cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microparasitic disease dynamics in benthic suspension feeders: Infective dose, non-focal hosts, and particle diffusion

Abstract Benthic suspension-feeders can accumulate substantial numbers of microparasitic pathogens by contacting or filtering particles while feeding, thus making them highly vulnerable to infectious diseases. The study of disease dynamics in these marine organisms requires an innovative approach to modeling. To do so, we developed a single-population deterministic compartmental model adapted from the mathematical theory of epidemics. The model is a continuous-time model, unstructured in spatial or age terms, and configured to simulate the dynamics of diverse dose (body burden)-dependent infectious disease transmission processes in suspension feeders caused by susceptible individuals contacting or absorbing (filtering) infectious waterborne pathogens. Different scenarios were simulated to explore the effect of recruitment, filtration rate, particle loss, diffusion-like processes in the water column and non-focal hosts (i.e. non-susceptible in terms of disease) on disease incidence. An increase in recruitment (i.e. new disease free susceptibles) can reduce the prevalence of infection due to the dilution effect of adding more susceptibles, but the disease can spread faster for the same reason. Lower infective particle accumulation rates or increasing particle loss rates in the environment reduce the prevalence of infection. This effect is trivial when the water is saturated with infective particles released by infected and/or dead animals. Diffusion of particles from the local pool available to suspension feeders to the adjacent remote pool, prompted by a large remote volume and high particle exchange, limits epizootic development. Similarly, the likelihood of an epizootic can be constrained in a large susceptible population when competition for pathogens, more ‘active’ in active filter feeders than in passive suspension feeders, reduces the per capita infective particle accumulation rate. In passive suspension feeders, decreasing the area of the feeding surface has the same effect in constraining disease development. The effect of competition for infective particles in essence diluting the infective particle concentration in the water column is magnified when the susceptible population is part of a community with non-focal filter feeders, and is particularly effective in limiting disease development in high infective dose systems. At the same time, this active foraging strategy makes filter feeders more vulnerable to epizootics. The model is a suitable framework for studying the disease dynamics and determinants of disease outbreaks in benthic suspension feeders.
Regulation of Transglutaminase Activity by Polyamines in the Gastrointestinal Mucosa of Rats

Transglutaminases catalyze the covalent cross-linking of protein and are involved in the mechanism of polyamine-dependent mucosal healing. The current study examined the effect of polyamines on transglutaminase activity in gastrointestinal mucosa. Rats were fasted 22 hr before experiments and enzyme activity was measured as the Ca(++)-dependent covalent incorporation of [3H]-putrescine into acid-precipitable protein. In some of the experiments, mucosal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and polyamine levels were also examined. Transglutaminase activity in both gastric and duodenal mucosa increased significantly after polyamine administration. Treatment with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) decreased both basal ODC activity and putrescine levels in the duodenal mucosa. DFMO also significantly decreased mucosal transglutaminase activity. In stress or hypertonic NaCl-induced gastric mucosal injury models, increased polyamine biosynthesis was associated with increased transglutaminase activity, which was completely prevented by DFMO. Exogenous polyamines returned transglutaminase activity toward control levels in the presence of DFMO. In conclusion, these results indicate that: (i) luminal polyamines increase transglutaminase activity in gastric and duodenal mucosa; (ii) polyamine depletion caused by the inhibition of ODC is accompanied by a significant decrease in transglutaminase activity; and (iii) exogenous polyamines significantly reverse the decrease in transglutaminase activity caused by polyamine depletion.
Aspirin as an antiplatelet agent: template bleeding time as a monitor of therapy.

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) alters platelet function, causing impairment of small vessel hemostasis and prolongation of the bleeding time. This effect may exacerbate hemorrhage and also suggests a role for this drug as an antithrombotic agent. Normal subjects were treated with different doses of aspirin for periods of two weeks. As little as 325 mg. of acetylsalicylic acid each day resulted in a stable prolongation of the template bleeding time. Two normal subjects received 325 mg. daily for 3 months. Their bleeding times remained prolonged throughout this period, correlating with the abnormality of platelet aggregation characteristic of aspirin ingestion. The template bleeding time is a simple technic for monitoring the effect of aspirin on platelet function and is an aid for further research in therapy for thrombotic conditions.
College Student Identity Measurement and Implications

Applying the Burke-Tully procedure to the measurement of the college student role, this article explores the consensus of college students on role meanings, the correspondence between college stude...
Efficacy and Safety of Fondaparinux in Patients With Suspected Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia:

Objective:Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) occurs in up to 5% of patients exposed to unfractionated heparin for 5 or more days. Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) are currently the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents for the treatment of HIT. The purpose of this study is to determine whether fondaparinux is an appropriate first-line alternative anticoagulant in patients with suspected or confirmed HIT.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted by identifying all patients who received a DTI or fondaparinux during a 5 year period, August 2009-August 2014. Patients were included if they had a HIT panel/serotonin-release assay analysis (regardless of the result) and were initiated on a DTI or fondaparinux for alternative anticoagulation. The primary outcome was new, recurrent, or progressive thromboembolic event. Secondary outcomes included bleeding events, platelet count recovery, and hospital stay.Results:A total of 1022 patients were evaluated, and 47 patients met the inclusion cr...
Reform and Practice of the Opening of Mechanical Basis Experimental Center

According to the reform characteristics of opening of the mechanical basis experimental center of center-south university,this paper introducd the reform of experimental teaching system,teaching materials construction,administrative system and opening form.
Drug Residues after Intravenous Anesthesia and Intrathecal Lidocaine Hydrochloride Euthanasia in Horses.

