cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bile Acids Promote the Expression of Hepatitis C Virus in Replicon-Harboring Cells

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a cause of chronic liver disease, with more than 170 million persistently infected individuals worldwide. Although the combination therapy of alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin is effective for chronic HCV infection, around half of all patients infected with HCV genotype 1 fail to show sustained virologic responses and remain chronically infected. Previously, we demonstrated that bile acids were essential for growth of porcine enteric calicivirus in cell culture in association with down-regulation of IFN responses. Because hepatocytes are exposed to high concentrations of bile acids in the liver, we hypothesized that bile acids have similar effects on HCV replication. We incubated HCV replicon-harboring cells (genotype 1b, Con1) in the presence of various bile acids and monitored the expression of HCV RNA and protein (NS5B). The addition of an individual bile acid (deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, or glycochenodeoxycholic acid) in the medium increased the levels of HCV RNA and proteins up to fivefold at 48 h of incubation. An antagonist of bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR), Z-guggulsterone, reduced the bile acid-mediated increase of HCV RNA. When IFN (alpha or gamma) and each bile acid were incubated together, we observed that bile acid significantly reduced the anti-HCV effect of IFN. These results indicated that bile acids are factors in the failure of IFN treatment for certain patients infected with HCV genotype 1. Our finding may also contribute to the establishment of better regimens for treatment of chronic HCV infections by including agents altering the bile acid-mediated FXR pathway.
Combining Search, Social Media, and Traditional Data Sources to Improve Influenza Surveillance.

We present a machine learning-based methodology capable of providing real-time (“nowcast”) and forecast estimates of influenza activity in the US by leveraging data from multiple data sources including: Google searches, Twitter microblogs, nearly real-time hospital visit records, and data from a participatory surveillance system. Our main contribution consists of combining multiple influenza-like illnesses (ILI) activity estimates, generated independently with each data source, into a single prediction of ILI utilizing machine learning ensemble approaches. Our methodology exploits the information in each data source and produces accurate weekly ILI predictions for up to four weeks ahead of the release of CDC’s ILI reports. We evaluate the predictive ability of our ensemble approach during the 2013–2014 (retrospective) and 2014–2015 (live) flu seasons for each of the four weekly time horizons. Our ensemble approach demonstrates several advantages: (1) our ensemble method’s predictions outperform every prediction using each data source independently, (2) our methodology can produce predictions one week ahead of GFT’s real-time estimates with comparable accuracy, and (3) our two and three week forecast estimates have comparable accuracy to real-time predictions using an autoregressive model. Moreover, our results show that considerable insight is gained from incorporating disparate data streams, in the form of social media and crowd sourced data, into influenza predictions in all time horizons.
Globalization, Power, and Security:

This article surveys major international relations theory as a framework for thinking about globalization; examines the modern role of power within a globalized international system; and illustrates these dynamics within the context of international terrorism. The central conclusion is that globalization has not radically changed fundamental aspects of international relations, but has rather altered means and channels for the exercise of power. The article demonstrates that power remains the key independent variable shaping modern international relations. Globalization is a manifestation of new means through which power is exercised and distributed. Nevertheless, the complexity of globalization requires a reassessment of the meaning of power in international security.
Learning to recognize speakers of a non-native language: Implications for the functional organization of human auditory cortex

Brain imaging studies of voice perception often contrast activation from vocal and verbal tasks to identify regions uniquely involved in processing voice. However, such a strategy precludes detection of the functional relationship between speech and voice perception. In a pair of experiments involving identifying voices from native and foreign language speech we show that, even after repeated exposure to the same foreign language speakers, accurate talker identification is in a large part dependent on linguistic proficiency. These results suggest that a strong integration between the brain regions implicated in voice perception and speech perception accounts for the accurate identification of talkers.
Holocaust Video Testimony, Oral History, and Narrative Medicine: The Struggle against Indifference

Holocaust video testimony, first archived in the United States at the Yale University Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Video Testimonies in 1982, is a methodology developed and refined by Dori Laub and Geoffrey Hartman. Laub and Hartman represent the pioneering generation of intellectuals who took up the task of archiving first-person testimony for the purpose of educating those who did not experience the Holocaust directly. Oral history, a discipline first developed in the late 1940s, also archives eyewitness accounts for future use by scholars but developed its methodology with little interest in how the genre of testimony, represented by the Yale Project, contributes to historical knowledge. Narrative medicine, a more recent discipline that also accords meaning to the value of storytelling and dialogue, has also developed in parallel to video testimony and oral history but locates the struggle of telling in the body. The purpose of this essay, based on an oral history interview conducted with Dori Laub on the methods of video testimony in June of 2005, is to explore the synergistic potential of these three disciplines in enlarging the ethical promise of each to reduce the impact of indifference to the suffering of others. It is also a meditation on what the respective fields have to offer one another, which is significant and timely as we endeavor to refine our methods of listening in order to combat the fatigue of living in a time of mass-mediated atrocity.
Learning to Work: The Hidden Curriculum of the Classroom

