cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conception Rates in Beef Heifers at Four Time Intervals After Prostaglandin F2α

Abstract Two age groups [14 to 15 mo, younger heifers (YH), n = 291; 21 to 22 mo, older heifers (OH), n = 194] of Brangus and Brangus crossbred heifers were used to compare conception rates to AI at 48, 72, 96, or 120 h after two injections of prostaglandin F 2 α (25 mg −1 heifer; PGF) given 14 d apart. Estrous detection was not conducted, but a heat mount detector was placed on each heifer at the second PGF injection. Heifers with activated detectors at 48 h after a second injection of PGF were artificially inseminated between 0930 and 1100 h. This procedure was repeated for heifers with newly activated detectors at 72, 96, and 120 h after the second PGF injection. Mean BW was heavier (P 2 = 7.2; df = 3) in YH. Conception rates in YH were 52.9 and 31.5% at 48 to 72 h and 96 to 120 h, respectively (P χ 2 = 7.4; df = 1). Within age group, mean BW of heifers that conceived did not differ among the four intervals to insemination. Mean BW did not differ between heifers that did or did not conceive. It is concluded that conception rates decline in YH, but not in OH, as the interval to response and subsequent insemination after the second injection of PGF increases.
Vitamin B12 absorption from fish.

AbstractThe main purpose of this investigation was to study the assimilation of cyanocobalamin from fish. For this reason rainbow trout were injected with 57Co-vitamin B12 and sacrificed 2 to 3 weeks later. The radioactivity was found to be evenly distributed in the muscle mass. In contrast to findings in birds and mammals the liver contained on the average less radioactivity than did the kidneys, head, skin, and muscle mass. The radiolabeled fish was ingested by three healthy subjects in 50- to 300-g portions and the absorption measured by the stool excretion method. The study shows that from an average of 2.07 μg of vitamin B12 (50 g of fish), 4.05 μg (100 g), 9.2 μg (200 g), and 13.3 μg (300 g) the assimilation of cobalamin averaged 0.87, 1.55. 3.90, and 3.98 μg, respectively. In two of the subjects, an upper limit of absorption was reached, while in one it was still climbing. A standard urinary excretion test using 100 g of fish, eaten by healthy subjects and by patients who presented with low serum v...
CURIOSITY REWARD IN CHILDREN

Recently, considerable interest has centered on curiosity as an incentive, e.g., Butler (1953) with monkeys and Mirtrnan and Terrell (1964) with grade-school Ss found curiosity to be effective in discrimination learning. Brackbill and Jack (1958) mentioned the need for a "methodological cookbook" for the effectiveness of rewards at different ages. In addition, material rewards and satisfaction of curiosity are so frequently used as incentives for children's learning that comparison is desirable. The present study compared candy, curiosity, and curiosity-plus-manipulation as incentives for grade-school children. Sixty Ss were used in a 3 x 2 X 2 factorial design: 3 reward conditions, 2 sexes, and 2 grades (kindergarcen and first-grade). The task and procedure were similar to those used by Brackbill and Jack (1958) : two 2-lb. and one 1-lb. coffee cans confronted Ss, with each can painted a different shade of red. The child was told that on each trial E would place an object under one of the cans, and that there was a way to find the correct can "every single time." For the candy groups, the object was an M&M which S kept whenever he was correct. For the curiosity groups, the object was a different toy on each trial, and after a correct response S looked at the toy for 5 sec. The curiosity-plus-manipulation Ss could pick up the toy and play with it for 5 sec. There were 64 toys (all different and novel, at least to E) presented in a fixed sequence to all Ss. Trials were at 15-sec. intervals. Between trials, S put his head on a pillow to minimize audible or visual cues. The correct response was a simple position alternation sequence, with color, size, and the presence of the small can as irrelevant cues. If S did not reach criterion in 125 trials, a score of 125 was assigned. Analyses of variance for number of trials to eliminate the small can from the response repertoire and for trials to criterion of 10 successive correct responses indicated that kindergarten Ss required more trials than first-grade Ss (P < .05). Neither reward condition, sex, nor any of the interactions approached significance. Probably the task used here was sufficiently interesting and of sufficiently short duration that performance remained at a high level regardless of the reward condition. In a more monotonous task with less built-in interest, type of reward might well be a significant variable.
Parental involvement in exercise and diet interventions for childhood cancer survivors: a systematic review

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of becoming overweight or obese due to treatment effects and/or post-treatment behaviors. Parents are key agents influencing child diet and physical activity (PA), which are modifiable risk factors for obesity. A systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was undertaken to evaluate current interventions that include diet and PA elements for CCS to determine if and to what extent parents were included, and whether parent involvement had a significant effect on behavioral outcomes or adiposity. A total of 2,386 potential articles were reviewed and 25 individual studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. Parental involvement was classified into three categories and varied across studies, although most had indirect or no parental involvement. The studies that included direct parental involvement showed positive outcomes on a variety of measures suggesting that increasing parental involvement in interventions for CCS may be one way to promote long-term lifestyle changes for pediatric cancer patients. However, additional research directly addressing parental involvement in obesity prevention and treatment among CCS is warranted.
Measurement of Need for Assistance With Daily Activities: Quantifying the Influence of Gender Roles

