cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and assembly of a paramyxovirus matrix protein.

Many pleomorphic, lipid-enveloped viruses encode matrix proteins that direct their assembly and budding, but the mechanism of this process is unclear. We have combined X-ray crystallography and cryoelectron tomography to show that the matrix protein of Newcastle disease virus, a paramyxovirus and relative of measles virus, forms dimers that assemble into pseudotetrameric arrays that generate the membrane curvature necessary for virus budding. We show that the glycoproteins are anchored in the gaps between the matrix proteins and that the helical nucleocapsids are associated in register with the matrix arrays. About 90% of virions lack matrix arrays, suggesting that, in agreement with previous biological observations, the matrix protein needs to dissociate from the viral membrane during maturation, as is required for fusion and release of the nucleocapsid into the host’s cytoplasm. Structure and sequence conservation imply that other paramyxovirus matrix proteins function similarly.
THE JOYS OF GARDENING: COLLECTIVIST AND BUREAUCRATIC CULTURES IN CONFLICT

Collectives and bureaucracies differ not only in structure and values, but interpret the social world and engage in actions based on quite different themes, symbols, and meanings. These diverse pat...
A critical analysis of laparoscopic colectomy at a single institution: lessons learned after 1000 cases

Abstract Background A critical outcome analysis of a large, single-institution experience provides a better frame of reference for an assessment of the role of laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal pathology. Methods Review of a prospectively gathered database was performed of a consecutive series of laparoscopic colectomy patients who were operated on by 2 surgeons at a single institution (tertiary referral center) using standardized techniques and care plans. Patients were assessed for operative indications, type of resection, operative time, conversion, complications, duration of stay, and readmission within 30 days. Results One thousand consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy from January 1999 thru June 2004 were analyzed. The types of resections were right colectomy = 314, left/sigmoid colectomy/anterior resection = 435, total colectomy = 61, total proctocolectomy = 14, and other = 176. The indications for surgery were diverticular disease = 285, colorectal neoplasia = 285, inflammatory bowel disease = 172, rectal prolapse = 81, and other = 177. The conversion rate was 11.4%. The mean operative time was 112 ± 45 minutes for all resections. The mean duration of hospitalization for all patients was 3.7 ± 3.8. The overall complication rate was 9.9%, with the most frequent complications being ileus 2.8%, pulmonary 1.6%, cardiac 1.4%, and wound infection 2.6%. The 30-day readmission rate was 9.1%, and the most frequent reasons for readmission were ileus/small-bowel obstruction, intra-abdominal infection, and anastomotic leak. Conclusions This largest single-institution experience with laparoscopic colectomy confirms the benefits of a standardized approach including shorter hospital rehabilitation and low rates of cardiopulmonary and wound complications. Efforts must be directed at improving access to training in laparoscopic colectomy techniques so that patients can benefit from this new technology.
Effect of flame heat flux on thermal response and fire properties of char‐forming composite materials

SUMMARY This study evaluates the effect of flame heat flux on the prediction of thermal response and fire properties of a char-forming composite material. A simplified two-layer flame model was developed and incorporated into a heat transfer thermal model to predict the thermal response and fire reaction characteristics of a burning material. A typical char-forming material, E-glass reinforced polyester composite, was used in the study. A cone calorimeter was used to measure the fire reaction characteristics of the composite. The flame heat flux in a cone calorimeter test setup was estimated using the simplified flame model. Thermal response and fire property predictions with and without the effect of flame heat flux were compared with experimental data obtained from the cone calorimeter tests. Results showed that the average flame heat flux of the composite in a cone calorimeter was 19.1 ± 6 kW/m² from model predictions. The flame had a significant effect on the thermal response and fire properties of the composite around the first heat release peak but the effect decreased rapidly afterwards. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NONUS: A No-Onus Platform for Generating Grant Reports

Advancements in science and technology are rapidly disseminated through publications, patents, blogs, and the social networks. However, the process behind creating the science or technology is hardly curated. This is increasingly becoming a bottleneck for federal agencies who not only fund the science projects and monitor their progress but also make science policy decisions to regulate fundings in various areas. Most federal agencies, currently, are made aware of science advancements through year-end reports that are submitted by the investigators of the research project. To aid federal agencies in monitoring science projects and timely understand the overall impact of science we are creating NONUS, a no-onus platform that compiles data about a science project from a variety of data sources to generate a report This includes Web data sources, patent databases, institutional data, and the federal agencies themselves. The objective is to enable federal agencies to generate measures of social, economic, and scientific value by using all data that is created during a research project in a scientific discipline. In this paper, we describe the technical challenges in creating NONUS.
Poor binding of a HER-2/neu epitope (GP2) to HLA-A2.1 is due to a lack of interactions with the center of the peptide.

Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules bind short peptides derived from proteins synthesized within the cell. These complexes of peptide and class I MHC (pMHC) are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface. If a clonotypic T cell receptor expressed on a circulating T cell binds to the pMHC complex, the cell presenting the pMHC is killed. In this manner, some tumor cells expressing aberrant proteins are recognized and removed by the immune system. However, not all tumors are recognized efficiently. One reason hypothesized for poor T cell recognition of tumor-associated peptides is poor binding of those peptides to class I MHC molecules. Many peptides, derived from the proto-oncogene HER-2/neu have been shown to be recognized by cytotoxic T cells derived from HLA-A2+ patients with breast cancer and other adenocarcinomas. Seven of these peptides were found to bind with intermediate to poor affinity. In particular, GP2 (HER-2/neu residues 654–662) binds very poorly even though it is predicted to bind well based upon the presence of the correct HLA-A2.1 peptide-binding motif. Altering the anchor residues to those most favored by HLA-A2.1 did not significantly improve binding affinity. The crystallographic structure shows that unlike other class I-peptide structures, the center of the peptide does not assume one specific conformation and does not make stabilizing contacts with the peptide-binding cleft.
Coordination and cooperation in manufacturer-retailer supply chains

In this paper, we explore the role of vertical cooperative (co-op) advertising efficiency of transactions between a manufacturer and a retailer. We address the impact of brand name investments, local advertising, and sharing policy on co-op advertising programs. Game theory concepts form the foundation for the analysis. We begin with the classical co-op advertising model where the manufacturer, as the leader, first specifies its strategy. The retailer, as the follower, then decides on its decision. We then relax the assumption of retailer’s inability to influence the manufacturer’s decisions and discuss full coordination between the manufacturer and the retailer on co-op advertising. Two alternative bargaining models are employed to select the best co-op advertising scheme for achieving full coordination.
A direct comparison of signal behavior between 4.0 and 1.5 T: a phantom study

Abstract Introduction: Higher magnetic fields (≥3 T) afford higher spatial and/or temporal resolution in MR imaging with contrast agents, however, studies containing direct comparisons of signal intensity among different magnetic fields are substantially sparse. Our aim was to quantify the differences in terms of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between higher and lower (≤1.5 T) magnetic fields and to clarify the benefit of higher magnetic fields. Methods: The same sets of phantom experiments were conducted at both 4 and 1.5 T on whole-body MR scanners with head coils. Phantoms included different concentrations of Gd chelate water solution. A standard contrast-enhanced MR angiographic sequence with the same imaging parameters was utilized to confirm changes in signal intensities. Furthermore, the results were compared with a computer simulation. Results: Peak SNRs at 4 T increased at least 2.21 times higher compared with those at 1.5 T. Moreover, peak CNRs at 4 T increased at least 1.59 times higher compared with those at 1.5 T in the range of Gd concentration expected during clinical use. Conclusion: Higher magnetic fields benefit CNRs as well as SNRs. These advantages may lead to a high resolution imaging and reduction of scan time.
What Factors Make a Multimedia Learning Environment Engaging: A Case Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate students' engagement with a multimedia enhanced problem-based learning (PBL) environment, Alien Rescue, and to find out in what ways students consider Alien Rescue motivating. Alien Rescue is a PBL environment for students to learn science. Fifty-seven sixth-grade students were interviewed. Analysis of the interviews using the constant comparative method showed that students were intrinsically motivated and that there were 11 key elements of the PBL environment that helped evoke students' motivation: authenticity, challenge, cognitive engagement, competence, choice, fantasy, identity, interactivity, novelty, sensory engagement, and social relations. These elements can be grouped into 5 perspectives of the sources of intrinsic motivation for students using Alien Rescue: problem solving, playing, socializing, information processing, and voluntary acting, with problem solv- ing and playing contributing the highest level of intrinsic motivation. The findings are discussed with respect to designing multimedia learning environments.
Induced Pluripotency and Epigenetic Reprogramming

Induced pluripotency defines the process by which somatic cells are converted into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) upon overexpression of a small set of transcription factors. In this article, we put transcription factor-induced pluripotency into a historical context, review current methods to generate iPSCs, and discuss mechanistic insights that have been gained into the process of reprogramming. In addition, we focus on potential therapeutic applications of induced pluripotency and emerging technologies to efficiently engineer the genomes of human pluripotent cells for scientific and therapeutic purposes.
Soft-Split Sparse Regression Based Random Forest for Predicting Future Clinical Scores of Alzheimer's Disease

In this study, we propose a novel sparse regression based random forest RF to predict future clinical scores of Alzheimer's disease AD with the baseline scores and the MRI features. To avoid the stair-like decision boundary caused by axis-aligned split function in the conventional RF, we present a supervised method to construct the oblique split function by using sparse regression to select the informative features and transform the original features into the target-like features that are more discriminative. Then, we construct the oblique splitting function by applying the principal component analysis PCA on the transformed target-like features. Furthermore, to reduce the negative impact of potential mis-split induced by the conventional "hard-split", we further introduce the "soft-split" technique, in which both left and right nodes are visited with certain weights given a test sample. The experiment results show that sparse regression based RF alone can improve the prediction performance of the conventional RF. And further improvement can be achieved when both of the techniques are combined.
Relation of Economic Theory to the Analysis of Empirical Data in Farm Management Research

