cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EPA Method 1615. Measurement of Enterovirus and Norovirus Occurrence in Water by Culture and RT-qPCR. Part III. Virus Detection by RT-qPCR

EPA Method 1615 measures enteroviruses and noroviruses present in environmental and drinking waters. This method was developed with the goal of having a standardized method for use in multiple analytical laboratories during monitoring period 3 of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Herein we present the protocol for extraction of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) from water sample concentrates and for quantitatively measuring enterovirus and norovirus concentrations using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Virus concentrations for the molecular assay are calculated in terms of genomic copies of viral RNA per liter based upon a standard curve. The method uses a number of quality controls to increase data quality and to reduce interlaboratory and intralaboratory variation. The method has been evaluated by examining virus recovery from ground and reagent grade waters seeded with poliovirus type 3 and murine norovirus as a surrogate for human noroviruses. Mean poliovirus recoveries were 20% in groundwaters and 44% in reagent grade water. Mean murine norovirus recoveries with the RT-qPCR assay were 30% in groundwaters and 4% in reagent grade water.
Metabolic consequences of modern immunosuppressive agents in solid organ transplantation

Among other factors, sophistication of immunosuppressive (IS) regimen accounts for the remarkable success attained in the short- and medium-term solid organ transplant (SOT) survival. The use of steroids, mycophenolate mofetil and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) have led to annual renal graft survival rates exceeding 90% in the last six decades. On the other hand, attrition rates of the allograft beyond the first year have remained unchanged. In addition, there is a persistent high cardiovascular (CV) mortality rate among transplant recipients with functioning grafts. These shortcomings are in part due to the metabolic effects of steroids, CNI and sirolimus (SRL), all of which are implicated in hypertension, new onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT), and dyslipidemia. In a bid to reduce the required amount of harmful maintenance agents, T-cell-depleting antibodies are increasingly used for induction therapy. The downsides to their use are greater incidence of opportunistic viral infections and malignancy. On the other hand, inadequate immunosuppression causes recurrent rejection episodes and therefore early-onset chronic allograft dysfunction. In addition to the adverse metabolic effects of the steroid rescue needed in these settings, the generated proinflammatory milieu may promote accelerated atherosclerotic disorders, thus setting up a vicious cycle. The recent availability of newer agent, belatacept holds a promise in reducing the incidence of metabolic disorders and hopefully its long-term CV consequences. Although therapeutic drug monitoring as applied to CNI may be helpful, pharmacodynamic tools are needed to promote a customized selection of IS agents that offer the most benefit to an individual without jeopardizing the allograft survival.
Tribute to A. W. Castleman, Jr.

It is with great pleasure that we join our many colleagues who contributed to this special issue of The Journal of Physical Chemistry A in dedicating it in honor of Professor A. W. “Will” Castleman, Jr. Will is a pioneer in the field of cluster science, and the far-reaching impact of his career is demonstrated by the broad range of topics covered in this issue. This diversity validates Will’s teaching that “fundamental research in cluster science allows you to explore any problem you want”. This ability to extend to other research areas comes because, as Will has shown both rigorously and elegantly, clusters are an intermediate state of matter that bridge the gap between molecular and bulk levels.
On the Cultural Construction and Development of A Flourishing Cultural

Cultural development and prosperity of non-short-term project,"Culture" The point is "that melts into the heart,enculturation and cultural and social norms society.Truth-seeking,pragmatic and cultural development,the root of prosperity,attention to detail,do more to development,prosperity and culture of the real thing is the pursuit of cultural development task for the people.Development,prosperity and cultural center of gravity and the end result in the majority of the people,the masses is the protagonist of the culture.And cultural development,and prosperity should focus on rich people,improve the quality of people,and promote the healthy development of man and society.Useful in the construction of the stresses rational,order and efficiency and about rights and obligations speaking social,cultural construction and development of realistic task.
Research on Detection Simulation and Evaluation System of Satellite Based on HLA

This paper studies detection simulation and evaluation system of the satellite,based on detection characteristics of the satellite on ship target and principle of High Level Architecture(HLA).It presents a distributed,modularized and expandable detection simulation and evaluation system,develops the object class and interaction class of simulation,and introduces the implementation of a federate.Simulation is carried out and its result verifies the efficiency.The successful exploitation of the system will supply the analysis and evaluation of the whole satellite defense system efficiency with performance and basis.
Common Trouble and Repair Technique of Centrifugal Pump

According to company work experience points of centrifugal pump working principle and performance characteristics of the centrifugal pump,points out that the structure of each part of the centrifugal pump is analyzed,the main problems of vibration cause and solution as well as in the production of common faults and repair skills.Scientific and reasonable use of the centrifugal pump,to better play its advantage,can we better make it into our production and living services.
Research on bipolar neutral bus differential protection improvement scheme in HVDC transmission system

