cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Muscle power of the ankle flexors predicts functional performance in community-dwelling older women

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that peak power of the ankle flexors is related to physical functioning in older women with functional limitations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based human physiology laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four older women (75.4 ± 5.1 years, 67.8 ± 11.3 kg, body mass index 27.4 ± 4.5) with self-reported functional limitations. MEASUREMENTS: Plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) peak power and isometric strength with physical performance (stair climb time, repeated chair rise time, maximal and habitual gait velocity) were determined. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure isometric strength, isokinetic peak torque and power of PF and DF at five angular velocities (30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 180°·sec−1), and isometric strength. RESULTS: Peak torque for both PF and DF declined with increasing velocity of movement (PF: P < .0001; DF: P < .0001), whereas peak power increased with increasing velocity up to 120°·sec−1. The strongest univariate associations were found between chair rise time and DF peak power (r = 0.50; P < .002), stair climb time and DF peak power (r = 0.49; P < .003), habitual gait velocity and PF isometric strength (r = 0.53; P < .001), and maximal gait and PF isometric strength (r = 0.47; P < .005). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that DF and PF peak power along with the physical functioning and general health scores from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form were independent predictors of chair and stair climb performance. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that ankle muscle power together with self-reported measures of health and physical functioning are essential components of functional mobility in older women with functional limitations.
Three-dimensional quantitative structure-property relationship (3D-QSPR) models for prediction of thermodynamic properties of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): enthalpies of fusion and their application to estimates of enthalpies of sublimation and aqueous solubilities.

Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) has been used to develop three-dimensional quantitative structure−property relationship (3D-QSPR) models for the fusion enthalpy at the melting point (ΔfusHm(Tfus)) of a representative set of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Various alignment schemes, such as inertial, as is, atom fit, and field fit, were used in this study to evaluate the predictive capabilities of the models. The CoMFA models have also been derived using partial atomic charges calculated from the electrostatic potential (ESP) and Gasteiger−Marsili (GM) methods. The combination of atom fit alignment and GM charges yielded the greatest self-consistency (r2 = 0.955) and internal predictive ability (rcv2 = 0.783). This CoMFA model was used to predict ΔfusHm(Tfus) of the entire set of 209 PCB congeners, including 193 PCB congeners for which experimental values are unavailable. The CoMFA-predicted values, combined with previous estimations of vaporization and sublimation enthalpies, were used to c...
An inductive model of collaboration from the stakeholder's perspective

This work emerged from funded research examining collaboration among stakeholder organizations present at three U.S. nuclear weapons complex sites. The authors examine issues such as how and why stakeholder groups form collaborative alliances when dealing with the target organization, what leaders of stakeholder organizations actually think about when collaborating to deal with the target organization, and what outcomes result from the collaboration process. Drawing on stakeholder theory and research in interorganizational collaboration, the authors used an inductive, interview-based methodology to build a model of collaboration among nonprofit stakeholder groups. The model contributes to the descriptive stream of stakeholder theory and, in turn, has implications for the instrumental stream. The model also offers implications for future researchers, leaders of stakeholder alliances, and leaders of target organizations.
A simulation condition for correct asynchronous implementation of synchronous design

We study the problem of "desynchronization", i.e., semantics-preserving "asynchronous implementation" of a "synchronous design". In a synchronous design, system components (which we model as input-output automata (I/O- automata)) communicate over synchronous channels and their combined behavior can be described using synchronous composition, whereas in an asynchronous implementation, communication among components occurs over asynchronous channels (which we also model as I/O-automata) and the behavior of an asynchronous implementation can be described using asynchronous composition. The presence of asynchronous communication can result in additional behavior that is not present under synchronous communication and can thus cause the semantics of a synchronous design to be not preserved under asynchronous implementation. We formalize the notion of system response to an input sequence and by using it, define a criterion for correct desynchronization. We define the simulation of I/O-automata, and argue that the simulation of the asynchronous implementation by a synchronous design is sufficient to guarantee the correctness of desynchronization. This is a new way of characterizing the correctness of desynchronization (as compared to the "iso-/endo-chrony" type conditions proposed in previous works). Under the practical assumption that the communication delay is bounded, the proposed simulation condition is algorithmically verifiable.
Mapping out the structural changes of natural and pretreated plant cell wall surfaces by atomic force microscopy single molecular recognition imaging

