cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Injury profiles and yield responses of seedling corn attacked by stalk borer (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The effect of feeding by the stalk borer, Papaipema nebris (Guenee), on the visible injury and grain yield of individual corn ( Zea mays L.) plants, infested at various developmental stages, was evaluated experimentally from 1986 to 1988. Injury profiles differed by growth stage, with younger plants having a higher incidence of severe injury (dead heart, tillering, plant death). Plants attacked at the six-leaf stage or older were not as vulnerable to severe injury because tunneling occurred below the growing point. Grain yield, number of kernels per plant, and average kernel weight declined as the severity of injury increased. In 2 of 3 yr, plants assigned the same injury rating yielded more if the attack occurred earlier in development than later. In addition, uninfested plants in infested plots yielded more than uninfested plants in check plots. Plot yield losses seem to be moderated by the ability of uninfested or slightly injured plants to compensate for severe stalk borer injury. Regression models were developed to predict yield components for individual plants from injury rating and average rating of the plot.
Recursive Frequency Domain Decomposition for Multidimensional Ambient Modal Estimation

This paper proposes a multidimensional recursive ambient modal analysis algorithm called recursive frequency domain decomposition (recursive FDD or RFDD). The method enables simultaneous processing of a large number of synchrophasor measurements for real-time ambient modal estimation. The method combines a previously proposed multidimensional block processing algorithm FDD with a single input recursive least square (RLS) algorithm into developing a new frequency domain multidimensional recursive algorithm. First, an auto-regressive model is fitted onto the sampled data of each signal using the time-domain RLS approach. Subsequent modal analysis is carried out in frequency domain in the spirit of FDD. The conventional FDD method uses non-parametric methods for power spectrum density (PSD) estimation. The proposed method in this paper by estimating PSD with a parametric method provides smoother PSD estimation which results in less standard deviation in RFDD estimates compared to FDD. The algorithm is tested on archived synchrophasor data from a real power system.
Liver transplantation for hepatitis B cirrhosis: clinical sequela of passive immunization.

UNLABELLED Aggressive administration of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) has been shown to prevent hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection of the allograft; however, the clinical sequela of such therapy has not been previously described. We reviewed our experience with high dose, intravenous infusion of an intramuscular HBIg preparation to assess the effectiveness and complications of such therapy. Thirty three orthotopic liver transplants (OLTx) were performed in 32 patients with chronic HBV cirrhosis at the University of Virginia between March 1990 and June 1995. Twenty-nine of 32 (91%) patients remain free of HBV recurrence (defined by undetectable serum HBsAg and HBV-DNA) after a mean of 21 months (2-54 months), with one patient requiring retransplantation. Three (10%) patients died of non-HBV causes (two vascular events, one infectious event). Twenty episodes of acute cellular rejection were treated in 18 patients (two had two episodes). Sixteen rejections occurred within 18 d of transplant, 19 by day 120, and one late rejection occurred at 18 months owing to medication non-compliance. Eighteen patients had at least one documented infection. Six patients were treated for CMV infection (five empirically). Eight patients were treated for HSV infections (seven mild herpetic labialis and one herpetic keratitis). Four patients had documented fungal infection (one mucormycosis pneumonia and three minor superficial mucosal infections). With the exception of one necrotizing pneumonia, 11 bacterial infections were successfully treated with conventional antimicrobial agents. No patient developed post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Symptoms associated with HBIg infusion were intermittent but frequent and consisted of myalgias, predominantly back pain (90%), headache (20%) and flushing (5%). No patient experienced anaphylaxis, fever, rash, arthritis or hypotension. Despite the potential for mercury toxicity and HCV transmission in the HBIg formulations currently available in the United States, serum mercury levels remained below standards for industrial exposure (60 micrograms/ml), and only one individual developed post-transplant HCV infection after receiving multiple units of unscreened blood prior to 1991. SUMMARY High-dose HBIg prevented HBV infection of the allograft in 29 of 32 patients transplanted for HBV cirrhosis with three non-HBV associated deaths. The intravenous infusion of HBIg was frequently associated with minor side effects that were safely tolerated by patients. The risk of HCV transmission and mercury toxicity are minimal, but support the need for a new intravenous formulation of HBIg. HBIg therapy successfully decreased post-OLTx HBV recurrence with no clinical events associated with immunosuppression. Patients did non experience allergic or infusion-related complications that altered or terminated therapy. Manufacturing modifications of HBIg may allow for improved patient tolerance and decreased risks.
Neuroblastoma presenting clinically as hip osteomyelitis : a signature diagnosis on skeletal scintigraphy

