cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation on epidemic focus of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in Yunnan Province,China

Objective To understand the epidemic situation of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in Yunnan.Methods The investigation of nature infection condition of intermediate hosts and final hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis were carried out in five south Yunnan Province counties,artificial infection of rats with A.cantonensis were observed,and a serologic survey to detect antibodies of A.cantonensis in humen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was carried out.Results Larvae and adults of A.cantonensis were obtained from Achatina fulica and mice,and artificial infection experiment was successful.A total of 1 653 specimen of blood were collected and tested,and 6.59% were considered to be seropositive.The positive rates of children and adults were 8.98% and 3.48%,and there was significant difference between them(P0.01).The positive rates of male and female were 5.81% and 7.28%,and there was no significant difference(P0.05).Conclusion The epidemic focus infective of A.cantonensis exists in Yunnan,and Ariophantidae sp.and A.fulica are important intermediate hosts of A.cantonensis,Rattus novegicus and Rattus flavipectus are nature final hosts.Guinea pigs and rabbits are not the proper final hosts of A.cantonensis.Rats can be an ideal model of experimental animal of A.cantonensis.
Can Schizophrenia Cause Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Theories about schizophrenia have viewed stress and anxiety as both predisposing factors and associated features of the disorder. But these theories ignore a possible fundamental interaction: Terri...
Creation of a Bioreactor for the Application of Variable Amplitude Mechanical Stimulation of Fibrin Gel-Based Engineered Cardiac Tissue

This chapter details the creation of three-dimensional fibrin hydrogels as an engineered myocardial tissue and introduces a mechanical stretch bioreactor system that allows for the cycle-to-cycle variable amplitude mechanical stretch of the constructs as a method of conditioning the constructs to be more similar to native tissue. Though mechanical stimulation has been established as a standard method of improving construct development, most studies have been performed under constant frequency and constant amplitude, even though variability is a critical aspect of healthy cardiac physiology. The introduction of variability in other organ systems has demonstrated beneficial effects to cell function in vitro. We hypothesize that the introduction of variability in engineered cardiac tissue could have a similar effect.
Mechanism and Unusual Fragmentation Selectivities of Aryltrialkylstannane Cation Radicals

Aryltrialkylstannane cation radicals were generated and characterized by nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Kinetics show the fragmentations of the stannane cation radicals occur by a bimolecular, nucleophile-assisted mechanism (S(N)2). Consistent with this hypothesis, steric effects on both the nucleophile and the stannane cation radicals were observed. Steady-state, preparative photooxidation experiments show that aryltrimethylstannane cation radicals have an unusual preference for loss of aryl radicals over methyl radicals and that the selectivity for aryl vs methyl radical loss is dependent on the identity of the nucleophile. The preference for loss of aryl radicals is rationalized by a hypothesis based on Bent's rules.
The fate of the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum during lens fiber cell differentiation

Purpose. To establish the fate of the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during lens fiber differentiation. Methods. Organelles were visualized by confocal or electron microscopy. For fluorescence microscopy, organelles were labeled with fluorescent probes or antibodies raised against organelle-resident proteins. The cytoplasmic volume was reconstructed from optical sections using volume rendering techniques. Results. The Golgi apparatus was located apically in epithelial cells. In the annular pad, Golgi elements were transformed into ribbon-like structures running parallel to the long axes of the cells. Toward the lens equator, the Golgi apparatus fragmented. In the lens fibers, the Golgi apparatus was detected only in the superficial cells. The ER was present as vesicular or tubular elements in both epithelial and cortical fiber cells, and ER probes co-labeled the nuclear membrane and revealed that the ER and nuclei disappeared coincidentally in the deep cortex. Using a lipophilic dye and volume rendering, the relationships between organelles could be evaluated in three dimensions. Conclusions. The Golgi apparatus was not a prominent organelle in differentiating lens fibers. In contrast, the ER was more abundant and extended to the edge of the organelle-free region, where it was degraded along with the nuclei and mitochondria. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1793-1803.
Modeling Soft Tissue Damage and Failure Using a Combined Particle/Continuum Approach