PRIMARY emphasis in this paper will be given to the relationship of economic theory and farm management research at the level of individual farms. A better understanding of the relation of theory to the analysis of empirical data at this level may also contribute to a clearer grasp of the function of economic theory in farm management research at area, regional, and national levels. The older question of whether there is any relation between economic theory and research in farm management has been about settled. In a broad perspective it was part of the larger controversy between economists whose primary interests lay in analyzing empirical data and those whose interests were of a theoretical nature. In this process economic theory has undergone considerable reorientation. Basic assumptions have been clarified and given emphasis. Claims that economic theory is a description of the general tendency of our economic system have been replaced by the concept of economic theory as a body of hypotheses logically following from their assumptions which are useful in analyzing economic phenomena. The focus of the analysis has shifted from the industry to the firm, and a separation between the theory of the firm and the theory of external interrelations has been found useful.
A compact uniplanar antenna for nine-band LTE/WWAN operation in tablet computers

A compact uniplanar dual wideband antenna for tablet computers is presented. The proposed antenna provides full coverage of LTE700/2300/2500, GSM850/900/1800/1900, UMTS2100, Bluetooth, and 2.4-GHz WLAN bands with a very small foot print 30 × 10 mm2. The antenna has uniplanar structure and is easy to fabricate on single side of 0.8-mm thick FR4 substrate. This is achieved through three optimized strips: a feeding strip, an inductively coupled inverted L-shaped strip, and a shorted strip embedded with SMT components. The proposed design supports more than eight operating bands in 3:1 VSWR standard, exhibiting positive gains over all nine bands of operation and 80%-90% radiation efficiency in the higher LTE and WWAN bands. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 26:496-502, 2016.
Treating Trichotillomania Successful Application of Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Trichotillomania (TTM) involves the compulsive pulling of one’s bodily hair and is often associated with significant distress or impairment. The present case study concerns a college-aged woman, wh...
Rule-governed behavior: Unifying radical and paradigmatic behaviorism.

Commonalities and differences between Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior and the paradigmatic behaviorism (PB) approach are described as a means of introducing the latter to behavior analysis. The focus is on treating the topic of rule-governed behavior—a topic of current interest in behavior analysis in addressing the challenge of cognitive psychology—within the PB framework. Dealing behaviorally with traditional psychology interests is considered important in PB, and this article aims to advance toward that goal. PB has presented a framework that deals with not only the behavioral description of language but also with language function as well as language acquisition. This includes a treatment of the manner in which verbal stimuli generally can control motor behavior. This framework includes analyses in addition to those present in the behavior analytic framework, along with empirical developments, and these can be used to enhance a behavioral understanding of important parts of verbal behavior and the effects of verbal stimuli on behavior, including rule-governed phenomena. Our purpose is to use the particular topic of rule-governed behavior to argue that a more explicit interaction between radical and paradigmatic behaviorism would advance behaviorism and also enable it to have a stronger impact upon psychology and the scientific community.
Effect of polymerization mode of adhesive and cement on shear bond strength to dentin.

PURPOSE To investigate the shear bond strength to dentin when two resin adhesive systems in light-cure, dual-cure, and auto-cure modes were used with three resin cements. This was done to determine the degree of compatibility that exists when resin products with different polymerization mechanisms are used together. METHODS Three hundred non-carious human molars were divided into 30 test groups in which Prime & Bond NT and ScotchBond Multi-Purpose were used as adhesives with Calibra, Nexxus and Variolink cements to attach Rexillium III posts to flattened dentin surfaces. Debonding was achieved with an Instron testing machine and mean shear bond strengths were determined for each test group. The data were subjected to three-way ANOVA and post-hoc LSD testing to determine whether significant differences existed between the test groups. RESULTS Bond strengths achieved were affected by the adhesive, the cement, and the cement curing mode. In general, the auto-cure application of the three cements demonstrated reduced shear bond strengths, both with respect to the different adhesives and their curing modes as well as compared to the dual-cure technique of the same cement. Additionally, Prime & Bond NT demonstrated considerably more variability than ScotchBond Multi-Purpose when used with both dual-cure and auto-cure varieties of the three cements. The bond strengths of resin cements depend on the curing mode of the cement and the adhesive. Unlike with direct light-cured resin composites, combining adhesive systems and dual-cured resin cements from different manufacturers may be contraindicated.
A Paradigm for Energy and Transportation System Surety in the 21st Century

