cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Winter-annual pasture as a supplement for beef cows.

In each of two experiments, 120 pregnant beef cows were stratified by body condition score, BW, breed, and age, randomly divided into six groups of 20, and assigned to one of six 5.1-ha bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) pastures (two replicates/ treatment) in early January to evaluate the use of winter-annual pasture as a supplement. All cows in Exp. 1 and 2 had ad libitum access to bermudagrass/dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) hay plus three treatments: 1) a concentrate-based supplement fed 3 d/wk, 2) limit grazing on winter-annual pasture 2 d/wk (7 hr/ d; 0.04 ha x cow(-1) x grazing d(-1)), or 3) limit grazing on winter-annual pasture 3 d/wk (7 hr/d; 0.04 ha x cow(-1) x grazing d(-1)) sod-seeded into a portion of the pasture until mid-May. The seeded portion of pastures in Exp. 1 was planted with a mixture of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.), but annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) was added to the seed mixture in Exp. 2. In mid-May, cows were blocked by treatment and the previous sorting factors, randomly assigned to six new groups of 20, and placed on the six perennial pastures until calves were weaned. Groups of cows were exposed to a bull for 60 d beginning in mid-May. In Exp. 1 and 2, limit-grazing winter-annual pasture compared to the concentrate-based supplement or limit grazing 2 vs 3 d/wk did not affect (P > 0.15) cow BW. In Exp. 1, cows limit grazed on winter-annual pasture had a lower (P = 0.05) body condition score than cows fed the concentrate-based supplement in the early spring. However, in Exp. 2, cows limit grazed on winter-annual pasture had higher (P 0.22) between cows fed concentrate-based supplements and cows limit grazed on winter-annual pasture. In Exp. 2, cows limit grazed 2 d/wk tended to have a greater (P = 0.10) conception rate than cows limit grazed 3 d/wk. In Exp. 1 and 2, birth weight, total gain, BW, and ADG of calves were not affected (P > 0.15) by treatment. We conclude that wheat and rye pasture is a marginal supplement for lactating beef cows. However, cows limit grazed 2 d/wk on winter-annual pasture of wheat, rye, and annual ryegrass as a supplement maintained BW and body condition score as well as cows fed the concentrate-based supplement. But, grazing pasture 3 vs 2 d/wk did not seem to affect performance of cows.
B-FAHF-2 plus oral immunotherapy (OIT) is safer and more effective than OIT alone in a murine model of concurrent peanut/tree nut allergy

SummaryBackground Concurrent sensitization to peanut (PN) and tree nuts (TN), the most dangerous food allergies, is common. Current oral immunotherapy (OIT) is not fully satisfactory. Objective To determine whether the herbal formula B-FAHF-2 (BF2) ameliorates PN/TN OIT adverse reactions and enhances persistence of a tolerant state. Methods Concurrently sensitized PN-, walnut- (WN) and cashew (CSH)-allergic mice received 1-day PN/WN/CSH rush OIT plus 3 weeks of maintenance dosing, with or without 3 weeks prior and 3 weeks BF2 co-treatment. Anaphylactic symptom scores, core body temperatures, plasma histamine levels, basophil numbers, antigen-specific IgE, cytokine levels, and IL-4, INF-γ and Foxp3 gene promoter DNA methylation status, and their correlation with final challenge symptom scores were determined. Results BF2+OIT-treated mice experienced significantly fewer and less severe adverse reactions than OIT-only-treated mice (P<.01) during the 1-day rush OIT build-up dose phase. Both OIT-only and BF2+OIT mice showed significant desensitization (P<.01 and .001, respectively) at 1 week post-therapy challenge, being greater in BF2+OIT mice. All sham-treated and 91% of OIT-treated mice experienced anaphylaxis whereas only 21% of BF2+OIT-treated mice exhibited reactions during 5-6 weeks of dose escalation single PN and TN challenges. Greater and more persistent protection in BF2+OIT mice was associated with significantly lower plasma histamine and IgE levels, increased IFN-γ/IL-4 and IL-10/IL-4 ratios, DNA remethylation at the IL-4 promoter and demethylation at IFN-γ and Foxp3 promoters. Final challenge symptom scores were inversely correlated with IL-4 DNA methylation levels (P<.0002) and positively correlated with IFN-γ and Foxp3 gene promoter methylation levels (P<.0011) (P<.0165). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Combined BF2/OIT therapy was safer and produced longer post-treatment protection and more tolerance-prone immunological and epigenetic modifications than OIT alone. BF2/OIT may provide an additional OIT option for patients with concurrent PN/TN and other food allergies.
A bidirectional wide load range multiphase buck/boost converter for differential power processing

