cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
English Language Proficiency Among the Foreign Born in the United States, 1980–2007: Duration, Age, Cohort Effects

This study employs pooled data from the 1980 through 2000 censuses and 2001 through 2007 American Community Survey data to study English language proficiency among foreign-born in a dynamic framework. Our findings show continuing significance of duration of stay and age at migration and declining English language proficiency across successive cohorts. Additionally, analysis enabled by availability of single-year data from 2000 to 2007 indicates acquisition of language proficiency as steepest during first 9 years upon arrival and for migrating age group 6-17. Further, we find significant differences by education, regions of origin, racial groups, and by regions of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A comparison of active and passive soft switching methods for PWM converters

This paper performs a comparison of the efficiencies of active and passive soft switching methods for PWM converters. The losses in both methods were theoretically itemized and experimentally measured. The values of the resonant elements were experimentally optimized so that both methods were compared on their best conditions. A boost converter was built and tested under the static and dynamic PFC operation condition as well as DC-DC operation condition. Studies show that the passive method has better efficiency in the high power operation region, while the active method outperforms the passive method in the low power region.
Acute Exposure to Low Glucose Rapidly Induces Endothelial Dysfunction and Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Role for AMP Kinase

Objective—Hypoglycemia is associated with increased mortality. The reasons for this remain unclear, and the effects of low glucose exposure on vascular endothelial function remain largely unknown. ...
Profilometry: A new statistical framework for the characterization of white matter pathways, with application to multiple sclerosis.

Aims: describe a new “profilometry” framework for the multimetric analysis of white matter tracts, and demonstrate its application to multiple sclerosis (MS) with radial diffusivity (RD) and myelin water fraction (MWF). Methods: A cohort of 15 normal controls (NC) and 141 MS patients were imaged with T1, T2 FLAIR, T2 relaxometry and diffusion MRI (dMRI) sequences. T1 and T2 FLAIR allowed for the identification of patients having lesion(s) on the tracts studied, with a special focus on the forceps minor. T2 relaxometry provided MWF maps, while dMRI data yielded RD maps and the tractography required to compute MWF and RD tract profiles. The statistical framework combined a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) both accounting for age and gender, with multiple comparison corrections. Results: In the single-case case study the profilometry visualization showed a clear departure of MWF and RD from the NC normative data at the lesion location(s). Group comparison from MANCOVA demonstrated significant differences at lesion locations, and a significant age effect in several tracts. The follow-up LDA analysis suggested MWF better discriminates groups than RD. Discussion and conclusion: While progress has been made in both tract-profiling and metrics for white matter characterization, no single framework for a joint analysis of multimodality tract profiles accounting for age and gender is known to exist. The profilometry analysis and visualization appears to be a promising method to compare groups using a single score from MANCOVA while assessing the contribution of each metric with LDA. Hum Brain Mapp, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abstract 378: Contribution of Unfolded Protein Response in Arsenic-Induced Endothelial Activation and Atherosclerois

Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that exposure to arsenic contaminated water exacerbates atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which arsenic exerts its atherogenic effects are not known. We observed that chronic (1 μM; 4 days) or acute (20 μM; 2-6 hours) exposure of sodium arsenite to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) increased the surface expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-Selectin by 1.2-1.5-fold; leukocyte adhesion by 1.5-3.5 fold; leukocyte trans-endothelial migration by 1.7-2.5-fold; and mRNA expression of IL-8 by 5-25-fold. Similarly, exposure of human aortic endothelial cells and mouse aortic endothelial cells to arsenic also caused endothelial activation. Arsenic also enhanced the unfolded protein response (UPR) in endothelial cells as evident by the phosphorylation of IRE-1 and activation of its downstream proteins JNK and NF-kappaB; nuclear translocation of ATF6, and increased expression of molecular chaperones GRP78 and HERP. SiRNA-mediated knockd...
Crazy for History

In 1917, the year the United States went to war, history erupted onto the pages of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Educational Psychology. J. Carleton Bell, the journal's managing editor and a professor at the Brooklyn Training School for Teachers, began his tenure with an editorial entitled "The Historic Sense." (A companion editorial examined the relation of psychology to military problems.) Bell claimed that the study of history provided an opportunity for thinking and reflection, qualities lacking in many classrooms.1 Bell invited his readers to ponder two questions: "What is the historic sense?" and "How can it be developed?" Such questions, he asserted, did not concern only the history teacher; they were ones "in which the educational psychologist is interested, and which it is incumbent upon him to attempt to answer." To readers who wondered where to locate the elusive "historic sense," Bell offered clues. Presented with a set of primary documents, one student produces a coherent account while another assembles "a hodgepodge of miscellaneous facts." Similarly, some college freshmen "show great skill in the orderly arrangement of their historical data" while others "take all statements with equal emphasis ... and become hopelessly confused in the multiplicity of details." Did such findings reflect "native differences in historic ability" or were they the "effects of specific courses of training"? Such questions opened "a fascinating field for investigation" for the educational psychologist.2 Bell's questions still nag us today. What is the essence of historical understanding? How can historical interpretation and analysis be taught? What is the role of instruction in improving students' ability to think? In light of his foresight, it is instructive to examine how Bell carried out his research agenda. In a companion article to his editorial, Bell and his colleague David E McCollum presented a study that began by laying out five aspects of the historic sense:
Paradigm of Rural Homelessness: A case study of Clinton County, New York

