cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural proteomics of the poxvirus family

Recent concerns over the potential use of variola virus-commonly known as smallpox-and other orthopox viruses as weapons of bioterrorism have increased research efforts towards creating new antiviral drugs and safer more effective vaccines. Here we introduce a new resource for structural information of poxvirus proteins: the poxvirus proteomics database (PPDB). In the PPDB, we leverage recently developed bioinformatics structure prediction tools on a genomic scale and provide results in a publicly accessible format. The current version of the system contains both experimentally determined and predicted information about protein structural features, such as secondary structure and relative solvent accessibility, as well as tertiary structure and homology information. The system is automated to read the primary sequences from the database, produce the new information for each sequence, and update the database monthly and as new tools are incorporated. The PPDB contains detailed information on the open reading frames (ORFs) in the Copenhagen strain of the vaccinia virus genome. The contents of the PPDB can be accessed through a simple web interface. Inclusion of additional poxvirus genomes in the PPDB is in progress. The PPDB has an upward scalable informatics infrastructure that can readily be applied to viral, bacterial, as well as eukaryotic genomes.
Combined insulin pump therapy with real-time continuous glucose monitoring significantly improves glycemic control compared to multiple daily injection therapy in pump naïve patients with type 1 diabetes; single center pilot study experience.

Objectives: This study assessed the safety and clinical effectiveness of the training protocol for initiating insulin pump therapy with real-time continuous glucose monitoring (MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time System) in a stepwise approach on pump naive subjects with type 1 diabetes compared to a control group who remained on multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy. Methods: This was a 15-week treat-to-target pilot study of 16 adult subjects (n = 50% male, age 45.9 ± 16 years) with type 1 diabetes (duration of diabetes 21.9 ± 11 years) on MDI therapy with hemoglobin A1c levels at or above 7.5% at baseline. Subjects were randomized to either the study arm (using a combined insulin pump and real-time continuous glucose monitoring system) or the control arm [which continued on MDI therapy with self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) only]. All subjects dosed insulin according to results of SMBG by finger stick and uploaded data into the CareLink data management software. Results: Significant improvements in glycemic control were observed from baseline in both study groups—study arm: pre-A1c 9.45 ± 0.55 and post-A1c 7.4 ± 0.66 (p = 0.00037); control arm: pre-A1c 8.58 ± 1.30 and post-A1c 7.5 ±1.01 (p = 0.04). Both arms had no incidence of severe hypoglycemia.
The Generic Genome Browser: A Building Block for a Model Organism System Database

The Generic Model Organism System Database Project (GMOD) seeks to develop reusable software components for model organism system databases. In this paper we describe the Generic Genome Browser (GBrowse), a Web-based application for displaying genomic annotations and other features. For the end user, features of the browser include the ability to scroll and zoom through arbitrary regions of a genome, to enter a region of the genome by searching for a landmark or performing a full text search of all features, and the ability to enable and disable tracks and change their relative order and appearance. The user can upload private annotations to view them in the context of the public ones, and publish those annotations to the community. For the data provider, features of the browser software include reliance on readily available open source components, simple installation, flexible configuration, and easy integration with other components of a model organism system Web site. GBrowse is freely available under an open source license. The software, its documentation, and support are available at http://www.gmod.org.
Boundary finding with parametrically deformable models

Segmentation using boundary finding is enhanced both by considering the boundary as a whole and by using model-based global shape information. The authors apply flexible constraints, in the form of a probabilistic deformable model, to the problem of segmenting natural 2-D objects whose diversity and irregularity of shape make them poorly represented in terms of fixed features or form. The parametric model is based on the elliptic Fourier decomposition of the boundary. Probability distributions on the parameters of the representation bias the model to a particular overall shape while allowing for deformations. Boundary finding is formulated as an optimization problem using a maximum a posteriori objective function. Results of the method applied to real and synthetic images are presented, including an evaluation of the dependence of the method on prior information and image quality. >
Performance modeling of distributed multiaccess protocols

The authors present a general model which can be used to analyze and compare the steady-state behavior of these protocols in a unified manner. The global behavior of a multiaccess protocol for a bus network is characterized by a transmission phase, a resolution phase, and an idle phase. Steady-state equations for a general service distribution are derived for each phase using the method of supplementary variables. The resulting model is then used to determine the steady-state behavior of two classes of networks: those with a finite number of stations and those with a number of stations large enough to be considered infinite. Numerical examples are then given for two specific service distributions to illustrate the effect of specific parameters on the performance of a multiaccess protocol. >
Stretch-Activated Ion Channels: What Are They?

Mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) exist in all cells, but mechanosensitivity is a phenotype not a genotype. Specialized mechanoreceptors such as the hair cells of the cochlea require elaborate m...
Novel controller design for a Luo converter electric vehicle energy management system

This paper presents the detailed analysis and novel hybrid controller design for bidirectional energy management solutions, using smart power electronic DC/DC converter solutions. More specifically, an intelligently designed novel digital control technique is presented for 4-quadrant (4Q) switched-capacitor (SC) Luo DC/DC converters, based on power of traction motor and gradient of battery current. Features of voltage step-down, step-up, and bi-directional power flow are integrated into a single circuit. The novel hybrid control system enables simpler dynamics compared to a standard buck converter with input filter, superior regulation capability, lower source current ripple, ease of control, and continuous input current waveform in buck and boost modes of operation.
Attractor reliability reveals deterministic structure in neuronal spike trains

When periodic current is injected into an integrate-and-fire model neuron, the voltage as a function of time converges from different initial conditions to an attractor that produces reproducible sequences of spikes. The attractor reliability is a measure of the stability of spike trains against intrinsic noise and is quantified here as the inverse of the number of distinct spike trains obtained in response to repeated presentations of the same stimulus. High reliability characterizes neurons that can support a spike-time code, unlike neurons with discharges forming a renewal process (such as a Poisson process). These two classes of responses cannot be distinguished using measures based on the spike-time histogram, but they can be identified by the attractor dynamics of spike trains, as shown here using a new method for calculating the attractor reliability.We applied these methods to spike trains obtained from current injection into cortical neurons recorded in vitro. These spike trains did not form a renewal process and had a higher reliability compared to renewal-like processes with the same spike-time histogram.
Revealing Rotational Modes of Functionalized Gold Nanorods on Live Cell Membranes

A full understanding of cell mechanics requires knowledge of both translational and rotational dynamics. The single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) technique is combined here with correlation analysis to identify the fundamental rotational modes: in-plane rotation and out-of-plane tilting, as well as other more complex rotational patterns, from the vast image data captured at a temporal resolution of 5 ms for single gold nanorod probes in live cell imaging experiments. The unique capabilities of visualizing and understanding rotational motions of functional nanoparticles on live cell membranes allow correlation of the rotational and translational dynamics in unprecedented detail and provide new insights into complex membrane processes. Particles with functionalized surfaces, which interact with the membrane in fundamentally different ways, can exhibit distinct rotational modes and are, for the first time, directly visualized, and these show the early events for membrane approach and attachment.
Network range in personal networks

Abstract This study used the social network data from the 1985 General Social Survey to replicate Campbell et al.'s (1986) findings concerning the dimensions of network range and their relationship to socio-economic status (SES) variables. Despite differences in name generators and limitations on the number of named alters, the general factor structure found by Campbell et al. was reproduced. Relationships with SES variables also appear to be similar.
A Comparison of Attitudes between Men and Women Police Officers: A Preliminary Analysis

The influence of the "occupational culture" of police work on police behavior has been well established. However, past studies have dealt with male officers only, inasmuch as the entry of women into this profession in large numbers is a relatively recent occurrence. Given the difference between the socialization of males and females, there has been speculation that women police officers may not become a part of police occupational culture to the same degree as their male counterparts. This article suggests that this may indeed be the case.
Dynamic Wavelength Allocation in a Converged and Scalable Interface for Metro-Access Ring Integrated Networks

A flexible metro-access interface employs dynamic wavelength allocation to provide bandwidth sharing between access and metro traffic is proposed. Simulations show the MARIN architecture achieves superior performance and lower cost when compared to other architectures.
Direct ranking for voltage contingency selection

It is now commonly accepted that for security assessment of a power system, the most efficient and practical strategy is to deal with the problem in two stages. First in contingency selection, those potentially critical contingency cases are ranked by the severity of their impacts on a system. Then in contingency analysis, detailed AC power flows are applied only to the most dangerous cases appearing on top of the ranked list. In the past decade, the problem of ranking outage cases in the order of decreasing severity has attracted a lot of intensive studies, and many efficient and reliable algorithms were developed. But most of these techniques can only be applied to MW limit security problems. On the other hand, voltage problems were also found to be a very important aspect of security assessment. It has become the target of many research projects. Because the MVAR-voltage problem involves a much more complicated model than the MW-angle problem, significant obstacles were experienced in developing ranking algorithms for voltage security monitoring, making it an area where further study is still required. Almost all contingency ranking algorithms employ a scalar performance index to represent a global severity of voltage disturbance after a contingency event. The scalar performance index can be viewed as a weighted distance in voltage space measuring the post contingency voltage profile against specified voltage limits.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRONCHIAL HYPERRESPONSIVENESS AND SEVERITY AND PROGNOSIS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Changes in respiratory resistance (Rrs) upon methacholine inhalation asthmatic children were monitored by “Astograph”, and the Rrs were measured by the forced oscillation method. Seventy two cases of asthma, 18 cases of other allergic diseases and 16 cases of healthy adult were subjected to examination for bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The results were as follows:1) Control respiratory condactance (Grs cont) was lower in patiants with bronchial asthma compared with that in healthy adults.2) Methacholine inhalation test showed a higher level of positive rate in severe to mild asthmatics compared with the remission group. And no difference was seen between the remission group and healthy subjects.3) Bronchial sensitivity (Dmin) was lower in severe asthmatics and there was no difference between the remission group and healthy subjects.4) Significant correlation between bronchial sensitivity (Dmin) and duration of no asthmatic symptom was found in patiants with bronchial asthma. These results suggest that continuance of duration of no asthmatic symptom is important in improvement of bronchial hyperresponsiveness.5) There was no difference in bronchial reactivity (SGrs/Grs cont) between the 3 groups.
Milagros por la Similitud: Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Colonial Andes