At their initial emergency room presentation, four children were thought to have hip osteomyelitis. Skeletal scintigraphy, however, demonstrated multiple areas of abnormal tracer uptake in the bones in all four, and in three there was abnormal uptake in a soft tissue abdominal mass. The skeletal scintigraphic findings promptly led to the correct diagnosis of neuroblastoma.
Glycoproteomic Analysis of Malignant Ovarian Cancer Ascites Fluid Identifies Unusual Glycopeptides

Ovarian cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality among women, largely due to late diagnosis of advanced metastatic disease. More extensive molecular analysis of metastatic ovarian cancer is needed to identify post-translational modifications of proteins, especially glycosylation that is particularly associated with metastatic disease to better understand the metastatic process and identify potential therapeutic targets. Glycoproteins in ascites fluid were enriched by affinity binding to lectins (ConA or WGA) and other affinity matrices. Separate glycomic, proteomic, and glycopeptide analyses were performed. Relative abundances of different N-glycan groups and proteins were identified from ascites fluids and a serum control. Levels of biomarkers CA125, MUC1, and fibronectin were also monitored in OC ascites samples by Western blot analysis. N-Glycan analysis of ascites fluids showed the presence of large, highly fucosylated and sialylated complex and hybrid glycans, some of which were not observed in no...
Epigenetics of Hematopoiesis, Stem Cell Reprogramming, and Cancer

Since the discovery of altered DNA methylation in cancer in 1982, most studies of cancer epigenetics have focused on epimutations which could serve as surrogates of mutation. In the past decade, we and our collaborators have been leading efforts to develop whole-genome approaches to epigenetic analysis of human disease, that include novel approaches to array-based analysis and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. This has led to the first whole-genome bisulfite sequencing methylation map of the cancer genome. Surprising results have been the discovery of CpG island shores and large hypomethylated blocks corresponding to nuclear lamina/heterochromatin regions, and accounting for the vast majority of epigenetic alterations in cancer. These results point to the possibility that at least solid tumors represent epigenetically a single process with a common molecular characteristic; namely increased epigenetic plasticity that allows selection of the tumor cells at the expense of the host. This view can explain most of the hallmarks of cancer, as well as offering a strategy for powerful new approaches to risk detection and treatment. This whole-genome epigenetic approach has also revealed that the classical lineage structure of hematopoiesis is very well reflected in DNA methylation, but that there are very surprising dynamic changes in this process, with waves of both increasing and decreasing methylation changes. This work has also revealed a molecular basis for phenotypic memory in induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as a strong connection between reprogramming differentially methylated regions, or R-DMRs, and tissue-specific differentially methylated regions, or T-DMRs. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Collaborative Usability Evaluation (CUE) Model for Health IT Design and Implementation

ABSTRACTIn this article, the authors describe a collaborative usability evaluation (CUE) model based on a participatory ergonomics framework. The model was applied to an organization’s health IT design and implementation processes. Individuals received education on usability evaluation principles and methods and had an opportunity for hands-on experience with usability testing. Actual usability evaluations increased participant confidence in their ability to independently design and lead such evaluations. The CUE model has since been applied to the organization’s iterative process of health IT design, has been institutionalized by the health IT department, and is integrated in its health IT implementation timelines.
Secondary Rhinoplasty In The Asian Patient

Objective: To present the author’s technique and discuss the special considerations in the Asian patient requiring secondary rhinoplasty with removal of an alloplastic implant coupled with autogenous reconstruction. Design: Case presentation. Results: A 53 year old Asian female is 20 years status post alloplastic implant augmentation rhinoplasty by another provider. She subsequently suffered recurrent infection and chronic pain in the nose. The implant was removed and the nose reconstructed using autogenous auricular cartilage. Conclusion: Secondary rhinoplasty in the Asian patient who has previously undergone alloplastic implant presents a special set of challenges. While removal of a problem implant is therapeutic, the aesthetic bar is high and reconstruction requires large, stable, and well fashioned cartilage grafts. Attention to detail is critical in achieving a favorable result.
Predictive RANSAC: Effective model fitting and tracking approach under heavy noise and outliers

Abstract In this paper, we introduce a robust and efficient algorithm, Predictive RANSAC, to fit and track a model in the presence of a large number of outlier measurements and heavy noise. Our algorithm works in two stages. In the model fitting stage, the algorithm first ranks the measurements from most likely to be inliers to least likely. It searches for the best model fit from the top-ranked to the lower-ranked measurements using a similar, but more effective, procedure to the RANSAC algorithm. In the model tracking stage, we use a Kalman filter to predict the location of the model and generate the confidence interval using the prediction error. To update the Kalman filter, the fitting process begins again with an initial guess using the Kalman filter prediction result and searches for inliers in the confidence interval. We also estimate the parameter of the Kalman filter such as noise covariance using the fitting algorithm and a Gaussian-Uniform mixture model. In this way, the two components work together to improve overall performance. To show the performance of the Predictive RANSAC algorithm, we compare our approach with previous algorithms based on RANSAC frameworks over several synthetic data sets and real world data sets, which include road mark fitting, homography estimation and multiple target tracking. The Predictive RANSAC algorithm shows better results in estimation accuracy, and consumes significantly less computational power.
Structural mechanism of ATP-independent transcription initiation by RNA polymerase I.

