cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking Dynamic Habitat Selection with Wading Bird Foraging Distributions across Resource Gradients.

Species distribution models (SDM) link species occurrence with a suite of environmental predictors and provide an estimate of habitat quality when the variable set captures the biological requirements of the species. SDMs are inherently more complex when they include components of a species’ ecology such as conspecific attraction and behavioral flexibility to exploit resources that vary across time and space. Wading birds are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality; thus serving as important indicator species for wetland systems. We developed a spatio-temporal, multi-SDM framework using Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) distributions over a decadal gradient of environmental conditions to predict species-specific abundance across space and locations used on the landscape over time. In models of temporal dynamics, species demonstrated conditional preferences for resources based on resource levels linked to differing temporal scales. Wading bird abundance was highest when prey production from optimal periods of inundation was concentrated in shallow depths. Similar responses were observed in models predicting locations used over time, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Species clustered in response to differing habitat conditions, indicating that social attraction can co-vary with foraging strategy, water-level changes, and habitat quality. This modeling framework can be applied to evaluate the multi-annual resource pulses occurring in real-time, climate change scenarios, or restorative hydrological regimes by tracking changing seasonal and annual distribution and abundance of high quality foraging patches.
On human performance in telerobotics

Experimental attempts to build teleoperated master-slave robot arm manipulators revealed that a human operator has difficulty in interpreting input information (coming, e.g. directly via visual tract or from fixed or moving TV monitors at the scene), and consequently in teleoperation decision making. The problem becomes more pronounced when the slave arm has to operate in a complex environment where every point of the arm body is subject to potential collision. Results are presented of experimental tests with human operators that trace the source of the difficulty to the limitations in human abilities for space orientation and interpretation of geometrical data, and a solution that capitalizes on recent developments in sensor-based motion planning for whole-sensitive robot arms is proposed. The result would be a hybrid system in which global planning is done by a human operator, whereas local collision-free motion is controlled by an assisting autopilot. >
Toward internet-wide multipath routing

The Internet would be more efficient and robust if routers could flexibly divide traffic over multiple paths. Often, having one or two extra paths is sufficient for customizing paths for different applications, improving security, reacting to failures, and balancing load. However, support for Internet-wide multipath routing faces two significant barriers. First, multipath routing could impose significant computational and storage overhead in a network the size of the Internet. Second, the independent networks that comprise the Internet will not relinquish control over the flow of traffic without appropriate incentives. In this article, we survey flexible multipath routing techniques that are both scalable and incentive compatible. Techniques covered include: multihoming, tagging, tunneling, and extensions to existing Internet routing protocols.
ASER Analysis of Cooperative Non-Regenerative Relay Systems over Generalized Fading Channels

In this article, we present a novel moment generating function (MGF) approach for performance evaluation of twohops cooperative non-regenerative multi-relay networks over a myriad of stochastic channel models. First, we develop very tight exponential approximations for the erfc(.) and erfc2(.) functions which will facilitate the development of a unified closed-form expression for the average symbol error rate (ASER) of a wide range of digital modulation schemes over generalized fading channels (with and without cooperative diversity). Next, we derive a new "asymptotic" approximation for the MGF of signalto noise ratio (SNR) of a two-hops relayed path in cooperative amplify-and-forward (CAF) diversity systems, which closely approximates its "exact" MGF. Combining these two techniques allows us to dramatically reduce the computational complexity for ASER of CAF multi-relay networks that have been treated in the literature for specific fading environments, besides providing accurate ASER estimates for CAF relay networks in many fading environments that heretofore had resisted a simple solution. Moreover, our final expression for the MGF of end-to-end SNR is expressed in closed-form, which is a desirable attribute for system-level performance analysis and optimization such as optimal power assignment among cooperative relay nodes, ergodic capacity analysis with adaptive transmission policies, outage probability, joint PHY/MAC layer design, and so on. The accuracies of our approximations have been validated with "exact" closed-form formulas that are available for specific wireless fading environments (e.g., Rayleigh and Nakagami-m channels) and via Monte Carlo computer simulations.
Factors affecting food poverty in Ghana

Household production theory is applied to the Ghana Household Budget Survey data to: (1) identify the main determinants of food poverty: and (2) determine the net contribution of children to household food availability. Results suggest income, fertility and maturity indices, age, sex, and education significantly explain household calorie gaps. Hypothesis test results (at one per cent and five per cent) suggest the contribution of children to household food availability is less than their caloric intake. Estimated non‐linear equations permit the prediction and monitoring of the calorie gap for a given household or set of households with given household income and demographic features in a given location.
Gene Regulation and Functional Alterations Induced by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Encoded ORFK13/vFLIP in Endothelial Cells

