cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analytical approach to prototype vehicle test scheduling

Abstract The test planning group within Ford׳s Product Development division develops schedules for building prototype vehicles and assigning them to departments in charge of different vehicle components, systems and aspects (e.g., powertrain, electrical, safety). These departments conduct tests at pre-production phases of each vehicle program (e.g., 2015 Ford Fusion, 2016 Ford Escape) to ensure the vehicles meet all requirements by the time they reach the production phase. Each prototype can cost in excess of $200 K because many of the parts and the prototypes themselves are hand-made and highly customized. Parts needed often require months of lead time, which constrains when vehicle builds can start. That, combined with inflexible deadlines for completing tests on those prototypes introduces significant time pressure, an unavoidable and challenging reality. One way to alleviate time pressure is to build more prototype vehicles; however, this would greatly increase the cost of each program. A more efficient way is to develop test plans with tight schedules that combine multiple tests on vehicles to fully utilize all available time. There are many challenges that need to be overcome in implementing this approach, including complex compatibility relationships between the tests and destructive nature of, e.g., crash tests. We introduce analytical approaches for obtaining efficient schedules to replace the tedious manual scheduling process engineers undertake for each program. Our models and algorithms save test planners׳ and engineers׳ time, increases their ability to quickly react to program changes, and save resources by ensuring maximal vehicle utilization.
Newer Sulfonylureas Not Associated with Increased Mortality, MIs, or Strokes.

In multiple randomized trials, the long-term use of second- or third-generation sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes is not associated with more deaths, myocardial infarctions (MIs), or strokes. The included trials tended not to report other safety data.
Alzheimer's disease severity, objectively determined and measured

Introduction With expansion of clinical trials to individuals across the spectrum of Alzheimer disease (AD) from preclinical to symptomatic phases, it is increasingly important to quantify AD severity using methods that capture underlying pathophysiology.
Analysis of ultra-low voltage digital circuits over process variations

Ultra-low voltage electronics is a subject that introduces unique issues. Problems such as process variation adversely affect digital electronics at ultra-low voltages. Signal integrity and systematic timing strongly influence low-voltage digital designs because of the low static noise margin. Candidate solutions include Schmitt-trigger gate design and asynchronous paradigm such as the NULL Convention Logic. Four gate libraries are constructed for comparison between static CMOS and Schmitt-trigger gate design, and between synchronous and asynchronous logic gates. A small test circuit is implemented to measure success rate, active energy, leakage power, and threshold under process variation. Results show that process variation strongly affects ultra-low voltage electronics and that Schmitt-trigger gate design and NULL Convention Logic are effective solutions for deep subthreshold operation.
Coherent coupling between microwave and optical fields via electron spin coherence in diamond

Using phase-dependent coherent population trapping, we demonstrate the conversion of microwave phase information into optical phase information via an electron spin coherence in diamond and vice versa.
Data processing workflow for time of flight polarized neutrons inelastic measurements

We discuss the data processing workflow for polarized neutron scattering measurements performed at HYSPEC [1] spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The effects of the focusing Heusler crystal polarizer and the wide- angle supermirror transmission polarization analyzer are added to the data processing flow of the non-polarized case. The implementation is done using the Mantid [2] software package.
Determinants of physical activity frequency and provider advice during pregnancy

Our aims were to (1) describe the frequency of physical activity and prenatal healthcare provider advice about physical activity during pregnancy and (2) examine determinants and correlates of 3rd trimester physical activity and receipt of physical activity advice. We analyzed data from the 2008 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. We studied 2669 women from North Carolina and Colorado with data on physical activity frequency in the 3 months prior to pregnancy and during the 3rd trimester and 1584 women from Oklahoma with data on provider advice regarding physical activity during pregnancy. Respondents reported physical activity, defined as 30 min or more of exercise/physical activity (excluding vocationally related activity), in in these categories: <1 day/week, 1-4 days/week, and ≥5 days/week. We defined adherence to American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG) criteria as physical activity ≥5 days/week in the 3rd trimester. We performed logistic regression analyses weighted for sampling and adjusted for socio-demographic factors. Forty-two percent of women in North Carolina and Colorado reported 3rd trimester physical activity <1 day/week, 42% 1-4 days/week, 9% ≥5 days/week; 7% reported being told not to exercise. Seventy-two percent of women in Oklahoma reported receiving physical activity advice from a prenatal care provider. Low activity frequency (<1 day/week) prior to pregnancy was strongly associated with low likelihood of ACOG guideline adherence in the 3rd trimester (aOR 0.10, 95% CU 0.04, 0.30 vs. 1–4 days/week). Underweight women were more likely to adhere to ACOG guidelines than normal weight women (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 1.36, 3.79). Overweight women were more likely to receive physical activity advice (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.3, 6.3 vs. normal weight), but obese women were not (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.4, 1.2). Few women meet ACOG guideline criteria for physical activity during pregnancy. Improving physical activity and weight status prior to pregnancy may improve activity levels during pregnancy. Nearly one third did not receive advice about physical activity during prenatal care. Obese women were no more likely to receive advice than their normal weight counterparts, indicating the need for targeted physical activity counseling in this population.
Factors associated with mentor satisfaction among teaching and learning curriculum program participants.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate participants' satisfaction with their teaching mentor relationship in a teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) and determine characteristics that are associated with high mentee satisfaction. Methods A 31-item survey instrument was administered to all 2015–2016 participants of the Teaching Certificate Program. Results Seventy percent of program participants (n = 60/86) responded to the survey. Overall, 80% of program participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their mentor relationship. Characteristics associated with participants reporting that they were very satisfied with their teaching mentor relationship included mentor availability for face-to-face contact and affiliation with the same institution. Mentor actions associated with high mentee satisfaction included reviewing lecture slides, providing midpoint feedback, providing career advice, and attending mentee lectures. Conclusions Teaching certificate program participants perceive increased mentor accessibility and frequent interaction as key factors to a satisfying mentor-mentee relationship. Optimizing and standardizing mentorship programs are essential to the success of postgraduate teaching curriculums.
Comparison of time-frequency methods for analyzing stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions

Stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) can have multiple time varying components, including multiple internal reflections. It is, therefore, necessary to study SFOAEs using techniques that can represent their time-frequency behavior. Although various time-frequency schemes can be applied to identify and filter SFOAE components, their accuracy for SFOAE analysis has not been investigated. The relative performance of these methods is important for accurate characterization of SFOAEs that may, in turn, enhance the understanding of SFOAE generation. This study using in silico experiments examined the performance of three linear (short-time Fourier transform, continuous wavelet transform, Stockwell transform) and two nonlinear (empirical mode decomposition and synchrosqueezed wavelet transform) time-frequency approaches for SFOAE analysis. Their performances in terms of phase-gradient delay estimation, frequency specificity, and spectral component extraction are compared, and the relative merits and...
Efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 therapy: Do proton pump inhibitors affect the outcome?

208Background: Recent studies have shown that manipulating the gut microbiome modulates the efficacy of anti-PD1/PD-L1 directed therapy leading to increase in the activity of CD8+ T-cells. Proton Pump inhibitors (PPIs) affect the gut microbiome. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of PPIs use on agents that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in patients treated with these agents. Methods: We looked at the outcomes of 158 patients aged 18 years or older, treated at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center between 2014 and 2016. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether survival of patients treated with agents that target PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was affected by PPI use. The secondary objective was to identify if there is any difference in the immune related side effect profile between PPI users and non-users. The overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were compared between PPI users and nonusers using the log-rank tests. Survival curves were generated ...
A Verified Accumulate Algorithmic Skeleton

This paper presents an extension of a library for the Coq interactive theorem prover that enables the development of correct functional parallel programs based on sequential program transformation and automatic parallelization using an algorithmic skeleton named accumulate. Such an algorithmic skeleton is a pattern of a parallel algorithm that is provided as a high-order function implemented in parallel. The use of this framework is illustrated with the bracket matching problem, including experiments on a parallel machine.
Chain growth rate and length of enzymatically synthesized RNA molecules.

The kinetics of RNA synthesis, the sedimentation velocity of the RNA product and the number of ATP-initiated RNA molecules have been determined as a function of the concentration of the substrates ATP, UTP, GTP and CTP in reaction mixtures containing purified E. coli RNA polymerase and native T4 DNA templates. The following results were obtained:
Diffuse (O I) emission and warm interstellar gas in galaxies

It is shown that measurements of the relative intensities of (O I) and H..cap alpha.. lines in external galaxies can be used to determine whether a significant fraction of the disk of each galaxy consists of warm (T approximately = 10/sup 4/K) interstellar H I regions. 1 table.
MEGAKARYOCYTOPOIESIS IN THE RAT.

