cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The concentration of estradiol-17 beta in bovine semen.

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of age, breed, epididymectomy and semen processing on the concentration of estradiol-17 beta (E2) in bovine semen. Semen was collected either by electroejaculation or with an artificial vagina. Neat semen samples were stored at -20 C until analysis. Processed, frozen semen and an egg yolk-citrate semen extender were obtained from a commercial semen processing firm and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 C. The concentration of E2 in semen was determined by radioimmunoassay. Semen from mature (greater than 24 mo), fertile Brahman (n = 19), Brangus (n = 16), Charolais (n = 29), Holstein (n = 15) and Santa Gertrudis (n = 25) bulls was analyzed for E2 concentration, and no difference (P greater than .10) between breeds was found. There was no difference (P greater than .10) in seminal E2 concentration between mature, fertile bulls (n = 104) and epididymectomized bulls (n = 22). In semen collected from prepuberal (12 to 16 mo, n = 21), peripuberal (17 to 20 mo, n = 17) and mature (greater than 24 mo, n = 19), Brahman bulls, the mature bulls had a lower (P less than .01) semen E2 concentration than peripuberal and prepuberal bulls. There were no differences (P greater than .10) in seminal E2 concentration among peripuberal Angus (n = 8), Hereford (n = 8) and Brahman (n = 17) bulls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Requirements and Advances in Simulating Aircraft Inlet Total Pressure Distortion in Turbine Engine Ground Tests

The development of high-performance aircraft demands the successful integration of the airframe, engine, and control systems. Advancements in aircraft technologies bring with them the need to improve the computational and experimental tools applied to the airframe-engine compatibility evaluations. This paper focuses on the need to improve one of these tools, the direct-connect turbine engine test method. In particular, the paper advocates improving the direct-connect test simulation of the total-pressure distortion induced in flight by the external airframe and the inlet system. To meet the needs of future direct-connect tests, AEDC embarked on the development of a transient total-pressure distortion generator. The paper first introduces specific total pressure pattern simulation requirements that form the basis for the development and results of the distortion generator development process. Included are sample distortion generator concept test results and a description of a fully functional prototype that is in fabrication. Next, the paper summarizes a parallel development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools that will be applied to adapting the prototype design to specific test facilities and to the operation of the distortion generator in turbine engine tests. The paper concludes with a look ahead from the total-pressure distortion methodology to test and computational methodologies for other parameters, with emphasis on swirl.© 2006 ASME
Itk is required for Th9 differentiation via TCR-mediated induction of IL-2 and IRF4

Th9 cells produce interleukin (IL)-9, a cytokine implicated in allergic asthma and autoimmunity. Here we show that Itk, a mediator of T cell receptor signalling required for Th2 immune responses and the development of asthma, is a positive regulator of Th9 differentiation. In a model of allergic lung disease, Itk-deficient mice show reduced pulmonary inflammation and IL-9 production by T cells and innate lymphoid type 2 cells (ILC2), despite normal early induction of ILC2s. In vitro, Itk(-/-) CD4(+) T cells do not produce IL-9 and have reduced levels of IRF4 (Interferon Regulator Factor 4), a critical transcription factor for effector T cell function. Both IL-9 and IRF4 expression are rescued by either IL-2 or constitutively active STAT5, but not NFATc1. STAT5 binds the Irf4 promoter, demonstrating one mechanism by which IL-2 rescues weakly activated T cells. Itk inhibition also reduces IL-9 expression by human T cells, implicating ITK as a key regulator of Th9 induction.
Combining lake core records with the limnologic model DYRESM-CAEDYM to evaluate lake response during the Little Ice Age and Medieval Climate Anomaly

The Little Ice Age and Medieval Climate Anomaly are two climatic intervals within the last 2000 years that had distinctive conditions in many North American paleoclimate reconstructions. During each of these intervals, the Crevice Lake, Montana paleorecord shows distinctive limnological characteristics inferred from fossil diatoms that reflect changes in temperature seasonality and lake thermal structure. A thermodynamic-ecological model, DYRESM-CAEDYM, was used to estimate climatic conditions during these time intervals and to explore the potential for linking paleo-records with lake models to evaluate the dynamic interactions of environmental variables in influencing diatom populations over time. The model effectively simulates the timing and distribution of Stephanodiscus and Cyclotella populations evident in the modern Crevice Lake observational data. In sensitivity tests altering multiple weather inputs had a greater effect on lake temperature isotherm patterns compared with changing only single variables, which suggests the interactive effect of multiple climate variables in affecting lake thermal structure. The model simulations show the importance of the rate of climate change in affecting lake thermal structure and diatom community structure, particularly during spring and early summer. The model also provides constraints on the range of changes in solar radiation, temperature, and wind speeds that may have produced the diatom communities characteristic of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age, and contemporary times.
Regulation of glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase activity by high glucose and transforming growth factor beta in rat mesangial cells

