cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-dose interferon-α2b for re-treatment of nonresponders or relapsing patients with chronic hepatitis C : a controlled randomized trial

Relatively few patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with standard doses of interferon-α2b (3 million units per week for 24 weeks) have a sustained response. Our aim was to evaluate whether higher doses of interferon would improve this rate of response. Twenty-four patients with chronic hepatitis C who had failed to respond to (N=21) or had relapsed after (N=3) an initial course of standard interferon therapy were randomized to 15 million units (N=13) or 22.5–30 million units per week (N=11) for 24 weeks. Five of 13 subjects given 15 million units per week and 3/11 of subjects given 22.5–30 million units per week had complete normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase levels during therapy. Five patients (24%) who had not responded to standard interferon had a complete response to high-dose interferon during therapy. Only one patient had a sustained response, with normal serum alanine aminotransferase 24 weeks after stopping interferon. Six patients were withdrawn before completing treatment, five in the 22.5–30 million unit per week group. We conclude that higher doses of interferon ameliorate the severity of hepatitis in patients who failed to respond to or relapsed after standard interferon therapy, but are unlikely to produce a sustained response. High-dose therapy is associated with an increase in side effects.
Carbon dioxide hydrosilylation promoted by cobalt pincer complexes.

The addition of carbon dioxide to (tBuPNP)CoH [tBuPNP = 2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine] resulted in rapid insertion into the Co–H bond to form the corresponding κ1-formate complex, which has been structurally characterized. Treatment of (tBuPNP)CoH with PhSiH3 resulted in oxidative addition to form trans-(tBuPNP)CoH2(SiH2Ph), which undergoes rapid exchange with excess free silane. With 0.5 mol % (tBuPNP)CoH, the catalytic hydrosilylation of CO2 with PhSiH3 to a mixture of oligomers containing silyl formate, bis(silyl)acetyl, and silyl ether subunits has been observed.
The Enlightenment in Relation to the Church

I SHOULD like to ask you gentlemen to allow me, in the very beginning, to set limits to my task. The most imposing of these limitations are my own. It would be unbecoming of me to make a tacit profession of authority on the Enlightenment in English America by discoursing on the subject. I have, moreover, never made a frontal assault on the broad field of theology in the Latin world, for I regard the subject as universal, well-known to historical theologists, and when known for Europe generally predictable for America. There is also a relation between the Enlightenment in Spain and the Enlightenment in America, but what happens in America cannot be absolutely foretold by what happens in Spain. I shall therefore treat Spain, when I treat it at all, as only a back-drop for the American scene.
RESULTS OF SYSTEMATIC MRI-BASED PRE-PARTICIPATION SCREENING OF SCHOOL CHILDREN: THE SAMPLE SIZE ISSUE

At the Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies, during the period Nov 2011 to Aug 2014, we completed our MRI-based screening survey protocol in a general population of young children, and we report the following prevalence data of the main high-risk cardiovascular conditions (hr-CVC) for sports -
Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Metabolism

Abscisic acid (ABA) (Fig. 1) was discovered independently by several groups in the early 1960s. Originally believed to be involved in the abscission of fruit and dormancy of woody plants, the role of ABA in these processes is still not clear. In later work it became evident, however, that ABA is necessary for seed development, adaptation to several abiotic stresses, and sugar sensing. The regulation of these processes is in large part mediated by changes in de novosynthesis of ABA.
Millisecond Coulometry via Zeptoliter Droplet Collisions on an Ultramicroelectrode

We show that discrete collisions of zeptoliter emulsion droplets on an ultramicroelectrode (UME) can be used as individual controlled potential coulometry experiments, lasting between 100 and 500 milliseconds. By loading a highly hydrophobic toluene droplet with a hydrophobic analyte of interest and knowing the volume of the droplet to a high degree of precision, Faraday’s Law can be employed to calculate the number of electrons passed during the electrolysis. Monodisperse (±15 % of the average size) emulsion systems were created by ultrasonication followed by filtering through a 200 nm porous filter. Discrete droplet collision events were observed in the amperometric i-t curve. Each of these collisions are interpreted as individual coulometry experiments, implying that several bulk electrolyses can be carried out over the course of one collision experiment. Herein, we show calculations of the electron stoichiometry for the ferrocene oxidation reaction, which agrees well with the expected value of 1 electron. We further extend the methodology to more complicated systems, such as the oxidation of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), tertiary aliphatic amines, such as tripropylamine (TPrA), and a 1,2-diphenylhydrazine (DPH) molecule. This electroanalytical methodology allows for fast, nanoscale electrolysis in low dielectric media.
Urachal Carcinoma: Diagnosis by Computerized Axial Tomography

A case of mucin-producing adenocarcinoma of the urachus is reported. Preoperative diagnosis was established by computerized axial tomography. The embryology, histogenesis, signs, symptoms, diagnostic criteria and treatment are discussed.
Seismic Loading for FAST: May 2011 - August 2011

