cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative comparison of [ 18 F]fallypride PET binding potential estimates using reference tissue models in rat brains

The purpose of our study was to compare commonly used mathematical models for analyzing dynamic [18F]fallypride PET data in rat brains when arterial input function is not available. For the quantification of dopamine D 2/3 receptors, we compared the time activity curves (TACs) and binding potential estimates using several simplified methods, including the 1T simplified reference tissue model (SRTM), using 60 minutes versus 90 minutes of emission recording, the 2T Reference method, and the equilibrium concentration ratios. The reliability of fit of the tissue time activity curves (TACs) and the binding potential estimates were then compared.
The end of capitalism

Historical sociologists like myself are good at predicting the past, but the future is another matter. It is especially difficult to predict the future of macro-institu tions like the nation-state or capitalism. It becomes easier if one believes that the institution in question is a "system" with its own internal logic of develop ment, its own cycles, its own contradictions. Then we could identify the logic of development and project a likely future. Many do believe this is possible in the case of capitalism. Neo-classical economists believe that capitalism involves regular business cycles with an inherent tendency to move toward equilib rium. So after the present difficulties of capitalism, there will be recovery, then another crisis and recovery etc., probably on an overall upward trajectory of development. Those who perceive deeper, less frequent but more threatening cycles, like Kondratieff or Schumpeter, have also seen them as having some internal regularity and (in the case of Kondratieff) predictability. Even Keynes did not deny that in the long-run, equilibrium would be re-established, though with a little help from the state. Marxists also see capitalism as having an inner logic of development, but they see it as possessing systemic contradictions that will eventually bring it down. This is most evident today in world systems theory, whose leader is Immanuel Wallerstein. For many Marxists the main
Adherence to Asthma Regimens

A number of effective medications have been introduced for the treatment of asthma in the past 25 years. Advances in the development of medications both to prevent and to treat ongoing attacks are the hallmark of the period. Despite considerable progress in treating asthma, however, the disorder is a health concern to more and more Americans. A number of factors contribute to the paradox of asthma, but none is more important than adherence to medication regimens. Medication adherence is best explained within a context that includes a description of epidemiological data, characteristics of asthma, and management of the disorder (Creer & Bender, 1993).
Cost-effectiveness of opportunistic salpingectomy for ovarian cancer prevention.

Abstract Objectives Data suggesting a link between the fallopian tube and ovarian cancer have led to an increase in rates of salpingectomy at the time of pelvic surgery, a practice known as opportunistic salpingectomy (OS). However, the potential benefits, risks and costs for this new practice are not well established. Our objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of opportunistic salpingectomy at the time of laparoscopic permanent contraception or hysterectomy for benign indications. Methods We created two models to compare the cost-effectiveness of salpingectomy versus usual care. The hypothetical study population is 50,000 women aged 45 undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy with ovarian preservation for benign indications, and 300,000 women aged 35 undergoing laparoscopic permanent contraception. SEER data were used for probabilities of ovarian cancer cases and deaths. The ovarian cancer risk reduction, complication rates, utilities and associated costs were obtained from published literature. Sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulation were performed, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated to determine the cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Results In the laparoscopic hysterectomy cohort, OS is cost saving and would yield $23.9 million in health care dollars saved. In the laparoscopic permanent contraception cohort, OS is cost-effective with an ICER of $31,432/QALY compared to tubal ligation, and remains cost-effective as long as it reduces ovarian cancer risk by 54%. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated cost-effectiveness with hysterectomy and permanent contraception in 62.3% and 55% of trials, respectively. Conclusions Opportunistic salpingectomy for low-risk women undergoing pelvic surgery may be a cost-effective strategy for decreasing ovarian cancer risk at time of hysterectomy or permanent contraception. In our model, salpingectomy was cost-effective with both procedures, but the advantage greater at time of hysterectomy.
Recurrence of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia during Pregnancy Subsequently Achieving Complete Medical Remission

The treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in reproductive-aged women poses major dilemmas concerning its associated teratogenicity as observed in many animal studies. Much controversy exists regarding continuation versus discontinuation of its use in pregnancy with some studies suggesting safety of TKIs before and during pregnancy and others reporting toxicity and adverse outcomes. TKIs have become a well-established treatment option for CML, significantly improving prognosis, and yet have been reported to be fetotoxic. We present a case of a 25-year-old woman who achieved successful pregnancy and delivery after withholding treatment, meanwhile relapsing, eventually achieving complete molecular remission after reinitiation of high dose dasatinib.
Pediatric isolated intraparenchymal cerebellar Rosai-Dorfman disease

