cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Septal efferent axon terminals identified by anterograde degeneration show multiple sites for modulation of neuropeptide Y-containing neurons in the rat dentate gyrus.

The ultrastructure and cellular associations of septal efferent terminals identified by anterograde degeneration with neurons containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the rat dentate gyrus were examined quantitatively. For this, the septal complex (i. e., medial septal and diagonal band nuclei) of adult male rats was injected with the neurotoxin ibotenic acid (1%; 150 nl) and following a 2–4-day survival period, the hippocampal formation was processed for the electron microscopic immunocytochemical demonstration of NPY using the avidin-biotin complex method. Terminals with the morphological characteristics of anterograde degeneration, in particular an increase in osmiophilia, and neurons containing NPY-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) were most abundant in the hilus of the dentate gyrus. In this region, degenerating terminals (n = 109) were usually small (0.2–0.4 μm in diameter) and formed both asymmetric and symmetric synapses with small (distal) dendrites. The degenerating terminals contacted either single NPY-containing (19%) perikarya or dendrites or unlabeled (48%) perikarya or dendrites. Some degenerating terminals contacted the same perikarya or dendrites as an NPY-containing terminal (11%); these neurons were either immunoreactive for NPY or unlabeled. The remaining degenerating terminals were either directly apposed without glial intervention to unlabeled and NPY-labeled terminals (11%) or lacked associations with any neuronal processes in the plane of section analyzed (11%). The findings demonstrate that ibotenic acid injections in the septal complex can identify septal efferent terminals by degeneration and provide cellular substrates for the direct synaptic regulation as well as presynaptic modulation of hippocampal NPY-containing neurons by septal efferent terminals. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Simulation of Thermal Stratification in BWR Suppression Pools with One Dimensional Modeling Method

Abstract The suppression pool in a boiling water reactor (BWR) plant not only is the major heat sink within the containment system, but also provides the major emergency cooling water for the reactor core. In several accident scenarios, such as a loss-of-coolant accident and extended station blackout, thermal stratification tends to form in the pool after the initial rapid venting stage. Accurately predicting the pool stratification phenomenon is important because it affects the peak containment pressure; the pool temperature distribution also affects the NPSHa (available net positive suction head) and therefore the performance of the Emergency Core Cooling System and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System pumps that draw cooling water back to the core. Current safety analysis codes use zero dimensional (0-D) lumped parameter models to calculate the energy and mass balance in the pool; therefore, they have large uncertainties in the prediction of scenarios in which stratification and mixing are important. While three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods can be used to analyze realistic 3-D configurations, these methods normally require very fine grid resolution to resolve thin substructures such as jets and wall boundaries, resulting in a long simulation time. For mixing in stably stratified large enclosures, the BMIX++ code (Berkeley mechanistic MIXing code in C++) has been developed to implement a highly efficient analysis method for stratification where the ambient fluid volume is represented by one-dimensional (1-D) transient partial differential equations and substructures (such as free or wall jets) are modeled with 1-D integral models. This allows very large reductions in computational effort compared to multi-dimensional CFD modeling. One heat-up experiment performed at the Finland POOLEX facility, which was designed to study phenomena relevant to Nordic design BWR suppression pool including thermal stratification and mixing, is used for validation. Comparisons between the BMIX++, GOTHIC, and CFD calculations against the POOLEX experimental data are discussed in detail.
Estimation of forest biophysical characteristics in Northern Michigan with SIR-C/X-SAR

A three-step process is presented for estimation of forest biophysical properties from orbital polarimetric SAR data. Simple direct retrieval of total aboveground biomass is shown to be ill-posed unless the effects of forest structure are explicitly taken into account. The process first involves classification by (1) using SAR data to classify terrain on the basis of structural categories or (2) a priori classification of vegetation type on some other basis. Next, polarimetric SAR data at L- and C-bands are used to estimate basal area, height and dry crown biomass for forested areas. The estimation algorithms are empirically determined and are specific to each structural class. The last step uses a simple biophysical model to combine the estimates of basal area and height with ancillary information on trunk taper factor and wood density to estimate trunk biomass. Total biomass is estimated as the sum of crown and trunk biomass. The methodology is tested using SIR-C data obtained from the Raco Supersite in Northern Michigan on Apr. 15, 1994. This site is located at the ecotone between the boreal forest and northern temperate forests, and includes forest communities common to both. The results show that for the forest communities examined, biophysical attributes can be estimated with relatively small rms errors: (1) height (0-23 m) with rms error of 2.4 m, (2) basal area (0-72 m/sup 2//ha) with rms error of 3.5 m/sup 2//ha, (3) dry trunk biomass (0-19 kg/m/sup 2/) with rms error of 1.1 kg/m/sup 2/, (4) dry crown biomass (0-6 kg/m/sup 2/) with rms error of 0.5 kg/m/sup 2/, and (5) total aboveground biomass (0-25 kg/m/sup 2/) with rms error of 1.4 kg/m/sup 2/. The addition of X-SAR data to SIR-C was found to yield substantial further improvement in estimates of crown biomass in particular. However, due to a small sample size resulting from antenna misalignment between SIR-C and X-SAR, the statistical significance of this improvement cannot be reliably established until further data are analyzed. Finally, the results reported are for a small subset of the data acquired by SIR-C/X-SAR. >
Identification of RIFL, a novel adipocyte-enriched insulin target gene with a role in lipid metabolism.

