cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of colony-stimulating factor by malignant leukocytes.

There is considerable evidence supporting a role for colony-stimulating factor (CSF) as a humoral regulator of leukopoiesis. Data on CSF levels in the serum and urine of patients with leukemia and on the in vitro responsiveness of leukemic cells to CSF have suggested a basis for considering leukemia as a primary disorder of leukopoietic regulation. We examined the question of leukemic cell production of CSF. Conditioned medium from cultured leukemic cells was tested for colony-stimulating activity against normal human bone marrow using a two-layer agar colony assay technique. The cells from patients with acute myelogenous leukemia and a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis did not elaborate CSF nor did acute lymphocytic leukemia cells. CSF production was documented with cells obtained from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in the chronic phase and two patients with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. In acute leukemia the cellular production of CSF correlated closely with morphologic and functional maturation along the monocyte-macrophage line. Evidence was obtained that the adherent cells within the leukemic population were primarily responsible for CSF production. We interpret these data to indicate that neoplastic hematopoietic cells may produce CSF in relation to their capacity for mononuclear leukocyte differentiation.
Diagnostic imaging techniques in the evaluation of drug-induced pulmonary disease.

SUMMARY Although chest radiology is the first imaging option in evaluating patients for pulmonary manifestations of drug toxicity, the limitations of the pattern approach often predicate the use of other imaging techniques in addition to clinical and laboratory evaluation. There is a role for CT and nuclear scintigraphy in selected cases in an attempt to detect bioeffects while still at a reversible stage, or to differentiate drug toxicity from other etiologies. Future applications for MR imaging and in vivo MR spectroscopy are promising.
Electronic health record-based assessment of cardiovascular health: The stroke prevention in healthcare delivery environments (SPHERE) study.

< 3% of Americans have ideal cardiovascular health (CVH). The primary care encounter provides a setting in which to conduct patient-provider discussions of CVH. We implemented a CVH risk assessment, visualization, and decision-making tool that automatically populates with electronic health record (EHR) data during the encounter in order to encourage patient-centered CVH discussions among at-risk, yet under-treated, populations. We quantified five of the seven CVH behaviors and factors that were available in The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's EHR at baseline (May–July 2013) and compared values to those ascertained at one-year (May–July 2014) among intervention (n = 109) and control (n = 42) patients. The CVH of women in the intervention clinic improved relative to the metrics of body mass index (16% to 21% ideal) and diabetes (62% to 68% ideal), but not for smoking, total cholesterol, or blood pressure. Meanwhile, the CVH of women in the control clinic either held constant or worsened slightly as measured using those same metrics. Providers need easy-to-use tools at the point-of-care to help patients improve CVH. We demonstrated that the EHR could deliver such a tool using an existing American Heart Association framework, and we noted small improvements in CVH in our patient population. Future work is needed to assess how to best harness the potential of such tools in order to have the greatest impact on the CVH of a larger patient population.
Analyzing variable time between N-1-1 contingencies in assessing NERC TPL-001-4 multiple events reliability

There is increasing emphasis on accounting for multiple sequential faults when analyzing for system reliability. This research considers N-1-1 contingency analysis as described in NERC TPL-001-4. Existing guidelines allow for the power system to respond to a first event prior to a second fault occurring. This research develops a method to evaluate the more complex situations where there is a variable amount of time between the first and second contingency. It is generally possible for the cumulative effect of transient interactions to be influenced by the timing of a second disturbance. A probabilistic approach is proposed to identify the most severe transient stability outcomes. The results of a large scale simulation study on a 68-bus IEEE stability benchmark model are presented to confirm the benefits of the proposed probabilistic method.
Quality Control: Personnel

High quality appropriately trained technologists (sonographers) and physicians are key components to the successful performance and interpretation of echocardiograms. This chapter will review the training and certification pathways that are available for cardiac sonographers and interpreting physicians. Insuring high reliability processes to train and evaluate the personnel involved in echocardiographic performance and interpretation is a requirement for a high quality program, as is continuing education to ensure familiarity with developments in the field.
Partial Breakdown of Input Specificity of STDP at Individual Synapses Promotes New Learning.