student beliefs about work and school. We suggested that the special function of schooling in socialization was preparation for the work world through a "hidden curriculum" stressing authority, time, work, achievement, and order. This curriculum was presented by means of teacher behavior; it expressed institutional rather than idiosyncratic teacher needs, and prevailed regardless of classroom environment and teacher style. HIDDEN CURRICULUM, CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, TEACHER BEHAVIOR, FORMAL SCHOOLING. Going to school is part of the socialization process; schools transmit skills, aspirations, norms, and behavior patterns which assist in the assumption of specific roles. They do so both overtly and covertly. Overtly, they transmit cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. Less obviously, the schools pursue noncognitive objectives - norms, values, and behavior patterns deemed important for socialization to adulthood. While the school is clearly not the only social agency that prepares children for adult life, it does differ from the primary agency in that it represents a transition, preparing children for more formal, achievement-oriented, and specific roles than does the family. Emile Durkheim, for example, recognized that while the family was quite effective as a means of nurturing children and developing their individual personalities, the school had to train them for citizenship in the larger society (1973). Joseph Grannis extends the analysis, saying that different kinds of schools are appropriate training arenas for different kinds of society; further, that within contemporary society, the type of school a child attends may dictate the labor force niche for which that child is prepared (1967:15-17). One of the most important contributions of schooling to the socialization process is training children for the world of work. The school is a work place, obviously so for teachers, but it is also a place of work for children, who may find in school their first encounter with a set of norms oriented toward the accomplishment of specific and universalistically evaluated tasks (Dreeben 1968:19). Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis suggest that "the structure of the educational experience is admirably suited to nurturing attitudes and behavior consonant with participation in the labor force. Particularly dramatic is the statistically verifiable congruence between personality traits conducive to
Estimation of Shell Weight and Shell Thickness from Egg Specific Gravity and Egg Weight

Abstract Egg weight (EW), egg specific gravity (SG), shell thickness (ST), and shell weight (SW) were determined individually for 1853 eggs ranging in weight from 41 to 70 g. The eggs were laid by three groups of Single Comb White Leghorn (HN SW (g) = −5.972 + .06586 × SG + .09906 × EW (r2 = .890); SWUSA (mg/cm2) = 30.670 + .9565 × SG + .4571 × EW (r2 = .821); %S = −.3773 + .1140 × SG (r2 = .875); where SG is (actual SG-1.0) × 1000 and EW is in grams. The ST, SW, and SWUSA were predicted more accurately with both SG and EW as independent variables than by using either single variable. Percent S was predicted as well by the use of SG as a single independent variable. Egg weight influences interpretation of specific gravity and percent shell data, because specific gravity and percent shell decreased as egg weight increased (.00053 and .054 units, respectively, for each 1 g increase in egg weight) for eggs differing in weight but with the same shell thickness.
Crowdsourcing Phase and Timing of Pre-Timed Traffic Signals in the Presence of Queues: Algorithms and Back-End System Architecture

This paper describes a crowdsourcing-based system for phase and timing estimation of pre-timed traffic signals. The input crowd is a real-time feed of sparse and low-frequency probe vehicle data, and the output is an estimated collection of Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) information. The estimations could be ultimately fed into a connected vehicle's driver assistant application. Different from the authors' previous work, the approach described in this paper ensures the accuracy of the SPaT estimations even in the presence of queues. This was achieved by investigating the probe data influenced by the heavy traffic and the delay in queues. This paper is also a sequel to the authors' previous work as it provides an in-depth overview of the crowdsourcing algorithms and their back-end implementation. The accuracy of the crowdsourcing algorithm is also experimentally evaluated for a selection of pre-timed traffic lights in San Francisco, CA, USA, by utilizing a real-time data feed of San Francisco's public buses as an example data source.
Neighborhood Stress, Depressive Symptoms, and Asthma Morbidity in Youth

OBJECTIVE: Living in a dangerous and disadvantaged neighborhood is consistently linked with poor health outcomes; however, few studies have investigated psychosocial mechanisms of this relationship. We hypothesized that a specific facet of depression-anhedonia-would partially explain the relationship between stressful neighborhoods and poor health in youth with asthma. METHOD: 156 youths provided reports on their depressive symptoms, daily asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Caregivers provided reports on neighborhood characteristics. RESULTS: Youth residing in more at-risk neighborhoods experienced more symptoms of depression, greater asthma symptoms (both during the day and night), and marginally lower PEFR. Indirect effect analyses revealed that the relationship between neighborhood stress and youth asthma symptoms was partially explained by a key symptom of depression, anhedonia. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the neighborhood-health link is partially explained by symptoms of depression tapping into difficulties experiencing pleasure and motivation.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Language: en
Outcome after Temporal Lobectomy

