cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hysteretic memory in pH-response of water contact angle on poly(acrylic acid) brushes

We investigated the pH-dependent response of flat polyacid brushes of varying length and dispersity in the extended brush regime. Our model system consisted of poly(acrylic acid) brushes, which change from hydrophobic and neutral at low pH to hydrophilic and negatively charged at high pH, synthesized on silicon substrates using a grafting-from approach at constant grafting density. We observed three trends in the pH-response: first, the dry brush thickness increased as the pH was increased for brushes above a critical length, and this effect was magnified as the dispersity increased; second, the water contact angle measured at low pH was larger for brushes of greater dispersity; and third, brushes of sufficient dispersity exhibited hysteretic memory behavior in the pH-dependence of the contact angle, in which the contact angle upon increasing and decreasing pH differed. As a consequence, the pKa of the brushes measured upon increasing pH was consistently higher than that measured upon decreasing pH. The observed pH response is consistent with proposed changes in the conformation and charge distribution of the polyelectrolyte brushes that depend on the direction of pH change and the dispersity of the brushes.
Identification of error making patterns in lesion detection on digital breast tomosynthesis using computer-extracted image features

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) can improve lesion visibility by eliminating the issue of overlapping breast tissue present in mammography. However, this new modality likely requires new approaches to training. The issue of training in DBT is not well explored. We propose a computer-aided educational approach for DBT training. Our hypothesis is that the trainees’ educational outcomes will improve if they are presented with cases individually selected to address their weaknesses. In this study, we focus on the question of how to select such cases. Specifically, we propose an algorithm that based on previously acquired reading data predicts which lesions will be missed by the trainee for future cases (i.e., we focus on false negative error). A logistic regression classifier was used to predict the likelihood of trainee error and computer-extracted features were used as the predictors. Reader data from 3 expert breast imagers was used to establish the ground truth and reader data from 5 radiology trainees was used to evaluate the algorithm performance with repeated holdout cross validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to measure the performance of the proposed individual trainee models. The preliminary experimental results for 5 trainees showed the individual trainee models were able to distinguish the lesions that would be detected from those that would be missed with the average area under the ROC curve of 0.639 (95% CI, 0.580-0.698). The proposed algorithm can be used to identify difficult cases for individual trainees.
Psychology of novice and expert wine talk

Differences between wine experts and novices were explored in four studies in which expert and novice tasters matched descriptions written by other experts and novices to wines
The Lifetimes of Astronomers

For members of the American Astronomical Society, I collected data on their lifetimes from (1) 489 obituaries published in 1991–2015, (2) about 127 members listed as deceased but without published obituaries, and (3) a sample of AAS members without obituaries or not known to the AAS as being deceased. These show that the most frequent lifetimes is 85 years. Of 674 deceased members with known lifetimes, 11.0 ± 1.3% lived to be 90 or more years. In comparison to the astronomers, the most frequent lifetime for the general population is 77 years, showing that astronomers live an average of 8 years longer than the general population.
Insect Pheromone Collection with Absorption Columns. I. Studies on Model Organic Compounds

Aeration of insects to recover pheromones involves the use of large cold-traps and the consequent trapping of large amounts of water. Replacement of the cold-trap with an absorption column would have several advantages. This possibility was explored with some model organic compounds. The procedure seems feasible for pheromones of sufficient volatility and stability.
Progress on Active Control of Open Cavities

This paper describes progress towards the development of an active suppression system for open cavity oscillations. A leading-edge array of piezoelectric zero-net mass-flux (ZNMF) actuators is used to suppress cavity flow oscillations determined from measured pressure fluctuations near the rear wall of cavities with length-to-depth ratios (L/D) of 5 and 6 at Mach 0.3 and 0.4. The waveform parameters of the actuator array excitation signal are systematically investigated using open-loop control. Closed-loop control using the quasistatic downhill simplex and the dynamic ARMARKOV adaptive disturbance rejection and generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithms are applied and compared to open-loop control. Up to 30% broadband reduction in rms pressure fluctuations over a 4 kHz bandwidth are obtained and compare favorably with optimized open-loop sinusoidal control.
Stress and Depression in Relation to Functional Health Behaviors in African American Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: While increased psychological distress in SLE has been clinically and empirically reported, the relationship between emotional distress, treatment adherence, and disease activity are complex and even more unclear in African American lupus patients. In an effort to elucidate this phenomenon in these patients, this exploratory study aimed to investigate relationships between stress, depression, and various health behaviors in this group. Methods: Thirty patients invited to participate in this study were African American systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients attending rheumatology clinics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). This study was part of a larger interventional pilot study, the Balancing Lupus Experiences with Stress Strategies (BLESS) study, that included a comprehensive battery of psychosocial, quality of life, and behavior change measures. Results: When looking at the association between anxiety/stress and functionality, levels of reported stress had strong effects upon functionality, especially between health distress and functionality. When looking at the association between depressive symptoms and functionality, depressive symptoms had moderate effects upon social/role limitations and nights spent in the hospital. Conclusion: Not only did the larger pilot project demonstrate significant reductions in stress and depression as a result of workshop participation; this nested study also showed that those improvements were positively associated with improved health behaviors. These results could have implications for developing interventions to improve disease experience and quality of life in SLE patients with stress and depression.
A Functional Estimator of Population from Floor Area

