cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a PubMed Based Search Tool for Identifying Sex and Gender Specific Health Literature

Abstract Background: An effective literature search strategy is critical to achieving the aims of Sex and Gender Specific Health (SGSH): to understand sex and gender differences through research and to effectively incorporate the new knowledge into the clinical decision making process to benefit both male and female patients. The goal of this project was to develop and validate an SGSH literature search tool that is readily and freely available to clinical researchers and practitioners. Methods: PubMed, a freely available search engine for the Medline database, was selected as the platform to build the SGSH literature search tool. Combinations of Medical Subject Heading terms, text words, and title words were evaluated for optimal specificity and sensitivity. The search tool was then validated against reference bases compiled for two disease states, diabetes and stroke. Results: Key sex and gender terms and limits were bundled to create a search tool to facilitate PubMed SGSH literature searches. During v...
Polaron Structure and Transport in Fullerene Materials: Insights from First-Principles Calculations

Organic semiconductors offer a low-cost alternative to inorganic semiconductors. However, their usefulness is limited by a relatively low mobility of polaron charge carriers. Past research indicates a positive correlation between charge density and charge mobility in organic semiconductors. This relationship is usually attributed to the phenomenon of excess charges filling traps. Here, we explore whether charge density may also affect mobility via influence on intermolecular couplings. Density functional theory (DFT) with a long-range corrected (LC-BLYP) functional is used to calculate charge densities and electronic couplings of negative charges on C70 fullerenes in the presence of nearby negative point charges, which provides an upper limit calculation of the influence of nearby polarons. We find that in C70 systems with relatively low couplings, the presence of additional charges has an effect of maximizing intermolecular couplings and hence transport. This effect drops off quickly with distance, sugge...
INFLOW PERFORMANCE AND AFFECTING FACTOR OF HORIZONTAL WELLS IN LOW PERMEABILITY RESERVOIR

Based on non-Darcy flow and existing threshold pressure in low permeability,a theoretical model of horizontal well oil-gas flow through porous media is developed,which supports application of horizontal well IPR analytical technique in low permeability reservoirs.The affecting factors of horizontal well IPR,such as threshold pressure gradient,boundary pressure,boundary radius,straight slope of,straight intercept of are analyzed.The results show that when the smaller the threshold pressure gradient is,the higher the horizontal well production is,and when the bigger boundary pressure is,the higher the horizontal well production is,and when the smaller boundary radius is,the higher the horizontal well production is,and when the bigger straight slope of is,the higher the horizontal well production is,and when the bigger straight intercept of is,the higher the horizontal well production is in the same bottom hole flowing pressure in low permeability reservoirs.
Formation Mechanism of 2CaO·SiO_2-3CaO·P_2O_5 Solid Solution

The reaction process of CaO-SiO_2-Fe,O-P_2O_5 slag with solid CaO was investigated by immerging solid CaO into CaO-SiO_2-Fe_tO-P_2O_5 molten slag under 1300℃.The activity of each compound in slag was calculated by the coexistence theory of molecule and ion,and the formation mechanism of 2CaO-SiO_2-3CaO·P_2O_5 solid solution was discussed.The results showed that the components of CaO-SiO_2-Fe_rO-P_2O_5 slag existed mainly in forms of 2CaO-SiO_2 and 3FeO·P_2O_5in molten slag.When the solid CaO contacted with the slag,2CaO ? Si02 first precipitated on the surface of the solid CaO and formed 2CaO?SiO_2 solid layers,then CaO and 3FeO ? P_2O_5continuously diffused into the interface between the CaO and 2CaO·SiO_2 layer,thus the2CaO-SiO_2-3CaO·P_2O_5 and CaO-FeO solid solutions were formed.
Quantitative evaluation of effects of exogenous amines on contractility of human myometrium in vitro.

A quantitative analysis of the adrenergic receptors of the human myometrium was made from in vitro studies on 39 strips of nongravid myometria from women in the active reproductive years. Dose-response curves for norepinephrine (NE) and isoproterenol (ISO) were constructed. NE was found to produce an excitatory response throughout the entire range of concentrations employed (1.87×10 −8 M to 1.87×10 −5 M), and to possess only alpha receptor stimulating ability. ISO was found to activate both alpha and beta receptors. The inhibitory effects of ISO observed at low doses were associated with a dominant beta receptor stimulation. The excitatory response produced by ISO at higher doses was associated with a dominant alpha receptor stimulation. NE and epinephrine (E) stimulated contractions of K + -depolarized as well as normally polarized uterine muscle strips. ISO was not effective in K + -depolarized strips, indicating that the action of ISO may be dependent upon the presence of a normally polarized membrane.
How the anti-rumor kills the rumor: Conflicting information propagation in networks

