cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dispersions of Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide MXene in Organic Solvents

Two-dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene has attracted a great deal of attention in the research community and has already showed promise in numerous applications, but only its dispersions in aqueous solutions have previously been available. Here we show that Ti3C2Tx can be dispersed in many polar organic solvents, but the best dispersions were achieved in N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, propylene carbonate, and ethanol. The dispersions were examined by measuring the concentration and absorbance spectra of MXene in organic solvents as well as correlating the concentration to solvent physical properties, such as surface tension, boiling point, and polarity index. Hildebrand and Hansen solubility parameters were additionally used to provide an initial understanding of how Ti3C2Tx MXene behaves in organic media and potentially develop quantitative correlations to select solvents and their combinations that can disperse Ti3C2Tx and other MXenes. Using this analysis, ...
A Survey of Arts Management Educators' Teaching on Diversity Issues

This study answered two research questions: (1) do arts management educators teach about diversity issues in their courses? If so, how and why? If not, why? (2) Do demographic characteristics impac...
Fourteen Suggestions for Managing Scientific Creativity: The pervading problem of research executives is how best to manage and motivate creative people. Here are some psychologically derived guidelines

(1968). Fourteen Suggestions for Managing Scientific Creativity: The pervading problem of research executives is how best to manage and motivate creative people. Here are some psychologically derived guidelines. Research Management: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 83-92.
Generation of temperature gradient on microfluidic plant chip for high-throughput plant phenotyping

This paper reports a simple and effective method for generating a stable temperature gradient on a microfluidic plant chip. A thermo-electric cooling (TEC) plate is horizontally placed below an inclined microfluidic plant chip. The space between the TEC and the plant chip is filled with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Due to different lengths of thermal pathways from the TEC to the plant chip, a stable temperature distribution is realized on the plant chip without using any feedback circuits. This present temperature gradient generation method is highly economical and accessible and can facilitate to study influences of environmental temperature changes on many microorganisms and small model plants. As an application demonstration, we present the germination and early-stage growth of Arabidopsis thaliana plant, an important model plant in the area of biology, under various temperature conditions.
Statewide mental health training for probation officers: improving knowledge and decreasing stigma.

The large and growing number of probationers with mental illnesses pose significant challenges to the probationer officers who supervise them. Stigma towards mental illnesses among probation officers is largely unstudied and the effectiveness of training initiatives designed to educate probation officers about mental illness is unknown. To address these gaps in the literature, we report findings from a statewide mental health training initiative designed to improve probation officers’ knowledge of mental illnesses. A single-group pretest posttest design was used and data about stigma towards mental illnesses and knowledge of mental illnesses were collected from 316 probation officers. Data were collected prior to and shortly after officers viewed a series of educational training modules about mental illnesses. Officers’ knowledge of mental illnesses increased and officers demonstrated lower levels of stigma towards persons with mental illnesses as evidenced by scores on a standardized scale. Mental health education can help decrease stigma and increase knowledge of mental illnesses among probation officers. More research is needed to assess the impact of these trainings on probationers’ mental health and criminal justice outcomes.
Worker's Paradise?

This article offers a preliminary survey on the working conditions of laborers in the petroleum industry in late-colonial Netherlands East Indies (1890-1939). Through an examination of the material conditions of work in the oil cities of Pangkalan Brandan, Balikpapan, and Palembang, this article argues that working conditions were substantially influenced by the idiosyncratic characteristics of the petroleum industry, consequently arguing against the current established literature on labor history in Indonesia. By emphasizing on these industrial characteristics and paying attention to fluctuations, this article offers a more nuanced perspective on the issue of colonial labor regimes.
Heterologous expression of cDNAs encoding Chlorella sorokiniana NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenase wild-type and mutant subunits in Escherichia coli cells and comparison of kinetic and thermal stability properties of their homohexamers

Full-length cDNAs encoding the α- and β-subunits and a truncated mutant subunit of the Chlorella sorokiniana NADP-GDH isozymes were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The kinetic and thermal stability properties of the resultant homohexamers were examined. The electrophoretic mobility of the recombinant α- and β-subunits was identical to that of the native subunits as determined by immunoblotting. The homohexamers were purified by anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. The α- and β-homohexamers that were synthesized in the bacterial cells were shown to have similar Michaelis constants for their substrates as previously shown after synthesis in C. sorokiniana cells (Bascomb and Schmidt, 1987). The α homohexamer synthesized in the bacterium was allosteric with respect to NADPH but to a lesser degree than when isolated from the alga. The mutant homohexamer was composed of subunits that were truncated by 40 amino acids at their N-termini. This mutant isozyme was kinetically similar to the larger, anabolic α-homohexamer, but it did not display the allosteric response to NADPH shown by the α-homohexamer. The three isozymes had significant thermal tolerance and were stable at 50 °C. The temperature optimum for catalytic activity for the α- and β-homohexamers was 60 °C, and 65 °C for the Δ40N homohexamer. This study demonstrated that most of the kinetic properties of the Chlorella sorokiniana NADP-GDH isozymes were retained after their synthesis in a heterologous system, and that the distinctive N-terminal domains of these isozymes have dramatic effects on their biochemical characteristics.
Asynchronous synthesis of HbF and HbA during erythroblast maturation. II. Studies of G gamma, A gamma, and beta chain synthesis in individual erythroid clones from neonatal and adult BFU-E cultures