Transcription initiation by RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) depends on the Core Factor (CF) complex to recognize the upstream promoter and assemble into a Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC). Here, we solve a structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pol I-CF-DNA to 3.8 A resolution using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The structure reveals a bipartite architecture of Core Factor and its recognition of the promoter from -27 to -16. Core Factor's intrinsic mobility correlates well with different conformational states of the Pol I cleft, in addition to the stabilization of either Rrn7 N-terminal domain near Pol I wall or the tandem winged helix domain of A49 at a partially overlapping location. Comparison of the three states in this study with the Pol II system suggests that a ratchet motion of the Core Factor-DNA sub-complex at upstream facilitates promoter melting in an ATP-independent manner, distinct from a DNA translocase actively threading the downstream DNA in the Pol II PIC.
Undercooling of minor liquid phases in binary alloys

The tin in an aluminum-tin alloy with 10 pct tin solidifies over a temperature range as high as 100°C. The tin is partly distributed in isolated droplets and the amount of undercooling depends on the chance presence of nuclei effective at various temperatures in drops of varying sizes. Heat treatment affects the size distribution and modifies the cooling curve. Similar behavior is to be expected in any alloy where the liquid is physically discontinuous and where solidification is not nucleated by a previously solidified constituent. It is probably the cause of some spurious arrests that have been observed in cooling curves of simple alloys.
“Dominant Decision-Making Authority”: Resident Leadership in St. Louis, Missouri, Model Cities Planning1:

When federal policymakers created Model Cities in 1966, they envisioned it as an innovative approach to urban renewal. Part of the War on Poverty, Model Cities combined slum redevelopment, an expansion of social services, and citizen participation. Understanding community action as a critique of and attempt to reorient decades of failed urban policy, this article spotlights efforts by residents to seize and maintain control of urban improvement programs. Residents claimed expertise in urban planning by virtue of their experience living in impoverished neighborhoods. Their vision for their community suggested an alternate path for city planning that supported poor residents’ influence to achieve a more democratic society. This article traces how community leaders in St. Louis, Missouri, briefly achieved resident-controlled urban planning within Model Cities. Although residents’ ideas were never implemented as they hoped, these plans expose the opportunities and constraints of neighborhood activism in the W...
Mechanistic Understanding of Transcranial Photobiomodulation Stimulated by Infrared Laser on the Human Forehead

We measured laser- and heat-induced cerebral responses of the human forehead during placebo-controlled photobiomodulation by 1064-nm laser. Significant enhancement in cerebral cytochrome-c-oxidase and hemodynamics was observed, revealing physiological mechanisms of transcranial photobiomodulation.
Trace Elements, Toxic Metals, and Metalloids in Kidney Disease

Levels of various trace elements are altered in patients with acute and chronic kidney diseases. Since essential trace elements have important metabolic functions, deficiencies in these elements may lead to either unique syndromes and/or exaggeration of other commonly observed syndromes in patients with kidney disease. Nonessential trace elements and metals also accumulate in patients with kidney disease and may present either with unique clinical syndromes or with other uncertain consequences. In this chapter, we will review alterations in both essential and nonessential trace elements and metals in patients with kidney disease.
Assumptions about the Brain and Its Recovery from Damage

Any consideration of how the brain recovers from damage must be linked to some idea, however vague, about how the brain operates. Frankly, we are a very long way from understanding how the brain as an entity, or its subdivisions, acts to produce the mental and behavioral characteristics of people. Yet without any firm foundation of this knowledge, as scientists, we must proceed in our research programs to generate an empirical basis for the understanding that we anticipate we will someday achieve.
Accuracy of Genomic Prediction when Accounting for Population Structure and Polygenic Effects

Accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values obtained using the standard marker effect model was compared with models that account for population structure, either by applying a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) approach or by fitting polygenic effects. The TDT approach was inferior to the standard model, whereas fitting polygenic effects in addition to marker effects increased the accuracy of estimated breeding values of the progeny of training individuals but also seven generations after training. Thus, fitting polygenic effects enhances utilization of genomic information both in the short and long-term.
Students' flexible use of ontologies and the value of tentative reasoning: Examples of conceptual understanding in three canonical topics of quantum mechanics

During interviews about quantum mechanics, students flexibly switch back and forth between parallel stable ontologies, as well as constructing and negotiating new ontologies in-the-moment.
Criptococcosis en el Hospital Carlos Van Buren de Valparaíso: una serie de casos.

