cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medication interventions for African-American adults: Practice-based evidence from two nurse-led clinics.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to describe and examine the impact of medication intervention practices among African-American clients in two nurse-led community nursing centers (CNCs). METHODS This study used a retrospective-descriptive design. Omaha System data from visits of 196 African-American adults living with chronic disease and having two or more CNC visits in which medication regimen was an identified problem and the main reason for the visit was analyzed. RESULTS The sample had a mean age of 53.1 (6.67) and was primarily women (82%), uninsured, and with high school or less education. A total of 9,259 Medication regimen interventions were documented and implemented during 1,146 client CNC visits. A paired samples t test revealed statistically significant improvements in Knowledge (t = 2.434, p < .01). Behavior (t = 0.077, p = .94) and Status (t = 1.489, p = .14) remained unchanged, although the ratings trended toward improvement for each. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that the nursing center model of care does improve the knowledge of medications among African-American clients. The study also demonstrated the Omaha System's utility to evaluate the impact of nursing interventions in community settings.
Differential distribution of potassium channels in acutely demyelinated, primary-auditory neurons in vitro

1. Single-channel recordings of potassium channel activity were made from two populations of primary-auditory neurons maintained in tissue culture. The saccular nerve, which is the auditory component of the eighth cranial nerve in goldfish, was separated into two branches according to its peripheral innervation pattern. Neurons which innervated the rostral saccular macula corresponded to a class of cells that showed spike frequency adaptation; whereas, neurons which innervated the caudal macula were consistent with another type of cell that demonstrated bursting spontaneous firing patterns in vivo. Both somatic and internodal axonal membranes from each of these neuronal classes were studied after acute removal of the myelin sheath by microdissection. 2. Dye injections were used to discriminate neuronal from myelin membrane. After successful removal of the myelin, patch electrodes containing Lucifer yellow were used to fill a neuron and reveal its morphology within the myelin sheath. Patches on myelin led to filling of Schwann cells that surrounded the neuron. 3. Four kinds of potassium channels were observed and characterized according to unitary conductance, inactivation, and sensitivity to internal calcium. Three voltage-dependent K+ channel types were found on the somatic and axonal membrane of the two neuronal populations. Two channel types showed voltage-dependent inactivation and had average conductances of 32 and 19 pS, each with distinctive subconductance states. The third type of channel activity had an estimated conductance of 12 pS and was noninactivating. 4. The fourth type of channel was the Ca2(+)-activated K+ channel (k(Ca)), which was classified by the dependence of its activity on the calcium concentration at its cytoplasmic surface. Unlike the other three potassium channel types, this kind of channel was found exclusively on neurons that innervated the caudal sensory epithelium. As with the other kinds of potassium channels, it was found on both somatic and axonal internodal membranes.
The Problem of Life After Death

May I first say, Mr Chairman,1 that I regard it as a great honour to have been invited to take part in this Conference? I speak to you as a philosopher who happens to be interested both in religion and in psychical research (like the Neo-Platonists long ago). But I am afraid I am going to discuss some questions which it is ‘not done’ to talk about.
Modular Attachment of Appended Boron Lewis Acids to a Ruthenium Pincer Catalyst: Metal-Ligand Cooperativity Enables Selective Alkyne Hydrogenation

A new series of bifunctional Ru complexes with pendent Lewis acidic boranes were prepared by late-stage modification of an active hydrogen-transfer catalyst. The appended boranes modulate the reactivity of a metal hydride as well as catalytic hydrogenations. After installing acidic auxiliary groups, the complexes become multifunctional and catalyze the cis-selective hydrogenation of alkynes with higher rates, conversions, and selectivities compared with the unmodified catalyst.
Securing the Professional Future of IT Students with LinkedIn

This talk discusses how to incorporate social networking sites (SNS) into IT education by suggesting specific course content areas of IT curriculum where LinkedIn assignments and training can be integrated. LinkedIn as an educational tool can not only teach soft skills, such as self-branding and social networking, but creative use of this tool can promote students' career preparedness and encourage them to begin building their career-advancing networks, which can be vital in securing their professional future.
Individual Differences in Multitasking Performance

The present study examined whether personality characteristics and general intelligence predict multitasking performance. The Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II was used to assess multitasking perform...
Measurements of the Energy Dependence of Prompt Neutron Emission from 233U, 235U, 239Pu, and 241Pu for En = 0.005 to 10 eV Relative to Emission from Spontaneous Fission of 252Cf

A series of experiments has been performed to measure the dependence on the incident neutron energy of the average number of prompt neutrons emitted per fission from 233U, 235U, 239Pu, and 241Pu re...
4-Day evaluation of the irritation potential of topical desoximetasone 0.25% and 0.05% spray on light-exposed skin

Purpose: The safety and potential side effects of desoximetasone 0.25% and 0.05% sprays have not previously been studied. The primary objective of this study was to determine the irritation potenti...
Beliefs and perceptions of mentorship among nursing faculty and traditional and accelerated undergraduate nursing students.

