cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying interacting SNPs with parallel fish-agent based logic regression

Understanding the genotype-phenotype association is a fundamental problem in genetics. A major open problem in mapping complex traits is identifying a set of interacting genetic variants (such as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) that influence disease susceptibility. Logic regression (LR) is a statistical approach that has been proposed to model interactions of SNPs. Several LR-based association detection approaches have been developed in the past. However, existing LR-based approaches are insufficient in handling noisy and increasingly larger data. In this paper, we first develop a relational clustering approach for handling noisy data, where we reduce noise by filtering out unrelated SNPs. We then propose a parallel fish-agent LR approach to speed up the computation. The basic idea of our approach is using multiple fish-agents that explore the model space independently. At each iteration, agents in the same or different clusters communicate with others to achieve faster convergence to the global optimal solutions. Simulation results show that our approach significantly speeds up the LR computation over existing approaches. Also, our results show that our approach achieves good performance in dealing with noise.
Pulsatile secretion of chorionic gonadotropin during the normal menstrual cycle.

Several groups of investigators have previously reported that small amounts of hCG are present in blood and urine of nonpregnant eugonadal women and men. We have developed highly sensitive and specific, two-monoclonal antibody, sandwich-type assays which can quantify both hCG and LH in sera from postmenopausal women, women at all phases of the menstrual cycle, and men. Using these assays we have also reported that hCG is secreted in a pulsatile fashion in postmenopausal women, is stimulated by GnRH in both men and postmenopausal women, and is suppressed by a GnRH agonist in castrate men. Employing these same sandwich assays, we report herein that hCG is secreted in a pulsatile manner during the follicular and luteal phases of the normal menstrual cycle. During the follicular phase 0.68+−09 (+−SEM) pulses of hCG occurred each hour, while 0.62+−0.08 pulses of LH occurred. Pulse durations during the follicular phase for hCG and LH, respectively, were 38.3+−4.4 and 62.5+−11.1 min (P ≤ 0.05). During the luteal...
Equipment Experts: Enhancing Student Learning in Textile Science

Student equipment experts promote active learning in a product and materials analysis class. After preparation through reading about a specific piece of equipment and meeting with the instructor to see and practice with the equipment, the student demonstrates its use to the class and answers questions from the class. While this activity is time intensive for the instructor during the training period, use of equipment experts has produced more interest from students during class, better attention during demonstrations, and one-on-one interactions between the instructor and students. An unexpected benefit is the assistance of equipment experts during laboratory work. Equipment experts in a lab class enhance active learning and student comfort with lab work.
Partnering With Patients to Help Heal Healthcare

In Crossing the Quality Chasm , the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified patient-centeredness as one of the key attributes of a high-quality healthcare system. The IOM defines patient-centeredness as “providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.”1 Although many physicians endorse this principle, in the day-to-day practice of medicine, these goals are often not achieved.2 There are multiple reasons for this, including time and financial pressures, strong physician beliefs with respect to diagnostic and treatment strategies, and lack of emphasis in medical education on learning how to convey information, learn patient preferences, and ensure that treatment choices reflect patient values and goals.3 Healing healthcare, however, should not be seen solely as a responsibility of physicians and other healthcare providers. In the 21st-century internet-enabled world, patients and caregivers are actively taking steps to partner with healthcare providers in improving their own care and that of their families. Below I discuss some examples and how Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes can contribute to this process. The most common type of patient engagement …
Structural Analyses and Experimental Activities Supporting the Design of a Lightweight Rigid-Wall Mobile Shelter

Lightweight rigid-wall shelters used in mobile military operations are often constructed of sandwich panels comprised of thin face sheets and thick, yet ultra light core materials to minimize weight while maximizing structural integrity. The key structural advantage of sandwich panel construction (SPC) versus homogeneous panel construction (HPC) is the potential for up to an order of magnitude weight reduction while matching equivalent bending stiffnesses. Additional advantages include increases in damping, acoustic and thermal insulation, and possibly ballistic protection performance for a given areal weight density. However, these advantages come at a cost, which often impact the design and manufacturing complexities of critical joints used to connect the sandwich panels in a box-like assembly. Furthermore, stiffnesses of these joints are often difficult to characterize and their finite values significantly influence panel deflections and rotations. While mobile rigid wall shelters must be certified for several transport loading environments including rail impact (vehicle mounted and dismounted), drop shock, mobility and external air transport (EAT), the present effort, addresses survivability against conventional air blast effects. This study employed combined experimental and analytical approaches at the material and sub-structural levels to (1) generate accurate shelter models, (2) validate the material- and sub-structural models and (3) maximize the shelter’s global performance against a conventional air blast event early in the design stage to avoid costly physical tests. The material level tests focused on the mechanics of the assembled constituents that formed the sandwich panel and the benchmarking of an appropriate finite element to predict the displacement, stress and strain responses. The sub-structural level tests focused on loading a structurally representative shelter section to determine the joint behaviors and stiffnesses for model benchmarking purposes. Finally, a complete rigid-wall mobile military shelter model was constructed and its modal behavior was characterized followed by its complete dynamic response to an air blast event.
Percutaneous Renal Biopsy: Comparison of Blind and Real‐Time Ultrasound‐Guided Technique

