cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postkeratoplasty astigmatism control : single continuous suture adjustment versus selective interrupted suture removal

Abstract Two different suturing techniques performed during keratoplasty were retrospectively evaluated to compare postkeratoplasty astigmatism, number of suture manipulations, and time to optical stability. One group of patients (n = 31) received a combination of continuous 11.0 nylon suture and 12 or 16 interrupted 10.0 nylon sutures (CCIS), which were selectively removed postoperatively to reduce astigmatism. The second group of patients (n = 26) received a single continuous 10.0 nylon suture (SCS) that was adjusted postoperatively at the slit lamp to regulate corneal astigmatism. Compared with the CCIS technique, adjusting the single continuous suture resulted in less postoperative astigmatism (SCS, 1.5 ± 1.1 diopters [D]; CCIS, 3.2 ± 1.9 D), fewer suture manipulations per patient (SCS, 0.9 ± 0.7; CCIS, 3.8 ± 1.8), and earlier optical stability for visual rehabilitation (SCS, 2.6 ± 1.5 months; CCIS, 9.6 ± 4.7 months) ( P
Translanguaging in Systemic Functional Linguistics: A Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy for Writing in Secondary Schools

Bilingualism is often perceived as a deficit in English only classrooms. Multilingual students, however, have sophisticated cognitive strategies that can be leveraged in school contexts. This chapter investigates how SFL genre pedagogy and translanguaging can function as integral resources in a culturally sustaining instructional framework to support the meaning-making practices of high school bilingual learners in persuasive writing. Findings from the study show that when immersed in this culturally sustaining framework, students successfully learned how patterns of academic language (e.g. grammatical metaphors) function in expository texts to build arguments and challenge dominant worldviews.
Rigid Oxazole Acinetobactin Analog Blocks Siderophore Cycling in Acinetobacter baumannii

The emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial pathogens has raised global concern. Nontraditional therapeutic strategies, including antivirulence approaches, are gaining traction as a means of applying less selective pressure for resistance in vivo. Here, we show that rigidifying the structure of the siderophore preacinetobactin from MDR Acinetobacter baumannii via oxidation of the phenolate-oxazoline moiety to a phenolate-oxazole results in a potent inhibitor of siderophore transport and imparts a bacteriostatic effect at low micromolar concentrations under infection-like conditions.
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS CRISIS ASSOCIATED STRESS (TAKOTSUBO) CARDIOMYOPATHY

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a transient cardiac syndrome that typically causes mid-ventricular circumferential and apical hypokinesis mimicking an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Etiology is felt to be diffuse microvascular spasm and ischemia with resulting stunning of the myocardium as a result of
Treatment of DAA-Experienced Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

The development of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) has significantly improved rates of sustained virologic response (SVR), shortened treatment duration, and improved drug tolerability across genotypes. While SVR rates now exceed 95% among treatment-naive patients, there are a growing number of patients who have experienced DAA treatment failure and represent an emerging clinical challenge. This review discusses recent data on sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for the treatment of DAA-experienced patients, as well as updated American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases/Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines. Data from phase 3 randomized clinical trials show that retreatment of DAA failures is successful in > 90% of patients using the above three regimens. The preferred retreatment regimen is dependent on HCV genotype, possible drug-drug interactions, prior treatment experience, and host factors such as the presence of cirrhosis and renal failure. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir is a reasonable option for DAA-experienced genotype 1b and genotype 2 patients, but has been shown to be inferior to sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir in genotype 1a and genotype 3 patients. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is a very attractive option for treatment of DAA-experienced genotype 1 and 2 patients, but it is not approved for treatment of DAA-experienced patients with genotype 3, and data is lacking to support its use in DAA treatment-experienced patients with genotypes 4–6. The potency and high barrier to resistance of newer DAA regimens create an opportunity to cure most people with chronic hepatitis C, regardless of prior treatment failures. It is now possible to consider elimination of hepatitis C; the remaining barriers are the cost of therapy and access to care.
Neural predictors of eating behavior and dietary change

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of human neuroimaging studies seeking to predict behavior above and beyond traditional measurements such as self-report. This trend has been particularly notable in the area of food consumption, as the percentage of people categorized as overweight or obese continues to rise. In this review, we argue that there is considerable utility in this form of health neuroscience, modeling the neural bases of eating behavior and dietary change in healthy community populations. Further, we propose a model and accompanying evidence indicating that several basic processes underlying eating behavior, particularly reactivity, regulation, and valuation, can be predictive of behavior change. We also discuss future directions for this work.
Modeling drug addiction in females: how internal state and environmental context facilitate vulnerability

