cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholesterol Ester Storage Disease and Mesenteric Lipodystrophy

Cholesterol ester storage disease is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder of lipid associated with acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase deficiency. Thus far, 15 cases have been reported in the world literature. Reported here is the autopsy study of the oldest patient with this disease. The lipid storage occurred in the forms of birefringent needle-shaped crystals limited to hepatocytes and non-birefringent autofluorescent granules accumulated within the foam cells of the hepatic portal triads, duodenum, and ovaries. The cholesterol content of the liver was 16 times normal, primarily caused by increased cholesterol ester. Only trace cholesteryl ester hydrolase activity was demonstrated in the liver. An additional unique finding in our case was the presence of mesenteric lipodystrophy. Whether these two rare disorders observed in our patient represent unrelated conditions or have an etiologic association remains unknown.
Iron Deficiency Anemia

In this article we discuss iron deficiency anemia, including historical landmarks, the importance of a careful clinical approach to the patient including history and physical findings, and the pertinence of specific historical, social, medicinal, and systematic complaints and highlight salient physical findings. Additionally, the logical and sequential laboratory evaluation of a patient with suspected or documented iron deficiency anemia, the differential diagnosis of hypochromic, microcytic anemias, and cost containment is delineated. We emphasize that if iron deficiency anemia is approached in a logical and sequential manner, a prompt, specific diagnosis can be made and effective therapy can usually be instituted with relative ease.
Displacement Damage in Ne Implanted Magnesium Oxide

Displacement damage profiles measured for 1-to-4. 8 MeV Ne implantation of MgO agree with LSS energy deposition profiles for doses near 10 cm” . For higher doses, damage profiles appear to penetrate further than anticipated on the basis of LSS. Below 3x10 cm” , for room temperature implants, approximately 100 stable F centers are formed per incident 3 MeV Ne . This defect formation efficiency quickly decreases for high dose, falling to 0.1 per Ne+ by 1017 cm-2 . Following F -center anneal at 600°C, a large deformation related band at 5. 8 eV remains, the intensity of which suggests massive deformation and plastic flow within and near the damage layer. Such plastic flow, releaving stress built-up by high-dose implantation, may be related to the distorted damage profiles.
Study of Cempatibility of Medicines in Treatment of Juvenile Antritis

Objective To research the curative effect of compatibility of antibiotics,mucus lysine and herbs prescription in treatment of juvenile antritis,screen out the most effective therapy scheme,and determine the course of treatment as far as possible,and improve the clinical cure rate.Mothods According to the different combination of antibiotics, mucus lysine and herbs prescription, the patients were divided into three groups:(1)Clarithromycin Tablet,Acetylcysteine Granules and herbs prescription;(2)Cefaclor,Acetylcysteine Crannules and herbs prescription;(3)Other antibiotibiotics , expectorant and herbs prescription,the control group.Results Compatibility of antibiotics,mucus lysine and herbs prescription can improve the effective rate obviously in treatment of juvenile antritis.The course of treatment should be continued no less than 2 months,and curative effect should be based on X-ray examination of maxillary antrum.Cefaclor,Acetylcysteine Granules and herbs prescription was 90.2%,Clarithromycin Tablets,Acetylcysteine Granules and herbs prescription was 79.4%.Other antibiotics,expectorant and herbs prescription was 55.0%.Conclusion The selection is cefaclor,Acetylcysteine Granules and herbs prescription is better than the other.
Wheelchair use in ultra-lightweight wheelchair users.

AbstractPurpose: The goal of this study was to describe how ultra-lightweight wheelchair users use their wheelchairs during everyday mobility.Method: We instrumented a convenience sample of 69 ultra-lightweight wheelchair users with a seat switch to measure their occupancy, and an accelerometer on their wheel to measure distance wheeled, time spent wheeling and daily bouts of mobility.Results: On the median day, subjects wheeled 83 bouts and 1.4 km over 45 min. A typical bout of mobility was 8.3 m in length, lasting 20 s and occurring at a speed of 0.44 m/s. Fast (>1 m/s) and long (>2 min) bouts represented less than 4% of bouts and were more common among younger participants and those who were employed or a student.Conclusions: Highly functional manual wheelchair users present with a significant mobility disability, moving far less than their ambulating peers despite moving with similar mobility characteristics. The typical bout characteristics – short and slow bouts – are consistent with indoor mobility...
Design of Food Process Controls Systems

Abstract Design of food process controls includes the specification of sensors, actuators, controllers, software, and networks that must be fully compatible and integrated into a working system. This process control system must have real benefits for the enterprise to justify the costs. Many in the food industry think of process automation as a luxury that can only be justified by the largest processors. However, even small, self-contained systems purchased directly from a manufacturer typically have automatic controls installed. Process controls, automatic controls, and automation are similar terms that are commonly used interchangeably.
Engagement with the auditory processing system during targeted auditory cognitive training mediates changes in cognitive outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia.