Abstract Background In order to meet the demands of a dynamic and complex health care landscape, nursing education must develop and implement programming to produce a highly educated nursing workforce. Interprofessional honors education in nursing with targeted mentorship is one such model. Purpose To describe undergraduate nursing student and faculty perceptions and beliefs of mentorship in the context of interprofessional honors education, and compare and contrast the perceptions and beliefs about mentorship in interprofessional honors education between undergraduate nursing students and faculty. Methods The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design. Data were collected at an urban university in the northeast US, using a researcher-developed electronic survey. The sample included 24 full-time nursing faculty, and 142 undergraduate nursing students. Results Perceptions and beliefs regarding mentorship in the context of interprofessional honors education were similar for faculty and students, with both ranking mentorship among the most important components of a successful honors program. Conclusions Honors education with a dedicated mentorship component may be implemented to improve the undergraduate education experience, facilitate advanced degree attainment, and develop future nursing leaders.
Multidecadal Trends in Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions in Offshore Waters Near Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Abstract Climate change is influencing the ocean environment in myriad ways and many of its effects can directly or indirectly impact coastal ecosystems. In this study, I analyzed data for a number of variables describing atmospheric and ocean conditions (AOC) from a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data buoy located near the Cape Cod, MA, peninsula. The data suggest that a number of significant trends have occurred during the period of data collection spanning 1982–2015. Changes include up to a 2 °C and 3 °C warming of air and water temperatures in summer, reduced barometric pressure in the summer/fall, declining wind speeds in the spring, shorter average wave-periods in the winter and spring, a clockwise change in wind direction in the summer, and increased wave heights in the summer and fall. The AOC variables also exhibited a number of relationships with each other, which helped explain some mechanisms of change. With the exception of barometric pressure and fall wave-heigh...
Estimating Design Values for Two-Pin Moment Resisting Dowel Joints with Lower Tolerance Limit Approach

The lower tolerance limits (LTLs) for two-pin moment-resisting dowel joints, constructed of red oak and white oak, were estimated. Dowel joints are widely used in furniture manufacturing, especially for tables and chairs. Despite numerous studies to determine the strength capacities of dowel joints, their design values have not been established. For this purpose, T-shaped edgewise dowel joints were constructed to determine their ultimate failure load capacity levels. In tolerance analysis, the k-tolerance factor changes depending on sample sizes and confidence/proportion levels. Therefore, sample sizes were determined using a modified Faulkenberry-Week method for a univariate normally distributed data set created for a pilot study, which had 30 specimens. At least 215 specimens were required to make tolerance analyses at the 99/99 confidence/proportion level. Accordingly, 220 specimens were constructed. The LTL values were obtained at the 75/75, 90/75, 75/90, 90/90, 95/90, 90/95, 95/95, 99/95, 95/99, and 99/99 confidence/proportion levels to estimate reasonable design values. The results of the study indicated that the LTL method provides a sound design value estimate for dowel joints used in furniture frames.
Avoiding Attribute Disclosure with the (Extended) p-Sensitive k-Anonymity Model

Existing privacy regulations together with large amounts of available data created a huge interest in data privacy research. A main research direction is built around the k-anonymity property. Several shortcomings of the k-anonymity model were addressed by new privacy models such as p-sensitive k-anonymity, l-diversity, (α,k)-anonymity, t-closeness. In this chapter we describe two algorithms (GreedyPKClustering and EnhancedPKClustering) for generating (extended) p-sensitive k-anonymous microdata. In our experiments, we compare the quality of generated microdata obtained with the mentioned algorithms and with another existing anonymization algorithm (Incognito). Also, we present two new branches of p-sensitive k-anonymity, the constrained p-sensitive k-anonymity model and the p-sensitive k-anonymity model for social networks.
PLEKHANOV, LENIN AND WORKING-CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

According to the prevailing scholarly view, made popular by Neil Harding, Lenin is said to have derived his well-known theory of working-class consciousness in What Is To Be Done? from G. V. Plekhanov, the father of Russian Marxism. Is this article I demonstrate, however, that Plekhanov and Lenin disagreed quite sharply on this question. Plekhanov did not believe that workers would fail to develop a socialist consciousness in the absence of external intervention. Indeed, Plekhanov was a thorough-going optimist about proletarian capacities, and while he did assign an important role to the intelligentsia in the process of consciousness-raising, that role was carefully circumscribed. An exhaustive review of Plekhanov's writings before November 1903, when he broke with Lenin, reveals just how unorthodox Lenin's most famous argument was in the context of Russian Social-Democratic theory.
A Note on the "One Case per Stagger Position" Character of Common Multiple-Baseline Intervention Designs.

