cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges in evaluating next-generation sequence data for clinical decisions

The views expressed in this article are tho organizations, institutions, government agen * Corresponding author: Janet K. Williams, 50 E-mail address: janet-williams@uiowa.ed 0029-6554/$ see front matter 2015 Elsevi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2014.08.00 Although genome sequencing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to provide answers to clinical diagnosis and treatment questions (Atwal et al., 2014), there is limited evidence for many of these tests to guide clinical use. Genetic testing using NGS can yield a large amount of information, only some of which may be informative in answering the question for which the test was ordered and in some cases creates uncertainty and increased complexity of clinical care (Feero, 2014). These tests can be expensive, and the lack of evidence may influence whether thirdparty payers will cover the test cost. Regardless, genome sequencing using NGS (either whole genome sequencing [WGS] or whole exome sequencing [WES]) is beginning to be used clinically to identify causative variants in patients in whom several gene variants may result in similar clinical diseases. It is also used to
Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy.

This chapter suggests that delinquency conceals two distinct categories of individuals, each with a unique natural history and etiology: A small group engages in antisocial behavior of one sort or another at every life stage, whereas a larger group is antisocial only during adolescence. According to the theory of life-course-persistent antisocial behavior, children's neuropsychological problems interact cumulatively with their criminogenic environments across development, culminating m a pathological personality. According to the theory of adolescence-limited antisocial behavior, a contemporary maturity gap encourages teens to mimic antisocial behavior in ways that are normative and adjustive. There are marked individual differences in the stability of antisocial behavior. The chapter reviews the mysterious relationship between age and antisocial behavior. Some youths who refrain from antisocial behavior may, for some reason, not sense the maturity gap and therefore lack the hypothesized motivation for experimenting with crime.
Endothelial dysfunction augments myogenic arteriolar constriction in hypertension.

To elucidate the underlying reason or reasons for the increased peripheral resistance in hypertension, we investigated the pressure-diameter relation--the myogenic response--of isolated, cannulated arterioles (approximately 50 microns) of cremaster muscle of 12-week-old Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and normal Wistar (NW) rats. All arterioles constricted in response to step increases in perfusion pressure from 20 to 160 mm Hg. This constriction was, however, significantly enhanced from 60 to 160 mm Hg in arterioles of SHR compared with NW or WKY rats. For example, at 80 and 140 mm Hg, respectively, the normalized diameter (expressed as a percentage of the corresponding passive diameter of arterioles of SHR) was 11.8% and 27.6% (P < .05) less compared with those of WKY rats. Endothelium removal eliminated the enhanced pressure-induced tone in SHR. Similarly, indomethacin (10(-5) mol/L, sufficient to block prostaglandin synthesis) or SQ 29,548 (10(-6) mol/L), a thromboxane A2-prostaglandin H2 receptor blocker that inhibited vasoconstriction to the thromboxane agonist U46619, attenuated the enhanced pressure-diameter curve and reversed the blunted dilation to arachidonic acid in SHR. In contrast, the thromboxane A2 synthesis inhibitor CGS 13,080 (5 x 10(-6) mol/L) did not affect the increased pressure-induced tone or the reduced dilation to arachidonic acid in SHR. Thus, the present findings suggest that in early hypertension pressure-induced arteriolar constriction is increased. This seems to be due to an enhanced production of endothelium-derived constrictor factors, primarily prostaglandin H2.
Automatic fault monitoring using acoustic emissions

Techniques for automatic monitoring of faults in machinery are being considered as a means to safely simplify or dispense with expensive periodic fault inspection procedures. This paper presents results from an ongoing investigation into the feasibility of using acoustic emissions (AEs) for automatic detection of microcrack formation/growth in machine components.
The Symbol Digit Modalities Test is an Effective Cognitive Screen in Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (P2.234)