Background Individuals with schizophrenia who engage in targeted cognitive training (TCT) of the auditory system show generalized cognitive improvements. The high degree of variability in cognitive gains maybe due to individual differences in the level of engagement of the underlying neural system target. Method 131 individuals with schizophrenia underwent 40 hours of TCT. We identified target engagement of auditory system processing efficiency by modeling subject-specific trajectories of auditory processing speed (APS) over time. Lowess analysis, mixed models repeated measures analysis, and latent growth curve modeling were used to examine whether APS trajectories were moderated by age and illness duration, and mediated improvements in cognitive outcome measures. Results We observed significant improvements in APS from baseline to 20 hours of training (initial change), followed by a flat APS trajectory (plateau) at subsequent time-points. Participants showed interindividual variability in the steepness of the initial APS change and in the APS plateau achieved and sustained between 20 and 40 hours. We found that participants who achieved the fastest APS plateau, showed the greatest transfer effects to untrained cognitive domains. Conclusions There is a significant association between an individual's ability to generate and sustain auditory processing efficiency and their degree of cognitive improvement after TCT, independent of baseline neurocognition. APS plateau may therefore represent a behavioral measure of target engagement mediating treatment response. Future studies should examine the optimal plateau of auditory processing efficiency required to induce significant cognitive improvements, in the context of interindividual differences in neural plasticity and sensory system efficiency that characterize schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record
Derivation of Transgene-Free Rat Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Approximating the Quality of Embryonic Stem Cells

Although a variety of reprogramming strategies have been reported to create transgene-free induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from differentiated cell sources, a fundamental question still remains: Can we generate safe iPS cells that have the full spectrum of features of corresponding embryonic stem (ES) cells? Studies in transgene-free mouse iPS cells have indicated a positive answer to this question. However, the reality is that no other species have a derived transgene-free iPS cell line that can truly mimic ES cell quality. Specifically, critical data for chimera formation and germline transmission are generally lacking. To date, the rat is the only species, other than the mouse, that has commonly recognized authentic ES cells that can be used for direct comparison with measure features of iPS cells. To help find the underlying reasons of the current inability to derive germline-competent ES/iPS cells in nonrodent animals, we first used optimized culture conditions to isolate and establish rat ES cell lines and demonstrated they are fully competent for chimeric formation and germline transmission. We then used episomal vectors bearing eight reprogramming genes to improve rat iPS (riPS) cell generation from Sprague-Dawley rat embryonic fibroblasts. The obtained transgene-free riPS cells exhibit the typical characteristics of pluripotent stem cells; moreover, they are amenable to subsequent genetic modification by homologous recombination. Although they can contribute significantly to chimeric formation, no germline transmission has been achieved. Although this partial success in achieving competency is encouraging, it suggests that more efforts are still needed to derive ground-state riPS cells. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:340-351.
Reliability and energy efficiency of zero energy homes(Conference Presentation)

Photovoltaic (PV) modules and systems are being installed increasingly on residential homes to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy mix. The ultimate goal is to attain sustainability without subsidy. The prices of PV modules and systems have declined substantially during the recent years. They will be reduced further to reach grid parity. Additionally the total consumed energy must be reduced by making the homes more energy efficient. FSEC/UCF Researchers have carried out research on development of PV cells and systems and on reducing the energy consumption in homes and by small businesses. Additionally, they have provided guidance on PV module and system installation and to make the homes energy efficient. The produced energy is fed into the utility grid and the consumed energy is obtained from the utility grid, thus the grid is assisting in the storage. Currently the State of Florida permits net metering leading to equal charge for the produced and consumed electricity. This paper describes the installation of 5.29 KW crystalline silicon PV system on a south-facing tilt at approximately latitude tilt on a single-story, three-bedroom house. It also describes the computer program on Building Energy Efficiency and the processes that were employed for reducing the energy consumption of the house by improving the insulation, air circulation and windows, etc. Finally it describes actual consumption and production of electricity and the installation of additional crystalline silicon PV modules and balance of system to make it a zero energy home.
Sustainable Pyrolytic Production of Zerovalent Iron

Pyrolysis of biorenewable feedstocks and iron oxides is potentially a greener and more sustainable pathway to producing zerovalent iron (ZVI) for environmental rehabilitation. The resulting biochar-zerovalent iron (BC-ZVI) also shows improved remediation kinetics of trichloroethylene over conventional ZVI. Understanding the transformations of iron to ZVI and the influence of feedstock chemistry on ZVI is critical to the production of BC-ZVI and has not been reported previously. BC-ZVI production was studied by one-step pyrolysis of cellulose, corn stover, dried distillers’ grain, red oak, and switchgrass pretreated with FeCl3. Pyrolysis at 900 °C effectively reduced Fe to ZVI with most feedstocks; however, the association of silicon (Si) and phosphorus (P) with Fe resulted in formation of fayalite and Fe phosphates and phosphides, which limited ZVI production efficiency and/or facilitated corrosion of ZVI. Dispersion of ZVI phases on biochar surfaces and association with Si facilitated oxidation of ZVI du...
Nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma: A population-based analysis.