Background Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass (mainly plant cell walls) is a critical process for biofuel production. This process is greatly hindered by the natural complexity of plant cell walls and limited accessibility of surface cellulose by enzymes. Little is known about the plant cell wall structural and molecular level component changes after pretreatments, especially on the outer surface. Therefore, a more profound understanding of surface cellulose distributions before and after pretreatments at single-molecule level is in great need. In this study, we determined the structural changes, specifically on crystalline cellulose, of natural, dilute sulfuric acid pretreated and delignified cell wall surfaces of poplar, switchgrass, and corn stover using single molecular atomic force microscopy (AFM) recognition imaging.
Pediatrician-Parent Communication in a Continuity-of-care Setting

This study investigated pediatrician-parent communication by content, analyzing medical encounters in a setting providing continuity of care. Thirty-eight encounters between middle class families and three senior pediatricians were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed for content. The categories of medical communication coded from the interactions were related to each family's medical and demographic characteristics. Five patterns of results emerged: (1) There was a highly stylizied active-passive role relationship, with doctors asking twice as many questions and making twice as many commands as the parent did. (2) A strong reciprocity norm existed between pediatricians and parents for the communication of affect. (3) The higher the experience, income, and educational levels of the parents, the shorter the encounters were, the less frequently symptoms were discussed, and the more frequently medication and professional treatment were mentioned. (4) Parents discussed health more in terms of organicity of causes than did pediatricians who, more frequently, raised environmental factors. (5) The more the family had a history of past illnesses, the more frequently the doctors made affect comments during the encounters. Comparing the results to findings drawn from an emergency clinic documented the importance of sustained relationships between practitioners and patients.
Combination strategies for pain management

At least two factors relating to pain management using oral analgesics suggest that combination strategies merit consideration: many pains arise from more than one physiological cause and current analgesics have adverse effect profiles that might be reduced by combination with another agent in smaller doses or with less frequent dosing. In addition to increased convenience, combinations sometimes also result in the unexpected benefit of synergy. But not all pains, clinical settings or combinations merit the extra expense or other potential negative features of fixed-ratio products. This review examines the multiple basic science, clinical and pharmacoeconomic issues relating to analgesic combinations and the methodologies available for assessing these issues.
Dimension and Fundamental Groups of Asymptotic Cones

Asymptotic cones were first used by Gromov in [ 6 ], where he constructed limit spaces of nilpotent groups in order to prove that groups with polynomial growth are virtually nilpotent. Gromov does not use the term asymptotic cone , which was introduced later by Van den Dries and Wilkie in [ 12 ], when they gave a nonstandard interpretation of Gromov's results. Ultrafilters appear in [ 12 ] for the first time in this context. Later, Gromov gave an extensive treatment of asymptotic cones in [ 7 ]. Since then several authors have used asymptotic cones to obtain interesting results, for instance, in identifying quasi-isometry classes of 3-manifolds [ 8 ] or relating asymptotic cones with Dehn functions of finitely presented groups (see [ 2 ] and [ 11 ], the results of which are stated in Section 2). The purpose of this paper is to develop some of the results stated in [ 7 ], in particular those describing the asymptotic cone of the Baumslag–Solitar groups and of Sol. According to [ 2 ], these spaces are not simply connected, since their Dehn functions are exponential, so our primary goal is to study their fundamental groups. It will be proved that these fundamental groups are uncountable and nonfree (Section 9), by constructing subgroups isomorphic to the fundamental group of the Hawaiian earring. These subgroups are constructed by finding subspaces in the asymptotic cones which are homotopically equivalent to the Hawaiian earring, and which induce injections in the fundamental group level (Section 8). Crucial to the proof of these facts is the computation of the covering dimension of these asymptotic cones (Section 7), which is done using a more general theorem on dimensions of spaces which admit certain maps into well-known spaces (Section 6).
On estimation-based iterative detection of one-dimensional and two-dimensional ISI channels

Detection algorithms working directly on discrete alphabet for one-dimensional long intersymbol interference (ISI) channels and two-dimensional ISI channels usually have exponentially high complexities. This paper proposes new estimation-based iterative detection algorithms working on continuous alphabets. These algorithms achieve near-optimal error performance with low complexity. They are based on maximization of the likelihood function in the continuous domain using the gradient descent (ascent) method with iterative application of constraints. The monotonicity is a desirable property for an iterative estimation algorithm in maximizing the likelihood function for designing new estimation-based detection algorithms.
Federated Autonomous Databases: project overview

The paper presents an overview of an ongoing research program, Federated Autonomous Databases, sponsored by Rome Laboratory (US Air Force) and conducted by Honeywell in collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Georgia Institute of Technology. This program is exploratory in nature and is aimed at understanding and solving, within the scope of the program definition, the problem of providing integrated access to distributed, heterogeneous and autonomous databases. >
In silico evaluation and exploration of antibiotic tuberculosis treatment regimens

