cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role models revisited: youth, novelty, and the impact of female candidates

ABSTRACTDo female politicians serve as political role models? This paper is the first to employ panel data to examine whether the presence of non-presidential female candidates leads to an increased propensity for political engagement – specifically, discussion – among women. We hypothesize that younger people who are still learning and establishing political engagement habits will become more politically engaged when exposed to female role models. We do not find evidence of a role model effect overall or among co-partisans. We do find that younger women become significantly more likely to discuss politics when they experience a viable and new female candidate. Importantly, we only find this effect when the female candidate is not a current office holder, suggesting the novelty of female candidates may be key. We do not find a similar effect among older women.
Insights Into the Molecular Mechanism of Triptan Transport by P-glycoprotein

The P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transporter reduces the penetration of a chemically diverse range of neurotherapeutics at the blood-brain barrier, but the molecular features of drugs and drug-Pgp interactions that drive transport remain to be clarified. In particular, the triptan neurotherapeutics, eletriptan (ETT) and sumatriptan (STT), were identified to have a >10-fold difference in transport rates despite being from the same drug class. Consistent with these transport differences, ETT activated Pgp-mediated ATP hydrolysis ∼2-fold, whereas STT slightly inhibited Pgp-mediated ATP hydrolysis by ∼10%. The interactions between them were also noncompetitive, suggesting that they occupy different binding sites on the transporter. Despite these differences, protein fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the drugs have similar affinity to the transporter. NMR with Pgp and the drugs showed that they have distinct interactions with the transporter. Tertiary conformational changes probed by acrylamide quenching of Pgp tryptophan fluorescence with the drugs and a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog implied that the STT-bound Pgp must undergo larger conformational changes to hydrolyze ATP than ETT-bound Pgp. These results and previous transport studies were used to build a conformationally driven model for triptan transport with Pgp where STT presents a higher conformational barrier for ATP hydrolysis and transport than ETT.
Independent validation of effect of HSD3B1 genotype on response to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC).

172Background: A germline inherited polymorphic variant (1245A→C) in the HSD3B1 gene was recently reported to correlate with shorter duration of response to ADT in men with HSPC (Hearn JW, Lancet Oncology, 2016). HSD3B1 gene encodes the enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (3βHSD1), which catalyzes adrenal androgen precursors into dihydrotestosterone, the most potent androgen. Presence of one or more variant alleles was associated with shorter response to ADT compared to those with no variant alleles of this gene. Objective of this study was to validate these results in an independent cohort. Methods: Clinical data and samples were from a prospectively maintained prostate cancer registry at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT). Genotyping was performed as described by Hearn at al. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival on ADT, i.e time to onset of castration resistance. We performed pre-specified multivariate analyses to assess the independent predictive value of HSD3B1 genotype on PFS ...
Ultraviolet radiation accelerates NRas-mutant melanomagenesis: A cooperative effect blocked by sunscreen.

Summary To mitigate melanoma risk, sunscreen use is widely advocated; yet, the ability of sunscreens to prevent melanoma remains controversial. Here, we test the tenet that sunscreens limit melanoma risk by blocking ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced DNA damage using murine models that recapitulate the genetics and spontaneous evolution of human melanoma. We find that a single, non-erythematous dose of UV dramatically accelerates melanoma onset and increases tumor multiplicity in mice carrying an endogenous, melanocyte-specific NRas61R allele. By contrast, transient UV exposure does not alter tumor onset in mice lacking p16INK4a or harboring an NRas12D allele. To block the rapid onset of melanoma cooperatively caused by UV and NRas61R, we employed a variety of aerosol sunscreens. While all sunscreens delayed melanoma formation and blocked UV-induced DNA damage, differences in aerosol output (i.e., amount applied/cm2) caused variability in the cancer preventative efficacy of products with identical sunburn protection factor (SPF) ratings.
Mechanism Design with Ambiguous Transfers

This paper introduces ambiguous transfers to study the (partial) implementation problem. We show that under all profiles of utility functions, any efficient allocation rule is implementable via an individually rational and budget-balanced mechanism with ambiguous transfers, if and only if the Beliefs Determine Preferences (BDP) property is satisfied by all agents. This property holds generically when there are at least two agents. It is weaker than the necessary and sufficient conditions for implementation via a Bayesian mechanism. Therefore, ambiguous transfers may provide a solution for situations where Bayesian mechanism design is impossible. In particular, efficiency becomes achievable generically in two-agent problems, which contrasts the impossibility results in the literature.
Low power speech detector on a FPAA

