cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioaugmentation of microbes to restore coastal wetland plants to protect land from coastal erosion

Microbes with beneficial effects to plant growth and health have been dubbed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). PGPR has been extensively studied in crop plants; however, our study investigates the effects of PGPR on the wetland grass Spartina alterniflora. S. alterniflora is the dominant vegetation in coastal marshes and is often used in wetland restoration projects. Greenhouse raised S. alterniflora were subjected to three treatments: One of a consortia of microbes with freshwater, one of a consortia of microbes with 10 parts per thousand (ppt) saline water, and one with a pure culture and freshwater. Plant growth and soil nitrogen and phosphorus content were measured over 60 days and all plants were sacrificed at the end of the experiment to quantify biomass. Of the three treatments, the treatment receiving the consortia plus salt water had the most growth (41.1 ± 4.4 cm) and greatest biomass (108.03 g) followed by the pure culture treatment with freshwater (34.9 ± 3.2 cm, 96.25 g), the consortia treatment with freshwater (39.7 ± 5.0 cm, 89.04 g), and lastly the control treatment (7.7 ± 1.5 cm, 51.85 g). All treatments were significantly different from the control but not significantly different between each other. In consortia plus 10% saline water treatment, mean stem growth was almost six times greater, total biomass was doubled, and the number of additional stems was three times greater compared to the control. This study shows a positive relationship between microbial activity, soil nutrient cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus, and plant growth in greenhouse grown S. alterniflora inoculated with PGPR.
Making Peace Work: Labor and Conflict Settlement Processes in the Middle East, Northern Ireland and South Africa

This paper compares conflict settlement processes in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, and South Africa in the 1990s. It challenges the existing comparisons of those cases as deeply divided societies or transitions from semi-democracy. Instead, it foregrounds a key commonality of settler societies: the historical institutionalization of segmented labor markets to protect workers from native competition. The geneses of the three peace processes are compared in terms of the challenges posed to segmented labor markets by native workers and their liberal allies, and the settlements’ relative successes are explained in terms of the creation of more inclusive or exclusive labor market institutions. Settlements in South Africa and Northern Ireland were grounded in the breakdown of split labor markets and the incorporation of subordinate groups economically and politically. By contrast, the progressive re-exclusion of Palestinian workers from Israel’s labor market undermined the Oslo peace process. The goal is to focus analysis on labor market institutions as a crucial context for reproducing or resolving enduring settler-native conflicts, without reducing these ethnonational conflicts to their political-economic dimensions.
Designing Federalism: Institutional Sources of Federal Stability II

The balance of social interests, the separation and balance of powers, were meant to secure liberty, but it was still uncertain, after the instrument had been framed and ratified, whether the balance would not be too precarious to come to rest anywhere; and whether the arms of government, separated in parchment, could come together in reality to cooperate in the formation and execution of policy. Hofstadter 1969: 70 The constitution of the United States is an admirable work, nevertheless one may believe that its founders would not have succeeded, had not the previous 150 years given the different States of the Union the taste for, and practice of, provincial governments . Alexis de Toqueville I confess, as I enter the Building, I stumble on the threshold. I meet with a National Government, instead of a Federal Union of Sovereign States. Samuel Adams 1787, on the U.S. Constitution Introduction Adams can be forgiven his initial cynical assessment of the newly proposed Constitution since he played the critical role in ensuring its approval by the Massachusetts ratifying convention. His cousin John, on the other hand, was perhaps less enthusiastic of its possibilities, for Adams “knew full well the dependence of republicanism on the character of the people” (Wood 1969: 570) and in this respect he was more than a little apprehensive of the future.
Single Versus Multiple Gage Occupancy and Convulsion Frequency in C3H Mice.

ConclusionsC3H male mice, singly housed and fed ordinary diets, show a high incidence of convulsions, associated chiefly with cage changing and weighing. When housed in pairs or larger groups the incidence of convulsions is low and the mortality negligible.
A multigrid method for 2-D MGD flow control analysis

In this paper, the authors de velop a multigrid FAS (Full Approximation Scheme) for accelerating convergence for solving the magnetoaerodynamic (MGD) flow electric field, which is described by a Poisson-type equation. The equation is discretized by a second order central difference and the residual is also discretized by a 2 nd order central difference. To deal with anisotropic effect for general coordinate with non-uniform grids, alternating direction implicit (ADI) method is applied as a smoother. It is shown that the multigrid efficie ncy is achieved for the 2 nd order scheme and it can be used in general coordinate s. In order to accommodate both linear and non -linear problems, the multigrid full approximation scheme (FAS) method is used. Test cases for 2 D Poisson equations and several verification problems are considered to explore the accuracy of the implementation and the efficiency of the multigrid method. The performance characteristics of the algorithm are discussed and illustrations are made.
Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae): oviposition behavior and fruit punctures by irradiated and untreated females in laboratory and field cages

