cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatic transcription of the acute-phase alpha 1-inhibitor III gene is controlled by a novel combination of cis-acting regulatory elements.

Abstract mRNA coding for the abundant broad-range plasma proteinase inhibitor alpha 1-inhibitor III (alpha 1I3) was detected only in rat liver, while mRNA for the related proteins alpha 1-macroglobulin and alpha 2-macroglobulin was also found in a variety of nonhepatic tissues. cis-Acting control elements necessary for the hepatic transcription of alpha 1I3 were mapped by transfection and expression studies of control-region constructs in cultured hepatic and nonhepatic cells. The promoter-proximal 5'-flanking region contained four control elements, I to IV, located between -109 and -196 base pairs upstream of the transcriptional start site relevant for the hepatic transcription of this gene. Elements II and III were essential, and I and IV exerted strong modulatory effects. Elements I to III acted as positive regulators, and IV acted as a negative element. Element II contained the sequence TGGCA and is probably a binding site for a nuclear factor related to the known transcription factor NF1. The other three elements did not resemble consensus binding sites for known transcription factors that are involved in the hepatocyte-specific transcription of other well-characterized plasma protein genes, such as the prototype factor HNF-1. Thus, the alpha 1I3 gene achieves its highly hepatocyte-specific transcription through a novel combination of cis-acting control elements and trans-acting factors.
Explicating Curiosity via Uncertainty and Interest, Augmented with Open-Mindedness

The objective of this paper is to raise a challenge to Ilhan Inan’s claim (2013) that an agent’s curiosity ceases when the agent is firmly certain about the object of curiosity that is of interest to him, and to supplement his account by appealing to an aspect of curiosity that Inan overlooks substantively: open-mindedness . To achieve this objective, I first provide a brief summary of Inan’s claim that an agent’s curiosity is directly proportional to his interest and uncertainty , and inversely proportional to evidence and belief . Second, I discuss my objection to an aspect of Inan’s claim that firm certainty and (high) interest yields no curiosity . In ordinary enquiries or cases of propositional curiosity (e.g., whether questions), Inan’s claim that firm certainty extinguishes curiosity is convincing. However, there can be objectual curiosity cases (e.g., what questions) where Inan’s claim may not be sufficient. Moreover, in many academic enquiries, a scientist may remain motivated to expend extra epistemic and cognitive capital, despite his firm certainty about his once imaginable aspects of the object of curiosity, for the sake of unimaginable possibilities. Fueled by his continued curiosity, it is not uncommon for a scientist to take self-initiatives and reconsider propositions he was once certain about. Based on his past experiences, he might have learned that certainty is generally impermanent and does not always last forever, which could keep his curiosity and hence the possibility of discovering more truths alive. Third, I present a number of rebuttals to my objection and show how they fall short of supporting Inan’s account including the role of other feelings such as fear and anxiety about losing face, and knowing but being subjectively uncertain, which may motivate continued curiosity even when the agent is firmly certain . Fourth, I suggest an alternative view by adding open-mindedness to Inan’s curiosity formulation that could help exculpate my objection. Instead of Inan’s proposition, I suggest that one can remain curious about an objective he is interested in, despite being certain about it, when he is open-minded . (Baehr, 2012) Open-mindedness is a facilitating virtue and an activity that is a cognitive moving beyond or transcending of the person’s doxastic commitments, thus facilitating curiosity. Open-mindedness assists in keeping the agent’s interest and uncertainty alive, and helps freeing the mind beyond default beliefs and binds of certainty.
Constraining the mass–richness relationship of redMaPPer clusters with angular clustering

US Department of Energy [DE-AC02-76SF00515, DE-SC0007901]; National Science Foundation [NSF-AST-1211838]
CFD Simulation of the Great Dark Spots of Neptune

