cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of retained austenite in TRIP steels with bainitic ferrite matrix

Heat treatment process for producing cold rolled transformation induced plasticity-aided (TRIP-aided) steels with bainitic ferrite matrix was adopted. Characteristics of retained austenite (RA) in such TRIP steels were investigated. SEM and OM determination results showed that the stable austenite retained at room temperature were mainly located between laths and some of them inside the coarse ferrite. The grains were uniformly distributed in heat treated steel matrix and the regularly dispersed RA represented to be triangular morphology. XRD analysis indicated that RA content in matrix was not less than 10%, and TEM testified that RA inside the matrix were formed at the prior austenite boundaries and represented to be single or twin crystals. The ductile fracture originated from the boundaries of martensite islands from RA and ferrite. The cracks propagated along grain boundaries and some passed through the large ferrite grains and induced transgranular fracture.
Building and Management of Low-Priority Laboratory

The characters of low-priority laboratory in higher education were introduced and the actual status was analyzed,then the exploration and practice were made correspondingly.The practice results show it is help full to achieve its multifunction and develop students' capabilities by improving its management effectively.
Developmental regulation of human gamma- and beta-globin genes in the absence of the locus control region

Two lines of transgenic mice carrying a normal 40-kb Kpn I beta-globin cluster transgene lacking the locus control region (LCR) were analyzed for the expression of human gamma- and beta-globin genes during mouse development. After RNase protection assays, the ratios of human G gamma- , A gamma-, or beta-mRNAs relative to endogenous mouse zeta + alpha mRNAs were obtained for each stage of development. The two gamma transgenes were expressed in day-11.5 blood (embryonic stage) and day- 13.5 blood (early fetal stage), but their expression was markedly decreased by day 16.5 of fetal life. Expression of the beta transgene was essentially absent at day 13.5, appeared at a low level by day 16.5, and was maximal by day 18.5, reaching a level similar to that observed in adult mice. Therefore, developmentally regulated expression of the human gamma- and beta-globin transgenes was obtained in the absence of the LCR. The relative expression of human gamma- and beta- globin genes was also examined in mice carrying 40-kb Kpn I beta- cluster transgenes with two different base substitutions associated with nondeletion forms of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), -202 C-->G G gamma HPFH and -117 G-->A A gamma HPFH. The ratio of G gamma- to beta-globin transcripts was markedly increased in red blood cells of adult mice from three different lines carrying the transgene with the -202 G gamma HPFH mutation. This result confirms our previous preliminary results (Tanaka et al: Ann NY Acad Sci, 612:167, 1990) indicating that the -202 G gamma HPFH phenotype was reproduced in transgenic mice. The relatively low levels of G gamma-mRNA expression in adult mice carrying the non-HPFH transgene excludes a major influence of the 3′ beta-globin enhancer, present upstream of the G gamma gene because of the tandem repeat insertion, as a factor in the persistent G gamma gene expression observed in blood of adult mice carrying the -202 G gamma HPFH transgene. This conclusion is also supported by the fact that, in mice carrying the -117 A gamma HPFH transgene, G gamma-globin mRNA was detected in blood of adult animals only at low levels similar to that observed in the non-HPFH lines. However, the A gamma-HPFH phenotype was not reproduced in the transgenic lines carrying the -117A gamma HPFH mice.
Steroid use in liver transplantation : None, perioperative, or full course

Subclinical renal dysfunction is thought to occur as a systemic manifestation of ischaemia-reperfusion injury of other organs. Liver transplantation is associated with major ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Thirty-four patients undergoing elective liver transplantation were randomly allocated to receive either saline or 10 mg.kg -1 methylprednisolone on induction of anaesthesia. Urine was taken for N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, creatinine and other markers of tubular function. Serum chemistry was measured for 7 days. Creatinine concentration increased in the saline group but not in the methylprednisolone group (p < 0.0001), with the greatest difference on the third postoperative day (mean (SD) 164.8 (135.8) μmol.l -1 vs 88.5 (39.4) μmol.l -1 , respectively). Similar changes were seen in postoperative alanine transferase (865 (739) U.l -1 vs 517 (608) U.l -1 , respectively; p < 0.0001) on the second postoperative day. Both groups exhibited increases in markers of renal tubular dysfunction and of glomerular permeability. Patients in the saline group sustained more adverse events (8/17 (47%) vs 2/17 (12%); p = 0.02). The data confirm increased proximal tubular lysosomal turnover, consistent with an increased tubular protein load, following liver transplantation, and suggest that methylprednisolone protects against renal and hepatic dysfunction.
Microelectronics Thermal Sensing: Future Trends

Microelectronics architecture and packages are becoming complex with more number of components, including 3D stacks, getting integrated into a single package, called multi-chip packages (MCPs). MCPs are being used very widely in the microelectronics industry and enable increasing
Predicting Drug-Drug Interactions Through Similarity-Based Link Prediction Over Web Data

