cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser on the Performance of a Loopseal Nonmechanical Valve

Most advanced coal-fuel power systems require the transfer and control of solids between two or more vessels. In many instances, the key to a successful process operation is how well the solids transfer and control system has been designed. This is particularly true in a transport gasifier and circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustors, which are dependent upon the rapid and reliable circulation of solids to maintain a constant solids concentration in the CFB. Proper design and operation of solids returning systems are essential to the performance and operation of CFB combustion systems. An experimental investigation was conducted at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study the flow and control of a light material (cork), which has a particle density of 189 kg/m3 and a mean diameter of 812 μm, through a nonmechanical valve, or loopseal, in a 0.3 m diameter CFB cold model. Fluidizing this material in ambient air approximates the same gas:solids densit...
Effect of constant versus adjusted commercial fertilizer concentrations on poinsettia.

Abstract Five poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.), ‘Freedom Red’, ‘Angelika Red’, ‘Nutcracker Red’, ‘Maren’, and ‘Red Splendor’ received the following treatments of a commercial fertilizer based on nitrogen (N) concentrations of: 75 mg L‐1 to anthesis; 75 mg L‐1 first 4 weeks then 125 mg L‐1 to anthesis; 125 mg L‐1 first 4 weeks then 200 mg L‐1 to anthesis; and 200 mg L‐1 to anthesis. Plants were fertigated to appearance of leachate from the bottom of the pot. Treatment concentrations greater than 125/200 and 200 mg.L‐1 significantly increased plant width of ‘Red Splendor’, height of ‘Nutcracker Red’ and dry weight of ‘Angelika Red’, ‘Nutcracker Red’, and ‘Maren’. Tissue concentrations of N, phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) increased as fertilizer treatment concentration increased for some cultivars. Significant differences between elemental concentrations of poinsettia cultivars occurred, specifically ‘Nutcracker Red’. Although tissue nutrient concentrations were at or below the criti...
Evaluating Plans Pragmatically

In this article I take up the topic of plan evaluation. I compare two approaches. One approach uses Rational analysis, the other pragmatic reasoning. I argue that planners should place less emphasi...
The Response of the Tropospheric Circulation to Water Vapor–Like Forcings in the Stratosphere

An idealized, dry general circulation model is used to examine the response of the tropospheric circulation to thermal forcings that mimic changes in stratospheric water vapor (SWV). It is found that SWV-like cooling in the stratosphere produces a poleward-shifted, strengthened jet and an expanded, weakened Hadley cell. This response is shown to be almost entirely driven by cooling located in the extratropical lower stratosphere; when cooling is limited to the tropical stratosphere, it generates a much weaker and qualitatively opposite response. It is demonstrated that these circulation changes arise independently of any changes in tropopause height, are insensitive to the detailed structure of the forcing function, and are robust to model resolution. The responses are quantitatively of the same order as those due to well-mixed greenhouse gases, suggesting a potentially significant contribution of SWV to past and future changes in the tropospheric circulation.
Large-Eddy Simulation Of The Stably Stratified Planetary Boundary Layer

In this work, we study the characteristics of a stably stratifiedatmospheric boundary layer using large-eddy simulation (LES).In order to simulate the stable planetary boundary layer, wedeveloped a modified version of the two-part subgrid-scalemodel of Sullivan et al. This improved version of themodel is used to simulate a highly cooled yet fairly windy stableboundary layer with a surface heat flux of(Wθ)o = -0.05 m K s-1and a geostrophic wind speed of Ug = 15 m s-1.Flow visualization and evaluation of the turbulencestatistics from this case reveal the development ofa continuously turbulent boundary layer with small-scalestructures. The stability of the boundary layercoupled with the presence of a strong capping inversionresults in the development of a dominant gravity wave atthe top of the stable boundary layer that appears to be relatedto the most unstable wave predicted by the Taylor–Goldsteinequation. As a result of the decay of turbulence aloft,a strong-low level jet forms above the boundary layer.The time dependent behaviour of the jet is compared with Blackadar'sinertial oscillation analysis.
Criteria for the selection of dosimetry cross sections

This paper defines a process for selecting dosimetry-quality cross sections. The recommended cross-section evaluation depends on screening high-quality evaluations with quantified uncertainties, down-selecting based on comparison to experiments in standard neutron fields, and consistency checking in reference neutron fields. This procedure is illustrated for the /sup 23/Na(n,/spl gamma/)/sup 24/Na reaction.
Cilia in the Anterior Chamber

