cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal acid-base physiology in marine teleost, the long-horned sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus).

We have sought to define urinary acid-base excretion in the marine teleost using the long-horned sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus. Urine flow (1.7 ml.h-1.kg-1) is relatively high, and glomerular filtration rate is very low (2.9 ml.h-1.kg-1). The urine-to-plasma ratio of inulin is 2. Renal clearance of p-aminohippurate is very high (108 ml.h-1.kg-1); phosphate and divalent cations are also secreted. In this framework we found urinary pH to average 6.6, but infusion of acid or alkali elicited a pH range of 6.1-7.8. Untreated fish may also have alkaline urine; so it is not surprising that precipitates of calcium or magnesium phosphate are sometimes found in bladder. These are of fine sandy quality and never cause blockage. Infusion of buffer (imidazole) increased the concentration of titratable acid 11-fold and output 2.5-fold. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors had no effect on any urinary component, and histochemical studies revealed that cytoplasm and membranes did not yield the specific cobalt stain for the enzyme. An alkaline load (NaHCO3) is rapidly dissipated by gill excretion, mediated in part by carbonic anhydrase. An acid load (HCl) is rapidly dissipated by gill excretion, not dependent on carbonic anhydrase, and some renal excretion. Comparison and contrast of the low rates of HCO3- reabsorption in the marine teleost (and elasmobranch) with those of mammals suggest strongly that renal carbonic anhydrase evolved in connection with these high reabsorptive rates beginning in freshwater fish and continuing through amphibia and birds.
The transformation of cell growth and transmogrification of DNA synthesis by simian virus 40.

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a simple, coherent model for transformation by SV40 that reconciles many ostensibly disparate observations. The model is consistent with the knowledge of normal mammalian DNA replication. The model also accounts for a number of observations associated with induction of host DNA replication by SV40 and with transformation by the virus. The hypothesis is that transformation by SV40 unlike PyV is largely explicable in terms of the ability of the 90K T-antigen to initiate DNA synthesis. The enzymatic activity associated with the initiation of DNA synthesis, be it endonucleolytic attack, transcription, topoisomerization, or any other activity; all of the data are consistent with the notion that the 90K T-antigen can substitute for the normal host initiator function. By bypassing the normal control for initiation of DNA synthesis, the T-antigen can propel the cell into rounds of replication beyond those exhibited by non-transformed cells in the same conditions. The interaction of T-antigen with host DNA might also account for gene activation through a direct effect on transcription. The rate of T-antigen synthesis is controlled partly by the host, possibly as a function of the site of integration of the viral genome into that of the host. The activity of the 90K t-antigen is also controlled partly by host modification. The 20K t-antigen plays a role in the establishment of transformation of resting cells in tissue culture. It may also have some role in maintenance of the transformed phenotype in tissue culture, but if so, its role can be supplanted by normal sera.
Doravirine Suppresses Common Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Associated Mutants at Clinically Relevant Concentrations

Doravirine (DOR), which is currently in a phase 3 clinical trial, is a novel human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). DOR exhibits potent antiviral activity against wild-type virus and K103N, Y181C, and K103N/Y181C mutant viruses, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 12, 21, 31, and 33 nM, respectively, when measured in 100% normal human serum (NHS). To assess the potential for DOR to suppress NNRTI-associated and rilpivirine (RPV)-specific mutants at concentrations achieved in the clinic setting, inhibitory quotients (IQs) were calculated by determining the ratio of the clinical trough concentration over the antiviral IC50for each virus with DOR and RPV and efavirenz (EFV). DOR displayed IQs of 39, 27, and 25 against the K103N, Y181C, and K103N/Y181C mutants, respectively. In contrast, RPV exhibited IQs of 4.6, 1.4, and 0.8, and EFV showed IQs of 2.5, 60, and 1.9 against these viruses, respectively. DOR also displayed higher IQs than those of RPV and EFV against other prevalent NNRTI-associated mutants, with the exception of Y188L. Both DOR and EFV exhibited higher IQs than RPV when analyzed with RPV-associated mutants. Resistance selections were conducted with K103N, Y181C, G190A, and K103N/Y181C mutants at clinically relevant concentrations of DOR, RPV, and EFV. No viral breakthrough was observed with DOR, whereas breakthrough viruses were readily detected with RPV and EFV against Y181C and K103N viruses, respectively. These data suggest that DOR should impose a higher barrier to the development of resistance than RPV and EFV at the concentrations achieved in the clinic setting.
Proposed experimental test of the theory of hole superconductivity

Abstract The theory of hole superconductivity predicts that in the reversible transition between normal and superconducting phases in the presence of a magnetic field there is charge flow in direction perpendicular to the normal-superconductor phase boundary. In contrast, the conventional BCS-London theory of superconductivity predicts no such charge flow. Here we discuss an experiment to test these predictions.
The effect of abdominal evisceration or adrenalectomy on insulin choleresis.

