cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reassessment of the routine anaerobic culture and incubation time in the BacT/Alert FAN blood culture bottles.

Abstract A total of 9,130 blood cultures were collected from adult patients with suspected bloodstream infections. The recommended 20 mL sample of blood was divided equally between the aerobic and anaerobic FAN bottles and monitored in the BacT/Alert Microbial Detection System for a total of 5 days. There were 757 clinically significant positive culture pairs from 291 patients. Significant differences were found with greater recovery of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p Acinetobacter spp. ( p = 0.002), coagulase-negative staphylococci other than Staphylococcus epidermidis ( p = 0.002), and Candida spp. ( p p P. aeruginosa bacteremia ( p p p
A Taylor expansion approach for solving partial differential equations with random Neumann boundary conditions

Abstract Nonlinear partial differential equation with random Neumann boundary conditions are considered. A stochastic Taylor expansion method is derived to simulate these stochastic systems numerically. As examples, a nonlinear parabolic equation (the real Ginzburg–Landau equation) and a nonlinear hyperbolic equation (the sine–Gordon equation) with random Neumann boundary conditions are solved numerically using a stochastic Taylor expansion method. The impact of boundary noise on the system evolution is also discussed.
An efficient quadrilateral element for plate bending analysis

A simple, shear flexible, quadrilateral plate element is developed based on the Hellinger/Reissner mixed variational principle with independently assumed displacement and stress fields. The crucial point of the selection of appropriate stress parameters is emphasized in the formulation. For this purpose, a set of guidelines is formulated based on the follwoing considerations: (1) suppression of all kinematic deformation modes, (2) the element has a favorable value for the constraint index in the thin plate limit, and (3) element properties are frame-invariant. For computer implementation the components of the element stiffness matrix are evaluated analytically using the symbolic manipulation package MACSYMA. The effectiveness and practical usefulness of the proposed element are demonstrated by the numerical results of a variety of problems involving thin and moderately thick plates under different loading and support conditions.
Improving Query-Based Summarization Using Document Graphs

Text summarization is an important problem, which has numerous applications. This problem has been extensively studied and many approaches have been proposed in the literature for its solution. One of the most challenging problems in the field of text summarization is generating a user-focused summary based on a query. In this paper, we investigate a new approach that tackles this problem and proposes a new solution using document graphs. We have employed data from Document Understanding Conference 2006 (DUC-2006).
Abubakar Siddique. The Pashtuns: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan

Abubakar Siddique explains how both the Afghani and Pakistani governments have failed to incorporate the Pashtuns into their political structures, which has hurt the stability of both countries. Dr...
Ecosystem Impacts of Exotic Annual Invaders in the Genus Bromus

An understanding of the impacts of exotic plant species on ecosystems is necessary to justify and guide efforts to limit their spread, restore natives, and plan for conservation. Invasive annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum, B. rubens, B. hordeaceus, and B. diandrus (hereafter collectively referred to as Bromus) transform the structure and function of ecosystems they dominate. Experiments that prove cause-and-effect impacts of Bromus are rare, yet inferences can be gleaned from the combination of Bromus-ecosystem associations, ecosystem condition before/after invasion, and an understanding of underlying mechanisms. Bromus typically establishes in bare soil patches and can eventually replace perennials such as woody species or bunchgrasses, creating a homogeneous annual cover. Plant productivity and cover are less stable across seasons and years when Bromus dominates, due to a greater response to annual climate variability. Bromus’ “flash” of growth followed by senescence early in the growing season, combined with shallow rooting and annual habit, may lead to incomplete use of deep soil water, reduced C sequestration, and accelerated nutrient cycling. Litter produced by Bromus alters nearly all aspects of ecosystems and notably increases wildfire occurrence. Where Bromus has become dominant, it can decrease soil stability by rendering soils bare for months following fire or episodic, pathogen-induced stand failure. Bromus-invaded communities have lower species diversity, and associated species tend to be generalists adapted to unstable and variable habitats. Changes in litter, fire, and soil properties appear to feedback to reinforce Bromus’ dominance in a pattern that portends desertification.
The Influence of Small Mammals and Other Factors Upon the Larch Sawfly Survival

This paper presents the results of a series of quantitative studies and experiments concerning the factors that influence mortality of the larch sawfly, Lygaeonematus erichsonii , in the cocoon stage. Facts are presented to show that the physical conditions that exist in the sphagnum moss in tamarack swamps are much more favorable for hibernation of the sawflies than are the conditions that are to be found under tamarack on high ground. Of the biotic factors that operate to reduce the numbers of the sawfly in the cocoon stage small mammals, particularly mice, play a much more important role than do the insect parasites and fungus diseases.
Novel muscarinic receptor mutant mouse models.

Muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (mAChRs; M1–M5) regulate the activity of an extraordinarily large number of important physiological processes. During the past 10–15 years, studies with whole-body M1–M5 mAChR knockout mice have provided many new insights into the physiological and pathophysiological roles of the individual mAChR subtypes. This review will focus on the characterization of a novel generation of mAChR mutant mice, including mice in which distinct mAChR genes have been excised in a tissue- or cell type-specific fashion, various transgenic mouse lines that overexpress wild-type or different mutant M3 mAChRs in certain tissues or cells only, as well as a novel M3 mAChR knockin mouse strain deficient in agonist-induced M3 mAChR phosphorylation. Phenotypic analysis of these new animal models has greatly advanced our understanding of the physiological roles of the various mAChR subtypes and has identified potential targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, drug addiction, cognitive disorders, and several other pathophysiological conditions.
Operational performance of the University of Minnesota 45kWe high-flux solar simulator

This paper presents measured performance of the University of Minnesota’s 45 kWe indoor high-flux solar simulator. The simulator consists of seven radiation units, each comprised of a 6.5 kWe xenon short arc lamp coupled to a reflector in the shape of a truncated ellipsoid of revolution. Data include flux distribution at the focal plane for all seven radiation units operating in tandem and for individual radiation units. The flux distribution is measured optically by acquiring the image of radiation reflected from a Lambertian target with a CCD camera equipped with neutral density optical filters. The CCD camera output is calibrated to irradiation using a circular foil heat flux gage. It is shown that accurate calibration of the heat flux gage must account for its response to the spectral characteristics of the radiation source. The simulator delivers radiative power of approximately 9.2 kW over a 60-mm diameter circular area located in the focal plane, corresponding to an average flux of 3.2 MW m−2, with a peak flux of 7.3 MW m−2.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Modeling Droplet Heat and Mass Transfer during Spray Bar Pressure Control of the Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) Tank in Normal Gravity

A CFD model for simulating pressure control in cryogenic storage tanks through the injection of a subcooled liquid into the ullage is presented and applied to the 1g MHTB spray bar cooling experiments. An Eulerian-Lagrangian approach is utilized to track the spray droplets and capture the interaction between the discrete droplets and the continuous ullage phase. The spray model is coupled with the VOF model by performing particle tracking in the ullage, removing particles from the ullage when they reach the interface, and then adding their contributions to the liquid. A new model for calculating the droplet-ullage heat and mass transfer is developed. In this model, a droplet is allowed to warm up to the saturation temperature corresponding to the ullage vapor pressure, after which it evaporates while remaining at the saturation temperature. The droplet model is validated against the results of the MHTB spray-bar cooling experiments with 50% and 90% tank fill ratios. The predictions of the present T-sat based model are compared with those of a previously developed kinetic-based droplet mass transfer model. The predictions of the two models regarding the evolving tank pressure and temperature distributions, as well as the droplets' trajectories and temperatures, are examined and compared in detail. Finally, the ullage pressure and local vapor and liquid temperature evolutions are validated against the corresponding data provided by the MHTB spray bar mixing experiment.
Regulation of Cutaneous Stress Response Pathways by the Circadian Clock: From Molecular Pathways to Therapeutic Opportunities

The skin is a protective barrier that defends against harmful environmental stressors such as solar radiation, chemical toxins, and pathogenic microbes. Our environment is highly dynamic, with robust time-of-day dependent fluctuations in temperature, solar radiation, and probability of injury and infections. In addition, oxidative metabolism and cell-cycle progression in epidermal stem cells show prominent diurnal rhythms. Accumulating evidence suggests that the skin’s circadian clock optimizes its physiology to meet the demands of this changing environment. The responsiveness of the skin to external stressors such as UVB radiation from the sun, and toxic pollutants, is regulated in a circadian manner on multiple levels. Furthermore, the robustness of inflammatory responses following injury, infections, exposure to allergens, pollutants, and drugs is dependent on the time of day in which exposure occurs. The diurnal variation in the responsiveness to external stressors may be important for skin integrity and organismal health. We speculate that such circadian gating may be important as constitutively high activation of stress response pathways could be deleterious for health; for example constant high activity of the immune system could contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases.
Characteristics and Products of the Reductive Degradation of 3-Nitro-1,2,4-Triazol-5-One (NTO) and 2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN) in a Fe-Cu Bimetal System

