cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Roughness of Unpaved Roads by Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Unpaved roads represent a major component of the roadway network in Iowa and require regular surface grading to control roughness (e.g., corrugation). This paper presents a study that shows how terrestrial laser scanning can characterize road roughness in relation to (a) a spatially analyzed international roughness index (IRI), (b) a fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectral analysis, and (c) surface texture characterization that uses statistical analysis. Algorithms are presented for each of the roughness calculations. The spatial nature of terrestrial laser scanning makes possible the determination of IRI values along any selected path within the scan area. In this study, median IRI values were used to characterize overall road roughness. To characterize the nature of road roughness, FFT was used to decompose the laser scan height spectrum. Examples are presented for unpaved road sections with a relatively smooth surface, a smooth surface with corrugations, an unsystematically rough surface, and an unsystem...
77: THC Use and Marijuana Legalization Do Not Influence Chronic Opioid Therapy Compliance

Background: Evaluating a patient’s pretest probability of opioid misuse is key to interpreting opioid testing results in the management of chronic pain. While controversial, the use of marijuana is often considered to be a risk factor for noncompliant opioid use. The state of Washington legalized recreational marijuana use in December 2013, with legislation authorizing distribution and sale effective July 2014. We examined whether the use of legalized marijuana influenced opioid compliance in chronic pain …
The application of integral fuzzy evaluation to evaluating the reservoirs in Shuanghe oil field

The integral fuzzy evaluation subtly depicts the heterogeneous characters of reservoir property.It is the effective method to integral evaluating the reservoirs.Based on the geological characters and the principles of integral fuzzy evaluation,the paper establishes a logical evaluation criterion,picks some evaluation parameters in the person of pivotal characters of the reservoir,confirms the coefficient of evaluation parameter with hierarchical analysis method,and evaluates a portion of reservoir of Shuanghe oil field with above method.The application results show that this method can resolve the consistency problem of the evaluation parameters,and improve the precision of the evaluation.
Genetic characterization of N gene from wide-type measles viruses isolated in Jiangxi Province, 2008-2012

Objective To analyze molecular biology characteristics of measles virus isolated and master the genetic characteristics of measles epidemic strains in Jiangxi Province. Methods Measles virus was isolated from throat swabs of suspected measles patients from 2008 to 2012 using Vero/SLAM cells. RT-PCR method was employed to amplify N gene fragment of measles isolates for sequencing. Then the homogeneity of the sequence between these measles virus and the representative strains with each genotype in Gen Bank were analyzed. Results All measles virus isolated in Jiangxi Province from 2008 to 2012 belonged to genotype H1, which had been a main genotype in China. The isolates shared 98.1%-100% identity of amino acid sequence on N gen. When compared to the virus of H1 genotype strain(China93-7), there were 97.5%-98.7% homogeneties on N gene. Compared to the China vaccine strain(Shanghai 191), there were 95.0%-96.2% homogeneties on N gene. Conclusion Data from phylogenic trees of N gene revealed that the wide-type measles viruses isolated in Jiangxi Province in 2008-2012 both belonged to genotype H1.
Chemical probes of quorum sensing: from compound development to biological discovery

Bacteria can utilize chemical signals to coordinate the expression of group-beneficial behaviors in a method of cell-cell communication called quorum sensing (QS). The discovery that QS controls the production of virulence factors and biofilm formation in many common pathogens has driven an explosion of research aimed at both deepening our fundamental understanding of these regulatory networks and developing chemical agents that can attenuate QS signaling. The inherently chemical nature of QS makes studying these pathways with small molecule tools a complementary approach to traditional microbiology techniques. Indeed, chemical tools are beginning to yield new insights into QS regulation and provide novel strategies to inhibit QS. Here, we review the most recent advances in the development of chemical probes of QS systems in Gram-negative bacteria, with an emphasis on the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa We first describe reports of novel small molecule modulators of QS receptors and QS signal synthases. Next, in several case studies, we showcase how chemical tools have been deployed to reveal new knowledge of QS biology and outline lessons for how researchers might best target QS to combat bacterial virulence. To close, we detail the outstanding challenges in the field and suggest strategies to overcome these issues.
Characterization of Protein Structural Changes in Living Cells Using Time-Lapsed FTIR Imaging