Online Social Networks (OSNs) is taking over television and newspapers, to be the dominant information dissemination option. The growing involvement of individuals create the situation that colliding, even contradicting information coexist and propagate in the same network, which gives rise to an interesting question: how will the conflicting information propagate? To answer this question, the propagation process is described to be an Susceptible-Infected-Cured (SIC) epidemic, and we propose an inference algorithm to study the transient behavior of the competing propagation processes in connected networks. Moreover, we provide an analytic method to derive the conditional infection count distribution for networks with special topologies, as a step further to understand the evolution. A trace collected from the Internet is analyzed to validate our model and methods.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric Patients with Ebola Virus Disease Admitted to Treatment Units in Liberia and Sierra Leone: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND The clinical and virologic characteristics of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in children have not been thoroughly documented. METHODS Consecutive children aged <18 years with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed EVD were enrolled retrospectively in 5 Ebola treatment units in Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014/2015. Data collection and medical management were based on standardized International Medical Corps protocols. We performed descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. RESULTS Of 122 children enrolled, the median age was 7 years and one-third were aged <5 years. The female-to-male ratio was 1.3. The most common clinical features at triage and during hospitalization were fever, weakness, anorexia, and diarrhea, although 21% of patients were initially afebrile and 6 patients remained afebrile. Bleeding was rare at presentation (5%) and manifested subsequently in fewer than 50%. The overall case fatality rate was 57%. Factors associated with death in bivariate analyses were age <5 years, bleeding at any time during hospitalization, and high viral load. After adjustment with logistic regression modeling, the odds of death were 14.8-fold higher if patients were aged <5 years, 5-fold higher if the patient had any evidence of bleeding, and 5.2-fold higher if EVD RT-PCR cycle threshold value was ≤20. Plasmodium parasitemia had no impact on EVD outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Age <5 years, bleeding, and high viral loads were poor prognostic indicators of children with EVD. Research to understand mechanisms of these risk factors and the impact of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance will improve health outcomes.
Data mining using Probabilistic Grammars

Efficient and accurate data mining has become vital as technology advancements in data collection and storage soar. Researchers have proposed various valuable machine learning algorithms for data mining. However, not many have utilized formal methods. This paper proposes a data mining approach using Probabilistic Context Free Grammars (PCFGs). In this work we have employed PCFGs to mine from large heterogeneous datasets. The data mining problem of our interest is classification. To start with a probabilistic grammar is inferred from datasets for which classifications are known. The learnt model can then be used to classify any unknown data. Specifically, for each unknown data point, the model can be used to calculate probabilities that this point belongs to the various possible classes. A simple resolution strategy could be to associate the point with the class that corresponds to the maximum probability. To demonstrate the applicability of our approach we consider the problem of identifying splice junctions. Using a PCFG, an input DNA sequence is classified as donor, acceptor, or neither.
Joint spectral intensity of 1.55 μm photon-pairs generated by Si microrings

The two-photon spectrum of photon pairs generated at room-temperature in optically-pumped silicon microrings was measured using tunable filters, InGaAs single-photon avalanche detectors and deconvolution, and an image-processing artifact-reduction algorithm is discussed.
Contraception in the Setting of Obesity and Bariatric Surgery

Until recently, contraceptive research has generally excluded women over 130 % of ideal body weight. Given the dramatic increase in obesity worldwide, it has become a public health necessity to address the use and safety of contraception in obese women. Current research on contraceptive efficacy and safety in obese women is overall reassuring, and most contraceptives are given a category 1 rating (no restriction) for obesity by major regulatory agencies such as the World Health Organization. Likewise, women with a history of bariatric surgery are eligible for most methods of contraception without restriction. Like all women, obese women wishing to avoid pregnancy should be encouraged to use the best methods for preventing pregnancy, either long-acting reversible or permanent methods. Providers should feel reassured in offering obese women a range of contraceptive options, without expectation of increased side effects or weight gain. This chapter reviews data on the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety of modern methods of contraception in obese women, and in women undergoing bariatric surgery. We also address the effect of these contraceptive methods on lipid profiles.
A Defense of Abortion: Non-Rights-Based Arguments

OVERVIEW In Section 1.3, I drew a distinction between two different kinds of argument that critics of abortion appeal to in attempting to defend the thesis that abortion, at least in typical cases, is morally impermissible. One kind of argument I called the rights-based argument. This argument turns on two claims: The claim that the fetus (at least in typical cases of abortion) has a right to life, and the claim that if the fetus has a right to life, then abortion (at least in typical circumstances) is morally impermissible. I have now completed my case against the rights-based argument, arguing against the argument's first claim in Chapters 2 and 3 and against the second in Chapter 4. If my arguments against either or both of these claims have been successful, then I have established that the rights–based argument against abortion must be rejected on grounds that the critic of abortion can and does accept. But it remains to consider those arguments against the moral permissibility of abortion that do not commit the critic of abortion to either of these two claims. Such non-rights-based arguments are not affected by anything that has been said in Chapters 2-4 and thus require separate consideration. Arguments against abortion that do not rest on the claim that the fetus has a right to life are not as frequently raised in the philosophical or scholarly literature on abortion, but they have clearly been raised by critics of abortion nonetheless.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Lower Extremity Venous Reflux

