cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Authenticity Investigation of Viral Hepatitis Incidence in Huhhot

Objective:To grasp the actual incidence of viral hepatitis in Hohhot,and understand the information about misdiagnosis,misstatement,repetitive report of viral hepatitis and reflect it objective.Methods: Simple cases were samplied by stratified random sampling method,which were part of the cases from medical and health institutions at various levels nine counties reported through China information system for disease control and prevention in the first half of 2010 in Hohhot.Content 735 cases of viral hepatitis were collected from information system and find the laboratory data of liver function and serum exactly.111 patients received epidemiological survey by telephone or investigation the way home in order to master the incidence of cases and epidemiological data.Results: Hepatitis B and C as the main type accounted for 87.21% and 11.70% in the first half of 2010 in Hhhot.Diagnosed cases accounted for 22.04%,pathogen carriers 69.93%,false-positive cases 3.67%,suspected cases4.35% according the evaluation criteria of the viral hepatitis(735 cases).There were 44 cases patients are repeatedly reported cases,67 cases are new cases in the follow-up to the 111 cases.Conclusion: The correction coefficient of the incidence of viral hepatitis Hohhot was 0.13,the corrected incidence rate of viral hepatitis in Huhhot was 21.41/100 000 in 2009.
Aligning monitoring design with fishery decision-making: examples of management strategy evaluation for reef-associated fisheries

Limitations in data quantity and quality are common in fisheries management and affect whether and how stock assessments are carried out. We demonstrate the applicability of spatially-explicit management strategy evaluation (MSE) for connecting sampling designs of substrate-associated fishes in highly heterogeneous habitats to evaluation of stock status and to decision-making. Simulation-based analysis is conducted to understand how survey precision influences assessment and decision-making performance for a black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci ) fishery within the Florida Keys reef tract. Rather than delving into statistical principles of survey design, we examine the performance of well-designed surveys in the currency of achieving fishery management objectives. In practical terms, our approach draws attention to subtle aspects of how data precision can affect achievement of management objectives. Our discussion centers on the idea that the interconnected properties of survey precision, stock assessment, and precaution taken in decision-making must be jointly considered in fisheries management policies.
Prognosis of Expressive Language Delay

The rate of improvement and it's predictive factors have been studied in 26 two year old children with expressive language disorder at the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Department of Child Development and Family Relations, University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Constructing a Non-Linear Model with Neural Networks for Workload Characterization

Workload characterization involves the understanding of the relationship between workload configurations and performance characteristics. To better assess the complexity of workload behavior, a model based approach is needed. Nevertheless, several configuration parameters and performance characteristics exhibit non-linear relationships that prohibit the development of an accurate application behavior model. In this paper, we propose a non-linear model based on an artificial neural network to explore such complex relationship. We achieved high accuracy and good predictability between configurations and performance characteristics when applying such a model to a 3-tier setup with response time restrictions. As shown by our work, a non-linear model and neural networks can increase the understandings of complex multi-tiered workloads, which further provide useful insights for performance engineers to tune their workloads for improving performance.
Understanding Written Corrective Feedback in Second-Language Grammar Acquisition

Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) is used extensively in second-language (L2) writing classrooms despite controversy over its effectiveness. This study examines indirect WCF, an instructional procedure that flags L2 students’ errors with editing symbols that guide their corrections. WCF practitioners assume that this guidance will lead to increased grammatical competence over time in new writing samples. This study finds that these assumptions are correct overall. However, in-depth analyses of L2-English learners’ correction behaviors in four elicitation tasks over a 12-week period demonstrate that WCF is not uniformly effective at increasing accuracy for all grammatical constructions. In fact, WCF fails to exert any positive effect with a number of grammatical constructions. This result can be understood via Skill Acquisition Theory (SAT) when the treatability of constructions with WCF is considered. Specifically, grammatical constructions that include only a binary option for correct usage are highly amenable to positive change via WCF since employing WCF is akin to correcting errors flagged on a true/false test. By contrast, grammatical constructions with more than a binary choice for correct usage, akin to correcting errors flagged on a multiple-choice test, are not amenable to positive change.
81 – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This chapter focuses on prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women. Estimates of the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in females are relatively high, over 18% in a study that used a comprehensive list of traumatic events. This estimate is approximately twice as high as those in males. Furthermore, the duration of PTSD symptoms in females with the disorder is nearly four times longer than in male counterparts: 48 months vs 12 months, on average. Thus, the burden of PTSD in females, in terms of the lifetime prevalence and the persistence of the disorder, is far greater than in males. At the core of the heavy burden of PTSD in females is the unique role of assaultive violence. Females are at a far greater risk for PTSD when exposed to traumatic events involving assaultive violence than are males. With respect to other categories of traumatic events, sex differences are small. Although females' higher vulnerability to the PTSD effects of assaultive violence is in part attributable to the higher prevalence of rape among them, the sex difference persists when this is taken into account.
Functional Distinctions for Smad1 and Smad5 during Hematopoiesis Revealed by the Zebrafish Model System.