Background: Cryptococcosis is a severe opportunistic mycotic infection, caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans. It can present as meningitis, pneumonia or cryptococcemia. Aim: To characterize patients with Cryptococcus infection between January 1°, 2013 and June 30, 2016, in Hospital Carlos van Buren, Valparaiso, Chile. Methods: We identified retrospectively those cultures with Cryptococcus sp. growth, and then obtained their clinical files which were analyzed by two independent reviewers. Results: We were able to obtain data from 13 of 15 patients who presented with Cryptococcus neoformans infection. Out of all, 11 (84.6%) were males, with a median age of 35 years old. 11 (84,6%) were HIV positive, 1 (7,7%) had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and 1 (7,7%) refered alcohol abuse. Out of the 15 episodes, 9 (60%) had meningeal infection; 5 (33.3%) were cryptococcemia without meningeal involvement and 1 (6.6%) presented as a pulmonary infection. Eight patients were deceased at one year follow up. Conclusions: Cryptococcus sp. infection must be suspected in patients with cellular immunodeficiencies. Meningeal involvement is the most frequent form of clinical presentation. It still has a high mortality rate.
Dose distribution prediction in isodose feature-preserving voxelization domain using deep convolutional neural network.

Purpose To implement a framework for dose prediction using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) based on the concept of isodose feature-preserving voxelization (IFPV) in simplifying the representation of the dose distribution. Methods The concept of IFPV was introduced for concise representation of a treatment plan. IFPV is a sparse voxelization scheme that partitions the voxels into subgroups according to their geometric, anatomical, and dosimetric features. In this study a deep CNN was constructed to buildup a dose prediction model in IFPV domain based on 60 volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans from a database of previously treated 70 prostate cancer patients. The dose prediction model learns the contour to dose relationship and predicts the dose distribution in IFPV domain given the input contours. Additional ten independent prostate cases were selected as testing data.DVH comparison, dose difference maps, and residual analysis with the sum of absolute residual (SAR) were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Results The proposed IFPV-based method achieved good prediction performance in terms of DVH comparison and dose difference maps. Statistical results of SARs showed that the IFPV-based method is comparable with voxel-based method even though the number of dose representation points used in the IFPV-based method was substantially reduced. The proposed approach achieved mean SARs of 0.029 ± 0.020 and 0.077 ± 0.030 for bladder and rectum, respectively, compared with mean SARs of 0.039 ± 0.029 and 0.069 ± 0.028 in the conventional voxel-based method. Conclusions A novel deep CNN-based dose prediction method in IFPV domain was proposed. The proposed approach has great potential to significantly improve the efficiency of dose prediction and facilitate the treatment planning workflow.
La regulación de la privacidad en Internet en un contexto descentralizado y no consolidado: la gobernanza de Internet y las iniciativas de múltiples partes interesadas como mecanismos reguladores

The present paper analyzes the right to privacy in the context of the Internet. The multi-stake- holder initiatives are an alternative that has already provided a regulatory structure on various aspects of the Internet, be it security, free flow of information or online privacy. Although there are elements that make it not a total solution, this paper analyzes some reasons why online privacy should be regulated by mechanisms of Internet Governance and by entities that do not respond only to governments or only to private firms. In this work, a general look at this alternative is given, without neglecting other approaches that should be applied to the topic of online privacy.
DNA repair polymorphisms and overall survival in early stage non-small cell lung cancer

