cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Keemei: cloud-based validation of tabular bioinformatics file formats in Google Sheets.

Bioinformatics software often requires human-generated tabular text files as input and has specific requirements for how those data are formatted. Users frequently manage these data in spreadsheet programs, which is convenient for researchers who are compiling the requisite information because the spreadsheet programs can easily be used on different platforms including laptops and tablets, and because they provide a familiar interface. It is increasingly common for many different researchers to be involved in compiling these data, including study coordinators, clinicians, lab technicians and bioinformaticians. As a result, many research groups are shifting toward using cloud-based spreadsheet programs, such as Google Sheets, which support the concurrent editing of a single spreadsheet by different users working on different platforms. Most of the researchers who enter data are not familiar with the formatting requirements of the bioinformatics programs that will be used, so validating and correcting file formats is often a bottleneck prior to beginning bioinformatics analysis. We present Keemei, a Google Sheets Add-on, for validating tabular files used in bioinformatics analyses. Keemei is available free of charge from Google’s Chrome Web Store. Keemei can be installed and run on any web browser supported by Google Sheets. Keemei currently supports the validation of two widely used tabular bioinformatics formats, the Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) sample metadata mapping file format and the Spatially Referenced Genetic Data (SRGD) format, but is designed to easily support the addition of others. Keemei will save researchers time and frustration by providing a convenient interface for tabular bioinformatics file format validation. By allowing everyone involved with data entry for a project to easily validate their data, it will reduce the validation and formatting bottlenecks that are commonly encountered when human-generated data files are first used with a bioinformatics system. Simplifying the validation of essential tabular data files, such as sample metadata, will reduce common errors and thereby improve the quality and reliability of research outcomes.
Human fertility and differential birth rates in American eugenics and genetics: a brief history

Eugenics is a broad term used to describe a variety of social and state-sponsored reform movements. Although we usually think of Nazi atrocities when we hear the word "eugenics," in this article I discuss the manifestations of hereditary reform worldwide. In particular, I consider the history of eugenics in America, focusing on concerns about the differences in birth rates between various racial, ethnic, and educational groups. In the early twentieth century, the social and cultural expectations that surrounded the growing knowledge in genetics implied an ethical imperative for physicians. Physicians were expected to use their knowledge about genetics to help them decide what sort of advice and assistance should be given to those who wanted knowledge about birth control, or help in resolving problems concerning sterility and infertility. Today, with growing knowledge about human genetics, physicians are subject to increasing pressure to make similar judgments.
Nest-site selection in the Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis) in central New Hampshire

Reproductive success in birds is largely influenced by nest-site selection. Nest predators are the greatest source of nest failure for most species of birds. Species that nest on the ground may be particularly adapted to maximally conceal nests to reduce the risk of loss to predators. Little is known about nest-site selection in the Canada Warbler (Wilsonia cana- densis (L., 1766)), a small ground-nesting Neotropical migrant. We predicted higher amounts of vegetative cover at success- ful nests of Canada Warblers compared with unsuccessful nests because detection by predators would decrease with greater cover. We measured vegetative characteristics (concealment, stem densities, ground cover) around each nest and compared these variables between successful and unsuccessful nests and between actual nests and mock nest sites on and off territo- ries. Greater concealment and higher stem densities were the main features surrounding a successful nest site. Nest sites had significantly greater concealment when compared with both random mock nest sites on and off territories. Thus, conceal- ment is important for this ground nester and achieved primarily through thick cover and strategic nest placement in vertical substrate with an inconspicuous opening to the nest cup. Forests with complex ground structure and thickets of small- stemmed woody plants should be targets of conservation when considering how to manage this declining species.
Superconductivity in the intermetallic pnictide compound Ca 11 Bi 10-x

The pnictide phase ${\text{Ca}}_{11}{\text{Bi}}_{10\ensuremath{-}x}$ shows bulk superconductivity around 2.2 K in temperature-dependent resistivity and magnetic susceptibility data. The compound is a $p$-type metal with low carrier density of 6.5 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 10${}^{18}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. ${\text{Ca}}_{11}{\text{Bi}}_{10\ensuremath{-}x}(x=0.12)$ was synthesized by the reaction of Ca metal with excess Bi and crystallizes in the tetragonal space group $I$4/mmm with $a$ = 12.2842(6) \AA{} and $c$ = 17.866(4) \AA{}. The structure of ${\text{Ca}}_{11}{\text{Bi}}_{10}$ contains three discrete units: isolated Bi atoms, dumbbells, and square planar rings of Bi surrounded by Ca atoms. Vacancies were found in the isolated Bi(1) atoms and square planar Bi${}_{4}$ units of the structure. The Ca${}_{11}$Bi${}_{10}$ system is the first member found to exhibit superconductivity among the intermetallic class ${M}_{11}{X}_{10}$ ($M$ = Ca, Sr, Ba; $X$ = Bi, Sb), suggesting that a broader family of Bi or Sb containing superconductors may exist. Electronic structure density functional theory calculations confirm the metallic nature of the compound with several steep Bi $p$-orbital bands crossing the Fermi level as well as a single flat band reaching the Fermi level upon the introduction of Bi vacancies.
Anti-angiogenic agents in ovarian cancer: past, present, and future

