cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organic Farming in West Virginia: A Behavioral Approach

Although organic production continues to expand and remains the fastest growing segment of the U.S. agricultural economy, demand for organics continues to outpace supply, causing a lag in the supply chain. One of many important elements to remedying this issue is for more farmers to adopt organic practices and/or transition to organic certification. One state well positioned to tap into eastern U.S. metro markets is West Virginia. Our study sought to understand the factors affecting West Virginia farmers' decision to farm organically, as well as the barriers limiting pursuit of certification. Though West Virginia has the highest number of small farms in the U.S., only five farms were USDA organic–certified in 2012. We used a mixed-methods approach to explore the barriers to implementing organic practices and pursuing organic certification. The methods included interviews and mailed surveys, garnering responses from more than 230 farmers in West Virginia. We applied a social-ecological system lens for the development of a statistical model to parse out the major variables affecting transition to organic methods. Our results suggest that the decision to farm organically is largely an economic one, with a lack of perceived benefits being nearly as influential as perceived constraints as barriers. We also found that social ties to certified organic farmers reduced the likelihood of others implementing organic production practices. Finally, we propose that the choice to farm organically and pursue organic certification be studied in a holistic manner that assesses motives, constraints, and barriers to implementing organic practices in conjunction with relevant contextual attributes (farm characteristics and personal demographics) that affect the decision-making process.
The Significance of Task Significance in Online Marketplaces for Work

Online marketplaces for work like Amazon Mechanical Turk serve as new platforms to source mundane yet important tasks such as analyzing medical images and generating expert standards for machine le...
Second Estrus and Late Litters in Raccoons

We used observations of resting behavior by 38 radiocollared raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) to document late mating for a free-ranging population in southern Texas during 1990–1992. Male-female consortships ( n = 67) exhibited a bimodal distribution each year. In each instance, a second late estrus ( n = 11) occurred after a female failed to produce a litter, or lost a litter soon after parturition. The mean (± SD ) number of days between first and second estrus was 78.6 ± 17.6. Six litters were born between 30 July and 4 September from second matings. Raccoons born as a result of a second estrus may be relatively common, although survivorship of late-born litters is likely low.
The evoked heart rate response to periodic leg movements of sleep.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Periodic leg movements of sleep are currently subdivided based upon whether or not they are associated with EEG arousal. "Autonomic" arousals, characterized by elevations in heart rate and blood pressure without AASM-defined EEG changes, have been associated with daytime somnolence in experimental protocols. In this study, we will describe the heart rate response to periodic leg movements of sleep, both with and without associated arousals. DESIGN Heart rate was averaged for each of the ten cardiac cycles before, and after, the onset of individual periodic leg movements occurring in non-REM sleep for eight patients with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). Records were blindly scored (without EKG data) to determine if AASM-defined EEG arousals occurred within two seconds of leg movement onset. Leg movements during wakefulness were performed by four non-patient controls as a control condition. SETTING Sleep Disorders Center INTERVENTIONS None MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS A significant rise in heart rate was observed following the onset of individual leg movements of sleep (N = 796), which was also significantly larger than that seen after waking leg movements (N = 275). Although heart rate elevation was 10%-40% higher when leg movements were associated with AASM-defined arousal, these differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Periodic leg movements of sleep are associated with cardiac acceleration, even in the absence of AASM-defined arousal. It appears premature to conclude that periodic leg movements of sleep not associated with visible EEG arousal are clinically insignificant.
Democratic Values? A Racial Group-Based Analysis of Core Political Values, Partisanship, and Ideology

Research on American core political values, partisanship, and ideology often concludes that liberals and Democrats believe equality to be one of the most important values while conservatives and Republicans place greater emphasis on social order and moral traditionalism. Though these findings are valuable, it is assumed that they generalize across various groups (e.g. socioeconomic classes, religious groups, racial groups, etc.) in society. Focusing on racial groups in contemporary American politics, I challenge this assumption. More specifically, I argue that if individuals’ value preferences are formed during their pre-adult socialization years, and if the socialization process is different across racial groups, then it may be the case that members of different racial groups connect their value preferences to important political behaviors, including partisanship and ideology, in different ways as well. In the first part of this study, I fit a geometric model of value preferences to two different data sets—the first from 2010 and the second from 2002—and I show that although there is substantial value disagreement between white Democrats/liberals and Republicans/conservatives, that disagreement is smaller in Latinos and almost completely absent in African Americans. In the second part of this study, I demonstrate the political implications of these findings by estimating the effects of values on party and ideology, conditional on race. Results show that where whites’ value preferences affect their partisan and ideological group ties, the effects are smaller in Latinos and indistinguishable from zero in African Americans. I close by suggesting that scholars of values and political behavior ought to think in a more nuanced manner about how fundamental political cognitions relate to various attitudes and behaviors across different groups in society.
Seasonal Differences in Contaminant Accumulation in Neotropical Migrant and Resident Songbirds.