Smad1 and Smad5 proteins are intracellular mediators of BMP signaling, which has been implicated in regulating hemato-vascular development. Both Smad 1 and 5 are expressed widely in the developing hematopoietic mesoderm, and mutation of either mouse gene is embryonic lethal, limiting progress in defining their function in hematopoiesis. To compare the functions of these two closely related regulatory proteins, we used specific Smad5 mutants and Smad1 morpholinos in the zebrafish model. In the Smad5 mutant, piggytail (pgy), homozygous embryos are dorsalized and live until day 3–5, but have little to no blood and no circulation. Key hematopoietic regulatory genes are expressed in the pgy/pgy mutant fish, but the pattern of expression is altered in early embryos. Gata1, Gata2, Lmo2, draculin and Scl expression patterns are expanded at the five somite stage toward the more caudal region of the mutant embryos. In contrast, the expression pattern of the general mesoderm marker ‘no tail’ is not affected by loss of Smad5. The cells in the most caudal region of the mutant embryos express Gata1 precociously, indicating that they are specified along the erythroid lineage but fail to differentiate. However, Gata1 expression is lost by 48 hpf, as demonstrated in embryos carrying a gata1:gfp transgene on the pgy/pgy background. As in the pgy embryos, injection of a Smad1 morpholino at the one-cell stage leads to a dorzalized phenotype. However, in contrast to pgy embryos, Gata1 expression is maintained in the Smad1 morphants and Gata1 positive cells are found to circulate in the morphant embryos through at least 72 hpf. Our data support an essential role for Smad5 and not Smad1 in embryonic hematopoiesis. To analyze Smad5 function in the adult hematopoietic system, we established adult pgy fish that carry the gata1:gfp transgene, for analysis of blood cell profiles using flow cytometry. Blood cell populations were monitored under normal conditions and following phenylhydrazine induced hemolytic anemia in wildtype and pgy/+ fish. The pgy/+ adult fish are able to mount an erythropoietic response to hemolytic anemia. However, pgy/+ fish at two days post-treatment accumulate 30% of their erythroid progenitor population at the polychromatophilic stage, compared to 10% in wildtype. The pgy/+ fish are thus unable to reconstitute the erythrocyte population in the kidney at a rate comparable to wildtype fish. In summary, our data indicate that Smad5 has a role in the kinetics of embryonic stage erythropoiesis, distinct from the function of Smad1, and in adult erythropoiesis specifically at the transition from the proeyrthroblast to the polychromatophilic erythroblast stage.
Mother's little helpers: What we know (and don't know) about cooperative infant care in callitrichines.

Since Darwin (), scientists have been puzzled by how behaviors that impose fitness costs on helpers while benefiting their competitors could evolve through natural selection. Hamilton's () theory of inclusive fitness provided an explanation by showing how cooperative behaviors could be adaptive if directed at closely related kin. Recent studies, however, have begun to question whether kin selection is sufficient to explain cooperative behavior in some species (Bergmuller, Johnstone, Russell, & Bshary, ). Many researchers have instead emphasized the importance of direct fitness benefits for helpers in the evolution of cooperative breeding systems. Furthermore, individuals can vary in who, when, and how much they help, and the factors that affect this variation are poorly understood (Cockburn, ; Heinsohn, ). Cooperative breeders thus provide excellent models for the study of evolutionary theories of cooperation and conflict (Cant, ).
The role of neurological and psychological explanations in legal judgments of psychopathic wrongdoers

AbstractAlthough brain imaging has recently taken center stage in criminal legal proceedings, little is known about how neuroscience information differentially affects people’s judgments about criminal behavior. In two studies of community participants (N = 1161), we examined how mock jurors sentence a fictional psychopathic defendant when presented with neurological or psychological research of equal or ambiguous scientific validity. Across two studies, we (a) found that including images of the brain did not alter mock jurors’ sentencing judgments, (b) reported two striking non-replications of previous findings that mock jurors recommend less severe punishments to defendants when a neuroscientific explanations are proffered, and (c) found that participants rated a psychopathic individual as more likely to benefit from treatment and less dangerous when a neurological explanation for his deficits was provided. Overall, these results suggest that neuroscience information provided by psychiatrists in hypothe...
Passion for what? Expanding the domains of entrepreneurial passion☆

