cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Measure of Opioid Dose and Costs of Care for Diabetes Mellitus: Opioid Dose and Health Care Costs.

Abstract Diabetes mellitus (DM) has well known costly complications but we hypothesized that costs of care for chronic pain treated with opioid analgesic (OA) medications would also be substantial. In a statewide, privately insured cohort of 29,033 adults aged 18 to 64 years with DM and noncancer pain who filled OA prescription(s) from 2008 to 2012, our outcomes were costs for specific health care services and total costs per 6-month intervals after the first filled OA prescription. Average daily OA dose (4 categories) and total dose (quartiles) in morphine-equivalent milligrams were calculated per 6-month interval after the first OA prescription and combined into a novel OA dose measure. Associations of OA measures with costs of care (n = 126,854 6-month intervals) were examined using generalized estimating equations adjusted for clinical conditions, psychotherapeutic drugs, and DM treatment. Incremental costs for each type of health care service and total cost of care increased progressively with average daily and total OA dose versus no OAs. The combined OA measure identified the highest incremental total costs per 6-month interval that were increased by $8,389 for 50- to 99-mg average daily dose plus >900 mg total dose and, by $9,181 and $9,958 respectively, for ≥100 mg average daily dose plus 301- to 900-mg or >900 mg total dose. In this statewide DM cohort, total health care costs per 6-month interval increased progressively with higher average daily OA dose and with total OA dose but the greatest increases of >$8,000 were distinguished by combinations of higher average daily and total OA doses. Perspective The higher costs of care for opioid-treated patients appeared for all types of services and likely reflects multiple factors including morbidity from the underlying cause of pain, care and complications related to opioid use, and poorer control of diabetes as found in other studies.
The influence of alloxan diabetes on cholesterol atheromatosis in the rabbit.

SummaryAlloxan diabetic rabbits, when fed a cholesterol enriched diet, developed blood cholesterol levels much higher than did normal rabbits fed the same diet. Atheromata appeared consistently in controls (and also in alloxan injected, nondiabetic rabbits) after 41 days on this diet, but only to a slight degree in one diabetic rabbit fed the same diet for 98 days. There was no qualitative difference in the character of the lesions in the 3 groups.
Platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors in cardiovascular medicine.

Platelets have a key role in atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and acute coronary syndromes. Therapeutic manipulation of platelet function has focused principally on the use of aspirin, which has proved...
Natural Climate Change

Climate can be caused to change by various natural forcing mechanisms. In this chapter, we review the forcing of climate change by variability in the Sun, which is found to be important, but generally much smaller than the effect of greenhouse gas increases due to human activities. Volcanic eruptions have a significant effect on climate, which follows eruptions that are explosive and that put large amounts of SO 2 gas into the stratosphere. Much of the timing for the advance and retreat of ice sheets during the past million years can be found in the variations of the Earth’s orbital parameters, which control the seasonal and latitudinal variation of insolation. The seasonal and latitudinal variation of insolation affects the growth of ice sheets and also drives long-term changes in the hydrology of the tropics.
Research on conceptual layout design and flight test for a multimode aircraft

In this paper,a multimode aircraft research model is built.The rotor mode and fix wing mode's performance characters that have been researched by the experiment,CFD and the project evaluation methods.According to the aircraft flight test verification,the way of flight of the multimode aircraft is feasible,and provides some suggestions for improving its performance.
Burkitt's Lymphoma.

Endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) remains the most prevalent pediatric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa even though it was the first human cancer with a viral etiology described over 50 years ago. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was discovered in a BL tumor in 1964 and has since been implicated in other malignancies. The etiology of endemic BL has been linked to EBV and Plasmodium falciparum malaria co-infection. While epidemiologic studies have yielded insight into EBV infection and the etiology of endemic BL, the modulation of viral persistence in children by malaria and deficits in EBV immunosurveillance has more recently been reified. Renewed efforts to design prophylactic and therapeutic EBV vaccines provide hope of preventing EBV-associated BL as well as increasing the ability to cure this cancer.
Immunologic markers in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

This article details the immunologic diversity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. A historical review of developments in immunophenotyping is followed by a discussion of how major subgroups of leukemia are best defined today. The relationship of immunologic subtypes to stages of normal lymphoid development is explored, and the clinical impact of immunophenotyping is discussed.
Receptors for Erythropoietin Distribution, Structure, and Role in Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis in Erythroid Cells

