cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GYNOGENETIC REPRODUCTION IN HYBRID MOLE SALAMANDERS (GENUS AMBYSTOMA).

Ambystoma platineum, a unisexual clonal triploid taxon of mole salamander, originated by hybridization between the Mendelian species A. jeffersonianum and A. laterale. Studies of lampbrush chromosomes indicated that A. platineum reproduces gynogenetically, that is, sperm from a sexual host species is required to activate egg development but makes no genetic contribution to the developing embryo. Nevertheless, electrophoretic diversity in populations of some hybrid Ambystoma suggested continual in situ recreation of unisexual hybrids and bidirectional gene exchange between the parental species and the hybrids. A. platineum usually lives with, and is sexually dependent on, one of its parental species, A. jeffersonianum. In central Indiana, however, A. platineum populations have shifted their host dependency to A. texanum. Such A. texanum-dependent populations of A. platineum provide an almost ideal system for studying reproductive mode in A. platineum, because both replacement of a jeffersonianum or laterale genome of A. platineum by a texanum genome, and movement of genes from A. platineum to the host species, A. texanum, would be readily detected by electrophoretic markers. Our samples of A. texanum provided no evidence for the transfer of jeffersonianum or laterale genes into A. texanum. Similarly, among 32 A. platineum sampled from six localities in east-central Illinois and central Indiana, we find no texanum alleles, and thus no evidence for genome replacement. The one diploid hybrid individual contained only a jeffersonianum and a laterale genome; because of the absence of either parental species from these populations, this hybrid could only have come from a diploid ovum produced by A. platineum. Both morphometric and electrophoretic results for the two tetraploid individuals indicate that they resulted from fertilization of triploid oocytes of A. platineum by sperm of A. texanum. Because genome replacement in A. texanum-dependent populations of A. platineum is irreversible, the persistence of A. platineum in A. texanum-dependent populations demonstrates conclusively that the major mode of reproduction in A. platineum populations is clonal: A. platineum produces mainly triploid eggs that develop gynogenetically.
Location Bias in ROC Studies

ASTRACTLocation bias occurs when a reader detects a false lesion in a subject with disease and the falsely detected lesion is considered a true positive. In this study, we examine the effect of location bias in two large MRMC ROC studies, comparing three ROC scoring methods. We compare one method that only uses the maximum confidence score and does not take location bias into account (maxROC), and two methods that take location bias into account: the region of interest ROC (ROI–ROC) and the free-response ROC (FROC). In both studies, when comparing two modalities' ROC areas without adjusting for location bias, the effect size depends on the difference in the frequency of location bias between the two modalities. When the difference in frequency is small, the effect size is similar whether the location bias is corrected for or not. However, when the frequency of location bias is dissimilar, failure to correct for the location bias favors the modality with higher false positive rate. Location bias should be ...
An Analysis of Factors Related to Survival of AIDS Patients Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Fujian Province

Objective To explore the influential factors of aids patients' survival time after antiretroviral treatment,provide references for further improving the living conditions of patients and the quality of future antiretroviral treatment.Methods The data of antiretroviral therapy in Fujian province was collected by the information system for AIDS control and prevention developed by China CDC,and was analyzed by using SPSS15.0.A total of 1 061 patients were selected according to the standard,66 patients(6.22%) had died of AIDS-related illnesses.Results Cox proportional hazards model analysis identified several factors related with survival time including less than 200 of baseline CD4+ T lymphocyte count,and continuous or intermittent fever at the baseline.Conclusions Considering the factors related with the survival of the patients after HAART,providing timely treatment once the requirement is fulfilled would improve the survival and prognosis of patients.
Effect on Total Electric Energy Metering Accuracy of Harmonics and Inter-harmonics

The error of rectangular integral algorithm under the condition of harmonics and inter-harmonics,employed in total electric energy meters is analyzed here.The analysis result shows that the active energy metering accuracy lies on the sampling rate under harmonics,and the accuracy under inter-harmonics lies on not only the sampling rate,but also the cycle number in metering.A characteristic cycle number which leads to no metering error exists.The metering error becomes smaller as the energy accumulating with time.The analysis provides reference for harmonics and inter-harmonics Watt-hour meters.
Pelvic Hydronephrosis in Children: A Review of 219 Personal Cases

