cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Driver Acceptance of General vs. Specific Icons for In-Vehicle Information

This study compared driver acceptance of general icons to specific icons for In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) devices. In the study, general and paired specific icons, along with two unrelated icons, were tested in both the general and specific driving scenarios. Subjects were asked to select: (1) one icon that most accurately described the driving scenario; and (2) one or more icons that would be acceptable for the driving scenario. The most accurate icon type selected by the subjects was strongly associated with the given scenario type, with the exception of collision avoidance. That is, when the driving scenario was described in general terms, subjects typically selected general icons as most accurately representing the scenario; when the driving scenario was described in specific terms, subjects typically selected specific icons as most accurately representing the scenario. In contrast to the icon accuracy, high acceptance levels were obtained for both general and specific icons regardless of the ...
Theoretical model for Rashba spin-orbit interaction in d electrons

We show that the Rashba spin-orbit interaction in $d$ electron solids, which originates from the broken inversion symmetry at surfaces or interfaces, is strongly dependent on the orbital characters of the bands involved. This is studied by developing a tight-binding model in the presence of a uniform perpendicular electric field and spin-orbit coupling. We argue that for valence electrons, the spin-orbit coupling strength scales only as the square of the atomic number. The electric field distorts the $d$ orbitals through the admixture of $p$ and $f$ states and also introduces intersite overlap parameters. Expressions for Rashba coefficients for the bands are obtained in both weak and strong spin-orbit interaction limits and are shown to be orbital dependent. The results are compared with first-principles calculations for model systems, showing good agreement. Our study demonstrates the orbital-dependent gate control of the Rashba effect for the purposes of oxide electronics.
Temperature dependence of the electronic structure and Fermi-surface reconstruction of Eu(1-x)Gd(x)O through the ferromagnetic metal-insulator transition.

We present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Gd}}_{x}\mathrm{O}$ through the ferromagnetic metal-insulator transition. In the ferromagnetic phase, we observe Fermi surface pockets at the Brillouin zone boundary, consistent with density functional theory, which predicts a half-metal. Upon warming into the paramagnetic state, our results reveal a strong momentum-dependent evolution of the electronic structure, where the metallic states at the zone boundary are replaced by pseudogapped states at the Brillouin zone center due to the absence of magnetic long-range order of the Eu $4f$ moments.
False Framings: The Co-Opting of Sex-Selection by the Anti-Abortion Movement (Commentary for Abortion and Assisted Reproduction Workshop, Yale University)

The co-opting of woman-protective framings in the sex-selective abortion discourse has been both very disingenuous and very effective in convincing lawmakers to propose legislation restricting abortion rights for women in many states. What is particularly worrisome about this is that the success has been based on racially charged misconceptions and pseudo-science. Woman-protective framings in the right context are absolutely appropriate. For example, some sources predict that there will be a surplus of fifteen to twenty percent more men in northwestern India by 2020 than women. In such a context, Indian feminists are correct to suggest that this disparity harms women and that female fetuses are being harmed. Thus, although women-protective arguments are persuasive, when they are based on false data and racial stereotypes, they need to be refuted passionately so that the truth behind these arguments is revealed and laws based on half-truths are not enacted.What is infuriating about the sex-selection ban movement is that the proponents of the ban act as though the primary purpose of the “laws banning sex-selective abortion in the United States is to prevent gender- based discrimination.” This “women protective” notion is a powerful meme. It is also more politically palatable than revealing that the reason for banning sex-selective abortions is the underlying motivation to restrict access to abortion in general. “Save the girls” is a compelling narrative, and proposed bans on sex-selective abortion have tried to take the focus away from abortion and focus on saving women. For example, West Virginia’s proposed ban was entitled the “Women’s Access to Health Care Act.” However, the bans are all proposed and supported by people who oppose abortion generally,” and “politicians who sponsor sex-selective abortion bans are at the forefront of the movement to make abortion illegal.” Pro-choice advocates need to use data, such as that contained in the recent comprehensive report by University of Chicago researchers entitled, “Replacing Myths with Facts: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws in the United States”, to counter these framings and to reveal the real purpose behind these proposed bans. Co-opting sympathetic pro-woman messaging based on false premises harms women and should not stand unanswered.
The effect of climate change on rural land cover patterns in the Central United States

This study projects land cover probabilities under climate change for corn (maize), soybeans, spring and winter wheat, winter wheat-soybean double cropping, cotton, grassland and forest across 16 central U.S. states at a high spatial resolution (see https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.859593?format=html), while also taking into account the influence of soil characteristics and topography. The scenarios span three coupled climate models, three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), and three time periods (2040, 2070, 2100). As climate change intensifies, the suitable area for all six crops display large northward shifts. Total suitable area within the study area for spring wheat, followed by corn and soybeans, diminish. Suitable area for winter wheat and for winter wheat-soybean double-cropping expand northward, while cotton suitability migrates to new, more northerly, locations. Grassland intensifies in the western Great Plains as crop suitability diminishes; suitability for forest intensifies in the south while yielding to crops in the north. To maintain current broad geographic patterns of land use, large changes in the thermal response of crops such as corn would be required. A transition from corn-soybean rotations to winter wheat-soybean doubling cropping is an alternative adaptation.
Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Ketene Heterodimer β-Lactones: Scope and Limitations

