cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fibroblast growth factor 21 is a metabolic regulator that plays a role in the adaptation to ketosis

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was originally identified as a member of the FGF family in homology studies and is a member of the endocrine FGF subfamily that lacks heparin binding domains and is released into the circulation. A potential role as a metabolic regulator emerged when FGF21 was shown to increase glucose uptake in adipocytes. Subsequently, marked elevations in FGF21 expression were observed in mice that ate a ketogenic diet and when fasting, which suggests that FGF21 expression plays a role in the adaptation to metabolic states that require increased fatty acid oxidation. Consistent with this evidence, FGF21 knockout mice were not able to respond appropriately to consumption of a ketogenic diet. FGF21 expression is downstream of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α in the liver and PPARγ in adipose tissue. FGF21 concentrations are higher in both rodent and human obesity, and recent data suggest that obesity may be an FGF21-resistant state. Recent data increasingly suggest that FGF21 is an important metabolic regulator that may have potential clinical implications.
Allying for Peace: Treaty Obligations and Conflict between Allies

We argue that certain provisions of alliance treaties can signal credible commitments to a peaceful relationship among members and establish institutional mechanisms that promote the settlement of disagreements through peaceful negotiation. Nonaggression, peaceful dispute settlement, military institutionalization, and permanent organization provisions should increase the duration of peace between alliance members; we test our hypotheses with a duration model. The analysis generally supports our expectations except that alliances that create permanent organizations, even those specifically established to arbitrate disagreements, are associated with shorter durations of peace. We conclude with some implications of our argument for the study of military alliances and international institutions more broadly.
Current Issues in Pathologic Evaluation

In the past two decades there has been considerable progress in understanding the genetics and biology of prostate cancer. The pathologic diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCA), however, is the keystone on which its further management is presently based. Although serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) elevation often initiates the search for PCA, PSA, the ratio of free to total serum PSA, PSA density, and PSA velocity help to define the risk of PCA but are not diagnostic at any level. The diagnosis of PCA demands pathologic confirmation. In cases of PCA subjected to radical prostatectomy (RP), the pathologic evaluation of specimens determines prognosis and further therapy to a substantial degree. A number of issues demand consideration in optimizing diagnosis, prognosis, and future therapy.
Quasi-discrete particle motion in an externally imposed, ordered structure in a dusty plasma at high magnetic field

Dusty plasmas have been studied in argon, radio frequency (rf) glow discharge plasmas at magnetic fields up to 2.5 T where the electrons and ions are strongly magnetized. Plasmas are generated between two parallel plate electrodes where the lower, powered electrode is solid and the upper electrode supports a dual mesh consisting of #24 brass and #30 aluminum wire cloth. In this experiment, we study the formation of imposed ordered structures and particle dynamics as a function of magnetic field. Through observations of trapped particles and the quasi-discrete (i.e., “hopping”) motion of particles between the trapping locations, it is possible to make a preliminary estimate of the potential structure that confines the particles to a grid structure in the plasma. This information is used to gain insight into the formation of the imposed grid pattern of the dust particles in the plasma.
A two-scale generalized finite element method for fatigue crack propagation simulations utilizing a fixed, coarse hexahedral mesh

This paper presents a two-scale extension of the generalized finite element method (GFEM) which allows for static fracture analyses as well as fatigue crack propagation simulations on fixed, coarse hexahedral meshes. The approach is based on the use of specifically-tailored enrichment functions computed on-the-fly through the use of a fine-scale boundary value problem (BVP) defined in the neighborhood of existing mechanically-short cracks. The fine-scale BVP utilizes tetrahedral elements, and thus offers the potential for the use of a highly adapted fine-scale mesh in the regions of crack fronts capable of generating accurate enrichment functions for use in the coarse-scale hexahedral model. In this manner, automated $$\textit{hp}$$hp-adaptivity which can be used for accurate fracture analyses, is now available for use on coarse, uniform hexahedral meshes without the requirements of irregular meshes and constrained approximations. The two-scale GFEM approach is verified and compared against alternative approaches for static fracture analyses, as well as mixed-mode fatigue crack propagation simulations. The numerical examples demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to deliver accurate results even in scenarios involving multiple discontinuities or sharp kinks within a single computational element. The proposed approach is also applied to a representative panel model similar in design and complexity to that which may be used in the aerospace community.
Design Optimization of Micro-channel Heat Exchanger embedded in LTCC

Increase in the density of electronic packaging leads to the investigation of highly efficient thermal management systems. The challenge in these micro-systems is to maximize heat transfer per unit volume. In the author's previous work, experimental and computational analysis has been performed on LTCC substrates using embedded silver vias. This novel technique of embedding silver vias along with forced convection resulted in higher heat transfer rates. The present work further investigates into the optimization of this model. A Multi-objective optimization problem has been formulated for the heat transfer in the LTCC model. The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) method of heat exchangers has been used in the formulation. Optimization is done based on maximization of the total heat transferred and minimization of the coolant pumping power. Structural and thermal design variables are considered to meet the manufacturability and energy requirements. Demanded pressure loss and volume of the silver metal ...
Motivational Factors in Short-Term Retention: II. Rehearsal or Arousal?

