cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Asian Pollution Outflows on the Pacific Storm Track

Increasing levels of particulate matter pollutants over the continents and associated pollution outflows have raised considerable concerns because of their potential impacts on the Pacific storm track and the regional climate. Inspired by the previous research work in our group (Zhang et al. 2007; Li et al. 2008a), which investigated the interannual trend of deep convective clouds and precipitation over the North Pacific from the observational dataset, I kept seeking the observational evidences and theoretical basis for the impacts of Asian pollution outflows on the storm track. In this study, we have derived and identified the interannual variation of Northwest Pacific storm track intensity on the basis of reanalysis datasets. Various modeling approaches have been utilized to tackle the multiscale nature of the interaction between aerosols and large-scale circulations. Seasonal (2 month) simulations using a CR-WRF model with a two-moment bulk microphysics have been conducted to examine the aerosol effects on the regional climate over the Pacific storm track. Subsequently, the anomalies of the diabatic heating rates produced by the Asian pollution outflow from the CR-WRF simulations are prescribed in the NACR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) as the aerosol forcing terms. Simulations of three winters using CAM5 with and without the derived aerosol forcings have been performed. In addition, the comparisons to the results from the multiscale aerosol-climate modeling framework have been conducted to further validate the responses of the Pacific storm track to the different aerosol forcings associated with elevated pollution levels.
Pyrethroid insecticides directly activate microglia through interaction with voltage-gated sodium channels

Microglia are considered to be the resident immune cells of the central nervous system and contribute significantly to ongoing neuroinflammation in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, we and others identified that voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) are present on microglia cells and contribute to excessive accumulation of intracellular Na+ and release of major pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Based on this finding and the fact that pyrethroid pesticides act on VGSC, we hypothesized that exposure of microglia to the pyrethroid pesticides, permethrin and deltamethrin, would activate microglia and increase the release of TNF-α. BV2 cells or primary microglia were treated with 0-5 µM deltamethrin or permethrin in the presence or absence of tetrodotoxin (TTX), a VGSC blocker for 24-48 h. Both pyrethroids caused a rapid Na+ influx and increased accumulation of intracellular sodium [(Na+)i] in the microglia in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which was significantly reduced by TTX. Furthermore, deltamethrin and permethrin increased the release of TNF-α in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which was significantly reduced by pre-treatment of cells with TTX. These results demonstrate that pyrethroid pesticides may directly activate microglial cells through their interaction with microglial VGSC. Because neuroinflammation plays a key role in many neurodegenerative diseases, these data provide an additional mechanism by which exposure to pyrethroid insecticides may contribute to neurodegeneration.
Leveraging technology to facilitate distress screening.

195Background: Research has shown cancer patients are at increased risk for distress during their cancer treatment. Distress screening is required for cancer programs seeking accreditation from the American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer and certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Oncology Practice Initiative. Developing a successful distress screening program is essential for cancer programs. Methods: The purpose of this project was to create a comprehensive distress screening program utilizing the electronic health record (EHR) to identify patients requiring screening and document interventions. A multidisciplinary team was established to develop a distress screening process for our cancer program. The team developed a screening tool based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer. The distress screening tool was built into the EHR. An alert was created to notify staff at visit check-in to provide the distress screening tool. Once completed...
Herpes Simplex Virus Hepatitis: A Presentation of Multi-Institutional Cases to Promote Early Diagnosis and Management of the Disease.

Objective. To compare three cases of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) hepatitis to increase early diagnosis of the disease. Case1. A 23-year-old man with Crohn’s disease and oral HSV. HSV hepatitis was diagnosed clinically and he improved with acyclovir. Case2. An 18-year-old G1P0 woman with transaminitis. Despite early empiric acyclovir therapy, she died due to fulminant liver failure. Case3. A 65-year-old woman who developed transaminitis after liver transplant. Diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy and she had resolution of acute liver failure with acyclovir. Conclusion. It is imperative that clinicians be aware of patients at high risk for developing HSV hepatitis to increase timely diagnosis and prevent morbidity and fatality.
Design Challenges for High Performance, Scalable NFV Interconnects

Software-based network functions (NFs) have seen growing interest. Increasingly complex functionality is achieved by having multiple functions chained together to support the required network-resident services. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platforms need to scale and achieve high performance, potentially utilizing multiple hosts in a cluster. Efficient data movement is crucial, a cornerstone of kernel bypass. Moving packet data involves delivering the packet from the network interface to an NF, moving it across functions on the same host, and finally across yet another network to NFs running on other hosts in a cluster/data center. In this paper we measure the performance characteristics of different approaches for moving data at each of these levels. We also introduce a new high performance inter-host interconnect using InfiniBand. We evaluate the performance of Open vSwitch and the Open Net VM NFV platform, considering a simple forwarding function and Snort, a popular intrusion detection system.
Design and specificity of long ssDNA donors for CRISPR-based knock-in