The petroleum industry began in August, 1859 with the drilling of a well by Edwin Drake near Titusville, Pennsylvania. In less than two centuries since then the world has become addicted to the use of oil and other ancient hydrocarbons (coal and natural gas), drawing down at an unprecedented pace what biological processes took millions of years to sequester. That this practice cannot continue unabated is clear from the finiteness of ancient hydrocarbon resources. Although alternate sources of energy—solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear—completely avoid hydrocarbon burning, these substances, whether ancient or newly generated, will always be needed as feedstock for chemical industries.
VCSEL-Based PAM-4 Links up to 62 Gbit/s Over OM3, OM4, and WB-MMF: Performance Comparison at 850 nm and 1050 nm

We present an analysis of pulse-amplitude modulation 4 (PAM) based multimode fiber (MMF) links using VCSELs at 850 and 1050 nm across a wide range of fiber profiles with effective modal bandwidth spanning from 2 to 10 GHz·km. We demonstrate speeds >51.56 Gbit/s over a set of standard OM3 and OM4 fibers with bit error rate (BER) 50 Gbit/s using PAM-4. We perform VCSEL characterization and through a comparison with our analytic link model, identify various link penalties including those due to the relative intensity noise and mode partition noise of the VCSEL.
Long-term outcomes of provisional stenting compared with a two-stent strategy for bifurcation lesions: a meta-analysis of randomised trials

Background The optimal interventional technique for addressing coronary bifurcation lesions is debatable. Long-term clinical outcomes with provisional stenting (PS) compared with a two-stent (TS) strategy for bifurcation lesions are scarce. We aim to perform the first meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to explore long-term outcomes comparing both strategies. Methods An electronic search was performed for online databases until August 2016 for RCTs comparing PS with TS for bifurcation lesions reporting outcomes at 1 year of follow-up or more. Random effects model risk ratios (RRs) were calculated for outcomes of interest. Results Eight RCTs with a total of 2778 patients reported long-term clinical outcomes. At mean follow-up of 3.0±1.6 years, PS was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR=0.66; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.98; p=0.04) compared with TS for bifurcation lesions. No difference was observed with PS compared with TS regarding major adverse cardiac events (MACE), myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularisation (TLR) or stent thrombosis (ST). In a sensitivity analysis limited to trials with follow-up duration ≥3 years, PS was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR=0.57; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.88; p=0.01), MACE (RR=0.71; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.97; p=0.03) and MI (RR=0.45; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.96; p=0.04) compared with TS, at mean follow-up of 4.6±0.7 years. The risk of TLR and ST remained similar with both strategies (RR=0.81; 95% CI 0.57 to 1.15; p=0.24; and RR=0.75; 95% CI 0.19 to 2.84; p=0.67 respectively). Meta-regression analyses identified increased risk of MACE with PS in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (p=0.05). Conclusion PS may be associated with a long-term mortality benefit compared with a TS strategy for coronary bifurcation lesions.
IAHFME Academic Member 2016 Total Annual Earnings

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to determine the 2016 annual earnings of hospitality financial management educators. Forty-three percent of IAHFME’s members affiliated with educational institution...
Revealing Pathways of Cardiac Regeneration

See Article by Adamowicz, Morgan, and Haubner et al Major cardiac injuries like a large myocardial infarction lead to systolic heart failure because of loss of cardiomyocytes. Unlike during embryonic development,1 adult mammalian cardiomyocytes have limited ability to proliferate and replenish the adult mammalian heart. Although there was once excitement over possible adult cardiac stem cells residing in the mammalian myocardium, it now seems that there are insufficient cardiac progenitor cells in the heart2 to generate any meaningful regeneration. More recently, it was discovered that the heart’s regenerative ability is preserved in the first hours after birth in mice3 and rats.4 Indeed, cardiac regeneration may be recapitulated in vitro using immature human heart organoids,5 indicating an innate capacity of some cardiomyocytes for regeneration. These and other recent discoveries have advanced our understanding of how the mammalian heart can regenerate under certain circumstances, potentially setting the stage for us to appreciate why adult human hearts fail to regenerate. Modern genomic technology can provide a broad molecular characterization of specific cell and tissue states. In this issue of Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine , Adamowicz et al6 present a wealth of data regarding the total transcriptomic profile of newborn mouse hearts under normal (physiological) development and during the regenerative response after myocardial infarction. Here, using RNASeq technology, they reveal not only the relative amount of messenger RNAs but also lncRNAs and microRNAs in a time-course study. Left ventricular samples were collected within at least 4 time intervals and pairwise compared between the conditions (Figure). Figure. Deep molecular characterization of heart regeneration . Left …
E-Cigarette Marketing On Social Networking Sites: Effects on Attitudes, Behavioral Control, Intention to Quit, and Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT This study examined exposure to three types of e-cigarette marketing—sponsored advertisements, brand pages, and user-created groups—on social networking sites and their influence on health-related outcomes. Results (N = 1,016) indicated that e-cigarette users who joined user-created groups had significantly more negative attitudes toward quitting and lower behavioral control, intention to quit, and self-efficacy than those who were exposed to sponsored advertisements or who followed brand pages. Exposure to two or more types of marketing had an additive effect on health-related outcomes. Social identification, attention to social comparison, and subjective norms also moderated between exposure to e-cigarette marketing and key dependent measures.
Measuring Geographic Migration Patterns Using Matrículas Consulares

