cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Genomics: Commercial Applications Bring Increased Basic Research Power.

Homologous recombination has been a focus of basic research for over a hundred years [1–3]. The advent of genomics has allowed fine-scale analyses of recombination, including genome-wide analysis of global recombination rate [4–6] and hotspot usage (the proportion of recombination that occurs at hotspots) [4,6]. Recently, PLOS Genetics published the work of Ma et al. [7] describing a genome-wide association study of global recombination rate in Holstein cattle using 3,224 males and 53,125 females and hotspot usage using 1,772 males and 12,756 females. The recombination rate and hotspot usage phenotypes were estimated using 223,364 samples that belonged to 185,917 three-generation families, which were extracted from the larger pedigree that contained over half a million Holstein cattle when the research was conducted.
The Policy Shift in State Financial Aid Programs

The last three decades have seen important changes in how states finance higher education. Rising public sector tuition prices, constrained growth in state appropriations to institutions, and the development of new types of student financial aid programs have altered the funding landscape in many states. These changes have occurred as other factors — including demographic shifts, increased accountability demands, and the transformational influence of technology — have placed new pressures on public higher education institutions and systems.
Predicting the Volatility of the S&P 500 Equity Index

This paper presents empirical tests of seven alternative estimators for the volatility of the S&P 500 equity index. Two of the estimators are the implied volatilities derived from the option models of Geske (1979) and Black-Scholes (1973) and using market prices for options. The Geske volatility estimator is stochastic, and this paper presents its first empirical tests. The Black-Scholes estimator in theory is deterministic, but herein when computed daily it is ad hoc allowed to change randomly with changes in the index level. The other five estimators are empirical, based on sample data. Four of the empirical estimators are GARCH approaches (GARCH11, EGARCH, TGARCH, and Heston-Nandi GARCH) which accommodate stochastic volatilities, and the fifth empirical estimator is simply the sample variance viewed as an historical estimate. All seven estimators are used to predict the actual realized volatility over the life of each option. If the market processes information efficiently, when the actual realized volatility over the option life is regressed on each estimator, the slope coefficient and intercept should be 1.0 and 0.0, respectively. In the case of the implied volatility estimators, this can be considered a test of these models. Our results show that in all cases the slope coefficients and intercepts of the implied volatilities are much closer to 1.0, more highly significant, have intercepts closer to 0.0 which are insignificant, and exhibit higher R2 than the empirical estimators. Furthermore, the Geske estimator appears better in these respects than this ad hoc Black-Scholes estimator. Encompassing regressions are run paring the Geske estimator separately with each of the five empirical estimators. In every encompassing regression test the slope coefficients and intercepts of the Geske estimator remain much closer to 1.0 and 0.0, respectively, while the competing estimators slope coefficients are much reduced from 1.0 toward 0.0, and are often insignificant. Thus, the Geske stochastic volatility estimator appears to capture a very significant portion but not all of the information relevant for predicting the volatility of the S&P 500 equity index.
Multi-GeV Laser-Plasma Electron Accelerators

Laser-plasma acceleration is now entering an era of petawatt lasers, tenuous plasmas and multi-GeV electron energies. I will review initial results in this regime, and discuss plasma diagnostics needed to understand, optimize and scale them.
Personality correlates of the duration of menses.

lege, aged 17 to 21 yr., participated in the study as a course requirement. Each S was administered the Leary Interpersonal Check List (Leary, 1957), the Maslow rest of dominance-feeling (Maslow, 1940), and questions about menstrual functioning. The duration of menses was estimated by Ss in terms of the number of days over which the bleeding phase of the menstrual cycle extended. Ss returning incomplete questionnaires or who were using the birth-control pill were eliminated. The remaining 43 Ss showed no association berween duration of menses and menstrual regularity. Duration of menses was not correlated significantly with scores on the dominancefeeling test (product-moment r = -0.13). The length of menses was correlated with the scores on each of the 8 dimensions of Leary's ICL but only one of the product-moment correlations was significant. Ss with long menses were more docile-dependent than those with short menses (r = 0.43, two-tailed p < 0.01). There were no significant correlations with the dimensions of managerial-autocratic (r = -0.04), competitive-narcissistic (7 = -0.09). aggressive-sadistic (r = -0.09), rebellious-distrusrful (r = -0.01), self-effacing-masochistic (T = 0.18), cooperative-overconventional (r = 0.10), and responsible-hypernormal (r = 0.05). There were no associations with the number of adjectives checked on the ICL (r = 0.17), with the dominance score (r = -0.22), or with the love score (r = 0.23). Scores on the personality tests of the 12 Ss with the shortest menses (M = 3.58, SD = 0.47) were compared with those of the 10 Ss with the longest menses (M = 7.35, SD = 0.58). The pattern of differences matched that for the correlations. These two groups were compared on each adjective of the ICL. Those with short menses were significantly more self-confident (Fisher exact test, p < 0.051, less easily embarrassed (p < 0.05), less often helped by others (p < 0.01 ), less often act importantly (p < 0.05), and less often self-punishing (p < 0.025). The associations found in this study, though weak, are similar to those reported by Peskin: Ss with short menses tended to be more self-confident and more dominant. Thus, it seems that the relation between gross teenage menstrual function and personality functioning appears in the teenager as well as in the adult
Soluble substance of pneumococcus origin in the blood and urine during lobar pneumonia

