cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T helper subset distribution changes with age and is influenced by IL-2 (LYM2P.724)

To better understand how aging impacts the immune response to influenza infection, we have examined CD4+ T helper (Th) subsets and how they are impacted by aging. Th cells are important for helping Ab production by B cells and are required for the generation of cytotoxic and memory CD8 + T cells. Influenza nucleoprotein (NP)-specific Th subsets can be distinguished by PSGL1 and Ly6C expression: PSGL1hiLy6Chi cells are terminally differentiated Th1 effectors; PSGL1hiLy6Clo cells are more memory-like; PSGL1loLy6Clo cells are mostly T follicular helper (Tfh)-like. With age, the proportion of PSGL1hiLy6Chi Th1 effectors is reduced and Tfh-like PSGL1loLy6Clo cells are increased both in naive mice and during infection. Additionally, Tfh cells (defined as CXCR5+PD-1+) are also increased with age. This change in subset distribution with age is also associated with a decrease in ex vivo IL-2 levels in aged animals. In order to further examine how IL-2 can impact subset distribution, an in vitro system was used in which CD4 T cells from young, middle aged and aged mice were cultured with anti-CD3/anti-CD28. Addition of exogenous IL-2 to Th cells from all age groups resulted in reduction of the PSGL1loLy6Clo Tfh population. Furthermore, blocking IL-2 with anti-CD25 Ab increased the PSGL1loLy6Clo Tfh population, regardless of age. Thus, the availability of IL-2, independent of aging, influences Th subset distribution and can account for the increase in Tfh with aging.
The role of dietary supplements in health. An overview in the United States.

Dietary supplements are in widespread use in the United States (Eisenberg et al., 1998). This use continues to grow as more and more people become concerned about their health care and turn to supplemental self-medication. Information on the supplement use comes from many sources but there are limited data that incorporate the reason for supplement selection and employ sampling techniques that are representative of the breadth and diversity of the United States’ population. Yet the widespread use of supplements cannot be ignored or disregarded by health care providers because choice and dose of supplements can directly impact other treatment regimes and nutrient bioavailability from food (Drew and Meyers, 1997; Ernst, 1998). This chapter will provide an overview of the history and current situation with dietary supplements in the United States including the role of the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Research data on selected botanical supplements commonly used by cancer patients will be reviewed. Finally, sources of information on botanical supplements will be provided.
Experimental demonstration of multicast in an optical-label switching router with mixed data rates of 10 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s

This paper experimentally demonstrates multicast packet forwarding in an optical-label switching router with mixed data rates of 10 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s. The demonstration employs multi-wavelength conversion in integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer with semiconductor optical amplifiers. (2 pages)
Abdominoscrotal hydrocele in childhood : report of four cases and review of the literature

Abdominoscrotal hydrocele is rare in adults and almost exceptional in children. The abdominal extension of the fluid collection may be properitoneal or retroperitoneal, and the processus vaginalis may be patent or obliterated. The pathogenesis is unclear. Pressure alone cannot explain this phenomenon, but may coexist with a preformed abnormality of the tunica vaginalis. The diagnosis should be suspected in the presence of a large hydrocele associated with an ipsilateral abdominal mass. Ultrasonography confirms the diagnosis with no need of other investigations. Complete surgical excision is preferable.
Pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance study of39K within Halobacteria

The39K contents of isolated pellets and supernatant solutions from suspensions ofHalobacterium halobium were studied at 21–22°C by pulsed NMR spectroscopy. The rates of transverse relaxation were measured directly from the free induction decay (FID). The rate of longitudinal relaxation was measured by studying the FID after pairs of pulses of approximately 90°. Care was exercised to minimize the effect of magnetic field inhomogeneity; its contribution to the FID was approximately 25–30 sec−1. The transverse relaxation process was found to consist of at least two components, whose rates were 321–449 sec−1 and 1,122–2,067 sec−1. In one preparation where the longitudinal relaxation process was studied, the data could be well fit to a single exponential relaxing at 253±33 (mean ±95% confidence limits) sec−1. Comparison of the relative intensities of the NMR signals with the results of atomic absorption photometric analyses indicated that the great bulk of the intracellular39K was detected by the NMR techniques used. The data obtained from the current NMR ofH. halobium are consistent with: (1) fractional binding of <3% of the total intracellular K+, (2) a small ordering factor characterizing all of the intracellular K+, or (3) some combination of the two.
Glycyrrhizin-induced inhibition of the pituitary-adrenal stress response.