It has been shown previously that, under acidic conditions, 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO) and 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) degrade in the presence of iron/copper bimetal particles; the reactions can be modeled by pseudo-first-order kinetics. This study investigates the reaction mechanisms of the degradation processes under different conditions. Batch studies were conducted using laboratory-prepared solutions and an industrial insensitive munition-laden (IMX) wastewater. The influence of parameters such as initial pH of the solution, copper/iron (Fe-Cu) contact, and solid/liquid ratio were systematically investigated to assess their impact on the reaction kinetics. These parameters were subsequently incorporated into pseudo-first-order decomposition models for NTO and DNAN. The activation energies for the degradation reactions were 27.40 and 30.57 kJ mol−1, respectively. Degradation intermediates and products were identified. A nitro-to-amino pathway, which ultimately may lead to partial mineralization, is postulated. The amino intermediate, aminonitroanisole, was detected during DNAN degradation, but for NTO, aminotiazolone is suggested. Additionally, urea was identified as a degradation product of NTO.
Comparative DNA sequence analyses of Pyramimonas parkeae (Prasinophyceae) chloroplast genomes

Prasinophytes form a paraphyletic assemblage of early diverging green algae, which have the potential to reveal the traits of the last common ancestor of the main two green lineages: 1) chlorophyte algae and 2) streptophyte algae. Understanding the genetic composition of prasinophyte algae is fundamental to understanding the diversification and evolutionary process that may have occurred in both green lineages. In this study, we sequenced the chloroplast genome of Pyramimonas parkeae NIES254 and compared it with that of P. parkeae CCMP726, the only other fully sequenced P. parkeae chloroplast genome. The results reveal that P. parkeae chloroplast genomes are surprisingly variable. The chloroplast genome of NIES254 is larger than that of CCMP726 by 3,204 bp NIES254 LSC is 288 bp longer, the SSC is 5,088 bp longer, and the IR is 1,086 bp shorter than that of CCMP726. Similarity values of the two strains are almost zero in four large hot spot regions. Finally, the strains differ in copy number for three protein-coding genes: ycf20, psaC, and ndhE. Phylogenetic analyses using 16S and 18 S rDNA and rbcL sequences resolved a clade consisting of these two P. parkeae strains and a clade consisting of these plus other Pyramimonas isolates. These results are consistent with past studies indicating that prasinophyte chloroplast genomes display a higher level of variation than is commonly found among land plants. Consequently, prasinophyte chloroplast genomes may less useful for inferring the early history of Viridiplantae than has been the case for land plant diversification. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
"No one acknowledged my loss and hurt": non-death loss, grief, and trauma in foster care

How do youth in foster care experience non-death loss? Drawing upon the theories of ambiguous loss, symbolic loss, and disenfranchised grief, this applied theoretical article integrates research findings to address how youth experience loss, grief, and trauma in foster care. Youth’s reports illustrate experiences of non-death loss, the impact of non-death loss on psychological and emotional well-being, and how non-death losses are disenfranchised and enfranchised within the foster care system. Recommendations are made that child welfare agencies consider how their practices and policies can be enhanced to meet the needs of grieving youth in foster care.
Criminal Procedure and the Good Citizen

There is an aspect of criminal procedure decisions that has for too long gone unnoticed, unrecognized, and unremarked upon. Embedded in the Supreme Court’s criminal procedure jurisprudence — at times hidden in plain sight, at other times hidden below the surface — are asides about what it means to be a “good citizen.” The good citizen, for example, is willing to aid the police, willingly waives their right to silence, and welcomes police surveillance. And this is just the start. Read between the lines, and the Court’s “citizenship talk” also dictates how a good citizen should behave, move, and even speak. “Criminal Procedure and the Good Citizen” surfaces this aspect of the Court’s criminal procedure decisions to explore a series of questions about the nature of power, participation, and citizenship today, especially with respect to the police. These concerns alone should be reason enough to question the Court’s citizenship talk. But there is another concern as well. At this time when for so many individuals, the criminal justice system is their primary civics education, when so many criminal procedure opinions are also on a certain level race opinions, the Court’s citizenship talk may very well further inequality. This article addresses these concerns. And it takes a first step in imagining a space in which citizens would have the ability, without repercussions or recrimination, to talk back to the police, to ask why and how come, to assert their rights, to question and test the boundaries of the law, and to say “no.”
What the Resistance to High-Stakes Testing Can Teach Us about Urban Classrooms

High-stakes, standardized testing has become the central tool for education reform over the last several decades, largely based on the premise that such testing holds schools and teachers accountable for educating all children—especially poor children and children of color who are often concentrated in urban school systems (Au, 2016a).
Stability Theory and Invariance Principles

This chapter presents topological dynamic systems. The invariance principle states that if the positive limit sets of a dynamical system have an invariance property, then Liapunov functions can be used to obtain information on the location of positive limits sets. The application of this principle then gives a generalization of the classical Liapunov theory of stability and instability. Applications of invariance principles have gone beyond autonomous ordinary differential equations and are known for many types of general dynamical systems. Despite of the simplicity of the basic ideas, discovering the way to associate a dynamical system with a particular class of functional equations, integral equations, partial differential equations, or evolutionary equations can be difficult, and it can be nontrivial and nonelementary to obtain a theory that gives direct methods for studying stability and asymptotic behavior.
The Changing Sensory and Sympathetic Innervation of the Young, Adult and Aging Mouse Femur.