This paper presents a low-power speech detector on a fully reconfigurable Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA). The entire system is designed and compiled on a FPAA fabricated in 0.35μm CMOS process. The system uses 12 parallel bank of band-pass filters to extract features. The outputs of the filter bank are used by a single layer of 12×2 Vector Matrix Multiplication (VMM) and Winner Take All (WTA). The weights are stored on the VMM using pFET floating gate transistor. The power consumption of the analog system is 155.6μW with a 2.5 V power supply. The low power consumption allows the use of such a system for portable and remote sensing applications. Further, the paper investigates the performance of the system by adding white gaussian noise to the input signal. The system has an accuracy of 99.94% when the input has a SNR of 20dB and of 74% with a SNR of 8dB.
Alive but not well: the limited validity but continued utility of the concept of schizophrenia

Guloksuz & van Os boldly challenge the status quo as pertains to schizophrenia. In 'The Slow Death of the Concept of Schizophrenia, and the Painful Birth of the Psychosis Spectrum' (Guloksuz & van Os, 2017) they thoughtfully review long-standing concerns about this diagnostic category and present a new conceptualization. The authors question the validity of the schizophrenia concept citing variable clinical outcomes, transdiagnostic manifestations of psychosis, and the difficulty in identifying biomarkers, among other concerns. They also point toward the over-representation of schizophrenia in the psychosis literature and lament that patients and clinicians have come to associate this illness with predominantly poor outcomes. Finally, they propose removing the diagnosis of schizophrenia from the diagnostic nomenclature and instituting a broad new classification system, 'psychosis spectrum disorder' (PSD), to capture the many manifestations of psychosis. In this commentary, we advise against the institution of a psychosis spectrum due to the potential negative effects this framework would have on clinical care and progress in biological research.
Assessment of MRI issues at 1.5 T for the Temperature Logger Implant.

Abstract Purpose The Temperature Logger Implant is a newly developed device that is capable of providing data for animal studies on thermoregulatory function, hibernation, hypothermia, and general health. During research, it may be necessary to conduct a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination on an animal with this device implanted to assess anatomical changes or other conditions. Notably, this new device was specially designed to be unaffected by the electromagnetic fields used for MRI. Therefore, to verify that there would be no problems related to MRI, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate MRI-related issues for the Temperature Logger Implant. Methods Tests were performed on the Temperature Logger Implant using well-accepted techniques to evaluate magnetic field interactions (translational attraction and torque, 1.5 T), MRI-related heating (whole body averaged specific absorption rate, 2.9 W/kg), artifacts (T1-weighted, spin echo and gradient echo pulse sequences), and functional changes related to exposure to eight different imaging conditions. Results Magnetic field interactions were relatively low (deflection angle 4°, no torque) and heating was minor (highest temperature rise, > 1.1 °C) indicating that these factors will not pose a hazard to an animal. The largest artifact (gradient echo pulse sequence) extended 10 mm from the size and shape of the Temperature Logger Implant. Exposure to the eight different conditions at 1.5 T/ 64 MHz did not alter or damage the operational aspects of the device. Conclusions The findings demonstrated that MRI can be performed safely on an animal with this new Temperature Logger Implant and, thus, this device is deemed “MR Conditional” (i.e., using current labeling terminology), according to the conditions used in this investigation.
Concurrent metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma to the scalp and Meckel’s cave

We present the case of a 65-year-old man with severe headaches and unilateral facial weakness, seen in consultation by the dermatology service to rule out primary cutaneous melanoma after brain imaging identified an enlarging mass within the right trigeminal (Meckel's) cave. Examination revealed only a pair of erythematous papules on the scalp, for which biopsy demonstrated metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Further evaluation and subsequent thyroidectomy confirmed the origin of widespread internal disease, followed by definitive excision of scalp lesions and multimodal management of systemic involvement. Whereas presentation of metastasis to the skin is highly variable, a low threshold for biopsy may allow for histological identification of internal disease not otherwise considered in the clinical differential.
Bone Formation in Achondroplasia

In achondroplasia bone formation is severely stunted in the epiphyseal plates of the long bones; it is normal in the flat bones of the skull and in the periosteum, and it is excessive at the traction epiphysis (3,4).
The use of serum amylase and lipase in evaluating and managing blunt abdominal trauma

In order to determine the usefulness of serum amylase and lipase in the initial evaluation and subsequent management of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) patients, we collected serum amylase and lipase on 85 consecutive BAT patients at admission, hospital day 1, hospital day 3, and hospital day 7. Only one patient had a pancreatic injury. A total of 45 patients (53%) had at least one enzyme abnormality during the study. There was no correlation between amylase or lipase values and age, sex, type of injury, diagnostic tests, operation, and outcome. In a control group of nonabdominal-trauma patients with admit studies only, all enzyme values were normal. We conclude that serum amylase and lipase are randomly elevated in patients with nonpancreatic-BAT both initially and during subsequent hospitalization and are not useful clinical tools in these patients.
VISUAL SOLVER a modeling language for constraint programming