Series stacking of dc voltage domains to allow power delivery at higher voltages and lower currents has been explored for some time. Differential power processing (DPP) is an integral part of many such applications. DPP benefits from bidirectional converters to process the difference in currents between two consecutive stacked domains to regulate voltages of each domain. In this paper we discuss the importance of having DPP converters with low light load power loss. Then we develop a multiphase buck/boost converter with asymmetric current sharing between phases to achieve good efficiencies over a wide load range. A new light-load (variable frequency, discontinuous conduction mode) control is also developed to improve light load efficiency.
Neo-monastics in North Carolina, de-growth and a theology of enough

Abstract This article examines one intentional Christian community's attempts to live a life that eschews consumerism and material growth for a life focused on spiritual growth and collectivity. I articulate intentional Christian living, often referred to as neo-monasticism, with the de-growth movement. I do so to offer insight into the practice and pragmatics of de-growth's broadly understood call to revalue the ideals of life in an effort to reduce consumption. Neo-monasticism and de-growth have much in common including the critique of consumerism, individualism and increasing inequality. Both also promote relationships, locality, sharing, slowing down and quality of life over efficiency and incessant work. Drawing on four years of research with one residential Christian community, I suggest that the most challenging aspect of sharing a life together and slowing down is not simply consuming less or pooling resources but rethinking and living social values not driven by a consumerist-growth paradigm. While some de-growth advocates, such as Serge Latouche, promote ideals of harmony and oneness, in practice, living simply and sharing a life together is challenging and conflictual, even when religiously inspired. Key Words: De-growth, neo-monasticism, emerging church, millennial generation, Christianity, sharing economy
Common fixed point theorem for generalized nonexpansive mappings on ordered orbitally complete metric spaces and application

We propose a common xed point theorem for new notion of generalized nonexpansive mappings for two pairs of maps in an ordered orbitally complete metric space. To illustrate our result, we give throughout the paper two examples. Existence of solutions for certain system of functional equations arising in dynamic programming is also presented as application.
Chasing Shadows: The Economic and Noneconomic Thrust of BDS

Proponents of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, in combination with left-wing activists and progressive theorists, sustain themselves through perceived adversity with the mantra that the universe evolves toward justice, which, in turn, allows for a focused indignation on Israel for alleged abuses of the Palestinian people. In this account, Israel’s conduct thwarts desirable human progress and deserves reproof. Alternatively, ire erupts because Israeli Jews are being, well, Jews. Despite persuasive evidence showing the contention that the Arabs in Palestine and the Land of Israel possess the same legal rights as the Jewish people contradicts principles of international law, this crusade strives to impose direct and indirect costs on Israel as well as on non-Israeli institutions that are implicated in ostensible human rights violations. Still, a debate rages on whether domestic and international law principles, corporate fiduciary duties, investment fund managers’ fiduciary duties, or the market itself are compatible with the BDS campaign. Nevertheless, this paper shows that it is doubtful that BDS proponents are consumed by the objective of imposing economic costs on Israel and hurting its economic interests in the short-run even though they surely welcome such effects. These observations about economic costs do not exhaust the goals, objectives, and effects of BDS. The real costs of BDS surfaces along a parallel track that travels in tandem with the pursuit of economic goals: the evisceration of Israel’s reputational interests. In the globe’s current postmodern moment, where law and politics issue forth from an atomized culture inscribed with virtue signaling, BDS concentrates its fire on Israel’s character and status to delegitimize the Jewish nation’s existence in a world that simultaneously privileges grievances and victimhood. To the extent that humankind is progressively drawn to Nietzsche’s hypothesis—that truth is simply a mobile army of metaphors—the prospects that this strategy will eventually inflict long-term harm on Israel increase.
Effects of NaCl, Sucrose, and Water Content on the Survival of Salmonella typhimurium on Irradiated Pork and Chicken.

We investigated the effects of water content, activity, sodium chloride (NaCl) and sucrose contents on the survival of Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 in irradiated mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) and ground pork loin. The effects of NaCl and sucrose concentration were investigated by adding various amounts to MDCM or ground pork loin, or by rehydrating freeze-dried ground pork loin with NaCl solutions with various degrees of saturation. The effects of water content were investigated by rehydrating freeze-dried ground pork loin with different quantities of water. Inoculated samples were irradiated at 5°C in vacuo to various doses up to 6.0 kGy. Highly significant effects (p < 0.01) of water content, water activity (aw) and NaCl content, but not of sucrose content, on the survival of S. typhimurium were identified. The failure of sucrose to provide the same protection for S. typhimurium in meat against radiation argues against reduced water activity being a primary mechanism of protection. The results indicate that the survival of foodborne pathogens on irradiated meats with reduced water content or increased NaCl levels may be greater than expected.
Detecting Heteroscedasticity in Nonparametric Regression

SUMMARY Diagnostic tests and plots are proposed for detecting heteroscedasticity in nonparametric regression. The large and small sample power properties are studied for a class of test statistics for the hypothesis of homogeneous variances. New diagnostic plots are also developed and illustrated.
Evolution of Teachers’ Technology Integration Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices: How Can We Support Beginning Teachers Use of Technology?

