cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The increased phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in Arbacia punctulata is not a universal event in the activation of sea urchin eggs.

Abstract Eggs of the sea urchins Arbacia punctulata (Ap), Lytechinus pictus (Lp), and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Sp) were labeled to equilibrium with 32 PO 3− 4 . Approximately 65–70% of the label in extractable adenine nucleotides comigrates chromatographically with ATP. Autoradiograms of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) slab gels show that each species possesses a distinct complement of phosphate-exchangeable phosphoproteins. No changes in the phosphoprotein composition are detected in Lp and Sp eggs as a result of fertilization or development for 2.5 hr (with the possible exception of a 43,000 M r protein in Lp). In Ap, increases in the phosphorylation of bands at M r 's 30,000, 55,000, and 105,000 are seen during the first 10 min postinsemination. The 30,000 M r band in Ap eggs has previously been identified as ribosomal protein S6 and the hypothesis presented that its increased phosphorylation may be an important step in the activation of protein synthesis at fertilization ( D. G. Ballinger and T. Hunt, 1981 , Dev. Biol. 87, 277–285). In Lp and Sp eggs S6 (identified by two-dimensional PAGE) is heavily phosphorylated in the unfertilized state and the extent of labeling does not increase after fertilization. If the increased phosphorylation of S6 seen in Ap is indeed related to translational activation, then these results suggest that different sea urchin species may rely on different mechanisms for the activation of protein synthesis.
Laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy for uteri weighing 500 g or more

We attempted to determine the feasibility and results of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) for removing symptomatic fibroid uteri not suitable for vaginal hysterectomy. We retrospectively reviewed cases in which the uterus weighed 500 g or more and was considered not suitable for traditional vaginal hysterectomy after examination under anesthesia. Laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy with or without unilateral or bilateral adnexectomy was successfully completed in 20 (91%) of 22 cases. Thirteen patients had concurrent laparoscopic lysis of adhesions, and one a laparoscopic bladder neck suspension. Mean uterine weight was 837 g, mean operating time 167 +/- 42 minutes, mean blood loss 390 +/- 107 ml, and mean hospital stay 2.6 days. No febrile morbidity or surgical complications occurred among these patients. The only significant intraoperative complication was bleeding requiring blood transfusions, which occurred in one of the two women who required abdominal hysterectomy. Our results suggest that LAVH is a safe and effective alternative to total abdominal hysterectomy of the very large fibroid uterus, and that conversion to total abdominal hysterectomy could be expected to occur in less than 10% of cases.
Idiopathic Azygos Vein Aneurysm Mimicking a Mediastinal Mass: Case Report and Review of Literature

True aneurysmal dilatation of the azygos vein is a rare entity which has been reported in literature on only a few occasions. We report a case of idiopathic azygos aneurysmal dilation that was incidentally discovered on chest roentgenogram as a mediastinal mass. A contrast enhanced CT scan of the chest showed a large azygous arch aneurysm with normal appearance of other mediastinal vasculature. She was managed conservatively with outpatient follow up. A repeat CT Chest after one year showed no change in size of the aneurysm. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1127w
Food as the reinforcer in the outpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa

Abstract This case report illustrates that food can be used as a positive reinforcer in the treatment of anorexia nervosa in an outpatient setting. The patient had complete control of the diet, eliminating the negative consequences of control by the parents or the therapist.
Real-Time Meteorological System for Firing of Unguided Rockets.

Abstract A real-time meteorological system which has been developed by the U.S. Army Electronics Command, Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory at White Sands Missile Range, is described. The system was designed for computation and prediction of unguided, high altitude, multiple-stage rocket trajectories. Computers and computer software used with the impact prediction system are also discussed.
First record and habitat associations of Spongilla cenota (Class Demospongiae) within streams of the Edwards Plateau, Texas, USA

Abstract We report the first record of Spongilla cenota occurrence among drainages of the Edwards Plateau, a large karst area within the western gulf slope drainages of central Texas, and provide the first quantitative habitat description for this species. Spongilla cenota was common in the two rivers of the Edwards Plateau, occurring within 23% of the quadrats surveyed in the Devils River and 31% of the quadrats surveyed in the Llano River. Among multivariate gradients, S. cenota was positively associated with moderate current velocities and coarser substrates and negatively associated with vegetation. The majority (74%) of the quadrats with S. cenota had boulder or bedrock substrates with the remaining sponges attached to aquatic macrophytes and cobble substrate. Among univariate gradients, S. cenota were observed at water depths from 0.5 to 2.5 m and current velocities from 0.1 to 0.6 m/s. Occurrence and abundance of S. cenota potentially provides a novel bioindicator of a sound ecological environment ...
A microfabrication-based approach to quantitative isothermal titration calorimetry

