cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Step-tunable all-optical wavelength conversion using cavity-enhanced four-wave mixing

Step tuning of a wavelength converter using cavity-enhanced four-wave mixing in a multimode semiconductor laser is experimentally and theoretically demonstrated. The converter is modulation-format transparent and is shown experimentally to have a high conversion efficiency (>-10 dB) and to be step-tunable over a large conversion range (>2.5 THz). A mathematical model of the wavelength converter is derived and is used to simulate step tuning of this device and to examine the relationship between conversion efficiency and information bandwidth of the converter.
Effective Communication Practices for Implementing ERP for a Large Transportation Agency

AbstractState transportation agencies have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) for real-time access to financial and human resource information across divisions and districts. In 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) started the transition of 22 mainframe and legacy applications to an enterprise-wide computing environment, comprised of four areas of business: payroll, human resources, supply chain, and finance. The fragmented nature of the organization, limited budget, and short time frame created various challenges. Using data collected though an organization-wide survey of employees and targeted follow-up interviews, this study identifies key change management and communication strategies adopted by TxDOT and lessons learned from the ERP implementation. Successful drivers include the unique makeup of the implementation team, top-management support, change management activities that promoted awareness, use of ambassadors to further break down the communication barrier, and measu...
Functional Scoring of the Binocular Visual Field

The pressing need for a way to evaluate total ‘binocular’ peripheral acuity has been pointed out by the International Council of Ophthalmology. It has set 1982 as a target date for its tentative adoption as an international standard. The present offering is an attempt to fill this need until a better method is devised.
Data Flow in the Ophidia System

This report introduces the data flow in the Ophidia framework, the model adopted to represent the datasets using XML documents and the operators provided by the framework to process and manage datasets. An example of data flow is also presented and described in detail. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea under the GEMINA project. To download the unabridged version of this research paper, please contact: giovanni.aloisio@cmcc.it.
The Case for Unregulated Truck Transportation

Data presently available suggest that the cost of transportation by unregulated agricultural trucking is significantly lower than costs of transporting commodities by trucks subject to the usual public utility type federal economic controls. This paper examines the reasons why costs are higher in regulated trucking, and explores the reasons why shippers and operators now not subject to federal transportation controls should wish to continue in this exempt status. This work is a part of a continuing examination of transportation policy alternatives available to the federal government now and in the future. Agricultural trucking, because of its economic importance and unique exempt status, provides suggestive material for future policy considerations in other transportation areas.
An automated electronic system for managing radiation treatment plan peer review reduces missed reviews at a large, high-volume academic center

Abstract Background Assuring quality in cancer care through peer review has become increasingly important in radiation oncology. In 2012, our department implemented an automated electronic system for managing radiation treatment plan peer review. The purpose of this study was to compare the overall impact of this electronic system to our previous manual, paper-based system. Methods and materials In an effort to improve management, an automated electronic system for case finding and documentation of review was developed and implemented. The rates of missed initial reviews, late reviews, and missed re-reviews were compared for the pre- versus postelectronic system cohorts using Pearson χ 2 test and relative risk. Major and minor changes or recommendations were documented and shared with the assigned clinical provider. Results The overall rate of missed reviews was 7.6% (38/500) before system implementation versus 0.4% (28/6985) under the electronic system ( P P = .034). Late reviews were more frequent during high travel or major holiday periods. Major changes were recommended in 2.2% and 2.8% in the pre- versus postelectronic systems, respectively. Minor changes were recommended in 5.3% of all postelectronic cases. Conclusions The implementation of an automated electronic system for managing peer review in a large, complex department was effective in significantly reducing the number of missed reviews and missed re-reviews when compared to our previous manual system.
Cognitive control of meal onset and meal size: Role of dorsal hippocampal-dependent episodic memory

There is a large gap in our understanding of how top-down cognitive processes, such as memory, influence energy intake. Similarly, there is limited knowledge regarding how the brain controls the timing of meals and meal frequency. Understanding how cognition influences ingestive behavior and how the brain controls meal frequency will provide a more complete explanation of the neural mechanisms that regulate energy intake and may also increase our knowledge of the factors that contribute to diet-induced obesity. We hypothesize that dorsal hippocampal neurons, which are critical for memory of personal experiences (i.e., episodic memory), form a memory of a meal, inhibit meal onset during the period following a meal, and limit the amount ingested at the next meal. In support, we describe evidence from human research suggesting that episodic memory of a meal inhibits intake and review data from human and non-human animals showing that impaired hippocampal function is associated with increased intake. We then describe evidence from our laboratory showing that inactivation of dorsal hippocampal neurons decreases the interval between sucrose meals and increases intake at the next meal. We also describe our evidence suggesting that sweet orosensation is sufficient to induce synaptic plasticity in dorsal hippocampal neurons and raise the possibility that impaired dorsal hippocampal function and episodic memory deficits contribute to the development and/or maintenance of diet-induced obesity. Finally, we raise some critical questions that need to be addressed in future research.
Intelligent dynamic diagnosis method and its application in identification of indicator diagram

