cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Possible involvement of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in phenobarbital promotion activity in rat hepatocarcinogenesis

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation has been suggested to be involved in various biological processes, including DNA repair (Shall, 1984), cell differentiation (Farzaneh et al., 1982), cell proliferation (Menegazzi et aI., 1988) and malignant transformation (Borek et al., 1984). Previously, we reported that inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enhanced liver carcinogenesis which was given in the initiation phase of diethylnitrosamine(DEN) (Takahashi et al., 1982;Takahashi et al., 1984). Recently, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-I3-acetate(TPA), a mouse skin tumor promoter, was found to increase poly(ADPribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins in human monocytes, mouse fibloblasts and rat hepatocytes (Singh et al., 1985;Singh and Cerutti, 1985;Romano et al., 1988), and suggested the involvement of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation on tumor promotion processes. In the present experiment, we studied the effects of inhibitors of poly(ADPribose)polymerase on the promotion by phenobarbital (PB) in liver carcinogenesis initiated by DEN in rats.
The Theory of Quantized Fields. VI

This paper treats the effect of a time-independent external electromagnetic field upon a Dirac field by constructing the transformation function in a representation adapted to the external field. In addition to the alteration of the Green's function, the structure of the transformation function differs from that of the zero field situation by a factor which describes the energy of the modified vacuum state. A formula for the vacuum energy is obtained and expressed in a form appropriate to a localized field, in terms of the energy eigenvalues of discrete modes, and of the phase shifts associated with continuum modes. Determinantal methods are then introduced, and the class of fields is established for which a certain frequency-dependent modified determinant is an integral function of the parameter measuring the strength of the field. The properties of the determinant are investigated in the two frequency regions $|{p}_{0}|lm$ and $|{p}_{0}|gm$, with regard to the zeros of the real determinant in the former region, which are the frequencies of the discrete modes, and to the phase of the complex determinant in the latter region. In the second situation, a connection is established with a unitary matrix defined for modes of a given frequency, and the phase of the determinant is expressed in terms of the eigenphases of this matrix. Following a discussion of the asymptotic behavior of the determinant as a function of ${p}_{0}$, the modified determinant is constructed in terms of the discrete mode energies and of the eigenphases. This yields a more precise version of the vacuum energy formula, in which a single divergent parameter is exhibited, for a suitable class of fields.
Meet ALWD: The New Citation Manual

The ALWD Citation Manual now competes with The Bluebook as a comprehensive legal-citation guide. This article introduces the ALWD Manual and highlights key differences from The Bluebook.
Probing Edge Site Reactivity of Oxidic Cobalt Water Oxidation Catalysts

Differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) analysis of the oxygen isotopologues produced by 18O-labeled Co-OEC in H216O reveals that water splitting catalysis proceeds by a mechanism that involves direct coupling between oxygens bound to dicobalt edge sites of Co-OEC. The edge site chemistry of Co-OEC has been probed by using a dinuclear cobalt complex. 17O NMR spectroscopy shows that ligand exchange of OH/OH2 at Co(III) edge sites is slow, which is also confirmed by DEMS experiments of Co-OEC. In borate (Bi) and phosphate (Pi) buffers, anions must be displaced to allow water to access the edge sites for an O–O bond coupling to occur. Anion exchange in Pi is slow, taking days to equilibrate at room temperature. Conversely, anion exchange in Bi is rapid (kassoc = 13.1 ± 0.4 M–1 s–1 at 25 °C), enabled by facile changes in boron coordination. These results are consistent with the OER activity of Co-OEC in Bi and Pi. The Pi binding kinetics are too slow to establish a pre-equilibrium sufficiently f...
Current trends in the development of anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs

Developments in biotechnology, synthetic chemistry, and extraction methods have contributed significantly to provide many newer antithrombotic and anticoagulant drugs. Many of these drugs exhibit mechanisms of actions distinct from heparin and oral anticoagulants. The depolymerization of heparin has resulted in the development of LMWHs. These drugs have now attained the agent of choice status for the prophylaxis of postsurgical and medical thrombotic disorders. LMWHs are now being clinically evaluated for the treatment of established thrombosis and prevention of post-acute angioplasty occlusion and reocclusion. Many newer applications of these agents will be proposed in coming years. Synthetic and recombinant antithrombin agents, such as hirudin and hirulog, have been claimed to exhibit effective anticoagulant and antithrombotic actions. The clinical data, however, are rather limited, and additional validation studies are needed. These agents, however, provide an alternate anticoagulation approach in patients who are refractory to the actions of heparin or who developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Both hirudin and peptide conjugates are undergoing extensive clinical trials throughout the world in various indications. Once validated, their optimized use will provide physicians and surgeons an alternate anticoagulant approach for heparin-compromised patients. Glycosaminoglycans, such as dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and other mixtures, have been developed for various indications. These drugs, however, are relatively inferior to LMWHs for the prophylaxis of thromboembolism. Although these agents have been used for phlebitis and other indications, well-designed objective clinical trials are not available at this time. Because these agents exhibit other effects, such as the effect on smooth muscle cell proliferation, these may be of some value in the control of post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty restenosis. Several synthetic analogs of heparin and related glycosaminoglycans have also been developed. One of these agents is a synthetic pentasaccharide that represents the AT-III binding site in the heparin molecule. This agent produces a strong anti-Xa effect and is devoid of any antithrombin actions. This agent is currently being developed for the prophylaxis of thromboembolism. The synthetic pentasaccharide is devoid of any effects on platelets and thus does not produce any thrombocytopenic effects. Thus it may be useful in those patients who develop thrombocytopenia and white clot syndrome. A hypersulfated lactobionic acid analog has also been developed as an antithrombotic agent. This agent was initially found to produce its antithrombotic action via HC-II. More recent data, however, show that it also releases TFPI from endogenous sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Urinary Tuberculosis: A Review of 44 Cases Treated Since 1963