Abstract Objectives/hypothesis To describe the incidence and determinants of survival of patients with nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma between the years of 1973 to 2012 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. Study design Retrospective cohort study using a national database. Methods The SEER registry was utilized to calculate survival trends for patients with nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma between 1973 and 2012. Patient data was then analyzed with respect to histopathology, age, sex, race, stage, grade, and treatment modalities (surgery and radiation therapy). Overall (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were calculated. Results A total of 148 cases of nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma were identified. The cohort was composed of 54.7% males. The mean age at diagnosis was 59.0 years. The median OS was 60.6 months. 59.4% of cases were treated with surgery, while 64.1% received radiation therapy. OS at 2, 5, and 10 years was 63%, 49%, and 36%, respectively. There was no significant difference in OS and DSS between adenocarcinoma of the nasopharynx versus the sinonasal tract ( p > 0.05). On univariate analysis, younger age, surgery, surgery and radiation, and lower tumor grade were associated with improved OS and DSS, while papillary subtype, lower stage, and no distant metastasis were associated with improved OS alone (all p Conclusions Nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma is an extremely rare malignancy with poor prognosis, with the exception of the papillary subtype. Age, grade, and surgical therapy are predictors of survival.
Defensive Wars and the Reprisal Dilemma

I address a foundational problem with accounts of the morality of war that are derived from the Just War Tradition (JWT). Such accounts problematically focus on ‘the moment of crisis’: i.e. when a state is considering a resort to war. This is problematic because sometimes the state considering the resort to war is partly responsible for wrongly creating the conditions in which the resort to war becomes necessary. By ignoring this possibility, JWT effectively ignores, in its moral evaluation of wars, certain types of past wrongdoing. I argue that we can address this problem by incorporating an account of compensatory liability into an account of the morality of war. Doing so yields the view that, if we have culpably failed to compensate victims for past wrongs, we might be morally required to weigh the well-being of those victims more heavily in our calculation of proportionality when determining the permissibility of a defensive act that harms the victim as a side-effect. This, in turn, makes satisfying the proportionality constraint more difficult. The upshot is that sometimes, in order to wage a defensive war permissibly, we first have to discharge compensatory duties. This has implications for how we evaluate ‘cycles of reprisals’ that plague warfare.
Deterring Teen Bullying: Assessing the Impact of Perceived Punishment From Police, Schools, and Parents

While decades of criminological research have returned mixed results when it comes to deterrence theory, deterrence-informed policies continue to proliferate unabated. Specific to bullying among ad...
Thin-film composite (TFC) membrane modified by hybrid ZnO-graphene nanoparticles (ZnO-Gr NPs) for water desalination

Abstract Hybrid ZnO-graphene nanoparticles (ZnO-Gr NPs, 20 nm) were used as fillers to create thin film nanocomposite membrane (TFN) by interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) monomers on a porous support. The prepared membranes were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), contact angle measurement, and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) analysis. Result showed that the water flux and salt rejection increased with increasing concentration of NPs. Furthermore, the modified membrane showed excellent fouling resistance. Comparison of membrane performance with those prepared by embedding ZnO NPs (100 nm) and graphene oxide (GO, 200 to 500 nm) exhibited that small size NPs could improve water flux and fouling resistance without sacrificing salt rejection.
Intracranial Hemorrhage Imaging

Intracranial hemorrhage is a medical event frequently encountered in the clinical practice of radiology that has significant potential for patient morbidity and mortality. The expedient and accurate identification of intracranial hemorrhage as well as elucidation of the underlying cause can assist in optimizing the care of these patients. In this review, we attempt to familiarize the reader with the imaging appearance of multiple types of intracranial hemorrhage, both intra-axial and extra-axial and utilizing both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, as well as to provide a framework for assessment of the underlying cause of the hemorrhage.
Is it possible to stabilize the 1144-phase pnictides with tri-valence cations?

