cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clocked Cell Cycle Clocks: Ultradian, Circadian, and Infradian Interfaces

The cell division cycle (cdc) of a typical microorganism such as Euglena comprises a series of relatively discrete morphological and biochemical events, and in a sense, the cdc is a time-measuring device, or “clock” (see Edmunds 1978). The attempts to describe the cell division cycle (cdc) fall into two broad categories: deterministic and in-determinate or probabilistic. Within the former approach, which is historically the older, there are two possible types of mechanism for ordering a fixed sequence of cell cycle events relative to each other (Mitchison 1974). On the one hand, there may be a direct causal connection between one event and the next so that it would be necessary for the earlier event in the cdc to be completed before the following could occur. In contrast to this sequential type of approach, there is the possibility that no direct causal connection exists between any two events but that they are ordered by some master timing mechanism which operates on one or more key events (“control points”) of the cdc, such as the initiation of DNA synthesis or mitosis.
Resistance Training Guidelines for Active Females Throughout the Lifespan: Children, Adolescences, Adult Women, and the Aging Woman

Due to recent changes in physical activity practices, strength training, or resistance training, has become an area of focus in the research of determining the overall health of an individual. As individuals age, disorders relating to both bone and muscle begin to cause a decline in health and functional activity. Bone disorders, such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, have been linked to muscle disorders like sarcopenia (a loss of skeletal muscle mass). While these disorders do affect males, females tend to show higher incidences of these diseases. Current research suggests that resistance training can help to delay the effects of these diseases. Resistance training implemented in the early stages of life, such as childhood and adolescence, has been shown to cause increases in both bone growth, specifically bone mass and bone mineral density, and skeletal muscle mass. Resistance training can help maintain current levels of fitness in adults and improve activities of daily living in the elderly. In order to receive maximum benefits from resistance training, guidelines spanning the entire lifespan needed to be developed. The resistance training guidelines cover everything from basic supervision needs to intensity, duration, and frequency of the program. The guidelines include specific directions to increase hypertrophy, power, strength, and endurance. So, resistance training, which was once thought to cause injury in some, is now seen as a way to increase health and even reduce the chance of injury when done properly.
A Rapid Assessment Method for Classifying Flow Permanence of Stream Reaches in the Pacific Northwest, United States

Abstract The Streamflow Duration Assessment Method is an indicator-based method for classifying flow permanence (perennial, intermittent, ephemeral) of stream reaches in a single site visit. This rapid assessment method has been developed and tested in two phases for applicability across Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, from the humid west side of the Cascade Mountains to the dry and semiarid areas of the Snake River Plain and Basin and Range Province. Evaluations in both study phases compared results with independently determined flow permanence classes. In the first phase, using a statistically based modeling approach and physical and biological predictor variables gathered in 178 stream reaches across a range of hydrologic landscapes in Oregon, we developed a method based on only five indicators that more accurately estimated stream permanence classes than an initial method using 21 indicators developed primarily through best professional judgment. In the second phase, we evaluated the regional applicability of the five-indicator method developed using Oregon data on 86 study reaches representing both similar and dissimilar hydrologic landscapes in Washington and Idaho. Across all study sites, the five-indicator method, based mainly on biological stream attributes and described herein, determined known streamflow duration 83.9% of the time versus 62.3% accuracy of the 21-indicator method. Overall accuracy for determining “at least intermittent” (i.e., perennial or intermittent) status was nearly 90% for the five-indicator method; it provides a scientifically supported rapid assessment framework that is consistent, repeatable, and defensible. Although best professional judgment establishes a testable hypothesis, this study ( Nadeau et al., 2015 ) illustrates the importance of quantitative field testing of rapid assessment methods and associated indicators prior to routine implementation, and taken together with other studies ( Fritz et al., 2008 , Fritz et al., 2013 ; Johnson et al., 2009 ), highlights the importance of testing the regional relevance of identified indicators and existing methods prior to application outside the region of development.
Effects of Peer Sexual Health Education on College Campuses: A Systematic Review

Objective. College peer health education groups have grown in popularity to provide information about health and wellness topics. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of peer education groups on reducing sexual health risks and increasing sexual health knowledge on a college campus. Method. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed in searching, extracting, appraising, and synthesizing the evidence. A quality assessment was also conducted. The review was conducted in April 2017. Results. The initial search yielded 2,503 records. After critical appraisal, eight articles remained. Peer education was beneficial for increasing knowledge of sexual health topics and creating some behavior change such as increased condom use and HIV testing. Additionally, interventions developed specifically for women were effective. Conclusions. Peer education is an effective way to disseminate sexual health information and can be a reliable resource for college students.
Intermediate progenitors and Tbr2 in cortical development

