cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minicomputer-controlled, background-subtracted anodic stripping voltammetry: evaluation of parameters and performance

Abstract A new minicomputer-controlled anodic stripping voltammetry technique is described. The technique uses differential voltammetry at one electrode, and uses a rapid data-averaging algorithm to avoid the need for scan averaging; this allows excellent sensitivities and short analysis times, with adequate reproducibilities. Both linear-scan and staircase waveforms are discussed in conjunction with the technique, and the approximate Roe—Toni theory for linear-scan voltammetry is shown to apply. The system response is investigated for film thickness, scan rate, deposition time, electrode rotation rate, and metal concentration. Results were used to optimize the sensitivity of the technique. The metal ions Cd, Pb and Cu could be determined in solutions as dilute as 1–10 pg/ml-1 in 15 min. The viability of the technique in solutions showing a large background is also discussed, and a comparison is made with scan-averaged techniques.
The export receptor Crm1 forms a dimer to promote nuclear export of HIV RNA

The HIV Rev protein routes viral RNAs containing the Rev Response Element (RRE) through the Crm1 nuclear export pathway to the cytoplasm where viral proteins are expressed and genomic RNA is delivered to assembling virions. The RRE assembles a Rev oligomer that displays nuclear export sequences (NESs) for recognition by the Crm1-Ran(GTP) nuclear receptor complex. Here we provide the first view of an assembled HIV-host nuclear export complex using single-particle electron microscopy. Unexpectedly, Crm1 forms a dimer with an extensive interface that enhances association with Rev-RRE and poises NES binding sites to interact with a Rev oligomer. The interface between Crm1 monomers explains differences between Crm1 orthologs that alter nuclear export and determine cellular tropism for viral replication. The arrangement of the export complex identifies a novel binding surface to possibly target an HIV inhibitor and may point to a broader role for Crm1 dimerization in regulating host gene expression.
A WASp-binding type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase required for actin polymerization-driven endosome motility

Endosomes in yeast have been hypothesized to move through the cytoplasm by the momentum gained after actin polymerization has driven endosome abscision from the plasma membrane. Alternatively, after abscission, ongoing actin polymerization on endosomes could power transport. Here, we tested these hypotheses by showing that the Arp2/3 complex activation domain (WCA) of Las17 (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein [WASp] homologue) fused to an endocytic cargo protein (Ste2) rescued endosome motility in las17ΔWCA mutants, and that capping actin filament barbed ends inhibited endosome motility but not endocytic internalization. Motility therefore requires continual actin polymerization on endosomes. We also explored how Las17 is regulated. Endosome motility required the Las17-binding protein Lsb6, a type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. Catalytically inactive Lsb6 interacted with Las17 and promoted endosome motility. Lsb6 therefore is a novel regulator of Las17 that mediates endosome motility independent of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate synthesis. Mammalian type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases may regulate WASp proteins and endosome motility.
Analytic Potential Energy Functions for Aluminum Clusters

Nineteen analytic potential energy functions (PEFs) for aluminum (three pairwise additive ones, six nonpairwise additive ones with three-body terms, and ten embedded atom-type PEFs) were obtained from the literature. The PEFs were tested and reparametrized using a diverse training set that includes 20 potential energy curves and a total of 224 geometries for five aluminum clusters Al N (N = 2, 3, 4, 7, and 13) computed using hybrid density functional theory, as well as the experimental face-centered cubic cohesive energy and lattice constant. The best PEFs from the literature have mean unsigned errors (MUEs) over the clusters in the data set of ∼0.12 eV/atom. The best reparametrized PEFs from the literature have MUEs of 0.06 eV/atom. The data set is also used to develop, parametrize, and systematically study the effectiveness of several functional forms designed specifically to model many-body effects in clusters, including bond angle, screening, and coordination number effects; a total of eighteen new PEFs are proposed and tested. The best potential overall has an MUE of 0.05 eV/atom, explicitly includes screening and coordination number effects, features linear scaling, and incorporates the accurate two-body and bulk limits.
Unraveling an emerging disease associated with disturbed aquatic environments: The case of Buruli ulcer

Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans infection) is an emerging disease of developing tropical and subtropical countries. This environmental mycobacterium causes severe morbidity in communities associated with rivers and standing water bodies (particularly those created as a result of human environmental disturbance such as deforestation and agriculture) and subsequent water quality changes. Neither the reservoir nor the mode of transmission is known, but data from laboratory studies suggest that biting aquatic insects may be involved. M ulcerans has been shown to colonize and grow within specific water bugs (Naucoridae), which then transmit M ulcerans to mice through their bites. PCR evidence suggests that the mycobacterium is present in water, biofilms of aquatic plants, detritus, invertebrates, and fish; however, systematic ecological studies that would provide a more comprehensive understanding of M ulcerans distribution in the environment have been lacking. Several hypotheses are explored in relation ...
Incidental De Garengeot's hernia: A case report of dual pathology to remember.

