cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial Nucleic Acid Sensing in Oral and Systemic Diseases

One challenge in studying chronic infectious and inflammatory disorders is understanding how host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), specifically toll-like receptors (TLRs), sense and respond to pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns, their communication with each other and different components of the immune system, and their role in propagating inflammatory stages of disease. The discovery of innate immune activation through nucleic acid recognition by intracellular PRRs such as endosomal TLRs (TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9) and cytoplasmic proteins (absent in melanoma 2 and DNA-dependent activator of interferon regulatory factor) opened a new paradigm: Nucleic acid sensing is now implicated in multiple immune and inflammatory conditions (e.g., atherosclerosis, cancer), viral (e.g., human papillomavirus, herpes virus) and bacterial (e.g., Helicobacter pylori, pneumonia) diseases, and autoimmune disorders (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis). Clinical investigations reveal the overexpression of specific nucleic acid sensors in diseased tissues. In vivo animal models show enhanced disease progression associated with receptor activation. The involvement of nucleic acid sensors in various systemic conditions is further supported by studies reporting receptor knockout mice being either protected from or prone to disease. TLR9-mediated inflammation is also implicated in periodontal diseases. Considering that persistent inflammation in the oral cavity is associated with systemic diseases and that oral microbial DNA is isolated at distal sites, nucleic acid sensing may potentially be a link between oral and systemic diseases. In this review, we discuss recent advances in how intracellular PRRs respond to microbial nucleic acids and emerging views on the role of nucleic acid sensors in various systemic diseases. We also highlight new information on the role of intracellular PRRs in the pathogenesis of oral diseases including periodontitis and oral cavity cancer, which might offer future possibilities for disease prevention and therapy.
Quantifiers Defined by Parametric Extensions

This paper develops a metaphysically flexible theory of quantification broad enough to incorporate many distinct theories of objects. Quite different, mutually incompatible conceptions of the nature of objects and of reference find representation within it. Some conceptions yield classical first-order logic; some yield weaker logics. Yet others yield notions of validity that are proper extensions of classical logic.
Acute side effects of three commonly used gadolinium contrast agents in the paediatric population

Objective:To determine the incidence of acute side effects of three commonly used gadolinium contrast agents in the paediatric population.Methods:A retrospective review of medical records was performed to determine the incidence of acute adverse side effects of i.v. gadolinium contrast agents [MultiHance® (Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Princeton, NJ), Magnevist® (Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Wayne, NJ) or Gadavist® (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals)] in paediatric patients.Results:40 of the 2393 patients who received gadolinium contrast agents experienced acute side effects, representing an incidence of 1.7%. The majority of the acute side effects (in 30 patients) were nausea and vomiting. The incidence was significantly higher in non-sedated patients (2.37% vs 0.7%; p = 0.0018). Furthermore, without sedation, the incidence of both nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in children receiving MultiHance, with a 4.48% incidence of nausea when compared with Magnevist (0.33%, p < 0.0001) and Gadavist (0...
A regularity criterion for two-and-half-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations with horizontal dissipation and horizontal magnetic diffusion

We study the global regularity of classical solution to two-and-half-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations with horizontal dissipation and horizontal magnetic diffusion. We prove that any possible finite time blow-up can be controlled by the L∞-norm of the vertical components. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design, manufacturing, and flight testing of a fixed wing micro air vehicle with Zimmerman planform

An optimized and comprehensive method is used to design and manufacture a fixed wing micro air vehicle (MAV) with Zimmerman planform. The design process includes four stages which are the specification of the flight mission, determination of the best aspect ratio, identification of the optimum wing loading and thrust loading values, and estimation of the weight of the structural components of the MAV. To do this, various statistical and analytical methods are utilized. Based on an aerodynamic analysis, the results show that an optimum aspect ratio that maximizes the performance of the Zimmerman MAV for a well-defined cruise speed is determined. Considering six possible flights, a constraint analysis is performed and an optimum wing loading value is determined. It is shown that the computational method is beneficial to determine the exact masses for the structural components including the wing, fuselage, and vertical tail. Using the 3D panel method, the determination of the shape of the reflexed airfoil for the MAV is successfully done by minimizing the drag force and the angle of attack to use less powerful motor and avoid any stall effect, respectively. A stability analysis is then performed to check the safe flight of the designed vehicle. During test flight, the results show that the designed Zimmerman MAV satisfies the pre-defined specification. The final characteristics of the manufactured MAV are: wingspan of 44 cm, weight of 450 g, aspect ratio of 1.51, cruise speed of 20 m/s, and flight endurance of 20 min.
Use of both antegrade and retrograde internal mammary vessels in the bipedicled deep inferior epigastric perforator flap for unilateral breast reconstruction