Hebbian-type learning rules, which underlie learning and refinement of neuronal connectivity, postulate input specificity of synaptic changes. However, theoretical analyses have long appreciated that additional mechanisms, not restricted to activated synapses, are needed to counteract positive feedback imposed by Hebbian-type rules on synaptic weight changes and to achieve stable operation of learning systems. The biological basis of such mechanisms has remained elusive. Here we show that, in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons from slices of visual cortex of rats, synaptic changes induced at individual synapses by spike timing-dependent plasticity do not strictly follow the input specificity rule. Spike timing-dependent plasticity is accompanied by changes in unpaired synapses: heterosynaptic plasticity. The direction of heterosynaptic changes is weight-dependent, with balanced potentiation and depression, so that the total synaptic input to a cell remains preserved despite potentiation or depression of individual synapses. Importantly, this form of heterosynaptic plasticity is induced at unpaired synapses by the same pattern of postsynaptic activity that induces homosynaptic changes at paired synapses. In computer simulations, we show that experimentally observed heterosynaptic plasticity can indeed serve the theoretically predicted role of robustly preventing runaway dynamics of synaptic weights and activity. Moreover, it endows model neurons and networks with essential computational features: enhancement of synaptic competition, facilitation of the development of specific intrinsic connectivity, and the ability for relearning. We conclude that heterosynaptic plasticity is an inherent property of plastic synapses, crucial for normal operation of learning systems. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show that spike timing-dependent plasticity in L2/L3 pyramids from rat visual cortex is accompanied by plastic changes in unpaired synapses. These heterosynaptic changes are weight-dependent and balanced: individual synapses expressed significant LTP or LTD, but the average over all synapses did not change. Thus, the rule of input specificity breaks down at individual synapses but holds for responses averaged over many inputs. In model neurons and networks, this experimentally characterized form of heterosynaptic plasticity prevents runaway dynamics of synaptic weights and activity, enhances synaptic competition, facilitates development of specific intrinsic connectivity, and enables relearning. This new form of heterosynaptic plasticity represents the cellular basis of a theoretically postulated mechanism, which is additional to Hebbian-type rules, and is necessary for stable operation of learning systems.
Mitochondrial Isolation and Purification from Mouse Spinal Cord.

Mitochondria are eukaryotic organelles that play a crucial role in several cellular processes, including energy production, β-oxidation of fatty acids and regulation of calcium homeostasis. In the last 20 years there has been a hightened interest in the study of mitochondria following the discoveries that mitochondria are central to the process of programmed cell death and that mitochondrial dysfunctions are implicated in numerous diseases including a wide range of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In order to identify and study changes in mitochondrial function related to specific neurological conditions the mitochondria are often isolated from the compartment of the central nervous system most affected during disease. Here, we describe a protocol for the isolation of mitochondria from mouse spinal cord, a compartment of the central nervous system that is significantly affected in neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This method relies on differential centrifugation to separate the mitochondria from the other subcellular compartments.
The Transition to Digital TV: A Case Study of HDTV

HDTV in the United States has been widely accepted but the history of its creation, adoption, and use is not well understood. The development of HDTV began in Japan during the 1960s. The early-proposed standards for HDTV were analog, like the NTSC standard that HDTV would later replace, but after much planning and competition, a digital standard was finally adopted in the United States, Japan, and Europe. The launch of HDTV in the United States during the late 1990s was problematic due to the high cost of HDTV sets, uncertainty about what to do with the new service and lack of a viable business model for the television industry. Early adopters of HDTV sets often used them to play DVDs since little programming was available but this helped to bring the price of the sets down and paved the way for mass adoption, which began in the middle of the first decade of the new century. HDTV then became mainstream and affected consumer TV viewing behavior as well as content and production styles. The long-term impacts of HDTV are difficult to predict but they may include significant changes in production styles for TV programs, a new crop of actors and newscasters who come across well in HD and new style politicians who appeal to voters in the HD environment. Looking back, we may realize that Barack Obama was the first HD president just as we came to understand that John Kennedy was the first TV president.
Oxidative Stress in Cardiac Valve Development

Formation of the mature valve structures begins during embryogenesis and is initiated with the generation of endocardial cushions following endothelial-to-mesenchymal transformation. As development progresses, endocardial cushions elongate and undergo extensive remodeling of the extracellular matrix by mesenchyme-like valve interstitial cells that reside within the maturing valve primordia. This process is in part, regulated by valve endothelial cells that overlay the valve leaflets and continues until postnatal stages when formation of the stratified valve structure is complete. Many signaling pathways have been shown to regulate valvulogenesis including Transforming Growth Factor β, Vascular endothelial growth factor, Wnt, Notch, and endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase. In other systems, components of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve as secondary messengers to influence activity of these signaling pathways. As this has not been explored in developing valves, this chapter will discuss the potential role of ROS in the embryo and discuss how aberrations in this process could underlie valve pathology after birth.
A Story in Black and White: Radiologic Evaluation in the Multidisciplinary Setting

Strong engagement from expert radiologists is essential in ensuring the optimal function of a multidisciplinary group focused on the treatment of head and neck cancer. Active participation in multidisciplinary conference can be among the most rewarding roles for radiologists. Despite many benefits to radiologist involvement in multidisciplinary teams, there are obstacles and challenges that can prevent full participation. This article highlights the key issues that should be considered by radiologists and multidisciplinary team leaders when planning participation in a new or existing multidisciplinary group that focuses on the care of patients with head and neck cancer.
Probing Intrawire, Interwire, and Diameter-Dependent Variations in Silicon Nanowire Surface Trap Density with Pump-Probe Microscopy.