Introduction A De Garengeot’s hernia is the very rare dual pathology of a vermiform appendix within a femoral hernia.
Renal Osteodystrophy: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Options

Publisher Summary Renal osteodystrophy encompasses all of the disorders of mineral metabolism that occur among persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD). These include most prominently disturbances in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium metabolism, in vitamin D metabolism, and in parathyroid gland function. Because bone disease has been implicated as a contributor to cardiovascular calcification among patients with CKD, it has been suggested that vascular calcification be included as an integral component of renal osteodystrophy as understood traditionally. In this context, renal bone disease is considered to be only one part of a broader disease entity or syndrome that encompasses the various clinical, biochemical, and radiographic consequences of abnormal mineral metabolism among patients with CKD that includes alterations in bone mass and/or bone density. From one perspective, the renal bone diseases represent a set of discrete pathological entities when assessed by bone histomorphometry in biopsy specimens obtained from patients with CKD. However, role of other key elements such as variations in parathyroid gland function also account for the development and progression of several of the renal bone diseases and the importance of common pathogenic mechanisms among them. Renal bone diseases also include hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and adynamic bone, osteomalacia, and mixed renal osteodystrophy, all of which have several therapeutic options to be dealt with.
Pulmonary adenocarcinoma with combined ALK translocation and copy number gain: a rare case with treatment response

ALK gene rearrangements are detected by FISH, which also provides information on the ALK gene copy number per cell. ALK gene copy number gain (CNG) is a relative common finding in non-small cell lung cancers; however, the clinical significance of ALK CNG is unclear. Here we reported a case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma that demonstrated combined ALK translocation and CNG, and provided clinical follow-up information including ALK inhibitor treatment responses. The prolonged response of this patient to ALK inhibitor therapy suggests that patients with ALK CNG in addition to ALK translocation may gain additional benefits from ALK inhibitor therapy.
Proximal tibial osteotomy: where did you go?

Abstract The prevalence of knee osteotomy seems to have diminished. Better total knee arthroplasty (TKA) results, greater survival, increased use of unicompartmental arthroplasty, and decreased surgeon confidence for osteotomy are likely causes. However, continued use of knee osteotomy is encouraged by this author. TKAs are not perfect. Furthermore, there is limited long-term durability data for younger, active patients. At 40 to 60 years of age at the time of surgery, some patients will need prosthetic replacements that must last up to 40 to 60 years. A case is made for performing an osteotomy earlier rather than later. Regarding TKA after proximal tibial osteotomy, the difficulty and inappropriateness of the standard comparisons are clear. Comparison of a virgin primary knee at one point in time, with a patient whose situation led to osteotomy surgery 5 to >10 years earlier is not a matched comparison. It is proposed that future biologic resurfacing, together with computer—and even robotic—methods, as well as other advances in biology and technology, will combine to resurrect the performance of knee osteotomies.
Considerations for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree.

Today's progressively complex healthcare landscape increasingly demands leaders who are adept at managing change in uncertain environments. Representing this country's largest group of healthcare workers, RNs influence how research translates to practice and ensure quality patient outcomes. Doctoral programs provide prospective nursing students with opportunities to pursue degrees focused on research or practice. The doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree emphasizes leadership in clinical settings. .
A computerized word-processing and data system for histology in a private medical laboratory

This report describes the use of a word-processing micro-computer, the Lanier Text Editor, for preparation of surgical tissue reports. Gross and microscopic description formats are stored on floppy disks, which may easily be completed and edited on a cathode-ray tube (CRT) for rapid computerized printing. Also described is the use of a PDP 8/E mini-computer for entry, storage, and manipulation of historic, demographic and diagnostic data, printing of numeric and alphabetic listings, cross-indexing of cases by diagnosis, and the accumulation of data for direct patient or physician billing.
Effect of Milk, Lactose and Lactic Acid on Intestinal Bacteria and Protozoa.

