cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sixteen microsatellite loci for the Bufo boreas group

The four species that comprise the Bufo boreas group of toads are critically imperiled in all or portions of their geographical ranges. We present data from 16 microsatellite loci isolated from B. boreas that cross-amplify in these four species. These markers have proven useful in the analyses of population structure and conservation genetics, and provide a powerful tool for future researchers who seek to understand the conservation genetics of these rare toad species. Polymorphism was assessed for 339 individuals from seven populations representing the four species. All loci were polymorphic (X = 8, range of four to 19 alleles). Three loci were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in one population, and one of these loci was out of HWE in a second population (P < 0.003 after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests). However, there were no systematic deviations from HWE across all study populations. Small populations in fragmented habitat appear to explain the existing HWE deviations.
Prosthetic valve dysfunction presenting as intermittent acute aortic regurgitation

We describe the case of a 43 year old man with a history of aortic stenosis, for which he had undergone aortic valve replacement in 1991 with a 25-mm Medtronic Hall prosthesis. He presented with several acute episodes of dyspnea and flash pulmonary edema. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography performed to evaluate prosthetic valve function revealed evidence of "intermittent" episodes of AI, documented on color M-mode flow mapping to have a variable duration of diastolic flow (early vs. pandiastolic) across the left ventricular outflow tract and the pulse wave Doppler in the descending thoracic aorta showed similar variability in the duration of diastolic flow reversal.
Profits in the Airframe Industry

I. Introduction, 545. — II. The airframe industry, 546. — III. Separation of the industry, 550. — IV. Estimated relationships between profits and contracts, 552. — V. Imputation of profits, 556. — VI. Conclusions, 560. — Appendix, 561.
Baseline Susceptibility and Changes in Susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Under Selection Pressure in European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Baseline susceptibility of European corn borer larvae, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), to a commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner Subsp. kurstaki (Dipel ES), was determined for colonies from 3 different geographic locations. The KS-NE colony, collected near Manhattan in northeast Kansas, was more tolerant to Dipel than those collected from near St. John in south central Kansas (KS-SC colony) and colonies provided by the USDA Corn Insects Laboratory in Ames, IA (Iowa colony). Five colonies of European corn borers were exposed to laboratory selection using a meridic diet incorporating Dipel ES. Decreasing susceptibility of European corn borer to Dipel ES was observed in each colony selected. In the colony collected in south central Kansas (KS-SC), the LC50 and survival of larvae at specific concentrations increased more rapidly than it did in the other colonies. After only 3 selected generations, the LC50 of this colony increased 35.8-fold, and after 7 selected generations, it reached 72.9-fold. The LC50s of the 3 Iowa colonies increased 25.0- to 35.2-fold after 9-14 selected generations. The LC50 of the colony collected in northeast Kansas increased 16.2-fold after 4 selected generations and it reached 35-fold after 6 selected generations. This indicates that European corn borer populations can respond rapidly to intense selection pressure with a commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis . The LC90s of the 5 colonies also increased significantly in a pattern similar to that observed in the LC50s, but the increases in LC90s were not as large as the increases for the LC50s. The bioassay data suggest that a dose of ≈2.4 ml Dipel per kilogram of diet could be used as a preliminary discriminating dose. Neonates from field-collected insects could be placed on diets incorporating this concentration of Dipel to monitor for changes and regional differences in susceptibility among field populations of European corn borer. Studies on the genetic basis, the mechanism of action, and the stability over time (in the absence of selection pressure) of this change in susceptibility remain to be carried out.
An ID2-dependent mechanism for VHL inactivation in cancer

Mechanisms that maintain cancer stem cells are crucial to tumour progression. The ID2 protein supports cancer hallmarks including the cancer stem cell state. HIFα transcription factors, most notably HIF2α (also known as EPAS1), are expressed in and required for maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the pathways that are engaged by ID2 or drive HIF2α accumulation in CSCs have remained unclear. Here we report that DYRK1A and DYRK1B kinases phosphorylate ID2 on threonine 27 (Thr27). Hypoxia downregulates this phosphorylation via inactivation of DYRK1A and DYRK1B. The activity of these kinases is stimulated in normoxia by the oxygen-sensing prolyl hydroxylase PHD1 (also known as EGLN2). ID2 binds to the VHL ubiquitin ligase complex, displaces VHL-associated Cullin 2, and impairs HIF2α ubiquitylation and degradation. Phosphorylation of Thr27 of ID2 by DYRK1 blocks ID2-VHL interaction and preserves HIF2α ubiquitylation. In glioblastoma, ID2 positively modulates HIF2α activity. Conversely, elevated expression of DYRK1 phosphorylates Thr27 of ID2, leading to HIF2α destabilization, loss of glioma stemness, inhibition of tumour growth, and a more favourable outcome for patients with glioblastoma.
The great leap forward: the birth of the usability profession (1988-1993)

In a recent editorial in this journal, Arnie Lund (2006) talked about "post-modern usability." He urged us to move into a post-modern era in which we embrace "...both the existential understanding of the user in context as we design experiences that capture every aspect of the user..."(p.4) I agree with Arnie, but I am concerned that as a profession we will put down our early days as the modernists vigorously rejected their predecessors. Modernism is rooted in the idea that the "traditional" forms of art, literature, social organization, and daily life were outdated; therefore, it was essential to sweep them aside (Everdell, 1997)
Abstract 308: δ-Catenin/NPRAP/Neurojungin mutation promotes prostate tumorigenesis in mice overexpressing Myc oncogene .

