cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Managerial Response to E-WOM on Consumer Attitude

There is limited systematic research on managerial response strategies to online consumer complaints and negative e-WOM. In this paper, we synthesize equity theory, service recovery theory and observational learning theory to develop our theoretical model that explores the mechanism through which online consumer complaints influences consumer attitudes and the mechanisms through which managerial responses can alter these influences. We test our model using data from TripAdvisor.com—a leading travel review platform. Using advanced text analytics we extract and code the variables in our model from the reviews and the managerial responses to these reviews in Tripadvisor.com.
stm: An R Package for Structural Topic Models

This paper demonstrates how to use the R package stm for structural topic modeling. The structural topic model allows researchers to flexibly estimate a topic model that includes document-level metadata. Estimation is accomplished through a fast variational approximation. The stm package provides many useful features, including rich ways to explore topics, estimate uncertainty, and visualize quantities of interest.
Advances in Missing Data Models and Fidelity Issues of Implementing These Methods in Prevention Science

Data analysis with incomplete data is common in prevention research. Appropriate applications of methods to handle missing data can be critical to ensuring unbiased parameter estimates, as well as maintaining optimal efficiency in parameter estimates. The primary challenge for researchers concerns the particular analytic method that is deemed necessary for data analysis, such as ANOVA, and the source or mechanism that gave rise to the missing data. That is, different analytic methods make different requirements of the data (e.g., analysis of variance requires complete data), and along with these requirements are specific assumptions about the source of the missing data. Careful planning of research studies if missing data are anticipated can greatly reduce the adverse effects of missing data and improve statistical inference. This chapter presents methods for handling missing data and considers their applications in the planning stages of prevention studies.
Protein-Based Hydrogels for Cell Transplantation under Constant Physiological Conditions

A promising treatment for multiple neurological disorders including stroke, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s is the transplantation of stem cells into the diseased site to promote regeneration of the neural tissue. However, viability of transplanted cells is often low (15-35%) and unpredictable. Cell viability has been directly correlated with functional outcome of the treatment, motivating the development of more reliable cell transplantation procedures. To protect transplanted cells from shear stress during injection and from the hostile, inflammatory environment of the diseased brain tissue, many research groups are exploring physical hydrogels as a protective, growth-permissive matrix to enhance cell viability. However, physical hydrogels require an environmental trigger to induce gelation. These environmental triggers include sudden changes in temperature, pH, or salt concentration - all of which are detrimental to encapsulated cells and proteins and complicate their use in a clinical environment. To address this need, we have designed a two-component, protein-based hydrogel system that can self-assemble under constant physiological conditions. Both components of the hydrogel system are created using recombinant protein technology, which allows synthesis of exact monomer sequences within monodisperse polymers. The first hydrogel component is a block copolymer made of several repeats of a peptide sequence encoding the WW domain-fold, a short triple-stranded, anti-parallel, beta-sheet. The WW domains are interspersed with a random-coil, hydrophilic spacer to enhance polymer flexibility and solubility. The second hydrogel component is made of several repeats of a polyproline rich peptide sequence interspersed with a random-coil, hydrophilic spacer. Upon mixing the two hydrogel components together, the WW-domains in component 1 and the polyproline rich peptides in component 2 bind together with 1:1 stoichiometry. This binding has an apparent association constant of 2.2×105 M, as measured by isothermal titration calorimetry. This peptide-binding event serves as the physical crosslinks to form a polymeric network composed of the two components. Because gelation is initiated by simply mixing the two components together at physiological pH, temperature, and ionic strength, this system is highly biocompatible and easy to use. Furthermore, the precision of protein engineering allows both components to be easily modified. For example, increasing the length of the hydrophilic spacers will increase the resulting network pore size. Additionally, bioactive peptide sequences, such as the RGD cell-binding domain, have been introduced into the hydrophilic spacers to modify cell-scaffold interactions. Our long-term objective is to design a self-assembling hydrogel system for cell delivery that will both improve cell viability and mimic many of the essential cues in the developmental niche to encourage cell differentiation and outgrowth.
The Space Shuttle's Commercial Potential: A Retrospective Analysis

As crewed spaceflight in the United States transitions from government monopoly to commercial enterprise, a review of the Space Shuttle—the world’s first “commercial” spacecraft—can provide a number of “lessons learned” to today’s aerospace companies. The space shuttle failed to meet its commercial potential for five primary, inter-related actions and assumptions: (1) a flawed economic analysis during initial development wrongly inflated economic expectations; (2) poorly defined partnerships and (3) fluctuating design requirements delayed schedule and drove cost upwards; (4) and a rigid focus on reducing fixed costs led to a substantial increase in recurring costs, which could not be offset by (5) the shuttle’s low launch rate. This paper reviews these five actions/assumptions, places them in historical context, and attempts to derive a set of “lessons learned” for future commercial space ventures.
Preservice Special and General Educators’ Knowledge of Inclusion

