cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engaging Students in Learning Science and Technology Using Students-Generated Educational Videos

The rapidly increasing use of digital media technologies offers students opportunities to represent science content in different ways. In this paper, we introduce an interdisciplinary and collaborative research project that engages students in learning both science and technology by developing educational videos for science explanation. In this project, students from the Digital Media course are paired with students from the Introductory Physics I course. They work together to create videos with blended digital media, such as images, animations, audio, and videos, to explain physics concepts and phenomena. The strategies for successfully conducting such an interdisciplinary project are discussed in the paper. The assessment results demonstrate the effectiveness of this project in student learning regarding understanding physics concepts, understanding the importance of digital media, and using digital media technologies. Results also show that this interdisciplinary project enhances students' communication skills and help them to learn skills and knowledge in the other STEM field by working together.
Patented Seeds: A Threatening Issue for Food Sovereignty and Environment in Africa

With the increased growth of the world population and the need to improve crops yield and meet the food supply demand, the landscape of the modern farming has significantly changed. Genetic engineered crops co-exist today with their organic counterparts, and the threat of cross-contamination is more than ever prevalent. The genetic drift and the accidental cross-pollination do happen frequently, and this can be source of a collapse of the organic food chain, impact the genetic biodiversity, and result in an economical burden for farmers.This paper explains the ownership related to seeds by giving an overview of the U.S. Intellectual Property Laws regulating seeds. It then explore the side effects or potential impacts of patented engineered seeds in Africa by considering a socio-economic perspective, environment and human health. Finally, the study will propose some alternatives solutions to patented seeds in respect to food security, human health and environment.
Hibernation-based blood loss therapy increases survivability of lethal hemorrhagic shock in rats

A small-volume (1 ml/kg) resuscitation fluid based on metabolic adaptations in hibernating mammals was optimized using a rat model of hemorrhagic shock. A previous study of this therapy tested only one concentration of three specific components: 4 M D-stereoisomer of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), 43 mM melatonin, and 20% DMSO. In this study, we considered the range of concentrations of BHB and melatonin seen during the physiological extremes of rapid arousal from hypothermic torpor in natural hibernators and applied these to the non-hibernating Sprague–Dawley rat model. These extremes normally result in ischemia and reperfusion injury in non-hibernating mammals. Dose-ranging studies were conducted for BHB and melatonin in rats with 60% blood loss. BHB was administered at either 4, 2, or 0.4 M concentration in conjunction with 4.3 mM melatonin and 10% DMSO. Subsequently, melatonin was administered at either 4.3, 0.43, 0.0043, 0.000043, or 0 mM in conjunction with 4 M BHB and 2% DMSO. 10-day mean survival showed a dose-dependent trend: rats survived longer with higher concentration of infused BHB (4 M BHB, 7.38 ± 1.75 days; 2 M BHB, 5.25 ± 2.22 days; 0.4 M BHB, 2.07 ± 2.05 days). Administering 4 M BHB without melatonin resulted in low mean survival times (4.38 ± 1.42 days). All treatments containing both 4 M BHB and melatonin, regardless of melatonin concentration, resulted in mean survival times of ~7.5 days. We conclude there is a dose-dependent trend in which higher BHB concentration resulted in improved survival over 10 days.
Parallel Iterative Solution of Very Large Sparse Lyapunov Equations

Abstract In this paper, we present a method for the parallel solution of large sparse Lyapunov equations. The method is based on the balanced Bordered Block Diagonal (BBD) decomposition, which is known to produce matrix structures that are ideally suited for parallel computation. Experimental results will be presented for a Lyapunov equation with matrices of dimension 1,993 × 1,993.
Sketches Toward an Ontology of Non-Dwelling: Mara Salvatrucha 13, Radical Homelessness, and Postglobality

In 1988, the California state legislature passed the California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (STEP), which allowed courts to “enhance” the sentences of offenders who have been proven to "promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct by gang members." It bundled together criminality, policing, and incarceration in ways that drew upon the fears of the black/latino Others that were imminent in panics surrounding the “crack epidemic” and inner-city crime. Jumping to April 2016, the Salvadoran government has passed strikingly similar legislation, which centers on reclassifying gang-associated crimes as terroristic; in essence under their new laws gang affiliation is a terrorist. This, too, has been enacted in the midst of panic about gang violence and low-level warfare between gangs and the Salvadoran state. The adoption of US-style anti-gang approaches by the Salvadoran government is not new. In 2003, the right-wing government passed mano dura [“iron fist”] policies that sought to address increases in gang associate crime with zero-tolerance, tough-on-crime measures. Law enforcement received expanded leeway to target and arrest gang members, especially those from Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) and Barrio 18. Despite the lack of sustained reductions in violent crime, the mano dura policies have remained and will only be exacerbated by the new legislation.
Microbial Resistance Mechanisms to the Antibiotic and Phytotoxin Fusaric Acid