Author(s): Aleman, M; Davis, E; Knych, H; Guedes, A; Smith, F; Madigan, JE | Abstract: BackgroundIntrathecal lidocaine hydrochloride under general anesthesia has been used as an alternative method of euthanasia in equids. Carnivore, scavenger, and even human consumption of horse meat from carcasses have been anecdotally reported in rural areas after this method of euthanasia. The presence of drug residues in horse meat has not been investigated.Hypothesis/objectivesTo investigate if drug residues are found in horse tissues and determine their concentrations.AnimalsOf 11 horses requiring euthanasia for medical reasons.MethodsProspective descriptive study. Horses were anesthetized with total IV dose of xylazine (mean, 2.5 mg/kg), midazolam (0.1 mg/kg), and ketamine hydrochloride (mean, 5.8 mg/kg). An atlanto-occipital cisterna centesis for the collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and administration of lidocaine hydrochloride (4 mg/kg) was performed. Blood samples for both serum and plasma, skeletal muscle (triceps brachii, gluteus medius), and CSF were collected for the determination of drug residues. Frozen skeletal muscle available from 5 additional horses that received standard dosages of drugs for short-term anesthesia (xylazine 1.1 mg/kg, midazolam 0.1 mg/kg, and ketamine 2.2 mg/kg) also were analyzed.ResultsDrug residues were found in the tissues of all horses, but at extremely low concentrations.Conclusions and clinical importanceEuthanasia by administration of lidocaine intrathecally to horses under IV anesthesia poses a low risk of toxicity to carnivores and scavengers that might consume muscle tissue from a carcass in which this protocol has been used.
Signal type and signal-to-noise ratio interact to affect cortical auditory evoked potentials

Use of speech signals and background noise is emerging in cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) studies; however, the interaction between signal type and noise level remains unclear. Two experiments determined the interaction between signal type and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on CAEPs. Three signals (syllable /ba/, 1000-Hz tone, and the /ba/ envelope with 1000-Hz fine structure) with varying SNRs were used in two experiments, demonstrating signal-by-SNR interactions due to both envelope and spectral characteristics. When using real-world stimuli such as speech to evoke CAEPs, temporal and spectral complexity leads to differences with traditional tonal stimuli, especially when presented in background noise.
Is anyone out there

In his new book The Aliens are Coming!, Ben Miller provides a light-hearted but thorough exploration of the science behind the search for intelligent alien life—what it might be like, where and how we might find it—and reflects on whether we could understand or recognize an alien at all.
Review of early 21st-century Monte Carlo perturbation and sensitivity techniques for k-eigenvalue radiation transport calculations

Since the 1960s, Monte Carlo methods have been used to compute the effect of perturbations on system responses and for computing sensitivity coefficients. This review article focuses on 21st-centur...
Management of Platelet Disorders and Platelet Transfusions in ICU Patients

Thrombocytopenia or receipt of antiplatelet drugs, with or without bleeding, is a common indication for platelet transfusions in the ICU. However, there is almost no evidence base for these practices other than expert opinion. Also common is use of platelet transfusions prior to invasive procedures or surgery in patients with thrombocytopenia. Likewise, there is no high-quality evidence that such practices are efficacious or safe. Recently, it has become clear that, whether causal or not, patients receiving prophylactic platelet transfusions experience high rates of nosocomial infection, thrombosis, organ failure, and mortality, which increase the urgency and need for randomized trials to assess these practices. Investigational methods of improving the safety and efficacy of platelet transfusions include use of alternate strategies such as antifibrinolytics; use of ABO-identical, leukoreduced, and washed platelet transfusions; and improved storage solutions.
Comparison of the Luminal and Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in the Colon of Pigs with and without Swine Dysentery.