A fundamental aspect of survival is the ability to refine behaviors based on internal and external contexts. Interpretation of rewarding stimuli is driven by integration of a diverse number of inputs including contextual cues, hormone levels, and perceived valence of potentially stressful stimuli. These factors can influence the way that an organism makes decisions in the short term and how information is learned and stored on a longer time scale. With respect to addiction vulnerability, the interaction between context, dopamine, and drugs is particularly important. Historically, a majority of addiction research has focused on male subjects; however, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that sex chromosome and hormonal differences between males and females can acutely influence the pharmacodynamic properties of drugs as well as the way information about cues and drugs are stored and encoded within the brain. Here we present considerations for how contextual information such as stress and social hierarchy can differentially affect males and females. This review presents a framework in which these contextual factors can be addressed and incorporated in our conceptualization of animal models of substance use disorders.
A constraint programming approach for solving unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem

Abstract This paper addresses the non-preemptive unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem (PMSP) with job sequence and machine dependent setup times. This is a widely seen NP-hard (non-deterministic polynomial-time) problem with the objective to minimize the makespan. This study provides a noval constraint programming (CP) model with two customized branching strategies that utilize CP’s global constraints, interval decision variables, and domain filtering algorithms. The performance of the CP model is evaluated against the state-of-art algorithms. In addition, we compare the performance of the default branching method in the CP solver against the two customized variants. In terms of average solution quality, the computational results indicate that the CP model slightly outperforms all of the state-of-art algorithms in solving small problem instances, is able to prove the optimality of 283 currently best-known solutions. It is also effective in finding good quality feasible solutions for the larger problem instances.
Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover in Broiler and Layer Chicks

Dietary infusion of L-[U-14C]tyrosine was used to estimate the fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR) in broiler and layer chickens. Six 2-wk-old birds of each strain were placed in individual metabolism cages and given a purified diet in agar-gel containing 2 microCi L-[U-14C]tyrosine for 6 h. The birds were sacrificed and the pectoralis major (PM) and two combined leg (LM) muscles (gastrocnemius and peroneous longus) were removed for analysis. Subgroups of chickens were sacrificed 3 d before and 3 d after infusion to observe changes in muscle composition to calculate fractional protein accretion rates (FAR). Fractional protein breakdown rates (FBR) were calculated by difference (FBR = FSR-FAR). Protein, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentrations were determined to observe relationships between these cellular constituents and FSR. Fractional whole body growth rate and FSR in PM was greater (P less than .05) in broiler than layer birds. The FSR in LM of the layer was not different (P greater than .05) from that of broilers, and from the FSR of the PM in each bird-type. The calculated FBR in the layer PM was at least 17% higher than that of the other muscles. Ratios of FSR to FBR indicated that 16% of the protein synthesized in the layer PM was retained, compared with 45% in the broiler PM. The RNA activity of the layer PM was less (P less than .05) than that of the other muscles investigated. Deoxyribonucleic acid activity was lower (P less than .05) in the PM than LM of either bird-type.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Insufficient Effort Responding as a Partial Function of Implicit Aggression

In recent years, researchers have devoted greater attention to insufficient effort responding (IER), in which participants fail to attend to instructions, do not read item content carefully, or int...
Morphomechanic phenotypic variability of sarcomeric cardiomyopathies: A multifactorial polygenic perspective

Morphology underlies subdivision of the primary/heritable sarcomeric cardiomyopathies (CMs) into hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated (DCM). Next-generation DNA-sequencing (NGS) has identified important disease-variants, improving CM diagnosis, management, genetic screening, and prognosis. Although monogenic (Mendelian) analyses directly point at downstream studies, they disregard coexisting genomic variations and gene-by-gene interactions molding detailed CM-phenotypes. In-place of polygenic models, in accounting for observed defective genotype-phenotype correlations, fuzzy concepts having gradations of significance and unsharp domain-boundaries are invoked, including pleiotropy, genetic-heterogeneity, incomplete penetrance, and variable expressivity. HCM and DCM undoubtedly entail cooperativity of unidentified/elusive causative genomic-variants. Modern genomics can exploit comprehensive electronic/digital health records, facilitating consideration of multifactorial variant-models. Genome-wide association studies entailing high-fidelity solid-state catheterization, multimodal-imaging, molecular cardiology, systems biology and bioinformatics, will decipher accurate genotype-phenotype correlations and identify novel therapeutic-targets, fostering personalized medicine/cardiology. This review surveys successes and challenges of genetic/genomic approaches to CMs, and their impact on current and future clinical care.
Impaired eating-related quality of life in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background Despite the tremendous burden of smell and taste dysfunction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), objective measures of smell and taste fail to fully account for eating-related disruptions in CRS patient quality of life (QOL). In this study we sought to investigate the driving force behind impaired eating-related QOL in CRS patients. Methods Adult CRS patients were prospectively enrolled and answered a series of surveys relating to smell, taste, overall sinus-specific QOL, and depression. Patients with both smell-related and taste-related eating complaints were considered to have impaired eating-related QOL. Clinical demographics, objective chemosensory scores, and endoscopy scores were collected. Results Seventy patients were enrolled and 23% showed impaired eating-related QOL. In multivariable analyses, patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) showed 10.7 times higher odds of impaired eating-related QOL (odds ratio [OR] 10.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 105.09; p = 0.042); meanwhile, for every 1-point increase in depression scores, the odds of impaired eating-related QOL increased by 1.3 (OR 1.31; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.57; p = 0.003). For every 1-point decrease in orthonasal olfactory threshold, the odds of impaired eating-related QOL increased by 1.9 times (OR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.14 to 3.00; p = 0.013). Symptom scores, polyp status, endoscopic scores, and other olfactory measures did not remain significant after adjusting for other variables in forward-selection multivariable modeling. Conclusion Disruptions in eating-related QOL cannot be fully explained by objective smell or taste testing alone. We identified AERD and depression as independent risk factors for greater odds of impaired eating-related QOL in CRS. Improved orthonasal threshold scores were independently associated with better eating-related QOL.
Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Global Era: Using the Genres of Multicultural Literature

