cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification and selective expansion of functionally superior T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors

T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown exciting promise in cancer therapy, particularly in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. However, optimization of CAR-T cell production remains a trial-and-error exercise due to a lack of phenotypic benchmarks that are clearly predictive of anti-tumor functionality. A close examination of the dynamic changes experienced by CAR-T cells upon stimulation can improve understanding of CAR–T-cell biology and identify potential points for optimization in the production of highly functional T cells. Primary human T cells expressing a second-generation, anti-CD19 CAR were systematically examined for changes in phenotypic and functional responses to antigen exposure over time. Multi-color flow cytometry was performed to quantify dynamic changes in CAR-T cell viability, proliferation, as well as expression of various activation and exhaustion markers in response to varied antigen stimulation conditions. Stimulated CAR-T cells consistently bifurcate into two distinct subpopulations, only one of which (CARhi/CD25+) exhibit anti-tumor functions. The use of central memory T cells as the starting population and the resilience—but not antigen density—of antigen-presenting cells used to expand CAR-T cells were identified as critical parameters that augment the production of functionally superior T cells. We further demonstrate that the CARhi/CD25+ subpopulation upregulates PD-1 but is resistant to PD-L1-induced dysfunction. CAR-T cells expanded ex vivo for adoptive T-cell therapy undergo dynamic phenotypic changes during the expansion process and result in two distinct populations with dramatically different functional capacities. Significant and sustained CD25 and CAR expression upregulation is predictive of robust anti-tumor functionality in antigen-stimulated T cells, despite their correlation with persistent PD-1 upregulation. The functionally superior subpopulation can be selectively augmented by careful calibration of antigen stimulation and the enrichment of central memory T-cell type.
Experimental Analysis of Hybridization in Leopard Frogs (Anura: Ranidae): Larval Performance in Desiccating Environments

Abstract Relative fitness of parental and hybrid Leopard Frogs was examined by measuring larval performance in artificial ponds and laboratory containers. Effect of a variable hydroperiod on growth, development, and survival was used to assess larval responses to a desiccating aquatic environment. Larvae for the artificial pond experiment were obtained from field-collected egg masses of Rana blairi and R. sphenocephala. Artificial crosses with adult animals produced larvae of one parental and three hybrid genotypes for laboratory performance assays. Experimental pond drying significantly reduced survival for both parental species. Rana blairi had higher survival than R. sphenocephala across all treatments. Both species reduced larval period lengths when exposed to a drying environment relative to constant water levels. The laboratory experiment revealed Backcross2 hybrid larvae exhibited longer larval period lengths than parental R. sphenocephala and certain F1 hybrid genotypes in the drying environment. ...
Mitotic chromosome compaction via active loop extrusion

During cell division chromosomes are compacted in length by more than a hundred-fold. A wide range of experiments demonstrated that in their compacted state, mammalian chromosomes form arrays of closely stacked consecutive ~100Kb loops. The mechanism underlying the active process of chromosome compaction into a stack of loops is unknown. Here we test the hypothesis that chromosomes are compacted by enzymatic machines that actively extrude chromatin loops. When such loop-extruding factors (LEF) bind to chromosomes, they progressively bridge sites that are further away along the chromosome, thus extruding a loop. We demonstrate that collective action of LEFs leads to formation of a dynamic array of consecutive loops. Simulations and an analytically solved model identify two distinct steady states: a sparse state where loops are highly dynamic but provide little compaction, and a dense state with more stable loops and dramatic chromosome compaction. We find that human chromosomes operate at the border of the dense steady state. Our analysis also shows how the macroscopic characteristics of the loop array are determined by the microscopic properties of LEFs and their abundance. When number of LEFs are used that match experimentally based estimates, the model can quantitatively reproduce the average loop length, the degree of compaction, and the general loop-array morphology of compact human chromosomes. Our study demonstrates that efficient chromosome compaction can be achieved solely by an active loop-extrusion process.
Model construction as a learning activity: a design space and review

Modeling is becoming increasingly important both as a way to learn science and mathematics, and as a useful cognitive skill. Although many learning activities qualify as “modeling”, this article focuses on activities where (1) students construct a model rather than explore a given model, (2) the model is expressed in a formal language rather than drawings, physical objects or natural language texts and (3) the model's predictions are generated by executing it on a computer. Most research on such learning activities has focused on getting students to successfully construct models, which they find very difficult to do. In the hope that new research can find ways to remove this bottleneck, this article attempts to list all the major ideas that have appeared in the literature and might be useful to those developing new learning activities involving model construction. The ideas are organized into a design space with five dimensions: (1) modeling language types, (2) ways for describing the systems that student...
Laser Isotope Separation