Drug-Drug Interactions (DDIs) are a major cause of preventable adverse drug reactions and a huge burden on public health and the healthcare system. On the other hand, there is a large amount of drug-related (open) data published on the Web, describing various properties of drugs and their relationships to other drugs, genes, diseases, and related concepts and entities. In this demonstration, we describe an end-to-end system we have designed to take in various Web data sources as input and provide as output a prediction of DDIs along with an explanation of why two drugs may interact. The system first creates a knowledge graph out of input data sources through large-scale semantic integration, and then performs link prediction among drug entities in the graph through large-scale similarity analysis and machine learning. The link prediction is performed using a logistic regression model over several similarity matrices built using different drug similarity measures. We present both the efficient link prediction framework implemented in Apache Spark, and our APIs and Web interface for predicting DDIs and exploring their potential causes and nature.
Expression of Curli by Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains Isolated from Patients during Outbreaks Is Different from Similar Strains Isolated from Leafy Green Production Environments.

We previously reported that the strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157) that survived longer in austere soil environment lacked expression of curli, a fitness trait linked with intestinal colonization. In addition, the proportion of curli-positive variants of EcO157 decreased with repeated soil exposure. Here we evaluated 84 and 176 clinical strains from outbreaks and sporadic infections in the US, plus 211 animal fecal and environmental strains for curli expression. These shiga-toxigenic strains were from 328 different genotypes, as characterized by multi-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). More than half of the fecal strains (human and animal) and a significant proportion of environmental isolates (82%) were found to lack curli expression. EcO157 strains from several outbreaks linked with the consumption of contaminated apple juice, produce, hamburgers, steak and beef were also found to lack curli expression. Phylogenetic analysis of fecal strains indicates curli expression is distributed throughout the population. However, a significant proportion of animal fecal isolates (84%) gave no curli expression compared to human fecal isolates (58%). In addition, analysis of environmental isolates indicated nearly exclusive clustering of curli expression to a single branch of the minimal spanning tree. This indicates that curli expression depends primarily upon the type of environmental exposure and the isolation source, although genotypic differences also contribute to clonal variation in curli. Furthermore, curli-deficient phenotype appears to be a selective trait for survival of EcO157 in agricultural environments.
Effects of Sublethal Irradiation on Murine Bone Marrow

Abstract 2243 Lethal irradiation leads to hematopoietic system effects including decreased red blood cells, white cells and platelets. Death is attributable in part to infections associated with lymphopenia and neutropenia. To determine the magnitude of the hematopoietic effects of sublethal irradiation, we irradiated 25 C57BL/6NTac female mice to a whole body dose of 9.0 Gy irradiation resulting in 90% survival at 30 days. At 0, 5 or 30 days after irradiation, five mice were sacrificed, bone marrow removed and assayed for clonogenic survival, blood analyzed for CBC, and femur assayed for histologic cellularity. Single cell suspensions, were plated in Metho-Cult GF3434 at cell concentrations ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 cells per well, incubated at 37°C for 10 days and multilineage CFU-GEMMs counted. Femur bone marrow cellularity, was scored on fixed and decalcified (Formical-4), sectioned sagittally and H&E stained samples. The sections were observed under a microscope at 20 × and the percent bone marrow cellularity determined. Five days after irradiation, there was a significant decrease in peripheral blood white blood cells × 1000 compared to day 0 (Day 0 = 2.0 + 2.2 to Day 5 = 0 + 0, p = 0.001), lymphocytes (Day 0 = 1.3 + 1.7 to Day 5 = 0 + 0, p = 0.006), neutrophils (Day 0 = 371.9 + 384.3 to Day 5 = 0 + 0, p = 0.002), and granulocytes (Day 0 = 0.5 + 0.5 to Day 5 = 0 + 0, p = 0.008). By 30 days after irradiation, there was still a significant decrease in the number × 1000 of monocytes (0.2 + 0.2, p = 0.011), but there was a significant increase in neutrophils (1221.0 + 866.9, p = 0.013) and primitive granulocytes (1.5 + 1.1, p = 0.013). Red cell numbers had returned to control levels. Marrow CFU-GEMMs were significantly decreased at 5 days compared to nonirradiated controls (p Supported by NIAID grant U19AI068021. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Electronic and Steric Optimization of Fluorogenic Probes for Biomolecular Imaging

Fluorogenic probes are invaluable tools for spatiotemporal investigations within live cells. In common fluorogenic probes, the intrinsic fluorescence of a small-molecule fluorophore is masked by esterification until entry into a cell, where endogenous esterases catalyze the hydrolysis of the masking groups, generating fluorescence. The susceptibility of masking groups to spontaneous hydrolysis is a major limitation of these probes. Previous attempts to address this problem have incorporated auto-immolative linkers at the cost of atom economy and synthetic adversity. Here, we report on a linker-free strategy that employs adventitious electronic and steric interactions in easy-to-synthesize probes. We find that X···C═O n→π* interactions and acyl group size are optimized in 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diisobutyrate. This probe is relatively stable to spontaneous hydrolysis but is a highly reactive substrate for esterases both in vitro and in cellulo, yielding a bright, photostable fluorophore with utility in b...
Dendrochemical evidence for soil recovery from acidic deposition in forests of the northeastern U.S. with comparisons to the southeastern U.S. and Russia

