus criteria, but its real-world positive predictive value (PPV) has not been well-studied. Our aim was to estimate the PPV of BAL-GM in a contemporary cohort of patients with positive BAL-GM. METHODS We identified consecutive patients with ≥1 positive BAL-GM value (index ≥ 0.5) at Brigham and Women's Hospital from 11/2009 to 3/2016. We classified patients as having no, possible, probable, or proven IA, excluding BAL-GM as mycological criterion. RESULTS We studied 134 patients: 54% had hematologic malignancy (HM), and 10% were solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. A total of 42% of positive (≥0.5) BAL-GM results were falsely positive (PPV 58%). The number of probable IA cases was increased by 23% using positive BAL-GM as mycologic criterion alone. PPV was higher in patients with HM or SOT (P < 0.001) and with use of higher thresholds for positivity (BAL-GM ≥ 1 vs 1-0.8 vs 0.8-0.5: P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS 42% of positive BAL-GM values were falsely positive. We propose a critical reassessment of BAL-GM cutoff values in different patient populations. Accurate noninvasive tests for diagnosis of IA are urgently needed.
Deep brain stimulation in pediatric dystonia: a systematic review

While deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment is relatively rare in children, it may have a role in dystonia to reduce motor symptoms and disability. Pediatric DBS studies are sparse and limited by small sample size, and thus, outcomes are poorly understood. Thus, we performed a systematic review of the literature including studies of DBS for pediatric (age < 21) dystonia. Patient demographics, disease causes and characteristics, motor scores, and disability scores were recorded at baseline and at last post-operative follow-up. We identified 19 studies reporting DBS outcomes in 76 children with dystonia. Age at surgery was 13.8 ± 3.9 (mean ± SD) years, and 58% of individuals were male. Post-operative follow-up duration was 2.8 ± 2.8 years. Sixty-eight percent of patients had primary dystonia (PD), of whom 56% had a pathological mutation in DYT1 (DYT1+). Across all patients, regardless of dystonia type, 43.8 ± 36% improvement was seen in Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) motor (-M) scores after DBS, while 43.7 ± 31% improvement was observed in BFMDRS disability (-D) scores. Patients with PD were more likely to experience ≥ 50% improvement (56%) in BFMDRS-M scores compared to patients with secondary causes of dystonia (21%, p = 0.004). DYT1+ patients were more likely to achieve ≥ 50% improvement (65%) in BFMDRS-D than DTY1− individuals (29%, p = 0.02), although there was no difference in BFMDRS-M ≥ 50% improvement rates between DYT1+ (66%) or DYT1− (43%) children (p = 0.11). While DBS is less common in pediatric patients, individuals with severe dystonia may receive worthwhile benefit with neuromodulation treatment.
Development of Phantom Material that Resembles Compression Properties of Human Brain Tissue for Training Models.

Abstract There is a need to quantify and reproduce the mechanical behavior of brain tissue for a variety of applications from designing proper training models for surgeons to enabling research on the effectiveness of personal protective gear, such as football helmets. The mechanical response of several candidate phantom materials, including hydrogels and emulsions, was characterized and compared to porcine brain tissue under similar strains and strain rates. Some candidate materials were selected since their compositions were similar to brain tissue, such as emulsions that mimic the high content of lipids. Others, like silicone, were included since these are currently used as phantom materials. The mechanical response of the emulsion was closer to that of the native porcine brain tissue than the other candidates. The emulsions, created by addition of oil to a hydrogel, were able to withstand compressive strain greater than 40%. The addition of lipids in the emulsions also prevented the syneresis typically seen with hydrogel materials. This allowed the emulsion material to undergo freeze-thaw cycles with no significant change in their mechanical properties.
Shared Care Areas of Heart Failure

