cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new experimental paradigm to study children's processing of their parent's unscripted language input.

Abstract This paper introduces a new experimental paradigm for studying children’s real-time language processing of their parents’ unscripted speech. Focusing on children’s processing of referential expressions, or the phrases that parents used to label particular objects, we engaged dyads in a game in which parents labeled one of several objects displayed on a screen, and the child was to quickly identify it as their eye gaze was tracked. There were two conditions; one included a competitor object (e.g., the target was a striped umbrella and the display also included an umbrella with polka dots), while the other one did not (e.g., only one umbrella was present). The results revealed evidence of children’s incremental processing of their parents’ referential expressions. They also showed faster processing of postnominally-modified as compared to prenominally-modified referential expressions. Parents tended to produce postnominally-modified referential expressions in the more difficult experimental condition in which there was a competitor object, suggesting either that these expressions are also easier for them to produce, or that they accommodate their children by producing more easily processed expressions. We discuss the potential of this paradigm for advancing theories of the relationship between child-directed language input and children’s language processing.
The use of EMLA® cream to reduce and/or eliminate procedural pain in children

S ADVOCATES for children, health care proA fessionals are obligated to minimize the emotional and physical effects of these painful procedures. One way in which we can minimize these effects is with the use of EMLAB Cream (ASTRA USA, Inc, Westborough, MA). EMLA@ (Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics), a new product that has been found to be an effective means of decreasing some procedural pain in the majority of children. A fourth-phase efficacy trial of EMLA@ cream was conducted earlier this year which included 8,000 children at over 100 sites nationwide. EMLA@ cream was released for use nationally April 8, 1993. EMLA@ cream is a eutectic (i.e., easily melted or dissolved) mixture of 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine. When applied to normal intact skin under an occlusive dressing, EMLAB provides derma1 analgesia by releasing lidocaine and prilocaine from the cream into the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. This product is proven to be effective and safe for use in adults and in children 1 month of age and older. EMLA@ cream is supplied in a 5-g tube that contains enough cream to provide anesthesia for two application sites. It is recommended that two sites be prepared in case the first procedure is unsuccessful and a second site is needed. The cream is applied to intact skin in a “dollop” or mounded fashion directly from the tube. This allows for greater absorption of the lidocaine and prilocaine. The EMLAB cream is then covered with an occlu-
Influence of Hair Restorer on Cell Viability and Chromosomal Aberration of CHL Cell

Objective To evaluate the influence of two kinds of hair restorer on cell viability and chromosomal aberrations of Chinese hamster lung( CHL) cells. Methods Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay and chromosome damage was detected by in vitro mammalian cells chromosome aberration test in the presence and absence of the liver homogenate fraction( S9 mix). Results Cell viability treated with A Shampoo was 54. 9%when A shampoo at 0. 15625 u L / mL in the absence of S9 mix, while it was 52. 4% when A Shampoo at0. 3125 u L / mL in the presence of S9 mix. Cell viability treated with B ointment was over than 90% when B ointment at 5 mg / mL both in the presence and absence of S9 mix. Chromosomal aberration rate in A Shampoo treated group showed no statistical significance with H2 O negative control group with or without S9 mix( Without S9 mix: Pearson Chi- Square value = 0. 341,P = 0. 952,With S9 mix: Pearson Chi- Square value =0. 687,P = 0. 876). Chromosomal aberration rate in high- dosage B ointment treated group was significantlydifferent from solvent control group( without S9 mix:Pearson Chi- Square value = 16. 611,P = 0. 000,with S9 mix: Pearson Chi- Square value = 11. 971, P =0. 01; Repeat Test without S9 mix: Pearson Chi-Square value = 15. 457,P = 0. 000,with S9 mix: Pearson Chi- Square value = 15. 341,P = 0. 000). There were no significant differences in terms of chromosome aberration rate between low- dosage and middle- dosage B Ointment groups and solvent control group( without S9mix: Pearson Chi- Square value = 0. 000, P =1. 000,with S9 mix: Pearson Chi- Square value = 0. 687,P = 0. 709). Conclusion Under this condition,A shampoo shows no mutagenicity on CHL cell,while B ointment shows mutagenicity on chromosome aberration on CHL cells.
Reasearch on Driving and Braking Techniques of Large-Scale Downward Belt Conveyor

The downward belt conveyor is one of the underground-coal-mine transporting equipments with great development potential in the future. But because of its complex conditions, high technical difficulty and high requirement of operating security and reliability, the domestic research and development of downward belt conveyor have relatively fall behind. At first some of soft starting equipments are introduced. The four-quadrant frequency converter is deemed to the first option of the soft-driving equipments in downward belt conveyor. Then the braking mechanics modeling of the downward belt conveyor is created, and the new design formulas of the braking torque is given. Some of the stopping systems are introduced and compared. The controllable disc braking equipment is the best high-reliability stopping system in large-scale downward belt conveyor.
MODIFIED TWO-FACTOR FORECAST MODEL FOR URBAN BUILT-UP LAND

The characteristic and existing problems of two-factor forecast model which is analyzed.The grey correlation is introduced to analyze the effects of population and economy on urban built-up land.Based on the analysis,the modulus is confirmed,then the Engel coefficient is used to forecast the quantity per man of urban built-up land.
Hospital Ethics Committees: Will America's model work in Asia?