AbstractWe are reporting on a decade of experience with cases of renal tuberculosis treated at a large tuberculosis hospital. Most patients were men less than 50 years old. The most frequent symptoms were dysuria, back or flank pain, nocturia and hematuria. Physical examinations were generally normal and hypertension was not seen. Most patients had acid urinary pH, pyuria and/or hematuria. Excretory urograms were abnormal in 86 per cent of the cases, the most common finding being preserved function but calicectasis or abscess. Most patients had abnormal chest x-rays and nearly half of them had coexisting, active pulmonary or miliary tuberculosis. Tuberculin tests were positive in 85 per cent of the cases. In our experience urinary tuberculosis was almost always responsive to multi-drug chemotherapy, even in patients with a non-functioning, tuberculous kidney. An asymptomatic, non-functioning kidney need not be removed, provided documentation of urine culture conversion is obtained and a prolonged period o...
Metal Nitrides Grown from Ca/Li Flux: Ca6Te3N2 and New Nitridoferrate(I) Ca6(LixFe1-x)Te2N3.

Two new tellurium-containing nitrides were grown from reactions in molten calcium and lithium. The compound Ca6Te3N2 crystallizes in space group R3c (a = 12.000(3)A, c = 13.147(4)A; Z = 6); its structure is an anti-type of rinneite (K3NaFeCl6) and 2H perovskite related oxides such as Sr3Co2O6. The compound Ca6(LixFe1–x)Te2N3 where x ≈ 0.48 forms in space group P42/m (a = 8.718(3)A, c = 6.719(2)A; Z = 2) with a new stuffed anti-type variant of the Tl3BiCl6 structure. Band structure calculations and easily observable red/green dichroic behavior indicate that Ca6Te3N2 is a highly anisotropic direct band gap semiconductor (Eg = 2.5 eV). Ca6(LixFe1–x)Te2N3 features isolated linear N–Fe–N units with iron in the rare Fe1+ state. The magnetic behavior of the iron site was characterized by magnetic susceptibility measurements, which indicate a very high magnetic moment (5.16μB) likely due to a high degree of spin–orbit coupling. Inherent disorder at the Fe/Li mixed site frustrates long-range communication between...
Application of gas phase cryogenic vibrational spectroscopy to characterize the CO2, CO, N2 and N2O interactions with the open coordination site on a Ni(I) macrocycle using dual cryogenic ion traps

Abstract Recent advances in gas phase ion chemistry, coupled with cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation spectroscopy, provide a powerful way to characterize the structures of small molecules bound to open coordination sites of organometallic compounds. Here we extend our previous measurements on the relatively weakly interacting CO 2 molecule with a Ni(I) tetraaza-macrocyclic compound to enable the characterization of more strongly interacting substrates. We first confirm the calculated η 2 –C,O binding motif of CO 2 using isotopic labeling by direct, one photon vibrational predissociation of the Ni(I)-CO 2 complex. We then apply this approach to study complexation of N 2 at the active site. The generality of the method is then expanded to include application to more strongly bound systems that cannot be photodissociated with one IR photon. This involves implementation of a recently developed scheme (Marsh et al., 2015) involving two temperature-controlled ion traps. The first is optimized to complex the substrate molecule to the active site and the second is cooled to around 10 K to enable condensation of weakly bound “tag” molecules onto the target complex so as to enable its characterization by linear vibrational predissociation spectroscopy. We demonstrate this capability by applying it to the coordination of CO to the active Ni(I) site, as well as to elucidate the nature of the products that are formed upon reaction with N 2 O.
Examining the Value of a Scaffolded Critique Framework to Promote Argumentative and Explanatory Writings Within an Argument-Based Inquiry Approach