The lately discovered 1144-phase has inspired significant research interest for its high superconducting temperatures, disorder-free doping, and various chemical substitutions. However, its synthesis is now limited to compounds with cations of IA and IIA group elements. In this work, the authors investigate 1144 iron- and cobalt-arsenides with tri-valence cations (La, Y, In, Tl, Sm, Gd). Remarkably, several new 1144 compounds are predicted, and intriguing electronic structures are demonstrated. The results indicate a potential reservoir of superconductors, as well as provide practical approaches for synthesis. They also shed light on the stability of the more general structure prototype: A-B-A-B stacking ordered crystal materials.
Morphine induces changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome in a morphine dependence model

Opioid analgesics are frequently prescribed in the United States and worldwide. However, serious comorbidities, such as dependence, tolerance, immunosuppression and gastrointestinal disorders limit their long-term use. In the current study, a morphine-murine model was used to investigate the role of the gut microbiome and metabolome as a potential mechanism contributing to the negative consequences associated with opioid use. Results reveal a significant shift in the gut microbiome and metabolome within one day following morphine treatment compared to that observed after placebo. Morphine-induced gut microbial dysbiosis exhibited distinct characteristic signatures, including significant increase in communities associated with pathogenic function, decrease in communities associated with stress tolerance and significant impairment in bile acids and morphine-3-glucuronide/morphine biotransformation in the gut. Moreover, expansion of Enterococcus faecalis was strongly correlated with gut dysbiosis following morphine treatment, and alterations in deoxycholic acid (DCA) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) were associated with opioid-induced metabolomic changes. Collectively, these results indicate that morphine induced distinct alterations in the gut microbiome and metabolome, contributing to negative consequences associated with opioid use. Therapeutics directed at maintaining microbiome homeostasis during opioid use may reduce the comorbidities associated with opioid use for pain management.
Metastatic Cancer to Bone

Metastatic disease to bone is the most common malignancy of bone. The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2004 there will have been 1,368,030 new cases of cancer in the United States.1 Of these, they estimated that approximately 2,400 will be new cases of primary bone malignancy; that is, compared with over 230,000 new cases of prostate carcinoma, 217,000 cases of breast carcinoma, and 173,000 cases of lung carcinoma. Those three diagnoses, along with kidney cancer and thyroid carcinoma, represent 80% of metastases to the skeleton.2 Autopsy studies have shown that 50% to 70% of patients with prostate cancer develop metastases and 85% of patients with breast cancer develop skeletal metastases. The skeleton is surpassed only by the lungs and liver for incidence of metastatic disease. Any bone of the skeleton can be involved; however, the axial skeleton is most commonly involved. Involvement of the appendicular skeleton most commonly involves the proximal portion of the lower extremities. Within the spine, it is primarily the anterior and middle columns that are involved.
Evolution of Temperature Regulation and of Constancy of Function (Homeokinesis) at Different Temperatures

This paper diverges from the assigned topic of temperature regulation in primitive vertebrates to consider the evolution of temperature adaptation in general. Subsequently, some of the ways in which the general adaptations to temperature may apply to Agnatha and Chondrichthyes will be considered. All organisms, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, have mechanisms for lessening the kinetic effects of cooling and warming.
Actions and Metabolism of Intracellular Mediators in Neoplastic Mammary Cells

The division of cells is a complex process which is required for both the development of multicellular organisms and the maintenance of certain of their tissues. At the present time we are just beginning to understand some of the intricate control mechanisms which regulate the rates of cell division and the differentiation of cells. Our understanding of the molecular basis for the regulation of these processes in normal and neoplastic cells may be of fundamental importance to our understanding of why neoplastic cells continue to divide under conditions where normal cells do not divide.
Carcinogenic Risks of Metal Implants and Prostheses

Case reports of malignant tumors at sites of metal implants in humans and domestic dogs are reviewed; the results of carcinogenesis bioassays of implanted metallic nickel, chromium, and cobalt powders and alloys are summarized, and in vitro studies relevant to the carcinogenicity of metallic compounds and alloys are briefly discussed. These considerations suggest that local sarcomas may constitute a rare complication of orthopedic implants and prostheses fabricated of Ni, Cr, or Co alloys. The author recommends (a) that implant manufacturers and surgeons develop and use prostheses with minimal susceptibility to metal corrosion and wear; (b) that an international registry of implant-associated tumors be established; and (c) that epidemiological studies be undertaken to quantify cancer risks in patients with metal implants.
The discovery and analysis of P Bodies.

The last decade has seen the discovery of a conserved class of cytoplasmic mRNP (messenger Ribonucleic Acid—Protein complexes) aggregates called Processing Bodies or P Bodies (Sheth and Parker 2003). They belong to a growing list of cytoplasmic mRNP aggregates, many of which are compositionally similar to P Bodies and consist of a host of translational repressors and mRNA decay factors. These aggregates have been suggested to play important roles in the regulation of gene expression through the control of translation and mRNA decay (Eulalio et al. 2007a; Parker and Sheth 2007). In this chapter, we review the experiments that led up to the discovery of P Bodies, their composition, relationship with other cellular structures and processes, and possible functions. A key theme is that P Bodies are composed of proteins functioning in translational control and mRNA degradation and thus play roles in the control of cytoplasmic mRNA.
Aspergillus nidulans protein kinase C forms a complex with the formin SepA that is involved in apical growth and septation.

