cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tidal Acceleration, Fluctuations, and the Earth’s Variable Rotation, to 1939

The proposition that the Moon’s motion was slowly accelerating over the centuries was first put forward by Edmond Halley in 1692.219 Determinations of the size of this acceleration during the 18th and early 19th centuries put it at about 10˝ of increase per century. This meant that the Moon’s mean motion contained the term 10˝T 2, where T represents 100 Julian years of 36525 days each; the increment is equal numerically to half the angular acceleration. The 18th-century astronomers referred to the increment as the “secular acceleration” of the Moon, and this usage continued into the 20th century.
Epileptogenesis in neurocutaneous disorders with focus in Sturge Weber syndrome

Epilepsy is a major morbidity in Sturge Weber syndrome, a segmental vascular neurocutaneous disorder classically associated with facial angiomas, glaucoma, and leptomeningeal capillary-venous type vascular malformations. The extent of the latter correlates with neurological outcome. Post-zygotic mosaicism for the activating mutation p.R183Q of the GNAQ gene has been identified as the major cause. GNAQ encodes for an alpha subunit of a heterotrimeric G protein critical to blood vessel development. The earlier the timing of the mutation in development, the more severe the involvement, e.g. from isolated port-wine stains to the full syndrome. The strongest predictors of adverse outcomes are MRI and the presence of angiomas involving any part of the forehead, delineated inferiorly from the outer canthus of the eye to the top of the ear, and including the upper eyelid. The neurological course may be progressive and the typical constellation of symptoms is focal onset seizures, hemiparesis, headache, stroke-like episodes, behavior problems, intellectual disability, and visual field deficits. Antiseizure medications are effective in about half of patients. The presence of localized seizures, focal neurological deficits, and drug resistant epilepsy indicate epilepsy surgical evaluation. Earlier seizure onset, i.e. before six months of age, is associated with a more severe course with significant residual deficits. Factors contributing to epileptogenesis include decreased brain tissue perfusion due to abnormal venous drainage, anoxic injury contributing to cerebral calcification, breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, and the presence of developmental cortical malformations. Pre-symptomatic prophylactic treatment may be a future option to modify the course of the disease including the associated epileptogenesis.
Emerging technology: Denitrification bioreactors for nitrate reduction in agricultural waters

A s a major contributor to the national water quality challenge of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, nitrate demands innovative approaches for mass loading reductions. In the US Midwest, the high percentage of agricultural land use combined with the large extent of agricultural drainage leads to significant losses of this nutrient to surface and ground waters. Many Midwesterners are looking for new methods to help meet the call for a minimum of 45% reduction in total nitrogen loads from the EPA Science Advisory Board. Denitrification bioreactors for agricultural drainage are one of the newest potential technologies being investigated for providing practical, low cost, edge-of-field nitrate removal. Harnessing the process of denitrification for nitrate removal is certainly not a new idea. Waste water treatment plants have been designed to maximize denitrification for many decades. More recently, denitrification treatments have been successfully reducing nitrate in groundwater and also in septic effluent. In an agricultural context, denitrification can be enhanced with the use of subsurface, carbon-filled excavations through which drainage is routed. This environment provides an enhanced setting for denitrification to occur at higher rates than are typical in the soil. Providing an ample supply of a readily available carbon source (wood chips),…
Noiseless Amplification of Images By Four-wave Mixing

We have constructed a phase sensitive optical amplifier based on four-wave-mixing in rubidium vapor. This low-gain amplifier operates in the quantum regime and is capable of noiseless amplification of images.
Toward requirements engineering of cyber-physical systems: Modeling CubeSat

The OpenOrbiter CubeSat Development Initiative is working to build a small spacecraft system using open source software and open hardware principles. The important design considerations for the CubeSat include availability and performance. The essential contribution of this paper is the requirement elicitation and specification of system-wide qualities such as availability, performance, and security using quality attribute scenarios. The effect of using the quality-based scenarios is that it allows more rigorous treatment of non-functional requirements and hence proper selection of an architecture modeling to satisfy these requirements.
Complication timing impacts 30-d mortality after hepatectomy

Abstract Background To date, no study has specifically focused on the timing of complications after hepatectomy relative to patient outcomes. We sought to investigate the effect of complication timing on 30-d mortality. Materials and methods A total of 3064 patients who underwent hepatic resection in 2014 were identified from American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the association of complication timing with 30-d mortality. Results Median patient age was 60 y (interquartile range, 50-68). Among all patients who experienced a complication, 16.6% had only a postdischarge complication. Wound disruption (64%) and surgical site infection (58.1%) occurred frequently after discharge. Organ space surgical site infection occurred at a later time after surgery among patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery (minimally invasive surgery, 16 d versus open 10 d; P = 0.008). Among 47 (1.5%) patients who died within 30 d from surgery, 21.3% of deaths occurred postdischarge. After adjusting for competing risk factors, patients who had experienced a postdischarge complication demonstrated an increased risk of 30-d mortality (referent, predischarge, hazard ratio 2.96, 95% confidence intervals 1.07-8.17; P = 0.04). Conclusions Postdischarge complications occurred less frequently after hepatectomy than predischarge complications; however, late complications were associated with a three-fold increased risk of mortality.
Advance in molecular characteristics of SARS coronavirus S spike glycoprotein