To identify new genes that are important in fat metabolism, we utilized the Lexicon-Genentech knockout database of genes encoding transmembrane and secreted factors and whole murine genome transcri...
The Computerization of Service: Evidence of Information and Communication Technologies in Real Estate

We explore the overlap between service and computerization using macro-level industrial data on the U.S. real estate market and five comparison industries (hospitals, financial services, legal services, machinery manufacturing, and fabricated metals). The macro-level data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau and we use it to develop insights on computerization and service relative to contributions to the U.S. gross domestic product. This analysis shows that while information and communication technology investments in real estate lagged comparison industries from 1969 to 1997, since then ICT investments in real estate have increased rapidly. At the same time, there has been a growth in the number workers even as the industry’s contribution to GDP has grown. We identify two implications of these findings. First, ICTs are not being used are not as a substitute for labor. Second, the rapid growth in ICT investments has been absorbed into real estate quickly and well. Still, computerization in real estate continues, suggesting that process studies and more micro-analyses are critical next steps.
Incidence and implications of postoperative supraventricular tachycardia after pulmonary lobectomy

Abstract Objective We sought to determine the rate of postoperative supraventricular tachycardia (POSVT) in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy, and its association with adverse outcomes. Methods Using the State Inpatient Database, from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, we reviewed lobectomies performed (2009-2011) in California, Florida, and New York, to determine POSVT incidence. Patients were grouped by presence or absence of POSVT, with or without other complications. Stroke rates were analyzed independently from other complications. Multivariable regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with POSVT. Results Among 20,695 lobectomies performed, 2449 (11.8%) patients had POSVT, including 1116 (5.4%) with isolated POSVT and 1333 (6.4%) with POSVT with other complications. Clinical predictors of POSVT included age ≥75 years, male gender, white race, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, thoracotomy surgical approach, and pulmonary complications. POSVT was associated with an increase of: stroke (odds ratio [OR] 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.94); in-hospital death (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.45-2.35); LOS (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.29-1.37); and readmission (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.04-1.60). The stroke rate was Conclusions POSVT is common in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy and is associated with adverse outcomes. Comparative studies are needed to determine whether strict adherence to recently published guidelines will decrease the rate of stroke, readmission, and death after POSVT in thoracic surgical patients.
Recombinational branch migration by the RadA/Sms paralog of RecA in Escherichia coli

Damage to the DNA of a cell can cause serious harm, and so cells have several ways in which they can repair DNA. Most of these processes rely on the fact that each of the two strands that make up a DNA molecule can be used as a template to build the other strand. However, this is not possible if both strands of the DNA break in the same place. This form of damage can be repaired in a process called homologous recombination, which uses an identical copy of the broken DNA molecule to repair the broken strands. As a result, this process can only occur during cell division shortly after a cell has duplicated its DNA. One important step of homologous recombination is called strand exchange. This involves one of the broken strands swapping places with part of the equivalent strand in the intact DNA molecule. To do so, the strands of the intact DNA molecule separate in the region that will be used for the repair, and the broken strand can then use the other non-broken DNA strand as a template to replace any missing sections of DNA. The region of the intact DNA molecule where the strands need to separate often grows during this process: this is known as branch migration. In bacteria, a protein called RecA plays a fundamental role in controlling strand exchange, but there are other, similar proteins whose roles in homologous recombination are less well known. Cooper and Lovett have now purified one of these proteins, called RadA, from the Escherichia coli species of bacteriato study how it affects homologous recombination. This revealed that RadA can bind to single-stranded DNA and stimulate branch migration to increase the rate of homologous recombination. Further investigation revealed that RadA allows branch migration to occur even when RecA is missing, but that RadA is unable to begin strand exchange if RecA is not present. The process of branch migration stabilizes the DNA molecules during homologous recombination and may also allow the repaired DNA strand to engage the machinery that copies DNA. Cooper and Lovett also used genetic techniques to alter the structure of specific regions of RadA and found out which parts of the protein affect the ability of RadA to stimulate branch migration. Future challenges are to find out what effect RadA has on the structure of RecA and how RadA promotes branch migration.
Dynamin-2 is a novel NOS1β interacting protein and negative regulator in the collecting duct.

Nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1)-derived nitric oxide (NO) production in collecting ducts is critical for maintaining fluid-electrolyte balance. Rat collecting ducts express both the full-length NOS1...
Logistics as Care and Control: An Investigation into the UNICEF Supply Division

This paper investigates emerging practices and infrastructures in global humanitarian relief to argue for logistics as an essential but often neglected component of ICTD and broader HCI work. Logistics -- the artful coordination of human and material flows -- leverages scholarship on "coordination," "articulation" and "infrastructure" to provide insight into the complex role of new IT systems (and HCI as a field) in the global circulation of goods and relations. Drawing on fieldwork with the UNICEF Supply Division, we argue that contemporary logistics operates simultaneously as a form of care and control. We demonstrate that logisticians at Supply traverse messy and dynamic information and material infrastructures, and that effective logistical work must marry and bridge these worlds. Our work extends ICTD and postcolonial computing research by casting light on the nature, experience and ambivalence of the global flows that enable and support HCI work in development and postcolonial settings.
Culex quinquefasciatus larval microbiomes vary with instar and exposure to common wastewater contaminants

Like many insects, mosquitoes, rely on endosymbionts to grow and develop. These can be acquired from the environment. We used next generation 454 pyrosequencing to discern the whole-body microbiome of the mosquito species Culex quinquefasciatus in various larval stadia and following exposure to common pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) found in wastewater. PPCP treatments included environmentally-relevant concentrations; 1) a combination of common antibiotics, 2) a combination of mammalian hormones, 3) a mixture of the antibiotic and hormone treatments plus acetaminophen and caffeine and, 4) an untreated control. Within control groups, the predominant families of bacterial symbionts change with each larval instar despite consistent diets and rearing conditions. This trend was also seen in hormone treatments but not in the antibiotic or the mixture treatments. Richness and evenness were reduced in both antibiotic and mixture treatments, suggesting that antibiotics remove certain bacteria or inhibit them from increasing to proportions seen in the control treatment. Interestingly, the mixture treatments had greater richness and evenness compared to antibiotic alone treatments, possibly due to the other contaminants facilitating growth of different bacteria. These findings illuminate the complexity of the microbiome of C. quinquefasciatus and may have implications for more effective control strategies.
Abnormal function of the bone marrow microenvironment in chronic myelogenous leukemia: role of malignant stromal macrophages

The bone marrow microenvironment supports and regulates the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Dysregulated hematopoiesis in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is caused, at least in part, by abnormalities in CML hematopoietic progenitors leading to altered interactions with the marrow microenvironment. The role of the microenvironment itself in CML has not been well characterized. We examined the capacity of CML stroma to support the growth of long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) obtained from normal and CML marrow. The growth of normal LTC-IC on CML stroma was significantly reduced compared with normal stroma. This did not appear to be related to abnormal production of soluble factors by CML stroma because normal LTC-IC grew equally well in Transwells above CML stroma as in Transwells above normal stroma. In addition, CML and normal stromal supernatants contained similar quantities of both growth-stimulatory (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CSF), interleukin-6, stem cell factor, granulocyte-macrophage CSF, and interleukin-1 beta) and growth-inhibitory cytokines (transforming growth factor-beta, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha). The relative proportion of different cell types in CML and normal stroma was similar. However, polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies showed the presence of bcr-abl-positivo cells in CML stroma, which were CD14+ stromal macrophages. To assess the effect of these malignant macrophages on stromal function, CML and normal stromal cells were separated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting into stromal mesenchymal cell (CD14-) and macrophage (CD14+) populations. CML and normal CD14- cells supported the growth of normal LTC-IC equally well. However, the addition of CML macrophages to normal or CML CD14- mesenchymal cells resulted in impaired progenitor support. This finding indicates that the abnormal function of CML bone marrow stroma is related to the presence of malignant macrophages. In contrast to normal LTC-IC, the growth of CML LTC-IC on allogeneic CML stromal layers was not impaired and was significantly better than that of normal LTC-IC cocultured with the same CML stromal layers. These studies demonstrate that, in addition to abnormalities in CML progenitors themselves, abnormalities in the CML marrow microenvironment related to the presence of malignant stromal macrophages may contribute to the selective expansion of leukemic progenitors and suppression of normal hematopoiesis in CML.
An Analysis of the Recruitment and Participation of African American Men in Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Research: A Review of the Published Literature

