cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A SUBSCALE, LDV STUDY OF THE FLOVVFIIELD NEAR THE WINGTIP OF A HOVEiRING STOVL AIRCRAFT

The concept exploration/demonstration phase of the advanced short takeoff and vertical landing (ASTOVL) aircraft development included, among other tests, evaluation of forces and moments on a large-scale powered model (LSPM) suspended in the Outdoor Aerodynamic Research Facility (OARF) at the NASA Ames Research Center. This investigation assessed the influence of the OARF support structure upon the flowfield through laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurements in the vicinity of the strut and the wingtip of a small-scale, flat-plate model of a generic jet-powered STOVL aircraft mounted in the Naval Postgraduate School ground-effect test rig. The model was of twin, subcritical jet configuration with cold-air jets simulating both the lift fan and the rear engine arranged in tandem. The test environment was saturation seeded using a smoke generator and non-coincident LDV measurements were made in the entrained flow to determine the three component mean velocities at points in the regions of interest. Variations were discernible in the component mean velocities between samples both in the same strut configuration and between the struts-installed and struts-removed configuration, but were generally small enough to be considered negligible. *Adjunct Professor, Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Associate Fellow AIAA. **Professor, Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Associate Fellow AI!&. ***Graduate Student, Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics; currently Commander, United States Navy. This paper is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.
Origin and evolution of the neural crest: A hypothetical reconstruction of its evolutionary history

The neural crest has long been regarded as one of the key novelties in vertebrate evolutionary history. Indeed, the vertebrate characteristic of a finely patterned craniofacial structure is intimately related to the neural crest. It has been thought that protochordates lacked neural crest counterparts. However, recent identification and characterization of protochordate genes such as Pax3/7, Dlx and BMP family members challenge this idea, because their expression patterns suggest remarkable similarity between the vertebrate neural crest and the ascidian dorsal midline epidermis, which gives rise to both epidermal cells and sensory neurons. The present paper proposes that the neural crest is not a novel vertebrate cell population, but may have originated from the protochordate dorsal midline epidermis. Therefore, the evolution of the vertebrate neural crest should be reconsidered in terms of new cell properties such as pluripotency, delamination-migration and the carriage of an anteroposterior positional value, key innovations leading to development of the complex craniofacial structure in vertebrates. Molecular evolutionary events involved in the acquisitions of these new cell properties are also discussed. Genome duplications during early vertebrate evolution may have played an important role in allowing delamination of the neural crest cells. The new regulatory mechanism of Hox genes in the neural crest is postulated to have developed through the acquisition of new roles by coactivators involved in retinoic acid signaling.
Dynamic stress wave reflections/attenuation: Earthquake simulation in centrifuge soil models

In this investigation, the feasibility of earthquake simulation in centrifuge soil experiments is studied. The strong detrimental effect of standing waves for such an endeavour is clearly shown. A modest degree of success toward producing a model earthquake is reported via two devices—a certain kind of physically tuned internal excitor and an effective absorbent material at the walls.
Nonlinear receding horizon control of F-16 aircraft

The application of receding horizon control (RHC) with the linear parameter varying (LPV) design methodology to a high fidelity, nonlinear F-16 aircraft model is demonstrated. The highlights of the paper are: i) use of RHC to improve upon the performance of a LPV regulator; ii) discussion on details of implementation such as control space formulation, tuning of RHC parameters, computation time and numerical properties of the algorithms; and iii) simulated response of nonlinear RHC and LPV regulator.
Comparing students' mathematics achievement by their school types: Inclusive STEM schools that implemented PLTW curriculum with inclusive STEM schools that did not implement PLTW

Inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) are increasingly emerging in the research literature and have yielded promising effects on students' science and mathematics achievement [1; 2; 3]. ISHSs emphasized STEM preparation for underrepresented subpopulations and offered open enrollment. In the present study, we selected 17 ISHSs in Texas and divided those schools into two groups. Of these schools, seven (n=1,682) implemented Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum and 10 (n=3,070) did not implement the PLTW curriculum. PLTW was an engineering curriculum and professional development program intended to increase K-12 students' interest in the fields of science and engineering [4]. Results from the present study showed that students who attended ISHSs increased their mathematics score regardless of the curriculum used. Results also showed that the mathematics achievement of students over time did not differ (p>.05) between STEM schools that implemented PLTW and those that did not. In fact, given the effect sizes, it is arguable that schools in which PLTW was not implemented had greater gains in mathematics.
Inducible Nitric Oxide Inhibitors Block NMDA Antagonist-Stimulated Motoric Behaviors and Medial Prefrontal Cortical Glutamate Efflux.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in the motoric and glutamate releasing action of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-antagonist stimulants. Earlier studies utilized neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (nNOS) for studying the neurobehavioral effects of noncompetitive NMDA-antagonist stimulants such as dizocilpine (MK-801) and phencyclidine (PCP). This study explores the role of the inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (iNOS) aminoguanidine (AG) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in NMDA-antagonist induced motoric behavior and prefrontal cortical glutamate efflux. Adult male rats were administered a dose range of AG, EGCG or vehicle prior to receiving NMDA antagonists MK-801, PCP or a conventional psychostimulant (cocaine) and tested for motoric behavior in an open arena. Glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortex was measured using in vivo microdialysis after a combination of AG or EGCG prior to MK-801. Acute administration of AG or EGCG dose-dependently attenuated the locomotor and ataxic properties of MK-801 and PCP. Both AG and EGCG were unable to block the motoric effects of cocaine, indicating the acute pharmacologic action of AG and EGCG is specific to NMDA antagonism and not generalizable to all stimulant class drugs. AG and EGCG normalized MK-801-stimulated medial prefrontal cortical glutamate efflux. These data demonstrate that AG and EGCG attenuates NMDA antagonist-stimulated motoric behavior and cortical glutamate efflux. Our results suggest that EGCG-like polyphenol nutraceuticals (contained in “green tea” and chocolate) may be clinically useful in protecting against the adverse behavioral dissociative and cortical glutamate stimulating effects of NMDA antagonists. Medications that interfere with NMDA antagonists such as MK-801 and PCP have been proposed as treatments for schizophrenia.
Cognitive Change in Technology and Science

The central presupposition of this paper is that cognitive change in technology is the result of the purposeful problem-solving activities of the members of relatively small communities of practitioners, just as cognitive change in science is the product of the problem-solving activities of the members of scientific communities. If this is correct, we ought to be able to develop theories of cognitive change in technology analogous to the theories of scientific change that have been advanced in the last couple of decades. My purpose in this essay is to explore this possibility.
Is it Heterogeneous Investor Beliefs or Private Information that Affects Prices and Trading Volume? Evidence from Indian IPOs

A large fraction of the behavioral finance literature is based on a “disagreement” model, an important component of which is heterogeneous priors. Heterogeneous priors usually rely on some form of public information. While some investors may be especially skillful in “interpreting” public information and arriving at heterogeneous priors, public information can also trigger private signals. Once private information is introduced into the system, to effectively test such models of heterogeneous priors, the empiricist has to address the “joint behavior” of price and trading volume. In this paper we make such an attempt. Using a new dataset from, we pit heterogeneous priors against private information to test the explanatory power of such heterogeneous priors. Our measure of heterogeneous priors is based on abnormal order data submitted by institutions, high net worth individuals and retail investors for a sample of Indian IPOs. Our measure of private information is the probability of informed trade (PIN) commonly used in market microstructure literature and computed from high frequency transaction data. While we find that private information dominates heterogeneous priors in explaining trading volume, heterogeneous priors measure dominates imbalance in trading frequency or net buy, i.e. the difference between buy and sell trades. Further, heterogeneous priors affect prices significantly through this trading imbalance. The price impact of our heterogeneous belief measure could be interpreted either as a behavioral bias or as an information processing, and analyzing, cost.
X-ray structures and mechanism of the human serotonin transporter

The serotonin transporter (SERT) terminates serotonergic signalling through the sodium- and chloride-dependent reuptake of neurotransmitter into presynaptic neurons. SERT is a target for antidepressant and psychostimulant drugs, which block reuptake and prolong neurotransmitter signalling. Here we report X-ray crystallographic structures of human SERT at 3.15 A resolution bound to the antidepressants (S)-citalopram or paroxetine. Antidepressants lock SERT in an outward-open conformation by lodging in the central binding site, located between transmembrane helices 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10, directly blocking serotonin binding. We further identify the location of an allosteric site in the complex as residing at the periphery of the extracellular vestibule, interposed between extracellular loops 4 and 6 and transmembrane helices 1, 6, 10 and 11. Occupancy of the allosteric site sterically hinders ligand unbinding from the central site, providing an explanation for the action of (S)-citalopram as an allosteric ligand. These structures define the mechanism of antidepressant action in SERT, and provide blueprints for future drug design. X-ray crystal structures of the human serotonin transporter (SERT) bound to the antidepressants (S)-citalopram or paroxetine show that the antidepressants lock the protein in an outward-open conformation, and directly block serotonin from entering its binding site; the structures define the mechanism of antidepressant action in SERT and pave the way for future drug design. Serotonin modulates the activity of the central nervous system, as well as many other processes throughout the body. These authors have solved X-ray structures of the human serotonin transporter (SERT) in complex with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (S)-citalopram and paroxetine — two of the most widely prescribed antidepressants. The resulting structures reveal that the antidepressants lock the protein in an outward-open conformation, and directly block the entry of serotonin into its binding site. A previously unknown allosteric site is seen in the extracellular vestibule; binding of ligands to this site prevents dissociation from the central site, establishing a mechanism of antidepressant action in SERT and pointing the way for future drug design.
Insured Bond Pricing in the Biggest Municipal Bankruptcy in History: The Case of Detroit