Summary Background Autologous abdominal tissue transfer is a well-established method of breast reconstruction. The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap has the additional benefit of minimal donor site morbidity as it spares the muscle and fascia. Conventional DIEP flaps may not provide adequate volume in cases where the patient is thin, has midline abdominal scars, and/or has a large volume of tissue to replace. One solution is to use a bipedicled DIEP flap, incorporating all the available abdominal tissue. Bipedicled DIEP flaps have been described in a number of different configurations. The literature appears to favor intra-flap anastomosis, with a minimal exposition of two recipient vessels. It has been demonstrated that both the antegrade internal mammary artery (aIMA) and retrograde internal mammary artery (rIMA) are adequate recipient vessels. Here, the authors present a single-center experience with bipedicled DIEP flaps to both the aIMA and rIMA, showing their feasibility and safety. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent unilateral breast reconstruction using bipedicled DIEP flaps was performed to assess outcomes. Results A total of 20 patients who underwent unilateral breast reconstruction using a bipedicled DIEP flap were selected for this study. All of them were previously diagnosed with cancer. There were zero flap failure and zero instance of abdominal hernia or issue with abdominal wall functionality following the surgeries. Conclusions The series of surgeries described in this study resulted in successful breast reconstruction in 20 women using a bipedicled DIEP flap. The results show that this approach allows for reconstruction in places where a conventional DIEP does not provide adequate volume, achieved safely, and does not increase morbidity. The bipedicled DIEP flap is a viable option for large-volume autologous breast reconstruction, providing ample tissue for successful reconstruction while also allowing for shorter recovery and limited donor site morbidity.
Douglas Jones on Today's Voting Machines

We catch up with computer scientist and voting machine guru Douglas Jones to get a deeper understanding of current challenges in electronic voting technology.
Deregulation of miR-21 Contributes to Differential Macrophage Activation in Acute Kidney Injury in Aged Mice

Age-dependent renal changes increase the risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). The recruitment and activation of macrophages (M) is a prominent feature in this pathology wherein, distinct subsets of macrophages contribute to inflammation (M1) and tissue remodeling (M2). Recent studies suggest that microRNAs (miRs) play a significant role in AKI and functional recovery. The miRs are small non-coding RNA's which inhibit mRNA transcripts or block protein translation thus affecting the microenvironment a vital factor in the differentiation of macrophages to M1 and M2 phenotype. In this study, we determined whether deregulation of miR-21 contributes to macrophage polarization in renal ischemia reperfusion injury in aged mice. Young (12-14 wks) and aged (72-75 wks) wild type mice underwent bilateral renal ischemia for 25 minutes followed by 7 days reperfusion. Plasma creatinine and kidney injury molecule-1 measurement revealed severe renal dysfunction in aged mice vs. young. The level of miR-21 was increased in a...
Identification of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus from a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

ABSTRACT Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is an oncogenic virus associated with Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer with a high (>30%) mortality rate. The virus has a high incidence in patients with immunosuppressed conditions, such as AIDS or leukemia, or following organ transplantation. Here, we report the complete genomic sequence of MCPyV identified from a blood sample from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia.
Diving into federated network

With a growing number of infrastructure cloud services, there are many benefits to interconnecting several clouds. However, seamless cloud interoperability is highly desired but not yet easily attainable in the current cloud solutions market. In this paper we address the problem of network monitoring and analysis in a complex federated network environment. Federated cloud networks deal not only with heterogeneous cloud platforms (i.e. OpenStack, AWS, Azure), but also with different virtualization technologies. Moreover, federation of the networks adds complexity, because in addition to the physical infrastructure and virtual networks dimensions, there is a dimension of the federated overlay network spread across clouds.
Exome Sequencing Identifies Candidate Genetic Modifiers of Syndromic and Familial Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Severity

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a genetic disease predisposing to aortic dissection. It is important to identify the genetic modifiers controlling penetrance and expressivity to improve clinical prognostication. Exome sequencing was performed in 27 subjects with syndromic or familial TAA presenting with extreme phenotypes (15 with severe TAA; 12 with mild or absent TAA). Family-based analysis of a subset of the cohort identified variants, genes, and pathways segregating with TAA severity among three families. A rare missense variant in ADCK4 (p.Arg63Trp) segregated with mild TAA in each family. Genes and pathways identified in families were further investigated in the entire cohort using the optimal unified sequence kernel association test, finding significance for the gene COL15A1 (p = 0.025) and the retina homeostasis pathway (p = 0.035). Thus, we identified candidate genetic modifiers of TAA severity by exome-based study of extreme phenotypes, which may lead to improved risk stratification and development of new medical therapies.
An Anthropologist Shows Girls a World of Difference: Louis-François Jauffret’s Géographie dramatique