Probably the main contribution of constraint programming is the observation that constraint-solving techniques from various areas can be embedded in programming languages to offer effective tools to tackle a variety of combinatorial search problems. The benefits come from the ease of programming which reduces development time and encourage more experimentation and tuning. Many constraint programming languages are however "constrained" by the environment they are embedded into or by the natural desire to offer a general-purpose programming language. These host languages are appropriate for some aspects of the task at hand but they may be obstacles to a natural expression of some other components of the application. For instance, constraint logic programming is based a clean semantic framework offering nondeterminism for free but it has little support to stating constraints and heuristics at a high level. A C++ library such as Ilog Solver is an efficient and extensible tool for constraint programming offering the advantage of object orientation but search is less natural and the specificities of C++ may be an obstacle to non-computer scientists. This state of affairs is hardly new and was experienced before the operations research community, where the use of linear (and nonlinear) programming code used to be a difficult task.-The inception of modeling languages such as GAMS and AMPL satisfied the need to abstract irrelevant details of the programming languages and tools. These languages made it possible to state linear programming problems almost as in textbooks and scientific papers. This talk describes a similar effort for constraint programming and illustrates the approach using VISUAL SOLVER, a modeling language for constraint programming. VISUAL SOLVER makes it possible to state many combinatorial search problems in a form close to a mathematical description of the problem. It goes beyond traditional modeling languages both by supporting traditional constraint programming technology and by letting practitioners specify both the problem statement and the heuristics used to find solutions.
Colombia’s Faceless Justice: A Necessary Evil, Blind Impartiality, or Modern Inquisition?

In the mid-1980s, Colombian drug lords declared all out war on Colombia’s judicial system in an effort to intimidate the Colombian government into canceling extradition agreements with the United States. Dozens of judges and prosecutors who could not be bribed were intimidated, assaulted, or assassinated as a means of impeding the work of the judiciary in prosecuting the so-called war on drugs. In an effort to protect the lives of Colombian judicial officials, extreme measures were taken to hide the identities of the judges and prosecutors hearing drug cases. The result was a secret court system out of which other issues of justice and human rights became an issue. This article examines in-depth the history of the Colombian legal system, the evolution of its judiciary, and the role of faceless judges as a means of fighting drug trafficking.
Adsorption of mixtures of nonionic sugar-based surfactants with other surfactants at solid/liquid interfaces: I. Adsorption of n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside with anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate on alumina

Abstract Sugar-based surfactants can be synthesized from renewable materials and are environmentally benign. They have some unique solution and interfacial properties and have potential applications in a wide variety of processes, and there is a need for corresponding information on their behavior at various interfaces. In this study, co-adsorption of nonionic sugar-based n -dodecyl- β - d -maltoside (DM) and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on alumina was studied as a function of mixing ratios and solution pHs. It is found that at solid–liquid interface, depending on the solid type and the solution conditions, there are various interactions that dictate synergy or antagonism. At pH 6 where alumina is positively charged, marked synergistic effects between DM and SDS were observed, while at pH 11 where alumina is negatively charged, SDS shows antagonistic adsorption effects with DM. The ratios of surfactant components on solids change as a function of surfactant structure and concentrations as well, indicating various interactions at solid/liquid interface under different conditions that can be utilized for many industrial processes.
Planned Missing Data Designs I: The 3-Form Design

This chapter draws heavily on the material covered in the article, “Planned missing data designs in psychological research” published in the journal, Psychological Methods, by Graham et al. (2006). Early in that article, we made this statement:
Local consolidation therapy (LCT) after first line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for patients with EGFR mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

e20654Background: Although most NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations (L858R, Exon 19 deletion) have an impressive initial response, the vast majority develop acquired resistance after 9-1...
The solid-state conformation of the topical antifungal agent O-naphthalen-2-yl N-methyl-N-(3-methylphenyl)carbamothioate.

Tolnaftate, a classic anti­fungal compound, has been found to crystallize from 1:1 (v/v) acetone–water as large flat colorless needles in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P21/c. These crystals contain a 50:50 mixture of the (+ap,−sp,+ac,−ac) and (−ap,+sp,−ac,+ac) conformers. The bond lengths in the central CNOS unit are 1.3444 (19), 1.3556 (18) and 1.6567 (15) A for C—N, C—O and C—S, respectively, and the CNOS and C3N moieties are flat and nearly coplanar with each other, consistent with the C—N bond possessing partial double-bond character. Tolnaftate and the four most closely related N,N-di­substituted thio­carbamates in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) all exist as E-conformational isomers in the solid state. Among these five compounds, tolnaftate is the only one in which the N-tolyl moiety is positioned trans to the S atom, i.e. the N-aryl substituent in each of the other compounds is positioned cis to their respective S atom. Notably, and more importantly, our experimental X-ray structure is unlike all prior theoretical models available for tolnaftate. The implication, either directly or indirectly, is that some of those theoretical models used in earlier studies to explain the spectroscopic properties of tolnaftate and to suggest which protein–ligand inter­actions are responsible for the binding of tolnaftate to squalene epoxidase are either inappropriate or structurally unreasonable, i.e. the results and conclusions from those prior studies are in need of critical reassessment.
Family-Centered Practice in the Postmodern Era:

