cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Role for the Transmembrane Domain in the Trimerization of the MHC Class II-Associated Invariant Chain

MHC class II and invariant chain (Ii) associate early in biosynthesis to form a nonameric complex. Ii first assembles into a trimer and then associates with three class II αβ heterodimers. Although the membrane-proximal region of the Ii luminal domain is structurally disordered, the C-terminal segment of the luminal domain is largely α-helical and contains a major interaction site for the Ii trimer. In this study, we show that the Ii transmembrane domain plays an important role in the formation of Ii trimers. The Ii transmembrane domain contains an unusual patch of hydrophilic residues near the luminal interface. Substitution of these polar residues with nonpolar amino acids resulted in a decrease in the efficiency of Ii trimerization and subsequent class II association. Moreover, N-terminal fragments of Ii were found to trimerize independently of the luminal α-helical domain. Progressive C-terminal truncations mapped a homotypic association site to the first 80 aa of Ii. Together, these results implicate the Ii transmembrane domain as a site of trimer interaction that can play an important role in the initiation of trimer formation.
Google vs. the Library: Student Preferences and Perceptions When Doing Research Using Google and a Federated Search Tool

Federated searching was once touted as the library world's answer to Google, but ten years since federated searching technology's inception, how does it actually compare? This study focuses on undergraduate student preferences and perceptions when doing research using both Google and a federated search tool. Students were asked about their preferences using each search tool and the perceived relevance of the sources they found using each search tool. Students were also asked to self-assess their online searching skills. The findings show that students believe they possess strong searching skills, are able to find relevant sources using both search tools, but actually prefer the federated search tool to Google for doing research. Thus, despite federated searching's limitations, students see the need for it, libraries should continue to offer federated search (especially if a discovery search tool is not available), and librarians should focus on teaching students how to use federated search and Google more effectively.
Conservative Management of Postoperative Fever in Gynecologic Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal or Vaginal Operations

Background To develop a standardized protocol for management of postoperative fever in gynecology patients to decrease unnecessary diagnostic workups and empiric use of antibiotics. Study Design A prospective analysis of postoperative gynecology patients identified those who experienced fever (maximum temperature [T max ] > 100.4°F). Patients were triaged into low- and high-risk groups. High-risk patients were managed independent of the protocol. High-risk criteria included bowel operation, preoperative infection, immunodeficiency, indwelling vascular access, mechanical heart valves, and intensive care unit admissions. Low-risk patients were treated with observation and antipyretics. Patients with persistent or high fever, defined as T max > 101°F for > 48 hours, were evaluated and treated based on physical examination findings. Results We evaluated 292 postoperative patients. Forty-seven percent of patients had a final diagnosis of malignancy. Sixty-four patients were high-risk and 33% of these patients experienced fever. Using the standardized protocol, 228 low-risk patients were managed. Thirty-seven of the 228 patients (16%) had fever postoperatively. Nineteen patients had low-grade fever (100.4 to 101°F); none of these patients required antibiotics. Seventeen patients had fever (101.1 to 102°F) and one patient had fever > 102°F. Using the protocol, 6 of 37 patients (16%) were treated with antibiotics for an infectious diagnosis. Conclusions Although postoperative fever is common in gynecologic patients, the incidence of infection is low (3%). A standardized postoperative fever protocol in low-risk gynecology patients decreases use of empiric antibiotics without compromising morbidity.
Mechanisms for Maternal Age Differences in Birth Weight

The authors studied three hypothesized explanations for reduced birth weights of infants born to US adolescent mothers-social disadvantage, biologic immaturity, and unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy. A hierarchical regression analysis was pursued to evaluate these explanations using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth on 1,754 first births between 1979 and 1983 to women aged 14-25 years at the time of birth. The birth weights of infants of mothers aged 14-17, 18-19, and 20-23 years were 133, 54, and 88 g less than for infants of mothers aged 23-25. The regression results indicate that the reduced birth weights of infants born to young mothers, particularly women aged 14-17, were related to their disadvantaged social environment. When adjustment was made for poverty and minority status, there were no maternal age differences in birth weight. The reduced birth weights were not related to the young woman's health behaviors during pregnancy or her biologic characteristics. Ethnicity, poverty status, age at menarche, maternal height, net maternal weight gain, and smoking during pregnancy had an independent effect on birth weight in this sample of young women. Am J Epidemiol 1995 ;142 :504-14.
Mating and remating of medflies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Guatemala: individual fly marking in field cages