Abstract Entrepreneurial passion helps coordinate cognition and behavior of entrepreneurs, providing the fire that fuels innovation, persistence, and ultimate success. However, our knowledge of the sources of passion is limited and focuses primarily on activities predetermined by scholars, rather than those generated by entrepreneurs themselves. Using a phenomenological approach, we conduct an inductive qualitative study of 80 entrepreneurs and analyze their oral histories to explore the sources of entrepreneurial passion as described by entrepreneurs. Our discovery process suggests six major sources of entrepreneurial passion: passion for growth, passion for people, passion for the product or service, passion for inventing, passion for competition, and passion for a social cause. This extends prior research that focuses on passion toward a more limited range of activities.
Metal concentrations in American oyster Crassotrea virginica and adjacent sediments from harvestable and non-harvestable sites in the Southeastern USA

Human population growth in coastal areas continues to threaten estuarine ecosystems and resources. Populations of Crassostrea virginica have declined across the USA due to water quality degradation, disease pressure, alteration of habitat, and other changes related to anthropogenic impacts. Metals that may be present in estuarine habitats can bioaccumulate in oysters, with potential consequences to the health of oysters and humans consumers. This study (1) evaluated the occurrence and relationships of metal concentrations in oyster tissue versus estuarine sediments, (2) examined oyster tissue concentrations in relation to state water quality designations, and (3) evaluated the potential risk for humans from oyster consumption related to metal concentrations from harvestable waters. Results indicated metal concentrations in sediments and oysters along coastal South Carolina remain low compared to other areas and that concentrations in oyster tissue and adjacent sediments were not highly correlated with each other. However, high concentrations of some metals occurred in oysters sampled from areas designated as Approved for Harvesting. This is important because most harvest area designation systems rely on regular bacterial monitoring when evaluating the safety of consumption. Others safety measurements may be necessary as part of routine monitoring.
Russell’s Method of Analysis and the Axioms of Mathematics

Early in the 1900s, Russell recognizes that he and many others had been implicitly using claims like the Axiom of Choice. For such claims, Russell eventually took the position that some axioms are necessary to recovering certain results of mathematics, but may not be proven to be true absolutely. This essay traces historical roots of, and motivations for, Russell’s method of analysis and his related views about the status of mathematical axioms. I describe the position that Russell develops as “immanent logicism,” in contrast to what Irving has called “epistemic logicism.” Immanent logicism allows Russell to avoid the logocentric predicament and to propose a method for discovering structural relationships of dependence within mathematical theories.
Differences in pattern of variability for lower extremity kinematics between walking and running.

This study characterizes walking and running patterns in healthy individuals using linear and nonlinear methods Seventeen individuals (12 males, 5 females) volunteered for the study. 3D kinematic data during walking (WA) and running (RU) on a motorized treadmill were captured using reflective markers placed on lower body (200Hz). A single 25s trial (5000 data points) was collected for each gait task. WA speed was 1.39±0.12m/s, whereas RU speed was 2.56±0.27m/s. Variables of interest included ankle plantar/dorsi flexion, knee flexion/extension, knee abduction/adduction, hip flexion/extension, and hip abduction/adduction angles. For linear analysis, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated for the entire time series for both conditions. Nonlinear analysis included assessing pattern of regularity of respective kinematic time series using approximate entropy (ApEn). Inferential analyses were conducted using MANOVA to compare selected dependent measures (p 0.05). Running ApEn values were greater than walking ApEn values for knee flexion/extension (WA=0.14±0.02, RU=0.23±0.04), knee abduction/adduction (WA=0.18±0.07, RU=0.24±0.07), hip flexion/extension (WA=0.09±0.02, RU=0.17±0.04), and hip abduction/adduction (WA=0.12±0.03, RU=0.21±0.05). Greater variability was demonstrated during running across all joints compared to walking. This suggests that ApEn is more sensitive to detecting changes between different gait conditions than standard discrete measures of variability (SD).
DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Cathinone-Derived Psychostimulants.

Cathinone is a plant alkaloid found in khat leaves of perennial shrubs grown in East Africa. Similar to cocaine, cathinone elicits psychostimulant effects which are in part attributed to its amphetamine-like structure. Around 2010, home laboratories began altering the parent structure of cathinone to synthesize derivatives with mechanisms of action, potencies, and pharmacokinetics permitting high abuse potential and toxicity. These “synthetic cathinones” include 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone), 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), and the empathogenic agent 3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone (methylone) which collectively gained international popularity following aggressive online marketing as well as availability in various retail outlets. Case reports made clear the health risks associated with these agents and, in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States placed a series of synthetic cathinones on Schedule I under emergency order. Mechanistically, cathinone and synthetic derivatives work...
Microbial indicator removal in onsite constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the southeastern U.S.

