cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
B lymphocytes secrete FasL+ exosomes capable of inducing apoptosis in CD4+ T cells (61.6)

B lymphocytes possess immunosuppressive properties such as secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 and the expression of apoptosis-inducing molecules. We have previously identified a murine splenic B cell population which expresses the death-inducing molecule Fas Ligand (FasL) and showed that these cells can directly kill antigen-specific T cells. Upon screening a panel of human B cell-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) for expression of FasL, we found that a high frequency of LCLs constitutively produce intracellular FasL as determined by immunoblot and intracellular staining. Secretory exosomes ( + FasL + exosomes was confirmed by incubating exosomes with anti-MHCII-coated beads and showing the presence of FasL on MHCII + exosome-coated beads by flow cytometry. Exosomes derived from LCLs were capable of inducing significant levels of apoptosis in autologous CD4 + T cells in the presence of superantigen. Finally, preliminary data suggest that splenic murine exosomes bound to anti-IgM-coated beads stain positive for the presence of FasL. These data indicate a novel role for B cells as producers of immunosuppressive exosomes and suggest that LCL-derived MHCII + FasL + exosomes may represent a novel therapy for T cell-mediated autoimmunity.
Optical Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films Deposited by Laser Ablation

Various optical techniques, including Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy (PDS), ellipsometry, and transmission measurements, have been used to examine the optical properties of diamond like C films deposited at various laser power densities on Si and fused quartz. The absorption coefficients of these films are typically above 5 × 10 4 cm −1 throughout the visible part of the spectrum, decreasing quasi-exponentially in the infra-red. Larger sp 2 /sp 3 bonding ratios caused by deposition at lower laser power settings noticeably increase film absorption coefficients. While Tauc plots of our absorption data yield bandgaps of 1.5-1.0 eV, the quality of these fits is unimpressive and the slopes are unphysically low. Rather than modelling these materials as narrow gap semiconductors, we have pursued another avenue: treating the films as a mixture of small graphitic particles embedded in a diamond, sp 3 -like matrix. We will discuss the results of this approach as well as the evolution of the optical properties after thermal anneals.
Low Dielectric Constant Materials Integration Challenges

Considerable effort has been expended in recent years in the development, evaluation, and integration of new low Kc dielectric materials for IC applications. Many film properties must be measured before a film can be selected for integration into an interconnect process flow. Among them are glass transition temperature, thermal stability, Young's modulus, adhesion, stress, coefficient of thermal expansion, dielectric constant, breakdown voltage, solvent resistance, dry etch characteristics, and gap fill performance. These properties must in turn be considered when developing interconnect process modules and selecting the associated equipment set. The properties of these materials differ from those of the commonly used (PE)CVD silicon dioxides to varying extents, depending upon the nature of their composition and structure. This has often resulted in substantial modifications to the modules that comprise interconnect process flows, sometimes compromising manufacturability. This paper will address some of the issues associated with the integration of low K materials into interconnect process flows and how they are related to the properties of these materials.
A qualitative evaluation of the Counseling Competencies Scale with clinical supervisors and their supervisees

This investigation was a qualitative evaluation of the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS; Swank, Lambie, & Witta, 2012) with clinical supervisors (N = 6) and their supervisees (N = 23) during their graduate-level practicum counseling experience. Five themes were identified (cognitive understanding, emotional understanding, feedback, trustworthiness, and gatekeeping), underscoring both the benefits and challenges within utilizing the CCS.
Multimodal Data Analytics Comparative Visualization Tool: Case Study of Pedestrian Crossing Design

The purpose of this paper is to define a visualization method to evaluate the performance of a multimodal traffic signal system. Previous studies have concentrated on performance assessment for single modes, such as delay, travel time of passenger vehicles, and transit running times. The methodology presented in this paper considers an integrated approach to multimodal performance assessment. A tool, called a multimodal performance dashboard, was developed to visualize the relationship between various performance measures and multiple modes. Dashboards can be used to characterize the performance of an existing system and also for before-and-after studies when a new design is implemented. Radar diagrams are the basic element of the multimodal performance dashboard and are constructed for performance measures (e.g., passenger vehicle travel time, transit delay, pedestrian volume, and truck stops) and for each movement at an intersection. An arterial corridor in the SMARTDrive test bed of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Department of Transportation was analyzed with the Vissim microsimulation model to study the effects of different designs and signal timing strategies on several performance measures for vehicles and pedestrians. According to the results of this study, choosing an appropriate control strategy can affect the different movements of different modes (including pedestrians) in a variety of ways. The more modes involved in the system, the more challenging it is to determine the proper control strategy. Using this comparative tool, alongside statistical models, makes it easier for decision makers to understand, visualize, and analyze data.
Sporadic Gastric Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors Have a Higher Ki-67 Proliferative Index

Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (WDNET) of the stomach can arise in three distinct clinical settings: (1) in association with autoimmune atrophic gastritis, (2) in association with multiple neuroendocrine neoplasia type I (MEN I) or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES), or (3) sporadic. The Ki-67 proliferative index (PI) in gastric WDNETs in these three distinct clinical settings has not been evaluated in detail. Forty-five gastric WNETs underwent polypectomy (n = 4), endoscopic mucosal resection (n = 12), and surgical resection (n = 29) between 1994 and 2015 were included. HE grade 2 (G2), n = 15; and grade 3 (G3), n = 4] than in type I WDNETs [G1, n = 5; G2, n = 12] and in type II WDNETs [G1, n = 2; G2, n = 4] (p = 0.050, overall). Ki-67 PI was significantly higher in type III WDNETs (mean ± SD = 13.0 ± 13.3 %) than in non-sporadic (type I and II) WDNETs (mean ± SD = 5.3 ± 3.3 %; p = 0.015). There was no difference in Ki-67 PI between type I WDNETs (mean ± SD = 5.2 ± 3.5 %) and type II WDNETs (mean ± SD = 5.6 ± 3.1%; p = 0.817). Higher Ki-67 PI was associated with higher tumor T stage (p = 0.003) and also tended to be associated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.071). In the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, type I was associated with a significantly longer disease-free survival (DFS) time compared to type II (p = 0.018) or III (0.010). Also, the WHO G3 group had a significantly shorter DFS time than the WHO G1 (p = 0.020) or G2 (p = 0.007) group. Gastric WDNET is a heterogeneous disease entity encompassing three clinical subtypes-type I, type II, and type III-having their own distinct clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis. Our results showed that sporadic (type III) WDNET had a significantly higher Ki-67 PI than non-sporadic cases (type I or II); increased PI was associated with higher tumor stage. We also described four type III cases of morphologically WD gastric NET with WHO grade 3 on the basis of Ki-67 PI.
Ingested (oral) rituximab inhibits EAE.

Abstract Background Blocking CD20 can inhibit autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objective We examined whether an antibody against CD20, rituximab (RTX) (Rituxan®), used clinically in oncology, MS and RA would have similar anti-inflammatory effects in EAE after oral administration. Design/methods B6 mice were immunized with MOG peptide 35–55 and gavaged with control saline or RTX during ongoing disease. Splenocytes or CD4 + T cells from control fed or RTX fed mice were adoptively transferred into active MOG peptide 35–55 immunized recipient mice during ongoing disease. Actively fed and recipient mice were examined for disease inhibition, inflammation, and cytokine responses. Results Ingested (oral) RTX inhibited ongoing disease and decreased inflammation. Adoptively transferred cells from RTX fed donors protected against actively induced disease and decreased inflammation. There was a decrease in Th1-like cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12, IL-17 and TNF-α in active fed and adoptively treated recipients without upregulation of counter-regulatory cytokines. Conclusions Ingested (orally administered) RTX can inhibit disease, CNS inflammation, decrease pro-inflammatory IL-17 and Th1-like cytokines without increases in Th2-like anti-inflammatory cytokines.
CONTINUOUS ROTATION GROUPS

This chapter discusses the continuous groups containing an infinite number of elements. In atomic and molecular physics, the rotation groups in two and three dimensions are of particular interest. The chapter focuses on the group of proper rotations that consists of all three-dimensional orthogonal matrices with determinants equal to +1. The general or full three-dimensional rotation group also includes all real three-dimensional orthogonal matrices with determinants equal to −1. The full three-dimensional rotation group corresponds to rotation–reflections—that is, elements that are equivalent to a proper rotation combined with an inversion. Such combinations are also known as improper rotations and it is noted that proper rotations and inversions commute.
Post orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS)

Men with post orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) become ill rather immediately after ejaculation, whether spontaneously at night, during sexual intercourse or masturbation. Two subtypes are distinguished: primary and secondary POIS. It also occurs before or after a man has been sterilized. POIS is an invalidating most probably auto-immune disease leading to much distress in males and their partners. It is characterized by five criteria. Its symptoms are described by seven clusters. However, the manifestation of these symptoms varies from one male to the other but is relatively constant in the person himself. Among men the symptoms vary in intensity, durations and sort of symptoms. POIS is a chronic disorder that manifests itself in POIS “attacks” that occur within a few minutes to a few hours after ejaculation, and disappear spontaneously after 3 to 7 days. POIS is not associated with increased total serum IgE concentrations. On the contrary, there are indications that POIS is triggered by specific cytokines that are released by an auto-immune reaction to the man’s seminal fluid. Indirect clinical evidence suggests that the antigen (Ag) triggering the POIS systemic reaction is not bound to spermatozoa but to seminal fluid produced by prostatic tissue. In addition, POIS may also occur—although rarely—in females. In those cases, it is hypothesized that the Ag is associated with female prostatic tissue around the vagina.
Status seeking and perceived similarity: A consideration of homophily in the social servicescape