In order to improve the bipolar neutral bus differential protection reliability, the improvement measure of protection is proposed according to the existed deficiency. The bipolar neutral bus differential protection performance exists deficiency, which has led to monopole or bipolar forced outage event by one component fault. The performance of bipolar neutral bus differential protection is analyzed combining with actual forced outage events, which includes: 1) the necessity and way of non-electricity signals adopted by protection; 2) the protection logic of blocking by control pole criterion and operating strategy of closing NBGS in the case of bipolar operation. According to the analysis results, the improvement measure of protection is proposed. The measure can be not only improve protection reliability, but also increase the efficiency of HVDC maintenance work. At present, the measure is implemented in multiple HVDC system, and then the bipolar neutral bus differential protection of these HVDC system operates well after adopting the measure.
Green One-Pot Synthesis of Surface Hydrophobized Cellulose Nanocrystals in Aqueous Medium

The surface hydrophobization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by fatty acids (FAs), biodiesel, or plant oils was conducted via a green process using an organic solvent less one-pot method. In the process, an aqueous lactic acid syrup served as a reactive solvent to provide a stable and well-dispersed water suspension of CNC and participate in esterification reactions, producing an intermediate product of polylactic acid (PLA) oligomer grafted CNCs (CNC-g-PLA). This reactive solvent and intermediate product system allows for an in situ solvent exchange from water to lactic acid without prior drying of the CNC and a subsequent efficient esterification reaction of CNC with carboxylic acids or esters having a long hydrocarbon chain (FAs). Another advantage of the proposed process is the possibility to reuse the reagents in the subsequent reaction in order to reduce the production cost. The grafting efficiency of the CNC-g-PLA-FA samples covalently grafted with PLA and FAs were characterized by Fourier transfo...
A Sex-Dependent, Tropic Role for Leptin in the Somatotrope as a Regulator of POU1F1 and POU1F1-Dependent Hormones

Pituitary somatotropes perform the key function of coordinating organismic growth and body composition with metabolic signals. However, the mechanism by which they sense and respond to metabolic signals via the adipokine leptin is unknown. The complex interplay between the heterogeneous cell types of the pituitary confounds the identification of somatotrope-specific mechanisms. Somatotropes represent 30%-40% of the anterior pituitary population and are derived from a lineage of cells that are activated by the Pit-Oct-Unc domain family domain class 1 transcription factor 1 (POU1F1) to produce GH, prolactin (PRL). and TSH. To determine the mechanism by which leptin controls somatotrope function, we used Cre-LoxP technology and fluorescence-activated cell sorting to purify and study control or leptin receptor-deleted (Lepr null) somatotropes. We report that Lepr-null somatotropes show significant reductions in GH protein (GH) and Gh mRNA. By contrast, enzyme immunoassays detected no changes in ACTH, LH, and FSH levels in mutants, indicating that the control of these hormones is independent of leptin signaling to somatotropes. Reduced TSH and PRL levels were also observed, but interestingly, this reduction occurred only in in Lepr-null somatotropes from mutant females and not from males. Consistent with the sex-specific reduction in Gh mRNA, TSH, and PRL, enzyme immunoassays detected a sex-specific reduction in POU1F1 protein levels in adult female Lepr-null somatotropes. Collectively, this study of purified Lepr-null somatotropes has uncovered an unexpected tropic role for leptin in the control of POU1F1 and all POU1F1-dependent hormones. This supports a broader role for somatotropes as metabolic sensors including sex-specific responses to leptin.
Formalizing knowledge in multi-scale agent-based simulations

Multi-scale, agent-based simulations of cellular and tissue biology are increasingly common. These simulations combine and integrate a range of components from different domains. Simulations continuously create, destroy and reorganize constituent elements causing their interactions to dynamically change. For example, the multi-cellular tissue development process coordinates molecular, cellular and tissue scale objects with biochemical, biomechanical, spatial and behavioral processes to form a dynamic network. Different domain specific languages can describe these components in isolation, but cannot describe their interactions. No current programming language is designed to represent in human readable and reusable form the domain specific knowledge contained in these components and interactions. We present a new hybrid programming language paradigm that naturally expresses the complex multi-scale objects and dynamic interactions in a unified way and allows domain knowledge to be captured, searched, formalized, extracted and reused.
The Equation of Continuity and its Application to the Ice Sheet Near “byrd” Station, Antarctica *

