cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A hand-held fluorescent sensor platform for selectively estimating green algae and cyanobacteria biomass

Abstract This paper reports a portable fluorescent sensor platform containing multiple excitation light illumination for quantification and differentiation of multiple analytes. The fluorescent sensor platform utilizes: (i) three different wavelengths of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for selectively stimulating target analytes; (ii) a sensitive photodetector for corresponding fluorescence measurements; (iii) a custom-built electronic system for data measurement and storage; and (iv) a compact three-dimensional printed housing for the developed sensor platform. Based on the fluorescent emission pattern obtained from each target analyte, multivariate analytical methods were applied to differentiate one analyte from the other in a mixture of multiple analytes. The fluorescent sensor platform was tested to selectively detect two target phytoplankton species: Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina. Fluorescent emission of phytoplankton is caused by stimulation of photosynthetic pigments and is widely utilized to quantify and classify phytoplankton groups. Biomass estimation was therefore conducted by measuring chlorophyll a fluorescence emission for green algae (Chlorella vulgaris) using blue LED excitation and phycocyanin fluorescence emission for cyanobacteria (Spirulina) using amber LED excitation. The results demonstrated the viability of the developed device as a portable generic fluorescence sensor platform for simultaneously detecting various biochemical analytes.
Hypothesis Generation in the Field: Shadowing the Design Team

The empirical dimension of this research consist of three progressive steps: 1. Observation and analysis of a realistic design project in the field for hypothesis generation. 2. Design of a laboratory experiment to test the hypotheses. 3. Redesign of the experiment and the execution of the final version.
Bioavailability of wilforlide A in mice and its concentration determination using an HPLC-APCI-MS/MS method

Abstract Wilforlide A (WA), an active compound in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TW) which is a traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of autoimmune diseases, is a quality control marker for TW product. At present, the bioavailability/pharmacokinetics of WA is not known. Such information is not only essential to evaluate the relevance of WA as a quality control maker, but also important for future clinical efficacy studies. Therefore, a high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometric method (HPLC-APCI-MS/MS) was developed and applied to a bioavailability/pharmacokinetic study of WA. WA and celastrol (the internal standard, IS) were extracted by a liquid-liquid extraction method using methyl tert-butyl ether. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning in positive ionization mode was used to monitor the transition of m/z 455.1 to 191.3 for WA and 451.3 to 201.2 for IS. This method was validated and applied to a pharmacokinetic study of WA in mice following intravenous administration (IV, 1.2 mg/kg), intraperitoneal injection (IP, 6 mg/kg) and oral administration (PO, 30 mg/kg). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for WA was 10 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-day precision was found to be within 15.4% while the accuracy within 94.1–115.7% for all the quality control and LLOQ samples. The samples were stable under all the usual storage and experimental conditions. The terminal elimination half-lives were 14.7, 9.1 and 22.7 min following IV, IP and PO dosing, while the absolute bioavailability for IP and PO WA were 9.39% and 0.58% respectively. These results indicated that the HPLC-APCI-MS/MS assay was suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of WA. WA was found poorly absorbed when given orally and therefore it may not be a relevant marker for the oral TW products in the market.
Polyoxoanions in Catalysis: From Record Catalytic Lifetime Nanocluster Catalysis to Record Catalytic Lifetime Catechol Dioxygenase Catalysis

Following an introductory overview of the 8 newer classes of polyoxoanion-based catalysts in the last 20 years, as well as the 3 subclasses of polyoxoanion-based catalysts investigated by the Finke Group, highlights are presented of the research which has led to two of the 8 newer classes of polyoxoanion-based catalysts: polyoxonion-stabilized transition metal nanocluster “soluble heterogeneous catalysts” and polyoxoanion-based precatalysts for catechol dioxygenase activity. In both cases, the resultant catalysts show record catalytic lifetime as well as high catalytic activity. An introduction to dioxygenase catalysis, including some of the key goals in the area, is also provided. The highlights of a recently reported, polyoxoanion •FeII-based stiochiometric catechol extradiol dioxygenase are then presented. Key findings from polyoxoanion-derived catechol dioxygenase catalysts are presented next, catalysts which exhibit record catalytic activity as well as record catalytic lifetime. A summary, emphasizing the 4 key components of research which have led to the polyoxoanion-stabilized nanocluster and polyoxoanion-derived dioxygenase catalysts, is also provided.
A Cognitive Process of Knowledge Sharing under the Environment of Knowledge Management Systems