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) directly measures heat evolved in a chemical reaction to determine equilibrium binding properties of biomolecular systems. Conventional ITC instruments are expensive, use complicated design and construction, and require long analysis times. Microfabricated calorimetric devices are promising, although they have yet to allow accurate, quantitative ITC measurements of biochemical reactions. This paper presents a microfabrication-based approach to integrated, quantitative ITC characterization of biomolecular interactions. The approach integrates microfabricated differential calorimetric sensors with microfluidic titration. Biomolecules and reagents are introduced at each of a series of molar ratios, mixed, and allowed to react. The reaction thermal power is differentially measured, and used to determine the thermodynamic profile of the biomolecular interactions. Implemented in a microdevice featuring thermally isolated, well-defined reaction volumes with minimized fluid evaporation as well as highly sensitive thermoelectric sensing, the approach enables accurate and quantitative ITC measurements of protein-ligand interactions under different isothermal conditions. Using the approach, we demonstrate ITC characterization of the binding of 18-Crown-6 with barium chloride, and the binding of ribonuclease A with cytidine 2'-monophosphate within reaction volumes of approximately 0.7 µL and at concentrations down to 2mM. For each binding system, the ITC measurements were completed with considerably reduced analysis times and material consumption, and yielded a complete thermodynamic profile of the molecular interaction in agreement with published data. This demonstrates the potential usefulness of our approach for biomolecular characterization in biomedical applications.
Combining Job and Team Selection Heuristics

In open markets and within business and government organizations, selfish agents often face the question of what tasks to work on, and what partners to work with. Optimal solutions are particularly difficult to find in large-scale, unpredictably dynamic environments. Previous work has examined the use of separate job selection and team selection heuristics to guide agent decisions in these domains, but did not explore how these decisions influence each other, and how these heuristics should therefore be used together. Accordingly, this paper presents a mechanism for combining job and team selection heuristics for agents operating in a large-scale, unpredictably dynamic environment. An experimental analysis of this new job/team selection mechanism demonstrates significant improvements in agent performance, both in terms of credit earned and in percentage of jobs successfully completed.
Correlation and Prediction of the Transport Properties of Ionic Liquids

A modified version of the rough hard sphere (RHS) scheme of Gacino et al. has been used to correlate the viscosity and thermal conductivity of ILs. A total of 661 viscosity data at 0.1 MPa for 48 ILs, and 159 thermal conductivity data at 0.1 MPa for 26 ILs were correlated, with average absolute deviations between calculated and experimental values (AAD) of 1.15 % in the case of the viscosity and 2.32 % in the case of the thermal conductivity. In addition, a total of 453 viscosity data for 10 ILs and 95 thermal conductivity data for 9 ILs over a pressure range of 0.1 MPa to 35.6 MPa were correlated with AADs of 3.46 % in the case of the viscosity and 2.89 % in the case of the thermal conductivity. More importantly, the three parameters of the modified RHS scheme were found to exhibit regular trends with the molecular weight of ILs with a common anion. Finally, IL mixture viscosities were predicted within their experimental uncertainties using a simple mixing rule. Mixtures of water and ILs could also be accommodated within the RHS scheme, although errors were higher in this case.
Reduced-Fat Foods: The Complex Science of Developing Diet-Based Strategies for Tackling Overweight and Obesity

Fat plays multiple roles in determining the desirable physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, nutritional profile, and biologic response of food products. Overconsumption of fats is linked to chronic diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There is therefore a need to develop reduced-fat products with physicochemical properties and sensory profiles that match those of their full-fat counterparts. In addition, foods may be redesigned to increase the feelings of satiety and satiation, and thereby reduce overall food intake. The successful design of these types of functional foods requires a good understanding of the numerous roles that fat plays in determining food attributes and the development of effective strategies to replace these attributes. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of the influence of fat on the physicochemical and physiologic attributes of emulsion-based food products and highlights approaches to create high-quality foods with reduced-fat contents.
Specificity of the inhibitory effect of "uremic" serum on p-aminohippurate transport.

SummaryAddition of serum from bilaterally nephrectomized rats 48 hours after nephrectomy produced a concentration-related inhibition of in vitro PAH uptake by rat renal cortical slices. Simultaneously measured NMN-14C uptake was not significantly affected. Serum from sham-nephrectomized rats significantly enhanced PAH uptake without altering NMN-14C transport. Thus, both inhibition of PAH transport produced by serum from nephrectomized rats and stimulation produced by control serum appear to be specific for the organic anion transport system. It is also concluded that the ability of rat renal cortical slices to accumulate PAH is impaired if the animals have been subjected to a 24-hour fast before the time of experimentation. Fasting produced no significant alteration in the transport of NMN-14C.
Integration of waveguide volume grating couplers with optical polymer pillars

Waveguide volume grating couplers are integrated with waveguides and polymer pillars to produce a die-to-board optical interconnect with the potential for low-cost fabrication and high tolerance for CTE mismatches. Coupling efficiency measurements will be presented.
Double Color Dual Line Bar Graph Plasma Display Panel

