cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dentists’ Knowledge and Opinions of Oral-Systemic Disease Relationships: Relevance to Patient Care and Education

Population studies consistently support associations between poor oral (periodontal) health and systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of dentists and document their opinions regarding the evidence on oral-systemic disease relationships. A survey consisting of 39 items was developed and mailed to 1,350 licensed dentists in North Carolina. After three mailings, 667 dentists (49%) meeting inclusion criteria responded. The respondents were predominantly male (76.3%), in solo practice (59.5%), and in non-rural settings (74%). More than 75% of these dentists correctly identified risk factors like diet, genetics, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity for CVD and diabetes. The majority rated the evidence linking periodontal disease with CVD and diabetes as strong (71% and 67%, respectively). These dentists were most comfortable inquiring about patients' tobacco habits (93%), treating patients with diabetes (89%) or CVD (84%) and concurrent periodontal disease, and discussing diabetes-periodontal disease risks with patients (88%). Fewer respondents were comfortable asking patients about alcohol consumption (54%) or providing alcohol counseling (49%). Most agreed that dentists should be trained to identify risk factors (96%) or actively manage systemically diseased patients (74%). Over 90% agreed that medical and dental professionals should be taught to practice more collaboratively. These data indicate that these dentists were knowledgeable about oral-systemic health associations, had mixed comfort levels translating the evidence into clinical practice, but expressed support for interprofessional education to improve their readiness to actively participate in their patients' overall health management.
An artificial oral environment for testing dental materials

An artificial oral environment which closely matches the conditions of human mastication for dental materials testing is described. Two servo-hydraulic actuators were combined to produce the force movement cycle of human mastication. A closed-loop method of control which functions in a manner similar to the human neuromuscular system was used. The horizontal closed loop used a linearly variable differential amplifier (LVDT) to monitor the position. The vertical closed loop used an LVDT to monitor position and a load cell to monitor force, with a 'mode switch' being made between the two mechanisms of control. A function generator was used to produce a sinewave that was modified to produce the movement and force programs for the two servo-hydraulic actuators. An acrylic chamber which contains the test samples and maintains an environment similar to that of the mouth was constructed. Natural or artificial saliva maintained at 37 degrees C is continuously circulated through the chamber. The time to complete a single chewing cycle was decreased by eliminating that part of the cycle where no force is produced. This enables the chewing rate to be increased to 4 cycle/s. The wear produced in the artificial mouth was found to have a high correlation with clinical wear if 250000 cycles in the artificial mouth are assumed to be equivalent to one year in the human mouth. >
Reproductive Asynchrony and the Divergence of Hawaiian Crickets

Asynchrony in reproductive behavior may contribute to reproductive isolation among sympatric species. While the 38 cryptic species of the genus Laupala are primarily distinguished on the basis of variation in pulse rate of male calling songs, additional phenotypes, such as asynchrony in reproductive behavior, may contribute to reproductive isolation in this genus. Here we document similarities and differences in the diel timing of two reproductive behaviors, male singing activity and insemination events. Asynchrony in the diel timing of male singing behavior was observed between two sympatric species, Laupala cerasina and Laupala paranigra, in the field. An interpopulational comparison within L. cerasina did not reveal variation in diel behavior patterns of singing between two locations. Asynchrony in the timing of copulation and sperm transfer between L. cerasina and L. paranigra was documented in the laboratory. The observed pattern of asynchrony in both the field and laboratory could have arisen in a number of ways. One possibility is that species diverged in sympatry because of interspecific interactions, producing a pattern of reproductive character displacement. Alternatively, the observed asynchrony in reproductive behavior may have played a role in the process of community assembly within this recently diverged cricket genus. The presence of interspecific variation and the absence of intraspecific variation revealed by our study do not support a pattern of reproductive character displacement for diel reproductive behavior, suggesting that the differences seen between species were not caused by recent species interactions.
Implementing a communication-intensive core course in a CS curriculum: a survey of methods (abstract only)

While a focus on programming and mathematical skills is second nature to computer science faculty, perhaps equally important should be the recognition of the need for students to master communication skills. This poster presents the measured results of various methods used in the implementation of a communication-intensive core course into a CS curriculum at a small liberal arts university. The communication intensive core course is a CS1 introduction to computer science which is required to implement both oral and written assignments. Five key areas of success were implemented to help support the communication-intensive CS curriculum. They are: (1) communication skills need to be integrated within the CS curriculum, (2) communication skills should begin to be developed early in the student's academic career, (3) communication skills include a broad range of categories, (4) communication skills need to be supported by feedback, and (5) communication skills can be taught in the CS curriculum without sacrificing CS content. The results are provided on a four-point scale and focus on both student success and grading complexity. Scores are provided for each of the methods used since the course was first implemented in 2007. Such a comprehensive evaluation aims to assist in determining which methods are best suited for implementing a core communication that stresses continuous improvement in communication skills.
Cadence analysis of temporal gait patterns for seismic discrimination between human and quadruped footsteps