The continuity relationship that is often used in the study of ice sheets and ice shelves is developed by integrating the equation of continuity through the ice thickness. This equation is then integrated again with respect to horizontal distance from an ice divide, showing that the difference between the true ice velocity and the balance velocity, which is defined, is a measure of the time chance of the mass of a column through the ice thickness. The relationship is applied using data from along the “Byrd” station strain network, Antarctica. This region is found to be thinning slowly (0.03 m a−1 of ice of mean density) and uniformly, but it is still close to steady-state. The calculations would show a larger thinning rate if bottom sliding contributed more to the ice movement and integral shear contributed less, but the “Byrd” station bore-hole tilting results of Garfield and Ueda (1975, 1976), together with surface velocity measurements at “Byrd” station, indicate that most of the ice flow is by deformation within the ice mass. This large amount of internal deformation is more than that predicted by most “flow laws”, probably because of the strongly oriented ice-crystal fabric in the ice sheet. The cause of ice thinning is probably decreased surface mass balance beginning before A.D. 1550. The consistent relationship between measured velocity and balance velocity indicates that the ice flow is simple and that flow lines are in the same direction at depth as at the surface when considered smoothed over a distance of 10 km. Because the ice sheet is at present thinning, the balance velocity, calculated only from flow line and surface mass-balance data, and the somewhat mistaken assumption of steady-state is 15% less than the true ice velocity. This rather small difference confirms the use of balance-velocity estimates where velocity measurements are not available.
A low-cost method applicable worldwide for remotely mapping lava dome growth

Abstract Lava dome growth and collapse represents both a significant hazard, as it can trigger pyroclastic density currents, and a monitoring challenge, limiting monitoring to a few known active volcanoes. Here, I propose a new differencing technique based on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) amplitude images to quantify the extent of lava dome growth. This differencing technique, which is both low cost and can be utilized worldwide, is applied to SAR amplitude images at Mount St. Helens and validated using 2004–2008 aerial photography observations. Difference of amplitude images accurately characterize the dome growth location. The low ground resolution of the 2004–2008 SAR data leads to underestimation by 10 to 15% of the dome extent, but the accuracy of this method will increase with the improved resolution of current and future SAR missions. Amplitude images are a low-level SAR product available from all SAR satellites, mostly freely, making the proposed method ideal for systematic, low-cost monitoring of lava dome growth worldwide with minimum processing required.
Family preservation and poor families: When "homebuilding" is not enough.

Various studies suggest that family preservation intervention is less effective with maltreating families characterized by extreme poverty, single-parent status, low educational attainment, and men...
Abstinence from prolonged ethanol exposure affects plasma corticosterone, glucocorticoid receptor signaling and stress-related behaviors.

Abstract Alcohol dependence is linked to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we investigated effects of repeated ethanol intoxication-withdrawal cycles (using chronic intermittent ethanol vapor inhalation; CIE) and abstinence from CIE on peak and nadir plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels. Irritability- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were assessed at various intervals (2h–28d) after cessation of CIE. Results show that peak CORT increased during CIE, transiently decreased during early abstinence (1–11d), and returned to pre-abstinence levels during protracted abstinence (17–27d). Acute withdrawal from CIE enhanced aggression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Early abstinence from CIE reduced anxiety-like behavior. mPFC-GR signaling (indexed by relative phosphorylation of GR at Ser211) was transiently decreased when measured at time points during early and protracted abstinence. Further, voluntary ethanol drinking in CIE (CIE-ED) and CIE-naive (ED) rats, and effects of CIE-ED and ED on peak CORT levels and mPFC-GR were investigated during acute withdrawal (8 h) and protracted abstinence (28d). CIE-ED and ED increased peak CORT during drinking. CIE-ED and ED decreased expression and signaling of mPFC-GR during acute withdrawal, an effect that was reversed by systemic mifepristone treatment. CIE-ED and ED demonstrate robust reinstatement of ethanol seeking during protracted abstinence and show increases in mPFC-GR expression. Collectively, the data demonstrate that acute withdrawal from CIE produces robust alterations in GR signaling, CORT and negative affect symptoms which could facilitate excessive drinking. The findings also show that CIE-ED and ED demonstrate enhanced relapse vulnerability triggered by ethanol cues and these changes are partially mediated by altered GR expression in the mPFC. Taken together, transition to alcohol dependence could be accompanied by alterations in mPFC stress-related pathways that may increase negative emotional symptoms and increase vulnerability to relapse.
Wind-driven circulation in a shelf valley. Part I : Mechanism of the asymmetrical response to along-shelf winds in opposite directions

AbstractMotivated by observations in Hudson shelf valley showing stronger onshore than offshore flows, this study investigates wind-driven flows in idealized shallow shelf valleys. This first part of a two-part sequence focuses on the mechanism of the asymmetrical flow response in a valley to along-shelf winds of opposite directions. Model simulations show that (i) when the wind is in the opposite direction to coastal-trapped wave (CTW) phase propagation, the shelf flow turns onshore in the valley and generates strong up-valley transport and a standing meander on the upstream side (in the sense of CTW phase propagation) of the valley, and (ii) when the wind is in the same direction as CTW phase propagation, the flow forms a symmetric onshore detour pattern over the valley with negligible down-valley transport. Comparison of the modeled upstream meanders in the first scenario with CTW characteristics confirms that the up-valley flow results from CTWs being arrested by the wind-driven shelf flow establishin...
The Home/School Connection and Its Role in Narrowing the Academic Achievement Gap: An Ecological Systems Theoretical Perspective

