cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Cranial Computed Tomography: Preliminary Results

Recent software additions to a CT scanner with a continuously rotating tube-detector system allow uninterrupted data collection after rapid intravenous contrast material injection. The highly flexible computer program can accommodate as many as 16 consecutive 3 sec scans, or various time intervals can be inserted between individual scans. A variety of intracranial lesions was studied in 35 patients using this dynamic scanning technique and the enhancement of normal gray and white matter was evaluated. Potential applications of this technique are discussed, with emphasis on the possibility of differentiating certain cerebral lesions by their early enhancement patterns and evaluating cerebrovascular occlusive disease.
Preeclampsia: Updates in Pathogenesis, Definitions, and Guidelines

Preeclampsia is becoming an increasingly common diagnosis in the developed world and remains a high cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Delay in childbearing in the developed world feeds into the risk factors associated with preeclampsia, which include older maternal age, obesity, and/or vascular diseases. Inadequate prenatal care partially explains the persistent high prevalence in the developing world. In this review, we begin by presenting the most recent concepts in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Upstream triggers of the well described angiogenic pathways, such as the heme oxygenase and hydrogen sulfide pathways, as well as the roles of autoantibodies, misfolded proteins, nitric oxide, and oxidative stress will be described. We also detail updated definitions, classification schema, and treatment targets of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy put forth by obstetric and hypertensive societies throughout the world. The shift has been made to view preeclampsia as a systemic disease with widespread endothelial damage and the potential to affect future cardiovascular diseases rather than a self-limited occurrence. At the very least, we now know that preeclampsia does not end with delivery of the placenta. We conclude by summarizing the latest strategies for prevention and treatment of preeclampsia. A better understanding of this entity will help in the care of at-risk women before delivery and for decades after.
Validation experiment for determination of iodine in drinking water by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Objective To validate a developing method for determination of iodine in drinking water by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(ICP-MS) . Methods Detection limit,precision,and accuracy were used as the indicators tovalidate this method. Results Detection limit of the method was 0. 086 μg / L,while the linear range was 0 ～ 500 μg / L and the correlation coefficient (r) was better than 0. 999. The recoveries of real samples were from 95. 0% to 105. 0% . Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the method were all less than 5. 0% . Conclusion According to the easy operation,high sensitivity and wide linear range,the method was suitable for detection of iodine in drinking water.
Battling the Bite: Tradeoffs in Immunity to Insect-Borne Pathogens.

Effective pathogens are successful, by definition, because they can defeat our immune response. Pingen et al. (2016) in this issue of Immunity demonstrate that some mosquito-transmitted viruses depend upon a strong host immune response triggered by the innate immune response to the bite to promote dissemination through the body.
Conciliation and Intra-Party Conflicts

One clear implication of the ideas discussed in the preceding two chapters is that there exists an inevitably close connection between the constraints existing for decision-makers at the level of intra-party politics and the opportunities available at the level of inter-party interaction. These two environments provide a clear illustration of Robert Putnam’s two level game model and so the nature - and likely impact - of any conciliatory gesture will be affected by both sets of conditions rather than by a single, isolated environment. Often the interaction between these two levels will present major dilemmas to the parties involved. For example, the more focused or ‘closed’ a planned gesture, and the more privately it will be conveyed, the less the potential risks of elite or constituency protest for leaders of the initiating party, but the more revocable and deniable it is likely to appear to the leaders of the target. On the other hand, the more open the gesture, the greater its likely impact on the target and the less its deniability, but the more likely it is to be seen (at least initially) as a propaganda ploy to influence the initiator’s pro-negotiation public opinion or to undermine the target’s rank-and-file support.1 The dilemmas of dealing with intra-party constraints in order to send precisely the right signal are constant and considerable.
Multicultural Neoliberalism and Academic Labor: Experiences of Female Immigrant Faculty in the U.S. Academy:

In light of limited attention to immigrant faculty (aka, international faculty) in the U.S. academy, we analyze interview discourses with 26 female immigrant faculty members from multiple disciplin...
Commentary: feeding Teotihuacan in the context of commodities research

This commentary on the Feeding Teotihuacan collection of papers provides an “outsider” perspective on the contributions, by an archeologist who conducts research on agriculture and plant use by the ancient Maya.
Angiotensin II antagonism is associated with reduced risk for gastrointestinal bleeding caused by arteriovenous malformations in patients with left ventricular assist devices.