For many years, it has been hypothesized that Neotropical migrants breeding in the United States and Canada accumulate organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) while on their wintering grounds in Latin America. We investigated the seasonal accumulation of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) in migrant and resident passerines in Texas, Yucatan, and Costa Rica collected during the fall, winter, and spring from 2011 to 2013. A total of 153 birds were collected, and all contained detectable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and OCPs with dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) being the most predominant pesticide. OCPs and PCBs were the predominant contaminants, accounting for ≥80 % of the total POPs burden, whereas PBDEs accounted for ≤16 %. Only spring migrants from Texas had significantly greater DDE concentrations (64.6 ng/g dry weight [dw]) than migrants collected in Costa Rica (23.2 ng/g dw). Resident birds in Texas had significantly greater levels of DDE (121 ng/g dw) and ΣPBDEs (34.8 ng/g dw) compared with residents in Yucatan and Costa Rica. For ΣPCBs, resident birds from Costa Rica had significantly lower concentrations (9.60 ng/g dw) compared with their migrant counterparts (43.7 ng/g dw) and residents from Texas (48.3 ng/g dw) and the Yucatan (32.1 ng/g dw). Migrant and resident passerines had similar congener profiles for PCBs and PBDEs suggesting similar exposure and retention of these contaminants. No significant accumulation of DDE was observed in migrants while on their wintering grounds. Relatively high concentrations of PBDEs in resident birds from Costa Rica warrant future studies of PBDE contamination in Latin America.
The value of a poison control center in preventing unnecessary ED visits and hospital charges: A multi-year analysis

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the economic value of the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) by examining its contribution to the reduction of unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and associated charges across multiple years. Methods A multi-year (2009–2014) analysis of cross-sectional data was performed. Callers were asked what they would do for a poison emergency if the UPCC was not available. Healthcare charges for ED visits averted were calculated according to insurance status using charges obtained from a statewide database. Results Of the 10,656 survey attempts, 5018 were completed. Over 30,000 cases were managed on-site each year. Using the proportion of callers who noted they would call 911, visit an ED, or call a physician's office, between 20.0 and 24.2 thousand ED visits were potentially prevented each year of the survey. Between $16.6 and $24.4 million dollars in unnecessary healthcare charges were potentially averted annually. Conclusions Compared to the cost of operation, the service UPCC provides demonstrates economic value by reducing ED visits and associated charges. As the majority of patients have private insurance, the largest benefit falls to private payers.
The Pediatric Femur: Development, Growth, and Surgical Anatomy

Fracture of the pediatric femur represents a significant traumatic injury, one with the potential to impact growth and developmental processes that can have lifelong consequences for the injured child. Critical to the appropriate management of these injuries is the recognition that ongoing growth makes children unique and that many of the embryologic processes that occur to create the skeletal elements in utero are continuing throughout childhood to form the adult organism. Disruption of these processes can lead to leg length discrepancy and/or angular deformity, and a strategy for assessment and management of these often complex complications is necessary for any clinician planning to treat this injury.
Health promotion, wellness, and prevention in hand therapy: A survey study.

Abstract Study Design Descriptive study. Introduction Noncommunicable diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease are associated with increased complications and cost of health care. Purpose of the Study To describe beliefs and extent to which hand therapists include health promotion, wellness, and prevention (HPWP) in practice and to elucidate barriers to the incorporation of HPWP. Methods A 38-question survey evaluating hand therapists' beliefs, practice of HPWP, and barriers was sent to American Society of Hand Therapists members. Results About 270 American Society of Hand Therapists members participated. Respondents believed they had a role in HPWP, including occupational (95%), physical (92%), emotional (87%), and psychological (84%) factors and instrumental activities of daily living management (98%). Physical activity is most frequently addressed (42%), whereas other health behaviors are rarely addressed. Time, patient interest, and resources were among identified barriers. Discussion The importance of health promotion and disease prevention practice is being recognized as critical to successful health outcomes. Conclusion The study results suggest the need to develop HPWP educational programming for hand therapists and the need to consider expansion of understanding of HPWP initiatives and subsequent benefits to patients. Level of Evidence 5.
Similar dietary but different numerical responses to nonnative tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) by two native warblers