This study investigated the value of using a scaffolded critique framework to promote two different types of writing—argumentative writing and explanatory writing—with different purposes within an argument-based inquiry approach known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach. A quasi-experimental design with sixth and seventh grade students taught by two teachers was used. A total of 170 students participated in the study, with 87 in the control group (four classes) and 83 in the treatment group (four classes). All students used the SWH templates as an argumentative writing to guide their written work and completed these templates during the SWH investigations of each unit. After completing the SWH investigations, both groups of students were asked to complete the summary writing task as an explanatory writing at the end of each unit. All students’ writing samples were scored using analytical frameworks developed for the study. The results indicated that the treatment group performed significantly better on the explanatory writing task than the control group. In addition, the results of the partial correlation suggested that there is a very strong significantly positive relationship between the argumentative writing and the explanatory writing.
Mining Cognitive Skills Levels of Knowledge Units in Text Using Graph Tringluarity Mining

Semantic analysis among knowledge units in the text is a very interesting problem in numerous applications. Beside the semantic relationships expressed in the text, relationships are also encoded in knowledge structures in our brains. However, the relationships among knowledge units are highly sophisticated and require a human judgment. In this paper, we propose a Graph-Tringluarity-based system for knowledge units’ classification in the textual graph, which identifies the adapted Bloom’s Taxonomy levels. Given knowledge units, the system discovers significant relationship types among them based on the cognitive skills. We evaluate and validate the system on three datasets (textbooks) by utilizing the knowledge units of a computer science domain. As a result, the proposed system succeeds to discover the hidden associations among knowledge units and classify them. Furthermore, the performance shows expressive centrality measures of knowledge units’ analysis.
Religion and Politics: The Complex Relationship between Islamism and the State

Since The Early 1980s, a vast literature has developed on Islamism, a phenomenon that can be defined as “the recourse to the vocabulary of Islam, used in the postcolonial period to express within the state, or more often against it, an alternative political program that uses the heritage of the West as a foil, but allows nevertheless the re-appropriation of its principal references”. Its intellectual roots and the socio-economic reasons for its emergence are now examined in detail by scholars. Those studies have also illuminated the diversity of Islamism across the Middle East, thereby de-homogenizing an object too often thought of as monolithic.
Computer vision based personalized clothing assistance system: A proposed model

With fashion industry included e-commerce (worldwide) is expected to hit the $35 billion mark by 2020. There's a need for applications which help the user in making intelligent decisions on their day to day online purchases. In this paper, our aim is to build a system that would be able to understand fashion and the user to provide personalized clothing recommendations to the user. Our approach includes Caffe, a deep learning framework for computer vision tasks such as Clothing type classification and Clothing attribute classification. Furthermore we use Conditional Random Fields (CRF) to learn the intricacies of fashion. CRFs also learn the correlations between attributes of the user such as ethnicity, body type etc., expert opinion and the type of outfit. We expect the proposed system would be able to provide personalized recommendations.
A Genetic Screen Reveals an Unexpected Role for Yorkie Signaling in JAK/STAT-Dependent Hematopoietic Malignancies in Drosophila melanogaster.

A gain-of-function mutation in the tyrosine kinase JAK2 (JAK2V617F ) causes human myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). These patients present with high numbers of myeloid lineage cells and have numerous complications. Since current MPN therapies are not curative, there is a need to find new regulators and targets of Janus kinase/Signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling that may represent additional clinical interventions . Drosophila melanogaster offers a low complexity model to study MPNs as JAK/STAT signaling is simplified with only one JAK [Hopscotch (Hop)] and one STAT (Stat92E). hopTumorous-lethal(Tum-l) is a gain-of-function mutation that causes dramatic expansion of myeloid cells, which then form lethal melanotic tumors. Through an F1 deficiency (Df) screen, we identified 11 suppressors and 35 enhancers of melanotic tumors in hopTum-l animals. Dfs that uncover the Hippo (Hpo) pathway genes expanded (ex) and warts (wts) strongly enhanced the hopTum-l tumor burden, as did mutations in ex, wts, and other Hpo pathway genes. Target genes of the Hpo pathway effector Yorkie (Yki) were significantly upregulated in hopTum-l blood cells, indicating that Yki signaling was increased. Ectopic hematopoietic activation of Yki in otherwise wild-type animals increased hemocyte proliferation but did not induce melanotic tumors. However, hematopoietic depletion of Yki significantly reduced the hopTum-l tumor burden, demonstrating that Yki is required for melanotic tumors in this background. These results support a model in which elevated Yki signaling increases the number of hemocytes, which become melanotic tumors as a result of elevated JAK/STAT signaling.
Water Distribution System Design Considering Component Failure During Static Conditions

A continuous hydraulic availability relationship is presented which more realistically models minimum pressure requirements for water distribution systems. This relationship is used in a minimum cut set framework to define nodal and system availabilities including pipe, pump, and valve failures during static steady state demands. The availability measures have been incorporated in a least cost optimization model which is significantly faster than the model of Su et al, which used a discrete availability relationship.
Pediatric Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis: a systematic review of literature and case series.

