cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cyclosporine-induced nephrotoxicity in deoxycorticosterone-NaCl treated rats.

Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that the adverse effects of cyclosporine (Cy) are accelerated in animals with induced hypertension. Four groups of rats were unilaterally nephrectomized at 5 weeks of age. Two weeks later, two of these groups received implantations of Silastic strips impregnated with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) and were maintained on 1% saline (DOCA-NaCl); the other two groups served as sham controls. Daily injections of Cy (20 mg/kg) were given to one DOCA-NaCl and one control group. During the initial 3 days, the Cy/DOCA-NaCl treated rats displayed a significant increase in systolic arterial pressure (SAP), but their SAP did not increase significantly thereafter. Cy/DOCA-NaCl treatment caused severe nephrotoxicity 18 days after initiation of treatment, but neither cyclosporine nor DOCA-NaCl treatment alone resulted in morphological renal damage. In Cy/DOCA-NaCl rats, the interstitial spaces between renal tubules were dramatically increased in size and contained abundant bundles of collagenous fibres, deposits of immunoreactive laminin, and infiltrates of mononuclear cells. In a second experiment, bilateral renal denervation prior to treatment did not lessen the Cy-induced renal damage. These results indicate that in the DOCA-NaCl rat, Cy treatment damages the renal cortex in a pattern similar to that observed in humans treated chronically with Cy. Further, the results indicate that an absence of renal innervation does not decrease the nephrotoxic effects of Cy in this rapid onset model.
Justice After War

After the conclusion of hostilities, whether formal armed conflict or not, parties must be held to account for their behavior. This sentiment is almost universally shared, regardless of one’s moral or ethical framework, though the specifics of this accounting are deeply controversial and contested. In Part 2 of this brief commentary, I offer a normative foundation for justice after war that appeals to the anti-impunity norm. I conclude that criminal trials, as opposed to non-penal mechanisms, best vindicate the anti-impunity norm. In light of this conclusion, Part 3 asks how we should achieve justice after war: who should be put on trial (leaders or foot soldiers), who should prosecute them (national or international courts), which crimes they should be charged with (domestic or international crimes), which procedures should govern the trials, and how (and why) they should be punished.
Abstract A33: Modulation of gene expression by a cooked novel resistant starch in the colon of AOM-treated Fisher 344 rats

We previously reported that a cooked novel steric acid complexed high amylose starch (SAC) diet fed to Azoxymethane (AOM)-treated Fisher 344 rats significantly reduced the preneoplastic lesions, Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF) and Mucin Depleted Foci (MDF), in comparison with water-boiled normal cornstarch (CS) diet or high amylose cornstarch (HA) diet. To determine the effect of water-boiled SAC diet on the global gene expression patterns we performed Affymetrix Genechip microarray analysis on rat colon mucosa after the rats were treated with AOM and then fed 3 different diets for 8 weeks. Genes that were significantly differentially regulated by AOM or by diet were identified. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was followed as a subsequent examination confirmed the reliability of this analysis. Microarray and qRT-PCR data showed that AOM affected gene expression for 389 genes when considering q Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A33.
Vertical Distribution of Pear Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Forest Soils

Between July and December, pits (30 em deep) were excavated in sugar maple forests to determine the vertical distribution of pear thrips, Taeniothrips inconsequens (Uzel). In well-drained, fine sandy loam, 67.3% of the larvae occurred in the upper 10 cm and 40% of the thrips were located in t∼e upper 4 cm, whereas during dormancy, only 21% of the thrips were found that deep. In early June, when larvae reenter the soil, thrips were commonly found in the litter, but by mid-June, vertical distribution had stabilized, suggesting that downward movement of thrips into the soil had ceased.
Rhamnolipids as Platform Molecules for Production of Potential Anti-zoospore Agrochemicals

Rhamnolipid biosurfactants have potential applications in the control of zoosporic plant pathogens. However, rhamnolipids have not been closely investigated for the anti-zoospore mechanism or for developing new anti-zoospore chemicals. In this study, RhL-1 and RhL-3 groups of rhamnolipids were used to generate the corresponding RhL-2 and RhL-4 groups and the free diacids. Conversion of RhL-3 to RhL-1 was also accomplished in vitro with cellobiase as the catalyst. The anti-zoospore effects of RhL-1-RhL-4 and the diacids were investigated with zoospores of Phytophthora sojae. For RhL-1-RhL-4, approximately 20, 30, 40, and 40 mg/L, respectively, were found to be the lowest concentrations required to stop movement of all zoospores, which indicates that the anti-zoospore effect remains strong even after RhL-1 and RhL-3 are hydrolyzed into RhL-2 and RhL-4. The free diacids required a significantly higher critical concentration of about 125 mg/L. Rhamnose can be obtained as a co-product.
The Benefactor's Account-book: The Rhetoric of Gift Reciprocation according to Seneca and Paul*

According to Seneca, a cardinal rule of benefaction is that the donor of a gift ought never to call attention to the fact that a gift has been given; it humiliates the donee and shames the donor. In reminding Philemon that he ‘owes’ Paul for the latter's mediation of the gift of salvation (Phlm 19), Paul breaks Seneca's rule. Both Seneca's ‘virtuous’ advice and Paul's ‘shameful’ breach of etiquette, however, are explicable as strategies calculated to maximize their access to valued goods and services—whether honor or the services of a wealthier man's slave—inflected by vastly different economic situations.
Cytomegalovirus and brain tumor: epidemiology, biology and therapeutic aspects.