Purpose: To overcome the constraint of common multiple-baseline designs that only one case per stagger position is permitted.Methods: Three alternative strategies for assigning more than one case to each stagger position are examined.Results: The three recommended strategies achieve the objective while maintaining the study’s internal and statistical-conclusion validities.Conclusions: ExPRT, a freely available Excel-based randomization-test package, can be used to assist in both the design and statistical analysis associated with each of the strategies.
Differential exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in mother-child pairs.

Abstract Background Humans are ubiquitously exposed to flame retardants, including organophosphate esters (OPEs), through direct contact with consumer products or exposure through household dust. Children are at increased risk because of their proximity to dust, hand-to-mouth activity, and the importance of childhood as a critical period in neurodevelopment. Objectives To quantify differences in exposure levels between mothers and children (three to six years of age), we analyzed urinary metabolites of OPEs. We additionally assessed the ability of silicone wristbands (measuring ambient exposure) to predict urinary metabolite concentrations. Methods We selected 32 mother and child dyads from an existing cohort. Participants provided baseline urine samples and wore wristbands for one week. After the first week, they returned their wristbands and provided a second urine sample. During the second week, participants wore a second wristband that they returned at the end of week two with a third and final urine sample. Results We found significantly higher levels of bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) (p Conclusion Children had higher levels than mothers for two of six flame retardant metabolites measured in urine. Generally, wristband measurements positively predicted internal dose. As little is known about the health effects of OPEs on child development, future research is needed to determine the impact of differential exposure.
Virtual reality applications in civil engineering

A discussion of four applications of virtual reality in civil engineering is presented. These applications simulate traffic accidents responses, the prevention of construction falls from a building during construction, form scaffolding fall protection, and bridge girder erection. The models developed can be used for training students and civil engineers in a virtual civil engineering environment without exposing them to the danger of real operations.
Technological change and international relations

This article reflects on the role that technological change has played in the last century on international relations. It makes two main points. First, the relationship is reciprocal; while technol...
Metric Structure and Rhyme Predictability Modulate Speech Intensity During Child-Directed and Read-Alone Productions of Children’s Literature:

Temporal and phonological predictability in children's literature may support early literacy acquisition. Realization of predictive structure in caregiver prosody could guide children's attention during shared reading, thereby supporting reading subskill development. However, little is known about how predictive structure is realized prosodically during child-directed reading. We investigated whether speakers use word intensity to signal predictive metric and rhyme structure in child-directed and read-alone productions of The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss, 1957), by modeling maximum intensity (dB) of monosyllabic words as a function of metric strength, rhyme predictability, and a set of control parameters. In the control model, intensity increased with lower lexical frequency, capitalization, first mention, and likelihood of a syntactic boundary. Metric structure predicted word intensity beyond these control factors in a hierarchical manner: words aligned with beat one in a 6/8 metric structure were produced with highest intensity, words aligned with beat four were produced with intermediate intensity, and words aligned with all other beats were produced with the lowest intensity. Additionally, phonologically predictable rhyme targets were reduced in intensity. The effects of meter and rhyme were not moderated by the presence of a child audience. These results demonstrate that predictability along multiple dimensions is encoded during reading of poetic children's literature, and that metric structure is realized hierarchically in word intensity. Further, the manner by which predictability is encoded in word intensity differs from that previously reported for word duration in this corpus (Breen, 2018), demonstrating that intensity and duration present nonidentical prosodic information channels.
P96 Evaluation of the Effect of an Online Dual Enrollment Nutrition Course for College and High School Students