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging is a widely used method for studying the chemistry of proteins, lipids, and DNA in biological systems without the need for additional tagging or labeling. This technique can be especially powerful for spatially resolved, temporal studies of dynamic changes such as in vivo protein folding in cell culture models. However, FTIR imaging experiments have typically been limited to dry samples as a result of the significant spectral overlap between water and the protein Amide I band centered at 1650 cm–1. Here, we demonstrate a method to rapidly obtain high quality FTIR spectral images at submicron pixel resolution in vivo over a duration of 18 h and longer through the development and use of a custom-built, demountable, microfluidic-incubator and a FTIR microscope coupled to a focal plane array (FPA) detector and a synchrotron light source. The combined system maximizes ease of use by allowing a user to perform standard cell culture techniques and experimen...
Hydrothermal Phase Equilibration and Natural Stability

In previous chapters we have considered the chemical range of amphibole compositions, and the structural basis for this variation. The next three chapters will summarize experimentally determined stability relationships involving double-chain silicates; an attempt also will be made to apply these data to appropriate natural occurrences. Hydrothermal methods and equilibration techniques are discussed briefly in this section, as well as disparities between natural conditions and experimentally controlled conditions.
Acid‐Resistant Coatings on Marble

Inorganic coatings are being developed to protect marble monuments and sculpture from weathering. In this work, the acid resistance of hydroxyapatite (HAP), calcium oxalate, and calcium tartrate coatings on Carrara marble were compared. To quantify the rate of attack on calcite, the pH of the solution was measured. This approach was validated by confirming that the rate of dissolution of untreated calcite inferred from the change in pH agrees with data in the literature. Calcium tartrate coatings were incomplete, and the mineral is so soluble that it offered no significant protection. Calcium oxalate forms coherent coatings, so it serves as a sacrificial coating in spite of having solubility comparable to that of calcite. HAP was deposited from aqueous solutions of 1M diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP), with or without millimolar additions of CaCl2 (which improved coverage) and (NH4)2CO3 (which resulted in cracking). The best HAP coatings remained porous; nevertheless, they were comparable to oxalate coatings in the short term and superior in the long term, reducing the dissolution rate by about 40%.
1.8 – Insect Homeotic Complex Genes and Development, Lessons from Drosophila and Beyond

Abstract The homeotic genes have enticed developmental biologists ever since their discovery during studies of Drosophila. That mutation of a single gene could have such profound effects on development, and that related Hox genes were present in all metazoans, brought hope of understanding “master regulators” of development. Yet 33 years after cloning the Drosophila Hox genes we still have much to learn. In this article and its update we present a review of Hox genes concentrating on the perspective of insect studies. We cover genetic and molecular studies and update recent results from genomic techniques. The Hox genes still present many mysteries.
A High-Performance Dynamic-Logic Phase-Frequency Detector

A new domino-logic PFD with extended phase-detection range and no visible dead-zone is designed to operate at high frequency and low power consumption. The new PFD has the simplest form and uses only 18 MOS transistors. The design is achieved through the analysis of the shortcomings in previous PFD circuits. In particular, we have maintained the operation integrity of domino-logic circuit, which is the key to obtaining the improved performance for the new PFD.
Improving Health Outcomes for Patients with Depression: A Population Health Imperative. Report on an Expert Panel Meeting.

Improving Health Outcomes for Patients with Depression: A Population Health Imperative. Report on an Expert Panel Meeting Janice L. Clarke, RN, Alexis Skoufalos, EdD, Alice Medalia, PhD, and A. Mark Fendrick, MD Editorial: A Call to Action: David B. Nash, MD, MBA S-2 Overview: Depression and the Population Health Imperative S-3 Promoting Awareness of the Issues and Opportunities for Improvement S-5 Cognitive Dysfunction in Affective Disorders S-5 Critical Role of Employers in Improving Health Outcomes for Employees with Depression S-6 Closing the Behavioral Health Professional and Process Gaps S-6 Achieving the Triple Aim for Patients with Depressive Disorders S-6 Improving the Experience of Care for Patients with Depression S-6 Improving Quality of Care and Health Outcomes for Patients with Depression S-7 Changing the Cost of Care Discussion from How Much to How Well S-8 Panel Insights and Recommendations S-9 Conclusion S-10
Creation of prosocial play experiences inspired by Noddings’s ideas of centers of care

This paper describes the implementation of Noddings’s ideas of creating centers as a platform for developing in children caring, prosocial behavior. Different centers such as a veterinary center, grocery store, house, baby center, woodworking center, hairdressing, block center, and composting and recycling activities based on play, provide opportunities for stimulating the social development of children and create a caring community of learners based on sharing, helping each other, working as a team and caring for others’ wellbeing.
Feeling your own (or someone else's) face: Writing signs from the expressive viewpoint