The separation of isotopes by photochemical processes employing high power lasers has received much attention during the past years. The method promises very efficient and economically competitive separation processes for a large number of isotopes, most notably uranium. Although no laser separation experiment has as yet produced weighable quantities of isotopic materials to date, a number of very recent experiments have shown the viability of the fundamental concepts. We shall review the basic concepts and the existing experimental work. In the course of this review we shall try to point out a number of unresolved problems open to research and discuss the requirements for the further development of high-power lasers for isotope separation. Finally, we will discuss possible applications of isotopes other than uranium and investigate the uses and the economics of titanium-50 as a large scale construction material for nuclear reactors.
Nucleotide sequence of htpB, the Legionella pneumophila gene encoding the 58-kilodalton (kDa) common antigen, formerly designated the 60-kDa common antigen.

Abstract Gene htpB, which encodes the 58-kilodalton protein of Legionella pneumophila, was cloned in Escherichia coli and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined. Analysis of this sequence revealed an open reading frame of 1,644 nucleotides encoding a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 57,952 daltons. Data obtained by amino-terminal sequencing of the purified 58-kilodalton protein agreed, except for one amino acid residue, with the predicted amino acid sequence, identifying this open reading frame as htpB. A comparison of the primary structure of this protein to other proteins of similar molecular weights from E. coli, Mycobacterium leprae, M. tuberculosis, and Coxiella burnetii revealed significant regions of sequence similarity, which are discussed.
Comprehension: A dialogic authorial approach

The problem of defining and analyzing the concept of comprehension as a social phenomenon is arguably one of the key issues in psychology and education. At its core, the problem entails asking what sort of social relationship is at the basis of comprehension. Traditionally, agreement among participants is viewed as the basis of social comprehension. I analyze and criticize two major traditional agreement-based approaches to comprehension: fundamentalist and constructivist. My critique of traditional approaches focuses on their arguably wrong assumption about the principal transparency of human consciousnesses. Based on the work of Bakhtin, I develop a dialogic authorial approach to comprehension predicated on the dialogic nature of social relationships—and on the principal opaqueness of human consciousnesses. I use an educational case from my own teaching in which I abstract and analyze the key features of my concept of a dialogic authorial approach to comprehension.
NIDA's Pharmacologic Calvinism.

Let me begin with three acknowledgments. The first is to state my agreement with the conclusions Andreae and colleagues (2016) draw in urging scientific research on the medically beneficial effects...
Counting and Resisting: The Census in Colonial and Post-Colonial Tanzania

Many scholars have argued that census-taking was a key organizing power of colonial rule, used to count, classify, and aid in the scientific governance of colonized populations (Cohn 1987, Uvin 2002, Cordell, Ittmann and Maddox 2010). In this paper, I explore the history and present-day significance of the census in Tanzania, focusing on major censuses from 1921 to 2012. Based on archival research in Tanzania and England and ethnographic participant observation of the 2012 Tanzania national census, I argue that the practice of census-taking in colonial and post-colonial Tanzania wasand remainscomplex, highly contentious, and far less hegemonic than some accounts suggest. In particular, censuses have struggled to account for the high degree of mobility and migration in many Tanzanian populations, including pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, laborers, and those with unstable land or housing tenure (Setel 1999). I explore two themes: the limitations of colonial and post-colonial demographic knowledge and governance, and the various ways in which Tanzanian people have resisted the census or fought for the right to be counted. In conclusion, I describe the controversies surrounding the 2012 Tanzanian census, and how this event can inform understandings of knowledge, governance, power, participation and resistance in Tanzania today.
Relationship between Polyelectrolyte Bulk Complexation and Kinetics of Their Layer-by-Layer Assembly

The effects of pH and salinity on both the bulk phase behavior and the layer-by-layer (LbL) growth kinetics are investigated for polyanion poly(acrylic acid) or PAA with two polycations, namely poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) or PDMAEMA and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) or PDADMAC, with the goal of relating the phase behavior to the LbL growth kinetics. Depending on salinity, pH, and mixing ratio, the complex formed in the bulk is either a powdery precipitate or a gel-like coacervate, and the multilayers grow either linearly or exponentially with deposition time. In addition to primary Coulombic interactions, we observe that polymer-specific interactions have a profound effect on both bulk complexation and LbL growth of the three PE pairs studied here. The overall strength of interaction between polyelectrolytes, as indicated by their phase behavior, has a nonmonotonic effect on LbL growth rate, apparently because stronger interactions not only increase the driving force for diffusion b...
Organizational Climate and Decision Framing An Integrated Approach to Analyzing Industrial Buying Decisions

The authors examine the ability of prospect theory to explain industrial buyer decision behavior and explore the benefits of using organizational climate as one of the factors affecting the decisio...
Dietary counseling: some realistic expectations and guidelines.