This paper reports on a method of cadence analysis for the discrimination between human and quadruped using a cheap seismic sensor. Previous works in the domain of seismic detection of human vs. quadruped have relied on the fundamental gait frequency. Slow movement of quadrupeds can generate the same fundamental gait frequency as human footsteps therefore causing the recognizer to be confused when quadruped are ambling around the sensor. Here we propose utilizing the cadence analysis of temporal gait pattern which provides information on temporal distribution of the gait beats. We also propose a robust method of extracting temporal gait patterns. Features extracted from gait patterns are modeled with optimum number of Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs). The performance of the system during the test for discriminating between horse, dog, multiple people walk, and single human walk/run was over 95%.
Impact of revascularization for patients who survive life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.

In this issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) , Nageh et al reported the mortality and incidence of appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients who experienced sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) before or
Who returns to work after heart transplantation

Background Detailed information regarding the work history of heart transplant patients is limited. Therefore, the work history and factors associated with return to work at 1 year after heart transplantation were examined in 237 heart transplant patients as part of a longitudinal quality-of-life study at two university medical centers. Patient characteristics were as follows: 81% male; 89% white; mean age 54 years (range 24 to 71); mean level of education 13 years; and 84% were married. Methods Data were collected using the following instruments: Work History tool; Rating Question Form; Heart Transplant Stressor Scale; Quality of Life Index; Sickness Impact Profile; Jalowiec Coping Scale; Social Support Index; Heart Transplant Symptom Checklist; and Chart Review Form. Frequency distributions, chi-square, t-tests and stepwise regression were used to examine the work history of patients. Results Pre-transplant, only 17% of patients were working as compared with 26% (61 of 237) working by 1 year after transplant (p = 0.003). Pre-transplant non-working patients (n = 197) were hospitalized more frequently, were more physically disabled, had more symptom distress, and rated their health as poorer. After heart transplant non-working patients (n = 176) had more rejection, infection and medical complications and more hospital days. Patients who were working either pre- or post-transplant were more likely to hold jobs that were less physically demanding. Factors significantly associated with return to work by 1 year after heart transplant were better functional ability, higher education, fewer endocrine problems, fewer acute rejection episodes and shorter heart transplant waiting time. Conclusions Clinical and demographic variables influence return to work after heart transplantation. Knowledge of these variables provides the health-care team with information to assist patients in securing gainful employment.
Leafy cotyledon genes and the control of embryo development.

Zygotic embryogenesis begins with the double fertilization event in which the egg cell of the female gametophyte fuses with one sperm nucleus to form the zygote, and the central cell fuses with another sperm nucleus to form the endosperm mother cell (Russell, 1993). The single-celled zygote then undergoes a series of differentiation events, resulting in the formation of a mature embryo. The basic body plan of the plant is established during the early morphogenesis phase of embryogenesis. During this period, regional specification events establish morphological domains within the developing embryo, the polarity of the embryo is expressed as a shoot-root axis, the embryonic tissue and organ systems are formed, and the rudimentary shoot and root apices develop (Goldberg et al., 1994; Jurgens, 2001; West and Harada, 1993). In seed plants, this early embryonic period is followed by the maturation phase in which the embryo acquires the ability to withstand desiccation, storage reserves in the form of proteins, lipids, and starch accumulate in the embryo and/or endosperm, and the embryo becomes metabolically quiescent as a result of desiccation (Bewley, 1997; Harada, 1997; Koornneef and Karssen, 1994). The seed generally remains in a quiescent state until environmental conditions signal the embryo to germinate.
The periplasmic nitrite reductase of Thauera selenatis may catalyze the reduction of selenite to elemental selenium

Thauera selenatis grows anaerobically with selenate, nitrate or nitrite as the terminal electron acceptor; use of selenite as an electron acceptor does not support growth. When grown with selenate, the product was selenite; very little of the selenite was further reduced to elemental selenium. When grown in the presence of both selenate and nitrate both electron acceptors were reduced concomitantly; selenite formed during selenate respiration was further reduced to elemental selenium. Mutants lacking the periplasmic nitrite reductase activity were unable to reduce either nitrite or selenite. Mutants possessing higher activity of nitrite reductase than the wild-type, reduced nitrite and selenite more rapidly than the wild-type. Apparently, the nitrite reductase (or a component of the nitrite respiratory system) is involved in catalyzing the reduction of selenite to elemental selenium while also reducing nitrite. While periplasmic cytochrome C551 may be a component of the nitrite respiratory system, the level of this cytochrome was essentially the same in mutant and wild-type cells grown under two different growth conditions (i.e. with either selenate or selenate plus nitrate as the terminal electron acceptors). The ability of certain other denitrifying and nitrate respiring bacteria to reduce selenite will also be described.
Base Flipping within the α-Hemolysin Latch Allows Single-Molecule Identification of Mismatches in DNA