In order to further characterize the modulation of non-alpha-chain synthesis during the maturation of erythro- blasts, we studied globin chain synthesis in individual erythroid clones of different degrees of maturity. Cultures of neonatal and adult BFU-Es were inspected at desired intervals and clones classified according to maturity as young or mature were lifted for biosynthesis. Young clones appeared to be at the onset of hemoglobin formation and were composed of mostly early basophilic erythroblasts. Mature clones were at the peak of hemoglobin formation, had intense red color, and were composed of strongly acidophilic erythroblasts. Young clones had higher γ/γ + β chain synthetic ratios compared to the γ/γ + β ratios in the mature clones of the same culture day; furthermore, young clones had higher γ/γ β ratios compared to the γ/γ + β ratios in mature clones of later culture days. These data strongly suggest that there is an asynchrony in gamma and beta chain synthesis during maturation, with gamma chains preferentially being synthesized at the onset of hemoglobinization of the erythroblast. In these experiments, the relative synthesis of the two molecular species of gamma chains, the Gγ and Aγ chains, was also determined in individual clones. When the measurements in neonatal and adult erythroid bursts were analyzed together, a strong positive correlation of γ/γ + β to g γ/Gγ + Aγ ratios was obtained, in support of the concept of synchronous γ→β and GγAγ switching during development. However, at any given level of γ/γ + β ratio, the adult cells express a higher Aγ synthesis than the neonatal cells, suggesting that there is no strict quantitative relationship between γ/γ β and Gγ/ Gγ + Aγ synthesis. The developmental stage of the cells may influence the program of relative synthesis of Gγ and Aγ chains stronger than the ratio of γ to β chain synthesis. In both the neonatal and adult BFU-E cultures, the mean Gγ/Gγ + Aγ synthetic ratio in the immature erythroid bursts was almost identical to the mean Gγ/Aγ + Aγ ratio in their mature counterparts. This suggests that the program of Gγ and Aγ chain synthesis in the cell is not significantly affected by the change in relative expression of gamma and beta chains, which occurs during the maturation of the cell.
Drag as a Resource: Trans* and Non-Binary Individuals in the Southeastern United States

Through 32 in-depth surveys with drag kings, I ask how do trans*/nonbinary individuals find a way to make a home in the Southeastern United States? I answer this by examining the use of drag kingin...
The role of factor and activity-based models in offshore operating cost estimation

Abstract The operating cost for oil and gas properties has received only sporadic attention over the years, almost no academic treatment whatsoever, and only occasional interest from the business community. The purpose of this review is to describe the role factor models and activity-based cost models play in offshore operating cost estimation. Factor models are popular in cost modeling because they are easy to implement in spreadsheets and allow for diverse applications, but their limitations are less well known. Activity-based cost models apply work decomposition methods and knowledge of engineering and market conditions to estimate cost, and although they are the most transparent procedure they require experienced personnel to perform. Production Handling Agreements are developed as an application using factor models. Insurance, diving, helicopter and marine vessel contracts and service markets in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico are highlighted, and examples are used in model construction and parameterization.
Stability of the centers of the symplectic groups rings $\matbb{Z}[Sp_{2n}(q)]$