The sterile insect technique (SIT) depends critically upon the ability of sterilized, released males to locate and mate with wild females. The overall efficiency of the method also depends upon the relative frequencies of remating by wild females following first matings to laboratory or wild males. Using a newly devised technique that individually marks the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), a field cage study was undertaken in a Guatemala coffee orchard to record individual fly mating behaviors between each of several laboratory strain and coffee-reared wild flies. Five laboratory strains were tested - a genetic sexing strain examined in sex ratios between 50%-100% sterile males, two standard bisexual strains, and two F1 hybrid strains. The marking technique revealed a substantial amount of information on individual fly mating and remating. Wild male flies significantly outcompeted each of the lab strains in the first matings with both wild and lab females. Approx. 22% and 3% of wild males and females, respectively, remated in the field cages during two consecutive morning observation periods, while 4-8% of lab males, and 2-8% of lab females remated, respectively. Male flies from each lab strain averaged significantly shorter copulation times than wild males. Female flies, either lab or wild, tended to remate more often if they first mated to a lab male, but the differences were not statistically significant. An index was devised to provide a measure of relative male mating quality. Wild males tended to have higher individual index values than lab strain males. Average values of the latter ranged from ca. half to roughly equal that of wild males.
From Bio 101 to Pillars of Biology: A Pedagogical Experiment.

Within the Department of Cell Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, each student is required to present a research article of his or her choosing for the department journal club. As new students entering the Department, it was unclear to us (Sabrina Volpi and Sandeep Wontakal) whether there were any rules for choosing the papers we would pres- ent. Should the paper relate to work performed within the Department? Did the paper have to be published within the last year, or five years, or could we select a “classic” paper from the early 1900s? While pondering these questions, we realized we shared a great interest in reading the original “landmark” papers we had once learned about in our introductory biology courses, the papers that laid the foundation of what we know as biology today.
Prediction in the Panel Data Model with Spatial Correlation

The econometrics of spatial models have focused mainly on estimation and testing of hypotheses, see Anselin (1988b), Anselin et al. (1996) and Anselin and Bera (1998) to mention a few. In this chapter we focus on prediction in spatial models based on panel data. In particular, we consider a simple demand equation for cigarettes based on a panel of 46 states over the period 1963–1992. The spatial autocorrelation due to neighboring states and the individual heterogeneity across states is taken explicitly into account. In order to explain how spatial autocorrelation may arise in the demand for cigarettes, we note that cigarette prices vary among states, primarily due to variation in state taxes on cigarettes. For example, in 1988, state excise taxes ranged from 2 cents per pack in a producing state like North Carolina, to 38 cents per pack in the state of Minnesota. In 1997, these state taxes varied from a low of 2.5 cents per pack for Virginia to $1.00 per pack in Alaska and Hawaii. Since cigarettes can be stored and are easy to transport, these varying taxes result in casual smuggling across neighboring states. For example, while New Hampshire had a 12 cents per pack tax on cigarettes in 1988, neighboring Massachusetts and Maine had a 26 and 28 cents per pack tax. Border effect purchases not explained in the demand equation can cause spatial autocorrelation among the disturbances.1
Sea Spray Aerosol Structure and Composition Using Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy

The composition and surface properties of atmospheric aerosol particles largely control their impact on climate by affecting their ability to uptake water, react heterogeneously, and nucleate ice in clouds. However, in the vacuum of a conventional electron microscope, the native surface and internal structure often undergo physicochemical rearrangement resulting in surfaces that are quite different from their atmospheric configurations. Herein, we report the development of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy where laboratory generated sea spray aerosol particles are flash frozen in their native state with iterative and controlled thermal and/or pressure exposures and then probed by electron microscopy. This unique approach allows for the detection of not only mixed salts, but also soft materials including whole hydrated bacteria, diatoms, virus particles, marine vesicles, as well as gel networks within hydrated salt droplets-all of which will have distinct biological, chemical, and physical processes. We anticipate this method will open up a new avenue of analysis for aerosol particles, not only for ocean-derived aerosols, but for those produced from other sources where there is interest in the transfer of organic or biological species from the biosphere to the atmosphere.
Oral Allergy Syndrome Precipitation and Sprouted-Grain Bread A Case Report