Surface trap density in silicon nanowires (NWs) plays a key role in the performance of many semiconductor NW-based devices. We use pump–probe microscopy to characterize the surface recombination dynamics on a point-by-point basis in 301 silicon NWs grown using the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) method. The surface recombination velocity (S), a metric of the surface quality that is directly proportional to trap density, is determined by the relationship S = d/4τ from measurements of the recombination lifetime (τ) and NW diameter (d) at distinct spatial locations in individual NWs. We find that S varies by as much as 2 orders of magnitude between NWs grown at the same time but varies only by a factor of 2 or three within an individual NW. Although we find that, as expected, smaller-diameter NWs exhibit shorter τ, we also find that smaller wires exhibit higher values of S; this indicates that τ is shorter both because of the geometrical effect of smaller d and because of a poorer quality surface. These results hig...
Continuous Care Provided Through Comprehensive Medication Management in an Acute Care Practice Model

Background: Pharmacy practice models that foster pharmacists’ accountability for medication-related outcomes are imperative for the profession. Comprehensive medication management (CMM) is an oppor...
Examining the effectiveness of a cognitive intervention to improve cognitive function in a population of older adults living with HIV: a pilot study.

Objective:The purpose of this randomized-controlled pilot study was to explore the effectiveness of a home-based computerized cognitive training intervention in improving cognitive function in a po...
TSC2 regulates microRNA biogenesis via mTORC1 and GSK3β

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by germline inactivating mutations of TSC1 or TSC2. In TSC-associated tumors of the brain, heart, skin, kidney and lung, inactivation of both alleles of TSC1 or TSC2 leads to hyperactivation of the mTORC1 pathway. The TSC/mTORC1 pathway is a key regulator of cellular processes related to growth, proliferation and autophagy. We and others have previously found that mTORC1 regulates microRNA biogenesis, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Microprocessor, a multi-protein complex including the nuclease Drosha, processes the primary miR transcript. Using a dual-luciferase reporter, we found that inhibition of mTORC1 or downregulation of Raptor decreased Microprocessor activity, while loss of TSC2 led to a striking increase (∼5-fold) in Microprocessor activity. To determine the global impact of TSC2 on microRNAs we quantitatively analyzed 752 microRNAs in Tsc2-expressing and Tsc2-deficient cells. Out of 259 microRNAs expressed in both cell lines, 137 were significantly upregulated and 24 were significantly downregulated in Tsc2-deficient cells, consistent with the increased Microprocessor activity. Microprocessor activity is known to be regulated in part by GSK3β. We found that total GSK3β levels were higher in Tsc2-deficient cells, and the increase in Microprocessor activity associated with Tsc2 loss was reversed by three different GSK3β inhibitors. Furthermore, mTOR inhibition increased the levels of phospho-GSK3β (S9), which negatively affects Microprocessor activity. Taken together these data reveal that TSC2 regulates microRNA biogenesis and Microprocessor activity via GSK3β.
Effect of roughness on the adhesive tractions between contacting bodies

Abstract A method is proposed for estimating the effect of broad spectrum surface roughness on the adhesion between elastic bodies. At each length scale, the effect of fine scale roughness is modelled by a modified traction law whilst an added coarse scale increment is described by a probability distribution of mean gap as modified by elastic deformation. Instabilities occur for relatively smooth surfaces whose linear dimensions are sufficiently large to support long wavelength perturbations. The method is validated by comparison with direct numerical calculations, in the range where this is practicable. It is then applied to power-law spectra with various values of height variance and lower wavenumber cutoff. The results show that the effect of roughness is dominated by the height variance m0, but at lower wavenumber elastic deformation reduces the dependence on m0, except near the unstable range.
Maximum Simulated Likelihood Estimation: Techniques and Applications in Economics

This chapter discusses maximum simulated likelihood estimation when construction of the likelihood function is carried out by recently proposed Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The techniques are applicable to parameter estimation and Bayesian and frequentist model choice in a large class of multivariate econometric models for binary, ordinal, count, and censored data.We implement the methodology in a study of the joint behavior of four categories of U.S. technology patents using a copula model for multivariate count data. The results reveal interesting complementarities among several patent categories and support the case for joint modeling and estimation. Additionally, we find that the simulated likelihood algorithm performs well. Even with few MCMC draws, the precision of the likelihood estimate is sufficient for producing reliable parameter estimates and carrying out hypothesis tests.
Role of Glomerular Growth Promoters in Progression of Renal Disease.