OBJECTIVE: To screen for cognitive impairment using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) in patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: The SDMT is a measure of cognitive processing speed that is sensitive to the detection of cognitive impairment in adults with MS and correlates with clinical disease markers. Pediatric onset MS represents an uncommon MS subgroup, defined as those diagnosed under the age of 18 years. Approximately one-third of children and adolescents with MS have some degree of cognitive impairment. The SDMT may be an effective screen. DESIGN/METHODS: Seventy (70) consecutively-recruited outpatients diagnosed with pediatric onset MS were compared to a group diagnosed with another pediatric neurological disorder from the same center (OND, n=51), and to local community healthy controls, (HC, n=33). Participants ranged in age from 8 to 23 years. The SDMT was administered at the time of clinical evaluation. Using published age- and gender-normative data, SDMT scores were transformed to z-scores for analyses. RESULTS: The pediatric MS participants performed worse on the SDMT when compared to the OND (p=0.05) and HC groups (p=0.01). The OND and HC groups did not significantly differ (p=0.37). Percent of participants with impaired performance (one standard deviation below the published normative mean) was 39% for the MS group, 22% in the OND group, and 9% in the HC group. This finding is consistent with rates of cognitive impairment reported from studies using neuropsychological testing batteries. For the MS group, SDMT performance significantly correlated with age (p=0.002) and Expanded Disability Status Scale score (p<0.001). Optical coherence measures were not significantly related to SDMT performance, but among those with MS, history of optic neuritis correlated with higher SDMT scores (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The SDMT is an effective screen for cognitive impairment in patients with pediatric onset MS. Older patients and those with more neurological disability had worse performances. Study Supported by: The Lourie Foundation, Inc., NMSS (10020073405), NIH R01N5071463, the Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neurosciences, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Betaseron/Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Guidepoint Consultants, and Novartis. Dr. Krupp has received royalty payments from Genzyme Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Biogen Idec, and Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Krupp has received research support from EMD Serono and Biogen Idec. Dr. Charvet has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a consultant. Dr. Charvet holds stock and/or stock options in Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Cleary has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bartolotta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Koznesoff has nothing to disclose. Dr. Beekman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Belman has nothing to disclose.
Demystifying the secret mission of enhancers: linking distal regulatory elements to target genes

Enhancers are short regulatory sequences bound by sequence-specific transcription factors and play a major role in the spatiotemporal specificity of gene expression patterns in development and disease. While it is now possible to identify enhancer regions genomewide in both cultured cells and primary tissues using epigenomic approaches, it has been more challenging to develop methods to understand the function of individual enhancers because enhancers are located far from the gene(s) that they regulate. However, it is essential to identify target genes of enhancers not only so that we can understand the role of enhancers in disease but also because this information will assist in the development of future therapeutic options. After reviewing models of enhancer function, we discuss recent methods for identifying target genes of enhancers. First, we describe chromatin structure-based approaches for directly mapping interactions between enhancers and promoters. Second, we describe the use of correlation-based approaches to link enhancer state with the activity of nearby promoters and/or gene expression. Third, we describe how to test the function of specific enhancers experimentally by perturbing enhancer-target relationships using high-throughput reporter assays and genome editing. Finally, we conclude by discussing as yet unanswered questions concerning how enhancers function, how target genes can be identified, and how to distinguish direct from indirect changes in gene expression mediated by individual enhancers.
Biaryl Reductive Elimination Is Dramatically Accelerated by Remote Lewis Acid Binding to a 2,2′-Bipyrimidyl–Platinum Complex: Evidence for a Bidentate Ligand Dissociation Mechanism

The silicon and zinc Lewis acids Si(cat)2 (cat = catecholato), Si(catF)2 (catF = tetrafluorocatecholato), and Zn(C6F5)2 bind to the remote ligand site of a 2,2′-bipyrimidyl–platinum diaryl complex. This platinum complex provides a platform to systematically evaluate electronic and reactivity differences triggered by Lewis acid binding. The electron density of the bipyrimidine ligand is substantially depleted upon Lewis acid binding, as evidenced by UV–vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Biaryl reductive elimination studies allowed quantification of the effect of Lewis acid binding on reactivity, and Lewis acid binding accelerated reductive elimination rates by up to 8 orders of magnitude. Kinetics experiments in combination with DFT studies support an unusual mechanism featuring complete dissociation of the Lewis acid-coordinated bidentate bipyrimidine ligand prior to reductive elimination.
Debate: The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia

Discussion by three scholars of Southeast Asia of the findings and significance of the latest book from one of the foremost scholars of the region, James C. Scott.
Preferential Interactions between Lithium Chloride and Glucan Chains in N,N-Dimethylacetamide Drive Cellulose Dissolution

Naturally occurring cellulose is crystalline as a consequence of the strong interactions between the glucan chains that comprise it and therefore is insoluble in most solvents. One of the few solvent systems able to dissolve cellulose is lithium chloride (LiCl) dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA). By an integrated application of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, reaction path optimization, free-energy calculations, and a force-matching analysis of coarse-grained atomistic simulations, we establish that DMA-mediated preferential interactions of Li+ cations and Cl– anions with glucan chains enable cellulose dissolution in LiCl/DMA. The relatively weak solvation of Li+, Cl–, and glucan chains by DMA results in strong effective interactions of Li+ and Cl– ions with the glucans, leading to cellulose dissolution. The small size of the Li+ cations allows them to strongly couple to multiple interaction sites on the glucan chains of cellulose, including the spatially restricted regions around the ...
Placing Chinese Morphemes in a Coordinate System: Reflecting on the Scientific Nature of Linguistic Theorization

Chinese resultative words offer evidence that derivational morphology is not always a meaningful concept for languages, and that a coordinate system measuring the degrees of shift in semantic content, phonological content and boundness can more accurately handle the facts of word formation and reflect a language’s unique historical heritage. This approach raises issues with the methodology of the Principles-and-Parameters model of language, which is critically examined in the second half of the paper.
Incremental exposure facilitates adaptation to sensory rearrangement