Purpose of reviewFirst described in 2002, the presence and role of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in glioblastoma (GBM) has remained a controversial topic. New research indicates HCMV gene products likely promote GBM pathogenesis and that therapies aimed at HCMV might influence disease progr
Dry Needling for Myofascial Trigger Point Pain: A Clinical Commentary

Sports and orthopaedic physical therapists have long used a multitude of techniques in order to address pain and dysfunction associated with myofascial trigger points. One technique in particular has recently received overwhelming attention: trigger point dry needling (DN). Despite its efficacy and low risk, questions remain as to its effectiveness, safety, and whether the technique is within the scope of practice of physical therapists. Therefore, the purpose of this clinical commentary is to summarize the current literature related to the associated mechanisms of action of DN, the safety of DN, as well as to discuss relevant scope of practice concerns. Level of Evidence 5
Benign Macro-orchidism in a Pubescent Boy

AbstractWe report on a 12½-year-old boy with bilateral testicular enlargement. After an extensive evaluation we eliminated precocious puberty, hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, X-linked mental retardation and bilateral malignant testicular neoplasms from consideration. Diagnosis was benign macro-orchidism. The clinical and laboratory features of this condition are sufficiently distinct from the other causes of testicular enlargement to allow a diagnosis to be made without testicular biopsy or orchiectomy.
Liquid chromatographic determination of intermediates, subsidiary colors, and two reaction by-products in FD&C yellow No. 6 : reverse phase method

Description d'une methode de controle de purete de ce colorant alimentaire, pharmaceutique et cosmetique. Comparaison aux resultats de la chromatographie en couche mince
Mature B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with associated translocations (14;18)(q32;q21) and (8;9)(q24;p13). A Burkitt variant?

○ The translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) is most commonly associated with follicular lymphoma but has also been described in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of B-cell origin. Although these ALL cases have had a pre-pre-B, preB, or mature B-cell immunophenotype and L2 or L3 morphology, all have been associated with an abnormality of 8q24. In fact, 91% (10 of 11) have been associated with t(8;22) or t(8;14), marker chromosomes for Burkitt-type ALL. The other case was associated with del(8)(q24). Thus, Burkitt-type ALL may have various immunophenotypes and morphology when associated with t(14;18). We describe a case of mature B-cell ALL associated with t(14;18) and t(8; 9)(q24;p13). The morphology was suggestive but not entirely characteristic of the L3 subtype. However, on the basis of the cytogenetic findings and the review of the literature, perhaps this case represents a variant of Burkitt-type ALL, which would be important to recognize for prognostic and therapeutic purposes. We describe our findings and review the literature to heighten awareness of this group of ALLs associated with t(14;18). Additional cases need to be accrued and documented to determine the significance of an associated abnormality of 8q24 in this setting.
The structure-identity nexus: Syria and Turkey’s collapse (2011)

AbstractThe relation between Syria and Turkey transformed from enmity in the 1990s to detente in the early 2000s, grew into amity after the rise to power of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP, Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) in 2002, and reverted to enmity in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. This research suggests that a combination of structural and identity-based factors, at regional and domestic levels, induced the collapse of the decade-long amity. This paper builds on the notion of a “structure-identity nexus”; and determines the orientation of foreign policy outcomes from the 1990s until 2011. The discussion outlines the merits of a hybrid theoretical perspective by elaborating on Barkin’s idea of ‘realist constructivism’, which draws on two rival traditions, realism and constructivism. The structure-identity framework explains the double transformation in the relationship, considering the return to inter- and intra-state conflict in 2011. The research draws on extensive primary and seconda...
Adequacy of routinely available data for identifying earthquakes of mb ≧ 4.5

Abstract The adequacy of routinely available data for identification of all earthquakes of m b ≧ 4.5 (Evernden, 1975) occurring throughout the world and listed in ISC bulletins for January 1, to June 10, 1972 is investigated. When using an identification criterion based on (1) depth ≧ 50 km when using P data alone, ≧ 30 when using pP — P or S — P data and/or (2) at least one of three long-period phases 8 or more times that of the largest value seen for an explosion, available data successfully identify all except two of the earthquakes studied (other than mixed events), these two being of magnitude 4.5. Only one of these two appears “anomalous” on the basis of available data. “Anomalous” earthquakes in nearly all cases must be the result of inadequate data or analysis and not similarity of spectral source function of these earthquakes and explosions. Data on amplitudes of long-period S versus m b and depth are given, as well as further analysis of the mixed event problem. It is pointed out that the capability for detection of long-period waves here shown can be increased by half a magnitude by proper processing of presently available data.
Incentives and Impacts of Vertical Coordination in a Food Production-Marketing Chain: A Non-cooperative Multi-Stage, Multi-Player Analysis