Two experiments which investigate the effects of motivation on memory are reported. In the initial study it was demonstrated that recall instrumental to shock avoidance enhances short-term retention. By varying the difficulty of the task interpolated between stimulus onset and recall it was established that the augmented recall is not mediated by covert rehearsal. In Exp. II the motivational information (arousal) occurred at 1, 3, or 5 sec. after stimulus and response offset. Arousal after the stimulus and response terms facilitated immediate recall, although there were no significant differences in retention as a function of the time of the motivational input. The effects of arousal on retention and the relationship of motivation to trace storage and trace retrieval were discussed.
Abstract 149: Effects of Ethnicity and Prior Depression on Hospital Course and Outcomes in First-Time Stroke Patients

Background: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US and can result in major disability. It is important to identify factors that increase risk of stroke so that they may be targeted for modification, if possible. Depression can increase risk of stroke, increase risk of death from stroke, and it is related to worse post-stroke outcomes. There is a dearth of research in the Hispanic population, who have a higher burden of disease than non-Hispanic whites and blacks. The goal of this research project was to determine how ethnicity and prior depression affect patient outcomes after first-time stroke. Methods: The study was an analysis of 500 cases from Baptist Hospital of Miami’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke database (9/2014-5/2015). It was a 2 (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic) x 2 (prior depression vs. no prior depression) factorial cross-sectional design. Descriptive statistics characterized subjects on baseline characteristics, hospital course, discharge functional status, and discharge disposition. Baseline characteristics included demographics, comorbidities, and NIHSS score. Hospital treatment included whether patients received IV t-PA or neuro-intervention and their turnaround times. Patient outcomes included length of stay (LOS), discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and discharge disposition. Effects of Hispanic ethnicity and prior depression on patient outcomes were analyzed using a nonparametric median test for LOS and chi square analysis for mRS score and disposition. Results: Out of 500 cases that were analyzed, 199 were excluded because of: prior stroke, TIA, MI, or atrial fibrillation, or LOS ≥ 30 days. Of the remaining 301 cases, 195 patients were Hispanic (65%), and 30 were characterized as having depression (9/97 non-Hispanic, 9% and 21/195 Hispanic, 12%). A marginally significant interaction (p=0.061) between ethnicity and depression was found, such that non-Hispanic patients with depression had a shorter LOS than the other three groups (3.7 d vs. 6.3-6.9 d). Of the 301 patients, 171 (57%) were discharged home. Hispanic patients were less likely to be discharged home (54%) compared to 62% of non-Hispanic patients, regardless of depression. Out of 279 patients that had a discharge mRS score, 98 (35%) had a good clinical outcome (mRS 0-2). Only 1/4 of Hispanic patients with depression had a good clinical outcome, vs. 1/3 of patients in the other groups. However, neither ethnicity nor depression had a statistically significant effect on discharge disposition or discharge mRS. Conclusions: There was a combined effect of ethnicity and depression on LOS where non-Hispanic patients with depression had a shorter LOS than other groups. Although not statistically significant, the findings may be clinically important. It is critical to determine whether these patients had less severe strokes or fewer comorbidities, or if patients were discharged too quickly.
Impact of engineered lignin composition on biomass recalcitrance and ionic liquid pretreatment efficiency

Lignin plays important biological functions in plant cell walls, but also contributes to the recalcitrance of the walls to deconstruction. In recent years, genetic modification of lignin biosynthesis pathways has become one of the primary targets of plant cell wall engineering. In this study, we used a combination of approaches to characterize the structural and compositional features of wild-type Arabidopsis and mutants with distinct lignin monomer compositions: fah1-2 (Guaiacyl, G-lignin dominant), C4H-F5H (Syringyl, S-lignin dominant), COMT1 (G/5-hydroxy G-lignin dominant), and a newly developed med5a med5b ref8 (p-hydroxyphenyl, H-lignin dominant) mutant. In order to understand how lignin modification affects biomass recalcitrance, substrate reactivity and lignin fractionation, we correlated these properties with saccharification efficiency after ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment. Results showed that the cleavage of β-O-4 linkages in the H- or S-lignin mutants was greater than that in G-lignin mutants. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) based calculations indicate higher chemical reactivity of the linkages between H- and S-lignin monomers, a possible cause of the reduced recalcitrance of H- or S-lignin mutants. Glycome profiling was conducted to study the impact of lignin modification on overall composition, extractability, integrity and lignin-associated features of most major non-cellulosic cell wall glycans in these mutants. This study provides insights into the role of lignin monomer composition on the enzymatic digestibility of biomass and the effect of lignin modification on overall wall structure and biomass pretreatment performance.
The Effects of Negative Affect Arousal on Reactions to Speakers