The history of this case includes an injury to the right eye at five and the left eye at twenty-three years of age. When seen at thirty-eight he had a scar in the right cornea and complete cataract in the left eye. R. seemed to be suffering from low grade uveitis. The cataract was removed from the left eye but signs of irritation recurred in the right. Study with the microscope showed two short fibers lying on the iris which proved to be pieces of cilia. Removal was followed by quick recovery. A review of previously reported cases and bibliography are added. Prepared for the Section on Ophthalmology of the California State Medical Society, meeting of 1923.
A Simple Technique for Wavelength Modulation of Optical Spectra

A technique for wavelength modulation of optical spectra easily applicable to any type of monochromator is described. The device consists of a blade of transparent material fastened on a piezoelectric transducer; this assembly is mounted behind the entrance slit of the monochromator. Structure in a spectrum is enhanced by the wavelength modulation technique, even if it is superimposed on an intense background. Important features of this device are that it does not alter the adjustment of any element in the monochromator, its effect on the alignment of the monochromator is negligible for most applications, and it can be very easily removed from the monochromator. Examples of its use are given and the electronic equipment is described.
Primary Aortoduodenal Fistula Supplied by Type II Endoleak

Aortoenteric fistulas are a rare but potentially lethal condition. Here we present an unusual case of a fistula between the excluded portion of an infrarenal aneurysm repaired by stent-grafting and the duodenum. The fistula was supplied by a type II endoleak. The patient was successfully treated by extra-anatomic bypass grafting and removal of the aneurysm sac and the stent-graft.
NMR: New techiques for chemical analysis and biological investigation

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become an increasingly valuable technique over the last three decades for the study of molecular structure of organic compounds. Within recent years a number of major advances in experimental methods have led to an explosion in the information elicited from NMR spectra and to a spectacular increase in the kinds of samples that can be studied by NMR. With the use of higher magnetic fields and greatly improved electronic techniques, NMR has undergone orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity, so that low concentrations of materials can be studied in chemical samples and in living systems, from cells to whole animals and humans. The use of two-dimensional NMR methods permits the unravelling of complex spectra, and innovative pulse techniques provide high resolution NMR spectra in solids. NMR imaging furnishes information on spatial distribution of materials and permits discrimination among various kinds of tissues. This chapter reviews some fundamentals of NMR and presents an elementary account of the theory and methods used in modern NMR applications.
RMS bounds and sample size considerations for error estimation in linear discriminant analysis

The validity of a classifier depends on the precision of the error estimator used to estimate its true error. This paper considers the necessary sample size to achieve a given validity measure, namely RMS, for resubstitution and leave-one-out error estimators in the context of LDA. It provides bounds for the RMS between the true error and both the resubstitution and leave-one-out error estimators in terms of sample size and dimensionality. These bounds can be used to determine the minimum sample size in order to obtain a desired estimation accuracy, relative to RMS. To show how these results can be used in practice, a microarray classification problem is presented.
Circular-Beam Ray Tracing on a Microcomputer

A computer code is described that traces charged particles through a system of electrostatic and magnetic solenoid lenses. This code requires symmetry about the beam axis, but it incorporates a useful approximation for handling beam emittance and variable space-charge neutralization. It features a friendly and versatile user interface and runs efficiently on an Apple II microcomputer. There are a number of both ray-tracing and matrix beam-transport codes available for simulating particle-beam focusing and transport systems. The popular, linear code TRACE, for example, is a versatile simulation code that can trace outer beam profiles through a variety of both accelerating and transport structures. TRACE provides a first-order approximation for external fields, space charge, and beam emittance. Because the code is so common and runs relatively quickly, it is a valuable tool for checking performance of various designs. However, I wanted a small and simple code that could run on a readily available microcomputer and that would be more interactive than many existing codes. To keep the new code short and simple, it had to be somewhat limited in versatility. The major restriction is that the beam profile must be circularly symmetric, which eliminates quadrupole transport but allows simulation of a useful variety of electrostatic and solenoidal focusing systems.
'Research in the wild' in online communities: Reddit's resistance to SOPA

This paper uses Callon, et al.’s (2009) hybrid forums model to analyze the development of a campaign of resistance against SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Despite broad Congressional support, the bill was defeated by the collective efforts of Internet users, online communities, Web companies and digital rights advocacy groups. Using data from the social news Web site Reddit, I describe the introduction of uncertainty into the narrow economic risk frame favored by proponents of SOPA, and the deployment of a programme of collective evidence–building that Callon, et al. describe as “research in the wild”. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of Internet activism for the democratic process.
Functional significance of two cytolytic pathways of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Cytotoxic lymphocytes are equipped with several effector molecules mediating cytotoxicity. Two pathways have been molecularly defined and functionally characterized through the analysis of deficiency states. It is evident from these results that lysis by granule exocyto- sis serves primarily to eliminate exogenous and en- dogenous hazards such as virally infected and trans- formed cells. In contrast, lysis by induced suicide in the fas pathway is used to maintain homeostasis of rapidly expanding and contracting cell populations including T cells. J. Leukoc. Biol. 57: 548-552; 1995.
Reclaiming space from duplicate files in a serverless distributed file system