Research studies have shown that African American men have experienced higher rates of serious complications of type 2 diabetes, due in part to poor disease management. Although type 2 diabetes research among minority populations is consistently advancing, there still remains a scarcity of African American male representation within these studies. It is unclear if this scarcity stems from lack of interest among men, location of recruitment, or ways in which these men are motivated to participate in research studies. As a result, an analysis of recruitment methods and locations of literature that includes African American men with type 2 diabetes is needed. The purpose of this review of the literature is threefold: (a) determine the number of published empirical studies specific to type 2 diabetes self-management that included African Americans in the sample, (b) to evaluate the percentage of men that were represented in the study sample as compared to how many women, and
Understanding section 508 and its implications for distance education

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act mandates that federal agencies must ensure the provision of accessible electronic and information technology. Although this legislation has not formally been applied to higher education, it will inevitably have an impact on all academic institutions, particularly in the area of distance education. This analysis examines how the legislation applies to distance education technologies and technical requirements and provisions of the law. An overview of Section 508 standards and its application is distance education is discussed.
The Value of Progress Testing in Undergraduate Medical Education: a Systematic Review of the Literature

The increased implementation of progress testing as an assessment tool in medical education suggests a systematic review of the literature is necessary to increase understanding of the value of progress testing and its outcomes on student learning, as well as institutional and curriculum evaluation. Following the PRISMA guidelines, in 2014, the authors conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and three education databases from EBSCO-ERIC, Education Research Complete, and Education Full Text. Sixteen papers were declared eligible for review based on eligibility criteria. Review of these papers revealed five themes addressing the value of progress testing in undergraduate medical education: Feedback, Evaluation, Perceived Value by Students, Student Progress and Academic Performance, and Licensure Exam Performance. The review suggests that advantages of progress testing include the ability to evaluate and track medical knowledge at the individual, cohort, and institutional level, as well as monitor curricular changes. Students find progress testing valuable for identifying strengths and weaknesses in their knowledge, as progress testing performance correlates with licensure exam performance. The greatest challenges to implementation of progress testing are the substantial time and personal resources required and the difficulty mapping test items to curricular content and objectives.
Reading the Cuban revolution from Bogotá, 1957–62

AbstractThis article traces the evolution of Colombian responses to the early Cuban revolution. For the governing Liberal Party in particular, developments in Cuba only gradually came to be read in terms of the Cold War. Instead, Colombians primarily interpreted the revolution through the lens of their own recent post-authoritarian transition, as well as a commitment to inter-American diplomacy. Using Colombian, US, and UK government as well as press sources, the article challenges recent historiography on the Cold War in Latin America, to demonstrate how the Cold War was but one reading of Latin American politics in the era of the Cuban revolution.
Impact on the spatial resolution performance of a monolithic crystal PET detector due to different sensor parameters

The performance characteristics of a monolithic crystal PET detector utilizing a novel sensor on the entrance surface (SES) design is reported. To facilitate this design, we propose to utilize a 2D silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array device. SiPMs are a form of Geiger-Muller mode avalanche photodiodes (GMAPD) that can provide signal gain similar to a photomultiplier tube (PMT). Since these devices are still under active development, their performance parameters are changing. Using a multi-step simulation process, we investigated how different SiPM parameters affect the performance of a monolithic crystal PET detector. These parameters include gain variability between different channels; gain instability; and dark count noise. The detector simulated was a 49.6 mm by 49.6 mm by 15 mm LYSO crystal detector readout by a 16 by 16 array of 2.8 mm by 2.8 mm SiPM elements. To reduce the number of signal channels that need to be collected, the detector utilizes row-column summing. A statistics based positioning method is used for event positioning and depth of interaction (DOI) decoding. Of the variables investigated, the dark count noise had the largest impact on the intrinsic spatial resolution. Gain differences of 5-10% between detector calibration and detector testing had a modest impact on the intrinsic spatial resolution performance and led to a slight bias in positioning. There was no measurable difference with a gain variability of up to 25% between the individual SiPM channels. Based upon these results we are planning to cool our detectors below room temperature to reduce dark count noise and to actively control the temperature of the SiPMs to reduce drifts in gain over time.
Using domain knowledge to improve Monte-Carlo Tree Search performance in parameterized Poker squares