Abstract SignWriting (SW), a featural writing system that iconically represents the moving body, was originally written from the receptive viewpoint but is now typically written from the embodied viewpoint of a signer. Through this shift, SW was re-envisioned from a writing system that focused on the receptive visual modality of sign languages (what others see), to one that visually highlights the phenomenological experience of signing (what a signer feels). This article analyzes ideological framings of SW literacy events in which users interpret or produce SW texts reflecting another signer's embodied perspective. In so doing, many SignWriters consider whether and how the qualia that characterize the phenomenological experience of signing can be intersubjectively shared among differently positioned interactants.
Diagnosis of Pseudomyxoma peritonei via endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration: a case report and review of literature

Introduction: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare condition caused by mucinous adenocarcinoma cancerous cells that produce abundance of mucin or gelatinous ascites. This cancer can cause tissue ...
1914 Sensory Physiology and Behavior

Contrary to a common belief at the time of this study, many animals, including honeybees, can discriminate between colors.
Gwenaële Rot, Sociologie de l’atelier : Renault, le travail ouvrier et le sociologue, Éditions Octarès, Toulouse, 2006 (247 p.)

En s’attaquant a l’ancienne Regie Renault comme lieu d’etude, Gwenaele Rot marche sur les traces d’observateurs illustres et doit se confronter au mythe Renault, en plus de son propre terrain dans les ateliers du constructeur. L’auteur reussit ce pari en s’appuyant ingenieusement sur ces mythes pour expliquer ses propres donnees. Le plaisir que l’on prend a lire cet ouvrage provient autant de l’imaginaire qu’il evoque que de la contribution de l’auteur a la question de l’autonomie et du contr...
Heterogeneous Catalysts Encapsulated in Inorganic Systems to Enhance Reaction Performances for XTL Processes

Abstract Biomass to liquid, gas to liquid, or coal to liquid are promising (XTL) processes to produce synthetic liquid fuels respectively from biomass, natural gas, or coal. Heterogeneous catalysts encapsulated in inorganic materials (such as zeolites and SiO 2 ) are points of interest for developing inexpensive, selective, and stable catalysts for XTL process steps (e.g., reforming, water-gas shift and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis), since interactions between components can lead to improving the properties over the single-components. Moreover, an attractive characteristic of encapsulated structures in catalysis is the possibility of preserving the catalysts from deactivation and increasing the selectivity of the catalysts due to the effect of encapsulation. In this chapter, studies made in the literature for inorganic encapsulated catalysts for XTL processes will be reviewed and discussed.
Do Women Entrepreneurs Make Unique Environmental Innovation Decisions

This article addresses the gap in our understanding of how entrepreneurs weigh the trade-offs associated with environmental innovations by examining the role gender plays in the decision-making pro...
Regional vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease: The role of cell-autonomous and transneuronal processes.

Abstract Introduction The stereotypical progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is not fully understood. The selective impact of AD on distinct regions has led the field to question if innate vulnerability exists. This study aims to determine if the causative factors of regional vulnerability are dependent on cell-autonomous or transneuronal (non–cell autonomous) processes. Methods Using mathematical and statistical models, we analyzed the contribution of cell-autonomous and non–cell autonomous factors to predictive linear models of AD pathology. Results Results indicate gene expression as a weak contributor to predictive linear models of AD. Instead, the network diffusion model acts as a strong predictor of observed AD atrophy and hypometabolism. Discussion We propose a convenient methodology for identifying genes and their role in determining AD topography, in comparison with network spread. Results reinforce the role of transneuronal network spread on disease progression and suggest that innate gene expression plays a secondary role in seeding and subsequent disease progression.
Special education and home schooling: how laws interact with practice

Home schooling has been part of the American education system since this country's beginning. In reviewing the history of home schooling and accompanying legislative action, there is a definite tre...
Digitized Fluorescence Microscopy in Cell Biology Applications

Fluorescence microscopy is a widely used technique for studying the location and amount of certain components on or within cells. Specific cellular components can be visualized by linking fluorescent dyes to exogenous macromolecules such as antibodies (immunofluorescence) and ligands, or by producing fluorescent analogs of small molecules normally found within cells. In the past, these approaches have involved fixation of cells and the use of high intensity excitation to image the specimen and produce photographs. More recently, low light level video cameras coupled with frame rate video digitizers have been employed to capture cellular images from the fluorescence microscope. The current and growing appeal of digitized fluorescence microscopy (DFM) in cell biology lies in its ability to quantitatively image the distribution of single classes of macromolecules, molecules and ions in single living cells. In this sense, it is really a new form of optical microscopy for living cells in which the image produced gives directly the distribution of the component probed for. In other forms of live cell light microscopy, we must infer, from other information, the composition of the structure visualized in the image, since we have no a priori knowledge of the molecular structure producing contrast.
Signaling Between Synapse and Nucleus During Synaptic Plasticity