Hospital Ethics Committees (HECs), a well-established component of institutional healthcare in the United States (US), are beginning to take root in Asia. A major function of HECs is to provide ethics consultation in the clinical setting. Whereas the modus operandi for ethics consultation is reasonably uniform in the US, one should anticipate significant structural and functional deviations in Asia. For HECs to be effective in Asia, substantive and procedural modifications are necessary to accommodate fundamental cultural and attitudinal differences including differences within Asia itself.
Management of Bilateral Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient.

PURPOSE To describe the physical therapy management of a pediatric patient with bilateral lower extremity complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CASE DESCRIPTION The participant was a 13-year-old adolescent girl who was admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit with bilateral lower extremity CRPS-I. Examination included assessment of lower extremity active range of motion, transfers, mobility, and completion of the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM). Intervention consisted of gradual desensitization techniques, progressive weight bearing and mobility, functional transfer training, progressive strengthening, and cardiovascular exercises-all conducted using a modified pain exposure therapy approach. OUTCOME WeeFIM scores increased to modified independence or independent in all areas. DISCUSSION The severity of the patient's CRPS necessitated a progressive and function-based approach to physical therapy management. Motivation, a pain exposure-based approach, and a multidisciplinary team approach appeared to affect the participant's recovery of function and reintegration into school and leisure activities.
A meta-analysis of the neuropsychological effects of chemotherapy in the treatment of childhood cancer.

Background Long-term neuropsychological deficits associated with pediatric cancers and the related treatments have been consistently reported. Whole brain cranial radiation therapy (CRT) is associated with neurocognitive impairment. As a result, physicians are reticent to use CRT in favor of systemic or intrathecal chemotherapy, which have a less clear impact on cognition. Procedure The current meta-analysis examined post-treatment neuropsychological performance of children diagnosed with cancer and treated with chemotherapy to better understand the impact of chemotherapy upon cognition. Relevant test scores from 18 empirical studies were utilized and analyzed in comparison to normative data yielding 199 unique effect sizes across nine neurocognitive domains. Results Children diagnosed with cancer, who received chemotherapy, demonstrated deficits in attentional capacity (g = −0.277). These deficits are noted in the context of relatively unaffected performance in other domains. When examining potential moderators, those tested more than 5 years after completion of treatment demonstrated better attentional performance than those tested within 5 years of treatment completion. Conclusions These deficits in attentional capacity have implications related to the academic success of these children. Given the potential for remediation strategies within this domain, neuropsychological assessment can be an integral aspect of long-term care plans of survivors of childhood cancer.
Critical variables controlling cell proliferation in primary cultures of rat tracheal epithelial cells

The purpose of our experiments was to examine variables affecting early events in the establishment of rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cultures as well as factors regulating long-term RTE cell growth. The experiments showed that when RTE cells were seeded into complete serum-free medium between 13 and 30% of the seeded cells attached. Of the seeded cells, only ∼2% entered into DNA synthesis and underwent repeated cell divisions to form colonies containing >20 cells. Coating the dishes with extracellular matrix components had little effect on cell attachment or colony forming efficiency (CFE). However, coating the dishes with fetal bovine serum markedly increased CFE. The media components bovine serum albumin and bovine pituitary extract were shown to be important in promoting cell attachment as well as CFE. Cholera toxin on the other hand had no effect on cell attachment but significantly increased CFE. These and other studies showed that cell attachment and cell proliferation are independently regulated. Studies on long-term culture growth indicated that the number of progeny produced per colony forming unit (CFU) is inversely proportional to the number of CFUs seeded. Inasmuch as the cultures did not become confluent under any of the culture conditions tested and media obtained from high density cultures were shown to be growth inhibitory, these findings suggest that a diffusible growth restraining factor is being produced by the cultures limiting clonal expansion. Experiments showing growth inhibitory effects of media conditioned by high cell density cultures support this interpretation. The putative factor reaches critical concentrations earlier in cultures seeded with high numbers of CFU than in cultures seeded with low numbers of CFU. Because the cultures are known to produce transforming growth factor-beta, this growth regulator probably plays a role in controlling RTE cell proliferation. However, it is likely than other events, such as depletion of growth factors from the media, also are significant in regulating the growth of the cultures.
Rock magnetic chronostratigraphy of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion: Wonoka Formation, Australia