The postmodern movement has had a dramatic influence on the family therapy field and on social work, forcing a reexamination of long-held assumptions about assessment and intervention. The author e...
Some Characterizations of Skew t-distribution of Three Degrees of Freedom:

AbstractSeveral distributional properties of skew t-distribution are presented. Based on the distributional properties, some characterizations of the skew t-distribution with 3 degrees of freedom a...
Solvent Selection for Lignin Value Prior to Pulping

Solvent selection guides are crucial in chemical process design and development. Lignin from lignocellulosic biomass is a potentially attractive feedstock for sustainable chemical feedstocks. One approach would use a solvent to recover lignin prior to the traditional pulping process to make cellulose fibers: lignin value prior to pulping (LVPP). A solvent selection methodology for LVPP is presented herein that may be expanded for any proposed solvent for this process. Four screening categories are elucidated, providing metrics for 30 solvents across multiple molecular functional groups. Through performance, hazards and environment, cost and availability, and process-economics screens, the initial list of solvents is reduced to two top-tier candidates, 1,6 hexamethylenediamine and diethanolamine. 1-Methylpiperazine also emerged as a potential candidate. This solvent-selection methodology streamlines experimentation and provides promising candidates for LVPP. In addition to creating a tailored solvent selection guide, valuable biomass pretreatment data that may be utilized in different renewable applications are also presented.
Surveillance to maintain the sensitivity of genotype-based antibiotic resistance diagnostics

The sensitivity of genotype-based diagnostics that predict antimicrobial susceptibility is limited by the extent to which they detect genes and alleles that lead to resistance. As novel resistance variants are expected to emerge, such sensitivity is expected to decline unless the new variants are detected and incorporated into the diagnostic. Here, we present a mathematical framework to define how many diagnostic failures may be expected under varying surveillance regimes and thus quantify the surveillance needed to maintain the sensitivity of genotype-based diagnostics.
Seasonal and synoptic oceanographic changes influence the larval biodiversity of a retentive upwelling shadow

Abstract Understanding sources of variability in larval supply and transport is integral to the dynamics, structure and effective management of marine populations and communities. Yet, a barrier to this understanding is the high variability in the supply and transport of marine larvae, especially in upwelling regions where wind forcing causes dynamic circulation. Since larvae of many species complete development close to shore, resolving the relationship between oceanographic processes and nearshore larval assemblages is essential to better understand larval transport in highly productive upwelling regions. The goal of our study was to examine the effects of variation in upwelling and relaxation dynamics on the nearshore larval assemblage in northern Monterey Bay. To determine how seasonal and daily upwelling and relaxation dynamics influence the nearshore larval assemblage, we surveyed distributions of marine larvae and physical, environmental factors along a cross-shelf transect in northern Monterey Bay, USA, during August and October of 2013. Conditions in August and October differed in temperature, salinity, stratification, and chlorophyll-a fluorescence. Richness and diversity of the larval assemblage did not change appreciably, but the abundance and composition of species shifted after the influx of offshore waters. Specifically, nearshore taxa were more abundant during August, which was characterized by strong upwelling conditions, and especially more abundant with increased wind forcing leading to a retentive upwelling shadow in the northern bay. Conversely, offshore taxa were more abundant during October, which was characterized by weakened upwelling and the persistent influx of offshore water. Our study suggests that relationships between larval taxa, life history characteristics, and water types provide insights into water mass history, circulation and larval recruitment in highly dynamic upwelling regions.
The Proposed Election Reforms of Asinius Gallus

In 16 CE, Asinius Gallus proposed election reforms. Tacitus views these reforms, like many of Gallus’ actions, as a hostile move against the emperor. In this paper, I argue that they were not proposed in opposition to Tiberius, but instead were a calculated compromise aimed at meeting the Senate’s desire for more praetors to share the duties of legionary command, while also maintaining the limit of twelve praetors per year that Tiberius had established in the elections of 14 CE. As a leader in the Senate, Gallus hoped to broker a deal that the emperor would support.
A Unique Presentation of Cutaneous Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL) are rare heterogeneous neoplastic diseases composing about 22.5% of all cutaneous lymphomas. These diseases can be divided into primary and secondary cutaneous variants with primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL) divided into three distinct entities including primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma, primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma, and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCDLBCL, LT). Secondary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (CDLBCL) and PCDLBCL, LT are more aggressive neoplasms compared to the aforementioned CBCL with survival rates of 37% and 50% after 5 years, respectively. CDLBCL can present as cutaneous or subcutaneous nodules, papular lesions, or indurated plaques. Here, we present a case of CDLBCL of an 88-year-old female that was mistaken for lower extremity cellulitis with phlegmon. Our patient failed two courses of antibiotic therapy as an outpatient and received a third as an inpatient before a cutaneous biopsy clinched the diagnosis.
A Workshop to Reflect on Personal Resilience in Emergency Medicine Residents: Applying the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Visual Explorer, and the Critical Incident Questionnaire to Support Introspection.