Some time-honored, beliefs about ways to change food habits are shown here to be illusions.
An Approach to the Estimation of Adsorption Enthalpies of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Particle Surfaces.

Current atmospheric models incorporate the values of vaporization enthalpies, ΔHvap, obtained for neat standards, thus disregarding the matrix effects on volatilization. To test the adequacy of this approximation, this study measured enthalpies of vaporization for five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the form of neat standards (ΔHvap) as well as adsorbed on the surface of silica, graphite, and graphene particles (ΔHvapeff), by using simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC). Measurement of the corresponding activation energy values, Eavap and Ea vapeff, by TGA using a derivative method was shown to be the most reliable and practical way to assess ΔHvap and ΔHvapeff. Enthalpies of adsorption (ΔHads) were then calculated from the differences between Eavap and Ea vapeff, thus paving a way to modeling the solid–gas phase partitioning in atmospheric particulate matter (PM). The PAH adsorption on silica particle surfaces (representing n−π* interactions) resulted in neg...
POSITIVISTIC HISTORY AND ITS CRITICS: Buckle and Droysen

[Although most historians of the mid-nineteenth century considered history a science if it attempted to reconstruct the past according to verified, original sources, some historians, especially those that had come under the sway of Positivist philosophy, thought history had to discover the general laws of human development. Among the latter historians none was more popular or perceptive than Henry Thomas Buckle (1821–1862), a self-educated historian who had neither studied nor taught at a University.
?Bottom up? approach to nano probe fabrication and study of graphene and carbon nanotubes

C nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are considered as prime materials for nanometer-scale science and technology due to their unique and superior combination of electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. This has inspired a widespread effort to develop CNTs and graphene based applications for next generation nanoelectronics. The practical realization of CNT and graphene technology depends critically on whether CNTs can be formed in a controlled manner and if graphene can be produced, modified and patterned into various predesigned architectures in planar (2D) or three dimensional layouts.
Parallel Smoothed Aggregation Multigrid : Aggregation Strategies on Massively Parallel Machines

Algebraic multigrid methods offer the hope that multigrid convergence can be achieved (for at least some important applications) without a great deal of effort from engineers and scientists wishing to solve linear systems. In this paper we consider parallelization of the smoothed aggregation multigrid method. Smoothed aggregation is one of the most promising algebraic multigrid methods. Therefore, developing parallel variants with both good convergence and efficiency properties is of great importance. However, parallelization is nontrivial due to the somewhat sequential aggregation (or grid coarsening) phase. In this paper, we discuss three different parallel aggregation algorithms and illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of each variant in terms of parallelism and convergence. Numerical results will be shown on the Intel Teraflop computer for some large problems coming from nontrivial codes: quasi-static electric potential simulation and a fluid flow calculation.
Review: DNA Ahead Game & More: 3-in-1 Adventures in DNA

DNA Ahead Game & More: 3-in-1 Adventures in DNA (K–16 Educational Resources; Dr. Dorothy Semenow; http://www.dnaahead.com) From the mind of Dorothy Semenow – Caltech's very first female graduate student and all-around mind sleuth – comes DNA Ahead & More , a game that takes players on a journey through the world of genetics and biotechnology. The art and the quality of materials alone speak to the labor of love that went into its development. Yet, more than art, this game represents a wealth of knowledge that any K–16 life science, science club, or continuing education instructor would want to tap into. If you can play Monopoly then you can play DNA Ahead. In short, players (or teams of players) move along the large board with the short-term goal of claiming spaces. Spaces claimed contribute votes to the player (or team). In the end, the player with the most …
Asymmetric geographic range expansion explains the latitudinal diversity gradients of four major taxa of marine plankton

Abstract. Extensive investigation of the close association between biological diversity and environmental temperature has not yet yielded a generally accepted, empirically validated mechanism to explain latitudinal gradients of species diversity, which occur in most taxa. Using the highly resolved late Cenozoic fossil records of four major taxa of marine plankton, we show that their gradients arise as a consequence of asymmetric geographic range expansion rather than latitudinal variation in diversification rate, as commonly believed. Neither per capita speciation nor extinction rates trend significantly with temperature or latitude for these marine plankton. Species of planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton that originate in the temperate zone preferentially spread toward and arrive earlier in the tropics to produce a normal gradient with tropical diversity peaks; by contrast, temperate-zone originating species of diatoms and radiolarians preferentially spread toward and arrive earlier in p...
Application of instrument transfer function to a fringe projection system for measuring rough surfaces