This research quantified the contribution of traditional gender roles to patient-reported receipt of assistance with personal care activities, housework, cooking, shopping, transportation, and administrative activities among a sample of 629 cancer patients with advanced disease who were undergoing outpatient treatment. Approximately 80 percent of male patients and 30 percent of female patients attributed help received with household tasks to longstanding division of labor. This response was particularly common among married men and did not differ by age or educational status. However, available morbidity indicators suggest that approximately one-third of these patients actually were functionally impaired, despite attribution to gender role expectations. We adjusted estimates of need for assistance to avoid overestimation due to role-related help, and a second time to avoid underestimation due to underreporting of physical inability to perform a task alone. After making these adjustments, male patients' level of need for assistance with traditionally female-associated tasks was reduced by approximately 50 percent.
Synthesis, X-ray Opacity, and Biological Compatibility of Ultra-High Payload Elemental Bismuth Nanoparticle X-ray Contrast Agents

Inorganic nanoscale X-ray contrast agents (XCAs) offer many potential advantages over currently used intravascular molecular contrast agents, including longer circulation and retention times, lower administration volumes, and greater potential for site directed imaging. Elemental bismuth nanoparticles (BiNPs) are particularly attractive candidate XCAs due to the low cost, the high atomic number and high density of bismuth, and the likelihood that BiNPs will oxidatively decompose to biocompatible bismuth(III) ions at controlled rates for renal excretion. Herein we describe the synthesis of ultrahigh payload BiNPs in 1,2-propanediol using a borane reducing agent and glucose as a biocompatible surface stabilizer. Both synthetic solvent (1,2-propanediol) and surfactant (glucose) are evident on the BiNP surfaces when analyzed by 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies. These particles contain ∼6 million Bi atoms per NP and have large inorganic cores (74 nm by TEM) compared to their hydrodynamic size (86 nm by DLS). Thus, the dense BiNP core constitutes the majority (∼60%) of each particle's volume, a necessary property to realize the full potential of nanoscale XCAs. Using quantitative computed tomography in phantom and in vitro imaging studies, we demonstrate that these BiNPs have greater X-ray opacity than clinical small molecule iodinated contrast agents at the same concentrations. We furthermore demonstrate a favorable biocompatibility profile for these BiNPs in vitro. Altogether, these studies indicate that these ultrahigh payload BiNPs, synthesized from known biocompatible components, have promising physical and cytotoxicological properties for use as XCAs.
Brain Sodium Channel and Febrile Seizure Mechanism

Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia, measured the effect of temperature on brain sodium channel, Nav1.2, properties, using a computer model of the dentate gyrus granule cell.
Scattering and Diffraction of Elastodynamic Waves in a Concentric Cylindrical Phantom for MR Elastography

Aim: The focus of this paper is to report on the design and construction of a multiply connected phantom for use in magnetic resonance elastography (MRE)-an imaging technique that allows for the noninvasive visualization of the displacement field throughout an object from externally driven harmonic motion-as well as its inverse modeling with a closed-form analytic solution which is derived herein from first principles. Methods: Mathematically, the phantom is described as two infinite concentric circular cylinders with unequal complex shear moduli, harmonically vibrated at the exterior surface in a direction along their common axis. Each concentric cylinder is made of a hydrocolloid with its own specific solute concentration. They are assembled in a multistep process for which custom scaffolding was designed and built. A customized spin-echo-based MR elastography sequence with a sinusoidal motion-sensitizing gradient was used for data acquisition on a 9.4 T Agilent small-animal MR scanner. Complex moduli obtained from the inverse model are used to solve the forward problem with a finite-element method.Results: Both complex shear moduli show a significant frequency dependence (p <; 0.001) in keeping with previous work. Conclusion: The novel multiply connected phantom and mathematical model are validated as a viable tool for MRE studies. Significance: On a small enough scale much of physiology can be mathematically modeled with basic geometric shapes, e.g., a cylinder representing a blood vessel. This study demonstrates the possibility of elegant mathematical analysis of phantoms specifically designed and carefully constructed for biomedical MRE studies.
Racial/Ethnic Minority Undergraduate Psychology Majors’ Perceptions About School Psychology: Implications for Minority Recruitment

Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented within school psychology. Increased racial/ethnic diversity within university training programs has been shown to reduce prejudices and anxiety within students while increasing empathy for other racial/ethnic groups. The reduction of prejudices and anxiety and increased empathy for racial/ethnic minorities could prove critical when working with minorities. In this study, an analysis was conducted on national data from 282 minority undergraduate psychology students. Students’ knowledge, exposure, outcome expectation, and self-efficacy regarding school psychology were examined. All scales were found to have good internal consistency (i.e., α = 0.83 to 0.95). The purpose of this study is to help bridge the research to practice gap by identifying strategies that could help better recruit racial/ethnic minority students into school psychology programs. The findings from this analysis suggest that to increase the number of minority students entering school psychology, stakeholders should (a) improve students’ exposure to school psychology as early as K-12, (b) provide additional knowledge to targeted students about the benefits of a career in school psychology, and (c) present school psychology as an exciting career. Practical recommendations for the creation and implementation of diversity recruitment tools and strategies are provided.
Promotion of the NO + O2 reaction by Ba-Y, FAU zeolite at 25 °C

A remarkably high inferred initial rate of NO oxidation by O2 has been observed over Ba–Y, FAU zeolite at 25 °C in simple flow-reactor experiments. The rate of reaction at steady state was found to be lower, but still an order of magnitude greater than over alumina-supported Pt, also at 25 °C.
Auto-grouping emails for faster e-discovery

In this paper, we examine the application of various grouping techniques to help improve the efficiency and reduce the costs involved in an electronic discovery process. Specifically, we create coherent groups of email documents which characterize either a syntactic theme, a semantic theme or an email thread. All such grouped documents can be reviewed together leading to a faster and more consistent review of documents. Syntactic grouping of emails is based on near duplicate detection whereas semantic grouping is based on identifying concepts in the email content using information extraction. Email thread detection is achieved using a combination of segmentation and near duplicate detection. We present experimental results on the Enron corpus that suggest that these approaches can significantly reduce the review time and show that high precision and recall in identifying the groups can be achieved. We also describe how these techniques are integrated into the IBM eDiscovery Analyzer product offering.
Guanine-Nucleotide-Binding Regulatory Proteins

Studies of the hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase complex and of mechanisms of transduction of visual information have led to the discovery of a family of guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins. This family is now known to include at least four highly homologous members. We can, at this time, formulate general definitions and hypotheses about the family and its functions.
Challenges and coping strategies of East Asian graduate students in the United States

This study uses qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews to explore the adjustment challenges encountered by international graduate students during their study at US universities, and the protective factors most associated with successful adjustment. Nine students from China, Korea, and Taiwan, attending a Midwestern university, participated in the study. Language barriers and discrimination were the primary challenges reported; the factors most associated with successful adjustment were personal perception, social support, strong mentoring relationships, religious belief, and use of campus services. Implications for providing effective assistance for international graduate students are discussed.
Self-defeat and the foundations of public reason

At the core of public reason liberalism is the idea that the exercise of political power is legitimate only if based on laws or political rules that are justifiable to all reasonable citizens. Call this the Public Justification Principle. Public reason liberals face the persistent objection (articulated by, among others, Joseph Raz, Steven Wall, Allen Buchanan, and David Enoch) that the Public Justification Principle is self-defeating. The idea that a society’s political rules must be justifiable to all reasonable citizens is intensely controversial among seemingly reasonable citizens of every liberal society. So, the objection goes, the Public Justification Principle is not justifiable to all reasonable citizens, and thus fails its own test of legitimacy. And this, critics conclude, undermines the public reason liberal project. This article argues that answering the self-defeat objection to public reason liberalism requires fundamentally rethinking prevailing accounts of the Public Justification Principle’s role. My aim is to develop an account of the Public Justification Principle that vindicates its coherence and moral appeal in the face of reasonable disagreement.
A wafer-bonded hybrid silicon quantum dot laser

We present a wafer-bonded hybrid-silicon quantum-dot laser. Continuous-wave operation up to 100 °C and a threshold current density of 227 A/cm2 at room temperature are observed. Efficient coupling to a passive silicon waveguide is demonstrated. These devices are a key component in next generation supercomputers.
Structural and functional analysis of Na+/Ca2+ exchange in distal convoluted tubule cells.

Renal distal convoluted tubules (DCT) are a major site of hormone-regulated, active calcium absorption. Calcium exit across basolateral plasma membranes is thought to be mediated by Na+/Ca2+ exchan...
Biomarker-Defined Subgroup Selection Adaptive Design for Phase III Confirmatory Trial with Time-to-Event Data: Comparing Group Sequential and Various Adaptive Enrichment Designs

Predictive and prognostic biomarkers play an important role in personalized medicine to determine strategies for drug evaluation and treatment selection. In the context of continuous biomarkers, identification of an optimal cutoff for patient selection can be challenging due to limited information on biomarker predictive value, the biomarker’s distribution in the intended use population, and the complexity of the biomarker relationship to clinical outcomes. As a result, prespecified candidate cutoffs may be rationalized based on biological and practical considerations. In this context, adaptive enrichment designs have been proposed with interim decision rules to select a biomarker-defined subpopulation to optimize study performance. With a group sequential design as a reference, the performance of several proposed adaptive designs are evaluated and compared under various scenarios (e.g., sample size, study power, enrichment effects) where type I error rates are well controlled through closed testing procedures and where subpopulation selections are based upon the predictive probability of trial success. It is found that when the treatment is more effective in a subpopulation, these adaptive designs can improve study power substantially. Furthermore, we identified one adaptive design to have generally higher study power than the other designs under various scenarios.
Soul of the local food movement.