Burnout among emergency medicine (EM) residents is gaining increasing attention. The authors designed a workshop to assess EM residents' resilience using a validated scale to prompt personal reflection. The workshop then shifted to peer-to-peer conversations and sharing using images from Visual Explorer (VE) to further reflect on resilience. Overall, resident resilience scores were below those of the US general population, with post-graduate year (PGY)-2 year residents having the lowest scores. The workshop was well received by residents; data from the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) suggested that residents felt engaged during discussion of the images. Further study is needed to assess the correlation between resilience scores and burnout.
Evaluation of the Article “Estimating Herbaceous Biomass of Grassland Vegetation Using the Reference Unit Method” by Boyda, et al. 2015

An evaluation of the scientific article “Estimating Herbaceous Biomass of Grassland Vegetation Using the Reference Unit Method” by Boyda, et al. 2015 (Prairie Naturalist) is relevant because authors state that herbaceous biomass can be accurately and precisely estimated throughout the entire Buffalo Gap National Grasslands (BGNG) and beyond with the Reference Unit Method. The authors failed to provide easy to follow methods, a complete data set with all results, a study site map while only providing partial data and analyses for prairie dog colonies or areas adjacent to prairie dog colonies. The authors did not provide an improvement in protocol and methodology of the weight estimated method (double sampling-estimating and clipping) described by Pechanec and Pickford (1937) and its application on rangelands to estimate above ground biomass for many ecological types. Evaluations were very limited to few plant species: western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), purple three-awn (Aristida purpurea), needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata), and green needle grass (Nassella viridula). Other comparisons were groups of plants with unidentified species and may produce questionable results with different species mixes when applied to other grasslands or locations on the BGNG. The protocols developed with double sampling (clipping with oven dry weights and corrected to visual estimates) is still the standard with no improvement by Boyda et al. (2015). The article by Boyda et al (2015) may provide erroneous results with application of the Reference Unit Method and is not recommended for estimating herbaceous biomass. Key words: estimating biomass, double sampling, grasslands, plant biomass.
Nonsense mediated decay and a novel protein Period-2 regulate casein kinase I in an opposing manner to control circadian period in Neurospora crassa

Circadian clocks in fungi and animals are driven by a functionally conserved transcription-translation feedback loop. In Neurospora crassa, negative feedback is executed by a complex of Frequency (FRQ), FRQ-interacting RNA helicase (FRH), and Casein Kinase I (CKI), which inhibits the activity of the clock9s positive arm, the White Collar Complex (WCC). Here, we show that the period-2 gene, whose mutation is characterized by recessive inheritance of a long 26-hour period phenotype, encodes an RNA-binding protein that stabilizes the ck-1a transcript, resulting in CKI protein levels sufficient for normal rhythmicity. Moreover, by examining the molecular basis for the short circadian period of period-6 mutants, we uncovered a strong influence of the Nonsense Mediated Decay pathway on CKI levels. The finding that circadian period defects in two classically-derived Neurospora clock mutants each arise from disruption of ck-1a regulation is consistent with circadian period being exquisitely sensitive to levels of casein kinase I.
Registration, Publication, and Outcome Reporting among Pivotal Clinical Trials that Supported FDA Approval of High-Risk Medical Devices Before and After FDAAA

BackgroundSelective registration, publication, and outcome reporting of clinical trials distorts the primary clinical evidence that is available to patients and clinicians regarding the safety and efficacy of FDA-approved medical devices. The purpose of this study is to compare registration, publication, and outcome reporting among pivotal clinical trials that supported FDA approval of high-risk (Class III) medical devices before and after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendment Act (FDAAA) was enacted in 2007. MethodsUsing publicly available data from ClinicalTrials.gov, FDA summaries, and PubMed, we determined registration, publication, and reporting of findings for all pivotal clinical studies supporting FDA approval of new high-risk cardiovascular devices between 2005 and 2020, before and after FDAAA. For published studies, we compared both the primary efficacy outcome with the PMA primary efficacy outcome and the published interpretation of findings with the FDA reviewers interpretation (positive, equivocal, or negative). ResultsBetween 2005 and 2020, the FDA approved 156 high-risk cardiovascular devices on the basis of 165 pivotal trials, 48 (29%) of which were categorized as pre-FDAAA and 117 (71%) as post-FDAAA. Post-FDAAA, pivotal clinical trials were more likely to be registered (115 of 117 (98%) vs 24 of 48 (50%); p < 0.001), to report results (98 of 115 (85%) vs 7 of 24 (29%); p < 0.001) on ClinicalTrials.gov, and to be published (100 or 117 (85%) vs 28 of 48 (58%); p < 0.001) in peer-reviewed literature when compared to pre-FDAAA. Among published trials, rates of concordant primary efficacy outcome reporting were not significantly different between pre-FDAAA trials and post-FDAAA trials (24 of 28 (86%) vs 96 of 100 (96%); p = 0.07), nor were rates of concordant trial interpretation (27 of 28 (96%) vs 93 of 100 (93%); p = 0.44). ConclusionsFDAAA was associated with increased registration, results reporting, and publication for trials supporting FDA approval of high-risk medical devices. Among published trials, rates of accurate primary efficacy outcome reporting and trial interpretation were high and no different post-FDAAA.
Revisiting the source of wilt symptoms: X-ray microcomputed tomography provides direct evidence that Ralstonia biomass clogs xylem vessels.

