cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Flow Stress-Grain Size Relationship in a Precipitation-hardening Al Alloy

The effect of grain size and aging treatment on the stress-strain behavior of an Al-Mg-Zn-Cu alloy has been studied. Flow stress has been measured for grain sizes from 10 to 50 μm for specimens aged to peak hardness and for overaged specimens. In the peak hardness condition, the Hall-Petch relationship satisfactorily describes the flow stress dependence on grain size. Specimens aged to peak hardness had a relatively low dislocation density after deformation, showing that the mean slip length was large. Thus, grain boundaries participate in the deformation process in the peak aged condition by acting as dislocation barriers and sources. In the overaged condition, flow stress is independent of grain size. After deformation, the dislocation density of the overaged specimens was high, corresponding to a short mean slip length. Grain boundaries have a secondary role as dislocation barriers and sources in the overaged condition.
Expression of heat shock protein genes in insect stress responses

The heat shock proteins (Hsps) that are abundantly expressed in insects are important modulators of insect survival. The expression of different Hsp genes are induced and modulated in insects in response to environmental inputs including abiotic stresses such as heat shock, ultraviolet radiation, chemical pesticides, as well as biotic stresses such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and other insects. This minireview will provide useful information related to the expression of Hsp genes in response to abiotic and biotic stressors as well as developmental regulation and modulation of Hsp genes involved with insect survival.
Comparing ion distributions around RNA and DNA helical and loop-loop motifs

Nucleic acid nanoparticles can self-assembly through the formation of complementary loop-loop interactions or stem-stem interactions. Presence and concentration of ions can significantly affect the self-assembly process and the stability of the nanostructure. In this paper we use explicit molecular dynamics simulations to examine the variations in cationic distributions around DNA and RNA helices and loop-loop interactions with identical sequence except for Thymine to Uracil substitution. Our simulations show that the ionic distributions are different around RNA and DNA motifs which could be related to the discrepancy in stability of loop-loop complexes.
Temperature Regulation in the Red-Tailed Tropic Bird and the Red-Footed Booby

This paper represents part of a study on the thermoregulatory responses of nesting sea birds to natural environmental conditions. The investigations were conducted on Midway Island. Our previous publications (Howell and Bartholomew, 1961a, 1961b) have dealt with Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses (Diomedea immutabilis and D. nigripes), Bonin Island Petrels (Pterodroma hypoleuca), and Wedge-tailed and Christmas Island shearwaters (Pufinus pacificus and P. nativitatis). Bailey (1956) gives a useful account of the natural history of these and other species found on Midway. In the course of visits to Midway Island in June and July, 1959 and 1960, we were able to obtain data on thermoregulation in the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon rubricauda) and the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula). Aside from the work of Probine and Wodzicki (1955) on the Gannet (Sula bassana) and that of Bartholomew, Dawson, and O'Neill (1953) and Bartholomew and Dawson (1954) on pelicans (Pelecanus), we know of no quantitative studies on thermoregulation in pelecaniform birds.
Cefamandole-A New Member of the Cephalosporin Family

Cefamandole is the latest of a series of semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotics that have been derived by acylation from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid. These agents are very important, both from a medical and from an economic point of view. Some measure of their importance may be derived from the fact that cephalosporins accounted for 19% of the total dollar value of all antibiotics purchased in the United States in 1973. Thus it can be estimated that in 1973 cephalosporins accounted for at least $117 million in sales [1]. The present lofty position of these agents is all the more remarkable in view of their rather in-
Abomasal volvulus in cattle following correction of left displacement by casting and rolling.

Abstract Seven adult cows developed abomasal volvulus immediately following correction of left displacement by casting and rolling. Three cows were rolled to provide temporary relief from left displaced abomasum because of concurrent disease and 4 were rolled as the principal therapy for left displacement. In each animal surgical correction of abomasal volvulus was accomplished via right paralumbar fossa celiotomy and inclusion of an omentopexy during abdominal closure. Surgery was performed within 24 hours of casting and rolling. All 7 cows recovered after surgery and were reported to have satisfactory milk production and appetite 6 weeks later.
Piloting case-based instruction in a didactic clinical immunology course.