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignant neoplasm in men in Western countries. In humans, prostate cancer progresses from precursor lesions, termed prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), to overt carcinoma confined to the prostate, and finally to metastatic disease that often results in lethality. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that δ-catenin/NPRAP/Neurojungin (gene designation: CTNND2), a primarily neural-enriched protein in the brain of healthy individuals, is overexpressed corresponding to human prostate cancer progression. This finding has led us to investigate the roles of δ-catenin in prostate cancer progression. We utilized a novel transgenic model of mouse prostate cancer with overexpression of human Myc oncogene driven by rat-probasin promoter as the initiating event, which has been proven to mimic human disease conditions. These Myc overexpressing mice were further crossbred with δ-catenin mutant (δ-cat−/−) mice whose exon 9 of δ-catenin gene was disrupted. In this study, we examined the histological differences of mouse prostate in wild type and Myc overexpression with δ-catenin mutant mice (Myc/δ-cat−/−). We observed that morphological alterations characteristic of high grade PIN developed in luminal epithelial cells of transgenic mice by 6 weeks. These changes include an increase of nuclear size, multi-layering, and cribriform formation. Surprisingly, Myc/δ-cat−/- mice at 6 months of age displayed the dramatically increased tumor size and progression from PIN to adenocarcinomas. We also discovered that Myc/δ-cat−/- mice increased in both number of proliferating cells and cells undergoing apoptosis compared with that of wild type animals. However, in Myc/δ-cat−/- mice, proliferative index was greater than apoptotic index by 3.7 fold. Collectively, our findings suggest that mutation of δ-catenin may contribute to tumorigenesis of mouse prostate by enhancing the effects of Myc oncogene resulting in an increase of cell proliferation and thereby promoting prostate tumor growth. Supported by NIHCA111891 and NIHCA165202. Citation Format: Jongdee Nopparat, Jiao Zhang, Yan-Hua Chen, Qun Lu. δ-Catenin/NPRAP/Neurojungin mutation promotes prostate tumorigenesis in mice overexpressing Myc oncogene . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 308. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-308
Rapid Prototyping with Microsoft Powerpoint©: Page Linking and Animation

Microsoft PowerPoint© allows designers to create medium fidelity interface prototypes. This paper describes how PowerPoint© can easily be used to create dynamic displays that are interactive and provide animation, when resources do not permit the purchase of computer-based prototyping software and the design requires more than a pencil-and-paper prototype. With PowerPoint©, designers can create interactive displays by hyperlinking objects to connect multiple slides. Additionally, animations can be created by using the same principles that govern children's “flip books”.
β-Lactam Resistance and Enterobacteriaceae, United States

Extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC) are an important drug class for treating severe Salmonella infections. We screened the human collection from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System 2000 for ESC resistance mechanisms. Of non-Typhi Salmonella tested, 3.2% (44/1,378) contained blaCMY genes. Novel findings included blaCMY-positive Escherichia coli O157:H7 and a blaSHV-positive Salmonella isolate. CMY-positive isolates showed a ceftriaxone MIC >2 µg/mL.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Master of Science in Agronomy distance program: a comprehensive investigation of learners’ perspective of quality in distance learning

The main purpose of this research is to provide an in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of distance learning programs by conducting a comprehensive investigation of the learners’ perspective of quality in the Masters of Science in Agronomy distance program at the Iowa State University. It is presented in a manuscript format as it includes three publishable journal articles that represent Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of a traditional thesis along with a General Introduction and Conclusion Chapters. This thesis argues that current quality standards and evaluation models applied in distance learning are insufficient in addressing the learner’s perspective of quality in distance learning and do not provide prescriptive theory-based procedures for conducting program evaluations in distance learning. Current evaluation practices primarily represent distance-learning providers’ perspective. That is, quality is a value-laden concept that has a different meaning for different groups of people (stakeholders) that are involved in distance learning, and past research is limited in terms of bringing learners’ point of view of quality to distance learning. Considering the importance of bringing learners’ point of view to the discussion of quality in distance learning, a critical review was conducted of the literature on quality standards in distance learning. Specifically, a review was performed to compile quality indicators recommended by distance learners from research in the field. Four themes emerged in the literature that indicates the learners’ perspective of quality in distance learning: (1) Course design, (2) Interaction, (3) Support and (4) Technology use and within each theme, several quality indicators were identified.
Rehumanizing Law: A Theory of Law and Democracy (Preface & Introduction)