Lower extremity chronic venous disease is a significant public health problem and can have considerable negative effects on functional status in its advanced stages. Invasive interventions are indicated when the disease is symptomatic and refractory to compression therapy. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is much less invasive than surgical vein stripping with an excellent long-term success rate and acceptable recurrence rates compared to surgery. Postoperative pain and discomfort after RFA is much less than surgery, and patients have faster recovery with a higher quality of life during the perioperative period. Attention to proper technique, knowledge of venous anatomy and pathophysiology, and an understanding of ultrasound imaging while performing RFA will assure the best possible clinical results and diminish potential complications. RFA has been demonstrated to have less pain and bruising compared with laser ablation methods. It is now a well-established clinical treatment for superficial venous reflux and will be used as a standard of comparison for future technologies.
Role of maternal characteristics and epidural analgesia on caesarean section rate in groups 1 and 3 according to Robson's classification: a cohort study in an Italian university hospital setting.

Objective To investigate the role of maternal characteristics and epidural analgesia (EA) on caesarean section (CS) rates in selected groups by using the Robson 10-Group Classification System (RTGCS). Design Cohort study. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘A. Gemelli’, Rome, Italy. Patients A total of 12 098 deliveries in periods I (1998–1999) and II (2010–2011). Main outcome measures CS rates in groups 1 and 3 of RTGCS. Results In group 1, 1144 (20%) patients were assigned to period I and 1302 (20.4%) to period II, while in group 3, 1587 (27.8%) were assigned to period I and 1502 (23.5%) to period II. CS rates were 16.4% and 23.1% in group 1 and 12.7% and 10.9% in group 3 in periods I and II, respectively. In group 1, significant and independent contributions to CS rate were provided by maternal age (p=0.018; OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.97)), body mass index (BMI) (p=0.022; OR 0.89 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.91)) and EA administration (p=0.037; OR 0.59 (95% CI 0.43 to 0.77)). In group 3, maternal age (p Conclusions RTGCS is an effective tool for analysing changes in obstetric care, allowing for the recognition of maternal age, BMI and EA administration in the strategic planning for mitigation of CS rates in selected groups.
Confident false memories for spatial location are mediated by V1.

Prior functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results suggest that true memories, but not false memories, activate early sensory cortex. It is thought that false memories, which reflect consci...
Chip/Package Co-analysis of Mechanical Stress for 3D IC

In this chapter, we study an efficient chip/package thermo-mechanical stress and reliability co-analysis tool for TSV-based 3D ICs. We also study a design optimization methodology to alleviate mechanical reliability issues in 3D IC. First, we analyze the stress induced by chip/package interconnect elements, i.e., TSV, μ-bump, and package bump. Second, we explore and validate the principle of lateral and vertical linear superposition of stress tensors (LVLS), considering all chip/package elements. This linear superposition principle is utilized to perform full-chip/package-scale stress simulations and reliability analysis. Finally, we study the mechanical reliability issues in practical 3D chip/package designs including wide-I/O and block-level 3D ICs.
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Boron Nitride Using Organo-Metallic Adducts

We have studied the preparation of boron nitride thin films by the chemical vapor deposition of adducts. We have observed that the adduct decomposition does not yield stoichiometric films. The addition of ammonia to the reaction mixture lowers the B/N ratio, however the films are still not stoichiometric. We have also looked at the effect of ammonia addition on hydrogen incorporation in our boron nitride films.
Role of Structure in Ultrafast Charge Separation and Recombination in Naphthalene Diimide End-Capped Thiophene Oligomers

The photophysics of a series of thiophene oligomers (Tn) with and without naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor end groups were investigated using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Photoexcited thiophene oligomers (n = 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) exhibit complex length-dependent excited-state dynamics on the picosecond time scale due to rapid structural relaxation and intersystem crossing. The incorporation of NDI end groups leads to ultrafast charge separation after selective excitation of the thiophene donor. Initial location of photoexcitation dictates the time scale of charge separation and, therefore, recombination. Photoexcitations near the NDI acceptor result in fast charge separation in all Tn-NDI2 oligomers, whereas excitations near the center of the oligomer must undergo a length-dependent long-range electron-transfer or energy-transfer/electron-transfer step to create a charge-separated state. Oligomer structure plays a role in the charge separation and recombination processes, where T4-NDI2...
Fluctuant Mass on an Infant’s Scalp