Abstract It is not clear in the extant research whether all consumers respond to the social servicescape in the same way or whether there may be moderators and mediators of the proposed relationships. The purpose of this research is to establish the moderating effect of consumers’ need for status and the mediating effect of self-image congruence on the relationship between the perceived similarity to other customers and self-brand congruity in the proposed conceptual framework. Data collected from a sample of restaurant consumers in the United States suggests that perceptions of perceived similarity to other customers can significantly affect both self-image congruence and self-brand congruence. Further, the data indicate that the consumer’s need for status is a significant moderator and self-image congruence is a significant mediator of the proposed relationships. Theoretical implications, managerial relevance, and future research are discussed.
A Numerical and Experimental Study of High Strain-rate Compression and Tension Response of Concrete

Unconfined compression and tension tests have been performed on cylindrical samples prepared from a newly developed concrete. A 3-inch Hopkinson bar setup has been employed to experimentally extract the stress-strain relation of the concrete at different strain rates. A novel procedure is introduced to conduct tension tests. Initiation and propagation of cracks in concrete samples are captured by high-speed photography. The experimental data will be used to improve the existing concrete material models. Extracting stress-strain relations from the Hopkinson-bar experimentally obtained data requires assumptions about the sample size and interface friction between the sample and the bars. The effect of violating these assumptions on the validity of experimentally acquired stress-strain results is explored by performing a full-scale finite element simulation of the entire process. A new method of accounting for the dispersion in the Hokinson cylindrical bars using the finite-element results is introduced and verified by comparing these results with the generally used analytical method. Numerical results reveal that the strain and stress history are not uniform within the sample. The usual method of analyzing the Hopkinson bar experimental results that generally overlook this fact can be corrected by minor calibration on the data.
Bioinformatic Analysis for Profiling Drug-induced Chromatin Modification Landscapes in Mouse Brain Using ChlP-seq Data

Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) is a powerful technology to profile genome-wide chromatin modification patterns and is increasingly being used to study the molecular mechanisms of brain diseases such as drug addiction. This protocol discusses the typical procedures involved in ChIP-seq data generation, bioinformatic analysis, and interpretation of results, using a chronic cocaine treatment study as a template. We describe an experimental design that induces significant chromatin modifications in mouse brain, and the use of ChIP-seq to derive novel information about the chromatin regulatory mechanisms involved. We describe the bioinformatic methods used to preprocess the sequencing data, generate global enrichment profiles for specific histone modifications, identify enriched genomic loci, find differential modification sites, and perform functional analyses. These ChIP-seq analyses provide many details into the chromatin changes that are induced in brain by chronic exposure to cocaine, and generates an invaluable source of information to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying drug addiction. Our protocol provides a standardized procedure for data analysis and can serve as a starting point for any other ChIP-seq projects.
Semiconductor Quantum Dots for Applications to Advanced Concepts for Solar Photon Conversion to Electricity and Solar Fuels

There are several approaches to increase the theoretical power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells by using the high photon energies in the solar spectrum more efficiently or by recovering the energy of sub-bandgap photons. For the former, the multi-junction or tandem junction solar cell is the most successful approach which employs multiple p–n junctions of different bandgap (Eg) operating in tandem, where the Eg layers are designed to each absorb a different portion of the total incident sunlight. For an infinite number of junctions in the stack, the PCE reaches 66% at 1-sun intensity. Previous work demonstrates that high PCE is also possible in a single bandgap cell by utilizing the total excess kinetic energy of hot photogenerated carriers in several ways, such as where hot carriers are transported and collected at energy-selective contacts (max PCE = 66%), or by utilizing the excess energy of absorbed photons above the Eg to create additional electron-hole pairs and photocurrent (a process called Multiple Exciton Generation (MEG) in quantized semiconductors and impact ionization in bulk semiconductors.)
Reduced anatomical clutter in digital breast tomosynthesis with statistical iterative reconstruction.

