cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Root growth and nutrient element status of creeping bentgrass cultivars differing in heat tolerance as influenced by supraoptimal shoot and root temperatures.

Abstract This study was designed to determine and compare root growth and nutritional responses of creeping bentgrass cultivars that differ in heat tolerance to differential, supraoptimal, shoot and root temperatures. Shoots and roots of ‘Penncross’ (heat sensitive) and ‘L‐93’ (heat tolerant) were exposed to four air/soil temperature regimes (20/20°C‐control, 20/35°C, 35/20°C, and 35/35°C) in water baths and growth chambers. Exposing roots to supraoptimal root temperature (35°C) while maintaining shoots at normal temperature (20°C) or particularly at 35°C reduced root fresh weight, root number, and contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in shoots and roots and accelerated root death for both cultivars. High root temperature had greater detrimental effects on root growth and nutrient element accumulation than high shoot temperature for both cultivars. A low root temperature at supraoptimal shoot temperature improved root growth, reduced root mortality; and increased N, P, and K content...
Real-time interactive duplex MR measurements: application in neurovascular imaging.

OBJECTIVE. Real-time interactive duplex MR imaging is a new phase-contrast MR imaging technique that enables the quantification and display of flow velocities in real time without the need for cardiac gating. We investigated the feasibility and reliability of the technique to assess hemodynamic information both in vitro and in vivo in the carotid arteries and in the venous sinuses.SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Real-time interactive duplex MR measurements (TR/TE, 53/27; flip angle, 90°; encoding velocity, 100 or 150 cm/sec) were performed in vitro with a steady-flow phantom and in 10 healthy volunteers in whom common and internal carotid artery velocities were measured. In eight volunteers, velocity measurements were also performed in the superior sagittal sinus during both normal breathing and hyperventilation. Time—velocity plots were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively and compared with findings from conventional segmented k-space phase-contrast MR imaging and Doppler sonography.RESULTS. Velocity determin...
Development and testing of the Active Temperature, Ozone and Moisture Microwave Spectrometer (ATOMMS) cm and mm wavelength occultation instrument

Abstract. We present initial results from testing a new remote sensing system called the Active Temperature, Ozone and Moisture Microwave Spectrometer (ATOMMS). ATOMMS is designed as a satellite-to-satellite occultation system for monitoring climate. We are developing the prototype instrument for an aircraft to aircraft occultation demonstration. Here we focus on field testing of the ATOMMS instrument, in particular the remote sensing of water by measuring the attenuation caused by the 22 GHz and 183 GHz water absorption lines. Our measurements of the 183 GHz line spectrum along an 820 m path revealed that the AM 6.2 spectroscopic model provdes a much better match to the observed spectrum than the MPM93 model. These comparisons also indicate that errors in the ATOMMS amplitude measurements are about 0.3%. Pressure sensitivity bodes well for ATOMMS as a climate instrument. Comparisons with a hygrometer revealed consistency at the 0.05 mb level, which is about 1% of the absolute humidity. Initial measurements of absorption by the 22 GHz line made along a 5.4 km path between two mountaintops captured a large increase in water vapor similar to that measured by several nearby hygrometers. A storm passage between the two instruments yielded our first measurements of extinction by rain and cloud droplets. Comparisons of ATOMMS 1.5 mm opacity measurements with measured visible opacity and backscatter from a weather radar revealed features simultaneously evident in all three datasets confirming the ATOMMS measurements. The combined ATOMMS, radar and visible information revealed the evolution of rain and cloud amounts along the signal path during the passage of the storm. The derived average cloud water content reached typical continental cloud amounts. These results demonstrated a significant portion of the information content of ATOMMS and its ability to penetrate through clouds and rain which is critical to its all-weather, climate monitoring capability.
Digital cell macro-model with regular substrate template and EKV based MOSFET model

This paper presents substrate noise macro-models for standard digital cells, like INV, NAND and BUFFER. The macro-models are based on a scalable substrate network template and a compact MOSFET model equivalent to EKV model. Our models and simulator predicted the substrate voltage, injection currents, and output voltage of each primary digital cell. Proposed models are close to device physics and valid for different processing technology and input transition. They are more accurate as compared to macro-models generated from curve fitting. Our macro-model accuracy is within 5-10% from SPICE simulation with MOSFET level49 models, and at least 4 times faster. This model can be used to predict spatially and temporally the occurrence of substrate noise peaks in a digital design.
Distance Metric Learning through Optimization of Ranking

Data preprocessing is important in machine learning, data mining, and pattern recognition. In particular, selecting relevant features in high- dimensional data is often necessary to efficiently construct models that accurately describe the data. For example, many lazy learning algorithms (like k- Nearest Neighbor) rely on feature-based distance metrics to compare input patterns for the purpose of classification or retrieval from a database. In previous work, we introduced Slider, a distance metric learning method that optimizes the weights of features in a protein model-building application (where features are used to describe patterns of electron density around protein macromolecules). In this work, we demonstrate the usefulness of Slider as a general method for classification, ranking and retrieval, with results on several benchmark datasets. We also compare it to other well-known feature selection or weighting methods.
Expression of translation initiation factor IF2 is regulated during osteoblast differentiation.

