cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro Studies with Thyrotropin Releasing Factor.

SummaryPorcine TRF stimulates the release of TSH from rat anterior pituitaries in vitro at doses as small as 0.01 nanog. By increasing the doses of TRF, greater amounts of TSH are released into the incubation media. The pituitary response to TRF is inhibited by small amounts of T3 and T4. Act D does not abolish the response to TRF, indicating that de novo synthesis of TSH is not required for TRF to exert its effect, a- and β-MSH do not stimulate the release of TSH in vitro and did not reverse the inhibitory effect of T4 on TSH release in vitro. Preincubation with Act D reverses the inhibition of TSH release induced by T3 and T4. This may indicate that Act D interferes with the formation of inhibitory substances, induced by T3 and T4, which suppress the release of TSH after TRF.
Of Magic Wands And Kaleidoscopes: Fixing Problems In The Individual Market

ABSTRACT: Policy analysts sometimes imagine that problems in the individual market can be fixed by waving a magic wand that makes the individual market function more like the group market. However,...
Novel Meiotic miRNAs and Indications for a Role of PhasiRNAs in Meiosis

Small RNAs (sRNA) add additional layers to the regulation of gene expression, with siRNAs directing gene silencing at the DNA level by RdDM (RNA-directed DNA methylation), and miRNAs directing post-transcriptional regulation of specific target genes, mostly by mRNA cleavage. We used manually isolated male meiocytes from maize (Zea mays) to investigate sRNA and DNA methylation landscapes during zygotene, an early stage of meiosis during which steps of meiotic recombination and synapsis of paired homologous chromosomes take place. We discovered two novel miRNAs from meiocytes, and identified putative target genes. Furthermore, we detected abundant phasiRNAs of 21 nt and 24 nt length. PhasiRNAs are phased small RNAs which occur in 21 nt or 24 nt intervals, at a few hundred loci, specifically in male reproductive tissues in grasses. So far, the function of phasiRNAs remained elusive. Data from isolated meiocytes now revealed elevated DNA methylation at phasiRNA loci, especially in the CHH context, suggesting a role for phasiRNAs in cis DNA methylation. In addition, we consider a role of these phasiRNAs in chromatin remodeling/ dynamics during meiosis. However, this is not well supported yet and will need more additional data. Here, we only lay out the idea due to other relevant literature and our additional observation of a peculiar GC content pattern at phasiRNA loci. Chromatin remodeling is also indicated by the discovery that histone genes were enriched for sRNA of 22 nt length. Taken together, we gained clues that lead us to hypothesize sRNA-driven DNA methylation and possibly chromatin remodeling during male meiosis in the monocot maize which is in line with and extends previous knowledge.
Case report of homozygous deletion involving the first coding exons of GCNT2 isoforms A and B and part of the upstream region of TFAP2A in congenital cataract

Congenital cataracts affect 3–6 per 10,000 live births and represent one of the leading causes of blindness in children. Congenital cataracts have a strong genetic component with high heterogeneity and variability. Analysis of whole exome sequencing data in a patient affected with congenital cataracts identified a pathogenic deletion which was further defined by other techniques. A ~98-kb homozygous deletion of 6p24.3 involving the first three exons (two non-coding and one coding) of GCNT2 isoform A, the first exon (coding) of GCNT2 isoform B, and part of the intergenic region between GCNT2 and TFAP2A was identified in the patient and her brother while both parents were found to be heterozygous carriers of the deletion. The exact breakpoints were identified and revealed the presence of Alu elements at both sides of the deletion, thus indicating Alu-mediated non-homologous end-joining as the most plausible mechanism for this rearrangement. Recessive mutations in GCNT2 are known to cause an adult i blood group phenotype with congenital cataracts in some cases. The GCNT2 gene has three differentially expressed transcripts, with GCNT2B being the only isoform associated with lens function and GCNT2C being the only isoform expressed in red blood cells based on earlier studies; previously reported mutations/deletions have either affected all three isoforms (causing blood group and cataract phenotype) or the C isoform only (causing blood group phenotype only). Dominant mutations in TFAP2A are associated with syndromic anophthalmia/microphthalmia and other ocular phenotypes as part of Branchio-Ocular-Facial-Syndrome (BOFS). While the patients do not fit a diagnosis of BOFS, one sibling demonstrates mild overlap with the phenotypic spectrum, and therefore an effect of this deletion on the function of TFAP2A cannot be ruled out. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in which disruption of the GCNT2 gene does not involve the C isoform. The congenital cataracts phenotype in the affected patients is consistent with the previously defined isoform-specific roles of this gene. The GCNT2-TFAP2A region may be prone to rearrangements through Alu-mediated non-homologous end-joining.
Ultrashort, Angstrom-Scale Decay of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering at Hot Spots

Anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures are known to exhibit large enhancements of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adsorbed molecules at their sharp tips or edges, where the near-field is intense. We show that the SERS enhancement at such field hot spots decays over a distance of ca. 4 A, much shorter than the typical decay length reported for SERS. The finding is made in SERS sensors constructed from chemically synthesized triangular nanoprisms with azobenzene reporter molecules linked to the nanoprism surface using variable chain length alkanethiol spacers. With the aid of electrodynamic simulations, the ultrashort decay length, the shortest reported to date, is explained by solely an electromagnetic field effect. Our work provides a key design consideration for the use of hot spots of anisotropic nanostructures for SERS. The angstrom-scale effect may also allow the achievement of intramolecular spatial resolution in SERS probing.
Caregiver-reported religious beliefs and complementary and alternative medicine use among children admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes a wide range of practices and products that are generally outside the use of conventional medicine as practiced in Western cultures. Use of CAM in persons with epilepsy is high, even compared to individuals with other chronic health conditions. In this study, we surveyed caregivers of children admitted to a regional epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) in the southeast United States to assess CAM use among patients (N=225). Thirteen percent of respondents indicated current use of CAM by their child, 16% reported past use, and 43% reported interest in future use, most commonly in marijuana as a potential treatment (23%). Over 25% of respondents expressed interest in CAM use related to side effects of anti-epileptic medications. Regarding prayer as a form of CAM, a large majority of respondents in this sample identified as Christian and actively prayed for their child's illness, revealing a high prevalence of spiritual practices in this population. Eighty-one percent of respondents reported that they had not discussed CAM use with their doctor. Discussing CAM use with a health care provider was significantly related to past CAM use (p .05). These results have important implications for future practice and support increased communication and patient education, as many anti-epileptic medications interact with certain herbs and supplements, posing a potential health risk and treatment barrier in this population.
Abstract 643: Unique Cortico-medullary Topology Of D1R, AT1R And NADPH-oxidase Contributes To Hypertension And Salt-sensitivity In Aging Rats

Aging Fisher Brown Norway (FBN) rats exhibit hypertensive phenotype due in part to increased oxidative stress and impaired dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and angiotensin AT1 receptor (AT1R) functions in the aging kidneys. Here, we tested if these rats develop salt-sensitivity and examined its mechanisms. Adult (2- month) and aged (20- month) FBNs were treated with normal (NS, 0.4%) and high ( HS, 8%) salt for 4-weeks, conscious blood pressure (BP) measured and kidneys harvested for analyses. BP was higher in aged (120 mmHg) than in adult (113 mmHg) rats fed NS, which further increased (126 mmHg) with HS in aged rats. D1R mRNA and protein increased in cortex [NS vs HS: mRNA, 1.00 ± 0.0 vs 1. 21 ± 0.06 AU; Protein, 56.1 ± 2.01 vs 68.8 ± 3.08 DU] and medulla [NS vs HS: mRNA, 1.0 ± 0.0 vs 1.11 ± 0.12 AU; Protein, 54.2 ± 2.89 vs 70.3 ± 1.76 AU] with HS in adult rats. AT1R mRNA in cortex and medulla was higher in aged than in adult rats irrespective of salt treatment [Adult vs Old: Cortex, 1.0 ± 0.00 vs 5.04 ± 0.42; Medulla, 1.0 ± 0.00 vs 5.07 ± 0.09 AU]. However, its protein increased in medulla with HS in only aged rats [NS vs HS: 55.68 ± 4.8 vs 80.68 ± 8.3 DU]. 91phoxgp-NADPH-oxidase mRNA followed a similar pattern as of AT1 mRNA in both cortex and medulla of aged rats. However, its protein was higher in cortex of aged rats irrespective of salt intake [Adult vs Old: NS: 60.3 ± 7.2 vs 112.1 ± 8.6; HS: 61.9 ± 3.7 vs 94.25 ± 15.7 DU], but increased only with HS in medulla [Adult vs Old: 58.3 ± 6.3 vs 86.7 ± 7.2 DU] in these rats. Furthermore, NHE3 protein levels in the medulla were higher irrespective of salt treatment in aged rats [Adult vs Old: NS: 44.0 ± 5.8 vs 62.3 ± 4.6; HS: 45.4 ± 4.7 vs 65.4 ± 2.8 DU]. However, salt treatment increased the levels of Na,K-ATPase protein in the medulla of aged rats (NS vs HS: 11.8 ± 2.2 vs 18.9 ± 2.3 DU). Interestingly, renin levels in cortex were higher than in medulla irrespective of salt intake in aged rats (Cortex vs Medulla: NS: 84. 2 ± 4.5 vs 46. 32 ± 8.18; HS: 82.2 ± 1.18 vs 52.7 ± 3.51 ng/ml/hr). These data suggest that cortical renin and gp91phox-NADPH-oxidase together with medullary NHE-3 contribute to age-related hypertension, while D1R (cortical and medullary) together with medullary AT1R, gp91phox-NADPH-oxidase and Na, K-ATPase contribute to salt-sensitivity in aging FBNs.
The Future Ethnic Landscape of America