A term infant has the following scalp examination [click on the video]. Of the options shown in Fig 1A (A, B, C, or D) of the top of an infant’s head, what is the most likely location of the involved area in this infant? Video. Click here to view the video. Figure 1A. Locations for potential collections that are exterior and interior to an infant’s skull. The video of this newborn shows a moderate-to-large fluctuant mass gathered in the dependent portion of the neonate’s scalp. Upon gentle tapping of the boggy collection, there is a clearly visible fluid wave. This finding is most consistent with a subgaleal hemorrhage. Subgaleal hemorrhage is a serious, potentially fatal event in a newborn. It is caused by the rupture of large, bridging, emissary veins that connect the scalp veins to the intracranial dural sinuses. When these veins rupture, blood accumulates between the periosteum and the galeal aponeurotica, a large potential space composed of loose connective tissue. This space extends without restriction across the cranium and can hold as much as 260 mL of blood. (1) (Note: The average total blood volume in a term infant is 80–90 mL/kg.) A hemorrhage of …
Geoengineering Justice: The Role of Recognition:

Global-scale solar geoengineering raises critical ethical questions, including questions of distributive, procedural, and intergenerational justice. Although geoengineering is sometimes framed as a...
Performance Efficient Multiresilience Using Checkpoint Recovery in Iterative Algorithms

In this paper, we address the design challenge of building multiresilient iterative high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Multiresilience in HPC applications is the ability to tolerate and maintain forward progress in the presence of both soft errors and process failures. We address the challenge by proposing performance models which are useful to design performance efficient and resilient iterative applications. The models consider the interaction between soft error and process failure resilience solutions. We experimented with a linear solver application with two distinct kinds of soft error detectors: one detector has high overhead and high accuracy, whereas the second has low overhead and low accuracy. We show how both can be leveraged for verifying the integrity of checkpointed state used to recover from both soft errors and process failures. Our results show the performance efficiency and resiliency benefit of employing the low overhead detector with high frequency within the checkpoint interval, so that timely soft error recovery can take place, resulting in less re-computed work.
Complete nucleotide sequences of plasmids pACK2 and pACK5 from Staphylococcus simulans biovar staphylolyticus.

Abstract Staphylococcus simulans biovar staphylolyticus contains five plasmids, designated pACK1–pACK5. Recently, the nucleotide sequences of three of these plasmids, pACK1, pACK3, and pACK4, were reported. In order to complete the characterization of these five plasmids, the nucleotide sequences of the two remaining plasmids, pACK2 (37683 bp) and pACK5 (3191 bp), were determined. pACK5 is comprised of two regions, one with 85% identity at the nucleotide level to a region of pWBG1773 and another region with an ORF that shares no significant similarity to sequences previously described in GenBank. pACK2 encodes proteins for cadmium resistance and enhanced biofilm formation. The similarities at the nucleotide level among regions of the plasmids of S. simulans bv. staphylolyticus suggest that these plasmids have undergone multiple intermolecular rearrangements.
Testing $\Lambda$CDM With Dwarf Galaxy Morphology

The leading tensions to the collisionless cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm are the "small-scale controversies", discrepancies between observations at the dwarf-galactic scale and their simulational counterparts. In this work we consider methods to infer 3D morphological information on Local Group dwarf spheroidals, and test the fitness of CDM+hydrodynamics simulations to the observed galaxy shapes. We find that the subpopulation of dwarf galaxies with mass-to-light ratio $\gtrsim 100 M_\odot/L_\odot$ reflects an oblate morphology. This is discrepant with the dwarf galaxies with mass-to-light ratio $\lesssim 100 M_\odot/L_\odot$, which reflect prolate morphologies, and more importantly with simulations of CDM-sourced galaxies which are explicitly prolate. Although more simulations and data are called for, if evidence of oblate pressure-supported stellar distributions persists, we argue that an underlying oblate non-CDM dark matter halo may be required, and present this as motivation for future studies.
Stability of cortical synapses across sleep and wake

Sleep is widely believed to be an essential regulator of synaptic plasticity, but there is disagreement on whether it primarily enables correlation-based plasticity mechanisms such as long-term potentiation (LTP), or homeostatic forms of plasticity. Notably, it has been postulated that patterns of brain activity during sleep induce a widespread homeostatic downscaling of excitatory synaptic strengths across the brain. Here we use a combination of real-time sleep classification, ex vivo measurements of postsynaptic strength, and in vivo optogenetic monitoring of thalamocortical synapses in primary visual cortex (V1) to ask whether sleep and wake states can constitutively drive synaptic plasticity within neocortical circuits. We found that miniature EPSCs onto L4 or L2/3 pyramidal neurons were stable across sleep and wake dense epochs in both V1 and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Further, chronic monitoring of thalamocortical synaptic efficacy in V1 of freely behaving animals revealed remarkable stability of thalamocortical transmission across prolonged natural sleep and wake epochs. Together these data provide strong evidence against the view that sleep drives widespread constitutive weakening of excitatory synaptic strengths.
A Novel Frequency Support Control Method for PV Plants Using Tracking LQR