Visual-target pointing experiments were performed on 24 adult volunteers in order to compare the relative effectiveness of incremental (stepwise) and single-step exposure conditions on adaptation to visual rearrangement. The differences between the preexposure and postexposure scores served as an index of the adaptation elicited during the exposure period. It is found that both single-step and stepwise exposure to visual rearrangement elicit compensatory changes in sensorimotor coordination. However, stepwise exposure, when compared to single-step exposur in terms of the average magnitude of visual displacement over the exposure period, clearly enhances the rate of adaptation. It seems possible that the enhancement of adaptation to unusual patterns of sensory stimulation produced by incremental exposure reflects a general principle of sensorimotor function.
Surgical Management of Kyphosis in Meningomyelocele

Spinal deformities, particularly scoliosis and kyphosis, are frequently encountered in patients with myelomeningocele. Rigid lumbar and thoracolumbar kyphosis presents serious functional impediments with regard to sitting balance, and the use of upper extremities other than for balance can lead to chronic skin breakdown over the gibbus deformity. Many patients are unable to lie supine because of the severe deformity, and bracing has not been shown to change the natural history of the kyphosis. Surgery is the only proven method to improve the sagittal spine alignment leading to improvements in posture, sitting balance, as well as ability of the caretaker to provide care for the patient. Several types of kyphectomies have been shown to have excellent results with regard to the sagittal plane correction. Vertebral column resections with multiple different options for instrumentation have been studied extensively. Decancellation vertebrectomies, also known as pedicle subtraction osteotomies or eggshell procedures, have also been demonstrated to achieve adequate kyphosis correction and are a viable option as well. Although these procedures are effective in achieving preoperative goals, it must be noted that there is a high incidence of perioperative complications that the surgeon and family must also be aware of. This chapter will discuss the background of the deformity, the perioperative issues revolving around the treatment, the surgical details including different strategies, a result reviews from the past, as well as the most common complications seen during kyphectomy in myelomeningocele patients.
Broadband femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy for a CVD Mo S 2 monolayer

Carrier dynamics in monolayer $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ have been investigated using broadband femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (FTAS). A tunable pump pulse was used while a broadband probe pulse revealed ground and excited state carrier dynamics. Interestingly, for pump wavelengths both resonant and nonresonant with the A and B excitons, we observe a broad ground state bleach around 2.9 eV, with decay components similar to A and B. Associating this bleach with the band nesting region between $K$ and \ensuremath{\Gamma} in the band structure indicates significant k-space delocalization and overlap among excitonic wave functions identified as A, B, C, and D. Comparison of time dynamics for all features in resonance and nonresonance excitation is consistent with this finding.
L: How Long Do They Last?

The Drake equation, a commonly-used starting point for discussions about the likelihood of finding extraterrestrial intelligence, is now nearly a halfcentury old. It dates from 1961, a year after Frank Drake made his pioneering radio search for artificial signals from other worlds. That search, dubbed Project Ozma, was a 200-hour scrutiny of two nearby, Sun-like stars for transmissions spectrally situated near the 1420 MHz line of neutral hydrogen, and was conducted with an 85-foot antenna at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia (Drake, 1960; Kellermann and Seielstad, 1986). These efforts to find easy evidence of intelligence in other star systems provoked considerable public interest, including a major article in Saturday Review (Lear, 1960).
Princess of Wales? Mary Tudor and the History of English Heirs to the Throne

For the first 37 years of her life, the future Queen Mary I of England negotiated a sometimes precarious and often tortuous march to the throne. Born February 18, 1516, in Greenwich Palace, the only surviving issue of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, she was the first woman to hold such a position since the twelfth-century Empress Matilda’s failed attempt to become England’s first female ruler.
Romanticism and Animal Rights: Savage amusements of the poor: John Clare's badger sonnets