When we think of “law” in a popular sense, we think of “rules” or the institutions that make or enforce those rules (legislatures, the police, courts, etc.). But where do these rules come from and what makes them legal rules? Put differently, does a rule’s status as a legal rule mean that it is sealed off from the influence of other systems of human knowledge and inquiry (like the humanities)? There are many possible answers to these questions, but the one that I am concerned to examine in my work arises from narrative, which is one of the most fundamental modes of human expression. By keeping narratives at a distance or delay, law loses (and has indeed lost) some of its essential humanity. My project is, then, an attempt to explain the relationship between law and narrative, and — in the end — to suggest ways to rehumanize law by reconnecting it to its narrative roots and certain cognates in the humanities. To do this, I retell dozens of law-stories within a theoretical framework derived from literary, legal, and political theory.
The Design of Underwater Target Echo Simulation Card based on PXI bus

The broad-band transmitting signal is used widely in Sonar. To simulate the echo of the underwater target,a high precision underwater target broad-band echo technique is proposed. The card use PXI bus,and the signal processing hardware is operated under the control of a PXI computer. the card can simulate the delay,pulse broadening,envelop with high precision. The hardware structure is analyzed,and the WDM driver,the application and the interface with Labview is programmed. The Certain broad-band Doppler sonar is tested using the simulating echo.
Characteristics of heterosexual behviors among men who have sex with men in Chaoyang District,Beijing

Objective To understand the characteristics of heterosexual behaviors and HIV/Syphilis infection among men who had sex with men(MSM) in Chaoyang District,Beijing.Methods Snowball sampling method was adopted to recruit the study participants and face to face interview was conducted to collect information on heterosexual behaviors.HIV and syphilis infection was detected by serological test.Results Of those 1008 MSM participated in the survey,56.2%(566/1008)had had heterosexual behaviors.61.8%(50/566)had their first sexual intercourse with a woman.56.7%(321/566) had female regular sexual partners and 55.3%(313/566)had female casual sexual partners.29.3%(94/321) MSM always used condom when they had intercourse with female regular sexual partner and 24.3%(76/313) did so when they had sexual intercourse with female casual sexual partner.5.5%(31/566)had had intercourse with a woman for money as a professional sex worker.The infection rate of HIV and syphilis was 6.0%(35/566)and 15.0%(85/566),respectively.Conclusions Heterosexual behaviors are common among MSM and improvement of condom use is urgently needed to reduce sexual transmitted diseases to female population.
Evaluation of Voliam Flexi, Beleaf, and Cyclaniliprole to Control Asian Citrus Psyllid and Citrus Leafminer on Oranges, Summer 2014

ACP is the key pest of Florida citrus due to its role as vector of greening disease or “huanglongbing.” Feeding damage from CLM larvae facilitates spread of citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri . Both pests cause considerable damage to young flush in their own rights. Therefore, effective insecticides to control both pests are needed. The experimental block at Southwest Florida Research and Education Center Immokalee, Florida consisted of 6-yr-old sweet orange “Valencia” and “Hamlin” orange trees planted at a density of 132 trees per acre. Seven treatments and an untreated check were randomly distributed in an RCBD with four replicates …
Evaluation of detection performance of DXI800 chemiluminescence analyzer according to EP10-A2 document of CLSI

Objective To evaluate the detection performance of DXI800chemiluminescence analyzer(DXI800 analyzer)according to EP10-A2document of Clinic and Laboraroty Standard Institute(CLSI).Methods According to EP10-A2document,human growth hormone(hGH)in quality control serum were continuously detected for five days with a certain order,then the deviation,total imprecision,intercept,slope rate,non-linearity,cross-contamination and drift were analyzed by using Microsoft Excel software.Results The linearity between measured value and target value was relatively well(Y=0.992 X+0.083,r2=0.978)when the concentrations of hGH were 2.15,5.47 and 10.80mmol/L,with bias of 0.066,0.265and 0.055 mmol/L,and total imprecision of 6.57%,8.53% and 4.56%,respectively.Simple sample t test indicated that the difference of intercept,slope rate,non-linearity,crosscontamination and drift was no statistically significant(P0.05).Conclusion The deviation,total imprecision,intercept,slope rate,non-linearity,cross-contamination and drift of DXI800analyzer might be within permission limit,and could satisfy the request of clinical application and scientific research of hGH.
Dimensions of the therapeutic milieu: a study of mental hospital atmosphere.

Even though the environment of a mental hospital exerts a direct effect on the patient and even though evaluations of mental hospital performance take place constantly in the political arena, menta...
Integrated Sensing and Information Processing Theme-Based Redesign of the Undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering Curriculum at Duke University.