Vertical coordination in the form of contracts and integration is common where changing consumer preferences require producers to adapt to changing market situations that require a steady supply of quality controlled products. We identify two vertical coordination mechanisms that are common in the real world but often ignored by the literature due to their inherent complexity. Using economic models, we measure the incentives and impact of market agents’ strategic behavior and strategies along a hypothetical food production-marketing chain. Our results reestablish the importance and value of open market and contracts in a world where both are gradually replaced by consolidation and integration. We also find that in most types of vertical coordination there is a critical limit to the levels of coordination beyond which it is not profitable to coordinate. We recommend that competitive policies could focus more on market structure where independent firms thrive rather than on the degree of coordination per se.
“Caught with a body” yet protected by law? Calling 911 for opioid overdose in the context of the Good Samaritan Law

Background To address soaring opioid overdose fatality rates, 41U.S. states have passed Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs) extending legal immunity to overdose bystanders who call for emergency assistance. This study, conducted during the period that followed implementation of a GSL, aimed to characterize current factors determining the decision to call for emergency medical help (911) at the scene of an overdose with specific attention to exploring the role of the GSL as one such factor in decision-making. Methods We conducted 22 in-depth interviews with needle exchange program clients in Baltimore, MD. Results Most participants reported calling 911 or witnessing a 911 call after drug overdose, but widely remained fearful of arrest for drug or paraphernalia possession, homicide, outstanding warrants, and/or trespassing. These concerns were underpinned by a history of police maltreatment and threat, and strong distrust of police; concerns which were specifically related to perceptions of police conduct at the scene of an overdose as well as perceptions of police conduct in general. Additional considerations included: fear of losing housing, informal shelter or custody of children; encountering social stigma; and facing violent and fatal repercussions at the hands of local drug dealers. Additionally, some participants did not perceive a significant enough medical risk to call 911. Two thirds of participants were unaware of the GSL. Some believed a GSL would positively impact law enforcement behaviour and increase the likelihood of a bystander call; but due to distrust of police, others believed the GSL would have little influence on bystander decisions. Conclusion Insights from overdose bystanders during the post-implementation period of a Good Samaritan Law demonstrate persistent deterrents to bystanders calling 911 after overdose. Additional measures are needed to align policy aims with lived experiences of overdose bystanders, and to achieve overdose prevention aims.
Opportunities to advance sustainable design of nano-enabled agriculture identified through a literature review

The application of nanotechnology in agriculture and food systems is a new and rapidly evolving area of research with the potential to positively impact an industry that is experiencing increased demand under increasingly stressed resources. Given the intimate relationship between agriculture, the environment, and human health, a proactive approach to design is critical – one that is informed by considering the trade-offs between potential benefits realized by nano-enabling and potential adverse impacts imposed by their use. This tutorial review includes an overview of current and proposed nano-enabled applications that are unique to agriculture and food systems to identify, (i) the function provided and proposed benefits realized through nano-enabling, (ii) the efficiency of (nano)material use, and (iii) the proposed mechanism through which the ‘nano’ component of the design operates. It is through this review that three primary suggestions emerge, offering guidance for ongoing studies to inform design for enhanced agriculture sustainability: the need for (i) comprehensive data reporting, including material flows (input, emissions, and retention in the environment or product) of the engineered nanomaterials or active ingredient used, (ii) experimental design that includes non-nano controls, and (iii) identification and discussion of mechanisms underlying how the ‘nano’ aspect of the design enables the observed outcome. In addition to overarching guidance for continued research to inform design for enhanced agriculture sustainability, suggestions unique to each reviewed product class are also provided.
Robust support vector machines with polyhedral uncertainty of the input data

In this paper, we use robust optimization models to formulate the support vector machines (SVMs) with polyhedral uncertainties of the input data points. The formulations in our models are nonlinear and we use Lagrange multipliers to give the first-order optimality conditions and reformulation methods to solve these problems. In addition, we have proposed the models for transductive SVMs with input uncertainties.
Jam Sessions: Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of Advanced Jamming Attacks in MIMO Networks