The Farsite distributed file system provides availability by replicating each file onto multiple desktop computers. Since this replication consumes significant storage space, it is important to reclaim used space where possible. Measurement of over 500 desktop file systems shows that nearly half of all consumed space is occupied by duplicate files. We present a mechanism to reclaim space from this incidental duplication to make it available for controlled file replication. Our mechanism includes: (1) convergent encryption, which enables duplicate files to be coalesced into the space of a single file, even if the files are encrypted with different users' keys; and (2) SALAD, a Self-Arranging Lossy Associative Database for aggregating file content and location information in a decentralized, scalable, fault-tolerant manner. Large-scale simulation experiments show that the duplicate-file coalescing system is scalable, highly effective, and fault-tolerant.
Expectations for associative-commutative unification speedups in a multicomputer environment

An essential element of automated deduction systems is unification algorithms which identify general substitutions and when applied to two expressions, make them identical. However, functions which are associative and commutative, such as the usual addition and multiplication functions, often arise in term rewriting systems, program verification, the theory of abstract data types and logic programming. The introduction to the associative and commutative equality axioms together with standard unification brings with it problems of termination and unreasonably large search spaces. One way around these problems is to remove the troublesome axioms from the system and to employ a unification algorithm which unifies modulo the axioms of associativity and commutativity. Unlike standard unification, the associative-commutative (AC) unification of two expressions can lead to the formation of many most general unifiers. A report is presented on a hybrid AC unification algorithm which has been implemented to run in parallel on an Intel iPSC/2. >
ANTERIOR AND INFERIOR INJURY

A 74-year-old man experienced sudden severe chest pain while seated at his desk. The pain was sub sternal, and associated with weakness, sweating, and fullness in the epigastrium. He drove himself to the emergency department. On examination he appeared weak, pale, and sweaty, with systolic blood pressure 70 mm Hg by palpation: pulse. 66 bpm: respirations, 16 per min; temperature, 36.8° C: and oxygen saturation 92% by pulse oximetry. The jugular venous pressure was moderately elevated, and there were crackles at both lung bases. The heart sounds were nearly inaudible.
Discrete-time mixed-norm H2/H∞ controller synthesis

H 2 /H∞ optimal control synthesis enables the design of controllers for simultaneous rejection of both narrow-band and wide-band disturbances and also has applications in robust control. Synthesis equations in the form of coupled Riccati and Lyapunov equations are available for both full-order and reduced-order, continuous-time H 2 /H∞ control design and it is possible to base numerical algorithms on these synthesis equations. However, currently it has not been found feasible to develop such synthesis equations for the equivalent discrete-time problems. This highlights the necessity of parameter optimization approaches to the design of discrete-time H 2 /H∞ controllers. This paper considers H 2 /H∞ discrete-time controller design and develops a solution approach that relies on continuation algorithms. The results are illustrated using a benchmark non-collocated flexible structure example.
Positivity of linear transformations of mean-starshaped sequences

In this paper, we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for a linear transformation of a mean-starshaped sequence to be positive. Using this result, we obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for a lower triangular matrix to preserve the mean-starshape of a sequence and we discuss some special cases of linear transformations. Our next result deals with the convergence of a sequence of mean-starshaped sequences to any given mean-starshaped sequence and the positivity of a linear operator on the set of mean-starshaped sequences.
Influence of Tillage and Western and Northern Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Egg Populations on Larval Populations and Root Damage

Influence of tillage systems on larval populations and root damage was examined for western (WCR) and northern (NCR) corn rootworms, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, respectively. Based on absolute estimates of WCR and NCR spring egg populations, larval populations and root damage were lower than expected in the no-till treatment relative to other tillage treatments. Root weights were least in the no-till regime. Ratio of WCR to NCR eggs ( x ) was an important factor in establishment of larval populations ( y ) according to the linear relationship: ( y = 1.80 + 5.45 x ; R 2 = 0.76; n = 12; P < 0.0002). Rootworm populations composed primarily of NCR are less capable of causing root damage compared with a population of WCR. The following linear regression equation was calculated to describe the relationship between WCR and NCR egg ratio ( x ) and root damage ( y ): ( y = 1.56 + 1.29 x ; R2 = 0.71; n = 12; P < 0.0006).
Connectivity Analysis for Epileptogenic Focus Localization