The Shuram carbon isotope excursion represents a late Precambrian perturbation to Earth’s carbon cycle. Several mechanisms have been proposed, including global ocean oxygenation, methane hydrate release, and diagenesis. The plurality of hypotheses in part stems from a lack of chronostratigraphic constraints that are needed to provide the boundary conditions for geochemical models. In this study we use magnetostratigraphy and astrochronology to establish a chronostratigraphic framework for the excursion. Paleomagnetic and isotopic results from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, and from Death Valley, California (USA), demonstrate that the nadir of the excursion is coincident with a correlative polarity transition at each locality, suggesting global synchroneity. Rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy yields an astrochronologic estimate of ∼8 m.y. for the excursion’s duration at both locations. Based on these observations, and the chronologic requirements of each proposed mechanism, we rule out diagenesis and methane hydrate release as sole causes for the excursion, and suggest reexamination of the ocean oxidation hypothesis.
Fatigability, oxygen uptake kinetics and muscle deoxygenation in incomplete spinal cord injury during treadmill walking.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize hypothesized relationships among fatigability and cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with chronic motor-incomplete SCI (iSCI) during treadmill walking. The theoretical framework was that exacerbated fatigability would occur concomitantly with diminished cardiorespiratory fitness in people with iSCI. Subjects with iSCI (n = 8) and an able-bodied reference group (REF) (n = 8) completed a 6-min walking bout followed by a walking bout of 30-min or until volitional exhaustion, both at a self-selected walking speed. Fatigability was assessed using both perceived fatigability and performance fatigability measures. Pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics (VO2 on-kinetics) was measured breath-by-breath and changes in deoxygenated hemoglobin/myoglobin concentration (∆[HHb]) of the lateral gastrocnemius was measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. Adjustment of VO2 and ∆[HHb] on-kinetics were modeled using a mono-exponential equation. Perceived fatigability and performance fatigability were 52% and 44% greater in the iSCI group compared to the REF group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004). Phase II time constant (τp) of VO2 on-kinetics and ∆[HHb] ½ time during resting arterial occlusion were 55.4% and 16.3% slower in iSCI vs REF (p < 0.01 and p = 0.047, respectively). The results of the present study may suggest that compromised O2 delivery and/or utilization may have contributed to the severity of fatigability in these individuals with iSCI. The understanding of the extent to which fatigability and VO2 and Δ[HHb] on-kinetics impacts locomotion after iSCI will assist in the future development of targeted interventions to enhance function.
Monitoring Progress in Toilet Training

Many training protocols have been developed to facilitate acquisition of continence skills. These range from structured, parent-directed protocols epitomized by the work of Foxx and Azrin to unstructured, child-guided protocols such as those of Brazelton, Schmitt, and Spock. Regardless of the protocol, measuring progress is an important element of any behavior change program, and acquisition of continence skills is no different. This chapter provides a review of methods and measures commonly used to evaluate the acquisition of continence skills in young children. Measuring toilet training progress entails more than counting voids in the toilet or episodes of wet pants. Measurement also encompasses recording the integrity with which a protocol is implemented as well as the reliability of the dependent measures. In turn, this requires an appropriate candidate for toilet training as well as having the necessary materials to initiate the protocol successfully. Therefore, while methods of direct observation and measures of toileting behavior will be a primary focus here, measures related to verifying the fidelity of methods, materials, and procedures necessary for the successful implementation of toilet training with integrity also are presented.
Radio tracking detects behavioral thermoregulation at a snail's pace

Abstract The dynamic ebb and flood of tides makes the marine intertidal zone a habitat with temperatures that fluctuate rapidly in both space and time. This is problematic for slow intertidal organisms that cannot move at the speed of tidal fluctuations. The timing of low tides determines which days organisms may experience extreme body temperatures, controlling microclimate to a greater degree than weather patterns. When low tides occur midday, temperatures can exceed critical thermal maxima for many species. Although high shore areas experience the greatest environmental extremes, they often harbor untapped food resources. The periodicity of low tide timing creates a predictable cycle that marine animals can use to obtain food in risky areas while minimizing exposure to thermal extremes. Here, we use a two-part approach to assess whether the snail, Nucella ostrina , uses the predictability of the tidal cycle to obtain food in risky areas while minimizing exposure to thermal extremes. Radio tracking detected the presence/absence of snails in high shore feeding areas continuously for 14 weeks and physical thermal models approximated snail body temperature in those high shore areas. Snails were absent when extreme low tides occurred at times of high solar irradiance (midday). Comparing the subset of physical model body temperatures foraging snails experienced to all available body temperatures in the high shore environment showed snails in foraging areas disproportionately at 9–12 °C and absent at body temperatures > 31 °C, suggesting that N. ostrina is not present when and where thermal risk is greatest. These patterns demonstrate that censusing only at low tide yields an adequate picture of foraging behavior of this species in its natural habitat, and that migratory foraging behavior effectively moderates snail experience of environmental temperature in nature and may buffer this species from aerial warming.
Adding smart opponents to a first-person shooter video game through, evolutionary design

