cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3163: Diet-induced obesity is associated with increased levels of IL-4 and IL-13, macrophage infiltration, fibrosis, and pancreatic neoplasia in the conditional KrasG12D mouse model

Background: Obesity is a well known risk factor for the development of several cancers including pancreatic cancer (PaCa). The formation of an inflammatory microenvironment with a complex communication between (pre)-neoplastic cells and stromal cells, including fibroblasts and inflammatory cells, is thought to promote tumor development during obesity. However, the exact molecular signals that are critical in this process are unknown. Recently, there has been interest in understanding the role of interleukins (IL)-4 and -13 in mediating the crosstalk between several cell types in cancer. E.g. they have been shown to promote the conversion of anti-tumorigenic M1 macrophages to pro-tumorigenic M2 macrophages. Aim: In this study we sought to investigate whether diet-induced obesity in the conditional KrasG12D mouse model of PaCa is associated with enhanced fibrosis and inflammation in the pancreas and to determine a possible role of IL-4 and -13. Methods and Results: Conditional KrasG12D mice and wildtype controls were fed a high fat, high calorie diet (HFCD) or control diet (CD) for 3 months. Mice fed the HFCD gained significantly more weight with a substantial enlargement of the visceral adipose tissue. Mutant mice fed the HFCD had more advanced pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions (PanINs). Compared to CD, mice fed the HFCD had a significant increase in pancreatic fibrosis (3.0±0.7 fold) and enhanced activation of pancreatic stellate cells (1.9±0.2) as assessed by immunohistochemical staining for fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin, respectively. Flow cytometry demonstrated increased infiltration of Gr-CD11b+ macrophages (2.0±0.4 fold) into the pancreas in mice fed the HFCD. In addition, compared to the CD the HFCD was associated with increased tissue levels of IL-4 (43±5%) and IL-13 (65±20%) in the pancreas. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that diet-induced obesity was associated with enhanced pancreatic neoplasia, inflammation, and fibrosis in the conditional KrasG12D mouse model. Our data further show that IL-4 and IL-13 are elevated in the pancreas of obese mice suggesting that these cytokines play a role, possibly in conversion of macrophages to the pro-tumorigenic M2 phenotype thereby promoting inflammation and tumor development. Citation Format: Chiara Birtolo, Guido Eibl, Aune Moro, Xiaoman Jung, Susan Morvaridi, Richard Waldron, Aurelia Lugea, Vay LW Go, Stephen J. Pandol. Diet-induced obesity is associated with increased levels of IL-4 and IL-13, macrophage infiltration, fibrosis, and pancreatic neoplasia in the conditional KrasG12D mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3163. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3163
Hybrid mode analysis of rectangular waveguide filled with uniaxial media with tilted optic axis lying in sidewall planes

Computational results of the cutoff frequencies of the hybrid modes in a rectangular waveguide filled with the uniaxial medium are presented. The optic axis orientation of the inserted uniaxial medium is tilted from any of the coordinate axes but lying in one of the sidewall planes of the rectangular waveguide. The calculated results not only show the changes of the cutoff frequency of the lowest hybrid mode as the constitutive parameters and the waveguide dimensions change, but also justify the correctness of the computational process and the formulations.
Relative Effectiveness of Verbal, Manipulative and Visual Rewards on Children’s Learning

Relative reward value of verbal comments from adults, visual exploration of pictures, and manipulation of learning apparatus in discrimination learning were investigated in 4, 7 and 10 year-old Ss of normal intelligence. All Ss in manipulation and visual reward groups except 10 year-old girls acquired more discriminations with fewer errors than did Ss in verbal group. Younger Ss of both sexes, and males of all ages tested, performed best for manipulation and visual incentives, suggesting the possible value of these rewards in children’s learning.
Developing and Testing a Soil Property Database for Forensic Applications in Southern California

The research sought to develop and test a forensic database of surface soil variability within previously mapped geologic and soil units in southern California. This type of database could be used to link suspects to crime scenes or determine source locations of soil sample evidence. Variability was evaluated using (i) color, (ii) magnetic susceptibility, and (iii) particle-size distribution. Soil properties were analyzed for their ability to discriminate source areas using stepwise discriminant analysis. The percent correct predictions for geologic unit groups ranged from 30% to 100%. A blind study experiment matched four of the 18 samples to their unit of origin with the first choice by stepwise discriminant analysis, and eight were matched as second and third choices. The probability of selecting the appropriate unit of origin increased by 54% over random chance and eliminated as much as 99% of the field area as a potential search location.
Ultrasound-guided renal transplant biopsy: practical and pragmatic considerations