The measure of Generalized Partial Directed Coherence (GPDC) and surrogate data analysis of intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) signals can be used to determine the functional connections between brain sites. Characteristics of the nodes of the thus derived network during seizures from 9 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy were studied using centrality measures (Degree, Eigenvector, Katz, PageRank, and Betweenness). The electrode sites with maximum Katz and degree centralities showed close association with the epileptogenic focus during seizures. These results indicate that connectivity analysis of the EEG can contribute to the accurate localization of the epileptogenic focus in patients with focal epilepsy.
Study of Countermeasures on the Missing Reporting Control in Occupational Health Information Surveillance in Hefei

Objective To study occupational health information surveillance and improve the quality of occupational health information surveillance and reduce the missing report on occupational disease and other related diseases.MethodsAccording to the 'Specification on the Surveillance of Health Risk Factor' and the 'Surveillance scheme of Occupational Hazardous Factors',we adopted organizational training and regulated the monitoring methods of occupational health information by administrative document,We also took multi-level and comprehensive measures to evaluate and manage the municipal,counties and districts' CDC and medical institutions at various levels,collect the related data to do the analysis and to cooperatively control the quality of occupational health information surveillance.ResultsThe reporting rate and reporting quality of occupational disease and pesticide poisoning were improved.ConclusionThe comprehensive evaluation measures at multi-level,which can effectively improve the reporting quality and could be helpful to the management of occupational health information surveillance.
Genomic evidence for ecological divergence against a background of population homogeneity in the marine snail Chlorostoma funebralis.

The balance between natural selection, gene flow and genetic drift is difficult to resolve in marine invertebrates with extensive dispersal and fluctuating population sizes. The intertidal snail Chlorostoma funebralis has planktonic larvae and previous work using mtDNA polymorphism reported no genetic population structure. Nevertheless, recent studies have documented differences in thermal tolerance and transcriptomic responses to heat stress between northern and southern California, USA, populations. To gain insight into the dynamics influencing adaptive divergence, we used double-digest restriction site-associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to identify 1861 genomewide, quality-filtered single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for C. funebralis collected from three northern and three southern California sites (15 individuals per population). Considering all SNPs, there was no evidence for genetic differentiation among populations or regions (average FST = 0.0042). However, outlier tests revealed 34 loci putatively under divergent selection between northern and southern populations, and structure and SNP tree analyses based on these outliers show clear genetic differentiation between geographic regions. Three of these outliers are known or hypothesized to be involved in stress granule formation, a response to environmental stress such as heat. Combined with previous work that found thermally tolerant southern populations show high baseline expression of stress response genes, these results further suggest that thermal stress is a strong selective pressure across C. funebralis populations. Overall, this study increases our understanding of the factors constraining local adaptation in marine organisms, while suggesting that ecologically driven, strong differentiation can occur at relevant loci in a species with planktonic larvae.
Diagnostic imaging of liver abscess

This article on imaging of liver abscess discusses the appearance of pyogenic, amebic, and fungal abscesses using a multimodality approach, as well as imaging-pathologic correlation. It summarizes the experience obtained reviewing 100 cases of hepatic abscesses from two geographical areas that have different incidences of etiologic factors. Sixty abscesses were collected at the Hospital General de Mexico, where there is a high incidence of amebic abscesses, and 40 cases were collected at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, where pyogenic and fungal abscesses predominate. This article includes sections on pathology, etiology, epidemiology, clinical findings, prognosis, and therapy of hepatic abscesses, as well as imaging findings. Imaging is divided by techniques, including plain films, nuclear medicine, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography. It also includes a differential diagnosis section where different imaging findings of cystic lesions of the liver other than abscesses are displayed. Thirty-three references from both U.S. and Mexican authors are included, as well as 20 illustrations. In summary, in this article, we demonstrate how imaging is useful in diagnosing hepatic abscesses and how a focal mass in the liver may be distinguished between an abscess and a necrotic tumor. A practical approach is used so radiologists can benefit from the authors' experience and apply the findings described in their daily practice.
Counternarrative of Work, Life, and Solidarity in Urban Cities

This chapter describes how the work of migrant teachers has been devalued and diminished, and what forms of downgrading have been forced on them. It further argues that the discussion of “teacher quality” should also take into account their everyday practices and contributions in the migrant community; this is shown by providing a portrait of an ordinary migrant teacher. Then the chapter moves to narratives of how migrant teachers form their own communities to support themselves, especially when most are women and considered as powerless and lacking in resources.
Contactless on-bed activity sensing using first-reflection echolocation