OBJECTIVES To assess (1) the effect of case-based instructional modules on student critical thinking, class attendance, and satisfaction and (2) student opinion of case formats. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS University-based upper division course in clinical immunology and serology. The course was taught by the same instructor for two consecutive semesters with the intervention introduced in the second semester. Sixty-seven students experienced the intervention and 56 students were in the baseline cohort. INTERVENTION Nine cases were interspersed between lectures during the semester. Each case took one 50-minute class in which students worked in groups of five or six. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Student performance on five critical thinking multiple-choice examination questions and percent student attendance on case days versus lecture days were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. Student ratings on course evaluations were analyzed using t-test comparing semesters with and without intervention. Student opinion of cases was obtained through surveys and a focus group. RESULTS Student performance on critical thinking exam questions was similar in the two groups. Student attendance was significantly higher on case days (95.6%) versus lecture days (80.3%; p < 0.0001). Only composite ratings for instructor involvement, student-instructor interaction, and course organization were significantly improved in the semester with cases compared to the semester with lecture only (p < 0.0001 for all indices). CONCLUSIONS Although case studies did not significantly improve student performance on critical thinking questions, they still proved to be a valuable instructional method. Student attendance, student-instructor interaction, and instructor involvement in the course were all positively affected by incorporation of case studies. Discussion of cases also helped to uncover student misconceptions of course material.
A History of Black American Feminism

We begin with an examination of the history of Black American feminism, a movement which preceded Black women’s involvement in formal American politics. Feminism, both in this section and in the text as a whole, is considered broadly, inclusive both of intentionally organized groups of women, such as the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) and the Combahee River Collective, as well as acts of naming, claiming, and entering taken consciously by Black women across American history. For the sake of organization and manageability, the author has imposed a temporal boundary on the consideration of both types of Black American feminism, and opens this chapter by establishing the larger sociocultural and political context of the American landscape, which is critical for understanding what stimulants precipitated Black women feminists’ organization and action.
Alternate forms of thermodynamic laws for thermoelastic solids and the constitutive theories

For thermoelastic solids, rate of mechanical work equilibrates with the rate of kinetic energy and rate of strain energy. In this article, this aspect of the physics is utilized to: (i) derive an alternate form of the energy equation based on the first law of thermodynamics and (ii) derive an alternate form of entropy inequality based on the second law of thermodynamics, both free of rate of strain energy. This alternate form of entropy inequality strictly contains physics related to the rates of entropy. This form of entropy inequality is essential to show that the constitutive theories for stress tensor for thermoelastic solids are free of any thermodynamic restrictions and thus can be derived independently of the entropy inequality. In this article, we explore both forms of entropy inequality, one containing rate of strain energy and the alternate form that is free of rate of strain energy in deriving the constitutive theories for the stress tensor. It is shown that the alternate for entropy in...
Characterization of molecular interactions between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and topoisomerase I by molecular simulations.

Escherichia coli topoisomerase I (EctopoI), a type IA DNA topoisomerase, relaxes the negative DNA supercoiling generated by RNA polymerase (RNAP) during transcription elongation. Due to the lack of structural information on the complex, the exact nature of the RNAP-EctopoI interactions remains unresolved. Herein, we report for the first time, the structure-based modeling of the RNAP-EctopoI interactions using computational methods. Our results predict that the salt-bridge as well as hydrogen bond interactions are responsible for the formation and stabilization of the RNAP-EctopoI complex. Our investigations provide molecular insights for understanding how EctopoI interacts with RNAP, a critical step for preventing hypernegative DNA supercoiling during transcription. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Pornography and Couples: What Does the Research Tell Us?

The authors present the results of a 15-year review of research on the effects of pornography on couple relationships, including intimacy. This review includes 26 empirically-based studies that were conducted between 2000 and 2016. This research topic has mostly been approached from an exploratory and descriptive perspective. Criticisms of the literature center on the lack of attention paid to the theoretical level of analysis and the unit of observation. The difficulty researchers have with defining “pornography” affects the measures used to assess pornography’s effects on couple relationships and limits the external validity of results. Findings indicate that there are both positive and negative effects of pornography use within committed relationships. These effects appear to be mediated largely by communication between both partners. Research with attention to a consistent theoretical level of analysis and unit of observation is needed to more fully understand the impact of pornography use on a couple’s relationship. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Self-heating in high performance bipolar transistors fabricated on SOI substrates

The effects of self-heating on the characteristics of bipolar transistors fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates are discussed through measurements and simulations. It is shown that the SOI substrate's buried oxide affects the thermal characteristics of the transistor. A three fold increase in thermal resistivity is observed on transistors fabricated on SOI substrates over identical transistors fabricated on regular silicon substrates. Moreover, thermal gradients within the device footprint are also discussed and evaluated both experimentally and using MEDICI simulations. Finally, a simple thermal model is presented which predicts transistor characteristics with good accuracy. >
Security Rule Check

A major challenge with designing secure integrated circuits (ICs) is the diversity of existing and emerging attacks, attack goals, and potential countermeasures. While security concerns in digital hardware design have become well known in the recent years, a framework for comprehensive vulnerability analysis at design stage of hardware development is still lacking. In this chapter, we present a new concept called Design Security Rule Check (DSeRC), to analyze vulnerabilities of a design at all levels of abstraction (register transfer level (RTL), gate-level netlist, and physical design) and assess its security at design stage. The DSeRC framework will significantly improve the security of ICs and reduce the development time and cost by allowing the designers to identify and address security vulnerabilities at earliest design steps.
Community as Collateral