Scholars have studied the critical factors that affect the intentions behind knowledge sharing. However, an individual who is satisfied with those factors doesn’t necessarily do so. When he/she considers whether to share or not, he/she usually calculates the losses and gains based on the level of perceived value of knowledge. With inclusion of the perceived value of knowledge, it has been found that there are both positive and negative relations between the perceived value of knowledge and the intention to share the knowledge. In order to resolve these contrary relations, this study proposes a cost-benefit knowledge sharing model that enables the analysis of individuals’ cognitive process. We hypothesize that the contrary relations are due to the characteristics of two distinct types of knowledge: intellectual property and non-property.
Integrated Control of Soilborne Pathogens of Wheat

There are no resistant varieties or chemical controls for the major soilborne pathogens of wheat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Root and crown diseases of wheat include Rhizoctonia root rot and bare patch (caused by R. solani and R. oryzae), Fusarium crown rot (caused by F. pseudograminearum and F. culmorum), Pythium root rot (caused by numerous Pythium spp.) and take-all (caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici). Growers rely almost completely on cultural control measures. Our research program has evaluated many of these techniques, some of which are effective against Rhizoctonia, including greenbridge (weed and crop volunteer) management, fallow (both chemical and mechanical), seed opener disturbance, precision seed row placement, crop rotation, residue and nitrogen management, and chemical seed treatment. Until recently, there was no way of accurately detecting and quantifying pathogens in soil. We have developed real-time PCR assays to quantify nine species of Pythium and seven groups of Rhizoctonia, based on ITS sequences of the rDNA. In the last 3 years, soils were extensively sampled in eastern Washington, including grower fields and breeder variety-testing sites. By developing a pathogen profile for each testing site, breeders can focus on locations with high pathogen densities to select for tolerance. This survey has shown that pathogen species composition is affected by cropping system and rotation. With accurate detection and quantification of soilborne pathogens, growers can determine risk before planting and make management decisions to mitigate the effects of soilborne fungal pathogens.
Mechanisms of Receptor Regulation for the Phosphoinositide Signalling System

It is now well established that the stimulation of certain cell surface receptors is transduced to the cell interior via the activation of phospholipase C (Putney, 1988). Most, if not all, receptors activate phospholipase C through an intermediary guanine nucleotide-dependent regulatory protein (G-protein) (Harden, 1989). Activated phospholipase C then catalyzes the breakdown of the minor membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), resulting in the generation of two intracellular messenger cascades: the inositol phosphate/Ca2+ cascade and the diacylglycerol/protein kinase C cascade. Inositol 1,4,5- trisphosphate [(1,4,5)IP3], the soluble product of PIP2 breakdown, causes the release of Ca2+ from specialized intracellular stores and initiates the process of Ca2+mobilization. Furthermore, the intracellular metabolism of (1,4,5)IP3 results in the formation of numerous soluble inositol phosphates. These may also be involved in the regulation of intracellular calcium or may have other intracellular functions. Diacylglycerol activates protein kinase C (Nishizuka, 1984), resulting in the cell specific phosphorylation of intracellular proteins.
Love, Self, and Contemporary Culture

Philosophic problems are stated most clearly and comprehensively today in paradoxes and dilemmas. The philosophers of the past who have come into new prominence as guides in unsnarling new problems are the masters of paradox, like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, or the masters of precise distinctions which skirt paralogisms, like Hume and Kant. We live in a time suited to the expression of the utmost anxiety and despair precisely because the opportunities and hopes for human accomplishment which circumstances have opened up are without potential limit. It is a time in which the self is lost in alienations and suppressions, in imposed conformities and irresponsible eccentricities, precisely because for the first time in history all men may aspire to realize themselves as they conceive themselves and their needs and ideals. The three terms in my title mark the determinants of philosophic problems of the self in the face of such paradoxes. I shall talk about the self in ‘‘contemporary culture,” which is at once distinct from the earlier cultures from which it developed and at the same time inclusive of the values of past cultures and of diverse traditions. The particular problems of our time reflect the universal problems of mankind. We shall therefore consider changeless problems and new problems and the relations between permanence and change.
A House of Cards? A Response to Bingham, Gribben, and Caughey

One of the great philosophical questions of the Middle Ages concerned the relationship between names and things. The question taken up in this chapter concerns the relationship between the name “Reformed” and what the Reformed churches have historically understood, believed, and confessed as the Reformed theology, piety, and practice. Does that thing exist or is it a mere convention, a way of speaking that is subject to endless revision with as many definitions as definers? This chapter argues that, considered historically, there was a recognizable body of beliefs, a piety, and way of practicing the Christian faith among the Reformed, which emerged first in the 1520s and which continued to develop through the seventeenth century, and that it was its theology of the biblical covenants that gave it coherence. Despite the historical improbability—it was not wiped out by the French Wars of Religion, the Spanish Inquisition, the Thirty Years War, nor by the Enlightenment and Higher Criticism—the essence of that theology, piety, and practice continues to find adherents even in the late modern world.
Solvate Ionic Liquids at Electrified Interfaces.