Biological soft tissues experience damage and failure as a result of injury, disease, or simply age; examples include torn ligaments and arterial dissections. Given the complexity of tissue geometry and material behavior, computational models are often essential for studying both damage and failure. Yet, because of the need to account for discontinuous phenomena such as crazing, tearing, and rupturing, continuum methods are limited. Therefore, we model soft tissue damage and failure using a particle/continuum approach. Specifically, we combine continuum damage theory with Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). Because SPH is a meshless particle method, and particle connectivity is determined solely through a neighbor list, discontinuities can be readily modeled by modifying this list. We show, for the first time, that an anisotropic hyperelastic constitutive model commonly employed for modeling soft tissue can be conveniently implemented within a SPH framework and that SPH results show excellent agreement with analytical solutions for uniaxial and biaxial extension as well as finite element solutions for clamped uniaxial extension in 2D and 3D. We further develop a simple algorithm that automatically detects damaged particles and disconnects the spatial domain along rupture lines in 2D and rupture surfaces in 3D. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by simulating damage and failure under clamped uniaxial extension and in a peeling experiment of virtual soft tissue samples. In conclusion, SPH in combination with continuum damage theory may provide an accurate and efficient framework for modeling damage and failure in soft tissues.
Reflections on Student Futures and Political Possibilities: An Afterword

It has been 20 years since the publication of another edited volume, The Cultural Production of the Educated Person, which approached issues of education, culture, and the economy through a temporal lens—one related to theories of cultural production and social reproduction, or the perpetuation across time of durable forms of inequality. This now classic volume, edited by Bradley A. Levinson, Douglas E. Foley, and Dorothy C. Holland, is a product of its time. The ethnographic studies draw in innovative and highly productive ways on the work of the Birmingham Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) in an effort “to fill out an underdeveloped part of Marx’s thought—a focus on consciousness and subjectivity” (The cultural production of the educated person: Critical ethnographies of schooling and local practice, 1996, p. 12). British cultural studies approached the study of consciousness and subjectivity as well as identity through a concern with everyday practice, rituals, and expressive media, “social forms through which human beings ‘live,’ become conscious, [and] sustain themselves subjectively” (Johnson, 1986–1987, p. 45) as they make sense of and respond to historically specific social and material circumstances (Levinson et al., 1996, p. 12).
Otis Optoelectronic Computers

OTIS computers employ the optical transpose interconnect system for inter package communications and a regular electronic interconnect system (e.g., mesh, hypercube, mesh of trees) for intra package communications. In this chapter, we explore the characteristics of OTIS computers and summarize some of the algorithmic developments that have been made.
Sexual Health Care Services Among Young Adult Sexual Minority Women

Young adult sexual minority women (YSMW) are at elevated risk for negative reproductive health outcomes, yet are less likely than heterosexual peers to utilize preventive health care. Medical and public health policy organizations advocate sexual orientation disclosure ("coming out") to health care providers as a strategy for increasing service utilization among YSMW. Limited research explores relationships between disclosure and receipt of sexual health services. YSMW (N=285) ages 21-24 participated in an online survey assessing their health behaviors and care utilization. We employed multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association between receipt of sexual health services and sexual orientation disclosure to provider, after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Thirty-five percent of YSMW were out to their provider. Less than half the sample had received Pap screening or STI testing in the previous year; approximately 15% had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccination. Disclosure was associated with increased likelihood of Pap screening (OR=2.66, p<.001) and HPV vaccination (OR=4.30, p<.001), but was not significantly associated with STI testing. Promoting coming out to providers may be a promising approach to increase sexual health care use among YSMW. Future research should explore causal relationships between these factors.
Effects of organosolv and ammonia pretreatments on lignin properties and its inhibition for enzymatic hydrolysis

Lignin offers structural support and protection for plant cell walls; however, it also contributes to biomass recalcitrance and the costs of biofuel production via the biological pathway. Organosolv and ammonia pretreatments have been developed to reduce biomass recalcitrance and improve sugar release performance during enzymatic hydrolysis. It is believed that lignin properties are related to its inhibition on enzymatic hydrolysis; therefore, understanding the characteristics of lignin is a key for effective biomass conversion to biofuels. In this study, an organosolv pretreatment using 60% ethanol with 1.25% H2SO4 significantly deconstructed poplar lignin and reduced its molecular weights due to the cleavage of lignin inter-unit linkages. The organosolv pretreatment increased the contents of phenolic OH units and the lignin residue showed a high cellulase maximum adsorption capacity. Ammonia pretreatment with 5% ammonium hydroxide was not as effective as organosolv pretreatment on lignin deconstruction. Organosolv lignin residue had lower lignin S/G ratio than the untreated one. Compared to the organosolv lignin residue and untreated lignin, ammonia lignin residue had a higher cellulase adsorption affinity. In addition, the effects of lignin on cellulose hydrolysis was investigated and the results suggested that the presence of lignin with cellulose substrates reduced cellulose hydrolysis, and its inhibitory effect was primarily determined by the lignin properties after each pretreatment. The organosolv pretreatment resulted in a slightly lower cellulase binding strength (249.7 mL g−1) on poplar lignin than that on untreated samples (261.1 mL g−1), while ammonia lignin residue showed a higher cellulase binding strength (402.8 mL g−1) and had more significant inhibition effect on cellulose hydrolysis. These results demonstrated that the binding strength significantly affected the lignin-derived inhibition on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in the cellulose-lignin mixtures.
Ancillary studies for precision diagnosis of hydatidiform moles