This study examines the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the colonial Andes during the second half of the sixteenth century. It focuses on a pair of sculpted copies of the Extremaduran Virgin venerated in Pacasmayo, on the northern coast of Peru, and in Guapulo, near Quito. Neither of these sculptures survives in its original form. Written sources, including the foundational narratives of the new cults, attribute the images to Spanish or Spanish-born artists, crediting an unnamed Sevillian as the author of the imported Pacasmayo Virgin and Diego de Robles, a Sevillian immigrant established in Quito, as the author of the Virgin of Guapulo. Robles was also responsible for the closely related and unusually well-preserved Virgin of El Quinche. That none of these images resemble the Spanish Guadalupe, a diminutive late twelfth-century sculpture of the enthroned Virgin and Child, is a fact that deserves consideration. This article analyses the routine insistence on similitude as a means of transferring sacral...
Policy Questions Concerning Tribal Water Marketing

Pressures to market water rights are growing, especially because municipal and industrial users can pay higher prices for water rights than can traditional agricultural uses. Water rights held by tribes are different in some key respects from water rights held by nontribal entities, in that a tribe’s ability to lease water rights is dependent on Congressional approval. The sale or lease of water rights by nontribal entities generally requires approval of a state agency. Sales and leases are becoming accepted tools of water management in many western states. Tribal water rights tend to be established through settlements. Settlements provide benefits to multiple parties, often involve federal funding for new water projects, and must be approved by the Congress. Thus, it is possible for tribes to obtain Congressional authorization for leasing as part of water settlements. But, tribes must affirmatively bargain for the ability to market water as part of proposed settlements, thereby reducing their position in settlements. Should there be a presumptive right in tribes to market water, and, if so, should there be an opportunity for involvement by other stakeholders in the review of specific leasing proposals? Second, state’s strenuously guard their water (as defined by compacts, etc.) against interests in other states. Should tribes be constrained by these interests, or should interstate marketing be permitted when a tribe can receive greater compensation for a transaction with an entity in a different state?
Numerical analysis of the impacts of bedform on hyporheic exchange

The impacts of irregular bedform in cross section on hyporheic exchange are studied by means of numerical simulation computations.The computation of the hyporheic exchange rate is done using the modular finite-difference ground-water flow model(MODFLOW) developed by the United States Geological Survey.Results show that more hyporheic exchange occurs on the part of the streambed in deeper-water areas.The bedform has less influence on the groundwater flow direction.However,the groundwater flow close to the streambed exhibits a strong velocity gradient due to terrain effects.The groundwater flow velocity in the deeper-water area is far greater than that in the shallower-water area.In comparison with the hydraulic conductivity and the water depth obtained from the field experiment,the heterogeneity in hydraulic conductivity in hyporheic zone is likely due to the effect of irregular bedform in cross section.
The Chronology of Episodes in Gravity's Rainbow

The differences between narrative "story" and "discourse" are well established. Story, known among Russian formalists as fabula and among French structuralists as histoire, is that sequence of events understood to have occurred diachronically (Todorov, Barthes). The discourse of a narrative, its sjuzet or discours, takes that sequence and unfolds it synchronically, for example through the agency of point-of-view and plot. Following Gerard Genette, Christine Brooke-Rose further divides the narrative discourse into the lexical groupings of words as we read them, the "microtext," and the larger episodical groupings of events in a plot, the "macrotext." Reading at the micro level gives access to that figure in the carpet she calls the underlying or base structure, while the macrotext shapes that visual model of a plot, its surface structure (Brooke-Rose, 189-90).
Inventory Management in an E-Business Environment: A Simulated Study

Advances in technology have allowed for Internet retailers to share information across the supply chain. As a result, some Internet retailers choose to not hold physical inventories, while others may keep inventory management in-house. In this paper, we identify the factors that may persuade firms to outsource fulfillment capabilities. The results support use of drop shipping by retailers in lieu of holding physical inventories in an e-commerce market.
Maximal Paths in the von Neumann Model