CRISPR/Cas technologies have transformed our ability to manipulate genomes for research and gene-based therapy. In particular, homology-directed repair after genomic cleavage allows for precise modification of genes using exogenous donor sequences as templates. While both single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) forms of donors have been used as repair templates, a systematic comparison of the performance and specificity of repair using ssDNA versus dsDNA donors is still lacking. Here, we describe an optimized method for the synthesis of long ssDNA templates and demonstrate that ssDNA donors can drive efficient integration of gene-sized reporters in human cell lines. We next define a set of rules to maximize the efficiency of ssDNA-mediated knock-in by optimizing donor design. Finally, by comparing ssDNA donors with equivalent dsDNA sequences (PCR products or plasmids), we demonstrate that ssDNA templates have a unique advantage in terms of repair specificity while dsDNA donors can lead to a high rate of off-target integration. Our results provide a framework for designing high-fidelity CRISPR-based knock-in experiments, in both research and therapeutic settings.
Social anxiety and alcohol-related outcomes: the mediating role of drinking context and protective strategies

Purpose: Students with social anxiety are vulnerable to hazardous drinking patterns due to their social evaluative fears and tendency to perceive alcohol use as a socially-approved, normative behav...
A novel, muscle strength-based endpoint for sensitively tracking disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (P3.138)

Objective: To describe a novel strength-based outcome measure developed using a large, phase 3, global ALS clinical trial population in which quantitative strength data was collected. Background: ALS is characterized by motor neuron degeneration, loss of muscle strength, and eventual early death. In ALS clinical trials the most widely used clinical endpoints are time-to-event (death, permanent assisted ventilation) and ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R). These endpoints require either an extended period of follow-up or a large number of participants to detect reasonable treatment effects. Despite the fact that loss of muscle strength is a core clinical feature of ALS, muscle strength measures are rarely utilized as primary endpoints in ALS clinical trials. This is likely because current muscle strength endpoints are less sensitive to disease progression, more time consuming to administer compared to ALSFRS-R, and clinically important change is not well understood. Design/Methods: Herein, we describe a novel, strength-based endpoint derived from hand held dynamometry data (HHD) collected in the EMPOWER study. Instead of analyzing strength data as continuous variable, we treat the earliest observation of a muscle reaching zero force as determined by hand held dynamometry (HHD) as an event. We then define a new endpoint as time to such an event, that is, the time from study entry to the first occurrence of zero muscle force in a set of defined muscles. Results: The novel endpoint, thus defined, sensitively tracks disease progression, requires either a smaller sample size or shorter duration of follow-up than traditional endpoints, and is highly correlated with survival, ALSFRS-R, respiratory, and quality-of-life measures. Conclusions: This novel, strength-based measure has the potential to be used as a primary endpoint in ALS clinical trials, especially for early phase, shorter duration, or small population clinical trials within a subset of ALS patients. Study Supported by: Biogen Disclosure: Dr. Ferguson has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen as an employee. Dr. Liu has receive personal compensation for activities with Biogen as an employee. Dr. Han has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. Han holds stock and/or stock options in Biogen Idec. Dr. Johns has received personal compensation for activities with Novartis as an employee. Dr. Johns holds stock and/or stock options in Novartis, which sponsored research in which Dr. Johns was involved as an investigator. Dr. Johns holds stock and/or stock options in Novartis. Dr. Johns has received research support from Novartis.
Semi-transparent vertical organic light-emitting transistors

Abstract Vertical organic light-emitting transistor (VOLET) having an organic light-emitting diode integrated with a vertical thin-film transistor is promising for transparent electronics because the vertical device structure potentially offers a display with a large aperture ratio and a low power consumption. However, making a transparent VOLET has been challenging due to the requirements for all transparent electrodes including fabrication of a porous source electrode for current modulation in the device. Here, we report a semi-transparent VOLET with a large modulation of light emitted through the top and bottom electrodes using a nano-porous indium-tin oxide (ITO) source electrode, a Mg:Ag drain electrode, and an ITO gate electrode. The porous ITO source electrode is not only important for luminance modulation, but the nano-textured film morphology also enhances light extraction from the device. Finally, we show that the off current of the VOLET can be suppressed with an electron transporting layer (C60), leading to a large luminance on/off ratio of 104.
Termiticidal activity of chitosan against the subterranean termites Reticulitermes flavipes and Reticulitermes virginicus.