Solvate ionic liquids (SILs) are a promising electrolyte for Li-ion batteries; thus, their behavior at electrified interfaces is crucial for the operation of these batteries. We report molecular dynamics simulation results for a prototypical SIL of lithium triglyme bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([Li(G3)][TFSI]) sandwiched between electrified surfaces. At negatively charged as well as neutral electrodes, the electrolyte largely maintains the characteristics of SILs in terms of the interfacial Li+ ions’ coordination by a similar number of oxygen atoms on G3 ligands as the bulk Li+ ions. The persistence of the complex ions is attributed to the 1:1 Li–G3 ratio in bulk SILs and the fact that G3 molecules readily adapt to the interfacial environment by aligning themselves with the surface to ensure good solvation of the interfacial Li+ ions. Nevertheless, the interfacial Li+ ions also display changes of solvation from that in bulk SIL by deviating from the molecular plane formed by the oxygen atoms on G3 l...
Judging similarity: a user-centric study of related item recommendations

Related item recommenders operate in the context of a particular item. For instance, a music system's page about the artist Radio-head might recommend other similar artists such as The Flaming Lips. Often central to these recommendations is the computation of similarity between pairs of items. Prior work has explored many algorithms and features that allow for the computation of similarity scores, but little work has evaluated these approaches from a user-centric perspective. In this work, we build and evaluate six similarity scoring algorithms that span a range of activity- and content-based approaches. We evaluate the performance of these algorithms using both offline metrics and a new set of more than 22,000 user-contributed evaluations. We integrate these results with a survey of more than 700 participants concerning their expectations about item similarity and related item recommendations. We find that content-based algorithms outperform ratings- and clickstream-based algorithms in terms of how well they match user expectations for similarity and recommendation quality. Our results yield a number of implications to guide the construction of related item recommendation algorithms.
Misunderstanding duty: Vices of culture, ‘aggravated’ vice, and the role of casuistical questions in moral education

This paper considers the role of ‘vices of culture’ in Immanuel Kant’s account of radical evil and education. I argue that Kant was keenly aware of a uniquely human tendency to allow a self-centere...
Embracing Complexity: Reviewing the Past Decade of Team Effectiveness Research

We conceptualize organizational teams as dynamic systems evolving in response to their environments. We then review the past 10 years of team effectiveness research and summarize its implications b...
The Diverse Faces of Teacher Leadership: A Typology and Survey Tool

The potential benefits of teacher leadership are widely acknowledged; however, the conceptualization of this construct is in need of theoretical development and analytic clarification. The purpose ...
#teachingwithtwitter: Tweeting to foster online engagement and learning

Research on teaching with Twitter points to a variety of educational benefits to engagement and learning. Tweeting encourages a backchannel discussion of class topics and activities, and it has the potential to expand learning in interesting ways. A constellation of emerging best practices offers helpful guidance for instructors and paves the way for effective implementation in both online and face-to-face courses.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION

Learning a second and/or a foreign language is no longer a luxury. Opportunities in higher education, in international military, diplomacy and economics increasingly require multilingual skills. Countries engaged in the global market need employees with knowledge of foreign languages and cultures to market products to customers around the globe and to work eﬀectively with colleagues from partner countries with diﬀerent languages and cultures. In the same way, international organisations have underscored the importance of competence in foreign languages for: international finance, trade, diplomacy and security. Research has further shown that knowledge of a foreign language broadens a person’s opportunities in higher education and helps in the overall cognitive development. Foreign languages are essential in peace keeping missions and in international courts. In discussing the importance of foreign languages, this paper surveys literature to uncover key policy decisions, practices and directions adopted by various nations in the world. Examples are drawn from regions representing the five continents.
GraphTinker: A High Performance Data Structure for Dynamic Graph Processing

Interest in high performance analytics for dynamic (constantly evolving) graphs has been on the rise in the last decade, especially due to the prevalence and rapid growth of social networks today. The current state-of-the art data structures for dynamic graph processing rely on the adjacency list model of edgeblocks in updating graphs. This model suffers from long probe distances when following edges, leading to poor update throughputs. Furthermore, both current graph processing models—the static model that requires reprocessing the entire graph after every batch update, and the incremental model in which only the affected subset of edges need to be processed—suffer drawbacks. In this paper, we present GraphTinker, a new, more scalable graph data structure for dynamic graphs. It uses a new hashing scheme to reduce probe distance and improve edge-update performance. It also better compacts edge data. These innovations improve performance for graph updates as well as graph analytics. In addition, we present a hybrid engine which improves the performance of dynamic graph processing by automatically selecting the most optimal execution model (static vs. incremental) for every iteration, surpassing the performance of both. Our evaluations of GraphTinker shows a throughput improvement of up to 3.3X compared to the state-of-the-art data structure (STINGER) when used for graph updates. GraphTinker also demonstrates a performance improvement of up to 10X over STINGER when used to run graph analytics algorithms. In addition, our hybrid engine demonstrates up to 2X improvement over the incremental-compute model and up to 3X improvement over the static model.
An alternative hypothesis for the evolution of same-sex sexual behaviour in animals