In this article we describe extensive studies of the catalytic asymmetric heterodimerization of ketenes to give ketene heterodimer β-lactones. The optimal catalytic system was determined to be a cinchona alkaloid derivative (TMS-quinine or Me-quinidine). The desired ketene heterodimer β-lactones were obtained in good to excellent yields (up to 90%), with excellent levels of enantioselectivity (≥90% ee for 33 Z and E isomer examples), good to excellent (Z)-olefin isomer selectivity (≥90:10 for 20 examples), and excellent regioselectivity (only one regioisomer formed). Full details of catalyst development studies, catalyst loading investigations, substrate scope exploration, protocol innovations (including double in situ ketene generation for 7 examples), and an application to a cinnabaramide A intermediate are described. The addition of lithium perchlorate (1-2 equiv) as an additive to the alkaloid catalyst system was found to favor formation of the E isomer of the ketene heterodimer. Ten examples were formed with moderate to excellent (E)-olefin isomer selectivity (74:25 to 97:3) and with excellent enantioselectivity (84-98% ee).
The Mystery of ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’

If ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ is a masterpiece, why is it so commonly neglected by readers who otherwise know and appreciate Shakespeare’s plays and poems? A main obstacle to its popularity has always been the perplexing difficulty of its poetic beauty as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who championed its rediscovery and helped set the terms for its reception, was among the first to acknowledge. Around 1870, deeply moved by his experience of reading it, Emerson recorded in his journal that it is ‘a poem’ that ‘comes only once in a century, & only from a genius’.1 He soon shared this enthusiasm by including it, in 1874, under the title ‘Phoenix and Turtle Dove’ in his poetic miscellany Parnassus. There for the first time it gained parity with some of Shakespeare’s most famous passages from Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and the Sonnets. But even though Emerson considered the poem to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest achievements, when he came to publish it in Parnassus he had convinced himself that the very quality that had made it so powerful — its mystery — guaranteed that it would never be fully appreciated. Emerson characteristically praised Shakespeare for being an unusually accessible writer, but reading did not seem to diminish his uncertainty about what ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ meant.
Revisiting Paul Ricoeur on the Symbolism of Evil: A Theological Retrieval

L'article est consacre a la philosophie du symbole religieux et du mal chez Paul Ricoeur. L'A. cherche a completer cette philosophie et etudie la relation de Dieu au mal a travers l'analyse hermeneutique de quatre mythes: le mythe de creation, le mythe tragique, le mythe adamique et le mythe orphique, en privilegiant et demythologisant le mythe adamique qui revele la structure du peche.
Locating and Dating Sites Using Lidar Survey in a Mosaic Landscape in Western Belize

We use the results of a high-resolution lidar survey to assess the advantages and limitations of archaeological applications of lidar data and address some of its methodological challenges. Our data come from the Mopan and Macal River valleys in western Belize, a region that includes several ancient Maya political centers and their hinterlands. Visual inspection of the lidar data has revealed many new sites and new features at previously mapped sites, and these findings significantly enhance our understanding of the valley's cultural history and political dynamics. By comparing data from prior systematic pedestrian surveys, visual and TPI analysis of the lidar data, and analysis of other remotely sensed data, we assess the limits of mound visibility in the lidar data and examine how vegetation and topographic factors impact those limits. We also present slope analysis as a useful tool for predicting whether mounds were constructed in the Preclassic period (1000 B.C.–A.D. 250) or the Classic period (A.D. 250–900).
The Coming Primary Care Revolution

The United States has the most expensive, technologically advanced, and sub-specialized healthcare system in the world, yet it has worse population health status than any other high-income country. Rising healthcare costs, high rates of waste, the continued trend towards chronic non-communicable disease, and the growth of new market entrants that compete with primary care services have set the stage for fundamental change in all of healthcare, driven by a revolution in primary care. We believe that the coming primary care revolution ought to be guided by the following design principles: 1) Payment must adequately support primary care and reward value, including non-visit-based care. 2) Relationships will serve as the bedrock of value in primary care, and will increasingly be fostered by teams, improved clinical operations, and technology, with patients and non-physicians assuming an ever-increasing role in most aspects of healthcare. 3) Generalist physicians will increasingly focus on high-acuity and high-complexity presentations, and primary care teams will increasingly manage conditions that specialists managed in the past. 4) Primary care will refocus on whole-person care, and address health behaviors as well as vision, hearing, dental, and social services. Design based on these principles should lead to higher-value healthcare, but will require new approaches to workforce training.
Neutrophil peptidyl arginine deiminase-4 has a pivotal role in ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury

Ischemia/reperfusion is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, mechanisms underlying the sudden loss in kidney function and tissue injury remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the role of peptidyl arginine deiminase-4 (PAD4), which converts arginine to citrulline and plays a role in epigenetic regulation and inflammation, in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. PAD4 expression was highly induced in infiltrating leukocytes 24 hours following renal ischemia and reperfusion. This induction was accompanied by citrullination of histone H3 and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps in kidneys of wild-type mice. By contrast, PAD4-deficient mice did not form neutrophil extracellular traps, expressed lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and were partially protected from renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI. Furthermore, PAD4-deficient mice recovered kidney function 48 hours after ischemia/reperfusion, whereas kidney function in the wild-type mice progressively worsened. Administration of DNase I, which degrades neutrophil extracellular traps or the PAD-specific inhibitor YW3-56 before ischemia, partially prevented renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI. Notably, transfer of neutrophils from wild-type, but not from PAD4-deficient mice, was sufficient to restore renal neutrophil extracellular trap formation and impair kidney function following renal ischemia/reperfusion. Thus, neutrophil PAD4 plays a pivotal role in renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI.
Rearranging agents in a small space using global controls

This paper explores a problem of reconfiguration of a large set of agents using global control signals: right, left, up and down. A field of obstacles guides the reconfiguration by limiting motion in the various directions. This paper extends work by Becker et al. ([4], [5] and [7]), and shows there exists a workspace a constant factor larger than the number of agents that enables complete rearrangement for a rectangle of agents.
The Moderating Effect of Prior Experience in Consumers' Use of User-Image Based Versus Utilitarian Cues in Brand Attitude

In this paper, we address the question of whether prior experience with a product moderates the extent to which the use of user-image based cues and utilitarian cues are predictive of brand attitude. Specifically, high experience consumers were expected to focus more on utilitarian cues and low experience consumers to focus on user-image based cues. Results of two studies generally support these predictions.
Heading out: a history of American camping

The publishing of Heading Out is timely, as our national parks and lands are increasingly threatened and destroyed by economic and political forces. This book reminds us of the deep roots Americans...
Newly Identified Metabolites Connect Colon Cancer to Thrombosis

Patients with cancer are at 4-to-7-fold higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The risk of cancer-associated VTE varies with the type of cancer, underscoring the presence of cancer type-specific drivers and a need for appropriate animal models, both of which have been understudied. Here, we generated a colon cancer-specific mouse model and probed for the development of VTE and factors that might induce it. To this end, a group of athymic animals injected with human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) underwent inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation, a validated model of venous thrombosis. Compared to corresponding controls (age- and gender-matched), mice on regular chow diet with xenografts exhibited significantly higher IVC clot weights. Plasma analysis of metabolites led us to identify the tryptophan metabolites, Kynurenine and Indoxyl Sulfate, which are known activator of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR), as significantly elevated in the cancer model (2-3 fold; p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Vancomycin Area Under the Curve Dosing and Monitoring at an Academic Medical Center: Transition Strategies and Lessons Learned:

Due to the inconsistent correlation of vancomycin trough concentrations with 24-hour area under the curve (AUC) and a desire to reduce rates of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury, an institutional guideline was implemented by the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team in September 2017 to monitor vancomycin using AUC. Three stages were utilized to organize the process: preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The preparation stage was used to present literature to key stakeholders, and pharmacy meetings focused on the development of a dosing and monitoring guideline. Along with institution-wide education, the implementation stage included information technology development and support. The evaluation stage was comprised of quality improvement and clinical research. Future plans include dissemination of the results and analyses. Numerous lessons were learned due to barriers experienced during the process, but the transition was successful.
Hijacking the Bacterial Circuitry of Biofilm Processes via Chemical "Hot-Wiring": An Under-explored Avenue for Therapeutic Development.

Biofilm-associated infections are linked to chronic and recurring illnesses. These infections are often not susceptible to current antibiotic treatments because of the protective exocellular matrix...
Obtaining and summarizing subjective impressions for correlation with analytical measurements

Subjective thresholds of acuity, acceptability, or preference must be obtained to assure a manufacturer that his product is desirable. Subjective tests are often costly and time consuming. This delays decision making and product improvement or availability. Therefore, much effort has been extended in recent years to relate subjective impressions to analytical measurements such that a subjective study need not be run each time a product is tested. The intent of this paper is to present a few studies, initiated to evaluate product appearance, wherein statistical techniques have been interrelated to obtain and describe the relationship between subjective impressions and objective measurements. The techniques used to obtain and summarize subjective impressions are presented in some detail. They are not necessarily new and are not all-inclusive but are applicable for testing a variety of products with modifications dictated by the product tested or the threshold level of subjects. The emphasis in experimental design is on the scaling of items by rank order or paired comparison techniques.
Design and development of a new portable test setup to study friction and wear

