cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus Regulation in Chronic Kidney Disease

Serum phosphorus levels stay relatively constant through the influence of multiple factors-such as parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23, and vitamin D-on the kidney, bone, and digestive system. Whereas normal serum phosphorus ranges between 3 mg/dL to 4.5 mg/dL, large cross-sectional studies have shown that even people with normal kidney function are sometimes found to have levels ranging between 1.6 mg/dL and 6.2 mg/dL. While this may partially be due to diet and the factors mentioned above, total understanding of these atypical ranges of serum phosphorus remains uncertain. Risks for bone disease are high in people aged 50 and older, and this group comprises a large proportion of people who also have chronic kidney disease. Consuming diets low in calcium and high in phosphorus, especially foods with phosphate additives, further exacerbates bone turnover. Existing bone disease increases the risk for high serum phosphorus, and higher serum phosphorus has been associated with increased adverse events and cardiovascular-related mortality both in people with chronic kidney disease and in those with no evidence of disease. Once kidney function has deteriorated to end-stage disease (Stage 5), maintaining normal serum phosphorus requires dietary restrictions, phosphate-binding medications, and dialysis. Even so, normal serum phosphorus remains elusive in many patients with Stage 5 kidney disease, and researchers are testing novel targets that may inhibit intestinal transport of phosphorus to achieve better phosphate control. Protecting and monitoring bone health should also aid in controlling serum phosphorus as kidney disease advances.
Cerebral air embolism treated with endovascular flow reversal and suction aspiration

Abstract Cerebral air embolism is a rare but potentially devastating complication of endovascular intervention. The treatment for cerebral air embolism is often limited to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, anticonvulsants, high-flow oxygen, and a wait-and-see approach. Endovascular aspiration has been reported recently as a possible treatment option for large-vessel occlusion. We present a case in which a different endovascular treatment approach was used to manage air embolism encountered during endovascular therapy of a cerebral aneurysm. In this patient, we used a combination of flow reversal and suction to remove the air embolus.
The prognostic role of serum albumin in patients receiving induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

6618 Background: Serum albumin has been investigated as a prognostic tool in the care of patients with hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes. However, i...
The Multifunctionality of Country Stores: Insights on Resilience from Rural Vermont

A multifunctionality analysis of built environments within rural landscapes can deepen understanding of how contemporary rural places function. There is an urgent need for this knowledge as small t...
Oxygen Mobility in Pre-Reduced Nano- and Macro-Ceria with Co Loading: An AP-XPS, In-Situ DRIFTS and TPR Study

The size effect of ceria nanoparticles on surface oxygen mobility and formation of surface oxygen vacancies in ethanol steam reforming was investigated. Higher concentration of Ce3+ surface sites of the ceria nano-particles (~4 nm, NP) was observed compared to the micro-particles (~120 nm, MP). Similarly, studies using ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) exhibited higher intensity of O1s assigned to the hydroxyl group bonding to Ce3+ and significantly lower intensity for lattice oxygen, stemming from an increase in the number of oxygen vacancies and enhanced oxygen mobility in the nano-ceria under ethanol steam reforming conditions. The presence of fully reduced cobalt particles (Coo) facilitated ceria reduction through hydrogen spillover. The comparison of cerium oxidation states between pre-reduced CeO2 and pre-reduced Co/CeO2 indicated higher extent of reduction of cerium in the case of Co/CeO2 for ethanol steam reforming. These results, together with our previous investigations where higher Ce3+ was observed over CeO2 compared to Co/CeO2 after pre-oxidation treatments, indicate that the initial state of cobalt in Co/CeO2 affects the oxidation state of cerium. Lastly, both nano-ceria and micro-ceria bare supports showed moderate C–C cleavage activities in ethanol steam reforming where better activity was observed over nano-ceria. Formate species were observed predominantly in the DRIFTS spectra of the nano-ceria whereas major species were acetates for micro-ceria. The dissimilarity in the reaction network was attributed to the difference in the number of surface oxygen vacancies. The Co/CeO2-NP catalyst was found more active compared to Co/CeO2-MP with higher hydrogen yield and ethanol conversion.
Vaccines as Epidemic Insurance

This paper explores the relationship between the research for and development of vaccines against global pandemics and insurance. It shows that development in advance of pandemics of a portfolio of effective and government-approved vaccines does have some insurance properties: it requires incurring costs that are certain (the costs of discovering, developing, and testing vaccines) in return for protection against large losses (if a pandemic treatable with one of the vaccines occurs) but also with the possibility of no benefit (from a vaccine against a disease that never reaches the pandemic stage). It then argues that insurance against the latter event might usefully be offered to organizations developing vaccines, and explores the benefits of insurance payments to or on behalf of countries who suffer from unpredictable pandemics. These ideas are then related to recent government, industry, and philanthropic efforts to develop better policies to make vaccines against pandemics available on a timely basis.
Cytokines as mediators in the pathogenesis of septic shock.

