cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eicosapentaenoic Acid Prevents and Reverses Insulin Resistance in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice via Modulation of Adipose Tissue Inflammation

We investigated the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on prevention (P) and reversal (R) of high saturated-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity and glucose-insulin homeostasis. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed low-fat (LF; 10% energy from fat), HF (45% energy from fat), or a HF-EPA-P (45% energy from fat; 36 g/kg EPA) diet for 11 wk. A 4th group was initially fed HF for 6 wk followed by the HF-EPA-R diet for 5 wk. As expected, mice fed the HF diet developed obesity and glucose intolerance. In contrast, mice fed the HF-EPA-P diet maintained normal glucose tolerance despite weight gain compared with the LF group. Whereas the HF group developed hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, both HF-EPA groups (P and R) exhibited normal glycemia and insulinemia. Further, plasma adiponectin concentration was lower in the HF group but was comparable in the LF and HF-EPA groups, suggesting a role of EPA in preventing and improving insulin resistance induced by HF feeding. Further analysis of adipose tissue adipokine levels and proteomic studies in cultured adipocytes indicated that dietary EPA supplementation of HF diets was associated with reduced adipose inflammation and lipogenesis and elevated markers of fatty acid oxidation. In C57BL/6J mice, EPA minimized saturated fat-induced insulin resistance and this is in part mediated by its effects on fatty acid oxidation and inflammation.
Natural Pathogens of Laboratory Mice, Rats, and Rabbits and Their Effects on Research

Laboratory mice, rats, and rabbits may harbor a variety of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal agents. Frequently, these organisms cause no overt signs of disease. However, many of the natural pathogens of these laboratory animals may alter host physiology, rendering the host unsuitable for many experimental uses. While the number and prevalence of these pathogens have declined considerably, many still turn up in laboratory animals and represent unwanted variables in research. Investigators using mice, rats, and rabbits in biomedical experimentation should be aware of the profound effects that many of these agents can have on research.
Contribution of Stream Channel Erosion to Sediment Yield from an Urbanizing Watershed

Stream channel erosion has long been suspected as the major contributor to long-term sediment yield from urbanizing watersheds. For San Diego Creek in southern California, measurements from 1983 to 1993 showed that stream channel erosion furnished 10 5 megagrams per year of sediment, or about two-thirds of the total sediment yield. Thus, because channel erosion can be a major source of sediment yield from urbanizing areas, channel stabilization should be a priority in managing sediment yield.
A Mixed-culture Chemostat System to Predict the Effect of Anti-microbial Agents on the Oral Flora: Preliminary Studies using Chlorhexidine

A mixed-culture chemostat system, composed of nine bacterial species representative of plaque in health and disease, has been assessed as an improved laboratory method of evaluating the likely in vivo effects of antimicrobial agents used in dentistry. The advantages of the system include reproducibility, the long-term stable cultivation of bacteria under controllable conditions, and repeated sampling, for bacteriological and biochemical studies, without disrupting the stability of the community. The effects of (i) the continuous provision of chlorhexidine (CHX) and (ii) three pulses of CHX (final concentration in both experiments = 0.24 mmol/L) on the composition of the chemostat communities were monitored. Only L. casei survived the continuous provision of CHX; the other bacteria were killed and were lost at different rates which generally corresponded to their known sensitivities to CHX. After each CHX pulse, the numbers of bacteria fell markedly. Again, L. casei was least affected, while A. viscosus, B...
Safety and Immunogenicity of a Gag-Pol Candidate HIV-1 DNA Vaccine Administered by a Needle-Free Device in HIV-1–Seronegative Subjects

More than 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV-1, and as many as 14,000 new infections occur each day.1,2 Development of a safe and effective HIV-1 vaccine is essential to controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic. DNA vaccination induces CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses. Another advantage is the lack of antivector immunity to the plasmid.3,4 HIV DNA vaccination has elicited detectable humoral and T-cell–mediated immune responses in numerous animal studies.5–8 DNA vaccination was first shown to be immunogenic in antigen-naive humans in vaccine programs for malaria and hepatitis B.9,10 An early trial of HIV-1 DNA vaccination for Env and Rev in HIV-seronegative adults was safe and produced modest HIV-specific T-cell responses.11 In recent studies evaluating newer generation Vaccine Research Center (VRC) DNA vaccines, however, a VRC HIV DNA 4-plasmid vaccine expressing envelope from clades A, B, and C and Gag, Pol, and Nef from clade B demonstrated improved cellular and humoral responses to the envelope antigens but limited immunogenicity to internal proteins,12 and a VRC Ebola DNA vaccine was recently shown to be safe and immunogenic in all vaccinees.13 We present the safety and immunogenicity of a phase 1 clinical trial of the first VRC candidate HIV-1 DNA vaccine construct encoding Gag and Pol administered intramuscularly by means of a Biojector 2000 Needle-Free Injection Management System (Tualatin, Oregon) to healthy adults, the prelude to the VRC 4-plasmid vaccine candidate.
A sharp threshold for a random constraint satisfaction problem