Cynthia J. Koepp examines Louis-Francois Jauffret’s Geographie dramatique (1807, Geographie dramatique de la jeunesse, ou nouvelle methode amusante pour apprendre la geographie, mise en dialogue et en scenes propres a etre representes dans les pensionnats et dans les familles. Paris: Maumus), an entertaining play written to teach girls about geography. Using the technique of familiar conversation, girls personify various countries of the world, engaging in informal and sometimes pointed exchanges that reveal much about different cultures, customs, and attitudes—seeming to affirm the common humanity of all the world’s people. The chapter shows that despite this enlightened anthropologist’s tolerance and respect for difference, diversity evidently has its limits, especially when it comes to Africans. Discourses on commerce, beauty, and race reveal troubling hierarchies, subtly implying that the young people of Europe should ready themselves for global commercial adventures, for taking up the “white man’s burden” and Europe’s “civilizing missions” to come.
Vitamin D deficiency and outcomes in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background Pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are frequently diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, which may impact outcomes. Objectives : To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and examine its association with short-term survival in pediatric HSCT patients. Methods Patients undergoing HSCT at Phoenix Children's Hospital were retrospectively identified. Routine serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements were described prior to transplant and at 100 days and 1-year post-HSCT. Associations of pre-HSCT vitamin D groups (i.e., normal ≥30 ng/ml, insufficient 20–29 ng/ml, and deficient <30 ng/ml) with demographics, clinical factors, and outcomes were examined using nonparametric tests and Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results : Among 72 study subjects, the median vitamin D pre-HSCT was 26 ng/ml (range: 19–34 ng/ml). Levels were insufficient and deficient in 25 (35%) and 20 (28%) patients, respectively, with only two (3%) patients on supplemental therapy pre-HSCT. Despite supplemental therapy provided to 46 (74%) subjects, insufficient/deficient rates did not significantly change between pre-HSCT and 100 days post-HSCT, but mean vitamin D levels significantly increased by 1-year post-HSCT (P = 0.01).Vitamin D pre-HSCT was not associated with the development of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or delayed engraftment. Overall 1-year survival was significantly lower for patients with deficient (65%) compared to normal (93%) pre-HSCT vitamin D (P = 0.001). Conclusion Suboptimal vitamin D levels are common in pediatric patients scheduled to receive HSCT and are associated with lower overall 1-year survival. Further study is warranted to delineate the mechanisms underlying the role of vitamin D in successful HSCT.
Replicating an Option under General Rebalancing Costs

Boyle and Vorst (1992) have proposed a model where option replication is discussed in a discrete time under the hypothesis of proportional transaction costs.
Loss of c-Kit function impairs arteriogenesis in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia.

Abstract Background Arteriogenesis is a process whereby collateral vessels remodel usually in response to increased blood flow and/or wall stress. Remodeling of collaterals can function as a natural bypass to alleviate ischemia during arterial occlusion. Here we used a genetic approach to investigate possible roles of tyrosine receptor c-Kit in arteriogenesis. Methods Mutant mice with loss of c-Kit function (KitW/W-v), and controls were subjected to hindlimb ischemia. Blood flow recovery was evaluated pre-, post-, and weekly after ischemia. Foot ischemic damage and function were assessed between days 1 to 14 post-ischemia while collaterals remodeling were measured 28 days post-ischemia. Both groups of mice also were subjected to wild type bone marrow cells transplantation 3 weeks before hindlimb ischemia to evaluate possible contributions of defective bone marrow c-Kit expression on vascular recovery. Results KitW/W-v mice displayed impaired blood flow recovery, greater ischemic damage and foot dysfunction after ischemia compared to controls. KitW/W-v mice also demonstrated impaired collateral remodeling consistent with flow recovery findings. Because arteriogenesis is a biological process that involves bone marrow-derived cells, we investigated which source of c-Kit signaling (bone marrow or vascular) plays a major role in arteriogenesis. KitW/W-v mice transplanted with bone marrow wild type cells exhibited similar phenotype of impaired blood flow recovery, greater tissue ischemic damage and foot dysfunction as nontransplanted KitW/W-v mice. Conclusion This study provides evidence that c-Kit signaling is required during arteriogenesis. Also, it strongly suggests a vascular role for c-Kit signaling because rescue of systemic c-Kit activity by bone marrow transplantation did not augment the functional recovery of KitW/W-v mouse hindlimbs.
Educational Attainment and Smoking Status in a National Sample of American Adults; Evidence for the Blacks' Diminished Return

Background: Although higher socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as educational attainment are linked with health behaviors, the Blacks’ Diminished Return theory posits that the protective effects of SES are systemically smaller for Blacks than Whites. Aims: To explore the Black/White differences in the association between education and smoking. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2017 (n = 3217). HINTS is a national survey of American adults. The current analysis included 2277 adults who were either Whites (n = 1868; 82%) or Blacks (n = 409; 18%). The independent variable was educational attainment, and the dependent variables were ever and current (past 30-day) smoking. Demographic factors (age and gender) were covariates. Race was the focal moderator. Results: In the pooled sample, higher educational attainment was associated with lower odds of ever and current smoking. Race interacted with the effects of higher educational attainment on current smoking, suggesting a stronger protective effect of higher education against current smoking for Whites than Blacks. Race did not interact with the effect of educational attainment on odds of ever smoking. Conclusions: In line with previous research in the United States, education is more strongly associated with health and health behaviors in Whites than Blacks. Smaller protective effects of education on health behaviors may be due to the existing racism across institutions such as the education system and labor market.
Hybrid Computational Strategy for Predicting CO2 Solubilities in Reactive Ionic Liquids