Fusaric acid (FA) produced by Fusarium oxysporum plays an important role in disease development in plants, including cotton. This non-specific toxin also has antibiotic effects on microorganisms. Thus, one expects a potential pool of diverse detoxification mechanisms of FA in nature. Bacteria and fungi from soils infested with Fusarium and from laboratory sources were evaluated for their ability to grow in the presence of FA and to alter the structure of FA into less toxic compounds. None of the bacterial strains were able to chemically modify FA. Highly FA-resistant strains were found only in Gram-negative bacteria, mainly in the genus of Pseudomonas. The FA resistance of the Gram-negative bacteria was positively correlated with the number of predicted genes for FA efflux pumps present in the genome. Phylogenetic analysis of predicted FA resistance proteins (FUSC, an inner membrane transporter component of the efflux pump) revealed that FUSC proteins having high sequence identities with the functionally characterized FA resistance protein FusC or Fdt might be the major contributors of FA resistance. In contrast, most fungi converted FA to less toxic compounds regardless of the level of FA resistance they exhibited. Five derivatives were detected, and the detoxification of FA involved either oxidative reactions on the butyl side chain or reductive reactions on the carboxylic acid group. The production of these metabolites from widely different phyla indicates that resistance to FA by altering its structure is highly conserved. A few FA resistant saprophytic or biocontrol strains of fungi were incapable of altering FA, indicating a possible involvement of efflux transporters. Deployment of both efflux and derivatization mechanisms may be a common feature of fungal FA resistance.
Zooplankton — The Connecting Link: A Historical Perspective

Marine Zooplankton, like most other marine animals including fish, produce many more offspring than eventually grow to maturity. Zooplankton encompass a wide range of taxonomic diversity. We know little about their early life history during which most of their mortality occurs, because they are very small (less than 1 mm), transparent and very difficult to observe. By definition, they cannot navigate or traverse significant distances at will. They have widely ranging fecundities from tens, hundreds, thousands to millions. The early life history stages of Zooplankton are almost universally microscopic, indistinguishable from related species, are dependent on adequate food supplies within hours to a day or two at most for survival, and have innumerable predators. Very little is known of the ecology and behavior of most of these early life history stages, yet they provide the food, and in some cases are the predators, for virtually all larval and post-larval fish. I review, from a historical perspective, the slow development of our understanding of this connecting link, attributable to the enormous difficulties in working both in the laboratory and the environment with a huge diversity of very small and very delicate organisms for which an adequate sampling technology has yet to be developed.
Signet ring cell gastric carcinoma: A descriptive analysis of a unique county population.

32Background: Signet ring cell type gastric carcinoma (SRCC) is an uncommon epithelial malignancy of the stomach, with data from the United States (US) being particularly scarce. Compared to other ...
The Arabic Language as Creative Resistance

Arabic is a complex language bearing an enduring significance on the collective identity of the Middle East. The symbolic attributes of Arabic, which are as important as its communicative function, are particularly remarkable in a dissipated globalized world where the weakened connection between culture and place leads to deterritorialization. Like other languages, Arabic contributes to the imagined bond between individuals uniting them symbolically with a community across borders and nations.
A profile-based approach for investigating the values-personality relationship

Abstract The relationship between values and personality was examined with latent class cluster analysis (LCCA). This innovative method combines data exploration with the confirmation of hypothesized latent structures. In this study it isolated respondents with similar value orientations and adjusted the clusters for their personality traits. This resulted in a descriptive profile of each cluster's values-personality structure. Such profiles are theoretically meaningful with regards to the individual Self, which is espoused in values, and moderated by personality. Personality traits are psychologically superordinate, but unlike values are less cognitively transparent and useful for self-attributions. The study used a test publisher's archival dataset of 1500 respondents to two established measures of values and personality. The LCCA uncovered five latent clusters which were characterized as: Traditionalists, Maximalists, Intellectuals, Climbers, and Followers. The study describes their value-personality profiles and interprets their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Optimism, Health, and Well-Being

The relationship between optimism and well-being has been studied in widely varying contexts over the past 30 years and more. Optimism has been associated with diverse aspects of human experience, including goal pursuit behavior, the developing of social networks and relationships, emotional well-being, and physical health. The relationship between optimism and goal pursuit also applies to the realm of social resources. Optimism is related to the building of social networks, which have far-reaching beneficial effects through both lessening the impact of negative events and promoting positive events. The relationship between optimism and emotional well-being has been studied extensively in multiple contexts, and greater optimism is indeed associated with better emotional well-being. One of the most likely reasons optimists experience better health is that they engage in more positive health behaviors, while pessimists tend to engage in health-damaging behaviors.
Spectrum Modeling of Cross-Modulation for Concurrent Dual-Band RF Power Amplifiers in OFDM Modulation