Improvement in tuberculosis treatment regimens requires selection of antibiotics and dosing schedules from a large design space of possibilities. Incomplete knowledge of antibiotic and host immune dynamics in tuberculosis granulomas impacts clinical trial design and success, and variations among clinical trials hamper side-by-side comparison of regimens. Our objective is to systematically evaluate the efficacy of isoniazid and rifampin regimens, and identify modifications to these antibiotics that improve treatment outcomes. We pair a spatio-temporal computational model of host immunity with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data on isoniazid and rifampin. The model is calibrated to plasma pharmacokinetic and granuloma bacterial load data from non-human primate models of tuberculosis and to tissue and granuloma measurements of isoniazid and rifampin in rabbit granulomas. We predict the efficacy of regimens containing different doses and frequencies of isoniazid and rifampin. We predict impacts of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modifications on antibiotic efficacy. We demonstrate that suboptimal antibiotic concentrations within granulomas lead to poor performance of intermittent regimens compared to daily regimens. Improvements from dose and frequency changes are limited by inherent antibiotic properties, and we propose that changes in intracellular accumulation ratios and antimicrobial activity would lead to the most significant improvements in treatment outcomes. Results suggest that an increased risk of drug resistance in fully intermittent as compared to daily regimens arises from higher bacterial population levels early during treatment. Our systems pharmacology approach complements efforts to accelerate tuberculosis therapeutic development.
Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Candidate Organic Insulators After Neutron Irradiation at 4 K

Several epoxy- and polyimide-based fiber-reinforced materials were irradiated to neutron fluences of 4.1 × 1021 n/m2, E > 0.1 MeVat 4.2 K. Postirradiation testing of mechanical and electrical prope...
S-7: Lindenmann looked for a herring and found a smallmouth bass. We looked for Dr. Jekyll and found Mr. Hyde: Interferon induces persistent viral infection

Hallmarks of persistent viral infections are T cell exhaustion, expression of negative immune regulator (NIR) IL-10 and PD-L1, elevated interferon (IFN) signatures, a chronic immune activation, and often disorganized secondary lymphoid tissue architecture. Utilizing the established and optimal experimental model of viral persistence, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Clone 13 infection of mice, we discovered that blockade of type I IFN signaling using type I IFN receptor neutralizing antibody significantly reduced immune system activation, decreased expression of IL-10 and PD-L1, restored lymphoid architecture and resurrected lost T cell function. IFN-I blockade both prior to and following establishment of persistent virus infection was associated with virus clearance and was CD4 T cell dependent. Thus, small molecule blockade of the IFN-I signaling pathway may be a viable option to explore as a target to control persistent infections. Study supported by NIH grants AI009484 and U 54 AI057160, and performed by postdoctoral fellows J. Teijaro, C. Ng, B. Sullivan, and with collaborators J.C. de la Torre and R. Schreiber.
Cerebral syphilitic gumma in an HIV-negative patient presenting as prolonged focal motor status epilepticus.

To the Editor: The incidence of seizures in neurosyphilis ranges from 14 to 60 percent,1 with no reports of focal status epilepticus as a presenting complaint. We describe a patient in whom cerebral syphilitic gumma was the underlying cause of focal motor seizures. A 47-year-old previously healthy right-handed man experienced a generalized seizure followed by continuous clonic movement of his right foot 24 hours before admission. His general physical examination was unremarkable. Neurologic evaluation revealed a normal Mini–Mental State Examination, no cranial-nerve deficits, normal strength, and continuous clonic movements of the right foot. There was no reflex asymmetry, and sensory . . .
Similitudinous and Pseudo-Similitudinous Transformations in a Plane

(1923). Similitudinous and Pseudo-Similitudinous Transformations in a Plane. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 301-306.
Interleukin-33 and its Receptor in Pulmonary Inflammatory Diseases

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the IL-1 cytokine family. It modulates immune responses and biological functions through binding to its membrane receptor, ST2L. ST2L is a member of the Toll-like/IL-1 (TIR)-receptor superfamily, and its isoform, soluble ST2 (sST2), functions as an inhibitor of the IL-33/ST2L pathway. Levels of IL-33 and sST2 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) are known biomarkers for a variety of disorders such as heart failure, non-small-cell lung cancer, and pulmonary inflammatory diseases. IL-33 also exists in the nuclei, and nuclear IL-33 seems to regulate cytokine gene expression. In this review, we focus on the role of IL-33/ST2 in the pathogenesis of pulmonary inflammatory diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung injury.
Selection of RNA Aptamers Against Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A Light Chain Through a Non-Radioactive Approach

