cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in Taxonomic Composition of the Fecal Microbiota in an Inbred Mouse Strain across Individuals and Time

Genetics, diet, and other environmental exposures are thought to be major factors in the development and composition of the intestinal microbiota of animals. However, the relative contributions of these factors in adult animals, as well as variation with time in a variety of important settings, are still not fully understood. We studied a population of inbred, female mice fed the same diet and housed under the same conditions. We collected fecal samples from 46 individual mice over two weeks, sampling four of these mice for periods as long as 236 days for a total of 190 samples, and determined the phylogenetic composition of their microbial communities after analyzing 1,849,990 high-quality pyrosequencing reads of the 16S rRNA gene V3 region. Even under these controlled conditions, we found significant inter-individual variation in community composition, as well as variation within an individual over time, including increases in alpha diversity during the first 2 months of co-habitation. Some variation was explained by mouse membership in different cage and vendor shipment groups. The differences among individual mice from the same shipment group and cage were still significant. Overall, we found that 23% of the variation in intestinal microbiota composition was explained by changes within the fecal microbiota of a mouse over time, 12% was explained by persistent differences among individual mice, 14% by cage, and 18% by shipment group. Our findings suggest that the microbiota of controlled populations of inbred laboratory animals may not be as uniform as previously thought, that animal rearing and handling may account for some variation, and that as yet unidentified factors may explain additional components of variation in the composition of the microbiota within populations and individuals over time. These findings have implications for the design and interpretation of experiments involving laboratory animals.
Quantification of an aesthetic injury level and threshold for an urban pest management program against orangestriped oakworm (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

The relationship between an aesthetic injury level and a threshold was quantified for orangestriped oakworm, Anisota senatoria (J. E. Smith), infesting differentsized pin oaks, Quercus palustris (Muenchhausen). A significant linear relationship was observed between a threshold based on the number of A. senatoria egg masses and an aesthetic injury level based on 25% defoliation of pin oak. Thresholds of 0.9 egg masses predicted 25% defoliation of trees with a mean diameter at breast height (dbh) of 12.6 cm; 4.8 egg masses for trees with a mean dbh of 19.1 cm. 6.6 egg masses and a mean dbh of 26.4 cm, and 9.0 egg masses for trees with a mean dbh of 35.4 cm. Quantification of an aesthetic injury level and threshold provided a practical decision-making guideline for an integrated pest management program for A. senatoria .
“Sound Ideas”: MP3: the meaning of a format

Despite the MP3's ubiquity, the compressed audio file's presence in scholarly literature has been relatively scarce. Most often, the format has taken second place to the iPods and other gadgets des...
Differential changes of potassium currents in CA1 pyramidal neurons after transient forebrain ischemia.

CA1 pyramidal neurons are highly vulnerable to transient cerebral ischemia. In vivo studies have shown that the excitability of CA1 neurons progressively decreased following reperfusion. To reveal ...
Treatment of Institutional Neurosis

This chapter discusses the various aspects of the treatment of institutional neurosis. It illustrates the arbitrary stages in the process and describes the roles that individual members of the staff—such as ward doctors, nurses, attendants, occupational therapists, and social workers—must play in combating institutional neurosis. The treatment of the patient involves a re-establishment of his/her contacts; a provision of a daily sequence of useful occupations and recreations; eradication of brutality, browbeating, and teasing; alteration of staff attitudes to amiability and acceptance; encouraging him/her to make friends; reduction of drugs where possible; and the provision of a friendly, homely, and permissive atmosphere. The practice of sending psychopaths who have committed offences to psychiatric hospitals has a bad effect on the attitude of staff toward patients. A few psychopaths may monopolize doctors' and nurses' time, exploit staff shortages and inadequacies, steal from or ill-treat other patients, prevent therapeutic integration of patients, and result in overcautious nursing. Drugs should be used to counter the bewildering experiences and distressing emotions arising from within. They should never be used to adjust a patient to surroundings that any normal person would find intolerable.
A Contribution to the Life History of Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Megalops atlanticus (Tarpon) is a highly migratory species that supports an economically important recreational fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite this, little is known about Tarpon life history in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Collections of Tarpon leptocephali, young-of-the-year, juveniles, sub-adults, and adults from waters of southeastern Louisiana and the adjacent northern Gulf of Mexico suggest that the northern region may provide valuable habitats for the species at the present time, and potentially be of greater importance as climate change progresses.
Nanoarchitecture Based SERS for Biomolecular Fingerprinting and Label-Free Disease Markers Diagnosis

ConspectusSurface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) fingerprinting is highly promising for identifying disease markers from complex mixtures of clinical sample, which has the capability to take medical diagnoses to the next level. Although vibrational frequency in Raman spectra is unique for each biomolecule, which can be used as fingerprint identification, it has not been considered to be used routinely for biosensing due to the fact that the Raman signal is very weak. Contemporary SERS has been demonstrated to be an excellent analytical tool for practical label-free sensing applications due its ability to enhance Raman signals by factors of up to 108–1014 orders of magnitude. Although SERS was discovered more than 40 years ago, its applications are still rare outside the spectroscopy community and it is mainly due to the fact that how to control, manipulate and amplify light on the “hot spots” near the metal surface is in the infancy stage.In this Account, we describe our contribution to develop nanoac...
Regulation of transcription of the testis-specific histone H1t gene by multiple promoter elements.