The molecular structure and receptor of spike glycoprotein of SARS coronavirus were summarized. Furthermore, epitopes on spike glycoprotein of SARS coronavirus was alsosummarized. The advance in this area is of great benefit to the diagnosis of SARS-CoV, designs for vaccines against SARS-CoV and other researches in SARS-CoV.
Soluble stem cell factor in human serum.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a recently described factor active in the early stages of hematopoiesis. It can exist in membrane-bound form and in proteolytically released soluble form. The levels and nature of SCF in human serum are described. As determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay performed for 257 samples, SCF level in serum averaged 3.3 +/- 1.1 ng/mL. The serum SCF was partially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and analyzed by glycosidase treatments in conjunction with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The results show that the SCF has N- linked and O-linked carbohydrate and corresponds to the soluble form, at or about 165 amino acids in length. The findings suggest functional importance for soluble SCF in humans.
Crisis Intervention Training and Implicit Stigma Toward Mental Illness: Reducing Bias Among Criminal Justice Personnel

ABSTRACTApproximately seven percent of all police calls involve persons with mental illness (Deane, Steadman, Borum, Veysey, & Morrissey, 1999). Subsequently, police departments around the world are adopting crisis intervention training (CIT) programs to improve encounters between persons with mental illness and criminal justice personnel. These programs are aimed at improving the recognition of mental illness symptomology, increasing awareness of pharmacological interventions, improving crisis intervention and de-escalation skills, and increasing knowledge of referral services (Browning, Van Hasselt, Tucker, & Vecchi, 2011). Although there is considerable evidence to suggest that these programs significantly reduce explicit stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness among police officers, little is known about the impact of police officers' implicit stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with mental illness. We first provide an overview of mental health stigma at the explicit and implicit levels. We the...
Yolk Synthesis in the Marine Shrimp, Penaeus vannamei1

Eyestalk neuroendocrine factors control specific yolk protein synthesis in the ovaries of the shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. A bioassay was developed to measure specific yolk protein synthesis in vitro. The eyestalk neuroendocrine complex may also produce a peptide capable of stimulation of yolk synthesis.
Robustness of statistical inferences using linear models with meta-analytic correlation matrices

Abstract To examine complex relationships among variables, researchers in human resource management, industrial-organizational psychology, organizational behavior, and related fields have increasingly used meta-analytic procedures to aggregate effect sizes across primary studies to form meta-analytic correlation matrices, which are then subjected to further analyses using linear models (e.g., multiple linear regression). Because missing effect sizes (i.e., correlation coefficients) and different sample sizes across primary studies can occur when constructing meta-analytic correlation matrices, the present study examined the effects of missingness under realistic conditions and various methods for estimating sample size (e.g., minimum sample size, arithmetic mean, harmonic mean, and geometric mean) on the estimated squared multiple correlation coefficient (R2) and the power of the significance test on the overall R2 in linear regression. Simulation results suggest that missing data had a more detrimental effect as the number of primary studies decreased and the number of predictor variables increased. It appears that using second-order sample sizes of at least 10 (i.e., independent effect sizes) can improve both statistical power and estimation of the overall R2 considerably. Results also suggest that although the minimum sample size should not be used to estimate sample size, the other sample size estimates appear to perform similarly.
The Effects of Lead Species and Growth Time on Accumulation of Lead in Chinese Cabbage

A major pathway for heavy metal exposure in contaminated areas is via consumption of locally produced food. This study investigated the accumulation of lead in Chinese cabbage grown in contaminated soils and estimated the weekly dietary intake. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of different growth times, concentrations, and lead species (carbonate, nitrate, and sulfide) on the uptake of lead in shoots. Results show that Chinese cabbage accumulated up to 38 mg kg-1 in the shoots. There was a significant difference in lead uptake by plants grown in soils with 400 mg kg-1 (Upper Critical Limit: UCL) and those grown in 600 mg kg-1 (Above Critical Limit: ACL) lead concentrations. However, there was no significant difference in the ACL shoots despite the different growth period. The cabbages grown for eight weeks (at UCL) had four times more lead than those grown for four weeks. The elemental form also affected lead uptake with the lead sulfide (mineral form) having the least uptake and lead carbonate (solution) having the highest. Calculated weekly dietary intake levels of lead were higher (above 0.28 mg kg-1 per human body weight) than the recommended levels for human consumption (0.025 mg kg-1 per human body weight).
A REVIEW OFPOINT CLOUDS SEGMENTATION AND CLASSIFICATION ALGORITHMS