Background Angiogenesis is implicated in formation of gastrointestinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Angiotensin II signaling is involved in angiogenesis through the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 pathways. We hypothesized that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) therapy would be associated with a reduced risk of all-cause gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and AVM-associated GIB in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Methods We reviewed records of all adult patients receiving a continuous-flow LVAD (HeartMate II or HeartWare HVAD) at Johns Hopkins Hospital between January 2004 and December 2014. Of 192 patients, 131 were included for final analyses. Logistic regression analysis adjusting for demographic, cardiovascular, and laboratory variables was used to assess the association of ACEI or ARB therapy with GIB. Results Of 131 patients, 100 received ACEI or ARB therapy during LVAD support. Of the 31 patients who did not receive ACEI or ARB, 15 experienced GIB (48%), with 9 caused by AVMs (29%). Of 100 patients who received ACEI or ARB therapy, 24 experienced GIB (24%), with 9 caused by AVMs (9%). Logistic regression hazards model demonstrated that ACEI or ARB therapy was independently associated with a reduced risk for all-cause GIB (odds ratio 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.12–0.72) and AVM-related GIB (odds ratio 0.23, 95% confidence interval 0.07–0.71). Conclusions Angiotensin II antagonism is associated with a reduced risk of AVM-related GIB in patients with LVADs. This association is independent of age, sex, blood pressure, renal function, international normalized ratio, LVAD type, and cardiomyopathy etiology.
Statistical and Computational Studies on Alternative Splicing

The accumulating genome sequences and other high-throughput data have shed light on the extent and importance of alternative splicing in functional regulation. Alternative splicing dramatically increases the transcriptome and proteome diversity of higher organisms by producing multiple splice variants from different combinations of exons. It has an important role in many biological processes including nervous system development and programmed cell death. Many human diseases including cancer arise from defects in alternative splicing and its regulation. This chapter reviews statistical and computational methods on genome-wide alternative splicing studies.
Abstract 1827: UsingDrosophilato study the role of metabolic enzyme mutations in glioblastoma and leukemia

Metabolic reprogramming is a common hallmark shared by nearly all proliferating cancer cells, and thus has emerged as an exciting new direction in cancer research. Many signaling pathways have been implicated in mechanisms leading to the shift of metabolic programs in tumors, but more recently a small number of metabolic enzymes have also been identified in this process. Genes encoding the metabolic enzymes Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and 2 (IDH2) were found to be mutated in up to 70% of low-grade and medium grade gliomas, and in 15-20% of adult acute leukemia samples. These findings were the first to link the IDH gene to tumorigenesis. IDH1 and IDH2 function to irreversibly catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate (α-KG). We are studying how mutations in IDH affect the metabolism and cellular processes of the cell. To this end, we have expressed IDH-R132H in Drosophila glial cells and hemoctyes to learn more about the impact of neomorphic activity of IDH in gliobastoma and chronic myeloid leukemia. We have verified that these cells now produce 2-HG, as is known in human tumors harboring IDH mutations. We have observed different cellular responses to IDH mutations in glia versus hemoctyes and have begun to investigate why this may be. Ultimately, the goal of our research is to elucidate the mechanism(s) that cause IDH to contribute to oncogenic activity in specific tissues, and use this knowledge to design tailored therapeutics. Citation Format: Julia Fabiano, Gabriela Chiaramida, Mira Magner, Meghan O9Connor, Joseph Stallone, Nicholas DiDuca, Kathryn Neville, Richard Tartarini, Marla Tipping. Using Drosophila to study the role of metabolic enzyme mutations in glioblastoma and leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1827. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1827
In Reciprocity: Responses to Critiques of Indigenous Methodologies:

This article will examine and respond to significant critiques of Indigenous research methodologies as part of an Indigenous Methodologies in Educational Research course at a midsized public univer...
Regulation of inflammatory mediators by tetracyclines

Tetracyclines (TCs) are a group of antibiotic compounds which possess anti-inflammatory activity bothin vivoandin vitroat pharmacological concentrations. They inhibit the activity of pleiotropic inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, prostaglandins, cytokines and MMPs. The mechanism of action of this group of compounds, to inhibit various inflammatory mediators is distinctive. TCs and chemically modified TCs (CMTs) both inhibit nitric oxide synthase (mRNA level), TNFa convertase (enzyme level), which subsequently downregulates nitric oxide, and TNFa production, respectively. TCs and CMTs modulate anti-inflammatory mediators such as IL-10 (mRNA level) and type II IL-1P decoy receptor (secretory enzyme level). Doxycycline and minocycline augment COX-2 (mRNA level)-mediated PGE2production, whereas CMTs preferentially inhibit COX-2 both at mRNA and protein level. These pleiotropic properties of TCs and CMTs make them candidate drugs for complex multifactoral inflammatory diseases.
Finite cell lines of turkey sperm storage tubule cells: ultrastructure and protein analysis.