Abstract Although bone is continually being remodeled and ultimately declines with aging, little is known whether similar changes occur in the sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers that innervate bone. Here, immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to examine changes in the sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers that innervate the young (10 days post-partum), adult (3 months) and aging (24 months) C57Bl/6 mouse femur. In all three ages examined, the periosteum was the most densely innervated bone compartment. With aging, the total number of sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers clearly declines as the cambium layer of the periosteum dramatically thins. Yet even in the aging femur, there remains a dense sensory and sympathetic innervation of the periosteum. In cortical bone, sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers are largely confined to vascularized Haversian canals and while there is no significant decline in the density of sensory fibers, there was a 75% reduction in sympathetic nerve fibers in the aging vs. adult cortical bone. In contrast, in the bone marrow the overall density/unit area of both sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers appeared to remain largely unchanged across the lifespan. The preferential preservation of sensory nerve fibers suggests that even as bone itself undergoes a marked decline with age, the nociceptors that detect injury and signal skeletal pain remain relatively intact.
Production and Administration Cost in Relation to Size of Firm

Professor Melman examines some data for US manufacturing industry and finds that at given times production costs per dollar of sales did not vary, on the average, with the size of the firm, and that administration costs per dollar of sales were less for larger firms. The significance of these results is discussed.
Using the Rasch Model to Equate Alternate Forms for Performance Assessments of Physician’s Clinical Skills

In circumstances where performance assessments of physician’s clinical skills are used to make important promotional or curric-ular decisions, it may be necessary to produce multiple equivalent forms of the assessment. Relatively little has been reported regarding appropriate methods for establishing equivalence across such forms. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential usefulness of the Rasch model for equating forms of a computer-based simulation of physicians’ clinical skills. In addition to assessing the fit of the model to the test data, the paper provides a comparison of the Rasch model to other approaches that have been used to equate clinical skills assessments (e.g., standardized-patient-based examinations). The potential advantages of the Rasch model are discussed as are considerations for its application.
Delivering Pediatric Palliative Care: From Denial, Palliphobia, Pallilalia to Palliactive

Among the over 21 million children with life-limiting conditions worldwide that would benefit annually from a pediatric palliative care (PPC) approach, more than eight million would need specialized PPC services. In the United States alone, more than 42,000 children die every year, half of them infants younger than one year. Advanced interdisciplinary pediatric palliative care for children with serious illnesses is now an expected standard of pediatric medicine. Unfortunately, in many institutions there remain significant barriers to achieving optimal care related to lack of formal education, reimbursement issues, the emotional impact of caring for a dying child, and most importantly, the lack of interdisciplinary PPC teams with sufficient staffing and funding. Data reveals the majority of distressing symptoms in children with serious illness (such as pain, dyspnea and nausea/vomiting) were not addressed during their end-of-life period, and when treated, therapy was commonly ineffective. Whenever possible, treatment should focus on continued efforts to control the underlying illness. At the same time, children and their families should have access to interdisciplinary care aimed at promoting optimal physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Persistent myths and misconceptions have led to inadequate symptom control in children with life-limiting diseases. Pediatric Palliative Care advocates the provision of comfort care, pain, and symptom management concurrently with disease-directed treatments. Families no longer have to opt for one over the other. They can pursue both, and include integrative care to maximize the child’s quality of life. Since most of the sickest children with serious illness are being taken care of in a hospital, every children’s hospital is now expected to offer an interdisciplinary palliative care service as the standard of care. This article addresses common myths and misconceptions which may pose clinical obstacles to effective PPC delivery and discusses the four typical stages of pediatric palliative care program implementation.
An Assessment of Theoretical and Methodological Development in International Marketing: 1980-1990

This study examines the state of the art in international marketing research published in the 1980–90 period, and probes significant changes in the field, both in terms of the substance of research...
(269) Which Patients for Yoga? Investigating Differential Effects of a Six-Week Daily Yoga Intervention on Pain, Catastrophizing, and Sleep among Women with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic widespread pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and catastrophizing. This pilot study explored whether gentle, daily yoga-based exercise practice could improve pain and sleep quality, and whether certain patient phenotypes were associated with greater improvement. Fibromyalgia patients (n = 36) attended a six-week yoga program, with weekly, in-person, pain-tailored group yoga classes, and were sent daily yoga videos to practice for 30 minutes at home. Participants completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), Promis-29 scales, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Additionally, they completed daily electronic diaries and wore a wrist actigraph to measure sleep efficiency during 3 weeks, at baseline, 2nd, and 6th week of yoga. Pain, fatigue, and sleep quality, although improved overall, varied among participants. Multilevel modeling analysis of daily ratings in week 6 revealed no main effect for baseline anxiety and catastrophizing on pain, fatigue and sleep efficiency. However, a significant interaction between these was observed for all three outcomes (fatigue: B=.060±.022, p=0.01, sleep efficiency: B=-.40±.015, p = 0.01, pain: B=.055±.020, p=0
Cannabis use and psychiatric illness in the context of medical marijuana legalization: A clinical perspective.

