cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote Multiproton Storage within a Pyrrolide‐Pincer‐Type Ligand

A chemically non-innocent pyrrole-based trianionic (ONO)(3-) pincer ligand within [(pyr-ONO)TiCl(thf)2 ] (2) can access the dianionic [(3H-pyr-ONO)TiCl2 (thf)] (1-THF) and monoanionic [(3H,4H-pyr-ONO)TiCl2 (OEt2 )][B{3,5-(CF3 )2 C6 H3 }4 ] (3-Et2 O) states through remote protonation of the pyrrole γ-C π-bonds. The homoleptic [(3H-pyr-ONO)2 Zr] (4) was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy in solution. The protonation of 4 by [H(OEt2 )2 ][B{C6 H3 (CF3 )2 }4 ] yields [(3H,4H-pyr-ONO)(3H-pyr-ONO)Zr][B{3,5-(CF3 )2 C6 H3 }4 ] (5), thus demonstrating the storage of three protons.
Fluorescence tomography of rapamycin-induced autophagy and cardioprotection in vivo.

Background— Autophagy is a biological process during which cells digest organelles in their cytoplasm and recycle the constituents. The impact of autophagy in the heart, however, remains unclear in part because of the inability to noninvasively image this process in living animals. Methods and Results— Here, we report the use of fluorescence molecular tomography and a cathepsin-activatable fluorochrome to image autophagy in the heart in vivo after ischemia/reperfusion and rapamycin (RAP) therapy. We show that cathepsin-B activity in the lysosome is upregulated by RAP and that this allows the expanded lysosomal compartment in autophagy to be imaged in vivo with fluorescence molecular tomography. We further demonstrate that the delivery of diagnostic nanoparticles to the lysosome by endocytosis is enhanced during autophagy. The upregulation of autophagy by RAP was associated with a 23% reduction ( P <0.05) of apoptosis in the area at risk and a 45% reduction in final infarct size (19.6±5.6% of area at risk with RAP versus 35.9±9.1% of area at risk without RAP; P <0.05). Conclusions— The ability to perform noninvasive tomographic imaging of autophagy in the heart has the potential to provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of autophagy, particularly its role in cardiomyocyte salvage. Although additional data are needed, our study supports the investigation of RAP therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
Confidence intervals around Bayes Cost in multi‐state diagnostic settings to estimate optimal performance

A critical feature of diagnostic testing is correctly classifying subjects based upon specified thresholds of some measure. The commonly employed Youden index determines a test's optimal thresholds by maximizing the correct classification rates for a diagnostic scenario. An alternative to the Youden index is the cost function, Bayes Cost (BC). BC determines a test's optimal setting by minimizing the sum of all misclassification rates from the test. Unlike the Youden index, BC can consider a priori costs of all the diagnostic outcomes including class specific misclassifications regardless of the number of classes. Delta method approximate confidence intervals around BC are derived under the assumption of normally distributed classes as a means for quantifying a test's performance and comparing classifiers at their optimal settings in a multi-state diagnostic framework. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the performance of the derived confidence intervals that are found to perform well, especially for sample sizes of 50 or larger in each diagnostic class. Finally, the proposed methods are applied to a four-class breast tissue classification problem, where four possible discriminatory features are compared under varying decision cost structures. Using the confidence intervals around BC, the best feature for classification is selected, and the optimal thresholds and their 95% confidence intervals are determined.
Thinking Globally, Planning Nationally and Acting Locally: Nested Organizational Fields and the Adoption of Environmental Practices

The study of the adoption of activities to protect the natural environment has tended to focus on the role of organizational fields. This article advances existing research by simultaneously examining conflicting processes that operate in nested organizational fields at local, national and supra-national levels. It examines the recent spread of an environmental program for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases among local governments in three countries: United States, Canada and Australia. Qualitative data is used to identify the main factors that contribute to municipalities' decision to adopt this program, while event history analysis is used to test hypotheses regarding the effect of local governments' attributes, as well as of ties to state and global associations. Results show that widespread adoption of this environmental program is contingent on the development of national change agencies.
Can understanding the effect of solar UV radiation on skin’s biomechanical function help prevent skin damage?

