cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-HLA Antibodies and Graft Rejection In Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract 519 We have previously identified a high risk of primary graft failure (PGF) in patients with DSA in T-cell depleted haploidentical transplantation (HaploSCT); 3/4 patients with DSA had PGF compared with 1/20 patients without DSA. All patients with DSA against anti-HLA A, B and DRB1 developed PGF, while 1 patient with anti-DP DSA did not. We now hypothesize that anti-DP antibodies may have a significant but less deleterious impact on engraftment. Methods: We evaluated the occurrence of PGF in 592 patients who received matched unrelated donor transplants at our institution after 1/2005. 88 % of the transplants were matched in 8/8 alleles of HLA-A,B,C,DRB1 in the HvG vector; approximately 75% of the transplants were mismatched in either DRB 3/4/5, DQB1 or DPB1. The presence of DSA was determined by testing the patients9 sera with a panel of fluorescent beads coated with single HLA antigen preparations using a Luminex™ platform; results were interpreted as fluorescence intensity (FI) against DSA mismatch. All HLA loci were typed by high resolution methods. Results: 19/592 patients (3%) had either PGF (N=9) or died early without engraftment (ED) (N=10). The only DSA identified were against the DP molecule in 8 patients matched in 8/8 HLA alleles with no apparent specificity. 3/8 (37.5%) patients had PGF/ED compared with 16/584 (2.7%) who did not have DSA (p=0.001, RR=23.3). One patient with PGF in the presence of anti-DP DSA had a second transplant in the absence of antibodies and engrafted cells from the same donor. In spite of common HLA sensitization (116/592, 19.6%) only 8 patients (1.4%) presented DSA in their pre-transplant specimens, mostly females (N=7) with a median age 49 years. DSA ranged from 1558 to 9845 FI, similar in patients with and without engraftment. Overall there was a 3% risk of PGF/ED without HLA antibodies, 6% risk in the presence of antibodies but not DSA, and 37.5% risk in the presence of DSA. Multivariate analysis revealed that DSA (p=0.0001) and ABO mismatch (p=0.04) were the only variables associated with graft failure. There was a significant association between female gender and allosensitization, 30.8% of females had anti HLA antibodies vs. 12.1% males (p Conclusions: These results, combined with our previous findings in HaploSCT, suggest that DSA are associated with graft rejection in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Graft failure occurs less often with anti-DP DSA (3/9) compared with DSA against high expression HLA molecules (3/3, HLA-A, B or DRB1) and may confer a lower risk for graft rejection. The differences may reside in the lower levels of DP molecules expressed on cell surface. DSA screening is warranted when considering donors with HLA mismatches as strategies for donor selection and/or antibody level reduction may be needed to decrease the risk of PGF in allogeneic HSCT from partially HLA-matched donors. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Loading Dependent Electrical Properties of Hybrid Perovskite Composite Media

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have been previously compounded with hydrophobic polymers in order to improve the resilience of HOIPs in humid environments. In this study HOIP particles were synthesized and dispersed into a polymer solution. The weight loading of the HOIP phase in the composite was increased until an abrupt change in the electrical conduction was observed indicating a percolation threshold was approached. Additionally, the CH3NH3PbI3/ polystyrene composite media was characterized to assess morphology and the effect it has on the observed electrical properties.
Initialization of mesoscale models - The possible impact of remotely sensed data

The numerical models discussed in this book (and elsewhere) are formulated as Initial Value problems. That is at the start of the integration (t = 0) all the prognostic variables (wind, temperature, humidity) need to be specified. At a later time, all the prognostic (and diagnostic) variables are predicted by the model. Virtually all the numerical models require that the continuum equations, which describe the atmospheric dynamics, thermodynamics and radiation, be replaced by their discrete analogues. Regardless of the specific method of discretization, there is an explicit or implicit requirement that the initial conditions be specified at grid points which are often different than “observation points”.
The New Global Labour Studies: A Critical Review

The past two decades have seen a dramatic upsurge in sustained, cross-border labour activism, or labour transnationalism. Scattered across multiple disciplines and subfields, a new field of inquiry – the new global labour studies (NGLS) – has emerged as scholars seek to comprehend the causes and consequences of twenty-first-century labour transnationalism. This multi-disciplinary approach has provided a platform from which to analyse an emerging phenomenon. We assess relevant strands of this emerging field that focus on: a) new theories of labour power and corporate vulnerability, and b) worker agency and organising strategy. While these areas have produced robust findings, we argue that developing a more complete understanding of labour transnationalism and its outcomes will require scholars to produce a more explicit critique of mainstream political economy, sociology, political science and labour studies.
Minority language education in Nepal: The view from a Himalayan village