Abstract Objective More than half of the U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana. Emerging evidence suggests that medical marijuana legalization may increase marijuana use and cannabis use disorder (CUD). CUD is comorbid with, and exacerbates, numerous psychiatric conditions, including misuse of other substances. It is unclear if marijuana is a gateway to other drug use, if it is simply a marker of another variable or shared experiences. Thus, we aim to present a perspective of the potential impact of medical marijuana legalization on CUD, focusing on the relationship of CUD to other psychiatric disorders. Findings Medical marijuana legalization may lead to problematic cannabis use in patients with depressive symptoms, individuals with genetic predispositions, and those with certain early life stressors or who use in order to cope. Past positive experience with marijuana use may contribute to patient desire to seek medical marijuana treatment. Despite approved indications, medical marijuana often only leads to partial relief of its intended target symptom. While recreational marijuana use increases likelihood of using other drugs and is detrimental to recovery from other substance use disorders, the relationship between medical marijuana use and polysubstance use or risk of addiction relapse is uncertain. Conclusions and relevance Legalized medical marijuana use may increase rates of CUD, although further research is needed to clarify this association. Based on the literature, it is our perspective that patients with affective symptoms and those with other substance use disorders are at increased risk of developing CUD and its sequelae. Given the uncertainty surrounding how prescribed marijuana may interact with other disorders, it is paramount that clinicians make patient-specific judgments as to the risks and benefits of the treatment.
Sensor as a Solution: Recent Progress in Intelligent Sensors Development

Sensors by MEMS technology in smart portable devices play an important role in corresponding to five human sensory systems, enhancing user convenience, and enriching user experience. The versatility of usage has led to a recent rapid development of sensor technology, resulting in commoditized sensors with low cost and high performance. Along with the smart deployment of those sensors, new types of MEMS sensors are always required for application in emerging areas such as autonomous vehicles, smart factories and so on. Recently, edge computing with a deep learning accelerator enables data filtering and classification. Although it shows a primitive level of context awareness for inferencing and decision-making, we believe that it will be one of the most important core technologies to accomplish smart loT, smart factory, and smart city technology. In our presentation, sensor technology and its evolution from devices to sensor-based services will be presented.
Antigen presentation through MHC class I and class II pathways induced by various DC-tumor fusion cells

4709 We have demonstrated that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are involved in the antitumor immunity induced by DC-tumor fusion cells. To further dissect the role of antigen presentation through MHC class I and/or class II pathways, in the present study, we created various types of DC-tumor fusion cells by alternating the DC and/or tumor fusion partners. Fusions of MC38/MUC1 carcinoma cells (MHC class I and MUC1-positive and MHC class II-negative) with dendritic cells (DC) from wild-type (WT-DC), MHC class I knockout (IKO-DC), or class II knockout (IIKO-DC) mice created FC/WT-DC (MUC1, MHC class I and class II positive), FC/IKO-DC (MUC1, MHC class I and class II positive) and FC/IIKO-DC (MUC1 and MHC class I positive), respectively. MHC class II- and MUC1-positive fusion cells were constructed by fusion of B16/MUC1 melanoma cells (MUC1-positive, MHC class I and class II-negative) with IKO-DC (FC/B16/IKO-DC). Immunization of MUC1 transgenic (MUC1.Tg) mice with 5 x 105 FC/WT-DC (N=13), FC/IKO-DC (N=12) and FC/IIKO-DC (N=13) provided 100, 91.7 and 61.5% protection against tumor challenge with MC38/MUC1 cells, respectively. By contrast, all the mice immunized with irradiated MC38/MUC1 tumor cells or DC alone developed tumors. One group of MUC1.Tg mice (N=14) were immunized with 5 x 105 FC/B16/IKO-DC and then challenged with B16/Ia+/MUC1 on one side of the flank and MC38/MUC1 on another side. Immunization with FC/B16/IKO-DC resulted in 100 and 78.6% protection against tumor challenge by B16/Ia+/MUC1 and MC38/MUC1, respectively. These results are of interest since the antitumor immunity induced by immunization with FC/B16/IKO-DC is able to inhibit the growth of MHC class II-negative tumor. In addition, the in vivo results were correlated well with the induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Collectively, these results indicate that while both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are involved in the immune responses induced by the DC/tumor fusion cells, CD4+ T cells activated through MHC class II pathway play a more important role in the antitumor tumor immunity.
Transcriptome Responses of Spirodela polyrhiza