Plant pathogenic Ralstonia cause wilt diseases by colonizing xylem vessels and disrupting water transport. Due to the abundance of Ralstonia cells in vessels, the dogma is that bacterial biomass clogs vessels and reduces the flow of xylem sap. However, the physiological mechanism of xylem disruption during bacterial wilt disease is untested. Using a tomato and Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum GMI1000 model, we visualized and quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of xylem disruption during bacterial wilt disease. First, we measured stomatal conductance of leaflets on mock-inoculated and wilt-symptomatic plants. Wilted leaflets had reduced stomatal conductance, as did turgid leaflets located on the same petiole as wilted leaflets. Next, we used X-ray microcomputed tomography (X-ray microCT) and light microscopy to differentiate between mechanisms of xylem disruption: blockage by bacterial biomass, blockage by vascular tyloses, or sap displacement by gas embolisms. We imaged stems on plants with intact roots and leaves to quantify embolized vessels. Embolized vessels were rare, but there was a slight trend of increased vessel embolisms in infected plants with low bacterial population sizes. To test the hypothesis that vessels are clogged during bacterial wilt, we imaged excised stems after allowing the sap to evaporate during a brief dehydration. Most xylem vessels in mock-infected plants emptied their contents after excision, but non-conductive clogged vessels were abundant in infected plants by 2 days post infection. At wilt onset when bacterial populations exceeded 5x108 cfu/g stem tissue, approximately half of the xylem vessels were clogged with electron-dense bacterial biomass. We found no evidence of tyloses in the X-ray microCT reconstructions or light microscopy on the preserved stems. Bacterial blockage of vessels appears to be the principal cause of vascular disruption during Ralstonia wilt.
AURORA: Automated Refinement of Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Accelerators

Coarse-grained reconfigurable arrays (CGRAs), loosely defined as arrays of functional units interconnected through a network-on-chip (NoC), provide higher flexibility than domain-specific ASIC accelerators while offering increased hardware efficiency with respect to fine-grained reconfigurable devices, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Unfortunately, designing a CGRA for a specific application domain involves enormous softwarelhardware engineering effort (e.g., designing the CGRA, map operations onto the CGRA, etc) and requires the exploration on a large design space (e.g., applying appropriate loop transformation on each application, specializing the reconfigurable processing elements of the CGRA, refining the network topology, deciding the size of the data memory, etc). In this paper, we propose AURORA* - a hardware/software codesign framework to automatically synthesize optimal CGRA given a set of applications of interest.
The Life of William Robertson: Minister, Historian, and Principal

The first modern biography of William Robertson, a key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.A prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, William Robertson differed from his contemporaries, such as Voltaire, Hume and Gibbon, because he used the critical tools of the Enlightenment to strengthen religion, not to attack it. As an historian, he helped shape 18th-century historiography. As a minister of the Church of Scotland, he sought to make the church fit for a polite age. And, as principal of the University of Edinburgh, he presided over a flourishing of intellectual inquiry in the midst of the Enlightenment. But despite his European fame, he was a controversial figure. Drawing extensively on his unpublished correspondence, Jeffrey Smitten captures both the man and his work in his own words. By foregrounding Robertson's religious outlook, Smitten gives us a more contextualised and nuanced interpretation of Robertson's motives, intentions and beliefs than we have had before.Key Features:Includes new biographical information drawn from archival sources and from all Robertson's largely unpublished correspondenceDiscusses Robertson's works, published and unpublishedAssesses Robertson's achievement based on fresh consideration of all facets of his career as minister, historian and principal
Snaptics: Low-Cost Open-Source Hardware for Wearable Multi-Sensory Haptics

There has been growing interest in using haptic devices to enhance virtual experiences or to increase the amount of information transferred to a user by wearable devices. As such, the haptics community has proposed a wide range of wearable haptic devices, often featuring multi-sensory cues that convey vibration, squeeze, twist, or skin stretch. Despite these exciting advances in wearable haptic technology, these devices are difficult to reproduce outside of the research setting due to their relatively high cost, their complexity of construction, and/or their inclusion of custom components. To this end, we present Snaptics, a low-cost, open-source, haptics platform designed for rapid prototyping of fully wearable multi-sensory haptic devices. Snaptics exists to increase community engagement with and accessibility of wearable haptic devices by lowering the technical barrier to entry and cost of creating a wearable haptic device.
Leveraging Social Media for Human Factors Research in Health Care

There has been a significant increase in using social media for academic research and there is an opportunity for human factors professionals to incorporate these platforms into their research. Soc...
Effect of Magnesium on Dentinogenesis of Human Dental Pulp Cells.