PURPOSE Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has been shown to somewhat alleviate the breast tissue overlapping issues of two-dimensional (2D) mammography. However, the improvement in current DBT systems over mammography is still limited. Statistical image reconstruction (SIR) methods have the potential to reduce through-plane artifacts in DBT, and thus may be used to further reduce anatomical clutter. The purpose of this work was to study the impact of SIR on anatomical clutter in the reconstructed DBT image volumes. METHODS An SIR with a slice-wise total variation (TV) regularizer was implemented to reconstruct DBT images which were compared with the clinical reconstruction method (filtered backprojection). The artifact spread function (ASF) was measured to quantify the reduction of the through-plane artifacts level in phantom studies and microcalcifications in clinical cases. The anatomical clutter was quantified by the anatomical noise power spectrum with a power law fitting model: NPSa ( f) = α f-β . The β values were measured from the reconstructed image slices when the two reconstruction methods were applied to a cohort of clinical breast exams (N = 101) acquired using Hologic Selenia Dimensions DBT systems. RESULTS The full width half maximum (FWHM) of the measured ASF was reduced from 8.7 ± 0.1 mm for clinical reconstruction to 6.5 ± 0.1 mm for SIR which yields a 25% reduction in FWHM in phantom studies and the same amount of ASF reduction was also found in clinical measurements from microcalcifications. The measured β values for the two reconstruction methods were 3.17 ± 0.36 and 2.14 ± 0.39 for the clinical reconstruction method and the SIR method, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P << 0.001). The dependence of β on slice location using either method was negligible. CONCLUSIONS Statistical image reconstruction enabled a significant reduction of both the through-plane artifacts level and anatomical clutter in the DBT reconstructions. The β value was found to be β≈2.14 with the SIR method. This value stays in the middle between the β≈1.8 for cone beam CT and β≈3.2 for mammography. In contrast, the measured β value in the clinical reconstructions (β≈3.17) remains close to that of mammography.
A low phase noise wide-tuning range class-F VCO based on a dual-mode resonator in 65nm CMOS

This paper presents a low phase noise wide tuning range Class-F voltage controlled oscillator using a dual-mode resonator. In comparison to other conventional wideband oscillators the proposed capacitively/inductively-coupled resonator will integrate the benefits of Class-F voltage control oscillators and dual-mode switching networks to obtain simultaneous low phase noise and wide-tuning range. The proposed structure prototyped in a 65nm TSMC CMOS technology, shows a 2.14–4.22GHz continuous tuning range, phase noise figure-of-merit (FoM) of 192.7dB at 2.3GHz and better than 188dB across the entire operating frequency range. The oscillator consumes 15–16.4mW from a 0.6V supply and occupies an active area of 0.7mm2.
Excitation Spectra of Adsorbates on Dielectric Surfaces

There had been extensive experimental studies1, where the optical excitation spectra of adsorbed rare-gas atoms on various metal surfaces were measured as a function of coverage. At high coverage, the adsorbed spectra were found to be similar to comparable excitations in the gas phase and condensed rare gases. On the other hand, striking changes in the optical spectra have been observed1 in the limit of low coverage, where the adsorption spectra disappear on some metal surfaces and persist on others. The spectra of Xe adsorbed on Ti, Al and Au and Kr on Au and Mg are virtually eliminated while those of Xe and Ar on Mg, Kr and Ar on Al and Ar on Au persist1.
Effective tunnel conductance and effective ac conductivity of randomly strained graphene

We consider a single-layer graphene with high ripples, so that the pseudomagnetic fields due to these ripples are strong. If the magnetic length corresponding to a typical pseudomagnetic field is smaller than the ripple size, the resulting Landau levels are local. Then the effective properties of the macroscopic sample can be calculated by averaging the local properties over the distribution of ripples. We find that this averaging does not wash out the Landau quantization completely. Average density of states (DOS) contains a feature (inflection point) at energy corresponding to the first Landau level in a typical field. Moreover, the frequency dependence of the ac conductivity contains a maximum at a frequency corresponding to the first Landau level in a typical field. This nontrivial behavior of the effective characteristics of randomly strained graphene is a consequence of nonequidistance of the Landau levels in the Dirac spectrum.
Epicardial echocardiography intraoperative diagnostic utility to assess valve function

Epicardial echocardiography has been available since the early 1970s as an intraoperative diagnostic modality to assess ventricular and valvular function. With this technique, an ultrasonic transducer is placed directly on the epicardial surface of the heart, following sternotomy and pericardiotomy. Under the guidance of the cardiac anesthesiologist, the surgeon places the transducer so that the desired views of cardiac structures and great vessels can be obtained. The anesthesiologist performs the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the echocardiographic images. Despite the feasibility of epicardial echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has emerged over the last two decades as the main form of intraoperative echocardiography. Although TEE allows continuous monitoring of cardiac and valvular function without interruption of the surgical procedure, placement of a TEE probe may be difficult or contraindicated in some patients. In such cases, epicardial echocardiography may be the optimal ultrasonographic imaging modality to assess ventricular and valvular function during cardiac surgery. We describe the use of epicardial echocardiography for intraoperative assessment of valvular function in two patients where TEE was either contraindicated or probe placement could not be performed safely. The first patient underwent surgical repair of the mitral valve for severe mitral regurgitation. After weaning the patient from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), epicardial echocardiography was used to confirm successful reconstruction of the valve and to exclude residual mitral regurgitation. The second patient was scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Prior to the initiation of CPB, the presence of moderate aortic stenosis was confirmed using Doppler echocardiography via an epicardial approach.
Attention Does Not Improve Impaired Understanding Of Variability In Spatial Prediction

Understanding variability of uncertain systems is often vital for decision makers, yet is habitually disregarded in favor of developing superior capability to predict most likely outcomes. One pote...
Using Contingency Ranking Method in Reliability Evaluation of Line Switching Operation