Seven onsite constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the coastal plains of Alabama and North Carolina were studied from September 1997 to July 1998. Each site was examined for its ability to remove a range of fecal contamination indicators from settled wastewater. Indicator organisms include total and fecal coliforms, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens , and somatic and male-specific (F+) coliphages. Four identical domestic wastewater treatment sites in Alabama were evaluated. In these sites the Log10 geometric mean reductions ranged between 0.5 and 2.6 for total and fecal coliforms, 0.1 and 1.5 for enterococci, 1.2 to 2.7 for C. perfringens , -0.3 and 1.2 for somatic coliphages, and -0.2 and 2.2 for F+ coliphages. Three unique designs were examined in North Carolina. Log10 geometric mean reductions ranged between 0.8 to 4.2 for total and fecal coliforms, 0.3 to 2.9 for enterococci, 1.6 to 2.9 for C. perfringens , -0.2 and 2.8 for somatic coliphages, and -0.1 and 1.5 for F+ coliphages. Somatic and F+ coliphage detection was highly variable from month to month.
Environmental Democracy: Participation, Deliberation and Citizenship

Democracy and participation have always been part of both the environmental movement and environmental political theory. This chapter explores the basic concepts involved in the call for environmental democracy, in particular citizen participation, environmental deliberation, ecological citizenship, the role of nonhuman life, and the politics of environmental expertise. The chapter presents two dominant conceptions of environmental democracy, one that seeks to democratically transform existing political-economic systems through environmental regulation and the greening of economic and political institutions. The other is based on a belief that this approach ultimately supports a politics of unsustainability. These theorists turn to civil society and a call for more insurgent forms of environmental democracy that challenge capitalist democracy.
Helping children express grief through symbolic communication.

Communication barriers erected by grieving children delay problem resolution. Use of the expressive arts—music, art, and body movement—in symbolic communication helps them to express overwhelming f...
Pulmonary Hypertension and the Extracellular Matrix

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role in regulating cell shape and cell signaling, in maintaining cell–cell communication, and in controlling cell differentiation and dedifferentiation. The stiffness of a vessel is directly related to the proportion of the various ECM components. It is not surprising then that even haploinsufficiency of a single component of the ECM such as elastin or fibrillin can lead to profound developmental abnormalities and propensity to diseases of blood vessels. For example, haploinsufficiency of elastin (Williams syndrome) is associated with pulmonary and systemic stenoses and haploinsufficiency of fibrillin (Marfan syndrome) leads to aneurismal dilatation of the aorta. A variety of growth factors and cytokines regulate the production of the various components of the ECM and are in fact bound by different components of the ECM. Turnover of the ECM and release of growth factors is controlled by the balance between proteolytic enzymes such as serine elastases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors. So it is not surprising that abnormalities in the regulation of the ECM would contribute in a fundamental way to the pathobiology of pulmonary vascular disease leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Voice and swallowing dysfunction in X-linked dystonia parkinsonism

Objectives To systematically characterize and describe voice and swallowing manifestations in patients with X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP) and correlate with quality-of-life (QOL) measures. Methods Thirty-four patients with XDP with communication and swallowing difficulties underwent neurological examination, head and neck examination, nasopharyngoscopy, QOL surveys (Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire [SWAL-QOL] and Voice Handicap Index [VHI]), and functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) to assess the extent of dysfunction. Results All patients showed high rates of lingual, oromandibular, and laryngeal dysfunction, as well as severe QOL changes in swallowing and communication ability. The most common head and neck manifestations of dystonic symptoms were difficulty coordinating the mouth and tongue (79%), uncontrollable tongue thrusting (53%), and jaw opening (35%). Laryngeal symptoms including vocal strain (adductor voice breaks) or stridor (32%), as well as velopharyngeal insufficiency (20%), were also identified. Of the patients with laryngeal symptoms, 18% had respiratory dystonia. Swallowing assessments showed significant abnormalities in oral bolus control and oropharyngeal dysphagia. FEES examinations showed that 87.5% of the study group had penetration or aspiration. QOL scores showed an average VHI of 94.4 (severe dysfunction), and SWAL-QOL showed an average of 37.7 (severe dysfunction). Conclusion Swallowing and voice impairment in XDP is not well characterized and presents a more distinctive phenomenology than other neurological disorders, with a unique set of challenges for treatment. This is the first study to systematically evaluate laryngeal and pharyngeal dysfunction in XDP patients and correlate with QOL measures. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 130:171-177, 2020.
Time series harmonic regression analysis reveals seasonal vegetation productivity trends in semi-arid savannas