As more wind farms are constructed in seismically active regions, earthquake loading increases in prominence for design and analysis of wind turbines. Early investigation of seismic load tended to simplify the rotor and nacelle as a lumped mass on top of the turbine tower. This simplification allowed the use of techniques developed for conventional civil structures, such as buildings, to be easily applied to wind turbines. However, interest is shifting to more detailed models that consider loads for turbine components other than the tower. These improved models offer three key capabilities in consideration of base shaking for turbines: 1) The inclusion of aerodynamics and turbine control; 2) The ability to consider component loads other than just tower loads; and 3) An improved representation of turbine response in higher modes by reducing modeling simplifications. Both experimental and numerical investigations have shown that, especially for large modern turbines, it is important to consider interaction between earthquake input, aerodynamics, and operational loads. These investigations further show that consideration of higher mode activity may be necessary in the analysis of the seismic response of turbines. Since the FAST code is already capable of considering these factors, modifications were developed that allow simulation of basemore » shaking. This approach allows consideration of this additional load source within a framework, the FAST code that is already familiar to many researchers and practitioners.« less
Informing Estimates of Program Effects for Studies of Mathematics Professional Development Using Teacher Content Knowledge Outcomes.

Mathematics professional development is widely offered, typically with the goal of improving teachers’ content knowledge, the quality of teaching, and ultimately students’ achievement. Recently, ne...
Professional Constraints: How Our Narrow Professional Alliance Has Stymied Leisure Studies.

Noting that our field is minimally relevant to the multitude of ways the American public is engaged in leisure and recreation, Samdahl delves into our history in attempt to understand how this came...
Development of a Universal Networked Timer at NSTX

A new Timing and Synchronization System component, the Universal Networked Timer (UNT), is under development at the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The UNT is a second generation multifunction timing device that emulates the timing functionality and electrical interfaces originally provided by various CAMAC modules. The UNT features Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology which allows each of its eight channels to be dynamically programmed to emulate a specific type of CAMAC module. The timer is compatible with the existing NSTX clock system but will also support a (future) clock system with extended performance. To assist system designers and collaborators, software will be written to integrate the UNT with EPICS, MDSplus, and LabVIEW. This paper will describe the timing capabilities, hardware design, programming/software support, and the current status of the Universal Networked Timer at NSTX
The implicatures of optional past tense in Tlingit and the implications for ‘discontinuous past’

In many languages, past-marking on stative predicates has been reported to trigger an inference of ‘cessation,’ that the past state in question does not hold at the present (Altshuler and Schwarzschild 2013, 2014). In English and many other languages, this inference can be shown to be defeasible, and so is therefore non-semantic. However, in other languages—such as the Tlingit language (Na-Dene; Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon)—the cessation inference of past-marked statives cannot be cancelled in the same way. This has lead some to propose that in these latter languages, the cessation inference is semantic, and is lexically encoded into the meaning of the past marker (Leer 1991; Copley 2005). Such a view would, of course, broaden the range of semantic tenses that exist in the world’s languages, to include a sub-category some have dubbed ‘Discontinuous Past’ (Plungian and van der Auwera 2006). Through in-depth investigation of one such putative ‘discontinuous past’ marker in the Tlingit language, I argue that—to the contrary—these morphemes are in their lexical semantics simply (plain) past tenses. On the basis of original field data I show that—while the cessation inferences of Tlingit are different from English-style ‘cessation implicatures’—they are nevertheless still defeasible, and so non-semantic. I develop an account of the cessation inference in Tlingit, whereby it arises from the optionality of the past-tense marker in question. I argue that this account should be extended to all putative instances of ‘Discontinuous Past,’ since it would capture the fact that putative cases of ‘Discontinuous Past’ only ever arise in optional tense languages.
Parallel dynamic programming for optimal experiment design in nonlinear systems

We present a method of computing optimal input trajectories for parameter estimation in nonlinear dynamical systems using dynamic programming. In contrast with previously published dynamic programming formulations, we avoid adding an equation for the dispersion to the system state, allowing for more efficient solutions. This method is applicable whenever the design metric is linear in the Fisher information and is applicable to a general class of noise models. We implement this algorithm in the Julia programming language, and exploit parallelism to increase computation speed. A motivating application for this investigation is the design of dynamic acquisition sequences for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also benchmark the performance of our parallel implementation on a low-dimensional population dynamics model.
Distinct IL-4 Intracellular Signaling in Germinal Center B-Cell like and Activated B-Cell like Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Novel Opportunities for Therapeutic Interventions.