Native species can have a range of responses to nonnative introductions, from negative to positive, and understanding how and why native species respond differently to nonnatives remains an important management challenge. Based on differences and similarities in ecology and behavior, we predicted how abundance and diet of two native warblers, Lucy’s warbler (Oreothlypis luciae) and yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia), would differ in habitats with different amounts of nonnative tamarisk trees and the three nonnative insects obligately dependent on tamarisk (Tamarix spp.). Specifically, we predicted that Lucy’s warblers would have similar densities across sites, yellow warbler densities would be inversely related to tamarisk cover, and both warblers, being generalist insectivores, would incorporate tamarisk biocontrol insects in their diet. Based on point counts and fecal samples at six sites along the Virgin River in the southwestern United States, we found that yellow warblers decreased in abundance with increasing tamarisk cover, while Lucy’s warbler abundance did not and that diet of the two warblers did not differ, with both species exhibiting strong selection for the nonnative tamarisk weevil (Coniatus splendidulus) and weak to no selection for the nonnative tamarisk leafhopper (Opsius stactogalus). Both warblers showed negative selection for the tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) and its larvae, even when those insects were 10–100 times more abundant during outbreaks. Although both warblers exploited the novel food resources offered by tamarisk, with those insects contributing half or more of total prey biomass, Lucy’s warblers were better able to maintain densities in tamarisk habitats. We hypothesize this was due to the Lucy’s warbler’s ability to exploit a broader array of habitats surrounding tamarisk sites and its cavity nesting habit that buffers its nests from the higher temperatures and lower humidity of tamarisk-dominated habitat. Our results suggest that predictions based on detailed knowledge of the form and function of native and nonnative species can be used to predict native bird response to nonnatives.
Identification of the Basic Residues of Cytochrome F Responsible for Electrostatic Docking with Plastocyanin in Vitro : Relevance to the Electron Transfer in Vivo

Cytochrome f is the largest polypeptide of the b 6 f complex of oxygenic photosynthesis (1). The b 6 f complex mediates electron transfer between Photosystems I and II, and translocates protons across the thylakoid membrane (2). One of the interesting features of the x-ray structure of the redox-active soluble fragment of cytochrome f (cyt f) is the presence of a dominant patch of basic Lys residues near the interface of the small and large domains (3). On the other hand, the crystal structure of its physiological electron acceptor, plastocyanin (4,5), revealed the presence of a negative patch around Tyr83. These two sites of localized complementary charges in the two proteins have been proposed to participate in the docking reactions of cyt f and PC (3). The two proteins are shown in a “pre-docking” configuration in (6). Comparison of amino acid sequences across many plant and algal species showed a high degree of conservation of the residues that are in the positive and negative patches of cyt f and plastocyanin (PC), respectively (7). These findings, in addition to: (i) the observed decrease in the rate of cyt f oxidation by PC with increasing ionic strength (8-11), (ii) chemical cross-linking of cyt f Lys 187 to PC Asp44 (12), and (iii) computer simulations of cyt f /PC docking (13,14), argue strongly for a dominant role of electrostatic interactions in cyt f /PC reaction.
Review: Portrait of an Island: The Architecture and Material Culture of Gorée, Sénégal, 1758–1837, by Mark Hinchman

Mark Hinchman Portrait of an Island: The Architecture and Material Culture of Goree, Senegal, 1758–1837 Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2015, 396 pp., 78 b/w illus. $70, ISBN 9780803280892 Although the island of Goree is a small speck of land situated in the harbor of Dakar, it has nonetheless garnered attention as one of the most visited attractions in modern Senegal. Each year, thousands of tourists descend upon Goree in an attempt to learn more about a site that some have described as a preeminent slave trading port. Contrary to popular legend, however, scholarly research has revealed that the number of slaves who passed through this town in the early modern period topped off in the low thousands, and not in the millions as local guides often claim. Nevertheless, the island remains a crucial site for understanding African histories of architectural exchange. After the French gained control in 1677, the island grew into a commercial port with mercantile ties to Europe, the Americas, and even the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Reunion.1 These trade networks set the stage for the development of a hybrid social system wherein architecture and material culture reflected what Mark Hinchman identifies as the cosmopolitan status of local African and European populations. It is this predicament that Hinchman addresses in Portrait of an Island: The Architecture and Material Culture of Goree, Senegal, 1758–1837 . In engaging the architecture and the social history of Goree during its economic heyday, Hinchman calls attention to the ways in which this enclave incubated a multicultural society comprising individuals who were familiar with the architectural styles, the products, the social norms, and the conventions of dress of Europe, West Africa, the Americas, and even South Asia. Hinchman accomplishes this task in six chapters that draw a vast array of archival documents into a broadly interdisciplinary study. Collectively, his sources include …
Transparency, Imaginary Worlds and ICER Value Assessments