This chapter notes that the cultural landscape of the nation is continuously in a state of flux, with new immigrants displacing older populations, assimilation muting the distinctiveness of many groups, age and decay destroying portions of the material culture created by earlier settlers, and modernization leading to a homogenization of much of the nation’s cultural landscape. It notes that the character of immigration in the future—shaped by both domestic conditions and circumstances abroad—will inevitably determine the future ethnic mix. The chapter notes how historic preservation and ethnic tourism have contributed to the survival of elements of the material culture of many of the ethnic groups that shared in shaping America. Yet it also notes that what remains may not be representative, either of the group or the prominence of a people in settling an area. This chapter also explains that the continual arrival of certain ethnic groups, such as South Asians, particularly from India, who so far have not been sufficiently concentrated to have formed distinctive ethnic landscapes, will undoubtedly play a role in shaping the nation’s cultural landscape in the future. A major factor in shaping future ethnic landscapes in the United States will be the extraordinary growth in population of several ethnic groups who are already here, such as the Hutterites, the Old Order Amish, and the Hasidic Jews, who actively resist assimilation, separate themselves from the mainstream population by their religious practices and language, and focus upon employment practices which limit their interactions with other populations.
Regression with ordered predictors via ordinal smoothing splines

Many applied studies collect one or more ordered categorical predictors, which do not fit neatly within classic regression frameworks. In most cases, ordinal predictors are treated as either nominal (unordered) variables or metric (continuous) variables in regression models, which is theoretically and/or computationally undesirable. In this paper, we discuss the benefit of taking a smoothing spline approach to the modeling of ordinal predictors. The purpose of this paper is to provide theoretical insight into the ordinal smoothing spline, as well as examples revealing the potential of the ordinal smoothing spline for various types of applied research. Specifically, we (i) derive the analytical form of the ordinal smoothing spline reproducing kernel, (ii) propose an ordinal smoothing spline isotonic regression estimator, (iii) prove an asymptotic equivalence between the ordinal and linear smoothing spline reproducing kernel functions, (iv) develop large sample approximations for the ordinal smoothing spline, and (v) demonstrate the use of ordinal smoothing splines for isotonic regression and semiparametric regression with multiple predictors. Our results reveal that the ordinal smoothing spline offers a flexible approach for incorporating ordered predictors in regression models, and has the benefit of being invariant to any monotonic transformation of the predictor scores.
Indications for the conservative treatment of patella fractures

It is uncontested that most patellar fractures have to be treated by open reduction and internal fixation. Nevertheless, there are well-defined types of patellar fractures in which such a procedure is unnecessary, either because the fracture is stable or because the retropatellar surface is intact. In these fractures internal fixation would constitute overtreatment; conservative treatment yields good results in such cases.
Facilitating creativity in interdisciplinary design teams using cognitive processes: A review:

Interdisciplinary, or cross-functional, teams have become quite common for engineering and design. Many of today’s scientific breakthroughs occur in interdisciplinary teams, as the increasingly com...
Supramolecular Pseudorotaxane Polymers from Biscryptands and Bisparaquats

Five new bis(dibenzo-30-crown-10-based cryptand)s were synthesized, two of which (16 and 17) had long (12-atom), flexible spacers that led to cooperative complexation of dibenzyl paraquat TFSI (Kave = 4.36 × 105 M–1 for 17•2b). Self-assembly of 16 and 17 with bisparaquats with similar spacers (18, 21, and 23) led to high molecular weight supramolecular pseudorotaxane polymers in solution. Continuous, flexible fibers were drawn from concentrated solutions. 17 with C10-linked bisparaquat 23 in dichloromethane (DCM) produced a log–log viscosity vs concentration plot with a limiting slope of 3.55, confirming high molecular weight; at 37 mM, the degree of polymerization was estimated to be 126 and Mn = 407 kDa. These are the first truly polymeric pseudorotaxane-type AA/BB supramolecular polymers.
Enhancing Fracture Toughness and Stress Energy Release Rate of Vinyl Ester Matrix Using Dual Reinforcement of CNT and GNP

In this paper, we report a method of increasing fracture toughness (K IC ) and strain energy release rate (G IC ) of vinyl ester matrix by adopting a dual reinforcement strategy. Reinforcements were carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). Both categories of nanoparticles were functionalized with COOH. The idea was to enhance crack bridging and interface sliding with CNT inclusions, given their high aspect ratio. In addition, promote crack-tip blunting and cross-linking density with GNP inclusions, due to their platelet structures. Both K IC and G IC were measured using ASTM D5045-14. An exhaustive experimental study revealed an optimum loading of both nanoparticles to be 0.25 wt% CNT and 0.5 wt% GNP, based on the highest combination of K IC and G IC values. We observed that stress intensity factor, K IC , of neat vinyl ester increased by 43% from 1.14 to 1.62 MPa*(m ½ ). Meanwhile, the improvement in G IC was even greater with an increase of 65%, i.e., from 370 to 610 J/(m 2 ). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies showed a discernible shift in glass transition temperature (T g ) from 123 to 128°C. The slight temperature increase was similar in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). We observed the maximum thermal decomposition temperature (T p ) increase from 410 to 414°C, as was evident in the derivative TGA (DTG) curves.
Assessing the Longer-Term Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Self-Reported Driving Ability.