The Voyager II encounter with Neptune in 1989 revealed arguably the most dynamic vortex feature in the outer solar system. The Great Dark Spot (GDS-89) exhibited repeated oscillations in shape over an eight-day period, unusual tail-like deviations from the base vortex ellipse, a bright cloud companion, and general equatorward drift on the order of one degree per month. However, unlike the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, GDS-89 appears to have been a transitory phenomenon, with Hubble Space Telescope observations in 1991 and 1994 failing to reveal a southern dark spot feature. However, starting in 1994, observations revealed an apparent dark spot feature in the northern hemisphere, eventually named Northern Great Dark Spot 32 (NGDS-32), referring to the latitude where the dark spot was discovered. Later, observations in 1996 showed a second dark spot, NGDS-15. Both of these features were no longer visible as dark spots in 1997. This paper will present General Circulation Model simulations of the Great Dark Spots of Neptune, with a particular focus on using the various observed motions as a diagnostic of unobserved atmospheric conditions. The quantitative focus of this paper is the meridional drift with qualitative consideration of the shape oscillations.
Effect of Target Controlled Infusion Propofol Vein Anesthesia on Serum Amylase and Triglyceride in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective To compare the influence between target controlled infusion propofol vein anesthesia and midazolam vein anesthesia toward serum amylase and triglyceride in children with cleft lip and palate.To make a definitude that the feasibility of target controlled infusion propofol used in children′s anesthesia.Methods Sixty children with cleft lip and palate aged from 4 months to 3 years,weighting 6.5-15.9 kg,American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA)Ⅰ-Ⅱ,were randomly allocated to group P and group M(n=30,each).Group P received target controlled infusion propofol.Anesthesia was induced with target controlled infusion propofol at the target effect-site concentration 3.0 mg/L,remifentanyl 2.0 μg/kg and vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg.Anesthesia was maintained with a continuous remifentanyl infusion at 0.2 μg/(kg·min) and vecuronium 0.01 mg/(kg·min) and target controlled infusion propofol at the effect-site concentration 3.0 mg/L.Group M received intermittent boluses of midazolam 0.1 mg/kg.Anesthesia was induced with midazolam 0.2 mg/kg,remifentanyl 2.0 μg/kg and vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg.Anesthesia was maintained with a continuous remifentanyl infusion at 0.2 μg/(kg·min) and vecuronium 0.01 mg/(kg·min) and intermittent boluses of midazolam 0.1 mg/kg every hour.The venous blood samples were taken before anesthesia induction(T1),4 hours(T2) and 24 hours(T3) after surgery to measure the serum concentration of serum amylase and triglycride.Results The duration of anesthesia induction,extubation and emergence were shorter in group P compared with group M(Pa0.05).Serum concentration of triglyceride increased in 2 groups at T2 compared with the baseline values at T1.The serum concentration of triglyceride was higher in group P than in group M at T2.There were no significant differences in serum amylase at every time point and in 2 groups(Pa0.05).Conclusions The serum concentration of triglyceride may increase because of the stress of anesthasion and operation,and can be higher during target controlled infusion propofol,but does not exceed the normal value.The serum amylase concentration does not increase during target controlled infusion propofol in children.
The Maintenance Job Scheduling of the Ship Formation Based on the Wasp Colony Algorithm

The persistent combat capabilities of a ship formation are based on efficiently maintaining all the ship equipment which is the requirement of the whole maintenance supportability of the formation.In this paper,the organization and materials which were involved in the maintenance processing were splited into independent intelligent multi-agents,and then the maintenance support architecture of naval ship formation based on multi-agents was introduced.This architecture had good extensibility and intelligence.Based on the agent of this architecture,a method,which adopted wasp colony algorithm,was put forward to optimize the maintenance job scheduling for shortening the maintenance time cost.
Base rate comparison of suboptimal scores on the RBANS effort scale and effort index in Parkinson's disease.

AbstractObjective: The effort index (EI) and the effort scale are commonly used embedded effort indicators on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). This investigation examined the rates of suboptimal scores on the EI and effort scale in a Parkinson’s disease (PD) sample. Method: One hundred and sixty-three participants who have been diagnosed with PD by a board-certified neurologist were included in the study. The base rate of suboptimal scores on the EI and effort scale was calculated for the entire group. Results: On average, participants were 66.8 years of age (SD = 9.5) and had a mean education of 13.5 years (SD = 2.79). The mean Mini-Mental State Examination score was 27.0 (SD = 3.1). Overall, 8% of participants scored below the cut-off for optimal performance on the EI while 62.6% performed in the suboptimal range for the effort scale. Conclusion: The utility of the EI and the effort scale in PD populations warrants further examination. Additionally, results...
Rosenblatt’s Contributions to Deconvolution

A simple model of deconvolution can be described as observing {x(t)} which is a convolution of a signal {s(t)} with a filter {f(j)}, x = s * f. More specifically, we have $$x\left( t \right) = \sum\limits_{j = - \infty }^\infty {f\left( j \right)s\left( {t - j} \right)} $$ .
Anatomy of the insulin-like growth factor system in the human testis

Objective To study the cellular patterns of gene expression for insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II), their receptors and specific high-affinity binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the human testis. Design In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to localize messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) for IGF-I and IGF-II, the IGF-I and IGF-II receptors and IGFBP-1 to 6 in fresh-frozen testis sections from healthy young men who died of trauma. Results Insulin-like growth factor I mRNA was not detected. Insulin-like growth factors II mRNA was abundant in testicular blood vessels and peritubular connective tissue. Both IGF-I and IGF-II receptor mRNAs were most abundant in the germinal epithelium. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 mRNA was not detected. Binding protein-2 mRNA was expressed in both Leydig and Sertoli cells. Binding protein-3 mRNA was detected only in the endothelium of testicular blood vessels. Binding protein-4 mRNA was also localized in endothelium but, in addition, was present in Leydig cells and interstitial connective tissue. Binding protein-5 mRNA was abundant in connective tissue and was detected at low levels in Leydig cells. Binding protein-6 mRNA was present in some of the peritubular cells and in some cells of the interstitial compartment. Conclusion Our results suggest that IGFs may play significant roles in testicular function and germ cell development.
Plantingian theism and the free-will defence