SummaryAn exclusive milk diet, lactic acid in, lacto-kelpol, or large amounts of lactose added to a regular neutral diet, will usually produce a lowering of pH of the colon contents, an increase in gram positive organisms including an increase in B. acidophilus, X-type, and at the same time, in some instances will show a reduction in the number of intestinal trichomonads and amoebae.
Tropical Agriculture: Crop Diversity and Crop Yields

Agricultural land use in the tropics is characterized by marked regional contrast, diversity of crops, and less acreage in cereal crops but more in legumes than in the temperate zone. Crop yields a...
Questionnaire Programs for Portable Computers

Portable battery-powered computers have made it possible to collect questionnnaire data directly from the respondent into a data file. While individual questionnaires can be presented to respondents using a specially-written BASIC program for each questionnaire, a general questionnaire generation, editing and presentation package would be of more use. Such a package is described for the TRS-80 Model 100 portable computer. Three programs perform the three functions of generation, editing and presentation, with data files being generated to store all results. A simple example of the use of this package is described.
Monolayer Graphene Platform for the Study of DNA Damage by Low-Energy Electron Irradiation

Novel materials and devices that probe the dynamics and stability of biomolecules under nonequilibrium conditions are necessary to advance our fundamental understanding of processes such as radiation-induced carcinogenesis. Development of effective radiotherapy strategies also relies upon the ability to control low-energy electron-induced DNA breakage in vitro. Here, we report the use of a sensitive chemical-vapor-deposited graphene platform for controlled and enhanced sequence-dependent low-energy electron-induced DNA damage studies. The use of p-doped graphene on Au thin films enhances DNA breakage due to phosphate-mediated parallel adsorption geometries, direct ballistic electron transfer to dissociative sugar–phosphate shape resonances, and image-potential-induced changes in the resonance lifetimes and energy widths. Graphene adsorbed on Au thin films also provides enhanced electric fields for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The combination of these effects allows direct, rapid assessment ...
Influence of Age on in Vitro Lipid Biosynthesis and Enzymatic Activity in Pig Adipose Tissue

SummaryLipogenesis, as measured by the incorporation of glucose-U-14C into fatty acids by adipose tissue slices was determined periodically in 8 pigs from the age of 35 days (9.0 kg) to 180 days (90.0 kg). In the suckling pig, the capacity for fatty acid synthesis was very low, presumably due to the high-fat content of sow milk. Upon ingestion of the high-carbohydrate diet, fatty acid synthesis increased rapidly and reached a peak at 67 days of age. From 67 days of age there was a gradual decrease in the capacity for fatty acid synthesis with advancing age. Changes in the activities of citrate-cleavage enzyme and malic enzyme occurred in parallel with the changes in fatty acid synthesis, supporting the participation of these enzymes in lipogenesis in pig adipose tissue.
Factors Loadings as Proxies for Equity Characteristics, Round 3

I provide a comprehensive analysis that indicates characteristic-based factor loadings provide reasonable proxies for equity fundamentals. My methodology relies on the equilibrium relationships between cross-sectional expected return regressions and time-series empirical asset pricing models. I compare the performance of portfolios formed by observed equity fundamentals and pre-formation factor loadings. My analysis shows that the portfolios formed by book-to-market factor loadings closely matches the empirical return distribution of portfolios formed by the book-to-market characteristic. However, for market equity, gross-profitability, and investment, only the top performing portfolios are well approximated by factor loadings. My results are enhanced when conducting the same analyses on portfolios of equities, meant to reduce estimation risk. Finally, a portfolio formed from aggregating the signals from multiple pre-formation factor loadings beat an equally-weighed benchmark by nearly 400 basis points a year, and earned a Sharpe ratio that was 20% larger.
Propaganda and the Tides of War: January–July 1941

The year 1941 began with neutral opinion warming to Britain. Impressed by British successes in North Africa, neutral governments eased slightly their harsh regimen of censorship and restriction, and at home even the MOI was in good odour for the moment. Its officers were gratified when House of Commons speeches following the fall of Benghazi, paid tribute to Alfred Duff Cooper. The propagandists saw the moment as an opportunity to go over to the offensive.1 They were not deterred even when Germany struck against the allies in April, once more placing neutral Europe on the brink of extinction. All the same, under that renewed onslaught frustration mounted, nerves grew frayed and malediction again was called down upon the Ministry. But the impetus was not lost. There had been progress, and the propagandists were determined to build upon it.
Ethnicity, gender, and the development of achievement values.

Publisher Summary This chapter aims to make the case for a different motivational approach to the study of the academic challenges of some African-American youth, one that focuses on the values component of expectancy-value theory. It elaborates this approach to studying achievement values in the context of ethnicity and development. It begins with a brief historical overview of early motivation research on the achievement syndrome that tried to tackle some of the complex issues related to race and achievement values. Then the chapter describes the various perspectives from the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, and social psychology that offer explanations for the presumed devaluing of achievement among African Americans, and presents some of the empirical research that addresses these issues. Despite the focus on African-American youth, the chapter includes multiethnic samples who share some of the same motivational beliefs and school achievement patterns as their African-American counterparts. The chapter concludes with some recommendations for future motivation theory and research.
Tick Humoral Responses: Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer.