Among the “sports” and diversions of Romantic England were gladiatorial battles between animals. While intellectuals and poets urged their ethos of loving communion with nature, a more numerous sociological group hugely enjoyed cockfights, dogfights, and the baiting of bulls and badgers. Occasionally bears, lions, leopards, apes, otters, polecats, foxes, or donkeys were used, though these victims were less common by 1800 than they had been earlier. These events were completely legal. They might be officially sponsored by town or city governments or carried on spontaneously in backyards and village streets. A London advertisement of 1729 and 1730 indicates what a grand entertainment might then have offered: “A mad bull to be dressed up with fireworks and turned loose in the game place, a dog to be dressed up with fireworks over him, a bear to be let loose at the same time, and a cat to be tied to the bull's tail, a mad bull dressed up with fireworks to be baited.” Just what went on in bullbaiting can be read in Thomas Day's History of Sandford and Merton . The boys see in the distance “a prodigious crowd of people, all moving forward in the same direction.” This attracted their curiosity, and, on inquiry, they found that a bull-baiting was on the point of taking place … A bull of the largest size and greatest beauty was led across the plain, adorned with ribands of various colors … he was fastened to an iron ring, which had been strongly let into the ground … An innumerable crowd of men, of women, of children, then surrounded the place … Presently, a dog of the largest size and most ferocious courage was let loose; who, as soon as he beheld the bull, uttered a savage yell, and rushed upon him … just as the dog was springing up to seize him, [the bull] rushed forward to meet his foe, and, putting his head to the ground, canted him into the air several yards … The same fate attended another, and another dog, which were let loose successively; the one was killed upon the spot, while the other, who had a leg broken in the fall, crawled howling and limping away … [then] three fierce dogs rushed upon the bull at once, and by their joint attacks rendered him almost mad … he roared with pain and fury … He hurried around the stake with incessant toil and rage, first aiming at one, then at another, of the persecuting dogs, that harassed him on every side, growling and baying incessantly, and biting him in every part.
Differences in Microsatellite Instability Profiles between Endometrioid and Colorectal Cancers: A Potential Cause for False-Negative Results?

Colorectal (CRCs) and endometrioid (EMCs) cancers in patients with Lynch syndrome exhibit microsatellite instability (MSI) detected by PCR or immunohistochemistry (IHC). While both assays are equally sensitive for CRCs, some suggest that PCR has a higher false-negative rate than IHC in EMCs. We assessed the MSI profiles of 91 EMC and 311 CRC specimens using five mononucleotide repeat markers: BAT25, BAT26, NR21, NR24, and MONO27. EMCs with high MSI (MSI-H) showed a mean left shift of 3 nucleotides (nt), which was significantly different from 6 nt in CRCs. A shift of 1 nt was observed in multiple markers in 76% of MSI-H EMCs, whereas only 12% of MSI-H CRCs displayed a 1-nt shift in one of five markers. IHC against four mismatch repair proteins was performed in 78 EMCs. Loss of staining in one or more proteins was detected in 18 of 19 tumors that were MSI-H by PCR. When EMC tumor cell burden was diluted to
Young, healthy South Asians have enhanced lipogenic sensitivity to dietary sugar

SummaryObjective South Asians have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease compared to most other racial/ethnic groups. Increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in response to dietary sugar may accelerate the development of these chronic diseases in this population. Study design Hepatic DNL in response to a calorically sweetened beverage was measured in an outpatient setting in 15 South Asians and 15 Caucasians with similar and normal body mass indexes, waist circumferences, glucose tolerance and lipid profiles. Blood was sampled before and hourly for 4 h after the ingestion of a single beverage made with glucose (1·5 g/kg) and fructose (1·5 g/kg). The main outcome, DNL, was measured as the increase in %palmitate (16:0) in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) over 4 h. Results After the sugar dose, the increase in %16:0 in VLDL TG was significantly greater in South Asians vs Caucasians (P = 0·01). VLDL and total TG also increased to a significantly greater extent in South Asians (P = 0·04 and <0·001, respectively). Although the fasting and postsugar levels of insulin and glucose did not differ between groups, the DNL response significantly correlated with the insulin response to sugar in South Asians (r = 0·56, P = 0·03). Conclusions Hepatic DNL in response to a sugar challenge was greater in healthy, young South Asians compared to Caucasians despite normal indices of insulin sensitivity, and it correlated with the insulin response. These findings suggest an early, insulin-related, gene–nutrient interaction contributing to the high prevalence of diabetes and coronary disease in this population.
Surface Cooling of a Pool Fire by Aqueous Foams

ABSTRACTWe model an idealized case of heat transfer relevant for foams used to suppress pool fires wherein an ambient-temperature firefighting foam is placed uniformly and instantaneously on top of a hot fuel pool with a boiling point slightly lower than that of water. We performed experiments using n-heptane fuel and both commercial fluorinated (AFFF) and non-fluorinated (RF6) foams. The measurements show rapid (<10 s) and significant (25°C) cooling of the fuel close to the foam-fuel interface in good agreement with the model predictions. The model also shows that a 60-µm-thick static, aqueous film formed between the foam and fuel surface has a negligible effect on interfacial cooling. Therefore, in addition to forming a fuel-transport barrier to the fire, the foam layer rapidly cools the surface by heat conduction and suppresses fuel evaporation, which suppresses the pool fire.
Egyptian Children’s Use of Technology: A Phenomenological Study

ABSTRACTAlthough the use of technology can be very important for children younger than age 12 years, not all countries possess the financial resources to make digital resources widely available to students. Children can also use technology inappropriately. This study explores the consequences of exposure to different forms of technology on children. It focuses on how resources such as desktop, laptop, and handheld computers can enhance learning but also distract students by providing them access to games and content not appropriate for young students, such as pornography. It also explores the power technology has to addict young children to electronic stimulation. The study specifically considers the Egyptian education system, technology growth in Egypt, and the impact of technology on schooling for young children. The focus on technology use in Egyptian homes and schools includes a discussion of previous research and findings of interviews about technology use by children younger than age 12 years.
Discontinuous drainage systems formed by highland precipitation and ground-water outflow in the Navua Valles and southwest Hadriacus Mons regions, Mars