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8) is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and a subset of multicentric Castleman's diseases. KS typically presents as a multicentric angioproliferative tumor characterized by multiple nodular or macular lesions often on the skin, and less frequently in the gastrointestinal tract and the lung. Histologically, the lesions consist of spindle cells infected with KSHV, inflammatory infiltrates of monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes and other cells, and “vascular slits” replete of red blood cells (8). KS spindle cells are likely to be of endothelial lineage (19). In KS tissues, KSHV establishes a mostly latent infection characterized by expression of a limited number of viral genes that are likely important to the disease pathogenesis (30). ORFK13 is one such KSHV latent gene. Its gene product, called vFLIP (for viral Flice-like inhibitory protein) or K-FLIP, comprises two tandem death-effector domains that are often found in apoptotic signaling mediators such as cellular FLICE inhibitory protein (cFLIP) and caspase-8/FLICE. Consistent with its sequence similarity with cFLIP, vFLIP was found to inhibit caspase activation and prevent apoptotic cell death (39). Silencing ORFK13/vFLIP expression by RNA interference stopped PEL growth in vitro and in vivo, providing evidence of the essential role of K13/vFLIP in PEL pathogenesis (16). Transgenic mice of K13/vFLIP in lymphoid cells developed more lymphomas than controls (11). Similar to the viral proteins of many other lymphogenic viruses, K13/vFLIP activates NF-κB (1, 10, 25, 27, 42). By activating NF-κB and inhibiting the AP-1 pathway, K13/vFLIP was recently reported to promote viral latency (49). Recent studies have characterized selected effects of K13/vFLIP expression in primary endothelial cells transduced with ORFK13/vFLIP (15, 20, 29), providing important insights into its function. Here, we broadly investigated K13/vFLIP function in endothelial cells. By establishing stable retrovirus-mediated transduction of ORFK13/vFLIP in primary human endothelial cells, we have extensively characterized the biochemical and functional consequences of K13/vFLIP expression in these cells.
A Secure Self-Organizing Sensor Network

In this paper we discuss a scheme that allows sensor networks to operate securely and efficiently. In this scheme after deployment the sensors go through a self-organization phase when they establish a communication pattern among themselves; then they follow this pattern through multiple activity phases when they collect, process, and transmit information. The algorithm for self-organization assumes anonymous sensors and random times of the communication events, as well as random communication frequencies; the sensors use random number generators and a set of shared seeds so no external entity can either join in, or predict the time when the sensors in the set will transmit and attempt to interfere with the transmissions. The scheme extends the lifetime of the network by reducing the power consumption; it minimizes the number of collisions experienced by a sensor when it transmits and maximizes the time a sensor is either idle or dedicated to monitoring and/or internal data processing.
Selenate reductase activity in Escherichia coli requires Isc iron–sulfur cluster biosynthesis genes

The selenate reductase in Escherichia coli is a multi-subunit enzyme predicted to bind Fe-S clusters. In this study, we examined the iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis genes that are required for selenate reductase activity. Mutants devoid of either the iscU or hscB gene in the Isc iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis pathway lost the ability to reduce selenate. Genetic complementation by the wild-type sequences restored selenate reductase activity. The results indicate the Isc biosynthetic system plays a key role in selenate reductase Fe-S cofactor assembly and is essential for enzyme activity.
PEDIATRIC THYROID CANCER

A review was undertaken of the clinical, gross, and microscopic features of thyroid carcinoma in all patients younger than 21 years of age seen at North Carolina Memorial Hospital from 1952 to 1987 (N = 32). These patients had papillary carcinoma, well-differentiated follicular carcinoma with Hurthle cell change, medullary carcinoma, and an unclassifiable aggressive malignancy. In spite of the presence of lymph node metastases at diagnosis in more half the patients with papillary carcinoma, the prognosis of pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma appears to be excellent with treatment by surgical debulking and hormonal thyroid suppression. Flow cytometric study of 26 cases showed tumor aneuploidy in 8 of 21 papillary carcinomas and 2 of 3 follicular carcinomas. Aneuploidy did not, however, correlate with clinical outcome in this group of pediatric patients, who were followed for 1 to 29 years. Analysis of multiple tissue blocks of tumor does appear to increase the probability of identifying aneuploid populations.
An Analytical Framework for Quadrilateral Surface Mesh Improvement with an Underlying Triangulated Surface Definition

Surface mesh quality plays a very important role in the solution accuracy and in the quality of the ensuing volumetric mesh. Amongst the techniques available, optimization based methods are commonly used for mesh quality improvement. Optimization methods for volumetric and planar surface mesh quality improvement are very well researched. However, this is not true for non-planar meshes. In this manuscript, we focus on quadrilateral non-planar surface meshes obtained during hexahedral mesh generation of anatomic structures. A modified untangling function based on node normals for quadrilateral elements is proposed. A parameterization-based method available is enhanced by giving it an analytical framework. A new projection-based method is proposed and its performance is comparable to the parametric method. The results of the enhanced/proposed methods are superior to the results obtained from Laplacian smoothing.
Tunnel formation by Reticulitermes flavipes and Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in response to wood in sand.