Recent research advances in wireless security have shown that advanced jamming can significantly decrease the performance of wireless communications. In advanced jamming, the adversary intentionally concentrates the available energy budget on specific critical components (e.g., pilot symbols, acknowledgement packets, etc.) to (i) increase the jamming effectiveness, as more targets can be jammed with the same energy budget; and (ii) decrease the likelihood of being detected, as the channel is jammed for a shorter period of time. These key aspects make advanced jamming very stealthy yet exceptionally effective in practical scenarios. One of the fundamental challenges in designing defense mechanisms against an advanced jammer is understanding which jamming strategies yields the lowest throughput, for a given channel condition and a given amount of energy. To the best of our knowledge, this problem still remains unsolved, as an analytic model to quantitatively compare advanced jamming schemes is still missing in existing literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we conduct a comparative analysis of several most viable advanced jamming schemes in the widely-used MIMO networks. We first mathematically model a number of advanced jamming schemes at the signal processing level, so that a quantitative relationship between the jamming energy and the jamming effect is established. Based on the model, theorems are derived on the optimal advanced jamming scheme for an arbitrary channel condition. The theoretical findings are validated through extensive simulations and experiments on a 5-radio 2x2 MIMO testbed. Our results show that the theorems are able to predict jamming efficiency with high accuracy. Moreover, to further demonstrate that the theoretical findings are applicable to address crucial real-world jamming problems, we show that the theorems can be incorporated to state-of-art reinforcement-learning based jamming algorithms and boost the action exploration phase so that a faster convergence is achieved.
Robust range of auditory periphery development, eye opening, and brain gene expression in Wistar rat pups that experience variation in maternal backgrounds

ABSTRACT The experience of variation in maternal licking and grooming (LG) is considered a critical influence in neurodevelopment related to stress and cognition, but little is known about its relationship to early sensory development. In this study, we used a maternal selection approach to test the hypothesis that differences in LG during the first week of life influence the timing of hearing onset in Wistar rat pups. We performed a range of tests, including auditory brainstem responses (ABR), tracking of eye opening (EO), micro-CT X-ray tomography, and qRT-PCR to monitor neurodevelopmental changes in the female and male progeny of low-LG and high-LG dams. Our results show that variation in maternal LG is not overtly associated with different timing of ABR onset and EO in the progeny. However, the data provide insight on the delay between hearing onset and EO, on key functional and structural properties that define hearing onset at the auditory periphery, and on changes in brain gene expression that include the first evidence that: a) the hypoxia-sensitive pathway is regulated in subcortical and cortical auditory brain regions before hearing onset, and b) implicates maternal LG in regulation of Bdnf signaling in auditory cortex after hearing onset. Altogether, these findings provide a baseline to evaluate how factors that severely disrupt the early maternal environment may affect the expression of robust developmental sensory programs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early life experience during sensitive developmental periods can induce long-term effects on the neurobiological development of the offspring. In the present work we tested the hypothesis that variation in maternal licking and grooming (LG) affects the timing of hearing onset in Wistar rat pups. To our surprise the results did not support the hypothesis. Instead, we found a robust range of early and late auditory development that was independent of maternal LG. Nevertheless, the study provides new findings on the delay between hearing onset and eye opening, on key functional and structural properties that define hearing onset at the auditory periphery, and the first evidence that a) the hypoxia-sensitive pathway is regulated in the central auditory system during the sensitive period before hearing onset, and b) maternal LG is implicated in regulation of Bdnf signaling during the sensitive period after hearing onset. These findings provide a baseline to evaluate how factors that severely disrupt the early maternal environment may affect the expression of robust developmental sensory programs.
Morphology-Safety Implications of Interfacial Evolution in Lithium Metal Anodes

Dendrite formation and growth upon cycling pose major concerns toward lithium metal battery performance and safety. Herein, we present an interface-capturing formalism to study the morphological ev...
The Importance of Cross Plots for Your Rasch Analysis

This chapter presents and discusses the wide range of “cross plots” that have been presented in published Rasch articles. In this chapter we discuss a variety of cross plots and what to look for in cross plots when one is attempting to develop a measurement instrument. This chapter also presents an assessment and summary of the range of cross plots that have been utilized over the course of the last 10 years.
Elucidating the role of nitrogen plasma composition in the low-temperature self-limiting growth of indium nitride thin films

In this work, we have studied the role varying nitrogen plasma compositions play in the low-temperature plasma-assisted growth of indium nitride (InN) thin films. Films were deposited on Si (100) substrates using a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) reactor featuring a capacitively-coupled hollow-cathode plasma source. Trimethylindium (TMI) and variants of nitrogen plasma (N2-only, Ar/N2, and Ar/N2/H2) were used as the metal precursor and nitrogen co-reactant, respectively. In situ ellipsometry was employed to observe individual ligand exchange and plasma-assisted ligand removal events in real-time during the growth process. Only the samples grown under hydrogen-free nitrogen plasmas (Ar/N2 or N2-only) resulted in nearly stoichiometric single-phase crystalline hexagonal InN (h-InN) films at substrate temperatures higher than 200 °C under 100 W rf-plasma power. Varying the plasma gas composition by adding H2 led to rather drastic microstructural changes resulting in a cubic phase oxide (c-In2O3) film. Combining the in situ measured growth evolution with ex situ materials characterization, we propose a simplified model describing the possible surface reactions/groups during a unit PE-ALD cycle, which depicts the highly efficient oxygen incorporation in the presence of hydrogen radicals. Further structural, chemical, and optical characterization have been carried out on the optimal InN films grown with Ar/N2 plasma to extract film properties. Samples grown at lower substrate temperature (160 °C) and reduced/elevated rf-plasma power levels (50/150 W) displayed similar amorphous character, which is attributed to either insufficient surface energy or plasma-induced crystal damage. InN samples grown at 240 °C under 100 W rf-plasma showed clear polycrystalline h-InN layers with ∼20 nm average-sized single crystal domains exhibiting hexagonal symmetry.
Hippo signaling: bridging the gap between cancer and neurodegenerative disorders