Sonographically guided percutaneous core biopsy of renal allografts has been performed for decades, providing valuable information in monitoring the status of normally functioning renal transplants as well as investigating the cause of renal transplant dysfunction. This article reviews practical aspects of biopsy technique using the cortical tangential approach, with consideration of factors that may influence biopsy success, including selection of biopsy device. Clinically important complications from renal transplant biopsy are uncommon; the most recent experience for one institution is analyzed in the context of existing evidence regarding the frequency and timing of these major complications, to understand pragmatic implications for peri-procedural care.
Nutrient intake in women before conception and risks of anophthalmia and microphthalmia in their offspring

Background We previously explored associations between nutrients including folate and other macro and micronutrients and risks of anophthalmia or microphthalmia in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. In the current study, we expand those previous results with larger sample sizes and conduct analyses with an additional diet quality index using more recent data. Methods The National Birth Defects Prevention Study is a population-based, multicenter case-control study of over 30 major birth defects, with estimated due dates from October 1997 to December 2011. Cases were 224 infants diagnosed with anophthalmia or microphthalmia. Controls were 11,109 live-born, nonmalformed infants randomly selected by each study center. Mothers completed a standardized, computer-assisted telephone interview between 6 weeks and 24 months after delivery. Mothers responded to a shortened food frequency questionnaire, assessing their nutrient intake for the year before pregnancy, and questions about periconceptional (2 months before to 2 months after conception) vitamin supplement use. Nutrient intake quartiles were based on the intake among controls. Results Among vitamin supplement users, odds of anophthalmia/microphthalmia were decreased for women with intake levels in the highest quartile of folate (0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32–0.98), magnesium (0.42, 95% CI 0.22–0.82), and vitamin E (0.50, 95% CI 0.29–0.89). Among women not reporting vitamin supplement use, the odds were significantly increased for beta-carotene (2.5, 95% CI 1.10–5.68) and decreased for retinol (0.37, 95% CI 0.19–0.73). Conclusions In this expanded analysis, we observed associations for a few nutrients, specifically forms of vitamin A. However, the heterogeneity of results by form and vitamin use necessitates further inquiry.
Determinants in the Specificity of Virus Transmission by Leaf-feeding Beetles

Vector specificity is a well-recognized characteristic of plant viruses. The plant viruses that are transmitted by leaf-feeding beetles are in four virus groups and cannot be transmitted by other commonly recognized virus vectors such as aphids, leafhoppers, or nematodes. The basis for vector specificity has been elucidated for some virus-vector combinations, and in many cases the interaction between the vector and virus is determined by virus coat proteins or by nonstructural proteins, as with the aphid-transmitted potyviruses and caulimoviruses (16, 17). These viral proteins have been shown to mediate a specific, definitive interaction of the virus particle with some surface of the vector. Sites of virus binding to vector surfaces that play a role in vector specificity have been identified for nematode, fungal, aphid, and leafhopper vectors (2, 16, 17). In some cases, virus coat proteins are involved in interactions with and transport across vector membranes as in the case with luteovirus passage through the aphid gut wall and accessory salivary gland cells (15).
Second life of great American parking garages: Exploring the potential of adaptive reuse of urban parking structures in the American cities

The structure of American cities has been greatly influenced and transformed with the onset of the car culture and its ever evolving impacts to the everyday life of American people. The early 1900’s experienced a noticeable growth in the demand and need for automobiles resulting in the increasing need for parking spaces in the city. Eventually, multi-level parking garages were built to suffice this requirement of the ever-growing city. However, increase of parking spaces around urban fringes; raise in gas prices; better public transit options in downtown cores; growing public awareness of reducing automobile dependence in order to address issues of sustainability; advancement in autonomous vehicles and demand-based traffic management, all are making existing parking garages obsolete and useless. The era of designing cities as if car access alone was sufficient appears to have ended. An opportunity lies where the existing underused parking garages can be repurposed into residential, entertainment, or work spaces rather than paying up for demolition and construction costs of an altogether new structure. It can be projected that this technical and architectural retrospection of existing parking garages can prove as a catalyst in resolving existing issues of the city. This paper traces past projects that have attempted to convert existing urban parking garages to other uses in North America. It then analyzes their design and construction approaches and discusses the implications of this type of conversion to the urban form of the areas surrounding these projects. Our initial investigation concludes with an analytical framework that includes the following criteria: type of garage structure; vertical circulation and ramp configuration; material and construction method; floor plan arrangement; size in relation to block and street orientation; surrounding area condition in terms of land use and street network. Furthermore, implications of garage conversion to urban form of surroundings can be examined by these measures: remediation of building facade; alternation in setback between public right of way and building footprint; change in active usage along building frontage.
Examining the Profession and the Practice of Business Ethics