This paper presents an alternative to Naroll's formula for estimating population size from settlement area. It uses an allometric model modified for hunter-gatherer camps. In this model, the parameters are derived theoretically to describe mean area per person and the geometric properties of population distribution. The proposed model is then tested on 16 !Kung Bushmen settlements. Museum of Anthropology The University of Michigan July, 1973 Archaeologists have long sought a method for estimating the sizes of populations that were in residence in prehistoric sites. Recent attempts to relate population size to living area have followed 2 basic courses. One of these is directed toward establishing a constant divisor which, when applied to area calculations, yields an approximate population size; the other attempts to define functional rates of change between these 2 variables and makes use of a special form of the allometric principle. The law of allometric growth has been widely used in the biological and social sciences. This law states that "the rate of relative growth of an organ is a constant fraction of the relative growth of the total organism" (Nordbeck 1971:54). The allometric principle holds in growth relationships of several forms (Bertalanfly 1968:64), but only the logistic form will be considered in this paper. Naroll (1962) applies this principle to 18 societies using floor area and settlement population as an allometric pair, and suggests that the population of a settlement is a constant fraction of its floor area. More precisely, he concludes that archaeologists can roughly estimate the population of a prehistoric settlement as 1/10 of the floor area in square meters of dwellings. Although this method might prove useful in certain situations (LeBlanc 1971), it is inappropriate for hunting and gathering societies for the following reasons: (1) Area under the roofs of dwellings is not a meaningful measurement for groups who carry out most household tasks outside their small dwellings. (2) Floor areas of dwellings are difficult to estimate from archaeological remains, particularly those of the paleolithic. Total settlement area would provide a more accurate and practical measure of living
A New Detection Method of Boiler Tubes Leakage Based on Information Fusion Technology

Leak accident occurred in boiler tubes is detected by means of acoustic positioning.Time delay estimation is a key step in the acoustic positioning.In order to get a more accurate time delay estimation,two kinds of time delay estimation methods are used to estimate two-way signal delay time,then least square method is adopted to define the optimal weighs of these two methods.The data processing and analysis about three leakage accidents in a power plant is carried out by MATLAB,and the simulation results show that the more accurate time delay estimation can be obtained based on information fusion method of these two methods,and thereby improve the positioning precision of the boiler tubes leak detection.
Road Traffic Accidents as Public Health Challenge in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region

Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA *Corresponding author Wesley M. Rohrer, PhD, MBA Vice Chair Health Policy Management Education Director, MHA Program Associate Professor Health Policy and Management Graduate School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh A649 Crabtree Hall 130 DeSoto Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA Tel. 412.624.2743 E-mail: wmrun@pitt.edu
Applications of Urologic Ultrasound During Pregnancy

This chapter addresses the diagnostic and therapeutic urologic applications of ultrasound during pregnancy including assessment of hydronephrosis and renal colic, ultrasound-guided endoscopic procedures. 2D ultrasound is generally considered the safest and the first radiologic modality for evaluation of hydronephrosis during pregnancy. Although MRI is considered safe during pregnancy, its sensitivity for stone diagnosis is low.
Diagnosis and Management of a Postpyloric Foreign Body Causing Small Bowel Obstruction in an Infant

Foreign body ingestion is a common occurrence in the pediatric population and most ingestions resolve with little morbidity. Although radiopaque objects are easily identified on biplane radiographs, radiolucent objects may elude detection, delaying diagnosis. We report a case of a healthy 10-month-old infant who presented with a 5-day history of postprandial vomiting and imaging consistent with small bowel obstruction. On exploratory laparotomy, she was discovered to have a postpyloric foreign body requiring removal through an enterotomy.
The Past is Not Dead: Legacy Identification and Alumni Ambivalence in the Wake of the Sandusky Scandal at Penn State