Birk explains the emergence of popular anti-Muslim massacres in and after 1161 and explores how these attacks illustrate a shift in the way the Christian population envisioned Sicilian Muslims. This chapter shows that by the mid-twelfth century, the fate of Sicilian Muslims was linked to the strength of Sicilian monarchs, who used Muslims as a resource and a symbol of royal power. Because of this, Birk argues, Latin Christians expressed their discontent with royalty through violence against Sicilian Muslims. Despite this, monarchs promoted Muslims within their administration and reaffirmed the monarchy’s role as protector of Sicilian Muslims. Birk contends that this deepened the conflation of anti-Muslim and anti-royal sentiments, ultimately making Sicilian Muslims vulnerable to violence when royalty weakened later in the twelfth century.
The Human Gut Microbiome in Liver Diseases

Recent advances in culture-independent laboratory techniques and bioinformatics have contributed to enriched characterizations of the gut microbiota and microbiome in chronic liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and cirrhosis. In this review, the authors focus on studies characterizing and modulating the gut microbiota and microbiome in humans. The majority of studies that characterized microbiota involved a small number of patients using 16S ribosomal RNA genetic sequencing. Few studies applied whole-genome shotgun sequencing and metagenomics analyses. The majority of clinical trials on modulating the microbiome have focused on probiotics or antibiotics in small groups of patients with cirrhosis versus healthy controls. Several trials are underway using fecal microbial transplantation in alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cirrhosis. Future research is needed on understanding the viral and fungal microbiome and developing user-friendly microbiome tools.
Hormone replacement therapy.

The number of women who will live half their adult lives after the menopause increases every year.1 A challenging question for doctors is how women should be counselled about postmenopausal oestrogen therapy. #### Summary points Five or more years of postmenopausal oestrogen is the standard of care for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis; benefit requires continued use Oestrogen increases the risk of endometrial cancer during and after use,unless it is taken with adequate progestogen It probably increases the risk of breast cancer, but only during current use It may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease Routine oestrogen treatment should not be recommended until more risk:benefit data are available from clinical trials This review is based on observations during 25 years of research into women's health, and on Medline searches on oestrogen or menopause. Only recent publications are cited. Unless otherwise stated, oestrogen therapy refers to treatment of postmenopausal women with pharmacological doses of oral oestrogen taken alone or with an oral progestogen. About 75% of women in English speaking countries experience no troublesome symptoms during the menopause transition.2 Population studies have shown that symptoms are less common or different in other countries, and more common and more severe after an induced menopause. Hot flushes and night sweats are the only symptoms universally reported to respond (usually almost immediately) to oestrogen. Without treatment, hot flushes typically disappear within 1-2 years, but in some untreated women they continue for more than 20 years. After the menopause the vaginal wall becomes thinner and less vascular, changes which may be accompanied by vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. Intravaginal oestrogen prevents and treats these symptoms and also reduces the risk of recurrent urinary tract infection, probably by modifying the vaginal flora.3 Urinary incontinence, which becomes more common with increasing age, is not usually improved …
Co-delivery of tumor antigen and dual toll-like receptor ligands into dendritic cell by silicon microparticle enables efficient immunotherapy against melanoma

Despite the importance and promise of cancer vaccines for broader prevention and treatment of cancer, limited clinical responses are observed, suggesting that key rational designs are required for inducing potent immune responses against cancer. Here we report a mesoporous silicon vector (MSV) as a multi-functional microparticle for formulating an efficient cancer vaccine composed of B16 melanoma derived-tyrosinase related protein 2 (TRP2) peptide and dual toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. We demonstrated that MSV microparticles protected the peptide from rapid degradation for prolonged antigen presentation to immune cells. Moreover, MSV enabled co-delivery of two different TLR agonists [CpG oligonucleotide and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA)] along with TRP2 peptide into the same dendritic cell (DC), thus increasing the efficiency and capacity of DCs to induce potent TRP2-specifc CD8+ T cell responses against B16 melanoma. Furthermore, this MSV-based DC vaccine could significantly prolong the median survival of tumor-bearing mice by orchestrating effective host immune responses involving CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and macrophages. Our study provides rational and potentially translational approach to develop durable and potent immunotherapy for patients with cancer by delivering various combinations of tumor antigens, neoantigens and innate immune agonists.
Acoustic metacages for sound shielding with steady air flow

Conventional sound shielding structures typically prevent fluid transport between the exterior and interior. A design of a two-dimensional acoustic metacage with subwavelength thickness which can shield acoustic waves from all directions while allowing steady fluid flow is presented in this paper. The structure is designed based on acoustic gradient-index metasurfaces composed of open channels and shunted Helmholtz resonators. In-plane sound at an arbitrary angle of incidence is reflected due to the strong parallel momentum on the metacage surface, which leads to low sound transmission through the metacage. The performance of the proposed metacage is verified by numerical simulations and measurements on a three-dimensional printed prototype. The acoustic metacage has potential applications in sound insulation where steady fluid flow is necessary or advantageous.
Instability in 18S and 5.8S rDNA copy numbers and 18S:5.8S ratios in longitudinally-collected human DNA samples detected by monochrome multiplex qPCR