A method for identifying and differentiating DNA duplexes containing the mismatched base pairs CC and CA at single molecule resolution with the protein pore α-hemolysin (αHL) is presented. Unique modulating current signatures are observed for duplexes containing the CC and CA mismatches when the mismatch site in the duplex is situated in proximity to the latch constriction of αHL during DNA residence inside the pore. The frequency and current amplitude of the modulation states are dependent on the mismatch type (CC or CA) permitting easy discrimination of these mismatches from one another, and from a fully complementary duplex that exhibits no modulation. We attribute the modulating current signatures to base flipping and subsequent interaction with positively charged lysine residues at the latch constriction of αHL. Our hypothesis is supported by the extended residence times of DNA duplexes within the pore when a mismatch is in proximity to the latch constriction, and by the loss of the two-state current signature in low pH buffers (<6.3), where the protonation of one of the cytosine bases increases the stability of the intrahelical state.
How Does Tobacco Etch Viral mRNA Get Translated? A Fluorescence Study of Competition, Stability and Kinetics

Fluorescence techniques have been used to describe protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions that lead to a competitive advantage for translation of tobacco etch viral mRNA. Using both quenching of intrinsic protein fluorescence and labeling of RNA, equilibrium and thermodynamic parameters were determined to gain insight into preferential binding of protein synthesis initiation factors (eIFs) to tobacco etch virus (TEV) mRNA and the mechanism of binding. Equilibrium data showed that the eIF4F complex binding to TEV mRNA was enthalpically favored and that the complex binds to TEV with greater stability than the cap complex. Kinetic studies using changes in fluorescence anisotropy further characterized the eIF4F-RNA interaction as a bi-molecular, single-step reaction. However, ionic strength dependence of the reaction revealed a possible conformational change after initial binding. These studies provide insight into how viral RNA can successfully compete with host cell mRNA through increasing stability of complexes and kinetic competition.
Eliminating tobacco-related health disparities: Research progress and challenges

CN03-04 Differences in risk indicators along the tobacco disease continuum do not fully explain tobacco-related cancer consequences among some minority racial/ethnic groups. The lack of within-race/ethnic group data, its interactions with socioeconomic factors, and our poor understanding of the addiction cycle and biological processes across the lifespan contribute to the inconsistencies that we observe in the dose-response model for lung cancer. This paper delineates the known disparities for racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups; discusses gaps in knowledge; and highlights several conceptual frameworks for closing the gaps in tobacco use, exposure to tobacco, and related cancer outcomes. Results indicate that there is variability in lung cancer rates among racial/ethnic groups, with Black men having substantially higher incidence and deaths rates than other racial/ethnic groups. A number of evidence-based interventions (i.e. policies, quitlines, counseling, nicotine replacement therapy) have been shown to reduce smoking in the United States; however, there is little evidence to suggest that these interventions reduce disparities along the tobacco disease continuum. The lack of progress may be due to having the wrong targets and a lack of specific focus on populations at higher risk for lung and other tobacco-related cancers. Conceptual models that integrate strategies for addressing disparities, social context, diversity, inequalities, inequities, the addiction cycle, biopsychosocial factors, and capacity may help researchers, communities, and policy makers identify the best targets for reducing tobacco-related disparities in the United States.
Enzymatic degradation of the side-chain of cortisone: conditions for an enzyme assay.

SummaryThe intracellular localization of an enzyme system which alters the 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketone side-chain of cortisone was studied in rat liver. The nuclei and mitochondria were inactive. The enzyme was found to be approximately equally distributed between a microsome fraction sedimented at 20,000 X gravity and the supernatant fraction. The enzyme activity was greatly enhanced on addition of magnesium and either glucose-6-phosphate, citrate, or isocitrate.
The importance of the production of phosphatidic acid for the release of arachidonic acid in stimulated platelets

Phosphatidic acid is formed by platelets as a result of the combined activities of phospholipase C and diacylglycerol kinase. The initial thrombin-activated phospholipase C-mediated reaction is quinacrine insensitive and is followed by quinacrine-sensitive phospholipase A2 activities. The phosphatidic acid released probably results in cellular calcium gating, which among other actions, might release arachidonic acid by activating phospholipases A2: Indeed, we have detected a phosphatidic acid-specific phospholipase A2 in platelets, which might have an important role in the liberation of arachidonic acid.
Acorns, Asphaltum, and Asymmetrical Exchange: Invisible Exports and the Political Economy of the Santa Barbara Channel

Exciting new discoveries have forced us to reevaluate longstanding assumptions regarding the origins of social complexity in the area of the Santa Barbara Channel. Whereas previous models for the development of Chumash chiefdoms assumed that islands were terrestrially marginal environments, current data suggest islanders enjoyed a diversity of subsistence resources. Given these developments, it is time for us to reexamine the economic basis for exchange across the Santa Barbara Channel.
Reducing the linewidth of fiber-laser frequency combs