I advance a challenge to the coherence of Alvin Plantinga's brand of theism that focuses on Plantinga's celebrated free-will defence. This challenge draws on (but goes beyond) some ideas advanced by Wes Morriston. The central claim of my challenge is that Plantinga's free-will defence, together with certain claims that are plausible and/or to which Plantinga is committed, both requires and rules out the claim that it is possible that God is capable of engaging in moral goodness. I then critically evaluate an interesting strategy for responding to my challenge inspired by some recent work by Kevin Timpe, arguing that the response ultimately fails. The upshot of the article is that Plantinga's brand of theism is internally inconsistent; furthermore, because the claims that are in tension with the free-will defence are ones that many theists are likely to find attractive, many theists are not able to appeal to Plantinga's free-will defence in responding to the logical problem of evil.
Examining the Professional Status of Full-Time Sociology Faculty in Community Colleges.

In this article, we utilize national survey data to assess the professional status of full-time sociology faculty in community colleges. Traditionally, sociologists have argued that for a particular type of work to be conceptualized as a profession, it must meet certain criteria, such as: esoteric knowledge and skills, high levels of workplace autonomy, considerable authority, and a sense of altruism. More current approaches to professionalization place greater emphasis on how the social structural location and organizational features of a particular group affect their claims to professional status. We apply both the “traits” and “process models” of professions. We argue that in spite of significant structural barriers, community college sociologists do function as a professional group. This has significant implications for faculty, their students, and the discipline of sociology.
Variables Associated With Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Mental Health Professionals

The current study investigated variables associated with secondary traumatization in mental health professionals. Participants included 88 psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and creative arts therapists. These participants completed the modified Stroop procedure, which is an ob
Semantic Multimedia Extraction Using Audio and Video

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction and Motivation Related Research Semantic Multimedia Extraction Using Audio or Closed -Captions Semantic Multimedia Extraction Using Video Conclusion and Future Work ]]>
Grazer impacts on algal community structure vary with the coastal upwelling regime

Abstract Community dynamics are often influenced by processes operating at large spatial scales. For example, the structure and dynamics of rocky intertidal communities depend not only on local factors, but also on the nearshore oceanic processes that affect the delivery of nutrients, propagules, and food particles. Conceptual models such as the grazer-reversal hypothesis predict that grazers will decrease the diversity of primary producers in nutrient-poor environments and increase diversity in nutrient-rich environments. To test this hypothesis, natural variation in the productivity of nearshore waters around the south island of New Zealand was used as a backdrop against which the occurrence of limpets, the dominant grazers, was experimentally manipulated. Limpets were either excluded or allowed access to replicate plots at five sites, two of relatively high nutrient availability and three of relatively low nutrient availability. Limpets had a negative effect on algal species richness and biomass at the nutrient-poor sites and little effect at the nutrient-rich sites, thus supporting the predictions of the grazer-reversal hypothesis. Results from this experiment suggest that in contrast to earlier results in the low zone, in the high zone of the rocky intertidal stronger bottom up effects (higher nutrients) did not “flow” up the food chain (to the herbivore level) to produce stronger top down effects. This finding is consistent with the idea that increasing environmental stress can alter the strength and direction of species interactions expected under a top-down/bottom-up scenario.
Anesthesia Technique and Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background and Purpose—The impact of anesthesia technique on the outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke remains an issue of debate. We investigated the association of general...
Green Cards, Patents, and Firm Value

This is the first study to use the approved Green Card Applications (or Certified Permanent Residency Applications) from the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) database, and the first to link the PERM database to patents database kept by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We find that the number of approved permanent residency applications (perms, as a percentage of total employment) has a positive impact on firms’ value and growth opportunities proxied by Tobin’s Q (TQ). Specifically, a 1% increase in perms lead to a 15-20% increase in firm value. Although we were not able to confirm that more green cards lead to more innovation, we discover that more innovation gets firms more Green Cards. We find that a 1% increase in the patent variable (patents as a percentage of total employment) lead to a 0.03% increase in Green Card Approvals. Our findings carry importance for US policy makers, firms, investors, and academics.
Introducing veteran critical theory