BACKGROUND Chitosan is a derivative form of chitin, which is the major component of exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi. The antimicrobial activity of chitosan against lepidopterans, aphids, fungi and bacteria has been extensively investigated, but only one report on the termiticidal effect of chitosan on termites has been published. In this study, we examined the termiticidal activity of chitosan by exposing single colonies of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and Reticulitermes virginicus Banks to wood treated with six different concentrations of chitosan solutions. Termite mortality and percent mass loss of wood samples after exposure to termites for 4 weeks were calculated. RESULTS High termite mortality (≥ 94%) occurred during exposure of R. flavipes termites to chitosan-treated wood with ≥38 mg g-1 treatment concentrations (≥ 2% chitosan), while <50% termite mortality was observed at lower treatment concentrations (11–15 mg g-1; 0.5% and 1% chitosan). For R. virginicus, 100% mortality was observed at all levels of treatment concentrations. A decrease in the percent mass loss of the wood sample was apparent in samples treated with solutions with an increasing chitosan concentration, with a significant difference (P < 0.05) between lower and higher treatment concentrations. Treatment retention in wood samples upon leaching was also determined and showed retention levels of between 0 and 30 mg g-1 chitosan retention. CONCLUSION This study investigated the exposure of subterranean termites to chitosan as a wood preservative. The results show that chitosan treatments at sufficiently high loadings could protect wood against termites, preferably under non-leaching conditions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Single-injection ex ovo transplantation method for broad spinal cord engraftment of human pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons

Abstract Background Transplantation of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neurons into chick embryos is an established preliminary assay to evaluate engraftment potential. Yet, with recent advances in deriving diverse human neuronal subtypes, optimizing and standardizing such transplantation methodology for specific subtypes at their correlated anatomical sites is still required. New method We determined the optimal stage of hPSC-derived motor neuron (hMN) differentiation for ex ovo transplantation, and developed a single injection protocol that implants hMNs throughout the spinal cord enabling broad regional engraftment possibilities. Results A single injection into the neural tube lumen yielded a 100% chick embryo survival and successful transplantation rate with MN engraftment observed from the rostral cervical through caudal lumbar spinal cord. Transplantation of HB9 + /ChAT − hMN precursors yielded the greatest amount of engraftment compared to Pax6 + /Nkx6.1 + /Olig2 + progenitors or mature HB9 + /ChAT + hMNs. Comparison with existing method(s) Our single injection hMN transplant method is the first to standardize the optimal hMN phenotype for chick embryo transplantation, provide a rubric for engraftment quantification, and enable broad engraftment throughout the spinal cord with a single surgical intervention. Conclusion Transplantation of HB9 + /ChAT − hMN precursors into chick embryos of Hamburger Hamilton (HH) stages 15–18 using a single luminal injection confers a high probability of embryo survival and cell engraftment in diverse regions throughout the spinal cord.
Advanced ERCP techniques for the extraction of complex biliary stones: a single referral center’s 12-year experience

Objectives: Advanced ERCP techniques (AETs) for difficult biliary stones include peroral cholangioscopy (POC) with electrohydraulic/laser lithotripsy (EHL/LL), endoscopic papillary large balloon di...
An experience report and analysis of Java technologies in undergraduate game programming courses

We report on our experience in the design, execution, and evaluation of an undergraduate game programming course that used Java-based technologies. The formal learning objectives for the course are presented, and we provide a justification for the use of Slick, an open source, Java-based library for writing 2D games. Slick was used in conjunction with Eclipse, Subversion, and Java WebStart. Slick has a modular design that provides a layer of abstraction above the LightWeight Java Gaming Library (LWJGL), using native libraries to delegate to OpenGL, OpenAL, JInput, and the Java API for graphics, audio, and input processing. Our experience showed that Slick provided an appropriate level of abstraction for a course that balanced academic rigor against the demands of production. We also report on a subset of these students who developed a 3D game using JMonkeyEngine after having learned 2D game programming in Slick, and compare their experiences using these two different interface paradigms and software libraries. We conclude with recommendations for future educational research that explores how 2D and 3D game programming meet course and program objectives.
87 : Caspase-8 regulates β-glucan induced IL-1β production and cell death

Inflammasomes play a crucial role in host defense against a variety of microbial infections through regulating the maturation of the IL-1 family of cytokines as well as pyroptotic cell death. We have previously identified an essential role for the NLRP3-ASC-Caspase-1 inflammasome in IL-1 β production triggered by the fungal pathogen, C. albicans and the importance of this pathway in the clearance of C. albicans in an in vivo mouse model of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis (OPC). Here, we uncovered an important role for the pro-apoptotic caspase, Caspase-8 in IL-1 β production induced by β -glucan, a potent immunostimulatory component of fungal cell walls. We found that β -glucan induced IL-1 β production requires Caspase-8, in addition to the NLRP3-ASC-Caspase-1 inflammasome. We treated bone marrow derived macrophages and dendritic cells from RIP3 −/− Caspase-8 −/− mice with various β -glucan related molecules, such as curdlan, fungal whole glucan particles or heat killed C. albicans, and found that Caspase-8 was required for IL-1 β production with these stimuli but not with canonical inflammasome activators such as silica, nigericin or poly (dA:dT). Of note, Caspase-8 deficiency did not affect β -glucan induced synthesis of pro-IL1 β . In addition, RIP3 −/− Caspase-8 −/− cells were protected from β -glucan induced cell death, whereas RIP3 −/− deficiency did not affect β -glucan induced IL-1 β production or cell death. In contrast to these observations, we found that IL-1 β production and cell death in response to live C. albicans infection was not Caspase-8 dependent, raising the possibility that β -glucan may not be exposed by C. albicans to engage this pathway. This study establishes a key link between Caspase-8 and Caspase-1 in coordinating cytokine secretion and cell death in response to fungal pathogenic patterns, and provides evidence for how pathways leading to inflammation and cell death are intertwined for an effective host immune response.
Dependencies in Bivariate Interval-Valued Symbolic Data