Gene expression profiling studies sub-classified diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) into two clinically distinct types: germinal center B cell (GCB)-like and activated B-cell (ABC)-like tumors, characterized by long and short survival, respectively. At least two markers of the GCB-phenotype - BCL6 and HGAL - are IL-4 target genes whose high expression independently predicts better overall survival. Gene expression analysis of DLBCL also demonstrated higher levels of mRNA expression of components of the IL-4 signaling pathway (IL-4Rα, IRS, p110 subunit of PI-3 kinase, and PKC delta) in the GCB-like DLBCL (Alizadeh et al Nature. 2000;403:503). Identification of IL-4 inducible genes in normal B-lymphocytes revealed additional IL-4 target genes that are expressed at higher levels in GCB-like DLBCL compared to ABC-like DLBCL. Together, these observations support the distinct activity of the IL-4 signaling pathway in DLBCL subtypes. Accordingly, IL-4 stimulation of GCB-like (SUDHL6, SUDHL4 and OCILY19) and ABC-like (OCILY10 and OCILY3) DLBCL cell lines increased expression of its known target genes only in GCB-like, but not in ABC-like DLBCL. Further, IL-4 stimulation led to AKT phosphorylation in the ABC-like but not in the GCB-like cells. Conversely, IL-4 induced STAT6 phosphorylation (pSTAT6) in all the tested GCB-like and in the OCILY10 cell lines but not in the OCILY3 ABC-like cell-line. IL-4 induced progressive accumulation of large quantities of pSTAT6 in both the cytoplasm and in the nucleus in the GCB-like DLBCL. In contrast, in IL-4 treated ABC-like OCILY10 cells, pSTAT6 did not accumulate in either cytoplasm or nucleus, and much smaller amounts of pSTAT6 were detected in the nuclear extracts from stimulated cells. The latter observation was at least partially attributed to different extent of pSTAT6 nuclear deposphorylation and proteasomal degradation in the GCB-like and ABC-like DLBCL, as determined by exposure of these cell lines to STAT6 nuclear export inhibitor (leptomycin B) and phosphatase and proteasome inhibitors. Nuclear protein tyrosine phosphatase assays revealed significantly higher phosphatase activity in the ABC-like compared to the GCB-like DLBCL cell-lines. Evaluation of mRNA expression of 51 known tyrosine phosphatases in the GCB-like and ABC-like DLBCL tumors based on array data revealed that mRNA expression of 13 protein tyrosine phosphatases was significantly higher (p In vitro pSTAT6 dephosphorylation studies suggested that PTPN2, expressed in ABC-like but not in the GCB-like cell-lines, is a putative STAT6 phosphatase. Taken together with the independent prognostic significance of IL-4 target genes (e.g., BCL-6 and HGAL) and distinct effects of IL-4 on proliferation and immuno-chemosensitivity of GCB-like and ABC-like cells (Abstract by Nechushtan et al), the observed differences in the intracellular IL-4 signaling might contribute to different clinical outcome of patients with DLBCL.
New heavy gauge bosons in pp and pp - Collisions

Experimental signatures are analyzed for the production of heavy gauge bosons beyond $W$ and $Z$ at $\mathrm{pp}$ and $p\stackrel{-}{p}$ colliders, including the Fermilab Tevatron and proposed multi-TeV machines. Bosons include right-handed $W$'s and various $Z$'s (including the one expected if ${I}_{3R}$ and $B\ensuremath{-}L$ are gauged separately, not just in the combination ${Y}_{W}=2{I}_{3R}+B\ensuremath{-}L$). Signatures include characteristic decay asymmetries, which can occur for both $\mathrm{pp}$ and $p\stackrel{-}{p}$ reactions, and neutral heavy leptons in the final states.
PLS Based Monitoring and Control of Batch Digesters

Abstract In this paper, a data-based control method for reducing product quality variations in batch pulp digesters is presented. Compared to the previously proposed techniques, the new technique uses more on-line liquor measurements in predicting the final pulp quality. The liquor measurements obtained at different time instances are related to the final Kappa number through the PLS regression. In using the PLS regression model for control, two approaches are proposed: The first approach computes the optimal control moves directly from the PLS model while the second approach uses the prediction from the PLS model to adapt key parameters of a H-factor model. The effectiveness of the control algorithms is examined first through a simulation study and then through an experimental study performed on a lab-scale batch digester.
Frontal brain activation changes due to dual-tasking under partial body weight support conditions in older adults with multiple sclerosis

Gait impairments present while dual-tasking in older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been associated with an increased risk of falls. Prior studies have examined prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) while dual-tasking in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. While the benefits of partial body weight support (PBWS) on gait have been clearly outlined in the literature, the potential use of PBWS to improve the ability to dual task in older adults with and without MS has not been examined. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of PBWS on the PFC activation while dual-tasking in older adults with and without MS. Ten individuals with MS (mean 56.2 ± 5.1 yrs., 8 females) and 12 healthy older adults (HOA) (mean 63.1 ± 4.4 yrs., 9 females) participated in this study. PFC activation (i.e., oxygenated hemoglobin-HbO2) was measured using fNIRS. Assessments were done under two treadmill walking conditions: no body weight support (NBWS) and PBWS. Under each condition, participants were asked to walk at a comfortable speed (W) or walk and talk (WT). Linear mixed models were used to test for differences between cohorts, conditions, and tasks. HbO2 levels differed significantly between task (p < .001), cohort (p < .001), and BWS (p = .02). HbO2 levels increased under higher cognitive demands (i.e., W vs WT), in individuals with MS, and under different conditions (i.e., NBWS vs PBWS). Post-hoc analysis demonstrated a significant difference between cohorts during the WT and NBWS condition (p = .05). When examining the relative change in HbO2 levels during each task, a significant interaction between task, BWS, and cohort across time was observed (p < 0.01). While HOA increased PFC activation across time, MS exhibited a maintenance of PFC activation patterns during the WT under PBWS condition. This study establishes the potential impact of PBWS on PFC activation patterns under dual-tasking conditions and sheds light on the ability for PBWS to be used as a therapeutic tool in individuals with neurological conditions to decrease cognitive demands while dual-tasking and thus decrease the risk of falls.
Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency alters nucleus accumbens synaptic physiology and drug reward behavior