Ticks transmit a variety of human pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. Multiple pathogens that are transmitted simultaneously, termed “coinfections”, are of increasing importance and can affect disease outcome in a host. Arthropod immunity is central to pathogen acquisition and transmission by the tick. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and induce humoral responses through the Toll and Immune Deficiency (IMD) pathways. Comparative analyses between insects and ticks reveal that while the Toll pathway is conserved, the IMD network exhibits a high degree of variability. This indicates that major differences in humoral immunity exist between insects and ticks. While many variables can affect immunity, one of the major forces that shape immune outcomes is the microbiota. In light of this, we discuss how the presence of commensal bacteria, symbionts and/or coinfections can lead to altered immune responses in the tick that impact pathogen persistence and subsequent transmission. By investigating non-insect arthropod immunity, we will not only better comprehend tick biology, but also unravel the intricate effects that pathogen coinfections have on vector competence and tick-borne disease transmission.
Physical Activity into Socialization: A Movement-Based Social Skills Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit deficits in social-communicative behaviors. Given the increased prevalence of children with ASD, programs designed to teach social-communicative behaviors are necessary. This article introduces a movement-based program that embeds social-skill components to improve the motor skills and social skills of children with ASD. A description of social-communicative behaviors and motor skills is provided, along with a sample lesson for targeting each of the skill areas.
A CMOS Phase Noise Filter With Passive Delay Line and PD/CP-Based Frequency Discriminator

A CMOS phase noise filter (PNF) enabled by the passive delay line (DL) and phase detector/charge pump (PD/CP)-based frequency discriminator is proposed. The delay-locked loop and dc offset cancellation loop are embedded in the PNF to achieve fully automatic calibration. The PNF is insensitive to the amplitude noise due to the PD/CP phase extraction feature. With a 20-ns DL, the PNF achieves 10.6/15-dB phase noise suppression with −116.6/−114.9-dBc/Hz phase noise sensitivity at 1-MHz offset in low/high-gain mode, respectively. The suppression offset frequency range is 100 kHz–12 MHz with 9.97–10.087-GHz input frequency range. The phase noise sensitivity improves to −119.9/−123.4 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset with the 40/80-ns DL, respectively. The integrated jitter from 10 kHz to 100 MHz is 176/111/85.5 fs with the 20/40/80-ns DL. The PNF is fabricated in a 65-nm CMOS process with the chip area of 1.68 mm $\times 1.5$ mm and power consumption of 102 mW. The PNF provides a new approach to further enhance the phase noise and jitter performance especially at low offset frequencies.
Dwelling in Hope

Obviously hope is central to Christian understanding. Pauline and post-Pauline New Testament writings understand hope as hope in the resurrection of Christ, made manifest in the Second Coming (e.g., Acts 24:15 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19). The Book of Mormon use of the term seems somewhat more broad, though closer analysis might show that the New Testament understanding is equally broad. In any case, the Book of Mormon speaks of hope for the restoration of Israel (e.g., 1 Nephi 19:24), hope for salvation (e.g., Alma 58:11), and hope for the glory of Christ (e.g., Jacob 4:4), which in context could refer either to the First or the Second Coming. I assume that an investigation of the various ways that the scriptures use the word hope would be profitable. But my interest here is in giving a brief phenomenology of hope rather than a scriptural account of it. My assumption is that if I succeed, what I say might help us hear the scriptural discussion of hope with new ears.
Chapter 24 – Leukotrienes and Lipoxins

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the biology of the leukotrienes (LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) and lipoxins (LXA4 and LXB4), which are molecules derived by lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid. It explores the role of leukotrienes and lipoxins in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They are produced by constitutive cells, like mast cells/ macrophages) and infiltrating cells (eosinophils, neutrophils) implicated in asthma and COPD. Laboratory-induced asthma and spontaneous asthma or COPD is associated with an enhanced recovery of leukotrienes in the urine and exhaled breath condensate of subjects with asthma and sputum, BAL or exhaled breath condensate leukotrienes in COPD. They are potent bronchoconstrictor agonists. Their administration results in the expression of mucus from mucous glands. Agents capable of interfering with leukotriene action or synthesis enhance asthma control. Similar data are not available for COPD. The data indicate that the leukotrienes play an important role in the asthmatic response. But the importance of the pathogenetic role of the leukotrienes in COPD is still not known. Lipoxins are generated in respiratory tissues in asthma and COPD and can decrease airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in laboratory-induced asthma. Since these data are not biologically informative with respect to the role the leukotrienes in COPD, larger better-controlled studies are needed to resolve this issue.
Maternal Regulation of Pups' Cortical Activity: Role of Serotonergic Signaling.