I shall concern myself with the problem of optimal accumulation in the von Neumann model as it was initially posed by Dorfman, Samuelson, and Solow (1958) (DOSSO).2 In this problem the objective is to reach a point on a prescribed ray through the origin which is as far out as possible in a given number of periods. Let the prescribed ray be \( \left( {\bar y} \right) \). Then, if there is free disposal, and accumulation occurs over N periods from y 0 as a starting-point, it is equivalent to maximize the minimum of \( \frac{{y_i^T}}{{{{\bar y}_i}}} \) over i such that \( {\bar y_i} > 0 \). We may define \( \rho (y) = \min \frac{{{y_i}}}{{{{\bar y}_i}}}\,for\,{\bar y_i} > 0 \). Then ρ (y)is a utility function which is maximized.
Nouveaux Helictopleurus d'Orbigny, 1915 de Madagascar et revision du groupe semivirens sensu Lebis, 1960 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Oniticellini)

Au sein du genre malgache Helictopleurus d'Orbigny, 1915, une nouvelle sous-espece, H. fissicollis morettoi n. ssp., appartenant au « groupe viridans », est decrite, et quatre especes nouvelles, H. cambeforti n. sp., H dorbignyi n. sp., H. pseudoniger n. sp. et H. tamatavensis n. sp. appartenant au « groupe semivirens », sont decrites et comparees aux autres especes de ce groupe. Des lectotypes sont designes pour Helictopleurus aeneoniger Lebis, 1960, Helictopleurus niger d'Orbigny, 1915 et Helictopleurus semivirens d'Orbigny, 1915. Par ailleurs, sur la base de caracteres externes, H. tristis d'Orbigny, 1915 et H. gibbicollis (Fairmaire, 1895) sont transferes du « groupe semivirens » au « groupe quadripunctatus ». Une nouvelle cle de determination du « groupe semivirens » est proposee, incluant les nouvelles especes. Enfin, le catalogue des Helictopleurina est donne, avec l'assignation correcte des especes appartenant aux « groupe viridiflavus » et « groupe fungicola ».
Disruptive UX for Sustainability

The paper provides a brief discussion of the basic concepts of sustainability, disruptive innovation, systems thinking theory, and design for behavior change literature. It analyzes several business and design cases closely related to UX and HCI that demonstrated various degrees of success in changing user behaviors to improve the quality of our environment and strengthen communities in the following aspects: reducing pollution from fossil fuel based transportation; reducing waste; providing meaningful and gainful employment; and raising awareness, etc. The paper argues that UX/HCI, being the bridge between hardware and software, is fundamental in ensuring the success of any sustainability initiatives. The paper contemplates the cultural shift of material to immaterial by sharing economy in the internet age, which is one of the promising ways to help our society move towards sustainability. The paper also identifies certain challenges and room for improvement in user experience research and design for sustainability. In the end, this paper suggests four directions for radically rethinking user experience and human/computer interaction design for sustainability.
“How Are We to Live in the World?”: Cosmopolitan Cartographies

In the previous chapter, I worked toward demonstrating the formal flexibility of magical realism, a feature that allows the narrative mode to be utilized toward a range of functionalities, the specific concern of this book being magical realism’s ability to construct narrative arguments about how senses of being and belonging in the world are (not) and ought (not) to be developed among individuals and groups. If that chapter defended how magical realist narratives might effect the construction of something like a strategy of belonging, this chapter will explore the content of that concern, belonging, while working toward situating this preoccupation within the significant late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century interdisciplinary discourse of cosmopolitanism. By drawing cosmopolitanism together with literary concerns, this project both exemplifies and works toward developing a growing trend that I call literary cosmopolitanisms, a term that encompasses the increasingly diverse ways in which literary studies and cosmopolitanism are being understood to converge.
Dutch Bank Finance, 1600–1800

The Bank of Amsterdam was created as a different way to solve the coin problem by getting people to use bank accounts instead of coins. This was because in the Early Modern Netherlands, coins were a complicated monetary system that could, and often did, go wrong in a variety of ways. The basic problem was that people could not be sure how much metal they would receive when paid in coins. This situation is ironic because the economic rationale for coins is sparing people having to figure out what is in a coin.
The Double Penalty? Ethno-Gender Outcomes in China's Labour Market *

Studies looking at female and ethnic minority outcomes in China's labour market have generally suggested that women and ethnic minorities are separately experiencing a wage disadvantage relative to males and the Han majority respectively. Does this automatically entail that female members of ethnic minorities experience a double wage penalty? This article investigates this analytical query using China's 2005 one percent mini- census. It suggests that the double penalty does not appear to apply to ethnic minority women in China. After factoring standard controls, ethnic minority women earn comparable wages to Han women. This could be due either to the fact that the penalty only applies to minority men, or due to the fact that minority women have some advantage that Han women do not have. We examine whether factors such as economic reforms, modernization, education, age, family structure (e.g. marriage, caretaking of children and elderly persons), geography and religion can explain these differences.
Restructuring a State Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Program: Implications of a Local Health Department Model for SNAP-Ed