ABSTRACT Cell lines of turkey sperm storage tubule (SST) epithelial cells were established. Turkey SSTs were dissected from freshly obtained uterovaginal junction (UVJ) tissue and placed in explant culture on various substrates and media. Primary cultures of SST epithelium only survived and grew from SST explants that were cultured on inactivated S andoz inbred strain, t hioguanine- and o uabain-resistance (STO) mouse feeder-cell layers in 12% fetal bovine serum-supplemented Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium mixed 1:1 with F12 nutrient mixture. Three independent primary colonies gave rise to 3 finite cell lines, SST-1, -2, and -3, which were continuously cultured for 8 to 16 passages at 1:3 passage ratios over a period of 3 to 4 mo. The cells were passaged by pretreatment with Y27632 and dissociation with Accutase. The SST cells grew as tightly knit monolayers on top of the feeder cells at a slow rate (approximately 96 h doubling time) at a medium pH of approximately 6.9. Lipid vacuoles were visible by light microscopy in the cells particularly at the periphery of growth. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the cells to be a polarized epithelium with apical microvilli and to have lateral tight-junction-like unions and associated desmosomes. Numerous secretory vesicles filled the upper portion of the cells’ cytoplasm, and nuclei and other major organelles such as mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus were distributed somewhat lower in the cytoplasm. The secretory vesicles resembled mucin secretory vesicles. Proteomic analysis by mass spectroscopy of the conditioned medium of the cells, and of the cells themselves, showed the cell lines did not secrete large amounts of any particular protein, and the analysis confirmed their epithelial character. In conclusion, the SST-derived cell lines resembled the mucus-secreting cells found in the epithelium lining the UVJ of the turkey's reproductive tract.
Kirillov Orbits and Direct Integral Decompositions on Certain Quotient Spaces

A fundamental problem in representation theory is that of describing the unitary representations of a locally compact group G as a direct integral of simpler representations. The “abstract” problem (i.e., the problem of determining when such decompositions exist) takes up a good part of Mackey’s Chicago lecture notes ↑l6←; it is shown there that if G is Type I, then the problem has a satisfactory solution. The “concrete” problem (given G and a representation ρ, decompose ρ) can be considerably harder. For instance, if G is a semisimple Lie group andΓ is a discrete, cocompact subgroup, then the quasi-regular representation of G on L2(Γ\G) is known to be a direct sum of irreducibles, each occurring with finite multiplicity, but little is known about which irreducibles appear. (See ↑l6←.)
Hereditary spastic paraplegias: one disease for many genes, and still counting.

Abstract Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are genetically heterogeneous Mendelian disorders characterized by spastic gait with stiffness and weakness in the legs and an associated plethora of neurological or extraneurological signs in “complicated” forms. Major advances have been made during the past two decades in our understanding of their molecular bases with the identification of a large number of gene loci and the cloning of a set of them. The combined genetic and clinical information obtained has permitted a new, molecularly-driven classification and an improved diagnosis of these conditions. This represents a prerequisite for better counseling in families and more appropriate therapeutic options. However, further heterogeneity is expected and new insight into the possible mechanisms anticipated.
Next Generation Sequencing for Single-Gene Analysis

Single-gene analysis has been the standard analytic method since DNA sequencing was originally performed. In practice, it was too time consuming and expensive to perform analysis on more than a few exons or genes at a time. The nature of high-throughput sequencing has altered these calculations, and large panels of potentially pathogenic genes or even whole exomes or genomes are sequenced routinely. However, the techniques and equipment useful for high-throughput sequencing can be applied to single-gene targets in specialized situations. This chapter discusses these applications in minimal residual disease detection, infectious diseases, and HLA typing, among others.
Long non-coding RNAs are largely dispensable for zebrafish embryogenesis, viability and fertility

Hundreds of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as potential regulators of gene expression, but their functions remain largely unknown. To study the role of lncRNAs during vertebrate development, we selected 25 zebrafish lncRNAs based on their conservation, expression profile or proximity to developmental regulators, and used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate 32 deletion alleles. We observed altered transcription of neighboring genes in some mutants, but none of the lncRNAs were required for embryogenesis, viability or fertility. Even RNAs with previously proposed non-coding functions (cyrano and squint) and other conserved lncRNAs (gas5 and lnc-setd1ba) were dispensable. In one case (lnc-phox2bb), absence of putative DNA regulatory-elements, but not of the lncRNA transcript itself, resulted in abnormal development. LncRNAs might have redundant, subtle, or context-dependent roles, but extrapolation from our results suggests that the majority of individual zebrafish lncRNAs are dispensable for embryogenesis, viability and fertility.
Longitudinal patient-reported symptom severity and symptom interference with activity-related and mood-related functioning and survival in patients with advanced cancer on early-phase clinical trials of immunotherapeutic or targeted agents.