This literature review seeks to evaluate previous studies on the topic of the home/school connection and its role in enhancing students’ academic achievement and narrowing the academic achievement ...
Multi-wavelength solar event detection using faster R-CNN

The automated detection of solar phenomena from high resolution images became important for solar physics researchers after the launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The solar event detections help researchers find and track relevant regions and eventually facilitate the discovery of trends and patterns between different types of events. We address the problem of automated detection of solar events from multi-wavelength solar images using deep learning-based Faster R-CNN method. Earlier work on solar event detection primarily use the observed models to locate the events on the solar images in an unsupervised fashion and each detection algorithm targets specific solar event type. Here, we will present a data-driven methodology to facilitate solar physics research. While this work presents a proof of concept that supervised deep learning-based event detection methodology for solar images is possible, our results show that data-driven detection using deep learning can successfully detect the multiple types of solar events and it can be used for validating the results from existing modules or training modules to detect new event types.
Concomitant boost-accelerated, superfractionated irradiation for the treatment of advanced carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

With the trend of organ-preserving cancer management, the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the upper aerodigestive tract increasingly includes radiotherapy used alone or in combination with surgery. The current standards of maximum locoregional tumor control of more advanced SCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx have been set by surgical resection combined with pre- or postoperative irradiation yielding widely varying control rates depending on tumor site and stage (Wazer et al. 1989; Huang et al. 1992; Parsons et al. 1981; Chu and Fletcher 1973; Million 1979; Dasmahapatra et al. 1986). Similar control rates have been achieved for moderately advanced lesions of the oral cavity using combined external beam and interstitial irradiation (Schmidt-Ullrich et al. 1991a; Mendenhall et al. 1981; Fu et al. 1976; Wang et al. 1983). Based on recent investigation, superfractionated and accelerated irradiation has been applied to the treatment of carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx (Peters et al. 1988; Withers et al. 1988; Wang 1988; Saunders et al. 1989; Million et al. 1985; Horiot et al. 1988; Schmidt-Ullrich et al. 1991b; Ang et al. 1990; Johnson et al. 1992).
Hybrid Prepectoral Breast Reconstruction: A Surgical Approach that Combines the Benefits of Autologous and Implant-Based Reconstruction.

Background:The advantages of hybrid breast reconstruction (i.e., the combination of free tissue transfer with simultaneous implant placement) are well known. In an attempt to further minimize morbidity and simplify the procedure, the authors have modified their approach in that a prepectoral approac
INFLUÊNCIA DAS CONDIÇÕES DE ARMAZENAMENTO DO VÍRUS INFLUENZA NA DETECÇÃO POR RT-qPCR E ISOLAMENTO VIRAL

Influenza virus infection in pigs causes significant losses for the swine industry and concerns for the public health. Therefore, rapid virus detection is important for influenza surveillance in pigs. Storage conditions (such as medium, temperature, and time) of the biological samples are very important for the diagnosis because they can negatively interfere with the viral detection. In this study, influenza virus viability was evaluated in different storage media (UTM commercial medium, "in house" VTM medium, and without storage medium), temperature (4, 23 and 37 °C), and storage time (up to 120 hours). Samples were evaluated by RT-qPCR and isolation in embryonated chicken eggs. Significant effects (p<0.05) were observed for the media and time besides the interaction between the two factors with the viral load. In conclusion, biological samples of pigs sent for influenza diagnosis should be stored, preferably in viral maintenance medium at 4 °C, and the time estimated between the sample collection until the arrival in the laboratory should be less than three days. Keywords: diagnosis; influenza; swine; viral viability.
Subtleties with Young's double-slit experiment: Investigation of spatial coherence and fringe visibility

10.1119/1.5047438.1We discuss Young's double-slit experiment using a partially coherent light source consisting of a helium-neon laser incident on a rotating piece of white paper. Such an experiment is appropriate for undergraduate students as an independent project or as part of an advanced lab course. As is well known, the resulting interference pattern is observed to disappear and return, depending on the angular size of the source. Interestingly, while the standard theoretical prediction for the light intensity agrees quite well with experimental data when the fringe visibility is high, the prediction is noticeably off when the visibility is low. A first-principles calculation of the light intensity is performed and shown to agree extremely well with the experimental results for all visibilities.
Spatial distribution of sulfur isotope ratios associated with the Eagle Ni-Cu sulfide deposit in Upper Peninsula, Michigan: Implications on country-rock contamination in a dynamic magma conduit