Abstract Background Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can have long-term cognitive and functional consequences, and recent mTBI has been associated with impaired performance on measures related to driving ability. However, it remains unclear whether mTBI history is associated with poorer driving performance. Objective To examine the longer-term effects of mTBI on self-reported driving ability. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting Online. Participants Three hundred eighty-nine participants (169 who reported an mTBI history and 220 without an mTBI history). Intervention Comparing participants who report a history of mTBI with those who do not report a history of mTBI. Outcomes Self-report measures of mTBI history, frequency of aberrant driving behaviors, recent history of car accidents and citations, and previous psychological diagnoses and current symptoms. Results Participants with a history of mTBI reported an overall higher frequency of aberrant driving behaviors and committing more driving violations that risked the safety of others than comparison participants. Participants with mTBI also were more likely to have been involved in a car accident within the past 6 months and the past 3 years. Of participants with mTBI, reports of driving violations decreased with longer time since the most recent injury. Driving violations and crash risk also decreased with increased age and years of driving experience. Conclusions Individuals with a history of mTBI are more likely to deliberately drive in a manner that risks the safety of others and are at a heightened risk of being involved in a recent car crash. Future work should examine predictor variables in greater depth and incorporate performance-based measures of driving ability to further explore these topics. Level of Evidence III
DIRECT ANALYSIS OF CONTINUOUS BEAM-COLUMNS

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE END MOMENTS AND CRITICAL AXIAL LOADS OF CONTINUOUS PRISMATIC BEAM-COLUMNS IS PRESENTED AND ILLUSTRATED BY NUMERICAL EXAMPLES. THE METHOD REQUIRES NEITHER THE SOLUTION OF SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS NOR ITERATIVE DISTRIBUTION AND NUMERICAL PROCEDURES. GENERAL EXPRESSIONS ARE DERIVED IN TERMS OF BEAM-COLUMN CONSTANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE NUMERICAL EXAMPLES GIVEN SHOW THE APPLICATION OF THE PROPOSED METHOD TO A FOUR-SPAN CONTINUOUS BEAM-COLUMN. /ASCE/
Negative Emissions From Stopping Deforestation and Forest Degradation

Abstract The magnitude of gross sources and sinks of carbon from current land management practices suggests that, if deforestation and forest degradation from human activities were stopped, and forests were allowed to recover (e.g., harvested forests and the fallows of shifting cultivation), an estimated 4.4 PgC might be removed from the atmosphere each year for the next century or more. Although the cumulative removal by 2100 would amount to ~ 360 PgC, this long-term estimate represents a gross removal. The net removal would be considerably less because carbon held presently in wood products and in cultivated and disturbed soils would be emitted to the atmosphere even if further deforestation and harvests were stopped. Accounting for these committed emissions, a more likely estimate is that 100–130 PgC might be removed from the atmosphere by 2100 in recovering forests. The quantity is not enough to counter emissions under a business-as-usual future, but it is large (30–60%) relative to the carbon emissions allowable for staying under a warming of 2°C. Thus, land management, and forest management in particular, could help stabilize concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and provide a bridge for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy.
Effects of post-pyrolysis air oxidation on the chemical composition of biomass chars investigated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the chemical changes induced by thermal air oxidation of biomass chars. Post-pyrolysis air oxidation (PPAO) was applied to anoxically-prepared maple-wood and pecan-shell chars at PPAO temperatures ranging from 300 to 600 °C for up to 40 min. The 13C NMR data showed that PPAO treatment introduced oxygen functionalities into aromatic rings, primarily C–O and C=O, but also carboxyl groups (COO) identified after spectral editing. The concentration of COO was relatively low (
Sex- and Age-dependent Differences in Sleep-wake Characteristics of Fisher-344 Rats

Aging is a well-recognized risk factor for sleep disruption. The characteristics of sleep in aging include its disruption by frequent awakenings, a decline in both non-rapid eye movement (nonREM) and REM sleep amounts, and a weaker homeostatic response to sleep loss. Evidence also suggests that sleep in females is more sensitive to changes in the ovarian steroidal milieu. The Fischer-344 rats are commonly used experimental subjects in behavioral and physiological studies, including sleep and aging. Most sleep studies in Fischer-344 rats have used male subjects to avoid interactions between the estrus and sleep-waking cycles. The changes in the sleep-wake organization of female Fischer-344 rats, especially with advancing age, are not well-characterized. We determined sleep-waking features of cycling females across estrus stages. We also compared spontaneous and homeostatic sleep response profiles of young (3-4 months) and old (24-25 months) male and female Fischer-344 rats. The results suggest that: i) sleep-wake architectures across stages of estrus cycle in young females were largely comparable except for a significant suppression of REM sleep at proestrus night and an increase in REM sleep the following day; ii) despite hormonal differences, sleep-wake architecture in male and female rats of corresponding ages were comparable except for the suppression of REM sleep at proestrus night and higher nonREM delta power in recovery sleep; and iii) aging significantly affected sleep-wake amounts, sleep-wake stability, and homeostatic response to sleep loss in both male and female rats and that the adverse effects of aging were largely comparable in both sexes.
Normativity in Islamic Bioethics

In Islam, debate and controversy on normativity started from the first centuries after the foundation of the religion by the Prophet Muhammad. One of the very first questions that occurred to the forefathers of Islamic Theology was on the theological bases of normativity. This debate divided Muslim theologians into two major branches: the Mu’tazilites, who believed that independent reason can be relied on as a source of normativity, and the Asha’rites, who believed that the only legitimate source for uncovering moral goodness or badness is the Holy Scripture. Shiite theology, after its initial development in the eighth and ninth centuries CE, was more inclined to the Mu’talizites’ because of the latter’s recognition of independent reason as a source of normativity.
Central Nervous System Fungal Infection-Related Stroke: A Descriptive Study of Mold and Yeast-Associated Ischemic Stroke.