Abstract We consider random instances I of a constraint satisfaction problem generalizing k -SAT: given a set of ordered k -tuples over n literals, and a set of q “bad” clause assignments, find an assignment which does not set any of the k -tuples to a bad clause assignment. We consider the case where k= Ω ( log n) , and study the probability of satisfiability for a random instance I formed by including every k -tuple of literals independently with probability p . Appropriate choice of the bad clause assignments results in random instances of k -SAT and not-all-equal k -SAT. A second moment method calculation yields the sharp threshold lim n→∞ Pr [I is satisfiable ]= 1 if p⩽(1−e) ln 2/qn k−1 , 0 if p⩾(1+e) ln 2/qn k−1 .
Assured Information Sharing (AIS)Using Private Clouds

Assured Information Sharing (AIS) is a framework that allows cooperating organizations to share information in a manner that respects the privacy, confidentiality and security of the data of each individual in each organization. In this chapter, we present an overview of AIS by detailing the motivations behind AIS, a goal-oriented architecture for AIS and challenges that must be overcome before the adoption of AIS. In addition, we present historical as well as recent research advances that have been made towards addressing the challenges that lie within an AIS framework. Finally, we describe the details of two novel cloud-based AIS implementations that support the high availability, scalability, agility and efficiency required for realizing the vision of AIS.
Assessment of yield monitoring equipment for dry matter and yield of corn silage and alfalfa/grass

Whole farm evaluations have shown that accurate yield data are difficult to collect for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and grass mixtures and corn (Zea mays L.) silage fields. Additionally, on-farm research, a recommended tool for adaptive management, is hindered by lack of practical ways to collect yield data. Recently, forage yield monitors have become available on self-propelled forage harvesters (SPFHs), but precision and accuracy of this technology are unknown. The objective of this project was to evaluate accuracy of yield and moisture sensing components of forage yield monitors for use in alfalfa/grass and corn silage. Moisture content, mass flow weights, total area harvested and total dry yield per hectare were measured on 11 farms in 2013; forage samples were collected for truck loads, analyzed for dry matter content, and compared to monitor-registered dry matter. Truck weights were used to compare monitor-derived yield to actual yield on two farms for alfalfa/grass and three farms for corn silage. Moisture sensors estimated crop moisture content within 3.7 % DM for alfalfa/grass and 3.0 % DM for corn silage of the oven dry value. Flow sensors estimated alfalfa/grass yield to ±0.5 and ±1.1 Mg DM/ha for corn silage. When calibrations are done regularly, forage yield monitors can provide an accurate and precise measure of dry yield for adaptive management. It is concluded that this technology can be used when plots are large and large treatment-driven yield differences are expected.
A Business Political Cycle? Economic Conditions and Party System Dimensionality

As economic conditions change, so do voters’ priorities. During economic recession or crisis, economic policy and management dominate voters’ concerns, and parties with a clear ideological “brand” on the traditional, left-right, socioeconomic spectrum are best placed to attract votes. Parties that emphasize a secondary ideological dimension, such as constitutional change or postmaterialist concerns, stand to lose votes during hard times. Therefore, in multiparty systems with multiple dimensions of ideological competition, economic expansion should expand the dimensionality of the system and economic contraction should contract its dimensionality, as revealed in party vote shares. All parties can be expected to try to pivot to economic policy during recession, but parties with a previously strong profile on economic issues can position themselves most credibly. This paper tests the hypothesis that minority nationalist, environmentalist, and liberal parties tend to lose votes during recession on national election results in the advanced democracies of western Europe, North America, and the Pacific Rim. The results do not support the hypothesis. If anything, liberal parties seem to improve their performance when growth is poor or inflation is high. Perhaps nontraditional parties serve as outlets for protest votes during hard times.
Metal ion complexing properties of dipyridoacridine, a highly preorganized tridentate homologue of 1,10-phenanthroline.

DPA (dipyrido[4,3-b;5,6-b]acridine) may be considered as a tridentate homologue of phen (1,10-phenanthroline). In this paper some of the metal ion complexing properties of DPA in aqueous solution a...
Toxicity of Several Organophosphates Administered in the Diet of Broilers to House Fly Larvae in the Feces

