cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compartmental Analysis of Amine Storage in Bovine Adrenal Medullary Granules

The efflux of 14C-epinephrine from isolated bovine adrenal medullary granules was determined in order to study the storage and distribution of newly incorporated amines. After the granules had been labeled, the efflux of endogenous and 14C-epinephrine was measured for 1 hr at 37°. The efflux of 14C-epinephrine was biphasic: a period of fast efflux (25% of the 14C-epinephrine, t1/2 = 5 min) was followed by a period of slow efflux (75%, t1/2 = 2-3 hr). There appeared to be no exchange of 14C-epinephrine between the two efflux pools, suggesting that these might represent two populations of granules. By appropriate treatment, each pool could be preferentially loaded with 14C-epinephrine without altering its t1/2. The presence of reserpine (50 µM) or N-ethylmaleimide (150 µM), during loading, the absence of ATP and MgCl2, and the use of higher epinephrine concentrations or shorter incubation times all increased the percentage of catecholamine in the rapidly releasing pool and decreased its proportion in the slowly releasing pool. The net uptake of epinephrine was reduced in both pools when ATP-Mg2+-stimulated amine uptake was blocked. These observations suggest that epinephrine is taken up into two pools, one having a slower release rate than the other, a greater dependence on ATP-Mg2+-stimulated uptake, and a greater storage capacity. The effluxes of 3H-octopamine and 3H-metaraminol were biphasic, but differed from 14C-epinephrine in distribution and in the half-life of the slow phase: 32% of the 3H-octopamine was released with t1/2 = 5 min, and 68% with t1/2 = 50 min; 64% of the 3H-metaraminol was released with t1/2 = 6 min, and 36% with t1/2 = 37 min.
Vibriosis, not cholera: toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-O1, non-O139 infections in the United States, 1984–2014

Toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 have caused cholera epidemics, but other serogroups – such as O75 or O141 – can also produce cholera toxin and cause severe watery diarrhoea similar to cholera. We describe 31 years of surveillance for toxigenic non-O1, non-O139 infections in the United States and map these infections to the state where the exposure probably originated. While serogroups O75 and O141 are closely related pathogens, they differ in how and where they infect people. Oysters were the main vehicle for O75 infection. The vehicles for O141 infection include oysters, clams, and freshwater in lakes and rivers. The patients infected with serogroup O75 who had food traceback information available ate raw oysters from Florida. Patients infected with O141 ate oysters from Florida and clams from New Jersey, and those who only reported being exposed to freshwater were exposed in Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas. Improving the safety of oysters, specifically, should help prevent future illnesses from these toxigenic strains and similar pathogenic Vibrio species. Post-harvest processing of raw oysters, such as individual quick freezing, heat-cool pasteurization, and high hydrostatic pressurization, should be considered.
Waves and Sensory Perception

Introduction to various physiological and psychological aspects of visual perception, where the concept of symmetry plays a significant role. Discussion of illusions and the result of representations that are visually confounding due to certain specific features.
High Temperature Quadrature Amplitude Modulation over Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

As downhole tools advance, they require increasingly higher data rates in communication with the surface. Current data rates over HT single-conductor wireline are limited to approximately 200 kbps. Long cables and harsh environments create a limiting challenge to standard serial bit rates due to high cable impedance and component availability. Keying techniques are often used to improve the robustness and speed of data links over long cables. Frequency shift keying (FSK) is a common implementation where data is encoded by specific frequencies on the data line. Amplitude shift keying (ASK) and phase shift keying (PSK) work on similar principles. In this project we apply quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), a combination of PSK and ASK, and carry it over multiple frequency channels simultaneously using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). QAM over OFDM is a digital communications technique similar to those used in the telecommunications industry for digital subscriber line (DSL) connections ...
What proportion of international travellers acquire a travel-related illness? A review of the literature.