In developing cerebral cortex, intermediate progenitors (IPs) are transit amplifying cells that specifically express Tbr2 (gene: Eomes), a T-box transcription factor. IPs are derived from radial glia (RG) progenitors, the neural stem cells of developing cortex. In turn, IPs generate glutamatergic projection neurons (PNs) exclusively. IPs are found in ventricular and subventricular zones, where they differentiate as distinct ventricular IP (vIP) and outer IP (oIP) subtypes. Morphologically, IPs have short processes, resembling filopodia or neurites, that transiently contact other cells, most importantly dividing RG cells to mediate Delta-Notch signaling. Also, IPs secrete a chemokine, Cxcl12, which guides interneuron and microglia migrations and promotes thalamocortical axon growth. In mice, IPs produce clones of 1-12 PNs, sometimes spanning multiple layers. After mitosis, IP daughter cells undergo asymmetric cell death in the majority of instances. In mice, Tbr2 is necessary for PN differentiation and subtype specification, and to repress IP-genic transcription factors. Tbr2 directly represses Insm1, an IP-genic transcription factor gene, as well as Pax6, a key activator of Tbr2 transcription. Without Tbr2, abnormal IPs transiently accumulate in elevated numbers. More broadly, Tbr2 regulates the transcriptome by activating or repressing hundreds of direct target genes. Notably, Tbr2 'unlocks' and activates PN-specific genes, such as Tbr1, by recruiting Jmjd3, a histone H3K27me3 demethylase that removes repressive epigenetic marks placed by polycomb repressive complex 2. IPs have played an important role in the evolution and gyrification of mammalian cerebral cortex, and TBR2 is essential for human brain development.
Nurse Turnover: Implication on Health Care Delivery

Nurse turnover is a major problem to all health care organizations because of its strong effects on client outcomes, motivation to work, job dissatisfaction and provision of quality patient care. The study aimed to determine the implication/ effects of nurseâ€™s turnover on healthcare delivery. Mixed method and Descriptive research design were employed, and the census was used in the selection of the participants. A validated self- made questionnaire, focus group discussion and key informant interview was utilized to gather the empirical data required. The study revealed that there was a decrease nurse turnover rate in the government hospital and an increase in private hospitals due to low salary, no/ less fringe benefits, poor/no health insurance coverage, better benefits and compensation package offered by other hospitals/countries and lower patient ratio. However, with the increase or decrease in the turnover rate, health care delivery in relation to the identified five (5) key areas of nursesâ€™ responsibility are still affected due to increased nurse-client ratio, interpersonal relationship, stressful environment and attitudes of the millennial nurses. Further, the majority of the participants are millennials and they outnumbered the generation X and baby boomers who created a generation gap in terms of health care delivery. This shift in attitude poses a great challenge for hospitals to retain millennials because they are growing in numbers and are replacing baby boomers and generation X. Thus, hospitals had to learn, adjust and develop management strategies to accommodate and understand the unique style and attitudes of the millennials for retention.
Room temperature local nematicity in FeSe superconductor

Electronic nematicity may be crucial for understanding the superconductivity in FeSe but its origin is still controversial. Here, the authors report the unexpected result, from local structural measurements, that nematic fluctuations exist preformed at temperatures far above the transition to the long-range-ordered nematic state. Perhaps even more surprisingly, the amplitude of the local nematicity is always larger than in the long-range ordered nematic state, suggesting that local nematic fluctuations persist even into the ordered state.
Ice formation and solvent nanoconfinement in protein crystals.

Ice formation within protein crystals is a major obstacle to the cryocrystallographic study of protein structure, and has limited studies of how the structural ensemble of a protein evolves with temperature in the biophysically interesting range from ∼260 K to the protein–solvent glass transition near 200 K. Using protein crystals with solvent cavities as large as ∼70 A, time-resolved X-ray diffraction was used to study the response of protein and internal solvent during rapid cooling. Solvent nanoconfinement suppresses freezing temperatures and ice-nucleation rates so that ice-free, low-mosaicity diffraction data can be reliably collected down to 200 K without the use of cryoprotectants. Hexagonal ice (Ih) forms in external solvent, but internal crystal solvent forms stacking-disordered ice (Isd) with a near-random stacking of cubic and hexagonal planes. Analysis of powder diffraction from internal ice and single-crystal diffraction from the host protein structure shows that the maximum crystallizable solvent fraction decreases with decreasing crystal solvent-cavity size, and that an ∼6 A thick layer of solvent adjacent to the protein surface cannot crystallize. These results establish protein crystals as excellent model systems for the study of nanoconfined solvent. By combining fast cooling, intense X-ray beams and fast X-ray detectors, complete structural data sets for high-value targets, including membrane proteins and large complexes, may be collected at ∼220–240 K that have much lower mosaicities and comparable B factors, and that may allow more confident identification of ligand binding than in current cryocrystallographic practice.
Association between High Proportions of Seriously Mentally Ill Nursing Home Residents and the Quality of Resident Care.

