cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Going with the flow: Landscape position drives differences in microbial biomass and activity in conventional, low input, and organic agricultural systems in the Midwestern U.S.

Abstract While there has been long-term interest in identifying agricultural practices which promote soil ecological services, there remains little consensus on how practices such as low-input and organic impact soil microbial communities and their functions. In order to improve understanding of the response of soil microbial communities to shifts in agricultural management programs, a two year field study was conducted on large-scale conventional, low-input and organic fields associate with the Kellogg Biological Station, Long Term Ecological Research site near Kalamazoo, MI. Because large commercial agricultural fields typically exhibit diverse topography, plots were established in all fields at unique landscape positions to explore interactions between management and topographical position. Over the course of two growing seasons, differences in microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme production and carbon and nitrogen mineralization were quantified at different topographical positions (summits, slopes, and depressions) in each of the three agricultural management systems. Alone, management practices had little to no impact on soil microbial traits, however, significant management by landscape position and management by time interactions were observed for extracellular enzymes. Acid phosphatase activity on hill slopes was 35–52% greater in low input systems than in conventional and organic management systems. Similarly, spring amino peptidase activity was roughly 100% higher in low input than in organic systems. Landscape position also had substantial effects on both microbial biomass and enzyme activities. Topographical depressions exhibited significantly higher activities of β-N-acetylglucosaminadase, β-glucosidase, phenol oxidase and greater microbial biomass than summits and slopes (26%, 30%, 36%, and 55%, respectively). Similarly, peroxidase activity was approximately 38% greater in depressions and on summits than on hill slopes. Differences in microbial traits among positions were also negatively correlated with soil bulk density and sand content and positively correlated with clay, silt, carbon, nitrogen and moisture content. Our study stresses the importance of accounting for topographical heterogeneity when assessing the impact of management practices on belowground ecological function. Further, while management practices alone had little effect on soil microbial biomass and function, our study demonstrates that low input management programs may be beneficial for retaining microbial resources and thus promoting microbial activity on erosion-prone hill slopes.
Recommending ticket resolution using feature adaptation

In recent years, IT Service Providers have been rapidly introducing automation to their service delivery model. Driven by market pressure to reduce cost and maintain quality of services, they are looking for technologies that will allow rapid progress towards attainment of truly automated service delivery. Software monitoring systems are designed to actively collect and signal event occurrences and, when necessary, automatically generate incident tickets. Repeating events generate similar tickets, which in turn have a vast number of repeated problem resolutions likely to be found in earlier tickets. In our work, we develop techniques to recommend an appropriate resolution for incoming events by making use of similarities between the events and historical resolutions of similar events. The traditional KNN (K Nearest Neighbor) algorithm has been first applied to recommend resolutions for incoming tickets. Massive heterogeneous applications as well as various monitoring software are running on clients' servers to accomplish required tasks and to monitor system health via different metrics. It leads to generation of correlated tickets that have different symptom descriptions but similar resolutions. Furthermore, change of servers' environments can also induce similar situations in which ticket descriptions differ before and after change but could have similar resolutions. These correlated tickets cause performance degradation in ticket resolution recommendation. Therefore, we propose using SCL (structural corresponding learning) based feature adaptation to uncover feature mapping in different time intervals. Moreover, to put more insights into the periodic regularities existing in our ticket datasets, we apply our algorithm on tickets grouped by different time interval granularities. Extensive empirical evaluations on real-world ticket data sets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed methods.
Plant Life-Forms and Tropical Ecosystem Functioning

Life-form was said by Warming (1909) to represent the sum of adaptive characters in a species, and thus is an expression of the harmony between a plant and its environment. This colorful perspective, although too broad to be useful in classification, does highlight the essential point that life-form groupings should be ecologically relevant.
Cancer of the Spine

For the second consecutive year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute have released an annual US Cancer Statistics report (1). Published in collaboration with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, this report provides detailed information on cancer incidence, surveillance, epidemiology, and end results for 66 selected primary cancer sites and subsites for males (Table 1), 70 selected primary cancer sites and subsites for females (Table 2), and for all cancer sites combined (Figs. 1 and 2). In addition, these data have been analyzed with regard to geographic area, race, sex, and age (Table 3). According to the CDC and National Cancer Institute, 84% of the US population is covered in the 2000 surveillance report (1).
Possible triplet superconductivity in the quasi-one-dimensional conductor Li 0.9 Mo 6 O 17

We consider a theoretical problem of the upper critical magnetic field parallel to a conducting axis of a quasi-one-dimensional layered superconductor. We show that the orbital effects against superconductivity in a magnetic field are capable of destroying the superconducting phase at low temperatures if the interplane distance is less than the corresponding coherence length. Applications of our results to recent experiments, performed in the superconductor Li${}_{0.9}$Mo${}_{6}$O${}_{17}$ [J.-F. Mercure et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 187003 (2012)], provide strong arguments in favor of a triplet superconducting pairing in this quasi-one-dimensional layered conductor.
Discussion on design of mine layout and transportation