Abstract Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a major diagnostic category in gynecological pathology with hydatidiform moles being the most common entities. While the diagnosis of hydatidiform moles fundamentally requires routine histological assessment, it continues to suffer from intra- and inter-observer diagnostic variability, emphasizing the need for new diagnostic modalities. Emerged in recent years as powerful diagnostic methods for accurate classification of hydatidiform moles, p57 immunohistochemistry is highly useful in confirming the diagnosis of complete mole, and PCR-based DNA genotyping has become the gold standard to precisely classify both complete and partial hydatidiform moles. Algorithmic approaches combining traditional histomorphology and these powerful ancillary techniques provide the best diagnostic practice currently available.
Are drowned donors marginal donors? A single pediatric center experience

Drowning, a common cause of death in the pediatric population, is a potentially large donor pool for OLT. Anecdotally, transplant centers have deemed these organs high risk over concerns for infection and graft dysfunction. We theorized drowned donor liver allografts do not portend worse outcomes and therefore should not be excluded from the donation pool. We reviewed our single-center experience of pediatric OLTs between 1988 and 2015 and identified 33 drowned donor recipients. These OLTs were matched 1:2 to head trauma donor OLTs from our center. A chart review assessed postoperative peak AST and ALT, incidence of HAT, graft and recipient survival. Recipient survival at one year between patients with drowned donor vs head trauma donor allografts was not statistically significant (94% vs 97%, P=.63). HAT incidence was 6.1% in the drowned donor group vs 7.6% in the control group (P=.78). Mean postoperative peak AST and ALT was 683 U/L and 450 U/L for drowned donors vs 1119 U/L and 828 U/L in the matched cohort. These results suggest drowned donor liver allografts do not portend worse outcomes in comparison with those procured from head trauma donors.
The Mathematical Development in Number and Operation of Struggling First Graders

(2013). The Mathematical Development in Number and Operation of Struggling First Graders. Investigations in Mathematics Learning: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 19-47.
Analysis of political discourse on twitter in the context of the 2016 US presidential elections

Abstract Social media now plays a pivotal role in electoral campaigns. Rapid dissemination of information through platforms such as Twitter has enabled politicians to broadcast their message to a wide audience. In this paper, we investigated the sentiment of tweets by the two main presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, along with almost 2.9 million tweets by Twitter users during the 2016 US Presidential Elections. We analyzed these short texts to evaluate how accurately Twitter represented the public opinion and real world events of significance related with the elections. We also analyzed the behavior of over a million distinct Twitter users to identify whether the platform was used to share original opinions and to interact with other users or whether few opinions were repeated over and over again with little inter-user dialogue. Finally, we wanted to assess the sentiment of tweets by both candidates and their impact on the election related discourse on Twitter. Some of our findings included the discovery that little original content was created by users and Twitter was primarily used for rebroadcasting already present opinions in the form of retweets with little communication between users. Also of significance was the finding that sentiment and topics expressed on Twitter can be a good proxy of public opinion and important election related events. Moreover, we found that Donald Trump offered a more optimistic and positive campaign message than Hillary Clinton and enjoyed better sentiment when mentioned in messages by Twitter users.
An alternative description of viscous coupling in two-phase flow through porous media

A new formalism is developed to describe the viscous coupling phenomena between two immiscible, flowing fluids in porous media. The formulation is based on the notation of 'two-phase mixture' in which the relative motion between an individual phase and the mixture in porous media can be described by a diffusion equation. The present formulation is derived from Darcy's law with cross-terms without making further approximations. However, the new formulation requires fewer effective parameters to be determined experimentally, thus offering a more viable tool for the study of two-phase flow dynamics with viscous coupling in porous media. Moreover, it is found that no new term appears in the present model in cases with and without viscous coupling; instead, the incorporation of viscous coupling only modifies the effective parameters. It can thus be concluded that viscous coupling does not represent a fundamentally new phenomenon within the framework of the present formulation.
Decolonizing knowledges in feminist world politics

“Decolonizing Knowledges in Feminist World Politics” was the theme of the fifth International Feminist Journal of Politics (IFJP) conference held at the University of Cincinnati in May 2016 and is ...
Public agricultural R&D in high-income countries: Old and new roles in a new funding environment

Abstract In recent years, public agricultural R&D investment in high-income countries has grown considerably more slowly than public agricultural R&D in developing countries, private R&D for agricultural inputs, or private food R&D. Funding trends in these countries have resulted in part from structural changes in the economy, changes in general agricultural policy, and an expanded research agenda. Shifts in agricultural research policy have had a mixed record of success in meeting objectives and have had limited impact in expanding the real resources devoted to agricultural research. However, public agricultural R&D in these countries continues to produce high quality scientific output and measurable impacts on productivity. These research systems continue to be an integral part of the global agricultural research effort.
Chapter 4: Reality and the Illusion of Democracy

It is widely believed that democracy is the best social order for the developed world. The system may have deficiencies, but nevertheless it is considered the best option.
Diffusion-weighted imaging characteristics of primary central nervous system germinoma with histopathologic correlation: a retrospective study.