Objectives To examine the association between the quality of care delivered to nursing home residents with and without a serious mental illness (SMI) and the proportion of nursing home residents with SMI. Design Instrumental variable study. Relative distance to the nearest nursing home with a high proportion of SMI residents was used to account for potential selection of patients between high- and low-SMI facilities. Data were obtained from the 2006-2010 Minimum Data Set assessments linked with Medicare claims and nursing home information from the Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting database. Setting Nursing homes with high (defined as at least 10% of a facility's population having an SMI diagnosis) and low proportions of SMI residents. Participants A total of 58 571 Medicare nursing residents with an SMI diagnosis (ie, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) and 558 699 individuals without an SMI diagnosis who were admitted to the same nursing homes. Measurements Outcomes were nursing home quality measures: (1) use of physical restraints, (2) any hospitalization in the last 3 months, (3) use of an indwelling catheter, (4) use of a feeding tube, and (5) presence of pressure ulcer(s). Results For individuals with SMI, admission to a high-SMI facility was associated with a 3.7 percentage point (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-6.0) increase in the probability of feeding tube use relative to individuals admitted to a low-SMI facility. Among individuals without SMI, admission to a high-SMI facility was associated with a 1.7 percentage point increase in the probability of catheter use (95 CI = .03-3.47), a 3.8 percentage point increase in the probability of being hospitalized (95% CI = 2.16-5.44), and a 2.1 percentage point increase in the probability of having a feeding tube (95% CI = .43-3.74). Conclusion Admission to nursing homes with high concentrations of residents with SMI is associated with worse outcomes for both residents with and without SMI. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2346-2352, 2019.
CXCL12 stimulates ADAM-mediated amphiregulin shedding in hormone-insensitive prostate cancer cells.

5103 Background: Proteolytic processing of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, such as Amphiregulin (AREG), by ADAMs (A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease) can be stimulated by G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists, growth factors and cytokines. The CXC-type chemokine, CXCL12, interacts with the GPCR, CXCR4. The CXCL12/CXCR axis has also been shown to mediate gene transcription and cellular proliferation in non-transformed prostate epithelial cells, as well as motility/invasiveness in transformed cells. In this report, we investigated the ability of CXCL12 to stimulate AREG shedding in androgen-insensitive N15C6 and PC3 prostate epithelial cells, both of which respond proliferatively to sub-nanomolar levels of CXCL12 and AREG. Methods: N15C6 or PC3 prostate epithelial cells were treated with 10pM (N15C6) or 100pM (PC3) CXCL12 in serum-free media, the media collected at 4 hrs post-treatment, concentrated, and assessed by ELISA to quantitate AREG secretion. ADAM activation was assessed at 1 and 4 hrs post-treatment with CXCL12 by Western blot analysis. Inhibitor experiments utilized a broad-spectrum metalloprotease inhibitor, o-phenanthroline (OPT) at 500uM, a selective PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I (BIS I) at 2uM, and a selective inhibitor of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, 4-Amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]- pyrimidine (PP1) at 10uM, or vehicle control (0.1% methanol for OPT and 0.022% DMSO for BISI and PP1). Results: These studies showed that AREG shedding was stimulated by CXCL12 in N15C6 cells, but was constitutive in PC3 prostate epithelial cells. Moreover, treatment with sub-nanomolar levels of CXCL12 stimulated a rapid and robust ADAM10 activation and a more latent and much less robust ADAM 17 activation in N15C6 cells, while PC3 cells showed only a latent and low-level activation of ADAM10 and of ADAM 17. Pre-treatment with broad-spectrum metalloprotease inhibitor, OPT blocked CXCL12-stimulated ADAM10 activation and AREG shedding in N15C6 cells. Pre-treatment with BIS I or with PP1 prior to stimulation with CXCL12 reduced AREG shedding to basal and/or below basal levels, suggesting that both PKC and Src activation are important for CXCL12/CXCR4-mediated AREG shedding in N15C6 cells. The combined data suggest a mechanism whereby CXCL12/CXCR4 interactions activate Src and PKC, which subsequently activate ADAM10, which mediates AREG cleavage and shedding in N15C6 cells.
Bacterial Profiling of Soil For Forensic Investigations: Consideration of Ex Situ Changes in Questioned and Known Soil Samples.