The field of electrical and computer engineering has evolved significantly in the past two de cades. This evolution has broadened the field of ECE, and subfields have seen deep penetration into very specialized areas. Remarkable devices and systems arising from innovative processes, exotic materials, high speed computer simulations, and complex algorithms make ECE an exciting career field. These fascinating developments present greater opportunities for undergraduates to explore the field of ECE as well as greater challenges for them to navigate the curriculum because of the myriad of course and areas of concentration choices they have to make. Reflecting innova tions in the field and capitalizing on the collective faculty research expertise, the Department of
Self-healing of Engineered Cementitious Composites in the Natural Environment

This research investigates the self-healing behavior of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) in the natural environment. ECC specimens were damaged to 0.5% tensile strain and allowed to heal outdoors, under random and sometimes extreme environmental conditions. Resonant frequency measurements and uniaxial tensile tests were used to quantify the rate and robustness of selfhealing, while photo documentation was used to obtain visual evidence of selfhealing products. It was found that there was a significant recovery of resonant frequency and stiffness in the damaged specimens after they were exposed to the natural environment. Specimens were able to recover up to 90% of their original, pre-damaged, resonant frequency values and up to 31% and 68% of their initial stiffness after one and three months of exposure. Photo documentation also showed self-healing in cracks up to 20 μm in width. This suggests that ECC is not only capable of self-healing in controlled laboratory conditions, but also in the natural environment.
TurnTable: Towards More Equivalent Turn-Taking

In this paper, we introduce a prototype for a tangible interface to encourage turn-taking in group discussions. Teams with better distribution of turn-taking have been found to outperform those with poorly distributed turn-taking. Making teams aware of their turn-taking dynamics thus has the potential to improve their performance. This paper explores the use of a tangible interface as a means to both increase team members' awareness of their turn taking dynamics, while actively driving the conversation towards more equivalent turn-taking. The construction of a prototype called a TurnTable is detailed, as well as potential enhancements to the design to improve group performance.
Hybrid Course Design: A Different Type of Polymer Blend

An upper-division undergraduate polymer chemistry course was developed as a blended/hybrid course. The students met face-to-face once a week for 75 min with all other components being available online. Face-to-face meetings were used for class discussions/problem-based lectures, student presentations, hands-on activities, and examinations. Online components included study guides, the Macrogalleria, and online quizzes. This course is appropriate for students who have had one year of organic chemistry.
Systemic Manifestations in Pyridox(am)ine 5'-Phosphate Oxidase Deficiency.

Abstract Objective Pyridoxine is converted to its biologically active form pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) by the enzyme pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase and serves as a cofactor in nearly 200 reactions in the central nervous system. Pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase deficiency leads to P5P dependent epilepsy, typically a neonatal- or infantile-onset epileptic encephalopathy treatable with P5P or in some cases, pyridoxine. Following identification of retinopathy in a patient with pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase deficiency that was reversible with P5P therapy, we describe the systemic manifestations of pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase deficiency. Methods A series of six patients with homozygous mutations of PNPO , the gene coding pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase, were evaluated in our center over the course of two years for phenotyping of neurological and systemic manifestations. Results Five of six were born prematurely, three had anemia and failure to thrive, and two had elevated alkaline phosphatase. A movement disorder was observed in two children, and a reversible retinopathy was observed in the most severely affected infant. All patients had neonatal-onset epilepsy and were on a continuum of developmental delay to profound encephalopathy. Electroencephalographic features included background slowing and disorganization, absent sleep features, and multifocal and generalized epileptiform discharges. All the affected probands carried a homozygous PNPO mutation (c.674 G>T, c.686 G>A and c.352G>A). Conclusion In addition to the well-described epileptic encephalopathy, pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase deficiency causes a range of neurological and systemic manifestations. A movement disorder, developmental delay, and encephalopathy, as well as retinopathy, anemia, and failure to thrive add to the broadening clinical spectrum of P5P dependent epilepsy.
Quantitative substructure and tensile-property investigations of nickel alloys

The small-angle dislocation-boundary density of nickel and some of its alloys was investigated as a function of strength. It was found that the strength is a linear function of the density for pure nickel and for Ni-Ti alloys, but not for Ni-Co alloys. The results are interpreted in terms of dislocation theory.
Free-breathing whole-heart 3D cine magnetic resonance imaging with prospective respiratory motion compensation.

PURPOSE To develop and validate a new prospective respiratory motion compensation algorithm for free-breathing whole-heart 3D cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) imaging. METHODS In a 3D cine SSFP sequence, 4 excitations per cardiac cycle are re-purposed to prospectively track heart position. Specifically, their 1D image is reconstructed and routed into the scanner's standard diaphragmatic navigator processing system. If all 4 signals are in end-expiration, cine image data from the entire cardiac cycle is accepted for image reconstruction. Prospective validation was carried out in patients (N = 17) by comparing in each a conventional breath-hold 2D cine ventricular short-axis stack and a free-breathing whole-heart 3D cine data set. RESULTS All 3D cine SSFP acquisitions were successful and the mean scan time was 5.9 ± 2.7 min. Left and right ventricular end-diastolic, end-systolic, and stroke volumes by 3D cine SSFP were all larger than those from 2D cine SSFP. This bias was < 6% except for right ventricular end-systolic volume that was 12%. The 3D cine images had a lower ventricular blood-to-myocardium contrast ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, mass, and subjective quality score. CONCLUSION The novel prospective respiratory motion compensation method for 3D cine SSFP imaging was robust and efficient and yielded slightly larger ventricular volumes and lower mass compared to breath-hold 2D cine imaging. Magn Reson Med 80:181-189, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Introduction: Anthropology and Business in Asia

