cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural variation in SAR11 marine bacterioplankton genomes inferred from metagenomic data

One objective of metagenomics is to reconstruct information about specific uncultured organisms from fragmentary environmental DNA sequences. We used the genome of an isolate of the marine alphaproteobacterium SAR11 ('Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique'; strain HTCC1062), obtained from the cold, productive Oregon coast, as a query sequence to study variation in SAR11 metagenome sequence data from the Sargasso Sea, a warm, oligotrophic ocean gyre. The average amino acid identity of SAR11 genes encoded by the metagenomic data to the query genome was only 71%, indicating significant evolutionary divergence between the coastal isolates and Sargasso Sea populations. However, an analysis of gene neighbors indicated that SAR11 genes in the Sargasso Sea metagenomic data match the gene order of the HTCC1062 genome in 96% of cases (> 85,000 observations), and that rearrangements are most frequent at predicted operon boundaries. There were no conserved examples of genes with known functions being found in the coastal isolates, but not the Sargasso Sea metagenomic data, or vice versa, suggesting that core regions of these diverse SAR11 genomes are relatively conserved in gene content. However, four hypervariable regions were observed, which may encode properties associated with variation in SAR11 ecotypes. The largest of these, HVR2, is a 48 kb region flanked by the sole 5S and 23S genes in the HTCC1062 genome, and mainly encodes genes that determine cell surface properties. A comparison of two closely related 'Candidatus Pelagibacter' genomes (HTCC1062 and HTCC1002) revealed a number of "gene indels" in core regions. Most of these were found to be polymorphic in the metagenomic data and showed evidence of purifying selection, suggesting that the same "polymorphic gene indels" are maintained in physically isolated SAR11 populations. These findings suggest that natural selection has conserved many core features of SAR11 genomes across broad oceanic scales, but significant variation was found associated with four hypervariable genome regions. The data also led to the hypothesis that some gene insertions and deletions might be polymorphisms, similar to allelic polymorphisms.
Low-lycopene containing tomato powder diet does not protect against prostate cancer in TRAMP mice

Previously, tomato powder (TP) diets initiated postweaning have been shown to be effective in reducing prostate cancer in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. The TRAMP model develops and progresses through all stages of carcinogenesis similarly to humans. We hypothesized that a 10% TP diet intervention after puberty would reduce carcinogenesis at 12, 16, and 20 weeks of age in TRAMP mice. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 X FVB F1 TRAMP mice were randomized to consume either an AIN-93G + 10% TP diet (n = 90) or the AIN-93G control diet (n = 88) and randomized to 1 of 3 end point ages: 12 (n = 59), 16 (n = 60), or 20 (n = 59) weeks of age. There was no difference between diets in overall cancer incidence at any time point. However, at 16 weeks of age, TP significantly increased high-grade PIN (P = .014) and significantly decreased poorly differentiated (P = .024) lesions compared with the control diet suggesting a delay in the progression of prostate cancer. Two variables that may explain the modest effect of TP in this study are as follows: the low amount of lycopene in the TP diet (12.3 ppm) and the timing of the intervention (8 weeks of age). The TP diet contained 30-fold less lycopene than previous studies in our laboratory. In addition, the initiation of the diet intervention time of 8 weeks of age instead of 4 weeks of age may have been too late in cancer progression to substantially impact carcinogenesis. In conclusion, a low-lycopene TP intervention failed to reduce carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice.
Hematologic consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation

From the early 1900s, it has been known that ionizing radiation (IR) impairs hematopoiesis through a variety of mechanisms. IR exposure directly damages hematopoietic stem cells and alters the capacity of bone marrow stromal elements to support and/or maintain hematopoiesis in vivo and in vitro. Exposure to IR induces dose-dependent declines in circulating hematopoietic cells not only through reduced bone marrow production, but also by redistribution and apoptosis of mature formed elements of the blood. Recently, the importance of using lymphocyte depletion kinetics to provide a "crude" dose estimate has been emphasized, particularly in rapid assessment of large numbers of individuals who may be exposed to IR through acts of terrorism or by accident. A practical strategy to estimate radiation dose and triage victims based upon clinical symptomatology is presented. An explosion of knowledge has occurred regarding molecular and cellular pathways that trigger and mediate hematologic responses to IR. In addition to damaging DNA, IR alters gene expression and transcription, and interferes with intracellular and intercellular signaling pathways. The clinical expression of these disturbances may be the development of leukemia, the most significant hematologic complication of IR exposure among survivors of the atomic bomb detonations over Japan. Those at greatest risk for leukemia are individuals exposed during childhood. The association of leukemia with chronic, low-dose-rate exposure from nuclear power plant accidents and/or nuclear device testing has been more difficult to establish, due in part to lack of precision and sensitivity of methods to assess doses that approach background radiation dose. Nevertheless, multiple myeloma may be associated with chronic exposure, particularly in those exposed at older ages.
Raf-1 Physically Interacts with Rb and Regulates Its Function: a Link between Mitogenic Signaling and Cell Cycle Regulation