The Aspergillus nidulans orthologue of Protein kinase C (PkcA) and the A. nidulans formin SepA participate in polarized growth. PkcA localizes to growing hyphal apices and septation sites, and amino acid sequences within PkcA that are required for PkcA to localize to these sites of cell wall synthesis have been identified. SepA is associated with the contractile actomyosin ring (CAR), and it localizes at hyphal tips in association with the Spitzenkorper (SPK) and as an apical dome. A mutation in the sepA gene (sepA1) renders A. nidulans aseptate at elevated temperature. Progress towards understanding the spatiotemporal relationship between PkcA and SepA during polarized growth is presented here. Fluorescent chimeras of PkcA and SepA strongly overlapped in some hyphal tips in a dome pattern, while other tips displayed SepA SPK and PkcA dome localization within the same tip. At septation sites PkcA and SepA consistently colocalized through late stages of CAR constriction. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation experimental results provide evidence that SepA and PkcA are both present in complexes at both hyphal tip domes and at cortical rings. A Gal4-based yeast two-hybrid analysis confirmed the physical interaction between SepA and PkcA, and indicted that the FH2 domain of SepA is involved in its physical interaction with PkcA. A functional interaction between PkcA and SepA was shown through complementation of the pkcA calC2 mutant's hypersensitivity to cell wall perturbing agents by overexpressed sepA and by the ability of the sepA1 mutation to block PkcA's ability to form cortical rings. Taken together these results suggest that a PkcA/SepA complex is involved in polarized growth. Through experiments using the actin disrupter latrunculin B, evidence is presented suggesting that actin plays a role in the PkcA/SepA complex.
First Record of the Treehopper Tribe Darnini (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Darninae) from Eastern United States Based on Specimens of a New Species Excavated from Hoplosoides wasp Nests

The new species Hebetica sylviae, n. sp., from Kentucky is described and illustrated. All individuals were recovered from nests of the wasp Hoplosoides costalis (Sphecidae), and perhaps originated on oak. The other four Hebetica species occur only in South America. The definitions of Hebetica and Stictopelta are adjusted in light of newly discovered variation in the forewings. The condition of forewing vein R1 was more consistent than other diagnostic venation features used in the past. A key to species of Hebetica is provided.
Isolating and Suppressing the Spurious Non-Diffuse Contributions to Ambient Seismic Field Correlations

Cross-correlation of fully diffuse wavefields averaged over time should converge to the Green’s function; however, the ambient seismic field in the real Earth is not fully diffuse, which interferes...
Can Accurate Shear Wave Velocities Be Obtained in Kidneys

Objectives There are conflicting results in the literature on the use of shear wave elastography of the kidney parenchyma to determine whether renal stiffness values are related to a disease process. This study was conducted to evaluate the raw data from 3 ultrasound systems and determine whether adequate displacement curves are obtained to accurately estimate shear wave speeds. Methods Shear wave elastography was performed on 5 healthy volunteers with 3 ultrasound systems. The raw data were collected and evaluated for the shear wave propagation quality to determine whether accurate estimates of renal shear wave speeds could be determined. Results Results from the 3 machines demonstrate that accurate shear wave displacement curves are not obtained with renal elastography on existing systems (as of June 2018). One vendor has recently released software that appears to acquire accurate shear wave displacements. Conclusions Elastographic studies performed on the kidney to date are likely to be inaccurate. A new algorithm that appears to acquire accurate shear wave displacements in the kidney has been developed. Additional studies are needed to confirm that the new algorithm provides accurate clinical results. This study demonstrates that although the system provides a shear wave speed, it is important to confirm the accuracy of that number by evaluating the raw data.
[Clinical and genetic analysis of a case carrying 7p22.3 deletion, 7p22.3p22.2 duplication and 7q33q36.3 duplication].

Objective To correlate genotype with clinical phenotype of a child featuring multiple congenital malformations. Methods Clinical examination of the patient was carried out. Chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) was employed to detect genomic copy number variations (CNVs), and quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used for verifying the result. Results The child had congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and tricuspid regurgitation), psychomotor retardation, agenesis of corpus callosum, hypospadias and scoliosis. CMA has detected a 1.8 Mb deletion at 7p22.3, a 1.8 Mb duplication at 7p22.3p22.2 and a 23.5 Mb duplication at 7q33q36.3 in the fetus, all of which were de novo in origin. Conclusion CMA can precisely detect microdeletion/duplications and facilitate the genotype-phenotype correlation analysis. Key words: Multiple anomaly; Copy number variation; Chromosome microarray analysis
Aortic Arch Aneurysms

Aneurysms limited to the thoracic aortic arch are a rare entity. Similar to aneurysms involving other parts of the thoracic aorta, timely identification and treatment are essential. This chapter discusses the anatomy, pathology, presentation, diagnosis and treatment of aortic arch aneurysms.
Learning in Morocco: Language Politics and the Abandoned Educational Dream