10119Background: We examined longitudinal changes in symptom severity and symptom interference with activity-related (WAW: work, general activity, walking) and mood-related (REM: relations with oth...
ON THE CAPACITY OF SECURE DISTRIBUTED FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM

Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is a fundamental building block for various signal processing applications, and speeding up large-scale DFT/FFT using distributed processing is often desirable. In this paper, we consider the problem of distributed DFT computation from untrustworthy servers. In particular, we study the scenario where the goal is to compute the DFT of an s-length signal from N distributed and untrustworthy servers, where any l out of N servers can collude. The signal must be kept information-theoretically secure from any l out of N servers. The goal of this paper is to characterize the minimum communication overhead while maintaining security in an information-theoretic sense. The capacity of the secure distributed FFT is defined as the maximum possible ratio of the desired information (signal length s) and the total information received from all N distributed servers. We present lower and upper bounds on capacity of secure distributed FFT, and show that these bounds match exactly when N l is a power of 2, and the bounds match asymptotically when−N becomes large.
Developments in 4D-printing: a review on current smart materials, technologies, and applications

Recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as three-dimensional (3D)-printing, have allowed researchers to create complex shapes previously impossible using traditional fabricat...
Evaluation of Mobile Tablet Computers for Use in the Veterans Health Administration

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was interested in determining how mobile tablets may be perceived by clinicians for use in clinical settings....
Capitalizing on Faith: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Consumer Responses to the Use of Religious Symbols in Advertising

The use of religious symbolism in advertising is increasingly ubiquitous, and has extended beyond the promotion of religiously-associated products to products in general. However, limited attention...
Does the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review Revise Its Findings in Response to Industry Comments

Abstract Background The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has gained prominance through its work conducting health technology assessments of pharmaceuticals in the United States. Objective To understand the influence of industry comments on pharmaceutical value assessments conducted by ICER. Methods We reviewed 15 ICER reports issued from 2017 through 2019. We quantified ICER’s revisions to its cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) estimates between release of its draft and revised evidence reports and whether ratios shifted across ICER-specified categories of high, intermediate, or low value. We also reviewed industry-submitted comments recommending revision to ICER’s CEAs, noting ICER’s response as no change, text revised, assumption(s) revised, or conclusion revised. We evaluated each comment in terms of clarity, whether it offered an alternative to ICER’s approach, and whether it characterized the expected impact of revision on ICER’s analysis. Results We identified 53 ICER-reported ratios. Of these, 45 (84.9%) changed between the draft and revised report, but 26 changes (57.8%) were small ( Conclusions Changes in ICER’s estimates of cost-effectiveness between its draft and revised evidence reports are generally modest. Greater precision in industry comments could increase the influence of industry critiques, thus enhancing the dialogue around pharmaceutical value.
Role of New Imaging Capabilities with MRI and CT in the Evaluation of Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is the permanent abnormal dilation of the airways and can be associated with various pathogeneses and outcomes. Proper diagnosis and evaluation of bronchiectasis employs x-ray CT, though emerging research has also shown MRI to be sensitive to the disease. The goal of this article is to review recent research in CT and MRI of bronchiectasis and associated diseases. Techniques in quantitative CT continue to improve and may improve consistency in bronchiectasis evaluation and reduce reader scoring load. While CT is the “gold standard” for evaluation of bronchiectasis, new techniques in magnetic resonance imaging have dramatically increased in sensitivity to bronchiectasis though without patient exposure to ionizing radiation. MRI may therefore be an attractive alternative to CT in some cases, yet further clinical trials are necessary. Although bronchiectasis is an irreversible disease, new understanding of airway structure-function relationships may improve clinical management.
Energy-Efficient Offloading in Delay-Constrained Massive MIMO Enabled Edge Network Using Data Partitioning

We study a wireless edge-computing system which allows multiple users to simultaneously offload computation-intensive tasks to multiple massive-MIMO access points, each with a collocated multi-access edge computing (MEC) server. Massive-MIMO enables simultaneous uplink transmissions from all users, significantly shortening the data offloading time compared to sequential protocols, and makes the three phases of data offloading, computing, and downloading have comparable durations. Based on this three-phase structure, we formulate a novel problem to minimize a weighted sum of the energy consumption at both the users and the MEC server under a round-trip latency constraint, using a combination of data partitioning, transmit power control and CPU frequency scaling at both the user and server ends. We design a novel nested primal-dual algorithm using two different methods to solve this problem efficiently. Optimized solutions show that for larger requests, more data is offloaded to the MECs to reduce local computation time in order to meet the latency constraint, despite higher energy cost of wireless transmissions. Massive-MIMO channel estimation errors under pilot contamination also causes more data to be offloaded to the MECs. Compared to binary offloading, partial offloading with data partitioning is superior and leads to significant reduction in the overall energy consumption.
Race and Ethnicity and Satisfaction With Communication in the Intensive Care Unit.