We investigate how the temporal effects of past, present, and future influence organizational identification. We examine an underrepresented but important stakeholder group—organizational alumni—wh...
Early Effects of Medicare's Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Program for Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design. Retrospective analysis of Medicare claims linked to hospital participation in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation's episode-based Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) program for lumbar fusion. Objective. To describe the early effects of BPCI participation for lumbar fusion on 90-day reimbursement, procedure volume, reoperation, and readmission. Summary of Background Data. Initiated on January 1, 2013, BPCI's voluntary bundle payment program provides a predetermined payment for services related to a Diagnosis-Related Group-defined “triggering event” over a defined time period. As an alternative to fee-for-service, these reforms shift the financial risk of care on to hospitals. Methods. We identified fee-for-service beneficiaries over age 65 undergoing a lumbar fusion in 2012 or 2013, corresponding to the years before and after BPCI initiation. Hospitals were grouped based on program participation status as nonparticipants, preparatory, or risk-bearing. Generalized estimating equation models adjusting for patient age, sex, race, comorbidity, and hospital size were used to compare changes in episode costs, procedure volume, and safety indicators based on hospital BPCI participation. Results. We included 89,605 beneficiaries undergoing lumbar fusion, including 36% seen by a preparatory hospital and 7% from a risk-bearing hospital. The mean age of the cohort was 73.4 years, with 59% women, 92% White, and 22% with a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 2 or more. Participant hospitals had greater procedure volume, bed size, and total discharges. Relative to nonparticipants, risk-bearing hospitals had a slightly increased fusion procedure volume from 2012 to 2013 (3.4% increase vs. 1.6% decrease, P = 0.119), did not reduce 90-day episode of care costs (0.4% decrease vs. 2.9% decrease, P = 0.044), increased 90-day readmission rate (+2.7% vs. −10.7%, P = 0.043), and increased repeat surgery rates (+30.6% vs. +7.1% points, P = 0.043). Conclusion. These early, unintended trends suggest an imperative for continued monitoring of BPCI in lumbar fusion. Conclusion. Level of Evidence: 3
A systematic review of technology adoption frameworks and their applications

The Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior have demonstrated pioneering research efforts within the research domain of innovation adoption concerning new technologies. This study consolidated an in-depth literature review of both theoretical frameworks, covering their roots and development over the years within the scholarly community. Also, we reviewed the applicability of these frameworks within the context of emerging technologies of the information age. After a thorough literature review, we concluded that both frameworks are widely used and applicable to various emerging technologies and continue to remain instrumental in the research domain of innovation adoption.
Comment: Nonparametric Bayes Modeling of Populations of Networks

We congratulate the authors on an interesting and timely article. Developing statistical models for network-valued data has become increasingly important due to the ubiquity of relational data in m...
It’s Personal: The Big Five Personality Traits and Negative Partisan Affect in Polarized U.S. Politics:

One of the most important developments within the American electorate in recent years has been the rise of affective polarization. Whether this is due to notions of group-based conflict or ideologi...
Temporal Changes After Spinal Cord Injury

Transection of the spinal cord initiates a complex series of changes in the distal stump. Studies at various levels — single synapses, functional systems - reveal considerable complexity in the changes which occur over time. Some reflexes exhibit depression soon after transection, while others are enhanced. In the period 10–30 days after transection, many systems show enhanced function. There is substantial variability in events occurring at longer intervals. At present it is impossible to make generalizations concerning changes which occur in the various systems whose neural circuitry is in the distal stump.
Flexible perovskite based X-ray detectors for dose monitoring in medical imaging applications

Abstract Organometallic halide perovskite materials are attracting considerable interest for high performance photovoltaic and photodetector applications due to their exceptional opto-electronic properties and easy processing capability. The high atomic numbers (Z) of their constituents also make these materials suitable for X-ray detection. Here we report on the direct detection of X-ray induced photocurrents in flexible organolead halide perovskite based detectors. The electrical response of the detectors was found to be linear with the radiation dosage. These perovskite based radiation detectors were about 550% more sensitive than commonly used amorphous silicon solar devices. The high sensitivity to the X-rays could be attributed to the high Z constituents and large charge carrier mobility. Our results indicate that the perovskite materials are promising candidates for direct X-ray detectors.
A wobbly road to drug resistance in melanoma: tRNA-modifying enzymes in translation reprogramming

Alterations in transcript‐specific translation are emerging as a driver of cellular transformation and cancer etiology. A new study provides evidence for enhanced codon‐dependent translation of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α in promoting glycolytic metabolism and drug resistance in melanoma cells. This specialized translation reprogramming relies, in part, on mTORC2‐mediated phosphorylation of enzymes modifying the wobble position of the transfer RNA anticodon.
The challenge of developing e-services in public sector organizations

In this paper we look at development of electronic services in public sector organizations. The use of internet is increasing also in public services, even though development has been rather slow when compared to private sector applications, the e-business. From users point of view it would be important to allow access to services through the internet also in using public sector services. In public sector the services provided by public sector organizations are called e-services when they are made accessible to the users through internet. The goal is to find issues affecting development of successful e-services. What is so different in development of e-services when compared to design of e-business sites? Could experiences from e-business development be used in public sector.
Pharmacokinetic Studies with Choline Chloride: A Preliminary Report

Choline chloride has been administered to human subjects in an attempt to increase brain acetylcholine (ACh) content and central cholinergic activity (Davis et al., 1975a; 1976; Eckernas, 1977; Growdon et al., 1977a; 1977b; Tamminga et al., 1977; Davis and Berger, 1978). In preclinical investigations choline chloride given orally or parenterally has been reported to increase ACh content in the rat brain (Haubrich et al., 1974; Cohen and Wurtman, 1976; Eckernas, 1977). Several human pathological conditions, including manic psychosis, tardive dyskinesia, and Huntington’s disease have been transiently improved by intravenous administration of the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine (Davis et al., 1975b). This has led to trials of choline chloride in these conditions in an attempt to chronically increase central cholinergic activity (Davis et al., 1975b).
pRB, p107 and p130 as transcriptional regulators: Role in cell growth and differentiation