Solar UV radiation is ubiquitous in human life. Our appearance (i.e., skin pigmentation) is related via evolutionary biology to the amount of sunlight our ancestors received [1]. However, while UV ...
PHACTS, a computational approach to classifying the lifestyle of phages

Motivation: Bacteriophages have two distinct lifestyles: virulent and temperate. The virulent lifestyle has many implications for phage therapy, genomics and microbiology. Determining which lifestyle a newly sequenced phage falls into is currently determined using standard culturing techniques. Such laboratory work is not only costly and time consuming, but also cannot be used on phage genomes constructed from environmental sequencing. Therefore, a computational method that utilizes the sequence data of phage genomes is needed. Results: Phage Classification Tool Set (PHACTS) utilizes a novel similarity algorithm and a supervised Random Forest classifier to make a prediction whether the lifestyle of a phage, described by its proteome, is virulent or temperate. The similarity algorithm creates a training set from phages with known lifestyles and along with the lifestyle annotation, trains a Random Forest to classify the lifestyle of a phage. PHACTS predictions are shown to have a 99% precision rate. Availability and implementation: PHACTS was implemented in the PERL programming language and utilizes the FASTA program (Pearson and Lipman, 1988) and the R programming language library ‘Random Forest’ (Liaw and Weiner, 2010). The PHACTS software is open source and is available as downloadable stand-alone version or can be accessed online as a user-friendly web interface. The source code, help files and online version are available at http://www.phantome.org/PHACTS/. Contact:katelyn@rohan.sdsu.edu; redwards@sciences.sdsu.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pros and cons of biodegradation

Durability in plastics has been a cherished research objective. For those plastics. however, which may end up in litter or in landfills, durability is now considered by some as undesirable. One result has been plastics which will disintegrate when exposed to ultraviolet light with ultimate biodegradation postulated. This paper questions the principles on which this development is based and concludes that it will not solve any environmental problems, and it is not a conservation measure.
Clustering and cluster-based routing protocol for delay-tolerant mobile networks

This research investigates distributed clustering scheme and proposes a cluster-based routing protocol for Delay-Tolerant Mobile Networks (DTMNs). The basic idea is to distributively group mobile nodes with similar mobility pattern into a cluster, which can then interchangeably share their resources (such as buffer space) for overhead reduction and load balancing, aiming to achieve efficient and scalable routing in DTMN. Due to the lack of continuous communications among mobile nodes and possible errors in the estimation of nodal contact probability, convergence and stability become major challenges in distributed clustering in DTMN. To this end, an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) scheme is employed for on-line updating nodal contact probability, with its mean proven to converge to the true contact probability. Based on nodal contact probabilities, a set of functions including Sync(), Leave(), and Join() are devised for cluster formation and gateway selection. Finally, the gateway nodes exchange network information and perform routing. Extensive simulations are carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed cluster-based routing protocol. The simulation results show that it achieves higher delivery ratio and significantly lower overhead and end-to-end delay compared with its non-clustering counterpart.
A test of sensory bias for long tails in the house finch.

Abstract The sensory bias model of sexual selection proposes that female preferences for certain male traits result from biases in the female sensory system that existed prior to the evolution of the preferred trait. Phylogenetic tests of the sensory bias hypothesis have provided evidence for pre-existing bias in several species, but the hypothesis has not been tested relative to elongated tail feathers, a widespread sexually selected trait in birds. Elongated tails occur sporadically across avian taxa, including cardueline finches (family Fringillidae), suggesting that long tails evolved independently in many lineages. To determine whether a female preference for longer tails predated the evolution of long tails in cardueline finches, we tested female preferences for artificially lengthened tail feathers in male house finches,Carpodacus mexicanus. The house finch is a cardueline finch species with a tail that does not appear to be elongated or sexually selected. In mate choice experiments, females did not demonstrate a preference for lengthened tails over controls. This negative result fails to support the hypothesis that elongation of tail feathers resulted from exploitation of a widespread sensory bias.
Buried ordnance detection: electromagnetic modeling of munition-mounted radio frequency identification tags

In order to improve means for locating unexploded ordnance items (UXO) and significantly discriminating UXO from clutter, it is desired to tag ordnance items before they are delivered. The munition tagging envisioned will make use of current passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology. The tags will provide information on the munition's location and identity when the UXO tag interrogation module is brought nearby. Knowledge of the magnetic field's behavior is essential in understanding the designs required to transmit energy from the above-ground interrogator to the tag and from the tag back to the above-ground receiver. The munition, being a large metal structure in such close proximity to the tags, will affect their operation because of electromagnetic boundary conditions and the tags' specific circuitry. To this end, modeling of the magnetic fields was required. This paper presents the results of this modeling effort and includes experimental findings. The modeling efforts demonstrated that detection depths to 1 m would be achievable, provided the system is magnetically optimized.
Linda Montano, Anorexia nervosa and an art of hunger

In performance artist Linda Montano's deceptively simple 1981 video Anorexia nervosa, five women are interviewed about their experiences with self-starvation. In the video's interplay between image and speech, Montano creates a correlation between internalized hunger and the perceivable body, placing notions of spirituality and physical hunger at the core of the video. This reflection considers Anorexia nervosa as a meditation on ascetic discipline and talk therapy, both of which are, for Montano, strategic modes of art production.
Sedimentation of a sphere in a viscoelastic fluid: a multiscale simulation approach