This case study finds evidence that stricter state interference in the financial affairs of a distressed government (that increases the likely payoff to its own creditors) raises the default risk of nearby municipalities. Economically related municipalities are found to be adversely impacted by a deterioration in the economic situation of financially associated local governments caused by actions interfering with the operation of the distressed municipality for the benefit of its creditors.
The nursing interventions classification: a language to define nursing.

Purpose/objectives To discuss the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) framework and its relationship to oncology nursing. Data synthesis NIC is a standardized language that identifies all interventions performed by nurses. The three-tiered taxonomy consists of six domains, 27 classes, and 433 interventions with related nursing activities. Each intervention consists of a label describing the concept, the definition of the concept, and a set of representative activities or actions. Conclusions Although differences exist in the core interventions identified by the Oncology Nursing Society and the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses as critical to their practice, the NIC research team, after surveying both organizations, found numerous similarities in the possibilities for clinical application. Implications for nursing practice NIC provides a standardized language to enable oncology nurses to describe and demonstrate their work and contributions to lawmakers, healthcare policy makers, and the public.
Burma Just Around the Corner: When US Corporations Employ Refugees

The United States continues to receive refugees and other legal immigrants across its borders on a regular basis. These newcomers offer much to our economy. From a business perspective, these refugees and immigrants often represent a resource for corporations. Underlying this concept is the critical nuance that the refugees, and immigrants in general, represent a resource very vulnerable to exploitation. Consequently, refugees, other immigrants fill the jobs that many Americans will not consider, usually involving manual labor at low pay, and many times work in significantly sub-par conditions, such as in plants and other corporate facilities. In this context, this article sets forth the argument that the corporation is the seat of yet another example of growing informality, inequality and illegality that Professor Larson described in Informality, Illegality, and Inequality. This article’s analysis urges that, from the perspective of corporate social responsibility and business ethics, the law should be changed in the manner suggested by Professor Larson, through progressive regularization. With measures to require increased transparency into corporate use and treatment of the refugee and immigrant work force, the consumer market may help to mandate improved working conditions when current law does not. “Informality contradicts legality, and especially equality, as we conceive these values. From within this tradition, informality is an abuse of law, as well as tolerance of exploitation and inequality. Accordingly, informality creates the best argument for stepped-up regulation…[yet] support and neither punish nor prohibit those who shelter themselves informally.”
Antacid use and subclinical interstitial lung disease: the MESA study.

Proton pump inhibitor use is associated with a reduction in subclinical interstitial lung disease http://ow.ly/dbFN30aoRPf
Life Events and Black-White Differences in Adult Children's Financial Assistance to Mothers.

Background and Objectives Parents who experience life events with negative economic consequences may rely on adult children for financial assistance. This study provided national estimates of Black and White mothers' financial help from adult children. It also examined whether the Black-White difference in the likelihood of a mother's receipt of financial assistance persisted after accounting for life events reflecting parental need and children's ability to provide help. Research Design and Methods The Health and Retirement Study was used to examine late middle aged (51-70) Black and White mothers' financial help from adult children. Cross-sectional point estimates of financial help from noncoresident and coresident children were based on pooling these data. Random effects logistic regression at the mother-wave level was used to estimate the likelihood of receipt of financial assistance from noncoresident children. Results On average, 9% (8%) of Blacks and 3% (4%) of Whites reported help from noncoresident (coresident) children in a given interview wave, but Blacks received lower amounts. Changes signifying greater parental financial need and noncoresident children's greater resources were positively associated with receiving financial help from noncoresident children. After accounting for these factors, race differences remained. Discussion and Implications Black mothers are more likely to rely on children for financial help than Whites. Since this help hinges on the ability of their children to provide, the strength of Blacks' economic safety net as they age also depends on the socioeconomic well-being of the younger generation.
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Training in India: Past, Present, and Future.