Abstract The Navua Valles are systems of paleodrainages located north of Dao Vallis, which empty into Hellas Planitia, the largest impact basin on Mars. In this study, we mapped and characterized the Navua Valles Region's individual drainage systems, including drainages along the southwestern flank of Hadriacus Mons, and one valley network from the same source as Navua Valles but flowing in the opposite direction. The major drainage systems share morphological characteristics common to both outflow channels and valley networks. The slopes in this region are dissected by two major Navua drainage systems (here Navua A* and B*) and several shorter, sub-parallel valleys formed on the highest gradient (approximately 20 m/km [1.15°]) slopes, at the lowest part of Hellas Basin's rim. The two major drainage systems originate in the highlands, and empty into the basin. Our mapping suggests that water in Navua Valles reached the basin floor in a complicated descent and included several episodes of surface ponding, surface runoff, infiltration, subsurface flow and subsequent outflow. The most prominent channel system, Navua A, forms a repetitive sequence of deep incision into bedrock, followed by a transition into broad channels in erodible materials, and then into unconfined deposits. This successive erosion–transport–deposition sequence continues to repeat along the valley's entire length forming a discontinuous pattern that is consistent with classical fluvial process models. The channels cut into volcanic plains likely emplaced from the formation of Tyrrhenus and Hadriacus Montes. The dendritic source valleys of Navua A originate from the rim of a highland crater while the rest of this subsystem consists of a single, discontinuous channel which is consistent with a single water source zone that likely supplied water for all channels downslope. These drainages may have formed as discontinuous channels, revealing the potential existence of subsurface drainage pathways located within an approximately 1.5 × 10 5 km 2 area. Water transported underground emerged in segments that are either isolated or aligned downslope from each other. We have identified several causes of discontinuities, located the zones of potential ground-water discharge and recharge, and a site of localized precipitation at the headwaters of Navua A.
Experiences and lessons from China’s success in providing electricity for all

Abstract In 2015 China provided access to electricity to its entire population—the first of the large emerging and developing countries to achieve that landmark goal that most advanced industrialized countries met decades earlier. We found some key experiences and lessons to be learned from China’s successful program to provide electricity for all. Substantial funding from the central government, delivered by mechanisms sensitive to local provincial needs, were essential to success. Also vital was use of off-grid solar home systems for the most remote users for whom grid connection would be quite costly.
In Vivo Measurement of Glycine Receptor Turnover and Synaptic Size Reveals Differences between Functional Classes of Motoneurons in Zebrafish.

The interplay between binding and unbinding of synaptic receptor proteins at synapses plays an important role in determining receptor concentration and synaptic strength, with known links between changes in binding kinetics and synaptic plasticity. The regulation of such kinetics may subserve the specific functional requirements of neurons in intact circuits. However, the majority of studies of synaptic turnover kinetics have been performed in cultured neurons outside the context of normal circuits, and synaptic receptor turnover has not been measured at individual synaptic sites in vivo. We quantified the distribution of glycinergic receptor dynamics using fluorescence recovery after photoconversion of synapses in intact zebrafish and correlated recovery kinetics to synaptic volume in two functionally distinct classes of cells: primary and secondary motoneurons. The rate of fluorescence recovery after photoconversion decreased with synaptic volume in both types of motoneurons, with larger synapses having slower recovery. Primary motoneurons had both larger synapses and associated slower recovery times than secondary motoneurons. Our results suggest that synaptic kinetics are regulated in concert with synaptic sizes and reflect the functional role played by neurons within their circuit.
Use of Positive Pressure Ventilation in Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles: 29 Cases (2008–2014)

Abstract Between 2008 and 2014, mechanical positive pressure ventilation (PPV) was used to manage 48 critically ill, cold-stunned sea turtles during their first week of treatment. Twenty-nine turtles had complete records for analysis and no ventilator complications, including 21 Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), four loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), and four green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Indications for PPV included poor responsiveness, bradypnea or apnea, bradycardia, and respiratory acidosis. Twenty (68.9%) turtles were successfully extubated, seven (24.1%) turtles died naturally during PPV, and two (7.0%) turtles were euthanized during PPV. Of the 20 turtles that were extubated, 11 (55%) survived over 24 h after extubation and were considered successfully weaned from the ventilator, but only four (20%) turtles survived to eventual release. Throughout PPV, improvements in respiratory, cardiovascular, and clinicopathologic status were variable, likely related to the degree of illness at...
Up Against the Wall: Transition of the Students for a Democratic Society from Youth Protest Movement to Violence