Abstract Vegetation cover in savannas is characterized by high spatial heterogeneity driven by natural and anthropogenic drivers acting at multiple spatial and temporal scales. This research article identifies trends in vegetation cover and productivity in response to both land management and variable precipitation through a methodological approach that incorporates vegetation transect fieldwork with satellite imagery time series analysis. The phenological cycles of semi-arid savanna vegetation were analyzed over 27 years for both a protected area and a privately-owned property in order to capture multiple vegetation cover categories within the eastern Edwards Plateau ecoregion of central Texas. Line-intercept vegetation transects were established across these two sites in 2015, with ground cover and structural vegetation measurements collected along each transect. These measurements were classified based upon distinct vegetation cover categories: woodland, intermediate, open, and open disturbed. Time series analysis of vegetation productivity utilized 111 multi-season Landsat TM5 and Landsat 8 images that captured spring, fall, and winter seasonalities across the 27-year time period spanning from 1988 to 2015, with the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) calculated as an indicator of vegetative productivity. Harmonic regression was applied to this time series in order to determine the relationship between time of year with respect to growing season and productivity level across vegetation cover types. Fixed mean harmonic amplitudes for calendar year productivity were calculated across the entire time period as well as across three natural breaks-based sub-divisions of the 27-year period. Mean amplitudes per transect were then plotted against field-truthed tree-grass ratios in order to determine the relationship between tree and grass cover and mean harmonic SAVI amplitude. Harmonic regression identified inter- and intra-annual seasonal variability across cover types, with woodland sites exhibiting much lower variability in SAVI levels than open sites. These results provide insight into the phenological response of vegetation cover types typical of semi-arid savannas to spatially and temporally variable precipitation levels and land management schemes, allowing for better informed management and monitoring strategies for these environments.
Understanding PTSD and Sexual Assault

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental health consequence of sexual assault. This chapter provides an overview of the diagnosis of PTSD, the prevalence of PTSD after sexual assault, and theories regarding the development of PTSD. In addition, the chapter provides a review of characteristics of assaults, sexual assault survivors, and the contexts they recover that may affect the likelihood of developing PTSD after sexual assault. Best clinical practices for treating PTSD in sexual assault survivors, including Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure, are discussed, and gold-standard assessment measures are recommended. We conclude with future directions for research, policy, and practice.
The Effect of Fiscal Years on Revenue Innovation Persistence

This study examines the importance of firm planning and control activities organized around the fiscal year in the revenue generation and reporting process. Consistent with planning and control influencing performance, quarterly revenue innovations display significantly higher autocorrelation when quarters are from the same fiscal year than when quarters are from different fiscal years ("differential persistence"). Differential persistence is higher for firms where planning and control is likely to be greater (measured by number of employees) and for firms making changes to the revenue process (measured by change in the ratio of accounts receivable to revenue). In addition, changes to the revenue process more closely correspond to fiscal years as the level of planning and control increases. Although differential persistence is predictable, both post-earnings announcement drift and analyst forecast errors vary with fiscal quarter and revenue information, suggesting that investors and analysts do not fully incorporate differential persistence into their decision-making.
Strong Conflict of Interest Policies are not Associated With Decreased Industry Payments to Academic Urology Departments.

Abstract Objective To identify whether institutions with strong conflicts of interest (COI) policies receive less industry payments than those with weaker policies. While industry-physician interactions can have collaborative benefits, financial COI can undermine preservation of the integrity of professional judgment and public trust. To address this concern, academic institutions have adopted COI policies. It is unclear whether the strength of COI policy correlates with industry payments in urology. Materials and Methods 131 US academic urology programs were surveyed on their COI policies, and graded according to the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) criteria. Strength of COI policy was compared against industry payments in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database. Results Fifty-seven programs responded to the survey, for a total response rate of 44%. There was no difference between COI policy groups on total hospital payments (P = .05), total department payments (P = .28), or dollars per payment (P = .57). On correlation analysis, there was a weak but statistically nonsignificant correlation between AMSA Industry Policy Survey Score and Open Payments payments (ρ = −0.14, P = .32). Conclusion Strength of conflicts of interest policy in academic urology did not correlate to industry payments within the Open Payments database. Establishment of strong COI policy may create offsetting factors that mitigate the intended effects of the policy. Further studies will be required to develop the evidence base for policy design and implementation across various specialties.
Beyond Translating Ethical Norms Into Practice: Integrating Implementation and Assessment Mindsets

In their article “The ‘Ought-Is’ Problem: An Implementation Science Framework for Translating Ethical Norms Into Practice,” Bryan Sisk and his colleagues (2020) argue that ethicists formulating a s...
Impact of a Formal Research Committee on Respiratory Therapists’ Publications