Ronnel, butonate, Ruelene® ( O -4- tert -butyl-2-chlorophenyl O -methyl methylphosphoramidate), Bayer 29493 ( O, O -dimethyl O -[4-(methylthio)-, m -tolyl] phosphorothioate), Bayer 22408 (naphthalimido- O, O -diethyl phosphorothionte), Bayer 34098 ( O ,(4-methylthio- m -tolyl) dimethyl phosphinothioate) and Bayer 37342 ( O, O -dimethyl O -(3,5-dimethyl-4-methylthiophenyl) phosphorothioate) were mixed in poultry-growing mash at 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 p.p.m. and fed to 5- to 7-week-old broilers for 7 days. Bayer 22408, Bayer 29493, Bayer 34098, and Bayer 37342 at all concentration levels in the feed resulted in 100% control of house fly ( Musca domestica L.) in the feces. Ronnel was effective at the 200, 400, and 800 p.p.m. levels, but was ineffective at the lower concentrations against house fly larvae; butonate and Ruelene were ineffective. Polymer and nonpolymer formulations of Bayer 22408 in the feed were equally effective against 1- and 3-day-old house fly larvae in poultry droppings. Negative gains in weight were observed of birds receiving Bayer 29493 and Bayer 37342 at 200 p.p.m. or higher in the feed. Fifty per cent of the broilers died that were on feed containing 400 or 800 p.p.m. Bayer 37342.
Some Strategic Breeding Goals for Rice Varieties in Hebei

The breeding goals for different rice varieties were established by looking back at their rice breeding history and analyzing actual situations,and by incorporating them into a long-term rice breeding practice.The strategy for breeding rice varieties was to introduce and innovate good rice resources,crossbreeding using local fine rice varieties as main parents,selecting rice varieties with resistance to rice stripe and blast in the stress condition,and moreover,by paying attention to selecting japonica-type rice varieties.
Multiple Cystine Stone Formations on an Indwelling Ureteral Stent Treated by Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

AbstractMultiple large cystine stones formed on an indwelling ureteral stent used in the medical management of a 12-year-old boy with obstructing renal stones and cystinuria. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy fragmented the cystine stones and allowed for extraction of the stent by cystoscopy.
Addressing the Gender Gap The Effect of Compulsory Voting on Women’s Electoral Engagement

In light of gender disparities in political involvement, extant research has examined mechanisms for incorporating ordinary women into politics. We complement this literature by exploring the effec...
Interest Rate Parity

The interest rate parity (IRP) relationship plays a key role in global macroeconomic models and is considered a benchmark for perfect international capital mobility. In offshore capital markets, empirical studies confirm that deviations from IRP are regularly smaller than foreign exchange and money market transaction costs, implying that few, if any, risk-free arbitrage profit opportunities exist. During the turbulent Global Financial Crisis, bid–ask spreads widened in currency markets, credit and counterparty risks increased, and access to financial capital was constrained, all of which contributed to greater deviations from IRP compared to the relatively tranquil precrisis period.
Use of Estrogen-Containing Contraception Is Associated With Increased Concentrations of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D.

Context: Small studies suggest exogenous estrogen may improve vitamin D status, but the etiology is unclear because women who use hormones may make lifestyle choices that differentially affect vitamin D status. Objective: Our objective was to investigate the association between use of hormonal contraception and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D). Design: We used linear regression modeling of cross-sectional data to estimate percent change in season-adjusted serum 25(OH)D with estrogen use after adjustment for other factors. Setting: At the enrollment clinic visit (2010–2012) into a cohort study of uterine fibroids, each subject provided a blood sample, had anthropomorphic variables and skin reflectance measured, and answered questionnaires on demographics, dietary and supplement intake, contraceptive use, reproductive and medical history, and behaviors. Participants: A total of 1662 African American women, community volunteers, 23–34 years old, living in the Detroit, Michigan, area were included. Intervention...
Modeling of the Brain for Injury Prevention

From an ethical point of view, it is extremely difficult to propose a well-controlled human subject study aimed at understanding brain injury mechanisms and establishing the associated tolerance values. For this reason, many numerical models of the human and animal head or brain have been developed over the past several decades in an attempt to obtain in-depth insights into brain injury biomechanics, minimizing the need for human subject research. This chapter highlights and contrasts the essence of human and animal head numerical models developed for studying blunt impact and blast-induced brain injuries. Even with the vast amount of literature produced by these investigations and studies, the precise mechanisms of brain injury have not yet been fully established to date. Through this review, it is clear that a lot of information can be garnered by numerical brain modeling but few efforts have been devoted so far in using these numerical models to provide guidelines in the discovery of brain injury mechanisms. Based on the brain models reported in the current literature, there are some inherent deficiencies. However, with further revisions and improvements to the currently available models, as opposed to developing new models from scratch, these issues can be overcome, and the state of the art can be advanced. More research effort into brain injury mechanisms, especially under in vivo conditions, is needed for computational model improvements so that the injury mechanisms can be thoroughly understood and effective countermeasures for protecting human from traumatic brain injury can be developed.
Direct medical expenditures associated with Alzheimer's and related dementias (ADRD) in a nationally representative sample of older adults - an excess cost approach.