During septic shock the host produces several proinflammatory cytokines which have been implicated as playing a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The production of these cytokines is initiated by the organisms themselves (phagocytosis) or by soluble products of the organisms. For example, the lipopolysaccharide endotoxins (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria, the protein exotoxins of gram-positive bacteria, and the cell-wall glycopeptides such as teichoic acids and muramyl peptides. Of course, LPS is by far the most potent soluble product of bacteria which induces cytokine production, and therefore most information about cytokine induction is derived from studies using LPS in vitro and in vivo. However, it is important to recognize that the cytokine production in septic shock is neither specific nor unique. The cytokines which contribute to pathological changes in septic shock are not unique to infection. Multiple trauma, ischemia-reperfusion injury, acute transplant rejection, antigen-specific immune responses, and various acute inflammatory states (acute hepatitis and pancreatitis) initiate the same cytokine cascade and result in both systemic and local inflammatory processes.
Behavioral and social mechanisms behind pattern formation: an experimental study of animal movement

Although animal movement behaviors are influenced by spatial heterogeneity, such behaviors can also generate spatial heterogeneity via interactions with the emergent spatial structure and other individuals (i.e., the social landscape). Elucidate the behavioral and ecological mechanisms of pattern formation in a homogeneous resource landscape. We analyzed the movement pathways and space-use patterns of the lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) within homogeneous resource landscapes (wheat kernels). Experimental trials consisted of individual beetles foraging alone or paired with a member of the same or different sex. We identified two sources of pattern formation: (1) beetles were attracted to areas where they or another beetle had previously fed, leading to increased patchiness via positive reinforcement; and (2) the presence of conspecifics affected whether and at what scales patchiness occurred. Solitary males had lower rates of movement and less tortuous pathways than solitary females, but both sexes generated fine-scale patchiness in the resource distribution. Patchy resource landscapes were also generated by male–female pairs, but not by same-sex pairings. Paired females in particular exhibited significantly greater daily net displacements and more random space use than solitary females. Pattern formation is a complex process, even in a relatively simple, homogeneous resource landscape. In particular, patterns created by individuals when foraging alone versus in pairs underscores how social interactions can fundamentally alter the resultant pattern of heterogeneity that emerges in resource landscapes.
The Use of Azohydromonas lata DSM 1122 to Produce 4-hydroxyvalerate-Containing Polyhydroxyalkanoate Terpolymers, and Unique Polymer Blends from Mixed-Cultures with Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17165

Azohydromonas lata DSM 1122 was utilized to synthesize short-chain-length (scl-) polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) terpolymers containing 3-hydroxybutyric (3HB) acid, 3-hydroxyvaleric (3HV) acid, and 4-hydroxyvaleric (4HV) acid from mixtures of glucose (GLC; 1 wt%) and levulinic acid (LevA; 0–0.4 wt%). LevA media concentrations greater than 0.4% completely inhibited cellular growth. At LevA concentrations ≤ 0.4%, the 3HV polymer content remained constant (3–5 mol%). The 4HV content was two-fold higher in the polymers derived from the 0.2% LevA-containing cultures reaching a maximum of 9 mol% (vs. 4 mol% in the 0.4% LevA-containing cultures). Polymer molecular weights (based on number-average molecular weight, Mn) were smallest (Mn = 240,000 g/mol) when synthesized in the presence of 0.2% LevA. At 0.4% LevA and at 1% GLC the average Mn values were 43% and 87% larger than the polymers synthesized in the presence of 0.2% LevA, respectively. Mixed-cultures containing A. lata and Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17165, a known poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-block-3-hydroxyvalerate (P3HB-block-3HV) producer, using LevA media concentrations ≤ 0.4% and staggered inoculations resulted in scl-PHA polymer mixtures with improved tensile properties. The results of this study show that LevA can be utilized in combination with simple sugars to produce unique scl-PHA terpolyesters and scl-PHA mixtures with enhanced properties.
Mechanical activation of noncoding-RNA-mediated regulation of disease-associated phenotypes in human cardiomyocytes

How common polymorphisms in noncoding genome regions can regulate cellular function remains largely unknown. Here we show that cardiac fibrosis, mimicked using a hydrogel with controllable stiffness, affects the regulation of the phenotypes of human cardiomyocytes by a portion of the long noncoding RNA ANRIL, the gene of which is located in the disease-associated 9p21 locus. In a physiological environment, cultured cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells obtained from patients who are homozygous for cardiovascular-risk alleles (R/R cardiomyocytes) or from healthy individuals who are homozygous for nonrisk alleles contracted synchronously, independently of genotype. After hydrogel stiffening to mimic fibrosis, only the R/R cardiomyocytes exhibited asynchronous contractions. These effects were associated with increased expression of the short ANRIL isoform in R/R cardiomyocytes, which induced a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation-based mechanism that impaired gap junctions (particularly, loss of connexin-43 expression) following stiffening. Deletion of the risk locus or treatment with a JNK antagonist was sufficient to maintain gap junctions and prevent asynchronous contraction of cardiomyocytes. Our findings suggest that mechanical changes in the microenvironment of cardiomyocytes can activate the regulation of their function by noncoding loci.
Corrosion resistance of alkoxysilane modified bisphenol A-epoxide coatings