In this study, we examined a group of four teachers who completed extra educational technology coursework and field experiences during their teacher education programs to determine how their techno...
The Effect of Economic Vulnerability on Protest Participation in the National Football League

Objectives What distinguishes between National Football League (NFL) players who participated in protests during the National Anthem and those who did not? Does the finding of a personal vulnerability constraint in high‐risk activism apply to this relatively elite population? Methods Protest participation during 2017 was determined for every NFL player, along with several variables pertaining to their performance, compensation, and the political atmosphere of their team. Results Bivariate and multivariate tests both reveal that protest participation was far greater among players with large guaranteed contracts and among players who were well regarded for their performance. Conclusions Economic vulnerability ranges widely within the NFL such that players hold contracts offering guaranteed payments of anywhere between $92 million and nothing at all. The data here suggest that the personal vulnerability constraint documented in protest participation research also applies to this unique population of high‐profile people engaged in a most high‐profile protest. Documenting the existence of these constraints helps offer a more systematic foundation to our understanding of political activism behavior among athletes.
Postinfectious and Immunological Disorders

A number of acute neurological disorders of childhood are regularly associated with a preceding illness, either one of the classic exanthematous diseases or a “nonspecific” upper respiratory tract infection. Although other family members may share the same prodromal symptoms, they rarely go on to manifest involvement of the CNS.
Ultra-widefield Fluorescein Angiography and OCT Findings in Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome

Purpose To report the spectrum of posterior segment findings in tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU) and discuss the abnormalities that can be seen on imaging. Design Retrospective, consecutive case series. Participants Patients with TINU and posterior segment manifestations on examination or imaging. Methods Patients with elevated urine beta-2 microglobulin (Uβ2M) and a diagnosis of TINU were included if they were evaluated at the Cole Eye Institute and did not have alternative etiologies for uveitis. Electronic medical records were reviewed for abnormal findings on ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) and OCT. Main Outcome Measures Presence of peripheral vascular leakage, optic disc leakage, chorioretinal lesions, or leakage within the macula on UWFFA. For OCT findings, patients were categorized as having intraretinal fluid, epiretinal membrane, or optic nerve edema. Results Twenty eyes from 10 patients (6 female, 4 male) with a bimodal age distribution (10–46 years and 77–83 years) were included. Eighteen of 20 eyes (90%) underwent UWFFA; 13 eyes demonstrated the presence of peripheral vascular leakage, 5 eyes showed optic disc leakage, and 6 eyes had leakage within the macula. All eyes underwent OCT imaging; 7 eyes demonstrated intraretinal fluid, 4 eyes were found to have an epiretinal membrane, and 1 eye had optic nerve edema. Six eyes lacked anterior uveitis on initial or follow-up examination but had abnormal findings on UWFFA or OCT. Conclusions Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome is under-recognized in the clinical setting. It can manifest in patients of all ages, and posterior segment involvement is not uncommon. Abnormalities may be seen on posterior segment examination or imaging in the absence of anterior segment inflammation. Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with bilateral uveitis without evidence of infection or other clear etiology for intraocular inflammation.
"Pleurex Desalination" in Malignancy-related Ascites: A Novel Mechanism of Hyponatremia.

Objective Pleurex catheters are a form of palliative therapy for patients, offering relief from symptomatic ascites while also affording greater independence and flexibility; however, aggressive drainage can lead to significant total body sodium losses. We describe the course of patients with "Pleurex desalination," an under-appreciated cause of hypovolemic hyponatremia, highlighting its unique pathophysiology and providing recommendations on how to manage these complex patients. Patients and methods We included representative patients with "Pleurex desalination" who were evaluated and treated by the renal consult service at Brigham and Women's between 2017 and 2019. Results We identified 3 patients who were hospitalized with "Pleurex desalination" and had complete data on serum and urine studies, as well as treatment course. We demonstrate that patients with "Pleurex desalination" were removing up to 1 to 2 L of ascitic fluid a day and were admitted with signs and symptoms of profound hypovolemia and hyponatremia. Patients worsened with administration of diuretics and salt restriction and improved with aggressive fluid resuscitation in the form of hypertonic saline, normal saline, and/or intravenous albumin. Conclusion "Pleurex desalination" is an under-recognized cause of hyponatremia; at-risk patients require close observation and periodic resuscitation with intravenous, volume-expanding fluids.
Extended Logarithmic Frequency Domain Rulers for Joint Radar-Communications