Behavioral manifestations of drug-seeking behavior are causally linked to alterations of synaptic strength onto nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSN). Although neuron-driven changes in physiology and behavior are well characterized, there is a lack of knowledge of the role of the immune system in mediating such effects. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern recognition molecule of the innate immune system, and evidence suggests that it modulates drug-related behavior. Using TLR4 knockout (TLR4.KO) mice, we show that TLR4 plays a role in NAc synaptic physiology and behavior. In addition to differences in the pharmacological profile of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) in the NAc core, TLR4.KO animals exhibit a deficit in low-frequency stimulation-induced NMDAR-dependent long-term depression (LTD). Interestingly, the synaptic difference is region specific as no differences were found in excitatory synaptic properties in the NAc shell. Consistent with altered NAc LTD, TLR4.KO animals exhibit an attenuation in drug reward learning. Finally, we show that TLR4 in the NAc core is primarily expressed on microglia. These results suggest that TLR4 influences NAc MSN synaptic physiology and drug reward learning and behavior.
Role stressors, engagement and work behaviours: a study of higher education professional staff

ABSTRACTThe study used data provided by 349 professional staff employees from 17 different US higher education institutions to assess aspects of their working conditions that could influence their own work engagement and the work-related behaviours of their colleagues. Relationships among three role stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload), work engagement, organisational citizenship behaviours, and in-role behaviours were examined using correlation, regression and relative weight analyses. The higher participants’ perceptions of role ambiguity, conflict and overload, the lower were the levels of their own work engagement and organizational citizenship and in-role behaviours of their colleagues. Work engagement partially mediated the relationships between role ambiguity, conflict and overload and both organizational citizenship and in-role behaviours. The analysis indicated that role ambiguity had the strongest relationship with work engagement, organisational citizenship and in-role be...
Spontaneous rupture of a bladder diverticulum.

AbstractA case of spontaneous rupture of an acquired bladder diverticulum is presented. Diagnosis was made preoperatively and full recovery followed surgical treatment.A review of the literature revealed 9 other cases of spontaneous rupture. Bladder outlet obstruction and urinary tract infection were present in the majority of cases. In the past misdiagnosis and delayed treatment led to significant mortality. However, the prognosis currently is better due to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, better radiological imaging studies, and earlier diagnosis and treatment. (J. Urol., 143: 349–351, 1990)
Extramural venous invasion on pretreatment MRI and surgical pathology: Is there a role in predicting prognosis in rectal cancer?

e15165Background: Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) describes tumor cells invading the veins beyond the muscularis propria and has been previously recognized as a predictor for survival and disease...
The Handbook of Social Work and Social Development in Africa

The Handbook of Social Work and Social Development in Africa, edited by Mel Gray, confirms my view on innovation and development and, for the first time, offers a storehouse of information on social work and social development in Africa.
Financial Analysis of Pediatric Resident Physician Primary Care Longitudinal Outpatient Experience.

Abstract Objective To determine whether residency training represents a net positive or negative cost to academic medical centers, we analyzed the cost of a residency program and clinical productivity of residents and faculty in an outpatient primary care practice with or without residents. Methods Patient volume and revenue data (Current Procedural Terminology codes) from an academic primary care general pediatric clinic were evaluated for faculty clinics (faculty only) and resident teaching clinics (longitudinal outpatient experience [LOE]) with 1 to 4 residents per faculty. A detailed cost per resident was determined using a departmental financial model that included salary, benefits, faculty and administrative staff effort, nonpersonnel costs, and institutional graduate medical education support. Results The LOE clinics had a greater mean number of patient visits (11.6 vs 6.8) than faculty clinics per faculty member. In the LOE clinic, the number of patient visits per clinic was directly proportional to the number of residents per faculty. The cost for each resident was $250 per clinic ($112 per resident, $88 per medical assistant per resident, and $50 per room per resident). When factoring in clinic costs and faculty supervision time, the LOE clinics (average 3.5 residents with 1 supervising faculty) had greater average cost (+$687.00) and revenue (+$319.45) and lower operating margin (revenue minus cost, −$367.55) than the faculty clinics (1 faculty member). Conclusions Pediatric resident LOE clinics had a greater average number of patient visits and revenue per faculty member but higher costs and lower operating margins than faculty clinics.
Making Sure The Child's Voice Is Heard