Glycyrrhizin decreased the resistance of intact male mice to prolonged exposure to cold (8 hours at 5°C.) and it decreased the ability of intact male rats to mobilize glucose when subjected to 48 hours of fasting. It is suggested that glycyrrhizin, like desoxycorticosterone, depresses the output of ACTH.
Psychosocial Risk Factors and Coronary Artery Disease

For over 50 years, psychosocial factors have been implicated as important predictors of coronary artery disease (CAD). Animal studies have provided direct experimental evidence of the effect of social stress on coronary atherosclerosis, as well as the vital role of female sex hormones in cardioprotection. Laboratory studies in humans have also linked sympathetic activation during acute mental stress challenges to increased inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and myocardial ischemia. While chronic psychological stress remains difficult to define and measure in a consistent way, stress-related psychiatric disorders, especially depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are increasingly recognized as risk factors for CAD. The relationships between psychosocial risk factors and CAD are likely bidirectional; and the extent to which interventions targeting psychosocial risk factors reduce coronary risk remains an area of active investigation.
Assessing the Quality of Economic Evaluations of FDA Novel Drug Approvals: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically review and assess the quality of the novel drugs’ economic evaluation literature in print during the drugs’ early commercial availability following US regulatory approval. Data Sources: MEDLINE and the United Kingdom National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database were searched from 1946 through December 2011 for economic evaluations of the 50 novel drugs approved by the FDA in 2008 and 2009. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The inclusion criteria were English-language, peer-reviewed, original economic evaluations (cost-utility, cost-effectiveness, cost-minimization, and cost-benefit analyses). We extracted and analyzed data from 36 articles considering 19 of the 50 drugs. Two reviewers assessed each publication’s quality using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument and summarized study quality on a 100-point scale. Data Synthesis: Study quality had a mean of 70.0 ± 16.2 QHES points. The only study characteristics associated with QHES score (with P <...
Using behavior templates to design remotely executing agents for wireless clients

ReAgents are remotely executing agents derived from behavior templates that support wireless clients in Internet applications. A reAgent is essentially a "one-shot" mobile agent that acts as an extension of a client, dynamically launched by the client to run on its behalf at a remote, more advantageous, location. Templates simplify the programming of reAgents by transparently handling data migration for remote execution, supporting custom communication protocols between the client and agent, and providing a general interface for programmers to implement their application-specific customizing logic. This simplification is made possible by the identification of characteristic behaviors, i.e., common patterns of actions that exploit the ability to process and communicate remotely. Examples of such behaviors are filtering, encoding/decoding, monitoring, caching, and distribution/collation. In this paper, we identify and analyze a set of core characteristic behaviors, describe how to program reAgents using behavior templates, and show that the overhead of using reAgents is low and outweighed by its benefits.
Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Cyclohexane and Cyclohexene over Y-doped CeO2 Nanorods

The Y-doped and pure CeO2 nanorods were tested as dehydrogenation catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation of cyclohexene and cyclohexane. The dehydrogenation process involves a redox process and the increased amount of oxygen vacancies improved the catalytic activity. At a temperature as low as 150 °C, compared to the temperature of ~600 °C required for vanadium catalysts, the Y-doped CeO2 nanorods exhibits a cyclohexane conversion of ~20% with a product distribution for 38% cyclohexene, 11% benzene, 1% 1,3-cyclohexanediene and 50% combustion products.
Sonochemical Synthesis of a Zinc Oxide Core–Shell Nanorod Radial p–n Homojunction Ultraviolet Photodetector

We report for the first time on the growth of a homogeneous radial p–n junction in the ZnO core–shell configuration with a p-doped ZnO nanoshell structure grown around a high-quality unintentionally n-doped ZnO nanorod using sonochemistry. The simultaneous decomposition of phosphorous (P), zinc (Zn), and oxygen (O) from their respective precursors during sonication allows for the successful incorporation of P atoms into the ZnO lattice. The as-formed p–n junction shows a rectifying current–voltage characteristic that is consistent with a p–n junction with a threshold voltage of 1.3 V and an ideality factor of 33. The concentration of doping was estimated to be NA = 6.7 × 1017 cm–3 on the p side from the capacitance–voltage measurements. The fabricated radial p–n junction demonstrated a record optical responsivity of 9.64 A/W and a noise equivalent power of 0.573 pW/√Hz under ultraviolet illumination, which is the highest for ZnO p–n junction devices.
Predictors of outcome in 101 patients requiring emergent thoracotomy for penetrating pulmonary injuries.