The mammalian cell cycle engine, which is composed of cyclin/CDK holoenzymes, controls the progression throughout the cell cycle by regulating, at least in part, the transcription of two types of genes: genes whose protein products are required for DNA metabolism and genes whose protein products are involved in cell cycle control. Among the targets of cyclin/CDKs, there is a family of negative growth regulators collectively known as pocket proteins. This family of pocket proteins includes the product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene, pRB and the functionally and structurally related proteins p107 and p130. In this review, the mechanisms by which pocket proteins are thought to regulate cell growth and differentiation are discussed.
Improving the convergence of fixed-point algorithms

We consider methods to improve the convergence of fixed-point algorithms using complementary pivoting in triangulations. In terms of measures for triangulation introduced in an earlier paper, we obtain results suggesting that orthogonal projections of regular triangulations of R n may be preferable to the standard triangulations of an n-simplex. Two special features of the restart method are that the starting point can be controlled and that the computational work of an iteration depends on whether the new vertex lies in the artificial level or not. Refinements of the measures referred to above allow comparisons of triangulations with these features taken into account. The results suggest that it may be worthwhile to use one level of a homotopy-type triangulation in a restart method. We also propose new triangulations taking advantage of the known starting point. An approximate inverse Jacobian is an automatic by-product of the algorithms; this matrix can improve their performance considerably in a number of ways. Finally, we report some computational experience that reinforces most of our conclusions.
History and Ontogeny of IDEAL

The International Decade for the East African Lakes was conceived as a scientific collaboration among limnologists world-wide to study the large lakes of Africa as archives of environmental and climate dynamics (IDEAL 1990). The scientists who formulated IDEAL share values that result in a program which is science-driven. Those who work under the IDEAL umbrella are a far cry from the “businessmen in white lab coats” who Frank Rigler and Rob Peters used to characterize as conspicuous consumers and managers of science funding and research enterprise. These are hands-on scientists who derive satisfaction from recognizing important problems, posing relevant questions, answering their questions in the field, and sharing their knowledge with fellow professionals and the public. IDEAL is an example of how compelling science can be accomplished without inflated budgets, grandiose administrative schemes, or competing egos. As such, it presents an instructive case study about the ontogeny of a scientific initiative.
Pembrolizumab in advanced gastrointestinal malignancies with defective dna mismatch repair: A case series

Background: Tumors with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) have a favorable immunological phenotype permitting exploitation by immunotherapies. We aimed to assess our institutional experience of dMMR advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers treated with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study of a clinical series of patients with dMMR metastatic GI cancers treated with pembrolizumab from 2015 to 2017. Patients were assessed for best response, time to and reason for discontinuation, and adverse events. Results: A total of 13 patients received at least one dose of pembrolizumab. Median age was 62 years (range 33–74 years). Diagnoses included colorectal (colorectal cancer [CRC], n = 7); extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC, n = 2; n = 1); pancreatic (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [PDAC], n = 2); and adenocarcinoma of the appendix ( n = 1). Five patients received concurrent chemotherapy (FOLFOX or capecitabine) with pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenous [IV] q 2 weeks with FOLFOX or 2 mg/kg IV q 3 weeks with capecitabine). Pembrolizumab was administered 2 mg/kg IV q 3 weeks to all patients who received single-agent treatment. Eleven patients were evaluable for response assessment. Three patients had a complete response (CRC and two EHCC) and one of these patients received concomitant pembrolizumab and FOLFOX. Two patients had a partial response, one with PDAC (−88% per RECIST, continues on treatment after 15.7 months) and the other with CRC (−45% per RECIST, continues after 14.6 months), both patients received concomitant pembrolizumab and FOLFOX and are now maintained on single-agent pembrolizumab. The objective response rate was 42%. Three patients experienced immune-related adverse events requiring discontinuation. Conclusions: This single-institution case series confirms the activity of pembrolizumab in various GI cancers harboring dMMR. Future studies are warranted to determine the role of combinatorial treatment with chemotherapy and/or novel immunotherapies in this population.
A 55-nm, 1.0–0.4V, 1.25-pJ/MAC Time-Domain Mixed-Signal Neuromorphic Accelerator With Stochastic Synapses for Reinforcement Learning in Autonomous Mobile Robots