Abstract This article, a case study in one group of communities of Nepal, considers minority language education in the face of increasing encroachment of the dominant and national language Nepali. Our over-arching research question asks, in the context of local education, what we can observe about the perceived value, use of, and competition between two local languages (Gurung, Gyalsumdo) and also between these languages and Nepali (the national language of Nepal) in the Manang District. We find persistent divisions amongst residents and educators about the current and future role of local languages.
Sex, race, and insurance status differences in hospital treatment and outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Abstract Background Sex, race, and insurance status are associated with treatment and outcomes in several cardiovascular diseases. These disparities, however, have not been well-studied in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Objective Our objective was to evaluate the association of patient sex, race, and insurance status with hospital treatments and outcomes following OHCA. Methods We studied adult patients in the 2011–2015 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) Patient Discharge Database with a “present on admission” diagnosis of cardiac arrest (ICD-9-CM 427.5). Insurance status was classified as private, Medicare, and Medi-Cal/government/self-pay. Our primary outcome was good neurologic recovery at hospital discharge, which was determined by discharge disposition. Secondary outcomes were survival to hospital discharge, treatment at a 24/7 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center, “do not resuscitate” orders within 24 h of admission, and cardiac catheterization during hospitalization. Data were analyzed with hierarchical multiple logistic regression models. Results We studied 38,163 patients in the OSHPD database. Female sex, non-white race, and Medicare insurance status were independently associated with worse neurologic recovery [OR 0.94 (0.89–0.98), 0.93 (0.88–0.98), and 0.85 (0.79–0.91), respectively], lower rates of treatment at a 24/7 PCI center [OR 0.89 (0.85–0.93), 0.88 (0.85–0.93), and 0.87 (0.82–0.94), respectively], and lower rates of cardiac catheterization [OR 0.61 (0.57–0.65), 0.90 (0.84–0.97), and 0.44 (0.40–0.48), respectively]. Female sex, white race, and Medicare insurance were associated with DNR orders within 24 h of admission [OR 1.16 (1.10–1.23), 1.14 (1.07–1.21), and 1.25 (1.15–1.36), respectively]. Conclusions Sex, race, and insurance status were independently associated with post-arrest care interventions, patient outcomes and treatment at a 24/7 PCI center. More studies are needed to fully understand the causes and implications of these disparities.
Conformal Mappings on Riemann Surfaces. By Harvey Cohn

(1983). Conformal Mappings on Riemann Surfaces. By Harvey Cohn. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 90, No. 2, pp. 142-144.
Loss of white matter integrity reflects tau accumulation in Alzheimer disease defined regions.

Objective White matter (WM) projections were assessed from Alzheimer disease (AD) gray matter regions associated with β-amyloid (Aβ), tau, or neurodegeneration to ascertain relationship between WM structural integrity with Aβ and/or tau deposition. Methods Participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), PET Aβ ([ 18 F]AV-45 [florbetapir]), and PET tau ([ 18 F]AV-1451 [flortaucipir]) imaging. Probabilistic WM summary and individual tracts were created from either a composite or individual gray matter seed regions derived from Aβ, tau, and neurodegeneration. Linear regressions were performed for Aβ, age, tau and WM hyperintensities (WMH) to predict mean diffusivity (MD) or fractional anisotropy (FA) from the corresponding WM summaries or tracts. Results Our cohort was composed of 59 cognitively normal participants and 10 cognitively impaired individuals. Aβ was not associated with DTI metrics in WM summary or individual tracts. Age and WMH strongly predicted MD and FA in several WM regions, with tau a significant predictor of MD only in the anterior temporal WM. Conclusion Tau, not Aβ, was associated with changes in anterior temporal WM integrity. WMH, a proxy for vascular damage, was strongly associated with axonal damage, but tau independently contributed to the model, suggesting an additional degenerative mechanism within tracts projecting from regions vulnerable to AD pathology. WM decline was associated with early tau accumulation, and further decline may reflect tau propagation in more advanced stages of AD.
Nuclear Factor-κB and Chemoresistance: How Intertwined Are They?

The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) was first discovered in the nucleus of B cells where it binds to the enhancer of the kappa chain of immunoglobulin. This transcription factor has now been shown to be present in all cell types in the body. Under normal conditions, activated NF-κB is found only in immune cells, but constitutively active form is found only in tumor cells. In tumor cells, NF-κB regulates the expression of different genes involved in tumor cell survival, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastases. Interestingly, most chemotherapeutic drugs used today also activate NF-κB and induce resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. How NF-κB mediates chemoresistance is becoming quite apparent by its close relationship with MDR1, COX-2, survivin, Bcl-2/bcl-xL, IAP-1, IAP-2, XIAP, cFLIP, adhesion molecules, AKT/PI3K, mTOR signaling, PTK, 5-LOX, EGFR, IL-6, HER-2, PKC/PKA, cyclin D1, C-myc, integrins, TGase, and STAT3. This chapter describes various mechanisms by which NF-κB mediates chemoresistance in tumor cells.
Educational Reform, The Aging Society, and the Teaching Profession:

Recent proposals for educational reform call for major changes in public education that, if implemented, will presage basic shifts in career patterns for teachers in the elementary and secondary sc...
Solving factored MDPs with exponential-family transition models

Markov decision processes (MDPs) with discrete and continuous state and action components can be solved efficiently by hybrid approximate linear programming (HALP). The main idea of the approach is to approximate the optimal value function by a linear combination of basis functions and optimize it by linear programming. In this paper, we extend the existing HALP paradigm beyond the mixture of beta transition model. As a result, we permit modeling of other transition functions, such as normal and gamma densities, without approximating them. To allow for efficient solutions to the expectation terms in HALP, we identify a rich class of conjugate basis functions. Finally, we demonstrate the generalized HALP framework on a rover planning problem, which exhibits continuous time and resource uncertainty.
The Impact of Writing Practices on Students’ Mathematical Attainment

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effects of writing intervention on students’ mathematical attainment based on their achievement (mathematics standardized test scores) and their attitudes toward mathematics (mathematical motivation and interest). Twelve studies with 19 effect sizes were selected for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. Results indicated that the overall effect size equalled 0.42. The small sample size (12 studies) in the present meta-analysis limits the generalizations that might be made regarding the overall impact of writing intervention on students’ mathematical attainment. However, the implication from the present study is that integrating writing into mathematics classrooms can be a useful instructional strategy to increase students’ mathematics success.
Relationship of Sociodemographic Factors and Outcomes in Functional Rhinoplasty.

The objective of this article was to compare the effect of such sociodemographic factors as gender, age, marital status, employment status, race, and income on short- and long-term rhinoplasty outcomes using a validated disease-specific instrument—Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, as well as complication and revision rates. Patients who underwent a functional (+/− cosmetic) rhinoplasty with the senior author between January, 1 2012, and September 9, 2017, and had both a preoperative and at least one postoperative NOSE score, were included in the study. Sociodemographic variables of binary gender, age, marital status, employment status, race, and income based on zip code were collected. The primary outcomes were the differences between the preoperative and postoperative NOSE scores with short-term (less than 3 months) and longer-term (greater than 3 months) follow-up. Secondary outcomes were general complications and specifically revision surgery. Standard descriptive statistics, as well as univariable linear and logistic regressions, were conducted with each outcome measure. A total of 341 patients were included in this study. No individual patient-level variables were found to significantly affect the short- or longer-term average change in NOSE scores, although older age trended toward significance in longer-term average change in NOSE scores (p = 0.07). No factors significantly affected the rate of complications or revision surgery in this cohort. The authors found improvement in NOSE scores after rhinoplasty was not related to factors of age, gender, race, employment status, income, and marital status. This cohort also did not demonstrate differential rates in complications or revision surgery based on sociodemographic variables.
Cortisol stress reactivity in women, diurnal variations, and hormonal contraceptives: studies from the Family Health Patterns Project.

Women have smaller cortisol responses to psychological stress than men do, and women taking hormonal contraceptives (HC+) have smaller responses than HC− women. Cortisol secretion undergoes substan...
The Importance of Culture in Managing Mental Health Response to Pandemics

Despite their global threat, all infectious outbreaks initially occur in localized parts of the world. The culture of an affected society, therefore, plays an integral role in the perceptions of illness and societal willingness implementing measures to counter an outbreak. Cultural beliefs and values can significantly contribute to either the spreading or the mitigation of an outbreak. Identification and inclusion of the cultural parameters of the epidemic can be instrumental in the development of an efficient control strategy.
Opening up the firm: What explains participation and effort in voluntary carbon disclosure by global businesses? An analysis of internal firm factors and dynamics

A voluntary climate initiative that has emerged over the past two decades as an institutional arrangement for corporations around the globe to signal and demonstrate their proactive climate leadership is the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). Unlike the extant literature that has emphasized stakeholder and regulatory pressures, this paper argues that voluntary carbon disclosure is both beneficial and costly for corporations with respect to the existence of supportive management structures, explicit CSR practices, and the existence of complementary assets. Moreover, there is variation between European firms and other global businesses because of Europe's distinctive national business systems framework in conjunction with global supply chain imperatives. Empirically, this study employs a novel discrete‐continuous modeling approach to distinguish between a corporation's decision to disclose and the linked but subsequent decision of how much to disclose climate change information. Results indicate that the main drivers of participation in voluntary carbon disclosure by the Global 500 firms is the existence of senior managers and executive‐level officers and the adoption of ESG principles by global businesses. Conditional on participation, European Union‐based and other global businesses that articulate a corporate vision for environmental sustainability, adopt ESG principles, and invest in complementary assets disclose climate change strategies and emissions at higher levels than companies without these internal firm capabilities. This study has implications for national climate policy and global climate change governance more generally, both of which increasingly focus on concrete climate solutions by corporations.
The winding paths of peripheral proletarianization: local labour, world hegemonies, and crisis in rural Colombia.