In this paper, a novel portable sliding friction and wear test rig is introduced. Unlike other laboratory-based test setups, this setup can be used for both indoor and outdoor experiments. There is...
Characterizing the hydroxyl observation of the LCROSS UV-visible spectrometer: Modeling of the impact plume

Abstract Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impacted the Cabeus crater near the lunar South Pole on 9 October 2009 and generated an impact plume. The hydroxyl (OH) band strength observations obtained from the LCROSS mission are explained with the help of numerical modeling of the impact plume. We provide different models of OH production in the plume and conduct a parametric study to constrain the independent parameters of these models. In particular, detailed lofted grain heating, sublimation and photodissociation models are implemented along with models for H2O and OH production from the residual impact crater. Results show that the likely sources of observed OH are from a small amount of direct/abrasional OH desorption from regolith grains (~28 g) in the crater and from sublimation of water vapor ( O (800 kg)) from lofted regolith-imbued ice grains followed by photodissociation.
Co-occurring risk factors among U.S. high school students at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Abstract Background Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are increasing among adolescents in the United States and are challenging to predict and prevent. The current study identifies subtypes of youth at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in school-based settings. Method Data are from the CDC's 2015 and 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey of US high school students. Among students reporting depression symptoms, latent class analysis is used to identify subtypes at risk for STBs based on personal characteristics, risk behaviors and environments. Results Two distinct subtypes of youth were found to be at high risk for STBs: The first, larger subtype (22%) is predominately females in early high school, many of whom identify as bisexual, experienced past-year bullying, and are likely to have experienced sexual victimization. These students have low levels of externalizing risk behaviors making them difficult to detect. The second high-risk subtype (7%) is characterized by students with significant social integration challenges, with extremely high levels of substance abuse, fighting, physical and sexual victimization and poor academic performance. Many of these students have low English fluency, and identify as sexual minority. Limitations Due to attrition or language barriers, experiences of some students at high-risk for STBs may not have been captured by this survey. Conclusion Universal screening in clinical settings, and universally focused suicide prevention programs in school-based settings are needed and should be introduced early on. Interventions should be tailored to reach high-risk students with language, cultural and social integration challenges.
Jive: spatially-constrained encryption key sharing using visible light communication

This paper investigates a novel encryption key sharing mechanism using the emerging wireless technology Visible Light Communication (VLC). Based on the idea of transmitting data by modulating light, we are able to (1) share a secret key within a constrained physical space and (2) communicate encrypted information among co-located mobile devices using the shared key. We present the demonstration Jive (Joint Integration of VLC and Encryption), a framework to support secret key sharing over Visible Light Communication. In defining Jive, we tackle challenges related to data encoding, message synchronization, and environmental noise to build a reliable, low complexity system using off-the shelf hardware. Our system is capable of sending encryption keys at speeds of more than 750bps using ultra short, high speed light pulses imperceptible to the human eye. Additionally, we have developed an application for Android that interfaces with the VLC device through serial communication so that applications running on mobile devices can subsequently use the keys to encrypt application data. Experimental results illustrate the high accuracy of our system across a variety of different variables. Finally, we position our system for use by a variety of applications that require a high-level of data security among physically co-located devices.
Bladeless Wind Turbine (Case Study)

The objective of this project is to build an environmentally friendly wind turbine without any blades. This device will be a new innovative way to harvest wind energy with the use of little materials at a low cost. This will create power with a back and forth motion from the turbine, and the power that will be produced will be stored for later use. The turbine will produce a significant amount of power in a short amount of time. Unlike a regular turbine, this one doesn’t use heavy machinery from large engines like a turbine or a rotor. Because this turbine gets its power from oscillations, it won’t interfere with radio waves or with birds flying in its neighborhood.
The effectiveness of a longitudinal ultrasound curriculum for general pediatricians working in a Puerto Rican emergency department: a pilot study

The Hospital Pediatrico Universitario (HOPU) is the principal institution in Puerto Rico offering medical services to the children of the island and the Caribbean. There is limited use of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in their emergency department (ED) and obtaining an ultrasound through radiology is prohibitively time consuming. The objective of this study is to increase PoCUS knowledge and comfort by the ED physicians in the HOPU pediatric emergency department. Thirteen general pediatricians completed the entire PoCUS course, but only 10 completed both the pre- and post-tests and therefore included in the analysis (N = 10). Pretest scores ranged from 30 to 63.3% with a mean of 41.6% [standard deviation (SD) 9.95]. The posttest scores ranged from 55 to 96%, with a mean of 66.1% (SD 12.26). The mean difference in scores was 24.42% (95% confidence interval 17.9, 30.9) with a significance of p 70%) had at least some confidence in 5 of the 6 topics. In EDs with limited resources, a longitudinal PoCUS educational curriculum is effective in improving the knowledge and comfort of physicians with limited PoCUS experience. The effectiveness of scheduled, repeated courses to refresh and refocus participants was highlighted following the unexpected challenges encountered during the course, including multiple natural disasters.
CrowdPick: A Generic Framework for Delivering Service Specific Crowd Infrastructure