In this paper, the nonlinear effects of amplified dual-band orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals are analyzed. Furthermore, a spectrum model of the intermodulation and cross-modulation for dual-band OFDM signals in terms of third-order intercept points ( ${IP}_{3}$ ) is derived. The experimental measurements match the analytical predictions, which is useful to the design and test of concurrent dual-band RF transmitters for RF engineers.
A Strategic Approach to Determining the Relative Impact of Team Behavior on Guideline Violations

Excellence in teamwork is an essential part of achieving high levels of performance in the delivery of healthcare and in the promotion of patient safety across a range of disciplines. There have be...
Flood Hazard Assessment on Alluvial Fans: An Examination of the Methodology

The recognition and assessment of the hazard that flash floods can pose to structures located on alluvial fans is seriously deficient relative to the ability of the engineer to assess flood risk to structures located in the vicinity of perennial rivers. With the development of major urban areas and hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste sites on alluvial fans in the southwestern United States, there is both an increasing need and interest in developing rational and reliable techniques for assessing the hazards floods pose to these developments and facilities.
Fetal Drug Exposure and Sexual Differentiation of Males

A variety of commonly abused drugs interfere with steroidogenesis in the testes of adult animals and men. These drugs suppress hormone synthesis by a direct inhibitory action on the testes, and/or by disrupting hypothalamic-pituitary stimulation of the gonads. Plasma testosterone (T) titers are attenuated after use of any of a wide variety of compounds, including licit addictive substances, such as alcohol and nicotine, as well as illicit drugs, such as marijuana and opiates. Some males are passively exposed to these substances at very early stages of development because women who have become dependent on drugs often continue to use them when pregnant. Based on a 1988 survey of 36 hospitals across the United States by the National Association for Perinatal Addiction Research and Education, it is estimated that there are over 1,000 babies born each day in the United States to women who used opiates, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, and/or marijuana during pregnancy (NIDA, 1989). That estimate does not include the large number of additional women who use only the more commonly abused substances, alcohol and/or nicotine, while pregnant. For many abused drugs there is little if any effective placental barrier, so that the developing fetus is exposed to the drug taken by the mother. Thus, many fetal males are inadvertently exposed to drugs that, among other things, suppress T levels.
Feeding Behavior of the Native Mussel Ischadium recurvum and the Invasive Mussels Mytella charruana and Perna viridis in FL, USA, Across a Salinity Gradient

The feeding behavior of three species of mussels, the native Ischadium recurvum and the invasives Mytella charruana and Perna viridis, was studied in an invaded ecosystem in Florida (USA). In situ feeding experiments using the biodeposition method were performed along a salinity gradient in four different locations along the St. Johns River. Water characteristics, such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and seston loads, were recorded to identify relationships between these variables and the feeding behavior of the mussels. Feeding behavior of the species varied by study site. Clearance, filtration, organic ingestion, and absorption rates of I. recurvum were negatively affected by salinity. For the invasive mussel, M. charruana, rejection was positively related to salinity while total ingestion, organic ingestion, and absorption rates were positively related to the percentage of organic matter in the seston. For P. viridis, total and organic ingestion rates were negatively affected by salinity but positively affected by total particulate matter. Condition indices for P. viridis and M. charruana were 13.16 ± 0.64 and 6.63 ± 0.43, respectively, compared to 4.82 ± 0.41 for the native species I. recurvum, indicating that these mussels are well adapted to the environmental conditions in the area. This study indicates that the three species have different preferred habitats because of their specific responses to water characteristics. Thus, the invasive mussels will not totally occupy the niche of the native mussel in Florida despite overlapping zones. These data may help identify potential invaded areas and understand the extent of the invasion.
USING LINEAR PREDICTION TO MITIGATE END EFFECTS IN EMPIRICAL MODE DECOMPOSITION

It is well known that empirical mode decomposition can suffer from computational instabilities at the signal boundaries. These "end effects" cause two problems: 1) sifting termination issues, i.e. convergence and 2) estimation error, i.e. accuracy. In this paper, we propose to use linear prediction in conjunction with a previous method to address end effects, to further mitigate these problems. We compare the proposed mitigation to the existing method and provide simulations which demonstrate that the new approach improves intrinsic mode function estimation accuracy while significantly improving convergence.
Groin Pain Syndromes in Athletes: “Sports Hernia”

