cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of revised polymerase chain reaction primers for more inclusive quantification of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) fill key roles in the nitrogen cycle. Thus, well-vetted methods for characterizing their distribution are essential for framing studies of their significance in natural and managed systems. Quantification of the gene coding for one subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) by polymerase chain reaction is frequently employed to enumerate the two groups. However, variable amplification of sequence variants comprising this conserved genetic marker for ammonia oxidizers potentially compromises within- and between-system comparisons. We compared the performance of newly designed non-degenerate quantitative polymerase chain reaction primer sets to existing primer sets commonly used to quantify the amoA of AOA and AOB using a collection of plasmids and soil DNA samples. The new AOA primer set provided improved quantification of model mixtures of different amoA sequence variants and increased detection of amoA in DNA recovered from soils. Although both primer sets for the AOB provided similar results for many comparisons, the new primers demonstrated increased detection in environmental application. Thus, the new primer sets should provide a useful complement to primers now commonly used to characterize the environmental distribution of AOA and AOB.
Sustainability of the policy sciences: Alternatives and strategies

My comments seek to expand upon, and in some cases re-interpret, several aspects of the current context discussed in Pielke’s paper. In an overall sense these relate to the goals of the policy science community, the trends and conditions affecting progress or prospects for moving toward our goals, “sustainability of the policy sciences” as one alternative for pursuing those goals and factors in the social process that should guide our strategies in the coming years.
Short-Term Motor and Sensory Outcomes in Acquired Nonaccommodative Esotropia of Childhood

Information on the management of acquired nonaccommodative esotropia (ANAET) of childhood is incomplete. Most prior reports combine the results of patients with both accommodative and nonaccommodative esodeviations. The primary objective of this study was to describe the early postoperative motor and sensory results of children with acquired nonaccommodative esotropia.The medical records of 72 consecutive children with ANAET who underwent surgical correction at East Tennessee State University College of Medicine from August 1, 1995 through October 1, 2001 were retrospectively reviewed.The median age at surgery for the 72 study patients was 43.8 months with a median angle of deviation of 30 prism diopters (PD) at both distance and near. Ten patients (13.9%) required a second surgical procedure while one patient (1.4%) required a third. The cumulative probability of a second surgery within two years of the first procedure was 24% (95% CI 4–43%). During a median postoperative follow-up period of 7.1 months, ...
Product of Random Stochastic Matrices

The paper deals with the convergence properties of the products of random (row-)stochastic matrices. The limiting behavior of such products is studied from a dynamical system point of view. In particular, by appropriately defining a dynamic associated with a given sequence of random (row-)stochastic matrices, we prove that the dynamics admits a class of time-varying Lyapunov functions, including a quadratic one. Then, we discuss a special class of stochastic matrices, a class P*, which plays a central role in this work. We then study cut-balanced chains and using some geometric properties of these chains, we characterize the stability of a subclass of cut-balanced chains. As a special consequence of this stability result, we obtain an extension of a central result in the non-negative matrix theory stating that, for any aperiodic and irreducible row-stochastic matrix A, the limit limk→∞ Ak exists and it is a rank one stochastic matrix. We show that a generalization of this result holds not only for sequences of stochastic matrices but also for independent random sequences of such matrices.
The use of emphasis to automatically summarize a spoken discourse

The authors describe a method for exploiting prosodic information in natural, conventional speed for the purpose of automatically creating an audio summary. The method is based on identifying emphasized speech and then using proximity measures on the emphasized regions to select summarizing excerpts. Emphasized speech is recognized using a hidden Markov model using only non-spectral, periodic information. Syllable-based models were created and the models trained on spontaneous speech in which words had been labeled by a panel of listeners for degree of emphasis. Emphatic speech from one speaker was automatically detected and summarizing excerpts were identified, with no noticeable difference when compared to excerpts selected by individual subjects. The extensibility of the emphasis detector to other speakers was tested on a small sample of telephone speech by ten other speakers. >
Transformation and crystallization energetics of synthetic and biogenic amorphous calcium carbonate

Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is a metastable phase often observed during low temperature inorganic synthesis and biomineralization. ACC transforms with aging or heating into a less hydrated form, and with time crystallizes to calcite or aragonite. The energetics of transformation and crystallization of synthetic and biogenic (extracted from California purple sea urchin larval spicules, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) ACC were studied using isothermal acid solution calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Transformation and crystallization of ACC can follow an energetically downhill sequence: more metastable hydrated ACC → less metastable hydrated ACC⇒anhydrous ACC ∼ biogenic anhydrous ACC⇒vaterite → aragonite → calcite. In a given reaction sequence, not all these phases need to occur. The transformations involve a series of ordering, dehydration, and crystallization processes, each lowering the enthalpy (and free energy) of the system, with crystallization of the dehydrated amorphous material lowering the enthalpy the most. ACC is much more metastable with respect to calcite than the crystalline polymorphs vaterite or aragonite. The anhydrous ACC is less metastable than the hydrated, implying that the structural reorganization during dehydration is exothermic and irreversible. Dehydrated synthetic and anhydrous biogenic ACC are similar in enthalpy. The transformation sequence observed in biomineralization could be mainly energetically driven; the first phase deposited is hydrated ACC, which then converts to anhydrous ACC, and finally crystallizes to calcite. The initial formation of ACC may be a first step in the precipitation of calcite under a wide variety of conditions, including geological CO2 sequestration.
Structure of the antimicrobial β-hairpin peptide protegrin-1 in a DLPC lipid bilayer investigated by molecular dynamics simulation

All atom molecular dynamics simulations of the 18-residue β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide protegrin-1 (PG-1, RGGRLCYCRRRFCVCVGRNH2) in a fully hydrated dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) lipid bilayer have been implemented. The goal of the reported work is to investigate the structure of the peptide in a membrane environment (previously solved only in solution [R.L. Fahrner, T. Dieckmann, S.S.L. Harwig, R.I. Lehrer, D. Eisenberg, J. Feigon, Solution structure of protegrin-1, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide from porcine leukocytes. Chemistry and Biology, 3 (1996) 543–550]), and to delineate specific peptide–membrane interactions which are responsible for the peptide's membrane binding properties. A novel, previously unknown, “kick” shaped conformation of the peptide was detected, where a bend at the Cterminal β-strand of the peptide caused the peptide backbone at residues 16–18 to extend perpendicular to the β-hairpin plane. This bend was driven by a highly persistent hydrogen-bond between the polar peptide side-chain of TYR7 and the unshielded backbone carbonyl oxygen atom of GLY17. The H-bond formation relieves the unfavorable free energy of insertion of polar groups into the hydrophobic membrane core. PG-1 was anchored to the membrane by strong electrostatic binding of the protonated N-terminus of the peptide to the lipid head group phosphate anions. The orientation of the peptide in the membrane, and its influence on bilayer structural and dynamic properties are in excellent agreement with solid state NMR measurements [S. Yamaguchi, T. Hong, A. Waring, R.I. Lehrer, M. Hong, Solid-State NMR Investigations of Peptide–Lipid Interaction and Orientation of a b-Sheet Antimicrobial Peptide, Protegrin, Biochemistry, 41 (2002) 9852–9862]. Importantly, two simulations which started from different initial orientations of the peptide converged to the same final equilibrium orientation of the peptide relative to the bilayer. The kick-shaped conformation was observed only in one of the two simulations.
Acceleration-based structure-from motion

A method is presented for recovering the rotation of a moving object using both velocity and acceleration. Acceleration is a useful form of information to incorporate into a structure-from motion system. It allows the use of clustering algorithms for recovering the motion parameters of a rotating object, which in turn allows the weakening of the spatial continuity constraint to a spatial coherence constraint, together with a temporal continuity constraint. This allows the integration of information over both time and space without limiting assumptions about surface structure. >
Antibody Deficiencies Reflect Abnormal B Cell Diffrentiation

Analysis of the genetically-determined immunodeficiencies has contributed greatly to our present view of lymphocyte differentiation pathways and their functional significance. A good example is the selective susceptibility to bacterial infections that is seen in antibody deficiencies due to inherent abnormalities of B cell differentiation versus the broader susceptibility to infection with both intracellular and extracellular pathogens when T cell development is impaired (Rosen et al. 1984, 1992). Elucidation of the genes responsible for these immunodeficiency diseases will provide further insight into immune system function.
The glycocalyx and its significance in human medicine

Cells are covered by a surface layer of glycans that is referred to as the 'glycocalyx'. In this review, we focus on the role of the glycocalyx in vascular diseases (atherosclerosis, stroke, hypertension, kidney disease and sepsis) and cancer. The glycocalyx and its principal glycosaminoglycans [heparan sulphate (HS) and hyaluronic acid (HA)] and core proteins (syndecans and glypicans) are degraded in vascular diseases, leading to a breakdown of the vascular permeability barrier, enhanced access of leucocytes to the arterial intima that propagate inflammation and alteration of endothelial mechanotransduction mechanisms that protect against disease. By contrast, the glycocalyx on cancer cells is generally robust, promoting integrin clustering and growth factor signalling, and mechanotransduction of interstitial flow shear stress that is elevated in tumours to upregulate matrix metalloproteinase release which enhances cell motility and metastasis. HS and HA are consistently elevated on cancer cells and are associated with tumour growth and metastasis. Later, we will review the agents that might be used to enhance or protect the glycocalyx to combat vascular disease, as well as a different set of compounds that can degrade the cancer cell glycocalyx to suppress cell growth and metastasis. It is clear that what is beneficial for either vascular disease or cancer will not be so for the other. The overarching conclusions are that (i) the importance of the glycocalyx in human medicine is only beginning to be recognized, and (ii) more detailed studies of glycocalyx involvement in vascular diseases and cancer will lead to novel treatment modalities.
Space Mobile Network: A near Earth communications and navigation architecture