The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encodes the structural RNAs of the ribosomes. Ribosomal DNA instability is a major contributor to aging in yeast, but the role of rDNA instability in human aging and longevity is largely unknown. Human 45S rDNA, which encodes the 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNAs, occurs as tandem repeats on the short arms of the five acrocentric chromosomes (p13, p14, p15, p21, and p22). The 45S rDNA copy number has been reported to range from 60 to > 800 copies per cell, and to be prone to frequent homologous and non-homologous recombination. Here we present two monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR (MMqPCR) assays, one for 18S rDNA normalized to the single copy gene beta-globin (HBB), and the other for 5.8S rDNA normalized to the single copy gene albumin (ALB), with both measurements expressed relative to those obtained from a reference DNA sample, using the relative qPCR method. Longitudinally collected pairs of DNA samples from bloods drawn approximately 16 years apart from 40 females and 39 males, aged
Ethics in employment law: the Americans with Disabilities Act and the employee with HIV.

a quarter of a million Americans and is currently the leading killer of Americans, age 25-44. Despite the facts that we are now halfway through our second decade confronting the HIV virus and more than a third of major U.S. cor porations have dealt with at least one employ ment situation relating to actual or perceived cases of HIV infection, the overwhelming majority of U.S. corporations have still remained inactive in addressing HIV infection in the work place. A 1994 survey conducted by the American Management Association found that only 19% of their member-organizations had established a specific AIDS policy despite the fact that between 1991 and 1994 there was a 65% increase
Measurement of Mutation Spectra as a Molecular Dosimeter

Most presentations in this meeting take as an article of faith that knowledge of the amount and kinds of human chemical exposure are of value in determining the causes of human cancer. It can be argued however that while such knowledge may be valuable, the presence of a chemical does not prove that it has significantly contributed to genetic change in general or to cancer mutations specifically. To make this link, analytical chemistry must be joined to analytical genetics. As a potential means to create this joining, the concepts and present practices of mutational spectrometry will be reviewed. Emphasis will be restricted to methods which allow genetic measurements in humans such as denaturing gradient separations or the newly developed mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA) technology. Experiments aimed at determining when in a person’s lifetime oncomutations occur will also be discussed.
Under What Conditions is IS Research Relevant to Practice? An Analysis of IS Scholars Who Are Mentioned or Cited Often in Trade Magazines and the General Media.

The issue of rigor and relevance has been a longstanding topic of discussion and debate within many areas of business. Among disciplines that are more established than IS, such as marketing and accounting, scholars continue to debate whether academic research has any direct value to managers or employees. Not surprisingly, in disciplines that are much younger – such as IS and entrepreneurship – these questions have also arisen. We bring scientometric methods to bear on the topic. Defining relevance as the mention of IS research and IS researchers in mainstream business magazines and newspapers, we employ a host of methods to identify the extent to which IS research and researchers are mentioned in the mainstream media. Our study identified some individuals who are frequently mentioned or cited, namely IS scholars who have assumed nontraditional roles working on government panels (in the case of Mary Culnan of Bentley University) or as journalists in the popular press of trade magazines (in the case of M.S. Krishnan, University of Michigan and Prabhudev Konana, University of Texas). With the exception of these highly-visible scholars and several IS economists, few IS scholars receive much notice in trade magazines or in the general media. We conclude with suggestions for investigating various types of relevance.
Cognitive Therapy, Behavior Therapy, Psychoanalysis, and Pharmacotherapy

To a large degree our scientific interpretations are based on a particular, often tacit, philosophical system. The philosophical system that we use as investigators may differ widely from that we use as clinicians. Thus, the laboratory investigator who studies depression may work within the trappings of a materialistic (or monistic) model while he is in the laboratory. When he takes off his lab coat and replaces it with his sports jacket as he prepares to treat a patient in psychodynamic therapy, he switches to a new philosophical system—either dualism or mentalism.
Worlding the Study of Global Environmental Politics in the Anthropocene: Indigenous Voices from the Amazon

Many socioenvironmental struggles around the globe involve trying to protect the disappearance of other “worlds.” Along with biological diversity, human languages, traditions, understandings, and t...
Synthesis of Nd3BSi2O10 using a LiCl-flux method

