cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negotiating Accuracy: DNA in the Age of Plea Bargaining

Hundreds of exonerations have made DNA a kind of poster child for the innocence movement and the demand for more accurate evidence in criminal cases. But most wrongful convictions are not simply the result of evidentiary mistakes. In the marketplace of plea bargaining, convictions are the result of numerous inputs — a defendant’s criminal record, prosecutorial bargaining habits, the size of the trial penalty, whether the defendant is out on bail — that have nothing to do with the accuracy of the evidence. The bargained nature of these convictions means that accurate evidence is just one piece — and not always the most important piece — of the larger negotiation process that establishes guilt. We might say that the plea process is structurally tolerant of inaccuracy, precisely because it transforms accuracy into a commodity that may be traded and negotiated away in exchange for agreement. This is a recipe for wrongful conviction. The innocence movement, for example, has uncovered numerous cases where innocent defendants pled guilty to homicide and rape in order to avoid the death penalty. The pressures to plead are likewise pervasive in the misdemeanor system, in which thousands of people are rushed through assembly-line processes and routinely plead guilty to minor crimes of which they are demonstrably innocent. Ultimately, we should recognize plea bargaining as a source of wrongful conviction in its own right, and add it to the canonical list of wrongful conviction sources such as mistaken eyewitness testimony, lying informants, and bad forensics.
Pediatric Orbital Disease

The pediatric orbit is an enlarging bony cave wherein the globe and its accompanying soft tissue are found. Not only does the pediatric orbit differ in size from the adult version, but the bones are more pliable, the adjacent sinuses are only just beginning to pneumatize, and there is an increased craniofacial ratio.
Extreme Value Theory for Fibre Bundles

The bundle strength of a set of parallel filaments (fibres) is expressible in terms of an extrema of certain sample functions, and in this setup, the classical extreme value theory does not apply. This asymptotic theory is looked at from the point of view parametrics, semiparametrics and nonparametrics with due emphasis on the related robustness aspects. Some extensions to more complex models are considered, and the role of resampling methods is briefly examined.
The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Alzheimer's Disease and Spinal Cord Injury.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a crucial protein degradation system in eukaryotes. Herein, we will review advances in the understanding of the role of several proteins of the UPS in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). The UPS consists of many factors that include E3 ubiquitin ligases, ubiquitin hydrolases, ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules, and the proteasome itself. An extensive body of work links UPS dysfunction with AD pathogenesis and progression. More recently, the UPS has been shown to have vital roles in recovery of function after SCI. The ubiquitin hydrolase (Uch-L1) has been proposed to increase cellular levels of mono-ubiquitin and hence to increase rates of protein turnover by the UPS. A low Uch-L1 level has been linked with Aβ accumulation in AD and reduced neuroregeneration after SCI. One likely mechanism for these beneficial effects of Uch-L1 is reduced turnover of the PKA regulatory subunit and consequently, reduced signaling via CREB. The neuron-specific F-box protein Fbx2 ubiquitinates β-secretase thus targeting it for proteasomal degradation and reducing generation of Aβ. Both Uch-L1 and Fbx2 improve synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in mouse AD models. The role of Fbx2 after SCI has not been examined, but abolishing s-secretase reduces neuronal recovery after SCI, associated with reduced myelination. UBB+1, which arises through a frame-shift mutation in the ubiquitin gene that adds 19 amino acids to the C-terminus of ubiquitin, inhibits proteasomal function and is associated with increased neurofibrillary tangles in patients with AD, Pick's disease and Down's syndrome. These advances in understanding of the roles of the UPS in AD and SCI raise new questions but, also, identify attractive and exciting targets for potential, future therapeutic interventions.
Extinction Limits of C1-C4 Hydrocarbon and Air Nonpremixed Flames Relevant for Hypersonic Applications

This paper presents an experimental investigation aimed at quantifying the local and global extinction strain rates of nonpremixed counterflow flames involving “cracked” fuel species relevant to hypersonic applications. In the present atmospheric pressure experiments, opposed nozzles with exit diameters of 7.9mm were used to introduce the non-premixed fuel and air and establish a planar flame in the counterflowing mixing layer. Velocity profiles and extinction flow strain rates were measured using either a laser Doppler velocimetry (LV) system or a two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. Quasi one-dimensional computations using the most recent optimized C1-C4 kinetic model are also presented to explain the need for accurate representation of inflow boundary conditions in validating the chemical kinetic models and the associated uncertainties.
Studies on Drug Toxicity in Chicks: 4. The Influence of Various Levels of Nitrofurazone on Growth and Development of Chicks