This paper shares key findings of NASA's Earth Regime Network Evolution Study (ERNESt) team resulting from its 18-month effort to define a wholly new architecture-level paradigm for the exploitation of space by civil space and commercial sector organizations. Since the launch of Sputnik in October 1957 spaceflight missions have remained highly scripted activities from launch through disposal. The utilization of computer technology has enabled dramatic increases in mission complexity; but, the underlying premise that the diverse actions necessary to meet mission goals requires minute-by-minute scripting, defined weeks in advance of execution, for the life of the mission has remained. This archetype was appropriate for a “new frontier” but now risks overtly constraining the potential market-based opportunities for the innovation considered necessary to efficiently address the complexities associated with meeting communications and navigation requirements projected to be characteristics of the next era of space exploration: a growing number of missions in simultaneous execution, increased variance of mission types and growth in location/orbital regime diversity. The resulting ERNESt architectural cornerstone — the Space Mobile Network (SMN) — was envisioned as critical to creating an environment essential to meeting these future challenges in political, programmatic, technological and budgetary terms. The SMN incorporates technologies such as: Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) and optical communications, as well as new operations concepts such as User Initiated Services (UIS) to provide user services analogous to today's terrestrial mobile network user. Results developed in collaboration with NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Division and field centers are reported on. Findings have been validated via briefings to external focus groups and initial ground-based demonstrations. The SMN opens new niches for exploitation by the marketplace of mission planners and service providers.
Development of a dynamic computational model of social cognitive theory

Social cognitive theory (SCT) is among the most influential theories of behavior change and has been used as the conceptual basis of health behavior interventions for smoking cessation, weight management, and other health behaviors. SCT and other behavior theories were developed primarily to explain differences between individuals, but explanatory theories of within-person behavioral variability are increasingly needed as new technologies allow for intensive longitudinal measures and interventions adapted from these inputs. These within-person explanatory theoretical applications can be modeled as dynamical systems. SCT constructs, such as reciprocal determinism, are inherently dynamical in nature, but SCT has not been modeled as a dynamical system. This paper describes the development of a dynamical system model of SCT using fluid analogies and control systems principles drawn from engineering. Simulations of this model were performed to assess if the model performed as predicted based on theory and empirical studies of SCT. This initial model generates precise and testable quantitative predictions for future intensive longitudinal research. Dynamic modeling approaches provide a rigorous method for advancing health behavior theory development and refinement and for guiding the development of more potent and efficient interventions.
Remarks on Henry James

Organized around unidentified comments on all the papers, these notes comment on James’s career as a “man of letters,” on the gap between the role and form of the sentence in his writing and that of plot and event. The emphasis on observation (and even a certain voyeurism) is balanced against James’s “invention” of the sub-conversation, and a final speculation is offered on the work’s possible allegorical dimensions.
Comb Variations in the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides f. felis (Bouché)

Female Ctenocephalids f. felis had significantly more pronotal spines (14-19, mean 17.699) than males (13-17, mean 15.208). Number of genal spines was similar in both sexes. Differences in the number of pronotal and genal spines on each side of either sexes were insignificant. Over 70% of males and females had equal numbers of pronotal and genal spines on each side. Pronotal combs were structurally more homogenous than genal combs. Few miniature or posteriorly recessed pronotal spines were observed. Structural variations in the genal spines included a drop in the alignment of base line, miniature and irregularly shaped spines. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Additional Information and a Correction concerning the Growth of Pteronarcys Proteus Newman (Pteronarcidae: Plecoptera)

The recent collection and examination of older instars and adults of Pteronarcys proteus have disclosed an error in my article in the June, 1941, ANNALS. The statement that there are twelve nymphal instars in both sexes is but partly correct.
Acute Marijuana Use and Cerebellar Infarction

Three adolescent cases of ischemic stroke involving the posterior fossa circulation and cerebellum occurred within days after the illicit use of marijuana and presented over a span of 5 years at St Louis University School of Medicine, MO.
IMPACT OF ENHANCED EXTERNAL COUNTERPULSATION ON HEART FAILURE REHOSPITALIZATION AMONG PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Heart failure affects millions of Americans and causes considerable financial burdens due to the need for rehospitalization. Healthcare systems and patients alike are seeking innovative methods to decrease readmissions; hence, we assessed the potential for reducing readmissions of post-acute care
Overbarrier model with electron backcapture