We demonstrate how a first-person shooter (FPS) video game can be made more fun and challenging by replacing the hard-wired behavior of opponents with behaviors evolved via an evolutionary algorithm. Using the open-source FPS game Cube as a platform, we replaced the agents' (opponents) hard-wired behavior with binary "DNA" supporting a much richer variety of agent responses. Survival-of-the-fittest ensured that only those agents whose DNA allowed them to avoid being killed by the human player would continue on to the next "generation" (game). Mutating the DNA of the survivors provided enough variability in behavior to make the agent's actions unpredictable. Our demo will show how this approach produces an increasingly challenging level of play, more fine-tuned to the skills of an individual human player than the traditional approach using pre-programmed levels of difficulty or simply adding more opponents.
Breathe Deep: A Breath-Sensitive Interactive Meditation Coach

Mindfulness meditation has been demonstrated to be an effective approach for alleviating symptoms related to a variety of chronic health conditions, including pain, anxiety, and depression. Meditation takes practice and requires training, especially for novices, to learn mindfulness and emotion regulation. However, while face-to-face instructions can provide the best long-term results, many people cannot afford or schedule attendance at meditation classes. We present an automated conversational agent that acts as a virtual meditation coach that is interactive and adaptive to a user's breathing behavior, based on inputs from a respiration sensor in a meditation session. We designed and validated three interaction techniques based on the user's breathing. Results from two experimental studies demonstrate that users are highly receptive of the virtual coach technology, and appreciated the interactivity afforded by the respiration sensor. Participants also felt more relaxed when the meditation coach adapted the instructions to their breathing.
Development of a Brief Screen for Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Young Children: The Young Child PTSD Screen.

OBJECTIVE The ability to reliably detect posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that require treatment in young children through screening efforts is a critical step toward providing appropriate treatment. The developmental differences in this age group compared to older youths pose challenges for accurate detection. A brief age-appropriate screen has not yet been quantitatively validated. This study aimed to address that gap by creating a rapid and brief screen based on empirical data that focused on sensitivity and face validity for children aged 3 to 6 years. METHODS A trauma-exposed group (N = 284) and a non-trauma-exposed group (N = 46), aged 3 to 6 years, were assessed using a semistructured diagnostic interview with their primary caregivers. RESULTS One hundred twenty combinations of items were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, associations with functional impairment, and frequency of false positives. Many combinations of items performed well on these psychometrics, and the final selection of a 6-item screener was influenced by considerations of face validity so that the screen would best reflect the unique symptoms of PTSD. CONCLUSION The screener proposed is a promising tool that will benefit from additional research to examine its psychometric properties as a stand-alone PTSD screen. Future research ought to include test-retest reliability and replication of these findings in other samples and settings. Eventual uses of a brief screen for PTSD in young children include screening during primary care visits and large-scale screening efforts following disasters, for which cost and time need to be considered.
Liquidity Premium and the Substitution Between Money and Treasuries

This paper quantifies the substitution between money (bank deposits) and Treasuries. The estimation is significantly different from either zero or perfect substitution. Thus, fixing monetary policy, Treasury supply still affects the liquidity premium. Furthermore, the substitution increases over time. Regressions that miss the economic interactions between quantities and rates are inconclusive, while structural estimations provide superior statistical power. My estimation implies new channels of Treasury supply on the real economy and foreign exchange rates. Furthermore, it helps resolve the government debt valuation puzzle. I also discuss how my findings relate to Nagel (2016).
A universal rank-order transform to extract signals from noisy data