Background Dual enrollment involves simultaneous enrollment in two or more courses at distinctly different educational levels such as secondary and tertiary. Dual enrollment programs can facilitate the transition of high school students into post-secondary education, and may reduce attrition rates in allied health programs. Dual enrollment is a rapidly growing segment of post-secondary education, yet there is a paucity of data concerning the nature and effectiveness for such programs in online nutrition education. Objective This project implemented a fully online undergraduate dual-enrollment nutrition course for high school and college students. Extent of attainment of course content was ascertained for all groups. Study Design, Settings, Participants USDA grant dollars were obtained to facilitate a two-year dual enrollment collaboration between college (C) and two high schools (HS1 and HS2). Two sections of junior-level high school students in HS1 (n = 11) and HS2 (n = 20), and one section of C (n = 29) completed a one-semester online three credit hour nutrition course. Course content focused on normal nutrition, was delivered using an online platform, and was identical for all students groups. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Pretest and posttest data were collected based on a 30-item nutrition knowledge test. A paired sample t-test was performed as well as an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare group mean differences. Results Paired sample t-test results indicate the mean difference between pretest and posttest scores (M = 32.4, SD = 20.8, N = 54) to be significantly greater than zero, t(53) = 11.5, P Conclusion The results indicate that delivery of the online introductory nutrition course in the dual-enrollment program was effective in significantly improving nutrition knowledge of both high school and college students.
Loss of Wild-Type Kras is Associated with Enhanced Fitness and Increased Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Addiction in K-RasG12D Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Functional analysis of therapeutic outlier responses in cancer therapy can identify unexpected synthetic lethal interactions and uncover biomarkers that predict enhanced sensitivity to targeted agents. We performed preclinical trials of the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 (PD901) in primary murine acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) generated using retroviral insertional mutagenesis in Kras G12D “knock-in” mice. Similar to previous observations Nf1 and Nras mutant leukemias, treatment with PD901 prolonged survival in six independent leukemias harboring diverse retroviral integrations. Intriguingly, one outlier leukemia, clone Kras.101, demonstrated a greater than 4-fold improvement in median overall survival when treated with the MEK inhibitor. Importantly, this AML demonstrated a novel retroviral integration at relapse, indicating clonal evolution during treatment. The relapsed clone displayed phenotypic resistance upon transplantation into secondary recipients and retreatment with PD901. We performed a detailed analysis of the paired PD901-sensitive/resistant Kras.101 clones to identify the mediators of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK) addiction. Functional studies demonstrated that the novel dominant retroviral integration in the PD901 resistant clone did not directly alter drug response. However, genome-wide analysis of copy number alterations revealed a gain of chromosome 6 involving the Kras locus in the resistant clone, which was confirmed by spectral karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Surprisingly, the PD901-sensitive leukemia harbored two copies of oncogenic Kras G12D due to somatic uniparental disomy, while the resistant clone harbored two mutant and one wild-type Kras alleles. This observation and paired single nucleotide polymorphism analysis indicated that the PD901-resistant leukemia was evolutionarily ancestral to the drug sensitive clone. Consistent with this hypothesis, competitive repopulation experiments with fluorescently labeled leukemia cells demonstrated increased fitness of the drug sensitive leukemia in the absence of the MEK inhibitor and over-expression of wild type K-Ras in the drug-sensitive leukemia reduced fitness in vivo . Finally, utilizing a tetracycline-inducible system, we found that wild-type Kras expression enhances the fitness of the Kras.101 clone only in the presence of the MEK inhibitor. Together, these data suggest that loss of wild-type Kras imparts a fitness advantage at the expense of increased MAPK pathway addiction, which results in enhanced sensitivity to MEK inhibition in leukemias driven by oncogenic K-Ras. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Leveraged ETFs and Dynamic Portfolio Management (Presentation Slides)

Leveraged ETFs provide a convenient mechanism to dynamically change portfolio exposure. A classical portfolio insurance strategy of Black-Jones-Perold can be easily implemented with leveraged ETFs. More complex dynamic portfolio strategies that also can be implemented using leveraged ETFs. We introduce the notion of Dynamic Leverage as a VAR extending risk measure taking into account investment time horizon. We introduce a modification of Black-Jones-Perold portfolio insurance – constant Dynamic Leverage portfolio insurance. For an investment fund with dynamically controlled risk and certain risk inertia we demonstrate the existence of a critical NAV level below which the efficacy of de-leveraging is compromised.
Neural Correlates of Trust During an Automated System Monitoring Task: Preliminary Results of an Effective Connectivity Study:

As autonomous systems become more prevalent and their inner workings become more opaque, we increasingly rely on trust to guide our interactions with them especially in complex or rapidly evolving ...
Costs and liabilities of US public pension systems in a low-return environment

In recent years, a growing number of capital market professionals have projected a low-return environment in US investment portfolios – where returns in most asset classes are expected to drop below historical rates. While these specific forecasts may not fully materialize, it is natural for cyclical investment markets to go through extended periods of lower returns, creating significant risks for public pension systems which rely on investment returns to sustain their long-term solvency and offset budgetary contributions. This paper uses a simulation method to examine the long-term effect of a low-return environment on the unfunded liabilities and contribution costs of US public pension systems while considering the moderating effects of asset allocation strategies, amortization approaches, and contribution policies.
Semi-classical limit for the varying-mass Schr\"odinger equation with random inhomogeneities

The varying-mass Schrodinger equation (VMSE) has been successfully applied to model electronic properties of semiconductor hetero-stuctures, for example, quantum dots and quantum wells. In this paper, we consider VMSE with small random heterogeneities, and derive radiative transfer equations for its solutions. The main tool is to systematically apply the Wigner transform in the semiclassical regime (the rescaled Planck constant $\varepsilon \ll 1$), and then expand the resulted Wigner equation to proper orders of $\varepsilon$. As a proof of concept, we numerically compute both VMSE and radiative transfer equations, and show that their solutions agree well.
The daily grind: Assessing bruxism as a potential indicator of stress in archaeological human remains

