cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural Basis of the Transcriptional Regulation of the Proline Utilization Regulon by Multifunctional PutA

The multifunctional Escherichia coli proline utilization A (PutA) flavoprotein functions both as a membrane-associated proline catabolic enzyme and as a transcriptional repressor of the proline utilization genes putA and putP. To better understand the mechanism of transcriptional regulation by PutA, we have mapped the put-regulatory region, determined a crystal structure of the PutA ribbon-helix-helix domain (PutA52, a polypeptide corresponding to residues 1-52 of E. coli PutA) complexed with DNA, and examined the thermodynamics of DNA binding to PutA52. Five operator sites, each containing the sequence motif 5'-GTTGCA-3', were identified using gel-shift analysis. Three of the sites are shown to be critical for repression of putA, whereas the two other sites are important for repression of putP. The 2.25-A-resolution crystal structure of PutA52 bound to one of the operators (operator 2; 21 bp) shows that the protein contacts a 9-bp fragment corresponding to the GTTGCA consensus motif plus three flanking base pairs. Since the operator sequences differ in flanking bases, the structure implies that PutA may have different affinities for the five operators. This hypothesis was explored using isothermal titration calorimetry. The binding of PutA52 to operator 2 is exothermic, with an enthalpy of -1.8 kcal/mol and a dissociation constant of 210 nM. Substitution of the flanking bases of operator 4 into operator 2 results in an unfavorable enthalpy of 0.2 kcal/mol and a 15-fold-lower affinity, showing that base pairs outside of the consensus motif impact binding. Structural and thermodynamic data suggest that hydrogen bonds between Lys9 and bases adjacent to the GTTGCA motif contribute to transcriptional regulation by fine-tuning the affinity of PutA for put control operators.
Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Wealth Distribution: The Essence of Creative Destruction

The purpose of this article is to investigate theories that have produced differences in entrepreneurship definitions. We raise this issue because equitable wealth distribution is a fundamental foc...
Validity and stability of performance-based estimates of premorbid educational functioning in older patients with schizophrenia

This paper presents the results of two studies of the validity of word-recognition reading as an indicator of premorbid functioning in schizophrenia. The first examined the stability over a 6-year follow-up period of word recognition reading compared to other aspects of cognitive functioning, including verbal learning and delayed recall, verbal fluency, constructional skills, and naming ability. The second study examined the relative predictive power of indicators of premorbid functioning as compared to current cognitive functioning for the prediction of current social and self-care skills. In the first study 218 patients with chronic schizophrenia participated. For the second study, 231 male veterans with schizophrenia were assessed for cognitive functioning, indicators of premorbid adjustment, and current functional status. Analyses of the differences between correlations indicated that word recognition reading ability was significantly more stable than other aspects of cognitive functioning over a six-year period during which decline in some other aspects of performance was found. In the second study, premorbid educational and social attainment, word recognition reading skill, and current cognitive functioning were all significantly related to current functional status, defined by correlations with ratings of current functional status. Path analyses indicated, however, that current cognitive functioning was the only significant predictor of current functional status when the intercorrelations of the variables were considered. In sum, Premorbid functioning estimated with word-recognition reading was stable over time (study 1) and correlated with both current cognitive and functional status (study 2). The results of these two studies suggest that word-recognition reading skills are useful screening instruments to estimate premorbid functioning even in deteriorated patients with schizophrenia.
Wave operator perturbation theory for intermolecular interactions a test on H+2

Abstract The first-order function and the second-order energy of a perturbation theory proposed by the present author are evaluated for H2, by means of a Hylleraas variation principle adapted to this theory. It is found that thus a considerable improvement of the wave function and the energy respectively is obtained. The importance of second-order exchange forces is observed. The Unsold approximation for the second-order energy is tested.
Function of Kv1.5 channels and genetic variations of KCNA5 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

The pore-forming α-subunit, Kv1.5, forms functional voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and plays an important role in regulating membrane potential...
A high performance complementary bipolar process using PBSOI technique

In this paper, for the first time, we suggest a novel high voltage, high speed and latch-up free NPN transistor and PNP transistor fabrication technology using PBSOI (Patterned and Bonded Silicon On Insulator) and STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) technology. Using this technique, we can easily control the breakdown voltage (BVceo) without the problem of P+B/L out-diffusion. In this PBSOI process, after diffusion of well (collector), the Buried Layer is diffused on the well. In addition, unlike the prior technology that devices are fabricated in epitaxial layer, the proposed devices are formed in active wafer itself, therefore we can get defect-free devices promising excellent characteristics. The peak fTs for NPN and PNP transistor are 10 GHz and 9 GHz, the values of BVceo for the NPN and PNP devices are 15 V and 17 V, respectively. Finally, these values were found to be excellent results as shown in the maximum value of Johnson-limit for the fT-BVceo product.
Quantum dot photosensitizers. Interactions with transition metal centers