In this article, the authors report findings from a self-report survey completed by 125 preservice elementary, secondary, and special education teachers. The purpose of the study was to identify aspects of university coursework and assigned field experiences that contribute to their ability to define, identify, and implement inclusion. Results indicated a lack of consistency across teacher preparation programs within one college and a disconnectness between knowledge of inclusion as presented through university coursework and students’ real-world field experience observations of inclusion. Preservice special educators’ perceived lack of confidence in their ability to implement inclusion in practice was also noted in the analysis of results. The article also addresses implications of the findings for teacher education programs.
Ultrastable Atomic Force Microscopy: Improvements in Stability, Bandwidth and Force Precision

Atomic force microscopy enables exciting studies of single molecules. I will discuss a number of technical improvements to bioAFM, including adding two lasers to dramatically reduced positional drift of the tip relative to the surface. Article not available.
An Evaluation of the CDC’s Community-Based Breastfeeding Supplemental Cooperative Agreement: Reach, Strategies, Barriers, Facilitators, and Lessons Learned

Background:Community-based organizations (CBOs) have an important role to play in promoting breastfeeding continuation among mothers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Program’s Cooperative Agreement Breastfeeding Supplement funded 6 state health departments to support CBOs to implement community-based breastfeeding support activities.Objectives:Study objectives were to (1) describe the reach of the Cooperative Agreement, (2) describe breastfeeding support strategies implemented by state health departments and CBOs, and (3) understand the barriers and facilitators to implementing community-based breastfeeding support strategies.Methods:Qualitative and quantitative data were abstracted from state health departments’ final evaluation reports. Qualitative data were analyzed for common themes using deductive and inductive approaches.Results:Within the 6 states funded by the Cooperative Agreement, 66 primary CBOs implemented breastfeeding support strateg...
Advancing PMTCT Implementation Through Scientific Research: A Vital Agenda for Combating the Global AIDS Epidemic in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

To address the implementation challenges associated with PMTCT interventions and to support progress toward “virtual elimination” of pediatric HIV we formed the NIHPEPFAR Implementation Science Alliance. Through the Alliance NIH and PEPFAR convened implementation scientists PMTCT implementers (including PEPFAR in-country staff) and in-country policy makers for 4 meetings between 2013 and 2015. The Alliance is grounded in a shared mission to maximize public health outcomes by scaling up interventions in strategic and targeted ways and provides a unique platform for exchange of ideas and learning to enhance the evidence base for translating effective PMTCT interventions into community- and population-level services and programs. The articles in this special issue report on the collective learning of the Alliance and important results from implementation science studies -- information that will help to move us closer to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV in areas with the highest burden. (Excerpt) Copyright: 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health.
Forging States of Belonging: Migrant Memory, Nation, and Subjectivity in Meena Alexander's Memoir Fault Lines

(2006). Forging States of Belonging: Migrant Memory, Nation, and Subjectivity in Meena Alexander's Memoir Fault Lines. South Asian Review: Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 93-115.
Biocatalysis for Chiral Synthesis

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the recent developments of whole-cell and isolated enzymes in chiral synthesis. Hydrolases are predominant biocatalysts used for chiral synthesis due to its wide availability, ease of use, and high compatibility with organic solvents. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in using biocatalysis for chiral synthesis. Heterologous expression, directed evolution, and metabolic engineering have become indispensable tools in developing enzyme and whole-cell catalysts. Great strides have been made in solving several long-standing problems, such as cofactor regeneration. An important whole-cell biocatalysis issue, the slower reaction rate rooted in the limited substrate permeability in whole-cell biocatalysis, is being addressed using molecular engineering approaches. The challenges ahead are to shorten the time required for biocatalyst development and process development to the level comparable to a typical chemical catalysis process. It is expected that the increasing use of high-throughput technology, embracing various bioinformatics tools made available only recently, and advances in the understanding of enzymatic catalysis mechanisms, protein structure and function relationships, and the fundamentals of metabolic pathways and regulation bring about more widespread use of biocatalysts in chiral synthesis.
The Impact of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Post-treatment Sexual Dysfunction on Quality of Life

There is little doubt that prostate cancer is a significant public health burden. The malignancy continues to be the most common solid tumor among American men and the second leading cause of cancer death (1). However, not all prostate malignancies are deadly and, in fact, a significant number of newly detected prostate tumors are “overdiagnosed” (2). In other words, had the patient never been screened for prostate cancer, he never would have known he had the disease and, more importantly, he never would have suffered any clinical sequelae from the tumor. This observation, coupled with the fact that, to date, there are no adequately sized randomized clinical trials documenting that one active therapy is superior to another in terms of overall or disease-specific survival, has caused patients and providers to strongly consider quality of life when choosing therapy for prostate cancer. In fact, some studies have shown that survivors value quality of life to a much greater degree than the impact of treatment on survival when choosing therapy for localized prostate cancer (3). To this end, it is critical to understand both the effect of the diagnosis of prostate cancer on quality of life and also the impact of sexual dysfunction on quality of life in men with this disease. The goal of this chapter is to review the effect of prostate cancer diagnosis and post-treatment sexual dysfunction on quality of life.
The impaired anesthesiologist: what you should know about substance abuse