Colonic contents and mucosal scrapings from pigs inoculated with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae or Brachyspira hampsonii were collected at necropsy and classified as either positive (n=29) or negative (n=7) for swine dysentery based upon lesions and positive culture from the source pig. The microbiota in each sample was analyzed by bacterial census taking (16S rRNA gene sequencing). Procrustes analysis revealed similar clustering by disease classification with a relatively high M2 value (0.44) suggesting differences in the microbiota between mucosal and luminal samples from the same pig. In both sample types, differences in richness and beta diversity were observed between disease statuses (P ≤ 0.014). The relative abundance of Brachyspirales, Campylobacterales, Desulfovibrionales, and Enterobacteriales,was higher in pigs with dysentery for both mucosal scrapings and luminal samples while Clostridiales, Erysipelotrichales, and Fusobacteriales were significantly more abundant in the luminal contents only. For inoculated pigs that did not develop dysentery, Burkholderiales were more abundant in both sample types, Bacteroidales and Synergistales were more abundant in mucosal scrapings, and Lactobacillales and Bifidobacteriales were more abundant in luminal contents when compared with diseased pigs. Linear discriminant analysis of effect size revealed Brachyspira, Campylobacter, Mogibacterium, and multiple Desulfovibrio spp. as differential features in mucosal scrapings from pigs with dysentery while Lactobacillus and a Bifidobacterium sp. were differential in pigs without disease. These differential features were not observed in luminal samples. In summary, microbial profiles in both sample types differ significantly between disease states; however, evaluation of the mucosal microbiome specifically may be of higher value in elucidating bacterial mechanisms underlying development of swine dysentery.
Measurement-based scheduler for multi-class QoE optimization in wireless networks

Traditional wireless schedulers have been driven by rate-based criteria, e.g., utility maximizing/proportionally fair, and/or queue-based packet schedulers which do not directly reflect the Quality of Experience (QoE) associated with flow-based transactions and services. This paper proposes, a Measurement-Based Delay Optimal (MBDO) scheduler, which optimizes a cost function of the mean flow delays in a multi-class system, e.g,. web interactive, file downloads, etc. In this context the cost function expresses desired trade-offs amongst traffic classes reflecting heterogeneous QoE sensitivities which are nonlinear in the flow delays and/or system loads. To achieve optimality, MBDO scheduling uses measured system variables and knowledge (or measurement) of class flow-size distributions to adapt a weighted Gittins index scheduler. We show that under mild assumptions, and in a stationary regime, that MBDO scheduling is indeed asymptotically optimal. Perhaps more importantly, MBDO schedulers can self-optimize by adapting to slowly varying traffic loads, mixes and flow size distributions. Our extensive simulations confirm the effectiveness at realizing trade-offs and performance of the proposed approach.
Free to Care: Socrates’ Political Engagement

Taking her bearings from Socrates’ remark in Apology that “I always do your business, going to each of you privately, as a father or an older brother might do, persuading you to care for virtue” (31b), Weiss argues that Socrates’ relationship with Alcibiades exemplifies Socrates’ freedom to care. Freedom to care means, in large part, freedom from the desires that might lead a teacher to sexually exploit his student. As Alcibiades testifies, Socrates exhibits the kind of self-control that is an absolutely necessary condition for being genuinely able to help others toward virtue.
Options for fertility preservation in men and boys with cancer.

Fertility is a critical quality of life issue in young men faced with a new diagnosis of malignancy. Fortunately, many options are available for the acquisition and storage of sperm, and fertility preservation is possible in the majority of cases. In this chapter we review the reproductive toxicities of cancer and cancer therapy, and the clinical management of young men whose fertility is threatened by cancer. The optimal utilization of sperm banking and strategies for fertility preservation in men with ejaculatory dysfunction and azoospermia are discussed. Lastly, emerging options for fertility preservation in pre-pubertal boys are reviewed.
Chronic Sinus Disease and Asthma

For many years the upper and lower airway of humans have been regarded as anatomically and fundamentally separate and distinct with little or no relationship. In this chapter, I will attempt to show with data from experimental animal and human studies that relationships do exist between the upper and lower airway; that disease of one may affect function of the other; and that appropriate therapy of one part of the respiratory tract may result in improvement in the state of the other.
The impact of age on number and distribution of proliferating cells in subgranular zone in adult mouse brain.

Abstract The mouse brain retains an ability to produce hippocampal granule neurons during the mouse’s entire lifespan. The neurons are produced in the subgranular zone (SGZ) located on the inner surface of the granule cell layer in the dentate gyrus (DG). In our study, we used a point cloud approach to characterize how the production and distribution of neural precursors for new hippocampal neurons change in the mouse brain relative to age. We found that the production of neural precursors decreases 64 fold from the age of 30 days to the age of 2.5 years. Within the SGZ the decline of cell proliferation continues during entire mouse life. We reconstructed the distribution of proliferating cells along the longitudinal axis of the SGZ and found that the highest number of proliferating cells are located approximately 0.75 mm from the dorsomedial end of the SGZ that corresponds to the most dorsal part of the DG in the mouse brain. The distribution of proliferating cells in the SGZ showed no apparent aggregations, periodicity or any other readily identifiable spatial characteristics. Proliferating cells in the SGZ tended to be located separately from other proliferating cells. About two thirds of them have no closely located other proliferating cells, and the remaining third is located in small clusters comprised of 2 or 3 proliferating cells. Based on our measurements, we calculated that from the age of 30 days to the age of 2.5 years 1.5 million neural precursors are produced in the SGZ.
The Modified 5-Item Frailty Index: A Concise and Useful Tool for Assessing the Impact of Frailty on Postoperative Morbidity Following Elective Posterior Lumbar Fusions.