The use of real-time ultrasound-guided renal biopsy is believed to be superior to blind biopsy, but there are few reports comparing the two techniques. The goal of the present study was to compare the outcomes of ultrasound-guided and blind renal biopsies at a single teaching institution, in terms of adequacy of tissue yield and frequency of hemorrhagic complications. We reviewed retrospectively the outcomes of all patients undergoing a percutaneous native kidney biopsy during a 2-year period (January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005). Of 129 renal biopsies, 65 were ultrasound-guided and 64 were performed by the blind technique. All biopsies were performed by nephrology fellows under direct faculty supervision. The two patient groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, race, diabetes, hypertension, serum creatinine, and hematocrit. The mean number of glomeruli per biopsy was higher in the ultrasound-guided group than in the patients with a blind biopsy (18 +/- 9 versus 11 +/- 9, p = 0.0001). An inadequate tissue sample requiring repeat biopsy occurred in 0% of the ultrasound-guided biopsies and 16% of the blind biopsies (p = 0.0006). Large hematomas requiring vascular intervention or transfusion were less frequent in the ultrasound-guided biopsies (0% versus 11%, p = 0.006). The hematocrit 24 hours postbiopsy was higher in the ultrasound-guided biopsies when compared with the blind biopsies (32 +/- 5% versus 30 +/- 4%, p = 0.04). When compared with blind renal biopsy, real-time ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy provides a superior yield of kidney tissue and results in fewer hemorrhagic complications. Real-time ultrasound-guided renal biopsy is the preferred technique.
The effects of sewage discharge on water quality and phytoplankton of Hawai'ian coastal waters

The effects of sewage discharge on algal populations and the quality of Hawai'ian coastal waters were investigated. Two outfalls were studied. One discharges primary treated sewage and the other discharges secondary treated sewage but are otherwise similar. This enabled comparisons of the effects of these different levels of treatment on the water quality and algal productivity of receiving waters. Plumes were followed and repeatedly sampled in a time-series manner. Rhodamine dye was used as a conservative tracer to compare the dilution behavior of the plume constituents MRP, NO(3)+NO(2), NH(4), Silicate, TDP, TDN, total bacteria, PC, and PN. Rates of initial dilution ranged from two to almost three orders of magnitude, and were in reasonable agreement with engineering model predictions. Dilution of plume constituents approximated that of Rhodamine until background concentrations were reached, typically within 10 min of discharge. Chl a concentrations did not increase through time in the primary sewage plume but did increase up to 30% in the secondary sewage plume. However, rates of far-field dilution were so rapid that the increase could not have been due to algal growth. The increase was attributed to the plume mixing with a water mass whose relative chl a concentrations were greater. Rates of secondary dilution ranged from 2 to 3 orders of magnitude resulting in total dilutions of 10(5)-10(6) within 3 h of discharge. These rates of secondary dilution were much greater than model predictions. From a nutrient standpoint, secondary treatment exhibited no advantages over primary treatment because dilutions were so rapid.
Effect of staple height on gastrojejunostomy during laparoscopic gastric bypass: a multicenter prospective randomized trial.

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and anastomotic stricture are frequent complications associated with the construction of the gastrojejunostomy during laparoscopic gastric bypass. Staplers with shorter staple height can reduce the rate of postoperative GI hemorrhage. The aim of the present study was to assess the outcomes of patients who had undergone gastric bypass with construction of the gastrojejunostomy using a 25-mm circular stapler with a 3.5- versus 4.8-mm staple height. Methods From January 2007 to February 2009, 357 patients underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass using a circular stapler for construction of the gastrojejunostomy were randomly assigned to either the 3.5-mm (n = 180) or 4.8-mm (n = 177) group. Two patients randomized to the 4.8-mm group did not undergo the operative procedure and were excluded from the analysis. The primary outcome measures included the rate of GI hemorrhage, anastomotic stricture, and wound infection. Results The 2 groups were similar with regard to the demographics and baseline body mass index (47 versus 48 kg/m 2 ). The operative time, blood loss, and postoperative hematocrit on day 2 were similar between the 2 groups. No significant differences were seen in the overall rate of intraoperative GI bleeding or postoperative GI bleeding from all sources (3.3% for 3.5 mm versus 6.3% for 4.8 mm, P >.05); however, a trend was seen toward a lower rate of postoperative GI bleeding from the gastric pouch or gastrojejunostomy (.5% for 3.5 mm versus 3.4% for 4.8 mm, P = .06). The rate of anastomotic stricture was significantly lower in the 3.5-mm group (3.9% versus 16.0%, P Conclusions In the present prospective, randomized trial, using a circular stapler with a shorter staple height (3.5 mm) during construction of the gastrojejunostomy, significantly reduced the rate of postoperative anastomotic stricture, with a trend toward a lower rate of GI bleeding from the gastrojejunostomy.
Effective Hamiltonian for ΔS=1 weak nonleptonic decays in the six-quark model