Aiming at the pattern diagnosis problem of the indicator diagram for pumping wells,a dynamic diagnosis method based on process neural networks is presented in this paper.The inputs and connection weights of Process Neural Networks(PNN) can be time-varying functions.The process pattern characteristics of the set for time-varying functions can be extracted automatically by the learning of the sample set for functions,and the combination of several process pattern characteristics can generate the output types.The method on mechanism has good adaptability to solve classification problems of time-varying signals.Combined with gradient descent algorithm,a dynamic diagnosis model based on PNN is built and the learning algorithm based on function basis expansion is given,which are applied to identify the working states of the indicator diagram for the observed pumping wells and show good effects.
Resistance from relatives

Crops are made resistant to pathogens such as wheat stem rust, Asian soybean rust and potato late blight by methods to access the pool of resistance genes present in related plants.
Weathering the practitioner workforce shortage.

NC Med J May/June 2007, Volume 68, Number 3 rowth in the overall population, and particularly growth among older adult populations, will have significant implications for North Carolina’s health care system. The state’s population is expected to grow by 39% over the next 25 years (July 2005-2029). The population of older adults age 65 or older is expected to grow more quickly, by 107% during the same time period, and the cohort of adults age 75 or older will grow by 100%. On average, people make approximately 3 visits per year to a physician’s office or clinic. However, visit rates vary by age: in 2003, 25-34 year olds made 2.3 annual visits to a physician’s office or clinic, whereas 65-74 year olds made 6.2 visits and 75-84 year olds made 7.3 visits. In addition to rapid growth among older adult populations, North Carolina is experiencing growth in the number of people with chronic illnesses. These 3 factors—growth of the overall population, aging of the population, and increased prevalence of chronic illnesses—will create increased demand on the health care system. Within 25 years, the confluence of these factors will create a perfect storm of health care need. Absent any meaningful change in production or retention, the supply of health care practitioners will not grow sufficiently to meet this need. Physicians, physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) comprise the health care workforce needed to diagnose and treat individual patients. Having access to these practitioners contributes to the overall well-being of our population. While the exact relationship of overall practitioner supply to population health measures is disputed, specific contributions of physicians, PAs, NPs, and CNMs to individual health is not in doubt. The consequences of not being able to see health care practitioners when needed are clear. Studies have shown people with less access to medical care live shorter lives, with more disability and lower productivity. No one currently knows the optimal number of or type of practitioners needed to optimize population health. Yet, by Weathering the Practitioner Workforce Shortage
Digital Processing in Nuclear Medicine Imaging

This is the first in a series of four Continuing Education articles on computers. After studying this article, the reader should be able to: 1) understand the basic operations of image filtering; and 2) discuss the use and merits of a variety of filtering techniques and functional images.
Equipment and Process Condition Monitoring for Asset Management in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Small modular reactors (SMRs) belong to the category of nuclear power generating plants in the range 25–200 MW-electric. SMRs have in-vessel space constraints and limited number of reactor vessel penetrations. This warrants indirect approaches for certain measurements such as, for example, the coolant flow rate in the vessel. On-line monitoring of equipment and process condition is necessary to plan maintenance, equipment repair/replacement, and alternative operational strategy. The design of these systems for extended fuel cycles, to minimize forced outages, and to provide safe and reliable power generation require long-term asset management strategy. This is achieved by developing and implementing methods for equipment and process condition monitoring, diagnostics, and prognostics using plant dynamics, measurements, and operational knowledge of these integral systems.
Dynamic mechanical spectroscopy and aging in high molecular weight and crosslinked polyethylene cable insulation

Considerations of the ordered, or crystalline, domains have long dominated research to characterize and explain the properties of polyethylene. This perspective has naturally influenced conceptions about the material, the nomenclature used to describe it, and the techniques used to measure its properties.
Can MRI predict meningioma consistency?: a correlation with tumor pathology and systematic review