We present an extension of the classical overbarrier model [F. Sattin, Phys. Rev. A 62, 042711 (2000)] to include the effect of electron backcapture. Backcapture is the process by which an electron that has already been captured by the projectile ion is recaptured by the target atom. Backcapture reduces the electron capture cross section at low impact velocities when the projectile ionization energy is less than that of the target. This creates a cross-section peak. We alter the location of this peak to correspond to that predicted by an adiabatic criterion by using a free parameter of the model. These extensions bring the overbarrier model more in line with experimental data, especially at low impact velocity.
Hmong Health Care — Reflections on a Six-Year Experience:

In this article difficulties experienced over the past six years in providing health care to Southeast Asian refugees are described. The need to involve patients in the planning process, particularly when dealing with patients who come from markedly different cultures, is discussed. The role of the bilingual interpreter is emphasized, and potential conflicts that may be encountered by them are highlighted. Shortcomings of the health care program and alternative approaches that might have resulted in better acceptance of Western health care by the refugees are detailed.
Data Quality

Data Quality provides an expos of research and practice in the data quality field for technically oriented readers. It is based on the research conducted at the MIT Total Data Quality Management (TDQM) program and work from other leading research institutions. This book is intended primarily for researchers, practitioners, educators and graduate students in the fields of Computer Science, Information Technology, and other interdisciplinary areas. It forms a theoretical foundation that is both rigorous and relevant for dealing with advanced issues related to data quality. Written with the goal to provide an overview of the cumulated research results from the MIT TDQM research perspective as it relates to database research, this book is an excellent introduction to Ph.D. who wish to further pursue their research in the data quality area. It is also an excellent theoretical introduction to IT professionals who wish to gain insight into theoretical results in the technically-oriented data quality area, and apply some of the key concepts to their practice.
Hull form optimization of a cargo ship for reduced drag

Hydrodynamic optimization of the hull forms can be realized through the implementation and integration of computational tools that consist of a hydrodynamic module, a hull surface representation and modification module, and an optimization module. In the present paper, a new bulbous bow generation and modification technique has been developed and integrated into the hull surface representation and modification module. A radial basis function based surrogate model is developed to approximate the objective functions and reduce the computing cost. A multi-objective artificial bee colony optimization algorithm is implemented and integra- ted into the optimization module. To illustrate the integrated hydrodynamic optimization tools, a cargo ship is optimized for reduced drag. The optimal hull forms obtained are then validated computationally and experimentally. Validation results show that the prese- nt tools can be used efficiently and effectively in the simulation based design of the hull forms for reduced drag.
Analysis of uncertainty of measurement method for visual micromagnification

To determine the accuracy limits of the current method for optical instruments' visual micromagnification,the error chain of the measurement method for instruments' visual micromagnification was established to find the error sources and to analyze the type A or type B uncertainty according to the characteristic of error sources.The combined extended uncertainty of the measurement method for visual micromagnification could achieve U90= 0.4%.The current method for optical instruments' visual micromagnification can achieve the accurate requirement of magnification measurement whose tolerance limit is 1.2%.It can achieve the accurate requirement of measurement whose tolerance limit is 1.7% when combining the margin value of the results of twice measurements.
Unique Strategy of Narrative Identity Construction in the Immortal Story

With the great booming of narrative studies in recent years,the famous Danish writer Karen Blixen,who is claimed to be the modern "Scherazade",attracts great attention in western countries. Scholars in China,however,have not paid due attention to her works yet. With the insight of narrative identity theories,this paper discusses the unique strategy( reverse merger) of narrative identity construction reflected in one of her famous story The Immortal Story: Mr. Clay achieves a kind of narratability of his life story by replacing theanonymous sailor in a well-known story with his own name.
HydroTagger: A Tool for Semantic Mapping of Hydrologic Terms.