BACKGROUND: The hexosamine biosynthesis pathway acts as a cellular glucose sensor and mediates many of the adverse effects of glucose. Increased flux through this pathway results in insulin resistance in rat fibroblasts and transgenic mice and upregulation of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) transcriptional activity in rat kidney cells. The first and rate-limiting step in this pathway, which is responsible for the metabolism of glucose to glucosamine, is catalyzed by glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFA). METHODS: Because of the known effects of hyperglycemia on mesangial cell (MC) function and growth factor regulation, we examined the regulation of GFA by glucose and TGF-beta in cultured SV40 rat MCs. GFA activity was assayed in cytosolic extracts of MCs using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Culturing in 10 and 25 mM of glucose for 24 hours resulted in 33.4% (P < 0.025) and 43.5% (P < 0.05) decreases in GFA activity when compared with cells cultured at 1 to 5 mM of glucose. The downregulation in GFA activity by high glucose (HG) required at least 6 hours in culture and persisted for several days. HG effects were not a result of osmolar changes or glucose-induced differences in glucose uptake. Like HG, treatment of MCs with TGF-beta (2 ng/mL) for 4 hours resulted in a 30% (P < 0.05) decrease in GFA activity in cells cultured at 1 mM glucose, but the effects of TGF-beta were not additive to those of HG. TGF-beta-mediated downregulation of GFA activity was inhibited by a TGF-beta-neutralizing antibody, but HG's effects were not. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) had similar effects as TGF-beta, but GFA activity was not regulated by angiotensin II. CONCLUSIONS: GFA activity is downregulated by HG, TGF-beta, and IGF-1 in rat MCs. Downregulation of this cellular glucose sensor may be a protective mechanism against the harmful effects of excess glucose as seen in diabetes.
Interaction of Pyridine and Water with the Reconstructed Surfaces of GaP(111) and CdTe(111) Photoelectrodes: Implications for CO2 Reduction

Pyridine (Py) is an effective cocatalyst during the photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol over GaP, CdTe, and CuInS2 semiconductor surfaces. Identifying the role Py plays in the catalytic reduction mechanism is essential for optimizing the design of such photocatalytic processes. The Py-enhanced mechanism, however, is under considerable debate. Recent studies suggest that the semiconductor surface itself participates in a heterogeneous mechanism, and for this reason a detailed understanding of the interaction between Py and the surface is required. Additionally, surface reconstructions occurring during operation alter the nature of adsorption sites available for interaction with the solution, therefore impacting the performance of the electrode. To address this issue, we report a density functional theory investigation of the stability of GaP(111) and CdTe(111) surface reconstructions, as well as adsorption trends of intermediate species across sites created by such reconstructions. We also de...
Postinjury biomechanics of Achilles tendon vary by sex and hormone status

This study identified sex- and hormone-related differences in Achilles tendon healing, which support the notion that patient sex and hormone status should be considered in future clinical investiga...
Skeletal muscle derived stem cells microintegrated into a biodegradable elastomer for reconstruction of the abdominal wall.

A variety of techniques have been applied to generate tissue engineered constructs, where cells are combined with degradable scaffolds followed by a period of in vitro culture or direct implantation. In the current study, a cellularized scaffold was generated by concurrent deposition of electrospun biodegradable elastomer (poly(ester urethane)urea, PEUU) and electrosprayed culture medium + skeletal muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) or electrosprayed culture medium alone as a control. MDSCs were obtained from green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic rats. The created scaffolds were implanted into allogenic strain-matched rats to replace a full thickness abdominal wall defect. Both control and MDSC-integrated scaffolds showed extensive cellular infiltration at 4 and 8 wk. The number of blood vessels was higher, the area of residual scaffold was lower, number of multinucleated giant cells was lower and area of connective tissue was lower in MDSC-integrated scaffolds (p < 0.05). GFP + cells co-stained positive for VEGF. Bi-axial mechanical properties of the MDSC-microintegrated constructs better approximated the anisotropic behavior of the native abdominal wall. GFP + cells were observed throughout the scaffold at ∼5% of the cell population at 4 and 8 wk. RNA expression at 4 wk showed higher expression of early myogenic marker Pax7, and b-FGF in the MDSC group. Also, higher expression of myogenin and VEGF were seen in the MDSC group at both 4 and 8 wk time points. The paracrine effect of donor cells on host cells likely contributed to the differences found in vivo between the groups. This approach for the rapid creation of highly-cellularized constructs with soft tissue like mechanics offers an attractive methodology to impart cell-derived bioactivity into scaffolds providing mechanical support during the healing process and might find application in a variety of settings.
Predicting User Choices in Interactive Narratives Using Indexter’s Pairwise Event Salience Hypothesis