Groin pain in athletes continues to be elusive to most physicians and even more frustrating for patients suffering with symptoms. Most often termed sports hernia, athletic pubalgia, or Gilmore’s groin, many surgeons scoff at the diagnosis secondary to a knowledge gap and the limited scope of the literature. There continues to be a lack of understanding of the basic pathophysiology in these groin pain syndromes. In addition, many surgeons’ previous experiences with operative management for groin pain have been disheartening due to subtle or no appreciable anatomical changes at exploration as well as high failure rates to resolve the patients’ symptoms. This chapter is aimed at clarifying the anatomy and pathophysiology that have been found in groin pain syndromes, as well as the therapeutic and surgical approaches that have been used.
Making the First Cut: An Analysis of Academic Medicine Editors' Reasons for Not Sending Manuscripts Out for External Peer Review.

PurposeManuscripts submitted to Academic Medicine (AM) undergo an internal editor review to determine whether they will be sent for external peer review. Increasingly, manuscripts are rejected at this early stage. This study seeks to inform scholars about common reasons for internal editor review re
Plasma Concentrations of High Molecular Weight Kininogen and Prekallikrein and Venous Thromboembolism Incidence in the General Population.

The kallikrein/kinin system, an intravascular biochemical pathway that includes several proteins involved in the contact activation system of coagulation, renin–angiotensin activation and inflammation, may or may not play a role in venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurrence. Within a large prospective population-based study in the United States, we conducted a nested case–cohort study to test the hypothesis that higher plasma levels of high molecular weight kininogen (HK) or prekallikrein are associated with greater VTE incidence. We related baseline enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measures of HK and prekallikrein in 1993 to 1995 to incidence VTE of the lower extremity (n = 612) through 2015 (mean follow-up = 18 years). We found no evidence that plasma HK or prekallikrein was associated positively with incident VTE. HK, in fact, was associated inversely and significantly with VTE in most proportional hazards regression models. For example, the hazard ratio of VTE per standard deviation higher HK concentration was 0.88 (95% confidence interval = 0.81, 0.97), after adjustment for several VTE risk factors. Our findings suggest that plasma levels of these factors do not determine the risk of VTE in the general population.
The Gradual Loss of African Indigenous Vegetables in Tropical America: A Review

Leaf vegetables and other edible greens are a crucial component of traditional diets in sub-Saharan Africa, used popularly in soups, sauces, and stews. In this review, we trace the trajectories of 12 prominent African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) in tropical America, in order to better understand the diffusion of their culinary and ethnobotanical uses by the African diaspora. The 12 AIVs were selected from African reference works and preliminary reports of their presence in the Americas. Given the importance of each of these vegetables in African diets, our working hypothesis was that the culinary traditions associated with these species would be continued in tropical America by Afro-descendant communities. However, a review of the historical and contemporary literature, and consultation with scholars, shows that the culinary uses of most of these vegetables have been gradually lost. Two noteworthy exceptions include okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and callaloo (Amaranthus viridis), although the latter is not the species used in Africa and callaloo has only risen to prominence in Jamaica since the 1960s. Nine of the 12 AIVs found refuge in the African-derived religions Candomble and Santeria, where they remain ritually important. In speculating why these AIVs did not survive in the diets of the New World African diaspora, one has to contemplate the sociocultural, economic, and environmental forces that have shaped—and continue to shape—these foodways and cuisines since the Atlantic slave trade. Since these vegetables are neglected and underutilized species (NUS) that represent the biocultural heritage of the African diaspora in the Americas, their culinary traditions merit intensified scholarly attention and conservation efforts.
Approaches to Collaboration: Experiences of the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

ABSTRACTThis study examined how partnerships between early care and education providers were developed and how they worked together to deliver comprehensive, high-quality services to infants and to...
A Review on Recent Characterization Effort of CM EMI in Power Electronics System with Emerging Wide Band Gap Switch

This paper provides review of recent approaches in characterization of common mode electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the wide bandgap (WB) power switch in emerging medium-voltage power electronics applications including but are not limited to electric ship, more electric aircraft, and micro-grid. Based on this extensive review, the paper will investigate the future research goal for the system level EMI analysis in Mississippi State University (MSU). Introduction of WB gap devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) MOSFET are being widely used and rapidly expanded in emerging medium voltage power applications with their high efficiency and high-power density characteristics. However, its high frequency switching impact on the system’s operation has resulted in unprecedented EMI noise, especially in ungrounded ship electric system. In this paper, new circuit configurations for reducing EMI effects, the causes, and mitigation techniques has been comprehensively reviewed. The design of effective experimental setup, testing procedure, and future research thrust in MSU has been derived based on this extensive review.
They Say, “If You Don’t Relax…You’re Going to Make Something Bad Happen”: Women’s Emotion Management During Medically High-Risk Pregnancy:

Little is known about how women with medically high-risk pregnancy manage their emotions while worried about their pregnancies. This study aimed to phenomenologically explore 16 hospitalized women’...
Evidence-Based Review of Clinical Applications and Outcomes of Automated Epidermal Grafting

Commercialization of an automated epidermal harvesting device (CelluTome™, Kinetic Concepts Inc., San Antonio, TX) in the last 6 years has led to numerous publications describing a growing number of clinical applications. The current article reviews this literature while summarizing outcomes. A total of 20 published reports including 284 automated graft recipients have been published. Complete reepithelialization occurs in 50–92% of recipient sites, often within 4–18 weeks of graft placement. Donor sites heal without scarring within 1–2 weeks. Current evidence suggests efficacy in using an automated epidermal harvesting device for the wounds of patients with multiple comorbidities and failing previous treatments for their wounds, including vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, surgical wounds, complex wounds, acute traumatic wounds, pyoderma gangrenosum, and burns. Limited evidence also suggests efficacy of automated epidermal grafting for disorders of pigmentation. Better trials studying individual clinical applications of epidermal grafting are needed.
Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Disease Severity in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Children's Hospital in New York City, New York.

Importance Descriptions of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience in pediatrics will help inform clinical practices and infection prevention and control for pediatric facilities. Objective To describe the epidemiology, clinical, and laboratory features of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at a children’s hospital and to compare these parameters between patients hospitalized with and without severe disease. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective review of electronic medical records from a tertiary care academically affiliated children’s hospital in New York City, New York, included hospitalized children and adolescents (≤21 years) who were tested based on suspicion for COVID-19 between March 1 to April 15, 2020, and had positive results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Exposures Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from a nasopharyngeal specimen using a reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay. Main Outcomes and Measures Severe disease as defined by the requirement for mechanical ventilation. Results Among 50 patients, 27 (54%) were boys and 25 (50%) were Hispanic. The median days from onset of symptoms to admission was 2 days (interquartile range, 1-5 days). Most patients (40 [80%]) had fever or respiratory symptoms (32 [64%]), but 3 patients (6%) with only gastrointestinal tract presentations were identified. Obesity (11 [22%]) was the most prevalent comorbidity. Respiratory support was required for 16 patients (32%), including 9 patients (18%) who required mechanical ventilation. One patient (2%) died. None of 14 infants and 1 of 8 immunocompromised patients had severe disease. Obesity was significantly associated with mechanical ventilation in children 2 years or older (6 of 9 [67%] vs 5 of 25 [20%];P = .03). Lymphopenia was commonly observed at admission (36 [72%]) but did not differ significantly between those with and without severe disease. Those with severe disease had significantly higher C-reactive protein (median, 8.978 mg/dL [to convert to milligrams per liter, multiply by 10] vs 0.64 mg/dL) and procalcitonin levels (median, 0.31 ng/mL vs 0.17 ng/mL) at admission (P Conclusions and Relevance In this case series study of children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease had diverse manifestations. Infants and immunocompromised patients were not at increased risk of severe disease. Obesity was significantly associated with disease severity. Elevated inflammatory markers were seen in those with severe disease.
Impact of Comorbid PTSD on Outcome of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Veterans With Depression.

Objective A recent randomized controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depressive disorder (MDD) in veterans raised the question of whether comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) negatively impacted the outcome of TMS in veterans. To address this, a quality database was analyzed to compare outcomes of MDD treated with TMS in veterans with and without comorbid PTSD. Methods The clinical outcomes of all consecutive veterans with MDD treated with TMS at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital as outpatients from October 2013 through September 2018 were included. Patients were initially evaluated by an experienced psychiatrist, and the diagnosis of MDD was made by clinical evaluation per DSM-IV-TR/DSM-5 criteria. At the start of treatment, after every 5 treatments, and at the end of treatment, patients were assessed with self-report and clinician-rated scales of depression. All data were abstracted from an existing quality database. Results Among the 118 patients treated with TMS for depression, 55 (47%) had comorbid PTSD and 63 (53%) had no comorbid PTSD. Response and remission rates by score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale were similar between patients with PTSD (52.5% and 40.9%, respectively) and without PTSD (53.8% and 35.6%, respectively). No seizures or persistent adverse effects were observed or reported in either group. Conclusions Comorbid PTSD did not impact the outcome of TMS for depression in this sample of veterans. Future studies should include formal ratings of PTSD to determine if the severity of PTSD affects the outcome.
FTO-Dependent N6-Methyladenosine Modifications Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell Self-Renewal by Blocking cAMP Signaling