Semantic heterogeneity is a common problem when trying to unify information from disparate data systems. In order to overcome these heterogeneities it is generally understood that no one system or convention is the best, rather that mechanisms need to be implemented in which researchers can both agree on terms or keywords used and also the establishment of a keyword structure so their relationship to each other are known. This paper introduces an application developed for the hydrologic community that allows viewing and editing of the underlying keyword ontology without the need for specific knowledge of ontology editors like Protege and also permitting the tagging of individual variable names to its relevant search keywords to support another application (HydroSeek). The underlying keyword ontology is a concept ontology that is used a base for searching for hydrologic data across various data sources.
Diagnosis and Management of Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy affects 1% to 2% of all pregnancies and is responsible for 9% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. When a pregnant patient presents with first-trimester bleeding or abdominal pain, physicians should consider ectopic pregnancy as a possible cause. The patient history, physical examination, and imaging with transvaginal ultrasonography can usually confirm the diagnosis. When ultrasonography does not clearly identify the pregnancy location, the physician must determine whether the pregnancy is intrauterine (either viable or failing) or ectopic. Use of the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (s-hCG) discriminatory level, the s-hCG value above which an intrauterine pregnancy should be visualized by transvaginal ultrasonography, may be helpful. Failure to visualize an intrauterine pregnancy when s-hCG is above the discriminatory level suggests ectopic pregnancy. In addition to single measurements of s-hCG levels, serial levels can be monitored to detect changes. s-hCG values in approximately 99% of viable intrauterine pregnancies increase by about 50% in 48 hours. The remaining 1% of patients have a slower rate of increase; these patients may have pregnancies that are misdiagnosed as nonviable intrauterine or ectopic. After an ectopic pregnancy has been confirmed, treatment options include medical, surgical, or expectant management. For patients who are medically unstable or experiencing life-threatening hemorrhage, a surgical approach is indicated. For others, management should be based on patient preference after discussion of the risks, benefits, and monitoring requirements of all approaches.
Helping and hurting others: Person and situation effects on aggressive and prosocial behavior as assessed by the Tangram task

The Tangram Help/Hurt Task is a laboratory-based measure designed to simultaneously assess helpful and hurtful behavior. Across five studies we provide evidence that further establishes the convergent and discriminant validity of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task. Cross-sectional and meta-analytic evidence finds consistently significant associations between helpful and hurtful scores on the Tangram Task and prosocial and aggressive personality traits. Experimental evidence reveals that situational primes known to induce aggressive and prosocial behavior significantly influence helpful and hurtful scores on the Tangram Help/Hurt Task. Additionally, motivation items in all studies indicate that tangram choices are indeed associated with intent of helping and hurting. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task relative to established measures of helpful and hurtful behavior. Aggr. Behav. 43:133-146, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social-Ecological Model for Predicting Workplace Bullying

The phenomenon of bullying (i.e. intentional harmful repetitive behavior where the person being targeted cannot defend him-or herself) has received a great deal of attention in the past two decades among school-aged youth (Espelage and Swearer, 2011). In fact, many people associate bullying with child or adolescent behavior and rarely think of this phenomenon as something that can affect adults as well. But adult bullying can be just as pervasive and dangerous as child bullying; this adult aggression generally occurs at an adult’s place of work and is therefore referred to as “workplace bullying.” As with previous research on bullying among youth, we will conceptualize the complexity of bullying behaviors among adults from a social-ecological perspective (Espelage and Swearer, 2003, 2011; Swearer and Doll, 2001). As Kurt Lewin wrote over 75 years ago, behavioris the function of the individual’s interaction with his or her environment (Lewin, 1936). Thus, workplace bullying is defined by the individual’s personal interaction with the work environment.
Beyond Incarceration: Criminal Justice Contact and Mental Health:

A growing literature documents deleterious consequences of incarceration for mental health. Although salient, incarceration is only one form of criminal justice contact and, accordingly, focusing o...
Examining the Relationship between Tourists’ Personal Value Systems and Novelty-familiarity Preferences

Value research has great potentials in understanding tourist motivation and behavior. Although it was unlikely that the market for any particular product could be segmented on the basis of value systems alone, marketers could gain a better understanding of consumers by incorporating values into their research with such traditional variables as demographics and preferences. The current study examined the relationship between touristsâ€™ value systems depicted by Kahleâ€™s List of Values (LOV) and touristsâ€™ travel novelty dimensions revealed by the International Tourist Role (ITR) Scale. The study revealed five value systems of U.S. outbound leisure travelers in the sample. It further demonstrated that a causal relationship between values, attitudes and behaviors of consumers also existed in a tourism context.
Proposals for Chemical Weapons during the American Civil War

Proposals for chemical weapons that arose during the American Civil War are described. Most incendiary and all biological agents are excluded. The described proposals appeared primarily in periodicals or letters to government officials on both sides. The weapons were usually meant to temporarily disable enemy combatants, but some might have been lethal, and Civil War caregivers were ill-prepared to deal with the weapons' effects. Evidently, none of the proposed weapons were used. In only one instance was use against civilians mentioned. Among the agents most commonly proposed were cayenne pepper or other plant-based irritants such as black pepper, snuff, mustard, and veratria. Other suggested agents included chloroform, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic compounds, sulfur, and acids. Proponents usually suggested that the chemicals be included in explosive artillery projectiles. Less commonly proposed vehicles of delivery included fire engines, kites, and manned balloons. Some of the proposed weapons have modern counterparts.
A Qualitative Study on Primary Care Integration into an Asian Immigrant-specific Behavioural Health Setting in the United States.