We investigate the structure constants of the center $\mathcal{H}_n$ of the group algebra $Sp_{n}(q)$ over a finite field. The reflection length on the group $GL_{2n}(q)$ induces a filtration on the algebras $\mathcal{H}_n$. We prove that the structure constants of the associated filtered algebra $\mathcal{S}_n$ are independent of $n$. As a technical tool in the proof, we determine the growth of the centralizers under the embedding $Sp_m(q)\subset Sp_{m+l}(q)$ and we show that the index of the centralizer of $g\in Sp_m(q)$ in the centralizer of $g\in Sp_{m+k}$ is equal to $q^{2ld}|Sp_{r+l}(q)||Sp_{r}(q)|^{-1}$ for some $d$ and $r$ which are uniquely determined by the conjugacy class of $g$ in $GL_{2n}(q).$
The Kinesin‐3 motor, KLP‐4, mediates axonal organization and cholinergic signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Microtubule plus-end directed trafficking is dominated by kinesin motors, yet kinesins differ in terms of cargo identity, movement rate, and distance travelled. Functional diversity of kinesins is especially apparent in polarized neurons, where long distance trafficking is required for efficient signal transduction-behavioral response paradigms. The Kinesin-3 superfamily are expressed in neurons and are hypothesized to have significant roles in neuronal signal transduction due to their high processivity. Although much is known about Kinesin-3 motors mechanistically in vitro, there is little known about their mechanisms in vivo. Here, we analyzed KLP-4, the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of human KIF13A and KIF13B. Like other Kinesin-3 superfamily motors, klp-4 is highly expressed in the ventral nerve cord command interneurons of the animal, suggesting it might have a role in controlling movement of the animal. We characterized an allele of klp-4 that contains are large indel in the cargo binding domain of the motor, however, the gene still appears to be expressed. Behavioral analysis demonstrated that klp-4 mutants have defects in locomotive signaling, but not the strikingly uncoordinated movements such as those found in unc-104/KIF1A mutants. Animals with this large deletion are hypersensitive to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb but are unaffected by exogenous serotonin. Interestingly, this large klp-4 indel does not affect gross neuronal development but does lead to aggregation and disorganization of RAB-3 at synapses. Taken together, these data suggest a role for KLP-4 in modulation of cholinergic signaling in vivo and shed light on possible in vivo mechanisms of Kinesin-3 motor regulation.
Predicting the Number of Edge-to-Edge Repair Devices Needed to Adequately Treat Mitral Regurgitation Using Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Objectives Increased utilization and highly variable costs seen with percutaneous mitral valve edge-to-edge repair have made cost cutting strategies of significant interest. Mitral regurgitation etiology, the number of devices used, and experience all play a role in variability. Currently a paucity of data exists in predicting the number of devices. Any associations found between echocardiography parameters and the number of devices used could help with pre-procedure planning and device placement strategies, ultimately reducing variability and costs. Design In this retrospective analysis the authors evaluated the ability of established and novel three-dimensional (3D) mitral regurgitation measures, namely 3D vena contracta area and vena contracta length, to predict the number of devices used. Other factors evaluated include mitral valve area and ejection fraction. All factors were compared using the Mann Whitney rank sum tests. Participants Patients over 18 years old undergoing the MitraClip procedure. Setting Catheterization Laboratory. Main Results No relationship was found between 3D parameters and the number of devices used, but mitral valve area was strongly associated with the use of multiple devices. Conclusion The 3D parameters of interest were not associated with the use of multiple devices, but the mitral valve area was associated. Further studies are needed to determine if this relationship is predictive.
Impact of Smart Inverter Functions on Dynamic Step Voltage Regulator Settings for Distribution Voltage Control

A dynamic step voltage regulator (SVR) is proposed for an active distribution feeder in the presence of distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems to mitigate excessive tap operations during high PV variability period. Conventional voltage regulating devices, such as on load tap changers (OLTC), SVR, and capacitor banks need to be properly controlled and coordinated while interacting with the smart inverter functionalities to improve power quality, and overall system efficiency. The proposed dynamic regulator settings use a unidirectional communication link from the distribution management system to update its controller setpoints based on the solar and load forecasts to achieve the desired voltage profile throughout the feeder. In addition, reduction of voltage violation duration and network losses can be attained by implementing dynamic regulator settings. The proposed scheme is tested on a modified IEEE-123 bus test system with integrated PV systems and the performance under different system operation condition and smart inverter functions is evaluated.
Reinforcement Learning Content Generation for Virtual Reality Applications

This work presents a Procedural Content Generation (PCG) method based on a Neural Network Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach that generates new environments for Virtual Reality (VR) learning applications. The primary objective of PCG methods is to algorithmically generate new content (e.g., environments, levels) in order to improve user experience. Researchers have started exploring the integration of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms into their PCG methods. These ML approaches help explore the design space and generate new content more efficiently. The capability to provide users with new content has great potential for learning applications. However, these ML algorithms require large datasets to train their generative models. In contrast, RL based methods do not require any training data to be collected a priori since they take advantage of simulation to train their models. Moreover, even though VR has become an emerging technology to engage users, there have been few studies that explore PCG for learning purposes and fewer in the context of VR. Considering these limitations, this work presents a method that generates new VR environments by training an RL in a simulation platform. This PCG method has the potential to maintain users’ engagement over time by presenting them with new environments in VR learning applications.
Defining a Focused Pediatric Emergency Medicine Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents: A Case Study at Michigan Medicine.