Operative interventions are uncommonly required for penetrating pulmonary injuries. Similarly, because their incidence is low, few series appear sporadically in the literature. Objectives of this study are to identify predictors of outcome for patients requiring emergent thoracotomy for penetrating pulmonary injuries and evaluate the use of tissue sparing versus resective techniques for their management. This is a retrospective 169-month study of all patients with penetrating pulmonary injuries requiring thoracotomy. The main outcome measures are: physiologic parameters, AAST-OIS injury grade, surgical procedures and mortality. Statistical analysis includes univariate and stepwise logistic regression. 101 patients required thoracotomy for penetrating pulmonary injuries. Mechanism of injury includes: gunshot wounds (GSW)—73 (72%), stab wounds (SW)—28 (33%). Mean systolic BP 97 ± 47, mean HR 92 ± 47, and mean admission pH 7.22 ± 0.17. Mean RTS 6.25 ± 2.7, mean ISS 36 ± 22. The mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 5277 ± 4955 mls. Predictors of outcome are: admission pH (p = 0.0014), admission base deficit (p < 0.0001), packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfused (p = 0.023), whole blood transfused (p < 0.01). A total of 143 procedures were required in 101 patients: tissue sparing 114 (80%) versus resective procedures 29 (20%). Only pneumonectomy (p = 0.024) predicted outcome. Overall survival 64/101–64%. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-Organ Injury Scale (AAST-OIS) injury grades I–III versus IV–VI predicts survival (p < 0.001). Stepwise logistic regression identified AAST-OIS injury grades IV–VI (p = 0.007; OR 6.38 [95% CI 1.64–24.78]), intraoperative dysrhythmias (p = 0.003; OR 17.38 [95% CI 2.59–116.49]) and associated cardiac injuries (p = 0.02; OR 8.74 [95% CI 1.37–55.79]) as independent predictors of outcome. Predictors of outcome for penetrating pulmonary injuries requiring thoracotomy are identified and must be taken into account in their operative management. Tissue sparing techniques—stapled pulmonary tractotomy is once again validated, and it remains effective as the mainstay for their management; however, only pneumonectomy predicts outcome. AAST-OIS injury grades IV–VI predict outcome with higher injury grades requiring resective procedures.
Thrombin-Activatable Microbubbles as Potential Ultrasound Contrast Agents for the Detection of Acute Thrombosis.

Acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the body that can lead to fatal pulmonary embolism. Acute DVT is difficult to distinguish from chronic DVT by ultrasound (US), the imaging modality of choice, and is therefore treated aggressively with anticoagulants, which can lead to internal bleeding. Here we demonstrate that conjugating perfluorobutane-filled (PFB-filled) microbubbles (MBs) with thrombin-sensitive activatable cell-penetrating peptides (ACPPs) could lead to the development of contrast agents that detect acute thrombosis with US imaging. Successful conjugation of ACPP to PFB-filled MBs was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Fluorescein-labeled ACPP was used to evaluate the efficiency of thrombin-triggered cleavage by measuring the mean fluorescence intensity of ACPP-labeled MBs (ACPP-MBs) before and after incubation at 37 °C with thrombin. Lastly, control MBs and ACPP-MBs were infused through a tube containing a clot, and US cont...
Investigating mechanical degradation due to fire exposure of aluminum alloy 5083 using crystal plasticity finite element method

Abstract Fire exposure causes significant mechanical property degradation of metallic materials. This paper investigates the influence of fire exposure on mechanical response of AA5083 through in situ neutron diffraction tensile tests and crystal plasticity finite element simulations. The Mechanical Threshold Stress (MTS) model is utilized, with a focus on the lattice strain response under tensile loading before and after exposure. A rigorous material parameter calibration procedure is proposed for this MTS model directly based on yield stress, plastic flow, hardening and rate dependency as a function of temperature, requiring only the macroscopic stress–strain curve. Material parameters of virgin material and fire-exposed material with full recrystallization are calibrated separately using this procedure. To initiate the investigation of mechanical degradation caused by fire exposure, a fire-exposed specimen with partial recrystallization is simulated by assigning material parameters and texture of recrystallized grains to selected grains in the virgin material according to the recrystallization fraction. Experimentally measured stress–strain curves and lattice strain evolution are employed to validate the simulations. For the first time, the local mechanical response of AA5083 is compared between in situ testing and finite element simulations, and the discrepancies of lattice strain evolution between virgin and fire-exposed material are discussed. Finally, the influence of fire-exposure on stress and lattice strain distribution is investigated to provide insight into mechanical property degradation.
Sequence-Specific Self-Assembly of Positive and Negative Monomers with Cucurbit[8]uril Linkers.

The self-assembly into dynamic oligomers of Cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), a positive ditopic Ir(III) bis-terpyridine complex, and a negative ditopic Fe(II) bis-terpyridine complex flanked by four butyrate side chains was assessed to answer a seemingly straightforward question: does CB[8] adopt a social self-sorting pattern by encapsulating both positive and negative units into a heteroternary complex? We showed that this is indeed the case, with CB[8] linking a positive Ir unit to a neighboring negative Fe unit whenever possible. Furthermore, the solubility of the dynamic oligomers was significantly affected by their sequence; upon addition of 0.6–1.2 equiv of positive Ir oligomer to its negative Fe counterpart, the predominant assembly present in solution was a mixed oligomer with a (Fe–Ir–Ir−)n sequence. Weak interactions between the negative butyrate side chains and the partially positive outer wall of CB[7] were also identified by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, and resulted in a neg...
Optimizing Ion Transport in Polyether-Based Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries

We report on the synthesis of poly(diethylene oxide-alt-oxymethylene), P(2EO-MO), via cationic ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic ether monomer, 1,3,6-trioxocane. We use a combined experimental and computational approach to study ion transport in electrolytes comprising mixtures of P(2EO-MO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) salt. Mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and LiTFSI are used as a baseline. The maximum ionic conductivities, σ, of P(2EO-MO) and PEO electrolytes at 90 °C are 1.1 × 10^(–3) and 1.5 × 10^(–3) S/cm, respectively. This difference is attributed to the T_g of P(2EO-MO)/LiTFSI (−12 °C), which is significantly higher than that of PEO/LiTFSI (−44 °C) at the same salt concentration. Self-diffusion coefficients measured using pulsed-field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) show that both Li+ and TFSI– ions diffuse more rapidly in PEO than in P(2EO-MO). However, the NMR-based cation transference number in P(2EO-MO) (0.36) is approximately twice that in PEO (0.19). The transference number measured by the steady-state current technique, t_(+,ss), in P(2EO-MO) (0.20) is higher than in PEO (0.08) by a similar factor. We find that the product σt_(+,ss) is greater in P(2-EO-MO) electrolytes; thus, P(2EO-MO) is expected to sustain higher steady-state currents under dc polarization, making it a more efficacious electrolyte for battery applications. Molecular-level insight into the factors that govern ion transport in our electrolytes was obtained using MD simulations. These simulations show that the solvation structures around Li+ are similar in both polymers. The same is true for TFSI–. However, the density of Li+ solvation sites in P(2EO-MO) is double that in PEO. We posit that this is responsible for the observed differences in the experimentally determined transport properties of P(2EO-MO) and PEO electrolytes.
Ventilatory-depressant effects of opioids alone and in combination with cannabinoids in rhesus monkeys.

Abstract Pain is a serious health problem that is commonly treated with opioids, although the doses of opioids needed to treat pain are often similar to those that decrease respiration. Combining opioids with drugs that relieve pain through non-opioid mechanisms can decrease the doses of opioids needed for analgesia, resulting in an improved therapeutic window, but only if the doses of opioids that decrease respiration are not similarly decreased. Using small doses of opioids to treat pain has the potential to reduce the number of overdoses and deaths. This study investigated whether the cannabinoid receptor agonists Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and CP 55,940 modify the ventilatory-depressant effects of morphine and fentanyl in three monkeys. Ventilatory parameters, including minute volume (VE), were monitored with a head plethysmograph. When given alone, morphine (0.032 – 10 mg/kg) and fentanyl (0.00032 – 0.1 mg/kg) dose dependently decreased VE. Doses of Δ9-THC (1 mg/kg) and CP 55,940 (0.01 mg/kg) that enhance the potency of opioids to produce antinociception modestly decreased ventilation when given alone but did not significantly change morphine or fentanyl dose-effect curves. A larger dose of CP 55,940 (0.032 mg/kg) shifted the fentanyl dose-effect curve downward in two monkeys, without significantly changing the morphine dose-effect curve. In summary, cannabinoid receptor agonists, which increase the potency of opioids to produce antinociception, did not increase their potency to depress ventilation. Thus, the therapeutic window is greater for opioids when they are combined with cannabinoid receptor agonists, indicating a possible advantage for these drug mixtures in treating pain.
Stateful error detection in high throughput applications

Today's distributed systems need runtime error detection to catch errors arising from software bugs, hardware errors, or unexpected operating conditions. A prominent class of error detection techniques operates in a stateful manner, i.e., it keeps track of the state of the application being monitored and then matches state-based rules. Large-scale distributed applications generate a high volume of messages that can overwhelm the capacity of a stateful detection system. An existing approach to handle this is to randomly sample the messages and process a subset. However, this approach, leads to non-determinism with respect to the detection system's view of what state the application is in. This in turn leads to degradation in the quality of detection. We present an intelligent sampling algorithm and a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based algorithm to select the messages that the detection system processes and determine the application states such that the non-determinism is minimized. We also present a mechanism for selectively triggering computationally intensive rules based on a light-weight mechanism to determine if the rule is likely to be flagged. We demonstrate the techniques in a detection system called Monitor applied to a J2EE multi-tier application. We empirically evaluate the performance of Monitor under different load conditions and error scenarios and compare it to a previous system called Pinpoint.
Fixing value: history, ethnography, and material ontologies of deservingness in a Philadelphia repair shop

ABSTRACTThis article draws on labor history and science and technology studies to propose a method, and to provide an example, of historical analysis that is responsive to the conceptual categories that arise out of ethnographic accounts of individuals’ lived experiences. Using an ‘ontological tool-box’, this article follows various enactments of consumer appliances and, along with them, ideas of what it is to be a productive worker in a small appliance repair shop and across the practices of certain institutions of disciplinary power. Through an ethnographic and ontological analysis of repair in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington, this article reveals that, rather than being inevitable or essential, all the categories used to organize our world, whether referent to identities or objects, are both constituted by and constitutive of a complex set of social relations and ideological priorities, which even historians are implicated in reproducing.
Overview of Medical Education Research