A double color dual line bar graph plasma display panel is introduced in this paper,the fundamental structures and working principles are discussed,and the essential techniques applied during the development are summarized.
Abstract A19: Network analysis of gene essentiality in CRISPR screens

CRISPR screen is a powerful technique to study gene essentiality at genome scale. Based on our analysis of public CRISPR screen data, the essential genes selected in CRISPR screens can be predicted by the expression level of their neighboring genes in the protein interaction network. Meanwhile, the quality of CRISPR screen results can be significantly enhanced through network neighbor information. Through analysis of tumor-profiling data, we found the network neighbor expression to be a significantly better predictor of survival than gene expression alone. Thus, our study provides a reliable method for CRISPR screen analysis and gene essentiality study. The source code and web application of our method is available at http://nest.dfci.harvard.edu. Citation Format: Peng Jiang, Xiaole Shirley Liu. Network analysis of gene essentiality in CRISPR screens. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr A19.
Notch Signaling Mediates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Cancer Cachexia Caused by Osteosarcoma

Skeletal muscle atrophy in cancer cachexia is mediated by the interaction between muscle stem cells and various tumor factors. Although Notch signaling has been known as a key regulator of both cancer development and muscle stem cell activity, the potential involvement of Notch signaling in cancer cachexia and concomitant muscle atrophy has yet to be elucidated. The murine K7M2 osteosarcoma cell line was used to generate an orthotopic model of sarcoma-associated cachexia, and the role of Notch signaling was evaluated. Skeletal muscle atrophy was observed in the sarcoma-bearing mice, and Notch signaling was highly active in both tumor tissues and the atrophic skeletal muscles. Systemic inhibition of Notch signaling reduced muscle atrophy. In vitro coculture of osteosarcoma cells with muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) isolated from normal mice resulted in decreased myogenic potential of MDSCs, while the application of Notch inhibitor was able to rescue this repressed myogenic potential. We further observed that Notch-activating factors reside in the exosomes of osteosarcoma cells, which activate Notch signaling in MDSCs and subsequently repress myogenesis. Our results revealed that signaling between tumor and muscle via the Notch pathway may play an important role in mediating the skeletal muscle atrophy seen in cancer cachexia.
Outcome measurement of problem-based learning.

OBJECTIVE To determine if there is a significant difference in the national certification examination scores, and in comments received from clinical faculty, between PBL and pre-PBL groups. DESIGN Retrospective analyses of national certification examination scores and clinical faculty evaluation files. PARTICIPANTS Medical technology students at the University of Hawaii. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Means of a national certification examination scores of PBL and pre-PBL groups are statistically compared. Types of clinical faculty comments are rank-ordered and compared between the two groups. RESULTS PBL group did significantly better in the Urinalysis section of the national certification examination. Pre-PBL group received more "Quiet but got better" comments from clinical faculty. CONCLUSION PBL can affect student outcomes in both national certification exams and perception by clinical faculty.
Legal Theories of Sex-Based Pay Discrimination

The decisions of federal courts in cases alleging sex-based pay discrimination reflect the tension between the law's normative commitment to equality and the courts' reverence for markets and efficiency. County of Washington v. Gunther (452 U.S. 161 [1981]), the Supreme Court ruling that fostered comparable worth litigation in federal courts, can be seen as a response to the antidiscrimination imperative. The Court would not countenance blatant discrimination against women workers just because they held different jobs from the male workers with whom they were compared. In the cases that followed Gunther , however, the lower courts limited its practical effect. They rejected comparable worth theories that relied on job evaluation studies to prove discrimination or that argued that employers were obligated to correct inequities identified in job evaluation results. Moreover, they consistently found that between-job pay differentials reflected market wages or acceptable business judgments rather than invidious, gender-based policies. The courts rendered these judgments case by case. Yet the opinions contain either sweeping references to the “economic realities” confronted by employers or only the most cursory analyses of market conditions. Our reading of the opinions is that the final outcomes of these cases were influenced by a deeply held, promarket ideology that may have extended beyond the facts in particular cases. Much of the rest of this book examines whether the courts' belief in markets and efficiency as the primary determinants of the male-female wage gap is well founded empirically. The focus of this chapter is the law itself.
Electrical Conductivity, Thermal Behavior, and Seebeck Coefficient of Conductive Films for Printed Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems

Printed electronics is being explored as a rapid, facile means for manufacturing thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that can recover useful electrical energy from waste heat. This work examines the relevant electrical conductivity, thermal resistance, thermovoltage, and Seebeck coefficient of printed films for use in such printed flexible TEGs. The thermoelectric performance of TEGs printed using commercially relevant nickel, silver, and carbon inks is evaluated. The microstructure of the printed films is investigated to better understand why the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient are degraded. Thermal conduction is shown to be relatively insensitive to the type of metalized coating and nearly equivalent to that of an uncoated polymer substrate. Of the commercially available conductive ink materials examined, carbon–nickel TEGs are shown to exhibit the highest thermovoltage, with a value of 10.3 μV/K. However, silver–nickel TEGs produced the highest power generation of 14.6 μW [from 31 junctions with temperature difference (ΔT) of 113°C] due to their low electrical resistance. The voltage generated from the silver–nickel TEG was stable under continuous operation at 275°C for 3 h. We have also demonstrated that, after a year of storage in ambient conditions, these devices retain their performance. Notably, the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measured for individual materials were consistent with those measured from actual printed TEG device structures, validating the need for further fundamental materials characterization to accelerate flexible TEG device optimization.
The “Open Government Reform” Movement: The Case of the Open Government Partnership and U.S. Transparency Policies*

Open government initiatives, which include not only transparency but also participation and collaboration policies, have become a major administrative reform. As such, these initiatives are gaining...
Is Domain Highlighting Actually Helpful in Identifying Phishing Web Pages

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of domain highlighting in helping users identify whether Web pages are legitimate or spurious.Background:As a component of the URL, a domain name can be overlooked. Consequently, browsers highlight the domain name to help users identify which Web site they are visiting. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of domain highlighting, and the only formal study confounded highlighting with instructions to look at the address bar.Method:We conducted two phishing detection experiments. Experiment 1 was run online: Participants judged the legitimacy of Web pages in two phases. In Phase 1, participants were to judge the legitimacy based on any information on the Web page, whereas in Phase 2, they were to focus on the address bar. Whether the domain was highlighted was also varied. Experiment 2 was conducted similarly but with participants in a laboratory setting, which allowed tracking of fixations.Results:Participants differentiated the legitimate and fr...
On the Economic Origins of Female Genital Cutting

Infibulation – the narrowing of the vaginal opening after the removal of the clitoris and labia – is the most invasive form of female genital cutting. The extent to which it is practiced varies widely within Africa. This paper studies the historical origins of this variation by testing the anthropological theory that a particular form of preindustrial economic production – subsisting on pastoralism – favored the adoption of this custom. The hypothesis is based on the fact that pastoralism was characterized by heightened paternity uncertainty due to frequent and often extended periods of male absence from the settlement, implying larger payoffs to controlling female sexuality. Using within-country variation across 80,000 women in 12 African countries, the paper first documents that women from historically more pastoral societies are significantly more likely to be infibulated today. Extending the analysis to a set of 500,000 individuals in 34 countries, the paper then shows that formerly pastoral societies also exhibit a broader set of customs and norms that restrict female sexuality: female descendants of pastoral societies (i) are more constrained in their mobility outside their home; (ii) hold more restrictive norms about female sexuality; and (iii) behave less promiscuously. I argue and show empirically that the mechanism behind these patterns is indeed male absenteeism, rather than male dominance per se. Overall, the results suggest that contemporary variation in constraints on female sexuality can be traced back to a functional relationship between historical economic production and societal customs which have persisted until today.
High-sensitivity 308.6-nm laser absorption diagnostic optimized for OH measurement in shock tube combustion studies

We report the development of a high-sensitivity laser absorption diagnostic optimized for measurement of the hydroxyl radical (OH) at temperatures relevant to combustion studies, and demonstrated here in shock tube experiments. This diagnostic utilizes a narrow-linewidth CW UV laser that is tunable over the A2Σ – X2Π (0,0) band of the OH rovibronic transitions. First, we identified the strongest absorption transition of OH, over the current temperature range of interest, to be the Q1(5) transition near 308.61 nm. We then measured the OH absorption coefficients behind reflected shock waves over temperatures of 1656–2993 K and pressures of 0.88–4.09 atm, and determined the pressure-broadening and pressure-shifting coefficients in argon bath gas. Compared to the previous diagnostic targeting the OH R1(5) transition, the current diagnostic has approximately 2.2 times the sensitivity. Finally, we demonstrated the excellent sensitivity of the current OH diagnostic in a set of highly-diluted C3H8 oxidation experiments in a shock tube, where a 1 − σ detection limit of less than 0.15 ppm OH was successfully achieved.
Transcriptional profiling of the ductus arteriosus: Comparison of rodent microarrays and human RNA sequencing

DA closure is crucial for the transition from fetal to neonatal life. This closure is supported by changes to the DA's signaling and structural properties that distinguish it from neighboring vessels. Examining transcriptional differences between these vessels is key to identifying genes or pathways responsible for DA closure. Several microarray studies have explored the DA transcriptome in animal models but varied experimental designs have led to conflicting results. Thorough transcriptomic analysis of the human DA has yet to be performed. A clear picture of the DA transcriptome is key to guiding future research endeavors, both to allow more targeted treatments in the clinical setting, and to understand the basic biology of DA function. In this review, we use a cross-species cross-platform analysis to consider all available published rodent microarray data and novel human RNAseq data in order to provide high priority candidate genes for consideration in future DA studies.
Fire prevention in the Parkinson’s disease brain