Introduction As international travel increases, travellers may be at increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases not endemic in their home countries. Many journal articles and reference books related to travel medicine cite that between 22-64% of international travellers become ill during or after travel; however, this information is minimal, outdated and limited by poor generalizability. We aim to provide a current and more accurate estimate of the proportion of international travellers who acquire a travel-related illness. Methods We identified studies via PubMed or travel medicine experts, published between January 1, 1976-December 31, 2016 that included the number of international travellers acquiring a travel-related illness. We excluded studies that focused on a single disease or did not determine a rate based on the total number of travellers. We abstracted information on traveller demographics, trip specifics, study enrollment and follow-up and number of ill travellers and their illnesses. Results Of 743 studies, nine met the inclusion criteria. The data sources were from North America (four studies) and Europe (five studies). Most travellers were tourists, the most frequent destination regions were Asia and Africa, and the median trip duration ranged from 8-21 days. Six studies enrolled participants at the travellers' pre-travel consultation. All studies collected data through either extraction from the medical record, weekly diaries, or pre- and post-travel questionnaires. Data collection timeframes varied by study. Between 6-87% of travellers became ill across all studies. Four studies provided the best estimate: between 43-79% of travellers who frequently visited developing nations (e.g. India, Tanzania, and Kenya) became ill; travellers most frequently reported diarrhoea. Conclusion This is the most comprehensive assessment available on the proportion of international travellers that develop a travel-related illness. Additional cohort studies would provide needed data to more precisely determine the rates of illness in international travellers. Keywords International travel, travel, illness.
The Thioredoxin Reductase-1 Inhibitor Aurothioglucose Enhances Glutathione-dependent Antioxidant Responses in a Murine Model of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Introduction Therapeutic oxygen contributes to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) inhibitor aurothioglucose (ATG) is protective in our murine BPD model. Improved lung structure in ATG-treated newborn mice was associated with enhanced nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation. TrxR1 inhibitors also enhance glutathione (GSH) levels in models of acute lung injury. Hypothesis The present studies tested the hypothesis that ATG enhances GSH-mediated antioxidant defenses in neonatal lungs. Methods Newborn C3H/HeN mice were dosed with 25mg/kg ATG or saline (SA) i.p. within 12 h of birth and exposed to room air (RA) or hyperoxia (HO, 85% O2). Lung glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic (Gclc) and modifier (Gclm) subunit levels were assessed by qRT-PCR. Total and oxidized GSH (GSSG) levels were determined by Tietze recycling assay. Data (n=3-6) were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc. Results At 24 h, Gclm levels were not different between groups. Gclc levels were 2-fold greater in HO:ATG vs RA:SA (p=0.0456). By 72 h, independent effects of ATG and hyperoxia were detected for Gclm and Gclc. Gclm levels were 1.6-fold higher in HO:ATG vs RA:SA (p=0.0016) and Gclc levels were 2.4 fold greater in HO:ATG vs RA:SA (p=0.0182). At 72 h, total GSH was 1.3 fold greater in HO:SA (p=0.0206) and 1.7 fold greater in HO:ATG (p=0.0002) vs RA:SA. Total GSH levels in HO:ATG lungs were 1.3 fold higher than RA:ATG (p Conclusions In HO-exposed newborn pups, ATG enhanced Gclm, Gclc and lung GSH levels. Given the importance of GSH-mediated antioxidant responses in protection against HO, we speculate that enhanced de novo GSH synthesis may be a mechanism by which ATG improves lung development in our model. TrxR1 inhibitors such as ATG, which increase Nrf2-dependent responses and enhance GSH-mediated antioxidant responses, may represent a novel therapy to decrease BPD development.
Seeing molecular vibrations: chemical imaging for biomedicine (Conference Presentation)

Innovations in light microscopy have tremendously revolutionized the way researchers study biological systems. Although fluorescence microscopy is currently the method of choice for cellular imaging, it faces fundamental limitations such as the bulky fluorescent tags and limited multiplexing ability in the era of “omics”. Here I will present two chemical imaging strategies, respectively. First, we devised a live-cell Bioorthogonal Chemical Imaging platform suited for probing the dynamics of small bio-molecules, which cannot be effectively labeled by bulky fluorophores. This scheme couples the emerging stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with tiny and Raman-active vibrational probes (e.g., alkynes, nitriles and stable isotopes including 2H and 13C). Exciting biomedical applications such as imaging fatty acid metabolism related to lipotoxicity, glucose uptake and metabolism, drug trafficking, protein synthesis in brain, DNA replication, protein degradation, RNA synthesis and tumor metabolism will be presented. Second, we invented a super-multiplex optical imaging technique. We developed electronic pre-resonance stimulated Raman scattering (epr-SRS) microscopy, achieving exquisite vibrational selectivity with high versatility and sensitivity. Chemically, we created a unique vibrational palette consisting of novel dyes bearing conjugated and isotopically-edited triple bonds, each displaying a single epr-SRS peak in the cell-silent spectra window. Up to 24 resolvable colors are currently achieved with great potential for further expansion. Using this approach, we monitored DNA and protein metabolism in neuronal co-cultures and brain tissues. This super-multiplex optical imaging approach promises to facilitate untangling the intricate interactions in complex biological systems, and can also find broad applications in photonics and biotechnology in general.
How do we choose the best model? The impact of cross-validation design on model evaluation for buried threat detection in ground penetrating radar