In Learning in Morocco, language politics and the abandoned educational dream, Charis Boutieri investigates the challenges faced by the Moroccan school and the educational system and attempts to un...
Improving variance convergence rate in monte carlo eigenvalue simulations via delayed neutrons

Abstract This paper investigates a new approach to Monte Carlo eigenvalue simulations in an effort to reduce the impact of correlations and improve the associated variance convergence rate in the active generations. For a given active generation size, larger inactive generations are simulated and split into two banks, neutrons in one bank are transported in every active generation (i.e. prompt bank) and contribute to tallies, while neutrons in the other bank (i.e. delayed bank) are carried forward and injected in the prompt bank at later generations. This process mimics delayed neutrons and provides better variance behavior at the cost of more work in the inactive generations which are usually less costly due to the absence of tallies. A predictive model for the delayed scheme is also developed to help identify an optimal run strategy and provide an estimate of the variance correction prior to running the model.
Microbe-dependent heterosis in maize

SUMMARY Hybrids account for nearly all commercially planted varieties of maize and many other crop plants, because crosses between inbred lines of these species produce F1 offspring that greatly outperform their parents. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, called heterosis or hybrid vigor, are not well understood despite over a century of intensive research (Birchler et al. 2003). The leading hypotheses—which focus on quantitative genetic mechanisms (dominance, overdominance, and epistasis) and molecular mechanisms (gene dosage and transcriptional regulation)—have been able to explain some but not all of the observed patterns of heterosis (Stuber et al. 1992; Birchler 2015). However, possible ecological drivers of heterosis have largely been ignored. Here we show that heterosis of root biomass and germination in maize is strongly dependent on the belowground microbial environment. We found that, in some cases, inbred lines perform as well by these criteria as their F1 offspring under sterile conditions, but that heterosis can be restored by inoculation with a simple community of seven bacterial strains. We observed the same pattern for seedlings inoculated with autoclaved vs. live soil slurries in a growth chamber, and for plants grown in fumigated vs. untreated soil in the field. Together, our results demonstrate a novel, ecological mechanism for heterosis whereby soil microbes generally impair the germination and early growth of inbred but not hybrid maize.
Comparing the performance of density functionals in describing the adsorption of atoms and small molecules on Ni(111)

Abstract Reaction networks calculated using density functional theory (DFT) play a crucial role in understanding and predicting heterogeneous catalyst performance. However, results obtained using different density functionals can vary significantly. Accordingly, it is important to assess the accuracy of available functionals in capturing adsorption energetics derived from single-crystal adsorption microcalorimetry experiments. Here, we evaluate how different density functionals describe the molecular and dissociative adsorption of CH3I, the adsorption of CH3, I, and H, and the dissociative adsorption of CH4 on Ni(111). First, we identify energetically-preferred adsorbed states for each adsorbate at three surface coverages and calculate the corresponding enthalpies of adsorption at 160 K. Then, we compare the results to experimental measurements published in the literature. For each adsorption process we find at least one functional that is quantitatively accurate within experimental error, but no functional is accurate (within experimental error) for all adsorption processes studied. Even when assuming an additional DFT error of ±20 kJ/mol on top of the experimental error, only the PBE-D3 and RPBE-D3 functionals are accurate for all considered adsorption systems. These results indicate that quantitative agreement between density functional theory calculations and experimental measurements is both system- and functional-dependent. Importantly, single-crystal adsorption microcalorimetry experiments will continue to play an important role for benchmarking density functionals.
Rating Analyst Degrees of Freedom

Credit rating agencies are widely regarded as partially responsible for the collapse of financial markets in 2008. Congress set out to reform the ratings industry with Dodd-Frank but recent scholarship suggests that these reforms have failed and rating agencies continue to make objective errors in issuing ratings. This article seeks to explain why. This article provides a new way to understand the biased and inaccurate nature of credit ratings. The existing accounts focus on factors external to the credit ratings process, such as licensing or financial incentives. By contrast, this article suggests problems in the ratings industry are best understood as internal to the credit ratings process. To make this case, this article relies on the descriptive framework scholars have developed to explain the replication crisis in behavioral psychology. The framework suggests that mistakes in experimental research are the product of two factors, which can lead researchers to underestimate the existence of false positives: (1) researcher degrees of freedom (i.e., freedom in data selection and analysis) and (2) a researcher’s implicit bias towards finding statistically significant results. Rating agencies use statistical models to rate debt and rating analysts face challenging design decisions in developing these models. In managing these decisions, this article contends that the factors that lead behavioral psychologists to underestimate the existence of false positives may lead rating analysts to build models that are biased towards predicting fewer defaults. Reframing problems in the ratings industry in this manner helps us understand why rating agencies continue to make mistakes and why the reforms in Dodd-Frank, as presently applied, fail to constrain rating agency error. This article concludes by suggesting two reforms within the current framework of Dodd-Frank that may result in less biased and more accurate credit ratings: liberalization of the NRSRO application process and making rating agencies compete to preserve their NRSRO status. This article explains how the SEC can effectuate these reforms and addresses some implementation problems with creating a market for regulatory status.
The Role of Mental Health Courts in Mitigating Family Violence.