Introduction: Integrating primary care and behavioural health services improves access to services and health outcomes among individuals with serious mental illness. Integrated care is particularly promising for racial and ethnic minority individuals given higher rates of chronic illnesses and poorer access to and quality of care compared to Whites. However, little is known about integrated care implementation in non-White populations. The aim of this study is to identify facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of primary care-behavioural health integration in a multilingual behavioural healthcare setting. Methods: Seven focus groups and five semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 patients and 5 providers participating in integrated care in a community mental health clinic in California serving Asian immigrants. Results: Themes generated from constant comparative analysis suggest limited system-level preconditions and cross-organisational dynamics challenged integrated care. At the same time, changing organisational culture and practice, improving patient-provider and provider-provider communication, and increasing patient involvement enhanced clinical outcomes and facilitated successful implementation. Discussion and conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of patient involvement, peer services and interdisciplinary communication to successfully implement integrated care in the face of linguistic and operational challenges in settings serving multilingual and multicultural patients.
Sanitation Conditions in the Flood Areas

The State of Kentucky has over 600 miles of shoreline along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and all of this border was affected by high water. Not only the Ohio River low lands, but much of the areas along the tributaries in the central and western parts of the state were flooded as well. The Kentucky River was out of its banks beyond Frankfort and Frankfort was seriously damaged. Floods in the Green, the Cumberland and the Tennessee Rivers extended almost to the Tennessee State border.
Behavioral and Environmental Background to ‘Out-of-Africa I’ and the Arrival of Homo erectus in East Asia

Current evidence of hominin fossils and artifacts in China and Indonesia points to the arrival and persistence of the genus Homo in East Asia by 1.7 million years ago (Ma). By at least 1.66 Ma, East Asian hominins had spread across a wide range of biotic and climatic zones, spanning 7°S–40°N on the basis of well-constrained age data from the Nihewan and Yuanmou basins, China, and Sangiran, Indonesia. Archeological assemblages and fragmentary hominin morphology show strong similarities with African Oldowan hominin toolmakers and early Homo erectus, although the taxonomic status of the oldest known Asian hominins is not yet securely established. Despite this apparent derivation of East Asian from African hominins, an initial comparison of large mammal faunas offers little evidence of ‘fellow travelers’, i.e., a set of African mammalian species that co-dispersed with Homo to East Asia. We offer three hypotheses to account for the existing data: (1) unique hominin dispersal, in which no other African mammals were involved; (2) African fellow travelers, in which Homo and a small number of other mammals reached western Eurasia, yet hominins dispersed independently to more distant regions; and (3) relay dispersal, in which Homo always dispersed as part of an ecological community but in association with a different set of mammalian species from one region to another.
Neuromuscular Junction, Normal

This entry provides an overview of normal neuromuscular junction function, including the anatomy and physiology of the pre- and postsynaptic apparatus, acetylcholine release, the acetylcholine receptor, the muscle end plate zone, and the elements of muscle fiber depolarization.
Variation in resource utilization associated with the surgical management of ovarian cancer

Abstract Objective Identify the major factors that drive standardized cost in providing surgical care for women with ovarian cancer, characterize the magnitude of variation in resource utilization between centers, and to investigate the relationship between resource utilization and quality of care provided. Methods Retrospective cohort study of hospitals across the United States reporting to the Premier Database who cared for patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2007 and 2014. The primary outcome was standardized total cost of the index hospitalization. To assess the relationship between hospital standardized costs and patient outcomes, we identified four measures of quality: 1) complications, 2) re-operation, 3) length of stay > 15 days, and 4) unplanned readmission. Results The study population included 15,857 patients treated at 226 hospitals. The median standardized cost for hospitalizations was $13,267 (IQR = $3342). Reoperation was associated with 49% increase (95% CI = 43%–56%), and having minor complication was associated with 10% (95% CI = 8%–12%) increase in standardized cost, a moderate complication was associated with 36% (95% CI = 33%–38%) increase, and a major complication was associated with 83% (95% CI = 76%–89%) increase. The average risk-adjusted hospital standardized costs for hospitals in the highest resource use quartiles was 56% higher than the average hospital costs for hospitals in the lowest quartile ($10,826 vs. $16,933). The largest variation was in operating room standardized cost (45.5% of the total variation in operating room cost is explained by differences in hospital practices) and supplies (41.7%). Conclusions We identified significant variation in standardized costs among women who underwent surgery for ovarian cancer, operating room and supply costs are the largest drivers of variation.
Time and support do not heal all wounds: Mental health correlates of past bullying among college students.