Abstract The identification of stress indicators in archaeological human remains is confounded not only by how paleopathologists define “stress”, but also by our understanding of how stress impacts the body. With the interpretation of commonly used osteological stress indicators being cautioned, if not challenged, the door is open for bioarchaeologists to explore new ways of identifying stress in past populations. One potentially identifiable stress response is bruxism. A behavior disorder characterized by the unconscious grinding and/or clenching of teeth, bruxism is often associated with acute and chronic psychosocial stress. This disorder is quite common; international clinical literature shows the disorder affecting up to 31% of adults and 20% of children. Though the frequency and severity of bruxism varies by individual, the long-term pathological impact of bruxing can be severe. Bruxism is associated with excessive dental attrition, abfraction, fracture, hypercementosis, occlusal pits, myofascial pain, hypertrophy of masticatory muscles, and possibly with mandibular and maxillary tori and temporomandibular disorder (TMD). However, despite its prevalence, associated pathologies, and association with stress, bruxism is rarely discussed in the osteological “stress” literature. This lack of attention is likely due to the challenges inherent in differential diagnosis. Evidence of bruxism may be obscured, exacerbated, and/or confounded by masticatory wear, malocclusion, tooth-loss, and general aging. Furthermore, the idiosyncratic nature of the disorder and the variability in the biomechanical forces associated with it (clenching vs. grinding) suggest that the dental effects will present differently within and between individuals, which may further complicate diagnosis. Despite these obstacles, as a clinically-correlated stress response, bruxism is a potentially useful new avenue for conceptualizing and identifying stress in past populations.
Dermatologic conditions as vehicles of horror in Gothic literature.

Abstract Popular culture has long used skin conditions to suggest a character’s immorality, deviancy, or to give the reader terror. This is especially obvious in Gothic literature, which utilizes dark themes including supernaturalism. Some examples of famous characters from Gothic literature include Frankenstein’s monster creation that has jaundiced skin, Dracula who has albinism, poliosis, and an obvious scar, and finally, Stanton in Melmoth the Wanderer, who has albinism. These skin conditions are reflections of the characters’ inner selves and serve to underline that these characters exist outside the realm of normalcy.
Integration of automation into an existing clinical workflow to improve efficiency and reduce errors in the manual treatment planning process for total body irradiation (TBI).

PURPOSE To identify causes of error, and present the concept of an automated technique that improves efficiency and helps to reduce transcription and manual data entry errors in the treatment planning of total body irradiation (TBI). METHODS Analysis of incidents submitted to incident learning system (ILS) was performed to identify potential avenues for improvement by implementation of automation of the manual treatment planning process for total body irradiation (TBI). Following this analysis, it became obvious that while the individual components of the TBI treatment planning process were well implemented, the manual 'bridging' of the components (transcribing data, manual data entry etc.) were leading to high potential for error. A C#-based plug-in treatment planning script was developed to remove the manual parts of the treatment planning workflow that were contributing to increased risk. RESULTS Here we present an example of the implementation of "Glue" programming, combining treatment planning C# scripts with existing spreadsheet calculation worksheets. Prior to the implementation of automation, 35 incident reports related to the TBI treatment process were submitted to the ILS over a 6-year period, with an average of 1.4 ± 1.7 reports submitted per quarter. While no incidents reached patients, reports ranged from minor documentation issues to potential for mistreatment if not caught before delivery. Since the implementation of automated treatment planning and documentation, treatment planning time per patient, including documentation, has been reduced; from an average of 45 min pre-automation to <20 min post-automation. CONCLUSIONS Manual treatment planning techniques may be well validated, but they are time-intensive and have potential for error. Often the barrier to automating these techniques becomes the time required to "re-code" existing solutions in unfamiliar computer languages. We present the workflow here as a proof of concept that automation may help to improve clinical efficiency and safety for special procedures.
Colonial Border Restrictions and the African Response

Dube examines the oppression that followed the establishment of colonial rule, such as land alienation, taxation, forced labor, and dipping fees in this chapter. He argues that these, together with border restrictions, contributed to the contestations of the border and colonial authority, as well as low compliance with public health.
The Memorability of Supernatural Concepts: Effects of Minimal Counterintuitiveness, Moral Valence, and Existential Anxiety on Recall

Within the cognitive science of religion, some scholars hypothesize (1) that minimally counterintuitive (MCI) concepts enjoy a transmission advantage over both intuitive and highly counterintuitive...
Review article: current gaps and opportunities in HBV prevention, testing and linkage to care in the United States—a call for action