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are attractive for potential use as photosensitizers for a variety of applications. These nanomaterials have very high absorption cross-sections and often display strong photoluminescence (PL). Furthermore, QD absorption and emission spectra can be tuned simply by varying their size, and QD surfaces can be modified to access multiple sites for attaching potential acceptors as well as other functionalities. Here we provide an overview of recent studies concerned with the photosensitization of transition metal centers and other acceptors. Particular focus is directed towards potential therapeutic applications and to our own interest in the delivery of small molecule bioregulators to physiological targets. Studies that have addressed factors that control likely energy and charge transfer processes between QD donors and acceptor molecules are also discussed. Understanding the mechanisms of these photosensitization processes can provide design guidelines for successful applications.
Trends in Infant Deaths from Congenital Anomalies: Results from England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden and the United States

Major strides have been made in reducing infant mortality in many parts of the world. As the number of infants dying from infectious diseases has declined further reductions will require progress in reducing mortality in less tractable causes of death. As a result the proportion of infant deaths attributable to congenital anomalies has been rising. Mortality due to different types of congenital anomalies is examined for the period 1976-1985 in the United States England and Wales Scotland and Sweden. (EXCERPT)
Compression of Black-White Images with Arithmetic Coding

A new approach for black and white image compression is described, with which the eight CCITT test documents can be compressed in a lossless manner 20-30 percent better than with the best existing compression algorithms. The coding and the modeling aspects are treated separately. The key to these improvements is an efficient binary arithmetic code. The code is relatively simple to implement because it avoids the multiplication operation inherent in some earlier arithmetic codes. Arithmetic coding permits the compression of binary sequences where the statistics change on a bit-to-bit basis. Model statistics are studied from stationary, stationary adaptive, and nonstationary adaptive assumptions.
Viscoelastic attenuation, anisotropy, and AVO

The classical interpretation relating Amplitude Versus Offset (AVO) to Poisson’s ratio and other petrophysical properties is based on the assumptions of elasticity and isotropy. We extend this interpretation to a layered medium with anisotropic and/or viscoelastic properties, using a Fourier Pseudo‐Spectral method to solve the wave equation. Both viscoelasticity and anisotropy are key factors for the quantitative interpretation of AVO trends, because they contribute to the seismic energy partition at geological interfaces (the reflection coefficients), and because they continually induce propagation effects. We show that: 1) Reflection coefficients at an interface are strongly dependent on the elastic anisotropy of both the overlying and the underlying media. The AVO effect is further complicated by materials with viscoelastic properties. 2) Propagation effects are due to elastic anisotropic energy focusing and viscoelastic dissipation that distort the energy and phase distribution of the incident and ref...
Precipitation signatures of ground-based VLF transmitters

[1] Numerical raytracing with Landau damping is used to calculate >100 keV electron precipitation signatures induced by hypothetical VLF transmitters distributed broadly in geomagnetic latitude and operating at a wide range of frequencies. A one-half second pulse from each source is simulated and attenuation to the base of the magnetosphere for geomagnetic latitudes from 10° to 60° is calculated. Source location affects induced precipitation more strongly than operating frequency or radiated power. Sources located at 35° to 45° induce the most >100 keV precipitation for the 10 to 40 kHz waves typical of ground-based VLF sources, while locations below λ ≃ 15° or above λ ≃ 55° are least effective at precipitating energetic electrons. In all cases, induced precipitation increases as the operating frequency decreases, with 10 kHz waves from a source at λ ≃ 35° the most effective at precipitating >100 keV electrons. Precipitation signatures produced by five existing ground-based VLF transmitters are also simulated: the NAA, NLK, NAU, NPM, and NWC VLF transmitters. NWC induces the strongest >100 keV electron precipitation signature, followed by NPM, NAU, NAA, and NLK.
Inward rectifier potassium channel Kir2.2 is associated with synapse-associated protein SAP97

The strong inwardly rectifying potassium channels Kir2.x are involved in maintenance and control of cell excitability. Recent studies reveal that the function and localization of ion channels are regulated by interactions with members of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) protein family. To identify novel interacting MAGUK family members, we constructed GST-fusion proteins with the C termini of Kir2.1, Kir2.2 and Kir2.3. GST affinity-pulldown assays from solubilized rat cerebellum and heart membrane proteins revealed an interaction between all three Kir2.x C-terminal fusion proteins and the MAGUK protein synapse-associated protein 97 (SAP97). A truncated form of the C-terminal GST-Kir2.2 fusion protein indicated that the last three amino acids (S-E-I) are essential for association with SAP97. Affinity interactions using GST-fusion proteins containing the modular domains of SAP97 demonstrate that the second PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1 (PDZ) domain is sufficient for interaction with Kir2.2. Coimmunoprecipitations demonstrated that endogenous Kir2.2 associates with SAP97 in rat cerebellum and heart. Additionally, phosphorylation of the Kir2.2 C terminus by protein kinase A inhibited the association with SAP97. In rat cardiac ventricular myocytes, Kir2.2 and SAP97 colocalized in striated bands corresponding to T-tubules. In rat cerebellum, Kir2.2 was present in a punctate pattern along SAP97-positive processes of Bergmann glia in the molecular layer, and colocalized with astrocytes and granule cells in the granule cell layer. These results identify a direct association of Kir2.1, Kir2.2 and Kir2.3 with the MAGUK family member SAP97 that may form part of a macromolecular signaling complex in many different tissues.
Marriage: Essential or Expendable?