AbstractThe theme of this volume is “Culture, Corporation, and Economy in Asia.” It introduces seven articles written by leading business anthropologists. Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present. The central concern of anthropologists is the application of anthropological knowledge to the solution of human problems. This introductory article briefly summarizes the history of anthropology and business studies in Japan, Korea, and China, and examines the intertwined relationship of this branch of anthropology with the history of East Asian colonialism. The author then introduces anthropology’s methodology and perspective that emphasize holistic, comparative, empirical, inductive, and ethno-historically oriented mode of inquiry. Anthropology regards the economic organization not only as an entity dealing with financial issues, but also as a cultural-emitter that operates in a nexus of multiple stakeholder-agencies. To study companies and economic activities in Asia anthropologically is to explo...
Postsynaptic cutaneous vasodilation and sweating: influence of adiposity and hydration status

Obesity and hypohydration independently affect postsynaptic endothelial function, but it is unknown if hypohydration affects lean and obese individuals differently. To examine the effect of hypohydration on postsynaptic cutaneous vasodilation and sweating in men with high and low adiposity (HI- and LO-BF, respectively). Ten males with LO-BF and ten with HI-BF were instrumented for forearm microdialysis when euhydrated and hypohydrated. Changes in cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) with intradermal infusion of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and methacholine chloride (MCh) were assessed. Local sweat rate (LSR) was simultaneously assessed at the MCh site. At the end of the last dose, maximal CVC was elicited by delivering a maximal dose of SNP for 30 min to both sites with simultaneous local heating at the SNP site. The concentration of drug needed to elicit 50% of the maximal response (EC50) was compared between groups and hydration conditions. When euhydrated, EC50 of MCh-induced CVC was not different between LO- vs. HI-BF [− 3.04 ± 0.12 vs. − 2.98 ± 0.19 log (MCh) M, P = 0.841]. EC50 of SNP-induced CVC was higher in euhydrated HI- vs. LO-BF (− 1.74 ± 0.17 vs. − 2.13 ± 0.06 log (SNP) M, P = 0.034). Within each group, hydration status did not change MCh- or SNP-induced CVC (P > 0.05). LSR was not different between groups or hydration condition (P > 0.05). These data suggest reduced sensitivity of endothelium-independent vasodilation in individuals with high adiposity when euhydrated. However, hypohydration does not affect cutaneous vasodilation or local sweat rate differently between individuals with low or high adiposity.
Effect of sample storage on the kinetics of pyrite oxidation

The effect of sample storage in argon and in air on the kinetics of oxidation of pyrite from a coal source was studied using accelerated-weathering tests that were performed in laboratory columns. Prior to the weathering tests, the samples were crushed, ground and stored for various periods of time in either argon or air. The test results showed a dramatic difference in the rate of oxidation of the aged samples. The interpretation of the differences was based on the hypothesis that the aging of pyrite led to the formation of surface coatings that changed with time. “Dry” oxidation produced surface coatings that had properties different from those produced by “wet” oxidation. The significance of these results to pyrite/reagent interactions during flotation and in evaluating the acid-mine-drainage potential of pyritic waste materials is discussed.
Mechanochemistry of Stable Diamane and Atomically Thin Diamond Films Synthesis From Bi- and Multilayer Graphene: A Computational Study

Mono- and few-layer graphenes exhibit unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, their hardness and in-plane stiffness are still not comparable to the other allotrope of carbon...
Is the Oral Microbiome Associated with Blood Pressure in Older Women

A possible role of the oral microbiome, specifically oral nitrate reducing flora, in blood pressure (BP) homeostasis, if proven etiologic in nature, could lead to novel mechanism-based therapy to improve hypertension prevention and control. This cross-sectional study characterized and compared the oral microbiome between four study groups based on BP status among 446 postmenopausal women aged 53–82 years. Three study groups were not taking hypertension medication and were separated based on BP, as follows: normal BP (systolic 140 or diastolic > 90; N = 42). The forth group consisted of anyone taking hypertension medications, regardless of BP (N = 119). Subgingival microbiome composition was determined using 16S rRNA sequencing with the Illumina MiSeq platform. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare species-level relative abundance of bacterial operational taxonomic units across the four groups. Sixty-five bacterial species demonstrated significant differences in relative abundance in women with elevated BP or using hypertension medication as compared to those with normal BP. After correction for multiple testing, two species, Prevotella oral (species 317) and Streptococcus oralis, remained significant and were lower in abundance among women taking antihypertension medications compared to those with normal BP (corrected P < 0.05). These data provide novel description of oral subgingival bacteria grouped according to BP status. Additional larger studies including functional analysis and prospective designs will help further assess the potential role of the oral microbiome in BP regulation and hypertension.
The Hip in Fibrous Dysplasia