142 Introduction: Polymorphisms in genes in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and base excision repair (BER) pathways have been described that may lead to differential DNA repair capacity. In the absence of chemotherapy, decreased DNA repair may lead to increased accumulation of genetic mutations in tumor cells, increased biologic aggressiveness, and worse survival. Methods: We evaluated the relationship between DNA repair polymorphisms and overall survival (OS) among patients with early stage NSCLC treated with surgical resection at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1992 to 2001. Analysis was restricted to patients who did not receive any neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. We specifically investigated the polymorphisms XRCC1 Arg399Gln, hOGG1 Ser326Cys, APE1 Asp148Glu, ERCC2 Asp312Asn, ERCC2 Lys751Gln, and ERCC1 8092C/A, from the BER and NER pathways. Analyses of genotype associations with survival outcomes were performed using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier methods and the log-rank test. Results: There were 430 patients. Median age was 69 years (range 31-89). 49% were women. 238 (55%) were Stage IA, 134 (31%) were Stage IB, 10 (2%) were Stage IIA, and 48 (11%) were Stage IIB. The histologies were: 48% adenocarcinoma, 29% squamous cell, 12% bronchioalveolar, 5% large cell, and 6% NSCLC not otherwise specified. There were 28 (6%) never smokers, 232 (54%) former smokers, and 170 (40%) current smokers. All patients had surgical resection as their treatment, with 62% having lobectomy, 27% wedge or segmentectomy, and 11% other resections. There have been 214 deaths. On analysis of individual polymorphisms, the variant Cys allele of the hOGG1 polymorphism was associated with better overall survival (p = 0.02 by log rank test; 5 yr OS for Ser/Ser 53%(95% CI 46-60), for Ser/Cys + Cys/Cys 65% (95% CI 57-72). Using the group with total 0-2 variant alleles as a reference group (n=110), we analyzed groups with 3-4 (n=151) and > 5 variant alleles (n=169). Adjusting for age, sex, pack-years of smoking and stage, we found that that higher number of variant alleles was associated with better survival (adjusted HR for > 5 variant alleles 0.67 (0.47-0.95), for 3-4 variant alleles 0.72 (0.51 - 1.03), Ptrend = 0.03). Conclusions: Increasing numbers of variant alleles among the DNA repair polymorphisms in the NER and BER pathways may be associated with improved overall survival in early stage NSCLC treated with surgery alone. Supported by NIH grants CA074386, CA092824, CA090578, Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute Young Clinical Scientist Award, American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Incidence of Long-term Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naive Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the United States.

Importance Risk of long-term opioid use among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), who experience pain that substantially impairs quality of life, is unknown to date. Objective To compare overall and subgroup incidence of long-term opioid use in a population of opioid-naive patients with HS and control patients. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study was based on a demographically heterogeneous population-based sample of more than 56 million unique patients from January 1, 2008, through December 10, 2018. Patients with HS (n = 22 277) and controls (n = 828 832) were identified using electronic health records data. Data were analyzed from December 13, 2018, through January 28, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was incident long-term opioid use. Results Among the 22 277 patients with HS, mean (SD) age was 40.8 (14.6) years, 16 912 (75.9%) were women, and 13 190 (59.2%) were white. Crude 1-year incidence of long-term opioid use among opioid-naive patients with HS was 0.33% (74 of 22 277), compared with 0.14% (1168 of 828 832) among controls (P Conclusions and Relevance In this study, patients with HS were at higher risk for long-term opioid use. These results suggest that periodic assessment of pain and screening for long-term opioid use may be warranted, particularly among patients who are older, who smoke tobacco, or who have depression and other medical comorbidities.
Heterogeneous glutamatergic receptor mRNA expression across phrenic motor neurons in rats.

The diaphragm muscle comprises various types of motor units that are recruited in an orderly fashion governed by the intrinsic electrophysiological properties (membrane capacitance as a function of somal surface area) of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs). Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter at PhMNs and acts primarily via fast acting AMPA and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. Differences in receptor expression may also contribute to motor unit recruitment order. We used single cell, multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine glutamatergic receptor mRNA expression across PhMNs based on their somal surface area. In adult male and female rats (n = 9) PhMNs were retrogradely labeled for analyses (n = 453 neurons). Differences in the total number and density of mRNA transcripts were evident across PhMNs grouped into tertiles according to somal surface area. A ~ 25% higher density of AMPA (Gria2) and NMDA (Grin1) mRNA expression was evident in PhMNs in the lower tertile compared to the upper tertile. These smaller PhMNs likely comprise type S motor units that are recruited first to accomplish lower force, ventilatory behaviors. In contrast, larger PhMNs with lower volume densities of AMPA and NMDA mRNA expression presumably comprise type FInt and FF motor units that are recruited during higher force, expulsive behaviors. Furthermore, there was a significantly higher cytosolic NMDA mRNA expression in small PhMNs suggesting a more important role for NMDA-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission at smaller PhMNs. These results are consistent with the observed order of motor unit recruitment and suggest a role for glutamatergic receptors in support of this orderly recruitment. Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14747.
Evaluation of the impact of timing of pegfilgrastim administration on incidence of febrile neutropenia in elderly patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas receiving R-CHOP-21.

Prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) reduces the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) and is indicated for high-risk patients, such as elderly patients with B-cell non-Ho...
Nutritional Supplements for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain.