We illustrate the imaging findings of a case of isolated intraparenchymal cerebellar Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) in a child, which to our knowledge is the first reported case of such lesion in a child.
Formal Alternative Transportation Options for Older Adults: An Assessment of Need

This study measured the need for formal alternative modes of transportation among older adults by applying traditional factors of the Behavioral Model. Survey participants who regularly drove were compared to those who could no longer drive. Race/ethnicity and self-reported health were significant predictors of perceived need for transportation services for both groups. However, income and service awareness were significant predictors only for drivers, while family proximity was a significant predictor only for non-drivers. Results suggest the importance of gaining a better understanding of the factors associated with need for senior-focused transportation services to more effectively plan such programs.
Lawyer Transfers to Disability Inactive Status - A Comprehensive Guide

With the aging of the lawyer population, and attendant health issues, as well as the substantial addiction and mental health problems afflicting the profession, the threat of lawyers representing clients when they are no longer capable of doing so is on the rise. One of the most powerful, but least studied, regulatory responses is to transfer such lawyers to disability inactive status while retaining the possibility that they will be reinstated if the condition necessitating transfer is ameliorated. In this article, I provide the first comprehensive description and analysis of this important regulatory device.
Family meals then and now: A qualitative investigation of intergenerational transmission of family meal practices in a racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant population

Abstract Having frequent family meals has consistently been associated with better health outcomes in children/adolescents. It is important to identify how intergenerational transmission of family meal practices occurs to help families benefit from the protective nature of family meals. Limited studies exist that explore the intergenerational transmission of family meal practices, particularly among racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant populations. This study explores how parents describe differences and similarities between meals “then” and “now”, lessons they learned as children about family meals, lessons they passed onto their children, the challenges of carrying out family meals, and how families handle the barriers/challenges to intergenerational transmission of family meal practices. The study was conducted with a sample of African American, Native American, Latino, Hmong, Somali, and White families (25/category). Qualitative themes were explored with the overall sample, by race/ethnicity, immigrant status, and by time in the United States (US) as an immigrant. Parents overwhelmingly reported learning as children that family meals were important and conveying this message to their own children. Differences existed among racial/ethnic groups and time in the US as an immigrant. For example, Somali parents frequently endorsed having no challenges with intergenerational transmission of family meal practices. Immigrant parents in the US for a longer period of time were more likely to endorse learning/teaching about family meal importance, that the food eaten now is different than growing up, that a chaotic environment is a challenge to having family meals, and that they accommodate family member's schedules when planning family meals. Results demonstrate that exploring a parent's early family meal experiences may be important when intervening with parents from diverse racial/ethnic and immigrant populations when trying to improve or increase family meal practices.
An ontology-based framework for extracting spatio-temporal influenza data using Twitter

Early detection of influenza outbreaks is one of the key priorities on a national level for preparedness and planning. This study presents the design and implementation of Fluwitter, which is a spa...
Supply Chain Network Robustness Against Disruptions: Topological Analysis, Measurement, and Optimization

This paper focuses on understanding the robustness of a supply network in the face of a disruption. We propose a decision support system for analyzing the robustness of supply chain networks against disruptions using topological analysis, performance measurement relevant to a supply chain context, and an optimization for increasing supply network performance. The topology of a supply chain network has considerable implications for its robustness in the presence of disruptions. The system allows decision makers to evaluate topologies of their supply chain networks in a variety of disruption scenarios, thereby proactively managing the supply chain network to understand vulnerabilities of the network before a disruption occurs. Our system calculates performance measurements for a supply chain network in the face of disruptions and provides both topological metrics (through network analysis) and operational metrics (through an optimization model). Through an example application, we evaluate the impact of random and targeted disruptions on the robustness of a supply chain network.
The best of intentions: Prenatal breastfeeding intentions and infant health

Abstract Health organizations recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed infants for the first six months of life. The current study contributes to a growing body of research that examines whether the purported benefits of breastfeeding are causal. We systematically evaluated the role of an expectant mother’s prenatal breastfeeding intentions, which reflect not only demographic characteristics, but also knowledge, attitudes, and social norms about infant feeding, and therefore serve as a proxy for positive maternal selection into breastfeeding. We used the Infant Feeding Practices Study (IFPS) II (n = 1008) to examine a heretofore overlooked group of mothers—those who intended to breastfeed but did not actually breastfeed. Results suggest that mothers who intended to breastfeed had infants with fewer ear infections and respiratory syncytial viruses, and used fewer antibiotics in the first year of life compared to infants whose mothers did not intend to breastfeed, irrespective of whether they actually breastfed. Because breastfeeding intention is a confounding characteristic that proxies for positive maternal selection and does not represent a causal mechanism for infant health, we further examined how mothers who intended to breastfeed differed from mothers who did not intend to breastfeed. Results suggest that mothers who intended to breastfeed had more knowledge about potential food contaminants and consulted more sources of information about nutrition and diet than mothers who did not intend to breastfeed. Taken together, our results underscore the need for new policy interventions aimed at improving infant health.
Caribbean Tectonics from a Paleomagnetic Perspective