The requirement for transcription during synapse formation and longlasting synaptic plasticity raises two cell biological questions regarding communication between the synapse and nucleus in neurons. First, how are signals transmitted from stimulated synapses to the nucleus to initiate changes in gene expression? Second, how do the products of gene expression function to alter the structure and function of some but not all synapses made by a given neuron? We address these questions in two model systems of synapse formation and synaptic plasticity: cultured sensory-motor neurons from the marine mollusk, Aplysia californica, and cultured rodent hippocampal neurons. In studying signaling from synapse to nucleus, we have discovered a role for the importin family of nuclear transporters in carrying signals from synapses to the nucleus during long-term plasticity. Importins are present at synapses, travel to the nucleus following stimuli that elicit transcription, and are required for the long-term plasticity of Aplysia sensory-motor synapses. In studying how the products of transcription are targeted to specific synapses within a neuron, we have focused on the role of mRNA localization and regulated translation at the synapse. We have identified hundreds of mRNAs that are present in distal processes of Aplysia neurons and in dendrites of rodent hippocampal neurons. We find that localized mRNAs are translated at sites of synaptic contact during synapse formation and following stimulation that elicits long-lasting synaptic plasticity. It will be of interest to determine how these long-range, synapse-to-nucleus signal transduction pathways are altered with aging and during neurodegeneration.
Reflections on the Link between Faith and Intellect

In this short essay, the author offers personal reflections on the interplay between faith and the intellectual life. The essay is the source of remarks that were delivered by the author in a panel entitled “What Faith Has to Do With the Intellectual Life” hosted by the Catholic University of America on January 18, 2011. It offers an explanation of five deep connections between faith and intellect from the perspective of a Catholic law professor, and then also highlights three challenges in integrating faith and intellect in academic life.
Combined Effects of Catalyst Deactivation and Intraparticle Diffusion on the Dynamics of A Fixed Reactor

Summary The dynamics of a fixed bed reactor have been studied under conditions of catalyst poisoning and strong intraparticle diffusional limitation. Benzene hydrogenation using Ni supported on kieselguhr was used as the model reaction, with thiophene as poison. The influence of intraparticle diffusion on the main reaction as well as the deactivation reaction was varied by changing the catalyst particle sizes. The reactor was operated isothermally during the poisoning condition. Previous simulation studies reveal that the familiar one-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous plug flow model is in general not adequate for the description of reactor dynamics undergoing poisoning, in the presence of strong diffusion, although it may be adequate in the absence of such effects. The influence of diffusion on the deactivating bed was observed to be very pronounced in several areas: (1) the useful lifetime of a catalytic bed, (2)declined catalyst activity and its decay mode, (3) the lack of sensitivity of the deactivated bed toward thermal activation. The conversion versus time-on-stream behavior for fine-powdered catalyst during the first cycle was observed to be quite linear which is a characteristic of uniform poisoning. In the presence of diffusion, the conversion decrease tends to be nonlinear suggesting that the deactivation mechanism is not due to uniform poisoning any more. A shell progressive model has been employed to account for the shift in deactivation mechanism from uniform poisoning to the pore-mouth poisoning regime.
Medicare Advantage Checkup

Medicare Advantage Checkup More than one third of the Medicare population now opts for Medicare Advantage (the private-plan alternative to traditional Medicare), and enrollment may continue to rise. The authors discuss the implications of the growing enrollment in private plans on the Medicare program.
Negative peer social interactions and oxytocin levels linked to suicidal ideation in anxious youth.

Abstract Background Anxious youth are at risk for negative peer interactions including peer victimization, and for suicidal ideation. However, data about the pattern of association between these two factors are scarce. In this study we examined the association between negative peer interactions and suicidal ideation in a sample of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, and whether oxytocin, which has been shown to enhance the impact of social events, moderates the impact of negative peer interactions on suicidal ideation. Method Participants were 168 youths with primary anxiety disorders. All participants were assessed with semi-structured diagnostic interviews, and with self-report measures of suicidal ideation, negative peer interactions, anxiety, and depression. The anxious youths’ salivary oxytocin levels were measured with immunoassay. Results Thirty percent of the anxious youths reported suicidal ideation, with suicidal ideation severity associated with negative peer social interactions and depressive symptoms. Consistent with past data indicating that oxytocin enhances the impact of social events, the association between peer negative social interactions and suicidal ideation was stronger in youths with high oxytocin levels than in youths with low levels (i.e., moderation). Limitations Assessment focused on suicidal ideation and data on suicidal behavior were not available. Limitations inherent to immunoassay measurement of peripheral oxytocin levels are noted. Conclusion Negative peer interactions are associated with suicidal ideation in youth with anxiety disorders, and the association is stronger in youth with high oxytocin levels.
Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Proteins