Neuropathic pain affects 7–10% of the population and is often ineffectively and incompletely treated. Although the gold standard for treatment of neuropathic pain includes tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, and anticonvulsants, patients suffering from neuropathic pain are increasingly turning to nonpharmacologic treatments, including nutritional supplements for analgesia. So-called “nutraceuticals” have garnered significant interest among patients seeking to self-treat their neuropathic pain with readily available supplements. The supplements most often used by patients include vitamins such as vitamin B and vitamin D, trace minerals zinc and magnesium, and herbal remedies such as curcumin and St. John’s Wort. However, evidence surrounding the efficacy and mechanisms of these supplements in neuropathic pain is limited, and the scientific literature consists primarily of preclinical animal models, case studies, and small randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Further exploration into large randomized controlled trials is needed to fully inform patients and physicians on the utility of these supplements in neuropathic pain. In this review, we explore the basis behind using several nutritional supplements commonly used by patients with neuropathic pain seen in rheumatology clinics.
The Rite to Vote: Community Interactions and Grassroots Voter Participation in China

Voting in China’s grassroots elections is more of a ritual than a right. For most citizens especially in the urban areas, the results of the local elections have little effect on their lives. Indeed, despite the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) campaigns to get the vote out in local elections, voter turnout is relatively low especially among younger voters. Beyond local political campaigns to remind citizens of their duty to vote is the community pressure and engagement. How does community interaction influence voter turnout in authoritarian grassroots elections? That is, are more socially engaged citizens more likely to vote in ritual elections? Moreover, does community engagement mitigate the age gap in voter turnout in grassroots elections in China? Scant literature exits on the relationship between community interaction and ritual voting in authoritarian regimes. Using the 2013 Chinese General Social Survey, this paper finds that community interaction plays a significant role in voter turnout. In addition, young people, who interact with neighbors, are just as likely to vote as the more socially connected older residents. The results have important implications for political behavior as well as for the grassroots elections in China.
Substrate, temperature, and geographical patterns among nearly 2,000 natural yeast isolates

Yeasts have broad importance as industrially and clinically relevant microbes and as powerful models for fundamental research, but we are only beginning to understand the roles yeasts play in natural ecosystems. Yeast ecology is often more difficult to study compared to other, more abundant microbes, but growing collections of natural yeast isolates are beginning to shed light on fundamental ecological questions. Here we used environmental sampling and isolation to assemble a dataset of 1,962 isolates collected from throughout the contiguous United States of America (USA) and Alaska, which were then used to uncover geographic patterns, along with substrate and temperature associations among yeast taxa. We found some taxa, including the common yeasts Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces paradoxus, to be repeatedly isolated from multiple sampled regions of the US, and we classify these as broadly distributed cosmopolitan yeasts. A number of yeast taxon - substrate associations were identified, some of which were novel and some of which support previously reported associations. Further, we found a strong effect of isolation temperature on the phyla of yeasts recovered, as well as for many species. We speculate that substrate and isolation temperature associations reflect the ecological diversity of and niche partitioning by yeast taxa. Take AwayO_LIAnalysis of environmental metadata of nearly 2,000 yeast isolates. C_LIO_LIIndividual yeast taxa associate with specific substrates and plant genera. C_LIO_LIOptimal yeast isolation temperature differs depending on taxonomic rank. C_LIO_LISubstrate type and isolation temperatures affect isolated yeast diversity. C_LI
La difusión en Hispanoamérica de las primeras publicaciones españolas sobre vacuna (1799-1804)

This article indentifies the first sources of information on the smallpox vaccine and their dissemination according to local documents of the time. As of 1799 the periodical press in Latin America and Madrid played a major role in the wide and rapid spreading of information on the subject publishing European as well as American news. From among the first nineteen books and leaflets publicizing the vaccine, which were written or translated by Spaniards and published before 1804, eight were printed in Catalonia, five in Madrid and the rest in Bilbao, Montpellier, Cadiz, Pamplona and Saragossa. Six out of this stock of nineteen texts are translations from French, eight of them were quoted or reprinted in America. This intensive education and documentary activity, headed by Government publications in Spain and the Colonies, preceded the Vaccination Expedition of the Spanish Government. So one of the Expedition's most noteworthy results was that, upon landing in America, it encountered interest in and knowledge of the vaccine.
Hydrothermal carbonization of simulated food waste for recovery of fatty acids and nutrients.

