cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computerized segmentation algorithm with personalized atlases of murine MRIs in a SV40 large T-antigen mouse mammary cancer model

Quantities of MRI data, much larger than can be objectively and efficiently analyzed manually, are routinely generated in preclinical research. We aim to develop an automated image segmentation and registration pipeline to aid in analysis of image data from our high-throughput 9.4 Tesla small animal MRI imaging center. T2-weighted, fat-suppressed MRIs were acquired over 4 life-cycle time-points [up to 12 to 18 weeks] of twelve C3(1) SV40 Large T-antigen mice for a total of 46 T2-weighted MRI volumes; each with a matrix size of 192 x 256, 62 slices, in plane resolution 0.1 mm, and slice thickness 0.5 mm. These image sets were acquired with the goal of tracking and quantifying progression of mammary intraepithelial neoplasia (MIN) to invasive cancer in mice, believed to be similar to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in humans. Our segmentation algorithm takes 2D seed-points drawn by the user at the center of the 4 co-registered volumes associated with each mouse. The level set then evolves in 3D from these 2D seeds. The contour evolution incorporates texture information, edge information, and a statistical shape model in a two-step process. Volumetric DICE coefficients comparing the automatic with manual segmentations were computed and ranged between 0.75 and 0.58 for averages over the 4 life-cycle time points of the mice. Incorporation of these personalized atlases with intra and inter mouse registration is expected to enable locally and globally tracking of the morphological and textural changes in the mammary tissue and associated lesions of these mice.
The Class Basis of Arqentine Political Parties

Students of Latin American political parties have long assumed a strong correlation between social class and party identification, yet this assumption has never been tested empirically in any of the Latin American nations. This is probably due in large part to the lack of reliable survey data; however, even the mass of aggregate voting data has seldom been analyzed systematically. As a result, most of what we know—or think we know—about voting behavior in Latin America is based upon the intuitive assumptions of North American scholars. “If I were a member of the Chilean middle class, I would probably vote for the Radicals or Christian Democrats, but on the other hand if I were quite wealthy I would probably vote for the Conservatives.” Students of Argentine politics assume that the Conservative parties, always representing the interests of the nation's aristocracy, have received the bulk of their votes from the large landowners; that the interests of this group consistently have been opposed by the Radical parties who receive their electoral support from the urban middle classes; and that the more recently formed Peronist parties have championed the cause of, and been supported at the polls by, the industrial workers. It is the purpose of this article to test these assumptions, primarily through analysis of aggregate voting data, but also by examining the social backgrounds of party leaders and their actions while in power.
Linking usage tutorials into API client code

Traceability links between software artifacts have important applications in the development process. This paper concerns a special case of traceability recovery, i.e., the automated integration of API usage tutorials with the API client code. Our solution involves partitioning the client code into multiple semantic groups/snippets and linking each snippet to the best matching tutorials. Evaluation using benchmarks created for two popular APIs reveals that our solution can find the expected tutorial links at the average rank of 1.6 and 1.4 in the top ranked results, for the two API’s, respectively, and with good average precision and recall. We also evaluate the impact of both method partitioning and JavaDoc query expansion on tutorial linking performance. Lastly, we conduct a formative user study to pinpoint the scenarios where our solution actually helps a software developer. We conclude that it is a promising approach to speeding up the maintenance of API client code.
Black-White Disparity in Young Adults' Disease Risk: An Investigation of Variation in the Vulnerability of Black Young Adults to Early and Later Adversity

Abstract Purpose Socioeconomic adversity in early years and young adulthood are risk factors for poor health in young adulthood. Population differences in exposure to stressful socioeconomic conditions partly explain the higher prevalence of disease among black young adults. Another plausible mechanism is that blacks are differentially vulnerable to socioeconomic adversity (differential vulnerability hypothesis), which has not been adequately investigated in previous research. The present study investigated variation in the vulnerability of black young adults leading to cardiometabolic (CM) disease risk. Methods We used a nationally representative sample of 8,824 adolescents who participated in the Add Health study. Early and later adversity was measured using a cumulative index of social and material adversity in adolescence and young adulthood. CM disease risk was assessed using nine biomarkers. Path analysis within a structural equation modeling framework was used. Results The findings indicated that both early and later socioeconomic adversity act as stressors with independent additive influences on young adults' CM disease risk, consistent with the differential exposure hypothesis. Moreover, the results showed that black youth are less vulnerable to early socioeconomic adversity than whites, but they are more vulnerable to later adversity. Conclusions The findings provide support for the unique and additive influences of early and later socioeconomic adversity on CM disease risk contributing to the black-white health disparity in young adulthood. The results also suggest that vulnerability to adversity varies depending on the life stage, which highlights the need for life-stage specific interventions to mitigate the existing black-white disparity in young adults' physical health.
P11.29 Using qualitative research methods to elucidate “emic” constructions of risk and seroadaptive behaviours among men who have sex with men (msm)