Marriage has become controversial. Some experts argue that marriage is fundamental and foundational. In their view, the decline of marriage lies at the heart of a wide range of social problems; these experts urge state efforts to revive marriage and promote marital commitment. Other experts argue that marriage is merely a label; in their view, the state should not only eschew marriage promotion, but abandon marriage regulation altogether. Both the pro- and anti-marriage perspectives have attracted policymakers. In the United States, the Bush administration has recently launched an initiative in support of healthy marriages that builds on earlier welfare-reform legislation designed to promote marriage among the poor. In Canada, Parliament has revised both tax and old-age pension rules so that the same standards apply to married and common-law partners; the Canadian Law Reform Commission has also recommended comprehensive revision of Canadian law to avoid problems of coherence arising from marital status classifications. Which approach is preferable? This paper analyzes the growing body of social science evidence that bears on marriage regulation and makes policy recommendations based on that evidence. It concludes that both the advocates and opponents of marriage have overstated their claims: the data demonstrate that classifications based on marriage are sometimes desirable and sometimes not; they show that formal, ceremonial marriage provides public benefits by clearly denoting the intention to assume relational responsibilities; they show that enduring, low-conflict marriage provides larger public benefits through its positive impact on the health, wealth, and happiness of spouses and their children; they also show that conflicted and short-term marriage does not offer personal benefits to either adult partners or their children.
Glycolipid RC-552 induces delayed preconditioning-like effect via iNOS-dependent pathway in mice.

We recently demonstrated that monophosphoryl lipid A (MLA)-induced delayed cardioprotection is mediated by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in mice. In the present study, we determined whethe...
Physical attributes of a pasture soil in southeast Goiás determined by geostatistics

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a dependencia espacial de alguns atributos fisicos de um solo cultivado com Brachiaria, antes da implementacao de adubo verde como transicao agroecologica para o cultivo de cana-de-acucar orgânica. Atribuiu-se uma grade de coordenadas para que as amostras pudessem ser georreferenciadas obtendo os valores de variabilidade espacial da densidade das particulas, densidade do solo, teor de areia, argila e da porosidade total em uma area de 3.500 m2. As amostras do solo foram coletadas em uma malha regular de 12 x 12 m, totalizando 35 pontos, na profundidade de 0-30 cm. Os dados foram avaliados por meio da geoestatistica, apoiado no software GS+ que possibilita, alem do estudo do semivariograma, a elaboracao de mapas tridimensionais. A dependencia espacial foi avaliada por meio de semivariogramas experimentais. Os atributos analisados apresentaram dependencia espacial, ajustando-se ambos ao modelo exponencial. As areas de maior porosidade ocorreram em regioes com menor densidade do solo e maior densidade de particulas.
DIFFERENCES IN CORONARY FLOW RESERVES BY GENDER AND DIABETIC STATUS AS IDENTIFIED USING CARDIAC PET/CT

Existing literature is scarce regarding normal and abnormal measurements for coronary flow reserve (CFR) non-ischemic rubidium PET/CT cardiac stress perfusion scans using regadenoson as the stress agent. Here we analyze and compare global and vessel-specific CFR between diabetics (DM) and non-
Seeking Justice in Missouri: The Case of The Honorable Barbara T. Peebles

A travesty is underway in St Louis, Missouri involving Associate Circuit Judge Barbara Peebles. Judge Peebles is a good judge - thoughtful, balanced, and fair. But on September 28, 2012, the State’s Judicial Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline recommended removal of Judge Barbara Peebles from the bench. A black woman, Judge Peebles, has sat on the bench for twelve years. Until last year, not a single ethical complaint had been lodged against her in her entire legal career; as an assistant city counselor, prosecutor, the first commissioner of the St. Louis Drug Court, or as a judge. Thus, one would expect the violations and findings that led to the recommendation of removal to be extraordinary. To many of us attorneys reading the case, all the findings put together, barely constituted grounds for a public reprimand, with a temporary suspension as a long shot, representing a bad year in the overall context of a good legal career. But removal of a sitting judge with no prior complaints on her record?? Are these people serious? Even more disturbing, however, is the fact that the poorly written Commission report, as well as the testimony, only provided a hint of the real story behind this extraordinary action. That is, the “who, what, where, why and how of this case, especially the "who," the “how,” and the "why," are largely absent. What is going here?This essay examines the context, setting and players in this drama, as well as, the Commission's findings. It then turns to the back story or what the essay argues is the real story of this case. It is a story involving petty politics, power, race and gender.The Supreme Court of Missouri is scheduled to hear arguments regarding the recommendation of removal on this January 3, 2013.
Obesity as a disease: has the AMA resolution had an impact on how physicians view obesity?