This study focused on preservice teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching using multicultural literature. They learned about diversity issues, multicultural literature, and culturall...
Hybrid Glucose/O2Biofuel Cell Based on as Pyroquinoline Quinone Glucose Dehydrogenase at the Bioanode

Implantable bioelectronics devices need internal power sources that are capable of delivering adequate electrical power. Here we report a hybrid glucose/O 2 biofuel cell wherein the glucose bioanode of pyroquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) modified chitosan buckypaper (BP) is coupled with an oxygen reducing cathode constructed from bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) pellicle crosslinked with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated with gold and colloidal platinum (co-Pt). The flexible and electrically conductive enzyme functionalized BP-PQQ-GDH bioanode and enzyme-free BNC-Au-co-Pt biocathode harnessed the biochemical energy of glucose via the oxidation of glucose and reduction of molecular oxygen to generate electrical power. The hybrid biofuel cell system exhibited an open circuit voltage and power density of 476 mV and 66.56 µW/cm2, respectively, with a current density of 654 µA/cm2 in the presence of 20 mM glucose. At physiological glucose concentration, the biofuel cell exhibited an open circuit voltage and power density of 453 m V and 45.54 µW/cm2, respectively, with a current density of 594 µA/cm2. This facile strategy to prepare flexible conductive electrodes for the development of hybrid glucose/O 2 biofuel cell system can be readily extended to diverse applications in hybrid glucose biofuel cell and biosensor technology.
Putting “Science” into Forensic Science: A Chemist’s Perspective on Forensic Archaeology

John F. Kennedy once said that he was a Berliner (1). Following in his footsteps, albeit less exalted in my case, I would like the record to state that I am a chemist. Despite various peregrinations in my career, I am at heart a chemist. Yet, I also lay claim to be a forensic archaeologist. While some may wonder why I did not pursue the well-established discipline of forensic chemistry, or even toxicology, a topic for another time, the thrust of this discussion is to determine what my background and training has meant to my study of forensic archaeology.
I on the Prize: Inquiry Approaches in Undergraduate Mathematics

In the United States (US) and elsewhere across the world, undergraduate mathematics instructors are increasingly aware of the value of inquiry-based instruction. In this research commentary, we describe the intellectual origins and development of two major strands of inquiry in US higher education, offer an explanation for apparent differences in these strands, and argue that they be united under a common vision of Inquiry-Based Mathematics Education (IBME). Central to this common vision are four pillars of IBME: student engagement in meaningful mathematics, student collaboration for sensemaking, instructor inquiry into student thinking, and equitable instructional practice to include all in rigorous mathematical learning and mathematical identity-building. We conclude this commentary with a call for a four-pronged agenda for research and practice focused on learning trajectories, transferable skills, equity, and a systems approach.
An Examination of the American Far Right’s Anti-Tax Financial Crimes:

Little attention has been paid to ideologically motivated tax protesters who use frivolous legal arguments as moral or legal justification for committing tax fraud and related financial crimes. The...
Unprecedented bacterial community richness in soybean nodules vary with cultivar and water status