Erythropoietin (EP) is the glycoprotein hormone that is the primary regulator of red cell development. It is synthesized and released from the kidneys and livers of animals and man in response to a deficit of oxygen. Erythroid precursor cells respond to the hormone through surface receptors by maturing to functional erythrocytes. Increased erythrocytes in turn result in an increased availability of oxygen. The increased oxygen in the tissues leads to a decrease in synthesis and release of EP. These events comprise the elements of the reflex pathway that is the primary if not exclusive control of normal erythropoiesis. Normally the need for new erythrocytes is small and the circulating levels of the hormone are quite low; however, a decreased delivery of oxygen through hemorrhage, high-altitude hypoxia, red cell disorders, and other causes results in up to 1000-fold induction of the mRNA encoding EP in the kidney and a corresponding increase in the circulating levels of the hormone.
Collagen-based formulations for wound healing applications

Abstract Collagen plays an essential role in all phases of wound healing, including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Collagen facilitates wound healing through organization and accumulation of freshly formed fibers and granulation tissue in the wound bed, creating a suitable healing environment. Collagen-based formulations, such as films, dressings, pellet, scaffold, and a mixture with liposome, have played roles in providing wound healing, dural closure, reinforcement of compromised tissue, and guided tissue regeneration. The main amplifications for the medical purpose are collagen for burn/wound cover dressings, reabsorbable surgical sutures, osteogenic and bone filling materials, hemostatic agents, and immobilization of therapeutic enzymes. In this review, a general description of the collagen-based formulations developed for the wound healing process as well as their modes of action is presented. Species differences in physicochemical properties of collagen-based scaffolds are discussed. The future trends and new prospects of collagen-based formulations are also addressed.
An Analysis of the Basic Determinants of Starch Readership Scores

The purpose of the Starch Service is to report to what extent a client's magazine advertisements are seen and read. Using Starch, a client can compare the readership of current advertisements with past advertisements, or competitors advertisements. One use for the service is that it provides information as to how advertisements can be presented so that readership can be increased by the manipulation of various elements of magazine advertising included in the reports. The purpose here is to present a report on the results of an examination of the determinants of Starch Readership Scores which differs significantly from previous studies of the determinants of Starch Readership Scores.
Idiopathic Myointimal Hyperplasia of the Mesenteric Veins.

A 65-year-old man with no significant past medical history was admitted to an outside hospital with 1.5 months of crampy, lower abdominal pain associated with rectal urgency and tenesmus. Initial computed tomography showed thickening of his rectosigmoid and mid to distal descending colon; follow-up colonoscopy revealed inflammation of the affected areas with focal lamina propria vascular congestion and sloughing epithelium in the rectosigmoid colon. A course of antibiotics followed by a course of oral steroids did not improve his symptoms.
Species-dependent effects of bird feeders on nest predators and nest survival of urban American Robins and Northern Cardinals

ABSTRACT The abundance of anthropogenic foods in urban areas offers an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of supplementary food on animal communities, but few studies have examined the consequences of these supplements on relationships between predators and prey. We used observational and experimental approaches to investigate how supplementary food (i.e. bird feeders) affected predator abundances and nest survival of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) in 7 neighborhoods of Columbus, Ohio, USA. From April to August of 2011–2014, we quantified supplementary foods, the relative abundance of 6 common nest predators, and the nest survival of 2 songbirds. In April–August of 2013 and 2014, we supplemented 3 neighborhoods with additional bird feeders, the supplementary food most frequently available to predators. The effects of bird feeders varied among predator and prey species. Bird feeders were positively associated with the relative abundance of Amer...
Abstract 858: Periodontal bone loss and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in the Nurses’ Health Study

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory reaction to dysbiotic oral microbiota, is common in the adult population in the United States. It is associated with increased risk of several medical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and potentially with lung, oral and pancreatic cancer. One of the proposed mechanisms behind these associations is systemic inflammation, which has also been implied in ovarian cancer etiology. We investigated association between periodontal bone loss, a marker of periodontitis, and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer among 60,560 participants of the Nurses’ Health Study. We did not observe an increased risk of ovarian cancer among participants suffering from periodontal bone loss (HR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.64-1.15). Association was unchanged after adjusting for numerous factors including smoking. Among women younger than 69 years periodontal bone loss was associated with a 40% (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36-0.98) decreased ovarian cancer risk, while there was no association in those older than 69 (HR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.75-1.58), although this difference did not reach a statistical significance (p-heterogeneity = 0.06). There also was a suggestive decreased risk for serous tumors (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.53-1.09). The number of natural teeth and number of root canals, which are other metrics of oral health, were not associated with ovarian cancer risk. Our results do not support an increased risk of ovarian cancer for women with periodontal bone loss; however, given the unexpected associations in younger women, further research is warranted. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Ana Babic, Elizabeth M. Poole, Kathryn L. Terry, Daniel W. Cramer, Ricardo P. Teles, Shelley S. Tworoger. Periodontal bone loss and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in the Nurses’ Health Study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 858. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-858
Speaking Backwards in Tagalog