A specifically reacting substance of pneumococcus origin has been demonstrated in the nitrates of young cultures of pneumococcus, and also in the blood serum and urine of patients during the course...
Achievements and perspective outlook of rice induced mutation breeding in Guangdong

The research progress of the Guangdong Province rice mutation breeding of 3 phases,mainly introduced the improvement in the yield,quality and resistance traits through the rice mutant variety of radiation breeding and space breeding cultivation.The prospect of development strategy of Guangdong Province mutation breeding in rice,put rice breeding,molecular breeding and traditional breeding technology,Guangdong Province of rice breeding technology system,to further enhance the comprehensive strength of rice breeding in Guangdong: strengthening excellent mutant variety rice demonstration and extension,promoting the construction of big rice to rice breeding industry strong province.
Ligand K-edge XAS, DFT, and TDDFT analysis of pincer linker variations in Rh(I) PNP complexes: reactivity insights from electronic structure

Here we report P K-edge, Cl K-edge, and Rh L3-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data for Rh[C5H3N-2,6-(XPtBu2)2]Cl, where X = O (tBuPONOP; 1) or CH2 (tBuPNP; 2). Solid-state XAS data for 1 and 2 were compared to density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations to identify how changing the PNP pincer linker from O to CH2 affected electronic structure and bonding at Rh(I). Pronounced differences in XAS peak intensities and energies were observed. The P K-edge XAS data revealed a large increase in Rh 4dx2−y2 and P 3p orbital-mixing (Rh–P σ*) in 1 compared to 2, and pronounced transition energy variations reflected marked differences in orbital energies and compositions. By comparison, the Cl K-edge XAS data revealed only subtle differences in Rh–Cl covalency, although larger splitting between the Rh–Cl π* and σ* transitions was observed in 2. Analysis of the occupied MOs from DFT (HOMO, HOMO−1, HOMO−2, and HOMO−3) and comparison to the unoccupied MOs involved in XAS revealed a relatively uniform energy increase (ca. 0.3–0.5 eV) for all five 4d-derived molecular orbitals in Rh(tBuPNP)Cl (2) compared to Rh(tBuPONOP)Cl (1). The energy shift was relatively invariant with respect to differences in orbital symmetry, bonding type (σ or π), and orbital mixing, which suggested that the increase could be attributed to electrostatic effects. The change in d-orbital energies are consistent with known reactivity differences of Rh(tBuPONOP)+ and Rh(tBuPNP)+ towards CO, H2, and CH2Cl2, and are explained here by considering how d-orbital energies affect covalent L → M σ bonding and M → L π backbonding.
Stability of Ziegler's pendulum with eccentric load and load-dependent stiffness

The stability of Ziegler's pendulum with eccentric load and load-dependent stiffness is considered. It is shown that the flutter load is affected by a support that stiffens as it is compressed, and by eccentricity of the tangential load.
Conversion of CO2 into Commercial Materials Using Carbon Feedstocks

In this project, our research focused on developing reaction chemistry that would support using carbon as a reductant for CO2 utilization that would permit CO2 consumption on a scale that would match or exceed anthropomorphic CO2 generation for energy production from fossil fuels. Armed with the knowledge that reactions attempting to produce compounds with an energy content greater than CO2 would be thermodynamically challenged and/or require significant amounts of energy, we developed a potential process that utilized a solid carbon source and recycled the carbon to effectively provide infinite time for the carbon to react. During testing of different carbon sources, we found a wide range of reaction rates. Biomass-derived samples had the most reactivity and coals and petcoke had the lowest. Because we had anticipated this challenge, we recognized that a catalyst would be necessary to improve reaction rates and conversion. From the data analysis of carbon samples, we recognized that alkali metals improved the reaction rate. Through parametric testing of catalyst formulations we were able to increase the reaction rate with petcoke by a factor of >70. Our efforts to identify the reaction mechanism to assist in improving the catalyst formulation demonstrated that the catalyst was catalyzing themore » extraction of oxygen from CO2 and using this extracted oxygen to oxidize carbon. This was a significant discovery in that if we could modify the catalyst formulation to permit controlled the oxidation, we would have a very power selective oxidation process. With selective oxidation, CO2 utilization could be effective used as one of the process steps in making many of the large volume commodity chemicals that support our modern lifestyles. The key challenges for incorporating these functionalities into the catalyst formulation were to make the oxidation selective and lower the temperature required for catalytic activity. We identified four catalyst families that had the potential to meet these challenges. Initial screening of the catalyst families did show that the reduction/oxidation activity did occur at lower temperatures and that these catalysts were able to cause carbon chain growth as well as C—C cleavage. A preliminary techno-economic feasibility of using petcoke/catalyst to produce a CO-rich syngas product was completed and showed significant economic promise. Testing of the different catalyst families demonstrated that Catalyst A was able to stably produce 5 sccm of ethylene/gram of catalyst at 900°C for one hour. For dry methane reforming, our Catalyst 4 was able to achieve production rates of > 10 sccm of CO and > 3 sccm of H2 per gram of catalyst at 600°C and 350 psig. Based on these developments, the potential for CO2 utilization in the production of large volume commodity chemicals is very promising.« less
End cell shielding and streaming analysis of MARS tandem mirror reactor

