cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase is controlled by P1, the regulator of 3-deoxyflavonoid biosynthesis in maize.

The maize (Zea mays) red aleurone1 (pr1) encodes a CYP450-dependent flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase (ZmF3’H1) required for the biosynthesis of purple and red anthocyanin pigments. We previously showed that Zmf3’h1 is regulated by C1 (Colorless1) and R1 (Red1) transcription factors. The current study demonstrates that, in addition to its role in anthocyanin biosynthesis, the Zmf3’h1 gene also participates in the biosynthesis of 3-deoxyflavonoids and phlobaphenes that accumulate in maize pericarps, cob glumes, and silks. Biosynthesis of 3-deoxyflavonoids is regulated by P1 (Pericarp color1) and is independent from the action of C1 and R1 transcription factors. In maize, apiforol and luteoforol are the precursors of condensed phlobaphenes. Maize lines with functional alleles of pr1 and p1 (Pr1;P1) accumulate luteoforol, while null pr1 lines with a functional or non-functional p1 allele (pr1;P1 or pr1;p1) accumulate apiforol. Apiforol lacks a hydroxyl group at the 3’-position of the flavylium B-ring, while luteoforol has this hydroxyl group. Our biochemical analysis of accumulated compounds in different pr1 genotypes showed that the pr1 encoded ZmF3’H1 has a role in the conversion of mono-hydroxylated to bi-hydroxylated compounds in the B-ring. Steady state RNA analyses demonstrated that Zmf3’h1 mRNA accumulation requires a functional p1 allele. Using a combination of EMSA and ChIP experiments, we established that the Zmf3’h1 gene is a direct target of P1. Highlighting the significance of the Zmf3’h1 gene for resistance against biotic stress, we also show here that the p1 controlled 3-deoxyanthocyanidin and C-glycosyl flavone (maysin) defence compounds accumulate at significantly higher levels in Pr1 silks as compared to pr1 silks. By virtue of increased maysin synthesis in Pr1 plants, corn ear worm larvae fed on Pr1; P1 silks showed slower growth as compared to pr1; P1 silks. Our results show that the Zmf3’h1 gene participates in the biosynthesis of phlobaphenes and agronomically important 3-deoxyflavonoid compounds under the regulatory control of P1.
Task Transfer by a Developmental Robot

Scaffolding is a process of transferring learned skills to new and more complex tasks through arranged experience in open-ended development. In this paper, we propose a developmental learning architecture that enables a robot to transfer skills acquired in early learning settings to later more complex task settings. We show that a basic mechanism that enables this transfer is sequential priming combined with attention, which is also the driving mechanism for classical conditioning, secondary conditioning, and instrumental conditioning in animal learning. A major challenge of this work is that training and testing must be conducted in the same program operational mode through online, real-time interactions between the agent and the trainers. In contrast with former modeling studies, the proposed architecture does not require the programmer to know the tasks to be learned and the environment is uncontrolled. All possible perceptions and actions, including the actual number of classes, are not available until the programming is finished and the robot starts to learn in the real world. Thus, a predesigned task-specific symbolic representation is not suited for such an open-ended developmental process. Experimental results on a robot are reported in which the trainer shaped the behaviors of the agent interactively, continuously, and incrementally through verbal commands and other sensory signals so that the robot learns new and more complex sensorimotor tasks by transferring sensorimotor skills learned in earlier periods of open-ended development
Analysis of Social Media Interactions Between Pharmaceutical Companies and Consumers: The Power of the "Like"

Background:The way in which pharmaceutical companies are using social media is vitally important in staying competitive, but the way social media users respond is equally if not more important. Thi...
Grinding Mill Operation and Scale-up: Theory and Equations

Current scale-up equations are discussed critically. The ratio: rotational mass flow of media to axial mass flow of ore—a concept recently introduced—has been refined and extended. It can account for similar breakage in scaled mills by the trade-off between ore/media encounter frequency and average impact energy with specific energy constant. Further consequences are that in scaled mills the average number of revolutions during the residence of an element of ore in the mill, and ore flow path tortuosity, both decrease strongly while axial flow increases very strongly as mill diameter increases. These factors can result in capacity limitations when mill diameters reach a critical range, especially for coarser feed sizes of certain ores. Autogenous mills can operate satisfactorily at relatively large diameters because their large active volumes are occupied either completely or mostly by ore, resulting in higher values of nominal residence time and flow path tortuosity.
An alternative proof for convergence of stochastic approximation algorithms

An alternative proof for convergence of stochastic approximation algorithms is provided. The proof is completely deterministic, very elementary (involving only basic notions of convergence), and direct in that it remains in a discrete setting. An alternative form of the Kushner-Clark condition is introduced and utilized and the results are the first to prove necessity for general gain sequences in a Hilbert space setting.
Pathogens Causing Recurrent and Difficult-to-Treat Acute Otitis Media, 2003-2006