In order to analyze the transcriptome of any species, RNA-seq has become the gold standard and evolved into a variety of library preparations and sequencing platforms to study more than mRNA abundance. This chapter reviews the transcriptional studies of Spirodela polyrhiza, the best-characterized member of the Lemnaceae family in a genomic sense. To date, there have been three studies of its transcriptome. The first two analyzed ribosomal RNA depleted total RNA of fronds and fronds developing into turions after exposure to abscisic acid. The first study analyzed 154 down-regulated genes involved in growth and 208 upregulated genes involved in starch, anthocyanin production, and seed development. The second study found 66 sites where chloroplast mRNAs were edited to create a functional protein, supporting the hypothesis that mRNA editing was evolved once, and the conservation of editing sites was phylogenetically correlated. The third study, also performed in the 7498 ecotypes, was sequencing of the uncapped polyadenylated transcripts. While the main aim was to observe miRNA induced cleavage, differences in the post-transcriptional regulation or abundance of degraded transcripts across the eight sequencing conditions can be observed. Taken together, these studies cover mRNA expression, post-transcriptional editing, and finally degradation.
Transoral Robotic Surgery versus Plasma Ablation for Tongue Base Reduction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Meta-analysis.

ObjectivesTo compare the effectiveness of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) versus plasma ablation (PA) in tongue base reduction surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Data SourcesPubMed, Scopus,...
Bright Light Treatment of Combat-related PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent consequence of combat with significant associated morbidity. Available treatments for PTSD have had limitations, suggesting a need to explore alternative or adjuvant treatments. Numerous rationales for bright light treatment of PTSD include its benefits for common PTSD comorbidities of depression, anxiety, and circadian misalignment and its relative ease of use with few side effects. The primary aims of this research were to examine the effects of bright light treatment for combat-related PTSD and associated morbidity. Materials and methods A randomized controlled trial was performed in N = 69 veterans with PTSD attributable to combat in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. Following a 1-week baseline, participants were randomized to 4 weeks of daily morning bright light treatment (10,000 lux for 30 min/day) or a control treatment (inactivated negative ion generator). At baseline and at the end of treatment, participants were rated blindly on the Clinician Assessed PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), and the Hamilton Depression Scale and rated themselves on the PTSD Checklist-Military (PCL-M). Following baseline and each treatment week, participants completed self-reported scales of state anxiety, depression, and sleep, and sleep and the circadian rhythm of wrist activity were also assessed with wrist actigraphy. Results Compared with the control treatment, bright light elicited significantly greater improvements in the CAPS and CGI-Improvement. The bright light also elicited a significantly greater rate of treatment response (reduction ≥33%) for the CAPS (44.1% vs. 8.6%) and PCL-M (33% vs. 6%), but no participant had remission from PTSD. Changes in depression, anxiety, and sleep did not differ between treatments. Improvement in CAPS was significantly correlated with a phase advance of the circadian rhythm of wrist activity. Conclusions The most comprehensive study on the topic to date indicated significant short-term efficacy of bright light treatment on the primary variables (CAPS and CGI) with clinical relevance (i.e., treatment response) in veterans with chronic PTSD who did not report extremely high habitual light exposure. No significant effects were found for anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbance. Further research is warranted, particularly exploration of circadian phase-shifting mechanisms of bright light for PTSD.
RPCL: A Framework for Improving Cross-Domain Detection with Auxiliary Tasks.

Cross-Domain Detection (XDD) aims to train an object detector using labeled image from a source domain but have good performance in the target domain with only unlabeled images. Existing approaches achieve this either by aligning the feature maps or the region proposals from the two domains, or by transferring the style of source images to that of target image. Contrasted with prior work, this paper provides a complementary solution to align domains by learning the same auxiliary tasks in both domains simultaneously. These auxiliary tasks push image from both domains towards shared spaces, which bridges the domain gap. Specifically, this paper proposes Rotation Prediction and Consistency Learning (PRCL), a framework complementing existing XDD methods for domain alignment by leveraging the two auxiliary tasks. The first one encourages the model to extract region proposals from foreground regions by rotating an image and predicting the rotation angle from the extracted region proposals. The second task encourages the model to be robust to changes in the image space by optimizing the model to make consistent class predictions for region proposals regardless of image perturbations. Experiments show the detection performance can be consistently and significantly enhanced by applying the two proposed tasks to existing XDD methods.
Solution Processed Lead Telluride Nanowires as a Passivating Layer to CdTe Photovoltaics

Here, we report the application of lead telluride (PbTe) nanowires (NWs) as a passivating layer to cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells enhancing the opto-electronic properties and device performance. The PbTe NWs were synthesized using hot injection colloidal method and applied to CdTe films using a spin-coating process. Steady state photoluminescence (PL) and time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements from the back side of the device show evidence of passivation in the form of reduced back surface recombination. Devices fabricated using these NWs demonstrate improved open-circuit voltage (V OC ) and fill factor (FF) in agreement with the desired effects of surface passivation.
Theory for the dynamics of dense systems of athermal self-propelled particles