This paper analyses the spatial and temporal patterning of Colombia's rural coffee, banana, and coca‐producing labour regimes. The violent labour repression and endemic crises of labour control characterizing these regimes challenge the market despotism paradigm that predominates in scholarly analysis of 21st century labour and agrarian struggles. Instead, I draw from early and later writings of Giovanni Arrighi and his collaborators to develop a new labour regime framework that is sensitive to the experiences of capitalist development in “hostile environments” (i.e., peripheral market conditions) and “hostile times” (periods of world hegemonic decline). In doing so, I highlight the deep social contradictions—crises, violence, and labour militancy—that result from processes of peripheral proletarianization and the ways that these contradictions were mitigated and/or exacerbated by the rise of U.S. global hegemony, Colombian developmental policy, and local agrarian struggle.
IoE-Enabled Smart Embedded System: An Innovative Way of Learning

In modern days, there is a need for an effective, smart, and quick teaching methodologies helping students to have intelligent and thorough knowledge experience. Effective teaching depends on deliverable methods and moral learning environment. New trends in this regard have raised the term Internet of everything (IoE) which connects machine, people, and processes. This paper offers an IoE-based solution to upgrade teaching and learning processes. IoE covers the entire digital age with miniaturized operating system devices serving easy integration of large applications on these tiny devices. We present an innovative approach for creating a smart learning environment, in which teaching resources are automatically operated after entering credentials through a Web application. Learning strategy also supports recording functionality wherein teacher can record the lecture contents and students can view recorded lecture series and can also interact through the collaborative screen. All modules are being controlled through embedded computing device Raspberry Pi for hardware interfacing, Web application, intelligent media for controlling the resources, and scripting module for the collaborative screen. As different features are integrated into a centralized zone along with a modest and easily operated interface, this system results as a worthwhile and helpful for both teachers and students.
Exponential generating functions and Bell numbers

How to partition a finite set? This question is almost as fundamental as how to select a subset of elements, or how to permute the elements in the set. However, the answer to the question turns out to be rather more delicate, which is why we have deferred the question until now.
Practical Approach to Eliminate Bilirubin Interference in Icteric Samples for Creatinine Measurement

The interference of bilirubin in both kinetic alkaline picrate creatinine assays (Jaffe) and enzymatic creatinine assays has been known and described in the literature (1, 2). Bilirubin negatively interferes with the Jaffe method, leading to underestimation of creatinine concentrations. Oxidation of bilirubin to biliverdin in alkaline solutions decreases the absorbance of both the creatinine picrate complex and bilirubin at the absorbance peak of 510 nm and increases the absorbance of biliverdin at the absorbance peak of 620 nm (3). However, bilirubin interference in the Jaffe method seems rather …
Effect of a Report Template-Enabled Quality Improvement Initiative on Use of Preferred Phrases for Communicating Normal Findings in Structured Abdominal CT and MRI Reports

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to assess impact of a report template quality improvement (QI) initiative on use of preferred phrases for communicating normal findings in structured abdominal CT and MRI reports. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. This prospective QI initiative, designed to decrease use of equivocal phrases and increase use of preferred and acceptable phrases (defined by multidisciplinary experts including patient advocates) in radiology reports, was performed in an academic medical center with over 800,000 annual radiologic examinations and was exempt from institutional review board approval. The intervention populated the preferred term "normal" (default) and acceptable specified pertinent negative phrases (pick-list option) when describing abdominal organ subheadings (liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, kidneys) within the "Findings" heading of abdominal CT and MRI report templates. We tabulated frequencies of the term "normal", specified pertinent negatives, and equivocal phrases in 21,629 reports before (June 1, 2017, to February 28, 2018) and 23,051 reports after (April 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018) the intervention using natural language processing and recorded trainee participation in report generation. We assessed intervention impact using statistical process control (SPC) charts and the Fisher exact test. RESULTS. Equivocal phrases were used less frequently in abdominal CT and MRI reports for both attending radiologists and trainees after the intervention (p < 0.05, SPC). Use of the term "normal" increased for reports generated by attending radiologists alone but decreased for reports created with trainee participation (p < 0.05, SPC). Frequency of pertinent negatives increased for reports with trainee participation (p < 0.05, SPC). CONCLUSION. A QI intervention decreased use of equivocal terms and increased use of preferred and acceptable phrases when communicating normal findings in abdominal CT and MRI reports.
Recognizing limits of Z-nucleic acid binding protein (ZBP1/DAI/DLM1) function