Context and objective The US Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) funds state programs to improve nutrition and physical activity in low-income populations through its Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention grants. States vary in how they manage and structure these programs. California substantially restructured its program in 2012 to universally position local health departments (LHDs) as the programmatic lead in all jurisdictions. This study sought to determine whether California's reorganization aligned with desirable attributes of decentralized public management. Design, setting, and participants This study conducted 40 in person, semistructured interviews with 57 local, state, and federal SNAP-Ed stakeholders between October 2014 and March 2015. Local respondents represented 15 counties in all 7 of California's SNAP-Ed regions. We identified 3 common themes that outlined advantages or disadvantages of local public management, and we further defined subthemes within: (1) coordination and communication (within local jurisdictions, across regions, between local and state), (2) efficiency (administrative, fiscal, program), and (3) quality (innovation, skills). We conducted qualitative content analysis to evaluate how respondents characterized the California experience for each theme, identifying positive and negative experiences. Results California's LHD model offers some distinct advantages, but the model does not exhibit all the advantages of decentralized public management. Strategic planning, partnerships, subcontracting, and fiscal oversight are closer to communities than previously. However, administrative burden remains high and LHDs are limited in their ability to customize programs on the basis of community needs because of state and federal constraints. Conclusions California's use of a universal LHD model for SNAP-Ed is novel. Recent federal SNAP-Ed changes present an opportunity for other states to consider this structure. Employing small-scale approaches initially (eg, pilot efforts) may facilitate effective transitions. For an LHD model to be effective, LHDs must be adept at managing administrative complexity and capable of succeeding within stringent federal/state requirements.
Throughput-Oriented MAC for Mobile Networks with Variable Packet Sizes

Improving the network throughput is a primary objective in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), which is motivated by the over-conservative nature of the 802.11 standard. Transmission power control (TPC) was proposed for improving spatial reuse and reducing energy consumption in MANETs. Previous TPC protocols either incur extra hardware cost (e.g., require multiple transceivers) or do not fully exploit the potential of power control. In this work, we propose distributed, single-channel MAC protocols for MANETs that exploit TPC and account for different packet sizes in the system to further maximize spatial reuse. We model channel contention in the network as a non-cooperative game. Multiple potential transmitters are first involved in an admission phase which enables terminals to compute the transmission powers that achieve a Nash equilibrium (NE) for a given utility function. Subsequently, successful contenders in the same neighborhood can simultaneously proceed with their transmissions. Simulation results show that our protocols significantly improve the network throughput (in terms of transmitted bits/second or the number of admitted contenders) over previously proposed schemes. Our results also indicate that these gains do not require additional energy cost
Ancient History of Technology in West Africa: The Indigenous Glass/Glass Bead Industry and the Society in Early Ile-Ife, Southwest Nigeria:

The technology of glassmaking is complex. This complexity has been cited for the exclusion of the development of ancient glass technology from certain regions of the world, especially Africa, South...
Abstract 1613: Genetically modified neuronal stem cells expressing IL-12 and TNFSF14 attenuate highly metastatic mammary tumors in a mouse model

Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine encoded by two genes, p35 and p40. IL-12, also known as T cell-stimulating factor, induces proliferation of T-lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, while also demonstrating an anti-angiogenic effect and inhibition of regulatory T cells. Similarly, LIGHT (TNFSF14) is a transmembrane protein which acts as a costimulatory factor for the activation lymphoid cells and stimulates the proliferation of T cells, leading to increased apoptosis of tumor cells. Expression of IL-12 and LIGHT specifically in the tumor region could activate T cells and stimulate the immune system to attenuate the tumor. Tumor homing neuronal stem cells C17.2 (NSC) were genetically engineered to express the mouse-LIGHT gene and IL-12 using a retrovirus. The expression of LIGHT and IL-12 genes in NSC was confirmed by PCR, ELISA and Western blot. To test the antitumor effects of the engineered cells, Balb/C mice bearing 4T1 mammary tumors were treated with NSC-LIGHT, NSC-IL-12 and NSC-LIGHT/IL-12 cells intratumorally (I.T.) at day nine. Repeated tumor measurement over time showed attenuation of mammary tumor growth in the both NSC/IL-12 and NSC/LIGHT groups in comparison with control groups PBS and NSC. Tumor growth was further reduced by treating the mice with NSC expressing both cytokines LIGHT and IL-12. Tumor metastasis was also evaluated by removing the primary tumor surgically and observing mice for any sign of metastatic burden. Treatment groups had less metastatic tumor burden and survived longer than the control group. Therefore, tumor homing NPC-LIGHT/IL-12 cells could be effective for the treatment of highly metastatic mammary tumors. Citation Format: Tej B. Shrestha, Dezhang Lu, Matthew T. Basel, Marla Pyle, Stefan H. Bossmann, Deryl L. Troyer. Genetically modified neuronal stem cells expressing IL-12 and TNFSF14 attenuate highly metastatic mammary tumors in a mouse model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1613. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1613
Citrullination and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a lace-like structure made out of extracellular DNA, which is released from dying neutrophils. NETs are enriched in bactericidal molecules, such as LL-37 and cathepsin, and are capable of trapping and killing bacteria. Recent studies have demonstrated that histone citrullination is essential for the formation of NETs (or NETosis). However, how citrullination and subsequent NETosis is regulated is still not fully understood. While NETosis is considered one of the first-lines of defense against invading bacteria, it has become clear that NETs also contribute to the pathogenesis of several human diseases, including autoimmune diseases, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, by propagating inflammation, promoting the formation of blood clots, and serving as a rich source of auto-antigens. This chapter will review recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling citrullination and NETosis, and new insights into the role of NETosis in autoimmune diseases.
United States Grain Standards Act of 1976

Grain is an essential source of the world’s total supply of human food and animal feed and is merchandised in interstate and foreign commerce. It is declared to be the policy of the Congress, for the promotion and protection of such commerce in the interests of producers, merchandisers, warehousemen, processors, and consumers of grain, and the general welfare of the people of the United States, to provide for the establishment of official United States standards for grain, to promote the uniform application thereof by official inspection personnel, and to provide for an official inspection system for grain, and to regulate the weighing and the certification of the weight of grain shipped in interstate or foreign commerce in the manner hereinafter provided: with the objectives that grain may be marketed in an orderly and timely manner and that trading in grain may be facilitated. It is hereby found that all grain and other articles and transactions in grain regulated under this chapter are either in interstate or foreign commerce or substantially affect such commerce and that regulation thereof as provided in this chapter is necessary to prevent or eliminate burdens on such commerce and to regulate effectively such commerce.
Combined Laminoplasty and Posterior Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Treatment: A Literature Review.

Study design A literature review. Purpose To explore the utility of laminoplasty in combination with instrumented fusion, with a focus on neurological outcomes and changes in kyphotic deformity. Overview of literature Management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) to reduce morbidity within the neurosurgical population. Methods A US National Library of Medicine PubMed search was conducted for manuscripts pertaining to cervical laminoplasty and fusion for the management of CSM. Several relevant studies were shortlisted for review, and the bibliographies of the articles were searched for additional references. The search was limited to human studies, English-language literature, and reports on more than one patient. Results Combined laminoplasty and fusion was found to provide at least comparable, if not superior, neurological outcomes in specific patient populations with CSM. The Japanese Orthopedic Association scores, local kyphosis, and C2-C7 angle have been reviewed in several manuscripts, and improvement in each of these categories was found with laminoplasty and fusion. Conclusions The treatment of CSM necessitates an individualized approach based on the pathoanatomical variation. Laminoplasty and fusion can be appropriately used for patients with CSM in a setting of local kyphotic deformity, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, associated segmental instability, and the need for strong stabilization.
Accent Modification, Voicework, and ALS: A Case Study in Prolonging the Ability to Speak

This article is a qualitative retrospective case study detailing voice and speech training for a woman living with bulbar onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); the training focused on specific...
THE NEUROINFLAMMATION HYPOTHESIS OF URBAN AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS IN THE BRAIN

Urban air pollution exposure has recently been linked to increased risk of several central nervous system diseases and conditions, including cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The mechanisms mediating these effects are poorly understood. The neuroinflammation hypothesis holds that the resident brain innate immune cells (microglia), cytokines, and reactive oxygen species responses drive the deleterious neuropathology linked to exposure to air pollution. Here, we will discuss several pathways through which air pollution may trigger neuroinflammation, including the Lung-Brain Axis, and the implications of aging and disease in these processes. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying how air pollution may activate microglia and deleteriously impact central nervous system health.
The Efficiency‐Equity Tradeoff in School Aid: How Efficiency Targeting in Lump‐Sum Aid Generates Unexpected Effects

Formulas of state aid to local school districts have recently incorporated efficiency targeting, which incentivizes school districts to enhance the efficiency of school administration and teaching. This paper shows that efficiency targeting in lump‐sum foundation aid fails to make school districts more efficient than typical foundation aid does. Efficiency targeting instead improves fiscal equity across school districts under almost all scenarios. This paper also clarifies why these unexpected equity effects take place and suggests feasible and implementable alternatives to obtain the efficiency improvement from efficiency targeting.
Lifetimes of levels in F-20