Labeling of rat megakaryocytes was observed after a single intravenous injection of tritiated thymidine, and the following conclusions were made. 1. Morphologic appearance of megakaryocytes corresponded to their stage of maturation. 2. Only the youngest recognizable megakaryocytes (stage I) appeared to have a DNA synthetic period. 3. Megakaryocytes did not undergo permanent cellular division. 4. There was probably some degree of ineffective megakaryocytopoiesis. 5. The average total maturation time of rat megakaryocytes was estimated to be 43-75 hours wih 8-14 hours in stage I, 11-19 hours in stage II, and 24-42 hours in stage III. 6. There was continuous influx into the megakaryocyte compartment from a precursor compartment. The immediate precursor cell was morphologically unrecognizable, but it appeared to have a generation time of ∼16 hours, a DNA synthesis period of ∼10 hours and a post-synthetic maturation time of ∼2 hours. 7. Reutilization of tritium probably accounted for maintenance of a high degree of labeling of megakaryocytes for a period of 1.5-4 days.
Ultrasound Molecular Imaging of Endothelial Cell Activation and Damage in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a gradual process that evolves over decades with variable plaque morphologies that can lead to atherothrombotic complications such as stroke and acute coronary syndromes. The ability to image the structural, cellular, or biochemical signatures of high-risk plaque phenotype has been a major goal for essentially all forms of clinical and preclinical imaging. These efforts have been based on the need to better understand pathobiology, the need to have a biologic readout for the testing of efficacy for new treatment strategies, and for the clinical purposes of potentially selecting patients for more aggressive forms of anti-atherosclerotic treatments that are in development stage. Ultrasound-based evaluation of plaque severity and plaque composition is already an integral part of the practice of cardiovascular medicine in the form of extracorporeal and intravascular imaging. New ultrasound-based techniques are being developed that may provide incremental information to structure alone. Some of these techniques are based on the ability to detect vascular inflammation by either regional abnormalities in the mechanical properties of the vessel wall or presence of plaque neovessels using contrast ultrasound imaging. Molecular imaging with acoustically active agents targeted to endothelial cell adhesion molecules, platelets, and microthrombosis has also been used to evaluate high-risk phenotype. Although clinical translation is a distant goal, the impact of ultrasound-based molecular imaging is already being felt through its application to better define pathophysiology and evaluate new therapies in atherosclerotic disease.
Effects of Treatment Delay on Efficacy of Tecovirimat Following Lethal Aerosol Monkeypox Virus Challenge in Cynomolgus Macaques.

Background Tecovirimat (ST-246) is being developed as an antiviral therapeutic for smallpox for use in the event of an accidental or intentional release. The last reported case of smallpox was 1978 but the potential for use of variola virus for biowarfare has renewed interest in smallpox antiviral therapeutics. Methods Cynomolgus macaques were challenged with a lethal dose of monkeypox virus (MPXV) by aerosol as a model for human smallpox and treated orally with 10 mg/kg tecovirimat once daily starting up to 8 days following challenge. Monkeys were monitored for survival, lesions, and clinical signs of disease. Samples were collected for measurement of viremia by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and for white blood cell counts. Results Survival in animals initiating treatment up to 5 days postchallenge was 100%. In animals treated starting 6, 7, or 8 days following challenge, survival was 67%, 100%, and 50%, respectively. Treatment initiation up to 4 days following challenge reduced severity of clinical manifestations of infection. Conclusions Tecovirimat treatment initiated up to 8 days following a lethal aerosol MPXV challenge improves survival and, when initiated earlier than 5 days after challenge, provides protection from clinical effects of disease, supporting the conclusion that it is a promising smallpox antiviral therapeutic candidate.
Immanent Interbodies: Composing Disability through Embodied Choragraphy

Abstract In this article, I argue that many praxes of composition stumble into pitfalls of ableism built into the default computer technologies that classrooms employ. Writing software and hardware writ large typically conflate the particularities of embodiment with the generality of “the body” equipped to succeed by standards of normalcy. Therefore, I propose a trajectory away from idealized interfaces, and toward immanent “interbodies,” which more fully account for embodiment’s contradictive mutabilities. Such work requires strategies for composing disability to draw attention to the embodied ways that many composition practices are performed in writing processes. Composing disability, I argue, makes our writing more like our bodies by subverting the standard use of writing technologies that construct classroom discourses. These praxes contribute to embodied choragraphy, which calls into question ableist pedagogies. Through wide citation of diverse scholarship and description of classroom exercises utilizing videogames and related media, this article challenges the fields’ commitment to computers and composition, and questions what versions of embodiment it finds value in.
Leadership Team Components Leading to Implementation Success: An Exploratory Study:

Facilitating change in schools requires the leadership, time, and skills of a number of educators in the school community. While the principal usually initiates change activities such as implementi...
Modeling the temperature-dependent microbial reduction of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in radio-frequency pasteurized wheat flour