Pediatric critical care services in India have grown with leaps and bounds. There has been a growing need of physicians specially trained in pediatric critical care medicine in India. Physicians returning to India after their formal training in pediatric critical care medicine abroad have partly supported this growing need. Development of formal pediatric critical care medicine training programs in India has been a huge step towards supporting the growing clinical needs. This article focuses on advances in pediatric critical care training in India and its future directions.
Reengineering cell-free protein synthesis as a biosensor: Biosensing with transcription, translation, and protein-folding

Abstract Biosensors highjack and reengineer biological systems for highly specific detection of diverse molecules. However, many traditional biosensor devices have slow response times and high operating costs and require specialized training and immobile lab equipment. In an effort to address these limitations, researchers have begun using cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems as biosensors. CFPS-based systems provide the advantages of speed, portability, and robustness at a relatively low cost. Here, we review CFPS-based biosensors according to the three fundamental stages of CFPS: transcription, translation, and protein folding.
Abstract 1399: Passenger deletion vulnerability in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common, aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor in humans. Despite aggressive therapy the median survival of GBM patients is approximately 15 months. Monoallelic loss of PTEN occurs in ~70% of GBM. Through experimental validation studies in patient-derived primary GBM cell lines, we discovered that the lipogenic gene SCD undergoes unintended co-deletion as a passenger to PTEN, resulting in hemizygous loss of SCD in a subset of GBM. Additional in silico, genetic and biochemical analysis lead to the identification of two distinct PTEN-deleted subgroups: one with hemizygous co-deletion of PTEN and SCD (hereafter SCD-expressing), and another with very little or no PTEN/SCD expression due to PTEN mutation/homozygous loss and epigenetic suppression of the remaining SCD allele (hereafter SCD-non-expressing). SCD is an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), involved in mediating the rate-limiting step of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. SCD catalyzes the desaturation of the saturated fatty acids stearic (C18:0) and palmitic acids (C16:0) to the monounsaturated fatty acids oleic (C18:1) and palmitoleic acids (C16:1), respectively. We showed that the SCD-expressing lines are highly sensitive to SCD inhibition in the absence of dietary oleate and that the SCD-non-expressing lines are resistant to SCD inhibition. In vivo, we showed that mice treated with the SCD inhibitor survive longer than mice treated with vehicle. We also showed that SCD-expressing GBM lines acquire inhibitor resistance upon long-term exposure to the inhibitor in vitro. To understand the mechanism of resistance, we performed Reverse Phase Protein Array (RRPA) and RNA-Seq. Results illustrated the up-regulation of SCD among other genes. To identify the gene/s that provide SCD inhibitor resistance, we are currently performing a targeted shRNA screen of the highly expressed genes that we determined through RPPA and RNA-Seq. Citation Format: Nicole Oatman, Kakajan Komurov, Priyanka Arora, Pankaj Desai, Nupur Dasgupta, Kwangmin Choi, Biplab Dasgupta. Passenger deletion vulnerability in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1399.
Image-Guided Drug Delivery

From intraoperative guidance to remote drug release, the term image-guided drug delivery (IGDD) broadly refers to the utilization of imaging techniques to facilitate drug therapy. With the emerging advances in nanotechnology, the concept of IGDD has increasingly become associated with co-delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic elements incorporated into nanoscale carriers. These carriers, named theranostic nanoplatforms, are of special interest in the oncology field and have been studied in a broad range of applications, such as evaluation of therapeutic response, assessment of pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, and remote control of drug release. IGDD is also considered a promising technology for precision medicine, with the potential to promote individualized diagnosis and therapy for cancer patients on the basis of biomarker’s expression. The suitability of a nanoplatform for an application drives the engineering decisions behind the carrier’s characteristics, signaling agent and matching imaging modality. Herein, IGDD is discussed in the context of preclinical and clinical applications of theranostic nanoplatforms, highlighting molecular imaging modalities and cancer targeting strategies. In this chapter we also describe broader IGDD applications beyond the use of theranostic systems.
Characterization of a mucoid-like Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm

Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms are implicated in chronic infections. A key element of P. aeruginosapathogenicity is the formation of a biofilm, a community of bacteria encased in an exopolymeric substance (EPS) that shields the bacteria from the host immune response and antibiotic treatment. A crucial step in biofilm production is a switch in motility from freely swimming, planktonic bacteria to twitching movement and then to attached and sedentary bacteria that develop into a mature pillar-shaped biofilm. A mucoid biofilm produces an excess of alginate and is clinically the most pathogenic and the most resistant to antibiotics. Biofilms from patients exhibit a wide variety of structure, motility, and levels of attachment. In vitrobiofilms do not exhibit such a wide variety of structure and physiology. The difference between in vivo and in vitro biofilms has made the translation of in vitro studies into in vivo treatments difficult. Under different growth conditions in our lab, the P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 demonstrates two phenotypes: a non-mucoid and a mucoid-like phenotype. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) indicates the mucoid-like phenotype is intermediate in height to the non-mucoid phenotype and biofilms formed in a once-flow-through chamber. Both mucoid-like and non-mucoid phenotypes exhibit a significant increase in twitching between 24 and 72 hours of development. The mucoid-like phenotype had greater attachment at 72 hours compared to non-mucoid phenotype. Therefore, the two phenotypes observed in our lab may represent the effect of environment to stimulate development of two types of biofilms by PAO1.
Microvascular reconstruction after extensive cervical necrotizing fasciitis: A case series

In patients with cervical necrotizing fasciitis undergoing extensive surgical debridement, vascularized reconstruction may be required. Little is known regarding the outcomes for free tissue transf...
Exploring trait affectionate communication and post sex communication as mediators of the association between attachment and sexual satisfaction

Abstract Using both attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) and affection exchange theory (AET; Floyd, 2002), the current study examines the relationships between adult attachment styles, trait affection, post sex affectionate communication behavior, and sexual satisfaction. Through a serial mediation model tested with Hayes' (2013) SPSS PROCESS macro, the findings yield that those with insecure attachment styles have lower levels of trait affection, which predicts less post sex affectionate communication behavior, which in turn predicts lower levels of sexual satisfaction. There is also a direct significant relationship between insecure attachment styles and lower levels of sexual satisfaction. Although attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were tested in separate analyses, the results yielded the same pattern for both variables. Implications for both theories are discussed. Additionally, future research is recommended to assist practitioners in developing therapy interventions for insecurely attached individuals.
Resilience of Heterogeneous Aquifers Evaluated from Different Dose-Response Models of Bisphenol A

With the growing concerns over emerging contaminants in indirect potable reuse (IPR) applications, we investigate the impact on human health risk of emerging contaminants introduced into groundwater. Some emerging contaminants have potential endocrine-related health effects at a specific exposure range that is much lower than current guidelines. We start by analyzing Bisphenol A (BPA), which is one of the frequently detected emerging contaminants in groundwater. The objective of this study is to understand how the non-trivial toxicity of BPA affects the estimation of human health risks and, consequentially, aquifer resilience. Based on our results, we aim to provide indications on how to improve water resources management in BPA contaminated sites. We use numerical methods to model BPA contamination of a three-dimensional aquifer, and human health risks and aquifer resilience are estimated at a control plane representing an environmentally sensitive target. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to compute uncertainty associated with two levels of heterogeneity. In order to evaluate health risks due to BPA, two types of Dose-Response (DR) models are considered: the monotonic DR model for general exposure and the non-monotonic DR model for prenatal/postnatal exposure. The aquifer resilience is defined as the capacity to recover the state where water is considered potable (i.e., negligible health risks due to BPA). When using the non-monotonic DR model, computational results indicate that the aquifer resilience (reduces) decreases and its uncertainty increases as the aquifer heterogeneity increases. On the other hand, the aquifer resilience considering the monotonic DR model (enhances) increases, and its uncertainty increases relatively smaller than the one considering the non-monotonic DR model. In addition, the variability of the aquifer resilience is controlled by the residence time of the BPA plumes at the control plane, which is related to the volumetric flow rate at the front side of the contamination source. Finally, the decision making strategy for BPA contaminated sites should be established in accordance with the heterogeneous structure of aquifer and land uses that determine which DR model of BPA is more important in estimating the aquifer resilience.
COMBINED INTRA-ARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION TREATMENT FOR ADVANCED CERVICAL CARCINOMA. THE MCCALL TECHNIQUE AND RESULTS.

Abstract A technique of hypogastric artery catheterization through a retroperitoneal approach followed by prolonged intermittent chemotherapy, devised by the late Dr. Milton L. McCall, is described. Results of 13 patients undergoing this surgery are presented. Very high total dosages of chemotherapeutic agents (up to 15.25 Gm. of 5-fluorouracil) infusing the pelvis were achieved. All four patients undergoing chemotherapy prior to radiation for Stages III and IV of cervical carcinoma have survived and are free of disease to date. Those treated after unsuccessful radiation therapy succumbed within a year. toxic reactions with these high doses were minimal, limited to skin erythema. Based on these data, that intra-arterial chemotherapy followed by radiation may improve survival rates of advanced pelvic malignancies, a controlled investigation of this possibility using this technique is being planned.
Science Communication Online: Engaging Experts and Publics on the Internet: by Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher, Columbus, OH, The Ohio State University Press, 2019, 200 pp., $29.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-8142-5530-8