Rural homelessness is a social problem that has drawn limited scholarly attention in the social work field. This case study of Clinton County, New York, examines the existing service structure to address homelessness while highlighting challenges universal to rural homelessness as a widespread phenomenon. This paper considers possible long-term solutions to rural homelessness, and argues for a structurally based approach to understanding homelessness, either in an urban or rural setting.
Prehypertension and incident acute coronary heart disease in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

It is well known that blood pressure (BP) in the prehypertensive range, defined by the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) as a systolic BP (SBP) of 120–139mm Hg and/or a diastolic BP (DBP) of 80–89mm Hg, is associated with the future development of frank hypertension (HTN).1–5 But what is less well understood are the cardiovascular risks conferred by prehypertension, before frank HTN is manifest. It remains controversial whether prehypertension alone or higher BP within the prehypertensive range is independently associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk or whether any observed increased risk is the result of associated risk factors. In 1 report, 64% of prehypertensive subjects had >1 cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor.6 Several studies have reported on the CHD risk of prehypertension. Manious et al. analyzed participants in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971–1975) and ascertained major CVD events over the next 18 years.7 They divided prehypertension into categories, “low prehypertension” (120–129/80–84mm Hg) and “high prehypertension” (130–139/80–89mm Hg), and found that unadjusted analysis demonstrated risk for both groups but adjustment attenuated the statistical significance of the risk in the low prehypertension (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23–1.98; adjusted HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.96–1.59) but not in the high prehypertension group (unadjusted HR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.64–2.76; adjusted HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.09–1.84).7 In the Framingham Heart Study, BP levels of 130–139/85–89mm Hg were associated with twice the risk of CVD compared with BP levels <120/80mm Hg.4 In the past decade, overall CVD events have significantly declined in the general population, but the CVD risks conferred by prehypertension are unclear. To examine the association between prehypertension and CHD and CVD outcomes in the modern era, we used data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, an ongoing epidemiologic cohort that includes black and white community dwellers from all over the United States. Specifically we wanted to examine association of prehypertension with acute CHD events and CVD mortality and whether these associations were explained by co-occurring risk factors.
Real-Time Composition and Thickness Control Techniques in A Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is a process used to manufacture electronic and optoelectronic devices that has traditionally lacked real-time growth monitoring and control. We have developed control strategies that incorporate monitors as real-time control sensors to improve MOCVD growth. An analog control system with an ultrasonic concentration monitor was used to reject bubbler concentration disturbances which exist under normal operation, during the growth of a four-period GaInAs/InP superlattice. Using X-ray diffraction, it was determined that the normally occurring concentration variations led to a wider GaInAs peak in the uncompensated growths as compared to the compensated growths, indicating that closed loop control improved GaInAs composition regulation. In further analysis of the X-ray diffraction curves, superlattice peaks were used as a measure of high crystalline quality. The compensated curve clearly displayed eight orders of satellite peaks, whereas the uncompensated curve shows little evidence of satellite peaks.
Interference with the constitutive activation of ERK1 and ERK2 impairs EWS/FLI-1-dependent transformation

The chimeric gene EWS/FLI-1, the hallmark of the Ewing's sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor family, encodes a fusion protein with enhanced transcriptional activation properties and preserved recognition of canonical ETS binding sites. Although EWS/FLI-1 alters the expression of various genes, the precise mechanism by which EWS/FLI-1 acts as an oncogene remains to be defined. In this study we report that members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, ERK1 and ERK2, are constitutively activated in NIH 3T3 cells expressing EWS/FLI-1. Interference with ERK activation by either highly specific inhibitors of MEK1 or a dominant negative ras mutant profoundly impaired the ability of EWS/FLI-1 to transform NIH3T3 cells to growth in semi-solid medium. An EWS/FLI-1 mutant defective in DNA-binding and transcriptional activation failed to activate ERK and was also defective in 3T3 cell transformation. Constitutive ERK activation was also evident in several human Ewing's sarcoma tumor-derived cell lines. Interestingly, cells expressing the type II EWS/FLI-1 fusion, recently demonstrated more potent in transcriptional activation, showed even greater MAPK activation than cells expressing the more common type I fusion. These results implicate ERK activation in EWS/FLI-1 transformation and suggest that this signaling pathway may be important in the pathogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma. Oncogene (2000) 19, 4523 - 4530.
Decision-making: a comparison of referral practice and primary care.