In this article, we show how to use administrative data from the Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) identification card program to measure the joint distribution of sending and receiving locations for migrants from Mexico to the United States. Whereas other data sources cover only a small fraction of source or destination locations or include only very coarse geographic information, the MCAS data provide complete geographic coverage of both countries, detailed information on migrants' sources and destinations, and a very large sample size. We first confirm the quality and representativeness of the MCAS data by comparing them with well-known household surveys in Mexico and the United States, finding strong agreement on the migrant location distributions available across data sets. We then document substantial differences in the mix of destinations for migrants from different places within the same source state, demonstrating the importance of detailed substate geographical information. We conclude with an example of how these detailed data can be used to study the effects of destination-specific conditions on migration patterns. We find that an Arizona law reducing employment opportunities for unauthorized migrants decreased emigration from and increased return migration to Mexican source regions with strong initial ties to Arizona.
Molecular Cytogenetics of Papaya

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a tropical fruit tree with a relatively small diploid genome of 372 Mbp. As a trioecious species, papaya has three sex forms, female, male, and hermaphrodite, which are determined by an X/Y sex chromosome system. Most importantly, papaya has an incipient Y chromosome, making papaya a promising system for studies of the origin and evolution of sex chromosomes. Recently, the wealth of genetic and genomic resources developed in papaya, including high-density genetic linkage and physical maps, BAC libraries, and a draft genome sequence for the transgenic variety “SunUp,” paves the way to initiate molecular cytogenetic research in papaya. In this chapter, we summarize cytogenetic progress in papaya, including karyotyping, heterochromatin distribution, centromere prediction, and the cytological structure of the Y chromosome.
Alzheimer’s disease as a metabolic disorder

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined by memory loss and cognitive impairment, along with the accumulation in brain of two types of abnormal structures, extracellular amyloid plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles. Both plaques and tangles are composed predominantly of poorly soluble filaments that respectively assemble from amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and the neuron-specific, microtubule-associated protein, tau. It is now widely acknowledged that soluble oligomers of Aβ and tau, the building blocks of plaques and tangles, are principal drivers of AD pathogenesis by acting coordinately to impair and destroy synapses, and kill neurons. The behavioral features of AD are a direct consequence of these attacks on synapses and neuronal viability, which in turn reflect a reduced capacity of AD neurons to utilize energy sources needed to maintain neuronal function and vitality. In other words, AD neurons are starving, even when they may be surrounded by abundant nutrients. Here, we review some of the evidence for the metabolic deficiencies of neurons in AD and how they impact neuronal health.
Condición inmunológica y virológica de los pacientes adultos con infección por VIH al inicio de la terapia anti-retroviral en el Hospital Carlos van Buren. Comparación de los períodos 2013 y 2015

Introduction: Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in HIV patients has shown reduction in morbidity and mortality, and decrease in contagious risk. International recommendations include early initiation of ART, irrespectively of CD4 cell count. Objective: To describe the impact of ART initiation in CD4 cell count and viral load at the end of the first year of HIV treatment, for patients who entered the program at 2013 and 2015. Methodology: Descriptive study. The sample comprehends all patients who started their ART treatment in the indicated years, at HCVB. Results: 78 and 100 patients initiated ART treatment in 2013 and 2015, respectively. In 2013, 48 out of 78 patients (61.5%), and in 2015, 55 (55%) patients started therapy with CD4 > 200 cell/mm3. The follow-up in the first group resulted on 43 (55%) patients with an undetectable CV at the end of first year of treatment, meanwhile in the second group 72% achieved this target (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Early ART initiation increased the proportion of patients with undetectable CV. However, we must improve strategies to optimize results.
Cultivating healthy trajectories: An experimental study of community gardening and health:

Advances in behavioral medicine suggest that optimal solutions to modern health challenges should be multifaceted, targeting multiple cognitions and behaviors simultaneously. Community gardening holds great promise as one such multifaceted intervention but lacks rigorous evidence of efficacy. We present one of the first experimental studies on the topic. The results revealed promise for aspects of community gardening, but also suggest the necessity for the use of rigorous methodologies moving forward. In addition, this article provides a framework for studying the effects of community gardening and similar multifaceted health promotion efforts.
Conditional Reasoning: A Review and Suggestions for Future Test Development and Validation