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in normal ovarian physiology as well as in the progression of ovarian cancer through ascites formation and metastatic spread. Bevacizumab (Avastin(®), Genentech; South San Francisco, CA, USA), a humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody, is the most widely studied anti-angiogenesis agent both across tumor types and specifically in epithelial ovarian cancer. In 2005, single-agent bevacizumab at 15 mg/kg (IV) every 3 weeks was first reported to be active in a case of recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer after failing 11th line cytotoxic treatment. Since then, many case series, phase II and phase III trials have confirmed these results leading to regulatory approval in most countries including the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014. Guidelines now give clear recommendations as to when and how bevacizumab should be integrated into the ovarian cancer treatment paradigm. Other anti-VEGF agents such as the VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors have not shown increased activity or reduced toxicity relative to bevacizumab. However, anti-angiogenics other than anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents such as those targeting Angiopoietin-1 and -2 are in development as well as novel combinations with vascular disrupting agents (VDAs), PARP inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clearly, the benefits of anti-angiogenic agents such as bevacizumab must be carefully weighed against the cost and associated toxicities. Although almost all patients with ovarian cancer will receive an anti-angiogenic compound, cures are not increased. Predictive biomarkers are an urgent unmet need.
Conclusion: Present and Future Nato Relationships

The mixed developments that have occurred in the history of Nato provide a series of important lessons. They bear directly upon the future analysis and definition of policies by Washington and other Alliance capitals. Such a statement is no more than the common observation that shrewd analysis of history brings insights useful in the future. The rub is that there is no certainty or guarantee that the lessons drawn are the right ones. A related observation would be that the Europeans should not necessarily draw for their own policy interests the same lessons as the Americans from experiences since the Second World War. There can be very little disagreement with the fundamental point that Western Europe remains essentially dependent upon the United States for defence. This relates only in part to the argument, increasingly heard in the United States for more than a decade, that the Europeans should do more to defend themselves in conventional terms. The larger reality is that only the nuclear arsenal of the United States can counter in political and symbolic terms the nuclear forces of the Soviet Union. Consequently, at the present time as well as early in the Nato partnership, decisions in Washington have unusually significant bearing on the larger Alliance. For this reason, particular attention here has been paid to the dynamic aspects of change in U.S. administrations, and their foreign policies, in discussing Nato relationships.
Quantification of myocardial blood flow with (82)Rb: Validation with (15)O-water using time-of-flight and point-spread-function modeling.

Background We quantified myocardial blood flow with 82Rb PET using parameters of the generalized Renkin-Crone model estimated from 82Rb and 15O-water images reconstructed with time-of-flight and point spread function modeling. Previous estimates of rubidium extraction have used older-generation scanners without time-of-flight or point spread function modeling. We validated image-derived input functions with continuously collected arterial samples.
Application of a GIS-Based Nonpoint Source Nutrient Loading Model for Assessment of Land Development Scenarios and Water Quality in Owasco Lake, New York

The magnitude and water quality implications of nonpoint source phosphorus loadings to Owasco Lake (New York) are evaluated through the application of a methodology which links geographic characteristics, longterm average runoff loads and a set of critical lakewide water quality response parameters. The approach utilizes the Universal Soil Loss Equation together with empirical loading functions to derive representative phosphorus export coefficients for the local drainage system. Cumulative loadings from individual sub-basins within the watershed serve as input to a simple water quality model of Owasco Lake, showing the expected lake response in terms of average total phosphorus concentration, trophic state, water transparency, and minimum hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen concentration. The methodology facilitates easy and rapid assessment of general watershed management and development scenarios of interest A unique aspect of the approach is its dependence upon descriptive data supplied by a Geographic Information System (GIS) to establish the coincidence of specific land use, soil texture and surface slope attributes within each of the hydrologie sub-basins comprising the overall watershed. The GIS-generated attribute matrices provide a much more accurate depiction of critical geographic characteristics known to impact nonpoint source runoff loadings, thereby improving the reliability of current and projected phosphorus loads to Owasco Lake.
Adverse events associated with surgical antibiotic prophylaxis for outpatient circumcisions at US children's hospitals