This paper looks at measures of dependence for symbolic intervalvalued data. A method is given to calculate an empirical copula for a bivariate interval-valued variable. This copula is then used to determine an empirical formula for calculating Spearman’s rho for such data. The methodology is illustrated from a set of hematocrit-hemoglobin data and the results compared with Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient.
Retinoic acid and α-galactosylceramide differentially regulate CD19+ B cell activation in vitro and augment antibody production in vivo (130.20)

All-trans retinoic acid (RA) promotes the maturation and differentiation of B cells, which are known as a class of professional antigen-presenting cells. Here we have shown that CD1d, a MHC-class I-like molecule that presents lipid antigens, is expressed in the spleen mainly on B cells, and is increased by RA. Thus we hypothesized that RA and the CD1d ligand, α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer), could interact to promote the differentiation, maturation, and antibody response of antigen-activated B cells. αGalCer alone markedly stimulated and RA further increased B cell proliferation, synergizing with the B-cell antigen receptor. Combined treatment with RA and αGalCer also enriched a CD19hi B cell subpopulation, with higher CD1d expression, that exhibited a more differentiated phenotype in terms of sIgG1, CD138/syndecan-1 and PNA/Fas expression, as well as γ1 GLT, Pax-5, AID, and IRF-4, genes that control B cell proliferation and plasmacytic cell differentiation. In vivo, mice treated with RA and/or αGalCer during primary immunization with tetanus toxoid produced a higher anti-tetanus IgG response and, after reimmunization, had more bone marrow anti-tetanus antibody-secreting cells, indicative of heightened long-term memory. Thus, RA together with αGalCer can effectively regulate B cell proliferation and differentiation, ultimately promoting a more efficient antibody response to protein antigen.
Anticonvulsant-Related Bone Disease

Anticonvulsants were first associated with adverse effects on bone in the late 1960s. Susceptible populations include institutionalized people, postmenopausal women, older men, and children. Increased fracture, low bone mineral density, altered bone quality, and changes in bone and mineral metabolism are potential manifestations of anticonvulsant-related bone disease. Although early studies found evidence of osteomalacia, findings are now more suggestive of increased bone turnover and osteoporosis. Cytochrome P450 enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants are most commonly associated with abnormalities in bone and accelerated vitamin D metabolism secondary to this induction is the main mechanism proposed to describe the effect of anticonvulsants on bone. Active vitamin D metabolites are not however consistently reduced and other non-inducing anticonvulsants including gabapentin may also affect bone. Other potential mechanisms include impaired calcium absorption, reduced reproductive hormones, and a direct effect of epilepsy on bone. There is limited study on the treatment of anticonvulsant-related bone disease.
Acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment: Approaches and strategies

Abstract Acid mine drainage (AMD) occurs after mining exposes metal sulfides to oxidizing conditions. Leaching of reaction products into surface waters pollute over 20,000 km of streams in the USA alone. The coal mine permitting process requires prediction of AMD potential via overburden analysis. Where a potential exists, AMD control measures including spoil handling plans, alkaline amendment, and oxygen barriers or water covers may be required to stop or hinder AMD generation. Other AMD control technologies include injection of alkaline materials (coal ashes and limestone products) into abandoned underground mines and into buried acid material in mine backfills, remining of abandoned areas, and installation of alkaline recharge trenches. Where AMD already exists, effluent treatment is required. Active treatment includes adding alkaline chemicals such as Ca(OH)2, CaO, NaOH, Na2CO3, and NH3, but chemical treatment is costly, requires dispensing equipment and facilities, and often extends for decades. Passive treatment systems may also be employed to treat problem drainages and are effective under certain flow and acidity conditions. Such systems include aerobic and anaerobic wetlands, anoxic limestone drains, vertical flow wetlands, open limestone channels, and alkaline leach beds. This article discusses the process of AMD formation, preventative and control measures, and describes treatment methods for existing AMD discharges.
Optimized coherence selection.

Abstract A theoretical framework for optimized coherence order selection in regards to cogwheel phase cycling is developed based on analysis of solutions of the associated homogeneous linear Diophantine equation. The empirical Hughes-Carravetta-Levitt conjectures are derived. A general formula is constructed that is guaranteed to provide valid phase cycles. Optimality of this formula is proven for non-sparse sets of coherence levels with relatively prime lower absolute bounds. Smaller phase cycles can be constructed when these conditions do not hold. The resultant formula can be incorporated into NMR spectrometer software to automatically generate cogwheel phase cycles.
Peri-Lead Edema After Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: A Poorly Understood but Frequent Complication.