This paper studies the design and performance of a new class of Doppler estimation capable waveforms called Extended Logarithmic Frequency Domain Rulers (E-LFDRs) for joint radar-communications. E-LFDRs are multicarrier wave-forms whose carriers are spaced according to an Extended Golomb Ruler after a logarithmic warping of the frequency axis. The multiplicative Doppler shift additively translates the waveform’s logarithmically warped spectrum, which allows simultaneous signal detection and Doppler shift estimation via convolutional matched filtering of the logarithmically warped power spectrum. We propose to use these waveforms for communications by phase modulating the carriers and using the estimated Doppler shift to adjust a pilot tone time domain matched filter for fine symbol synchronization. The synchronized waveform is then sent to a communications module for symbol decoding. This paper gives an example of these waveforms, details their design, illustrates a receiver, and explores their bit error rate in AWGN and multipath.
The effect of tylosin on antimicrobial resistance in beef cattle enteric bacteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Tylosin is a commonly used in-feed antimicrobial and is approved in several countries to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses in beef cattle. Macrolides are critically important antimicrobials in human health and used to treat some foodborne bacterial diseases, such as Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella. Feeding tylosin could select for resistant enteric bacteria in cattle, which could contaminate beef products at slaughter and potentially cause foodborne illness. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of feeding tylosin to cattle on phenotypic and genotypic resistance in several potential zoonotic enteric bacteria: Enterococcus species, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica, and Campylobacter species. This review was registered with PROSPERO (#CRD42018085949). Results Eleven databases were searched for primary research studies that fed tylosin at approved doses to feedlot cattle and tested bacteria of interest for phenotypic or genotypic resistance. We screened 1,626 citations and identified 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Enterococcus species were tested in seven studies, Escherichia coli was isolated in five studies, three studies reported on Salmonella, and two studies reported on Campylobacter species. Most studies relied on phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing and seven also reported resistance gene testing. A random-effects meta-analyses of erythromycin-resistant enterococci from four studies had significant residual heterogeneity. Only two studies were available for a meta-analysis of tylosin-resistant enterococci. A semi-quantitative analysis demonstrated an increase in macrolide-resistant enterococci after long durations of tylosin administration (>100 days). Semi-quantitative analyses of other bacteria-antimicrobial combinations revealed mixed results, but many comparisons found no effect of tylosin administration. However, about half of these no-effect comparisons did not record the cumulative days of tylosin administration or the time since the last dose. Conclusions When fed at approved dosages for typical durations, tylosin increases the proportion of macrolide-resistant enterococci in the cattle gastrointestinal tract, which could pose a zoonotic risk to human beef consumers. Feeding tylosin for short durations may mitigate the impact on macrolide-resistant enterococci and further studies are encouraged to determine the effect of minimizing or eliminating tylosin use in beef cattle. There may also be an impact on other bacteria and other antimicrobial resistances but additional details or data are needed to strengthen these comparisons. We encourage authors of antimicrobial-resistance studies to follow reporting guidelines and publish details of all comparisons to strengthen future meta-analyses.
Examining Relationships between Gender, Opioid Dependence, and Distress Tolerance among Patients in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Background: Opioid abuse/dependence is associated with multiple negative outcomes relative to other forms of substance abuse/dependence, including relapse. Research identifying modifiable characteristics associated with opioid dependence and associated negative outcomes may inform the development of targeted interventions for this high-risk population. One factor warranting investigation is low distress tolerance (DT). Purpose/Objectives: In a sample of patients in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, the present study examined DT levels among patients with current opioid dependence versus no history of opioid dependence, as well as the moderating role of gender. We predicted that patients with opioid dependence would exhibit lower DT than those without a history of opioid dependence, and that women with opioid dependence would exhibit lower levels of DT than men with opioid dependence. Methods: A sample of 203 patients in residential SUD treatment were administered a series of diagnostic interviews and a behavioral measure of DT. Results: DT did not differ significantly as a function of opioid dependence. However, there was a significant opioid dependence by gender interaction, such that men with current opioid dependence exhibited significantly lower levels of DT than women with opioid dependence and men without a history of opioid dependence. Conclusions/Importance: Findings highlight a modifiable characteristic associated with opioid dependence among men that may be targeted in interventions.
Expanding structurational divergence theory by exploring the escalation of incompatible structures to conflict cycles in nursing

Intractable workplace conflicts that impede individual and organizational success are common, yet little is understood about how such cycles are formed. Structurational divergence (SD) theory expla...
Comparison of a topical surfactant and a topical antibiotic in the rat comb burn model