En partant d'une approche reflexive generale sur les Droits de l'Enfant, l'auteur suggere les points cruciaux qui doivent permettre une evolution harmonieuse de l'enfant dans la societe, en reprenant son positionnement dans l'architecture de la societe humaine, en partant de la famille puis continuant a l'ecole pour finir au niveau communautaire et national. Il considere le respect et l'application de ces valeurs dans ses trois contextes precis comme indispensable a l'instauration et au maintien de la paix et de la democratie.
Hydrocarbons — Saturated, Unsaturated and Aromatic

Hydrocarbons are compounds that are composed solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Saturated, unsaturated, and aromatic hydrocarbons are the three principal classes of naturally occurring hydrocarbons. These classes differ in their chemical and metabolic* activities and relative abundances in organisms and sedimentary deposits. Saturated hydrocarbons are called paraffins, a name derived from the Latin parum affinis, which means slight affinity. Paraffins or alkanes are trace constituents of biological lipids, but alkanes are the most stable and abundant hydrocarbon constituents of terrestrial rocks. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are commonly referred to as olefins because ethylene, a gaseous unsaturated hydrocarbon, was found to react with chlorine and bromine to yield oily products. Its trivial name “olefiant gas” or oil-forming gas gave rise to the term olefin which has come to denote compounds related to ethylene. Olefins are more abundant than alkanes in biological lipids. Squalene, a polyolefinic triterpene, is an anabolic * intermediate of plant and animal steroids which may be the precursors of some aromatic hydrocarbons in terrestrial rocks [1]. Aromatic hydrocarbons contain at least one six-carbon ring structure with alternate single and double bonds, a benzenoid ring system, and they owe their family name to the fact that certain of these compounds have pleasant odors. Aromatic hydrocarbons are far more abundant than olefins but less abundant than alkanes in sedimentary deposits. The concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons in organisms are negligible. Most aromatic hydrocarbons are metabolically and chemically less active than olefins.
Turbine wheel design for Garrett advanced variable geometry turbines for commercial vehicle applications

This paper describes the design and tests of a turbocharger turbine wheel for modern commercial diesel vehicle applications. The requirements of such applications are first discussed. The aerodynamic and mechanical designs of the wheel are then described and the test results of the wheel in a Garrett Advanced Variable Nozzle Turbine (AVNT) are presented. For such turbines, turbine wheel high cycle fatigue (HCF) is a serious threat to survive of the wheels. A right-at-the-first-time result was achieved through a combination of experiences, state-of-art simulations and experimental technologies.
MOLECULAR MODIFICATIONS IN VSV-INFECTED CELLS

ABSTRACT Three major observations have emerged from our studies of molecular changes in P815 cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). 1) Glycosylation of H-2 and/or viral glycoprotein is a prerequisite for lysis of infected cells by VSV-sensitized, H-2 identical killer T cells. Treatment of P815 cells before and during VSV infection with the antibiotic Tunicamycin, which specifically inhibited addition of sugars to polypeptides of glycoproteins, inhibited both glycosylation of proteins and lysis of infected P815 cells by syngeneic, virus-immune killer cells. 2) VSV infection caused a 50% decrease in the amount of H-2 on the surfaces of P815 cells 3 hr. after VSV infection. 3) Surface H-2 and viral proteins do not form a detergent-stable association. P815 cells were surface-labeled, then VSV-infected and lysed. The lysate was treated with rabbit anti-VSV (or control) serum plus S. aureus . Immunoprecipitation of VSV antigens failed to deplete H-2 antigens.
Triaxial Scale-Free Models of Highly Flattened Elliptical Galaxies with Massive Halos

Two surveys of dynamical models of highly flattened, triaxial elliptical galaxies with isothermal potentials have been constructed. These models were constructed in order to better understand the range of possible observable dynamical properties of triaxial galaxies. All models have been constructed so that they appear as E6 galaxies when seen from their intermediate axes. However, one set of models is nearly oblate; the other is nearly prolate. The models are constructed with massive halos such that M/L ∝ r. Triaxial models of either shape can be constructed with their projected axes of rotation at any position angle with respect to the major axes of the galaxies. The most surprising result is that in most models, the position angle of maximum observed rotation is not perpendicular to the position angle of zero rotation.
Confirmation of 2,4-D resistance and identification of multiple resistance in a Kansas Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) population