Fiber laser-based frequency combs typically exhibit broad optical linewidths, particularly in the wings. These broadened linewidths originate from white amplitude noise on the pump laser, which can be eliminated to achieve sub-Hz offset frequency linewidths.
The Ageing of the Population: A State of the Art

The population in Europe is ageing! This has been going on for a number of decades, but has accelerated because of the generation of baby boomers which is leaving the labour market. Furthermore, within the ageing population we see an increase in the number of very old people.
Biologically inspired trajectory generation for swarming UAVs using topological distances

Abstract This paper presents a trajectory generation logic for a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles which uses topological distances instead of metric values. Biologically inspired, this method evades exploiting distance measurements in the absence of such capabilities, as it happens in swarming birds. This newly developed trajectory generation logic provides a stable swarming logic which resembles a large aggregation of birds. The hypothesis of this work is that without depth perception, swarming birds rely primarily on their perception of other birds to estimate proximity and adjust repulsive and attractive forces in real-time. From previous biological behavior studies, it is known that a homogeneous and orderly aggregation is exhibited by swarming birds locating themselves side by side rather than in front or behind each other. This behavior, which is based on the relative spatial proximity perception to their nearest neighbors in the flock, allows birds to converge into a highly cohesive and coordinated formation without explicit control of inter-agent distances. Inspired by this biological pattern, a trajectory generation logic is designed and tested in controlling a multi-agent unmanned aerial systems without the use of inter-distances. A six degrees of freedom nonlinear dynamic model for an unmanned aircraft is used for simulation purposes. Each vehicle is provided with a decentralized agent-based robust nonlinear model predictive controller and a set of nonlinear guidance laws for trajectory tracking. The formulation of the proposed trajectory generation, as well as the selected aircraft control, constitute a truly decentralized technique, that allows for an unlimited number of agents within the swarm, as no centralized computations are made.
Disappearing Bile Ducts: Immunologic Mechanisms

In primary biliary cirrhosis, chronic graft-versus-host disease, and chronic liver transplant rejection, immunologic mechanisms appear to cause destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts and consequently may lead to liver failure. Understanding those mechanisms may lead to improved therapy. Recent findings and clinically relevant concepts are discussed.
Some Remarks on Recent Experimental Data and Techniques

This paper is a brief account of some recent experimental results in elementary-particle physics, beginning with a discussion of resonances, mainly polypion, with mention of an experiment assigning the spin of the K*.
A stepwise stochastic simulation approach to estimate life history parameters for data-poor fisheries

Coastal fisheries are typically characterized by species-rich catch compositions and limited management resources, which typically leads to notably data-poor situations for stock assessment. Some parsimonious stock assessment approaches rely on cost-efficient size composition data, but these also require estimates of life history parameters associated with natural mortality, growth, and maturity. These parameters are unavailable for most exploited stocks. Here, we present a novel approach that uses a local estimate of maximum length and statistical relationships between key life history parameters to build multivariate probability distributions that can be used to parameterize stock assessment models in the absence of species-specific life history data. We tested this approach on three fish species for which empirical length-at-age and maturity data were available (from Hawaii and Guam) and calculated probability distributions of spawning potential ratios (SPR) at different exploitation rates. The life hi...
Developing a Model to Estimate Pile Setup for Individual Soil Layers on the Basis of Piezocone Penetration Test Data

This paper analyzes the results of 15 instrumented prestressed concrete test piles that were driven in four sites in Louisiana as part of a pile setup study. Static and dynamic load tests were conducted at specific time intervals to quantify the amount of setup after the end of driving. Laboratory and in situ soil investigations, such as the Piezocone penetration test (PCPT), were conducted at each test pile location to evaluate the subsurface soil condition. Vibrating wire strain gauges were installed in pairs in all instrumented test piles to measure the load transfer and increase in side resistance of individual soil layers over time. The load test results showed that setup followed a linear logarithmic trend. The unit side resistance, instead of the total pile resistance, was used to measure the logarithmic setup parameter A for individual soil layers along the pile lengths. Observations from the test results showed that the average A values for clayey and sandy soil layers for the four tested sites w...
Nitrite reduction by a pyridinediimine complex with a proton-responsive secondary coordination sphere

The proton-responsive pyridinediimine ligand, DEAPDI (where DEAPDI = [(2,6-iPrC6H3)(NCMe)(N(Et)2C2H4)(NCMe)C5H3N]) was utilized for the reduction of NO2− to NO. Nitrite reduction is facilitated by the protonated secondary coordination sphere coupled with the ligand-based redox-active sites of [Fe(HDEAPDI)(CO)2]+ and results in the formation of the {Fe(NO)2}9 DNIC, [Fe(DEAPDI)(NO)2]+.
Comorbid Adolescent Substance Use and Major Depressive Disorders: A Review