Poker Squares is a single-player card game played on a 5 x 5 grid, in which a player attempts to create as many high-scoring Poker hands as possible. As a stochastic single-player game with an extremely large state space, this game offers an interesting area of application for Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS). This paper describes enhancements made to the MCTS algorithm to improve computer play, including pruning in the selection stage and a greedy simulation algorithm. These enhancements make extensive use of domain knowledge in the form of a state evaluation heuristic. Experimental results demonstrate both the general efficacy of these enhancements and their ideal parameter settings.
Labia Majora Share

Defects involving specialised areas with characteristic anatomical features, such as the nipple, upper eyelid, and lip, benefit greatly from the use of sharing procedures. The vulva, a complex 3-dimensional structure, can also be reconstructed through a sharing procedure drawing upon the contralateral vulva. In this report, we present the interesting case of a patient with chronic, massive, localised lymphedema of her left labia majora that was resected in 2011. Five years later, she presented with squamous cell carcinoma over the left vulva region, which is rarely associated with chronic lymphedema. To the best of our knowledge, our management of the radical vulvectomy defect with a labia majora sharing procedure is novel and has not been previously described. The labia major flap presented in this report is a shared flap; that is, a transposition flap based on the dorsal clitoral artery, which has consistent vascular anatomy, making this flap durable and reliable. This procedure epitomises the principle of replacing like with like, does not interfere with leg movement or patient positioning, has minimal donor site morbidity, and preserves other locoregional flap options for future reconstruction. One limitation is the need for a lax contralateral vulva. This labia majora sharing procedure is a viable option in carefully selected patients.
Stage-gate process for life sciences and medical innovation investment

Abstract Life science innovation has led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes and has been a source of financial growth for individuals and institutions capable of performing appropriate investments in this sector. Several groups have developed methodologies to assist medical technology innovators in the design and development activities. Unfortunately, these tools have not aided the general investment community to profit from these enterprises. This situation has contributed to a general reduction in risk capital directed towards life sciences compared to other industries. We review the current investment practices in the life science sector and present a comprehensive stage-gate model that aims to captures this investment process. An analysis of best practices and in-depth interviews with 68 life sciences investors and entrepreneurs worldwide are used to support such model. A single case-control study comparing life science investment execution within two similar investment firms was conducted to evaluate feasibility in the implementation of these practices. The stage-gate model includes (I) General vision and investment strategy definition; (II) Venture search, screening and rapid pre-evaluation; (III) Due diligence and negotiation of terms; (IV) Portfolio management, evaluation, and exit. The difference in execution of investment and results from a post-performance Root Cause Analysis were consistent with a reduction in perceived risk from the case company trained with the proposed model compared to the control. This suggests that our developed model and process may be useful in encouraging life sciences investment via evidence-based evaluations.
Quantum Limits on the Entropy of Bandlimited Radiation

Physical limits on the amount of information carried by bandlimited waveforms radiated in one and three dimensions are considered. It is shown that the entropy of radiation can achieve the Bekenstein bound using a “burst” of energy, whose density vanishes as the radiating system expands. In comparison, black body radiation of infinite bandwidth achieves the same entropy scaling, that is proportional to the volume of the space, but requires an energy density that remains constant as the system expands. Rather than following the standard statistical physics approach of counting the number of eigenstates of the Hamiltonian of the quantum wave field, our derivation first considers an optimal subspace approximation, and then determines the number of bits that are required to represent any waveform in the space spanned by this representation with a minimum quantized energy error. This favors a geometric interpretation where the complexity of state counting is replaced by the one of determining the minimum cardinality covering of the signal space by high-dimensional balls, or boxes, whose size is lower bounded by quantum constraints. All derivations are given for both deterministic and stochastic settings.
Simultaneous ammonia stripping and anaerobic digestion for efficient thermophilic conversion of dairy manure at high solids concentration

Abstract A major challenge to take high rate advantage of thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) is overcoming ammonia inhibition without adding any significant cost to the process. A concept of thermophilic AD with simultaneous ammonia stripping was tested for treating dairy manure at high total solids concentration (TS%) as an attempt to address this challenge. The results showed that ammonia inhibition occurred at 1.8–2.4 g/L total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration which corresponded to 10% TS as a threshold concentration. Thermophilic AD of dairy manure efficiency at the threshold TS% was significantly improved by simultaneously stripping ammonia with the optimum stripping rate of 1 L min −1 . The required time for reaching stable state was 4 days shorter than control, and the highest methane content (56.5–75.5%) was obtained. The ammonia stripping strategy maintained TAN level below the inhibition limit of 1.5 g/L throughout AD process. The maximum cumulative methane production of 192.3 L/kg-volatile solids (VS) was obtained, which was 2.3-fold the control. Therefore, simultaneous ammonia stripping overcame the ammonia inhibition on thermophilic AD of dairy manure at the threshold TS%. The proposed concept simplified the system by combining ammonia stripping and thermophilic AD within the same digester.
Ethnicity, gender and social stress among three groups of elderly Hispanics.