Ceratitis capitata females irradiated at or before emergence spent one fourth or less the time on host fruits as did the controls. The irradiated flies exhibited one fiftieth or less the oviposition behaviors when compared with the controls. Some of the irradiated females without any developed eggs in the ovaries nevertheless attempted oviposition, leaving punctures in the fruits.
Asymptotic Tracking and Robustness of MAS Transitions Under a New Communication Topology

We have recently applied the principles of continuum mechanics to develop a new leader–follower model for the collective motion of a multiagent system (MAS). Agents are modeled as particles of a continuum body that can deform in $\mathbb {R}^{n}$ ( $n=1,2,3$ ) under a specific class of mappings, called the homogeneous transformation. This paper shows how a desired homogeneous deformation is uniquely specified based on the trajectories chosen by $p\,+1$ ( $p\leq n$ ) leaders, and it is acquired by the remaining agents, called followers, through local communication. Under this setup, every follower interacts with $p+1$ local agents with fixed communication weights that are uniquely determined based on the initial positions of the agents. Although asymptotic convergence of the agents’ transient positions to the desired final positions (prescribed by a homogeneous transformation) can be assured by applying the proposed paradigm, follower agents deviate from the desired positions during evolution. The main objective of this paper is to assure that the transient error, the difference between the actual and desired positions of each follower, converges to zero during evolution. For this purpose, each leader chooses a time-dependent polynomial vector of order ( $h-1$ ) ( $h\in { {\mathbb N}}$ ) for its trajectory connecting two consecutive way points, and each follower applies continuous time or discrete time linear time invariant dynamics to update its state based on the states of $p+1$ local agents. The second objective of this paper is to develop a paradigm for the homogeneous deformation of an MAS that is robust to communication failure. For this purpose, we will show how followers can acquire desired positions prescribed by a homogeneous mapping to preserve volumetric ratios under either fixed or switching communication topologies, where there is no restriction on the number of the agents, if every follower communicates with $m_{i}\geq p+1$ local agents. In addition, agents’ collective motion can be stably continued even if some followers give up communication with other agents at some time during evolution. Note to Practitioners —A multiagent system evolution as continuum deformation is a novel idea for avoiding interagent collision and collisions of agents with obstacles, while a capability to manage large deformations (expiation or contraction) is provided. This idea becomes more interesting if deviations of agents from desired positions defined by continuum deformation vanish during evolution when agents only access neighboring agent state information.
Does exposure of human skin in situ to 385 or 405 nm UV induce pyrimidine dimers in DNA

A previous report [Freeman et al. (1986) Photochem. Photobiol. 43S, 93S] indicated that irradiation of human skin in situ with 385 or 405 nm radiation produced detectable levels of pyrimidine dimers in DNA. Since these wavelengths are absorbed poorly by DNA, these results suggested that DNA damage was sensitized by other absorbing molecules present in skin. Examination of two experimental aspects of the previous work indicates that (1) the static gel electrophoresis method for DNA dispersion used in lesion determination gave accurate values of the levels of induced dimers, and (2) the DNA damage apparently induced by 385 nm was actually induced by shorter wavelength UV present in the 20 nm bandpass beam of the monochromator. The current results indicate that monochromatic 385 and 405 nm radiation are ineffective in dimer production in human skin in situ.
Triplex formation by oligodeoxyribonucleotides involving the formation of X.U.A triads.

The stabilities of oligodeoxyribonucleotide triplexes containing a single pyrimidine-purine base pair, which interrupts an otherwise purine-pyrimidine base pair motif, were studied by UV melting experiments. The oligomer systems consisted of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide target duplex d-GAAGAAAAAAYAAAA/d-TTTTZTTTTTTCTTC, I.II(Y.Z), or d-GAAGAAAAAGUGAAA/d-TTTCACTTTTTCTTC, IV.V(U.A), where Y.Z is C.G, T.A, or U.A and U is deoxyuridine. The third strand oligodeoxyribopyrimidine was d-CTTCTTTTTTXTTTT, III(X), or d-CTTCTTTTTCXCTTT, VI(X), where C is 5-methyldeoxycytidine. Triplexes were observed in the system III.I.II(X.C.G) when X was T or U. This may involve formation of T. or U.C.G triads in which the 4-carbonyl of T or U serves as a hydrogen bond acceptor for the N4-amino group of C. Triplex formation between III(X) and I.II(T.A) was only observed when X was G. In contrast to T.A or C.G, it appears a U.A base pair in the duplex target is a much more versatile participant in triad formation. Thus, stable triplexes were observed in III.I.II(X.U.A) and in VI.IV.V(X.U.A) when X was C, C, T, or U. The formation of a T.U.A or U.U.A triad can occur if the T or U of III translates approximately 1.4 A into the major groove, thereby allowing the 3-NH of T or U to donate a hydrogen bond to the 4-carbonyl oxygen of U in the duplex. Formation of C. or C.U.A base triads could involve formation of a single hydrogen bond between the third strand N4-amino group of C or C and the 4-carbonyl group of U of the target.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Chemistry of Perpetual Memory