Despite our considerable experience with the problem of addiction in our specialty, most anesthesia care providers don’t know how to identify or help an impaired colleague. The purpose of this article to provide sufficient information on substance use disorder (SUD) to aid in its identification amongst colleagues and to assist in its management. Depending on the region, 10-15% of the general population is prone to developing a SUD and will abuse drugs or alcohol at some point in their life. Physicians and other healthcare professionals are not immune to the disease of addiction and are just as prone to developing SUD as laypersons. Even so, the risk of mortality is significantly increased because of access to potent and highly addictive anesthetic agents with a narrow therapeutic index when self-administered. Also, the number of anesthesia residents who are identified as having SUD is currently increasing. Due to the considerable morbidity and mortality associated with the abuse of anesthetic agents as well as the continuous increase in the rate of substance abuse by anesthesia providers, it is essential for anesthesia care providers to become familiar with the presenting signs and symptoms of substance abuse and impairment.
Familial Hyperparathyroidism: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Types II and I; Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia; Hyperparathyroidism-Jaw Tumor Syndrome

Familial hyperparathyroidism occurs in a handful of genetic syndromes including Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) type 1 and 2A, Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia (FHH), and Hyperparathyroidism-Jaw Tumor Syndrome (HPT-JT). MEN 1 is characterized by a loss of function in the tumor suppressor gene, Menin, whereas MEN 2 is characterized by a gain of function mutation in the RET proto-oncogene. FHH is characterized by mutations that alter the calcium-sensing receptor in the kidney and parathyroid glands, resulting in mild hypercalcemia and elevated PTH levels. HPT-JT is characterized by hereditary predisposition to jaw tumors and benign and malignant tumors of the parathyroids. All four syndromes are autosomal dominant, with variable penetrance of degree of clinical hyperparathyroidism. Each of these disorders requires careful evaluation, diagnostic testing, genetic analysis, and potentially, surgical management.
Comparison of Hydrochloride and Carbonated Salts of Lidocaine for Epidural Analgesia

A double blind comparison of lumbar epidural 1.73% lidocaine carbonate and 2% lidocaine hydrochloride was performed in 32 patients aged 19-75 years. Where possible, the injections were made at the third lumbar interspace; the remaining few were made at the second interspace. The local anesthetic was injected directly through the needle. Measurements of sensory and motor blockade were done at 1-2 minute intervals beginning after the completion of the injection. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of plasma lidocaine levels prior to the injection of local anesthetic, then at 5-minute intervals for the first 20 minutes and then at 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Carbonated lidocaine achieved faster onset and faster maximum spread than the hydrochloride salt. This effect was most dramatic in the L5-S1 dermatomes (p
Gas Phase Atomic Hydrogen Induced Carbon−Carbon Bond Activation in Cyclopropane on the Ni(100) Surface

Carbon−carbon bond activation in adsorbed cyclopropane is observed following exposure to gas phase atomic hydrogen on the Ni(100) surface for temperatures as low as 100 K. Exposure to either gas phase atomic hydrogen or deuterium results in formation of adsorbed propyl. In both cases subsequent reaction between adsorbed propyl and coadsorbed hydrogen/deuterium produces propane at 121 K. The activation of a single C−C bond in adsorbed cyclopropane dominates as indicated by the fact that propane is the only product observed. No multiple C−C bond activation which would result in methane or ethane formation was ever observed. These reactions and their mechanisms have been investigated using temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) and vibrational spectroscopy using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). The reactivities of hydrogen and deuterium were indistinguishable during these experiments so we have used the generic term hydrogen or gas phase atomic hydrogen to describe the reactions of ...
Microglial-specific transcriptome changes following chronic alcohol consumption