Introducing therapeutic ions into pulp capping materials has been considered a new approach for enhancing regeneration of dental tissues. However, no studies have been reported on its dentinogenic effects on human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). This study was designed to investigate the effects of magnesium (Mg2+) on cell attachment efficiency, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of HDPCs. HDPCs were cultured with 0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM, 4 mM, and 8 mM concentrations of supplemental Mg2+ and 0 mM (control). Cell attachment was measured at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours. Cell proliferation rate was evaluated at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days. Crystal violet staining was used to determine cell attachment and proliferation rate. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was assessed using the fluorometric assay at 7, 10, and 14 days. Mineralization of cultures was measured by Alizarin red staining. Statistical analysis was done using multiway analysis of variance (multiway ANOVA) with Wilks’ lambda test. Higher cell attachment was shown with 0.5 mM and 1 mM at 16 hours compared to control ( ). Cells with 0.5 mM and 1 mM supplemental Mg2+ showed significantly higher proliferation rates than control at 7, 10, 14, and 21 days ( ). However, cell proliferation rates decreased significantly with 4 mM and 8 mM supplemental Mg2+ at 14 and 21 days ( ). Significantly higher levels of ALP activity and mineralization were observed in 0.5 mM, 1 mM, and 2 mM supplemental Mg2+ at 10 and 14 days ( ). However, 8 mM supplemental Mg2+ showed lower ALP activity compared to control at 14 days ( ), while 4 mM and 8 mM supplemental Mg2+showed less mineralization compared to control ( ). The study indicated that the optimal (0.5–2 mM) supplemental Mg2+ concentrations significantly upregulated HDPCs by enhancing cell attachment, proliferation rate, ALP activity, and mineralization. Magnesium-containing biomaterials could be considered for a future novel dental pulp-capping additive in regenerative endodontics.
Intelligent Control Using Artificial Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic: Recent Trends and Industrial Applications

With increasing complexity in the nature of various industrial processes, as well as household appliances, the link between ambiguity, robustness and performance of the these systems has become increasingly evident. This may explain the dominant role of the emerging “intelligent systems” in recent years[1]. However, the definition of intelligent systems is a function of expectations and the status of the present knowledge: Perhaps the “intelligent systems” of today are the “classical systems” of tomorrow. The concept of intelligent control was first introduced nearly two decades ago [28]. Despite its significant and applicability to various processes, no substantial attention was paid to such an approach by the control community. In recent years, the intelligent control has emerged as one of the most active and fruitful area of Research and Development(R&D) within the spectrum of engineering disciplines with a variety of industrial applications[27]–[40],[102]–[105].
Two-dimensional indium gallium arsenide avalanche photodiode arrays for high sensitivity, high speed imaging

A 32 /spl times/ 32 element InGaAs focal plane array was demonstrated. These arrays may find application in 3-dimensional imaging systems. APD arrays will be advantageous in these systems since the bandwidths required of the readout integrated circuits push their noise performance into the regime where avalanche photodiodes are useful. Further work is underway on both readout integrated circuits for the arrays, as well as integrated microlenses that will improve the fill-factor of the arrays.
Examining the Attitude–Behavior Relationship in Prosocial Donation Domains

Positive attitudes have been identified across prosocial donation domains, but have not translated into a stable donor base. One explanation for this attitude-behavior inconsistency is a failure to consider the affective and cognitive components of attitude. Studies were conducted to examine vested interest as a moderator of the attitude–behavior relationship in donation, while accounting for the multidimensional construction of attitude. Study 1 revealed a 3-factor structure (stake, salience, self-efficacy) for vested interest. Study 2 found no support for vested interest as a moderator of the attitude–behavior relationship, but revealed that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between attitudes and behaviors for organ/tissue and blood donation. Results are discussed in terms of the usefulness of this research in crafting donation campaigns.
Microgas Turbine Engine Characteristics Using Biofuel

Aviation fuels commonly used today are extracted from the kerosene fraction of the crude oil that is distilled between the gasoline and the diesel. Crude oil is not renewable and the world oil reserve is generally believed to be on the decline. In 2006, about 6.3% of the world’s refinery production was used for aviation fuel. (Nygren et al., 2009) At an estimated rate of 3% increase of fuel demand per year, aviation use alone will consume the world fuel production by 2026 (Nygren et al., 2009).
Differential inhibition of the DNA translocation and DNA unwinding activities of DNA helicases by the Escherichia coli Tus protein.