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS), a class 2 food allergy, occurs when individuals sensitized to plant pollens ingest foods containing allergens homologous to the plant pollen. Common trigger foods include fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and when consumed, they result in oropharyngeal pruritis, tingling, and edema. Here, we report the case of a 28-year-old female with a history of allergy and exercise-induced asthma who presented with oral urticaria, lower lip edema, and tingling of the lips, mouth, and tongue after switching her daily consumption of whole-wheat bread to sprouted-grain bread. The patient discussed the symptoms with her pharmacist, who suggested OAS as a possible diagnosis and an elimination diet as an initial treatment. She removed fruits and vegetables from her diet, but coincidentally noticed that the ingestion of sprouted-grain bread consumed only during her work week triggered the reaction. The diagnosis of OAS and the implementation of an elimination diet that excluded the spouted-grain brea...
How Religious Organizations Influence Chinese Conversion to Evangelical Protestantism in the United States

This article explores how religious organizations have influenced Chinese immigrants' conversion to evangelical Protestantism. Using data collected through ethnographic fieldwork in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest from 1998 to 2003, I describe the extensive resources devoted to evangelism by religious institutions and argue that they must play an important role in converting Chinese immigrants to evangelical Protestantism.
A Rapid Technique for the Cleaning and Concentration of Eimeria Oocysts

A technique using 1% sodium bicarbonate, ether and centrifugation was developed for cleaning oocyts of Eimeria tenella, E. maxima or E. mivati. The speed and efficiency of this technique was compared with the sedimentation technique currently used in many laboratories. Parameters measured were percent sporulation after cleaning and number of oocysts recovered. Suspensions of oocysts cleaned by bicarbonate and ether consistently yielded a similar or superior percent sporulation. In four of the five trials bicarbonate and ether recovered a larger number of oocysts from feces. To determine the storage stability of oocysts cleaned with bicarbonate and ether in comparison with sedimentation cleaned oocysts, suspensions of Eimeria tenella and E. mivati were stored at 4 degrees C. and atssayed initially after harvest and a three month intervals thereafter. The parameters of bird weight gain, lesion score, mortality and feed conversion were measured to test viability of oocysts. Bicarbonate and ether cleaning had no initial deleterious effect on oocyst viability. After 6 months storage, oocysts of Eimeria cleaned with bicarbonate and ether maintained viability similar or superior to oocysts cleaned by sedimentation.
Evaluation of Hybrid fs/ps coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering temperature and pressure sensitivity at combustor relevant conditions

Vibrational hybrid femtosecond/picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (hybrid CARS) spectroscopy is evaluated for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure through the use of a single probe pulse and multiple probe pulses at various time delays. The relevant temperature and pressure parameter space is explored with the goal of determining feasibility of simultaneous pressure and temperature measurements with simplified CARS probe schemes. The sensitivity of spectral features to pressure and temperature changes is evaluated quantitatively from 1-60 atm and 300-3000 K. This study establishes a framework for experimental design and testing under relevant engine conditions.
Explaining Control Losses in Corporate Marketing Channels: An Organizational Analysis:

The author examines the determinants of control loss in the marketing channels of 40 U.S. manufacturers, each of which has vertically integrated into wholesale distribution by the establishment of ...
The Impact of Computers on Undergraduate Mathematical Education in 1984

(1972). The Impact of Computers on Undergraduate Mathematical Education in 1984. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 79, No. 6, pp. 648-657.
Evaluation of two predictors of child disruptive behavior during restorative dental treatment

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 2 behavior rating scales (1 describing child behavior and the other describing parent behavior) in predicting child behavior during dental treatment.Methods: Participants consisted of 52 children, ages 3 to 12 years, and their parents. Parents completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory while children received restorative dental treatment. Disruptive behavior was observed and coded. Dentists also provided subjective Frankl ratings of child behavior. Results: Correlational analyses confirmed that age was the single best and only independent predictor of disruptive behavior in children during a restorative dental visit. However, a backward multiple regression demonstrated that the Support Scale and Limit Setting Scale of the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory were significant predictors of child disruptive behavior, but only when both scales were in the regression analysis. The Frankl ratings also significantly predicted observed disruptive behavior, supporting the construct validity of both the objective and subjective measures of problem behavior. Conclusions: Child age and parent reports of the parent-child relationship predicted child disruptiveness in the dental clinic, while parent reports of child behavior alone did not.
Resting-egg hatching and early population development in rotifers: a review and a hypothesis for differences between shallow and deep waters