A great deal of research has been focused on the development of computer algorithms for buried threat detection (BTD) in ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Most recently proposed BTD algorithms are supervised, and therefore they employ machine learning models that infer their parameters using training data. Cross-validation (CV) is a popular method for evaluating the performance of such algorithms, in which the available data is systematically split into disjoint subsets, and an algorithm is repeatedly trained on −1 subsets and tested on the excluded subset. There are several common types of CV in BTD, which vary principally upon the spatial criterion used to partition the data: site-based, lane-based, region-based, etc. The performance metrics obtained via CV are often used to suggest the superiority of one model over others, however, most studies utilize just one type of CV, and the impact of this choice is unclear. Here we employ several types of CV to evaluate algorithms from a recent large-scale BTD study. The results indicate that the rank-order of the performance of the algorithms varies substantially depending upon which type of CV is used. For example, the rank-1 algorithm for region-based CV is the lowest ranked algorithm for site-based CV. This suggests that any algorithm results should be interpreted carefully with respect to the type of CV employed. We discuss some potential interpretations of performance, given a particular type of CV.
Multimodal Level of Service Methodologies: Evaluation of the Multimodal Performance of Arterial Corridors

The principal objective of this research is to evaluate the multimodal performance of arterial corridors using currently available multimodal level of service (MMLOS) methodologies. Eight different...
Antibody Protection and Therapy for West Nile Virus Infections

Although West Nile virus (WNV) vaccines are currently under development, an approved WNV vaccine for human use is likely years away. Because the incidence of WNV human infection is very low, it will be difficult to target the human population in need of vaccination and to assess a vaccine's economic feasibility. At present, there are also no specific therapeutic agents for flaviviral infections. It has been demonstrated, however, that prophylactic administration of anti-envelope (anti-E) protein antibody can protect animals from virus challenge. Antibody prophylaxis has been evaluated using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), primarily in murine animal models, to determine the appropriate timing of antibody injection and epitope specificity of MAb necessary for the most efficacious prophylaxis. The protective efficacy of an E protein-specific MAb is directly related to its ability to neutralize virus infectivity. The window for successful therapeutic administration of antibody closes at about 4–5 days postinfection concomitant with viral invasion of the brain in small animal models. Efforts are now being focused on developing humanized murine or fully human MAbs with antiviral protective or therapeutic activity, for use in humans. Antiflaviviral human or humanized MAbs might be practical and cost-effective reagents for preventing or modifying the outcome of flaviviral infections.
Assessing the Efficacy of Price Level Regulation for the Natural Monopoly Markets of Diversified Firms

In seeking to replicate the results of competition through limiting the firm’s revenues to its costs, profit level regulation has only succeeded in reducing consumer welfare by increasing production costs. Efforts to tinker with costs by disallowing this or that category or increment simply pits the regulator against the firm in an unending and costly game. The most effective regulatory regime is a poor proxy for the firm’s own efficiency incentives.
Measurement invariance of language brokering extent and attitudes in linguistic minority adolescents: Item response theory analyses.

OBJECTIVE Using item response theory, we sought to evaluate measurement invariance of language brokering extent and attitudes in 3 linguistic minority groups of adolescents. METHOD The sample included 765 (302 Chinese American, 327 Korean American, and 136 Mexican American; 57% females) ninth graders from immigrant families. RESULTS Differential item functioning was detected for several items, and we retained items with equivalent parameters across 3 groups. The final items showed adequate internal consistency reliability and criterion validity. CONCLUSION The refined scale is cross-ethnically invariant and appropriate for use with Chinese-American, Korean-American, and Mexican-American adolescents to compare their language brokering experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
A/C Load Forecasting Using Deep Learning

In the United States, the residential and commercial sectors are responsible for almost half of total energy consumed. Additionally, air conditioning accounts for the majority of energy consumed in residential buildings. In order to reduce the energy consumption of the building, we identify the behavior of A/C energy consumption by estimating the future A/C load. In this paper, we will explore deep learning-based algorithms to estimate A/C energy consumption using the smart meter data and outdoor temperature data. We will utilize data provided by Pecan Street to validate the performance of proposed task. Our results will demonstrate the strength of deep learning algorithms in solving load forecasting problems, and help in further investigations.
A method for automated soil horizon delineation using digital images

Abstract Here we present a novel way to assess soil horizons, their boundaries, and purity. Soil profile images in JPEG format were taken from 17 morphologically different soil profiles using a digital camera. Soil color models and image texture features were extracted from the soil profile images, and k-means clustering was used to segment the soil profile. Four models with different input variables were compared, and soil horizon boundary features (distinctness, tortuosity, mean curvature, and topography) and horizon features (thickness and purity) were calculated. The CIE L*a*b* color and HSV color identified most horizons, but CIE L*a*b* was better than HSV for identifying soil colors and color differences between horizons. Image texture improved the horizonation when coarse fragments were present. The k-means clustering method identified soil master horizons in most soil profiles, particularly when the horizons showed distinct color features, e.g. reddish with a* coordinate >5, yellowish with b* coordinate >15, a dark A horizon with H coordinate >0.20, and color distinction between horizons was high with ratio > 2. The ploughed A horizons showed high purity in clustering, whereas the transitional EB and BE horizons had lower purity. The distinctness and topography of some boundaries did not match with the field description when there was a ragged pattern. Tortuosity and mean curvature can be used to assess the waviness of horizon boundaries. The method of automated soil horizonation is robust and yields quantitative metrics on horizon purity and boundaries.
Convolutional regularization methods for 4D, x-ray CT reconstruction