Indexter is a plan-based model of narrative that incorporates cognitive scientific theories about the salience of narrative events. A pair of Indexter events can share up to five indices with one another: protagonist, time, space, causality, and intentionality. The pairwise event salience hypothesis states that when a past event shares one or more of these indices with the most recently narrated event, that past event is more salient, or easier to recall, than an event which shares none of them. In this study we demonstrate that we can predict user choices based on the salience of past events. Specifically, we investigate the hypothesis that when users are given a choice between two events in an interactive narrative, they are more likely to choose the one which makes the previous events in the story more salient according to this theory.
Autobiographical memory, future imagining, and the medial temporal lobe.

In two experiments, patients with damage to the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and healthy controls produced detailed autobiographical narratives as they remembered past events (recent and remote) and imagined future events (near and distant). All recent events occurred after the onset of memory impairment. The first experiment aimed to replicate the methods of Race et al. [Race E, Keane MM, Verfaellie M (2011) J Neurosci 31(28):10262–10269]. Transcripts from that study were kindly made available for independent analysis, which largely reproduced the findings from that study. Our patients produced marginally fewer episodic details than controls. Patients from the earlier study were more impaired than our patients. Patients in both groups had difficulty in returning to their narratives after going on tangents, suggesting that anterograde memory impairment may have interfered with narrative construction. In experiment 2, the experimenter used supportive questioning to help keep participants on task and reduce the burden on anterograde memory. This procedure increased the number of details produced by all participants and rescued the performance of our patients for the distant past. Neither of the two patient groups had any special difficulty in producing spatial details. The findings suggest that constructing narratives about the remote past and the future does not depend on MTL structures, except to the extent that anterograde amnesia affects performance. The results further suggest that different findings about the status of autobiographical memory likely depend on differences in the location and extent of brain damage in different patient groups.
Focus of a multilayer Laue lens with an aperture of 102 microns determined by ptychography at beamline 1-BM at the Advanced Photon Source

Ptychography was used to determine the focus of a Multilayer-Laue-Lens (MLL) at beamline 1-BM at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The MLL had a record aperture of 102 microns with 15170 layers. The measurements were made at 12 keV. The focal length was 9.6 mm, and the outer-most zone was 4 nm thick. MLLs with ever larger apertures are under continuous development since ever longer focal lengths, ever larger working distances, and ever increased flux in the focus are desired. A focus size of 25 nm was determined by ptychographic phase retrieval from a gold grating sample with 1 micron lines and spaces over 3.0 microns horizontal distance. The MLL was set to focus in the horizontal plane of the bending magnet beamline. A CCD with 13.0 micron pixel size positioned 1.13 m downstream of the sample was used to collect the transmitted intensity distribution. The beam incident on the MLL covered the whole 102 micron aperture in the horizontal focusing direction and 20 microns in the vertical direction. 160 iterations of the difference map algorithm were sufficient to obtain a reconstructed image of the sample. The present work highlights the utility of a bending magnet source at the APS for performing coherence-based experiments. Use of ptychography at 1-BM on MLL optics opens the way to study diffraction-limited imaging of other hard x-ray optics.
Crystal growth science between the centuries

The major framework of crystal growth concepts and technologies was built during the 20th century. This solid framework, however, does not have enough predictive power. The lack of fundamental constants, multi-parametric experimental conditions, and complex chemistry in many systems remain obstacles to the quantitative confrontation of many key concepts with experiment, to make them predictive and to develop these concepts further. In addition, at least several generic issues should be addressed. For instance, the BCF theory is based on the assumption that thermodynamic fluctuations at steps are fast enough to generate a sufficient density of kinks for growth. However, for strongly polygonized steps this is not always the case. Also, for these steps, the Gibbs–Thomson relationship may be valid only within a very low supersaturation range. These problems are considered here. The Kossel model should be generalized for the lattices of which unit cells include several, say, n identical molecules, atoms, or ions in crystallographically inequivalent positions. In this case, only the unit cell as a whole makes a self-reproducible kink while the building blocks in the liquid or gas are the component molecules, atoms or ions. Because of this, the driving force for crystallization takes the same form as that in a system of n components. Therefore even the kink rate is proportional to Cn-Cne rather than to C-Ce where C and Ce are actual and equilibrium concentrations, respectively. Finally, the challenges of biomacromolecular crystallization are discussed. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers
Central line bundle for prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infection for totally implantable venous access devices (ports) in pediatric cancer patients.