This paper reviews our very limited knowledge about resting-egg hatching and early population development in planktonic rotifers. Hatching of stem females from resting eggs may occur soon after resting eggs are produced, but perhaps usually it is delayed by a minimum obligate diapause, by a requirement for seasonal temperature changes, or by sinking to sediment environments that prevent hatching. In deep-water sediments, hatching probably is inhibited by low oxygen, darkness, or low temperature, so that eggs likely hatch following resuspension during water-column turnover. Populations should develop primarily by female parthenogenesis and have relatively low clonal diversity. By contrast, in shallow-water sediments, eggs are more likely to experience conditions conducive to hatching and to be resuspended into the water column. Populations may develop by massive emergence of stem females as well as by female parthenogenesis and thus have a very high clonal diversity. Stem females of some species are particularly fit for colonization of new habitat. First, compared to females hatched from parthenogenetic eggs, they can have a greater lipid reserve that enhances survival and reproduction. Second, amictic stem females can contain a transmissible factor that inhibits sexual reproduction and diapause for several to many successive generations, thus promoting rapid reproduction via female parthenogenesis.
Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule Expression in Canine Tumours

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is expressed in most human normal and neoplastic tissues of epithelial derivation and may have an association with tumour cell aggressiveness, a stem cell-like phenotype and clinical outcome. Antibody-based strategies for the targeting and capture of EpCAM-expressing tumour cells are showing promise, both as diagnostic tools and potential therapies. The aim of this study was to assess EpCAM expression in canine tumours. EpCAM expression was assessed in tumour cell lines via gene expression profiling and in formalin-fixed and paraffin wax-embedded tissues from canine carcinomas representing various anatomical sites by immunohistochemistry. EpCAM mRNA expression was higher in cell lines from carcinomas than those derived from sarcomas or haemopoietic tumours. EpCAM was expressed by >2/3 of tumour cells in 71% of canine carcinomas evaluated, irrespective of histotype, with the exception of carcinomas of the adrenal gland. Canine sarcomas and haemopoietic tumours were uniformly negative. Most canine carcinomas express EpCAM and so could be suitable for the study of EpCAM-directed diagnostics and therapeutics.
High‐resolution melt analysis without DNA extraction affords rapid genotype resolution and species identification

Extracting and sequencing DNA from specimens can impose major time and monetary costs to studies requiring genotyping, or identification to species, of large numbers of individuals. As such, so-called direct PCR methods have been developed enabling significant savings at the DNA extraction step. Similarly, real-time quantitative PCR techniques (qPCR) offer very cost-effective alternatives to sequencing. High-resolution melt analysis (HRM) is a qPCR method that incorporates an intercalating dye into a double-stranded PCR amplicon. The dye fluoresces brightly, but only when it is bound. Thus, after PCR, raising the temperature of the amplicon while measuring the fluorescence of the reaction results in the generation of a sequence-specific melt curve, allowing discrimination of genotypes. Methods combining HRM (or other qPCR methods) and direct PCR have not previously been reported, most likely due to concerns that any tissue in the reaction tube would interfere with detection of the fluorescent signal. Here, we couple direct PCR with HRM and, by way of three examples, demonstrate a very quick and cost-effective method for genotyping large numbers of specimens, using Rotor-Gene HRM instruments (QIAGEN). In contrast to the heated-block design of most qPCR/HRM instruments, the Rotor-Gene's centrifugal rotor and air-based temperature-regulation system facilitate our method by depositing tissues away from the pathway of the machine's fluorescence detection optics.
Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the setting of acute myocardial infarction

Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia occurs commonly in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. By 24-48 hours after the onset of acute myocardial infarction, the incidence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia declines. When analyzed as a dichotomous variable (present or absent), the presence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the first 48-72 hours of acute myocardial infarction has been shown to have no prognostic significance. However, recent data suggest that the presence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the first several hours during an acute myocardial infarction has no important prognostic significance, but that nonsustained ventricular tachycardia that occurs beyond the first several hours is associated with increased mortality. The pathogenesis of the increased mortality is unknown. Treatment should focus on the use of β blockers; specific antiarrhythmic drug therapy is not recommended. Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is an uncommon arrhythmia in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. Its presence is thought to be associated with recurrent ischemia. Treatment should focus on aggressive attempts to reduce ischemia and intravenous amiodarone administration, if necessary.
Temperature Effect on Deflection Prediction of Asphalt Pavement with Drainage Layer

AbstractClimate change in the form of global warming has been a popular topic for decades. However, similar issues have never been associated with the performance of pavement and paving materials. ...
Understanding Customers Retrial in Call Centers: Preferences for Service Quality and Service Speed