We isolated and characterized a cDNA for the N-terminal half of the eukaryotic initiation of translation factor 2 (cIF2) during a screen of chicken osteoblast cDNAs. The apparent size of the message for this protein, approximately 5.6 kb, is slightly larger in size than that for human IF2 (hIF2). There is a high degree of sequence similarity between the human and chicken N-terminal portions of the protein that extends to the encoding nucleotide sequence. The tissue specific expression pattern for cIF2 and hIF2 are similar, being moderately abundant in brain, liver, and skeletal muscle, and detectable in kidney, chondrocytes, and freshly isolated osteoblasts. The ratio of message for cIF2 to that of beta-actin was 0.10 and 0.18 for liver and brain. Message levels peak in osteoblasts between 8 and 12 days of culture, coinciding with high levels of matrix protein synthesis. At peak expression, the ratio of cIF2:beta-actin for 8 day osteoblasts was 0.76. Treatment of osteoblast cultures with cycloheximide markedly reduces the level of cIF2 message indicating that novel protein synthesis is required for its expression. Hybridization of RNA samples from either chicken osteoblasts or a human osteoblast cell line with a probe for a subunit of human eukaryotic initiation of translation factor 2 (eIF2alpha), the housekeeping initiation factor, indicates that levels of eIF2 remain low. With hIF2, cIF2 represents the only other vertebrate homolog of IF2 for which a major portion of the coding sequence has been identified. This is the first report of regulated expression for a eukaryotic IF2 and is the first demonstration of its abundance in osteoblasts.
Surrender-and-Catch, Poetry, Sociology, Morality

I begin, once again, autobiographically. Before and even for a while after I met Karl Mannheim, I thought of myself as a poet; in fact, it was more a practical consideration that made me obtain an academic degree after leaving Germany, and I came to be identified as a sociologist (at least of sorts) only in the United States. Before 1933, when I went to Italy, and during the first years there, I also wrote some speculative essays that would be classified as philosophical and that show a continuity with the much later ideas on surrender which surprised (and pleased) me as I reread them, after decades before they were finally published1 But even in Italy, where I taught in boarding schools whatever was demanded (except for the one year of study and writing my dissertation — on the sociology of knowledge!), I hardly paid attention to the question of what profession I should pursue; then, too, I thought of myself above all as a poet. As I look back at those last years in Germany and the years in Italy, more than half a century ago, I feel, probably distorted by longing, as if I then was in a continuous state of surrender: love, music, poetry, nature. The single person who for a few years before I went away inspired and supported me most in my writing efforts was himself a poet, and like Karl Wolfskehl,2 a fellow Darmstadter: Hans Schiebelhuth. Both his and Wolfskehl’s photographs have hung over my desk, at which I am typing these words, for decades.
Some convexity theorems for matrices

The numerical range of a bounded linear operator A on a complex Hilbertspace H is the set W ( A ) = {( Af, f ): ║f║ = 1}. Because it is convex andits closure contains the spectrum of A , the numerical range is often a useful toolin operator theory. However, even when H is two-dimensional, the numerical range of an operator can be large relative to its spectrum, so that knowledge of W ( A ) generally permits only crude information about A . P. R. Halmos [2] has suggested a refinement of the notion of numerical range by introducing the k -numerical ranges for k = 1, 2, 3, …. It is clear that W 1 ( A ) = W ( A ). C. A. Berger [2] has shown that W k ( A ) is convex.
Challenges in predicting the future distributions of invasive plant species

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to predict distributions of invasive species. If successful, these models can help managers target limited resources for monitoring and controlling invasive species to areas of high invasion risk. Model accuracy is usually determined using current species distributions, but because invasive species are not at equilibrium with the environment, high current accuracy may not indicate high future accuracy. I used 1982 species distribution data from Bolleswood Natural Area, Connecticut, USA, to create SDMs for two forest invaders, Celastrus orbiculatus and Rosa multiflora. I then used more recent data, from 1992 and 2002, as validation data sets to determine how model accuracy changed over time and if current and future accuracy were related. I also tested if three alternative approaches – iterative modeling, alternative methods of choosing suitability thresholds and using a risk assessment framework – improved accuracy in predicting future distributions. Model accuracy declined over time with greater declines for models of the species (Celastrus) with the higher initial accuracy. By 2002, 49% of Celastrus and 85% of Rosa new occurrences were correctly predicted by models. Neither iterative modeling nor alternative thresholds improved accuracy of predicting 2002 occurrences, but a risk assessment framework showed promise for guiding monitoring efforts. These results suggest that measures of current accuracy may not indicate a model’s predictive accuracy and must be used cautiously. Distinguishing between predictions of current and future distributions is critical. While iterative models were not successful in this study, I argue that using models in a risk assessment framework closely tied to monitoring will greatly increase the utility of SDMs for managing invasive species.
Effects of stimulus source and intensity on covert orientation to auditory stimuli