ABSTRACT NITROFURAZONE (NFZ; 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde semicarbazone) is an agent which has been used for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis in chickens. The compound has also been ascribed the properties of growth promotion and bacteriostasis. Dodd and Stillman (1944) discussed Nitrofurazone and related compounds as bacteriostatic agents. These investigators found the 5-nitro group on the furan ring necessary for maximum bacteriostatic effect. Stillman and Scott (1945) considered the chemistry of Nitrofurazone and the pharmacology of the compound was studied by Kranz and Evans (1945). Activity of Nitrofurazone against experimental infections of Streptococci and Trypanosoma equiperdum was reported by Dodd (1946). Peterson and Hymas (1950) tested various levels of Nitrofurazone and other coccidiostats in chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria necatrix. These authors reported that a low level intake of Nitrofurazone resulted in almost complete prevention of coccidiosis. They observed that 0.02% of Nitrofurazone fed continuously in the mash depressed the growth of chicks. . . .
Epoxidation Activities of Human Cytochromes P450c17 and P450c21

Some cytochrome P450 enzymes epoxidize unsaturated substrates, but this activity has not been described for the steroid hydroxylases. Physiologic steroid substrates, however, lack carbon–carbon double bonds in the parts of the pregnane molecules where steroidogenic hydroxylations occur. Limited data on the reactivity of steroidogenic P450s toward olefinic substrates exist, and the study of occult activities toward alternative substrates is a fundamental aspect of the growing field of combinatorial biosynthesis. We reasoned that human P450c17 (steroid 17-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase, CYP17A1), which 17- and 16α-hydroxylates progesterone, might catalyze the formation of the 16α,17-epoxide from 16,17-dehydroprogesterone (pregna-4,16-diene-3,20-dione). CYP17A1 catalyzed the novel 16α,17-epoxidation and the ordinarily minor 21-hydroxylation of 16,17-dehydroprogesterone in a 1:1 ratio. CYP17A1 mutation A105L, which has reduced progesterone 16α-hydroxylase activity, gave a 1:5 ratio of epoxide:21-hydroxylated product...
Когда идеи важнее интересов: предпочтения, взгляды на мир и инновации в экономической политике

The paper mapping from “interests” to outcomes in political economy depends on many unstated assumptions about the ideas that political agents have about: what they are maximizing; how the world works; and the set of tools they have at their disposal to further their interests. These ideas are subject to both manipulation and innovation, making them part of the political game. There is a direct parallel, as I will show, between inventive activity in technology and investment in persuasion and policy innovation in the political arena. I focus specifically on models professing to explain economic inefficiency.
Simulating the foveal cone receptive field

The foveal midget ganglion cell has a receptive field center fed by one cone. The surround might also be fed by the same center cone since a cone terminal laterally connects to neighboring cones through electrical coupling and horizontal cells. To explore the contributions of the cone lateral connections to the receptive field, we constructed a compartmental model of the primate foveal outer plexiform layer based on the known anatomy and physiology. The similarity between the computed cone receptive field and the measured midget cell receptive field suggest that much of the retina’s spatial filtering occurs at the very first synapse.
P3.258 Investigating the Epidemiology of Repeat Chlamydia Trachomatis Detection After Treatment Using Chlamydia Trachomatis Omp A Genotyping

Background Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection within months of initial diagnosis and treatment is a common occurrence. Origins of such infection (persistence vs. reinfection from an untreated or a new partner) are complex. CT strains can be differentiated by complete nucleotide sequence analysis of the ompA gene, encoding an antigenically diverse surface protein outer membrane protein A (OmpA). We are evaluating urogenital CT OmpA genotypes in an ongoing prospective CT natural history study in order to investigate the epidemiology of repeat CT detection after treatment. Methods CT-infected subjects are prospectively enrolled, treated with azithromycin, and return for a 6-month follow-up visit for repeat CT testing using the Gen-Probe APTIMA Combo 2 (Gen-Probe, Inc., San Diego, CA). Urogenital specimens are collected at enrollment and follow-up, from which CT strains are genotyped by ompA amplification and sequencing. Results Enrollment visit genotypes have been determined for 145 subjects to date (91% female, 93% African American). CT infection was detected at follow-up in 39 (27%). Enrollment genotype distribution did not significantly differ in those without versus with repeat CT detection at follow-up (major genotypes: D/Da 25%,23%; E 22%,28%; F 13%,15%; I/Ia 17%,15%; J/Ja 12%,13%). Of 35 subjects with CT strains genotyped from both enrollment and follow-up visits, 7 (20%) had the same CT strain at both visits versus 28 (80%) with a different strain at follow-up. Sexual activity post-treatment was reported in 32 subjects with strains genotyped at both visits; a new sexual partner was reported more often in subjects with discordant vs. concordant strains (52% vs. 14%, p = 0.1). Conclusion Baseline CT Omp A genotype did not predict repeat CT detection. Most repeat CT infection detections were new infections with a different CT strain. Genotyping will be a useful tool in understanding the origins of repeat CT infection detection after treatment.
Advances in Measuring Air-Void Parameters in Hardened Concrete Using a Flatbed Scanner