A glucagon-like peptide receptor 1 (GLP-1R) agonist inhibits the conversion of astrocytes into a neurotoxic phenotype and protects against neurodegeneration, shedding light on the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.
Social comparison for failure detection and recovery in multi-agent settings

observable behavior. The modeling process uses the agent’s own reactive operators to also describe the goals of the other agents. The operators may be individual (specific to one agent) or joint (shared by a team). By contrasting its own operator hierarchy with those of the team members, the agent can identify discrepancies between the hierarchical reactive operators which it is executing and those of its team-mates. These differences raise alarm levels to indicate possible failures. These, in turn, are reasoned about explicitly to verify that indeed a failure has occurred, and then take corrective action. In the earlier example, our agent discovers it is stuck in place while the others are flying away by comparing its chosen method of flight to that of its comrades. In the
Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of Mouse α3(IV)NC1

Non-collagenous α3 chain of type IV collagen or α3(IV)NC1, a 28 kDa C-terminal domain of collagen type IV is a specific inhibitor of endothelial cell translation and angiogenesis. In the present study we have cloned and expressed mouse α3(IV)NC1 in baculovirus system. The recombinant protein was expressed in soluble form and tested for several of its biological functions. We identified that this recombinant mouse α3(IV)NC1 specifically inhibited proliferation, translation and tube formation of endothelial cells. Also, we show that α3(IV)NC1 treatment results in apoptosis specifically in proliferating endothelial cells. In addition we report for the fi rst time that mouse α3(IV)NC1 inhibits migration and p38 MAPK phosphorylation in addition to inhibition of FAK/Akt/mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling. In mice α3(IV)NC1 treatment reduced tumor growth and CD-31 positive endothelial vasculature in tumors. Collectively, our data demonstrate the expression of biologically active form of mouse α3(IV)NC1 in Sf-9 cells and provide important mechanistic insights on α3(IV)NC1 antiangiogenic actions in endothelial cells.
Does a free media protect labour rights

Based on a sample of 47 developing economies considered over the period 1992–2012, we find that a free media reduces the legal protection of labour, taken as a whole. However, the impact differs ov...
Psychosocial Factors Related to Adverse Outcomes in Caregivers of Heart Failure Patients: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Background HF caregivers often experience caregiving burden, impacting their physical and psychological well-being. Social support and social problem-solving, as coping resources, may influence the effect of caregiving burden on self-care, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Yet, studies examining these coping resources on HF caregiver outcomes are lacking. Purpose To investigate whether social support and social problem-solving mediate the relationships among caregiving burden, self-care, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in HF caregivers. Methods Using a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design, HF caregivers (n=530) completed online surveys, including the Dutch Objective Burden Inventory, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12, the Social Problem-Solving Inventory Revised-Short, the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression scale, the Denyes Self-care Practice Instrument, and the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale. Path analytic methods were used to examine a hypothesized mediating role of social support and social problem solving in the relationships between caregiving burden and caregiver self-care, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. The analysis proceeded in two phases: 1) a model-development phase with ∼62% of the sample (n=329) used to make data-based decisions on measurement indicators and structure of the path model; and 2) a confirmatory phase with ∼38% of the sample (n=201) used to provide unbiased inference on the model structure resulting from the initial phase. Results Participants were 41.39 (± 10.38) years old, Caucasian (78.3%), men (50.9%) caring for their spouse with HF (44.9%). Perceived caregiver burden was a predictor of caregiver social support (standardized effect B= -.4), self-care (Total B= -.39), depressive symptoms (Total B= .45), and quality of life (Total B= -.33). Higher level of caregiver burden was associated with less social support, worse self-care, more depression and decreased quality of life. Social support mediated the relationship between caregiving burden and depression (56% of Total effect), but did not appear to relevantly mediate the relationship between caregiving burden and self-care (11% of Total effect) or quality of life (0% of Total effect). When considered simultaneously with social support, social problem-solving was not a relevant mediator between caregiving burden and outcomes. Conclusions Caregiving burden negatively impacts caregiver outcomes. Social support appears more beneficial in mediating the effects of caregiving burden on depression, but has little mediational effect on caregiver self-care or quality of life.
Rethinking gender: The nonbinary approach.