Thirty seven patients, ages 7 to 18 years, who underwent temporal lobectomy for intractable seizures at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, between 1970 and 1983, were followed for a mean of 19 years (range 4 - 27 years).
High-Content Screening Assay for Identification of Chemicals Impacting Cardiovascular Function in Zebrafish Embryos

Targeted assays are needed to better evaluate effects of chemicals on organogenesis and begin classification of chemicals by toxicologically relevant modes-of-action. Using transgenic zebrafish (fli1:egfp) that stably express eGFP within vascular endothelial cells, we have developed and optimized a 384-well-based high-content screening (HCS) assay that enables us to screen and identify chemicals affecting cardiovascular function at sublethal, nonteratogenic concentrations. Following static exposure of one embryo per well from 5 to 72 h postfertilization (hpf), automated image acquisition procedures and custom image analysis protocols are used to quantify body length, circulation, heart rate, pericardial area (a biomarker for cardiac looping defects), and intersegmental vessel area within freshly hatched live embryos. After optimizing 72 hpf anesthetization procedures, we evaluated each end point across four independent control plates containing 384 initial embryos per plate. Survival and imaging success rates across these plates ranged from 93 to 99% and 42 to 74%, respectively. Criteria were then defined for assay success and analysis of treatments, and 10 chemicals were screened for targeted effects on cardiovascular function. Compared to existing zebrafish-based assays, this method provides a comprehensive discovery platform with (1) increased sample sizes; (2) broad concentration-response format; and (3) the ability to identify chemicals that target cardiovascular function at nonteratogenic concentrations.
Evidence for Association Between Low Frequency Variants in CHRNA6/CHRNB3 and Antisocial Drug Dependence

Common SNPs in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes (CHRN genes) have been associated with drug behaviors and personality traits, but the influence of rare genetic variants is not well characterized. The goal of this project was to identify novel rare variants in CHRN genes in the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence (CADD) and Genetics of Antisocial Drug Dependence (GADD) samples and to determine if low frequency variants are associated with antisocial drug dependence. Two samples of 114 and 200 individuals were selected using a case/control design including the tails of the phenotypic distribution of antisocial drug dependence. The capture, sequencing, and analysis of all variants in 16 CHRN genes (CHRNA1-7, 9, 10, CHRNB1-4, CHRND, CHRNG, CHRNE) were performed independently for each subject in each sample. Sequencing reads were aligned to the human reference sequence using BWA prior to variant calling with the Genome Analysis ToolKit (GATK). Low frequency variants (minor allele frequency < 0.05) were analyzed using SKAT-O and C-alpha to examine the distribution of rare variants among cases and controls. In our larger sample, the region containing the CHRNA6/CHRNB3 gene cluster was significantly associated with disease status using both SKAT-O and C-alpha (unadjusted p values <0.05). More low frequency variants in the CHRNA6/CHRNB3 gene region were observed in cases compared to controls. These data support a role for genetic variants in CHRN genes and antisocial drug behaviors.
Androgen-Dependent Oncogenic Activation of ETS Transcription Factors by Recurrent Gene Fusions in Prostate Cancer: Biological and Clinical Implications

Half of all prostate cancers in the Western countries harbor gene fusions that involve regulatory sequences of the androgen receptor (AR)-responsive genes (predominantlyTMPRSS2) and protein coding sequences of nuclear transcription factors of the ETS gene family (predominantlyERG). This leads to unscheduled androgen-dependent expression of ETS-related transcription factors in tumor cell-specific manner. Extensive evaluations ofERGalterations at genome, transcript, and protein levels demonstrate unprecedented specificity of ERG for detecting prostate tumor cells. Assessment ofERGalterations in combination with other common prostate cancer gene alterations (AMACR,PCA3,p63) has potential in improving CaP diagnosis. Utility of ERG in assessing the clinical behavior of prostate cancer is uncertain. Strong correlation ofERGexpression with known androgen-responsive genes in prostate tumors has potential in developing gene panels inclusive of ERG for monitoring androgen receptor functional status in the disease continuum. Studies focusing on oncogenic functions ofERGpoint to its involvement in: abrogating differentiation; facilitating cell invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition; and disrupting epigenetic, inflammatory, and DNA damage control mechanisms. Therapeutic targeting ofERGor ERG interacting proteins, such as PARP hold promise in developing new strategies for the treatment of prostate cancer. In summary multipronged evaluations of theERGin CaP continue to reflect the critical role of this prevalent oncogenic activation in a CaP.
Design of Roadheader Air Cooling System