Microglia are fundamentally important immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS) that respond to environmental challenges to maintain normal physiological processes. Alterations in steady-state cellular function and over-activation of microglia can facilitate the initiation and progression of neuropathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Major Depressive Disorder. Alcohol consumption disrupts signaling pathways including both innate and adaptive immune responses that are necessary for CNS homeostasis. Coordinate expression of these genes is not ascertained from an admixture of CNS cell-types, underscoring the importance of examining isolated cellular populations to reveal systematic gene expression changes arising from mature microglia. Unbiased RNA-Seq profiling was used to identify gene expression changes in isolated prefrontal cortical microglia in response to recurring bouts of voluntary alcohol drinking behavior. The voluntary ethanol paradigm utilizes long-term consumption ethanol that results in escalated alcohol intake and altered cortical plasticity that is seen in humans. Gene coexpression analysis identified a coordinately regulated group of genes, unique to microglia, that collectively are associated with alcohol consumption. Genes within this group are involved in toll-like receptor signaling and transforming growth factor beta signaling. Network connectivity of this group identified Siglech as a putative hub gene and highlighted the potential importance of proteases in the microglial response to chronic ethanol. In conclusion, we identified a distinctive microglial gene expression signature for neuroimmune responses related to alcohol consumption that provides valuable insight into microglia-specific changes underlying the development of substance abuse, and possibly other CNS disorders.
Do legislative procedures affect tax expenditures

Legislative procedures that expose tax expenditure proposals to scrutiny outside the taxation committees can improve a state legislature’s ability to control its tax base. These procedures -- fiscal notes, special subcommittees, joint taxation and spending committees, and bill size C move decisions away from the exclusive control of committees whose interests may be more narrow than the interests of the legislature as a whole. Strong legislative procedures do not, and should not, eliminate the passage of new tax exemptions, but it is desirable to enact only exemptions that match major policy objectives. Several factors, including an important economic special interest, a tax rate increase, or a major shift in intergovernmental fiscal relations, can boost an exemption past even the strongest procedures. Procedures appear to be most effective in limiting exemptions with a relatively small fiscal effect.
Calcium sensitivity is modified by contraction.

This paper summarizes three lines of experimental evidence showing that crossbridge interaction affects calcium sensitivity and probably also affects calcium binding. Evidence is presented that this is a true hysteresis, not just a slow approach to equilibrium. 1) In barnacle single muscle fibers injected with aequorin to monitor Intracellular Ca, a long duration stimulus under voltage clamp conditions can produce a long duration calcium transient and force record which both approach steady levels. However, if the stimulus is briefly elevated to transiently produce a higher force early in the contraction, the same steady state Ca level can eventually maintain a higher steady force. Thus Ca sensitivity is modified. 2) In “skinned” barnacle muscle activated by Ca in the presence of buffered Ca, MgATP, and pH, force was measured in split, detergent treated fiber while it was transferred consecutively between solutions which were relaxing, submaximal contracting, maximal contracting, the same submaximal contracting, and finally relaxing. The submaximal contracting solution produced more force when stepping down in Ca concentration (as in relaxation) than when stepping up. Extending the time in the initial submaximal contracting solution did not result in more force. Thus, the force-pCa relationship shows marked hysteresis. The same phenomenon was seen in frog and mammalian muscle fibers. These experiments confirm the findings that contraction modifies Ca sensitivity. 3) In the barnacle single muscle fiber preparation (under both voltage clamp and controlled length conditions), phasic (400 msec) depolarization leads to a calcium transient and a twitch contraction. Releasing the muscle to allow it to shorten rapidly during the declining phase of the calcium transient causes the force to fall and leads to extra Ca in the sarcoplasm. Rapidly stretching the muscle produces the opposite effect. The extra Ca probably comes from a myofilament Ca activating site. Thus, a length change (force change) affects Ca binding.
Scoring reliability of the multiple sleep latency test in a clinical population.

Study Objectives: To determine intrarater and interrater scoring reliability of the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) in a population of sleep clinic patients. Design: N/A Setting: Urban sleep center. Patients: 200 consecutive sleep center patients (diagnoses included: obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, periodic-limb-movement, and individuals with no diagnosis). Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: MSLTs were recorded and scored according to standard clinical procedures. One of four clinical polysomnographers and one of seven polysomnographic technologists scored each MSLT. All MSLTs were then rescored by the same polysomnographer. The intrarater reliability coefficient for mean MSLT score was .87 and interrater reliability was .90. Coefficients for the mean number of REM onsets during the MSLT were .81 for intrarater and .88 for interrater reliability. Intrarater and interrater agreement (kappa coefficients) for the presence of at least one REM onset during the MSLT was .78 and .86, respectively. For the presence of greater than one REM onset, a kappa of .78 was obtained for intrarater agreement and .91 for interrater agreement. Conclusions: The clinical MSLT displays excellent interrater and intrarater reliability estimates for both sleep latency and REM onset scores in a sleep-disordered population.
Structural Stability and Virtual Team Performance