Abstract Radio-frequency (RF) pasteurization has been identified as a potential technology to pasteurize low-moisture foods. Recent studies demonstrated that soft wheat organic flour with water activity of 0.45 at 25°C subjected to RF heating at 80-85°C followed by 10-25 min nature cooling could result in 2.5-3.7 log 10 reduction of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 ( E. faecium ), a valid surrogate for Salmonella Enteritidis PT30. Bigelow model was used to predict the temperature-time dependent microbial reduction of bacteria during a RF process. However, reported studies only validate the accuracy of this model by testing microbial reductions of target microorganism at limited locations and at a fixed heating rate. RF processing with a natural cooling may lead to a relocation of the least lethality zone, which could fail in predicting the worst scenario. In this study, microbial reduction of E. faecium was evaluated at 15 locations (evenly distributed in top, middle and bottom layers) in a 1.8 kg-wheat flour container (water activity 0.45±0.02 at 22°C) after RF heating to 80°C with three different RF heating rates (36.0, 11.3, 5.5°C·min -1 ), followed by a 20 min nature cooling. Fiber optic sensors were used to monitor the temperatures at the geometric center of three layers throughout the process. Bigelow model was applied to predict the temperature-time dependent reductions of E. faecium in each layer. RF heating to 80°C combined with a 20 min nature cooling could achieve an average microbial reduction of 1.21-4.64 log 10 CFU/g in wheat flour at water activity 0.45±0.02 at 22°C. Fast-heating rate resulted in non-uniformity in terms of temperature and inactivation. Using least sum of squares technique, Bigelow model yielded D -value of 8.3 min at 80°C with a given z -value of 11.7 °C. The fitting results using the Bigelow model were in good agreement with that from the experiment ( R 2 =0.81). This study provides comprehensive evidence on using Bigelow model to predict the real-time microbial reduction of bacteria in a RF process.
Frequency/Code-Domain Filtering Using Walsh-Function Sequence Based N-path Filters

Applying orthogonal sequences to N-path filters promises reconfigurable select/reject filtering of signals based on their spatial, spectral and code-domain properties. Achieving code and frequency-domain notch filtering using inductors instead of capacitors has been challenging due to parasitics and self-resonance associated with large off-chip inductors. In this work, N-path frequency/code-domain reject and select filtering is demonstrated using N-path switching with passive inductors. A cascaded inductor approach and differential N-path filtering is used to overcome inductor parasitics and enable GHz operation. A 65-nm CMOS prototype of a code-domain notch filter followed by a code-domain select receiver demonstrates 0.5 GHz to 1.0 GHz operation with 26 dB blocker filtering with 8 dBm power handling, while consuming 60 mW (at 1 GHz LO) and occupying 1.2 mm2 of die area.
Software-Defined Cooking (SDC) using a Microwave Oven

We present a demonstration of SDC, a low-cost closed-loop microwave oven system that aims to heat the food in a software-defined thermal trajectory. SDC achieves this through a novel high-resolution heat sensing and actuation system that uses microwave-safe components to augment existing microwaves. In this demo, we demonstrate our experimental test-bed, a modified commercial off-the-shelf microwave oven, and show a SDC-enabled microwave can be enlisted to perform unexpected cooking tasks: cooking meat and fat in bacon discriminatively and heating rice uniformly.
In their own words How clinical depression affects romantic relationships

This study adopts an inductive and dyadic approach to illuminate how depression affects romantic relationships in people’s own words. Depressed couples (N = 135) responded to an open-ended item about ways that depression influences their romantic relationship. Content analytic results indicated eight categories of negative effects (emotional toll, romance and sexual intimacy, communication, isolation, lack of energy/motivation, dependence on the relationship, lack of understanding, and uncertainty) and one category of positive effects (enhanced intimacy). Dyadic analyses identified the effects of depression with the most agreement and complementarity within couples. Other findings revealed how people’s reports of the effects of depression varied by their own and their partner’s depression status. The discussion highlights the theoretical, empirical, and practical implications.
Neurobiological functions of transcriptional enhancers

Transcriptional enhancers are regulatory DNA elements that underlie the specificity and dynamic patterns of gene expression. Over the past decade, large-scale functional genomics projects have driven transformative progress in our understanding of enhancers. These data have relevance for identifying mechanisms of gene regulation in the CNS, elucidating the function of non-coding regulatory sequences in neurobiology and linking sequence variation within enhancers to genetic risk for neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the sheer volume and complexity of genomic data presents a challenge to interpreting enhancer function in normal and pathogenic neurobiological processes. Here, to advance the application of genome-scale enhancer data, we offer a primer on current models of enhancer function in the CNS, we review how enhancers regulate gene expression across the neuronal lifespan, and we suggest how emerging findings regarding the role of non-coding sequence variation offer opportunities for understanding brain disorders and developing new technologies for neuroscience.
Fentanyl overdose in a female with the FMR1 premutation and FXTAS.