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a category A agent, is the most toxic molecule known to mankind. The endopeptidase activity of light chain domain of BoNT is the cause for the inhibition of the neurotransmitter release and the flaccid paralysis that leads to lethality in botulism. Currently, antidotes are not available to reverse the flaccid paralysis caused by BoNT. In the present study, a non-radioactive-based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) process is developed by utilizing surface plasmon resonance to monitor the binding enrichment. Two RNA aptamers have been identified as strong binders against light chain of botulinum neurotoxin type A. These two aptamers showed strong inhibition activity on LCA, with IC50 in nanomolar range. Inhibition kinetic studies reveal mid nanomolar KI and non-competitive nature of their inhibition, suggesting that they have strong potential as antidotes that can reverse the symptom caused by BoNT/A. More importantly, we observed that the 2'-fluorine-pyrimidine-modified RNA aptamers identified here do not change their binding and biological activities. This observation could lead to a cost-effective way for SELEX, by using regular nucleotide during SELEX, and 2'-fluorine-pyrimidine-modified nucleotide for final application to enhance their RNase-resistance.
Managing Human Capital in Not‐for‐Profit Organizations

Human capital in not-for-profit organizations encompasses skills and knowledge volunteers and employees use for the purpose of creating economic and social value. It is seen as a critical resource often generating the highest costs and revenues. Thus, human capital management, through its elements of analysis and reporting that improve decision making, is of special relevance to human resource management. While the concept of human capital is credited to have emerged out of Adam Smith's work, the 1960s have been recognized as its peak period of development. The view that human capital produces a triple impact at the individual, organizational, and societal levels is a dominant one in the field. Some of the important conceptual and theoretical differentiations are those between human, intellectual, social, and organizational capital. So far as its training is concerned, human capital is categorized as: general on-the-job training, specific on-the-job training, schooling, and other knowledge. Keywords: nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); sociology of organizations; strategic management; work, management, occupations, and organizations
Assessment of eHealth capabilities and utilization in residential care settings

The US National Survey of Residential Care Facilities was used to conduct cross-sectional analyses of residential care facilities (n = 2302). Most residential care facilities lacked computerized capabilities for one or more of these capabilities in 2010. Lacking computerized systems supporting electronic health information exchange with pharmacies was associated with non-chain affiliation (p < .05). Lacking electronic health information exchange with physicians was associated with being a small-sized facility (vs large) (p < .05). Lacking computerized capabilities for discharge/transfer summaries was associated with for-profit status (p < .05) and small-sized facilities (p < .05). Lacking computerized capabilities for medical provider information was associated with non-chain affiliation (p < .05), small- or medium-sized facilities (p < .05), and for-profit status (p < .05). Lack of electronic health record was associated with non-chain affiliation (p < .05), small- or medium-sized facilities (p < .05), f...
Overview of Medical Treatment

Kawasaki disease is an acute childhood vasculitis syndrome of uncertain etiology that results in coronary artery aneurysms in one of five children who are not treated in the acute phase of illness. The standard therapy for acute Kawasaki disease is high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), 2 g/kg, over 8–12 h, together with aspirin, for its anti-inflammatory and then anti-platelet effects. Despite such treatment, however, up to 5 % of children will develop coronary artery aneurysms. Adjunctive anti-inflammatory therapies for such patients may be given as primary therapy, together with initial IVIG; aggressive primary therapy would ideally be targeted to those identified by a risk score as being most likely to develop coronary artery aneurysms. Alternatively, rescue therapy can be given to children with persistent or recrudescent fever. Adjunctive therapies have included additional IVIG therapy, corticosteroids, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α blockers (e.g., infliximab, etanercept), calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) agents (e.g., anakinra), methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide. Among these adjunctive therapies, only corticosteroids have been proven to be effective in reducing the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms, in a phase III randomized trial in a high-risk Japanese population. Further research is needed in order to improve understanding of the pathobiology of Kawasaki disease arteritis and to develop and test more targeted and cost-effective therapies.
Five-Year Progress Update on the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, 2011

Abstract In 2011, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin issued a Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding (Call to Action) in an effort to mobilize families, communities, clinicians, healthcare systems, and employers to take action to improve support for breastfeeding. The Call to Action identified 20 key action steps to address society-wide breastfeeding barriers in six areas: mothers and families, communities, healthcare, employment, research, and public health infrastructure. This report highlights major federal activities that show progress toward answering the Call to Action in the first 5 years since its launch.
Fear of floating

This paper uses unique household survey data to investigate the expected effects of a switch from a fixed exchange rate regime to a floating exchange rate regime in Bulgaria during the global financial crisis. The data show that the public associated such a switch with a contraction of output, higher prices, a decline in exports, and an overall deterioration of economic welfare. These expectations fuelled a strong opposition to removing the fixed exchange rate. Thus, the survey data allow us to investigate why a switch from a fixed exchange rate to a floating exchange rate did not take place.
Goals of Care or Goals of Trust? How Family Members Perceive Goals for Dying Nursing Home Residents