Soybean (Glycine max) and other legumes are key crops grown around the world, providing protein and nutrients to a growing population, in a way that is more sustainable than most other cropping systems. Diazotrophs inhabiting root nodules provide soybean with nitrogen required for growth. Despite the knowledge of culturable Bradyrhizobium spp. and how they can differ across cultivars, less is known about the overall bacterial community (bacteriome) diversity within nodules, in situ. This variability could have large functional ramifications for the long-standing scientific dogma related to the plant-bacteriome interaction. Water availability also impacts soybean, in part, as a result of water-deficit sensitive nodule diazotrophs. There is a dearth of information on the effects of cultivar and water status on in situ rhizobia and non-rhizobia populations of nodule microbiomes. Therefore, soybean nodule microbiomes, using 16S rRNA and nifH genes, were sampled from nine cultivars treated with different field water regimes. It was hypothesized that the nodule bacteriome, composition, and function among rhizobia and non-rhizobia would differ in response to cultivar and soil water status. 16S rRNA and nifH showed dominance by Bradyrhizobiaceae, but a large diversity was observed across phylogenetic groups with < 1% and up to 45% relative abundance in cultivars. Other groups primarily included Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. Thus, nodule bacteriomes were not only dominated by rhizobia, but also described by high variability and partly dependent on cultivar and water status. Consequently, the function of the nodule bacteriomes differed, especially due to cultivar. Amino acid profiling within nodules, for example, described functional changes due to both cultivar and water status. Overall, these results reveal previously undescribed richness and functional changes in Bradyrhizobiaceae and non-rhizobia within the soybean nodule microbiome. Though the exact role of these atypical bacteria and relative variations in Bradyrhizobium spp. is not clear, there is potential for exploitation of these novel findings of microbiome diversity and function. This diversity needs consideration as part of bacterial-inclusive breeding of soybean to improve traits, such as yield and seed quality, and environmental resilience.
Dynamics of Price Adjustment in Qualitatively Differentiated U.S. Markets: The Case of Organic and Conventional Apples

Relationships between organic and conventional counterpart’s prices have become complex with changes in the organic market structure. The concern is whether these fluctuations lead to changes in price dynamics between these products. We investigate price dynamics between organic and conventional apple prices, using an MS-AVECM approach. Additionally, we use Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious prices to examine whether the use of different-variety leads to different results. The results support the changes in price dynamics of organic and conventional apple and we find evidence of asymmetric responses to negative and positive price changes for both organic and conventional apple.
Evaluating the July Effect in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Part II-Orthognathic Surgery.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an increased postoperative complication rate in orthognathic surgery during the first academic quarter (Q1) (July to September). Materials and Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was accessed to identify cases with Current Procedural Terminology codes pertaining to orthognathic procedures from 2008 to 2017. Procedures were separated into 2 groups based on time in the academic year: Q1 (July to September) versus remaining quarters (RQ). The inclusion criteria were Current Procedural Terminology codes representing operations resulting in movement of the dentate portion of the jaws and age of 18 years or older. Patient demographic characteristics and perioperative complications were compared between the groups. Descriptive statistics, Fisher exact tests, and χ2 tests were executed. Results The Q1 cohort included 877 cases, and the RQ cohort included 2,062 cases. The average age of patients was 47.0 ± 19.5 years in Q1 versus 47.2 ± 19.4 years in RQ. The most frequent complications were blood transfusion (11.97% in Q1 vs 12.57% in RQ, P = .64), reoperation (8.67% in Q1 vs 8.84% in RQ, P = .87), and combined superficial and deep-space infection (5.02% in Q1 vs 5.76% in RQ, P = .51). Medical complications involving other organ systems were rare ( Conclusions The results of this study indicate that there is no association between time of year and complication rates after orthognathic surgery. Additional investigations could be useful in shining light on this topic as it pertains to the training of future surgeons.
Practice and the History of Science in the PRC: A Historiographic Reflection

Recent scholarship on the history of science in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has provided new horizons for exploring questions about the nature and epistemology of socialist science, its ep...
Platelet Contributions to Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy: Updates in Post-injury Platelet Biology, Platelet Transfusions, and Emerging Platelet-Based Hemostatic Agents

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current understanding of the role of aberrant platelet biology in trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC), discuss the evidence for platelet transfusions in the management of hemorrhaging trauma patients, and review emerging platelet-based hemostatic adjuncts. Advances in the study of post-injury platelet biology have led to the discovery of pathways associated with altered platelet activation and aggregation observed in the context of TIC. Impaired platelet aggregation after injury has recently been associated with histone driven modifications in platelet structureand function, alterations in calcium signaling, and alterations in von Willebrand factor (vWF) platelet interactions. Furthermore, studies have identified several soluble factors in plasma which may play a role in inhibiting platelets after injury. Lastly, loss of the normal regulatory and bidirectional relationships of platelets with the endothelium and with fibrinolytic pathways may additionally play key roles in TIC. Importantly, the use of platelet transfusions as a treatment for hemorrhage control is not “one size fits all”—the benefit in several circumstances may be outweighed by risks, and there is a lack of demonstrated effectiveness for certain populations. Therefore, current efforts are underway to develop platelet based and platelet mimetic hemostatic agents, and to improve the effectiveness of platelet transfusions while mitigating the risks. Our understanding of how injury leads to altered platelet behavior contributing to TIC has grown substantially but remains incomplete. Decoding the complex biologic interface of platelets with the endothelium, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory pathways will lead to a more complete understanding of platelets and of TIC. Platelet transfusions remain the mainstay of treatment as part of balanced and goal-directed resuscitation, but through advancing knowledge of the underlying biology, safer, targeted, and more effective therapies may emerge.
Belatacept-based immunosuppression with simultaneous calcineurin inhibitor avoidance and early corticosteroid withdrawal: A prospective, randomized multicenter trial.