The geologic definition of Central America encompasses the area from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico to the Atrato lowlands in western Colombia (Fig. 1) and was arrived at “more on a geographic basis than on geologic grounds” (Dengo and Boh-nenberger, 1969). The fundamentally different nature of northern and southern Central America has long been recognized (e.g., Vaughan, 1918; Schuchert, 1935; Sapper, 1937). In northern or nuclear Central America, metamorphic and plutonic rocks of Paleozoic and possibly late Precambrian age are overlain by sedimentary strata as old as late Paleozoic (e.g., Weyl, 1980). By contrast, the oldest rocks in southern Central America are of upper Jurassic age (Nicoya Complex; Schmidt-Effing, 1979) and the overlying sedimentary rocks are upper Cretaceous and younger. The boundary between the two areas lies somewhere in Nicaragua. The extensive Tertiary volcanic cover prevents a specific delineation based on surface geology.
Preference among non-white cancer patients for mobile devices and social media to learn about supportive services.

e21686Background: Disparities in cancer pain management are well-documented. Lack of awareness about supportive care services are key barriers to quality and equitable pain management. Technology, ...
The prevalence and psychological impact of cyberbullying on undergraduate students at a historically Black college and university

Abstract Cyberbullying is a serious form of bullying and harassment that can be linked to dropout, physical and emotional illnesses, suicide, homicide and other acts of violence. Cyberbullying seem...
Evolutionary Psychology and Emotion: A Brief History

Although William James’ writings on instinct and emotion and Charles Darwin’s writings on emotional expression were among the first modern scientific accounts of human emotion, these writings did not constitute “adaptationist” approaches to emotion in the sense that evolutionary psychologists use that term today. The first modern evolutionary accounts of human emotion would have to wait almost another century for evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers’s (Q Rev Biol 46:35–57, 1971) groundbreaking paper on reciprocal altruism in which he speculated about the evolutionary functions of moral sentiments, such as guilt and gratitude. Almost a half century after Trivers’s writings on emotion, sophisticated evolutionary accounts are more common and new empirical findings on the evolutionary functions of emotion appear almost every year (for reviews, see Cosmides and Tooby, Handbook of emotions, Guilford, New York, pp. 91–115, 2000; Ketelaar, Evolutionary psychology, public policy and personal decisions, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, pp. 145–168, 2004, Social psychology and economics. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, pp. 97–116, 2006; Ketelaar and Clore, Personality, emotion, and cognitive science, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 355–396, 1997; Nesse, Understanding depression: a translational approach, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009, pp. 17–36; Nesse and Ellsworth, Am Psychol 64:129–139, 2009; Tooby and Cosmides, Handbook of emotions, Guilford, New York, pp. 114–137, 2008). This chapter provides an historical review of evolutionary thinking on emotion from Charles Darwin and William James to Robert Trivers and Randy Nesse, along with a summary of promising areas of future research into the evolutionary functions of emotion.
An SoS Framework for Improved Collaborative Decision Making

Efficient team decision making has become vital in organizations, dominated by the complex system of systems (SoS). Inefficient decisions can result in significant extra cost and reduction in the overall performance within the organizations. Therefore, SoS success requires an adaptable design that can proactively evaluate and modify decisions in a dynamic process. Improved systems engineering (SE) processes and tools are needed during the systems’ development lifecycle to make decisions, and rapidly evaluate and assess multiple design alternatives to effectively select the architectural design strategies that yield the highest mission performance. This research aims to increase the knowledge of SoS engineering by developing an agent-based model of team collaboration in an operational SoS. The model evaluates and selects the decision(s) for SoS comprised of collaborative teams that result in higher mission performance. The proposed agent-based model was applied to test the team decision-making improvements within the SoS structure of the air transportation domain. The experimental results indicated significant improvements in decision coordination, decision workload, and overall mission performance in the air transportation domain. This research contributes to the agent-based modeling of the SoS teams and can assist with evaluating team decisions and improving decision making as an essential element in the field of SE.
Single mutation at a highly conserved region of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enables thermophilic isobutyl acetate production directly from cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum

ABSTRACT Background Esters are versatile chemicals and potential drop-in biofuels. To develop a sustainable production platform, microbial ester biosynthesis using alcohol acetyltransferases (AATs) has been studied for decades. Volatility of esters endows thermophilic production with advantageous downstream product separation. However, due to the limited thermal stability of AATs known, the ester biosynthesis has largely relied on use of mesophilic microbes. Therefore, developing thermostable AATs is important for thermophilic ester production directly from lignocellulosic biomass by the thermophilic consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) microbes, e.g., Clostridium thermocellum. Results In this study, we engineered a thermostable chloramphenicol acetyltransferase from Staphylococcus aureus (CATSa) for enhanced isobutyl acetate production at elevated temperature. We first analyzed the broad alcohol substrate range of CATSa. Then, we targeted a highly conserved region in the binding pocket of CATSa for mutagenesis. The mutagenesis revealed that F97W significantly increased conversion of isobutanol to isobutyl acetate. Using CATSa F97W, we demonstrated the engineered C. thermocellum could produce isobutyl acetate directly from cellulose. Conclusions This study highlights that CAT is a potential thermostable AAT that can be harnessed to develop the thermophilic CBP microbial platform for biosynthesis of designer bioesters directly from lignocellulosic biomass.
Opioid prescribing and opioid-overdose deaths in Michigan: Urban-rural comparisons and changes across 2013–2017

Abstract Background Opioid-overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions have increased substantially within the past decade, leading to examinations of urban-rural differences for these opioid-related outcomes, and whether annual trends differ by urban-rural status. Most investigations have examined differences using national data, whereas few studies have identified patterns in hard-hit regions. Therefore, we examined urban-rural differences for opioid-related outcomes in Michigan, a state with overdose death and prescribing rates above the national average. Methods This study used county-level public data on opioid prescribing and opioid-overdose death rates in Michigan. Bivariate and joinpoint regression analyses tested for annual differences and annual changes in opioid-related outcomes across 2013–2017. Rural Urban Continuum Codes classified urban-rural county status. Results Bivariate analyses demonstrated that urban counties had consistently higher opioid-overdose death rates than rural, whereas rural counties had consistently higher opioid prescribing rates than urban. Joinpoint regression (2013–2017) revealed opioid-overdose death rates increased in urban (Annual Percent Change = 25.0%, p = .001) and rural counties (Annual Percent Change = 21.7%, p = .002), though no changes for opioid prescribing rates were observed among urban or rural counties. Conclusions Our study highlights nuanced urban-rural patterns in Michigan, a hard-hit state, compared to trends in national data. Both urban and rural counties experienced rising rates of opioid-overdose deaths, and rural counties experienced higher opioid prescribing rates than urban. Though urban counties experienced higher opioid-overdose death rates than rural, the rise in both county types was similar. Future research directions, implications for public health, and healthcare policy recommendations are discussed.
Teaching as a career choice: A case study on the perceptions of emerging teachers

As fewer and fewer students choose teaching as a career, the teaching profession struggles to understand how to recruit more students into the field, and prevent current teachers from leaving. Data shows the need for new teachers will continue to increase (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond and Carver-Thomas (2016), while almost 70% of schools reported at least one unfilled vacancy to begin the 2011-12 school year (Malkus, Hoyer, & Sparks, 2015). Teacher preparation programs are also graduating fewer students into teaching (2016). This qualitative case study investigated the perceptions and beliefs of undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course on teaching. Data from this case study is expected to confirm prior research on the reasons why students choose teaching as a profession, and help teacher preparation programs investigate if students’ perceptions about becoming a teacher have changed. Results from this study support prior research on why students choose to become teachers, but also explores students views on how society views teaching, the continued salary gap with other professions, and the future of teaching.
Comparing the Partnering, Minority Stress, and Depression for Bisexual, Lesbian, and Gay Adults from Religious Upbringings.

Minority stress impacts the mental health of bi+ individuals (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, queer), similar to gay and lesbian individuals. Bi+ individuals may have difficulty accessing social support...
Towards designing strong porous carbon fibers through gel spinning of polymer blends

Abstract Blends of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with three different sacrificial polymers: poly (acrylic acid) (PAA), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly (styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN), were gel spun, oriented through the drawing process, stabilized and carbonized to obtain porous carbon fibers. Carbon fibers with an average pore diameter of 15 nm, 31 nm, 37 nm and 115 nm have been obtained from PAN-PAA (90/10), PAN-PMMA (90/10), PAN-SAN (90/10) and PAN-SAN (80/20) precursor fibers, respectively. The variation in pore size caused by the differences in compatibility between PAN and the sacrificial polymer was evaluated experimentally through blend rheology and theoretically using interaction parameter values. Despite their porosity, carbon fibers from PAN-PAA (90/10) and PAN-PMMA (90/10) exhibited tensile strength (∼1.6 GPa) comparable to that of the non-porous PAN based carbon fibers, processed under similar conditions. Specific tensile modulus of the porous carbon fibers was 15–40% higher than that for the PAN based carbon fibers, and the electrical conductivity was as high as 74 kS/m due to high graphitic ordering. Porous channels presented in this study were obtained by combining phase separation in the nano/micro scale range, with pore orientation and elongation achieved through gel spinning.
Examining an App-Based Mental Health Self-Care Program, IntelliCare for College Students: Single-Arm Pilot Study