We introduce an ordinate method for noisy data analysis, based solely on rank information and thus insensitive to outliers. The method is nonparametric, objective, and the required data processing is parsimonious. Main ingredients are a rank-order data matrix and its transform to a stable form, which provide linear trends in excellent agreement with least squares regression, despite the loss of magnitude information. A group symmetry orthogonal decomposition of the 2D rank-order transform for iid (white) noise is further ordered by principal component analysis. This two-step procedure provides a noise "etalon" used to characterize arbitrary stationary stochastic processes. The method readily distinguishes both the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and chaos generated by the logistic map from white noise. Ranking within randomness differs fundamentally from that in deterministic chaos and signals, thus forming the basis for signal detection. To further illustrate the breadth of applications, we apply this ordinate method to the canonical nonlinear parameter estimation problem of two-species radioactive decay, outperforming special-purpose least square software. It is demonstrated that the method excels when extracting trends in heavy-tailed noise and, unlike the Thiele-Sen estimator, is not limited to linear regression. Lastly, a simple expression is given that yields a close approximation for signal extraction of an underlying generally nonlinear signal.
Reliability and Validity of Upper Extremity Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Assessing Traumatic Finger Amputation Management.

Background This study investigates the psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome instruments for assessing outcomes in postsurgical traumatic digit amputation patients. The authors hypothesize that the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire are the most valid and reliable instruments. Methods The authors studied traumatic digit amputation patients as part of the Finger Replantation and Amputation Challenges in Assessing Impairment, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness (FRANCHISE) study initiated by The Plastic Surgery Foundation. The MHQ, DASH questionnaire, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey were used to assess patients at least 1 year postoperatively. Internal consistency was measured by Cronbach's alpha and criterion validity with Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Construct validity was tested with four predefined hypotheses. Discriminant validity was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curves. Results One hundred sixty-eight replantation and 74 revision amputation patients met the inclusion criteria. All instruments demonstrated fair to good internal consistency in both cohorts (0.7 0.60) in both cohorts. The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey had moderate to weak correlation with the remaining instruments, and its mental component had poor discriminant validity (area under the curve, 0.64 to 0.67). The MHQ, DASH questionnaire, and PROMIS demonstrated good construct validity confirming 75 to 100 percent of predefined hypotheses, whereas the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey confirmed only 25 percent. Conclusions The authors recommend using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire or the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire when assessing patient-reported outcomes in digit amputation patients based on good internal consistency and validity. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System has fair validity and reliability but should be an adjunct instrument. The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey should not be used as a primary assessment tool, but as an adjunct to assess overall quality of life.
C–N Cross-coupling Reactions of Amines with Aryl Halides Using Amide-Based Pincer Nickel(II) Catalyst

An approach to C–N cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides with amines in the presence of an amide-based pincer nickel(II) catalyst (2) is described. For 3 h reactions at 110 °C with 0.2 mol% catalyst, aryl bromides gave higher turnover numbers (TON) than the corresponding chlorides or iodides. Both primary and secondary amines could be used with the former giving higher TON. However, sterically hindered amines showed lower TON. In elucidating the mechanism of this nickel complex-catalyzed C–N cross coupling reaction it was found that the rate of reaction was unchanged in the presence of radical quenchers and a plausible Ni(I)–Ni(III) pathway is proposed. Nickel pincer catalyst proved to be excellent catalyst for the C-N cross-coupling reaction with the high turnover number (TON) for 1° and 2° amines and different nonactivated aryl halides under optimum conditions.
Cardiac manifestations in a western moyamoya disease population: a single-center descriptive study and review

An embryological association between moyamoya disease (MMD) and cardiac manifestations has been proposed. Data up to this point remains anecdotal, and the prevalence of cardiac manifestations in a western MMD population is uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cardiac manifestations including coronary artery disease (CAD) and congenital cardiac defects in a mostly Caucasian population of MMD patients and review prior reports of such cases. Medical records of MMD patients who presented to our institution between 1990 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of various congenital cardiac malformations and concomitant CAD. The prevalence of congenital cardiac defects and CAD was determined. A literature search for prior cases of MMD with concomitant cardiac manifestations was performed. A total of 181 MMD patients were included in our analysis, 139 (76.8%) of whom were Caucasian. Ten patients had cardiac manifestations (5.5%). There were six total MMD patients with congenital cardiac defects (3.3%). All patients with congenital defects were diagnosed in childhood. The prevalence of congenital defects in MMD was slightly higher than the general population as reported previously (0.8–1.2%). Four MMD patients had CAD (2.2%). The mean age of patients with CAD was 41.0 years (SD = 12.3, range = 33–59) in our series and 33.1 years (SD = 15.0) in a review of prior reports. These mean ages of CAD are in contrast to the 7th and 8th decades of lifein the general population as indicated by prior studies. Our findings support an association between MMD and cardiac manifestations. Further investigation is warranted in order to further characterize this potential relationship and shed light on a possible cardio-cephalic neural crest syndrome.
Child Neurology: Triosephosphate isomerase deficiency.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disease of infancy and childhood classified as a glycolytic enzymopathy. Clinical features include hemolytic anemia, progressive neuromuscular dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to infection with specific pathogenic variants resulting in severe disease and death by age 8. Since initially described in 1965,1 fewer than 50 clinically affected patients have been described in the literature. We describe a 20-year-old patient with a severe pathogenic variant in the TPI gene who has outlived all reported cases, residing in a long-term care facility for most of her life with aggressive medical interventions.
Impacts of Larval Diet on Pre-imaginal Development, Survival and Adult Size of Six Species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera)