Introduction Anthropologists use qualitative methods to elicit cultural frameworks which structure patterns of behaviour and social organisation. These resultant “emic” models offer a window on the world of meaning for social actors in their engagement with others. We employed ethnographic approaches to investigate how men who have sex with men (MSM) identify potential sex partners, determine partner risk profiles, and adopt specific seroadaptive behaviours and strategies to minimise risk of STI/HIV transmission. Methods Sexually-active MSM in St. Louis, MO USA were recruited from online advertisements on a variety of social networking sites, as well as flyers posted at bars, clubs, and other venues. Participants completed extended, in-depth qualitative interviews about sex partner selection, sexual practices, and seroadaptive approaches for STI/HIV prevention, including knowledge and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Results As of 13 March 2015, 11 subjects were enrolled in the study, with median age 30 (IQR 27 – 35). Participants reported increasingly nuanced categories of partner risk perception, including “HIV-negative plus PrEP,” “HIV-negative,” “HIV-positive, undetectable,” “HIV-positive, detectable,” “HIV-positive, unknown viral load” and “HIV-unknown.” Serosorting was observed. Seropositioning was universal for HIV prevention – subjects reporting active engagement to minimise risk of HIV transmission (but not syphilis or other STIs) to negative or status-unknown partners. Knowledge of PrEP was variable. Emic conceptions of risk invoked existential models of concern for self and others. Adoption and performance of specific behaviours validated and confirmed perceptions of benevolence toward self and others. Conclusion HIV prevention was highly valued and actively sought by sexually-active MSM. Risk conceptions were mediated through complex understandings of partner risk profiles, and performance of seroadaptive behaviours served to validate perceptions of well-being and benevolence. The need for syphilis prevention was under-appreciated. These findings have implications for improving STI/HIV prevention approaches among MSM. Disclosure of interest statement Supported with funding from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Structural geology of the eastern Nadaleen trend, Yukon Territory, Canada: Implications for recently discovered sedimentary rock-hosted gold

Abstract Recently discovered gold-rich mineral deposits in the eastern Nadaleen trend of northeastern Yukon Territory occur in unmetamorphosed Neoproterozoic carbonate and siliciclastic rocks and their location is partly controlled by structures. Regional deformation largely resulted from mid-Cretaceous NNE-vergent, thin-skinned fold-thrust activity. However, structures in the eastern Nadaleen trend are more complex and include strike-slip and reverse faults, and SSW-, W-, and E-plunging folds. Local structures are cospatial with regional geologic features, including (1) an E-striking structural triangle zone defined by oppositely dipping reverse faults that verge toward the eastern Nadaleen trend, (2) a transition zone between Paleozoic Ogilvie platform rocks in the north to Selwyn basin rocks in the south, and (3) a change in regional deformation character from west to east, whereby to the west, rocks in the south are more deformed than rocks in the north, whereas to the east, rocks show no obvious change in deformation style. The structural complexity within the eastern Nadaleen trend probably resulted from these regional geological features and was further complicated by local competency contrasts between rock units. The cospatial location of the regional geological features may have been caused by a pre-existing, W-trending subsurface basement structure. Reverse faults bounding the E-striking triangle zone may have acted as low permeability aquitards that directed mineralizing fluids up-dip into reactive carbonate stratigraphy in the eastern Nadaleen trend. Gold-rich mineral deposits in the eastern Nadaleen trend occur preferentially in SSW-plunging anticlines and near faults, both of which probably influenced the migration of mineralizing fluid.
Habitat suitability index model for the black-footed ferret: a method to locate transplant sites

A habitat suitability Index Model (HSI), following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service HSI Model Series, is described for the black-footed ferret. The literature on which the model is based is reviewed, and model assumptions and structure are discussed. A realistic model is specified with variables and their functions that embody the critical spatial and resource heterogeneity characteristic of the broad geographic environment ferrets occupy. It assumes that ferrets can meet year-round habitat requirements within prairie dog colonies providing: (1) prairie dog colonies are large enough, (2) burrows are numerous enough, and (3) adequate numbers of prairie dogs and alternate prey are available. Five habitant variables are identified: V1 is the frequency distribution of colony sizes, V2 is the total area of colonies, V3 is burrow opening density, V4 is intercolony distance, and V5 is prairie dog density . Variables are compensatory. As more data become available and our understanding of ferrets expands, the basic model design can readily incorporate improvements without radical restructuring.
Bone Loss Among Women Living With HIV.