Background: In recent years, there has been an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses in college student populations alongside a steady rise in the demand for counseling services. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered through mobile apps, can add to the array of available services but must be tested for usability and acceptability before implementation. Objective: This study aims to examine how students used IntelliCare for College Students over an 8-week period to examine the preliminary associations between app use and psychosocial targets and to gather user feedback about usability issues that need to be remedied before a larger implementation study. Methods: IntelliCare for College Students is an app-based platform that provides symptom assessments with personalized feedback, information about campus resources, lessons on mental health and wellness topics, and access to the suite of interactive skill–focused IntelliCare apps. A total of 20 students were recruited to participate in an 8-week study. To test for a broad range of potential users, we recruited a mixed sample of students with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety and students without elevated symptoms. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Participants also completed user feedback interviews at weeks 4 and 8 in which they provided feedback on their experience using the app and suggestions for changes they would like to be made to the app. Results: Of the 20 students who downloaded the app, 19 completed the study, indicating a high rate of retention. Over the study period, participants completed an average of 5.85 (SD 2.1; range 1-8) symptom assessments. Significant improvements were observed in the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire scores (Z=−2.006; P=.045) and in the frequency with which participants used both cognitive (Z=−2.091; P=.04) and behavioral (Z=−2.249; P=.03) coping skills. In the feedback interviews, we identified a high degree of usability with minor bugs in the app software, which were quickly fixed. Furthermore, in feedback interviews, we identified that users found the app to be convenient and appreciated the ability to use the program in short bursts of time. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the IntelliCare for College Students program was perceived as largely usable and engaging. Although the program demonstrated usability and preliminary benefits to students, further testing is needed to determine its clinical utility among college students. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04035577; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04035577
Contextual Text Coding: A Mixed-methods Approach for Large-scale Textual Data:

With the growing availability of large-scale text-based data sets, there is an increasing need for an accessible and systematic way to analyze qualitative texts. This article introduces and details...
Conclusion: Global Visions of Adolescence

These narratives in this book are characterized in this concluding chapter as global, cross-cultural and cross-temporal (in the evolution of the authors’ perspectives on adolescence over time). The pedagogical philosophies offered by most of the authors are geared toward approaches that will support adolescents’ successful entry into and contribution to society. Adolescents’ sense of themselves is the point of engagement for the authors, while the component that they provide is the students’ connection of themselves to the future. The influence of social media, the sense of integration or marginalization, and developmental experiences are all discussed as themes. More than any technical or instrumental approach to pedagogy, the authors emphasize the relationship as being at the core of education across the four continents represented in this book.
Statistical Mechanical Interpretation of Reversible Mechanical Work, Reversible Heat, and the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Micro-Canonical Ensemble and Entropy, and Sample Problem

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 5 in M&S. First, we will present a statistical mechanical interpretation of the First Law of Thermodynamics for a closed system, where we will identify the role of probability in determining the differential reversible mechanical work done on the system and the differential heat absorbed by the system reversibly. Second, we will introduce and discuss the micro-canonical ensemble where the energy, volume, and number of molecules of every component comprising the system are fixed. We will then present a celebrated result derived by Boltzmann which relates entropy to the extent of disorder in the system, quantified in terms of the number of distinct states that the system can access, consistent with its energy, volume, and number of molecules of each type. Third, we will derive an expression for the entropy in terms of the probabilities of the system being in quantum state j and a related expression in terms of the Canonical partition function. Fourth, we will solve Sample Problem 42.1 to calculate the entropy of a monoatomic gas where every atom is in its ground electronic state. Finally, we will relate the statistical mechanical expression for entropy derived in this lecture to the thermodynamic definition of entropy presented in Part I. As promised, we will also show that β = 1/kBT.
An Impedance-Based Parameters Identification Method for Grid-Connected Inverter

Aiming at the problem of “black/gray box” modeling of renewable energy grid-connected inverters, a method to determine the multi-loop control parameters of grid-connected inverter based on broadband impedance is proposed in this paper. A band-by-band fitting method is adopted to improve the fitting accuracy of different loop control parameters. The influences of steady-state operation points on the impedance characteristics of inverter and the influences of frequency overlap between PLL control and DC bus voltage control are considered, which improves the applicability of parameter fitting. It is helpful to overcome the challenge of accurate modeling caused by “black/gray box” of actual grid-connected inverter control.
Using Structural Equation Modeling to Understand Interactions Between Bacterial and Archaeal Populations and Volatile Fatty Acid Proportions in the Rumen.