To characterize the phenotype of pediatric Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis (BBE) and evaluate prognostic features in the clinical course, diagnostic studies, and treatment exposures. We systematically reviewed PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases as well as medical records at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to identify cases of pediatric BBE. Inclusion required all of the following criteria: age ≤ 20 years, presence of somnolence or alterations in mental status at the time of presentation or developed within 7 days of presentation, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia. We reviewed 682 manuscripts, identifying a total of 47 pediatric BBE cases. We also describe five previously unreported cases. The phenotype of these pediatric patients was similar to previously published literature. Sixty-eight percent of patients demonstrated positive anti-GQ1b antibody titers, yet the presence of these antibodies was not associated with longer times to recovery. Patients with neuroimaging abnormalities featured a longer median time to recovery, but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.124). Overall, patients treated with any form of immunotherapy (intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, or plasmapheresis) demonstrated shorter median time to resolution of symptoms compared to supportive therapy, although this trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.277). Post-hoc t tests revealed a trend towards use of immunotherapy against supportive care alone (p = 0.174). Our study identified clinical, radiologic, and treatment features that may hold prognostic value for children with BBE. The role of immunotherapy remains under investigation but may prove of utility with further, randomized controlled studies in this rare disease.
Label-free Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging for Assessment of Carotid Artery Grafts

Fluorescence lifetime imaging via a fiber-optic interface quantitatively differentiates biochemical composition of porcine carotid arteries originating from anatomical location and freeze-thaw processing. This work provides a framework for future nondestructive evaluation of vascular grafts in-vivo.
Solving the mystery: Hyalinized cyst wall containing organism-like structures in a lung transplant donor.

A 59-year-old man with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent orthotopic heart transplantation. The donor, a 31-year-old male declared brain dead after a gunshot wound to the head, was considered high risk due to history of incarceration, illicit drug use, and sex with a HIV-positive partner. At organ procurement, the heart, kidneys, pancreas, and liver looked grossly normal. A small right lower lobe nodule was noticed, and lung biopsy was performed. Bronchoscopy showed purulent secretions in the right lower lobe. Images from pathology are presented. Lung biopsy confirmed the presence of hyalinized cyst wall containing organism-like structures. A combination of culture, microscopic morphology, and gene sequencing was used to identify the causative organism. The patient and all other organ recipients received appropriate antifungal prophylaxis and remain asymptomatic 6 months post-transplant.
Finite-sample Bounds for Marginal MAP

Marginal MAP is a key task in Bayesian inference and decision-making, and known to be very challenging in general. In this paper, we present an algorithm that blends heuristic search and importance sampling to provide anytime finite-sample bounds for marginal MAP along with predicted MAP solutions. We convert bounding marginal MAP to a surrogate task of bounding a series of summation problems of an augmented graphical model, and then adapt dynamic importance sampling, a recent advance in bounding the partition function, to providing finite-sample bounds for the surrogate task. Those bounds are guaranteed to be tight given enough time, and the values of the predicted MAP solutions will converge to the optimum. Our algorithm runs in an anytime/anyspace manner, which gives flexible trade-offs between memory, time, and solution quality. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach empirically on multiple challenging benchmarks in comparison with some state-of-the-art search algorithms.
In-House Validation Study of the DuPont Qualicon BAX® System Q7 Instrument with the BAX System PCR Assay for Salmonella (Modification of AOAC Official MethodSM 2003.09 and AOAC Research Institute Performance-Tested MethodSM 100201)

In 2006, DuPont Qualicon introduced the BAX system Q7 instrument for use with its assays. To demonstrate the equivalence of the new and old instruments, a validation study was conducted using the BAX system PCR Assay for Salmonella, AOAC Official Method 2003.09, on three food types. The foods were simultaneously analyzed with the BAX system Q7 instrument and either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual or the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook reference method for detecting Salmonella. Comparable performance between the BAX system and the reference methods was observed. Of the 75 paired samples analyzed, 39 samples were positive by both the BAX system and reference methods, and 36 samples were negative by both the BAX system and reference methods, demonstrating 100% correlation. Inclusivity and exclusivity for the BAX system Q7 instrument were also established by testing 50 Salmonella strains and 20 non-Salmonella isolates. All Salmonella strains returned positive results, and all non-Salmonella isolates returned a negative response.
An Improved Method for the Recovery of Salmonella Serovars from Orange Juice Using Universal Preenrichment Broth