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) affects individuals with 55–200 CGG repeats (premutation) in the 5’-untranslated region of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. FXTAS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with an action tremor, cerebellar ataxia memory and executive function deficits, autonomic dysfunction and neuropathy. Females with the fragile X premutation are often affected by fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), and may have other medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and immune-mediated disorders like hypothyroidism. Here we present a case of a 54-year-old woman with tremor, ataxia, average memory skills, and executive function deficits who meets criteria for FXTAS. She also has anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and was treated chronically with opioids and she overdosed on fentanyl leading to significant CNS dysfunction.
Consumer Culture in Developing Economies: Is it Really So Different?

Scientific research requires consistency in methods of gathering data as well as labeling phenomenon and interpreting results. In cross-cultural studies of consumer behavior, however, consistency in labeling similar behavioral phenomenon encountered in different cultures seems not to have been practiced. Aspects of consumption behavior that have been identified as manifestations of the consumer culture in developed countries have not been so classified when encountered in the cultures of the developing countries. This paper suggests, using a variety of key consumer behavior concepts, that consumer proclivities and predilections in both categories of consumers may be more similar than hitherto imagined. To accomplish this, the paper reviews consumer culture in developing economies and attempts to compare aspects of consumption behavior identified with analogous factors identified in the developed world. Implications for research are also presented.
Vacuuming the LAA: Left Atrial Appendage Thrombectomy Using AngioVac to Facilitate Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Valvuloplasty

A 63-year-old woman with known severe rheumatic mitral stenosis presented with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) with rapid ventricular response. Her hospital course was complicated with thromboph...
Hypergraph Learning with Line Expansion.

Previous hypergraph expansions are solely carried out on either vertex level or hyperedge level, thereby missing the symmetric nature of data co-occurrence, and resulting in information loss. To address the problem, this paper treats vertices and hyperedges equally and proposes a new hypergraph formulation named the \emph{line expansion (LE)} for hypergraphs learning. The new expansion bijectively induces a homogeneous structure from the hypergraph by treating vertex-hyperedge pairs as "line nodes". By reducing the hypergraph to a simple graph, the proposed \emph{line expansion} makes existing graph learning algorithms compatible with the higher-order structure and has been proven as a unifying framework for various hypergraph expansions. We evaluate the proposed line expansion on five hypergraph datasets, the results show that our method beats SOTA baselines by a significant margin.
Isolated colonic neurofibroma, a rare tumor: A case report and review of literature

Background Neurofibromas are tumors comprised of peripheral nerve sheath and connective tissue components. They can occur sporadically or as part of familial syndromes such as neurofibromatosis type 1. Isolated colonic neurofibroma without systemic manifestations is a rarely reported clinical entity. Here we present a case of a 51 years old male with an isolated colonic neurofibroma seen on a screening colonoscopy. Case summary Fifty-one years old male who was otherwise healthy without a significant family history of cancer underwent a screening colonoscopy and was found have a 2.3 cm × 1.4 cm lesion in the colon. Tissue biopsy revealed a spindle cell tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis was negative for adenopathy. He underwent an endoscopic ultrasound that showed an ill-defined avascular lesion of mixed echogenicity measuring 2.8 cm × 15.2 cm in the submucosa with no communication with muscularis mucosa or propria. Immunohistochemistry staining of the tumor was strongly positive for S100, with rare penetrating axons deep within the tumor. Tumor cells were negative for c-kit and desmin and had low Ki-67 index. These findings were consistent with a solitary colonic submucosal neurofibroma. A detailed history and physical examination did not reveal any evidence of extraintestinal neurofibromatosis. He underwent transanal surgical resection of the tumor. The patient tolerated the procedure well without any complications. Conclusion While neurofibromas have been well described in literature, an isolated colonic neurofibroma is a rare pathological entity. Malignant transformation of neurofibromas has been reported in patients with neurofibromatosis syndromes. We report a case of isolated colonic neurofibroma and highlight the importance of resection due to the increased risk of tumorigenesis.
Naturalizm moralny i trzy stopnie normatywności

The paper is devoted to very vividly discussed questions in contemporary metaethics — the normativity of morality and a possible naturalistic account of it. The author aims to show that normativity in ethics can be understood at least in three ways, the main criterion of which is the level of ‘stringency’ of morality. The author outlines three grades of normativity, which he calls: generic, motivational, and authoritative. Then, he analyzes the question, which grade of normativity morality has. In the third step, he considers the possibility of its naturalistic account. The result of investigation leads the author to the claim that morality has only the weakest, generic grade of normativity; and even if there cannot be a naturalistic account of more ‘stringent’ normativity, this would not refute naturalism.
Novel Framework for the Quantification of Pavement Damages in the Overload Corridors

Recent traffic trends and permit issuance show significant mobility demands in the energy sectors across the nation. The increase in the axle loads and frequency of operations of over-weight (OW) t...
Microbial Transformation of the Herbicide Metolachlor