ABSTRACTObjective: To estimate the excess direct annual healthcare expenditures associated with Alzheimer's and related dementias(ADRD) among community-dwelling older adults in the United States.Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study compared the annual healthcare expenditures between elderly individuals aged 65 years and older with ADRD (n = 662) and without ADRD (n = 13,398) using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) for the years 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. Adjusted total annual medical expenditures was estimated using generalized linear model with gamma distribution and log link in 2013 U.S. dollars. Adjusted inpatient, outpatient, emergency, home healthcare and prescription drug expenditures, were estimated using two-part logit-generalized linear regression models.Results: The adjusted mean total healthcare expenditures were higher for the ADRD group as compared to the no ADRD group($14,508 vs. $10,096). Among those with ADRD, 34.3% of the expenditures were for home healthc...
What Is Being Sustained? Sustainability and Food Exchange Sites in Istanbul

This chapter focuses on the sustainability of urban food exchange sites (supermarkets, bazaars, farmers’ markets, grocery stores and alternative food networks). Taking Istanbul’s large variety of food markets and stores as its case study, the paper, first, briefly describes how sustainability is conceptualized in each type of food exchange site. These conceptualizations are then analyzed to uncover what is imagined in each site as needing to be sustained: Is it ‘the food’ (if so, what kind of food?), ‘the population’ (if so, what kind of population?), or the profit motive of capitalism? Focusing on the gendered nature of these imaginations, the paper finally interrogates the ways in which reproductive and productive labor are discursively linked in the food supply chain of today’s (global) city.
“Hiker’s feet”: a novel cutaneous finding in the inflammatory myopathies

Mechanic's hands is a well-characterized manifestation of select idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) syndromes. Less well characterized is the hyperkeratosis of the toes and plantar surface of the feet that can also accompany these disorders. We aim to describe common pedal signs in the context of IIM, and suggest that it may be another key feature in the presentation of these syndromes. A cohort of 2145 myositis patient charts gathered since 2003 were retrospectively reviewed using the key search terms "mechanic's feet" and/or "mechanic's foot." Charts that included either phrase were further reviewed for clinical characteristics. Nine patients were identified with documentation describing "mechanic's feet" or "mechanic's foot." All nine affected individuals carried a diagnosis of DM, seven of whom also met criteria for antisynthetase syndrome. In eight patients (89%), it presented in conjunction with mechanic's hands. Six (67%) presented with anti-Jo-1 antibodies, and three (33%) were seronegative. Although the term "mechanic's feet" has been used to describe this clinical finding in patients in our myositis cohort, we propose the term "hiker's feet," given that the presentation resembles a callousing pattern more typical of avid hikers or long-distance walkers. Prevalence data are not yet known but should be considered for further study. If the presenting signs of IIM are expanded to include hiker's feet, it could aid in not only diagnosis and management but also provide insights into the pathophysiology of these diseases.
Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in the CS Classroom (Abstract Only)

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a research-based instructional strategy with a proven history across STEM disciplines. In a POGIL classroom, teams of students work on activities that are specifically designed to guide them to construct their own understanding of key concepts. At the same time, students develop process skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking. POGIL incorporates practices shown to be particularly helpful for students from underrepresented populations. In a POGIL classroom, teachers are facilitators, not lecturers. Multiple studies have shown that students in POGIL classes do better on common exams and in subsequent courses. For more information, see http://cspogil.org and http://pogil.org. This BOF will (1) enable people unfamiliar with POGIL to ask questions and learn more, and (2) bring together experienced POGIL practitioners to share experiences, concerns, ideas, and insights. As in a POGIL classroom, we will discuss topics in small teams and report out to the larger group.
Toward a Theory of the Categories

Kant is clearly not an “empiricist,” yet the concept of experience is central to his philosophy. This dissociation of the terms ‘empiricism’ and ‘experience’ is an interesting feature of how they have come to be used, not only in the Kantian tradition, but also, for example, in the pragmatic tradition according to John Dewey. The latter, as is well known, equated ‘empiricism’ with the ‘atomistic’ sensationalism of Hume and Mill, but used the term ‘experience’ in the spirit of German idealism and made it the central concept of his naturalistic pragmatism.
Experimentation and quantitative feedback applied to the growth of Stemosphere: A student managed blog and social media platform.

The Latham Science Engagement Initiative at the University of Iowa gives students an opportunity to explore science communication. As part of a project sponsored by this program, I designed and managed a blog-based science publication called Stemosphere. Running Stemosphere was an opportunity to study the reception of scientific content in a digital space and think about systematically improving that reception. The following article, podcast, and video include both a case study of Stemosphere and a narrative about my experiences working on the project.Audience Engagement (video)Stemosphere Click Through (video)
Suboptimal Control of Large Scale Systems by Chained Aggregation

Abstract A new procedure to evaluate chained aggregation matrix has been developed using Pouth Canonical form. This method is simple compared to generalized Hessenberg representation. The structural properties of Routh Canonial realizations are very useful in obtaining a closed form chained aggregation matrix. This new approach gives better results when compared to the suboptimal regulators derived using Routh approximant reduced order models.
"C1ORF150", a Novel Mediator of EPO/EPOR/JAK2 Dependent Human Erythroid Progenitor Cell Formation