This is a review of mechanisms that contribute to testis-specific transcription of the histone H1t gene.The mammalian testis-specific histone H1t gene is transcribed only in primary spermatocytes during spermatogenesis. Linker histones bind to DNA and contribute to chromatin condensation by formation of the 30 nm chromatin fiber. Furthermore, linker histones contribute to regulation of transcription of specific genes. Histone H1t, which binds more weakly to DNA than the other six known linker histones, is expressed in cells that are involved in the essential processes of crossing over and mismatch repair of DNA and in cells that undergo a dramatic alteration in gene expression. However, contributions of this linker histone to these processes are unknown. Subtle differences are found in the H1t promoter compared to the other H1 promoters. Nevertheless, several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that a sequence element designated TE that is located within the H1t promoter is essential for enhanced testis-specific transcription of this gene. Transgenic mice bearing a rat H1t transgene which contains a replacement of the TE element with stuffer DNA fail to express rat H1t mRNA. In addition, an upstream sequence appears to function as a silencer element that leads to transcriptional repression of the H1t gene in nongerminal cells. Thus, multiple promoter elements appear to contribute to regulation of transcription of the histone H1t gene.
ATPS-32TUMOR-HOMING HUMAN INDUCED NEURAL STEM CELLS: TOWARDS PERSONALIZED CELL THERAPY FOR GLIOBLASTOMA.

BACKGROUND: Engineered neural stem cells (NSC) are a promising new approach to treating glioblastoma (GBM). As NSC therapy for GBM enters clinical trials, the ideal NSC drug carrier should be easily isolated and autologous to avoid immune rejection. METHODS: As a new approach to personalized NSC therapy for cancer, we switched the fate of human fibroblasts in induced neural stem cells (h-iNSCs) using a new stem cell technology termed transdifferentiation (TD). The h-iNSCs were engineered to express optical reporters and either the pro-apoptotic agent TRAIL or prodrug/enzyme therapy thymidine kinase. The tumor-homing migration and therapeutic efficacy of cytotoxic h-iNSCs were then assessed in human GBM cell models of solid and surgically resected disease in mice. RESULTS: To develop the first TD method capable of generating h-iNSCs fast enough for clinical GBM therapy, we discovered a new TD strategy that converted human skin fibroblasts into nestin+ h-iNSCs in only 4 days. Non-invasive optical imaging and immunostaining showed h-iNSCs survived in the brain of mice for 3 weeks and remained nestin+. Time-lapse motion analysis of 3-dimensional co-cultures showed h-iNSCs rapidly migrated to human GBMs cells and penetrated solid human GBM spheroids. Investigating h-iNSC therapy, h-iNSC secretion of TRAIL reduced solid GBM intracranial xenografts 250-fold in 3 weeks and prolonged median survival from 22 to 49 days. h-iNSC prodrug/enzyme therapy regressed human patient-derived GBM xenografts 20-fold and extended survival from 32 to 62 days. Mimicking clinical h-iNSC therapy, intra-cavity h-iNSC thymidine kinase/ganciclovir therapy delayed the regrowth of post-surgical GBMs 3-fold and prolonged survival in mice from 46 to 60 days. CONCLUSIONS: Transdifferentiating human skin into h-iNSCs is a new platform for creating tumor-homing cytotoxic cell therapies for cancer. Translating this approach has the potential to avoid carrier rejection and maximize treatment durability in patient trials.
Review of the book Hard Living in America's Heartland: Rural Poverty in the 21st Century Midwest by Paula vW. Dail

Review of the book Hard Living in America's Heartland: Rural Poverty in the 21st Century Midwest by Paula vW. Dail
Perceptions of personal risk in tourists’ destination choices: nature tours in Mexico

Terrorism, pandemic diseases, and other threatening events have recently heightened the sense of personal risk for tourists considering international travel. This article addresses the paucity of research assessing perceptions of risk both before and during travel to risky destinations. Tourists on two nature tours in Mexico were interviewed and observed while engaged in the travel. Many types of specific perceived risks were uncovered, including insect-borne disease, traffic accidents, financial losses, and unattained goals. Some correlates of perceived risk were tour company reputation, stage of family life cycle, age, and motivation. Based on the types of perceived risk and the factors, five propositions are discussed. One unexpected proposition addresses the role of age and states that as the perceived years of physical ability to travel decreases, the tolerance for safety risk increases. Another proposes that eco-tourists with intense, destination-specific motivations are more tolerant of travel risk than those with casual and/or social motivations. The article concludes with suggestions for tour industry managers and directions for future research.
Social media in nurse education: Utilization and E-professionalism