Objectives Emergency medicine (EM) is dedicated to the treatment of urgent and emergent illness requiring physicians to evaluate, treat, and diagnose patients of all ages. EM residency provides the foundation of knowledge enabling trainees to care for any patient. However, specific pediatric curriculum guidance from governing bodies is limited. The literature includes two potential curricula that are cumbersome to implement. Our primary objective was to identify the components of this curricula that were specific to pediatric emergency medicine (PEM). Secondary objectives were to provide a methods framework and to compare the results with the American Board of Emergency Medicine Model of Clinical Practice (EM Model). Methods With the modified Delphi technique, iterative rounds of expert panels sought to reach consensus on PEM-specific topics. We utilized the published curricula as the foundation and focused this list using a group of local experts. Predetermined consensus was defined as 80% agreement. Results The literature-derived list of 190 topics was reviewed by the expert panel. Experts identified 92 PEM-specific topics, and the remaining 98 topics were deemed adequately covered by general EM curricula. All topics reached consensus after three rounds. The final list was sorted in accordance with the EM Model categories. Redundant topics were consolidated resulting in 68 PEM topics. Of these 68 topics, we identified 20 topics (five of which are critical) that were incompletely covered by the EM Model. Conclusions Emergency medicine residency programs should focus their PEM curriculum by deliberately assessing their coverage of key PEM topics. The methods of this study can be replicated to yield locally applicable results in other EM programs. Additionally, the next iteration of the EM Model of Clinical Practice should inform their PEM topics from the available curricula in the literature.
APOE interacts with tau PET to influence memory independently of amyloid PET in older adults without dementia

Introduction Apolipoprotein E (APOE) interacts with Alzheimer's disease pathology to promote disease progression. We investigated the moderating effect of APOE on independent associations of amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET) with cognition. Methods For 297 nondemented older adults from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, regression equations modeled associations between cognition and (1) cortical amyloid beta (Aβ) PET levels adjusting for tau and (2) medial temporal lobe (MTL) tau PET levels adjusting for Aβ, including interactions with APOE e4-carrier status. Results Adjusting for tau PET, Aβ was not associated with cognition and did not interact with APOE. In contrast, adjusting for Aβ PET, MTL tau was associated with all cognitive domains. Further, there was a stronger moderating effect of APOE on MTL tau and memory associations in e4-carriers, even among Aβ-negative individuals. Discussion Findings suggest that APOE may interact with tau independently of Aβ and that elevated MTL tau confers negative cognitive consequences in Aβ-negative e4 carriers.
Health conditions in retired manual labor miners and oil and gas extraction workers: National Health Interview Survey, 2007–2017

Background Within the mining industrial sector, workers in the mining and oil and gas extraction (OGE) industries have demonstrated disparities in chronic health status compared with the general working population. However, we know much less about miner and OGE worker health once retired. This study separately compares chronic illnesses in retired miners and OGE workers with all other retirees. Methods National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) public data were analyzed for the years 2007-2017 to estimate weighted unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of selected health conditions (cancer, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory conditions, health status, and hearing loss) in retirees. Three retired worker groups (miners, OGE, and other retirees) were defined using the respondents' longest-held industry and occupation. Results Higher prevalence of a number of adverse health conditions was noted in miners and OGE workers when compared with all other retirees. A significantly higher adjusted prevalence of hypertension, hearing loss, functionally limiting lung problems, and fair or poor health was seen in miners over other retirees. Retired OGE workers demonstrated a significantly higher adjusted prevalence of both hearing loss and poor health status. Conclusions Miners and OGE workers have higher morbidity during their working years, and this study demonstrates that poorer health appears to continue into retirement. These results suggest the need to expand occupational health and safety programs in the mining sector to improve the health of workers into retirement. Future studies that include more robust information on workplace exposures are needed to evaluate the long-term health of retired workers.
Effects of pensions on savings: analysis with data from the health and retirement study