Abstract. Today 3D models and point clouds are very popular being currently used in several fields, shared through the internet and even accessed on mobile phones. Despite their broad availability, there is still a relevant need of methods, preferably automatic, to provide 3D data with meaningful attributes that characterize and provide significance to the objects represented in 3D. Segmentation is the process of grouping point clouds into multiple homogeneous regions with similar properties whereas classification is the step that labels these regions. The main goal of this paper is to analyse the most popular methodologies and algorithms to segment and classify 3D point clouds. Strong and weak points of the different solutions presented in literature or implemented in commercial software will be listed and shortly explained. For some algorithms, the results of the segmentation and classification is shown using real examples at different scale in the Cultural Heritage field. Finally, open issues and research topics will be discussed.
Long-term survivorship in adult primary glioblastoma: Clinical and neurological outcomes of a large, single-center study.

9519 Background: Primary brain tumors represent 1% of all diagnosed cancers, but the survival rates of patients (pts) with the most malignant form of these tumors, glioblastoma (GBM), continues to ...
Demographic and socioeconomic influences on Helicobacter pylori gastritis and its pre-neoplastic lesions amongst US residents

SummaryBackground Gastric infection with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) can lead to chronic inactive gastritis, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Aims To investigate in a cross-sectional study these changes among different socioeconomic and ethnic groups within the USA. Methods We used the Miraca Life Sciences database, an electronic depository of clinicopathological records from patients distributed throughout the USA, to extract data from 487 587 patients who underwent oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy with biopsy between 1/2008 and 12/2014. We then classified patients into ethnic and socioeconomic categories using previously validated algorithms, as well as ZIP code-based information derived from the 2011-2012 US Census. Results The prevalence of Hp increased significantly until the age-group 40-49, before it leveled off and started a gradual decrease. The prevalence of chronic inactive gastritis, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia increased significantly with age. The prevalence of Hp, chronic inactive gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and atrophy decreased significantly with the percentage of Whites per ZIP code. The prevalence of all four diagnoses also decreased significantly with rising levels of income or college education. Hp, chronic inactive gastritis, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were more common among Hispanics and the influence of income or college education less pronounced than in the entire population. Hp, chronic inactive gastritis, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia were also more common among East-Asians, Hp and atrophy decreasing with rising income but remaining unaffected by levels of college education. Conclusion Ethnicity and socioeconomic factors influence the occurrence of Hp gastritis, and its progression to chronic inactive gastritis, atrophy or intestinal metaplasia.
A calcium hydroxide interlayer as a selective separator for rechargeable alkaline Zn/MnO2 batteries

Abstract Zinc poisoning of the cathode is a leading failure mechanism for rechargeable alkaline Zn/MnO 2 batteries, as it leads to the formation of an electrochemically inactive zinc manganese spinel phase. In this communication, we report the use of calcium hydroxide sheets interlayered between zinc anodes and separators, which trap zincate ions through a complexing mechanism. Cells with such interlayers show favorable characteristics as compared with regular cells, such as lower zincate ion concentration in the bulk electrolyte, absence of undesirable spinel phase, and capacity retention above 90mAh/g-MnO 2 after 60 cycles at 100% depth of discharge (DOD) of the 1st electron of MnO 2 .
Prioritized active learning for malicious URL detection using weighted text-based features

Data analytics is being increasingly used in cyber-security problems, and found to be useful in cases where data volumes and heterogeneity make it cumbersome for manual assessment by security experts. In practical cyber-security scenarios involving data-driven analytics, obtaining data with annotations (i.e. ground-truth labels) is a challenging and known limiting factor for many supervised security analytics task. Significant portions of the large datasets typically remain unlabelled, as the task of annotation is extensively manual and requires a huge amount of expert intervention. In this paper, we propose an effective active learning approach that can efficiently address this limitation in a practical cyber-security problem of Phishing categorization, whereby we use a human-machine collaborative approach to design a semi-supervised solution. An initial classifier is learnt on a small amount of the annotated data which in an iterative manner, is then gradually updated by shortlisting only relevant samples from the large pool of unlabelled data that are most likely to influence the classifier performance fast. Prioritized Active Learning shows a significant promise to achieve faster convergence in terms of the classification performance in a batch learning framework, and thus requiring even lesser effort for human annotation. An useful feature weight update technique combined with active learning shows promising classification performance for categorizing Phishing/malicious URLs without requiring a large amount of annotated training samples to be available during training. In experiments with several collections of PhishMonger's Targeted Brand dataset, the proposed method shows significant improvement over the baseline by as much as 12%.
A Biomechanical Evaluation of a 2-Suture Anchor Repair Technique for Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Joint Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries.