Abstract Objective To explore faculty and student utilization of social media and its professional implications in nurse education. Methods A descriptive study. Five hundred six Bachelor of Nursing students, 112 Practical Nursing students and 74 faculty members were invited to complete a questionnaire of 28 questions relating to social media. Results Three hundred thirty-seven students and 29 faculty responded. Students spent significantly more time using social media compared to faculty and both groups used it mainly for personal use. However, almost twice as many students used social media for educational purposes than did faculty (58.5% vs 27.6%, p YouTube and text messaging were popular platforms for educational purposes. While Facebook was also a popular educational site for students (95% used it for informal learning; 67% for formal learning), it was much less commonly used by faculty (45% used it for informal learning; 17% for formal learning). More students than faculty felt that they were aware of privacy features, and of the professional behavior expected when using social media. In addition, more students (90.7%) than faculty (71.43%) used these privacy features (p Conclusion There is a high reported usage of social media among students and faculty. Utilization of public platforms, while potentially beneficial, can have professional implications if not used appropriately with both personal and academic use. Developing best practice approaches for using social media in nurse education is essential to ensure that faculty and students are informed of e-professionalism.
Decreasing Clostridium difficile–Associated Fatality Rates Among Hospitalized Patients in the United States: 2004-2014

Abstract Background Clostridium difficile infection has emerged as a major public health problem in the United States over the last 2 decades. We examined the trends in the C. difficile –associated fatality rate, hospital length of stay, and hospital charges over the last decade. Methods We used data from the National Inpatient Sample to identify patients with a principal diagnosis of C. difficile infection from 2004 to 2014. Outcomes included in-hospital fatality rate, hospital length of stay, and hospital charges. For each outcome, trends were also stratified by age categories because the risk of infection and associated mortality increases with age. Results Clostridium difficile infection discharges increased from 19.9 per 100,000 persons in 2004 to 33.8 per 100,000 persons in 2014. Clostridium difficile –associated fatality decreased from 3.6% in 2004 to 1.6% in 2014 ( P P P P P P Conclusion In-hospital fatality associated with C. difficile infection in the United States has decreased more than 2-fold in the last decade, despite increasing infection rates.
An Alaska case study: Biomass technology

This review examines commercial biomass boilers installed around the state of Alaska for key performance and cost metrics. Capital costs and operation and maintenance costs vary with the boiler type and location around the state. Most boiler manufacturers claim system life expectancies of 20–30 years, assuming normal running conditions and adherence to maintenance schedules. System efficiencies vary with the biomass system type, installation protocol, operation and maintenance protocols, piping distance, thermal storage, and wood moisture content. Sizing biomass units to meet approximately 80% of peak required heat load ensures that the boiler will run at the maximum heat output. The boiler itself presents the highest cost for most installations. Other substantial costs include the site foundation, the boiler building, and the integration of the system into the building. Fuel storage and construction management are also large expenses although not reported in each project. Despite the large installed capa...
THE ACTION OF AMPHOTERICIN B ON MYCOPLASMA LAIDLAWII.

Abstract M. laidlawii grown in cholesterol-free medium are resistant to amphotericin B; when grown in the presence of cholesterol they are sensitive to the drug. Incubation of the resistant organisms in the presence of cholesterol results in a rapid conversion to sensitivity by a temperature-dependent process involving incorporation of sterol into the cells. Similarly, amphotericin B-sensitive M. laidlawii are rendered resistant by incubation in a cholesterol-free medium, and this change is associated with loss of some of the radioactivity previously incorporated from labeled cholesterol.
Required Rates of Return and Financial Contracting for Entrepreneurial Ventures

Investments in new venture involve financial contracts between an entrepreneur and one or more outside investors. Outside investors (such as venture capital firms) generally represent well-diversified investors. Even private investors generally commit small fractions of total wealth to any given venture. The entrepreneur, in contrast, usually must commit a substantial fraction of human and financial capital to the venture. In this paper, we assume that the Capital Asset Pricing Model is a reasonable approximation of the asset pricing model used by well-diversified investors, and that the entrepreneur faces the risk-return tradeoff of the CAPM as the opportunity cost of holding an under-diversified portfolio that includes investment in the venture. The result is that the entrepreneur's required rate of return depends on total risk of the investment, in the context of other assets in the entrepreneur's portfolio. We model the required rate of return of the entrepreneur, assuming that investment in the venture is one of two assets in the portfolio and that the other is the market portfolio. Since the required rate of return for the entrepreneur is always higher than that of a diversified investor, opportunities arise for value-enhancing financial contracts to be devised based on allocation of risk. In the paper, we explore opportunities for value creation when the parties to a financial contract have different costs of bearing risk, and where adverse selection and moral hazard are both concerns. The analysis yields a number of testable implications for the structures of new venture financial contracts.
Significance of Chromosome Bands