Abstract Background Burn injury progression in the secondary zone of ischemia is common leading to delayed healing and increased scarring. We hypothesized that a topical surfactant, would reduce burn injury progression in a validated rat comb burn model compared with topical antibiotic ointment. Methods We created 40 comb burns on 20 rats which were randomized to daily topical application of the surfactant or a triple antibiotic ointment. The comb burns consisted of 4 full thickness burns with 3 unburned interspaces between the 4 burns. These unburned interspaces represented the zone of ischemia, and when left untreated, generally progress to full thickness necrosis within several days. Comb burns were assessed daily for the presence of gross necrosis of the interspaces. At 7 days the comb burns were excised and blindly evaluated for the presence of histological evidence of necrosis. The study had 80% power to detect a 25% difference in the percentages of necrotic interspaces on day 7. Results There were no differences in the percentages of histologically necrotic interspaces at 7 days in burns treated with the surfactant or antibiotic ointment (85% [95%CI, 74 to 92] vs. 75% [95%CI, 63 to 84]; mean difference 10% [95%CI −4 to 24]). There were also no between group differences in the percentages of grossly necrotic interspaces on any of the seven days of the experiment. The surfactant remained intact and adherent while the antibiotic had been absorbed at each daily dressing change. Conclusions A topical surfactant did not reduce injury progression in the rat comb burn model when compared with antibiotic ointment. The surfactant was more durable than the antibiotic ointment.
The Trade-Off of Virtual Reality Training for Dart Throwing: A Facilitation of Perceptual-Motor Learning With a Detriment to Performance.

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology now allow for the creation of highly immersive virtual environments and for systems to be commercially available at an affordable price. Despite increased availability, this access does not ensure that VR is appropriate for training for all motor skills. Before the implementation of VR for training sport-related skills takes place, it must first be established whether VR utilization is appropriate. To this end, it is crucial to better understand the mechanisms that drive learning in these new environments which will allow for optimization of VR to best facilitate transfer of learned skills to the real world. In this study we sought to examine how a skill acquired in VR compares to one acquired in the real world (RW), utilizing training to complete a dart-throwing task in either a virtual or real environment. We adopted a perceptual-motor approach in this study, employing measures of task performance (i.e., accuracy), as well as of perception (i.e., visual symptoms and oculomotor behavior) and motor behaviors (i.e., throwing kinematics and coordination). Critically, the VR-trained group performed significantly worse in terms of throwing accuracy compared to both the RW-trained group and their own baseline performance. In terms of perception, the VR-trained group reported greater acute visual symptoms compared to the RW-trained group, though oculomotor behaviors were largely the same across groups. In terms of motor behaviors, the VR-trained group exhibited different dart-throwing kinematics during training, but in the follow-up test adapted their throwing pattern to one similar to the RW-trained group. In total, VR training impaired real-world task performance, suggesting that virtual environments may offer different learning constraints compared to the real world. These results thus emphasize the need to better understand how some elements of virtual learning environments detract from transfer of an acquired sport skill to the real world. Additional work is warranted to further understand how perceptual-motor behaviors are acquired differently in virtual spaces.
Sports and Emotions

Sports are a ubiquitous feature of social life, yet it is an arena that has not received systematic study. Over the past several decades, there have been a number of studies that have worked to connect sports and emotions, but sociologists of emotions are uniquely positioned to lead research in this area. Early work connecting sports and emotions drew from the perspectives of Elias and Scheff and focused on the arousal of pleasurable excitement and on catharsis. Since these early works, research has addressed emotion management by athletes and emotional labor in sports industries. Both athletes and sports spectators are involved in developing sports identities and communities. Indeed, the rituals associated with sports fandom and involvement as a spectator create an identity for people and lead to the development of community. Further consideration in this chapter is given to the role of gender in the connection between sports and emotions as well as to how sports performance leads to emotional reactions. Ultimately, the connections between sports and emotions should be made both through the sociology of sport and sociology through sport. While emotions theories can be brought to bear upon the arena of sports to better understand that arena, sports can also provide a venue for applying and extending theories of emotions.
Early Impact of India's Nationwide Lockdown on Aggregate Population Mobility and COVID-19 Cases

Background: In March 2020, India imposed a strict nationwide lockdown, making social distancing the primary nonpharmacologic mitigation strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, there has not been a comprehensive evaluation of the policy’s impact on mobility changes and state-level trajectory of COVID case growth. Understanding the effectiveness of the initial lockdown will inform policy efforts, given rising case counts in India following relaxation of the lockdown. Methods: Using a dataset on aggregated mobility changes in India, we conducted a retrospective interrupted time series analysis between February 15th and April 26th, 2020 to assess the combined impact of India’s nationwide curfew and lockdown on aggregate community mobility. Our primary outcomes were change in mobility to retail and recreation sites and change in state-level COVID-19 case growth rate. Secondary outcomes included mobility changes to other sites and time spent at home. We next assessed state-level variation. Finally, we examined the relationship between changes in aggregate mobility and the case growth rate of COVID-19. Findings: We observed an immediate and pronounced decrease in mobility following the policy’s implementation for all location categories examined. For our primary outcome, the national lockdown was associated with an 86% decrease to retail and recreational sites. However, the effects were not homogeneously sustained in the post-policy period. Visits to grocery stores and pharmacies (slope = 0.62% increase in visits per day) and transit stations (slope = 0.24%) began to recover, whereas visits to retail and recreation (slope = -0.41%), and parks (slope -0.47%) continued to decline during the post period. Significant state-level variation in mobility response was observed (71% to 95% decrease in visits to retail and recreation sites). States with the largest decrease in visits to retail and recreational sites were associated with a 7.2% rate of increase of COVID-19 in contrast to those states with the lowest decrease in mobility, which exhibited a 53% rate increase in COVID-19 cases (p=0.03). Interpretation: Our findings provide early evidence that India’s nationwide policy has been effective in both achieving its initial goal of decreased mobility and slowing the spread of COVID-19 cases. As the policy was nationwide, further research is needed to understand the drivers of state-level variation in mobility and COVID-19 case growth. Funding: This study was not funded. Declaration of Interests: GAW is a paid visiting scientist at Google Research. Other authors declare no conflict of interest.
Regional anesthesia in pediatric patients with preexisting neurological disease