Abstract This paper examines the composition and distribution of total wealth for a cohort of 51- to 61-year olds from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the role of pensions in forming retirement wealth. Pension coverage is widespread, covering two-thirds of households and accounting for one-quarter of accumulated wealth. Social security benefits account for another quarter of total wealth. As calculated from earnings records, the present discounted value of social security benefits is less than the present value of taxes paid. Earlier than many expected, social security is already a poor investment on average for this cohort on the verge of retirement. When pensions and social security are included, wealth accumulated by the HRS population to date is substantial. At their expected retirement date, using only the wealth accumulated by their mid-fifties, the HRS household with median replacement rate could finance a fixed, nominal two-thirds joint and survivor annuity replacing 79 percent of last earnings, and a real annuity replacing 52 percent of last earnings. Replacement rates for median earners are higher. Additional savings made over the seven years remaining until retirement will raise those replacement rates by about a fifth. When measured against a standard of adequacy based on average yearly earnings over the worklife, with adjustments made for the absence of preretirement savings, children, taxes, work-related expenses and other factors, these replacement rates appear adequate. Lifetime earnings are measured for each individual in the HRS from social security earnings records augmented by self-reported earnings histories. When pensions and social security are counted in total wealth, the ratio of wealth to lifetime earnings declines from very high levels in the bottom ten percent of the earnings distribution, remains at roughly 40 percent from the 25th through 95th percentile of the lifetime earnings distribution, and then falls to 32 percent for those in the top five percent of the earnings distribution. This result is consistent with the predictions of a simple, stripped-down life-cycle model. Also consistent is a finding that the ratio of wealth to lifetime earnings is no higher for those with pensions than for those without pensions. However, heterogeneity is quite important. Real estate and business wealth are a larger share of total wealth for those without pensions, reflecting the importance of self-employment in wealth accumulation. Multivariate regressions relating total wealth to pension coverage and pension value, which standardize for sources of heterogeneity, suggest that pensions cause very limited displacement of other wealth, if any. Pensions add to total wealth by at least half the value of the pension, and in most estimates by a good deal more. These findings are not consistent with a simple life-cycle explanation for savings. They also raise questions about whether pensions are fundamentally a tax avoidance device, allowing substitution of pension for nonpension savings.
Availability and crisis standards of care for personal protective equipment during fall 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic: A national study by the APIC COVID-19 task force.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages in spring 2020, necessitating crisis protocols. METHODS: An online survey was administered to all Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology members in October, 2020 to assess PPE availability and crisis standards utilized in fall, 2020. RESULTS: In total, 1,081 infection preventionists participated. A quarter lacked sufficient disinfection supplies, N95s, isolation gowns, and gloves; 10%-20% lacked eye protection and hand hygiene supplies. Significantly more were reusing respirators than masks (65.6% vs 46.8%, respectively; P < .001); a third (32.0%, nâ¯=â¯735) were reusing isolation gowns. About half (45.9%, nâ¯=â¯496) were decontaminating respirators. Determinants of believing current PPE reuse protocols were safe and evidence-based included the infection preventionists being involved in developing COVID-19 protocols (both), having respirator reuse protocols that involve ≤ 5 reuses (both), using reusable respiratory protection (both), decontaminating respirators (perceived safe), and not reusing masks (perceived safe; P < .05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Although most health care facilities had adequate PPE in fall 2020, PPE supply chains were still disrupted, resulting in the need to reuse or decontaminate PPE. Ongoing gaps in PPE access need to be addressed in order to minimize health care associated infections and occupational illness.
Assessing the Effects of Agronomic Management Practices on Soybean (Glycine max L.) Post-Grain Harvest Residue Quality in the Lower Mississippi Delta

Livestock producers often resort to either baling or grazing of crop residues due to high hay prices and reduced supply of other forages and silage in the markets. Soil-water-crop management practices can affect residue nutrient qualities for its use as cattle feedstock. A two-year study (2018–2019) was conducted to investigate the effects of irrigation (AI, all row-irrigation; ARI, alternate row irrigation; and RF, rainfed) and planting pattern, PP (SR, single row; and TR, twin-row) on soybean (maturity group IV cv. 31RY45 Dyna-Gro) post-grain harvest residue quality such as crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), net energy for maintenance (NEM), net energy for gain (NEG), net energy for lactation (NEL), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and relative feed value (RFV). Irrigation has a significant effect on CP, ADF, NDF, and TDN while PP affected only NDF. All the above parameters were significantly affected except NEM by the contrasting climate conditions, particularly during July through August coinciding with early crop reproductive stages and maturity. The RFV values ranged from 70.4 to 81.6 and this lower range was attributable to nutrient translocation to seeds and higher lignification during plant senescence towards the grain filling stage of the crop as good quality hay records over 120 RFV. These results indicate that both irrigation and weather during soybean seed development can alter post-grain harvest residue quality parameters, thereby playing critical roles in its RFV.
Data-Driven Artificial Intelligence for Calibration of Hyperspectral Big Data

Near-earth hyperspectral big data present both huge opportunities and challenges for spurring developments in agriculture and high-throughput plant phenotyping and breeding. In this article, we present data-driven approaches to address the calibration challenges for utilizing near-earth hyperspectral data for agriculture. A data-driven, fully automated calibration workflow that includes a suite of robust algorithms for radiometric calibration, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) correction and reflectance normalization, soil and shadow masking, and image quality assessments was developed. An empirical method that utilizes predetermined models between camera photon counts (digital numbers) and downwelling irradiance measurements for each spectral band was established to perform radiometric calibration. A kernel-driven semiempirical BRDF correction method based on the Ross Thick-Li Sparse (RTLS) model was used to normalize the data for both changes in solar elevation and sensor view angle differences attributed to pixel location within the field of view. Following rigorous radiometric and BRDF corrections, novel rule-based methods were developed to conduct automatic soil removal; and a newly proposed approach was used for image quality assessment; additionally, shadow masking and plot-level feature extraction were carried out. Our results show that the automated calibration, processing, storage, and analysis pipeline developed in this work can effectively handle massive amounts of hyperspectral data and address the urgent challenges related to the production of sustainable bioenergy and food crops, targeting methods to accelerate plant breeding for improving yield and biomass traits.
Modulation of Long-Term Potentiation of Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in the Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn

There is considerable interest in understanding long-term potentiation (LTP) of glutamatergic synaptic transmission because the molecular mechanisms involved in its induction and expression are thought to be essential for learning, memory and pain. The molecular mechanisms involved in induction and expression of LTP have been widely characterized, especially in the hippocampus and have been proposed to be cellular models of learning and memory. LTP in the spinal pain pathways has been considered as one of the cellular mechanisms of post-injury pain hypersensitivity (central sensitization). Extensive evidence has indicated that changes in both the presynaptic release of glutamate and postsynaptic response to glutamate are involved in expression of LTP. This chapter attempts a brief review of some of the postsynaptic mechanisms underlying induction, expression and modulation of the high frequency stimulation-induced LTP of excitatory synaptic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. It is becoming clear that the spinal LTP, which might contribute to hyperalgesia in animal models of pain, uses multiple mechanisms involving protein phosphorylation, similar to the processes associated with hippocampal LTP. Modulation of postsynaptic AMPA and NMDA receptor function caused by phosphorylation may play an important role in the induction and expression of synaptic plasticity at dorsal horn excitatory synapses.
Math on a sphere: Making use of public displays in mathematics and programming education

Science on a Sphere (SoS) is a compelling educational display installed at numerous museums and planetariums around the world; essentially the SoS display is a large spherical surface on which multicolor high-resolution depictions of (e.g.) planetary weather maps may be depicted. Fascinating as the SoS display is, however, it is in practice restricted to the use of museum professionals; students (and for that matter, older museum visitors) are unable to create their own displays for the surface. This paper describes a working software system, Math on a Sphere (MoS), that democratizes the SoS display by providing a simple programming interface to the public, over the World Wide Web. Briefly, our system allows anyone to write programs for spherical graphics patterns, and then to upload those programs at a planetarium or museum site and see the result on the giant sphere. This paper describes the implementation of the MoS system; sketches a sample project; and concludes with a more wide-ranging discussion of our user testing to date, as well as strategies for empowering children and students with greater control of public displays. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2014.06.010
Discipline and Discharge

This chapter discusses why discipline is necessary, how operating programs use it, and what its pitfalls are. It also discusses the ultimate breakdown in the employee/employer relationship—namely, discharge or removal from employment. When the performance of employees does not meet minimum expectations and the instructions by the supervisor do not achieve their goal, a disciplinary procedure may be considered. Supervisors should use discipline not to penalize subordinates, but to improve their behavior for meeting objectives of the workplace. A lack of consistent disciplinary action by a supervisor in the workplace can be the basis of judgement of arbitrators or civil court against the employer. Poor performance without the presence of corrective action gives an impression to the worker that such behavior is permissible. The poor performance then is established as a fixed pattern. Corrective or progressive discipline is enduring and a solidly based disciplinary strategy invoked by unionized and nonunionized employers alike. In unionized workplaces, such actions often are mandatory and included in collective bargaining agreements.
Immunotherapy and hypophysitis: clinical presentation, treatment, and biologic insights

Advances in immunotherapy have transformed the management of metastatic melanoma and generated encouraging results in the treatment of other malignancies. Autoimmune side effects from these agents, termed immune-related adverse events (IRAEs), are diverse and can include multiple endocrinopathies. Ipilimumab-induced hypophysitis (IH) is a recently recognized endocrine IRAE. This review summarizes published data and experience from our center on the incidence, presentation and management, and proposed mechanisms for immunotherapy-related hypophysitis, with a focus on patients treated with ipilimumab (Ipi). Hypophysitis occurs in a significant minority of patients treated with Ipi, in contrast to the relative rarity of idiopathic autoimmune hypophysitis or hypophysitis after treatment with other immunotherapies. Recently published cohorts have described the clinical presentation and management of IH and longitudinal outcomes in these patients. Additional studies with Ipi and other emerging agents have helped identify potential risk factors for the development of immunotherapy-related hypophysitis and possible underlying mechanisms for IH. Clarification of the mechanism(s) for IH may enhance our understanding of idiopathic autoimmune hypophysitis and could have potential therapeutic applications.
Replication of RNA bacteriophage R23. I. Quantitative aspects of phage RNA and protein synthesis.