The collaborative and interactive nature of online spaces has transformed scientific communication practices. Science blogs, crowd-funding projects, Reddit forums, and new online databases do not n...
Chapter 11 – Neutrophil Function

Publisher Summary The main function of neutrophils is degrading and killing microbes, especially bacteria. Neutrophils are distributed to the tissues by the circulatory system. They adhere to endothelial cells, migrate through vessel walls into tissues, phagocytize microorganisms, and foreign subtances, and degrade and kill microorganisms. In order for neutrophils in the blood to migrate into tissues, they must adhere to the endothelial cells. The blood neutrophil population is made up of marginated (adhered) cells and circulating (nonadhered) cells. These populations are in continual flux as neutrophils marginate, demarginate, and remarginate. Eventually, marginated neutrophils strongly adhere to the endothelium before they migrate into tissues under the influence of chemotactic agents. Adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells involves the interaction of blood dynamics and cellular adhesion molecules and their receptors or ligands. This chapter provides an overview of the mechanisms of neutrophil adherence, migration (chemotaxis), phagocytosis, and bacteria killing. Defects of neutrophils that prevent them from performing these functions are reviewed in the chapter. Methods for evaluating various functions of the phagocytes are also briefly described.
UNIFORM CONVERGENCE RATES OF KERNEL ESTIMATORS WITH HETEROGENEOUS DEPENDENT DATA

The main uniform convergence results of Hansen (2008, Econometric Theory 24, 726–748) are generalized in two directions: Data are allowed to (a) be heterogeneously dependent and (b) depend on a (possibly unbounded) parameter. These results are useful in semiparametric estimation problems involving time-inhomogeneous models and/or sampling of continuous-time processes. The usefulness of these results is demonstrated by two applications: kernel regression estimation of a time-varying AR(1) model and the kernel density estimation of a Markov chain that has not been initialized at its stationary distribution.
Brachypodium Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL) Promotes Antiviral Defenses against Panicum mosaic virus and Its Satellites.

ABSTRACT Brachypodium distachyon has recently emerged as a premier model plant for monocot biology, akin to Arabidopsis thaliana. We previously reported genome-wide transcriptomic and alternative splicing changes occurring in Brachypodium during compatible infections with Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV). Here, we dissected the role of Brachypodium phenylalanine ammonia lyase 1 (PAL1), a key enzyme for phenylpropanoid and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and the induction of plant defenses. Targeted metabolomics profiling of PMV-infected and PMV- plus SPMV-infected (PMV/SPMV) Brachypodium plants revealed enhanced levels of multiple defense-related hormones and metabolites such as cinnamic acid, SA, and fatty acids and lignin precursors during disease progression. The virus-induced accumulation of SA and lignin was significantly suppressed upon knockdown of B. distachyonPAL1 (BdPAL1) using RNA interference (RNAi). The compromised SA accumulation in PMV/SPMV-infected BdPAL1 RNAi plants correlated with weaker induction of multiple SA-related defense gene markers (pathogenesis related 1 [PR-1], PR-3, PR-5, and WRKY75) and enhanced susceptibility to PMV/SPMV compared to that of wild-type (WT) plants. Furthermore, exogenous application of SA alleviated the PMV/SPMV necrotic disease phenotypes and delayed plant death caused by single and mixed infections. Together, our results support an antiviral role for BdPAL1 during compatible host-virus interaction, perhaps as a last resort attempt to rescue the infected plant. IMPORTANCE Although the role of plant defense mechanisms against viruses are relatively well studied in dicots and in incompatible plant-microbe interactions, studies of their roles in compatible interactions and in grasses are lagging behind. In this study, we leveraged the emerging grass model Brachypodium and genetic resources to dissect Panicum mosaic virus (PMV)- and its satellite virus (SPMV)-compatible grass-virus interactions. We found a significant role for PAL1 in the production of salicylic acid (SA) in response to PMV/SPMV infections and that SA is an essential component of the defense response preventing the plant from succumbing to viral infection. Our results suggest a convergent role for the SA defense pathway in both compatible and incompatible plant-virus interactions and underscore the utility of Brachypodium for grass-virus biology.
Better nurse work environments associated with fewer readmissions and shorter length of stay among adults with ischemic stroke: A cross‐sectional analysis of United States hospitals