Preexisting neurological disease in pediatric patients presents unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. In-depth knowledge of the disease processes and awareness of sequalae that uniquely influence the risks and benefits of anesthetics are needed to make informed decisions. Because these vulnerable populations are often susceptible to perioperative airway or cardiopulmonary complications, the use of regional anesthesia can be advantageous. However, these clinical conditions already involve compromised neural tissue and, as such, create additional concern that regional anesthesia may result in new or worsened deficits. The following discussion is not intended to be a full review of each disease process, but rather provides a concise, yet thorough, discussion of the available literature on regional anesthesia in the more common, but still rare, pediatric neurological disorders. We aim to provide a framework for pediatric anesthesiologists to reengage in a healthy discussion about the risks and benefits of utilizing regional anesthesia in this vulnerable population.
Nonequivalent definitions and student conceptions of tangent lines in calculus

Tangent lines are often first introduced to students in geometry during the study of circles. The topic may be repeatedly reintroduced to students in different contexts throughout their schooling, ...
MammoSite and interstitial brachytherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation: factors that affect toxicity and cosmesis.

BACKGROUND In interstitial brachytherapy (IB), cosmesis and toxicity correlate with volume of tissue irradiated, dose homogeneity index (DHI), and adjuvant doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide based chemotherapy (ACCT). MammoSite brachytherapy (MSB) irradiates smaller volumes than IB, and lower dose homogeneity does not appear to affect toxicity. However, clinical experience suggests that other factors may also play an important role in cosmesis and toxicity with MSB. We reviewed our prospectively maintained data base of women who underwent accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) to assess this issue. METHODS Beginning in September 1995, 115 women were enrolled in a trial evaluating APBI as monotherapy after lumpectomy. The first 75 eligible patients received IB, and the most recent 28 eligible patients received MSB. All patients received 34 gray (Gy) in 10 twice-daily fractions through high-dose rate iridium-192 brachytherapy; 19% of patients in the IB group and 0% of patients in the MSB group received ACCT. RESULTS At 1 year after treatment, MSB caused significantly less Grade 2–4 subcutaneous fibrosis (as graded by a radiation oncologist according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group system) compared with IB (10.7% vs. 32%; P = 0.04). However, when only ACCT-naive patients in the IB group were compared with patients in the MSB group, this finding became nonsignificant. Among the patients who received MSB, significantly smaller volumes were irradiated, and the DHI was lower. CONCLUSIONS Current studies suggest an improved toxicity profile with MSB compared with IB that is attributed to lower irradiated volumes with MSB. When only chemotherapy-naive patients were compared, however, toxicity and cosmesis were found to be similar between MSB and IB, suggesting a more complex interplay between irradiated volumes, DHI, and chemotherapy. The relation of ACCT to toxicity in this scenario is intriguing and warrants further investigation. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
PARSAC-2: A Parallel SAC-2 Based on Threads

We describe the design of PARSAC-2, a parallel version of the SAC-2 Computer Algebra system. In PARSAC-2, parallelism is based on multiple threads (lightweight processes) executing on a shared memory multiprocessor. The S-threads subsystem provides threads which are capable of parallel list processing on a shared heap. The S-threads heap memory is designed to allow concurrent list cell allocation by multiple threads with minimal synchronization overhead. S-threads may also perform parallel garbage collection, and a slightly weaker form of storage management called preventive garbage collection. We present an example of algorithm development in PARSAC by parallelizing the SAC-2 algorithm IPRODK, an integer multiplication routine based on Karatsuba's method. Using empirical data from this experiment, we demonstrate that S-threads permit a parallelization of SAC-2 down to the lowest algebraic level. Finally, we show how a key parameter of the S-threads memory design influences parallel performance.
Rights and Accountability in Development (Raid) V Das Air and Global Witness V Afrimex: Small Steps Toward an Autonomous Transnational Legal System for the Regulation of Multinational Corporations