ABSTRACT Two studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that speakers associated with negative affect and/or frustration will be negatively evaluated. As part of a colour recognition study, the participants in the first experiment listened to tape-recorded colour descriptions by a male speaker of standard English . The tape was either free from noise or punctuated by bursts of white noise. The subjects in the noisy tape condition performed significantly worse on the colour recognition task, and consistent with the hypothesis, judged the speaker less favourably. Participants in the second study listened to the colour descriptions of either a standard or Spanish-accented speaker of English which were presented on tapes with no noise, continuous white noise or bursts of white noise. Colour recognition accuracy was significantly influenced by both noise and accent alone as well as in combination. Accented speakers were responded to more negatively than standard speakers on most measures, including several social evaluation scales. Noise significantly affected other measures, including the ratings of speaker's communication effectiveness, tape responsibility for task difficulty, and ease of understanding. The results, as a whole, suggest that serious attention be given to the negative affect mechanism in the social evaluation of nonstandard speech styles.
LibPowerMon: A Lightweight Profiling Framework to Profile Program Context and System-Level Metrics

As power becomes one of the most important re-sources to provision while building modern HPC systems and applications, it becomes crucial to obtain deeper insights into applications' power and thermal characteristics. There exists aneed to correlate application context with processor-level andsystem-level power and thermal measurements. Existing profilingtools to monitor power and thermal measurements either operateat a granularity that is not fine enough to correlate withapplication-level events that describe application context or arenot equipped to sample application-level events. In this work, we introduce libPowerMon, a lightweight user-level profilingframework to simultaneously sample user-specified applicationevents and system-level metrics at up to 1 kHz sampling intervals. At the application level, libPowerMon provides a source-levelphase markup interface to capture application context. It recordsMPI and OpenMP events, and samples processor state at a finertemporal granularity. At the system level, libPowerMon samplespower and thermal characteristics and provides an interface toset processor and DRAM power. We present three case studiesthat demonstrate the benefits of libPowerMon in saving cluster-level power and improving application performance within asystem-enforced power limit.
Principal Components Regression Model for Prediction of Acceleration Factors for Copper-Aluminum Wirebonds Subjected to Harsh Environments

Migration to Cu wirebond from traditional gold wirebond is recent trend in packaging industry. Selection of different materials, such as EMC used in the molding process plays key role in defining lifetime for wirebond system. Effects of the individual variables such as pH value, ionic contamination, filler content on reliability of wirebond is available in literature. However, since all these parameters have combined effect on reliability, joint effect of all parameters on acceleration factor and their quantification is necessary for smooth transition to Cu wirebond system, keeping transition and testing time minimum. Effect of pH value and ionic contamination of EMC on life distribution was individually studied in the past. In this paper, predictive model for acceleration factor of copper based on PCR approach is presented. A set of parts, molded with different EMC's were subjected to high temperature environment (150°C-225°C). Resistance, IMC change and shear strength change were monitored during this study. Resistance spectroscopy was used for accurate resistance measurement. Dage 2400PC was used to calculate change in shear strength. Parts were cross-sectioned and polished along Cu-Al interface using SEM and EDX system after failure. Relation between resistance changes with change in shear strength was established. 20% change in resistance was considered as failure threshold. All parts were tested till failure. Time-to-failure data was used to calculate acceleration factor, with 150°C as a base temperature. Different AF's obtained for different EMC's were then regressed against environmental conditions, mechanical and chemical properties of molding compound. In this study, all packages had same architecture, wire diameter and pad thickness. Principal component analysis was used to identify influential variables and to remove multicollinearity in the data set. PCA technique allows dataset to be projected into lower dimension vector space, and remove variables which do not contribute towards variance of predictive variable. Prediction model will be able to predict AF when environmental conditions, properties of EMC are known. Model was validated by performing self-validation test, and by predicting AF for the dataset which was not part of study. This model will provide, educated estimation of time to failure for new set of EMC's, for desired operating condition.
Learning, Food, and Sustainability in the School Curriculum