Soil, being diverse and ubiquitous, can potentially link a suspect or victim to a crime scene. Recently scientists have examined the microbial makeup of soil for determining its origin, and differentiating soil samples is well-established. However, when soil is transferred to evidence its microbial makeup may change over time, leading to false exclusions. In this research, "known" soils from diverse habitats were stored under controlled conditions, while evidence soils were aged on mock evidence. Limited quantities of soil were also assayed. Bacterial profiles were produced using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, known soils stored open at room temperature were more similar to evidence soils over time than were known soils stored bagged and/or frozen. Evidence soils, even as little as 1 mg, associated with the correct habitat 99% of the time, accentuating the importance of considering ex situ microbial changes in soil for its successful use as forensic evidence.
Prevention Of Skeletal Related Events In Multiple Myeloma: Focus On The RANK-L Pathway In The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma

More than 90% of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have osteolytic bone lesions which increase the risk of skeletal-related events (SRE). The cytokine milieu in the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) of MM plays a key role in myeloma bone disease by impairing the balance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis. This is orchestrated by the malignant plasma cell (MPC) with the ultimate outcome of MPC proliferation and survival at the expense of excess osteoclast activation resulting in osteolytic bone lesions. Prevention of SRE is currently accomplished by the inhibition of osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are pyrophosphate analogues that cause apoptosis of osteoclasts and have been proven to prevent and delay SRE. Denosumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that binds and inhibits receptor activator of nuclear factor-ĸB ligand (RANKL), a key molecule in the BMME crucial for osteoclastogenesis, is also approved for the prevention of SRE in MM. The addition of BPs and denosumab to standard MM treatment affords a survival benefit for patients with MM. Specifically, the addition of denosumab to standard MM treatments results in superior PFS compared to BPs, highlighting the key role of the RANKL pathway in MM. This review focuses on the pathophysiology of myeloma bone disease as well as on the importance of targeting the RANK-L pathway for the treatment of MM and prevention of SRE.
A DGTD-Based Multiscale Simulator for Electromagnetic Multiphysics Problems

Most multiphysics problems are multiscale problems due to the mutual couplings between physics of different natures. To perform an accurate multiphysics simulation, these multiscale couplings and interactions must be accounted for carefully. In this paper, a multiscale simulator for multiphysics problems based on the discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) method is described. An adaptive technique that allows a dynamic adjustment of the polynomial orders in the simulation domain is used to provide different spatial resolutions for the multiscale couplings. To achieve a high simulation efficiency, a multirate time integration method is adopted to permit different temporal resolutions in different simulation regions. An electromagnetics– plasma interaction process is presented to demonstrate the effort towards this high-performance multiscale simulator.
Clinician's Perceptions of a CME Activity to Increase Knowledge of Vaccination in Adults With Chronic Inflammatory Conditions

Objective: Annual influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates remain suboptimal in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus despite their higher risk of infections and related complications. The CDC identified lack of knowledge about vaccine guidelines among adult patients and their providers as the most substantial barrier to vaccination coverage. As specialists working with particularly affected populations, rheumatologists, allergists, and immunologists can advise patients regarding gaps in recommended vaccinations. The aim of this study was to describe prescribers’ perceptions of an educational activity that was developed to increase rates of appropriate pneumococcal and influenza vaccination in adults with chronic inflammatory conditions. We were interested in the impact of the educational activity on the knowledge and practice of providers. Methods: We evaluated a multimodal educational activity aimed at increasing vaccination rates in high-risk adults. We assessed provider knowledge, perceptions of the activity, and impact on their practice. The activity was conducted at a single site “in house” education event in the live format and was disseminated nationally in print and online format. Results: In the “in house” interactive education session, mean scores on the pre- and post-tests were 75% (SD 11.6%, 95% CI 70-80%) and 89% (SD 11.1%, 95% CI 85-95%; p=.0001 vs. pre-test score), respectively, demonstrating that knowledge was significantly increased after completing the activity. In the nationally available activity 93% (n=240) of respondents indicated that the activity significantly increased their awareness about the importance of vaccinations in these high-risk patients and recognition of when these vaccines were indicated or contraindicated, while 55% (n=142) planned to consequently change their practice. Conclusion: Provider education is a valuable strategy for practice-based improvements in vaccination coverage since provider failure to recommend vaccinations is a primary barrier in high-risk patients. Most patients received vaccinations based on physician recommendations and vaccination rates were markedly higher among patients receiving vaccine information from their providers. This educational activity increased clinicians’ knowledge of and confidence in vaccinations for adults with chronic inflammatory conditions.
Efficient uncertainty propagation across continuum length scales for reliability estimates