One of the key dilemmas faced by all service providers is how to trade off between high quality of services and timely responses. In reality it’s too expensive to offer both. When either features is lacking in the service systems, customers’ retrial occurs – a calling back behavior for resolving the same request. According to the reason for retrial, we classify retrial into the congestion retrial where customers abandoned in the previous call due to a slow system and the fitness retrial where customers received unsatisfactory services in the previous call due to poor quality. In this paper we want to understand retrial by connecting customers behavior with their preferences for service aspects: the speed in service access and the quality in service delivery. We use a random-coefficient dynamic structural model on a call-by-call dataset from a hybrid service system, where three service groups of different quality are sequentially brought in to serve customers. The unique feature of such hybrid service system allows us to quantify different preferences for service speed and service quality across different customers segments while confirming that in general high service quality and speedy delivery reduce retrial. Interestingly, business customers have a stronger preference for service speed compared to private customers while private customers are more sensitive to the service quality. Realizing the different preferences across customers segments, we suggest two economical viable strategies to reduce retrial by tailoring service to meet customers’ distinct preferences. The first approach, without expanding the service team, can improve business customers’ surplus by 37.9% and private customers’ surplus by 18.2% by wisely allocating the current service groups along the timeline; The second approach, by expanding the service team with more cheap labor resources of call center agents, they can improve customers’ surplus up to a certain level. However, they should be aware that the surplus will go down if there are too many call center agents because call center agents provide timely responses but not the best quality. The greatest extent of surplus increase is 2.35% for private customers and 26.3% for business customers.
Interactive Consensus Agreement Games for Labeling Images

Scene understanding algorithms in computer vision are improving dramatically by training deep convolutional neural networks on millions of accurately annotated images. Collecting large-scale datasets for this kind of training is challenging, and the learning algorithms are only as good as the data they train on. Training annotations are often obtained by taking the majority label from independent crowdsourced workers using platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk. However, the accuracy of the resulting annotations can vary, with the hardest-to-annotate samples having prohibitively low accuracy. Our insight is that in cases where independent worker annotations are poor more accurate results can be obtained by having workers collaborate. This paper introduces consensus agreement games, a novel method for assigning annotations to images by the agreement of multiple consensuses of small cliques of workers. We demonstrate that this approach reduces error by 37.8% on two different datasets at a cost of $0.10 or $0.17 per annotation. The higher cost is justified because our method does not need to be run on the entire dataset. Ultimately, our method enables us to more accurately annotate images and build more challenging training datasets for learning algorithms.
BEN-ARIEH, Asher and John GAL, eds., INTO THE PROMISED LAND: Issues Facing the Welfare State

BEN-ARIEH, Asher and John GAL, eds., INTO THE PROMISED LAND: Issues Facing the Welfare State. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000, 304pp., $67.50 hardcover. This book delivers all that it promises and more. In fifteen chapters an interesting group of scholars, from the UK, Australia, US, Canada, The Netherlands and Israel, discuss some of the major issues common to all welfare states, with a unique focus on Israel. The text is based upon the premise that the foundation of the welfare state is no longer citizen demand, social justice or equality from within nations, but the norms and rights set by international bodies. The text is divided into three parts beginning with general perspectives on the welfare state, the Israeli case and issues in the development. An early argument is made that strong, extensive welfare states are good for need satisfaction and objective human welfare with the productivist welfare state superior on both moral and consequentialist grounds. These models are considered "thick" with cultural context, available resources, legislative powers and duties, and the moral climate to address human needs. Carrier and Kendall emphasize the role of public administrators in "thick" decisionmaking when scarce resources must be allocated. O'Connor offers the feminist view that in the US sophisticated interest groups and the courts are more significant in making changes than political parties because these changes become institutionalized. Doron and Habib, Israeli scholars, help the reader understand how their nation's welfare state fell victim to its own success. Current generations with greater material and economic security, take these for granted, and see little reason to support the welfare state. However, Habib sees there is more recognition of the problems of poverty and inequality in Israel and not as much concern for abuse of social services or creating dependence as found in other Western countries. Gal compares five nations' benefit expenditures. This analysis shows that Israel is highest in categorical benefits because of its unique military circumstances and categorical policy legacy. Ben-Arieh's comparative parliamentary research reinforced the generally accepted fact that in Israel, as in other countries, Members of the Knesset (MK's) do matter. Yishai explains that Israeli laws are elitist in style, outwardly acknowledging and promoting citizens"rights, but always abiding by the core value of the supremacy of the Israeli state. In the third section, four thoughtful authors tackle the issues in the development of the welfare state. Each carefully designs and analyzes their comparative studies and data in new and better ways to avoid the typical pitfalls. …
Independence of gut bacterial content and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis severity.