Clinical data accumulated over the past two decades attests to a significant decline in bone mineral density (BMD) in patients infected by HIV, which does not remit but may actually intensify with anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Long generally perceived as an aberration without clinical consequences in relatively young HIV-infected cohorts, recent studies have documented marked increases in fracture incidence in HIV-infected men and women over a wide age continuum. Fractures are associated with chronic pain, crippling morbidity, and increased mortality, undermining the gains in quality of life achieved though ART. As bone loss and resulting increases in fracture incidence are a natural consequence of aging, there is now concern regarding the long-term consequences of HIV/ART-associated premature bone loss, given the transition of the HIV/AIDS population into an older age demographic. The development of guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of bone disease within the context of HIV and ART has been an important recent step in raising awareness of the problem and the implications of bone fracture for patient health. Significant progress has also been made in recent years in dissecting the complex and multifactorial mechanisms driving bone loss in HIV/ART and the role of underlying immunological disruption in skeletal dysmorphogenesis. This review examines recent progress in the field and studies by Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS)-associated investigators, inside and outside of the WIHS cohort, aimed at identifying skeletal abnormalities, quantifying facture incidence, management, and understanding underlying mechanisms in people living with HIV in the context of chronic ART.
Decline in ventricular function as a result of general anesthesia in pediatric heart transplant recipients.

Echocardiography is frequently performed under anesthesia during procedures such as cardiac catheterization with EMB in pediatric HTx recipients. Anesthetic agents may depress ventricular function, resulting in concern for rejection. The aim of this study was to compare ventricular function as measured by echocardiography before and during GA in 17 pediatric HTx recipients. Nearly all markers of ventricular systolic function were significantly decreased under GA, including EF (−4.2% ±1.2, P < .01) and RV FAC (−0.05 ± 0.02, P = .04). Subjects in the first post-transplant year (n = 9) trended toward a more significant decrease in EF vs those beyond the first post-transplant year (n = 8; −6.0% ±1.2 vs −2.1 ± 2.0, P = .1). This information quantifies a decline in biventricular function that should be expected in pediatric HTx recipients while under GA and can assist the transplant clinician in avoiding unnecessary treatment of transient GA-induced ventricular dysfunction.
Surgical Emergencies in Gynecologic Oncology

Surgical emergencies in gynecologic cancers are generally not common and typically involve organs that are not gynecologic in origin. Such systems include pelvic vasculature and nerves, gastrointestinal system, and urologic organs. In addition, wound complications such as wound dehiscence and abdominal compartment syndrome can occur in gynecologic cancer surgeries. The management is similar to other surgical fields and is briefly discussed. This chapter focuses on emergencies that can occur intraoperatively and postoperatively as well as in the setting of medical therapies utilized for gynecologic cancers.
IRT Analysis of the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale: Identifying the Best Items for Use with Geriatric Patients in Primary Care.

OBJECTIVE The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) (Grace & Malloy, 2001) assesses behavioral dysfunction associated with frontal-subcortical damage; it is often used to measure these indicators of executive dysfunction in older adults with possible dementia. Although prior research supports the FrSBe's clinical utility and factorial validity, little attempt has been made to examine which items are most useful for geriatric cases. The goal of the present study is to identify these items. METHOD Data from 304 older patients referred for neuropsychological assessment were used to examine the FrSBe's three subscales: Apathy (A; 14 items), Executive Dysfunction (E; 17 items), and Disinhibition (D; 15 items). Item properties were investigated using the Graded Response Model, a two-parameter polytomous item response theory model. RESULTS Difficulty parameters, discrimination parameters, and information curves identified 18 items that effectively discriminate (a ≥ 1.70) between levels of behavioral dysfunction and measure a range of dysfunction (bA: -1.23 - 2.22; bD: -.29 - 2.14; bE: -1.81 - 1.77). CONCLUSIONS Most FrSBe items were effective at discriminating various levels of behavioral dysfunction, though weaker items were identified. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The findings suggest the FrSBe is a useful clinical tool when working with a geriatric population, though some items provide more information than others.
Molecular mechanisms underlying Th1-like Treg generation and function.

Since their ‘re-discovery’ more than two decades ago, FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been an important subject of investigation in the biomedical field and our understanding of the mechanisms that drive their phenotype and function in health and disease has advanced tremendously. During the past few years it has become clear that Tregs are not a terminally differentiated population but show some degree of plasticity, and can, under specific environmental conditions, acquire the phenotype of effector T cells. In particular, recent works have highlighted the acquisition of a Th1-like phenotype by Tregs in several pathological environments. In this review we give an update on the concept of Treg plasticity and the advances in defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie the generation of Th1-like Tregs during an immune response and in different disease settings.
Towards Actionable Mission Impact Assessment in the Context of Cloud Computing