In this paper, contingency ranking (CR) method is introduced into the reliability evaluation of line switching operations as a pre-selection method to provide quick and basic guidance on line categorization. Two case studies were conducted on RTS and IEEE 118-bus system to test the efficiency of the method. Both show reasonable accuracy in picking up critical lines and a drastic improvement of calculation speed.
Electro-Mechanical EV Powertrain With Reduced Volt-Ampere Rating

Transmotor-based flywheel energy exchange is a low-cost yet highly efficient method of energy transfer between vehicle wheels and a lightweight flywheel. This method utilizes one dual-rotor electric machine that enables us to overcome some of the shortcomings of the conventional electric kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS).The proposed system is capable of capturing far more mechanical power than its electrical power ratings. Furthermore, since a significant part of the energy exchange takes place in mechanical form, only a small fraction of the initial kinetic energy needs to be processed by the electrical energy storage device and the power electronic drive system. In this paper, the proposed Transmotor-based KERS has been compared with the conventional electric KERS. Mathematical modeling and simulations were performed using a space vector modeling method for both conventional electric KERS and the proposed system. Results show that the proposed system is capable of capturing a great part of kinetic energy of a vehicle during deceleration and storing it in a lightweight flywheel to be used for the next acceleration while keeping the electrical ratings of the KERS relatively low. Experimental results are also presented for the proof of the concept.
Laterally confined photonic crystal surface emitting laser incorporating monolayer tungsten disulfide

With an ultimately thin active region, monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide lasers have the potential of realizing ultralow lasing threshold and power consumption. The flexibility also enables integration possibilities on unconventional substrates. Here, we report a photonic crystal surface emitting laser using monolayer tungsten disulfide as the gain medium. The cavity design utilizes a heterostructure in the photonic crystal lattice to provide lateral confinement for a high quality factor with a compact active region. Room-temperature continuous wave lasing is realized after integrating monolayer tungsten disulfide flakes onto the silicon nitride photonic crystal on a quartz substrate. Highly directional, near surface-normal emission has also been experimentally demonstrated. The work reported here demonstrates that a large-area single-mode directional laser can be realized from a monolayer gain medium, which is critical for laser scaling for on-chip integration in data and sensing applications.
Augmenting Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Occurring Conditions with Oxytocin

The goal of this manuscript is to review the extant literature examining the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms underlying the potential utility of intranasal oxytocin as a novel pharmacologic intervention for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and for the treatment of comorbid PTSD and alcohol and substance use disorders. Research indicates that intranasal oxytocin is a low-cost and easily accessible medication with an excellent safety profile. Oxytocin holds promise for facilitating more effective PTSD treatment, particularly when used in combination with evidence-supported psychotherapy interventions. There is still a significant need to identify the mechanisms of action underlying oxytocin treatment of PTSD and to maximize methods of nasal spray delivery, examine dose-response outcomes, and clarify the characteristics of individuals and populations that are most likely to benefit from adjunctive oxytocin treatment. Collectively, preclinical and human laboratory research suggest that oxytocin may be an effective mechanism by which treatment outcomes for PTSD and common comorbidities can be enhanced. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials are needed to address efficacy, identify predictors of treatment outcome, and to assess the use of intranasal oxytocin within appropriate PTSD populations.
Dynamic self-strengthening of a bio-nanostructured armor - conch shell.

Abstract Bio-nanowire structured armors — conch shells, which are often collected as art pieces, possess a special function — an unusual resilience against high speed predatory attacks. Under high-strain-rate compression (strain rate ~103 s−1) conch shells highlight significantly high fracture strength vis-a-vis under quasi-static loading (strain rate ≤ 10−2/s). The dynamic fracture strength reaches a strikingly high value of 600 MPa, 67% enhancement with reference to that of quasi-static loading with the fracture strength 360 MPa. Upon dynamic impact loading, conch shells ingeniously activated a new defense mechanism – intra-lamella fracture, which differs from the inter-lamella fracture damage under quasi-static loading. The lengthy third-order lamellae with a length of hundreds of micrometers were pulverized into rods with the length ranging from 0.4 μm and 2.5 μm upon dynamic loading, whereas the third-order lamellae in the quasi-statically fractured segments maintained the length of hundreds of micrometers. Multiple energy-dissipating mechanisms - intra-lamella fracture, nanoparticle rotation and dislocation enabled nanoparticle deformation in a synergistical fashion contribute to the high strain rate fracture strength of conch shells. This dynamic self-strengthening strategy provides a new guideline for designing dynamically robust materials.
Implicit Simulation Methods for Stochastic Chemical Kinetics