During development, regulation of organ size requires a balance between cell proliferation, growth and cell death. Dysregulation of these fundamental processes can cause a variety of diseases. Excessive cell proliferation results in cancer whereas excessive cell death results in neurodegenerative disorders. Many signaling pathways known-to-date have a role in growth regulation. Among them, evolutionarily conserved Hippo signaling pathway is unique as it controls both cell proliferation and cell death by a variety of mechanisms during organ sculpture and development. Neurodegeneration, a complex process of progressive death of neuronal population, results in fatal disorders with no available cure to date. During normal development, cell death is required for sculpting of an organ. However, aberrant cell death in neuronal cell population can result in neurodegenerative disorders. Hippo pathway has gathered major attention for its role in growth regulation and cancer, however, other functions like its role in neurodegeneration are also emerging rapidly. This review highlights the role of Hippo signaling in cell death and neurodegenerative diseases and provide the information on the chemical inhibitors employed to block Hippo pathway. Understanding Hippo mediated cell death mechanisms will aid in development of reliable and effective therapeutic strategies in future.
Laparoscopy in Pregnancy: A Primer

Study Objective To present principles and techniques for safe and efficient laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy. Design Stepwise demonstration of techniques with narrated video footage. Setting Laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy is safe and effective with an associated miscarriage rate of 1.3%. When feasible, it should be performed early in the 2nd trimester. In this video, we review key principles and techniques to safely perform laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy. Patients or Participants A 34-year-old female at 18 weeks 4 days gestation presents with a 7 cm ovarian mass causing right lower quadrant (RLQ) pelvic pain. Interventions The key principles for safe and effective laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy include: Measurements and Main Results The patient recovered well without any obstetrical or postoperative complications. Conclusion When performing laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy, a surgeon should remember these key perioperative modifications for a safe and efficient procedure.
Harmonizing healthcare and other resource measures for evaluating economic costs in substance use disorder research.

Standardization and harmonization of healthcare resource utilization data can improve evaluations of the economic impact of treating people with substance use disorder (SUD), including reductions in use of expensive hospital and emergency department (ED) services, and can ensure consistency with current cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis guidelines. We examined self-reported healthcare and other resource utilization data collected at baseline from three National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain intervention studies of individuals living with/at risk for HIV with SUD. Costs were calculated by multiplying mean healthcare resource utilization measures by monetary conversion factors reflecting cost per unit of care. We normalized baseline recall timeframes to past 30 days and evaluated for missing data. We identified measures that are feasible and appropriate for estimating healthcare sector costs including ED visits, inpatient hospital and residential facility stays, and outpatient encounters. We also identified two self-reported measures to inform societal costs (days experiencing SUD problems, participant spending on substances). Missingness was 8% or less for all study measures and was lower for single questions measuring utilization in a recall period. We recommend including measures representing units of service with specific recall periods (e.g., 6 months vs. lifetime), and collecting healthcare resource utilization data using single-question measures to reduce missingness.
Is Conversation Built for Two? The Partitioning of Social Interaction

Conversation is flexible enough to be conducted with varying numbers of individuals, but most conversation is dyadic. Is the prevalence of dyadic focal participation frameworks facilitated by struc...
A Number of Things

This is the oration delivered in accepting the position of Professor in Applications of Decision Theory at the Faculty of Technical Mathematics and Informatics at the Delft University of Technology, Delft on November 8, 1995 by Dr. R. M. Cooke (Translated from Dutch by the author).
Power increases using wind direction spatial filtering for wind farm control: Evaluation using FLORIS, modified for dynamic settings

As wind energy plays a growing role in the energy sector, new methods for controlling wind turbines and wind farms to maximize performance are garnering industry interest. A developing body of research treats the entire wind farm as a control system, with individual turbines acting as agents in a network, allowing farm-level objectives to be considered. Two promising developments in this research are wake steering control, which seeks to increase the power generated at a wind farm by directing the wakes of upstream turbines away from downstream ones, and communication-based spatial filtering, which seeks to improve the quality of information used by turbine- and farm-level controllers by combining measurements of the wind field collected at the individual turbines. The latter method has been shown to improve the estimates of wind direction at the turbines; however, the resulting potential for increased power capture warrants further investigation. With this paper, we begin to address this gap by combining wake steering with wind direction spatial filtering. To do so, we present a preliminary method for assessing the power capture of dynamic controllers using wind farm codes designed for time-averaged simulation. This allows us to generate results much more rapidly than would be possible using high-fidelity wind farm simulators and may be useful in many wind farm control design applications.
Learning under ambiguity: An experiment in gradual information processing