Abstract Objective: Central nervous system (CNS) ischemic events caused by fungal infections are rare, and clinical characteristics of these ischemic events are largely unknown. The objective of this manuscript is to highlight characteristics of fungal-related strokes and describe possible mechanistic differences between CNS mold and yeast infection-related strokes. Methods: We report a single-center retrospective case series of all adult patients who presented with concurrent CNS fungal infection and stroke between 2010 and 2018. Patients believed to have a stroke etiology due to cardioembolic, atheroembolic, or strokes nontemporally associated with a CNS fungal infection and those with incomplete stroke workups were excluded from analysis. Results: Fourteen patients were identified with ischemic stroke and concurrent CNS fungal infection without other known ischemic stroke etiology. Eight patients had a CNS yeast infection, and 6 had a CNS mold infection. All patients presented with recurrent or progressive stroke symptoms. Six patients were immune-compromised. Four patients admitted to intravenous drug use. All yeast infections were identified by cerebrospinal fluid culture or immunologic studies while all but one of the mold infections required identification by tissue biopsy. Leptomeningeal enhancement was only associated with CNS yeast infections, while basal ganglia stroke was only associated with CNS mold infections. Conclusion: Ischemic stroke secondary to CNS fungal infections should be considered in patients with recurrent or progressive cryptogenic stroke, regardless of immune status and cerebrospinal fluid profile. CNS yeast and mold infections have slightly different stroke and laboratory characteristics and should have a distinct diagnostic method. Depending on clinical suspicion, a thorough diagnostic approach including spinal fluid analysis and biopsy should be considered.
When Best Intentions Fail: Why Ads May Fall Short in Combating Islamophobia

Increasing crimes against Muslims are evidence that Muslim Americans are being targeted, while political and media rhetoric has aided the rise of Islamophobia. In response, the Council on American-...
Blockchain and the Protection of Patient Information: Using Blockchain to Protect the Information of Patients in Line with HIPAA (Work-in-Progress)

The effect of Blockchain on the protection of patient information can serve as a way for hospitals and other medical facilities to secure patient records. With more threats targeting hospitals and other medical facilities, it is becoming more important for these organizations to improve the information systems that are charged with protecting their patient records. HIPPA regulations are in place to try and protect patient records and information but the hospitals do not allocate enough funds to information systems so they are put at risk of attack. Blockchain can offer the type of protection that these medical facilities need without them having to worry about upgrading the technology every year. The blockchain is not without its faults, and that can be seen in the attacks that take place against Bitcoin. Even with these attacks, the use of Blockchain would be beneficial to the hospitals and medical facilities.
Security Smells in Ansible and Chef Scripts: A Replication Study

Context: Security smells are recurring coding patterns that are indicative of security weakness, and require further inspection. As infrastructure as code (IaC) scripts, such as Ansible and Chef scripts, are used to provision cloud-based servers and systems at scale, security smells in IaC scripts could be used to enable malicious users to exploit vulnerabilities in the provisioned systems. Goal: The goal of this paper is to help practitioners avoid insecure coding practices while developing infrastructure as code scripts through an empirical study of security smells in Ansible and Chef scripts. Methodology: We conduct a replication study where we apply qualitative analysis with 1,956 IaC scripts to identify security smells for IaC scripts written in two languages: Ansible and Chef. We construct a static analysis tool called Security Linter for Ansible and Chef scripts (SLAC) to automatically identify security smells in 50,323 scripts collected from 813 open source software repositories. We also submit bug reports for 1,000 randomly-selected smell occurrences. Results: We identify two security smells not reported in prior work: missing default in case statement and no integrity check. By applying SLAC we identify 46,600 occurrences of security smells that include 7,849 hard-coded passwords. We observe agreement for 65 of the responded 94 bug reports, which suggests the relevance of security smells for Ansible and Chef scripts amongst practitioners. Conclusion: We observe security smells to be prevalent in Ansible and Chef scripts, similar to that of the Puppet scripts. We recommend practitioners to rigorously inspect the presence of the identified security smells in Ansible and Chef scripts using (i) code review, and (ii) static analysis tools.
Gymnast's Wrist (Distal Radial Physeal Stress Syndrome)

The distal radial physis is a common site for injury in gymnasts because of the significant amount of load applied during upper extremity weight-bearing. Wrist pain has been reported in up to 88% of gymnasts. The long-term consequences of overuse wrist injuries, such as distal radial physeal arrest, include degenerative conditions that often cause pain and functional limitations. In the more immediate stage of many overuse injuries, early diagnosis can promote quicker care and recovery and thus faster return to play. Less time lost to injury can be very important in maintaining an athlete's quality of life.
Microbial Inactivation by Non-equilibrium Short-Pulsed Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge (Cold Plasma): Numerical and Experimental Studies