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) has set an elimination goal for hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030, so a comprehensive review of current HBV testing and care gaps are needed to help formulate solutions and opportunities for action. Aims To summarise current gaps and barriers, and to propose solutions for HBV prevention, testing and linkage to care in the United States METHODS: Relevant guidelines and studies were reviewed including a systematic review of HCC surveillance adherence. Results A total of 64.5 million (95% CI, 61.3-67.5) high-risk US adults had no evidence of HBV immunity. Only 18.6% (95% CI, 13.5-29.9) of privately insured patients with HBV infection have been diagnosed. Among those with known HBV infection, linkage to care rate (33.3%-57%) was poor and the adherence to guidelines regarding anti-viral therapy (30.66% [95% CI, 30.28-31.03]) and HCC surveillance (8%-87%, from a systematic review) were poor with even more concerning data for care and treatment retention. The causes are complex and include lack of access to medical care, lack of physician knowledge, lack of patient health literacy and awareness, linguistic and cultural barriers and fear of stigma. Conclusions A 'scale-up' effort is needed to optimise the care continuum to achieve the WHO 2030 targets. As targeted screening policy has leftover 80% of patients undiagnosed, we advocate for universal screening which can help to remove barriers regarding stigma. More active and system level interventions are also needed to improve linkage to care for patients with HBV infection.
Extreme temperatures affect seedling growth and photosynthetic performance of advanced cotton genotypes

Abstract Growth temperature and genotype can influence seedling vigor in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and identifying genotypes that can perform well under different temperature extremes may broaden the range of temperatures over which optimum growth could be obtained. To this end, a controlled environment study was conducted to evaluate the response of advanced breeding lines to growth temperature and to evaluate the utility of rapid, fluorescence-based measurements (the OJIP test) as indicators of plant growth response to day/night temperature regimes (20/15, 30/20, 35/25, and 40/30 °C). At two weeks after planting, growth analysis, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, and pigment concentrations were obtained. Significant genotype, temperature, and interaction effects were observed for seedling growth parameters, and some of the key components of the thylakoid reactions. Specifically, the 35/25 °C treatment had the highest values for all growth parameters, with genotypic differences in growth primarily being observed at this regime. Energy trapping by photosystem II (PSII) (φPO), intersystem electron transport (φEO), and photosystem I end electron acceptor reduction (φRO) were significantly affected by temperature, but each component differed in heat sensitivity. All growth parameters were significantly correlated with a number of OJIP parameters including quantum efficiencies and performance indices. However, the strongest positive associations were observed between quantum efficiencies and growth metrics, with φEO exhibiting the strongest correlations with growth. Our observations indicate that rapid OJIP assessments can potentially be used as indicators of early season growth responses to temperature.
Using PET imaging to track STING-induced interferon signaling.

In the 19th century, Ilya Metchnikoff defined and broadened our initial understanding of phagocytosis and, in 1908, went on to show that a cellular component (i.e., DNA) stimulates immune responses (1). About a century later, Janeway conceptualized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) (2). Since then, we know that PAMP recognition by innate immune cells via PRRs activates the production of several cytokines, including interferons (IFNs), with the eventual recruitment of lymphocytes. Subsequent research discovered that innate immune recognition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) triggers autoimmune diseases (3). However, before the discovery of dsDNA sensors, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein encoded by the TMEM173 gene, known as a stimulator of IFN genes (STING), was identified as a significant factor involving DNA recognition in innate immunity (4). Subsequently, scientists discovered that the direct cytosolic DNA sensor (cGAS) activates the expression of type 1 IFNs (5). Today, it is well known that activation of cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling is triggered by cytosolic DNA and is necessary for antimicrobial and antitumor immune responses. In PNAS, Liang et al. (6) describe an innovative process for monitoring STING-induced IFN signaling. Induction of IFN signaling by STING occurs on detection of cytoplasmic DNA, which may be tumor- or microbial-derived. STING is activated when cGAS catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) including 2′3′-cGAMP (7). STING is translocated from the ER to the perinucleus, phosphorylated by TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and recruits IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), which in turn is phosphorylated by TBK1, forms a dimer, and enters the nucleus. Phosphorylated IRF3 activates transcription of type 1 IFNs and other relevant cytokines (8) which bind to the heterodimeric IFN receptors (IFNAR1 and IFNAR2) and recruits Janus family kinase 1(Jak1) and tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2), which in turn phosphorylates and activates IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: Enitome.Bafor{at}nih.gov or younghow{at}mail.nih.gov. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
New Evidence on Value Investing in Emerging Equity Markets

We design modified value investing strategies in emerging equity markets by comparing a country’s value weight with its market capitalization weight among a group of emerging countries. These strategies can be easily tested and implemented by using various country index funds. Our proposed strategy calculates the delta weight, the difference of a country’s weight based on value (Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Earning-Price (EP) ratio or Dividend Yield (DY)) and its capitalization weight, for each country. If the delta weight is positive, the country’s index fund is considered undervalued and the strategy is to buy delta shares of that country’s equity. Conversely, if delta weight is negative, the country’s index fund is deemed as overvalued and the strategy is to short delta shares of that country’s equity. These market neutral delta strategies can generate annualized returns of 14.25-16.89% even with the presence of overweighting constraints which limit the over-investment in small financial markets.
Availability and Readability of Spinal Cord Injury Online Information Materials for Spanish Speaking Population in Neurosurgical Academic Programs: A Nationwide Study.