This study sought to determine the microbiology of recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) and AOM treatment failure (AOMTF) in the context of widespread use of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). In this retrospective cohort study, 244 AOM isolates obtained by tympanocentesis during 3 respiratory seasons—2003-2004 (n = 126), 2004-2005 (n = 52), 2005-2006 (n = 66)—from three geographically diverse pediatric populations were compared. Most isolates were from children less than 2 years old, who had received PCV7. For the 3 seasons the proportion of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates was 35%, 35%, and 46% and for Haemophilus influenzae was 55%, 58%, and 39%, respectively (change in trend, P = .09). A total of 37%, 39%, and 50% of S. pneumoniae were penicillin nonsusceptible (PNSP) and 48%, 67%, and 50% of H. influenzae produced β-lactamase, respectively. Although H. influenzae remains the most frequently isolated pathogen in children with AOMTF or recurrent AOM, S. pneumoniae that are PNSP are reeme...
Odor memories: the first sniff counts.

Summary A new study which combined associative memory tests with functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain has identified a potential neural correlate of the special association that is formed when an odor is first paired with a visual object.
Solving Multi-agent Control Problems Using Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper outlines an approximate algorithm for finding an optimal decentralized control in multi-agent systems. Decentralized partially observable Markov decision processes and their extension to infinite state, observation and action spaces are utilized as a theoretical framework. In the presented algorithm, policies of each agent are represented by a feedforward neural network. Then, a search is performed in a joint weight space of all networks. Particle swarm optimization is applied as a search algorithm. Experimental results are provided showing that the algorithm finds good solutions for the classical Tiger problem extended to multi-agent systems, as well as for a multi-agent navigation task involving large state and action spaces
Overload Considerations for Design and Operation of IPMSMs

Although interior permanent magnet synchronous machines and their cooling are designed to match the rated power, power demands other than rated may arise. One may keep the same machine dimensions and basic electromagnetic design, but increase the cooling for different operating conditions. Modifications of the cooling system can compensate for the increase in machine losses in the windings, magnets, or iron. Increasing the allowed stator current affects the machine performance in other ways as well. These include demagnetization of the magnets, and hence, shrinking of the speed range to avoid this. In this paper, these effects are studied for a baseline machine, as well as for machines with the same stator but modified rotor design. A cross-saturated model is developed and shown to be more accurate than the classic one. To account for higher stator current with higher temperatures, the effects on efficiency, torque, and speed range by changing the magnet material from the more commonly used NdFeB to SmCo are also studied and discussed.
Temporal Cognition and Temporal Language the First and Second Times Around. Commentary on McCormack and Hoerl

He had complimented me on how I spoke Italian, and we talked together very easily. One day I had said that Italian seemed such an easy language to me that I could not take a great interest in it; everything was so easy to say. “Ah, yes,” the major said. “Why, then, do you not take up the use of grammar?” So we took up the use of grammar, and soon Italian was such a difficult language that I was afraid to talk to him until I had the grammar straight in my mind. (Hemingway, 1927) McCormack and Hoerl’s state of the art review of the development of temporal concepts from the end of infancy to the end of the fifth year shows that young children’s conception of time is quite different from that of adults. Adults and 5-year-old children can construe an event from a range of temporal perspectives and can describe it from a variety of reference times (RTs) that may not coincide with the time of the event itself (ET) or with the time of speaking (ST). Younger children are incapable of such temporal decentring. Two-year-olds’ use of tense suggests that although they do understand that events can occur before now (as in Ia te )o r after now (I will eat), thus coordinating ET and ST, the complexities of ST > ET > RT (I will have eaten )o r ET> RT > ST (I had eaten) demand additional sophistications. The developmental progression is that RT is first freed from the here-and-now of ST to permit an additional perspective from ET (e.g.,Iwaseating), and eventually it is loosed from ET too. These milestones mark the slow realization of abstract abilities of perspectivetaking, rather than perspective-switching, and demonstrate the appreciation of
Comparison of different experimental and analytical measures of the thermal annealing response of neutron-irradiated RPV steels

The thermal annealing response of several materials as indicated by Charpy transition temperature (TT) and upper-shelf energy (USE), crack initiation toughness, K{sub Jc}, predictive models, and automated-ball indentation (ABI) testing are compared. The materials investigated are representative reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels (several welds and a plate) that were irradiated for other tasks of the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program and are relatively well characterized in the unirradiated and irradiated conditions. They have been annealed at two temperatures, 343 and 454 C (650 and 850 F) for varying lengths of time. The correlation of the Charpy response and the fracture toughness, ABI, and the response predicted by the annealing model of Eason et al. for these conditions and materials appears to be reasonable. The USE after annealing at the temperature of 454 C appears to recover at a faster rate than the TT, and even over-recovers (i.e., the recovered USE exceeds that of the unirradiated material).
Using Educative Curriculum Materials to Support the Development of Prospective Teachers’ Knowledge