Background The modified 5-item frailty index (mFI-5) is a concise comorbidity-based risk stratification tool that has been shown to predict the occurrence of adverse outcomes following various orthopedic surgeries. Methods The 2012–2016 American College of Surgeons - National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) dataset was used to identify patients undergoing an elective 1- to 2-level posterior lumbar fusion for degenerative lumbar pathology. The mFI-5 score was calculated based on the presence of the 5 co-morbidities: congestive heart failure within 30 days prior to surgery, insulin-dependent or noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or pneumonia, partially dependent or totally dependent functional health status at time of surgery, and hypertension requiring medication. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the independent impact of increasing mFI-5 score on postoperative morbidity while controlling for baseline clinical characteristics. Results Increasing mFI-5 score versus mFI-5 = 0 was associated with higher odds of any complication (mFI-5 ≥2: odds ratio [OR] 1.45; mFI-5 = 1: OR 1.22), 30-day readmissions (mFI-5 ≥2: OR 1.46; mFI-5 = 1: OR 1.18), and nonhome discharge (mFI-5 ≥2: OR 1.80; mFI-5 = 1: OR 1.16). Higher mFI-5 score was significantly associated with increased risks of superficial surgical site infection, deep surgical site infection, unplanned reoperation, any medical complication, pneumonia, unplanned intubation, postoperative ventilator use, progressive renal insufficiency, acute renal failure, urinary tract infection, stroke, myocardial infarction, bleeding requiring transfusion, sepsis, and septic shock. Conclusions Higher mFI-5 scores were associated with increased postoperative morbidity following elective 1- to 2-level posterior lumbar fusions.
Reserve and Alzheimer's disease genetic risk: Effects on hospitalization and mortality

Abstract Introduction Cognitive reserve predicts delayed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and faster postdiagnosis decline. The net impact of cognitive reserve, combining both prediagnosis and postdiagnosis risk, on adverse AD-related outcomes is unknown. We adopted a novel approach, using AD genetic risk scores (AD-GRS), to evaluate this. Methods Using 242,959 UK Biobank participants age 56+ years, we evaluated whether cognitive reserve (operationalized as education) modified associations between AD-GRS and mortality or hospitalization (total count, fall-related, and urinary tract infection–related). Results AD-GRS predicted mortality and hospitalization outcomes. Education did not modify AD-GRS effects on mortality, but had a nonsignificantly (interaction P = .10) worse effect on hospitalizations due to urinary tract infection or falls among low education (OR = 1.07 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.12]) than high education (OR = 1.01 [0.95, 1.07]) individuals. Discussion Education did not convey differential survival advantages to individuals with higher genetic risk of AD, but may reduce hospitalization risk associated with AD genetic risk.
Effects of 1-MHz Ultrasound on Epaxial Muscle Temperature in Horses.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the tissue temperature changes that occur at various depths during 1.0-MHz ultrasound (US) treatments of the epaxial muscles in horses. Animals: Ten healthy adult mares with no lameness or orthopedic disease weighing between 465 – 576 kg were studied. Procedures: Two 1.0-MHz US treatments, one at an intensity of 1.0 W/cm2 and one at 2.0 W/cm2, were administered to the epaxial region. Needle thermistors were inserted in the epaxial muscles below the skin surface at depths of 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 cm, directly under the US treatment area. Depths were verified with diagnostic ultrasound. Both intensities of US treatment were performed on each horse over a 20 cm2 area for 10 minutes using a sound head with an effective radiating area of 10 cm2. Treatments were administered in random order. Tissue temperature was measured before, during, and for an additional 10 minutes after the end of US treatment. Data was recorded at 30 second intervals for each treatment condition and used for statistical analysis. Results: At the completion of the 10 minute US treatment, the temperature rise at an intensity of 1.0 W/cm2 was 1.70°C at the 1.0 cm depth, 1.03°C at 3.0 cm depth, and 1.23°C at 5.0 cm depth. At an intensity of 2.0 W/cm2, temperatures rose 2.61°C at the 1.0 cm depth, 1.15°C at 3.0 cm depth, and 1.93°C at 5.0 cm depth. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: This study demonstrates that significant heating occurs in the epaxial muscles of horses during 1.0-MHz US with the greatest heating occurring at a depth of 1.0 cm.
"The Most Trustworthy Coin": How Ideological Tensions Drive Trust in Bitcoin