This study examines how relational instability and stability-seeking behaviors of unstable virtual teams affects team performance. We apply Structural Stability Theory (Heider, 1946) to understand virtual team (VT) performance. Structural stability theory provides for quantification of relational stability within a VT by measuring the mathematical properties of links between nodes in a team. Lack of stability is a source of unresolved tension. Structural Stability Theory (SST) states that unstable relationships are motivated to seek stability. Stability can be positive or negative, where certain members of a group are disliked by others. However, structural stability suggests the absence of turbulence within the relational dynamics of the group; that relationships are settled good or bad. We propose that the degree of structural stability within a group measures unresolved relational tension within the group and may impact VT performance.
43 – Effect of Gender on Pancreatic Disease

This chapter discusses pancreatic lesions that occur more frequently in men or women, evaluates the mechanisms by which they occur, and reviews their clinical course and therapy. Sex steroid hormones (SSH) including estrogens, progestagens, and androgens are responsible for sexual differentiation, and their major target organs are the mammary glands, urogenital tract, bone, cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Epidemiologic, clinical, and biochemical findings have shown the relationship between gender and prevalence of some tumors of the pancreas, the effect of pregnancy on insulin and glucose metabolism, and the identification of SSH receptors in pancreatic tissue. The study of gender-specific pancreatic lesions provides clues regarding their origin, development, tumoral behavior, prognosis, and more specific hormonal therapy. The varying effects of sex steroid hormones (SSH) in development and growth of pancreatic neoplasms may be related to the mechanism affecting carcinogenesis, and may be multifactorial and/or different for each hormone. Clinical trials designed to evaluate the response of cancer of the pancreas to hormonal therapy have been inconclusive.
Glass Structure Controls Crystal Polymorph Selection in Vapor-Deposited Films of 4,4′-Bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1′-biphenyl

Glasses of a common OLED host material, 4,4′-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1′-biphenyl or CBP, were prepared by vapor deposition at various substrate temperatures. Consistent with previous work, the substrate temperature during deposition controls the anisotropic structure of the glass. Crystal growth at the free surface of CBP was very fast and was eliminated by covering the free surface with a thin overlayer of vapor-deposited tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3). It was observed that vapor-deposited glasses of CBP with an overlayer crystallized into either the α or γ polymorph, depending on the glass structure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that two glasses of the same organic compound, subjected to the same annealing conditions, grow crystals of different polymorphs. The α polymorph exhibited a fine-grained morphology, reminiscent of previous studies on glass-crystal (GC) growth, while the γ polymorph exhibited dendritic growth. Crystals of both polymorphs grew rapidly below ...
Rolling Bearing Diagnosis Based on CNN-LSTM and Various Condition Dataset

Flaking is typical failure mode in rolling bearings. Therefore, flaking diagnosis plays a critical role in condition monitoring of general rotating machinery. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in deep learning technique for bearing flaking diagnosis, because it can learn the flaking induced vibration features with no information of bearing specifications nor that of rotating speed. However, most of the studies have only focused on laboratory data using one test rig as well as a small dataset under the limited operating condition. Accordingly, no discussion has been found on the generalization performance of the diagnostic model, i.e., availability for actual rotating machinery, in which vibration feature is affected by various operating conditions and unknown disturbance. In this study, more than 21,000 timeseries waveforms of normal and bearing flaking induced machine vibration were prepared from three types of test rig and three bearing types under various operating condition. And deep learning such as Convolutional Neural Network - Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) models were applied to recognize flaking bearing vibration. The applied models trained with various condition data showed higher accuracy of various condition test data diagnosis than other models trained using single condition data. Furthermore, the applied diagnostic models also showed less accuracy degradation for test data in which additional artificial noise was imposed, than the models trained with single condition data.
Orbital-free density functional theory correctly models quantum dots when asymptotics, nonlocality, and nonhomogeneity are accounted for

Million-atom quantum simulations are in principle feasible with orbital-free density functional theory (OF-DFT) because the algorithms only require simple functional minimizations with respect to the electron density function. In this context, OF-DFT has been useful for simulations of warm dense matter, plasma, cold metals, and alloys. Unfortunately, systems as important as quantum dots and clusters (having highly inhomogeneous electron densities) still fall outside OF-DFT's range of applicability. In this Rapid Communication, we make considerable progress in addressing this century old problem by devising and implementing an accurate, transferable, and universal family of nonlocal noninteracting kinetic energy density functionals that feature correct asymptotics and can handle highly inhomogeneous electron densities. We show that OF-DFT achieves close to chemical accuracy for the electronic energy and reproduces the electron density to about 5% of the benchmark for semiconductor quantum dots and metal clusters. Therefore, this work shows that OF-DFT can reliably simulate systems with highly inhomogeneous electron density, such as clusters and quantum dots, with applicability to the rational design of materials.
Myeloma Growth Kinetics: Potential Applications of Flow Cytometry