Crowdsourcing is an efficient and scalable way for the service providers (SP) to provide a broad range of services with a low initial service setup cost. With its growing popularity, people are continuously introducing new crowdsourcing-based applications and searching for suitable crowd platforms for the deployment of those applications as a service. Consequently, a contributor participates in multiple platforms from different SPs and concurrently executes various tasks in a time interval. As the number of SP increases, managing and monitoring each contributor separately becomes a primary challenge for each SP. Moreover, upgrading a service, ensuring service scalability, and migration is tough for any crowd-based service provider. Frequently, a service provider has difficulty finding the appropriate contributors that will satisfy their service specifications. Besides, as a contributor, it is also hard to decide whether or not they should participate in a task offered by an SP. Therefore, in this paper, we introduced CrowdPick, a middleware that provides a crowdsourced platform for the people who want to provide a crowdsourcing-based service. Each SP contacts CrowdPick for initiating any service chooses an appropriate application package from its repository and specifies its service requirements. Instead of joining individually to each SP, the contributor needs to register into CrowdPick. All the tasks associated with services are scheduled and monitored by CrowdPick, and the CrowdPick decides the corresponding monetary incentives. Along with providing a detailed cost-benefit analysis of an SP and a contributor, we describe the service level agreement (SLA) policies. We simulate our model to show that implementing CrowdPick in real life is viable, and beneficial for both an SP and a contributor.
Glycyrrhizin as a Potential Treatment for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

COVID-19 is an emerging viral infection of zoonotic origin that is closely related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak in 2003. Therefore, scientists named the new virus SARS-CoV-2. On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic. At present, three vaccines have been approved or are being considered for approval by national regulatory agencies to immunize against COVID-19. However, the vaccines do not yet remain widely available and no specific treatment against the virus is available. The pathogenesis and proliferation pathways of SARS-CoV-2 are still not well known. Thus, in this article, the saponin glycyrrhizin is discussed as a new potential therapeutic agent of natural origin (licorice root, Glycyrrhizaglabra) for the potential treatment of COVID-19 infections.
Functional outcome of zone 5 to zone 8 extensor tendon injuries of hand managed with early active mobilization following repair using a static splint: an observational study

Background: Injuries to extensor tendons of the hand are underrepresented in the literature compared to flexor tendons. The concept of early mobilization following extensor tendon repair emerged as previous strategies of static immobilization lead to frequent adhesions and poor outcome. In our study we assessed the functional outcome of early active mobilization after extensor tendon repair using a static splint. Methods: In this observational study 42 patients with 48 extensor tendon severances of the hand from zone 5 to 8 were selected. Following repair, early active mobilization with a static splint was done and the functional outcomes were assessed using the Dargan criteria. Results: After mobilizing for 4 weeks, out of total 48 patients, 18 (43%) had good outcomes, 19 (45%) had fair and 5 patients (12%) had poor outcome. After 6 weeks 14 patients (33.3%) had excellent, 20 patients (48%) had good and 6 patients (14%) had fair outcomes whereas only one patient (2.4%) had poor outcome. This result was statistically significant with a p value of 0.000. Conclusions: Early active mobilization following extensor tendon repair from zone 5 to 8 prevents adhesion around the repair site, leads to better post-operative outcome and faster recovery. Using a static splint along with a patient friendly, easily comprehensible rehabilitation protocol offers results comparable to the use of dynamic splints and requires fewer post-operative follow ups. The static splints being cheap, easy to construct are financially beneficial to the patients.
From the ‘New Country’ to the Holy Land: Two Norwegian-American Pilgrims’ Encounters in the Middle East