The tunneling responses of two subterranean termite species, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), to the presence of sound wood in laboratory arenas were studied. Branching pattern and the speed of tunnel construction between R. flavipes and C. formosanus also were compared. Patlak’s residence index (ρ) was generated using the length, width, speed of construction, and area of the primary tunnels built by termites. In the same allotted time, C. formosanus built wider and shorter primary tunnels, whereas R. flavipes built thinner and longer primary tunnels. The presence of wood did not affect termite tunnel formation. This lack of variation in tunnel formation parameters was evidenced by the inability of the termites to locate wood sources over distance, even as short as 2.5 mm, and by the similar tunneling behaviors in areas of the arena with or without wood. Patlak’s model predicted the densities of tunnels with an error between 9 and 28%, in experiments with R. flavipes exposed to a range of 0–8,000 g of wood, and between 61 and 87% in experiments with C. formosanus. These results indicated that the residence index can provide a qualitative measure of the effect of habitat heterogeneity on the individual termite tunnels. The tunneling construction strategy of these subterranean termites is discussed.
MORPHOLOGY AND DIAGENESIS OF DIMORPHOSIPHON TALBOTORUM N. SP., AN ORDOVICIAN SKELETON-BUILDING ALGA (CHLOROPHYTA: DIMORPHOSIPHONACEAE)

Abstract Dimorphosiphon talbotorum n. sp. from the Upper Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite of Wyoming is an ancient representative of the erect skeleton-building green algae. Circumstantial evidence indicates that the original skeletal material was aragonite. If so, D. talbotorum and its Ordovician relatives in eastern North America, Europe, and Kazakhstan are reminders that even morphologically simple aragonite producers could thrive during one of Earth's “calcite sea” intervals. Unlike previously described Ordovician members of its family, the new species is represented by selectively silicified thalli showing three-dimensional details of internal tubes and a highly variable external form. It differs from a similar taxon, D. rectangulare, in having branched as well as unbranched thalli and in morphology of radial tubes. The new species is the first thoroughly documented record of Dimorphosiphon in western North America. Its stratigraphic position in the Richmondian part of the Bighorn Dolomite correlates with...
Growth of Salmonella enteritidis in yolk of shell eggs from normal and seropositive hens.

The growth of Salmonella enteritidis inoculated into the yolks of shell eggs from normal and seropositive hens was determined at various temperatures. All eggs were inoculated with approximately 1 colony-forming unit (CFU)/g of yolk. In eggs from normal hens, the organism multiplied with a generation time of 25 min, reaching a density of about 108 CFU/g in 12 h at 37°C. A generation time of 3.5 h was observed in eggs incubated at 15.5°C, a temperature frequently used for commercial storage of eggs. Cell density of >107 CFU/g was reached in 4 d at 15.5°C. No multiplication was observed in eggs incubated at 7°C for 94 d. When inoculated eggs from seropositive birds were incubated at 37°C, the organism multiplied with a generation time of 35 min, reaching a cell density of >106 CFU/g in 12 h. Raw egg white was detrimental to cells, reducing cell viability 50% in 4 h at 37°C. The limulus amoebocyte lysate test gave a positive reaction with whole liquid egg containing <103 CFU/g. A protocol is suggested for possible application of this test in epidemiological studies that screen grade A shell eggs for Salmonella contamination.
Parametrized neurocontrollers

Neural network controllers developed with existing approaches are optimized for specific process models and control criteria. The neural networks must be individually trained for different processes and retrained for process variations and changes in control objectives. The concept of "parametrized neurocontrollers" (PNCs)-neurocontrollers with inputs that are used to adjust control system performance and to provide information about the process dynamics - is introduced. PNCs are optimized in simulation over spaces of process models and performance criteria; application-specific training is not needed. The authors discuss neurocontrollers can be optimized for robust performance to be, by design, relatively intolerant of process/model mismatch. A simple illustration of PNC concept is described. >
Why is residual neuromuscular blockade a universal issue

Residual neuromuscular blockade (rNMB) has been a problem plaguing anesthesiologists with over 200 articles published on the subject. In this issue of CMRO, Yu et al.1 examined the incidence of rNM...
Spin accommodation and reactivity of silver clusters with oxygen: the enhanced stability of Ag13(-).