Extensive research efforts have been aimed at the study of potential pathogenic processes which participate in the progression of renal disease. The characteristic end stage histological pattern ultimately shared by the various diseases has lead to the postulate of existence of common secondary destructive processes triggered by many different primary pathogenic insults (Figure 1). Initial pathogenic insults are presumed to lead to a loss of functioning nephrons through disease-specific pathophysiologic processes (immunologie or non-immunologic). This loss of nephrons then promotes alterations of function and metabolism in intact glomeruli which are self-damaging in nature, leading to further loss of nephrons. The ultimate outcome of this vicious cycle is the end-stage kidney. In strong support of this view, the so-called animal model of subtotal nephrectomy, or surgical removal of a large number of nephrons from otherwise healthy kidney tissue, indeed causes progressive glomerular sclerosis closely resembling that seen in human end-stage kidneys. Recent intensive investigative effort has therefore focused on identifying the alterations that take place in remnant glomeruli of subtotally nephrectomized animals.
WIDE ANGLE PARABOLIC APPROXIMATIONS IN UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS

The discussion of the approximation of the Helmholtz equation by a parabolic-like partial differential equation is important because of the significant reduction in numerical computation associated with parabolic problems. But, parabolic approximations are generally only capable of detecting acoustic energy propagating in a narrow band about the horizontal. The “wide angle” equation of Claerbout was created to address this problem, and other authors have recently developed higher order parabolic approximations. In this paper a “very wide angle” parabolic approximating equation is introduced. An implicit finite difference scheme for its solution is presented and analyzed, and some of its computational characteristics are discussed. The relationship between general time-dependent one-way wave equations and parabolic equations of underwater acoustics is explored.
Surface Integrity of Micro- and Nanomachined Surfaces

Micro- and nanomachining processes are being developed that minimize the damage created due to the removal of materials at low and high material removal rates. In order to characterize the level of damage induced, the integrity of the workpiece surface requires to be measured. This chapter provides a state-of-the-art review of micro- and nanomachining and the measurement of surface integrity of micro- and nanomachined surfaces.
1 kWe sodium borohydride hydrogen generation system: Part I: Experimental study

Abstract A 1 kW e hydrogen generation system using hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) has been designed and built. The effects of flow rate, fuel concentration, inlet temperature and operating pressure on chemical conversion have been systematically investigated. A 10-point thermocouple profile probe was used to measure the temperature distribution inside the catalyst bed. Chemical conversion was also qualitatively evaluated via the temperature profile. For the present adiabatic reactor, a large temperature gradient at the outlet implies low conversion, while a small temperature gradient at the outlet implies high conversion. In order to obtain accurate measurements of hydrogen flow rate, water vapor carried in the product stream was removed by a custom hydrogen conditioning station. Using 15% concentration NaBH 4 aqueous solution, this system generated hydrogen up to 20 SLPM with a reasonably high chemical conversion (95%). Discharge products from using NaBH 4 concentrations above 15% crystallized upon cooling to room temperature. Such products would be difficult to remove from the discharge tank in a practical setting. Considering the practical difficulties in heating the discharge product to prevent crystallization, the highest usable concentrations would likely fall in the range of 10–15%. The resulting maximum material gravimetric density is 3.1 wt% of hydrogen and falls short of the DOE on-board hydrogen storage system target of 6 wt% for year 2010.
The Problem of Underdetermination in Model Selection

Conventional model selection evaluates models on their ability to represent data accurately, ignoring their dependence on theoretical and methodological assumptions. Drawing on the concept of under...
Unsupervised Learning of Hierarchical Models for Hand-Object Interactions

Contact forces of the hand are visually unobservable, but play a crucial role in understanding hand-object interactions. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised learning approach for manipulation event segmentation and manipulation event parsing. The proposed framework incorporates hand pose kinematics and contact forces using a low-cost easy-to-replicate tactile glove. We use a temporal grammar model to capture the hierarchical structure of events, integrating extracted force vectors from the raw sensory input of poses and forces. The temporal grammar is represented as a temporal And-Or graph (T-AOG), which can be induced in an unsupervised manner. We obtain the event labeling sequences by measuring the similarity between segments using the Dynamic Time Alignment Kernel (DTAK). Experimental results show that our method achieves high accuracy in manipulation event segmentation, recognition and parsing by utilizing both pose and force data.
Principles of Recombinant DNA Technology

Recombinant DNA technology and other aspects of biotechnology are a far newer area of pharmaceutical research and development than areas related to small molecule pharmaceuticals, and the methods employed in all areas of the drug development process, from drug discovery to the manufacturing protocols, equipment, control parameters and testing methodologies required by the FDA are substantially different than those used with small molecule drugs. Beginning with the elucidation of the structure of DNA, advances in molecular biology techniques have led to dramatic progress in medical research, disease diagnosis and drug development and have introduced a new vocabulary to the pharmaceutical industry.
Sustaining positive outcomes with a progressive upright mobility program protocol in cancer patients.