Objective Postoperative peri-lead edema (PLE) is a poorly understood complication of deep brain stimulation (DBS), which has been described sporadically in patients presenting with profound and often delayed symptoms. We performed a prospective evaluation of patients undergoing DBS to determine the frequency of and identify risk factors for PLE. Methods Patients underwent DBS electrode placement by a single physician. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed approximately 6 weeks after the operation in asymptomatic subjects and analyzed for presence of PLE. All symptomatic subjects underwent MRI at the time of presentation. Data regarding index disease, preoperative medical issues, operative technique, and intraoperative variables were collected and statistically analyzed. Results A total of 191 leads were placed in 102 subjects; 15 patients (14.7%) demonstrated PLE. Seven patients (6.9%) presented with symptoms related to PLE, most often altered mental status or neurologic deficit. Many of the MRI findings were profound, with PLE sometimes several centimeters in diameter. No statistically significant difference was found between PLE-positive and normal subjects when analyzing multiple variables, including presence of vascular disease, hypertension, anticoagulant/antiplatelet use, electrode target, index disease, unilateral versus bilateral lead placement, number of brain penetrations, and presence or absence of microelectrode recording. Conclusions Patients with postoperative PLE can present with severe symptoms or can be asymptomatic and go undiagnosed. Because of the delayed-onset potential, PLE may be more common than previously reported. No clear risk factors have been identified; therefore, further studies and increased clinical vigilance are paramount for improving comprehension and possible prevention of PLE.
Sweep to the Secret: A Constant Propagation Attack on Logic Locking

The development of hardware intellectual properties (IPs) has faced many challenges due to malicious modifications and piracy. One potential solution to protect IPs against these attacks is to perform a key-based logic locking process that disables the functionality and corrupts the output of the IP when the incorrect key value is applied. However, many attacks on logic locking have been introduced to break the locking mechanism and obtain the key. In this paper, we present SWEEP, a constant propagation attack that exploits the change in characteristics of the IP when a single key-bit value is hard-coded. The attack process starts with analyzing design features that are generated from the synthesis tool and establishes a correlation between these features and the correct key values. In order to perform the attack, the logic locking tool needs to be available. The level of accuracy of the extracted key mainly depends on the type of logic locking approach used to obfuscate the IP. Our attack was applied to ISCAS85, and MCNC benchmarks obfuscated using various logic locking techniques and has obtained an average accuracy of 92.09%.
The Power of Suggestion

Multiagent teams have been shown to be effective in many domains that require coordination among team members. However, finding valuable joint-actions becomes increasingly difficult in tightly-coupled domains where each agent's performance depends on the actions of many other agents. Reward shaping partially addresses this challenge by deriving more "tuned" rewards to provide agents with additional feedback, but this approach still relies on agents randomly discovering suitable joint-actions. In this work, we introduce Counterfactual Agent Suggestions (CAS) as a method for injecting knowledge into an agent's learning process within the confines of existing reward structures. We show that CAS enables agent teams to converge towards desired behaviors more reliably. We also show that improvement in team performance in the presence of suggestions extends to large teams and tightly-coupled domains.
Piggyback on TNCs for Electricity Services: Spatial Pricing and Synergetic Value

Major Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), including Uber and Lyft, are in the process of electrifying their fleets. These electrified fleets can provide electricity service in addition to transportation service. This paper examines the problem of optimal spatial pricing for an electrified TNC jointly providing transportation and electricity services. When the system demand is spatially balanced, we establish a tight characterization of the optimal pricing policy and the platform profit. Furthermore, we highlight the role electricity service may provide in reducing the transportation spatial imbalance and characterize the resulting synergetic value.
Interactions among biological control agents on waterhyacinth: impacts of herbivory on the oviposition and development of Megamelus scutellaris

Multiple biological control agents have been developed and released to increase control and reduce treatment costs of Pontederia (Eichhornia) crassipes in Florida. Although two species of weevil (N...
Self-sustained oscillations in homogeneous shear flow

Generation of the large-scale coherent vortical structurs in homogeneous shear flow couples dynamical processes of energy and enstrophy production. In the large rate of strain limit, the simple estimates of the contributions to the energy and enstrophy equations result in a dynamical system, describing experimentally and numerically observed self-sustained non-linear oscillations of energy and enstrophy. It is shown that the period of these oscilaltions is independent upon the box size and the energy and enstrophy fluctuations are strongly correlated.
HIV stigma beliefs in context: Country and regional variation in the effects of instrumental stigma beliefs on protective sexual behaviors in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southern Africa