Purpose:Racial and ethnic minority patients receive poorer quality end-of-life (EoL) care compared with white patients. Differences in quality of communication (QOC) with clinicians may contribute ...
Multimodal Analgesia and Decreased Opioid Use in Adult Trauma Patients

BackgroundThere is an opioid epidemic in the United States. With the increased concern of over-prescribing opioids, physicians are seeking alternative pain management strategies. The purpose of thi...
Practice patterns for surgical management of low-risk papillary thyroid cancer from 2014 to 2019: A CESQIP analysis.

Abstract Background Patients with low-risk-PTC who undergo thyroid lobectomy (TL) have comparable disease-specific survival with lower morbidity than total thyroidectomy (TT). We aim to describe the surgical management of low-risk-PTC using the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program (CESQIP). Method CESQIP thyroidectomies of PTC tumors Results TT patients had greater hypoparathyroidism, operative time, and length-of-stay (all p Conclusions For low-risk-PTC, TT remained the most commonly utilized operation. TL rates increased following release of the new ATA guidelines. TT was associated with higher perioperative morbidity. Further insight is needed to understand factors influencing operative approach.
Emergency department patients' perceptions of the efficacy and safety of opioid analgesics.

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) providers are on the forefront of the prescription drug crisis and understanding patient’s perceptions of opioids may allow physicians to better address misconceptions. The aim was to determine the perceptions of ED patients regarding the efficacy and safety of opioid analgesics. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of adults at a single urban academic ED. Patients completed a tablet-based survey regarding the efficacy and safety of opioid analgesics. Results: Of the 715 subjects, the sample was predominantly black (80.4 percent), female (59.2 percent), and aged 18-59 years (76.8 percent). The majority (70.1 percent) of respondents reported pain as the reason for visit. Seventy-two percent had previously taken an opioid primarily for acute pain, found them effective for pain (88.2 percent), and would be willing to do so again (62.7 percent). Adverse effects made patients less likely to use them again (OR 0.703, [0.659-0.751]). Gender and age did not affect perceptions of efficacy and safety, but certain racial groups did (OR 1.08, [1.02 to 1.14], p < 0.05). Knowing someone who used opioids in a nonmedical manner did not impact willingness to use opioids. Many (54 percent) believed opioids to be as safe as nonopioid alternatives. The majority (78 percent) considered prescription opioid abuse a public health problem, however underestimated the number of annual opioid-related deaths. Conclusion: The majority of ED patients had used opioids and considered the prescription drug crisis a public health problem. Through personal use or media coverage, the majority of participants considered opioids safe, even compared to nonopioid alternatives. Better understanding these viewpoints may improve patient–physician communication about analgesic treatment.
Diagnostic Criteria of Fetal Growth Abnormalities and Interpretation of Postmortem Size and Weight Measurements

Problems of fetal growth can be related to environmental conditions, pre-existing or pregnancy related medical conditions of the mother or can be genetically predisposed or determined. Placental “cause” is a popular historic misnomer as the pathology of the feto-maternal interface and the placenta is not the origin but the consequence of the underlying anomalies—systemic or localized disease of maternal vessels, aberrant immune (alloimmune) response to villous antigens, maternal viral infection, or thrombophilia.
Equity Trading Activity and CreditSpread Shock

This article investigates how equity trading activity dynamically responds to credit spread shock. Analysis of monthly data from 1925M1 to 2013M7, using share volume turnover as a proxy, shows that equity trading activity significantly drops following a shock to credit spread. The results from the Granger-causality test show that credit spread Granger-causes equity trading activity to drop. The variance decomposition results indicate that credit spread forecasts about 1.77%, 2.25%, and 4.22% of equity trading activity at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month horizons, respectively.
Recovering Reliable Idiographic Biological Parameters from Noisy Behavioral Data: the Case of Basal Ganglia Indices in the Probabilistic Selection Task