Building on the work of Ball and Cohen and that of Davis and Krajcik, as well as more recent research related to teacher learning from and about curriculum materials, we seek to answer the question, How can prospective teachers (PTs) learn to read and use educative curriculum materials in ways that support them in acquiring the knowledge needed for teaching? We present two extended conceptual examples of ways in which educative curriculum materials might be used to support PTs in developing the knowledge needed for teaching. We follow these examples with a set of empirically based design principles and conclude with a brief consideration of unanswered questions related to the use of educative curriculum materials in teacher education.
Selective Moral Disengagement in the Exercise of Moral Agency

Moral agency has dual aspects manifested in both the power to refrain from behaving inhumanely and the proactive power to behave humanely. Moral agency is embedded in a broader socio-cognitive self-theory encompassing affective self-regulatory mechanisms rooted in personal standards linked to self-sanctions. Moral functioning is thus governed by self-reactive selfhood rather than by dispassionate abstract reasoning. The self-regulatory mechanisms governing moral conduct do not come into play unless they are activated and there are many psychosocial mechanisms by which moral self-sanctions are selectively disengaged from inhumane conduct. The moral disengagement may centre on the cognitive restructuring of inhumane conduct into a benign or worthy one by moral justification, sanitising language and exonerative social comparison; disavowal of personal agency in the harm one causes by diffusion or displacement of responsibility; disregarding or minimising the injurious effects of one's actions; and attributio...
The A-kinase Anchoring Domain of Type IIα cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Is Highly Helical

Abstract Subcellular localization of the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase is controlled by interaction of the regulatory subunit with A-KinaseAnchoring Proteins (AKAPs). This contribution examines the solution structure of a 44-residue region that is sufficient for high affinity binding to AKAPs. The N-terminal dimerization domain of the type IIα regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was expressed to high levels on minimal media and uniformly isotopically enriched with15N and 13C nuclei. Sequence-specific backbone and side chain resonance assignments have been made for greater than 95% of the amino acids in the free dimerization domain using high resolution multidimensional heteronuclear NMR techniques. Contrary to the results from secondary structure prediction algorithms, our analysis indicates that the domain is highly helical with a single 3–5-residue sequence involved in a β-strand. The assignments and secondary structure analysis provide the basis for analyzing the structure and dynamics of the dimerization domain both free and complexed with specific anchoring proteins.
Analysis of the eddy-current induced artifacts and the temporal compensation in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

Reduction of eddy currents by a temporal compensation of the input current waveform to the gradient coil is studied with an analytic solution. The technique is the inverse filtering of the eddy-current affected field response, which is calculated from the diffusion equation. The limitation of the temporal compensation due to the spatially variant eddy currents is also investigated for whole-body diagnostic imaging systems and small-bore nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy systems. Within a limited imaging volume of less than 60% of the gradient coil diameter, most of eddy-current problems can be solved by the technique. >
Motivation to perform in a multiple-project environment

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of autonomy, support, goal clarity, and learning opportunities on the motivation to perform of project managers and team members in multiple-project environments. Even though the motivation literature is rather extensive, the motivation of personnel in multiple-project environments is underexplored. As management of multiple projects becomes very common in industry, the understanding of what motivates project managers and team members who work on multiple, simultaneous projects is crucial. Such an understanding should guide management to create conditions that support multiple-project management, reduce burnout, and help retain project personnel. In addition, the findings from this study extend the application of motivation concepts to multiple-project management and shed light on future research opportunities.
Highly Selective Dry Etching of Germanium over Germanium–Tin (Ge1–xSnx): A Novel Route for Ge1–xSnx Nanostructure Fabrication

We present a new etch chemistry that enables highly selective dry etching of germanium over its alloy with tin (Ge1–xSnx). We address the challenges in synthesis of high-quality, defect-free Ge1–xSnx thin films by using Ge virtual substrates as a template for Ge1–xSnx epitaxy. The etch process is applied to selectively remove the stress-inducing Ge virtual substrate and achieve strain-free, direct band gap Ge0.92Sn0.08. The semiconductor processing technology presented in this work provides a robust method for fabrication of innovative Ge1–xSnx nanostructures whose realization can prove to be challenging, if not impossible, otherwise.
Lack of Ecological and Life History Context Can Create the Illusion of Social Interactions in Dictyostelium discoideum