This study considers the structural affinity of Golagat with a variety of ludlings in diverse languages, demonstrating how ludlings may yield insights into grammatical theory and the grammars of particular languages. Speaking backwards in Tagalog shows how the playful creativity of Pilipino children, constrained by the exigencies or phonological theory, interacts with the grammar of Tagalog to give rise to a ludling of exceptional beauty.
Creation of an Online Wiki Improves Post-Operative Surgical Protocol Adherence in Arthroplasty Patients

Abstract Background Perioperative care pathways are tools used in high-volume clinical settings to standardize care, reduce variability, and improve outcomes. However, the mechanism by which the information is transmitted to other caregivers is often inconsistent and error-prone. At our institution, we developed an online, user-editable ("wiki") database to communicate post-operative protocols. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that implementation of the wiki would improve protocol adherence and reduce unintentional deviations inpatient care. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent primary lower extremity arthroplasty at our institution during three 6-month time periods including immediately before, 6 months after, and 2 years following introduction of the wiki. Adherence to defined perioperative care pathways (laboratory studies, post-operative imaging, perioperative antibiotics, and inpatient pain medications) was compared between the groups. Results After wiki implementation, adherence to protocols improved significantly for laboratory orders ( P P P = .03), and overall protocol adherence ( P Conclusion Development of an online wiki for tracking post-operative protocols improves care pathway adherence and reduces variability in care while lowering costs associated with unnecessary testing, although some benefits may not be immediately realized. Several practical barriers to implementing the wiki are also discussed, along with proposed solutions.
Analysis of PAPR hybrid reduction technique based on PTS and SLM

Undoubtedly, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is being favored by many communication systems DU to it desirable features. OFDM is multi carrier system that provides robustness in fading channel and high spectral efficiency. However, OFDM suffers from challenging defects such as PAPR. To overcome this problem, number of different techniques has been introduced to reduce the effect of PAPR. In this paper, we analyze the performance of combining Selective Mapping (SLM) and Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS) in comparison with the conventional techniques.
Enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed nucleophilic dearomatization of alkyl pyridiniums

NHC-catalyzed nucleophilic dearomatization of alkyl pyridiniums has been achieved to generate 1,4-dihydropyridines with high enantioselectivity. This is a rare example of catalytic, asymmetric addition of a nucleophile to the activated pyridinium that prefers C-4 functionalization leading to the 1,4-dihydropyridine with high selectivity.
Clinical Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Clinical care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is complex and highly individualized. The initial assessment of a patient with AF centers on determination of AF type (paroxysmal or persistent), burden, symptoms, and risk for thromboembolism and stroke. Treatment strategies can then be selected focusing on rate vs. rhythm control and stroke risk reduction. Rate control is typically achieved with medical therapy, but AV junctional ablation and pacing are appropriate in selected patients. Rhythm control may involve cardioversion, antiarrhythmic drug therapy, catheter or surgical ablation, and, for some patients, a combination of these therapies. Stroke prevention has traditionally focused primarily on anticoagulation with warfarin, but novel oral anticoagulants and mechanical closure of the left atrial appendage now offer alternative approaches. A thorough understanding of the risks and benefits of all of these treatment approaches, as well as of the clinical status and preferences of each patient, is necessary to provide optimal individualized care to patients with AF.
Formation of Polymeric Materials by a Nonpolymerization Process: Glow Discharge Polymerization

Recognition of the formation of polymeric materials in a plasma state (1874) precedes the establishment of the concept of “polymer”. In early observations, polymeric materials were recognized as undesirable by-products associated with electric discharge. In recent years, this phenomenon has been accepted as a potentially important process of coating or polymerization, and today the research that has evolved encompasses a host of applications and fundamental aspects. The process is generally referred to as “glow discharge polymerization” or “plasma polymerization”.
The Importance of the Care of the Self in the History of the Early Christ Movements

This chapter discusses Foucault’s argument regarding the importance of the care of the self for understanding ancient history as well as key points in the work of his conversation partner, Pierre Hadot, relating this to martyrdom, a topic that crops up repeatedly in the writings of early Christ movements. It also explores the compelling, theoretical frameworks of Judith Perkins and her notion of the “suffering self” and that of Daniel Boyarin, who describes martyrdom as a discourse. These ideas provide crucial background for my own analysis of the texts of ancient church “fathers” in the next chapter.
Parameter Advising for the Opal Aligner