Abstract This experiment studies belief updating under ambiguity, using subjects' bid and ask prices for an asset with ambiguous payoff distribution. Bid and ask quotes allow for distinguishing between the two main paradigms of updating under ambiguity–full Bayesian updating and maximum likelihood updating. We find substantial heterogeneity in subjects' reaction to information. The majority of subjects (54%) chose quotes that were in line with full Bayesian updating, while another, non-negligible, group (35%) behaved like maximum likelihood updaters.
Isolation of a cellulase hyperproducing mutant strain of Trichoderma reesei

Abstract Trichoderma reesei has been employed as a commercial cellulase producer; however, the cellulase obtained has low β-glucosidase activity. Lactose is a promising cellulase inducer because it is easy to be dissolved, but its induction efficiency is lower than that of solid inducers, such as biomass. We aimed to obtain a cellulase-producing strain that is compatible to on-site production, and developed a cellulase hyperproducing mutant, T. reesei T1281, through repeated random mutagenesis. Protein quantification using Bradford method showed that T1281 produced 35.4 g/L (119 g/L using Lowry method) protein in 212 h. Moreover, T1281 exhibited the highest filter paper unit (15.6 U/mL) and β-glucosidase (53.8 U/mL) activity on lactose among the strains developed using random mutagenesis. Enzymes produced by T1281 hydrolyzed biomass into glucose and xylose without cellobiose and xylobiose accumulation, indicating that T1281 can be a potential ideal strain for industrial cellulase production.
Swarm-mediated phage transport disrupts a biofilm inherently protected from phage penetration

Phage therapy, i.e., the treatment of chronic bacterial infections by virus that kill bacteria has shown promise in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A typical phage particle is around 100 times bigger than a typical antibiotic molecule. Due to larger size, a phage particle diffuses slower than an antibiotic molecule, and can get trapped in the polymeric mesh of biofilm matrix. We report that a swarm of Capnocytophaga gingivalis, a bacterium abundant in the human oral microbiota, can actively transport phages over long distances. By tracking fluorescently labeled lambda phages that do not infect C. gingivalis, we demonstrate active predator transport by a C. gingivalis swarm. As a result, the rate of disruption of the prey, i.e., an Escherichia coli colony increases 10 times. Production of curli fiber by a mature E. coli biofilm blocks the intercellular space and is known to inhibit the diffusion of phages within a biofilm. We find that C. gingivalis forms tunnels within the prey biofilm. When phages are actively delivered, curli fiber containing E. coli biofilms are no longer protected against phage infection. Our results demonstrate that active delivery of the predator by a self-propelled swarm might improve the pharmacokinetics of phage therapy. This can lead to the development of a tool to combat chronic AMR biofilms.
Cultural adaptation in HPV vaccine intervention among racial and ethical minority population: a systematic literature review.

Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States face higher risks of human papillomavirus (HPV) and are less likely to benefit from HPV vaccines. Effective HPV vaccine promotion efforts need to acknowledge and adapt to the cultural characteristics of these minority groups. This systematic review examines and evaluates the cultural adaptations in the HPV vaccine intervention studies conducted in racial and ethnic minority communities in the United States. We searched five databases and identified 26 peer-reviewed English-language journal articles published between 2010 and 2019. These articles were analyzed using Healey et al.'s (2017) cultural adaptation framework for community health interventions. Almost all of these interventions involved some cultural adaptation. However, there is a lack of use of theories in guiding intervention design, lack of systematic, planned cultural adaptations and insufficient in-depth understanding of the targeted population's cultural characteristics associated with their HPV-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Future intervention studies should identify specific cultural characteristics related to vaccine attitudes and behaviors to create more targeted cultural adaptations in HPV vaccine promotion.
Greenhouse gas fluxes from Alaska's North Slope inferred from the Airborne Carbon Measurements campaign (ACME-V)