This chapter focuses on the chemistry of perpetual memory. The mammalian central nervous system (CNS) has an amazing capacity to store and recall diverse types of information and learned responses that shape to a great degree an animal's behavior. Memory has persistence as its defining characteristic: an environmental stimulus causes a change that greatly outlasts the duration of the triggering signal. At the chemical level, memory must have as its hallmark changes in protein functions that are able to persist beyond initial, triggering events. Understanding biochemical reactions that manifest this property will greatly increase our understanding of the mechanisms that must underlie memory. The chapter identifies and characterizes the types and time courses of persisting biochemical reactions underlying learning and memory and highlights specific, well-documented examples from the literature. The types of biochemical reactions underlying information storage fall into three general categories: (1) short-term changes that are mediated by the presence of extracellular or intracellular messenger molecules and that are subject to fairly rapid removal resulting from the specific breakdown or clearance mechanisms; (2) he intermediate and long-term changes that are mediated by a transient signal producing a persisting chemical memory trace; and (3) lifelong changes that are mediated by mnemogenic chemical reactions. The mnemogenic reaction could be triggered by the transient signal of short term changes, the persisting signal of intermediate and long-term changes, or by a distinct and parallel mechanism. The mnemogenic reaction, being self-perpetuating, does not have a half-life in the normal sense, but it potentially can be reversed by a specific triggered mechanism. The activated mnemogenic species maintains the memory trace and results in the expression of memory by impinging on some biophysical, metabolic, or structural neuronal component.
A Modeling Study of the Causes and Predictability of the Spring 2011 Extreme U.S. Weather Activity

AbstractThis study examines the causes and predictability of the spring 2011 U.S. extreme weather using the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5, (GEOS-5) atmospheric general circulation model simulations. The focus is on assessing the impact on precipitation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, land conditions, and large-scale atmospheric modes of variability. A key result is that the April record-breaking precipitation in the Ohio River valley was primarily the result of the unforced development of a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-like mode of variability with unusually large amplitude, limiting the predictability of the precipitation in that region at 1-month leads. SST forcing (La Nina conditions) contributed to the broader continental-scale pattern of precipitation anomalies, producing drying in the southern plains and weak wet anomalies in the northeast, while the impact of realistic initial Nort...
Mitigation of Self-Phase Modulation in High-Peak-Power Lasercom Systems

We demonstrate a reduction in the power penalty caused by self-phase modulation in free-space lasercom systems with peak powers of 400 W by pre-compensation with a phase modulator driven sinusoidally at the slot rate.
Major Contribution Reaction: Yes! And Let’s Move Further Toward Trans Liberation

The author of this invited reaction comments on the four articles within the Major Contribution titled “Research on Trans People and Issues.” The Major Contribution authors have successfully met th...
The Reinvention of the Luxury Suite in North America

The rationale of a suite owner has transitioned from feeling it was professionally strategic to invest in a suite to needing to justify the extravagance of the purchase. The sports industry must adjust to this change in mindset so that luxury suites remain viable in today's ever-changing and challenging economic landscape. Luxury suites are often thought to be a stand-alone market segment, but they also overlap other segments of the sports industry (eg sponsorships, marketing, sales and facility management). Total revenue from professional sports contributes a sizable piece of the US sports marketplace and annual gross revenues from suites represent an important revenue stream for professional teams. Contemporary literature predicts the current recession will impact sports more heavily than in previous times of economic hardship. Previously, corporate suite purchasers were wiling to sign long-term deals, pay a premium and expected little quantifiable return on investment. Today, some corporate suite owners do not event want their name on their suite door for fear that suite ownership will be misconstrued by clients as irresponsible fiscal management. Given this change, suite sales professionals could be left with unsold suites and difficulty in renewing existing contracts if they do not adapt and reinvent their strategies. This paper will expand the body of knowledge related to luxury suite sales and management and introduce new ways in which professional teams and buyers of suites can take a proactive approach towards leveraging suite ownership. Luxury suite ownership is no longer a passive investment. Therefore, teams and suite owners should work together to ensure the value of the suite is maximized and ownership goals are realized.
Photosensitivity is an early marker of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 disease.