Abstract Purpose of Study: Dementia affects more than 5 million Americans, and is a leading cause of death. Family members of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia report difficulty making decisions about care toward the end of life. As part of a randomized trial testing an intervention to improve decision making, this qualitative study aimed to understand how family decision makers experienced goal-based decision making in advance of the death of their relative. Design and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted as part of the goals of care clinical trial. Study participants (n = 16) were family decision makers in North Carolina whose relative with advanced dementia died after participating in the goals of care intervention. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a qualitative description approach. Results: Family members' experience of decision making and death differed based on the presence or absence of trusting relationships with NH staff. Family members who reported trust ...
Anatomically Contoured Anterior Plating for Isolated Tibiotalar Arthrodesis: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION We performed a systematic review of the published literature to characterize patient demographic, surgical techniques, and functional outcomes to elucidate the complication and revision rates following isolated tibiotalar arthrodesis with anatomically contoured anterior plating. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was performed. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies in English, after 1990, at least 10 patients, and reporting clinical outcomes following contoured anterior plating and with follow-up of at least 80% and 1 year. Primary outcomes were fusion rate, time to fusion, return to activities, satisfaction, and functional outcome scores. Complication rates, reoperation, and revision were also extracted. RESULTS Eight primary studies with 164 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average sample size was 21 ± 10.0 patients and average age was 49.2 years with 61.6% male. Posttraumatic arthritis (49.4%) was the most common operative indication, followed by primary osteoarthrosis (18.9%). The average follow-up was 21.1 months. At this time, 97.6% of patients went on to uneventful union at a weighted average time of 18.7 weeks postoperatively. AOFAS scores improved significantly ( P < .05). 25% complication rate was reported with wound complication (7.9%) and hardware irritation (6.7%) most common. Overall, 21.3% of patients underwent reoperation; 4 for revision arthrodesis following nonunion. CONCLUSION Isolated tibiotalar arthrodesis utilizing anatomically contoured anterior plating demonstrates excellent clinical and functional outcomes at short-term follow-up. Overall, 97.6% of patients went on to fusion and functional outcomes consistently improved following surgery. Furthermore, while one-quarter of patients experienced complications, wound complications were relatively uncommon and less than one-quarter of these required surgical intervention. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE Level IV: Systematic Review.
Impact absorption properties of carbon fiber reinforced bucky sponges.

We describe the super compressible and highly recoverable response of bucky sponges as they are struck by a heavy flat-punch striker. The bucky sponges studied here are structurally stable, self-assembled mixtures of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). We engineered the microstructure of the sponges by controlling their porosity using different CF contents. Their mechanical properties and energy dissipation characteristics during impact loading are presented as a function of their composition. The inclusion of CFs improves the impact force damping by up to 50% and the specific damping capacity by up to 7% compared to bucky sponges without CFs. The sponges also exhibit significantly better stress mitigation characteristics compared to vertically aligned carbon nanotube foams of similar densities. We show that delamination on the MWCNT-CF interfaces occurs during unloading, and arises from the heterogeneous fibrous microstructure of the bucky sponges.
Black Performance on the Outskirts of the Left: A History of the Impossible by Malik Gaines (review)

Malik Gaines’s Black Performance on the Outskirts of the Left: A History of the Impossible is an interdisciplinary book that will appeal to scholars interested in theories of blackness, queer black...
Subjective and pupil responses to discomfort glare from small, high-luminance light sources:

This study examined human subjective and pupil responses to small, high-luminance light sources seen against low-luminance backgrounds. Subjective judgements of glare using a seven-point rating sca...
Therapeutic Nursery Interventions for Abused Preschoolers

This article describes the various modes of intervention with abused preschoolers in a hospital-based multidisciplinary therapeutic nursery. The assessment and treatment of the mother and child and the dyadic interaction is outlined in detail. The description of infant, toddler, and preschool groups and individual and group psychotherapy with mothers is presented from a multidisciplinary perspective. Case illustrations add to the understanding of how the principles of infant-parent psychotherapy guiding the nursery contribute to positive changes in mothers, children, and in their dyadic relationship.
Frequency-Hopping Systems