Abstract Northern high latitudes are likely to be heavily impacted by climate change, changes that will undoubtedly alter carbon cycling across these regions. An understanding of both the magnitude and drivers of current CO2 and CH4 fluxes are a prerequisite for making robust projections of future changes. In this study, we use observations from the recent Airborne Carbon Measurements (ACME-V) aircraft campaign to estimate the magnitude and environmental predictors CO2 and CH4 fluxes in Alaska. ACME-V consisted of 38 flights across the North Slope between late May and mid-September 2015, making it the most detailed airborne survey of northern Alaska to date. These data, combined with a geostatistical inverse model, provide a unique lens into fluxes across the region. Using this approach, we estimate a large CO2 flux to the atmosphere from the North Slope of Alaska in early summer that is counterbalanced by CO2 uptake in late summer; this balance between early season respiration and late-summer photosynthesis drives the total summer CO2 flux across northern Alaska during the study period. We further compare our results to process-based flux estimates (the Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project, MsTMIP and the Wetland and Wetland CH4 Inter-comparison of Models Project, WETCHIMP) and several recent studies of the same spatial domain. We observe a similarity in CO2 flux totals between MsTMIP suite of models and our study (June 2015–0.86 – 0.57 vs 0.96, July 2015 MsTMIP −1.01 – 0.00 vs −0.14 and August 2915 MsTMIP −0.73 – 0.29 vs −0.50 μmol m−2 s−1, MsTMIP and our study, respectively, averaged across the North Slope). However, we find significantly higher CH4 fluxes from the North Slope than any of the WETCHIMP models. Specifically, we estimate total CH4 fluxes from the North Slope of Alaska of +0.64 ± 0.13 Tg (95% confidence), during June through August 2015 while the WETCHIMP model estimates range from 0.004 to 0.1 Tg, depending upon the model. Furthermore, the contribution of the North Slope tundra to the overall Alaskan CH4 fluxes during the entire period was ~27%, compared to 3% in state-of-the-art process-based models.
Alterations of lymphocyte responsiveness in Guillain-Barré syndrome. Effects of plasma exchange.

Various antibodies and immune complexes have been demonstrated in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). These factors may be part of the pathogenesis of the disease process through immune complex deposition and/or suppression of the immune system. Four patients with typical GBS were treated by plasma exchange. Aliquots from the first 100 ml of plasma removed from each patient were incubated with cultures of normal human peripheral lymphocytes that subsequently were exposed to mitogens, followed by incubation with tritiated thymidine. A decrease (p less than 0.001) in response to each of the mitogens was noted after incubation with patient plasma. Peripheral lymphocytes were taken from the patients before and after plasma exchange. An increase (p less than 0.01) in DNA synthesis following mitogen exposure was observed after plasma exchange in each patient. All patients exhibited subjective and objective clinical improvement. Plasma exchange for GBS appeared to remove a lymphocyte suppressor factor, which was characterized by column fractionation. The suppressor factor was determined to be a substance of approximately 10,000 to 12,000 daltons that reproducibly decreased the responsiveness of normal lymphocytes to mitogens.
The Most Fundamental Change in the Criminal Justice System: The Role of the Prosecutor in Sentence Reduction

As every lawyer knows, the prosecutor is the most powerful figure in the American criminal justice system. The prosecutor decides whom to charge, what charges to bring, whether to permit a defendant to plead guilty, and whether to confer immunity. In carrying out this broad decision-making power, the prosecutor enjoys considerable independence. Indeed, one of the most elusive and vexing subjects in criminal justice has been to define the limits of the prosecutor’s discretion.This issue has recently emerged in a new context: the provisions in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines relating to sentence reductions based on the prosecutor's representation that a defendant has given law enforcement substantial cooperation. In Mistretta v. United States, 109 S Ct 647 (1989), the Supreme Court upheld the Guidelines against constitutional attacks based on separation of powers and delegation of authority. However, the Court was not asked to consider other constitutional challenges – in particular the claim that the Guidelines violate due process by de facto transferring much of the responsibility of sentencing from impartial judges to prosecutors, without providing standards to guide the prosecutors' discretion. Indeed, according to one federal court, the enhanced prosecutorial power under this new sentencing regime "may be the most fundamental change in the criminal justice system to have occurredwithin the past generation."
Expression of cellular retinoic acid binding protein (CRABP) in Escherichia coli. Characterization and evidence that holo-CRABP is a substrate in retinoic acid metabolism.

Cellular retinoic acid binding protein (CRABP) has been expressed efficiently in Escherichia coli from the cDNA of bovine adrenal CRABP and characterized, especially with respect to affinity for endogenous retinoids and a role for it in retinoic acid metabolism. The purified E. coli-expressed CRABP was similar to authentic mammalian CRABP in molecular weight (approximately 14,700), isoelectric point (4.76), absorbance maxima (apo-CRABP, 280 nm; holo-CRABP, 350 and 280 nm with the ratio A350/A280 = 1.8), and in fluorescence excitation (350 nm) and emission spectra (475 nm). The equilibrium dissociation constant, Kd, of E. coli-derived CRABP and all-trans-retinoic acid was 10 +/- 1 nM (mean +/- S.D., n = 4) by retinoid fluorescence and 7 +/- 1 nM (mean +/- S.D., n = 3) by quenching of protein fluorescence, but neither retinol nor retinal bound in concentrations as high as 7 microM. All-trans-cyclohexyl ring derivatives of retinoic acid (3,4-didehydro-, 4-hydroxy-, 4-oxo-, 16-hydroxy-4-oxo-, 18-hydroxy-) had affinities similar to that of all-trans-retinoic acid, whereas 13-cis-retinoic acid and 4-oxo-13-cis-retinoic acid had approximately 25-fold lower affinity. Holo-CRABP was a substrate for retinoic acid catabolism in rat testes microsomes by three criteria: 1) the rate of retinoic acid metabolism with CRABP in excess of retinoic acid exceeded the rate supported by the free retinoic acid; 2) increasing the apo-CRABP did not decrease the rate as predicted if free retinoic acid were the only substrate; and 3) holo-CRABP had a lower Michaelis constant (1.8 nM) for retinoic acid elimination than did free retinoic acid (49 nM). These data indicate a direct role for CRABP in retinoic acid metabolism and suggest a mechanism for discriminating metabolically between all-trans- and 13-cis-retinoids.
Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of LaxSr1-xVO3 (0.1 <= x <= 1.0).