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is seen as offering a credible platform for evaluating the pricing policies for pharmaceutical products and devices. Over the past few years ICER has presented a stream of reports, many of which have recommended substantial price discounts where the results of a lifetime cost-per-QALY modeling suggests they are out of line with notional willingness to pay thresholds and arbitrary budget constraints. At the same time, there have been growing concerns over the lack of transparency in the ICER value assessment process, focusing in particular on the refusal by ICER to allow access to its value assessment modeling framework. The purpose of this brief commentary is to point out that the position taken by ICER over model access is not defensible; the arguments given are specious. This ongoing refusal undercuts the ICER claim to be independent and the credibility of ICER recommendations for price discounting. The solution is for ICER to commit to a transparent process of value assessment, allowing in particular access to its models and for the ICER model to be subject to an independent assessment. At the same time, manufacturers and other stakeholders should have access to the model with the opportunity to challenge the model through developing model frameworks which they feel better represent product value. This advocacy, it should be noted, does not reflect acceptance of the ICER lifetime cost-per-QALY value assessment framework. Health care decision makers would be better served by a value assessment framework that provided short-term credible, evaluable and replicable claims, facilitating meaningful feedback to decision makers, and not on the construction of simulated imaginary worlds. Conflict of Interest: None Type: Commentary
Neural mechanisms of behavioral change in young adults with high‐functioning autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: A pilot study

Measuring treatment efficacy in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relies primarily on behaviors, with limited evidence as to the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral gains. This pilot study addresses this void by investigating neural and behavioral changes in a Phase I trial in young adults with high-functioning ASD who received an evidence-based behavioral intervention, Virtual Reality-Social Cognition Training over 5 weeks for a total of 10 hr. The participants were tested pre- and post-training with a validated biological/social versus scrambled/nonsocial motion neuroimaging task, previously shown to activate regions within the social brain networks. Three significant brain-behavior changes were identified. First, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, a hub for socio-cognitive processing, showed increased brain activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli in individuals with greater gains on a theory-of-mind measure. Second, the left inferior frontal gyrus, a region for socio-emotional processing, tracked individual gains in emotion recognition with decreased activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli. Finally, the left superior parietal lobule, a region for visual attention, showed significantly decreased activation to nonsocial versus social stimuli across all participants, where heightened attention to nonsocial contingencies has been considered a disabling aspect of ASD. This study provides, albeit preliminary, some of the first evidence of the harnessable neuroplasticity in adults with ASD through an age-appropriate intervention in brain regions tightly linked to social abilities. This pilot trial motivates future efforts to develop and test social interventions to improve behaviors and supporting brain networks in adults with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 713-725. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay summary This study addresses how the behavioral changes after treatment for ASD reflect underlying brain changes. Before and after receiving VR-SCT, young adults with high-functioning ASD passively viewed biological motion stimuli in a MRI scanner, tapping changes in the social brain network. The results reveal neuroplasticity in this age population, extending the window of opportunity for interventions to impact social competency in adults with ASD.
Problems in Discontinuation of Hemodialysis

Fifteen years ago we were faced with problems of whom to take on hemodialysis and whom to exclude. Federal support and available services make this selection less of a quandary today. Now, however, with patients living longer on dialysis and starting dialysis at more and more advanced ages and with more complex illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, lupus erythematosus, coronary heart disease, and so on), another quandary arises: the dilemma of when and how to take patients off dialysis, allowing them to die.
Internal Electric Fields Generated by Surface Charges and Induced by Visible Light in Bacteriorhodopsin Membranes

Bacteriorhodopsin functions as a light-driven proton pump, and is the major protein component in the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium. An externally applied electric field has a prominent effect on its photocycle kinetics. While the purple membrane has highly asymmetrical negative surface charges, the effect of varying ionic strengths on the photocycle kinetics is rather modest. The present paper deals with this paradox by invoking a simple mechanistic model of two coupled interfacial photoreactions along with two additional refined models. The internal electric fields arising from fixed surface charges and from surface charges induced by visible light (400–700 nm) are analyzed with regard to their interaction as well as the interaction between the endogenous (surface potentials generated by fixed and light-induced surface charges) and the exogenous electric field (externally applied potential and/or diffusion potential). It is possible that bacteriorhodopsin as an electro-sensitive element responds to the local voltage gradient (internal electric field) rather than to the voltage level. If so, the concurrent variation of ionic strengths of both aqueous phases produces only a small effect because of the concurrent changes of the two surface potentials in the same direction. It is suggested that these insights into the problem can be enhanced by combining experiments in which the conditions on both sides of the membrane are controlled independently (“differential” experiments), membrane reconstitution experiments and model system studies.
Tumor-Specific Idiotype Vaccines in the Treatment of Patients With B-Cell Lymphoma — Long-Term Results of a Clinical Trial