Even a superficial comparison demonstrates that, apart from C-banding, the different banding techniques reveal the same features in chromosome structure. Thus, the bright Q-bands correspond to the dark G-bands, which in turn appear to be identical with the R-light bands. This does not exclude the possibility that some similar-appearing bands have different properties. Thus, the chromosome ends apparently differ from other Q-dark bands (Ambros and Sumner, 1987; Korenberg and Rykowski, 1988).
Perioperative Management of Dental Patients on Anticoagulants

When continuously anticoagulated patients present for dental surgery, a decision must be made to continue anticoagulation and risk bleeding complications or to interrupt anticoagulation and risk embolic complication like stroke or heart attack. The incidence and morbidity of postdental bleeding complications in anticoagulated patients have been overestimated, and at the same time the increased embolic risks when anticoagulation has been interrupted have been underestimated. A search of the literature reveals that of more than 7376 anticoagulated patients undergoing 14,879 surgical procedures including 13,703 extractions, there were only about 486 bleeding complications (6% of patient visits), of which only 33 (0.4% of patients and visits) required more than local measures for hemostasis. On the other hand, there have been at least 3278 dental patients whose anticoagulation was interrupted for at least 3380 appointments. A total of 29 of these patients (0.9% of patients or visits) have had embolic complications after interruption, including 7 fatalities (0.2% of patients or visits). As a result, therapeutic anticoagulation levels should not be interrupted for dental surgery.
The impact of ACA Medicaid expansion on socioeconomic inequality in health care services utilization.

Objective We examined whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion reduced socioeconomic inequalities in health care utilization. Methods We used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, covering the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, between 2011 and 2016. We selected outcome indicators, viz. ability to afford needed health care, having a personal doctor, use of health services in the past year (routine check-up, flu shot and dental visits), and attending screenings for breast, cervical, and colon cancers. Socioeconomic status was measured by household income. We calculated two indices of inequality by household income for each outcome: Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII). We estimated difference-in-differences models to examine the impact of ACA Medicaid expansion on socioeconomic inequality in use of health care services. Results The ACA Medicaid expansion appeared to reduce the socioeconomic gap in individuals reporting financial ability in accessing health care (difference-in-differences estimators, -0.045 for SII and RII), having a personal doctor (-0.037 for SII and RII), and receiving routine check-ups (-0.027 for SII and -0.039 for RII). However, the expansion was not associated with reduction in the socioeconomic gap for preventive health care visits or dental care. Conclusions The ACA Medicaid expansion had mixed effects on socioeconomic disparities in health care utilization. Medicaid expansion may not be sufficient to address socioeconomic disparities in preventive services uptake.
Acute effects of capacitive and resistive electric transfer (CRet) on the Achilles tendon

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to investigate the acute effects of capacitive and resistive electric transfer (CRet) on Achilles tendon elongation during muscle contraction, as well as the circulation in...
Endoscopic Treatment of Gastric Varices: Indwelling Snare Method

The authors have been performing endoscopic treatment using a detachable snare in combination with sclerotherapy to treat solitary gastric varices. This chapter reports on the effectiveness of this treatment with respect to gastric varices through a discussion of the applications of endoscopic variceal ligations (EVLs) using a detachable snare and simultaneous endoscopic injection sclerotherapy and ligation (EISL), procedures, treatment performance, and prognosis.
Assessing Long-Distance Carbon Partitioning from Photosynthetic Source Leaves to Heterotrophic Sink Organs with Photoassimilated [ 14 C]CO 2

Phloem loading and long-distance transport of photoassimilate from source leaves to sink organs are essential physiological processes that contribute to plant growth and yield. At a minimum, three steps are involved: phloem loading in source organs, transport along the phloem path, and phloem unloading in sink organs. Each of these can have variable rates contingent on the physiological state of the plant, and thereby influence the overall transport rate. In addition to these phloem transport steps, rates of photosynthesis and photosynthate movement in the pre-phloem path, as well as photosynthate utilization in post phloem tissues of sink organs also contribute to phloem transport. The protocol described here estimates carbon allocation along the entire path from initial carbon fixation to delivery to sink organs after a labeling pulse: [14C]CO2 is photoassimilated in source leaves and loading and transport of the 14C label to heterotrophic sink organs (roots) is quantified by scintillation counting. This method is flexible and can be adapted to quantify long-distance transport in many plant species.
Stable modifications of aldose reductase-like-1 activity changed cell susceptibility to acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and 4-hydroxynonenal