Abstract Microstructural variabilities are among the predominant sources of uncertainty in structural performance and reliability. In engineering applications, it is computationally infeasible to include the important fine-scale details throughout the domain of interest. Hence, multiscale numerical methods that couple fine-scale models within a subdomain of the engineering-scale models have been a focus of research. These methods remain computationally expensive, mostly due to the complexity and grid size associated with the fine-scale models. Moreover, merely coupling scales does not address the fine-scale uncertainties that motivated their inclusion at the outset. The multiscale method is necessary but not sufficient to make microstructurally informed estimates of reliability. The primary goal of this research is to develop theory and tools for efficient uncertainty propagation (UP) across length scales using finite elements for tractable multiscale structural reliability calculations and uncertainty quantification. We propose a hierarchical solution that uses low-fidelity estimates to improve efficiency and adds higher-fidelity, concurrent multiscale models for improved accuracy. The low-fidelity estimates are used to identify hotspots which highlight subdomains of interest and compute the marginal probabilities associated with failure occurring in those locations. Subsequently, the high-fidelity models concurrently couple fine-scale models in the subdomains of interest to refine the calculation. We represent the uncertain variables with stochastic reduced–order models and construct surrogate models to expedite Monte Carlo simulation for each length scale considered. Even though the written focus is on continuum length scales, there is nothing inherent in the hierarchy to preclude coupling other models if there is a method available to do so. We conclude with three application examples. In the first, we use a low-fidelity geometric representation of threaded fasteners to identify hotspots in a bolted component. The predictions are subsequently refined by coupling higher-fidelity geometry models of the screws, which includes the geometry of the helical threads. The second application illustrates UP at the microstructural length scale of a polycrystalline alloy. We develop a reduced representation of the crystallographic orientation and use it for estimates of the probability law describing the apparent modulus of elasticity. In the final application, our hierarchy couples a dual-phase polycrystalline aluminum alloy with the engineering scale to make probabilistic estimates of the fracture load in a fine-scale particle.
From Supporting Role to Front Stage: Shining a Spotlight on the Programmatic Features and Experiences of Master’s Degree Programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice

While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of our students, much research within the field pays attention to Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Such focus at ...
GAN-Based Realistic Bone Ultrasound Image and Label Synthesis for Improved Segmentation

To provide a safe alternative, for intra-operative fluoroscopy, ultrasound (US) has been investigated as an alternative safe imaging modality for various computer assisted orthopedic surgery (CAOS) procedures. However, low signal to noise ratio, imaging artifacts and bone surfaces appearing several millimeters (mm) in thickness have hindered the wide spread application of US in CAOS. In order to provide a solution for these problems, research has focused on the development of accurate, robust and real-time bone segmentation methods. Most recently methods based on deep learning have shown very promising results. However, scarcity of bone US data introduces significant challenges when training deep learning models. In this work, we propose a computational method, based on a novel generative adversarial network (GAN) architecture, to (1) produce synthetic B-mode US images and (2) their corresponding segmented bone surface masks in real-time. We show how a duality concept can be implemented for such tasks. Armed by two convolutional blocks, referred to as self-projection and self-attention blocks, our proposed GAN model synthesizes realistic B-mode bone US image and segmented bone masks. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation studies are performed on 1235 scans collected from 27 subjects using two different US machines to show comparison results of our model against state-of-the-art GANs for the task of bone surface segmentation using U-net.
Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) Promote Changes in Growth, Phospholipid Composition, Membrane Permeability and Virulence Phenotypes in Escherichia Coli

The utilization of exogenous fatty acids by Gram-negative bacteria has been linked to many cellular processes, including fatty acid oxidation for metabolic gain, assimilation into membrane phospholipids, and control of phenotypes associated with virulence. The expanded fatty acid handling capabilities have been demonstrated in several bacteria of medical importance; however, a survey of the polyunsaturated fatty acid responses in the model organism Escherichia coli has not been performed. The current study examined the impacts of exogenous fatty acids on E. coli. All PUFAs elicited higher overall growth, with several fatty acids supporting growth as sole carbon sources. Most PUFAs were incorporated into membrane phospholipids as determined by Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, whereas membrane permeability was variably affected as measured by two separate dye uptake assays. Biofilm formation, swimming motility and antimicrobial peptide resistance were altered in the presence of PUFAs, with arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids eliciting strong alteration to these phenotypes. The findings herein add E. coli to the growing list of Gram-negative bacteria with broader capabilities for utilizing and responding to exogenous fatty acids. Understanding bacterial responses to PUFAs may lead to microbial behavioral control regimens for disease prevention.
Design of an Iron loss Tester for the Evaluation of Assembled Stator Cores of Electric Machines

The iron loss in the steel core of electric machines is influenced by the manufacturing processes, such as punching, stacking and shrink fit. This causes a considerable deviation from the estimated iron loss using standard measurement methods, e.g. Epstein frame test. This paper presents a rotational loss tester that can measure the iron loss in assembled stator cores of electrical machines. The proposed tester is designed with a flexible winding configuration that can emulate the rotating magnetic fields in different types of AC electric machines with various design variations. A prototype of the proposed tester is fabricated and the experimental results of an industrial motor stator show 38% higher loss compared to the FEA calculated loss using the Epstein frame data.
Vibrio fischeri Amidase Activity Is Required for Normal Cell Division, Motility, and Symbiotic Competence.