We present a derivation of a recently proposed theory for the time dependence of density fluctuations in stationary states of strongly interacting, athermal, self-propelled particles. The derivation consists of two steps. First, we start from the equation of motion for the joint distribution of particles' positions and self-propulsions and we integrate out the self-propulsions. In this way we derive an approximate, many-particle evolution equation for the probability distribution of the particles' positions. Second, we use this evolution equation to describe the time dependence of steady-state density correlations. We derive a memory function representation of the density correlation function and then we use a factorization approximation to obtain an approximate expression for the memory function. In the final equation of motion for the density correlation function the nonequilibrium character of the active system manifests itself through the presence of a new steady-state correlation function that quantifies spatial correlations of the velocities of the particles. This correlation function enters into the frequency term, and thus it describes the dependence of the short-time dynamics on the properties of the self-propulsions. More importantly, the correlation function of particles' velocities enters into the vertex of the memory function and through the vertex it modifies the long-time glassy dynamics.
Studies on aminochromes. 3. Transformation of epinephrine, adrenochrome and adrenolutin into plasma-soluble melanins during incubation in human blood plasma.

Abstract l -epinephrine, adrenochrome and adrenolutin after incubation in human blood plasmas at 37 ° for 24 hours produce very similar plasma-soluble compounds which have the same brown color, the same odor, the same yellow-green fluorescence in ultraviolet light and very similar excitation maxima of approximately 340 mμ, 404 mμ and fluorescence maxima of approximately 482 mμ. They also have the same or similar ultraviolet and visible spectra with absorption maxima of approximately 280 mμ and virtually the same paper chromatograms with RF value of approximately 0.78 in a solvent system of 5% MeOH-95% water. These compounds have been given the name “rheomelanins” because they are plasma-soluble and brown in color. The results of the present studies indicate that the indole pathways of epinephrine metabolism are available in man.
Enhancing ABET EC2000 preparation using a Web-based survey/reporting tool

This paper describes the use of an on-line survey and reporting tool to enhance ABET EC2000 preparation and to support consistent student evaluation of instruction. The tool includes interfaces to support chair, faculty and student processes necessary to publish, collect, and report survey information on learning outcomes from individual courses. This work includes tracking relationships of course outcomes to departmental and program outcomes, as well as use of the tool to collect and analyze data to support continuous quality improvement. The paper also describes an EC2000 process, the integration of the survey and reporting tool into the process, and the benefits derived from its use.
GDS-II Trojan detection using multiple supply pad V DD and GND I DDQ s in ASIC functional units

We propose a parametric, side-channel-based method designed to detect malicious changes that have been made to the chip layout, i.e., the GDS-II representation, by an adversary. We measure steady-state leakage currents (Gddq) from multiple, topologically distributed power ports on the chip and propose a chip-averaging method for eliminating within-die variations and improving the Hardware Trojan (HT) signal-to-process-noise detection sensitivity of our statistical-based detection methods. The technique is validated for the first time by measuring Iddq from an ASIC with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Floating Point Unit (FPU) macros, 16 Vdd and GND ports and a set of special HT emulation circuits. Iddq data is measured from multiple copies of the IBM, 90 nm ASIC.
Multimorbidity and Increased Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (S16.003)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between multimorbidity and risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity, the coexistence of 2 or more chronic conditions in an individual, is highly prevalent among older adults. Multimorbidity may contribute to increased risk of MCI, an important precursor for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. However, the association has not been comprehensively investigated in a population-based setting. DESIGN/METHODS: Prospective study involving cognitively normal subjects enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA) in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Participants underwent a clinical evaluation at baseline and 15-month intervals to determine diagnoses of MCI and dementia. Information on International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) codes for chronic conditions in the five years prior to enrollment was electronically captured using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records linkage system. Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more chronic conditions. The association of multimorbidity with MCI/dementia was examined using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Among 2,174 cognitively normal participants (mean [SD] age 78.5 [5.2] years; 50.6[percnt] men), 1,684 (77.5[percnt]) had multimorbidity. The risk of MCI/dementia was elevated in persons with multimorbidity (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.47; 95[percnt] Confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.89). In addition, there was a significant dose response association with increasing number of chronic conditions (p for trend = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In older adults, having multiple chronic conditions is associated with an increased risk of MCI/dementia, and is consistent with the hypothesis that multiple etiologies may contribute to MCI and late-life dementia. Preventing chronic diseases may be useful in delaying or preventing MCI or dementia Study Supported by: National Institutes of Health grants U01 AG006786, K01 AG028573, P50 AG016574, K01 MH068351; by the Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail van Buren Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program and was made possible by the Rochester Epidemiology Project (R01AG034676). Disclosure: Dr. Vassilaki has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cha has nothing to disclose. Dr. St. Sauver has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mielke has nothing to disclose. Dr. Geda has nothing to disclose. Dr. Machulda has nothing to disclose. Neurology, Deputy Editor, Dr. Petersen has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc. and Janssen Alzheimer9s Immunotherapy. Dr. Roberts has nothing to disclose.
Comparison of Bacterial Luminescence and Fish Bioassay Results for Fossil-Fuel Process Waters and Phenolic Constituents