Gender has been described as a person’s internal sense of “gendered self” and place in the world.[1][1] Gender differs from physiological sex traits and is not defined by external genitalia. Rather, gender is a construct of an individual’s own gender identity. Cisgender , or nontransgender,
Do We Know How Adversity Impacts Human Development

It is important that we understand the role of significant life events such as failure, adversity, and trauma in human development. However, substantive methodological limitations in research on post-traumatic growth (PTG) has hampered this endeavor. Specifically, with narratives of growth following life challenges likely provide valuable information about the course of lives, retrospective quantitative assessments such as the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) are flawed in multiple ways. We present new data highlighting the flaws of the PTGI as well and further evidence from a selective review that these measures remain dominant despite their flaws.
Nudges for influenza vaccination

Influenza is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Nudges are small changes to the environment or choice architecture that can be designed to significantly increase influenza vaccination rates.
GRNmap and GRNsight: open source software for dynamical systems modeling and visualization of medium-scale gene regulatory networks

A gene regulatory network (GRN) consists of genes, transcription factors, and the regulatory connections between them that govern the level of expression of mRNA and proteins from those genes. Our ...
Beyond the European Union’s Neighbourhood: Liberation Geographies in the Mediterranean

The notion of a Mediterranean Neighbourhood points to how a specific geopolitical space is scripted, imagined and then translated into practice through the European Union’s foreign policy towards t...
Proactive text messaging (GetReady2Quit) and nicotine replacement therapy to promote smoking cessation among smokers in primary care: A pilot randomized trial protocol.

Abstract Introduction Most smokers see a physician each year, but few use any assistance when they try to quit. Text messaging programs improve smoking cessation in community and school settings; however, their efficacy in a primary care setting is unclear. The current trial assesses the feasibility and preliminary clinical outcomes of text messaging and mailed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) among smokers in primary care. Methods In this single-center pilot randomized trial, eligible smokers in primary care are offered brief advice by phone and randomly assigned to one of four interventions: (1) Brief advice only, (2) text messages targeted to primary care patients and tailored to quit readiness, (3) a 2-week supply of nicotine patches and/or lozenges (NRT), and (4) both text messaging and NRT. Randomization is stratified by practice and intention to quit. The text messages (up to 5/day) encourage those not ready to quit to practice a quit attempt, assist those with a quit date through a quit attempt, and promote NRT use. The 2-week supply of NRT is mailed to patients' homes. Results Feasibility outcomes include recruitment rates, study retention, and treatment adherence. Clinical outcomes are assessed at 1, 2, 6, and 12-weeks post-enrollment. The primary outcome is ≥1self-reported quit attempt(s). Secondary clinical outcomes include self-reported past 7- and 30-day abstinence, days not smoked, NRT adherence, and exhaled carbon monoxide. Conclusions This pilot assesses text messaging plus NRT, as a proactively offered intervention for smoking cessation support in smokers receiving primary care and will inform full-scale randomized trial planning. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03174158 .
Karyotypes of Six Species of Colubrid Snakes from the Western Hemisphere, and the 140-Million-Year-Old Ancestral Karyotype of Serpentes

Karyotypes are described for six species of snakes from the Western Hemisphere, and comparisons are made with all species of snakes from around the world that have been karyotyped with modern methods. Although there is significant karyotypic variation in snakes, there is one basic karyotype that is shared by members of all families of snakes, representing widely divergent lineages, extending from today back through the evolutionary history of the Serpentes. Long-term survival of the ancestral snake karyotype may be a result of canalization, similar to some ancient chromosomes of turtles.
The Legacy of a Neurosurgeon: A U.S.-Based Obituary Analysis.

Background Textual analysis of obituaries provides insight into the shared values of a profession or community. Neurosurgeon obituaries are frequently published in both the medical literature and the lay press, but the content of these works has never been analyzed. Methods Using obituary pieces from Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, and the New York Times, frequent terms were quantified through preliminary text analysis to derive the relative importance of concepts such as innovation, research, training and family. The sentiment of these obituaries was qualitatively reviewed to approximate perceptions of neurosurgical legacy within the profession and the general public. Results Thirty relevant obituaries with full text available were identified in the Journal of Neurosurgery, 14 were identified in Neurosurgery, and 23 were identified in the New York Times. Both neurosurgical journals and lay press articles relied on linear narratives, with greater emphasis on professional leadership and residency training in neurosurgical journals and proportionally greater mention of family in the lay press. Conclusions Our preliminary text analysis of neurosurgeon obituaries suggest what values are shared among the professional community and general public regarding the legacy of a neurosurgeon.
Cyclic nucleotides and myometrial contractility

Cyclic nucleotides determine a spatiotemporally regulated system that modulates uterine myometrial contractility and parturition timing. Adenylate and guanylate cyclases synthesize cAMP and cGMP upon β-adrenergic, natriuretic peptide, and nitric oxide stimulation. Before parturition, cAMP suppresses contraction-associated protein synthesis via PKA, and cGMP activates hyperpolarizing K+ current via PKG. At term, cAMP stimulates contraction-associated protein expression via EPAC just as decreasing PKG attenuates cGMP tocolysis. The cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) facilitates myometrial contraction by degrading cyclic nucleotides. The precise roles of cGMP on myometrial activation and the effect of other PDEs in parturition are not yet clear. Strategies to reduce preterm birth could benefit from a better understanding of the myometrial cyclic nucleotide system.
A Hijab, A Dog, and Many Histories: Wonders of Intersectional Assemblage in Memphis