The relative effectiveness of three methods for the recovery of Salmonella serovars from orange juice was determined. One method, a modified Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) procedure consisted of preenrichment in lactose broth at 35 degrees C for 24 h, selective enrichment, and selective plating. Another method, a National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC 1) procedure, consisted of direct enrichment in tetrathionate broth at 35 degrees C for 24 and 48 h, followed by selective plating. The third method (also from CDC and designated CDC 2) consisted of preenrichment in Universal Preenrichment (UP) broth at 35 degrees C for 24 h, selective enrichment, and selective plating. In 10 experiments encompassing five different Salmonella serovars and 200 test portions per broth, the CDC 1 method recovered 141 Salmonella-positive test portions, the BAM method recovered 151, and the CDC 2 method recovered 171. In 2 of the 10 experiments, with two different Salmonella serovars, the BAM recovered significantly fewer (P < 0.05) Salmonella-positive test portions than did the CDC 2 method. On the basis of the above results, the second phase of this study focused on a comparison of the effectiveness of the BAM-recommended lactose broth and the CDC 2-recommended UP broth as preenrichment media for the recovery of Salmonella serovars from pasteurized and unpasteurized orange juice. Subsequent culture treatment of the two preenrichments was identical so that the effect of other variables (e.g., different selective enrichment media, various incubation temperatures, and different selective plating agars) on the relative performance of these two preenrichment media was excluded. In one of nine experiments, with pasteurized orange juice, lactose broth recovered significantly fewer (P < 0.05) Salmonella-positive test portions than did UP broth. For the combined results of the nine pasteurized orange juice experiments (180 test portions per broth), lactose broth recovered 99 Salmonella-positive test portions, and UP broth recovered 116. In three of seven experiments, with unpasteurized orange juice, lactose broth recovered significantly fewer (P < 0.05) Salmonella-positive test portions than did UP broth. For the combined results of the seven unpasteurized orange juice experiments (140 test portions per broth), lactose broth recovered 73 Salmonella-positive test portions, and UP broth recovered 117. For both pasteurized and unpasteurized orange juice, the total number of Salmonella-positive test portions recovered with UP broth was significantly greater than the number recovered with lactose broth. These results indicate that UP broth is a more effective enrichment broth for the recovery of Salmonella from orange juice than is lactose broth.
Vision Based Person Tracking and Following in Unstructured Environments

Vision based tracking and following a person by a robot equipped with a vision system has many applications such as surveillance and motion capture, and detection and following intruders. Such a robot can also be used as a human assistant for carrying tools and equipment and helping elderly. The major requirement in these applications is the ability to track and follow a moving person through nonpredetermined, unstructured and often rough environments. Vision based robotic person following consists of two main tasks – providing sensory (visual) feedback about the location of the person relative to the robot, and issuing signals to robot actuators, e.g. steering and wheel motors, to follow the person.
Values: How do they Contribute to Economic Success?

Different values lead to different choices and outcomes. As the outcomes accumulate, they determine whether individuals experience better or worse lives and determine whether society is a more or less healthy. This paper examines values and culture, focusing on how they contribute to economic success. Recognizing their significant impact, we examine how values are inculcated and discuss policy implications.
Paul Matthews van Buren

Considered one of the original death of God theologians, Paul M. van Buren was an Episcopal priest whose radical work was The Secular Meaning of the Gospel. Van Buren’s legacy, however, was to dissociate himself from the death of God theology and developed serious theological work in the field of Christian-Jewish relations. At the same time, important themes emerge when considering his lifetime of writing which are concurrent with other radical thinkers, namely, emphases upon the holocaust, the limitation of language, and a novel approach to interpreting the theology of Karl Barth.
High-performance transparent film heater using random mesowire silver network

In this research, we demonstrate a cost-effective method of developing a high temperature transparent heater by creating mesoscale (1–5 μm diameter) silver (Ag) wire network on glass. A colloidal solution of ethanol and cerium oxide (CeO2) is used to create a sacrificial template onto which Ag (100 nm) was deposited using electron beam (EB) evaporation. EB deposition parameters are critically optimized so that Ag wires are annealed instantly having rigid adherence to the substrate surface. A highly interconnected and continuous Ag network is obtained exhibiting transmittance up to 70% and sheet resistance of 1.13 Ω/sq, making it suitable for optoelectronic applications. This transparent conductor serves as a transparent heater when a DC voltage is applied to it, generating temperatures more than 200 °C at an operating voltage of just 4 V. This unique electro-thermal property can be attributed to the triangular junctions of Ag wire network that act as a micro-welding centers which impede the transport current path, favoring resistive Joules heating.
A population-based analysis of patterns of care in stage I testicular seminoma: Updated results from the California Cancer Registry.

e15533 Background: Recent data have shown the feasibility of surveillance strategies and adjuvant chemotherapy, as well as adjuvant radiotherapy, in the management of stage I testicular seminoma. H...
Development of a Standardized Sanger-Based Method for Partial Sequencing and Genotyping of Dengue Viruses.