We all need to eat food regularly in order to survive. Yet, our global food system runs on a bottom line of corporate profits and a frank disregard for health, ecological sustainability, social justice, and equity. One way to move toward a food system that keeps us—and the planet—healthy is for all citizens to become more food literate. Imagine a world where how our food system works is common knowledge, instead of only in the hands of corporate executives. Imagine a world where everyone has the ability and desire to make “good food” choices and knows at least a bit about how to grow and cook food. Imagine a world where “green-washing” and food packages with false and confusing health claims are a thing of the past.
The Impact of Organizational Culture and Structure on the Routinization of Agile Software Development Methodologies

Agile software development methodologies represent a departure from the heavy document-driven procedures of plan-driven approaches. As organizations continue to adopt agile methodologies, understanding the factors that influence the routinization of agile is a growing concern. In recent years, researchers have focused their attention to the issues of post-adoptive agile use in order to extend our knowledge on agile assimilation. However, little research has been conducted to expose the assimilation gaps that occur as organizations seek to increase the extent and intensity of their agile use. Following prior literature, our objective is to articulate a model that explains the impact of organizational culture and structure on the routinization of agile methods. Our theoretical model provides helpful insights that extend our of knowledge of agile assimilation in organizations.
Diffusion Models of Memory and Decision Making

Theories of memory have typically focused on the representation of information in memory and relied on signal detection theory to describe how this information is translated into a decision. This approach fails to account for the amount of time taken to make a decision and the relationship between response time (RT) and response proportions. Modeling the RTs as well as the response proportions in various memory tasks can produce new explanations for behaviors and distinguish between changes in memory strength and changes in the decision-making process. In this chapter, we describe several applications of sequential sampling models.
Troubling Whiteness: Music education and the “messiness” of equity work:

At the elementary level, White, female music teachers largely populate music education. In the diverse schools of Toronto in Canada, teachers navigate their White subjectivities in a range of ways. My research examines the discourses, philosophies, and practices of four White, female elementary music educators who have striven to challenge dominant paradigms of music education. Their practices include critically engaging issues of social justice, studying a broad range of musics, and emphasizing contextualization. In many ways, these teachers interrupt the Eurocentric paradigm of music education to explore other possibilities with students. However, equity work is messy, and there were also moments that unsettled these teachers’ active equity agendas. This article describes both the subversions and the reinscriptions in a way that might be instructive to music education.
In This Issue: Community Health, Clinical Care, and Clinician Calling

This issue of Annals of Family Medicine provides diverse perspectives on community health, clinical care, and clinicians’ calling as healers. A perspective by Ziegelstein highlights the increasing importance of knowing the patient as a person in an era in which precision medicine sometimes coopts
Adherent cell inhibition of human leukemic in vitro agar clonal growth by short-term cell-to-cell contact

The effects of peripheral blood adherent cells from normal donors on human myeloid leukemic cluster growth in agar were studied. A prior co-incubation of nonadherent leukemic cells with adherent cell monolayers from 9 out of 10 donors in liquid cultures over a 4-hr period was sufficient to reduce subsequent leukemic growth in semisolid agar cultures. Inhibition was seen with adherent to leukemic cell ratios of as low as 0.5:1. Conversely, identical numbers of adherent cells in agar cultures but separated from the leukemic cells enhanced growth more than the cultures containing human placental conditioned media alone. Because leukemic cell exposure to adherent cells was brief, a cytotoxic mechanism appeared likely; however, this could not be detected by 51Cr release. Human peripheral blood adherent cells not activated by any in vitro mechanism suppress clonal growth of human myeloid leukemic cells by a mechanism requiring cell to cell contact. Examination of the inhibition of clonal growth appears to be more sensitive than 51Cr release as an indicator of adherent cell effects on myeloid leukemia.
A Reciprocal Model of Pain and Substance Use: Transdiagnostic Considerations, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions

Pain and substance use are highly prevalent and co-occurring conditions that continue to garner increasing clinical and empirical interest. Although nicotine and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis each confer acute analgesic effects, frequent or heavy use may contribute to the development and progression of chronic pain, and pain may be heightened during abstinence. Additionally, pain can be a potent motivator of substance self-administration, and it may contribute to escalating use and poorer substance-related treatment outcomes. We integrated converging lines of evidence to propose a reciprocal model in which pain and substance use are hypothesized to interact in the manner of a positive feedback loop, resulting in the exacerbation and maintenance of both conditions over time. Theoretical mechanisms in bidirectional pain-substance use relations are reviewed, including negative reinforcement, social cognitive processes, and allostatic load in overlapping neural circuitry. Finally, candidate transdiagnostic factors are identified, and we conclude with a discussion of clinical implications and future research directions.
Development and Validation of a SiC Based 50 kW Grid-Connected PV Inverter