First paragraphs: The local food movement has emerged from the erosion of public trust and confidence in organic foods. The organic food movement emerged as a consequence of declining trust and confidence in the conventional/industrial food system. As organic foods grew in popularity, there was a call for their standardization and certification to maintain the integrity of the movement. National organic certification also made organic foods accessible to more people by allowing organics to move into mainstream food markets. However, uniform organic standards also facili­tated the consolidation of control of organic production by large agri-food corporations. To maximize profits, corporate processors and retailers pressured organic producers to minimize production costs, which meant moving toward the minimum enforceable organic production practices. The social and ethical integrity of the organic movement couldn’t be encoded in the sets of allowable and non-allowable organic inputs and production practices required for organic certifica­tion. Many organic consumers then turned to local farmers to restore trust and confidence in the social and ecological integrity of their food. The philosophical mainstreams of the organic and local foods movements parted ways. Organic production surged ahead, but the heart and soul of organics were left behind (Ikerd, 2008). Many factors have contributed to the growing popularity of local foods. However, the modern local food movement was born out of the industrialization of organics.
Nutritional quality of bean seeds harvested from plants grown in different soils amended with coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanomaterials

The effects of soil properties on nanomaterial (NM) interactions with plants are not well understood. Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants were grown to maturity in natural soil (NS) or organic matter (OM)-enriched soil (ES) amended with either uncoated (Z-COTE), hydrophobically-coated (Z-COTE HP1) ZnO NMs, bulk ZnO, or ZnCl2 at 0–500 mg kg−1. At harvest, yield and seed nutrient composition were assessed. The soil × compound interaction reduced the maturation time by about 25 days and increased the seed yield (∼155%) in ES, compared to NS. In NS, ZnCl2 at 125 mg kg−1 produced 10% less seed protein than the control, and disregarding the concentration, seeds from ZnCl2 showed the highest relative sugar content (102%, compared with the other compounds), while in NS, seeds from Z-COTE HP1 accumulated the highest relative sugar content (44% more than Z-COTE and ZnCl2). In addition, seeds from ES + Z-COTE HP1 had 19% less Zn than the rest of the compounds. In ES, the OM enrichment and reduction in pH enhanced the accumulation of Zn (38%), K (64%), S (44%), P (83%), Mg (86%), Ca (70%), Fe (89%), and Mn (85%), but reduced Mo under Z-COTE HP1 and ZnCl2, in comparison to NS seeds. Compared to the controls, ZnCl2 at 500 mg kg−1 reduced the K content in NS and ES (25% and 13%) but increased the P content in NS (66%). In general, Z-COTE and Z-COTE HP1 affected seed nutritional elements in a similar manner. However, the results indicate that the effects of ZnO NMs in bean plants vary with soil composition.
Diophantine Type Fractional Derivative Representation of Structural Hysteresis, Part II: Fitting, Computational Mechanics

Part I of this series introduced the diophantinized fractional model and the decompositional formulation. The various important properties of fractional continuum formulation and its decomposed version were developed. In Part II the dynamic properties of the diophantine representation are investigated. The model fitting scheme will be developed to handle an arbitrary frequency dependent structural hysteriesis. This is followed up with the results of benchmark studies which demonstrate the effectiveness of fitting.
The Human Genome: Understanding Human Disease in the Post-Genomic Era

Molecular pathology represents the application of the principles of basic molecular biology to the investigation of human disease processes. Many genetic diseases have now been characterized that result from the mutation of a single gene or are associated with a specific chromosomal rearrangement. These genetic diseases include sickle-cell anemia, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease, Down syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Wilms tumor, Prader–Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and many others. Our current understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases can be attributed, at least in part, to the complete sequencing of the human genome. Our ever broadening insights into the molecular basis of disease processes continues to provide an opportunity for the clinical laboratory to develop and implement new and novel approaches for diagnosis and prognostic assessment of human disease.
Post-therapy Marrow Changes

Bone marrow biopsies and aspirates from patients undergoing various forms of treatment can show a variety of histological and cytological findings, and it is therefore imperative that pathologists understand the array of associated therapy-related effects. Patients receiving induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia frequently have bone marrow aspirates and/or biopsies at specific intervals, allowing the pathologist to observe the immediate and long-term effects of the treatment regimen (Table 3.1).
The Impact of Casinos on State Tax Revenues