Deep learning methods have shown great promise in tackling challenging medical imaging tasks. Within the field of x-ray CT, deep learning for image denoising is of interest because of the fundamental link between ionizing radiation dose and diagnostic image quality, the limited availability of clinical projection data, and the computational expense of iterative reconstruction methods. Here, we work with 3D, temporal CT data (4D, cardiac CT), where redundancies in spatial sampling necessitate careful control of imaging dose. Specifically, using custom extensions to the Tensorflow and Keras machine learning packages, we construct and train a 4D, convolutional neural network (CNN) to denoise helical, cardiac CT data acquired in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. With the objective of accelerating iterative reconstruction, we train the CNN to map undersampled algebraic reconstructions of the 4D data to fully-sampled and regularized iterative reconstructions under mean-squared-error, perceptual loss, and low rank cost terms. Using phantom data for quantitative validation, we verify that the CNN robustly denoises static potions of the image without compromising temporal fidelity and that the CNN performs similarly to regularized, iterative reconstruction with the split Bregman method (CNN temporal RMSE: 142 HU; iterative temporal RMSE: 136 HU). Using in vivo validation and testing data excluded from CNN training, we verify that the CNN generalizes well, approximately reproducing the noise power spectrum of the iteratively reconstructed data (noise std. in water vial near heart, CNN: 62-73 HU, depending on cardiac phase; iterative: 94-100 HU), without degradation of spatial resolution (axial MTF, 10% cutoff, CNN: 2.69 lp/mm; iterative: 2.63 lp/mm). Overall, the results presented in this work represent a positive step toward realizing the promises of deep learning methods in medical imaging.
Gene Therapy for Epidermolysis Bullosa

Epidermolysis bullosa is a family of diseases characterized by blistering and fragility of the skin in response to mechanical trauma. Advances in our understanding of epidermolysis bullosa pathophysiology have provided the necessary foundation for the first clinical trials of gene therapy for junctional and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. These therapies show that gene therapy is both safe and effective, with the potential to correct the molecular and clinical phenotype of patients with epidermolysis bullosa. Improvements in gene delivery and in preventing immune reactions will be among the challenges that lie ahead during further therapeutic development.
Assessment of carbon footprint of nano-packaging considering potential food waste reduction due to shelf life extension

Abstract Approximately 30 to 50% of food produced is wasted in industrialized countries, which has caused severe impacts both economically and environmentally. Recently, nano-packaging has been proved to be a promising technology to significantly prolong the shelf life of many food products, and thus a potential solution for source reduction of food waste. However, the production of nanomaterials requires extra input of resources and generates additional emissions and wastes. This study conducted a life cycle assessment to evaluate the net carbon footprint of nano-packaging from a systems perspective, considering its entire life cycle and ultimate application for food preservation. Based on the defined functional unit (i.e., 1 kg of food product and the required amount of nano-packaging materials), the global warming potential (GWP) associated with the nano-packaging system was highly affected by the concentration of incorporated nanomaterials and the type of packaged food. Furthermore, the packaging-food ratio played an important role in the relative contributions of nanomaterial, polymer, and food to the GWP of a nano-packaging system. A consumer behavior study was also performed to more accurately correlate food shelf life extension with food waste reduction. The results indicated that even with less than 3 days of shelf life extension, there is a potential to gain a net beneficial effect of the use of nano-packaging on carbon footprint mitigation. This study developed a novel conceptual framework enabling a comparative assessment of direct life cycle impacts of nano-packaging in parallel to indirect benefits related to its use stage. The results are expected provide food manufacturers with the groundwork to make more informed decisions on nano-packaging applications.
Active Mass Ejection for Asteroid Manipulation and Deflection

The dynamics of asteroid deflection and manipulation using mass ejection are examined. First, a linearized small angular velocity and inertia tensor deviation model for close-to-principal-axis rota...
Training for Clinical Instructors of Nuclear Medicine Technology