Normal subjects showed costs and benefits of informative auditory spatial cues with auditory targets in RT tasks when stimulus intensity was low, or when the stimuli were presented monaurally through headphones. These findings imply that attention to auditory stimuli, like attention to visual or tactile stimuli, can be shifted spatially in detection tasks, and that covert orienting to auditory stimuli occurs in conditions favoring the intention to orient the head to a sound source. According to this view, orienting of attention to auditory stimuli, as well as to visual and tactile stimuli, is linked functionally to mechanisms controlling overt orienting movements that increase stimulus identification.
Evaluating thermodynamic integration performance of the new amber molecular dynamics package and assess potential halogen bonds of enoyl‐ACP reductase (FabI) benzimidazole inhibitors

Thermodynamic integration (TI) can provide accurate binding free energy insights in a lead optimization program, but its high computational expense has limited its usage. In the effort of developing an efficient and accurate TI protocol for FabI inhibitors lead optimization program, we carefully compared TI with different Amber molecular dynamics (MD) engines (sander and pmemd), MD simulation lengths, the number of intermediate states and transformation steps, and the Lennard-Jones and Coulomb Softcore potentials parameters in the one-step TI, using eleven benzimidazole inhibitors in complex with Francisella tularensis enoyl acyl reductase (FtFabI). To our knowledge, this is the first study to extensively test the new AMBER MD engine, pmemd, on TI and compare the parameters of the Softcore potentials in the one-step TI in a protein-ligand binding system. The best performing model, the one-step pmemd TI, using 6 intermediate states and 1 ns MD simulations, provides better agreement with experimental results (RMSD = 0.52 kcal/mol) than the best performing implicit solvent method, QM/MM-GBSA from our previous study (RMSD = 3.00 kcal/mol), while maintaining similar efficiency. Briefly, we show the optimized TI protocol to be highly accurate and affordable for the FtFabI system. This approach can be implemented in a larger scale benzimidazole scaffold lead optimization against FtFabI. Lastly, the TI results here also provide structure-activity relationship insights, and suggest the parahalogen in benzimidazole compounds might form a weak halogen bond with FabI, which is a well-known halogen bond favoring enzyme.
Electronic Structure of a CuII–Alkoxide Complex Modeling Intermediates in Copper-Catalyzed Alcohol Oxidations

In the copper-catalyzed oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes, a CuII-alkoxide (CuII–OR) intermediate is believed to modulate the αC–H bond strength of the deprotonated substrate to facilitate the oxidation. As a structural model for these intermediates, we characterized the electronic structure of the stable compound TptBuCuII(OCH2CF3) (TptBu = hydro-tris(3-tert-butyl-pyrazolyl)borate) and investigated the influence of the trifluoroethoxide ligand on the electronic structure of the complex. The compound exhibits an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum with an unusually large gzz value of 2.44 and a small copper hyperfine coupling Azz of 40 × 10–4 cm–1 (120 MHz). Single-crystal electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectra show that the unpaired spin population is highly localized on the copper ion (≈68%), with no more than 15% on the ethoxide oxygen. Electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra show weak ligand-field transitions between 5000 and 12 000 cm–1 and an intens...
Effect of egg covering and habitat on nest destruction by house wrens

Birds nesting near House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) risk having their eggs, nestlings, and nests destroyed. Damage by wrens may be reduced in Black-capped Chickadees (Parus atricapillus), Tufted Titmice (P. bicolor), and other parids by concealing eggs under nest material during the laying period, and in sympatric cavity-nesting species by nesting in different habitats from wrens. To test if eggs were protected by covering, prelaying wrens were challenged for 1 day with a set of two boxes placed 1 m from their nest, one with two artificial eggs (miniature marshmallows) lightly covered under fur, the other with two artificial eggs in an open cup. Results varied with stage of nest-building; in 41 trials where both exposed eggs were removed, covered eggs remained in only 4 of 15 (27%) trials near early nests containing few sticks, but in 17 of 26 (65%) trials near more advanced nests. To assess effects of nest site, a box with a cup nest was placed in each of three habitats 10 or 20 m from 29 wren nests. After 1 day of habituation, two artificial eggs were placed in each nest and left exposed for 1 day. Boxes in woodland interiors were less likely than boxes in fields and along edges to be visited by wrens at least once over 2 days (66 vs. 97% visited) and were less likely to have eggs removed (10 vs. 83% removed). Competitors for nesting cavities also may escape attacks by wrens through differences in breeding period, active defense of territories or nests, or renesting.
Half-life of Al 26