ABSTRACT Background Recent publications have demonstrated that information has been transmitted inappropriately to the lay person in different pathologies. This limitation is also observed in Spanish language. We evaluate the availability and readability of online patient education material (PEM) on spinal cord injury (SCI) information for the Spanish-speaking population from academic neurosurgery residency programs in the United States. Methods This is a descriptive analysis of online SCI PEM from neurosurgical residency programs websites. We assess the availability of information in Spanish using a modification of a previously published classification. To assess accessibility, we calculated the time spent and the number of clicks to find the information in Spanish. We calculated the readability of the material using the “Indice Flesch-Szigriszt” (INFLESZ), which determines the difficulty of readability of health-related material in Spanish. Results A total of 116 accredited neurosurgery residency programs comprised our cohort. Ten (9%) programs had available “mirrored” information in Spanish from its original version in English, 9 (8.1%) used a translation software, 79 (71.2%) provide interpreter services, and 3 (2%) did not have written information or information about translation services. A mean of 72.9 seconds (SD +/− 71.2) were required to have access to the Spanish information or contact information for translation services. Twelve (57.1%) websites with written Spanish information had an INFLESZ score above 55.00, which translates as an appropriate readability level for the general population. Conclusions More than half of the academic neurosurgery programs or affiliated hospital websites do not provide written informative material about SCI in Spanish. When available, the information is not always transmitted with a level of readability appropriate for the layperson. Most of the websites provide translation or interpreter services that are not directly related to SCI.
Explaining medical AI performance disparities across sites with confounder Shapley value analysis.

Medical AI algorithms can often experience degraded performance when evaluated on previously unseen sites. Addressing cross-site performance disparities is key to ensuring that AI is equitable and effective when deployed on diverse patient populations. Multi-site evaluations are key to diagnosing such disparities as they can test algorithms across a broader range of potential biases such as patient demographics, equipment types, and technical parameters. However, such tests do not explain why the model performs worse. Our framework provides a method for quantifying the marginal and cumulative effect of each type of bias on the overall performance difference when a model is evaluated on external data. We demonstrate its usefulness in a case study of a deep learning model trained to detect the presence of pneumothorax, where our framework can help explain up to 60% of the discrepancy in performance across different sites with known biases like disease comorbidities and imaging parameters.
Experimental evaluation of multilevel caches for shared memory multiprocessors

Memory subsystem design has become a critical problem in multiprocessor systems. As processor speeds increase, supplying data and instructions at those speeds is crucial in order to obtain any significant performance gains from parallel processing. Multilevel caches have been proposed for multiprocessor systems to reduce traffic on interconnections and main memory. The paper presents experimental results for various cache configurations for two-level caches for multiprocessors. The experimental evaluation is performed by detailed simulations using address traces generated by perfect club benchmark programs as well as other numerical programs executed on multiprocessors. The performance results capture the effects of block size, cache size, ratio of secondary and primary cache size, and, write-through and write-back protocols on hit ratios, access times, relative speedups and bus utilizations. Furthermore, performance of various organizations are studied for both vector and scalar data. >
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTABILITY ACROSS A POSITIVE CROSS-MATCH: Cross-match Assays and Distribution of B Lymphocytes in Donor Tissues

Abstract Lymphocyte subpopulations were determined in peripheral blood, abdominal lymph-nodes, and spleens from renal allograft donors. Percentages of B lymphocytes were low in peripheral blood (mean±S.E.,10.0±1.0%), variable in lymph-nodes (28.8±3.8), and high in spleens (41.4±2.1). Microlymphocytotoxicity cross-match assays in which sera with B-cell-specific antibody were used were invariably negative with peripheral-blood lymphocytes but positive with lymph-node or spleen preparations. Four renal allografts were transplanted when the standard cross-match was positive with spleen or lymph-node but negative with blood. No hyperacute or accelerated rejection was observed. Potential recipients are often denied allografts because of a positive cross-match with either lymph-node or splenic preparations, and this could be avoided in some cases if cross-matches were performed on peripheral blood or B-lymphocyte-depleted splenic or lymph-node preparations. These results accord with those of other workers who found that B-cell pre-sensitisation is not a contraindication to transplantation.
The Molecular Analysis of Sulfate Species in Environmental Aerosols Using Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Speciation of sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate collected from the aerosol phase on a Fluoropore filter has been readily accomplished using techniques of chemical ionization mass spectrometry combined with thermal separation. Thermal separation of ammonium hydrogen sulfate from ammonium sulfate was not possible. Sulfuric acid aerosol was rapidly converted to ammonium sulfate or ammonium hydrogen sulfate in the presence of ambient concentrations of ammonia. Ambient samples collected in the Detroit metropolitan area have been found to contain only trace quantities of sulfuric acid. Sulfate samples collected from a dilution tube into which catalyzed vehicle exhaust was injected were found to contain significant quantities of ammonium sulfate in addition to sulfuric acid. The rate of sulfate specie volatilization from the filter media was found to be markedly affected by the ammonium sulfate particle size on the filter, thus necessitating the generation of appropriate standards. Impregnation of the collection filter with an appropriate material that will convert sulfuric acid upon collection to a species which is unaffected by ambient ammonia concentrations can permit subsequent quantitation of ambient H//2SO//4 by mass spectrometry.
Not For Neda: Digital Media, (Citizen) Journalism, and the Invention of a Postfeminist Martyr