Chapters 1 through 5 described several approaches to constructing a parameter advisor. This chapter demonstrates the performance of the resulting advisors, learned for the Opal aligner, trained on a suite of benchmark reference alignments. Advising performance is compared against the optimal default parameter choice, as well as advisors learned using various accuracy estimators. The results show that Facet yields the best advising accuracy of any estimator currently available, and that by using estimator-aware advisor sets we can significantly increase advising accuracy over using estimator-oblivious oracle sets.
Controlling defects in fine-grained sputtered nickel catalyst for graphene growth

Sputter-prepared nickel (Ni) films can lose more than half their starting thickness due to evaporation in hydrogen (H2) annealing environments. The loss rate of the sputtered Ni films during the chemical vapor deposition growth of graphene has not been reported earlier. The evaporation rate of sputtered Ni film with the amorphous, mixed, preferred ⟨111⟩ texture was experimentally determined to be 20, 11, and 6 nm/m, respectively. An increase of argon mixture in H2 was found to reduce pitting defects in the films during annealing. The quality of grown graphene on top of the Ni improved when the growth temperature was raised from 900 to 1000 °C, as monitored by Raman spectroscopy. More importantly, loss in the starting Ni film thickness can inhibit the growth of graphene layers. By maintaining the growth of the graphene to two layers or less, a high optical transparency of 95% or better can be achieved.
Serial assessment of CT coronary calcifications for regression/progression analysis (Conference Presentation)

We are creating specialized software to enable serial assessment of individual coronary calcifications. Calcifications give reliable, cost-effective, non-invasive, contrast-agent-free evidence of coronary artery disease. From pathobiology and clinical observations, it is likely that progression of small, spotty, low-density calcifications will provide better evidence of disease progression than typically applied whole-heart Agatston, which is numerically dominated by large, potentially stable, calcifications. In our new analysis paradigm, we analyze individual calcification progression/regression/formation measures. Processing consisted of segmentation; initial rigid body registration using gray scale normalized cross correlation with the last scan as reference; and a modified iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. Rather than using two, 3D point clouds, we assigned morphological characteristics (e.g. center, divergence, and maximum HU) to each calcification and performed ICP in a high dimensional space so that calcifications of similar shape and size matched. New measurements were enabled. For one example patient over 96-weeks, three new calcifications were formed and one was lost. Eleven of twelve calcifications increased in volume. We applied a new partial volume correction method to normal 3-mm thick scans and compared results to separate high resolution (0.67-mm) scans in a cadaveric heart. Mass score differences were improved from ≈12% to <2% with partial volume correction. Reproducibly of measurements from repeated scans was improved. Preliminary results suggest that we can use advanced computational methods to make detailed serial assessments of coronary artery calcifications, thereby enabling new studies with other biomarkers, response to drug therapy, effects of environmental factors, genes, and improvements to risk estimates.
General Complications of Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery

Before a patient undergoes pelvic reconstructive surgery, the risk of potential complications should be carefully assessed and addressed with the patient. Complications may occur during or after the procedure and it is imperative to recognize high-risk patients and minimize risk from surgery before a patient is brought to the operating room. The lifetime risk of a woman undergoing prolapse or incontinence surgery by the age of 80 is 11.1% [1]. The prevalence of perioperative complications among women undergoing reconstructive pelvic surgery has been reported to be as high as 33% [2]. There are a multitude of factors which are found to increase perioperative risk. A large retrospective cohort study including 1,931 women who had undergone prolapse surgery found an overall complication rate of 14.9% [3]. The complications identified included infection, bleeding, surgical injuries, pulmonary, and cardiovascular morbidity. These complications were associated with medical comorbidities (odds ratio 11.2) and concomitant hysterectomy (odds ratio 1.5). Risk factors for complications after pelvic reconstructive surgery are listed in Table 2.1.
What do we know about housing choice vouchers

Abstract The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides assistance to approximately 2.2 million households each year, making it the largest low-income housing subsidy program managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This paper reviews what we know about the program. In brief, experimental research shows that vouchers help to reduce the rent burdens of low-income households, allow them to live in less crowded homes, and minimize the risk of homelessness. Research also shows, however, that the program has been far less successful in getting recipients to better neighborhoods and schools. And perhaps the greatest disappointment of the program is its limited reach. Families typically wait for years to receive a voucher, and only one in four households eligible for a voucher nationally receives any federal rental housing assistance. Another issue is that a significant share of households who receive vouchers never use them, in part because of the difficulty of finding willing landlords with acceptable units. Thus, as effective as the program is, there is still room for improvement.
Rhabdovirus Membrane and Maturation