When fringe projection profilometry is used for measuring rough/textured surfaces, the fidelity of the measurement is subject to the spatial frequency response. The instrument transfer function (ITF) is one appealing approach to characterize this property. The foundation of ITF analysis is based on the linear theory; only linear systems are appropriate for ITF analysis. A fringe projection system is intrinsically nonlinear, but it can be approximated as a linear system when certain conditions are met. Here we investigate the linear conditions of a custom fringe projection system designed for an additive manufacturing application. The applicability of ITF is discussed through mathematical analysis and simulations.
How Robust Is Your Development Team

Given the collaborative nature of software development, a robust team is a necessity for project success in both commercial and open source environments. That is, in the event of developers’ absence due to various reasons, how could it potentially disrupt a team’s routine operations? This article offers an automatic approach to intuitively visualize development team hierarchy, quantify overall team robustness, and identify the point (developers) of risk for team robustness. An investigation of six Apache open source projects has shown its effectiveness. This article is part of a special issue on Actionable Analytics for Software Engineering.
Achieving Breastfeeding Equity: A Study of a National Breastfeeding Initiative

Abstract Background: Equity in breastfeeding could reduce excess morbidity and mortality among children and mothers of color. Few programs that support breastfeeding have been evaluated for their c...
Pressure control inverse ratio ventilation in the treatment of adult respiratory distress syndrome in patients with blunt chest trauma.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pressure control inverse ratio ventilation (PCIRV) in improving oxygenation in trauma patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to assess the potential risks associated with this form of treatment. This was a cohort study assessing the trends in hemodynamic and ventilatory parameters after the initiation of PCIRV, conducted at a community Level I trauma center intensive care unit. The study comprised 15 trauma patients developing severe, progressive ARDS [two or more of the following criteria: positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) >10 cm H2O; arterial partial pressure of oxygen divided by fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2:FiO2) ratio 45 cm H2O]: ten due to blunt chest injuries, three due to sepsis, and two due to fat emboli syndrome. PCIRV was initiated. Main outcome measures were PIP, PEEP (total, auto), oxygen saturation, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, PaO2:FiO2 ratio, compliance, evidence of complications of PCIRV, and mortality. Within 24 hours of conversion to PCIRV, the patients stabilized and the mean PaO2:FiO2 ratio rose from 96.3+/-57.8 to 146.8+/-91.1 (P<0.05) and PIP fell from 47.9+/-13.8 to 38.8+/-8.4 cm H2O; auto-PEEP increased from 0.5+/-1.9 to 7.5+/-5.6 cm H2O (P<0.05); oxygen delivery index remained stable (563+/-152 to 497+/-175 mL/min/m2); three patients developed evidence of barotrauma, one patient developed critical illness polyneuropathy, and two patients died (13%). PCIRV is an effective salvage mode of ventilation in patients with severe ARDS, but it is not without complications. Auto-PEEP levels and cardiac index should be monitored to ensure tissue oxygen delivery is maintained.
Early Seizure Freedom Is a Prognostic Factor for Survival in Patients with West Syndrome.

Introduction West syndrome (WS) is a devastating epileptic encephalopathy with substantial mortality. After a study by Riikonen in 1996, further data on mortality and prognostic factors for survival has been scarce. We aimed to study mortality in patients with WS and identify prognostic factors for survival. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective study in a tertiary referral clinic (Erasmus University Hospital/Sophia Children's Hospital). This study obtained data from deceased patients regarding the age of death and cause of death. Seizure outcome was assessed at 8 weeks after the start of treatment and at 1 year after the onset of WS. At 1 year of follow-up seizure frequency, number of antiepileptic drugs and seizure type were evaluated. Results With a mean follow-up of 60 months (range 8–314 months), 162 patients met the inclusion criteria. At 8 weeks and 1 year of follow-up, 64 patients (40%) were seizure free. Overall, 37 patients (23%) died. The cumulative mortality percentage was 31%. Seizure freedom was an independent predictor of survival ( p = 0.01). Conclusion In this study, remission of seizures at 8 weeks of follow-up was significantly associated with reduced mortality in patients with WS.
Incorporation of the glutathione conjugation pathway in an updated physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for perchloroethylene in mice.