Microbial syntrophy (obligate metabolic mutualism) is the hallmark of energy-constrained anaerobic microbial ecosystems. For example, methanogenic archaea and fermenting bacteria coexist by interspecies hydrogen transfer in the complex microbial ecosystem in the foregut of ruminants; however, these synergistic interactions between different microbes in the rumen are seldom investigated. We hypothesized that certain bacteria and archaea interact and form specific microbial cohorts in the rumen. To this end, we examined the total (DNA-based) and potentially metabolically active (cDNA-based) bacterial and archaeal communities in rumen samples of dairy cows collected at different times in a 24 h period. Notably, we found the presence of distinct bacterial and archaeal networks showing potential metabolic interactions that were correlated with molar proportions of specific volatile fatty acids. We employed hypothesis-driven structural equation modeling to test the significance of and to quantify the extent of these relationships between bacteria-archaea-volatile fatty acids in the rumen. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these distinct microbial networks were host-specific and differed between cows indicating a natural variation in specific microbial networks in the rumen of dairy cows. This study provides new insights on potential microbial metabolic interactions in anoxic environments that have broader applications in methane mitigation, energy conservation, and agricultural production.
Good Examples Make A Faster Learner: Simple Demonstration-based Learning for Low-resource NER

Recent advances in prompt-based learning have shown impressive results on few-shot text classification tasks by using cloze-style language prompts. There have been attempts on prompt-based learning for NER which use manually designed templates to predict entity types. However, these two-step methods may suffer from error propagation (from entity span detection), need to prompt for all possible text spans which is costly, and neglect the interdependency when predicting labels for different spans in a sentence. In this paper, we present a simple demonstration-based learning method for NER, which augments the prompt (learning context) with a few task demonstrations. Such demonstrations help the model learn the task better under low-resource settings and allow for span detection and classification over all tokens jointly. Here, we explore entity-oriented demonstration which selects an appropriate entity example per each entity type, and instance-oriented demonstration which retrieves a similar instance example. Through extensive experiments, we find empirically that showing entity example per each entity type, along with its example sentence, can improve the performance both in in-domain and cross-domain settings by 1-3 F1 score.
Molecular Alignment of a Meta-Aramid on Carbon Nanotubes by In-Situ Interfacial Polymerization.

Molecularly organized nanocomposites of polymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have great promise as high-performance materials; in particular, conformal deposition of polymers can control interfacial properties for mechanical load transfer, electrical or thermal transport, or electro/chemical transduction. However, controllability of polymer-CNT interaction remains a challenge with common processing methods that combine CNTs and polymers in melt or in solution, often leading to non-uniform polymer distribution and/or aggregation of CNTs. Here, we demonstrate CNTs within net-shape sheets can be controllably coated with a thin, conformal coating of meta-aramid by simultaneous capillary infiltration and interfacial polymerization. We determine that π interaction between the polymer and CNTs results in chain alignment parallel to the CNT outer wall. Subsequent nucleation and growth of the precipitated aramid forms a smooth continuous layered sheath around the CNTs. These findings motivate future investigation of mechanical and interfacial properties of the resulting CNT composites, and adaptation of the in-situ polymerization method to other substrates.
Evaluating nonpolar surface area and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry response: an application for site occupancy measurements for enzyme intermediates in polyketide biosynthesis

RATIONALE Site occupancy measurements using LC/MS are reported throughout the literature. However, site occupancy quantification suffers from ionization bias between modified and unmodified peptides containing the active site. In this study, we explore the MS signal as a function of nonpolar surface area (NPSA) in order to better understand this bias in electrospray response. The correlation between hydrophobicity and LC/MS response was evaluated and applied to study enzyme intermediates in polyketide synthases.
Fuzzy spatial growing for glioblastoma multiforme segmentation on brain magnetic resonance imaging