A soil resampling approach has detected an early stage of recovery in the cation chemistry of spruce forest soil due to reductions in acid deposition. That approach is limited by the lack of soil data and archived soil samples prior to major increases in acid deposition during the latter half of the 20th century. An alternative approach is the dendrochemical analysis of dated wood to detect temporal changes in base cations back into the 19th century. To infer environmental change from dendrochemical patterns of essential base cations, internal factors that affect cation chemistry such as the maturation of sapwood and the spread of wood infection need to be recognized. Potassium concentration was a useful marker of these internal maturation and infection that could affect the concentration of essential base cations in wood. Dendrochemical patterns in samples of red spruce in the eastern United States and Norway spruce in northwestern Russia were used to determine how internal changes in base cations can be separated from external changes in root-zone soil to date major changes in the availability of essential base cations associated with a changing environment.
Cells from Urine Sample

Cells found in the sediment of voided urine of newborns, children and adults can be cultured in vitro. The samples contain many exfoliative cells with different viabilities. The cells originate from the epithelial layer of the kidney pelvis, ureter, bladder, urethra, vagina, and prostate (urothel). The proliferating cells have an epithelial-like appearance. As demonstrated by specific antigens, most of the cells cultured from normal urine are bladder derived (Koskull et al. 1984).
Cardiorespiratory physiological phenotypic plasticity in developing air-breathing anabantid fishes (Betta splendens and Trichopodus trichopterus)

Developmental plasticity of cardiorespiratory physiology in response to chronic hypoxia is poorly understood in larval fishes, especially larval air-breathing fishes, which eventually in their development can at least partially “escape” hypoxia through air breathing. Whether the development air breathing makes these larval fishes less or more developmentally plastic than strictly water breathing larval fishes remains unknown. Consequently, developmental plasticity of cardiorespiratory physiology was determined in two air-breathing anabantid fishes (Betta splendens and Trichopodus trichopterus). Larvae of both species experienced an hypoxic exposure that mimicked their natural environmental conditions, namely chronic nocturnal hypoxia (12 h at 17 kPa or 14 kPa), with a daily return to diurnal normoxia. Chronic hypoxic exposures were made from hatching through 35 days postfertilization, and opercular and heart rates measured as development progressed. Opercular and heart rates in normoxia were not affected by chronic nocturnal hypoxic. However, routine oxygen consumption M˙O2 (~4 μmol·O2/g per hour in normoxia in larval Betta) was significantly elevated by chronic nocturnal hypoxia at 17 kPa but not by more severe (14 kPa) nocturnal hypoxia. Routine M˙O2 in Trichopodus (6–7 μmol·O2/g per hour), significantly higher than in Betta, was unaffected by either level of chronic hypoxia. PCrit, the PO2 at which M˙O2 decreases as ambient PO2 falls, was measured at 35 dpf, and decreased with increasing chronic hypoxia in Betta, indicating a large, relatively plastic hypoxic tolerance. However, in contrast, PCrit in Trichopodus increased as rearing conditions grew more hypoxic, suggesting that hypoxic acclimation led to lowered hypoxic resistance. Species-specific differences in larval physiological developmental plasticity thus emerge between the relatively closely related Betta and Trichopodus. Hypoxic rearing increased hypoxic tolerance in Betta, which inhabits temporary ponds with nocturnal hypoxia. Trichopodus, inhabiting more permanent oxygenated bodies of water, showed few responses to hypoxia, reflecting a lower degree of developmental phenotypic plasticity.
Explaining the persistence of ‘command-and-control’ in US environmental law

Economists and legal scholars have known for decades that "economic instruments," including cap-and-trade regimes and effluent taxes, can reduce emissions at lower cost than command-and-control regulations. Yet, the US system of environmental law remains heavily dominated by command-and-control. How can we explain this remarkable persistence? This paper considers three alternative explanations: (1) path-dependency; (2) public choice theories of interest-group politics; and (3) social-welfare/economic efficiency. Using examples, mainly from the US Clean Air Act, the paper finds that none of the three alternatives offers a sufficient and complete explanation of the persistence of command-and-control. But all three contribute significantly to a comprehensive explanation.
Evaluation of Parasite Egg and Cyst Recovery Using Devices Designed for Centrifugal or Stationary Flotation

Two new devices (OT, ST), were recently introduced for the recovery of parasite eggs and cysts for microscopic examination. These devices, two stationary flotation devices, and a standard double-centrifugal sugar-flotation were compared using common flotation solutions and methods recommended by the manufacturers for the recovery of hookworm, ascaridoid, and whipworm eggs from companion animal fecal samples. Additionally, the recovery of Giardia cysts in the OT device using a zinc sulfate versus sodium nitrate solution was evaluated. Double-centrifugal sugar-flotation (1.30 specific gravity) was the most sensitive method for the recovery of the nematode eggs from feces of companion animals. Overall, centrifugation increased the recovery of eggs as compared with standing flotation methods, with the ST performing equivalently to the OT. Although these more recently introduced tests have good sensitivities for the nematodes tested, egg recovery was routinely markedly less than that achieved by standard double-centrifugal sugar-flotation, and false-negatives did occur. Still, the OT and ST generally have increased recoveries over the two standing flotation devices, and are significantly better than these for the recovery of ascaridoid and whipworm eggs from dog and cat samples. Zinc sulfate (1.18 specific gravity) is recommended for the recovery of Giardia cysts when using the OT device.
Idiopathic internal mammary artery aneurysm in the setting of aberrant right subclavian artery.