Background: A complete thumb ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repaired with 1-suture anchor has been demonstrated to be significantly weaker compared with the intact UCL. The objective of this study...
Regulatory T Cells Contribute to HIV-1 Reservoir Persistence in CD4+ T Cells Through Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Dependent Mechanisms in Humanized Mice In Vivo.

Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress T-cell immune activation and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication, but the role of Tregs in HIV-1 reservoir persistence is poorly defined. Methods Tregs were depleted by denileukin diftitox in humanized mice with chronic HIV-1 infection. Viral replication in lineage cells was determined by p24 expression. Levels of HIV-1 RNA and DNA in human cells, as well as replication-competent-virus-producing cells, were measured to quantified viral replication and reservoirs. Results Treg depletion resulted in a blip of HIV-1 replication in T cells but not in myeloid cells. The major activated reservoir cells were memory CD4+ T cells in vivo. Interestingly, the transient activation of viral replication led to HIV-1 reservoir reduction after viremia resuppression, as indicated by the quantity of HIV-1 DNA and replication-competent-virus-producing cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Tregs use cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A pathway to inhibit HIV-1 activation and replication in resting conventional T cells in vitro. Conclusion Tregs suppress HIV-1 replication in T cells and contribute to HIV-1 reservoir persistence. cAMP produced in Tregs is involved in their suppression of viral gene activation and expression. Treg depletion combined with combination antiretroviral therapy provides a novel strategy for HIV-1 cure.
Dynamics following charge-transfer to solvent in I- (water)n (n=3-28) clusters observed with photoelectron imaging

Abstract The dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent states are studied in I − (water) n=3-28 clusters using time-resolved photoelectron imaging. The photoelectron spectra for clusters with n ⩾ 5 reveal multiple time scales for dynamics subsequent to their electronic excitation. Evolution of the vertical detachment energy (VDE) on two different time-scales is observed. For larger clusters, the faster dynamics suggest isomerization from a cluster with a surface-bound electron to one with more internalized character. Decay of the transient population is commensurate with the growth of very low energy electrons, and is attributed to autodetachment.
Ultraviolet Raman Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Ferroelectric Thin Films and Superlattices

Raman spectroscopy with ultraviolet excitation: advantages and recent applications for nanoscale ferroelectric materials.
Comment on Desai et al. Health Care Utilization and Burden of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in the U.S. Over the Past Decade: A Nationwide Analysis. Diabetes Care 2018;41:1631-1638.

We read with great interest the outstanding study by Desai et al. (1) in the recent issue of Diabetes Care . The authors aimed to determine the incidence and costs of hospitalizations for diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) in the U.S. The authors searched the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for all DKA admissions during 2003–2014. Consistent with recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports (2), the study confirmed a decrease in hospital mortality but a significant increase in the number of hospitalizations for DKA. Notably, they reported a significant increase (56%) in the “inflation-adjusted hospital charges” for DKA admissions, from $18,987 in 2003 to $26,566 in 2014 ( P < 0.001). Thus, the inflation-adjusted “national bill” for …
Acute AT1R blockade prevents isoproterenol-induced injury in mdx hearts.

Abstract Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disease characterized by skeletal muscle degeneration and a significant cardiomyopathy secondary to cardiomyocyte damage and myocardial loss. The molecular basis of DMD lies in the absence of the protein dystrophin, which plays critical roles in mechanical membrane integrity and protein localization at the sarcolemma. A popular mouse model of DMD is the mdx mouse, which lacks dystrophin and displays mild cardiac and skeletal pathology that can be exacerbated to advance the disease state. In clinical and pre-clinical studies of DMD, angiotensin signaling pathways have emerged as therapeutic targets due to their adverse influence on muscle remodeling and oxidative stress. Here we aim to establish a physiologically relevant cardiac injury model in the mdx mouse, and determine whether acute blockade of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) may be utilized for prevention of dystrophic injury. Methods and results A single IP injection of isoproterenol (Iso, 10 mg/kg) was used to induce cardiac stress and injury in mdx and wild type (C57Bl/10) mice. Mice were euthanized 8 h, 30 h, 1 week, or 1 month following the injection, and hearts were harvested for injury evaluation. At 8 and 30 h post-injury, mdx hearts showed 2.2-fold greater serum cTnI content and 3-fold more extensive injury than wild type hearts. Analysis of hearts 1 week and 1 month after injury revealed significantly higher fibrosis in mdx hearts, with a more robust and longer-lasting immune response compared to wild type hearts. In the 30-hour group, losartan treatment initiated 1 h before Iso injection protected dystrophic hearts from cardiac damage, reducing mdx acute injury area by 2.8-fold, without any significant effect on injury in wild type hearts. However, both wild type and dystrophic hearts showed a 2-fold reduction in the magnitude of the macrophage response to injury 30 h after Iso with losartan. Conclusions This work demonstrates that acute blockade of AT1R has the potential for robust injury prevention in a model of Iso-induced dystrophic heart injury. In addition to selectively limiting dystrophic cardiac damage, blocking AT1R may serve to limit the inflammatory nature of the immune response to injury in all hearts. Our findings strongly suggest that earlier adoption of angiotensin receptor blockers in DMD patients could limit myocardial damage and subsequent cardiomyopathy.
Downregulation of Alloimmunity in Lung Allograft by Eosinophils is Orchestrated by PD-L1 Dependent Contact with CD8+ T Cells