Abstract Microbial detoxication of pesticides and other xenobiotics is an important alternative to technologies currently being used for pollution control. We studied the possible biotransformation of metolachlor [2-chloro- N -(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)- N -(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide], a widely used selective herbicide. After screening approximately 100 microorganisms isolated from metolachlor-contaminated soil using various enrichment techniques, we obtained several bacterial and fungal cultures that are capable of transforming metolachlor. From the growth medium of an actinomycete, eight metabolites of metolachlor were isolated and identified by mass and NMR spectral analysis. We only observed benzylic hydroxylation of the aralkyl side chains and demethylation at the N -alkyl substituent during the transformations. All metabolites had a monochlorine isotopic pattern, indicating that no dehalogenation of the chloroacetyl moiety had occurred. In contrast to the results obtained from the pure culture studies, we demonstrated the mineralization of metolachlor in a soil perfusion experiment. If the soil used in a perfusion system had been previously treated with metolachlor for five years, 18.4% of the added 14 C-metolachlor had evolved as 14 CO 2 after 28 days. If the soil had not been previously exposed to metolachlor, only 3.5% of the 14 CO 2 evolved during a similar treatment. The results clearly indicate that a microbial consortium may be more effective in biodegrading a xenobiotic or a recalcitrant chemical such as metolachlor than a single organism.
Pathophysiology of Psoriasis/Novel Pathways

1. Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease. 2. We now have an increased understanding of the specific cytokines involved in the disease. 3. Therapies have been developed to target these cytokines.
Urban-Rural Disparities in Vaccination Service Use Among Low-Income Adolescents.

Abstract Objective To access urban-rural disparities in vaccination service use among Medicaid-enrolled adolescents and examine its association with residence county characteristics. Study design We used the 2016 Medicaid T-MSIS Analytic File to estimate adolescents’ use of vaccination services, defined as the proportion of adolescents aged 11–18 years with ≥ 1 vaccination visit in a county. We used linear regression and the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method to examine the association between county characteristics and urban-rural disparities in vaccination service use. Results The analysis included 2,473 counties located in 38 states. The mean proportion of adolescents making ≥ 1 vaccination visit at the county level was low (36.09%) and was lower in rural than in urban counties (31.99% vs. 36.85%, p Conclusions Differences in county characteristics could partly explain the observed urban-rural disparities in vaccination service use among low-income adolescents.
Perceived electronic health record usability as a predictor of task load and burnout among US physicians: Mediation analysis

Background: Electronic health record (EHR) usability and physician task load both contribute to physician professional burnout. The association between perceived EHR usability and workload has not previously been studied at a national level. Better understanding these interactions could give further information as to the drivers of extraneous task load. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between physician-perceived EHR usability and workload by specialty and evaluate for associations with professional burnout. Methods: A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of US physicians from all specialties was conducted from October 2017 to March 2018. Among the 1250 physicians invited to respond to the subsurvey analyzed here, 848 (67.8%) completed it. EHR usability was assessed with the System Usability Scale (SUS; range: 0-100). Provider task load (PTL) was assessed using the mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, and effort required subscales of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (range: 0-400). Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: The mean scores were 46.1 (SD 22.1) for SUS and 262.5 (SD 71.7) for PTL. On multivariable analysis adjusting for age, gender, relationship status, medical specialty, practice setting, hours worked per week, and number of nights on call per week, physician-rated EHR usability was associated with PTL, with each 1-point increase in SUS score (indicating more favorable) associated with a 0.57-point decrease in PTL score (P<.001). On mediation analysis, higher SUS score was associated with lower PTL score, which was associated with lower odds of burnout. Conclusions: A strong association was observed between EHR usability and workload among US physicians, with more favorable usability associated with less workload. Both outcomes were associated with the odds of burnout, with task load acting as a mediator between EHR usability and burnout. Improving EHR usability while decreasing task load has the potential to allow practicing physicians more working memory for medical decision making and patient communication.
Creating a consumer-friendly resource to assist persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in navigating the power wheelchair selection process

Persons living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease, are often asked to make important decisions regarding power wheelchair (PWC) selection soon after receiving a diagnosis. There is currently a paucity of consumer-friendly information to aid clients living with ALS in better understanding the long-term functional implications of decisions made during the PWC selection process. The purpose of this action research project was to identify the specific considerations and choices required during the PWC selection process to use as the basis for creating a concise, educational video tool that emphasizes functional independence and self-advocacy for clients living with ALS. Semi-structured interviews of a panel of expert stakeholders were conducted to isolate important considerations for PWC selection in clients living with ALS. Qualitative data were collected through coded interviews and used to prioritize themes that were incorporated into an educational video. Once the draft video was created, the expert panel was provided time to review and critique the video prior to the creation of a professional quality video. Major themes identified and analyzed included environmental considerations, PWC component options, self-advocacy, and transportation. The video resource aims to be a resource for beginning a conversation about PWC options to make the PWC evaluation and selection process less daunting for clients and their caregivers.
Taking Your Team Behind the Curtain: The Effects of Leader Feedback-Sharing and Feedback-Seeking on Team Psychological Safety