Objective:The clinical impact of central line bundle programs for central line–associated bloodstream infections has been well demonstrated in intensive care units. However, the experience of central line bundle programs in totally implantable venous access devices (ports) in pediatric-hematology patients was limited.Methods:A retrospective study was designed to compare and evaluate the clinical impact of implementing a central line bundle for a 2-year 5-month period, including 10 months of prebundle period, 11 months of central line bundle (that includes needleless split-septum devices), and finally 8 months of central line bundle period in which single-use prefilled flushing devices were added to the previous central line bundle.Results:During the prebundle period, the rate of 14.5 central line–associated bloodstream infections per 1000 CL-days had decreased to 5.49 CLABSIs per 1000 CL-days in the first bundle period. The incidence rate ratio with these two groups was 0.379, indicating a relative risk r...
Semi-Blind Inference of Topologies and Dynamical Processes Over Dynamic Graphs

A task of major practical importance in network science is inferring the graph structure from noisy observations at a subset of nodes. Available methods for topology inference typically assume that the process over the network is observed at all nodes. However, application-specific constraints may prevent acquiring network-wide observations. Alleviating the limited flexibility of existing approaches, this work advocates structural models for graph processes and develops novel algorithms for joint inference of the network topology and processes from partial nodal observations. Structural equation models (SEMs) and structural vector autoregressive models (SVARMs) have well documented merits in identifying even directed topologies of complex graphs; while SEMs capture contemporaneous causal dependencies among nodes, SVARMs further account for time-lagged influences. A batch solver is proposed that iterates between inferring directed graphs that “best” fit the sequence of observations, and estimating the network processes at reduced computational complexity by leveraging tools related to Kalman smoothing. To further accommodate delay-sensitive applications, an online joint inference approach is put forth that even tracks time-evolving topologies. Furthermore, we specify novel conditions for identifying the network topology given partial observations. We prove that the required number of observations for unique identification reduces significantly when the network structure is sparse. Numerical tests with synthetic as well as real datasets corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
9/11 Myths, Islam, and American Cultural Conflict

Mythological thinking about events of mass violence is common in modern societies and this thinking frequently focuses on dynamics of ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Myths about the 9/11 terrorist attacks can be found on political right and left. On the right, the United Flight 93 memorial is described as an Islamist plot designed to denigrate the victims and venerate Islamist terrorism. On the left, the 9/11 attacks are viewed as orchestrations of an imperialist American government interested in vilifying and subjugating Muslims. Both myths are easily debunked with empirical data, but the power of mythological thinking about such events is such that data-based criticism has limited power to change the minds of adherents to myth.
Multiple-Point Statistics in a Non-gridded Domain: Application to Karst/Fracture Network Modeling

Paleokarst reservoirs exhibit complex geologic features comprised of collapsed caves. Traditionally, cave structures are modeled using variogram-based methods and this description does not precisely represent the reservoir geology. Therefore, a quantitative algorithm to characterize the reservoir connectivity of karst features is needed. Multiple-point statistics (MPS) algorithms have been used for modeling complex geologic structures such as channels and fracture networks. Statistics required for these algorithms are inferred from “gridded” training images but information about structures like modern cave networks and paleokarst facies are available only in the form of cave surveys or “point” data sets. Thus, it is not practical to apply “rigid and gridded” templates and training images for the simulation of such features. In this study, a new MPS analysis technique and a pattern simulation algorithm are presented to characterize and simulate connected geologic features such as cave networks and paleokarst reservoirs. The algorithm uses non-gridded flexible templates with various distance and angle tolerances on non-gridded training images for inferring the pattern statistics. The calibrated statistics are subsequently used to constrain pattern simulation of connected geologic features. In order to validate the proposed technique, it is first implemented on 3D synthetic data sets. Subsequently, the algorithm is also applied on the Wind Cave data set. The cave data is used as non-gridded training images for performing MPS analysis. It is demonstrated that the proposed non-gridded MPS analysis and pattern simulation algorithms are successful at characterizing and modeling connected features for which information is only available in the form of point sets.
Effects of sonidegib dose reduction or delay in locally advanced basal cell carcinoma: 42-month data from BOLT.

9573Background: Sonidegib is a hedgehog pathway inhibitor (HPI) approved for the treatment of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (laBCC) not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy. Patient...
Cofilin-Mediated Actin Stress Response Is Maladaptive in Heat-Stressed Embryos.