Same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) has been recorded in over 1,500 animal species with a widespread distribution across most major clades. Evolutionary biologists have long sought to uncover the adaptive origins of 'homosexual behaviour' in an attempt to resolve this apparent Darwinian paradox: how has SSB repeatedly evolved and persisted despite its presumed fitness costs? This question implicitly assumes that 'heterosexual' or exclusive different-sex sexual behaviour (DSB) is the baseline condition for animals, from which SSB has evolved. We question the idea that SSB necessarily presents an evolutionary conundrum, and suggest that the literature includes unchecked assumptions regarding the costs, benefits and origins of SSB. Instead, we offer an alternative null hypothesis for the evolutionary origin of SSB that, through a subtle shift in perspective, moves away from the expectation that the origin and maintenance of SSB is a problem in need of a solution. We argue that the frequently implicit assumption of DSB as ancestral has not been rigorously examined, and instead hypothesize an ancestral condition of indiscriminate sexual behaviours directed towards all sexes. By shifting the lens through which we study animal sexual behaviour, we can more fruitfully examine the evolutionary history of diverse sexual strategies.
Tooth Brushing Behaviors and Fluoridated Toothpaste Use Among Children Younger Than Three Years Old in Chicago.

Purpose: To describe toothbrushing frequency/duration and toothpaste use among young children in an urban, vulnerable population in Chicago, Ill., USA. Methods: Caregivers of children younger than three years old were recruited from university and community pediatric dental clinics. Caregivers completed a 37-item questionnaire in English or Spanish about predictors/covariates (demographics, child/caregiver oral health, access to dental care) and primary outcomes (child toothbrushng behaviors, toothpaste use). Models employed generalized logit and ordinal logistic regression. Results: A total of 148 caregivers completed the survey. The average child age was 18.8 months (±7.4 SD). Approximately 41 percent of children brushed once a day or less, and 19 percent of caregivers did not regularly assist. Almost all children used toothpaste (96 percent), but 36 percent of caregivers did not know if it contained fluoride. Increased child brushing frequency was associated with older child age, higher caregiver brushing frequency, history of a child dental visit, and caregiver assistance (P Conclusion: Most children brushed at least once daily and nearly all of them used toothpaste. Access to dental care, parental involvement, and parental oral health were associated with favorable child toothbrushing behaviors. Toothbrushing duration, frequency, and encouraging family assistance are modifiable protective factors and opportunities for intervention.
A new suspected paedomorphic genus of net-winged beetles from the Atlantic Rainforest (Coleoptera, Elateroidea, Lycidae)

Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Orgaos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical Lycidae fauna. The new genus can be distinguished from all other known Calopterini and Neotropical Lycidae by the combination of a pronotum with a wide, deep and strongly visible longitudinal cell in the disc area, the filiform antennae, the dehiscent elytra with reticulation strongly reduced and bearing only two weakly developed elytral costae and the mouthparts partially reduced, with rudimentary, barely visible mandibles. The type species, Xenolycus costae sp. nov., is illustrated and diagnostic characters and a discussion on the tribal placement of the new genus are provided.
P24 Differences in College Students’ Decision Making Related to Sustainable Protein Choices

Background Protein choices are an important component of the environmental cost of the food system. It is important to consider the limited research done on protein choice decision making in college students. Students who are aware of their protein choices at the decision point in college may be more likely to practice sustainable food choices throughout their life. Objective To compare demographic, attitudinal and behavioral variables in college students between those who consistently think about the environmental impact of their protein choices (C) and those who are less concerned (L). Study Design, Setting, Participants Participants,18-24 years old, consenting to participate in this cross-sectional survey (n = 390), were recruited from introductory classes at a Northeastern university for extra credit. Participants were categorized by their response to “How often do you think about the impact of meat consumption on the environment?” with responses of “always” or “vegetarian” categorized as C and “sometimes” or “never” categorized as L. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Group (C and L) was compared using chi-square or t-test analysis for demographics, stage of change for environmentally conscious protein choice (EC), and green eating (GE), red meat consumption, and health consciousness. Results Participants were predominantly white (83%) females (80%); the mean age was 19.2 years old. C was more likely to include women (95%) (P Conclusions Students who consistently thought about the environmental impact of meat consumption differed from those who did not by sex, attitudes, and behavior, but future research is needed to determine if this is associated with a more sustainable lifestyle.
Sex-Specific Evolution of the Genome-wide Recombination Rate