Abstract Infection of Escherichia coli by R23, a newly isolated strain of RNA bacteriophage, has been found markedly to suppress synthesis of bacterial RNA. Approximately 60% of total RNA synthesized after infection was encapsulated in progeny phage particles. In contrast, after infection with the RNA phages f2 or Qβ, only 25 to 30% of newly synthesized RNA was phage RNA. Thirty to 40% of the RNA synthesized after B23 infection was characterized as a second form of phage-specific RNA by its resistance to RNase. Synthesis of bacterial proteins was also markedly inhibited after infection by R23 and ultimately replaced by phage-directed protein synthesis. B23 “early” protein synthesis, detected as phage RNA polymerase activity, was evident five to ten minutes after infection and increased until 20 to 30 minutes. In contrast, in the normally infected cell, synthesis of coat protein was predominant at a later time, beginning 30 to 45 minutes after infection and reaching a maximum between 45 and 75 minutes of infection, when coat protein constituted almost all of the newly synthesized protein. Coat protein synthesis was not detectable in the absence of RNA synthesis, whereas phage RNA polymerase induction required little or no RNA synthesis.
Inclusion complexes of purine nucleosides with cyclodextrins II. Investigation of inclusion complex geometry and cavity microenvironment

Abstract Inclusion complex formation between purine nucleosides and cycloamyloses (cyclodextrins) has been examined by solubility, circular dichroism, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and NMR techniques to explore structure-binding relationships, inclusion complex geometry, and the cavity microenvironment. Formation constants of the inclusion complexes were determined by monitoring changes in solubility or circular dichroism spectra with added cyclodextrin. By using various blocking functional groups at different sites in the guest molecules and cyclodextrins varying in size, correlations between cavity size, complex formation constants, and inclusion complex geometry were explored. The effects of complexation on the UV and proton NMR spectra of purine nucleosides were related to the inclusion structure and cavity microenvironment. The rates of isotopic exchange of the H-C(8) hydrogen in adenosine and adenosine arabinoside were measured by NMR spectroscopy at 37° C and at various concentrations of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and hydroxypropyl-β-CD. The marked inhibition of the exchange rates observed upon the formation of inclusion complexes was also related to inclusion structure. All of the data suggest that, in complexes with β-cyclodextrin and its hydroxypropyl derivatives, the purine residue is oriented in the complex with its short axis nearly parallel to the C 7 axis of the β-CD cavity.
Restoration of portal venous perfusion and reversal of encephalopathy by balloon occlusion of portal systemic shunt

Abstract Operative ligation of total portasystemic shunts is effective in reversing hepatic encephalopathy but is associated with significant mortality. In the case reported, invasive radiographic techniques were used to occlude a mesorenal shunt and reverse recurrent, disabling encephalopathy in a 72-yr-old woman. Occlusion of the shunt, coupled with coronary vein embolization, improved angiographic portal perfusion from grade IV to grade I, increased nutrient liver blood flow from 577 ml/min to 848 ml/ min, and increased the hepatic fraction of cardiac output from 8.8% to 24.9%. Improved hepatocyte function was measured by an increase in galactose elimination capacity from 123 mg/min to 166 mg/ min and a decrease in fasting ammonia from 107 μg/ dl to 33 μg/dl. A 10-mo follow-up showed that there has been no recurrence of encephalopathy or variceal hemorrhage. Based on this experience, we conclude that (a) in selected cases total portasystemic shunts can be occluded by invasive radiographic techniques, and (b) restoration of portal perfusion can reverse hepatic encephalopathy and improve liver function.
Group Therapy, Abstinence, Harm Reduction

Abstract The harm reduction paradigm has been proposed as a beneficial therapeutic alternative for substance dependent individuals who cannot or do not readily achieve abstinence. A brief discussions is presented on how this alternative has fostered another unproductive polarized controversy in the addiction field. The author presents a group vignette in which an open and honest interaction unfolds among the members about the advantages and possible problems of both the harm reduction and abstinence models. A case is made of the need for alternatives to abstinence, such as harm reduction, when patients cannot or do not adopt it, especially early in recovery.
Anticipatory on-line planning

We consider the problem of on-line continual planning, in which additional goals may arrive while plans for previous goals are still executing and plan quality depends on how quickly goals are achieved. This is a challenging problem even in domains with deterministic actions. One common and straightforward approach is reactive planning, in which plans are synthesized when a new goal arrives. In this paper, we adapt the technique of hindsight optimization from online scheduling and probabilistic planning to create an anticipatory on-line planning algorithm. Using an estimate of the goal arrival distribution, we sample possible futures and use a deterministic planner to estimate the value of taking possible actions at each time step. Results in two benchmark domains based on unmanned aerial vehicle planning and manufacturing suggest that an anticipatory approach yields a superior planner that is sensitive not only to which action should be executed, but when.
Performance of the timed "up & go" test in spinal muscular atrophy.