Image segmentation is a fundamental technique in medical applications. For example, the extraction of biometrical parameter of tumors is of paramount importance both for clinical practice and for clinical studies that evaluate new brain tumor therapies. Tumor segmentation from brain Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) is a difficult task due to strong signal heterogeneities and weak contrast at the boundary delimitation. In this work we propose a new framework to segment the Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) from brain MRI. The proposed algorithm was constructed based on two well known techniques: Region Growing and Fuzzy C-Means. Furthermore, it considers the intricate nature of the GBM in MRI and incorporates a fuzzy formulation of Region Growing with an automatic initialization of the seed points. We report the performance results of our segmentation framework on brain MRI obtained from patients of the chilean Carlos Van Buren Hospital and we compare the results with Region Growing and the classic Fuzzy C-Means approaches.
Phosphorylation of α-tubulin by protein kinase C stimulates microtubule dynamics in human breast cells

Protein kinase C (PKC) engenders motility through phosphorylation of α-tubulin at Ser-165 in nontransformed MCF-10A cells. Live cell imaging explored the impact of PKC-mediated phosphorylation on microtubule (MT) dynamics. MTs fluorescently labeled with GFP-α-tubulin were treated with diacylglycerol (DAG)-lactone (a membrane-permeable PKC activator), or cotransfected with a pseudophosphorylated S165D-α6-tubulin mutant. Each condition increased the dynamicity of MTs by stimulating the rate and duration of the growth phase and decreasing the frequency of catastrophe. In MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cells where the intrinsic PKC activity is high, these MT growth parameters were also high but could be suppressed by expression of phosphorylation-resistant S165N-α6-tubulin or by treatment with a pan-PKC inhibitor (bis-indoleylmaleimide). Subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence of MCF-10A cells showed that phosphorylation (via DAG-lactone) or pseudophosphorylation of α6-tubulin increased its partitioning into MTs as compared to controls, and produced longer, more stable MTs. Following expression of the plus-end binding protein GFP-EB1, DAG-lactone accelerated the formation and increased the number of nascent MTs. Expression of S165D-α6-tubulin promoted Rac1 activation and Rac1-dependent cell motility. These findings call attention to PKC-mediated phosphorylation of α-tubulin as a novel mechanism for controlling the dynamics of MTs that result in cell movement.
Limits of J-T Characterization of Elastic—Plastic Crack—Tip Fields

Plane strain elastic-plastic analyses were performed on a variety of 2-D planar cracked geometries and loading conditions, based on a small strain formulation and deformation theory plasticity (termed finite boundary (FB)analysis hereafter). For the majority of the cases analyzed, the crack tip fields in the mechanistically significant region around the crack tip agreed well with those of the corresponding modified boundary layer (MBL) solutions for load levels up to large scale yielding. The crack-tip fields in the MBL solutions were normalized using the elastic-plastic J values and the elastically-scaled T-stress values of the corresponding FB specimens. However, good agreement could be obtained with (J, T) only up to moderate scale yielding for a center-cracked tension (CCT) geometry. At large scale yielding, the MBL solution based on the elastically-scaled T-stress could not capture the effects of crack tip stress and strain redistribution in the CCT. An alternative method was proposed to calculate the T-stress using weight functions and the elastic-plastic remote stress field of the CCT (termed effective T-stress). Incorporating the effective T-stress into the MBL solutions, good agreement in both stress and strain fields was obtained between the MBL solution and the FB CCT solution at load levels up to general yielding. To demonstrate the limits of two-parameter characterizations in accurately describing elastic-plastic crack-tip fields, a three-point-bend specimen was analyzed for load levels up to large plasticity. It is shown that although Q-values could be operationally defined at large plasticity, in general, no complete, consistent, two-parameter description was forthcoming to accurately describe the crack-tip stress and strain fields beyond certain limits. The inherent limits of two-parameter characterization of elastic-plastic crack tip fields should be recognized, analogous to those of one-parameter (J) characterization. A locus of two-parameter (J, T) characterization limits is proposed based on the crack-tip stress fields of the geometry and loading configurations analyzed. The J-T based two-parameter approach is shown to greatly extend the validity domain of fracture mechanics analysis for specimens with negative T-stress.
The "invention" of lesbian acts in Iran: interpretative moves, hidden assumptions, and emerging categories of sexuality.

This article describes and explains the current official status of lesbianism in Iran. Our central question is why the installation of an Islamic government in Iran resulted in extreme regulations of sexuality. The authors argue that rather than a clear adoption of “Islamic teaching on lesbianism,” the current regime of sexuality was “invented” through a series of interpretative moves, adoption of hidden assumptions, and creation of sexual categories. This article is organized into two sections. The first sets the scene of official sexuality in Iran through a summary of (1) the sections of the Iranian Penal code dealing with same-sex acts and (2) government support for sexual reassignment surgeries. The second section traces the “invention” of a dominant post-revolutionary Iranian view of Islam and sexuality through identifying a number of specific interpretive moves this view builds on.
Monensin is obligatory for the cytotoxic action of a disulfide linked methotrexate-anti-transferrin receptor conjugate.