Rhabdoviruses, particularly vesicular stomatitis (VSV), have provided an incisive and widely used system for studying the far more complicated biological membranes of eukaryotic cells. In addition to its simplicity, the VSV membrane can be produced in large amounts and is readily purified to homogeneity free of contaminating cell membranes. Lipids of the VSV membrane are derived from the plasma membrane of the host cell and form a lipid bilayer that assumes many of the characteristics of a biological unit membrane. The rhabdovirus membrane contains only two proteins, one integral and one peripheral; these viral proteins have interesting properties and have been widely used by biochemists to study the synthesis and mode of action of integral and peripheral membrane proteins of cells. Furthermore, the synthesis and assembly of the VSV membrane proteins in infected host cells have shed considerable light on the intricacies of cellular membrane-protein biogenesis.
S-Locus F-Box Proteins Are Solely Responsible for S-RNase-Based Self-Incompatibility of Petunia Pollen

Self-incompatibility (SI) in Petunia is regulated by a polymorphic S-locus. For each S-haplotype, the S-locus contains a pistil-specific S-RNase gene and multiple pollen-specific S-locus F-box (SLF) genes. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments have shown that S-RNase alone regulates pistil specificity in SI. Gain-of-function experiments on SLF genes suggest that the entire suite of encoded proteins constitute the pollen specificity determinant. However, clear-cut loss-of-function experiments must be performed to determine if SLF proteins are essential for SI of pollen. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate two frame-shift indel alleles of S2-SLF1 (SLF1 of S2-haplotype) in S2S3 plants of P. inflata and examined the effect on the SI behavior of S2 pollen. In the absence of a functional S2-SLF1, S2 pollen was either rejected by or remained compatible with pistils carrying one of eight normally compatible S-haplotypes. All results are consistent with interaction relationships between the 17 SLF proteins of S2-haplotype and these eight S-RNases that had been determined by gain-of-function experiments performed previously or in this work. Our loss-of-function results provide definitive evidence that SLF proteins are solely responsible for SI of pollen, and they reveal their diverse and complex interaction relationships with S-RNases to maintain SI while ensuring cross-compatibility.
Correlation between thyroid function, testosterone levels, and depressive symptoms in females with spinal cord injury

Prospective case series. Investigate the association of testosterone and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels with depressive symptoms in women after spinal cord injury (SCI). Community SCI clinic. Twenty-seven participants were enrolled in this study. Total testosterone (Total T) and TSH levels as well as the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) survey and monthly sexual activity were obtained from only 20 participants. Pearson’s correlations were used to assess the relationship between age, time from injury, Total T level, TSH level, and CES-D total score. Follow-up analyses investigating the role of monthly sexual activity was also explored. Participants’ average age and time from injury was 44.4 ± 12.7 years old and 11.7 ± 8.89 years, respectively. Low Total T was observed in four participants and one of those participant’s presented with low TSH as well. Nine women were classified as “at risk for clinical depression” on the CES-D (total score >15). Pearson’s correlations revealed a significant association between time from injury and TSH (r = .536, p = .015), as well as CES-D total score (r = −.547, p = .013). Total T was associated with CES-D total score (ρ = −.541, p = .02). This study provides preliminary results on abnormal hormone levels and depressive symptoms in women after SCI. Twenty percent of this sample presented with low Total T, which was associated with increased depressive symptoms after accounting for time from injury. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of SCI on hormone function and mental health in women post SCI. Sally Rynne National Association of Women’s Health Quality Award 2002.
Pharmacological manipulation of DNA methylation normalizes maternal behavior, DNA methylation, and gene expression in dams with a history of maltreatment.

The quality of parental care received during development profoundly influences an individual’s phenotype, including that of maternal behavior. We previously found that female rats with a history of maltreatment during infancy mistreat their own offspring. One proposed mechanism through which early-life experiences influence behavior is via epigenetic modifications. Indeed, our lab has identified a number of brain epigenetic alterations in female rats with a history of maltreatment. Here we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in aberrant maternal behavior. We administered zebularine, a drug known to alter DNA methylation, to dams exposed during infancy to the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources, and then characterized the quality of their care towards their offspring. First, we replicate that dams with a history of maltreatment mistreat their own offspring. Second, we show that maltreated-dams treated with zebularine exhibit lower levels of adverse care toward their offspring. Third, we show that administration of zebularine in control dams (history of nurturing care) enhances levels of adverse care. Lastly, we show altered methylation and gene expression in maltreated dams normalized by zebularine. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that epigenetic alterations resulting from maltreatment causally relate to behavioral outcomes.
Young Children’s Play and Humor Development: A Close Theoretical Partnership