In biochemical systems some of the chemical species are present with only small numbers of molecules. In this situation discrete and stochasticsimulation approaches are more relevant than continuous and deterministic ones. The fundamental Gillespie’s stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) accounts for every reaction event, which occurs with a probability determined by the configuration of the system. This approach requires a considerable computational effort for models with many reaction channels and chemical species.In order to improve efficiency, tau-leaping methods represent multiple firings of each reaction during a simulation step by Poisson random variables. For stiff systems the mean of this variable is treated implicitly in order to ensure numerical stability. This paper develops fully implicit tau-leaping-like algorithms that treat implicitly both the mean and the variance of the Poisson variables. The construction is based on adapting weakly convergent discretizations of stochastic differential equations to stochastic chemical kinetic systems. Theoretical analyses of accuracy and stability of the new methods are performed on a standard test problem. Numerical results demonstrate the performance of the proposed tau-leaping methods.
A novel drug-inducible sex-separation technique for insects

Large sterile male releases are the gold standard for most insect population control methods and thus precise sex sorting is essential to the success of these technologies. Sex sorting is especially important for mosquito control because female mosquitoes bite and transmit diseases. However, current methods for insect sex sorting have deficiencies as they are error prone, low throughput, expensive, reduce male fitness, or lack cross species adaptability. Here we describe a novel drug-inducible system for insect sex-separation that demonstrates proof-of-principle for positive sex selection in D. melanogaster. The system exploits the toxicity of commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics geneticin and puromycin and rescues only one sex. Sex specific rescue is achieved by inserting the sex-specific introns, TraF and DsxM, into the coding sequence of antibiotic resistance genes, NeoR or PuroR. We engineer a dual sex-sorter gene cassette and demonstrate sex specific, constitutive expression of NeoR and PuroR proteins in females and males, respectively. When raised on geneticin supplements, this sex-sorter line established 100% positive selection for female progeny, while the food supplemented with puromycin generated 100% male progeny. This system is 100% efficient and operates at remarkably low fitness costs in D. melanogaster. Since the described system exploits a conserved sex-specific splicing mechanism and reagents, which are active in many insects, it has the potential to be adaptable to insect species of medical and agricultural importance.
Financial herding must be checked to avert climate crashes

Energy firms struggle to incorporate climate risks in their planning and public disclosures. This lack of information is increasing the chances that herd behaviour in finance could potentially lead to sudden disruptions in energy supply and exacerbate consequences of climate-related extreme events.
Wheat and Rye Stem Rust

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of life cycle, disease cycle, physiological specialization, and control of wheat and rye stem rust. Puccinia graminis is the cause of several rusts of important cereal crops. The stem rust of wheat is caused by Puccinia graminis. This disease is also known as black stem rust or summer rust. Although, in antiquity, P. graminis may have been a single population, the cultivation of groups of dissimilar crops resulted in the development and increase of different pathogen genotypes capable of attacking these crops. Crossing between cultures adapted to the same host could result in improved adaptation in the progeny; however, crossing between formae speciales would result in many progeny avirulent on both crops because of the recessive nature of virulence. Thus, the formae speciales have developed and been maintained as nearly separate populations of P. graminis. Crosses between tritici and secalis are relatively fertile. Progeny from such crosses often are virulent on a limited number of host genotypes of both rye and wheat. Crosses within cultures of either tritici or secalis can occasionally result in an F 1 culture that can be classified in the other forma specialis.
Correlates of Poor Sleep and Subsequent Risk of Misdiagnosis in College Students Presenting with Cognitive Complaints

Objectives To examine the relationships of poor sleep to both subjective and objective cognitive functioning, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms, and mental health variables in college students, controlling for noncredible symptom reporting and noncredible performance. Methods 99 undergraduate students (Mage = 19.9, SD = 1.1), 60% female and 72% first-year students, completed a neuropsychological battery and self-report questionnaires at a single lab visit. 56% of the sample identified as "poor sleepers" (>5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]). Results Poor sleepers reported worse current (college grade point average [GPA]) but not past (high school GPA, American college test [ACT] score) academic performance. Additionally, they reported more mental health concerns, including depression and stress, but not anxiety. Poor sleepers reported more functional impairment and subjective cognitive concerns, including more Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, more SCT symptoms, and more executive dysfunction, even when controlling for depressive symptoms. However, poor sleepers did not differ from good sleepers on measures of objective cognition. Conclusions ADHD and SCT symptoms and concerns in college students may be related to poor sleep, which can lead to misdiagnosis for individuals presenting with ADHD-like complaints for the first time in college. Sleep difficulties may be modifiable with empirically supported sleep interventions; thus, in assessment for either of these presentations, a careful sleep history should be taken.
Temperature in Nursing Home Residents Systematically Tested for SARS-CoV-2