Laboratory reared predaceous lady beetles (Coccinellidae) have applications in many experiments, but can be challenging to rear optimally, especially since production of aphid prey can be time and space intensive. Alternatively, frozen Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs can be purchased and used to rear larvae. This study compared larval development, survival and adult size of six species of coccinellids on diets of Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and E. kuehniella eggs. Larvae reared from field-collected adults were assigned to either A. pisum or E. kuehniella egg diets and fed ad libitum until pupation. Both diets were sufficient for development and did not impact survival for the six species. Coccinella Septempunctata L. developed faster and produced larger adults when fed A. pisum. Harmonia axyridis Pallas, Hippodamia Convergens Guerin and Coleomegilla maculata De Geer performed slightly better on E. kuehniella eggs. Based on these results, E. kuehniella eggs would be a suitable larval diet for all of the species tested, except for Coc. septempunctata.
The Digital Patient and the Digital Neighborhood: Implications for Modeling and Simulation in Healthcare

Healthcare is the largest industry in the United States and in most of the developed world. This fact has not escaped recognition by the modeling and simulation community. During the past 15 years the number and variety of simulations and simulators have grown exponentially. That said, future growth will dwarf past growth. The development of human physiological models will expand to include foci ranging from the molecular to the community context. The accessibility to huge databases, the increasingly sophisticated use of machine learning and the compelling market incentives to develop healthcare applications that are both useable and useful. This keynote will explore the implications for modeling and simulation by describing two current healthcare modeling and simulation initiatives, the Digital Patient and the Digital Neighborhood, and identifying some of the central issues that must be addressed. Additionally, the implications for healthcare modeling and simulation that have arisen during the COVID pandemic will be discussed as well as the importance of novelty in planning and executing healthcare simulations.
Impacts of The Wetland Sedge Carex aquatilis on Microbial Community and Methane Metabolisms

Microbial activity in the soil of wetlands is responsible for the emission of more methane to the atmosphere than all other natural sources combined. This microbial activity is heavily impacted by plant roots, which influence the microbial community by exuding organic compounds and by leaking oxygen into an otherwise anoxic environment. This study compared the microbial communities of planted and unplanted wetland soil from an Alaskan bog to elucidate how plant growth influences populations and metabolisms of methanogens and methanotrophs. A common boreal wetland sedge, Carex aquatilis, was grown in the laboratory and DNA samples were sequenced from the rhizosphere, unplanted bulk soil, and a simulated rhizosphere with oxygen input but no organic carbon. The abundance of both methanogens and methanotrophs were positively correlated with methane emissions. Among the methanotrophs, both aerobic and anaerobic methane oxidizing microbes were more common in the rhizosphere of mature plants than in unplanted soil, while facultative methanotrophs capable of utilizing either methane or other molecules became relatively less common. These trends indicate that the roots in this experiment created an environment which favored highly specialized microbial metabolisms over generalist approaches. One aspect of this specialized microbiome is the presence of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms, which indicates that oxygen is present but is a limiting resource controlling competition.
Induction of somatopause in adult mice compromises bone morphology and exacerbates bone loss during aging.

Somatopause refers to the gradual declines in growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 throughout aging. To define how induced somatopause affects skeletal integrity, we used an inducible GH receptor knockout (iGHRKO) mouse model. Somatopause, induced globally at 6 months of age, resulted in significantly more slender bones in both male and female iGHRKO mice. In males, induced somatopause was associated with progressive expansion of the marrow cavity leading to significant thinning of the cortices, which compromised bone strength. We report progressive declines in osteocyte lacunar number, and increases in lacunar volume, in iGHRKO males, and reductions in lacunar number accompanied by ~20% loss of overall canalicular connectivity in iGHRKO females by 30 months of age. Induced somatopause did not affect mineral/matrix ratio assessed by Raman microspectroscopy. We f ound significant increases in bone marrow adiposity and high levels of sclerostin, a negative regulator of bone formation in iGHRKO mice. Surprisingly, however, despite compromised bone morphology, osteocyte senescence was reduced in the iGHRKO mice. In this study, we avoided the confounded effects of constitutive deficiency in the GH/IGF-1 axis on the skeleton during growth, and specifically dissected its effects on the aging skeleton. We show here, for the first time, that induced somatopause compromises bone morphology and the bone marrow environment.
The effects of dexamethasone and prednisolone on pituitary and ovarian function in the mare