SummaryObjective This study aimed to identify early clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease to enable early diagnosis, thus providing the key to early treatment, and optimized care and outcomes. Methods Retrospective clinical chart review of a series of patients diagnosed with CLN2 disease from 2005 to 2015 at a single center in Italy. Clinical, MRI, and EEG findings were reviewed. Results A total of 14 patients were included. For the whole group, median (range) age at disease onset was 3.0 (2.0–3.8) years. Epilepsy was the most commonly reported presenting symptom (in 50% [seven of 14] of patients), occurring at the age of 3.2 (2.6–3.8) years. First seizure was myoclonic in 36% (five of 14) of patients, followed by generalized tonic–clonic in 29% (4 of 14), atonic in 22% (three of 14), and focal with motor signs in 14% (two of 14). All patients walked independently at the age of 12.0 (11.0–18.0) months, but delayed speech or regression of acquired verbal skills was present in 100% of patients at 3 years. EEGs revealed a photoparoxysmal response (PPR) on intermittent photic stimulation in 93% (13 of 14) of patients. PPR was present from the first EEG, which was performed at 3.6 (3.1–4.0) years, in 43% (six of 14) of patients; it was documented at low (1–3 Hz) stimulation frequencies in 69% (nine of 13) and took the form of a flash-per-flash response in 69% (nine of 13). First brain MRI at the age of 3.8 (3.0–5.1) years revealed cerebellar atrophy in 100% (14 of 14) of patients and alteration of the periventricular white matter signal in the posterior hemispheric region in 79% (11 of 14). Significance Early photosensitivity (typically PPR at low stimulation frequencies of 1–3 Hz) is a hallmark of CLN2 disease. This diagnosis should be considered in a child presenting with any type of seizure, and particularly if it is accompanied by delayed speech and/or ataxia or MRI abnormalities (posterior white matter signal alteration or cerebellar atrophy).
Advancing Social Work Education for Health Impact

Social work education plays a critical role in preparing social workers to lead efforts that improve health. Because of the dynamic health care landscape, schools of social work must educate students to facilitate health care system improvements, enhance population health, and reduce medical costs. We reviewed the existing contributions of social work education and provided recommendations for improving the education of social workers in 6 key areas: aging, behavioral health, community health, global health, health reform, and health policy. We argue for systemic improvement in the curriculum at every level of education, including substantive increases in content in health, health care, health care ethics, and evaluating practice outcomes in health settings. Schools of social work can further increase the impact of the profession by enhancing the curricular focus on broad content areas such as prevention, health equity, population and community health, and health advocacy.
A systematic rheological study of alkyl amine surfactants for fluid mobility control in hydrocarbon reservoirs

The basis of this study is to identify the versatility of N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-tallow-1,3-diaminopropane (DTTM) surfactant in high saline environments. The surfactant was examined with sodium chloride, NaCl, to understand how triggers such as salt, pH, temperature, and surfactant concentration influences the viscoelastic response of the surfactant solution. The DTTM surfactant and salt (NaCl) concentrations used in steady-state shear viscosity analysis range from 0.2 wt% to 2 wt% and 5 wt% to 25 wt%, respectively. Along with DTTM results, three similar chemical structures are investigated to understand how viscosity changes with alterations in tail and head group composition. It was found that DTTM surfactant has the capability of transitioning from a foam-bearing to viscoelastic state at low surfactant concentrations under moderate to high saline conditions. A longer tail length promotes viscoelasticity and shear-thinning behavior. Terminals consisting of hydroxides or ethoxylates have a lower viscosity than that of methyl terminals. A head group consisting of two nitrogen atoms has a higher viscosity than those containing one nitrogen atom. The rheological characterization of DTTM presented in this paper is part of a larger study in determining the capability of this surfactant to foam CO2 for improving mobility control in CO2 enhanced oil recovery in high saline oil formations.
Clinical Significance of Circulating Proinsulin and C-Peptide

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical significance of circulating pro-insulin and c-peptide. Till 1967, it was believed that the two chains of insulin were synthesized separately and then joined by means of two disulfide bonds at a post-ribosomal site. However, studies by Steiner and his colleagues using slices of a pancreatic islet cell tumor demonstrated the presence of a large molecular weight, single chain precursor molecule, which was named pro-insulin. This protein consists of the insulin A and B chains linked by an additional polypeptide segment of approximately 30 to 35 amino acids, depending on the species. The enzymes involved in the transformation of pro-insulin to insulin are probably localized in the granules or their membranes, and the conversion process takes place as the granules mature and move toward the plasma membrane of the cell. These pro-teolytic enzymes cleave pro-insulin at specific sites where two pairs of basic amino acids join the connecting peptide (C-peptide) to the insulin chains. The major products of this reaction are insulin and the C-peptide.
Representation of ophthalmology concepts by electronic systems: intercoder agreement among physicians using controlled terminologies.

