cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of glucocorticoids (dexamethasone) on insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-binding proteins, and growth in chickens.

AbstractThe effect of glucocorticoids (dexamethasone) on circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) was examined in young (2-week-old) chickens. Increasing dosages (6, 60, and 600 μg/kg) of dexamethasone resulted in progressive growth retardation as evidenced by decreased body-weight gain, reduced bone growth, and breast muscle weights, together with immunosuppression as indicated by decreased thymus and bursa weights. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I were progressively reduced with increased doses of dexamethasone. There were no changes in circulating IGFBPs except on Day 7 when binding activity of the 36-kDa IGFBP was increased by dexamethasone (6 μg/kg). It is speculated that similarities exist between the 36-kDa IGFBP and the mammalian IGFBP-1 based on the response to dexamethasone treatment.
Investigation and Analysis of Drug Use in Drivers

OBJECTIVE:To investigate and analyze the safety of drug use in drivers and to improve the quality of window drug dispensing in order to provide reference for the safety of driving.METHODS:Questionnaire on safety of drug use in drivers was designed.The drivers in public places,station and wharf were randomly investigated,and filled questionnaires.RESULTS:Of 1 586 investigated drivers per time,284 drivers who took medicine within 6 hours before driving or during driving accounted for 17.91%.Among 284 drivers,adverse drug reaction was found in 68 drivers per time,accounting for 23.94%;223 drivers received pharmaceutical care,accounting for 78.52%,32 drivers were asked the occupation,acconnting for 11.26%.Most of the drivers took anti-cold drugs(121 cases) and the lethargy was the most-common ADR(32 cases).CONCLUSION:Inadequate medication guide for window drug dispensing cause irrational use of drugs.Clinical pharmacist should strengthen vocational consciousness and improve ability of guiding safe drug use to avoid traffic accidents.
Clinical Characteristics of Basal Ganglia Calcification Combined with Cerebral Infarction

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and pathologic mechanism of basal ganglia calcification combined with cerebral infarction.Methods The clinical data,radiation demonstration and prognosis in 53 cases of cerebral infarction were reviewed retrospectively,31 cases with basal ganglia calcification and 22 cases without basal ganglia calcification.Results Cerebral infarction with basal ganglia calcification mostly occurded in infants and after slight traumar,CT scan all showed lacunar infarction in basal ganglia and MRA demonstrated no severe changes on cerebral vessal.Compared with the infants without basal ganglia calcification,the infants with basal ganglia calcification recovered quickly and had better prognosis.Conclusions The infants of cerebral infarction with basal ganglia calcification had unique clinical characteristics.The occurrence of cerebral infarction is closely associated with basal ganglia calcification which perhaps resulted from cerebral hypoxia and ischemia previously.
Entrapment of bioactive compounds within native albumin beads: II. Effects of rate and extent of crosslinking on microbead properties.

The rate of crosslinking of serum albumin is affected by several parameters such as pH, buffer concentration, and the ratio of serum albumin to glutaraldehyde concentration. Selection of experimentally controllable variables makes it possible to control crosslinking rate at room temperature to form a serum albumin microbead with an appropriate extent of crosslinking that provides both structural integrity and biodegradability. It was confirmed that serum albumin concentrations of 200 mg/ml of sodium phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.5, 10 mM) and 1% glutaraldehyde is a very favorable combination using a mixing time of around 20 sec before adding to oil phase to form an emulsion. A curing time of around 30 min is then used. Drug loading efficiency is crosslink rate-controlled. Mixing time also affects drug loading efficiency since it fixes the time for potential partitioning of drug out of the aqueous phase. The biodegradable character of the microbeads has been shown and it appears to be a function of the amount of serum albumin and glutaraldehyde used.
Comments on Formulating Meson Bound-State Equations Beyond Rainbow-Ladder Approximation

We study mesons through solving the coupled system of the gap equation for the quark propagator and the Bethe–Salpeter equation for the meson wavefunction. The gap equation and Bethe–Salpeter equation are in fact members of infinitely coupled Dyson–Schwinger equations of Green functions of QCD. To make it solvable, the system must be truncated. The simplest rainbow-ladder truncation is widely used but shows drawbacks in many aspects. To improve the simplest truncation, we analyze symmetries of the fundamental theory and solve the corresponding Ward–Green–Takahashi identities. Then, the elements of the coupled system, i.e., the quark-gluon vertex and the quark-antiquark scattering kernel, can be constructed accordingly.
Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren & Tishechkin sp. nov., an army ant-associated beetle species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Haeteriinae) with an exceptional mechanism of phoresy