Lawrence R. James spent the last 20 years of his 35-year career developing and validating a new theory of personality that he called conditional reasoning. This theory was focused on mapping and me...
A New Species of Pauesia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae) From Georgia and Introduced Into South Africa Against the Black Pine Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

A new North American species of the braconid genus Pauesia is described from Georgia. This species has been introduced into South Africa where it has become effective in the biological control of t...
Reassessing private military and security company (PMSC) ‘competition‘ in civil war: lessons from Sierra Leone

This paper challenges recent claims that competitive market dynamics incentivize Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) to fully commit to providing effective services, thereby reducing th...
Ergodic Properties of Random Holomorphic Endomorphisms of ℙk

We study ergodic properties of evaluation processes generated by independent applications of holomorphic endomorphisms of the complex projective space chosen at random according to some probability distribution. Along the way, we construct positive closed currents which have good invariance and convergence properties. We provide a sufficient condition for these currents to have Holder continuous quasi-potentials. We also prove central limit theorem for d.s.h and Holder continuous observables.
The Reliability of Enterprise Applications: Understanding enterprise reliability

Enterprise reliability is a discipline that ensures applications will deliver the required business functionality in a consistent, predictable, and cost-effective manner without compromising core aspects such as availability, performance, and maintainability. This article describes a core set of principles and engineering methodologies that enterprises can apply to help them navigate the complex environment of enterprise reliability and deliver highly reliable and cost-efficient applications.
Remethylation of Dnmt3a-/- hematopoietic cells is associated with partial correction of gene dysregulation and reduced myeloid skewing.

Mutations in the DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) gene are the most common cause of age-related clonal hematopoiesis (ARCH) in older individuals, and are among the most common initiating events for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The most frequent DNMT3A mutation in AML patients (R882H) encodes a dominant-negative protein that reduces methyltransferase activity by ∼80% in cells with heterozygous mutations, causing a focal, canonical DNA hypomethylation phenotype; this phenotype is partially recapitulated in murine Dnmt3a−/− bone marrow cells. To determine whether the hypomethylation phenotype of Dnmt3a−/− hematopoietic cells is reversible, we developed an inducible transgene to restore expression of DNMT3A in transplanted bone marrow cells from Dnmt3a−/− mice. Partial remethylation was detected within 1 wk, but near-complete remethylation required 6 mo. Remethylation was accurate, dynamic, and highly ordered, suggesting that differentially methylated regions have unique properties that may be relevant for their functions. Importantly, 22 wk of DNMT3A addback partially corrected dysregulated gene expression, and mitigated the expansion of myeloid cells. These data show that restoring DNMT3A expression can alter the epigenetic “state” created by loss of Dnmt3a activity; this genetic proof-of-concept experiment suggests that this approach could be relevant for patients with ARCH or AML caused by loss-of-function DNMT3A mutations.
Rapidly Progressive Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor of the Omentum in an Adult. A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction : Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors (MRT) are exceedingly rare neoplasms that characteristically occur in infants and children and sparsely develop in adults. Primary MRTs of the omentum are particularly rare. Presentation of Case : A previously healthy 24-year-old male who presented with progressive abdominal distention and nausea. Further investigations revealed ascites with multifocal omental-based tumors. Biopsy with immunohistochemistry demonstrated dually positive cells for cytokeratin and vimentin and loss of Integrase Interactor 1 (INI1), and Next generation sequencing showed a copy number loss of SMARCB1 which established the diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor. The patient’s clinical course was characterized by rapid local and metastatic progression with subsequent clinical deterioration, and he expired within three weeks of his initial presentation. Conclusion : Herein we describe the clinical course, difficulty with diagnosis, and paucity of treatment options for a rare and very aggressive malignant tumor. The ideal treatment regimen for MRTs has yet to be elucidated and additional studies are required to discern therapies that offer benefit.
Clinicopathologic features and surgery treatment of intractable epilepsy in childhood

Objective To study the pathological features and the timing and effects of epilepsy surgery in children with intractable epilepsy.Methods The outcomes of 71 pediatric cases that underwent epilepsy surgery in our department were collected.All the patients had at least 1 year of follow-up.The effects of operation were evaluated with Engel class.Results Seizure freedom (Engel Class Ⅰ outcome) was achieved in 45 cases (63％),26 patients (37％) continued to have seizures (Engel Class Ⅱ ～ Ⅳ outcome) (P ＜ 0.05).The major pathological findings in these patients included:focal cortical dysplasia in 31 cases,low grade neoplasm in 18,ulegyria in 13,polymicrogyia malformation in 6,tuberous sclerosis in 3,and dual pathology in 9.There was no death or permanent disability.Conclusions Early surgical intervention was safe and effective for the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children.The relation between the pathological features and surgical effects should be paid attention for further study. Key words: Child ; Intractable epilepsy; Pathology; Surgical procedures
Trapeziometacarpal Joint Arthritis: Is Duration of Symptoms a Predictor of Surgical Outcomes?