Psychiatric comorbidity is the rule rather than the exception in adolescents diagnosed with substance use disorders (SUD). The aim of this evidence-based review is to enhance practitioners' understanding of the relationship between the commonly concomitant SUD and comorbid unipolar depression as well as increase the knowledge of treatment of adolescents with these comorbid disorders.
Scheduling DAGs Opportunistically: The Dream and the Reality Circa 2016

A broad-brush tour of a platform-oblivious approach to scheduling dag-structured computations on platforms whose resources can change dynamically, both in availability and efficiency. The main focus is on the IC-scheduling and Area-oriented scheduling paradigms--the motivation, the dream, the implementation, and initial work on evaluation.
Refining Diagnostic Procedures for Adults With Symptoms of ADHD: A Response to “Psychometrically Informed Approach to Integration of Multiple Informant Ratings in Adult ADHD Diagnosis in a Community-Recruited Sample”

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder that afflicts individuals into adulthood. The field continues to refine diagnostic standards for ADHD in adults, complicated by...
The metallurgy and tensile mechanical properties of thin wall spheroidal graphite irons

Extensive experimental work was conducted to establish the conditions required to produce carbide-free sound thin plates in spheroidal graphite (SG) iron and to evaluate their tensile mechanical pr...
The tie that binds

We often need different scientific fields to work together to make sense of the world. But for multidisciplinary approaches to work, a common ground first needs to exist between fields. Historian Peter Watson's new book, Convergence , sheds light on what can be gained when research areas come together, chronicling a series of major scientific milestones that span the past two centuries.
Do Psychology Department Mission Statements Reflect the American Psychological Association Undergraduate Learning Goals

This study focuses on the inclusion of the American Psychological Association’s learning goals in the mission statements of undergraduate psychology programs across the US. We reviewed the mission ...
Propranolol versus steroids for the treatment of ulcerated infantile hemangiomas.

Background There has been a paradigm shift from steroids to propranolol for the pharmacologic treatment of infantile hemangiomas (IH); however, the outcomes for ulcerated IH are not well studied. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of steroids and propranolol specifically for ulcerated IH. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on patients with ulcerated IH treated with propranolol or steroids at a single tertiary care institution between 2007 and 2014. Patient characteristics, hemangioma features, and outcomes, including time to heal and medication complications, were compared between propranolol and steroid patients. Results There were 29 patients treated with propranolol and 23 with steroids. There were no significant differences in the two treatment groups including age, race, sex, size, or insurance status. There were more head/neck IH in the steroid group. There was no significant difference in the percentage of healed lesions (93 vs. 74%, P = 0.12) or the median time to heal (80 vs. 126 days, p = 0.21) between groups. Overall complication rates also did not vary between medications (24 vs. 44%, P = 0.14). Conclusion Propranolol is noninferior to steroids for the treatment of ulcerated IH; however, healing time is lengthy regardless of treatment. While side effect profiles differed between medications, the overall complication rate was similar.
Times Thirty: Access, Maintenance, and Justice

Based on an ethnographic project in a public high school in a low-income neighborhood in South Los Angeles, this paper argues that access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) cannot...
The Experiential Origins of Human Behavior

Studies of learning processes in infants and young children are reviewed, and it is concluded that human infants, including newborns, are capable of learning under both classical and instrumental procedures, as well as some procedures combining features of both of these. Learning capacity seems most enhanced when experiential circumstances capitalize upon the congenital and sometimes idiosyncratic response repertoire of the infant. Individual differences, reflected through measures of chronological age and physiological dispositions, set limiting conditions upon capacity for learning, but those limiting conditions must always be determined empirically rather than merely presumed.
AN OPTIMIZING UP-AND-DOWN DESIGN

Assume that the probability of success is unimodal as a function of dose. Take the response to be binary and the possible treatment space to be a lattice. The Optimizing Up-and-Down Design allocates treatments to pairs of subjects in a way that causes the treatment distribution to cluster around the treatment with maximum success probability. This procedure is constructed to use accruing information to limit the number of patients that are exposed to doses with high probabilities of failure. The Optimizing Up-and-Down Design is motivated by Kiefer and Wolfowitz’s stochastic approximation procedure. In this paper, we compare its performance to stochastic approximation. As an estimator of the best dose, simulation studies demonstrate that the mode of the empirical treatment distribution using the Optimizing Up-and-Down Design converges faster than does the usual estimator using stochastic approximation.
Iwasawa Decomposition and Positivity

The most basic of all the decompositions is the Iwasawa decomposition, which we introduce in the first section. The section computes appropriate Haar measures and Jacobians for the Iwasawa decomposition. For more similar Haar measure computations, see Chapter V, §3. In §3 we consider the Cartan Lie decomposition in connection with polynomial invariants. The last three sections are devoted to some linear algebra in connection with the notion of positivity (partial ordering) which will play an important role later. The polar decomposition is introduced in connection with a theorem of Harish-Chandra concerning this partial ordering. The theorem compares the size of the A-component in the Iwasawa and polar decompositions. Jacobian computations and basic effects of polar decomposition on differential operators will be given in Chapter VI.
Adeno-associated Virus 2-Mediated Transduction and Erythroid Lineage-Specific Expression in Human Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