Although meiotic recombination is required for successful gametogenesis in most species that reproduce sexually, the rate of crossing over varies among individuals. Differences in recombination rate between females and males are perhaps the most striking form of this variation. To determine how sex shapes the evolution of recombination, we directly compared the genome-wide recombination rate in females and males across a common set of genetic backgrounds in house mouse. Our results reveal highly discordant evolutionary trajectories in the two sexes. Whereas male recombination rates show rapid evolution over short timescales, female recombination rates measured in the same strains are mostly static. Strains with high recombination in males have more double-strand breaks and stronger crossover interference than strains with low recombination in males, suggesting that these factors contribute to the sex-specific evolution we document. Our findings provide the strongest evidence yet that sex is a primary driver of recombination rate evolution.
Syntaxin 3 is essential for photoreceptor outer segment protein trafficking and survival.

Trafficking of photoreceptor membrane proteins from their site of synthesis in the inner segment (IS) to the outer segment (OS) is critical for photoreceptor function and vision. Here we evaluate the role of syntaxin 3 (STX3), in trafficking of OS membrane proteins such as peripherin 2 (PRPH2) and rhodopsin. Photoreceptor-specific Stx3 knockouts [Stx3f/f(iCre75) and Stx3f/f(CRX-Cre)] exhibited rapid, early-onset photoreceptor degeneration and functional decline characterized by structural defects in IS, OS, and synaptic terminals. Critically, in the absence of STX3, OS proteins such as PRPH2, the PRPH2 binding partner, rod outer segment membrane protein 1 (ROM1), and rhodopsin were mislocalized along the microtubules to the IS, cell body, and synaptic region. We find that the PRPH2 C-terminal domain interacts with STX3 as well as other photoreceptor SNAREs, and our findings indicate that STX3 is an essential part of the trafficking pathway for both disc (rhodopsin) and rim (PRPH2/ROM1) components of the OS.
Asian citrus psyllid adults inoculate huanglongbing bacterium more efficiently than nymphs when this bacterium is acquired by early instar nymphs.

The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) transmits the bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), which causes huanglongbing (citrus greening) disease, in a circulative-propagative manner. We compared CLas inoculation efficiency of D. citri nymphs and adults into healthy (uninfected) citron leaves when both vector stages were reared from eggs on infected plants. The proportion of CLas-positive leaves was 2.5% for nymphs and 36.3% for adults. CLas acquisition by early instar nymphs followed by dissections of adults and 4th instar nymphs revealed that CLas bacterium had moved into the head-thorax section (containing the salivary glands) in 26.7–30.0% of nymphs and 37–45% of adults. Mean Ct values in these sections were 31.6–32.9 and 26.8–27.0 for nymphs and adults, respectively. Therefore, CLas incidence and titer were higher in the head-thorax of adults than in nymphs. Our results suggest that following acquisition of CLas by early instar D. citri nymphs, emerging adults inoculate the bacteria into citrus more efficiently than nymphs because adults are afforded a longer latent period necessary for multiplication and/or translocation of CLas into the salivary glands of the vector. We propose that CLas uses D. citri nymphs mainly for pathogen acquisition and multiplication, and their adults mainly for pathogen inoculation and spread.
Mechanisms of Kidney and Heart Cross-talk in Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is related to high mortality and morbidity. Experimental evidence has explained distant organ dysfunctions induced by AKI. It is revealed that the crosstalk between the kidney and heart, which has been known as cardiorenal syndrome, carries an important role in clinical outcomes; However the mechanisms by which AKI causes cardiac injury, are not well understood. Recent studies especially in animal models presented that AKI causes multiple distant organ failures including pulmonary, cardiac, hepatic, and neurologic dysfunction. We herein discussed the effects of AKI on cardiac injury. Different mechanisms are suggested to trigger cardiac injury by AKI including, Induction of systemic inflammation, sympathetic nervous system stimulation, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation, increased oxidative stress, immunomodulation and mitochondrial fragmentation. Exact identification of these pathways will be essential in promoting targeted therapies to improve outcomes in AKI. This chapter updates the recent findings on distant cardiac effect of AKI. We will then discuss the long-term prognosis of cardiac injury triggered by AKI to further emphasize the importance of targeting currently known pathways to further improve the risks of cardiovascular disease in AKI patients.
“Doing Our Part”: What Motivates Black Family Engagement in an After-School Program