BACKGROUND Should care by subspecialist physicians be more costly than care by primary care physicians? This article addresses diagnostic testing, one element of the answer to this question. METHODS A theoretical analysis was conducted of the sequences of testing, treatment, or watchful waiting in patients with low, intermediate, or high probabilities of disease. This was followed by a reanalysis of data from a previously published study of patients with chest pain from two referral populations and two primary care populations. The study used a chest pain score as a summary measure of the number of suggestive findings. RESULTS The analysis of sequences of testing, treatment, and watchful waiting suggests that patients with intermediate probabilities of disease are most likely to be referred. The study of patients with chest pain shows that the probability of disease for a given chest pain history score is higher in referred patients than it is in primary care patients, as is the proportion of patients with intermediate and high chest pain scores. This result is direct evidence that referral physicians get more patients with suspect but often uncertain histories. In general, the probability of disease given a particular history will be lower in primary care patients, and hence testing will be less fruitful. CONCLUSIONS Subspecialists are more likely to see patients who represent a diagnostic puzzle and have intermediate probabilities of disease. Since patients with intermediate probabilities of disease are most likely to benefit from testing, a per capita rate of testing that is higher than in a primary care practice might be appropriate in a subspecialist's practice.
Carica papaya latex-catalyzed synthesis of structured triacylglycerols

One impediment to the industrial use of enzymes in fat and oil transformations is the higher cost often associated with an enzymatic process compared with the corresponding chemical process. Processes that utilize plant enzymes, however, may have advantages because of their lower cost and ready availability. One example of such a plant-derived enzyme is Carica papaya latex (CPL), the principal source of the protease papain. Recently, it has been shown that this latex also catalyzes the lipolysis of triacylglycerols and that this latex lipase has a selectivity for short-chain acyl groups as well as a 1,3-glycerol selectivity. These selectivities can be used in the synthesis of structured triacylglycerols. In this paper we describe the utility of CPL in lipase-catalyzed reactions, specifically the synthesis of low-calorie triacylglycerol analogs.
The Use of Neural Progenitor Cells for Therapy in the CNS Disorders

Publisher Summary Central nervous system (CNS)-derived neural progenitor cells, as either immortalized or primary propagated cultures, are very useful for understanding issues related to neuronal plasticity and the extracellular signals and genes involved in cell fate decisions and differentiation. The plasticity of the multipotent progenitors and the influence of site-specific signals have been examined by grafting the cultured cells into different regions of the adult CNS. Most of the neural progenitor grafting studies have used immortalized or primary mouse- or rat-CNS-derived progenitors cells. For application in human diseases it is necessary to show that progenitor cells exist in the fetal and adult human brain and that they have properties similar to those of rodent cells. Because most neurological diseases are characterized by multifocal or widespread pathology, human neural progenitors (in spite of their apparent rarity) have inherent biological advantages over nonneural tissues in that grafted cells can migrate and integrate into the site of damage where they could differentiate to replace the dying neurons and glia. This intrinsic capability and the potential to produce transgene factors that would be beneficial to the host cells and that may aid in the regeneration of neural circuitry in situ make autologous grafts very intriguing.
Complementary feature selection from alternative splicing events and gene expression for phenotype prediction.

Motivation: A central task of bioinformatics is to develop sensitive and specific means of providing medical prognoses from biomarker patterns. Common methods to predict phenotypes in RNA-Seq datasets utilize machine learning algorithms trained via gene expression. Isoforms, however, generated from alternative splicing, may provide a novel and complementary set of transcripts for phenotype prediction. In contrast to gene expression, the number of isoforms increases significantly due to numerous alternative splicing patterns, resulting in a prioritization problem for many machine learning algorithms. This study identifies the empirically optimal methods of transcript quantification, feature engineering and filtering steps using phenotype prediction accuracy as a metric. At the same time, the complementary nature of gene and isoform data is analyzed and the feasibility of identifying isoforms as biomarker candidates is examined. Results: Isoform features are complementary to gene features, providing non-redundant information and enhanced predictive power when prioritized and filtered. A univariate filtering algorithm, which selects up to the N highest ranking features for phenotype prediction is described and evaluated in this study. An empirical comparison of pipelines for isoform quantification is reported by performing cross-validation prediction tests with datasets from human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, human patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) transgenic mice, each including samples of diseased and non-diseased phenotypes. Availability and Implementation: https://github.com/clabuzze/Phenotype-Prediction-Pipeline.git Contact: clabuzze@iastate.edu , antoniom@bc.edu , watsondk@musc.edu , andersonpe2@cofc.edu
Substructural Proofs as Automata

We present subsingleton logic as a very small fragment of linear logic containing only \(\oplus \), \(\mathbf {1}\), least fixed points and allowing circular proofs. We show that cut-free proofs in this logic are in a Curry–Howard correspondence with subsequential finite state transducers. Constructions on finite state automata and transducers such as composition, complement, and inverse homomorphism can then be realized uniformly simply by cut and cut elimination. If we freely allow cuts in the proofs, they correspond to a well-typed class of machines we call linear communicating automata, which can also be seen as a generalization of Turing machines with multiple, concurrently operating read/write heads.
Multiple stressors threaten the imperiled coastal foundation species eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Chesapeake Bay, USA.