Simultaneous calcineurin inhibitor avoidance (CNIA) and early corticosteroid withdrawal (ESW) have not been achieved primarily due to excessive acute rejection. This trial compared 2 belatacept-based CNIA/ESW regimens with a tacrolimus-based ESW regimen. Kidney transplant recipients were randomized to receive alemtuzumab/belatacept, rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG)/belatacept, or rATG/tacrolimus. The combinatorial primary endpoint consisted of patient death, renal allograft loss, or a Modification of Diet in Renal Disease-calculated eGFR of <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 at 12 months. Results are reported by treatment group (alemtuzumab/belatacept, rATG/belatacept, and rATG/tacrolimus). Superiority was not observed at 1 year for the primary endpoint (9/107 [8.4%], 15/104 [14.4%], and 14/105 [13.3%], respectively; P = NS) for either belatacept-based regimen. Differences were not observed for secondary endpoints (death, death-censored graft loss, or estimated glomerular filtration rates < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 ). Differences were observed in biopsy-proved acute cellular rejection (10.3%, 18.3%, and 1.9%, respectively) (P < .001), but not in antibody-mediated rejection, mixed acute rejection, or de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies. Neurologic and electrolyte abnormality adverse events were less frequent under belatacept. Belatacept-based CNIA/ESW regimens did not prove to be superior for the primary or secondary endpoints. Belatacept-treated patients demonstrated an increase in biopsy-proved acute cellular rejection and reduced neurologic and metabolic adverse events. These results demonstrate that simultaneous CNIA/ESW is feasible without excessive acute rejection.
Acidosis induces antimicrobial peptide expression and resistance to uropathogenic E. coli infection in kidney collecting duct cells via HIF-1α.

Acute pyelonephritis is frequently associated with metabolic acidosis. We previously reported that metabolic acidosis stimulates expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α-induced target genes...
Psychosocial Impact of Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that can have a significant impact on a patient’s well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Multiple quality of life instruments, such as the generic SF-36, the dermatologic-specific DLQI, and the rosacea-specific RosaQoL, have been used in studies to quantify rosacea’s burden on a patient’s quality of life. Rosacea can potentially result in stigmatization, depression, and anxiety disorders. Improvement in clinical symptoms through pharmacologic treatments can improve HRQoL, but must be individualized to avoid any treatment induced detrimental effects on HRQoL. The psychosocial impact of rosacea has been underappreciated, and it is important for providers to acknowledge this burden to facilitate overall improved outcomes.
Dermatologists are increasing their use of non-opioid pain medications faster than opioids.

There is a lack of consensus in the literature on how and when dermatologists should prescribe pain medications. As there is an ongoing opioid abuse epidemic driven by prescription opioids, it is i...
Strong phases in the decays B to ππ

The observed strong phase difference of 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} between $I=\frac{3}{2}$ and $I=\frac{1}{2}$ final states for the decay $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{B}D\ensuremath{\pi}$ is analyzed in terms of rescattering like ${D}^{*}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}D\ensuremath{\pi},$ etc. It is concluded that for the decay ${B}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ the strong phase is only about 10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Implications for the determination of $\mathrm{sin}(2\ensuremath{\beta}+\ensuremath{\gamma})$ are discussed.
Do Analysts Follow Managers Who Switch Companies? An Analysis of Relationships in the Capital Markets.

ABSTRACT: We examine the importance of professional relationships developed between analysts and managers by investigating analyst coverage decisions in the context of CEO and CFO moves between pub...
Preface: Developing an Organization Through Work Life Balance-Driven Leave

The ProblemEmployee leave amidst the Coronavirus pandemic brings about key questions regarding organizational support and development. Current corporate and public policies are written into employe...
Enhancing the security of El Gamal's signature scheme

The paper proposes the use of more than one hard problem in the design of cryptographic protocols to enhance their security. Specifically, both the discrete logarithm problem and the factorisation problem are embedded in the process of signing to enhance the security of the original El Gamal signature scheme.
Anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade monotherapy in the orthotopic GL261 glioma model: the devil is in the detail