Abstract The Eagle Ni-Cu magmatic sulfide deposit in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is hosted in mafic-ultramafic rocks associated with the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift event. The deposit consists of massive, semi-massive and disseminated sulfide textural zones located in two closely spaced funnel-shaped intrusive bodies, called the Eagle and Eagle East intrusions. The intrusions are surrounded by metamorphosed supracrustal Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Michigamme Formation and at depth by a Neoarchean migmatitic banded gneiss. δ34S values were obtained from sulfide minerals separated by micro-drilling from different parts of the intrusions and the surrounding rocks. The δ34S values from the intrusions cluster within a small range between 1 and 3‰ relative to V-CDT regardless of the mode of occurrence, textural type, mineral type and location of the sample. However, disseminated sulfide minerals in the metasedimentary country rocks of the Michigamme Formation show a substantially greater range in δ34S values between 4 and 35‰ with a median of 7.7‰ while disseminated sulfides in the basement granite-gneiss show values ranging from −9 to 13‰ with a median of 2.5‰. The narrow range of δ34S values within the intrusions despite wide variabilities in the surrounding country rocks can be explained by the incorporation of crustal sulfur by a mantle-derived magma, followed by a homogeneous mixing of the immiscible sulfide liquid, with a silicate liquid to sulfide liquid ratio (R-factor) of 200 or more. The assimilation of crustal rocks and the mixing of the resultant immiscible sulfide liquid must have been facilitated by the rapid movement of magma along a narrow conduit system.
A prospective study of lumbo-pelvic coordination in patients with non-chronic low back pain

Abstract Despite the current knowledge about abnormalities in the lumbo-pelvic coordination of patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP), it is unclear how such abnormalities change with time. Timing and magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination during a trunk forward bending and backward return task along with subjective measures of pain and disability were collected at three-time points over a six-month period from 29 patients who had non-chronic LBP at the time of enrollment in the study. To enable investigation of abnormalities in lumbo-pelvic coordination of patients, we also included lumbo-pelvic coordination data of age and gender-matched back healthy individuals from an earlier study of our group. Finally, differences in lumbo-pelvic coordination between patients with moderate-severe LBP (i.e., those whose level of pain was ≥ 4 (out of 10) at all three data collection sessions; n = 8) and patients with low-moderate LBP (n = 21) were investigated. There were clear distinctions in measures of lumbo-pelvic coordination between patients with low-moderate and moderate-severe LBP. Contrary to our expectation, however, the abnormalities in magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination were larger (F > 4.84, P 12°) pelvic and thoracic rotations as well as smaller (>10°) lumbar flexion. The abnormal lumbo-pelvic coordination of patients with non-specific LBP, observed at baseline, persisted (F 0.156) or worsen (F > 3.48, P
Properties of {FeNO}8 and {CoNO}9 Metal Nitrosyls in Relation to Nitroxyl Coordination Chemistry

While nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule and contributes to important physiological processes in humans, the one-electron reduced analogue of NO, namely nitroxyl (NO− or HNO), is quickly establishing its own unique biological role. For example, HNO has been demonstrated to increase myocardial contractility by interacting with thiols in receptor molecules of heart muscle cells. These types of properties have made this particular nitrogen oxide molecule an attractive target for certain therapeutics. Since most of the underlying chemical biology of nitroxyl is mediated by heme proteins and Fe-nitroxyl intermediates have been proposed as key intermediates in denitrifying enzymes, several iron–porphyrin–NO coordination complexes of the Enemark–Feltham {FeNO}8 notation have been pursued. Herein we describe the collective efforts on the synthetic, structural, spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical work that have been performed on biologically relevant iron- and cobalt–NO complexes that afford the rare {FeNO}8 and {CoNO}9 notations. This compilation has provided a somewhat unifying picture into the electronic structure of this important {MNO} unit as well as the benchmark properties that will enable the bioinorganic community to characterize and determine the fate of these species in biology, especially at the active sites of metalloenzymes involved in the global nitrogen cycle.
Inductive Risk, Science, and Values: A Reply to MacGillivray

The argument from inductive risk (AIR) is perhaps the most common argument against the value-free ideal of science. Brian MacGillivray rejects the AIR (at least as it would apply to risk assessment) and embraces the value-free ideal. We clarify the issues at stake and argue that MacGillivray's criticisms, although effective against some formulations of the AIR, fail to overcome the essential concerns that motivate the AIR. There are inevitable trade-offs in scientific enquiry that cannot be resolved with any formal methods or general rules. Choices must be made, and values will be involved. It is best to recognize this explicitly. Even so, there is more work to be done developing methods and institutional support for these choices.
Cross-lingual Transfer Learning for COVID-19 Outbreak Alignment

The spread of COVID-19 has become a significant and troubling aspect of society in 2020. With millions of cases reported across countries, new outbreaks have occurred and followed patterns of previously affected areas. Many disease detection models do not incorporate the wealth of social media data that can be utilized for modeling and predicting its spread. In this case, it is useful to ask, can we utilize this knowledge in one country to model the outbreak in another? To answer this, we propose the task of cross-lingual transfer learning for epidemiological alignment. Utilizing both macro and micro text features, we train on Italy's early COVID-19 outbreak through Twitter and transfer to several other countries. Our experiments show strong results with up to 0.85 Spearman correlation in cross-country predictions.
The Intentions of Undergraduate Business Students to Someday be an Organization’s Top Executive