Tumor consistency is a critical factor that influences operative strategy and patient counseling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) describes the concentration of water within living tissues and as such, is hypothesized to predict aspects of their biomechanical behavior. In meningiomas, MRI signal intensity has been used to predict the consistency of the tumor and its histopathological subtype, though its predictive capacity is debated in the literature. We performed a systematic review of the PubMed database since 1990 concerning MRI appearance and tumor consistency to assess whether or not MRI can be used reliably to predict tumor firmness. The inclusion criteria were case series and clinical studies that described attempts to correlate preoperative MRI findings with tumor consistency. The relationship between the pre-operative imaging characteristics, intraoperative findings, and World Health Organization (WHO) histopathological subtype is described. While T2 signal intensity and MR elastography provide a useful predictive measure of tumor consistency, other techniques have not been validated. T1-weighted imaging was not found to offer any diagnostic or predictive value. A quantitative assessment of T2 signal intensity more reliably predicts consistency than inherently variable qualitative analyses. Preoperative knowledge of tumor firmness affords the neurosurgeon substantial benefit when planning surgical techniques. Based upon our review of the literature, we currently recommend the use of T2-weighted MRI for predicting consistency, which has been shown to correlate well with analysis of tumor histological subtype. Development of standard measures of tumor consistency, standard MRI quantification metrics, and further exploration of MRI technique may improve the predictive ability of neuroimaging for meningiomas.
Asymmetric flavone-based liquid crystals: synthesis and properties

ABSTRACTA series of flavones (n-F) substituted at the 4′, and 6 positions was prepared, characterised by NMR (1H,13C), HRMS, and studied for liquid crystal properties. The 4′-alkoxy,6-methoxyflavones (4-F–16-F) exhibit varying ranges of nematic and smectic A phases as evidenced by polarised optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As the tail length is increased, the smectic phase becomes more prevalent. Smectic phases for (8-F–16-F) were further analysed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the rate of structural transformations was explored by combined DSC/XRD studies. Flavonol 6-F–OH was also prepared but no mesogenic behaviour was observed. The molecular structures of 6-F and 6-F–OH were determined by single-crystal XRD and help to explain the differences in material properties. Additionally, fluorescence and electrochemical studies were conducted on solutions of n-F.
Myoglobin Regulates the Function of the E3 Ligase Parkin to Modulate Mitochondrial Fusion and Decrease Breast Cancer Tumor Progression

In skeletal and cardiac muscles the monomeric heme protein myoglobin is known to modulate cellular oxygen and nitric oxide gradients to regulate hypoxic mitochondrial respiration. Recently, myoglobin has also been shown to be aberrantly expressed in breast cancer tumors and this expression is associated with better patient prognosis. Even though the underlying protective mechanism of myoglobin in breast cancer cells has not yet been elucidated, regulation of mitochondrial function has been implicated. Mitochondrial dynamics play a role in modulating cell cycle progression with prolonged mitochondrial fusion causing cell cycle arrest. Given that dysregulated and rapid cell proliferation is central to cancer pathogenesis, we hypothesized that myoglobin expression induces mitochondrial fusion to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and attenuate tumor growth. In this study, we use MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells to show that stable expression of human myoglobin significantly decreases cellular proliferation. This decreased proliferation is associated with markers of cell cycle arrest and caused by increased expression of mitofusin-1, a major inducer of mitochondrial fusion. In vivo experiments in a murine xenograft model utilizing MDA-MB231 cells expressing myoglobin demonstrate that tumor volume and weight trend lower in myoglobin expressing tumors compared to non-expressing tumors, and this is concomitant with an increase in mitochondrial fusion and cell cycle arrest markers. Ongoing studies are determining the mechanism by which myoglobin regulates the expression of mitofusin-1. The role of myoglobin as a catalyst of reactive oxygen species generation is being explored. Preliminary experiments suggest myoglobin dependent oxidation and decreased expression of the ubiquitin ligase parkin functions to mark mitofusin-1 for proteosomal degradation. These data suggest a novel role for myoglobin as a modulator of mitochondrial dynamics, cell proliferation, and tumor growth.
On the Differentiation Formulae for Sine, Tangent, and Inverse Tangent

SummaryWe prove the derivative formula for sine via a geometric argument and the symmetric derivative, and then use similar techniques for tangent and inverse tangent.
Temporal Artery Biopsy

Giant cell arteritis (also known as temporal arteritis) is a condition that causes a granulomatous inflammation of medium to large-sized arteries. Patients most commonly present to the ophthalmologist due to acute or subacute vision loss often with headache. The vision loss occurs due to an ischemic optic neuropathy. The gold standard for diagnosis is a pathologic specimen showing the classic histological findings within the artery wall (transmural inflammatory infiltrate, giant cells, fragmented internal elastic lamina). The superficial temporal artery is the most common vessel affected and since it is surgically accessible it is frequently targeted for diagnostic purposes. A large specimen, generally 2–3 cm, should be obtained. Patients should have been evaluated and deemed appropriate for such surgical intervention. Patients should have been educated about the risks and benefits of the procedure, including alternatives.
Transport of road salt contamination in karst aquifers and soils over multiple timescales