A long-standing problem in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, namely the relationship between drag experienced by a sphere settling in a tube filled with a dilute polymeric solution and the sphere sedimentation velocity, is investigated via self-consistent multiscale flow simulations. Comparison with experimental measurements by Arigo et al. (J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., vol. 60, 1995, pp. 225–257) have revealed that the evolution of the drag coefficient as a function of fluid elasticity can be accurately predicted when the macromolecular dynamics is described by realistic micromechanical models that closely capture the transient extensional viscosity of the experimental fluid at high extension rates. Specifically, for the first time we have computed the drag coefficient on the sphere at high Weissenberg number utilizing multi-segment bead–spring chain models with appropriate molecular parameters and have demonstrated that a hi-fidelity multiscale simulation is not only capable of accurately describing the drag on the sphere as a function of at various sphere-to-tube diameter ratios but also it can closely reproduce the experimentally observed velocity and stresses in the wake of the sphere.
Burden of changes in pill appearance for patients receiving generic cardiovascular medications after myocardial infarction: cohort and nested case-control studies.

Generic prescription drugs made by different manufacturers may vary in color or shape, and switching among these products may interrupt medication use. This cohort and nested case–control study fou...
SPHERE: SPherical Harmonic Elastic REgistration of HARDI data

Abstract In contrast to the more common Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) allows superior delineation of angular microstructures of brain white matter, and makes possible multiple-fiber modeling of each voxel for better characterization of brain connectivity. However, the complex orientation information afforded by HARDI makes registration of HARDI images more complicated than scalar images. In particular, the question of how much orientation information is needed for satisfactory alignment has not been sufficiently addressed. Low order orientation representation is generally more robust than high order representation, although the latter provides more information for correct alignment of fiber pathways. However, high order representation, when naively utilized, might not necessarily be conducive to improving registration accuracy since similar structures with significant orientation differences prior to proper alignment might be mistakenly taken as non-matching structures. We present in this paper a HARDI registration algorithm, called SPherical Harmonic Elastic REgistration (SPHERE), which in a principled means hierarchically extracts orientation information from HARDI data for structural alignment. The image volumes are first registered using robust, relatively direction invariant features derived from the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF), and the alignment is then further refined using spherical harmonic (SH) representation with gradually increasing orders. This progression from non-directional, single-directional to multi-directional representation provides a systematic means of extracting directional information given by diffusion-weighted imaging. Coupled with a template–subject-consistent soft-correspondence-matching scheme, this approach allows robust and accurate alignment of HARDI data. Experimental results show marked increase in accuracy over a state-of-the-art DTI registration algorithm.
Reply to “No Evidence for Contamination of Borrelia Blood Cultures: a Review of Facts”

A basic obligation of a commercial clinical laboratory is to validate a test before offering it for sale to diagnose patients. Advanced Laboratory Services offers a culture method to diagnose patients with a Borrelia species infection ([1][1]), but we do not find the evidence provided in support of
The “peripheral washout sign” in focal hepatic lesions: not always an MRI sign of malignancy

Abstract The “peripheral washout sign” is a magnetic resonance imaging finding defined as an enhancing liver lesion with a peripheral rim of de-enhancement relative to its center and surrounding parenchyma on delayed contrast-enhanced images. The “peripheral washout sign” has been described solely in malignant liver lesions. We present a histologically proven benign hepatic angiomyolipoma showing the “peripheral washout sign”. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a benign hepatic lesion exhibiting this extremely specific imaging feature.
On “Gridless” Interpolation and Subgrid Data Density

AbstractNearest-neighbor gridding, binning, and bin-averaging procedures are performed routinely to map the irregularly sampled data onto a grid for data analysis and assimilation. Because these procedures are actually an interpolation procedure based on a piecewise constant function as the interpolation kernel, they tend to discard the subgrid locations of the data. Use of a locally continuous function for the interpolation kernel can preserve the subgrid location information in the data, at the cost of numerical sensitivity to the spatial variation in data density. This paper suggests a simple numerical procedure, based on a single correlation coefficient parameter, to eliminate such numerical sensitivity.
Tumor Development Is Retarded in Mice Lacking the Gene for Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator or Its Inhibitor, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

In vivo tumor progression in mice with targeted deficiencies in urokinase-type plasminogen activator (UPA −/− ) and its inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1 −/− ) , was studied using a fibrosarcoma tumor model. Murine T241 fibrosarcoma cells were s.c. implanted into three groups of mice with the following genotypes, wild-type ( WT ), UPA −/− , and PAI-1 −/− . A significantly diminished primary tumor growth in UPA −/− and PAI-1 −/− mice occurred, relative to WT mice. Tumors in UPA −/− and PAI-1 −/− mice displayed lower proliferative and higher apoptotic indices and displayed a different neovascular morphology, as compared with WT mice. These results are consistent with the decreased growth rates of this tumor in these gene-deleted mice. Immunohistochemical analyses of the tumors revealed a decrease in vascularity and vascular endothelial growth factor expression only in tumors in PAI-1 −/− mice. Analyses of the relative extents of corneal angiogenesis in these same animals, induced by basic fibroblast growth factor, corroborated the resistance of PAI-1 −/− mice to neovascularization. The results obtained suggest that the host fibrinolytic system plays an important role in tumor growth in this model. Alterations in host expression of components of this system may alter tumor growth and dissemination by affecting the balance between tumor cell death and proliferation, as well as extracellular matrix changes needed for invasiveness and angiogenesis.
Does the Progressivity of Taxes Matter for Economic Growth