Although scholars have highlighted the benefits of psychological safety, relatively few studies have examined how leaders establish it. Whereas existing research points to the importance of seeking...
Resurgent Cold War and U.N. Security Council Reform Opportunities

The United Nations (UN) and its Security Council (SC), in particular, have been persistently condemned for lack of effectiveness. Many past reform efforts have been fruitless because of the entrenched national interests of the permanent SC members. But as long as the world consists of nation-states, there is no alternative to trying to improve the UN as a multilateral platform. For reform effort to succeed, the global community has to look for opportunities. This Article argues that it is now opportune for the permanent members of the United Nations — the United States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain — to accept changes to the Charter of the United Nations. The opportunities are presented by irreversible changes in global economic, geopolitical and military realignments that have dramatically increased the international leverage of non-permanent SC members such as Germany, Japan, Brazil, India, South Africa. These changes can no longer be ignored, minimized or regarded as inconsequential by the permanent SC members. This Article urges for a re-invigorated reform effort for a more inclusive and accountable — and thus more effective — SC. To those ends, the Article argues for the expansion of number of SC permanent members to include representatives from regions — such as Africa, Latin America and Asia that have either been completely or mostly excluded by the over 70 year-old SC permanent membership. Further, this Article argues for the International Court of Justice in reviewing of SC resolutions as well a UN General Assembly override vote in cases of SC logjam, indecision or inaction. The Article also explores possible reforms to the veto powers of the permanent members of the SC.
Civil Society and Political Change in Africa

Civil society organizations have in recent times significantly altered state-society relations in Africa. Current analyses of these changes have focussed on the oppositional actions by civil society against repressive regimes. However, there is no systematic discussion of the process through which organizations in civil society have mounted challenges against the state or of the factors that make such challenges successful. This paper details how Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kenya repelled controlling legislation introduced by the Kenyan government in 1990. It details the evolution of this challenge against the Kenyan state and suggests specific factors that enabled NGOs to successfully counter legislative control of their activities. This study therefore demonstrates how NGOs have contributed to the wider political reform movement in Kenya and extends present discussions on the role of civil society organizations in political change in Africa.
Molecular genetics of Insulin3

A critical aspect in mammalian development is the acquisition of a sexually dimorphic phenotype. The genetic sex, determined at fertilization by the inheritance of either a X or Y chromosome, directs the bipotential gonad to differentiate into either testes or ovaries. In males, expression of the Y-specific gene Sry in the genital ridge initiates a chain of events that induces differentiation of the uncommitted gonad into testes. Testes in turn express molecules that specify secondary traits of male sexual differentiation. At least three hormones have been shown to be important for male differentiation: a) Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), produced by Sertoli cells, specifics the regression of the Mullerian ducts which give rise to the uterus in the female; b) androgens, produced by Leydig cells, direct the differentiation of multiple male accessory organs including: the vas deferens, seminal vesicle, prostate, the second phase of testicular descent, and external male genitalia and finally c) Insulin 3 (INSL3), a hormone of the Insulin family involved in mediating the first phase of testicular descent, another specific aspect of male sexual differentiation. In this chapter, experiments addressing the role of INSL3 in male sexual differentiation and in particular its function in testicular descent are described and discussed.
Engineered resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus in transgenic peanut expressing the viral nucleocapsid gene

The nucleocapsid gene of tomato spotted wilt virus Hawaiian L isolate in a sense orientation, and the GUS and NPTII marker genes, were introduced into peanut (Arachis hypogaea cv. New Mexico Valencia A) using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Modifications to a previously defined transformation protocol reduced the time required for production of transformed peanut plants. Transgenes were stably integrated into the peanut genome and transmitted to progeny. RNA expression and production of nucleocapsid protein in transgenic peanut were observed. Progeny of transgenic peanut plants expressing the nucleocapsid gene showed a 10- to 15-day delay in symptom development after mechanical inoculations with the donor isolate of tomato spotted wilt virus. All transgenic plants were protected from systemic tomato spotted wilt virus infection. Inoculated non-transformed control plants and plants transformed with a gene cassette not containing the nucleocapsid gene became systemically infected and displayed typical tomato spotted wilt virus symptoms. These results demonstrate that protection against tomato spotted wilt virus can be achieved in transgenic peanut plants by expression of the sense RNA of the tomato spotted wilt virus nucleocapsid gene
Conformation of serine polypeptides: Optical rotatory dispersion and infrared studies