Background Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats is among the most problematic annual broadleaf weed species in the USA, including in Kansas. In late summer 2015, seeds of an A. palmeri population (MHR) that had survived field-use rates of 2,4-D were collected from Barton County, KS, USA. The main objectives were to: (i) confirm and characterize 2,4-D resistance in a MHR population; (ii) characterize the resistance profile of the MHR population in relation to a multiple herbicide-susceptible (MHS) population to glyphosate, chlorsulfuron, atrazine, mesotrione, fomesafen; and (iii) determine the effectiveness of alternative POST burndown herbicides for controlling MHR population. Results The MHR population had 3.2-fold resistance to 2,4-D. In addition, the MHR population also exhibited multiple resistance to glyphosate (11.8-fold), chlorsulfuron (5.0-fold), atrazine (14.4-fold), and mesotrione (13.4-fold). Furthermore, the MHR population also showed reduced sensitivity to fomesafen (2.3-fold). In a separate study, dicamba with glyphosate, atrazine or fluroxypyr + 2,4-D, and paraquat alone or with atrazine, metribuzin, saflufenacil or 2,4-D provided ≥ 99% injury to the MHR population. Similarly, saflufenacil alone or with atrazine, metribuzin or 2,4-D, and glufosinate alone or with glyphosate + 2,4-D, and glyphosate + dicamba, and a premix of bicyclopyrone + atrazine + mesotrione + S-metolachlor also effectively controlled the MHR population. Conclusion This research confirms the first global case of an A. palmeri population from Kansas with multiple resistance to 2,4-D, glyphosate, chlorsulfuron, atrazine and mesotrione, and reduced sensitivity to fomesafen. Dicamba, glufosinate, paraquat, and saflufenacil alone or in tank-mixtures with PRE herbicides effectively controlled this MHR population. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
Relational identities and intergenerational learning in an undergraduate critical food studies course

Environmental education (EE) scholars view intergenerational learning as a means to influence adult understandings of and relationships with the environment. Yet EE researchers have studied interge...
Efficient multiplex genome editing using CRISPR-Mb3Cas12a in mice

Abstract Despite many advantages over Cas9, Cas12a has not been widely used in genome editing in mammalian cells largely due to its strict requirement of the TTTV protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequence. Here, we report that Mb3Cas12a (Moraxella bovoculi AAX11_00205) could edit the genome in murine zygotes independent of TTTV PAM sequences and with minimal on-target mutations and close to 100% editing efficiency when crRNAs of 23nt spacers were used. Summary statement CRISPR-Mb3Cas12a can target a broader range of sequences in murine zygotes compared to AsCas12a and LbCas12a, and has lower on-target effects than Cas9 and high overall knock-in efficiency.
U-Verse: a miniaturized platform for end-to-end closed-loop implantable internet of medical things systems

The promise of real-time detection and response to life-crippling diseases brought by the Implantable Internet of Medical Things (IIoMT) has recently spurred substantial advances in implantable technologies. Yet, existing devices do not provide at once the miniaturized end-to-end sensing-computation-communication-recharging capabilities to implement IIoMT applications. This paper fills the existing research gap by presenting U-Verse, the first FDA-compliant rechargeable IIoMT platform packing sensing, computation, communication, and recharging circuits into a penny-scale platform. U-Verse uses a single miniaturized transducer for data exchange and for wireless charging. To predict U-Verse's performance, we (i) derive and experimentally validate a mathematical model of U-Verse's charging efficiency; and (ii) experimentally calculate the resistance-reactance parameters of our ultrasonic transducer and rectifying circuit. We design a matching circuit to maximize the amount of power transferred from the outside. We also go through the challenge of fabricating a full-fledged cm-scale printed circuit board (PCB) for U-Verse. Extensive experimental evaluation indicates that U-Verse (i) is able to recharge a 330mF and 15F energy storage unit - several orders of magnitude higher than existing work - respectively under 20 and 60 minutes at a depth of 5cm; (ii) achieves stored charge duration of up to 610 and 40 hours in case of battery and supercapacitor energy storage, respectively. Finally, U-Verse is demonstrated through (i) a closed-loop application where a periodic sensing/actuation task sends data via ultrasounds through real porcine meat; and (ii) a real-time reconfigurable pacemaker.
DIRECT ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS ARE EFFECTIVE THERAPY IN TREATING LEFT VENTRICULAR THROMBI

Despite being guideline therapy in many hypercoagulable diseases, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy in left ventricular thrombi (LVT) remains off-label due to a paucity of evidence. This study evaluated the efficacy of DOAC versus warfarin use for LVT. 264 patients with LVT on TTE or TEE
Functional genomics screen identifies proteostasis targets that modulate prion protein (PrP) stability

Prion protein (PrP) adopts either a helical conformation (PrPC) or an alternative, beta sheet-rich, misfolded conformation (PrPSc). The PrPSc form has the ability to "infect" PrPC and force it into the misfolded state. Accumulation of PrPSc is associated with a number of lethal neurodegenerative disorders, including Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD). Knockout of PrPC protects cells and animals from PrPSc infection; thus, there is interest in identifying factors that regulate PrPC stability, with the therapeutic goal of reducing PrPC levels and limiting infection by PrPSc. Here, we assembled a short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) library composed of 25+ shRNA sequences for each of 133 protein homeostasis (aka proteostasis) factors, such as molecular chaperones and co-chaperones. This Proteostasis shRNA Library was used to identify regulators of PrPC stability in HEK293 Hu129M cells. Strikingly, the screen identified a number of Hsp70 family members and their co-chaperones as putative targets. Indeed, a chemical pan-inhibitor of Hsp70s reduced PrPC levels and limited conversion to PrPSc in N2a cells. These results implicate specific proteostasis sub-networks, especially the Hsp70 system, as potential new targets for the treatment of CJD. More broadly, the Proteostasis shRNA Library might be a useful tool for asking which proteostasis factors are important for a given protein.
Testing measurement equivalence of neurocognitive assessments across language in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