Abstract We conducted Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of simulated food waste under different reaction conditions (180 to 220 °C, 15 and 30 min), with the aim of recovering both fatty acids from the hydrochar and nutrients from the aqueous-phase products. HTC of the simulated food waste produced hydrochar that retained up to 78% of the original fatty acids. These retained fatty acids were extracted from the hydrochar using ethanol, a food-grade solvent, and gave a net recovery of fatty acid of ∼ 50%. The HTC process partitioned more than 50 wt% of the phosphorus and around 38 wt% of the nitrogen into the aqueous-phase products. A reaction path consistent with decarboxylation predominated during HTC under all of the reaction conditions investigated. A path consistent with dehydration was also observed, but only for the more severe reaction conditions. This work illustrates the potential that HTC has for valorization of food waste.
AWR: Anticipate, Withstand, and Recover Resilience Metric for Operational and Planning Decision Support in Electric Distribution System

With the increasing number of catastrophic weather events and resulting disruption in the energy supply to essential loads, the distribution grid operators’ focus has shifted from reliability to resiliency against high impact, low-frequency events. Given the enhanced automation to enable the smarter grid, there are several assets/resources at the disposal of electric utilities to enhances resiliency. However, with a lack of comprehensive resilience tools for informed operational decisions and planning, utilities face a challenge in investing and prioritizing operational control actions for resiliency. The distribution system resilience is also highly dependent on system attributes, including network, control, generating resources, location of loads and resources, as well as the progression of an extreme event. In this work, we present a novel multi-stage resilience measure called the Anticipate-Withstand-Recover (AWR) metrics. The AWR metrics are based on integrating relevant ‘system characteristics based factors’, before, during, and after the extreme event. The developed methodology utilizes a pragmatic and flexible approach by adopting concepts from the national emergency preparedness paradigm, proactive and reactive controls of grid assets, graph theory with system and component constraints, and multi-criteria decision-making process. The proposed metrics are applied to provide decision support for a) the operational resilience and b) planning investments, and validated for a real system in Alaska during the entirety of the event progression.
DNA methylation-based surrogates of plasma proteins are associated with Parkinson's disease risk.

Abstract Background The epigenome may reflect Parkinson's disease (PD) risk, which serves as a point of convergence of genetic and environmental risk factors. Here, we investigate whether blood DNA methylation (DNAm) markers are associated with PD risk. Methods We selected 12 plasma proteins known as predictors of cardiovascular conditions and mortality to evaluate their effects on PD risk in a case-control study. In lieu of protein level measures, however, we assessed the influence of their DNAm surrogates. Primary analysis was restricted to 569 PD patients and 238 controls with DNAm data available. Using univariate logistic regression, we evaluated associations between the DNAm markers and PD. Results Of the 12 DNAm surrogates, the most robustly associated were DNAm EFEMP-1 and DNAm CD56, which were associated with PD with and without controlling for blood cell composition. DNAm EFEMP-1 was associated with a decreased risk of PD (OR = 0.83 per SD, 95% CI = 0.70, 0.98) whereas DNAm CD56 was associated with an increased risk of PD (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.11, 1.79). Conclusions Several DNAm markers, selected as part of a panel to track cardiovascular outcomes and mortality, were associated with PD risk. DNAm markers may inform of factors that are affected differentially in early PD patients compared with controls.
Comparing the Outcomes of the Different Teaching Modes: All-in-Person, Hybrid, and Online, for Different Student Demographic Groups in a Business School

The concept of hybrid education is spreading. Far less research has been done comparing hybrid teaching to online and F2F teaching. Nearly all this research assumes that there is no difference in the students entering F2F, Hybrid, or online sections of a course. This study used data from four years of courses that were taught in Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. This data set with individual student and course outcomes, included full student demographics including previous university GPA. The results showed for all demographics, hybrid course sections gave better final course grades than online sections, which in gave better final grades than F2F sections. However, for instructors who taught Hybrid courses also gave higher course GPAs for F2F sections than those who did not teach hybrid.
Thermal Properties of Materials

The thermal properties of materials are important whenever heating and cooling devices are designed. Thermally induced expansion of materials has to be taken into account in the construction industry as well as in the design of precision instruments. Heat conduction plays a large role in thermal insulation, for example, in homes, industry, and spacecraft. Some materials such as copper and silver conduct heat very well; other materials, like wood or rubber, are poor heat conductors. Good electrical conductors are generally also good heat conductors. This was discovered in 1853 by Wiedemann and Franz, who found that the ratio between heat conductivity and electrical conductivity (divided by temperature) is essentially constant for all metals.
Mr. Justice Holmes: The Community vs. The Individual