For more than a century we have known that a high diversity of arthropod species lives in close relationship with army ant colonies. For instance, several hundred guest species have been described to be associated with the Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii Westwood, 1842. Despite ongoing efforts to survey army ant guest diversity, it is evident that many more species await scientific discovery. We conducted a large-scale community survey of Eciton-associated symbionts, combined with extensive DNA barcoding, which led to the discovery of numerous new species, among them a highly specialized histerid beetle, which is formally described here. Analyses of genitalic morphology with support of molecular characters revealed that the new species is a member of the genus Nymphister. We provide a literature review of host records and host-following mechanisms of Eciton-associated Haeteriinae demonstrating that the new species uses an unusual way of phoretic transport to track the nomadic habit of host ants. Using its long mandibles as gripping pliers, the beetle attaches between the ants’ petiole and postpetiole. The beetles specifically attach to medium-sized ant workers, thus participating as hitchhikers in the regular colony emigrations of the single host species Eciton mexicanum Roger, 1863. By providing tools for reliable species identification via morphology and DNA barcodes for hitherto unknown army ant guest species, we set the baseline for studies targeting the ecological and evolutionary dynamics in these species-rich host-symbiont communities.
Enhancement of light-2D material interaction envisioned for energy harvesting applications

Strong enhancement of Raman signal upon integration of trilayer MoS 2 with Fabry-Perot (FP) optical cavities is reported. We also discuss prospective application of enhanced light matter interaction in 2D materials for energy harvesting purposes.
Return to Fort Rock Cave: Assessing the Site's Potential to Contribute to Ongoing Debates about how and when Humans Colonized the Great Basin

Oregon's Fort Rock Cave is iconic in respect to both the archaeology of the northern Great Basin and the history of debate about when the Great Basin was colonized. In 1938, Luther Cressman recovered dozens of sagebrush bark sandals from beneath Mt. Mazama ash that were later radiocarbon dated to between 10,500 and 9350 cal B.P. In 1970, Stephen Bedwell reported finding lithic tools associated with a date of more than 15,000 cal B.P., a date dismissed as unreasonably old by most researchers. Now, with evidence of a nearly 15,000-year-old occupation at the nearby Paisley Five Mile Point Caves, we returned to Fort Rock Cave to evaluate the validity of Bedwell's claim, assess the stratigraphic integrity of remaining deposits, and determine the potential for future work at the site. Here, we report the results of additional fieldwork at Fort Rock Cave undertaken in 2015 and 2016, which supports the early Holocene occupation, but does not confirm a pre–10,500 cal B.P. human presence.
Identification and targeting of an FGFR fusion in a pediatric thalamic "central oligodendroglioma"

Approximately 1-5% of pediatric intracranial tumors originate in the thalamus. While great strides have been made to identify consistent molecular markers in adult oligodendrogliomas, such as the 1p/19q co-deletion, it is widely recognized that pediatric oligodendrogliomas have a vastly different molecular make-up. While pediatric thalamic or "central oligodendrogliomas" are histologically similar to peripheral pediatric oligodendrogliomas, they are behaviorally distinct and likely represent a cohesive, but entirely different entity. We describe a case of a 10-year-old girl who was diagnosed with an anaplastic glioma with features consistent with the aggressive entity often diagnosed as central or thalamic oligodendroglioma. We performed whole-exome (paired tumor and germline DNA) and transcriptome (tumor RNA) sequencing, which demonstrated an FGFR3-PHGDH fusion. We describe this fusion and our rationale for pursuing personalized, targeted therapy for the patient's tumor that may potentially play a role in the treatment of similar cases.
Catheterization alters bladder ecology to potentiate Staphylococcus aureus infection of the urinary tract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), which frequently progresses to more serious invasive infections. We adapted a mouse model of CAUTI to investigate how catheterization increases an individual’s susceptibility to MRSA UTI. This analysis revealed that catheterization was required for MRSA to achieve high-level, persistent infection in the bladder. As shown previously, catheter placement induced an inflammatory response resulting in the release of the host protein fibrinogen (Fg), which coated the bladder and implant. Following infection, we showed that MRSA attached to the urothelium and implant in patterns that colocalized with deposited Fg. Furthermore, MRSA exacerbated the host inflammatory response to stimulate the additional release and accumulation of Fg in the urinary tract, which facilitated MRSA colonization. Consistent with this model, analysis of catheters from patients with S. aureus-positive cultures revealed colocalization of Fg, which was deposited on the catheter, with S. aureus. Clumping Factors A and B (ClfA and ClfB) have been shown to contribute to MRSA–Fg interactions in other models of disease. We found that mutants in clfA had significantly greater Fg-binding defects than mutants in clfB in several in vitro assays. Paradoxically, only the ClfB− strain was significantly attenuated in the CAUTI model. Together, these data suggest that catheterization alters the urinary tract environment to promote MRSA CAUTI pathogenesis by inducing the release of Fg, which the pathogen enhances to persist in the urinary tract despite the host’s robust immune response.
SOLID METAL-AMMONIA COMPOUNDS

A general review of the properties of solid metal-ammonia compounds is presented. The following systems were considered: Caesium-ammonia: phase diagram and evidence pertaining to solid solution and compound formation. Alkaline earth metal-ammonia: x-ray structures and solid phases. Lanthanide metal-ammonia: x-ray structures, thermodynamic factors contributing to stability, low temperature magnetic susceptibility, studies of mixed metal systems, electronic band structure. Lithium-ammonia: phase diagram and evidence supporting compound formation, x-ray structure, heat capacities, conductivity, magneto-resistance, positron annihilation, electronic band structure.
Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and vascular calcification have a large hydrodynamic radius of secondary calciprotein particles