An understanding of cellular events that are propagated within erythroid progenitor cells upon HGF-R / JAK complex activation is of basic importance for generating new insight into regulated red cell formation, anemia and myeloproliferative disease. Using the EPO/EPOR/JAK2 system as a paradigm, our group is successfully applying post-translational modification-based proteomics to uncover important new mediators of EPO-dependent human erythropoiesis (certain of which may also relate to EPO9s untoward effects on hypertension and cancer progression). Here, we report on the discovery of a novel ORF, "C1ORF150", that is strongly tyrosine phosphorylated in response to EPO, possesses several unique features, and modulates EPO- dependent erythroid progenitor cell formation. In human erythroid progenitor UT7epo cells, EPOR ligation leads to C1ORF150 phosphorylation at tandem tyrosine p-Y69, p-Y89 and p-Y110, p-Y129 sites (up to 10-fold within 15 minutes). For each PTM site, EPOR/JAK2 mediated- phosphorylation was validated in independent LC-MS/MS experiments using Hematide as an EPOR agonist. p-Y69 and p-Y89 are predicted SFK sites, while p-Y110 and p-Y129 are predicted RTK sites (including KIT). Notably, C1ORF150 is conserved in H. sapiens and primates, but is not represented in mouse, rat or lower vertebrates. In addition, C1ORF150 has no obvious orthologues, but within EPO-regulated pY regions exhibits sequence homology with HGAL , an important factor for B cell receptor signaling. To assess C1ORF1509s functional effects, we used a lentiviral shRNA loss-of-function approach (80% knockdown efficiency). At physiological EPO levels, the knockdown of C1ORF150 substantially compromised UT7epo erythroid progenitor cell (EPC) survival, including 200% increases in apoptosis observed relative to control sh-NT transduced EPCs (p C1ORF150 , in contrast, heightened baseline JAK2 activation, and potentiated STAT5 activation following EPO challenge. C1ORF1509s subcellular localization proved to be predominantly membrane associated. With regards to expression profiles, C1ORF150 levels were markedly elevated in bone marrow (among 30 human tissues), and during erythroid development were maximal at a CFUe stage. Furthermore, transcriptome profiles of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) CD34 pos hematopoietic progenitor cells revealed elevated C1ORF150 expression in MDS refractory anemia (p=0.005) and refractory anemia-blast patients (p=0.05) compared to normal controls. In summary, via PTM-proteomics we have discovered "C1ORF150" as a major new pY- regulated EPOR/JAK2 target and membrane associated phosphoprotein that is proposed to have evolved in human erythroid progenitor cells to support EPO9s cytoprotective effects, and red cell formation, in part by reinforcing JAK2 and STAT5 activation. In anemia and pre-leukemic contexts, attention also is brought to possible roles for C1ORF150 in the onset and progression of MDS. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Animal Models to Study for Pollutant Effects

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes the use of animal models that can be rendered more susceptible to air pollution health effects. Much of the understanding of the toxicity of major air pollutants, such as tropospheric ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other “air toxic” pollutants (for example, phosgene and metal/acid aerosols) has been derived from studies using laboratory animal models. Although a variety of inbred or outbred strains of mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, and primates have been used in inhalation toxicology studies, most studies have employed healthy animals to examine the basic mechanisms underlying pollutant-induced injury. It has been recognized that human susceptibilities to air pollution effects vary dramatically depending on the pre-existent conditions of the host, such as diseases, nutritional deficiencies. Pulmonary structure and pattern of air flow vary widely between animals and human, and therefore, it is critical that the animal model is chosen wisely. Selection of the appropriate model depends upon the condition being modeled and how closely the model mimics the human in terms of its biological handling of the pollutant.
BehaviorShop: An Intuitive Interface for Interactive Character Design.

Artificial Intelligence for interactive characters is held back by the difficulty of actually creating those characters. There is a need for intuitive tools which simplify the process of building complex AI characters. In this paper, we present BehaviorShop, a tool for building interactive characters, and the results of a study to test the effectiveness and ease of use of this tool. The majority (80%) of test subjects were able to successfully create a complex character using BehaviorShop. Our results show success with this interface, and the advantage of using the subsumption architecture as a paradigm for
Why is Terrorism Wrong

Terrorism, as best defined, has four generic wrong-making characteristics. It uses or threatens violence. It typically produces terror. It uses persons as means without respecting them as autonomous moral agents. It attempts to coerce. These make terrorism morally wrong because they involve the infliction of serious harm and the violation of human rights. Political terrorism is also wrong because it undermines trust, generates conflict within a liberal society, undermines the capacity for self-government and disrupts social order. State terrorism violates the duty of nation states to protect citizens from harm and the violation of their human rights. International terrorism threatens peace and security and violates the sovereignty of nations. Racial terrorism always violates the moral right to equitable treatment of its victims and often oppresses members of the terrorized race. Family quasi-terrorism violates one’s special moral responsibilities to members of one’s family, destroys the necessary conditions for intimacy and often causes post-traumatic stress disorder. None of these wrong-making characteristics is limited to innocent victims; innocence is primarily relevant because it excludes any justification of terrorism as a defense against wrongful aggression.
Typography and Motion Graphics: The 'Reading-Image'