Purpose Eosinophils play a surprising role in lung allograft-specific tolerance induction dependent on the blockade of the CD40 and CD28 stimulatory pathways (CSB). The mechanisms used by eosinophils to downregulate the alloimmune response remains elusive. Methods To study the mechanism of eosinophil-dependent immune responses fully MHC-mismatched Balb/c (H2Kd) lungs were engrafted to C57BL/6J (H2Kb) recipients without immunosuppression. For some experiments eosinophils were ablated through the administration of diphtheria toxin (DT) to C57BL/6 mice expressing DTR on an eosinophil-peroxidase specific promoter (iPHIL mice). To model alloreactivity in vitro, mixed leukocyte cultures, comprising Th1-polarized (E1) eosinophils as modulators of T cells from C57BL/6J mice stimulated by either allogeneic dendritic cells or anti-CD3/CD28 agonistic antibodies. Results Lung graft-resident eosinophils demonstrated a Th1 polarized phenotype (or E1 polarization) in the presence or absence of CSB. In the absence of CSB eosinophils express higher levels of MHC-1 and PD-L1. Ablation of eosinophils in non-immunosuppressed graft recipients enhances T cell activation with higher ISHLT rejection grade (p Conclusion We demonstrate that even without immunosuppression, eosinophils contribute to the downregulation of alloimmunity. Eosinophils upregulate PD-L1 and use this mechanism to mediate contact-dependent downregulation of T cell activation. We also show that mobilization of eosinophils into the lung allograft through intra-tracheal instillation of eotaxins and IL-5 can be utilized to downregulate the alloimmune response and sets the stage for unique and previously unexplored strategies for tolerance induction.
Temporal Trends in Opioids-Related Overdose Deaths and Prescription Rates in Massachusetts

Drug addiction exerts tremendous burdens on healthcare systems and societies. In the United States alone, opioids addiction cost over $500 billion in 2015 and over 50,000 people die each year from opioid-related overdoses. Health policymakers rely on drug surveillance data to combat this problem through intervention programs. In this preliminary study, we examine the temporal trends and relationship between opioids-related deaths and opioids prescription in Massachusetts. Opioids-related overdoses and fatalities have significantly increased in the state in recent years; currently, Massachusetts is identified as a hotspot in the opioids crisis in the country. By county yearly data (2013–2017) on opioids prescriptions, related deaths, and census were obtained and collated from different state agencies. Yearly deaths and prescription by county were divided by the corresponding yearly population to yield death rates and prescription rates, respectively. All yearly data were found to be normally distributed, thus Pearson correlation analysis was carried out to determine relationships between yearly death rates and prescription rates. We found significant ( $\mathrm{p} ) yearly increases in death rates from 2013 to 2016; average prescription rates were highest in 2015 but trends were decreasing in the last two years. We did not find strong correlations ( $\vert \mathrm{r}_{\max}\vert = 0.24, \mathrm{p}_{\min}=0.4$ ) between same-year death and prescription rates. We also did not find strong correlations between current year death rates and immediate previous year prescription rates ( $\vert \mathrm{r}_{\max}\vert =0.17, \mathrm{p}_{\min}=0.6$ ). It should be emphasized that this study is limited in scope in that only two variables were considered (prescription and death); there are other contributing factors (e.g., drug access, affordability, illness, etc.) that determine opioids addiction that were not included in our analysis. Furthermore, prescription data alone do not provide sufficient information regarding actual per capita consumption rate (i.e., dosages, drug type, and number of refills are also needed). Nonetheless, research findings can provide some insights with respect to access to opioids, particularly for opioids sourced through illicit routes or misuse. For example, where death rates continue to increase despite declining prescription rates, intervention measures may include controlling potential other drugs sources.
Foreign Aid and Recipient State Capacity

Rich economies are characterized by high state capacity. During the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, the development community has emphasized both increases in foreign aid and the building of state capacity in recipient countries. Therefore, knowing whether the former promotes or impedes the latter is important. There are only a small number of studies exploring the empirical aid–state capacity relationship. We present evidence on the relationships between aid flows and recipient tax shares of GDP, direct tax shares of total tax revenues, and legal system and property rights quality. The relationships are often not statistically significant. The correlation between aid and the direct tax share is sometimes significant and positive, but it is not robust and the size of the effect is small.
Neutrophils rapidly produce Th2 cytokines in response to larval but not adult helminth antigen.