SummaryIn acute experiments performed on anesthetized dogs insulin choleresis was observed in control animals and compared with a group subjected to abdominal evisceration. Other studies compared insulin choleresis in control dogs with a group prepared by bilateral adrenalectomy. These experiments demonstrated that insulin choleresis was not abolished by evisceration or adrenalectomy. Increments in gastrointestinal or adrenal hormones are not necessary for insulin choleresis.
TOPIARY PRUNING AND WEIGHTING REINFORCE AN AFRICAN ORIGIN FOR THE HUMAN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA TREE.

A method is presented for removing recent homoplastic events from a phylogenetic tree. This "topiary pruning" method produces a series of progressively modified duplicates of the original set of data, from which more and more of the most recent substitutions have been removed. The edited sets of data have increased amounts of information per remaining taxon, while similar but randomized data sets subjected to topiary pruning do not. The ability of topiary pruning to "unscramble" artificial data sets that have high levels of homoplasy is demonstrated, and is shown to be similar in its effects to the weighting method of Kluge and Farris (1969), although with the additional advantage of reducing the number of taxa to the point where bootstrapping is feasible. Pruning and weighting used together produce closer approximations to the "true" tree than either method used separately. It is further shown that in these artificial data sets midpoint rooting is more likely to be accurate than outgroup rooting. When pruning and weighting are applied to the extensive sets of mitochondrial DNA data of Cann et al. (1987) and Vigilant et al. (1991), trees result that have deep branch points, some of which lead to entirely African branches. In the case of the Vigilant et al. data, the three African branches have bootstrap values between 0.94 and 1.0, and the consensus and bootstrap midpoint roots also have high bootstrap values and occur on these African branches near their junction. An African origin of the human mitochondrial tree is not proved by this approach, particularly since sequences from non-African groups are underrepresented in current data sets, but it is rendered more likely.
Excitation of a round jet by transverse standing acoustic oscillations

Improving the mixing of turbulent jets is of potential importance to combustor design. In this study, jets of air were excited by standing acoustic oscillations perpendicular to the jet axis. The jet was observed to flap in the direction of the acoustic motion due to the shedding of large-scale coherent vortical structures from alternating sides of the jet exit, resulting in a time-average elliptical jet cross section. Measured increases in the spreading angle and corresponding decreases in the core length suggested that the mixing was enhanced by the acoustic control. Mean velocity measurement and cross-sectional flow visualization revealed that the acoustic excitation and the resulting vortex shedding caused the jet to bifurcate in the direction of the oscillations. By measuring the degree of mixing downstream of the jet from digitized images, it was shown that the enhancement of the mixing rate was greatest for St between 0.2 and 0.3, and increased with acoustic amplitude. (Author)
The effect of mapharsen on the glucose metabolism of Trypanosoma equiperdum.

The high rates of glucose consumption observed in trypanosomes, together with theoretical considerations based on the role of sulfhydryl-containing enzymes in glycolysis and the ability of arsenical drugs to combine with sulfhydryl groups, have led some workers to suspect that arsenical trypanocides act by disrupting the glycolytic process. Chen' found that mapharsen, metaamino-para-hydroxy-phenyl-arsenoxide, at a concentration of 1 mg per ml, inhibited hexokinase activity of lysed Trypanosoma equiperdum preparations 21% and 2 mg per ml inhibited it 917%. He found that mapharsen at 2.4 mg per ml inhibited the 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase system 58%0 and 55% in two experiments. He also found that 0.2 mg. per ml inhibited adenosine-triphosphatase activity of lysed trypanosomes. Marshall2 found that the similar arsenical compound phenyl-arsenoxide strongly inhibited the utilization of glucose by whole blood containing Trypanosoma evansi when the drug was added at a concentration of 6X 10-4M. He concluded that this drug inhibited the hexokinase reaction in T. evansi, blocking the utilization of glucose at the first step, conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate.
Comparison of Fresh-Frozen Plasma, Four-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrates, and Recombinant Factor VIIa to Facilitate Procedures in Critically Ill Patients with Coagulopathy from Liver Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