126Background: Critical illness associated with immobility leads to significant morbidity including increased intensive care unit (ICU) days, hospital lengths of stay (LOS), and prolonged deconditi...
A scoping review of digital game-based technology on English language learning

Learning with games has been increasing in practice, but studies of the features and learning outcomes involving digital games to develop language learning are scarce. This scoping review investigates the current practices of digital game-based language learning to support English language learning, in terms of participants’ characteristics, methodological features, gaming characteristics, and an association between game availability and gaming characteristics. Our results indicate: (1) vocabulary is the most dominant practiced language skills; (2) methods employed were primarily quantitative with researcher-designed tests; (3) commercial games contain the most elements of a good game; (4) use of good gaming elements is inconsistent among digital games. We provide strategies for educational researchers to improve their rigor in research, along with explicit criteria that digital game designers can apply toward language-learning game development. As educational technology continues to transform language learning, we emphasize the need for continued research and development that investigates how gaming elements in mobile learning environments may improve language-learning outcomes.
The association of sexual dysfunction with race in women with gynecologic malignancies.

Abstract Gynecologic cancer survivors report sexual health among their highest concerns. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) in survivors of gynecologic malignancies and to evaluate the association of sexual function with race, ethnicity and treatment modality. In this study, survivors of endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer who presented to the gynecologic oncology practice were asked to self-administer the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) survey to evaluate their sexual function. The prevalence of SD was estimated and its association with demographic and clinical co-variates was analyzed. Of the 155 participants, the prevalence of SD was 44.5% (95%CI: 36.7–52.7). Patients were significantly more likely to report SD if they did not currently have a partner (69% vs 22% p Precis Survivorship is an important issue for women with gynecologic malignancies. This study addresses the high rates of sexual dysfunction in a racially diverse patient population.
Characteristics Associated with a History of Physical and Sexual Abuse in a Community Corrections Sample.

Background: Most predictors of future criminal justice involvement are gender neutral. However, recent research has stressed the importance of physical and sexual abuse as a precursor of incarcerat...
Characterizing the Performance/Accuracy Tradeoff of High-Precision Applications via Auto-tuning*

Many scientific applications (e.g., molecular dynamics, climate modeling and astrophysical simulations) rely on floating-point arithmetic. Floating-point representation is by definition a finite approximation of real numbers, and thus it can lead to inaccuracy and reproducibility issues. To overcome these issues, existing work has proposed high-precision floating-point libraries to be used in scientific simulations, but they come at the cost of significant additional execution time. In this work we analyze performance and accuracy effects from tuning down groups of variables and operations guided by compile-time considerations. The goal of our tuning approach is to convert existing floating-point programs to mixed precision while balancing accuracy and performance. To this end, the tuner starts by maximizing accuracy through the use of a high-precision library and then achieves performance gains under a given error bound by incrementally tuning down groups of variables and operations from higher to lower precision (e.g., double precision). The approach provides input-data independence in its results by defining tuning strategies based on loop structures and the investigation of floating-point computation patterns. In addition, it has a smaller search space than exhaustive or bitonic search algorithms, leading to a significant reduction in tuning time, especially on larger, long-running applications. We tested our tuning on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) application.
A Bayesian Belief Network-based probabilistic mechanism to determine patient no-show risk categories