AbstractA series of 238 hydronephrotic kidneys in 219 children is reported. The condition was more common in the male than in the female subject and occurred more frequently on the left side. It was often bilateral, especially in infants, with an abdominal mass as the common presenting feature. Loin or abdominal pain was the most frequent complaint in older children. In some cases hydronephrosis presented as a ruptured kidney following trauma. Only 1 patient was hypertensive. The lesion was asymptomatic in 18 cases and the incidence of urinary infection was low. Dismembered pyeloureteroplasty was the procedure of choice for reconstruction. Preliminary nephrostomy was used rarely and nephrectomy was done in 10 per cent of the kidneys. Of the 7 reoperations 4 were for persistent obstruction and 3 were because stones had formed after the pyeloplasty. The late results, assessed clinically and radiologically, have been entirely satisfactory. Many kidneys of initially doubtful value showed useful improvement af...
CHAPTER 38 – Monitoring Anabolic Treatment

This chapter focuses on various means used to monitor parathyroid hormone treatment for osteoporosis. It considers mechanisms by which PTH confers its anabolic properties on the human skeleton. It also considers key properties that are affected by parathyroid hormone, with due reference to major clinical investigations that have been published. Some of the mechanisms by which parathyroid hormone improves bone quality are not readily amenable to monitoring yet, but they are discussed because in the near future some of them will become available. They also underscore the potential for tracking the clinical actions of parathyroid hormone by a variety of quantitative measures. The advent of anabolic therapy in the form of teriparatide is revolutionizing our approach to the therapy of osteoporosis. For the first time, a drug is available that not only improves bone density, features bone turnover, and reduces fracture incidence, but also significantly improves microarchitectural and geometric properties of bone. These changes in bone qualities are attractive considering the goal of therapy for osteoporosis, namely to improve the basic underlying abnormalities that give rise to skeletal fragility. Clearly, we are on the threshold of a new paradigm in the treatment of osteoporosis.
A fast boundary generator for composited regions

Publisher Summary Finding the outline of multiple areas, defined by closed boundaries, is a common problem for a number of applications in computer graphics. Two-dimensional coverage for a group of radar sites can be determined by finding the envelope of a set of circles. This chapter discusses the outline of a group of two-dimensional regions. Each region is a closed boundary in two dimensions. The outline of the circle set has many short connected arcs or scallops. A direct analytical approach is desirable for creating region-boundary data sets at a resolution much higher than a typical frame buffer can display. However, visualizing the envelope of a set of regions can be done more quickly. A fast method to generate the boundary for a group of regions blends techniques from computer graphics and image processing. For circles, a small speed improvement can be made by generating a table of raster span widths for a fixed circle. The diameter should be at least twice the width of the frame buffer's largest dimension to stay within the Nyquist interval.
Security Middleground for Resource Protection in Measurement Infrastructure-as-a-Service

Securing multi-domain network performance monitoring (NPM) systems that are being widely deployed as ‘Measurement Infrastructure-as-a-Service’ (MIaaS) in high-performance computing is becoming increasingly critical. It presents an emerging set of research challenges in cloud security given that security mechanisms such as policy-driven access to federated NPM services across multiple domains need to be designed carefully to protect MIaaS resources and data. In this paper, we advocate the design of a security middleground between default open/closed access settings and present policy-driven access controls of measurement functions for a multi-domain federation using a MIaaS. Our approach involves an analytical investigation based on a set of custom metrics to compare and contrast the legacy, role-based and more fine-grained, attribute-based access control schemes to design a security middleground. We implement the chosen middleground with a secured middleware, viz., “OnTimeSecure”. Our middleware enables ‘user-to-service’ and ‘service-to-service’ authentication, and enforces federated authorization entitlement policies for timely orchestration of MIaaS services. Lastly, we evaluate OnTimeSecure in a real multi-domain MIaaS testbed by performing threat modeling and security risk assessments to validate the analysis outcomes and demonstrate its effectiveness for easy integration and sustainable adoption.
Organizational Climate, Inequities, and Attractiveness of Salesperson Rewards

AbstractThis paper examines how salespersons' perceptions of organizational climate and inequity in reward allocation affect the desirability of available extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Since climate and inequities can be controlled by the organization, desirability of rewards can be increased by appropriately adjusting organizational factors. Results indicate that a number of organizational climate dimensions and perceptions of inequity do influence the importance that salespersons attach to various rewards.
Toward a Hedonic Value Framework in Health Care