Abstract Background Perchloroethylene (perc) induced target organ toxicity has been associated with tissue-specific metabolic pathways. Previous physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of perc accurately predicted oxidative metabolites but suggested the need to better characterize glutathione (GSH) conjugation as well as toxicokinetic uncertainty and variability. Objectives We updated the previously published “harmonized” perc PBPK model in mice to better characterize GSH conjugation metabolism as well as the uncertainty and variability of perc toxicokinetics. Methods The updated PBPK model includes expanded models for perc and its oxidative metabolite trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and physiologically-based sub-models for conjugative metabolites. Previously compiled mouse kinetic data in B6C3F1 and Swiss-Webster mice were augmented to include data from a recent study in male C57BL/6J mice that measured perc and metabolites in serum and multiple tissues. Hierarchical Bayesian population analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo was conducted to characterize uncertainty and inter-strain variability in perc metabolism. Results The updated model fit the data as well or better than the previously published “harmonized” PBPK model. Tissue dosimetry for both oxidative and conjugative metabolites was successfully predicted across the three strains of mice, with estimated residuals errors of 2-fold for majority of data. Inter-strain variability across three strains was evident for oxidative metabolism; GSH conjugation data were only available for one strain. Conclusions This updated PBPK model fills a critical data gap in quantitative risk assessment by predicting the internal dosimetry of perc and its oxidative and GSH conjugation metabolites and lays the groundwork for future studies to better characterize toxicokinetic variability.
Rater reliability of postnatal urinary tract dilation consensus classification

A multidisciplinary urinary tract dilation (UTD) classification system was published in 2014 to standardize definitions and renal/bladder ultrasound image interpretation. To evaluate intra- and inter-rater reliability of this system on postnatal RBUS. Renal/bladder US of 60 infants ( 0.95 (P<0.001). Inter-rater kappa values for UTD scores of both kidneys ranged from 0.60 to 0.77 (P <0.001). Intra-rater kappa values for UTD scores of both kidneys ranged from 0.74 to 0.92 (P <0.001). Of the six categories comprising the UTD score, discrepancy between raters was highest for interpretation of central and peripheral calyceal dilation. Present inter- and intra-rater reliability findings were similar to those previously reported for grading systems for urinary tract dilation. Across these studies, kappa values are generally lower than the 0.8 cut-off advocated for medical measures. Here, calyceal dilation commonly determined the kidney UTD score and was also the source of greatest discrepancy between raters. Improving consistency of calyceal dilation interpretation may improve UTD consensus score reliability.
Why Clove Plantations: East African Archaeology, History, and Anthropology

This chapter provides an introduction for those who may not be familiar with East African archaeology and history. It also contextualizes the social changes taking place on clove plantations. By taking a longue duree approach in relation to Swahili archaeology, it becomes clear that while the nineteenth century was a period of rapid social change, foundational aspects of what emerged as Zanzibari culture also drew upon preexisting Swahili norms. Historical background on nineteenth-century East Africa is provided not only to contextualize clove plantations but also to demonstrate how archaeology provides a broader understanding of a historical period through the integration of material and historical sources.
Data-Driven Adaptive Robust Optimization Framework Based on Principal Component Analysis

This article proposes a novel data-driven adaptive robust optimization (ARO) framework based on principal component analysis (PCA). By performing PCA on uncertainty data, the correlations among uncertain parameters are effectively captured, and principal components are identified. Uncertainty data are then projected onto each principal component, and distributional information is extracted from the projected uncertainty data using kernel density estimation. To explicitly account for asymmetric uncertainties, we introduce forward and backward deviations into uncertainty sets. The proposed data-driven ARO approach enjoys a less conservative solution compared with conventional robust optimization methods. A numerical example and an application in process network planning are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Some promising extensions are also made within the proposed framework. Specifically, we investigate a data-driven uncertainty set in a low-dimensional subspace, and derive a theoretical bound on the performance gap between ARO solutions due to the dimension reduction of uncertainties.
mHealth Improved Fruit and Vegetable Accessibility and Intake in Young Children

Abstract Objective To explore the potential of mHealth using smartphones to improve fruit and vegetable intake in children. Design A 10-week randomized control and intervention pilot study. Setting Story time sessions at local libraries. Participants A convenience sample of 30 parents and children (aged 3–8 years). Intervention Delivery of nutrition intervention through the mobile Jump2Health website, Facebook posts, and text messages. Main Outcome Measures Electronic food photos of children's meals and snacks, 10-question survey related to fruit and vegetable consumption, reflectance spectroscopy via Veggie Meter to measure skin carotenoid levels, body mass index percentiles, and a mobile learning survey. Analysis Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. Results Veggie Meter values for children and parents showed significant week × treatment interactions in the intervention group compared with the control group for both children (P Conclusions and Implications This pilot study offers a potentially effective program including a mobile Web site, social media, and test message components to increase fruit and vegetable intake of young children.
Integration-Distinction Balance and Comparative Ethnic Regional Autonomy in Russia and China

This article proposes an analytical framework to address why implemented autonomy outcomes may differ across ethno-regions in Russia and China. Using a structural variable, inter-ethnic boundary ma...
Application of phosphine fumigant for controlling rice storage insect pests in foundation seeds: Poster