Play and humor have strong theoretical and conceptual links, in that both are enjoyable, reality bending, cognitively rich, internally motivated and controlled, and facilitated by social interaction. There is a small body of work describing how early play and early humor develop from similar sources and how they are connected and differentiated at various ages. Although some theorists have described possible connections between play development and humor development and hypothesized that they arise from similar sources, most play researchers have not focused on how this linkage is manifested in young children. Children’s humor is closely connected not only to their play, of course, but also their emotional, communicative, and metacommunicative competence. Humor development is particularly related to their increasing ability to recognize conceptual incongruity, and examples of such ability is often manifested during their play experiences. This chapter reviews the theoretical background supporting the play/humor linkage, discusses social-emotional and cognitive aspects of early play/humor development, and gives examples of this linkage drawn from the author’s own research and the research of others. Implications for fostering the play and humor development of both typically and a-typically developing young children also is discussed.
Dimethyl Dihydroacridines as Photocatalysts in Organocatalyzed Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Acrylate Monomers

Development of photocatalysts (PCs) with diverse properties has been essential in the advancement of organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP). Dimethyl dihydroacridines are presented here as a new family of organic PCs, for the first time enabling controlled polymerization of challenging acrylate monomers by O-ATRP. Structure-property relationships for seven PCs are established, demonstrating tunable photochemical and electrochemical properties, and accessing a strongly oxidizing 2 PC.+ intermediate for efficient deactivation. In O-ATRP, the combination of PC, implementation of continuous-flow reactors, and promotion of deactivation through addition of LiBr are critical to producing well-defined acrylate polymers with dispersities as low as 1.12. The utility of this approach is established through demonstration of the oxygen-tolerance of the system and application to diverse acrylate monomers, including the synthesis of well-defined di- and triblock copolymers.
Wide variation in use and interpretation of gene mutation profiling panels among health care providers of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes: results of a large web-based survey.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly employed for diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We aimed to describe beliefs and practi...
Positioning and baby devices impact infant spinal muscle activity.

Abstract Infant positioning in daily life, particularly in relation to active neck and back muscles, may affect spinal development, psychosocial progression, and motor milestone achievement. Yet the impact of infant body position on muscle activity is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate neck and back muscle activity of healthy infants in common positions and baby devices. Healthy full-term infants (n = 22, 2–6 months) participated in this experimental study. Daily sleep and positioning were reported by caregivers. Cervical paraspinal and erector spinae muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography (EMG) in five positions: lying prone, lying supine, held in-arms, held in a baby carrier, and buckled into a car seat. Mean filtered EMG signal and time that muscles were active were calculated. Paired t-tests were used to compare positions to the prone condition. Caregivers reported that infants spent 12% of daily awake time prone, 43% in supine-lying baby gear, and 44% held in-arms or upright in a baby carrier. Infants exhibited highest erector spinae activity when prone, and lowest cervical paraspinal muscle activity in the car seat. No differences were found between in-arms carrying and babywearing. This first evaluation of the muscle activity of healthy infants supports the importance of prone time in infants’ early spinal development because it promotes neck and back muscle activity. Carrying babies in-arms or in baby carriers may also be beneficial to neck muscle development, while prolonged time spent in car seats or containment devices may be detrimental to spinal development.
COVID-19 psychiatric patients: Impact of variability in testing on length of hospital stay and disposition back to congregate care settings.

184• Coronavirus (COVID) impact on hospital psychiatric inpatient units. 184• Testing versus symptom based strategies that impact psychiatric inpatient treatment. 184• Challenges in discharging medically and psychiatrically stable COVID patients back to their congregate care living facilities.
Altered arsenic availability, uptake, and allocation in rice under elevated temperature.