Abstract Does the relationship between the expression of HIV stigma beliefs and the practice of protective sexual behaviors vary by social context? To answer this question, we apply multilevel techniques to Demographic and Health Survey data from seven low HIV prevalence Latin American and Caribbean countries and seven high HIV prevalence Southern African countries to examine contextual variation in this relationship. We examine whether the relationship between stigma beliefs and sexual behaviors differs across these two sets of countries and across regions within each set of countries. We first find that in high prevalence Southern African countries, one unit increases in HIV stigma beliefs are associated with 8% declines in the odds of practicing protective sexual behaviors. Conversely, in low prevalence Latin American and Caribbean countries, unit increases in HIV stigma beliefs are associated with 8% increases in the odds of those same sexual behaviors. Second, the relationship between stigma beliefs and protective sexual behaviors varies across regions within each set of countries, with a wider variance in regional stigma effects located in Southern Africa than in Latin America and the Caribbean. Third, in Southern Africa, the negative effect of stigma beliefs is even more negative in regions where conservative stigma beliefs are pronounced. Overall, our findings demonstrate the importance of taking country and regional context into account when examining the degree to which HIV beliefs affect personal sexual behaviors, which in turn, can contribute to the spread of HIV. Importantly, the implications of our results offer potential guidance to experts who wish to design policies and programs aimed at reducing the expression of negative HIV beliefs towards those infected with HIV.
Microstructural changes in the spinal cord of adults with cerebral palsy.

AIM To quantify the microstructural differences in the cervical-thoracic spinal cord of adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD Magnetic resonance imaging of the proximal spinal cord (C6-T3) was conducted on a cohort of adults with CP (n=13; mean age=31y 11mo, standard deviation [SD] 8y 7mo; range=20y 8mo-47y 6mo; eight females, five males) and population norm adult controls (n=16; mean age=31y 4mo, SD 9y 9mo; range=19y 4mo-49y 5mo; seven females, nine males). The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the spinal cord, gray and white matter, magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), and fractional anisotropy of the cuneatus and corticospinal tracts were calculated. RESULTS The total spinal cord CSA and proportion of the spinal cord gray matter CSA were significantly decreased in the adults with CP. The corticospinal tracts' MTR was lower in the adults with CP. Individuals that had reduced gray matter also tended to have reduced MTR in their corticospinal tracts (r=0.42, p=0.029) and worse hand dexterity clinical scores (r=0.53, p=0.004). INTERPRETATION These results show that there are changes in the spinal cord microstructure of adults with CP. Ultimately, these microstructural changes play a role in the extent of the hand sensorimotor deficits seen in adults with CP. What this paper adds Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) have a reduced spinal cord cross-sectional area (CSA). Spinal cord gray matter is reduced in adults with CP. Spinal cord CSA is associated with hand dexterity. Magnetization transfer ratio of corticospinal tracts was lower in adults with CP.
Both frontal and temporal cortex exhibit phonological and semantic specialization during spoken language processing in 7- to 8-year-old children.

A previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study by Weiss et al. (Weiss et al., Human Brain Mapping, 2018, 39, 4334-4348) examined brain specialization for phonological and semantic processing of spoken words in young children who were 5 to 6 years old and found evidence for specialization in the temporal but not the frontal lobe. According to a prominent neurocognitive model of language development (Skeide & Friederici, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2016, 17, 323-332), the frontal lobe matures later than the temporal lobe. Thus, the current study aimed to examine if brain specialization in the frontal lobe can be observed in a slightly older cohort of children aged 7 to 8 years old using the same experimental and analytical approach as in Weiss et al. (Weiss et al., Human Brain Mapping, 2018, 39, 4334-4348). One hundred and ten typically developing children were recruited and were asked to perform a sound judgment task, tapping into phonological processing, and a meaning judgment task, tapping into semantic processing, while in the MRI scanner. Direct task comparisons showed that these children exhibited language specialization in both the temporal and the frontal lobes, with the left posterior dorsal inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) showing greater activation for the sound than the meaning judgment task, and the left anterior ventral IFG and the left posterior middle temporal gyrus (MTG) showing greater activation for the meaning than the sound judgment task. These findings demonstrate that 7- to 8-year-old children have already begun to develop a language-related specialization in the frontal lobe, suggesting that early elementary schoolers rely on both specialized linguistic manipulation and representation mechanisms to perform language tasks.
Infant Cognitive Development and Stimulating Parenting Practices in Rural China.

This study examines the prevalence of cognitive delay among infants and toddlers in rural China and its relationship with one of the potential sources of the observed delay: low levels of stimulating parenting practices (SPPs). Data were compiled from five distinct studies, resulting in a pooled sample of 4436 caregivers of 6–29-month-old infants. The sampling sites span five provinces in rural China. According to the data, on average, rates of delay are high—51 percent. The low rates of SPPs among our sample demonstrate that this may be one source of the high prevalence of delays. The results of the multivariate regression analysis reveal that reading books and singing songs are each significantly associated with an increase in infant cognitive score by 1.62 points (p = 0.003) and 2.00 points (p < 0.001), respectively. Telling stories to infants, however, is not significantly associated with infant cognitive scores. Our findings indicate that caregivers with different characteristics engage in various levels of stimulating practices and have infants with different rates of delay. Specifically, infants of better-educated mothers who have greater household assets are in families in which the caregivers provide more SPPs and have infants who score higher on the study’s cognitive abilities scales.
Optimal PSA Threshold for Obtaining MRI-Fusion Biopsy in Biopsy-Naïve Patients.