1964 Intracellular carbonyl stress affects cell growth and genetic material stability, posing serious consequences to human health, especially in neoplastic formation. Aldose reductase-like-1 (ARL-1) is a novel protein identified by our laboratory. This study investigated the effect of ARL-1 activity on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) using ARL-1 gene targeted cell lines derived from human colon cancer. HCT-8 cells with high endogenous ARL-1 were used for stable ARL-1 knockdown, while RKO cells with no ARL-1 expression were used for stable ARL-1 gene transfer. Totally, three HCT-8 stable clones with ARL-1 knockdown by 50 - 90% and three RKO stable clones with ARL-1 activity increase by 5 - 10 folds were established. Two vector control cell clones for each were also generated for controls. When exposed to acrolein (25 µM), RKO cells with overexpression of ARL-1 showed higher viability by 19.5 - 34.8% than vector control cells (P
Formal Modeling and Verification of PCHB Asynchronous Circuits

Precharge half buffer (PCHB) is one of the major quasi-delay insensitive (QDI) asynchronous design paradigms, which has been utilized in several commercial applications due to its low power and inherent robustness. In industry, QDI circuits are often synthesized from a synchronous specification using custom synthesis tools. Design validation of the implemented QDI circuits mostly relies on extensive simulation, which may fail to detect corner-case bugs, especially in complex designs. Hence, a formal verification scheme for PCHB circuits is much needed. In this article, we present a formal verification methodology for PCHB circuits synthesized from a Boolean/synchronous specification, which is based on equivalence checking and can guarantee both safety (full functional correctness) and liveness (absence of deadlock). The approach is fast, scalable, and applicable to combinational as well as sequential PCHB circuits. We demonstrate the method using several multipliers, multiply and accumulate circuits (MACs), and IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) benchmarks.
Beyond the Input Stream: Making Text Entry Evaluations More Flexible with Transcription Sequences

Method-independent text entry evaluation tools are often used to conduct text entry experiments and compute performance metrics, like words per minute and error rates. The input stream paradigm of Soukoreff & MacKenzie (2001, 2003) still remains prevalent, which presents a string for transcription and uses a strictly serial character representation for encoding the text entry process. Although an advance over prior paradigms, the input stream paradigm is unable to support many modern text entry features. To address these limitations, we present transcription sequences: for each new input, a snapshot of the entire transcribed string unto that point is captured. By comparing adjacent strings within a transcription sequence, we can compute all prior metrics, reduce artificial constraints on text entry evaluations, and introduce new metrics. We conducted a study with 18 participants who typed 1620 phrases using a laptop keyboard, on-screen keyboard, and smartphone keyboard using features such as auto-correction, word prediction, and copy/paste. We also evaluated non-keyboard methods Dasher, gesture typing, and T9. Our results show that modern text entry methods and features can be accommodated, prior metrics can be correctly computed, and new metrics can reveal insights. We validated our algorithms using ground truth based on cursor positioning, confirming 100% accuracy. We also provide a new tool, TextTest++, to facilitate web-based evaluations.
Hierarchical Design Methodology and Optimization for Proximity Communication based Contactless 3D ThruChip Interface

For the first time, this work systematically develops the complete serial link by using hierarchical modeling with serial link power and delay models. This paper presents a comprehensive design methodology and optimization using analytical expressions that analyzes the intrinsic energy and area trade-offs of an inductive coupling based high speed serial link. Further, we also demonstrate that equalization is a potential technique of breaking the intrinsic energy and area trade-offs of a TCI channel and reduces link power consumption and inductor area.
μDamID: A Microfluidic Approach for Joint Imaging and Sequencing of Protein-DNA Interactions in Single Cells.

Summary DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) measures a protein's DNA-binding history by methylating adenine bases near each protein-DNA interaction site and then selectively amplifying and sequencing these methylated regions. Additionally, these interactions can be visualized using m6A-Tracer, a fluorescent protein that binds to methyladenines. Here, we combine these imaging and sequencing technologies in an integrated microfluidic platform (μDamID) that enables single-cell isolation, imaging, and sorting, followed by DamID. We use μDamID and an improved m6A-Tracer protein to generate paired imaging and sequencing data from individual human cells. We validate interactions between Lamin-B1 protein and lamina-associated domains (LADs), observe variable 3D chromatin organization and broad gene regulation patterns, and jointly measure single-cell heterogeneity in Dam expression and background methylation. μDamID provides the unique ability to compare paired imaging and sequencing data for each cell and between cells, enabling the joint analysis of the nuclear localization, sequence identity, and variability of protein-DNA interactions. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the Supplemental Information.
Brainstem BOLD response to visual and acoustic stimuli in people with post-stroke spasticity