ABSTRACT N-Acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidases are periplasmic hydrolases that cleave the amide bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and alanine in peptidoglycan (PG). Unlike many Gram-negative bacteria that encode redundant periplasmic amidases, Vibrio fischeri appears to encode a single protein that is homologous to AmiB of Vibrio cholerae. We screened a V. fischeri transposon mutant library for strains altered in biofilm production and discovered a biofilm-overproducing strain with an insertion in amiB (VF_2326). Further characterization of biofilm enhancement suggested that this phenotype was due to the overproduction of cellulose, and it was dependent on the bcsA cellulose synthase. Additionally, the amiB mutant was nonmotile, perhaps due to defects in its ability to septate during division. The amidase mutant was unable to compete with the wild type for the colonization of V. fischeri’s symbiotic host, the squid Euprymna scolopes. In single-strain inoculations, host squid inoculated with the mutant eventually became colonized but with a much lower efficiency than in squid inoculated with the wild type. This observation was consistent with the pleiotropic effects of the amiB mutation and led us to speculate that motile suppressors of the amiB mutant were responsible for the partially restored colonization. In culture, motile suppressor mutants carried point mutations in a single gene (VF_1477), resulting in a partial restoration of wild-type motility. In addition, these point mutations reversed the effect of the amiB mutation on cellulosic biofilm production. These data are consistent with V. fischeri AmiB possessing amidase activity; they also suggest that AmiB suppresses cellulosic biofilm formation but promotes successful host colonization. IMPORTANCE Peptidoglycan (PG) is a critical microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) that is sloughed by cells of V. fischeri during symbiotic colonization of squid. Specifically, this process induces significant remodeling of a specialized symbiotic light organ within the squid mantle cavity. This phenomenon is reminiscent of the loss of ciliated epithelium in patients with whooping cough due to the production of PG monomers by Bordetella pertussis. Furthermore, PG processing machinery can influence susceptibility to antimicrobials. In this study, we report roles for the V. fischeri PG amidase AmiB, including the beneficial colonization of squid, underscoring the urgency to more deeply understand PG processing machinery and the downstream consequences of their activities.
Identifying the job accommodation needs of American workers with mid-career neurological disabilities: A multiple case study investigation

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought an unprecedented toll on vocational rehabilitation efforts to assist workers with disabilities in maintaining their careers. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the use of a psychometrically sound assessment instrument and resource-driven planning procedure to help workers with disabilities resume or retain their employment. METHODS: Four employed people with neurological disabilities who took part in a larger job retention project funded by the United States Department of Labor completed structured interviews to determine their needs for employment accommodations during COVID-19. A trained interviewer administered theWork Experience Survey (WES) in teleconsultation sessions with each participant to identify: (a) barriers to worksite access, (b) difficulties performing essential job functions, (c) concerns regarding continued job mastery, and (d) extent of job satisfaction. RESULTS: Owing primarily to the sequelae of their disabling conditions and less so to social distancing requirements and telecommuting technology, participants reported a wide range of accessibility barriers and difficulties in performing essential functions of their jobs that they believed had the potential to significantly affect their ongoing productivity. Considering the stress and uncertainty that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, it is surprising that the majority of participants reported high levels of job mastery and job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The interviewer concluded the WES interview by recommending a job accommodation plan, which included suggestions from Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultants.
SU-D-BRA-01: Therapeutic Response Assessment Using a Novel Gray Level Local Power Matrix (GLLPM) in DCE-MRI Texture Analysis: Feasibility Study

Purpose: Most current DCE-MRI texture analysis methods focus on the spatial information of chosen contrast-enhanced MR volumes or pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter maps, and the temporal information is not well included. This work proposed a novel texture matrix called Gray Level Local Power Matrix (GLLPM) for the accurate and efficient spatiotemporal DCE-MRI texture analysis in therapeutic response assessment. Methods: A retrospective study with two groups (n=8/group) of tumor implanted mice was conducted. The treatment/control groups received bevacizumab/saline treatment with pre- and post-treatment DCE-MRI exams. For each scan, the GLLPM was calculated and compared with classic 3D/4D Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrices (GLCOM) using the CA concentration maps in the first 10-minute post-injection time. The calculation time of each matrix was recorded for efficiency evaluation. Using each matrix, a set of 22 Haralick texture features’ dynamic curves were calculated. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to assess the differences of the Area Under Curve (AUC) of all derived texture feature curves between treatment/control groups. The post-treatment texture feature curves were fitted by cubic polynomial. Experiments using support vector machine in a leave-one-out approach were performed to validate the use of fitted polynomial coefficients of each texture feature curve in treatment/control group classification. Results: The computation efficiency of GLLPM had improved factors of 3 and 20 in comparison with 3D/4D GLCOM, respectively. 21 out of 22 GLLPM texture feature dynamic curves’ AUCs between treatment/control groups had significant differences in post-treatment scan but not in pre-treatment scan. N=19 dynamic curves from GLLPM can be fitted by cubic polynomial (R2>0.8), and N for 3D/4D GLCOM were 14 and 19, respectively. The averaged classification accuracies using the post-treatment texture features curves based on GLLPM, 3D/4D GLCOM were (84.5±12.1)%, (65.6±10.5)% and (73.3±12.8)%, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed GLLPM and its features can be used for the efficient DCE-MRI therapeutic response assessment.
Assessment of solar photovoltaic technologies using multiple perspectives and hierarchical decision modeling: Manufacturers worldview