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification of mammalian mRNAs. RNA methylation fine tunes RNA stability and translation, altering cell fate. The fat mass- and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an m6A demethylase with oncogenic properties in leukemia. Here, we show that FTO expression is suppressed in ovarian tumors and cancer stem cells (CSC). FTO inhibited the self-renewal of ovarian CSC and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo, both of which required FTO demethylase activity. Integrative RNA sequencing and m6A mapping analysis revealed significant transcriptomic changes associated with FTO overexpression and m6A loss involving stem cell signaling, RNA transcription, and mRNA splicing pathways. By reducing m6A levels at the 3′UTR and the mRNA stability of two phosphodiesterase genes (PDE1C and PDE4B), FTO augmented second messenger 3′, 5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling and suppressed stemness features of ovarian cancer cells. Our results reveal a previously unappreciated tumor suppressor function of FTO in ovarian CSC mediated through inhibition of cAMP signaling. Significance: A new tumor suppressor function of the RNA demethylase FTO implicates m6A RNA modifications in the regulation of cyclic AMP signaling involved in stemness and tumor initiation.
Let Us Use Negative Examples in Regression-Type Problems Too

In many practical situations, we need to reconstruct the dependence between quantities x and y based on several situations in which we know both x and y values. Such problems are known as regression problems. Usually, this reconstruction is based on positive examples, when we know y – at least, with some accuracy. However, in addition, we often also know some examples in which we have negative information about y – e.g., we know that y does not belong to a certain interval. In this paper, we show how such negative examples can be used to make the solution to a regression problem more accurate.
Supply chain traceability: an institutional theory perspective

Initially employed as a tool for detecting food contamination issues, traceability within the supply chain has had a long history of research. However, the view that supply chain traceability is a strategic management tool within other industries has not been fully researched. To address this research gap, this study examines the implementation of traceability through an institution theoretical lens. The research model consists of four important implementation elements of traceability: top management support (TMS), internal non-conforming process (INP), traceability information management (TIM) and supplier traceability management (STM). The model is tested with 238 responses obtained from a variety of industries using the online survey. Results of the study suggest that TMS is critical for a firm to develop an effective traceability system across supply chain. The influential pressures from organisation ownership and regulatory oversight are found to affect how implementation of traceability actually differs amongst firms.
Behavioral health integration in a nurse-led federally qualified health center: Outcomes of care.

Background Over the past 20 years, significant evidence has emerged for collaborative care in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care. Purpose The purpose of this project was to integrate an interprofessional and collaborative care model of behavioral health services into routine nurse-led primary care delivered to vulnerable and underserved populations across the lifespan. Team members included psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), a registered nurse, and a case manager. Methods An Access database was developed to track clients seen by the PMHNPs. Three key outcome measures were tracked over time: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist Civilian Version, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS). A retrospective analysis of client outcome data from January 2017 through December 2019 was conducted. Results There were 118 patients included who were mostly female (63.6%), White (90.7%), and not Hispanic (69.5%), with Medicaid as their primary insurance (74.6%). For each outcome, models with linear and quadratic function forms for time were fit. The final model for PTSD Checklist Score had a linear functional form for time and the final models for BDRS and HAM-D had linear and quadratic terms for time. All predictors were significantly associated with the outcome. Implications for practice This program demonstrated that a patient-centered, nurse-led team approach to the treatment of depression, bipolar depression, and PTSD can be successful in primary care.
Green Design Tools: Building Values and Politics into Material Choices:

Green design tools are emerging as a new response to the dilemmas that architects and designers face in preventing the toxic impacts of building construction. Environmental health advocates, scient...
Pathways to Severe COVID-19 for People with Obesity.

Increased morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in people with obesity has illuminated the intersection of obesity with impaired responses to infections. While data is being rapidly generated on mechanisms by which COVID-19 impacts health, there is a critical need to better understand the pulmonary, vascular, metabolic, and immunologic aspects that drive the increased risk for complications from COVID-19 in people with obesity. In this review, we provide a broad overview of the intersection between COVID-19 and physiology of obesity to highlight potential mechanisms by which COVID-19 disease severity is increased by obesity, and to identify areas for future investigation towards developing tailored therapy for people with obesity who develop COVID-19.
Experimental Formation of Marine Abrasion on Bone and the Forensic Postmortem Submergence Interval