Abstract Objectives Many nursing home residents infected with SARS-CoV-2 fail to be identified with standard screening for the associated COVID-19 syndrome. Current nursing home COVID-19 screening guidance includes assessment for fever, defined as a temperature of at least 38.0°C. The objective of this study was to describe the temperature changes before and after universal testing for SARS-CoV-2 in nursing home residents. Design Cohort study. Setting and Participants The Veterans Administration (VA) operates 134 Community Living Centers (CLC), similar to nursing homes, that house residents who cannot live independently. VA guidance to CLCs directed daily clinical screening for COVID-19 that included temperature assessment. Measures All CLC residents (n = 7325) underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing. We report the temperature in the window of 14 days before and after universal SARS-CoV-2 testing among CLC residents. Baseline temperature was calculated for 5 days before the study window. Results SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 443 (6.0%) residents. The average maximum temperature in SARS-CoV-2–positive residents was 37.66 (0.69) compared with 37.11 (0.36) (P = .001) in SARS-CoV-2–negative residents. Temperatures in those with SARS-CoV-2 began rising 7 days before testing and remained elevated during the 14-day follow-up. Among SARS-CoV-2–positive residents, only 26.6% (n = 118) met the fever threshold of 38.0°C during the survey period. Most residents (62.5%, n = 277) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 did experience 2 or more 0.5°C elevations above their baseline values. One cohort of SARS-CoV-2 residents' (20.3%, n = 90) temperatures never deviated >0.5°C from baseline. Conclusions and Implications A single screening for temperature is unlikely to detect nursing home residents with SARS-CoV-2. Repeated temperature measurement with a patient-derived baseline can increase sensitivity. The current fever threshold as a screening criteria for SARS-CoV-2 infection should be reconsidered.
Links between drought stress and autophagy in plants

Autophagy is a widely shared pathway among different eukaryotes, which helps to maintain cellular homeostasis via recycling unwanted cytoplasmic components. Autophagy plays an important role in plant growth, also assists plants in confronting various environmental stresses. Drought stress can activate autophagy pathway in plants to favor their environmental adaptations, however, a direct link to wire drought and autophagy is still missing. We have recently identified a plant-unique COST1 (Constitutively Stressed 1) protein that can negatively regulate plant drought tolerance through direct interaction with an autophagy receptor protein ATG8e (autophagy-related 8e). COST1 thus represents an innovation of plant-specific autophagy regulation, extending our understating of this conserved but complex pathway, as well as underlying its potential in agricultural usage.
A Laboratory Diet-Overlay Bioassay to Monitor Resistance in Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) to Insecticides Commonly Used in the Mississippi Delta

A laboratory, diet-overlay pesticide bioassay was developed using a susceptible population of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), to study its susceptibility to neonicotinoid, sulfoxamine, organophosphate, and pyrethroid insecticides (thiamethoxam, sulfoxaflor, acephate, and permethrin, respectively). The diet-overlay bioassay was compared to the traditional glass-vial surface residue bioassay. We measured LC50 values by feeding tarnished plant bug adults known doses of insecticides dispensed on top of diet in a 10% solution of honey water for thiamethoxam and 10% acetone in water solutions for permethrin, acephate, and sulfoxaflor. Both the diet-overlay and glass-vial bioassays used dose-response (mortality) regression lines to calculate LC50 values for each insecticide at 6-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h post-exposure. Data variability from the glass-vial bioassay was higher for permethrin, sulfoxaflor, and thiamethoxam than the diet-overlay bioassay, for all evaluation times. In contrast, there was lower variability among replicates to acephate in the glass-vial assay compared to the diet-overlay assay. Control mortalities observed on diet-overlay bioassay were lower (0-5%) than those observed on the glass-vial bioassay (4-27%). The use of green beans, floral-foam, rolling glass vials, and insect handling made the existing standard method tedious to manipulate and difficult to handle large numbers of individuals. The nonautoclaved solid diet provides an opportunity to significantly reduce cost and variability associated with procedures of other bioassay methods. In general, the baseline data provide a basis for future comparison to determine changes in resistance over time.
XAS Techniques for Investigation of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

As in other areas of materials science, advances in batteries and fuel cells depend on our understanding and control of processes at the atomic and molecular level. In the past, a major impediment to achieving such an understanding and control for electrochemical systems was that the structure of the electrode/electrolyte interface had eluded experimental verification. This has been a particular hindrance to investigators because other aspects of electrochemical processes such as the overall reaction rate (the electrical current) and the driving force for the reaction (the electrode potential) can be controlled with great accuracy. Fortunately, techniques capable of probing the liquid/solid interface to aid in elucidating electrochemical phenomena are emerging rapidly. There are excellent recent reviews of these new optical(1,2) X-ray,(3,4) and scanning tunneling microscopy techniques.(5) The opportunity now exists to utilize advanced instrumentation to define detailed features, participating chemical species, and interfacial structure with a precision heretofore not possible. The field stands at much the same position as investigation of the gas-solid interface stood 25 years ago. Progress in understanding the gas/solid interface has been coupled with the availability of surface analytical techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). Analogous techniques are now available for the solid/liquid interface.
New tools for characterizing early brown stem rot disease resistance signaling in soybean