Host protective immunity to Haemonchus contortus (Hc) infection in parasite-resistant St. Croix (STC) sheep is initiated early and characterized by an influx of innate cells and robust interleukin-4 (IL-4) production, resulting in T-helper type 2 immune (Th2) responses. The purpose of these studies was to elucidate the source of early IL-4 production. Neutrophils were isolated from whole blood, and populations >98% purity were cultured with larval or adult antigen to access cytokine production. Interleukin-4 and IL-13 were measured in sample supernatant using an ovine-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Neutrophils exposed to HcLA peaked in IL-4 production at 30 minutes (STC, 3153.65 pg/mL and SUF, 4665.22 pg/mL). A similar trend was observed in IL-13 production by 6 hours (STC, 391.02 pg/mL and SUF, 419.6 pg/mL). Adult antigen stimulation resulted in low cytokine production when compared to HcLA stimulation (STC IL-4, 6.04 pg/mL and SUF, 8.05 pg/mL, respectively; STC IL-13, 10 pg/mL and 12.5 pg/mL; P < .001), and no breed differences were observed. Mixed immune cell assays revealed an ability of neutrophils to induce IL-4 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC). Taken together, these data implicate neutrophils as a potential effector cell responsible for Th2 initiation.
Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance and complete expression. The genetic defect is caused by CAG trinucleotide expansion on the short arm of chromosome 4, resulting in the production of an expanded polyglutamine region in the mutant huntingtin protein. The illness usually emerges in middle age and is characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and motor deterioration, with chorea being the most recognizable symptom. HD has a unique position among other neurodegenerative disorders as it bridges the boundaries separating disciplines of neurology, psychiatry, and genetics. Currently, there is no disease-modifying therapies or cure for HD. Therefore, treatment is based largely on lifestyle interventions, supportive management, and symptomatic treatment. With respect to research and drug development, HD can serve as a model for other trinucleotide repeat disorders, protein aggregation disorders, as well as dementia, psychiatric, and movement disorders. Emerging experimental treatment strategies are focusing on gene therapy through the use of antisense oligonucleotides, micro RNA, modulators of gene expression and gene editing. Particular research interest is devoted to the identification of biomarkers that would enable evaluation of the therapies before the clinical onset of the disease.
The dynamic relationship between daily caffeine intake and sleep duration in middle‐aged and older adults

The effect of caffeine on sleep has been well documented. However, most studies examined this relationship in laboratories or used a cross-sectional design analysing between-person differences. This study investigated the within-person relationship between caffeine intake and sleep duration at home. In a national database, 377 participants (aged 35-85 years) completed a 7-day diary study. Sleep duration was measured by Actigraphy and caffeine intake was self-reported in sleep logs. Three analytic strategies were used. The average sleep duration and the average caffeine intake were not significantly correlated. Multilevel regressions using daytime caffeine intake to predict night-time sleep, and using night-time sleep to predict next day caffeine intake, also did not detect any significant effect. Then dynamical systems analysis was performed, where the daily change rate and change tendency of caffeine and sleep were estimated, and the relationship among these momentums was examined. Results revealed a significant effect of sleep duration on the change tendency of caffeine use: a shorter sleep duration predicted a stronger tendency to consume caffeine, and this phenomenon was only found in middle-aged adults (aged 35-55 years) not in older adults (aged 55+). This study did not detect any effect of daily caffeine intake on sleep duration, implying that habitual use of caffeine in real life may not coincide with laboratory findings, and that using caffeine to compensate for sleep loss is the habit of middle-aged adults, not the elderly. The advantage of using a dynamic approach to analyse interrelated processes with uncertain time lags is also highlighted.
Effects of Clustering and Flange Surface Friction on Headed Shear Stud Demands

Abstract This paper presents a novel approach to measuring shear stresses within embedded studs and investigates the effects of stud clustering and steel flange surface friction on resulting stud d...
An Experimental–Theoretical Methodology to Develop Scuffing Limits for Relatively Smooth High-Speed Contacts

In this study, a rough surface thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) model tailored for the simulation of high-speed and high-temperature contacts of relatively smooth surfaces is introduce...
Accident Reports and the Business Records Hearsay Exception: The Johnson v. Lutz Judically Created Requirement