As part of a larger interdisciplinary arts-based research course, we engaged in walking as a material and relational inquiry in order to disrupt privileged and normalized understandings of class, race, settler colonization, and narratives of othering (Springgay & Truman, 2018). Borrowing Jasbir Puar’s (2012) frictional analysis, that brings together intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) with Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) assemblage, each of the walks sought to “foreground the mutually co-constitutive forces of race, class, sex, gender, and nation” (Puar, 2012, p. 49). As we walked Memphis’ historic neighborhoods, we experienced varying states of wonder as intersecting identities shifted with each step in and out of centers and margins or what Min-Ha (1991) terms as “horizontal vertigos” (p. 15). In this paper, we share two of our “horizontal vertigos” that shaped our experiences walking Memphis neighborhoods and that informed our understandings of the frictional movements in the assemblage and the event-ness of identities.
Temperature and economic activity: evidence from India

This paper investigates the impact of temperature on economic activity in India, using state-level data from 1980–2015. We estimate that a 1∘C increase in contemporaneous temperature (relative to o...
Positional controlling of dielectric particles using a probe-typed micromanipulator with electrostatic mechanism

The micro/nanoscale manipulation using probe-typed and concentric metal electrodes with the electrostatic mechanism of the fringe field was successfully demonstrated to isolate and control a microparticle (microsphere). The manipulation mechanism and system in this study, dragging and repelling the polyethylene microsphere, are a stand-alone and nondestructive manipulation which does not employ other complex processes (mostly expensive and destructive). In this article, the studies including the physics of attracting the dielectric with the fringe field and the technology of the fabrication and manipulation process are reported.
Scaling HPC Networks with Co-Packaged Optics

We propose an HPC network architecture with co-packaged optics enabling 128-port 51.2-Tb/s switches. Simulations for a >34,000-GPU system show up to 11.2× throughput improvement over a Summit-like supercomputer, opening the way to direct-network-attached GPUs.
Dynamic Data-Driven Distribution Tracking of Nanoparticle Morphology

We present a data-driven distribution tracking system that is capable of tracking the process quality in a chemical synthesis process for nanoparticles. In the process, the process quality is defined as a distribution of particle sizes and shapes, which influence the functionalities of nanoparticles. A system of tracking the distribution of nanoparticle sizes and shapes consists of three components: (a) in situ measurement system, (b) a mathematical model to represent nanoparticle sizes and shapes, their distributions and the temporal changes in the distributions, and (c) a statistical algorithm to estimate the model with in situ measurements. We will review the state-of-the-art approaches to tracking the time-varying distribution of particle sizes and shapes. The advance of the distribution tracking by combining complementary in situ instruments based on the DDDAS paradigm is discussed.
BODIPY Dyes as Probes and Sensors to Study Amyloid-β-Related Processes

Amyloid formation plays a major role in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) are one of the primary markers associated with this pathology. Aβ aggregates exhibit a diverse range of morphologies with distinct pathological activities. Recognition of the Aβ aggregates by using small molecule-based probes and sensors should not only enhance understanding of the underlying mechanisms of amyloid formation, but also facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies to interfere with amyloid neurotoxicity. BODIPY (boron dipyrrin) dyes are among the most versatile small molecule fluorophores. BODIPY scaffolds could be functionalized to tune their photophysical properties to the desired ranges as well as to adapt these dyes to various types of conditions and environments. Thus, BODIPY dyes could be viewed as unique platforms for the design of probes and sensors that are capable of detecting and tracking structural changes of various Aβ aggregates. This review summarizes currently available examples of BODIPY dyes that have been used to investigate conformational changes of Aβ peptides, self-assembly processes of Aβ, as well as Aβ interactions with various molecules.
Economies of Scale and Scope in Small Depository Institutions: Evidence from U.S. Cooperative Banks

This paper derives the scale and scope economy measures for the U.S. cooperative banks for the years 1989, 1990 and 1991 using the translog cost function. The results suggest that cooperative banks can save costs through increasing their size and diversifying their outputs.
Associations Between Governor Political Affiliation and COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Testing in the U.S.