tudy Objective To evaluate fresh-frozen plasma (FFP), four-factor prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs), and recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) for lowering international normalized ratio (INR) and facilitating procedures in critically ill patients with hepatic impairment. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Intensive care units at a large university-affiliated teaching hospital. Patients Forty-five adults with hepatic impairment who were admitted between September 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, and had an admission INR of 1.5 or greater, required an invasive intervention or minor surgical procedure, and received FFP alone (15 patients), PCCs (15 patients), or rFVIIa (15 patients). Measurements and Main Results The primary outcomes were rates of achieving an INR less than 1.5 at the time of the procedure and an absolute change in INR from 12 hours before the procedure to the time of the procedure. Secondary outcomes were the time to the procedure, blood product use, bleeding rates, and adverse events. The mean ± SD doses of FFP, PCCs, and rFVIIa were 1.1 ± 0.5 units, 2523 ± 861 units, and 2.6 ± 0.9 mg, respectively, administered 2.1 ± 1.4 hours (p<0.05, FFP vs PCCs or rFVIIa), 1.3 ± 0.5 hours, and 1.3 ± 0.6 hours before the procedure, respectively. Achieving an INR less than 1.5 was more likely to occur with PCCs (80%, p=0.03) and rFVIIa (87%, p=0.01) compared with FFP (27%). INR reduction was greater with PCCs (1.6 ± 0.9, p<0.05) and rFVIIa (1.8 ± 0.7, p<0.01) compared with FFP (0.5 ± 0.8). Use of blood products (FFP, cryoprecipitate, packed red blood cells, and platelets) was significantly greater in the FFP group both before and after the procedural intervention. Hypervolemia was less likely to occur in the PCCs (40%, p=0.02) or rFVIIa (33%, p<0.01) groups than in the FFP group (93%). Overall, 33 (73%) of the 45 patients experienced minor bleeding. Three patients (7%) experienced clotting of a central line or dialysis filter, and all were in the PCCs or rFVIIa groups. Conclusion Unlike FFP, PCCs and rFVIIa effectively and safely reduced INR in critically ill patients with coagulopathy associated with liver impairment to expedite interventions. The amount of blood products used was significantly lower in the PCC and rFVIIa groups, possibly reducing the risk of hypervolemia. Bleeding rates, however, were similar across groups.
AIDS and terminal illness.

The authors discuss the specific social and psychological tasks that confront individuals who are dying with AIDS. The young age of the patient, the nature of the disease process, and the social co...
Oral foregut duplication cysts: A rare and fascinating congenital lesion. Case report and review of the literature

Oral foregut duplication cysts are extremely rare lesions with approximately 57 cases reported. They are congenital cysts, located in the anterior or ventral tongue, and occur predominantly in males. They are lined by one or more types of epithelia which is limited to gastric, intestinal or respiratory epithelium. The differential diagnosis includes lymphangioma, hemangioma, ranula, epidermoid cyst, teratoma and less likely a malignant process.
Large Scale Systems

This chapter describes some of the fundamental issues related to biometric identification (one-to-many matches) on a large scale as well as some details of a particular implementation of a scalable fingerprint matcher. The decomposition of system error rates into expressions in terms of component error rates and the extrapolation of identification accuracy from verification accuracy are explained. Details of the Flash fingerprint matcher are presented including assumptions about allowable transformations connecting instances of model fingerprints and the structure of the invariant index used to form tentative model correspondences. Finally, the pose clustering stage used to filter tentative correspondences and accumulate evidence is described. Results using this preliminary implementation on a database containing 100,000 models are presented and interpreted in the context pf the above-mentioned extrapolation framework described above.
Measuring sensory perception in relation to consumer behavior

Abstract Sensory scientists typically focus most of their effort on measuring the sensations that products elicit, or measuring the pleasure provided by products. Far less effort is given to measuring consumer behavior with regard to intake or use. Implicitly or explicitly, sensations are assumed to influence liking, acceptance, and preference, which in turn influence use and intake. That is, we all assume formulation ultimately influences use; however, measurement error at each stage complicates efforts to build causal models of the chain from formulation to use. This chapter highlights sources of variability at various points, including biological differences, as well as measurement error in the putative path from formulation to use.
Four-channel PDT dose dosimetry for pleural photodynamic therapy

We have developed a four-channel PDT dose dosimetry system to simultaneously acquire light dosimetry and sensitizer fluorescence data from four sites in the thoracic cavity during pleural photodynamic therapy (PDT). Photosensitizer fluorescence emitted during PDT is of interest for the monitoring of local concentration of the photosensitizer and its photobleaching. However, the variation in tissue optical properties will cause the photosensitizer fluorescence to alter. Optical properties correction to the measured fluorescence is required for absolute quantification of photosensitizer concentration. In this study, we determine an empirical optical properties correction function using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of fluorescence for a range of physiologically relevant tissue optical properties. Optical properties correction factors for Photofrin fluorescence were determined experimentally using the same empirical function to recover the Photofrin concentration from measured fluorescence during PDT. The results showed no photobleaching of Photofrin during the course of PDT. PDT doses delivered to multiple sites in the thoracic cavity of 4 patients were presented and showed that PDT dose can be different by 4.4 times intra-patients and 9.1 times inter-patients.
Producing nanoscale laser spot for heat assisted magnetic recording

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) has the potential to keep increasing the areal density in next generation hard disc drives (HDDs) by producing a nanoscale laser spot using optical antenna, called near field transducer (NFT) to locally and temporally heat a sub-diffraction-limited region in the recording medium. The NFTs made of plasmonic nanoscale optical antenna provide the capability of sub-wavelength light focusing at optical frequencies. These antennas are designed using both plasmonic resonance and localized plasmons to produce an enhance field in an area far below the diffraction limit. To reduce the selfheating effect in the NFT, which could cause materials failure that leads to degradation of the overall hard drive performance, the NFT must deliver sufficient power to the recording medium with as small as possible incident laser power. In this paper, the design and characterization of these plasmonic antennas and the effect of optical properties on field localization, absorption, and coupling efficiency will be discussed. Computations of heat dissipation and the induced temperature rise in NFT are carried out to study their dependence on materials’ properties. With the recent significant interests in searching for alternative low-loss plasmonic materials in the visible and near infrared range, the possibility of using alternative plasmonic materials for delivering higher power and simultaneously reducing heating in NFT are investigated.
Neuropathic pain: a narrative review of etiology, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for primary care providers