The surface Ig on each B-cell lymphoma has unique portions (idiotypes), which can be recognized by the immune system. In this study, we immunized patients against the Ig expressed by their tumor and observed their clinical outcomes. After standard chemotherapy, 41 patients with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma received a series of injections with a vaccine consisting of tumor Ig protein coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and emulsified in an immunologic adjuvant. Subjects were observed for toxicity, immune responses, and tumor status. The median duration of follow-up of all patients is 7.3 years from diagnosis and 5.3 years from the last chemotherapy given before vaccine treatment. Twenty patients (49%) generated specific immune responses against the idiotypes of their tumor Ig. Two patients who had residual disease experienced complete tumor regression in association with the development of these immune responses. The median duration of freedom from disease progression and overall survival of all 20 patients mounting an anti-idiotype immune response are significantly prolonged compared to the patients who did not mount an immune response. Thirty-two patients were in their first remission and nine were in subsequent remissions before beginning vaccine treatments. Analysis of the 32 first remission patients also shows an improved clinical outcome for those patients who mounted a specific immune response compared to those who did not (freedom from progression, 7.9 years v 1.3 years P = .0001; median survival from time of last chemotherapy not yet reached v 7 years, P = .04). This study confirms an earlier report that patients with B-cell lymphoma can be induced to make a specific immune response against the Ig expressed by their own tumor. It further shows that the ability to make such an immune response is correlated with a more favorable clinical outcome. Prospective controlled trials will be needed to prove a causal relationship between anti-idiotype immunity and improved clinical outcome.
Control of Pituitary-Adrenal Periodicity

The present report will review studies of the pituitary-adrenal periodicity in the animal and the human and consider some of the possible factors involved in its regulation.
Clinical nurse educators’ performance appraisal in clinical setting

To determine the performance of the clinical nurse educators in the clinical setting. A descriptive design was used to achieve the objective of the study was carried out on 44 CNEs in a clinical teaching setting. Clinical Nurse Educators' Performance Evaluation Tool was used to collect the data. It measures four main Domains named duty to scholar learning, professional knowledge, showing practice, authority and clinical surroundings. Each domain is composed of specific skills that indicate the CNEs competencies. The total score more than 90% indicate that Performance exceeds the expectations for the set of competencies, from less than 90% to 75% indicate that performance meets the expectations for the set of competencies, from less than 75% to 50% indicate that performance does not always meet all the expectations for the set of competencies, performance should be improved and less than 50% indicate that performance does not meet expectations for the set of competencies and performance must be improved.CNEs had an acceptable level of the four performance domains (commitment to students, professional knowledge, teaching practice in the clinical areas and leadership and community) in a clinical setting. CNEs ought to go to preparing programs, workshops, and conferences regarding propelled ideas over clinical educating will improve their showing aptitudes "around continually on attendant clinical teachers also preceptors on faculties about nursing.
Social Media Analysis of User’s Responses to Terrorism Using Sentiment Analysis and Text Mining

Abstract The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has attracted the world’s attention because of its spread in Iraq and Syria and its brutal treatment of people. At this point, there is no enough research about if people in both the Western and Eastern countries view ISIS as a terrorist organization and a source of fear or they view it differently. Recently, social media has become important for social networking and content sharing. Twitter is a microblogging website that allows users to share short text messages, also known as tweets, with up to 140 characters. This research uses twitter to conduct text mining and sentiment analysis to examine if there is a difference between people from the Western countries and the Eastern countries on how they view ISIS. To accomplish this goal, Twitter’s API was used to search and collect tweets about ISIS from eight different countries. Moreover, term frequency- inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) technique was used to conduct the text sentiment analysis using R. The results of the sentiment analysis of the tweets indicated that: (1) the people used almost the same words when they are tweeting about ISIS, (2) sharing the same positive and negative words reflects how people think about this organization as a group of terrorists regardless the country they are from and (3) most users view ISIS as a source of threat and fear regardless where they are from.
Zebrafish prdm12b acts independently of nkx6.1 repression to promote eng1b expression in the neural tube p1 domain