The GL261 cell line, syngeneic on the C57BL/6 background, has, since its establishment half a century ago in 1970, become the most commonly used immunocompetent murine model of glioblastoma. As immunotherapy has entered the mainstream of clinical discourse in the past decade, this model has proved its worth as a formidable opponent against various immunotherapeutic combinations. Although advances in surgical, radiological, and chemotherapeutic interventions have extended mean glioblastoma patient survival by several months, 5-year survival postdiagnosis remains below 5%. Immunotherapeutic interventions, such as the ones explored in the murine GL261 model, may prove beneficial for patients with glioblastoma. However, even common immunotherapeutic interventions in the GL261 model still have unclear efficacy, with wildly discrepant conclusions being made in the literature regarding this topic. Here, we focus on anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade monotherapy as an example of this pattern. We contend that a fine-grained analysis of how biological variables (age, sex, tumor location, etc.) predict treatment responsiveness in this preclinical model will better enable researchers to identify glioblastoma patients most likely to benefit from checkpoint blockade immunotherapy moving forward.
Reducing defensive responding to implicit bias feedback: On the role of perceived moral threat and efficacy to change

Abstract The last decade has seen a rush to address the causes and consequences of bias in applied contexts across the world. When and why might these initiatives promote attitudes and behavior that align with egalitarian goals? A common assumption is that increasing awareness of bias can motivate control over prejudiced responding. However, learning that one's actions are biased is threatening, and often motivates a range of self-protective responses to buffer that threat. In the current research, we tested a strategy for reducing such defensive responding and increasing the kind of awareness central to contemporary theories of prejudice regulation and egalitarian behavior. Four experiments (N > 2500) and a mini meta-analysis demonstrate that interventions that (a) decrease perceived moral blameworthiness for having bias and (b) increase the perceived ability to control bias, can reduce defensive responding and increase awareness both in the short-term and approximately 6 months later. Interventions that minimize threat and facilitate efficacy can motivate increased bias awareness and commitment to egalitarian values.
Engineering Tissues of the Central Nervous System: Interfacing Conductive Biomaterials with Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells.

Conductive biomaterials provide an important control for engineering neural tissues, where electrical stimulation can potentially direct neural stem/progenitor cell (NS/PC) maturation into functional neuronal networks. We anticipate that stem cell-based therapies to repair damaged central nervous system (CNS) tissues and ex vivo, "tissue chip" models of the CNS and its pathologies will each benefit from development of biocompatible, biodegradable, and conductive biomaterials. Here, we review technological advances in conductive biomaterials over the past two decades that may facilitate development of engineered tissues with integrated physiological and electrical functionalities. First, we briefly introduce NS/PCs of the CNS. Then, the significance of incorporating microenvironmental cues, to which NS/PCs are naturally programmed to respond, into biomaterial scaffolds is discussed with a focus on electrical cues. Next, practical design considerations for conductive biomaterials are discussed followed by a review of studies evaluating how conductive biomaterials can be engineered to control NS/PC behavior by mimicking specific functionalities in the CNS microenvironment. Finally, steps researchers can take to move NS/PC-interfacing, conductive materials closer to clinical translation are discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
3 – Time-Dependent Isosurface Extraction

To analyze complex dynamic phenomena from a time-varying data-set, it is necessary to navigate and browse the data in both the spatial and the temporal domain, select data at different resolutions, experiment with different visualization parameters, and compute and animate selected features over a period of time. To facilitate exploratory visual data analysis, it is very important that the visualization software is able to compute, animate, and track desired features at an interactive speed. This chapter discusses the topic of isosurface extraction for time-varying data. The chapter begins with discussing two isosurface cell search data structures that can minimize the storage overhead while keeping the search performance high. The chapter then discusses the work on extracting time-varying isosurfaces in 4D space that allows for smooth animation of isosurfaces in time. These high-dimensional isosurface extraction algorithms can also provide several additional benefits such as computing the isosurface envelopes and interval volumes.
The Tambourine Lady

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP ... there would be new shoes in the morning. New shoes and an old dress white as new. White and starched as angel wings and hair perfect as heat and grease could press it to her skull. There would be hands to hold as she rose up from the curb onto the one step which took you from Homewood Avenue, which was nowhere, to the door of the church wide as heaven. Hands she'd need to steady her across the threshold, the tall, red doors, from cement to the velvet cushioned wobble of God's purple carpet. Always unsteady as she passed to His world. Like that first step off the moving stairs in Kaufmann 's Department Store downtown when you think you might be falling and the hard cold floor rushing up to crack your knees and elbows. At the door of the church her mother's hand, the hands of Miss Goings in her soft white gloves to help her through. She might lose her breath, her heart would stutter but she wouldn't fall. Old Miss Goings in her starched nurse's uniform. Her hand was like petting a rabbit. Miz Goings smelling like Johnson's Baby Powder who'd say, My sweet girl or Bless you, Darling daughter or just Sugar so the wide doors did not swallow you or slam in your face. New shoes pinched your feet sometimes. Too big, too small, too much money, too ugly for anybody. The white ladies who sold them would stick any old thing on your feet and smile. But sometimes when her feet were in new shoes she couldn't feel them at all. She floated, unsure whether or not the shoes were still down there, stepping when she stepped, wondering if she'd lost them, brand new and costing money nobody has, lost them a long time ago because that's how they felt. Like the shoes didn't belong to her when they were new and shiny because she wasn't new and shiny like them. She was nobody, nowhere, dream ing about a little girl in new shoes she'd never own, shoes that wouldn't be down there if she looked to the end of the white socks at the ends
Evaluating Groupware Accessibility