AbstractBackground: Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a distinct type of chronic pain that is a direct result of damage to the nervous system itself. Studies have shown that training on the topic of chronic pain in medical schools is lacking and many practitioners are not confident in their ability to effectively manage patients with such pain.Aims: The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a brief high-level overview of NeP for primary healthcare providers that includes a discussion of mechanisms, prevalence, burden, assessment, and treatment. The information provided here should help primary care providers better understand this type of chronic pain.
Zeros of Polynomials Generated by a Rational Function with a Hyperbolic-Type Denominator

This paper investigates the zero locus of a sequence of polynomials generated by a bivariate rational function with a denominator of the form $$G(z,t)=P(t)+zt^{r}$$ , where the zeros of P are positive and real. We show that every member of a family of such generating functions—parametrized by the degree of P and r—gives rise to a sequence of polynomials $$\{H_{m}(z)\}_{m=0}^{\infty }$$ , whose terms are eventually hyperbolic. We also identify the real interval $$I \subset \mathbb {R}^+$$ in which the collection of zeros $$\cup _{m \gg 1} \mathcal {Z}(H_m(z))$$ forms a dense set.
Evidence-informed program development: Using a common components approach to develop universal parenting programs for U.S. military and civilian families

Abstract Program development is a complex, iterative process involving multiple steps and decision points. This article presents the common components approach as comparatively efficient, heuristic tool for deciding what content to include in a new program on the basis of current manualized evidence-based programs, alongside theory, basic research findings, and professional judgment. A case study of how this approach was used to develop a universal parenting program for U.S. military and civilian parents of infants (birth to 12 months) is presented. Lessons learned in applying a common components methodology to program development and implications for others who are interested in using the approach in their program work are also discussed.
The Mother, the Daughter, and the Holy Horse: A Trilogy

The worst feeling of lost I ever had was when I was eighteen. I'd left home, I think. Maybe not. Those times were so intensely sad that I lose track. One night, I drove around in a '55 Chevy all evening, knowing that the man who owned the car would want something in return for letting me drive it, not to go all the way, as we called it back then, but to do some kissing, maybe some petting. So I drove and drove and it never entered my mind to just abandon the car. I drank 3.2 beer and drove some more. Finally, around midnight, I drove the car back to the owner's house. He was waiting for me on his porch. He came out to the car and got in and wanted to kiss me and he had a harelip, with a voice that seemed to come from a well inside his head. All I can remember is that I didn't want to kiss him, but I felt I owed him because he had let me drive his car around all night. Now I can't remember if I kissed him, but I think I did. Then I walked to a friend's apartment in hopes of getting some sleep. He let me in and I asked if I could sleep there and he said sure. I had awakened him, but he went right back to bed, without turning any lights on. I took off my shoes and got into his bed in my clothes. We slept. He woke me up kissing me and touching my breasts, and then he was on top of me and he didn't pull my panties off. He just pulled the crotch part over to one side and went inside me. It was over with in about a blink. I got up and asked him if I could wash my clothes out in the sink and stay there until they were dry enough to wear. He said sure and gave me a shirt of his to wear. I washed my skirt and blouse and hung them by the space heater to dry. It was cold that autumn. Then his parents came over. I was sitting on a chair by the heater with my legs hanging out. He talked to his parents. They wanted to know who I was and he told them, "No one. She needed a place to sleep."
Initial Value Calculation of a Multi-machine Power System with a Detailed Model of Synchronous Generator

This paper derives the initial value calculation of a multi-machine power system with a detailed sixth-order model of synchronous generator equipped with exciter and turbine systems. The method is generalized that can be used for any model including the reduced model of synchronous generators such as two-axes, one-axis, and classical model. A Matlab-based package was developed for calculating the initial values and simulating a multi-machine power system. The test system used in the study is IEEE 16-machine 68-bus system.
Disk-till vs. no-till maize evapotranspiration, microclimate, grain yield, production functions and water productivity