On the basis of combining mine layout and transportation design experiences of many years,content of mine layout and transportation design and its significance in the design of mine project were introduced simply,and the characteristics of mine layout and transportation design such as harmony,comprehensiveness,process and so on were described in detail.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Infectious Diarrhea in Dongguan,2011

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of infectious diarrhea in Dongguan city in 2011,and to provide basis for prevention and control measures. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the data of infectious diarrhea reported from national disease reporting information system in Dongguan,2011. Results Altogether 6,875 cases of infectious diarrhea were reported in 2011,with the incidence rate of 83. 63 / lakh,and 65. 76% of the cases were the children below 2 years old. The incidence peaked in October to December. A proportion of 9. 75% of the cases were laboratory- confirmed,among these cases rotavirus infection accounted for 94. 63%,and salmonella took 4. 03%. Children less than 2 years old accounted for 89. 12% of the rotavirus infection cases. Conclusion The children below 2 years old were the high-risk population of infectious diarrhea,and the incidence peaked in autumn and winter. Rotavirus was the major pathogen,especially among the children below 2 years old.
Meanings of School Health Education and Promoting "Tai Chi exercises" in Colleges

The schools takes "heath first" as the guiding ideology,it stresses the students' study interests and consciously exercise habit.Tai Chi exercises is made-to-measure for teenagers,it can not only have physical training any part of the body for college students,but also cultivate their ability and habit of consciously exercise,so as they can form a conscious of lifetime sport since it have far-reaching significance to popularize Tai Chi exercises in colleges.
Creating complex molecular topologies by configuring DNA four-way junctions

The realization of complex topologies at the molecular level represents a grand challenge in chemistry. This necessitates the manipulation of molecular interactions with high precision. Here we show that single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) knots and links can be created by utilizing the inherent topological properties that pertain to the DNA four-way junction, at which the two helical strands form a node and can be configured conveniently and connected for complex topological construction. Using this strategy, we produced series of ssDNA topoisomers with the same sequences. By finely designing the curvature and torsion, double-stranded DNA knots were accessed by hybridizing and ligating the complementary strands with the knotted ssDNA templates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a constructed ssDNA knot both to probe the topological conversion catalysed by DNA topoisomerase and to study the DNA replication under topological constraint. The synthesis of topologically non-trivial compounds requires the manipulation of molecular recognition with an extraordinarily high level of control. Now, DNA four-way junctions have been configured to construct synthetic DNA knots and links, which can then be used to investigate important DNA-processing enzymes.
Zarathustra, the Prophet of the Übermensch , and the Death-of-God Theme

Nietzsche wrote Thus Spoke Zarathustra in the 1880s at the height of his powers. Each of the first three of the book’s four parts he dashed off in about ten days.1 It is a major work, at once an epic-like account of the moral trials that Zarathustra must endure and a collection of Zarathustra’s prophetic speeches. In the manner of an allegory, it also contains Zarathustra’s encounters with various other quasi-mythical symbolic figures. These other opposing figures — the saint, the soothsayer, the dwarf, who is the spirit of gravity, and others, including the various higher men — speak in dialogue with Zarathustra. In this way there is in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, though on a smaller scale, something like the polyphony that we find in Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous corpus between his pseudonymous authors.
Laboratory setup to meet the educational needs for the future smart grid workforce

The ideas of smart grid and microgrid have gained prominence over the last decade and they are anticipated to be key players in the future power grid. With support from the Department of Energy (DOE) several universities have updated their power engineering curriculum with courses focused on the various aspects of smart grid. The intent of this paper is to demonstrate the recently setup “Smart Renewable Systems Laboratory” at the University of Houston. The specific laboratory demonstrations presented in this paper will supplement the smart grid curriculum developed for the undergraduate power engineering technology major.
A general theory for calculating magnetoacoustic effects in pure metals

Abstract A new experimental technique yields high-precision measurements of attenuation and dispersion of ultrasound in pure metals in the presence of a magnetic field, but existing theories have approximations which make it impossible to make accurate comparisons with the data. I have constructed a theory with few approximations to eliminate this problem. In addition, symmetry theorems are derived for the effects resulting from the reversal of the magnetic field direction. Calculations for very pure copper are in very good agreement with experimental data.
We, the millennials The statistical significance of political significance

Kevin Lin, winner of the 2017 Statistical Excellence Award for Early-Career Writing, explores political engagement via the social media site Reddit in the years leading up to the election of President Donald Trump
Development of the Internally Cutting Milling Cutter Model with Radial Advance for Treatment of Profiling Rolls