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) epoxy was modified with amine functionalized silane (ASE) and isocyanate functionalized silane (ISE), and the modified epoxides were blended with both tetraethyl orthosilicate oligomers (TEOS oligomers) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). These hybrid networks were characterized by solid state 29Si-NMR, contact angle, crosslink density, pull-off adhesions, and crosshatch adhesion. Corrosion resistance was examined with a salt spray test, a filiform test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Modified epoxides with addition of TEOS oligomer and TiO2 fillers showed improvement in mechanical properties. The broader degree of cross-linkage was observed in ISE based coatings. In contrast, ASE based coatings had a more uniform crosslink distribution and higher crosslink density. The addition of TiO2 fillers increase the percolation root of ISE epoxide, but was eliminated after blending with TEOS oligomer. With TEOS oligomer addition, crosslinked ISE showed complete condensation and high pull-off adhesion (153 lb/in2). The more homogeneous and higher crosslinked polymer matrix of ASE resulted in a higher diffusion resistance, and as a consequence exhibits good barrier protection under long term immersion conditions compared with the lower cross-linked ISE epoxide.
One-dimensional model of turbulent flow of non-Newtonian drilling mud in non-prismatic channels

One-dimensional model of non-Newtonian turbulent flow in a non-prismatic channel is challenging due to the difficulty of accurately accounting for flow properties in the 1-D model. In this study, we model the 1-D Saint–Venant system of shallow water equations for water-based drilling mud (non-Newtonian) in open Venturi channels for steady and transient conditions. Numerically, the friction force acting on a fluid in a control volume can be subdivided, in the 1-D drilling mud modelling and shallow water equations, into two terms: external friction and internal friction. External friction is due to the wall boundary effect. Internal friction is due to the non-Newtonian viscous effect. The internal friction term can be modelled using pure non-Newtonian viscosity models, and the external friction term using Newtonian wall friction models. Experiments were carried out using a water-based drilling fluid in an open Venturi channel. Density, viscosity, flow depth, and flow rate were experimentally measured. The developed approach used to solve the 1-D non-Newtonian turbulence model in this study can be used for flow estimation in oil well return flow.
Group project management: academic, government, and private sector approaches

Graduates of computing science curricula are expected to have both technical skills and the ability to work successfully in groups. In order to enhance their hiring capabilities, group projects have become ubiquitous in upper level courses. Unfortunately, students are often inexperienced with the skills required to successfully manage these team projects. The panel will introduce several approaches to group project management that have been used in an academic setting. Additionally, the panel will present challenges faced in the workplace and the project management skills that employers expect of potential hires.
Running Free: The use of a “Running Cable” with Blind Adolescents who Function on a Retarded Level:

A technique for teaching blind adolescents who function on a retarded level to run independently with minimal supervision is described. A “running cable” has been constructed using two telephone po...
Converting Possibilistic Networks by Using Uncertain Gates

The purpose of this paper is to define a general frame to convert the Conditional Possibility Tables (CPT) of an existing possibilistic network into uncertain gates. In possibilistic networks, CPT parameters must be elicited by an expert but when the number of parents of a variable grows, the number of parameters to elicit grows exponentially. This problem generates difficulties for experts to elicit all parameters because it is time-consuming. One solution consists in using uncertain gates to compute automatically CPTs. This is useful in knowledge engineering. When possibilistic networks already exist, it can be interesting to transform them by using uncertain gates because we can highlight the combination behaviour of the variables. To illustrate our approach, we will present at first a simple example of the estimation for 3 test CPTs with behaviours MIN, MAX and weighted average. Then, we will perform a more significant experimentation which will consist in converting a set of Bayesian networks into possibilistic networks to perform the estimation of CPTs by uncertain gates.
Analysis of a single nucleotide polymorphism that controls the cooking quality of rice using a non-gel based assay

The waxy gene encoding granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) is responsible for the synthesis of amylose in developing grain. Recent work has shown that a G-T polymorphism in the leader intron 5' splice site of GBSS plays a key role in determining the cooking and processing quality of rice. Cultivars with sequence AGGTATA at this location splice GBSS pre-mRNA efficiently and produce relatively large amounts of amylose. These varieties generally a have firm texture when cooked and the grains remain separate. In contrast, GBSS pre-mRNA splicing is temperature sensitive and generally less efficient in cultivars with the sequence AGTTATA. As a result, these cultivars generally have lower amylose content and produce soft and sticky cooked rice. We have used the READITTM assay, anon-gel based assay that uses the ability of DNA polymerase to perform pyrophosphoralysis, the reverse of DNA polymerization, to screen the critical G-T polymorphism in more than 750 samples from U.S. and Asian germplasm. We observed complete concordance between the results obtained using DNA sequencing or restriction enzyme digestion and the READITTM assay. It also gave accurate results with both heterozygous plants and with complex mixtures as might result when grain from advanced generation plants is pooled to obtain larger samples.
Can Rapid Progression in Nonambulatory Cerebral Palsy Scoliosis Be Predicted Using Humeral Head Ossification