Entrained air bubbles in concrete improve the freeze–thaw resistance by alleviating stresses caused by freezing water within the microstructure. It is necessary to achieve a uniform distribution of entrained air bubbles in the paste to achieve optimal freeze–thaw performance. The technique of measuring the air-void system parameters in hardened concrete is specified by ASTM C457/C457M-12. In this standard testing procedure, the freeze–thaw parameters of interest are determined by optically observing and measuring the traversal lengths of air voids, paste, and aggregate particles along straight lines across the polished surface of the concrete specimen. ASTM C457/C457M-12 has been criticized as time-consuming and expensive, and so there has been a concerted effort by the research community to develop improved methods. Automated methods that use digital images to measure freeze–thaw parameters exist, but they require operator-selected threshold levels and significant sample preparation time and labor. To address these shortcomings, this paper presents an automated method to measure freeze–thaw parameters using a high-resolution flatbed scanner, automated image segmentation, and short sample preparation time and labor. Polished concrete surfaces are treated with phenolphthalein and a florescent chalk powder to distinguish phases of interest. The surfaces are scanned using a flatbed scanner, and spectral–spatial analysis is used to identify the individual phases of aggregates, paste, and air voids. The ternary images are used to measure parameters of the air-void system. To validate the rigor of this automated method, six groups of concrete specimens provided by a commercial laboratory were tested using the proposed automated method and manual ASTM C457/C457M-12. This comparison was conducted in a “blind” fashion, so as to avoid potential biases. A fair agreement is found for normal concrete specimens, but not for concrete containing lightweight aggregates.
Students’ Independent Use of Screencasts and Simulations to Construct Understanding of Solubility Concepts

As students increasingly use online chemistry animations and simulations, it is becoming more important to understand how students independently engage with such materials and to develop a set of best practices for students’ use of these resources outside of the classroom. Most of the literature examining students’ use of animations and simulations has focused on classroom use with some studies suggesting that better outcomes are obtained when students use simulations with minimal guidance while others indicate the need for appropriate scaffolding. This study examined differences with respect to (1) student understanding of the concept of dissolution of ionic and covalent compounds in water and (2) student use of electronic resources when students were asked to complete an assignment either by manipulating a simulation on their own or by watching a screencast in which an expert manipulated the same simulation. Comparison of students’ pre- and posttest scores, answers to assignment questions, near-transfer follow-up questions, and eye-tracking analysis suggested that students who viewed the screencast gained a better understanding of the dissolving process, including interactions with water at the particulate level, particularly for covalent compounds. Additionally, the eye tracking indicated that there were significant differences in the ways that the different treatment groups (screencast or simulation) used the electronic resources.
Mechanism of Action of pH-Triggered Membrane Active Peptides

The plasma membrane insulates a cell from its outside environment, serving as a selectively impermeable barrier across which only small or hydrophobic molecules can pass. Although the membrane is necessary for life, it is also problematic when useful macromolecules such as antibodies, peptides, polysaccharides, and imaging agents are blocked from entry. Most macromolecules can easily be uptaken by the cell through endocytosis, but remain trapped and eventually degraded within endosomes, which mature into lysosomes.
Hormonal interactions in the regulation of blood glucose.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hormonal interactions in the regulation of blood glucose. The regulation of the blood glucose concentration is a well-recognized function of the endocrine system. The efficacy of the various control mechanisms is reflected by the very limited excursions in blood glucose observed in normal humans. In normal man, the bursts of glucagon secretion precipitated by feeding pure protein prevent the inhibition in glucose production and the hypoglycemia that would otherwise accompany protein-stimulated insulin secretion. In contrast, sustained hyperglucagonemia fails to cause glucose intolerance or worsening of preexisting diabetes so long as endogenous or exogenous insulin is available. In the case of insulin, the down regulation of the insulin receptor has been observed to occur in hyperinsulinemic states. The glucagon infusion fails to alter specific binding of insulin or growth hormone, indicating the specificity of the effect of hyperglucagonemia on glucagon binding. Glucagon-induced hyperglycemia can, however, be observed either in circumstances of absolute insulin deficiency or when tissue sensitivity to this hormone is increased. The synergistic nature of these hormone–hormone interactions with respect to raising circulating plasma glucose levels may constitute the mechanism for stress hyperglycemia.
Introduction: Reclaiming Women’s Colonial Gothic Writing