This chapter briefly reviews the history and current directions of medical education research. Current research trends are discussed in the domains of instruction, assessment, and curriculum development. Major threats to high-quality/high-impact surgical education research are reviewed along with possible solutions.
Development and application of human skeletal muscle microphysiological systems

A number of major disease states involve skeletal muscle, including type 2 diabetes, muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia and cachexia arising from cancer or heart disease. Animals do not accurately represent many of these disease states. Human skeletal muscle microphysiological systems derived from primary or induced pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can provide an in vitro model of genetic and chronic diseases and assess individual variations. Three-dimensional culture systems more accurately represent skeletal muscle function than do two-dimensional cultures. While muscle biopsies enable culture of primary muscle cells, hPSCs provide the opportunity to sample a wider population of donors. Recent advances to promote maturation of PSC-derived skeletal muscle provide an alternative to primary cells. While contractile function is often measured in three-dimensional cultures and several systems exist to characterize contraction of small numbers of muscle fibers, there is a need for functional measures of metabolism suited for microphysiological systems. Future research should address generation of well-differentiated hPSC-derived muscle cells, enabling muscle repair in vitro, and improved disease models.
Minimal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model to investigate the effect of pH dependent FcRn affinity and the endothelial endocytosis on the pharmacokinetics of anti-VEGF humanized IgG1 antibody in cynomolgus monkey.

Abstract In this study, we developed a first minimal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) model to investigate the complex interaction effects of endocytosis rate/FcRn binding affinity at both acidic/physiological pH on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the anti-VEGF IgG1 antibodies. The data used in this study were the PK of the native IgG and humanized anti-VEGF IgG1 antibodies with a wide range FcRn-binding at both acidic and physiological pH in the cynomolgus monkey. The basic structure of the developed mPBPK models consisted of plasma, tissue and lymph compartments. The tissue compartment was subdivided into vascular, endothelial and interstitial spaces. Non-equilibrium binding mechanism was used to describe the FcRn-IgG interaction in the endosome. The fittings in the final model with three pH systems in the endosome compartment showed a good fit based on the visualization of the fitted graphs and the coefficient of variations of the estimated parameters (CV
The Other Way Around: How Subordinates Influence Their Managers' Procedural Justice

Two studies examined when and why the trustworthiness of direct reports influenced their managers’ tendencies to treat them with high procedural justice. Direct reports seen as having more benevole...
Volume Estimation Through Mental Simulation.

Although mental simulation underlies many day-to-day judgments, we identified a new domain influenced by simulation: volume estimation. Previous research has identified various ways in which volume...
Sexual risk behavior and substance use among young, diverse women seeking care at a reproductive health clinic.

To describe sexual risk behavior, alcohol (and other substance) use, and perceived health promotion needs among young adult women seeking care from an urban reproductive health care clinic in the Northeastern United States, and to examine if these needs differ by race and ethnicity. Women 18–29 years old presenting for a routine medical visit were invited to participate. Of 486 eligible women, 466 (96%) agreed to participate and completed a brief survey on a tablet computer. Most of the sample (53%) identified as non-Hispanic White. One-quarter (25%) identified as Hispanic/Latina. A smaller proportion of women identified as African American (19%). One-third (31%) of women reported a history of sexually transmitted infection (STI), and women reported infrequent condom use with recent sexual partners. Regarding behavioral health needs, nearly three-quarters of women (72%) reported regular alcohol use, approximately one-third had used marijuana (37%) or tobacco (33%) in the last month, and 19% reported clinically significant depressive symptoms in the last two weeks. Women reported moderate-to-strong interest in receiving information about relationships and sexual health; however, the majority were not interested in information about their substance use. Hispanic and African-American women were more likely to report STI history despite reporting fewer sexual partners than non-Hispanic White women. Minority women also reported significantly less alcohol and cigarette use, but more water pipe tobacco use, and reported significantly greater interest in interventions to promote sexual health. Hispanic women also evidenced significantly elevated rates of depressive symptoms, with 26% of Hispanic women reporting a clinically significant level of depressive symptoms. Reproductive health centers are opportune settings to address a broad range of healthcare needs, including sexual health, substance use, and mental health. These centers engage a diverse group of women, which is important given observed disparities in health outcomes based on race/ethnicity. Young women, particularly racial and ethnic minority women, report the most interest in services addressing sexual and relationship health.
Jumpstart Mirror Trainer: A New Device for Teaching Mirror Skills to First-Year Dental Students