Interactions among global change stressors and their effects at large scales are often proposed, but seldom evaluated. This situation is primarily due to lack of comprehensive, sufficiently long-term, and spatially extensive datasets. Seagrasses, which provide nursery habitat, improve water quality, and constitute a globally important carbon sink, are among the most vulnerable habitats on the planet. Here, we unite 31 years of high-resolution aerial monitoring and water quality data to elucidate the patterns and drivers of eelgrass (Zostera marina) abundance in Chesapeake Bay, USA, one of the largest and most valuable estuaries in the world, with an unparalleled history of regulatory efforts. We show that eelgrass area has declined 29% in total since 1991, with wide-ranging and severe ecological and economic consequences. We go on to identify an interaction between decreasing water clarity and warming temperatures as the primary drivers of this trend. Declining clarity has gradually reduced eelgrass cover the past two decades, primarily in deeper beds where light is already limiting. In shallow beds, however, reduced visibility exacerbates the physiological stress of acute warming, leading to recent instances of decline approaching 80%. While degraded water quality has long been known to influence underwater grasses worldwide, we demonstrate a clear and rapidly emerging interaction with climate change. We highlight the urgent need to integrate a broader perspective into local water quality management, in the Chesapeake Bay and in the many other coastal systems facing similar stressors.
An obesogenic refined low-fat diet disrupts attentional and behavioral control processes in a vigilance task in rats

Diets consisting of refined foods (REF) are associated with poor physical (e.g., obesity and diabetes) and mental (e.g., depression) health and impaired cognition. Few animal studies have explored the causal links between diet processing and health. Instead, most studies focus on the role of macronutrients, especially carbohydrate and fat concurrently with how processed are the ingredients. We previously showed that a REF low fat diet (LFD) caused greater adiposity and impaired motivation compared to an unrefined control (CON) diet consisting of similar macronutrient ratios (Blaisdell et al., 2014). Here we test the hypothesis that the same REF LFD adversely affects attentional processes and behavioral control relative to the CON diet. Rats with ad libitum access to the REF diet for two months gained greater adiposity than rats consuming the CON diet. Rats then completed training on a vigilance task involving pressing the correct lever signaled by a brief visual cue whose onset varied across trials. A REF diet reduced accuracy when there was a delay between the start of the trial and cue onset. Poorer accuracy was due to increased premature responses, reflecting impulsivity, and omissions, indicating an inability to sustain attention. These results corroborate the links between consumption of refined foods, obesity, and poor cognition in humans. We discuss the possible causal models that underlie this link.
A Different SLC2A1 Gene Mutation in Glut 1 Deficiency Syndrome: c.734A>C

Background Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome is the result of impaired glucose transport into the brain. Patients with glucose transporter type 1 syndrome may present with infantile seizures, developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, spasticity and ataxia. Case report Here, we report a rare case of glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome caused by a different pathogenic variant in a 10-day-old neonate who presented with intractable seizures and respiratory arrest. Conclusion This new pathogenic variant can be seen in glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome.
Volcanic-Associated Massive Sulfide (VMS) Deposits

Massive Cu-Zn-Pb sulfide deposits in predominantly volcanic terranes have been variously termed as ‘volcanic-associated’, ‘volcanic-hosted’, and ‘volcanogenic’. The term ‘volcanic-hosted’ is not entirely appropriate, because the deposits included in this class are not consistently hosted by volcanic rocks, nor do the deposits necessarily form as an integral part of the volcanic process as the term ‘volcanogenic’ implies. The term ‘volcanic-associated’ is considered more appropriate as it accommodates not only the deposits enclosed entirely within volcanic strata, but also those, such as the Besshi deposits (Japan), hosted by sedimentary rocks formed in a dominantly volcanic regime. The most important requirements of the volcanic-associated class of deposits are that penecontemporaneous volcanism must have accompanied the formation of the deposits, and that volcanic rocks must comprise an essential part of the immediate stratigraphic sequence (Franklin et al., 1981).
Mending the Fractured Marketplace