Brown stem rot (BSR) reduces soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield by up to 38%. The BSR causal agent is Phialophora gregata f. sp. sojae, a slow-growing, necrotrophic fungus whose life cycle includes latent and pathogenic phases, each lasting several weeks. Brown stem rot foliar symptoms are often misdiagnosed as other soybean diseases or nutrient stress, making BSR resistance especially difficult to phenotype. To shed light on the genes and networks contributing to P. gregata resistance, we conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of a resistant genotype (PI 437970, Rbs3). Leaf, stem, and root tissues were collected 12, 24, and 36 h after stab inoculation with P. gregata, or mock infection, in the plant stem. By using multiple tissues and time points, we could see that leaves, stems, and roots use the same defense pathways. Our analyses suggest that P. gregata induces a biphasic defense response, with pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) triggered immunity observed in leaves at 12 and 24 h after infection (HAI) and effector triggered immunity detected at 36 h after infection in the stems. Gene networks associated with defense, photosynthesis, nutrient homeostasis, DNA replication, and growth are the hallmarks of resistance to P. gregata. While P. gregata is a slow-growing pathogen, our results demonstrate that pathogen recognition occurs hours after infection. By exploiting the genes and networks described here, we will be able to develop novel diagnostic tools to facilitate breeding and screening for BSR resistance.
CE: Back to Basics: The Complete Blood Count.

ABSTRACT In this latest article in the AJN series Back to Basics-developed to improve nurses' understanding and application of common laboratory diagnostic tests-the author delineates the meaning and function of complete blood count components, highlighting the important pathophysiological evidence they provide and using composite patient scenarios to assist nurses in recognizing findings that can inform their plan of care and produce the best patient outcomes.
Resilience and adjustment trajectories amongst children in displacement-affected communities in Zarqa, Jordan

# Background The experiences of protracted conflict and displacement are clear threats to children’s developmental progress. Understanding the factors that shape the trajectories of children’s well-being and adjustment in such contexts is important for informing interventions. # Methods We collected data at three time points from a sample of Syrian refugee and Jordanian children (n=650) residing in Zarqa, Jordan who met eligibility criteria for humanitarian programming. We assessed primary outcomes of protection concerns, caregiver stress, mental health, and developmental assets at three time points: baseline (T1), three months later (T2), and fifteen months after baseline (T3). # Results Over the fifteen-month study period (T1-T3) child protection concerns and mental health symptoms improved, caregiver stress remained constant, and developmental assets deteriorated. School attendance was independently associated with improvements in protection concerns (β = -1.05, *P*=0.01), caregiver stress (β = -0.66, *P* =0.02), and developmental assets (β = 3.84, *P* =0.02). Concern over lost livelihoods significantly predicted higher protection concerns (β = 4.08, *P* <0.001) and caregiver stress (β = 2.32, *P* <0.001). Attending child-focused programming did not significantly impact primary outcomes. # Conclusions This study documents the capacity for adjustment and adaptation of children in the context of protracted displacement. The significant influences of attending school and concern over lost livelihoods on observed trajectories indicate the importance of addressing structural factors, such as education and employment, in supporting processes of resilience in these populations. Programmatic activities for children may secure valuable shorter-term impacts but here, as elsewhere, failed to impact outcomes longer-term.
Prevalence of Hyperprolactinemia and Clinically Apparent Prolactinomas in Men Undergoing Fertility Evaluation.

Abstract Objective To determine prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and prolactinoma among men presenting for initial fertility evaluation. Methods We performed a retrospective review of men presenting for initial fertility evaluation at a tertiary care, academic health system between 1999 and 2018. Men with measured prolactin levels were analyzed to determine prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and prolactinoma. We compared clinical characteristics of men with and without hyperprolactinemia. Univariable and multivariable analysis were used to determine factors associated with hyperprolactinemia. We assessed effects of hyperprolactinemia and prolactinoma on testosterone levels, semen parameters and pregnancy outcomes after treatment. Results 3,101 men had serum prolactin level measured. 65 (2.1%) had hyperprolactinemia. Patients with hyperprolactinemia had lower testosterone (median 280 ng/dL vs. 313 ng/dL, p=0.038) and lower total motile sperm count (TMSC) (median 7.0 million vs. 34.7 million, p=0.001) compared to men without hyperprolactinemia. 43.1% of men with hyperprolactinemia had oligospermia versus 21.5% of men without hyperprolactinemia (p 0.05). Of the 65 men with hyperprolactinemia, 11 (17%) were diagnosed with a prolactinoma, resulting in an overall prevalence of 11 in 3,101 (0.35%). Conclusion The overall prevalence of prolactinoma in our cohort of men undergoing fertility evaluation was 35-fold higher than the prevalence in the general male population.
Atypical Hepatic Steatosis Patterns on MRI After Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplant.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the prevalence and patterns of hepatic steatosis after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplant (TPIAT) and to determine ...