Accessibility has been one of the biggest problems that people with disabilities face in the work place, due to today's rapid change in computer technology. This paper presents the evaluation of several console-based and web-based groupware applications including Outlook, AIM, Google Blog, and Group System's ThinkTank in terms of their accessibility. These applications were evaluated for accessibility based on various characteristics of the applications such as accessible front-end, hierarchy or list structures, input support, output support; screen reader adaptability; and keyboard access. Additionally, web-based groupware applications were evaluated using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and U.S. Government's Section 508 guidelines. Fujitsu's Web Accessibility Inspector tool was also utilized to help evaluate the web-based applications. It is found that groupware applications have very limited accessibility through the support of keyboard access. Additional audio support and flattened hierarchies should be considered, to enable some persons with disabilities easy access to groupware applications. Future research should include persons with disabilities in evaluating groupware applications, to determine preferences. Since many groupware applications provide Application Program Interfaces (API), custom front-ends should be developed to include audio content and to flatten hierarchies and lists.
Women National Leaders - No Less Prepared to Rule

This paper examines nearly all women prime ministers and presidents coming to power from 1960 through 2009. Of particular importance is assessing their backgrounds prior to their ascensions, including age, educational attainment and prior political experience. Similar information on male leaders whom women succeed is also presented to see whether women’s backgrounds are similar or distinct from their male counterparts. Women are slightly younger than men upon entering power. Few differences surface in education, though women generally attain higher degrees than men. The vast majority of executives are highly politically experienced with most having served in parliament, the cabinet, or routinely both. However, a larger proportion of women lack formal national political experience. Women rely less on traditional forms of political participation, often as part of democratic movements particularly in Asia and Latin America. These are also the regions where disparities disadvantaging women in educational attainment and political experience surface and where women are disproportionately promoted through familial ties. However, while kinship is still in full force, more recent female leaders are as highly credentialed as men. Overall, women do not suffer from a lack of preparedness to rule. The increased quantity of women national leaders as of late has not come at the expense of quality, even among women with familial connections to power.
Cyclic AMP stabilizes the mRNA for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) against degradation.

Abstract It is now well established that cAMP induces the transcription rate of the gene for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) and that this induction is dependent on a nucleotide domain located within the promoter-regulatory region of the gene (Short, J. M., Wynshaw-Boris, A., Short, H. P., and Hanson, R. W. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 9721-9726). We report here that cAMP also stabilizes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA against degradation. Using two independent experimental approaches, we show that the half-life of the mRNA for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is extended when FTO-2B rat hepatoma cells are exposed to dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bt2cAMP). In the first experiment, the rate of decay of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA was determined in cells incubated in the presence of insulin, which has been shown to block the transcription rate of the gene for the enzyme. Under these conditions, the half-life of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA was 30 min. However, in cells incubated in the presence of Bt2cAMP, the mRNA decayed with a half-life of 150 min. In the other experiment, mRNA stability was measured under steady state conditions, utilizing a "pulse-chase" approach. The apparent half-life of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA increased from 40 min to over 250 min in Bt2cAMP-treated cells. No significant change in the stability of total cellular RNA was noted. Other experiments have shown that the transcription rate of the gene for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase peaks within the first 20 min after exposing the cells to Bt2cAMP and then levels off, while the abundance of the mRNA reaches a maximum at about 90 min and remains at this level thereafter. Thus, the long term effect of cAMP on the expression of the gene coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase occurs at least in part, through an alteration in the degradation rate of the mRNA for this enzyme.
Eat Me, Bangkok: A Successful Restaurant Business Operation

Eat Me is an independent restaurant located in the heart of Bangkok and has been operating successfully for 16 years, since 1998. This success is underscored by statistics which claim that independent restaurants face a higher failure rate than franchised ones. In-depth interviews undertaken for this study reveal indications that the restaurant’s success is founded on its operational Servuction System. The research also sets out detailed information about the success factors for this challenging area of business. “Practicing” and “observing” are the most significant benchmarks for back-of-the-house employees, while the front-of-the-house staff are trained to focus on customer engagement through “positive thinking” and a “service-mind” attitude. Along with this dining service philosophy, Eat Me is set within an “art gallery” atmosphere which creates a friendly environment, attracting new customers and motivating employees. Above all, the concept of shared restaurant ownership is considered to be a key factor driving the success of a restaurant business such as Eat Me. Keywords: Eat Me, Restaurant, Servuction System, Service
When in Doubt, Count: World War II as a Watershed in the History of Adoption