Electrospray is a ‘soft’ ionization technique in which intact gas phase ions of involatile and thermally labile biomolecules are produced directly from an analyte solution of interest at atmospheric pressure. Electrospray occurs when a strong electric field is applied to a small flow of liquid emerging through a fine capillary tube. The strong electric field causes the surface of the emerging liquid to become highly charged resulting in the formation of a fine spray of charged droplets. The solvents continuously evaporate from the droplets as the droplets proceed from atmospheric pressure to the vacuum leading to the formation of gas phase solute ions.
“Street Legal” Openly Shared Learning

Creating open-shared learning resources for global use means that the works have the potential to be high profile and widely accessed. This means that it is especially important to get the legal and ethical aspects right. Designer/developers need to be aware of all the potentially relevant laws right and to adhere to them, in both the letter of the laws and the spirit. The ethical implications should be recognized as well. Following the law serves to control for designer/developer risk, communicates respect to the other stakeholders in the publishing and learning spaces, “future proofs” the learning resources, encourages broader usage of the resource around the world, and ultimately benefits the open sharing work. Being aware of the legal requirements early on saves on the overall amount of work needed to ensure that the legal standards are sufficiently met. Legal considerations are present at every stage of the design and development and launch work. This chapter has at its center the idea that whatever is created to benefit people in open learning should not also cause harm to anyone. This chapter addresses legal concerns (including controlled information, intellectual property, (IP) software, accessibility, media law, data handling, ethical research, and others). It also highlights the challenges with global publishing and distribution, given the patchwork of laws in different nation-states and the risks therein.
$$ t\overline t {W^{\pm }} $$ production and decay at NLO

We present results for the production of a top pair in association with a W - boson at next-to-leading order. We have implemented this process into the parton-level integrator MCFM including the decays of both the top quarks and the W -bosons with full spin correlations. Although the cross section for this process is small, it is a Standard Model source of same-sign lepton events that must be accounted for in many new physics searches. For a particular analysis of same-sign lepton events in which b-quarks are also present, we investigate the effect of the NLO corrections as a function of the signal region cuts.
Obesity causes renal mitochondrial dysfunction and energy imbalance and accelerates chronic kidney disease in mice.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are well-known risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, less is known about the mechanism(s) by which metabolic syndrome might accelerate kidney diseas...
Shifting focus toward healthcare-associated bloodstream infections: The need for neonatal intensive care unit-specific NHSN definitions.

Objective:Healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HABSIs) are a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) population. Our objectives were to review the epidemiology of HABSIs in our NICU and to examine the applicability of National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions to the NICU population.Methods:We performed a retrospective review of all neonates admitted to the 54-bed, level IV NICU at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital with a HABSI between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. Clinical definitions per NICU team and NHSN site-specific definitions used for source identification were compared using the McNemar χ2 test.Results:We identified 86 HABSIs with an incidence rate of 0.80 per 1,000 patient days. Only 13% of these were CLABSIs. Both CLABSIs and non–catheter-related bloodstream infections occurred primarily in preterm neonates, but the latter were associated with a significantly higher incidence of comorbidities and the need for respiratory support. The NHSN definitions were less likely to identify a source compared to the clinical definitions agreed upon by our NICU treating team (P < .001). Furthermore, 50% of patients without an identified source of infection by NHSN definitions were bacteremic with a mucosal barrier injury organism, likely from gut translocation.Conclusions:HABSIs occur primarily in premature infants with comorbidities, and CLABSIs account for a small proportion of these infections. With the increasing focus on HABSI prevention, there is a need for better NHSN site-specific definitions for the NICU population to prevent misclassification and direct prevention efforts.
Racial and gender disparities in stage at diagnosis for bladder cancer: Results from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program, 2007 to 2016.

e17032Background: Little is known about the patterns of racial and gender disparities in bladder cancer (BC). This study will use national large database to explore those disparities. Methods: Data...
A Gq Biased Small Molecule Active at the TSH Receptor