The development of phosphine resistance in storage insect pests is now problematic, so the increase of rate and frequency of phosphine fumigation in a storage room is needed. However, an adverse effect on seed germination, and human hazard needs to be tested. This experiment was aimed to find the most suitable methods used in combination with phosphine fumigation to reduce the risk of phosphine exposure. The treatments were (1) phosphine fumigation for 7 days and then open a plastic cloth (2) phosphine fumigation for 7 days and continue to cover a plastic cloth (3) phosphine fumigation for 7 days and spray pirimiphos methyl on sack (4) phosphine fumigation for 7 days and use a light trap (5) treat seeds with sweet flag powder before phosphine fumigation for 7 days (6) no phosphine fumigation with plastic cloth opening and (7) no phosphine fumigation with plastic cloth covering. In each treatment, seeds were sampled every month for 12 months to determine seed quality and insect populations. The results showed that seeds treated with sweet flag powder and fumed with phosphine for 7 days can significantly control storage rice insect pests in the first and the second year of experiments. The seed moisture content in each treatment changed in a similar pattern throughout 12 months storage in both years (13.4 – 13.7%). The seed germination showed similar results (more than 80% after 6 months storage), except the treatment of 7 days phosphine fumigation with plastic cloth covering which resulted in a slowly decline in germination. Seed weight losses and numbers of insect pests in the treatment with sweet flag powder were significantly less than the others.
Heterogeneity in the Association of Citizenship Status on Self-Rated Health Among Asians in California

Citizenship is considered an egalitarian legal identity but may function differently among minorities because of racial/ethnic stratification and historical context. Using Asians, I examine whether the association between citizenship and self-rated health differs by ethnicity. I examine the moderating effect of Asian ethnic group (Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and Other Asian) on citizenship and self-rated health using the 2012–2016 California Health Interview Survey (n = 11,084). Models account for demographics, socioeconomic status, healthcare, and English proficiency. Adjusting for demographics, naturalized citizens and non-citizens were statistically significantly more likely to report fair/poor health compared to U.S.-born citizens. Naturalized and non-citizen Vietnamese reported statistically significantly poorer health to all U.S.-born groups. These trends largely disappear when controlling for all covariates. Citizenship status can be useful in considering structural barriers for immigrants. Future work should interrogate the non-citizen category and why trends are seen among Vietnamese, but not others.
Recurrence-free survival after total thyroidectomy and lobectomy in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma is increasing. We evaluated the recurrence-free survival following total thyroidectomy and lobectomy to identify the optimal surgical choice. A meta-analysis was performed using the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health PubMed database to identify eligible studies. Summary 5- and 10-year RFS estimates after TT versus LT were calculated using random effects models. The literature search yielded 1117 studies (1990–2019). Nine studies met the inclusion criteria comprising 10,186 total thyroidectomy and 11,408 lobectomy patients. The 5-year recurrence-free survival was 98% [95% confidence interval (CI) 97–99%] after total thyroidectomy and 97% (95% CI 96–99%) after lobectomy, based on eight studies (9421 total thyroidectomy and 11,283 lobectomy patients); the 10-year recurrence-free survival was 95% (95% CI 92–98%) after total thyroidectomy and 92% (95% CI 86–96%) after lobectomy, based on eight studies (total thyroidectomy = 10,100, lobectomy = 11,389 patients). The present meta-analysis demonstrates excellent, long-term recurrence-free survival following both total thyroidectomy and lobectomy surgery in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. The analysis also suggests that patients undergoing total thyroidectomy trended toward a slightly better long-term 10-year recurrence-free survival in comparison to patients undergoing lobectomy, a finding of potential, clinical significance in the management decision-making process.
Syntactic Ergativity as a Constraint on Crossing Dependencies: The Perspective from Mayan

This paper presents an account of syntactic ergativity based on the grammaticalization of a processing-based preference for nested as compared to crossing dependencies. We propose that ergative sub...
Denial of Service Attacks on Centralized Controlled DC Microgrids: Vulnerability Assessment and Recommendations

Abstract This paper aims to provide more insight on the impact of Denial of Service (DOS) attacks on centralized controlled DC Microgrids. A mathematical model, which the author previously developed to represent microgrid stability during delays, will be utilized to investigate the impact of DOS attacks. A vulnerability analysis will be conducted to highlight the attack timing and strategy that could jeopardize the microgrid operation.
Entrepreneurial mindset in corporate entrepreneurship: Forms, impediments, and actions for research

An “entrepreneurial mindset” in individuals is real, and it does exist in corporations despite the litany of barriers and challenges. Corporate entrepreneurship is conceptualized as an environment ...
A Survey of Educators Serving Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In this descriptive study, we analyzed survey data regarding communication, instruction, and assessment strategies school personnel in K-12 settings reported using during the COVID-19 pandemic for ...
Entrepreneurship in Dynamic Environments: A Comparison Between the U.S. and China