This study examines ethnic and gender differences in social stress amongthree groups of elderly Hispanics: Mexican Americans (n = 773), CubanAmericans (n = 714), and Puerto Ricans (n = 368). Findings from thecrosstabulation analysis between stress and ethnic groups reveal that theelderly Cuban Americans appear to experience less caregiving, family,anxiety, and social dependence stress than their Mexican Americans andPuerto Rican American counterparts. Findings from the crosstabulationanalysis between stress and gender reveal that elderly Hispanic womenwere more likely to experience family, anxiety, social isolation, and socialdependence stress. The logistic regression analyses reveal that ethnicdifferences in family stress, and anxiety and gender differences incaregiving stress and social isolation stress were confounded bydifferences in sociodemographic and health variables. Further sub-groupanalyses of ethnic and gender differences provide a more in-depthunderstanding of social dependency stress and anxiety. Implications forhuman services and research are discussed.
A temperature-adjusted developmental timer for precise embryonic staging.

Developmental biology research depends on careful staging of developing embryos, but the rate of development is extremely sensitive to the temperature at which embryos are raised. It is not always practical to grow embryos at a precisely controlled temperature, so here we describe a simple, inexpensive device based on an Arduino-compatible microprocessor and temperature sensor that provides a metric of developmental time that is compensated for changes in temperature. The underlying assumption is that the rate of development will be linear with respect to temperature over an organism9s thermal tolerance range. The device measures the ambient temperature and integrates effective degree-minutes over time. For convenience, this is displayed to the user as a temperature-adjusted standard developmental time. In initial testing we have found the device to be extremely helpful for fixing Ciona embryos during precise developmental windows.
Secondary school teachers perceptions regarding the process of teaching sustainable agriculture in the agricultural education curriculum

The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions held by high school teachers of agriculture in the North Central Region of the U.S. regarding teaching sustainable agriculture in the agriculture curriculum. This region is comprised of the states of Illinois. Indiana. Iowa. Kansas. Michigan. Minnesota. Missouri. Nebraska. North Dakota. Ohio. South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The specific objectives for this study were to: (I) identify perceptions of teachers regarding teaching sustainable agriculture. (2) identify the extent to which selected sustainable agriculture skills and knowledge were being taught. (3) identify the extent to which inservice training is needed in selected areas of sustainable agriculture. (4) identify demographic characteristics and their relationship with selected perceptions, and (5) develop a model inservice education program for teachers of agricultural education. The study utilized a descriptive research design with a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. The population consisted of all secondary school agriculture teachers in the twelve states of the North Central Region of the United States. The population for the study consisted of 2395 teachers as listed in the Agricultural Educator's Directory. 2000. A randomly selected sample size of 600 was used, with a usable return rate of 246. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Program. Out of the 246 respondents. 199(81%) were males and 47(19%) were females. Agriculture teachers in this study generally supported the concepts related to teaching sustainable agriculture, infusion of sustainable agriculture into the curriculum and the use of a variety of instructional methods to teach sustainable agriculture.
HLA Class I Antigen Abnormalities in Tumors

Abbreviations: APM, antigen processing machinery; 2-m, 2-microglobulin; BIP, immunoglobulin binding protein; CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte(s); DC, dendritic cell; EC, endothelial cell(s); ER, endoplasmic reticulum; HC, heavy chain; HLA, human leukocyte antigen; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; HPV, human papilloma virus; IFN, interferon; LMP, low molecular mass polypeptides; mAb, monoclonal antibody(ies), MHC, major histocompatibility complex; MIC, MHC class I-related molecules; sMIC, soluble MIC; NK, natural killer cell(s); SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphisms; TAM, tumor-associated macrophage; TAP, transporter associated with antigen processing; TCR, T cell receptor; TIL, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte(s); TNF, tumor necrosis factor; Tregs , regulatory T cell(s)
Serbia: Doing More with Less - Addressing the Fiscal Crisis by Increasing Public Sector Productivity

With its economy disrupted by the global economic crisis, the Serbian government faces tight budget constraints for several years to come. The Government has already responded by freezing wages and pension benefits and making cuts in capital works and other discretionary spending. These measures, while effective in the short term, are not necessarily sustainable over time. This report looks at more fundamental reforms in key public services, in order to identify opportunities for constraining expenditures through improvements in productivity in pensions, health, education, social assistance, transport, and enterprise subsidies.
Ecologies of the colonial present: Pathological forestry from the taux de boisement to civilized plantations:

Tree-planting has long been an obsession of postcolonial environmental governance. Never innocent of its imperial history, the practice persists in global regimes of forestry today. For over two ce...
Projecting the urban energy demand for Indiana, USA, in 2050 and 2080

Energy use is one of the largest drivers of climate change, but the large share of energy used for space heating and cooling is also driven by climate change. Demand for energy, particularly cooling, is important for long-range infrastructure planning. Urban areas represent a very small proportion of total land, but usually consume the majority of energy. In this work, statistical, top-down approaches are used to model residential and commercial urban energy demand changes in Indiana, a state in the Midwest region of the USA, in 2050 and 2080 under the climate change scenarios of RCP 4.5 and 8.5. By modeling energy demand changes in urban areas in Indiana, we can project the majority of energy demand while placing it in a spatial perspective that is missing from the statewide estimates. Two time periods are used to give an intuitive time stamp and temporal perspective. Results indicate that Indiana’s northernmost cities are expected to show significantly increased residential cooling demand due to climate change by 2080. Indianapolis represents an increasing share of total urban commercial and residential energy use over the next 60 years. Transportation is expected to represent a larger share of energy use as heating demand declines under climate change scenarios.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Management of Shoulder Pain

The treatment options for the management of shoulder pain are broad but evolving process. Modalities for controlling shoulder pain have commonly focused on pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and invasive procedures (surgical procedures, surgical, intra-articular steroid injections, many times, being sub-optimal). The use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for managing shoulder pain is on the rise. Our review investigated the evidence for the use of RFA in the management of shoulder pain. In our investigation, a review of the literature was conducted using Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from 1966 to 2018. Our study included RCTs, open non-randomized control studies, prospective studies, retrospective studies, case series, and case reports. We limited our search to patients with chronic shoulder pathologies. Our initial search identified 96 articles for initial review. This was narrowed down to 31 articles, which met our inclusion criteria, with only 18 articles remaining after our exclusion criteria was applied. This systematic review suggests that shoulder RFA may provide a safe and significant benefit in the management of chronic shoulder pain. There were a few high-quality RCTs included in our study, which supports the findings of several case reports and case series.
Superantigen Activation of Macrophages

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that can secrete over 30 distinct extracellular proteins. Many of these contribute to the pathogenicity of the organism. Staphylococcal exoproteins are broadly characterized as epidermolytic toxins (ETA and ETB), the enterotoxin family of toxins which includes SEA, SEB, SEC 1, 2 and 3, SED, SEE, SEG, \ SEI and SEJ as well as streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A, toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) and membranedamaging toxins (α,s, , y toxins and others). Coagulase and staphylokinase also are important extracellular secretion products of staphylococci. The enterotoxins are a group of closely related molecules, known to cause “food poisoning’’ and toxic shock and they have some homology to streptococcal pyrogenic toxins.7,8 They have been categorized into several groups based on their sirnilarities.1,4,9 Enterotoxins A and E have 81 % sequence homology and have been grouped together.1,9 In this same classification scheme, SED is grouped with SEA and SEE.’ However, others have listed it separately with (approximately 55% amino acid [AA] homology to SEA and SEE). SEJ shares 78% sequence homology to SEA and 64% similarity with SED when conservative amino acid substitutions are included.5 SEC and SEB are in a third distinct group (66% AA homology between SEB and SEC; approximately 31% AA homology between SEB/SEC and
Risk Prioritization by Leveraging Latent Vulnerability Features in a Contested Environment

Cyber network defenders face an overwhelming volume of software vulnerabilities. Resource limitations preclude them mitigating all but a small number of vulnerabilities on an enterprise network, so proper prioritization of defensive actions are of paramount importance. Current methods of risk prioritization are predominantly expert-based, and many include leveraging Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) risk scores. These scores are assigned by subject matter experts according to conventional methods of qualifying risk. Vulnerability mitigation strategies are then often applied in CVSS score order. Our vulnerability assessment system, in contrast, takes a predominantly data-driven approach. In general, we associate a risk metric of vulnerabilities with existence of corresponding exploits. Our assumption is that if an entity has invested time and money to exploit a particular vulnerability, this is a critical gauge of that vulnerability's importance, and hence risk.Prior work presented a model that allows for the creation of prioritized vulnerabilities based on their association-likelihood with exploits, outperforming then-current methods. Because the initial approach only leveraged one vulnerability feature, we extended the vulnerability feature space by incorporating additional features derived from natural language processing. The importance metric is still given by a vulnerability-exploit relationship, but by processing text descriptions and other available information, our system became significantly more accurate and predictive. We next propose a mechanism that customizes vulnerability risks according to their exploitation likelihood in a contested environment given site-specific threat intelligence information, namely, attacks by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group. Utilizing held-back data, we then demonstrate that latently similar vulnerabilities, which could be targeted by the same adversary, see higher risk ratings.
Accessing the academic influence of vascular surgeons within the National Institutes of Health iCite database