In well-functioning markets, a hedonic pricing scheme can reflect the marginal valuation of various attributes of a differentiated product at market equilibrium. It serves as an important tool to inform pricing of a new product with a specific combination of attributes. Because health cannot be bought and sold in a market setting, and health care markets are distorted by insurance or government subsidies, direct valuation of a health intervention as a differentiated good through observed market prices is difficult. In this article, we discuss the rationale of using stated preference methods for developing a hedonic value framework for health insurance products to inform the decision on whether a product should be covered or subsidized by insurance, given its price. This value index will not reflect marginal value at market equilibrium, as in a hedonic pricing scheme, but would capture the distribution of marginal value in the population. We discuss how affordability concerns can be integrated into the development of a hedonic valuation model. We compare this framework with traditional cost-effectiveness analysis and also the existing value frameworks put forth by various organizations. The framework can be adopted to inform other decisions such as pricing. We argue that developing such a comprehensive and decision-theoretic value framework is feasible and, if successful, can serve to inform health care resource allocation in this country for decades to come in a systematic manner.
A-Time Beats No Time. A Response to Brian Leftow

In this paper, I present a new argument against the compatibility of human free will and divine timelessness when conceiving of eternity in terms of an additional dimension as presented by brian leftow. The paper is organized as follows: After giving a brief sketch of leftow’s model, I argue that assuming libertarianism, free will presupposes presentism, since metaphysical indeterminism is only compatible with a presentist A-theory of physical time. Given this result, I make a case for the incompatibility of presentism and divine eternity modelled as a frame of reference, implying the incompatibility of the latter with human free will.
Motoneuron disease: Basic science

ALS is a relentless neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons are the susceptible neuronal population. Their death results in progressive paresis of voluntary and respiratory muscles. The unprecedented rate of discoveries over the last two decades have broadened our knowledge of genetic causes and helped delineate molecular pathways. Here we critically review ALS epidemiology, genetics, pathogenic mechanisms, available animal models, and iPS cell technologies with a focus on their translational therapeutic potential. Despite limited clinical success in treatments to date, the new discoveries detailed here offer new models for uncovering disease mechanisms as well as novel strategies for intervention.
Preoperative predictors of postoperative aspiration risk after cardiac surgery

Background: Aspiration is a common complication among hospitalized patients, and patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at increased risk. Our aim was to determine if screening for frailty could identify patients at risk for aspiration. Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study of patients 65 and older undergoing nonemergent heart surgery at a single community hospital for 1 year was performed. All patients were screened for frailty before surgery using the 5-m walk test. All patients were screened for aspiration before and after surgery using 90-mL water swallow challenge protocol. Preoperative risk factors and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: Of 166 patients studied, 16 (9.6%) were considered frail. Eleven patients (6.6%) failed the swallow screen preoperatively, and 34 patients (20.5%) failed postoperatively. Frail patients were 3.4 times more likely to fail the postoperative swallow screen than their nonfrail counterparts (odds ratio [OR] = 3.36; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42–7.96; P = 0.01). After adjusting for age, comorbidities, and surgical factors, the likelihood of aspiration risk was still three times higher in frail patients (OR = 3.01; 95% CI: 1.06–8.98; P = 0.04). Conclusions: Frail patients are at increased risk of aspiration after cardiac surgery, but frailty screening does not identify all patients at risk. The 90-mL water swallow challenge is a simple and inexpensive test that can be used to identify patients at risk for aspiration.
Pathophysiology and molecular genetics of vasospasm.

An overview of current understanding of the vasospasm that occurs days after SAH is provided with the primary purpose being to highlight some areas where a more rigorous scientific understanding of the processes involved is required.
The Cultural Frame Management: The Emergence of Cultural Intelligence in Chinese IT Service Vendors