Aiming the problems of that the potash can be dissolved by drain of roadheader water cooling system when the roadheader is working in potash mine, the paper analyzes the principle and components of roadheader conventional water cooling system. For the cooling characteristics of the hydraulic system and motor, the paper designs the air cooling system and internal circulating water system. The system s not only meet the cooling needs of roadheader, but also eliminate the drain. The s ystems provide the technical foundation for the promotion and application of roadheader in potash mine.
Comparison of Different PBL Effecting on the Clinical Teaching of Pediatrics

Objective To compare and evaluate the effect of PBL in clinical teaching of Pediatrics.Methods Among students of Grade 2002 in our university,two types of PBL,pre-learning and case-discussion,were used in their clinical learning of Pediatrics. And then,their effects were evaluated and compared with those of traditional learning method.Results More than 60% of the students agreed with PBL methods,and they considered PBL favorable to practice scientific logical thinking of clinical affairs,to increase their capabilities of learning,oral expression,communication and cooperation.The teachers agreed with PBL methods too for the better learning effect resulting from PBL.Conclusion PBL fits the needs of medical learning reformation.To train new type of doctors in century 21st,it is necessary to use kinds of new learning methods,including PBL methods and standardized patient (SP)in clinical teaching.
Simulation calculation of floating-facility for anti-collision between ship and bridge over canal

To avoid direct collision between the ship and the pier and to ensure the security of both the ship and the pier,a scheme of the anti-collision facility between the ship and the bridge was introduced according to the special requirements of anti-collision design of Sunan Canal bridge based on the theory of depleting kinetic energy of ship during anchors movement,the floating-body mobile and the cables pull extensor process.Also,depending on the finite element analysis software ANSYS/LS-DYNA,a collision model of a class 1000t cargo and the anti-collision facility were set up to analyze the impact force,the characteristics and the law of energy conversion in direct collision between the ship and the anti-collision facility.The result was compared with that of the collision between ship and pier to study the performance of the floating anti-collision facility.The study shows that the anti-collision floating facility meets the anti-collision requirements of the pier,which may provide a reference for anti-collision design of bridges over Jing-Hang Grand canal.
Advanced terahertz techniques for quality control and counterfeit detection

This paper reports our invented methods for detection of counterfeit electronic. These versatile techniques are also handy in quality control applications. Terahertz pulsed laser systems are capable of giving the material characteristics and thus make it possible to distinguish between the materials used in authentic components and their counterfeit clones. Components with material defects can also be distinguished in section in this manner. In this work different refractive indices and absorption coefficients were observed for counterfeit components compared to their authentic counterparts. Existence of unexpected ingredient materials was detected in counterfeit components by Fourier Transform analysis of the transmitted terahertz pulse. Thicknesses of different layers are obtainable by analyzing the reflected terahertz pulse. Existence of unexpected layers is also detectable in this manner. Recycled, sanded and blacktopped counterfeit electronic components were detected as a result of these analyses. Counterfeit ICs with die dislocations were detected by depicting the terahertz raster scanning data in a coordinate plane which gives terahertz images. In the same manner, raster scanning of the reflected pulse gives terahertz images of the surfaces of the components which were used to investigate contaminant materials and sanded points on the surfaces. The results of the later technique, reveals the recycled counterfeit components.
Genotypes of 1 571 cases of Hb H disease in Guangxi area