Abstract Climate change is expected to increase growing temperatures in rice cultivating regions worldwide. Recent research demonstrates that elevated temperature can increase arsenic concentrations in rice tissue, exacerbating an existing threat to rice quality and human health. However, the specific temperature-induced changes in the plant-soil system responsible for increased arsenic concentrations remain unclear and such knowledge is necessary to manage human dietary arsenic exposure in a warmer future. To elucidate these changes, we established four temperature treatments in climate-controlled growth chambers and grew rice plants (Oryza sativa cv. M206) in pots filled with Californian paddy soil with arsenic concentrations of 7.7 mg kg−1. The four chosen temperatures mimicked IPCC forecasting for Northern California, with a roughly 2.5 °C increase between treatments (nighttime temperatures ~2 °C cooler). We observed that arsenic concentrations in porewater, root iron plaque, and plant tissue increased in response to elevated temperature. There was a positive linear relationship between temperature and rice grain arsenic, almost all of which was present as inorganic As (III). Above-ground allocation patterns were consistent across treatments. We found no upregulation in the gene encoding the OsABCC1 transporter, believed to be important for arsenic sequestration in vacuoles and thereby preventing arsenic transfer to grain. Rice plants grown at higher temperatures had more adsorbed arsenic per unit of iron plaque (measured as [As]/[Fe]), indicating temperature may impact arsenic sorption to root plaque. We present evidence that increased soil mobilization of arsenic was the driving factor responsible for increased arsenic uptake into rice grain. Transpiration, which can increase arsenic transport to roots, was also heightened with elevated temperature but appeared to play a secondary role. Our system had low soil arsenic concentrations typical for California. Our findings highlight that elevated growing temperatures may increase the risk of dietary arsenic exposure in rice systems that were previously considered low risk.
Hölder estimates for the ∂̄ problem for (p,q) forms on product domains

The purpose of this paper is to study Holder estimates for the ∂ problem for (p,q) forms on products of general planar domains. As indicated by an example of Stein and Kerzman, solutions to the ∂...
Media vs. candidates and minorities vs. majorities: Who sets the public’s agenda in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary?

Abstract Despite an abundance of research dedicated to the first level agenda setting process in political elections, there is a considerable gap within the literature regarding how the amount of media coverage granted to minority candidates – people of color and women – influence their salience in public opinion. The current study seeks to address this gap by analyzing the effects of online coverage of minority candidates and their subsequent performance in national polling data from June 1, 2019 to November 20, 2019. The present study utilizes a time-series analysis to compare three information formats: Twitter accounts of major media organizations, online web mentions of candidates from these organizations, and the candidates’ own Twitter presence. The presented findings illustrate important relationships – specifically, where candidates of color were able to set their own agenda through their Twitter accounts as opposed to coverage that they received from the media.
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays: New Physics or Old Physics?

We consider the advantages of and the problems associated with hypotheses to explain the origin of ulthrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECR: E > 10 EeV) and the "trans GZK" cosmic rays (TGZK: E > 100 EeV), both through "old physics" (acceleration in cosmic sources) and "new physics" (new particles, topological defects, fat neutrino cross sections, Lorentz invariance violation).
Whole Trait Theory puts dynamics at the core of structure

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to describe Whole Trait Theory (WTT) as a modern theory of traits—one that puts dynamics at the core of structure. Personality psychology would benefit from an account of traits that emphasizes dynamic mechanisms underlying those traits (Baumert & Schmitt, 2012; Baumert et al., 2017; Fleeson, 2012). Given the impressive discoveries of the structure of traits (Ashton & Lee, 2012; Goldberg, 1992; Saucier, 2009), the most useful exploration of dynamics would be deeply connected to structure. WTT is intended to connect dynamics to structure by locating the dynamics within a structural model of traits. Furthermore, a dynamic model of traits may enhance the connection of normal personality to clinical personality, and may also find a means to connect the many diverse (and typically dynamic) approaches to personality to each other, including motivational, narrative, and trait approaches. WTT starts with the proposition that the trait term has two rather than a single referent. One referent is the description of how the person actually acts. WTT calls this TraitDES, and defines it as the degrees to which a person manifests the trait across all actions in large portions of life. The other referent of the trait term is the explanatory processes that produce these manifestations. WTT calls this TraitEXP, and defines it as the total set of cognitive, affective, biological, and motivational processes that influence the degree to which a person manifests the trait at any given moment. We elaborate WTT, review evidence regarding testable claims of WTT, and finish with ten future research directions valuable for investigating WTT and the dynamic approach to traits.
Large deviations of Schramm-Loewner evolutions: A survey

These notes survey the first and recent results on large deviations of Schramm-Loewner evolutions (SLE) with the emphasis on interrelations among rate functions and applications to complex analysis. More precisely, we describe the large deviations of SLE$_\kappa$ when the $\kappa$ parameter goes to zero in the chordal and multichordal case and to infinity in the radial case. The rate functions, namely Loewner and Loewner-Kufarev energies, are closely related to the Weil-Petersson class of quasicircles and real rational functions.
Genome-wide association analysis permits characterization of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) resistance in hard winter wheat.