In this paper, we develop a general equilibrium model of endogenous growth with heterogeneity in income and tax rates in order to study the effect of progressivity on economic growth. We limit heterogeneity to two types — skilled and unskilled — and posit that the probability of staying or becoming skilled in the subsequent period depends positively on expenses on teacher time. In the production sector, we consider two sources of growth. In the Þrst, growth arises as a purely external effect on account of production activities of skilled workers. In the second, a portion of the skilled workforce is used to work in research and other productivity enhancing activities and is compensated for it. Our analysis shows that changes in the progressivity of tax rates can have positive growth effects even in situations where changes in sat rate taxes have no effect. The assumption made about the engine of growth is important in assessing the effect of changes in progressivity; the response is stronger when growth is driven by externality. JEL ClassiÞcation: E62, E13, O40
Depth Distributions of Gases in Shallow Water Sediments

Depth distributions of Ar, N2, CH4, total CO2 and total H2S have been obtained in sediments from Chesapeake Bay, as well as fjords, coastal lagoons and lakes in Alaska. Interstitial water was separated from samples of sediment cores with a filter-press type sediment squeezer and transferred to a specially designed sampler-stripper, where the gases were stripped from solution and analyzed by gas chromatography. The technique permits repeated sampling of interstitial water from a given sediment sample, and yields unambiguous measurements of gas concentrations that are precise to about 5%.
Possible evidence for gravitational Bohr orbits in double galaxies: The Peterson, Turner, and Karachentsev samples

A phenomenological model of double galaxy dynamics is constructed, assuming a Bohr model for isolated point galaxies bound together in circular orbits by the Newtonian gravitational force. The model is tested by using experimental data from three, independent, random samples of isolated pairs. In each case, the data provides cautious support for the existance of gravitational Bohr orbits in double galaxies, with a mean cosmic Planck's constant/2π given by: $$\langle \hbar _g \rangle \approx 5 \times 10^{74} {\text{erg s }}{\text{.}}$$
Study of selective dissociation in C6F5H−C6F5D mixtures induced by intense CO2 laser pulses

Irradiation of a C6F5H−C6F5D mixture at 1 Torr by a tunable CO2 pulse laser brings about chiefly dissociation of one component depending on the frequency of emission absorbed by the proper molecules. The addition of radical acceptors increases the selectivity by suppressing secondary reactions.
Electricity Loop Running State Monitoring Based on Intelligent Terminal

Aiming at the power quality evaluation,this paper proposes a real-time power consumption monitoring technology based on intelligent terminal measurements.As for the research on abnormal voltage and current,the principle and abnormal condition judgment were analyzed;As for the study on voltage phase fault,voltage reverse phase sequence,current reverse polarity and current imbalance,the monitoring principle was elaborated.Finally,this research presents software flow chart and the corresponding pseudocode,providing some valuable reference to the future development of electric power quality monitoring technology.
Epidemiology of inpatient stay in Parkinson's disease in the United States: Insights from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

The total number of people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) worldwide is expected to double by 2030. The risk factors for emergency department visits in PD patients have been described before, however, there is limited data on inpatient hospitalizations of PD patients. We derived our study cohort from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2002–2011. The NIS is a stratified 20% sample of discharges from all U.S. hospitals. We extracted causes of hospitalization using International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes and calculated inpatient mortality, length of stay and cost. Further, the significance of trends over 10 years was assessed. A total of 3,015,645 (weighted) admissions of PD patients were documented from 2002–2011. Pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI), septicemia and aspiration pneumonitis were the most common causes of admission, of which incidence of sepsis and UTI was trending up. Of all causes, 3.9% of the admissions resulted in inpatient mortality. Inpatient mortality for PD patients decreased from 4.9% in 2002 to 3.3% in 2011 (p < 0.001). The median length of stay has also steadily declined from 3.6 days in 2002 to 2.3 days in 2011. However, the inflation-adjusted cost of care has been steadily rising, from $22,250 per hospitalization in 2002 to $37,942 in 2011. We conclude that the epidemiology of inpatient admissions in PD has changed significantly over the last decade. Our study underscores the need for future, in-depth prospective studies to explore this changing disease spectrum to design preventive measures and targeted interventions.
The treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a glimpse into the future.