In recent studies of tandem mirror reactors some attention has been focused on the problems associated with radiation streaming into penetrations of both the central fusion chamber and the end cells. This work presents the radiation analysis for the end cells of the commercial tandem mirror reactor MARS. The amount of radiation streaming into the penetrations was quantified and the radiation problems at the direct convertor were analyzed.
Surface modulatable nanocapsids for targeting and tracking toward nanotheranostic delivery

Nanoparticle diagnostics and therapeutics (nanotheranostics) have significantly advanced cancer detection and treatment. However, many nanotheranostics are ineffective due to defects in tumor localization and bioavailability. An engineered Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) nanocapsid is a proposed platform for targeted cancer-cell delivery. Self-assembling from HEV capsid subunits, nanocapsids retain the capacity to enter cells and resist proteolytic/acidic conditions, but lack infectious viral elements. The nanocapsid surface was modified for chemical activation to confer tumor-specific targeting and detection, immune-response manipulation and controlled theranostic delivery. Nanotheranostic molecules can be packaged in the hollow nanocapsid shell during in vitro assembly. Complementing the adapted stability and cell-entry characteristics of the HEV capsid, a modified nanocapsid serves as a tunable tumor-targeting platform for nanotheronostic delivery.
Extending the State of the Art in Anthropometry and Biomechanics

One of the most challenging assignments that can be given an individual is to put him down in a strange land and ask him to map it. The challenge is increased when one is asked to forecast that territory’s future. I have been given both challenges by our program committee. Anthropometry and biomechanics are areas to which I am a recent immigrant, and a newcomer risks misperceiving strange and new terrain. Sometimes, however he is fortunate enough to notice patterns and trends overlooked by regular inhabitants. I hope that I can do the latter without being guilty of the former.
Primary congenital rhabdoid tumor of the brain with neoplastic hydranencephaly.

A child with shunted hydranencephaly and presumed ventriculitis was found to have a primary congenital rhabdoid tumor (RT) of the brain. The child died and a complete autopsy was carried out. The cerebral hemispheres were replaced by a single thin-walled cavity studded with tumor nodules and filled with thick, viscous fluid. The posterior fossa and visceral organs were free of tumor. This case is unique because the rhabdoid tumor was primary to the brain, it was congenital, and it massively replaced the cerebral hemispheres, causing hydranencephaly. Only three other cases of primary RT of the brain with complete autopsy examination have been reported. Cases of congenital rhabdoid tumors are not known in the literature. Hydranencephaly with a highly proteinaceous fluid should alert the physician to the possibility of a neoplasm. When the fluid in presumed ventriculitis is sterile, cerebral biopsy should be considered.
Abstract 12488: Spontaneous Beating of Cardiac Pacemaker Cells is Regulated by Basal Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Spontaneous firing of sinoatrial node cells (SANC) is controlled by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) generated local subsarcolemmal Ca 2+ releases (LCRs), which appear during diastolic depolarization (DD) and activate an inward Na + -Ca 2+ exchange current to regulate DD rate and spontaneous SANC beating rate. Therapy directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway had improved outcomes for patients with different types of cancer. It was noted, however, that inhibition of EGFR might lead to sinus bradycardia and sick sinus syndrome. Until now neither expression nor possible role of EGFR for spontaneous beating of cardiac pacemaker was examined. Here we studied expression of EGFR in rabbit SANC; effects of EGFR inhibition on spontaneous SANC firing and possible mechanisms of EGFR-dependent regulation of cardiac pacemaker function. We discovered that expression of EGFR (RNA-sequencing) in rabbit SANC exceeded that in ventricular myocytes by six-fold. Specific EGFR inhibitors erlotinib and AG1478 markedly decreased spontaneous SANC beating rate (perforated patch-clamp technique) and this effect was largely reversible upon drug washout. Both erlotinib and AG1478 suppressed SR Ca 2+ cycling (confocal microscopy, Ca 2+ indicator Fluo-3) in SANC, i.e. decreased LCR size and number per each spontaneous cycle and prolonged the LCR period (the interval between AP-induced Ca 2+ transient and subsequent LCR), which predicted the concomitant increase in the spontaneous cycle length. These data indicate basal activation of EGFR, which could activate other kinase cascades in rabbit SANC e.g. PKC-dependent phosphorylation through activation of PLC. Inhibition of either PLC activity by U-73122 or PKC activation by GF109203X or calphostin C suppressed LCRs and stopped spontaneous firing of rabbit SANC. We conclude that basal activation of EGFR regulates cardiac pacemaker function through PLC-PKC-dependent modulation of LCR characteristics. This might represent a novel pathway to control normal automaticity of SANC, which could be affected by cancer treatment therapy.
Moving to a shrinking city? Some suggestive observations on why college-educated professionals came to New Orleans and why they stayed:

The 2010 Census showed population increases in urban core neighbourhoods in US shrinking or legacy cities. Influenced by Florida’s creative class theory, municipal leaders in shrinking cities have ...
On the Method of Inverse Mapping for Solutions of Coupled Systems of Nonlinear Differential Equations Arising in Nanofluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer

Very recently, Liao has invented a Directly Defining Inverse Mapping Method (MDDiM) for nonlinear differential equations. Liao's method is novel and can be used for solving several problems arising in science and engineering, if we can extend it to nonlinear systems. Hence, in this paper, we extend Liao's method to nonlinear-coupled systems of three differential equations. Our extension is not limited to single, double or triple equations, but can be applied to systems of any number of equations.
Inpatient phlebotomy practices: A College of American Pathologists Q- Probes quality improvement study of 2 351 643 phlebotomy requests

We report outcomes of requests for inpatient phlebotomy procedures from 683 institutions participating in the College of American Pathologists Q-Probes programs. Of the 2,351,643 phlebotomy requests analyzed, 93.2% of venipunctures were successful, 1.6% were unsuccessful, 0.4% were partially successful, and 4.9% were not attempted by the assigned phlebotomist. Administrative inefficiencies prevented the assigned phlebotomist from attempting these venipunctures of which the most frequent reasons were patient unavailability (1.4%), patient transferred or discharged (0.9%), followed by the specimen already collected by someone else (0.7%). These results suggest that performance improvement of phlebotomy services, in general, would achieve the greatest gains by focusing attention to specific processes associated with administrative inefficiencies identified, rather than phlebotomists' technical skills.
Resistance to Position Change, Motivated Reasoning, and Polarization

People seem more divided than ever before over social and political issues, entrenched in their existing beliefs and unwilling to change them. Empirical research on mechanisms driving this resistance to belief change has focused on a limited set of well-known, charged, contentious issues and has not accounted for deliberation over reasons and arguments in belief formation prior to experimental sessions. With a large, heterogeneous sample (N = 3001), we attempt to overcome these existing problems, and we investigate the causes and consequences of resistance to belief change for five diverse and less contentious socio-political issues. After participants chose initially to support or oppose a given socio-political position, they were provided with reasons favoring their chosen position (affirming reasons), reasons favoring the other, unchosen position (conflicting reasons), or all reasons for both positions (reasons for both sides). Our results indicate that participants are more likely to stick with their initial decisions than to change them no matter which reasons are considered, and that this resistance to belief change is likely due to a motivated, biased evaluation of the reasons to support their initial beliefs (prior-belief bias). More specifically, they rated affirming reasons more favorably than conflicting reasons—even after accounting for reported prior knowledge about the issue, the novelty of the reasons presented, and the reported strategy used to make the initial decision. In many cases, participants who did not change their positions tended to become more confident in the superiority of their positions after considering many reasons for both sides.
Harnessing Expert Knowledge: Defining Bayesian Network Model Priors From Expert Knowledge Only—Prior Elicitation for the Vibration Qualification Problem

As systems become more complex, systems engineers rely on experts to inform decisions. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan activities such as, qualification in an environment where technical constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk, and schedule constraints. Bayesian network (BN) models provide a framework to aid systems engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints by harnessing expert knowledge and incorporating technical factors. By quantifying causal factors, a BN model can provide data about the risk of implementing a decision supplemented with information on driving factors. This allows a systems engineer to make informed decisions and examine “what-if” scenarios. This paper discusses a novel process developed to define the probability distributions, or priors, in a BN model based primarily on expert knowledge supplemented with extremely limited data (25 datasets or less). The model was developed to aid qualification decisions—specifically to predict the suitability of six degrees of freedom vibration testing for qualification. The process defined the model priors primarily with expert knowledge in an unbiased manner. Validation of the model provided evidence that this novel process might be an effective tool in harnessing expert knowledge for a BN model.
Squamous cell carcinoma following multiple revision breast surgeries with massive chest wall reconstruction via flow-through double ALT free flaps

Implant-associated breast cancer is a well-described pathologic process that occurs in patients with breast implants. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), the most prominent malignancy associated with breast implants, has been extensively described, while literature regarding non-ALCL implant-associated cancers is limited. Here, we present a rare case of a 55-year-old female with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the breast and chest following multiple breast revision surgeries who underwent tumor resection with a unique soft tissue reconstruction utilizing two anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps in a flow-through manner.
Deterministic and stochastic life-cycle cost analysis for Otta seal surface treatment on low volume roads