Abstract Aneurysms of the internal mammary artery are extremely rare. Immediate treatment is necessary because of the high risk of rupture that can be life-threatening. Here we describe a case of idiopathic internal mammary artery aneurysm in a 54-year-old woman in the setting of aberrant right subclavian artery. The aneurysm was successfully treated with coil embolization without complications.
Bacillus Cellulase Molecular Cloning, Expression, and Surface Display on the Outer Membrane of Escherichia coli

One of the main challenges of using recombinant enzymes is that they are derived from genetically-modified microorganisms commonly located in the intracellular region. The use of these recombinant enzymes for commercial purposes requires the additional processes of cell disruption and purification, which may result in enzyme loss, denaturation, and increased total production cost. In this study, the cellulase gene of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 14580 was cloned, over-expressed, and surface displayed in recombinant Escherichia coli using an ice-nucleation protein (INP). INP, an outer membrane-bound protein from Pseudomonas syringae, was utilized as an anchor linker, which was cloned with a foreign cellulase gene into the pET21a vector to develop a surface display system on the outer membrane of E. coli. The resulting strain successfully revealed cellulase on the host cell surface. The over-expressed INP-cellulase fusion protein was confirmed via staining assay for determining the extracellular cellulase and Western blotting method for the molecular weight (MW) of cellulase, which was estimated to be around 61.7 kDa. Cell fractionation and localization tests demonstrated that the INP-cellulase fusion protein was mostly present in the supernatant (47.5%) and outer membrane (19.4%), while the wild-type strain intracellularly retained enzymes within cytosol (>61%), indicating that the INP gene directed the cellulase expression on the bacteria cell surface. Further studies of the optimal enzyme activity were observed at 60 °C and pH 7.0, and at least 75% of maximal enzyme activity was preserved at 70 °C.
Memory-Limited stochastic approximation for poisson subspace tracking

Poisson noise is ubiquitously encountered in applications including medical and photon-limited imaging. We consider the problem of recovering and tracking the underlying Poisson rate, where the rate vector is assumed to lie in an unknown low-dimensional subspace, with possibly missing entries. A stochastic approximation (SA) algorithm is proposed to solve the problem. This algorithm alternates between two steps. It sequentially identifies the underlying subspace, and recovers coefficients associated with the subspace. The SA algorithm is then modified to obtain a memory-efficient algorithm without storing all historic data. Two theoretical performance guarantees are establish regarding the convergence of SA algorithm. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the proposed algorithms for Poisson video. The memory-limited SA algorithm is shown to empirically yield similar performances to the original SA algorithm.
Stratification of peanut allergic murine model into anaphylaxis severity risk groups using thermography

Abstract Murine models are readily used to investigate mechanisms potentially involved in anaphylaxis. Determining successful sensitization with current methods remain potentially lethal, invasive, expensive and/or cumbersome. Here we describe the use of thermography to read intradermal testing to detect peanut allergic sensitization in the murine model and as a first time sensitive tool for anaphylaxis stratification. The relative wheal size in the thermal image can be used to stratify anaphylaxis severity risk groups prior to a challenge. This screening method is nonlethal, inexpensive, minimally invasive and can be carried out expeditiously.
National care among patients with WHO grade I intracranial meningioma.

Abstract Purpose To analyze the national treatment trends of patients diagnosed with benign intracranial meningioma. Methods and materials Data was obtained from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for patients with WHO grade I meningioma tumors between 2004 and 2014 (190,527 patients), diagnosed by either surgical specimen or diagnostic imaging. Univariable and multivariable analyses (binary logistic models) were performed to generate odds ratios (OR) and investigate factors associated with definitive initial treatment compared to initial observation. Initial treatments considered included surgical resection and/or radiation, including either fractionated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Results The rate of observation increased over time, from 37% in 2004 to 55% in 2014 (p Conclusions There is a national trend favoring initial observation for radiographically diagnosed WHO grade I meningioma. However, patients presenting to academic facilities are more likely to receive definitive initial treatment. Further research into differing approaches among treatment facilities for this common tumor may help clarify this trend.
Dysphoria and Children's Processing of Supportive Interactions