Abstract Objective A diverse array of measures are used to evaluate academic physicians. One critical factor is the scholarly influence an author has on the research discourse within a field. The National Institutes of Health recently developed the Relative Citation Ratio (RCR) as a method to quantify the influence of published research. The aim of this study was to examine the academic influence of vascular surgeons using RCR within common vascular disease research fields. Methods Using the PubMed and National Institutes of Health iCite databases, scientific fields of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease (PAD), cerebral vascular occlusive disease, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and venous insufficiency were queried for the highest rated RCR articles in each category (2007-2012). To calculate the RCR, article citation rates are divided by an expected citation rate derived from performance of articles in the same field, with the resulting RCR being level and field independent. Article categories were divided into basic science, health services, and clinical research on the basis of two independent reviews. For articles, academic backgrounds of the first, second, and last authors (“influential authors”) were collected analyzing procedural specialty: surgery, medicine subspecialty (cardiology, neurology, nephrology), radiology/engineering, and other (anesthesia and pediatrics). Statistical significance between scientific fields and academic background was determined using Student t-test or analysis of variance followed by Newman-Keuls post hoc test. Results The academic influence of vascular surgeons varied substantially by the scientific field. Vascular surgeons compared with medical specialists were found to have the highest academic influence in abdominal aortic aneurysm research, composing 51% of the influential authors on the highest rated RCR studies (5.9 ± 0.8 vs 5.6 ± 0.8; P = .6). In contrast, vascular surgeons composed only 13% of influential authors compared with medical specialists in DVT (RCR, 2.6 ± 0.3 vs 15.7 ± 1.7; P Conclusions Vascular surgeons exhibit a moderate academic influence in the field of aneurysmal disease but lag behind medical subspecialists in high-impact scientific contributions to the fields of PAD and DVT. Innovative strategies and collaborations are likely needed to increase the influence of vascular surgeons on the academic discourse of several vascular disease research fields.
Topology of Singular Spaces: Motivation, Overview

In this chapter, we overview the main results and properties of the (co)homology of manifolds, and show in examples that these results fail to be true for singular spaces. This motivates the use of intersection homology, which recovers the corresponding results in the singular context.
Similar visual perception in GCaMP6 transgenic mice despite differences in learning and motivation

Abstract To study mechanisms of perception and cognition, neural measurements must be made during behavior. A goal of the Allen Brain Observatory is to map activity in distinct cortical cell classes during visual processing and behavior. Here we characterize learning and performance of five GCaMP6-expressing transgenic lines trained on a visual change detection task. We used automated training procedures to facilitate comparisons across mice. Training times varied, but most transgenic mice learned the task. Motivation levels also varied across mice. To compare mice in similar motivational states we subdivided sessions into over-, under-, and optimally motivated periods. When motivated, the pattern of perceptual decisions were highly correlated across transgenic lines, although overall d-prime was lower in one line labeling somatostatin inhibitory cells. These results provide important context for using these mice to map neural activity underlying perception and behavior.
Quantification of defects engineered in single layer MoS2

Atomic defects are controllably introduced in suspended single layer molybdenum disulfide (1L MoS2) using helium ion beam. Vacancies exhibit one missing atom of molybdenum and a few atoms of sulfur. Quantification was done using a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) with an annular detector. Experimentally accessible inter-defect distance was employed to measure the degree of crystallinity in 1L MoS2. A correlation between the appearance of an acoustic phonon mode in the Raman spectra and the inter-defect distance was established, which introduces a new methodology for quantifying defects in two-dimensional materials such as MoS2.
The hydrophobic effect: is water afraid, or just not that interested?

Our understanding of the hydrophobic effect has advanced greatly since 1990, with the help of experimental, theoretical, and computer simulation results. The key hydrophobic signature of positive ∆C°P and negative ∆S° at room temperature has been interpreted in light of the importance of solvent cavity creation, solvent-excluded volume, and solute–water intermolecular forces, along with some unusual thermodynamic properties of pure water. Application of the hydrophobic effect to the hydration of small nonpolar solutes, protein folding stability, and protein–ligand binding is discussed in detail in this review, with an emphasis on thermodynamic analyses and interpretations.