Abstract Recognition and understanding of impacts of any crop and (or) soil management practice on crop water use is equally crucial as its intended impacts. One such practice that has gained adoption among producers in the U.S. maize growing regions is conservation tillage, aiming at maintaining about 30–40%, or more, of residual vegetative cover on the soil surface after planting. The presence of numerous interacting factors suggests that the success of this practice is subject to its effectiveness on local scales, requiring scientific/research-based data. The crop evapotranspiration (ETc), microclimate, yield, water productivity (WP) and other variables for irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) were measured and compared under disk-till (DT) (conventional) and no-till (NT) (conservation) tillage systems in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in two carefully managed and monitored producers’ fields, which have been under these tillage management practices for over 17 years. On a three-year total basis, the DT maize ETc (2091 mm) was 92 mm higher than the NT maize ETc (1999 mm). Also, a seasonal and a monthly pattern existed in the difference between DT and NT ETc. NT maize had less pre-anthesis water use than DT maize and greater post-anthesis water use than DT maize in all three growing seasons. The irrigation-yield (IYPF) and evapotranspiration-yield production functions (ETYPF) were developed, and change in ETc increase per unit irrigation application was quantified for both DT and NT maize. Differences in ETc between the two tillage systems was also responsible for modification of field-scale microclimate, where the difference in ETc between the two fields was negatively related to differences in air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, wind speed and sensible heat flux, whereas it was positively related to net radiation and total soil-water. Maize yield was higher for DT maize than NT maize for all three years, by 7% (0.8 t/ha), 6% (0.8 t/ha) and 10% (1.2 t/ha) for 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Tillage practice did not impact WP as WP for both tillage practices were similar, ranging from 1.74 to 1.94 kg/m3. The presented research data and information are a benchmark evidence for tillage-specific agricultural water management for stakeholders in regions with similar crop management and climatic conditions.
Exploring Inclusion of Leadership Development into New Employee Orientations: A Proposed Approach from Army Leader Development

ABSTRACTRegardless of industry, organization leaders recognize the need for a strong leadership pipeline and a culture of sustained leader development, and the U.S. Army is no exception. Beginning ...
"What are they Writing about us Blacks?" -- Roma and "Race" in Russia

What does it mean to be "black" (chernyi) in Russia? Here I will not attempt a history or genealogy of Russian ideas about blackness; instead, I analyze Romani accounts that reveal various ways "blackness" can be constructed in Russia. This essay turns upon Romani (Gypsy)1 accounts of social interactions with Russians in which being "black" was an issue. Roma, besides themselves subscribing to and negotiating within many of the prevalent categories, also reverse the valence of blackness or make shifting alignments with other groups also defined as "black."
Efferocytosis in health and disease

The clearance of apoptotic cells by professional and non-professional phagocytes — a process termed ‘efferocytosis’ — is essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Accordingly, defective efferocytosis underlies a growing list of chronic inflammatory diseases. Although much has been learnt about the mechanisms of apoptotic cell recognition and uptake, several key areas remain incompletely understood. This Review focuses on new discoveries related to how phagocytes process the metabolic cargo they receive during apoptotic cell uptake; the links between efferocytosis and the resolution of inflammation in health and disease; and the roles of efferocytosis in host defence. Understanding these aspects of efferocytosis sheds light on key physiological and pathophysiological processes and suggests novel therapeutic strategies for diseases driven by defective efferocytosis and impaired inflammation resolution. Clearing away dead cells — a process known as efferocytosis — is crucial for normal tissue homeostasis and is impaired in several pathological processes. This Review describes new insights into how efferocytes deal with the engulfed dead cell cargo, how efferocytosis supports the resolution of inflammation and how this understanding is informing new therapeutic strategies.
Competency-based sleep medicine fellowships: addressing workforce needs and enhancing educational quality.

The path for physicians to become credentialed sleep medicine specialists has changed in many ways in the last few decades. Currently, sleep medicine is recognized as an independent subspecialty wi...
Herbicide programs to manage glyphosate/dicamba-resistant kochia (Bassia scoparia) in glyphosate/dicamba-resistant soybean

Evolution of kochia resistance to glyphosate and dicamba is a concern for growers in the US Great Plains. An increasing use of glyphosate and dicamba with the widespread adoption of glyphosate/dicamba-resistant (GDR) soybean in recent years may warrant greater attention. Long-term stewardship of this new stacked-trait technology will require the implementation of diverse weed control strategies, such as the use of soil-residual herbicides (PRE) aimed at effective control of GDR kochia. Field experiments were conducted in Huntley, MT, in 2017 and 2018, and Hays, KS, in 2018 to determine the effectiveness of various PRE herbicides applied alone or followed by (fb) a POST treatment of glyphosate plus dicamba for controlling GDR kochia in GDR soybean. Among PRE herbicides tested, sulfentrazone provided complete (100%), season-long control of GDR kochia at both sites. In addition, PRE fb POST programs tested in this study brought 71% to 100% control of GDR kochia throughout the season at both sites. Pyroxasulfone applied PRE resulted in 57% to 70% control across sites at 9 to 10 wk after PRE (WAPRE). However, mixing dicamba with pyroxasulfone improved control up to 25% at both sites. Kochia plants surviving pyroxasulfone applied PRE alone produced 2,530 seeds m–² compared with pyroxasulfone + dicamba (230 seeds m–²) at the Montana site. No differences in soybean grain yields were observed with PRE alone or PRE fb POST treatments at the Montana site; however, dicamba, pyroxasulfone, and pendimethalin + dimethenamid-P applied PRE brought lower grain yield (1,150 kg ha–¹) compared to all other tested programs at the Kansas site. In conclusion, effective PRE or PRE fb POST (two-pass) programs tested in this research should be proactively utilized by the growers to manage GDR kochia in GDR soybean. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; dicamba; dimethenamid-P; pendimethalin; pyroxasulfone; sulfentrazone; kochia, Bassia scoparia (L.) A.J. Scott; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr
Correlation Studies on the Cognitive Responses of Distracted Drivers during Conversational Tasks