Z-nucleic acid binding protein (ZBP)1 (also known as DAI and DLM1) is a pathogen sensor activated by double-strand character RNA to recruit receptor-interacting protein (RIP) kinase via a RIP homotypic interaction motif. The activation of receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK)3 and initiation of virus-induced necroptosis were initially reported in a landmark publication Upton et al. (Cell Host Microbe 11: 290, 2012) employing the DNA virus murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). M45-encoded viral inhibitor of RIP activation prevents virus-induced necroptosis. Additional virus-encoded suppressors of necroptosis were then identified, including herpes simplex virus ICP6 and vaccinia virus E3L. Caspase-8 suppressors encoded by these DNA viruses block apoptosis, unleashing necroptosis mediated through Z-nucleic acid binding protein 1 (ZBP1) recruitment of RIPK3. These studies all utilized ZBP1-deficient mice generated by the Akira Lab (Zbp1-/- AK ) to bring the significance of virus-induced necroptosis to light. C57BL/6 mice were chosen as controls based on the assumption that mutant mice were congenic; however, these mice were recently found to display an unexpected innate immune deficit, lacking C57BL/6-specific NK1.1 and Ly49H natural killer cell subpopulations important in the early control of MCMV infection. Short nucleotide polymorphism analysis of Zbp1-/- AK breeders revealed a mixed genetic background (~ 71% C57BL/6 DNA and ~ 29% 129). Even though this level of 129 strain background does not alter ZBP1 cell-autonomous function as a sensor and mediator of necroptosis, it confounds innate immune response characteristics. In the future, genetic background must be carefully controlled before implicating ZBP1 function in response characteristics that shape immunity, inflammation, metabolism, and pathogenesis.
A Review of Treatment-Related Outcomes in Female Partners of Men With Peyronie's Disease-An Opportunity for Improved Assessment.

Abstract Introduction Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a disorder of the penile tunica albuginea, causing penile deformity, shortening, pain, and sexual dysfunction. While studies have shown treatment efficacy for patients, research on treatment-related outcomes for sexual partners is lacking. Objectives We sought to review the literature on clinical characteristics and treatment-related outcomes from the perspective of female sexual partners of PD patients. Methods We performed a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE databases to identify all studies pertaining to PD and partner satisfaction through December 2019. 13 articles that discussed partner satisfaction with treatments of PD including oral, intralesional, and surgical therapy were found in the literature review. Results At baseline, female partners of men with PD report lower sexual satisfaction and dyspareunia. Results showed that intralesional injection of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum resulted in partner satisfaction in approximately 70% of patients based on differing definitions. Penile plication demonstrated variable partner satisfaction ranging from 34% to 88% whereas plaque incision or partial excision with grafting achieved rates ranging from 90% to 100%. Penile prosthesis implantation resulted in partner satisfaction rates ranging from 40% to 75%. Conclusion PD has a negative impact on psychological and emotional well-being for both patients and their female partners. Surgical and non-surgical treatment for PD has the ability to improve sexual satisfaction of partners. Studies discussed focus on the various forms of treatment for men with PD; however, the available studies were notably limited by small sample sizes, inconsistent use of validated questionnaires, and lack of control groups. In addition, the topic of partner satisfaction discussed in the articles mainly examined the response of female partners and did not discuss effects of the disease on male partners. Clinicians should consider carefully screening PD partners for sexual dysfunction to optimize couple-focused therapy. Further studies are needed to evaluate effects on male sexual partners of PD patients. Parikh NN, Heslop DL, Bajic P, et al. A Review of Treatment-Related Outcomes in Female Partners of Men With Peyronie's Disease—An Opportunity for Improved Assessment. J Sex Med 2020;8:548–560.
Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid in the United States: a 21-year analysis of patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and comorbidities.

To the Editor,Bullous dermatoses are autoimmune blistering skin diseases that can be potentially life-threatening. The incidences for bullous pemphigoid (BP) and pemphigus are 2.4–4 per 100,000 and...
Rheumatoid Vasculitis as an Initial Presentation of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid vasculitis is a rare, extra-articular manifestation that can be seen in long-standing rheumatoid arthritis. Here we present the case of a 51-year-old man who presented with arthralgias, skin rash, dyspnoea and generalized leg swelling and who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis flare. Learning points Extra-articular manifestations like rheumatoid vasculitis and pericarditis rarely present as initial manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.A high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis, especially in an adult who presents with multiorgan manifestations, rash, and a high titre of rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibody levels.
Leveraging blockchain for ensuring trust in IoT: A survey