Summary Reasons for performing study: Persistent mating induced endometritis is among the most common causes of infertility in the mare. Recently, improved pregnancy rates have been reported when corticosteroids were administered to ‘problem mares’ specifically, to modulate the post mating inflammatory response; however, the effect of treatment on pituitary and ovarian function requires further study. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of prolonged treatment with glucocorticoids on pituitary and ovarian function. Methods: Eighteen cycling Quarter Horse mares in early oestrus were assigned randomly to one of 3 treatment groups: dexamethasone 0.05 mg/kg bwt i.v. twice a day, prednisolone 0.5 mg/kg per os twice a day, or placebo for 5 days. Mares were examined by ultrasound daily to evaluate reproductive function. Blood samples were collected daily to measure luteinising hormone (LH), progesterone and cortisol levels. Results: Dexamethasone treatment caused greater (P<0.05) suppression of endogenous cortisol concentration (9.4 ± 1.1 ng/ml) compared to prednisolone- (41.9 ± 4.0 ng/ml) or placebo-treated mares (32.4 ± 3.8 ng/ml). After 24 h, mares treated with dexamethasone exhibited lower uterine oedema scores than prednisolone- or placebo-treated mares. An ovulation rate of 40% was observed in dexamethasone-treated mares (2/5) compared to 83% for prednisolone (5/6) and 100% for placebo-treated (6/6) mares. An absence of a LH surge was noted in 3 of 5 dexamethasone-treated mares and one of 6 prednisolone-treated mares. Conclusions: Repeated administration of dexamethasone to mares in oestrus is associated with decreased uterine oedema, suppression of LH and a high rate of ovulation failure. It is recommended that dexamethasone treatment is limited to only 1 or 2 days and that a lower dose is considered in the management of persistent mating induced endometritis to avoid potential adverse affects on reproductive function.
Kinetics of crystal‐melt reaction in partially molten silicates: 1. Grain scale processes

[1] When major elements in a partial melt and its host crystalline matrix are out of chemical equilibrium and at a constant temperature and pressure, dissolution or precipitation takes place. The kinetics of crystal-melt reequilibration in a mono-mineralic and partially molten silicate was examined using a combined numerical, theoretical, and experimental approach. The salient feature of crystal-melt reaction in a partially molten system is dissolution and reprecipitation. There are at least two regimes of crystal-melt reequilibration in a two-phase aggregate: diffusion-in-melt-limited dissolution (referred to as Regime I dissolution) and diffusion-in-solid-limited reprecipitation (designated as Regime II dissolution). Regime I dissolution follows the series rule and is rate-limited by the slowest diffusing component in the melt. It always over dissolves when extensive solid solution exists in the crystal. This over-dissolution is compensated by diffusion-in-solid-limited reprecipitation at a later time when the magnitude of the diffusive flux in the melt is smaller than that in the crystal. The rate of Regime II dissolution can be described by a parallel rule and is dominated by the component that has the largest diffusive flux in the solid. The dissolved mineral composition is practically identical to the initial crystal composition during Regime I dissolution when the diffusion rate in the melt is more than three orders of magnitude faster than the diffusion rate in the crystal. Local averaged melt composition is on and moves along the liquidus of the dissolving crystal during Regime II dissolution. The final equilibrium crystal and melt compositions and crystal-melt proportion are identical to the values predicted by the lever rule. Another important feature of the kinetics of crystal-melt reaction in a multicomponent system is the variations of crystal and melt compositions at their interface as a function of dissolution time even under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium at their interface. Variations of interface melt composition during crystal melting or dissolution have sometimes been attributed to interface disequilibrium. The validity of such conclusions needs to be reexamined. Diffusive fractionation in a multicomponent crystal-melt mixture gives rise to nonlinear concentration paths in composition space. Such nonlinear mixing process cannot be fully resolved by simple mass balance calculations. Given that solid solutions are common among many rock-forming minerals, and diffusion rates of major and minor constituents in these minerals can differ by orders of magnitude, dissolution and reprecipitation are likely to play an important role in crystal-melt interaction under upper mantle and lower crust conditions.
Coupling of surface energy with electric potential makes superhydrophobic surfaces corrosion-resistant