BACKGROUND Patients with cerebral palsy scoliosis (CPS) experience higher complication rates compared with idiopathic scoliosis and often present for surgery with larger curves. Prediction of an inflection point for rapid deformity progression has proven difficult. A proximal humerus-based skeletal maturity staging system (HS) has been recently validated and is commonly visible on the posteroanterior radiograph. The authors hypothesize that this system can be used to identify a period at which CPS may progress rapidly, perhaps facilitating discussion of timely surgical intervention. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted for nonambulatory pediatric patients with CPS who presented between 2009 and 2018 at our institution. All patients were considered for inclusion regardless of operative or nonoperative management. Patients who were skeletally mature at initial evaluation or had prior spine surgery were excluded. The authors analyzed radiographs in each HS available. Survival was calculated for cutoffs of 60 and 70 degrees (numbers found to increase intraoperative and postoperative complications for CPS). RESULTS Eighty-six patients with CPS were identified (54 male individuals). Major curves increased significantly between HS 1 and 2 (27.7 to 46.6 degrees, P=0.009) and HS 3 and 4 (53.1 to 67.9 degrees, P=0.023). The proportion of curves ≥70 degrees were significantly different between HS (P<0.001), with the greatest increase between HS 3 and 4 (24% to 51%; ≥70 degrees). The largest drop in the 60/70-degree survival curves was between HS 3 and 4. In a subanalysis, 69% of patients with curves ≥40 degrees but <70 degrees in stage 3 would progress ≥70 degrees by stage 4. CONCLUSIONS Identifying a period of rapid curve progression may guide surgical planning before CPS curves become large, stiff, and more difficult to fix. Our findings suggest that humeral skeletal maturity staging is a valuable decision-making tool in neuromuscular scoliosis, with the HS 3 to 4 transition representing the time of the greatest risk of progression. Consider a surgical discussion or shortened follow-up interval for patients with CPS with curves ≥40 degrees who are HS 3. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II.
Interpersonal and Structural Social Isolation among African American and Black Caribbean Men

Social relationships are important for promoting health and well-being in men and confer many benefits that help prevent the onset and mitigate adverse impacts of disease and disability. Social isolation, or the absence of social relationships, is associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes; however, most studies of social isolation have been conducted among predominantly White samples. As a consequence, we know very little about social isolation among Black men. Using an intersectionality framework, this study examines the prevalence and correlates of social isolation among men who identify as African Americanor Black Caribbean.Data come from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a nationally representative sample ofAfrican Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Whites living in the United States. The current study focuses on men who identified as African American or Black Caribbean. Further, within this sample, we distinguish by ethnicity and nativity in examining Black men who are African American (native to the U.S.), U.S.-born Black Caribbean men, and foreign-born Black Caribbean men. Social isolation was operationalized using two constructs: interpersonal isolation and structural isolation. The analyses adjusted for age, education, income, marital status, and region. We conducted a series of Poisson regressions to determine: (1) ethnic differences in interpersonal and structural social isolation and (2) ethnic-specific correlates of interpersonal and structural social isolation among Black men. All analyses accounted for the complex study design of the NSAL.There were no significant ethnic differences among Black men for interpersonal isolation. However, U.S. born Black Caribbean men had higher rates of structural social isolation compared to African American men and foreign-born Black Caribbean men. There were very few differences in the correlates of interpersonal isolation among Black men regardless of ethnicity. However, in terms of structural isolation, African American men had more significant correlates in comparison to U.S. born Black Caribbean men and foreign-born Black Caribbean men.
In Search of a Cultural Background: The Recommended Reading Lists of Alfred Lawrence Kocher and the Beauty of Utility in 1920s America

The modernist architect and critic, Alfred Lawrence Kocher, proposed and commented on many bibliographical references in the Architectural Record in the years 1924-25. Recent studies on American architecture of the 1920s and 1930s have recognized the peculiar character of modernism in the United States and have gone in search of its cultural and social roots. However, Kocher’s extensive lists have so far been completely overlooked. They were based for the most part on the correspondence he exchanged with a number of American and British architects and George Bernard Shaw: he had sent to them a circular letter, asking for recommendations on texts on background literature that a young architect should know. The unpublished correspondence that Kocher had with Louis Sullivan and the 19 texts on “Aesthetics and Theory of Architecture” are analyzed in particular by the author. Although from 1927 onwards Kocher became a passionate supporter of European rationalist architecture, his bibliographies cannot be considered a conscious foundational literature on modernism and modernity. They rather give an idea of the ‘cultural trunk’ on which the discussion on modern European architecture was going to be grafted; they help to illuminate the scene on which American architects moved in the mid-1920s. In some of the texts, the pragmatic notion of utility shines through, as ? sometimes connectedly ? does the concept of a creative act as a free, ‘natural’ act, which derived from American transcendentalism. Independent from Kocher’s will, a line of thought is even identifiable, through which one can explain the apparently contradictory combination of ‘maximum of utility’ and ‘maximum of free creativity’, openly advocated by the skyscraper architect Raymond Hood at the end of the 1920s. Such way of thinking was based on the recognition of the beauty of utility.
“I Love Us for Real”: Exploring Homeplace as a Site of Healing and Resistance for Black Girls in Schools