Mental health courts are one potential means to mitigate violence against family members by people with mental illness. This study identified the rate at which cases of family violence come before ...
Synthesis and Characterization of Thiophosphoramidate Morpholino Oligonucleotides and Chimeras

This Article outlines the optimized chemical synthesis and preliminary biochemical characterization of a new oligonucleotide analogue called thiophosphoramidate morpholinos (TMOs). Their rational design hinges upon integrating two well-studied pharmacophores, namely, phosphorothioates (pS) and morpholinos, to create morpholino-pS hybrid oligonucleotides. Our simple synthesis strategy enables the easy incorporation of morpholino-pS moieties and therapeutically relevant sugar modifications in tandem to create novel oligonucleotide (ON) analogues that are hitherto unexplored in the oligotherapeutics arena. Exclusively TMO-modified ONs demonstrate high stability toward 3'-exonuclease. Hybridization studies show that TMO chimeras consisting of alternating TMO and DNA-pS subunits exhibit higher binding affinity toward complementary RNA relative to the canonical DNA/RNA duplex (∼10 °C). Oligonucleotides that consist entirely of TMO linkages also show higher RNA binding affinity but do not recruit ribonuclease H1 (RNase H1). Chimeric TMO analogues demonstrate high gene silencing efficacy, comparable to that of a chimeric 2'-OMe-pS/pO control, during in vitro bioassay screens designed to evaluate their potential as microRNA inhibitors of hsa-miR-15b-5p in HeLa cells.
Trap Assays of the Walnut Twig Beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Reveal an Effective Semiochemical Repellent Combination

Thousand cankers disease (TCD), is an invasive insect-disease complex caused by the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, and fungal pathogen, Geosmithia morbida. Semiochemical interruption is a viable option for protecting walnut trees from P. juglandis attack. The goal of this study was to test beetle responses to potential repellent compounds. The results of five, flight-intercept assays are reported. Assays 1–3 tested four compounds at variable release rates: (S)-(−)-verbenone, (R)-(+)-verbenone, racemic chalcogran, and racemic trans-conophthorin. Trapping results indicated that the highest release rate tested for each compound was the most effective in reducing the number of beetles caught. (S)-(−)-Verbenone was the least effective, reducing P. juglandis trap catches by 66%. (R)-(+)-Verbenone reduced the number of P. juglandis by 84%. Neither enantiomer of verbenone performed as well as chalcogran or trans-conophthorin, which both reduced the number of beetles caught by ca. 98%. Following individual assays, the most effective compounds were tested in subtractive-combination assays. Combinations of high release rates for (R)-(+)-verbenone, trans-conophthorin, and two stereoisomers of limonene (tested in a previous study) were tested in two assays. The subtractive-combination assays were inconclusive in that trap catches were similar across all treatments. All combination treatments were highly effective, achieving approximately 99% reduction in the number of beetles caught. Based on the trapping results, commercial availability, and cost of the semiochemicals tested, we conclude that a combination of (R)-(+)-limonene, trans-conophthorin, and (R)-(+)-verbenone constitutes an effective tool for reducing P. juglandis trap catches.
Tick-Borne Encephalitis

Tick-borne encephalitis is a serious infection of the central nervous system that is caused by the flavivirus tick-borne encephalitis virus. Between 8000 and 15,000 cases of central nervous system disease are reported from endemic areas each year; however, the total disease burden remains incompletely understood due to underdiagnosis. The natural reservoir of the virus includes several species of hard ticks and their small mammalian hosts. Disease is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected tick. Human infections are more common in males and predictably more severe with advancing age. Disease is restricted geographically to Europe and Asia with the highest numbers of cases consistently reported from Russia and the Baltic nations. Infections caused by each of the three recognized virus subtypes differ in clinical severity and in geographic distribution. Inactivated whole virus vaccines have been shown to be safe and highly effective in preventing disease. Individuals at high risk for tick exposure who reside in or travel to endemic areas of the infection should be immunized. Those who continue to have risk factors should receive booster doses of vaccine every 5 years or as recommended by local health officials.
Tunable plant-based materials via in vitro cell culture using a Zinnia elegans model