As previous chapters have recounted, the market for tests has not only been expanding rapidly in recent decades, but also has been changing sharply in structure — into an increasingly fractured marketplace. In this concluding chapter, we describe the various ways in which the testing marketplace is fractured via a summary of the major points raised in previous chapters. Then we outline recent proposals for developing new national testing systems; for even as we have been writing this volume, unprecedented plans have been announced, and legislation proposed, to develop a national examination system employing “new” assessment methods. Finally, in the last portion of this concluding chapter we discuss various strategies for mending the fractured marketplace for tests and explain why proposals for a new national system of achievement tests, at least as embodied in current proposals, seem to us quite unlikely to produce results that are either highly valid from a measurement point of view or promising from the standpoint of improving teaching and learning.
The effects of outbreeding on a parasitoid wasp fixed for infection with a parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia symbiont.

Trichogramma wasps can be rendered asexual by infection with the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia. Previous studies indicate the Wolbachia strains infecting Trichogramma wasps are host-specific, inferred by failed horizontal transfer of Wolbachia to novel Trichogramma hosts. Additionally, Trichogramma can become dependent upon their Wolbachia infection for the production of female offspring, leaving them irreversibly asexual, further linking host and symbiont. We hypothesized Wolbachia strains infecting irreversibly asexual, resistant to horizontal transfer Trichogramma would show adaptation to a particular host genetic background. To test this, we mated Wolbachia-dependent females with males from a Wolbachia-naive population to create heterozygous wasps. We measured sex ratios and fecundity, a proxy for Wolbachia fitness, produced by heterozygous wasps, and by their recombinant offspring. We find a heterozygote advantage, resulting in higher fitness for Wolbachia, as wasps will produce more offspring without any reduction in the proportion of females. While recombinant wasps did not differ in total fecundity after 10 days, recombinants produced fewer offspring early on, leading to an increased female-biased sex ratio for the whole brood. Despite the previously identified barriers to horizontal transfer of Wolbachia to and from Trichogramma pretiosum, there were no apparent barriers for Wolbachia to induce parthenogenesis in these non-native backgrounds. This is likely due to the route of infection being introgression rather than horizontal transfer, and possibly the co-evolution of Wolbachia with the mitochondria rather than the nuclear genome. These results help to elucidate the mechanisms by which Wolbachia adapt to hosts and the evolution of host-symbiont phenotypes.
Future Cities: The Blue and Biophilic

We live on the blue planet and, increasingly, an urban planet. Yet we often don’t connect these realities. This chapter begins to explore these important blue–urban connections and argues that marine nature offers remarkable opportunities to promote wildness, health and healing, and a deeper sense of place. Blue cities can be biophilic cities. Cities around the world are beginning to seize these opportunities to overcome the “ocean blindness” that is a major obstacle to these city-ocean connections. Appreciation for nearby marine nature and wildness will continue to grow, and planning and design will increasingly reflect this.
Small sample confidence intervals for survival functions under the proportional hazards model

We develop a saddlepoint-based method for generating small sample confidence bands for the population surviival function from the Kaplan-Meier (KM), the product limit (PL), and Abdushukurov-Cheng-L...
Neural Correlates of Suicidality in Adolescents with Major Depression: Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Precuneus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex.

Objective Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors ("suicidality"). Of the three components of Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicide, two involve negatively valenced, self-related beliefs: perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. However, the neurocircuitry underlying self-processing and suicidality has not been fully explored. This study examined the association between suicidality and the neurocircuitry of regions relevant to self-referential processing in adolescents with depression. Method Fifty-eight adolescents underwent assessment and a resting-state fMRI scan. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses included two brain regions implicated in self-referential processing: precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Suicidality was measured using the Index of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms. While controlling for depression severity, we conducted whole-brain correlation analyses between suicidality and left and right precuneus and PCC connectivity maps. Results Suicidality was positively associated with RSFC between left precuneus and left primary motor and somatosensory cortices, and middle and superior frontal gyri. Suicidality was negatively associated with RSFC between left PCC and left cerebellum, lateral occipital cortex, and temporal-occipital fusiform gyrus. Conclusions Findings of hyperconnectivity stemming from the precuneus and hypoconnectivity from the PCC may reflect maladaptive self-reflection and mentalization. However, additional investigation is warranted to further clarify these relationships.
Big Data Analysis for Monitoring of Kick Formation in Complex Underwater Drilling Projects

AbstractOver the years, 33 incidents of offshore blowout during drilling have caused significant damage to life and property. This research suggests that field engineers could prevent offshore blow...
High Enrichment [ 13 C]-Labeling of Plants Grown Hydroponically from Seed to Seed in a Controlled 13 C-Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere Enclosure.