Road deicing has caused widespread environmental Na+ and Cl− release for decades, yet the transport and retention of these contaminants in karst aquifers and soils are poorly understood. We examined the transport dynamics of Na+ and Cl− from road salt in shallow groundwater during flooding and over seasonal timescales by intensively monitoring an urban and a rural karst spring over approximately 2 years. Furthermore, we used a 20-year dataset for the rural spring to determine how salt retention affected long-term geochemical trends in the shallow groundwater. Salt transport was governed by hydrologic pathways through karst aquifers: during winter and early spring floods, flow through preferential pathways rapidly transported salty meltwater or stormwater over hours to days, while the remaining salt-contaminated water moved diffusely through the rock matrix on timescales of months to years. Flood hydrograph separations revealed that event water constituted 61.2% of stormflow on average at the urban spring, leading to more extreme variability in salt concentrations during flooding and throughout the year. This variability indicates that baseflow contributions to urban streams overlying karst aquifers with preferential flowpaths are likely less effective at buffering salt concentrations. In contrast, salt concentrations were less variable in the baseflow-dominated rural spring (28.7% event water). Furthermore, salt was episodically released from soils to shallow groundwater throughout the year during first flush events. A Cl− mass balance indicates that Cl− applied during previous winters persists within the springs' recharge basins for more than a year, raising baseline concentrations as road salt is introduced faster than it can be flushed from the basin. Inter-annual salt retention by soils or slow groundwater movement likely caused significant Cl− and specific conductivity (SpC) increases at the rural spring from 1996 to 2016. Accumulation of salt in shallow groundwater can elevate baseflow concentrations in surface waters, where it threatens aquatic organisms.
Building the Rainbow Nation

South Africa is a country that has gone through significant changes since 1994. The new government, led by the ANC, set out to transform the country. This chapter looks at the key initiatives that new government undertook to rebuild the country: the writing of a new constitution, the development of macroeconomic growth and development policies, the dismantling and restructuring of the higher education system, and the building of a national framework for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Slaying little dragons: lessons from the dracunculiasis eradication program.

The word dracunculiasis comes from the Latin phrase “afflicted with little dragons.” The global Dracunculiasis Eradication Program (DEP) spearheaded by President Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center has quietly “inched” towards world eradication with stunning success, as shown in Figure 1. In the midst of huge publicity and monies going into such global health campaigns as polio eradication, malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus control, global guinea worm eradication is occurring without vaccine or curative therapy. As illustrated in this issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the DEP has implemented grass-root innovative public health initiatives in Uganda with the help of multiple external donors. Despite civil strife, arguments about vertical or horizontal implementation strategies, migrating infected refugees, and egregious safety insecurities, the Uganda eradication effort succeeded and thus has much to teach us about tenacity, flexibility, and cooperative innovative strategies within infected communities. Dracunculiasis or guinea worm disease is transmitted to humans in contaminated drinking water containing copepods (water fleas) that are infected with the larvae of the worm. The larvae are expelled into the water by adult worms that emerge through the skin of infected people approximately one year after infection. Emergence of the adult worm is painful, disabling, and incapacitates individuals often during prime working periods for 2–3 months. Humans are the only reservoir and there is no effective treatment or vaccine. Infection is prevented by educating people to filter their drinking water through finely woven cloth to remove copepods by using temephos (Abate ; American Cyanamid, Wayne, NJ) larvicide in water supplies to kill copepods and larva or by providing clean drinking water from safe sources such as hand dug wells or borehole wells. As described by Rivakimari and others, women are often the predominant victims presumably (although not studied well) as a consequence of their role as the main gatherers of household water supplies where opportunities for drinking from contaminated sites is enhanced. In Uganda, a unique coalition of public and private sectors spearheaded by The Carter Center came together to provide ongoing operational support, filtering cloths, larvicides, and borehole wells. A national task force met monthly and cadres from ministries, non-government organizations, political leaders, religious and traditional leaders, and village volunteers all worked on empowering individual and community participation in the eradication campaign. When the usual measures of containment hit an impasse, unusual measures were taken such as employing elderly men “Pond Care Takers” to guard ponds against contamination by people with emerging worms. Water sources (to control access) were then watched over and * Address correspondence to Michele Barry, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT, E-mail: michele.barry@yale.edu
Stability of Positive Fixed Points of Nonlinear Operators

This paper considers the stability of positive fixed points of nonlinear operators under purturbations. Through the use of the Thompson's metric, we obtain the results in ordered Banach spaces by proving the corresponding results in metric spaces first. An application to the existence of periodic solutions for a parametrized system of ordinary differential equations is given.
How Do You Adapt Your Plans For a Nursing Career When the Unexpected Occurs