Abstract Introduction Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common and devastating gastrointestinal disease of premature infants. NEC severity varies widely. Recent data have demonstrated a strong link between gut microbial dysbiosis and development of NEC. We tested the hypothesis that alterations in the gut microbiome at the time of diagnosis predict the severity of NEC. Methods We used prospectively collected fecal samples from very low birth weight infants who developed NEC, stratifying by NEC severity. Fecal bacterial DNA was sequenced using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. A generalized Wald-type test based on the Dirichlet multinomial distribution was used to test for differences in microbial communities. Results Of 489 infants at risk, 30 NEC cases had 410 fecal samples collected in the 28days prior to the onset of NEC available for analysis. There were no differences in the pre-NEC gut microbial community between infants treated medically vs. surgically, or those with NEC totalis. Furthermore, neither treatment of NEC significantly changed the gut microbiome post-NEC among the survivors. Conclusion We found no evidence that the gut microbiome, prior to the onset of disease, differentiates the clinical course of NEC. These data suggest that factors other than the gut microbiome may dictate disease severity. Level of evidence Level 4.
Ensemble-based simultaneous input and state estimation for nonlinear dynamic systems with application to wildfire data assimilation

Abstract This paper presents a study of simultaneous input and state estimation for nonlinear dynamic systems, which is formulated as a filtering problem and defining the simultaneous input and state filtering (SISF) approach. The problem considers both unknown input and state variables, where the inputs offer a general description of unknown signals driving or existing in a system. To deal with the problem, a set of ensemble-based approaches for both filtering and smoothing are developed in a Bayesian statistical framework. The fundamental notion is to approximately represent the probability distributions of the unknown input and state variables conditioned on output measurements by ensembles of samples, propagate the ensembles to track the evolution of the probability distributions, and then extract the input and state estimates from the ensembles. The computational efficiency of the proposed method allows application characterized by high-dimensional nonlinear dynamic state representations. The results can be regarded as an extension of the celebrated ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), which is intended for only state estimation by design, to the new inquiry on SISF. The proposed SISF approach is validated on the forty-dimension Lorenz'96 model. Furthermore, an elaborate demonstration of the effectiveness is illustrated on data-driven wildfire data assimilation, where uncertain wind conditions that act as an input driving the wildfire are estimated using SISF.
Understanding the potential risk to marine mammals from collision with tidal turbines

Abstract Many marine mammal populations worldwide are in decline due to stresses from climate change and interactions with anthropogenic activities such as fishing, coastal construction petroleum extraction, and commercial shipping. The advent of the marine renewable energy industry has raised questions, particularly for tidal turbines. However, it is technically very difficult to observe close interactions of marine mammals and underwater turbines, and the likelihood of viewing a rare event such as a collision, is very small. This research seeks to understand the potential risk to a marine mammal from the presence of a tidal turbine by examining the sequence of behavioral events that could lead to a potential collision with the turbine, and the likely consequences to the marine mammal if such a collision were to occur. We examine this potential risk within the context of the physical environment into which a turbine might be deployed, and the attributes of one tidal device, and investigate the biomechanical properties of a marine mammal that may allow the animal to resist injury from a tidal blade collision. The data examined in this research (likelihood of a marine mammal being in close proximity to a tidal turbine, biomechanics of marine mammal tissues, and engineering models) provide insight into the interaction.
Face the Facts: We Need to Change the Way We Do Pay for Performance.

Roberts and colleagues found that the Medicare Value-Based Payment Modifier, which measures quality and costs among physician group practices and provides bonuses or levies penalties accordingly, h...
A novel patient-derived xenograft model for claudin-low triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes are clinically aggressive and cannot be treated with targeted therapeutics commonly used in other breast cancer subtypes. The claudin-low (CL) molecular subtype of TNBC has high rates of metastases, chemoresistance and recurrence. There exists an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets in TNBC; however, existing models utilized in target discovery research are limited. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models have emerged as superior models for target discovery experiments because they recapitulate features of patient tumors that are limited by cell-line derived xenograft methods. We utilize immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western Blot to visualize tumor architecture, cellular composition, genomic and protein expressions of a new CL-TNBC PDX model (TU-BcX-2O0). We utilize tissue decellularization techniques to examine extracellular matrix composition of TU-BcX-2O0. Our laboratory successfully established a TNBC PDX tumor, TU-BCX-2O0, which represents a CL-TNBC subtype and maintains this phenotype throughout subsequent passaging. We dissected TU-BCx-2O0 to examine aspects of this complex tumor that can be targeted by developing therapeutics, including the whole and intact breast tumor, specific cell populations within the tumor, and the extracellular matrix. Here, we characterize a claudin-low TNBC patient-derived xenograft model that can be utilized for therapeutic research studies.
An adaptive K-NN based on multiple services set identifiers for indoor positioning system with an ensemble approach