This study examined the processing of supportive interactions by dysphoric and nondysphoric preteens and early adolescents. Seventy-two youngsters between the ages of 10 and 13 evaluated the supportiveness and helpfulness of standardized, videotaped interactions between a distressed preadolescent and a maternal figure. The tape presentations varied in terms of the level of depicted maternal support and instructional condition (degree of self-reference). The results indicated that dysphoric youngsters evaluated both the supportiveness and helpfulness of interactions less positively than nondysphoric agemates. Group differences in support evaluations were most pronounced in the self-referenced condition. The level of depicted support did not affect processing differences. Dysphoric subjects reported lower levels of emotional support in prior relationships and a greater tendency to view supportive behavior as ingenuine than nondysphoric peers. Variation in prior support experiences accounted for group differences in the evaluation of the supportiveness of new interactions.
Advanced constraint propagation for the combined car sequencing and level scheduling problem

Abstract We present an advanced constraint propagation algorithm for the combined car sequencing and level scheduling problem, used within a branch-and-bound framework. The new method solves the only unsolved instance from Drexl et al. (2006) and four of the eight unsolved instances from Yavuz’s (2013) testbeds. The paper also introduces 18 new instances, 9 of which are solved by the algorithm. Optimal sequences of up to 250 cars are obtained.
Carbon budgets of potential tropical perennial grass cropping scenarios for bioenergy feedstock production.

The environmental costs of fossil fuel consumption are globally recognized, opening many pathways for the development of regional portfolio solutions for sustainable replacement fuel and energy options. The purpose of this study was to create a baseline carbon (C) budget of a conventionally managed sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) production system on Maui, Hawaii, and compare it to three different future energy cropping scenarios: (1) conventional sugarcane with a 50% deficit irrigation (sugarcane 50%), (2) ratoon harvested napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) with 100% irrigation (napier 100%), and (3) ratoon harvested napiergrass with a 50% deficit irrigation (napier 50%). The differences among cropping scenarios for the fossil fuel-based emissions associated with agricultural inputs and field operations were small compared to the differences associated with pre-harvest burn emissions and soil C stock under ratoon harvest and zero-tillage management. Burn emissions were nearly 2000 kg Ceq ha−1 year−1 in the conventional sugarcane; whereas soil C gains were approximately 4500 kg Ceq ha−1 year−1 in the surface layer of the soil profile for napiergrass. Further, gains in deep soil profile C were nearly three times greater than in the surface layer. Therefore, net global warming potential was greatest for conventional sugarcane and least for napier 50% when deep profile soil C was included. Per unit of biomass yield, the most greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive scenario was sugarcane 50% with a GHG Index (GHGI, positive values imply a climate impact, so a more negative value is preferable for climate change mitigation) of 0.11 and the least intensive was napiergrass 50% when a deep soil profile was included (GHGI = − 0.77). Future scenarios for energy or fuel production on former sugarcane land across the Pacific Basin or other volcanic islands should concentrate on ratoon-harvested crops that maintain yields under zero-tillage management for long intervals between kill harvest and reduce costs of field operations and agricultural input requirements. For napiergrass on Maui and elsewhere, deficit irrigation maximized climate change mitigation of the system and reduced water use should be part of planning a sustainable, diversified agricultural landscape.
Innovations in Microscopic Imaging of Atherosclerosis and Valvular Disease

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is still an unsolved medical problem, because the pathogenesis of CAVD is poorly understood and early calcification is hard to identify. The lack of high-resolution imaging tools to study early stage disease further hampers the search for therapeutic targets.
Blockchain Technology: Its Ability to Transform Corporations' Corporate Social Responsibility Practices

The technology of blockchain (‘Blockchain’) realises a more efficient, equitable, and transparent distributed ledger system. An important characteristic of Blockchain is its automated, de-centralized, and neutral ledger system which could be useful to carry out Corporate Social Responsibility (‘CSR’) initiatives. Part I of this paper suggests that the Blockchain will evolve to become a permanent ‘disruptor’ with the potential to transform corporations’ CSR practices. Part II introduces the Blockchain and identifies its significance to CSR, both in the United States (‘U.S.’) and internationally. Part III explains how the Blockchain can help demonstrate that a corporation is a ‘responsible business’ through good corporate governance, effective supply chain management, and exercise of the triple bottom line – people, profit, and planet. Part IV examines how the Blockchain’s disruptive role influences corporate decision-making, especially its implications for corporate investors, financial institutions, and the practice of law as well as its impact on intellectual property and data privacy functions. Part V discusses the U.S. current regulatory landscape and growing trends relating to the Blockchain. Finally, Part VI recommends lawmakers and corporations consider adopting a legislative framework that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (‘UN SDGs’) to demonstrate responsible investment and good corporate governance. Accordingly, the Blockchain can help corporations transform CSR practices and assist lawmakers to regain public trust through effective rulemaking that demands corporate accountability on domestic and international issues.
The Impact of Federal Personnel Preparation Grants on Special Education Teacher Candidate Recruitment for Rural and Remote Alternative Teaching Pathways

This article describes rural and remote teacher training in low incidence (LI) disabilities through an alternative teaching pathway (ATP) and the efforts of one university’s ATP program to address ...
David Oliver: What’s behind the rise in dementia admissions?