Human skeletal remains are frequently recovered from marine environments, where they have undergone months or years of immersion, and decomposition stage is no longer a possible method from which to estimate the postmortem submergence interval (PMSI). Over these longer PMSIs, a common taphonomic alteration that forms is the wearing and rounding of surfaces from marine abrasion, caused by repeated agitation in sediment or against rocks. Little is known about the timing of these changes and how to measure or score the degree of alteration. In a laboratory setting, multiple dry, defleshed bones of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were agitated in saltwater for varying intervals with abrasive sediment (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days) and with rocks (5 and 12 days) using a laboratory tumbling device. These were compared to human remains cases from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Boston, MA that had been in the Atlantic Ocean for known intervals. A five-stage (0–4) marine abrasion scoring system was devised for the taphonomic analysis of forensic cases from marine environments to allow for direct comparison among cases. A high degree of correlation between abrasion stage and known PMSI was detected.
Globalization, Migration and Development: The Role of Mexican Migrant Remittances

In this paper, we present evidence indicating that international migrant remittances lead to improved developmental outcomes. Using a cross-section of all Mexican municipalities (over 2400) in the year 2000, we show that an increase in the fraction of households receiving international remittances is correlated with better schooling and health indicators and with reductions in poverty, even after controlling for the likely endogeneity between remittances and developmental outcome variables. Our findings have important policy implications as they suggest that national governments and the international community should adopt measures that facilitate remittance flows.
Experimental Validation of Composite Phase Change Material Optimized for Thermal Energy Storage

Thermal energy storage based on phase change materials (PCMs) are advantageous due to their large latent heat storage capacity and favorable melting temperatures. While PCMs have high energy storage by volume, they are limited by low thermal conductivity properties and are often integrated with high thermal conductivity materials to increase the overall power density of phase change/metal composites. The general approach to make such PCM composites consists of dispersing small volume fraction of high thermal conductivity nanomaterials or by implementing micron sized metal foams and flakes, or by using macro scale fins to increase the rate of heat transfer in PCMs. Here, we describe a PCM composite using effective medium properties which are valid for a critical length scale and identify the volume fraction at this scale that is optimized for thermal energy storage. Experimental investigations for cartesian and cylindrical composites made of AlSi12 alloy and octadecane indicate a critical pitch of 1 mm and an optimum metal volume fraction of 0.5 to 0.6. Combined, the optimized composite PCM for thermal energy storage have significantly larger length scale and volume fractions of metal components which is facilitated conveniently using additive manufacturing.
Effect of beta-blockade on mortality in patients with heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Abstract Objectives. We sought to evaluate the current evidence for an effect of beta-blockade treatment on mortality in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Background. Although numerous small studies have suggested a benefit with beta-blocker therapy in patients with heart failure, a clear survival benefit has not been demonstrated. A recent combined analysis of several studies with the alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking agent carvedilol demonstrated a significant survival advantage; however, the total number of events was small. Furthermore, it is unclear if previous studies with other beta-blockers are consistent with this finding. Methods. Randomized clinical trials of beta-blockade treatment in patients with CHF from January 1975 through February 1997 were identified using a MEDLINE search and a review of reports from scientific meetings. Studies were included if mortality was reported during 3 or more months of follow-up. Results. We identified 35 reports, 17 of which met the inclusion criteria. These studies included 3,039 patients with follow-up ranging from 3 months to 2 years. Beta-blockade was associated with a trend toward mortality reduction in 13 studies. When all 17 reports were combined, beta-blockade significantly reduced all-cause mortality (random effect odds ratio [OR] 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54 to 0.88). A trend toward greater treatment effect was noted for nonsudden cardiac death (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.83) compared with sudden cardiac death (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.2). Similar reductions in mortality were observed for patients with ischemic (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.98) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.99). The survival benefit was greater for trials of the drug carvedilol (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.81) than for noncarvedilol drugs (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.12); however, the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.10). Conclusions. Pooled evidence suggests that beta-blockade reduces all-cause mortality in patients with CHF. Additional trials are required to determine whether carvedilol differs in its effect from other agents. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;30:27–34)
The GNP gap: An indicator of monetary policy?