Abstract This paper details synthesis methods that were used to fabricate phase-pure Nd3BSi2O10 using a LiCl-flux method. In this study, a variety of conditions were evaluated to find the optimal processing parameters for maximizing the Nd3BSi2O10 yield including the mass ratio of LiCl to target mass of Nd3BSi2O10 (i.e., 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 6:1) as well as the soak temperature (i.e., 700, 800, or 900 °C) at the 1:1 ratio. It was found that the optimal ratio of LiCl:Nd3BSi2O10 was 1:1 and the optimal heat-treatment temperature was 900 °C (of those temperatures evaluated). Product made from the 1:1 material synthesized at 900 °C was recovered and fired at temperatures of 925–1350 °C. After 4-h firings at temperatures of 925–1100 °C, the Nd3BSi2O10 phase purity was found to be 100% with powder X-ray diffraction, but started to decompose at the longer firing times at 1100 °C and higher temperatures (1350 °C) at the 4-h dwell time. Thus, the lowest firing temperature for achieving a phase-pure pellet was 925 °C under the conditions studied here. The phase-pure sample was found to contain 28 vol% open porosity determined by Archimedes’ method. The durability of the Nd3BSi2O10 product was examined in flow-through conditions at 90 °C with contacting solution between pH90oC 4.1 and 10.1. The release rate of Nd from the material had a maximum at pH90oC 4.1 calculated to be 4.93 g m−2 d−1 and a minimum release rate of Nd at pH90oC 7.7 of
Complete Genome Sequence of a Representative New Jersey Vesiculovirus Strain, NJ03CPB, from a Region of Endemicity in Southern Mexico.

ABSTRACT We report the full-genome sequence of a New Jersey vesiculovirus strain, commonly referred to as vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV), obtained from an epithelial lesion of a naturally infected cow in Chiapas, Mexico. This genome is a representative from the zone of endemicity in Mexico, a region of high genetic diversity.
Executive Function Disorders in Pediatric Neuropsychology: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Tourette Disorder

This chapter will review current understanding of two neurodevelopmental disorders involving dysregulation of executive (frontal lobe) functioning: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Tourette Disorder (TD). It will describe the clinical phenomenology of these disorders (including co-occurring conditions), recent research into their neurobiological and neuropsychological mechanisms, recommended assessment procedures, medical treatments, and psychosocial interventions.
Norepinephrine transporter availability in brown fat is reduced in obesity: a human PET study with [11C] MRB.

The energy-dissipating properties of brown adipose tissue (BAT) have been proposed as therapeutic targets for obesity and diabetes. Little is known about basal BAT activity. Capitalizing on the dense sympathetic innervation of BAT, we have previously shown that BAT can be detected in humans under resting room temperature (RT) conditions by using (S,S)-11C–O-methylreboxetine (MRB), a selective ligand for the norepinephrine transporter (NET). In this study, we determine whether MRB labeling of human BAT is altered by obesity. Fifteen healthy, nondiabetic Caucasian women (nine lean, age 25.6 ± 1.7, BMI 21.8 ± 1.3 kg/m2; six obese age 30.8 ± 8.8 BMI 37.9 ± 6.6 kg/m2) underwent PET-CT imaging of the neck/supraclavicular region using 11C-MRB under RT conditions. The distribution volume ratio (DVR) for 11C-MRB was estimated via multilinear reference tissue model 2 (MRTM2) referenced to the occipital cortex. Two women (one lean and one with obesity) had no detectable BAT. Of the women with detectable BAT, women with obesity had lower 11C-MRB DVR (0.80 ± 0.12 BAT DVR) compared to lean (1.15 ± 0.19 BAT DVR) (p = 0.004). Our findings are consistent with reports that NET is decreased in obesity and suggest that the sympathetic innervation of BAT is altered in obesity.
Do Corrective Effects Last? Results from a Longitudinal Experiment on Beliefs Toward Immigration in the U.S.

Although interest in the efficacy of efforts to correct false beliefs has peaked in recent years, the extent to which corrective effects endure over time remains understudied. Drawing on insights from related literatures in the psychology of belief, persuasion and media effects to inform theoretical expectations, this study uses a longitudinal experiment to observe both contemporaneous and long-term changes in participants’ belief accuracy in response to corrective information within an ongoing, contentious political debate. We measured factors thought to either promote durability (e.g. repeated exposure to corrective information) or cause decay (e.g. political predispositions, media behaviors) in assessing moderators of the magnitude and longevity of corrections. Corrective effects were found to be quite durable, detectable up to 4 weeks after exposure to the initial message, while repeated exposure to corrective information further promoted the longevity of these effects.
Scenario-Based Analysis for Disaster-Resilient Restoration of Distribution Systems

After a severe disaster, the impacted distribution systems are generally in a state of chaos, which makes restoration of electricity service extremely hard. To facilitate the development of systematic and fast restoration schemes, this paper provides a scenario-based analysis of post-disaster distribution systems. The properties of post-disaster power systems are investigated in order to classify various types of post-disaster cases into a limited number of scenarios with some pre-defined features. A mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model is proposed to determine the optimal locations and optimal size of mobile diesel generators in distribution systems so as to supply critical loads right after the natural disasters. Test results on the IEEE 37-node test feeder demonstrated the effectiveness of proposed optimization model.
Abstract NS8: Increasing Discharges to Acute Rehabilitation With a Multidisciplinary Task Force

Background: Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke recover function better when discharged to inpatient rehabilitation (IRF) over skilled nursing facilities (SNF). We aimed to increase discharge to IR...
Nurse shark T-cell receptors employ somatic hypermutation preferentially to alter alpha/delta variable segments associated with alpha constant region.