Summary Introduction Doctors often use surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) despite limited evidence to support its efficacy. We sought to determine the association between SAP in children undergoing circumcision and the rate of perioperative adverse events. Material and methods We performed a retrospective study of males >30 days old and Results 84,226 patients were included: median age 2.2 years; 61.0% public insurance, 39.6% white. 8944 (10.6%) received SAP. On bivariate analysis, there were no associations between SAP and SSI (0.1% vs. 0.2%, p = 0.5), penile reoperation (0.01% vs. 0.04%, p = 0.4), or hospital visit (5.5% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.8). Patients who received SAP were more likely to have a perioperative allergic reaction than those who did not (3.5% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.0004). On multivariate analysis, those who received SAP had 1.5 times the odds of an allergic reaction (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3–1.7; p Discussion SAP did not decrease the risk of penile reoperation or SSI. Use of SAP was associated with an increased risk of allergic reactions and hospital visits. Strengths of the study include its large sample size, which enabled detection of rare outcomes with adequate statistical power and the generalizability of our findings to many patients and other types of procedures. Limitations include the lack of outpatient data and the possibility that we could have overestimated the incidence of allergic reactions by including patients who received epinephrine for some other reason. Conclusions We found no compelling evidence to support the use of SAP in children undergoing circumcision and it was associated with an increased risk of allergic reaction and hospital visits. This study highlights the need for specialty-specific guidelines for pediatric urologic procedures regarding the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis and for vigilant monitoring of practice variation. Table . Bivariate and multivariate mixed effects logistic regression examining the association between SAP and perioperative allergic reaction, penile reoperation, SSI, and ED visit or readmission. Outcome SAP unadjusted OR (p-value) SAP adjusted OR (p-value) Perioperative allergic reaction 1.2 (95% CI 1.2–1.6; p 1.5 (95% CI 1.3–1.7; p Penile reoperation 0.29 (95% CI 0.04–2.13; p = 0.2231) n/a SSI 0.8 (95% CI 0.4–1.5; p = 0.4880) n/a ED visit or readmission 1.1 (95% CI 1.0–1.2; p = 0.0392) 1.2 (95% CI 1.1–1.3; p = 0.0021)
Effect of crosslinker length on the elastic and compression modulus of poly(acrylamide) nanocomposite hydrogels

Polymer hydrogelshave shown to exhibit improved properties upon the addition of nanoparticles; however, the mechanical underpinnings behind these enhancements have not been fully elucidated. Moreover, fewer studies have focused on developing an understanding of how polymer parameters affect the nanoparticle-mediated enhancements. In this study, we investigated the elastic properties of silica nanoparticle-reinforced poly(acrylamide) hydrogels synthesized using crosslinkers of various lengths. Crosslinker length positively affected the mechanical properties of hydrogels that were synthesized with or without nanoparticles. However the degree of nanoparticle enhancement was negatively correlated to crosslinker length. Our findings enable the understanding of the respective roles of nanoparticle and polymer properties on nanoparticle-mediated enhancement of hydrogels and thereby the development of next-generation nanocomposite materials.
Catalan voiced prepalatals: Effects of nonphonetic factors on phonetic variation?

Central Catalan ‘prepalatal’ (postalveolar) consonants show a complex phonological distribution. Whereas in word-internal intervocalic position a four-way opposition obtains, involving a contrast in voice and a fricative/affricate distinction, elsewhere at least one of the two oppositions is neutralized. Position in word determines whether affrication and/or voicing is contrastive. We study the effect of this factor as well as other phonetic factors and style on the allophony of the voiced prepalatals in a large corpus of Central Catalan. The most significant conditioning factor turns out to be the preceding context, whereas position in word per se is not significant either for degree of constriction or for voicing. Thus, we do not find a direct effect of phonological contrastiveness on phonetic variation.
Characteristics and clinical assessment of antibiotic delivery by chitosan sponge in the high-risk diabetic foot: a case series.

Objective: The local delivery of antimicrobials is attractive for a number of reasons. Chitosan, a biodegradable polysaccharide sponge material, has been proposed as medium to deliver antibiotics directly to wounds. In this report we evaluate the safety and practicality of antimicrobial delivery via chitosan sponge. Method: We present the clinical course and systemic absorption characteristics of three cases of people with diabetic foot wounds treated with antibiotic soaked chitosan sponge (Sentrex BioSponge, Bionova Medical, Germantown, TN). The antibiotic sponge was made by reconstituting 1.2g tobramycin or 100mg doxycycline in 10–15ml saline and saturating the sponge with the solution. The sponge was then applied to the wounds. Serum levels of each respective antibiotic were evaluated after application. Additional in vitro studies were conducted evaluating elution of antibiotics from the chitosan sponge at established minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for Staphylococcus aureus over 28 days. Resul...
The physicochemical properties, plasma enzymatic hydrolysis, and nasal absorption of acyclovir and its 2'-ester prodrugs