ABSTRACT The global expansion of dengue viruses (DENV-1 to DENV-4) has contributed to the divergence, transmission, and establishment of genetic lineages of epidemiological concern; however, tracking the phylogenetic relationships of these virus is not always possible due to the inability of standardized sequencing procedures in resource-limited public health laboratories. Consequently, public genomic data banks contain inadequate representation of geographical regions and historical periods. In order to improve detection of the DENV-1 to DENV-4 lineages, we report the development of a serotype-specific Sanger-based method standardized to sequence DENV-1 to DENV-4 directly from clinical samples using universal primers that detect most DENV genotypes. The resulting envelope protein coding sequences are analyzed for genotyping with phylogenetic methods. We evaluated the performance of this method by detecting, amplifying, and sequencing 54 contemporary DENV isolates, including 29 clinical samples, representing a variety of genotypes of epidemiological importance and global presence. All specimens were sequenced successfully and phylogenetic reconstructions resulted in the expected genotype classification. To further improve genomic surveillance in regions where dengue is endemic, this method was transferred to 16 public health laboratories in 13 Latin American countries, to date. Our objective is to provide an accessible method that facilitates the integration of genomics with dengue surveillance.
Measuring acute pulmonary responses to occupational wildland fire smoke exposure using exhaled breath condensate.

Wildland firefighters are directly exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire (WF) smoke. Although studies demonstrate WF smoke exposure is associated with lung function changes, few studies that ...
Public Pressure for Neurosurgical Innovation

Public pressure for innovation plays a key role in determining the goals of neurosurgical research and practice. Public, philanthropic, and industry funding of research and innovation each have direct and differing effects on the advances achieved in neurosurgical practice, while public advocacy and pressure for specific treatments can shift clinical practice patterns. In this chapter, we will discuss how these varied forms of public pressure for innovation should meet the criteria of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, just as the care provided by neurosurgeons should.
The Ethos of Gentility in Greco-Roman Antiquity

This chapter begins with a brief consideration of the social changes which were involved in the replacement of the Homeric warrior-aristocrat by the citizen-hoplite of the classical period. The latter type constituted the intended public of Aristotle, who, the author argues, explicitly constructed both his ethics and political philosophy around the figure of the gentleman. After tracing the demise of the Greek gentleman to the disappearance of his natural habitat, the classical city-state, the author considers the gentleman of the Roman Republic, primarily as he appears in the writings of Cicero. The chapter concludes with a description of the fate of the Republican gentleman, whose imperial incarnation was lacking in many of his former political functions.
Marfan Syndrome and Related Disorders of Fibrillin

Marfan syndrome is a heritable disorder of connective tissue affecting approximately one in every 5 – 10,000 individuals. If all related disorders of fibrillin are included, the incidence of fibrillin abnormalities may be as high as one in every 3 – 5,000 (1). The cardinal clinical manifestations of the syndrome involve the skeletal, cardiovascular, and ocular systems (2,3). A characteristic body habitus, aneurysmal dilatation of the aorta (Figure 1), and ectopia lentis (subluxation or dislocation of the ocular lens) are the hallmarks of this condition. In addition, the skin, fascia, central nervous system, and lung may show characteristic involvement. Marfan syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, although an estimated 15 to 30 percent of cases are sporadic, representing new mutations in otherwise unaffected families. Males and females are equally affected, and there is no preference for race or ethnic group.
Does proximity of positive prostate biopsy core to capsular margin help predict side-specific extracapsular extension at prostatectomy?

INTRODUCTION To determine whether quantifying the proximity of positive prostate biopsy cores to the capsular edge may aid in identifying patients at risk for extracapsular extension (ECE) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed a single-surgeon experience of 429 systematic transrectal prostate biopsies from 2010-2014. Marking ink was applied to the capsular edge ex vivo following specimen acquisition, and the proximity of cancer to the stained capsular edge was measured. Primary outcome was ECE at RP. Demographics, PSA, DRE findings, Gleason score, core location and involvement, and RP pathology were recorded. Predictors of ECE were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the predictive value of variables alone and in combination. RESULTS One hundred and one patients who underwent staining during biopsy received RP (202 hemiprostates). Thirty-three patients (40 hemiprostates) exhibited ECE. There were 343 positive stained biopsy cores. Mean proximity of carcinoma to capsule was 4.7 mm. On univariable analysis, proximity of positive core ≤ 1 mm to capsule was predictive of side-specific ECE (OR 2.86, p = 0.013), though significance was lost in multivariable models. Area under the curve (AUC) for proximity was 0.571 alone and 0.804 in combination with PSA, cT stage, and total biopsy Gleason score. CONCLUSION Proximity of positive biopsy core to capsular margin may supply additional information in predicting ECE but requires validation in a larger cohort. Implementation of a staining technique at the time of systematic biopsy may be helpful in counseling patients and determining utility of nerve-sparing approaches.
Transmission of Eremothecium coryli (syn. Nematospora coryli) to Consecutive Cotton Bolls by Individual Stink Bugs1