The end of World War II changed the face of the world and American society in very profound ways. The United States grew from an isolationist country, economically downtrodden by the Great Depression, into a Superpower with far reaching political, military and economic means. Following the war, the United States enjoyed a period of growing affluence as the world began to rebuild itself from an earlier decade of devastating military conflict. Fear of communism weighed heavily on the cultural mind, often leading to the oppression of ideas and limits on freedom of speech. Soviet-style Communism also rose in stature in the world following World War II. The United States and Western Europe fought a war of ideas primarily through political means, which created armed conflict in isolated cases. Globally, the United States fought the Communist threat in limited military conflicts that often resulted in a high number of American military deaths and apprehension among the American public as to their necessity. The children of the World War II generation did not share the blind loyalty and faith in government of their parents. This led to student movements in the 1960s that challenged the conformity of the previous generation. It spilled into several arenas of thought that included the Civil Rights Movement to end racial injustice, anti-government speech and resistance to military involvement around the world. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was one of the largest youth organizations to arise out of the New Left Movement. Starting out as a simple protest organization, the SDS quickly developed into a militant group that found itself in trouble with not only various university administrations but also with the law.
Improving balance, mobility, and dual-task performance in an adolescent with cerebral palsy: A case report

ABSTRACTBackground and Purpose: Improving functional mobility is often a desired outcome for adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Traditional neurorehabilitation approaches are frequently directed at impairments; however, improvements may not be carried over into functional mobility. The purpose of this case report was to describe the examination, intervention, and outcomes of a task-oriented physical therapy intervention program to improve dynamic balance, functional mobility, and dual-task performance in an adolescent with CP. Case Description: The participant was a 15-year-old girl with spastic triplegic CP (Gross Motor Classification System Level II). Examination procedures included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, 6-minute walk test, Muscle Power Sprint Test, 10 x 5-meter sprint test, Timed Up and Down Stairs Test, Gross Motor Function Measure, Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire, and functional lower extremity strength tests. Intervention focused on task-oriented dynamic bala...
Public Policy in Nutrition: Us Nutrition Safety Net Past, Present, and Future:

The paper reviews the history leading to the creation of the US Safety Net as well as synthesis and critique of evaluation research for the three major programmes: Food Stamps, School Feeding, and ...
Experiences with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Milestones: Results of Two Nationwide Surveys.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry began using milestones in 2015 as a way to document observable progress through training. The study is the first assessment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) faculty and fellows’ experience with the milestones. This study presents findings from two surveys conducted one year apart. The first electronic survey polled CAP fellows and faculty nationwide using five opinion questions; demographic data and comments were also gathered. The second, four-question survey polled CAP faculty at the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training annual meeting. Seventy-nine fellows and 101 faculty members responded to the first survey. Averaged over the five questions, 53% of faculty and 49% of fellows responded positively, with 29 and 33% respectively giving neutral responses. Participants were a diverse group in terms of geographic distribution, program size, and experience level. Comments were predominantly negative or mixed. Fifty CAP faculty and fellows responded to the second survey. Of the three opinion questions, positive responses ranged from 62 to 90%. Forty percent of respondents reported having had no faculty development on the milestones. Implementing the milestones has been a mixed experience for faculty and fellows. Direct comparison between these two surveys is not possible given their different content and format. Future directions include standardization of faculty development sessions, and improved structures to create and share best practices for assessment of trainees.
Feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for older adolescents and young adults with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes

The purpose of the study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a group-delivered intervention, to reduce stress and improve illness managemen...
Optical elastography using dye nanoparticles (Conference Presentation)

Wave-based optical elastography is a rapidly emerging technique for viscoelastic assessment of tissues due to its high displacement sensitivity and simple implementation. This method does not require prior knowledge of mechanical load characteristics, such as the applied preload and applied stress on the sample. However, current truly noncontact excitation methods are limited by their inability to produce broadband waves with high frequency content. Lower frequency wave content is constrained by boundary conditions, and thus, requires specifically tailored mechanical models that consider the sample geometry. In this work, we demonstrate that rapid vaporization of perfluorocarbon inside dye nanoparticles (NP) with a pulsed laser can produce high frequency and broadband elastic waves in tissue mimicking agar phantoms. As a comparison, a focused air-pulse was used as an alternative excitation method. The elastic waves were imaged by an ultra-fast low-coherence line-field holography system. Our results show that the NPs produced elastic waves with frequencies up to ~9 kHz, while the air-pulse was only able to produce waves with frequency content up to ~2 kHz. The elastic wave dispersion curves were fitted to the analytical solution of a Rayleigh wave model to quantify viscoelasticity. Analysis of the broadband high-frequency waves produced by the NPs yielded more accurate quantification of the sample viscoelasticity, demonstrating the benefits of optically excited elastic waves.
Ovicidal and Larvicidal Effects of Garlic and Asafoetida Essential Oils Against West Nile Virus Vectors