Today’s cyber-attacks towards enterprise networks often undermine and even fail the mission assurance of victim networks. Mission cyber resilience (or active cyber defense) is critical to prevent or minimize negative consequences towards missions. Without effective mission impact assessment, mission cyber resilience cannot be really achieved. However, there is an overlooked gap between mission impact assessment and cyber resilience due to the non-mission-centric nature of current research. This gap is even widened in the context of cloud computing. The gap essentially accounts for the weakest link between missions and attack-resilient systems, and also explains why the existing impact analysis is not really actionable. This paper initiates efforts to bridge this gap, by developing a novel graphical model that interconnects the mission dependency graphs and cloud-level attack graphs. Our case study shows that the new cloud-applicable model is able to bridge the gap between mission impact assessment and cyber resilience. As a result, it can significantly improve the effectiveness of cyber resilience analysis of mission critical systems.
Scalable Bayesian inference for high-dimensional neural receptive fields

We examine the problem of rapidly and efficiently estimating a neuron9s linear receptive field (RF) from responses to high-dimensional stimuli. This problem poses important statistical and computational challenges. Statistical challenges arise from the need for strong regularization when using correlated stimuli in high- dimensional parameter spaces, while computational challenges arise from extensive time and memory costs associated with evidence-optimization and inference in high-dimensional settings. Here we focus on novel methods for scaling up automatic smoothness determination (ASD), an empirical Bayesian method for RF estimation, to high-dimensional settings. First, we show that using a zero-padded Fourier domain representation and a 9coarse-to-fine9 evidence optimization strategy gives substantial improvements in speed and memory, while maintaining exact numerical accuracy. We then introduce a suite of scalable approximate methods that exploit Kronecker and Toeplitz structure in the stimulus autocovariance, which can be related to the method of expected log-likelihoods. When applied together, these methods reduce the cost of estimating an RF with tensor order D and d coefficients per tensor dimension from O(d 3D ) time and O(d 2D ) space for standard ASD to O(Dd log d) time and O(Dd) space. We show that evidence optimization for a linear RF with 160K coefficients using 5K samples of data can be carried out on a laptop in
Organization strategy for the initial sequence of computer science majors' courses

Computer Science degree programs specify course requirements and suggest course sequencing to guide students in short- or long-range planning. Frequently, the first two or three courses of a program are designed to be taken in a specific sequence. The content of such courses must be carefully planned to provide a logical and cohesive sequence of topics. These initial courses may ultimately be important in determining whether a student succeeds of fails in completing a degree in this field. This article presents one approach to organizing the content of the initial sequence of courses to be taken by undergraduate Computer Science majors.
A Severe Case of Ipilimumab-Induced Ileocolitis Refractory to Glucocorticosteroids and Infliximab

Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody that works as an immunotherapeutic agent through selective targeting of T cells to strengthen the response to metastatic melanoma. It is well known that this pharmaceutical agent can cause the adverse effect of colitis. We report a rare presentation of ileocolitis refractory to both glucocorticosteroids and infliximab with a resultant pneumatosis and perforation requiring subtotal colectomy and end ileostomy.
Racial Influence on Antiepileptic Drug levels (P5.259)

Objective: To assess effect of race on Anti-epileptic drug (AED) levels Background: Lacosamide (LCM) and Leviteracetam (LEV) have 100% bioavailability. Role of race on serum levels remains unexplored. Design/Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of LCM levels of epilepsy clinic patients. Levels were modeled using General Estimating Equation with race, gender, age, daily dose (DD), and concomitant AEDs as independent variables. A race-by-DD and inducer-by-DD interaction terms were included for LCM and LEV Results: 132 LCM sera were evaluated [79 Women (F)); 77 African-Americans (AA), 46 Caucasians (C); age 19–71 years (mean, 41.3)]. 52 patients had concomitant LEV sera [(39 AA, 13 C; 29 F) aged 25–71 (mean (41.64)]. Median DD of LCM and LEV was 345.37 mg/kg (25–1000) and 2760 mg/kg (1000–5000), while mean serum concentrations were 7.21 (0–20) and 37.29 (0–95) respectively. Serum LCM levels correlated with the LEV DD (R 2 = 0.16, p p = 0.007) and demonstrated a significantly weaker correlation between LCM DD and serum levels ( R 2 =0.042).( R 2 =0.47 for C, with p = 0.004 comparing AA to C). On the other hand, race did not affect LEV level significantly (p=0.584). Use of enzyme inducing medications correlated with a lower LCM serum levels ( p =0.008), however, there was no significant effect on LEV levels and DD ( p = 0.283). Conclusions: AA showed a weaker correlation between DD and serum LCM levels as compared to non-AA, and hence likely requiring higher doses to achieve similar levels. This is possibly due to faster metabolism, higher excretion or lower absorption of LCM and was not observed in LEV. Furthermore, the presence of enzyme inducers significantly resulted in lower LCM levels but not LEV levels. Race-dependent metabolisms of AED need to be further explored. Disclosure: Dr. Mahulikar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yarraguntla has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shah has nothing to disclose. Dr. Seraji-Bozorgzad has nothing to disclose. Dr. Basha has nothing to disclose.
Repositioning Trends of Latina/o/x Student Enrollments in Community Colleges