Behavioral data, despite being a common index of cognitive activity, is under scrutiny for having poor reliability as a result of noise or lacking replications of reliable effects. Here, we argue that cognitive modeling can be used to enhance the test-retest reliability of the behavioral measures by recovering individual-level parameters from behavioral data. We tested this empirically with the Probabilistic Stimulus Selection (PSS) task, which is used to measure a participant’s sensitivity to positive or negative reinforcement. An analysis of 400,000 simulations from an Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) model of this task showed that the poor reliability of the task is due to the instability of the end-estimates: because of the way the task works, the same participants might sometimes end up having apparently opposite scores. To recover the underlying interpretable parameters and enhance reliability, we used a Bayesian Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) procedure. We were able to obtain reliable parameters across sessions (intraclass correlation coefficient ≈ 0.5). A follow-up study on a modified version of the task also found the same pattern of results, with very poor test-retest reliability in behavior but moderate reliability in recovered parameters (intraclass correlation coefficient ≈ 0.4). Collectively, these results imply that this approach can further be used to provide superior measures in terms of reliability, and bring greater insights into individual differences.
Changes in Sedation Practices in Association with Delirium Screening in Infants After Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Sedation in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) is necessary to keep critically ill infants safe and comfortable. However, long-term use of sedatives may be associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. We aimed to examine sedation practices in the CICU after the implementation of the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD). We hypothesize the use of the CAPD would be associated with a decrease in sedative weans at CICU discharge. This is a single institution, retrospective cohort study. The study inclusion criteria were term infants, birthweight > 2.5 kg, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and mechanical ventilation (MV) on postoperative day zero. During the study period, 50 and 35 patients respectively, met criteria pre- and post-implementation of CAPD screening. Our results showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of sedative habituation wean at CICU discharge after CAPD implementation (24% vs. 45.7%, p = 0.036). There was a statistically significant increase in exposure to opiate (56% vs. 88.6%, p = 0.001) and dexmedetomidine infusions (52% vs 80%, p = 0.008), increased likelihood of clonidine use at CICU discharge (OR 9.25, CI 2.39–35.84), and increase in the duration of intravenous sedative infusions (8.1 days vs. 5.1 days, p = 0.04) No statistical difference was found in exposure to fentanyl (42% vs. 58.8%, p = 0.13) or midazolam infusions (22% vs. 25.7%, p = 0.691); and there was no change in benzodiazepine or opiate use at CICU discharge or dosage. The prevalence of delirium in the CAPD cohort was 92%. CAPD implementation in the CICU was associated with changes in sedation practices, specifically an increase in the use of dexmedetomidine, which possibly explains the increased clonidine weans at CICU discharge. This is the first report of the association between CAPD monitoring and changes in sedative practices. Multi-center prospective studies are recommended to evaluate sedative practices, delirium, and its effects on neurodevelopment.
Regulation of a bacterial histidine kinase by a phase separating scaffolding protein

Scaffolding proteins customize the response of signaling networks to support cell development and behaviors. We investigated how the bacterial scaffolding protein PodJ regulates the histidine kinase PleC involved in the asymmetric cell division of Caulobacter crescentus. We reconstituted the PleC-PodJ signaling complex through both heterologous expression in E. coli and in vitro studies. In vitro PodJ phase separates as a biomolecular condensate that recruits and inhibits PleC kinase activity. By constructing an in vivo PleC-CcaS chimeric histidine kinase reporter assay, we have demonstrated how PodJ leverages its intrinsically disordered region (IDR) to bind and regulate PleC-CcaS signaling. Moreover, we observed that full-length PodJL regulates PleC-CcaS signaling, while a truncated PodJs could not regulate signaling activity. These results support a model where PodJ biomolecular condensate formation regulates the localization and activity of the cell fate determining kinase PleC.
Genetics of Habrobracon.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the genetics of Habrobracon. The problem of sex determination presented a challenge and the advantages of male haploidy, 10-day generation, number of progeny per female, and ease of handling made the prospect of conducting research on the species, Habrobracon juglandis, a tempting one. In breeding tests with wild type stock, virgin females produced males only, mated females both males and females, and unfertilized eggs developed into males, fertilized into females. The European species, Habrobracon brevicornis, has also been used for genetic research. It successfully parasitizes larvae of Ephestia and can be reared by the same methods as those used for H. juglandis. Diploid males are distinguished from haploid males even in the absence of genetic markers. The most easily identified difference is the “roughness” of the wings in the former because of their larger cells, which are measured by counting the microchaetae within a given area on the upper surface of the wings, each microchaeta corresponding to a single cell. A preliminary cytological study of Habrobracon males demonstrated that they were haploid and suggested that the first meiotic division was abortive, the second equal.
In vivo removal of protein from tobacco mosaic virus after inoculation of tobacco leaves: II. Some characteristics of the reaction

Abstract Intact virus protein subunits were released from parental TMV from 10 min to 4 hours after inoculation of tobacco leaves. The reaction appeared to occur in two stages. The initial removal of one-quarter of the virus protein, which occurred within 10 min, was unaffected by low temperature or by inhibition of protein synthesis in the leaves by cycloheximide. Thus the initial disruption of the virus immediately after inoculation does not appear to be dependent upon the activities of induced or preexisting enzymes. This lends support to the idea that uncoating of TMV-RNA begins in a hydrophobic environment by a physical disruption of the bonds that bind protein subunits together and to the nucleic acid. The second stage, lasting up to 4–5 hours, during which another 25% of the protein was removed, was inhibited by both low temperature and cycloheximide. The reaction was found to be non-host-specific since at least the earliest stages occurred in plants which are not considered to be hosts of TMV.
The antigen-antibody reaction: V. A quantitative theory of antigen-antibody reactions which allows for heterogeneity of antibodies☆