A series of 2'-(O-acyl) derivatives of 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine (acyclovir) was synthesized by acid anhydride esterification. Aqueous solubilities in isotonic phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), partition coefficients in 1-octanol/phosphate buffer, and hydrolysis kinetics in rat plasma were determined. The ester prodrugs showed consistent increases in lipophilicity with corresponding decreases in aqueous solubility as a function of side-chain length. The bioconversion kinetics of the prodrugs appear to depend on both the apolar and the steric nature of the acyl substituents. When perfused through the rat nasal cavity using the in situ perfusion technique, acyclovir showed no measurable loss from the perfusate. Nasal uptake of acyclovir prodrugs, on the other hand, were moderately improved. Furthermore, the extent of nasal absorption appears to depend on the lipophilicity of the prodrugs in the descending order hexanoate > valerate > pivalate > butyrate. Simultaneous prodrug cleavage by nasal carboxylesterase was also noted in the case of hexanoate.
On the production of energetic electrons at the negative streamer head at moderate overvoltage

The generation of energetic electrons by the streamer with a negatively charged head is analyzed using a self-consistent two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo collision model. The streamer is generated in the vicinity of the cathode at a moderate gap overvoltage and propagates toward the anode due to self-consistent electron/ion multiplication in front of the streamer head. We obtained the generation of energetic electrons with energy exceeding 1 keV at the streamer head when the electric field at the streamer head starts exceeding ∼200 kV/cm. It was found that a small number of energetic electrons can significantly accelerate the streamer propagation and even change the streamer propagation path.
Using Lean methodologies to streamline processing of requests for durable medical equipment and supplies for children with complex conditions.

Abstract Background An improvement team from the Complex Care Center at our large pediatric medical center participated in a 60-day initiative to use Lean methodologies to standardize their processes, eliminate waste and improve the timely and reliable provision of durable medical equipment and supplies. Methods The team used value stream mapping to identify processes needing improvement. Improvement activities addressed the initial processing of a request, provider signature on the form, returning the form to the sender, and uploading the completed documents to the electronic medical record. Data on lead time (time between receiving a request and sending the completed request to the Health Information Management department) and process time (amount of time the staff worked on the request) were collected via manual pre- and post-time studies. Results Following implementation of interventions, the median lead time for processing durable medical equipment and supply requests decreased from 50 days to 3 days (p Conclusions Collaborative leadership and multidisciplinary training in Lean methods allowed the CCC staff to incorporate common sense, standardize practices, and adapt their work environment to improve the timely and reliable provision of equipment and supplies that are essential for their patients. Implications The application of Lean methodologies to processing requests for DME and supplies could also result in a natural spread to other paperwork and requests, thus avoiding delays and potential risk for clinical instability or deterioration.
The Un-normalized Graph p-Laplacian Based Semi-supervised Learning Method and Protein Function Prediction Problem

Protein function prediction is a fundamental problem in modern biology. In this paper, we present the un-normalized graph p-Laplacian semi-supervised learning methods. These methods will be applied to the protein network constructed from the gene expression data to predict the functions of all proteins in the network. These methods are based on the assumption that the labels of two adjacent proteins in the network are likely to be the same. The experiments show that that the un-normalized graph p-Laplacian semi-supervised learning methods are at least as good as the current state of the art method (the un-normalized graph Laplacian based semi-supervised learning method) but often lead to better classification accuracy performance measures.
Electronic behavior of oxygen-deficient Y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ

We have measured the resistivity, Meissner effect, and neutron powder diffraction on a series of samples of $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ quenched into liquid nitrogen from temperatures between 400 and 900\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in order to study the dependence of the electronic and structural properties on oxygen content. The normal-state resistivity is linear only for samples with high superconducting transition temperatures, becoming concave upward for samples with low ${T}_{c}$, and semiconducting for nonsuperconducting samples quenched from high temperatures. Structural analysis shows dramatic movements of the bridging oxygen atom [O(4)] and the copper atom [Cu(2)] in the two-dimensional planes as the oxygen stoichiometry is reduced.
THE PERTURBATION CHARACTERIZATION OF OCEAN REVERBERATIONS

The usefulness of two classical perturbation methods used in past characterization of ocean reverberations will be demonstrated. Then, an extended approach using the same perturbation method will be used to characterize bubbly ocean surface reverberation.
Patterns of Adaptation of Indian Immigrants: Challenges and Strategies

Social change is much talked about today, not only in the field of the social sciences, but in popular magazines and the mass media. Toffler (1971) dramatized this issue in his famous book, Future Shock, warning Americans about what might come in the future as a shock.
The Evolution of Electronic Procurement

Electronic procurement is not new per se, and its origins can be traced back to as early as the 1960s and 1970s. This chapter goes back in time and reviews how early advances in information technology facilitated purchasing tasks already back then. Applications discussed include electronic data interchange, material requirements planning, manufacturing resource planning, and enterprise resource planning systems. Fundamental to these systems is their ability to facilitate internal and external information flows, and thus enhance strategic decision making. A particular emphasis in this chapter is placed on enterprise resource planning systems, since it is these systems that often form the backbone for electronic procurement systems.
An Exploratory Case Study of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Inclusion at a Metropolitan Library in the Southeastern U.S.