Objective To assess intercoder agreement for ophthalmology concepts by 3 physician coders using 5 controlled terminologies (International Classification of Diseases 9, Clinical Modification [ICD9CM]; Current Procedural Terminology, fourth edition; Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes [LOINC]; Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine, Clinical Terms [SNOMED-CT]; and Medical Entities Dictionary). Design Noncomparative case series. Participants Five complete ophthalmology case presentations selected from a publicly available journal. Methods Each case was parsed into discrete concepts. Electronic or paper browsers were used independently by 3 physician coders to assign a code for every concept in each terminology. A match score representing adequacy of assignment for each concept was assigned on a 3-point scale (0, no match; 1, partial match; 2, complete match). For every concept, the level of intercoder agreement was determined by 2 methods: (1) based on exact code matching with assignment of complete agreement when all coders assigned the same code, partial agreement when 2 coders assigned the same code, and no agreement when all coders assigned different codes, and (2) based on manual review for semantic equivalence of all assigned codes by an independent ophthalmologist to classify intercoder agreement for each concept as complete agreement, partial agreement, or no agreement. Subsequently, intercoder agreement was calculated in the same manner for the subset of concepts judged to have adequate coverage by each terminology, based on receiving a match score of 2 by at least 2 of the 3 coders. Main Outcome Measures Intercoder agreement in each controlled terminology: complete, partial, or none. Results Cases were parsed into 242 unique concepts. When all concepts were analyzed by manual review, the proportion of complete intercoder agreement ranged from 12% (LOINC) to 44% (SNOMED-CT), and the difference in intercoder agreement between LOINC and all other terminologies was statistically significant ( P Conclusions The level of intercoder agreement for ophthalmic concepts in existing controlled medical terminologies is imperfect. Intercoder reproducibility is essential for accurate and consistent electronic representation of medical data.
Are Target Managers Afraid of Section 16b

This paper empirically examines whether the short swing rule (Section 16b of the Securities Exchange Act) deters managers from trading before merger announcements. This rule bars insiders from profiting on round-trip trades within a six month period. It is unlikely to deter insiders from trading around most corporate events, because insiders can sell more than six months after purchase. However, a merger forces the sale of all the outstanding target equity, preventing insider purchases within six months before the merger from escaping this rule. We analyze the trading behavior of target managers around takeover bids announced during 1941 to 1961, an era when Rule 10b-5 was not enforced. We find that target managers significantly reduce their pre-announcement purchases relative to two sets of controls. This evidence is consistent with a deterrent effect of Section 16b. Surprisingly, managers do not reduce their sales before the announcement, even though 16b cannot punish deferral of planned sales. Despite a variety of tests, we are unable to resolve this puzzle.
Antitumor response to microscopic melanoma in the gastric mucosa mimicking ipilimumab-induced gastritis

Alongside its clinical success, checkpoint blockade has also given rise to a set of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). In addition to causing considerable morbidity and even mortality, irAEs may limit the success and scope of immunotherapy. Most irAEs arise at mucosal barriers, including the gastrointestinal mucosa, leading most commonly to colitis, though both gastritis and enteritis can result from checkpoint blockade. While guidelines generally recommend confirmatory testing for suspected severe irAEs, the role of endoscopy in diagnosing more moderate irAEs is less clear. Many patients with suspected gastrointestinal irAEs are treated empirically with glucocorticoids based on typical symptoms. Although efficient, this approach may miss less common underlying etiologies, and may expose patients unnecessarily to an increased risk of infection, and a potentially dampened antitumor response. We report a case of ipilimumab-induced antitumor immunity targeting microscopic gastric melanoma metastases, mimicking checkpoint blockade induced gastritis. Immune suppression was avoided and the immunotherapy was continued. Checkpoint blockade can induce rapid inflammatory responses to tumor tissue present throughout the body. These responses are desirable, but may also lead to local tissue injury, causing symptoms that may mimic adverse events. This is particularly important to consider in organs where metastatic disease may be unappreciated at the time of treatment, and where irAEs are otherwise common, such as the gastrointestinal tract. In this setting, empiric immune suppression may inhibit antitumor responses, improving symptoms but at a potential cost to therapeutic efficacy.
Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmission following Knee Arthroscopy.

This study evaluates knee arthroscopy cases in a national surgical database to identify risk factors associated with readmission. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried from 2012 to 2016 for billing codes related to knee arthroscopy. International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes were then used to exclude cases which involved infection. Patients were subsequently reviewed for readmission within 30 days. Univariate and multivariate analyses were then performed to identify risk factors associated with 30-day readmission. A total of 69,022 patients underwent knee arthroscopy. The overall 30-day complication rate was 1.75% and the 30-day readmission rate was 0.92%. On multivariate analysis, age > 60 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–1.55), smoking (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.15–1.70), recent weight loss (OR, 13.22; 95% CI, 5.03–34.73), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.39–2.82), hypertension (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23–1.78), diabetes (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.40–2.64), renal failure (OR, 10.65; 95% CI, 2.90–39.07), steroid use within 30 days prior to the procedure (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.24–2.94), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class ≥ 3 (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.40–2.04), and operative time > 45 minutes (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.42–2.00) were identified as independent risk factors for readmission. These findings confirm that the 30-day overall complication (1.75%) and readmission rates (0.92%) are low for knee arthroscopy procedures; however, age > 60 years, smoking status, recent weight loss, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic steroid use, ASA class ≥ 3, and operative time > 45 minutes are independent risk factors for readmission.
Fatigue of additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V, Part II: The relationship between microstructure, material cyclic properties, and component performance