Spin accommodation is demonstrated to play a determining role in the reactivity of silver cluster anions with oxygen. Odd-electron silver clusters are found to be especially reactive, while the anionic 13-atom cluster exhibits unexpected stability against reactivity with oxygen. Theoretical studies show that the odd–even selective behavior is correlated with the excitation needed to activate the O–O bond in O2. Furthermore, by comparison with the reactivity of proximate even-electron clusters, we demonstrate that the inactivity of Ag13– is associated with its large spin excitation energy, ascribed to a crystal-field-like splitting of the orbitals caused by the bilayer atomic structure, which induces a large gap despite not having a magic number of valence electrons.
Structure-Based Design of Reactive Nucleosides for Site-Specific Modification of the A2A Adenosine Receptor

Adenosine receptors (ARs) are members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily and have shown much promise as therapeutic targets. We have used an agonist-bound A2AAR X-ray crystallographic structure to design a chemically reactive agonist for site-specific chemical modification of the receptor. To further explore and chemically engineer its binding cavity, a 2-nitrophenyl active ester was attached through an elongated chain at adenine C2 position. This general structure was designed for irreversible transfer of a terminal acyl group to a nucleophilic amino group on the A2AAR. Preincubation with several O-acyl derivatives prevented radioligand binding that was not regenerated upon extensive washing. In silico receptor docking suggested two lysine residues (second extracellular loop) as potential target sites for an O-acetyl derivative (MRS5854, 3a), and site-directed mutagenesis indicated that K153 but not K150 is essential. Similarly, a butyl azide for click reaction was incorporated in the a...
Discussion: On “On Talwani's Errors in the total Bouguer reduction” (T. R. LaFehr, Geophysics, 63, 4, 1131-1136)

I welcome LaFehr's interest in my short note (LaFehr, 1998). However, I believe that some of the points that he has raised may be confusing to some readers, and a clarification may be in order.
19 F(d, p) 20 F and the Nuclear Structure of 20 F

The reaction $^{19}\mathrm{F}(d, p)^{20}\mathrm{F}$ has been studied with 16-MeV deuterons. Outgoing protons were detected in photographic emulsions in a magnetic spectrograph. Spectroscopic factors were extracted and combined with previous information and compared with results of shell-model calculations performed in a complete $\mathrm{sd}$-shell basis. Of the previously known 25 states below ${E}_{x}=4.5$ MeV, angular distributions measured at 14 angles were obtained for all but the 5 at ${E}_{x}=1.824, 2.871, 3.761, 4.20, \mathrm{and} 4.21$ MeV. Strong stripping angular distributions were observed for 10 states-6 dominated by $l=2, \mathrm{and} 4$ by $l=0$. These 10 states agree reasonably well in position and strength with the 10 lowest shell-model states predicted to have appreciable amounts of the configuration [$^{19}\mathrm{F}(\mathrm{g}.\mathrm{s}.)\ensuremath{\bigotimes}1{d}_{\frac{5}{2}} or 2{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ neutron)].
Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being An Observational Study

Poor mood and elevated anxiety are linked to increased incidence of disease. This study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, on mood, anxiety, pain, and spiritual well-being. Sixty-two women and men (mean age 49.7 years) participated. As compared with pre-meditation, following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood (all Ps <.001). Additionally, participants who were previously naive to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with participants experienced in this meditation ( P < .001). Feeling of spiritual well-being significantly increased across all participants ( P < .001). Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. This meditation type may be especially useful in decreasing tension in individuals who have not previously practiced this form of meditation.
Threat-related amygdala activity is associated with peripheral CRP concentrations in men but not women

Increased levels of peripheral inflammatory markers, including C-Reactive Protein (CRP), are associated with increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidality. The brain mechanisms that may underlie the association between peripheral inflammation and internalizing problems remain to be determined. The present study examines associations between peripheral CRP concentrations and threat-related amygdala activity, a neural biomarker of depression and anxiety risk, in a sample of 172 young adult undergraduate students. Participants underwent functional MRI scanning while performing an emotional face matching task to obtain a measure of threat-related amygdala activity to angry and fearful faces; CRP concentrations were assayed from dried blood spots. Results indicated a significant interaction between CRP and sex: in men, but not women, higher CRP was associated with higher threat-related amygdala activity. These results add to the literature finding associations between systemic levels of inflammation and brain function and suggest that threat-related amygdala activity may serve as a potential pathway through which heightened chronic inflammation may increase risk for mood and anxiety problems.
Tel arbre, tel fruit: the Tristan as 'tragodía'

It would seem that at the very core of tragedy one finds the fatal twins of death and resurrection. We suggest that any definition of tragedy that does not take this 'sine qua non' into account is missing the mark. And that includes Aristotle's definition which, like others after him, tends to describe the outer trappings of tragedy, although the purgation of pity and fear implies a type of metaphorical death out of which the spectator arises anew.The concerns, albeit legitimate, with 'peripetia', 'anagnorisis', and 'hamartia' really do not go to the heart of the matter, it seems to us.
Elongation affinity, activation barrier, and stability of Aβ42 oligomers/fibrils in physiological saline.