Growing level of Photovoltaic (PV) generation challenges the conventional generation control in power systems, as the current PV systems do not possess inertia or governor system. However, a supervisory control can be adopted for such PV systems to provide frequency support. In this article, a novel controller for large-scale PV plants is proposed for this purpose. Different than other approaches which only focus on emulating droop and inertial response of local PV, the proposed approach uses a tracking linear quadratic regulator (LQR) based controller to help the system frequency effectively track that of a designed reference system with given inertia and droop constants. To design the LQR, an unknown input observer (UIO) is adopted to estimate the system states, as well as the unknown disturbance. We also introduce a small-signal PV system model which is suitable for designing frequency support controls. The model is validated against the detailed nonlinear PV system model, and the effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated using a standard test system. Test results also show that the proposed method achieves the desired frequency response more effectively than the alternative method from literature, while the later method is liable to over-compensation of frequency response at the price of requiring more power reserve in PV.
Control System for Highway Load Effects

The objective of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of the development of an efficient system to control the highway load effects and bridge deterioration. Such an integrated system may involve the monitoring and control of various parameters including: • vehicle weight, axle loads, axle configuration, speed, multiple presence • traffic volume (average daily truck traffic, ADTT) • vehicle position within the width of the bridge • load effects (moment, shear force, stress, strain and deflection) in bridge components • identification of critically overloaded vehicles • minimum load carrying capacity of the bridge.
Wesley and Charisma: An Analysis of John Wesley's View of Spiritual Gifts

This study intends to investigate the connection between Wesley’s doctrine of Spiritual Gifts and his emphasis on Sanctification. What part do the Gifts and manifestations of the Spirit play in the process of Sanctification for Wesley? Another purpose of this study is to determine whether John Wesley believed in the perpetuity of more dynamic gifts such as prophecy, tongues, healings etc. and if he did, what was their importance?
Sand Fly Colony Crash Tentatively Attributed to Nematode Infestation.

Maintenance of laboratory colonies of insects and other arthropod pests offers significant research advantages. The availability, age, sex, housing conditions, nutrition, and relative uniformity over time of biological material for research facilitate comparison of results between experiments that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. A laboratory research colony of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), old world sand flies, was maintained with high-colony productivity for a number of years, but within a relatively short (4–6 mo) time period, colony productivity declined from over 10,000 flies per week to less than 100 per week. Mites and nematodes were both visible in the larval medium; however, the mites had been present throughout high productivity periods; therefore, it seemed reasonable to investigate the nematodes. PCR amplification of 18S rRNA yielded a clean cDNA sequence identified by BLAST search as Procephalobus sp. 1 WB-2008 (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae) small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, GenBank EU543179.1, with 475/477 nucleotide identities. Nematode samples were collected and identified as Tricephalobus steineri, (Andrassy, 1952) Ruhm, 1956 (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae) based on morphological characteristics of the esophagus and the male copulatory apparatus. Mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae [Acariformes: Acaridae]) may have played an additional predatory role in the loss of sand fly colony productivity. We hypothesized that the origin of the nematode infestation was rabbit dung from a local rabbitry used in preparation of the larval medium. Colony productivity was fully restored within 3 mo (two sand fly generational periods) by replacement of the rabbit dung from a clean source for use to prepare sand fly larval medium.
Understanding Responsible Drinking Is in the Service of Evidence-based Public Health: A Response to Petticrew et al. (2020).

In their comments about our manuscript, “A Scoping Review of ‘Responsible Drinking’ Interventions,” (Gray et al., 2020) Petticrew et al. (2020) claim that we provided a “partial and selective” (p. ...
Propagating Dirac plasmon polaritons in topological insulators

We investigate the excitation of propagating Dirac plasmon polaritons (DPPs) in topological insulator (TI) thin films. A series of TI thin films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Periodic gold grating couplers with different periodicity were fabricated on the TI films to excite the propagating DPPs. A series of absorption peaks that shift with the grating periodicity were observed in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy transmission scans. We have ruled out any source other than the excitation of propagating DPPs that could have caused the peaks to appear. The peak dispersion is consistent with theoretical predictions for coupled DPPs in TI thin films.
Revisiting the Sample Complexity of Sparse Spectrum Approximation of Gaussian Processes