Bitcoin is an innovative technological network, a new, non-governmental currency, and a worldwide group of users. In other words, Bitcoin is a complex sociotechnical system with a complex set of risks and challenges for anyone using it. We investigated how everyday users of Bitcoin develop trust in Bitcoin on one of the largest online communities devoted to Bitcoin: the Reddit.com r/bitcoin forum. Using qualitative content analysis, we examined how trust in Bitcoin develops based on contributions to this community. On r/bitcoin, trust in Bitcoin is driven by a pervasive ideology we call the "True Bitcoiner" ideology. This ideological viewpoint in centered on the interpretation of Bitcoin as functionally "trustless" and risk-free. Despite widespread evidence of emerging individual and system-level risks with using Bitcoin, participants continue to maintain this ideological perspective. This ideology consists of three primary beliefs: viewing Bitcoin's technology as more trustworthy than its people; rejecting 'corrupt' social hierarchies related to money; and the importance of accumulating or 'HODLing' quantities of Bitcoin as a strategy to create an ideal future. We conclude that this "True Bitcoiner" ideology is maintained despite contradictory evidence in the world because it allows participants to more easily interpret Bitcoin and make decisions by reducing perceived risk and uncertainty in the system. The role of this ideology on r/bitcoin demonstrates an expanded conceptualization of how trust is created and socially-mediated in socio-technical contexts.
Clustering-independent analysis of genomic data using spectral simplicial theory

The prevailing paradigm for the analysis of biological data involves comparing groups of replicates from different conditions (e.g. control and treatment) to statistically infer features that discriminate them (e.g. differentially expressed genes). However, many situations in modern genomics such as single-cell omics experiments do not fit well into this paradigm because they lack true replicates. In such instances, spectral techniques could be used to rank features according to their degree of consistency with an underlying metric structure without the need to cluster samples. Here, we extend spectral methods for feature selection to abstract simplicial complexes and present a general framework for clustering-independent analysis. Combinatorial Laplacian scores take into account the topology spanned by the data and reduce to the ordinary Laplacian score when restricted to graphs. We demonstrate the utility of this framework with several applications to the analysis of gene expression and multi-modal genomic data. Specifically, we perform differential expression analysis in situations where samples cannot be grouped into distinct classes, and we disaggregate differentially expressed genes according to the topology of the expression space (e.g. alternative paths of differentiation). We also apply this formalism to identify genes with spatial patterns of expression using fluorescence in-situ hybridization data and to establish associations between genetic alterations and global expression patterns in large cross-sectional studies. Our results provide a unifying perspective on topological data analysis and manifold learning approaches to the analysis of large-scale biological datasets.
Executive Cognitive Functions and Behavioral Control Differentially Predict HbA1c in Type 1 Diabetes across Emerging Adulthood

Objectives:To examine the contributions of two aspects of executive functioning (executive cognitive functions and behavioral control) to changes in diabetes management across emerging adulthood.Methods:Two hundred and forty-seven high school seniors with type 1 diabetes were assessed at baseline and followed up for 3 years. The baseline assessment battery included performance-based measures of executive cognitive functions, behavioral control, IQ estimate (IQ-est), and psychomotor speed; self-report of adherence to diabetes regimen; and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) assay kits as a reflection of glycemic control.Results:Linear and quadratic growth curve models were used to simultaneously examine baseline performance on four cognitive variables (executive cognitive functions, behavioral control, IQ, and psychomotor speed) as predictors of indices of diabetes management (HbA1c and adherence) across four time points. Additionally, general linear regressions examined relative contributions of each cognitive variable at individual time points. The results showed that higher behavioral control at baseline was related to lower (better) HbA1c levels across all four time points. In contrast, executive cognitive functions at baseline were related to HbA1c trajectories, accounting for increasingly more HbA1c variance over time with increasing transition to independence. IQ-est was not related to HbA1c levels or changes over time, but accounted instead for HbA1c variance at baseline (while teens were still living at home), above and beyond all other variables. Cognition was unrelated to adherence.Conclusions:Different aspects of cognition play a different role in diabetes management at different time points during emerging adulthood years.
The Mountain Weather and Climate of Denali, Alaska—An Overview

AbstractAn overview of climatological and meteorological conditions and their seasonal variability in the Denali summit region is presented, based on the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis 1 dataset for the 1948...
An assessment of production trends on the Great Plains from 1984 to 2017

Abstract Throughout the Great Plains, aboveground annual net primary productivity (ANPP) is a critical ecosystem service supporting billions of dollars of commerce and countless stakeholders. Managers and producers struggle with high interannual change in ANPP, which often varies 40% between years due to fluctuating precipitation and drought. To quantify ANPP trends and evaluate interannual and spatial variation, we created the Rangeland Production Monitoring Service (RPMS), a spatially explicit database with automatic annual updates of ANPP for all rangelands in the conterminous United States. The RPMS establishes relationships between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from remote sensing data and ANPP from soil ecological site descriptions. These relationships were applied to NDVI data in each year from 1984 to present, although the present assessment focuses on the period from 1984 to 2017. Validation metrics include an r2 of 89% between predicted and observed ANPP at three locations in the Great Plains. For this special issue, we assess data from the RPMS to quantify trends and variation of ANPP in the Great Plains region for four major grassland types, smaller-scale ecological subsections, and national grassland units. Significant (α ≤ 0.05) increases in ANPP since 1984 were observed across all major grassland types in the Great Plains, particularly the northern mixed-grass prairie, which also had the greatest interannual variation (21%) from 1984 to 2017. Corresponding significant increases (P
A Perspective on Submesoscale Geophysical Turbulence