This review paper summarizes some current literature regarding entrepreneurship in dynamic environments, with a specific focus on the Chinese and U.S. contexts. In the first section, we review research on how entrepreneurs manage the environmental dynamism that technology changes often trigger in the U.S. setting. Specifically, we discuss three levels of analysis – individual (managerial cognition and microfoundations), team (top management team and board), and inter-organizational (partner relationships). In the second section, we review research on how entrepreneurs deal with the environmental dynamism that institutional changes often create in the Chinese setting. Here we emphasize three aspects of institutional change - decreased institutional barriers, emerging institutional intermediaries, and temporal institutional inconsistencies. In the Discussion and Conclusion, we highlight how Chinese researchers and entrepreneurs can learn from U.S.-based entrepreneurship research and vice versa. Importantly, we call for scholars to build collaborative partnerships across countries and between two often separated streams of entrepreneurship research.
A Framework and Curriculum for Training Residents in Population Health.

There is increasing imperative to train residents in population health. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) enhanced its mission with revised Common Program Requirement...
Pathology Residency Program Special Expertise Tracks Meet the Needs of an Evolving Field

Pathologists who enter the workforce must have a diverse skill set beyond that of clinical diagnostics alone. Anticipating this need, the Johns Hopkins Pathology Residency Program developed Special Expertise Tracks to enhance training in relevant subspecialty domains. Using a combination of discussions and surveys, we assessed: (1) our current resident curriculum; (2) perceived curricular strengths and needs; (3) resident career preferences and ultimate career paths; (4) perceived barriers to implementing an advanced elective curriculum; and (5) available departmental/institutional resources. Additionally, we utilized the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Pathology Milestones as a curricular guide. Six professional residency training Special Expertise Tracks were established: Education, Physician-Scientist Research, Informatics, Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance/Value-Based Care, Health Policy/Hospital Management and Global Health. After implementation in 2017, the Education track has had 4 residents complete the curriculum successfully; the Physician-Scientist Research track has had 2 residents and the Informatics and Global Health tracks have each had one resident successfully complete their respective curricula. Currently, 5 residents are pursuing the Education track, one is pursuing the Physician-Scientist Research track, one is pursuing the Informatics track, and 2 residents are pursuing the Global Health track. Five residents have completed long-term projects including developing several e-learning modules, an online free digital cytopathology atlas, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books. The Johns Hopkins Pathology Resident Special Expertise Track program provides pathology residents an opportunity to gain meaningful experience and additional skills tailored to their individual career interests.
Impact of Stratified Interventions in University Reopenings

Abstract More than 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. are scheduled to start a new semester in August or September, 2021. Many colleges require Covid-19 vaccination, as well as some combination of face coverings or diagnostic testing, while others do not (in some cases due to governance structure). Large state universities may especially have limitations and are not requiring vaccination, testing, or indoor face coverings, nor offering hybrid classes (to promote physical distancing). Group living quarters or classrooms with densely packed students are among the riskiest settings for infectious disease spread.
COMPARISON OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE DETECTION METHODS AND PROCEDURES: IMPLICATIONS FOR FREE-RANGING WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) SURVEILLANCE AND MANAGEMENT.

Throughout North America, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has emerged as perhaps the greatest threat to wild cervid populations, including white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus). White-tailed deer are the most sought-after big game species across North America with populations of various subspecies in nearly all Canadian provinces, the contiguous US, and Mexico. Documented CWD cases have dramatically increased across the WTD range since the mid-1990s, including in Minnesota. CWD surveillance in free-ranging WTD and other cervid populations mainly depends upon immunodetection methods such as immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes and obex. More recent technologies centered on prion protein amplification methods of detection have shown promise as more sensitive and rapid CWD diagnostic tools. Here, we used blinded samples to test the efficacy of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) in comparison to ELISA for screening tissues collected in 2019 from WTD in southeastern Minnesota, where CWD has been routinely detected since 2016. Our results support previous findings that RT-QuIC is a more sensitive tool for CWD detection than current antibody-based methods. Additionally, a CWD testing protocol that includes multiple lymphoid tissues (e.g., medial retropharyngeal lymph node, parotid lymph node, and palatine tonsil) per animal can effectively identify a greater number of CWD detections in a WTD population than a single sample type (e.g., medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes). These results show that the variability of CWD pathogenesis, sampling protocol, and testing platform must be considered for the effective detection and management of CWD throughout North America.
The Wages of Class

Afterwar. War’s ending and the effects of trauma. Criticism by E. Fred Carlisle, Martin T. Buinicke, Paul Fussell, Steven Trout, Philip Beidler, M. Wynn Thomas, and Jerome Loving. Poems discussed “The Return of the Heroes,” “Long, Too Long America,” “As Toilsome I Wander’d Virginia’s Woods,” “Dirge for Two Veterans,” “Old War Dreams,” “Camps of Green,” “My Legacy,” and others.
Population Forecasting by Sanitary Engineers