Abstract A quantitative theory to describe the reactions between multivalent antigen and bivalent antibody is developed. Unlike the previous theory (Palmiter & Aladjem, 1963) the present theory allows for heterogeneity of antibodies. Heterogeneity is described in terms of a multivariate probability density function (PDF). A method for finding the PDF from experimental measurements of the amount of antigen-antibody precipitate and of soluble complexes is given; briefly, the method consists of (a) making an initial estimate of the PDF and computing by means of the theory the distribution of complexes, (b) comparing the computed distribution of complexes with the experimental data, and (c) using the criterion of least squares and iterative procedures for consecutively better approximations, finding that distribution of complexes and hence that PDF which best fits the experimental data. The theory suggests experiments and a new method of interpretation of the results.
Subsynchronous oscillation detection using phasor measurements and synchrosqueezing transform

In this paper, a novel scheme for subsynchronous oscillation detection and modal parameter estimation is proposed, by leveraging the rich information contained in high-rate phasor measurements as well as the effectiveness of synchrosqueezing transform for multimodal signal analysis. Specifically, an instantaneous time-frequency representation of a voltage/current signal is first obtained by applying synchrosqueezing transform to the real-time data collected by a phasor measurement unit. The non-zero synchrosqueezing transform coefficients quantify the undamped frequency components of the original voltage/current signal at each time instant. For an unknown number of undamped frequency components, unsupervised clustering is applied to the non-zero synchrosqueezing transform coefficients in the frequency domain, so as to determine how many modes comprise the signal, as well as which mode each non-zero synchrosqueezing transform coefficient belongs to. Then, for each detected mode, the corresponding non-zero synchrosqueezing transform coefficients are utilized to reconstruct a component of the original voltage/current signal. Finally, the magnitude, damping factor and phase angle of each mode are estimated by applying a least square estimation algorithm to the reconstructed component signal. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is revealed through several case studies using IEEE benchmark models. Further, practical issues involving missing data, measurement noise and transform basis functions are also systematically addressed in this study.
SPECIAL SECTION: The Future of a Discipline: Considering the Ontological/Methodological Future of the Anthropology of Consciousness, Part II†

In order for the valuable research published in the Anthropology of Consciousness (AoC) journal to have the impact it ought to have upon the anthropological mainstream, contributors must demonstrate that they appreciate the historical tradition of anthropology as an intellectual forebear. Although “ethnometaphysics” has been cited sporadically by anthropologists over the past half-century, it never really caught on as an interdisciplinary speciality like ethnobotany, ethnomusicology, and ethnomathematics. Pointing to the example of discord in the West between viewing psychoactive substances as either “hallucinogens” or “entheogens,” I reassert ethnometaphysics in an aim to revamp the overlooked coining of this sub-field by anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell. Such a position rebrands SAC's alternative outlook in a way that could be seen by mainstream colleagues as less radical, thus giving the Society a more realistic opportunity to provoke progressive changes in the mainstream of our discipline.
Identification of the upstream activating sequence of MAL and the binding sites for the MAL63 activator of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Maltose fermentation in Saccharomyces species requires the presence of at least one of five unlinked MAL loci: MAL1, MAL2, MAL3, MAL4, and MAL6. Each of these loci consists of a complex of genes involved in maltose metabolism; the complex includes maltase, a maltose permease, and an activator of these genes. At the MAL6 locus, the activator is encoded by the MAL63 gene. While the MAL6 locus has been the subject of numerous studies, the binding sites of the MAL63 activator have not been determined. In this study, we used Escherichia coli extracts containing the MAL63 protein to define the binding sites of the MAL63 protein in the divergently transcribed MAL61-62 promotor. When a DNA fragment containing these sites was placed upstream of a CYC1-lacZ gene, maltose induced beta-galactosidase. These sites therefore constitute an upstream activating sequence for the MAL genes.
The Write Experience in Economics: A Case Study from Central Connecticut State University

The ability to engage in efficient and effective written communication is essential for those pursuing a career in economics. Unfortunately, it is a skill often overlooked by many undergraduate economics programs. Those that do emphasize writing often wait to introduce the skill until students are at an advanced point of their studies. Although this approach is preferred to one that omits the skill entirely, students often find this approach frustrating, as they feel unprepared for the written work now expected of them. The reasons for this omission are varied, but include: resource and time constraints, a lack of experience teaching writing, and a feeling that teaching writing is not the responsibility of the economics department. Advances in technology have, however, made the introduction of written work less costly for faculty and more beneficial to students. The Write Experience software (available as part of the Cengage learning-technology package) has been used several times within the economics department at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). The software has increased student’s exposure to open-ended questions and provided the opportunity for students to hone their written communication skills. Using ordered probit estimation techniques this research identified the factors that influence the quality of a CCSU student’s written work. Results indicate that the written communication skills of CCSU students differ by race, gender, and field of study. These findings highlight the need for continued development of written communication skills at various points in the curriculum and identify areas where additional resources may provide the greatest benefit.
Analysis of five presumptive protein-coding sequences clustered between the primosome genes, 41 and 61, of bacteriophages T4, T2, and T6.