Define the submesoscale regime as the geophysical fluid dynamics that arise from advective processes and that have a marginal degree of dynamical control by planetary rotation and stable density stratification. The degrees are conventionally measured by a Rossby number, Ro=V/fL (V a horizontal speed, f the Coriolis frequency, L a horizontal length), and a Froude number, Fr=V/NH (N a stratification frequency, H a vertical length), respectively; small Ro, Fr imply strong control. This regime lies in between the highly anisotropic (H≪L) planetary and mesoscale regimes on larger scales — with small Ro, Fr, hence approximate diagnostic force balances: geostrophic in the horizontal direction and hydrostatic in the vertical direction — and the more isotropic microscale regime — with large Ro, Fr, hence little or no rotational, stratified control and frequent violations of diagnostic force balance. The activation of the submesoscale is primarily by energy transfer from mesoscale flows. Submesoscale turbulence occurs in both the ocean and atmosphere on horizontal scales \(\leq \ {\mathcal{O}}(10)\) km and time scales \(\leq \ {\mathcal{O}}(10^{5})\) s. Inertia-gravity waves are considered a separate phenomenon since they have primarily non-advective generation and evolution, although they often co-populate the same space and time scales as submesoscale flows. Clouds are also considered as a separate phenomenon not considered here. Thus, the submesoscale regime is perhaps less simply matched to the atmosphere than the ocean, though relevant for both. My focus below is oceanic.
Structural coloration using face turning and variable tool vibration frequency

Abstract The technique of manufacturing surface micro-/nano- structures to colorize metal surfaces by using elliptical vibrating cutting has been continuously developed and has good industrial potential. However, the image rendering is based on a raster scan path and constant variation of cutting velocity. The process efficiency and stability are significantly restricted. In this study, a new approach is proposed to implement the elliptical vibration texturing in a face turning setup, where the image rendering is achieved by an equidistant spiral tool path and modulation of the tool vibration frequency. The basic principle is that, while moving at a constant surface velocity, the tool follows a variable frequency elliptical vibration to machine gratings with different spacings on the workpiece surface. In order to ensure the uniformity in the radial direction and the consistency of the color under the same frequency excitation, a smoothly accelerated equidistant spiral tool path is designed. In addition, since the running speed of the machine tool is not completely synchronized with the signal of the tool vibration, a compensation method through the pre-experimental calibration test is proposed. The machining test on the ultra-precision lathe is performed. It is found that on the compensated machined image, cumulative errors caused by the asynchronous operation of the lathe and vibration tool are eliminated, which validates the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.
Effective wave factorization for a stochastic Schrödinger equation

Abstract We study the homogenization of a stochastic Schrodinger equation with a large periodic potential in solid state physics. Denoting by e the period, the potential is scaled as e − 2 . Under a generic assumption on the spectral properties of the associated cell problem, we prove that the solution can be approximately factorized as the product of a fast oscillating cell eigenfunction and of a slowly varying solution of an effective equation. Our method is based on two-scale convergence and Bloch waves theory.
SAT0148 Fibromyalgia syndrome characterised by patient-reported sleep, fatigue, mood and quality of life

Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition of pain, tender points and multiple associated symptoms. A diagnosis is made by the ACR 1990 criteria requiring a history of widespread pain and pain in 11 of 18 tender points. Although pain is required for a diagnosis, the associated symptoms contribute to the syndromatic nature of the condition. This trial included measures of sleep, fatigue, mood, QoL and pain. Objectives Methods 529 fibromyalgia patients per ACR criteria were assessed at baseline after discontinuing meds used for FM pain/insomnia (e.g. antidepressants, sedatives). The questionnaires were the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS), Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and SF-36. The MOS-SS has 12-items with an index score and 7 subscales: disturbance, snoring, awakening short of breath/headache (SOB/HA), adequacy, somnolence (range 0–100); quantity of sleep (reported hours); and, optimal sleep (% with 7–8 h). Higher scores on the MOS-SS indicate more of the measured domain. The MAF has 16 items and 1 global index score from items measuring severity, distress, impact on activities and frequency of fatigue (range 1–50). The HADS has 14-items for anxiety/depression ranging from 0–21. Higher MAF and HADS scores indicate greater impairment. The SF-36 has 8 subscales measuring general health status with higher scores indicating better health states. Results Demographics and pain scores are reported in the companion abstract by Corbin, et al. 2001. Baseline MOS-SS were: overall problems (62.3), disturbance (62.5), snoring (36.9), SOB/HA (36.1), adequacy (19.7), somnolence (49.5), quantity (5.6), and 21.7% reported optimal sleep. The fatigue index was 38.9 and the HADS scores were mild with anxiety (10.1) and depression (8.6). SF-36 scores were physical function (40.5), role physical (15.2), bodily pain (27.6), general health (47.5), vitality (20.4), social functioning (48.8), role-emotional (46.0) and mental health (58.7). Conclusion These data suggest that FM patients have impaired sleep and concomitant fatigue based on relatively high index scores. The predominant sleep problems were disrupted and inadequate sleep with a fair amount of somnolence. Patients reported low quality of life, particularly on domains of bodily pain, role physical, and vitality. Along with a high level of pain, impairments in sleep, fatigue and QoL were reported in this FM population.
Ways of Price Making and the Challenge of Market Governance in U.S. Energy Law