BACKGROUND The size of secondary calciprotein particles (CPP2) and the speed of transformation (T50) from primary calciprotein particles (CPP1) to CPP2 in serum may be associated with vascular calcification (VC) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS We developed a high throughput, microplate-based assay using dynamic light scattering (DLS) to measure the transformation of CPP1 to CPP2, hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of CPP1 and CPP2, T50 and aggregation of CPP2. We used this DLS assay to test the hypothesis that a large Rh of CPP2 and/or a fast T50 are associated with VC in 45 participants with CKD Stages 4-5 (22 without VC and 23 with VC) and 17 healthy volunteers (HV). VC was defined as a Kauppila score >6 or an Adragao score ≥3. RESULTS CKD participants with VC had larger cumulants Rh of CPP2 {370 nm [interquartile range (IQR) 272-566]} compared with CKD participants without VC [212 nm (IQR 169-315)] and compared with HV [168 nm (IQR 145-352), P < 0.01 for each]. More CPP2 were in aggregates in CKD participants with VC than those without VC (70% versus 36%). The odds of having VC increased by 9% with every 10 nm increase in the Rh of CPP2, after adjusting for age, diabetes, serum calcium and phosphate [odds ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03, 1.16, P = 0.005]. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for VC of CPP2 size was 0.75 (95% CI 0.60, 0.90). T50 was similar in CKD participants with and without VC, although both groups had a lower T50 than HV. CONCLUSIONS Rh of CPP2, but not T50, is independently associated with VC in patients with CKD Stages 4-5.
Clinical outcomes following Cochlear™ BIA300 bone anchored hearing aid implantation in children.

Abstract Objective Bone anchored hearing implants (BAHI) have been in use for over 30 years, and are commonly implanted in children for a range of indications. The Cochlear™ BIA300 system was launched in 2010 and used at The Birmingham Children's Hospital from 2011. Here we report the long-term outcomes of children implanted with the Cochlear™ BIA300 BAHI system in our centre. Methods A retrospective case note analysis was performed to identify outcomes in all children who underwent BIA300 implantation between 2011 and 2013. Results 52 children with a total of 78 implants were included. Mean age at implantation was 8.7 years. Mean follow-up was 43.5 months. Overall, 60 (77%) implants developed soft tissue complications requiring treatment. Forty-eight (62%) required topical treatment; 27 (35%) required systemic treatment; and 27 (35%) required surgical soft tissue revision under general anaesthesia. Conclusions The Cochlear™ BIA300 system appears to be associated with higher than expected rates of soft tissue reaction in children, with late as well as early soft tissue complications requiring both medical and surgical treatment.
Maximum likelihood estimation of a mixing distribution

On utilise un algorithme qui est une synthese de l'approche EM (Dempster Laird et Rubin, 1977) et une methode d'inclusion a pas basee sur le theoreme de caracterisation de Simar, 1976
Matthew, Pygmalion, and Founder Effects

To describe the reward and communication system in science, Sociologist Robert K. Merton referred to the statement in the Gospel according to St. Matthew that says “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” According to the Matthew Effect , social processes manipulate the allocation of credit (e.g., rewards, reputation, publications) by favoring scientists who are more privileged in terms of fame and resources while punishing those who are less privileged in those regards. The Pygmalion Effect refers to self-filling prophecies occurring at the interpersonal level. Prior assumptions about a person's capabilities can modify their actual performance. These expectations are communicated to that person, who then behaves according to them. The Founder Effect describes situations in which initial attempts can bring recognition because they inspire others who later actually discover a new law, technology, or drug. Scientific work preceding basic scientific discoveries sometimes receive credit, even though that work was incorrect or misunderstood by those responsible for it.
Joint and LPA* : combination of approximation and search

This paper describes two new algorithms, Joint and LPA*, which can be used to solve difficult combinatorial problems heuristically. The algorithms find reasonably short solution paths and are very fast. The algorithms work in polynomial time in the length of the solution. The algorithms have been benchmarked on the 15-puzzle, whose generalization has recently been shown to be NP hard, and outperform other known methods within this context.
The Chemistry of Pt-NaY Zeolite Preparation

Raman spectroscopy and temperature programmed reduction experiments establish the chemical intermediates important to the formation of highly dispersed platinum clusters on a NaY-zeolite support. Calcination at 673 K decomposes the ion-exchanged Pt(NH 3 ) 4 2+ -NaY starting material to PtO/2H + -NaY which, upon reduction at 673 K, yields optimum metal dispersion in the NaY supercage cavities. Calcination at temperatures above ca. 773 K induces decomposition of PtO to yield Pt2 + cations which occupy sodalite cage sites. Migratory tendencies of the metal during reduction of cationic precursors Pt(NH 3 ) 4 2+ and Pt 2+ contribute to diminished metal dispersion in catalysts calcined to temperatures significantly below or above 673 K, respectively.
Maize defective kernel5 is a bacterial tamB homolog required for chloroplast envelope biogenesis