Summary Environmental stress threatens the fidelity of embryonic morphogenesis. Heat, for example, is a teratogen. Yet how heat affects morphogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we identify a heat-inducible actin stress response (ASR) in Drosophila embryos that is mediated by the activation of the actin regulator Cofilin. Similar to ASR in adult mammalian cells, heat stress in fly embryos triggers the assembly of intra-nuclear actin rods. Rods measure up to a few microns in length, and their assembly depends on elevated free nuclear actin concentration and Cofilin. Outside the nucleus, heat stress causes Cofilin-dependent destabilization of filamentous actin (F-actin) in actomyosin networks required for morphogenesis. F-actin destabilization increases the chance of morphogenesis mistakes. Blocking the ASR by reducing Cofilin dosage improves the viability of heat-stressed embryos. However, improved viability correlates with restoring F-actin stability, not rescuing morphogenesis. Thus, ASR endangers embryos, perhaps by shifting actin from cytoplasmic filaments to an elevated nuclear pool.
Block randomization versus complete randomization of human perception stimuli: is there a difference?

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) has been studying and modeling the human visual discrimination process as it pertains to military imaging systems. In order to develop sensor performance models, human observers are trained to expert levels in the identification of military vehicles. From 1998 until 2006, the experimental stimuli were block randomized, meaning that stimuli with similar difficulty levels (for example, in terms of distance from target, blur, noise, etc.) were presented together in blocks of approximately 24 images but the order of images within the block was random. Starting in 2006, complete randomization came into vogue, meaning that difficulty could change image to image. It was thought that this would provide a more statistically robust result. In this study we investigated the impact of the two types of randomization on performance in two groups of observers matched for skill to create equivalent groups. It is hypothesized that Soldiers in the Complete Randomized condition will have to shift their decision criterion more frequently than Soldiers in the Block Randomization group and this shifting is expected to impede performance so that Soldiers in the Block Randomized group perform better.
The Legacy of Chet Bowers for Educational Studies and the Social Foundations of Education

This article introduces some of the primary ideas in Bowers' long legacy of scholarship and its importance to Educational Studies and the Social Foundations. We also trace the development of our pe...
Effective Communication Strategies and Leadership Growth During the Israeli Sixth Century BCE Crisis: An Ideological Study of Daniel 9:19

This study is an ideological textural analysis using socio-rhetorical and inner texture methods of the pericope Daniel 9:19 and investigates how the phases of Daniel’s leadership growth during the sixth century Israeli crisis could be applied to organizational leadership. Four phases of growth are revealed through an exegesis of the pericope as well as an understanding of how a leader can skillfully present an argument to a listener in a positive manner during a crisis. This study is beneficial to organizational leaders as well as international leaders who, in the midst of a crisis, do not have the luxury of time; yet need to communicate effectively at the same time while under this pressure.
“Compensatory articulation” in hearing impaired speakers: a cinefluorographic study

Abstract: Data from three hearing-impaired subjects were compared with data from three hearing subjects to study the effect of constraining the jaw during speech on tongue shape and position for the vowels /i/, /ae/ and /u/. The results showed that although the three hearing-impaired speakers showed more variable tongue shapes and positions in both bite-block and nonbite-block conditions, the bite-block had little effect in altering the areas of maximum constriction between the tongue dorsum and maxilla associated with the vowels studied. Two of the hearing-impaired speakers showed less differentiation in tongue shape and position for the vowels /u/ and /ae/ in both jaw-fixed and jaw-free conditions. A third hearing-impaired speaker differentiated the vowels but the tongue positions observed were different from those of normal hearing speakers. The bite-block was shown to have no systematic effect on intelligibility for any of the hearing-impaired speakers. These findings are interpreted in terms of current thinking on sensorimotor integration and movement control with particular reference to “target-based” theories.
Gendered Meanings of Leadership: Developing Leadership through Experiential Community-Based Mentoring in College.

Background: Employers consider strong leadership skills among highly desirable qualities for new hires. To meet the needs of today’s complex workforce, colleges and universities have increased oppo...
Mentoring Programs by and for a New Generation of Latino Investigators in Behavioral-Social Science HIV Research

Latinos represent a critical resource of talent that could be cultivated to expand the HIV research workforce. However, their rapid growth, as the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the US population, has yet to translate into a significant increase in Latino health academic researchers. Historically, strategies to build a diverse research workforce have grouped together individuals from underrepresented minority populations obscuring significance between and within group differences. This limits ap­proaches that are responsive to the diversity of needs and experiences of emerging investigators from underrepresented groups. In this article, we discuss challenges associ­ated with heterogeneity of Latinos and bar­riers that impede research independence/ career success in the context of a review of Latino-investigator targeted mentorship approaches on the behavioral-social science of HIV infection. Mentorship workforce strategies could benefit from a personal­ized framework emphasizing individualized and tailored approaches to address the limitations and gaps in knowledge regard­ing Latino research development. This perspective encourages increased emphasis on organizational and structural processes to aid in overcoming institutional-level barriers that impede research and career develop­ment. Recommendations are proposed for features and components of effective mentorship programs that will lead to robust outcomes for strengthening the Latino research workforce in the HIV research field and elsewhere. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):305- 312; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.305.
Hunter-Gatherer Occupation of the Central Colorado Plateau during the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition

The central Colorado Plateau contains an exceptional density of cultural resources. Historically, however, archaeological investigations have overlooked the late Pleistocene and early Holocene record of this region. As such, there is currently a biased understanding of the earliest human occupations and adaptations. The regional Paleoindian record is reviewed here to assess the nature of initial human occupation of the area. Projectile point typologies, toolstone selection, and site distributions are used to characterize the land use patterns used by the region's earliest inhabitants. Results suggest that as early as circa 13,000 cal BP Clovis groups were familiar with the lithic landscape and habitually made use of local materials. Subsequent Paleoindian populations maintained relatively consistent levels of occupation throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Finally, the presence of classic Southwest, High Plains, and Great Basin–related lithic technologies suggests that the central Colorado Plateau was part of early interregional land use strategies.
Detection of adulteration in extra virgin olive oil by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and chemometrics

Abstract Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most abundant oils used in a daily diet of Southern and Coastal European cities with its distinctive sensorial profile and health benefits. Because of its high price, EVOO has become one of the most adulterated foods in the world. The most widely used adulterants are seed and nut oils, lower quality olive oils or old olive oils. Many analytical methodologies have been used to detect adulteration. Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is a unique method that measures volatile organic compounds (VOC's) simply, rapidly and sensitively. Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) was used to distinguish between EVOO samples based on their volatile contents. This study focused on the measurement of the volatile composition of extra virgin olive oils and determines targeted adulteration. Apparent differentiation was detected between adulterated EVOO and EVOO samples. Interclass distances higher than 3 indicates that samples were significantly different. SIFT-MS is a rapid and accurate technique to determine EVOO adulteration with chemometrics. According to partial least squares regression (PLSR) adulteration levels were clear in most samples. 1-Octanol, 1-penten-3-one, 2-phenylethanol, dodecane, anisole, ethyl nonanoate, isobutanoic acid, ocimene, phenol, toluene were determined as the most discriminant compounds to classify adulteration.
University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine: Lifestyle Medicine Approaches in an Integrative Primary Care Model

The University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC) was an innovative membership-supported integrative medicine (IM) adult primary care clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, serving as a case study in planning, building, and operating a Lifestyle Medicine Center. The UAIHC provided whole-person care and combined conventional and complementary medical treatments, with an emphasis on lifestyle. This team-based care model was patient-centered, and the clinic space was designed to create a healing environment. A research study, the Integrative Medicine Primary Care Trial (IMPACT), was conducted evaluating multiple outcome measures. Patients expressed high satisfaction rates with their care experience and were noted to have statistically significant improvements in multiple self-reported validated clinical outcome measures. There were many lessons learned from this endeavor, not the least of which being that integrative whole-person care with an emphasis on lifestyle can be impactful.
Analysis and Prediction of COVID-19 Pandemic in India

In this paper, we have analysed the COVID-19 progression in India and the three most affected Indian states (viz. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) as of 29-Aug-20 and developed a prediction model to forecast the behaviour of COVID-19 spread in the future months. We used time series data for India and applied the Susceptible-Infective-Removed (SIR) model and the FbProphet model to predict the peak infectives and peak infective date for India and the three most affected states. In this paper, we further performed the comparative analysis of the prediction results from SIR and FbProphet models. From this study, we concluded that with the assumption that a total 5% of India's population might be infected by the pandemic, the countrywide spread is forecasted to reach its peak by the end of Nov-20. And till the time there is no vaccination, for the states that have already reached their peak and with festivals around the corner, there are high chances of resurgence in the number of cases if the social distancing and other control measures are not followed diligently in the coming months.
Self-Compassion, Internalized Weight Stigma, Psychological Well-Being, and Eating Behaviors in Women

Research suggests that directing compassion inward (i.e., self-compassion) is related to better psychological and physical well-being. Little research attention has focused on the links between self-compassion and internalized weight stigma. Internalized weight stigma, or devaluing oneself because of one’s body weight, is pervasive across women regardless of their weight and is particularly detrimental to psychological and physical well-being. This study examined the indirect effects of self-compassion on maladaptive eating behaviors through lower levels of internalized weight stigma and increased psychological well-being in a sample of 266 women. Women completed an online questionnaire assessing self-compassion, internalized weight stigma, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and emotional and restrained eating. Self-compassion was associated with lower levels of internalized weight stigma, which in turn was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and less anxiety. Contrary to expectations, self-compassion was not associated with eating behaviors through the sequence of internalized weight stigma and psychological well-being. However, self-compassion was associated with less emotional and restrained eating through lower internalized weight stigma. The link between self-compassion and fewer maladaptive eating behaviors was explained by internalized weight stigma alone, as opposed to a sequence of internalized weight stigma and psychological well-being.
NATting Else Matters: Evaluating IPv6 Access Control Policies in Residential Networks