I graduated nursing school seven months pregnant in November 2015. My plans were to take the NCLEX immediately, give birth, take three months to adjust, and begin my nursing career in a glamorous emergency department position by the spring. Fast forward to January 2016. My family lost three members in a car accident and my daughter was born high-needs, requiring multiple hospitalizations. Although she and my family needed me, I was anxious about taking too much time off after nursing school, which could delay my career advancement. .
Points de sensorium, the stank, and the communication of bullshit

ABSTRACTRhetorical scholarship has recently made significant contributions to an emerging “meta-field” that we might loosely call “shit studies.” In this essay, we review scholarship pertaining to the study of “shit” in communication. Specifically, we review current trends in the theoretical orientation of shit studies by advancing the ideas of points de sensorium and/as the stank of rhetoric. Drawing on theories of the point de capiton (quilting point), we are able to note some commonalities in the study of shit in communication scholarship. The stank and the points de sensorium speak to a theorization of affect and bullshit-texts.
Assessment for Faculty Advising: Beyond the Service Component.

The faculty plays a critical role in the academic advising process in higher education settings. On the basis of a review of current literature on faculty advising, we propose a paradigm shift from...
The Importance of Counseling Self-efficacy: Physiologic Stress in Student Helpers

This study tested whether high counseling self-efficacy was associated with less physiologic stress for student helpers facing difficult helping situations. A total of 225 students completed a coun...
Using Dispositions in the EdD Admissions Process: A Perceptual Approach

This article describes the theoretical basis, rationale, and pragmatic considerations for intentionally assessing specific dispositions in the admission process for educational leaders in a selective, practitioner/scholar EdD program at a regional, comprehensive university. The goal of the admissions process is to select and admit experienced leaders with the high potential to become transformational leaders who move people, organizations, and their broader communities to increasing levels of excellence. This, we believe, can be accomplished by making dispositions one of the selection criteria in the admission of candidates as well as intentionally enhancing dispositional growth throughout the program. Five areas are addressed herein: (a) defining dispositions, (b) assessing dispositions, (c) using dispositions as admission criteria, (d) preliminary findings in using the model with doctoral candidates, and (e) correlations with perceived effectiveness of doctoral candidates as leaders. The data presented validates the efficacy of using dispositional measures in program admission decisions.
What Is Keeping You Up At Night? A Discussion of Current Hot Topics in Collection Development

In this interactive lunch discussion, participants discussed the top issues in collection development that kept them up at night. Unlike the collection development issues included in the ARL “Issue Brief: 21st-Century Collections,” released in May 2012, these participants talked about very local and immediate issues as compared to the strategic issues listed in the ARL document. The collection development issues that were discussed can be grouped into several broad categories: budget, discovery tools, collection management, and media collections. Lively Lunch Discussion The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) recently released an “Issue Brief” on 21st-century collections. Using it as a starting discussion point, the objective of this Lively Lunch was to explore to what extent these strategic issues were being addressed by collection development librarians locally, or whether other issues were of greater concern. Combining responses from the conference session with responses to a follow-up survey collected after the conference, it is evident that for the collection development librarians who participated in this particular Lively Lunch discussion, local issues took precedent over the ARL strategic issues. The ARL Issue Brief outlined four strategic initiatives as the key issues in 21 century collection development: Content (Scope, Complexity, and Priorities): Libraries have to address not only the availability of new products and processes (including those with interactive functionalities), but also how to increase access to unique local assets and expanding access to digital governmental data. Infrastructure (Access, Preservation, Collection
Cell differentiation antigens versus tumor-related antigens in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Clinical significance of leukemia markers.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common malignancy of childhood. In spite of recent advances in treatment, about half of children with ALL become refractory to treatment. A current challenge is to define the differences between poor and good re-ponders and to develop different modalities of treatment for children with a high risk for relapse. In order to understand the interactions between tumor and host cells that might influence these differential responses we have concentrated our investigations on the cell surface characteristics of bone marrow lymphoblasts from children with ALL.
Medical Crisis Counseling on a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Case Examples and Clinical Utility

The intensive care unit is one of the most stressful and demanding work sites of the pediatric psychologist. The rapid changes in health status that necessitate stays on the intensive care unit often constitute an emotional roller coaster ride for both family members and the staff caring for their child. The Medical Crisis Counseling (MCC) intervention model is a useful approach to providing psychological support in the pediatric intensive care setting. A representative year's worth of consultation requests from the multidisciplinary intensive care unit of a large urban pediatric hospital is described and discussed in the context of the MCC model.
Clinical factors associated with successful meniscal root repairs: A systematic review.