Purpose Great effort has been placed on determining the optimal surgical treatment for trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis (TMA). However, a paucity of literature exists concerning the optimal timing of surgical intervention. We hypothesized that an increased duration of TMA symptoms before operative intervention would negatively affect surgical outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective review on 109 adult patients with 121 joints with symptomatic TMA treated with trapeziectomy and ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition (LRTI) from 2006 to 2017. Outcome measures included Quick–Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score, complication rates, and surgical revision rates. Results Among 109 patients, average QuickDASH score at initial presentation was 41.1 ± 17.9. Patients had symptoms of TMA for an average of 3.2 years (median, 2.1 years) before undergoing operative intervention. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with symptoms less than 2 years and those with symptoms greater than 2 years. Patients who underwent LRTI after less than 2 years of symptoms achieved a significantly greater degree of improvement in the QuickDASH score compared with patients with symptoms greater than 2 years (26.2 vs 5.3). Conclusions Patients with less than 2 years of symptomatic TMA before LRTI can expect the greatest improvement in patient-reported disability impairment compared with those with more than 2 years of symptoms. This can be used to counsel patients regarding the optimal timing of surgery if nonsurgical treatment has failed to provide durable symptomatic relief. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
An Analysis of Female Postcopulatory Behavior in Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila biarmipes

The fruit fly, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive species that causes widespread crop damage in the United States. We examined a series of basic reproductive behaviors in this species in order to expand our knowledge of the life history of D. suzukii. We also conducted a comparison study using its sister species, D. biarmipes, to determine if the two species shared any similarities in sexual behavior. The behaviors investigated were sexual attractiveness, sexual receptivity, and offspring production. The sexual attractiveness and remating frequency (possibly reflecting sexual receptivity) of both D. suzukii and D. biarmipes females decreased significantly after an initial copulation and did not recover within 14 days. D. suzukii and D. biarmipes females also produced an average of 85.19 ± 6.27 and 104.45 ± 6.90 viable offspring, respectively, over the two weeks following the initial copulation, suggesting that they were able to store sperm over an extended period of time. We also found that the sexual attractiveness of virgin D. suzukii decreased as they aged. This decline may be related to nutrition, as their attractiveness did not diminish when the females were raised on a blueberry as well as standard media and yeast. Our results, coupled with the findings of other studies investigating basic life history and reproductive biology parameters, can aid in the effort to halt the spread of D. suzukii by informing and refining future and current pest management strategies.
Diagnóstico de la atención pre hospitalaria en la ciudad de Riobamba

En Ecuador la atencion prehospitalaria se ha expandido muy rapidamente, pero con un deficiente control del servicio que prestan. Este trabajo propone un sistema de acreditacion para las organizaciones que prestan servicios prehospitalarios terrestres en el pais, garantizando una adecuada atencion, manejo y gestion prehospitalaria. El proyecto “Diagnostico de la atencion pre hospitalaria en la ciudad de Riobamba” tiene como objetivo: Analizar la atencion pre hospitalaria en ambulancias a traves de metodologias investigativas para medir el nivel de respuesta en emergencias de la ciudad de Riobamba. Plantea una investigacion con enfoque cuantitativo, de estudios descriptivos, analitico, de campo, correlacional, con tecnicas como la encuesta, entrevista y observacion que permiten comprender la problematica identificada: deficiencias en la aplicacion de parametros de calidad, un numero limitado de estudios sobre su aplicacion de acuerdo a las necesidades particulares de cada sector y el desconocimiento en no aplicar los procesos de calidad en la produccion de bienes y servicios que ha ido ocasionando que la atencion brindada en los establecimientos no sea la mas adecuada. Esperamos como resultados: Implementar mecanismos de calidad en el desarrollo de la investigacion cientifico – academica del Instituto Superior Tecnologico Stanford, el diseno herramientas, mecanismos y estrategias, para la implementacion de calidad en los sectores de salud propuestos y 1 articulo cientifico enviado a publicacion en revistas indexadas o participacion en eventos cientificos, la organizacion y ejecucion de un evento cientifico- academico con libro de memorias indexado, creacion de una revista cientifica indexada y club de investigacion institucional.
Patient Perception Confounds True Recovery After Stroke (P3.3-043)