This article examines the existing diversity and inclusion responses to transgender and gender nonconforming patrons at a large, metropolitan public library in the southeastern U.S. Research shows that transgender and gender nonconforming individuals face unique challenges when navigating libraries. These challenges include inadequate collections, microaggressions from reference staff, a lack of gender-neutral bathrooms, and circulation policies preventing remote name changes. To compensate for these difficulties and increase accessibility for transgender and gender nonconforming patrons, libraries should incorporate diversity and inclusion initiatives into their functions. The author evaluated current collections, programs, services, policies, and resources for inclusivity, equity, and accessibility and created a strategic diversity action plan for the institution. The strategic diversity action plan identified six steps the library should take to foster inclusion and increase accessibility for its transgender and gender nonconforming patrons. These six steps include: 1) create an official, transgender-friendly bathroom policy; 2) develop a diversity and inclusion statement that includes gender identity in its language; 3) invest in staff training and continuing education about gender, sexuality, and transgender issues and service needs; 4) conduct a needs assessment of the transgender and gender nonconforming community; 5) establish programming based on the needs and wants expressed by the transgender and gender nonconforming community; and 6) implement a remote name-change or preferred name-change process.
Biradical rotamer states tune electron J coupling and MAS dynamic nuclear polarization enhancement

Cross Effect (CE) Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) relies on the dipolar (D) and exchange (J) coupling interaction between two electron spins. Until recently only the electron spin D coupling was explicitly included in quantifying the DNP mechanism. Recent literature discusses the potential role of J coupling in DNP, but does not provide an account of the distribution and source of electron spin J coupling of commonly used biradicals in DNP. In this study, we quantified the distribution of electron spin J coupling in AMUPol and TOTAPol biradicals using a combination of continuous wave (CW) X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) lineshape analysis in a series of solvents and at variable temperatures in solution - a state to be vitrified for DNP. We found that both radicals show a temperature dependent distribution of J couplings, and the source of this distribution to be conformational dynamics. To qualify this conformational dependence of J coupling in both molecules we carry out Broken Symmetry DFT calculations which show that the biradical rotamer distribution can account for a large distribution of J couplings, with the magnitude of J coupling directly depending on the relative orientation of the electron spin pair. We demonstrate that the electron spin J couplings in both AMUPol and TOTAPol span a much wider distribution than suggested in the literature. We affirm the importance of electron spin J coupling for DNP with density matrix simulations of DNP in Liouville space and under magic angle spinning, showcasing that a rotamer with high J coupling and optimum relative g-tensor orientation can significantly boost the DNP performance compared to random orientations of the electron spin pair. We conclude that moderate electron spin J coupling above a threshold value can facilitate DNP enhancements.
The Open Data Era in Health and Social Care

The United Kingdom has been a leader in the open data movement – a new movement by governments around the world to open up the vast repositories of data they hold across agencies and departments, and to collect new kinds of data for public use. Open data is publicly available data that can be universally and readily accessed, used, and redistributed free of charge. It is changing the way governments, nonprofits, and the private sector use data to understand public issues and solve problems in areas as diverse as financial regulation, energy, education, and more. Open data holds particular potential in the health sector. By releasing health data to patients and, when appropriate, on an anonymized basis to researchers and the public, governments and healthcare organizations are betting on the power of greater openness of data to improve the quality of care, lower healthcare costs, and facilitate patient choice. The NHS has made and continues to make significant investments in opening data. Over the past several years, it has launched a series of initiatives that have already had a positive impact on patient education, healthcare choice, healthcare costs, and patient outcomes. Now the NHS is planning a broader, more ambitious programme that has the potential to serve as a worldwide model for the opening of data in healthcare. The purpose of this report is to help design this programme, establishing priorities and ways of measuring impact to guide this and future efforts at data transparency
Memristive model of amoeba’s learning