We have measured the half-life of $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ because data on $^{21}\mathrm{Ne}$ production rates in meteorites has indicated that the half-life may have been too low by 30---40%. We produced $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ using the $^{26}\mathrm{Mg}(p,n)^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ reaction on thick natural Mg, the yield being calculated from cross section data. The activity of two such samples was measured with a Ge(Li) detector and the calculated half-life is ${t}_{\frac{1}{2}}=(7.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ years, in agreement with the accepted half-life of $^{26}\mathrm{Al}:{t}_{\frac{1}{2}}=(7.16\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.32)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ years. Therefore, another explanation must be found for the anomalous $^{21}\mathrm{Ne}$ production rate based on $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ ages in meteorites.
Particle counts of meningopneumonitis virus by phase microscopy.

SummaryA rapid method for estimating the meningopneumonitis virus content of allantoic fluid suspension is described. Evidence is presented which indicates that counts obtained closely parallel egg infectivity titers and nitrogen content determinations. In 9 separate experiments one egg LD50 was found to contain 83–240 virus particles as counted by this method.
Cause-Related Sport Marketing: Can This Marketing Strategy Affect Company Decision-Makers?

In an effort to sustain social responsibility initiatives, cause related marketing (CRM) has become more prevalent in the corporate marketing toolbox, due to the benefits realized by the sponsoring company, such as switching behavior by a desired consumer segment. The utilization of cause related sport marketing (CRSM) has also increased, as corporate entities position firms with high profile sport entities to obtain certain objectives. Little research has examined the impact of such programs on key business stakeholders, which this survey study attempts to address. Analysis of Variance results indicate respondents possessed positive opinions about the corporation's CRSM efforts, with significant differences existing between respondents with direct decision-making authority and those with limited or no decision-making authority on key items. Additionally, respondents expressed a more positive opinion toward continuing their business relationship with the corporation, or, for those respondents who were prospective clients, beginning a business relationship with the corporation.
Calling Behavior during Pheromone Release in the Female Pink Bollworm Moth

The female pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), possesses a sex pheromone gland reported to be an “eversible sac situated dorsally in the intersegmental membrane between the 8th and 9th abdominal segments” (Jefferson et al. 1971). The gland's configuration could not be determined histologically, therefore its limits were not defined. A similar morphological relationship exists in the potato tuberworm, Phthorimaca operculella (Zeller), another gelechiid moth. When pressure is applied to the female abdomen, the terminal abdominal segments become swollen and expose a bulbous pheromone gland which protrudes “in the dorsal intersegmental region between the 8th and 9th abdominal segments” (Adeesan et al. 1969). In the present investigation, the pheromone gland of the female pink bollworm was observed during courtship behavior, thereby defining its operation and determining its orientation within the reproductive system.
Experimental studies of the controls of the geometry and evolution of salt diapirs

Abstract Experimental models were conducted to study the controls of the evolution and geometry of salt diapirs, and the transition from passive to active diapirism. Both constant and variable sedimentation rate experiments were conducted. Constant sedimentation rate experiments show that the evolution of diapirs is strongly dependent on the rates of sand deposition and the thickness of the source layer. Low rates of sedimentation result in high ratios of salt flow to aggradation, leading to cylindrical diapirs which subsequently develop flared shapes with overhangs, whereas high sediment rates result in low ratios of salt flow to aggradation, resulting in tapered shapes and eventual eclipse and occlusion of the diapirs. Thick source layers result in higher salt flow rates than thin layers. Variable sedimentation rates result in changing shapes of diapirs over time. A small increase in sedimentation rates for flared or cylindrical diapirs result in an initial eclipse followed by tapering and a transition to active diapirism, enabling the diapir to pierce the overlying sediments. The narrower diapir continues to grow by passive diapirism. A large increase in rates results in a permanent eclipse, because the tapered diapir is unable to penetrate the greater thickness of the overburden. Finally, thicker source layers generally result in wider diapirs during both phases of deformation. Tapering and flaring are mechanisms of maintaining equilibrium between the rate of sedimentation and net salt flow rate. The resulting models are directly applicable to the analysis of poorly or partially imaged salt diapirs in natural subsurface examples.
Insights into Borrelia miyamotoi infection from an untreated case demonstrating relapsing fever, monocytosis and a positive C6 Lyme serology

We describe a patient from the United States with PCR- and serology-confirmed Borrelia miyamotoi infection who recovered without antibiotics. Our findings suggest that B. miyamotoi infection may cause relapsing fever, blood monocytosis and antibody reactivity to the C6 peptide. Further studies are required to better define the spectrum of clinical and laboratory findings for this emerging tick-transmitted infection.
Metrics for rapid quality control in RNA structure probing experiments