This chapter offers an introduction to the emerging critical study of Colonial Gothic writing by women who resided in Great Britain as well as within the broader regions which made up the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century to the early decades of the twentieth. The chapter begins with an exploration of the major themes that recur in women’s Colonial Gothic. The chapter goes on to consider the critical history of women’s Gothic writing and how the genre can be read as a form of social critique, which Edmundson terms the “social supernatural.” The melding of themes within women’s Gothic and the colonial/postcolonial Gothic is then explored to show how the two strains of the Gothic complement one another in their shared emphasis on narratives which foreground personal experience and trauma in order to subvert dominant cultural and political ideologies.
Orthostatic hypotension in the elderly: the Honolulu Heart Program

Orthostatic hypotension is a common syndrome in elderly populations, with prevalence rates varying from 4 to 33%, depending upon the methods used for detection and the groups being studied. Prevalence rates are high in selected patients that are referred to a clinic for evaluation of syncope or dizziness, and are lower in population-based studies of ambulatory elderly people [1, 3].
Visualization of Two Parameters in a Three-Dimensional Environment

Visualization techniques and tools allow a user to make sense of enor mous amount of data. Querying capabilities and direct manipulation techniques ena ble a user to filter out irrelevant data and focus only on information that could yield to a conclusion. Effective visualization techniques should enable a user or an analyst to get to the conclusion in a short time and with minimal training. We illustrate, via three different research projects, how to visualize two parameters where a user can get to a conclusion in a very short amount of time with minimal or no training. The two parameters could be the relation of documents and their importance, or spatial events and their timing, or even the ration between carbon dioxide emission levels and number of trees per country. To accomplish this, we visualize the data in a three dimensional environment on a regular computer display. For data manipulation, we use techniques familiar to novice computer users.
Diameter of cranial gunshot wounds as a function of bullet caliber.

Determination of bullet caliber becomes increasingly important in homicides where the bullet is missing. In cases with entrance wounds to bone that are circular and well defined it may be tempting to measure the defect and offer suggestions about bullet caliber. For this reason, the relationship between wound diameter and bullet caliber was examined using cranial bones from autopsy cases. The minimum diameter of 35 cranial wounds produced by .22, .25, and .38-caliber bullet was measured. The relationship of minimum wound diameter to bullet caliber was examined using a one way analysis of variance. Fisher's least significant difference test revealed no significant difference between .22-caliber and .25-caliber wounds, while the .38-caliber wounds were significantly different (P
Possible Correlation between Hypomelanosis of Ito and Wilms' Tumor.

Hypomelanosis of Ito is a neurocutaneous disorder characterized by skin manifestations in a characteristic pattern associated with musculoskeletal and central nervous system symptoms. Our patient was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor stage I at age two and was also found to have distinct streaked areas of skin hyper- and hypopigmentation suggestive of Hypomelanosis of Ito. We believe that our patient’s clinical diagnoses of Hypomelanosis of Ito and Wilms’ tumor are interlinked. The connecting factor is yet to be identified. Our patient does not have a deletion of 11p13 associated with a defect in WT1, the Wilms’ tumor suppressor gene. As such, it is quite possible that what made her more susceptible to the development of Wilms’ tumor was her Hypomelanosis of Ito, which is implicated in a number of other organ dysfunctions.
Identifying standardized definitions of treatment response in trichotillomania: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Symptom severity in trichotillomania clinical trials is typically rated using the Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Pulling Scale (MGH-HPS) and the National Institute of Mental Health Trichotillomania Severity Scale (NIMH-TSS). There are no universal definitions of treatment response on these scales. The absence of empirically supported definitions of treatment response hampers advances in trichotillomania treatment. Methods PubMed and CENTRAL databases were searched for trichotillomania clinical trials. A total of 14 studies were identified and 7 provided adequate data to be included in the meta-analysis (n = 270). Meta-DiSc software was employed. The Youden index and distance to corner were used to determine the optimal cut-point. Response was defined by the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement scale score ≤ 2. Results The optimal cut-points for identifying response on the MGH-HPS was a 35% percent reduction [Youden Index 0.48; distance to corner 0.37] or a seven-point reduction [Youden Index 0.43; distance to corner 0.40]. The optimal cut-points for the NIMH-TSS was a 50% reduction [Youden Index 0.57; distance to corner 0.34] or a six-point reduction [Youden Index 0.53; distance to corner 0.36]. The optimal cut-points were similar when the analysis was confined to only trichotillomania trials involving adult subjects, but the scales appeared to have improved ability to define treatment response when pediatric subjects were excluded. Conclusion This study provides empirically determined cut-points of treatment response on the MGH-HPS and NIMH-TSS. These data-driven cut-points will benefit future research in trichotillomania by providing definitions of treatment response that can be defined a priori in clinical trials.
Memory and availability-biased metacognitive illusions for flags of varying familiarity