SUMMARY The treatment of BPH has changed dramatically over the last decade. Industry has recognized the potential market for BPH therapies. Urologists have accepted and embrace the development of alternative treatment strategies. The combined resources and talents of industry and academic urology will lead to exciting future advances in this field. The optimal treatment of BPH requires not only new technology but a better understanding of the pathophysiology and natural history of this disease. Urologists are presently engaged in studies to better define these fundamental aspects of the disease process. The end result of these investigative efforts will be to the advantage of patients afflicted with BPH.
Structures of the activator of K. pneumonia biofilm formation, MrkH, indicates PilZ domains involved in c-di-GMP and DNA binding.

The pathogenesis of Klebsiella pneumonia is linked to the bacteria’s ability to form biofilms. Mannose-resistant Klebsiella -like (Mrk) hemagglutinins are critical for K . pneumonia biofilm development, and the expression of the genes encoding these proteins is activated by a 3′,5′-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP)–regulated transcription factor, MrkH. To gain insight into MrkH function, we performed structural and biochemical analyses. Data revealed MrkH to be a monomer with a two-domain architecture consisting of a PilZ C-domain connected to an N domain that unexpectedly also harbors a PilZ-like fold. Comparison of apo- and c-di-GMP–bound MrkH structures reveals a large 138° interdomain rotation that is induced by binding an intercalated c-di-GMP dimer. c-di-GMP interacts with PilZ C-domain motifs 1 and 2 (RxxxR and D/NxSxxG) and a newly described c-di-GMP–binding motif in the MrkH N domain. Strikingly, these c-di-GMP–binding motifs also stabilize an open state conformation in apo MrkH via contacts from the PilZ motif 1 to residues in the C-domain motif 2 and the c-di-GMP–binding N-domain motif. Use of the same regions in apo structure stabilization and c-di-GMP interaction allows distinction between the states. Indeed, domain reorientation by c-di-GMP complexation with MrkH, which leads to a highly compacted structure, suggests a mechanism by which the protein is activated to bind DNA. To our knowledge, MrkH represents the first instance of specific DNA binding mediated by PilZ domains. The MrkH structures also pave the way for the rational design of inhibitors that target K . pneumonia biofilm formation.
Regional Analysis of the Pharmacological Effects of Acute Ethanol on Extracellular Striatal Dopamine Activity

Background The objective of this study was to characterize the acute pharmacological effects of ethanol (EtOH) on extracellular dopamine in the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striata. This is the first study to quantify and directly compare the effects of acute EtOH on dopamine in these subregions. Therefore, we also tested the nucleus accumbens as a positive control. We hypothesized that while EtOH may increase extracellular dopamine in the dorsomedial striatum and dorsolateral striatum, the magnitude of this increase and the temporal profiles of extracellular dopamine concentrations would differ among the dorsomedial striatum, dorsolateral striatum, and nucleus accumbens. Methods We performed in vivo microdialysis in adult, male Long Evans rats as they received a single (experiment 1) or repeated (experiment 2) doses of EtOH. Results The results of our positive control study validate earlier work by our laboratory demonstrating that acute intravenous EtOH immediately and robustly increases extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (Howard et al., 2008). In contrast, a single 1-g/kg dose of intravenous EtOH did not significantly affect extracellular dopamine in the dorsomedial striatum or the dorsolateral striatum. However, following a cumulative EtOH dosing protocol, we observed a ramping up of tonic dopamine activity in both the dorsomedial striatum and dorsolateral striatum over the course of the experiment, but this effect was more robust in the dorsomedial striatum. Conclusions These results suggest that distinct mechanisms underlie the stimulating effects of acute EtOH on extracellular dopamine in striatal subregions. Additionally, our findings suggest a role for the dorsomedial striatum and minimal-to-no role for the dorsolateral striatum in mediating the intoxicating effects of acute moderate to high doses of EtOH.
Surface processing for bulk niobium superconducting radio frequency cavities

The majority of niobium cavities for superconducting particle accelerators continue to be fabricated from thin-walled (2–4 mm) polycrystalline niobium sheet and, as a final step, require material removal from the radio frequency (RF) surface in order to achieve performance needed for use as practical accelerator devices. More recently bulk niobium in the form of, single- or large-grain slices cut from an ingot has become a viable alternative for some cavity types. In both cases the so-called damaged layer must be chemically etched or electrochemically polished away. The methods for doing this date back at least four decades, however, vigorous empirical studies on real cavities and more fundamental studies on niobium samples at laboratories worldwide have led to seemingly modest improvements that, when taken together, constitute a substantial advance in the reproducibility for surface processing techniques and overall cavity performance. This article reviews the development of niobium cavity surface processing, and summarizes results of recent studies. We place some emphasis on practical details for real cavity processing systems which are difficult to find in the literature but are, nonetheless, crucial for achieving the good and reproducible cavity performance. New approaches for bulk niobium surface treatment which aim to reduce cost or increase performance, including alternate chemical recipes, barrel polishing and 'nitrogen doping' of the RF surface, continue to be pursued and are closely linked to the requirements for surface processing.
Background for Research