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a bio-mimetic learning approach, where agents can learn about an environment by performing specific tasks without any human supervision. RL is inspired by behavioral psychology, where agents take actions to maximize a cumulative reward. In this paper, we present an RL neuromorphic accelerator capable of performing obstacle avoidance in a mobile robot at the edge of the cloud. We propose an energy-efficient time-domain mixed-signal (TD-MS) computational framework. In TD-MS computation, we demonstrate that the energy to compute is proportional to the importance of the computation. We leverage the unique properties of stochastic networks and recent advances in Q-learning in the proposed RL implementation. The 55-nm test chip implements RL using a three-layered fully connected neural network and consumes a peak power of 690 $\mu \text{W}$ .
Redundant and Fault-tolerant Method for Medium Voltage Transformerless PCS

According to demands for highly reliable energy storage converter system, a modular medium voltage transformerless structure with redundant fault-tolerance is designed, which specifies its treatment procedure of redundant tolerance faults. The reliability and redundant fault-tolerance of the modular system is analyzed. Simulation and experiment results show that the system can satisfy the requirement of redundancy and fault-tolerance.
Key to the Species of Fourth Stage Mosquito Larvae of Texas

Abstract Identification keys are provided for the species of eight genera of fourth instar larval mosquitoes of Texas. Illustrations and photographs of selected diagnostics morphological characters are used in the keys. The eight genera presented in this chapter include Aedes (28 species), Anopheles (13), Culex (19), Culiseta (3), Deinocerites (2), Orthopodomyia (3), Psorophora (11), and Uranotaenia (3). Each of the three genera such as Coquillettidia, Haemagogus, and Mansonia has only one species, and they are treated in the Chapter 5 key. Larvae of the two species of Toxorhynchites are also not presented due to unavailability of specimens of Tx. moctezuma.
Daniel Martinez HoSang & Joseph E. Lowndes, Producers, Parasites, Patriots: Race and the New Right-Wing Politics of Precarity

Are white people in the United States racially oppressed? Do they confront persistent bigotry as they go about their daily lives? Are they victims of systematic preferential treatment? One might su...
Rigid Body Dynamics Estimation by Unscented Filtering Pose Estimation Neural Networks

In this paper, we consider the task of estimating the state of dynamic object by applying an unscented filter to pose estimates generated by a neural network. To incorporate the rotational state of the system into the filter, we use a parameterization of the tangent space of the group of rotation matrices SO(3). We then characterize the noise in the pose estimation neural network by considering simple motions of the object, as well as using a Monte Carlo approach. Finally, using synthetically generated images, we show in simulation how the unscented filter can improve the accuracy of the pose estimates from the neural network.
Do COVID-19 Apps Address Diabetes Mellitus and Health Equity Issues

Purpose: To evaluate if COVID-19 apps address risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, race, gender, sexual orientation, language. Background: In 2019, there were 204 Billion app downloads and 3.7 billion downloads of ehealth apps. COVID-19 affects ethnic minority patients with diabetes, hypertension, and other risk factors. Spanish is the second most commonly used language after English in the U.S.. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans are at an increased risk of COVID-19. LGBTQ+ communities are also at higher risk for COVID due to historically poor access to healthcare. Methods: The search term, “COVID,” in Google Play store and Apple App store was used to find the most popular COVID-19 apps. App inclusion criteria: 1) Contains COVID-19 information and/or COVID symptom tracker, 2) Marketed and designed for the general public, 3) Free, 4) Android (DROID): 100,000+ Downloads; Apple (iOS): highest star ratings. Apple does not provide a number of downloads. App features: COVID-19 information, COVID-19 symptom questionnaire (QN), Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease, Languages (Spanish, Chinese), Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Results: The top 10 DROID apps in descending order are: 1) GuideSafe, 2) CO Exposure Notifications, 3) Care19 Diary, 4) Care19 Alert, 5) Crush COVID RI, 6) MI COVID Alert, 7) DC CAN, 8) CombatCOVID MDC, 9) CombatCOVID PBC, 10) Stronger than C19. The top 10 iOS apps in descending order are: 1) SlowCOVIDNC, 2) COVIDWISE, 3) COVID Alert Pennsylvania, 4) COVID Alert DE, 5) COVID Alert NY, 6) Covid Watch Arizona, 7) Apple COVID-19, 8) COVID Alert NJ, 9) COVID Trace Nevada, 10) CDC. Of the 20 apps: COVID 19 information: 20/20; COVID-19 symptom QN: 8/20; DM: 2/20; HTN: 1/20; CardioVasc: 2/20; Spanish: 11/20 (2/11 of the Spanish apps have Chinese as well). Race: 5/20. Gender: 8/20; Sexual Orientation: 3/20; Age: 10/20. Conclusion: 1) Most apps do not ask about important risk factors such as DM, HTN, and Race. 2) Smartphone apps are not uniform in their health education features. 3) Healthcare providers should continue to play an important role in public education despite the ubiquity of mobile apps.
Specificity and Mechanism of Coronavirus, Rotavirus and Mammalian Two-Histidine-Phosphoesterases That Antagonize Antiviral Innate Immunity