The enforcement framework for the MNE Guidelines has long been the subject of criticism, especially by representatives of private and public actors. But two recent cases have suggested the ways in which enforcement actions arising from civil society efforts to utilize the national contacts points complaint system may be slowly influencing the emerging discourse of corporate behaviour in ways that will have substantial effect. Beyond evidence of a more muscular institutional transnational enforcement structure for soft law codes, the cases serve to outline a framework for the interaction of transnational and national systems of corporate regulation. The multilateral system for governing multinational corporate behaviour will affect not only that behaviour but also the rules through which corporations may be governed as to their internal affairs and with respect to the character of their legal personality. This essay first briefly describes the institutional and regulatory framework within which the cases arose. It then reviews the cases themselves, drawing out the more relevant arguments. Lastly, it contextualizes those arguments and positions within national and transnational corporate and international legal regimes. The cases illustrate the way in which advances in governance issues are being crafted, step-by-step, from out of a system that, while formally non- binding, is increasingly developing the characteristics of a binding governance system. The cases suggest the parameters within which the MNE Guidelines are beginning to serve as the focal point for the construction of an autonomous transnational governance system that, in turn, is meant to serve as the touchstone for corporate behaviour in multinational economic relationships.
Turbulent multiphase flows

Recent measurements and predictions concerning turbulent multiphase flows are considered, emphasizing findings of the author and his associates. The properties of both dense sprays (comparable phase volume fractions) and dilute dispersed multiphase flows (dispersed-phase volume fractions less than 1–10 percent) are considered.
The Efficacy of Multimedia Modules for Teaching Basic Literacy-Related Concepts

Researchers have found that teacher preparation programs are not universally preparing teacher candidates in concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. Yet, the majority of students with reading disabilities or who struggle with beginning reading have difficulty with phonology and concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a series of multimedia modules on participants' (N = 76) knowledge and skills related to early reading instruction. The multimedia modules covered basic literacy concepts primarily related to phonology and phonics. Results from the experimental, control-group design indicated that the modules were successful in teaching foundational literacy constructs to participants. Thus, multimedia modules may be a promising avenue for providing instruction for teacher candidates. Additional research, however, is needed to ensure mastery of knowledge and to evaluate how principles of effective instruction can guide multimedia m...
The Probability of In Vivo Reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Increases with the Number of Latently Infected Neurons in the Ganglia

The purpose of this study was to define the relationship between herpes simplex virus (HSV) latency and in vivo ganglionic reactivation. Groups of mice with numbers of latently infected neurons ranging from 1.9 to 24% were generated by varying the input titer of wild-type HSV type 1 strain 17syn+. Reactivation of the virus in mice from each group was induced by hyperthermic stress. The number of animals that exhibited virus reactivation was positively correlated with the number of latently infected neurons in the ganglia over the entire range examined (r = 0.9852, P < 0. 0001 [Pearson correlation]).
Cladistic analysis of cercopithecid relationships

Abstract The phyletic relationships of cercopithecid higher taxa are fairly well understood. By reference to the outgroup Hominoidea, character state distributions for a variety of dental, cranial and posteranial features are reviewed and morphotypes are presented for supra-generic taxa. Cercopithecids show 13 derived conditions relative to the eucatarrhine morphotype. Cercopithecines are further derived by eight features while the colobine morphotype shows an additional nine synapomorphies, including three newly identified pedal features. Within Cercopithecinae, the tribes Papionini and Cercopithecini are each characterized by several derived states. In turn, each tribe includes a relatively conservative and a more derived clade, recognized at the subtribal level: Macacina and Papionina (including the previously recognized Theropithecina) for Papionini: and the newly defined Allenopithecina and Cercopithecina among Cercopithecini. The distinctions within Colobinae appear comparable to those defining cercopithecine subtribes, and two taxa are accepted at that rank: the African Colobina, defined by three derived states: and the possibly paraphyletic Asian Presbytina. Piliocolobus shares four synapomorphies with Procolobus and therefore is ranked as a subgenus of that taxon. The hypothesis that Dolichopithecus is the direct descendant of Mesopithecus is weakened on the basis of contrary pedal evidence.
A method of simulation of solar processes and its application

Abstract TRNSYS, a program for simulating the dynamic thermal behavior of transient systems, is a general program for solving sets of differential and algebraic equations which describe solar energy systems. It is based on a modular approach which enables the user to readily simulate a wide variety of systems. The program consists of component models (for collectors, controls, storage tanks, heat exchangers, furnaces, building loads, integrators, recorders, etc.) and an executive routine. The designer selects both his components and the design parameters describing the components and specifies, in a simple fashion, the way in which the components are interconnected. The whole process is analogous to specifying an experimental system. The designer also selects the information he wants from the simulation, again in a manner analogous to a physical experiment, and includes the appropriate instrument components in his simulation. The use of the program is illustrated by a comparison of methods of operating a solar heating system.
GRAMICIDIN CHANNELS IN PHOSPHOLIPID BILAYERS WITH UNSATURATED ACYL CHAINS

