cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NIHILISTIC ADOLESCENTS, HEAVY METAL ROCK MUSIC, AND PARANORMAL BELIEFS

Recently, there has been a great deal of media attention devoted to various groups of nihilistic adolescents who have adopted the sobriquet, "stoners." These juveniles are reputed to be actively engaged in demonic worship and satanic rituals which include animal and blood sacrifices as well as cemetery desecrations and grave robbing (1, 3). They are also alleged to be avid followers of such heavy metal rock groups as Motley Crew, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath, whose musical lyrics and album covers portray satanic themes (3). However, there are few, if any, data available which address the stoners' alleged paranormal beliefs and/or life style. Most research into paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs has used randomly selected college students as respondents (2, 4). The purpose of this study then was to determine whether selfidentified stoners differ from other adolescents in their beliefs regarding witchcraft, black magic, and voodoo and to discover to whac extent heavy metal rock music was correlated with this self-identification. The witchcraft subscale (4), which was modified by including the term "black magic" in Questions 3 and 4, was administered to 66 adolescent volunteers who reside in the eastern metropolitan area of Los Angeles. All respondents were located through case workers in community service agencies who deal directly with street gangs in the geographical area. Subjects responded on a four-point Likert-type scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Scores from 1 to 4 were assigned so that a high score always indicated a more favorable paranormal attitude. A question designed to elicit the subjects' contemporary music preference was appended ro the questionnaire. Half of the subjects (n = 33) were self-identified stoners. The 48 male ancl 18 female respondents were equally distributed between the two groups and ranged in age from 12 to 20 yr. (M = 16.5 yr., SD = 2.2). Self-identification as a stoner was directly correlated with a reported preference for heavy metal rock music (r = .66, fi < .001). A ratio indicated significant differences in paranormal belief between the groups on all four measures of the witchcraft subscale: Black magic really exists (M, = 3.49, SD = .SO, vs 1.73, SD = .57; tat = 13.18, p < .001). Witches do exist (M, = 3.39, SD = .GI vs 1.55, SD = .51; to, = 13.41, p < ,001). Voodoo [and/or black magic] is a real method to use paranormal powers (M. = 3.21, SD = .82 vs 1.76, SD = .61; tar = 8.16, p < .001). There are actual cases of voodoo [and/or black magic] death (M. = 3.24, SD = 33, vs 1.76, SD = .56; k4 = 8.51, p < .001). The small sample may not be representative of the total stoner population. However, this study does offer support, albeit preliminary, to the suppositional position that a segmenc of today's youth are being influenced by witchcraft and the occult sciences and thac heavy metal rock music is directly correlated with this identification. Further research is needed to establish if this association is widespread or unique to this sample. REFERENCES
Single and double core-hole ionization energies in molecules.

The recently demonstrated ability to measure double-hole core-ionization energies in first-row elements has led to a renewed interest in the use of such energies to investigate the effects of initi...
Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome and AChR Mutation

A 20-year-old woman from a consanguineous Moroccan marriage, with progressive muscle weakness noted from 2 years of age and evaluated at the University of Bonn, Germany, was found to have congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) due to homozygosity of the 1293insG e-acetylcholine receptor subunit mutation.
MOF: creating an educational game on nanotechnology through simulation-driven optimization

In this paper, we introduce an optimization-based approach for creating a simulation-driven game designed to teach players about nano-technology. We focus our effort on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), a new class of nano-materials used for a wide variety of safety, filtering, and manufacturing tasks. In particular, we design a tool to allow users to create their own unique MOFs, introduce a new form of interactive simulation of MOF structures, and validate our new simulation model with existing offline chemical simulation techniques. We combine our new design tool and simulation technique into a simple game called Master of Filtering, designed to let players design and test brand new MOFs within an interactive game setting. Following an optimization-driven approach, we are able to generate an initiative scoring mechanism such as higher scores in the game are positively correlated with better key chemical properties of the user-designed MOFs.
Design of Enzyme Inhibitors

Mechanistic insight and structural information provide the starting points for two contrasting approaches to the design of enzyme inhibitors. Phosphorus-containing peptides are inhibitors of the zinc and aspartic peptidases that mimic key geometric and electronic characteristics of the transition states of these enzymes. The design of compounds to mimic high-energy structures along the reaction path is also an effective strategy for inhibition of two enzymes of the shikimic acid pathway, EPSP synthase and chorismate mutase. For all of these inhibitors, the structural information available from crystallography has been used to interpret their binding behavior, if not for their initial design. Situations in which structural information does play a role in inhibitor design can be divided into three categories, depending on the kind of information available; examples of two of these are presented, along with some computational tools to facilitate the design process. Macrocyclic, constrained inhibitors of thermolysin were designed from the structures of the enzyme complexes of the acyclic transition state analogs, and cyclic hexapeptide mimics of the α-amylase inhibitor tendamistat were designed from the structure of this 74-residue protein. In this connection, the utility of 3-D structural databases and search tools like CAVEAT has stimulated the development of TRIAD and ILIAD, two large databases of computed, minimized structures.
Optimal operation of microgrid based on chaotic simulated annealing particle swarm algorithm