As China transforms itself toward a leading destination for global IT service outsourcing, major Chinese vendors increasingly face the challenge of collaborating simultaneously and effectively with three major client bases with diverse national cultural backgrounds, namely domestic, Asia especially Japan, and the West especially the U.S. and Western Europe. This provides a good opportunity to study how firm-level cultural intelligence is formed within vendors. To explore this question, qualitative case studies of twelve leading China-based IT service vendors, including all of the most globally recognized Chinese vendors, were conducted. Based on interviews with top and middle level managers, and drawing on the practice-oriented view of culture and the cultural frame perspective, this paper develops the notion of collective cultural frame and identifies the process of cultural frame management within the vendor. This process functions as a mechanism by which firm-level cultural intelligence emerges within vendor organizations.
Effect of cabazitaxel regimens on the growth of prostate cancer cells and the antitumor properties of PEDF.

e24002Background: Taxanes-based chemotherapies represent the major therapeutic alternative for symptomatic mCRPC. While docetaxel is the most commonly prescribed Taxane for mCRPC; cabazitaxel has b...
Generative Adversarial Network for Synthetic Time Series Data Generation in Smart Grids

The availability of fine grained time series data is a pre-requisite for research in smart-grids. While data for transmission systems is relatively easily obtainable, issues related to data collection, security and privacy hinder the widespread public availability/accessibility of such datasets at the distribution system level. This has prevented the larger research community from effectively applying sophisticated machine learning algorithms to significantly improve the distribution-level accuracy of predictions and increase the efficiency of grid operations. Synthetic dataset generation has proven to be a promising solution for addressing data availability issues in various domains such as computer vision, natural language processing and medicine. However, its exploration in the smart grid context remains unsatisfactory. Previous works have tried to generate synthetic datasets by modeling the underlying system dynamics: an approach which is difficult, time consuming, error prone and often times infeasible in many problems. In this work, we propose a novel data-driven approach to synthetic dataset generation by utilizing deep generative adversarial networks (GAN) to learn the conditional probability distribution of essential features in the real dataset and generate samples based on the learned distribution. To evaluate our synthetically generated dataset, we measure the maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) between real and synthetic datasets as probability distributions, and show that their sampling distance converges. To further validate our synthetic dataset, we perform common smart grid tasks such as k-means clustering and short-term prediction on both datasets. Experimental results show the efficacy of our synthetic dataset approach: the real and synthetic datasets are indistinguishable by solely examining the output of these tasks.
Creating online personal medical accounts: Recent experience in two developed countries

Abstract Background Online personal medical accounts are increasingly viewed as a useful mechanism to both inform and educate patients and citizens about their individual health condition. A number of countries have announced major national projects to put this type of information system in place. Methods This article adopts a comparative health systems approach to examine the experience of two smaller developed countries – Taiwan and Estonia – that now have universal national medical account systems in current service. The comparison focuses on the structural similarities and differences of both core characteristics of these two health systems and of their specific personal medical account arrangements. Results While Taiwan has multiple separated systems with voluntary options for patients, Estonia has a single integrated one which is mandatory for all citizens. Further, the Estonian system is more advanced in providing the ability to book or cancel medical appointments. Both systems directly control patients for system management purposes, allow patients access to prior medical records, and reorient the focus of health management from curative toward preventive care. A centralized and technically competent government agency and the political willingness of citizens to grant information-gathering powers to it appear to be essential elements in the successful implementation of these systems. Concerns about individual privacy protection and citizens' ability to decide whether to participate are also discussed. Conclusion A number of core issues regarding the technical introduction and political acceptability of personal medical accounts remain unresolved and will require considerable attention in the future.
Economic self-interest, information, and trade policy preferences: evidence from an experiment in Tunisia

AbstractWe address a central question about the integration of developing countries into the global economy: what factors affect public support for such globalization. Do public preferences toward ...
Towards accurate modeling of dynamic startup/shutdown and ramping processes of thermal units in unit commitment problems