Abstract Part I of these two-part paper series focused on the process and structure relationships, effect of powder feedstock, fabrication parameters, and post fabrication treatments on the resulting microstructure, defect characteristics, and surface quality of the fabricated Ti-6Al-4V parts. This second part extends the study by evaluating the effect of the aforementioned factors on axial, torsion, and multiaxial fatigue behavior of the additively manufactured (AM) Ti-6Al-4V specimens. Despite the advantages of additive manufacturing techniques discussed in Part I, they are still rarely used in fatigue critical load carrying applications, partly due to insufficient understanding of fatigue behavior and its dependence on variations in material microstructure and defects. This becomes even more challenging when other process characteristics of AM including build orientation, residual stresses, and surface roughness are considered. This paper discusses these effects, as well as machine-to-machine variability and the effects of specimen geometry and size, post heat treatment, and multiaxial stress state. Experimental uniaxial, torsion, and multiaxial fatigue test results recently generated by the authors for laser beam powder bed fusion- produced Ti-6Al-4V alloy are reviewed. The observed behaviors and the influence of the aforementioned effects are then related to the resulting microstructure and defect characteristics discussed in Part I. Fatigue life prediction results for specimens based on the effective defect size calculated by extreme value statistics (EVS) of the internal defects and surface roughness are also presented and compared with experimental data. The observed behaviors and specimen test results are then used for fatigue life analysis and predictions of a link component as an illustrative application example.
Key Opinion Leaders in Recommendation Systems: Opinion Elicitation and Diffusion

Recommendation systems typically rely on the interactions between a crowd of ordinary users and items, ignoring the fact that many real-world communities are notably influenced by a small group of key opinion leaders, whose feedback on items wields outsize influence. With important positions in the community (e.g. have a large number of followers), their elite opinions are able to diffuse to the community and further impact what items we buy, what media we consume, and how we interact with online platforms. Hence, this paper investigates how to develop a novel recommendation system by explicitly capturing the influence from key opinion leaders to the whole community. Centering around opinion elicitation and diffusion, we propose an end-to-end Graph-based neural model - GoRec. Specifically, to preserve the multi-relations between key opinion leaders and items, GoRec elicits the opinions from key opinion leaders with a translation-based embedding method. Moreover, GoRec adopts the idea of Graph Neural Networks to model the elite opinion diffusion process for improved recommendation. Through experiments on Goodreads and Epinions, the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art approaches by 10.75% and 9.28% on average in Top-K item recommendation.
Nickel(I) salen-catalyzed reduction of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113): CO2-mediated carbon–fluorine bond cleavage

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry, controlled-potential (bulk) electrolysis, gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MS) have been used to investigate the direct and nickel(I) salen-catalyzed reduction of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113) in both Ar- and CO2-saturated dimethylformamide (DMF) containing 0.10 M tetra-n-butylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBABF4). Cyclic voltammograms show one irreversible cathodic peak for direct reduction of CFC-113 in CO2-saturated DMF to afford 1-chloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethene (CFC-1113), whereas cyclic voltammograms in Ar-saturated DMF exhibit two irreversible cathodic peaks. Bulk electrolyses of CFC-113 in CO2-saturated DMF at a potential 400 mV more negative than the resolved cathodic peak cause partial reduction of CFC-1113 to yield di-, tri-, and tetrafluoro species. Cyclic voltammograms for reduction of nickel(II) salen in the presence of CFC-113 in CO2-saturated DMF show two cathodic peaks attributable to formation of CFC-1113 and HFC-1123; cyclic voltammograms in Ar-saturated DMF exhibit similar behavior. Bulk electrolyses involving electrogenerated nickel(I) salen in CO2-saturated DMF yield mixtures of HFC-1123, isomers of difluoroethene, and traces of other species. No electrocarboxylation of CFC-113 or its derivatives was seen in the presence of CO2; however, excess CO2 increases the extent of dechlorination of CFC-113 during bulk electrolyses when compared with analogous electrolyses in an Ar-saturated medium. Structural modification of nickel(II) salen during catalytic reduction of CFC-113 in the presence of CO2 was determined with the aid of HPLC–ESI–MS.
Landscape Ecology of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Outbreaks in the South Texas Coastal Plain Wildlife Corridor Including Man-Made Barriers.