Correlation studies between distracted driving and conversational tasks is investigated in this paper. It is a fact that as technology becomes more ubiquitous, we become more dependent on its integration into our daily routines, including driving tasks. With the integration of technology and cars, drivers can become easily distracted with the bombardment of secondary tasks such as cell phone usage, navigation systems, listening to podcasts, etc. We analyzed the cognitive correlations between distracted driving behavior based on electroencephalography (EEG) signals using conversation with co-passengers as a secondary driving task and a linear support vector machine (SVM) for classification. Results indicated that EEG features may provide a salient feature set for detecting driver distraction behavior. Furthermore, when compared with previous classification methods, the accuracy rating improved by 5% using SVM classification. Therefore, from these preliminary results, we posit that cognitive data can be used as a valid feature for classifying distracted driver behaviors. Future studies will further validate this result. The authors suggest, however, that a combination of EEG data with physiological features using SVM classification may provide a more robust system with improved performance accuracy.
A Novel 600V Lateral RESURF 4H-SiC MESFET with Sloped Field Plate for High Power and High Frequency Applications

Silicon carbide $(SiC)$ possesses a high breakdown field of $4\times 10^{6}V/cm$, high saturated electron drift velocity of $2\times 10^{7}cm/s$ and excellent thermal conductivity of 4.9 $W/cm\cdot K$ attributing from its wide bandgap. These characteristics make this material attractive for incorporating new approaches in device design such as the RESURF (Reduced Surface Field) technology, which is an innovative method for designing lateral high-voltage, low on-resistance devices. We have demonstrated a 600V Lateral RESURF 4H-SiC MESFET with sloped passivation which shows significantly higher power density as opposed to conventional RF GaAs devices and silicon LDMOS transistors. A sloped field plate structure is utilized to drain, source, and gate electrodes to reduce the surface electric field and significantly improve breakdown voltage up to 560V without sacrificing forward on-resistance.
Black Women Have a Worse Cardio-Metabolic Risk Profile Compared to White Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Health disparities may influence cardio-metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The magnitude and direction of differences in cardio-metabolic risk between Black and White women with PCOS remain uncertain due to inconsistent reports. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate evidence on cardio-metabolic health disparities between Black and White women with PCOS in the US in response to the call for further delineation of these disparities by the International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of PCOS. Databases of MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched (January 1990 to September 2020) to identify observational studies documenting cardio-metabolic risk profile (glucoregulatory, lipid profile, anthropometric, blood pressure status) in Black and White women with PCOS. The primary outcome was fasting glucose. Further, cardiovascular events (stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure) and mortality rate (cardiovascular death, total mortality) data were evaluated between groups. Studies on children ( 50 yrs.) women were excluded. Data were pooled by random-effects models and expressed as weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. Eleven studies (n = 2,821; [626 Black; 2,195 White women]) evaluated cardio-metabolic risk profile, yet none reported on cardiovascular events/mortality rate. Black women had comparable fasting glucose (-0.61 [-1.69, 2.92] mg/dL; I2 = 62.5%), yet exhibited increased fasting insulin (6.76 [4.97, 8.56] µIU/mL; I2 = 59.0%); homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; 1.47 [0.86, 2.08]; I2 = 83.2%); systolic blood pressure (SBP, 3.32 [0.34, 6.30] mmHg; I2 = 52.0%) and decreased triglyceride (-32.56 [-54.69, -10.42] mg/dL; I2 = 68.0%) when compared to White women with PCOS (All: P ≤ 0.03). Groups were comparable in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure (All: P ≥ 0.06). Paucity in the number of studies that evaluated cardiovascular events or mortality limits any conclusions about potential disparities. Overall, Black women with PCOS have a greater tendency for an adverse cardio-metabolic risk profile (increased insulin, HOMA-IR, SBP), despite lower triglyceride levels than White women. Our observations support consideration of these disparities for diagnostic, monitoring, management, and public health practices, and for future guideline recommendations. Heterogeneity among studies warrants future research to address the relative contributions of biological, environmental, socioeconomic, and healthcare factors to the observed disparities. Longitudinal research should address cardiovascular events and mortality rate in Black women with PCOS (www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO ID, CRD42020183485).
COVID 19 and use of an iphone retinal Camera