A critical evaluation of population forecasting techniques currently (1964) used by sanitary engineers is presented. Methods for estimating population are reviewed and sources of population statistics are outlined. Graphical (plotting) methods, mathematical or formula methods, statistical methods of correlation and regression analysis, ratio methods using other estimates or forecasts, component methods based on the analysis of growth composition (births, deaths, migration), and methods based on economic forecasts, particularly those of future employment, are described. The relative accuracy of various methods is reviewed, and improvements in current sanitary engineering methodology are suggested, including the adoption of more analytical forecasting techniques.
Appealable Though Moot

Generally, Illinois courts cannot decide moot questions, that is, questions whose answers will not alter case outcomes. Occasionally, however, exceptions are made that allow moot questions to be determined. Five mootness exceptions for civil appellate cases were explored in In re Alfred H.H., 233 Ill.2d 345 (2009), where the court decided that evaluations of the established exceptions usually “must be conducted on a case-by-case basis.” Per se exceptions are now disfavored. Exceptions are more likely employed where appeals involve decisions on legal issues creating uncertainties, requiring more authoritative bases, or continuing to cause harm.
Waveform design and scheduling for agile sensors for target tracking

Waveform agile sensors are capable of modifying transmitted waveforms to adapt to a particular scenario of interest. In this paper, we investigate the problem of optimizing the pulse length and frequency sweep rate of transmitted sonar waveforms to track a target moving in two dimensions using two sensors. We use simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) in conjunction with a particle filter tracker to optimize the waveform parameters to minimize the expected squared tracking error at each time (greedy minimization). Simulation results show that waveforms with optimized parameters provide better performance than those that use fixed parameters.
Sequence file format conversion with command-line readseq.

One of the major challenges in using bioinformatics software is that there are a wide variety of sequence formats, e.g., GenBank, EMBL, and FASTA. It is often the case that a sequence or a set of sequences is in one format but is needed in another. This unit offers a solution to this problem - Readseq. Readseq is a program that can read and write 18 different formats
Vocational Training versus General Education: Evidence from an Educational Reform in Romania

Vocational training and general education are the two predominant forms of secondary schooling around the world. Most studies that compare the effect of vocational and general education on labor market outcomes in the cross-section suffer from selection bias since less able students are more likely to enroll in vocational programs. This paper exploits a 1973 educational reform in Romania that shifted a large proportion of students from vocational training to general education in order to avoid the bias caused by non-random selection. Using data from the 1992 Census and the 1995-2000 LSMS, we analyze the effect of this policy in the context of a transition economy that experienced a decline in manufacturing and a reallocation of labor to new jobs. We find that cohorts affected by the policy were significantly less likely to work in manual or craft-related occupations but showed no differences in unemployment, non employment, family income and wages than their counterparts who were not affected by the policy. We therefore conclude that the cross-sectional differences in labor market outcomes between graduates of vocational and general schools are largely a consequence of selection.
Visual Methods in the Social Sciences

This article is an overview of visual methods in the social sciences, with an emphasis on sociology. The article notes that, relative to other methods, visual methods are underdeveloped in the social sciences. It details forms of visual methods, from empirical to semiotic. Particular attention is paid to the use of photographs in the research process. The article also discusses problems in visual methods, including ethics and matters of technology and representation. Finally, it discusses issues specific to the publication and other dissemation of visual research in the social sciences.
Antigenic Properties of the Cell Wall and Other Fractions of the Yeast Form of Histoplasma capsulatum

Pine, Leo (Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga.), Clarence J. Boone, and Dave McLaughlin. Antigenic properties of the cell wall and other fractions of the yeast form of Histoplasma capsulatum . J. Bacteriol. 91: 2158–2168. 1966.—Yeast-form cells of Histoplasma capsulatum were fractionated in an attempt to obtain complement-fixing antigens with greater specificity than those of the currently used whole yeast form. No specific fraction was isolated. Rupture of the whole cell produced soluble and insoluble highly antigenic fractions. The soluble fractions rapidly lost antigenicity. Marked reduction of activity of some particulate fractions was also observed. The purified cell wall, stripped of its protein components, was antigenic, relatively stable, and demonstrated low cross-reactivity with heterologous sera. All fractions cross-reacted with sera from cases of North American blastomycosis to a greater degree than did the whole yeast-form antigen of H. capsulatum . The production of certain cellular fractions varied with the strains used. In complement-fixation tests, insignificant differences in specificity and antigenicity were found with whole-cell antigens from 13 H. capsulatum strains as well as with purified cell wall fractions prepared from 2 of these strains.