Studies of social microbes often focus on one fitness component (reproductive success within the social complex), with little information about or attention to other stages of the life cycle or the ecological context. This can lead to paradoxical results. The life cycle of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum includes a multicellular stage in which not necessarily clonal amoebae aggregate upon starvation to form a possibly chimeric (genetically heterogeneous) fruiting body made of dead stalk cells and spores. The lab-measured reproductive skew in the spores of chimeras indicates strong social antagonism that should result in low genotypic diversity, which is inconsistent with observations from nature. Two studies have suggested that this inconsistency stems from the one-dimensional assessment of fitness (spore production) and that the solution lies in tradeoffs between multiple life-history traits, e.g.: spore size versus viability; and spore-formation (via aggregation) versus staying vegetative (as non-aggregated cells). We develop an ecologically-grounded, socially-neutral model (i.e. no social interactions between genotypes) for the life cycle of social amoebae in which we theoretically explore multiple non-social life-history traits, tradeoffs and tradeoff-implementing mechanisms. We find that spore production comes at the expense of time to complete aggregation, and, depending on the experimental setup, spore size and viability. Furthermore, experimental results regarding apparent social interactions within chimeric mixes can be qualitatively recapitulated under this neutral hypothesis, without needing to invoke social interactions. This allows for simple potential resolutions to the previously paradoxical results. We conclude that the complexities of life histories, including social behavior and multicellularity, can only be understood in the appropriate multidimensional ecological context, when considering all stages of the life cycle.
Mitochondria and Antiviral Immunity

Mitochondria are unique dynamic organelles that evolved from free-living bacteria into endosymbionts of mammalian hosts (Sagan 1967; Hatefi 1985). They have a distinct ~16.6 kb closed circular DNA genome coding for 13 polypeptides (Taanman 1999). In addition, a majority of the ~1500 mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and transported to the mitochondria (Bonawitz et al. 2006). Mitochondria have two membranes: an outer smooth membrane and a highly folded inner membrane called cristae, which encompasses the matrix that houses the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid metabolism. The inner mitochondrial membrane houses the protein complexes comprising the electron transport chain (ETC) (Hatefi 1985).
A Practical Approach to Monoclonal Antibody Imaging

Working together as co-investigators on the professional staff at the Medical College of Wisconsin, the authors of this article have had over five years of experience in the diagnostic use of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) for colorectal and ovarian cancer. We would like to share with you our approach to those MoAb imaging studies. While such agents have great potential for diagnosis and therapy, at the same time there can be problems and pitfalls. We present a practical and organized approach, which is the secret to success when undertaking MoAb imaging procedures. A complete review of MoAb technology and its application to nuclear medicine is beyond the scope of this article. However, a number of authoritative articles dealing with this topic have been published recently (1–12).
Generalization bounds for non-stationary mixing processes

This paper presents the first generalization bounds for time series prediction with a non-stationary mixing stochastic process. We prove Rademacher complexity learning bounds for both average-path generalization with non-stationary $$\beta $$β-mixing processes and path-dependent generalization with non-stationary $$\phi $$ź-mixing processes. Our guarantees are expressed in terms of $$\beta $$β- or $$\phi $$ź-mixing coefficients and a natural measure of discrepancy between training and target distributions. They admit as special cases previous Rademacher complexity bounds for non-i.i.d. stationary distributions, for independent but not identically distributed random variables, or for the i.i.d. case. We show that, using a new sub-sample selection technique we introduce, our bounds can be tightened under the natural assumption of asymptotically stationary stochastic processes. We also prove that fast learning rates can be achieved by extending existing local Rademacher complexity analyses to the non-i.i.d. setting. We conclude the paper by providing generalization bounds for learning with unbounded losses and non-i.i.d. data.
Mining colonoscopy videos to measure quality of colonoscopic procedures

Colonoscopy is an endoscopic technique that allows a physician to inspect the inside of the human colon. Colonoscopy is the accepted screening method for detection of colorectal cancer or its precursor lesions, colorectal polyps. Indeed, colonoscopy has contributed to a decline in the number of colorectal cancer related deaths. However, not all cancers or large polyps are detected at the time of colonoscopy, and studies of why this occurs are needed. Currently, there is no objective way to measure in detail what exactly is achieved during the procedure (i.e., quality of the colonoscopic procedure). In this paper, we present new algorithms that analyze a video file created during colonoscopy and derive quality measurements of how the colon mucosa is inspected. The proposed algorithms are unique applications of existing data mining techniques: decision tree and support vector machine classifiers applied to videos from medical domain. The algorithms are to be integrated into a novel system aimed at automatic analysis for quality measures of colonoscopy.
Some Thoughts on Gifted Education and Creativity.