The future power grid will involve increasing numbers of power converters while growing the complexity of the power systems. The future of the power converters is driven by developments in the wide-bandgap semiconductor devices. In this paper, a 50-kW string photovoltaic (PV) inverter designed and developed using all silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices is presented. The inverter design includes an additively manufactured power block, symmetrical Y-core inductors for the ac-side filter, and advanced inverter controls for grid support functionality. This inverter uses the conventional three-phase voltage source inverter topology and optimizes the design for SiC-based devices. The paper includes details on power module design, heatsink optimization, symmetrical Y-core filter inductor design, inverter thermal design, and further experimental validation of the inverter performance. In addition to presenting the quantification of inverter efficiency and quality of the output, the paper presents the validation of advanced grid-support functions required by the IEEE 1547 standards for the interconnection of distributed energy resources.
Using Propensity Score Matching to Address Clinical Questions: The Impact of Remote Microphone Systems on Language Outcomes in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing

Purpose Children who are hard of hearing (CHH) have restricted access to acoustic and linguistic information. Increased audibility provided by hearing aids influences language outcomes, but the ben...
Lower survival outcomes in patients receiving an initial cancer diagnosis after presenting to the emergency department.

e18122Background: Survival outcomes in cancer are better in patients who are diagnosed at an early stage, which can potentially be detected through screening and routine visits to a primary care ph...
The story of Aleksei Balabanov’s unfinished film The American

This article examines Aleksei Balabanov’s unfinished film The American and the various accompanying texts that contribute to our understanding of its place in the filmmaker’s biography. A published...
Rapid ventricular pacing during transcatheter valve procedures using an internal device and programmer: A demonstration of feasibility.

OBJECTIVES To develop a protocol for using a pre-existing, permanent pacemaker or defibrillator device for rapid ventricular pacing during transcatheter valve procedures and demonstrate feasibility. BACKGROUND Placement of a passive fixation, temporary pacemaker wire is considered routine during most transcatheter valve procedures to facilitate controlled or rapid ventricular pacing at the time of balloon expansion or valve deployment. Many patients presenting for such procedures have a pre-existing, permanent pacemaker or defibrillator device which could be used for the same function, obviating the need for temporary pacemaker wire placement. METHODS We developed a strategy for rapid pacing from the pre-existing device using a programmer during transcatheter valve procedures in consecutive patients over a 3-month period. Complications and clinical outcomes were recorded. RESULTS There were 135 transcatheter valve procedures performed during the study. Of these, 28 (20.7%) had pre-existing devices (17 transcatheter aortic valve replacement, 3 aortic valve-in-valve, 2 mitral valve-in-valve, and 6 balloon aortic valvuloplasty). All patients underwent rapid ventricular pacing using a commercially available device programmer. There were no adverse events related to device pacing and no patients required placement of a temporary pacemaker wire during the procedure. At 30-days follow-up, there were no deaths, one major vascular complication related to arterial access, and one patient with renal failure requiring dialysis. CONCLUSION Pacing from a commercially available device programmer is safe, feasible, and may reduce both procedural cost and complications such as cardiac tamponade by avoiding placement of a temporary pacemaker lead during transcatheter valve procedures.
Characterizing avian pathogenic Escherichia coli from diagnostic cases in Georgia, USA – comparison of gene profiles with tissue of isolation

Colibacillosis caused by Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and carcass condemnation to the poultry industry worldwide resulting in significant economic losses. We assessed a multiplex PCR for classifying diagnostic APEC and characterized these isolates using gene profile analysis.48 E. coli isolates collected between August and October 2018 through the Poultry Disease Research Center (PDRC) Diagnostic Laboratory were analyzed. Isolates were screened using multiplex PCR targeting genes associated with APEC chromosomal and plasmid virulence. Isolates were assessed for relationship between gene profile and host tissue of origin. Overall, isolates met the criteria for definition as well-developed pathogens with more than 90 % of isolates positive for the genes iroN, ompTp and hlyF; 78 % were positive for aerJ and 67 % for iss. A significantly lower prevalence was observed for cvaC, etsB, ireA and papC (range 5–36 %). When overall gene prevalence was examined for tissue of isolation, we found that APEC from the ovary, bone marrow, pericardium and lung had higher average numbers of genes compared to isolates recovered from skin and yolk sac. Genes associated with the ColV virulence plasmid (iss, iroN, hlyF and ompTp) were detected in 43 of 48 isolates (89.5%) further confirming the ColV plasmid is the defining trait of the APEC subpathotype. The use of a multiplex panel to screen for APEC has shown good correlation with pathogenesis, and tissue source and correlates well with invasive strains. Path panel diagnostics is available through PDRC, providing significant value to APEC screening.
Neuropsychological Outcomes of Exposure to Hurricane Katrina and Relocation.