Objective To analyze the status and genotypes of Hb H disease in GuangXi area. Methods Human genomic DNA of 50 377 suspected thalassemia patients was extracted from blood, amniotic fluid and chorionic villi by beads. The deletion of α-thalassemia was detected by Gap-PCR, and the gene mutation of α or β-thalassemia was detected by PCR- RDB. Performing multiplex ligationdependent probe amplification detection and gene sequencing in α or β-globin for the specimens in question. Results There were 1 571 Hb H disease patients in total from 2011 to 2013, and the detection rates were 2.82%, 3.54% and 3.00% respectively. The vast majority of patients had the Southeast Asian deletion (--(SEA)) on one allele. The - α³·⁷ (rightward) deletion was the most common on the other allele, followed by Hb Constant Spring (Hb CS), the -α(4.2) (leftward) deletion, Hb Westmead (Hb WS) and Hb Quong Sze (Hb QS) mutations. There were 33 Hb H disease patients which genotypes was α(CS)α/α (CS)α. Five patients had THAI deletion(--(THAI)) with deletion or point mutation of α-thalassemia. 95 patients had concomitant β-thalassemia (β-thal) heterozygosity. Tere was a novel genotype of --(SEA)/-α²¹·⁹ causing Hb H disease. Conclusion GuangXi area had a high accidence of Hb H disease, the results reflected the genetic diversity and genetic heterogeneity of Hb H disease, the latter may also occur new mutations or combined β-thalassemia, some effective measures should be taken to strengthen screening efforts to prevent underdiagnosis of Hb H disease.
MR perfusion-weighted imaging in the evaluation of high-grade gliomas after treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Distinction between tumor and treatment related changes is crucial for clinical management of patients with high-grade gliomas. Our purpose was to evaluate whether dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced (DSC) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) metrics can effectively differentiate between recurrent tumor and posttreatment changes within the enhancing signal abnormality on conventional MRI. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was performed for studies evaluating PWI-based differentiation of recurrent tumor and posttreatment changes in patients with high-grade gliomas (World Health Organization grades III and IV). Only studies published in the "temozolomide era" beginning in 2005 were included. Summary estimates of diagnostic accuracy were obtained by using a random-effects model. RESULTS Of 1581 abstracts screened, 28 articles were included. The pooled sensitivities and specificities of each study's best performing parameter were 90% and 88% (95% CI: 0.85-0.94; 0.83-0.92) and 89% and 85% (95% CI: 0.78-0.96; 0.77-0.91) for DSC and DCE, respectively. The pooled sensitivities and specificities for detecting tumor recurrence using the 2 most commonly evaluated parameters, mean relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) (threshold range, 0.9-2.15) and maximum rCBV (threshold range, 1.49-3.1), were 88% and 88% (95% CI: 0.81-0.94; 0.78-0.95) and 93% and 76% (95% CI: 0.86-0.98; 0.66-0.85), respectively. CONCLUSIONS PWI-derived thresholds separating viable tumor from treatment changes demonstrate relatively good accuracy in individual studies. However, because of significant variability in optimal reported thresholds and other limitations in the existing body of literature, further investigation and standardization is needed before implementing any particular quantitative PWI strategy across institutions.
Developing taxonomy for the domain ontology of construction contractual semantics

An ontological model is developed from definitions found in a contract.A synthesized methodology for taxonomies for contractual semantics is established.The taxonomy is validated using a case study for a standard construction contract.Developed enhanced ontology-based application for sharing contract domain knowledge. In construction contractual management, sharing experts' domain knowledge through ontology is a good way to narrow the knowledge gap between the domain experts and the construction team. However, little work has been done on ontology taxonomy development in this domain. Based on a literature review on sharing domain knowledge, taxonomy development methods and the essence of construction contracts, this study proposes a synthesized methodology for taxonomy development in the domain of construction contractual semantics. This methodology is based on an ontological model extracted from definitions found in the contract, and uses common root concepts as the initial root concept classes, and includes the iterative development and competency questions approaches as well. In the case study, using the research results from pilot studies, the proposed methodology was applied to the AIA A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction (2007) document at the textual level. As a result, a taxonomy was developed which was used to determine the validity of the proposed methodology. The taxonomy development methodology and the developed taxonomy itself are both valuable contributions in the quest to further develop ontology-based applications for sharing domain knowledge about construction contract semantics.
Morphological Analysis of Transcription in Insect Embryos

One of the motivations for analyzing transcription during embryogenesis is the expectation that gene expression is important in programming and effecting development. In particular, it would be of interest to learn whether or not transcriptional events are involved in cell determination. Another motivation is to understand mechanisms of transcriptional control. These mechanisms are especially amenable to analysis in the early embryonic stages of insects because it is at these stages that transcriptional induction generally occurs. This review focuses on an examination of the above issues based on morphological analyses of transcription in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and in the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus.
Resilience in supply networks: Definition, dimensions, and levels

Abstract Oftentimes, seemingly robust systems fail, almost inexplicably, due to unforeseen events leading to disruption. Exploration and research of the mechanisms behind the failure of such systems have revealed that those capable of surviving are not robust, but resilient. This has spawned a stream of research on the resilience of different complex systems, from ecosystems, to the human body, to supply chains and communication networks. Supply networks are complex adaptive systems in which a subset of agents create flow and are required to deliver such flow to sink agents located at the other end of the network. Delivery of flow under pre-defined service conditions requires resilient design and operation protocols. In this article, a supply network formalism is introduced, and the concept and dimensions of resilience in supply networks, explored. Five core components of resilience are derived from reviewed definitions; two resilience dimensions, structure and control protocols, and two resilience levels, agent and network level, are characterized based on insights from articles in literature. Finally, emerging trends in resilience research as well as current research gaps are presented and future work directions outlined.
Ultra-narrow-linewidth Al_2O_3:Er^3+ lasers with a wavelength-insensitive waveguide design on a wafer-scale silicon nitride platform