We examined the chemical composition of garlic and asafoetida essential oils and their individual and combined toxicity against larvae of Culex pipiens Linnaeus and Culex restuans Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae). The effect of the two essential oils on egg hatch was also examined. Ten and 12 compounds, respectively, were identified in garlic and asafoetida essential oils. Allyl disulfide (49.13%) and diallyl trisulfide (31.08%) were the most abundant compounds in garlic essential oil accounting for 80.2% of the total oil. In contrast, (E)-sec-butyl propenyl disulfide (30.03%), (Z)-sec-butyl propenyl disulfide (24.32%), and disulfide, methyl 1-(methylthio)propyl (21.87%) were the most abundant compounds in asafoetida essential oil. Allyl disulfide accounted for 7.38% of the total oil in asafoetida essential oil and was one of only three compounds found in both oils. For both mosquito species, garlic essential oil was more toxic than asafoetida essential oil with Cx. restuans (LC50: garlic = 2.7 ppm; asafoetida = 10.1 ppm) being more sensitive than Cx. pipiens (LC50: garlic = 7.5 ppm; asafoetida = 13.5 ppm). When combined, the two essential oils had antagonistic effects. The majority of Culex egg rafts exposed to garlic (73.1%) or asafoetida (55.8%) essential oils failed to hatch and larvae of the few that did hatch mostly died as first instars. Allyl disulfide exhibited strong ovicidal and larvicidal activity suggesting its important contribution to the overall toxicity of the two essential oils. Thus, garlic and asafoetida essential oils are potent mosquito ovicides and larvicides but if used jointly, they could undermine vector control programs.
Composition Profiles in Nb3Sn Diffusion Layers

The utility of Nb3Sn as a practical superconductor has been immensely increased by the solid-state bronze-niobium process [1] for the production of Nb3Sn because it has enabled the fabrication of practical multifilamentary Nb3Sn magnet conductors for large-scale devices [2]. Current multifilamentary conductors contain 1000 to 100,000 fine filaments, about 2 to 5 μm in diameter; the Nb3Sn layer is grown during a reaction heat treatment at about 700°C after the ductile niobium and bronze have been reduced to the final composite size. Various recent studies have investigated the basic superconducting properties of the composites and the dependence of transition temperature (T c ), upper critical field (H c 2), and critical current density (T c ) on the composite makeup and reaction conditions [3,4]. The superconducting properties of Nb3Sn are strongly sensitive to the precise stress state of the Nb3Sn, the degree to which the Nb3Sn is actually Nb-25 at.% Sn and not off stoichiometry, and the extent to which additional impurity elements are present in the layer. Because of the limited information available about the chemical composition of the 1- to 2-μm-thick layers in multifilamentary Nb3Sn, it is often not clear which of these factors is controlling the superconducting properties.
Testing efficacy of natural anxiolytic compounds.

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders that range in their severity from occasional, brief episodes of relatively benign nervous tension to severe, recurrent and disabling panic attacks that interfere with activities of daily living. In addition to the suffering of the affected individual, anxiety disorders have larger social and economic ramifications, such as loss of workplace productivity.1 Treatment approaches to anxiety disorders include psychoanalytic, cognitive, and pharmacologic therapies. At present, state of the art Western medical therapies for anxiety rely heavily on anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) pharmaceuticals, some of which have sedative and cognitive side effects. Since the 1960’s, when the prototypic anxiolytic drug diazepam (valium) was discovered serendipitously by L. Sternbach and E. Reeder2, antianxiety drugs have undergone refinement with the goal of reducing undesirable sedative and amnestic side effects. Advances in the fields of neurobiology and psychology have yielded insights into the neurotransmitter systems involved in fear and anxiety responses that have facilitated the development of more selective anxiolytic drugs.3–5
Impact of cardiac arrhythmia on velocity quantification by ECG gated phase contrast MRI.

Background Blood flow quantification using ECG gated phase contrast (PC) MRI has proven to be a useful clinical tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular pathologies such aortic valve disease or cardiac shunts. However, data are acquired in an ECG synchronized manner over multiple heart beats and the impact of cardiac arrhythmia, which can frequently be encountered in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), on flow parameters is unclear. To assess the impact of arrhythmia and thus RR interval variability on ECG-gated PC MRI acquisitions we have performed a simulation study to systematically investigate the impact of beat-to-beat variations on ECG gated multi-beat flow imaging with MRI using real time invivo TEE data in 5 AF patients with known arrhythmia.
Prediction of peptide-MHC binding using profiles

Prediction of peptide binding to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules is a basis for anticipating T-cell epitopes. Peptides that bind to a given MHC molecule are related by sequence similarity. Therefore, a position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM)---also known as profile--derived from a set of aligned peptides known to bind to a given MHC molecule can be used as a predictor of both peptide-MHC binding and T-cell epitopes. In this approach, the binding potential of any peptide sequence (query) to the MHC molecule is determined by its similarity to a set of known peptide-MHC binders and can be obtained by comparing the query to the PSSM. Following structural considerations of the peptide-MHC interaction, we will describe here how to derive alignments and PSSMs that are suitable for the prediction of peptide-MHC binding.
Predicting structural and energetic changes in Met-aromatic motifs on methionine oxidation to the sulfoxide and sulfone.