The assessment of photovoltaic technologies using multiple perspectives such as social, technological, economic, environmental, and political (STEEP) have become increasingly important in the last several years. Each perspective is composed of multiple criteria with the social and political perspectives gaining more significance. A hierarchical decision model using expert judgment quantification was developed to provide the relative ranking of the criteria. Such modeling is effective in assessing technologies considering multiple competing perspectives and criteria. The model was operationalized via desirability functions for each criterion. The combined results provide scores for each technology and indicate in which criteria the technology needs improvement. In earlier research the electric utility worldview was considered to assess multiple photovoltaic technologies. In this paper the solar photovoltaic manufacturer worldview case study is presented.
Identifying congruence subgroups of the modular group

We exhibit a simple test (Theorem 2.4) for determining if a given (classical) modular subgroup is a congruence subgroup, and give a detailed description of its implementation (Theorem 3.1). In an appendix, we also describe a more “invariant” and arithmetic congruence test. 1. Notation We describe (conjugacy classes of) subgroups Γ ⊂ PSL2(Z) in terms of permutation representations of PSL2(Z), following Millington [11, 12] and Atkin and Swinnerton-Dyer [1]. We recall that a conjugacy class of subgroups of PSL2(Z) is equivalent to a transitive permutation represention of PSL2(Z). Such a representation can be defined by transitive permutations E and V which satisfy the relations 1 = E = V . (1.1) The relations (1.1) are fulfilled by E = ( 0 1 −1 0 ) , V = ( 1 1 −1 0 ) . (1.2) Alternately, such a representation can be defined by transitive permutations L and R which satisfy 1 = (LR−1L)2 = (R−1L)3, (1.3) with the relations being fulfilled by L = ( 1 1 0 1 ) , R = ( 1 0 1 1 ) . (1.4) One can also use permuations E and L such that 1 = E = (L−1E)3, (1.5) with E and L corresponding to the indicated matrices in (1.2) and (1.4), respectively. Received by the editors September 1, 1994. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 20H05; Secondary 20F05.
The Chemistry and Physiology of Adenohypophyseal Luteotropin (Prolactin)

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the chemistry and physiology of adenohypophyseal luteotropin (prolactin). The luteotropic hormone of the adenohypophysis has been isolated in highly purified form, and is a protein whose physical and chemical properties have been rather extensively characterized. The complete amino acid composition of luteotropin is known, and the data demonstrate that no nonamino acid moiety is present in the hormone. A variety of agents which modify the structure of the protein, and cause either physical or chemical alterations in the molecule, also partially or completely destroy its biological activity. The physiological behavior of the protein hormone is dependent on its properties as a protein, per se, and cannot be attributed to a particular or special portion of the molecule. In addition to its classical ability to initiate lactation, luteotropin has the capacity to stimulate proliferation of mammary gland tissue. This hormone must also be classed as one of three hypophyseal gonadotropins, inasmuch as it has a distinct progestational action; in the absence of luteotropin, there is a failure of continued functioning of the corpus luteum.
Information Retrieval in Biomedical Research

Information retrieval is important in various biomedical research fields. This article covers the theoretical background and the state-of-the-art and future trends in biomedical information retrieval. Techniques for literature searches, genomic information retrieval, and database searches are discussed. Literature searches techniques cover name entity extraction, document indexing, document clustering, and event extraction. Genomic information retrieval techniques are based on sequence alignment algorithms. This article also briefly describes widely used biological databases and discusses the issues related to the information retrieval from these databases. Terminology systems are involved in almost every aspect of information retrieval. The various types of terminology systems and their usage to support information retrieval are reviewed. Keywords: homology; database; indexing; clustering; ontologies
The Role of Stratospheric Ozone in the Zonal and Seasonal Radiative Energy Balance of the Earth-Troposphere System

Abstract The role of ozone in the tropospheric-surface energy balance is discussed in the context of its latitudinally and seasonally varying modulation of solar and longwave energy fluxes. We analyze in detail the various radiative energy inputs to the stratosphere and the radiative fluxes from the stratosphere to the troposphere. To a very close approximation, on an annual and hemispherical mean, longwave emission from the stratosphere balances the absorbed radiant energy. The stratosphere absorbs about twice as much longwave radiation from the troposphere as it does solar radiation. About 20% of the longwave flux from the stratosphere to the troposphere is directly due to O2. A change in O3 concentrations perturbs the stratospheric and tropospheric-surface energy balances through a number of distinct mechanisms involving changes in solar and longwave fluxes and which are separated into direct effects due to the change of O3 and indirect effects due to the accompanying change of stratospheric temperatur...
Starches in Food