During the evolution of business ethics as a profession, the fields it draws from have identified separate knowledge and skills they believe define business ethics; however, there is little agreement among these fields. This means the strengths of each are seldom combined to guide ethical decision making in business and industry, which leaves business ethicists looking less effective, and perhaps less professional, than their counter-parts in medicine and law. It also means that those who have been thrust into the role of guiding business ethics – or those who have added the title of ethics consultant after their name, without having the preparation to do so, have no standards to look to.
The Bioarchaeology of Climate Change and Violence: A Temporal and Cross-Cultural Approach

As anthropologists, we are concerned with the way climate change is being linked to violence. Assumptions are being made that groups in particularly hard-hit areas will likely turn to violence when climate changes limit their livelihood and resources. Bioarchaeological approaches (which add time depth to our understanding of how humans coped with drought and other environmental problems in the past) provide important correctives. Having baseline data on diet, health, and levels of violence before, during, and after climatic events provide a better measure of the range of human responses to climate in different cultural settings. Assuming that all groups will respond with increased violence has ethical implications for how international and national policies will be carried out. Instead of sending military troops to places where resources are dwindling, bioarchaeological studies suggest that it would be better to support grassroots initiatives based on the needs of the local people. This is why empirical bioarchaeological data are so valuable, because it offers ways to better understand the limits of human adaptability and resilience in the face of enormous environmental challenges. Bioarchaeology incorporates a broad and holistic biocultural perspective that integrates biology (data from human remains) and culture (data from archaeological reconstruction of material remains) within the larger environmental context (data from the geomorphology, climate, and biota of a region). A biocultural approach provides an integrated way of exploring the means by which humans have adapted to and survived in diverse of environmental contexts.
The Saga of “Hypervalent” Molecules

In a previous work, we have outlined the Molecular Orbital-Valence Bond (MOVB) theory of chemical bonding, based on the core(C)-ligand(L) dissection.1 In previous chapters, we have applied this brand of theory to a variety of structural problems with the aim to demonstrate its conceptual and formal advantages over previous and current qualitative theoretical approaches to bonding. We now observe that the Core-Ligand (C-L) dissection allows a classification of molecules which contain an even number of valence electrons into four major types depending upon the presence or absence of electron pairs or holes in the core and/or ligand fragments in the perfect pairing (R) Configuration Wavefunction (CW) representing the entire system.
Electron Microscopic Preembedding Double-Immunostaining Methods

During the last decade, immunocytochemistry has become one of the major tools for the light and electron microscopic identification of neurons containing classical transmitters and neuropeptides (e.g., Cuello, 1983; Polak and Van Noorden, 1983; Steinbush et al., 1978). The immunocytochemical studies have provided a complete characterization of the regional distributions and ultrastructural morphology of a variety of chemically specific neurons (Elde etat., 1976; Pickel, 1981). More recently, dual immunocytochemical labeling of two antigens in the same section prepared for electron microscopy has permitted the characterization of transmitters within pre- and post synaptic junctions in the central nervous system (Leranth et al., 1984; van den Pol, 1985a; Milner et al., 1987).
Degradation of myofibrillar proteins by cathepsins B and D.

Abstract 1. The procedure of Barrett [(1973) Biochem. J. 131, 809–822] for isolating cathepsins B and D from human liver was modified for use with rat liver and skeletal muscle. The purified enzymes appeared to be similar to those reported in other species. 2. Sephadex G-75 chromatography of concentrated muscle extract resolved two peaks of cathepsin B inhibitory activity, corresponding to molecular weights of 12500 and 62000. 3. The degradation of purified myofibrillar proteins by cathepsins B and D was clearly demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. After incubation with enzyme, the polypeptide bands representing the substrates decreased in intensity and lower molecular weight products appeared. 4. Cathepsins B and D, purified from either rat liver or skeletal muscle, were shown to degrade myosin, purified from either rabbit or rat muscle. Soluble denatured myosin was degraded more extensively than insoluble native myosin. Degradation by cathepsin B was inhibited by lack of reducing agent, or by myoglobin, iodoacetic acid and leupeptin, but not by pepstatin. The same potential modifiers were applied to cathepsin D, and only pepstatin produced inhibition. 5. Rat liver cathepsin B had a pH optimum of 5.2 on native rabbit myosin. The pH optimum of cathepsin D was 4.0, with a shoulder of activity about 1pH unit above the optimum. 6. Rat liver cathepsins B and D were demonstrated to degrade rabbit F-actin at pH5.0, and were inhibited by leupeptin and pepstain, respectively. 7. The degradation of myosin and actin by cathepsin D was more extensive than that by cathepsin B.
FINITE LANGUAGES AND THE COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY OF ALGEBRAIC STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT We study the computational complexity of several decision problems for a number of algebraic structures or systerms of tern-rewrite rules of interest in mathematics or computer science. These problems include the formula equivalence and several formula minimization problems. Natural and general sufficient condition on a structure or a system of term-rewrite rules for these decision problems to be coNP-hard are presented. The proofs of the results obtained involve a blend of elementary arguments about finite languages and about properties of the structures or systems of term-rewrite rules considered.
Antigenic Heterogeneity among Heat-Labile Enterotoxins from Escherichia Coli