Strong-interaction corrections to the nonleptonic weak-interaction Hamiltonian are calculated in the leading-logarithmic approximation using quantum chromodynamics. Starting with a six-quark theory, the W boson, t quark, b quark, and c quark are successively considered as "heavy" and the effective Hamiltonian calculated. The resulting effective Hamiltonian for strangeness-changing nonleptonic decays involves u, d, and s quarks and has possible CP-violating pieces both in the usual (V-A)×(V-A) terms and in induced, "penguin"-type terms. Numerically, the CP-violating compared to CP-conserving parts of the latter terms are close to results calculated on the basis of the lowest-order "penguin" diagram.
Selective Interference With Verbal and Spatial Working Memory in Young and Older Adults

Young and older adults were administered digit and location memory span tasks with and without verbal and spatial secondary tasks. Age differences were greater in location span than in digit span; however, there were no age differences in either the magnitude or pattern of effects of secondary tasks. There were also no age differences in the effects of secondary tasks on a combined (digit and location) task. On the digit and location span tasks, both young and older adults showed only domain-specific interference: naming colors selectively interfered with memory for digits, leaving memory for locations unaffected; pointing to matching colors selectively interfered with memory for locations, leaving memory for digits unimpaired. The results of the present study suggest a greater age deficit in spatial working memory than in verbal working memory, but provide no evidence of an age deficit in susceptibility to interference by secondary tasks in either domain.
A MODEL FOR TEMPERATURE AND MOISTURE DISTRIBUTION DURING CONTINUOUS MICROWAVE DRYING

A heat and mass transfer model of continuous drying of farmer stock (inshell, uncured) peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea L.) in a planar microwave applicator was developed and investigated. Transport phenomena equations previously developed for batch-type microwave drying were successfully adapted to account for the spatial variation of the electric field inside the applicator. The theoretical equations developed, together with experimental methods, were used to determine the effect of microwave power level and dielectric properties on the temperature profiles and reduction in peanuts’ moisture content (mc). The temperature profiles from the solution of these equations matched the experimental ones determined using fiber optic temperature probes inserted into drying peanut pods. An exact theoretical determination of mc reduction during microwave drying was not possible due to the dependence of dielectric properties on mc. The surface temperature distribution of the peanut bed measured using infrared pyrometry was well correlated with internal temperature profiles.
Mapping "Exurbia" in the conterminous United States using nighttime satellite imagery

A quick search of “exurbia” on the internet yields various definitions: ‘the region outside the suburbs of a city, consisting of residential areas (exurbs) that are occupied predominantly by rich commuters (exurbanites) (www. wordreference.com/English); and the cryptically self-referential ‘a typically exurban area’ (www.bartleby.com). Nighttime satellite imagery provided by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP OLS) shows expansive areas of low light surrounding all major metropolitan areas. These areas would be characterized as pure vegetation by 30 meter resolution Landsat imagery yet they contain large numbers of people who have significant social, economic, and ecological impacts (e.g. traffic congestion and problems associated with the urban-wildlands interface). Questions explored in this paper are: 1) How big are ‘exurban’ areas in the United States?; 2) What cities have relatively large exurban areas and what cities have relatively small exurban areas?; How many people live in exurban areas?; 4) What are the costs and benefits of exurban areas and who pays for and/or receives them?; and finally, 5)Who lives in exurban areas? Conventional wisdom suggests that these ‘exurbanites’ are rich commuters who choose to live in natural settings beyond the city and suburbia; however, astronomic increases in real estate prices in places like Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles suggest that many ‘exurbanites’ may be middle income teachers, police officers, and nurses trying to find affordable real estate. Our initial results suggest that 37% of the U.S. population lives in exurban areas that account for 14% of the land area. Purely urban areas account for 1.7% of the land area and house 55% of the population; and, rural areas (84% of the land area) contain only 8% of the population.
Acute toxicity studies with oxamyl