MOTIVATION The diverse functionalities of RNA can be attributed to its capacity to form complex and varied structures. The recent proliferation of new structure probing techniques coupled with high-throughput sequencing has helped RNA studies expand in both scope and depth. Despite differences in techniques, most experiments face similar challenges in reproducibility due to the stochastic nature of chemical probing and sequencing. As these protocols expand to transcriptome-wide studies, quality control becomes a more daunting task. General and efficient methodologies are needed to quantify variability and quality in the wide range of current and emerging structure probing experiments. RESULTS We develop metrics to rapidly and quantitatively evaluate data quality from structure probing experiments, demonstrating their efficacy on both small synthetic libraries and transcriptome-wide datasets. We use a signal-to-noise ratio concept to evaluate replicate agreement, which has the capacity to identify high-quality data. We also consider and compare two methods to assess variability inherent in probing experiments, which we then utilize to evaluate the coverage adjustments needed to meet desired quality. The developed metrics and tools will be useful in summarizing large-scale datasets and will help standardize quality control in the field. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The data and methods used in this article are freely available at: http://bme.ucdavis.edu/aviranlab/SPEQC_software CONTACT: saviran@ucdavis.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Disciplinary Power of Norms

Normative identities mediate and impute categorical difference through social control and regulation; they act simultaneously as products and producers of norms. Young explores the processes of normalization that establish norms of race, gender, and sexuality and subsequently shape elements of black queer subjectivity and govern ideas of family. Engaging Foucault’s description of disciplinary power, which is found in the systematic management of those identities and norms that circumscribe one another, Young describes how such power manages both the population from which that discipline is derived and the bodies upon which its regulation settles. In relation to norms, disciplinary power operates by generating and nurturing technologies constrict black queer subjectivity and family relations.
Risk Management in Social Work Practice: Preventing Professional Malpractice, Liability, and Disciplinary Action by Frederic G. Reamer

Professor Frederic Reamer, the distinguished scholar and leading authority on social work ethics, has penned a much needed and authoritative text on strategies and tactics for managing the risks th...
An off-price retailer with two ordering opportunities and demand updating

Abstract We develop a model of an off-price retailer who has two procurement opportunities for next season. The first opportunity occurs after the end of the current season when the off-price retailer buys excess inventory from retailers and manufacturers and store them until next season. The second opportunity occurs at the beginning of the next selling season when retailers and manufacturers sell anticipated excess inventory, production overruns and irregular units. At the time of the first ordering opportunity the price for the second ordering opportunity is a random variable whose parameters depend on future prevailing economic conditions. Sometime between the first and second ordering opportunities, the off-price retailer observes a market signal which updates her demand forecast. We find that for non-trendy products, the first ordering opportunity provides the off-price retailer with a way to obtain some inventory at a low cost to hedge against the possibility of high demand with higher prices in the next season. We also find that the off-price retailer is less likely to take advantage of the first ordering opportunity in the case of trendy products which have a large premium for newness. Under limited supplies the off-price retailer is more likely to use the first ordering opportunity even when there is a premium for the newness of the second order.
Colitis promotes neuronal differentiation of Sox2+ and PLP1+ enteric cells.

Mechanisms mediating adult enteric neurogenesis are largely unknown. Using inflammation-associated neurogenesis models and a transgenic approach, we aimed to understand the cell-source for new neurons in infectious and inflammatory colitis. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and Citrobacter rodentium colitis (CC) was induced in adult mice and colonic neurons were quantified. Sox2GFP and PLP1GFP mice confirmed the cell-type specificity of these markers. Sox2CreER:YFP and PLP1creER:tdT mice were used to determine the fate of these cells after colitis. Sox2 expression was investigated in colonic neurons of human patients with Clostridium difficile or ulcerative colitis. Both DSS and CC led to increased colonic neurons. Following colitis in adult Sox2CreER:YFP mice, YFP initially expressed predominantly by glia becomes expressed by neurons following colitis, without observable DNA replication. Similarly in PLP1CreER:tdT mice, PLP1 cells that co-express S100b but not RET also give rise to neurons following colitis. In human colitis, Sox2-expressing neurons increase from 1–2% to an average 14% in colitis. The new neurons predominantly express calretinin, thus appear to be excitatory. These results suggest that colitis promotes rapid enteric neurogenesis in adult mice and humans through differentiation of Sox2- and PLP1-expressing cells, which represent enteric glia and/or neural progenitors. Further defining neurogenesis will improve understanding and treatment of injury-associated intestinal motility/sensory disorders.
Asenapine Treatment in Pediatric Patients with Bipolar I Disorder or Schizophrenia: A Review.