Abstract The unit commitment problem is fundamental to the optimal operation of power systems, which is solved by Independent System Operators routinely in day-ahead markets to guarantee operational security and economics. Continuously enhancing the unit commitment model to improve modeling accuracy in response to future market challenges and participants’ requests has always been one of Independent System Operators’ main tasks, for deriving physically feasible and operationally reliable unit commitment and dispatch schedules that can render better economic efficiency. Thermal units account for 68% of the total installed electricity generation capacity and supply 63% of total electricity consumption in U.S.. Startup time of thermal units could vary from hours to days, and the corresponding startup cost could be 100 times different and as high as $500,000 per startup. To this end, this paper accurately accesses detailed startup and shutdown procedures of thermal units by simulating dynamic unit temperature evolution and modeling sequential unit operation stages. In addition, dynamic ramping and forbidden zones are also considered to further enhance the modeling accuracy. A modified IEEE 118-bus system is adopted to validate and evaluate the proposed models.
Recognition Memory Performance as a Cognitive Marker of Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND The utility of recognition memory for identifying persons with biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unclear since prior studies of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) relied only on clinical diagnosis and did not include simultaneous measures of central amyloidosis and tauopathy. OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether recognition memory and associated indices, including discriminability and response bias from signal detection theory, differentiate persons with amnestic MCI (aMCI) due to prodromal AD from non-prodromal AD. METHOD Sixty older adults with aMCI were classified as prodromal AD (n = 28) or non-prodromal AD (n = 32) based upon cerebrospinal fluid levels of amyloid-β and tau. Memory was assessed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised which includes free recall and recognition. RESULTS ANCOVAs adjusting for age indicated comparable (all p > 0.05) performances between prodromal and non-prodromal MCI groups respectively on traditional HVLT-R recognition measures of hits (mean±SD: 9.5±3.0 versus 10.9±1.7), false alarms (1.8±1.8 versus 1.5±1.5), and hits minus false alarms (7.7±3.0 versus 9.2±2.6). In contrast, discriminability (d'), which reflects how easily targets and distractors are distinguished, was significantly (p = 0.009) poorer in the prodromal versus non-prodromal groups (3.1±1.9 versus 4.8±2.0, effect size = 0.87). In addition, only d' significantly predicted group membership (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.48-0.92, p = 0.04). Response bias, the tendency to report that a target did or did not appear, was comparable between groups (0.08±1.1 versus -0.04±1.3). CONCLUSION Recognition discriminability is significantly poorer in aMCI with biomarker evidence of prodromal AD. In contrast to traditional recognition indices, discriminability from signal detection theory may be superior in identifying aMCI due to AD versus non-AD etiologies.
Insomnia Symptoms among African-American Older Adults in Economically Disadvantaged Areas of South Los Angeles.

Background. Although psychosocial and health factors impact insomnia symptoms, less is known about these effects in economically disadvantaged African-American older adults. Aims. This study investigated social and health determinants of insomnia symptoms among economically disadvantaged African-American older adults. Methods. This survey enrolled 398 African-American older adults (age ≥ 65 years) from economically disadvantaged areas of South Los Angeles. Gender, age, educational attainment, financial difficulty, number of chronic diseases, self-rated health, pain intensity, and depression were covariates. Total insomnia, insomnia symptoms, and insomnia impact were our outcomes. Linear regression was applied for data analysis. Results. Based on linear regression, higher financial difficulty (B = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.35–0.61), smoking status (B = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.13–3.16), higher pain intensity (B = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.11–0.67), higher number of chronic diseases (B = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.05–0.64), and more depressive symptoms (B = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.12–0.57) were associated with a higher frequency of insomnia symptoms. Based on a logistic regression model, lower age (B = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.91–1.00) and high financial difficulty (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.08–1.24), pain (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.14–3.80), chronic disease (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.07–1.51) and depression (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.22–4.65) were associated with higher odds of possible clinical insomnia. We also found specific predictors for insomnia symptoms and insomnia impact. Conclusions. Among African-American older adults in economically disadvantaged areas of South Los Angeles, insomnia symptoms co-occur with other economic, physical, and mental health challenges such as financial difficulty, smoking, multimorbidity, pain, and depression. There is a need to address sleep as a component of care of economically disadvantaged African-American older adults who have multiple social and health challenges.
Linguistic Factors and the Spelling Ability of Spanish Heritage Language Learners

Spelling is an aspect of literacy that causes significant difficulties for Spanish heritage language (HL) learners. Because little is known about how spelling skills are developed in this population, instructors of HL courses often struggle when attempting to teach spelling rules, leading to frustration among both teachers and students in heritage language courses. (Beaudrie, 2012). The current research study targets one of the most problematic areas of Spanish orthography: substitution of ‘s’ and ‘c’ letters to represent /s/. An experimental dictation task was designed in order to test two linguistic factors hypothesized to impact spelling accuracy: target letter (‘s’ vs. ‘c’) and cognate status of the word (cognate vs. non-cognate). Participants (n=72) were young adults, Spanish HL learners, who completed the dictation task in addition to a standardized measure of proficiency. The results indicate a main effect for cognate status (suggesting facilitative transfer from English), but no effect for letter. These results suggest that ‘s’ is not the default letter for representing /s/, contrary to what had been found in a number of previous studies. We discuss the data in the broader context of pedagogical proposals for targeting spelling among college-aged HL learners.
Phase Modulation Beamforming for Ultrafast Plane-Wave Imaging