Learning indirect vision with a dental mirror is challenging and can be overwhelming for beginning dental students. The Jumpstart Mirror Trainer is a new device that allows students to become proficient with mirror use before the start of preclinic without requiring in-class practice sessions. The aim of this study, conducted in 2017, was to compare the effectiveness of the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer with the Mirroprep for teaching indirect motor skills. Forty-seven first-year dental students were randomized into three groups to use the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer, Mirroprep, or a control device for 15 minutes a day for ten days. To assess indirect motor skills improvement, students performed a maxillary cavity preparation before and after using their devices. A survey was used to assess students' comfort level with mirror skills and perceived helpfulness of the exercises. Forty students completed the study. The Jumpstart Mirror Trainer activities improved the students' scores significantly more than the Mirroprep activities (p=0.04) and the control device (p=0.006). Students in the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer group rated their device as being significantly more helpful than the control group rated its device in preparing them for the evaluation (p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in perceived helpfulness between the Mirroprep group and the control group (p=0.75). These results suggest that the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer may be able to improve students' indirect motor skills without requiring in-class practice sessions and to do so more effectively than other existing methods.
Video Prompting and its Application to Physical Activity Settings for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

The purpose of this paper is to provide information about video prompting and its utility in physical activity settings. Researchers of video prompting instruction have successfully used the method to teach a variety of skills to individuals with developmental disabilities. Video prompting is an empirically validated method of instruction that is especially beneficial for visual learners such as those with autism. Examples of skills learned through video prompting are provided and recommendations are offered to physical educators.
Diuretic Activity of a Novel Peripherally-Restricted Orally-Active Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist.

Kappa-opioid agonists (KOAs) enhance cardiac performance, as well as reduce infarct size and prevent deleterious cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction. Additionally, KOAs promote diuresis; however, there has been limited development of KOAs as a class due to the promotion of untoward central nervous system (CNS)-mediated side effects. Our laboratory has developed a peripherally-restricted, orally-active, KOA (JT09) for the treatment of pain and cardiovascular disease. Peripherally-restricted KOAs possess a limited side-effect profile and demonstrate potential in preventing heart failure. The aim of this study was to assess the diuretic activity of lead compound JT09 relative to vehicle control and Tolvaptan through single oral administration to adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. JT09-administered rats demonstrated significantly increased urine output relative to vehicle control. However, the effect persisted for 8 h, whereas Tolvaptan-administered rats demonstrated diuretic activity for 24 h. Relative to Tolvaptan, urine output was significantly reduced in JT09 administered animals at all-time points, suggesting that the overall diuretic effect of JT09 is less profound than Tolvaptan. Additionally, JT09-administered rats demonstrated alterations in clinical chemistry; reduced urine specific gravity; and increased urine pH relative to vehicle control. The following study establishes a preliminary diuretic profile for JT09.
A LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE EFFECTS OF THE USE OF GRAPHIC CALCULATORS IN COLLEGE ALGEBRA COURSES

College algebra has been ignored in previous math research studies even if it is the first official college level math for most students in their total educational programs. The lack of research has created a significant gap in knowledge on the application of graphic calculators and role of this technological tool in the college math curriculum and classroom. College algebra students face the one of the highest failure rates in the U.S. The purpose of this literature review was to explore the impact graphic calculators had on college students’ final grade. Specifically, the researcher focused on the effect of graphic calculators on student performance, motivation, and satisfaction. The theoretical framework comprised of two prongs: constructivist theory and technology-assisted instruction theory. Using these two theories, the researcher reviewed and discussed the theoretical based literature and the evidence-based literature on constructivist approaches to learning that lend to improved student performance, student motivation, and student satisfaction. The researcher then reviewed and discussed the theoretical based literature and the evidence-based literature on technology-assisted approaches to learning in general that lend to improved student performance, student motivation, and student satisfaction. The researcher concluded the review with a discussion of the evidence-based literature focused on the use of the graphic calculator and its application in the math classroom in particular.
Cognitive Acts and the Unity of the Proposition

In this paper I do four things. (1) I explain one clear thing that ‘the problem of the unity of the proposition’ might mean. (2) I lay out a few different versions of the theory of propositions as ...
Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Summary Fuel cell technology is on its verge of deployment as one of the solutions for decarbonization of transportation. It currently uses platinum-based catalysts, being the largest materials cost factor, subject to market volatility, limited availability, and unfavorable geopolitical source location. Hence, Earth-abundant elements-based materials, and among those, platinum-free catalysts, could be an ultimate solution. Among several such catalysts, the transition-metal nitrogen-carbon ones have shown adequate activity and promise in durability, the latest being the most vulnerable treat. Recent years have seen initial successes in incorporation of iron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts in fuel cells and their evaluation under automotive relevant conditions. The catalysts can be described as N-doped, graphene-like carbonaceous materials, with transition metal atomically dispersed and associated with the pyridinic nitrogen-containing in-plane or edge defects in graphene. Here, we provide a view on these materials' chemical composition and morphology that provide for the reactivity and stability of transition-metal-containing active sites.
Linguistic expertise, mockery, and appropriateness in the construction of identities: A case study from 9th grade physics