Extant research on the education of Black girls primarily focuses on urban settings, distances study participants from the outcomes of the research, and positions Black girls as problems to be solv...
Oviposition preferences, Bt susceptibilities, and tissue feeding of fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) host strains.

Background The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), is a pest of many economically essential crops across several continents. Documentation of resistance to Bt toxins has caused growing concern in agricultural communities regarding the ability to keep fall armyworm populations below economic thresholds. The existence of two host strains referred to as the 'rice' and 'corn' strains is a complicating and under-researched factor of fall armyworm biology and management. It is essential to characterize the differences between the host strains, as well as their rice/corn hybrid offspring, to elucidate their contributions to field-evolved resistance. Results Corn was a preferred oviposition host for both rice and corn strain fall armyworm, and a suitable larval host plant for each of the four populations tested. Corn strain females displayed a significant preference towards oviposition on plants that lacked mechanical damage. The rice strain population was generally less tolerant to Cry1F corn tissue than the corn strain and hybrid populations, which performed in a similar way to one another. Conclusion The preference for corn as an ovipositional host may have an impact on resistance management when coupled with differential host strain Bt tolerances, though more studies are needed. Hybrid tolerance to Bt toxins could possibly contribute to the evolution of Bt resistance. This is the first study to compare the larval fitness and survival of rice/corn hybrid fall armyworm to that of pure host strains using a tissue-based approach.
Traumatic Brain Injury Exposure Lowers Age of Cognitive Decline in AD and Non-AD Conditions

We aimed to detect the possible accelerating role of previous traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposures on the onset of later cognitive decline assessed across different brain diseases. We analyzed data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC), which provide information on history of TBI and longitudinal data on cognitive and non-cognitive domains for each available subject. At the time of this investigation, a total of 609 NACC subjects resulted to have a documented history of TBI. We compared subjects with and without a history of previous TBI (of any type) at the time of their first cognitive decline assessment, and termed them, respectively, TBI+ and TBI- subjects. Three hundred and sixty-one TBI+ subjects (229 male/132 female) and 248 TBI- subjects (156 male/92 female) were available. The analyses included TBI+ and TBI- subjects with a clinical diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Progressive supranuclear palsy, Corticobasal degeneration, Frontotemporal dementia, Vascular dementia, non-AD Impairment, and Parkinson's disease. The data showed that the mean age of TBI+ subjects was lower than TBI- subjects at the time of their first cognitive decline assessment (71.6 ± 11.2 vs. 74.8 ± 9.5 year; p < 0.001). Moreover, the earlier onset of cognitive decline in TBI+ vs. TBI- subjects was independent of sex, race, attained education, APOE genotype, and importantly, clinical diagnoses. As for specific cognitive aspects, MMSE, Trail Making Test part B and WAIS-R scores did not differ between TBI+ and TBI- subjects, whereas Trail Making Test part A (p = 0.013) and Boston Naming test (p = 0.008) did. In addition, data showed that neuropsychiatric symptoms [based on Neuropsychiatry Inventory (NPI)] were much more frequent in TBI+ vs. TBI- subjects, including AD and non-AD neurodegenerative conditions such as PD. These cross-sectional analyses outcomes from longitudinally-assessed cohorts of TBI+ subjects that is, subjects with TBI exposure before the onset of cognitive decline in the contest of different neurodegenerative disorders and associated pathogenetic mechanisms, are novel, and indicate that a previous TBI exposure may act as a significant "age-lowering" factor on the onset of cognitive decline in either AD and non-AD conditions independently of demographic factors, education, APOE genotype, and current or upcoming clinical conditions.
Take the T Out, Put the T in: Gender affirming hormones in youth.