We introduce a new scalable approximation for Gaussian processes with provable guarantees which hold simultaneously over its entire parameter space. Our approximation is obtained from an improved sample complexity analysis for sparse spectrum Gaussian processes (SSGPs). In particular, our analysis shows that under a certain data disentangling condition, an SSGP's prediction and model evidence (for training) can well-approximate those of a full GP with low sample complexity. We also develop a new auto-encoding algorithm that finds a latent space to disentangle latent input coordinates into well-separated clusters, which is amenable to our sample complexity analysis. We validate our proposed method on several benchmarks with promising results supporting our theoretical analysis.
Unraveling the ecological and evolutionary impacts of a plant invader on the pollination of a native plant

Interactions between a native plant species and its pollinators, herbivores, or microbiome can be affected by the presence of non-native plant species. Non-native plant species are altering plant-pollinator interactions, yet we know little about how these non-native species influence natural selection. In addition, year-to-year variation in flowering could influence the impacts of non-native species on reproductive success in native plants and the strength and direction of pollinator-mediated selection. We examined whether the presence of the highly invasive plant Linaria vulgaris influenced average pollinator visitation, species composition of floral visitors, or pollinator-mediated selection in the native Penstemon strictus. In the field, we conducted small scale L. vulgaris inflorescence removals, that were repeated through 3 years. Pollinator-mediated selection on the floral trait of platform length was examined by determining the relationships between platform length and visitation, between visitation and seed production, and by calculating net selection based on seed production. We found that the presence of L. vulgaris on a small spatial scale facilitated pollinator visitation rates to P. strictus but did not influence pollinator-mediated selection on platform length. Pollinator visitation varied across years, as did the relationship between seed production and pollinator visitation, and the relationship between pollinator visitation and platform length. Although components of selection varied across years, no net selection on platform length was detected in any of the 3 years. Our results show how the presence of an invasive plant and year-to-year variation in plant-pollinator interactions affect the pollination and components of pollinator-mediated selection in native plants.
Enabled/VASP is required to mediate proper sealing of opposing cardioblasts during Drosophila dorsal vessel formation.

Introduction The Drosophila dorsal vessel (DV) is comprised of two opposing rows of cardioblasts (CBs) that migrate toward the dorsal midline during development. While approaching the midline, CBs change shape, enabling dorsal and ventral attachments with their contralateral partners to create a linear tube with a central lumen. We previously demonstrated DV closure occurs via a "buttoning" mechanism where specific CBs advance ahead of their lateral neighbors, and attach creating transient holes, which eventually seal. Results Here, we investigate the role of the actin-regulatory protein Enabled (Ena) in DV closure. Loss of Ena results in DV cell shape and alignment defects. Live analysis of DV formation in ena mutants shows a reduction in CB leading edge protrusion length and gaps in the DV between contralateral CB pairs. These gaps occur primarily between a specific genetic subtype of CBs, which express the transcription factor Seven-up (Svp) and form the ostia inflow tracts of the heart. In WT embryos these gaps between Svp+ CBs are observed transiently during the final stages of DV closure. Conclusions Our data suggest that Ena modulates the actin cytoskeleton in order to facilitate the complete sealing of the DV during the final stages of cardiac tube formation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abstract P19: Developing an Innovative Visual Fields Rapid Assessment Device (VRAD) for Acute Telestroke Use

Background: Acute telestroke evaluations rely on the ability to rapidly and accurately calculate the NIH Stroke Scale. Remote visual field deficit (VFD) testing is often challenging, requiring trai...
Parental Attitude toward English for Sustainable Development: A Study in Psychology

English is the language of sustainable development in India and it therefore plays a vital role in the socio-economic uplift of millions of Indians. For parents, it is the most sought-after language for economic and social empowerment of their children. Tamil parents’ attitude toward English as a language of socio-economic development is exceptionally positive even though their political perception about its role in sustainable development is ambivalent. Moreover, their political stance on the three-language formula is negative since they prefer English as the sole medium of education throughout the country for equitable education and development. Their attitude toward English is engineered by instrumental and social orientation. The current paper is the result of an action research conducted in the entire Madurai district on what parents think of English as a means of sustainable development. Of 307 parents who acted as respondents, 140 (45.2%) were drawn from villages while 167 (54.8%) from urban areas. The study was conducted on the presumption that people are the ultimate judges in all language-related issues in a multilingual setting like India. It is hypothesized that parents play an important role in crystallizing and polarizing attitudes toward different languages in their children and they are the determiners of the medium of instruction and the type of school for their children.
US law enforcement policy predictors of race-specific police fatalities during 2015-16.