Objective: We examined whether perceptions of being bullied during middle and high school were associated with depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms during college....
On the dynamics of periodically restrained flexural structures under moving loads

Abstract The dynamic response of periodically restrained flexural structures, modeled as Euler–Bernoulli beams supported by flexible and dissipative supports at equally spaced points, to moving loads is investigated. Bloch–Floquet theorem and modal analysis are used to examine the dispersion relation and band structure of the infinitely long periodic beam and the frequency spectrum of the finite beam, respectively. It is shown that the natural frequencies of the finite beam fall within the propagation bands of the corresponding infinite beam and get closer to each other as the number of spans increases ultimately covering the propagation bands. The dynamic response to moving load is obtained via a novel method based on Floquet transformation in the frequency domain for infinite periodic beams and through modal summation for finite periodic beams. Through numerical examples, the effect of boundary conditions, e.g. support stiffness and damping, and the impact of moving load speed on the flexural response as well as the energy stored and dissipated within the supports are discussed.
Second Messenger cA4Formation within the Composite Csm1 Palm Pocket of Type III-A CRISPR-Cas Csm Complex and Its Release Path.

Target RNA binding to crRNA-bound type III-A CRISPR-Cas multi-subunit Csm surveillance complexes activates cyclic-oligoadenylate (cAn) formation from ATP subunits positioned within the composite pair of Palm domain pockets of the Csm1 subunit. The generated cAn second messenger in turn targets the CARF domain of trans-acting RNase Csm6, triggering its HEPN domain-based RNase activity. We have undertaken cryo-EM studies on multi-subunit Thermococcus onnurineus Csm effector ternary complexes, as well as X-ray studies on Csm1-Csm4 cassette, both bound to substrate (AMPPNP), intermediates (pppAn), and products (cAn), to decipher mechanistic aspects of cAn formation and release. A network of intermolecular hydrogen bond alignments accounts for the observed adenosine specificity, with ligand positioning dictating formation of linear pppAn intermediates and subsequent cAn formation by cyclization. We combine our structural results with published functional studies to highlight mechanistic insights into the role of the Csm effector complex in mediating the cAn signaling pathway.
Predicting Post-operative Complications in Crohn’s Disease: an Appraisal of Clinical Scoring Systems and the NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator

Surgery is common in patients with Crohn’s disease and can contribute significantly to patient morbidity. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator (NSQIP-SRC) that is currently utilized to predict surgical risk does not take Crohn’s disease into account and, as a result, seems to underestimate risk in this patient population. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the NSQIP-SRC in Crohn’s disease patients and to evaluate the utility of disease severity scores in predicting surgical risk. Between 2011 and 2017, there were 176 surgical cases involving Crohn’s disease patients. Demographic data and 30-day surgical outcomes were collected. Disease severity scores including Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI), Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s Disease (SES-CD), and NSQIP-SRC risk percentages were calculated. Patients in remission based on HBI had a complication rate of 8.57% (n = 3), while those with mild or moderate-severe disease had rates of 33.33% (n = 11) and 38.46% (n = 20) respectively (p = 0.0045). In multivariable analysis, those with mild (OR; 8.37, 95% CI; 1.64, 42.78; p = 0.011) or moderate-severe (OR; 11.69, 95% CI; 2.42, 56.46; p = 0.002) disease had increased odds of complication compared to remission. Complication rate was not associated with NSQIP-SRC percent risk of any complication. NSQIP-SRC does not accurately predict risk in patients with CD undergoing surgery. Higher disease activity based on HBI is associated with increased odds of complication and may prove to be more predictive of surgical complication in the Crohn’s patient population.
Public Deliberation about Gay Rights in Religious Contexts: Commitment to Deliberative Norms and Practice in ELCA Congregations

Many political theorists extol the virtues of deliberation in efforts to reconcile differences in opinion and prevent group fracture. On August 21, 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted narrowly to reverse standing policy by allowing gay and lesbian people in committed relationships to serve openly as clergy. In the aftermath of this decision, numerous congregations began thinking about leaving the denomination. We surveyed a sample of ELCA clergy in the fall of 2009 and spring 2010 to assess their commitment to deliberative norms and practice, their implementation of such practices in congregational meetings designed to discuss the ELCA’s vote, and the outcomes of those more or less deliberative forums. We found considerable commitment both to deliberative practice itself and belief in the efficacy of such practice. Despite the assumption that religious doctrine and public deliberation are incompatible, religious organizations often find deliberative processes essential to their survival.
Big Data Analytics for Handling NGS Data and Its Applications in Identifying Cancer Mutations

With the evolution of next-generation sequencing (NGS), huge amount of complex data is generated in computational analysis of large sequences. For instance, sequencing of a single whole genome of a simple organism alone generates 100 GB of data. In the variant calling pipeline of NGS, a number of different files are generated like fastq, bam and sam, and all are in the size of GB. The challenges of data handling, storing and organizing of large and complex datasets can be overcome by employing big data analytics framework that consists of different components like Hadoop, NoSQL databases and massively parallel processing (MPP). Implementation of this framework will reduce the time required for identifying cancer mutations by accelerating alignment step which is a time-consuming step in mutation analysis. The chapter focuses firstly on highlighting the challenges in computational analysis of NGS data. It further explains implementation of Hadoop framework for reducing the processing time required for sequence alignment. The readers will also be made aware of illustrative examples of use of big data analytics in mutation identification of various cancers. The knowledge base provided will accelerate the understanding of NGS in application of routine health care and personalized medicine protocols.
Performance and Design Scaling of Magnetoshells for Outer Planet Drag-Modulated Plasma Aerocapture