I recently woke to news headlines claiming that NHS hospitals were admitting “1000 dementia patients a day”—a rapid increase since 2013.1 The data came from NHS Digital. But the expert commentary, quoted in the Daily Mail and broadcast widely, came from the Alzheimer’s Society.2 It blamed social care cuts and claimed that dementia admissions generally harmed patients or left them unable to return home. I care deeply about improving acute and community care in dementia, so I was pleased to see the topic get airtime. I don’t want to dampen the impact by nitpicking. But I do have some caveats. Firstly, it isn’t news that many people in hospital beds have dementia or delirium. A decade ago, the NHS Confederation and the Alzheimer’s Society …
Translational and rotational motion of disk-shaped Marangoni surfers

In this paper, we study the Marangoni propulsion of a neutrally buoyant disk-shaped object at the air-water interface. Self-propulsion was achieved by coating the back of the disk with either soap or isopropyl alcohol in order to generate and then maintain a surface tension gradient across the surfer. As the propulsion strength and the resulting disk velocity were increased, a transition from a straight-line translational motion to a rotational motion was observed. Although spinning had been observed before for asymmetric objects, these are the first observations of spinning of a geometrically axisymmetric Marangoni surfer. Particle tracking and particle image velocimetry measurements were used to interrogate the resulting flow field and understand the origin of the rotational motion of the disk. These measurements showed that as the Reynolds number was increased, interfacial vortices attached to sides of the disk were formed and intensified. Beyond a critical Reynolds number of Re > 120, a vortex was observed to shed resulting in an unbalanced torque on the disk that caused it to rotate. The interaction between the disk and the confining wall of the Petri dish was also studied. Upon approaching the bounding wall, a transition from straight-line motion to rotational motion was observed at significantly lower Reynolds numbers than on an unconfined interface. Interfacial curvature was found to either enhance or eliminate rotational motion depending on whether the curvature was repulsive (concave) or attractive (convex).
Neurotrophins in the Adult Brain: Effects on Hippocampal Cholinergic Function Following Deafferentation, and Regulation of Their Expression by Pharmacological Agents and Lesions

This chapter describes recent progress in the understanding of the regulation of neurotrophin and neurotrophin receptor expression in the hippocampal formation following pharmacological manipulations or brain lesions. The chapter is subdivided into different sections which provide details about five different pharmacological treatment regimens and lesion paradigms found to influence neurotrophin mechanisms.
Distributed Mechanism Design With Learning Guarantees for Private and Public Goods Problems

Mechanism design for fully strategic agents typically assumes that agents broadcast their messages to a central authority that performs allocation and taxes/subsidizes agents. In addition, most of the designed mechanisms do not provide any guarantees that the Nash equilibrium (NE) will be reached asymptotically. Whenever such results are provided, they refer to convergence of specific predesigned learning dynamics and it is assumed that agents will follow such prescription. Both assumptions are an impediment in practical application of mechanism design in real-life allocation problems. In this article, we consider two common resource allocation problems: sharing $K$ infinitely divisible resources among strategic agents for their private consumption (private goods), and determining the level for an infinitely divisible public good with $P$ features, that is shared between strategic agents. For both cases, we present a distributed mechanism for a set of agents who communicate through a given network. In a distributed mechanism, agents’ messages are not broadcasted to all other agents as in the standard mechanism design framework, but are exchanged only in the local neighborhood of each agent. The presented mechanisms produce a unique NE, they fully implement the social welfare maximizing allocation, and are budget-balanced at NE. Subsequently, it is shown that the mechanisms induce a game with contractive best-response, leading to guaranteed convergence for all learning dynamics within the adaptive best-response dynamics class, including dynamics such as Cournot best-response, $k$ -period best-response, and Fictitious Play. While the abovementioned mechanisms have message dimensionality that grows quadratically with the number of agents, we show that if one is willing to forgo the strong convergence guarantees, it is possible to design a distributed mechanism with total message space dimensionality growing only linearly with the number of agents. Finally, we demonstrate the abovementioned results through a numerical study of convergence under repeated play, for various communication graphs and learning dynamics.
Costs and Complications Associated with Infected Mesh for Ventral Hernia Repair.

Background: Mesh hernia repair is widely accepted because of the associated reduction in hernia recurrence compared with suture-based repair. Despite initiatives to reduce risk, mesh infection and ...
A Drosophila Model for Clostridium difficile Toxin CDT Reveals Interactions with Multiple Effector Pathways

Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) cause severe and occasionally life-threatening diarrhea. Hyper-virulent strains produce CDT, a toxin that ADP-ribosylates actin monomers and inhibits actin polymerization. We created transgenic Drosophila lines expressing the catalytic subunit CDTa to investigate its interaction with host signaling pathways in vivo. When expressed in the midgut, CDTa reduces body weight and fecal output and compromises survival, suggesting severe impairment of digestive functions. At the cellular level, CDTa induces F-actin network collapse, elimination of the intestinal brush border, and disruption of intercellular junctions. We confirm toxin-dependent re-distribution of Rab11 to enterocytes' apical surface and observe suppression of CDTa phenotypes by a Dominant-Negative form of Rab11 or RNAi of the dedicated Rab11GEF Crag (DENND4). We also report that Calmodulin (Cam) is required to mediate CDTa activity. In parallel, chemical inhibition of the Cam/Calcineurin pathway by Cyclosporin A or FK506 also reduces CDTa phenotypes, potentially opening new avenues for treating CDIs.
Sciatic Nerve Injury Secondary to a Gluteal Compartment Syndrome.