Asenapine, administered as a twice-daily (BID) sublingual tablet, is approved in the US as monotherapy for the acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder in children and adolescents aged 10–17 years based on the positive results of one 3-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study; the recommended dose is 2.5–10 mg BID. Although asenapine has been studied in pediatric patients with schizophrenia, it is not approved for this indication. Asenapine is not approved for pediatric use in bipolar I disorder or schizophrenia in other major markets. To inform clinicians treating psychiatric disorders in pediatric patients, we have summarized the neuropharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical trial experience, and clinical use of asenapine in pediatric patients. After rapid absorption through the oral mucosa, the pharmacokinetic profile of asenapine in pediatric patients is similar to that which is observed in adult patients, indicating that the recommended adult dosage does not need to be adjusted for pediatric use. Intake of food and water should be avoided for 10 min after administration. In clinical trials, asenapine was generally safe and well tolerated in pediatric patients with bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia. Serious adverse effects were generally related to worsening of the underlying psychiatric disorder. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in both indications were sedation and somnolence. Like some other second-generation antipsychotic agents, weight gain and changes in some metabolic parameters were noted; oral effects (e.g., oral hypoesthesia, dysgeusia, paresthesia) related to sublingual administration did not typically result in treatment discontinuation and were generally transient. Extrapyramidal symptom TEAEs occurred in ≥5% of asenapine-treated patients in the acute and long-term studies in bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia.
The Benefits, Innovations, and Uses of Information and Communication Technology at the Base of the Pyramid

Information and communication technology is being used in the developing world by businesses, NGOs, and governments. They are supporting a variety of initiatives using various wired, wireless, and computer technologies. These initiatives provide advantages to local communities in the form of improved economic prospects, and consumer and social benefits. Companies and organizations may benefit as well by improving their operations, creating innovations, or finding new markets. We have analyzed over 1,000 initiatives describing such activities in India, China, Latin America/Caribbean, and Africa. We provide an empirical description of key features, innovations, and benefits of the initiatives in each region and the ways in which these regions are both similar and different.
Professional Licensing and Teacher Certification for Non-Citizens: Federalism, Equal Protection And A State’s Socio-Economic Interests

Some states have recently addressed the integration of their non-citizen populations and their socioeconomic needs by expanding the eligibility of professional licensing to non-citizens. Changes made in 2016 in the two states with the largest immigrant populations, California and New York, were extensive and comprehensive. California removed immigration status requirements for licensing through legislation that covered all occupations regulated by the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The New York Board of Regents and Commissioner of Education expanded the categories of non-citizens eligible for professional licensing and teaching certification through administrative regulations, including all non-citizens permanently residing in the state under color of law. The changes in these two states required consideration of state sovereignty and equal protection. California treated all state applicants equally by removing any citizenship or immigration status requirements. New York determined that its state sovereignty allowed the state-designated agency to set licensing criteria for non-citizens despite a federal statute that purported only to allow such licensing through state legislation. Both states concluded that an expansion of the eligibility of non-citizens for licensed professions allowed them to maximize the benefits of their in-state tuition policies and provided economic and social advantages for their communities.
The Context of Inference

There is an ambiguity in the concept of deductive validity that went unnoticed until the middle of the twentieth century. Sometimes an inference rule is called valid because its conclusion is a the...
Can Psychiatrists be Recruited in Medical School

Thirty senior medical students were interviewed and given personality and medical specialty preference tests in order to identify the major factors which had influenced their choice of specialty. Of particular interest were the factors that differentiated potential psychiatrists from all others, and within the “potential” group, the students who chose psychiatry from those who did not. Six hypothetical categories of medical students were constructed from the data, and characteristics of students assigned to each category were compared. Differences among the categories of students were identified that have implications for the recruitment of psychiatrists and the education of medical students in psychiatry.
Endocannabinoid receptor CB2R is significantly expressed in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease: a pilot study.

Background The endocannabinoid system represents a highly conserved, innate signaling network with direct and indirect control of eicosanoid-mediated inflammation. Activation of the type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) leads to decreased type 2 inflammation and reduced production of arachidonic acid (AA). Given that altered AA metabolism is associated with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), we hypothesized that expression of the CB2R gene CNR2 is increased in AERD. Methods Nasal polyps from consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for AERD or allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) were prospectively evaluated. Control sphenoid mucosa was collected from patients undergoing endoscopic skull base procedures. Expression and localization of endocannabinoid receptors were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. A 2-group unpaired t test with unequal variances was used to evaluate group differences. Results Thirteen subjects were included in this pilot study, including 5 controls, 5 AFRS patients, and 3 AERD patients. Upregulated expression of CNR2 was detected in subjects with AERD vs both AFRS (p = 0.049) and controls (p = 0.047), with a mean increase of 5.2-fold. No significant differences in expression of the CB1R gene CNR1 were detected between control and AFRS groups. Immunohistochemistry predominantly localized CB1R and CB2R expression to the surface epithelium in all subjects. Conclusion The endocannabinoid system is an emerging immunomodulatory network that may be involved in AERD. This is the first study of CB2R in sinonasal disease, showing significantly increased transcription in nasal polyps from subjects with AERD. Additional study is warranted to further evaluate the contribution and therapeutic potential of this novel finding in chronic rhinosinusitis.
Characteristics of the Metastatic Phenotype