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses myeloma growth kinetics and presents potential applications of flow cytometry (FCM). Myeloma cells can be identified by their surface and intracytoplasmic monoclonal immunoglobulins, by their abnormal DNA content, and potentially they could also be identified by flow cytometric measurement of RNA or protein, either as a single parameter or perhaps more effectively by simultaneous dual parameter measurement. FCM has provided a way to quantify other cellular components such as immunoglobulin receptors using fluoresceinated antibodies. Myeloma cells are unique in that they have intracytoplasmic and membrane monoclonal immunoglobulins. They are also often aneuploid and, therefore, may have abnormal DNA contents. RNA and protein content are also frequently abnormal. FCM enables the measurement of any combination of these characteristics to be made simultaneously on each cell at rates up to 5,000 cells per second. Thus, multiparameter analysis by flow systems could be particularly suitable for the study of multiple myeloma. Specific applications of FCM include the analysis and detection of aneuploidy; the analysis of proliferative characteristics and changes in these characteristics after drug perturbation; and the analysis of abnormal amounts of immunoglobulin, RNA, or total protein per cell before and after perturbation.
A Meta-Analysis of Emerging Infomediary Knowledge Management Systems: An Expert Systems Application in the E-Tailing Environment

Infomediaries provide online retailers or e-tailers with knowledge management systems (KMS), thus serving industry groups rather than the KMS needs of one organization. Of the three main organizati...
Group B rotavirus encodes a functional fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) protein

ABSTRACT Rotavirus is an important cause of diarrheal disease in young mammals. Group A rotavirus (RVA) causes most human rotavirus diarrheal disease and primarily affects infants and young children. Group B rotavirus (RVB) has been associated with sporadic outbreaks of human adult diarrheal disease. RVA and RVB are predicted to encode mostly homologous proteins but differ significantly in the proteins encoded by the NSP1 gene. In the case of RVB, the NSP1 gene encodes two putative protein products of unknown function, NSP1-1 and NSP1-2. We demonstrate that human RVB NSP1-1 mediates syncytia formation in cultured human cells. Based on sequence alignment, NSP1-1 from groups B, G, and I contain features consistent with fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins, which have previously been identified in other Reoviridae viruses. Like some other FAST proteins, RVB NSP1-1 is predicted to have an N-terminal myristoyl modification. Addition of an N-terminal FLAG peptide disrupts NSP1-1-mediated fusion, consistent with a role for this fatty-acid modification in NSP1-1 function. NSP1-1 from a human RVB mediates fusion of human cells but not hamster cells and, thus, may serve as a species tropism determinant. NSP1-1 also can enhance RVA replication in human cells, both in single-cycle infection studies and during a multi-cycle time course in the presence of fetal bovine serum, which inhibits rotavirus spread. These findings suggest potential yet untested roles for NSP1-1 in RVB species tropism, immune evasion, and pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE While group A rotavirus is commonly associated with diarrheal disease in young children, group B rotavirus has caused sporadic outbreaks of adult diarrheal disease. A major genetic difference between group A and B rotaviruses is the NSP1 gene, which encodes two proteins for group B rotavirus. We demonstrate that the smaller of these proteins, NSP1-1, can mediate fusion of cultured human cells. Comparison with viral proteins of similar function provides insight into NSP1-1 domain organization and fusion mechanism. Our findings are consistent with an important role for a fatty acid modification at the amino terminus of the protein in mediating its function. NSP1-1 from a human virus mediates fusion of human cells, but not hamster cells, and enhances rotavirus replication in culture. These findings suggest potential, but currently untested, roles for NSP1-1 in RVB species tropism, immune evasion, and pathogenesis.
Temporal variations in plant and soil characteristics following strip-till manure application

Utilizing manure as a cost-effective plant nutrient source under dryland farming is often undermined by transportation and application costs of large quantities of manure. Reducing application quantities by applying manure only to the strip-till (ST) zone also may help reduce possible eutrophication and nitrate contamination of ground and surface water. A 3-yr study conducted at New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM USA, compared the effectiveness of a one-time application of manure in the ST zone using dryland sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) as the test crop in four randomized complete blocks each year. Treatments were an ST control and manure rates [11 (Low (L)) and 22 (High (H)) Mg ha⁻¹] in combination with application techniques [surface (S) and 15 cm incorporation by ST (I)]. Significant treatment X year interactions existed (P ≤ 0.05) for sorghum biomass yield, tissue N and P, water-use efficiency (WUE) and the majority of residual soil characteristics with the H + I treatment consistently having greater results compared to the other treatments every year. The WUE for control, L + S, L + I, H + S, and H + I were 8.9, 9.9, 10.3, 11.7, and 13.9 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹, respectively, three years after the single manure application (P < 0.01, SEM = 0.674). Despite having the higher biomass yield and tissue N and P concentrations, H + I continued to show high residual soil N and P, even three years after the single manure application. Consequently, significant agricultural benefits from a one-time application of manure continued to be evident beyond a three-year period. Due to predominant semi-arid dryland conditions, the N and P runoff losses were not evident in this study.
Parallel Reachability in Almost Linear Work and Square Root Depth