In vivo isotopic labeling empowers proteomic and metabolomic analyses to resolve relationships between the molecular composition, environment, and phenotype of an organism. Carbon-13 is particularly useful for plant labeling as it can be introduced via 13 CO2 gas and readily assimilated into plant metabolic systems through natural carbon fixation. While short-term labeling experiments can be performed within a simple sealed enclosure, long-term growth in an isolated environment raises many challenges beyond nutrient availability and buildup of metabolic waste. Viable growth conditions must be maintained by means that do not compromise the integrity of the carbon-13 enrichment. To address these issues, an automated growth chamber equipped with countermeasures to neutralize stresses and ensure high isotopic enrichment throughout the life cycle of the plant has been developed. The following describes this growth chamber and its use in an example 130-day growth of ten soybean plants to full maturity, achieving 100% carbon-13 enrichment of new seed tissue. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cell Wall Extensin Genes

Multicellular organisms are composed of coordinately regulated cells embedded in a secreted extracellular matrix. This secreted cell wall integrates the biophysical structure of groups of cells to form tissues, and regulates the growth and development of the entrapped cells by a variety of mechanisms. An excess of fixed carbon allowed plant cells to evolve walls with a high content of structural polysaccharides, the properties of which caused plants to evolve unique cellular strategies for regulating cell growth and development.
The Changing Landscape of Diabetes Therapy for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common cause of death in T2D. Despite improved risk factor control, however, adults with T2D continue to experience substantial excess CVD risk. Until recently, however, improved glycemic control has not been associated with robust macrovascular benefit. The advent of 2 new classes of antihyperglycemic agents, the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and their respective large cardiovascular outcome trials, has led to a paradigm shift in how cardiologists and heath care practitioners conceptualize T2D treatment. Herein, the authors review the recent trial evidence, the potential mechanisms of action of the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, safety concerns, and their use for the primary prevention of CVD as well as in diabetic patients with impaired renal function and heart failure.
Commonly used fluoroquinolones cross-react with urine drug screens for opiates, buprenorphine, and amphetamines.

Abstract Objectives Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are commonly used in the treatment of infections and have previously been confirmed to cross-react with previous generations of opiates immunoassays . In this work we evaluated the cross-reactivity of the three fluoroquinolones in use at our institution with a panel of 10 urine drug screens. Design and methods Drug preparations of levofloxacin , ciprofloxacin , and moxifloxacin that were designed for intravenous delivery were added to drug-free urine at varying concentrations. Spiked urine samples were screened for illicit and therapeutic drugs on an Abbott Architect c16000 automated chemistry analyzer. Percent cross-reactivity was calculated. Results Levofloxacin displayed clinically relevant cross-reactivity with the Abbott MULTIGENT opiates and Thermo CEDIA® buprenorphine immunoassays but did not cross-react with the Abbott MULTIGENT oxycodone or methadone immunoassays. Moxifloxacin displayed clinically relevant cross-reactivity only with the Abbott MULTIGENT amphetamine/methamphetamine assay. Ciprofloxacin did not cross-react with any of the 10 immunoassays. Conclusions This study demonstrates that levofloxacin cross-reacts with modern immunoassays for two related opioids (buprenorphine and morphine) and moxifloxacin cross-reacts with the amphetamine/methamphetamine assay. Urine concentrations of these fluoroquinolones that are consistent with therapeutic use produced results above commonly used-cutoffs for positivity. This underscores the necessity of confirmatory testing of presumptively positive urine drug screens.
Angry Hugs and Withheld Love: An Overview of Deceptive Affection

Though deception and affection are important messages to study on their own, what happens when they are combined in relationships? This chapter reviews research addressing these situations, termed deceptive affection. This occurs when a person expresses affection he or she is not genuinely or fully feeling at the moment, or when a person withholds expressing felt affection. This chapter overviews the process and reviews research exploring deceptive affection as maintenance along with potential risks. Recent applications to safer sex are discussed, along with potential theoretical explanations for how and why deceptive affection occurs. Given that this area of study is young, ideas for future research conclude this chapter.
Ecological collapse of Easter Island and the role of price fixing

Easter Island is extremely isolated, with a fascinating history of creative artistic engineering and enigmatic ecological collapse. A small initial population grew to a substantial and accomplished society, but deforestation led to a collapse of the ecosystem and drop in the human population. In this paper we review some of the factors that have been studied which may have contributed to the collapse. We show that the function for the harvesting rate is an important factor in the dynamics that can lead to total collapse of the resource. We show that harvesting rate functions that result in total collapse correspond to fixed prices of the resources. While we do not make definitive conclusions on how resources were managed by the specific population on Easter Island, we show how seemingly positive factors of free access and fixed prices can have detrimental unintended consequences.
Protection of Healthcare Information: Adding Cyber Resilience and Recovery