We report ultra-narrow-linewidth erbium-doped aluminum oxide (Al2O3:Er3+) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers with a wavelength-insensitive silicon-compatible waveguide design. The waveguide consists of five silicon nitride (SiNx) segments buried under silicon dioxide (SiO2) with a layer Al2O3:Er3+ deposited on top. This design has a high confinement factor (> 85%) and a near perfect (> 98%) intensity overlap for an octave-spanning range across near infra-red wavelengths (950-2000 nm). We compare the performance of DFB lasers in discrete quarter phase shifted (QPS) cavity and distributed phase shifted (DPS) cavity. Using QPS-DFB configuration, we obtain maximum output powers of 0.41 mW, 0.76 mW, and 0.47 mW at widely spaced wavelengths within both the C and L bands of the erbium gain spectrum (1536 nm, 1566 nm, and 1596 nm). In a DPS cavity, we achieve an order of magnitude improvement in maximum output power (5.43 mW) and a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of > 59.4 dB at an emission wavelength of 1565 nm. We observe an ultra-narrow linewidth of ΔνDPS = 5.3 ± 0.3 kHz for the DPS-DFB laser, as compared to ΔνQPS = 30.4 ± 1.1 kHz for the QPS-DFB laser, measured by a recirculating self-heterodyne delayed interferometer (R-SHDI).
Simulations of beam emittance growth from the collective relaxation of space-charge nonuniformities

Abstract Beams injected into a linear focusing channel typically have some degree of space-charge nonuniformity. For unbunched beams with high space-charge intensity propagating in linear focusing channels, Debye screening of the self-field interaction between particles tends to make the transverse density profile flat. An injected particle distribution with a large systematic charge nonuniformity will generally be far from an equilibrium of the focusing channel and the initial condition will launch a broad spectrum of collective modes. These modes can phase-mix and experience nonlinear interactions which result in an effective relaxation to a more thermal-equilibrium-like distribution characterized by a uniform density profile. This relaxation transfers self-field energy from the initial space-charge nonuniformity to the local particle temperature, thereby increasing beam phase space area (emittance growth). Here we employ two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to investigate the effects of initial transverse space-charge nonuniformities on the statistical emittance growth of beams with high space-charge intensity propagating in a continuous focusing channel. Results are compared to theoretical bounds of emittance growth developed in previous studies. Consistent with earlier theory, it is found that a high degree of initial distribution nonuniformity can be tolerated with only modest emittance growth and that beam control can be maintained. The simulations also provide information not addressed by the theory on the rate of relaxation and characteristic levels of fluctuations in the relaxed states. This research suggests that a surprising degree of initial space-charge nonuniformity can be tolerated in practical intense beam experiments.
Whole Transcriptome Profiling: An RNA‐Seq Primer and Implications for Pharmacogenomics Research

Pharmacogenomics has revealed compelling genetic signals associated with variability in drug response. Gene expression studies represent an additional approach to identify candidate genes accounting for drug response variability. This review focuses on insights that might be gained through analysis of the transcriptome to reveal the influence of gene expression on variable drug response. We provide a basic overview of RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and its applications, and outline advances in pharmacogenomics achievable with RNA-Seq data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The Truth About Honesty

This article examines the ethics of honesty and deception in public administration. Building on previous research showing that public administrators rank honesty as an essential public service value but also sometimes use deception while carrying out their duties, semi-structured interviews with public employees were conducted to explore this apparent tension. Specifically, this study asks: Why is honesty important for public administrators? What is honesty and dishonesty? Under what circumstances is the use of deception by public administrators legitimate? The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Code of Ethics is used as an analytical framework to assess the cases and examples provided by participants. The article concludes with a discussion of some important implications that this research has for public administration practice, teaching, and research.
American Linguistics before Whitney

North America language study from the early colonies to 1860 was founded on three discourses: ‘Americanisms’ – the divergence of United States from British English; ‘Federal English’ – the politics of English as a nation language; and ‘Indian languages’ – questions of linguistic typology, evolution, and genetic classification. By 1842 language study was increasingly professionalized, and the discourses on Indian languages and linguistic typology placed U.S. language study on a global footing with “scientific” German scholarship. U.S. linguists introduced new terms for grammatical analysis (polysynthesis, holophrasis) and advanced a linguistic relativism based on comparisons of IE languages with other languages of the world.
Mining protein-protein interactions from GeneRIFs with OpenDMAP