OBJECTIVE Survivors of natural disasters are at risk for mental health sequela, including deficits in neurocognitive functioning. This study explores links between hurricane exposure and resulting psychiatric symptoms and deficits in cognitive processing, attention, learning, and memory. METHODS Relocated Katrina survivors and demographically matched controls completed neurocognitive tests assessing processing speed (Trail Making Test, Part A), mental flexibility (Trail Making Test, Part B), sustained attention (Conner's Continuous Performance Test), and learning and memory (Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test). PTSD (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale) and depressive symptoms (BDI- II) were also measured. RESULTS Survivors had more PTSD and depression symptoms and weaker performance in cognitive processing, mental flexibility, and sustained attention, but not memory and learning compared to controls. When controlling for depression and PTSD symptoms (analysis of covariances), only CPT-II response time remained significantly different for survivors, so that sustained attention deficits were independent of emotional symptoms. CONCLUSION Survivors had more psychiatric symptoms and neurocognitive dysfunctions than controls in most assessed measures. Our study had mixed results in identifying cognitive deficits related to psychopathology. Results suggest that disaster survivors, even those without psychopathology, should be assessed for cognitive issues that may affect their ability to process post-disaster instructions and access assistance in recovery efforts.
Cutaneous Metastasis from Gastric Carcinoma, an Uncommon Clinical Presentation

Cutaneous metastases are a late event associated with poor prognosis. Here we report a case of gastric carcinoma associated cutaneous metastasis in a patient who reported a history of an unspecified malignancy under remission. This case report serves to highlight cutaneous metastases as a rare late complications of malignancies, including those that may have been previously considered in remission, associated with poor prognosis.
Staphylococcus aureus Fatty Acid Kinase FakA Modulates Pathogenesis during Skin Infection via Proteases

Staphylococcus aureus fatty acid kinase FakA is necessary for the incorporation of exogenous fatty acids into the lipid membrane. We previously demonstrated that the inactivation of fakA leads to decreased α-hemolysin (Hla) production but increased expression of the proteases SspAB and aureolysin in vitro, and that the ΔfakA mutant causes larger lesions than the wild type (WT) during murine skin infection. As expected, necrosis is Hla dependent in the presence or absence of FakA, as both hla and hla ΔfakA mutants are unable to cause necrosis of the skin. At day 4 postinfection, while the ΔfakA mutant maintains larger and more necrotic abscesses, bacterial numbers are similar to those of the WT, indicating the enhanced tissue damage of mice infected with the ΔfakA mutant is not due to an increase in bacterial burden. At this early stage of infection, skin infected with the ΔfakA mutant has decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and IL-1α, compared to those of WT-infected skin. At a later stage of infection (day 7), abscess resolution and bacterial clearance are hindered in ΔfakA mutant-infected mice. The paradoxical findings of decreased Hla in vitro but increased necrosis in vivo led us to investigate the role of the proteases regulated by FakA. Utilizing Δaur and ΔsspAB mutants in both the WT and fakA mutant backgrounds, we found that the absence of these proteases in a fakA mutant reduced dermonecrosis to levels similar to those of the WT strain. These studies suggest that the overproduction of proteases is one factor contributing to the enhanced pathogenesis of the ΔfakA mutant during skin infection.
They are Essential Workers Now, and Should Continue to Be: Social Workers and Home Health Care Workers during COVID-19 and Beyond.

Although much has been said over the past few months about the selfless dedication of frontline healthcare workers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this deserved recognition stands in st...
Multinary copper-based chalcogenide nanocrystal systems from the perspective of device applications