Stroke is among the most common reasons for disability and death. Avoiding readmissions and long lengths of stay among ischemic stroke patients has benefits for patients and health care systems alike. Although reduced readmission rates among a variety of medical patients have been associated with better nurse work environments, it is unknown how the work environment might influence readmissions and length of stay for ischemic stroke patients. Using linked data sources, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 543 hospitals to evaluate the association between the nurse work environment and readmissions and length of stay for 175,467 hospitalized adult ischemic stroke patients. We utilized logistic regression models for readmission to estimate odds ratios (OR) and zero-truncated negative binomial models for length of stay to estimate the incident-rate ratio (IRR). Final models accounted for hospital and patient characteristics. Seven and 30-day readmission rates were 3.9% and 10.1% respectively and the average length of stay was 4.9 days. In hospitals with better nurse work environments ischemic stroke patients experienced lower odds of 7- and 30-day readmission (7-day OR, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.99 and 30-day OR, 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94-0.99) and lower length of stay (IRR, 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99). The work environment is a modifiable feature of hospitals that should be considered when providing comprehensive stroke care and improving post-stroke outcomes.
Nonlinearity of intracochlear motion and local cochlear microphonic: Comparison between guinea pig and gerbil

Abstract Studying the in-vivo mechanical and electrophysiological cochlear responses in several species helps us to have a comprehensive view of the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea. Different species might use different mechanisms to achieve the sharp frequency-place map. The outer hair cells (OHC) play an important role in mediating frequency tuning. In the present work, we measured the OHC-generated local cochlear microphonic (LCM) and the motion of different layers in the organ of Corti using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the first turn of the cochlea in guinea pig. In the best frequency (BF) band, our observations were similar to our previous measurements in gerbil: a nonlinear peak in LCM responses and in the basilar membrane (BM) and OHC-region displacements, and higher motion in the OHC region than the BM. Sub-BF the responses in the two species were different. In both species the sub-BF displacement of the BM was linear and LCM was nonlinear. Sub-BF in the OHC-region, nonlinearity was only observed in a subset of healthy guinea pig cochleae while in gerbil, robust nonlinearity was observed in all healthy cochleae. The differences suggest that gerbils and guinea pigs employ different mechanisms for filtering sub-BF OHC activity from BM responses. However, it cannot be ruled out that the differences are due to technical measurement differences across the species.
Leveraging mathematics software data to understand student learning and motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic presented a threat to student learning and motivation. Suspension of achievement testing created a barrier to understanding the extent of this threat. L...
The importance of urban planning: Views of greenness and open space is reversely associated with self-reported views and depressive symptoms.

INTRODUCTION Exposure to green spaces is beneficial to mental health in a variety of ways, ranging from stress reduction to increased attentiveness and elevated self-esteem. The impact of views of greenness, as opposed to direct exposure, has been examined, but the association between self-reported views and depressive symptoms is not known. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between views of greenness and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score. METHODS Questionnaire responses from 191 participants in the Health, Environment, and Action in Louisville (HEAL) study were examined. Univariate statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman rank tests. Inferential statistical analysis was linear regression. RESULTS Participant satisfaction with residential greenness was significantly associated with reduced PHQ-9 score (partially adjusted: linear coefficient = -0.42; 95% CI: -0.70 - -0.14; fully adjusted: linear coefficient = -0.21; 95% CI: -0.44 - 0.02). Additionally, being satisfied with local greenness was significantly associated with having views of greenness from home (linear coefficient = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.23-2.68). CONCLUSIONS Though views of greenness were not directly associated with depression, satisfaction with local greenness was associated with reduced PHQ-9 score, and having views of greenness from home was crudely associated with increased greenness satisfaction. The findings suggest urban greening interventions that focus on greenness satisfaction may be a strategy to reduce depression. Further research is necessary to better understand these relationships.
Delamination of Ceramic Coatings with Embedded Metal Layers

This paper investigates the effects of thin plastically deformable layers embedded in an elastic coating upon debonding of a multilayer from its substrate. Such coatings are normally deposited at high temperature and cooled to ambient, resulting in significant stresses from thermal expansion mismatch. Other stresses can develop during subsequent thermal cycling if volumetric changes such as phase changes or oxidation occur in the system. We present an elastic-plastic model to calculate these stresses in the adhered state (after deposition and cooling but before debonding) and the released state (after delamination). These results are used to calculate the steady-state energy release rate (ERR) that drives debonding at the interface between the multilayer and the substrate. It is shown that plastic straining in the ductile layers can lead to significant reductions in crack driving force by dissipating energy both before and during coating release. Regime maps are developed to illustrate reductions in ERR in terms of the yield strength and volume fraction of the metal layers. As an example, the model is used to predict the impact of embedded platinum layers within an yttria-stabilized zirconica coating; the crack ERR for the composite coating is shown to be 30% lower than that for a uniform ceramic coating.
Racial Disparities in Health Care Access in the United States