Location-Based Systems (LBS) for indoor positioning have earned the attention of a large number of researchers in the last decade. The significance of these systems comes from their applications in various fields such as tracking service for elderly people or a patient within large living communities, mobile robot localization, and several security purposes. The Received Signal Strength (RSS)-based fingerprint method has been recognized as one of the promising techniques for Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS.) The K-nearest neighbors (K-NN) is selected for its significant performance with ease of realization. However, the static nature of K-NN, that is, in using a constant number of the nearest neighbors, leads to a serious shortcoming in its accuracy. Also, the nature of the RSS-IPS challenges such as fading due to the multipath of electromagnetic waves inside buildings would mislead the solution of nearest neighbors. These reasons often result in lower perform than expected because of the increase in the distant neighbors’ biasing error. In this paper, we address these challenges by proposing a new method based on multiple services set identifiers (MSSID) to select adaptively the appropriate nearest neighbors, and reject undesired ones. The ensemble technique is also used to enhance the performance by combining the outputs of three adaptive K-NN estimators. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over the static K-NN-based methods.
Lessons from the study of input effects on bilingual development

This special issue commentary draws seven lessons from the four papers on input and bilingual development: (1) the environments in which children become bilingual vary widely, (2) capturing the rel...
Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain

The soft tissue pain syndromes are among the most nebulous and yet arguably most prevalent conditions encountered in pain medicine. Although not progressive, degenerative, or life threatening in their effects, they can cause significant pain and functional limitations for patients. In addition, because of the absence of imaging findings or other objective diagnostic testing available, the diagnosis (and often treatment) of these conditions is highly dependent on the clinical skills of the clinician. Therefore, it is vital that the clinician seeing patients with pain issues be comfortable with the evaluation and management of patients with these disorders.
Regional / Local Transport of Atmospheric Pollutants from Forest Fires

A model for support decision-making process during forest fires and burnt products wind transport, which is currently under development, is described. The model is intended for a forecast of a fire front evolution, an assessment of a burnt products amount release to the atmosphere and their wind transport. The fire front is calculated with the help of a cellular automata theory and takes into account a wind field, combustible material characteristics, a terrain relief, and an air humidity. The amount of burnt atmosphere products release is counted up under the empirical formulas, and their atmosphere transport - with the help of numerical integration of the three-dimensional equations of the transport in a turbulent atmosphere. The wind field in the completed version of the system is supposed to be calculated by diagnostic meteorological model. The preliminary results of the forest fire modelling in Chernobyl zone (Belarus and Ukraine, 1992) are described, where the calculation of the wind field from aerologic observation has been used.
Basophils and Mast Cells: Structure, Function, and Role in Hypersensitivity

Several important discoveries of the past few decades have launched a renaissance of research into basophil and mast cell function. These include the discovery of IgE and its affinity for basophils and mast cells and the demonstration of the ability of these cells to elaborate and release not only histamine but also a variety of lowmolecular-weight mediators of immediate hypersensitivity. Moreover, the application of modern methods of tissue fixation and processing has permitted confident identification of basophils and mast cells with both the light and electron microscopes in diverse experimental and clinical situations, and has clearly implicated these cells in a variety of delayed-onset immunological phenomena where their participation had been entirely unexpected.
Liquid Products — Chairman’s Report

During the first two days of this symposium, we learned much about the enzymatic degradation of biopolymers, such as cellulose, lignin, etc.; the biochemical genetics of fermentations; and the modification of fermentation pathways.
Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Education for Clinical Laboratory Scientists

This article describes the need for, stratifies the complexity of, and proposes detailed lists of training competencies for diagnostic laboratory personnel using quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for patient care. Although quantitative LC-MS/MS is evolving toward greater automation with less need for technical expertise, gaps remain in resources for training and assessment.
Longitudinal Service Learning in Medical Education: An Ethical Analysis of the Five-Year Alternative Curriculum at Stritch School of Medicine.