Abstract Methotrexate (MTX) in the form of a γ-cysteinylglycine derivative was disulfide linked to a monoclonal antibody reactive with the human transferrin receptor to give an antibody-MTX conjugate (anti-TfR-MTX). Antibody directed delivery of MTX to cell surface receptors was readily detected by flow cytometry using an anti-MTX antibody plus a secondary fluorescent antibody probe. Despite the presence of ample drug on the cell membrane, the conjugate alone was not cytotoxic over the course of several days. Expression of specific toxic activity, however, was obtained in conjunction with the carboxylic ionophore monensin, in whose presence anti-TfR-MTX displayed an IC50 of 8×10−8 M. These results suggest that the ionophore causes antibody-drug conjugate to bypass the normal transferrin receptor cyclic pathway, allowing sufficient drug to reach, bind to, and inactivate intracellular dihydrofolate reductase.
Position effects in comparative judgments of serial order: List structure vs. differential strength

Two experiments are reported that test the hypothesis that the serial position effect in comparative judgment of ordinal position in arbitrary serial lists results from differential memory or associative strength among list items. The serial position effect in comparative judgment is typically a pattern in which pairs that contain a term from one of the two extremes of the list are processed faster and more accurately than pairs that contain no end terms. The experiments show that a new term added to either the end or the middle of a well-practiced fourterm series behaves almost immediately like the end or central term, respectively, of a well-practiced five-term series. Furthermore, when the added term is removed, the list reverts immediately to the position effect obtained in a four-term series. Theories that explain the position effect by differential build-up of item strength or of interitem associative strength over practice cannot explain these effects. We propose instead that learning of a serial list is accomplished by assigning list members to positions in a general-purpose linear order schema and that subjects can make these assignments rapidly and flexibly.
Flare location on the solar disk: Modeling the thermosphere and ionosphere response

[1] Solar flare enhancements to the soft X-ray (XUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiance depend on the location of the flare on the solar disk. Most emission lines in the XUV region (∼0.1 to ∼25 nm) are optically thin and are weakly dependent on the location of the flare, but in the EUV region (∼25 to ∼120 nm), many important lines and continua are optically thick, so enhancements are relatively smaller for flares located near the solar limb, due to absorption by the solar atmosphere. The flare irradiance spectral model (FISM) was used to illustrate these location effects, assuming two X17 flares that are identical except that one occurs near disk center and the other near the limb. FISM spectra of these two flares were used as solar input to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM) to investigate the ionosphere/thermosphere (I/T) response. Model simulations showed that in the E region ionosphere, where XUV dominates ionization, flare location does not affect I/T response. However, flare-driven changes in the F region ionosphere, total electron content (TEC), and neutral density in the upper thermosphere, are 2–3 times stronger for a disk-center flare than for a limb flare, due to the importance of EUV enhancement. Flare location did not affect the timing of the ionospheric response, but the thermospheric response was ∼20 min faster for the disk-center flare. Model simulations of I/T responses to an X17 flare on 28 October 2003 were consistent with measurements of TEC and neutral density changes.
Regulation Of Switching Of Membrane Organelles Between Cytoskeletal Transport Systems In Melanophores

Intracellular transport is driven by organelle-bound molecular motors that move cargo organelles along microtubules (MTs; motors of kinesin and dynein families) or actin filaments (AFs; myosin family motors). While transport along each cytoskeletal track type is well characterized, switching between the two types of transport is poorly understood. Here we used a combination of particle tracking and computational modeling approaches to measure parameters that determine how fast membrane organelles switch back and forth between MTs and AFs, and compare these parameters in different signaling states. As a model system we used melanophores, which aggregate thousands of membrane-bounded melanosomes in the cell center or redisperse them throughout the cytoplasm. Dispersion involves successive transport of melanosomes along the radial MTs and randomly arranged AFs. For aggregation, melanosomes that are transported along AFs transfer back onto MTs for movement to the MT minus ends clustered in the cell center. We performed tracking of individual pigment granules moving along MTs or AFs, determined major movement parameters (velocities and durations of runs to the plus or minus ends of MTs, and along AFs) using the Multiscale Trend Analysis, and incorporated them into a computational model for pigment transport. Comparison of the results of computational simulations of pigment distribution along the cell radius with experimentally obtained changes of pigment levels showed that regulation involves a single parameter: the transferring rate from AFs to MTs. This result suggests that MT transport is the defining factor whose regulation determines the choice of the cytoskeletal tracks during the transport of membrane organelles.