We have previously described a solid phase radioimmunoassay for quantitative measurements of cholera enterotoxin (CT) and other antigenically related enterotoxins (1). The heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) of Escherichia coli cross-reacts with CT and can be measured in this assay system. The solid phase radioimmunoassay is performed in polyvinyl microtiter plates and involves four sequential steps: immobilization of purified equine anticholeragenoid antibody; binding of enterotoxin antigen; binding of rabbit antienterotoxin; and binding of radioiodinated goat anti-rabbit IgG (γ) (hereafter designated [125I]GARG).
Carbon Sequestration in a Pacific Northwest Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadow

Coastal wetlands are known to be efficient carbon sinks due to high rates of primary productivity, carbon burial by mineral sediments, and low rates of sediment organic matter decomposition. Of the three coastal wetland types: tidal marshes, tidal forests, and seagrass meadows, carbon burial by seagrasses is relatively under-studied, and reported rates range widely from 45 to 190 g C m-2 yr-1. Additionally, most of these seagrass rates are biased toward tropical and subtropical species, particularly Posidonia oceanica, with few focused on Zostera marina, the most widespread species in the northern hemisphere. We measured sediment organic content, carbon content, and long-term accretion rates to estimate organic carbon stocks and sequestration rates for a Z. marina meadow in Padilla Bay, a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Washington. We found rates of carbon sequestration to be quite low relative to commonly reported values, averaging 9 to 11 g C m-2 yr-1. We attribute this to both low sediment organic content and low rates of accretion. We postulate here that Padilla Bay's low carbon sequestration capacity may be representative of healthy Z. marina meadows rather than an anomaly, and that Z. marina meadows have an inherently low carbon sequestration capacity because of the species' low tolerance for suspended sediment (which limits light availability) and sediment organic content (which leads to toxic sulfide levels). Further research should focus on measuring carbon sequestration rates from other Z. marina meadows, particularly from sites that exhibit, a priori, the potential for higher rates of carbon sequestration.
Neuropsychological functioning in opioid use disorder: A research synthesis and meta-analysis.

Background: Research has demonstrated that patients with opioid use disorders (OUD; including both opioid abuse and/or dependence) have poorer neuropsychological functioning compared to healthy con...
The politics of global youth participation

ABSTRACTThis article critically examines increased opportunities for youth participation in global political affairs created by the United Nations and its member states in the 2010s. Drawing on eth...
Hybrid Nonlinear Disturbance Observer Design for Underactuated Bipedal Robots

Existence of disturbances in unknown environments is a pervasive challenge in robotic locomotion control. Disturbance observers are a class of unknown input observers that have been extensively used for disturbance rejection in numerous robotics applications. In this paper, we extend a class of widely-used nonlinear disturbance observers to unde-ractuated bipedal robots, which are controlled using hybrid zero dynamics-based control schemes. The proposed hybrid nonlinear disturbance observer provides the autonomous biped robot control system with disturbance rejection capabilities, while the underlying hybrid zero-dynamics based control law remains intact.
Horseweed (Conyza canadensis) Suppression from Cover Crop Mixtures and Fall-Applied Residual Herbicides

Horseweed is a problematic weed to control, especially in no-tillage production. Increasing cases of herbicide resistance have exacerbated the problem, necessitating alternative control options and an integrated weed management approach. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate horseweed suppression from fall-planted cover crop monocultures and mixtures as well as two fall-applied residual herbicide treatments. Prior to cover crop termination, horseweed density was reduced by 88% to 96% from cover crops. At cover crop termination in late spring, cereal rye biomass was 7,671 kg ha-1, which was similar to cereal rye–containing mixtures (7,720 kg ha-1) but greater than legumes in monoculture (3,335 kg ha-1). After cover crops were terminated in late spring using a roller crimper, corn and soybeans were planted and horseweed was evaluated using density counts, visible ratings, and biomass collection until harvest. Forage radish winterkilled, offering no competition in late winter or biomass to contribute to horseweed suppression after termination. Excluding forage radish in monoculture, no difference in horseweed suppression was detected between cereal rye–containing cover crops and legumes (crimson clover and hairy vetch) in monoculture. Likewise, horseweed suppression was similar between monocultures and mixtures, with the exception of one site-year in which mixtures provided better suppression. In this experiment, the cover crop treatments performed as well as or better than the fall-applied residual herbicides, flumioxazin + paraquat and metribuzin + chlorimuron-ethyl. These results indicate that fall-planted cover crops are a viable option to suppress horseweed and can be an effective part of an integrated weed management program. Furthermore, cover crop mixtures can be used to gain the benefits of legume or brassica cover crop species without sacrificing horseweed suppression.Nomenclature: Chlorimuron-ethyl; flumioxazin; metribuzin; paraquat; horseweed, Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. ERICA cereal rye, Secale cereale L.; corn, Zea mays L.; crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L.; forage radish, Raphanus sativus L.; hairy vetch, Vicia villosa Roth; soybean, Glycine max L. Merr.
“Mysticism” in Iran: The Safavid Roots of a Modern Concept