Abstract Purpose To systematically review the literature to determine what clinical factors influence patient outcomes after meniscal root repairs. Methods A systematic review of multiple databases was performed. The inclusion criteria included English language, studies evaluating clinical and/or radiographic factors related to meniscal root repair outcomes, medial or lateral posterior root repairs, and human studies. The exclusion criteria included meniscectomy studies, meniscal body studies, technique descriptions, studies reporting only failure rate of meniscal repairs, multiligament repairs, abstracts, controlled laboratory studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. Results Five studies were included for final analysis including four case series and one retrospective cohort study. A total of 178 patients in the five studies underwent posterior meniscal root repair (179 knees total). The mean age was 51.4 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 34.5 months. The mean Moga quality rating for case series studies was 15 points (83.3%) and NOS score for the retrospective comparative study was 8. Body mass index (BMI) was not associated with outcomes in 3/3 studies assessing BMI. Increased age was associated with worse outcome in 1/5 studies and had no association in 4/5 studies. Knee varus > 5° was associated with worse outcomes in 3/3 studies. Conclusions Risk factors for poor clinical outcomes after posterior meniscal root repair include pre-existing high-grade (Outerbridge grade ≥ 3) chondral lesions and severe varus knee alignment (> 5°) for medial root repairs. Level of evidence IV, systematic review.
Prediction of Spread and Regional Development of Hop Powdery Mildew: A Network Analysis

Dispersal is a fundamental aspect of epidemic development at multiple spatial scales, including those that extend beyond the borders of individual fields and to the landscape level. In this research, we used the powdery mildew of the hop pathosystem (caused by Podosphaera macularis) to formulate a model of pathogen dispersal during spring (May to June) and early summer (June to July) at the intermediate scale between synoptic weather systems and microclimate (mesoscale) based on a census of commercial hop yards during 2014 to 2017 in a production region in western Oregon. This pathosystem is characterized by a low level of overwintering of the pathogen as a result of absence of the ascigerious stage of the fungus and consequent annual cycles of localized survival via bud perennation and pathogen spread by windborne dispersal. An individual hop yard was considered a node in the model, whose disease status in a given month was expressed as a nonlinear function of disease incidence in the preceding month, susceptibility to two races of the fungus, and disease spread from other nodes as influenced by their disease incidence, area, distance away, and wind run and direction in the preceding month. Parameters were estimated by maximum likelihood over all 4 years but were allowed to vary for time transition periods from May to June and from June to July. The model accounted for 34 to 90% of the observed variation in disease incidence at the field level, depending on the year and season. Network graphs and analyses suggest that dispersal was dominated by relatively localized dispersal events (<2 km) among the network of fields, being mostly restricted to the same or adjacent farms. When formed, predicted disease attributable to dispersal from other hop yards (edges) associated with longer distance dispersal was more frequent in the June to July time transition. Edges with a high probability of disease transmission were formed in instances where yards were in close proximity or where disease incidence was relatively high in large hop yards, as moderated by wind run. The modeling approach provides a flexible and generalizable framework for understanding and predicting pathogen dispersal at the regional level as well as the implications of network connectivity on epidemic development.
Representation of $\frac{1}{2}(F_n-1)(F_{n+1}-1)$ and $\frac{1}{2}(F_n-1)(F_{n+2}-1)$

Let $a, b\in \mathbb{N}$ be relatively prime. We consider $(a-1)(b-1)/2$, which arises in the study of the $pq$-th cyclotomic polynomial, where $p,q$ are distinct primes. We prove two possible representations of $(a-1)(b-1)/2$ as nonnegative, integral linear combinations of $a$ and $b$. Surprisingly, for each pair $(a,b)$, only one of the two representations exists and the representation is also unique. We then investigate the representations of $(F_n-1)(F_{n+1}-1)/2$ and $(F_n-1)(F_{n+2}-1)/2$, where $F_i$ is the $i^{th}$ Fibonacci number, and observe several nice patterns.
The effect of polyphenol-rich chardonnay seed supplements on peripheral endothelial function.

Peripheral endothelial dysfunction (PED) is associated with major adverse cardiovascular events. Similar to cardio-protective Mediterranean diet, Chardonnay seeds are rich in polyphenols, fibers, and grape seed oil. In this randomized double-blinded trial, we investigated safety and incremental benefit of Chardonnay seed polyphenols-rich (PR), compared to polyphenols-free (PF), supplements on PED. 89 patients with PED [reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) index ≤ 2) were randomized 1:1 to 4.8 g (6 capsules)/day PR or PF for 4 months. PR and PF capsules had equal amounts of seed oil (~ 7% capsule weight), fibers, and carbohydrates, but only PR capsules contained polyphenols (~ 11% capsule weight). Baseline and follow-up RH-PAT indices (primary endpoint) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) levels were measured. Patients were asked to maintain their regular diet and exercise habits during study period. Baseline RH-PAT indices, demographics, lab values, and EPC levels were similar between groups. No significant adverse reactions to PR or PF were reported. Follow-up RH-PAT indices significantly increased (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) in both groups to similar extent (31 ± 39% PR vs. 49 ± 53% PF, p = 0.09). Circulating CD34 + EPCs equally increased (median + 55% vs. + 54%, p = 0.94) in PR and PF groups, respectively. PR and PF Chardonnay seed supplements were safe and improved peripheral endothelial function to similar extent in PED patients. However, there were no incremental benefits of PR over PF on RH-PAT indices or CD34 + EPC levels. Chardonnay seed supplements role in primary prevention of atherosclerosis, as add-on to healthy lifestyle and guidelines directed medical therapy, should be further explored. NCT02093455
On the Uncertainty of High-Resolution Hourly Quantitative Precipitation Estimates in California