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care quality are indicative of relatively poorer quality of care for racial/ethnic minority groups. They represent critical injustices when provisions of health care are unexplained by the patient's clinical needs and other determinants of health care delivery, and the benefits of health care services are not equitably realized. While health care remains suboptimal in the United States, improvement in health care quality is observed for all population subgroups. Yet, racial and ethnic disparities in health care access and quality have not shown any significant improvement. Health care disparities have discernible patterns and different putative explanatory pathways. Extricating these patterns and pathways will help to better understand why race/ethnic disparities are observed for some measures of health care quality (e.g., invasive cardiac care), but not others (e.g., cancer screening); and why health care access and quality are suboptimal for all Americans. Evidence-based health care quality improvement, which integrates the elimination of defined racial/ethnic disparities, is the paradigm for achieving equitable best care. Keywords: health care; race; race and ethnicity; racism
A general algorithm for tic-tac-toe board evaluation

This paper introduces a general algorithm for evaluating a tic-tac-toe board. The algorithm is useful for finding both a winning and a blocking move in tic-tac-toe. For students, this algorithm is an example of the elegance of a general solution as opposed to a brute-force solution.
Linear phase-portrait approximations for nonlinear hybrid systems

We use linear hybrid automata to define linear approximations of the phase portraits of nonlinear hybrid systems. The approximating automata can be analyzed automatically using the symbolic model checker HyTech. We demonstrate the technique through the study of predator-prey systems, where we compute population bounds for both species. We also identify a class of nonlinear hybrid automata for which linear phase-portrait approximations can be generated automatically.
Statistical Methods for Detecting Functional Divergence of Gene Families

Abstract Genome-wide and/or local chromosomal region-specific gene duplication is ubiquitous during evolution of organisms. After such duplication events, one or a few copies of such duplicated genes maintain their original function, while the others freely accumulate mutations that are largely neutral. This chapter reviews in silico computational methodologies of identification of functionally important residues using the notion that functional importance of amino acid residues is correlated with their evolutionary conservation. Such computational tools form the basis for testing functional divergence after gene duplication, allowing the prediction of amino acid residues that are responsible for evolutionary divergences of duplicated gene sequences.
Interaction with Texts: Information Retrieval as Information-Seeking Behavior.

We present an analysis of information retrieval as an information-seeking activity, supporting people's inteactions with text. This analysis suggests that some assumptions underlying the standard model of information retrieval are inappropriate, and we suggest alternative assumptions and discuss their implications for information retrieval system design. It is proposed that information retireval is most properly considered as information-seeking behavior, that the central process of information retrieval is user interaction with text, and that the user is the central component of the information retrieval system. Possible ways to incorporate this view in the design of information retrieval systems are discussed.
Efficient Cooperative MIMO Paradigms for Cognitive Radio Networks

This paper investigates the benefits that cooperative communication brings to cognitive radio networks. We focus on cooperative Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, where multiple distributed single-antenna secondary users cooperate on data transmission and reception. Three cooperative MIMO paradigms are proposed to maximize the diversity gain and significantly improve the performance of overlay, underlay and interweave systems. In the paradigm for overlay systems the secondary users can assist (relay) the primary transmissions even when they are far away from the primary users. In the paradigm for underlay systems the secondary users can share the primary usersâ€™ frequency resources without any knowledge about the primary usersâ€™ signals. The transmitted spectral density of the secondary users falls below the noise floor at the primary receivers to meet the strict interference constraint in cognitive radio networks. In the paradigm for interweave systems, secondary users can use cooperative beamforming to avoid the interference at the primary users while still achieving high diversity gain for improved system performance. Numerical and experimental results are provided in order to discuss the advantages and limits of the proposed paradigms.Â
Is It Worth the Effort? The Impact of Incorporating Synchronous Lectures into an Online Course

This study explores student achievement, sense of social community, and sense of learning community (Rovai, 2002) in two sections of an online course taught concurrently by the same instructor. One section was delivered in a fully asynchronous format; the other incorporated weekly synchronous lectures using an Adobe Connect environment. Students were randomly assigned to one of the two sections but allowed to change sections (before the semester began) if unwilling or unable to participate in weekly Adobe Connect meetings. Data included grades on course assignments, final course grades, end-of-course evaluations, and responses to the Classroom Community Inventory (Rovai, Wighting & Lucking, 2004). No significant differences were found on measures of academic achievement, student satisfaction, social community, or learning community between the two sections.