Spasticity, defined as velocity-dependent resistance to passive stretch, is common after stroke and imposes significant therapeutic challenges. It is believed that disinhibition of brainstem nuclei is responsible for spasticity, but there is debate on which individual nuclei within the brainstem, i.e. the lateral vestibular nuclei or pontine reticular formation within the whole reticular formation, are primarily involved. As such, we aimed to localize the activity of these individual brainstem nuclei via 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 10 people with post-stroke spasticity and compared the data with 11 age-matched healthy individuals. We used both acoustic and visual stimuli aimed at activating the pontine reticular formation and lateral vestibular nuclei. Visual stimuli were presented in the form of a moving checkerboard evoking illusionary self-motion to activate the vestibular network. Acoustic stimuli used loud (Sound pressure level [SPL] $= 100$ dB) acoustic bursts, expected to evoke a startle reflex and therefore activate both pontine reticular formation and lateral vestibular nuclei. We expected to find greater asymmetry in activation of brainstem nuclei in post-stroke compared to healthy individuals. We did not observe any difference in lateral symmetry between the two groups. However, we found that chronic stroke individuals exhibited three significant ($p\gt 0.05$) effects: 1) there were different delays in response to visual stimuli compared to acoustic stimuli; 2) the level of activation of the vestibular nuclei in post-stroke individuals was correlated to age, time since stroke, and brainstem volume); 3) brainstem volume of chronic stroke participants was smaller than in healthy individuals. These findings suggest that further efforts would be useful to better characterize functional activation of brainstem nuclei, especially in pathologies such as stroke.
Internal Model based PID Tuning of A Phase-Shift Control In A Single-Phase Bidirectional Dual Active Bridge DC-DC Converter

The integration of renewable energy sources as grid-following units and taking part in having a major share in generation with no rotational inertia can lead to frequency instabilities. The concept of virtual inertia algorithm to maintain the stability of the power system by emulating a synchronous generator in the control structure has attracted attentions. However, a technique to quantify the virtual moment of inertia based on the stability requirements of the power system is still not available. Whereas, the passive maps in the interaction of a three-phase inverter with a synchronous generator in an isolated microgrid invokes the law of conservation of energy to solve the modeling problem. In this paper, a scheme of energy balance equation between a synchronous machine and a three phase inverter has been selected to give a quantifiable method to adaptively measure the virtual moment of inertial as a control parameter. The validation of the proposed method has been verified through the implementation of the control structure in a Hardware-in-the-Loop testbench in different scenarios.
COVID-19 Medical Vulnerability Indicators: A Local Data Model for Equity in Public Health Decision-Making

Abstract Objective To develop indicators of vulnerability for coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) infection in Los Angeles County (LAC) by race and neighborhood characteristics. Design Development of indicators that combines pre-existing medical vulnerabilities with social and built-environment data by zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Setting Neighborhoods in LAC categorized by race/ethnicity ranked into quintiles by relative vulnerability: Non-Hispanic white; Black; Latinx; Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians combined (CHL); and Other Asians. Data Sources AskCHIS Neighborhood Edition, American Community Survey 2014-2018, and California Department of Parks and Recreation. Main Outcome Measures 1) Pre-Existing Health Condition, 2) Barriers to Accessing Healthcare, 3) Built Environment Risk, and 4) CDC’s Social Vulnerability. Results Neighborhoods most vulnerable to COVID-19 are characterized by significant clustering of racial minorities, low income households and unmet medical needs. An overwhelming 73% of Blacks reside in the neighborhoods with the two highest quintiles of pre-existing health conditions, followed by Latinx (70%) and CHL (60%), while 60% of whites reside in low or the lowest vulnerable neighborhoods. For the Barriers to Accessing Healthcare indicator, 40% of Latinx reside in the highest vulnerability places followed by Blacks, CHL and other Asians (29%, 22%, and 16% respectively), compared with only 7% of Whites reside in such neighborhoods. The Built Environment Indicator finds CHL (63%) followed by Latinx (55%) and Blacks (53%) reside in the neighborhoods designated as high or the highest vulnerability compared to 32% of Whites residing in these neighborhoods. The Social Vulnerability Indicator finds 42% of Blacks and Latinx and 38% of CHL residing in neighborhoods of high vulnerability compared with only 8% of Whites residing these neighborhoods. Conclusions Vulnerability to covid-19 infections differs by neighborhood and racial/ethnic groups. Our vulnerability indicators when utilized in decision-making of re-openings or resource distribution such as testing, vaccine distribution, hotel rooms for quarantine and other covid-19-related resources can provide an equity driven data approach for the most vulnerable.
Terminal knee extension deficit and female sex predict poorer quadriceps strength following ACL reconstruction using all-soft tissue quadriceps tendon autografts.