This study used descriptive statistics to complicate the national narrative of Latina/o/x student college-going trends and aims to provide directions for future research on Latina/o/x students in the community college. Taking a state-by-state perspective, this study examined whether Latina/o/x college students enrolled in community colleges at higher rates than four-year colleges. The data for this study derived primarily from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) enrollment survey for all states and sectors of higher education for the 2012-2013 academic year. We used geographic information systems (GIS) to spatially analyze and compare proportions of Latina/o/x undergraduate enrollments between sectors within states, then across states. Our analysis disaggregated enrollment data by state to reveal important variations among Latina/o/x student enrollments at community colleges across the U.S. In so doing, we aim to inform the work of researchers, policy makers, administrators and educators in efforts to support the educational pathways of Latina/o/x students in the U.S.
Thermal Mass and Thermal Inertia in Fluids — A Comparison of Hypotheses

Thermal inertia and thermal mass are concepts that offer means to describe transport of heat in nonequilibrium fluids. However there are options regarding how to separate the part of the total flow that caries entropy from the "mechanical", nonentropy-bearing part. Some hypotheses are examined and compared for constructing such a field theory of thermal mass in the energy representation. A global intrinsic symmetry and a finite thermal momentum imply that any formulation which hypothesizes a constant ratio t of thermal mass to the entropy must tie the thermal mass to the so-called bare mass of particles, to preserve the global conservation of matter. However, in any formulation consistent with the Grad-Boltzmann theory, where t must be variable, the thermal mass behaves as a separate variable governed by the entropy and the second law. Nonetheless, in this case t has a reasonably broad plateau of values within which entropy is a measure of the thermal mass associated with changes of state. Nonlinear transformations linking usual thermodynamic variables with those of the thermal mass frame preserve the components of the tensor of matter, including Nother‘s energy and pressure. A formula is given for the fraction of the observed mass assignable as thermal mass, in accordance with Grad‘s solution of the Boltzmann equation.
Multiphonon Absorption in the Alkaline Earth Fluorides

The temperature dependence of the intrinsic multiphonon absorption in CaF2, SrF2 and BaF2 was obtained at 10.6 um from 300°K to 800°K. These results were compared with two different theoretical approaches, both of which have given reasonable agreement for the alkali halides. Best agreement with experiment was obtained with the approach involving a quantum-mechanical perturbative treatment of the potential whose parameters are determined from compressibility and lattice frequency at each temperature.
Work, Power, and Energy

Northern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, Illinois, United States1. Basic Concepts2. Forms, Classiﬁcations, and Conservation of Energy3. Work of Conservative and Nonconservative Forces:Work–Energy Principle4. Energy, Work, and Power of Rotating Systems5. Energy Sources, Conversion to Work, and Efﬁciency6. Energy Reserves and Outlook
Atmospheric Methane: Trends and Impacts

The concentration of methane (CH4), the most abundant organic trace gas in the atmosphere, has increased dramatically over the last few centuries, more than doubling its concentration. Increasing concentrations of methane are of special concern because of their effects on climate and atmospheric chemistry. On a per molecule basis, additional methane is much more effective as a greenhouse gas than additional CO2. Methane is also important to both tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. Here, we examine past trends in the concentration of methane, the sources and sinks affecting its growth rate, and the factors that could affect its growth rate in the future. This study also examines the current understanding of the effects of methane on atmospheric chemistry and climate.
NF-κB Transcription Factors Are Involved in Normal Erythropoiesis

NF-kappaB/Rel designates a widely distributed family of transcription factors involved in immune and acute phase responses. Here, the expression and function of NF-kappaB factors in erythroid proliferation and differentiation were explored. In an erythroleukemia cell line, TF-1, high levels of p105/p50, p100/p52, p65, and IkappaBalpha were detected 24 hours after growth factor deprivation. In response to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulation, significant induction of p52 expression was observed. GM-CSF also induced nuclear translocation of both p52 and p65. No induction of NF-kappaB factors was observed with erythropoietin stimulation of TF-1 cells. Overexpression of p52 and p65 in TF-1 cells by transient transfection resulted in significant induction of a kappaB-TATA-luciferase reporter plasmid, showing that these factors are functional in vivo in erythroid cells. To determine whether NF-kappaB factors may play a role in normal erythropoiesis, levels of these factors were determined in burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E)-derived cells at different stages of differentiation. The NF-kappaB factors p105/p50, p100/p52, and p65 were highly expressed in early BFU-E-derived precursors, which are rapidly proliferating, and declined during maturation. Furthermore, nuclear levels of NF-kappaB factors p50, p52, and p65 were higher in less mature precursors (day 10 BFU-E-derived cells) compared with more differentiated (day 14) erythroblasts. In nuclear extracts from day 10 BFU-E-derived cells, p50, p52, and p65 were able to form complexes, which bound to kappaB sites in the promoters of both the c-myb and c-myc genes, suggesting that c-myb and c-myc may be among the kappaB-containing genes regulated by NF-kappaB factors in normal erythroid cells. Taken together, these data show that NF-kappaB factors are modulated by GM-CSF and suggest they function to regulate specific kappaB containing genes involved in erythropoiesis.
Identifying Symptom Clusters in Women Experiencing Preterm Birth