The US has a considerable length of unpaved secondary roads experiencing relatively low daily traffic volume. To maintain such roads, the US county secondary road departments spend millions of funds annually for aggregate replacement alone. Meanwhile, Otta seal has been reported as a low-cost bituminous surface treatment (BST) and dust mitigation technique. In consideration of its limited use in the US, Otta seal could be compared with chip seal, which is a commonly used BST in the US, from an economic viability perspective. In this study, through using the Minnesota case, a life-cycle cost analysis was conducted at two levels: (I) deterministic life-cycle cost analysis and (II) stochastic life-cycle cost analysis. Based on the analysis results, it was concluded that the Otta seal could potentially be an economic viable BST, and public agencies could use it to reduce maintenance cost of low-volume roads, especially when gaining access to uniformly graded aggregate, which is commonly not feasible for chip seal.
A Hybrid Way of Learning

There can be a natural conflict between home schoolers and the school district’s attempt to restrict their freedom. Home schooling is an age-old educational method that was primarily utilized by parents seeking to teach their own children at home in order to restore traditional values and bring what they perceived to be an order to the family. Presently, a few parents for reasons unique to themselves are now requesting home schooling for other than religious instruction. This type of parental request may place administrators and school boards under rigorous community and faculty scrutiny. Blueville High School is completely fictitious as are the names referenced. The events did occur.
Abstract 166: MCL-1 Facilitates the Removal of Damaged Mitochondria via the Mitophagy Receptor BNIP3

Myeloid Cell Leukemia-1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family protein that is necessary to maintain cardiac homeostasis in the adult heart. MCL-1 localizes to two distinct mitochondrial locatio...
Invisible visits: black middle-class women in the American healthcare system

Black people living in the United States disproportionately experience disparate health outcomes in comparison to White Americans. While significant efforts have been initiated to reduce health dis...
Best practices for reporting nanocatalytic performance: lessons learned from nitroarene reduction as a model reaction

Nanocatalytic performance is inconsistently reported, making comparisons between catalysts a real challenge. Using the widely-reported reduction of 4-nitrophenol by borohydride for illustration, we recommend best practices for reporting nanocatalytic results, including: (i) nanocatalyst loading (e.g., mol% metal) must be explicitly stated alongside any reported catalytic rates (kapp). (ii) Turnover frequencies (TOFs) are dependent on the extent of reaction; we advocate using 95% reaction completion for determination of TOF. (iii) Accessible via simple mixing (1 min, no heating required), ascorbate-capped gold nanoparticles represent a convenient and reproducible benchmark nanocatalyst for nitroarene reduction. The lessons learned here are of a general nature and can be translated to the reporting of additional (nano)catalytic reactions as well.
Chapter 139 – Protein Kinase C: Relaying Signals from Lipid Hydrolysis to Protein Phosphorylation

Publisher Summary PKC isozymes play pivotal roles in cell signaling by relaying information from lipid mediators to protein substrates. The relay of this information is under exquisite conformational, spatial, and temporal regulation, and extensive studies on the molecular mechanisms of this control have provided much insight into how PKC is regulated. This chapter summarizes the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of how protein kinase C transduces information from lipid mediators to protein phosphorylation. The normal function of PKC is under the coordinated regulation of five major mechanisms illustrated: phosphorylation, dephosphorylation, membrane targeting modules, degradation, and anchor proteins. The conserved maturation phosphorylations have been best characterized for conventional PKC isozymes and are described. The control of subcellular localization of kinases by scaffold proteins is emerging as a key requirement in maintaining fidelity and specificity in signaling by protein kinases. Protein kinase C activation is integral to an abundance of intracellular signaling pathways; specific isozymes play roles in most key cellular functions, including survival vs apoptotic pathways, proliferative vs quiescent pathways, receptor desensitization, and cytoskeletal architecture, among many others. New understanding of the regulatory inputs of protein kinase C will likely provide novel therapeutic targets in the coming years.
Engaging US Students in Culturally Aware Content Creation and Interactive Technology Design Through Service Learning

Introduction: As technical and professional communication (TPC) becomes increasingly networked, students must learn to work cross-culturally. However, these skills can be difficult to develop. We report on a service-learning project aimed at helping students write and design for an audience in India. About the case: The authors saw a need to provide course materials to practitioners in India that became an opportunity to involve students in global content creation. This teaching case reports on two courses designed collaboratively to teach design and communication skills through service-learning, while providing course content to Indian practitioners of TPC. Situating the case: Technical communication has a long history of teaching writing skills for the globalized workplace. Service-learning opportunities can engage students cross-culturally while encouraging them to think critically about audience awareness. This case extends the literature by reporting on how students learned principles of cross-cultural and accessible communication. Methods/approach: This study uses qualitative student reflection documents from two courses to answer questions about how service-learning opportunities shape student skills. Their responses illustrate the successes and failures in the course designs and provide strategies for instructors working on similar projects. Results/discussion: Students reported that their experiences helped them to think critically about audience awareness, synthesize skills in collaboration, engage flexibly with new technologies, and work through time constraints. Conclusion: We provide practical suggestions for implementing similar course designs at other institutions and information about implementing relevant technologies. It outlines adaptations for new teaching environments.
Temporal Dynamics of COVID-19 Outbreak and Future Projections: A Data-Driven Approach