Researchers have demonstrated that Black caregivers (a) are more likely than caregivers of any other race to enroll their children in after-school programs, (b) face considerable challenges finding quality after-school programs, and (c) consider family engagement to be a hallmark of quality after-school programs. To date, however, researchers have largely ignored the voices of Black caregivers about what motivates and enables them to engage with their children’s after-school programs. As a result, after-school program staff report continued challenges effectively engaging Black families. The current case study aims to address this gap in the literature using evidence from participant observations, interviews with program staff, and focus groups with caregivers from the Downtown Boxing Gym, a community-based after-school program in Detroit, Michigan that primarily serves Black youth. Results suggest caregivers were largely motivated to engage with the program because of the gains they observed in their children and themselves, causing them to feel thankful and sparking a desire to give back. Caregivers also named specific program practices that made it easier for them to participate, including explicit expectations and requests for family engagement and multiple ways for them to participate. Implications for increasing family engagement at other after-school programs are discussed.
iPSC-derived Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in a Fibronectin Functionalized Collagen Scaffold Augment Endothelial Cell Morphogenesis

Abstract Tissue-engineered constructs have immense potential as autologous grafts for wound healing. Despite the rapid advancement in fabrication technology, the major limitation is controlling angiogenesis within these constructs to form a vascular network. Here, we aimed to develop a 3D scaffold that can regulate angiogenesis. We tested the effect of fibronectin and vascular smooth muscle cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-VSMC) on the morphogenesis of endothelial cells. The results demonstrate that fibronectin increases the number of endothelial networks. However, hiPSC-VSMC in the presence of fibronectin further substantiated the number and size of endothelial networks. A mechanistic study shows that blocking αvβ3 integrin signaling between hiPSC-VSMC and fibronectin impacts the endothelial network formation. Collectively, this study set forth initial design criteria in developing an improved pre-vascularized construct.
Advances and Applications of Atomic-Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Although scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images of individual heavy atoms were reported 50 years ago, the applications of atomic-resolution STEM imaging became wide spread only after the practical realization of aberration correctors on field-emission STEM/TEM instruments to form sub-Angstrom electron probes. The innovative designs and advances of electron optical systems, the fundamental understanding of electron–specimen interaction processes, and the advances in detector technology all played a major role in achieving the goal of atomic-resolution STEM imaging of practical materials. It is clear that tremendous advances in computer technology and electronics, image acquisition and processing algorithms, image simulations, and precision machining synergistically made atomic-resolution STEM imaging routinely accessible. It is anticipated that further hardware/software development is needed to achieve three-dimensional atomic-resolution STEM imaging with single-atom chemical sensitivity, even for electron-beam-sensitive materials. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big-data science are expected to significantly enhance the impact of STEM and associated techniques on many research fields such as materials science and engineering, quantum and nanoscale science, physics and chemistry, and biology and medicine. This review focuses on advances of STEM imaging from the invention of the field-emission electron gun to the realization of aberration-corrected and monochromated atomic-resolution STEM and its broad applications.
Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the burn specific health scale-brief: A National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Burn Model System Study.

Objective The Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) is a commonly used burn specific health outcome measure that includes 40 items across nine subscales. The objective of this study was to use both classical and modern psychometric methods to evaluate psychometric properties of the BSHS-B. Methods Data were collected post burn injury by a multisite federally funded project tracking long term outcomes. We examined dimensionality, local dependence, item fit, and functioning of response categories, homogeneity, and floor and ceiling effects. Items were fit to Item Response Theory models for evaluation. Results A total of 653 adults with burn injury completed the BSHS-B. Factor analyses supported unidimensionality for all subscales, but not for a total score based on all 40 items. All nine of the subscales had significant ceiling effects. Six item pairs displayed local dependence suggesting redundance and 11 items did not fit the Item Response Theory models. At least 15 items have too many response options. Conclusions Results identified numerous psychometric issues with the BSHS-B. A single summary score should never be used for any purpose. Psychometric properties of the scale need to be improved by removing redundant items, reducing response categories and modifying or deleting problematic items. Additional conceptual work is needed to, at a minimum, revise the work subscale and optimally to revisit and clearly define the constructs measured by all the subscales. Additional items are needed to address ceiling effects.
Intermittent bolus feeding does not enhance protein synthesis, myonuclear accretion, or lean growth more than continuous feeding in a premature piglet model.