Customer edge routers are the primary mode of connection to the Internet for a large portion of non-commercial users. As these consumer networks migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, stateful firewalls are needed to protect devices in the home. However, policy details crucial to the implementation of these inbound access controls are left to the discretion of the device manufacturers. In this paper, we survey ten customer edge routers to evaluate how manufacturers implement firewalls and user controls in IPv6. The result is a systemic, demonstrable failure among all parties to agree upon, implement, and communicate consistent security policies. We conclude with future research directions and recommendations for all parties to address these systemic failures and provide a consistent model for home security.
Tutorial on directed acyclic graphs.

Abstract Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are an intuitive yet rigorous tool to communicate about causal questions in clinical and epidemiologic research and inform study design and statistical analysis. DAGs are constructed to depict prior knowledge about biological and behavioral systems related to specific causal research questions. DAG components portray who receives treatment or experiences exposures; mechanisms by which treatments and exposures operate; and other factors that influence the outcome of interest or which persons are included in an analysis. Once assembled, DAGs — via a few simple rules — guide the researcher in identifying whether the causal effect of interest can be identified without bias and, if so, what must be done either in study design or data analysis to achieve this. Specifically, DAGs can identify variables that, if controlled for in the design or analysis phase, are sufficient to eliminate confounding and some forms of selection bias. DAGs also help recognize variables that, if controlled for, bias the analysis (e.g., mediators or factors influenced by both exposure and outcome). Finally, DAGs help researchers recognize insidious sources of bias introduced by selection of individuals into studies or failure to completely observe all individuals until study outcomes are reached. DAGs, however, are not infallible, largely owing to limitations in prior knowledge about the system in question. In such instances, several alternative DAGs are plausible, and researchers should assess whether results differ meaningfully across analyses guided by different DAGs and be forthright about uncertainty. DAGs are powerful tools to guide the conduct of clinical research.
The Use of Calcium Phosphates in Cosmetics, State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Calcium phosphates (CaPs) belong to a class of biomimetic materials widely employed for medical applications thanks to their excellent properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and osteoinductivity. The recent trend in the cosmetics field of substituting potentially hazardous materials with natural, safe, and sustainable ingredients for the health of consumers and for the environment, as well as the progress in the materials science of academics and chemical industries, has opened new perspectives in the use of CaPs in this field. While several reviews have been focused on the applications of CaP-based materials in medicine, this is the first attempt to catalogue the properties and use of CaPs in cosmetics. In this review a brief introduction on the chemical and physical characteristics of the main CaP phases is given, followed by an up-to-date report of their use in cosmetics through a large literature survey of research papers and patents. The application of CaPs as agents in oral care, skin care, hair care, and odor control has been selected and extensively discussed, highlighting the correlation between the chemical, physical and toxicological properties of the materials with their final applications. Finally, perspectives on the main challenges that should be addressed by the scientific community and cosmetics companies to widen the application of CaPs in cosmetics are given.
Islamic Law and the Environment in Indonesia

Based on research in Indonesia in 2010–2013, this essay explains how Muslims expect norms of Islamic law to mobilize religious response to environmental crisis. It surveys attempts since the 1990s to develop “environmental fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence)” in Indonesia, justified in theory by rationales such as that actions causing environmental harm stem ultimately from human moral failing, and also that human aims and activities, including those protected by Islamic law, require a healthy biosphere. Many Indonesians expect Islamic ecological rulings to fill a critical gap in global persuasion, and to be successful when other (non-religious) environmental messages fail. Considering several key fatwas (non-binding legal opinions given in answer to a question) from the local level to the national in Indonesia, this paper explains how law and “outreach” (Ind. dakwah) come together to cast Islamic law of the environment in terms of foundational causes and ultimate effects. These religious norms coexist with and complement other globalized constructions (such as those of the nation-state and NGOs) that they increasingly incorporate.
Protein secretions of Sertoli cells