Multinary chalcogenide semiconductor nanocrystals are a unique class of materials as they offer flexibility in composition, structure, and morphology for controlled band gap and optical properties. They offer a vast selection of materials for energy conversion, storage, and harvesting applications. Among the multinary chalcogenides, Cu-based compounds are the most attractive in terms of sustainability as many of them consist of earth-abundant elements. There has been immense progress in the field of Cu-based chalcogenides for device applications in the recent years. This paper reviews the state of the art synthetic strategies and application of multinary Cu-chalcogenide nanocrystals in photovoltaics, photocatalysis, light emitting diodes, supercapacitors, and luminescent solar concentrators. This includes the synthesis of ternary, quaternary, and quinary Cu-chalcogenide nanocrystals. The review also highlights some emerging experimental and computational characterization approaches for multinary Cu-chalcogenide semiconductor nanocrystals. It discusses the use of different multinary Cu-chalcogenide compounds, achievements in device performance, and the recent progress made with multinary Cu-chalcogenide nanocrystals in various energy conversion and energy storage devices. The review concludes with an outlook on some emerging and future device applications for multinary Cu-chalcogenides, such as scalable luminescent solar concentrators and wearable biomedical electronics.
Post-treatment with the combination of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide ribonucleoside and carnitine improves renal function after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major clinical problem where main metabolic pathways are compromised and cellular homeostasis crashes after ATP depletion. Fatty acids are major energy source in the kidneys. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), a mitochondrial membrane enzyme, utilizes carnitine to transport fatty acids to mitochondria for the process of β-oxidation and ATP generation. In addition, CPT1 activity is indirectly regulated by adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase, which can be activated by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide ribonucleoside (AICAR). We hypothesized that administration of carnitine and AICAR could reestablish the energetic balance after reperfusion and ameliorate renal I/R injury. Male adult rats were subjected to renal I/R by bilateral renal pedicle clamping for 60 min, followed by administration of saline (vehicle), carnitine (250 mg/kg BW), AICAR (30 mg/kg BW), or combination of both drugs. Blood and renal tissues were collected 24 h after reperfusion for various measurements. Renal carnitine levels decreased 53% after I/R. The combined treatment significantly increased CPT1 activity and ATP levels, and lowered renal malondialdehyde and serum TNF-α levels against the vehicle group. It led to improvement in renal morphology and histological damage score associated with diminution in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Moreover, the combined treatment significantly improved the survival rate in comparison to the vehicle group. In contrast, administration of either drug alone did not show a significant improvement in most of the measurements. In conclusion, enhancing energy metabolism by combination of carnitine and AICAR provides a novel modality to treat renal I/R injury.
Electronic transport in oxygen deficient ferromagnetic semiconducting TiO2−δ

TiO2−δ films were deposited on (100) lanthanum aluminate, LaAlO3, substrates at a low oxygen chamber pressure, P≈0.3 mTorr, employing a pulsed laser ablation deposition technique. In previous work, it was established that the oxygen deficiency in these films induced ferromagnetism. In this work it is demonstrated that this same oxygen deficiency also gives rise to semiconductor titanium ion impurity donor energy levels. Measurements of the transport resistivity of thin films of TiO2−δ are presented, as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The magnetoresistivity and Hall resistivity are explained in terms of electronic excitations from the titanium ion donor levels into the conduction band.
Mechanics of vitrimer with hybrid networks

Abstract Vitrimer has recently emerged as a polymer combining great processability, self-healing capability and high-temperature mechanical properties. Most of those salient features of a vitrimer originate from the existence of dynamic covalent bonds in the polymer network. To further adjust the mechanical behaviors of vitrimer, regular covalent bonds have been mixed with dynamic covalent bonds to create a hybrid network. Percolation theory predicts that, if regular covalent bonds and dynamic covalent bonds are homogenously mixed, a high molar ratio of dynamic covalent bonds is needed to maintain the self-healing and reprocessing capabilities of the material. Herein, we experimentally show that, if the network with only regular covalent bonds and the network with dynamic covalent bonds are immiscible with each other, hybrid network can be synthesized with a low molar ratio of dynamic covalent bonds (less than 20 mol%), which still maintains its reprocessing and self-healing capabilities. Our discoveries will enable much greater tunability of the thermo-mechanical properties of vitrimers such as stress relaxation, creep resistance and fracture toughness, which can be important in many of their applications.
Comparison of chronic kidney disease trial designs and analysis strategies.

Background: Despite the large burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD), it is challenging to conduct adequately powered clinical trials in this setting. Sound and efficient trials are needed to advance treatment. Various analysis strategies can be used to compare the efficacy of a parallel trial design with that of three two period trial designs. Methods: The type 1 error rates and powers of various trial designs were calculated using simulated data from models fit to two re cent CKD trials. In addition, we assessed the influences of a variety of analysis strategies and of the presence of a carryover effect. Results: The parallel and crossover designs (with analysis of change from baseline to the off treatment value) maintained the target type 1 error rate in all scenarios. In some scenarios, an open label design yielded inflated type 1 error rates. In many scenarios, the open label and delayed start designs had unacceptably low power and high type 1 error rates. Overall, the crossover design had the highest power by far, and always controlled the type 1 error rate. Conclusion: The recommended approach to a CKD trial is a two period design with an endpoint that is the rate of change in estimat ed glomerular filtration rate from pretreatment to off treatment. As compared to a parallel trial, a crossover study involves a consider ably smaller sample size and shorter total follow-up duration. A crossover design may also be preferable for patients, and facilitates recruitment of a sufficient number of subjects.
Single Chain Hydration and Dynamics of Mussel-Inspired Soybean-Based Adhesive