Functioning of the adult nervous system depends on the establishment of neural circuits during embryogenesis. In vertebrates, neurons that make up motor circuits form in distinct domains along the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube. Each domain is characterized by a unique combination of transcription factors (TFs) that promote a specific fate, while repressing fates of adjacent domains. The prdm12 TF is required for the expression of eng1b and the generation of V1 interneurons in the p1 domain, but the details of its function remain unclear. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate the first germline mutants for prdm12 and employed this resource, together with classical luciferase reporter assays and co-immunoprecipitation experiments, to study prdm12b function in zebrafish. We also generated germline mutants for bhlhe22 and nkx6.1 to examine how these TFs act with prdm12b to control p1 formation. We find that prdm12b mutants lack eng1b expression in the p1 domain and also possess an abnormal touch-evoked escape response. Using luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrate that Prdm12b acts as a transcriptional repressor. We also show that the Bhlhe22 TF binds via the Prdm12b zinc finger domain to form a complex. However, bhlhe22 mutants display normal eng1b expression in the p1 domain. While prdm12 has been proposed to promote p1 fates by repressing expression of the nkx6.1 TF, we do not observe an expansion of the nkx6.1 domain upon loss of prdm12b function, nor is eng1b expression restored upon simultaneous loss of prdm12b and nkx6.1. We conclude that prdm12b germline mutations produce a phenotype that is indistinguishable from that of morpholino-mediated loss of prdm12 function. In terms of prdm12b function, our results indicate that Prdm12b acts as transcriptional repressor and interacts with both EHMT2/G9a and Bhlhe22. However, bhlhe22 function is not required for eng1b expression in vivo, perhaps indicating that other bhlh genes can compensate during embryogenesis. Lastly, we do not find evidence for nkx6.1 and prdm12b acting as a repressive pair in formation of the p1 domain – suggesting that prdm12b is not solely required to repress non-p1 fates, but is specifically needed to promote p1 fates.
Rapid Solution-Phase Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange for Metabolite Compound Identification

Rapid, solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is demonstrated as a means for distinguishing small-molecule metabolites. HDX is achieved using capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (cVSSI) to allow sufficient time for reagent mixing and exchange in micrometer-sized droplets. Different compounds are observed to incorporate deuterium with varying efficiencies resulting in unique isotopic patterns as revealed in the MS spectra. Using linear regression techniques, parameters representing contribution to exchange by different hydrogen types can be computed. In this proof-of-concept study, the exchange parameters are shown to be useful in the retrodiction of the amount of deuterium incorporated within different compounds. On average, the exchange parameters retrodict the exchange level with ~ 2.2-fold greater accuracy than treating all exchangeable hydrogens equally. The parameters can be used to produce hypothetical isotopic distributions that agree (± 16% RMSD) with experimental measurements. These initial studies are discussed in light of their potential value for identifying challenging metabolite species.
The alternating PBW basis for the positive part of Uq(sl^2)

The positive part Uq+ of Uq(sl^2) has a presentation with two generators A, B that satisfy the cubic q-Serre relations. We introduce a PBW basis for Uq+, said to be alternating. Each element of this PBW basis commutes with exactly one of A, B, qAB − q−1BA. This gives three types of PBW basis elements; the elements of each type mutually commute. We interpret the alternating PBW basis in terms of a q-shuffle algebra associated with affine sl2. We show how the alternating PBW basis is related to the PBW basis for Uq+ found by Damiani in 1993.The positive part Uq+ of Uq(sl^2) has a presentation with two generators A, B that satisfy the cubic q-Serre relations. We introduce a PBW basis for Uq+, said to be alternating. Each element of this PBW basis commutes with exactly one of A, B, qAB − q−1BA. This gives three types of PBW basis elements; the elements of each type mutually commute. We interpret the alternating PBW basis in terms of a q-shuffle algebra associated with affine sl2. We show how the alternating PBW basis is related to the PBW basis for Uq+ found by Damiani in 1993.
Exploring Concurrency and Reachability in the Presence of High Temporal Resolution

Network properties govern the rate and extent of spreading processes on networks, from simple contagions to complex cascades. Recent advances have extended the study of spreading processes from static networks to temporal networks, where nodes and links appear and disappear. We review previous studies on the effects of temporal connectivity for understanding the spreading rate and outbreak size of model infection processes. We focus on the effects of “accessibility”, whether there is a temporally consistent path from one node to another, and “reachability”, the density of the corresponding “accessibility graph” representation of the temporal network. We study reachability in terms of the overall level of temporal concurrency between edges, quantifying the overlap of edges in time. We explore the role of temporal resolution of contacts by calculating reachability with the full temporal information as well as with a simplified interval representation approximation that demands less computation. We demonstrate the extent to which the computed reachability changes due to this simplified interval representation.
Adaptive Microwave Photonic Spectral Shaper for RF Response Tailoring

