cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Cultivation Techniques of Good Quality and High-yielding Variety Ganwannuo No.7

Ganwannuo No.7 is a new middle maturing late indica glutinous rice variety,it is bred from the glutinous rice varieties in Yujiang county by systematical selective breeding,and it has strong growth vigor,high yield and wide adaptability.In the rice regional tests conducted in Jiangxi province during 2006~2007,the average yield of Ganwannuo No.7 reached 6895.8 kg/hm2,its rice quality was superior,its glutinous quality was good.In 2008 it passed the examination and approval of Jiangxi province.
Oscillatory dynamics in a bacterial cross-protection mutualism

Cooperation between microbes can enable microbial communities to survive in harsh environments. Enzymatic deactivation of antibiotics, a common mechanism of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, is a cooperative behavior that can allow resistant cells to protect sensitive cells from antibiotics. Understanding how bacterial populations survive antibiotic exposure is important both clinically and ecologically, yet the implications of cooperative antibiotic deactivation on the population and evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood, particularly in the presence of more than one antibiotic. Here, we show that two Escherichia coli strains can form an effective cross-protection mutualism, protecting each other in the presence of two antibiotics (ampicillin and chloramphenicol) so that the coculture can survive in antibiotic concentrations that inhibit growth of either strain alone. Moreover, we find that daily dilutions of the coculture lead to large oscillations in the relative abundance of the two strains, with the ratio of abundances varying by nearly four orders of magnitude over the course of the 3-day period of the oscillation. At modest antibiotic concentrations, the mutualistic behavior enables long-term survival of the oscillating populations; however, at higher antibiotic concentrations, the oscillations destabilize the population, eventually leading to collapse. The two strains form a successful cross-protection mutualism without a period of coevolution, suggesting that similar mutualisms may arise during antibiotic treatment and in natural environments such as the soil.
Assessing the Impact of Operational Constraints on the Near-Term Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Supported Market

An economic impact market analysis was conducted for 16 leading sectors of commercial Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) applications predicted to be enabled by 2020 through the NASA UAS Traffic Management (UTM) program. Subject matter experts from seven industries were interviewed to validate concept of operations (ConOps) and market adoption assumptions for each sector. The market analysis was used to estimate direct economic impacts for each sector including serviceable addressable market, capital investment, revenue recovery potential, and operations cost savings. The resultant economic picture distinguishes the agricultural, pipeline and railroad inspection, construction, and maritime sectors of the nascent commercial UAS industry as providing the highest potential economic value in the United States. Sensitivity studies characterized the variability of select UAS sectors economic value to key regulatory or UTM ConOps requirements such as weight, altitude, and flight over populated area constraints. Takeaways from the analysis inform the validation of UTM requirements, technologies and timetables from a commercial market need and value viewpoint. This work concluded in August 2015 and reflects the state of the UAS industry and market projections at that time.
The Europeanization of Workplace Pensions: Economic Interests, Social Protection, and Credible Signaling

Alexandra Hennessy examines an area of Europeanization that has been largely ignored by political analysts: the development of an internal market for workplace pensions. This book offers an analysis of what is at stake in workplace pension reforms, tracing how different states approached them and how national political economy models have shaped actors' bargaining strategy at the EU level. Employing statistical analysis, formal modelling, and in-depth case study research, Hennessy highlights the role of informal signalling and communication processes in designing a common pension market. This book offers a theoretical framework that accounts for historical institutionalism, informal signalling processes and discourse in the Europeanization of workplace pensions – a must-read for students of comparative social and public policy, comparative politics and European politics.
All Together Now, a Last Rehearsal: Thinking Globally on Border Crossing Phenomena, the First World War

Peron’s rise to power in 1943 and his presidencies during 1946–1955 unfolded within the boundaries of Argentina. As such, its history was mostly written from a national, state-based perspective. The thought experiment that begins this book added to the topical range of the historiography on Peron’s Argentina—politics, foreign affairs, economics, society, gender, culture, and ideas—revealing the manifold venues opened up by moving beyond the borders of the nation-state as the unit of analysis. At the same time, by applying the 12 branches of cross-boundary history to Peron’s Argentina each branch was concretely illustrated in its singularity.
Between Secularist and Jihadist Bodes, Egypt and Sudan in Crossroads

The societal conflicts between Secularist groups and Jihadist militants on the role religious orientations played in the state democratization, social justice, human rights, and population development posited national exigencies un-decisively met by governments of the African and Arab regions. Part one of our research theorized three typologies shaping the challenges of similar conflicts in the Arab-African states of Egypt and Sudan. The typologies symbolized a Sufi culture perpetuating Muslims’ humanitarian relations; Secularist thought excluding the politics of faith; and Jihadist reactionaries manipulating symbolic representation of religion in the striving for power domains. Lacking in serenity the Sufi culture maintained for ages by popular prevalence, the Jihadist reactionaries sponsored a theocratic militancy that generated instability by excessive violence. Entrenched in non-democratic authoritative systems, the state failed in both countries to end peacefully the deepened tensions of the ongoing contradictions. Preserving the popular culture and supporting democratic governance, the Sufi/Secularist groups would probably continue to resist the theocratic dogma that evidently penetrated the region. Part two of the research proposed a study on the typologies’ dynamics to project the extent of political integrity in the future of Sudan and Egypt. This paper comprised a brief summary of part one of the analysis.
Mechanical Characterization of Mouse Mammary Tumors via a 2-D Distributed-Deflection Sensor

This paper presents a feasibility study on mechanical characterization of mouse mammary tumors via a 2-D distributed-deflection sensor. The sensor entails a polymer microstructure embedded with a 2-D sensing-plate/transducer array. With a pre-defined indentation pattern, the sensor is pressed against a tissue and registers mechanical behavior at different tissue sites as the instant and relaxed sensor deflection. Five mouse mammary tumor tissues are palpated by the sensor to measure their relations of instant and relaxed sensor deflection versus indentation depth. A simplified theoretical model is established to obtain the instant and relaxed indentation modulus, relaxation extent, and nonlinearity from the measured relations. The instant indentation modulus distribution is utilized to determine the location, shape, and size of the tumor in a tissue. Comparison of the mechanical properties among the five tumors shows that the five tumors follow the same order of progression, in terms of indentation modulus, relaxation extent, and nonlinearity. The histological analysis of the tumors reveals that the biological structures of two relatively stiff tumors are prominently different from those of the rest tumors. Both the mechanical behavior and shape of the tumors reveal unpredictable progression variability among individuals.
Route 128: Lessons From Boston's High Tech Community

Part 1 In search of the "Miracle". Part 2 Creative tension - industry, academia and government. Part 3 The government steps in - the legacy of World War II. Part 4 The road to the "Miracle". Part 5 The calm before the storm. Part 6 Beyond the "Miracle".
Multicarrier Air to Ground MIMO Communication System Performance

The use of aeronautical vehicles and consequently their communication traffic are growing rapidly, and soon there will be demands for channels with larger bandwidths. The L-band digital aeronautical communication system (L-DACS1) was proposed by EUROCONTROL as an OFDM based multicarrier communication system candidate, with channels "inlayed" between distance measuring equipment (DME) channels. We previously proposed a similar communication system based on the Filter Bank Multicarrier (FBMC) technique, which has some significant advantages over L-DACS1. In this paper several diversity and multiple antenna techniques for L-DACS1 and FBMC AG communication systems are investigated. The correlation coefficient between realistic receiver aircraft antenna channels is computed, and using these realistic channels-based upon NASA channel measurements-link performance is simulated to generate BER results. Simulation results show the advantages of using multiple antennas at the receiver, and the antenna separations required (as a function of link distance) to attain nearly uncorrelated channels for two suburban areas. MIMO performance gains are quantified and show significant improvement over single-antenna systems, especially for higher order modulations.
Micrometastasis of endometriosis to distant organs in a murine model

// Elham N. Samani 1 , Ramanaiah Mamillapalli 1 , Fei Li 1 , Levent Mutlu 1 , Demetra Hufnagel 1 , Graciela Krikun 1 , Hugh S. Taylor 1 1 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut 06510, New Haven Correspondence to: Ramanaiah Mamillapalli, email: ramana.mamillapalli@yale.edu Keywords: endometriosis, micrometastasis, DsRed cells, metastasis, mice Received: January 13, 2017 Accepted: March 30, 2017 Published: April 06, 2017 ABSTRACT Endometriosis is an inflammatory gynecological disorder among reproductive-aged women caused by the engraftment and proliferation of endometrial cells outside the uterus, most commonly in the pelvis. It is thought that the disease arises primarily from retrograde menstruation where cells from the endometrium travel through the fallopian tubes to the peritoneal cavity. However, migration of endometriosis-derived cells to distant organs outside of the peritoneal cavity have not been explored. In the present study, we developed and validated a mouse model of disseminated endometriosis using syngeneic DsRed endometrial tissue introduced into the peritoneum of immunocompetent mice. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence analysis, demonstrated the presence of endometriosis-derived cells in multiple organs (including lung, spleen, liver and brain) in the murine endometriosis model. Immunostaining revealed the presence of DsRed + /CD45 − cells in brain, liver and lung. Engraftment occurred in all experimental animals examined. Cells from endometriotic lesions are capable of migration to and engraftment of multiple organs outside of the peritoneal cavity. Micrometastasis of endometriosis is a novel and frequent phenomenon. These data suggest that widespread dissemination of endometriosis may be common, clinically unrecognized and contribute to the diffuse clinical manifestations of this disease.
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Nickel Ferrite Using Ni C5H5 2 and Fe C5H4C4H9 C5H5

Chemical vapor deposition was used to deposit thin films of nickel oxide (NiO) and iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) on silicon substrates. Precursors chosen for this process were nickelocene,Ni(C 5 H 5 ) 2 and n-butylferrocene, Fe(C 5 H 4 C 4 H 9 )(C 5 H 5 ), which were oxidized with oxygen gas in a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition system. Following the deposition of the individual metal oxides, the two precursors were used together with the goal of depositing a thin film of nickel ferrite (NiFe 2 O 4 ). Both co-deposition and cyclic deposition were carried out, and the resulting thin films were analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This study found that the resulting thin films did not contain NiFe 2 O 4 , but were composed of NiO and Fe 2 O 3 in a different ratio. It is suggested that changing various parameters in this experiment can be used to vary this ratio.
Charting the Scientific Community

Instead of presenting and defending a thesis in this paper, I will describe the research project on which I am engaged. Let me begin first with a brief justification of it. In broad terms, the project is a social history of the scientific community of the 16th and 17th centuries, the period of the Scientific Revolution. The study rests on the premise that the modern scientific community dates from those years as surely as modern science itself does. My goal is to chart the parameters of the social existence of those engaged in the study of nature at that time. The project is not Boris Hessen revisited. Neither for that matter is it Schaffer and Shapin rewarmed. I am doing my best to avoid the question of what caused the rise of modern science. The question appears to me as a trap, or if you will a morass in which historical research bogs down, and instead of illumination we get ideological assertions that determine the conclusions of research conceived for the purpose of supporting them. I am incurably empirical in outlook and uneasy with historical research that departs far from its empirical base. In this study I seek to explore the parameters of the social existence of those engaged in the study of nature during the 16th and 17th centuries; I am not concerned with any hypothesis about the origins of modern science. As I have not failed to recognize, there are points at which the study verges, whatever my intent, toward issues of causation. I am not so sanguine as to think that I succeed any better than others in eschewing apriori judgments in these cases.
The NASA Radio Jove Project

A quick search on the internet will reveal a great deal of information about how to use a short wave radio receiver, to receive radio emissions from the planet Jupiter and from the Sun. Some of the information and ideas that have been posted are good, but some are quite frankly wrong. Starting with the correct equipment gives the best chance of success. To use optical astronomy again for a moment for an example, if entering the hobby by purchasing one of the “department store” telescopes with their poor optics, very shaky mounts with poor telescope controls and the ridiculous magnification claims of ×600 for a 60 millimeters (2.4 inch) aperture. They will get fed up trying to operate the telescope and will soon lose interest and move on. Whereas, the advice from a fellow astronomer would probably be to purchase a good pair of binoculars and a good star map as a first step.
The Impact of Race and Racism on Students' Emotions: A Critical Race Analysis

Publisher Summary Race-related differences are highly documented in educational research. Most of these studies examine how race and racism play a critical role in educational practices. However, few studies examine the impact of race-related issues on students' emotions. The dialogue on race and racism elicits many emotions, especially unpleasant emotions. In public settings, people of color who attend gatherings where negative stereotypes regarding people of color are discussed, may feel annoyed, angry, powerless, and pained. In addition, it has been found that raising questions about racism are uncomfortable to Whites and considered divisive. This discomfort creates unpleasant emotions for both, people of color and Whites. To understand the impact of race and racism, it is imperative to understand the emotions that are frequently associated with such topics. Research suggests that researchers, counselors, and educators must do significant work to reach a better understanding of the impact of race and racism on emotions. Schools should begin to encourage constructive dialogues among racial groups regarding race and racism, instead of shrinking away from such difficult conversations. Thus, schools need to recognize the issues of race and racism that exist in their respective school environments and society.
Frederic M. Scherer: Over a Half Century—and Counting—of Seminal Scholarly Contributions

This introduction to the special issue of the Review of Industrial Organization in honor of Frederic M. Scherer provides an overview of his many seminal contributions to the scholarly literature about industrial organization, his enthusiastic service and support of the industrial organization community and its scholars, and his leadership and service within the economics profession more generally.
Understanding the Gas Phase Chemistry of Alkanes with First-Principles Calculations

Alkyl radicals are key intermediates in multiple industrially important reactions, including the dehydrogenation of alkanes. Because of their diverse chemistry, alkyl radicals form various products via a number of competing reactions in the gas phase. Using Density Functional Theory (DFT) and accurate ab initio electronic structure calculations (CBS-QB3), we investigated the thermodynamics and kinetics of gas phase alkyl radical reactions. Specifically, we investigated the hydrogen abstraction, radical recombination, and alkene formation reactions of light alkyl radicals (C1–C8). We show that the hydrogen abstraction Gibbs energies are correlated with the relative Gibbs energies of the corresponding radicals. On the basis of the reaction energy calculations, we identified that the competition between radical recombination reactions and alkene formation reactions is governed by the stability of the alkene products, with the alkene formation being preferred when more substituted alkenes are formed. It was f...
Unpacking the Role of Conflict in Peer Relationships: Implications for Peer Deviance and Crime

ABSTRACTAlthough criminologists have long recognized the role that peers play in crime, the specific mechanisms responsible for this relationship have been difficult to isolate. Drawing from the perspectives of differential coercion and social support and differential association, we examine how one type of coercion among friends – conflict – moderates the peer deviance/crime relationship. Using dyadic data, greater levels of conflict are related to higher levels of deviance and conflict weakens the peer deviance–crime relationship. Overall, conflict plays a dual role by relating to higher amounts of deviance while jointly reducing the influence of peer deviance on crime.
Efficacy and Safety of Tiotropium in Children and Adolescents.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, with a high proportion of patients demonstrating poor control despite the availability of disease management guidelines. Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines include tiotropium as an add-on therapy option at Steps 4 and 5 in patients aged ≥ 12 years with a history of exacerbations, and tiotropium delivered via the Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler has recently been approved for use as once-daily maintenance therapy for children with asthma over the age of 6 years in the USA. A large clinical trial program has been conducted in children, adolescents, and adults across the spectrum of asthma severity. Findings from these clinical studies and pooled analyses in children and adolescents with symptomatic moderate or severe asthma have demonstrated that tiotropium Respimat® as add-on to inhaled corticosteroids, with or without other maintenance therapies, is a well-tolerated and efficacious bronchodilator, showing improved lung function and trends towards improved asthma control, mirroring findings in adult studies. This review discusses the evidence to date for tiotropium Respimat® for the management of asthma in adolescents and children with symptomatic moderate and severe asthma, and considers the challenges of asthma management in these patients. Factors affecting this population group, such as poor adherence, underreporting of symptoms, and social and psychological issues, are highlighted, along with the need for active review and management of treatment to help achieve optimal control.
Long-term Management of Neurogenic Bladder: An Eclectic Approach

Long-term bladder management requires a thoughtful approach that takes into account not only the bladder dysfunction but the patient's social, vocational and rehabilitation needs. Long-term goals include providing for satisfactory bladder emptying, control of urinary incontinence, and preservation of upper urinary tract function. Whatever form of bladder management is used, there must be careful long-term follow-up and willingness to recognize potential for complications with any management program. These complications may be due to changes in bladder function, lack of patient compliance with management programs, and failure to obtain appropriate follow-up examinations. Close cooperation between physiatrists and urologists permits the best integration of bladder management into the overall rehabilitation program.
Enhanced Building-Specific Seismic Performance Assessment

An improved performance assessment methodology aimed at estimating economic losses produced by earthquake ground motions in individual buildings is presented. The enhanced methodology permits the estimation of expected losses in the building at specific level of ground motion intensity, expected annual losses as well as estimating the mean annual frequency of occurrence of specific levels of economic losses. Unlike previous work, the proposed methodology explicitly accounts for economic losses resulting from the possibility of having to demolish the building after a seismic event. The probability of demolition is computed as a function of peak residual lateral deformations experienced in the building. The proposed approach is illustrated by estimating economic losses in two reinforced concrete moment resisting frame buildings design according to current seismic provisions and assumed to be located in Los Angeles, California. Results from this study indicate that, over a wide range of ground motion intensities, ductile buildings are more likely to experience large residual deformations leading to demolition than experiencing a collapse. Thus, neglecting the possible demolition leads to significant underestimation of economic losses.
Stand-alone Multimedia in the Private Household

For almost two years now multimedia has been the key “buzzword” within the Communications, Media, Computing and Electronics industries. The discussion originally started with the announcements of the Clinton/Gore administration to actively support the creation of the “Information Superhighway” as well as industrial mergers such as the one between Viacom and Paramount. Today several possible developments are discussed under the umbrella of multimedia. Whereas corporate strategic planners and marketing specialists envision an enormous market potential for new products and services, social scientists paint the dark picture of “couch potatoes” and social isolation. In order to go beyond such superficial statements it is necessary to at least roughly define what multimedia or the multimedia-market is and which applications and technologies will presumably drive the market.
A Molecular Dynamics Study of Cesium Ion Motion in a Gramicidin-Like Channel. Structural and Energetic Implications

We present a molecular dynamics study of Cs+ translocation in a model gramicidin-like channel. We find exceptional structural flexibility at both the dimer junction and in the region of ethanolamine tail. In the approach to the channel, the ion is 6-coordinate; in the single file region it is generally 5-coordinate. Ion association at the mouth of the channel involves binding to the #11 CO group and strong interaction with the COH of the ethanolamine tail. Umbrella sampling methods are used to compute the reaction profile for ion translocation, i.e. the potential of mean force (PMF). As has been found in other thermal energy profile studies, the PMF is not consistent with experiment. The energy barrier for ion entry is too large and no well-defined binding site is found. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are given; qualitative corrections are described which lower the energy barrier substantially and recreate a binding site.
Nollywood in Rio: An Exploration of Brazilian Audience Perception of Nigerian Cinema

Nigerian movies or Nollywood, both on the African continent and abroad, serve as an innovative cultural device that inspire many producers and audiences worldwide. The ingenuity of some Nigerian productions has been acknowledged in many nations, such as Brazil. Indeed, some Brazilian curators within Sao Paulo (Bem Vindo a Nollywood 2011, 2014), Salvador da Bahia (2014) and Rio de Janeiro (2012, 2014) formally illustrated their interests as evidenced by Nollywood exhibitions or screenings. These public settings afford Brazilian audiences a hint of Nigerian perspectives regarding what it means to be African. The “Nollywood Mostra” (Show) was sponsored by the Caixa Economica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November of 2012. This site is where the author collected qualitative and quantitative data exploring how consumers identified with Nollywood cinematic stylings, storylines, characters, and dialog relative to those of mainstream cinema. The majority of the audience were first time Nollywood consumers. The research addresses the following questions: (1) Do Brazilians identify with Nollywood? (2) Does Nollywood serve as a vehicle for cultural production impacting Brazilian perceptions of Africans? And (3), What are the differences in perception based on demographic background? This project explores the cultural value of Nollywood in a country linguistically different from both the Nigerian diaspora and the English-speaking diaspora communities. The implications of this research indicate a change of southern hemispheric communication between Latin America and Africa.
The Self-estimation and Self-command of a Mighty Conqueror

In his Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith suggests that high (perhaps even excessive) self-esteem may be a requirement for great undertakings. We revere even “barbaric” conquerors like Genghis Khan who, with their acts of “fortunate violence,” won the submission and obedience of their followers and so brought about order. But excessive self-estimation is not a sufficient condition for greatness, barbaric or otherwise; the vain and the proud also esteem themselves too highly but are not therefore necessarily the objects of our admiration. This chapter discusses Smith’s understanding of self-estimation, pride, vanity, and the related feelings of shame and mortification. It also introduces the (for Smith) masculine virtue of generosity and the feminine virtue of humanity. Vanity Fair’s Becky Sharp challenges Smith’s gendered theory built around these virtues, traits and feelings. She is neither generous nor humane, esteems herself most highly, never experiences shame or mortification, and is a mighty conqueror in her own right. Most importantly, she has a level of self-command that for Smith marks the “character of dark and deep dissimulation.”
Long-acting Opioid Use and the Risk of Serious Infections: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Although evidence from animal and human studies indicates opioid analgesics increase susceptibility to infections, it is unclear whether the risk varies by specific opioid. We compared the risk of serious infection among patients initiating long-acting opioid analgesics with and without previously reported immunosuppressive properties. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Tennessee Medicaid enrollees age ≥18 years initiating long-acting opioids (1995-2015). Hospitalizations for serious infection were identified using validated coding algorithms. We used multivariable Poisson regression models to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to compare the infection risk among patients using long-acting opioids with known immunosuppressive properties (morphine, fentanyl, methadone) to the infection risk among patients using long-acting opioids without known immunosuppressive properties (oxycodone, oxymorphone, tramadol) accounting for demographics, opioid dose, comorbidities and pain conditions, medication use, frailty indicators, and healthcare encounter history using exposure propensity scores. We further compared users of individual long-acting opioids to long-acting morphine users (considered the prototypical immunosuppressive opioid). Results Among the 61 240 patients initiating opioids with immunosuppressive properties and 22 811 patients initiating opioids without immunosuppressive properties, we identified 1906 serious infections. Nonimmunosuppressive opioid users had a lower rate of infections than immunosuppressive opioid users (aIRR:0.78 [CI: 0.66-0.91]). Among individual opioids, oxycodone users had a lower rate of infection than morphine users (aIRR:0.73 [CI: 0.60-0.89]). There were no significant differences in the infection risk between other opioids and morphine. Conclusion The risk of serious infections among long-acting opioid users varies by opioid type. Providers should carefully consider the risk of serious infections when making pain management decisions.
Curcumin improves exercise performance of mice with coronary artery ligation-induced HFrEF: Nrf2 and antioxidant mechanisms in skeletal muscle

These studies suggest that impaired nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling is a critical mechanism underlying the enhanced oxidative stress in skeletal muscle in heart failure with low...
A Biomechanical and Thermal Analysis for Bone Augmentation of the Proximal Femur

In this study, we aim to create and validate a Finite Element (FE) model to estimate the bone temperature after cement injection and compare the simulation temperature results with experimental data in three key locations of the proximal femur. Simulation results suggest that the maximum temperature-rise measured at the bone surface is 10°C which occurs about 12 minutes after the injection. Temperature profiles measured during the experiment showed an agreement with those of the simulation with an average error of 1.73°C Although additional experiments are required to further validate the model, results of this study suggest that this model is a promising tool for bone augmentation planning to lower the risk of thermal necrosis.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) and 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2c (5-HT2c) Receptor Agonists in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) Inhibit Ghrelin-Stimulated Appetitive Reward.

Current literature indicates that the orexigenic peptide ghrelin increases appetitive motivation via signaling in the mesolimbic reward system. Another gastric peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), are both known to suppress operant responding for food by acting on key mesolimbic nuclei, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In order to investigate the interaction effects of ghrelin, GLP-1, and 5-HT within the VTA, we measured operant responding for sucrose pellets after the administration of ghrelin, the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 (Ex-4), and the 5-HT2c receptor agonist Ro60-0175 in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following training on a progressive ratio 3 (PR3) schedule, animals were first injected with ghrelin into the VTA at doses of 3 to 300 pmol. In subsequent testing, separate rats were administered intraperitoneal (IP) Ex-4 (0.1–1.0 µg/kg) or VTA Ex-4 (0.01–0.1 µg) paired with 300 pmol ghrelin. In a final group of rats, the 5-HT2c agonist Ro60-0175 was injected IP (0.25–1.0 mg/kg) or into the VTA (1.5–3.0 µg), and under both conditions paired with 300 pmol ghrelin delivered into the VTA. Our results indicated that ghrelin administration increased operant responding for food reward and that this effect was attenuated by IP and VTA Ex-4 pretreatment as well as pre-administration of IP or VTA Ro60-0175. These data provide compelling evidence that mesolimbic GLP-1 and serotonergic circuitry interact with the ghrelinergic system to suppress ghrelin’s effects on the mediation of food reinforcement.
Implementation of an EMR System for a Comprehensive Dental Service within a Large Regional Hospital Network: Challenges and Opportunities Presented by the Introduction of new Technology

Abstract Objectives: The development of new information technology has significant effects on the health care system, and its implementation and the associated change management process can bring some positive changes and gains in understanding, but there are challenges with making the transition. These benefits and challenges are explored in the context of a hospital based dental department. Additionally, the concept of the integration of oral health to overall systemic health is explored in context with an Electronic Medical Records system implementation, and the American Dental Association’s recent recognition of dental anesthesiology as a clinical subspecialty. Method: Qualitative survey of attending dental faculty members of the department, who represent a broad range of dental specialties and experience in private practice, hospital based practice, teaching, and public health practice. Results: The faculty survey yielded some consistent themes, ranging from enhanced information to make better diagnoses, to challenges in transitioning to EMR, as well as concerns about data security and too much time and effort in front of a computer screen. Discussion: A brief summary of the history of the stand-alone development of dentistry is given, which contributed to the separate development of dental EMRs from hospital EMRs. The various modalities of clinical care provided by the Department of Dentistry at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL are presented to give a scope of the areas of need a successful EMR solution must meet in a hospital based dental setting. Public health aspects are included in the discussion. Conclusion: Macro level health data sets (ie NHANES, state level datasets) have the potential to be expanded to include more thorough data, combining medical health data and oral health data in the same datasets.
Perturbations of the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in Children with Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone Disease.

Background The relationship between the composition and function of gut microbial communities and early-onset calcium oxalate kidney stone disease is unknown. Methods We conducted a case-control study of 88 individuals aged 4-18 years, which included 44 individuals with kidney stones containing ≥50% calcium oxalate and 44 controls matched for age, sex, and race. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were performed on stool samples. Results Participants who were kidney stone formers had a significantly less diverse gut microbiome compared with controls. Among bacterial taxa with a prevalence >0.1%, 31 taxa were less abundant among individuals with nephrolithiasis. These included seven taxa that produce butyrate and three taxa that degrade oxalate. The lower abundance of these bacteria was reflected in decreased abundance of the gene encoding butyryl-coA dehydrogenase (P=0.02). The relative abundance of these bacteria was correlated with the levels of 18 fecal metabolites, and levels of these metabolites differed in individuals with kidney stones compared with controls. The oxalate-degrading bacterial taxa identified as decreased in those who were kidney stone formers were components of a larger abundance correlation network that included Eggerthella lenta and several Lactobacillus species. The microbial (α) diversity was associated with age of stone onset, first decreasing and then increasing with age. For the individuals who were stone formers, we found the lowest α diversity among individuals who first formed stones at age 9-14 years, whereas controls displayed no age-related differences in diversity. Conclusions Loss of gut bacteria, particularly loss of those that produce butyrate and degrade oxalate, associates with perturbations of the metabolome that may be upstream determinants of early-onset calcium oxalate kidney stone disease.
Cats, Kids, and video calls: how working from home affects media self-presentation

The COVID pandemic and social distancing have induced radical disruptions to work and learning practices. Working from home (WFH) has reduced offline interactions while increasing digital communica...
Cryo-EM Structures of the SARS-CoV-2 Endoribonuclease Nsp15

New therapeutics are urgently needed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. Nsp15, a uridine-specific endoribonuclease found in all coronaviruses, processes viral RNA to evade detection by RNA-activated host defense systems, making it a promising drug target. Previous work with SARS-CoV-1 established that Nsp15 is active as a hexamer, yet how Nsp15 recognizes and processes viral RNA remains unknown. Here we report a series of cryo-EM reconstructions of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15. The UTP-bound cryo-EM reconstruction at 3.36 A resolution provides molecular details into how critical residues within the Nsp15 active site recognize uridine and facilitate catalysis of the phosphodiester bond, whereas the apo-states reveal active site conformational heterogeneity. We further demonstrate the specificity and mechanism of nuclease activity by analyzing Nsp15 products using mass spectrometry. Collectively, these findings advance understanding of how Nsp15 processes viral RNA and provide a structural framework for the development of new therapeutics.
Requirements for cDC2 positioning in blood-exposed regions of the neonatal and adult spleen

The marginal zone (MZ) of the spleen contains multiple cell types that are involved in mounting rapid immune responses against blood-borne pathogens, including conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and MZ B cells. MZ B cells develop later than other B cell types and are sparse in neonatal mice. Here, we show that cDC2s are abundant in the MZ of neonatal compared with adult mice. We find that conditions associated with reduced MZ B cell numbers in adult mice cause increased cDC2 occupancy of the MZ. Treatment with the S1PR1-modulating drug, FTY720, causes cDC2 movement into the MZ through the indirect mechanism of displacing MZ B cells into follicles. Splenic cDC2s express high amounts of α4β1 and αLβ2 integrins and depend on these integrins and the adaptor Talin for their retention in blood-exposed regions of the spleen. Splenic CD4 T cell activation by particulate antigens is increased in mice with higher cDC2 density in the MZ, including in neonatal mice. Our work establishes requirements for homeostatic cDC2 positioning in the spleen and provides evidence that localization in blood-exposed regions around the white pulp augments cDC2 capture of particulate antigens. We suggest that MZ positioning of cDC2s partially compensates for the lack of MZ B cells during the neonatal period.
A note on income inequality at the state level

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to consider how measures of income inequality change over time when the geographic scale of the assessment is taken into account. Using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) records at the state level for the adjusted gross income by tax paying unit and the Gini coefficient (GC), it is clear geography matters. Comparing the estimates of the Gini coefficient at the national level in 2008, 2016, and 2018 (the last year with IRS data available), I find there are small, but statistically significant, increases in income inequality. Comparing GC estimates for 2008 to 2016 at the state level, there is a difference in the direction of the significant changes in the estimated Gini coefficients. 58.8% of the states experienced significant increases in inequality comparing these two years, while 27.4% had significant decreases. This pattern reverses comparing 2016 to 2018. 43.1% experienced statistically significant decreases and 35.3% significant increases.
Whole brain 3D MR fingerprinting in multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.

MR fingerprinting (MRF) is a novel imaging method proposed for the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This study aims to determine if MR Fingerprinting (MRF) relaxometry can differentiate frontal normal appearing white matter (F-NAWM) and splenium in patients diagnosed with MS as compared to controls and to characterize the relaxometry of demyelinating plaques relative to the time of diagnosis. Three-dimensional (3D) MRF data were acquired on a 3.0T MRI system resulting in isotropic voxels (1 × 1 × 1 mm3) and a total acquisition time of 4 min 38 s. Data were collected on 18 subjects paired with 18 controls. Regions of interest were drawn over MRF-derived T1 relaxometry maps encompassing selected MS lesions, F-NAWM and splenium. T1 and T2 relaxometry features from those segmented areas were used to classify MS lesions from F-NAWM and splenium with T-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding algorithms. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was performed to discriminate NAWM and Splenium in MS compared with controls. Mean out-of-fold machine learning prediction accuracy for discriminant results between MS patients and controls for F-NAWM was 65 % (p = 0.21) and approached 90 % (p < 0.01) for the splenium. There was significant positive correlation between time since diagnosis and MS lesions mean T2 (p = 0.015), minimum T1 (p = 0.03) and negative correlation with splenium uniformity (p = 0.04). Perfect discrimination (AUC = 1) was achieved between selected features from MS lesions and F-NAWM. 3D-MRF has the ability to differentiate between MS and controls based on relaxometry properties from the F-NAWM and splenium. Whole brain coverage allows the assessment of quantitative properties within lesions that provide chronological assessment of the time from MS diagnosis.
Branded Price Variation in the United States Drug Market, 2010 to 2019.

Abstract The transaction price for branded drugs in the United States often varies widely by the eventual payer, a fact that can complicate research and policy discussions surrounding drug pricing. We combine publicly-available data on branded drug prices from a host of sources—prices paid by Medicare (Parts B and D), the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA), those included in the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), invoice prices paid by pharmacies described in National Average Drug Acquisition Costs (NADAC), list prices, and payments ultimately received by drug makers—to illustrate how prices vary across the U.S. market and how these relationships changed from 2010 to 2019. We document large variation across payers and find VA prices are generally the lowest, averaging nearly 50% below list prices during our study period, which is meaningfully lower than the average prices manufacturers ultimately receive. Some net prices, like those in Part D and average payments received by manufacturers, have diverged substantially from list prices in the last decade and are now much closer to the published VA and FSS prices. In part, this reflects unexpected net price increases among published VA and FSS prices that is worthy of future study.
The Association Between Health Literacy and Tobacco Use: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

Dual use of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes presents an emerging public health issue. Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationship between health literacy and conventional cigarette (CIG) use. However, the relationship between health literacy and e-cigarette (ECIG) use remains unclear. This studies examines the possible association of health literacy and CIG, ECIG, or dual use. A multinomial regression was used to model the association between health literacy and current CIG use, current ECIG use, or dual tobacco use status using state-optional data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS; N = 40,404). One-third of the sample (N = 13,478; 33.3%) had initiated tobacco use. Approximately 36.6% of participants exclusively used cigarettes. A smaller proportion of participants were dual users of ECIG and CIGs (7.0%) and e-cigarette exclusive users (4.5%). After adjusting for covariates, higher levels of oral health literacy was associated with lower odds of current dual use. However, there was no significant association between written HL and either conventional cigarette use or electronic cigarette use or after adjusting for covariates. Oral messaging around the dangers of CIG use may be effective at lowering odds of CIG or dual use, especially for those with higher levels of HL. Further research is needed to examine how to best disseminate information regarding the health risks of ECIGs.
Mitochondrial Metabolism in Melanoma

Melanoma and its associated alterations in cellular pathways have been growing areas of interest in research, especially as specific biological pathways are being elucidated. Some of these alterations include changes in the mitochondrial metabolism in melanoma. Many mitochondrial metabolic changes lead to differences in the survivability of cancer cells and confer resistance to targeted therapies. While extensive work has gone into characterizing mechanisms of resistance, the role of mitochondrial adaptation as a mode of resistance is not completely understood. In this review, we wish to explore mitochondrial metabolism in melanoma and how it impacts modes of resistance. There are several genes that play a major role in melanoma mitochondrial metabolism which require a full understanding to optimally target melanoma. These include BRAF, CRAF, SOX2, MCL1, TRAP1, RHOA, SRF, SIRT3, PTEN, and AKT1. We will be discussing the role of these genes in melanoma in greater detail. An enhanced understanding of mitochondrial metabolism and these modes of resistance may result in novel combinatorial and sequential therapies that may lead to greater therapeutic benefit.
Ethical Considerations in Cell Therapy

This chapter focuses on the ethical issues concerning the cell therapies that are offered within regulatory frameworks, as well as the ethical issues raised by those offered outside of regulatory frameworks. A discussion of ethical challenges in cell therapy clinical trial design is included. The chapter concludes with ethical considerations pertaining to the procurement and use of pluripotent stem cells: human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.
A STRUCTURAL THEORY OF UNCERTAIN KNOWLEDGE

The paper presents a theoretical approach to the study of subjective probability distributions for imperfectly known quantities. In probabilistic inference tasks, information processing is subject to the usual limitations under which humans operate. Most importantly, human information processing uses a working memory of limited capacity, in a serial fashion. It is assumed that this working memory is used by a subject who is evaluating the degree of his uncertainty. The proposed theory makes three important assumptions. First, the processing of relevant knowledge takes place in a serial, multi-stage fashion; second, many of the early stages are accomplished without the recognition of uncertainty; third, a subject’s evaluation of his uncertainty is based on a restructuring process, which is limited to those parts of the structure that follow the point of assumed certainty. The restructuring is assumed to be based upon a search of long term memory for any relevant information.
Systems biology of polycystic kidney disease: a critical review

The proliferation and diminishing costs of 'omics' approaches have finally opened the doors for small and medium laboratories to enter the 'systems biology era'. This is a welcome evolution that requires a new framework to design, interpret, and validate studies. Here, we highlight some of the challenges, contributions, and prospects of the 'cyst-ems biology' of polycystic kidney disease.