The purpose of this paper is to specify and calculate an objective indicator of the course of monetary policy. However, in contrast to most evaluations of monetary policy which relate current changes in the money growth r,lte or interest rate to some previous condition, this paper relates actual policies to an ideal policy. Based upon a comparison of actual policies with what tile policy should be, permits a calibration of the actual policy as being iight or easy.
Electoral Balancing in Federal and Sub-national Elections: The Case of Canada

The major premise of this study is that in federal countries voters can balance and moderate national policy by dividing electoral support between different parties in federal and sub-national elections. We compare the non-concurrent federal and provincial elections in Canada to assess the balancing properties of sub-national elections. The balancing hypothesis implies that the federal incumbent party may suffer additional electoral losses in provincial elections. We use several statistical tests - ordinary OLS, “fixed effect” and “unbalanced random effect” cross-section time series - to analyze Canadian electoral data for the period of 1949-1997. All tests sustain that the incumbent party at the federal level loses votes in provincial elections.
Piercing the Veil When Corporate Subsidiaries Commit Torts

Firms that do not have enough assets to cover potential tort liability have a reduced incentive to take safety precautions. Large firms can take advantage of this by compartmentalizing their most dangerous activities into smaller subsidiaries. Under current law it is difficult to reach the assets of a parent corporation when a subsidiary cannot pay its tort debts. Many commentators have suggested that there should be an exception to the rule of limited liability for closely held corporations, tortfeasors, or both. One consequence of doing so would be that some large corporations might forgo dangerous activities and allow smaller firms to dominate the market. Even assuming that small under capitalized firms will take the same level of care as under capitalized subsidiaries, this shift in production can reduce social welfare due to lost economies of scale. Courts could balance these factors by beginning with a presumption of liability for the parents of subsidiaries that cannot pay tort debts, but allowing a defense based on a showing that piercing the veil would result in lost efficiency.
Substance abuse among medical trainees: current problems and evolving resources

Substance abuse among medical students and residents, while not new, has increased in frequency, appears earlier, and is more apt to involve illicit drugs. In addition to these pathological changes, certain mental health resources for medical students have declined (although there is considerable variability from one location to another). These changes have stimulated certain innovative approaches to such problems. Both these recent problems as well as recent responses for dealing with them are presented.
A Modeling Framework for Engineered Complex Adaptive Systems

The objective of this paper is to develop an integrated method to study emergent behavior and consequences of evolution and adaptation in a certain engineered complex adaptive system. A conceptual framework is provided to describe the structure of a class of engineered complex systems and predict their future adaptive patterns. The proposed modeling approach allows examining complexity in the structure and the behavior of components as a result of their connections and in relation to their environment. Electrical power demand is used to illustrate the applicability of the modeling approach. We describe and use the major differences of natural complex adaptive systems (CASs) with artificial/engineered CASs to build our framework. The framework allows focus on the critical factors of an engineered system, but also enables one to synthetically employ engineering and mathematical models to analyze and measure complexity in such systems without complex modeling. This paper adopts concepts of complex systems science to management science and system-of-systems engineering.
Microscopic Diffusion Dynamics of Silver Complex‐Based Room‐Temperature Ionic Liquids Probed by Quasielastic Neutron Scattering

Quasielastic neutron scattering is used to probe the microscopic diffusion dynamics of the hydrogen-bearing cations of two different silver complex-derived room-temperature ionic liquids, [Ag(propylamine) 2 + ][Tf 2 N - ] (Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl) and [Ag(1-pentene) + ][Tf 2 N - ]. In the temperature range from 300 to 340 K, analysis of the scattering momentum transfer dependence of the data provides evidence for three distinct diffusion components. The slowest component describes the long-range cationic translational diffusion. A possible link between the microscopic diffusion parameters and the structural features of the cations comprising these two ionic liquids is discussed.
On why constructivism does not yield relativism

Abstract There are many varieties of epistemological and cognitive constructivism. They have in common an appreciation of the failures of centuries of attempts to realize a correspondence notion of truth and representation, and they all propose some constructivist programme as an alternative. The programmatic proposals, however, can differ greatly. Some contemporary constructivisms that are being vigorously advocated propose a social form of idealism with a consequent relativism. Such proposals risk giving constructivism a bad name. The main burden of this article is to show that such an idealism and relativism is not forced by constructivism, but, instead, is the result of an additional and questionable presupposition. Constructivism per se is a strong epistemological position that is fully compatible with realism.
Limit-induced stable limit cycles in power systems

Heavily loaded power systems are susceptible to Hopf bifurcations, and consequent oscillatory instability. The onset of instability can be predicted by small disturbance (eigen-value) analysis, but the ensuring behaviour may depend strongly on nonlinearities within the system. In particular, physical limits place bounds on the divergent behaviour of states. This paper explores the situation where generator field-voltage limits capture behaviour, giving rise to a stable (though non-smooth) limit cycle. It is shown that shooting methods can be adapted to solve for such non-smooth limit-induced limit cycles. By continuing branches of limit-induced and smooth limit cycles, the paper established the co-existence of equilibria, smooth and non-smooth limit cycles. Furthermore, it is shown that when branches of limit-induced and smooth limit cycles merge, the limit cycles are annihilated at a grazing bifurcation.