In order to improve the spatial resolution for high-frame-rate imaging, a new image formation approach is proposed based on introducing very weak aberration into received data, then combining the multiple results by taking the pixel-wise standard deviation of multiple aberrated images and subtracting the result from the delay-and-sum image. This approach is demonstrated in simulations, tissue-mimicking phantom experiments, and in vivo imaging. Simulations indicate the lateral full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of targets decreases by 38.24% ± 6.38%. In imaging wire targets in a tissue-mimicking phantom at 7.8 MHz, wire target FWHM decreases by 35.91% ± 5.39%. However, contrast was observed to decrease by 1.23 dB and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) by 18.5% in phantom studies due to the subtraction of similar images, which increases the number of dark pixels in the image. Finally, the proposed technique is tested in vivo , with images showing improvements similar to those in tissue-mimicking phantoms, including increased separation between closely spaced targets.
Potential environmental impacts of lithium mining

The unprecedented demand for highly efficient batteries for use in electric vehicles and other electronics has generated an increased demand for lithium-ion batteries. Lithium is highly desirable g...
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Presenting With Isolated Thrombocytosis: A Systematic Review and a Case From Our Institution.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) represents a common condition in the spectrum of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). It classically exhibits leukocytosis, but rarely presents with isolated thrombocytosis. This paper is designed to review the clinicopathologic features, treatment, and outcomes of patients with CML who present with isolated thrombocytosis. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE®, ScienceDirect, and Scopus for English-language articles about case series and case reports for the period 2000-2020 with the terms "chronic myeloid leukemia" and "thrombocytosis" and pooled them with a case from our institution. Cases were also incorporated from the reference list and screened for inclusion. A total of 20 cases were included in the final cohort. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.86. The mean age of the patients at the time of initial diagnosis was 40.5 years (range: 9-77 years). Out of 17 cases with available data, seven (41%) were asymptomatic and found to have thrombocytosis incidentally upon routine blood work. Five cases (29.4%) either had a history of thrombotic events or presented with severe thrombotic complications, including ischemic cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary embolism (PE), and/or miscarriages. Four cases (23.5%) had more than one symptom at presentation, including headache, syncope, and bruising. The average platelet count was 1,923 × 109/L (range: 584-8,688 × 109/L), and one case (5%) had anemia. The bone marrow (BM) examination showed normal cellularity and normal myeloid to erythroid (M/E) ratio in seven (50%) and 11 (84.6%) out of the 14 and 13 cases with reported data, respectively. Moreover, megakaryocytes in the BM were small in 10 cases (71.4%), pleomorphic in three cases (21.4%), and dysplastic in one case (7.1%). Accurate differentiation among MPD subtypes and the exclusion of CML is critical in reaching a proper diagnosis to decide on proper therapy and eventually modify outcomes. Prompt evaluation for the precise diagnosis of patients presenting with isolated marked thrombocytosis will help expedite their diagnosis and initiation of a specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, thereby promptly inducing remission, preventing thrombotic complications, and avoiding adverse drug events, which would eventually improve outcomes.
How origin stories shape children’s social reasoning

Abstract How do we explain the behavior of the many people we meet throughout our lives? Children and adults sometimes consider other people in terms of their social category memberships (e.g., assuming that a girl likes pink because she is a girl), but people view some categories as more informative than others, and which people think of as informative varies across cultural contexts. One type of culturally-embedded knowledge that appears to shape whether people view particular categories as providing explanations for behavior are beliefs about how the category came to be. In the current studies with 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 206), we ask how learning about quasi-scientific or supernatural causal origins of a category shapes young children’s use of categories to predict and explain what category members are like. In Study 1, children more often used a category to explain behavior when they heard the category described as intentionally created by a powerful being than when they heard no explicit information about its origins. In Studies 2 and 3, learning about both quasi-scientific and supernatural causal origins shaped children’s social category beliefs via a common mechanism: by signaling that the category marked a non-arbitrary way of dividing up the social world.
Reconstructing Bloch Wavefunctions in GaAs through High-Order Sideband Polarimetry