Abstract Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a technology where computing devices are connected and form a network. IoT faces many security and privacy issues due to less computation power, heterogeneity, and limited resources available with its devices. Data is transferred among these devices with little or no human interaction. Data Confidentiality and Integrity are very critical parameters and can be achieved by securely sharing information in IoT scenarios. Managing and maintaining trust in exchanging information over IoT becomes very significant. Recent researches have focused on the applications of Blockchain technology for assuring trust management in IoT networks. Blockchain provides completely distinct and more secure approaches. This survey paper aims to illustrate the significance of integrating Blockchain technology in the IoT environment to ensure trust among IoT devices. Particularly, first we give an overview and security aspects of IoT and Blockchain technologies. Then we trace out some important challenges and issues of trusted IoT with potential solutions by Blockchain. Following this, we highlight some complications in the integration of Blockchain with IoT. Finally, we present a comparative analysis between traditional and Blockchain-based trust management techniques as proof of work to represent the significance of Blockchain in ensuring trust.
Drown them in their own garbage: a new strategy to reverse polymyxin resistance?

Purcell and colleagues offer new insights into a major mechanism of polymyxin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Inactivating a single lipid recycling enzyme causes accumulation of waste lipid by-products that inhibit a key factor responsible for polymyxin resistance.
Does resident autonomy in colectomy procedures result in inferior clinical outcomes

Abstract Background The amount of time surgical trainees spend operating independently has been reduced by work-hour restrictions and shifts in the health care environment that impede autonomy. Few studies evaluate the association between clinical outcome and resident autonomy. Methods The Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify patients undergoing partial colectomy for neoplasm between 2004 and 2019. Rectal resections, emergency procedures, and those involving postgraduate year 1 and 2 residents were excluded. Records were categorized as performed with the attending scrubbed or not scrubbed. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with operative time, morbidity, and mortality. Results In total, 7,347 patients met inclusion criteria; 6,890 (93.6%) were categorized as attending scrubbed and 457 (6.4%) as attending not scrubbed. The cohorts were similar in terms of patient demographics, including age, race, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class. There were no differences between cohorts in terms of operative time (attending not scrubbed 3.02 hours, attending scrubbed 3.07 hours, P = .42). On hierarchical logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, race, body mass index, functional status, cancer location, facility operative level, wound class, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, length of operation, operative modality (open or minimally invasive), postgraduate year of resident, and year, there were no differences in odds of complications, major morbidity, or mortality based on attending involvement. Conclusion Colectomies performed by residents with appropriate levels of autonomy are efficient and safe. Our results indicate that attending surgeon judgment regarding resident autonomy is sound and that educational environments can be designed to foster resident independence and preserve clinical quality, safety, and efficiency.
The hepatitis B virus X-gene product trans-activates both RNA polymerase II and III promoters.

Abstract The transcriptional regulatory activity of the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) X-gene product was investigated. We demonstrate a new property for the HBV X-gene, the strong transcriptional trans-activation of promoters for class III genes. The stimulation of RNA polymerase III (pol III) as well as pol II promoters is shown in cells transiently transfected with the X-gene, and after its stable integration into hepatocytes. We demonstrate that X-gene containing cells stimulate the frequency of pol III transcription initiation by 20- to 40-fold, and accelerate the rate of formation of stable pol III initiation complexes in a manner indistinguishable from that of adenovirus E1a protein. Since the transcription factor TFIIIC has been shown to be limiting in the formation of stable pol III initiation complexes, template commitment experiments were performed which titrate the level of this factor in extracts. We show that X-protein containing extracts are far more efficient in forming stable pol III preinitiation complexes that cannot be competed away upon addition of a second template, indicating that TFIIIC is very probably a target of the X-protein. Thus, the HBV X-protein is apparently a member of a family of trans-activators capable of stimulating both pol II and III promoters, which includes the adenovirus E1a-protein and SV40 t antigen.
Electromagnetic component of 10 14 – 10 16 -eV air showers

Detailed Monte Carlo simulations of the electromagnetic component of extensive air showers generated by ${10}^{14}$--${10}^{16}$-eV protons and iron nuclei have been carried out. The longitudinal development and lateral distribution of the electron component was approximated with parametrized analytical formulas, and compared for proton- and iron-initiated extensive air showers.
Metabasites: Progressive Mineral Changes

The chlorites of metabasites show a limited range of the \(Si(Mg,F{e^{2 + }}) \rightleftharpoons AlAl\) substitution, just like those of metapelites (§7B-6). The number of Si atoms on the basis of 18(O, OH) is in the range 2 5–3 O. Hence, the same formula (Mg, Fe)4.5Al3Si2.5O10(OH)8 may be used for both metabasite and metapelite chlorites. The Fe2+/(Mg + Fe2+) ratio of metabasite chlorites, however, is usually in the range 0·1–0·5, tending to be lower than that of metapelite chlorites.
Evolutionary diversification of opercle shape in Cook Inlet threespine stickleback