Rationale and Objectives The aim of this study was to quantify, using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, the microscopic rate of water diffusion in pure germinoma and to determine whether or not the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values correlated with the different histologic components. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of echoplanar diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images was conducted on 10 patients with 11 germinoma lesions. All images were obtained using 1.5-T magnets with a b value of 1000 s/mm2. Regions of interest were drawn separately within the solid and the cystic or necrotic components of each germinoma, as well as within the normal gray and white matter of the respective cases, to calculate ADCs. The diffusion characteristics of the germinomas were assessed using mean and normalized ADC values. Histologic samples from all cases were blindly reviewed and then correlated with the ADC values. Results Data are expressed as mean ± standard error. Evaluation of the solid components revealed that 36% of germinomas (4 of 11) had predominantly restricted diffusion (ADCsolid, 694.71 × 10−6 ± 74.54 × 10−6 s/mm2; ADC ratio, 0.84 ± 0.07) compared to normal brain. The majority (55% [6 of 11]) had normal diffusion (ADCsolid, 947.64 × 10−6 ± 54.38 × 10−6 s/mm2; ADC ratio, 1.14 ± 0.10). Only 9% (1 of 11) had increased diffusion (ADCsolid, 1172.30 × 10−6 ± 48.52 × 10−6 s/mm2; ADC ratio, 1.67 ± 0.16). The cystic and necrotic components had a mean ADC ratio of 2.55 ± 0.25. There was no significant correlation between the histologic components and the ADC values of germinomas. Conclusions The vast majority of germinomas demonstrated predominantly restricted (36%) or normal (55%) diffusion. The histologic components were not correlated with the ADC values.
Unified Theory of Spin and Angular Momentum

The requirement that a physical theory be expressible in a mathematical form that is not contradictory within its system of axioms and the fact that we have no theory of truly everything, together, lend support to the assumption that we are bound to discover in any good (and therefore clear) theory “so great an absurdity that no reasonable person can believe in it.” This should result from the limitations on mathematical axioms and physical assumptions we have to impose.
Idiotype network induced by anti-GD2 immunotherapy is associated with long-term survival in patients with neuroblastoma.

10570Background: Human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response after mouse anti-GD2 antibody therapy was demonstrated to correlate with overall survival (OS) in patients with neuroblastoma [Cheung et a...
Disability and the Immigrant Health Paradox: Gender and Timing of Migration

Although research has documented better health and longer life expectancy among the foreign-born relative to their U.S.-born counterparts, the U.S. Mexican-origin immigrant population is diverse and the healthy immigrant effect likely varies by key structural and demographic factors such as gender, migration history, and duration in the United States. Using a life course framework, we use data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE 1993–2013) which includes Mexican-American individuals aged 65 and older to assess the heterogeneity in the immigrant health advantage by age of migration and gender. We find that age of migration is an important delineating factor for disability among both men and women. The healthy immigrant hypothesis is only observable among mid- and late-life migrant men for ADL disability. While among immigrant women, late-life migrants are more likely to have an IADL disability putting them at a health disadvantage. These findings illustrate that Mexican immigrants are not a homogeneous group and migrant health selectivity depends on both gender and when migrants arrived in the United States.
Role Of Professional self-efficacy In The Etiology And Amelioration Of Burnout

In reviewing everything we have learned about professional burnout during the last 15 years, is there a single, underlying theme that emerges? Given how large and varied the research literature on burnout has become, it’s not clear that one theme can tie it all together. Yet the very diversity of the work demands that we make some attempt to develop a unifying conception. A particularly good candidate for such a unifying conception is the concept of self-efficacy. It is not a new concept in psychology. But most writing and research on burnout has not explicitly recognized this conceptual link between burnout and self-efficacy. This is unfortunate, because linking burnout with self-efficacy can point to some valuable new directions for research, theory, and action on burnout in the future, as Leiter (1990a) recently suggested.
Structural and Functional Studies of a gem-Dimethylating Methyltransferase from a trans-Acyltransferase Assembly Line