Microbial inactivation efficacy of plasma generated by a custom-made floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD) or cold plasma at three different frequencies (1 kHz, 2 kHz, and 3.5 kHz) was experimentally evaluated for its inactivation of the pathogen surrogate Enterobacter aerogenes on a glass surface to obtain inactivation kinetics. COMSOL Multiphysics® was used to numerically simulate the amount and the distribution of reactive species within an FE-DBD system. Microbial inactivation kinetics was predicted using species concentrations and microbial inactivation rates from the literature and compared with experimental data. The results showed that the FE-DBD plasma treatment achieved a microbial reduction of 4.3 ± 0.5 log CFU/surface at 3.5 kHz, 5.1 ± 0.09 log CFU/surface at 2 kHz, and 5.1 ± 0.05 log CFU/surface at 1 kHz in 2 min, 3 min, and 6 min, respectively. The predicted values were 4.02 log CFU/surface, 4.10 log CFU/surface, and 4.56 log CFU/surface at 1 kHz, 2 kHz, and 3.5 kHz, respectively. A maximum 1 log difference was observed between numerical predictions and the experimental results. The difference might be due to synergistic interactions between plasma species, UV component of FE-DBD plasma, and/or the electrical field effects, which could not be included in the numerical simulation.
Biased Galaxy Formation And Measurements Of Beta

Measurements of the cosmological density parameter Omega using techniques that exploit the gravity-induced motions of galaxies constrain, in linear perturbation theory, the degenerate parameter combination beta = Omega^{0.6}/b, where the linear bias parameter b is the ratio of the fluctuation amplitudes of the galaxy and mass distributions. However, the relation between the galaxy and mass density fields depends on the complex physics of galaxy formation, and it can in general be non-linear, stochastic, and perhaps non-local. The one-parameter linear bias model is almost certainly oversimplified, which leads to the obvious question: What is the quantity beta that is actually measured by different techniques? To address this question, we estimate beta from galaxy distributions that are constructed by applying a variety of locally biased galaxy formation models to cosmological N-body simulations. We compare the values of beta estimated using three different techniques: a density-density comparison similar to the POTENT analysis, a velocity-velocity comparison similar to the VELMOD analysis, and an anisotropy analysis of the redshift-space power spectrum. In most cases, we find that beta estimated using all three methods is similar to the asymptotic value of Omega^{0.6}/b_{sigma}(R) at large R, where b_{sigma}(R) is the ratio of rms galaxy fluctuations to rms mass fluctuations on scale R. Thus, something close to the conventional interpretation of beta continues to hold even for complex bias models. Moreover, we find that beta estimates made using these three methods should, in principle, agree with each other. It is thus unlikely that non-linear or scale-dependent bias is responsible for the discrepancies that exist among current measurements of beta from different techniques.
Commensal Microbiota Modulation of Natural Resistance to Virus Infection

Interferon (IFN)-Is are crucial mediators of antiviral immunity and homeostatic immune system regulation. However, the source of IFN-I signaling under homeostatic conditions is unclear. We discovered that commensal microbes regulate the IFN-I response through induction of IFN-β by colonic DCs. Moreover, the mechanism by which a specific commensal microbe induces IFN-β was identified. Outer membrane (OM)-associated glycolipids of gut commensal microbes belonging to the Bacteroidetes phylum induce expression of IFN-β. Using Bacteroides fragilis and its OM-associated polysaccharide A, we determined that IFN-β expression was induced via TLR4-TRIF signaling. Antiviral activity of this purified microbial molecule against infection with either vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or influenza was demonstrated to be dependent on the induction of IFN-β. In a murine VSV infection model, commensal-induced IFN-β regulated natural resistance to virus infection. Due to the physiological importance of IFN-Is, discovery of an IFN-β-inducing microbial molecule represents a potential approach for the treatment of some human diseases.
Introduction: Facing the Other

This essay serves as an introduction to the articles in this special issue, Stranger Races, dealing with how indigenous peoples use the white Other in constructing their identity. I review key issu...
Peripartum considerations for women with cardiac disease.

Purpose of review The aim of this review of cardiac disease in pregnancy is to delineate current best practices and highlight emerging themes in the literature. Recent findings Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the United States. Many clinicians and institutions have developed care pathways to approach care in these high-risk patients including highly coordinated multidisciplinary teams. The diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension is the greatest risk factor for an adverse event in pregnant women. Vaginal delivery, with good neuraxial anesthesia, is usually the preferred mode of delivery in women with cardiac disease, although the rate of cesarean delivery is higher among women with heart disease. Summary The leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women is cardiac disease. Preconception counseling is useful for optimizing patients for pregnancy and setting appropriate expectations about care and outcomes. Ensuring that women are cared for in centers with appropriate multidisciplinary resources is key for improving outcomes for cardio-obstetric patients.
Enhancing the "What" and "Why" of the PPCP with the "How" of Clinical Reasoning.