AbstractThe Bay Area of California and surrounding region receives much of its annual precipitation during the October–March wet season, when atmospheric river events bring periods of heavy rain th...
Mobility characteristics of debris slides and flows triggered by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

Mobility is an important element of landslide hazard and risk assessments yet has been seldom studied for shallow landslides and debris flows in tropical environments. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria triggered > 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico. Using aerial imagery and a lidar digital elevation model (DEM), we mapped and characterized the mobility of debris slides and flows in four different geologic materials: (1) mudstone, siltstone, and sandstone; (2) submarine basalt and chert; (3) marine volcaniclastics; and (4) granodiorite. We used the ratio of landslide-fall height (H) to travel length (L), H/L, to assess the mobility of landslides in each material. Additionally, we differentiated between landslides with single and multiple source areas and landslides that either did or did not enter drainages. Overall, extreme rainfall contributed to the mobility of landslides during Hurricane Maria, and our results showed that the mobility of debris slides and flows in Puerto Rico increased linearly as a function of the number of source areas that coalesced. Additionally, landslides that entered drainages were more mobile than those that did not. We found that landslides in soils developed on marine volcaniclastics were the most mobile and landslides in soils on submarine basalt and chert were the least mobile. While landslides were generally small (< 100 m2) and displayed a wide range of H/L values (0.1–2), coalescence increased the mobility of landslides that transitioned to debris flows. The high but variable mobility of landslides that occurred during Hurricane Maria and the associated hazards highlight the importance of characterizing and understanding the factors influencing landslide mobility in Puerto Rico and other tropical environments.
African American Parents' Involvement in Their Children's Special Education Programs.

We examined the empirical literature dating from 1979 to 2002 on the involvement of parents of African American students with special needs in their children's schooling. The purpose was to determine (a) the quantity of empirical studies on this topic, (b) the overall quality and form of this research, (c) specific outcomes of the studies, and (d) efforts by researchers and/or schools to improve any of these factors. Findings suggest the lack of a substantive body of empirical work in this area and insufficient reporting of critical information such as a sample selection, data collection, and data-analysis procedures. A substantial increase in the number of studies published within the last decade indicates that schools and researchers are beginning to acknowledge the need for further investigations in this area.
Effects of a Community-Based Intervention on BMI Trends in a Preschool Population: The Food and Fitness Initiative

Background: Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States, affecting 13.9% of preschool-aged children. Most pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to obesity are introduced in early childhood, making this a critical period to consider. The Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) is a community-based wellness program that focuses on healthy eating and physical activity, implemented in Northeast Iowa. A previous study showed that FFI lowered the rate of increase of body mass index (BMI) levels in school-aged children exposed to the initiative. Our aim is to describe the impact on BMI after implementing …
Evolving Exhibits: Struggles Over Public Memory in Developing “The Willowbrook Mile”:

In 2016, the College of Staten Island held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Willowbrook Mile, a walking path across the campuses of the college and the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabil...
Nodular fasciitis of the breast: clinicopathologic and molecular characterization with identification of novel USP6 fusion partners.