Abstract The acute toxicity of oxmyl, an insecticide and nematicide, has been evaluated to establish proper handling guides. The material is highly toxic when given as a single oral dose; its LD50 is in fasted rats 2.5 to 3.1 mg/kg, 2.3 to 3.3 mg/kg in fasted mice, and 7 mg/kg in guinea pigs. A beagle dog given 30 mg/kg died, while 15 mg/kg was not lethal. In all species, clinical signs of cholinesterase inhibition (lacrimation, salivation, tremors) were observed. Cholinesterase activity was depressed in rats treated with a single oral dose. Atropine, when given immediately after oxamyl, was antidotal. When given by intraperitoneal injection, oxamyl was highly toxic to rats, mice, and guinea pigs. The material is a mild eye irritant with the reaction limited to the conjunctiva and iris, but systemic absorption via eye contact makes use of protective equipment essential. Oxamyl produces mild skin irritation and the dermal absorption toxicity in rats (LD50 is > 1,200 mg/kg) and rabbits (740 mg/kg) is relatively high suggesting limited absorption. No sensitization was produced when tested in guinea pigs. Oxamyl is highly toxic via inhalation with the 1-hr LC50 value in rats being 0.17 mg/liter (male) and 0.12 mg/liter (female). The corresponding 4-hr value is 0.064 mg/liter for male rats which indicates that concentration × time is a constant through the time periods tested. Repeated-dose studies, orally in rats and dermally in rabbits, showed oxamyl to be noncumulative, with the target system being the nervous system mediated through cholinesterase inhibition. No specific tissue or organ pathology was seen in either species tested.
Fadama farming as an environment friendly and viable enterprise in Ondo State, Nigeria.

KEYWORDS Fadama. Regressor. Regressand. Resource-use ABSTRACT The study examined Fadama farming as a viable enterprise in Ondo State, Nigeria. It specifically examined the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, determined the profitability of Fadama farming and examined the resource-use efficiency of fadama farming in the study area . A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 Fadama farmers in the study area and structured questionnaire assisted with interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics, Gross margin and Production function analyses were used to analyse the data collected. The study revealed that 84.17% of the respondents were males and 95% of them were married. The result also showed that 97.5% of the respondents had farm size in the range of between 0.5 or less and1.5 hectares (ha) .The profitability analysis revealed that an average farmer incurred a variable cost of N 37524.66 but earned an average revenue of N67544.40. This indicates that an average farmer earned a gross margin of N 30,019.74 per annum suggesting that Fadama farming is a profitable venture in the study area. The result of the Production function showed that the regressors explained 65.8% in the variation of the regressand. A Return to Scale of 1.1478 obtained from the study showed that production was in the irrational zone (stage 1) of the production surface which indicates that farmers should increase the use of inputs which have direct influence on productivity to get an optimum economic return.
Combined Radial-Pedal Access Strategy and Radial-Pedal Rendezvous in the Revascularization of Complex Total Occlusions of the Superficial Femoral Artery (the "No Femoral Access" Strategy).

Purpose: To describe the combined use of radial-pedal access for recanalization of complex superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusions unsuitable for transfemoral recanalization. Technique: Patients are selected for this strategy if they have a long (≥10 cm) SFA occlusion with unfavorable aortoiliac anatomy, an absent ostial stump, or severely diseased and calcified distal reconstitution. Left radial artery and distal anterior or posterior tibial artery are accessed with 6-F and 4-F sheaths, respectively. The SFA lesion is crossed retrogradely with a 0.035-inch wire system. If retrograde crossing is not immediately successful, transradial subintimal tracking and radial-pedal subintimal rendezvous are used to allow retrograde reentry. Fifteen patients (mean age 62±5 years; 11 men) have been treated in this fashion, and frequently stented, through the tibiopedal access. Seven patients required radial-pedal rendezvous to facilitate retrograde reentry. Two patients underwent transradial iliac stenting during ...
LISE++: Exotic beam production with fragment separators and their design

Abstract Since the LISE ++ code presentation at the EMIS 2007 conference (Tarasov and Bazin, 2008), important improvements have been made in the analytical and Monte Carlo calculations of transmission, and accuracy of reaction product distributions. In this paper new features of the code in ion-beam optics, creation of new LISE ++ blocks, and development of some reaction models will be discussed. Large progress has been done in ion-beam optics with the introduction of “elemental” blocks, that allows optical matrices calculation within LISE ++ . New type of configurations based on these blocks allow a detailed analysis of the transmission, useful for fragment separator design, and can be used for optics optimization based on user constraints.
A Non-Hydrazine Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor with Antihypertensive Properties

SummaryThe compound, N-benzyl-N-methyl-2-propynylamine - HC1 (MO-911), is shown to be a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor in man, with hypotensive properties. Since its structure is different from that of previous inhibitors, the findings support the hypothesis that effective inhibition of monoamine oxidase results in orthostatic lowering of blood pressure, presumably by selective decrease of sympathetic nerve activity. Extensive clinical trial of the drug as an antihypertensive agent is warranted.
State of South Dakota's child: 2011.