A primary reason for legalizing gambling—especially recently in the cases of lotteries and casinos—is to provide alternative revenue sources to those which states typically employ. Arguably, the intended effect of these new revenue sources is to increase state revenues and reduce fiscal pressure. Oddly, few researchers have attempted to analyze whether this intended effect has, in fact, been realized. This neglect raises the important empirical question: What is the relationship actually observed between legalized gambling and state government revenues? This is a critical question, especially as many states struggle to deal with increasingly serious fiscal shortfalls. The issue also has significant international importance, as casinos spread worldwide.
A role for hypothalamic catecholamines in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of the hypothalamic catecholaminergic system in regulating Luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) secretion. The functional activity of the LHRH neuron can be affected by numerous putative neurotransmitters that stimulate or inhibit LHRH release. Some neurotransmitters may also activate or inhibit other primary inputs to affect the activity of the LHRH neuron. Coupled with these complex controls are modulatory influences exerted within the brain by changing serum levels of sex steroids on input circuitry, on genomic functions, and on ionic transport properties of the LHRH neuronal membrane. The entire sequence of neuroendocrine events that ultimately leads to ovulation depends on the maturation of ovarian follicles which, under the influence of basal concentrations of LH and follicle-stimulating hormone FSH, increase their secretion of estrogen into blood during the second day of diestrous and morning of proestrous. Estrogen may not only increase the releasable pool size of median eminence but it also is essential for the increased release of norepinephrine during the early afternoon of proestrus.
Enhancing Learning Environments through Solution-based Knowledge Discovery Tools: Forecasting for Self-Perpetuating Systemic Reform.

The rapid growth of databases in many disciplines has overwhelmed the traditional, interactive approaches to data analysis and created a new generation of tools critical to intelligent and automated data discovery. Education researchers are beginning to investigate using these data mining techniques for applying knowledge-discovery principles and data mining in the field of special education. For special educators, data mining and knowledge discovery have great promise for providing anticipatory guidance in teaching and learning in the development of models critical for promoting student achievement. This monograph explores how knowledge-discovery applications can empower educators with the information they need to (a) provide anticipatory guidance for teaching and learning, (b) forecast school and district needs, and (c) find critical markers for making the best program decisions for children and youth with disabilities.
Aortoiliofemoral Assessment: MDCT

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography of the iliofemoral access arteries is a critical step in patient selection for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Vascular complications are the largest single source of procedure-related morbidity and mortality. Arterial stenosis, extreme tortuosity, and circumferential or horseshoe calcification are associated with poor outcomes and may preclude retrograde femoral access. MDCT provides high-resolution volumetric datasets which allow the generation of multiplanar and volume-rendered reconstructions for comprehensive visual assessment and provides the input data for accurate quantitative assessment of vessel geometry to avoid a mismatch between the access vessels and the large vascular access sheaths employed.
The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Benzodiazepine misuse is a growing public health problem, with increases in benzodiazepine-related overdose deaths and emergency room visits in recent years. However, relatively little attention has been paid to this emergent problem. We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies on benzodiazepine misuse to identify key findings, limitations, and future directions for research. Methods PubMed and PsychINFO databases were searched through February 2019 for peer-reviewed publications on benzodiazepine misuse (e.g., use without a prescription; at a higher frequency or dose than prescribed). Eligibility criteria included human studies that focused on the prevalence, trends, correlates, motives, patterns, sources, and consequences of benzodiazepine misuse. Results The search identified 1970 publications, and 351 articles were eligible for data extraction and inclusion. In 2017, benzodiazepines and other tranquilizers were the third most commonly misused illicit or prescription drug in the U.S. (approximately 2.2% of the population). Worldwide rates of misuse appear to be similar to those reported in the U.S. Factors associated with misuse include other substance use, receipt of a benzodiazepine prescription, and psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Benzodiazepine misuse encompasses heterogeneous presentations of motives, patterns, and sources. Moreover, misuse is associated with myriad poor outcomes, including mortality, HIV/HCV risk behaviors, poor self-reported quality of life, criminality, and continued substance use during treatment. Conclusions Benzodiazepine misuse is a worldwide public health concern that is associated with a number of concerning consequences. Findings from the present review have implications for identifying subgroups who could benefit from prevention and treatment efforts, critical points for intervention, and treatment targets.
Effect of solution condition on hydroxyapatite formation in evaluating bioactivity of B2O3 containing 45S5 bioactive glasses.