On June 20, 2009, in the bloody aftermath of the disputed presidential election in Iran, the killing of a young woman, captured by mobile phone cameras, was declared “iconic.” The footage of Neda Agha-Soltan's death was hailed as citizen journalism. We discuss the image of Neda and its circulation in the Western media by focusing on For Neda, a widely distributed nonfiction narrative, produced by HBO. We argue that although citizen journalism via viral videos can provide visibility, it is the legacy media that provide the larger narrative, inflecting the narrative with ideological investments. After discussing geopolitical context, we explain Neda's image and For Neda with respect to the narrative of rescuing Muslim women and such rescue in postfeminist terms.
The Primary Structure of Bovine Thyrotropin II. THE AMINO ACID SEQUENCES OF THE REDUCED, S-CARBOXYMETHYL α AND β CHAINS

Abstract The linear amino acid sequence of the two chains of bovine thyrotropin (TSH-α and TSH-β) have been determined except for assignment of some amides. The order of the tryptic peptides of TSH-β (described in the preceding publication) was established by studies on the peptides obtained from tryptic hydrolysates of maleylated, reduced, S-carboxymethyl TSH-β, and from the oxidized chain. The preparations of TSH-β exhibited heterogeneity at the COOH terminus; molecules of 113 residues terminate with the tripeptide sequence -Ser-Tyr-Met-COOH while others, of 112 residues terminate with -Ser-Tyr-COOH. Evidence for the heterogeneity of the NH2 terminus of TSH-α was again found in the peptides from its maleylated derivative. The molecular weight, calculated from the amino acid sequences and carbohydrate compositions, of TSH-α preparations is approximately 13,600, that of TSH-β preparations, 14,700. TSH-α contains two oligosaccharide moieties, TSH-β one. Both chains are extremely rich in intrachain disulfide bonds, five in TSH-α and six in TSH-β; their positions remain to be determined. There are no interchain disulfide bonds. The sequences of TSH-α and -β do not resemble each other superficially, but several very similar or identical sequences are found in TSH-β and in the hormone-specific chain, CII, of luteinizing hormone, despite marked differences in their amino acid compositions. The sequence of the latter has been announced recently by Liu et al. (Res. Commun. Chem. Path. Pharmacol., 1, 463 (1970)). The similarities may be a reflection of similar sites on the hormone-specific chains for interactions with the nearly identical subunits, TSH-α and CI of luteinizing hormone, which lead to the active hormones.
What does it mean to ‘live’ and ‘die’? A cross-linguistic analysis of parent–child conversations in English and Indonesian

Previous work on children's intuitive knowledge about the natural world has documented their difficulty in acquiring an overarching concept of biological life that includes plants as well as humans and non-human animals. It has also suggested that the acquisition of fundamental biological concepts like alive and die may be influenced by the language used to describe them, as evidenced by differences between English- and Indonesian-speaking children's performance in tasks involving these concepts. Here, we examine one particularly important source of linguistic information available to children during this acquisition process: everyday conversations with their parents. We take a cross-linguistic approach in analysing the evidence available to English- and Indonesian-speaking children as they acquire meanings for words corresponding to the concepts alive and die. Our analysis illustrates that young children acquiring English and Indonesian are faced with distinct problems, but that parental input in both languages does little to support the acquisition of broad, inclusive biological concepts.
Oxygen Evolution on a SrFeO3 Anode Mechanistic Considerations from Molecular Orbital Theory

Various pathways proposed in the literature for the evolution of O2 in electrochemical oxidations are explored using the atom superposition and electron delocalization molecular orbital (ASED-MO) theory and the cluster models of the SrFeO3 surface as a prototype material. Calculations indicate that oxygen atoms can be easily formed on the (100) surface as well as on the edge cation sites of a SrFeO3 anode by the discharge of OH(-), followed by its deprotonation and electron transfer to the electrode. The O atoms can form O2 on the edge and corner sites, where the Fe(4+) is coordinated to four and three bulk oxygen anions, respectively. The calculations strongly disfavor mechanisms involving coupling of oxygen atoms adsorbed on different cations as well as a mechanism featuring an ozone intermediate.