Abstract Background In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution characterizing obesity as a disease. It is unclear whether primary care physicians (PCPs) agree with this characterization and how their agreement or lack thereof affects their treatment of patients with obesity. Objectives We sought to understand PCP opinions about the AMA obesity resolution and how it has affected management of patients with obesity. Setting Small, medium, and large communities in Wisconsin Methods Focus groups were conducted with PCPs in Wisconsin. PCPs were asked whether they considered obesity a disease and what they factored into this consideration, including the AMA decision. A directed approach to content analysis was used to analyze the data. A taxonomy of consensus codes was developed, coding summaries were generated, and representative quotes were identified. Results Three focus groups comprising a total of 16 PCP participants were conducted. Not all PCPs were aware of the AMA resolution. PCPs held divergent opinions on whether obesity represented a disease, primarily focusing their considerations on obesity as a risk factor versus a disease. They also discussed how considering obesity as a disease affects the patient–doctor relationship, insurance coverage, physician reimbursement, and research. Conclusion The AMA resolution did not appear to have made a significant impact on PCP opinions or management practices in our focus groups in Wisconsin. Follow-up surveys that quantify the prevalance of these opinions and practices at the state and national levels would be highly informative.
Recent Models: Arbitrage Pricing Theory

The CAPM discussed in Chapter 4 was an attempt to put some substance on the generally accepted notion that risk was important in determining the required rate of return for a firm. Roll and Ross suggest that the appeal of the CAPM is strong because …it is compatible with the single most widely-acknowledged empirical regularity in asset returns, their common varia-bility. Apparently, intuition readily ascribes such common variation to a single factor which, with a random dis-turbance, generates returns for each individual asset via some (linear) functional relationship. Oddly, though, this intuition is wholly divorced from the formal CAPM theory…[E]legant derivations of the CAPM…make no use of the common variability of returns. A review of recent finance texts…reveals that rationalizations of the CAPM are based instead on a dichotomy between diversifiable and non?diversifiable risk, a distinction which refers to the linear generating process, not to the CAPM…[Roll and Ross 1980, pp. 1073-1.074]
Understanding Cultural Influences on Mental Health

Culture permeates almost every aspect of one’s life, from everyday issues such as clothing choices, music, and the food we eat, to deeper cultural values such as parenting, family relationships, and how we take care of the elderly. Moreover, culture affects us in both conscious and unconscious ways (eg, our exploration or lack of understanding of our ethnic identity, or how we conceptualize and perceive stigma toward mental illness). In order to become proficient at culturally adapting psychotherapy, practitioners and clinical scientists need to have a basic and foundational understanding of how culture influences health and mental health processes. This chapter provides a framework for understanding these issues called the Cultural Influences on Mental Health Model (CIMH). The systematic relationships between a number of mental health domains are discussed, including the (1) etiology and causes of illness, (2) cultural meanings and norms regarding mental illness, (3) expression and communication of distress, (4) diagnostic and assessment issues, (5) the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, (6) help-seeking pathways and coping styles, (7) treatment and intervention issues, and (8) policy and funding issues.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Neonatal Meningitis-Causing Escherichia coli Strain NMEC O18

ABSTRACT Neonatal meningitis Escherichia coli (NMEC) is a common agent of neonatal bacterial meningitis, causing high neonatal mortality and neurologic sequelae in its victims. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of NMEC O18 (also known as NMEC 58), a highly virulent (O18ac:K1, ST416) strain.
Guidelines for the diagnosis of rheumatic fever: Jones criteria, updated 1992: Special writing group of the committee on rheumatic fever, endocarditis, and Kawasaki disease of the council on cardiovascular disease in the young, American Heart Association

The Jones criteria for guidance in the diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever were first published by T. Duckett Jones, MD, in 1944 and have been revised over the years by the American Heart Association. The current guidelines are an update of these criteria. For the first time, the guidelines are designed to establish the initial attack of acute rheumatic fever. Major manifestations, minor manifestations, and supporting evidence of antecedent group A streptococcal infection are discussed. These updated guidelines expand on the available tools to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis and clarify the available antibody tests for detecting antecedent group A streptococcal infection. At the present time echocardiography without accompanying auscultatory findings is insufficient to be the sole criterion for valvulitis in acute rheumatic fever. Finally, this article addresses overdiagnosis of rheumatic fever and lists exceptions to the Jones criteria, including recurrent attacks in individuals with a history of rheumatic fever.
Interaction with Actuators and WSN Test Beds