Abstract Patients who miss their appointments (no-shows) reduce revenues and impair the delivery of quality healthcare. Much research has been devoted to identifying “no-show patients”. In this study, we build a Tree Augmented Naive Bayes (TAN)-based, probabilistic data driven methodology that consists of five steps. After data acquisition and preparation in the first step, the second step is dedicated to selecting important variables through purely data-driven wrapper methods such as Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithms (GA). Then, in the third step, the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and Random under Sampling (RUS) are employed to overcome the data imbalance issue that exists in the dataset. In the fourth step, the conditional interrelations among the predictors are obtained via TAN model, and Bayesian-belief based posterior probabilities are calculated. It should be noted that, the parameters of the TAN model are tuned in a way that there does not have to exist a conditional interrelation between every single predictor. The consistency and reliability of these posterior probabilities are then justified/investigated via the proposed algorithm. The patients are clustered into five risk groups, and a web-based decision support system graphical user interface is built as a proof of concept. Results show that interesting conditional inter-relations exist between the seven variables that are commonly selected by GA and PSO. In addition, an overall area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) score of 0.828 was achieved with a sensitivity score of 0.785. The reliable, TAN-based posterior probabilities and conditional relationships among the predictors for such a parsimonious model that has a fairly high sensitivity in detecting the minority samples, can be adopted by primary care facilities to improve the decision-making process in managing the no-show problem.
Critical evaluation of stable isotope mixing end-members for estimating groundwater recharge sources: case study from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Springs and groundwater seeps along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA) are important for the region’s ecosystems, residents (human and animal), and economy. However, these springs and seeps are potentially vulnerable to contamination, increased groundwater extraction, or reduced recharge due to climate change. In this study, statistical methods are used to investigate δ2H and δ18O in precipitation, surface water, and groundwater to determine groundwater source. A mixing model for δ18O is developed using statistically distinct seasonal end-members represented by modeled winter (Nov–Apr) precipitation and summer (May–Oct) surface-water run-off. The calculated fraction of winter recharge (Fwin) indicates that South Rim groundwater is primarily sourced from snow-melt and winter rains with an average Fwin of 0.97 ± 0.09. Groundwater sourced from the highest elevations of the study area are more depleted than the winter end-member, suggesting values of Fwin are overestimated or a meaningful portion of winter recharge occurs at lower elevations. Lower-elevation recharge from the Coconino Plateau is supported by consistent spatial trends in δ2H and δ18O with respect to longitude, Fwin values <0.9 for 9 of the 50 samples, and age tracer data indicating young groundwater discharging from springs which is distinct from old groundwater observed in the regional flow system. These results suggest a new conceptual model is needed to account for recharge sources from low elevation and summer precipitation. Results imply resource managers may need to reconsider current land-use and water management practices on the South Rim to protect future water quantity and quality.
Plant-available soil nutrients have a limited influence on cone production patterns of individual white spruce trees

The resource budget model for mast seeding hypothesizes that soil nutrients proximately influence reproduction. Plants in high soil nutrient (particularly N) areas are predicted to have lower reproductive variability over time and higher mean reproduction. While often examined theoretically, there are relatively few empirical tests of this hypothesis. We quantified cone production of 110 individual white spruce (Picea glauca) trees over seven years and quantified plant-available soil macronutrients (N, Ca, K, Mg, P, S) in natural forest conditions across three years with different cone crop conditions. Each of these plant-available soil nutrients were correlated across years (rs = 0.55–0.89; all > 0.81 for total-N); spatially, total-N availability varied 366-fold across trees. Plant-available soil nutrients did not influence variability or mean annual reproduction, contrary to nutrient perturbation experiments. We examined within-year nutrient and cone-production relationships, and observed significant positive relationships between reproduction and plant-available soil nutrients only in a low-reproduction year preceding a mast event. Both during a mast event and the following year, when overall cone production was very high or very low, there were no relationships. Both external drivers (e.g., weather) and internal resource budgets likely influence soil nutrient-reproduction relationships. These results suggest that plant-available soil nutrients may not be a large factor influencing mast-seeding patterns among individuals in this species.
The impact of setting a pregnancy weight gain goal on total weight gain.

Background Expert groups recommend that women set a pregnancy weight gain goal with their care provider to optimise weight gain. Objective Our aim was to describe the concordance between first-trimester personal and provider pregnancy weight gain goals with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations and to determine the association between these goals and total weight gain. Methods We used data from 9353 women in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: monitoring mothers-to-be. In the first trimester, women reported their personal pregnancy weight gain goal and their provider weight gain goal, and we categorised personal and provider weight gain goals and total weight gain according to IOM recommendations. We used log-binomial or linear regression models to relate goals to total weight gain, adjusting for confounders including race/ethnicity, maternal age, education, smoking, marital status and planned pregnancy. Results Approximately 37% of women reported no weight gain goals, while 24% had personal and provider goals, 31% had only a personal goal, and 8% had only a provider goal. Personal and provider goals were outside the recommended ranges in 12%-23% of normal-weight women, 31%-41% of overweight women and 47%-63% of women with obesity. Women with both personal and provider pregnancy weight gain goals were 6%-14% more likely than their counterparts to have a goal within IOM-recommended ranges. Having any goal or a goal within the IOM-recommended ranges was unrelated to pregnancy weight gain. Excessive weight gain occurred in approximately half of normal-weight or obese women and three-quarters of overweight women, regardless of goal setting group. Conclusions These findings do not support the effectiveness of early-pregnancy personal or provider gestational weight gain goal setting alone in optimising weight gain. Multifaceted interventions that address a number of mediators of goal setting success may assist women in achieving weight gain consistent with their goals.
Non-invasive enhanced mid-IR imaging for real-time surgical guidance