Fibrous dysplasia is a benign condition caused by a known genetic mutation leading to dysplastic bone formation, which may be accompanied by extra-osseous manifestations including cafe-au-lait spots, precocious puberty, and hyperthyroidism. Clinically, these symptoms may present with pain and deformity, and recognition of these lesions is important to prevent pathologic fracture. The diagnosis of FD is made by plain radiograph, and bone scan remains an effective tool for measuring the extent of disease. The managed of FD of the proximal femur aims at preventing pathologic fracture, deformity correction, and pain control. Asymptomatic and small lesions may be managed by observation. Lesions of the proximal femur associated with pain and deformity require surgical intervention. Intramedullary, load sharing, devices are the preferred treatment for prophylactic fixation, and valgus osteotomy procedures are required for the coxa vara (shepherd’s crook) deformity that classically may present. FD is a disease of the growing patient, and once skeletal maturity is reached the disease process tends to stabilize or may normalize in select patients.
Piero Ferri: Minsky’s Moment: An Insider’s View on the Economics of Hyman Minsky

Minsky’s Moment: An Insider’s View on the Economics of Hyman Minsky (New Directions in Modern Economics series). Piero Ferri. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishers, 2019. ISBN-10: 1788973720, IS...
Chromosomal location of genes influencing plant characters and evapotranspiration efficiency in bread wheat

Little is known of genes that influence root development and drought resistance in bread wheat. The evapotranspiration efficiency (ETE = ratio of vegetative dry weight to total water used) of spring bread wheat tall landrace ‘Chinese Spring’ is relatively high. We used 42 ditelosomic and dimonotelosomic lines of Chinese Spring to identify chromosome arms that influence plant characters and ETE. Multiple regression analyses indicated that 96% of the variation observed in ETE was explained by variation in vegetative dry weight and total water used. Variation in plant height, number of spikes (tillers), root dry weight and shoot dry weight (excluding grains) together explained 88% of the variation observed in plant vegetative dry weight. Chromosome arms involved in expression of days to heading and maturity, plant height, number of spikes, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, number of grains, grain weight, and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) were identified. Specifically, both arms of chromosome 2A, the long arm of chromosome 2B, and the short arm of chromosome 2D might carry genes with positive effects on number of spikes, root dry weight, and shoot dry weight. None of the aneuploids produced grain yield greater than Chinese Spring. The short arms of chromosomes 6A and 4D might carry genes that suppress Δ. Chromosome 1D might carry genes that increase relative water loss. The chromosome arms belonging to homoeologous group 2 might carry genes with positive effects on ETE. The genetic basis of ETE in modern wheats could be broadened by substituting specific chromosome arms of landrace wheats carrying desired characters into their genomes.
2 – Problems with Different Time Scales

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the problems with different time scales. The simplest problem with different time scales is given by the initial-value problem for the ordinary differential equation. In many applications, one is not interested in the fast time scale. Therefore, it is of interest to develop methods for preparing the initial data such that the fast time scale is suppressed. There are two ways to do this: initialization and filtering. The chapter also provides an overview on systems of ordinary differential equations. The effect of a highly oscillatory perturbation on the smooth solution is much smaller than the size of the perturbation. This means that in computations, one can be quite sloppy with the initialization and can apply a numerical filter after the calculation. Shallow water equations play a central role in geophysics. They govern two classes of motions with different time scales, consisting of low-frequency Rossby waves and high-frequency inertia gravity waves.
Initial Results of Selected Use of Covered Stents in Transcarotid Artery Revascularization.

Background Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a novel, hybrid approach to treating carotid disease in the treatment of stroke and stroke prevention. Early results of this hybrid approach to carotid stenting using flow reversal have been promising, with reported stroke rates around 1–2.8%. 1 , 2 Currently, carotid stenting, regardless of approach, is performed with uncovered stents, which incurs the risk of plaque protrusion through the stent and in-stent restenosis. Overall, plaque protrusion is a rare event, with a reported incidence of 2.8% on angiography, but it is associated a high rate of ischemic complications (up to 66.7%). 3 The use of covered stents could eliminate the risk of plaque protrusion and therefore short to midterm embolic phenomenon during the remodeling process. It also may improve rates of in-stent restenosis as it is a fully covered stent. Adoption of this technique has the potential to further improve the safety, efficacy, and durability of TCAR. Methods We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing TCAR with covered stents between September 2018 and December 2019. Procedures were performed by the same operator at 2 separate institutions. Indications included severe asymptomatic or symptomatic carotid stenosis with high-risk lesions defined as lesions 2 cm lesions or longer and/or >50% of the lesion containing soft plaque or bleeding carotid pseudoaneurysm. Our primary outcomes included periprocedural and 30-day stroke rates. Secondary outcomes included stent patency and other procedure-related complications. All patients were maintained on clopidogrel postprocedure for 3 months and then transitioned to aspirin, unless otherwise indicated. Results A total of 6 patients underwent TCAR with covered stent angioplasty during this time period. Patient demographics included 5 males and 1 female, with an average age of 70.8 ± 4.6 years. Indications for stenting included 4 patients with asymptomatic >70% carotid stenosis and 1 patient with transient ischemic attack–like symptoms and >70% stenosis, and 1 patient with bleeding carotid pseudoaneurysm. Gore Viabahn covered stents were used in all patients. There were no periprocedural or postprocedural ischemic events at 30 days. All 6 stents remained patent at follow-up on duplex ultrasound, and all patients remained asymptomatic on clinical follow-up (average 3.4 [1.4–6.9] months). Conclusions The use of covered stents for TCAR appears to be a safe and effective in select patients requiring carotid intervention. It holds the potential to decrease ischemic events from plaque protrusion and in-stent restenosis in the long-term. Further investigation in device design or clinical evaluation is warranted.
The Impact Of Medicare’s Rural Add-On Payments On Supply Of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Counties