SN in a WSN senses the environment and sends data to BS which makes decision about corrective action that needs separate unit(s) called actuators. In this way, SNs sense the environment and measure multiple physical properties, thereby acting as an interface between physical world and devices.
Evaluating matrix representations for error-tolerant computing

We propose a methodology to determine the suitability of different data representations in terms of their error-tolerance for a given application with accelerator-based computing. This methodology helps match the characteristics of a representation to the data access patterns in an application. For this, we first identify a benchmark of key kernels from linear algebra that can be used to construct applications of interest using any of several widely used data representations. This is then used in an experimental framework for studying the error tolerance of a specific data format for an application. As case studies, we evaluate the error-tolerance of seven dataformats on sparse matrix to vector multiplication, diagonal add, and two machine learning applications i) principal component analysis (PCA), which is a statistical technique widely used in data analysis and ii) movie recommendation system with Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) as the core. We observe that the Dense format behaves well for complicated data accesses such as diagonal accessing but is poor in utilizing local memory. Sparse formats with simpler addressing methods and a careful selection of stored information, e.g., CRS and ELLPACK, demonstrate a better error-tolerance for most of our target applications.
Room temperature ozone and humidity response evolution of atomic layer deposited SnO 2 sensors

This work investigates the changes in response to ozone and humidity of Atomic Layer Deposited (ALD) tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) sensors operated at room temperature and integrated into a portable platform over several weeks. The impact of humidity is highlighted as it relates to immediate changes in ozone response and in slower changes where the history of exposure influences the surface kinetics while the adsorbed gas species attempt to reach an equilibrium state.
Collaborative inquiry: Youth, social action, and critical qualitative research:

Youth participatory action research is part of a revolutionary effort in educational research to take inquiry-based knowledge production out of the sole purview of academic institutions and include...
Fast track article: Bandwidth provisioning in infrastructure-based wireless networks employing directional antennas

Motivated by the widespread proliferation of wireless networks employing directional antennas, we study the problem of provisioning bandwidth in such networks. Given a set of subscribers and one or more access points possessing directional antennas, we formalize the problem of orienting these antennas in two fundamental settings: (i) subscriber-centric, where the objective is to fairly allocate bandwidth among the subscribers and (ii) provider-centric, where the objective is to maximize the revenue generated by satisfying the bandwidth requirements of subscribers. For both the problems, we first design algorithms for a network with only one access point working under the assumption that the number of antennas does not exceed the number of non-interfering channels. Using the well-regarded lexicographic max-min fair allocation as the objective for a subscriber-centric network, we present a dynamic programming algorithm that achieves the fairest allocation. For a provider-centric network, the allocation problem turns out to be NP-hard. We present a greedy heuristic-based algorithm that guarantees almost half of the optimum revenue. We later enhance both these algorithms to operate in more general networks with multiple access points and no restrictions on the relative numbers of antennas and channels. A simulation-based evaluation using OPNET demonstrates the efficacy of our approaches and provides us further insights into these problems.
The Geometric Quotient Theorem

We recall from 1.14 the following: Definition 16.1 (See I.14.19) Let E be an equivalence on the affine variety V.
CHEMICALLY-ATTACHED ORGANIC MONOLAYERS ON SILICA NANOPARTICLES AS AN NMR RELAXATION MEDIUM FOR EMBEDDED POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

Chemically derivatized silica nanoparticles have been used in our laboratory for the study of the effects of restricted diffusion on the pyrolysis mechanisms of the organic molecules bound to the particle surface.1 The principle undergirding these studies is that immobilization of radicals in controlled environments leads to different reaction mechanisms and product slates, relative to the pyrolysis of a substance in solution or the gas phase. The silica surface models some features of the pyrolysis of complex fossil fuels wherein diffusion limitations can play a large role and may lead to atypical reaction behavior.
Automated muscle histopathology analysis using CellProfiler