We are developing a new IR imaging technique, enhanced thermal imaging, that can delineate blood vessels embedded in water-rich tissue in real time. The technique is a combination of thermal IR imaging (8-10 μm) and selective heating of blood (∼0.5°C) relative to surrounding water-rich tissue using LED sources (530 nm) at low powers (irradiance <500 mW/cm2 ). Blood absorbs light strongly at these wavelengths, while absorption by soft tissues is lower. Illumination of tissue containing vessels with the LED heats the blood compared to surrounding tissue so that the vessels look brighter in the thermal image. In previous work, we successfully highlighted vessels embedded in porcine heart tissue and the blood-rich vascular region that is routinely targeted for surgical excision around mammary tumor masses in a murine model. However, in this earlier work the IR images were recorded, and post-acquisition processing was necessary to highlight the presence of the vascular structures. In this work, we describe recent progress in making enhanced thermal imaging a real-time technique. A porcine tissue model with simulated blood vessels and the wrist/forearms of two human subjects were imaged with a FLIR thermal camera. The frame-to-frame temporal and spatial derivatives were calculated in real-time and then used to identify regions exhibiting rapid changes in temperature, thus highlighting the structure of blood-rich regions.
Do Depressive Symptoms Predict Blood Pressure Control in US Veterans

High blood pressure is the most common chronic condition among US veterans. Blood pressure control is essential to preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases. While depressive symptoms are a known risk factor for uncontrolled blood pressure and veterans experience high rates of depressive symptoms, no research has examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and blood pressure control among US veterans. We examined whether moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms, compared to none-to-minimal, are associated with higher risk of uncontrolled blood pressure among US veterans. We analyzed a population-based sample of veterans from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2016). Logistic regression models were adjusted for marital status, age, and body mass index. All analyses were weighted; results are generalizable to US veterans. A sample of 864 veterans was analyzed, representing approximately 18.8 million US veterans. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Uncontrolled blood pressure was defined as average systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80. For depressive symptoms, 78.2% (SE = 1.6) of US veterans had none-to-minimal, 18.2% (SE = 1.2) had mild-to-moderate, and 3.5% (SE = 0.8) had moderately severe-to-severe. Forty-three percent (SE = 3.0) of US veterans had uncontrolled blood pressure. Moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms, compared to none-to-minimal, were associated with lower risk for uncontrolled blood pressure (aOR = .28, 95% CI [.09, .85]). Mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms were not associated with blood pressure control (aOR = .98, 95% CI [.59, 1.65]). US veterans with moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms were less likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure than veterans with none-to-minimal symptoms. Future research should examine factors unique to veterans that may explain findings opposite of the hypothesized relationship between depressive symptoms and blood pressure control.
Video use in online and blended courses: a qualitative synthesis

The use of video has become commonplace in education today. Educators are engaging students with video communication technology more frequently than ever before, given COVID-19. However, questions ...
Calcium phosphate-polymeric nanoparticle system for co-delivery of microRNA-21 inhibitor and doxorubicin

Targeted combination therapy has shown promise to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy by overcoming drug resistance. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is frequently overexpressed in various cancer types including breast and non-small cell lung cancer and its functions can be inhibited by miR inhibitor (miR-21i). A combination of miR-21i and a chemo drug, doxorubicin (Dox), can provide synergistic effects. Here, we developed a calcium phosphate (CaP)-coated nanoparticle (NP) formulation to co-deliver miR-21i along with Dox. This NP design can be used to deliver the two agents with different physiochemical properties. The NP formulation was optimized for particle size, polydispersity, Dox loading, and miR-21i loading. The NP formulation was confirmed to downregulate miR-21 levels and upregulate tumor suppressor gene levels. The cytotoxic efficacy of the combined miR-21i and Dox-containing NPs was found to be higher than that of Dox. Therefore, the CaP-coated hybrid lipid-polymeric NPs hold potential for the delivery of miR-21i and Dox.
Gaze Interaction and Gameplay for Generation Y and Baby Boomer Users