Abstract Demountable joints for torque transmission are some of the most important of the machine elements. High requirements on fatigue value, life time, etc. are made for them. In this paper we discuss the method of profiling rolls treatment with the application of the internally cutting milling cutter with radial advance. We have solved the task of modeling for the front and back surfaces of the cutter knives with the aid of the surface shaping geometrical theory. On the basis of the developed models it is possible to develop the cutting process model and calculate the evaluative parameters. This may lead to increasing of effectiveness of the design process for this cutters type.
Probing the dynamics of spontaneous cortical activities via widefield Ca+2 imaging in GCaMP6 transgenic mice

Studying the temporal and spectral characteristics of brain function under spontaneous activity has been recently receiving great interest in the field of neuroscience. By combining wavelet coherence and multivariate permutation test, this paper presents a new method for investigating changes in functional connectivity under spontaneous activity. The proposed method does not impose any prior assumption about the frequency bands that are involved in the activity, nor on the distribution of the data. The proposed method is applied on data obtained from widefield transcranial calcium imaging of GCaMP6 transgenic mice. Results on how function connectivity corresponding to two forms of spontaneous activity differ across frequency and space are presented.
A biochemical logarithmic sensor with broad dynamic range

Sensory perception often scales logarithmically with the input level. Similarly, the output response of biochemical systems sometimes scales logarithmically with the input signal that drives the system. How biochemical systems achieve logarithmic sensing remains an open puzzle. This article shows how a biochemical logarithmic sensor can be constructed from the most basic principles of chemical reactions. Assuming that reactions follow the classic Michaelis-Menten kinetics of mass action or the more generalized and commonly observed Hill equation response, the summed output of several simple reactions with different sensitivities to the input will often give an aggregate output response that logarithmically transforms the input. The logarithmic response is robust to stochastic fluctuations in parameter values. This model emphasizes the simplicity and robustness by which aggregate chemical circuits composed of sloppy components can achieve precise response characteristics. Both natural and synthetic designs gain from the power of this aggregate approach.
Survivorship care plans in safety net: Bridging the barriers.

68Background: Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are considered an important tool in survivorship care. SCP should include treatment summaries and follow up care plans and are intended to improve survi...
Safety of Bicyclopyrone on Several Vegetable Crops and Efficacy of Weed Control

Weed control in vegetable production is especially challenging, because few registered herbicides simultaneously offer excellent crop tolerance and broad-spectrum weed control. We report here the response of several vegetables and weeds to 37.5 and 50 g ai ha-1 of the new herbicide bicyclopyrone (BCP). Vegetable crops showed good tolerance to BCP PRE and post-directed (POST-DIR) in high organic matter content muck soil. POST BCP severely injured all crops. Soil type and the rate of BCP PRE significantly affected response of vegetable crops, and variety of onion was significant. POST BCP controlled hairy galinsoga and small common purslane plants (>80% injury). Hairy galinsoga was not controlled by BCP PRE application in muck soil but was controlled in a 2:3 (vol/vol) blend of Wooster silt loam and a commercial potting mix. Common purslane was slightly injured in the muck soil and was well controlled in the soil and potting mix blend by PRE BCP. The herbicide did not control prostrate pigweed in either soil type or at any growth stage.Nomenclature: Bicyclopyrone; common purslane, Portulaca oleracea L.; hairy galinsoga, Galinsoga quadriradiata Cav.; prostrate pigweed, Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats.; onion, Allium cepa L.
Alternative Techniques for Rate Estimation

Chapter 5 discussed different algorithms that might be used to detect cardiology related waveforms. The sequence of time intervals between the detected waveforms can be used to calculate the rate of the cardiac cycle. Cardiac rates are typically expressed as the number of beats per minute or as an average cycle length – the time interval between consecutive beats. These are reciprocally related: Rate (in beats/min) = 60 divided by average cycle length (in seconds)
Playing the Odds: Pascal’s Wager and Decision Making in the Long Scholarly Conversation

This talk explores some of the philosophical issues surrounding the nature of the scholarly record and current challenges in academic libraries. The discussion arises from a 2011 Chronicle of Higher Education feature on a widely influential 1979 article entitled “Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Making Under Risk,” which proposed a new model for how people assess risk and weigh decision factors. The theory has been applied to dozens of disciplines and cited thousands of times, and it has applications in academic collection development as well as everywhere else. It addressed the limitations of Utility Theory, which grew out of Pascal’s Wager (i.e., it’s safer to bet on the existence of God), but didn’t adequately explain how people— gamblers and insurance buyers, for instance—actually weigh risks and make decisions. The pace of change and new demands facing libraries offer the opportunity to ask new questions about the nature of the scholarly record. Increasing ubiquity and transience of information, along with rapidly shifting notions of authorship and ownership, offer some interesting questions about the role of academic library collections in scholarly communication as a whole.
THE SKIN | Functional morphology of the integumentary system in fishes