This article serves as commentary on the papers featured in the issue. Accordingly, these papers and the questions raised in them form the basis of its discussion. The papers, in turn, are addressing numerous aspects of creativity and working with the mathematically gifted, an area of study that has attracted considerable scholarly attention in the recent decades. This article attempts to elaborate on the findings and ideas of the discussed papers, specifically emphasizing the intrinsic connection between education for the mathematically gifted and general education, as well as the importance of the study and improvement of the practice of mathematics education. The piece starts with the discussion of a few relevant theoretical problems, then, following one of the papers in the issue, addresses the myths of gifted education and creativity, and then goes into other themes of the issue, including classroom practices and mathematics teacher education. At the end, some new research questions posed in the issue are discussed.
The relative role of cognitive and emotional reactions in mediating the effects of a social comparison sun protection intervention.

Objective: This experiment examined the cognitive and emotional impact of two social comparison-based sun protection interventions in a sample of Southern California college students (N = 223). One of the interventions employed comparison UV photos of peers who had either much more (downward social comparison) or much less (upward social comparison) skin damage than did participants themselves. The second intervention consisted of descriptive norms information suggesting that a large majority of the participants’ peer group regularly protect their skin from the sun.Design: Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 4 (Social Comparison Information: no photo vs. no comparison photos vs. upward comparison photos vs. downward comparison photos) × 2 (Descriptive Norms Information: Received vs. not received) design.Main Outcome Measures: Emotional reactions (e.g. worry, embarrassment, relief) and sun-related cognitive reactions (perceived susceptibility, sun protection intentions) were...
Optimal Betting Strategy with Uncertain Payout and Opportunity Limits

This paper was inspired by "Rational Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: Observed Betting Patterns on a Biased Coin" (Haghani, Victor and Dewey, Richard, https://ssrn.com/abstract=2856963). It derives optimal strategy for a game with known payouts and probability, but uncertain limits on total payout and number of betting opportunities. It further develops some general gambling principles applicable to practical risk taking situations in which all parameters are uncertain and robust approximate simple solutions are required.
Composing Decomposition: In Memoriam and the Ecocritical Undertaking

By the time Arthur Hallam finished his continental travels and returned to England in January 1834, he was literally falling apart. Sad as it was, his breakdown should come as no surprise to anyone...
Reinforcing Security Requirements with Multifactor Quality Measurement

Choosing how to write natural language scenarios is challenging, because stakeholders may over-generalize their descriptions or overlook or be unaware of alternate scenarios. In security, for example, this can result in weak security constraints that are too general, or missing constraints. Another challenge is that analysts are unclear on where to stop generating new scenarios. In this paper, we introduce the Multifactor Quality Method (MQM) to help requirements analysts to empirically collect system constraints in scenarios based on elicited expert preferences. The method combines quantitative statistical analysis to measure system quality with qualitative coding to extract new requirements. The method is bootstrapped with minimal analyst expertise in the domain affected by the quality area, and then guides an analyst toward selecting expert-recommended requirements to monotonically increase system quality. We report the results of applying the method to security. This include 550 requirements elicited from 69 security experts during a bootstrapping stage, and subsequent evaluation of these results in a verification stage with 45 security experts to measure the overall improvement of the new requirements. Security experts in our studies have an average of 10 years of experience. Our results show that using our method, we detect an increase in the security quality ratings collected in the verification stage. Finally, we discuss how our proposed method helps to improve security requirements elicitation, analysis, and measurement.
Urban Desiderata: A Path toward Prosperity

We use strong words when we talk about places, proclaiming our “love” or “hate” for a city, neighborhood, house, or other building. Indeed, we probably use these words more often with regard to place than people. Needless to say, the places we love support us, while the places we hate strain us.
AuNP-RF sensor: An innovative application of RF technology for sensing pathogens electrically in liquids (SPEL) within the food supply chain.

Abstract Rapid detection techniques of pathogenic bacteria in the liquid food supply chain are of significant research interest due to their pivotal role in preventing foodborne outbreaks, and in maintaining high standards of public health and safety. Milk and dairy products are of particular interest due to their widespread consumption across the globe. In this paper, a biosensor for detecting pathogenic bacteria in milk using dextrin-capped gold nanoparticles (d-AuNP) as labels decoded at microwave frequencies is presented. The SPEL (sensing pathogens electrically in liquids) biosensor consists of a 3D printed vial and uses an RF reader and an RFID (radio-frequency identification) compatible Split Ring Resonator (SRR) based tag. The SPEL biosensor is capable of detecting bacteria at 5 log CFU/mL within 75 min, with the possibility of testing multiple concurrent samples. Detection is based on impedance loading of SRR by d-AuNP bound to pathogenic bacteria. Spectrophotometry, along with carbohydrate-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) cell capture, is used to verify the sensitivity of the SPEL biosensor with respect to d-AuNP presence. The proof-of-concept device, along with challenges and opportunities for commercialization, are also outlined.
Correction to: Influence of Single-Dose Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Early-Onset Pneumonia in High-Risk Intubated Patients.