In this article, the author explores a model of alternative medical education being pioneered at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. The five-year Global Health Fieldwork Fellowship (GHFF) track allows two students per year to complete an extra year of medical education while living and working in a free rural clinic in the jungle lowlands of Bolivia. This alternative curricular track is unique among other existing models in that it is (a) longitudinally immersive for at least one full additional year of medical education, (b) grounded in clinical and service learning, and (c) heavily focused upon global health and the social components of medicine. Studies have shown that both longitudinal alternative medical curricular tracks and short-term global health electives have long-term benefits upon the professional development of participants, suggesting that the GHFF is likely to do the same. The author also argues that the GHFF is an advantageous model of global health education compared to standard offerings and provides a unique curricular model by which to foster the development of social values—such as professionalism, advocacy, and social justice—that are widely considered lacking in today’s medical education.
Why African Americans are more predisposed to pancreatic cancer: Nature versus nurture.

e15018 Background: There are known risk factors for pancreatic cancer like diabetes mellitus; cigarette smoking; poverty, and alcoholism; all of which are more common in African American patients t...
Follow the Crowd: How Social Information and Social Identity Influence Investing Decisions

Increasingly, jurisdictions around the world have been enacting standards that formally allow organizations to offer equity using the crowdfunding model. Using the Internet, the crowdfunding model raises capital by soliciting from a large number of people (i.e., the crowd). A key feature of crowdfunding that has been embraced by regulators is the use of social information to inform investors as a safeguard for this type of investing. However, research has not yet explored how investors utilize this information. In this study, I investigate whether social information can shift investors away from financial maximization goals. Social identity theory predicts that people can be provoked to act as representatives of their group, setting aside individual interests. I predict, and find, that positive social information focused on an equity crowdfunding organization can activate the social identity of investors who share an identity with that organization, causing them to invest more in a relatively weak organization. In a moderated mediation analysis, I find that positive social information provokes investors who share an identity with an organization to feel a stronger connection to that organization, leading them to increase investment. In addition, I explore whether investors' perceptions of negative social information are moderated by their social identity. I find that investors who are deeply committed to an identity shared with an organization experiencing negative social information will defensively invest in that organization. The findings of this study will be of interest to investors, regulators, and crowdfunding organizations.
Management of humeral nonunions following failed surgical fixation.

Management of humerus nonunions with previously failed fixation presents a complex problem. There are multiple revision fixation strategies, of which compression plating is a mainstay. The aim of this study was to assess the results of open reduction and direct compression plating without the need for autograft or allograft in the setting of revision humerus open reduction internal fixation. This study is a retrospective analysis of 19 patients treated between 2008 and 2017 for humerus nonunions following failed fixation who were treated by a single surgeon using direct compression plating with bone graft substitutes. Patients were treated with neurolysis of the radial nerve, hardware removal, debridement of the nonunion site with shortening osteotomies, compression plating, and augmentation with bone graft substitutes. All patients were followed until radiographic and clinical union. Nineteen patients were identified for the study and 17 had adequate follow-up for final analysis. Humeral union was achieved in 16/17 (94.1%) patients with a mean time to union of 23 weeks. Two patients required a repeat compression plating with bone graft substitute to achieve union. The one patient with a nonunion radiographically reported minimal clinical symptoms and opted for no revision surgery. An association with the index procedure was seen, as three out of four of the patients who experienced radial nerve palsies after their index procedure subsequently experienced a radial nerve palsy after the procedure to repair their nonunion. All patient’s all experienced a return of function in their radial nerve either back to baseline or improved from before the revision nonunion surgery. The use of humeral shortening osteotomy and compression plating without autograft or allograft is a viable option for management of humeral nonunions which avoids the morbidity associated with autograft harvest. The patients with radial nerve palsy after the index procedure are likely to have a transient radial nerve palsy as well after the revision surgery necessitating proper informed consent prior to the operation.
830 nm photobiomodulation therapy promotes engraftment of human umbilical cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem cells.

Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB)-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are an important source for HSCs in allogeneic HSC transplantation, but a limited number and a low efficacy of engraftment greatly restrict their clinical use. Here, we report the ability of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) to significantly enhance the engraftment efficacy of hUCB HSCs and progenitor cells (HSPCs). hUCB CD34+ cells were illuminated at a fluence of 2 J/cm2 with a near-infrared light (830 nm) transmitted by an array of light-emitting diodes (LED) prior to infusion of NOD/SCID-IL2Rγ−/− mice. The pre-treatment resulted in a threefold higher of the mean percentage of human CD45+ cells in the periphery of the mice compared to sham-treated CD34+ cells. The enhanced engraftment may result from a PBMT-mediated increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and Src protein phosphorylation in CD34+ cells. The two events were causally related as suggested by the finding that elevation of ROS by hydrogen peroxide increased Src phosphorylation, while ROS reduction by N-acetyl cysteine partially reversed the phosphorylation. The investigation demonstrates that PBMT can promote engraftment of hUCB HPSCs, at least in part, via ROS-mediated Src signaling pathway. PBMT can be potentially a safe, convenient, and cost-effective modality to improve hematological reconstitution in patients.