The application of drag-modulated plasma aerocapture (DMPA) to outer planet orbiter missions is analyzed in terms of performance results and spacecraft design scaling. The magnetoshell, a magnetized plasma used in place of an aeroshell, generates drag by ionizing, capturing, and magnetically deflecting the atmospheric flow. The plasma is sustained by in-situ gas and kinetic energy at velocities above a certain threshold, which is in excess of 15 km/s for hydrogen flow. The magnetoshell drag is shown to scale with magnetic field strength, enabling continuous modulation of the ballistic coefficient via control of the electrical current to the magnet. A design framework for generating preliminary DMPA mission architectures is presented and a sample design is compared to an existing Neptune orbiter concept that uses an ADEPT drag skirt. Compared to ADEPT, the DMPA architecture is shown to deliver 70% higher orbiter mass and experience 30% lower stagnation heating. It achieves a ballistic coefficient of $\beta=4$ kg/m2 with a ballistic coefficient ratio of $\beta_{\text{max}}/\beta_{\text{min}}=67$ , both results indicating $a$ high degree of control authority via the continuous drag modulation scheme. Recommendations for using the design framework to optimize arbitrary DMPA architectures are discussed as well as additional considerations for the technological feasibility of a given magnetoshell design.
Everything I Know about Teaching Was Reinforced by Auditing Remote Kindergarten

Watching my son’s kindergarten class has reinforced what I learned about teaching from our academic support community. I have come up with six takeaways for class design that align with my new philosophy of “everything I know about teaching was reinforced by auditing remote kindergarten.” My six main takeaways are: 1. Repetition is key. 2. Practice is everything. 3. Sitting still and focusing is really hard. 4. Kindness is crucial. 5. Relationships matter. 6. Everyone is trying their best. I try to bring these reminders to all of my interactions with my law students. They’re home too. Their work/life/school balance has been destroyed as well. They’re dealing with the tremendous overwhelm of COVID-19, the racial injustice of simply living as a BIPOC in this country, and vitriolic hate-filled politics. They’re anxious about their futures. They are trying their very best.
Movable Bed Model for River Structures Design

Laboratory tests using a movable bed hydraulic model were conducted to develop optimum design criteria for a new type river control structure called an L-head dike. The large size of the prototype, the Missouri River, made it necessary to distort the model, thus requiring careful consideration of the various scale factors. Rates of sediment transport strongly influence bed roughness, therefore it was important that the movable bed material be light to permit transport at low velocities. Ground walnut shells were found to satisy not only the sediment transport requirements but also simulated bank caving that occurs in the prototype. Verification tests as well as constant checks on scale factors were performed through the investigation period. The most surprising benefit was the ability of the engineer to observe sediment transport, dune patterns, bed waves, current boils, eddy currents, accretion buildup, and bank erosion.
Reflections on Certain Aspects of Thermomechanics

The logical basis for the Caratheodory formulation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics is examined in the context of thermomechanics. The possibility of the existence of Cauchy elastic materials is considered. Various attempts to give meaning to the Clausius-Duhem Inequality are discussed.
Changes in 20S subunit composition are largely responsible for altered proteasomal activities in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

We recently reported that the proteasomal peptidase activities are altered in the cerebellum of mice with MOG peptide-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To determine whether these fluctuations are caused by proteasome activation/inactivation and/or changes in the levels of individual β subunits, we characterized the proteasome subunit composition by western blotting. The results show that the rise in proteasomal peptidase activity in acute EAE correlates with an augmented expression of inducible β subunits whereas the decline in activity in chronic EAE correlates with a reduction in the amount of standard β subunits. Using pure standard (s) and immuno (i) 20S particles for calibration, we determined that the changes in the levels of catalytic subunits account for all of the fluctuations in peptidase activities in EAE. The i-20S and s-20S proteasome were found to degrade carbonylated β-actin with similar efficiency, suggesting that the amount of protein carbonyls in EAE may be controlled by the activity of both core particles. We also found an increase in proteasome activator PA28 and a decrease in inhibitor PI31 levels in acute EAE, reflecting a response to inflammation. Elevated levels of PA700 and PA28 in chronic EAE, on the other hand, may occur in response to diminished proteasomal activity in this phase. These findings are central towards understanding the altered proteasomal physiology in inflammatory demyelinating disorders.