Optimizing enteral nutrition for premature infants may help mitigate extrauterine growth restriction and adverse chronic health outcomes. Previously, we showed in neonatal pigs born at term that le...
Optimal stable control for nonlinear dynamical systems: an analytical dynamics based approach

This paper presents a method for obtaining optimal stable control for general nonlinear nonautonomous dynamical systems. The approach is inspired by recent developments in analytical dynamics and the observation that the Lyapunov criterion for stability of dynamical systems can be recast as a constraint to be imposed on the system. A closed-form expression for control is obtained that minimizes a user-defined control cost at each instant of time and enforces the Lyapunov constraint simultaneously. The derivation of this expression closely mirrors the development of the fundamental equation of motion used in the study of constrained motion. For this control method to work, the positive definite functions used in the Lyapunov constraint should satisfy a consistency condition. A class of positive definite functions has been provided for mechanical systems that meet this criterion. To illustrate the broad scope of the method, for linear systems it is shown that a proper choice of these positive definite functions results in conventional LQR control. Control of the Lorenz system and a multi-degree of freedom nonlinear mechanical system are considered. Numerical examples demonstrating the efficacy and simplicity of the method are provided.
Approximating posterior distributions by mixtures

Kernel density estimation techniques are used to smooth simulated samples from importance sampling function approximations to posterior distributions, resulting in revised approximations that are mixtures of standard parametric forms, usually multivariate normal or T-distributions. Adaptive refinement of such mixture approximations involves repeating this process to home-in successively on the posterior. In fairly low dimensional problems, this provides a general and automatic method of approximating posteriors by mixtures, so that marginal densities and other summaries may be easily computed
Development of hematopoietic repopulating cells from embryonic stem cells

Publisher Summary ES cells grown under the appropriate conditions (suspension culture and the removal of LIF) will spontaneously form proliferating and differentiating cellular clusters referred to as embryoid bodies (EBs). The EBs increase in both size and cellular variety with time, and within 8–10 days, superficial red islands containing hemoglobinized erythrocytes become apparent. Hematopoiesis can be identified at earlier stages by disaggregating the embryoid bodies into single cells and plating these cells in suspension cultures with hematopoietic cytokines. Under these conditions, hematopoietic colonies will form containing differentiated cells of myeloid, erythroid, or mixed lineages. The types of colony-forming cells (CFCs) that can be identified in this manner change over the course of time, but the pattern of change is highly reproducible. Because hematopoietic CFCs are derived from a hematopoietic stem cell, hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) should be detectable prior to day 6 of EB differentiation. Like the EB, the yolk sac initially produces Ery-P, and at later time points myeloid and mixed CFC. However, prior to the onset of circulation cells from the yolk sac will not reconstitute hematopoiesis in lethally irradiated adult hosts. Repopulating HSCs are detected in the yolk sac at around day 11, shortly after the establishment of circulation; however, they are also detected in greater numbers at this time point at an intraembryonic site, the major vessels of the aorta-gonads-mesonephrous (AGM) region. Repopulating cells present in the yolk sac at day 11 are thus taken to have arrived there through the circulation, although there are problems with this interpretation.
Juggling Shareholder Rights and Strike Suits in Derivative Litigation: The ALI Drops the Bell

Beginning with an analytical overview of the purposes and development of shareholder derivative suits, pre-suit demand, and judicial review, this article plunges into the very complex ALI proposals. It evaluates the principal ALI derivative suit provisions in light of the Corporate Governance Project’s stated purposes, including the Reporter’s supporting analyses and the resulting recommendations. Since ALI principles serve as nonbinding recommendations for state legislatures and for courts applying state corporation law, the question now is the extent to which today’s courts and legislatures will – and indeed should – follow the ALI’s suggestions. Ultimately, this article contends that the ALI’s massive undertaking represents an opportunity lost. Although wisely advocating universal demand, the ALI’s proposed standards for substantive review of management’s recommendations are unworkable and too deferential to corporations. Given the dissatisfaction with the ALI approach, then, the article concludes by exploring what standards might guide the balance between the rights of shareholders and boards of directors. Joining the strong modern trend of endorsing universal demand, the article then proposes a simplified hybrid standard of judicial review. Like the Corporate Governance Project, the suggested approach attempts to balance the dangers of strike suits with the undeniable need for ensuring meaningful shareholder access to the courts. Unlike the ALI’s final proposal, however, this article advocates a unitary standard that promotes the important values of clarity and flexibility, thus permitting shareholders key access to the courts while providing the necessary deference to the recommendations of corporate management.
Arrhythmia detection with spatially differentiating epicardial sensors: signal processing

A system of three tripolar epicardial electrodes in a triangular configuration was acutely implanted in two dogs and chronically implanted in two more dogs. Electrograms were obtained during normal sinus rhythm (NSR), rapid ventricular pacing (VP) and artificially induced ventricular fibrillation (VF). The maximum of the time derivative was assumed to correspond to the moment of activation at the recording site. The delays between moments of activation were analyzed for each rhythm for each animal. Similar data sets were obtained from the two chronically implanted animals at 6 and 12 weeks. The sequences of activation were found to be reasonable stable for each rhythm, for each animal with respect to time. The method of activation delays suggests simple but effective algorithms for the classification of arrhythmias and a rapid method for the recognition of VF. >
Millian descriptivism defended