The methyl substituents in products of trans-acyltransferase assembly lines are usually incorporated by S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase (MT) domains. The gem-dimethyl moieties within the polyketide disorazol are installed through the iterative action of an MT in the third module of its assembly line. The 1.75-A-resolution crystal structure of this MT helps elucidate how it catalyzes the addition of two methyl groups. Activity assays of point mutants on β-ketoacyl chains linked to an acyl carrier protein and N-acetylcysteamine provide additional insights into the roles of active site residues. The replacement of an alanine with a phenylalanine at an apparent gatekeeping position resulted in more monomethylation than dimethylation. MTs may form an interface with ketoreductases (KRs) and even mediate the docking of trans-acyltransferase assembly line polypeptides through this association.
Immunology beliefs as a factor in vaccine opposition among complementary and alternative medical providers

Objectives:Parental pediatric vaccine decisions are influenced by parents’ health provider networks. Complementary and alternative medical providers may be key influences in the networks of those p...
Recruitment of human eIF4G1 or DAP5 to the 5’ untranslated regions of a subset of cellular mRNAs drives cap-independent translation

Abstract During unfavorable cellular conditions (e.g., tumor hypoxia, viral infection, nutrient deprivation, etc.), the canonical, cap-dependent translation initiation pathway in human cells is suppressed by sequestration of the cap-binding protein, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E, by 4E-binding proteins. Additionally, the expression levels of eIF4G and its cellular homolog, death associated protein 5 (DAP5), are elevated. Under these conditions, a subset of cellular mRNAs, including many encoding proteins with important roles in human health and disease, (e.g. HIF-1α, FGF-9, and p53) is translated in a cap-independent manner. Despite their physiological importance, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying cap-independent initiation of this subset of cellular mRNAs remain unknown. Here, we have used fluorescence anisotropy-based equilibrium binding assays developed in our laboratories to demonstrate that an N-terminal truncated form of human eIF4G1 that cannot interact with eIF4E (ΔN-4G1) or DAP5 directly bind to the 5’ untranslated regions (UTRs) of these mRNAs. Specifically, we have measured the differential affinities with which ΔN-4G1 and DAP5 interact with the 5’ UTRs of four distinct members of this subset of cellular mRNAs. Using a luciferase-based gene expression reporter assay, we further demonstrate that these same 5’ UTRs can promote cap-independent initiation in an ΔN-4G1 or DAP5-dependent manner in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate-based in vitro translation system. Integrating the results of our quantitative binding- and in vitro translation studies, we propose a model specifying how a subset of cellular mRNAs switch from cap-dependent to cap-independent modes of translation initiation Significance Under cellular stress conditions (e.g., tumor hypoxia, viral infection, etc.), the canonical, cap-dependent initiation of eukaryotic protein synthesis, or translation, of a subset of cellular mRNAs switches to a cap-independent mechanism. Despite the important role they play in human health and disease, the mechanisms regulating this switch remain unknown. We have found that a variant of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G1 and its homolog, DAP5, factors that are upregulated under stress conditions, bind with high affinity and specificity to the 5’ untranslated regions of these mRNAs and upregulate their translation. These results suggest that binding of eIF4G1 or DAP5 to these mRNAs plays an important role in regulating the switch between the cap-dependent and cap-independent initiation of these mRNAs.
A History of Technoscience: Erasing the Boundaries between Science and Technology

Are science and technology independent of one another? Is technology dependent upon science, and if so, how is it dependent? Is science dependent upon technology, and if so how is it dependent? Or, are science and technology becoming so interdependent that the line dividing them has become totally erased? This book charts the history of technoscience from the late nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century and shows how the military–industrial–academic complex and big science combined to create new examples of technoscience in such areas as the nuclear arms race, the space race, the digital age, and the new worlds of nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Address to the first national faculty meeting.

As Beverly Malone, the president of the American Nurses Association, said, "The future of nursing is not inevitable, it is inventable." We, the faculty of schools of nursing, play a major role in inventing the future as we conduct our work of reaching, research, and service. As teachers, we prepare our students for a future we envision. They, in turn, will invent that future through their practice. Active involvement in inventing the future is our public trust. We have come together as a national network of nurse educators challenged by the complexities of today's rapidly changing world -- in health care and in higher education -- to work together for an improved tomorrow. The strength of a national network will reveal itself as never before as we begin active dialogue and scholarly debate about some of the educational and practice issues that have plagued nursing for decades and other issues that have surfaced more recently through shifts in the national economy and the transformation to an information age. The differences in the types of nursing programs within which we work, and the institutional mission even within the same types of programs, create lenses that shape our world views. These lenses guide our work lives and work loads and affect our contributions to the invention of the future of our profession. Diversity can be a strength for creating a future responsive to the health care and illness care needs of the public. We must be clear, however, about our differences and make them points of strength rather than areas of confusion. Once we are, nursing will maximize its position within health care. We are here because we believe that the greater good for nursing, and ultimately for health care, will emerge when we work together to address our issues as a community rather than as isolated enterprises. We have the capability to create a national agenda that will move forward the work of nursing schools and their faculties. We can, and we must, establish an agenda for our work that refocuses our lens away from ourselves and our separateness to the collective good of nursing and quality nursing education. I envision our work today as a first conversation that will guide NLN through the development of strategic initiatives and strategic thinking. This meeting -- and, indeed, NLN's new far-reaching focus as reflected in its mission statement -- emerged from the faculty conversation at the 1997 biennial convention in Oregon. From being essentially defined by one function -- accreditation -- we reclaimed the panoramic lens of quality nursing education, with accreditation appropriately positioned in the periphery of our vision. …
UNIT 1.5 Characterization of Adrenoceptors