In addition to canonical TCR and BCR, cartilaginous fish assemble noncanonical TCR that employ various B-cell components. For example, shark T cells associate alpha (TCR-α) or delta (TCR-δ) constant (C) regions with Ig heavy chain (H) variable (V) segments or TCR-associated Ig-like V (TAILV) segments to form chimeric IgV-TCR, and combine TCRδC with both Ig-like and TCR-like V segments to form the doubly rearranging NAR-TCR. Activation-induced (cytidine) deaminase-catalyzed somatic hypermutation (SHM), typically used for B-cell affinity maturation, also is used by TCR-α during selection in the shark thymus presumably to salvage failing receptors. Here, we found that the use of SHM by nurse shark TCR varies depending on the particular V segment or C region used. First, SHM significantly alters alpha/delta V (TCRαδV) segments using TCR αC but not δC. Second, mutation to IgHV segments associated with TCR δC was reduced compared to mutation to TCR αδV associated with TCR αC. Mutation was present but limited in V segments of all other TCR chains including NAR-TCR. Unexpectedly, we found preferential rearrangement of the noncanonical IgHV-TCRδC over canonical TCR αδV-TCRδC receptors. The differential use of SHM may reveal how activation-induced (cytidine) deaminase targets V regions.
The Rising Scourge of Acute Renal Injury After Heart Transplantation

Over half a century, heart transplantation has evolved as the optimal therapy for the treatment of end-stage heart disease. Despite significant progress in the field with improved immunosuppression leading to decreased rejection and infection rates, post-transplant outcomes remain dependent on several factors including preserved function of extra-cardiac organs. Of particular importance, renal function after heart transplantation has been an important determinant of survival.
The colonization of Ireland: A human ecology perspective

Abstract Human migration throughout northern Europe following the Last Glacial Maximum is an ideal situation to investigate human colonization and adaptation in new landscapes. This is particularly so in Ireland, which possesses a distinctly compressed archaeological record compared to the rest of Europe. While various periods of Paleolithic occupations are well-documented throughout Europe, including Britain, the initial colonization of Ireland appears to be delayed until the Early Holocene. An assessment of archaeological and paleoenvironmental data suggests that inhospitable environmental conditions, specifically the absence of mature woodland ecosystems, substantially delayed the human colonization of Ireland. Once Mesolithic peoples reached Ireland, the absence of familiar fauna led them to quickly modify existing technologies. These local adaptions are reflected in the discontinuation of composite microlith technologies that characterize the rest of the European Mesolithic record. Within 1000 years of colonization, Mesolithic hunter-gatherers developed a uniquely Irish macrolith-based technology.
Appointment Attendance and Patient Perception of Drive-Up INR Testing in a Rural Anticoagulation Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Introduction The Anticoagulation Forum and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend drive-up international normalized ratio (INR) testing to combat INR non-adherence and increase safety during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Patient perceptions and impact on attendance have not been studied Objective To assess appointment volume and patient perception after initiation of drive-up INR testing in a rural pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic Methods This cross-sectional cohort survey study offered each patient attending the anticoagulation clinic via drive-up or in-office visit a survey between May 27 - July 2, 2020 Patients testing off-site were excluded Study end points included monthly patient volume, visit type preference, testing barriers, desired drive-up duration, and overall clinic satisfaction Clinic appointment volume from October 2019 - June 2020 was collected retrospectively through a schedule review Results Sixty-four (80%) of 80 surveys offered were completed: 46 6% of respondents preferred drive-up testing, 26 7% indifferent, and 26 7% preferred in-office visits;38 7% of respondents indicated a greater likelihood of continuing routine INR monitoring via drive-up testing Of the respondents completing the survey curbside, 46% and 27% of respondents identified reduced COVID-19 transmission risk and ease of transportation as benefits of drive-up INR testing, respectively March and April clinic volumes were 19% and 22% below average, respectively, returning to baseline after drive-up testing was implemented Clinic rating before and after drive-up testing remained high at 2 75 on a scale of 0-3 While infection risk was identified as the biggest barrier to care by 32 8% of respondents, 59 3% of all respondents wanted drive-up testing to continue indefinitely Conclusions Drive-up INR testing improves patient attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic Patient perception of drive-up testing is positive About 46% of respondents preferred drive-up INR testing with telehealth follow-up and 59 3% of respondents want drive-up testing to continue indefinitely, which suggests this approach to INR testing as a potential method to allay barriers to routine monitoring beyond the scope of the pandemic This article is protected by copyright All rights reserved
PRL Mutation Causing Alactogenesis: Insights Into Prolactin Structure and Function Relationships.