A combination of ab initio calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations was used to calculate the free energy of reacting an aprotic heterocyclic anion ionic liquid with CO2. The overall reaction was broken into a series of steps using a thermodynamic cycle to calculate the free energy of the gas phase reaction and the free energy contributions of solvation environment effects, which make comparable contributions to the total free energy of reaction. CO2 absorption isotherms that agree reasonably well with experimental data were calculated using a derived expression for the free energy of reaction as a function of temperature, pressure, and the extent of reaction.
Temperature Measurement of Silicon Wafers Using Photoacoustic Techniques

Semiconductor processing temperatures are currently measured using either pyrometers or thermocouples, both of which have significant limitations. Temperature measurements based on the temperature dependance of the Lamb wave velocities in silicon and longitudinal waves through the ambient directly above the wafer are explored.
An Approach to Meromorphic Approximation in a Stein Manifold

We employ our lifting lemma for sections of meromorphic sheaves, to transfer by means of a sheaf epimorphism, some rational approximation results in a polydisc in ℂN to a meromorphic approximation in an analytic polyhedral neighborhood in a Stein manifold. The main results are associated with convergence in measure.
Computational Complexity of Cellular Automata: An Overview

We give an overview of the sequential as well as the parallel complexity of cellular automata (also called cellular arrays).
Plasma treatment effect on gate stack electrical properties

The impact of oxygen containing plasma treatment on the electrical properties of gate stack is evaluated by measuring the interfacial layer thickness as a function of plasma treatment condition and by characterizing electrical parameters, such as threshold voltage (V t ), mobility, and interfacial trap density. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that exposure to an oxygen containing plasma can result in interfacial layer growth when not protected by work function metal. This direct exposure may also result in the incorporation of positive charges into the dielectric layer. Incorporating positive charges into the dielectric layer results in a positive shift of V t. This is further verified by the fact that the hole mobility is degraded after plasma processing. This impact to hole mobility is negated when the work function metal is in place to act as a diffusion barrier between the oxygen containing plasma and the dielectric layers.
Grandparents as parents: The American experience

In the United States, grandparents who are raising their grandchildren face a number of problems ranging from stress-related illnesses and social isolation to severe financial difficulties as a result of the new role.
Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized for Severe Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Objectives Severe acute alcoholic hepatitis is a serious condition in individuals who consume significant quantities of alcohol. We aimed to identify risk factors for short-term mortality with this illness. Methods Patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis admitted to our academic medical center from 2010 to 2012 were identified. Demographic features, laboratory values, and patient outcomes were recorded. In-hospital mortality and transfer to inpatient hospice were combined to calculate overall inpatient mortality. Results A total of 251 hospitalizations of 191 patients were identified. The average age was 43.1 years (standard deviation 9.55). Most patients were men (80.6%). Compared with all adult patients admitted to internal medicine services during the same period, patients self-reporting Native American and Hispanic race/ethnicity were overrepresented (11.1% vs 34.0% and 14.8% vs 27.7%, χ2 P 20 mg/dL (odds ratio 4.59). Of the patients, 11.9% were readmitted with a complication within 30 days-most commonly septic shock. Of the readmitted patients, the overall inpatient mortality was 86.2%. Conclusions This study confirms the severity of illness among patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis. Patients with the highest total bilirubin levels on admission had the highest overall inpatient mortality. Readmission was a strong predictor of overall in-hospital mortality.
Trade-Offs Between Data and Power Transfer in Near-Field Inductive Links

This paper studies the fundamental trade-off between power transfer efficiency (PTE) and spectral efficiency for simultaneous power and data transfer through near-field inductive links. In particular, it shows how the highest bit rate achievable for a given bit error rate (BER), which is a measure of spectral efficiency, varies versus PTE for several common modulation schemes. The schemes studied include binary, quadrature, and 8-phase shift keying (BPSK, QPSK, and 8PSK), binary frequency shift keying (FSK), and amplitude shift keying (ASK) with various modulation depths (30% and 50%). Circuit simulations of an optimized inductive link in air, saline, and tissue are used to estimate PTE for each modulation scheme. Also, a theoretical model is used to simulate the received BER for the same set of schemes. The simulations are repeated for different values of coupling coefficient, corresponding to varying separation between the coils. The results show that both PTE and spectral efficiency in (bits/sec)/Hz increases for all schemes as the coupling factor increases. They also show that ASK at low modulation depths has the highest PTE, while the PSK schemes have the highest spectral efficiency.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs): Influence of Motor Tasks and Psychosocial Factors on FAAM Scores in Foot and Ankle Trauma Patients.