Research on everyday attention suggests that frequent interaction with objects often does not benefit memory or metamemory for them. Across three experiments, participants gave confidence judgments and completed eight-alternative forced-choice tests of the US, Canadian, and Mexican flags. In Experiment 1, environmental availability was correlated with confidence for the US flag, despite similar recognition performance at a saturated time point in the US (July 4th) and a neutral time point (August 6th). In Experiment 2, participants that were asked to verbally describe the flags before judging and remembering them were less accurate and more overconfident than were controls. Experiment 3 utilized a draw-study paradigm wherein participants who first drew the flag had reliably more accurate recognition and confidence scores than those who only studied it. These findings illuminate a persistent metacognitive bias, demonstrate a powerful learning intervention, and extend theories of errorful learning by highlighting the role of attention.
Longitudinal Reciprocal Associations Between Anxiety, Depression, and Alcohol Use in Adolescent Girls.

Background Depression, anxiety, and alcohol misuse predict adverse social, academic, and emotional outcomes, and their relations to one another increase during adolescence-particularly in girls. However, evidence on the directions of these relations is mixed. Longitudinal models of internalizing problem-alcohol use links may identify promising prevention targets. Accordingly, we examined reciprocal associations between anxiety severity and alcohol use, as well as between depression severity and alcohol use, in adolescent girls. Methods Data were drawn from a population-based longitudinal study of female adolescents. The current sample comprised 2,100 participants (57.1% Black, 42.9% White) assessed annually between ages 13 and 17. Girls self-reported depression severity, anxiety severity, and frequency of alcohol use (consumption of ≥1 full drink) in the past year. Primary caregivers reported on socioeconomic and neighborhood factors; these were included with race, early puberty, and conduct problems (youth-report) as covariates. Anxiety and depression severity were included within a single cross-lagged panel model, along with alcohol use, to isolate their independent and reciprocal links to drinking behavior. Results Higher depression severity modestly predicted increased likelihood of subsequent alcohol use from ages 13 to 17. However, inconsistent relations emerged for the reverse pathway: Alcohol use modestly predicted decreased depression severity at ages 14 and 16; associations were nonsignificant in other lagged associations. Anxiety severity and alcohol use were not consistently associated. Conclusions Results highlight the key role of depression, relative to anxiety, in predicting later alcohol use. Future studies may examine whether depression prevention programs yield secondary reductions in alcohol use in adolescent girls.
Aflatoxin M1 and B1 in Colombian milk powder and estimated risk exposure.

ABSTRACTAflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were determined in 51 milk powder samples purchased from different grocery stores located in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Analysis was condu...
Evaluation of Thermal Integrity Profiling and Crosshole Sonic Logging for Drilled Shafts with Concrete Defects

Thermal integrity profiling (TIP), which uses temperatures measured along drilled shafts during concrete curing to identify defects, has recently gained favor as an allowable concrete integrity tes...
Hyperspectral Imager with Folded Metasurface Optics

Hyperspectral imaging is a key characterization technique used in various areas of science and technology. Almost all implementations of hyperspectral imagers rely on bulky optics including spectra...
Matched and Mismatched SOCs: A Qualitative Study on Security Operations Center Issues

Organizations, such as companies and governments, created Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to defend against computer security attacks. SOCs are central defense groups that focus on security incident management with capabilities such as monitoring, preventing, responding, and reporting. They are one of the most critical defense components of a modern organization's defense. Despite their critical importance to organizations, and the high frequency of reported security incidents, only a few research studies focus on problems specific to SOCs. In this study, to understand and identify the issues of SOCs, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with SOC analysts and managers who work for organizations from different industry sectors. Through our analysis of the interview data, we identified technical and non-technical issues that exist in SOC. Moreover, we found inherent disagreements between SOC managers and their analysts that, if not addressed, could entail a risk to SOC efficiency and effectiveness. We distill these issues into takeaways that apply both to future academic research and to SOC management. We believe that research should focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of SOCs.
Machine learning for spatiotemporal big data in air pollution

Abstract An accurate understanding of air pollutants in a continuous space-time domain is critical for meaningful assessment of the quantitative relationship between the adverse health effects and the concentrations of air pollutants. Traditional interpolation methods, including various statistic and nonstatistic regression models, typically involve restrictive assumptions regarding independence of observations and distributions of outcomes. Moreover, a set of relationships among variables need to be defined strictly in advance. Machine learning opens a new door to understand the air pollution data based on the exposing data-driven relationships and predicting outcomes without empirical models. In this chapter, the state-of-the-art machine learning methods will be introduced to unlock the full potential of the air pollutant data, that is, to estimate the PM2.5 concentration more accurately in the spatiotemporal domain. The methods can be extended to the other air pollutants.
Separation performance of desanding and deoiling hydrocyclones treating three-phase feeds: Effect of oil-particle aggregates