A number of fossil-fuel process waters and some phenolic constituents were tested in a luminescent bacterial system, and the results were compared with either static or flow-through acute bioassays with fish. Luminescencewas decreased in a concentration-dependent manner after the addition of an oil shale process water. The concentration causing 50 percent inhibition of luminescence (EC 5 0 ) was reproducibly determined for all the tested waters and compounds. The EC 5 0 values for a group of fossil-fuel process waters correlated with 96-h rainbow trout flow-through median lethal concentrations (LC 5 0 s) but not with 96-h flow-through LC 5 0 s for fathead minnows. For another group of process waters, the EC 5 0 s for luminescence inhibition had a significant correlation to static 24-h LC 5 0 s with fathead minnows. Both rainbow trout and fathead minnow LC 5 0 s were lower than luminescence EC 5 0 s for the phenolic compounds. Inhibition of bacterial luminescence may be of value in predicting the toxicity of complex effluents to aquatic biota, especially when semicontinuous monitoring is required. However, in each case the bacterial bioluminescence assay should be calibrated periodically with acute bioassays using aquatic biota.
Effects of the Driving Mechanism in MHD Simulations of Coronal Mass Ejections

Results of time-dependent MHD simulations of mass ejections in the solar coronal are presented. Previous authors have shown that results from simulations using a thermal driving mechanism are consistent with the observations only if an elaborate model of the initial corona is used. The first simulation effort, using a simple model of a plasmoid as the driving mechanism and a simple model of the initial corona, produces results that are also consistent with many observational features, suggesting that the nature of the driving mechanism plays an important role in determining the subsequent evolution of mass ejections. First simulations are based on the assumption that mass ejections are driven by magnetic forces.
Three Policy Decisions Animate Revision of Uniform Partnership Act

The Uniform Partnership Act ("UPA") was approved by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (the "Conference") in 1914 and the Uniform Limited Partnership Act ("ULPA") was approved in 1916. The ULPA was revised first in 1976 and again in 1985 ("RULPA"). After the ULPA had become RULPA, it was only a matter of time that the UPA would become RUPA. In 1984, Georgia enacted the UPA with many changes. In January of 1986, an American Bar Association subcommittee issued a detailed report that recommended extensive changes to the UPA, many of them along the lines of the recent Georgia changes. In the Fall of 1986, Congress enacted the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The 1986 Act made partnerships more attractive by setting corporate income tax rates higher than individual income tax rates while tightening up on the corporate income tax.
Interleukin-1 alpha mediates an alternative pathway for the antiproliferative action of poly(I.C) on human endothelial cells.

The antiproliferative effect of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) on human tumor and normal cells has been well established. However, the genes involved in the dsRNA-induced antiproliferative response and the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs remain less well defined. We have studied the ability of synthetic dsRNA, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I.C)) to modify human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) growth and report that poly(I.C) induces a dose-dependent inhibition of HUVEC proliferation in vitro. In addition, the mRNA levels for the cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and interferon-beta 1 are induced in poly(I.C)-treated cells. Moreover, the growth inhibitory effects of poly(I.C) are relieved when cells are grown in the presence of an IL-1 alpha antisense oligonucleotide to the human IL-1 alpha transcript. Thus, the effects of poly(I.C) appear to be mediated, in part, through the function of IL-1 alpha, suggesting an alternative pathway for dsRNA-mediated inhibition of human endothelial cell growth.
Shear flow over a protuberance on a plane wall

Simple shear flow over a protuberance with an axisymmetric shape projecting from a plane wall with its axis normal to the wall is studied by means of a boundary-integral method that is suitable for computing three-dimensional Stokes flow in axisymmetric domains. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of three scalar Fredholm integral equations of the first kind for the distribution of traction over the surface of the protuberance and the wall, and is solved by means of a boundary-element method. Numerical computations are performed for a family of protuberances whose exposed surface is a section of a sphere or of an oblate spheroid with its minor axis normal to the wall, and the results are in agreement with those of previous analytical computations for hemi-spherical and spherical shapes. The numerical computations provide accurate information on the hydrodynamic force and torque exerted on the protuberances due to the shear flow, and the distribution of shear stresses, and illustrate the kinematical structure of the flow with reference to the development of stagnation points and flow reversal.