Norepinephrine and epinephrine are important neurotransmitters in both the peripheral and the central nervous systems. The actions of these neurotransmitters are mediated by adrenoceptors. Three major types of adrenoceptors have been identified on the basis of pharmacological data: α1, α2, and β. Within each major type, at least three receptor subtypes have been identified. Three basic types of radioligand binding experiments are provided in this unit: (1) saturation binding from which the affinity (Kd) of the radioligand for the adrenoceptor and the binding site density (Bmax) can be determined; (2) inhibition experiments from which the affinity (Ki) of a competing, unlabeled compound for the receptor can be determined; and (3) kinetic assays from which the forward and reverse rate constants of the binding process can be determined. Three support protocols are provided covering the preparation of membranes containing the receptor from tissue or cells in culture, calculation of Kd and Bmax from saturation experiments, and calculation of Ki from inhibition experiments. Keywords: receptor binding; epinephrine; norepinephrine; neurotransmitter; adrenoceptor; adrenergic receptor
Evaluation of Solvent Recovery Options for Economic Feasibility through a Superstructure-Based Optimization Framework

As the chemical market continues to expand, environmental concerns have increased due to excessive disposal of organic solvents. To date, there is no comprehensive mitigation plan to completely handle such a volume of solvent waste generated annually by the chemicals sector. These organic solvents can account for up to 90% of the process by mass and are often discarded after a single use. Incineration, the most widely used process for solvent disposal, is not a green method because of the release of harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases to the environment. A systematic framework for solvent recovery has been developed to overcome the drawbacks of the existing disposal methods. This framework uses a superstructure-based approach that considers the simultaneous comparison of multiple separation technologies for solvent recovery. The viability of this framework was tested using two representative case studies of varying complexities. These case studies were analyzed and formulated as mixed-integer nonlinear programming optimization problems. In both cases, solvent recovery is an economically favorable choice to conventional incineration. Herein, we demonstrate the capability of our solvent recovery framework to obtain economically viable solvent recovery pathways.
Sudden Death Associated With Sickle Cell Trait Before and After Mandatory Screening

Background:Sickle cell trait (SCT) has been associated with an increased risk of sudden death in athletes during strenuous exercise. In August 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NC...
Estimation of the Probability Density Function of Random Displacements from Images

We introduce an image-based algorithm to find the probability density function (PDF) of particle displacements from a sequence of images. Conventionally methods based on cross correlation (CC) of image ensembles estimate the standard deviation of an assumed Gaussian PDF from the width of the CC peak. These methods are subject to limiting assumptions that the particle intensity profile and distribution of particle displacements are both Gaussian. Here, we introduce an approach to image-based probability estimation of displacement (iPED) without making any assumptions about the shape of particles' intensity profile or the PDF of the displacements. In addition, we provide a statistical convergence criterion for iPED to achieve an accurate estimate of the underlying PDF. We compare iPED's performance with the previous CC method for both Gaussian and non-Gaussian particle intensity profiles undergoing Gaussian or non-Gaussian processes. We validate iPED using synthetic images and show that it accurately resolves the PDF of particle displacements with no underlying assumptions. Finally, we demonstrate the application of iPED to real experimental data sets and evaluate its performance. In conclusion, this work presents a method for the estimation of the probability density function of random displacements from images. This method is generalized and independent of any assumptions about the underlying process and is applicable to any moving objects of any arbitrary shape.
De novo assembly and annotation of a highly contiguous reference genome of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) reveals an AT-rich repetitive genome with compact gene structure