Introduction The optimal management of advanced heart failure patients partially depends on the shared care between community HF units (i.e., primary care and general cardiologists), specialized HF units (i.e., interventional cardiology), and tertiary hubs of advanced HF care (i.e., mechanical circulatory support and transplant). Currently, we lack a methodology to uncover the underlying areas of shared care. In this sense, we started to unveiling the underlying shared care areas in California using network science and large-scale data sets. Methods We modeled the shared care network using 37,324,861 discharges from 478 General Acute Care Hospitals to 2,709 patient home Zip Codes in California between 2016 and 2017. In the shared care network, nodes are Zip codes and links between two Zip Codes are given by the sum of the individual contribution of each facility, which is the product between the total number of discharges of that facility, the proportion of its discharges to both Zip Codes. Finally, Shared Care Areas (SCA) were extracted by applying a community detection algorithm called Infomap. For each SCA, we calculated the percentiles (25th, 50th, and 95th) for the population size using the Census data, the rate of heart transplants per 100,000 using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) as well as the rate of combinations of HF prescriptions per 100,000 involving specific Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, Beta-blockers (BB), Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists (MRA), and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) using Medicare Advantage Part D claims. Results We uncovered 44 SCAs as shown in the Figure. The population size (172,078, and 436,609, and 2,881,420), the rates of heart transplants (9, 10 and 19), as well as the rates of ARNI+BB+MRA (0, .26, and 1.29), ACE+ARB+BB (236, 276, and 449), ACE+MRA (100, 128, and 266), ARB+BB (773, 1034, and 1830), ACE+ARB (626, 780, and 1390) and ACE+BB (1108, 1267, and 1949) significantly varied among SCAs. Conclusions In the era where models of shared care are necessary for the optimal management of advanced heart failure patients, we still lack an automated methodology to unveil these areas. Here, we attempted to establish the foundations of how SCA can be uncovered using network science and large-scale data sets of patient discharges, census, heart transplantations, and prescription claims.
Evaluation of a naturalised rock ramp fish passage for cool‐ and warm‐water fish in a tributary of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

Dams across the Great Lakes basin are nearing or beyond their original design life, posing both challenges and opportunities to natural resource managers. Ageing dams can be repaired to preserve function and maintain safety, removed to promote full connectivity or retrofitted with a fish passage structure to increase connectivity without reservoir loss. The success of rock ramp structures is not well documented, especially for cool‐ and warm‐water fishes in the Great Lakes basin. The success of a recently built (2009) rock ramp for increasing upstream fish passage on the Shiawassee River in Michigan, USA, was evaluated. While there was evidence of limited fish passage during the study period (2011–2016), catches of spring migratory fishes, fish eggs and larvae were significantly higher below the rock ramp than above, indicating the dam with rock ramp fish pass continues to limit upstream migration. Overall connectivity appears improved relative to a reference, dammed river, but falls short of full connectivity.
Video Productions at Saint Joseph Hospital: A Teaching Hospital in Denver, CO

The authors evaluated a new video production service, through our Library’s Multi-Media Service’s Department, compiling 4 years of data. Assessment included the impact of internal video productions...
Efficacy of Clinical Simulation-Based Training in Biomedical Engineering Education

The need for biomedical engineering (BME) students to be trained in real-world health care settings, where most medical device industry emerges, is imperative. Clinical immersion helps accomplish this training goal. However, the growing student population in the field of BME and a shortage of clinical collaborators offer serious limitations to the clinical immersion experience. This paper describes the use of a clinical simulation-based training (SBT) tool in BME education as an alternative resource to the real-world clinical immersion experience. Through the inclusion of simulation labs in BME courses, we assessed their efficacy in need-finding and enhancing students' understanding of the current challenges of existing medical technology. We also explored the possibility of offering cross-disciplinary learning environments in these simulation labs, including engineers and students from other healthcare disciplines such as nursing. Simulation labs served as a helpful tool in the need-finding phase of the design process, and the immersed students reported higher adaptive and life-long learning outcomes. Students also reported the simulation lab immersion to be valuable to their future goals as engineers. Furthermore, the SBT labs offered repetitive training in a controlled learning environment, inclusion of an interdisciplinary setting, and feedback through student reflections. The inclusion of simulation lab immersion and SBT labs in the two BME courses served as an useful and alternative educational tool that helped train students to better understand the needs of the health care industry while working in interdisciplinary settings.
Full circle autism care includes family relationships and dynamics