Context Isolated prolactin deficiency is a rare disorder manifesting as absence of puerperal lactation. We identified a two-generation family with 3 women experiencing alactogenesis. Objective We hypothesized a heterozygous genetic mutation. Design This was a family-based study. Patients Two generations of women (proband, sister and niece) with puerperal alactogenesis and one control were studied. Prolactin levels in the three women ranged from 0.618 to 1.4 ng/mL (2.8-29.2 ng/mL). All the women had regular menstrual cycles during their reproductive years. The niece required fertility treatment to become pregnant and the proband and sister underwent menopause before age 45 years. Intervention PRL exons 1-5 were sequenced. Main outcome measure We sought a heterozygous, deleterious gene variant with functional consequences. Results We identified a heterozygous mutation (c.658C>T) changing CGA to TGA (p.Arg220Ter) in exon 5 of the prolactin gene. Transfection of PRL containing the stop gain mutation resulted in similar intracellular prolactin levels compared to PRL wild type, but little detectable immunoactive or bioactive prolactin in conditioned medium. Prolactin secretion was also impaired by a PRL stop gain mutation deleting both of the terminal cysteine amino acids (c.652A>T; p.Lys218Ter). Conclusions This is the first report of a PRL mutation causing familial prolactin deficiency and alactogenesis. The loss of the terminal cysteine resulted in failure of prolactin secretion. Secretion was not rescued by deleting the penultimate cysteine, with which it forms a disulfide bond. These data suggest that the PRL C terminal is critical for protein secretion.
Immersive Digital Tourism: The Role of Multisensory Cues in Digital Museum Experiences:

Facilitated by emerging technologies, the immersive digital museum reflects disruptive innovation in today’s tourism experience and offers a multidimensional experience different from traditional m...
The impact of stay-at-home orders on air-quality and COVID-19 mortality rate in the United States

Abstract Since the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S., most jurisdictions issued mitigation strategies, such as restricting businesses and population movements. This provided an opportunity to measure any positive implications on air quality and COVID-19 mortality rate during a time of limited social interactions. Four broad categories of stay-at-home orders (for states following the order for at least 40 days, for states with less than 40 days, for states with the advisory order, and the states with no stay-at-home order) were created to analyze change in air quality and mortality rate. Ground-based monitoring data for particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) was collected during the initial country-wide lockdown period (15 March-15 June 2020). Data on confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths were also collected to analyze the effects of the four measures on the mortality trend. Findings show air quality improvement for the states staying under lockdown longer compared to states without a stay-at-home order. All stay-at-home order categories, except states without measures were observed a decrease in PM2.5 and the core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) within the longer mitigation states had an improvement of their air quality index (AQI).
Recent, national trends in US adolescent use of menthol and non-menthol cigarettes.

Objective In light of the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal to ban menthol cigarettes, this study updates trends in menthol cigarette use among adolescents age 13–18 years up to the year 2020. The study considers a potential role for the ban to reduce black/non-black disparities in menthol cigarette use, as well as a counterargument that a ban is not necessary because menthol use is already diminishing. Methods Data are from annual, cross-sectional, nationally representative Monitoring the Future (MTF) surveys of 85 547 8th, 10th and 12th grade students surveyed between 2012 and 2020. Analyses include trends in past 30-day menthol and non-menthol cigarette smoking among the total adolescent population, as well as stratified by race/ethnicity. Results Declines in adolescent menthol and non-menthol cigarette smoking continued through 2020 so that in 2018–2020 past 30-day prevalence for each was less than 1% for non-Hispanic black adolescents and less than 2.2% for non-black adolescents. For non-Hispanic black adolescents no smoking declines in mentholated or non-mentholated cigarette use from 2015–2017 to 2018–2020 were statistically significant, in part because prevalence levels approached a floor effect and had little room to fall further. Menthol levels were lower for non-Hispanic black versus all other adolescents in all study years. Conclusions Continuing declines in adolescent menthol prevalence indicate that both menthol prevalence and also black/non-black disparities in its use are steadily decreasing. However, these decreases in adolescence will take decades to reach later ages through generational replacement. Efforts to accelerate menthol decreases will require new initiatives to increase cessation among adult menthol users.
VARIATIONAL FORMULATION OF SOME PROBLEMS FOR THE RANDOM HEAT EQUATION

After a brief survey of results concerning the random heat equation we introduce some spaces of integrable functions which are random equivalent of the classical Sobolev spaces. A variational formulation in these spaces of an abstract random evolution equation is presented. Existence and uniqueness are proved. These results which are applied to various random problems for the heat equation, provide a basis for the use of many approximate methods of solution: Galerkin's method, finite elements, finite differences.
Examining the Impact of a Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers' Views of Nature of Science and Nature of Scientific Inquiry, and Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs.