Malignant progression and tumor metastasis is a complex process enabled by various molecular changes occurring in a subpopulation of tumor cells. The metastatic phenotype is associated with the cellular capacity for uncontrolled growth, resistance to apoptosis, high invasive potential, and effective neoangiogenesis. Whereas the contribution of genetic alterations to the metastatic dissemination is not yet clear, because both primary and metastatic tumors often have similar patterns of genetic mutations, the majority of the changes contributing to the metastatic phenotype are controlled epige-netically. In melanoma, the progression toward malignant disease and acquisition of the metastatic phenotype involves loss of activator protein 2 and gain in expression of activating transcription factor 1/cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element-binding protein family transcription factors. Together with upregulation of activating transcription factor 2, Snail, nuclear factor-?B and other transcription factors, this results in deregulation of the expression of cellular adhesion molecules, matrix-degrading enzymes, as well as other factors that enable a complex interaction of tumor cells with extracellular milieu and other cells during malignant progression and metastatic dissemination. Furthermore, because of the need to survive mechanical and immunological challenges, and changing nutritional environment during the dissemination process, metastatic cells are permanently selected for the superior survival capacity. As a result, metastatic cells are commonly characterized by their increased resistance to the chemotherapeutic treatment when compared to primary tumors. Here, we discuss some of the potential mechanisms contributing to drug resistance in melanoma.
Early Changes in Serial CBCT-Measured Parotid Gland Biomarkers Predict Chronic Xerostomia After Head and Neck Radiation Therapy

Purpose To determine whether serial cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images taken during head and neck radiation therapy (HNR) can improve chronic xerostomia prediction. Methods and Materials In a retrospective analysis, parotid glands (PGs) were delineated on daily kV CBCT images using deformable image registration for 119 HNR patients (60 or 70 Gy in 2 Gy fractions over 6 or 7 weeks). Deformable image registration accuracy for a subset of deformed contours was quantified using the Dice similarity coefficient and mean distance to agreement in comparison with manually drawn contours. Average weekly changes in CBCT-measured mean Hounsfield unit intensity and volume were calculated for each PG relative to week 1. Dose-volume histogram statistics were extracted from each plan, and interactions among dose, volume, and intensity were investigated. Univariable analysis and penalized logistic regression were used to analyze association with observer-rated xerostomia at 1 year after HNR. Models including CBCT delta imaging features were compared with clinical and dose-volume histogram–only models using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for grade ≥1 and grade ≥2 xerostomia prediction. Results All patients experienced end-treatment PG volume reduction with mean (range) ipsilateral and contralateral PG shrinkage of 19.6% (0.9%-58.4%) and 17.7% (4.4%-56.3%), respectively. Midtreatment volume change was highly correlated with mean PG dose (r = –0.318, P Conclusions The rate of CBCT-measured PG image feature changes improves prediction over dose alone for chronic xerostomia prediction. Analysis of CBCT images acquired for treatment positioning may provide an inexpensive monitoring system to support toxicity-reducing adaptive radiation therapy.
Cognitive reappraisal moderates the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use over time in post-9/11 U.S. military veterans.

Abstract Background Rates of comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are increasing among post-9/11 veterans, and emotion regulation problems have been identified as a feature of both disorders. However, no studies to date have explored how individual differences in emotion regulation may moderate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. We evaluated how two core emotion regulation strategies – one adaptive (i.e., cognitive reappraisal) and one maladaptive (i.e., expressive suppression) are related to PTSD symptoms and alcohol use over one-year. Methods A total of 71 post-9/11 veterans (12 female, 59 male) completed a baseline screening and at least two follow-up assessments over the course of 12 months which included measures of emotion regulation, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use. A mixed growth model was utilized to determine if changes in PTSD symptoms covaried with alcohol use over time and whether this relation was moderated by frequency of use of emotion regulation strategies. Results In general, higher PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with greater alcohol use, but cognitive reappraisal moderated this relationship. Specifically, at low cognitive reappraisal, greater PTSD symptoms were associated with greater alcohol use. At high cognitive reappraisal, there was no significant association between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. Conclusions Findings from the present study suggest that baseline individual differences in cognitive reappraisal influence the relation between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. For post-9/11 veterans, high levels of cognitive reappraisal may serve as a protective factor against ongoing alcohol use.
Reassessing the power of regional security providers: the case of Algeria and Morocco