Starch is a plant polysaccharide stored in roots and seeds of plants, and in the endosperm of a grain kernel. It provides humans with energy (4 cal/g), and is hydrolyzed into glucose, supplying the glucose that is necessary for brain and central nervous system functioning.
Electroweak Higgs Potentials and Vacuum Stability

In electroweak models, radiative corrections to the scalar potential can have significant consequences. In the standard model, they can destabilize the standard model vacuum; the requirement of vacuum stability leads to severe bounds on Higgs and fermion masses. In supersymmetric models, they lead to the generation of the electroweak scale in terms of the unification scale. In this Report, the method of calculating radiative corrections to the scalar potentials is reviewed, with an emphasis on renormalization group improvement of the potential. Finite temperature corrections to the potential, calculation of tunneling rates and the nature of cosmological phase transitions are then discussed, and the results are then applied to the standard model to derive stringent bounds on Higgs and fermion passes. These results are then generalized to models with several Higgs fields. Finally, the scalar potential in supersymmetric models, including dimensional transmutation and no-scale model, is discussed.
Vibrational relaxation of HF(υ = 3,4)

Abstract The vibrational relaxation of pure HF(υ = 3 and υ = 4) has been studied by pumping HF directly from υ = 0 to υ = 4. The relaxation rates of υ = 3 and υ = 4 were determined to be k 3 T = (2.8 ± 0.4) × 10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 and k 4 T = (7.2. ± 0.5) × 10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 at 293 K. It is shown that sigle quantum energy transfer can account for all the vibrational relaxation.
Effect of Two Granulosis Viruses on the Activity of the Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

Abstract Two granulosis viruses (GV) were tested as enhancers for the gypsymoth nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdMNPV). Helicoverpaarmigera (Hubner) GV (HaGV) had no detrimental effect uponlarval growth and development, but in combination with LdMNPV itreduced both the LC50 and the LT50 for the NPV.In addition, the combination also adversely affected the growth anddevelopment of gypsy moth larvae. The LC50 of LdMNPV wasreduced by as much as 300-fold (HaGV at 10−2 dilution) andthe LT50 was reduced by as much as 18% (HaGV at10−2 dilution). Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) GV reduced the LC50 of LdMNPV by as much as13-fold but had no effect upon the LT50.
A Musical Profile for a Sample of Learning-Disabled Children and Adolescents; A Pilot Study.

31 learning-disabled children and adolescents completed the Pitch, Loudness, Rhythm, Time, and Tonal Memory subtests of the Seashore Measures of Musical Talents. Results indicated that the Seashore test did not discriminate between subgroups of these learning-disabled children. However, differences were found in percentile equivalents between these learning-disabled and normal individuals. These data should be interpreted with caution due to the small size of this sample and the spread of percentiles presented by Seashore.
Pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Prediction models stratify a woman's risk for developing cancer and can guide screening recommendations based on the presence of known and quantifiable hormonal, environmental, personal, or genetic risk factors. Mammography remains the mainstay breast cancer screening and detection but magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have become useful diagnostic adjuncts in select patient populations. The management of breast cancer has seen much refinement with increased specialization and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams that include surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, geneticist, reconstructive surgeons and patients. Evidence supports a less invasive surgical approach to the staging and management of the axilla in select patients. In the era of patient/tumor specific management, the advent of molecular and genomic profiling is a paradigm shift in the treatment of a biologically heterogenous disease.
miRNA regulated pathways in late stage murine lung development.

MicroRNAs play important roles in regulating biological processes, including organ morphogenesis and maturation. However, little is known about specific pathways regulated by miRNA during lung development. Between the canalicular and saccular stages of the developing lung several important cellular events occur, including the onset of surfactant synthesis, microvascular remodeling and structural preparation for subsequent alveolarization. The miRNAs that are actively regulated, and the identity of their targets during this important developmental interval in the lung remain elusive. Using TLDA low density real-time PCR arrays, the expression of 376 miRNAs in male and female fetal mouse lungs of gestational days E15 – E18 were profiled. Statistical analyses identified 25 and 37 miRNAs that changed significantly between sexes and with gestation, respectively. In silico analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) identified specific pathways and networks known to be targets of these miRNAs which are important to lung development. Pathways that are targeted by sex regulated miRNAs include retinoin, IGFR1, Tp53 and Akt. Pathways targeted by gestation-regulated miRNAs include VEGFA and mediators of glucose metabolism. MiRNAs are differentially regulated across time and between sexes during the canalicular and saccular stages of lung development. Sex-associated differential miRNA expression may regulate the differences in structural and functional male and female lung development, as shown by networks generated using in silico analysis. These data provide a valuable resource to further enhance the understanding of miRNA control of lung development and maturation.