The all-soft tissue quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft is becoming increasingly popular for ACL reconstruction (ACLR); however, studies reporting strength recovery and early outcomes after QT autograft are limited with patient samples composed of predominantly males. The primary purpose was to characterize early, sex-specific recovery of strength, range of motion (ROM), and knee laxity in a large cohort of patients undergoing primary ACLR with standardized harvest technique of the all-soft tissue QT autograft. The secondary purpose was to examine the influence of demographic factors and clinical measures on 6-month quadriceps strength. Patients 14–25 years who underwent primary, unilateral ACLR with all-soft tissue QT autografts were prospectively followed. Knee laxity and ROM were collected at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months; while, quadriceps normalized torques and limb symmetry indices (LSI) were collected at 3 and 6 months using isokinetic dynamometry at 60°/s. Two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures were conducted to determine recovery over time and between sexes. Stepwise linear multiple regressions were conducted to determine predictors of 6-month quadriceps strength. Three-hundred and twenty patients were included (18 ± 3 years; 156 males:164 females; BMI = 24 ± 4 kg/m2) with no early graft failures within the study period. For strength, there were significant main effects of time (p < 0.001) and sex (p < 0.001), indicating similar improvement from 3 to 6 months with males demonstrating greater quadriceps LSI (6 months: 72.1 vs 63.3%) and normalized strength (6 months: 2.0 vs 1.6 Nm/kg). A significantly higher proportion of females had knee extension ROM deficits ≥ 5° compared to males at 6 weeks (61 vs 39%; p = 0.002). Female sex and 3-month extension ROM deficits were identified as significant predictors of 6-month quadriceps LSI (R2 = 0.083; p < 0.001). Female sex, BMI, and 6-week extension ROM deficits were identified as significant predictors of 6-month normalized quadriceps strength (R2 = 0.190; p < 0.001). Females had decreased quadriceps strength and greater extension ROM deficits at 3 and 6 months following ACLR using all-soft tissue QT autografts. Female sex, higher BMI, and loss of extension ROM were independent predictors of poorer quadriceps strength at 6 months. There were no early graft failures, and laxity remained within normal ranges for both males and females. Surgeons and rehabilitation clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of postoperative loss of extension ROM in females and its implications on quadriceps strength recovery. III.
Applicability of spatial transcriptional profiling to cancer research

Spatial transcriptional profiling provides gene expression information within the important anatomical context of tissue architecture. This approach is well suited to characterizing solid tumors, which develop within a complex landscape of malignant cells, immune cells, and stroma. In a single assay, spatial transcriptional profiling can interrogate the role of spatial relationships among these cell populations as well as reveal spatial patterns of relevant oncogenic genetic events. The broad utility of this approach is reflected in the array of strategies that have been developed for its implementation as well as in the recent commercial development of several profiling platforms. The flexibility to apply these technologies to both hypothesis-driven and discovery-driven studies allows widespread applicability in research settings. This review discusses available technologies for spatial transcriptional profiling and several applications for their use in cancer research.
A time series analysis of immune checkpoint inhibitor use in the United States Medicare population: 2014-2019.

BACKGROUND The adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has dramatically transformed the treatment of numerous cancers. Medicare is the largest payer in the US and pays for physician-administered drugs through its medical Part B benefit. The aim of this study was to describe trends in ICI utilization and corresponding government expenditures within the US Medicare population. METHODS We analyzed Medicare data to describe trends in total number of claims, total annual expenditures, expenditures per patient, and expenditures per claim for ICIs from January 2014 to December 2019. RESULTS From 2014 to 2019, utilization rates for each of the seven market approved ICIs in the US increased. Over this time period, total Medicare expenditure on ICIs increased 1916% from $285,506,498 to $5,755,319,571. Concurrently, overall Medicare Part B drug expenditure increased 57% from $23,679,547,748 to $37,271,080,631. Expenditures on ICIs accounted for 40% of the increase in total Medicare Part B drug spending over this time period. CONCLUSIONS The rapid increase in utilization of ICIs has accounted for a disproportionate share of government drug spending growth in the United States. Policymakers can potentially curb spending growth by linking payments to patient outcomes.
Representational Belonging in Collections: A Comparative Study of Leading Trade Publications in Architecture

This study stems from a simple question: how do libraries reflect the communities they serve? The research analyzes a subset of periodical literature to measure how women are reflected, specifically women of color, in architecture library collections. It focuses on four major publishing outputs of architecture literature to sample the ratio of women leaders in featured architectural firms. These commonly used periodicals were chosen to measure which firms are presented to an architectural readership. The findings document variation in demographic representation, but evidences that across the board firms covered in these publications have proportionately less women of color in their leadership teams. Librarians will find takeaways for both collection development and management and public services.
Accurate quantification of overlapping herpesvirus transcripts from RNA-seq data.