In this paper we provide a parallel algorithm that given any n-node m-edge directed graph and source vertex s computes all vertices reachable from s with O(m) work and n^{1/2 + o(1)} depth with high probability in n. This algorithm also computes a set of O(n) edges which when added to the graph preserves reachability and ensures that the diameter of the resulting graph is at most n^{1/2 + o(1)}. Our result improves upon the previous best known almost linear work reachability algorithm due to Fineman [1] which had depth O(n^2/3). Further, we show how to leverage this algorithm to achieve improved distributed algorithms for single source reachability in the CONGEST model. In particular, we provide a distributed algorithm that given a n-node digraph of undirected hop-diameter D solves the single source reachability problem with O(n^1/2 + n^1/3+o(1) D^2/3) rounds of the communication in the congest~model with high probability in n. Our algorithm is nearly optimal whenever D = O(n^1/4-e) for any constant e > 0 and is the first nearly optimal algorithm for general graphs whose diameter is Ω(n^δ) for any constant δ.
The role of SRSF3 splicing factor in generating circular RNAs

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a novel class of non-coding RNAs that are emerging as potentially important regulators of gene expression. circRNAs are typically generated from host gene transcripts through a non-canonical back-splicing mechanism, whose regulation is still not well understood. To explore regulation of circRNAs in cancer, we generated sequence data from RNase R-resistant transcripts in human p493-6 B-lymphoid cells and identified thousands of novel as well as previously identified circRNAs. Approximately 40% of expressed genes generated a circRNA, with half of them generating multiple isoforms, suggesting the involvement of alternative back-splicing and regulatory RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). We observed that genes generating circRNAs with back-spliced exonic junctions were enriched for RBP recognition motifs, including multiple splicing factors, most notably SRSF3, a splicing factor known to promote exon inclusion. To test the role of SRSF3 role in circRNA production, we performed traditional RNA-seq in p493-6 B-lymphoid cells with and without SRSF3 knockdown, and identified 926 mRNA transcripts, whose canonical splicing was affected by SRSF3. We found that a subset (205) of these SRSF3 targets served as host transcripts for circRNA, suggesting that SRSF3 may regulate exon circularization. Since this splicing factor is deregulated in hematologic malignancies, we hypothesize that SRSF3-dependent circRNAs, similar to their mRNA counterparts, might contribute to the pathogenesis of lymphomas and leukemias.
Insulin Resistance in Pregnancy: Implications for Mother and Offspring

In normal pregnancy, maternal metabolism transforms to one characterized by insulin resistance (IR) to promote nutrient availability to the fetus while supporting maternal metabolic needs. The rising global epidemic of obesity and overweight now approaches 60%, and this has changed the landscape of the pregnancy phenotype. With pre-pregnancy obesity comes heightened IR and, when compounded by pregnancy-induced IR, the intrauterine environment becomes characterized by nutrient excess in the form of glucose, lipids, and amino acids in parallel with metabolic derangements, including inflammation and oxidative stress. When a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and excess gestational weight gain (GWG) are added, the maternal metabolome and microbiome are further altered. This chapter will provide a discussion of IR in pregnancy and its mechanisms, including genetic/epigenetic, cellular, metabolic, and lifestyle factors. Importantly, the implications of IR in pregnancy on maternal and offspring outcomes will be highlighted.
The Forces of Globalization

This chapter introduces the study, explaining the significance of the driving forces, principles, and major actors of globalization. The issue at stake is whether and how globalization influences domestic processes and how governments project authority at the international level. Kochtcheeva emphasizes the necessity of analyzing the manner and degree of Russia’s involvement with globalization, as well as how political, economic, and cultural facets of globalization manifest themselves. Russia’s adaptation to the forces of globalization, in essence Russia’s search for its place and role in the globalizing world, takes the form of a lengthy and controversial adjustment to the rapidly changing external environment in the context of domestic preferences and struggles. The chapter employs the views and observations by scholars from Russia and the West to present a multifaceted understanding of globalization.
Grant Report on Anxiety-CBT: Dimensional Brain Behavior Predictors of CBT Outcomes in Pediatric Anxiety †