Ata Anzali’s “Mysticism” in Iran is an important contribution to the fields of Shīʿite studies and Islamic mystical thought. It is the first comprehensive examination of the meaning and use of the ...
Group B streptococcus meningitis complicated by periodic lateralising epileptiform discharges in an elderly patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus or GBS) is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in infants, but is rarely the cause in adults. Across all non-pregnant adults it comprises 7% of bacterial meningitis cases, with a mortality rate of 56% in the elderly. Therefore, while rare, GBS should be a part of a patient’s differential when initiating antibiotics in adults with chronic illnesses. We report a 78-year-old diabetic female admitted to the hospital with suspected meningitis. Lumbar puncture revealed grossly purulent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and she was started on antibiotics for empiric treatment of expected Streptococcus pneumoniae. Thirty-one hours post-sampling, the CSF culture results returned positive for beta haemolytic GBS and treatment was altered accordingly. The case was complicated by concomitant periodic lateralising epileptiform discharges which were treated simultaneously. After 14 days of hospitalisation, the patient was discharged to a skilled nursing facility for further recovery.
Social Support and Crime

This chapter provides an overview of Cullen’s (Justice Q 11:527–558, 1994) social support theory. Different aspects of social support theory, from its definitional and measurement challenges, its broader contributions to criminological thinking, the bulk of research testing its main propositions at different levels of analysis, and its policy implications are discussed throughout the chapter. Overall, the current chapter reaffirms the theoretical, empirical, and policy value of social support theory. First, social support maintains theoretical relevance and provides promising directions to move the field forward. Social support theory highlights the prosocial facets of human relationships and the support provided by an individual’s social environment. Social support theory constitutes an integrative approach that builds on other mainstream criminological theories to better understand differences in criminal involvement at the individual level and differential crime rates across different ecological units. Thus, social support is deemed to reduce crime directly but also indirectly by affecting criminogenic factors such as social control, social learning, or strain and moderating their effect on crime. Second, different tests of social support theory have shown its empirical validity. However, tests of social support theory—using comprehensive measures of the construct—are still in short supply. More research on the different propositions of social support is needed. Third, social support has important policy implications. Social support theory focuses on individuals’ social environments and in prosocial human relationships, rather than individuals themselves. Thus, social support theory expands the set of policy targets beyond the individuals to their families, communities, and a broad set of government and non-government institutions and allows to think alternative crime reducing and security building policies.
The effect of Langmuir turbulence under complex real oceanic and meteorological forcing

Abstract In this study, we expand previous large eddy simulation (LES) modeling investigations of Langmuir turbulence (LT) to real ocean conditions using field observations collected under the multi-platform field campaign “Coupled Air–Sea Processes and Electromagnetic (EM) ducting Research (CASPER-East)”. The measurement site has strong local variabilities of temperature and salinity and experienced large variations in wind forcing and several cooling events. Although LT enhances the turbulence in the water column and deepens the mixed layer during most of the simulation period, being consistent with previous studies, strong reduction of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the mixed layer is observed in the simulation with Stokes drift compared to that without Stokes drift during a short period. Analysis of the meteorological forcing and the TKE budget have revealed that in the circumstance of swell dominated wave fields with young wind seas, the presence of Stokes drift reduces shear production more than the Stokes production it generates, and a reduction of total TKE in the mixed layer may be expected whether or not the Stokes drift is aligned with the wind. Weak reduction of TKE due to the inclusion of Stokes drift is also observed beneath the mixed layer during a cooling event possibly due to the fact that the upwelling associated with Langmuir circulation at the base of the mixed layer counteracts on the downwelling associated with the deep convection and reduces the total turbulence level in the water column. While both resolved Reynold stresses and the bulk eddy viscosity decrease with the increase of wind-wave misalignment angle θ w w and become smaller than that in the case without Stokes drift when θ w w exceed 60°, the subgrid scale (SGS) part of the momentum flux increases with the increase of θ w w , suggesting that the LES solutions in cases with large wind-wave misalignment become more sensitive to the SGS models used and need to be dealt with caution.
Innovations and Early Intervention in the Teaching of Literacy