Objective. The study investigates the prostate-specific antigen threshold for adding targeted, software-based, magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion biopsy during a standard 12-core biopsy in biopsy-naive patients. It secondarily explores whether the targeted biopsy is necessary in setting of abnormal digital rectal examination. Methods. 260 patients with suspected localized prostate cancer with no prior biopsy underwent prostate magnetic resonance imaging and were found to have Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesion(s). All 260 patients underwent standard 12-core biopsy and targeted biopsy during the same session. Clinically significant cancer was Gleason 3 + 4. Results. Percentages of patients with prostate-specific antigen 0–1.99, 2–3.99, 4–4.99, 5–5.99, 6–9.99, and 10 were 3.0%, 4.7%, 20.8%, 16.9%, 37.7%, and 16.9%, respectively. Cumulative frequency of clinically significant prostate cancer increased with the addition of targeted biopsy compared with standard biopsy alone across all prostate-specific antigen ranges. The difference in clinically significant cancer detection between targeted plus standard biopsy compared to standard biopsy alone becomes statistically significant at prostate-specific antigen >4.3 ( ). At this threshold, combination biopsy detected 20 clinically significant prostate cancers, while standard detected 14 with 88% sensitivity and 20% specificity. Excluding targeted biopsy in setting of a positive digital rectal exam would save 12.3% magnetic resonance imaging and miss 1.8% clinically significant cancers in our cohort. Conclusions. In biopsy-naive patients, at prostate-specific antigen >4.3, there is a significant increase in clinically significant prostate cancer detection when targeted biopsy is added to standard biopsy. Obtaining standard biopsy alone in patients with abnormal digital rectal examinations would miss 1.8% clinically significant cancers in our cohort.
The Emerging Role of the Fetal Insulin Receptor in Hormone-refractory Breast Cancer.

The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor and a mediator of the biologic effects of insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I/II). Inhibitors of IGF-1R signaling were tested in clinical cancer trials aiming to assess the utility of this receptor as a therapeutic target; essentially all IGF-1R inhibitors failed to provide an additional benefit compared to standard-of-care therapy. In this review, we will evaluate the role the insulin receptor (IR) plays in mediating IGF signaling and subsequent metabolic and mitogenic effects as one possible reason for these failures. IR is expressed as two isoforms, with the fetal isoform IR-A derived from alternative splicing and loss of exon 11, the adult isoform (IR-B) includes this exon. Cancer frequently re-express fetal proteins and this appears to be the case in cancer with a re-expression of the fetal isoform and an increased IR-A: IR-B ratio. The biological effects of IR isoform signaling are complex and not completely understood although it has been suggested that IR-A could stimulate mitogenic signaling pathways, play a role in cancer cell stemness, and mediated tolerance to cancer therapies. From a clinical perspective, the IR-A overexpression in cancer may explain why targeting IGF-1R alone was not successful. However, given the predominance of IR-A expression in cancer, it may also be possible to develop isoform specific inhibitors and avoid the metabolic consequences of inhibiting IR-B. If such inhibitors could be developed, then IR-A expression could serve as a predictive biomarker and co-targeting IR-A and IGF-1R could provide a novel, more effective therapy method.
Designing a Child's Safety Seat

There is an increasing need for understanding human elements in the development of commercially successful products for children.1-4 We have generated and utilized human factors data in the design of a child9s safety seat. Thirty-five children, aged 6 to 42 months, were randomly selected from a Midwestern population. Anthropometric data were obtained by recording age, height, head width, shoulder width, buttock width, arm length, and leg length. Each child was photographed standing and sitting against a grid.
Milnor’s Work in Algebra and Its Ramifications

Highlights of Milnor’s extensive work in algebra are surveyed, with an emphasis on their ramifications and influence on further developments in the field. After brief discussion of his work on Hopf algebras, and on Growth of groups, more substantial treatment is given of his work on The Congruence Subgroup Problem, and on Algebraic K-theory and quadratic forms.
Irrigation of the Root Canal System by Laser Activation (LAI): PIPS Photon-Induced Photoacoustic Streaming