Due to an error introduced during the production process, J. Dedrick Jordan’s name was improperly tagged in the original publication of this article. It is tagged correctly here.
Screening Commercial Peat and Peat-based Products for the Presence of Ericoid Mycorrhizae

Abstract Pieris floribunda (Pursh) Benth. & Hook., a known host of ericoid fungi, was used as a model plant to investigate the presence of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi in select peat and peat-based products. After growing in each medium for 75 days, roots of seedlings were examined and average percent colonization was determined for each sample. Results indicate that these fungi are present in the majority of peat and peat-based media tested. Seedlings grown in some of the selected media had a greater percentage of root cells colonized by ericoid mycorrhizae than others in the study.
Parent–Adolescent Communication and Social Impacts on Black American Adolescents’ Academic Well-Being

This research sought to bring awareness to positive communication skills and social components that may be helpful with closing the persistent academic achievement gap between White and Black students in junior high school and high school. In underserved Black American populations it is often believed that parents have little communication concerning the need for educational attainment; however, there is some research to explain that Black American parents participate in much communication with their children pertaining to academic well-being. Questionnaires were distributed to 167 adolescents, ages 11–19 years old, in sixth through twelfth grades. Once data were collected, we completed moderated-mediation analyses using the bootstrapping technique in Process. We found support for self-efficacy and social skills as mediators in the relationship between parent–adolescent communication (PAC) and academic performance. However, the findings were conditional for moderators, grade level and household make up. Results for self-efficacy and social skills were mixed for junior high school and high school in the relationship between PAC and academic performance. Furthermore, single parent homes revealed low amounts of self-efficacy and social skills as expected in the moderated-mediation. Implications for the study suggest more direct PAC in the Black American community surrounding self-efficacy, social skills and academic performance in order to promote academic success.
Plasmablastic Lymphoma, a Rare Entity in Bone Marrow with Unusual Immunophenotype and Challenging Differential Diagnosis.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive malignancy that usually occurs in the setting of immunosuppression. The immunohistochemical profile of PBL is that of terminally differentiated B lymphocytes. CD138, CD38, and MUM1 are usually immunopositive. However, pan B-cell markers such as CD20 and PAX-5 are usually negative. MYC rearrangement is the most commonly encountered genetic alteration, with immunoglobulin (IG), especially immunoglobulin heavy (IGH) chain, being the most frequent partner. We report a case of PBL in a 48-year-old human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) positive male who was admitted to the hospital with signs and symptoms suspicious for tumor lysis syndrome. Bone marrow examination revealed hypercellular marrow with trilineage hypoplasia and sheets of intermediate to large neoplastic cells with basophilic vacuolated cytoplasm comprising the majority of cellular elements of the bone marrow. The neoplastic cells were negative for conventional B-cell, T-cell, plasma cell, and myeloid markers, while flow cytometric analysis revealed an abnormal CD45-dim population that was partially weakly positive for CD71 and CD79b. The diagnosis was initially thought to be a high-grade primitive hematopoietic neoplasm, possibly an acute undifferentiated leukemia. BOB-1, however, was immunopositive in the neoplastic cells, confirming its B-cell origin. MYC was positive by immunohistochemistry and break-apart FISH, as were CD45, MUM-1, and EMA immunostains. There was immunoglobulin kappa (IGK) light chain gene rearrangement by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, Epstein–Barr virus- (EBV–) encoded small RNAs (EBER) were positive by in situ hybridization (ISH). The tumor proliferation index by Ki-67 immunostaining approached 95%. Although the tumor cells were negative for CD38 and CD138, the diagnosis of PBL was still rendered. We recommend using a broad spectrum of B-cell markers, including BOB-1 and OCT-2, in such challenging cases of B-cell lymphomas with no expression of conventional B-cell markers. We also emphasize that the negative CD38 and CD138 should not exclude PBL from the differential diagnosis.
Computationally Guided Design of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors

ABSTRACT The Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) epidemic undoubtedly creates a need for the development of new pharmaceuticals. With the goal of generating new therapeutics for this disease, computational studies were conducted to design novel dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Two candidates, generated by chemical intuition-driven design and bioisosteric replacement, were found to have better docking scores than anagliptin, a currently available diabetes medication.
Supporting the Health Care Workforce During the COVID-19 Global Epidemic.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread internationally. Worldwide, more than 100 000 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) and more than 3500 deaths have been reported. COVID-19 is thought to have higher mortality than seasonal influenza, even as wide variation is reported. While the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates global mortality at 3.4\\%, South Korea has noted mortality of about 0.6\\%.Vaccine development and research into medical treatment for COVID-19 are under way, but are many months away. Meanwhile, the pressure on the global health care workforce continues to intensify. This pressure takes 2 forms. The first is the potentially overwhelming burden of illnesses that stresses health system capacity and the second is the adverse effects on health care workers, including the risk of infection.
Perioperative intravenous acetaminophen and postcesarean pain control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the efficacy of perioperative (pre- or intraoperative) intravenous acetaminophen in improving postcesarean pain control in healthy women receiving regional anesthesia. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, Ovid, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Scopus were searched from their inception to September 2019. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify all randomized placebo-controlled trials examining the effect of perioperative intravenous acetaminophen on postcesarean pain control and other postoperative outcomes. Included trials examined women who were healthy and received regional anesthesia before cesarean delivery at term. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS The primary outcome was 24-hour postoperative pain scores with movement as measured by the individual studies. Secondary outcomes included intravenous morphine milligram equivalents used postoperatively. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model of DerSimonian and Laird, to produce summary treatment effects in terms of mean difference with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS Notably, 4 randomized placebo-controlled trials were identified that met the inclusion criteria with a total of 190 in the intervention arm vs 174 women in the control group. Patients in the intervention group received 1000 mg intravenous acetaminophen in 3 of the studies and 2000 mg intravenous acetaminophen in 1 study. All patients received regional anesthesia before surgery. The medication was given anywhere from 1 hour before surgery to intraoperatively immediately after delivery of the fetus. Pain scores 24 hours after surgery were only available in 1 study. The use of opioids as measured by morphine milligram equivalents after surgery was similar for patients receiving perioperative intravenous acetaminophen and those receiving placebo (38.7 vs 42.55; mean difference, −2.54; 95% confidence interval, −9.24 to 4.16). Only 1 study showed decreased postoperative pain scores when using perioperative intravenous acetaminophen, and this was limited to the first 4 hours after surgery. Importantly, these patients did not receive long-acting neuraxial opioids, which may account for the finding of improved pain control in the early postoperative period. CONCLUSION There are limited data available on the use of perioperative intravenous acetaminophen for cesarean delivery performed at term with regional anesthesia. The use of long-acting neuraxial opioids may make perioperative (pre- or intracesarean) intravenous acetaminophen unnecessary, whereas intravenous (or oral) acetaminophen may become more effective as neuraxial opioid analgesia wears off. More level-1 data are needed.
Phlegmonous Gastritis: A Case Report of Successful Early Antibiotic Treatment.

Phlegmonous gastritis (PG) is a rare and serious bacterial infection of the gastric submucosa. Diagnosis is often delayed due to nonspecific symptoms, but if recognized early, PG may be treated successfully with medical therapy alone. We describe a case of a 47-year-old patient admitted with gastrointestinal symptoms and sepsis. He was found to have beta-hemolytic streptococcus bacteremia with a purulent gastric ulcer on endoscopic evaluation, consistent with the diagnosis of PG. Though surgical evaluation is often required in cases of PG, our patient quickly improved with parenteral antibiotic therapy. This case highlights an uncommon source of sepsis and demonstrates the success of antibiotic monotherapy with early recognition.
Macrolides in children: judicious use, avoiding resistance and reducing adverse effects

### Key messages Erythromycin was the first macrolide, a group of antibiotics that share a macrocyclic ring at a molecular level. Clarithromycin and azithromycin are newer agents of this group, and are among the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for children.1 Beyond antibacterial effects, macrolides exert immunomodulatory actions. Macrolides are increasingly prescribed for prophylactic indications. Furthermore, owing to its prokinetic action, erythromycin is sometimes prescribed to increase gastric emptying. In this medicines update, we provide the reader with a pharmacological background to prescribe macrolides judiciously. Macrolides inhibit protein synthesis through binding at the 50 s subunit of bacterial ribosomes.2 Translation, the process of protein synthesis from mRNA, is inhibited after attachment to this subunit, so that it impedes further bacterial growth. Hence, the antibacterial effect of macrolides is usually bacteriostatic. Furthermore, macrolides decrease neutrophil count and function, resulting in lower concentrations of neutrophil elastase, interleukin 8, and tumour necrosis factor alpha.3 To a lesser extent, macrolides have been reported to reduce the function of eosinophils and T-helper 2 cells. However, mechanisms responsible for these effects are not fully understood, and data comparing these effects between different macrolides are scarce. Macrolides are time-dependent antibiotics, meaning that their antibacterial effect is determined by the time above the minimum inhibitory curve, which is governed by the pharmacokinetic processes absorption, distribution, metabolism and …
Group B Streptococcus cpsE Is Required for Serotype V Capsule Production and Aids in Biofilm Formation and Ascending Infection of the Reproductive Tract during Pregnancy.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an encapsulated Gram-positive pathogen that causes ascending infections of the reproductive tract during pregnancy. The capsule of this organism is a critical virulence factor that has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes to promote pathogenesis. Primarily comprised of carbohydrates, the GBS capsule and its synthesis is driven by the c apsule p olysaccharide s ynthesis (cps) operon. The cpsE gene within this operon encodes a putative glycosyltransferase that is responsible for the transfer of a Glc-1-P from UDP-Glc to an undecaprenyl lipid molecule. We hypothesized that the cpsE gene product is important for GBS virulence and ascending infection during pregnancy. Our work demonstrates that a GBS cpsE mutant secretes fewer carbohydrates, has a reduced capsule, and forms less biofilm than the wild-type parental strain. We show that, compared to the parental strain, the ΔcpsE deletion mutant is more readily taken up by human placental macrophages and has a significantly attenuated ability to invade and proliferate in the mouse reproductive tract. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the cpsE gene product is an important virulence factor that aids in GBS colonization and invasion of the gravid reproductive tract.
Diagnostic Yield of Intrathecal Gadolinium MR Myelography for CSF Leak Localization