We applied the OpenDMAP [1] and BioNLP-UIMA [2] NLP systems to the task of mining protein-protein interactions (PPIs) from GeneRIFs. Our goal was to assess and improve system performance on GeneRIF text. We identified several classes of errors in the system's output on a training dataset (most notably difficulty recognizing protein complexes) and modified the system to improve performance based on these observations. To improve recognition of protein complex interactions, we implemented a new protein-complex-resolution UIMA component. We added a custom entity identification engine that uses GeneRIF metadata to annotate proteins that may have been missed by the other engines. These changes simultaneously improved both recall and precision, resulting in an overall improvement in F-measure (from 0.23 to 0.48). Results confirm that the targeted enhancements described here lead to a substantial improvement in performance. Availability: Annotated data sets and source code for the new UIMA components can be found at http://bcb.cs.tufts.edu/GeneRIFs/
Gallbladder Motility and Its Regulation

Teleologically the gallbladder may be considered to act to reconcile the continuous requirements of the liver to perform excretion of various bile constituents and the periodic requirement for the delivery of concentrated bile to the intestine during digestion. Thus bile is stored in the gallbladder between meals and evacuated into the intestine during digestion.
Neurobiological Consequences of Neglect and Abuse

Abuse and neglect, which reflect extreme failures of caregiving, significantly interfere with children’s biological regulation and brain development. In this chapter, we review evidence showing that childhood maltreatment is associated with disruptions in the body’s stress response system and is linked to structural and functional changes in key brain regions and networks. Additionally, we describe a number of important methodological and conceptual issues involved in understanding the neurobiological effects of maltreatment, we discuss implications for intervention with children who have experienced maltreatment, and finally, we suggest critical directions for future research in this area. We conclude that the brain demonstrates notable plasticity early in life as evidenced by significant changes following maltreatment, as well as the potential for remarkable recovery following intervention.
A Two-tiered Shrinking Horizon Framework for Participation of Chemical Processes in Short-term Electricity Markets

Ahstract- Many chemical processes (air separation, chlor alkali, ammonia) are large consumers of electricity and can potentially improve grid reliability and earn revenue by engaging in electricity markets. Since these plants generally produce end products that are easier to store than electricity, they can modulate production rates, overproducing products during off-peak hours and storing excess product to meet demand during peak electricity hours when production is diminished. A process can thus act as ‘grid-level storage battery’, trading load reduction capacity in electricity markets. In this work, we study the operation of chemical processes in short-term electricity markets (STMs). We design a novel two-tiered optimal production scheduling framework consisting of a fixed and shrinking horizon problem. Our formulation integrates a model of the closed-loop process dynamics to account for the superposition between the time scale of the process dynamics and the rate of change of STM conditions. We illustrate our developments with a case study. keywords: demand response; production scheduling; process control
Nicotine Effects on White Matter Microstructure in Young Adults.

Objective Nicotine use is widely prevalent among youth, and is associated with white matter microstructural changes as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). In adults, nicotine use is generally associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA), but in adolescents/young adults (≤30 years), microstructure appears healthier, indicated by higher FA. This cross-sectional study examined associations between nicotine use and white matter microstructure using fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) in young adults. Methods Fifty-three participants (18 nicotine users [10 female]/35 controls [17 female]) ages 18-25 underwent MRI scan, neuropsychological battery, toxicology screening, and drug use interview. Nicotine group associations with FA and MD were examined in various white matter tracts. In significant tracts, AD and RD were measured. Exploratory correlations were conducted between significant tracts and verbal memory and sustained attention/working memory performance. Results Nicotine users exhibited significantly lower FA than controls in the left anterior thalamic radiation, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal, and left uncinate fasciculus. In these tracts, AD and RD did not differ, nor did MD differ in any tract. White matter quality was positively correlated with sustained attention/working memory performance. Conclusions Cigarette smoking may disrupt white matter microstructure. These results are consistent with adult studies, but inconsistent with adolescent/young adult studies, likely due to methodological and sample age differences. Further studies should examine longitudinal effects of nicotine use on white matter microstructure in a larger sample.
Trace Fossils of Problematic Origin: Assessing Silicified Trace Fossils from the Permian of Utah, U.S.A.

Silicification is a diagenetic process that can affect the fidelity of trace fossil preservation. The combination of compaction and oversilicification associated with chert precipitation can alter the original fabric created by the trace producers. Sedimentary structures and trace fossils in mixed chert-carbonate systems are especially prone to these processes, leading to the preservation of a limited or biased ichno-assemblage and the omission of important paleoecologic detail. We summarize useful criteria for identifying chert-associated trace fossils and present a formal naming scheme. Using this nomenclature, we identified silicified trace fossils in the chert-rich Permian strata from northwestern Utah. An assemblage of burrows is present in outcrops of the Trapper Creek Formation, consisting of nodule-like growths of microcrystalline quartz in close association with bioturbated horizons. Thin section micro-textures of burrow fill lend additional support to the bioturbated origin of chert nodules. Silicified Thalassinoides fossils are present, as are chert nodules with a Rhizocorallium-like morphology.
Durability of Esophageal Motor Disorders Identified on High-Resolution Esophageal Manometry: A Case Series