A novel system capable of detecting on-bed activity during sleep using first-reflection ultrasonic echolocation is described herein. As is employed in many existing solutions, such activity detection may be utilized in the assessment of sleep quality. Compared to current approaches using either wearable devices or sensors collocated on the surface of the bed, the proposed architecture greatly enhances convenience for the end-user by providing minimal disruptions to his or her standard sleep routine. A series of experiments were conducted in order to investigate the capacity of the system to detect activity during sleep. System performance was benchmarked against both a wrist-worn accelerometer as well as a smartphone application placed adjacent to the subject on the bed. Analysis demonstrates a statistically significant correlation between features computed from the system's output and the filtered activity data produced by the application, with maximum p values on the order of 10−3. Comparison with activity estimates formulated from the wrist-worn accelerometer output suggests stronger agreement, as indicated by increased correlation coefficient values.
Structural determinants of adhesion by Protocadherin-19 and implications for its role in epilepsy

As the brain develops, its basic building blocks – cells called neurons – need to form the correct connections with one another in order to give rise to neural circuits. A mistake that leads to the formation of incorrect connections can result in a number of disorders or brain abnormalities. Proteins called cadherins that are present on the surface of neurons enable them to stick to their correct partners like Velcro. One of these proteins is called Protocadherin-19. However, it was not fully understood how this protein forms an adhesive bond with other Protocadherin-19 molecules, or how some of the proteins within the cadherin family are able to distinguish between one another. Cooper et al. used X-ray crystallography to visualize the molecular structure of Protocadherin-19 taken from zebrafish in order to better understand the adhesive bond that these proteins form with each other. In addition, the new structure showed the sites of the mutations that cause a form of epilepsy in infant females. From this, Cooper et al. could predict how the mutations would disrupt Protocadherin-19’s shape and function. The structures revealed that Protocadherin-19 molecules from adjacent cells engage in a “forearm handshake” to form the bond that connects neurons. Some of the mutations that cause epilepsy occur in the region responsible for this Protocadherin-19 forearm handshake. Laboratory experiments confirmed that these mutations impair the formation of the adhesive bond, revealing the molecular basis for some of the mutations that underlie Protocadherin-19-female-limited epilepsy. Other cadherin molecules may interact via a similar forearm handshake; this could be investigated in future experiments. It also remains to be discovered how brain wiring depends on Protocadherin-19 adhesion in animal development, and how altering these proteins can rewire developing brain circuits.
Diffuse optical tomography reconstruction method using ultrasound images as prior for regularization matrix

Ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a promising imaging technique that maps hemoglobin concentrations of breast lesions to assist ultrasound (US) for cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. The accurate recovery of breast lesion optical properties requires an effective image reconstruction method. We introduce a reconstruction approach in which US images are encoded as prior information for regularization of the inversion matrix. The framework of this approach is based on image reconstruction package “NIRFAST.” We compare this approach to the US-guided dual-zone mesh reconstruction method, which is based on Born approximation and conjugate gradient optimization developed in our laboratory. Results were evaluated using phantoms and clinical data. This method improves classification of malignant and benign lesions by increasing malignant to benign lesion absorption contrast. The results also show improvements in reconstructed lesion shapes and the spatial distribution of absorption maps.
The respiratory microbiome in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal disease of unknown cause. Current evidence suggests that it arises in genetically susceptible individuals as a consequence of an aberrant wound-healing response following repetitive alveolar injury. Overt respiratory infection and immunosuppression carry a high mortality, while polymorphisms in genes related to epithelial integrity and host defence predispose to IPF. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have allowed the use of molecular microbial technologies to characterise the respiratory microbiota in patients with IPF. Studies have suggested that changes in the overall bacterial burden are related to disease progression and highlighted significant differences between the microbiota in IPF subjects and healthy controls. Indeed differences in the microbiota between IPF patients may differentiate those with stable compared to progressive disease. As our understanding of the IPF microbiome evolves, along with refinement and advances in sampling and sequencing methodologies we may be able to use microbial signatures as a biomarker to guide prognostication and even treatment stratification in this devastating disease.
The central effects of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in chicks involve changes in gene expression of neuropeptide Y and other factors in distinct hypothalamic nuclei

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a satiety-inducing factor in birds and mammals although central mechanisms mediating its effects on appetite in birds are poorly understood. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine effects of centrally-injected α-MSH on c-Fos and gene expression in chick appetite-associated hypothalamic nuclei. At 4days post-hatch, 3h-fasted chicks were intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected with 0 (vehicle) or 0.12nmol α-MSH and 1h later, hypothalamus samples were collected for measuring c-Fos immunoreactivity and mRNA abundance of appetite-associated factors in hypothalamic nuclei. There were more c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), dorsomedial nucleus (DMN), lateral hypothalamus (LH), and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of α-MSH- than vehicle-injected chicks. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) mRNAs were greater in α-MSH- than vehicle-injected chicks in the ARC. In the PVN, NPY receptor sub-type 1 (NPYR1) mRNA was reduced while c-Fos mRNA was increased in response to treatment with α-MSH. NPY, c-Fos, and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) mRNAs were greater in treated than vehicle-injected chicks in the DMN. Results suggest that during the first hour post-injection, the appetite-inhibiting effects of α-MSH involve activation of the ARC, DMN, PVN, and LH, and corresponding changes in transcriptional regulation of factors involved with NPY, AgRP and mesotocin signaling, and monoamine synthesis. The effects of these changes may include an inhibition of NPY signaling in the PVN to induce satiety and stimulation of NPY/AgRP neurons in the ARC in an attempt to restore homeostatic levels of food intake.
Determinants of tick-avoidance behaviors in an endemic area for Lyme disease.