Price formation has emerged as one of the most complex and contested areas of U.S. energy law. In the natural gas markets, questions about the integrity of price indices, which serve as key benchmarks for billions of dollars in transactions and investments across the industry, have been the subject of recurring investigations, enforcement actions, and regulatory proceedings at FERC since the California energy crisis of 2000–01. In electricity, manipulation and gaming of the market-clearing algorithms that structure the organized power markets have also preoccupied FERC since the California crisis, and ongoing controversies regarding how to value various generation attributes and how to handle government subsidies within these pricing structures have become particularly acute over the last several years. Not surprisingly, issues of pricing have also given rise to extensive litigation, posing hard questions about markets, jurisdiction, and the structure of federalism that animates much of U.S. energy law. Indeed, each of the three major Supreme Court cases on energy since 2015 has focused on jurisdictional questions stemming from the ways of price making in natural gas and electricity markets. This Article argues that these ongoing challenges of market governance in natural gas and electricity need to be understood as struggles over the core technologies of price making. By unpacking these ways of price making—a task that takes us deep into the technical details of these markets—the Article develops a novel perspective on U.S. energy law, showing how larger questions of law and political economy are implicated in the highly specialized and seemingly neutral exercises aimed at constructing and maintaining the complex price-making machines at the heart of these markets. Such an approach leads to a different set of considerations for regulatory reform—one that rejects the tired dualism of regulation versus markets that has dominated energy law since the 1970s and embraces a view of price making as a delicate and contested exercise aimed at harnessing the power of competition and directing it toward public ends. It also points to a broader set of concerns that are increasingly relevant in a world marked by widespread and growing enthusiasm for designer markets and the adoption of new, often algorithmic, approaches to pricing.
Covid-19 impacts at a small mid-atlantic liberal-arts college with implications for stem education

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with very little preparation and within a brief span of 48 hours, the Wesley College STEM faculty and students triaged into a remote-only form of instruction. Wesley College STEM student COVID-19 impact surveys showed underlying gaps in economic equity, increased family responsibilities, struggles to stay motivated, social isolation, and higher levels of psychological stress. Yet, the crisis demonstrated new ways in which technology can be harnessed and allowed STEM students to reconsider how jobs and skills should be aligned. A STEM faculty COVID-19 check-in survey and interview responses revealed a quick realization that faculty could not rely solely on Wesley's Jenzebar learning management system (MyWesley). To engage their students and to create a supportive learning environment, STEM faculty sought new strategies and approaches for a diverse set of STEM learners. For synchronous e-teaching, the faculty used the Microsoft-Teams and the Zoom video conferencing platforms. Faculty only adopted MyWesley to execute dedicated asynchronous tasks (laboratory assignments, reports, exams). The STEM students were overwhelmingly positive about STEM faculty availability during the crisis. Still, both faculty and students indicated a much stronger preference for the face-to-face delivery of their course content via a traditional classroom setting.
Eating disorder risk identification through embedded electronic medical record prompting

To evaluate whether the use of electronic medical record (EMR) to prompt universal eating disorder screening with a short questionnaire improved risk detection in a college gynecology clinic. Desig...
Selective genotyping and phenotypic data inclusion strategies of crossbred progeny for combined crossbred and purebred selection in swine breeding.