Cells initiate proliferation in response to growth factor stimulation, but the biochemical mechanisms linking signals received at the cell surface receptors to the cell cycle regulatory molecules are not yet clear. In this study, we show that the signaling molecule Raf-1 can physically interact with Rb and p130 proteins in vitro and in vivo and that this interaction can be detected in mammalian cells without overexpressing any component. The binding of Raf-1 to Rb occurs subsequent to mitogen stimulation, and this interaction can be detected only in proliferating cells. Raf-1 can inactivate Rb function and can reverse Rb-mediated repression of E2F1 transcription and cell proliferation efficiently. The region of Raf-1 involved in Rb binding spanned residues 1 to 28 at the N terminus, and functional inactivation of Rb required a direct interaction. Serum stimulation of quiescent human fibroblast HSF8 cells led to a partial translocation of Raf-1 into the nucleus, where it colocalized with Rb. Further, Raf-1 was able to phosphorylate Rb in vitro quite efficiently. We believe that the physical interaction of Raf-1 with Rb is a vital step in the growth factor-mediated induction of cell proliferation and that Raf-1 acts as a direct link between cell surface signaling cascades and the cell cycle machinery.
Approximation of protein structure for fast similarity measures

It is shown that structural similarity between proteins can be decided well with much less information than what is used in common similarity measures. The full Cα representation contains redundant information because of the inherent chain topology of proteins and a limit on their compactness due to excluded volume. A wavelet analysis on random chains and proteins justifies approximating subchains by their centers of mass. For not too compact chain-like structures in general, and proteins in particular, similarity measures that use this approximation are highly correlated to the exact similarity measures and are therefore useful, e.g., as fast filters. Experimental results with such simplified similarity measures in two applications, nearest neighbor search and automatic structural classification show a significant speed up.
Left ventricular outflow track obstruction and mitral valve regurgitation in a patient with takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Introduction : Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) can be complicated by left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and severe acute mitral regurgitation (MR), leading to hemodynamic instability in an otherwise benign disorder. Despite the severity of these complications, there is a paucity of literature on the matter. Because up to 20–25% of TCM patients develop LVOT obstruction and/or MR, it is important to recognize the clinical manifestations of these complications and to adhere to specific management in order to reduce patient morbidity and mortality. We report the clinical history, imaging, treatment strategy, and clinical outcome of a patient with TCM that was complicated with severe MR and LVOT obstruction. We then discuss the pathophysiology, characteristic imaging, key clinical features, and current treatment strategy for this unique patient population. Case report : A postmenopausal woman with no clear risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) presented to the emergency department with chest pain after an episode of mental/physical stress. Physical examination revealed MR, mild hypotension, and pulmonary vascular congestion. Her troponins were mildly elevated. Cardiac catheterization excluded obstructive CAD, but revealed severe apical hypokinesia and ballooning. Notably, multiple diagnostic tests revealed the presence of severe acute MR and LVOT obstruction. The patient was diagnosed with TCM complicated by underlying MR and LVOT obstruction, and mild hemodynamic instability. The mechanism of her LVOT and MR was attributed to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM), which the transesophageal echocardiogram clearly showed during workup. She was treated with beta-blocker, aspirin, and ACE-I with good outcome. Nitroglycerin and inotropes were discontinued and further avoided. Conclusions : Our case illustrated LVOT obstruction and MR associated with underlying SAM in a patient with TCM. LVOT obstruction and MR are severe complications of TCM and may result in heart failure and/or pulmonary edema. Timely and accurate identification of these complications is critical to achieve optimal clinical outcomes in patients with TCM. Keywords: takotsubo cardiomyopathy; left ventricular outflow tract obstruction; mitral regurgitation; systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (Published: 11 December 2015) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2015, 5 : 29419 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v5.29419
Early Childhood Teacher Education: Projecting Methods Courses into the Community

(1988). Early Childhood Teacher Education: Projecting Methods Courses into the Community. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators Bulletin: Vol. 9, Bulletin No. 30. Early Childhood Teacher Education Issue, pp. 17-20.
Application Customization, Profit Zones, and the Design of a Delivery Network for Mobile Commerce Services