BACKGROUND: Presenting research at national and international meetings is an important aspect of the practice of respiratory care. Our department regularly presented abstracts but few projects were written up as manuscripts. We also noted that we did not have a centralized strategy to evaluate individual projects and provide mentorship. To address these challenges, we formed a Research Committee that meets monthly. We hypothesized that the formation of this committee would be associated with an increase in published manuscripts. METHODS: We evaluated all original research abstracts authored or co-authored by Duke respiratory therapists presented at the AARC Open Forum between 2009 and 2019. Abstracts were grouped into two time periods; 1) 2009–2013 (before the formation of the research committee) and 2) 2014–2019 (after the formation of the research committee). Abstracts were evaluated based on authors, type of study, patient population, and whether the abstract resulted in a manuscript. Primary outcome was the percentage of abstracts published as manuscripts. RESULTS: A total of 56 abstracts were presented by 23 different lead authors, with 16 (29%) published as manuscripts. After formation of the committee, fewer abstracts per year were presented, but these abstracts were more likely to be published as manuscripts (53% vs 18%, P = .02). For abstracts published as manuscripts, there was a significant difference in the type of study before and after committee formation (P = .042), but there were no differences in lead author credentials, senior author credentials, author gender, or patient population. CONCLUSIONS: The formation of a research committee was associated with an increase in the percentage of abstracts published as manuscripts.
Reduction in Hysteresis Loss of Binder Jet Printed Iron Silicon

In this paper, the hysteresis loss characteristics of 3D printed iron silicon samples are compared with soft magnetic composite material. Design of experiments is used to evaluate the effect of printing parameters on hysteresis loss. Printing parameters considered in this paper include the sintering temperature, the addition of boron compound, and the silicon content in the starting powder. The addition of boron in the 3D printing process of iron silicon samples is shown to reduce the intrinsic coercivity and hysteresis loss.
Slc44a2 deletion alters tetraspanin and N-cadherin expression: Reduced adhesion and enhanced proliferation in cultured mesenchymal lung cells

Slc44a2 is reported to interact with tetraspanins CD9 and CD81. To investigate how Slc44a2 affects adhesion protein expression, cells from wild-type (WT) Slc44a2+/+, heterozygous (HET) Slc44a2+/-, and knockout (KO) Slc44a2-/- mice were cultured from lung tissue. The cultured cells expressed vimentin, N-cadherin, p120 catenin, beta-catenin, actin, CD9, and CD81, but not E-cadherin. Vimentin expression with lack of E-cadherin indicated that the cultured cells were of mesenchymal origin. Slc44a2 KO cells and HET cells demonstrated lower adherence and faster proliferation than the WT cells. All three groups displayed dramatically altered intracellular distribution of N-cadherin, CD9, and CD81. The CD9 membrane foci observed in WT cell membranes were less frequent and diminished in size in HET cells and KO cells. N-cadherin was dispersed throughout both the cytoplasm and membrane in WT cells, with similar yet weaker distribution in HET cells; however, in KO cells, N-cadherin was densely aggregated in the perinuclear cytoplasm. CD81 had a distribution pattern in WT, HET, and KO cells similar to that of N-cadherin with dense cytoplasmic clusters in the cells. KO cells also exhibited reduced filamentous actin as compared to WT cells. These results suggest that Slc44a2 is necessary for proper cellular localization of adhesion proteins and growth regulation that may be related to altered adhesion signals.
Optimization of data acquisition operation in optical tomography based on estimation theory

The data acquisition process is occasionally the most time consuming and costly operation in tomography. Currently, raster scanning is still the common practice in making sequential measurements in most tomography scanners. Raster scanning is known to be slow and such scanners usually cannot catch up with the speed of changes when imaging dynamically evolving objects. In this research, we studied the possibility of using estimation theory and our prior knowledge about the sample under test to reduce the number of measurements required to achieve a given image quality. This systematic approach for optimization of the data acquisition process also provides a vision toward improving the geometry of the scanner and reducing the effect of noise, including the common state-dependent noise of detectors. The theory is developed in the article and simulations are provided to better display discussed concepts.
Media for Academic Scientists: Potential Benefits and Challenges

Media is a useful tool to spread knowledge to a broader audience , as it can bring new perspectives to research agendas and ensure public engagement. People can stay connected with the scientific world through traditional media . Working with the media comes with potential benefits and challenges for academic scientists. SciOPS partnered with SciLine surveyed a random sample of 508 biologists, civil engineers, geographers and public health professors at U.S. universities about scientists’ views of their interactions with the media. The results can be found both on the SciOPS platform and the Chronicle article “What Ph.Ds. can learn about talking with reporters” by Rick Weiss.
Fundamentals of Viral Infections and Immune Responses in Humans

In contrast to bacteria and fungi, viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that depend on host cells to replicate their genome. From the perspective of a cell, viruses are like pirates, latching on and boarding the ship (cell), enslaving its crew (metabolic and biosynthetic machinery), and frequently scuttling the vessel (cell lysis or death) when it no longer suites the invader’s requirements. From the virus’s perspective, however, infectivity is essential in order to have an enduring existence in nature. Accordingly, viruses have evolved diverse strategies for replication within living cells, and have found niches as intracellular parasites of plants, animals and unicellular organisms.
Hazing in Fraternities and Sororities