This linguistic anthropological case study demonstrates the ways in which a heterogeneous lab group of adolescents in a ninth-grade physics classroom constructed raciolinguistic ideologies that int...
Flow Electrification of a Corona-Charged Polyethylene Terephthalate Film

Corona charging of a free-standing polymer film can produce a quasi-permanent potential difference across the film thickness, while the absolute amplitude of the surface voltage may be highly sensitive to the free charges. To precisely control the voltage distribution, we investigated the flow electrification technology by exposing corona-charged polyethylene terephthalate films to sodium salt solutions. The surface voltage and the free-charge density were adjusted by the salt concentration, the anion size, and the flow rate. The dipolar component of electric potential remained unchanged. This result has significant scientific interest and technological importance to surface treatment, filtration, energy harvesting, among others.
Structural and biochemical characterization of a glutathione transferase from the citrus canker pathogen Xanthomonas.

The genus Xanthomonas comprises several cosmopolitan plant-pathogenic bacteria that affect more than 400 plant species, most of which are of economic interest. Citrus canker is a bacterial disease that affects citrus species, reducing fruit yield and quality, and is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac). The Xac3819 gene, which has previously been reported to be important for citrus canker infection, encodes an uncharacterized glutathione S-transferase (GST) of 207 amino-acid residues in length (XacGST). Bacterial GSTs are implicated in a variety of metabolic processes such as protection against chemical and oxidative stresses. XacGST shares high sequence identity (45%) with the GstB dehalogenase from Escherichia coli O6:H1 strain CFT073 (EcGstB). Here, XacGST is reported to be able to conjugate glutathione (GSH) with bromoacetate with a Km of 6.67 ± 0.77 mM, a kcat of 42.69 ± 0.32 s-1 and a kcat/Km of 6.40 ± 0.72 mM-1 s-1 under a saturated GSH concentration (3.6 mM). These values are comparable to those previously reported for EcGstB. In addition, crystal structures of XacGST were determined in the apo form (PDB entry 6nxv) and in a GSH-bound complex (PDB entry 6nv6). XacGST has a canonical GST-like fold with a conserved serine residue (Ser12) at the GSH-binding site near the N-terminus, indicating XacGST to be a serine-type GST that probably belongs to the theta-class GSTs. GSH binding stabilizes a loop of about 20 residues containing a helix that is disordered in the apo XacGST structure.
Algorithmic Discrimination and Input Accountability under the Civil Rights Acts

The disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among communities of color, together with a necessary renewed attention to racial inequalities, have lent new urgency to concerns that algorithmic decision-making can lead to unintentional discrimination against members of historically marginalized groups. These concerns are being expressed through Congressional subpoenas, regulatory investigations, and an increasing number of algorithmic accountability bills pending in both state legislatures and Congress. To date, however, prominent efforts to define algorithmic accountability have tended to focus on output-oriented policies that may facilitate illegitimate discrimination or involve fairness corrections unlikely to be legally valid. Worse still, other approaches focus merely on a model’s predictive accuracy—an approach at odds with long-standing U.S. antidiscrimination law. We provide a workable definition of algorithmic accountability that is rooted in the caselaw addressing statistical discrimination in the context of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Using instruction from the burden-shifting framework, codified to implement Title VII, we formulate a simple statistical test to apply to the design and review of the inputs used in any algorithmic decision-making processes. Application of the test, which we label the input accountability test, constitutes a legally viable, deployable tool that can prevent an algorithmic model from systematically penalizing members of protected groups who are otherwise qualified in a legitimate target characteristic of interest.
Stress, Health, and Accident Risks for Commercial Drivers in Abuja, Nigeria: Causes and Correlations

Objective: Chronic stress can contribute to poor health, and vice versa. Both can impact job performance, which in the case of commercial motor vehicle drivers (CMVDs) impacts public safety. This study examines the relationship between stress, health, and safety for CMVDs in Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: a cross sectional study was conducted among 509 CMVDs in Abuja, Nigeria. Various lifestyle habits, working conditions and demographic factors were considered. Treatment rates among hypertensives were also measured. Multivariate models (logistic multivariate regression) and univariate risk ratios were computed. Results: Higher self-reported stress was associated with tobacco use, high alcohol consumption, and lower weight. Hypertension was associated with high alcohol consumption and higher weight, as well as higher age and elevated pulse rate. No significant correlations with accident frequency were discovered. Prevalence of mid- to high-stress was 28%; prevalence of hypertension was 26% among drivers under 40 and 47% among drivers over 40. Although screening tests for hypertension are common (90% for drivers over 40) only 30% of hypertensive drivers who were previously tested were receiving treatment. Conclusions: These findings indicate a high prevalence of stress among CMVDs, and a positive relationship between CMVDs stress and health factors known to have long-term, negative health outcomes (i.e. tobacco and alcohol use/abuse). Findings also indicate a very high prevalence of hypertension, and low levels of treatment. Implications include education and prevention programs for effective stress and health management among CMVDs.
Energy Efficient Smart Antenna Beamforming Algorithms for Next-Generation Networks