AbstractResearch on student veterans is in an infant state. As veterans continue to enroll in institutions of higher education, researchers must explore new ways of knowing student veterans. It is not enough to only describe and model this growing demographic, researchers must also have a tool for criticism and question. The next in an important tradition of emancipatory paradigms, this article suggests a critical theory built on current critical conversations but adapted for the unique characteristics of the student veteran. The article defines the need for a critical theory (Veteran Critical Theory), explains 11 tenets for this new theory, and discusses how these tenets could be used by administrators, faculty, student affairs professionals, and students in the higher education community.
Religion, Violence, and Local Power-Sharing in Nigeria

Why does religion become a fault line of communal violence in some pluralistic countries and not others? Under what conditions will religious identity - as opposed to other salient ethnic cleavages - become the spark that ignites communal violence? Contemporary world politics since 9/11 is increasingly marked by intra-state communal clashes in which religious identity is the main fault line. Yet, violence erupts only in some religiously pluralistic countries, and only in some parts of those countries. This study argues that prominent theories in the study of civil conflict cannot adequately account for the variation in subnational identity-based violence. Examining this variation in the context of Nigeria's pluralistic north-central region, this book finds support for a new theory of power-sharing. It finds that communities are less likely to fall prey to a divisive narrative of religious difference where local leaders informally agreed to abide by an inclusive, local government power-sharing arrangement.
Self-reported changes in alcohol use behavior among people living with HIV in China after receiving HIV positive diagnosis.

Background:Alcohol use remains a significant challenge for treating people living with HIV (people living with HIV). We aimed to examine current use and retrospective self-reported changes in drink...
Security for software engineering education

Software engineering students need the ability to identify security concerns and then be able to design and build solutions that implement those security requirements. Similarly, security students would benefit from knowledge of standard software engineering design practices. This paper discusses methods developed to address both concerns.
The Corpus Callosum as a Model System in the Study of Mammalian Cerebral Axons

A large body of information is now available regarding the mechanism and the phenomonology of impulse conduction in invertebrate axons and in mammalian peripheral axons. Such axons, however, are of relatively large diameter when contrasted with their counterparts in the mammalian brain. Bishop (1966) has estimated that more than 80% of the fibers in the mammalian cortex are less than 3 μm in diameter, and in the pyramidal tract of the cat (Hildebrand and Skoglund, 1971) approximately 50% of the axons are less than 1 μm in diameter. The finest myelinated axons in the central nervous system are 0.2–0.3 μm in diameter (Bishop and Smith, 1964; Waxman and Bennett, 1972; Waxman and Swadlow, 1976a) while nonmyelinated axons may be as fine as 0.08 μm in diameter (Swadlow et al, 1980b; Waxman and Swadlow, 1976a).
Intervention and Prevention: The Child with Cross-Sex Identity

Prevention of conflict over sexual identity is an area that engages research and ethical issues and cuts across lines of contemporary social change. Politicalization has occurred during recent years in a fashion unprecedented in other areas of psychotherapy. It invests the contemporary social fabric as our society refashions acceptable sexual lifestyles.
Particulate air pollutants and asthma: A paradigm for the role of oxidative stress in PM-induced adverse health effects

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease, which involves a variety of different mediators, including reactive oxygen species. There is growing awareness that particulate pollutants act as adjuvants during allergic sensitization and can also induce acute asthma exacerbations. In this communication we review the role of oxidative stress in asthma, with an emphasis on the pro-oxidative effects of diesel exhaust particles and their chemicals in the respiratory tract. We review the biology of oxidative stress, including protective and injurious effects that explain the impact of particulate matter-induced oxidative stress in asthma.
On Universal Compression with Constant Random Access

In new applications of data compression, it is desired to have random access to any block of the compressed dataset (without the need to decompress the entire compressed sequence and thus accessing all the stored bits in memory). In this work, we analyze the problem of universal data compression with random access. Building on the work of Mazumdar, Chandar, and Wornell (2015), we discuss a systematic scheme to achieve close to optimal compression with finite random access. We first analyze the performance of the scheme for i.i.d sources. Using the gained intuition, for the more general class of Markov sources, we show the existence of finite random access compression schemes. Finally, we discuss a generic scheme which can be used to convert any universal compressor (e.g., Lempel-Ziv based schemes) into a finite random access universal compressor.
Thermal Energy: Sources, Recovery, and Applications

The book details sources of thermal energy, methods of capture, and applications. It describes the basics of thermal energy, including measuring thermal energy, laws of thermodynamics that govern its use and transformation, modes of thermal energy, conventional processes, devices and materials, and the methods by which it is transferred. It covers 8 sources of thermal energy: combustion, fusion (solar) fission (nuclear), geothermal, microwave, plasma, waste heat, and thermal energy storage. In each case, the methods of production and capture and its uses are described in detail. It also discusses novel processes and devices used to improve transfer and transformation processes.
The role of modifiable health-related behaviors in the association between PTSD and respiratory illness.