Chloroplasts are of prokaryotic origin with a double membrane envelope that separates plastid metabolism from the cytosol. Envelope membrane proteins integrate the chloroplast with the cell, but the biogenesis of the envelope membrane remains elusive. We show that the maize defective kernel5 (dek5) locus is critical for plastid membrane biogenesis. Amyloplasts and chloroplasts are larger and reduced in number in dek5 with multiple ultrastructural defects. We show that dek5 encodes a protein homologous to rice SUBSTANDARD STARCH GRAIN4 (SSG4) and E.coli tamB. TamB functions in bacterial outer membrane biogenesis. The DEK5 protein is localized to the chloroplast envelope with a topology analogous to TamB. Increased levels of soluble sugars in dek5 developing endosperm and elevated osmotic pressure in mutant leaf cells suggest defective intracellular solute transport. Both proteomics and antibody-based analyses show that dek5 chloroplasts have reduced levels of chloroplast envelope transporters. Moreover, dek5 chloroplasts reduce inorganic phosphate uptake with at least an 80% reduction relative to normal chloroplasts. These data suggest that DEK5 functions in plastid envelope biogenesis to enable metabolite transport.
[O-methyl-11C]N-(4-(4-(3-Chloro-2-methoxyphenyl)-piperazin-1-yl)butyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide ([11C]BAK4-51) Is an Efflux Transporter Substrate and Ineffective for PET Imaging of Brain D3 Receptors in Rodents and Monkey

Selective high-affinity antagonists for the dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) are sought for treating substance use disorders. Positron emission tomography (PET) with an effective D3R radioligand could be a useful tool for the development of such therapeutics by elucidating pharmacological specificity and target engagement in vivo. Currently, a D3R-selective radioligand does not exist. The D3R ligand, N-(4-(4-(3-chloro-2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide (BAK4-51, 1), has attractive properties for PET radioligand development, including full antagonist activity, very high D3R affinity, D3R selectivity, and moderate lipophilicity. We labeled 1 with the positron-emitter carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min) in the methoxy group for evaluation as a radioligand in animals with PET. However, [11C]1 was found to be an avid substrate for brain efflux transporters and lacked D3R-specific signal in rodent and monkey brain in vivo.
Imaging of Nontraumatic Temporal Bone Emergencies

This section aims to cover the non-traumatic pathologies affecting the temporal bone including external auditory canal, middle ear and inner ear which usually need emergent clinical attention. Many of the conditions in this section are secondary to infections in different clinical settings with resultant complications which may leave temporary or permanent sequelae if not suspected, timely diagnosed or treated.
Performance Modeling of Hyperledger Fabric (Permissioned Blockchain Network)

Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) is an open-source implementation of a distributed ledger platform for running smart contracts in a modular architecture. In this paper, we present a performance model of Hyperledger Fabric v1.0+ using Stochastic Reward Nets (SRN). From our detailed model, we can compute the throughput, utilization and mean queue length at each peer and critical processing stages within a peer. To validate our model, we setup an HLF network in our lab and run workload using Hyperledger Caliper. From our analysis results, we find that time to complete the endorsement process is significantly affected by the number of peers and policies such as AND (). The performance bottleneck of the ordering service and ledger write can be mitigated using a larger block size, albeit with an increase in latency. For the committing peer, the transaction validation check (using Validation System Chaincode (VSCC)) is a time-consuming step, but its performance impact can be easily mitigated since it can be parallelized. However, its performance is critical, since it absorbs the shock of bursty block arrivals. We also analyze various what-if scenarios, such as peers processing transactions in a pipeline, and multiple endorsers per organization.
A Link between the Gut and Bone: Bone Health Impacted by Changes in Gut Microbiota.

This commentary highlights the article by Hathaway-Schrader et al that studies the impact of antibiotic-disruption of the gut microbiota on long-term bone development.
Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Thyroid

Background: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (PSCCT) is a rare malignancy of the head and neck, with fewer than 60 cases reported in the literature. We report a case of PSCCT and provide a brief review of the literature. Case Report: A 66-year-old female with a history of a hemithyroidectomy for a benign thyroid lesion presented with 3 months of progressively worsening compressive symptoms and shortness of breath. Physical examination revealed right-sided thyromegaly and right-sided true vocal fold immobility. Preoperative imaging with ultrasound and computed tomography scan confirmed an enlarged right thyroid, as well as right anterior cervical lymphadenopathy, subglottic stenosis, and bilateral pulmonary nodules. Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid was suggestive of carcinoma. Intraoperative findings of gross tracheal invasion during a planned completion thyroidectomy prompted limited resection and impromptu tracheotomy. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluation confirmed a squamous cell carcinoma of thyroid origin. Further oncologic workup with core lung biopsy and positron emission tomography scan demonstrated metastasis to the lung and cervical spine. Palliative chemotherapy was begun, but the patient died 1 week into therapy. Conclusion: PSCCT is a rare but aggressive malignancy of the head and neck. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations are essential for diagnosis. While locoregional surgery and radiation therapy may improve the length of survival, the prognosis of patients with PSCCT is poor. Physicians should be mindful of this unique but deadly disease process, as early diagnosis and rapid treatment initiation are essential to optimize treatment outcomes.
Triadic interactions support infants' emerging understanding of intentional actions