Abstract The infrared and optical rotatory dispersion spectra of l -serine polypeptides have been studied. Infrared spectra of high molecular weight poly- l -serine show that the polypeptide exists in the β structure in the solid state. ORD‡ spectra obtained for films of poly- l -serine display a negative trough at 233 to 235 mμ and a positive peak centered at 210 to 212 mμ, characteristic of the β form. Low molecular weight poly- l -serine in aqueous solution gives an ORD spectrum characteristic of the random chain. The addition of alcohol and/or cooling of solutions of low molecular weight poly- l -serine results in a transition from a random chain to an ordered structure. ORD evidence suggests the following transition: random → α → β as a function of alcohol concentration and temperature. A random → β transition occurs for higher molecular weight materials, indicating that the transition is dependent on the molecular weight. Block copolymers of the type ( dl -serine)( l -serine)( dl -serine) have ORD spectra in aqueous solution which resemble that of films of high molecular weight poly- l -serine. These studies implicate the importance of environmental factors in the control of polypeptide chain conformation.
Induction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus of transgenic mice in response to stress or nicotine treatment: lack of activation of tyrosine hydroxylase promoter activity

Prolonged stress or chronic nicotine administration leads to induction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in adrenal medulla and locus coeruleus (LC) of the rat. In this study we use mice that express a transgene encoding 4.5 kb of TH gene 5'-flanking region fused upstream of the reporter gene, human alkaline phosphatase (hAP) to test whether TH gene promoter activity is stimulated by immobilization stress, cold exposure or nicotine administration in adrenal medulla and LC. TH-hAP transgene expression is increased in response to all three stimuli in the adrenal medulla. In contrast, TH-hAP expression does not increase in response to either immobilization stress or nicotine administration in the LC and only a small induction of LC TH-hAP mRNA is observed in response to cold exposure. TH mRNA is induced 2-3 fold and TH activity is increased significantly by all three stimuli in both the adrenal and LC. These results support the hypothesis that TH expression is induced by stress or nicotine treatment in both the adrenal medulla and LC of the mouse. The induction in the adrenal is dependent primarily on transcriptional mechanisms, whereas that in the LC is apparently dependent primarily on post-transcriptional mechanisms.
Private Attorney- Client Communications and the Effect of Videoconferencing in the Courtroom

Courts are experimenting with new technologies in response to increasingly crowded dockets.Â Videoconferencing is being increasingly employed to streamline legal proceedings and provide the accused greater access to justice.Â The use of videoconferencing has spread through the federal and state court systems.Â While no criminal trial has been conducted entirely by videoconferencing, it has been used in arraignments, bail, sentencing, and post-conviction hearings.Â The impact of videoconferencing technology on the legal process, however, has yet to be measured in any systematic way.Â Of prime concern is the impact of this technology on the attorney/client relationship and their private communications.Â Critics argue the use of videoconferencing calls into question the ability of attorneys and clients to communicate effectively, undermining effective representation by counsel.Â Â In this first of its kind study, this article examines the impact of videoconferencing on private communications and the wider implications of the impacts of technology on civil liberties.Â Through a marriage of social scientific and legal analysis, videoconference private communications are analysed with empirical data and conclude with a discussion of how the negative aspects of videoconferencing can be lessened, avoided, and/or remedied.
Prognosis in transplant-eligible patients with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia: a simple CBC-based scoring system.

BACKGROUND Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is potentially curative in agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM) but is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity that necessitates accurate identification of patients in whom benefit outweighs risk. The current study describes the natural history of AMM in transplant-eligible patients and proposes a new prognostic scoring system that favorably compares with other established models. METHODS Patients diagnosed with AMM before the age of 60 years and seen at Mayo Clinic were identified and the diagnosis confirmed. Relevant demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were abstracted, and the impact of various parameters on overall survival (OS) was evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS A cohort of 160 patients with AMM is described. OS was 78 months. Multivariate analysis identified a hemoglobin level of 30 × 109/L, platelet count of <100 × 109/L, presence of constitutional symptoms, and hepatomegaly as independent predictors of inferior survival. The first 3 complete blood count-based parameters were combined into a new scoring system that resulted in median survivals of 155, 69, and 24 months in the presence of 0, 1, or ≥2 adverse features. The chi-square value for the new model was 80.6 compared with 51.4, 48.4, and 43.7 for the models by Dupriez, Cervantes, and Visani, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A new scoring system based on blood count at the time of diagnosis can adequately stratify by risk transplant-eligible patients with AMM and can accurately identify high-risk as well as intermediate-risk disease. The new system displayed a stronger discriminative value, between risk categories, compared with currently existing prognostic models. Cancer 2006. © 2005 American Cancer Society.