Intrathecal gadolinium magnetic resonance (MR) myelography can be used to localize various types of spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks; however, its diagnostic yield is not well known. We sought to determine the diagnostic yield of MR myelography in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A retrospective review was performed on all patients who had undergone intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography at our institution from 2002 to 2020 for suspected spinal CSF leak. The MR myelography images were reviewed for the presence or absence of a spinal CSF leak site. Images were also evaluated for the presence an extradural fluid collection. A total of 97 patients were included in the final cohort. The average age was 52.6 years; 67.0% were female, 4 patients underwent 2 examinations each, yielding a total of 101 MR myelograms. The source of a spinal CSF leak was localized in 14 patients. The diagnostic yield for CSF leak localization on intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography was 14/101 (13.9%) per GdM examination and 14/97 (14.4%) per patient. Among the subset of patients without extradural fluid collections, the yield was 15.7% per examination. All detected leaks were either CSF-venous fistulas or distal nerve root sleeve tears. Intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography is capable of localizing CSF-venous fistulas and distal nerve root sleeve tears; however, our data show that it has a limited diagnostic yield. We suggest that other modalities may be a better first step before attempting intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography.
Vocational Philanthropy and British Women's Writing, 1790–1810: Wollstonecraft, More, Edgeworth, Wordsworth

Contents: Introduction History, philanthropy and benevolent femininity The benevolent woman: rereading Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Beyond the Polite: Philanthropy and the Politics of 'Popular' Tales Reforming fiction and the middling classes: Maria Edgeworth's Belinda More than 'half a poet': Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Journal Conclusion Bibliography Index.
Genetics, Genomics, and Pharmacogenomics

A better understanding of the genetic basis of disease has led to new opportunities for preventing and treating cancer under the rubric of personalized medicine. However, this development has been accompanied by an order of magnitude increase in information to process at a level likely beyond what the unaided mind of the physician can manage. Although this series concentrates on the genomic basis of cancer staging and treatment, it is useful to step back and understand some of the terms that have begun to define modern genetic medicine. Physicians will need not only to understand these terms but also to put these concepts to work in their daily practice of medicine. The following is likely an oversimplification, but it offers some context as to how we will be practicing medicine for the foreseeable future.
Coordination Applications of Linda

While the limelight has been focussed on the use of Linda to build efficient parallel programs, we have been steadily building a portfolio of successes in other areas of coordinated computing. It's time to make more of these efforts. They will begin to crowd center stage as open Linda systems—Linda systems that support access to the same tuple space from different executables—become more widely available, spawning a creative frenzy of coordinated programming.
Wideband antenna array beam steering with free-space optical true-time delay engine

A 6-12 GHz Vivaldi wideband antenna array made of four sub-arrays (two elements per sub-array) was built to steer the beam with a White cell optical true-time delay (OTTD) engine. The OTTD engine was simulated to produce delays with a time delay increment of 25 ps. The beam is then steered combining the simulated OTTD delays and the measured mutual coupling of a Vivaldi array to a maximum scan angle of ±50°. The results demonstrate that the effect of optical losses and mutual coupling effects of the combined beam steering system is not negligible and must be carefully accounted for when implementing frequency-independent TTD beam steering systems.
Prevalence of sexual dysfunctions: results from a decade of research.

Ten years of research that has provided data regarding the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions is reviewed. A thorough review of the literature identified 52 studies published in the 10 years since an earlier review by Spector and Carey (Arch. Sex. Behav. 19(4): 389–408, 1990). Community samples indicate a current prevalence of 0%–3% for male orgasmic disorder, 0%–5% for erectile disorder, and 0%–3% for male hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Pooling current and 1-year figures provides community prevalence estimates of 7%–10% for female orgasmic disorder and 4%–5% for premature ejaculation. Stable community estimates of the current prevalence of other sexual dysfunctions remain unavailable. Prevalence estimates obtained from primary care and sexuality clinic samples are characteristically higher. Although a relatively large number of studies has been conducted since the earlier review, the lack of methodological rigor of many studies limits the confidence that can be placed in these findings.