Histological assessment of skeletal muscle sections is important for the research of muscle physiology and diseases. Quantifiable measures of skeletal muscle often include mean fiber diameter, fiber size distribution, and centrally nucleated muscle fibers. These parameters offer insights into the dynamic adaptation of skeletal muscle cells during repeated cycles of degeneration and regeneration associated with many muscle diseases and injuries. Computational programs designed to obtain these parameters would greatly facilitate such efforts and offer significant advantage over manual image analysis, which is very labor-intensive and often subjective. Here, we describe a customized pipeline termed MuscleAnalyzer for muscle histology analysis based upon CellProfiler, a free, open-source software for measuring and analyzing cell images. The MuscleAnalyzer pipeline consists of loading, adjusting, and running a series of image-processing modules provided by CellProfiler. This pipeline was evaluated using wild-type and mdx muscle sections co-stained with laminin (to demarcate the muscle fiber boundaries) and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI, to label the nuclei). The immunofluorescence images analyzed using the MuscleAnalyzer pipeline or manually yielded similar results in the number of muscle fibers per image (p = 0.42) and central nucleated fiber (CNF) percentage (p = 0.29) in mdx mice. However, for a total of 67 images, CellProfiler completed the analysis in ~ 10 min on a regular PC while it took an investigator ~ 3 h using the manual approach in order to quantify the number of muscle fibers and CNF. Moreover, the MuscleAnalyzer pipeline also provided the measurement of the cross-sectional area (CSA) and minimal Feret’s diameter (MFD) of muscle fibers, and thus fiber size distribution can be plotted. Our data indicate that the MuscleAnalyzer pipeline can efficiently and accurately analyze laminin and DAPI co-stained muscle images in a batch format and provide quantitative measurements for muscle histological properties such as muscle fiber diameters, fiber size distribution, and CNF percentage.
What counts as science? Expansive learning actions for teaching and learning science with bilingual children

Science education should help children acquire sophisticated understandings about science, how it is done, and how they can be scientists. Consequently, there is a need to explore how minoritized children’s linguistic and cultural resources can be employed in the science classroom. This study examined how perceptions of science teaching and learning in bilingual contexts shift from a single tradition to more expansive understandings. Following cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), mediators and turning points were explored to provide evidence for expansive learning. This analysis focused on data from 25 children and four teacher candidates participating in a Spanish bilingual after-school program. To answer the research questions, expansive and non-expansive actions (i.e., speech segments and multimedia products generated in the 10 after-school sessions) were analyzed mostly qualitatively, and supported with descriptive quantitative patterns. Through the analysis, specific mediators and contextual characteristics were identified as turning points for expansive learning. The in-depth analysis of the four after-school sessions including both discourse and multimedia data, revealed the existence of a turning point in one session during which there was a discussion using a video and a multimodal embodied experience with clay. This session included turn and talks, and closed with a whole-group debriefing. Additionally, the study found that the multimedia artifacts (actions around photographs and videos) were more conducive to expansiveness than those with discursive data only. The study concludes that culturally relevant artifacts, combined with instructional moves that accept bilingual children’s expansive ways of understanding science, stimulate expansive learning. This study provides ways to explore how bilingual children’s out-of-school knowledges can merge with science knowledge in schools, and helps illuminate the role of multiple activity systems in the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of having pre-service teachers explore the potential of children’s out-of-school knowledges in spaces such as after-school programs where curricular and instructional restrictions are lessened, and that thus favor more expansive forms of teaching and learning.
Plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23 in achalasia, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

An elevation of serum inflammatory biomarkers in achalasia patients compared with controls recently was demonstrated. It has not been determined whether the elevation of inflammatory cytokines is unique to achalasia or occurs with other diseases involving the esophagus. The primary aim of our study was to compare the differences in plasma immunological profiles (TNF- α receptor, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23) of patients with achalasia, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A secondary aim of this study was to classify these same plasma cytokine profiles in the three achalasia subtypes. Plasma from 53 patients with achalasia, 22 with EoE, and 20 with GERD (symptoms plus esophagitis or + reflux study) were analyzed. Exclusion criteria: malignancy, autoimmune condition, immunodeficiency disorder, and treatment with steroids/immune modulating drugs. Cytokine levels were assayed via multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our key finding revealed significant elevations in IL- 6 (p = 0.0158) in achalasia patients compared with EoE patients. Overall, plasma inflammatory biomarker patterns were not different in the three subtypes of achalasia. There were no differences between the cytokine levels of any of the measured biomarkers between the achalasia and GERD groups suggesting that luminal stasis does increase biomarker levels for any of the cytokines examined in our study. While these results are an early first step towards clarifying some aspects of the pathogenesis of achalasia, they bring about many more questions that require further investigation and expansion. Further investigation with a larger cohort and a broader panel of biomarkers is needed.
Characteristics associated with perceived interrelations of pain and smoking among people living with HIV.

Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have very high prevalences of both cigaret smoking and pain, yet little is known about the relationship between smoking and pain for PLWH. The current study examines the perceived interrelations between pain and smoking and participant characteristics (i.e., demographics, heavier versus lighter smoking, current pain severity, depression, anxiety symptoms) in a sample of 101 current cigaret smoking adult PLWH in the Bronx, New York. Participants completed assessments of demographics, smoking behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and pain severity. Interrelations of pain and smoking were measured using the 9-item Pain and Smoking Inventory (PSI) total score and three domain scores (pain as a motivator for smoking, smoking to cope with pain, and pain as a barrier for smoking cessation). Significant associations were found between greater current pain severity and greater endorsement of overall perceived interrelations between pain and smoking, pain as a motivator for smoking, and smoking to cope with pain. Greater anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with greater endorsement of overall perceived interrelations between pain and smoking, pain as a motivator for smoking, and smoking to cope with pain. Understanding the perceived relations between smoking and pain, as well as associated factors such as anxiety and pain severity, may help to guide interventions for PLWH who smoke in order to reduce the high prevalence of smoking and significant smoking-related health consequences.
Capsule Commentary on Duru et al., Adherence to Metformin, Statins, and ACE/ARBs Within the Diabetes Health Plan (DHP).