The integument that covers the outer surface of a fish’s body and fins is a multifunctional organ, with morphological features highly adapted to carry out these functions. The integument consists of two layers. The outer layer, the epidermis, is essentially cellular in structure, comprised of a multilayered epithelium that usually includes specialized cells. The inner layer, the dermis, is primarily a fibrous structure with relatively few cells, although it may contain scales, nerves, blood vessels, adipose tissue, and pigment cells.
Abstract B33: Assessing macrophage polarization in sarcomas with PD-L1 correlates

The role of innate and adaptive immunity in a wide range of human tumors has shown critical roles, though sometimes competing, in numerous immune components in both the tumor and the tumor microenvironment (TME). The PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in both tumor and the TME has become high priority in correlative biomarkers of human disease with increasing number of targeted agents showing high levels of durable response. The in situ analysis of viral defense pathway, interferon response, and PD-L1 status has provided strong preliminary data of correlative staining by immunohistochemistry in colon and lung carcinomas. Generally, such human tumors arise in organs with frequent and high exposure to external/foreign antigens. Here we expand our IHC staining to include human tumors arising from sites with varied immune activity to include uterine wall (leiomyosarcoma), subcutaneous connective tissue to include dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), soft tissue sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. IHC panel includes immune markers of CD4, CD8, CD68 (M1 macrophages), CD163 (M2 macrophages); dsRNA antibodies (J2 and K1); MDA 5, RIG 1, STAT 1, and pSTAT1; PD-L1 and PD-1; and interferon response markers IRF 3, IRF 7, and IFIT 1. Immunostaining is ongoing and supports preliminary sarcoma phenotype of quite varied PD-L1 immunoreactivity with lower prevalence than lung and colon carcinomas. Immune markers of T-cell subset and macrophage M1 and M2 are significantly lower in sarcoma samples and detailed analysis of M1 and M2 macrophages in DFSP, STS, fibrosarcomas, and osteosarcoma. Each tumor type is represented on single TMA with 8-12 samples each from the Van Andel Institute Biorepository Core. In our experience, tissue site density and macrophage subtypes and difference in polarized macrophages (M2) in relation to CD4 and CD8 markers were significant in relation to PD-L1 and require further exploration. Improved characterization of PD-L1 pathway and potential surrogate markers to compile immune competency profiles will include early results from our IHC staining for dsRNA fragments to lend support to endogenous retroviral activation in a wide range of both carcinomas and sarcomas. Citation Format: Galen Hostetter, Lorenzo Sempere, Scott Jewell, Steve Baylin. Assessing macrophage polarization in sarcomas with PD-L1 correlates [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference on Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation; May 16-19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B33.
Electrochromic Window Demonstration at the John E. Moss Federal Building, 650 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California

Author(s): Fernandes, Luis; Lee, Eleanor S; Dickerhoff, Darryl; Thanachareonkit, Anothai; Wang, Taoning; Gehbauer, Christoph
Association Between Flexibility and Low Back Pain in Female Adolescent Gymnasts.

Objective To determine the relationship between low back pain (LBP), flexibility, and individual demographic characteristics in competitive adolescent female gymnasts. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting Gymnastics facilities in Colorado. Participants Six- to 18-year-old gymnasts who participate in the USA Gymnastics Women's Artistic Junior Olympic Program levels 3 to 10. Independent variables Demographic data included height, weight, menstrual status, gymnastics level, and participation hours per week. Flexibility measurements were obtained on the gymnasts. Gymnasts also completed a questionnaire documenting LBP in the past 12 months. Univariable (t test and χ) analyses were used to assess between-group differences; multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between LBP, flexibility, and demographics/injury history. Main outcome measures Low back pain within the past 12 months. Results Thirty (45%) of 67 gymnasts reported LBP within the past year. Those who reported LBP were older (11.7 vs 13.7 years, P = 0.005), heavier (37.5 vs 43.4 kg, P = 0.049), and participated in gymnastics more often (19.1 vs 22.4 h/wk, P = 0.017). A greater proportion of gymnasts with LBP had experienced menarche compared with those without LBP (47% vs 16%; P = 0.008). On multivariable analysis, gymnasts with LBP were less likely to have left Iliotibial (IT) band tightness compared with those without LBP [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.186; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.04-0.82] and more likely to have experienced menarche (aOR = 8.0; 95% CI, 1.2-50.9). Conclusions Low back pain is more common in gymnasts who experienced menarche, whereas limited joint flexibility does not seem to be associated with LBP in this population.
Women's Expectation of Receiving Reproductive Health Care at Catholic and Non‐Catholic Hospitals