Abstract Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) are being increasingly used as a quality of care metric. However, the validity and consistency of PROMS remain undefined. The study sought to determine whether Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scores improve after patients complete motor tasks evaluated on the survey and to examine the relationship between depression and self-efficacy and FAAM scores or change in scores. We conducted a prospective comparison study of adults with isolated foot, ankle, or distal tibia fractures treated operatively at level I trauma center. Twenty-seven patients completed the FAAM survey at the first clinic visit after being made weightbearing as tolerated (mean 3 months). Patients then completed 6 motor tasks queried on FAAM (standing, walking without shoes, squatting, stairs, up to toes), followed by a repeat FAAM and General Self-Efficacy scale (GSE) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) instruments. FAAM scores before and after intervention; GSE and PHQ-2 scores compared with baseline FAAM and change in FAAM scores. Performing motor tasks significantly improved postintervention scores for squatting (P = .044) and coming up to toes (P = .012), the 2 most strenuous tasks. No difference was found for the remaining tasks. Higher depression ratings correlated with worse FAAM scores overall (P
Quantification of selection bias in studies of risk factors for birth defects among livebirths

Background Risk factors for birth defects are frequently investigated using data limited to liveborn infants. By conditioning on survival, results of such studies may be distorted by selection bias, also described as "livebirth bias." However, the implications of livebirth bias on risk estimation remain poorly understood. Objectives We sought to quantify livebirth bias and to investigate the conditions under which it arose. Methods We used data on 3994 birth defects cases and 11 829 controls enrolled in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study to compare odds ratio (OR) estimates of the relationship between three established risk factors (antiepileptic drug use, smoking, and multifetal pregnancy) and four birth defects (anencephaly, spina bifida, omphalocele, and cleft palate) when restricted to livebirths as compared to among livebirths, stillbirths, and elective terminations. Exposures and birth defects represented varying strengths of association with livebirth; all controls were liveborn. We performed a quantitative bias analysis to evaluate the sensitivity of our results to excluding terminated and stillborn controls. Results Cases ranged from 33% liveborn (anencephaly) to 99% (cleft palate). Smoking and multifetal pregnancy were associated with livebirth among anencephaly (crude OR [cOR] 0.61 and cOR 3.15, respectively) and omphalocele cases (cOR 2.22 and cOR 5.22, respectively). For analyses of the association between exposures and birth defects, restricting to livebirths produced negligible differences in estimates except for anencephaly and multifetal pregnancy, which was twofold higher among livebirths (adjusted OR [aOR] 4.93) as among all pregnancy outcomes (aOR 2.44). Within tested scenarios, bias analyses suggested that results were not sensitive to the restriction to liveborn controls. Conclusions Selection bias was generally limited except for high mortality defects in the context of exposures strongly associated with livebirth. Findings indicate that substantial livebirth bias is unlikely to affect studies of risk factors for most birth defects.
PhlatCam: Designed Phase-Mask Based Thin Lensless Camera

We demonstrate a versatile thin lensless camera with a designed phase-mask placed at sub-2 mm from an imaging CMOS sensor. Using wave optics and phase retrieval methods, we present a general-purpose framework to create phase-masks that achieve desired sharp point-spread-functions (PSFs) for desired camera thicknesses. From a single 2D encoded measurement, we show the reconstruction of high-resolution 2D images, computational refocusing, and 3D imaging. This ability is made possible by our proposed high-performance contour-based PSF. The heuristic contour-based PSF is designed using concepts in signal processing to achieve maximal information transfer to a bit-depth limited sensor. Due to the efficient coding, we can use fast linear methods for high-quality image reconstructions and switch to iterative nonlinear methods for higher fidelity reconstructions and 3D imaging.
Epidemiological analysis for measles in Chaoyang district of Shantou

Objective To study the epidemiology of measles in Chaoyang district of Shantou and discuss the con-trol strategies. Methods The data of measles reported in the measles surveillance system in Chaoyang district of Shantou in 2005-2008 were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology. Results A total of 369 meales cases were reported in the last four years, accounting for an average annual incidence rate of 5.81/10 000. Those cases distributed in all regions of Chaoyang district. The incidence peak appeared during April to July which accounted for 71.54% of the total number. The male-to-female ratio was 1.77 : 1. The cases mainly concentrated in the age hem 8 months to 11 years old (82.66%), in which the 1-2 years age group was 33.06% and the 3-5 years age group was 22.22%. In recent years, the proportion continuously increased in the age group under 8 months and older than 11 years. 65.5% of the confirmed cases had no measles immunization and 29.24% had uncertain immunization. Conclusions The incidence rate of measles is still high in Chaoyang district. In order to decrease the incidence of measles, it is essential to improve initial measles vaccine inoculation rate and strengthen the basic vaccination in the children from 8 months to 11 years age. Key words: Measles; Epidemiology; Vaccine
Directed forgetting instructions decrease proactive interference within working memory below that of a baseline encode-only condition