Recently, behavioural intelligence of the plasmodia of the true slime mold has been demonstrated. It was shown that a large amoeba-like cell Physarum polycephalum subject to a pattern of periodic environmental changes learns and changes its behaviour in anticipation of the next stimulus to come. Currently, it is not known what specific mechanisms are responsible for such behaviour. Here, we show that such behaviour can be mapped into the response of a simple electronic circuit consisting of an LC contour and a memory-resistor (a memristor) to a train of voltage pulses that mimic environment changes. We identify a possible microscopic origin of the memristive behaviour in the Physarum polycephalum, which together with the naturally occurring biological oscillators, forms the basis of the amoeba's learning. These microscopic memristive features are likely to occur in other unicellular as well as multicellular organisms, albeit in different forms. Therefore, the above memristive circuit model, which has learning properties, is useful to better understand the origins of primitive intelligence.
RRM2 increases MMP9 mRNA expresssion, decreases TSP1 mRNA expression in human oropharyngeal carcinoma KB cells

1135 Ribonucleotide Reductase (RR) is an enzyme that catalyzes de novo conversion of ribonucleotide 59-diphosphates to their 29-deoxynucleotide forms. It is a rate-limiting step in the production of 29-deoxyribonucleoside 59-triphosphates required for DNA synthesis. RR consists of two subunits, RRM1 and RRM2. RRM2 subunit has been known to function as the catalytic domain of RR. Futher studies also have shown that RRM2 plays important roles in cell proliferation, invasiveness, metastasis and drug resistance. To explore the causative role of RRM2 in invasion and metastasis, we examined the RRM2 overexpression transfectant in human oropharyngeal carcinoma KB cells. Using the quantitative RT-PCR, we demonstrated that overexpression of RRM2 results in increase of MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP2 mRNA expression, while it decreases TSP1 mRNA expression. Gelatin Zymography assay showed that the activities of MMP2 and MMP9 are also induced by RRM2 overexpression. This study may shed light on the mechanism of RRM2 in the regulation of tumor invasion and metastasis.
Pajón power: styling citizenship and Black politics in the Dominican natural hair movement

ABSTRACTAnti-Black racism has been widely criticized in scholarly and cultural representations of the Dominican Republic. Yet, this narrative of “Black denial” obscures growing activist and popular...
Using Contextual Therapy to Treat Depression with Couples

AbstractThough depression is one of the most common presenting problems treated by systemic therapists, there have been relatively few attempts to describe how specific systemic therapy models can ...
Research Spanning Animal and Human Models: The Role of Serendipity, Competition, and Strategic Actions in Advancing Stroke Research

This chapter offers a set of stories, written as voices from the field that will be helpful to others who are building, or sustaining, team science in any venue. The first story centers on what the authors label as “team innovation,” that is, an activity that occurs in circumstances where innovation and surprising outcomes would not be possible without a team. The story also emphasizes how team members (or even leaders) may ask unschooled questions, which in an almost serendipitous way can lead to new and novel science. These examples arise from our experiences as National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded stroke researchers who frequently use cell and animal models to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms of ischemic brain injury. Next, we hypothesize that not only is team science greatly advantaged to be innovative and seek out novel science, this approach can lead to high productivity and effective competition in procuring funding and resources. Lastly, a final story emphasizes how strategic institutional actions and commitments can facilitate cross-disciplinary team science and assure that infrastructures are aligned to assure innovation.
Effect of Treating Parents Colonized With Staphylococcus aureus on Transmission to Neonates in the Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Staphylococcus aureusis a leading cause of health care–associated infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Parents may expose neonates toS aureuscolonization, a well-established predisposing factor to invasiveS aureusdisease. Objective To test whether treating parents with intranasal mupirocin and topical chlorhexidine compared with placebo would reduce transmission ofS aureusfrom parents to neonates. Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blinded randomized clinical trial in 2 tertiary NICUs in Baltimore, Maryland. Neonates (n = 236) withS aureus–colonized parent(s) were enrolled. The study period was November 7, 2014, through December 13, 2018. Interventions Parents were assigned to intranasal mupirocin and 2% chlorhexidine–impregnated cloths (active treatment, n = 117) or petrolatum intranasal ointment and nonmedicated soap cloths (placebo, n = 119) for 5 days. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was concordantS aureuscolonization by 90 days, defined as neonatal acquisition of anS aureusstrain that was the same strain as a parental strain at time of screening. Secondary outcomes included neonatal acquisition of anyS aureusstrain and neonatalS aureusinfections. Results Among 236 randomized neonates, 208 were included in the analytic sample (55% male; 76% singleton births; mean birth weight, 1985 g [SD, 958 g]; 76% vaginal birth; mean parent age, 31 [SD, 7] years), of whom 18 were lost to follow-up. Among 190 neonates included in the analysis, 74 (38.9%) acquiredS aureuscolonization by 90 days, of which 42 (56.8%) had a strain concordant with a parental baseline strain. In the intervention and placebo groups, 13 of 89 neonates (14.6%) and 29 of 101 neonates (28.7%), respectively, acquired concordantS aureuscolonization (risk difference, –14.1% [95% CI, –30.8% to –3.9%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.43 [95.2% CI, 0.16 to 0.79]). A total of 28 of 89 neonates (31.4%) in the intervention group and 46 of 101 (45.5%) in the control group acquired anyS aureusstrain (HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.88]), and 1 neonate (1.1%) in the intervention group and 1 neonate (1.0%) in the control group developed anS aureusinfection before colonization. Skin reactions in parents were common (4.8% intervention, 6.2% placebo). Conclusions and Relevance In this preliminary trial of parents colonized withS aureus, treatment with intranasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine-impregnated cloths compared with placebo significantly reduced neonatal colonization with anS aureusstrain concordant with a parental baseline strain. However, further research is needed to replicate these findings and to assess their generalizability. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02223520
People of the Outside: The Environmental Impact of Federal Recognition of American Indian Nations