Long-term predictions for an ongoing epidemic are typically performed using epidemiological models that predict the timing of the peak in infections followed by its decay using non-linear fits from the available data. The curves predicted by these methods typically follow a Gaussian distribution with a decay rate of infections similar to the climbing rate before the peak. However, as seen from the recent COVID-19 data from the US and European countries, the decay in the number of infections is much slower than their increase before the peak. Therefore, the estimates of the final epidemic size from these models are often underpredicted. In this work, we propose two data-driven models to improve the forecasts of the epidemic during its decay. These two models use Gaussian and piecewise-linear fits of the infection rate respectively during the deceleration phase, if available, to project the future course of the pandemic. For countries, which are not yet in the decline phase, these models use the peak predicted by epidemiological models but correct the infection rate to incorporate a realistic slow decline based on the trends from the recent data. Finally, a comparative study of predictions using both epidemiological and data-driven models is presented for a few most affected countries.
Hyperosmolar Ionic Solutions Modulate Inflammatory Phenotype and sGAG Loss in a Cartilage Explant Model.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare the effects of hyperosmolar sodium (Na+), lithium (Li+) and potassium (K+) on catabolic and inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA) markers and sulfated...
The Last Voyage PALLE UHDJEPSEN 245pp., 90 colour, 32 b&w illustrations, Museum of Cultural History, Holstebro, Denmark, 2019, €38 (hbk), ISBN 978‐8787522236

The subject of this book is the famous shipwreck of 1811 in which two British men‐of‐war, the 2nd‐rate 98‐gun ship‐of‐the‐line St George and the 3rd‐rate 74‐gun ship‐of‐the‐line Defence were wrecke...
Analyzing intensifying thunderstorms over the Congo Basin using the Gálvez-Davison index from 1983–2018

The Congo Basin situated in equatorial Africa is home to the second largest rainforest on the globe and plays an important role in the Earth’s climate system. For instance, the Congo is one of the most convective regions in the world and enhances the tropical large-scale circulation. Although tropical convection is crucial for rainfall and the sustenance of the rainforest, the most intense thunderstorms do not necessarily produce the largest amounts of rainfall over equatorial Africa. Aiming to better understand the decreasing rainfall trend over the Congo, trends in thunderstorm intensity from 1983 to 2018 are analyzed in this paper using the Galvez-Davison index (GDI), i.e., a thermodynamic index used to measure thunderstorm potential. Consistent with previous studies, thunderstorm activity increased during all seasons over the Congo. The GDI suggests that the increasing trends in thunderstorm activity are attributable to an increase in hydrostatic instability. More specifically, the GDI shows that (1) an increase of cold troughs at 500 hPa, (2) an increase in the temperature gradient between 700 and 950 hPa, and (3) a decrease of the equivalent potential temperature ( $${\theta }_{e}$$ ) gradient with height collectively act to promote taller, more intense thunderstorms. This study concludes by proposing feedback mechanisms explaining the intensification of thunderstorms. The mechanisms highlight the cooling and moistening of the mid-troposphere, drying and warming at the surface and lower troposphere, and a decrease in vertical stability and convective inhibition. These factors may act to re-enforce the drying trend which has stressed the Congo rainforest over the past 40-years.
Konzeption eines integrierten Carbon- und Materialflusskostencontrollings

Die Messung und Steuerung betrieblicher Flusskosten und THG-Emissionen ist ein wesentliches Element zur Generierung nachhaltigen Erfolgs. Wie in Kapitel drei gezeigt, kann eine Integration von CF und MFCA hierfur einen wichtigen Beitrag leisten. Die Herausforderung hierbei besteht zunachst in der Methodik: Es sind geeignete Allokationsverfahren auszuwahlen und ist eine Differenzierung der Kosten zur Identifikation von Emissions- und Kostentreibern vorzunehmen. Basierend darauf sind konkrete Integrationsmodelle zu entwickeln. Das so konzeptionierte integrierte Instrument ist im Unternehmen systematisch einzufuhren und der Dauerbetrieb im Rahmen des Nachhaltigkeitscontrollings und -managements als PDCA-im- PDCA kontinuierlich zu verbessern.
Do Hospitals Alter Patient Care Effort Allocations Under Pay-for-Performance?