Wireless industry has enjoyed an impressive growth over the past few years. However, recent developments in the marketplace suggest that future growth depends on offering customized mobile commerce-related data services targeted at commercial customers. A theoretical framework that we introduce in this paper shows that such key parameters as the client network size, performance of the delivery network, expected market demand, and degree of required customization lead to the formation of profit zones within the marketplace. Different profit zones call for different designs of the delivery network and its corresponding business model. Profits generated within each zone vary because of the tradeoffs between potential revenues from services and costs of customization. Our analysis also shows that under certain conditions the dominant industry form might be evolving towards a vertically integrated service provider.
MgZnO Nanocrystallites: Photoluminescence and Phonon Properties

We report on the ultraviolet photoluminescence (UV-PL), Raman and structural properties of wurtzite MgxZn1−xO nanopowders of average size ~ 30 nm that were synthesized via the thermal decomposition method. For the studied composition range of, the room temperature UV-PL was found to be tuned by ~ 0.24 eV towards the UV-spectral range, and the PL emission was established to be due to an excitonic-type recombination mechanism. The first-order LO Raman mode was found to exhibit a blueshift of ~ 33 cm−1. The LO-mode of the nanopowders is discussed in terms of a mixed A1-E1 symmetry phonon known as a quasi-LO mode. The observed 30 cm−1 blueshift indicates that the E1 is the principle symmetry component in the Raman scattering of the MgxZn1−xO nanopowders.
Historical Archaeologies of Capitalism

This book is an edited volume of contributed papers. It is not a second edition in any typical sense, but rather an entirely new collection of articles. According to the acknowledgements, this volu...
Marketing and the U. S. Supreme Court, 1968-1974:

N THE PAST, reviews of the decisions of the U. S. Supreme Court affecting marketing have been premised on two contentions: 1. That what the Supreme Court does is of vital concern to contemporary marketers (the contours of marketing organizations and operations being affected by its decisions in important ways). 2. That Supreme Court decisions are binding upon business with the same force and generality as if the Court's holdings were legislative enactments or executive decrees.1 A review of the decisions of the Supreme Court over the past seven terms, 1968-1974, strengthens those premises and outlines the new constraints that modern marketing faces. Moreover, such an analysis reveals not only that organizational structure and operational practices have experienced modifications, but also that extensive and important alterations have occurred in the procedural rules and regulations facing marketing organizations. Territorial Allocations Systems
Scientific bases for cladding credit as a barrier to radionuclide release at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository

The performance of Zircaloy nuclear fuel cladding in the environment of the proposed Yucca Mountain (YM) high-level waste (HLW) repository is evaluated. Because the uniform aqueous corrosion/oxidation rate is extremely slow, this evaluation focuses on the mechanical failure, localized corrosion, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), hydrogen embrittlement, and initial failure. Mechanical failure is expected to result from (1) disruptive events such as rockfalls from seismicity, faulting, and igneous activities, (2) creep, and (3) splitting by oxidation of the spent fuel (SF) matrix. Effects of chloride ions and radiolysis are evaluated in localized corrosion and SCC. Embrittlement can be caused by delayed hydride cracking (DHC) and hydride reorientation. Among these cladding failure modes, rockfalls, other disruptive events and initial defects can be important to performance prior to the container failure by corrosion. Confirmatory tests are required to evaluate the susceptibility to splitting by secondary mineral formation, localized corrosion, SCC, and hydride reorientation. Reliable temperature calculations with backfilling are also required. After breach, cladding may still assure slow release of radionuclides through perforations because localized failures may limit the exposure of the SF matrix and may provide high mass-transfer resistance. Failures prior to the repository emplacement arising from reactor operation, pool storage, drymore » storage, and transportation are also considered. 50 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.« less
Diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis.

Sore throat was the chief symptom in 1.3% of all outpatient office visits in 2010, and is even more common in primary care practice. An Australian study found that among families with at least one child three to 12 years of age, the incidence of sore throat was 33 and 14 episodes per 100 person-years in children and their parents, respectively. These episodes were caused by GABHS bacteria in about 40% of children and 25% of adults.
Biomimetic Sonar for Object Recognition

Man-made sonar has had limited success for object recognition because the echo waveform varies significantly with the location of the object within the acoustic beam pattern. The variation of the echo from the same object located in different parts of the beam is typically significant [1], This variation was minimized in previous experiments by careful placement of the objects in a stationary sonar field and by using objects that are large compared to the wavelength and that have shapes (spheres, cubes, pyramids and cones) that exhibit very different scattering properties [2, 3]. The system described in this paper exploits the important biological principle of mobility by translating and rotating the sonar in order to standardize the view of the object by positioning it at a constant location. The sonar design is motivated by bats, whose ears react by rotating to the direction of the echo source, and by dolphins, who appear to move as if to position the object at a standard location in the beam pattern [4, 5, 6].
Konstantinos Sp. Staikos. The History of the Library in Western Civilization, Vol. V: From Petrarch to Michelangelo. New Castle, Del.: Oak Knoll Press, 2012. xxxi, 588p. $75 (ISBN 9781584561828).