Directed forgetting involves the targeted removal of memory representations. Previous research has indicated that directed forgetting in working memory reduces the amount of proactive interference ...
How Should Apples Be Prepared for a Fruit Salad? A Guided Inquiry Physical Chemistry Experiment

In this guided inquiry experiment, students extract catecholase enzyme from apples to catalyze the oxidation of catechol. They follow the reaction using the UV–vis absorbance of the p-benzophenone produced to determine the Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters. Students make selected experimental choices within a structured framework such as selecting the apple varietal, the pH of the reaction mixture, and the reaction inhibitor. The experiment has been tested at multiple universities in physical chemistry laboratory courses with both large and small enrollments. We describe the experiment and its implementation in both synchronously and asynchronously taught courses.
Dual Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty-No Benefit for Extremely Obese Patients.

We performed this study to assess the effectiveness of multimodal total knee arthroplasty prosthetic joint infection (TKA-PJI) prophylaxis including "on-time" dual-antibiotic prophylaxis, and the influence of body mass index (BMI) on prophylaxis effectiveness. After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we assessed 1,802 primary TKAs (1,496 patients) who received cefazolin alone or cefazolin combined with vancomycin for TKA-PJI prophylaxis. A detailed chart review was performed to determine patient demographic features (age, gender, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists Score), antibiotic selection, vancomycin administration timing, and 1-year PJI rates. Statistical assessment was accomplished using a two-sided Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test. Patients who received dual-antibiotic prophylaxis with "on time" vancomycin infusion (Group CVt) had significantly lower infection rates than other TKA patients (0.8 vs. 2.7%, p 45 kg/m2.
Diffusion energy barrier of Au on Bi2Se3: theory and experiment

The stability and diffusion of ultra-thin thermally deposited Au films on Bi2Se3 was studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations. The Au/Bi2Se3 interface is of interest as gold is predicted to provide excellent electrical contact while maintaining the spin-polarized characteristics of the electronic states in Bi2Se3 that make the material attractive for spintronic applications. When deposited at room temperature, Au covers the surface with tightly packed islands of nanometer scale dimension. The surface morphology is stable up to 400K. At this annealing temperature, Au atoms have sufficient energy to diffuse across the surface and aggregate into larger nanostructures. At 550K, the Bi2Se3 surface is only sparsely covered, and the Au has formed clusters with length scales 5-10 times larger than the original islands formed at room temperature. Comparison of the experiment and first principle calculation lead to the conclusion that the diffusion energy barrier for Au on Bi2Se3 is as high as 0.47 eV, which is much larger than diffusion barriers on other van der Waals materials.
The Failures of an Ideal COVID-19 Vaccine: A Simulation Study (preprint)

This paper simulates an ideal COVID-19 vaccine that confers immediate sterilizing immunity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants. The purpose was to explore how well this ideal vaccine could protect a population against common conditions (such as vaccine hesitancy) that might impair vaccine effectiveness. Simulations were done with an SEIRS spreadsheet model that ran two parallel subpopulations: one that accepted vaccination, and another that refused it. The two subpopulations could transmit infections to one another. Success was judged by the rate of new cases in the period from 1-5 years after the introduction of the vaccine. Under good conditions, including a small subpopulation that refused vaccination, rapid distribution of the vaccine, duration of vaccinal immunity longer than 12 months, good retention of interest in getting vaccinated after the first year, strict maintenance of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as masking, and new variants with R0s less than 4.0, the vaccine was able to end the epidemic. With violation of these conditions, the post-vaccine era futures ranged from endemic COVID at a low or medium level to rates of COVID cases worse than anything seen in the US up to late 2021. The most important conditions for keeping case rates low were a fast speed of vaccine distribution, a low percentage of the population that refuses vaccination, a long duration of vaccinal immunity, and continuing maintenance of NPIs after vaccination began. On the other hand, a short duration of vaccinal immunity, abandonment of NPIs, and new variants with a high R0 were powerful barriers to disease control. New variants with high R0s were particularly damaging, producing high case rates except when vaccination speed was unrealistically rapid. A recurring finding was that most disease afflicting the vaccinated population in these simulations originated in the unvaccinated population, and cutting off interaction with the unvaccinated population caused a sharp drop in the case rate of the vaccinated population. In conclusion, multiple common conditions can compromise the effectiveness of even an ideal vaccine.
Examining Needs and Opportunities for Supporting Students Who Experience Discrimination