Infants' understanding of the intentional nature of human action develops gradually across the first year of life. A key question is what mechanisms drive changes in this foundational social-cognitive ability. The current studies explored the hypothesis that triadic interactions in which infants coordinate attention between a social partner and an object of mutual interest promote infants' developing understanding of others as intentional agents. Infants' spontaneous tendency to participate in triadic engagement was assessed in a semi-structured play session with a researcher. Intentional action understanding was assessed by evaluating infants' ability to visually predict the goal of an intentional reaching action. Study 1 (N = 88) revealed that 8- to 9-month-olds who displayed more bouts of triadic engagement showed better concurrent reasoning about the goal of an intentional reaching action. Study 2 (N = 114) confirmed these findings using a longitudinal design and demonstrated that infants who displayed more bouts of triadic engagement at 6-7 months were better at prospectively reasoning about the goal of an intentional reaching action 3 months later. Cross-lagged path analyses revealed that intentional action understanding at 6-7 months did not predict later triadic engagement, suggesting that early triadic engagement supports later intentional action processing and not the other way around. Finally, evidence from both studies revealed the unique contribution of triadic over dyadic forms of engagement. These results highlight the importance of social interaction as a developmental mechanism and suggest that infants enrich their understanding of intentionality through triadic interactions with social partners.
Some theoretical and empirical background to Fodor’s systematicity arguments

This paper aims to clarify certain features of the systematicity arguments by a review of some of the largely underexamined background in Chomsky's and Fodor's early work on transformational grammar.
On the Use of Self-Reports

Argumentation researchers frequently rely on self-reports for data. The recently revitalized assault on such data is reviewed, along with the defenses for verbal accounts. Empirical evidence does n...
Error estimates of a spectral Petrov–Galerkin method for two-sided fractional reaction–diffusion equations

Abstract We study regularity and the spectral method for two-sided fractional diffusion equations with a reaction term. We show that the regularity of the solution in weighted Sobolev spaces can be greatly improved compared to that in standard Sobolev spaces. With this regularity, we prove an optimal error estimate for the spectral Petrov–Galerkin method. Numerical results are presented to verify our theoretical convergence orders.
Efficient Far-Red/Near-IR Absorbing BODIPY Photocages by Blocking Unproductive Conical Intersections

Photocages are light-sensitive chemical protecting groups that give investigators control over activation of biomolecules using targeted light irradiation. A compelling application of far-red/near-IR absorbing photocages is their potential for deep tissue activation of biomolecules and phototherapeutics. Toward this goal, we recently reported BODIPY photocages that absorb near-IR light. However, these photocages have reduced photorelease efficiencies compared to shorter-wavelength absorbing photocages, which has hindered their application. Because photochemistry is a zero-sum competition of rates, improvement of the quantum yield of a photoreaction can be achieved either by making the desired photoreaction more efficient or by hobbling competitive decay channels. This latter strategy of inhibiting unproductive decay channels was pursued to improve the release efficiency of long-wavelength absorbing BODIPY photocages by synthesizing structures that block access to unproductive singlet internal conversion conical intersections, which have recently been located for simple BODIPY structures from excited state dynamic simulations. This strategy led to the synthesis of new conformationally restrained boron-methylated BODIPY photocages that absorb light strongly around 700 nm. In the best case, a photocage was identified with an extinction coefficient of 124000 M-1 cm-1, a quantum yield of photorelease of 3.8%, and an overall quantum efficiency of 4650 M-1 cm-1 at 680 nm. This derivative has a quantum efficiency that is 50-fold higher than the best known BODIPY photocages absorbing >600 nm, validating the effectiveness of a strategy for designing efficient photoreactions by thwarting competitive excited state decay channels. Furthermore, 1,7-diaryl substitutions were found to improve the quantum yields of photorelease by excited state participation and blocking ion pair recombination by internal nucleophilic trapping. No cellular toxicity (trypan blue exclusion) was observed at 20 μM, and photoactivation was demonstrated in HeLa cells using red light.
Queer terror: life, death, and desire in the settler colony: by C. Heike Schotten, New York, Columbia University Press, 2018, 272 pp., $35.00 (paperback), ISBN 9780231187473

The strength of C. Heike Schotten’s Queer Terror: Life, Death, and Desire in the Settler Colony undoubtedly lies in its interdisciplinary framing. Schotten writes from a complex intersection of set...
What Explains the Race Gap in Teacher Performance Ratings? Evidence From Chicago Public Schools:

Racial gaps in teacher performance ratings have emerged nationwide across newly implemented educator evaluation systems. Using Chicago Public Schools data, we quantify the magnitude of the race gap...
The Obstacles to Foreign Aid Harmonization: Lessons from Decentralization Support in Indonesia

Relying on a new institutional economics analysis of transaction costs, the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness emphasizes donor harmonization as an intermediate objective for increasing the effectiveness of foreign assistance in bringing about development outcomes. Surveys on adherence to the Paris Declaration commitments so far suggest that foreign aid donors are lagging behind targets. This paper explores the political and bureaucratic obstacles faced by bilateral and multilateral aid organizations trying to harmonize aid at the country level. Looking at foreign support for the decentralization and local governance sector in Indonesia—where a “bold experiment” in harmonization failed to bring about improved donor coordination—I find evidence that the lack of harmonization can be linked to some of the characteristic pathologies of foreign aid: the dominance of the strategic interests of some donors and the structure of bureaucratic incentives within aid agencies. These traditional problems work through a pathway that is underexplored in the literature: by enabling a lack of coordination among agencies within the recipient government, donors create barriers to harmonization of their own programming. However, I conclude by noting that government coordination failure may not be as much of a problem as donors make it out to be. Decisions about governance and decentralization are necessarily contentious and political. In the case where donors succeed in bringing about government coordination in the interest of their own harmonization, they risk exercising harmful leverage that leads to premature resolution of domestic policy disputes, thereby undermining the Paris Declaration principle of country ownership.
What should define a SARS-CoV-2 "breakthrough" infection?

Recently there have been several reports of SARS-CoV2 "breakthrough" infections that have occurred in recipients of the FDA approved SAR-CoV-2 vaccines. The use of the term "breakthrough" infections implies that the virus broke through a protective barrier provided by the vaccine. However, is this what happened in these cases? In most cases, the answer is no, and this answer lies in the fundamental understanding of the mucosal immune system. Here we suggest a more precise definition of what a true breakthrough case is.
Changing Incidence and Mechanism of Pregnancy-Associated Myocardial Infarction in the State of California

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal trends in pregnancy‐associated myocardial infarction (PAMI) in the State of California and explore potential risk factors and mec...
The Bleak and the Dread: From Existential Angst to Postmodern Paranoia

This chapter highlights the move from experimental texts of Samuel Beckett and Jorge Luis Borges and into the postmodern world of Don DeLillo and Thomas Pynchon. Beckett and Borges both play with paradoxes of infinity, complicating the idea of closure that we count on our detectives to achieve. Borges rewrites Poe’s early stories and, with just a few twists, turns the central question of truth on its head: what if it is our desire for order, not order itself, is leading our investigative attempts. Pynchon and DeLillo further complicate the architecture of doubt; whereas previously doubt could be eliminated by finding one final clue, these postmodern novels deal with the problem of information overload. This chapter explores this new problem and how it has helped the growth of conspiracy theories.
Al x In 1-x As y Sb 1-y digital alloy nBn photodetectors

The n-barrier-n (nBn) photodetectors, fabricated from $Al_{03}InAsSb/Al_{0.7}InAsSb$ digital alloy exhibiting near-zero valence-band offset, have achieved specific detectivity of $1.7\times 10^{10}$ Jones at room temperature, and dark current density of $3.09\times 10^{-3}$ A/cm2 at bias of $-0.5V$ and RoA of $3724.0\ \Omega cm^{2}$ at 300 K.
The Markov Chain Approximation Method: Introduction

The main purpose of the book is the development of numerical methods for the solution of control or optimal control problems, or for the computation of functionals of the stochastic processes of interest, of the type described in Chapters 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, and 13. It was shown in Chapter 3 that the cost or optimal cost functionals can be the (at least formal) solutions to certain nonlinear partial differential equations. It is tempting to try to solve for or approximate the various cost functions and optimal controls by dealing directly with the appropriate PDE’s, and numerically approximating their solutions. A basic impediment is that the PDE’s often have only a formal meaning, and standard methods of numerical analysis might not be usable to prove convergence of the numerical methods. For many problems of interest, one cannot even write down a partial differential equation. The Bellman equation might be replaced by a system of “variational inequalities,” or the proper form might not be known. Optimal stochastic control problems occur in an enormous variety of forms. As time goes on, we learn more about the analytical methods which can be used to describe and analyze the various optimal cost functions, but even then it seems that many important classes of problems are still not covered and new models appear which need even further analysis. The optimal stochastic control or stochastic modelling problem usually starts with a physical model, which guides the formulation of the precise stochastic process model to be used in the analysis. One would like numerical methods which are able to conveniently exploit the intuition contained in the physical model.
Identification of Distinct Signalling Pathways for Somatostatin Receptors SSTR1 and SSTR2 as Revealed by Microphysiometry

Somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) are known to mediate diverse cellular responses. Most target cell express more than one SSTR isoform, making it difficult to define the signalling pathway used by individual receptor subtypes. Thus, we have expressed SSTR1 or SSTR2 in rat pituitary F4C1 cells which lack endogenous SSTRs. Using a silicon-based biosensor system, the Cytosensor microphysiometer, which measures the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in real time, we have studied the responses to SS mediated by either SSTR1 or SSTR2. In control F4C1 cells, SS had no effect on the basal ECAR. In transfected cells expressing only SSTR1, SS caused a unique decrease in ECAR in a concentration-dependent manner. Receptor-mediated decreases in ECAR have not been reported previously. In F4C1 cells expressing only SSTR2, SS induced a bidirectional ECAR response, a rapid increase followed by a decrease below basal. Two SS analogues, MK678 and CH275, induced characteristic ECAR responses with the expected receptor selectivities for SSTR1 or SSTR2. Pretreatment of F4C1 cells with pertussis toxin abolished the decreases in ECAR mediated by both SSTR1 and SSTR2, but only partially reduced the increase in ECAR mediated by SSTR2. The decrease in ECAR did not depend on a decrease in intracellular cAMP. The ECAR responses to SS were modestly attenuated by methylisobutylamiloride (MIA), an inhibitor of the ubiquitous Na(+)-H+ exchanger NHE1. Removal of extracellular Na+ greatly inhibited the ECAR responses to SS, demonstrating a role for both amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive Na(+)-dependent acid transport mechanisms in SS-induced extracellular acidification. In conclusion, we have identified and characterized different signalling pathways for SSTR1 and SSTR2 in pituitary cells as measured by microphysiometry.
Sister Mary Emil Penet, I.H.M.: Founder of the Sister Formation Conference.

Mary Emil Penet, I.H.M., (1916-2001) used her talents and charisma to shape the first national organization of American women religious, the Sister Formation Conference (SFC; 1954-1964), facilitating the integrated intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and professional development of vowed women religious. In the decade preceding Vatican II, her leadership generated a renewal among religious communities focusing first on preparing young sister teachers, then sisters of all ages, whatever their ministries. Her educational contributions affected sisters’ development and ministries, their contribution to Vatican II aggiornamento, and later touched the lives of female college students, seminarians, and Catholic laity.
Single- and Bi-component T2* analysis of tendon before and during tensile loading, using UTE sequences.

Author(s): Chang, Eric Y; Du, Jiang; Iwasaki, Kenyu; Biswas, Reni; Statum, Sheronda; He, Qun; Bae, Won C; Chung, Christine B | Abstract: BackgroundTo determine if the application of tensile force alters the single- or bi-component T2* values of human tendons as measured on a clinical MRI scanner with ultrashort echo time (UTE sequences and if single- or bi-component T2* values differ when measured with 2D-UTE, 3D-UTE, or 3D-UTE-Cones sequences.MethodsTen tendons were imaged before and during the application of tension using various UTE sequences at 3 Tesla. Single and bi-component T2* analysis was performed pre- and posttension and compared with Bonferroni-corrected paired Wilcoxon tests.ResultsRange of mean pre- and posttension T2* analysis values were: short T2* fraction (78.6-79.7% and 77.3-79.7%, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), long T2* fraction (20.3-21.4% and 20.3-22.7%, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), short T2* (0.9-1.0 ms and 0.9 ms, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences), long T2* (19.9-20.4 ms and 21.9-24.0 ms, respectively; P = 0.9 for 2D-UTE and P = 1.0 for 3D-UTE and 3D-UTE-Cones), and single-component T2* (2.3-2.5 ms and 2.5-3.2 ms, respectively; P = 1.0 for all sequences).ConclusionNo significant difference in single- or bi-component results was found after the application of tension to tendons. Results are similar regardless of UTE sequence used for acquisition.
Deflated preconditioned conjugate gradient solvers for the Pressure-Poisson equation

A deflated preconditioned conjugate gradient technique has been developed for the solution of the Pressure-Poisson equation within an incompressible flow solver. The deflation is done using a region-based decomposition of the unknowns, making it extremely simple to implement. The procedure has shown a considerable reduction in the number of iterations. For grids with large graph-depth the savings exceed an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the technique has shown a remarkable insensitivity to the number of groups/regions chosen, and to the way the groups are formed.
Use of human acellular dermal matrix in implant- based breast reconstruction: Evaluating the evidence

The use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) in implant based breast reconstruction has become increasingly popular to the point that a subset of surgeons use ADM for virtually every tissue expander/implant based reconstruction. While there may be a number of perceived and anecdotal advantages such as decreased post-operative pain, increased initial expander fill volume, and improved aesthetic outcome, it remains unclear as to whether there is sufficient evidence to support these as well as other claims or its routine use. In this review, we identified all papers in the PubMed and Medline databases that addressed outcomes of the use of ADM in single and multiple staged implant based breast reconstruction. Papers were evaluated for any claim of benefit in using ADM in breast reconstruction. The following perceived advantages were supported solely by anecdotal reports and opinions: reduction in post-op pain, decreased operative time, precise control of the lateral and IMF, maximal use of mastectomy skin flaps, and improved lower pole expansion. There was inconsistent data for commonly perceived advantages, such as: eliminating the need for expanders, increased initial fill volumes, fewer expansions, faster time to reconstruction completion, decreased rate of revision, and improved aesthetic outcome. We found consistent support for a decreased incidence of capsular contracture; however the existing reports have limited long term follow-up. Despite the many heralded benefits of ADM in breast reconstruction, the data supporting these claims is mostly anecdotal. Both long term outcomes and randomized controlled prospective studies are needed in order to definitively evaluate the perceived advantages of ADM in breast reconstruction.
Postembryonic Dimensional Allometry of the Human Femur