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, self-limited, pseudosarcomatous neoplasm that can mimic malignancy due to its rapid growth, cellularity, and mitotic activity. Involvement of the breast is rare and diagnosis on biopsy can be challenging. In this largest series to date, we examined the clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of 12 cases of nodular fasciitis involving the breast/axilla. All patients were female, with a median age of 32 years (range 15-61). The lesions were 0.4 to 5.8 cm in size (median 0.8). All cases presented as palpable masses, and two patients had overlying skin retraction. Microscopically, lesions were relatively well-circumscribed nodular masses of bland myofibroblastic spindle cells within a variably myxoid stroma. Infiltrative growth into adipose tissue or breast epithelium was frequent. Mitotic figures were present in all cases, ranging from 1 to 12 per 10 high-power fields (median 3). Immunohistochemically, all cases expressed smooth muscle actin and were negative for pan-cytokeratin, p63, desmin, CD34, and nuclear beta-catenin. Targeted RNA sequencing performed on 11 cases identified USP6 gene fusions in eight; one additional case was positive by break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization. The common MYH9-USP6 rearrangement was detected in four cases; another case had a rare alternative fusion with CTNNB1. Three cases harbored novel USP6 gene fusions involving NACA, SLFN11, or LDHA. All fusions juxtaposed the promoter region of the 5' partner gene with the full-length coding sequence of USP6. Outcome data were available for eight patients; none developed recurrence or metastasis. Five patients elected for observation without immediate excision, and self-resolution of the lesions was reported in three cases. Albeit uncommon, nodular fasciitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of breast spindle cell lesions. A broad immunohistochemical panel to exclude histologic mimics, including metaplastic carcinoma, is important. Confirmatory detection of USP6 rearrangements can aid in classification, with potential therapeutic implications.
Crisis communication: The mediating role of cognitive and affective empathy in the relationship between crisis type and crisis response strategy on post-crisis reputation and forgiveness

Abstract This study seeks to contribute to the growing body of research in crisis communication by exploring how two types of empathy; cognitive empathy and affective empathy, affect organizational reputation and publics’ forgiveness for an organization that is in a crisis. An online three (crisis type: victim vs. accidental vs. preventable) × two (response strategy: rebuilding vs. denial) between-subjects experiment was conducted with 648 participants (N = 648) recruited through Amazon’s research tool MTurk. The results of the study reveal that crisis type affects both cognitive and affective empathy and people are more likely to feel empathetic toward an organization that uses rebuilding strategies than an organization that denies the existence of a crisis. Theoretical and practical implications of empathy on corporate reputation and forgiveness are discussed.
Exploration of the Catalytic and Kinetic Mechanism of ATP Hydrolysis by Bacteriophage T4 Rad50

DNA double-strand breaks are among the most harmful forms of DNA damage and unless correctly repaired they may lead to the development of cancer. A well-conserved protein complex, Mre11/Rad50, play...
Intelligent Control Using Active-Adaptive Information Sources

In this paper, we report preliminary results of a framework within which to view intelligent controllers. Our premise is that an intelligent control system differs from a traditional control approach primarily in its usage of information. Unlike a traditional feedback control system, an intelligent controller uses a variety of information sources in a flexible form which are updated on-line as and when necessary. Motivated by the human decision process which activates various new information sources on-line in order to resolve difficult and confusing situations, we propose a framework wherein the controller can update the vector information sources based on knowledge and experience gained on-line, even as the system is in operation, and appropriately reorganize the control structure automatically. In particular, we shall focus on the contigency situations, examine candidates for contingent variables that needed to be added to the existing outputs, and propose a measure of persistent excitation to evaluate the information content of each contingent variable.
Follicular fluid insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 and -3 vary as a function of ovarian reserve and ovarian stimulation.

Purpose:Follicular fluid concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, IGF-binding protein (BP)-1, and IGFBP-3 in 57 women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer were examined to determine whether levels reflected differences in patients' exposure to gonadotropin stimulation and a diminished ovarian reserve. Methods:Preovulatory follicular fluid was obtained from both gonadotropin-stimulated and unstimulated cycles. Subjects were grouped according to normal or decreased ovarian reserve and whether or not they received gonadotropin stimulation. Results:The mean follicular fluid concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 were significantly lower in the “decreased” ovarian reserve group compared with the “normal” ovarian reserve group, with no change in estradiol or IGF-II levels. This resulted in a decreased molar IGF-I: BP ratio and an increased molar IGF-II:IGFBP-1 ratio. In unstimulated cycles, mean follicular fluid concentrations of IGFs did not differ significantly compared with those in stimulated cycles, whereas concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 were significantly lower, leading to higher molar ratios of the IGFs to the binding proteins. Conclusions:Follicular fluid IGF and binding proteins vary as a function of ovarian reserve and gonadotropin stimulation. This may reflect either differences in oocyte quality or a suboptimal follicular fluid environment.
Physical, Unconscious, and Non-physical Factors of Attraction

Attraction is defined in many ways, and there is general idea that men and women have particular preferences in mates regarding physical attractiveness. Studies have found that physically, men prefer women with both a small waist and hips, and women prefer men with taller and more brawny bodies than themselves. However, there are unconscious factors, such as assessing a human leukocyte antigen complex through sense of smell, which many are not aware of. The most influential factor on attractiveness ratings is personality; while many are aware of their preference for a particular personality, it is less apparent than physical attractiveness preferences. Various assessments, physical, unconscious, and non-physical, form the foundation for ratings of interpersonal attraction.