Abstract The study presents preliminary results on the separation of a three-phase (oil, particulate SiO2, water) feed by desanding and deoiling hydrocyclones. Optical microscopy confirms formation of oil particle aggregates (OPAs) of a range of morphologies. Presence of OPAs does not affect the efficiency of oil separation but lowers the efficiency of separation of solids. In both hydrocyclones, OPAs preferentially partition into the overflow stream so that oil and SiO2 can be viewed as the “lead” and the “follower” phases, respectively. A model is developed to calculate the fraction of the “follower” phase incorporated in aggregates. Applied to data from the desander, the model shows that ~30% to 40% of SiO2 is captured in oil/SiO2 aggregates and that the fraction does not depend on the split ratio. In contrast, during deoiling, the fraction of SiO2 locked up in oil/SiO2 aggregates does not exceed 10% and is lower at lower split ratios; these observations can be attributed to aggregate break-up in a higher shear flow in the deoiler.
Application sequence modulates microbiome composition, plant growth and apple replant disease control efficiency upon integration of anaerobic soil disinfestation and mustard seed meal amendment

Abstract Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) and mustard seed meal (MSM) amendments can provide effective control of soil-borne diseases including apple replant disease. These measures rely on both chemical and biological modes of action to yield effective disease control and their integration may prove beneficial or, alternatively, deleterious to overall treatment efficiency when applied in concert. Potential outcomes of integrating ASD with MSM amendments were assessed by determining the effect of treatment application sequence and ASD carbon source on generation of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) derived from Brassica juncea seed meal, structure of the rhizosphere and soil microbiome, control of apple replant pathogens, and plant growth. In bioassays conducted using ‘Gala’ apple seedlings, application of ASD or MSM treatments independently was as effective or superior to all integrated treatments for the control of replant pathogens. Application of ASD prior to MSM amendment diminished the yield of AITC attained in response to soil incorporation of the Brassica juncea:Sinapis alba seed meal. Treatment application sequence had significant effect on structure of the bulk soil fungal and bacterial community. Correspondingly, treatment application sequence significantly altered plant growth performance when orchard grass was utilized as the ASD carbon input. At harvest, rhizosphere fungal but not bacterial community composition was significantly altered in treated soil relative to the control, and sequence of treatment application had significant effect on rhizosphere fungal community structure. Failure of integrated treatments to enhance overall replant disease control may have resulted from many factors including reduced generation of active metabolites, diminished activity of mechanisms functional in pathogen suppression, or the elevated accumulation and retention of phytotoxic chemistries, the latter which would require extended plant back periods to circumvent. The findings indicate that under the experimental conditions employed, integration of ASD with MSM amendment is unlikely to yield additive or synergistic effects on apple replant disease control.
The influence of neuroticism in terms of E-cigarette dependence and beliefs about use and quitting among dual users of combustible and electronic cigarettes

Abstract Objective Dual use of combustible and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is increasing in prevalence and may be related to an increased risk for health problems. Accordingly, dual users represent a particularly vulnerable group. Neuroticism is an individual difference factor that demonstrates robust relations to combustible cigarette use. Yet, no work has examined neuroticism in relation to e-cigarette dependence or cognitions among dual users. Methods To address this limitation, the present study examined neuroticism in relation to e-cigarette dependence, expectancies about the negative effects of e-cigarettes, and perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes. The present study analyzed data collected from a cross-sectional survey of 437 dual combustible cigarette and e-cigarette users (49.9% female, Mage = 35.12 years, SD = 10.04). Results Results indicated that neuroticism was significantly, positively related to e-cigarette dependence (ΔR2 = 0.02, p Conclusions These novel findings suggest there may be merit in further exploring the role of neuroticism in the maintenance of concurrent combustible cigarette and e-cigarette use.
Worth the Risk: Towards Decentring Whiteness in English Language Teaching

The field of English language teaching (ELT) has long centred whiteness without acknowledging as much. Practitioners accept the field’s racial disparities under the guise of the search for profit, yet hegemonic whiteness controls our institutions, our curricula, and our pedagogy unless we, as members of this field, consciously seek to counteract its influence. White ELT professionals are incentivized to maintain the racial status quo and many exhibit fierce resistance when efforts are made to discuss white supremacy in English teaching. In this article, I demonstrate how ELT frames whiteness as both a prize and a goal, explain the deleterious impact whiteness has on racialized students and teachers, argue for the necessity of decentring whiteness, and provide suggestions for ways we can push our field towards a future where whiteness no longer reigns supreme.
Editorial Commentary: Repair of Posterior-Medial Meniscal Root Tears: One More Potential Tool in Your Box