Hazing in U.S. university fraternal groups is a pernicious and sometimes even deadly practice that dates back to the founding of the first collegiate fraternities in the nineteenth century. In spite of growing antihazing sentiment, laws against hazing in 44 states and campus crackdowns, hazing persists as a rite of passage and tradition in colleges and universities across the United States and around the world. This article examines the roots and manifestations of hazing in university-based fraternities and sororities in the United States. It includes a discussion of university policies and practices to curtail it by national fraternal organizations and antihazing activists. Best practices include the encouragement of bystander intervention to halt hazing as it happens, along with the mandating of alcohol-free (dry) fraternity houses and an end to the pledge period.
RGS2 Repression Exacerbates Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Remodeling in Asthma

We recently reported that RGS2, a modulator of Gq protein-coupled receptors, is a key regulator of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), the hallmark of asthma. RGS2 protein levels in airway cells were...
Fraternal Rhetoric and the Development of the U.S. Welfare State

In the decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, mutual benefit societies were thriving voluntary organizations that touched the vast majority of working-class American households. Not only were they politically powerful as institutional actors, but more importantly, they were highly influential in providing their members with the ability to conceive of mutual assistance in a manner other than through the traditional lens of liberalism. Contrary to what may be considered the prevailing wisdom, my research reveals that whether they intended to or not, these organizations taught lessons that gave their members a coherent justification for supporting the emerging welfare state. There is also a methodological lesson, which is that membership organizations must be understood for their indirect social impact as much as their direct political one.
Gravity and magnetic study of the Pahute Mesa and Oasis Valley region, Nye County, Nevada

Regional gravity and aeromagnetic maps reveal the existence of deep basins underlying much of the southwestern Nevada volcanic field, approximately 150 km northwest of Las Vegas. These maps also indicate the presence of prominent features (geophysical lineaments) within and beneath the basin fill. Detailed gravity surveys were conducted in order to characterize the nature of the basin boundaries, delineate additional subsurface features, and evaluate their possible influence on the movement of ground water. Geophysical modeling of gravity and aeromagnetic data indicates that many of the features may be related to processes of caldera formation. Collapse of the various calderas within the volcanic field resulted in dense basement rocks occurring at greater depths within caldera boundaries. Modeling indicates that collapse occurred along faults that are arcuate and steeply dipping. There are indications that the basement in the western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley region consists predominantly of granitic and/or fine-grained siliceous sedimentary rocks that may be less permeable to ground-water flow than the predominantly fractured carbonate rock basement to the east and southeast of the study area. The northeast-trending Thirsty Canyon lineament, expressed on gravity and basin thickness maps, separates dense volcanic rocks on the northwest from less dense intracaldera accumulations in the Silent Canyon and Timber Mountain caldera complexes. The sources of the lineament is an approximately 2-km wide ring fracture system with step-like differential displacements, perhaps localized on a pre-existing northeast-trending Basin and Range fault. Due to vertical offsets, the Thirsty Canyon faults zone probably juxtaposes rock types of different permeability and, thus, it may act as a barrier to ground-water flow and deflect flow from Pahute Mesa along its flanks toward Oasis Valley. Within the Thirsty Canyon fault zone, highly fractured rocks may serve also as a conduit, depending upon the degree of alteration and its effect on porosity and permeability. In the Oasis Valley region, other structures that may influence ground-water flow include the western and southern boundaries of the Oasis Valley basin, where the basement abruptly shallows.
Regulation of Protein Kinase C by Ionizing Radiation

Members of the protein kinase C (PKC) gene family have been shown to play an important role in tumor promotion and regulation of cell growth. Experiments were designed to examine the effects of different qualities of ionizing radiation administered at a variety of doses and dose rates on the expression of PKC-specific mRNA in confluent Syrian hamster embryo cells. The results of these experiments showed that low-linear energy of transfer (LET) radiations (such as X-rays and γ-rays) can induce increased expression of PKC mRNA within 1 h after radiation exposure. Levels of expression of PKC mRNA were increased 4- to 6-fold over unirradiated controls. Dose effects were evident, with increased accumulation of PKC mRNA at higher doses (ranging from 6 to 200 cGy). Induction of PKC mRNA occurred at a time when total cellular transcription was reduced following irradiation. Similar exposure of the cells to fission spectrum JANUS neutrons, however, had little effect on PKC mRNA expression. Modest induction (2-fold compared to untreated cells) occurred when irradiations were at very low dose rates (0.5 cGy/min). These results suggest that induction of PKC mRNA may be a step in the transformation process caused by ionizing radiation. In addition, they demonstrate that different qualities of radiation may regulate PKC differently.
A Review of “Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-First Century. Five volumes”

This indispensable five-volume reference work belongs on the shelf next to Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619–1895 (2006). The new 2009 work is both timely and extremely up-to-date. The...
Biological ice nucleation initiates hailstone formation