A developing brain shows intense reorganization and heightened neuronal plasticity allowing for environmental modulation of its development. During early life, maternal care is a key factor of this environment and defects in this care can derail adaptive brain development and may result in susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which those maternal interactions immediately impact the offspring’s brain activity to initiate the pathway to pathology are not well understood. We do know that multiple neurotransmitter systems are involved, including the serotonergic system, a key neuromodulator involved in brain development and emotional regulation. We tested the importance of the serotonergic system and pups’ immediate neural response to maternal presence using wireless electrophysiological recordings, a novel approach allowing us to record neural activity during pups’ interactions with their mother. We found that maternal contact modulates the P10–P12 rat pups’ anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity by notably increasing local-field potential (LFP) power in low-frequency bands. We demonstrated, by blocking serotonergic receptors, that this increase is mediated through 5-HT2 receptors (5-HT2Rs). Finally, we showed in isolated pups that enhancing serotonergic transmission, using a selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor, is sufficient to enhance LFP power in low-frequency bands in a pattern similar to that observed when the mother is in the nest. Our results highlight a significant contribution of the serotonergic system in mediating changes of cortical activity in pups related to maternal presence.
Apparent electrical conductivity predicts physical properties of coarse soils

Abstract Precision agriculture informed by electromagnetic induction surveys could reduce groundwater withdrawals and nitrogen leaching from coarse soils. However, coarse, nonsaline soils often have extremely narrow ranges of mapped apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and the efficacy of ECa for predicting soil physical properties is uncertain in this context. For this reason, it is also uncertain as to whether electromagnetic induction surveys are valuable for guiding precision agriculture on coarse, nonsaline soils. Additionally, the need to ground-truth electromagnetic induction surveys for individual agricultural fields with soil sampling and statistical model development hampers adoption of precision agriculture at the regional scale. Our research objectives were to quantify the variation in mapped ECa and develop statistical relationships between ECa and soil physical properties both within and across several agricultural fields in the Wisconsin Central Sands, a distinct hydropedological region with coarse, glaciolacustrine soils. We used nonparametric correlation analyses to identify associations and quantile regression, a statistical approach with no assumptions of normality or homoscedasticity, to identify predictive relationships between ECa and soil physical properties. We found strong, significant (p
Getting the Most: Enhancing Efficacy by Promoting Erythropoiesis and Thrombopoiesis after Gene Therapy in Mice with Hurler Syndrome.

Novel strategies are needed to solve the conundrum of achieving clinical efficacy with high vector copy numbers (VCNs) in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) while attempting to minimize the potential risk of oncogenesis in lentiviral vector (LV)-mediated gene therapy clinical trials. We previously reported the benefits of reprogramming erythroid-megakaryocytic (EMK) cells for high-level lysosomal enzyme production with less risk of activating oncogenes in HSCs. Herein, using a murine model of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) with a deficiency of α-L-iduronidase (IDUA), we sought to determine the transgene minimum effective doses (MEDs) in major organs, and if a transient increase of IDUA-containing red blood cells and platelets by repeated phlebotomy would provide further therapeutic benefits in diseased mice after EMK-restricted LV-mediated gene therapy. The MEDs for complete metabolic correction ranged from 0.1 to 2 VCNs in major visceral organs, which were dramatically reduced to 0.005–0.1 VCN by one cycle of stress induction and were associated with a further reduction of pathological deficits in mice with 0.005 VCN. This work provides a proof of concept that transiently stimulating erythropoiesis and thrombopoiesis can further improve therapeutic benefits in HSC-mediated gene therapy for MPS I, a repeatable and reversible approach to enhance clinical efficacy in the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases.
Overcoming Conflicts in ICU Care of Surgical Patients

Surgical patients requiring postoperative admission to the intensive care unit often necessitate a large team of physicians to work together toward assuring their recovery. It has been well documented in the literature that these types of patients are better served by a closed-model ICU, wherein their primary physician is an intensivist and the operative surgeon is a consultant. This effective model, however, is not flawless and requires patience, conflict management skills, and open-mindedness on behalf of the surgeon and intensivist. Failures in communication are a leading cause of medical error, and for this reason it is imperative that surgeons distribute information to the entire care team and intensivists must effectively coordinate the care and manage the patient. The highlighted case of a 63-year-old African American gentleman who underwent repair of his ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and serial surgeries to manage his complicated postoperative course illustrates how patient outcomes are affected by communication between the surgeon and intensivist and the coordination of multiple services in a closed-model ICU.
Thinking About the Learning Design: Theories, Models, Frameworks, and Heuristics

People have been studying how humans learn and theorizing about ways to support their learning for many years. This chapter addresses the importance of using relevant concepts and empirical-based knowledge of human learning to inform the design and development of the open-shared learning objects and sequences. This chapter may be one of the more challenging ones given the number of potential concepts and data that may inform design practice, and also given that there are many different preferences that open-shared learning designers and developers may have in their selections. The core idea is that designing for learning centeredness benefits from knowledge of human learning and thought-through and informed processes in learning design.
A rangewide herbarium-derived dataset indicates high levels of gene flow in black cherry (Prunus serotina).