Organizations of all sizes and types rely on top executives to navigate their competitive environments and business schools play an important role in developing these future leaders. While attentio...
Physical activity and health-related quality of life among postmenopausal women with breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors

Breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in women with an estimated 268,600 new cases diagnosed in 2019, joining the over 3 million women living with the disease. To reduce cancer recurrence, postmenopausal women (highest incidence and prevalence of breast cancer) who test positive for hormone receptors in their tumors are candidates for adjuvant endocrine therapy (i.e., aromatase inhibitors [AIs]). Despite the benefits of AIs in the treatment for breast cancer, many women remain at risk for complications, including osteoporosis and fractures, all of which can adversely affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Increased attention is being paid to the role physical activity (PA) may have in improving health outcomes in survivors of breast cancer, but few studies focus on postmenopausal women. We sought to examine (1) the percentage of women in our sample meeting (or not meeting) the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) PA recommendations, (2) the relationship between AI use and three types of PA (leisure time, strength training, and walking), and (3) the relationship between PA and HRQoL by AI use, controlling for covariates. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer (n = 170), ages 50–95 years (M = 68.7), diagnosed with stage 1–3 disease, 45% on AIs, were recruited. Demographic, HRQoL, and PA data were collected via patient self-report, while clinical data (AI use) were abstracted from patient medical records. To address study aims, we utilized descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, and multiple linear regressions, respectively. Half of the sample met the ACSM recommendations for total leisure-time PA (vigorous and moderate intensity combined), and 65.3% (n = 111) weekly walking. With regard to strength training, 36.5% of the women met these ACSM recommendations. Generally, there were positive relationships between AI use and most HRQoL domains. There were no statistically significant relationships between PA (meeting recommendations or not) and HRQoL by AI use. The proportion of women meeting guidelines for walking activity was encouraging. It is imperative that healthcare professionals providing care to breast cancer survivors follow up regarding symptoms, side effects, and physical activity in tandem to fully understand their relationship on an individual level.
A Practical Climbing Robot for Steel Bridge Inspection

The advanced robotic and automation (ARA) lab has developed and successfully implemented a design inspired by many of the various cutting edge steel inspection robots to date. The combination of these robots concepts into a unified design came with its own set of challenges since the parameters for these features sometimes conflicted. An extensive amount of design and analysis work was performed by the ARA lab in order to find a carefully tuned balance between the implemented features on the ARA robot and general functionality. Having successfully managed to implement this conglomerate of features represents a breakthrough to the industry of steel inspection robots as the ARA lab robot is capable of traversing most complex geometries found on steel structures while still maintaining its ability to efficiently travel along these structures; a feat yet to be done until now.
Towards point-of-care detection of microRNAs using paper-based microfluidics

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens a person’s immune system by destroying cells which are important to fighting the disease and infection. HIV is a major global public health issue with an estimated 38 million people living with HIV at the end of 2019. There is no cure for HIV. However, increased access to effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment has enabled people living with HIV to lead healthy lives. Rapid diagnosis forms an important part of the WHO’s strategy for ensuring those who are HIV positive have immediate access to care. Perhaps more critical however is that effective diagnostic testing informs individuals of their HIV status, reducing the risk of transmission. HIV prevalence within the US is disproportionately high amongst Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino American populations who often have limited access to advanced medical clinics. In this paper, we present a lateral flow device designed to detect miR-150-5p; an emerging biomarker of HIV. Based on our preliminary results shown here, we are capable of detecting the miRNA sequence at sub-ng uL-1 using colorimetric analysis, without prior amplification of the target material. We have also detailed our initial results obtained from surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurements made at the device capture line, whilst the standard deviations are large, the technique shows lots of promise for lowering the detection limit in the future.
Reprint of canine impaction - A review of the prevalence, etiology, diagnosis and treatment

Abstract The signs and symptoms of canine impaction can vary, with patients only noticing symptoms when they are suffering from unsightly esthetics, faulty occlusion, or poor cranio-facial development. While various surgical interventions have been proposed to expose and help erupt impacted canines, these treatment modalities have a high degree of difficulty compared to other types of dental cosmetic surgeries. This paper focuses on multi-disciplinary strategies for treating and managing canine impaction, reviews patient and clinical selection criteria, and discusses the evidence underlying existing interventions to reduce complications and improve patient-centered outcomes following treatment.
Abstract P125: The First Year of Pre-Hospital Triage for Emergent Large Vessel Stroke Across a Large New York City Health System

Introduction: On April 1 2019, New York City EMS began a triage protocol using a modified Los Angeles Motor Scale (S-LAMS for addition of speech) to identify potential endovascular thrombectomy (EV...
Reliability of Radiographs and Computed Tomography in Diagnosing Scaphoid Union After Internal Fixation.