Cloud condensation and ice nuclei in the troposphere are required precursors to cloud and precipitation formation, both of which influence the radiative balance of Earth. The initial stage of hailstone formation (i.e., the embryo) and the subsequent layered growth allow hail to be used as a model for the study of nucleation processes in precipitation. By virtue of the preserved particle and isotopic record captured by hailstones, they represent a unique form of precipitation that allows direct characterization of the particles present during atmospheric ice nucleation. Despite the ecological and economic consequences of hail storms, the dynamics of hailstone nucleation, and thus their formation, are not well understood. Our experiments show that hailstone embryos from three Rocky Mountain storms contained biological ice nuclei capable of freezing water at warm, subzero (°C) temperatures, indicating that biological particles can act as nucleation sites for hailstone formation. These results are corroborated by analysis of δD and δ18O from melted hailstone embryos, which show that the hailstones formed at similarly warm temperatures in situ. Low densities of ice nucleation active abiotic particles were also present in hailstone embryos, but their low concentration indicates they were not likely to have catalyzed ice formation at the warm temperatures determined from water stable isotope analysis. Our study provides new data on ice nucleation occurring at the bottom of clouds, an atmospheric region whose processes are critical to global climate models but which has challenged instrument-based measurements.
Myd88 Initiates Early Innate Immune Responses and Promotes CD4 T Cells during Coronavirus Encephalomyelitis

Myd88 signaling is critical to the control of numerous central nervous system (CNS) infections by promoting both innate and adaptive immune responses. Nevertheless, the extent to which Myd88 regulates type I interferon (IFN) versus proinflammatory factors and T cell function, as well as the anatomical site of action, varies extensively with the pathogen. CNS infection by neurotropic coronavirus with replication confined to the brain and spinal cord induces protective IFN-α/β via Myd88-independent activation of melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5). However, a contribution of Myd88-dependent signals to CNS pathogenesis has not been assessed. Infected Myd88−/− mice failed to control virus, exhibited enhanced clinical disease coincident with increased demyelination, and succumbed to infection within 3 weeks. The induction of IFN-α/β, as well as of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, was impaired early during infection. However, defects in both IFN-α/β and select proinflammatory factors were rapidly overcome prior to T cell recruitment. Myd88 deficiency also specifically blunted myeloid and CD4 T cell recruitment into the CNS without affecting CD8 T cells. Moreover, CD4 T cells but not CD8 T cells were impaired in IFN-γ production. Ineffective virus control indeed correlated most prominently with reduced antiviral IFN-γ in the CNS of Myd88−/− mice. The results demonstrate a crucial role for Myd88 both in early induction of innate immune responses during coronavirus-induced encephalomyelitis and in specifically promoting protective CD4 T cell activation. In the absence of these responses, functional CD8 T cells are insufficient to control viral spread within the CNS, resulting in severe demyelination. IMPORTANCE During central nervous system (CNS) infections, signaling through the adaptor protein Myd88 promotes both innate and adaptive immune responses. The extent to which Myd88 regulates antiviral type I IFN, proinflammatory factors, adaptive immunity, and pathology is pathogen dependent. These results reveal that Myd88 protects from lethal neurotropic coronavirus-induced encephalomyelitis by accelerating but not enhancing the induction of IFN-α/β, as well as by promoting peripheral activation and CNS accumulation of virus-specific CD4 T cells secreting IFN-γ. By controlling both early innate immune responses and CD4 T cell-mediated antiviral IFN-γ, Myd88 signaling limits the initial viral dissemination and is vital for T cell-mediated control of viral loads. Uncontrolled viral replication in the absence of Myd88 leads to severe demyelination and pathology despite overall reduced inflammatory responses. These data support a vital role of Myd88 signaling in protective antimicrobial functions in the CNS by promoting proinflammatory mediators and T cell-mediated IFN-γ production.
Effect of Dietary Purine Restriction, Allupurinol, and Oxipurinol on Urinary Excretion of Ultraviolet-Absorbing Compounds

We demonstrate that purine restriction is associated with a decreased excretion of a number of uv-absorbing compounds—including uric acid, hypoxanthine, xanthine, adenine, pseudouridine, and 5-acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil—indicating that these compounds originate, at least partly, exogenously. Administration of allopurinol and oxipurinol is associated with a decreased excretion of uric acid and an increased excretion of hypoxanthine and xanthine, as well as the excretion of the previously identified products of allopurinol and oxipurinol metabolism. Moreover, these drugs further decrease excretion of 5-acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil, increase uracil excretion slightly, and strikingly increase orotic acid and orotidine excretion. No change in pseudouridine excretion was observed. The ultraviolet-analyzer is a valuable tool for detecting qualitative changes in the excretion of ultraviolet-absorbing compounds in the urine; with it, identified peaks can be semiquantitated.