Isolation by Distance (IBD) is a genetic pattern in which populations geographically closer to one another are more genetically similar to each other than populations which are farther apart. Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) (Rosaceae) is a forest tree species widespread in eastern North America, and found sporadically in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. IBD has been studied in relatively few North American plant taxa, and no study has rigorously sampled across the range of such a widespread species. In this study, IBD and overall genetic structure were assessed in eastern black cherry (P. serotina Ehrh. var. serotina), the widespread variety of eastern North America. Eastern North America. Prunus serotina Ehrh. var. serotina (Rosaceae). Dense sampling across the entire range of eastern black cherry was made possible by genotyping 15 microsatellite loci in 439 herbarium samples from all portions of the range. Mantel tests and STRUCTURE analyses were performed to evaluate the hypothesis of IBD and genetic structure. Mantel tests demonstrated significant but weak IBD, while STRUCTURE analyses revealed no clear geographic pattern of genetic groups. The modest geographic/genetic structure across the eastern black cherry range suggests widespread gene flow in this taxon. This is consistent with P. serotina's status as a disturbance-associated species. Further studies should similarly evaluate IBD in species characteristic of low-disturbance forests.
Patrol Scheduling Against Adversaries with Varying Attack Durations

We consider a generalization of zero-sum patrolling security game that allows the attacker choosing when, where, and how long to launch an attack, under three different attacker models. The attacker's payoff is the acquired utilities of the attack minus a penalty if the attacker is caught by the defender in patrol. The goal is to reduce the payoff of the attacker. To find the optimal defender/ attacker strategy, the game is converted to a combinatorial minimax problem with a closed-form objective function. Due to the complexity of the utility functions, we show that the minimax problem is not convex for all attacker models, even when the defender strategy is assumed as the time-homogeneous first-order Markov chain (i.e., the patroller's next visit only depends on his current location). However, for the zero penalty case, we prove that the optimal solution is either minimizing the expected hitting time or return time, based on different attacker models. We also observe that increasing the randomness of the patrol schedule helps to reduce the attacker's expected payoff for high penalty cases. Thus, to find solutions for general cases, we formulated a bi-criteria optimization problem and proposed three algorithms that support finding a trade-off between the expected maximum reward and the randomness. Another characteristic is that the third algorithm is able to find the optimal deterministic patrol schedule, although the running time is exponential on the number of patrol spots. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of our solutions. It also shows that our solutions outperform the baselines from state of the art in both artificial and real-world crime datasets.
HUMAN PHOSPHOGLYCERATE MUTASE: ISOZYME MARKER FOR MUSCLE DIFFERENTIATION AND FOR NEOPLASIA

ABSTRACT. Tissue-specific isozymes of the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase can be distinguished by electrophoresis, chromatography, heat stability, and amino acid composition. Phosphoglycerate mutase (PGAM) from skeletal muscle migrates slowly, while PGAM from brain and other tissues migrates rapidly toward the anode in pH 7.5 Tris-citrate or pH 8.6 Tris-EDTA-borate horizontal starch gels. Striking developmental and neoplastic transitions for PGAM expression in man have been identified. Human fetal skeletal muscle at 50-60 days gestation contains the single-banded type B PGAM pattern, as in adult brain. The appearance of a band of intermediate mobility signifies production of type M PGAM subunits and formation of MB hybrid enzyme molecules. By 166 days gestation and thereafter, the skeletal muscle contains almost exclusively the type M PGAM phenotype. Fetal human brain has the same phenotype as adult brain for PGAM, as do relatively benign brain tumors, such as meningioma or a grade II astrocytoma. However, highly malignant grade III and IV astrocytomas and a hemangioblastoma gave electrophoretic patterns with prominent hybrid and muscle type bands. PGAM promises to be a useful isozyme marker for differentiation in vivo and in cultured systems in vitro.
Drug potency on inhibiting late Na+ current is sensitive to gating modifier and current region where drug effects were measured.