Perceived discrimination is common and consequential. Yet, little support is available to ease handling of these experiences. Addressing this gap, we report on a need-finding study to guide us in identifying relevant technologies and their requirements. Specifically, we examined unfolding experiences of perceived discrimination among college students and found factors to address in providing meaningful support. We used semi-structured retrospective interviews with 14 students to understand their perceptions, emotions, and coping in response to discriminatory behaviors within the prior ten-week period. These 14 students were among 90 who provided experience sampling reports of unfair treatment over the same ten-week period. We found that discrimination is more distressing if students face related academic and social struggles or when the incident triggers beliefs of inefficacy. We additionally identified patterns of effective coping. By grounding the findings in an extended stress processing framework, we offer a principled approach to intervention design, which we illustrate through incident-specific and proactive intervention paradigms.
Abelian Galois Covers

Let \( \pi :\,X \to Y \) be a cyclic Galois cover of two varieties for the group \( G = \mu_n \) of roots of unity. Thus, we have a group action \(\mu_n \curvearrowright X \) and the quotient is Y. Let us assume that X and Y are smooth for now, until we understand how to deal with the general case.
Ball Lightning: What Nature is Trying to Tell the Plasma Research Community

Ball lightning has been extensively observed in atmospheric air, usually in association with thunderstorms, by untrained observers who were not in a position to make careful observations. These cha...
CLINICAL CONFERENCE Congenital Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis with Jaundice

Dr. Barnett: I think few of us would consider that we know enough new about pyloric stenosis to justify presenting an infant with it to a group of this type. However, the patient to be presented had what appears to be a complication of pyloric stenosis, which we had not encountered previously and one which is of both practical and theoretic interest. The patient will be described and the discussion opened by Dr. Fraad. Dr. Lewis Fraad: Infants with congenital hypertrophic stenosis with or without complications continue to fascinate pediatricians, even though the first American cases were reported in 1788. The patient is a boy, the first-born infant of a 21-year-old mother. The pregnancy and delivery were uneventful. The birth weight was 2.5 kg. Upon discharge from the newborn nursery at 6 days of age, occasional regurgitation of feeding was noted. By the age of 3 weeks the infant had gained only 90 gm. Five days prior to admission to the hospital, vomiting became profuse and projectile. One day before admission the infant9s skin appeared yellow to the mother. Upon admission to the hospital at the age of 4 weeks, the infant9s weight had decreased to 2,360 gm. He appeared dehydrated and markedly jaundiced. The liver was palpated at the costal margin. An olive-shaped mass measuring approximately 2.5 by 1.5 cm was easily palpated in the midepigastric region. The pertinent laboratory findings in the blood at the time of admission were as follows: Hemoglobin, 19.5 gm/100 ml; CO 2 content, 37.2 meq/l; chlorides, 79 meq/l; sodium, 142 meq/l; potassium, 3.0 meq/l; bilirubin, 18 mg/100 ml of which 13.1 mg was reported to be of the indirect-reacting variety. Oral feedings were discontinued. With hydration by intravenous fluids, the electrolyte concentrations in the serum returned to normal values but the high value for bilirubin and the jaundice persisted. Identification of the type of bilirubin by paper chromatography revealed that it was all of the indirect variety. Ramstedt pylorotomy and liver biopsy were performed on the third hospital day.
Partitions: At the Interface of q-Series and Modular Forms

In this paper we explore five topics from the theory of partitions: (1) the Rademacher conjecture, (2) the Herschel-Cayley-Sylvester formulas, (3) the asymptotic expansions of E.M. Wright, (4) the asymptotics of mock theta function coefficients, (5) modular transformations of q-series.
Unifying microprocess and macroprocess research

This paper proposes the unification of two complementary approaches to software process research. The two approaches can be characterized as macroprocess research, focused on phenomenological observations of external behaviors of processes, and microprocess research, focused on the study of the internal details and workings of processes. The paper suggests that it is time to bring these approaches together with the goal of using microprocess methods to provide definitive explanations of observed macroprocess behaviors. The paper suggests that this unification could lead to improved understandings leading to improvements in software development practice. The paper observes that such positive outcomes have resulted when the macro- and micro- approaches have been synthesized in domains such as Economics, Physics, and the Life Sciences.
8 Imaging of Brain Cancer

Brain imaging is necessary for optimal localization, characterization, and management of brain cancer prior to surgery in patients with suspected or confirmed brain tumors (strong evidence). Due to its superior soft tissue contrast, multiplanar capability and biosafety, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without gadolinium-based intravenous contrast material is the preferred method for brain cancer imaging when compared to computed tomography (moderate evidence). No adequate data exist on the role of imaging in monitoring brain cancer response to therapy and differentiating between tumor recurrence and therapy related changes (insufficient evidence). No adequate data exist on the role of nonanatomic, physiology-based imaging, such as proton MR spectroscopy, perfusion and diffusion MRI, and nuclear medicine imaging (SPECT and PET) in monitoring treatment response or in predicting prognosis and outcome in patients with brain cancer (insufficient evidence). Human studies conducted on the use of Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for brain tumors demonstrate that this noninvasive method is technically feasible and suggest potential benefits for some of the proposed indications. However, there is a paucity of high quality direct evidence demonstrating the impact on diagnostic thinking and therapeutic decision making. There is added value of fMRI in the surgical planning of patients with suspected brain cancer or focal brain lesion (moderate evidence).
Children's Emotion Regulation in Classroom Settings