Introduction The response to the COVID-19 pandemic became increasingly politicized in the U.S., and the political affiliation of state leaders may contribute to policies affecting the spread of the disease. This study examines the differences in COVID-19 infection, death, and testing by governor party affiliation across the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Methods A longitudinal analysis was conducted in December 2020 examining COVID-19 incidence, death, testing, and test positivity rates from March 15, 2020 through December 15, 2020. A Bayesian negative binomial model was fit to estimate the daily risk ratios and posterior intervals comparing rates by gubernatorial party affiliation. The analyses adjusted for state population density, rurality, Census region, age, race, ethnicity, poverty, number of physicians, obesity, cardiovascular disease, asthma, smoking, and presidential voting in 2020. Results From March 2020 to early June 2020, Republican-led states had lower COVID-19 incidence rates than Democratic-led states. On June 3, 2020, the association reversed, and Republican-led states had a higher incidence (risk ratio=1.10, 95% posterior interval=1.01, 1.18). This trend persisted through early December 2020. For death rates, Republican-led states had lower rates early in the pandemic but higher rates from July 4, 2020 (risk ratio=1.18, 95% posterior interval=1.02, 1.31) through mid-December 2020. Republican-led states had higher test positivity rates starting on May 30, 2020 (risk ratio=1.70, 95% posterior interval=1.66, 1.73) and lower testing rates by September 30, 2020 (risk ratio=0.95, 95% posterior interval=0.90, 0.98). Conclusions Gubernatorial party affiliation may drive policy decisions that impact COVID-19 infections and deaths across the U.S. Future policy decisions should be guided by public health considerations rather than by political ideology.
Designing a Graphic Novel: Engaging Community, Arts, and Culture Into Public Health Initiatives

The opioid epidemic was declared a national public health emergency in 2017. In Georgia, standing orders for the opioid antagonist, naloxone, have been implemented to reduce mortality from opioid overdoses. Service industry workers in the Atlanta, Georgia, inner-city community of Little Five Points (L5P) have access to naloxone, potentially expanding overdose rescue efforts in the community setting. To explore the issues facing L5P, our research brings together qualitative descriptive inquiry, ethnography, community-based research, a community advisory board, and a local artist to maximize community dissemination of research findings through a graphic novel that describes encountering an opioid overdose. This format was chosen due to the ethical responsibility to disseminate in participants' language and for its potential to empower and educate readers. This article describes the process of working on this study with the community and a local artist to create sample pages that will be tested for clarity of the message in a later phase. Working with an artist has revealed that while dissemination and implementation for collaboration begin before findings are ready, cross-collaboration with the artist requires early engagement, substantial funding, artist education in appropriate content, and member checking to establish community acceptability altering illustrations that reinforce negative stereotypes. By sharing the experiences of actions taken during an opioid overdose in L5P through a graphic novel, we can validate service industry workers' experiences, acknowledge their efforts to contribute to harm reduction, and provide much-needed closure to those who encounter opioid overdoses in the community.
Reverse genetic engineering of simian rotaviruses with temperature-sensitive lesions in VP1, VP2, and VP6.

Abstract Rotaviruses are 11-segmented double-stranded RNA viruses and important causes of acute gastroenteritis in young children. To investigate the functions of specific viral proteins during the rotavirus lifecycle, temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants were previously created using a cultivatable simian strain (SA11) and chemical mutagenesis. These ts SA11 mutants replicate more efficiently at the permissive temperature of 31 °C than at the non-permissive temperature of 39 °C. Prototype strains SA11-tsC, SA11-tsF, and SA11-tsG were mapped to the genes encoding structural proteins VP1, VP2, and VP6, respectively, and putative ts lesions were identified using Sanger sequencing. However, additional background mutations in their genomes had hampered validation of the ts lesions and confounded their use in mechanistic studies. Here, we employed plasmid only-based reverse genetics to engineer recombinant (r) SA11 rotaviruses containing only the putative ts lesions of SA11-tsC (L138P change in VP1), SA11-tsF (A387D change in VP2) or SA11-tsG (S10T, D13H, and A121G changes in VP6). For simplicity, we refer to these newly-engineered, isogenic viruses as rSA11-tsVP1, rSA11-tsVP2, and rSA11-tsVP6. Single-cycle growth assays revealed that these mutants indeed exhibit ts phenotypes with significantly diminished titers (>1.5-logs) at 39 °C versus 31 °C. The rSA11 ts mutants proved genetically stable at the population-level following 3 sequential passages at 39 °C, but individual revertant clones were detected in plaque assays. Heat sensitivity experiments showed that pre-incubation of rSA11-tsVP1 or rSA11-tsVP2, but not rSA11-tsVP6, at 39 °C diminished replication at 31 °C. This result indicates that the ts lesions in VP1 and VP2 affect the incoming virion but those in VP6 affect a later stage of the viral lifecycle. In silico molecular dynamics simulations predicted temperature-dependent, long-range effects of the S10T, D13H, and/or A121G changes on the VP6 structure. Altogether, our results confirm the ts lesions of the original SA11-tsC, SA11-tsF, and SA11-tsG mutants, provide a new set of isogenic strains for investigating aspects of rotavirus replication, and shed light on how the ts lesions might impact VP1, VP2, or VP6 functions.