Context Catholic hospitals operate under directives that prohibit the provision of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion. Little research has examined women's awareness of these institutions' policies, which affects their ability to make informed decisions about where to seek care. Methods In 2016, some 1,430 women aged 18-45 were recruited from a U.S. probability-based research panel for a survey about hospital care. Respondents were randomized to a hypothetical Catholic or nonreligious hospital group and asked about their expectations for receiving nine specific reproductive services. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between participants' characteristics and their correctly identifying a hospital as Catholic, as well as between characteristics and expecting that birth control pills, tubal ligation or abortion for serious fetal indications would be provided there. Results Women randomized to the Catholic hospital group were less likely than those randomized to the nonreligious group to expect provision of birth control pills (77% vs. 86%), tubal ligation (70% vs. 78%) or abortion for serious fetal indications (42% vs. 54%). Income level was associated with correctly identifying the Catholic hospital: Compared with individuals with the lowest income, those in three of the four other income groups were more likely to identify the hospital as Catholic (odds ratios, 1.9-2.2). In comparison with women who misidentified the Catholic hospital, those who identified it as Catholic had lower expectations that the hospital would provide birth control pills (0.3), tubal ligation (0.5) or abortion (0.2). Conclusions Many women do not realize the breadth of restrictions on reproductive health care at Catholic hospitals. Without institutional transparency, patient autonomy and health outcomes may be compromised.
The reality of limping to pediatric heart transplantation.

Abstract Objective Improvements in surgical technique, critical care, and early repair for congenital heart disease (CHD) have led to improved outcomes with heart transplantation, often used as a salvage procedure after failed palliation, especially in infants. These patients, however, often have several risk factors for poor posttransplant survival. We aimed to identify the reality of survival after heart transplantation in patients “limping to transplant” with common risk factors. Methods All heart transplant recipients younger than 18 years were identified from the UNOS data set from 2000 to 2017. Modifiable risk factors (MRFs) of mechanical ventilation, renal dysfunction, and liver dysfunction at transplant and nonmodifiable risk factors of infancy at listing or CHD were examined. One-year posttransplant survival was analyzed with logistic regression. Results Of 4101 transplants, 1459 patients (36%) had 1 or more MRFs. There was a decrease in 1-year survival with additional MRFs up to a 9.1-times increased risk of death in an infant with CHD. A noninfant without CHD and no MRFs had a 95% 1-year survival, in contrast to an intubated patient with CHD without other end-organ dysfunction, who had 1-year survival of 76%, which decreased to 58% if they were an infant and also had renal dysfunction. Conclusions Patients “limping to transplant” with multiple risk factors demonstrates decreasing early survival relative to those without other end-organ dysfunction. It is imperative that we have transparent discussions about expected outcomes with these families and identify ways to optimize patients’ conditions through other supportive avenues to improve posttransplant outcomes.
Teaching Research through Critical Analysis Using "good" and "bad" Research

One of the hardest undergraduate courses to teach is research methods. Dozens of books try to break down the research process but reading about how to conduct research can often be rather boring and abstract. Students learn research best by engaging in the process of research themselves. Instead of using a conventional research methods book that tends to be dense and often leans heavily towards quantitative analysis, I have developed a course that focuses on linking methodology to theory, critically analyzing and breaking down existing research from various sources that is both excellent and lacking, and working through small tasks in class in order to introduce students to the research process. This paper explains my teaching process, the challenges I have faced over time and the resulting changes I’ve made to the curriculum, and evaluating student performance. I also explore next steps for our department.
Hebbian-Type Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation: A Potential Treatment of Impaired Hand Function in Chronic Stroke Patients:

Background. Stroke often involves primary motor cortex (M1) and its corticospinal (CST) projections. As hand function is critically dependent on these structures, its recovery is often incomplete. Objective. To determine whether impaired hand function in patients with chronic ischemic stroke involving M1 or CST benefits from the enhancing effect of Hebbian-type stimulation (pairing M1 afferent stimulation and M1 activity in a specific temporal relationship) on M1 plasticity and hand function. Methods. In a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled design, 20 patients with chronic ischemic stroke affecting M1 or CST were randomly assigned to 5 days of hand motor training that was combined with either Hebbian-type (trainingHebb) or sham stimulation (trainingsham) of the lesioned M1. Measures of hand function and task-based M1 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity were collected prior to, immediately following, and 4 weeks after the intervention. Results. Both interventions were effective in improving affected hand function at the completion of training, but only participants in the trainingHebb group maintained functional gains. Changes in hand function and fMRI activity were positively correlated in both ipsilesional and contralesional M1. Compared with trainingsham, participants in the trainingHebb group showed a stronger relationship between improved hand function and changes in M1 functional activity. Conclusions. Only when motor training was combined with Hebbian-type stimulation were functional gains maintained over time and correlated with measures of M1 functional plasticity. As hand dexterity is critically dependent on M1 function, these results suggest that functional reorganization in M1 is facilitated by Hebbian-type stimulation. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01569607.
Online Machine Learning Based Predictor for Biological Systems