The fifth volume in Konstantinos Staikos’ The History of the Library in Western Civilization is essentially a discussion of the beginnings and spread of humanism during the European Renaissance. In this context, a library is not a building designed to house books; it is instead the printed word in and of itself. It is therefore logical that much of the content in From Petrarch to Michelangelo is concerned with how the dissemination of literature complemented and influenced Renaissance thought. To this end, Staikos discusses topics such as the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts and the impetus to publish new . . .
Aspartame-Triggered Migraine

Two patients with known aspartame-triggered and rizatriptan-responsive migraine had their headaches worsened following use of an aspartame-containing formulation of rizatriptan (Maxalt-MLT), in a report from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
A Method for Treating Discretization Error in Nondeterministic Analysis

A response surface methodology-based technique is presented for treating discretization error in non-deterministic analysis. The response surface, or metamodel, is estimated from computer experiments which vary both uncertain physical parameters and the fidelity of the computational mesh. The resultant metamodel is then used to propagate the variabilities in the continuous input parameters, while the mesh size is taken to zero, its asymptotic limit. With respect to mesh size, the metamodel is equivalent to Richardson extrapolation, in which solutions on coarser and finer meshes are used to estimate discretization error. The method is demonstrated on a one dimensional prismatic bar, in which uncertainty in the third vibration frequency is estimated by propagating variations in material modulus, density, and bar length. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the method for combining non-deterministic analysis with error estimation to obtain estimates of total simulation uncertainty. The results also show the relative sensitivity of failure estimates to solution bias errors in a reliability analysis, particularly when the physical variability of the system is low.
Diabetes and Aging: Unique Considerations and Goals of Care

Diabetes in older adults is a growing public health burden. The unprecedented aging of the world's population is a major contributor to the diabetes epidemic, and older adults represent one of the fastest growing segments of the diabetes population. Of impending concern is that these numbers are projected to grow dramatically over the next few decades (1,2). Almost one-third of U.S. adults over the age of 65 years have diabetes. Approximately half of those are undiagnosed, and an additional one-third of older adults have prediabetes (3). Persons with diabetes today are living much longer compared with those in the past. We also recognize that management of older adults with diabetes is clearly more complicated given the observation that they commonly have multiple coexisting medical conditions that can impact clinical management. While rates of diabetes-related complications have declined overall in the general population, the incidence rates of macrovascular complications such as acute myocardial infarction and stroke continue to be the highest in older age-groups. These individuals also have the highest rate of diabetes-related end-stage renal disease (4). Heterogeneity in the health status of older adults (ranging from robust and otherwise healthy individuals to those with frailty and multiple comorbid conditions) and the paucity of evidence from clinical trials represent a challenge to making generalized treatment recommendations for older adults. Although many more individuals with type 1 diabetes are living longer (5), type 2 diabetes remains the most common type in older age-groups. Furthermore, older adults with diabetes may either have elderly onset disease (diagnosed at age 65 years or older) or long-standing diabetes with onset in middle age or earlier years (6), adding to the complexity of managing diabetes in older adults. Consequently, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) organized a Consensus Development Conference on Diabetes and Older Adults …
The quest for Tau Ceti

When a group of like-minded individuals set out on an ambitious quest, they need a clear vision, well-defined goals, skills to overcome unforeseen problems, commitment, perseverance, momentum, and a sense of joint adventure to propel them through the challenges ahead. This was certainly the case for interstellar travelers in the novel 'Aurora' written by Kim Stanley Robinson. The story starts 160 years into a multi-generational quest to reach, populate and terraform a planet that is centuries of light-years away from earth. The goal is clear but the challenges immense.Back on earth in the terrestrial year 2017, we can draw inspiration from the imaginary quest for Tau Ceti. By articulating currently unreachable challenges we can build a vision of the future that is both inspirational and imaginable. Researchers of today are doubly charged - first, with delivering viable, incremental solutions to current problems, that have the potential for near-term technology transfer; and second, with imagining future solutions that are currently still unreachable. This second task calls for community effort and selfless commitment to the success of future research endeavors. The visionaries of interstellar travel, and builders of its spaceship, may set out on its maiden voyage, but they will not be the ones to terraform future planets, raise their children in new worlds, or reap any long-term benefits of the adventure.At ICSE 2005, a group of researchers from the traceability community, stood beneath the St. Louis arches and dreamed big. While our quest has had its ups and downs, this talk will describe the experiences of the Software Traceability community as we have sought to build community infrastructure over the past decade. The talk is intended to be inspirational but will also discuss lessons learned and touch on specific challenges and strategies that Software Architecture Researchers may face as they seek to establish their own Community-Wide Infrastructure.
Organizational innovation in surgical critical care