Background An increasing number of adolescents are seeking gender care at clinics and hospital programs, and requesting gender-affirming hormonal treatment. The interventions can either include suppression of testosterone and introduction of estrogen, or suppression of estrogen and introduction of testosterone. Aims This review article focuses on the psychosocial experiences of youth who have completed their endogenous puberty and are now requesting one of these two forms of gender-affirming hormonal treatment. We investigate the comparative profiles of these two subgroups of transgender/gender-expansive youth. Materials and methods Review of research data, established standards of care and practice guidelines, and clinical observations. Results Differences and similarities are noted and discussed in several realms: gender-related experiences prior to receiving hormonal treatment; the relationship between the physical changes and psychological experiences that accompany the introduction of testosterone or suppression of testosterone with replacement with estrogen; the intrapersonal and interpersonal implications of the treatment; considerations of fertility preservation for future family building; the role of the family in the decision-making process prior to starting a course of hormone therapy; and the capacity of youth to make informed decisions about these partially irreversible medical interventions. Discussion Medical providers who offer gender-affirming hormonal care to youth should work with the family and allied professionals to assure that the youth's gender health is enhanced, barriers to care are removed, and mental health risks are reduced, whether the T is coming out or going in. Conclusion The cohort of youth who come to medical providers after completing puberty, and request gender-affirming hormones in the form of increases or reductions in T have a great deal in common, and also extensive variation among them.
Immunohistochemistry for protein detection in PFA-fixed paraffin-embedded SARS-CoV-2 infected COPD airway epithelium

Patients with chronic lung disease are vulnerable to getting severe diseases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we describe protocols for subculturing and differentiating primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. The differentiation of NHBE cells in air-liquid interface mimics an in vivo airway and provides an in vitro model for studying SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also describe a protocol for detecting proteins in the sectioned epithelium for detailing SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced pathobiology with a vertical view.
Inferring network interactions using recurrent neural networks and swarm intelligence.

We present a novel algorithm combining artificial neural networks and swarm intelligence (SI) methods to infer network interactions. The algorithm uses ant colony optimization (ACO) to identify the optimal architecture of a recurrent neural network (RNN), while the weights of the RNN are optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO). Our goal is to construct an RNN that mimics the true structure of an unknown network and the time-series data that the network generated. We applied the proposed hybrid SI-RNN algorithm to infer a simulated genetic network. The results indicate that the algorithm has a promising potential to infer complex interactions such as gene regulatory networks from time-series gene expression data. I. INTRODUCTION inference algorithm based on GAs for the optimization of the influence matrix of gene regulatory network. In (13), GAs and ANNs are combined to determine gene interactions in temporal gene expression data. In this paper, we propose to apply a hybrid of ANNs and swarm intelligence (SI) methods (12) to infer network interactions from time-series data. The architecture and the synaptic weights of a recurrent neural network (RNN) are optimized using ant colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) methods, respectively. Unlike previous computational methods, which targeted at one-step- ahead prediction of time-series data (13), our method enables a multi-step-ahead prediction. This is achieved through our RNN, which is self-evolutionary. The RNN starts with a given initial condition, evolves, and eventually reaches final states. The proposed hybrid SI-RNN algorithm selects the architecture of the RNN and weights not only to mimic the response of the unknown network at each time point but also to identify the structure of the network that generated the time-series data. This is a challenging task given that there may be many possible structures with responses that closely match the generated data. The algorithm evaluates various structures through the cross- validation method to avoid the selection of a wrong structure and to make sure that the correct structure is identified despite the presence of noise and complexity of the unknown network. We successfully applied the algorithm to infer simulated network interactions.
Software-defined throughput optimization for next-generation optical mobile backhaul

We propose a novel software-defined algorithm for dynamic, physical-layer-aware throughput maximization in next-generation mobile backhaul (MBH) networks. Results confirm >100Mb/s end-to-end per-cell throughputs with ≥2.5Gb/s optical backhaul links deployed at legacy cell sites.
Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase of bacteriophage T7.

A phage-specific DNA-polymerase has been discovered in Escherichia coli P3478 (a polymerase I-negative mutant) infected with phage T7. The polymerase, purified 700-fold, moves as a single band during electrophoresis at pH 8.0 on polyacrylamide gels and is free of endonucleolytic activity. In order to be active the purified enzyme requires deoxynucleoside 5′-triphosphates, Mg++, 2-mercaptoethanol, and single stranded DNA templates. Duplex DNAs, such as native T7 DNA, cannot serve as templates. Like the phage T4 polymerase and E. coli DNA-polymerase I, the T7 enzyme preparation catalyzes a hydrolysis of DNA from the 3′ terminus, but unlike the E. coli enzyme, it cannot initiate hydrolysis at the 5′ terminus. However, it has not been shown unequivocally that the exonuclease activity is part of the polymerase. We have identified gene 5 as the structural gene for the T7 DNA polymerase. Phage T7am28, which carries an amber mutation in gene 5, fails to induce polymerase activity in the nonpermissive host. Furthermore, a DNA-polymerase with increased heat lability has been purified from cells infected with the temperature-sensitive gene 5 mutant, T7ts11. The exonucleolytic activity of the purified T7ts11 enzyme is also more heat labile than that of the wild type enzyme. Cells infected with T7ts11 at the nonpermissive temperature fail to synthesize phage DNA, suggesting that the phage polymerase is essential for T7 DNA replication.
CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein-mediated Inhibition of HTLV-1 Viral Gene Expression