Abstract Current systems for plant-based biomaterial production are inefficient and place unsustainable demands on environmental resources. This work proposes a novel solution to these shortcomings based on selective cultivation of tunable plant tissues using scalable, land-free techniques unconstrained by seasonality, climate, or local resource availability. By limiting biomass cultivation to only desirable plant tissues, ex planta farming promises to improve yields while reducing plant waste and competition for arable land. Employing a Zinnia elegans model system, this work provides the first proof-of-concept demonstration of isolated, tissue-like plant material production in vitro by way of gel-mediated cell culture. Parameters governing cell development and morphology including hormone concentrations, medium pH, and initial cell density are optimized and implemented to demonstrate the tunability of cultured biomaterials at cellular and macroscopic scales. Targeted deposition of cell-doped, nutrient-rich gel scaffolds via casting and 3D bioprinting enable biomaterial growth in near-final form, reducing downstream processing requirements. These investigations demonstrate the implementation of plant cell culture in a new application space, propose novel methods for quantification and evaluation of cell development, and characterize morphological developments in response to critical culture parameters—illustrating the feasibility and potential of the proposed techniques.
Understanding the Effects of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: A Project AIM Meta-analysis.

We examined the quality of evidence supporting the effects of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NBDIs) for facilitating change in young children with autism. We also investigated whether effects varied as a function of specific features of the intervention, samples, and outcomes measured. Twenty-seven studies testing the effects of NDBIs were extracted from data collected for the Autism Intervention Meta-analysis (Project AIM), a comprehensive meta-analysis of group design, nonpharmacological intervention studies for children with autism aged 0-8 years. We extracted effect sizes for 454 outcomes from these studies for use in meta-regression analyses testing associations between intervention effects and mean participant chronological age, language age, autism symptomatology, percentage of sample reported as male, cumulative intervention intensity, interventionist, outcome boundedness, outcome proximity, and risk of parent/teacher training correlated measurement error. The extant literature on NDBIs documents effects on social communication, language, play, and cognitive outcomes. However, our confidence in the positive and significant summary effects for these domains is somewhat limited by methodological concerns. Intervention effects were larger for context-bound outcomes (relative to generalized), and for proximal outcomes (relative to distal). Our results indicate that NDBIs have promise as an approach for supporting development for some, but not all of the core and related features of autism in early childhood. Confidence in summary effect estimates is limited by study quality concerns, particularly an overreliance on measures subject to high detection bias. The results of this review support the use of proximity and boundedness as indicators of the limits of intervention effects. LAY SUMMARY: Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions may increase language, social communication, play skills, and cognition in young children with autism, but these increases are largest for skills directly targeted by the intervention, and in contexts that are similar to that of the intervention. These conclusions are tempered by some concerns regarding research design across the studies that have been conducted to date. Autism Res 2021, 14: 817-834. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Black feminist geographies of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica

Dissertation: Jolly, Jallicia. 2020. Ill Erotics: The Cultural Geography of Sexuality, Illness, & Self-Making Among HIV-Positive Young Women in Jamaica. PhD Diss. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,...
The Original Nation’s Path to Recognition Under International Law: The Sovereignty-Making of Zapatista, Cherán, and Neuquén

This chapter examines the nation’s direct activism undertaken to create an autonomous, self-governing community, including the Zapatista of the armed indigenous Mayan people of the Tzeltal and Tzotzil Nations in the southern state of Chiapas, and the Municipio of Cheran in Mexico in the heart of the P’urhepecha Nation in Michoacan, where indigenous townspeople took over governmental functions and built a self-governing community. These autonomous communities witnessed women’s active participation in politics, cultural affairs, and military tasks. Also explored is Argentina’s recent adoption of the ancient jury model, “Jury de Medietate Linguage (Split Jury)” or “Jurado Indigena (Indigenous Jury).” The affirmative jury model guarantees the inclusion of indigenous members and women among its 12-members in criminal trials and provides substantial fairness and justice for indigenous activists and their supporters who have fought against extractive corporate activities in their homeland.
Potential spatial intersection between high-seas fisheries and deep-sea mining in international waters

Abstract Interest in the mining of polymetallic nodules, sulfide deposits, and ferromanganese crusts in the deep sea is growing. While the impacts of deep-sea mining on benthic systems are somewhat understood, there is little information available on pelagic impacts via, for example, the discharge plume. The impacts of these suspended sediments on pelagic communities can have consequences for the fishing industry if their target species are directly or indirectly impacted. Here, we quantify how tuna fisheries on the high seas spatially intersect with mining areas for which exploration contracts have been issued. We explore the spatial intersection of potential mining impacts by investigating different areal extensions around the mining areas as proxies for the spread of potential sediment plumes and movements of tunas. We investigate which countries are fishing in these areas and what percentage of their catches from Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) areas may intersect with mining activities. We show that for countries that catch the most in mining areas, their catches from mining areas constitute small to moderate parts of their RFMO catches. There are some exceptions amongst these nations and other, often small island nations and/or developing countries, which can derive a high percentage of their RFMO catch from within mining areas, especially if mining plumes spread to a larger extent. RFMOs and other fishery stakeholders should be aware of these potential spatial intersections with their industry and seek to contribute to the development of mining regulations and policies as another stakeholder in the blue economy.