Critical care is an organization tasked with the most complex mission in healthcare: to concentrate, project, and distribute the finite resource of highly specialized medical attention to a population of vulnerable patients in an effective, efficient, and reliable way. Often applied at the extremes of age and life, critical care is an arbiter of patient safety and outcome salvage, and its performance is increasingly used as a measure of an institution’s overall quality. A critical care organization should therefore be the result of deliberate, collaborative decisions informed by a comprehensive understanding of the entire care system rather than the piecemeal accretion of individual responses to isolated events. This chapter provides means and rationales for models of critical care accessibility, responsibility, and accountability as well as recommendations for developing a performance-based organizational culture.
The Role of Wampum Production at the Albany Almshouse

This paper presents the archaeological and documentary evidence for wampum production at the Albany almshouse within its historical and cultural contexts and in light of Dutch notions of charity, while considering the continually shifting functions and meanings of wampum. It suggests that in the mid-eighteenth century, both the Dutch Reformed Church and private entrepreneurs were involved in producing wampum for trade on the northern and western frontiers.
(Re)Vitalizing Philanthropy: The Emergence of Indigenous Philanthropy and its Implications for Civil Society throughout the Developing World

As developing countries have become more integrated within the global economy, new, developing world-based economic elites have emerged as important philanthropists and development actors. The burgeoning trend of indigenous philanthropy holds particularly important implications for traditionally resource scarce civil society throughout the developing world. Unlike their Western – and particularly US based – counterparts, these foundations emerged from the context in which they focus their projects. This paper explores whether and how the rise of an indigenous philanthropic sector holds promise for the expansion and consolidation of civil society in the developing world in light of the various limited capacities in which this sector operates.
Quantitative Biology of Endocytosis

Abstract Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a ubiquitous internalization process in eukaryotic cells. It consists of the formation of an approximately 50-nm diameter vesicle out of a flat membr...
Mesangial cells, specialized renal pericytes and cytomegalovirus infectivity: Implications for HCMV pathology in the glomerular vascular unit and post-transplant renal disease

Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is problematic after kidney transplantation. Human mesangial cells along with human glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes constitute the renal glomerular vascular unit (GVU). HCMV infection of the GVU is poorly understood. Methods GVU cells infectivity was analysed by microscopy and immunofluorescence. Cytokines profiles were measured by Luminex assays. Renal tissue analysis for HCMV infection was performed by immunohistochemistry. Results Mesangial cells and glomerular endothelial cells but not podocytes were permissive for both lab adapted and clinical strains of HCMV. Luminex analysis of cytokines expressed by mesangial cells exposed to the SBCMV clinical strain was examined. A Tricell infection model of the GVU maintains >90% viability with a unique cytokine profile. Finally, we show αSMA stained mesangial cells permissive for HCMV in renal tissue from a transplant patient. Conclusions HCMV infection of mesangial cells induces angiogenic and proinflammatory cytokines that could contribute to glomerular inflammation.
Numerical modeling of two-dimensional temperature field dynamics across non-deforming ice-wedge polygons

Abstract Ice wedge polygons on the North Slope of Alaska have been forming for many millennia, when the ground thermally contracts in the winter and water fills in the cracks during the snowmelt season. The infiltrated water then freezes and turns into ice. In this paper we investigate temperature dynamics around the ice wedges and surrounding permafrost. A 2-D nonlinear heat equation with phase change is utilized to compute temperature across the ice wedge and surrounding area. Thermal properties of the ground material are estimated by assimilating temperature measurements in the center of ice wedge polygons. The developed finite element model is successfully validated using two analytical solutions and tested in the case of ice wedges located in the tundra area near Barrow, Alaska, where a good agreement between the observed and computed temperatures is obtained. We demonstrate that in order to model temperature dynamics in the ice wedge, the water content above the ice wedge needs to be increased.
Conflict resolution: the role of human communication

Truly effective and successful human negotiation and the resolution of conflict (also where South Africa is concerned) can only be developed by a process preceding actual negotiation. Destructive tendencies resulting from perceptions or expectations deeply rooted in different cultural backgrounds, can only be overcome through the conscious effort to create a basic, mutually acceptable communication sub-culture in which trust plays a central role. Rather than approaching any given negotiation situation with a fixed, preconceived action model already in mind, communication scholars will have to begin their work much earlier. Individual, social, and cultural components which exist prior to interpersonal communication situations will have to be identified and studied. This approach requires the in initial acceptance of complexity, and the ability to allow specific conditions to assist them in discovering and developing situationally appropriate techniques.
Regenerative and durable small-diameter graft as an arterial conduit.