In his latest book, Michael Betancourt explores the nature and role of typography in motion graphics as a way to consider its distinction from static design, using the concept of the ‘reading-image’ to model the ways that motion typography dramatizes the process of reading and audience recognition of language on-screen. Using both classic and contemporary title sequences—including The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), Alien (1979), Flubber (1998), Six Feet Under (2001), The Number 23 (2007) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)—Betancourt develops an argument about what distinguishes motion graphics from graphic design. Moving beyond title sequences, Betancourt also analyzes moving or kinetic typography in logo designs, commercials, film trailers, and information graphics, offering a striking theoretical model for understanding typography in media.
A Network-Based Integrated Framework for Predicting Virus-Host Interactions with Applications

High-throughput metagenomic sequencing technologies have profoundly increased the ability to identify viral genomic sequences without isolation. With the discovery of new viruses, one of the most fundamental challenges is to predict their hosts. A pair of virus and host is referred as interacting if the virus infects the host. In this study, we develop a network-based integrated framework for predicting virus-host interactions based on various networks for virus-virus similarity, virus-host similarity, and known virus-host interactions. We integrate these networks systematically using a Markov random field model, in which the similarity is defined based on both alignment-based similarity measures including CRISPR matches and sequence homology, and alignment-free similarity measures including s2* and WIsH, to predict virus-host interactions. We evaluate our method on a benchmark dataset of 1,075 viruses and their hosts. Host prediction accuracy was 61% and 88% at the genus and phylum levels, respectively, representing a large improvement in host prediction accuracy over previous approaches. The model also markedly improves prediction accuracy for the hosts of metagenomically assembled short viral contigs. Requiring a minimum prediction score for making predictions further improves accuracy without much cost of the recall rate. We use the method to predict the hosts of new viruses discovered from single-cell amplified genomes and crAssphage, a ubiquitous virus assembled from human gut metagenomes. The predicted hosts are mostly consistent with the putative hosts, and other plausible hosts including Akkermansia muciniphila are suggested. Since Akkermansia muciniphila was shown to be associated with the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy treatment and metabolic disorders, our study suggests that crAssphage may play important roles in these diseases. With the flexibility of incorporating other additional features, the model has great potential to be updated along with the development of the biological understanding of virus-host interactions.
The sparse tensor algebra compiler (keynote)

Tensor algebra is a powerful tool with applications in machine learning, data analytics, engineering, and science. Increasingly often the tensors are sparse, which means most components are zeros. To get the best performance, currently programmers are left to write kernels for every operation, with different mixes of sparse and dense tensors in different formats. There are countless combinations, which makes it impossible to manually implement and optimize them all. The Tensor Algebra Compiler (TACO) is the first system to automatically generate kernels for any tensor algebra operation on tensors in any of the commonly used formats. Its performance is competitive with best-in-class hand-optimized kernels in popular libraries, while supporting far more tensor operations. For more information, see http://tensor-compiler.org.
Intimate Partner Homicide of Adolescents.

Importance Intimate partner violence during adolescence is widespread, and consequences can be severe. Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is the most extreme form of intimate partner violence, but literature on IPH has almost exclusively focused on adults. Objectives To determine the proportion of adolescent homicides that is perpetrated by intimate partners and to describe the victim, perpetrator, and incident characteristics of these IPHs. Design, Setting, and Participants Analysis of quantitative and qualitative surveillance data from the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2003 to 2016. Data represent 32 states that contributed to the system for 1 year or longer. There were 8048 homicides of victims aged 11 to 24 years with a known relationship between the victim and perpetrator. For persons aged 11 to 18 years, there were 2188 homicides. Analysis began September 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures An incident was identified as an IPH if the relationship between the perpetrator and victim was coded as spouse, ex-spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend, or girlfriend or boyfriend (unspecified current or former). Variables of interest included demographic characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity) for the victim and perpetrator, relationship status at time of death, homicide-suicide, homicide method, firearm type, and location of homicide. Contextual categories were created from the qualitative narratives. Results Of adolescent homicides, 150 (6.9%) were classified as IPH. A total of 135 victims (90%) were female (mean [SD] age, 16.8 [1.3] years). Overall, 102 perpetrators (77.9%) were 18 years and older (mean [SD] age, 20.6 [5.0] years), and 94 (62.7%) were current intimate partners of the victim. Firearms, specifically handguns, were the most common mechanism of injury. Compared with IPHs of young adults aged 19 to 24 years, perpetrators of adolescent victims were younger and less likely to be a current intimate partner. The most common categories of adolescent IPH homicides were broken/desired relationship or jealousy and an altercation followed by reckless firearm behavior and pregnancy related. Conclusions and Relevance Adolescents, particularly girls, in dating relationships may face risk of homicide, especially in circumstances of a breakup or jealousy and when perpetrators have access to firearms. Understanding homicide in early dating relationships can inform prevention and intervention efforts tailored to adolescents.
The Power of Interstimulus Interval for the Assessment of Temporal Processing in Rodents