Introduction The timed “up & go” (TUG) test is a quick measure of balance and mobility. TUG scores correlate with clinical, functional, and strength assessment and decline linearly over time. Reliability and validity have not been tested in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Methods: Fifteen ambulatory SMA participants performed TUG testing and strength, functional, and clinical assessments. Intraclass correlation coefficients quantified test–retest reliability. Convergent validity was determined using Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: Test–retest reliability was excellent for all participants. TUG was associated significantly with total leg and knee flexor strength, as well as the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded, the 10-meter walk/run, and 6-minute walk tests. TUG findings were not associated with knee extensor strength, pulmonary function, or fatigue. Conclusions: In SMA, the TUG test is easily administered, reliable, and correlates with established outcome measures. TUG testing is a potentially useful outcome measure for clinical trials and a measure of disability in ambulatory patients with SMA. Muscle Nerve 50:273–277, 2014
“He is Worst Than the [Shawnee] Prophet”: The Archaeology of Nativism Among the Early Nineteenth Century Potawatomi of Illinois

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries many Great Lakes Native American groups splintered into nativist and accomodationist factions that advocated opposing strategies for dealing with Euro-Americans. Nativists urged a return to a so-called traditional Algonquin way of life while accomodationists adopted varying degrees of Euro-American ideology, material culture, and subsistence practices. The mid-1990s excavation of an early 1800s Potawatomi village (the Windrose site) in northern Illinois once led by Main Poc, one of the fiercest Potawatomi nativist leaders and an ally of the Shawnee Prophet, provided detailed information on the material culture, subsistence, and ideology of the early nineteenth century nativist movement among the Illinois Potawatomi.
MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF BLUE CRAB PROCESSING OPERATIONS

Special and claw meat products from the blue crab produced in the commercial processing plants in North Carolina had relatively poor shelf life. These products had high initial total anaerobe and psychrotroph counts. Many of the samples were positive for presumptive Vibrio parahaemolyticus, even though many samples did not have coliforms (in 0.2g sample). The presence of presumptive V. parahaemolyticus and high numbers of aerobic plate counts, total anaerobes and psycbrotrophs in these samples was probably from improper cooking of the raw crabs and post-heat-treatment contamination of the cooked crabs. The results suggested that coliforms may not be suitable to indicate proper plant sanitation and product contamination. Crab meat produced under sanitary conditions had lower numbers of total anaerobes and psychrotrophs; these products had relatively long shelf life. The results of these studies indicated that to produce products having longer shelf life the commercial plants will have to adopt proper sanitary practices. The main objective will be to prevent post-heat-treatment contamination to reduce the initial bacterial load in the products, especially with the anaerobes and psychrotrophs.
Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase Signaling Is Required for Erythropoietin-Mediated Acute Protection Against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Background— Parenteral administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) to rats induces protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury 24 hours later. However, the mechanisms by which rhEPO mediates protection have not been determined. Methods and Results— rhEPO was perfused into isolated rat hearts over 15 minutes immediately before 30 minutes of no-flow ischemia and 45 minutes of reperfusion. Compared with saline-perfused control hearts, recovery of left ventricular developed pressure was increased in rhEPO-perfused hearts. rhEPO also increased AKT activity and decreased apoptosis. All of these effects were blocked when the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin was infused with rhEPO. Conclusions— rhEPO provides immediate protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the isolated perfused rat heart that is mediated by the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway.
Analysis of an outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection controlled with enhanced infection control measures.

Background In October 2004, our Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rate increased (relative risk, 3.51; 95% confidence interval: 2.96-4.16) from a baseline rate of 1.35 per 1000 patient-days. We describe the outbreak, the relationship between antibiotic use and CDI, and the effect of enhanced infection control measures (EICM) on CDI. Methods Rates were calculated as positive C difficile toxin A or B tests among patients with nosocomial diarrhea per 1000 patient-days (duplicates removed). Antibiotic use was calculated as defined daily dose per 1000 patient-days. EICM consisted of (1) placing patients with diarrhea into empiric Contact Precautions, (2) cleaning with a bleach product in areas with CDI patients, and (3) requiring soap and water hand hygiene when caring for CDI patients. CDI rates were analyzed by χ 2 for trend. Time series methodology was used to examine the association between CDI and antibiotic use. Results During the outbreak (October 2004-May 2005), we observed 144 excess cases of CDI. The CDI rate decreased after EICM were implemented ( P P = .008) and levofloxacin/gatifloxacin use ( P = .015). Conclusion Despite an association between some antibiotic use and CDI rates, we achieved sustained control of an outbreak using EICM without formulary changes or new antibiotic control policies. This suggests that patient-to-patient spread may be a more important cause of increased CDI rates.