Abstract The effects of testing solutions and conditions on hydroxyapatite (HAp) formation as a means of in vitro bioactivity evaluation of B2O3 containing 45S5 bioactive glasses were systematically investigated. Four glass samples prepared by the traditional melt and quench process, where SiO2 in 45S5 was gradually replaced by B2O3 (up to 30%), were studied. Two solutions: the simulated body fluid (SBF) and K2HPO4 solutions were used as the medium for evaluating in vitro bioactivity through the formation of HAp on glass surface as a function of time. It was found that addition of boron oxide delayed the HAp formation in both SBF and K2HPO4 solutions, while the reaction between glass and the K2HPO4 solution is much faster as compared to SBF. In addition to the composition and medium effects, we also studied whether the solution treatments (e.g., adjusting to maintain a pH of 7.4, refreshing solution at certain time interval, and no disturbance during immersion) affect HAp formation. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) equipped with an attenuated total reflection (ATR) sampling technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to identify HAp formation on glass powder surfaces and to observe HAp morphologies, respectively. The results show that refreshing solution every 24 h produced the fastest HAp formation for low boron-containing samples when SBF was used as testing solution, while no significant differences were observed when K2HPO4 solution was used. This study thus suggests the testing solutions and conditions play an important role on the in vitro bioactivity testing results and should be carefully considered when study materials with varying bioactivities.
Peer-to-Peer and Real-Time Energy Exchanges with Data Centers in a Transactive Energy Framework

Renewable generators can be installed behind-the-meters of the power consumers to offset a portion of the consumers' power loads. Although these generators help in lowering electricity cost of power consumers, they pose serious challenges to the operation of power distribution systems. Namely, the power consumers with behind-the-meter renewable generators compensate for their local generation shortages by adjusting their power draw from the power distribution systems. Consequently, the fluctuations in the local renewable generations are transmitted to the consumers' net loads, i.e. the actual power consumptions of the consumers minus the local renewable generations. The rapid fluctuations of the net loads may cause reliability issues in the operation of the power distribution systems, specially at higher levels of renewable energy penetration. To secure the reliable operation of the distribution systems under penetration of renewable generators, there is a need for a mechanism that can counterbalance the rapid fluctuations of the net loads. The transactive energy paradigm is emerging to fulfill this urgent need. This paper studies energy exchanges with data centers in a transactive energy framework. Through numerical simulations, it is shown that the fluctuations of the net loads are 53% more counterbalanced when the data centers' flexibilities are exploited in the transactive energy framework instead of a demand response framework.
Cannabinoids and COVID-19

Since the endocannabinoid system is involved in immune function, the effect of cannabinoid intake on infectious conditions is questioned for several years and is of particular interest in the COVID 19 pandemia. Some data suggest that the immunomodulatory effect of cannabinoids may affect the course and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Given the large number of cannabinoids consumers in the community, this commentary presents the current knowledge on the potential impact of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids on bacterial and viral infection courses namely SARS-CoV-2 disease. Practical recommendations, which can be drawn from the literature, are given.
Mental Simulation: Looking Back in Order to Look Ahead

Mental simulation refers to the imagination of alternative, counterfactual realities. This chapter provides an overview of research on simulations of the past— retrospective simulation—and simulations of the future— prospective simulation. Two major themes run throughout. The first is that both retrospective and prospective thinking are inextricably linked, relying on a mixture of episodic and semantic memories that share common neural substrates. The second is that retrospective and prospective simulation present trade-offs for the individual. On the one hand, they are functional, identifying causal inferences and potential obstacles that prepare us to try harder and perform better in the future. On the other hand, they sometimes produce bias—retrospective thinking can enhance hindsight bias, whereas prospective thinking can evoke biased predictions about the likelihood of certain events as well how one is going to feel about those events in the future. Fortunately, however, these biases can be diminished with debiasing techniques.
Rational Utilization of Critical Care Services for Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Hospitalization surges due to the ongoing pandemic required that my colleagues and I reduce bed use in the neurointensive care unit twice in the past year to make room for patients critically ill with COVID-19. Overwhelming demand for critical care services has highlighted the need to allocate services rationally and efficiently, but triage guidelines are broad and decisions are often subjective.1 Intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability varies widely among high-income economies from 3.6, 5.0, and 5.2 beds per 100,000 people in New Zealand, Ireland, and Japan to 25.8, 28.9, and 33.9 per 100,000 in the United States, Austria, and Germany, respectively.2 Hospital mortality and other important outcome metrics do not vary proportionally, and different norms for end of life care do not account for that magnitude of difference. Clearly, we have an opportunity to improve allocation of critical care services.
Gray Matter Sampling Differences Between Subdural Electrodes and Stereoelectroencephalography Electrodes