Intermittently since 2001, Medicare has provided a percentage increase over standard payments to home health agencies that serve rural beneficiaries. Yet the effect of rural add-on payments on the ...
Editorial: Reflections on Open Access

At the most basic level, open access refers to profit versus non-profit academic publishing processes and procedures. This means that in an open access system, there are no fees paid to the publishers to either publish or view a scholarly work. Today many universities value open access journals as much as they value subscription-based journal publications. Issues and Trends in Learning Technologies is particularly interested in supporting graduate students and young scholars who are new in the publishing process. Please keep those papers coming in.
Prevalence and outcomes of co-infection and superinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The recovery of other pathogens in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection has been reported, either at the time of a SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis (co-infection) or subsequently (superinfection). However, data on the prevalence, microbiology, and outcomes of co-infection and superinfection are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of co-infections and superinfections and their outcomes among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We searched literature databases for studies published from October 1, 2019, through February 8, 2021. We included studies that reported clinical features and outcomes of co-infection or superinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. We followed PRISMA guidelines, and we registered the protocol with PROSPERO as: CRD42020189763. RESULTS: Of 6639 articles screened, 118 were included in the random effects meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of co-infection was 19% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14%-25%, I2 = 98%) and that of superinfection was 24% (95% CI: 19%-30%). Pooled prevalence of pathogen type stratified by co- or superinfection were: viral co-infections, 10% (95% CI: 6%-14%); viral superinfections, 4% (95% CI: 0%-10%); bacterial co-infections, 8% (95% CI: 5%-11%); bacterial superinfections, 20% (95% CI: 13%-28%); fungal co-infections, 4% (95% CI: 2%-7%); and fungal superinfections, 8% (95% CI: 4%-13%). Patients with a co-infection or superinfection had higher odds of dying than those who only had SARS-CoV-2 infection (odds ratio = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.82-5.99). Compared to those with co-infections, patients with superinfections had a higher prevalence of mechanical ventilation (45% [95% CI: 33%-58%] vs. 10% [95% CI: 5%-16%]), but patients with co-infections had a greater average length of hospital stay than those with superinfections (mean = 29.0 days, standard deviation [SD] = 6.7 vs. mean = 16 days, SD = 6.2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that as many as 19% of patients with COVID-19 have co-infections and 24% have superinfections. The presence of either co-infection or superinfection was associated with poor outcomes, including increased mortality. Our findings support the need for diagnostic testing to identify and treat co-occurring respiratory infections among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A Novel Educational Tool to Improve Medical Student Knowledge Acquisition During Surgical Rotations

BackgroundThe addition of a novel education tool helps students improve understanding of general surgery topics. However, the effect of the new tool on objective exam performance is unknown.Materia...
Rural community systems: Youth physical activity promotion through community collaboration