Herpesviruses employ extensive bidirectional transcription of overlapping genes to overcome length constraints on their gene product repertoire. As a consequence, many lytic transcripts cannot be measured individually by RT-qPCR or conventional RNA-seq analysis. Bruce et al. (Pathogens 2017, 6, 11; doi:10.3390/pathogens6010011) proposed an approximation method using Unique CoDing Sequences (UCDS) to estimate lytic gene abundance from KSHV RNA-seq data. Although UCDS has been widely employed, its accuracy, to our knowledge, has never been rigorously validated for any herpesvirus. In this study, we use CAGE-seq as a gold-standard to determine the accuracy of UCDS for estimating EBV lytic gene expression levels from RNA-seq data. We also introduce the Unique TranScript (UTS) method that, like UCDS, estimates transcript abundance from changes in mean RNA-seq read-depth. UTS is distinguished by its use of empirically determined 5' and 3' transcript ends, rather than coding sequence annotations. Compared to conventional read assignment, both UCDS and UTS improved quantitation accuracy of overlapping genes, with UTS giving the most accurate results. The UTS method discards fewer reads and may be advantageous for experiments with less sequencing depth. UTS is compatible with any aligner and, unlike isoform-aware alignment methods, can be implemented on a laptop computer. Our findings demonstrate that accuracy achieved by complex and expensive techniques such as CAGE-seq can be approximated using conventional short-read RNA-seq data when read assignment methods address transcript overlap. Although our study focuses on EBV transcription, the UTS method should be applicable across all herpesviruses and other genomes with extensively overlapping transcriptomes. IMPORTANCE Many viruses employ extensively overlapping transcript structures. This complexity makes it difficult to quantify gene expression using conventional methods including RNA-seq. Although high-throughput techniques that overcome these limitations exist, they are complex, expensive, and scarce in herpesvirus literature relative to short-read RNA-seq. Here, using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as a model, we demonstrate that conventional RNA-seq analysis methods fail to accurately quantify abundance of many overlapping transcripts. We further show that the previously described Unique CoDing Sequence (UCDS) and our Unique TranScript (UTS) methods greatly improve the accuracy of EBV lytic gene measurements obtained from RNA-seq data. The UTS method has the advantages of discarding fewer reads and being implementable on a laptop computer. Although this study focuses on EBV, the UCDS and UTS methods should be applicable across herpesviruses and for other viruses that make extensive use of overlapping transcription.
Spirituality and Religion in Women's Leadership for Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions: The Case of Burma

This research focuses on women’s leadership roles for sustainable development in crisis conditions with particular attention to the foundations of the leadership roles of women based in spirituality and religion. The research question for this study ask: How do religious and spiritual traditions contribute to the leadership roles of women that can be effective in building sustainable development in crisis conditions? The study uses a content analysis of a key body of women’s writings from Burma. The findings from the data explain some of the ways in which spirituality and religion have played significant roles in promoting the leadership of women at the community level for sustainable development under crisis conditions. The study contributes to theory development by generating a set of propositions on the leadership roles of women drawing from religious and spiritual traditions that can be tested in other regions and countries. The study also offers a set of lessons for sustainable development practice.
Energy control of nonhomogeneous Toda lattices

This paper presents a new approach to handle the problem of energy control of an n-degrees-of-freedom nonhomogeneous Toda lattice with fixed–fixed and fixed–free boundary conditions. The energy control problem is examined from an analytical dynamics perspective, and the theory of constrained motion is used to recast the energy control requirements on the Toda lattice as constraints on the mechanical system. No linearizations and/or approximations of the nonlinear dynamical system are made, and no a priori structure is imposed on the nature of the controller. Given the subset of masses at which control is to be applied, the fundamental equation of mechanics is employed to determine explicit closed-form expressions for the nonlinear control forces. The control provides global asymptotic convergence to any desired nonzero energy state provided that the first mass, or the last mass, or alternatively any two consecutive masses of the lattice are included in the subset of masses that are controlled. To illustrate the ease, simplicity, and efficacy with which the control methodology can be applied, numerical simulations involving a 101-mass Toda lattice are presented with control applied at various mass locations.
Theoretical Principles of Streaming Current Detection

In spite of the increased use of streaming current detectors (SCDs) as a means of monitoring and/or controlling coagulant dosage, knowledge regarding fundamental workings is incomplete. This paper provides an initial attempt at predicting and verifying functioning compared to electrophoretic mobility. The instrument9s components -- the sensor and the signal processor -- are first described. Equations modelling electro-double layer behavior in its sensor are then developed. Simplifying assumptions include the use of a capacitance model of the double layer and a triangular velocity profile for fluid within the sensor9s annulus. More complex modelling approaches are also suggested which incorporate the Gouy-Chapman electro-double layer model and an exact solution for the velocity profile. Experimental results confirm predictions of the simplified model under conditions of low potential. A monotonic relationship exists between streaming current electrophoretic mobility, which is required for its use as a control parameter. Deviations from model predictions are suggested to be due to charge characteristics of the sensor surfaces themselves.