Gluteal compartment syndrome (GCS) is extremely rare, with a low index of suspicion among physicians, hence, it is highly overlooked. The underdiagnosis can lead to irreversible tissue ischemia and severe neurological deficits. GCS is a surgical emergency and requires immediate surgical intervention given its high morbidity and mortality. Based on the limited available literature, multiple etiologies have been postulated including traumatic and nontraumatic causes. This article presents a complex and unusual case of GCS after prolonged immobilization in an IV drug abuser who was subjected to initial missed diagnosis.
Anisotropic elastoplastic response of double-porosity media

Abstract We present a continuum framework to simulate fluid flow through anisotropic elastoplastic media with double porosity. Two effective stress measures σ ′ and σ ′ ′ emerge from the thermodynamic formulation, which are energy-conjugate to the elastic and plastic components of strain, respectively. Both effective stress measures can be expressed as a combination of the total Cauchy stress σ and the average pore pressure p ¯ in the two pore scales. In the effective stress for elasticity, p ¯ is scaled with a rank-2 Biot tensor, whereas the effective stress for plasticity follows the Terzaghi form in which p ¯ is scaled by the Kronecker delta . The Biot tensor and storage coefficients are derived as functions of elasticity parameters and porosities. A mixed finite element formulation is introduced to discretize the domain and solve initial boundary-value problems. A stabilization scheme is employed on equal-order interpolation for both displacement and pressure fields throughout the entire range of drainage responses. Numerical simulations reproduce the hydromechanical response of Opalinus shale in one-dimensional consolidation tests throughout the range of primary and secondary consolidation under different external loads. Numerical simulations of the consolidation of a rectangular domain subjected to a strip load demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed stabilization scheme, as well as illustrate the impacts of stress history, mass transfer, and different pore systems on the hydromechanical response.
Special Automorphic Forms on PGSp4

In a classical situation special automorphic forms were studied by Maass. Let us recall their definition. Denote by H the Siegel half plane of genus 2. Consider Siegel’s modular forms of a given weight with respect to the Siegel full modular group. It is known that they have the following Fourier decomposition: $$f(Z)\, = \,\sum {{a_T}} \,\exp \,2\pi itr(TZ),$$ where T runs over the matrices of the form \((\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} n \\ {r/2} \end{array}\,\begin{array}{*{20}{c}}{r/2} \\ m \end{array})\) ; n, r, m ∈ Z. Put d T = 4nm − r 2, e T = (n,r, m). The Maass space (following Zagier) is the space of those f (Z)such that the coefficients a T depend only on d T and e T . The forms which lie in the Maass space do not satisfy the Ramanujan conjecture. That was one of the reasons why Maass studied these forms.
Relationship between ambient ultraviolet radiation and non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes: a U.S. population-based study of racial and ethnic groups

Associations between ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have been inconsistent, but few studies have examined these associations for specific subtypes or across race/ethnicities. We evaluated the relationship between ambient UVR exposure and subtype-specific NHL incidence for whites, Hispanics and blacks in the United States for years 2001-2010 (n = 187,778 cases). Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for UVR quintiles using Poisson regression. Incidence was lower for the highest UVR quintile for chronic/small lymphocytic/leukemia (CLL/SLL) (IRR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.97), mantle cell (IRR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69-0.97), lymphoplasmacytic (IRR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.42-0.80), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MZLMALT) (IRR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.60-0.90), follicular (FL) (IRR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68-0.86), diffuse large B-cell (IRR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.76-0.94;), peripheral T-cell other (PTCL) (IRR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61-0.95) and PTCL not otherwise specified (PNOS) (IRR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61-0.98). Trends were significant for MZLMALT, FL, DLBCL, BNOS and PTCL, with FL and DLBCL still significant after Bonferroni correction. We found interaction by race/ethnicity for CLL/SLL, FL, Burkitt, PNOS and MF/SS, with CLL/SLL and FL still significant after Bonferroni correction. Some B-cell lymphomas (CLL/SLL, FL and Burkitt) suggested significant inverse relationships in whites and Hispanics, but not in blacks. Some T-cell lymphomas suggested the most reduced risk for the highest quintile of UVR among blacks (PNOS and MF/SS), though trends were not significant. These findings strengthen the case for an inverse association of UVR exposure, support modest heterogeneity between NHL subtypes and suggest some differences by race/ethnicity.
INSIG2 is Associated with Lower Gain in Weight-for-Length Between Birth and Age 6 Months

Researchers have described the association of a common DNA polymorphism, rs7566605, near INSIG2 (insulin-induced gene 2) with obesity in multiple independent populations that include subjects ages 11–60 years.1 To our knowledge, no studies have examined the association of this polymorphism with weight status during early childhood. We explored the association of the rs7566605 polymorphism with weight-for-length among 319 children at 6 months and 3 years participating in Project Viva, a pre-birth cohort study. In contrast to studies of older individuals, CC homozygosity was associated with lower gain in weight-for-length z-score between birth and age 6 months than GG homozygosity or GC heterozygosity. At age 3, we did not find an association. The association of INSIG2 gene with obesity may change direction with age.
Interest rate swaps