3055 Introduction: Nuclear medicine programs across the United States mandate students to complete clinical training to satisfy program requirements. Students will spend a vast majority of their educational experience working alongside certified nuclear medicine technologists at clinical affiliates. This research is a mixed methods study exploring the extent of educational theory or instructional training instructors receive. Methods: A survey was administered to clinical instructors of various nuclear medicine programs to identify the extent of the demands for instructional training in nuclear medicine technology programs. The survey was sent to clinical instructors of certificate, associate, and bachelor’s degree awarding programs. Demographic information was gathered to illustrate the level of educational degree each participate held, as well as their active role within the nuclear medicine field. The findings were generated using quantitative analysis. Interviews were then conducted on clinical instructor participant volunteers from across the country representing certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree programs. Interview data was analyzed using qualitative analysis and triangulated, across interviews and with the qualitative analysis to identify themes. Results: 57 surveys were returned completed. 82% of participants stated they wanted training for instructional strategies, educational theory, and assessments. 58% of clinical instructors responded they have had no training on educational theory due to resources not being available to them. 21% of participants stated there was no support from their employer, and 10% noted flexibility for time off to accomplish this training an issue. Quantitative and Qualitative analysis reveals clinical instructors need and want additional training for improving clinical instruction and would seek training if it were available. Conclusions: Clinical instructors play a vital role in the education of nuclear medicine student; however, this research demonstrates clinical instructors may not be prepared or supported in their role as clinical educators. This research concludes clinical instructors experience a lack training in educational theory, teaching strategies, assessments. This research also demonstrates that clinical instructors want to provide the most appropriate means of teaching, but do not have, or are not aware, of training available and do not feel prepared for their role as an instructor. Clinical instructors would engage in additional training on educational theory, teaching strategies and evaluation or assessments if it was available. Acknowledgement: Support for this research includes the clinical instructors and program director participants. Acknowledgement to educational mentors and editors; Sara Johnson, EdS, CNMT, NMTCB(RS), RT (N) (CT) (ARRT); Mary Beth Farrell, MS, CNMT, NCT, FSNMMI-TS
Incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances nanodelivery of antiretroviral across the blood-brain barrier for treatment of HIV reservoir in brain.

Abstract Although the newer antiretroviral (ARV) drugs are highly active against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the body compartment, they often fail to effectively tackle the HIV reservoir in the brain because of inefficient penetration to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of incorporating docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain development, in lipid nanocarriers for facilitating the BBB passage of an ARV darunavir. The resulting nanocarriers (nanoARVs) containing 5–15% DHA were 90–140 nm in size, had high darunavir payload (~11–13% w/w), good stability and minimal cellular toxicity, and could be further decorated with transferrin (Tf) for Tf-receptor targeting. In BBB models of hCMEC/d3 cells, nanoARVs with higher DHA content achieved increased nanocarrier uptake and up to 8.99-fold higher darunavir permeation than free darunavir. In animals, nanoARVs were able to achieve 3.38–5.93-fold increase in brain darunavir level over free darunavir. Tf-conjugated nanoARVs also achieved significantly higher anti-HIV activity than free darunavir (viral titer 2 to 2.6-fold higher in latter group). Comparison of DHA incorporation and Tf-receptor targeting showed that while both strategies could enhance the cellular uptake and brain accumulation of the nanocarriers, DHA was more effective (P
Physical and Structural Characterization of Underutilized Climate-Resilient Seed Grains: Millets, Sorghum, and Amaranth

While the world is facing food and nutritional challenges leading to the multiple burden of malnutrition (underweight & overweight), there is a need to sustainably diversify and explore underutilized crops. Climate resilient crops, which have potentials to withstand climate crises, drought-resistant, provide healthy foods with essential vitamins and minerals. Ancient seed grains like amaranth, millets and sorghum are highly nutritious seed grains that are underutilized, and there is a need for comprehensive research into their properties. This study will specifically investigate amaranth as well as barnyard, finger, kodo, little, pearl, proso millets, and sorghum. This is an observational study to establish physical and structural characterization methods for ancient seed grains required for storage and food processing. The angle of repose, porosity, and water activity of the grains varied from 19.3° to 23.9°, 3.6% to 17.4%, 0.533 to 0.660 at 25.5°C, respectively. Additionally, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surface characteristics and overall shape of each grain. SEM images of the millets shows the impact of dehulling on the surface morphology of the grains (little, barnyard, proso, and kodo millets). This calls for research and development of novel food processing technologies to minimize loss and damage during processing of climate resilient crops.
Hepatic Encephalopathy-Related Hospitalizations in Cirrhosis: Transition of Care and Closing the Revolving Door