Abstract Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases risk of future respiratory illness. However, mechanisms that underpin the association between these common and debilitating conditions remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify modifiable, health-related behaviors they may explain the link between PTSD and respiratory problems. Methods World Trade Center responders (N = 452, 89% male, mean age = 55 years) completed baseline PTSD and sleep questionnaires, followed by 2-weeks of daily diaries, actigraphy and ambulatory spirometry to monitor lower respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, activity levels, stressors, and sleep. Lipid levels were obtained from electronic medical records. Results Cross-sectional mediation analyses revealed that the association between PTSD and self-reported respiratory symptoms was explained by poor sleep, low activity, and daily stressors. The association between PTSD symptoms and pulmonary function was explained by insomnia and low activity. Conclusions A range of health-related daily behaviors and experiences, especially sleep disturbances and inactivity, may explain excess respiratory illness morbidity in PTSD. The findings were generally consistent across daily self-report and spirometry measures of respiratory problems. Targeting these behaviors might enhance prevention of and intervention in respiratory problems in traumatized populations.
Botulinum Toxin Therapy for Autonomic Dysfunction (Excessive Drooling and Excessive Sweating) and for Skin Disorders

Injection of botulinum toxins to the glands reduces the secretion of saliva or sweat by blocking the release of nerve signal transmitter acetylcholine. This action can help patients who suffer from local excessive sweating or those who are affected by persistent drooling. Salivary and sweat glands are located under the skin and are readily accessible to surface injections. The emerging data suggests that intense recalcitrant local itch and some forms of psoriasis also respond to local botulinum toxin injections.
Quine on naturalism, nominalism, and philosophy’s place within science

W.V. Quine is a well-known proponent of naturalism, the view on which reality is described only in science. He is also well-known for arguing that our current scientific theories commit us to the existence of abstract objects. It is tempting to believe that the naturalistic philosopher should think scientists outside of philosophy are in the best position to assess the merits of revising our current commitment to abstract objects. But Quine rejects this deferential view. On the reading of Quine’s philosophical methodology that I defend in this paper, the naturalistic philosopher not only may assess the merits of revising the commitments of our scientific theories, but also will recommend we make such revisions if doing so simplifies and clarifies our science. To develop my reading, I will examine John Burgess and Gideon Rosen’s naturalism in ontology that includes the deferential view Quine rejects. By explaining how Quine’s naturalism differs from the anti-revisionist, deferential naturalism in philosophy of mathematics that Burgess and Rosen advance, I seek to clarify and advance contemporary debates on naturalism.
We reason & we prove for ALL mathematics: Building students’ critical thinking, grades 6-12

Over the last three decades, policymakers and reformers of mathematics education have continuously recommended reasoning and proof as a process standard for K-12 students around the world (Nardi & ...
Low-dose inoculation of Escherichia coli achieves robust vaginal colonization and results in ascending infection accompanied by severe uterine inflammation in mice

Escherichia coli infection of the female reproductive tract is a significant cause of disease in humans and animals, but simple animal models are lacking. Here we report that vaginal inoculation of uropathogenic E. coli strains UTI89 and CFT073 in non-pregnant, estrogen-treated mice resulted in robust colonization of the vagina and uterine horns, whereas titers of the lab strain MG1655 were significantly lower. Non-estrogenized mice also became colonized, but there was more variation in titers. A dose of 104 colony-forming units (CFU) UTI89 was sufficient to result in colonization in all estrogenized mice, and we also observed bacterial transfer between inoculated and uninoculated estrogenized cage mates. UTI89 infection led to inflammation and leukocyte infiltration into the uterine horns as evidenced by tissue histology. Flow cytometry experiments revealed that neutrophil, monocyte and eosinophil populations were significantly increased in infected uterine horns. This model is a simple way to study host-pathogen interactions in E. coli vaginal colonization and uterine infection. There are immediate implications for investigators studying urinary tract infection using mouse models, as few E. coli are required to achieve reproductive colonization, resulting in an additional, underappreciated mucosal reservoir.
The effect of police use of lethal force on murder levels in American cities before and after Ferguson

We assess the effects of police use of lethal force on subsequent murders by victim race and armed status before and after the August 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. We regress monthly murder levels on instances of police use of lethal force by race and armed status controlling for fixed effects, population, unemployment, and murders in the prior month using city-level data for 93 cities from 2013 to 2015. For 2013–2015, we find that a police lethal force incident predicts a 1.8% increase in murders 2 months following the incident. However, prior to Ferguson, a police lethal force incident increases murders by 4.5% (after 2 months) and we are unable to find any evidence of differential responses to police use of lethal force based on victim race. However, we find evidence of differential responses to police use of lethal force based on victim armed status. Post-Ferguson, police use of lethal force is associated with significant differential responses based on victim race. In addition, we see a shift in the aggregate-level response to police use of lethal force. Post-Ferguson, a police lethal force incident decreases the murder level by 3.8% 3 months following the incident. In addition, lethal force incident involving a non-black victim decreases the number of murders by 4.3% while an incident involving a black victim increases the number of murders by 2.1% (after a 2-month lag). Changes in policing following the events of Ferguson had a generally positive but uneven effect.
Characteristics of Hospices Providing High-Quality Care