OBJECTIVE Neuropsychological instruments are often developed in English and translated to other languages to facilitate the clinical evaluation of diverse populations or to utilize in research environments. However, the psychometric equivalence of these assessments across language must be demonstrated before populations can validly be compared. METHOD To test this equivalence, we applied measurement invariance procedures to a subsample (N = 1,708) of the Hispanic Community Health Survey/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) across English and Spanish versions of a neurocognitive battery. Using cardinality matching, 854 English-speaking and 854 Spanish-speaking subsamples were matched on age, education, sex, immigration status (U.S. born, including territories, or foreign-born), and Hispanic/Latino heritage background. Neurocognitive measures included the Six-Item Screener (SIS), Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test (B-SEVLT), Word Fluency (WF), and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS). Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to test item-level invariance of the SIS, B-SEVLT, and WF, as well as factor-level invariance of a higher-order neurocognitive functioning latent variable. RESULTS One item of both the SIS and WF were more difficult in Spanish than English, as was the DSS test. After accounting for partial invariance, Spanish-speakers performed worse on each of the subtests and the second-order neurocognitive functioning latent variable. CONCLUSIONS We found some evidence of bias at both item and factor levels, contributing to the poorer neurocognitive performance of Spanish test-takers. While these results explain the underperformance of Spanish-speakers to some extent, more work is needed to determine whether such bias is reflective of true cognitive differences or additional variables unaccounted for in this study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Bats and fire: a global review

Bats are important components of forested ecosystems and are found in forests worldwide. Consequently, they often interact with fire. Previous reviews of the effects of fire on bats have focused on prescribed fire effects, in part due to the limited number of studies on bat responses to wildfire. However, over the past several years, studies on bat responses to wildfire and prescribed fire have increased considerably. We reviewed this rapidly expanding body of literature to determine whether bats respond differently to prescribed fire and wildfire, and the important factors driving those differences. We also examined regional similarities and differences in bat response to prescribed fire and wildfire and identified areas in need of further research. Our review included 52 studies (29 prescribed fire, 23 wildfire) from North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Africa, although studies from Europe, South America, and Africa were limited. In general, we found that bats show positive or neutral responses to prescribed fire, whereas a greater proportion of negative responses were reported for wildfire. However, some of the negative responses to wildfire are short-lived or local, suggesting that bats may be resilient to the effects of fire. Factors such as fire severity, fire frequency, time since last burn, burn extent, season of burn, and pyrodiversity were all found to be important drivers of bats’ responses to both prescribed fire and wildfire. The importance of the spatial and temporal aspects of fire suggests that these factors need to be considered when designing future studies and interpreting results. Pyrodiversity may be a particularly important concept to further our understanding of bats’ responses to fire. We found several gaps in our knowledge including lack of information on direct effects of fire (e.g., mortality), regional and taxonomic biases, effects of wildfire on roosting habitat, and the effects of climate change. Although current studies suggest that fire may be an important management tool for improving bat habitat, the threat of more frequent, extensive, and severe wildfires may put additional stress on some bat populations, particularly those being impacted by disease, habitat loss and fragmentation, and climate change.
Biochemical Implications of the Synaptic Vesicle Organization in Quick Frozen Electric Organ Nerve Terminals

The elegant application of the quick freezing technique to neuromuscular junctions by John Heuser and Thomas Reese and their collaborators (8) has put an end to the era of reliance on aldehyde fixations in the correlation of ultrastructure and quantitative details of electrophysiology. We have attempted to apply the same technique to Torpedine electric organ nerve terminals in the hope of resolving some of the biochemical controversies associated with that system (18). This chapter describes recent observations which lead to a re-evaluation of discrepancies in the literature vis-a-vis the vesicle hypothesis. The discussion emphasizes a critical need for information on how the acetylcholine (ACh) balance is affected when synaptic vesicles pump calcium.
Fertilizers And The Efficient Use Of Water

Publisher Summary Increasing demands for water by industry, a growing population, and increasing food and fiber needs will require agriculture to become more efficient in its use of water. To accomplish better use of water, production of dry matter or salable crop must be increased per unit of water used in evapotranspiration or for irrigation in semiarid and desert areas. Whether fertilizers affect evapotranspiration depends, it appears, on whether the larger plant has the opportunity to intercept advected heat. In small containers, unguarded lysimeters, and some small-plot experiments, advected heat is great and fertilizers do increase evapotranspiration. Some field experiments show no effect of fertilizers and of increased growth on evapotranspiration.
Sumner Redstone's 40-Year-Old Gift

In this article the authors discuss the alleged gift tax deficiency case against media mogul Sumner Redstone. The IRS argues that Mr. Redstone made a taxable gift in 1972 when, in connection with the settlement of an intrafamily dispute, he transferred shares of a family-owned business to trusts for his children. The authors suggest that the integrity of a self-reporting gift tax system depends in part on the ability of the IRS to seek to impose tax on non-disclosed transfers, however old they may be. Sumner Redstone likely will face a tax bill well in excess of a million dollars.
The mast cell-specific expression of a protease gene, RMCP II, is regulated by an enhancer element that binds specifically to mast cell trans-acting factors.