Background Tick bite control is an important initiative to prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne infections. While several studies have demonstrated that knowledge and awareness of Lyme disease in endemic areas are good, none has evaluated the relative importance of knowledge with other attitudinal and health belief variables to determine motivators of preventive behavior. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 304 commuter ferry passengers departing Martha’s Vineyard Island, Massachusetts, in August 1992, to ascertain the prevalence of tick-avoidance behaviors among individuals from an endemic area of Lyme disease and to identify the knowledge, behavioral, and demographic variables that best determine precautionary behavior. Results Overall, survey respondents (n = 304) had very good knowledge of Lyme disease (73% items correct on a knowledge test), but only 59% of respondents reported limiting time in tick areas, 58% usually wore protective clothing, 40% wore tick repellent, and 66% usually performed tick checks. By stepwise linear regression analysis, determinants of tick-avoidance behaviors included perceiving the behavior’s benefits as outweighing its inconvenience (P Conclusions Precautionary behaviors were underperformed in an at-risk population despite good knowledge of Lyme disease symptoms and transmission. Instead, performance was related to confidence in finding a tick on oneself and a perception that a precaution’s benefit outweighed its inconvenience and would adequately reduce risk for Lyme disease. These data have implications for Lyme disease prevention programs, which typically focus on enhancing general knowledge as a means toward disease reduction.
Polyethylene Glycol Based Changes to β-Sheet Protein Conformational and Proteolytic Stability Depend on Conjugation Strategy and Location.

The development of chemical strategies for site-specific protein modification now enables researchers to attach polyethylene glycol (PEG) to a protein drug at one or more specific locations (i.e., protein PEGylation). However, aside from avoiding enzyme active sites or protein-binding interfaces, distinguishing the optimal PEGylation site from the available alternatives has conventionally been a matter of trial and error. As part of a continuing effort to develop guidelines for identifying optimal PEGylation sites within proteins, we show here that the impact of PEGylation at various sites within the β-sheet model protein WW depends strongly on the identity of the PEG–protein linker. The PEGylation of Gln or of azidohomoalanine has a similar impact on WW conformational stability as does Asn–PEGylation, whereas the PEGylation of propargyloxyphenylalanine is substantially stabilizing at locations where Asn–PEGylation was destabilizing. Importantly, we find that at least one of these three site-specific PEGy...
Mary Robinson and the Genesis of Romanticism: Literary Dialogues and Debts, 1784–1821

In Mary Robinson and the Genesis of Romanticism: Literary Dialogues and Debts, 1784–1821, Ashley Cross offers a compelling discussion of the ways Robinson read and responded to contemporary writers...
Transforming the Landscape of Labor at Universities through Digital Humanities

Abstract This chapter outlines common obstacles to librarian–faculty partnerships at regional comprehensive universities, namely the lack of models for digital humanities at regional comprehensive universities, and the difficulty of fostering ethical librarian–faculty collaboration. It further describes how the authors responded to these challenges in the design of an undergraduate research program housed across the university library and College of Arts and Sciences. The chapter concludes with lessons learned and suggestions for undertaking these collaborations.
Impact of Prior Authorization of Antiepileptic Drugs in Children With Epilepsy

Abstract Objective We assessed how commonly prior authorization results in treatment delay or missed doses in children with epilepsy. Methods Parents of 462 children followed in a pediatric epilepsy clinic were surveyed regarding prior authorization in the preceding year. Epilepsy and insurance details were collected. If prior authorization was required, parents were asked whether it resulted in (1) delayed initiation of a newly-prescribed antiepileptic drug, and/or (2) lapse in coverage of a current medication. Prior authorization was defined as smooth if there was a less than seven day delay in starting a new antiepileptic drug and no lapse in coverage of a current medication. Results A total of 164 families (35%) returned completed surveys. Mean age of the children was 11.2 (S.D. 5.3) years and 67.4% experienced seizures more than every three months despite trials of two or more antiepileptic drugs. Primary insurance was private in 82.9% and Medicaid in 15.2%. Prior authorization was required in 63 (38.4%) cases, and proceeded smoothly in only 31 (49.2%). Twenty-three children experienced a delay of seven days or more in starting a new drug, and 24 experienced a lapse in coverage of their current medication, 11 of whom missed doses. Of these 11, seven had increased seizures, and one required hospital admission for status epilepticus. Conclusions Prior authorization of antiepileptic drugs is common but problematic, often resulting in either a delay of initiation of a new antiepileptic drug or a lapse in coverage of a currently-used antiepileptic drug, with a negative impact on seizure control.
Codata in Action.