The nineteenth century saw a massive surge, in both the United States and Europe, of travel literature about journeys to the Holy Land. This corpus included travelogues of both pilgrims and explore...
Characterization of nonmotor behavioral impairments and their neurochemical mechanisms in the MitoPark mouse model of progressive neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated as a key player in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The MitoPark mouse, a transgenic mitochondrial impairment model developed by specific inactivation of TFAM in dopaminergic neurons, spontaneously exhibits progressive motor deficits and neurodegeneration, recapitulating several features of PD. Since nonmotor symptoms are now recognized as important features of the prodromal stage of PD, we comprehensively assessed the clinically relevant motor and nonmotor deficiencies from ages 8-24 wk in both male and female MitoPark mice and their littermate controls. As expected, motor deficits in MitoPark mice began around 12-14 wk and became severe by 16-24 wk. Interestingly, MitoPark mice exhibited olfactory deficits in the novel and social scent tests as early as 10-12 wk as compared to age-matched littermate controls. Additionally, male MitoPark mice showed spatial memory deficits before female mice, beginning at 8 wk and becoming most severe at 16 wk, as determined by the Morris water maze. MitoPark mice between 16 and 24 wk spent more time immobile in forced swim and tail suspension tests, and made fewer entries into open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating a depressive and anxiety-like phenotype, respectively. Importantly, depressive behavior as determined by immobility in forced swim test was reversible by antidepressant treatment with desipramine. Neurochemical and mechanistic studies revealed significant changes in CREB phosphorylation, BDNF, and catecholamine levels as well as neurogenesis in key brain regions. Collectively, our results indicate that MitoPark mice progressively exhibit deficits in olfactory discrimination, cognitive learning and memory, and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors as well as key neurochemical signaling associated with nonmotor deficits in PD. Thus, MitoPark mice can serve as an invaluable model for studying nonmotor deficits in addition to studying the motor deficits related to pathology in PD.
Approaches to Planning Water Resources

AbstractWater resource problems and management are complex, confusing, and controversial for participants in technical, policy, and public water deliberations. A thoughtful planning approach can re...
Patterns of and processes shaping population structure and introgression among recently differentiated Drosophila melanogaster populations

ABSTRACT Despite a century of genetic analysis, the evolutionary history underlying patterns of exceptional genetic and phenotypic variation in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster remains poorly understood. How genetic and phenotypic variation is partitioned across the range of D. melanogaster, particularly in its putative ancestral range in Subtropical Africa, remains unresolved. Here, we assess patterns of population genetic structure, admixture, mate preference, and genetic incompatibility across a global sample, including 174 new accessions from remote regions within Subtropical Africa. While almost all Out of Africa genomes correspond to a single genetic ancestry, different geographic regions within Africa contain multiple ancestries, with substantial cryptic diversity in Subtropical Africa. Admixture between distinct lineages is prevalent across the range, but admixture rates vary between lineages. Female mate choice within Subtropical Africa is highly polymorphic and behavioral types are not monophyletic. The genetic architecture of mate choice is highly polygenic, including loci associated with neurological development, behavior, olfactory perception, and learning. Finally, we discovered that many segregating putative incompatibilities likely evolved during or after expansion out of Africa. This work contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of a key model system, and provides insight into the distribution of polymorphic reproductive barriers.
COVID-19 caused significant declines in regular vitamin A supplementation for young children in 2020: what is next?

### Summary box In efforts to restrict the spread of SARS-CoV-2, many low-income and middle-income countries suspended community-based public health and nutrition programmes in early 2020. At the time, the expectation was that disruptions due to the COVID-19 response would cause significant declines in programme coverage of key services, and eventually increase preventable morbidity and mortality among the most vulnerable children.1 The magnitude of the pandemic’s impact on preventive vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programmes is now made visible in UNICEF’s annual programme coverage data. Regular administration of high-dose VAS to children 6–59 months old every 4–6 months reduces the risk of child mortality by 12%–24% in communities where vitamin A deficiency is prevalent.2 Prior to the pandemic, the global VAS programme reached over 200 million children annually with the recommended two VAS doses in countries with high child mortality. Between 2016 and 2019, coverage had been hovering at around 65% of eligible children. In the year prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, about 200 million eligible children benefited from the two annual …
The Josefson-Nissenzweig Theorem

From Alaoglu’s theorem and the F. Riesz theorem, we can conclude that for infinite-dimensional Banach spaces X the weak* topology and the norm topology in X* differ. Can they have the same convergent sequences? The answer is a resounding “no!” and it is the object of the present discussion. More precisely we will prove the following theorem independently discovered by B. Josef son and A. Nissenzweig.
Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) Program: understanding its impact on the bleeding disorders community

The Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) Program gives parents tools to improve the lives of children with bleeding disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PEP. Eleven haemophilia treatment centres (HTC) participated in the study and 301 participants completed the survey. Parents who did not attend PEP were divided into three groups based on their reasons for not attending: (Not Offered, Bad Time and Don't Need). Those who attended (Attended) PEP reported less use of yelling, spanking, slapping and giving-in after attending PEP. The Not Offered group used Praising (P = 0.016), Natural Consequences (P = 0.002), Being Consistent (P = 0.016), Ignoring (P = 0.006), Distracting (P = 0.002), Setting Limits (P=0.009), Giving Choices (P = 0.049), Being Consistent (P = 0.014) and Distracting (P = 0.019) less than all other groups. The Bad Time group used Time-Out (P = 0.037) and Ignoring (P = 0.019) more than the other groups that did not attend PEP. The Don't Need group used Spanking (P = 0.008) and Time-Out (P = 0.003) and Yelling (P = 0.014) less than all other groups. Attending PEP seems to decrease the use of negative parenting techniques. Those who reported PEP was not offered to them used positive parenting techniques less than all other participants.
How long should cerebrospinal fluid cultures be held to detect shunt infections? Clinical article.