Predicting the behaviour of biological systems is challenging due to their complex nonlinear nature. This paper applies an online machine learning-based methodology to predict the output of biological systems without a priori knowledge of their dynamical models or training data. The presented online predictor is based on a class of artificial neural networks, called Radial Basis Function (RBF) network. The learning capability and low computational complexity of the presented online predictor makes it a promising approach to be utilized in real-time prediction of biological systems. The satisfactory performance of the presented method is validated by applying it to experimental data from a light induced gene-regulatory network.
Specialized Smooth Muscle Cell Progenitors in Pulmonary Hypertension

The accumulation of excessive and ectopic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is integral to the pathogenesis of diverse cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, restenosis and pulmonary hypertension. Unfortunately, underlying mechanisms are poorly understood which markedly limits therapeutic options. In the idiopathic form of pulmonary hypertension, reduced pulmonary artery compliance is a strong independent predictor of mortality (Mahapatra et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 47(4):799–803, 2006). Distal arteriole endothelial tubes in the normal lung lack a SMC coating, and pathological distal arteriole muscularization contributes to the reduced compliance. Recently, we identified specialized progenitors that are located at the muscular-unmuscular border of each arteriole in the normal lung and express markers of SMCs and the undifferentiated mesenchyme marker platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (Sheikh et al. Cell Rep 6(5):809–17, 2014; Sci Transl Med 7(308):308ra159, 2015). Upon exposing mice to hypoxia, these “primed” SMC progenitors are induced to express the pluripotency factor Kruppel-like factor 4 (Sheikh et al. Sci Transl Med 7(308):308ra159, 2015). Subsequently, one of these primed cells migrates distally and in a cell autonomous hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1-α-dependent manner and clonally expands, giving rise to distal arteriole SMCs (Sheikh et al. Sci Transl Med 7(308):308ra159, 2015; Cell Rep 23(4):1152–65, 2018). Additionally, endothelial cell HIF1-α-dependent signaling contributes in a non-cell autonomous manner, regulating induction, proliferation and differentiation of primed cells (Sheikh et al. Cell Rep 23(4):1152–65, 2018).
Renal and segmental artery hemodynamic response to acute, mild hypercapnia.

Profound increases (>15 mmHg) in arterial carbon dioxide (i.e., hypercapnia) reduce renal blood flow. However, a relatively brief and mild hypercapnia can occur in patients with sleep apnea or in t...
On enhancing efficiency and accuracy of particle swarm optimization algorithms

The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm has been recently introduced in the non--linear programming, becoming widely studied and used in a variety of applications. Starting from its original formulation, many variants for improvement and specialization of the PSO have been already proposed, but without any definitive result, thus research in this area is nowadays still rather active. This paper goes in this direction, by proposing some modifications to the basic PSO algorithm, aiming at enhancements in aspects that impact on the efficiency and accuracy of the optimization algorithm. In particular, variants of PSO based on fuzzy logics and Bayesian theory have been developed, which show better, or competitive, performances when compared to both the basic PSO formulation and a few other optimization algorithms taken from the literature.
A Brief History of Race and the U.S.-Mexican Border: Tracing the Trajectories of Conquest

The conquest of Mexico between 1846 and 1848 has largely disappeared from public consciousness as a significant historical event with contemporary consequences. Yet this conquest resulted in the annexation by the United States of approximately one-half of former Mexico, constituting most of the current southwestern United States. In this Article, I describe the roles that race and racism played in justifying the conquest, and I explore some of the current consequences of the conquest. One of the defining features of any conquest is the subordination of the conquered. The history of the conquered Mexicans of the Southwest demonstrates this purposeful subordination. Through careful redrafting of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the U.S. Congress reserved to itself discretion over when to admit the conquered territories as states. Congress waited until Mexicans were politically disempowered racial minorities within each territory before admitting the conquered territories as states with political representation. This happened earliest in the cases of Texas (annexed in 1845) and California, and latest in New Mexico, which was denied statehood until 1912. The minimization of the political power of Mexicans as Mexicans emerges, then, as a prominent theme of the conquest. I believe this theme can be generalized to all Latino peoples subject to U.S. conquest. The minimization of the political power of Latinos continues today, in at least three areas. First, nearly four million U.S. citizens resident in Puerto Rico live without voting rights or political representation in the federal government, yet are subject to federal law, violating democratic theory. Second, the intentional, long-term exploitation of undocumented Latino immigrant labor maximizes agricultural profits while minimizing the potential political power of the immigrants. Lastly, attempts to curtail the use of Spanish through Official English laws and other restrictions symbolize the subordination of Spanish speakers and result in less access and use of the democratic process. These are some of the “trajectories of conquest.” The study of this history helps explain why Latino political power always seems less significant than population numbers and demographic projections suggest it should be.
A new species of Ceratogaulus from Nebraska and the evolution of nasal horns in Mylagaulidae (Mammalia, Rodentia, Aplodontioidea)