Abstract Perinatal outcome data for 2010 reveal a continuation of the recent decline in total number of live births in South Dakota and an increase in the percent of low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns. This increase in LBW, apparent in both the very-low-birth-weight and mid-low birth-weight cohorts of newborns, contributed to an increase in the 2010 neonatal mortality rate. The post-neonatal mortality rate declined in 2010 and for the minority population reached its lowest-ever rate of 3.92. In 2010, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (0.59) in South Dakota also approached the rate (0.57) observed nationally. As data that describe each year's newest citizens of South Dakota are reviewed, a story emerges regarding the first year of life for these babies. In 2010, 11,975 live births occurred in the state. Trends that describe parameters affecting their collective health are presented in this annual report.
A novel approach to increase upper extremity active range of motion for individuals with duchenne muscular dystrophy using admittance control: A preliminary study

Progressive muscle weakness characteristic of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) results in loss of upper extremity active range of motion (AROM) despite residual muscle strength that is insufficient to overcome gravity. Admittance control is well suited for use by individuals with DMD as it allows for the utilization of residual muscle strength to intuitively control the motion of a powerful robot without requiring strength to overcome gravity and the friction and inertia of the robot. This study examined the feasibility of using the HapticMASTER, an admittance control motorized arm support, to increase the upper extremity AROM of individuals with DMD to a greater degree than that provided by the Armon Edero, a commercially available passive arm support. The results demonstrate that the HapticMASTER robot significantly increased the reachable surface area scores compared to the Armon Edero passive arm support (paired-samples t-test, t(5) = 3.984, p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 1.6).
Editorial: The Effect of Bias on Estimation of Improved Survival After Diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus.

Editorial: The Effect of Bias on Estimation of Improved Survival After Diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus
Circadian hemodynamics in men and women with high blood pressure: dipper vs. nondipper and racial differences.

Objective:The ‘nondipping’ pattern of circadian blood pressure (BP) variation is an established independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Although this phenomenon has been widely studied, its underlying circadian hemodynamics of cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) h
Nonlinear Analysis of Interfacial Cracks

Asymptotic analysis is developed for the problem of a plane strain crack lying on the interface of an elastic-plastic (or elastic-creeping) material and a rigid substrate. The nonlinear plastic (creep) response is taken to follow a power-law hardening relation. In contrast to other recent analyses, we have found asymptotic solutions for a continuous variation of crack-tip mode-mix that agree well with full-field solutions. These crack-tip displacements and stresses are variable-separable in polar coordinates r and θ and exhibit a singularity in stress of σ ∝ r -1/(n+1) as r → 0, where n is the hardening exponent. The angular variations of these asymptotic fields have been calculated using a finite difference scheme. Unlike the full range of mixed-mode solutions that exist for a homogeneous crack in a power-law hardening material, there appears to be a narrow range around the pure tensile mode for which solutions do not exist. That latter range increases somewhat as the hardening exponent n increases.
Hemodynamic Assessment: Right Heart Catheterization, Pulmonary Hypertension, Left-to-Right Shunt, and Constriction

Hemodynamic assessment is a critical function of cardiac catheterization labs. Though significant advances in imaging modalities have replaced many of the functions of hemodynamic assessment, the catheterization laboratory still remains important for accurate measurements and the confirmation of diagnoses, especially in patients with suboptimal or equivocal imaging results
Antibacterial Activity of Nitric Oxide-Releasing Hyperbranched Polyamidoamines

Hyperbranched polyamidoamines (h-PAMAM) were prepared using a one-pot reaction to have similar molecular weight to third generation PAMAM (G3-PAMAM) dendrimers, and then functionalized with N-diazeniumdiolate nitric oxide (NO) donors. A wide range of NO storage capacities (∼1-2.50 μmol mg-1) and NO-release kinetics (t1/2 ∼30-80 min) were achieved by changing the extent of propylene oxide (PO) modification. The therapeutic potential of these materials was evaluated by studying their antibacterial activities and toxicity against common dental pathogens and human gingival fibroblast cells, respectively. Our results indicate that the combination of NO release and PO modification is necessary to yield h-PAMAM materials with efficient bactericidal action without eliciting unwarranted cytotoxicity. Of importance, NO-releasing PO-modified h-PAMAM polymers exhibited comparable biological properties (i.e., antibacterial action and cytotoxicity) to defect-free G3-PAMAM dendrimers, but at a substantially lower synthetic burden.
Shape Effect Undermined by Surface Reconstruction: Ethanol Dehydrogenation over Shape-Controlled SrTiO3 Nanocrystals

To gain an in-depth understanding of the surface properties relevant for catalysis using ternary oxides, we report the acid–base pair reactivity of shape-controlled SrTiO3 (STO) nanocrystals for the dehydrogenation of ethanol. Cubes, truncated cubes, dodecahedra, and etched cubes of STO with varying ratios of (001) and (110) crystal facets were synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Low-energy ion scattering (LEIS) analysis revealed that the (001) surface on cubes of STO is enriched with SrO due to surface reconstruction, resulting in a high ratio of strong base sites. Chemical treatment with dilute nitric acid to form etched cubes of STO resulted in a surface enriched with Ti cations and strong acidity. Furthermore, the strength and distribution of surface acidic sites increase with the ratio of (110) facet from cubes to truncated cubes to dodecahedra for STO. Kinetic, isotopic, and spectroscopy methods show that the dehydrogenation of ethanol proceeds through the facile dissociation of the alcohol gro...
Restoration of the Endangered Ruth's Golden Aster (Pityopsis ruthii)