American Indians interact with land and the environment in a manner that is distinct from non-native peoples. They view natural resources as an integral part of their way of life. As a result, Indian tribes desire to implement policies and programs that will protect their natural resources. In order to receive federal assistance for these policies and programs, however, a tribe must be federally recognized. The Duwamish tribe, which resides near Seattle, Washington, is not a federally recognized tribe. Despite years of fighting for recognition, the Duwamish cannot take part in the improvement of their tribal region’s air and water quality. Alternatively, the Forest County Potawatomi Community is federally recognized. The tribe has utilized its federal status to redesignate its reservation lands under the Clean Air Act, which brings stricter environmental regulations on and around the reservation. As long as the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ criteria for federal recognition continue to be arbitrarily and haphazardly enforced, unrecognized tribes like the Duwamish will continue to lack the power to address the environmental issues in their tribal region, in contravention of their fundamental beliefs and way of life.
Does Evaluation Change Teacher Effort and Performance? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from a Policy of Retesting Students

We document measurable, lasting gains in student achievement caused by a change in teachers' evaluation incentives. A short-lived rule created a discontinuity in teachers' incentives when allocatin...
A remedy and a poison: perjury and trust in Bourbon Mexico

Oaths should only be used as a medicine (pharmakon) that also contains a measure of poison. Domingo de Soto, 1569 In his Tratado de los juramentos (1550), Dominican Domingo de Soto (1495–1560) comp...
A Review of Architectural Design and System Compatibility of Power Modules and Their Impacts on Power Electronics Systems

The architectural design of a power module determines its application. And the efficacy of a power module layout appears in the system performance by assisting low-inductive busbar design. In this article, some of the previously proposed power modules are reviewed and analyzed considering their system-level applications and their impacts on the architectural design approach. A codesign methodology is then described that accounts for power module system compatibility. The resultant module designs improve the performance of widebandgap (WBG) power semiconductor devices with respect to their interaction with the rest of the power electronics system, such as gate drivers and dc-link capacitor bank. A few common power modules are categorized by architecture and layout; the interdependency of the power modules to each other in a multiphase system and the impact of the power module layout on the busbar and system design are investigated using ANSYS Q3D to elaborate the effectiveness of the proposed power module design methodology.
Teacher Perspectives on How To Train Your Robot: A Middle School AI and Ethics Curriculum

To enable a diverse citizenry to fully participate in future society, we must prepare all students to construct and critique emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Classrooms are important spaces to teach students these skills, however there are few AI curricula that have been developed for and used by K-12 teachers. We developed the \textit{How to Train Your Robot: AI and Ethics Curriculum} for middle school teachers who want to introduce AI to their students. This paper describes the curriculum and professional development we used to prepare teachers to run a five-day AI course. Before and after they ran the curriculum, we interviewed teachers to understand their opinions on pedagogical approaches to teaching AI, meeting students' needs, and the feasibility of doing the activities in the classroom. Our results indicate that, with appropriate training, even teachers who were new to computer science felt prepared and successfully engaged their students in the topic. We hope our insights will inform future efforts to realize AI education in primary and secondary classrooms.
Political transparency, corporate governance and economic significance

This study explores the rationale behind a company’s voluntary disclosure of political activity and the economic significance of political transparency and accountability. Using a unique database, the CPA-Zicklin Index ranking of S&P 500 company political activity disclosure, we investigate the role of corporate governance playing behind the increasing political transparency. The results show that corporate board functions are associated with corporate political transparency. In specific, board independence is positively related to political activity policy and disclosure. Boards with more independent directors tend to have a more transparent political activity policy and a higher level of political activity disclosure. The board monitoring intensity is negatively associated with the political activity policy. Greater monitoring intensity weakens firms’ political accountability. Greater board gender diversity has a positive impact on boards’ political transparency. Furthermore, we find that corporate political accountability has economic significance. Greater political transparency is associated with better operating performance, lower equity risk, and lower information asymmetry. In addition, political transparency is positively related to firm valuation.
Collision Avoidance Using Spherical Harmonics.