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, Aβ40 and the more neurotoxic Aβ42, have been the subject of many research efforts for Alzheimer's disease. In two recent independent investigations, the atomistic structure of Aβ42 fibril has been clearly established in the S-shaped conformation consisting of three β-sheets stabilized by salt bridges formed between the Lys28 sidechain and the C-terminus of Ala42. This structure distinctively differs from the long-known structure of Aβ40 in the β-hairpin shaped conformation consisting of two β-sheets. Recent in silico investigations based on all-atom models have reached closer agreement with the in vitro measurements of Aβ40 thermodynamics. In this study, we present an in silico investigation of Aβ42 thermodynamics. Using the established force field parameters in seven sets of all-atom simulations, we examined the stability of small Aβ42 oligomers in physiological saline. We computed the elongation affinity of the S-shaped Aβ42 fibril, reaching agreement with the experimental data. We also estimated the Arrhenius activation barrier along the elongation pathway (from the disordered conformation of a free Aβ42 peptide to its S-shaped conformation on a fibril) that amounts to about 16 kcal/mol, which is consistent with the experimental data. Based on these quantitative agreements, we conclude that aggregation of Aβ42 peptides into fibrils is thermodynamically slow without precipitation by extrinsic factors such as heparan sulfate proteoglycan and highlight the possibility to prevent Aβ42 aggregation by eliminating some precipitation factors or by increasing competitive agents to capture and transport free Aβ42 peptides from the cerebrospinal fluid.
Expression of Carbonic Anhydrases I and II in Mouse Erythropoiesis

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is the second most abundant protein in red blood cells, where it exists in two isozymic forms, CA I and CA II. CA I is found in a limited number of tissues besides red blood cells, including intestinal epithelium, vascular endothelium, corneal epithelium, and lens of the eye. CA II, though most abundant in red blood cells, is found in a wide variety of cells and tissues. The ratio of these two isozymes in red blood cells varies from species to species; the ratios of CA I to CA II are 6:1 in humans, 27:1 in orangutans, 2.6:1 in macaques, and 1:2 in mice. However, CA II is considerably more active than CA I; thus, the physiological significance of CA I is uncertain, since there exists CA I deficiency in red blood cells of macaques and humans with no observable effect.
SMAD4 Loss Is Associated with Cetuximab Resistance and Induction of MAPK/JNK Activation in Head and Neck Cancer Cells

Purpose: We previously demonstrated an association between decreased SMAD4 expression and cetuximab resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to further elucidate the clinical relevance of SMAD4 loss in HNSCC.Experimental Design: SMAD4 expression was assessed by IHC in 130 newly diagnosed and 43 patients with recurrent HNSCC. Correlative statistical analysis with clinicopathologic data was also performed. OncoFinder, a bioinformatics tool, was used to analyze molecular signaling in TCGA tumors with low or high SMAD4 mRNA levels. The role of SMAD4 was investigated by shRNA knockdown and gene reconstitution of HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines in vitro and in vivoResults: Our analysis revealed that SMAD4 loss was associated with an aggressive, HPV-negative, cetuximab-resistant phenotype. We found a signature of prosurvival and antiapoptotic pathways that were commonly dysregulated in SMAD4-low cases derived from TCGA-HNSCC dataset and an independent oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cohort obtained from GEO. We show that SMAD4 depletion in an HNSCC cell line induces cetuximab resistance and results in worse survival in an orthotopic mouse model in vivo We implicate JNK and MAPK activation as mediators of cetuximab resistance and provide the foundation for the concomitant EGFR and JNK/MAPK inhibition as a potential strategy for overcoming cetuximab resistance in HNSCCs with SMAD4 loss.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that loss of SMAD4 expression is a signature characterizing the cetuximab-resistant phenotype and suggests that SMAD4 expression may be a determinant of sensitivity/resistance to EGFR/MAPK or EGFR/JNK inhibition in HPV-negative HNSCC tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 23(17); 5162-75. ©2017 AACR.
The relationship of increasing age, obesity, and comorbidities in uterine cancer survivors.

e16551 Background: Age and obesity are both associated with mortality after a diagnosis of uterine cancer. Women with uterine cancer are likely to have multiple comorbidities and are as likely to d...
A Bayesian approach for analyzing zero-inflated clustered count data with dispersion

In practice, count data may exhibit varying dispersion patterns and excessive zero values; additionally, they may appear in groups or clusters sharing a common source of variation. We present a novel Bayesian approach for analyzing such data. To model these features, we combine the Conway-Maxwell-Poisson distribution, which allows both overdispersion and underdispersion, with a hurdle component for the zeros and random effects for clustering. We propose an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme to obtain posterior inference from our model. Through simulation studies, we compare our hurdle Conway-Maxwell-Poisson model with a hurdle Poisson model to demonstrate the effectiveness of our Conway-Maxwell-Poisson approach. Furthermore, we apply our model to analyze an illustrative dataset containing information on the number and types of carious lesions on each tooth in a population of 9-year-olds from the Iowa Fluoride Study, which is an ongoing longitudinal study on a cohort of Iowa children that began in 1991.
Catholic School Faculty as an Adult Learning Community: A Model for Children