No topic in meniscal surgery has generated as much interest over the past decade as meniscal root tears. These rather simple tears, if left untreated, act biomechanically equivalently to a complete meniscectomy. As a result, many investigators have championed the treatment of this injury through the innovation of various surgical techniques designed to restore the biomechanical function of the meniscus to prevent the long-term clinical effects of a complete meniscectomy. Most procedures to repair the posterior meniscal root to its tibial attachment can be broadly grouped into using either a suture anchor or a transtibial bone tunnel for tibial fixation. There are obvious pros and cons to both methods, and most surgeons become comfortable with one "go-to" technique depending on their level of experience with meniscal root repair and their comfort level with various arthroscopic techniques. Most surgeons prefer the transtibial technique in which the sutured meniscus is anchored to its anatomic tibial attachment via a tunnel through which the sutures pass before being secured with either a suture anchor or screw post to the anterior tibial cortex. This technique has considerable biomechanical and clinical evidence to support its use. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to the transtibial method that must be considered, such as the technical difficulties of accurately and safely drilling the tibial tunnel, the risk of suture failure or attenuation through the tunnel, and the challenge associated with placement of the tunnel in the setting of a concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Therefore, further advances in meniscal root repair are always welcomed by the arthroscopic community. However, as with any surgical innovation, 3 factors must be considered before a new repair procedure can be widely recommended: (1) it must be technically "doable" by most surgeons treating the clinical problem; (2) it must have biomechanical evidence to support its use; and (3) it must result in clinical outcomes that are at least as good as, and preferably better than, current techniques.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: What nurses need to know.

ABSTRACT Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a restrictive lung disease in which the cause cannot be determined. This article discusses restrictive lung diseases that fall under the general category of interstitial lung disease with a focus on IPF-a fatal disease characterized by progressive fibrosis and interstitial pneumonia, dyspnea, and decreasing pulmonary function.
Disruption of the Interfacial Membrane Leads to Magnaporthe oryzae Effector Re-location and Lifestyle Switch During Rice Blast Disease

To cause the devastating rice blast disease, the hemibiotrophic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae produces invasive hyphae (IH) that are enclosed in a plant-derived interfacial membrane, known as the extra-invasive hyphal membrane (EIHM), in living rice cells. Little is known about when the EIHM is disrupted and how the disruption contributes to blast disease. Here we show that the disruption of the EIHM correlates with the hyphal growth stage in first-invaded susceptible rice cells. Our approach utilized GFP that was secreted from IH as an EIHM integrity reporter. Secreted GFP (sec-GFP) accumulated in the EIHM compartment but appeared in the host cytoplasm when the integrity of the EIHM was compromised. Live-cell imaging coupled with sec-GFP and various fluorescent reporters revealed that the loss of EIHM integrity preceded shrinkage and eventual rupture of the rice vacuole. The vacuole rupture coincided with host cell death, which was limited to the invaded cell with presumed closure of plasmodesmata. We report that EIHM disruption and host cell death are landmarks that delineate three distinct infection phases (early biotrophic, late biotrophic, and transient necrotrophic phases) within the first-invaded cell before reestablishment of biotrophy in second-invaded cells. M. oryzae effectors exhibited infection phase-specific localizations, including entry of the apoplastic effector Bas4 into the host cytoplasm through the disrupted EIHM during the late biotrophic phase. Understanding how infection phase-specific cellular dynamics are regulated and linked to host susceptibility will offer potential targets that can be exploited to control blast disease.
Opportunities and pitfalls of social media research in rare genetic diseases: a systematic review.

Social media may be particularly valuable in research in rare genetic diseases because of the low numbers of patients and the rare disease community’s robust online presence. The goal of this systematic review was to understand how social media is currently used in rare disease research and the characteristics of the participants in these studies. We conducted a systematic review of six databases to identify studies published in English between January 2004 and November 2020, of which 120 met inclusion criteria. Most studies were observational (n = 114, 95.0%) and cross-sectional (n = 107, 89.2%), and more than half (n = 69, 57.5%) utilized only surveys. Only 101 rare diseases were included across all studies. Participant demographics, when reported, were predominantly female (70.1% ± 22.5%) and white (85.0% ± 11.0%) adult patients and caregivers. Despite its potential benefits in rare disease research, the use of social media is still methodologically limited and the participants reached may not be representative of the rare disease population by gender, race, age, or rare disease type. As scholars explore using social media for rare disease research, careful attention should be paid to representativeness when studying this diverse patient community.
Signaling Democratic Progress through Electoral System Reform in Post-Communist States:

The international community invests heavily in democracy promotion, but these efforts sometimes embolden leaders not interested in true democratic reform. We develop and test a formal model explain...
Uncertain knowledge representation and reasoning with linguistic belief structures