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a high-value cash crop persistently plagued by insect pests such as stink bugs and related species. Stink bugs vector pathogens that cause necrosis of cotton seed and lint, yet the frequency of pathogen transmission into successive bolls by individual stink bugs is not documented. Individual adults of southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), (n = 80) were provided green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) infected with the fungus Eremothecium coryli (Peglion) Kurtzman (syn. Nematospora coryli Peglion) and caged sequentially with five bolls of known age to determine potential for infection of consecutive bolls by a single stink bug. Stink bug adults fed on 82.4% of bolls (n = 108), and the pathogen was transmitted to 68.5% of these bolls (n = 89). As expected, insect bacterial flora was detected in all bolls with evidence of insect feeding. Overall, frequency of feeding ranged from one to five bolls per stink bug; frequency of boll infection also ranged from one to five bolls per stink bug. The frequency of infection by E. coryli in bolls did not differ between sexes of stink bugs (Fisher's Exact Test: P = 0.84), and the number of females and males infecting one to five bolls did not differ (Fisher's Exact Test: P = 0.92). The findings can serve as an impetus for determining whether current insect management thresholds should be reconsidered given the potential for infection of multiple bolls by individual southern green stink bugs.
Abiotic hydrogen (H2) sources and sinks near the Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) with implications for the subseafloor biosphere.

Free hydrogen (H2) is a basal energy source underlying chemosynthetic activity within igneous ocean crust. In an attempt to systematically account for all H2 within young oceanic lithosphere (
Hypertension (Blood Pressure) and Lifetime Risk of Target Organ Damage.

The purpose of this review is to describe the long-term or lifetime relationship between blood pressure and target organ damage. The use of the term “blood pressure” as opposed to hypertension is purposeful. The risk of cardiovascular disease from blood pressure begins below the levels of blood pressure defined as hypertension by contemporary definitions. An important recent publication that bears on this topic was the 2017 ACC/AHA Blood Pressure Management Guidelines. The redefinition of hypertension and blood pressure treatment goal to 130/80 mmHg and the decision to rely almost exclusively on data from event-based randomized controlled clinical trials, which led to a recommendation for lifestyle therapy only for most with stage 1 hypertension, were important. A report from the CARDIA study demonstrated significant risk for cardiovascular disease at 20 years for stage 1 hypertension. Based on all evidence, clinicians should consider the use of medication for stage 1 hypertension in those uncontrolled on lifestyle therapy.
Andean Foodways: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Pre-Columbian, Colonial, and Contemporary Food and Culture

Pre-Columbian Andean cultures have generally been characterized as having strong cultural and religious ties to their surrounding landscape and the natural world. Plants and animals associated with this sacred landscape have had, and in some societies continue to have, a particular cultural and religious meaning. Food crops and cultigens that sustained life and their associated preparation were often seen as a sacred act, with strong cultural associations to ethnic identity. Other plants have had direct associations to ritual and religious practices and were seen as sacred, reaffirming the diversity and complexity of Andean foodways and local cuisines. Anthropologists and archaeologists have documented the symbolic complexity of the natural world and the social importance of feasting, rituals and rites in contemporary and historical societies. Cultural perceptions and beliefs regarding the natural world and their associated plants and cuisines were subsequently modified to varying degrees by the Spanish conquest and introduction of foreign plants and animals. Contributions in this volume explore the art history and history to examine the roles of food through particular interdisciplinary lenses. Research from diverse regions of the cordillera further emphasize the diversity of Andean cultures. Contributions explore and analyze these topics in the context of historic and contemporary Andean culture, with examples of how domesticates, cuisines, their preparations, and basic ingredients continue to influence present day foodways and regional tastes.
Deep Learning to Detect Road Distress from Unmanned Aerial System Imagery

Surface distress is an indication of poor or unfavorable pavement performance or signs of impending failure that can be classified into a fracture, distortion, or disintegration. To mitigate the ri...
The Nature of Desert Claims: Rethinking What it Means to Get One's Due

Our everyday conversations reveal the widespread assumption that positive and negative treatment of others can be justified on the grounds that 'they deserve it'. But what is it exactly to deserve something? In this book, Kevin Kinghorn explores how we came to have this concept and offers an explanation of why people feel so strongly that redress is needed when outcomes are undeserved. Kinghorn probes for that core concern which is common to the range of everyday desert claims people make, ultimately proposing an alternative model of desert which represents a fundamental challenge to the received wisdom on the structure of desert claims. In the end, he argues, our plea for deserved treatment ends up being linked to the universal human concern for a shared narrative, as we seek healthy relationships within a community.
75 Sampling technique affects mare milk composition