Recent Coulomb shift calculations for the level structure of the $^{20}\mathrm{Na}$ and $^{20}\mathrm{F}$ nuclei predict that the ${3}_{3}^{+}$ state at 2.966 MeV in $^{20}\mathrm{F}$ is the mirror of the 2.646 MeV state in $^{20}\mathrm{Na}$, which is of considerable importance for the reaction rate of $^{19}\mathrm{Ne}$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma}${)}^{20}$Na. Shell model predictions suggest a lifetime of 3.5 fs for the state in $^{20}\mathrm{F}$, in disagreement with the experimentally determined value of 60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}40 fs. The lifetime of low excited states in $^{20}\mathrm{F}$ has therefore been remeasured using the Doppler shift attenuation method (DSAM) and an upper limit of \ensuremath{\le}12 fs for the 2.966 MeV state has been obtained.
Role of Structural Marginalization, HIV Stigma, and Mistrust on HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Young Black Latinx Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women: Perspectives from Youth Service Providers.

Young black and Latinx men who have sex with men (YBLMSM) and transgender women (YBLTW) are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Structural and social marginalization, the social barriers, and struc...
Coordinate Transformations: Definitions of Vectors and Tensors

We consider the formal definitions of vectors and tensors, and the equations for their components in a transformed coordinate system. We restrict the analysis to straight coordinates. We first consider Cartesian coordinates and afterward non-Cartesian coordinates.
AHA/ACC-defined stage 1 hypertensive adults do not display cutaneous microvascular endothelial dysfunction.

In 2017, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) redefined stage 1 hypertension to systolic blood pressure (BP) 130-139 mmHg or diastolic BP 80-89 mmHg; however, the degree to which microvascular endothelial dysfunction is evident in adults with stage 1 hypertension remains equivocal. We tested the hypotheses that cutaneous microvascular endothelial dysfunction would be present in adults with stage 1 hypertension (HTN1) compared with normotensive adults (NTN; BP <120/<80 mmHg) but would be less severe compared with adults with stage 2 hypertension (HTN2; systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg) and that this graded impairment would be mediated by reductions in nitric oxide (NO)-dependent dilation. This retrospective analysis included 20 NTN (5 men; 45-64 yr; BP 94-114/60-70 mmHg), 22 HTN1 (11 men; 40-74 yr; BP 110-134/70-88 mmHg), and 44 HTN2 (27 men; 40-74 yr; BP 128-180/80-110 mmHg). BP and nocturnal dipping status were also assessed using 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. Red cell flux (laser Doppler flowmetry) was measured during intradermal microdialysis perfusion of acetylcholine (ACh; 10-10 to 10-1M) alone and concurrently with the nonspecific nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 15 mM). ACh-induced dilation was impaired in HTN2 (P < 0.01), but not in HTN1 (P = 0.85), compared with NTN. Furthermore, reductions in NO-dependent dilation were evident in HTN2 (P < 0.01) but not in HTN1 (P = 0.76). Regardless of BP, endothelium-dependent dilation was impaired in nondippers (nighttime drop in systolic BP <10%) compared with dippers (nighttime drop in systolic BP ≥10%, P < 0.05). In conclusion, functional impairments in NO-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation were not evident in HTN1. However, regardless of BP classification, the lack of a nocturnal dip in BP was associated with blunted endothelium-dependent dilation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to pharmacologically assess the mechanistic regulation of endothelial function in adults with hypertension, classified according to the 2017 clinical guidelines set for by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). Compared with that in normotensive adults, nitric oxide-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation is impaired in adults with stage 2, but not stage 1, hypertension. Adults lacking a nighttime dip in blood pressure demonstrated reductions in endothelium-dependent dilation.
Hierarchical label fusion with multiscale feature representation and label-specific patch partition.

Recently, patch-based label fusion methods have achieved many successes in medical imaging area. After registering atlas images to the target image, the label at each target image point can be subsequently determined by checking the patchwise similarities between the underlying target image patch and all atlas image patches. Apparently, the definition of patchwise similarity is critical in label fusion. However, current methods often simply use entire image patch with fixed patch size throughout the entire label fusion procedure, which could be insufficient to distinguish complex shape/appearance patterns of anatomical structures in medical imaging scenario. In this paper, we address the above limitations at three folds. First, we assign each image patch with multiscale feature representations such that both local and semi-local image information can be encoded to increase robustness of measuring patchwise similarity in label fusion. Second, since multiple variable neighboring structures could present in one image patch, simply computing patchwise similarity based on the entire image patch is not specific to the particular structure of interest under labeling and can be easily misled by the surrounding variable structures in the same image patch. Thus, we partition each atlas patch into a set of new label-specific atlas patches according to the existing label information in the atlas images. Then, the new label-specific atlas patches can be more specific and flexible for label fusion than using the entire image patch, since the complex image patch has now been semantically divided into several distinct patterns. Finally, in order to correct the possible mis-labeling, we hierarchically improve the label fusion result in a coarse-to-fine manner by iteratively repeating the label fusion procedure with the gradually-reduced patch size. More accurate label fusion results have been achieved by our hierarchical label fusion method with multiscale feature presentations upon label-specific atlas patches.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs and Antibiotic Usage and Resistance in Department of Veterans’ Affairs Medical Centers