One of the important issues of microgrid development is how to optimize the operation of the microgrid that contains different kinds of distributed generation. This paper presents the application of particle swarm algorithm, based on chaotic simulated annealing to optimize the operation of the microgrid. Considering the operation cost, environmental benefits and other performance indicators as the objective function, to establish the mathematical model of microgrid optimal operation, propose the method of microgrid optimal operation based on chaotic simulated annealing particle swarm algorithm, and applied it to solve the multi-objective and multi-constrained problems of microgrid optimal operation. The example analysis proved the effectiveness and feasibility of this algorithm.
Der Gesang der Tannenmeise (Parus ater): Beschreibung und kommunikative Funktion

Tannenmeisen-Gesang ist relativ einfach aus wiederholten Silben aufgebaut. Einzelne Individuen singen bis zu 16 verschiedene Strophentypen. Das Gesangsverhalten wird beschrieben; auf „Schwirrgesang“ und Erregungsrufreihen als spezifischen Situationen zugeordnete gesangsahnliche Lautauserungen wird hingewiesen. In gewissen Situationen sangen auch ♀ regelmasig. Als mogliche Informationstrager fur akustische Kommunikation mittels Gesang konnten festgestellt werden: Der Tonhohenverlauf einzelner Strophentypen in Beziehung zum Brutverlauf deutet auf eine mogliche Informationsubermittlung hin. Zur Zeit der Eiablage weisen die Strophen die niedrigste Frequenz auf, Schwankungen bis zu 1000 Hz konnten festgestellt werden. Wie dieses Informationssystem verwirklicht werden konnte bzw. wie der Hormonhaushalt Einflus auf die Tonhohe haben konnte, wird diskutiert. Bei heftigen territorialen Auseinandersetzungen werden Strophen bis zum 5fachen verlangert, vor der Bruthohle (Ankundigungsgesang) dagegen signifikant kurzer gesungen. Die Strophentypen — zur besseren Auswertung in Klassen gruppiert — werden in gewissen Situationen unterschiedlich haufig gesungen. Eine Funktionstrennung bei Strophentypen kann angenommen werden. Strophentypen der Klassen II und III (stark fequenzmodulierte und zeitlich kurze Elemente) werden eher ♀-bezogen verwendet und beenden haufig heftige Revierkampfe. Gesang im Revier (GR) war deutlich variabler als Gesang vor der Bruthohle (GB). Die sich daraus ergebenden Moglichkeiten der Informationsubermittlung werden im Vergleich mit anderenParidae diskutiert. Die einzelnen beiThielcke (1970) erwahnten Funktionen von Gesang bei Vogeln werden fur die Tannenmeise besprochen.
OSU03012, a novel PDK1 inhibitor, decreases thyroid cancer proliferation and migration via multiple downstream pathways.

5138 Patients with progressive or poorly differentiated thyroid cancer frequently lose responsiveness to standard therapies and have a poor prognosis, creating a critical need to develop targets for therapies for progressive thyroid cancer. We have previously reported that invasive thyroid cancers are associated with overactivation of Akt and display Akt 1-dependent cell migration; and that Akt activation is essential for thyroid cancer cell proliferation and the action of a number of thyroid cancer oncogenes. More recently, we have demonstrated that aggressive thyroid cancers are associated with overexpression of EMT-related proteins, including vimentin and osteopontin, and by activation of p21-activated kinase (PAK), a central regulator of cytoskeletal changes involved in EMT that enhances vimentin expression and function. In addition, we have previously shown that vimentin expression is both necessary and sufficient for thyroid cancer cell invasion in vitro. OSU03012 (OSU) is a PDK1 inhibitor that is progressing to clinical trials through the NCI-RAID program. Because PDK-1 is upstream of both Akt and PAK, we hypothesized that OSU would inhibit proliferation and invasion, in association with reduced Akt and PAK activation. OSU treatment (2.5-10 μM) decreased cell proliferation of NPA (papillary), WRO (follicular), and ARO (anaplastic) thyroid cancer cells with IC50 values of 3.3, 6.7, and 6.1 μM respectively, at 24hr. In addition, a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis was observed over a concentration range of 2.5 - 10 μM in all cell lines, measured by DNA fragmentation and increased cleaved PARP. OSU treatment decreased phospho-Akt and phospho-PAK in parallel to these observations. For migration studies, NPA cells were used as they migrate most efficiently in vitro. OSU blocked NPA migration at doses lower than required to reduce cellular proliferation or Akt activity; however decreased levels of phospho-PAK at thr423 were detected at these concentrations. Transient overexpression of a PDK-1 independent constitutively active PAK abrogated the ability of OSU to block NPA cell migration. Vimentin phosphorylation at a PAK-specific site was also decreased in parallel to the reduction in PAK phosphorylation in NPA cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that OSU, a novel PDK1 inhibitor, blocks thyroid cancer cell proliferation and migration through inhibition of both Akt and PAK. The effect on migration appears to be mediated mainly by inhibition of PAK activity, perhaps through altered intermediate filament organization by blocking vimentin phosphorylation. Thus, OSU-03012, a novel PDK1 inhibitor, inhibits thyroid cancer cell proliferation and migration through multiple pathways that are involved in thyroid cancer progression in patients.
Unresponsive Intractable Chronic Headache With Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin is an anti-diabetic medication within the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor class used as a single agent or in combination therapy. It is a well-studied and well-tolerated medication with commonly reported adverse events of upper respiratory tract infections, nasopharyngitis, headache, and gastrointestinal (GI) upset. Post-marketing reports have also identified associations with acute pancreatitis and joint pain. Here, we report a case of type II diabetes with chronic headache which resolved rapidly after discontinuation of sitagliptin. Our case demonstrates the need for continuous monitoring and post-marketing surveillance for drugs with tolerable side effect profile. Also, increasing patient and physician awareness of long-term side effects of these commonly used medications is essential for adequate patient safety and quality care.
Echocardiographic Features of Common Ventricle