Parvoviruses are among the smallest of the DNA-containing viruses that infect a wide variety of vertebrates (Siegl et al. 1985). Two parvoviruses of human origin, the nonpathogenic adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV) and the parvovirus B19, a common human pathogen, have been studied extensively (Berns and Bohenzky 1987; Brown et al. 1994). AAV requires coinfection with a helper virus, such as adenovirus or herpesvirus, for its optimal replication (Berns 1990), but in the absence of a helper virus, the AAV genome establishes a latent infection in a site-specific manner (Kotin and Berns 1989; Kotin et al. 1990, 1991, 1992; Samulski et al. 1991). B19, by contrast, is an autonomously replicating virus with a remarkable tropism for human erythroid progenitor cells (Ozawa et al. 1986, 1987; Yaegashi et al. 1989; Srivastava and Lu 1988; Takahashi et al. 1990). We have described the construction of a recombinant AAV-B19 hybrid genome, in which we combined the remarkable features of these two parvoviruses, and speculated that such a hybrid vector may prove useful for high efficiency transduction of primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells (Srivastava et al. 1989). Indeed, it has become increasingly clear that the AAV-based vector system may prove to be a useful alternative to the more commonly used retroviral and adenoviral vectors for its potential use in human gene therapy (Muzyczka 1992; Carter 1993; Srivastava 1994). Despite these advances, a number of fundamental questions related to AAV remain unanswered. For example, the molecular details of viral assembly and the mechanism of viral entry into the host cell have not been rigorously analyzed. Furthermore, the feasibility of obtaining tissue-specific expression of an AAV-transduced gene has not been adequately addressed. Here, we provide experimental evidence to suggest that the vector assembly requires a precise signaling mechanism and that AAV infection of human cells is receptor-mediated. We also document erythroid lineage restricted expression following AAV-B19 hybrid vector-mediated transduction of primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells. Elucidation of the molecular details of these aspects of AAV biology will have important implications in the potential use of AAV as a vector in human gene therapy.
Mechanistic insight into the passive NOx adsorption in the highly dispersed Pd/HBEA zeolite

ABSTRACT Passive NOx adsorption using zeolite supported Pd catalysts has been considered one of most effective methods for low-temperature NO storage in the diesel engine emission control. In the present work, first-principles density functional theory calculations were used to study NO adsorption at the highly dispersed Pd sites, i.e., monomeric PdIIO and dimeric [PdII-O-PdII]2+ in the HBEA zeolite. It has been found that each PdIIO and [PdII-O-PdII]2+sites could bind with three and four NO molecules, respectively. Upon adsorption, NO could be oxidized to NO2, resulting in the reduction of PdII to Pd0 for PdIIO and PdII to PdI, for [PdII-O-PdII]2+, respectively. With increasing NO coverage at both sites, NO oxidation becomes more facile with low activation barriers of 13 and 22 kJ/mol. At the [PdII-O-PdII]2+ site, the binding of formed NO2 becomes weak at high NO coverage. Both PdIIO and [PdII-O-PdII]2+sites are protonated to the more stable [PdIIOH]+ and [PdIIOH]+/[PdIIOH]+ sites in the presence of H2O or neighboring BAS sites. Finally, we studied the CO effect on the NO adsorption in Pd/HBEA. With co-fed CO in the NOx mixture, both PdIIO and [PdII-O-PdII]2+ could be reduced to Pd° and [PdI-PdI]2+ sites. Compared to the NO adsorption, our calculations show that CO adsorption is slightly stronger at the [PdII-O-PdII]2+site while it is slightly weaker at the PdIIO site. CO oxidation, rather than NO oxidation readily occurs if NO and CO co-adsorbed. The reduced PdI site and the [PdIIOH]+/[PdIIOH]+ site enhances NO adsorption.
Intrinsic race differences in ALS survival in a US clinic population independent of ventilation.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) incidence is lower in African Americans (AAs) and Hispanics than in Caucasians (CAUs). Initially, this observation was ascribed to reduced case-finding or underreferral of minorities to ALS clinics. However, this observation has been confirmed in population-based studies1,2; in the First Gulf War veterans study,3 where case finding was proactive and access to care universal; and in the National Mortality Study.4 A second observation has been that AAs with ALS survive longer. Data from New Jersey2 showed an AA ALS age-adjusted incidence of 0.88 per 100,000 per year compared to 1.80 for CAUs (50% lower), and an AA ALS age-adjusted point prevalence of 2.93 compared to 4.62 for CAUs (35% lower), with no overlap of the 95% confidence intervals. This implied an approximately 25% longer mean duration of disease from onset. A follow-up study5 in the incident cohort showed that median survival from diagnosis of AA patients was 41 months compared to 20 months for CAU patients. A multivariate analysis showed that age accounted for some of the difference; after adjusting for age, the protective effect of AA ethnicity on mortality was evident in the point estimate of the hazard ratio for dying (0.69), but the 95% confidence interval spanned unity (0.41–1.17). In contrast, a study from Arkansas in a clinic referral population6 showed lower incidence of ALS in AAs compared to CAUs, based on a clinic referral population and death certificate data, younger age at onset, and similar survival from onset.
México y lo apocalíptico en "Poemas civiles" de Gabriel Trujillo Muñoz