Preterm birth affected about 10% infants born in the U.S. in 2016. This project was a secondary analysis of data drawn from a preterm birth prediction study to assess whether psychological symptom clusters exist among pregnant women. A symptom cluster exists when two or more symptoms co-occur, are related to each other, and are stable. We found one psychological symptom pair that satisfied these conditions: anxiety & self-esteem. This finding has potential to help guide symptom assessment among pregnant women.
Microcontact Printing of Proteins

Originally published in: Nanobiotechnology. Edited by Christof M. Niemeyer and Chad A. Mirkin. Copyright © 2004 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA Weinheim. Print ISBN: 3-527-30658-9 The sections in this article are Introduction Strategies for Printing Proteins on Surfaces Contact Processing with Hydrogel Stamps Microcontact Printing Affinity-Contact Printing Microcontact Printing Polypeptides and Proteins Printing One Type of Biomolecule Substrates Resolution and Contrast of the Patterns Activity of Printed Biomolecules Printing Multiple Types of Proteins Additive and Subtractive Printing Parallel Inking and Printing of Multiple Proteins Affinity-Contact Printing Methods Molds and Stamps Surface Chemistry of Stamps Inking Methods Treatments of Substrates Printing Characterization of the Printed Patterns Conclusion Acknowledgments Keywords: interphase systems; microcontact printing of proteins; printing proteins on surfaces; microcontact printing polypeptides and proteins; activity of printed biomolecules; parallel inking; molds and stamps; inking methods
Unified energetics analysis unravels SpCas9 cleavage activity for optimal gRNA design

While CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful tool in genome engineering, the on-target activity and off-target effects of the system widely vary because of the differences in guide RNA (gRNA) sequences and genomic environments. Traditional approaches rely on separate models and parameters to treat on- and off-target cleavage activities. Here, we demonstrate that a free-energy scheme dominates the Cas9 editing efficacy and delineate a method that simultaneously considers on-target activities and off-target effects. While data-driven machine-learning approaches learn rules to model particular datasets, they may not be as transferrable to new systems or capable of producing new mechanistic insights as principled physical approaches. By integrating the energetics of R-loop formation under Cas9 binding, the effect of the protospacer adjacent motif sequence, and the folding stability of the whole single guide RNA, we devised a unified, physical model that can apply to any cleavage-activity dataset. This unified framework improves predictions for both on-target activities and off-target efficiencies of spCas9 and may be readily transferred to other systems with different guide RNAs or Cas9 ortholog proteins.
Parathyroid Computed Tomography Angiography: Early Experience with a Novel Imaging Technique in Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

ObjectivesTo describe parathyroid computed tomography angiography (PCTA), determine its accuracy, and, as a secondary objective, calculate its mean radiation dosimetry.Study DesignRetrospective cha...
Obesity in hypertension: effects on prognosis and treatment.

OBESITY AND RISK OF MORBIDITY: Obesity is becoming an increasingly important factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, which together with hyperinsulinemia comprise the deadly quartet of the insulin resistance syndrome. Obesity in the absence of these other factors is only a minor risk factor, but most obesity is accompanied by one or more of these, worsening the prognosis. The presence of obesity complicates the management of hypertension, probably in large part because of the concomitant insulin resistance which adds to the pathogenetic mechanisms and subtracts from the therapeutic efficacy of many antihypertensive regimens. Unfortunately, some of the agents used to reduce obesity may further aggravate the problem through their stimulation of sympathetic nervous activity. Nonetheless, in the treatment of hypertension in most obese patients who have relatively little excess risk, attempts to reduce body weight should be attempted first, through sensible dietary restrictions, increased aerobic exercise and judicious use of non-hypertensinogenic appetite suppressants. Thereby, additional motivation to lose weight may be provided by the potential of escaping or at least delaying antihypertensive drug therapy. TREATMENT OF HIGHER-RISK OBESE INDIVIDUALS: Those obese hypertensive individuals at greater risk should be immediately started on antihypertensive drug therapy along with attempts to reduce the obesity. The choice of initial and subsequent therapy should take the patient's individual needs into account. For those with dyslipidemia or diabetes, diuretics and beta-blockers should be avoided unless there are specific indications for their use (e.g. reactive sodium retention or postmyocardial infarction). In such patients, an alpha-blocker, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or a calcium antagonist may be more appropriate. If the first drug is not sufficient, combination therapy should be considered. A diuretic may be needed to overcome reactive sodium retention. Because most obese hypertensive individuals will not be able to lose much weight, effective antihypertensive drug therapy will usually be indicated.
Loss of primary cilia increases polycystin-2 and TRPV4 and the appearance of a nonselective cation channel in the mouse cortical collecting duct.