Mounting evidence suggests that law enforcement organizational factors contribute to higher incidence and racial disparities in police killings. To determine whether agency policies contribute to race-specific civilian fatalities, this exploratory study compared fatality rates among agencies with and without selected policies expected to reduce killings. A cross-section of 1085 fatalities in the 2015–2016 The Counted public-use database were matched to 481 agencies in the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) database. Negative binomial regression estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) adjusted for agency type, number of officers, percent female personnel, median income, percent with a bachelor’s degree, violent crime rate, and population size, with inference using robust standard errors. Agencies with greater proportions of full-time personnel (range 43–100%) had lower rates of all (IRR = 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77–0.93) and non-White civilian killings (IRR = 0.85; CI = 0.73–0.99). Mission statements predicted lower rates of all (IRR = 0.70; CI = 0.58–0.84) and White killings (IRR = 0.60; CI = 0.40–0.90). Community evaluation and more types of personnel incentives predicted lower rates of White (IRR = 0.82; CI = 0.68–0.99) and non-White killings (IRR = 0.94; CI = 0.89–1.00), respectively. Increasing video use predicted higher rates of White killings (IRR = 1.13; CI = 1.01–1.28). No policies were significantly associated with Black civilian killings. Law enforcement policies that help reduce police killings may vary across racial groups with the least benefit for Black civilians. Impact evaluations and meta-analyses of initiatives aimed to mitigate fatalities should be explored, particularly policies to address anti-Black bias. A national registry tracking all police killings and agency policies is urgently needed to inform law enforcement policies aimed to mitigate civilian fatalities.
The Importance of Political Science for Understanding the Developmental Roots of Gender Gaps in Politics

In “Understanding the Developmental Roots of Gender Gaps in Politics,” Heck et al. argue that “studying children to understand political inequalities among adults … is a critical step to achieving ...
Nonrelativistic Fundamental Quantum and Classical Wave Equations

The irreducible representations of the extended Galilean group are used to derive infinite sets of symmetric and asymmetric second-order differential equations with constant coeffcients. All derived equations are local and their Lagrangians exist. It is shown that the asymmetric equations are Galilean invariant but the symmetric ones are not. By specifying quantum and classical physical settings, the constants in the equations are determined and the fundamental wave equations, including the Schrodinger, Schrodinger-like and new asymmetric equations, are obtained; the derived wave equation is non-fundamental. Formulation of wave theories based on the fundamental and non-fundamental wave equaions is considered, and physical implications of these theories on the wave description are discussed.
Colicins as antibiotic alternatives for the treatment and prevention of post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease in swine

It is estimated that over 50% of all economic losses in weaned pigs are due to Escherichia coli infections, causing either diarrhea or edema disease. Despite animal health and economic concerns, concerns over the spread of antibiotic resistance will limit the types of antibiotics that can be used in production animals. Therefore, we have examined alternatives to conventional antibiotics.
Clonotype‐specific avidity influences the dynamics and hierarchy of virus‐specific regulatory and effector CD4+ T‐cell responses

A key component of immunity against viruses, CD4+ T cells expand and differentiate into functional subsets upon primary infection, where effector (Teff) cells facilitate infection control and regulatory (Treg) cells mitigate immunopathology. After secondary infection, Teff cells mount a robust response from the memory pool. Here, we show that Treg-cell responses are diminished upon secondary infection, and Treg-cell response dynamics are associated more with T-cell receptors (TCRs) repertoire and avidity than with epitope specificity. In the murine model, the IAbM209 epitope of respiratory syncytial virus is recognized by both CD4+ Treg and Teff cells, while the IAbM226 epitope is recognized almost exclusively by CD4+ Teff cells expressing high avidity TCR Vβ8.1/8.2 and dominating the CD4+ T-cell response during primary and secondary infections. IAbM209-Teff cells express relatively low avidity TCRs during early primary infection, but high avidity TCR Vβ7-expressing IAbM209-Teff cells emerge during the late phase, and become dominant after secondary infection. The emerging high avidity IAbM209-Teff cells outcompete IAbM209-Treg cells that share the same epitope, but have low avidity and are restricted to TCR Vβ2 and Vβ6 subpopulations. These data indicate that MHC-peptide-TCR interactions can produce different kinetic and functional profiles in CD4+ T-cell populations even when responding to the same epitope.
Heat transfer characteristics of porous media

An investigation was conducted regarding the relative effects of conduction and convection in a saturated porous medium. A method reported by Singh et al. (1973) is used to determine the effective thermal conductivity of the saturated porous material. Heat transfer measurements are conducted under conditions of forced convection of the saturated liquid parallel and countercurrent to the flow of heat. The results are compared with the data obtained with the aid of an analytical model.
A Drosophila Polycomb group complex includes Zeste and dTAFII proteins