Objective. To determine whether hospitals increase efforts on easy tasks relative to difficult tasks to improve scores under pay-for-performance (P4P) incentives. Data Source. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare data from Fiscal Years 2003 through 2005 and 2003 American Hospital Association Annual Survey data. Study Design. We classified measures of process compliance targeted by the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration as easy or difficult to improve based on whether they introduce additional per-patient costs. We compared process compliance on easy and difficult tasks at hospitals eligible for P4P bonus payments relative to hospitals engaged in public reporting using random effects regression models. Principal Findings. P4P hospitals did not preferentially increase efforts for easy tasks in patients with heart failure or pneumonia, but they did exhibit modestly greater effort on easy tasks for heart attack admissions. There is no systematic evidence that effort was allocated toward easier processes of care and away from more difficult tasks. Conclusions. Despite perverse P4P incentives to change allocation of efforts across tasks to maximize performance scores at lowest cost, we find little evidence that hospitals respond to P4P incentives as hypothesized. Alternative incentive structures may motivate greater response by targeted hospitals.
Concentric Clientelism: A Case Study of Rural Saharanpur

In this paper, we examine the role of intermediaries in sustaining political clientelism in rural Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Drawing from fieldwork and electoral data, we show that clientelism in Saharanpur is based around providing three specific guarantees to the voter – security from or by the police, facilitation in the tehsil and mediation in cases that would otherwise go to court – which we collectively refer to as Guardianship. We explain how Guardianship, more than most other forms of clientelistic exchange, requires intermediaries. In the case of Saharanpur, these intermediaries are usually individuals occupying formal positions of power within various circles of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Finally, we argue that it is the concentric nature of constituencies provided by the decentralized political structure which is ultimately responsible for the sustenance of intermediary networks as well as the perpetuation of clientelism in rural Saharanpur.
Forecasts for the fish Migration and Fishing time under Marine Environment Changes based on the ARIMA model

The validation of using ARIMA model to predict temperature is proved based on the global ocean temperature date monthly from1960 to 2019. According to ARIMA(1,1,0), bootstrap method is used to simulate 10000 possible prediction cases by MATLAB code, which lays a great foundation to predict the migration of fish. Then based on the 10000 temperature change samples generated by bootstrap method in model, migration situation of each sample is simulated to identify the most likely locations of the fish. It was finally shown that the fish are mainly distributed in the area between Iceland and the Faroe Islands 50 years later. Due to technical shortcomings of small fishing companies, if fishing vessels are too far from the continental shelf, they will face problems such as insufficient energy, low safety, and difficulty in keeping fish fresh. Finally, we estimate the elapsed time until the fishermen are unable to catch these two types of fish in their fishing area based on how fast the temperature changes, with the best, worst, and most likely scenarios.
Walk your Way to Well-Being at Work: Impact of a Treadmill Workstation on Employee Occupational Health Outcomes

Evidence suggests that many employees spend most of their day sitting at their desk while using a computer workstation. Such sedentary behavior is linked with obesity, heart disease, and reduced arousal and mood. The current study aimed to expand existing research on the benefits of an active workstation for reducing sedentary time at work and improving employee occupational health outcomes. We conducted a within-subjects experiment in which 25 university employees used a treadmill workstation for an hour on three workdays and worked at their desk as usual for three additional workdays (with the order of conditions counterbalanced). At the end of each workday, participants completed measures of vigor, inattention, mood, job satisfaction, self-perceived performance, and physical health symptoms. We also gathered step count through pedometers that participants wore throughout the day. Results indicated that participants reported significantly higher levels of physical, cognitive, and emotional vigor and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affect and inattention on days when they used the treadmill workstation than on days when they worked at their desk as usual. However, we found no significant differences in job satisfaction, physical symptoms, nor self-perceived performance. We found that participants walked an average of 4500 more steps (~ 2 miles) on days when they used the treadmill workstation as compared to their desk as usual. These findings suggest that using a treadmill workstation may have beneficial effects on employee well-being and physical activity while not detracting from performance.
A Review of African Thinkers on Neocolonialism, Cultural Imperialism and Class Struggle in Africa: Toward the Redemption of the African Consciousness

The objective of the paper is to review the works of several important scholars on cultural imperialism, neocolonialism and class struggle in Africa. In order to understand the forces of neo-colonialism and the class struggle in Africa along with the development of African consciousness and African Centered Thought, there must be a review of some of the most critical scholarship of African thinkers. To accomplish this objective we review the works of several widely read and appreciated scholars including: W.E.B. Du Bois who was a proponent of Pan-Africanism, Kwame Nkrumah and Frantz Fanon who maintained Pan-African and Marxist-socialist views, Julius Nyerere who was a Pan-Africanist and an African socialist, Jacob Carruthers who maintained African centered perspectives, Claude Ake who held both Marxist-socialist and African centered views, and Walter Rodney who held both a Pan-Africanist and Marxist-socialistic views.
Flow Processes and Mathematical Models

In the following discussions, several mathematical models of flow processes will be developed. Each model is an attempt to precisely describe some physical process by using experimentally calibrated relationships assumed by man. Generally, the assumed relationship (or physical law) expresses a rate of flow or flux of some type of specie as a function of a linear gradient of some type of defined potential.
Bombesin peptoids and peptides based PET probes for prostate cancer imaging