A photonic-enabled fully-programmable RF spectral shaper capable of point-by-point precise manipulation of wideband RF spectrum with 30-MHz resolution is experimentally demonstrated. Over 10 spectral-control points are achieved with the optimized spectral decomposition and reconstruction algorithm.
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of High-Speed Particle Image Velocimetry in an Open Cavity

Two-dimensional velocity data of flow over an open cavity acquired by pulse-burst particle image velocimetry at 37.5 kHz for freestream Mach numbers of 0.6, 0.8, and 0.94 have been analyzed using p...
Truth and Transparency in Crisis Pregnancy Centers

The prevalence of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), their false claims, and the real harm they cause necessitate public education about their unethical practices. Also called "pregnancy resource centers" and "pregnancy support centers," CPCs are nonmedical institutions designed to deceive women seeking comprehensive pregnancy care, as their volunteers are instructed to pedal misinformation about reproductive health care.
Role of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Isoflurane Conditioning‐Induced Neurovascular Protection in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background Delayed cerebral ischemia remains a common and profound risk factor for poor outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of our current study is to define the role of endothelia...
Revealing filler morphology in 3D-printed thermoset nanocomposites by scanning microbeam X-ray scattering

Abstract Room temperature direct-ink-write printing of epoxy-nanoclay-carbon fiber composites produces parts with high stiffness and strength. Establishing clear relationships between print parameters, filler orientation, and properties is difficult, in part owing to challenges in characterization. Here, we perform scanning microbeam X-ray scattering with 5 micrometer spatial resolution on cross-sections of printed parts with (a) epoxy-nanoclay composite and (b) epoxy-nanoclay-carbon fiber reinforced composite. The nanoclay morphology is directly visualized, illuminating the road geometry with far greater clarity than other techniques. Near the boundary of each road, the nanoclay platelets are preferentially oriented coplanar with the road boundary. Shear alignment within the nozzle during extrusion, and road-to-road shear upon deposition are two proposed factors leading to this orientation. In the sample containing carbon fiber, wide angle X-ray diffraction enables the mapping and visualization of the fibers directly onto the road geometry. The carbon fiber does not significantly affect the nanoclay morphology. Finally, from the small angle X-ray scattering map, we qualitatively reproduce a polarized optical microscope image, revealing that optical microscopy is capable of visualizing the large-scale road structure in these epoxy-nanoclay systems.
Parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic

Parenting is both an art and science of nurturing a child that comes very naturally to some. In today's world, the fundamentals of parenting are getting challenged but it has been even more magnified during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The mental health of children is bound to be affected by the stress related to COVID-19 owing to loss of usual routine, unpredictability, uncertainty. Various other social, economic, and environmental factors also threaten their mental well-being. Parents are the child's first and longest-lasting context for development Positive parenting that involves sensitivity, responsivity, caring, communicating, and empowering would ensure positive developmental outcomes in children and adolescents. Positive parenting and self-care of parents would serve as a promotive and preventative intervention for child and adolescent mental health, especially during this crisis.
TRANSFER OF Ti AND Si BETWEEN SLAGS AND MOLTEN Cu UNDER CONSTANT OXYGEN POTENTIAL

An experimental study has been made of the mass transfer of Ti and Si betweenslags and molten Cu under constant oxygen potential at 1500℃. Apparent mass transfer coeffi-cients of Ti and Si in molten Cu were obtained.
Mixed results from a multiple regression analysis of supplemental instruction courses in introductory physics

Providing less prepared students with supplemental instruction (SI) in introductory STEM courses has long been used as a model in math, chemistry, and biology education to improve student performance, but this model has received little attention in physics education research. We analyzed the course performance of students enrolled in SI courses for introductory mechanics and electricity and magnetism (E&M) at Stanford University compared with those not enrolled in the SI courses over a two-year period. We calculated the benefit of the SI course using multiple linear regression to control for students' level of high school physics and math preparation. We found that the SI course had a significant positive effect on student performance in E&M, but that an SI course with a nearly identical format had no effect on student performance in mechanics. We explored several different potential explanations for why this might be the case and were unable to find any that could explain this difference. This suggests that there are complexities in the design of SI courses that are not fully understood or captured by existing theories as to how they work.
The Effect of Observing the Service Interaction of Peers: Empirical Evidence of the Pros and Cons to Responding to Online Customer Reviews

The current research paradigm of social influence in customer satisfaction in the digital age focuses on peer effects in the expectation formation stage. We propose that the broad class of publicly observable service interactions can also have satisfaction externalities for customers who observe these interactions. We test the social influence of observable peer service interactions in the context of managers’ response to online reviews. At the time of writing her review, a focal customer has already purchased and experienced the product or service. Even so, managers can still influence focal customers post-consumption satisfaction through their responses to other customers’ reviews. Through a novel natural-experiment, we find empirical evidence using a dataset of more than 17 million hotel reviews that publicly stated satisfaction is positively (negatively) influenced by managers’ responses to negative (positive) reviews of previous customers. In addition, we apply latent Dirichlet allocation methods to model the tailoring of manager response to customer reviews. We find that response tailoring to negative (positive) reviews enhances (exacerbates) the positive (negative) effect on subsequent opinion.
Conductivity of insulating oils