Despite significant research efforts, clinical practice for arterial bypass surgery has been stagnant, and engineered grafts continue to face postimplantation challenges. Here, we describe the development and application of a durable small-diameter vascular graft with tailored regenerative capacity. We fabricated small-diameter vascular grafts by electrospinning fibrin tubes and poly(e-caprolactone) fibrous sheaths, which improved suture retention strength and enabled long-term survival. Using surface topography in a hollow fibrin microfiber tube, we enable immediate, controlled perfusion and formation of a confluent endothelium within 3–4 days in vitro with human endothelial colony-forming cells, but a stable endothelium is noticeable at 4 weeks in vivo. Implantation of acellular or endothelialized fibrin grafts with an external ultrathin poly(e-caprolactone) sheath as an interposition graft in the abdominal aorta of a severe combined immunodeficient Beige mouse model supports normal blood flow and vessel patency for 24 weeks. Mechanical properties of the implanted grafts closely approximate the native abdominal aorta properties after just 1 week in vivo. Fibrin mediated cellular remodeling, stable tunica intima and media formation, and abundant matrix deposition with organized collagen layers and wavy elastin lamellae. Endothelialized grafts evidenced controlled healthy remodeling with delayed and reduced macrophage infiltration alongside neo vasa vasorum-like structure formation, reduced calcification, and accelerated tunica media formation. Our studies establish a small-diameter graft that is fabricated in less than 1 week, mediates neotissue formation and incorporation into the native tissue, and matches the native vessel size and mechanical properties, overcoming main challenges in arterial bypass surgery.
Forecasting Megaelectron-Volt Electrons Inside Earth's Outer Radiation Belt: PreMevE 2.0 Based on Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms

Here we present the recent progress in upgrading a predictive model for Megaelectron-Volt (MeV) electrons inside the Earth's outer Van Allen belt. This updated model, called PreMevE 2.0, is demonstrated to make much improved forecasts, particularly at outer Lshells, by including upstream solar wind speeds to the model's input parameter list. Furthermore, based on several kinds of linear and artificial machine learning algorithms, a list of models were constructed, trained, validated and tested with 42-month MeV electron observations from Van Allen Probes. Out-of-sample test results from these models show that, with optimized model hyperparameters and input parameter combinations, the top performer from each category of models has the similar capability of making reliable 1-day (2-day) forecasts with Lshell-averaged performance efficiency values ~ 0.87 (~0.82). Interestingly, the linear regression model is often the most successful one when compared to other models, which indicates the relationship between 1 MeV electron dynamics and precipitating electrons is dominated by linear components. It is also shown that PreMevE 2.0 can reasonably predict the onsets of MeV electron events in 2-day forecasts. This improved PreMevE model is driven by observations from longstanding space infrastructure (a NOAA satellite in low-Earth-orbit, the solar wind monitor at the L1 point, and one LANL satellite in geosynchronous orbit) to make high-fidelity forecasts for MeV electrons, and thus can be an invaluable space weather forecasting tool for the future.
Clinical Characterization of COVID-19

The world is on the brink of a pandemic due to the Novel coronavirus-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries all over the world to take necessary measures to control then new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and further limit the overwhelmingly number of people infected and falling ill to the disease. It is widely known that COVID-19 affects the lung causing pneumonia with characteristic ground-glass opacity. Few research studies outlines the effect of the Novel coronavirus on other parts of the body such as stomach, liver, and kidneys. Interestingly, COVID-19 causes a cytokine storm that overwhelms the body leading to inhibition of body’s cellular immune responses by the virus through lowering the white blood cells count specifically lymphocytes, and platelets count. This paper summarizes the effect of COVID-19 on various body organs.
Collision and Contact Sport Participation and Quality of Life Among Adolescent Athletes.