Background: The hospice market has changed substantially, shifting from predominately not-for-profit independent entities to for-profit national chains. Little is known about how hospice organizational characteristics are associated with quality of hospice care. Objective: To examine the association between hospice characteristics and care processes and performance on measures of hospice care quality. Design: Logistic regression models assessed the association between hospice characteristics and processes and hospices being in the top quartile of quality measure performance. Setting/Subjects: U.S. hospices with publicly reported measure scores in 2015-2017. Measurements: Summaries of hospice-level performance on Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey measures (including communication, timely care, symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, respect, training families, overall rating, and willingness to recommend) and Hospice Item Set (HIS) measures (including pain screening and assessment, dyspnea screening and treatment, bowel regimen for patients on opioids, discussion of treatment preferences, and beliefs/values addressed). Results: Of the 2746 hospices that met public reporting requirements, 5.6% were in the top quartile of both CAHPS and HIS performance. Characteristics associated with being in the top quartile for CAHPS included being a nonprofit and nonchain or government hospice, smaller size (<200 patients per year), and serving a rural area. Characteristics associated with being in the top quartile for HIS included being in a for-profit chain, larger size (91+ patients per year), and having <40% of patients in a nursing home. Providing professional staff visits in the last two days of life to a higher proportion of patients was associated with hospices being in the top quartile of HIS and in the top quartile of CAHPS. Conclusions: Hospice characteristics associated with strong performance on HIS measures differ from those associated with strong performance on CAHPS measures. Providing professional staff visits in the last two days of life is associated with high performance on both quality domains.
Unlabeled lysophosphatidic acid receptor binding in free solution as determined by a compensated interferometric reader.

Native interactions between lysophospholipids (LPs) and their cognate LP receptors are difficult to measure because of lipophilicity and/or the adhesive properties of lipids, which contribute to high levels of nonspecific binding in cell membrane preparations. Here, we report development of a free-solution assay (FSA) where label-free LPs bind to their cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), combined with a recently reported compensated interferometric reader (CIR) to quantify native binding interactions between receptors and ligands. As a test case, the binding parameters between lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor 1 (LPA1; one of six cognate LPA GPCRs) and LPA were determined. FSA-CIR detected specific binding through the simultaneous real-time comparison of bound versus unbound species by measuring the change in the solution dipole moment produced by binding-induced conformational and/or hydration changes. FSA-CIR identified KD values for chemically distinct LPA species binding to human LPA1 and required only a few nanograms of protein: 1-oleoyl (18:1; KD = 2.08 ± 1.32 nM), 1-linoleoyl (18:2; KD = 2.83 ± 1.64 nM), 1-arachidonoyl (20:4; KD = 2.59 ± 0.481 nM), and 1-palmitoyl (16:0; KD = 1.69 ± 0.1 nM) LPA. These KD values compared favorably to those obtained using the previous generation back-scattering interferometry system, a chip-based technique with low-throughput and temperature sensitivity. In conclusion, FSA-CIR offers a new increased-throughput approach to assess quantitatively label-free lipid ligand-receptor binding, including nonactivating antagonist binding, under near-native conditions.
New versus old: 95 degree angled blade plate versus distal femoral locking plate. A randomized clinical trial.

Abstract Introduction The purpose was to compare the locking condylar plate (LCP) with the 95° angled blade plate (ABP) for distal femoral fracture patterns amenable to either device. Our hypothesis was that LCP would outperform ABP with primary outcome of nonunion and secondary outcomes of reoperation and malunion. Methods 78 adult patients with 79 eligible fractures and mean age of 60 years were prospectively randomized to LCP (n = 45) or ABP (n = 34). Mean ISS was 16. 22% fractures were open. Patient-reported functional outcomes were assessed with the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA). Results All patients were followed to union, and mean follow-up was 25 months. There were no differences in age, sex, fracture pattern, co-morbidities or mechanism for the two groups. Three patients had infections, one superficial after LCP and one deep infection each after ABP and LCP. Three patients developed nonunion after LCP versus none after ABP (p = 0.06). Nine patients healed with minor deformity after LCP versus 5 following ABP. One fracture had major deformity after ABP versus two after LCP. Eight patients had a secondary procedure following LCP versus two after ABP (p = 0.05). Conclusions The investigation failed to support newer technology being better. Evidence did not indicate the LCP was superior to the ABP. Trends for primary union and fewer secondary procedures suggest that ABP may have superior performance to LCP for fracture patterns which may be treated with either implant.
Impact of Ergonomic Training on Posture Utilizing Photography and Self-assessments among Dental Hygiene Students and Practitioners