Objective: Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) has seen a recent increase in popularity in North America; however, concerns regarding the spatial sampling capabilities of SEEG remain. We aimed to quantify and compare the spatial sampling of subdural electrode (SDE) and SEEG implants. Methods: Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent invasive monitoring were included in this retrospective case-control study. Ten SEEG cases were compared with ten matched SDE cases based on clinical presentation and pre-implantation hypothesis. To quantify gray matter sampling, MR and CT images were coregistered and a 2.5mm radius sphere was superimposed over the center of each electrode contact. The estimated recording volume of gray matter was defined as the cortical voxels within these spherical models. Paired t-tests were performed to compare volumes and locations of SDE and SEEG recording. A Ripley's K-function analysis was performed to quantify differences in spatial distributions. Results: The average recording volume of gray matter by each individual contact was similar between the two modalities. SEEG implants sampled an average of 20% more total gray matter, consisted of an average of 17% more electrode contacts, and had 77% more of their contacts covering gray matter within sulci. Insular coverage was only achieved with SEEG. SEEG implants generally consist of discrete areas of dense local coverage scattered across the brain; while SDE implants cover relatively contiguous areas with lower density recording. Significance: Average recording volumes per electrode contact are similar for SEEG and SDE, but SEEG may allow for greater overall volumes of recording as more electrodes can be routinely implanted. The primary difference lies in the location and distribution of gray matter than can be sampled. The selection between SEEG and SDE implantation depends on sampling needs of the invasive implant.
Abstract 20627: Modulation of Cardiac Sodium Channel by Palmitoylation and Its Association With Cardiac Disease Mutations

Cardiac sodium channel (Nav1.5) is responsible for the generation and propagation of the cardiac action potential, which underlies cardiac excitability. It can be modified by a variety of post-translational modifications. Palmitoylation is one of the most common post-translational lipid modifications that can dynamically regulate protein life cycle and functional activity. In our study, we identified palmitoylation on Nav1.5 and its alteration in channel biophysical properties. Nav1.5 palmitoylation was identified in both HEK 293 cells stably expressing Nav1.5 and cardiac tissues using acyl-biotin exchange assay. Nav1.5 palmitoylation was inhibited by pre-incubating the cells with the inhibitor 2-Br-Palmitate (2BP, 25uM, 24hrs). Biophysically, 2BP treatment drastically shifted the channel steady-state inactivation to more hyperpolarized voltages, suggesting palmitoylation altering channel functional activity. In addition, four predicted endogenous palmitoylation sites were identified using CSS-Palm 3.0. Site-directed mutagenesis method was used to generate a cysteine removing background of wt Nav1.5 to study the role of predicted sites. Patch clamp analysis of wt and cysteine-removed Nav1.5 revealed a significant change in channel biophysics. 2BP treatment significantly shifted steady-state inactivation of wt Nav1.5 while not affecting cysteine-removed Nav1.5 significantly, indicating the important role of these four cysteine sites in modulating channel palmitoylation. Moreover, several LQT disease mutations were identified to potentially add or remove palmitoylation sites. Further analysis of these disease mutations revealed a significant shift in channel steady-state inactivation and this alteration cannot be seen with the substitution of other residues on the same site, suggesting the specific role of cysteine residue in causing the functional alteration. For the LQT mutation that removes potential palmitoylation site, 2BP treatment did not affect channel biophysical properties, indicating the essential role of this cysteine in channel palmitoylation. These results suggest that palmitoylation on Nav1.5 regulates channel functional activity and its modulation may contribute to new cardiac channelopathies.
An Identified Interneuron Contributes to Aspects of Six Different Behaviors in Aplysia

Previous results have indicated that the bilateral cerebral interneuron CC5 mediates the pedal artery shortening that is a component of defensive withdrawal responses involving the head. Current studies suggest that CC5 contributes to aspects of at least six different behaviors: locomotion, head turning, defensive head withdrawal, local tentacular withdrawal, rhythmic feeding, and head lifting. In addition to receiving input from mechanoreceptors in the head, CC5 receives synaptic input during fictive locomotor and feeding programs. Firing of CC5 produces widespread monosynaptic or polysynaptic actions in all ganglia in the animal. CC5 excites presumptive motor neurons for the neck, and its activity can contract neck muscles. The pedal artery shortener motor neuron (PAS), a key excitatory follower cell of CC5, fires during ipsilateral head turning, head withdrawal, tentacle withdrawal, feeding, and locomotion. For all behaviors, except locomotion and biting, responses of PAS were eliminated by cutting the ipsilateral-pleural connective, which interrupts the only direct connection of CC5 to the ipsilateral PAS. The data suggest that CC5 is a multifunctional interneuron that plays different roles during different behaviors. The neuron appears to be involved in producing coordinated movements of the head, involving both somatic and visceral muscles. For some behaviors, or for certain aspects of behaviors, CC5 appears to act as an individual command-like neuron; for other behaviors, CC5 appears to act more as an element of a distributed circuit and is neither necessary nor sufficient for any aspects of the behavior.
Studies of a familial platelet disorder