CONTEXT Researchers investigating collision and contact sport participation during high school have found mixed results. Understanding the association between current contact and collision sport participation and quality-of-life outcomes can enhance our knowledge about the risks and benefits of sport participation. OBJECTIVE To examine quality-of-life outcomes among high school athletes who reported participation in collision and contact sports in the year preceding assessment compared with no- or limited-contact sport athletes. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Preparticipation physical examination. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS High school athletes 13 to 18 years of age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We obtained sport participation and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric-25 outcomes, which assess self-reported, quality-of-life domains in the preceding 7 days (ie, state assessment). Our grouping variable was collision and contact versus no- or limited-contact sport participation during the year preceding assessment. We used multivariable linear regression models to identify the associations between PROMIS scores and collision and contact sport participation and adjusted for sex; age; history of bone, muscle, ligament, or tendon injury; history of acute fracture or dislocation; and history of concussion. RESULTS A total of 143 (51%) athletes reported collision and contact sport participation (24% female, mean age = 15.1 ± 1.7 years) and 138 (49%) reported no- or limited-contact sport participation (66% female, mean age = 15.4 ± 1.2 years). A higher proportion of collision and contact sport athletes reported a history of time loss for bone, muscle, ligament, and tendon injuries (51% versus 29%, P < .001) and for acute fracture or dislocation (46% versus 26%, P < .001) than did no- or limited-contact athletes. After adjusting for covariates, we found that collision and contact sport participation was significantly associated with lower state anxiety (β = -1.072, 95% confidence interval = -1.834, -0.310, P = .006) and depressive (β = -0.807, 95% confidence interval = -1.484, -0.130, P = .020) symptom scores. CONCLUSIONS Collision and contact sport athletes reported fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms in the week preceding evaluation than did no- or limited-contact sport athletes, but they had more extensive orthopaedic injury histories. Potential benefits and risks are associated with collision and contact sport participation. These data reinforce the need to examine the assumption that youth collision and contact sports are associated with negative quality of life.
PET/CT and PET/MR in Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Melanoma Patients: What to Image and How to Image It

In the evaluation of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) and melanoma, hybrid imaging modalities such as F-18 FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI, which combine functional and anatomical images, have become extremely useful. These hybrid modalities, with the use of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxy-glucose (F-18 FDG or FDG), are able to evaluate the metabolic status of tissue suspected or known to be malignant, as well as to observe treatment response or monitor for potential residual or recurrent disease. When selecting hybrid imaging for evaluation, it is important to select the most appropriate hybrid imaging modality, PET/CT or PET/MRI, to extract the desired information.
How China's Response to the Suez Canal Crisis Helped Shape Sino-Egyptian Relations

Gamal Abdel Nasser used his strong response to the 1956 Suez Canal crisis to elevate his political position within Egypt. However, Nasser and Egypt did not respond to European and Israeli aggression alone. World-wide political pressure caused the Suez Canal Crisis to serve as a turning point where French and British global dominance were surpassed by that of the United States and the Soviet Union. However, China also played a substantial role in aiding Egypt. In a recognition of Egypt’s analogical circumstances of ideological struggle versus imperial powers and out of a desire to establish stronger relations in the area, China used their state response to build stronger connections with both Nasser and Egypt. As a result of the Chinese response to the Suez Canal Crisis, the foundations were laid for more positive Chinese-Egyptian relations for the next several decades.
Extended sawhorse waveform for stable zinc detection with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Zinc (Zn(II)) is a divalent cation involved in regulating intracellular signal transduction and gene expression through transcription factor activity, and can act as a metal neurotransmitter by modulating synaptic activity and neuronal plasticity. Previous research has demonstrated spatial heterogeneity of Zn(II) in the brain, has estimated extracellular concentrations of Zn(II) across various brain regions, and has measured rapid intracellular changes in Zn(II) concentration during glutamate flux. Despite this work, quantification of rapid extracellular Zn(II) release from neurons, on a millisecond time scale, in real time has remained difficult with existing technologies. Here, we have developed an electrochemical waveform, called the "extended sawhorse waveform (ESW)," for fast-scan cyclic voltammetry detection at carbon-fiber microelectrodes which enabled rapid and stable Zn(II) monitoring over time. This waveform was developed to overcome existing challenges in monitoring metallotransmitters stably over time electrochemically by introducing a brief cleaning step to facilitate rapid cleaning of the electrode surface in between scans. The ESW scans from 0.5 V down to -1.0 V, up to 1.45 V for 3 ms (cleaning step), and back to 0.5 V at a scan rate of 400 V/s. Repeated introductions of Zn(II) at the electrode using a traditional waveform cause plating which ultimately deteriorates the sensitivity over time; however, using the ESW, significant improvements in stability were observed. Overall, we provide a unique approach to monitor and quantitate rapid Zn(II) signaling in the brain at carbon electrodes which will impact our ability to advance fundamental knowledge of Zn(II) involvement in extracellular signaling pathways in the brain.
Maternal Psychological Risk Moderates the Impacts of Attachment-Based Intervention on Mother-Toddler Mutuality and Toddler Behavior Problems: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Although there is robust evidence of the benefits of attachment-based parenting interventions, limited research has examined their impact on dyadic mutuality and toddler behavior problems. Given the central question in prevention research of what works for whom, and the documented relation of maternal psychological risk to parenting and intervention response, it is important to consider the moderating role of maternal psychological risk in the efficacy of attachment-based interventions. The current study extends prior research on a randomized controlled trial of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) by examining its impact on dyadic mutuality and the moderating role of maternal psychological risk in ABC’s impact on dyadic mutuality and toddler behavior problems. ABC (10 sessions) was provided as a supplement to Early Head Start (EHS) for a sample of predominantly low-income Latinx families. Control families received home-based EHS plus 1 book per week for 10 weeks. We administered a psychosocial interview and video-recorded parent-toddler interaction pre- and post-intervention. Using intent-to-treat analyses, we found main effects of ABC on dyadic mutuality. We conducted latent class analysis to identify patterns of interrelationships among indicators of baseline maternal risk exposure to characterize a latent risk factor and used this factor to examine the moderating role of maternal psychological risk in ABC’s impact on dyadic mutuality and toddler behavior problems. ABC seemed to be particularly beneficial for the development of positive, synchronous dyadic interactions and for reduction of toddler behavior problems in higher-risk EHS families. Findings are discussed in the context of designing and evaluating preventive interventions, with a specific focus on families at psychological risk.
A Systematic Review of Voice-Related Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Use with Adults.