Recently, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors have been shown to form heterodimers with cAMP-responsive element binding protein 2 (CREB2), another bZIP transcriptional regulator known to play a critical role in driving basal and Tax-mediated transactivation of the HTLV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR). Herein, we describe that overexpression of C/EBPa and C/EBPb, including the endogenous isoforms liver-enriched activation protein (LAP) and liver-enriched inhibitory protein (LIP) inhibits Tax-mediated transactivation of the HTLV-1 LTR. C/EBP-mediated inhibition was not the result of competition with the viral oncoprotein Tax for recruitment of co-activators CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300 to the viral promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift analyses demonstrated that C/EBP proteins derived from U937 monocytic nuclear extracts directly interacted with the Tax-responsive element 1 repeat III as well as Taxresponsive element 2. However, deletion of these sequences within the context of the full-length LTR did not prevent C/EBP-mediated inhibition. Disruption of C/ EBPb/CREB-2 heterodimerization by deletion of the C/ EBPb leucine zipper prevented C/EBP inhibition of Taxmediated transactivation of the LTR. These results suggest that C/EBP binding to Tax was not a requirement for C/ EBP-mediated inhibition. from 2005 International Meeting of The Institute of Human Virology Baltimore, USA, 29 August – 2 September 2005
The PHOTON2 web-based professional development model: a year in review

In this paper, we present preliminary results from project PHOTON2, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education (ATE) project aimed at increasing the number of high school teachers and college faculty across the US prepared to teach photonics technology at their own institutions. During the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters, two cohorts (51 high school teachers and college faculty) from 12 states across the US including Hawaii participated in a web-based Introduction to Optics & Photonics course. Qualitative and quantitative research was conducted to examine the relationship between learner interaction, self-regulation, and learning outcomes in a web-based learning environment. Research results and recommendations are presented.
Analysis and implementation of a 6 DOF Steward platform-based force sensor for passive compliant robotic assembly

The kinematic analysis of a 6-DOF (six-degree-of-freedom) force sensor whose design is based on the mechanism of the Stewart platform is presented. The force sensor is used to measure forces/torques and to provide passive compliance during part assembly. It is mainly composed of two platforms, the payload platform and the end-effector platform, coupled by six spring-loaded pistons whose length variations are measured by six linear voltage differential transformers mounted along the pistons. The forces and torques applied to the end-effector platform are computed by using the inverse and forward kinematic transformations of the Stewart platform, the known spring constants, and the piston length variations. Results of experiments conducted to evaluate the sensing capability of the force sensor used during the mating and demating of space-rated connectors are reported. >
Negative Regulation of Rho Family GTPases Cdc42 and Rac2 by Homodimer Formation

The Rho family GTPases are tightly regulated between the active GTP-bound state and the inactive GDP-bound state in a variety of signal transduction processes. Here the Rho family members Cdc42, Rac2, and RhoA were found to form reversible homodimers in both the GTP- and the GDP-bound states. The homophilic interaction of Cdc42 and Rac2, but not RhoA, in the GTP-bound state, caused a significant stimulation of the intrinsic GTPase activity, i.e. the activated form of Cdc42 and Rac2 acts as GTPase-activating proteins toward Cdc42-GTP or Rac2-GTP. The dimerization of the GTPases appeared to be mediated by the carboxyl-terminal polybasic domain, and the specific GTPase-activating effects of Cdc42 and Rac2 were also attributed to the structural determinant(s) in the same region of the molecules. Moreover, similar to the case of Cdc42 and Cdc42GAP interaction, Cdc42-GDP interacted with tetrafluoroaluminate and Cdc42-GTPγS (guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate) to form a transition state complex of the GTPase-activating reaction in which the carboxyl-terminal determinant(s) of the GTPγS-bound Cdc42 plays a critical role. These results provide a rationale for the fast rate of intrinsic GTP hydrolysis by Cdc42 and Rac and suggest that dimerization may play a role in the negative regulation of specific Rho family GTPases mediated by the carboxyl-terminal polybasic domain.
Revision of Colubrina (Rhamnaceae)