I reply to the argument of Caplan (Philos Stud 133:181–198, 2007) against the conjunction of Millianism with the view that utterances of sentences involving names often pragmatically convey descriptively enriched propositions.
Accuracy of the energy‐corrected sudden (ECS) scaling procedure for rotational excitation of CO by collisions with Ar

The utility of the energy-corrected sudden (ECS) scaling method is evaluated on the basis of how accurately it predicts the entire matrix of state-to-state rate constants, when the fundamental rate constants are independently known. It is shown for the case of Ar-CO collisions at 500 K that when a critical impact parameter is about 1.75-2.0 A, the ECS method yields excellent excited state rates on the average and has an rms error of less than 20 percent.
A Probabilistic Remark on Algebraic Program Testing.

Abstract : A key step in Howden's method for algebraic program testing requires checking the algebraic identity of multinomials. Howden's solution requires evaluations in at least 2 to the mth power points for m-ary multinomials. This note presents a probabilistic solution which achieves small probability of error on 30 points.
Behavioral problems and the effects of early intervention on eight-year-old children with learning disabilities

Objectives: 1) To investigate the comorbidity of verbal and nonverbal learning disability subtypes with several domains of behavior problems among 8-year-old children. 2) To determine whether receipt of an early intervention modified the association between childhood behavior problems and learning disabilities (LD). Methods: This is a secondary data analysis of the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP), a randomized clinical trial of an early intervention provided between ages 0 and 3 involving 985 children born low birthweight and premature. The findings are based on a prospective follow-up of these children at 8 years of age. Results: Compared to children without verbal LD (VLD), those with VLD were twice as likely to exhibit clinical levels of total behavior problems and 89% more likely to exhibit externalizing behavior problems. Analysis of specific subscales of behavior revealed significant associations with anxious/depressed and withdrawn behaviors, as well as an increased likelihood of attention problems among children with VLD. No significant association was found between nonverbal LD (NVLD) and any type of behavior problem. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between VLD and the intervention, in which the odds of internalizing behavior problems were greater among children with VLD. No interaction effect of the intervention occurred for any type of behavior problem among children with NVLD. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that distinct differences exist for different learning disability subtypes with regards to behavioral outcomes and the effects of early intervention services among 8-year-old children.
Association between hyperoxia and mortality after stroke: a multicenter cohort study.

Objective:To test the hypothesis that hyperoxia was associated with higher in-hospital mortality in ventilated stroke patients admitted to the ICU.Design:Retrospective multicenter cohort study.Setting:Primary admissions of ventilated stroke patients with acute ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhag
Analysis of two-dimensional effects on subthreshold current in submicron MOS transistors

Abstract In short channel devices, the dependence of subthreshold current on drain induced barrier lowering, substrate bias, channel length, and temperature is modeled. NMOS devices down to effective channel length of 0.13 μm are considered. The model, based on drift-diffusion theory, accurately predicts such dependence as verified by results obtained using this model when compared with those obtained with numerical device simulators.
Production of Bi( 2 D) and BiF(AO + ) in a supersonic flow

A series of experiments was conducted in which trimethylbismuthine (TMB) was used to introduce atomic bismuth into a supersonic flow of electronically excited nitrogen fluoride, NF(a 1 Δ), at an elevated density of 3 x 10 15 mol cm -3 . Excited-state densities of Bi( 2 D) approximately equal to 1 x 10 13 atom cm -3 and BiF(AO + ) approximately equal to 4 x 1O 11 mol cm -3 were achieved. After correction for mixing, these density values agreed reasonably well with values predicted by a quadratic scaling law. Simulation of the blue BiF(AO + )-BiF(XO + ) emission spectrum suggests that the BiF(AO + ) was in vibrational as well as rotational equilibrium at 300°C. The significance of these results for developing a supersonic BiF(AO + ) laser utilizing TMB is discussed.
Elevation of Plasma Cytokines in Disorders of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: Role of Sleep Disturbance and Obesity

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and fatigue are frequent symptoms in the general population and the chief complaint of the majority of patients at Sleep Disorders Centers. There is evidence that the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 are involved in physiological sleep regulation and that their administration to humans is associated with sleepiness and fatigue. To explore whether plasma levels of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 are elevated in patients with EDS, we measured morning plasma levels of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 in 12 sleep apneics, 11 narcoleptics, 8 idiopathic hypersomniacs, and 10 normal controls. TNFα was significantly elevated in sleep apneics and narcoleptics compared to that in normal controls (P< 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Plasma IL-1β concentrations were not different between sleep disorder patients and controls, whereas IL-6 was markedly and significantly elevated in sleep apneics compared to that in normal controls (P = 0.028). The ...