Abstract Family is our first group. It is in, and through this group, we define ourselves. Families shape our developmental progress, developmental integration, and most importantly, our sense of self. The unique interactive histories and interdependent interactions of the family are what first give us a sense of ourselves as relevant or capable. (Becvar and Becvar, 1999) Because of its importance, the family has increasingly become a focus of attention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) practitioners. A paradigm shift is underway, as we move from working with a child to working with a family (the child, parents, siblings, and extended relationships). With the interwoven and interactive nature of a family and the tendency of a family system to seek equilibrium, the dynamic elements of the system occur at the level of relationships. This makes targeted intervention to those relationships a natural and logical focus. For young children, parents are the “central organizers” for their child's development by way of their relationships (Shamoon-Shanok, 1990). The health and maintenance of the family system is highly dependent on the ability of the parent(s) to maintain equilibrium in the face of challenges.
Smallest Maximum Intramolecular Distance: A Novel Method to Mitigate Pregnane Xenobiotic Receptor Activation

Induction of cytochrome P450 isoform 3A4 via activation of the pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR) is a concern for pharmaceutical discovery and development, as it can lead to drug–drug interactions...
Modulation of cocaine-related behaviors by low doses of the potent KOR agonist nalfurafine in male C57BL6 mice

Agonists of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) have been shown to block the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, but with negative side effects. The antipruritic drug nalfurafine, approved in Japan in 2009, is a potent, selective KOR agonist that does not cause significant side effects in humans. Nalfurafine has not been extensively tested for its effect on drug reward and reinforcement in preclinical models. The goal of this study was to compare the effects of nalfurafine and a reference KOR agonist for a variety of KOR-mediated endpoints in male C57BL6 mice. Specifically, we aimed to evaluate the “therapeutic window”—doses of agonists lower than those eliciting negative side effects, while still effective for desired therapeutic effects. In this study, several low doses of nalfurafine and U50,488 were tested for serum prolactin release, rotarod-mediated sedation, and place-conditioning in male C57BL6 mice. These agonists were also tested for effects on intravenous cocaine self-administration, both on an FR1 schedule and on a progressive ratio schedule for 0.5 mg/kg/infusion cocaine. Serum prolactin levels increased following doses of both nalfurafine (3 μg/kg and 10 μg/kg) and U50,488 (3 mg/kg). These doses did not cause sedation in the rotarod assay or aversion in a place-conditioning assay, but blocked conditioned place preference for cocaine. Immediate pretreatment of mice with 10 μg/kg nalfurafine and 3 mg/kg U50,488, however, potentiated cocaine self-administration. Further 10 μg/kg nalfurafine was also observed to potentiate cocaine-seeking behavior as demonstrated by increased progressive ratio break point. Both nalfurafine and U50,488 showed a separation of negative side effects and the modulation of cocaine reward, suggesting this effect of KOR agonists at low doses may be characteristic of the KOR system in general. At higher doses, nalfurafine had similar effects to traditional KOR agonists like U50,488, indicating that its relative potency, rather than differences in KOR signaling, may be responsible for its unique effects in humans.
Endogenous glucocorticoids may serve as biomarkers for migraine chronification.

Aims:The aims of this study were to: (a) identify differences in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucocorticoids among episodic migraine (EM) and chronic migraine (CM) patients compared with co...
Math, magnets, and medicine: enabling personalized oncology.