This article is the first historical, longitudinal statistical study of adoption triad members - birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parent - and of adoption agencies' policies, which uses the confidential case records of an adoption agency. By sampling one out of every ten case records of the Children's Home Society of Washington's 21,500 case records from 1895 to 1973, this essay hopes to fill this gap in our knowledge of adoption agencies' constituencies and practices, with preliminary findings that can be tested by future historical studies of adoption agencies. Another goal of this essay is to use statistical data to test the thesis that World War II marked a third watershed in the history of adoption, following the Massachusetts Adoption Act of 1851 and the beginnings of adoption reform and the sentimentalization of adoption during the Progressive era.
Control of Phosphorylase Activity in a Muscle Glycogen Particle III. REGULATION OF PHOSPHORYLASE PHOSPHATASE

Abstract This study describes a new type of inhibition of phosphorylase phosphatase that strongly suggests that the activity of this enzyme is modulated during regulation of the phosphorylase system. Phosphorylase phosphatase included in a muscle protein-glycogen complex along with phosphorylase, phosphorylase kinase, and other enzymes of glycogen metabolism undergoes a reversible inhibition when phosphorylase is activated. This inhibition requires free Ca2+ in addition to Mg-ATP, i.e. the same conditions that trigger phosphorylase activation; it is observed only in the intact protein-glycogen complex. It is not caused by AMP or IMP generated from the rapid breakdown of ATP, two nucleotides known to inhibit the phosphorylase phosphatase reaction by binding to the substrate phosphorylase a. (a) Addition of AMP or IMP to the particulate system is without effect; (b) phosphatase activity returns to normal at the end of an activation cycle of phosphorylase when concentration of IMP is maximum; and (c) the same inhibition pattern is observed when a phosphopeptide derived from phosphorylase a is used as substrate, a reaction not affected by AMP or IMP. Digestion of glycogen in the complex by α-amylase abolishes the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of phosphorylase phosphatase, but the activity of this enzyme is still predominantly unaffected by nucleotides. On the other hand, dissociation of the protein-glycogen complex by dilution brings about both a loss of the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of the phosphatase and the reappearance of its sensitivity to AMP or IMP. Phosphorylase phosphatase included in the complex acts on phosphorylase a endogenously produced by addition of Ca2+, Mg2+, and ATP 16-fold faster than on soluble phosphorylase a added to the system. Nevertheless, the phosphatase reaction on the exogenous substrate still remains unaffected by high concentrations of AMP or IMP. No evidence was obtained that during inhibition the enzyme was covalently modified, e.g. by phosphorylation; rather, it is proposed that this inhibition results from the interaction of phosphorylase phosphatase with some of the other components of the phosphorylase system.
Racial discrimination, social support, and sexual HIV risk among Black heterosexual men

Numerous studies document the adverse impact of racial discrimination on African Americans' health outcomes, but few have focused on HIV risk. We examined the relationship between racial discrimination and sexual risk in a sample of 526 Black heterosexual men and tested the hypothesis that social support would moderate this relationship. Participants in the predominantly low-income urban sample ranged in age from 18 to 45. High social support had a buffering impact on the relationship between racial discrimination and sexual risk. Among men reporting high racial discrimination, those with more social support reported less sexual risk than men with low social support. Men who reported high racial discrimination and low social support reported more sexual risk than men in any of the other groups. The study highlights social support as an important but understudied protective factor that may reduce sexual risk for Black heterosexual men who report high levels of racial discrimination.
NEW SCREEN-WASHING APPROACHES TO BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF NONMARINE ROCKS, CRETACEOUS OF UTAH

Abstract Surface prospecting methods used for identifying microvertebrate localities suitable for wet screen-washing yield highly biased samples limited to horizons containing obvious accumulations of fossil remains. The technique is restricted to areas with well-exposed strata and results in the recovery of hydrologically concentrated faunas that are not in situ. In many areas of Utah, Cretaceous strata are either exposed in cliff faces (if the sequences are sandstone dominated), or in road cuts (if the sequences are dominated by mudstones). In order to recover fossils from these kinds of exposures in either critical stratigraphic intervals or geographic areas, I have simply “blind washed” fine-grained horizons that lack little or any evidence of fossils at the surface. This method has yielded well-preserved dentitions and skeletal elements of mammals, lizards, amphibians, and other vertebrates as well as ostracodes and gastropods. This approach permits sampling throughout the entire stratigraphic thickn...