Flow-related bending of cilia results in Ca2+ influx through a polycystin-1 (Pkd1) and polycystin-2 (Pkd2) complex, both of which are members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family (TRPP1...
Molecular simulations of the pistol ribozyme: unifying the interpretation of experimental data and establishing functional links with the hammerhead ribozyme.

The pistol ribozyme (Psr) is among the most recently discovered RNA enzymes and has been the subject of experiments aimed at elucidating the mechanism. Recent biochemical studies have revealed exciting clues about catalytic interactions in the active site not apparent from available crystallographic data. The present work unifies the interpretation of the existing body of structural and functional data on Psr by providing a dynamical model for the catalytically active state in solution from molecular simulation. Our results suggest that a catalytic Mg2+ ion makes inner-sphere contact with G33:N7 and outer-sphere coordination to the pro-R P of the scissile phosphate, promoting electrostatic stabilization of the dianionic transition state and neutralization of the developing charge of the leaving group through a metal-coordinated water molecule that is made more acidic by a hydrogen bond donated from the 2'OH of P32. This model is consistent with experimental activity-pH and mutagenesis data, including sensitivity to G33(7cG) and phosphorothioate substitution/metal ion rescue. The model suggests several experimentally testable predictions, including the response of cleavage activity to mutations at G42 and P32 positions in the ribozyme, and thio substitutions of the substrate in the presence of different divalent metal ions. Further, the model identifies striking similarities of Psr to the hammerhead ribozyme (HHr), including similar global fold, organization of secondary structure around an active site three-way junction, catalytic metal ion binding mode, and guanine general base. However, the specific binding mode and role of the Mg2+ ion, as well as a conserved 2'-OH in the active site, are interrelated but subtly different between the ribozymes.
Changes in human walking dynamics induced by uneven terrain are reduced with ongoing exposure, but a higher variability persists

During walking, uneven terrain alters the action of the ground reaction force from stride to stride. The extent to which such environmental inconsistencies are withstood may be revealed by the regulation of whole-body angular momentum (L) during walking. L quantifies the balance of momenta of the body segments (thigh, trunk, etc.) about their combined center of mass, and remains close to zero during level walking. A failure to constrain L has been linked to falls. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of young adults to orchestrate their movement on uneven terrain, illustrated by the range of L (LR) and its variability (vLR). In eleven male adults, we observed significant increases in sagittal plane LR, and vLR in all three planes of motion during walking on an uneven in comparison to a flat surface. No reductions in these measures were observed within a 12-minute familiarisation period, suggesting that unimpaired adults either are unable to, or do not need to eliminate the effects of uneven terrain. Transverse plane LR, in contrast, was lower on immediate exposure, and then increased, pointing to the development of a less restrictive movement pattern, and would support the latter hypothesis.
Optimal Line Parameter Estimation Method For Mid-Compensated Transmission Lines

Transmission line parameters include series impedance, series resistance, and shunt susceptance. Those parameters are required by various power system applications. This paper focuses on estimating line parameters for the series compensated line, where one or more compensators are installed along the line instead of at the terminals of the line. Linear methods and optimal estimators with bad data detection capability are proposed for two different situations, including the known parameter of series compensators and the known current through series compensators. The proposed methods are implemented in Matlab environment and evaluated based on simulated data generated using Simpowersystems.
The effect of combined electrical and thermal cyclic loading on the mechanical behaviour of HfO2 nanofilm. A molecular dynamics study

We present an atomistic computational study of electric field and thermal effects on the mechanical behaviour of memristor material HfO2. Memristor materials are used for neuromorphic computation which promises to decrease energy consumption and improve the efficiency of important computational tasks, such as perception and decision making. In our study, first, the atomistic model of HfO2 is built on a monoclinic lattice structure. Then, tensile tests have been carried out to study its mechanical behaviour. Since the material has non-symmetric crystal structure, we observe varied tensile properties along the x, y and z directions. In addition, the effects of electrical field on mechanical behaviour are studied by varying the electrical field intensity from 0 to 0.3 v/A gradually. For each case, atomistic snapshots are taken to identify the changes occur in the structure due to the electric field. A significant structural damage on the crystal structure of HfO2 is observed after applying 0.3 v/A electric field, whereas the structural change is insignificant when the magnitude of the electric field is 0.2 v/A or less. To understand more about the damage of this material, shear loads are applied in different directions and their responses are studied elaborately in this paper.
The effect of silver diamine fluoride in preventing in vitro primary coronal caries under pH-cycling conditions.