Cirrhosis is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Development of complications of cirrhosis, including hepatic encephalopathy (HE), portends poorer outcomes. HE is associated with hospital readmission, impaired patient and caregiver quality of life, risk of falls, and mortality. Guidelines recommend lactulose as first-line therapy for HE and rifaximin in combination with lactulose for reducing the risk of HE recurrence. Improving post-discharge outcomes, including readmissions, is an important aspect in the management of patients with HE. Approaches focused on improving management and prevention of HE, including properly titrating lactulose dosing, overcoming medication-related nonadherence, and incorporating rifaximin as therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence, as well as incorporating supportive care initiatives, may ease the transition from hospital to home. Strategies to decrease readmission rates include using hospital navigators, who can offer patient/caregiver education, post-discharge planning, and medication review; and involving pharmacists in post-discharge planning. Similarly, telemedicine offers providers the opportunity to monitor patients with HE remotely and improves outcomes. Providers offering transitional care management may be reimbursed when establishing contact with patients within 2 days post-discharge and conducting an outpatient visit within 7 days or 14 days. Several approaches have been shown to improve outcomes broadly in patients post-discharge and may also be effective for improving outcomes specifically in patients hospitalized with cirrhosis and HE, thus closing the revolving door on rehospitalizations in this population.
Evaluating Innovation Strategies in Online Education in Higher Education.

The impact of rapid changes to online course content delivery via platforms such as Zoom and the new demands placed on learning management systems such as Canvas and Blackboard to maintain a semblance of order, were staggering for many educators. However; out of the rapidly changing higher education landscape, there were successes that emerged and we witnessed a burgeoning of online education communities for sharing what can be best described as DIY teaching survival strategies. This research describes a process for sharing success strategies between educators using a mixed method data collection survey and an online participatory group brainstorming protocol using Zoom, an online whiteboard, and an observation method to identify and evaluate teaching strategies in face to face, hybrid and online formats. This online education evaluation strategy, “Innovation in Teaching (I-Teach) Event,” will be discussed with regard to the tools and the techniques of documenting, comparing, and evaluating teaching strategies and technologies.
One Dose of a Novel Vaccine Containing Two Genotypes of Porcine Circovirus (PCV2a and PCV2b) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Conferred a Duration of Immunity of 23 Weeks

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) are important swine pathogens for which vaccination is a key control strategy. Three separate studies were performed to evaluate the duration of immunity (DOI) conferred by a novel vaccine combining PCV2a/PCV2b and Mhyo into a ready-to-use formulation. In each study, three-week-old naive piglets were vaccinated (Day 0) and challenged 23-weeks later (Day 159) with either PCV2a, PCV2b or Mhyo. Pigs were euthanized three-to-four-weeks post-challenge. Vaccinated pigs had significantly lower PCV2 viremia from Day 168 until Day 175 (PCV2a study) or until euthanasia (PCV2b study), respectively. Fecal shedding was significantly lower for PCV2a-challenged from Day 171 until Day 178, and for PCV2b-challenged from Day 172 until euthanasia. In the PCV2a challenge study, there were no differences among vaccinates and controls in terms of percent of pigs positive for PCV2 immunohistochemistry, histiocytic replacement, or lymphoid depletion. However, significant differences for immunohistochemistry and histiocytic replacement, not lymphoid depletion, were observed among vaccinates and controls following PCV2b challenge. Vaccination supposed a significant reduction in the mean percentage of Mhyo-like lesions in the lung. Percentages of lung tissues positive for Mhyo via immunohistochemistry were 49.3% and 67.1% for vaccinated and control groups, respectively. One dose of the novel PCV2a/PCV2b/Mhyo vaccine conferred robust protection against challenge 23-weeks later for all three fractions.
Heteropaternal twinning: Unique case of opposite-sex twins with different fathers

A presumably rare, but naturally occurring twinning event is heteropaternal (HP) twinning. HP twinning results from superfecundation, a reproductive process in which offspring share their mothers, but not their fathers. The resulting twins share an average of 25% of their segregating genes, the same proportion as half-siblings. A recently identified case of HP opposite-sex twins was confirmed by DNA analyses available for the twins and for multiple family members. Thus, an exceptional feature of the current report is the inclusion of data for the twins' brothers, sisters, half-siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins, as well as several parent-child pairs. HP twins often go unnoticed so are typically classified as dizygotic (DZ) twins whose genetic overlap is 50%, on average, but varies across traits. As a unique category of non-identical twins, HP twinning is important to acknowledge as it may affect twins' physical resemblance, behavioral similarity, personal identity, family relations and health concerns. While including HP pairs in twin research has been shown to have minimal impact on heritability estimates, it could conceivably affect the outcomes of small-scale studies. Given a lack of consistent and known prevalence, case studies provide valuable knowledge regarding the occurrence of HP twinning. Its implications for forensic science and for twin research are considerable.
Optimization of aperture transitions for multi-port microstrip circuits