Healthcare Information is increasingly the target of criminal cyberattacks. Typical security approaches involve perimeter defenses like firewalls, detection, prevention, etc. These work some of the time, not all the time. Moving Target Defense (MTD) is a new approach to protecting systems. In this paper, we present one MTD approach called SCIT. MTD changes the attack surface and thus confuses the attacker.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Acute Care and Hospital Settings

Barriers to the pursuit of PsyR goals in a hospital setting are often formidable. The treatment values and assumptions within hospitals are very different from those of community settings. Traditionally, there have been significant restrictions on the freedom of choice of persons in psychiatric hospitals. An individual’s stay often begins involuntarily. By design and definition, they are rarely integrated with the community. Yet, in many places, psychiatric hospitals remain a critical part of the mental health service system. The people served in psychiatric hospitals are very often the same individuals who are served by PsyR in the community.
Progress of hemodynamic monitoring in neonates

To adapt the postnatal environment, a series of transformations occur to neonatal cardiovascular system after birth.Due to the complexity and variability in this period, many physiological changes and mechanisms are not clear yet.The ideal hemodynamic monitoring should provide non-invasive, continuous, real-time and accurate monitoring of cardiac output, level of tissue perfusion, microcirculation and tissue oxygen transportation, and get complex physiological data, which will provide help for treatments of neonates individually. Key words: Neonate; Hemodynamics; Monitor; Cardiac output
Comparison of cricket diet with peanut-based and milk-based diets in the recovery from protein malnutrition in mice and the impact on growth, metabolism and immune function

Some evidence suggests that edible insects could be used to treat malnutrition following protein deficiency. However, additional studies are needed to better assess the potential of edible insects as a therapeutic food supplement and their long-term impact on recovery from malnutrition. The goals of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of a cricket-based diet in recovery from protein-malnutrition in early life, and to compare cricket protein to more traditional sources used for food fortification and supplementation. Protein-malnutrition was induced by administration of an isocaloric hypoprotein diet (5% protein calories) in young male mice for two weeks during puberty, followed by a six-week recovery period using a cricket-, peanut- or milk-based diet. We examined the impact of protein-malnutrition and subsequent recovery on body weight, growth and select biomarkers of inflammation and metabolism. Protein-malnutrition resulted in growth retardation, downregulation of inflammatory markers in spleen tissue, decreased levels of serum triglycerides, and elevated serum levels of leptin and adiponectin. The cricket-based diet performed equally well as the peanut- and milk-based diets in body weight recovery, but there were differences in immune and metabolic markers among the different recovery diets. Results suggest edible crickets may provide an alternative nutrient-dense protein source with relatively low environmental demands for combating the effects of early-life malnutrition compared to more traditional supplementation and fortification sources. Additional investigations are needed to examine the short and long term impacts of different recovery diets on metabolism and immune function.
A case report of abdominal sponge in ileum in a patient with intestinal obstruction

Abstract A 36-year-old woman presented in the emergency department of East Surgical Ward of MAYO Hospital Lahore, Pakistan, in August 2019 with compliant of abdominal pain and vomiting for the past five days. The patient had a history of three Caesarean sections, the last one three years back. Off and on, she experienced abdominal pain and distension which was relieved after taking local medicines. She had no comorbid conditions and her baseline investigations were normal. On examination she had tachycardia with pulse 110/min and her whole abdomen was tender with exaggerated bowel sounds. X ray of the abdomen showed multiple air fluid levels in the small intestine. Exploration plan was made; a distended segment of ileum was later found to have abdominal sponge inside its lumen. Continuous...
Comparison of Center of Gravity Height Estimation Methods

Well established vehicle models and simulation methods are more and more important in nowadays technical evolution. With the rise of learning-based techniques in self driving car research, simulated environments have rising importance.
The Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Better Reflects the Impact of Length of Stay and the Occurrence of Complications Within 90 Days Than Legacy Outcome Measures for Lumbar Degenerative Surgery

ABSTRACT Background: The Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and legacy outcome measures like the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) have not been compared for their sensitivity in reflecting the impact of perioperative complications and length of stay (LOS) in a surgical thoracolumbar population. The purpose of this study is to assess the strength of PROMIS and ODI scores as they correlate with LOS and complication outcomes of surgical thoracolumbar patients. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Included: patients ≥18 years undergoing thoracolumbar surgery with available preoperative and 3-month postoperative ODI and PROMIS scores. Pearson correlation assessed the linear relationships between LOS, complications, and scores for PROMIS (physical function, pain intensity, pain interference) and ODI. Linear regression predicted the relationship between complication incidence and scores for ODI and PROMIS. Results: Included: 182 patients undergoing thoracolumbar surgery. Common diagnoses were stenosis (62.1%), radiculopathy (48.9%), and herniated disc (47.8%). Overall, 58.3% of patients underwent fusion, and 50.0% underwent laminectomy. Patients showed preoperative to postoperative improvement in ODI (50.2 to 39.0), PROMIS physical function (10.9 to 21.4), pain intensity (92.4 to 78.3), and pain interference (58.4 to 49.8, all P Conclusions: PROMIS domains of physical function and pain interference better reflected perioperative complications and LOS than the ODI. These results suggest PROMIS may offer more utility as an outcomes assessment instrument. Level of Evidence: 3.
Improving Automated Insertion Task in Robotics by Reducing Registration Error