Inclusion of crossbred (CB) data into traditionally purebred (PB) genetic evaluations has been shown to increase the response in CB performance. Currently, it is unrealistic to collect data on all CB animals in swine production systems, thus, a subset of CB animals must be selected to contribute genomic/phenotypic information. The aim of this study was to evaluate selective genotyping strategies in a simulated 3-way swine crossbreeding scheme. The swine crossbreeding scheme was simulated and produced 3-way CB animals for 6 generations with 3 distinct PB breeds each with 25 and 175 mating males and females, respectively. F1 crosses (400 mating females) produced 4,000 terminal CB progeny which were subjected to selective genotyping. The genome consisted of 18 chromosomes with 1,800 QTL and 72k SNP markers. Selection was performed using estimated breeding values (EBV) for CB performance. It was assumed that both PB and CB performance was moderately heritable (h2=0.4). Several scenarios altering the genetic correlation between PB and CB performance (rpc=0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7,or 0.9) were considered. CB animals were chosen based on phenotypes to select 200, 400, or 800 CB animals to genotype per generation. Selection strategies included: (1) Random: random selection, (2) Top: highest phenotype, (3) Bottom: lowest phenotype, (4) Extreme: half highest and half lowest phenotypes, and (5) Middle: average phenotype. Each selective genotyping strategy, except for Random, was considered by selecting animals in half-sib (HS) or full-sib (FS) families. The number of PB animals with genotypes and phenotypes each generation was fixed at 1,680. Each unique genotyping strategy and rpc scenario was replicated 10 times. Selection of CB animals based on the Extreme strategy resulted in the highest (P 0.05) ΔG. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in ΔG between top, bottom, or middle when rpc>0.1. Higher correlations between true breeding values (TBV) and EBV were observed using Extreme when rpc<0.9. In general, family sampling method did not impact ΔG or the correlation between TBV and EBV. Overall, the Extreme genotyping strategy produced the greatest genetic gain and the highest correlations between TBV and EBV, suggesting that 2-tailed sampling of CB animals is the most informative when CB performance is the selection goal.
Enabling rapid COVID-19 small molecule drug design through scalable deep learning of generative models

We improved the quality and reduced the time to produce machine learned models for use in small molecule antiviral design. Our globally asynchronous multi-level parallel training approach strong sc...
Moderate and deep procedural sedation-the role of proper monitoring and safe techniques in clinical practice.

Purpose of review Interventional pain management procedures provide significant improvement to patient quality of life and functionality. In-office procedures are becoming an increasingly more common site of pain management intervention for patients with minimal risk of harm. Recent findings Moderate and deep sedation techniques can be used in patients with high anxiety, complex pharmacotherapy, or a low pain threshold. Proper guidance and oversight by an attending anesthesiologist, in addition to appropriate monitoring, are key. Epidural steroid injection complications rates have been cited at 2.4%, with the most common complications noted as persistent pain and flushing. Summary Serious complication errors can be avoided with proper supervision and monitoring. The adherence to published societal recommendations and guidelines for indications of when to use moderate to deep sedation techniques, and appropriate supervision and monitoring methods, can avoid errors in interventional pain management procedures.
Pentose Phosphate Pathway Reactions in Photosynthesizing Cells

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is divided into an oxidative branch that makes pentose phosphates and a non-oxidative branch that consumes pentose phosphates, though the non-oxidative branch is considered reversible. A modified version of the non-oxidative branch is a critical component of the Calvin-Benson cycle that converts CO2 into sugar. The reaction sequence in the Calvin-Benson cycle is from triose phosphates to pentose phosphates, the opposite of the typical direction of the non-oxidative PPP. The photosynthetic direction is favored by replacing the transaldolase step of the normal non-oxidative PPP with a second aldolase reaction plus sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase. This can be considered an anabolic version of the non-oxidative PPP and is found in a few situations other than photosynthesis. In addition to the strong association of the non-oxidative PPP with photosynthesis metabolism, there is recent evidence that the oxidative PPP reactions are also important in photosynthesizing cells. These reactions can form a shunt around the non-oxidative PPP section of the Calvin-Benson cycle, consuming three ATP per glucose 6-phosphate consumed. A constitutive operation of this shunt occurs in the cytosol and gives rise to an unusual labeling pattern of photosynthetic metabolites while an inducible shunt in the stroma may occur in response to stress.
Diagnosis, prevention, and management of canine hip dysplasia: a review

Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is a polygenic and multifactorial developmental disorder characterized by coxofemoral (hip) joint laxity, degeneration, and osteoarthritis (OA). Current diagnostic techniques are largely subjective measures of joint conformation performed at different stages of development. Recently, measures on three-dimensional images generated from computed tomography scans predicted the development of OA associated with CHD. Continued refinement of similar imaging methods may improve diagnostic imaging techniques to identify dogs predisposed to degenerative hip joint changes. By current consensus, joint changes consistent with CHD are influenced by genetic predisposition as well as environmental and biomechanical factors; however, despite decades of work, the relative contributions of each to the development and extent of CHD signs remain elusive. Similarly, despite considerable effort to decipher the genetic underpinnings of CHD for selective breeding programs, relevant genetic loci remain equivocal. As such, prevention of CHD within domestic canine populations is marginally successful. Conservative management is often employed to manage signs of CHD, with lifelong maintenance of body mass as one of the most promising methods. Surgical intervention is often employed to prevent joint changes or restore joint function, but there are no gold standards for either goal. To date, all CHD phenotypes are considered as a single entity in spite of recognized differences in expression and response to environmental conditions and treatment. Identification of distinct CHD phenotypes and targeting evidence-based conservative and invasive treatments for each may significantly advance prevention and management of a prevalent, debilitating condition in canine companions.