Abstract In this paper, we extend the concept of Dempster-Shafer Belief Structures to the case of Linguistic Belief Structures, whose focal elements and probability mass assignments are linguistic, i.e. words modeled by Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets. We show that Linguistic Weighted Averages are pertinent tools for derivation of lower and upper probabilities from such Belief Structures, especially when words describing probability masses and focal elements are modeled by Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets synthesized by collecting data from subjects. We moreover introduce methods for performing operations on Linguistic Belief Structures as well as combining them. We demonstrate how Linguistic Belief Structures can be used to represent uncertainties in natural languages and present methods for inference from them.
Universal Grammar in Child Second Language Acquisition: Null subjects and morphological uniformity

This book examines child second language acquisition within the Principles and Parameters theory of Universal Grammar (UG). Specifically, the book focuses on null-subjects in the developing grammars of children acquiring English as a second language. The book provides evidence from the longitudinal speech data of four child second language (L2) learners in order to test the predictions of a recent theory of null-subjects, namely, the Morphological Uniformity Principle (MUP). Lakshmanan argues that the child L2 acquisition data offer little or no evidence in support of the MUP’s predictions regarding a developmental relation between verb inflections and null-subjects. The evidence from these child L2 data indicates that regardless of the status of null subjects in their first language, child L2 learners of English hypothesize correctly from the very beginning that English requires subjects of tensed clauses to be obligatorily overt. The failure on the part of these learners to obey this knowledge in certain structural contexts is the result of perceptual factors that are unrelated to parameter setting. The book demonstrates the value of child second language acquisition data in evaluating specific proposals within linguistic theory for a Universal principle.
Racial and socioeconomic disparity in perforated appendicitis among children: where is the problem?

Racial and socioeconomic disparity in perforated appendicitis among children: where is the problem? Nwomeh B.C., Chisolm D.J., Caniano D.A. & Kelleher K.J. ( 2006 ) Pediatrics , 117 , 870 – 875 . Objective Significant racial, ethnic and socio-economic disparities have been observed in the rates of perforated appendicitis among children, by using large administrative databases. This study evaluated whether these factors had an impact on the care of patients with appendicitis at a major children’s hospital in the USA with a well-established, comprehensive and primary referral system. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for all children between the ages of 2 and 20 years old who were treated for appendicitis between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2003. Demographic variables included patient age, gender, race, insurance status, parental educational status and income level. Coding data were used to identify patients with perforated appendicitis. The use of radiologic imaging was also analysed. Results During the 3-year period, 788 patients were treated for appendicitis. The racial distribution (white: 81%; black: 12%; other: 7%) was consistent with the demographic composition of the local population. The overall perforation rate was 25%, and the rate was significantly greater in the age group of <6 years, compared with older children. However, there were no significant differences in the perforation rate with respect to race, insurance status, educational level, or income status. Rates of radiologic imaging use were similar among all racial and socio-economic groups. Conclusions Although racial and socio-economic disparities in the rates of perforated appendicitis among children have been reported, we found no significant evidence for such inequality at our institution. This may reflect improved access, early diagnosis and referral by primary care physicians in the community. Pooled national and multiple-state administrative databases have been used to highlight persistent disparities in health care. This study illustrates how single-institution data sources can be used to test a local hypothesis generated by national data, with surprisingly different results.
Formation and signature of quark matter in relativistic ion collisions

Exclusively using experimental information on particle production in nucleon-nucleon interactions, this paper attempts to demonstrate that: (i) the characteristics of relativistic collisions between heavy nuclei are determined by quark physics, not conventional nuclear physics; (ii) the formation of quark matter in such collisions can be observed experimentally via large multiplicities, copious production of photons (not from π decay), the anomalous strangeness, charm and baryon number structure of the events, and appearance of structure in the rapidity distribution; (iii) the formation of quark matter has actually been observed in high energy cosmic ray interactions. We show that the 100 TeV threshold for the appearance of anomalous interactions reflects the transition from nucleonic to quark structure of the nucleus. Observed anomalies match the signatures of quark matter formation in (ii); (iv) our results imply the abundant presence of heavy nuclei, e.g. Fe, in the high energy cosmic ray spectrum. Cosmic ray interactions above 100 TeV can eventually be used to study the vacuum structure of quantum chromodynamics and the disappearance of spontaneous symmetry breaking due to the restoration of symmetry at high matter densities.
Shorted annular slot antenna (ASA) matched at three different frequencies

The multitude of different standards in cell phones and other personal mobile devices require multi-band antennas. The use of the same antenna for a number of different purposes, preferably in different frequencies is highly desirable. The shorted annular slot antenna (ASA) proposed in this paper operates in three different frequencies with the central frequency at 5.8 GHz. It is fabricated on cheap material and is a compact design suitable for integrating in mobile devices