The following chapter considers children's development of emotional self-regulation and the ways that children's emotion regulation may, in turn, support versus constrain learning. Educational settings are discussed from an emotional regulatory perspective, where teachers and peers foster an emotional climate that might be alternately disruptive or supportive of children's emotional and cognitive development. The chapter highlights ways that these processes may be particularly important for children facing cumulative exposure to multiple family stressors associated with income poverty. Finally, it discusses findings from several recent interventions targeting children's emotional and behavioral regulation within classroom contexts, and their implications.
Hormonal stimulation, mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation, and the control of the mitochondrial permeability transition in intact hepatocytes.

Ca2+ functions as an intracellular signal to transfer hormonal messages to different cellular compartments, including mitochondria, where it activates intramitochondrial Ca2+-dependent enzymes. However, excessive mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake can promote the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), a process known to be associated with cell injury. The factors controlling mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release in intact cells are poorly understood. In this paper, we investigate mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation in intact hepatocytes in response to the elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]c) induced either by a hormonal stimulus (vasopressin), or by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump. After stimulation, cells were rapidly permeabilized for the determination of the mitochondrial Ca2+ content (Ca2+ m) and to analyze the susceptibility of the mitochondria to undergo the MPT. Despite very similar levels of [Ca2+]c elevation, vasopressin and thapsigargin had markedly different effects on mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. Vasopressin caused a rapid (< 90 sec), but modest (< 2 fold) increase in Ca2+ m that was not further increased during prolonged incubations, despite a sustained [Ca2+]c elevation. By contrast, thapsigargin induced a net Ca2+ accumulation in mitochondria that continued for up to 30 min and reached Ca2+ m levels 10–20 fold over basal. Accumulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ was accompanied by a markedly increased susceptibility to undergo the MPT. Both mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation and MPT activation were modulated by treatment of the cells with inhibitors of protein kineses and phosphatases. The results indicate that net mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in response to hormonal stimulation is regulated by processes that depend on protein kinase activation. These controls are inoperative when the cytosol is flooded by Ca2+ through artificial means, enabling mitochondria to function as a Ca2+ sink under these conditions. (Mol Cell Biochem 174: 173–179,1997)
Glatiramer acetate-specific antibody titres in patients with relapsing / remitting multiple sclerosis and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Glatiramer acetate (GA) is an immunomodulatory drug approved for the treatment of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). As an antigen-based therapy, GA induces GA-specific antibodies in treated patients and animals. GA-specific antibodies do not neutralize therapeutic effects on relapses and disability. Rather, it has been suggested that GA-specific antibodies may be associated with improved clinical outcomes. We evaluated antibody responses in eight patients with RRMS treated with GA for 15 months and antibody responses in GA-treated C57BL/6 mice before and after induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). There were no significant differences from pretreatment levels of total IgE or GA-specific IgE in patients with RRMS. Total IgG1, IgG3 and GA-specific IgG4 were significantly increased at 15 months of GA treatment. Antibody type and titre were not associated with clinical outcomes, i.e. expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score, disease burden on magnetic resonance images (MRI) or clinical relapses. In contrast, mice with EAE showed a marked increase in GA-specific IgE and GA-specific IgG1 antibody responses. GA-treated mice demonstrated improved clinical symptoms and lower mortality than untreated controls. Our results suggest that antibody responses to GA are heterogeneous among patients with RRMS, with no apparent association between antibody response and clinical outcomes. Clinical improvements in EAE-induced GA-treated mice suggest that GA-specific IgE and IgG1 may contribute to GA treatment effects in EAE.
Nrf2 reduces allergic asthma in mice through enhanced airway epithelial cytoprotective function

Asthma development and pathogenesis are influenced by the interactions of airway epithelial cells and innate and adaptive immune cells in response to allergens. Oxidative stress is an important med...
HP1-mediated silencing targets Pol II coactivator complexes

Little is known of the specific biochemical mechanism by which heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) inactivates a gene. We analyzed HP1-mediated inhibition of preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly in vitro on chromatin templates regulated by GAL4-VP16 or Sp1. HP1 blocked key subunits of the TFIID and Mediator coactivator complexes. Notably, binding of the same subunits was inhibited by HP1 on the Sp1-regulated survivin gene in vivo upon DNA damage–induced silencing.