This article will provide an answer to when, if ever, recorded information is in fact admissible under the business records exception. Police accident reports and other accident reports, whether prepared by government employees of an agency or by employees of a business entity, often contain information about an accident recorded by the makers of the report, who has no personal knowledge of the information recorded, much less whether it is accurate or not. The maker of the record is merely recording information supplied by another person. Where the record is offered to prove the truth of the information recorded, a hearsay issue is, of course, present. Are the reports, or the entry therein of such recorded information, admissible under the business records exception to the hearsay rule as set forth in CPLR 4518(a)? The answer is not one of mere statutory interpretation, but also requires an understanding of Johnson v. Lutz , a wrongful death case involving conflicting testimony regarding an accident.
Clinical implications of chromatin accessibility in human cancers

Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) has not yet been widely used in cancer research. Clinical implications of chromatin accessibility assessed by ATAC-seq profiling in human cancers especially in a large patient cohort is largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed ATAC-seq data in 404 cancer patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas, representing the largest cancer patient cohort with ATAC-seq data, and correlated chromatin accessibility with patient demographics, tumor histology, molecular subtypes, and survival. Our results showed that chromatin accessibility varies from chromosome to chromosome, and is different in different genomic regions along the same chromosome. Chromatin accessibility especially on the X chromosome is strongly dependent on patient sex, but not much on patient age or tumor stage. Striking difference in chromatin accessibility is observed between lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma, the two most common histological subgroups in lung cancer. Furthermore, chromatin accessibility was different between basal and non-basal breast cancer. Finally, we identified prognostic peaks in the promoter regions that were significantly correlated with survival. In particular, we identified six peaks in the ESR1 gene promoter region in the ATAC-seq profiling and found that the peak about 247 bp away from the transcription start site was significantly associated with better survival. In conclusion, our study provides an alternative mechanism underlying tumor prognosis.
Application development of impulse oscillometry pulmonary function test in diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children

Impulse oscillometry(IOS) pulmonary function is a method with clinical value, and it plays important roles in diagnosis and evaluating treatment of asthma.IOS is sensitive and can discriminate the position of airway obstruction.IOS is easy to perform, and no special respiratory movements are required, so IOS is particularly suitable for children.IOS contributes great value on diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children, and it is a method with bright prospect. Key words: Pulmonary function; Impulse oscillometry; Asthma; Child
How Does Gene Ownership Affect Seed Markets? The various effects of gene patents on the seed supply

As the consumers increasingly call for tighter controls on the food system and increased knowledge of the productions chains involved, the cultural practices of agriculture and techniques are gradually meeting these new demands of localized sustainability. However, in addition to changes how crops are grown, consumers are demanding changes in the genetic manipulation of the crops themselves. GMO technology presents an additional aspect to agriculture: a new realm of intellectual property. The patenting of life presents an issue in maintaining seed sources for these changes in consumer preference and the markets for seed, both GMO and non. This investigation asks: how does gene ownership affect the seed markets, and what are the effects of gene patents on the seed supply?
Subsea valves and actuators: a review of factory acceptance testing (FAT) and recommended improvements to achieve higher reliability

Oil exploration is constantly moving into deeper waters. The costs associated with downtime and the maintenance of facilities and equipment such as valves and actuators, collectively known as Operation Expenditures (OPEX), are very high in the offshore sector of the oil and gas industry, particularly the subsea sector, where water depth may reach 1–3 km. Subsea valve and actuator failures contribute to other negative consequences such as loss of production and Health Safety and Environment (HSE) issues such as environmental pollution as a result of oil spillage. Therefore, more reliable subsea equipment, including valves and actuators, is required in the industry. The reliability of valves and actuators is largely dependent on testing, specifically factory acceptance tests (FAT) and qualification test programs. This paper reviews twelve existing tests based on international standards such as the American Petroleum Standard (API) and the International Standardization for Organization (ISO) for valves, actuators and manual gear overrides. Different types of tests such as pressure tests, function tests and operation characterization tests are included in this review. Parameters such as test pressure and duration, test preparation and methods for test implementation are discussed. Eight additional tests are proposed in this paper on the basis of industrial experience to minimize the failure rate of expensive subsea equipment and to increase its reliability.
Using Choice-Boards to Create Business Value

The advent of the new millennium has witnessed an increasing skepticism about the powers of information technologies (IT) to create business value, leading to sluggish investment in new IT. Generating business value using IT is a challenge in this environment. A critical element in this environment is the necessity to create a satisfied and an empowered customer. This paper describes an emerging technology, choice-boards, that allows customers to design their own product and services. More specifically, choice-boards are interactive, online systems that permit individual customers to custom design their own products by choosing from a menu of attributes, components, prices and delivery options. Dell provides a popular instance of choice-board at its site, Dell.com. It is an important part of the firm’s web-based direct ordering system. Customers start with a basic configuration defined by a processor model and speed, and then go on to specify the full configuration of a personal computer with their choice of hard-drive size, memory, and add-ons such as CD-ROMs, multi-media, monitors and printers.
Genetic Testing and the Future of Disability Insurance: Ethics, Law & Policy:

Predictive genetic testing poses fundamental questions for disability insurance, a crucial resource funding basic needs when disability prevents income from work. This article, from an NIH-funded project, presents the first indepth analysis of the challenging issues: Should disability insurers be permitted to consider genetics and exclude predicted disability? May disabilities with a recognized genetic basis be excluded from coverage as pre-existing conditions? How can we assure that private insurers writing individual and group policies, employers, and public insurers deal competently and appropriately with genetic testing?
Phenomenology-informed techniques for machine learning with measured and synthetic SAR imagery

Phenomenology-Informed (PI) Machine Learning is introduced to address the unique challenges faced when applying modern machine-learning object recognition techniques to the SAR domain. PI-ML includes a collection of data normalization and augmentation techniques inspired by successful SAR ATR algorithms designed to bridge the gap between simulated and real-world SAR data for use in training Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that perform well in the low-noise, feature-dense space of camera-based imagery. The efficacy of PI-ML will be evaluated using ResNet, EfficientNet, and other networks, using both traditional training techniques and all-SAR transfer learning.
COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant, breastfeeding, and nonpregnant reproductive-aged women.

BACKGROUND Although mass vaccination against COVID-19 may prove to be the most efficacious end to this deadly pandemic, there remain concern and indecision among the public toward vaccination. Because pregnant and reproductive-aged women account for a large proportion of the population with particular concerns regarding vaccination against COVID-19, this survey aimed at investigating their current attitudes and beliefs within our own institution. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to understand vaccine acceptability among pregnant, nonpregnant, and breastfeeding respondents and elucidate factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. STUDY DESIGN We administered an anonymous online survey to all women (including patients, providers, and staff) at our institution assessing rates of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Respondents were contacted in 1 of 3 ways: by email, advertisement flyers, and distribution of quick response codes at virtual town halls regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on their responses, respondents were divided into 3 mutually exclusive groups: (1) nonpregnant respondents, (2) pregnant respondents, and (3) breastfeeding respondents. The primary outcome was acceptance of vaccination. Prevalence ratios were calculated to ascertain the independent effects of multiple patient-level factors on vaccine acceptability. RESULTS The survey was administered from January 7, 2021, to January 29, 2021, with 1012 respondents of whom 466 (46.9%) identified as non-Hispanic White, 108 (10.9%) as non-Hispanic Black, 286 (28.8%) as Hispanic, and 82 (8.2%) as non-Hispanic Asian. The median age was 36 years (interquartile range, 25–47 years). Of all the respondents, 656 respondents (64.8%) were nonpregnant, 216 (21.3%) were pregnant, and 122 (12.1%) were breastfeeding. There was no difference in chronic comorbidities when evaluated as a composite variable (Table 1). A total of 390 respondents (39.2%) reported working in healthcare. Nonpregnant respondents were most likely to accept vaccination (457 respondents, 76.2%; P CONCLUSION In this survey study of only women at a single institution, pregnant respondents of non-White or non-Asian races were more likely to decline vaccination than nonpregnant and breastfeeding respondents. Working in healthcare was not associated with vaccine acceptance.
Constitutional Law — Do Black Lives Matter to the Constitution?

Do Black lives matter to the Constitution? To the original Constitution, premised as it is on white supremacy, they plainly do not. But do the post-Civil War Amendments, sometimes characterized as a "Second Founding," provide a basis for a more optimistic reading? The Supreme Court's application of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection guarantee, shaped by the long discredited (and now formally overruled) decision in Korematsu v. U.S., has seriously diminished the likelihood that our basic law can redeem the promise of racial equality. Korematsu's embrace of a purely formal account of racial discrimination, its blindness to the history and present reality of societal discrimination against racial minorities and its identification of racial antagonism (or animus), as opposed to racial subordination, as the primary evil evidenced by discriminatory laws together assure a very limited reach for the Equal Protection guarantee as it applies to race. By contrast, Justice Ginsburg's approach to sex inequality (set out in her opinion in U.S. v. Virginia), by distinguishing measures which enforce the political, economic, or social inferiority of women from those which dissipate such inferiority, offers a more promising account of Equal Protection. Application of her approach to the Constitutional law of race discrimination would markedly improve the prospects for achieving the Second Founding's aspiration to end racial subordination in our country.
Drivers of Change in the Retail Electricity Sector

New technologies are driving change in the retail electricity sector. These technologies are primarily the result of the innovations in electronic monitoring and communications equipment. Advances in software engineering and the widespread availability of high-speed wired and wireless internet access are allowing these new technologies to take hold in both developed and developing jurisdictions around the globe. Here we discuss the technologies that have been, or will be, pivotal in changing the retail electricity sector.