Diagnosis of esophageal motor disorders using high-resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) may result in medical, endoscopic or surgical intervention. However, prior to any intervention, durability of the HREM findings should be established. The aim of this case series was to assess 25 patients who had undergone HREM twice, at least 6 months apart, and to determine the durability of the initial manometric diagnosis. This is a case series of 25 patients who underwent HREM at least twice, 6 months apart, at a large safety net hospital. All patients were evaluated in between the tests for any clinical intervention. Demographics, patients’ indication for HREM and clinical presentation were documented as well. Of the 25 patients, HREM results improved in 32%, worsened in 20% and were unchanged in 48%. Some interventions were employed between the first and second HREM diagnosis. Those associated with an improved diagnosis included doubling the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dose, re-starting a PPI, adding a histamine 2 blocker (H2 blocker) and use of empiric dilation. In this case series, about half of the patients undergoing two esophageal manometries, at least 6 months apart, demonstrated lack of durability of their initially diagnosed esophageal motor disorder.
Acute pancreatitis in children: Updates in epidemiology, diagnosis and management

Acute pancreatitis (AP), manifesting as acute onset of abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea, is increasingly being recognized in children secondary to increased awareness, more identifiable etiologies as well as advances in diagnostic capabilities, like imaging. Despite this increased awareness and ability for more frequent diagnoses, the natural history of AP remains poorly understood leading to gaps in approach and management, especially in children. Coupled with poor epidemiologic and management awareness, there remains a lack of understanding of the long term implications of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Hence, the role of the primary care clinician in the early diagnosis, and management, remains critical and may affect the need for consultation with pediatric sub-specialists like gastroenterologists. This review provides guidelines regarding epidemiology, diagnosis, and management strategies to address some of these gaps.
ProLanGO2: Protein Function Prediction with Ensemble of Encoder-Decoder Networks

Predicting protein function from protein sequence is a main challenge in the computational biology field. Traditional methods that search protein sequences against existing databases may not work well in practice, particularly when little or no homology exists in the database. We introduce the ProLanGO2 method which utilizes the natural language processing and machine learning techniques to tackle the protein function prediction problem with protein sequence as input. Our method has been benchmarked blindly in the latest Critical Assessment of protein Function Annotation algorithms (CAFA 4) experiment. There are a few changes compared to the old version of ProLanGO. First of all, the latest version of the UniProt database is used. Second, the Uniprot database is filtered by the newly created fragment sequence database FSD to prepare for the protein sequence language. Third, the Encoder-Decoder network, a model consisting of two RNNs (encoder and decoder), is used to train models on the dataset. Fourth, if no k-mers of a protein sequence exist in the FSD, we select the top ten GO terms with the highest probability in all sequences from the Uniprot database that didn't contain any k-mers in FSD, and use those ten GO terms as back up for the prediction of new protein sequence. Finally, we selected the 100 best performing models and explored all combinations of those models to select the best performance ensemble model. We benchmark those different combinations of models on CAFA 3 dataset and select three top performance ensemble models for prediction in the latest CAFA 4 experiment as CaoLab. We have also evaluated the performance of our ProLanGO2 method on 253 unseen sequences taken from the UniProt database and compared with several other protein function prediction methods, the results show that our method achieves great performance among sequence-based protein function prediction methods. Our method is available in GitHub: https://github.com/caorenzhi/ProLanGO2.git.
Telemedicine: we build it, they came, now what?

The COVID19 pandemic brought telemedicine from pilot project to mainstream practice in the matter of a fewweeks The natural progression to move from a well-researched clinical trial to a self-supported clinicalenterprise has proven to be perilous for most programs This talk will review the steps required to successfullyjump this chasm and point out the unexpected pitfalls along the way Capturing and sustaining some benefitsafter the COVID19 pandemic will require practices to reflect, recognize and quantify the value thattelemedicine can bring to their patients and families Rightsizing your program is the key to achieving financialsustainability and being able to offset the fixed costs of your equipment, connectivity and telepresenters Withnew accountable care reimbursement plans, using telemedicine to help your organization achieve pay forperformance measures may be more lucrative than the traditional fee for service models Quality of carestandards recommend routine health maintenance visits every three months for children with a variety ofchronic conditions including asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes and obesity Many urbanprimary care practices experience a no-show rate of close to 50% for these health supervision visits Barriersto access, competing demands for parents' and students' time, and financial constraints are all cited as reasons for this poor adherence rate Direct to patient telemedicine within the patient centered medical homemay offer solutions to most of these issues as long as service can be safely and conveniently brought to thechild either at home or at school