We report on the properties of ${\mathrm{La}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{VO}}_{3}$ which has a phase diagram which is similar to Sr-doped ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ in that it too shows a composition-induced insulator-to-metal transition with strontium doping. In addition, the fact that the insulating compositions in the vanadium-based system are antiferromagnetic, as well as, the perovskite structure of ${\mathrm{La}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{VO}}_{3}$, makes them candidates for a detailed study of their properties in order to gain greater insight into the mechanisms at play in the high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ cuprate superconductors. Magnetic susceptibility, x-ray powder diffraction, and $^{51}\mathrm{V}$ NMR Knight shift and relaxation rates, ${\mathit{T}}_{1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ and ${\mathit{T}}_{2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, are reported as functions of temperature and composition in ${\mathrm{La}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{VO}}_{3}$. A combined analysis of the susceptibility and the $^{51}\mathrm{V}$ NMR data yields values of the density of states D(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}_{\mathit{f}}$) and for the enhancement of the uniform susceptibility. These are indicative of a strongly exchange-enhanced narrow d-band metal for x0.7. No evidence was found for antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the metallic phase nor for superconducting behavior, in contrast to cuprate superconductors where neutron-scattering evidence shows antiferromagnetic spin correlations in the normal state of the superconducting compositions.
Was the Big Bang hot

I consider experiments to confirm the substantial deviations from a Planck curve in the Woody and Richards spectrum of the microwave background, and search for conducting needles in our galaxy. Spectral deviations and needle-shaped grains are expected for a cold Big Bang, but are not required by a hot Big Bang.
Noise sources across a normal-to-superconducting boundary in bulk YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/

Experiments in which a normal-to-superconducting (NS) boundary is created in an originally superconducting bar of bulk YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ is described. The first noise measurements associated with such a boundary are presented. A high-density (5.20 g-cm/sup -3/) sample (sample A) and a low density (4.23 g-cm/sup -3/) sample (sample B) have been investigated. Common to both samples is 1/f/sup 2/ noise observed in the frequency region between about 15 and 50 Hz that can be associated with the NS boundary itself. Sample A also exhibits conventional 1/f noise as expected for the normal part of the boundary, below about 15 Hz. In contrast, sample B shows 1/f/sup 1.5/ noise in this region; since the sample contains considerably fewer small grains than sample A, any 1/f noise is presumably masked in B. It is suggested that the 1/f/sup 2/ noise might be associated with flux-flow noise. >
Ethnic identity and racial contestation in cyberspace: Deconstructing the Chineseness of Lou Jing

This article examines Chinese cyberspace debates over the racial and national identity of a television show contestant Lou Jing, a biracial woman of Chinese and African American descent. We argue t...
Variation Associated with Silk Channel Inoculation for Common Smut of Sweet Corn

du Toit, L. J., and Pataky, J. K. 1999. Variation associated with silk channel inoculation for common smut of sweet corn. Plant Dis. 83:727-732. Efforts at breeding for resistance to common smut of maize ( Zea mays), caused by Ustilago maydis, are hampered by the lack of a reliable and efficient method of inoculation. Silk channel injection is one of the most efficient methods of inoculating for ear galls but is less consistent than acceptable for accurate assessment of the res ponse of genotypes. The objective of this study was to examine how the silk channel inoculation method can be modified to reduce variation while maintaining efficiency for large-scale field inoculations. Variation associated with inoculum concentration and variation among people inoculating were examined. Incidence and severity of symptomatic ears increased with inoculum concentration. Concentrations between 105 and 106 sporidia/ml are recommended. Variation among people was greater than variation among inoculum concentrations. Incidence and severity ratings were lower for people inexperienced at inoculating with U. maydis than for experienced people. Variation among people inoculating can be controlled by appropriate experimental design.
Reducing mosquito-borne disease outbreak size: The relative importance of contact and transmissibility in a network model

Abstract The complex biological and environmental factors involved in the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases in humans have made their control elusive in many instances. Conceptual models contribute to gain insight and help to reduce the risk of taking poor managerial decisions. The focus of this paper is to compare, using a contact network model, the impact that perturbation of the number infectious contacts and of transmissibility have on the size of an outbreak. We illustrate the analysis on a contact network parametrized with data that associates humans and the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, a vector for lymphatic filariasis. The model suggests that, if the values corresponding to transmissibility and number of infectious contacts is relatively large, variations in the size of an outbreak are significantly in favor of control measures to reduce infectious contacts.