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the ability of SDF, and its individual components, silver (Ag+) and fluoride (F−) ions, in preventing enamel demineralization under pH-cycling conditions in the presence or absence of twice-daily fluoride application. Design Polished human enamel specimens were assigned to five treatment groups (n = 36 per group): SDF (38 %); SDF followed by application of a saturated solution of potassium iodide (SDF + KI); silver nitrate (AgNO3; silver control, 253,900 ppm Ag); potassium fluoride (KF; fluoride control, 44,800 ppm F); deionized water. Treatments were applied once. Specimens in each treatment group were divided into two subgroups (n = 18). During the subsequent 7-day pH-cycling phase, specimens were treated twice daily with either 275 ppm fluoride as sodium fluoride or deionized water, immediately before and after a 3-h cariogenic challenge with exposure to artificial saliva at all other times. Changes in color, Vickers surface microhardness (SMH), transverse microradiography (TMR) was calculated. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Results In both models, SDF, SDF + KI and KF were superior in inhibiting demineralization compared to AgNO3 and deionized water (p 0.8). However, KF was more effective in preventing demineralization than SDF and SDF + KI in the absence of fluoride treatments (p = 0.0002). KI did not affect the ability of SDF to prevent demineralization (p > 0.4). Conclusion SDF and SDF + KI appears to be an effective option in preventing primary coronal caries.
Retribution Against Catholic Dioceses by Revival: The Evolution and Legacy of the New York Child Victims Act Claims Revival Window

This article considers the evolution of limitations relief for time-barred child sexual abuse tort claims in New York culminating with the claims revival window enacted in 2019 as part of the New York Child Victims Act (NYCVA). The story of child sexual abuse litigation against Catholic dioceses and the legal and political history of the NYCVA exposes the important but largely unexplored balance of competing policy objectives that limitations laws strike. How child sexual abuse claimants achieved retribution by revival in the NYCVA reveals the fragility of limitations laws and the importance of coherent and consistent policy for revival of other types of time-barred claims in the future.
Inevitability of Red Queen evolution driven by organismic complexity and simple feedback via environmental modification

Evolution in complex high-dimensional phenotype spaces can be very different than the caricature of uphill evolutionary trajectories in a low-dimensional fitness landscape. And slight modifications of the environment can have large consequences for the future evolution. Here, the simplest approximation of evolution, an almost-always clonal population evolving by small effect mutations under deterministic "adaptive" dynamics, is studied. The complexities of organisms and their interactions with their environments are caricatured by population growth rates being smoothly varying random functions in very high dimensional phenotype spaces. In a fixed environment, there are huge numbers of fitness maxima, yet evolutionary trajectories wander around amongst saddles, gradually slowing down but still wandering widely and without committing to any maximum. But with even very small changes of the environment caused by the phenotypic changes, after an initial transient the evolution continues forever without further slowing down. In this Red Queen "phase" the apparent rate of increase of the fitness saturates (at a feedback strength-dependent rate) and the trajectories perpetually wander over large phenotypic distances. Organismic complexities, caricatured by a large number of constraints on the molecular-level phenotype, together with the simplest possible interactions of the organisms with their environment, are shown to be sufficient to cause such Red Queen dynamics. Arguments are made for the ubiquity of such behavior.
Fast Algorithms for Hop-Constrained Flows and Moving Cuts.

Hop-constrained flows and their duals, moving cuts, are two fundamental quantities in network optimization. Up to poly-logarithmic factors, they characterize how quickly a network can accomplish numerous distributed primitives. In this work, we give the first efficient algorithms for computing $(1 \pm \epsilon) $-optimal $h$-hop-constrained flows and moving cuts with high probability. Our algorithms take $\tilde{O}(m \cdot \text{poly}(h))$ sequential time, $\tilde{O}(\text{poly}(h))$ parallel time and $\tilde{O}(\text{poly}(h))$ distributed CONGEST time. We use these algorithms to efficiently compute hop-constrained cutmatches, an object at the heart of recent advances in expander decompositions.
Narrative-Centered tutorial planning for inquiry-based learning environments

Recent years have seen growing interest in narrative-centered learning environments. Leveraging the inherent structure of narrative, narrative-centered learning environments offer significant potential for inquiry-based learning in which students actively participate in engaging story-based problem-solving. A key challenge posed by narrative-centered learning is orchestrating all of the events in the unfolding story to motivate students and promote effective learning. In this paper we present a narrative-centered tutorial planning architecture that integrates narrative planning and pedagogical control. The architecture continually constructs and updates narrative plans to support the hypothesis-generation-testing cycles that form the basis for inquiry-based learning. It is being used to implement a prototype narrative-centered inquiry-based learning environment for the domain of microbiology. The planner dynamically balances narrative and pedagogical goals while at the same time satisfying the real-time constraints of highly interactive learning environments.