Educational leaders have historically expressed belief in the importance of teacher development. They have, however, largely failed to view professional development activity as a process that lies at the very heart of efforts to create a community of learners. This article reviews the author’s experiences with a Catholic elementary school faculty as that faculty journeyed toward becoming a learning community characterized by sustained inquiry, collective problem solving, and shared decision making. Implications for practice are considered.
The Case of Sarah

Sarah was brought to the university hospital in Jerusalem suffering from various ailments related to her advanced age and generally weakened condition. She died several days later, unaware of the conflicts that surrounded her death. She was unaware of the decisions that had to be made, the conflicts over the nature of suffering and the importance of the quality of her life that would be involved in the decisions over how to care for her in her last days and hours. Instead, she quietly passed away, unable to convey to those making the decisions her final wishes and desires. That task was left to her eldest daughter, who would continue to ponder these questions long after her mother had passed away.
Who Fought the Algerian War? Political Identity and Conflict in French-Ruled Algeria

Why did settlers, natives, and metropolitan agents fight each other as “French” and “Algerian” during the famously brutal Algerian War of the 1950s? While scholars identify key factors in launching and escalating the war, they take for granted that it was fought between “the French” and “the Algerians” when evidence shows that those terms were also a source of struggle among the parties involved in the war. Drawing on insights from the fields of colonial studies and collective action, along with archival sources, the article explains why this particular set of terms framed the war, in other words, why the categories “French” and “Algerian” predominated in the political discourse, and why they were so opposed to each other. It contends that punctuated political conflicts among state authorities and social-movement organizations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rather than indigenous cultural or social structural factors, played a key role in constructing this identity framework. The article concludes by challenging our basic definitions of the war and the prevailing theories about its course and outcomes.
The Impact of Distance Between Displays on Visual Scanning in the Laparoscopic Training Environment: The Role of Effort:

The laparoscopic environment induces high attentional demands on operators due to the perceptual-motor distortions inherent in this environment. Further, successful surgical outcomes necessitate su...
Radioactive seed vs wire localization for nonpalpable breast lesions: A single institution review.

The aim of this study was to compare wire localization (WL) and radioactive seed localization (RSL) for nonpalpable breast lesions with regard to margin status, re-excision rate, procedure length, and complications related to localization. A retrospective review of the electronic health records at a single institution was performed. There was no difference in re-excision rate, margin positivity, volume of tissue removed, and complication rate for RSL vs WL (P = 0.9934, P = 0.9934, P = 0.6645, and P = 0.4716 respectively). The only difference was a longer OR time, RSL = 104.408 minutes vs WL = 82.386 minutes. (P = 0.0163). RSL and WL are comparable techniques for localization of nonpalpable breast lesions.
Mortality for circulatory and respiratory causes associated with influenza circulation in Russia during the 2013/14 through the 2018/19 seasons

Background: Information on influenza-associated mortality in Russia is limited. Methods: Using previously developed methodology (Goldstein et al., Epidemiology 2012), we regressed the monthly rates of mortality for respiratory causes, as well as circulatory causes linearly against the monthly proxies for the incidence of influenza A/H3N2, A/H1N1 and B (obtained using data from the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza (RII)), adjusting for the baseline rates of mortality not associated with influenza circulation and temporal trends. Results: For the 2013/14 through the 2018/19 seasons, influenza circulation was associated with an average annual 17636 (95% CI (9482,25790)) deaths for circulatory causes and 4179 (3250,5109) deaths for respiratory causes, with the largest number of deaths (32298 (18071,46525) for circulatory causes and 6689 (5019,8359) for respiratory causes) estimated during the 2014/15 influenza season. The biggest contributor to both circulatory and respiratory influenza-associated deaths was influenza A/H3N2, followed by influenza B and A/H1N1. Compared to the 2013/14 through the 2015/16 seasons, during the 2016/17 through the 2018/19 seasons (when levels of influenza vaccination were significantly higher), the number of influenza-associated deaths declined by about 16.1%, or 3809 annual respiratory and circulatory deaths. Conclusions: Influenza circulation is associated with a substantial mortality burden in Russia, particularly for circulatory deaths, with some reduction observed following the major increase in vaccination coverage. Those results support the potential utility of further extending the levels of influenza vaccination, the use of quadrivalent influenza vaccines, and extra efforts for protecting individuals with circulatory disease in Russia, including vaccination and the use of antiviral medications.
Human Geography, Indigenous Mapping, and the US Military: A Response to Kelly and Others’ “From Cognitive Maps to Transparent Static Web Maps”

In 2017, Cartographica published an article that criticized some human geographers for misguided oversensitivity to the use of funding from the US military to map indigenous lands. According to Kel...
Oncogenic ERG Represses PI3K Signaling through Downregulation of IRS2