Object Infections of CSF hardware may be indolent, and some patients have received antibiotic treatment for various reasons before CSF is obtained to check for a shunt infection. At present, there are few data in the literature to guide the decision as to how long to hold CSF specimens when attempting to diagnose hardware infections, and institutions vary in the duration at which cultures are considered “final.” Methods The authors reviewed the microbiology data from CSF specimens obtained from shunts, ventriculostomies, reservoirs, and lumbar drains at their institution over a 36-month period to discover how long after collection cultures became positive. The authors also sought to discover whether this time was affected by prior treatment with antibiotics. Results Of 158 positive CSF specimens obtained from hardware, the time to recovery ranged between 1–10 days, with a mean of 3.02 days (SD 2.37 days, 95% CI 2.66–3.38 days). One hundred and twenty-seven positive specimens were associated with clinical ...
DEVELOPING A USER INTERFACE TECHNOLOGY FOR USE IN INDUSTRY

We are developing a user interface technology to address ease of learning and ease of use concerns on the user side of the interface during the design process. Modelling the user how-to-do-it knowledge required by a design is one step toward development of such a technology. We report on an evolving methodology that is intended to give developers early warning indications of potential usability problems that may arise from a set of design decisions.
Partial Sympathetic Denervation of the Rat Epididymis Permits Fertilization But Inhibits Embryo Development

: The rat cauda epididymidis receives sympathetic innervation from the inferior mesenteric ganglion (IMG). We have previously demonstrated that surgical removal of the IMG and proximal hypogastric nerves (IMG denervation) results in significant and cauda-specific changes in epididymal sperm transport, sperm motility, luminal fluid protein composition, and tissue histology. In the present study we used natural mating trials and intrauterine insemination (IUI) techniques to determine whether or not IMG denervation affects male fertility and reproductive capacity. For the initial studies, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were mated with estrous females 1 and 4 weeks following IMG denervation. Nine days after mating, uterine implantation sites and corpora lutea (CL) were counted. In females mated with sham-operated control males, 85.8% of ovulated oocytes were fertilized and subsequently implanted. In contrast, females mated with IMG-denervated males 1 or 4 weeks following surgery had 0% and 3.5%, respectively, of ovulated oocytes fertilized and implanted. For rats maintained 21 days after mating, an average of 13 ± 1 pups were delivered by each of nine females mated with sham-operated control male rats; whereas, only seven morphologically normal pups were delivered by one of 14 females mated with IMG-denervated male rats. Additional experiments demonstrated that the decrement in offspring was, in part, due to a significant decrease in the number of spermatozoa in the female uterus following mating with IMG-denervated males. To determine whether IMG denervation exerted an additional effect directly on the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa, IUI experiments were performed. Six million cauda epididymal spermatozoa from 1- or 4-week IMG-denervated males were inseminated into the uterine horns of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-synchronized females and 9 days later implantation sites and CL were counted. Implantations were observed for 78%, 28%, and 25% of ovulated oocytes following IUI with spermatozoa from sham-operated controls and from 1 - and 4-week IMG-denervated rats, respectively. To determine whether the reduction in implantation sites following IUI with spermatozoa from IMG-denervated rats resulted from impaired oocyte fertilization, studies were performed in which oocytes were retrieved and stained 24 hours after IUI. Comparable fertilization rates of 76.5% and 89.0% were observed using cauda epididymal spermatozoa from IMG-denervated and sham-operated control males, respectively, indicating that oocyte fertilization was not affected by the loss of innervation. These studies establish the importance of innervation from the IMG for ejaculatory competence and sperm reproductive capacity in the male rat. These data further suggest that sympathetic innervation in the epididymis critically influences paternal factors associated with embryonic development.
Asynchronous execution of OpenMP code

This paper presents the transformation of OpenMP source code to a Macro-Task Graph, an internal representation of the parallel program as a collection of tasks, which later can be asynchronously scheduled for out-of-order execution and optimized for locality reuse. The transformation is based on array region analysis. We also show the potential benefits of targeting OpenMP code to a macro-task graph, instead of directly generating a multi-threaded program. We show experimental results for a Jacobi kernel and part of the POP code in OpenMP and compiled traditionally versus macro-dataflow execution model using the SMARTS runtime system on SGI Origin 2000.
Equilibrium constants for association of guanidinium and ammonium ions with oxyanions: The effect of changing basicity of the oxyanion

Abstract Using guanidinium and n-butylammonium cations (C+) as models for the positively charged side chains in arginine and lysine, we have determined the association constants with various oxyanions by potentiometric titration. For a dibasic acid, H2A, three association complexes may exist: K 1M = [CHA] [C + ] [HA − ] ; K 1D = [CA − ] [C + ] [A 2− ] ; K 2D = [C 2 A] [C + ] [CA − ] . For guanidinium ion and phosphate, K1M = 1.4, K1D = 2.6, and K2D = 5.1. The data for carboxylates indicate that the basicity of the oxyanion does not affect the association constant: acetate, pKa = 4.8, K1M = 0.37; formate, pKa = 3.8, K1M = 0.32; and chloroacetate, pKa = 2.9, K1M = 0.43, all with guanidinium ion. Association constants are also reported for carbonate, dimethylphosphinate, benzylphosphonate, and adenylate anions.
Drosophila Serotonin Transporters Have Voltage-Dependent Uptake Coupled to a Serotonin-Gated Ion Channel

Serotonin (5HT) transporters (SERTs) couple to existing ion gradients to transport 5HT into presynaptic terminals. In mammalian SERTs, the transport cycle is reported as electroneutral, with a translocation of zero net charge, and 5HT uptake is independent of membrane voltage. Yet mammalian SERTs exhibit 5HT-induced currents, and Drosophila SERTs (dSERTs) show voltage-dependent uptake. Thus, the relationship between uptake and current remains controversial; furthermore, the number of 5HT molecules translocated per ion channel event is unknown. To investigate this, we have used heterologous expression of cloned dSERTs to measure 5HT flux and dSERT currents concurrently under voltage clamp, and we have used fluctuation analysis to measure the size of the elementary ionic events in the same cells. RNA-injected Xenopus oocytes accumulate 5HT, and paroxetine or desipramine inhibit this uptake. RNA-injected oocytes also display paroxetine-sensitive 5HT-induced currents and 5HT-independent leak currents. Na replacement decreases the uptake and the induced currents. 5HT-induced current and 5HT uptake both increase at negative potentials, where 5HT carries ∼5% of the induced current. Recently, several groups have reported similar phenomena for other transporters, in which transmitter-induced currents exceed the predictions of coupled transport. We now provide evidence that in dSERT, ∼500 5HT molecules are translocated per channel opening, which, at −20 mV, carries ∼10,000 electronic charges. These data support a model in which 500 SERT cycles occur for each 5HT-induced channel opening or a model in which 500 5HT molecules and 10,000 electronic charges pass through a common pore.
Clinical Correlates of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Pregnancy.

The authors aimed to determine whether clinical findings of preeclampsia predict magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The course among preeclamptics/eclamptics with clinically suspected PRES with vs without MRI diagnosis of PRES was compared. Of 46 patients who underwent MRI (eight eclamptics, 38 preeclamptics), five eclamptics (62.5%) and four preeclamptics (10.5%) had confirmed PRES (P=.004). Patients with PRES were younger (26 years vs 31 years, P=.008) and had a higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia (33% vs 8%, P=.04), a greater prevalence of proteinuria (100% vs 61%, P=.04), and higher peak systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P<.05). As opposed to findings from previous reports, PRES was not seen uniformly among eclamptic women and was found in 10.5% of preeclamptics with clinical suspicion of PRES in this study. Given that no single or set of findings were reliable predictors of PRES, consideration for rigorous management of hypertension should be applied to all patients with preeclampsia and eclampsia.
Interannual variability of snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, United States: Examples from two alpine watersheds

[1] The distribution of snow and the energy flux components of snowmelt are intrinsic characteristics of the alpine water cycle controlling the location of source waters and the effect of climate on streamflow. Interannual variability of these characteristics is relevant to the effect of climate change on alpine hydrology. Our objective is to characterize the interannual variability in the spatial distribution of snow and energy fluxes of snowmelt in watersheds of a maritime setting, Tokopah Basin (TOK) in California's southern Sierra Nevada, and a continental setting, Green Lake 4 Valley (GLV4) in Colorado's Front Range, using a 12 year database (1996–2007) of hydrometeorological observations and satellite-derived snow cover. Snowpacks observed in GLV4 exhibit substantially greater spatial variability than in TOK (0.75 versus 0.28 spatial coefficient of variation). In addition, modeling results indicate that the net turbulent energy flux contribution to snowmelt in GLV4 is, on average, 3 times greater in magnitude (mean 29% versus 10%) and interannual variability (standard deviation 17% versus 6%) than in TOK. These energy flux values exhibit strong seasonality, increasing as the melt season progresses to times later in the year (R2 = 0.54–0.77). This seasonality of energy flux appears to be associated with snowmelt rates that generally increase with onset date of melt (0.02 cm d−2). This seasonality in snowmelt rate, coupled to differences in hydrogeology, may account for the observed differences in correspondence between the timing of snowmelt and timing of streamflow in these watersheds.