Abstract Purpose This paper's purpose is to provide a resource for clinicians and researchers of select voice-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) available in the English language. Method A systematic search for voice-related PROMs was conducted between September 2020 and July 17, 2021. Databases included APA PsychInfo, Nursing and Allied Health Source, MEDLINE via the EBSCO interface, and Science Direct. Reference lists for PROMs-related articles were mined for reference to PROMs protocols. Results Thirty voice-related PROMs were identified and categorized as either developed primarily for use in the clinic (n = 12), developed primarily for use in a specific research study (n = 6), or translated into English for publication (n = 12). Twelve PROMs were summarized: Aging Voice Index, Disease Specific Self-Efficacy in Spasmodic Dysphonia, Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily, Evaluating Voice Disability - Quality of Life Questionnaire, Glottal Function Index, Linear Analog Scale of Assessment of Voice Quality, Quality of Life in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Speech Disability Questionnaire, Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire, Vocal Cord Dysfunction Questionnaire, Vocal Fatigue Index, and the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale. Conclusion The PROMs can be categorized into English-language voice-related PROMs developed primarily for clinical use, English-language PROMs developed primarily for research use, and English-language PROMs translated into English. The extent of reliability and validity testing completed varies in the PROMs developed primarily for clinical use. A PROM's psychometric properties as well as the language in which the PROM was tested, should guide clinicians and researchers as they consider which instrument(s) to use.
Improved Estimates of Survival Probabilities

This is a fundamental chapter of the book. It deals with networks, which are here considered as graphs, and is built on the theory developed in the previous chapter, on matrices.
Cellulolytic Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria in the Teredinidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Isolation of a symbiotic bacterium from the gland ofDeshayes in the gills of teredinids has led to an increased understanding of shipworm nutrition. It is the first bacterium known that is capable of digesting cellulose and fixing nitrogen. The symbiotic relationship allowing shipworms to use wood as their primaryfood source and to satisfy their nitrogen requirements has been a criticalfactor in the evolution of this unique and diverse family of bivalves.
Chapter 16 The Effects of Voltage Clamping on Ion Transport Pathways in Tight Epithelia

Publisher Summary This chapter describes and presents evidence that the resistance of the shunt pathway in toad urinary bladder and skin changes during the passage of current and that this change is voltage and time dependent. The studies in toad urinary bladder reported in this chapter, however, indicate that there is no change in the resistance of the cellular pathway. These studies make it clear that in both toad skin and toad urinary bladder the decrease in resistance during passage of a transepithelial pulse is accompanied by an increase in the transepithelial flux through the extracellular pathway. The increase in transepithelial serosa-to-mucosa sodium flux induced by voltage or current clamping indicates an increase only in the conductance of the paracellular pathway. Because the conductance of the paracellular pathway is a function, at least in part, of the transport properties of the tissue, one way to reconcile the changes described in the chapter might be to assume that the inhibition of transport brought about by voltage clamping directly affects the shunt pathway. However, it is not yet clear that the change in conductance represents a universal phenomenon in other tight epithelia despite the fact that toad skin seems to share the same characteristics as the urinary bladder.
A robotic experimental platform for testing and validating warehouse automation algorithms

In the recent years, Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are gradually integrated to warehouse management systems. The employment of AGVs has numerous advantages over conventional warehouse systems in terms of cost, scalability and efficiency. In this work, we present the development of a small-scale test-bed platform for testing and validating warehouse automation control algorithms utilizing a swarm of AGVs. The proposed platform is scalable, fast, and effective in both cost and dimensions. The robotic drives are centimeter-scale forklifts that transport autonomously an arbitrary number of circular pallets to predefined reference locations. A conflict resolution algorithm is implemented such that the drives do not collide with each other during their operation. In addition, a task allocation logic handles the pallets' assignment to avoid the enclosure of the drives by the transported objects. The applicability of the testbed platform is demonstrated through experimental results.