ABSTRACT The Fathead Minnow (FHM) is one of the most important and widely used model organisms in aquatic toxicology. The lack of a high-quality and well-annotated FHM reference genome, however, has severely hampered the efforts using modem ‘omics approaches with FHM for environmental toxicogenomics studies. We present here a de novo assembled and nearly complete reference of the fathead minnow genome. Compared to the current fragmented and sparsely annotated FHM genome assembly (FHM1), the new highly contiguous and well-annotated FHM reference genome (FHM2) represents a major improvement, having 95.1% of the complete BUSCOs (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) and a scaffold N50 of 12.0 Mbps. The completeness of gene annotation for the FHM2 reference genome was demonstrated to be comparable to that of the zebrafish (ZF) GRCz11 reference genome. In addition, our comparative genomics analyses between FHM and ZF revealed highly conserved coding regions between two species while discovering much more compact gene structure in FHM than ZF. This study not only provides insights for assembling a highly repetitive AT-rich genome, but also delivers a critical genomic resource essential for toxicogenomics studies in environmental toxicology.
Rural Enrollees In Medicare Advantage Have Substantial Rates Of Switching To Traditional Medicare.

Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas may face challenges to gaining access to care, particularly if enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with limited benefits and restrictive provider network...
Applying Cultural Humility in Geriatric Psychiatry: A Case of Diagnosis and Treatment for an Indian Patient

Introduction Cultural humility in geriatric psychiatry provides clinicians with skills to accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients of different backgrounds. Cultural humility includes 1) lifelong learning and self-reflection, 2) acknowledging and addressing power dynamics within the treatment relationship and 3) institutional accountability and partnerships. This poster discusses cultural humility in the diagnosis and treatment of 71-year-old man from India who spoke limited English. Methods A case report is presented with information gathered from clinical documents in our electronic medical records system. A literature review and application of cultural humility principles was performed. Results Lifelong learning and self-reflection seeks to further knowledge, training and experience to provide culturally competent care. Self-reflection is a skill that develops with time and can be achieved thought through mindfulness and the humility of acknowledging what we do not know. The patient presented for hospitalization after an extended depressive episode with psychosis, suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation. The diagnosis of major depressive disorder with psychosis during hospitalization was later changed to bipolar disorder at follow-up. The delay to care and initial misdiagnosis is discussed in the concept of lifelong learning and self-reflection. Imbalances of power dynamics may result in suboptimal care for patients and recognition and mitigation of imbalances may be critical for the care of people and developing effective relationships with patients and their families. For our patient, like many geriatric patients, treatment planning occurred with both the patient and his adult daughter. The patient would typically prefer his daughter communicate his symptoms and concerns. The treatment power dynamics between provider, patient and family is explored further. Institutional accountability works to have the structure of institutions operate in the model of cultural humility. The patient presented with cognitive impairments but would not engage in evaluation or cognitive assessment tools. There often appeared to be difficulty with use of phone interpreters and understanding the assessment tools. Institutional accountability may address barriers of communication and engagement in assessment by providing robust services for patients and education for providers. Conclusions This case demonstrates how cultural humility can be implemented in meaningful ways to improve patient outcomes. Future direction includes the application of cultural humility in clinical and research settings. Further studies to obtain the experience of cultural humility from patients, families and providers would be beneficial to increase the use of cultural humility in patient care. Funding No funding to declare.
Becoming Demoiselles Frigidaires: Negotiating Morality, Gender, and Elite Education in French West Africa, 1944-1945

During the era of French colonialism in West Africa, teachers' lives were shaped by the intersections of multiple identities. As both representatives and subjects of the colonial state, they navigated complex power relationships during a time characterized by state violence and precarity. This paper examines these dynamics using one historical artifact as a framework -- a class notebook written by Hadja Nima Bah, a student at Ecole Normale de Jeunes Filles (Teacher Training Institute for Young Girls, ENJF) the only teacher training institute for women in French West Africa in the 1940s -- and situating it within the political economy, ideologies, and schooling practices of the time. I argue that young women who attended ENJF negotiated numerous tensions and ambiguities. They received an elite education but would become teachers at rural primary schools far from the colonial metropolis. They were highly educated women living in a patriarchal society. The elite status of these young women brought them in close contact with the French colonial state, yet they were not French and were rather Guinean, Senegalese, Malian, etc. Young women at ENJF navigated these tensions to create their own identities, which were largely shared, durable, and centered around being educated.
Virtual Guilty Pleas