Abstract Introduction Cardiac late Na+ current (INaL) contributes to ventricular action potential duration. Pathological increase in INaL is arrhythmogenic, and inhibition of INaL offers protection against ventricular repolarization disturbance. Recently, two INaL datasets generated by different laboratories that assessed current inhibition by a panel of clinical drugs as a part of the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) initiative were published. The results revealed a surprising degree of data variability despite of the use of a standardized voltage protocol. This study investigated whether remaining procedural differences related to experimental methods and data analysis associated with these datasets can produce differences in INaL pharmacology. Methods Whole cell voltage clamp recordings were performed on cells expressing NaV1.5 α- and β1-subunits to study: 1) the impact of gating modifiers used to augment INaL (ATX-II vs. veratridine), internal solution composition (with vs. without ATP and GTP), and recording temperature (23 °C vs 37 °C) on stability of INaL measured across the duration of a patch clamp experiment; 2) mechanisms of each gating modifier on Na+ channels; and 3) effects of six drugs (lidocaine, mexiletine, chloroquine, ranolazine, ritonavir, and verapamil) on INaL induced by either gating modifier. Results Stability of INaL is affected by the choice of gating modifier, presence of nucleotides in the internal solution, and recording temperature. ATX-II and veratridine produced different changes in Na+ channel gating, inducing mechanistically distinct INaL. Drug potencies on inhibiting INaL were dependent on the choice of gating modifier and current region where drug effects were measured. Discussion INaL pharmacology can be impacted by all experimental factors examined in this study. The effect of gating modifier and current region used to quantify drug inhibition alone led to 30× difference in half inhibitory concentration (IC50) for ritonavir, demonstrating that substantial difference in drug inhibition can be produced. Drug potencies on inhibiting INaL derived from different patch clamp studies may thus not be generalizable. For INaL pharmacology to be useful for in silico modeling or interpreting drug-induced changes in cardiac action potentials or ECG, standardizing INaL experimental procedures including data analysis methods is necessary to minimize data variability.
CCR5 Promoter Polymorphism -2459G > A: Forgotten or Ignored?

C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) polymorphisms, particularly a 32-base pair deletion (∆32) in the open reading frame and −2459G > A in the promoter, are well known for their associations with HIV-1 infection and/or disease progression in a variety of studies. In this era of an HIV cure, where all the emphasis is on ∆32, it seems that −2459G > A has been forgotten or ignored. There is significant importance in the incorporation of the CCR5 −2459G > A genotype information into studies evaluating new immunologic and chemotherapeutic strategies, and those designing and implementing better treatment strategies with current antiretroviral therapy, doing so would enable a better understanding of the response to the intervention, due to a mechanistic or constitutive explanation. Until we find a strategy, whether a stem-cell transplantation or CCR5 editing approach or something else, that delivers a cure to the millions, we should make use of every piece of information that may help curtail HIV/AIDS as a threat to public health.
Resistance exercise-induced hormonal response promotes satellite cell proliferation in untrained men but not in women.

The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of resistance exercise (RE)-induced hormonal changes on the satellite cell (SC) myogenic state in response to muscle damage. Untrained men (n = ...
A Proposed Model To Help Explain The Influence of Advertising and Physical Contextual Cues on the Perceived Quality of an Organization

The effects of advertising and physical contextual cues on perceived quality have remained in two separate streams of marketing research. Surprisingly, no conceptual foundation has been proposed for a unifying model that focuses on explaining the impact of both types of variables on perceived quality. This paper presents a proposed model and preliminary empirical evidence which suggests how advertising and physical contextual cues affect the perceived quality of an organization.
Convergence of the Freely Rotating Chain to the Kratky-Porod Model of Semi-flexible Polymers

The freely rotating chain is one of the classic discrete models of a polymer in dilute solution. It consists of a broken line of N straight segments of fixed length such that the angle between adjacent segments is constant and the $$N-1$$ torsional angles are independent, identically distributed, uniform random variables. We provide a rigorous proof of a folklore result in the chemical physics literature stating that under an appropriate scaling, as $$N\rightarrow \infty $$ , the freely rotating chain converges to a random curve defined by the property that its derivative with respect to arclength is a Brownian motion on the unit sphere. This is the Kratky-Porod model of semi-flexible polymers. We also investigate limits of the model when a stiffness parameter, called the persistence length, tends to zero or infinity. The main idea is to introduce orthogonal frames adapted to the polymer and to express conformational changes in the polymer in terms of stochastic equations for the rotation of these frames.
The Duality of Stigmatization: An Examination of Differences in Collateral Consequences for Black and White Sex Offenders

Isolating particular groups of individuals is nothing novel within American society, and two prevalent examples of this are the historical and current treatment of Blacks and sex offenders. To date...
Deglutition and oropharyngeal dysphagia