The employer-level “intent-to-treat” cohort study by Duru et al. evaluated the impact of an employer-initiated disease management program, the Diabetes Health Plan (DHP), on adherence to diabetes-related medications.1 Using a quasi-experimental design, the investigators estimated employer-level adherence post-initiation of DHP for three medications covered by the DHP (metformin, statins, ACE/ARBs) and two medications not covered by the DHP (thyroxine, montelukast). The DHP provided enrolled participants discounted copayments for medications and provider visits, and access to online or telephone wellness coaching. There was a modest improvement in adherence to the three DHP-covered medications after 1 year.
Strong first sperm precedence in the freshwater hermaphroditic snail Planorbella trivolvis

ABSTRACTPost-copulatory sexual selection, through either sperm competition or cryptic female choice, is an important aspect of sexual selection in hermaphrodites. We investigated sperm precedence, ...
Language as Bodily Practice in Early China: A Chinese Grammatology . By J. Geaney

Language as Bodily Practice in Early China: A Chinese Grammatology By J. Geaney (2018) Albany: State University of New York Press, 350pp.
A Novel Behavioral Social-Aware D2D User Association Scheme based on Self-Propelled Voronoi

A Device-to-Device (D2D) wireless communication framework, in which devices are linked together directly rather than relying on fixed infrastructure to relay communication, can be envisioned as a social network. Similar to evolving society, a D2D network tends to be affected by selfishness among socially popular nodes resulting from the survivalist nature found in interaction games - in game or evolution theory. During evolution, participants accumulate obvious negative traits, i.e. selfishness or greediness. Addressing these negative traits among social nodes, which have a higher number of social connections, can be complex due to repeated central intervention. Central intervention here means central authoritative node or in this case central control station in macro cell network. To address this limitation, in this paper the authors have proposed a reactive $p_{0}$ measure central node selection scheme to achieve low-complexity device-centric D2D user association, to achieve results comparable to social-aware algorithms, without the associated complexity. The results show an overall improvement by a factor of 1.2 to 3.3, compared to conventional algorithms, by introducing the $f_{\phi}$ measure as reactive procedure to work against selfish nodes compromising network performance. To define the traits of user nodes the paper brings together the mobility concept of Self-Propelled Voronoi (SPV) model and the selfish-altruistic nature of human evolution.
Clostridioides difficile-Associated Antibiotics Alter Human Mucosal Barrier Functions by Microbiome-Independent Mechanisms

A clinically relevant risk factor for Clostridioides difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is recent antibiotic treatment. Although broad-spectrum antibiotics have been shown to disrupt the structure of the gut microbiota, some antibiotics appear to increase CDAD risk without being highly active against intestinal anaerobes, suggesting direct nonantimicrobial effects. We examined cell biological effects of antibiotic exposure that may be involved in bacterial pathogenesis using an in vitro germfree human colon epithelial culture model. We found a marked loss of mucosal barrier and immune function with exposure to the CDAD-associated antibiotics clindamycin and ciprofloxacin, distinct from the results of pretreatment with an antibiotic unassociated with CDAD, tigecycline, which did not reduce innate immune or mucosal barrier functions. Importantly, pretreatment with CDAD-associated antibiotics sensitized mucosal barriers to C. difficile toxin activity in primary cell-derived enteroid monolayers. These data implicate commensal-independent gut mucosal barrier changes in the increased risk of CDAD with specific antibiotics and warrant further studies in in vivo systems. We anticipate this work to suggest potential avenues of research for host-directed treatment and preventive therapies for CDAD.
Low Temperature Plasma Jets: Characterization and Biomedical Applications

For many decades non-equilibrium plasmas (NEPs) that can be generated at atmospheric pressure have played important roles in various material and surface processing applications [...]
Robotic repair of lateral incisional hernias using intraperitoneal onlay, preperitoneal, and retromuscular mesh placement: a comparison of mid-term results and surgical technique