Single or common ventricle is a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease in which the ventricular chamber receives blood from both atrioventricular valves, either separately or as a common atrioventricular valve. Cardiac catheterization and selective angiocardiography are required to establish the diagnosis.
An Economic Model of FDA’s Imported Foods Enforcement Program

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for enforcing the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and its subsequent amendments. One requirement of this Act is that the nation’s food be unadulterated, uncontaminated with harmful chemical or biological substances, and of sufficient quality. FDA’s food safety and quality enforcement program is designed to prevent domestic and imported food products that violate the FD&C Act in these ways from reaching the consumer. This program minimizes the negative health and welfare effects of violative foods.
Dienone and Enone Photochemistry(1–3)

The photorearrangement of a dienone was noted(4) as early as 1830 in a study of the sesquiterpene α-santonin (1). However, the structure and stereochemistry of the various photoproducts were not conclusively established until 1965.(5) Upon irradiation in neutral media, α-santonin (1) undergoes rapid rearrangement to the cyclopropyl ketone, lumisantonin (2). However, if the irradiation is not terminated after a short period of time the lumisantonin itself rearranges into a linearly conjugated dienone (3). The dienone (3) can be isolated from the photolysis of either (1) or (2) in benzene or ether. In nucleophilic solvents (alcohol or water) the dienone (3) is also photo-chemically active and is further converted into an ester or an acid (photo-santonic acid) (4).
Twisted symmetric differentials and the quadric algebra of subvarieties of $$\mathbb {P}^N$$ P N of low codimension

A smooth subvariety $$X\subset \mathbb {P}^N$$ has for each $$\alpha \in \mathbb Q$$ an associated algebra $$Q(X,\alpha )\!\!=\bigoplus _{m\alpha \in \mathbb Z}H^0(X,S^m[\Omega _X^1(\alpha )])$$ . The algebra Q(X, 0) is the the intrinsic algebra of symmetric differentials and Q(X, 1) is called the algebra of twisted symmetric differentials. We show that when X is a complete intersection of dimension , then the algebra of twisted symmetric differentials is the quadric algebra of X, i.e. . The same isomorphism is shown without the complete intersection assumption if X is of codimension two and $$\dim X\geqslant 3$$ . We establish an identification of the twisted symmetric m-differentials on X with the tangentially homogeneous polynomials relative to X of degree m. The lack of the hypothesis of X being a complete intersection is dealt with results on the properties of the vanishing locus of tangentially homogeneous polynomials and algebraic geometric properties of the tangent-secant variety of X.
The afterlife effects of fungal morphology: Contrasting decomposition rates between diffuse and rhizomorphic necromass

Microbial necromass is now recognized as an important input into stable soil organic matter pools in terrestrial ecosystems. While melanin and nitrogen content have been identified as factors that influence the decomposition rate of fungal necromass, the effects of mycelial morphology on necromass decomposition remain largely unknown. Using the fungus Armillaria mellea, which produces both diffuse and rhizomorphic biomass in pure culture, we assessed the effects of necromass morphology on decomposition in a 12 week field experiment in Pinus and Quercus dominated forests in Minnesota, USA. Diffuse and rhizomorphic necromass was incubated for 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks to assess differences in decay rates and changes in residual necromass chemistry. Rhizomorphic necromass decomposed significantly slower than diffuse necromass in both forest types. This difference was correlated with initial necromass chemistry, particularly nitrogen content, but not with hydrophobicity. Over the course of the incubation, there was a greater change in the chemistry of diffuse versus rhizomorphic necromass, with both becoming more enriched in recalcitrant compounds. Given that many fungi with both saprotrophic and mycorrhizal ecologies produce rhizomorphs, these results suggest that mycelial morphology should be explicitly considered as an important functional trait influencing the rate of fungal necromass decomposition.
When the Unlikely Becomes Likely: Qualifying Language Does Not Influence Later Truth Judgments

Judgments and decisions are frequently made under uncertainty. People often express and interpret this uncertainty with epistemic qualifiers (e.g., likely, improbable). We investigate the extent to which qualifiers influence truth judgments over time. In four studies, participants studied qualified statements, and two days later they rated the truth of previously qualified statements along with new statements. Previously qualified statements were rated as more likely true than new statements, even when the qualifiers had distinctly opposite meanings (i.e., certain versus impossible; Study 1) and when all qualifiers cast doubt on the veracity of the statements (e.g., improbable, impossible; Studies 2–4). Three additional studies suggested that this effect was not dependent on memory for the qualifiers. Consistent with a fluency interpretation, prior exposure made the statements easier to read, driving truth judgments, and overriding the influence of qualifying information. Implications for improving communication using qualifiers are discussed.
Spectral+Depth Imaging with a Time-of-Flight Compressive Snapshot Camera

This paper presents the development of a single aperture compressive spectral + depth imaging camera that employs a commodity 3D range time-of-flight (ToF) sensor as the sensing device of a coded-aperture-based compressive spectral imager. Modeling and experimental image reconstructions are reported.
Use of Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Pleural Fluid for the Diagnosis of Tubercular Pleural Effusion

Background Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is a quick non invasive method to diagnose of tubercular pleural effusion(TPE) compared to other methods which are less diagnostic and time consuming. A universal cut-off value for ADA in pleural fluid, is needed since results vary widely from country to country and even within a given region. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the present cut-off point of (30 IU/L) in the diagnosis of TPE by determining the sensitivity and specificity and also evaluated the ability of the decreased cut off point 25 IU/L to improve the sensitivity and specificity and thereby the diagnostic accuracy. Materials& methods ADA was estimated in pleural fluid specimens of 104 patients who were admitted for pleural effusion by the colorimetric procedure ofGalanti and Guisti. Based on the cytological and radiological examination the patients were divided into Tubercular group and Non tubercular group with 50 and 54 subjects respectively. The cut-off value for positive ADA result was 30 U/L according to clinical practice at this hospital. Statistical analysis A Comparative correlation study of Adenosine deaminase levels in both groups was done based on Sensitivity/Specificity to diagnose the disease.. Results: The mean ADA level in Tubercular and in Non-tubercular group were 39.64 ± 15.6IU/L and 13.17±11.40IU/L respectively with a P value <0.001** which is highly significant. The sensitivity, specificity was 74% and 90.74 respectively. Bringing down the cut-off value to 25 IU/L, the sensitivity improved from 74% to 84% which is significant and the specificity decreased to 89% from 90% which is not significant. Conclusion The results of the present study it is suggested to bring down the cut-off value of Pleural Fluid ADA to 25 IU/L from 30IU/L to improve the efficiency of this test in diagnosing Tubercular pleural effusion.
Increased cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle size following single-leg knee extension exercise training.

BACKGROUND It is unclear to what extent an improved skeletal muscle phenotype influences maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) when changes in cardiopulmonary function are limited. Thus, to primarily target skeletal muscle adaptations, we employed an alternating single-leg knee extension exercise training protocol and evaluated the impact on skeletal muscle morphology and whole-body exercise capacity. METHODS Eight sedentary volunteers (20±1 years; VO2max: 38.4±2.6 mL/kg/min) completed 12 weeks of progressive alternating single-leg training. Subjects performed a bilateral maximal graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer, a single-leg peak workload test on a knee extensor ergometer, knee extension muscle function testing, and a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan before and after training. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained before and after the training protocol to assess muscle fiber type, by determining myosin heavy chain isoform composition using gel electrophoresis, and fiber size using immunofluorescent staining of muscle cross sections. RESULTS Following training there were increases (P<0.05) in VO2max (2.53±0.25 vs. 2.76±0.20 L/min; 9±3%), the VO2 at ventilatory threshold (1.88±0.19 vs. 2.01±0.18 L/min; 8±2%), peak two-leg cycling workload (183±17 vs. 206±19 W; 13±2%), single-leg peak workload (40.0±4.4 vs. 55.3±5.1 W; 43±8%), skeletal muscle lean mass (3±1%), citrate synthase protein content (44±20%), as well as slow and fast myofiber size (13±4% and 14±4%, respectively) while there was a decrease (P<0.05) in hybrid fiber content (-33±8%). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that inducing a more oxidative phenotype in skeletal muscle with isolated aerobic exercise training improves cardiopulmonary responses to maximal exercise. Additionally, the low cardiovascular burden associated with isolated single-leg exercise may be a useful training approach for clinical populations with skeletal muscle dysfunction or cardiovascular limitations to exercise.
Multifocal epithelioid hemangioma of the metacarpal bones: A case report.

Abstract Epithelioid hemangioma of bone is a rare, locally aggressive but benign vascular tumor that is now recognized as a distinct entity from other vascular neoplasms. It is often difficult to distinguish on imaging studies from other vascular tumors, including epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, which can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. We present the characteristic features and multimodality imaging findings in the case of a 24-year-old female with multifocal epithelioid hemangioma of the first and second metacarpal bones with extension into the surrounding soft tissue.
SWAG: Item Recommendations using Convolutions on Weighted Graphs

Recent advancements in deep neural networks for graph-structured data have led to state-of-the-art performance on recommender system benchmarks. In this work, we present a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) algorithm SWAG (Sample Weight and AGgregate), which combines efficient random walks and graph convolutions on weighted graphs to generate embeddings for nodes (items) that incorporate both graph structure as well as node feature information such as item-descriptions and item-images. The three important SWAG operations that enable us to efficiently generate node embeddings based on graph structures are (a) Sampling of graph to homogeneous structure, (b) Weighting the sampling, walks and convolution operations, and (c) using AGgregation functions for generating convolutions. The work is an adaptation of graphSAGE over weighted graphs. We deploy SWAG at Target and train it on a graph of more than 500K products sold online with over 50M edges. Offline and online evaluations reveal the benefit of using a graph-based approach and the benefits of weighing to produce high quality embeddings and product recommendations.
Teaching Hydraulic Design: Innovative Learning in the Classroom and the Workplace

AbstractEducation provides the foundation for a future generation to advance the field of hydraulic engineering. This paper discussed lessons learned and techniques for educating students and new c...
ELUSIVE CARDIAC LIPOMA

Primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare. Cardiac lipomas are benign tumors and account for just 3% of the primary benign tumors of the heart. A 55-year-old female presents with new onset of atrial fibrillation and elevated troponin level. She underwent a SPECT and an echocardiogram that were
Do Auditors and Audit Committees Lower Fraud Risk by Constraining Inconsistencies between Financial and Nonfinancial Measures

Prior research finds that companies committing fraud exhibit large inconsistencies between reported revenue growth and growth in revenue-related nonfinancial measures (e.g., number of stores, employees, patents). However, prior research also suggests that auditors, on average, are not adept at identifying and constraining these differences. This study investigates whether certain auditors and audit committees are able to lower fraud risk by constraining inconsistencies between financial and related nonfinancial measures (NFMs). For a sample of companies across a variety of industries, we find that auditors with greater industry expertise and tenure and audit committee chairs with greater tenure are less likely to be associated with companies that exhibit large inconsistencies between their reported revenue growth and related NFMs. Surprisingly, we observe that audit committees with industry expert chairs are more likely to be associated with large inconsistencies (higher fraud risk) than audit committees ...
ADHD and Depression

The comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression is common. The literature suggests that youth with ADHD have a higher rate of depression than youth who are not diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, when both disorders occur together, the symptoms of each are more severe, there is worse functional impairment, treatment may be more challenging, and there is higher level of morbidity (i.e., suicide attempts and hospitalizations). Evidence indicates that early treatment of ADHD symptoms may reduce likelihood of future depressive episodes. Assessment and accurate diagnosis in adolescents may be complicated by the fact that many of the presenting symptoms overlap both disorders. While few large-scale studies have looked at treatment for ADHD and comorbid depression in adolescents, evidence-based recommendations are available to guide the clinician in treating patients who present with both conditions.
Diagnosis and Management of Vascular Pains

Summary The existence of a neural connection between the trigeminal nerve and cerebral blood vessels suggests a possible pathophysiologic mechanism relevant to orofacial pain. One possibility is that pain is initiated by the local production or concentration of certain nociceptive molecules in the vicinity of the vessel wall. Bradykinin, serotonin, potassium, prostaglandins, and histamine are present at sites of vessel injury and may modulate the threshold for depolarization of primary sensory fibers. Clinicians know that potassium released by brain tissue is sufficient to depolarize primary sensory fibers. If these sensory fibers project centrally to appropriate brain regions, the resultant depolarization may be accompanied by the sensation of pain. During depolarization neurotransmitters such as substance P are released from peripheral fibers. If the release is of sufficient magnitude, dilation and increases in vascular permeability-may result. Pain from cephalic blood vessels may be conveyed to the CNS by the trigeminal fibers.
Sleep Deficiency and Pediatric Chronic Pain

Sleep deficiency in children is a public health concern, and it is highly comorbid in pediatric chronic pain conditions. Children may be particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of sleep deficiency, because comorbid sleep deficiency in chronic pain may further exacerbate already existent symptoms of pain, anxiety, depressions, daytime function, and increase health care use. Sleep deficiency is modifiable and integrating human-centered approaches into the development of sleep interventions is a pragmatic approach to partner with parents and children to provide them with the knowledge, motivation, and skills for setting and achieving goals, adapting to setbacks, and problem solving.
Functional and esthetic rehabilitation to achieve a harmonious occlusion utilizing minimally invasive ceramic restorations

A worn dentition can lead to a multitude of esthetic compromises onto a patient’s anterior teeth, such as chipping and shortening of the clinical crown height. This clinical presentation is quite discerning to the patients’ eyes that they often seek veneers as a solution to resolve their esthetic concerns. However, the treating dental provider must determine the diagnosis and cause(s) for the anterior esthetic problems to prevent further breakdown of any definitive restorations. Form follows function: if the worn dentition is properly diagnosed and addressed, the esthetics will gradually, and ultimately, follow naturally. This article will address the etiology of tooth wear and discuss how to harmoniously re-build the occlusion in a minimally invasive and esthetic manner utilizing adhesive dentistry and ceramic restorations.
The Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 (RT-PCR) Testing

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is estimated to have affected 6.2 million people in the United States and 27.5 million people worldwide as of September 9, 2020. On February 2, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determined that the public health emergency justified the development and emergency use of "in vitro diagnostics for the detection and/or diagnosis of the virus that causes COVID-19" by activating the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Unfortunately, effective mitigation efforts were thwarted early in the outbreak resulting in an expansion of the initial EUA on February 29, 2020, to improve accessibility to in vitro diagnostic testing. Expectantly, the development and deployment of SARS-CoV-2 testing including RT-PCR expanded rapidly in the weeks following the EUA expansion. These newly developed and approved SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests boast impressive positive and negative agreement rates nearing 100%. Despite the exceptionally high rates of agreement, caution is advised as the RT-PCR tests approved under the COVID-19 EUA are in vitro analyses developed with samples artificially doped with SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These tests therefore do not have clinically applicable sensitivity and specificity because they lack a "gold standard" for diagnosis. Here we present three challenging cases requiring cautious interpretation of the newest generation of RT-PCR molecular detection assays, highlighting the major challenges faced by providers treating patients potentially infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Evaluation of Fluid Intake in College Students During the Initial Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives To evaluate fluid intake of college students during the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mitochondrial loci enable specific qPCR detection of the pathogen causing contemporary impatiens downy mildew epidemics.

Impatiens downy mildew (IDM) disease is a primary constraint on the production of Impatiens walleriana, a popular and economically important floriculture plant. IDM is caused by the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara destructor that emerged as a pathogen of I. walleriana in the 2000s. To enable P. destructor detection and quantification, a hydrolysis probe-based quantitative PCR diagnostic assay was developed based on unique orientation and order of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and ATP synthase subunit alpha (atp1) genes in the genus Plasmopara. Nucleotide sequences and analysis of the cox1/atp1 region distinguished P. destructor and its sister-species P. obducens, consistent with prior phylogenetic analyses using cox2 and rDNA markers. Specificity for P. destructor was incorporated into a hydrolysis probe targeting the cox1 gene and flanking primers that amplified across the cox1/atp1 intergenic region. The limit of detection was 0.5 fg/μL of P. destructor DNA (~100 plasmid copies/µL), with amplification efficiency = 0.95. The assay was validated against a panel of target and non-target oomycetes, which showed that the primers were specific for Plasmopara spp., while the probe was specific for P. destructor infecting both I. walleriana and I. balsamina. Testing of Impatiens tissue collected from 23 locations across 13 states indicated all samples with IDM symptoms tested positive for P. destructor. Asymptomatic plants from two locations also tested positive for P. destructor.
Changing fire regimes and old-growth forest succession along a topographic gradient in the Great Smoky Mountains

Patterns of past fire disturbance may be an important contributor to contemporary vegetation composition and structure in old-growth forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains. However, due to a lack of information on pre-suppression fire regimes, vegetation pattern in the region has been primarily attributed to variability in soils and climate. To assess the pre-suppression fire regime’s role in shaping vegetation pattern, we characterized temporal patterns of tree establishment in an old-growth forest that experienced two centuries of frequent fire, followed by a century of fire exclusion. Forest plots were inventoried and cored to characterize age structure and composition in yellow pine, chestnut oak, white pine-oak, and cove forest communities on the south-facing slope of an old-growth watershed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee USA. We compared the timing and composition of tree establishment from the following disturbance periods: (1) frequent fire 1700–1909; (2) post fire 1910–1949; and (3) mesophication 1950–2000. Non-metric multidimensional scaling characterized successional change between the three age classes. Multivariate dispersion, species richness, and beta diversity were calculated for establishment in each disturbance period. We found distinct peaks in tree establishment in the yellow pine, chestnut oak, and white pine-oak stand types that occurred soon (<40 years) after fire cessation at the site. Xerophytic fire-tolerant species dominated establishment during the period of frequent fire; a mixture of xerophytic and mesophytic species established during the period immediately following the last major fire; and mesophytic, fire-intolerant species dominated establishment during the recent period of mesophication. Cohort recruitment was less clearly linked to fire suppression in the mesic cove stands; however ‘‘fire protected’’ cove stands exhibited different age structure and composition compared to cove stands adjacent to the frequently burned south-facing slope. Mean plot level species richness was greatest in the tree cohort that established soon after the last major fire; while beta diversity and multivariate dispersion were highest in the trees that had established during the frequent fire period. Tree establishment has generally shifted from shade-intolerant, drought-tolerant species to shade-tolerant, drought-intolerant species along the entire south-facing slope. Successional trajectory indicates a loss of yellow pine and chestnut oak communities as the xeric and sub-xeric sites convert to white pine and cove forest communities, which were formerly restricted to sub-mesic and mesic positions. Declines in beta diversity and multivariate dispersion within younger age classes indicate that in the absence of fire disturbance, community differentiation is declining along the topographic moisture gradient.
National trends in the use and outcomes of hepatic resection

Abstract Background Hepatic resection is increasingly performed for primary and metastatic tumors. Reports from tertiary care centers show improved outcomes over time with lower operative mortality rates. The objective of this investigation was to characterize trends in the use and outcomes of hepatic resection in the US during a recent 13-year period. Study design Adult patients with a procedures code for hepatic resection in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 1988 to 2000 were included. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample is a 20% representative sample of all discharges in the US. Outcomes variables included in-hospital mortality and length of stay. High volume hospitals performed 10 or more (>50th percentile) procedures per year. Results During the 13-year period, 16,582 patients underwent hepatic resection. The number of procedures performed increased nearly twofold, from 820 per year in 1988 to 1,420 per year in 2000. Similar changes in use were seen for each indication for operation. The overall mortality rate declined from 10.4% (1988 to 1989) to 5.3% (1999 to 2000) during the study period (p Conclusions The number of hepatic resections performed in the US has increased significantly. Short-term outcomes have also improved over the same time period, with more improvement seen at higher volume centers than in lower volume centers.
Alterations in fetal metabolism subsequent to maternal morphine administration

Abstract Umbilical blood flow and fetal oxygen, glucose, lactate, and pyruvate uptakes were measured in the chronically catheterized fetal lamb subsequent to administration of morphine sulfate to the mother (0.66 mg/kg). No significant change in umbilical blood flow or fetal oxygen consumption was noted during the 120-minute observation period. Although transient maternal hyperglycemia was noted, there was no significant alteration in fetal arterial glucose concentrations. Umbilical vein glucose levels, however, were significantly below control values at 45 minutes ()−21%) and 60 minutes (−18%). As a result, fetal glucose uptake was markedly reduced at 45 minutes (p
Experiments on the evolution of digital to analog converters

Evolvable Hardware (EHW) applications have, so far, encompassed the synthesis of standard analog and digital circuits' building blocks through Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Currently, the research effort in EHW is being driven towards twofold purposes: the synthesis of circuits of medium to high complexity; and the design of reconfigurable architectures that facilitate the system evolvability and on-chip implementation of the evolved circuits. This work addresses these issues by describing the evolution of Digital to Analog Converters (DACs). We investigate the efficiency of the evolutionary system when using different representations and when evolving current and voltage mode circuits. A new technique based on hierarchical evolution is devised to enhance the evolutionary speed and the design scalability. New methods to increase the competitiveness of the evolved designs are also discussed.
Implementation Research: Beyond the Traditional Randomized Controlled Trial

Implementation research is a new scientific discipline emerging from the recognition that the public does not derive sufficient or rapid benefit from advances in the health sciences (Berwick DM, JAMA 289:1969–1975, 2003; Lenfant C, N Engl J Med 349:868–874, 2003). One often-quoted estimate claims that it takes an average of 17 years for even well-established clinical knowledge to be fully adopted into routine practice (Kiefe CI, Sales A, J Gen Intern Med 21(Suppl 2):S67–S70, 2006). In this chapter, we will discuss particular barriers to evidence implementation, present tools for implementation research, and provide a framework for designing implementation research studies, emphasizing the randomized trial. The reader is advised that this chapter only provides a basic introduction to several concepts for which new approaches are rapidly emerging. Therefore, our goal is to stimulate interest and promote additional in-depth learning for those who wish to develop new implementation research projects or better understand this exciting field.
Conditional poliovirus mutants made by random deletion mutagenesis of infectious cDNA.

Abstract Small deletions were introduced into DNA plasmids bearing cDNA copies of Mahoney type 1 poliovirus RNA. The procedure used was similar to that of P. Hearing and T. Shenk (J. Mol. Biol. 167:809-822, 1983), with modifications designed to introduce only one lesion randomly into each DNA molecule. Methods to map small deletions in either large DNA or RNA molecules were employed. Two poliovirus mutants, VP1-101 and VP1-102, were selected from mutagenized populations on the basis of their host range phenotype, showing a large reduction in the relative numbers of plaques on CV1 and HeLa cells compared with wild-type virus. The deletions borne by the mutant genomes were mapped to the region encoding the amino terminus of VP1. That these lesions were responsible for the mutant phenotypes was substantiated by reintroduction of the sequenced lesions into a wild-type poliovirus cDNA by deoxyoligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. The deletion of nucleotides encoding amino acids 8 and 9 of VP1 was responsible for the VP1-101 phenotype; the VP1-102 defect was caused by the deletion of the sequences encoding the first four amino acids of VP1. The peptide sequence at the VP1-VP3 proteolytic cleavage site was altered from glutamine-glycine to glutamine-methionine in VP1-102; this apparently did not alter the proteolytic cleavage pattern. The biochemical defects resulting from these mutations are discussed in the accompanying report.
Computer Applications in Exploration and Mining Geology: Ten Years of Progress

Although many applications of computers to exploration and mining geology had been developed prior to 1969, their use and acceptance in mining was limited, even by the technologically advanced countries. Today, most mining companies and governmental agencies concerned with natural resources apply computers extensively.
Expression of GPR177 (Wntless/Evi/Sprinter), a Highly Conserved Wnt-Transport Protein, in Rat Tissues, Zebrafish Embryos, and Cultured Human Cells

GPR177 is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein necessary for Wnt protein secretion. Little is currently known, however, regarding expression of GPR177, especially in vertebrate species. We have developed an antiserum against GPR177, and used it to examine expression of GPR177 in human tissue culture cells, adult mouse, and rat tissues, as well as developing zebrafish embryos. In rodents, GPR177 is expressed in virtually all tissue types and brain regions examined. In zebrafish, GPR177 polypeptides are expressed throughout embryogenesis, and are detectable as early as 1 hr post-fertilization. In situ hybridization analysis reveals that gpr177 mRNA expression is prominent in embryonic zebrafish brain and ear. Structural studies suggest that GPR177 is modified by N-linked sugars, and that the protein contains an even number of transmembrane segments. The relatively ubiquitous expression of GPR177 suggests that this protein may serve to regulate Wnt secretion in a variety of embryonic and adult tissue types. Developmental Dynamics 239:2426–2434, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cuneate nucleus reorganization following cervical dorsal rhizotomy in the macaque monkey: its role in the recovery of manual dexterity.

Immediately following a dorsal rhizotomy that removes input from the thumb, index, and middle fingers, the macaque is unable to execute movements that require controlled apposition of these digits. We have previously shown that within the early weeks and months following one of these lesions, there is 1) a re-emergence of part or all of the cortical hand map; 2) central axonal sprouting of spared primary afferents into the dorsal horn and cuneate nucleus; and 3) substantial although incomplete recovery of hand function (Darian-Smith [204] J. Comp. Neurol. 470:134–150; Darian-Smith and Ciferri [2005] J. Comp. Neurol. 491:27–45). In this study we asked: What neuronal reorganization occurs in the cuneate nucleus during this “recovery” period? And, does it contribute to the recovery of manual dexterity? To address these questions, the representation of the hand was electrophysiologically mapped (by unitary receptive field [RF] recordings) in the pars rotunda of the cuneate nucleus at either 1–2 weeks (short term) or 16–32 weeks (long term) post-rhizotomy. In short-term monkeys, the region deprived of input from the thumb, index, and middle finger was found to be unresponsive to cutaneous stimulation. However, at 16–32 weeks later, when dexterity had largely recovered, RFs of cuneate neurons could again be mapped within the cuneate nucleus, primarily in a region bordering the deprived zone. We conclude that the cuneate pre- and postsynaptic reorganization that occurs following dorsal rhizotomy plays a key role in the recovery of hand function. J. Comp. Neurol. 498:552–565, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Compiling legislative histories

Abstract Results of a survey administered to students enrolled in a graduate level Public Policy and Management course indicate that students find handouts to be the most useful form of library assistance when gathering materials for a complex course assignment. Scheduled appointments with the Government Documents Librarian and a bibliographic instruction session are also useful. Assistance provided at the reference desk is least useful. The survey also found that students prefer electronic resources because they find them easier to use than print and because electronic resources can be accessed remotely.
Nonlinear dual-spectral image fusion for improving cone-beam-CT-based breast cancer diagnosis

Cone-beam breast computed tomography (CB Breast CT) can easily detect micro-calcifications and distinguish fat and glandular tissues from normal breast tissue. However, it may be a challenging task for CB Breast CT to distinguish benign from malignant tumors because of the subtle difference in x-ray attenuation. Due to the use of polyenergetic x-ray source, the x-ray and tissue interaction exhibits energy-dependent attenuation behavior, a phenomenon that, to date, has not been used for breast tissue characterization. We will exploit this spectral nature by equipping our CB Breast CT with dual-spectral imaging. The dual-spectral cone-beam scanning produces two spectral image datasets, from which we propose a nonlinear dual-spectral image fusion scheme to combine them into a single dataset, thereby incorporating the spectral information. In implementation, we will perform dual-spectral image fusion through a bi-variable polynomial that can be established by applying dual-spectral imaging to a reference material (with eight different thicknesses). From the fused dataset, we can reconstruct a volume, called a reference-equivalent volume or a fusion volume. By selecting the benign tissue as a reference material, we obtain a benign-equivalent volume. Likewise, we obtain a malignant-equivalent volume as well. In the pursuit of the discrimination of benign versus malignant tissues in a breast image, we perform intra-image as well as inter-image processing. The intra-image processing is an intensity transformation imposed only to a tomographic breast image itself, while the inter-image processing is exerted on two tomographic images extracted from two volumes. The nonlinear fusion scheme possesses these properties: 1) no noise magnification; 2) no feature dimensionality problem, and 3) drastic enhancement among specific features offered by nonlinear mapping. Its disadvantage lies in the possible misinterpretation resulting from nonlinear mapping.