Comparing the polarimetry of the high-order sidebands emitted by bulk GaAs with theory, we can extract the Luttinger parameters, from which Bloch wavefunctions and Berry curvature of the valence band can be calculated.
Functional analysis of the catalytic triad of the hAT-family transposase TcBuster

TcBuster is a hAT-family DNA transposon from the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. The TcBuster transposase is of interest for genome engineering as it is highly active in insect and mammalian cells. To test the predicted catalytic triad of TcBuster, each residue of the catalytic triad of a haemagglutinin-tagged TcBuster transposase was individually mutated to a structurally conserved amino acid. Using a drug-resistant colony assay for transposon integration, we found that the D223N, D289N, and E589Q mutants of TcBuster transposase were inactive in human cells. We used a modified chromatin immunoprecipitation assay to determine that each mutant maintained binding to TcBuster transposon inverted repeat elements. Although the catalytic mutants retained their transposon binding properties, mutants displayed altered expression and localization in human cells. None of the catalytic mutants formed characteristic TcBuster transposase rodlet structures, and the D223N and D289N mutants were not able to be detected by immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the E589Q mutant is less abundant than wild-type TcBuster transposase. Cells transfected with either TcBuster or TcBuster-E589Q transposase were imaged by structured illumination microscopy to quantify differences in the length of the transposase rodlets. The average length of the TcBuster transposase rodlets (N = 39) was 3.284 μm while the E589Q rodlets (N = 33) averaged 1.157 μm (p < 0.0001; t-test). The catalytic triad mutations decreased overall protein levels and disrupted transposase rodlet formation while nuclear localization and DNA binding to the inverted repeat elements were maintained. Our results may have broader implications for the overproduction inhibition phenomenon observed for DNA transposons.
Place, Power, and Premature Mortality: A Rapid Scoping Review on the Health of Women in Appalachia.

Objective:Appalachian women continue to die younger than in other US regions. We performed a rapid scoping review to summarize women’s health research in Appalachia from 2000 to 2019, including hea...
Disassembling Efforts to Legalize Opting-Out in Arizona: A Case Study of Legislative Politics:

Background/ContextOpt-out is a national movement based on local efforts as most notably expressed in New York. While studies have addressed opt-out demographics and local impact, fewer studies addr...
Hope and Self-Compassion to Alleviate Parenting Stress in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted all aspects of life, parents have been subjected to more household and caregiving responsibilities and stressors. The purpose of thi...
Classical Lie superalgebras at infinity

We study certain categories of modules over direct limits of classical Lie superalgebras. In many cases these categories are equivalent to similar categories for classical Lie algebras. The functors establishing this equivalence can be used to obtain a new result for representation theory of direct limits of Lie algebras.
12 The MmpL Protein Family

The diverse array of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipids, many of which are critical for virulence and mediate interactions with host cells, exist primarily on the outermost surface of the bacterium. Fourteen mmpL genes have been identified by analysis of the two completed M. tuberculosis genomic sequences. These genes encode for large, multitransmembrane containing proteins and were thus given the moniker MmpL (for mycobacterial membrane protein, large). Initial models of MmpL function were based on the RND transporters from gram-negative bacteria. MmpL7 was the first MmpL family member to be studied and was identified as required for virulence and bacterial growth in vivo in a mouse model of M. tuberculosis infection. Mutants in mmpL8 were also isolated in a signature- tagged mutagenesis screen, and MmpL8 is indispensable for growth and virulence in mice. First, mmpL4 transcription is induced, albeit modestly, during infection of activated macrophages. The eukaryotic larger resistance, nodulation, and division (RND-family member, Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) utilizes the proton motive force to translocate cholesterol across the cell membrane and it is widely thought that RND family members use proton antiport or symport as a mechanism of facilitated transport of their substrates. The Lol system functions to export lipoproteins across the periplasm of Escherichia coli to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane. LolCDE bind specifically to lipoproteins destined for the outer membrane and export them across the cell membrane, where they bind the periplasmic shuttle LolA.
Modeling the Effect of Primary Atomization on Diesel Engine Emissions