As was stated in the introduction, many of the functions of the Sertoli cells are apparently carried out by the protein secretions of these cells. The use of Sertoli cell cultures and appropriate biochemical and immunological techniques has allowed the characterization of some of these secretion products. It is likely that many of the functions of the Sertoli cells are necessary because of the presence of the blood-testis barrier. Many growth and nutritive factors which are necessary for cell viability are available to most cells via the serum. The germinal cells within the adluminal compartment do not have access to serum factors and one of the functions of the Sertoli cells is to synthesize serum-like components and secrete them into the adluminal compartment. The historical description of Sertoli cells as "nurse cells" thus appears to have been accurate. The nurse-cell function is most clearly demonstrated by the proposed mechanism by which germinal cells obtain ferric ions. The Sertoli cells have developed a system to move serum-derived iron through their own cytoplasm and to secrete it bound to newly synthesized testicular transferrin molecules which can deliver it to specific receptors on the germinal cell surface (Huggenvik et al., 1984). Functionally, all of the secreted proteins from Sertoli cells which have been characterized or proposed fall into one of five basic classes. First, Sertoli cells secrete a number of transport proteins including transferrin, ceruloplasmin, and ABP. The proposed function of these proteins is the transport of Fe3+, Cu2+, and androgens to the germinal cells or to the epididymis (ABP). Second, Sertoli cells synthesize and secrete a number of proteins which have a hormone-like or growth factor-like activity. AMH is a clear and well-documented example of this type of product while the evidence for inhibin, somatomedin C, EGF-like growth factor, and seminiferous growth factor will require further corroboration. Third, Sertoli cells secrete proteins which have enzymatic activities. Plasminogen activator is the best characterized example of this class of products and the alpha-lactalbumin-like activity is of potential interest. The fourth class of Sertoli cell secretion products includes those proteins which contribute to the basement membrane, namely, type IV collagen and laminin. Finally, there is a very important group of Sertoli cell secretion products for which there is, as yet, no evidence for a defined function. This group includes SGP-1 and SGP-2 which are the major sertoli cell products in rats and which have been well-characterized biochemically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
THE SOCIAL ROOTS OF HUMAN DISEASE: THE ORIGINS OF HEALTH DISPARITIES BY RACE AND CLASS*

*Presented at International Meeting: Strength and Transcendence of Psychiatry. XXV Anniversary of The Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria Ramon de la Fuente. Mexico City, Mexico September 24-26, 2003. **Maude & Lillian Presley Professor of Social Medicine and Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus. Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-6019. E-Mail: Leon_Eisenberg@HMS.Harvard.edu The distribution of health and disease in human populations reflects where people live, when in history they live, the air they breathe and the water they drink, what and how much they eat, the energy they expend, the occupations they have, the status they occupy in the social order of their communities, whether they are socially isolated or surrounded by friends, and the quality and the amount of medical care they receive. None of this will be news to the audience, except perhaps the order in which the relevant variables are listed, with medical care listed last. Can that be correct? Think about that question in the following context. Mortality from respiratory tuberculosis, as high as 400 per million in England and Wales in 1840, fell by half by 1880, two years before Koch identified the TB bacillus. By 1940, before there was any effective medical treatment, tuberculosis mortality had fallen to 10% of its level a century earlier (McKeown, 1975). The healthcare system had little to do with these profound changes; they reflected better housing, improved nutrition, less hazardous working conditions and public education. Only in the last 50 years has medical care become increasingly decisive in clinical outcomes when care is responsive to community needs. The thesis I propose to develop is that social variables are decisive in determining, not only what diseases strike which persons, but also in modifying the very biology of the disease process. To do so, I will make five points: ONE: Health disparities parallel economic and social disparities. TWO: It is not solely the national product per capita, but the distribution of income within populations that matters for health. THREE: Medical technology, to the degree that it is effective, will increase rather than decrease health disparities between social classes because of differential access. FOUR: Changing social conditions, including patient behaviors, improvements in medical technology, and the provision of medical care alter the very biology of disease itself. FIVE: Finally, I will argue that, if health disparities are to be reduced, physicians must move beyond their clinical roles to become social activists.
A phoneme recognition system using modular construction of time-delay neural networks

Research on alternative approaches of representing phoneme data to be input into an artificial neural network and alterations that can be made in the network to reduce training time without sacrificing recognition rate is described. A modularly constructed time-delay neural network (TDNN) trained to identify English stop consonant phonemes under speaker-independent, continuous speech conditions was used. Samples of continuous speech were recorded from ten male speakers and phonemes were manually extracted. Extracted phonemes were less than the maximum input size for the TDNN, so data were shifted within the input window to allow recognition of the phoneme regardless of where the phoneme was presented within the input window. The TDNN contained 490 processing elements and over 12000 connections and was constructed in a modular fashion, allowing future expansion. Recognition rates as high as 98.8% were obtained for individual phonemes within modules, and overall recognition rates as high as 79.4% for all stop consonant phonemes were obtained. >
Submillimeter Extra Dimensions and TeV-Scale Quantum Gravity

In this lecture we will briefly review some phenomenological, as- trophysical and cosmological aspects of theories with large extra dimensions and low scale quantum gravity.