Publicada en 2013, la coleccion de versos Poemas civiles, del escritor mexicano Gabriel Trujillo Munoz, explora la actualidad mexicana a traves de poemas que emplean imagenes y un lenguaje apocaliptico para retratar la profunda crisis nacional que esta sufriendo la inmensa mayoria de sus residentes. A lo largo del poemario, se emplean imagenes apocalipticas para hacer abundantemente especifica la distincion entre el Mexico que fue, el Mexico que es y el Mexico que podra ser, si no fuera por la pobreza, la violencia y la corrupcion del pais.
Rayleigh’s Principle by Equivalent Problems

Rayleigh’s Principle provides an inequality which gives upper bounds to an eigenvalue of a differential equation by evaluating a ratio of quadratic functionals with any function from a prescribed class. It also shows that the value of the functional evaluated with the eigenfunction is exactly the eigenvalue. This paper shows how minimizing the functional $$ J\left[ u \right] = \iint {\left[ {p\nabla u \cdot \nabla u + \left( {q - \lambda r} \right){u^2}} \right]} $$ by a modification of Carath€odory’s equivalent-problems method yields Rayleigh’s Principle for the partial-differential-equation (PDE) eigenvalue problem ▽ · (p▽u) – (q – λr)u = 0 on D, u = 0 on ∂D. The approach leads to a Hamilton-Jacobi equation for a vector variable, and seeking special forms of solution to this leads to a scalar PDE \( \nabla \cdot \sigma + \frac{1}{p}\sigma \cdot \sigma = q - \lambda r \) for the vector variable σ(x,y). This PDE is an obvious generalization of a Riccati ordinary differential equation, and it can be linearized by the transformation \( \sigma = p\frac{{\nabla w}}{w} \) . The resulting linear PDE is the original eigenvalue PDE, which has a nonvanishing solution by hypothesis. This guarantees the existence of a “nice” equivalent problem which immediately yields Rayleigh’s Principle, both the upper-bound and equality parts. The proof given here is for the two-dimensional case, but the specialization to the one-dimensional case and the generalization to the more-than-two-dimensional cases are immediate.
Screening older adults for amnestic mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer's disease using upper-extremity dual-tasking.

The purpose of the current study was to develop an objective tool based on dual-task performance for screening early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI of the Alzheimer’s type). Dual-task involved a simultaneous execution of a sensor-based upper-extremity function (UEF) motor task (normal or rapid speed) and a cognitive task of counting numbers backward (by ones or threes). Motor function speed and variability were recorded and compared between cognitive groups using ANOVAs, adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index. Cognitive indexes were developed using multivariable ordinal logistic models to predict the cognitive status using UEF parameters. Ninety-one participants were recruited; 35 cognitive normal (CN, age = 83.8 ± 6.9), 34 MCI (age = 83.9 ± 6.6), and 22 AD (age = 84.1 ± 6.1). Flexion number and sensor-based motion variability parameters, within the normal pace elbow flexion, showed significant between-group differences (maximum effect size of 1.10 for CN versus MCI and 1.39 for CN versus AD, p < 0.0001). Using these parameters, the cognitive status (both MCI and AD) was predicted with a receiver operating characteristic area under curve of 0.83 (sensitivity = 0.82 and specificity = 0.72). Findings suggest that measures of motor function speed and accuracy within a more practical upper-extremity test (instead of walking) may provide enough complexity for cognitive impairment assessment.
Expanding the role of Dynamic Assessment in language education

The four research studies included in this issue exemplify different approaches to the implementation of dynamic assessment (DA) in second language learning and teaching contexts. Although the studies are quite different from each other, they are unified by a focus on learner development and by a genuine effort to respond to challenges in concrete teaching situations in a way that is practical, meaningful, and accessible to teaching practitioners. As a whole, the studies contribute toward the development of a pedagogica program that is based on the principles of sociocultural theory. In what follows, I will briefly review the emergence of DA in the spectrum of assessment trends that depart significantly from traditional assessment, highlighting the main characteristics of DA and how it has been implemented in second language contexts. Then I will discuss how the four articles in this issue illustrate different aspects of DA, and how all of them are innovative and contribute to the expansion of DA in L2 educational settings.
Particle deposition on and reentrainment from coniferous trees