While the past decade has seen the development of a myriad of targeted therapeutics, immunotherapies, and radiotherapy technologies, coordinated optimized delivery of novel and existing therapeutic...
Security of Emerging Memory Chips

Memory chips play a critical role in performance and energy because they are the fundamental bottlenecks in computing systems. Several emerging memory chips such as Magneto-resistive Random-Access Memory (MRAM), Resistive RAM (ReRAM), Phase-Change Memory (PCM), and Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) have been proposed to replace mainstream memory chips to overcome the limitations of the existing memory chips such as high leakage current, a large amount of energy consumption, lack of scalability, etc. These emerging memory chips possess several advantageous features such as non-volatility, high density, scalability, long endurance, ultralow-power operation, read/write current asymmetry, high write current, etc. However, some of these new exclusive features in the emerging memory device and architecture may introduce new vulnerabilities that can be detrimental for security and safety. This chapter will focus on the security vulnerabilities of emerging non-volatile memory chips and discuss the existing countermeasures to make the computing systems robust against various attacks.
Household Density and Influences from Family and Friends Shape Vaccine Intent Among Latino Families in the San Francisco Bay Area

Abstract Background: Latino have had higher case counts, hospitalization rates and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic nationally and in the state of California. Meanwhile, Latino vaccination rates remain lower than those of non-Hispanic Whites. COVID-19 vaccine nonintent, defined as intent not to vaccinate for COVID-19, among Latino individuals continues to be an issue in the state of California. Methods: Families from three Latino longitudinal mother child cohorts previously recruited in the San Francisco Bay Area were surveyed telephonically from February to July 2021 to assess attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and prior vaccination, in general, for themselves and their children. Risk for vaccine nonintent was assessed using Mann-Whitney rank sum non-parametric test for continuous predictors and chi-squared tests for categorical ones. Results: Three hundred and eighteen families were surveyed from the Telomere at Birth (TAB), Hispanic Eating and Nutrition (HEN) and Latino Eating and Diabetes Cohort (LEAD). Approximately 36% from TAB and 28% from HEN/LEAD indicated COVID-19 vaccine nonintent for themselves and/or their children. Risk factors for vaccine nonintent included lower maternal age (p=0.01), concern about vaccine side effects (p<0.01) and prior history of a household members being infected with COVID-19 (p<0.01) and indexes of household crowding including number of people sharing a bathroom (p=0.048). Vaccine intent was also associated with receiving vaccine input from friends (p=0.03), family (p<0.01) and/or coworkers (p=0.02) compared with those who were not planning on getting COVID-19 vaccination. It is possible that those with non-intent have received limited input from families, friends and/or coworkers. Discussion: Latino families living in crowded living situations who may not have received any COVID-19 advice family, coworkers or friends are at particular risk for COVID-19 vaccine nonintent. Community based grassroots interventions that focus on trusted individuals with close ties to the community counseling about COVID-19 vaccination could help to boost vaccination rates in this population group.
Anonymity In Cyberspace: Judicial and Legislative Regulations

Historically, the scope of constitutional protections for fundamental rights has evolved to keep pace with new social norms and new technology. Internet speech is on the rise. The First Amendment protects an individual’s right to speak anonymously, but to what extent does it protect a right to anonymous online speech? This question is difficult because the government must balance the fundamental nature of speech rights with the potential dangers associated with anonymous online speech, including defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. While lower courts have held that there is a right to anonymous online speech, they have not yet adopted a common standard. Meanwhile, to simplify the confusion and protect the rights of those who are injured by anonymous online speech, state legislatures are seeking to restrict some or all anonymous online-speech rights. This Note explores the history of speech regulation, with a special focus on the history of anonymous online speech, and the justifications for protecting speech rights. It then discusses the judicial standards under which courts require disclosure of anonymous speakers and the current legislative proposals to restrict speech rights. Next, this Note suggests that legislatures should not restrict speech rights, and should instead expand the remedies available to those injured by harmful speech. This Note also suggests that courts should adopt a summary judgment standard that requires plaintiffs to provide evidence demonstrating that the anonymous speaker has committed a tort before requiring the speaker to disclose his or her identity.
A Visual Lexicon

One of the most recognizable graphic components of the visual language of “comics” is the “panel,” a demarcated frame of image content put into discrete sequences, thereby seeming to be the primary unit of expression. However, meaningful visual elements do exist that are both smaller and larger than this encapsulation of image and text. Spoken languages also have variation in sizes of lexical items above and below their primary sequential unit of the “word.” This paper will address these varying levels of representation in visual language in comparison to the structural make-up of verbal language, to aim toward at what it means to have “visual lexical items.”
What Turns Women On