Purpose: Dental health care professionals are at high risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the at-risk regions for developing musculoskeletal strain and evaluate the training effects of photography and self-assessment on the postures among dental hygiene students and clinical practitioners. Methods: This randomized control design study took place over a four-week period. A convenience sample of dental hygiene students (n=20) and registered dental hygienists (n=20) agreed to participate and were randomly assigned to training and control groups. All participants were photographed in the dental hygiene clinic completed ergonomic self-evaluations, using a Modified-Dental Operator Posture Assessment Instrument (M-DOPAI) during week one and four. Participants in the training group used photographs captured by the study investigators to complete ergonomic self-assessments during weeks two and three. Photographs from week one and four were evaluated by four calibrated raters using the M-DOPAI. Results: The top regions at-risk for musculoskeletal strain, identified by the raters, were the head and upper arms. Conversely, the top regions at-risk for musculoskeletal strain identified through the participants’ self-assessments were the head and trunk. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed that feedback with photography resulted in improved ergonomic scores. A mixed-design ANOVA of Kappa coefficient values between clinician and rater scores revealed the feedback with photography increased the accuracy of the ergonomic self-assessments. Conclusion: Training involving self-assessment utilizing photographs resulted in improvements in ergonomic scores and the accuracy of ergonomic self-assessments after four weeks. Improved postures and reduced risks for musculoskeletal disorders may be sustained with periodic ergonomic self-assessments using photography.
Additive manufacturing of NiZnCu-ferrite soft magnetic composites

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are a class of magnetic materials that have the potential to create lighter and more efficient electronic devices. SMCs provide high electrical resistivity while providing high magnetic permeability, consisting of a magnetically conductive core and an insulating coating traditionally made via powder metallurgy. Until recent advances, devices needing materials with these magnetic properties have been made by complex and geometrically limited laminations or press and sinter methods; both possessing issues. This paper establishes that a multi-material system incorporating NiZnCu-ferrite and high purity iron processed via additive manufacturing (AM) can serve as a manufacturing route for SMCs, with as-built samples showing high maximum relative permeability (~ 200,000). The results demonstrate the viability of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) AM to produce SMCs with higher permeability than press and sinter SMCs utilizing the same powder system and chemistry while also indicating new challenges that must be overcome to produce a fully dense SMC via additive manufacturing.
Lateralized phenotypic differences in females in the intrahippocampal kainic acid mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Clinical evidence indicates that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) often show differential outcomes of comorbid conditions dependent on the lateralization of the seizure focus. However, whether a left or right seizure focus produces differential effects on comorbid outcomes has not been investigated in a rodent model of chronic recurrent seizures. Here, we used the intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) mouse model of TLE to determine whether targeting of left or right dorsal hippocampus for injection produces different outcomes in hippocampal sclerosis, body weight gain, and multiple measures of reproductive endocrine dysfunction in female mice. At one, two, and four months after injection, in vivo measurements of estrous cycles and weight were followed by ex vivo examination of hippocampal sclerosis, circulating ovarian hormone and corticosterone levels, ovarian morphology, and pituitary gene expression. IHKA mice with right-targeted injection (IHKA-R) showed greater granule cell dispersion and pituitary Fshb expression compared to mice with left-targeted injection (IHKA-L). By contrast, pituitary expression of Lhb and Gnrhr were higher in IHKA-L mice compared to IHKA-R, but these values were not different from respective saline-injected controls. IHKA-L mice also showed an increased rate of weight gain compared to IHKA-R mice. Disruptions to estrous cyclicity, however, were similar in both IHKA-L and IHKA-R mice. These findings indicate that although major reproductive endocrine dysfunction phenotypes present similarly after targeting left or right dorsal hippocampus in the IHKA model of TLE, distinct latent mechanisms based on lateralization of seizure focus may contribute to produce similar emergent reproductive endocrine outcomes.
The Role of piRNA-Mediated Epigenetic Silencing in the Population Dynamics of Transposable Elements in Drosophila melanogaster.

The piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA) are small RNAs that target selfish transposable elements (TEs) in many animal genomes. Until now, piRNAs’ role in TE population dynamics has only been discussed in the context of their suppression of TE transposition, which alone is not sufficient to account for the skewed frequency spectrum and stable containment of TEs. On the other hand, euchromatic TEs can be epigenetically silenced via piRNA-dependent heterochromatin formation and, similar to the widely known “Position-effect variegation”, heterochromatin induced by TEs can “spread” into nearby genes. We hypothesized that the piRNA-mediated spread of heterochromatin from TEs into adjacent genes has deleterious functional effects and leads to selection against individual TEs. Unlike previously identified deleterious effects of TEs due to the physical disruption of DNA, the functional effect we investigated here is mediated through the epigenetic influences of TEs. We found that the repressive chromatin mark, H3K9me, is elevated in sequences adjacent to euchromatic TEs at multiple developmental stages in Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, the heterochromatic states of genes depend not only on the number of and distance from adjacent TEs, but also on the likelihood that their nearest TEs are targeted by piRNAs. These variations in chromatin status probably have functional consequences, causing genes near TEs to have lower expression. Importantly, we found stronger selection against TEs that lead to higher H3K9me enrichment of adjacent genes, demonstrating the pervasive evolutionary consequences of TE-induced epigenetic silencing. Because of the intrinsic biological mechanism of piRNA amplification, spread of TE heterochromatin could result in the theoretically required synergistic deleterious effects of TE insertions for stable containment of TE copy number. The indirect deleterious impact of piRNA-mediated epigenetic silencing of TEs is a previously unexplored, yet important, element for the evolutionary dynamics of TEs.
Growth, sugar accumulation, and dark respiration of suspension cell cultures derived from contrasting alfalfa cultivars

Fall dormancy results in decumbent, slow shoot growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in autumn and reduced shoot regrowth rates after herbage removal in summer. Although fall dormancy is used to predict alfalfa adaptation, we possess a poor understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying fall dormancy. Our objective was to examine growth and carbohydrate metabolism of suspension cell cultures derived from contrasting alfalfa cultivars that genetically differed in fall dormancy. Suspension cells were grown in B5h media containing 2% sucrose. Cells derived from fall non-dormant plants accumulated sugars more rapidly after transfer to fresh media and to higher concentrations than did cells derived from fall dormant alfalfa cultivars. Dark respiration rates of cells derived from non-dormant plants were similar to those derived from fall dormant plants when growth was limited at low cell sugar concentrations. However, both cell growth and dark respiration rates increased in cells derived from non-dormant cultivars in response to greater cell sugar concentrations. High growth rates of cells derived from rapid growing, fall non-dormant alfalfa cultivars were associated with rapid sugar uptake and higher cell respiration rates when compared to cells derived from dormant alfalfa cultivars.
Pure human inactive renin. Evidence that native inactive renin is prorenin.

Abstract To clarify contradicting observations on the identity of inactive renin and prorenin, inactive renin was completely purified from native human chorion laeve and the culture medium of human chorion cells. A 720,000-fold purification with 14% recovery was achieved from chorion laeve in 6 steps, including immunoaffinity chromatography on a monoclonal antibody to human renin coupled to Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B. A 3,100-fold purification with 40% recovery was achieved from chorion culture medium in 4 steps, including immunoaffinity chromatography. Inactive renin purified from the two different sources migrated as a single protein band with the same molecular weight of 47,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and consisted of multiple components that could be resolved by isoelectric focusing. Both had the same pI values which shifted downward upon activation by trypsin; however, relative peak heights were different between the two preparations. The purified inactive renin from chorion laeve was completely inactive and did not bind to pepstatin-aminohexyl-Sepharose; however, that from chorion culture medium was partially active and completely bound to the pepstatin gel, indicating that each molecule is partially activated. Trypsin-activated inactive renins from both sources were identical with human renal renin in terms of pH optimum and Km. Specific activities of trypsin-activated inactive renin from chorion laeve and chorion culture medium were 529 Goldblatt units/mg of protein and 449 Goldblatt units/mg of protein, respectively. Amino acid sequence analysis of both of the purified inactive renin preparations demonstrated a leucine residue at the amino terminus. The sequence of 11 additional amino acids was identical in both and agreed with that predicted from the base sequence of the renin gene. These findings indicate that preprorenin is converted to prorenin following removal of a 23-amino acid signal peptide and that the native inactive renin, whose amino acid sequence commences with Leu-Pro-Thr..., is prorenin.
The Inverse Effects of Military Innovations

Over the last six decades, militaries around the world have introduced new elite units in at unprecedented pace. These units should have led to less reliance on larger, less skilled units in specific types of military operations including long range reconnaissance, the usage of highly sophisticated technologies such as laser pointers and advanced anti tank and anti aircraft missiles, raids from the sea and counterinsurgencies. Yet, instead of focusing on their designated roles, such units often seem to gravitate towards operations which demand different sets of skills, most notably counterterrorism. The objective of this paper is to explain why elite soldiers who go through extensive and costly training are being deployed to operations which endanger them and as a result may undermine the ability of their unit to carry out the missions for which it was established in a time of need.