Purpose : Use of the D Eye attachment for the iphone as an optic nerve imaging option in patients in the COVID19 pandemic Methods : Inclusion criteria: 20/20-20/50 vision, informed consent was obtained. D-Eye digital retinal camera (Padova, Italy) was used on the dilated and undilated eyes of patients. The camera was attached to an iphone 6 (Apple, Cupertino CA), video mode was used to attain an image of the optic nerve and internally timed on the iphone 6). Optos California model (Dunfermline, Scotland ) was then used to take optic nerve images of both dilated and undilated eyes of patients for comparison. The start time and end time was recorded from the timestamp of the first and last image taken on Optos, then the difference between both timestamps was calculated to obtain time spent on OPTOS. Results : For dilated patients (n=14, 26 eyes), the average time taken to obtain a clear video of both eyes using D-Eye was 28.5 seconds. The average time to take images of both eyes using OPTOS was 1.71 minutes. The p-value of the average time is 0.000373. For undilated patients (n=10, 20 eyes), the average time of a clear video of both eyes using D-Eye was 29.8 seconds. The average time to take clear images of both eyes using OPTOS was 1.2 minutes. The p-value of the average time is 0.000213. Conclusions : The D-Eye smartphone device and its short image acquisition time may be useful with wheelchair patients or with patients who want to be seen quickly in the COVID setting indoors or outdoors. We look forward to future studies of the D-Eye in the COVID era and ophthalmology.
Gaps in Palliative Care Education among Neonatology Fellowship Trainees

Background: To provide proper care for infants at risk for death, neonatologists need expertise in many areas of palliative care. Although neonatology training programs have implemented a wide vari...
Love and longevity: A Social Dependency Hypothesis

Abstract Mammals, including humans, are reliant for survival and reproduction on adaptations associated with sociality and physiological investment, which can be linked to interactions with their parents or other bonded adult conspecifics. A wide range of evidence in human and non-human mammal species links social behaviors and relationships - including those characterized by what humans call “love” - to positive health and longevity. In light of this evidence, we propose a Social Dependency Hypothesis of Longevity, suggesting that natural selection has favored longer and healthier adult lives in species or in individuals exhibiting enhanced caregiver responsibilities contributing to the success of the next generation. In highlighting cellular, physiological, and behavioral effects of mammalian reproductive hormones, we examine the specific hypothesis that the neuropeptide oxytocin links longevity to the benefits of parental investment and associated relationships. Oxytocin is a pleiotropic molecule with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, capable of regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the parasympathetic nervous system and other systems associated with the management of various challenges, including chronic diseases and therefore may be crucial to establishing the maximum longevity potential of a species or an individual.
Historical review of menstrual toxic shock syndrome

This article reviews the history of Toxic Shock Syndrome and its relationship to tampons as well as governmental regulation of the tampon product. The historical antecedents and factors leading to governmental regulation will be addressed.
Rhodium catalyzed reactions of bicyclic hydrocarbons. : Substituent, stereochemical and ring size effects

Abstract Tris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I) chloride in the presence of oxygencatalyzes the rearrangement of bicyclo[3.1.O]hex-2-enes, producing cyclohexadienes. Rearrangement rates are increased by introduction of methyl or carboxymethyl substituents at C6, the effects being maximized when the methyl group is exo and/or the carboxymethyl group is endo. Bicyclo[4.1.O]hept-2-enes are less reactive but yield analogous products. Bicyclo[6.1.0]non-2-enes are unreactive under the reaction conditions even after two years.
Reach Set Computation Using Optimal Control

Reach set computation is a basic component of many verification and control synthesis procedures. Effective computation schemes are available for discrete Systems described by finite state machines and continuous-variable Systems described by linear differential inequalities. This paper suggests an approach based on the Pontryagin maximum principle of optimal control theory. The approach is elaborated for linear systems, and it may prove useful for more general continuous-variable systems
Low Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Monitoring Using Smart Phone Technology

We present and demonstrate an innovative and extremely low cost aerial monitoring and surveillance platform based on integrating open source and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with a highly capable compact, lightweight smart phone. We investigated sensors available within smart phones such as the camera, GPS, gyroscope and accelerometer, to integrate computing and sensing capabilities to the UAV in an extremely cost-effective way, which could fundamentally affect the way UAVs are used in emergency response and other applications.
Stepfamilies and the Law

Essential reading for those who wish to understand the meaning of stepfamily relationships in America today
How nurse practitioners obtained provider status: lessons for pharmacists