Temporal processing deficits have been implicated as a potential elemental dimension of higher-level cognitive processes, commonly observed in neurocognitive disorders. Despite the popularization of prepulse inhibition (PPI) in recent years, many current protocols promote using a percent of control measure, thereby precluding the assessment of temporal processing. The present study used cross-modal PPI and gap prepulse inhibition (gap-PPI) to demonstrate the benefits of employing a range of interstimulus intervals (ISIs) to delineate effects of sensory modality, psychostimulant exposure, and age. Assessment of sensory modality, psychostimulant exposure, and age reveals the utility of an approach varying the interstimulus interval (ISI) to establish the shape of the ISI function, including increases (sharper curve inflections) or decreases (flattening of the response amplitude curve) in startle amplitude. Additionally, shifts in peak response inhibition, suggestive of a differential sensitivity to the manipulation of ISI, are often revealed. Thus, the systematic manipulation of ISI affords a critical opportunity to evaluate temporal processing, which may reveal the underlying neural mechanisms involved in neurocognitive disorders.
Selenium reduction by a defined co-culture of Shigella fergusonii strain TB42616 and Pantoea vagans strain EWB32213-2

Selenium reduction was evaluated with pure batch cultures of Shigella fergusonii strain TB42616 (TB) and Pantoea vagans strain EWB32213-2 (EWB), respectively. A two-stage process, from Se(VI) to Se(IV) and then from Se(IV) to Se(0), was observed. The second stage of reduction, from Se(IV) to Se(0), was observed as the rate-limiting step resulting in accumulation of the more toxic Se(IV). In order to facilitate Se(VI) reduction and reduce Se(IV) accumulation, the Se(VI)-reducing strain TB was co-cultured with a Se(IV)-reducing strain EWB. Although Se(VI) reduction rate was not affected, Se(IV) reduction was significantly enhanced with low Se(IV) accumulation in the defined co-culture. Effects of culture composition as well as nitrate and arsenate on Se(VI) reduction were also investigated. A co-culture composition of 10:1 (EWB:TB) ratio was observed to achieve the best total selenium reduction. In addition, nitrate at 50 mg/L was observed to inhibit Se(IV) reduction but not Se(VI) reduction, while arsenate at 200 mg/L exhibited slight inhibition on both Se(VI) and Se(IV) reduction.
The ABCs of Political Development: Notes Toward an ABCD Manifesto

The study of American political development (APD) is inherently comparative. APD has its roots in a set of observations and questions about a set of comparatively distinctive characteristics of American politics. The subfields of APD and comparative politics share common origins in the late-twentieth century reaction to behavioralism and modernization theory. Although they subsequently diverged, they are increasingly being brought together in works that treat the United States as a case in comparative studies. In particular, comparisons of American, British, and Canadian political development offer a fruitful path toward connecting these fields and deriving new insights from the comparative study of political development.
Planning for Failure: Pipelines, Risk, and the Energy Revolution

In 2014, as production soared in North Dakota’s oil fields, Energy Transfer Partners proposed a large pipeline to transport the oil to market. The very name of the project—Dakota Access—conveyed the company’s optimistic vision of a needed link between the prolific oil fields and the rest of the country. The vast scale of the pipeline project was matched only by the intensity of the opposition to the route. A bitter controversy erupted at Standing Rock over the risk of a catastrophic oil spill. Tribal members and environmentalists from across the nation united to protest the company’s decision to site the pipeline underneath a lake that serves as the sole source of drinking water for local tribes. The company defended the safety of its pipeline and ultimately prevailed. Dakota Access was completed in 2017. Since it began operation, it has leaked eight times. One would expect risk governance to take a more preventative approach to risk, as the potential for catastrophic harm increases and the ability to predict an accident decreases. But projects such as Dakota Access raise troubling questions about the current system governing the risks of energy pipelines. Why are pipelines being sited in environmentally sensitive and densely populated areas? To what extent does the system address the long-term risks of spills and releases? These questions are more important than ever before, as the domestic revolution in oil and gas production fundamentally reshapes pipeline networks and the geographic and political landscape of risk. This Article seeks answers by examining the laws governing energy pipelines through the lens of risk. The analysis reveals a critical flaw in risk governance: the risks associated with “siting” a pipeline are treated separately from the long-term “safety” of the pipeline. This formal legal distinction has a substantial practical effect on the risk landscape. By failing to consider the risks of an accident in the decision of where to locate a pipeline—that is, by failing to plan for failure—the system allows energy pipelines to be sited near people and sensitive ecosystems. This in turn leads to more accidents in vulnerable areas and a greater risk burden on landowners and surrounding communities. The result is a system that sites first—and cleans up later.
A simplified nomogram to assess risk of bladder cancer in patients with a new diagnosis of microscopic hematuria.