Computer scientists are well-versed in dealing with data structures. The same cannot be said about their dual: codata. Even though codata is pervasive in category theory, universal algebra, and logic, the use of codata for programming has been mainly relegated to representing infinite objects and processes. Our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of codata as a general-purpose programming abstraction independent of any specific language: eager or lazy, statically or dynamically typed, and functional or object-oriented. While codata is not featured in many programming languages today, we show how codata can be easily adopted and implemented by offering simple inter-compilation techniques between data and codata. We believe codata is a common ground between the functional and object-oriented paradigms; ultimately, we hope to utilize the Curry-Howard isomorphism to further bridge the gap.
Anatomical Adaptation—Early Clinical Evidence of Benefit and Future Needs in Lung Cancer

Definitive treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with radiation is challenging. During the course of treatment, anatomical changes such as tumor regression, tumor displacement/deformation, pleural effusion, and/or atelectasis can result in a deviation of the administered radiation dose from the intended prescribed treatment and thereby worsen local control and toxicity. Adaptive radiotherapy can help correct for these changes and can be generally categorized into 3 philosophical paradigms: (1) maintenance of prescribed dose to the initially defined target volume; (2) dose reduction to healthy organs while maintaining initial prescribed dose to a regressing tumor volume; or (3) dose escalation to a regressing tumor volume with isotoxicity to healthy organs. Numerous single institution studies have investigated these methods, and results from large prospective clinical trials will hopefully provide consensus on the method, utility, and efficacy of implementing adaptive radiation therapy (ART) in a clinical setting. Additional development into standardization and automation of the ART workflow, specifically in identifying when ART is warranted and in reducing the manual clinical effort needed to produce an adaptive plan, will be paramount to making ART feasible for the broader radiation therapy community.
How do cells cope with RNA damage and its consequences

Similar to many other biological molecules, RNA is vulnerable to chemical insults from endogenous and exogenous sources. Noxious agents such as reactive oxygen species or alkylating chemicals have the potential to profoundly affect the chemical properties and hence the function of RNA molecules in the cell. Given the central role of RNA in many fundamental biological processes, including translation and splicing, changes to its chemical composition can have a detrimental impact on cellular fitness, with some evidence suggesting that RNA damage has roles in diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders. We are only just beginning to learn about how cells cope with RNA damage, with recent studies revealing the existence of quality-control processes that are capable of recognizing and degrading or repairing damaged RNA. Here, we begin by reviewing the most abundant types of chemical damage to RNA, including oxidation and alkylation. Focusing on mRNA damage, we then discuss how alterations to this species of RNA affect its function and how cells respond to these challenges to maintain proteostasis. Finally, we briefly discuss how chemical damage to noncoding RNAs such as rRNA, tRNA, small nuclear RNA, and small nucleolar RNA is likely to affect their function.
Silencing Fc Domains in T cell-Engaging Bispecific Antibodies Improves T-cell Trafficking and Antitumor Potency.

Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) that engage T cells bind to tumor cells via a tumor-associated antigen and to T cells through surface CD3. BsAbs have promising antitumor properties in vivo Here, we describe the effects of Fc silencing on BsAb-driven T-cell trafficking to solid tumors. We used BsAbs specific for disialoganglioside GD2 or oncoprotein ErbB2 (HER2) and built on the IgG(L)-scFv platform with or without Fc silencing. We studied the kinetics of T-cell infiltration from blood into solid tumor masses when driven by these BsAbs. We also investigated the therapeutic efficacy of these BsAbs in two mouse models: immunodeficient mice xenografted with patient-derived GD2+ neuroblastoma or HER2+ breast cancer, and human CD3e transgenic mice implanted with a GD2+ murine tumor. BsAbs built with intact Fc domain were unable to drive T cells to tumor, thereby failing to achieve an antitumor effect in mice. T cells became sequestered in lungs by myeloid cells or depleted in circulation. In contrast, when Fc function was silenced by N297A ± K322A mutations, T cells were able to infiltrate into subcutaneous solid tumors, a prerequisite for successful therapy outcome.
100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Macromolecular Materials for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous attention as a versatile platform for the on-demand fabrication of objects with excellent spatial control of chemical compositions and complex archi...
Communication Skills Training for Internal Medicine Residents Using a Brief Animated Video.