Frequency hopping is the periodic changing of the carrier frequency of a transmitted signal. This time-varying characteristic potentially endows a communication system with great strength against interference. Whereas a direct-sequence system relies on spectral spreading, spectral despreading, and filtering to suppress interference. the basic mechanism of interference suppression in a frequency-hopping system is that of avoidance. When the avoidance fails, it is only temporary because of the periodic changing of the carrier frequency. The impact of the interference is further mitigated by the pervasive use of channel codes, which are more essential for frequency-hopping than for direct-sequence systems. The basic concepts, spectral and performance aspects, and coding and modulation issues are presented in the first five sections of this chapter. The effects of partial-band interference and jamming are examined, whereas the impact of multiple-access interference is presented in Chap. 6. The most important issues in the design of frequency synthesizers are described in the final section.
The role of Ca2+in the action of GA in the barley aleurone

The barley aleurone has been widely used as a model system for studying the action of two plant growth regulators, gibberellic acid (GA), and abscisic acid (ABA). In the isolated aleurone layer as well as in the germinating grain, these two substances act in an antagonistic fashion to regulate the production of hydrolases, chiefly a-amylase (Jacobsen et al. 1979), that are important for germination of the grain. Early experiments using isolated aleurone layers revealed that the increase in a-amylase and other hydrolases that is stimulated by GA required millimolar levels of extracellular Ca2+ (Chrispeels and Varner, 1967). Although the role of Ca2+ in ABA action has apparently not been studied in the barley aleurone, it has recently been shown that the expression of proteins induced by ABA in the wheat aleurone also requires Ca2+ (Napier et al. 1989). The goal of our research has been to understand the role of Ca2+ n the action of plant growth regulators. We here report on the ability of GA to regulate Ca2+ levels in the cytosol and in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the site of hydrolase production in the barley aleurone.
More 'Vitiating Paradoxes': A Reply to Steven D. Smith — and Smith

This is a reply to Steven D. Smith's Brandeis Lecture, "The Last Chapter?" That lecture is substantially drawn from the concluding pages of his fine recent book, The Rise and Decline of American Religious Freedom. In the lecture and the book, Smith explores what he calls some "vitiating paradoxes" of some of the key concepts that undergird the conventional account of American religious freedom, and argues that those paradoxes may render religious freedom especially vulnerable in an age of increasing liberal egalitarianism. He also offers a competing account of religious freedom, one that involves both a "soft constitutionalism" approach to the Establishment Clause and a revival of some form of "freedom of the church." My reply is basically an internal account, supportive in some respects and critical in others. One of the main contributions that Smith has made to law and religion scholarship over the years is his skillful deployment of critical tools to reveal flaws in the underpinnings of Religion Clause law and theory. He is, I suggest, the charter member of the law and religion branch of a rather small but valuable school: Conservative Critical Legal Studies. In this reply, I take his critical views on board and wonder where, if anywhere, the "potentially vitiating paradoxes" that he identifies in the conventional account of religious freedom end; I also apply Smith's critical framework to the competing account of American religious freedom that he offers. In particular, I question his recommendation of some form of "soft constitutionalism" limited essentially to the Establishment Clause; explore the difficulties involved in what I suggest is a growing reconciliation, including among conservatives, to the Supreme Court's decision in Employment Division v. Smith; and ask whether we might not view arguments for "freedom of the church" as a kind of salvaging device for those who favor a "soft" or jurisdictional reading of the Establishment Clause, and who have come around on Employment Division v. Smith, while still seeking to preserve some measure of church autonomy.
Information Exchange Between Convention and Visitor Bureaus and Hotels in Destination Marketing

ABSTRACT Information exchange between convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) and hotels, a growing necessity in destination marketing, has been a contentious issue over the past decade. Drawing from destination marketing and relationship marketing literature, this paper presents a proposed model of the interplay of relational factors of trust, relationship orientation, role clarity, interdependence, social bonding, communication, and geographic proximity and their relationship with information exchange.
The Classification of Groups of Component Type

In this chapter we complete the discussion of the noncharacteristic 2 theorem. Theorem 4.106 has reduced its validity to the following specific set of standard form problems: (I) Verification of Hypothesis S [see Section 4.3 for the exact statement of Hypothesis S, including the definitions of the families ℒO, ℒO* and ℒ 0(3)]. (II) Determination of all locally balanced simple groups with the strong B-property that contain a standard component of Lie type of characteristic 2 or sporadic, but which is not an element of ℒO*.
Interior Methods For a Class of Elliptic Variational Inequalities

We consider the applicat ion of primal-dual interior methods to the optimization of systems arising in the finite-element discretization of a class of elliptic variational inequalities. These problems lead to very large (possibly non-convex) optimization problems with upper and lower bound constraints.
The General Case of Dependence in Hierarchic Decision Theory