Noncovalent interactions between Met and aromatic residues define a common Met–aromatic motif in proteins. Met oxidation to MetOn (n = 1 sulfoxide, n = 2 sulfone) alters protein stability and function. To predict the chemical and physical consequences of such oxidations, we modeled the chemistry and redox properties of MetOn–aromatic complexes in depth for comparison with our Met–aromatic models (E. A. Orabi and A. M. English, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2018, 122, 3760). We describe here ab initio quantum mechanical calculations at the MP2(full)/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory on complexes of MetOn (n = 1, 2; modeled by Me2SO and Me2SO2) with models of the side-chains of Phe (benzene, toluene), Trp (indole, 3-methylindole), Tyr (phenol, 4-methylphenol) and His (imidazole, 4-methylimidazole). Binding energies of the global minimum conformers (−3.4 to −11.9 kcal mol−1) indicate that the gas-phase Me2SOn–aromatics are 40–115% more stable than the Me2S–aromatics. Binding of S between the edge and face of the aromatic ring is favored in most complexes as it accommodates both robust σ- and π-type H-bonding. Interactions involving the σ-holes on the S atoms (σ-hole⋯πar and σ-hole⋯Nar/Oar), as well as S⋯π interactions in the sulfoxides, contribute to complex stability. Complexation modulates the ionization potential (IP) of the interacting fragments with the binding geometry dictating the center oxidized in the Me2SO-aromatics whereas the aromatic is oxidized in the Me2SO2 complexes because of the sulfone's high IP. Potentials of mean force reveal binding free energies of −0.2 to −0.7 kcal mol−1 in bulk water, which indicates that the Me2SOn–aromatics are up to 80% less stable than the corresponding aqueous Me2S–aromatics. Molecular dynamics simulations predict that Me2SOn preferentially interacts with the ring face and expose the dominance of π- vs. σ-type H-bonding in the hydrated complexes as found for the Me2S–aromatics. Our modeling will inform how Met/MetOn–aromatic motifs are determinants of redox-induced changes in proteins.
Chapter 15 – Northern Analysis

This chapter examines the options regarding choice of filter membranes, transfer techniques, and methods for nucleic acid fixation on the filter. The Northern analysis is the transfer, or blotting, of electrophoretically separated RNAs from a gel to a filter membrane for subsequent fixation and hybridization. Northern analysis provides a qualitative and semi-quantitative profile of the sample. It is compatible with RNA from tissue samples as well as cells grown in culture and continues to be a commonly used technique to assess mRNA length. The selection of the filter membrane to which electrophoretically resolved RNA is transferred prior to hybridization must be taken carefully. This selection must be influenced by the knowledge that different types of filters exhibit wide variations in nucleic acid binding capacity and support different transfer and immobilization methodologies. Nylon, polyvinylidene difluoride and, less frequently, nitrocellulose, are used as filter membranes and should be handled only with gloves and cut with sharp scissors or a scalpel. The actual transfer of electrophoretically separated RNA species from the gel to a solid support can be accomplished using any of the following: capillary transfer, turboblotter, vacuum blotting, electroblotting, or alkaline blotting. Although filters can be stored confidently before hybridization, it is necessary to immobilize the sample on the filter as soon as possible after transfer. Thorough immobilization of target RNA and DNA on a filter membrane after the transfer has been completed is just as important as ensuring that the transfer process itself is complete.
A generic modeling and development approach for WECC composite load model

Abstract The composite load model (CLM) proposed by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) is gaining increasing traction in industry, particularly in North America. At the same time, it has been recognized that further improvements in structure, initialization and aggregation methods are needed to enhance model accuracy and flexibility. However, the lack of a generic modeling and open-source implementation of the WECC CLM has become a roadblock for many researchers for further improvement. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a generic CLM modeling approach and the first open reference implementation of the WECC CLM. Individual load components and the CLM are first developed and tested in MATLAB, then translated to the high-performance computing (HPC) based, parallel simulation framework – GridPACK™. The main contributions of the paper include: (1) presenting important yet undocumented details of modeling and initializing the CLM, particularly for a parallel simulation framework like GridPACK™; (2) implementation details of the load components such as the single-phase air conditioner motor; (3) an improved initialization method; (4) implementing the CLM in a modular and extensible manner. The implementation has been tested at both the component and system levels, and benchmarked against commercial simulation programs with satisfactory accuracy.