This article systematically reviews research on the most effective reading programs for struggling and nonstruggling readers in elementary school. The first section reviews achievement outcomes of four types of approaches to improving the reading success of nonstruggling readers in the elementary grades: reading curricula, instructional technology, instructional process programs, and combinations of curricula and instructional process. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or matched control groups, a study duration of at least 12 weeks, valid achievement measures independent of the experimental treatments, and a final assessment at the end of grade 1 or later. A total of 63 beginning reading (starting in K or 1) and 80 upper-elementary (2–5) reading studies met these criteria. The article concludes that instructional process programs designed to change daily teaching practices have substantially greater research support than programs that focus on curriculum or technology alone. The article also reviews research on the achievement outcomes of alternative approaches for struggling readers in grades K–5: one-to-one tutoring, small group tutorials, classroom instructional-process approaches, and computer-assisted instruction (CAI). A total of 96 studies met the above criteria. The review concludes that one-to-one tutoring is very effective in improving reading performance. Tutoring models that focus on phonics obtain much better outcomes than others. Teachers are more effective than paraprofessionals and volunteers as tutors. Small-group, phonetic tutorials can be effective, but are not as effective as one-to-one phonetically focused tutoring. Classroom instructional-process programs, especially cooperative learning, can have very positive effects for struggling readers. CAI generally had few effects on reading. Taken together, the findings support a strong focus on improving classroom instruction and then providing one-to-one phonetic tutoring to students who continue to experience difficulties.
Cell free DNA from respiratory pathogens is detectable in the blood plasma of Cystic Fibrosis patients.

Diagnostically informative microbial cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be detected from blood plasma during fulminant infections such as sepsis. However, the potential for DNA from airway pathogens to enter the circulation of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients during chronic infective states has not yet been evaluated. We assessed whether patient blood contained measurable quantities of cfDNA from CF respiratory microorganisms by sequencing plasma from 21 individuals with CF recruited from outpatient clinics and 12 healthy controls. To account for possible contamination with exogenous microbial nucleic acids, statistical significance of microbe-derived read counts from CF patients was determined relative to the healthy control population. In aggregate, relative abundance of microbial cfDNA was nearly an order of magnitude higher in CF patients than in healthy subjects (p = 8.0×10−3). 15 of 21 (71%) CF patients demonstrated cfDNA from one or more relevant organisms. In contrast, none of the healthy subjects evidenced significant microbial cfDNA for any of the organisms examined. Concordance of cfDNA with standard microbiological culture of contemporaneously collected patient sputum was variable. Our findings provide evidence that cfDNA from respiratory pathogens are present in the bloodstream of most CF patients, which could potentially be exploited for the purposes of noninvasive clinical diagnosis.
Relationship Dissolution and Self-concept Change

The formation and functioning of close relationships can alter individuals’ self-concepts in such a manner that the self-concepts are cognitively linked with the partner; however, relationship dissolution directly threatens the loss of this intertwined self-concept. In this chapter, we first discuss the degree to which prior relationship-induced self-concept change predicts, and in some cases inoculates against, dissolution. Second, we discuss the extent to which relationship dissolution leads to subsequent self-concept changes within individuals (e.g., loss of self-concept content, increased self-concept confusion), as well as the mechanisms underlying whether these post-dissolution self-concept changes are deemed harmful versus beneficial. Third, we explain how individuals may recover from post-dissolution self-concept changes by seeking to repair or restore the damaged self-concept. Finally, we briefly identify avenues for future research that scholars may consider pursuing.
Temperature and precipitation associate with Covid-19 new daily cases: A correlation study between weather and Covid-19 pandemic in Oslo, Norway.

This study aims to analyze the correlation between weather and covid-19 pandemic in the capital city of Norway, Oslo. This study employed a secondary data analysis of covid-19 surveillance data from the Norwegian public health institute and weather data from the Norwegian Meteorological institute. The components of weather include minimum temperature (°C), maximum temperature (°C), temperature average (°C), normal temperature (°C), precipitation level (mm) and wind speed (m/s). Since normality was not fulfilled, a non-parametric correlation test was used for data analysis. Maximum temperature (r = 0.347; p = .005), normal temperature(r = 0.293; p = .019), and precipitation level (r = -0.285; p = .022) were significantly correlated with covid-19 pandemic. The finding might serve as an input to a strategy making in the prevention of covid-19 as the country prepare to enter into a new weather season.
Infrared radio-frequency double resonance in ch 3 od

Ten infrared radio-frequency double resonance signals have been observed in CH3OD. Tentative assignments of these transitions will be discussed. The observed transitions belong to A-type symmetry states and allow for the determination of asymmetry splitting parameters. These are useful in further assignments of rovibrational lines belonging to the CO-stretch fundamental band, which has recently been recorded.
Real-Time Transaction Prediction Method Based on Generalized Tie-Line