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) can lead to G protein and non-G protein initiated signals. By virtue of its structural property, the TSH receptor (TSHR) has a unique ability to engage different G proteins making it highly amenable to selective signaling. In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of a novel small molecule agonist to the TSHR which induces primary engagement with Gαq/11. To identify allosteric modulators inducing selective signaling of the TSHR we used a transcriptional-based luciferase assay system with CHO-TSHR cells stably expressing response elements (CRE, NFAT, SRF, or SRE) that were capable of measuring signals emanating from the coupling of Gαs , Gαq/11, Gβγ, and Gα12/13, respectively. Using this system, TSH activated Gαs , Gαq/11, and Gα12/13 but not Gβγ. On screening a library of 50K molecules at 0.1,1.0 and 10 μM, we identified a novel Gq/11 agonist (named MSq1) which activated Gq/11 mediated NFAT-luciferase >4 fold above baseline and had an EC50= 8.3 × 10-9 M with only minor induction of Gαs and cAMP. Furthermore, MSq1 is chemically and structurally distinct from any of the previously reported TSHR agonist molecules. Docking studies using a TSHR transmembrane domain (TMD) model indicated that MSq1 had contact points on helices H1, H2, H3, and H7 in the hydrophobic pocket of the TMD and also with the extracellular loops. On co-treatment with TSH, MSq1 suppressed TSH-induced proliferation of thyrocytes in a dose-dependent manner but lacked the intrinsic ability to influence basal thyrocyte proliferation. This unexpected inhibitory property of MSq1 could be blocked in the presence of a PKC inhibitor resulting in derepressing TSH induced protein kinase A (PKA) signals and resulting in the induction of proliferation. Thus, the inhibitory effect of MSq1 on proliferation resided in its capacity to overtly activate protein kinase C (PKC) which in turn suppressed the proliferative signal induced by activation of the predomiant cAMP-PKA pathway of the TSHR. Treatment of rat thyroid cells (FRTL5) with MSq1 did not show any upregulation of gene expression of the key thyroid specific markers such as thyroglobulin(Tg), thyroid peroxidase (Tpo), sodium iodide symporter (Nis), and the TSH receptor (Tshr) further suggesting lack of involvement of MSq1 and Gαq/11 activation with cellular differentation. In summary, we identified and characterized a novel Gαq/11 agonist molecule acting at the TSHR and which showed a marked anti-proliferative ability. Hence, Gq biased activation of the TSHR is capable of ameliorating the proliferative signals from its orthosteric ligand and may offer a therapeutic option for thyroid growth modulation.
Comparison of self-rating of cognition and depression in patients with major depressive disorder.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover if there is a correlation between scores on the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire (CPFQ) scores of 43 patients with major depression. Design/methodology/approach In total, 43 adult patients with major depression were evaluated during their regularly scheduled outpatient appointment in a mental health clinic. Findings There was an R2 value of 0.6544 between the patients' scores, a moderate-to-strong correlation which matches other observations that cognitive impairment increases in conjunction with severity of depression. This correlation lends further clinical support to the legitimacy of using the CPFQ as a simpler alternative to traditional neuropsychological testing, with further testing of the correlation between CPFQ and traditional neuropsychological testing results being a worthwhile potential field of study. Originality/value Cognitive dysfunction is a frequent comorbidity in patients with depression, but while there is a brief and effective self- assessment for depression, the BDI, in common use, there is no equivalent test for cognitive dysfunction, and physicians are forced to rely on less accessible methods of neuropsychological testing.
Adalimumab as a potential treatment for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition that affects circulation (blood flow). The diagnostic criteria for POTS are well described. POTS can be clinically defined by lightheadedness, palpitations, tremulousness, exercise intolerance, or generalized fatigue that occurs with a rise from a recumbent position, leading to an increase in heart rate of 30 beats/min (40 beats/min for ages 12–19) or more for more than 30 seconds in the absence of a drop in systolic blood pressure over 20 mm Hg.1 The disease’s epidemiology is also well documented, as multiple independent studies suggest the prevalence of POTS to be around 0.2%, with 75% of patients being female.2 In contrast, the physiology of POTS is not as agreed upon and can vary greatly from case to case. Several mechanisms have been proposed, many of which contain considerable overlap and can occur concomitantly in the same patient. There is evidence suggesting that hypovolemia may play a role, as up to 70% of POTS patients have a reduced blood volume.3 Fifty percent of patients present with hyperadrenergic symptoms, with increases in systolic blood pressure and plasma norepinephrine levels upon rising from recumbency. A growing body of evidence has shown that POTS may have an autoimmune basis. Multiple studies have shown various autoantibodies in conditions leading to dysautonomia.4,5 Therefore, it was hypothesized that autoantibodies against adrenergic and muscarinic receptors may play a prominent role in the pathophysiology of POTS.6 Here, we present a young female patient with a medical history significant for seronegative ankylosing spondylitis (SAS) and POTS. In a manner previously undescribed, our patient had complete resolution of POTS-related symptoms with adalimumab prescribed for her SAS. This case is of great importance because it continues to reaffirm the notion of POTS as an autoimmune disease and illustrates the potential for a paradigm shift in how we view and treat patients with POTS moving forward. Key Teaching Points • Current treatments for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) are limited and are geared toward symptom relief. There is no current cure for POTS. • There has been growing evidence that POTS is an autoimmune phenomenon. • Adalimumab may be a potential treatment for POTS.
To get vaccinated or not? An investigation of the relationship of linguistic assignment of agency and the intention to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine

Just nine months after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 a global pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer...
Actuation fatigue performance of NiTiZr and comparison to NiTiHf high temperature shape memory alloys

Abstract The actuation fatigue performance of a Ni-rich Ni50.3Ti29.7Zr20 (at.%) high temperature shape memory alloy (HTSMA) was evaluated and compared to previous results for Ni50.3Ti29.7Hf20 HTSMA. The shape memory properties of these alloys are known to improve significantly after proper aging heat treatments. Yet, their widespread implementation in high temperature applications requires a thorough characterization and a detailed understanding of their actuation fatigue performance. Consequently, actuation fatigue tests were performed by thermal cycling the NiTiZr alloy under constant loads from 200 to 500 MPa until failure. The results revealed that NiTiZr exhibits a shorter fatigue life with lower recoverable strain levels than a comparable NiTiHf alloy at all applied stress levels and the difference in fatigue life between the two alloys became more distinct with increasing stress. Building upon the extensive research on the microstructure, mechanical and functional behaviors of NiTiHf and NiTiZr HTSMAs during the last decade, this work is the first fundamental study that directly compares actuation fatigue behaviors of Ni-rich NiTiZr and NiTiHf alloys.
Granuloma Formation in Mouse and Guinea Pig Models of Experimental Tuberculosis

The mouse and guinea pig models of experimental tuberculosis are important and widely used for the practical purpose of screening new drugs and vaccines. An advantage of the mouse model is that a huge array of immunological reagents are available, but there are obvious differences in the immunopathologies of the disease after low-dose aerosol administration with Mycobacterium tuberculosis compared with human disease. This chapter highlights and compares the primary facets of the granulomatous process in the mouse and guinea pig models of aerosol-induced experimental tuberculosis. It discusses how these processes reflect the underlying immune response, with the caveat that this process remains relatively poorly understood. The guinea pig is an important animal model of tuberculosis, including the development of what is regarded as the "classical granuloma". Damage to blood vessels, indicated by the observable fibrin deposition, would prevent recognition of adhesion/integrin molecules by lymphocytes and prevent their movement into the lesions. The CD4 and CD8 responses are described in the mouse and the guinea pig, with CD4 cells forming large aggregations dominating the granulomas and with CD8 cells more sparse and distributed more toward the periphery of the granuloma.
Monogenic and Polygenic Genetic Contributions to Hypertension

More than 9 years have elapsed since the publications in February 2001 that provided the first maps of the human genome (1,2). Increasingly, the identification of a specific gene—or genes—that causes a given disease is feasible. Indeed, genes involved in several rare, monogenic forms of familial hypertension have been identified. However, while the identification of a gene associated with Mendelian forms of hypertension is feasible, such an approach does not work as effectively for non-Mendelian forms of high blood pressure (BP), which have multiple genetic determinants. Many recently developed tools are available to reveal genes involved in primary hypertension, and studies have identified many associations with primary or essential hypertension, which is widely viewed as a polygenic disorder. This chapter discusses both monogenic and polygenic aspects of hypertension.
Occurrence of a carrier state for Herpesvirus tamarinus in Marmosets.

The ecology of herpesviruses in marmosets and other nonhuman primates is important today, for colonies of these animals are being established for biomedical research. This paper presents the first reported isolations of Herpesvirus tamarinus from throat swabs of a healthy white-lipped marmoset carrier (Saguinus nigricollis) during a 2-month period. Infectivity studies with this virus in both white-moustached (S. mystax) and white-lipped marmosets demonstrated that the virus is not lethal to white-moustached marmosets (perhaps a more resistant species) at 1,000 TCID50. Which environmental conditions trigger the unmasking of herpesviruses in marmosets is not known. Hoever, intermittent H. tamarinus shedding may help explain spontaneous infections in established colonies as well as suggest an additional mechanism for transmission of virus between marmosets under natural conditions.
Simulation study of a novel Relaxometer shield design

Developing tracers for MPI and related applications requires a thorough understanding of underlying relaxation processes. In X-Space MPI reconstruction, relaxation has a profound impact on the image through a decrease in SNR and direction-dependent blurring. To probe the relaxation of potential MPI tracers, Goodwill et al., have developed an X-Space Relaxometer that measures the MPI point spread function and accurately predicts image quality.[1,2] The present work introduces a new relaxometer with improved eddy current shielding to achieve a significant gain in sensitivity. A simulation of the enhanced shielding has shown to attenuate external interference by more than 40dB in the detection bandwidth.
System for Screening Objectionable Images Using Daubechies' Wavelets and Color Histograms