Abstract Introduction The vast majority of patients who undergo a diagnostic evaluation for microscopic hematuria (MH) do not have occult bladder cancer. Identifying patients with MH at high risk of harboring bladder cancer can allow for a risk adjusted approach to diagnostic interventions with the goal of safely reducing unnecessary evaluations. Methods Patients with a new diagnosis of microhematuria during an 8.5 year period were retrospectively identified. All patients who had a complete MH evaluation were randomized to a training or a validation cohort. Logistic regression analysis was performed in the training cohort to identify factors related to a bladder cancer diagnosis and to develop our model. Receiver operating curves to identify bladder cancer were constructed for the training and validation cohort and tested for their ability to discriminate true cases. A nomogram to predict a bladder cancer diagnosis was created. Results In 4,178 patients split into training and validation cohorts, those diagnosed with bladder cancer were shown to be older, have a greater degree of MH (more RBC/hpf), and were former or current smokers. A nomogram created using this model was able to predict risk of a bladder cancer diagnosis with good discrimination (areas under the curve 0.79, 95% CI 0.75–0.83). A cutoff of 0.01 probability demonstrated a sensitivity of 99.1% and a negative predictive value of 99.7%. Conclusion A nomogram can accurately predict the risk of bladder cancer diagnosed during the evaluation of MH and can potentially be used avoid a significant number of work ups in those at the lowest risk.
Toll-managed lanes: A simplified benefit-cost analysis of seven US projects

Abstract Toll managed lanes are expressway lanes where tolls are used—often in combination with preferred access for high occupancy vehicles and other special traffic management techniques—to improve the highway's capacity, speed or reliability. Such lanes have become popular with transportation policymakers as a way of maintaining free-flowing traffic on certain sections of the highway while also, in some cases, financing the construction of new lanes in congested urban areas. This study examines whether toll-managed lanes are as beneficial as they are popular. The heart of the analysis is the application of a simplified social benefit-cost analysis (BCA) to seven projects. In brief, our results paint a complicated picture of toll-managed lane efficacy. Only two of the seven projects have benefit-cost (B/C) ratios above 1.0 using our base case assumptions about the value of travel time saved and the discount rate, although three others approach or exceed 1.0 with more optimistic but plausible assumptions. The most successful generate not only a significant savings of around 4–5 min per trip for motorists who switch to the managed lane but also smaller per-trip savings for the large majority of motorists who continue to use the general-purpose lanes. It is important to acknowledge, however, that these calculations depend upon some uncertain assumptions about the value of travel time savings and improved reliability.
Rome, China, and the Barbarians : Ethnographic Traditions and the Transformation of Empires

This book addresses a largely untouched historical problem: the fourth to fifth centuries AD witnessed remarkably similar patterns of foreign invasion, conquest, and political fragmentation in Rome and China. Yet while the Western Roman Empire was never reestablished, China was reunified at the end of the sixth century. Following a comparative discussion of earlier historiographical and ethnographic traditions in the classical Greco-Roman and Chinese worlds, the book turns to the late antique/early medieval period, when the Western Roman Empire 'fell' and China was reconstituted as a united empire after centuries of foreign conquest and political division. Analyzing the discourse of ethnic identity in the historical texts of this later period, with original translations by the author, the book explores the extent to which notions of Self and Other, of 'barbarian' and 'civilized', help us understand both the transformation of the Roman world as well as the restoration of a unified imperial China.
Managing sickle cell patients with COVID-19 infection: the need to pool our collective experience.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) has posed unparalleled challenges for health care communities, the general population, and in particular, for patients suffering from various comorbidities. Patients with hematological disorders, both benign and malignant need special attention during this crisis time to ensure uninterrupted delivery of optimal care (Sahu & Siddiqui, 2020).
Case of Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy in the Uterosacral Ligament and Review of the Literature.

Pregnancies that implant on the uterosacral ligament are rare. Here, we describe a case of ruptured ectopic pregnancy in the left uterosacral ligament in a patient with potential risk factors including possible endometriosis and recent hysteroscopic procedure. A 29-year-old female, para 0, presented to the emergency department with generalized abdominal pain. Pelvic examination was significant for fullness in the posterior cul-de-sac. Laboratory values were significant for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level of 6311 mIU/mL. Sonogram findings were significant for no intrauterine gestation, a 6.9 × 4.6 × 4.7 cm3 complex left adnexal mass, and moderate free fluid within the posterior cul-de-sac. The patient underwent laparoscopy, which revealed hemoperitoneum and unremarkable bilateral fallopian tubes and ovaries. An abnormal area was noted in the left uterosacral ligament. Tissue was bluntly removed and pathologically confirmed as chorionic villi within the left uterosacral ligament. After one week, her beta-hCG decreased to 784 mIU/mL. After two weeks, she was seen as an outpatient and was doing well without any symptoms. More information is required regarding these unique pregnancies to help understand the pathophysiology and determine the management.