A peg-in-hole operation is representative of common tasks performed in assembly lines by robots. It requires registration of the coordinate frame where a part resides to the robot frame where it is acted upon. Poor registration causes misalignment of the peg and the hole which will result in a failed insertion of the peg. In this study, the dependence of the outcome of the insertion task on the quality of registration is investigated. It was shown in earlier studies that Restoring Rigid-Body Condition (RRBC) leads to decreased target registration error. This study quantifies the improvement in the Pass/Fail rate when the target registration error is reduced for a given peg-hole tolerance. A robot arm operated in position control mode was used to perform the insertion without performing any search algorithms or force/torque sensing. Results show that use of the RRBC method yielded substantial reduction in failed insertions, especially for tighter tolerances.
Special Education Funding and Teacher Turnover.

We exploit differences in state special education funding systems based on special education enrollment (‘bounty systems’) or on total student enrollment (‘census systems’) to assess whether fundin...
Mitochondrial UPR through generations.

Neuronal mitochondria perturbation elicits a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in peripheral tissues cell non-autonomously, dependent on the Wnt signalling pathway. A study now reveals that a Wnt-mediated increase in maternally inherited mitochondria DNA is responsible for transgenerational UPRmt induced by neuronal mitochondria perturbation.
Human genital antibody-mediated inhibition of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and evidence for ompA genotype-specific neutralization

The endocervix, the primary site of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection in women, has a unique repertoire of locally synthesized IgG and secretory IgA (SIgA) with contributions from serum IgG. Here, we assessed the ability of genital and serum-derived IgG and IgA from women with a recent positive Ct test to neutralize Ct elementary bodies (EBs) and inhibit inclusion formation in vitro in human endocervical epithelial cells. We also determined if neutralization was influenced by the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of the infecting strain, as indicated by ompA gene sequencing and genotyping. At equivalent low concentrations of Ct EB (D/UW-3/Cx + E/UW-5/Cx)-specific antibody, genital-derived IgG and IgA and serum IgA, but not serum IgG, significantly inhibited inclusion formation, with genital IgA being most effective, followed by genital IgG, then serum IgA. The well-characterized Ct genotype D strain, D/UW-3/Cx, was neutralized by serum-derived IgG from patients infected with genotype D strains, genital IgG from patients infected with genotype D or E strains, and by genital IgA from patients infected with genotype D, E, or F strains. Additionally, inhibition of D/UW-3/Cx infection by whole serum, rather than purified immunoglobulin, was associated with levels of serum EB-specific IgG rather than the genotype of infecting strain. In contrast, a Ct genotype Ia clinical isolate, Ia/LSU-56/Cx, was neutralized by whole serum in a genotype and genogroup-specific manner, and inhibition also correlated with EB-specific IgG concentrations in serum. Taken together, these data suggest that (i) genital IgA most effectively inhibits Ct infection in vitro, (ii) human antibody-mediated inhibition of Ct infection is significantly influenced by the ompA genotype of the infecting strain, (iii) the genital antibody repertoire develops or matures differently compared to systemic antibody, and (iv) ompA genotype-specificity of inhibition of infection by whole serum can be overcome by high concentrations of Ct-specific IgG.
Minimal Viable IO drivers for TrustZone.

While TrustZone can isolate IO hardware, it lacks drivers for modern IO devices. Rather than porting drivers, we propose a novel approach to deriving minimum viable drivers: developers exercise a full driver and record the driver/device interactions; the processed recordings, dubbed driverlets, are replayed in the TEE at run time to access IO devices. Driverlets address two key challenges: correctness and expressiveness, for which they build on a key construct called interaction template. The interaction template ensures faithful reproduction of recorded IO jobs (albeit on new IO data); it accepts dynamic input values; it tolerates nondeterministic device behaviors. We demonstrate driverlets on a series of sophisticated devices, making them accessible to TrustZone for the first time to our knowledge. Our experiments show that driverlets are secure, easy to build, and incur acceptable overhead (1.4x -2.7x compared to native drivers). Driverlets fill a critical gap in the TrustZone TEE, realizing its long-promised vision of secure IO.
Gillette Site (39ST23), Oahe Reservoir, South Dakota

Fieldwork at the Gillette Site primarily cons is ted of the partial excavation ofthreecircular houses, across section of a fortification ditch, and the removal of a buriaL The latest occupation, Co...