A hierarchy is a simple structure used to represent the simplest type of functional (contextual or semantic) dependence of one level or component of a system on another in a sequential manner. It is also a convenient way to decompose a complex problem in search of causeeffect explanations in steps which form a linear chain. One result of this approach is to assume the functional independence of an upper part, component, or cluster from its lower parts. This often does not imply its structural independence from the lower parts which involves information on the number of elements, their measurements, etc. But there is a more general way to structure a problem involving functional dependence. It allows for feedback between components. It is a network system of which a hierarchy is a special case. In both hierarchies and networks the elements within each component may be also dependent on each other (see Saaty and Takizawa, 1986). Figure 1 below shows two drawings which depict the structural difference between the two frameworks. In this figure, a loop means that there is inner dependence of elements within a component.
Preparing for the 2018‐2019 influenza season

The 2017-18 influenza season brought record numbers of cases in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, resulting in high rates of influenza-related hospital admission and death. Estimated efficacy of flu vaccine was low against the most common circulating strain, influenza A (H3N2). Decreased efficacy may be due to changes in circulating virus or mutations that occur in the vaccine strain during the manufacturing process.
Abstract 4669: Overcoming therapy resistance in stem cell-rich triple negative breast cancer through p38 MAP kinase inhibition

Background: Patients with triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) develop chemotherapeutic resistance and have a high mortality rate. Classification of TNBCs based on molecular profiling has enabled the identification of one subtype that is particularly enriched for cancer stem cells (CSCs) and genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. The EMT pathways, as well as CSCs, have been independently associated with chemo-resistance. We have previously demonstrated that cancer cells can acquire CSC properties via the activation of EMT. The FOXC2 transcription factor is a critical mediator for EMT/CSC properties as well as metastatic competence. Activated p38 MAP kinase is also high in EMT/CSC-enriched TNBCs and is important for FOXC2 protein stability, CSC and EMT properties as well as metastasis. We hypothesize that the inhibition of p38 MAP kinase will increase the sensitivity of TNBCs to chemotherapeutic drugs and in combination, it will help reduce tumor recurrence. Methods: Three clinical candidate p38 inhibitors (LY2228820, VX-702, and PH-797804) were tested next to SB203580, which has shown great efficacy in our pre-clinical models. Effects of p38 inhibition were measured using sphere assay, CD44hi/CD24lo profiles and their effect on FOXC2 protein levels using cells lines as well as cells isolated from PDX. To identify drugs that work in combination with p38 inhibitor, cancer cells were pre-treated with p38 inhibitors and then co-treated with p38 inhibitor as well as NCI Approved Oncology/Custom Clinical Collections of 256 approved drugs and the Broad Informer Collection of about 400 mechanistic compounds. Results: Inhibition of p38 significantly impaired stem cell properties in a dose-dependent manner. P38 inhibitor worked in combination with Gemcitabine or Epirubicin (currently used for TNBC treatment) and reduced the TNBC cell proliferation. Among PDX samples capable of forming spheres, p38 inhibition reduced their stemness in a dose-dependent manner. P38 inhibition also decreased expression of the stemness marker FOXC2 and increased the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Conclusion: P38 inhibition is an effective way to inhibit EMT/CSC properties and it can work in combination with other agents to increase sensitivity in TNBCs. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by CPRIT-MIRA RP-160710 (SAM, WFS). Citation Format: Petra den Hollander, Shruti Shah, Xinhui Zhou, Abena Redwood, Shi-Rong Cai, Mary Sobieski, David Brunell, Clifford Stephan, Peter Davies, Helen Piwnica-Worms, Stacy Moulder, W Fraser Symmans, Sendurai A. Mani. Overcoming therapy resistance in stem cell-rich triple negative breast cancer through p38 MAP kinase inhibition [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4669.
From Classical to Blockchain Consensus: What Are the Exact Algorithms?

This tutorial describes well-known algorithms for distributed consensus problems, from classical consensus to blockchain consensus, and discusses exact algorithms that are high-level as in pseudocode and directly executable at the same time. The tutorial consists of five parts:(1) A introduction to different distributed consensus problems, from classical consensus and Byzantine consensus to blockchain consensus.(2) An overview of well-known algorithms, from Paxos for classical consensus to the Bitcoin algorithm for blockchain consensus, including important variants such as Viewstamped Replication and Virtual Synchrony, as well as Proof-of-Stake vs. Proof-of-Work.(3) An overview of a method and language, DistAlgo, for expressing distributed algorithms precisely at a high-level as pseudocode and having them be directly executable at the same time.(4) A study of exact algorithms expressed at a high level for the most extensively studied algorithm variants, including Lamport's Paxos for classical consensus and Nakamoto's Bitcoin algorithm for blockchain consensus.(5) A demo of the direct execution of these exact algorithms by distributed processes.
A method for predicting evolved fold switchers exclusively from their sequences