Abstract In bacteriophage T4, there is a strong tendency for genes that encode interacting proteins to be clustered on the chromosome. There is 1.6 kb of DNA between the DNA helicase (gene 41) and the DNA primase (gene 61) genes of this virus. The DNA sequence of this region suggests that it contains five genes, designated as open reading frames (ORFs) 61.1 to 61.5, predicted to encode proteins ranging in size from 5.94 to 22.88 kDa. Are these ORFs actually genes? As one test, we compared the DNA sequence of this region in bacteriophages T2, T4, and T6 and found that ORFs 61.1, 61.3, 61.4, and 61.5 are highly conserved among the three closely related viruses. In contrast, ORF 61.2 is conserved between phages T4 and T6 yet is absent from phage T2, where it is replaced by another ORF, T2 ORF 61.2, which is not found in the T4 and T6 genomes. As a second, independent test for coding sequences, we calculated the codon base position preferences for all ORFs in this region that could encode proteins that contain at least 30 amino acids. Both the T4/T6 and T2 versions of ORF 61.2, as well as the other ORFs, have codon base position preferences that are indistinguishable from those of known T4 genes (coefficients of 0.81 to 0.94); the six other possible ORFs of at least 90 bp in this region are ruled out as genes by this test (coefficients less than zero). Thus, both evolutionary conservation and codon usage patterns lead us to conclude that ORFs 61.1 to 61.5 represent important protein-coding sequences for this family of bacteriophages. Because they are located between the genes that encode the two interacting proteins of the T4 primosome (DNA helicase plus DNA primase), one or more may function in DNA replication by modulating primosome function.
Sickle Cell Disease: Present and Future Treatment

ABSTRACT: Over the past few decades, the life expectancy of patients with sickle cell disease has improved. This has been because of better supportive care and greater awareness of the complications of this disorder. Recent successes of neonatal screening, childhood prophylactic penicillin, and, perhaps, hydroxyurea in adults may further extend the life of sickle cell disease patients. This review will do the following: 1) briefly highlight the major aspects of the conventional treatment of sickle cell disease, 2) address the present use of hydroxyurea in more depth, and 3) succinctly preview what the near-term future of treatment may bring.
Mixed Atomistic and Continuum Models of Deformation in Solids

The modeling of processes involving multiple length scales is an area of pressing concern, especially in problems such as nanoidentation and crack tip dislocation activity. In these cases, there is more than one characteristic dimension with the nanometer scale arising due to the presence of extended defects such as dislocations and a second length scale at least 2 orders of magnitude larger set by the scale of the indenter or the crack tip itself. To properly model such processes, both scales must be treated explicitly, which is normally beyond the scope of conventional atomistic and continuum analyses alike. This paper describes a quasicontinuum method which seizes upon the strengths of both atomistic and continuum techniques and allows for the simultaneous treatment of multiple scales. The method is based upon a continuum formulation of the problem of interest as a boundary value problem treated within the confines of the finite element method. We part company with traditional approaches by utilizing direct atomistic calculations as the source of the constitutive input used in the finite element analysis. The method is illustrated through application to the case of the structure and energetics of single dislocations. This case is a stringent test as it represents an extreme limit for the model since dislocation core structures are primarily dictated by lattice effects. It is then shown how the method may be applied to problems of tribological concern such as nanoindentation, where it is found that dislocations are initiated beneath the indenter.
Crossflow filtration of chromium hydroxide suspension by ceramic membranes: fouling and its minimization by backpulsing

Abstract Crossflow filtration experiments with Cr(OH)3 suspension as synthetic electroplating wastewater were performed in turbulent flow regime on a pilot filter unit, equipped with a backpulse device, using porous alumina ceramic membranes of various pore sizes (0.2–5.0 μm). All membranes are fouled during filtration. Except for the 5.0 μm pore membrane, the fouling process could not be described by a model considering only one of the pore blocking, pore constriction and cake formation fouling mechanisms reported in literature. However, a model considering all the three fouling mechanisms provides an improved description of the fouling process. Filtration experiments with and without backpulsing show that backpulsing is effective in reducing the fouling phenomenon resulting in up to five-fold increase in steady state permeate flux and 100% flux recovery. The permeate flux increases with increasing transmembrane pressure and crossflow velocity, both in the presence and absence of backpulsing. The membrane cleaning time during backpulse decreases with increasing backpulse amplitude and membrane pore size. However, feed concentration, pulse duration and interval do not have a significant effect. Filtration experiments with various backpulse conditions were conducted to identify the optimum forward and reverse filtration times that yield the maximum steady state permeate flux.