As high quality eye tracking devices become more readily available and affordable, gaze interaction is becoming a viable and fun way to interact with games. Because we direct our eyes toward objects that we choose to attend to, gaze is likely to provide a natural way to manipulate objects in certain types of games. However, little work has been done to design and test games that use gaze as an interaction method. Despite the popular belief that the majority of gamers are young, research shows that Baby Boomers also like to play games. Thus, understanding possible differences in interaction preferences of these two generations provides valuable insight for developers who are planning to design gaze-enabled games for these two populations. In this study, we examine the gaze interaction experience of Baby Boomer and Generation Y users by comparing them to the familiar mouse interaction experience.
Treatment of Sexual Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms During Exposure and Response Prevention

This chapter discusses the treatment of a Kyle, a young adult with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and focuses on the design and implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention to treat Kyle’s sexual obsessions and compulsions. This case report begins by reviewing background literature on sexual obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as factors that are relevant to conducting exposures to treat these symptoms. A discussion of relevant background information about Kyle, our case conceptualization, and a session-by-session account of exposures that were conducted to target Kyle’s obsessive-compulsive symptoms (with an emphasis on the treatment of Kyle’s sexual symptoms) is presented. Several barriers that had to be addressed during these exposure sessions are reviewed, such as therapists’ non-avoidance of sexually explicit content due to their own anxiety or disgust sensitivity, and the chapter concludes with clinical recommendations for therapists who conduct exposures to treat sexual obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults.
Science and Ethics: Biotechnology and Ethics I: Is Genetic Engineering Intrinsically Wrong?

If one were asked to name the area where the scientific community's ignoring of ethics has wrought the greatest harm to public acceptance of science, one would have to choose biotechnology. Genetic engineering, cloning, and stem cell research have all engendered equivocal public reactions at best, and outright rejection at worst, by virtue of scientists' consistent failure to articulate and engage the multitude of ethical and social issues the public believes to be inherent in the new modalities. Any major new technology will create a lacuna in social and ethical thought in direct proportion to its novelty. What effects will this technology have on our lives? Will benefits outweigh costs, harms outweigh goods? What are the possibilities of the technology leading to more evil in the world, or in human society? How likely is it to be misused? Is it inherently wrong for any reason? Will it promote justice or injustice? Is it something benign or beneficial, something to be curtailed or allowed to soar? Will things be better or worse in virtue of its existence? Such questions inevitably bubble up in the social mind, and consequentialist questions are mixed up with deontological ones, issues of bad effects likely or possible to ensue are confused with inherent wrongness. Add to this unsavory mixture a liberal portion of religiosity, and one has truly created an intellectual Golem: powerful, mindless, and unstoppable.
Genetic structure and symbiotic characteristics of a bradyrhizobium population recovered from a pasture soil.

We examined the genetic structure and symbiotic characteristics of Bradyrhizobium isolates recovered from four legume species (Lupinus albus [white lupine], Lupinus angustifolius [blue lupine], Ornithopus compressus [yellow serradella], and Macroptilium atropurpureum [sirato]) grown in an Oregon soil. We established that multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) can provide insights into the genetic relatedness among Bradyrhizobium strains by showing a positive correlation (r2 = ≥0.90) between the relatedness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains determined by MLEE at 13 enzyme loci and that determined by other workers using either DNA-DNA hybridization or DNA sequence divergence estimates. MLEE identified 17 electrophoretic types (ETs) among 95 Bradyrhizobium isolates recovered from the four hosts. Although the overall genetic diversity among the ETs (H = 0.69) is one of the largest measured to date in a local population of any soilborne bacterial species, there was no evidence of multilocus structure (linkage disequilibrium) within the population. The majority of the isolates (73%) were represented by two closely related ETs (2 and 3) which dominated the root nodules of white lupine, serradella, and siratro. In contrast, ET1 dominated nodules of blue lupine. Although representative isolates from all of the 17 ETs nodulated siratro, white lupine, blue lupine, and big trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), they were either completely ineffective or poorly effective at fixing nitrogen on these hosts. Despite the widespread use of serradella as a surrogate host for lupine-nodulating bradyrhizobia, 7 of the 17 ETs did not nodulate this host, and the remaining 10 ETs were ineffective at fixing nitrogen.
Pathophysiology of neurofibromatosis: IV. Dermatologic insights into heterogeneity and pathogenesis

A systematic, uniform evaluation of 102 patients with, or at risk for, neurofibromatosis has shown that cafe au lait spots (CLS), even in large numbers, may not be sufficient to diagnose this disorder, and that several other dermatologic features may provide clues to its pathogenesis. These features include pruritus associated with high concentrations of cutaneous neurofibromas, hyperpigmentation overlying plexiform neurofibromas, two levels of hyperpigmentation in some CLS, hypopigmentation in surgical scars through CLS, and areolar neurofibromas in postpubertal females. Iris Lisch nodules (hamartomas) are present in 97% of postpubertal patients.