Smart antenna consist of multiple antenna elements at the transmitting and/or receiving side of the communication link, whose signals are processed adaptively in order to exploit the spatial dimension of the wireless channel. Depending on the signal process at the transmitter, receiver, or both ends of the communication link, the smart antenna technique can increase the capacity of the wireless network by improving link quality using impairments mitigation mechanisms. This work investigates different smart antenna beamforming algorithms considering energy efficiency using adaptive antenna techniques with a uniform linear array geometry. The schemes used for investigation are half power beam width, side lobe level, array spacing and variable node distance (range). The results demonstrate that Constant module (CMA) algorithm makes antenna arrays more energy efficient while it has high mean square error. On the other hand, Recursive Least Square (RLS) is recommended for next-generation wireless networks because it provides significant energy efficiency while keeping mean square error minimum than the rest of the algorithms.
The Diversity of Photosensitivity and its Implications for Light Pollution

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive anthropogenic pollutant, emanating from urban and suburban developments and reaching nearly all ecosystems from dense forests to coastlines. One proposed strategy for attenuating the consequences of ALAN is to modify its spectral composition to forms that are less disruptive for photosensory systems. However, ALAN is a complicated pollutant to manage due to the extensive variation in photosensory mechanisms and the diverse ways these mechanisms manifest in biological and ecological contexts. Here, we highlight the diversity in photosensitivity across taxa and the implications of this diversity in predicting biological responses to different forms of night lighting. We curated this paper to be broadly accessible and inform current decisions about the spectrum of electric lights used outdoors. We advocate that efforts to mitigate light pollution should consider the unique ways species perceive ALAN, as well as how diverse responses to ALAN scale up to produce diverse ecological outcomes.
Understanding the low frequency response of carbon nanotube thermoacoustic projectors

Abstract Carbon nanotube sheets exhibiting extremely low heat capacity have enabled the development of thermoacoustic projectors (TAPs) for a wide range of frequencies (1- 106 Hz). The sound pressure level of carbon nanotube (CNT) based TAPs is proportional to the frequency, resulting in a reduced performance at low frequencies. Hence, there is a need to determine the governing parameters of TAPs that can be used to increase performance at low frequencies. A comprehensive, validated model is presented, involving structure-fluid-acoustic interactions, which sheds light on the physical behavior of CNT-based TAPs. The theoretical and numerical model incorporates all the controlling steps, from input electrical power to vibroacoustic wave generation in an outer fluid media. Using this model, the impact of the governing parameters on TAP performance has been studied.
What put the “slink” in a saber cat? Scapular and pelvic adaptations enhance stealthy stalking behavior in Smilodon fatalis (17.2)

Mammalian carnivores generally belong either to pursuit or ambush hunting categories. Prey capture requirements for each method differ, and these strategies generally correlate with familial taxono...
Performance implications of chemical mobilization after microchannel IEF

Chemical mobilization following IEF enables single-point detection of an ideally stationary equilibrium electrophoresis mode. Despite prior studies exploring optimization of chemical mobilization conditions and recent insight from numerical simulations, understanding of both chemical mobilization mechanisms and the implications of mobilization on IEF analytical performance remains limited. In this study, we utilize full-field imaging of microchannel IEF to assess the performance of a range of canonical chemical mobilization schemes. We empirically demonstrate and characterize key areas where limited understanding of performance implications exists, including: the effects of mobilization solution pH and ion concentration, differences between ionic and zwitterionic mobilization, and diffusion as a source of zone broadening. We utilize Simul5 simulations to gain insight into the sources of the measured performance differences. Measurements of the location, linearity, and slope of the IEF pH gradient (via fluorescent pH markers imaged before and during mobilization) as well as mobilization-associated broadening of focused analytes were performed to quantify performance and determine the dominant sources of variability. Our results suggest that nonuniform broadening of the pH gradient and changes in the pH gradient linearity stem from conductivity nonuniformities in the separation channel and not diffusion-associated band broadening during mobilization.
Stabilization of nonlinear dynamical systems using neural networks

The problem of stabilization of a dynamical system around an equilibrium point is considered. The main objective is to indicate how, based on theoretical results in nonlinear control theory, practically viable controllers can be designed using neural networks. Simulation results are included to complement the theoretical discussions. The controllability and stabilization of an unknown system have been considered. Though it is initiated using local rank conditions, the range of validity of the result is significantly larger. Controllability is a generic property of linear systems and hence it is a very reasonable assumption to make. The rank condition, which is invariant under feedback or coordinate transformation, can easily be checked. The system need not be brought to any special form to check whether it holds. This combination of simplicity and large range of validity should prove it to be a most useful and practical method for the purpose of stabilizing nonlinear systems. >