PAPERS by Doctor J. B. Whitehead and by Prof. K. F. Herzfeld present further results from the extended program of research under way at Johns Hopkins University on the fundamental properties of insulating liquids, with special reference to their use for the impregnation of paper. The general course of these studies has indicated that within the normal operating range of temperature the dielectric loss in insulating oils of the better known types can be entirely accounted for by the conductivity as measured for the very short time intervals corresponding to the period of commercial alternating circuits. In the case of impregnated paper, dielectric loss is entirely accounted for by dielectric absorption as measured under continuous potential. Doctor Whitehead's paper is a further study of the short time conductivities, and has revealed for the first time the presence of dielectric absorption in a liquid. The influence of this on dielectric loss is examined. His own abstract follows:
Slitrk gene duplication and expression in the developing zebrafish nervous system

Background: The Slitrk family of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) transmembrane proteins bears structural similarity to the Slits and the Trk receptor families, which exert well-established roles in directing nervous system development. Slitrks are less well understood, although they are highly expressed in the developing vertebrate nervous system. Moreover, slitrk variants are associated with several sensory and neuropsychiatric disorders, including myopia, deafness, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome. Loss-of-function studies in mice show that Slitrks modulate neurite outgrowth and inhibitory synapse formation, although the molecular mechanisms of Slitrk function remain poorly characterized. Results: As a prelude to examining the functional roles of Slitrks, we identified eight slitrk orthologs in zebrafish and observed that seven of the eight orthologs were actively transcribed in the nervous system at embryonic, larval, and adult stages. Similar to previous findings in mice and humans, zebrafish slitrks exhibited unique but overlapping spatial and temporal expression patterns in the developing brain, retina, and spinal cord. Conclusions: Zebrafish express Slitrks in the developing central nervous system at times and locations important to neuronal morphogenesis and synaptogenesis. Future studies will use zebrafish as a convenient, cost-effective model organism to characterize the functional roles of Slitrks in nervous system development. Developmental Dynamics 243:339–349, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Criminology, the Chicago School, and sociological theory

Although the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago was never known as a center for sociological theory, major contributions were made in such areas as social disorganization, human ecology and demography, urbanism, professions, institutional development, community organization and development, as well as criminology and deviance. These theoretical contributions did not qualify as grand theory, but all were in the Chicago tradition of theoretically interpretive empirical work. The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods - Chicago-style research at its best - continues that tradition, wherever it is practiced and whatever its specific aims.
Self-Disclosure and Vulnerability: Countertransference in Psychoanalytic Treatment and Supervision

(2003). Self-Disclosure and Vulnerability. Psychoanalytic Social Work: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 43-52.
The immunosuppressant FK506 increases functional recovery and nerve regeneration following peripheral nerve injury

Regeneration of peripheral nerve fibers over long distances often requires extended periods of convalescence. Loss to society can be measured in terms of increased health care costs, decreased productivity and, in the case of job-related injuries, larger workers' compensation claims. The availability of drugs to increase axonal regeneration would be beneficial not only to patients but also to society in general by decreasing these costs. In the present paper, we present our initial studies on the regenerative effects of the new immunosuppressive agent FK506. Rats given a sciatic nerve crush (axotomy) received daily subcutaneous injections of FK506 (1.0 mg/kg); axotomized control animals received saline. Clinical signs of recovery in the hind feet were manifested two days earlier in FK506-treated than in saline-treated animals; movement in the toes, and walking on the hind feet and toes were observed at 16 and 17 days, respectively, in saline-treated rats and at 14 and 15 days, respectively, in FK506-treated rats. Measurement of interdigit distances in the hind feet at 18 days following axotomy showed a return toward normal position of the toes (increased interdigit distances) during walking in FK506-treated rats. Light and electron microscopy performed at 18 days following axotomy confirmed the clinical appearance of increased functional recovery in FK506-treated rats. Distal to the crush site, the sciatic nerve and its terminal branches from FK506-treated animals contained more myelinated fibers compared to saline-treated animals; in the soleus nerve, the numbers of myelinated axons was increased 2.75-fold. Taken together, the present results suggest that FK506 enhances recovery of function in the rat by increasing the rate of axonal regeneration following a sciatic nerve crush.