In order to construct a working model for the bilingual learning system, this investigation is, by necessity, cross-disciplinary in nature. In addition to formal learnability theory, in this chapter I rely heavily on concepts found in theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and language acquisition theory. In subsequent chapters, techniques found in computational (mathematical) theory and biology are utilized.
Exploring the Politics of Collective Bargaining and Unions in Education

In this article, we rationalize the relevance of the special issue’s theme for the 2018 Politics of Education Association’s special issue of Educational Policy—the politics of unions and collective bargaining in education. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the structure of the special issue and brief summaries of the articles accepted for publication therein. We conclude with a discussion of the broad implications of these articles for education policy.
NERVE ENTRAPMENT IN THE HIP REGION: CURRENT CONCEPTS REVIEW.

The purpose of this clinical commentary is to review the anatomy, etiology, evaluation, and treatment techniques for nerve entrapments of the hip region. Nerve entrapment can occur around musculotendinous, osseous, and ligamentous structures because of the potential for increased strain and compression on the peripheral nerve at those sites. The sequela of localized trauma may also result in nerve entrapment if normal nerve gliding is prevented. Nerve entrapment can be difficult to diagnose because patient complaints may be similar to and coexist with other musculoskeletal conditions in the hip and pelvic region. However, a detailed description of symptom location and findings from a comprehensive physical examination can be used to determine if an entrapment has occurred, and if so where. The sciatic, pudendal, obturator, femoral, and lateral femoral cutaneous are nerves that can be entrapped and serve a source of hip pain in the athletic population. Manual therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, aerobic conditioning, and cognitive-behavioral education are potential interventions. When conservative treatment is ineffective at relieving symptoms surgical treatment with neurolysis or neurectomy may be considered. Level of Evidence 5
The BoHo Dress

Geometry becomes a compelling component of pattern making. In this garment, the geometric component is the circle. The skirt is a spiral that wraps around the body three times, up and down along the yoke. The beginning of the skirt is a spiral coming off the front yoke. The end tucks discreetly under the front layers. The asymmetrical placement of the yoke point adds to the drama of the skirt panels.
Immunosuppression Impact on Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

ObjectiveThe primary objective was to define and quantify the relationship between immunosuppression and prognosis in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.Data Sourc...
Scallina: Translating Verified Programs from Coq to Scala

This paper presents the Scallina prototype: a new tool which allows the translation of verified Coq programs to Scala. A typical workflow features a user implementing a functional program in Gallina, the core language of Coq, proving this program’s correctness with regards to its specification and making use of Scallina to synthesize readable Scala components.
Winsorized Robust Measures

Winsorizing observations leads to robust measures of location, variation, and correlation, and it plays a fundamental role when making inferences about trimmed means. Keywords: robust methods; robust measures of location; trimmed means
Successful eradication of chronic symptomatic Candida krusei urinary tract infection with increased dose micafungin in a liver and kidney transplant recipient: Case report and review of the literature.

Treatment of symptomatic candiduria is notoriously challenging because of the limited repository of antifungals that achieve adequate urinary concentrations. Fluconazole, amphotericin B-based products, and flucytosine are established treatment options for most Candida species. Candida krusei exhibits intrinsic resistance to fluconazole and decreased susceptibility to amphotericin B and flucytosine. In transplant patients, both amphotericin B-based products and flucytosine are less desirable because of their toxicities. Other triazole antifungals are unappealing because they do not achieve adequate urinary concentrations, have multiple toxicities, and interact with transplant-related immunosuppressive medications. Echinocandins are well-tolerated but have been traditionally deferred in the treatment of symptomatic funguria because of their poor urinary concentrations but there is a small but emerging body of literature supporting their use. Here, we present a case of successful eradication of chronic symptomatic C krusei urinary tract infection with micafungin 150 milligrams daily in a liver and kidney transplant recipient, and we review the literature on treatment of symptomatic candiduria.
A K+/Na+ co-binding state: Simultaneous versus competitive binding of K+ and Na+ to glutamate transporters

Plasma membrane–associated glutamate transporters play a key role in signaling by the major excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Uphill glutamate uptake into cells is energetically driven by coupling to co-transport of three Na+ ions. In exchange, one K+ ion is counter-transported. Currently accepted transport mechanisms assume that Na+ and K+ effects are exclusive, resulting from competition of these cations at the binding level. Here, we used electrophysiological analysis to test the effects of K+ and Na+ on neuronal glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1; the rat homologue of human excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3)). Unexpectedly, extracellular K+ application to EAAC1 induced anion current, but only in the presence of Na+. This result could be explained with a K+/Na+ co-binding state in which the two cations simultaneously bind to the transporter. We obtained further evidence for this co-binding state, and its anion conductance, by analyzing transient currents when Na+ was exchanged for K+ and effects of the [K+]/[Na+] ratio on glutamate affinity. Interestingly, we observed the K+/Na+ co-binding state not only in EAAC1 but also in the subtypes EAAT1 and -2, which, unlike EAAC1, conducted anions in response to K+ only. We incorporated these experimental findings in a revised transport mechanism, including the K+/Na+ co-binding state and the ability of K+ to activate anion current. Overall, these results suggest that differentiation between Na+ and K+ does not occur at the binding level but is conferred by coupling of cation binding to conformational changes. These findings have implications also for other exchangers.
Special Stone Stories