The printed aperture of arbitrary shape is introduced into multi-port microstrip circuits as a vertical transition within a multi-layered structure. Its use proves to be practical in the design as well as manufacturing process of multi-layered circuits. With the help of the mixed-potential integral equation based moment method, it becomes possible to analyze and optimize the performance of this arbitrary shape aperture transition for multi-port circuit applications. Bandwidth enhancement is obtained by changing the shape of the slot for a two-port back-to-back microstrip transition. Minimized size and mutual coupling have been thoroughly studied for optimized circuit performance. Using this transition, a 3-port power divider with -3 dB amplitude and 180 degree phase difference and a 4-port 3 dB directional coupler have been designed.
Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin de Siècle: Identity and Empire

Introduction Part I. Strange Cases, Common Fates Part II. Between the body and history Part III. The sins of Empire Conclusion Notes Index.
Statistical inference of motion in the invisible

This paper focuses on the unexplored problem of inferring motion of objects that are invisible to all cameras in a multiple camera setup. As opposed to methods for learning relationships between disjoint cameras, we take the next step to actually infer the exact spatiotemporal behavior of objects while they are invisible. Given object trajectories within disjoint cameras' FOVs (field-of-view), we introduce constraints on the behavior of objects as they travel through the unobservable areas that lie in between. These constraints include vehicle following (the trajectories of vehicles adjacent to each other at entry and exit are time-shifted relative to each other), collision avoidance (no two trajectories pass through the same location at the same time) and temporal smoothness (restricts the allowable movements of vehicles based on physical limits). The constraints are embedded in a generalized, global cost function for the entire scene, incorporating influences of all objects, followed by a bounded minimization using an interior point algorithm, to obtain trajectory representations of objects that define their exact dynamics and behavior while invisible. Finally, a statistical representation of motion in the entire scene is estimated to obtain a probabilistic distribution representing individual behaviors, such as turns, constant velocity motion, deceleration to a stop, and acceleration from rest for evaluation and visualization. Experiments are reported on real world videos from multiple disjoint cameras in NGSIM data set, and qualitative as well as quantitative analysis confirms the validity of our approach.
In vitro transcription and translation of group B rotavirus strain IDIR gene 8 and immunoprecipitation by human sera.

Group B rotaviruses (GBRs) are associated with episodes of acute diarrhea in humans and a variety of animal species. To date, these agents have not been well adapted to growth in tissue culture, and evaluation of human sera for antibodies directed against GBRs has been hindered by the inability to obtain standardized and highly purified preparations of GBR antigens. In order to evaluate the reactivities of antisera with a highly specific antigen, we prepared a full-length cDNA clone of gene 8 of the IDIR strain of GBR. This clone was transcribed with T7 RNA polymerase, and the resulting RNA was translated in vitro with rabbit erythrocyte lysates. The polypeptide expressed from IDIR gene 8 was specifically precipitated by antibody directed against IDIR but not by antibody directed against ADRV (adult diarrhea rotavirus) or bovine strains of GBR. Subsequent immunoprecipitation reactions confirmed the presence of anti-IDIR antibodies among the U.S. population. Of 129 human serum specimens, 3 specifically immunoprecipitated the IDIR gene 8 polypeptide. Images
Sustaining the Financial Value of Global CSR: Reconciling Corporate and Stakeholder Interests in a Less Regulated Environment

In this article we examine the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm value. This line of research is important since firms continue to invest in CSR even though past studies reveal a limited linkage between financial value and CSR. However, the business case for CSR or “doing good while making a profit,” appears to be advancing within the business ethics literature as a preferred conception of CSR. We conjecture that the greater unification and refinement of both profit maximization and stakeholder interests through corporate acts, not statements alone, will sustain the financial value of CSR in a less regulated global business environment. We study the triangle of what companies say, what companies do, and firm financial performance. We analyze Fortune 250 firms and find a positive association between what companies do based on KLD Research and Analytics, Inc. (KLD) ratings, and what companies state about ethics in their CSR statements. We then employ regression analysis and find that companies’ socially responsible acts are positively associated with overall firm value and financial performance. Yet we do not find a statistically significant association between what companies say regarding ethics in their CSR statements and their financial outcomes. These results suggest that firm value and financial performance is associated with what companies do and not what they say. Our results seem to be driven by multinational corporations (MNCs) and not by non-MNCs. This is possibly because MNCs generally operate in a less regulated global business environment that often necessitates strong ethical corporate leadership to further stakeholder interests. Overall, these results help reconcile corporate and stakeholder objectives since evidence of a link between financial performance and doing good sustains global CSR.
Some applications of second-order connectionist networks to speech recognition problems

Second-order connectionist networks have been identified as good models for representing acoustic phonetic invariance, since they can modulate separating hypersurfaces or transform data representations as a function of context. These capabilities are illustrated for two problems in vowel recognition: speaker normalization and phonetic context dependency. The idea of context dependency can also be extended to the notion of state in recurrent networks. Second-order recurrent networks that recognize simple finite state languages over (0,1)/sup */ have been induced from positive and negative examples. Some implications of these results for recognizing phoneme sequences are discussed. >
Computed modeling of alternating electric fields therapy for recurrent glioblastoma

Tumor treating fields (TTFields) are alternating electric fields frequency tuned to 200 kHz for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. We report a patient treated with TTFields and determined the distribution of TTFields intracranially by computerized simulation using co-registered postgadolinium T1-weighted, T2, and MP RAGE images together with pre-specified conductivity and relative permittivity values for various cerebral structures. The distribution of the electric fields within the brain is inhomogeneous. Higher field intensities were aggregated near the ventricles, particularly at the frontal and occipital horns. The recurred tumor was found distant from the primary glioblastoma and it was located at a site of relatively lower electric field intensity. Future improvement in TTFields treatment may need to take into account the inhomogeneity of the electric field distribution within the brain.
Do not contemplate invasive surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ

Abstract Background Ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), by definition, has no metastatic potential. The routine examination of axillary lymph nodes in these patients may expose them to unnecessary operative morbidity and is the subject of continuing controversy. This study evaluates the lymph node status of patients with DCIS. Methods A retrospective review of all tumor registry patients diagnosed with DCIS between January 1996 and December 2000 was performed. Data obtained included (1) patient demographics, (2) the surgical procedure performed, (3) the histologic grade of the tumor, and (4) the lymph node status, if obtained. All analysis was by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain only. Results In all, 380 patients were diagnosed with DCIS. Surgical therapy for these patients varied from lumpectomy (with negative margins) to modified radical mastectomy. Ninety-seven (25.5%) had their axillary lymph nodes (average 9, range 1 to 33) analyzed by H&E stain and are the subject of this study. One patient (1%) was found to have a lymph node micrometastasis. Conclusions This study demonstrates that axillary lymph node examination is a low-yield endeavor for patients diagnosed with DCIS, regardless of the histologic grade of the tumor. Routine sampling of lymph nodes in these patients is not warranted.
Postirradiation Morphea and Subcutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa: Case Report and Literature Review

OBJECTIVE To describe a case of postirradiation morphea and subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa occurring simultaneously in a patient and to review the literature on postirradiation autoimmune phenomenon and the potential pathogenesis of such changes. METHODS A 75-year-old woman with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiation who developed postirradiation morphea and subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa, both inside and outside of the field of radiation, is described. Literature searches were performed on postirradiation morphea and other radiation-related inflammatory cutaneous conditions and the potential pathogenic mechanisms involved. RESULTS Twenty-five cases of postirradiation morphea and 8 cases of postirradiation panniculitis were reported in the literature. Only 3 cases of morphea with distant vasculitis occurring in the same patient have been reported and each of these patients had features suggestive of an underlying connective tissue disease. This is the first case of morphea and subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa occurring in the same location both inside and outside the field of radiation. CONCLUSIONS Postirradiation morphea is an uncommon condition but is being increasingly recognized. Related phenomena following radiation include postirradiation panniculitis and now postirradiation subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa. Radiation may be responsible for inducing some of the pathogenic changes seen in scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases. Rheumatologists should be aware of these potential complications of radiation treatment.
Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults.

Objective: Increasing 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D in response to low-calcium diets stimulates adipocyte Ca2+ influx and, as a consequence, stimulates lipogenesis, suppresses lipolysis, and increases lipid accumulation, whereas increasing dietary calcium inhibits these effects and markedly accelerates fat loss in mice subjected to caloric restriction. Our objective was to determine the effects of increasing dietary calcium in the face of caloric restriction in humans. Research Methods and Procedures: We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 32 obese adults. Patients were maintained for 24 weeks on balanced deficit diets (500 kcal/d deficit) and randomized to a standard diet (400 to 500 mg of dietary calcium/d supplemented with placebo), a high-calcium diet (standard diet supplemented with 800 mg of calcium/d), or high-dairy diet (1200 to 1300 mg of dietary calcium/d supplemented with placebo). Results: Patients assigned to the standard diet lost 6.4 ± 2.5% of their body weight, which was increased by 26% (to 8.6 ± 1.1%) on the high-calcium diet and 70% (to 10.9 ± 1.6% of body weight) on the high-dairy diet (p < 0.01). Fat loss was similarly augmented by the high-calcium and high-dairy diets, by 38% and 64%, respectively (p < 0.01). Moreover, fat loss from the trunk region represented 19.0 ± 7.9% of total fat loss on the low-calcium diet, and this fraction was increased to 50.1 ± 6.4% and 66.2 ± 3.0% on the high-calcium and high-dairy diets, respectively (p < 0.001). Discussion: Increasing dietary calcium significantly augmented weight and fat loss secondary to caloric restriction and increased the percentage of fat lost from the trunk region, whereas dairy products exerted a substantially greater effect.