Objective: In this study, we examine the relationship between patient- versus clinician-reported recovery metrics and quality of life (QOL) after stroke. Background: QOL is important when considering a patient’s recovery after stroke. It is often assumed that clinician-reported factors such as stroke severity and functional status, typically measured by scales including the Barthel Index (BI) and NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), are predictors of QOL. However, less is known regarding a patients’ own ability to accurately assess their recovery, or if their assessment, evaluated using patient-reported metrics, is more directly tied to their QOL. Design/Methods: Patients were seen in clinic 1 and 6 months post-stroke. Assessment tools included the NIHSS, BI, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Likert scales assessing patient-reported outcomes: percent recovered and satisfaction with recovery (QOL). Demographic information was also collected. Regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with QOL after stroke. Results: Data were collected for 42 patients returning 1 month post-stroke, and 24 patients returning at 6 months. At both time points, QOL was strongly associated with a patient’s report of their percent recovery (p=0.006 and Conclusions: While true functional recovery is ideal following stroke, patient perception is also important. Our results suggest that the two are independent and that QOL is more closely related to patient-reported outcomes than to commonly used functional assessments. Clinician-reported outcomes may not accurately reflect QOL. Patients’ perception of recovery should be an integral part of assessing post-stroke recovery. Disclosure: Dr. Marsh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Whilden has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mallck has nothing to disclose.
The impact of COVID-19 on child welfare-involved families: Implications for parent–child reunification and child welfare professionals

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children and parents involved in the child welfare system and the professionals working with these families. Using survey data collected August–September of 2020,...
Depressive Symptoms of Latinx Women in Rural Farmworker and Urban Non-Farmworker Families in North Carolina

BACKGROUND Mental health among low-income Latinx women in the United States (US), including those in farmworker families, is a health equity concern. This analysis (1) describes the depressive symptoms among Latinx women in rural farmworker families and urban non-farmworker families and (2) delineates immigration and acculturation, family composition and disruption, and financial characteristics associated with depressive symptoms experienced by these women. METHODS Data are from a 2019-2020 cross-sectional survey of 66 rural farmworker and 52 urban non-farmworker women with a child participating in a study of pesticide exposure and neurocognitive development. Depressive symptoms were measured with the CES-D Short Form. RESULTS The median (25th-75th percentiles) depressive symptom score reported was 2.0 (1.0-4.0), with 10 (8.5%) women having depressive symptom scores of 10 or greater. In bivariate analysis, among immigration and acculturation characteristics, women born in the USA and who spoke English fluently had lower depressive symptom scores. Among family composition and disruption characteristics, married women, and those with two adults in the household had lower depressive symptom scores. No financial status characteristic had statistically significant associations with depressive symptom score. In multivariate analysis, rural farmworker women had an expected median score one point lower than did urban non-farmworker women. CONCLUSION Addressing mental health among immigrant women, particularly those in farmworker families, is a complex undertaking. Rural versus urban locality provides a context for mental health. Determining the proximal determinants of locality requires further analysis.
Asymptotic properties of the vector Carleson embedding theorem

The dyadic Carleson embedding operator acting on C n -valued functions has norm at least C log n. Thus the Carleson Embedding Theorem fails for Hilbert space valued functions.
Axenic cultivation of Naegleria gruberi. Requirement for methionine.

Abstract A simplified axenic medium for Naegleria gruberi strain NEG-M contains l -methionine, dextrose, yeast extract, a macromolecular fraction of fetal calf serum, and phosphate buffer. Amoebae cultured in suspension in this medium grow with doubling times of 8–10 h (at 32 °C) to yield 2–4 × 10 6 cells/ml. Amoebae from growing or early stationary phase cultures, transferred to nonnutrient buffer, differentiate synchronously into flagellates. Differentiation occurs reproducibly 80 min after initiation (time for 50% flagellates at 25 °C) if amoebae are taken from a culture maintained at pH ⩾ 6.6.
Characterization of the Levy Measures of Inverse Local Times of Gap Diffusion

Let X(t) be a persistent nonsingular diffusion on an interval Q containing 0 (in the sense of [4]). If we assume a natural scale, then X is characterized by its speed measure m(dx) on Q, and finite endpoints are reflecting. There exists (P0-a.s.) the local time $$ l(t) = \mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{{h_i} \to 0 + }} \frac{1}{{m[ - {h_1},{h_2})}}\int\limits_0^t {{I_{{[ - {h_1},{h_2})}}}(X(s))ds} $$ (1.1) which is continuous in t ≥ 0. The right-continuous inverse l(-1)(t) = inf{s: l(s) > t} is an increasing finite process with homogeneous independent increments, and as such (see for example [4, §6.1]) it is characterized by its Levy measure n(dy) on (0,∞) through the equation $$ E\exp [ - \lambda {l^{{( - 1)}}}(t)] = \exp [ - t{m_0}\lambda - t\int\limits_0^{\infty } {(1 - {e^{{ - \lambda y}}})n(dy)],\lambda > 0} $$ where m0 = m{0}. An interesting problem [4, p. 217] is to characterize the class of all n(dy) which can appear when Q and m(dx) vary. It is shown there that there is a unique measure µ on [0,∞) such that \( n(dy) = dy\int_{{0 - }}^{\infty } {{e^{{ - y\gamma }}}\mu (d\gamma )} \), so the problem reduces to characterizing the class of µ.