Abstract Binding of the Escherichia coli Tus protein to its cognate nonpalindromic binding site on duplex DNA (a Ter sequence) is sufficient to arrest the progression of replication forks in a Ter orientation-dependent manner in vivo and in vitro. In order to probe the molecular mechanism of this inhibition, we have used a strand displacement assay to investigate the effect of Tus on the DNA helicase activities of DnaB, PriA, UvrD (helicase II), and the phi X-type primosome. When the substrate was a short oligomer hybridized to a circular single-stranded DNA, strand displacement by DnaB, PriA, and the primosome (in both directions), but not UvrD, was blocked by Tus in a polar fashion. However, no inhibition of either DnaB or UvrD was observed when the substrate carried an elongated duplex region. With this elongated substrate, PriA helicase activity was only inhibited partially (by 50%). On the other hand, both the 5'----3' and 3'----5' helicase activities of the primosome were inhibited almost completely by Tus with the elongated substrate. These results suggest that while Tus can inhibit the translocation of some proteins along single-stranded DNA in a polar fashion, this generalized effect is insufficient for the inhibition of bona fide DNA helicase activity.
Management and control of varicella on cruise ships: a collaborative approach to promoting public health.

Background In most years varicella is the vaccine‐preventable disease most frequently reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by cruise ships. Since 2005, CDC has received numerous isolated case reports of varicella among crew members and has investigated varicella outbreaks aboard vessels sailing into and from US seaports. Methods CDC investigators reviewed electronic varicella case reports from 2005 to 2009 and outbreak reports from 2009 to characterize the response and control efforts implemented by cruise ships in accordance with CDC protocols. Outbreak reports from 2009 were manually reviewed for details of case identification, contact investigations, isolation and restriction of cases and contacts, respectively, and number of contacts administered varicella vaccine post‐exposure by cruise lines. Results During 2005 to 2009, cruise ships reported 278 cases of varicella to CDC among predominantly male (80%) crew members, three‐quarters of whom were residents of Caribbean countries, Indonesia, the Philippines, or India, and whose median age was 29 years. Cases were more commonly reported during spring and winter months. During 2009, cruise ships reported 94 varicella cases among crew members of which 66 (70%) were associated with 18 reported varicella outbreaks. Outbreak response included isolation of 66 (100%) of 66 cases, restriction of 66 (26%) of 255 crew‐contacts, and administration of post‐exposure vaccine to 522 close contacts and other susceptible crew members per standard CDC recommendations. Discussion Most cases reported to CDC during 2005 to 2009 were among non‐US resident crew members. Overall, cruise lines sailing into North America have the onboard capability to manage varicella cases and outbreaks and appear responsive to CDC recommendations. Cruise lines should continue to implement CDC‐recommended response protocols to curtail outbreaks rapidly and should consider whether pre‐placement varicella immunity screening and vaccination of crew members is a cost‐effective option for their respective fleet operations.
Bus.py: A GridLAB-D communication interface for Smart distribution Grid simulations

As more Smart Grid technologies (e.g., distributed photovoltaic, spatially distributed electric vehicle charging) are integrated into distribution grids, static distribution simulations are no longer sufficient for performing modeling and analysis. GridLAB-D is an agent-based distribution system simulation environment that allows fine-grained end-user models, including geospatial and network topology detail. A problem exists in that, without outside intervention, once the GridLAB-D simulation begins execution, it will run to completion without allowing the real-time interaction of Smart Grid controls, such as home energy management systems and aggregator control. We address this lack of runtime interaction by designing a flexible communication interface, Bus.py (pronounced bus-dot-pie), that uses Python to pass messages between one or more GridLAB-D instances and a Smart Grid simulator. This work describes the design and implementation of Bus.py, discusses its usefulness in terms of some Smart Grid scenarios, and provides an example of an aggregator-based residential demand response system interacting with GridLAB-D through Bus.py. The small scale example demonstrates the validity of the interface and shows that an aggregator using said interface is able to control residential loads in GridLAB-D during runtime to cause a reduction in the peak load on the distribution system in (a) peak reduction and (b) time-of-use pricing cases.
STERILIZED in the Name of Public Health: Race, Immigration, and Reproductive Control in Modern California

In exploring the history of involuntary sterilization in California, I connect the approximately 20,000 operations performed on patients in state institutions between 1909 and 1979 to the federally funded procedures carried out at a Los Angeles County hospital in the early 1970s. Highlighting the confluence of factors that facilitated widespread sterilization abuse in the early 1970s, I trace prosterilization arguments predicated on the protection of public health. This historical overview raises important questions about the legacy of eugenics in contemporary California and relates the past to recent developments in health care delivery and genetic screening.