Objectives. Clinical reasoning (CR) is integral to the provision of patient-centered care as outlined in the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP). However, the PPCP was not created to foster CR in student pharmacists and cannot be the sole tool used to characterize or cultivate these skills. This article seeks to describe elements of CR, the relationship between CR and PPCP, and concepts from the CR literature that should inform the teaching of CR skills. Findings. Key elements of the PPCP were identified in CR definitions, but differences emerged. The literature supports CR as a bidirectional, fluid process that is highly collaborative. Effective CR requires multiple types of “thinking”, interaction with others and the environment, self-assessment, and a tolerance for nuance or ambiguity. Teaching strategies can be used in the didactic and experiential setting to target the cognitive and contextual factors associated with CR. Summary. Educators should consult the CR literature to enhance our understanding of CR in seeking to teach, model, and foster these skills in our students. Future scholarship should include the development of models to support CR within the profession of pharmacy, adoption and experimentation with CR teaching techniques, and valuation of the utility of various assessment tools and processes.
Impact of milk feeding levels and housing on the incidence of respiratory disease in young dairy calves

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be the leading cause of death in feeder cattle, with losses approaching $1 billion annually in North America. In contrast to beef cattle, dairy calves are more likely to be affected with BRD during the pre-weaning (incidence, 58%) and post-weaning (incidence 42%) periods. Additionally, the impact of BRD extends beyond the actual disease episode, with negative effects evident on subsequent productivity and survivability of replacement stock. The ability to identify calves during the initial stages of BRD by behavior monitoring would allow for earlier treatment intervention and potentially decrease the disease's effects on subsequent productivity. Results of recent studies indicate that group housing or daily increased provision of milk decreased the incidence of disease and increased the daily gain. These findings suggest the potential for a positive effect of the social interactions stemming from group or paired housing. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of milk feeding levels and housing on the incidence of BRD in young dairy heifers.
Association of infertility with premature mortality among US women: Prospective cohort study

Summary Background Infertility has been associated with common chronic non-communicable diseases. However, the association of infertility with long-term mortality is unclear. Methods We followed 101,777 women aged 25–42 years at enrollment between 1989 and 2017. Biennial questionnaires updated participants’ infertility status and underlying reasons for infertility throughout their reproductive lifespan. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the associations of infertility with the risk of premature mortality (death before age 70 years) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Findings During 28 years of follow-up, 2174 women died before age 70 years. Infertility was associated with an HR of 1.26 (95% confidence interval: 1.15 to 1.38) for premature death. This relation was largely driven by deaths from cancer (HR = 1.22, 1.08 to 1.39) and was stronger among women reporting infertility at a younger age (HR = 1.35, 1.19 to 1.52 for age ≤ 25 years; 1.23, 1.10 to 1.38 for age 26–30 years; and 1.10, 0.91 to 1.32 for age > 30 years, compared to no infertility). The premature mortality risk was also higher for women who didn't become pregnant after their first report of infertility (HR = 1.39, 1.25 to 1.54) than among women who reported at least one pregnancy after infertility (HR = 1.12, 1.00 to 1.26). When contributing diagnoses of infertility were evaluated, a greater risk of all-cause mortality was associated with infertility due to ovulatory disorders (HR = 1.28, 1.09 to 1.51) and endometriosis (HR = 1.50, 1.22 to 1.83). Interpretation Infertility may be associated with a greater risk of premature mortality, particularly cancer mortality. Funding The National Institutes of Health grants.
A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING MILEAGE IMPROVEMENT AND EMISSION REDUCTIONS ACHIEVABLE BY HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The results of two derivations relating to the fuel economy of hybrid-electric vehicles (vehicles which employ both a heat engine and electric drive system) are presented and their use is illustrated through the examples of the University of Wisconsin and TRW Systems Group hybrid-electric vehicles. The method of mileage estimation employs a specific fuel-consumption versus torque-speed map for the heat engine under study and knowledge of the hybrid-vehicle dynamics and road-load power. The method is easily extended to estimation of emission reductions through use of specific-emission- production versus torque-speed maps and is applicable to hybrid vehicles with other than electrical energy- storage systems.
Cellular integrity is required for inhibition of initiation of cellular DNA synthesis by reovirus type 3.

Abstract Synchronized HeLa cells, primed for entry into the synthesis phase by amethopterin, were prevented from initiating DNA synthesis 9 h after infection with reovirus type 3. However, nuclei isolated from synchronized cells infected with reovirus for 9 or 16 h demonstrated a restored ability to synthesize DNA. The addition of enucleated cytoplasmic extracts from infected or uninfected cells did not affect this restored capacity for synthesis. The addition of ribonucleotide triphosphates to nuclei isolated from infected cells stimulated additional DNA synthesis, suggesting that these nuclei were competent to initiate new rounds of DNA replication. Permeabilization of infected cells did not restore the ability of these cells to synthesize DNA. Nucleoids isolated from intact or permeabilized cells, infected for 9 or 16 h displayed an increased rate of sedimentation when compared with nucleoids isolated from uninfected cells. Nucleoids isolated from the nuclei of infected cells demonstrated a rate of sedimentation similar to that of nucleoids isolated from the nuclei of uninfected cells. The inhibition of initiation of cellular DNA synthesis by reovirus type 3 appears not to have been due to a permanent alteration of the replication complex, but this inhibition could be reversed by the removal of that complex from factors unique to the structural or metabolic integrity of the infected cell.
Analyses of Ehrlichia canis and a canine granulocytic Ehrlichia infection.