Accurately measuring milk composition is important for many research studies. Different techniques are utilized to collect milk samples; however, little is known of the effect of sampling technique on mare milk composition. The objective was to compare milk composition collected by 3 sampling techniques and evaluate changes in composition within an individual milking. We hypothesized that milk composition would be affected by sampling technique and that milk fat would increase within a milking. Milk samples were collected from 4 Thoroughbred mares at 7 d postpartum in 3 ways: during natural milk let down while the foal nursed (>50 mL), stripping a residual sample between nursing bouts (15–20 mL), and total evacuation of the udder after muzzling the foal for 2 h. Samples were collected at the same time of day to avoid diurnal variation. Changes in composition within a milking were evaluated by muzzling the foal for 2 subsequent 2 h intervals then allowing the foal to nurse one side of the udder while milking the opposite side. The first 2 h milking was used to calculate fractions of the total volume collected. During the second milking, milk was collected into separate containers to represent the following fractions of the total collection: 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Milk fat, protein, and carbohydrates were measured using an infrared-based milk analyzer (MilkoScan FT+, Foss, Denmark). Effects of sampling technique and milk fraction on milk composition were evaluated using mixed model ANOVA with repeated measures (SAS 9.4). Milk fat was affected by sampling technique (P 0.05). Milk composition is affected by sampling technique. Collecting a sample during active milk let down may be more representative of the milk composition the foal is consuming. Additionally, changes in milk fat during an individual milking followed a similar pattern as other species; milk fat increases through the duration of a milking while carbohydrates and protein remains unchanged.
Mandatory Mediation and the Renegotiation of Mortgage Contracts

Scholars have studied the use of mediation - a third party to facilitate the settlement of a dispute - in a variety of settings. The theoretical literature asserts that mediated negotiation weakly dominates unmediated negotiation, increasing the flow of information between the principal and the agent. This study tests these predictions using a mandatory mediation policy for mortgage contracts in default. Difference-in-differences estimates from three metropolitan statistical areas before and after at least one sub-jurisdiction imposed mandatory mediation show that mediation increased the flow of information, especially for selected sub-groups, as demonstrated by increasing rates of loan contract modifications
Topological measures for identifying and predicting the spread of complex contagions

The standard measure of distance in social networks – average shortest path length – assumes a model of “simple” contagion, in which people only need exposure to influence from one peer to adopt the contagion. However, many social phenomena are “complex” contagions, for which people need exposure to multiple peers before they adopt. Here, we show that the classical measure of path length fails to define network connectedness and node centrality for complex contagions. Centrality measures and seeding strategies based on the classical definition of path length frequently misidentify the network features that are most effective for spreading complex contagions. To address these issues, we derive measures of complex path length and complex centrality, which significantly improve the capacity to identify the network structures and central individuals best suited for spreading complex contagions. We validate our theory using empirical data on the spread of a microfinance program in 43 rural Indian villages. Understanding of complex contagions is crucial for explaining diffusion processes in networks. Guilbeault and Centola introduce topological mechanisms and measures to elucidate spreading dynamics and identify the most influential nodes in social, epidemic and economic networks.
A Study to Investigate the Mental Health Condition and Self-Concept of Physically Disabled Person Compared to Physically Abled (Healthy) Person

Background: Disability is one of the hardest effects in the whole planet, because they seriously don’t understand why each person else is “normal” in which they aren’t. Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime (WHO, 2012). Physically handicapped children are passive, less persistent having shorter attention span, engage them in less exploration and display less motivation. They are more dependent on adults, and interact less with peers. People with disabilities appear to be at greater risk of mental health problems than the general population and therefore make a disproportionate contribution to mental health morbidity internationally. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the mental health condition of physically disabled person compared to physically abled (healthy) person. Method: The sample of the study included from different districts of Bihar, of age range between 13-25 years, who has moderate physical disability. The sample size comprised of 100 (N=100) adult from Bihar; 50 were physically disabled (n1=50) and 50 were their physically abled (n2=50) counterparts. The following tools were used for this study: Mental Health Inventory, Self-concept Clarity Scale. Results: Physically disabled sample scored significantly higher on environmental mastery (t= 2.930, p≤ 0.05), and physically abled sample scored higher on Autonomy (t= -2-259, p≤ 0.05) of the Mental Health Inventory. Physically disabled and physically abled sample have scored almost same on self-concept clarity scale Questionnaire. Conclusion: It was found that physically disabled persons showed higher score on environmental mastery and autonomy. This particular study may have significant implication for parents, teachers, mental health professionals and policy makers.
Telecommunications and the Competitive Advantage of Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a strong interest in resolution of the challenges facing communications policymakers. In comparison with most other states or the nation as a whole, the significance of telecommunications to Massachusetts is enormous. Our economy is based on information-intensive industries such as financial services, medical care, technology, and education. As the telecommunications industry undergoes a fundamental and welcome transformation from monopoly to competitive markets, the challenge of communications policymaking is to encourage the deployment of advanced infrastructure for the benefit of all citizens as control of pricing shifts from government to the competitive marketplace.