MORE THAN any lawyer of the twentieth century Holmes captures the imagination. He is, in a praiseworthy sense, all things to all people. To the iconoclast, he is the great dissenter; to the liberal, he is the hero of the rebellion against judicial arrogance; to the conservative, a New England Yankee skeptical of economic nostrums; to the soldier, an apostle of war; to the philosopher, a gifted amateur honoring ideas above worldly accomplishment; to the jurist, an inexhaustible source of wisdom and quotation; to the professor, a tireless student of legal history and legal purposes. The resolution of this complexity is the work of biography and history. The lawyer has a different task. He must understand Holmes law. For in all the paradoxes of Holmes, the final paradox is that the Justice, now fifteen years resigned from the bench, has today greater influence than he ever exercised as the senior side judge. In many areas the present Court can differ with Holmes only by an obvious effort of will. Nor is this unnatural. Many of the Court members participated personally in the struggle against the judges who for two decades denied the will of the people. Holmes was the hero of that struggle. To make his philosophy the law of the land was its prime purpose. Small wonder then that disagreement with Holmes now seems faintly akin to treason. Whoever reads Holmes rapidly learns that it is easier to tabulate his ideas than to discover the source of his principles. He reached the Court at sixty-one with full maturity and after more than two decades on the Massachusetts bench. He was completely sophisticated in the judicial technique. Almost immediately he announced the constitutional doctrine which he was to expound for thirty years.' His statement, furthermore, was fully developed. The early opinions show little hesitation or uncertainty. Holmes, like Marshall, knew what he thought from the very beginning.
3D Si-based nanochannel platform for robust cell electroporation

Electroporation is a cellular delivery method making use of a voltage pulse to propel exogenous material through the cell membrane and into the cell allowing the modification of a given cell or cell population. An ideal electroporation system would possess four characteristics encompassing the benefits of all these systems: (1) high throughput, (2) high cell viability, (3) excellent deliver efficiency, and (4) controlled dosage. Many advances1–2 in cell electroporation allow for high throughput, high cell viability, or excellent dosage control, yet no platform is available for the combination of all three. In this work, we show a “3D nanochannel electroporation (NEP) system” (Fig. 1a) on a silicon-chip platform designed to meet these three criteria. This “NEP chip” is patterned on one side using a ∼500 nm circle array and the other using a 50 µm array. Each pattern is then etched through until connection is established as shown in Fig. 1b. The etching of the 3D NEP chip is done using the Bosch process, a combination of SF 6 and C 4 F 8 plasma chemistries giving a highly directional etch for creation of high aspect ratio features. The result is a 3D nanochannel array consisting of nanopores that are ∼500 nm in diameter and 20–25 µm deep. The backside microchannel array consists of wells that are 50 µm in diameter and ∼225–230 µm deep.
Content-learning correlations in spoken tutoring dialogs at word, turn and discourse levels

We study correlations between dialog content and learning in a corpus of human-computer tutoring dialogs. Using an online encyclopedia, we first extract domainspecific concepts discussed in our dialogs. We then extend previously studied shallow dialog metrics by incorporating content at three levels of granularity (word, turn and discourse) and also by distinguishing between students' spoken and written contributions. In all experiments, our content metrics show strong correlations with learning, and outperform the corresponding shallow baselines. Our word-level results show that although verbosity in student writings is highly associated with learning, verbosity in their spoken turns is not. On the other hand, we notice that content along with conciseness in spoken dialogs is strongly correlated with learning. At the turn-level, we find that effective tutoring dialogs have more content-rich turns, but not necessarily more or longer turns. Our discourse-level analysis computes the distribution of content across larger dialog units and shows high correlations when student contributions are rich but unevenly distributed across dialog segments. Copyright © 2008, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.
Women and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

Abstract This paper examines how women “work” the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) from a gendered perspective. Feminist critics of AA have challenged the language of AA's Twelve Steps, the spiritual nature of the steps, and the male-dominated culture of the Twelve-Step program. This paper offers insight into how women in AA approach, interpret, and utilize the Twelve Steps to recover from alcoholism. Through survey and narrative data, findings suggests that women working AA's Twelve Steps become empowered and change for the better in spite of the male-dominated culture and language of the Twelve Steps and regardless of the difficulty they may have encountered in completing these steps. In particular, the first three stepsthe “surrender steps”-encourage women to let go of their alcoholic obsession and begin a spiritual path of recovery. Steps Four through Nine require women to “clean house” and get rid of old self-destructive ways so that they may develop a new and stronger sense of self. Finally...
GC/MS COMPARISON OF THE WEST INDIAN APHRODISIAC LOVE STONE TO THE CHINESE MEDICATION CHAN SU : BUFOTENINE AND RELATED BUFADIENOLIDES

The death of a 23-year-old man resulting from digoxin-like toxicity and heart failure was attributed to ingestion of a West Indian aphrodisiac known as "Love Stone." GC/MS analyses identified bufotenine, a controlled substance under both US and New York State statutes. In addition, a series of bufadienolides, namely resibufogenin, bufalin, and cinobufagin, were also identified. Bufadienolides, which are derived from toad venom or secretions, are cardiotonic steroids that cause symptoms similar to digoxin. GC/MS analyses of the Chinese medication "Chan Su," a product derived from toads, produced a highly similar elution profile and contained the same compounds as "Love Stone." The data demonstrate that the aphrodisiac was also derived from toads.