Root canal debridement and disinfection control are two of the main steps in root canal therapy. Control of bacterial load from an infected root canal before obturation is necessary to have a more predictable outcome. Bacteria will be present as biofilm colonies and will be responsible to establish disease and infection. Inside the root canal, it will be attached to the canal walls, well within dentinal tubules, fins, lateral canals, and foramina. In a different study, Nair found the presence of bacteria within these areas such as the root canal, fins, webs, isthmuses, etc., even after cleaning, shaping, and filling of the root canal system. When bacteria colonize the root canal system, it becomes very hard to effectively remove it from these inaccessible areas.
The Challenges of Orpheus: Lyric Poetry and Early Modern England

As a literary mode "lyric" is difficult to define precisely. While the term has conventionally been applied to brief, songlike poems expressing the speaker's interior thoughts critics have questioned many of the assumptions underlying this definition, calling into doubt the very possibility of self-expression in language. Whereas much recent scholarship on lyric has centered on the Romantic era, Heather Dubrow turns instead to the poetry of early modern England. The Challenges of Orpheus confronts widespread assumptions about lyric, exploring such topics as its relationship to its audiences, the impact of material conditions of production and other cultural pressures, lyric's negotiations of gender, and the interactions and tensions between lyric and narrative. Offering fresh perspectives on major texts of the period-from Wyatt's "My lute awake" to Milton's Nativity Ode-as well as poems by lesser-known figures, Dubrow extends her critical conclusions to poetry in other historical periods and to the relationship between creative writers and critics, recommending new directions for the study of lyric and of genre.
Behaviours of pulmonary sensory receptors during development of acute lung injury in the rabbit.

We tested the hypothesis that oleic acid-induced acute lung injury activates pulmonary nociceptors, that is, C fibre receptors (CFRs) and high-threshold Aδ fibre receptors (HTARs). Single-unit activity was recorded in the cervical vagus nerve and assessed before and after injecting oleic acid (75 μl kg−1i.v.) into anaesthetized, open-chest, mechanically ventilated rabbits. Unit activities increased within seconds and peaked within a few minutes (from 0.3 ± 0.1 to 1.4 ± 0.9 impulses s−1 for CFRs and from 0.5 ± 0.1 to 1.7 ± 0.3 impulses s−1 for HTARs, both n= 8 and P < 0.05). These activities were sustained while pulmonary oedema developed and dynamic lung compliance decreased over the 90 min observation period. Activities in slowly adapting receptors and rapidly adapting receptors were also increased; however, their responsiveness to airway pressure stimulation decreased progressively. We conclude that pulmonary nociceptors are stimulated during acute lung injury. The dual nociceptor system, consisting of both non-myelinated CFRs and myelinated HTARs, may play an important role in the pathophysiological process of acute lung injury-induced respiratory responses.
Winks, blinks, squints and twitches: Looking for disability, culture and self‐determination through our son's left eye

In this article, we argue that while an appreciation of disability’s cultural context is fundamental, we should be careful not to replace one essentialist version of disability with a new one. We look at the relational patterns that emerge from the specific circumstances of significant intellectual disability. This article follows Clifford Geertz’ well‐known account of the multiple layers of cultural context and interpretive richness raised by even a seemingly simple act such as winking. By exploring the meaning of son’s ability to wink, we argue that intellectual disability may be interpreted as the absence of culture. The article goes on to explore the fragility of this relationship through the example of the cultural status of adulthood. Two recent reform initiatives ‐ independent living and community inclusion ‐ are discussed in light of this interpretation of intellectual disability. Implications for further research are briefly mentioned.
The bright thread: the Bulletin's 75th anniversary.

This chronological review of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association deals with the years 1911 through 1985. The Bulletin has had nineteen editors, from Marcia C. Noyes and John Ruhrah, M.D. (1911-26), through Susan Crawford, Ph.D. (1983-1986). This paper describes the Bulletin's gradual expansion in size and contents, the initiation of various departments and sections, and some of the pioneering articles. Major steps in expenses, income, and subscription price are given. Important changes in the format and the growth of the administrative and advisory structures are covered.
Mothers Setting Boundaries

Certain genes are only expressed at one allele, a phenomenon called imprinting. Although it is well established that one allele of certain imprinted genes is silenced through methylation, this does not appear to be the case for all imprinted genes. In a thoughtful Perspective, Thorvaldsen and Bartolomei discuss new findings showing that insertion of insulator elements (boundary regions) between the promoter of a gene and its enhancer (a sequence that boosts gene expression) may be another way in which genes are silenced during imprinting.
The Consequence argument and the Mind argument

Van Inwagen, like many other libertarians, is convinced by the argument. But there is a problem: one of the presuppositions of the Consequence argument seems to yield a powerful argument for the incompatibility of freedom and indeterminism, an argument van Inwagen calls the Mind argument.1 It seems, then, that what many have taken to provide the most powerful reason to reject compatibilism also provides reason to embrace scepticism about the very possibility of freedom. Since van Inwagen is a libertarian and would like to reject both compatibilism and scepticism, he recognizes the need to respond to this problem. His solution is to identify and reject a premiss of the Mind argument not shared by the Consequence argument, but he admits that he does not know 'how it could be' that the premiss in question is false.