In the following grant report, we describe initial and planned work supported by our National Institute of Mental Health R01-funded, Research Domain Criteria (RDoc) informed project, “Dimensional Brain Behavior Predictors of CBT Outcomes in Pediatric Anxiety”. This project examines response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in a large sample of anxiety-affected and low-anxious youth ages 7 to 18 years using multiple levels of analysis, including brain imaging, behavioral performance, and clinical measures. The primary goal of the project is to understand how brain-behavioral markers of anxiety-relevant constructs, namely acute threat, cognitive control, and their interaction, associate with CBT response in youth with clinically significant anxiety. A secondary goal is to determine whether child age influences how these markers predict, and/or change, across varying degrees of CBT response. Now in its fourth year, data from this project has informed the examination of (1) baseline (i.e., pre-CBT) anxiety severity as a function of brain-behavioral measures of cognitive control, and (2) clinical characteristics of youth and parents that associate with anxiety severity and/or predict response to CBT. Analysis of brain-behavioral markers before and after CBT will assess mechanisms of CBT effect, and will be conducted once the data collection in the full sample has been completed. This knowledge will help guide the treatment of clinically anxious youth by informing for whom and how does CBT work.
Excessive alcohol use and drug overdose deaths, New Mexico, 2015-2016.

Abstract Background Excessive alcohol use is an important component of a person’s risk for drug overdose death. But alcohol’s contribution to overdose death risk has not been well quantified. We aimed to quantify the role of excessive alcohol use, particularly as defined by a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ≥0.08 g/dL, in drug overdose deaths in New Mexico (NM). Methods The study was conducted in 2018. We abstracted death records (scene investigation, toxicology, pathology) for all drug overdose deaths in NM during 2015–2016, information on BAC, other indications of alcohol, risk factors, comorbidities, and drug type and linked this information with demographic characteristics on death certificates. A Poisson regression model was used to determine independent associations between decedents’ characteristics and alcohol involvement among drug overdose decedents. Results Approximately 18 % (n = 170) of the 946 drug overdose decedents in this study had a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dL. After adjustment, drug overdose decedents who were American Indian/Alaska Native or had a history of alcohol use disorder were more likely to have had a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dL at the time of death. However, decedents who had methamphetamine involved in their death or who had a history of diabetes, mental illness, or chronic pain were less likely to have a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dL at the time of death. Conclusions Nearly 1 in 5 overdose decedents had a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dL at the time of death, suggesting that evidence-based alcohol prevention strategies (e.g., increasing alcohol taxes, regulating alcohol outlet density) could reduce the risk of drug overdose death.
Re-pitching the tent sign: A case report

Abstract The tent sign is a subtle mammographic finding that is not well delineated in current literature. It refers to localized retraction of the breast parenchyma causing a characteristic inverted “V” shape, or tent sign. It can often be the only indication that an underlying malignancy exists. We present the case of a 50 year-old female who presented on screening mammogram with a tent sign with pathology yielding invasive carcinoma.
A Comparative Kinetic Study of Chalcopyrite Leaching Using Alternative Oxidants in Methanesulfonic Acid System

Methanesulfonic acid was proven to be an alternative lixiviant for copper leaching from chalcopyrite with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. Two alternative oxidants, dichromate and nitrate, were stu...
Root Dilatation Is More Malignant Than Ascending Aortic Dilation

Background Data from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection indicate that the guideline criterion of 5.5 cm for ascending aortic intervention misses many dissections occurring at sma...
Measuring Teachers’ Civic Online Reasoning in a MOOC with Virtual Simulations and Automated Feedback Systems

In an increasingly polarized digital landscape, evaluating online information has become a critical media literacy skill. Many individuals have difficulty distinguishing satirical from legitimate news sources [1]. One useful strategy is lateral reading, looking up information about a website or social media account in order to judge its credibility from an outside source [2]. We developed a short lateral reading task where we asked users to evaluate the trustworthiness of the satire account @GOPTeens and explain their response in a short text response. We developed a natural language processing classifier to detect whether users correctly identified the account as a satire account, which would indicate that they employed lateral reading to evaluate the trustworthiness of the account. This classifier examines a very specific case and the NLP classifier was highly accurate with a Macro F1 statistic of 0.96 (Overall Macro F1 = 0.96, Yes F1 = 0.99, No F1 = 0.94). In future work, we will employ the classifier to provide targeted feedback to users and will explore the effects of facilitative versus directive feedback on performance with lateral reading tasks.
The Hippocratic Oath and Principles of Medical Ethics

Corresponding author: Gilbert Berdine MD Contact Information: Gilbert.Berdine@ttuhsc.edu DOI: 10.12746/swrccc 2015.0309.115 The Hippocratic Oath is associated with the practice of medicine, but over time fewer medical graduates have taken any form of the Hippocratic Oath. As of 2006, the State University of New York Upstate Medical School in Syracuse was the only U.S. medical school that administered the classic version of the Hippocratic Oath to its graduates. The Hippocratic Oath has been revised to make it more acceptable to modern schools, but the medical profession no longer has a common set of promises that guide it. This article will look at the classic version of the Hippocratic Oath to see why it has been abandoned. Modern medical students wish to graduate into an ancient order of physicians, so they long for a solemn ceremony, but it is difficult to craft a solemn ceremony that remains agreeable to a diverse group of students.