We study the correlation of wetting properties and corrosion rates on hydrophobized cast iron. Samples of different surface roughnesses (abraded by sandpaper) are studied without coating and with two types of hydrophobic coatings (stearic acid and a liquid repelling spray). The contact angles and contact angle hysteresis are measured using a goniometer while corrosion rates are measured by a potentiodynamic polarization test. The data show a decrease in corrosion current density and an increase in corrosion potential after superhydrophobization. A similar trend is also found in the recent literature data. We conclude that a decrease in the corrosion rate can be attributed to the changing open circuit potential of a coated surface and increased surface area making the non-homogeneous (Cassie-Baxter) state possible. We interpret these results in light of the idea that the inherent surface energy is coupled with the electric potential in accordance with the Lippmann law of electrowetting and Le Châtelier's principle and, therefore, hydrophobization leads to a decrease in the corrosion potential. This approach can be used for novel anti-corrosive coatings.
Student Perceptions Of Instructor Classroom Management Practices

This paper summarizes the results from a study that was conducted of students at a midsized Midwestern doctoral-granting liberal arts university. Students were asked whether a hypothetical professor’s behavior in 42 described classroom scenarios was always, often, sometimes, rarely, or never appropriate. The purpose of the study is to provide guidance to professors in setting their own policies and procedures in managing their classes.
Panayiotopoulos Syndrome vs. GERDs

Investigators at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, describe 12 children with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) misdiagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Utility of Mitochondrial DNA Barcodes in Species Conservation

Molecular tools are a standard part of many conservation studies and can be informative at many different levels of analysis, although there are inherent limitations and strengths of different genes or parts of genes to inform specific questions. Animal DNA barcodes, 600- to 800-base-pair segments of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I, have been proposed as a means to quantify global biodiversity. Although mitochondrial (mt) DNA has a long history of use at the species level, recent analyses suggest that the use of a single gene, particularly mitochondrial, is unlikely to yield data that are balanced, universally acceptable, or sufficient in taxonomic scope to recognize many species lineages. Mitochondrial and nuclear genomes have different patterns of evolution and modes of inheritance, which can result in very different assessments of biodiversity. The ramifications of choosing a particular definition of species (species concept) need to be carefully considered because current efforts have designated DNA barcodes as the universal species concept without demonstrating its superiority over preexisting concepts. The results of such a barcoding paradigm may include a failure to recognize significant portions of biodiversity or nuclear/mitochondrial mixed lineages and could spuriously focus conservation resources on populations with relatively minor mtDNA divergence. DNA barcodes are most likely to provide potentially useful information for groups that are already well studied, and such taxa do not constitute the majority of biodiversity or those in most need of research attention. DNA barcode-length sequences are an important source of data but, when used alone or out of context, may offer only a fraction of the information needed to characterize species while taking resources from broader studies that could produce information essential to robust and informed conservation decisions.
Optimized extraction of 2‐arachidonyl glycerol and anandamide from aortic tissue and plasma for quantification by LC‐MS/MS

Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by plaque formation due to an accumulation of fat, cholesterol, and immune cells in the walls of arteries. If a plaque ruptures, an occlusive thrombosis may form that causes either a heart attack or stroke. Macrophages express CB-2 receptors, and are one type of immune cell that plays a role in plaque destabilization and rupture. Endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) have been found to have activity on CB-1 and CB-2 receptors throughout the body and immune system. In this study, we investigated several sample preparation options for the LC-MS quantification of AEA and 2-AG from plasma and aortic tissue. The extractions considered included liquid-liquid (LLE), solid-phase (SPE), and supported liquid (SLE). Some extraction protocols yielded high analyte recovery and prevention of 1-AG/2-AG isomerization. Our results indicate that a liquid-liquid extraction using toluene yields the highest recovery for both analytes, coupled with low ionization suppression in the mass spectrometer. This extraction and corresponding LC-MS/MS assay provides a simple, high throughput mechanism for the quantification of 2-AG and AEA in matrices relevant to the study of endocannabinoids' role in atherosclerosis.
Vacuolar H+‐ATPases: Structure, Mechanism and Regulation

Originally published in: Handbook of ATPases. Edited by Masamitsu Futai, Yoh Wada and Jack H. Kaplan. Copyright © 2004 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA Weinheim. Print ISBN: 3-527-30689-3 The sections in this article are Introduction Function of V-ATPases Overall Structure of V-ATPases and Relationship to F-ATPases Structure and Function of the Nucleotide-binding Subunits Structure and Function of other V1 Subunits and Arrangement of Subunits in the V-ATPase Complex Structure and Function of V0 Subunits Mechanism of ATP-dependent Proton Transport Regulation of V-ATPase Activity In Vivo Conclusions Acknowledgments Keywords: ATPases; V-type ATPases; yeast and coated vesicle V-ATPase; structure; mechanism; regulation; function of V-ATPases; relationship to F-ATPases; nucleotide-binding subunits; structure and function; V0 subunits; mechanism of ATP-dependent proton transport