Pityopsis ruthii, Ruth's Golden Aster, is an endangered herbaceous perennial that is endemic to small sections of the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers in the southeastern US. Our objective was to test the effect of bonded fiber matrix (BFM) on establishment and fecundity of Ruth's Golden Aster in order to develop a robust restoration protocol. We augmented existing populations with plants grown from achenes collected at each restoration location. We monitored plantings through 3 growing seasons by measuring stem number, stem height, leaf number, flowering incidence, and number of flower heads per plant in the spring and fall of each season. We assessed survival at 1 month post-planting. We randomly assigned plants at each location to a treatment (BFM vs. no BFM) for analysis as a randomized complete-block design. Germination rate of filled seeds, number of acclimated seedlings, and percent of seedlings planted after 14 days of acclimatization differed significantly across sites. Survival was significantly higher at 1 month, fall year 1, spring/fall year 2, and spring year 3 for the plants mulched with BFM compared to the control. However, there were no significant differences between treatment for stem number, stem height, leaf number, flowering incidence, or final 3-year survival. The methods developed herein represent a major step towards meeting the recovery-plan objective of developing the ability to establish Ruth's Golden Aster on suitable habitat. Herein, we provide a framework for augmentation or restoration of critical populations threatened by extirpation.
Conflict, Leadership, and Performance: What Virtual Team Members Need to Know

Conflict and leadership are both individually well-studied elements of group development. In this paper we seek to understand how leadership and conflict coexist within a team’s development and what the temporal context is within which they emerge for higherversus lower-performing teams. In order to investigate this question we collected survey data, message postings and performance scores for 22 virtual teams over an 11-week period. Our results suggest that highperforming teams experience less relational conflict, engage in more task leadership, and respond more promptly to conflict with appropriate leadership behaviors. We situate these findings in the context of what virtual team members need to know.
International Students in CACREP-Accredited Counseling Programs

This was a descriptive study on the presence of international students in counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Findings sh...
Particle production in high energy collisions: from high to low p t and back

Abstract We outline a new formalism which aims to unify different approaches to particle production in high energy collisions. The most common approach is that of collinear factorization valid at high p t while the so-called k t factorization is used for low p t particle production. The proposed formalism includes both low and high x gluon degrees of freedom in the hadron/nucleus wave function and thus can be applied to particle production in both low and high p t kinematic regions.
Inactivation of platelet-derived TGF-β1 attenuates aortic stenosis progression in a robust murine model

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a degenerative heart condition characterized by fibrosis and narrowing of aortic valves (AV), resulting in high wall shear stress (WSS) across valves. AS is associated with high plasma levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), which can be activated by WSS to induce organ fibrosis, but the cellular source of TGF-β1 is not clear. Here, we show that platelet-derived TGF-β1 plays an important role in AS progression. We first established an aggressive and robust murine model of AS, using the existing Ldlr−/−Apob100/100 (LDLR) breed of mice, and accelerated AS progression by feeding them a high-fat diet (HFD). We then captured very high resolution images of AV movement and thickness and of blood flow velocity across the AV, using a modified ultrasound imaging technique, which revealed early evidence of AS and distinguished different stages of AS progression. More than 90% of LDLR animals developed AS within 6 months of HFD. Scanning electron microscopy and whole-mount immunostaining imaging of AV identified activated platelets physically attached to valvular endothelial cells (VEC) expressing high phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2). To test the contribution of platelet-derived TGF-β1 in AS, we derived LDLR mice lacking platelet TGF-β1 (TGF-β1platelet-KO-LDLR) and showed reduced AS progression and lower p-Smad2 and myofibroblasts in their AV compared with littermate controls fed the HFD for 6 months. Our data suggest that platelet-derived TGF-β1 triggers AS progression by inducing signaling in VEC, and their subsequent transformation into collagen-producing-myofibroblasts. Thus, inhibiting platelet-derived TGF-β1 might attenuate or prevent fibrotic diseases characterized by platelet activation and high WSS, such as AS.
PCL Based Multiple Ligament Knee Injuries: What I Have Learned in 28 Years