Abstract The rat mast cell protease gene, RMCP II, is specifically expressed in the mucosal subclass of rat mast cells. We show here that the 5'-flanking region of this gene contains a mast cell-specific enhancer that directs preferential expression of a linked reporter gene (human growth hormone) transfected into rat basophilic leukemia cells. A DNA fragment containing the enhancer sequence is capable of binding specifically to mast cell nuclear trans-acting factors. The sequence of this enhancer element contains a region of homology to a consensus core sequence present in the enhancer region of the pancreatic protease genes.
The auditory pathways: Startle amplitude and fear in an acoustic startle response paradigm in rats

Startle amplitude and startle-stimulus-induced freezing were measured in a standard acoustic startle response (ASR) paradigm in rats. Subsequently conditioned freezing was measured to an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) with a foot-shock unconditioned stimulus (US). In Experiment 1, lesions to the brachium of the inferior colliculus (BIC) increased ASR amplitude and freezing. Lesions to the nucleus of the trapezoid body abolished ASR and marginally reduced freezing. Neither lesioned group differed from controls in conditioned freezing to the auditory CS. In Experiment 2, lesions to the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) increased ASR amplitude, as did BIC lesions, but reduced freezing, while BIC lesions increased freezing. MGN lesions, unlike BIC lesions, significantly attenuated freezing to the auditory CS, as compared with controls. Both groups startled less than controls to a weak shock stimulus. The data suggest an ascending auditory pathway medial to BIC that carries the fear-inducing dimension of an acoustic stimulus and a descending pathway in BIC that provides tonic inhibition of the acoustic input to the ASR circuitry.
Navigating the textual redundancy web in legacy source

Understanding the source, data, and documentation files associated with legacy systems in preparation for maintenance or reengineering is an increasingly important problem for many organizations. A useful tool to support these activities considers the collection of files as text and supports analysis and navigation by exploiting connections that result from the occurrence of exact matches of substrings that derive from the languages used, the design process, the use of common idioms, and maintenance activity. By navigating these paths some understanding of the overall structure can be inferred.A tool for data visualization and navigation of the textual redundancy web based on the technology of HTML and the World Wide Web is described. After an introduction to underlying technology of Analysis of Redundancy in Text and its normalized data model, the entity types are mapped to HTML pages, each of which represents an entity instance and is connected to its neighbours by hypertext links.In order to improve the usefulness of the resulting pages a certain amount of denormalization and careful layout was found to be necessary. The success of this prototype can be attributed to a coming together of well-established ideas from the areas of database design and hypertext document preparation with the new web-based technologies.
Grain Boundary Deformation and Fracture Mechanisms in Dwell Fatigue Crack Growth in Turbine Disk Superalloy ME3

The objective of this paper is the development of a multiscale, mechanistic based intergranular crack growth model, which considers creep, fatigue and environment interactions in a nickel disk material, ME3. In this model, the basic cracking mechanism involves grain boundary (GB) sliding and dynamic embrittlement, which are identified by examining the apparent activation energy, as well as, the slip/GB interactions in both air and vacuum environments. Modeling of the damage events is achieved by adapting a cohesive zone approach (an interface with internal singular surfaces) in which the GB dislocation network is smeared into a Newtonian fluid element. The deformation behavior of this element is controlled by the continuum in both far field (internal state variable model) and near field (crystal plasticity model) regions and the intrinsic GB viscosity which is able to define the mobility of the element by scaling up the motion of dislocations into a mesoscopic scale. This process is characterized by the rate at which the time-dependent sliding reaches a critical displacement and as such, a damage criterion is introduced by considering the GB mobility limit in the tangential direction leading to strain incompatibility and failure. Results of simulated intergranular crack growth rate, at different temperatures in both air and vacuum, are compared with those obtained experimentally. The model sensitivity is examined by performing case studies of materials with varying GB viscosity and different partial pressures of oxygen.
The Earnings Quality of High Growth Firms Before and after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Here we examine whether earnings quality improved after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) in the context of high growth and lower growth firms. Our examination is based on the notions that high growth creates unique management and reporting challenges that can contribute to lower earnings quality and that the period of increased attention to accounting and reporting issues initiated by SOX has been particularly relevant for high growth firms. Our earnings quality measures include modified Jones performance-matched discretionary accruals and absolute value book tax differences. Our results indicate that earnings quality for high growth firms improved in the period after SOX relative to lower growth firms. We also find that the relation between accounting returns and market returns weakened in the period after SOX. However, we find that the returns relations are significantly lower only for lower growth firms. We interpret these results as indicative of dual and potentially conflicting effects from improvements in financial reporting.