A common way to address rural population health issues is through community stakeholders working together. Youth physical activity (PA) happens in adult-led in-school and out-of-school group opportunities that vary across communities and generally occur in isolated settings. This study explores similarities and differences in rural community system structure and collaborative process variables that help to conceptualize the collaborative impact influencing population youth PA outcomes. Stakeholders (Community 1, n = 23; Community 2, n = 26) and youth (Community 1, n = 205; Community 2, n = 213) were recruited in 2018-2019 as part of Wellscapes, a hybrid implementation-effectiveness community randomized trial. A stakeholder survey (n = 49) measured community system structures and collaboration processes. Youth completed the Youth Activity Profile to measure PA levels. More Community 1 respondents than Community 2 resided within city limits (73.9% vs. 34.6%). Collective efficacy was significantly greater in Community 1 (M = 4.0, SD = 0.5) than in 2 (M = 3.2, SD = 0.4), p < 0.05. Perceptions of trust scored significantly greater in Community 1 (M = 4.1, SD = 0.3) than in 2 (M = 3.3, SD = 0.5), p < 0.05. Though both communities met rural definitions and had stakeholder investment, Community 1 had a greater proportion of PA-implementing stakeholders and more residing within city limits which may have influenced that community's higher scores in collective efficacy and trust. Community 2 had more stakeholders in administrator roles and yielded greater youth PA levels. Unique and common variables of rural communities should be considered in understanding system factors that impact youth PA.
Initial Clinical Evaluation of Fast-kV Dual Energy Imaging for Markerless Tumor Tracking of Lung Tumors in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Dual energy (DE) fluoroscopy is being considered for markerless tumor tracking (MTT) of lung tumors. The principal advantage of this technique is that it can be used to remove overlaying bony anatomy, and hence improve the tracking accuracy vs. single energy (SE) fluoroscopy. Previous studies using phantoms have demonstrated the superiority of DE vs. SE imaging for MTT. The goal of this study is to clinically evaluate MTT with fast-kV switching DE imaging on a cohort of SBRT lung cancer patients using the on-board imager (OBI) of a commercial linear accelerator. MATERIALS/METHODS In this Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved prospective study, DE images were acquired for 10 SBRT lung cancer patients. For each patient, DE images were obtained over 180o arc using fast-kV switching implemented on the OBI of a commercial linear accelerator. This fast-kV switching technique produced x-ray pulses that alternate between programmed tube voltages (i.e., 120 and 60 kVp) at a rate of 15 Hz. Weighted logarithmic subtraction was performed offline on consecutive high-low energy projections to produce soft tissue images. For comparison, SE image sequences were obtained by using the 120 kVp images. Separately, a template was derived from the contoured gross tumor volume (GTV) on the CT simulation scan. A template-based matching algorithm was then used to track target motion on both DE and SE image sequences. Successful matching was defined as any instance in which the algorithm matched the template on the respective fluoroscopic image. Ground truth positions were estimated from both the DE and SE images using Bayesian inference. RESULTS A total of 2278 SE and DE image frames were analyzed. DE imaging resulted in significantly improved tracking vs. SE on 884/2278 (38.8%) of image frames. In those frames, the average tracking error was 1.78 +/- 2.02 mm vs. 2.21 +/- 2.38 mm, for DE vs. SE imaging, respectively (P 0.7 mm. No correlation was observed between tumor volume/location and improved tracking accuracy with DE imaging. Additionally, the fraction of images that could not be tracked with SE was 91/2278 (4.0%). The addition of DE imaging decreased this number to 33/2278 (1.4%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION This is the first prospective study to evaluate fast-kV switching DE imaging for MTT in a cohort of SBRT lung cancer patients. This study has demonstrated that by removal of overlapping bony anatomy, DE imaging increases tracking accuracy and decreases the number of images where tracking fails. Future work includes optimization of template parameters to further improve DE tracking accuracy.
The Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale: An Anatomically Defined and Image-Based Tool

The Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale was developed, standardized, and validated to provide reliable, anatomically defined, and image-based assessment of post-swallow pharyngeal residue severity as observed during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). It is a five-point ordinal rating scale based on residue location (vallecula and pyriform sinus) and amount (none, trace, mild, moderate, and severe). Two expert judges reviewed a total of 261 FEES evaluations and selected a no residue exemplar and three exemplars each of trace, mild, moderate, and severe vallecula and pyriform sinus residue. Hard-copy color images of the no residue, 12 vallecula, and 12 pyriform sinus exemplars were randomized by residue location for hierarchical categorization by 20 raters with a mean of 8.3 years of experience (range 2–27 years) performing and interpreting FEES. Severity ratings for all images were performed by the same 20 raters, 2 weeks apart, and with the order of image presentations randomized. Intra-rater test–retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, and construct validity were determined by pooled multi-category multi-rater kappa statistics. Residue ratings were excellent for intra-rater reliability for vallecula (kappa = 0.957 ± 0.014) and pyriform sinus (kappa = 0.854 ± 0.021); very good to excellent for inter-rater reliability for vallecula (kappa = 0.868 ± 0.011) and pyriform sinus (kappa = 0.751 ± 0.011); and excellent for validity for vallecula (kappa = 0.951 ± 0.014) and pyriform sinus (kappa = 0.908 ± 0.017). Clinical uses include accurate classification of vallecula and pyriform sinus residue severity patterns as none, trace, mild, moderate, or severe for diagnostic purposes, determination of functional therapeutic change, and precise dissemination of shared information. Scientific uses include tracking outcome measures, demonstrating efficacy of interventions to reduce pharyngeal residue, investigating morbidity and mortality in relation to pharyngeal residue severity, and improving training and accuracy of FEES interpretation by students and clinicians. The Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale is a reliable, validated, anatomically defined, and image-based tool to determine residue location and severity based on FEES.
Charlotte the Spider, Socrates, and the Problem of Evil

Why do children, especially those facing death, find consolation in E.B. White’s novel Charlotte’s Web? [12]. Anthropologist Bluebond-Langner confirmed a long-held belief among pediatric health professionals that dying children find this novel comforting. It is, she notes, their most popular book. “They always chose the chapter in which Charlotte dies, After any child died, the book had a resurgence of popularity among the others” ([2], p. 186).