Developmental constraints can affect evolution. McMahon 's (1973, 1975a ) hypothesis of elastic similarity is tested as an epigenetic rule. This is an ontogenetic hypothesis that previously has not been tested with ontogenetic data. Cross-sectional data from the human femur are analyzed. Length-diameter relationships for phases of growth and aging are calculated with bivariate allometry. McMahon 's hypothesis cannot be rejected, although most of the calculations are not consistent with it. Ontogenetic skeletal allometry is complex because both material and geometric properties change during development.
Arthropods associated with pesticide leach lines in selected orchards in central New York

Chemical control centers were constructed on selected farms in Wayne County, New York, to minimize pesticide pollutants. These centers provided areas where several classes of agricultural chemicals, primarily those from spray operations, could be handled and disposed of safely. We surveyed the arthropod fauna found above the pesticide leach lines and in adjacent soils. Of the 70 arthropod taxa determined, we identified the following families: Diptera (18 families), Hymemoptera (12), Coleoptera (7), Hemiptera (3), Homoptera (1) and Thysanoptera (1). Seasonal comparisons of arthropods above the pesticide leach lines and in the checks showed no apparent differences. Slight taxa variations were observed within and between farms with chemical control centers. No residues greater than 0.2 ppm were found in either water or soil samples. These results imply that no contamination of the environment was caused by the use of the chemical control centers.
Cooperative anti-jamming for infrastructure-less wireless networks with stochastic relaying

Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks launched by mali- cious jammers can pose significant threats to infrastructure- less wireless networks where a centralized controller may not be available. While significant recent research efforts have dealt with such attacks and several possible countermeasures have been proposed, little attention has been paid to the idea of cooperative anti-jamming. Inspired by this observation, we propose and study a coop- erative anti-jamming scheme designed to enhance the quality of links degraded by jammers. To achieve this objective, users are allowed to cooperate at two levels. First, they cooperate to optimally regulate their channel access probabilities so that jammed users gain a higher share of channel utilization. Second, users leverage multiple-input single-output cooperative commu- nication techniques to enhance the throughput of jammed links. We formulate the problem of optimal cooperative anti-jamming as a distributed pricing-based optimization problem and propose a best response algorithm to solve it in a distributed way. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves considerable gains (compared to traditional noncooperative anti- jamming) especially under heavy traffic or high jamming power. Furthermore, by comparing the proposed algorithm with a provably-optimal centralized algorithm, we show that it achieves close-to-global optimality under moderate traffic load.
Getting organizational improvement off the ground: Using the Cube One framework to learn from the turnaround at Continental Airlines

Much has been written about the remarkable turnaround at Continental Airlines under Gordon Bethune and Greg Brenneman during the 1990s. But much can still be learned from the experience. This article reviews the general components of the turnaround plan at Continental Airlines; briefly describes the Cube One framework, which makes it possible to interpret and assess an organization's functioning by examining its productivity-, customer-, and employee-directed practices; describes management practices implemented at Continental; and examines evidence pertinent to their effectiveness, comparing results during the five-year period before Bethune and his team arrived (1990–1994) with the five-year period afterward (1995–1999). It concludes with a look at Continental's practices in the early twenty-first century. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Protein Kinase CK2 Down-Regulates Glucose-Activated Expression of the Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Gene

It has been suggested that, in pancreatic beta-cells, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is a key enzyme in glucose signal transduction leading to glucose-induced insulin secretion. The PII promoter is the only active promoter for the ACC gene in the beta-cell. Here we report that, in the pancreatic beta-cell, high glucose levels (above 20 mm) activate Sp1 binding to the glucose response element of the PII promoter, which leads to a dose-dependent increase in PII transcription. The expression of a gene coding protein kinase CK2 (CK2) alpha subunit, or the presence of okadaic acid (a serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor), partially blocks the glucose activation of PII transcription. The inhibitory effect of CK2 alpha, or okadaic acid, was not observed in the absence of glucose or at low glucose concentrations. Phosphorylation of Sp1 by CK2 alpha leads to the inactivation of Sp1 binding to PII. Dephosphorylation of the phosphorylated Sp1 by protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activates the binding of Sp1 to PII. Inhibition of PP1-catalyzed Sp1 dephosphorylation by okadaic acid, or PP1 specific inhibitor 2, decreases Sp1 binding to PII. These results suggest that the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of Sp1 by CK2/PP1 may be the underlying mechanism by which the expression of the PII promoter of ACC is controlled in the process of glucose-mediated insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells.