cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compositional Variability in Conventional and Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybean (Glycine max L.) Varieties Grown in Different Regions in Brazil

The compositions of a diverse range of commercially available conventional and genetically modified (GM; glyphosate-tolerant) soybean varieties from maturity groups 8 and 5, respectively, grown in the northern and southern soybean regions of Brazil during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 growing seasons were compared. Compositional analyses included measurement of essential macro- and micronutrients, antinutrients, and selected secondary metabolites in harvested seed as well as measurement of proximates in both forage and harvested seed. Statistical comparisons utilized a mixed analysis of variance model to evaluate the relative contributions of growing season, soybean growing region, production site, phenotype (GM or conventional), and variety. The study highlighted extensive variability in the overall data set particularly for components such as fatty acids, vitamin E, and isoflavones. There were few differences between the GM and non-GM populations, and most of the variability in the data set could be attributed to regional and variety differences. Overall, the results were consistent with the expanding literature on the lack of any meaningful impact of transgene insertion on crop composition.
Phase Behavior of a Block Copolymer/Salt Mixture through the Order-to-Disorder Transition

Mixtures of block copolymers and lithium salts are promising candidates for lithium battery electrolytes. Structural changes that occur during the order-to-disorder transition (ODT) in a diblock copolymer/salt mixture were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). In salt-free block copolymers, the ODT is sharp, and the domain size of the ordered phase decreases with increasing temperature. In contrast, the ODT of the diblock copolymer/salt mixture examined here occurs gradually over an 11 °C temperature window, and the domain size of the ordered phase is a nonmonotonic function of temperature. We present an approach to estimate the fraction of the ordered phase in the 11 °C window where ordered and disordered phases coexist. The domain spacing of the ordered phase increases with increasing temperature in the coexistence window. Both findings are consistent with the selective partitioning of salt into the ordered domains, as predicted by Nakamura et al. (ACS Macro Lett. 2013, 2, 478−481).
Analysis of Excitation System Model Parameters Validation Test of Shandong Power Grid

Excitation system plays a very important role in electric power system planning and control.Precise model and parameters are the foundation of effective control measure selection and accurate simulation of entire power system.Validation test of model parameters is a vital link of excitation system modeling.On the basis of on-situ model parameter validation test plan introduction,simple theoretical analyses of generator idle load character,time constant,AVR proportional gain,exciter idle load character,and reactive power compensation,etc.,are performed,and formulas for each parameter are derived.
Understanding teenage drug abuse

Young people take drugs for many reasons—as part of normal adolescent exploration, to be accepted socially, to deal with specific situations. Treatment for the drug abuser is more likely to be effective when the clinician understands the meaning of drug use to the individual.
Column-wise symmetric block partitioned tensor decomposition

Symmetric block partitioned tensors (SBPT) are a useful structure in signal processing applications, often generated from computing higher-order statistics on observed data. Such tensors often follow the rank (Rm, Rm, 1) SBPT structure, but in some applications the partitioning of the factor matrices is not known a priori. We propose a both blind and non-blind column-wise SBPT decomposition algorithms that are better scalable to high-dimensional tensors because they avoid large matrix inversions. We apply the algorithms to simulated SBPTs and demonstrate that they estimate factor matrices having high congruence with the originals across a range of collinearity values for the columns of the original factor matrices.
Central Nervous System Trauma

Traumatic injury to the central nervous system causes immediate damage and sets in motion a complex series of pathophysiologic events that result in further neuronal injury. This secondary damage seems to be related to changes in blood flow and pressure on a systemic, regional, and microvascular level. Currently, there is evidence that these changes are, in part, mediated by endogenous opioids and arachidonic acid metabolites, namely thromboxane A2. Medical management is generally designed to intervene at one or more stages in this secondary cascade of events. Further research should lead us to better understanding of the mechanisms involved in trauma to the central nervous system and, subsequently, more specific and effective treatments.
Temperature Dependence of Viability and Dormancy of Zizania palustris var. interior Seeds Stored at High Moisture Contents

Investigation on the viability and dormancy of wild rice seeds in relation to moisture content and temperature in storage. Both viability and dormancy can be maintained for extended periods at warm temperatures without altering subsequent responsiveness to stratification
Brain Imaging in People with HIV

In this short review, we show how brain imaging is used to understand brain changes that may occur in people living with HIV. Before combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) became widely available, people infected with HIV often had progressive brain degeneration, and even fatal infections of the central nervous system, if the virus multiplied unchecked. Since the cART era, the focus of HIV neuroimaging research has changed to understanding brain changes that may occur in people with chronic but stable disease, and what factors may help preserve the brain and resist change. A great deal has been learned about how HIV affects the developing and aging brain from in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its variants—MR spectroscopy, diffusion imaging, and resting-state functional MRI. We review some of these developments, including some new techniques that are helping to understand treatment effects in drug trials, and how the virus and medications may affect brain development in children living with HIV.
Current demand of paediatric otolaryngology input for children with Down's syndrome in a tertiary referral centre.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the activity of paediatric otolaryngology services required for children with Down's syndrome in a tertiary referral centre. Methods: A review of the paediatric otolaryngology input for children with Down's syndrome was performed; data were obtained from the coding department for a two-year period and compared with other surgical specialties. Results: Between June 2011 and May 2013, 106 otolaryngology procedures were performed on children with Down's syndrome. This compared to 87 cardiac and 81 general paediatrics cases. The most common pathologies in children with Down's syndrome were obstructive sleep apnoea, otitis media, hearing loss and cardiac disease. The most common otolaryngology procedures performed were adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, grommet insertion and bone-anchored hearing aid implant surgery. Conclusion: ENT manifestations of Down's syndrome are common. Greater provisions need to be made to streamline the otolaryngology services for children and improve transition of care to adult services.
Novel SONOS-type nonvolatile memory with band engineered Hf x Al y O charge trapping layer as floating gate

As a potential candidate of next generation flash memory technology, SONOS type flash memories have many advantages [1, 2, 3] over conventional flash memory devices. It is considered one of the most promising approaches to replace the highly doped polysilicon continuous floating gate technology widely used today. However, there is still big challenge in achieving low operation voltage, a fast programming/erasing speed, good retention and endurance characteristics simultaneously for further scale down. In this paper, we present a novel method of floating gate band engineering to improve the memory device performance. By manipulating the Hf:Al content ratio of Hf X Al y O, which is used as charge trap layer in the memory cell, good programming and retention characteristics were achieved simultaneously.
Effect of NSAIDs on Recovery From Acute Skeletal Muscle Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background:There is debate as to whether the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is beneficial after acute skeletal muscle injury. Some studies have suggested that NSAID use may be...
Education beyond Education: Self and the Imaginary in Maxine Greene’s Philosophy

(2010). Education beyond Education: Self and the Imaginary in Maxine Greene’s Philosophy. Studies in Art Education: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 189-191.
Inheritable Color Space (InCS) and Generalized InCS Framework with Applications to Kinship Verification

This chapter presents a novel inheritable color space (InCS) and a generalized InCS (GInCS) framework for kinship verification. Unlike conventional color spaces, the proposed InCS is automatically derived by balancing the criterion of minimizing the distance between kinship images and the criterion of maximizing the distance between non-kinship images based on a new color similarity measure (CSM). Two important properties of the InCS, namely, the decorrelation property and the robustness to illumination variations property, are further presented through both theoretical and practical analyses. To utilize other inheritable features, a generalized InCS framework is then presented to extend the InCS from the pixel level to the feature level for improving the verification performance as well as the robustness to illumination variations. Experimental results on four representative datasets, the KinFaceW-I dataset, the KinFaceW-II dataset, the UB KinFace dataset, and the Cornell KinFace dataset, show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dominion Resources: Cove Point

The treasurer for Dominion Resources Inc. (Dominion), a major U.S. diversified producer and distributor of energy, was heading to meet with the company's investment bankers to discuss the impact of a large project upon Dominion's financing strategy for the next five years. The Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) project would require $3.6 billion to build and represented one of the largest single capital investments in the company's 100-plus year history. Excerpt UVA-F-1740 Rev. Feb. 18, 2016 Dominion Resources: Cove Point Scott Hetzer quickly shoved his notes and laptop into his briefcase and slipped on his suit jacket. Hetzer, the treasurer for Dominion Resources Inc. (Dominion), a major U.S. diversified producer and distributor of energy, was heading to meet with the company's investment bankers to discuss the impact of a large project upon Dominion's financing strategy for the next five years. The Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) project would require $ 3.6billion to build and represented one of the largest single capital investments in the company's 100-plus year history. It was February 15, 2013, and the recent boom in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) had turned the U.S. natural gas market on its head, creating the opportunity to transform Cove Point from an importer of natural gas into primarily an exporter. In the company's 2012 annual report, CEO Thomas F. Farrell II highlighted the project by stating, “We firmly believe that incorporating liquefaction and export capability into our Cove Point LNG import terminal located on the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, Maryland, can be beneficial both to you, our shareholders, and to gas producers operating in the eastern half of the U.S.” The surging demand for LNG had allowed Dominion to sign long-term contracts for 100% of Cove Point's projected capacity, mitigating the project's financial risk. By mid-2014, Dominion expected to receive the final required permits from the regulatory authorities, such that the only remaining task was to revise the company's financing strategy from 2013 to 2017 to include the $ 3.6billion investment. After settling into the meeting room in Dominion's Richmond, Virginia, headquarters across from the team of bankers, Hetzer began, “Cove Point represents a terrific opportunity for all Dominion's stakeholders, but financing this sizable project clearly presents multiple financial challenges.” Hetzer knew that determining the optimal mix of debt and equity would need to address the impact upon Dominion's credit ratings as well as regulators and Dominion's existing stock and debt holders. . . .
Proteome-Wide Evaluation of Two Common Protein Quantification Methods.

Proteomics experiments commonly aim to estimate and detect differential abundance across all expressed proteins. Within this experimental design, some of the most challenging measurements are small fold changes for lower abundance proteins. While bottom-up proteomics methods are approaching comprehensive coverage of even complex eukaryotic proteomes, failing to reliably quantify lower abundance proteins can limit the precision and reach of experiments to much less than the identified—let alone total—proteome. Here we test the ability of two common methods, a tandem mass tagging (TMT) method and a label-free quantitation method (LFQ), to achieve comprehensive quantitative coverage by benchmarking their capacity to measure 3 different levels of change (3-, 2-, and 1.5-fold) across an entire data set. Both methods achieved comparably accurate estimates for all 3-fold-changes. However, the TMT method detected changes that reached statistical significance three times more often due to higher precision and fewe...
Dissolution modeling: factors affecting the dissolution rates of polydisperse powders

The dissolution rates of two lots of hydrocortisone (fine and coarse) were simulated using a computer program based on a Noyes–Whitney-type equation. Derivations of the equation were made to compare the accuracy of simulations using spherical and cylindrical particle geometry, with and without a time-dependent diffusion layer thickness. To approximate better the shape of the hydrocortisone particles, a shape factor was used to relate cylindrical length to radius. The most accurate simulations were obtained by assuming cylindrical geometry with and without a time-dependent diffusion layer thickness for the fine and coarse hydrocortisone, respectively. The program was also modified to simulate initial particle size distributions based on the log normal probability density function.
Coral Mortality and Disturbances to Coral Reefs in the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Abstract Widespread bleaching and mortality of reef-building corals occurred in the tropical eastern Pacific region during the severe and prolonged El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event of 1982-83. At the height of the 10 month sea warming period, Panamanian reefs experienced 2-3 bouts of coral bleaching (loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae), which resulted in coral death 2-4 weeks later. Coral reefs in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia suffered up to 70-90% coral mortality; in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), most coral reefs experienced >95% mortality. The hypothesis that sea warming caused this disturbance is supported by (a) the coincidence between the warming event and stress responses of reef organisms, (b) the correlation between the magnitude of local temperature deviations and the extent of mortality, and (c) the El Nino simulation experiments that resulted in coral bleaching, mortality, and histopathological changes similar to those observed naturally. El Nino warming usually does not extend north of Ecuador where eastern Pacific coral reefs are best developed. A near-decadal (1976-1988) warming trend over much of the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean could have affected the susceptibility of reef corals during the short-term 1982-83 warming disturbance. Zooxanthellate corals were affected most severely in nearly all reef areas, however, other organisms – such as benthic algae, non-zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, black corals, molluscs, barnacles, and crustacean symbiotes of corals - often showed local negative responses associated with non-thermal, El Nino-related conditions (e.g., nutrient depletion, low plankton abundance, high sea level, and wave assault). Secondary disturbances included (a) the elimination of coral barriers, allowing the corallivore Acanthaster planci access to formerly protected coral prey, (b) increased external bioerosion of reef surfaces killed in 1983 because of post-El Nino increases in sea urchin densities, and (c) the establishment of damselfish territories on corals that experienced partial mortality in 1983. Such disturbances are currendy causing longer-term changes to their respective local communities. Estimates of the ages of massive corals that were killed or irreparably damaged, and the interruption of reef framework accumulation suggest that a disturbance comparable to that of 1982-83 probably has not occurred in the Galapagos Islands or Panama during the past 200 years. The initial damaging effects of the 1982-83 disturbance to reef coral populations, combined with persistent secondary disturbances and low coral recruitment, could prolong reef recovery for decades or possibly centuries. Periods of intense upwelling cause localized and moderate levels of coral mortality, but persistent ENSO-related sea warming causes widespread and catastrophic coral mortality. El Nino events of extreme severity may limit eastern Pacific reef growth and diversity as much as do distance and isolation of these reefs from the centers of reef development in the western Pacific.
The Mammary Tumor Virus (MTV)

During the early decades of this century, three factors were found to play major roles in the genesis of mammary tumors in mice: the genetic constitution of the mouse, hormonal stimulation, and the milk-transmitted mammary tumor agent or virus (Bittner, 1939b, 1939d, 1942c). The fact that mouse strains with a high incidence of mammary tumors as well as strains with a very low incidence could be developed by inbreeding and selection suggested the importance of the genotype of the mouse. The observation that tumors appeared only in females indicated the role of hormonal stimulation, which was established by experiments involving castration and exogenous hormone administration. Reciprocal crosses between strains revealed the presence of an extrachromosomal maternal influence, which was soon identified as a milk-transmitted virus.
Precision networking: A look through the eyes of a fly

The establishment of the proper connectivity in the nervous system requires specific target selection between individual presynaptic and postsynaptic cells. It has been postulated that cell adhesion molecules likely participate in these local recognition events. However, the broad developmental roles of many of these molecules have presented an obstacle for loss-of-function analyses. A recent series of genetic studies in the Drosophila visual system has demonstrated roles for several cell adhesion molecules, including N-cadherin and the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase LAR in proper synaptic targeting of photoreceptor axons.
Cardiac gated breath-hold black blood MRI of the coronary artery wall: an in vivo and ex vivo comparison.

Background: High resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the coronary artery wall in vivo has been limited by the cardiac and respiratory motion, flow artifacts as well as the relatively small size of the coronary arteries. We sought to validate in vivo black blood MR imaging of the coronary artery wall using a double inversion recovery fast spin echo MR imaging sequence with limited breath-holding and cardiac gating for suppression of motion artifacts by comparison with ex vivo MR imaging. Methods: Yorkshire albino swine (n = 6) were used in this study and coronary lesions were induced with balloon angioplasty. Four weeks after balloon injury of the coronary arteries MR imaging of the coronary artery lesions was performed. High resolution in vivo and ex vivo images of the coronary artery wall and lesions were obtained using a double inversion recovery fast spin echo sequence in a 1.5 T MR system. There was a statistically significant agreement (p < 0.0001) between measurements of vessel wall area (r = 0.87, slope = 0.87) and maximal wall thickness (r = 0.84, slope = 0.88) from in vivo and ex vivo MR images of the coronary arteries. The mean differences between in vivo and ex vivo measurements were 0.56 ± 1.98 mm2 for vessel wall area and 0.02 ± 0.36 mm for maximal wall thickness. Conclusions: Using breath-holding and cardiac gating, it is possible to perform high resolution MR imaging of the coronary artery wall in vivo with good suppression of motion artifacts with a double inversion recovery fast spin echo black blood imaging sequence.
Not Sanctity or Dignity, But Justice and Autonomy: Key Moral Concepts in the Allocation of Critical Care

As several of the authors in this volume point out, the concepts of sanctity of life and Menschenwurde (human dignity) have played significant roles in the theology, philosophy, and jurisprudence of the Western world. These concepts refer to basic values which have been and continue to be both widely and deeply held. The aim of this volume is to investigate whether and how sanctity of life and Menschenwurde can help to address pressing moral issues in contemporary medicine. In the title of his contribution, H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. [4], poses a specific question, “Can these concepts help direct the use of resources in critical care?” Engelhardt’s answer is that their usefulness for this purpose is very limited. He argues that these concepts lack the conceptual clarity and rational grounding necessary to dictate specific and compelling answers to our moral and policy questions regarding the proper use of critical care.
Numerical shoves and countershoves in electron transport calculations

The justification for applying the relatively complex (compared to S/sub n/) streaming ray (SR) algorithm to electron transport problems is its potential for doing rapid and accurate calculations. Because of the Lagrangian treatment of the cell-uncollided electrons, the only significant sources of error are the numerical treatment of the scattering kernel and the spatial differencing scheme used for the cell-collided electrons. Considerable progress has been made in reducing the former source of error. If one is willing to pay the price, the latter source of error can be reduced to any desired level by refining the mesh size or by using high-order differencing schemes. Here the method of numerical shoves and countershoves is introduced, which reduces spatial differencing errors using relatively little additional computational effort.
Protection Against Neuroinflammation by Promoting Co-activation of G Protein– Growth Factor Signaling and Metabolic Flexibility in the Brain

Publisher Summary Neuroinflammation occurs in response to a variety of injuries and insults. For example, stroke/ischemia, traumatic brain injury (TBI), viral and other infections, as well as idiopathic processes can produce inflammation of the brain. The inflammation may be transient and reversible, as in the case of mild encephalitis, or chronic and severe, as in multiple sclerosis (MS) or HIV-AIDS with neurologic symptoms. In TBI, inflammation is a frequent outcome, especially in the case of injuries with brain penetration. There are acute and chronic phases of inflammation, with initial infiltration by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages and later involvement of other cell types. Demyelination is a common feature of TBI. Trophic factors in the brain stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation and promote growth in differentiated cells, including neurite output and myelin production. These processes are energy-intensive, and consequently trophic factors also upregulate glucose metabolism. In addition, myelin provides survival and differentiation signals to neurons, whereas demyelination triggers neurodegeneration.
Planning Large-Scale Search and Rescue using Team of UAVs and Charging Stations*

Ahstract- The energy limitation of robotic networks has hindered search and rescue missions. In this paper, we propose a mission planning method that overcomes the energy limitation by deploying static charging stations. Taking the mission objectives and constraints into consideration, the proposed method provides working robot trajectories and charging station locations together to optimize the overall mission performance. The energy efficient trajectories for working robots considers the priority area to facilitate the smart energy cycling. In addition, a geographic limitation is considered when finding the locations of the charging stations. Simulation results demonstrate the developed method by Monte Carlo method and Gazebo simulation environment. The demonstration video is available at https://youtu.be/0JWofUNTe7s.
Rheological Investigation on the Microstructure of Fuel Cell Catalyst Inks

We present a rheological investigation of fuel cell catalyst inks. The effects of ink parameters, which include carbon black-support structure, Pt presence on carbon support (Pt-carbon), and ionomer (Nafion) concentration, on the ink microstructure of catalyst inks were studied using rheometry in combination with ultrasmall-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Dispersions of a high-surface-area carbon (HSC), or Ketjen black type, demonstrated a higher viscosity than Vulcan XC-72 carbon due to both a higher internal porosity and a more agglomerated structure that increased the effective particle volume fraction of the inks. The presence of Pt catalyst on both the carbon supports reduced the viscosity through electrostatic stabilization. For carbon-only dispersions (without Pt), the addition of ionomer up to a critical concentration decreased the viscosity due to electrosteric stabilization of carbon agglomerates. However, with Pt-carbon dispersions, the addition of ionomer showed contrasting behavior between Vulcan and HSC supports. In the Pt-Vulcan dispersions, the effect of ionomer addition on the rheology was qualitatively similar to Vulcan dispersions without Pt. The Pt-HSC dispersions showed an increased viscosity with ionomer addition and a strong shear-thinning nature, indicating that Nafion likely flocculated the Pt-HSC aggregates. These results were verified using DLS and USAXS. Further, the observations of the effect of ionomer:carbon ratio and a comparison between carbons of different surface areas provided insights on the microstructure of the catalyst ink corresponding to the optimized I/ C ratio for fuel cell performance reported in the literature.
The F-Utility of Wealth: It’s All Relative

Finance theory is based on a very simple, yet critical assumption that “individuals maximize the expected utility of wealth”. However, there are three crucial elements of this simple 6-word phrase that do not really stand the test of what investors actually do and one could argue, that the incorrect use of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) has led to the looming global retirement crisis. First, investors care about relative wealth (i.e., wealth relative to a goal) rather than absolute wealth, popularly called “Goals-Based Investing”. Second, individuals (or principals) are not always the ultimate decision makers — rather, many investment decisions are delegated to agents, which distorts behavior. Third, and most crucially, most investors do not appear to focus on utility functions, but rather seek to maximize risk-adjusted return. Instead, finance theory should start with the assumption that “investors delegate to maximize relative risk-adjusted returns.” This paper seeks to show how incorporating these three simple and completely realistic changes impacts asset pricing, asset allocation and the correct use of risk-adjusted performance measures. While the initial step requires a re-think of finance theory and models, the more urgent goal is to ensure retirement security as this new approach leads to financial innovation, better regulation and potentially better retirement outcomes.
CLINICAL UTILITY OF A PHENOTYPE ENHANCED MYH7-SPECIFIC VARIANT CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK IN HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY GENETIC TESTING

Missense variants in the MYH7 -encoded beta myosin heavy chain 7 represent a leading cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). MYH7 -specific American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) variant classification guidelines were released recently, but have yet to be assessed independently
Teaching Tip: A Technical Module for the E-Commerce Course

The development of a single e-commerce course that integrates technical and non-technical aspects of e-commerce for business IS majors is imperative. This note provides tips for designing and teaching a technical module for an e-commerce course.
Band-Gap Engineering in High-Temperature Boron-Rich Icosahedral Compounds

Band-gap engineering is essential for boron-rich icosahedral compounds for high-temperature applications such as β-voltaic devices and thermoelectrics, and the extreme complex chemical bonding in t...
Benefit of early-phase targeted, basket, and immune-based trials for patients with chemorefractory gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

e15700Background: Historically, phase I trials were designed to establish phase II tolerable doses of new drugs. Efficacy concerns were secondary. In the modern era of targeted and immune-based the...
Suppressing Crystallinity by Nanoconfining Polymers Using Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate) (PPFDA) is incorporated within a sintered mesoporous network of TiO2 nanoparticles via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). iCVD PPFDA grows uniform...
Building a Hybrid Physical-Statistical Classifier for Predicting the Effect of Variants Related to Protein-Drug Interactions.

Summary A key issue in drug design is how population variation affects drug efficacy by altering binding affinity (BA) in different individuals, an essential consideration for government regulators. Ideally, we would like to evaluate the BA perturbations of millions of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). However, only hundreds of protein-drug complexes with SNVs have experimentally characterized BAs, constituting too small a gold standard for straightforward statistical model training. Thus, we take a hybrid approach: using physically based calculations to bootstrap the parameterization of a full model. In particular, we do 3D structure-based docking on ∼10,000 SNVs modifying known protein-drug complexes to construct a pseudo gold standard. Then we use this augmented set of BAs to train a statistical model combining structure, ligand and sequence features and illustrate how it can be applied to millions of SNVs. Finally, we show that our model has good cross-validated performance (97% AUROC) and can also be validated by orthogonal ligand-binding data.
Profile of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir in the treatment of hepatitis C.

The treatment of chronic hepatitis C has been revolutionized with the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, some patients are not cured with first-line treatment. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir is a fixed-dose combination of a polymerase inhibitor, an NS5A inhibitor, and a protease inhibitor with activity against strains of the hepatitis C virus that show resistance to other first-line antiviral regimens. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir has been studied in four Phase III randomized trials: POLARIS-1, -2, -3, and -4, which enrolled both treatment naive and experienced patients with and without compensated cirrhosis. In these trials, at least 95% of patients treated with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir achieved sustained virological response (SVR). This includes favorable treatment outcomes in patients who had previously failed a regimen containing sofosbuvir or an NS5A inhibitor. Patient-reported outcomes also improved during and after treatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir. Treatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir is well tolerated, with the most commonly reported adverse events being headache, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea. The approval of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir allows a treatment option for patients who have failed treatment with certain DAA regimens.
Synergistic effects of surfactant mixtures on the displacement of nonaqueous phase liquids in porous media

Abstract Binary surfactant mixtures have often been used to enhance the recovery or cleanup of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) such as crude oil from subsurface formations. Through synergistic effects, these mixtures further promoted NAPL mobilization and solubilization by lowing NAPL/brine interfacial tension (IFT) and desorbing NAPL from mineral surfaces, thereby altering their wettability. While the impact of mixing synergy on IFT has been well documented, its effect on wettability alteration in rocks under different test conditions (i.e., mineralogy and pore topology) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to establish structure-function relationships in these systems and identify the test conditions under which binary mixtures outperform single surfactants. Four different nonionic surfactants (alkyl glucosides, linear/branched alcohol ethoxylates) were selected with a hydrophile-lipophile balance number of ˜13. We used IFT, contact angle (CA), and spontaneous imbibition tests with NAPL-aged cores to understand the mechanisms of interaction and examine the efficiency of surfactants and their mixtures in promoting NAPL displacement in three sedimentary rocks with different mineralogy and pore topology. Synergistic effects were investigated by calculating cross-sectional areas and interaction parameters of surfactant mixtures and relating them to IFT and CA. Alkylphenol ethoxylates with relatively short aliphatic tails could fill the gaps between the large sugar-based heads of alkyl glucosides and enhance their geometrical packing at NAPL/brine interfaces. The denser interfacial layer formed by these mixtures led to the largest decrease in IFT and promoted the highest NAPL mobilization in low permeability sandstone and carbonate samples. The ability of nonionic surfactants to restore the wettability of oil-wet mineral surfaces was a function of their molecular structure and rock topology. In homogeneous sandstones, alkyl glucosides with their strong hydrogen bonding ability with silanol groups of quartz, could restore the wettability to a greater extent and consequently exhibited the highest NAPL removal. However, they were ineffective in altering the wettability of carbonates due to their strong self-association tendency into large micelles which prevented them from penetrating rough and nanoporous regions. The synergistic mixing of alkyl glucosides with alkylphenol ethoxylates could overcome these limitations as they exhibited a complementary mechanism of action with respect to IFT reduction and wettability alteration, recovering the largest amounts of NAPL in carbonate-bearing rocks.
Small RNA ArcZ Regulates Oxidative Stress Response Genes and Regulons in Erwinia amylovora

Erwinia amylovora, causative agent of fire blight disease of apple and pear trees, has evolved to use small RNAs for post-transcriptional regulation of virulence traits important for disease development. The sRNA ArcZ regulates several virulence traits, and to better understand its roles, we conducted a transcriptomic comparison of wild-type and ΔarcZ mutant E. amylovora. We found that ArcZ regulates multiple cellular processes including genes encoding enzymes involved in mitigating the threat of reactive oxygen species (katA, tpx, osmC), and that the ΔarcZ mutant has reduced catalase activity and is more susceptible to exogenous hydrogen peroxide. We quantified hydrogen peroxide production by apple leaves inoculated with E. amylovora and found that the while wild-type E. amylovora cells produce enough catalase to cope with defense peroxide, the ΔarcZ mutant is likely limited in virulence because of inability to cope with peroxide levels in host leaves. We further found that the ArcZ regulon overlaps significantly with the regulons of transcription factors involved in oxidative sensing including Fnr and ArcA. In addition, we show that ArcZ regulates arcA at the post-transcriptional level suggesting a role for this system in mediating adaptations to oxidative state, especially during disease development.
Sutura 2.0: Queer biocommunicability and digitalself-making in Senegalese eHealth activism

Abstract Wolof ethics of sutura “discretion” have historically conflated perceived communicative excess with bodily contagion and associated both with queer subjects. For health non-governmental organizations (NGOs), online dating among gay Senegalese men presents two risks to sutura: contagious sex and contagious discourse. A Senegalese eHealth NGO hires gay men to send HIV/AIDS prevention messages through Facebook and online dating websites in order to contain HIV and, invoking sutura, contain queer communication and bodies. This NGO projects a heteronormative metapragmatic model of health communication, casting information as instrument of containment, and a unitary, de-eroticized digital self as informational messenger. In what I call queer biocommunicability, eHealth activists create erotically seductive digital personae incongruous with offline characteristics. Construed as communicative-bodily excess, digital seductions actually facilitate information exchange. NGOs instrumentalize queer biocommunicability to bolster a care framework that marginalizes queer subjects. This paper traces historical underpinnings and ethical-political implications of heteronormative biocommunicability’s dependence on queer transgression.
An Integrated Microsimulation Approach for Safety Performance Assessment of the Wyoming Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program.

Abstract The 402-mile of Interstate 80 in Wyoming was selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop, test, and deploy a suite of Connected Vehicle (CV) applications (WYDOT CV Pilot). It is expected that after full deployment of CV technology, the pilot will improve safety and mobility under adverse weather conditions by creating new ways to communicate road and travel information to both drivers and fleet managers. In this regard, this research employed an integrated microsimulation modeling approach to assess the safety performance of the WYDOT CV Pilot. A 23-mile representative I-80 corridor was selected for developing the microsimulation models. Traffic flow and driving behavior data under winter snowy weather condition were collected to calibrate the baseline microsimulation model. A driving simulator experiment was conducted to quantitatively investigate the impacts of CV technology on driving behavior; accordingly, the driving behavior data under CV environment were employed to properly update the calibrated CV microsimulation models. The safety effectiveness of the WYDOT CV Pilot were assessed for various demand levels and CV penetration rates. It was concluded that WYDOT CV applications increased drivers’ situation awareness under adverse weather conditions, and thus reduced the crash risk. The reductions in conflicts displayed a decreasing trend with the increase of CV penetration rates, but the reduction was not significant when CV penetration was lower than 10 percent. The maximum reduction in conflicts was 85 percent when all trucks were equipped with CV technology.
BUCKLING OF CYLINDRICAL SHELLS WITH SMALL CURVATURE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses buckling of cylindrical shells with small curvature. It focuses on the bifurcation buckling of a rectangular plate Ω = (0,l) × (0,1) under a lateral force of magnitude λ applied to x = 0, l. In the absence of forces, the plate has an imperfection of magnitude α and assumes a form z = αw0(x, y) for some known w0: Ω Ω ¯ → R; the buckled state of the plate is given by z = αw0(x, y) + w(x, y) where w is the solution to be determined. The boundary of the plate is simply supported (hinged). The chapter presents this problem, described by the von Karman equations, for parameters (λ, α) varying independently near (λ0, 0) and for w near the unbuckled state w = 0, where λ0 represents the critical buckling load. The chapter also presents the differential equations describing w.
The epistemology of intentionality notional constituents vs. direct grasp

Franz Brentano is well known for highlighting the importance of intentionality, but he said curiously little about the nature of intentionality. According to Mark Textor, there is a deep reason for...
Veterans Health Administration’s Whole Health System of Care: Supporting the Health, Well-Being, and Resiliency of Employees

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is implementing a Whole Health System (WHS) of care that empowers and equips Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest, and increasingly leaders recognize the need and value in implementing a similar approach to support the health and well-being of employees. The purpose of this paper is to do the following: 1) provide an overview of the WHS of care in VHA and applicability in addressing employee resiliency; 2) provide a brief history of employee well-being efforts in VHA to date; 3) share new priorities from VHA leadership as they relate to Employee Whole Health strategy and implementation; and 4) provide a summary of the impacts of WHS of care delivery on employees. The WHS of care utilizes all therapeutic, evidence-based approaches to support self-care goals and personal health planning. Extending these approaches to employees builds upon 10 years of foundational work supporting employee health and well-being in VHA. In 2017, one facility in each of the 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) in VHA was selected to participate in piloting the WHS of care with subsequent evaluation by VA's Center for Evaluating Patient-Centered Care (EPCC). Early outcomes, from an employee perspective, suggest involvement in the delivery of the WHS of care and personal use of the whole health approach have a meaningful impact on the well-being of employees and how they experience the workplace. During the COVID-19 pandemic, VHA has continued to support employees through virtual resources to support well-being and resiliency. VHA's shift to this patient-centered model is supporting not only Veteran care but also employee health and well-being at a time when increased support is needed.
Relationship of molecular breeding value for beef tenderness with heifer traits through weaning of their first calf.

Abstract Polymorphisms in μ-calpain (CAPN1) that beneficially associate with beef tenderness are reported to antagonistically associate with calving day in beef heifers and post-partum interval to estrus in beef cows. We, therefore, hypothesized that a molecular breeding value for slice shear force, calculated based on CAPN1 and calpastatin (CAST) genotypes, would demonstrate an antagonistic relationship between genomically predicted slice shear force and ordinal calving date in replacement beef heifers. A secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the association of a polymorphism in diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT1) with reproductive traits in beef heifers. One hundred eighty-seven MARC III heifers (¼ Angus, ¼ Hereford, ¼ Red Poll, and ¼ Pinzgauer) that had been selectively bred to increase the frequency of these polymorphisms were submitted for monthly ultrasound exams beginning at 333 d of age and continuing until the start of breeding to determine pubertal status. At the last exam before breeding, all antral follicles were counted, and the length and height of each ovary was measured to determine if genomic selection for slice shear force associated with ovarian follicle number. Calving date, calf gender, and calf birth weight were recorded at parturition. Regression analysis of the molecular breeding value for slice shear force of the heifers on ordinal calving date indicated no association between genomic prediction of tenderness and calving date (P = 0.16); however, there was a tendency for age at puberty to be delayed in heifers as genetic merit for tenderness improved (P = 0.09). The results of the present study indicate that within experimental precision, selecting for tenderness using genomic predictions had minimal or no antagonistic association with reproductive performance in heifers. Further analysis of reproductive performance as cows is needed within this population but applying these genetic markers to select for tenderness in steers does not antagonize reproductive traits influencing conception or first calf birth date and birth weight in replacement beef heifers.
The impact of policy timing on the spread of COVID-19

We model COVID-19 data for 89 nations and US states with a recently developed formalism that describes mathematically any pattern of growth with the minimum number of parameters. The results show that the disease has a typical duration of 18 days, with a significant increase in fatality when it lasts longer than about 4 months. Searching for correlations between "flattening of the curve" and preventive public policies, we find strong statistical evidence for the impact of the first implemented policy on decreasing the pandemic growth rate; a delay of one week in implementation nearly triples the size of the infected population, on average. Without any government action, the initial outburst still slows down after 36 days, possibly thanks to changes in public behavior in response to the pandemic toll. Stay-at-home (lockdown) was not the first policy of any sample member, and we could not find statistically meaningful evidence for its added impact, similar to a recent study that employed an entirely different approach. However, lockdown was mostly imposed only shortly before the exponential rise was arrested by other measures, too late for a meaningful impact. A third of the sample members that did implement lockdown imposed it only after the outburst had already started to slow down. The possibility remains that lockdown might have significantly shortened the initial exponential rise had it been employed as first resort rather than last.
Baghdad: The City in Verse

For decades, interest in Iraqi culture and literature has inevitably drawn attention to images and discourses on Baghdad—the seemingly timeless epicentre of Iraq's history, culture, and power: the ...
Interventions against Social Isolation of Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Existing Literature and Interventions.

Social isolation is widespread among older adults, especially those confined to living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. We completed a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of 20 interventions used to combat social isolation in older adults. A scoring mechanism based on the Joanna Briggs Appraisal Checklist was utilized to determine the quality of the studies. Searches were conducted in “MedLine”, “PubMed”, “PsycINFO” and “Aging and Mental Health”. Studies completed on group and person-centered interventions against social isolation were the highest quality as the social isolation experienced by older adults decreased after the intervention, and this effect continued in follow-up studies. Other interventions such as volunteering-based interventions also alleviated isolation; however, follow-up studies were not completed to determine long-term efficacy. Given the increase in social isolation faced by older persons during the pandemic, our review can be utilized to create effective interventions to reduce social isolation.