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is an economically important wheat disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum. SNB resistance in wheat is controlled by several quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Thus, identifying novel resistance/susceptibility QTLs is crucial for continuous improvement of the SNB resistance. Here, the hard winter wheat association mapping panel (HWWAMP) comprising accessions from breeding programs in the Great Plains region of the US, was evaluated for SNB resistance and necrotrophic effectors (NEs) sensitivity at the seedling stage. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with SNB resistance and effectors sensitivity. We found seven significant associations for SNB resistance/susceptibility distributed over chromosomes 1B, 2AL, 2DS, 4AL, 5BL, 6BS, and 7AL. Two new QTLs for SNB resistance/susceptibility at the seedling stage were identified on chromosomes 6BS and 7AL, whereas five QTLs previously reported in diverse germplasms were validated. Allele stacking analysis at seven QTLs explained the additive and complex nature of SNB resistance. We identified accessions (‘Pioneer-2180’ and ‘Shocker’) with favorable alleles at five of the seven identified loci, exhibiting a high level of resistance against SNB. Further, GWAS for sensitivity to NEs uncovered significant associations for SnToxA and SnTox3, co-locating with previously identified host sensitivity genes (Tsn1 and Snn3). Candidate region analysis for SNB resistance revealed 35 genes of putative interest with plant defense response-related functions. The QTLs identified and validated in this study could be easily employed in breeding programs using the associated markers to enhance the SNB resistance in hard winter wheat.
Induction of human trophoblast stem-like cells from primed pluripotent stem cells

The placenta is a transient but important multifunctional organ crucial for healthy pregnancy for both mother and fetus. Nevertheless, limited access to human placenta samples and the paucity of a proper in vitro model system has hampered our understanding of the mechanisms underlying early human placental development and placenta-associated pregnancy complications. To overcome these constraints, we established a simple procedure with a short-term treatment of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) in trophoblast stem cell culture medium (TSCM) to convert human primed pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to trophoblast stem-like cells (TSLCs). These TSLCs show not only comparable morphology and global gene expression profiles to bona fide human trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) but also long-term self-renewal capacity with bipotency that allows the cells to differentiate into functional extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) and syncytiotrophoblasts (ST). These indicate that TSLCs are equivalent to genuine human TSCs. Our data suggest a straightforward approach to make human TSCs directly from pre-existing primed PSCs and provide a valuable opportunity to study human placenta development and pathology even from patients with placenta-related diseases. HIGHLIGHTSShort-term treatment of BMP4 in TSCM induces human primed PSCs into TSLCs TSLCs possess similar self-renewal and bipotency as bona fide TSCs Global gene expression profiling shows high similarity between TSLCs and TSCs TSLC-derived EVT and ST possess characteristics shown in TSC-derived counterparts
A Business Development Process Model for Independent Consulting Firms

The prevalence of small consulting firms and independent consultants in various fields is continually increasing, but does just having an industry expertise or business specialization guarantee success when managing your own consulting firm? This research uses a mixed- methods approach comprising of in-depth interviews of 12 expert consultants and a survey with a sample size 168 to understand effective business development processes for building a successful independent consultant practice. Through analysis of the research results, a process model evolved which highlighted five propositions which are intended to help independent consultants of all types launch and grow successful consulting businesses. These propositions are: 1) Lead generation activities that independent consultants typically undertake, typically yield the lowest results; 2) Selling follow-on work to existing and former clients is the best source of lead generation; 3) Successful independent consultants create a profile of their perfect client and target those clients who fit their expertise and business model; 4) Successful independent consultants learn what works for their business and are able to define their core capabilities through a continual, iterative process; 5) Successful independent consultants need sufficient resources to survive the lean times, and they need to be persistent through several, long learning iterations. Interviews with experts confirmed and expanded these findings.
Risk, Incentives and Insurance: The Pure Theory of Moral Hazard

In this paper, I wish to explore the relationship between risk, insurance, incentives, and imperfect information. Understanding the relationship between these is fundamental, and not only to an understanding of the functioning of insurance markets. The phenomenon of risk and insurance, and the problems which they pose, are pervasive throughout the economy, often in quite disguised form ; there are many features of the economy that can best be understood as an institutional adaptation to the problems of risk and incentives. Somewhat surprisingly what has become the standard paradigm for analyzing the market economy, the competitive model (as exposited, say by Arrow [1964] and Debreu [1959], systematically ignores these considerations : As a result not only does it fail to provide insights into some of the important features