Purpose To evaluate the reliability of radiographs (XR) alone versus the combination of XR and computed tomography (CT) in determining scaphoid union following open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with a headless compression screw. Methods We used our imaging database to identify 32 XR and corresponding CTs over a 6-year period (from 2012 to 2018) that were performed to evaluate scaphoid healing following ORIF. Three hand surgeons evaluated the studies to assess (1) healing, (2) if partially healed, the percentage of healing, and (3) the certainty of healing. Initially, XR were reviewed alone. Three weeks later, the same XR were reviewed with the corresponding CTs. Each reviewer performed a similar 2-stage evaluation 4 weeks later. We measured interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities using linearly weighted kappa (κ) coefficients for healing status and the percentage of healing. Results The interobserver reliability for healing (healed vs partially healed vs not healed) was moderate both with XR alone and with the combination of XR and CT. The intraobserver reliability for healing was substantial with XR alone compared to moderate with the combination of XR and CT. For the percentage of healing, both interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities were fair with XR alone or with the combination of XR and CT. Reviewers reported significantly greater certainty with the combination of XR and CT compared with XR alone. Conclusions Following ORIF, surgeons are more certain in their evaluation of scaphoid healing with the combination of CT and XR. However, the reliability of assessing scaphoid union may not be improved by the addition of CT to XR. Type of study/level of evidence Diagnostic III.
Balamuthia mandrillaris encephalitis in an uncontrolled diabetic patient

Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living amoeba that may result in a disseminated infection of the central nervous system called granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. We present a case of balamuthiasis in a Hispanic male with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (hemoglobin A1C of 12.2 %) who did not have access to healthcare. He initially presented with the non-specific symptoms of blurry vision, headache and imbalance which rapidly progressed to altered mental status over two months. Imaging revealed multiple peripherally enhancing lesions throughout the cerebellum and cortical regions which corresponded to the patient's deficits. Brain biopsy showed amoebic forms consistent with Balamuthia mandrillaris and later confirmed with cerebrospinal fluid PCR. Our patient was treated with a combination of various antimicrobials, including azithromycin, fluconazole, flucytosine, sulfadiazine, and miltefosine. Unfortunately, his prognosis continued to worsen and he ultimately died after being placed on comfort care.
Quantitative Aspects of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Renaturation: Base Composition, State of Chromosome Replication, and Polynucleotide Homologies

The base composition of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sample affects its intrinsic rate of renaturation. In agreement with the information of Wetmur and Davidson, it was established that high guanosine plus cytosine (GC) DNA renatures faster than expected from analytical measurement of its molecular weight. A calculated correction factor of 1.8% of the observed C0t.5 is required for every mole per cent GC difference from 51% GC. The correction factor is now established in the range of 32 to 65% GC. Renaturation of DNA mixtures prepared from pairs of organisms has been studied. When no similarity existed between the two organisms, the observed C0t.5 of the mixture was the sum of the independently determined C0t.5 values. Lack of additivity was correlated with similarities in polynucleotide sequence of the reassociating DNA molecules. A quantitative relationship was formulated to relate C0t.5 values of renatured DNA mixtures to per cent binding (“homology”). Finally, it was demonstrated that DNA prepared from log-phase cells renatures faster than stationary-phase DNA and also departs from theoretical second-order kinetics.
Identification of a prominent 85-kDa cAMP-dependent phosphoprotein associated with late G1 phase in mitogen-stimulated B lymphocytes

In order to elucidate late regulatory events which may be involved in the onset of S phase in B lymphocytes, we studied the effect of anti-Ig on phosphorylation of soluble proteins at late G1 phase. Stimulation of murine splenic B lymphocytes with anti-Ig and other mitogens for 18 h was found to be associated with a major increase in phosphorylation of an 85 kDa/pI approximately 5.3 cytosolic protein, conversely, stimulation of the cells with non-mitogenic stimuli did not induce the phosphorylation of pp85. The increase in phosphorylation of pp85 could not be detected after 30 min, was barely detectable after 6 h, but was very prominent after 18 h of stimulation with anti-Ig. Thus, the increase in phosphorylation of pp85 is not an early signal but is rather correlated with the late G1 phase. pp85 could not be detected in the nuclei of either control or stimulated cells. Stimulation of B cells for 30 min with forskolin induced the phosphorylation of pp85, while phorbol ester did not have any effect. The phosphorylation of pp85 was induced by the catalytic subunit of cAMP protein kinase. Comparison of the phosphopeptide map of pp85 phosphorylated by anti-Ig in intact cells to the phosphopeptide map phosphorylated by forskolin or by the catalytic subunit of cAMP protein kinase, showed a striking similarity indicating that cAMP protein kinase may be involved in phosphorylation of pp85 in mitogen-stimulated cells. An increase in intracellular cAMP levels at late G1 phase was found in B cells stimulated by mitogens. These results implicate an important role for cAMP-dependent phosphorylation events, specifically the phosphorylation of pp85/pI 5.3, at late G1 phase during the cell cycle.
Groundwater Microbial Communities