This chapter is a compilation of my experience treating multiple ligament knee injuries over the past twenty eight years. Departing from the style of most text books, this chapter is written in the first person, and is intended to be a conversation between the reader and myself about one of the most complex and interesting topics in orthopaedic surgery; the multiple ligament injured knee. The goal of this chapter is to maximize success, avoid complications, and help the surgeon stay out of trouble treating these complex and difficult cases. This chapter is organized to present brief sections of information that will help the orthopaedic surgeon and other health care professionals to make treatment decisions in multiple ligament knee injury cases. Topics addressed include injury incidence, anatomy, vascular assessment, external fixation, surgical timing, repair and/or reconstruction, graft preparation, arthroscopic or open surgical procedures, surgical technique highlights, mechanical graft tensioning, postoperative rehabilitation, multiple ligament knee injuries in patients under 18 years of age, total knee replacement following multiple ligament knee reconstruction, and results of treatment. Specific surgical procedures are discussed in various chapters throughout this text book.
Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Patients Who Have Multiple Prostheses in Place: What Should Be Done with the Silent Prosthetic Joints

Background Although periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can affect multiple joints concurrently, the majority of patients with multiple prosthetic joints present with PJI of a single joint. Data regarding the optimal management of these patients are limited. We aimed to identify the prevalence, risk factors for a subsequent PJI, and clinical circumstances of PJI in patients with multiple prosthetic joints. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 197 patients with ≥2 total joint prostheses in place who presented with PJI from 2000 to 2017. The average follow-up was 3.6 years (range, 0.5 to 17 years). Demographic data and risk factors for synchronous or metachronous PJI were identified. The time from the initial to the second PJI and organism profile data were collected as well. The workup for other joints with a prosthesis in place at the time of the initial PJI was noted. Results Among the 197 patients with PJI and multiple joint prostheses in situ, 37 (19%) developed PJI in another joint; 11 had a synchronous PJI and 26 had a metachronous PJI. The average time between the first and the second infection in the metachronous cases was 848 days (range, 20 to 3,656 days). Females and patients with an initial PJI with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were more likely to have a metachronous PJI, and patients with rheumatoid arthritis had an increased risk of a second (metachronous or synchronous) PJI. Three of 11 patients in the synchronous group and 19% (5) of the 26 in the metachronous group had bacteremia at the time of the initial PJI compared with 12% (19) of the 160 with a single PJI. The percentage of negative cultures increased from 10% for the initial PJIs to 38% for the metachronous PJIs. Conclusions Patients who have multiple prosthetic joints in place and present with PJI of a single joint are at risk of developing PJI in another joint. Female sex, rheumatoid arthritis, bacteremia at presentation, and infection with MRSA appear to be risk factors for PJI of another joint. Clinical evaluation of the other prosthetic joint(s) should be carried out in all patients and aspiration of those joint(s) should be considered for patients with any of the above risk factors. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Unexpected Specificity within Dynamic Transcriptional Protein-Protein Complexes

A key functional event in eukaryotic gene activation is the formation of dynamic protein-protein interaction networks between transcriptional activators and transcriptional coactivators. Seemingly incongruent with the tight regulation of transcription, many biochemical and biophysical studies suggest that activators use nonspecific hydrophobic and/or electrostatic interactions to bind to coactivators, with few if any specific contacts. In contrast, here a mechanistic dissection of a set of representative dynamic activator-coactivator complexes comprised of the ETV/PEA3 family of activators and the coactivator Med25 reveals a different molecular recognition model. The data demonstrate that small sequence variations within an activator family significantly redistribute the conformational ensemble of the complex while not affecting overall affinity, and distal residues within the activator - not often considered as contributing to binding - play a key role in mediating conformational redistribution. The ETV/PEA3-Med25 ensembles are directed by specific contacts between the disordered activator and the Med25 interface, and this specificity is facilitated by structural shifts of the coactivator binding surface. Taken together, this highlights the critical role coactivator plasticity plays in recognition of disordered activators, and indicates that molecular recognition models of disordered proteins must consider the ability of the binding partners to mediate specificity.
Anisotropic functional deconvolution for the irregular design: A minimax study

Anisotropic functional deconvolution model is investigated in the bivariate case when the design points ti , i = 1 , 2 , ⋯ , N , and xl , l = 1 , 2 , ⋯ , M , are irregular and follow known densitie...
Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in COVID-19: Emerging Disparities Amid Discrimination