Landscape features and the ecology of suitable hosts influence the phenology of invasive tick species.The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), vectors causal agents of babesiosis in cattle and it infests exotic, feral nilgai, Bosephalus tragocamelus Pallas, and indigenous white-tailed deer, Odocoilus virginianus (Zimmerman), on the SouthTexas coastal plain wildlife corridor.The corridor extends from the Mexico border to cattle ranches extending north from inside Willacy Co. Outbreaks of R. microplus infesting cattle and nondomesticated ungulate hosts since 2014 in the wildlife corridor have focused attention on host infestation management and, by extension, dispersal. However, there is a knowledge gap on the ecology of R. microplus outbreaks in the SouthTexas coastal plain wildlife corridor. Ixodid distribution on the wildlife corridor is strongly influenced by habitat salinity. Saline habitats, which constitute ≈25% of the wildlife corridor, harbor few ixodids because of occasional salt toxicity from hypersaline wind tides and infrequent storm surges, and from efficient egg predation by mud flat fiddler crabs, Uca rapax (Smith). Rhipicephalus microplus infestations on nilgai were more prevalent in part of the corridor with mixed low salinity and saline areas than in an area that is more extensively saline. The different levels of R. microplus infestation suggest that man-made barriers have created isolated areas where the ecology of R. microplus outbreaks involve infested nilgai.The possible utility of man-made barriers for R. microplus eradication in the lower part of the SouthTexas coastal plain wildlife corridor is discussed.
Focused Cardiac Ultrasound in Dyspnea of Unclear Etiology in the Emergency Department: Utility of the FLUID Score.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the utility of focused cardiac ultrasound to predict the length of stay in patients presenting to the emergency department with dyspnea of unclear etiology. METHODS Patients with focused cardiac ultrasound examinations performed in the emergency department for dyspnea over a 34-month period were retrospectively identified. Patients were excluded if they had a prior diagnosis of heart failure, dialysis requirement, or an etiology of dyspnea unrelated to the volume status. Left ventricular function was categorized as normal or reduced, and the inferior vena cava was categorized as normal or increased volume. A fast limited ultrasound to investigate dyspnea (FLUID) score was calculated by adding 1 point for reduced left ventricular function and 1 point for increased volume, producing a score of 0, 1, or 2. RESULTS There were 123 patients included. There was a significant correlation between the FLUID score and length of stay, with longer stays for higher scores (FLUID score 0, 7.4 hours median; FLUID score 1, 2.34 days; FLUID score 2, 5.56 days; analysis of variance P < .001). Of the other variables collected, only age, hypertension, diabetes, heart rate, and brain natriuretic peptide were significantly correlated with the length of stay. A multivariate analysis including those variables and the FLUID score showed that the FLUID score was the strongest independent predictor of the length of stay. CONCLUSIONS Focused cardiac ultrasound and calculation of a FLUID score for patients with undifferentiated dyspnea can be a powerful tool to predict the hospital length of stay.
Ultra-high surface fibrous membranes from electrospinning of natural proteins: casein and lipase enzyme

Natural proteins such as casein and enzymes cannot be processed into fibrous forms. With the addition of another polymer such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), casein, a natural protein, was electrospun into ultra-thin fibrous membranes. Fibers in these membranes had diameters between 100 and 500 nm. These fibrous membranes were rendered insoluble by chemical crosslinking with 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl diisocyanate) (MDI) in THF. The electrospinning method has also been utilized for enzyme immobilization on solid support. The lipase encapsulated in the ultra-fine fibrous membranes exhibits higher catalytic activity towards hydrolyzing olive oil than that in the cast films from the same solution.
FASB was Right: Earnings Beat Cash Flows when Predicting Future Cash Flows

Do accruals-based accounting earnings provide better information to investors about future operating cash flows than operating cash flows themselves, as predicted by FASB’s conceptual framework? The most recent evidence (Nallareddy et al., 2020) is that operating cash flows, measured correctly using cash flow statement data, consistently outperform earnings. However this evidence compares operating cash flows with “bottom line” earnings, handicapping earnings by including non-operating and transitory components with no corresponding operating cash flow. Operating earnings consistently dominate operating cash flow’s predictive ability in a battery of tests, especially after addressing cross-sectional differences among firms.
Network Medicine and Systems Biology Considerations to Understand Sex Differences in Lung Disease

Men and women have different manifestations of major lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and pulmonary hypertension. Examples of sex differences in different molecular data types have been observed (genetic, transcriptomic, epigenetic, metabolomic), but few studies have harnessed the power of network medicine and systems biology to unravel the complexity of sex differences in lung disease. Men and women respond differently to environmental exposures, likely capturing both gender (societal constructs) and sex (biologic) effects relevant to the lung. Data collection on gender and gender identity has not been routine in genomic studies but must be performed to develop the most comprehensive precision-based network medicine approaches to lung disease. Each layer contributing to complex networks manifests the aggregate influence of gender- and sex-specific signatures, and these should be systemically evaluated. Many emergent properties and biologic pathways uncovered by sex-specific network analyses would be missed by single omic-type analyses alone. Common approaches in precision medicine have generally not considered sex and gender as key organizing principles. Leveraging “big data” will provide the most advanced insights into sex and gender differences in lung health, resilience, and disease.
Cardiac Modeling for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C, PIMS-TS)

Cardiovascular data of 8 patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), caused by an aberrant reaction of immune system to the SARS-CoV-2 coronarovirus, were retrospectively analyzed by using patient-specific biomechanical modeling. The first goal was to increase the understanding of the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular involvement in MIS-C, during the inpatient stay at Intensive Care Unit and after discharge from the hospital. Secondly, hypothetical action of various types of pharmacological therapy was tested in silico using the created patient-specific models, aiming to contribute into the optimal pharmacological management during the acute stage of MIS-C.
Adverse childhood experiences, sex, and cardiovascular habituation to repeated stress.