In this paper, we propose a novel optimization-based trajectory planner that utilizes spherical harmonics to estimate the collision-free solution space around an agent. The space is estimated using a constrained over-determined least-squares estimator to determine the parameters that define a spherical harmonic approximation at a given time step. Since spherical harmonics produce star-convex shapes, the planner can consider all paths that are in line-of-sight for the agent within a given radius. This contrasts with other state-of-the-art planners that generate trajectories by estimating obstacle boundaries with rough approximations and using heuristic rules to prune a solution space into one that can be easily explored. Those methods cause the trajectory planner to be overly conservative in environments where an agent must get close to obstacles to accomplish a goal. Our method is shown to perform on-par with other path planners and surpass these planners in certain environments. It generates feasible trajectories while still running in real-time and guaranteeing safety when a valid solution exists.
Effects of Mental Practice on Skill Development after Controlled Practice

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to test the effect of mental practice on skill performance after exposing subjects to real performance of a novel motor skill. Subjects practiced physically for one week prior to being divided into control, mental practice, and physical practice groups. Subjects then practiced in treatment groups for three weeks. Results indicated mental practice to be effective in facilitating juggling performance in subjects having experienced controlled actual practice.
Pregnant adolescents: experiences and behaviors associated with physical assault by an intimate partner.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the experiences and behaviors of battered pregnant adolescents and the characteristics of their intimate partners. METHODS: As part of a longitudinal multiracial/ethnic study of drug use among pregnant and parenting adolescents, 724 adolescents Language: en
A Requirement for Phospholipids by the Microsomal Reduced Diphosphopyridine Nucleotide-Cytochrome c Reductase

Abstract Evidence has been presented to show that the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase, but not the TPNH-cytochrome c reductase, activity of microsomes requires phospholipids. Two different phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine, when solubilized together, completely restore the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase activity to acetone-extracted microsomes. Micelles containing 40 to 70% (by weight) of phosphatidylcholine, when added to acetone-extracted microsomes, stimulate the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase activity to levels 4 times higher than that of the original microsomes. Micelles formed from the synthetic phospholipid, γ-oleyl-β-butyrylphosphatidylcholine, are also able to restore the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase activity to acetone-extracted microsomes, presumably because this phospholipid forms micelles having physicochemical characteristics the same as, or closely related to, those produced by mixtures of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine. When ferricyanide was used as the electron acceptor, no such lipid requirement could be demonstrated, indicating that lipids may be required for the transfer of electrons in the region beyond the flavoprotein of the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase system of intact microsomes.
Deterrence and Displacement in Auto Theft

Lojack is a stolen vehicle tracking technology that achieves extremely high recovery rates. Ayres and Levitt (1998) show that introduction of the system produced large reductions in vehicle thefts in areas where it was implemented in the United States. The reduced theft risk was shared by all vehicle owners, not only those who bought Lojack. This paper, in contrast, uses the introduction of Lojack to a publicly known set of Ford car models in some Mexican states to show that Lojack generates negative externalities if thieves can distinguish between Lojack and non-Lojack-equipped cars. The empirical analysis suggests that, although Lojack-equipped vehicles experienced a reduction in theft risk of 55%, most of the averted thefts were replaced by thefts of non-Lojack-equipped automobiles in neighboring states. The increase in thefts in non Lojack-serviced states was especially strong for the same car models that in Lojack-serviced states were sold equipped with Lojack.
Improving multi-robot teleoperation by inferring operator distraction

A high-quality human-robot interface is essential for the success of search and rescue operations in urban environments that are too challenging for fully-autonomous operation. Teleoperating multiple robots greatly increases the complexity of the human's cognitive task, since the operator's concentration is divided among multiple robots. Thus, simply adding more robots to the system does not necessarily expand the effective coverage region nor increase the rate at which the operator can search. We present CoOperator, an agent-based human-robot interface that infers operator distraction and identifies any robots that are not currently being effectively managed. A CoOperator agent assumes control of such a robot and moves it along a search path that complements the operator's explicit teleoperation. The CoOperator agent seamlessly cedes control to the user whenever direct commands are given and resumes directing the robot if the operator's attention shifts. We demonstrate that our agents significantly improve multi-robot teleoperation through user studies on four urban search and rescue scenarios with a team of three simulated Pioneer 3DX robots.
Overview of Various Noninvasive Cerebrovascular Techniques

Contrast cerebrovascular arteriography has been the definitive diagnostic technique for evaluation of cerebrovascular disease; however, its limitations and complications played a great role in the drive to develop accurate, reliable noninvasive diagnostic procedures. Although arteriography serves to define anatomic lesions and is indispensable for most vascular surgery, it provides little objective data regarding physiologic disability, nor is it without risk.