ABSTRACT 2’,5’-oligoadenylate(2-5A)-dependent endoribonuclease, RNase L, is a principal mediator of the interferon (IFN) antiviral response. Therefore, regulation of cellular levels of 2-5A is a key point of control in antiviral innate immunity. Cellular 2-5A levels are determined by IFN-inducible 2’,5’-oligoadenylate synthetases (OASs) and by enzymes that degrade 2-5A. Importantly, many coronaviruses and rotaviruses encode 2-5A degrading enzymes thereby antagonizing RNase L and its antiviral effects. A-kinase anchoring protein 7 (AKAP7), a mammalian counterpart, could possibly limit tissue damage from excessive or prolonged RNase L activation during viral infections or from self double-stranded-RNAs that activate OAS. We show these enzymes, members of the two-histidine-phosphoesterase (2H-PE) superfamily, constitute a sub-family referred here as 2’,5’-PEs. 2’,5’-PEs from mouse coronavirus (CoV) MHV (NS2), MERS-CoV (NS4b), group A rotavirus (VP3), and mouse (AKAP7) were investigated for their evolutionary relationships and activities. While there was no activity against 3’,5’-oligoribonucleotides, all cleaved 2’,5’-oligoadenylates efficiently, but with variable activity against other 2’,5’-oligonucleotides. The 2’,5’-PEs are shown to be metal ion-independent enzymes that cleave trimer 2-5A (2’,5’-p3A3) producing mono- or di- adenylates with 2’,3’-cyclic phosphate termini. Our results suggest that elimination of 2-5A might be the sole function of viral 2’,5’-PEs, thereby promoting viral escape from innate immunity by preventing or limiting the activation of RNase L. IMPORTANCE Viruses often encode accessory proteins that antagonize the host antiviral immune response. Here we probed the evolutionary relationships and biochemical activities of two-histidine-phosphoesterases (2H-PEs) that allow some coronaviruses and rotaviruses to counteract antiviral innate immunity. In addition, we investigated the mammalian enzyme, AKAP7, which has homology and shared activities with the viral enzymes and might reduce self-injury. These viral and host enzymes, that we refer to as 2’,5’-PEs, specifically degrade 2’,5’-oligoadenylate activators of the antiviral enzyme RNase L. We show that the host and viral enzymes are metal ion independent and exclusively cleave 2’,5’- and not 3’,5’-phosphodiester bonds, producing cleavage products with cyclic 2’,3’-phosphate termini. Our study defines 2’,5’-PEs as enzymes that share characteristic conserved features with the 2H-PE superfamily but which have specific and distinct biochemical cleavage activities. These findings may eventually lead to pharmacologic strategies for developing antiviral drugs against coronaviruses, rotaviruses, and other viruses.
Advanced Learning and Classification Techniques for Agricultural and Field Robotics

Today, increasingly a large number of growers are utilizing smart agricultural tools as a daily part of their precision agricultural strategy to improve overall crop health and get the most out of their fields while optimizing resource utilization. With the advent of low-cost sensors and internet of things, more data is available within the agricultural industry than ever. Several industries including manufacturing, financial, and service industries have used AI-powered analytics to gain unparalleled edge by extracting valuable information from bigdata to improve product value and sales, boost marketing, and to predict future trends in real time. In recent years, agricultural industries have also started to adopt and apply AI-based solutions for various cumbersome tasks. Advanced learning and classification are some of the fundamental analytical tools used to make decision using large amount of data. This chapter first intends to provide background concepts on the fundamental building blocks of machine learning and deep learning techniques that are in practice today. In addition, the chapter reviews literatures in computer vision and robotics in agriculture highlighting the applications of machine/deep learning techniques described in the chapter. The chapter also discusses the significance and impacts of the advanced learning and classification techniques on agricultural and field robotics compared to the traditional approaches. Finally, current limitations and future directions for research and development in this area have been discussed.
Bargaining with Promises

A motivating employment environment benefi ts the satisfaction, productivity and welfare of employees, and it is the key to the success of an organization. We experimentally examine the effects of employees' promises on boosting the wage and effort level in the workplace. Employees make a non-binding promise along with a claimed wage in a gift-exchange game. The "claim and promise" setup allows us to test reciprocity in the "gift exchange" between employers and employees and the guilt-aversion theory in promise-keeping. We find that when the employer accepts and provides at least the claimed wage, the employee reciprocates by keeping his promise or exerting an even higher level of effort. However, when the employer offers a wage lower than the claimed wage, the employee retaliates by breaking the promise. The main results hold when employees must perform a real-effort task. In the real-effort paradigm, the negotiation between employers and employees anchoring on ability is successful. In both stated and real effort paradigms, the wage, effort level, and final social payoffs are higher in the accept scenario of the "claim and promise" treatment compared to the baseline. We use pupil dilation and eye-tracking lookup patterns to help assess guilt and reciprocity dynamically and test the psychological game theory model.
Three-dimensional in vitro model of the device-tissue interface reveals innate neuroinflammation can be mitigated by antioxidant ceria nanoparticles