Background: Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in acute-care facilities may optimize antibiotic use and decrease antibiotic resistance. To explore the relationship between ASPs and clinical outcomes, we reviewed bivariate relationships between VA Medical Center (VAMC) complexity level and presence of an ASP, presence of an ASP and inpatient antibiotic use, and antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance or Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of national data using the following elements: a detailed survey of antimicrobial stewardship practices at VAMCs in 2012 which included facility complexity designations; data from the VA national Electronic Health Record (EHR) for inpatient antibiotic use (2009–2012 in days of therapy per 1,000 bed days of care); EHR laboratory data in 2013 for antibiotic resistance in E. coli isolates; and 2013 CDI rate data from the VA Inpatient Evaluation Center. These data were reviewed for assessment of the presence of ASPs and for antibiotic use and resistance. We assessed 4 groups of antibiotics for use and resistance: total antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Categorical, t test, or nonparametric analyses were performed, as appropriate. Results: 120 VAMCs were evaluated; 71% had ASPs. Proportions of VAMCs with ASPs were not significantly different by facility complexity level. Differences were observed between presence or absence of ASP and some antibiotic use groups (Table). Presence or absence of an ASP was not statistically associated with a difference in E. coli resistance (any antibiotic group examined) or CDI rates. In addition, antibiotic use (any group) did not statistically associate with E. coli resistance rates, and this result remained unchanged when stratified by presence or absence of an ASP. Conclusions: Total antibiotic use and fluroquinolone use were lower among facilities with ASPs than without, a finding consistent with ASP implementation reducing the amount of antibiotics prescribed. Although we did not find an association between facilities with an ASP and antibiotic resistance or CDI rates in this preliminary review, it sets the stage for future multivariate analyses. Furthermore, given the years of antibiotic use needed for development of resistance, the limited years evaluated may not have been sufficient to determine an impact, highlighting the need for further research into understanding clinical outcomes. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Increased extreme precipitation challenges nitrogen load management to the Gulf of Mexico

Although the hypoxia formation in the Gulf of Mexico is predominantly driven by increased riverine nitrogen (N) export from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin, it remains unclear how hydroclimate extremes affect downstream N loads. Using a process-based hydro-ecological model, we reveal that over 60% of the land area of the Basin has experienced increasing extreme precipitation since 2000, and this area yields over 80% of N leaching loss across the region. Despite occurring in ~9 days year−1, extreme precipitation events contribute ~1/3 of annual precipitation, and ~1/3 of total N yield on average. Both USGS monitoring and our modeling estimates demonstrate an approximately 30% higher annual N load in the years with extreme river flow than the long-term median. Our model suggests that N load could be reduced by up to 16% merely by modifying fertilizer application timing but increasing contribution of extreme precipitation is shown to diminish this potential. Over the past 40 years, precipitation extremes have become more important for delivering N to the Gulf of Mexico, according to simulations with a hydro-ecological model. This is likely to diminish the effectiveness of alternative N use practices
Evaluating the Role of a Socially Assistive Robot in Children’s Mental Health Care

Socially assistive robots (SARs) present a promising intervention for addressing the increasing prevalence of childhood stress. This innovative technology has become increasingly common in practical implementation. However, empirical support has not kept pace with the robots’ growing popularity. The present study set out to provide an empirical test of the stress-buffering capability of this technology. We examined the effects of the presence of an SAR on self-reported measures of stress in a community sample of 70 children (40 girls, 30 boys) between the ages of 7 and 10 years old. Child participants were randomly assigned to either a robot-present or a robot-absent condition during the Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Contrary to our predictions, we did not detect a stress-buffering effect of the presence of the robot. Instead, the primary analysis showed that the robot’s presence led to a larger decrease in positive affect following the task. However, further analyses found no significant difference in positive affect when accounting for baseline group differences. Exploratory analyses of the nature of children’s interactions with the SAR during the stressful task found that higher levels of parent-reported social anxiety were associated with greater prosocial behaviors towards the SAR, thus signifying a potential target for future interventions. Further work on SARs is needed to determine the optimal timing and robotic specifications that would maximize the potential of this developing technology to improve children’s mental health care.