Microbial communities in aquifers consist of diverse interactive individuals which break down complex organic matter for metabolic energy. Microbes are adapted to function over environmental conditions ranging from freezing to boiling, acidic to alkaline. They can use oxygen as a reducible metabolite during organic carbon oxidation, but, since oxygen is rapidly depleted in subsurface environments, different groups of organisms may also rely upon other compounds such as reducible metals or upon fermentation. Community members are interdependent, but compete for resources, and communities often have predominant groups that rely on recognizable chemical pathways such as sulfate reduction. The predominant group varies spatially and temporally, as the available nutrients change or are depleted. Keywords: groundwater; microbes; microbial communities; terminal electron accepting processes
Purification and properties of a mast cell protease.

Abstract A mast cell protease has been purified over 260-fold from rat thyroid homogenates. The purified enzyme hydrolyzes denatured thyroglobulin, denatured hemoglobin, and fibrinogen. It also rapidly hydrolyzes the ester substrates, benzoyltyrosine ethyl ester, benzoylphenylalanine ethyl ester, and acetyltyrosine ethyl ester. The pH optimum for thyroglobulin and benzoyltyrosine ethyl ester hydrolysis is 7.8. The enzyme is inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, diphenylcarbamyl chloride and l-(1-tosylamido-2-phenyl)ethyl chloromethyl ketone. The inhibition by diphenylcarbamyl chloride is prevented by indole. The molecular weight of the protease, based on sucrose density gradient centrifugation, is 23,000. Thus, the purified enzyme resembles chymotrypsin A in many of its properties.
The Isolation and Primary Structure of a Peptide Containing the Oxidation-Reduction Active Cystine of Escherichia coli Thioredoxin Reductase

Abstract An octapeptide from Escherichia coli thioredoxin reductase has been isolated and sequenced; it contains the cystine previously shown to take part in electron transfer. The peptide was isolated from a peptic digest of a derivative in which the free sulfhydryls of the enzyme had been reacted with the colored maleimide, N-(4-dimethylamino-3,5-dinitrophenyl)maleimide. The sequence of this peptide as determined by subtractive Edman degradation was: [see PDF for sequence] The minimum molecular weight based on amino acid analysis and flavin content has been redetermined on highly purified enzyme to be 36,500 per FAD or 73,000 per mole of enzyme. The total half-cystine content was found to be five per FAD, indicating three cysteines and one cystine per FAD.
The role of surface storage in a low-gradient Arctic watershed

[1] The Arctic land surface water balance plays an important role in regulating the planetary heat balance and global ocean circulation. Lakes and wetlands are common features in the low-gradient Putuligayuk River watershed in northern Alaska, with important implications for the annual water balance. Evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation over the summer, and there is a gradual reduction in wetland extent. Total inundated area derived from RADARSAT ScanSAR synthetic aperture radar images throughout 1999 and 2000 varied from 15 to 67 percent of the 471 km2 watershed. The hydrological system becomes disconnected within 2 weeks of snowmelt, and overland flow largely ceases. End-of-winter snow water equivalent and discharge during the melt period for 1999, 2000, and 2001 were used to estimate that between 30 and 37 mm (24–42 percent) of snow meltwater serves to recharge the evaporation deficit of the previous summer. The percent of snowmelt entering storage is dependent on the available surface storage.
Age and magnetism of diabase dykes and tilting of the piedmont

Abstract We have conducted a paleomagnetic and radiometric study of diabase dikes in the South Carolina Piedmont where such data is lacking. Our virtual geomagnetic pole position for 20 of 24 diabase sites in the Piedmont is 83.9°E, 66.1°N and lies near the older 195 m.y. age group of Smith and Noltimier (1979). Single K-Ar apparent ages of twelve diabase sites indicate that one half of the diabase dikes studied have ages near 195 m.y. Two of the sites, whose pole positions lie well to the east of our mean value, have apparent ages in the 180 m.y. range. Thus, while two groups appear to be present in South Carolina, it is the older group that seems to predominate. We combined our pole position with other data from diabase in the southern Piedmont (Watts, 1975; Bell et al., 1979) and have calculated a mean paleopole position of 86.1°E, 66.4°N based on 50 sites in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The southern diabase paleopole position plots slightly off the North American apparent polar wander path, but is not significantly different for the 190 m.y. average pole of Irving (1982). These results do not provide an indication of the degree of tilting of the Appalachians in post-early Mesozoic times. However, of the two possible scenarios that can be envisioned, 1. (1) injection into an updomed area or 2. (2) tilting of the Appalachian surface due to post-early Mesozoic differential erosion and isostatic rebound, adjustment to account for a 10° westerly tilting of the Piedmont surface about the Appalachian trend brings our southern pole position more nearly into coincidence with the North American cratonic pole for early Jurassic times.