We examined to what extent elementary teachers’ nature of science (NOS) and nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) views, and science teaching efficacy beliefs change after a five-day professional development program designed to teach NOS and NOSI integrated with language arts. We found that elementary teachers improved their NOS and NOSI views, and one dimension of their science teaching efficacy beliefs at the end of the professional development program. Results of this study suggest that carefully designed professional development programs that provide NOS and NOSI instruction integrated with language arts may help elementary teachers improve their science teaching efficacy beliefs as well as their NOS and NOSI views.
Verbalization of high-level formal proofs

We propose a new approach to text generation from formal proofs that exploits the high-level and interactive features of a tactic-style theorem prover. The design of our system is based on communication conventions identified in a corpus of texts. We show how to use dialogue with the theorem prover to obtain information that is required for communication but is not explicitly used in reasoning.
Results on Vertex Degree and K-Connectivity in Uniform S-Intersection Graphs

Abstract : We present results related to the vertex degree in a uniform s-intersection graph which has received much interest recently. Specifically, we derive the probability distribution for the minimum vertex degree, and show that the number of vertices with an arbitrary degree converges to a Poisson distribution. A uniform s-intersection graph models the topology of a secure wireless sensor network employing the widely used s-composite key predistribution scheme. Our theoretical findings is also confirmed by numerical results.
New Statistical Models for Randoms-Precorrected PET Scans

PET measurements are usually precorrected for accidental coincidence events by real-time subtraction of the delayed window coincidences. Randoms subtraction compensates in mean for accidental coincidences but destroys the Poisson statistics. We propose and analyze two new approximations to the exact log-likelihood of the precorrected measurements, one based on a “shifted Poisson” model, the other based on saddle-point approximations to the measurement probability mass function (pmf). The methods apply to both emission and transmission tomography; however in this paper we focus on transmission tomography. We compare the new models to conventional data-weighted least squares (WLS) and conventional maximum likelihood (based on the ordinary Poisson (OP) model) using simulations and analytic approximations. The results demonstrate that the proposed methods avoid the systematic bias of the WLS method, and lead to significantly lower variance than the conventional OP method. The saddle-point method provides a more accurate approximation to the exact log-likelihood than the WLS, OP and shifted Poisson alternatives. However, the simpler shifted Poisson method yielded comparable bias-variance performance in the simulations. The new methods offer improved image reconstruction in PET through more realistic statistical modeling, yet with negligible increase in computation over the conventional OP method.
The management of breech presentation.

Abstract We have reported 473 primary breech deliveries which occurred in 11,745 private patients delivered by three physicians since 1928, an incidence of 4.02 per cent for breech presentations in patients 28 weeks or more pregnant and infants weighing 1,814 grams (4 pounds) or more. We recognize that external version of breech presentations should reduce the fetal and infant mortality associated with this complication, but we do not recommend the routine use of this procedure. There was no maternal mortality. Eliminating infants who died before labor and those with congenital anomalies incompatible with survival, our corrected fetal and infant mortality rate for babies weighing 1,814 grams (4 pounds) or more or pregnancies of 28 weeks' or more duration was 2.11 per cent, and the uncorrected rate for all fetal and infant deaths was 5.7 per cent. This rate of fetal and infant mortality is low by comparison with rates reported in the literature for infants of the same weight. Breech presentation necessitates a careful evaluation of the maternal pelvis and the fetal size and position before the onset of labor whenever possible. X-ray studies frequently give valuable information in this type of presentation. The total duration of labor in the vaginal deliveries was short as compared with that in other published reports. The average duration of labor for our primiparas was 10 hours and 57 minutes and for the multiparas the average was 8 hours and 48 minutes. The baby was completely extracted in 15 per cent of the cases and some assistance, less than complete extraction, was given in 52 per cent of the cases. We advise conservative treatment of patients with breech presentations whenever this plan can be followed. Labor should rarely be induced and it should not be hurried. A second stage of one or two hours will make extraction of the breech easier if it becomes necessary. In the presence of maternal or fetal distress, this plan cannot be followed. Wide episiotomy should be used in most vaginal breech deliveries. No third-degree laceration occurred in any of our patients. We believe a wide episiotomy reduces trauma to both the mother and the baby. We have found Potter's method of breech extraction most useful in our vaginal deliveries and we use it almost routinely. In some cases, the Wigand-Martin maneuver for flexing and extracting the fetal head has been used most successfully. This maneuver is particularly useful when the fetal head is high in the pelvis and forceps should not be applied. Piper forceps should be used whenever the fetal head is engaged in the pelvis and cannot be delivered easily by the Wigand-Martin manuever. Finally, a breech extraction should never be hurried and overextension of the fetal head must be carefully avoided.