Deposition of dry solid particles of 2-micron diameter on leaves ofJuniperus scopulorum sarg, andPseudostsuga taxifolia (poir.) Brit was found to follow two different modes, which are dependent on dose. Deposition can be expressed by: lnC=k1 +k2 InD whereC is area coverage,D is dose, and k1 and k2 change values at a dose equal to 3 to 7×10k9 particles per cross section of a tree. Reentrainment of particles from leaves located in the upwind section of a tree differed appreciably from reentrainment of particles from leaves located in the downwind section. Particles blown off from the upwind part of the tree were deposited on leaves located in the downwind section during the first half hour. The experiments were conducted at four wind speeds: 195, 280,410, and 710 cm/sec. At 280cm/sec deposition was maximal and rate of reentrainment was minimal.
Network analysis of the concept of health promotion capacity-building

Health promotion capacity-building (HPCB) emerged in the public health literature in the 1990s. The objective of this study was to examine the origins and show the developments of the concept in th...
Circadian variation and seasonal distribution of implantable defibrillator detected new onset atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND We aimed to characterize the hourly, daily, and seasonally variations in the detection of new atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure patients implanted with a defibrillator. METHODS In 1309 patients enrolled in MADIT-RIT without AF at baseline, atrial arrhythmia data were analyzed from device interrogations. The circadian, weekly, and seasonal distribution of device detected AF was evaluated. The morning period was defined as 06:00-11:59, afternoon as 12:00-16:59, evening as 17:00-22:59, and the nighttime as 23:00-05:59. RESULTS During 17 months of follow-up, 66 (5%) patients developed new device-detected AF. AF patients were less likely to have ischemic cardiomyopathy and were more likely to have received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator rather than a cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator. The highest number of AF occurred during the evening hours (25 patients [38%]) followed by a second peak in AF detection during the afternoon hours (21 patients [32%]). Importantly during the nighttime, new AF occurred only in three patients (4%). In comparison with the nighttime period, the odds ratio (OR) of developing AF during the evening time period was 8.5-fold higher (95% CI 7.3-9.7, P < .01). Detection of AF during the spring and winter seasons accounted for 67% of all new device-detected AF. CONCLUSIONS There is diurnal and seasonal variation in new onset AF. A double peak in the incidence of AF is observed during the afternoon and evening hours, and during the spring and winter seasons. This information may be useful when deciding when to screen at-risk patients for new AF.
Risk Factors Party Together: The Role of Perineural Invasion and Desmoplasia in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Prognosis.

In the current issue, Haug et al. 2020 report on the prognostic impact of perineural invasion (PNI) and desmoplasia on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) recurrence and metastasis. They find that PNI occurs exclusively in desmoplastic CSCC, and desmoplasia is independently associated with CSCC recurrence and metastasis after adjusting for well-established CSCC risk factors. Future studies should assess the contribution of desmoplasia in CSCC prognosis.
Enrichment of genomic variation in pathways linked to autism

Abstract The genetic heterogeneity of autism has stymied the search for causes and cures. Even whole-genomic studies on large numbers of families have yielded results of relatively little impact. In the present work, we analyze two genomic databases using a novel strategy that takes prior knowledge of genetic relationships into account and that was designed to boost signal important to our understanding of the molecular basis of autism. Our strategy was designed to identify significant genomic variation within a priori defined biological concepts and improves signal detection while lessening the severity of multiple test correction seen in standard analysis of genome-wide association data. Upon application of our approach using 3,244 biological concepts, we detected genomic variation in 68 biological concepts with significant association to autism in comparison to family-based controls. These concepts clustered naturally into a total of 19 classes, principally including cell adhesion, cancer, and immune response. The top-ranking concepts contained high percentages of genes already suspected to play roles in autism or in a related neurological disorder. In addition, many of the sets associated with autism at the DNA level also proved to be predictive of changes in gene expression within a separate population of autistic cases, suggesting that the signature of genomic variation may also be detectable in blood-based transcriptional profiles. This robust cross-validation with gene expression data from individuals with autism coupled with the enrichment within autism-related neurological disorders supported the possibility that the mutations play important roles in the onset of autism and should be given priority for further study. In sum, our work provides new leads into the genetic underpinnings of autism and highlights the importance of reanalysis of genomic studies of complex disease using prior knowledge of genetic organization. Author Summary The genetic heterogeneity of autism has stymied the search for causes and cures. Even whole-genomic studies on large numbers of families have yielded results of relatively little impact. In the present work, we reanalyze two of the most influential whole-genomic studies using a novel strategy that takes prior knowledge of genetic relationships into account in an effort to boost signal important to our understanding of the molecular structure of autism. Our approach demonstrates that these genome wide association studies contain more information relevant to autism than previously realized. We detected 68 highly significant collections of mutations that map to genes with measurable and significant changes in gene expression in autistic individuals, and that have been implicated in other neurological disorders believed to be closely related, and genetically linked, to autism. Our work provides leads into the genetic underpinnings of autism and highlights the importance of reanalysis of genomic studies of disease using prior knowledge of genetic organization.