We investigated the evolution of a large facial bone, the opercle (OP), in lake populations of the threespine stickleback that were founded by anadromous ancestors, in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Recent studies characterized OP variation among marine and lake populations and mapped a quantitative trait locus with a large influence on OP shape. Using populations from diverse environments and independent evolutionary histories, we examined divergence of OP shape from that of the anadromous ancestor. We report preliminary evidence for divergence between benthic and generalist lake ecotypes, necessitating further investigation. Furthermore, rapid divergence of OP shape has occurred in a lake population that was founded by anadromous stickleback in the 1980s, which is consistent with divergence of other phenotypic traits and with OP diversification in other lake populations. By contrast, there has been limited evolution of OP shape in a second lake population that may have experienced a genetic bottleneck early in its history and lacks genetic variation for OP divergence. Taken together, the results obtained from these two populations are consistent with studies of other stickleback phenotypic traits that implicate ancestral variation in postglacial adaptive radiation of threespine stickleback in fresh water. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 97, 832–844.
Conservation Physiology of an Uncatchable Animal: The North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (NARW), a critically endangered species that has been under intensive study for nearly four decades, provides an excellent case study for applying modern methods of conservation physiology to large whales. By combining long-term sighting histories of known individuals with physiological data from newer techniques (e.g., body condition estimated from photographs; endocrine status derived from fecal samples), physiological state and levels of stress can be estimated despite the lack of any method for nonlethal capture of large whales. Since traditional techniques for validating blood assays cannot be used in large whales, assays of fecal hormones have been validated using information on age, sex, and reproductive state derived from an extensive NARW photo-identification catalog. Using this approach, fecal glucocorticoids have been found to vary dramatically with reproductive state. It is therefore essential that glucocorticoid data be interpreted in conjunction with reproductive data. A case study correlating glucocorticoids with chronic noise is presented as an example. Keys to a successful research program for this uncatchable species have included: consistent population monitoring over decades, data-sharing across institutions, an extensive photo-identification catalog that documents individual histories, and consistent efforts at noninvasive collection of samples over years. Future research will require flexibility to adjust to changing distributions of populations.
History, Nation, and the Satiric Almanac, 1660-1760

The satiric and parodic almanac Poor Robin was published annually from the mid-1660s through the early nineteenth century. When nine or twelve almanacs for the same year were bound together (as they often were), Poor Robin usually concluded the collection, like a satyr play following a tragic trilogy in Athens, mocking and inverting the conventions of the more serious genre. But Poor Robin not only emp tied out the serious almanac; it also accommodated the form it paro died. After the first year of its appearance, the parodic almanac was published by the same Stationers' Company that energetically pro tected its monopoly on the publishing of all the other almanacs in England. This essay will concern itself with four episodes in the his tory of the parodic and satiric almanac. Originating with Rabelais and others in the early sixteenth century, the satiric almanac becomes increasingly partisan in England from the 1590s to the 1650s. Early in the Restoration, Poor Robin begins annual publication, and the follow ing four decades see it at its most innovative and suggestive. Swift refers to Poor Robin and builds on the tradition of the satiric almanac
The Role of Benthic Habitat, Oceanography, and Fishing On the Population Dynamics of the Spiny Lobster, Panulirus Marginatus (Decapoda, Palinuridae), in the Hawaiian Archipelago

Temporal and spatial variation in relative abundance and production of spiny lobster Panulirus marginatus in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands has been documented from commercial catch-and-effort and research trapping data. Data on benthic habitat collected from scuba transects and data on oceanography, and the pelagic distribution of larval lobsters are used to explain adult lobster temporal and spatial variation. We find the amount of 5-30 cm vertical relief and the height of bank summits explain considerable spatial variation in lobster abundance. Considerable interannual variation in lobster production at the northwestern portion of the fishing grounds is explained by the sea level gradient along the archipelago which appears to measure the strength of the Subtropical Counter Current. Evidence of a 50% drop in recruitment to the fishery has been observed since 1989. Recruitment overfishing and a decadal climate event may be responsible for this recruitment decline.
Removable singularities for minimal limit laminations