Patient communication courses are time-intensive, making incorporation into residency curricula challenging. Using a short video could be an efficient means to teach residents communication skills. We created a 4-min animated video focused on the “ask more and summarize technique”. Residents rotating on the inpatient oncology and palliative care service received a video link with a survey (S1) on the tool and its projected utility. A second survey (S2) was sent upon rotation completion to assess the utility of the technique. A 6-month follow up e-mail was sent to determine retention of skills. A total of 52/106 residents responded to S1 and 32/52 to S2. Median age was 28 years and 86% were PGY-1. On S1, 95% enjoyed the format, and 95% thought the narration was an effective learning tool and 90% that the animation was effective. A majority (87%) felt the tool would be useful. On comparing self-reported acquisition of skills for paired survey responses, there was a significant increase in asking more regarding patient questions (p = 0.04) but not summarizing back responses (p = 0.1). This tool was reported to be useful in a variety of settings including explaining prognoses, unrealistic patient expectations, upset patients, and patients with fear or anxiety. A 6-month follow up survey (n = 22) showed that almost all the respondents continued to report using the skills learned. A short video is a brief and effective tool that can be incorporated into a busy clinical curriculum to teach residents communication skills in the areas of cancer and palliative care.
Neighbourhood Distillation: On the benefits of non end-to-end distillation

End-to-end training with back propagation is the standard method for training deep neural networks. However, as networks become deeper and bigger, end-to-end training becomes more challenging: highly non-convex models gets stuck easily in local optima, gradients signals are prone to vanish or explode during backpropagation, training requires computational resources and time. In this work, we propose to break away from the end-to-end paradigm in the context of Knowledge Distillation. Instead of distilling a model end-to-end, we propose to split it into smaller sub-networks - also called neighbourhoods - that are then trained independently. We empirically show that distilling networks in a non end-to-end fashion can be beneficial in a diverse range of use cases. First, we show that it speeds up Knowledge Distillation by exploiting parallelism and training on smaller networks. Second, we show that independently distilled neighbourhoods may be efficiently re-used for Neural Architecture Search. Finally, because smaller networks model simpler functions, we show that they are easier to train with synthetic data than their deeper counterparts.
Impact of recreational marijuana legalization on crime: Evidence from Oregon

Abstract The legalization of recreational marijuana is a pivotal policy change, and its social consequences remain largely unknown. Central to the public concern is its impact on crime, about which competing views exist and empirical studies have yielded mixed results. Based on Uniform (UCR) data from 2007 to 2017, this study used Difference in Differences (DID) analysis to examine the impact of recreational marijuana legalization on the rates of a variety of serious crimes in Oregon, which passed its recreational marijuana law (RML) in late 2014. Results provide some evidence demonstrating a crime-exacerbating effect of recreational marijuana legalization, as reflected by substantial increases in the rates of multiple types of serious crimes as measured by the UCR in Oregon relative to non-legalized states following legalization, including property and violent crime overall, as well as other crimes such as burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny, and aggravated assault.
How Has COVID-19 Affected the Labor Force Participation of Older Workers?

This paper uses the monthly Current Population Survey to study older workers’ transitions out of employment and into retirement before and during the pandemic. It examines whether the effect of the pandemic was particularly acute for workers with certain demographic characteristics and working conditions, and for those who faced different local public health and economic conditions.
Glucocorticoid conditioning of myeloid progenitors enhances TLR4 signaling via negative regulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt pathway.

The immunomodulatory effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) have been described as bimodal, with high levels of GCs exerting immunosuppressive effects and low doses of GCs being immunopermissive. While the mechanisms used by GCs to achieve immunosuppression have been investigated intensely, the molecular mechanisms underlying the permissive effects of GCs remain uncharacterized. Herein, we demonstrate that GC conditioning during the differentiation of myeloid progenitors into macrophages (Mφs) results in their enhanced LPS responsiveness, demonstrated by an overexpression of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12. Inflammatory cytokine overexpression resulted from an increased activation of NF-κB and the MAPK signaling cascade and a reduced activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway following LPS stimulation. GC conditioning during Mφ differentiation induced an increase in the expression of SHIP1, a phosphatase that negatively regulates the PI3K signaling pathway. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of SHIP1 expression increased PI3K-dependent Akt activation and subsequently decreased inflammatory cytokine expression, suggesting GC-mediated up-regulation of SHIP1 expression is responsible for the augmentation in inflammatory cytokine production following LPS stimulation. We also show that splenic Mφs purified from normal mice that were implanted with timed-release GC pellets exhibited an enhanced LPS responsiveness and increased SHIP1 expression, indicating that GCs can regulate SHIP1 expression in vivo. Our results suggest that minor fluctuations in physiological levels of endogenous GCs can program endotoxin-responsive hemopoietic cells during their differentiation by regulating their sensitivity to stimulation.