Abstract Using quotations from two interest rate swap dealers with different credit ratings (AAA and A), we examine the effect of dealers' credit reputations on swap quotations and bid-offer spreads. The AAA offer rates are significantly higher than the A offer rates, and the AAA bid rates are significantly lower than the A bid rates. We also document the relation between swap rates and par bond yields estimated from London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) and bid rate (LIBID) data. We identify some of the problems in testing the implications of swap pricing theory.
How Is the Branching of Animal Blood Vessels Implemented

For centuries, the cardiovascular system of animals has been described as a branching tree with the heart in its very centre. Although this description dates back to Galen (c. 130–200 A.D.), and structural similarities with trees are obvious, it has to be empha-sized that, unlike a tree, the animal blood circulation does not contain blind ending branches. The discoveries of Harvey (1578–1657) and Malpighi (1628–1694) demonstrated that the blood circulation, especially when studied at light microscopic dimensions, forms a “closed system” of circuits in which every single blood vessel is continuous with another one. Arterial vessels leave the heart, branch, and connect through a capillary network to corresponding veins that drain the blood back to the heart. It is therefore more appropriate to understand the circulatory system as a network of conductive units of varying sizes.
CLASSIFYING LOW HEIGHT GEODESICS ON $\Gamma^3 \backslash \mathcal{H}$

We show that low height-achieving non-simple geodesics on a low-index cover of the modular surface can be classified into seven types, according to the topology of highest arcs. The lowest geodesics of the signature (0;2,2,2,∞)-orbifold are the simple closed geodesics; these are indexed up to isometry by Markoff triples of positive integers (x, y, z) with x2 + y2 + z2 = 3xyz, and have heights . Geodesics considered by Crisp and Moran have heights ; they conjectured that these heights, which lie in the "mysterious region" between 3 and the Hall ray, are isolated in the Markoff Spectrum. As a step in resolving this conjecture, we characterize the geometry on of geodesic arcs with heights strictly between 3 and 6. Of these, one type of geodesic arc cannot realize the height of any geodesic.
Effects of Loading with Tryptophan Metabolites on Metabolism of DL-Tryptophan-7a-C11 in Rats.

SummaryDL-tryptophan-7a-C14 was administered intraperitoneally to adult rats at a level of 0.715 mg/kg of body weight. In some experiments loads of L-tryptophan, kynu-renine, hydroxyanthranilic acid or quinolinic acid (equivalent on a molar basis to 2 g of L-tryptophan in a 70 kg man) were given 30 minutes prior to the labeled tryptophan. Rats given a tracer dose of DL-tryptophan-7a-C14 excreted 18-20% of the C14 as C14O2 and 7.2-7.6% in the urine in the first 12 hours. The injection of a load of L-tryptophan 30 minutes prior to the DL-tryptophan- 7a-C14 caused an increase in C14O2 to 33.6% of the dose and the urinary C14 level increased to 9.1%. The injection of 0.14 mM/kg of 3-hydroxyanthra-nilic acid 30 minutes prior to administration of the labeled tryptophan caused a depression of the C14O2 excretion to 8.8% and increased the urinary C14 level to 23.6%. Autoradio-graphs of chromatograms of the urines and C14 analyses of more than 8 of the known tryptophan metabolites isolated from the urines showed t...
The social aspects of agent design

Web-based software agents have been the primary source of ecommerce innovation and development in the past decade. Yet, the fact that the empirical design and evolution of these agents are not only determined by technology but also by their social aspects is probably not much appreciated. No agent lives in a historical vacuum. Instead, Web-based software agents operate in a social environment. It is through this environment that they interact with their users, compete with peers, bring profit to agent maintainers, and undergo regulation by public policies. In other words, Web-based software agents are also social agents.
Quasi-likelihood estimation for semimartingales

Abstract A technique of parameter estimation for a semimartingale based on the maximization of a likelihood type function is proposed. This technique is shown to be optimal in the sense of Godambe within a certain class of estimating equations. The resulting estimators are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed on certain events under relatively weak assumptions.
Best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis

Purpose – Within the last 15 years, law enforcement agencies have increased their collection of data on vehicle stops. A variety of resource guides, research reports, and peer‐reviewed articles have outlined the methods used to collect these data and conduct analyses. This literature is spread across numerous publications and can be cumbersome to summarize for practical use by practitioners and academics. This article seeks to fill this gap by detailing the current best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis in state police agencies.Design/methodology/approach – The article summarizes the data collection techniques used to assist in identifying racial/ethnic disparities in vehicle stops. Specifically, questions concerning why, when, how, and what data should be collected are addressed. The most common data analysis techniques for vehicle stops are offered, including an evaluation of common benchmarking techniques and their ability to measure at‐risk drivers. Vehicle stop outcome analyses a...