Gender differences in sexual arousal to stimuli are well established; less is known about sexual arousal among women from different ethnicities. Heterosexual Black and White college women reported ...
Clinical contributions to consciousness studies

Consciousness is a multidisciplinary subject of inquiry. The extent of clinical contributions to the field of consciousness studies has yet to be investigated. The goal of this study was to assess the degree of clinically related articles in the literature of consciousness studies through a systematic evaluation. Three journals systematically identified (Consciousness and Cognition, Journal of Consciousness Studies, and Anthropology of Consciousness) were reviewed from the first issue through December 2008. All original articles related to anesthesiology, general clinical medicine, neurology, neuro-surgery, and psychiatry were identified. Of the 1,805 articles reviewed for the three journals, a total of 149 clinically relevant articles were identified; this represented an average contribution of 8% to the total articles. Psychiatry was the discipline most consistently represented in the three journals; neurosurgery was the least represented. There is a relative paucity of clinical articles in the literature of consciousness studies. Clinical perspectives may thus be underrepresented in the field.
Interferon-alpha-induced phosphorylation and activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 is required for the formation of interferon-stimulated gene factor three.

Abstract Treatment of cells with interferon (IFN)-alpha caused phosphorylation and activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). The protein tyrosine kinase Jak1 was found to be necessary for the activation of cPLA2. Jak1 could be co-immunoprecipitated with cPLA2 from cell extracts, indicating that a close physical interaction occurs between these two proteins. The induction of IFN-stimulated gene factor three (ISGF3) by IFN-alpha, is blocked by cPLA2 inhibitors in cell cultures and in cell-free reconstituted systems. However, these inhibitors do not block IFN-alpha or gamma-induced binding of STAT1 to the inverted repeat (IR) element of the IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) gene. Thus, cPLA2 activations occurs as an early event in the IFN-alpha response and is selectively involved in ISGF3-dependent gene activation.
Transformation of a Petroleum Mixture in Biofilms

Petroleum hydrocarbons from a lagoon storing waste oil in New Jersey have contaminated underlying soil and groundwater. Biofilm column studies were performed to investigate biotransformation of the petroleum mixture under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The waste oil at concentrations ranging between 10 and 100 mg/L was continuously applied to glass bead columns that resembled porous media. The majority of the alkylbenzenes and polynuclear aromatic compounds identified in the oil mixture were simultaneously biotransformed by aerobic biofilms within a 2-hour hydraulic residence time. In a methanogenic biofilm column with 2-day hydraulic residence time, the mixture of hydrocarbons was initially removed by sorption with complete breakthrough occurring after 300 days of operation. After 600 days, the methanogenic biofilm acclimated to several of the specific hydrocarbon components, and effluent concentrations decreased due to apparent biotransformation. Radiotracer studies with toluene, naphthalene, and 2-methyl-naphthalene indicated partial mineralization to CO 2 under both aerobic and methanogenic conditions. Reaction rates observed in the laboratory biofilms indicate that biotransformation could be an effective process to control hydrocarbon contamination in the environment.
Considerations in Deciding Which Drugs Should Be in a Formulary

The formulary is a compendium of pharmaceuticals, along with important drug information, that reflects the current clinical judgment of the medical and pharmacy staffs of an organization. Sound formularies have been shown to have a positive effect on prescribing. Poor formularies, those with too many marginal, obsolete, or redundant drugs, may contribute to less than ideal therapy in some patients, and probably at more expense. At the core of a sound formulary is having sound criteria and procedures for adding drugs. Such criteria should be general and specific. Should there be separate criteria for adding new drugs? For antibiotics? For biotechnology drugs? Criteria for maintaining and deleting drugs should also be in place. This keeps the formulary up-to-date and viable. Even with sound criteria, the process of adding, maintaining, and deleting drugs can be flawed by pressures, outside and inside organizations. However, such barriers can be overcome. The process of evaluating drugs for formulary status ...