The recording instability of neural implants due to neuroinflammation at the device-tissue interface (DTI) is a primary roadblock to broad adoption of brain-machine interfaces. While a multiphasic immune response, marked by glial scaring, oxidative stress (OS), and neurodegeneration, is well-characterized, the independent contributions of systemic and local innate immune responses are not well-understood. Three-dimensional primary neural cultures provide a unique environment for studying the drivers of neuroinflammation by decoupling the innate and systemic immune systems, while conserving an endogenous extracellular matrix and structural and functional network complexity. We created a three-dimensional in vitro model of the DTI by seeding primary cortical cells around microwires. Live imaging of microtissues over time revealed independent innate neuroinflammation, marked by increased OS, decreased neuronal density, and increased functional connectivity. We demonstrated the use of this model for therapeutic screening by directly applying drugs to neural tissue, bypassing low bioavailability through the in vivo blood brain barrier. As there is growing interest in long-acting antioxidant therapies, we tested efficacy of perpetual antioxidant ceria nanoparticles, which reduced OS, increased neuronal density, and protected functional connectivity. Overall, our avascular in vitro model of the DTI exhibited symptoms of OS-mediated innate neuroinflammation which were mitigated by antioxidant intervention.
Clinical features and natural history of hepatocellular adenomas: the impact of obesity

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 664–674 Summary Background Hepatocellular adenoma is a benign tumour associated with bleeding and malignant transformation. Obesity has been linked to hepatic tumourigenesis. Aim To evaluate the presentation of hepatocellular adenoma in obesity, and the impact of obesity on the clinical course. Methods Records of 60 consecutive patients (between 2005 and 2010) with a diagnosis of hepatocellular adenoma from a single tertiary centre were analysed. Results Fifty six of 60 patients were women, median age was 36 years, 75% had history of contraceptive use, 18% were overweight and 55% were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Majority (63%) were asymptomatic; seven patients presented with bleeding. Single (28%) and multiple adenomas (72%) were encountered; size ranged from 1 to 19.7 cm. Obesity was more often associated with multiple adenomas (85% vs. 48%, P = 0.005), bilobar distribution (67% vs. 33%, P = 0.01), lower serum albumin (P = 0.007) and co-morbidities of fatty liver (P = 0.006), diabetes (P = 0.003), hypertension (P = 0.006) and dyslipidemia (P = 0.03). During median follow-up of 2.6 years, there were no instances of bleeding, malignant transformation or death. Thirty four patients underwent therapeutic intervention (17 surgical resection, nine transarterial embolization and eight both interventions sequentially). The rate of complete resection of adenoma(s) was significantly lower in obese patients (8% vs. 69%, P = 0.004). In the 26 patients without intervention, tumour size progression was more frequently observed in obese patients (33% vs. 0%, P = 0.05). Three of 15 obese patients (20%) lost ≥5% body weight and there was no progression in the liver lesions. Conclusions Obesity and features of metabolic syndrome were frequently observed in hepatocellular adenoma. Multiple and bilobar adenomas were more frequent in obese patients. Among patients who were conservatively managed, tumour progression was more often associated with obesity.
Randomized Clinical Trial of Preoperative Feeding to Evaluate Intestinal Barrier Function in Neonates Requiring Cardiac Surgery

Objectives To evaluate intestinal barrier function in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery using lactulose/mannitol (L/M) ratio measurements, and to determine correlations with early breast milk feeding. Study design This was a single-center, prospective, randomized pilot study of 27 term-born neonates (≥37 weeks gestation) requiring cardiac surgery who were randomized to 1 of 2 preoperative feeding groups: nil per os (NPO) or trophic (10 mL/kg/day) breast milk feeds. At 3 time points (preoperative [preop], postoperative [postop] day 7, and postop day 14), subjects were administered an oral L/M solution, after which urine L/M ratios were measured using gas chromatography, with higher ratios indicative of increased intestinal permeability. Trends over time in the mean urine L/M ratios for each group were estimated using a general linear mixed model. Results There were no adverse events related to preoperative trophic feeding. In the NPO group (n = 13), the mean urine L/M ratio was 0.06 at preop, 0.12 at postop day 7, and 0.17 at postop day 14. In the trophic breast milk feeds group (n = 14), the mean urine L/M ratio was 0.09 at preop, 0.19 at postop day 7, and 0.15 at postop day 14. In both groups, L/M ratios were significantly higher at postop day 7 and postop day 14 compared with preop (P Conclusion Neonates have increased intestinal permeability after cardiac surgery extending to at least postop day 14. This pilot study was not powered to detect differences in benefit or adverse events comparing the NPO and trophic breast milk feeds groups. Further studies to identify mechanisms of intestinal injury and therapeutic interventions are warranted. Trial registration Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT01475357 .
New Quantitative, Qualitative, and Confirmatory Media for Rapid Analysis of Food for Clostridium perfringens