This paper describes WIPETM (Wavelet Image Pornography Elimination), an algorithm capable of classifying an image as objectionable or benign. The algorithm uses a combination of Daubechies' wavelets, normalized central moments, and color histograms to provide semantically-meaningful feature vector matching so that comparisons between the query image and images in a pre-marked training set can be performed efficiently and effectively. The system is practical for realworld applications, processing queries at the speed of less than 10 seconds each, including the time to compute the feature vector for the query. Besides its exceptional speed, it has demonstrated 97.5% recall over a test set of 437 images found from objectionable news groups. It wrongly classified 18.4% of a set of 10,809 benign images obtained from various sources. For different application needs, the algorithm can be adjusted to show 95.2% recall while wrongly classifying only 10.7% of the benign images.
IT and Organizational Alignment: Impact and Value

Responsibility for realizing the benefits of IT investments and the success of these benefits is not just the responsibility of the IT organization. An IT project can be completed perfectly, on-time, and onbudget, and still fail to succeed and realize the intended business benefits that justified the initial investment. True IT benefits realization and investment return only occurs when Business Units and IT work as partners with shared knowledge, joint commitment, and shared accountability for the success or failure for the project. Benefits also occur when they are measured, calling for jointly agreed on measures of success that are actually demonstrated at the end of an IT project. These measures of value and impact can be in many forms. Often value manifests as intermediate impacts in the value chain. The IT literature contains a great deal of knowledge on IT-Business alignment and shared knowledge, but is “light” on shared commitment and accountability, especially when tied to the actual impact of this alignment (dependent variables). This mini-track extends the existing scholarly literature and fills the gap between the discussion of ITBusiness relationships and the actual demonstration of impact. We believe that this Mini-track continues the HICSS tradition of showcasing theoretically sound and ground-breaking research that reflects, interprets, and leads the realities of IT organizations as an integral part of businesses. As IT is held more responsible for organizational performance, we, as academic researchers, hope to show that the ITBusiness relationship is essential to achieving validated and meaningful investment performance.
Bank-based and market-based financial systems - cross-country comparisons

What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of bank-based financial systems (as in Germany and Japan) and market-based financial systems (as in England and the United States). Does financial structure matter? In bank-based systems banks play a leading role in mobilizing savings, allocating capital, overseeing the investment decisions of corporate managers, and providing risk management vehicles. In market-based systems securities markets share center stage with banks in getting society's savings to firms, exerting corporate control, and easing risk management. The unresolved debate about whether markets or bank-based intermediaries are more effective at providing financial services hampers the formation of sound policy advice. The authors use newly collected data on a cross-section of roughly 150 countries to illustrate how financial systems differ around the world. They a) analyze how the size, activity, and efficiency of financial systems differ across different per capita income groups; b) define different indicators of financial structure and identify different patterns as countries become richer, and c) investigate legal, regulatory, and policy determinants of financial structure after controlling for per capita GDP. A clear pattern emerges: 1) Banks, other financial intermediaries, and stock markets all grow and become more active and efficient as countries become richer. As income grows, the financial sector develops. 2) In higher income countries, stock markets become more active and efficient than banks. Thus, financial systems tend to be more market based. 3) Countries with a common law tradition, strong protection for shareholder rights, good accounting standards, low levels of corruption, and no explicit deposit insurance tend to be more market-based, even after controlling for income. 4) Countries with a French civil law tradition, poor accounting standards, heavily restricted banking systems, and high inflation generally tend to have underdeveloped financial systems, even after controlling for income.
Isolation of high molecular weight DNA from Hemophilus influenzae

The nuclear DNA complement of Hemophilus influenzae has been determined to be 700 to 800 × 10 6 daltons. An isolation procedure has been developed which gives high yields of DNA with a maximum molecular weight of 400×10 6 , or one-half of the nuclear DNA complement. Linkage of previously unlinked markers has been obtained in transformation assays. The isolation procedure has been extended to Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens .
Field ion microscopical observation of twinning in iridium induced by a mechanical contact

Abstract The emitter tips of a FIM were mechanically contacted with W and Pt plates in vacuum and in air. The contact procedure in air is described. The [001]-oriented Ir tips showed twinning on the {111} planes. The mechanism of twinning in the [001]- and [111]-oriented Ir tips by the mechanical and field-induced stress can be explained as the result of a continuous series of stacking faults on neighboring layers of the {111} planes by a slip of a 6 〈112〉. The obtained critical shear stress to cause twinning in iridium is approximately 100 kg/mm 2 .