Abstract Deglutition, or swallowing, is a complex physiological function that requires the coordination of a variety of muscles located in the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a condition where there is perceived or actual difficulty in forming or moving a food bolus safely from the oral cavity to the esophagus and may give rise to several groups of clinically relevant complications such as protein-calorie malnutrition and tracheobronchial aspiration and pneumonia. Oropharyngeal dysphagia has been frequently associated with disorders such as stroke, acquired brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases and head and neck cancers, all of which are more prevalent in the older population. The diagnosis and management of oropharyngeal dysphagia is best performed using a multidisciplinary team and should involve gastroenterologists, nurses, language therapists, neurologists, ENT specialists, surgeons, radiologists and dietitians. The goal is to accurately identify patients with dysphagia, identify specific etiologies that may be amenable to medical or surgical therapies, characterize precise biomechanical changes resulting in oropharyngeal dysphagia and design a set of therapeutic strategies to facilitate safe and effective deglutition. There are several well-validated questionnaires for screening of oropharyngeal dysphagia, as well as a variety of clinical assessment tests that can be used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of swallowing and detect aspiration at the bedside. Instrumental evaluation is typically necessary to confirm the diagnosis of oropharyngeal dysphagia, identify the pathophysiology, and plan and evaluate response to treatment. Common modalities include videofluoroscopy, fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation and manometry. The addition of thickening agents to liquids to increase the viscosity and decrease the risks of penetration and aspiration is a commonly used practice in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia regardless of the etiology. There are a variety of swallow maneuvers that are easy to learn and can improve bolus transit through biomechanical adjustments. Swallowing rehabilitation involves exercising specific muscle groups to improve functional deglutition, enhance swallowing physiology, and reduce potential sequela of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Oral feeding is usually feasible in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia with dietary adaptation or other compensatory mechanisms, but some patients present with severe deglutition problems that require enteral nutrition. Novel treatments include peripheral pharyngeal or transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation, pharmacological stimulation with TRPV1 agonists, and central stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, all of which are still under investigation.
Social Determinants of Health and Diabetes: A Scientific Review.

Decades of research have demonstrated that diabetes affects racial and ethnic minority and low-income adult populations in the U.S. disproportionately, with relatively intractable patterns seen in these populations’ higher risk of diabetes and rates of diabetes complications and mortality (1). With a health care shift toward greater emphasis on population health outcomes and value-based care, social determinants of health (SDOH) have risen to the forefront as essential intervention targets to achieve health equity (2–4). Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted unequal vulnerabilities borne by racial and ethnic minority groups and by disadvantaged communities. In the wake of concurrent pandemic and racial injustice events in the U.S., the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Society of General Internal Medicine, National Academy of Medicine, and other professional organizations have published statements on SDOH (5–8), and calls to action focus on amelioration of these determinants at individual, organizational, and policy levels (9–11). In diabetes, understanding and mitigating the impact of SDOH are priorities due to disease prevalence, economic costs, and disproportionate population burden (12–14). In 2013, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) published a scientific statement on socioecological determinants of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (15). Toward the goal ofunderstanding and advancing opportunities for health improvement among the population with diabetes through addressing SDOH, ADA convened the current SDOH and diabetes writing committee, prepandemic, to review the literature on 1 ) associations of SDOH with diabetes risk and outcomes and 2 ) impact of interventions targeting amelioration of SDOH on diabetes outcomes. This article begins with an overview of key definitions and SDOH frameworks. The literature review focuses primarily on U.S.-based studies of adults with diabetes and on five SDOH: socioeconomic status (education, income, occupation); neighborhood and physical environment (housing, built environment, toxic environmental …
Whipple Telescope observations of potential TeV γ-ray sources found by the Tibet Air Shower Array

Abstract An all-sky survey performed with the Tibet Air Shower Array (Tibet AS) has found a number of potential point sources of TeV γ rays. If they are steady sources, the implied Tibet AS fluxes should be visible with strong significance to the Whipple 10-m γ-ray telescope ( E >400 GeV) with only a short (5 h) exposure. We have observed four candidate directions from the Tibet-II HD dataset for ∼5 h, each with the Whipple telescope. In addition, we observed a new candidate direction from the Tibet-III Phase 1 dataset for 7.5 h. We have found no corresponding excesses at the flux levels implied, and we have set upper limits for each candidate.
Gender Differences in the Predictors of Suicide-related Morbidity Among Veterans Reporting Current Housing Instability.

Background Veterans experiencing housing instability are at increased risk of suicide. Research is needed to identify gender differences in the predictors of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, particularly among Veterans who are unstably housed. Objectives The objective of the present study was to explore whether correlates of suicide-related morbidity among unstably housed Veterans vary by gender and identify implications for improved care for these Veterans. Methods The study cohort included 86,325 Veterans who reported current housing instability between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2016. This cross-sectional study assessed differences in demographic and outcome variables by gender using χ2 analyses and a series of multiple logistic regressions predicting suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, stratified by gender. Results Among unstably housed female Veterans, being younger than 40 years was associated with more than double the odds of having an indicator of suicidal ideation and >12 times the odds of having an indicator of a suicide attempt. The effect sizes associated with age were much less pronounced among unstably housed male Veterans. The presence of mental health and substance use conditions as well as a positive screen for military sexual trauma were associated with increased risk of suicide morbidity among both women and men. Conclusions Intervention and prevention among unstably housed Veterans may be complicated by unpredictable living situations; further research should explore tailored interventions to address the complex needs of unstably housed Veterans and how suicide prevention can be woven throughout.