Genomic rearrangements leading to the aberrant expression of ERG are the most common early events in prostate cancer and are significantly enriched for the concomitant loss of PTEN. Genetically engineered mouse models reveal that ERG overexpression alone is not sufficient to induce tumorigenesis, but combined loss of PTEN results in an aggressive invasive phenotype. Here, we show that oncogenic ERG repressed PI3K signaling through direct transcriptional suppression of IRS2, leading to reduced RTK levels and activity. In accordance with this finding, ERG-positive human prostate cancers had a repressed AKT gene signature and transcriptional downregulation of IRS2. Although overexpression of IRS2 activated PI3K signaling, promoting cell migration in a PI3K-dependent manner, this did not fully recapitulate the phenotype seen with loss of PTEN as PI3K signaling is not as robust as observed in the setting of loss of PTEN. Importantly, deletions of the PTEN locus, which promotes active PI3K signaling, were among the most significant copy-number alterations that co-occurred with ERG genomic rearrangements. This work provides insight on how initiating oncogenic events may directly influence the selection of secondary concomitant alterations to promote oncogenic signaling during tumor evolution. SIGNIFICANCE: This work provides insight on how initiating oncogenic events may directly influence the selection of secondary concomitant alterations to promote tumorigenesis.
Initial surface conditions affecting the formation of plasma on metal conductors driven by a mega-ampere current pulse

Significant variations in plasma formation have been observed for thick aluminum rods with varying initial surface conditions when pulsed by an intense current in a z-pinch configuration. Rods were fabricated on a lathe to a diameter of 1.0 mm followed by a 300 μm wide and 6 mm long strip milled on the surface to remove a portion of the azimuthally extended machining marks left by the lathe. A subset of these rods was then electropolished, reducing the azimuthally extended machining marks and reducing the mean surface roughness. The fabrication process provided two types of rods with several surface finishes: a smooth surface (both the milled flat face and curved region), a rough surface (milled flat faced region), and an azimuthally extended rough surface (curved region), to study the effect of surface finish on plasma formation. Rods with azimuthally extended surface defects left by the machining process form plasma early compared to rods that have had the azimuthally extended features removed and/or reduce by electropolishing the surface or milling away a section of the surface.
"I didn't know you were such a good cook": Photos as a tool for primary care clinician-patient communication.

Abstract Objectives To examine audio-recorded primary care interactions with patient-initiated photo sharing around food and diet choices. Methods Data were 13 audio recordings of primary care visits with English-, Chinese-, or Spanish-speaking patients 60+ with two or more chronic conditions. Patients and clinicians completed pre-intervention surveys and some training on photo-taking / photo-sharing discussion. Data were analyzed using discourse analysis. Results Photo-based communication interactions lasted 3:34−28:37 min and averaged one-third of the visit. Clinicians and patients both initiated the photo-based talk and transition to other topics occurred smoothly. In eight of 13 interactions, the photo-based communication task was raised, but conversation did not occur at that moment. When discussed, the photos raised opportunities to talk about patient’s decision-making which led to dietary suggestions including clinical nutrition suggestions and referrals to other specialty clinics. Conclusion Photo-based communication in primary care can be used to promote patient activation and facilitate collaborative decision making that accounts for the patients’ lived experiences and lifeworld. Practice implications By setting the agenda early, clinicians or patients can designate the photo-sharing as a relevant part of the visit. Photos may be most relevant as part of the problem presentation, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation sections of the visit.
Third-party complaints in teacher post-observation meetings

Abstract This study examines a series of post-observation meetings between a novice language teacher and a TESOL practicum mentor, focusing on how and why the teacher engages in complaining. We draw upon conversation analysis and narrative analysis to look at how the teacher's complaints are developed and responded to, as well as what they accomplish, within this institutional context. The data show the teacher uses a variety of interactional resources to construct her complaints, which surface key issues relevant to professional development. In response, the mentor displays a lack of affiliation and disattending to complaints, and by doing so, insulates his own professional competency and retains the focus on the institutional task at hand. Based on our analysis, we discuss implications for mentor practice.
The Personal Is Political Art: Using Digital Storytelling to Teach Sociology of Sexualities:

How can sociology instructors provide high-quality education in the sociology of sexualities that captures both the increasing need for digital pedagogical tools and sociology’s continued drive for...
Clinical and demographic factors associated with stimulant use disorder in a rural heart failure population.