In organic solvents gramicidin A (gA) occurs as a mixture of slowly interconverting double-stranded dimers. Membrane-spanning gA channels, in contrast, are almost exclusively single-stranded beta(6,3)-helical dimers. Based on spectroscopic evidence, it has previously been concluded that the conformational preference of gA in phospholipid bilayers varies as a function of the degree of unsaturation of the acyl chains. Double-stranded pi pi(5,6)-helical dimers predominate (over single-stranded beta(6,3)-helical dimers) in lipid bilayer membranes with polyunsaturated acyl chains. We therefore examined the characteristics of channels formed by gA in 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane, 1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane, and 1,2-dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane bilayers. We did not observe long-lived channels that could be conducting double-stranded pi pi(5,6)-helical dimers in any of these different membrane environments. We conclude that the single-stranded beta(6,3)-helical dimer is the only conducting species in these bilayers. Somewhat surprisingly, the average channel duration and channel-forming potency of gA are increased in dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane bilayers compared to 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/n-decane bilayers. To test for specific interactions between the aromatic side chains of gA and the acyl chains of the bilayer, we examined the properties of channels formed by gramicidin analogues in which the four tryptophan residues were replaced with naphthylalanine (gN), tyrosine (gT), and phenylalanine (gM). The results show that all of these analogue channels experience the same relative stabilization when going from dioleoylphosphatidylcholine to dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers.
High-performance packet classification on GPU

Multi-field packet classification is a network kernel function where packets are classified and routed based on a predefined rule set. Recently, there has been a new trend in exploring Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for network applications. These applications typically do not perform floating point operations and it is challenging to obtain speedup. This paper presents a high-performance packet classifier on GPU. We investigate GPU's characteristics in parallelism and memory accessing, and implement our packet classifier using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). The basic operations of our design are binary range-tree search and bitwise AND operation.We optimize our design by storing the range-trees using compact arrays without explicit pointers in shared memory. We evaluate the performance with respect to throughput and processing latency. Experimental results show that our approach scales well across a range of rule set sizes from 512 to 4096. When the size of rule set is 512, our design can achieve the throughput of 85 million packets per second and the average processing latency of 4.9 µs per packet. Compared with the implementation on the state-of-the-art multi-core platform, our design demonstrates 1.9x improvement with respect to throughput.
Mg2+ sensing by the Mg2+ sensor PhoQ of Salmonella enterica.

Abstract The PhoP/PhoQ two-component regulatory system governs the adaptation to low Mg 2+ environments and virulence in several Gram-negative species. During growth in low Mg 2+ , the sensor PhoQ modifies the activity of the response regulator PhoP promoting gene transcription, whereas growth in high Mg 2+ represses transcription of PhoP-activated genes. The PhoQ protein harbors a periplasmic domain of 146 amino acid residues that binds Mg 2+ in vitro and is required for Mg 2+ -mediated repression in vivo . Here, we identify periplasmic mutants of the Salmonella PhoQ protein that allow transcription of PhoP-activated genes even under high Mg 2+ concentrations. When expressed in a strain harboring a PhoP variant that is phosphorylated from acetyl phosphate, some of the mutants failed to repress PhoP-promoted transcription in high Mg 2+ , whereas others displayed a wild-type ability to do so. Mutant PhoQ proteins that allowed expression of PhoP-activated genes in high Mg 2+ displayed a pattern of iron-mediated cleavage in vitro that was different from that displayed by wild-type PhoQ, indicative of altered Mg 2+ binding. A PhoQ protein with the conserved histidine residue (H277) substituted by alanine could not promote transcription of PhoP-activated genes in low Mg 2+ but could turn off expression in response to high Mg 2+ . Our studies demonstrate that residues G93, W97, H120 and T156 are required for a wild-type response to Mg 2+ , and suggest that Mg 2+ binding to the periplasmic domain regulates several activities in the PhoQ protein.
Extended Evaluation of a Longitudinal Medical School Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum

BACKGROUND Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an important element of medical education. However, limited information is available on effective curricula.
In-situ observation of the domain configurations during the phase transitions in barium titanate

Abstract Using a polarizing optical microscope in conjunction with a charged-coupled device camera system, the domain microstructural evolution with respect to temperature in all three phases of BaTiO3 was studied. Along a (001) oriented section the domains in the tetragonal phase form 90° domain patterns in an ‘a—a’ configuration. The transition on heating and cooling between the cubic and tetragonal phases occurred near the same temperature, 125°C. On cooling, the domain structures in the orthorhombic phase appeared as a long continuous lamellar structure, while on heating the domains formed a ‘patchwork’ structure. This transition temperature showed a large thermal hysteresis. The final transition temperature from orthorhombic to rhombohedral was difficult to determine using this technique. The transition on cooling occurred at −134°C based on a colour change and the disappearance of all the domains. During heating, the domains reappeared at −110°C and remained in a patchwork structure throughout the o...