The coronavirus pandemic led criminal courts across the country to switch to virtual hearings to protect public health. As the pandemic subsides, many policymakers have called for the continued use of the remote format for a range of criminal proceedings. To guide decisions whether to use remote criminal justice on a regular basis, it is important to review the advantages and disadvantages of the practice. Remote criminal proceedings have been praised for their convenience and efficiency, but have also raised concerns. Many have worried that videoconferencing inhibits effective communication between defendants and their counsel, hinders defendants’ understanding of the process, impedes effective confrontation of witnesses, and prejudices the court’s perceptions of the defendant and witnesses. Previous scholarly work has attempted to evaluate remote criminal proceedings through legal and policy analysis, surveys of practitioners, and a comparison of outcomes of in-person and remote proceedings. This Article adds insights based on direct observations of over three hundred remote criminal proceedings in misdemeanor and felony courts across Michigan and Texas. Our observations reveal that judicial review of guilty pleas in the virtual setting is as brief and superficial as it is in person and may fail to detect inaccurate, coercive, or uninformed guilty pleas. But the virtual format presents additional risks to the fairness and integrity of the plea process, including the disengagement from the process by defendants, the difficulty of counsel and defendant to communicate privately, and the potentially prejudicial effects of inadequate technology and informal settings. The Article concludes by arguing that states should not use remote plea hearings on a regular basis after the pandemic is over. To the extent they do continue conducting remote plea hearings, they must bolster procedural safeguards in the proceedings. Judges must review virtual pleas and plea agreements more closely, verify that defendants are making an informed and voluntary choice to proceed remotely, take measures to ensure that defendants are represented adequately, and address the potentially prejudicial effects of the remote setting. These measures can help protect fairness in the plea process and ensure that virtual guilty pleas remain constitutionally valid.
Clustering of electromagnetic showers and particle interactions with graph neural networks in liquid argon time projection chambers

Liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) are a class of detectors that produce high resolution images of charged particles within their sensitive volume. In these images, the clustering of distinct particles into superstructures is of central importance to the current and future neutrino physics program. Electromagnetic (EM) activity typically exhibits spatially detached fragments of varying morphology and orientation that are challenging to efficiently assemble using traditional algorithms. Similarly, particles that are spatially removed from each other in the detector may originate from a common interaction. Graph neural networks (GNNs) were developed in recent years to find correlations between objects embedded in an arbitrary space. The graph particle aggregator (GrapPA) first leverages GNNs to predict the adjacency matrix of EM shower fragments and to identify the origin of showers, i.e., primary fragments. On the PILArNet public LArTPC simulation dataset, the algorithm achieves a shower clustering accuracy characterized by a mean purity of 99.4%, a mean efficiency of 99.6% and a primary identification accuracy of 99.8%. It yields a relative shower energy uncertainty of $(4.1+1.4/\sqrt{E(\mathrm{GeV})})%$ and a shower direction uncertainty of $(2.1/\sqrt{E(\mathrm{GeV})})\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$. The optimized algorithm is then applied to the related task of clustering particle instances into interactions and yields a mean purity of 99.8% and a mean efficiency of 99.5% for an interaction density of $\mathcal{O}(1)\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$.
Deep learning-based sensitivity analysis of the effect of completion parameters on oil production

Abstract Given that the goal of every hydrocarbon well is to maximize the amount of oil and/or gas produced, optimization of well completion and reservoir parameters is crucial for the development of an unconventional field. A good optimization tool is sensitivity analysis. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are a fairly nascent but powerful technique that can be used to capture the effects of well completion and reservoir parameters on hydrocarbon production within a similar formation. This is because ANN models have a proven record of capturing underlying and complex correlations between complex dependent and explanatory variables. In this study, we propose using location, Volume of Fluid per Foot of Perforated Interval, Pounds of Proppant per Foot of Perforated Interval, Average Porosity, Average Water Saturation, and Average Permeability as input to train an ANN model that forecasts the first six months of oil production. We then opt to use the ANN model as a basis to explore the effect of various well completion and reservoir parameters (Volume of Fluid per Foot of Perforated Interval, Pounds of Proppant per Foot of Perforated Interval) on oil production. The dataset used consisted of 464 wells from the middle Bakken. 323 wells were used for model training, 69 for validation, 69 for testing, and 3 wells for sensitivity analysis. The average performance of the ANN model with the root mean squared error of 4109.31 bbl and R-squared of 0.78 suggests the workflow described in this study is a viable way to anticipate the oil production of a stimulated horizontal well. The sensitivity analysis then portrays a feasible way to infer production values, should completion and stimulation parameters change.
Connection Management for Survivable Wavelength-Routed Networks

In Chapter 4, we investigated several protection schemes in wavelengthrouted WDM networks from the routing and wavelength-assignment perspective. We observed that shared-path protection is more resource-efficient compared to shared-link protection. Theoretically, shared-link protection is more resource-efficient than dedicated-path protection. However, given that the optimal routing problem, which can be formulated as a multicommodity flow problem, is NP-complete [28], it is hard to find a good heuristic. In this chapter, we devote our study to path-based protection schemes from the connection management standpoint. Although our discussion is focused on path-protection schemes, most techniques described in the chapter are also applicable to networks employing other protection schemes, such as dedicated-link protection, shared-link protection, sub-path protection [74], and short-leap-shared protection (SLSP) [75], etc.