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are robustly associated with later cardiovascular disease. Alterations in cardiovascular responses to stress may be an underlying mechanism. The present study examined whether ACEs predicted habituation of cardiovascular responses across two acute laboratory stress tasks, and whether this differed between men and women. During a single laboratory visit, 453 healthy young adults completed two identical stress-inducing protocols, each involving a 10-minute baseline and 4-minute acute psychological stress task. Heart rate (HR) and systolic/diastolic blood pressure (S/DBP) were recorded throughout. Participants also completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale. Cardiovascular responses habituated from the first to second stress task on average across the entire sample. However, women—but not men—with higher self-reported ACEs displayed less habituation of HR and DBP, but not SBP, across the stress tasks. Results suggest that ACEs may alter the body’s ability to adaptively respond to stress exposures in adulthood, specifically in women.
Imaging and Analysis of Isomeric Unsaturated Lipids through Online Photochemical Derivatization of Carbon–Carbon Double Bonds**

Unraveling the complexity of the lipidome requires the development of novel approaches for the structural characterization of lipid species with isomer-level discrimination. Herein, we introduce an online photochemical approach for lipid isomer identification through selective derivatization of double bonds by reaction with singlet oxygen. Lipid hydroperoxide products are generated promptly after laser irradiation. Fragmentation of these species in a mass spectrometer produces diagnostic fragments revealing the C=C locations in the unreacted lipids. This approach uses an inexpensive light source and photosensitizer making it easy to incorporate into any lipidomics workflow. We demonstrate the utility of this approach for the shotgun profiling of C=C locations in different lipid classes present in tissue extracts using electrospray ionization (ESI) and ambient imaging of lipid species differing only by the location of C=C bonds using nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI).
Bacterial Pathogenicity Islands and Infectious Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses selected bacterial pathogenicity islands (PAIs) and their significance for infectious diseases. PAIs carry multiple virulence factors on a relatively large fragment of chromosomal DNA, typically at least 10–20 kb and sometimes up to 200 kb. PAIs are usually present in the genome of pathogenic bacteria but not in the genome of the same or closely related nonpathogenic species, although the presence of a PAI does not necessarily confer the ability to cause disease. Known PAIs carry genes that encode adhesins, invasins, iron uptake systems, toxins, and complex protein secretion machinery. Several features of PAIs suggest that they have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Pathogenic bacteria frequently contain large chromosomal elements that contain clusters of horizontally transferred genes called PAIs, which are important in their ability to cause disease. Although the strategies differ, many of these genes encode adhesins, toxins, and type III or type IV protein secretion systems.
Type 1 interferon primes naïve CD8 T cells to respond to lower concentrations and affinities of cognate ligands (VIR6P.1178)

During an acute virus infection, antigen-specific CD8 T cells undergo clonal expansion and differentiation into effector cells in order to control the infection. Studies have shown that CD8 T cells need to divide at least once before they acquire specific effector functions, including the ability to directly lyse target cells and produce certain cytokines. However, recently we have shown that pre-exposure of the host to type I interferon (IFN) sensitizes CD8 T cells to rapidly acquire effector function without the need to divide. The IFN-primed naive CD8 T cells produced IFNγ, enhanced TNF and degranulated upon stimulation with high affinity cognate antigen. The threshold required for IFN-induced sensitized CD8 T cells to become activated and produce effector functions was reduced, as primed CD8 T cells produced cytokines in response to lower affinity ligands and lower concentrations of cognate ligands. In addition, an in vivo cytotoxicity assay showed that primed naive CD8 T cells specifically lysed target cells. The reduced requirement of naive CD8 T cells to produce effector functions if pre-exposed to IFN-induced environments may increase the overall number of naive T cells able to respond to any given antigen. IFN-primed increased numbers and response of naive T cells may help to control antigen load during an acute infection.
Middle East Historiography: Did We Miss the Cultural Turn?

In the late 20th century, a novel mode of historical research and writing emerged and soon acquired its distinctive label, “the new cultural history.” By the first decade of the current century, some deemed cultural history to have achieved hegemonic status within the historical profession. Yet recently mounted retrospective assessments of this “cultural turn” have cast doubt on such triumphalist declarations. This is especially so within the field of Middle East historiography, in which cultural history per se has failed to achieve the status of an identifiable sub-discipline on a par with social, economic, or political history. This essay explores possible explanations for this conspicuous absence, focusing on the distinctive history of the Western historiography of the Middle East and the tendency of disciplinary mainstreams to “domesticate” their unruly “children.”