557 Objectives Radiolabeled bombesin (BBN) analogs binding to gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) are under actively studies for developing molecular probes for positron emission tomography (PET) of prostate cancer (PCa). In order to develop a clinic translatable BBN based PET probe, in this study a variety of BBN analogs including BBN(7-14) peptoids and peptides (RM1 and AMBA) were synthesized, radiolabeled and evaluated for their potential use in PCa PET imaging. Methods 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) conjugated BBN(7-14)-peptoid, four BBN peptide-peptoid hybrids, RM1, AMBA, and 1,4,7-triazacyclononane, 1-glutaric acid-4,7 acetic acid (NODAGA) conjugated RM1 and AMBA were synthesized and tested for their GRPR binding affinities. The DOTA-BBN(7-14)-peptoid, NODAGA-RM1, and NODAGA-AMBA were further radiolabeled with 64Cu and/or 18F-AlF. The resulted PET probes were then evaluated in subcutaneous PCa xenograft model (PC3) by small animal PET imaging and biodistribution. Results The BBN(7-14) peptoid and all the BBN peptide-peptoid hybrids showed no binding affinity to GRPR. PET and biodistribution results showed that 64Cu labeled BBN(7-14) peptoid could likely accumulate in the tumor nonspecifically. NODAGA-RM1 and NODAGA-AMBA can be successfully prepared and radiolabeled with 64Cu and 18F-AlF. Results showed that 64Cu and 18F-AlF labeled NODAGA-RM1 exhibit excellent in vitro serum stability and in vivo tumor imaging properties. The tumor uptake of 64Cu-NODAGA-RM1 was 3.3 ± 0.38 and 3.5 ± 1.0 %ID/g at 0.5 and 4 h p.i., and 18F-AlF-NODAGA-RM1 showed 4.6 ± 1.5 and 3.9 ± 0.48 %ID/g tumor uptake at 0.5 and 2 h, respectively. Conclusions Our studies indicate that developing BBN(7-14) peptoids for in vivo imaging is very challenge. On the contrary, the high tumor uptake and good pharmacokinetics highlight that 18F-AlF-NODAGA-RM1 is a promising probe for PET imaging of prostate cancer and has great potential in clinical applications. Research Support This work was supported, in part, by DOD-PCRP-NIA PC094646, NCI 5R01 CA119053 and In vivo Cellular Molecular Imaging Center (ICMIC) grant P50 CA114747.
Violations of Ontological Assumptions

In this chapter we show that the different causes for de-synchronization can be distinguished from each other when the state set of the object PC is well-determined. The causes for a de-synchronization considered here involve unexpected external actions, violation of ontological assumptions, ill-represented states, and timing. We do not deal with a de-synchronization due to expected external actions since these actions are defined a-priori and thus, their effects, though leading to a desynchronization, are known in advance.
Restoration of impaired immune functions in aging animals. I. Effect of syngeneic thymus and bone marrow grafts.

Abstract At attempt has been made to restore the anti-sheep red blood cell (RBC) and plant lectin mitogenic responses of long-lived, aging BC3F1 and B6D2F1 hybrid mice by grafting syngeneic (a) bone marrow cells from young mice, (b) thymus from newborn mice, and (c) young bone marrow and newborn thymus. The results show that the combined bone marrow—thymus grafting can increase both activities of old mice to levels approaching or even exceeding those of adult mice. The fact that the restorative effect of the combined bone marrow—thymus grafting was observed 4.5 months after grafting in mice with a mean lifespan of 27 months would suggest that it could have a long-lasting effect.
Studies on the mechanism of fatty acid synthesis. XXII. Salt activation of the fatty acid-synthesizing enzymes of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Salts activate the fatty acid-synthesizing system of Escherichia coli and several of its component enzymes. The 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase from pig heart, one of the enzymes of fatty acid oxidation, is also stimulated by salts. Although all cations examined produce this stimulation, the activation patterns caused by monovalent cations are clearly distinct from those of divalent cations. When acyl carrier protein (ACP) and CoA thioesters are used as substrates, the activities of the β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase and the enoyl-ACP reductase are stimulated by salts. However, there is no stimulation when N-acetylcysteamine thioesters serve as substrates. With the β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase an increase of the salt concentration causes an increase in Vmax for both acetoacetyl-ACP and acetoacetyl-CoA and a decrease in Km only for acetoacetyl-ACP. The chromatographic behavior of ACP on Sephadex G-100 is influenced by salts. ACP interacts with MgSO4 to form complexes which elute in earlier fractions from Sephadex G-100 than salt-free ACP, although the molecular weight of the ACP is unchanged. When acetoacetyl-ACP, complexed with MgSO4, is used as substrate for the β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase, an increase of the salt concentration increases the Vmax for the reaction but has no effect on the Km for the acetoacetyl-ACP-MgSO4 complex. It is suggested that cations complex with the protein moiety of ACP substrates, thereby facilitating binding to the enzymes, and that cations increase reaction rates possibly by reducing the repulsion between the negatively charged groups of the substrates and their respective enzymes.