A taxonomic treatment is presented for the recognized species ofColubrina L. C. Rich. ex Brongn., with keys, synonymies, descriptions, typifications, and range maps or citations of specimens. A key is provided by whichColubrina can be distinguished from related genera. The 31 species ofColubrina are grouped in two subgenera. Within the subgen.Colubrina are recognized four sections: sect.Barcena (Duges) M. C. Johnston with two species in Mexico and Central America; sect.Cowania M. C. Johnston, sect. nov., based onHybosperma Urban (as a genus), with six tropical American species and includingC. retusa var.latifolia (Reissek) M. C. Johnston, comb, nov., based onCormonema spinosum var.latifolium Reissek; sect.Capuronia M. C. Johnston, sect. nov., based onMacrorhamnus Baillon (as a genus), with four Malagasy species and includingC. faraloatra var.sinuata (H. Perrier) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onZiziphus sinuata H. Perrier, andC. faraloatra var.trichocarpa (R. Capuron) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onC. faraloatra ssp.trichocarpa R. Capuron; and sect.Colubrina with one species in Hawaii and four species in the American tropics, includingC. obscura (Schrank) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onRhamnus obscura Schrank, andC. glandu losa var.antillana (M. C. Johnston) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onC. rufa var.antillana M. C. Johnston, andC. glandulosa var.nipensis (M. C. Johnston) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onC. nipensis M. C. Johnston, andC. glandulosa var.reitzii (M. C. Johnston) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., based onC. rufa var.reitzii M. C. Johnston. The subgen.Serrataria M. C. Johnston includes five species of tropical Southeast Asia and nine of the warmer parts of North America; in this subgenusC. greggii Watson var.angustior is newly described from the Mexican states of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosi; andC. asiatica (L.) Brongn. var.subpubescens (Pitard) M. C. Johnston, comb. nov., is based onC. pubescens var.subpubescens Pitard.
Geographic range in Chthamalus along the west coast of North America

Identification of the range boundaries and microgeographic distribution of cryptic species is greatly facilitated by the use of genetic markers. Here we characterize the geographic range overlap between two cryptic species, Chthamalus fissus and C. dalli, and show that as with other barnacle species, their distribution and abundance is probably dictated more by microhabitat characteristics and the presence of conspecifics than broader environmental gradients. We also show that C. dalli appears to be panmictic across the studied range.
Equivalence of the master equation and the Langevin equation

Abstract It is shown that the random force in the Langevin equation for a nonlinear system may be chosen in such a way that the resulting equation is mathematically equivalent to the master equation.
A General Systems Approach to Decision‐Making in Schools

Educational administration still relics greatly on “wise” generalizations from the experiences of outstanding practitioners. Hence, a great many decisions in educational practice are still at the “professional lore” level. With the rapid expansion in knowledge, emphasis has tended to shift to the expert and the technician. Nevertheless, value decisions should not be permitted to be eroded. The educational decision‐maker needs to be both humanist and scientist. A rational basis exists for such a nexus. There is need for the joint operation of knowledge and value systems in decision‐making Both systems pass from the rather uncritical “Common Sense Stage” through the Empirical to the Scientific Stage. Self‐conscious rational action becomes possible only at the Scientific Stage. It is only within comparatively recent times that decision‐making in education has begun to move into the Scientific Stage, primarily because scientific knowledge about human behaviour is largely a product of this century. A decision is seen to be concerned primarily with predictions of future events that are desirable to people. The decision process involves (1) monitoring, (2) control (diagnosis, selection, transformation) and (3) action.
Hot Water from Cold. The Dissociative Recombination of Water Cluster Ions

Dissociative recombination of the Zundel cation D(5)O(2)(+) almost exclusively produces D + 2 D(2)O with a maximum kinetic energy release of 5.1 eV. An imaging technique is used to investigate the distribution of the available reaction energy among these products. Analysis shows that as much as 4 eV can be stored internally by the molecular fragments, with a preference for producing highly excited molecular fragments, and that the deuteron shows a nonrandom distribution of kinetic energies. A possible mechanism and the implications for these observations are addressed.
The ONR enabling capability on high-bandwidth lasercomm

The Office of Naval Research has begun a five year technology development program in high bandwidth lasercom. The program is designed to mature enabling technologies and demonstrate a notional high bandwidth capability to the warfighter. This is a spiral development program, with increasingly automated, capable, and compact systems being demonstrated at the end of each phase. Both direct lasercom links and modulating retroreflector links will be matured during this program.
A theorem on the uniform convergence of Fourier-type integrals

Abstract A Dirichlet-type ∗∗ theorem for the uniform convergence of integrals of the form ∝∞0cos(tf(α)) cos(xα) dα is given. The theorem is illustrated by an application in the solution of a simple fourth order partial differential equation.
PC-based design packages for electrical distribution systems

The advantages of PC-based design packages are apparent through improved accuracy in design and analysis of electrical distribution systems. Some application programs are described, and the philosophy behind these design packages is presented. The personnel resources required for development and implementation are discussed, along with how various software programs are applied. The PC as a database organizer, management considerations, design enhancement tools, data porting and conversion, and the integrated engineering database are considered. >
A flexible approach for understanding protein stability

A distance constraint model (DCM) is presented that identifies flexible regions within protein structure consistent with specified thermodynamic condition. The DCM is based on a rigorous free energy decomposition scheme representing structure as fluctuating constraint topologies. Entropy non-additivity is problematic for naive decompositions, limiting the success of heat capacity predictions. The DCM resolves non-additivity by summing over independent entropic components determined by an efficient network-rigidity algorithm. A minimal 3-parameter DCM is demonstrated to accurately reproduce experimental heat capacity curves. Free energy landscapes and quantitative stability-flexibility relationships are obtained in terms of global flexibility. Several connections to experiment are made.