In order to cope with the rapid development of renewable energy in the Northwest Power Grid, it is an urgent need to predict the renewable energy consumption capacity and transaction needs of the provinces, and promote the timely consumption of renewable energy within and between provinces. Therefore, this paper proposes a real-time transaction prediction method based on the generalized tie-line. Based on the definition of generalized tie lines, a multi-objective optimization model is established. The optimization objectives include positive and negative reserve of the provincial power grid and generalized positive and negative reserve of the main and sub-control areas. The method analyzes the power transmission and reception capacity and power transmission and reception needs of the main and sub-control areas in the next few hours, calculates the power purchase and sales capacity among the provinces, and automatically generates intra-provincial replacement and inter-provincial transaction plan based on the transaction rule library to enhance the intelligence level of renewable energy consumption in the Northwest Power Grid.
Student Engagement, Where Art Thou?

Three US professors discuss the challenge of teaching the study of religion within a higher educational setting marked by institutional and student ambivalence. Professors Matthew Baldwin (Mars Hill College), Kevin McGinnis (Stonehill College and Post University), and Leslie Dorrough Smith (Avila University) joined Richard Newton (Editor, Bulletin for the Study of Religion) for a conversation on this challenge, expressing frustrations and sharing tips. The exchange took began at the start of the Spring 2020 semester, paused during the spring recess in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed at the end of the term, offering a snapshot of the day’s challenges.
Adaptive variational quantum eigensolvers for highly excited states

Highly excited states of quantum many-body systems are central objects in the study of quantum dynamics and thermalization that challenge classical computational methods due to their volume-law entanglement content. In this work, we explore the potential of variational quantum algorithms to approximate such states. We propose an adaptive variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) for excited states (X) that self-generates a variational ansatz for arbitrary eigenstates of a many-body Hamiltonian $H$ by attempting to minimize the energy variance with respect to $H$. We benchmark the method by applying it to an Ising spin chain with integrable and nonintegrable regimes, where we calculate various quantities of interest, including the total energy, magnetization density, and entanglement entropy. We also compare the performance of adaptive VQE-X to an adaptive variant of the folded-spectrum method. For both methods, we find a strong dependence of the algorithm's performance on the choice of operator pool used for the adaptive construction of the ansatz. In particular, an operator pool including long-range two-body gates accelerates the convergence of both algorithms in the nonintegrable regime. We also study the scaling of the number of variational parameters with system size, finding that an exponentially large number of parameters may be necessary to approximate individual highly excited states. Nevertheless, we argue that these methods lay a foundation for the use of quantum algorithms to study finite-energy-density properties of many-body systems.
A Linearized Model of Engine Torque and Carbon Monoxide Emissions

Recently, an infrared diode laser spectrometer was developed which measures carbon monoxide (CO) exhaust emissions with a 25 ms response time. This rapid CO analyzer and a torque transducer were used to study the dynamic effects of air-fuel ratio perturbations about stoichiometry on CO emissions and engine torque. Linearized perturbation models expressed by transfer functions were obtained using frequency response techniques. The air-fuel ratio was perturbed around stoichiometry by varying either throttle position or fuel rate (via a modified Throttle Body Injection system) while holding the other parameter constant. Three speed-load points were studied in an engine dynamometer test cell to examine the effects of engine speed and load conditions on the structure and coefficients of the transfer functions.
Absence of Mutations in the 6Th Exon of FcεRI-β

In 1989, Cookson et al first reported close linkage between immunoglobulin E responses underlying allergic asthma and rhinitis and a locus on chromosome 11ql31. In the following years the same group succeeded in localizing the β-chain of the high affinity IgE receptor (FceRI-β) in the same chromosomal region, thereby demonstrating close genetic linkage to the atopic state2. Their results were marked by the identification of a mutation (Ilel81Leu) in the 6th exon of the gene in a region that codes for the 4th transmembrane domain of the protein being associated with positive IgE responses3. This mutation could explain about 25% of the subgroup of atopic, symptomatic cases that were shown to be linked to 1lql3 in their population. However, transmission of atopy at the 11ql3 locus as well as the predictive value of the mutation could only be found through maternally derived alleles3,4.
Vulnerability and Exposure to Crime: Applying Risk Terrain Modeling to the Study of Assault in Chicago