The history of nurse practitioners, their efforts to achieve provider status, and lessons learned from their activism are discussed. The nurse practitioner profession arose out of a need to meet a rising demand for primary care services, especially in rural areas. Some nurses and physicians vehemently opposed the nurse practitioner model, but studies documented the value of nurse practitioner services, and the utilization of these practitioners continued to grow. Compensation was provided via salary or per-member-per-month agreements. Nurse practitioners recognized that direct federal reimbursement (provider status) was needed to recognize them as independent health care providers and assign specific monetary values to their services, so they undertook an aggressive lobbying campaign. Contacts on Capitol Hill were exploited, and nursing organizations encouraged nurse practitioners to get involved in grass-roots activism. Nurse practitioners discussed their patients during meetings with their representatives in Congress, and legislators were invited to make site visits. In 1993, the American College of Nurse Practitioners was formed to unite the profession and move the campaign forward. Ultimately, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 granted nurse practitioners provider status and authorized them to bill Medicare directly for services furnished in any setting. The key strategies that contributed to this victory were (1) gaining recognition that nursing had the potential to expand its role, (2) documenting nurse practitioners' value, (3) establishing standards in education and credentialing, (4) using professional organizations to empower individuals, and (5) being willing to accept small, incremental gains over time. The experience of nurse practitioners in obtaining Medicare provider status offers valuable lessons for pharmacists as they pursue the same goal.
Impact of hair cell preservation in cochlear implantation: combined electric and acoustic hearing.

Objective This article reviews some of the potential benefits of preserving low-frequency residual hearing using a short-electrode cochlear implant. Both the status of the inner ear and acoustic characteristics of speech cues are important factors. How does the magnitude of the potential benefits depend on the candidacy criteria for implantation with a hearing-preservation electrode? Background Previous research has demonstrated that preserving residual hearing in cochlear implantation can provide significant advantages for the understanding of speech in background noise as well as for the aesthetic qualities of music and other sounds. Developing optimal candidacy guidelines for these devices is a current goal. Methods In a large group of patients with Hybrid (acoustic + electric) cochlear implant, performance in the recognition of speech in background of other talkers is measured and compared with patients with traditional long-electrode implant. In addition, a number of patient characteristics are compared to success with the short-electrode implant. Results Age and duration of hearing loss are found to be predictive factors for the success of the short-electrode approach. Conclusion Optimal criterion for candidacy for the use of the short-electrode versus a traditional long electrode can improve the outlook for patients with severe-to-profound high-frequency hearing loss.
Lateral inhibition and the Wundt-Hering illusion

Lateral inhibition has been suggested as the mechanism that is responsible for many of the visual geometric illusions. It operates through the mutual inhibition and displacement of spatially adjacent contours. Using a modified Wundt-Hering illusion, it was shown that, even in the absence of such spatially adjacent contours, the expected illusion still occurs. This result casts some doubt on the adequacy of the lateral inhibitory explanation of geometric illusions.
Learning a Causal Model from Household Survey Data by Using a Bayesian Belief Network

A Bayesian belief network (BBN) is a modeling and knowledge-representation structure used in artificial intelligence that consists of a graphical model depicting probabilistic relationships among variables of interest. This graphical model is a valuable tool for representing the causal relationships in a given set of variables. Because the number of possible BBNs for a given data set is exponential with respect to the number of variables, learning a BBN from data is a difficult and resource-consuming task. A greedy algorithm that automatically constructs a BBN from a data set of cases obtained from a household survey was implemented. The resulting BBN shows the dependencies among key variables that are associated with the trip-generation process.
Control and the Coronary-Prone Behavior Pattern: Responses to Multiple Situational Demands

An experiment was conducted to examine the relation between the coronary-prone behavior pattern and responses to increased situational demands. Subjects performing a proofreading task were or were not required to attend to additional extraneous task demands. Whereas the proofreading performance of Type Bs was undermined by the need to respond to multiple demands, Type As displayed no such decrement in performance. It was suggested that Type As increased the effort they put forth when their control was threatened by extraneous demands.
Drivers’ Attitudes Toward Front or Rear Child Passenger Belt Use and Seat Belt Reminders at These Seating Positions

Objective: Passengers, especially those in rear seating positions, use seat belts less frequently than drivers. In-vehicle technology can inform drivers when their passengers are unbuckled and encourage passengers to use belts. The current study collected information about drivers’ attitudes toward passenger belt use and belt reminders for front passengers and children in back seats. Methods: A national telephone survey of 1218 people 18 and older was conducted, of which 477 respondents were drivers who transport a front seat passenger at least once a week and 254 were drivers who transport an 8- to 15-year-old child in the back seat. Respondents were asked about their attitudes toward belt use by their front passengers or rear child passengers and preferences for different passenger belt reminder features. Results: Ninety percent of drivers who regularly transport front seat passengers said that the passengers always use seat belts. Reported belt use was even higher among 8- to 15-year-old children in th...
Pathologic approach to the diagnosis of vasculitis

Since it is necessary to rely on clinico-pathologic data to establish the diagnosis of vasculitis as a component of a disease or syndrome, the suggested diagnosis is often tentative. This apparent diffidence is due firstly, to the broad overlap among the various vasculitides, secondly, the clinical presentation and laboratory data may be incomplete and thirdly, because the disease is still evolving at the time when the patient is biopsied. Indeed, in some patients, the definitive diagnosis of the type of vasculitis may not be reached until after the postmortem examination. In this review, I will present the clinico-pathologic data required for the histopathologic approach to the diagnosis of vasculitis.