Although most proteins with known structures conform to the longstanding rule-of-thumb that high levels of aligned sequence identity tend to indicate similar folds and functions, an increasing number of exceptions is emerging. In spite of having highly similar sequences, these "evolved fold switchers" (1) can adopt radically different folds with disparate biological functions. Predictive methods for identifying evolved fold switchers are desirable because some of them are associated with disease and/or can perform different functions in cells. Previously, we showed that inconsistencies between predicted and experimentally determined secondary structures can be used to predict fold switching proteins (2). The usefulness of this approach is limited, however, because it requires experimentally determined protein structures, whose magnitude is dwarfed by the number of genomic proteins. Here, we use secondary structure predictions to identify evolved fold switchers from their amino acid sequences alone. To do this, we looked for inconsistencies between the secondary structure predictions of the alternative conformations of evolved fold switchers. We used three different predictors in this study: JPred4, PSIPRED, and SPIDER3. We find that overall inconsistencies are not a significant predictor of evolved fold switchers for any of the three predictors. Inconsistencies between -helix and {beta}-strand predictions made by JPred4, however, can discriminate between the different conformations of evolved fold switchers with statistical significance (p < 1.7*10-13). In light of this observation, we used these inconsistencies as a classifier and found that it could robustly discriminate between evolved fold switchers and evolved non-fold-switchers, as evidenced by a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.90. These results indicate that inconsistencies between secondary structure predictions can indeed be used to identify evolved fold switchers from their genomic sequences alone. Our findings have implications for genomics, structural biology, and human health.
Detection of pseudorabies virus antibody in swine oral fluid using a serum whole-virus indirect ELISA:

We evaluated the detection of pseudorabies virus (PRV) antibodies in swine oral fluid. Oral fluid and serum samples were obtained from 40 pigs allocated to 4 treatment groups (10 pigs/group): negative control (NC); wild-type PRV inoculation (PRV 3CR Ossabaw; hereafter PRV); PRV vaccination (Ingelvac Aujeszky MLV; Boehringer Ingelheim; hereafter MLV); and PRV vaccination followed by PRV inoculation at 21 d post-vaccination (MLV-PRV). Using a serum PRV whole-virus indirect IgG ELISA (Idexx Laboratories) adapted to the oral fluid matrix, PRV antibody was detected in oral fluid samples from treatment groups PRV, MLV, and MLV-PRV in a pattern similar to serum. Vaccination alone produced a low oral fluid antibody response (groups MLV and MLV-PRV), but a strong anamnestic response was observed following challenge with wild-type virus (group PRV). Analyses of the oral fluid PRV indirect IgG ELISA results showed good binary diagnostic performance (area under ROC curve = 93%) and excellent assay repeatability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 99.3%). The demonstrable presence of PRV antibodies in swine oral fluids suggests the possible use of oral fluids in pseudorabies surveillance.
Incorporating the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association hypertension diagnostic criteria into metabolic syndrome criteria will significantly increase the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among college students

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that the revised American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) hypertension diagnostic criteria would have on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MBS) among college students. Students completed an objective health assessment between September 2015 and April 2018 that involved the assessment of abdominal girth, blood glucose, lipids, and blood pressure (BP). Data of 5681 students (60.1% Men; 21 ± 1 years) who had all MBS risk factors assessed were analyzed to compare differences between old and new diagnostic criteria and identify which component of BP best predicts metabolic risk factors. The prevalence of MBS increased by 40.6% and 104.5% with the change to ACC/AHA criteria from the AHA/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High BP criteria, respectively. The greatest relative increase in the prevalence of MBS was observed among women. Systolic BP and diastolic BP were significant predictors of abdominal obesity, and diastolic BP was a significant predictor of elevated triglycerides. Changes in hypertension diagnostic criteria had a significant impact on MBS prevalence. This is positive as it will allow earlier identification of young adults at risk of developing various noncommunicable diseases, but the ability of colleges to identify and then intervene to improve the health of at-risk students remains unclear. Furthermore, findings indicate that BP may hold utility as a cost-effective predictor of certain metabolic risk factors in the absence of efficient, accurate, and affordable alternatives.
Ambient Intelligence for Home Medical Treatment Error Prevention

This article presents a patient assistance system-based on home sensors, Ambient Intelligence, and Artificial Intelligence-that helps the elderly during their medical treatment at home to reduce medication errors. The patient may have some physical and/or cognitive disabilities.The system consists of a Tutor and a Checker. The Tutor is an intelligent medication reminder that relies on Reinforcement Learning. The Checker, instead, integrates three different intelligent technologies(Deep Neural Network, Optical Character Recognition, and Barcode Reading) to check the adherence to the therapy. The final objective is both to remind effectively when and what medication is to be taken, and check that the patient will take the correct medication.