Members of the Mylagaulidae have been known for over a century to bear nasal horns; the only rodents, extinct or extant, ever to have done so. This striking feature is known from five of the over 3...
Electrocardiogram interpretation in college athletes: Local institution versus sports cardiology center interpretation.

Abstract Background Electrocardiogram (ECG) screening in athletes enhances the detection of conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD), but concerns remain for false positive results when conducted outside of specialized centers. This study compared ECG interpretation in college athletes between local physicians and a sports cardiology center (SCC). Methods Screening ECGs in athletes from eight Pacific-12 Conference institutions performed between 2010 and 2016 were included. Local interpretation was compared to SCC interpretation using both the Seattle Criteria (SCC-SC) and the International Criteria (SCC-IC). Results A total of 2445 athlete ECGs (mean age 18.5 years; 57.1% male; 63.2% Caucasian and 15.3% African American) were reviewed. The proportion of ECGs classified as abnormal was similar between local and SCC-SC interpretation (3.5% vs. 3.4%, respectively; p = .94), but was lower by SCC-IC interpretation (1.5%, p Conclusions ECG interpretation by local physicians at college universities had similar accuracy compared to a specialized SCC with a low overall abnormal rate, similar sensitivity, and substantial interobserver reliability. Uniform application of current ECG interpretation standards is recommended to further improve accuracy.
Protein kinase A inhibitor proteins (PKIs) divert GPCR-Gαs-cAMP signaling toward EPAC and ERK activation and are involved in tumor growth

The PKA-inhibitor (PKI) family members PKIα, PKIβ, and PKIγ bind with high affinity to PKA and block its kinase activity, modulating the extent, and duration of PKA-mediated signaling events. While PKA is a well-known regulator of physiological and oncogenic events, the role of PKI proteins in these pathways has remained elusive. Here, by measuring activation of the MAPK pathway downstream of GPCR-Gαs-cAMP signaling, we show that the expression levels of PKI proteins can alter the balance of activation of two major cAMP targets: PKA and EPAC. Our results indicate that PKA maintains repressive control over MAPK signaling as well as a negative feedback on cAMP concentration. Overexpression of PKI and its subsequent repression of PKA dysregulates these signaling pathways, resulting in increased intracellular cAMP, and enhanced activation of EPAC and MAPK. We also find that amplifications of PKIA are common in prostate cancer and are associated with reduced progression free survival. Depletion of PKIA in prostate cancer cells leads to reduced migration, increased sensitivity to anoikis and reduced tumor growth. By altering PKA activity PKI can act as a molecular switch, driving GPCR-Gαs-cAMP signaling toward activation of EPAC-RAP1 and MAPK, ultimately modulating tumor growth.
Prenatal diagnosis of mosaic trisomy 2 and literature review.

We presented two cases of mosaic trisomy 2 with high risk of maternal serum screening and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The invasive amniocentesis was performed and genetic tests including karyotype, single nucleotide polymorphism array(SNP-array), interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were employed to detect the chromosomal abnormality. Cytogentic analysis of the case 1 and 2 showed a mosaic karyotype consisting of two cell lines (mos 47,XY,+2[8]/46,XY[19] and mos 47,XX,+2[7]/46,XX[28], respectively). SNP-array using DNA extracted from uncultured amniotic fluid cells revealed a result of arr[GRCh38](2)x2~3, which indicated that chromosome 2 may be trisomy of mosaicism in both two cases. The results of interphases FISH confirmation test showed that three red signals of the CEP 2 specific probe in 14%(14/100) and 12%(12/100) of the two cases’ cells, respectively, which indicated a mosaicism for trisomy 2 in the uncultured amniocytes. Fetal ultrasound of case 1 suggested that the long bone is smaller than the gestational age, while the case 2 showed that the biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC) and femur length (FL) were smaller than gestational age along with abnormal cardiac structure. We presented two cases with mosaic trisomy 2 and performed confirmatory genetic testing using cultured and uncultured amniocytes. When maternal serum screening and NIPT suggesting high risk, genetic counselor should be alert for increasing possibility of chromosomal anomalies if combined with abnormal ultrasound findings.
Self-Debriefing After Virtual Simulation: Measuring Depth of Reflection