A goal of modern biology is to identify the physical interactions that define ‘functional modules’1 of proteins that govern biological processes. One essential regulatory process is the maintenance of master regulatory genes, such as homeotic genes, in an appropriate ‘on’ or ‘off’ state for the lifetime of an organism. The Polycomb group (PcG) of genes maintain a repressed transcriptional state, and PcG proteins form large multiprotein complexes2,3, but these complexes have not been described owing to inherent difficulties in purification. We previously fractionated a major PcG complex, PRC1, to 20–50% homogeneity from Drosophila embryos. Here, we identify 30 proteins in these preparations, then further fractionate the preparation and use western analyses to validate unanticipated connections. We show that the known PcG proteins Polycomb, Posterior sex combs, Polyhomeotic and dRING1 exist in robust association with the sequence-specific DNA-binding factor Zeste and with numerous TBP (TATA-binding-protein)-associated factors that are components of general transcription factor TFIID (dTAFIIs). Thus, in fly embryos, there is a direct physical connection between proteins that bind to specific regulatory sequences, PcG proteins, and proteins of the general transcription machinery.
Nuances and Details of the Pathology Report

On occasion, the pathologist may have insufficient tissue to make a diagnosis, the tissue is altered or damaged in processing, or lesions may have overlapping features, but the lesion was not sampled in a way to make a definitive diagnosis, i.e., core needle versus excision. In those instances, the pathology report is likely to contain language like “consistent with”, “suggestive of ”, “favor” “cannot exclude”. One should take note of such language and confer with your pathologist to determine what precisely the issues are and what information she or he is trying to convey. When these words are used, the pathologist may be thinking that they have “communicated” that the diagnosis is equivocal, but a non-pathologist may think otherwise. The best way to establish the most appropriate diagnosis is always using the “triple test”, clinical/radiologic/pathologic correlation. If the diagnoses or terms in the pathology report are not consistent with either the clinical and/or radiologic exam, further investigation is warranted.
Call for Nominations Endocrine Pathology Society Hubert J. Wolfe Award

The Endocrine Pathology Society is pleased to invite nominations for the Hubert J. Wolfe Award for 2011. This award, established in memory of Hubert J. Wolfe, is presented annually to honor an outstanding original research paper in the field of endocrine pathology published during the previous calendar year by a pathologist-in-training. The award and accompanying prize will be presented at the society’s annual meeting at USCAP on March 2012. A letter of nomination and a copy of the paper should be sent to theWolfe Committee Co-Chairs by 1 February 2012.
CT Applications in Electrophysiology

In recent years, extraordinary advances have been made in the management of cardiac arrhythmias. Increasingly complex procedures are being performed, and the breadth of conditions for which invasive arrhythmia therapy is indicated continues to grow. In addition to atrial and ventricular ablation procedures for treating arrhythmias, implantable defibrillators and biventricular pacemakers for cardiac resynchronization therapy have made electrophysiology an important part of heart failure management.
Two-dimensional time-reversal-invariant topological superconductivity in a doped quantum spin-Hall insulator

A theoretical investigation of the pairing symmetry of a doped two-dimensional tin film reveals that under certain conditions a spin-triplet pairing is favored, making that system a good candidate for a two-dimensional topological superconductor.
Responses of menstrual women, amenorrheal women, and men to exercise in a hot, dry environment

Rectal (Tre) and mean skin temperatures, heart rate (fc) and sweat rate (Msw) during exercise in a hot, dry environment were compared among four menstrual women (both before and after ovulation), four amenorrheal women and four men, all with similar aerobic capacities. Progesterone and estrogen were compared in a pair of monozygotic twins (one menstrual and one amenorrheal) who participated in the study. Before acclimation, subjects were given a heat-stress test (HST) consisting of treadmill walking at 25%–30% \(\dot V_{O_2 }\) max in a hot, dry environment (Tdb/Twb=48/25‡ C) until Tre reached 39‡ C or fc reached 160 beat·min−1. Subjects were then acclimated to the dry heat with conventional acclimation procedures. After acclimation, subjects were given a HST which continued for 3 h. Before acclimation Tre and fc increased more rapidly in the women, which resulted in significantly shorter HST times for the women as compared with the men. Following acclimation all subjects maintained similar Tre, fc, and sweat rates. There were no differences between the exercise/heat-stress responses of the preovulatory menstrual women, postovulatory menstrual women, and amenorrheal women. Although the estrogen concentrations were normal in the menstrual twin, her progesterone concentrations were significantly depressed. Both hormones were depressed in the amenorrheal twin. Following acclimation thermoregulatory function in dry heat did not differ between the sexes when fitness level was similar. Neither were there any differences in thermoregulation between the pre- and postovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle or between the menstrual and amenorrheal women.