Abstract Ehrlichia canis and canine granulocytic Ehrlichia sp. (CGE) infect canine monocytes and granulocytes, respectively. E. canis has been cultured in vitro and used to develop an immunofluorescence assay. CGE has not been cultured, and a serologic assay is not available. The sera of dogs infected with CGE were reported to react with E. canis by immunofluorescence. In this study, the temporal response of immunoglobulin G (IgG) was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with purified E. canis antigen in four dogs experimentally infected with E. canis, in two dogs experimentally infected with CGE, and in one dog infected with E. canis and subsequently infected with CGE. E. canis-infected dogs developed an IgG ELISA result of 1.5 or greater for the optical density signal/noise ratio by 2 months postinfection. CGE challenge of a dog with a previous E. canis infection induced an anamnestic increase in the IgG ELISA result; however, CGE infection alone did not induce a significant IgG ELISA response. Western immunoblot analysis showed that dogs infected with E. canis developed antibodies initially that reacted with low-molecular-mass proteins (30, 24, and 21 kDa) and subsequently with higher-molecular-mass proteins (160, 100, 78, 64, 47, and 40 kDa). In contrast, CGE-infected dogs showed reactions with the same higher-molecular-mass proteins of E. canis but, unlike E. canis-infected dogs, not with the low-molecular-mass proteins of E. canis. Of 10 serum samples collected in the field of Indonesia from dogs with tropical canine pancytopenia, all had an optical density signal minus noise value of 2.54 or greater in the IgG ELISA and reacted with E. canis antigen in a pattern similar to that of serum samples from dogs experimentally infected with E. canis in Western immunoblotting. This study suggests that the IgG ELISA and Western immunoblotting with purified E. canis as the antigen are useful in distinguishing between E. canis and CGE infections in dogs.
How Soon Is Now? Intertextuality and Reading in the Postcolonial Present

This article discusses the merits of reading postcolonial literature within an intertextual framework. Essential to the argument is the point that understanding intertextuality as a mere "study of sources," a task of tracing references and expostulating on their meaning, does not embrace the more productive and liberatory ends of a more theoretically informed practice of intertextual reading. Indebted largely to the work of Kristeva, Bakhtin and Bhabha, this discussion attempts to chart the different ways in which critics and theorists have appropriated this term and then argues for a (re)deployment of this critical framework to best retain the semantic openendedness of the present--the time and place of postcolonial critique.
Predicting intrauterine growth retardation in sibships while considering maternal and infant covariates

Data on 6,210 full-term sibships (gestational age greater than 36 weeks) reconstructed from birth certificates registered in Maryland between 1980 and 1984 were used to study sibship aggregation and recurrence risk of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) while considering maternal and infant covariates. In this study, IUGR was defined as being below the 10th percentile for race-, sex-, and gestational-age-specific birth weight based on all births registered in Maryland during 1984. Maternal factors (race, age at delivery, marital status, amount of prenatal care, concurrent illnesses, and complications during pregnancy) and infant factors (congenital malformations and first born child or not) were used as covariates in a modified logistic regression model which allowed correlation among sibs. First-time mothers who were under age 30 years, unmarried, received too little prenatal care, or had any reported pregnancy complications were at high risk of delivering an infant with IUGR. Even given the effects of these risk factors, however, there was a significant correlation in risk among full sibs (r = .237 +/- .028), which, combined with information on risk factors, can be used to estimate sibling recurrence risk for IUGR.
GDF3 is a BMP inhibitor that can activate Nodal signaling only at very high doses

Within the TGF-β superfamily, there are approximately forty ligands divided into two major branches: the TGF-β/Activin/Nodal ligands and the BMP/GDF ligands. We studied the ligand GDF3 and found that it inhibits signaling by its co-family members, the BMPs; however, GDF3 has been described by others to have Nodal-like activity. Here, we show that GDF3 can activate Nodal signaling, but only at very high doses and only upon mRNA over-expression. In contrast, GDF3 inhibits BMP signaling upon over-expression of GDF3 mRNA, as recombinant protein, and regardless of its dose. We therefore further characterized the mechanism through which GDF3 protein acts as a specific BMP inhibitor and found that the BMP inhibitory activity of GDF3 resides redundantly in the unprocessed, predominant form and in the mature form of the protein. These results confirm and extend the activity that we described for GDF3 and illuminate the experimental basis for the different observations of others. We suggest that GDF3 is either a bi-functional TGF-β ligand, or, more likely, that it is a BMP inhibitor that can artificially activate Nodal signaling under non-physiological conditions.
The role of perfusion data

The use of a thrombolytic agent, whether streptokinase, t-PA, or APSAC, clearly has a profound benefit in reducing mortality when used in the early hours following an acute myocardial infarction. The reasons for this benefit in mortality are unexplained by early patency rates alone. The choice of one thrombolytic agent over another ultimately must rest on the results of randomized studies directly comparing them, with mortality as the end-point. Hopefully, GISSI-II and ISIS-III will give us these answers.