Abstract Background Heart failure is becoming increasingly common among patients under 50 years of age, particularly in African Americans and patients with stimulant use disorder. Yet the sources of these disparities remain poorly understood. This study identified key demographic and clinical factors associated with stimulant use disorder in a largely rural heart failure patient registry. Methods Patient records reporting a diagnosis of heart failure between January 2008 and March 2020 were requested from West Virginia University Hospital Systems (n=37,872). Odds of stimulant use disorder were estimated by demographic group (age, race, sex), insurance carrier, and clinical comorbidities using logistic regression. Results Multivariable regression analysis identified higher odds of stimulant use disorder among Black/African Americans (1.95 [1.32, 2.77]) and patients who report drinking one or more alcoholic drinks per week (2.23 [1.72, 2.88]). Lower odds of stimulant use disorder were identified among patients with hypertension (0.59 [0.47, 0.73]), or diabetes (0.65 [0.52, 0.81]).. Likewise, lower odds of stimulant use disorder were noted among females, patients older than 30 years of age and those not enrolled in Medicaid. Conclusion These results highlight the alarming extent to which Medicaid enrollees, Black/African Americans, people aged 18–24 and 25–44, or persons with a past alcohol use disorder diagnosis are associated with stimulant use disorder among heart failure populations living in largely rural areas. Additionally, they emphasize the need to develop policies and refine clinical care that affects this vulnerable population's prognoses.
Distance-based reconstruction of protein quaternary structures from inter-chain contacts.

Predicting the quaternary structure of protein complex is an important problem. Inter-chain residue-residue contact prediction can provide useful information to guide the ab initio reconstruction of quaternary structures. However, few methods have been developed to build quaternary structures from predicted inter-chain contacts. Here, we develop the first method based on gradient descent optimization (GD) to build quaternary structures of protein dimers utilizing inter-chain contacts as distance restraints. We evaluate GD on several datasets of homodimers and heterodimers using true/predicted contacts and monomer structures as input. GD consistently performs better than both simulated annealing and Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation. Starting from an arbitrarily quaternary structure randomly initialized from the tertiary structures of protein chains and using true inter-chain contacts as input, GD can reconstruct high-quality structural models for homodimers and heterodimers with average TM-score ranging from 0.92 to 0.99 and average interface root mean square distance from 0.72 A to 1.64 A. On a dataset of 115 homodimers, using predicted inter-chain contacts as restraints, the average TM-score of the structural models built by GD is 0.76. For 46% of the homodimers, high-quality structural models with TM-score ≥ 0.9 are reconstructed from predicted contacts. There is a strong correlation between the quality of the reconstructed models and the precision and recall of predicted contacts. Only a moderate precision or recall of inter-chain contact prediction is needed to build good structural models for most homodimers. Moreover, GD improves the quality of quaternary structures predicted by AlphaFold2 on a Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction-Critical Assessments of Predictions of Interactions dataset.
Antifungal activity of substituted 8-quinolinol-5- and 7-sulfonic acids: a mechanism of action is suggested based on intramolecular synergism.

8-Quinolinol-5-sulfonic acid was nearly devoid of antimicrobial activity, due to what was believed to be an unfavorable partition coefficient. Since twenty six 8-quinolinol-5- and 7-sulfonic acids were available from our previous work, they were tested against six fungi. The 7-chloro and 7-bromo-5-sulfonic acids and the 5-chloro and 5-bromo-7-sulfonic acids showed fungal inhibition within one order of magnitude of that of 8-quinolinol. It is suggested that a nonchelating mechanism is in part responsible for this fungi toxicity. Five additional 5-sulfonic acids with chlorine in positions 3-, 6-, 3,6-, 3,7-, and 6,7- that were suitable for studies in synergism became available more recently. The enhanced activities of the dichlorosulfonic acids over the correspondingly substituted monochlorosulfonic acids is attributed to intramolecular synergism.
Predicting the political sentiment of web log posts using supervised machine learning techniques coupled with feature selection

As the number of web logs dramatically grows, readers are turning to them as an important source of information. Automatic techniques that identify the political sentiment of web log posts will help bloggers categorize and filter this exploding information source. In this paper we illustrate the effectiveness of supervised learning for sentiment classification on web log posts. We show that a Naive Bayes classifier coupled with a forward feature selection technique can on average correctly predict a posting's sentiment 89.77% of the time with a standard deviation of 3.01. It significantly outperforms Support Vector Machines at the 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of [1.5, 2.7]. The feature selection technique provides on average an 11.84% and a 12.18% increase for Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machines results respectively. Previous sentiment classification research achieved an 81% accuracy using Naive Bayes and 82.9% using SVMs on a movie domain corpus.
Romance in Reason

Having reached the fundamental theorem of calculus, we have come to a natural place to pause and take stock of our accomplishments and aspirations. Let us close this volume by discussing the way calculus was viewed in the seventeenth century, looking both backward and forward in time to put this remarkable century’s mathematical thought in true perspective—and perhaps to learn something about the true nature of mathematics itself.
Simple bit-rate-independent PMD monitoring for WDM systems

We propose a simple bit-rate-independent PMD (polarization mode dispersion) monitoring scheme for WDM systems that uses two polarization scramblers and a PDL (polarization-dependent-loss) component. We monitor the instantaneous DGD (differential group delay) for NRZ (non RZ) and RZ (return-to-zero) formats, and use the monitor output as a feedback for PMD compensation of a 10 Gbit/s NRZ channel.