Over my 16 years of practicing Urology, I have encountered, managed and treated many stone patients, each with their own unique stone experience. In this chapter, I share with you some of these special stone scenarios.
Identification and Characterization of Zebrafish Tissue Factor and Its Role in Embryonic Blood Vessel Development.

Tissue factor (TF) is a trans-membrane glycoprotein that is the cellular receptor for coagulation factor VII/VIIa. Activation of factor VII by TF is well established as the primary regulator of blood coagulation. Although TF has been implicated in such diverse processes as angiogenesis and tumor metastasis, these other functions have been difficult to study, as the knockout of murine TF is lethal at day 8.4 of embryonic life. Because of their hardiness, their rapid maturation sequence and their optical clarity, the zebrafish is an increasingly popular model for studying embryonic development. In order to study the role of TF in embryonic development we have cloned zebrafish TF cDNA. The 1.36kb orthologous cDNA predicts an ORF encoding a 293 amino acid (aa) protein with a 26 amino acid (aa) signal peptide. The predicted mature protein contains a 230 aa extra-cellular domain, a 20 aa trans-membrane segment, and a 17 aa cytoplasmic tail. The predicted amino acid sequence of zebrafish TF has 31% and 32% overall identity with human and mouse TF respectively. The zebrafish TF gene, like the human and mouse genes, has 6 exons spanning 14kb of genomic DNA. Whole-mount in situ hybridization with a TF anti-sense Riboprobe revealed that TF is detected as early as 18 hours post-fertilization (hpf) in developing head structures and brain. At 20 hpf, TF is expressed in the vascular system and highly expressed in the hindbrain. By 48 hpf, TF is seen in the brain, heart, liver, lens and gut. To investigate the expression of zebrafish TF in vivo, we generated transgenic zebrafish lines that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the TF promoter. A ∼ 2.0 kb promoter fragment upstream of the first exon of the TF gene was sufficient to drive expression of EGFP in a manner that recapitulated the expression of native TF. We inhibited TF expression by injecting anti-sense oligonucleotide morpholinos into the Tg(fli1:EGFP) line, in which there is robust expression of EGFP in vascular endothelial cells and their angioblast precursors. At 24 hpf the development of trunk capillary beds was delayed and, at 48 hpf, most of the morphants developed pericardial edema and impaired formation of inter-somitic vessels. These studies demonstrate that TF is expressed in multiple organs during zebrafish embryogenesis and that TF expression is necessary for the proper migration of endothelial cells into developing blood vessels during the process of embryonic vasculogenesis.
Turbulence structure of boundary layers perturbed by isolated and tandem roughness elements

The modification to the turbulence structure of a boundary layer perturbed by an isolated cylindrical roughness element and by two tandem cylindrical roughness elements was experimentally investiga...
Alterations in corneal biomechanics underlie early stages of autoimmune-mediated dry eye disease

Autoimmune-mediated dry eye disease is a pathological feature of multiple disorders including Sjogren's syndrome, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis that has a life-long, detrimental impact on vision and overall quality of life. Although late stage disease outcomes such as epithelial barrier dysfunction, reduced corneal innervation and chronic inflammation have been well characterized in both human patients and mouse models, there is little to no understanding of early pathological processes. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying the loss of cornea homeostasis and disease progression are unknown. Here, we utilize the autoimmune regulatory (Aire)-deficient mouse model of autoimmune-mediated dry eye disease in combination with genome wide transcriptomics, high-resolution imaging and atomic force microscopy to reveal a potential extracellular matrix (ECM)-biomechanical-based mechanism driving cellular and morphological changes at early disease onset. Early disease in the Aire-deficient mouse model is associated with a mild reduction in tear production and moderate immune cell infiltration, allowing for interrogation of cellular, molecular and biomechanical changes largely independent of chronic inflammation. Using these tools, we demonstrate for the first time that the emergence of autoimmune-mediated dry eye disease is associated with an alteration in the biomechanical properties of the cornea. We reveal a dramatic disruption of the synthesis and organization of the extracellular matrix as well as degradation of the epithelial basement membrane during early disease. Notably, we provide evidence that the nerve supply to the cornea is severely reduced at early disease stages and that this is independent of basement membrane destruction or significant immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, diseased corneas display spatial heterogeneity in mechanical, structural and compositional changes, with the limbal compartment often exhibiting the opposite response compared to the central cornea. Despite these differences, however, epithelial hyperplasia is apparent in both compartments, possibly driven by increased activation of IL-1R1 and YAP signaling pathways. Thus, we reveal novel perturbations in corneal biomechanics, matrix organization and cell behavior during the early phase of dry eye that may underlie disease development and progression, presenting new potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Impact of visitor restriction rules on the postoperative experience of COVID-19 negative patients undergoing surgery.