The concept of power and the ways to measure it are central to the literature on regional security providers. The predominant model has power rooted in material capabilities. This article recognize...
The Role of Regional versus General Anesthesia on Arteriovenous Fistula and Graft Outcomes: A Single-Institution Experience and Literature Review

Background Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefits of creating arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) under regional anesthesia. This is most likely because of the avoidance of hemodynamic instability and stress response of general anesthesia, as well as the sympathectomy associated with brachial plexus blockade. As vein diameter is the major limiting factor for primary AVF creation and maturation, our aim is to investigate if the vasodilation that accompanies regional anesthesia leads to improved patency and maturation rate of autologous AVF and improved patency of arteriovenous graft (AVG) compared with those placed under general anesthesia. Methods This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. A total of 238 patients who had either an AVF or an AVG placed at the Mayo Clinic, Florida, between 2012 and 2017 were analyzed. Demographics, access type, preoperative vein diameter, anesthesia type, change of plan after regional versus general anesthesia, and outcomes were assessed. All statistical tests were 2 sided, with the alpha level set at 0.05 for statistical significance. Results Among 238 patients, 120 (50.4%) had regional anesthesia. Differences between the 2 groups in risk factors and 30-day or long-term outcomes (failure, abandonment, or reoperation) were not statistically significant. Of the accesses placed under general anesthesia, 58.5% were abandoned compared with 45.2% of those placed under regional anesthesia. Owing to loss of patency, 25.8% of accesses placed under general anesthesia were abandoned compared with 19.2% of those placed under regional anesthesia. Two-month failure was higher in the general anesthesia group than that in the regional anesthesia group (P = 0.076). After preoperative vein mapping, 22 patients were originally intended to have an AVG placed under regional anesthesia. After brachial plexus blockade, 9 of these patients (41%) were successfully switched to AVF, while the other 13 followed the original surgical plan and received an AVG. Of these, 0 failed and 0 were abandoned because of loss of patency. Conclusions This study showed possible improvements in failure rates for vascular accesses placed under regional anesthesia compared with those placed under general anesthesia. In addition, we showed an impact of regional anesthesia on the surgical plan by transitioning from a planned AVG to an AVF, intraoperatively. Giving patients with originally inadequate vein diameter the chance to have the preferred hemodialysis access method by simply switching anesthesia type could reduce the number of grafts placed in favor of fistulas.
Early hominins evolved within non-analog ecosystems

Present-day African ecosystems serve as referential models for conceptualizing the environmental context of early hominin evolution, but the degree to which modern ecosystems are representative of those in the past is unclear. A growing body of evidence from eastern Africa’s rich and well-dated late Cenozoic fossil record documents communities of large-bodied mammalian herbivores with ecological structures differing dramatically from those of the present day, implying that modern communities may not be suitable analogs for the ancient ecosystems of hominin evolution. To determine when and why the ecological structure of eastern Africa’s herbivore faunas came to resemble those of the present, here we analyze functional trait changes in a comprehensive dataset of 305 modern and fossil herbivore communities spanning the last ∼7 Myr. We show that nearly all communities prior to ∼700 ka were functionally non-analog, largely due to a greater richness of non-ruminants and megaherbivores (species >1,000 kg). The emergence of functionally modern communities precedes that of taxonomically modern communities by 100,000s of years, and can be attributed to the combined influence of Plio-Pleistocene C4 grassland expansion and pulses of aridity after ∼1 Ma. Given the disproportionate ecological impacts of large-bodied herbivores on factors such as vegetation structure, hydrology, and fire regimes, it follows that the vast majority of early hominin evolution transpired in the context of ecosystems that functioned unlike any today. Identifying how past ecosystems differed compositionally and functionally from those today is key to conceptualizing ancient African environments and testing ecological hypotheses of hominin evolution.
Managing Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Who Develop Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the USA. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Importantly, patients with IBD who develop prostate cancer require thoughtful care when using immunosuppressants to treat the IBD in the setting of malignancy. Further, consideration must be given to the proximity of the prostate to the gastrointestinal tract when treating with radiation where there is concern for the effects of inadvertent exposure of radiation to the diseased bowel. In general, management of immunosuppression after diagnosis of prostate cancer is contingent on the specific immunosuppressive agents, the duration of cancer remission and/or plans for cancer treatment, and the potential risks and benefits of stopping or altering the administration of those agents. Concerns that patients with IBD would have increased risk of disease exacerbation and gastrointestinal toxicity have previously limited the use of radiation. While currently no consensus has been reached regarding the safety of radiation therapy in patients with IBD, recent studies suggest that radiation therapy may be used safely in patients with IBD who develop prostate cancer, especially brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy which may have less bowel toxicity compared to conventional methods of external beam radiation therapy. A multidisciplinary team approach including gastroenterologists, urologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists should be undertaken to best treat patients with IBD and prostate cancer.