Mussels, which are marine creatures, stick strongly to various substrates underwater using foot proteins rich in amino acids like L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). This stimulates the synthesis of catechol-containing polymers that possess strong underwater adhesion; consequently, the mechanism is ascribed solely to catechol functionality. However, polymers' adsorption state and hence adhesion are a function of hydration and intramolecular interactions, insights into which are lacking. Here, we investigate dilute solution behavior of polyester adhesive polymers containing linoleamide group for hydrophobicity (H) and catechol group to mimic DOPA functionality (D). Higher D unit content containing polymers hydrate more through catechol hydroxyl groups and explore a wide range of conformational space. Neither ester oxygen nor nitrogen atoms in the backbone show any hydration. Interestingly, all polymers show hydrophobic collapse with extent/structure depending upon content of H unit. Hydrophobic collapse due to enthalpic interactions and chain entropy enhancement via catechol group provide insights into polymers' un-adsorbed state.
Controversies in Treatment Practices of the Mother-Infant Dyad at the Limit of Viability

ABSTRACT In the setting of threatened extreme preterm birth, balancing maternal and fetal risks and benefits in order to choose the best available treatment options is of utmost importance. Inconsistency in treatment practices for infants born between 22 and 24 weeks of gestatotional age may account for inter-hospital variation in survival rates with and without impairment. Most importantly, non-biased and accurate information must be presented to the family as soon as extremely preterm birth is suspected, including counseling on morbidities and mortality associated with delivery at the limits of viability. This review will focus on different therapeutic medical and surgical practices available for threatened extremely preterm birth to improve fetal and maternal outcomes while highlighting the importance of patient-centered approaches.
Scientific advocacy, environmental interest groups, and climate change: are climate skeptic portrayals of climate scientists as biased accurate?

Public discourse on climate change often refers to possible bias among climate scientists as a rationale for limited climate policy action by the United States. Part of this discussion is the association of scientists with environmental interest groups and whether such affiliations facilitate the perception that climate scientists lack objectivity. While surveys suggest that some climate scientists disapprove of affiliations with interest groups, recent research indicates that climate scientists are quite likely to be involved with environmental organizations. This paper compares the affiliations of scientists and the general public to discern whether scientists are uniquely likely to affiliate with interest groups or they simply share characteristics common to the public who also affiliate with these organizations. Our findings suggest that climate scientists are no more likely to donate money, but are less likely to sign a petition or attend a demonstration, when controlling for other factors. These results strengthen our understanding of the affiliations between scientists and interest groups and hold implications for the accuracy of popular perceptions of climate scientists.
Is Chivalry Dead

* * * An apparent decrease in differences between the sexes in criminal behavior and law enforcement outcomes has been attributed to changes in attitudes toward sex roles and increasing female labor force participation. The research reported here addresses two related questions in this area: (1) Have there been changes over time in sex differences in the disposition of police contacts with juveniles and adults? and (2) Do any observed changes account for increases in the female crime rate? Our analysis of data from 10,723 police contacts in a mid-western city during the period 1948–1976 found a trend toward a diminished sex difference in police dispositions of juvenile and adult misdemeanors and adult felonies. There was no evidence for a similar trend for juvenile status offenses or juvenile felonies. The findings also suggest that part of the apparent increase in female crime may be due to changes in official reactions to female offenders.
On the determination of the effective permittivity of metamaterials: a spectral FDTD approach

A new modified FDTD referred to spectral FDTD is introduced to calculate the effective permittivity of metamaterials. An array of periodic spheres and an array of periodic cubes are analyzed by the technique, and the effective permittivities for both structures are calculated. It is observed that the cubical inclusions have a larger effective permittivity than the spherical inclusions for the same volume and dielectric constant of each inclusion. Because of the versatility of the spectral FDTD technique, the technique introduced here provides an efficient tool to calculate the effective permittivity of metamaterials with the arbitrary shaped inclusion.
The Semantics of Miranda's Algebraic Types

Miranda has two interesting features in its typing system: implicit polymorphism (also known as ML-style polymorphism) and algebraic types. Algebraic types create new types from old and can operate on arbitrary types. This paper argues that functions on types, or type constructors, best represent the meaning of algebraic types. Building upon this idea, we develop a denotational semantics for algebraic types. We first define a typed lambda calculus that specifies type constructors. A semantic model of type constructors is then built, using the ideal model as a basis. (The ideal model gives the most natural semantics for Miranda's implicit polymorphism.) The model is shown to be sound with respect to this lambda calculus. Finally, we demonstrate how to use the model to interpret algebraic types, and prove that the translation produces elements in the model.
Fostering the History of Science in American Science Education

Given the expanding role of science and technology in the modern world, it becomes ever more urgent for general education — the education, that is, of all students, not exclusively those headed toward college and technical careers — to produce scientifically literate graduates. Not withstanding its desirability, that grand aim has proven elusive.