A selective and differential medium, Shahidi-Ferguson Perfringens agar (SFP agar), and a confirmatory medium, lactose-motility agar (LM agar), were developed for the enumeration and identification of Clostridium perfringens in foods. These media provide a rapid, specific, and direct diagnosis of C. perfringens. SFP agar contains sodium metabisulfite and ferric ammonium citrate to demonstrate H(2)S production and egg yolk to demonstrate lecithinase production by C. perfringens. On SFP agar, C. perfringens produces black colonies, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, surrounded by zones of opaque precipitate. The typical colonies are confirmed on LM agar. Enumeration and identification are completed within 48 hr. All of the ingredients of SFP agar are stable to heat and storage conditions. SFP agar also contains two antibiotics, kanamycin and polymyxin B, which are inhibitory to many bacteria commonly occurring in foods. A comparative study of SFP agar and noninhibitory media showed that SFP agar did not inhibit any of the 16 strains of C. perfringens tested. Recovery of C. perfringens added to foods averaged 90.6% for SFP agar as compared with 69.8% for sulfite polymyxin-sulfadiazine (SPS) agar (BBL) and 60.2% for SPS agar (Difco). The colonies on the SFP agar, were much larger and were consistently black. Of 464 food samples tested, C. perfringens was found in 27 samples with SFP agar and in 5 samples with SPS agar (Difco), with a recovery ratio considerably higher on SFP agar. SFP agar is a more specific presumptive medium for the enumeration of C. perfringens and in conjunction with LM agar should save considerable time, effort, and materials toward the final identification of the species.
ISO 9000: common mistakes and easy successes

This paper does not attempt to debate the rights and wrongs (and them are some) of the standard nor does it seek to persuade those who are unconvinced about its inevitability. It is aimed at those who have chosen, for whatever reason, to follow its path. It attempts to identify mistakes which have been commonly encountered in the course of a long and diverse consultancy career with a great many organizations, in the hope that those now responsible for its adoption can avoid them. It also identifies opportunities which are available to be realized if they are acted on.
Solvent-Jump Method

Chemical equilibria can be disturbed by changing intensive or extensive thermodynamic variables of the system. For experimental reasons, usually intensive variables are changed (1).From an operational point of view, one can distinguish perturbations by external and internal intensives variables. The external parameters usually altered are the temperature T, the pressure P, or the electric field strength E and the internal ones are the chemiocal potensials μi of the species present, i.e. the concentration of solutes and/or the composition of the solvent. A perturbation of the total solute concentration can be achieved by sudden dillution (concentration-jump) of the equilibrium system using rapid mixing devices (2). Similarly, the composition of the solvent can be abruptly changed by fast mixing of two equilibrium solutions of different solvents, or one equilibrium solution with another solvent. Since the total concentration of the solute is not necessarily changed in the experiment, the name of solvent-jump is more generally descriptive of the method than concentration-jump. This type of relaxation experiment was first suggested by Ljunggren and Lamm (3) and has been applied to slow (4) as well as to fast reactions (5,6) using transient and also non-transient (7) observation in stopped- and continuous flow systems, respectively.
Nanodusty plasma chemistry: a mechanistic and variational transition state theory study of the initial steps of silyl anion–silane and silylene anion–silane polymerization reactions

The growth of nanodusty particles, which is critical in plasma chemistry, physics, and engineering. The aim of the present work is to understand the detailed reaction mechanisms of early steps in this growth. The polymerization of neutral silane with the silylene or silyl anion, which eliminates molecular hydrogen with the formation of their higher homologues, governs the silicon hydride clustering in nanodusty plasma chemistry. The detailed mechanisms of these important polymerization reactions in terms of elementary reactions have not been proposed yet. In the present work, we investigated the initial steps of these polymerization reactions, i.e., the SiH4 + Si2H4−/Si2H5− reactions, and we propose a three-step mechanism, which is also applicable to the following polymerization steps. CM5 charges of all the silicon-containing species were computed in order to analyze the character of the species in the proposed reaction mechanisms. We also calculated thermal rate constant of each step using multi-structural canonical variational transition state theory (MS-CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation, based on the minimum energy path computed using M08-HX/MG3S electronic structure method.
Carcinoembryonic antigen radioimmunodetection in the evaluation of colorectal cancer and in the detection of occult neoplasms

Abstract Radioimmunodetection of colorectal cancer was evaluated in 51 patients by injecting 131 I-labeled goat antibody immunoglobulin G against carcinoembryonic antigen and performing total-body photoscans with a gamma scintillation camera 24 and 48 h later. The scintigrams were then processed by computer to subtract the images of the 99m -Tc-serum albumin and pertechnetate administered, which reject background and nontarget radioactivity, from the 131 I-antibody scans. The results indicate that radioimmunodetection is a safe and a potentially clinically useful cancer detection method, which in this study demonstrated primary colorectal carcinomas in 10 of 12 (83%) of the patients evaluated preoperatively and between 87% (46 of 53) and 92% (49 of 53) of known metastatic tumor sites. Thus, the method's overall sensitivity (true-positive rate) was 86%–91% on a tumor-site basis. A false-negative rate of between 9% and 14% and a false-positive rate of