Given the paucity of evidence surrounding lateral incisional hernias (LIH), optimal techniques remain elusive. We aim to compare perioperative and mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent robotic LIH repair using three techniques. Patients were grouped as intraperitoneal onlay (IPOM), transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP), or retromuscular (RM). Clavien–Dindo classification and Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI®; University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland) were used to report postoperative complications and morbidity scores. Surgical site events (SSEs), including surgical site occurrences (SSOs) and surgical site infections (SSIs), were also compared. Of the 555 patients, 26 patients were included in the study; 5 (19.2%) underwent IPOM, 8 (30.8%) underwent TAPP, and 13 (50%) underwent RM repair. Although there were no differences regarding hernia defect size, a larger mesh size as well as a greater mesh overlap was achieved in the RM group compared to the IPOM and TAPP groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, RM repair allowed for a higher mesh-to-defect ratio than the recommended ratio of 16:1. There were no differences between groups in terms of postoperative outcomes, including SSEs, Clavien–Dindo grades, and CCI® scores. No differences in mid-term outcomes between robotic IPOM, TAPP, or RM repair were noted. However, the robotic RM repair allows for significantly larger mesh size and mesh overlap, as well as a higher mesh-to-defect ratio.
Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of bovine respiratory disease pathogen isolates submitted to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Respiratory disease negatively impacts growth, reproductive performance, milk production, and longevity of adult cattle. Most calves diagnosed with clinical respiratory disease on dairy farms are treated with antibiotics. Treatment failure is not uncommon and although management factors likely contribute to these treatment failures, the role of antimicrobial resistance cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe pathogen prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns for pathogens associated with respiratory disease isolated from samples submitted to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between 2008-2017.
Biomarkers for detection of clinically significant prostate cancer: contemporary clinical data and future directions.

Use of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for early detection of prostate cancer appears to reduce cancer-specific mortality. Due to the limited specificity of PSA for clinically significant [Grade Group (GG) ≥2] cancer, however, screening carries substantial risks, including frequent unnecessary prostate biopsies and overdetection of non-aggressive cancers. To that end, serum and urine biomarkers with improved specificity for GG ≥2 cancer have been proposed for clinical use following PSA. In the current article, we present clinical validation data for five such biomarkers: PHI, 4Kscore, SelectMDx, ExoDx, and MPS. For all studies, we specify the study population (overall biopsy referral vs. pre-specified PSA ranges), previous biopsy status (biopsy-naive vs. previous negative biopsy), and the proportion of subjects diagnosed with GG ≥2 cancer. Outcomes include test performance characteristics: sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV). Published data were used to compute the number of unnecessary biopsies avoided and number of GG ≥2 cancers missed if the biomarker had been used clinically to select for prostate biopsy. The evidence review is preceded by a primer on these and other clinically-relevant summary statistics.
Passive Immunization to Pandemic Viruses Through Herd Parties

The general population is always concerned about the devastating effects of a pandemic. Based upon the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, scientific publications and theories, the idea that herd parties may achieve passive immunity against pandemic viruses has been proposed. In this chapter, we dynamically modelled the effect of swine flu parties on the immunity achieved and associated mortality for a period of two years. In our analysis on swine flu, most of the people who attended the herd party would become ill with the virus. The final impact of such strategies can only be fully understood several years after the pandemic ceases to exist.
Non-medical use of methylphenidate by medical students: prevalence and motivations. Integrative review

Objective: This study performed a literature review evaluating aspects of prevalence and motivations on the non-medical use of methylphenidate by medical students. Methods: We searched the Scopus, PubMed, SciELO, and Web of Science databases and the Google Scholar search tool using the keywords "Methylphenidate" and "Medical Student" and their correlates in Portuguese. A total of 472 articles were recovered, of which 24 were included for full reading and discussion after the application of the pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: It was observed that the prevalence of non-prescribed use of methylphenidate ranged from 0.51% in Lithuania to 35% in Colombia. The main motivations reported for using the drug were academic outcomes improvement and increase in concentration during studies, although research shows no significant improvement in academic performance with the use of medication by healthy individuals. Conclusion: The non-prescribed use of methylphenidate presents a high and worrying frequency. Also, scientific studies questioning the use of psychostimulant medications for cognitive improvement by healthy students make the practice illegal and unfounded.
Predictors of future research productivity among ophthalmology residents.

Purpose To investigate the characteristics of first-year ophthalmology residents associated with high research productivity in twelve years. Methods All first-year ophthalmology residents in the United States (US) in 2009 listed by institutional websites were identified. Publications were obtained from Scopus and Google Scholar, h-indices were calculated, and medical school characteristics such as research productivity, region, rank, and average USMLE Steps 1 and 2 scores were obtained from National Institutes of Health, US Census Bureau, and US News. Results Data were obtained on 70% (316/453) of residents; most were male, had Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees, and graduated from medical schools in the US or Canada. Having an additional graduate degree [OR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.07-8.67], between 1 and 3 publications [OR: 4.16, 95% CI: 2.22-7.79], or 4 or more publications [OR: 14.27, 95% CI: 3.13-64.94] were associated with higher future research productivity. Conclusion Graduate degrees and publication count were key predictors of future research productivity among ophthalmology residents in the US.