Abstract Background Many hospitals have implemented visitor restriction policies in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Because caregivers serve an important role in postoperative recovery, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of visitor restrictions on the postoperative experience of coronavirus disease 2019-negative patients undergoing surgery. Methods Patients who underwent surgery immediately before or after the implementation of a visitor restriction policy were enrolled. Patients were surveyed on their inpatient experience and preparedness for discharge using items adapted from validated questionnaires. Results Among 128 eligible patients, 117 agreed to participate (91.4% response rate): 58 (49.6%) in the Visitor Cohort and 59 (50.4%) in the No-Visitor Cohort. Mean age was 57.5 years (standard deviation 13.9) and 66 (56.4%) were female. Among all patients, 47.8% underwent oncologic surgery, 31.6% transplant, and 20.5% general or other. Patients in the No-Visitor Cohort were less likely to report complete satisfaction with the hospital experience (80.7% vs 66.0%, P = .044), timely receipt of medications (84.5% vs 69.0%, P = .048), and assistance getting out of bed (70.7% vs 51.7%, P = .036). No-Visitor Cohort patients were less likely to feel that their discharge preferences were adequately considered (79.3% vs 54.2%, P = .004). Qualitative analysis of patient responses highlighted the consistent psychosocial support provided by visitors after surgery (84.5%), and patients in the No-Visitor Cohort reported social isolation due to lack of psychosocial support (50.8%). Conclusion The implementation of hospital visitor restriction policies may adversely impact the postoperative experience of coronavirus disease 2019-negative patients undergoing surgery. These findings highlight the urgent need for novel patient-centered strategies to improve the postoperative experience of patients during ongoing or future disruptions to routine hospital practice.
Thermal properties of BaCu2SnQ4 (Q = S, Se) quaternary chalcogenides

Quaternary chalcogenides form in different structure types and compositions and are of scientific interest, while their diversity of physical properties exemplifies why they continue to be investigated for potential technological applications. We investigate the thermal properties of BaCu2SnQ4 with trigonal (Q = S) and orthorhombic (Q = Se) crystal structures. BaCu2SnS2Se2 was also synthesized and characterized in order to investigate the effect of alloying on the thermal properties of these quaternary chalcogenides. The low thermal conductivity these materials possess originates from complex phonon spectra and local dynamics of distorted CuQ4 tetrahedra. Our results and analyses are presented in light of the ongoing fundamental interest in these materials as well as their continued interest for energy-related and opto-electronic applications.
On the size of planar graphs with positive Lin-Lu-Yau Ricci curvature

We show that if a planar graph $G$ with minimum degree at least $3$ has positive Lin-Lu-Yau Ricci curvature on every edge, then $\Delta(G)\leq 17$, which then implies that $G$ is finite. This is an analogue of a result of DeVos and Mohar [{\em Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 2007}] on the size of planar graphs with positive combinatorial curvature.
Fusical: Multimodal Fusion for Video Sentiment

Determining the emotional sentiment of a video remains a challenging task that requires multimodal, contextual understanding of a situation. In this paper, we describe our entry into the EmotiW 2020 Audio-Video Group Emotion Recognition Challenge to classify group videos containing large variations in language, people, and environment, into one of three sentiment classes. Our end-to-end approach consists of independently training models for different modalities, including full-frame video scenes, human body keypoints, embeddings extracted from audio clips, and image-caption word embeddings. Novel combinations of modalities, such as laughter and image-captioning, and transfer learning are further developed. We use fully-connected (FC) fusion ensembling to aggregate the modalities, achieving a best test accuracy of 63.9% which is 16 percentage points higher than that of the baseline ensemble.
Visualizing RNA Cytidine Acetyltransferase Activity by Northern Blotting

Cytidine acetyltransferases are an emerging class of nucleic-acid-modifying enzymes responsible for the establishment of N4 -acetylcytidine (ac4C) in RNA. In contrast to histone acetyltransferases, whose activity is commonly studied by western blotting, relatively few methods exist for quickly assessing the activity of cytidine acetyltransferases from a biological sample of interest or the distribution of ac4C across different RNA species. In this protocol, we describe a method for analysis of cellular cytidine acetyltransferase activity using dot- and immuno-northern-blotting-based detection. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Detection of N4 -Acetylcytidine in RNA by dot blotting Basic Protocol 2: Visualizing N4 -Acetylcytidine Distribution in RNA by northern blotting.