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic. In the USA, the burden of mortality and morbidity has fallen on minority populations. The understanding of the impact of this pandemic has been limited in Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), though disaggregated data suggest disproportionately high mortality rates. AAPIs are at high risk for COVID-19 transmission, in part due to their over-representation in the essential workforce, but also due to cultural factors, such as intergenerational residency, and other social determinants of health, including poverty and lack of health insurance. Some AAPI subgroups also report a high comorbidity burden, which may increase their susceptibility to more severe COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, AAPIs have encountered rising xenophobia and racism across the country, and we fear such discrimination only serves to exacerbate these rapidly emerging disparities in this community. We recommend interventions including disaggregation of mortality and morbidity data, investment in community-based healthcare, advocacy against discrimination and the use of non-inflammatory language, and a continued emphasis on underlying comorbidities, to ensure the protection of vulnerable communities and the navigation of this current crisis.
Advancing smart manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract Expectations for product quality assurance along with addressing social and business objectives such as accelerated time to market, combating drug shortages by mitigating manufacturing losses and recalls, achieving reduced operating and capital costs, personalizing medications, and streamlined regulatory compliance have ushered a paradigm shift in the pharmaceutical industry to adopt emerging technologies for product development and operations management following the Quality by Design (QbD) initiatives since the early 2000s. Among the notable intensification efforts in this modernization are the technological development and increasing societal acceptance of digitalization in discovery, design, development, and manufacturing for existing and the next generation of life-saving medication. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the developments that are bridging pharmaceutical manufacturing into the smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 era, that is, the digitalization of manufacturing operations management. Our focus is on the real-time process management in the implementation of continuous manufacturing of powder-based oral solid doses.
Diversifying Without Discriminating: Complying with the Mandates of the TRIPS Agreement (with R. Dreyfuss)

Since the Patent Act was revised in 1952, patent law has expanded to cover an array of novel endeavors—new fields of technology (notably computer science and business methods) as well as the activities of researchers engaged in fundamental scientific discovery. These changes have been accompanied by shifts in the organizational structure of the technological community, with smaller firms and universities emerging as important players in the patent system, and by new marketplace expectations arising from consumer demand for interoperable technology and converging functionality. As a result of these developments, structural flaws in the legal order have become evident. Although the technological community was once fairly united in its needs, the recent debate over patent reform has made it clear that this is no longer the case. The broad patents available for basic science present different problems from those associated with the thickets of narrow rights awarded in fields where advances are incremental. Boutique firms with shifting alliances and universities with their spin-off enterprises rely on patents for reasons that are inapplicable to vertically integrated companies that bring research, development, and distribution under one roof. In some cases, a patent acquires value through technical superiority; in others, it does so because it covers a product that is incorporated into a standard or is subject to network effects, market tipping, or lock-in. There are also vast disparities in patent-to-product ratios. In some fields, like pharmaceuticals, the ratio is close to one (one patent covers one product). But in other areas, that ratio can be vastly higher or lower: for
Exploiting the Inherent Flexibility in Transmission Network for Optimal Scheduling, Wind Power Utilization, and Network Congestion Management

Owing to the economic, social, and political problems in the expansion of transmission infrastructure, novel transmission topologies are in demand to efficiently utilize the existing infrastructure. On the other hand, there is a tremendous increase in wind power generation around the globe. One of the main challenges hindering the penetration of large-scale wind power generation is the network congestion due to limited network capacity. To address these two issues, this study develops a co-optimized optimal transmission switching (OTS) and dynamic line rating (DLR) model to optimize system resources by mitigating network congestion and maximizing wind power accommodation. This new concept of exploiting the inherent flexibility in transmission network is named as flexible transmission dynamic line rating (FTDLR), which deploys OTS in coordination with DLR as a control tool to utilize existing assets. A two-stage stochastic unit commitment framework is used to deploy the proposed FTDLR model, which is used to dynamically increase the line capacity based on the meteorological parameters and at the same time optimally select candidate lines to be switched off from the network. A comprehensive analysis is performed to characterize the FTDLR performance on system operation cost, network congestion, and wind power curtailment. The proposed FTDLR model is further tested as a part of contingency analysis where both generator failure and transmission line outages are considered. Test results performed on the IEEE 24-bus network demonstrate that by using FTDLR, the service operator could substantially reduce system dispatch cost, improve wind power accommodation, and relieve network congestion. The scalability and feasibility of the FTDLR optimization problem is validated on the larger network of the IEEE 118-bus system.
Treatment of Dystonic Pain with Botulinum Neurotoxins

Focal dystonia is a common neurological disorder which is often painful. This chapter reviews clinical features of three common and painful focal dystonias, namely, cervical dystonia, focal dystonia associated with neurodegenerative disorders, and post-traumatic dystonia. The literature on the efficacy of botulinum toxins for these three forms of dystonic pain is reviewed. Fourteen blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trials assessed pain at baseline and after BoNT treatment of cervical dystonia. All 14 reported efficacy against pain. CD-related pain responded also to all three types of A neurotoxins as well as the type B neurotoxin. Small retrospective studies and clinical observations demonstrate that currently available neurotoxins (A or B) improve pain of Parkinson-related dystonias (toe flexion and foot inversion) as well as painful post-traumatic dystonias. Blinded studies for these indications are not available. Case reports and short videotape clips from author’s experience are provided to demonstrate patients’ histories and the technique of BoNT administration.
An Exact Riccati Equation Solution for Optimal Control of a Flexible Beam with a Quadratic-Like Cost Functional

For a simply supported beam with a quadratic-like index containning the first order partial differential operator, the algebraic operator Riccati equation is derived and the exact solution of which is obtained for a class of operators. The result is applied to the bean vibration feedback control problems.