Prior research has applied risk assessment and spatial analysis techniques to the study of violence. This paper builds on those results, tying the practical outcomes of spatial risk analysis methods to broader spatial issues on the articulation of risky places for aggravated assault. We begin by conceptualizing key relationships, addressing the effects of environmental factors on creating distinct, identifiable areas that are conducive to crime. Propositions of the theory of risky places are posed and then empirically tested using a GIS based program, RTMDx, on aggravated assault data in an urban area. Given the current thinking about crime vulnerability based on concentration and spatial influence of features and events, this paper offers an analytical strategy to model risky places that combines the conceptual insights of crime emergence and persistence, advances in geo-spatial analytical techniques, and micro-level data.
Fitting Multivariate Models to Unequally Spaced Data

Using state space representations, the author’s previous work on fitting continuous time autoregressions to unequally spaced univariate data is extended to several multivariate models of practical importance. Continuous time multivariate first order autoregressions and the limiting case of multivariate random walks are used to model multiple medical observations collected at unequally spaced time points. Mean levels can be included in these models as constants to be estimated or as random variables with prior variances. Maximum likelihood estimation of the unknown parameters allows the development of individual normal ranges so a physician can be alerted if a set of observations is out of line. Three examples based on medical data are presented. Extensions include optimal control when drug therapy is involved. Another application is transfer function estimation from unequally spaced data. A bicycle rider pedals against a load which varies as a stationary process. Various respiration gases are measured on a breath to breath basis which are unequally spaced in time. The transfer function of the body indicates the mechanisms of the body’s response to exercise.
Structured output ordinal regression for dynamic facial emotion intensity prediction

We consider the task of labeling facial emotion intensities in videos, where the emotion intensities to be predicted have ordinal scales (e.g., low, medium, and high) that change in time. A significant challenge is that the rates of increase and decrease differ substantially across subjects. Moreover, the actual absolute differences of intensity values carry little information, with their relative order being more important. To solve the intensity prediction problem we propose a new dynamic ranking model that models the signal intensity at each time as a label on an ordinal scale and links the temporally proximal labels using dynamic smoothness constraints. This new model extends the successful static ordinal regression to a structured (dynamic) setting by using an analogy with Conditional Random Field (CRF) models in structured classification. We show that, although non-convex, the new model can be accurately learned using efficient gradient search. The predictions resulting from this dynamic ranking model show significant improvements over the regular CRFs, which fail to consider ordinal relationships between predicted labels. We also observe substantial improvements over static ranking models that do not exploit temporal dependencies of ordinal predictions. We demonstrate the benefits of our algorithm on the Cohn-Kanade dataset for the dynamic facial emotion intensity prediction problem and illustrate its performance in a controlled synthetic setting.
The Effects of Thunder, Stereotyping, and Cognitive Load on Impression Formation

The current study examined the effect of stereotypes and stolen thunder on impressions of a person who committed a crime. One hundred twenty undergraduate students from a small private college in rural western Pennsylvania participated in an impression formation task. Participants were given either a 2 digit or a 16 digit number to memorize, followed by a short vignette featuring an African American man whose traits were either consistent or inconsistent with current stereotypes. It was either revealed by the narrator (thunder) or the man (stolen thunder) that he had been convicted of assault. Participants also completed the Need for Cognition scale. A two-way interaction between stereotype consistency and thunder condition emerged. Mainly, when the man was stereotype inconsistent, participants found him to be less guilty than when he was stereotype consistent if he did not reveal the information himself. Future research should focus on the interaction between stolen thunder and stereotype information.
Values (Shalom H. Schwartz) – Self-Direction

Hypothesized a list of potential values that are common among all cultures. They tested the potential values in populations in Germany and Israel and found striking similarities between the two countries and their individual value systems. The study was based on the Rokeach value system which postulates that 18 terminal values may be reached by means of 18 instrumental values. Schwartz and then studied another seven more than 70 additional countries. A fourth study centered on predicting political views based on subjects’ individual value configurations. Keywords: Shalom H. Schwartz; self and identity
Electrical load controller for rural micro-hydroelectric systems using a programmable logic controller

Micro-hydroelectric systems convert the energy of moving water into electric energy. In rural settings, micro hydroelectric systems are run at full power at all times to avoid the cost of expensive electromechanical controls. That in turn causes the generator to produce its maximum rated power. If the electric energy supply and demand are not matching, the generator eventually fails. Electronic load controllers have been proposed in the literature to better match the demand and supply. In this paper, an electrical load controller is implemented using a programmable logic controller (PLC). PLCs are used in industrial applications and can withstand high levels of dust, dirt and moisture making them very suitable for micro-hydroelectric applications. The proposed controller monitors the frequency of the generator. It will dynamically balance the system power by incrementing or decrementing the power rating of a resistive heating load. The controller was experimentally tested in a lab using a micro-hydroelectric emulator. The emulator includes a 13.8 kW generator, a 10 Hp motor, a motor drive and the PLC controller. The results showed that the PLC controller is a viable load control system for such an application.