Abstract Background Educators are challenged to provide facilitator-led debriefings immediately following asynchronous virtual simulations. Self-debriefing may be a solution, but evidence of reflection via self-debriefing is missing. Method An exploratory, descriptive design was used. Students completed virtual simulations followed by a self-debriefing activity. Mezirow’s definitions of reflective thinking informed a rating rubric: (L-1) Habitual Action, (L-2) Understanding, (L-3) Reflection, (L-4) Critical Reflection. Results The mean rating for all submissions (n = 176) was 2.92. Mean ratings per question ranged from 2.64 to 3.40 for Q1-Description for Q3-Evaluation. Over 75% of submissions received a majority of L-3 or higher ratings. Conclusions Students demonstrated reflective thinking at varying levels through self-debriefing.
Development and comprehensive evaluation of a new spring-steel-driven glove for grasping assistance during activities of daily living.

Millions of people suffer from a decline in grip strength and hand function due to conditions such as chronic disease, injuries, and aging. Hand function decline results in difficulties with perfor...
Teaching to Save the World: Avoiding Circles of Certainty in Social Justice Education

The greatest risk to social justice education lies in what it hopes to redress: restrictions on the possibility for a new future. Social justice educators may lapse into what Paulo Freire called “circles of certainty” when they believe that they know how to pursue a more just future or they know the shape a more just future should take. This form of knowing encloses social justice pedagogy, its students, and its teachers in circles of certainty that limit possibilities, in terms of both what actions may be taken in order to work toward a more just future and what a more just future would entail. Opening the space for the many possibilities of social justice education will require a move away from knowing to thinking.
Dealing with Difference in Desistance Theory: The Promise of Intersectionality for New Avenues of Inquiry

The last two decades have witnessed a rapid growth in research and theorizing about the desistance process, namely the causal mechanisms behind the termination or slowing of offending that frequently accompany adulthood. This flurry of scholarly activity has been spurred by both the ascendance of the life course paradigm of criminology, which examines patterns of criminal offending over the life span, but also by the very real practical demands of supporting the transitions of over 700,000 former prisoners released to their communities each year. The field of desistance theory has expanded upon its original formulations that were largely (although not exclusively) based on White males and has recently turned to examining (1) the potential invariance of desistance processes for members of other groups and (2) the unique experiences of reentry and pathways to desistance for sub-groups. In this essay, we review these recent developments, particularly as they relate to women, persons of color, and incarcerated youth. Finally, we turn to the intersectionality framework, which examines the social location of individuals within interlocking systems of oppression (e.g., race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, and ability, among others). We conclude with some suggestions for how intersectionality could be used to expand the conceptual and practical boundaries of research on desistance and reentry.
Molecular analyses of the Salmonella g ... flagellar antigen complex.

Salmonella flagellar filaments are polymers of a highly antigenic protein, termed flagellin. Eight main subfactors have been identified in the Salmonella phase-1 g. . . series flagellar antigen. To determine the molecular basis for expression of the epitopes by which the g. . . family subfactors are distinguished, 10 members of this series were selected and their fliC (the structural gene for phase-1 flagellin) genes were sequenced. Comparative analyses of the inferred primary structures of these flagellins did not allow the identification of linear epitopes responsible for the antigen subfactors. This suggests that conformational aspects are involved in determining the antigenic specificity in these cases. A phylogenetic analysis of the flagellin sequences showed that members of the g. . . series do not form a single coherent unit.
Analysis of variance

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a statistical procedure for summarizing a classical linear model—a decomposition of sum of squares into a component for each source of variation in the model—along with an associated test (the F-test) of the hypothesis that any given source of variation in the model is zero. When applied to generalized linear models, multilevel models, and other extensions of classical regression, ANOVA can be extended in two different directions. First, the F-test can be used (in an asymptotic or approximate fashion) to compare nested models, to test the hypothesis that the simpler of the models is sufficient to explain the data. Second, the idea of variance decomposition can be interpreted as inference for the variances of batches of parameters (sources of variation) in multilevel regressions.
The effect of giving class time for reading on the reading achievement of fourth graders and the effect of using a computer-based reading management program on the reading achievement of fifth graders

This study investigated the problem that educators have throughout the state of Texas. The problem educators have is that reading scores continue to fall short of state expectations. This study investigated the effectiveness of 90 minutes of class time given for reading to students who use the Electronic Bookshelf Program and the effectiveness of the Electronic Bookshelf Program, which is being sold to school districts throughout the nation. The literature review focused on the effectiveness of independent reading on reading achievement, and the effectiveness of using computer-based reading programs to increase reading achievement.