At least 22 members of a large kindred have a bleeding tendency resulting from an autosomal dominant disorder of platelet production and function. Phenotypic manifestations include mild to moderate thrombocytopenia, bleeding time prolongation, and abnormal platelet aggregation. Platelet survival time is normal. The platelet disorder in this family appears to differ from known hereditary thrombocytopenic or thrombocytopathic syndromes and may represent a new genetic disease. Six family members reportedly developed hematologic neoplasms: acute monocytic leukemia nine years after treatment for congenital neuroblastoma; lymphosarcoma at age 10 years; myeloid leukemia at age 23 years; acute myelocytic leukemia at age 62 years; leukemia of unknown type at age 48 years; and lymphocytic lymphoma at age 52 years.
Content production and delivery for interactive multimedia services — a new approach

An increasing number of multimedia services are being launched, many of which are Internet based. New, reliable, low-cost services must generate customer demand and sustain customer satisfaction. One of the technical directors from the computer games company, Sega, has been quoted as saying that ‘the games platform is only an enabler; apart from price, three further things are required: content, content, content‘. This statement holds good for any interactive multimedia service, the content is what the consumer is seeking to access — and indeed most of what the consumer is paying for. This paper presents a framework covering the authoring and distributed handling of content and its associated metadata (i.e. data associated with the content which is used by the application and its platform but not necessarily viewed by the end user, for example, a movie rating). It focuses primarily on the specification of both content and metadata and discusses the relationships between processes collectively operating as a generic tool-set.
The Pleckstrin Homology Domain of Phospholipase C-β2 Links the Binding of Gβγ to Activation of the Catalytic Core

Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains are membrane tethering devices found in many signal transducing proteins. These domains also couple to the βγ subunits of GTP binding proteins (G proteins), but whether this association transmits allosteric information to the catalytic core is unclear. To address this question, we constructed protein chimeras in which the PH domain of phospholipase C-β2 (PLC-β2), which is regulated by Gβγ, replaces the PH domain of PLC-δ1 which binds to, but is not regulated by, Gβγ. We found that attachment of the PH domain of PLC-β2 onto PLC-δ1 not only causes the membrane-binding properties of PLC-δ1 to become similar to those of PLC-β2, but also results in a Gβγ-regulated enzyme. Thus, PH domains are more than simple tethering devices and mediate regulatory signals to the host protein.
Clinical information needs in context: an observational study of clinicians while using a clinical information system.

Introduction The development of tools to meet the information needs of clinicians requires an understanding of the clinician and the context in which clinical decisions are being made.
Childhood Disability Risk Factors in Kenya: Impact of Poverty and Other Socio-demographics

The overarching purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of maternal and infant/child health indices that have an established link to childhood disability (CHD) and their association with socio-economic status (SES) in Kenya. Data were drawn from the 2008/2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. Descriptive and weighted Pearson’s chi-square tests were conducted to determine the characteristics of respondents and differences in the proportion of the disability risk factors by place of residence. Logistic regression analyses were then conducted to evaluate the association between SES and select CHD-related factors. Results showed that almost all the disability risk factors were more prevalent and statistically significant among rural residents compared to their urban counterparts. Stratified univariate and multivariate analyses showed differential associations between SES and several disability risk factors by area of resident. This study has provided empirical evidence connecting poverty with...
Classroom assessment: Improving learning quality where it matters most

By becoming skilled assessors of their students' learning, faculty can improve the quality of higher education where it matters most—in their own classrooms.
Drug-nucleic acid interaction: x-ray crystallographic determination of an ethidium-dinucleoside monophosphate crystalline complex, ethidium: 5-iodouridylyl(3'-5')adenosine

The intercalative trypanosomal drug, ethidium bromide, forms a crystalline complex with the dinucleoside monophosphate, 5-iodouridylyl(39-59)adenosine (iodoUpA). These crystals are monoclinic, space group C2, with unit cell dimensions a =2.845nm, b = 1.354 nm, c = 3.413nm, β =98.6°. The structure has been solved to atomic resolution by Patterson and Fourier methods, and refined by full matrix least squares to a residual of 0.20 on 2017 observed reflexions. The asymmetric unit con­tains two ethidium molecules, two iodoUpA molecules, twenty water molecules and four methanol molecules, a total of 156 atoms excluding hydrogens. The two iodoUpA molecules are held together by adenine-uracil Watson-Crick base-pairing. Adjacent base-pairs within this paired iodoUpA structure and between neighbouring iodoUpA molecules in adjoining unit cells are separated by 0.68 nm. This separation results from intercalative binding by one ethidium molecule and stacking by the other ethidium molecule above and below the base-pairs. Non-crystallographic twofold symmetry is utilized in this model drug-nucleic acid interaction, the intercalative ethidium molecule being oriented such that its phenyl and ethyl groups lie in the nar­row groove of the miniature nucleic acid double helix. Solution studies have indicated a marked sequence specificity for ethidium-dinucleotide interactions and a probable structural explanation for this has been provided by this study.