Abstract In a prior work, we showed that any sequence of uniformly locally simply connected embbeded minimal surfaces in a 3 -manifold has a subsequence which converges outside a closed singular set of finite codimensional two measure to a minimal lamination. We announce here that the singularities are removable in the limit.
Visual masking as a probe for abnormal gamma range activity in schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Visual masking procedures assess very early stages of visual perception. Patients with schizophrenia consistently show deficits on visual masking tasks, and these deficits likely reflect vulnerability to schizophrenia. We conducted two experiments to determine whether visual masking procedures can reveal underlying abnormalities in gamma range oscillations in schizophrenia. Methods In the first experiment, we conducted nonlinear modeling of visual masking performance data from 89 male schizophrenic patients and 20 male comparison subjects. In the second experiment, electrophysiological recordings of event-related gamma activity were taken during a visual masking task in a subset of eight patients and seven control subjects. Results In the first experiment, nonlinear modeling of the performance data revealed evidence of oscillations in the gamma range (30 and 35 Hz) for the comparison group but not patients. In the second experiment, the comparison group, but not the patients, showed a burst of gamma range activity 200–400 msec following target presentation. The difference between patients and comparison subjects in this time period was significant ( p Conclusions Visual masking procedures can serve as a probe for underlying gamma range activity, which appears to be aberrant in schizophrenia. Perceptual problems in schizophrenia may, at least in part, be due to a failure to establish and/or maintain gamma range oscillations.
Classical scattering of Atoms by a model surface

A classical model of atom/surface scattering is presented in which the gas-surface interaction consists of a corrugated hard wall plus attractive square well. New analytic solutions for the scattering intensity for monoenergetic beams are given for both one- and two-dimensional surfaces. Explicit formulae for trapping probabilities and rainbow angles are obtained. An oven beam velocity distribution is incorporated into the model, and calculated results are presented both for in-plane and out-of-plane scattering. Comparisons are made with the Ne/LiF data of Smith, O'Keefe, and Palmer and with the classical calculations of McClure. Objections to the classical rainbow scattering interpretation are discussed.
Study of the Interaction between HDEHP and CMPO and Its Effect on the Extraction of Selected Lanthanides

Separation of the trivalent actinides from the trivalent lanthanides relevant to used nuclear fuel reprocessing remains still a challenging task. One of the options currently being investigated is the combination of two extraction processes, TRUEX and TALSPEAK. However, the two extractants used in the individual processes, when combined, result in a system with complex extraction behavior. To better understand the interactions in this combined extraction system, FT-IR spectroscopy was used in combination with small-scale solvent extraction tests. The data indicate that in the presence of CMPO, HDEHP dimer cleaves and interacts with CMPO through hydrogen bonding between POH and phosphoryl group of CMPO. The formation of a new HDEHP-CMPO adduct (log β = 3.4) at [HDEHP] > [CMPO] significantly lowers the concentration of free CMPO available for complexation with metal. The distribution ratios of Eu(III) decrease significantly with increasing nitric acid concentration and point to the acidic properties of this...
Oligonucleotide binding to the native and denatured conformers of yeast transfer RNA3Leu

Abstract The equilibrium binding patterns of complementary oligonucleotides to the native and denatured conformers of yeast transfer RNA 3 Leu have been determined. The pattern of binding to the native conformer follows that observed previously with other tRNAs. The results indicate that the anticodon loop and 3′ terminus are free in solution, and that all stems of the cloverleaf appear intact, although the dihydrouracil and “extra arm” stems are sufficiently weak to be subject to competitive binding by the probe oligomers. The T ΨC loop is also inaccessible to oligomer binding, while the dihydrouracil loop shows a low level of binding suggestive of oligomer competition with existing RNA structure. By contrast, in the denatured conformer the dihydrouracil loop and stem show strong oligomer binding characteristics of random RNA segments, whereas the anticodon loop no longer binds complementary oligomers. Binding to other regions remains unchanged, suggesting that the three major cloverleaf stems are intact. These observations are used as a basis for consideration of models for the two conformers.
The oxygen isotope composition of planktonic foraminifera from the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California: Seasonal, annual, and interspecies variability

Abstract Sediment trap samples collected over a seven-year period (February 1991–October 1997) from Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California were used to study the oxygen isotope composition of five species of planktonic foraminifera, Globigerinoides ruber (white), Globigerina bulloides, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, and Globorotalia menardii. The δ18O data were analyzed for temporal and interspecies variability and were compared to local hydrography to evaluate the use of each species in reconstructing past oceanographic applications. The two surface dwelling species, G. ruber and G. bulloides displayed the lowest δ18O values (∼ 0.0 to − 5.0‰), while δ18O values for the thermocline dwelling N. dutertrei, P. obliquiloculata, and G. menardii were higher (∼ 0.0 to − 2.0‰). The δ18O of G. ruber most accurately records measured sea surface temperatures (SSTs) throughout the year. G. bulloides δ18O tracks SSTs during the winter–spring upwelling period but for the remainder of the year records slightly colder, subsurface temperatures. The difference between the δ18O of the surface dwelling species, G. ruber and G. bulloides, and that of the thermocline dwelling species, N. dutertrei, P. obliquiloculata, and G. menardii, was used to estimate the surface to thermocline temperature gradient. During the winter these δ18O differences are small (∼ 0.50‰) reflecting a well-mixed water column. These interspecies δ18O differences increase during the summer (∼ 1.90‰) in response to the strong thermal stratification that exists at this time of year.