A new primary breakup model was developed and applied to simulate the diesel fuel spray and atomization process. The continuous liquid fuel jet was simulated by a discrete Lagrangian particle method, and the primary breakup of the jet was calculated using a new 1-D Eulerian method that provides the jet breakup time and drop size distribution. A set of correlations of the breakup characteristics, including the breakup time and drop size, were developed for a range of operating conditions. The correlations were then used in the KIVA code to predict the jet primary breakup. For drop secondary breakups, the Kelvin-Helmholtz/Rayleigh-Taylor hybrid model was employed. The new primary breakup model was first validated by comparison to experimental breakup length and jet liquid tip penetration lengths. Predictions of the new breakup model were also compared with experimental data and predictions of the standard breakup model. Improvements over the standard model were seen, and good agreements with the experimental data were obtained. The new breakup model was applied to diesel combustion and emissions predictions in combination with other sub-models. The in-cylinder pressure and temperature, as well as emissions, were compared with available experimental data and predictions from the new and standard breakup models. The new breakup model provided accurate predictions, and shows that the primary jet atomization process has a significant influence on diesel particulate emissions.
Optimal mean-square N -observation digital morphological filters: ii. optimal gray-scale filters

The second part of this two-part study interprets digital gray-scale morphological operations as numerical functionals on integer-valued vectors. The result is a gray-scale morphological statistical estimation theory based on N observation random variables and a consequent theory of mean-square optimization. Whereas in the binary setting the search for optimal structuring elements is clearly restricted by the requirement of binary N-vector structuring elements, gray-scale structuring elements are N-vectors of integers (not confined to the range of the images). Thus, it is necessary to find a set of structuring elements from which both singleand multiple-erosion filters can be optimized, the latter being characterized within the framework of the gray-scale Matheron representation. Consequently, a significant part of the paper is concerned with the derivation of the fundamental set, this set being a minimal family of structuring elements from which it is always possible to select the erosions comprising an optimal filter. As in the case of binary optimization, we treat constrained optimality; however, here we apply it to construction of optimal linear filters. Finally, we demonstrate that erosion optimization is equivalent to dilation optimization.
Histone III III. SEQUENCE STUDIES ON THE CYANOGEN BROMIDE PEPTIDES; COMPLETE AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF CALF THYMUS HISTONE III

Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of calf thymus histone III has been established by studies on the tryptic peptides from the maleylated protein and on chymotryptic and cyanogen bromide peptides from the S-carboxymethylated protein. Calf thymus histone III has 135 residues in a single polypeptide chain with NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal alanine and a molecular weight of 15,324. The NH2-terminal region (residues 1 to 53) of the protein is strongly basic, having a net positive charge of +18 and containing lysine residues 14 and 23 which are e-N-acetylated in a fraction of the molecules, as well as lysine residues 9 and 27 which are partially e-N-methylated. All three e-N-methyl derivatives, e-N-monomethyllysine, e-N-dimethyllysine, and e-N-trimethyllysine, are present at each site. This is the first time that the trimethyl derivative has been identified at specific sites in histones. The COOH-terminal region (residues 54–135) is only slightly basic (net charge of +4), has a 29-residue acidic sequence that lacks a basic residue and contains most of the hydrophobic residues of the protein. Histone III is the only histone in calf thymus which contains cysteine, both residues of which are in the nonbasic region at positions 96 and 110. There are some indications of sequence similarities between histones III and IV.
Multiplexed Genotyping of β-Globin Variants from PCR-amplified Newborn Blood Spot DNA by Hybridization with Allele-specific Oligodeoxynucleotides Coupled to an Array of Fluorescent Microspheres

Detection of hemoglobinopathies in newborns is critical for the identification of those infants in need of follow-up care [reviewed in Ref. (1)]. For example, infants homozygous for the sickle cell mutation are at greater risk for developing fatal pneumococcal infections and sepsis, which can be prevented by prophylactic antibiotic therapy. At present, the majority of newborn screening for hemoglobin (Hb) variants is done by electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, or HPLC (2) using Hb extracted from dried blood spots. Nevertheless, detection of adult Hb variants often is complicated by the presence of fetal Hb in neonatal blood. Alternative approaches to these protein-based methodologies have been developed that directly detect the presence of hemoglobinopathy-associated mutations in newborn DNA (3), and some have been adapted to use blood spots (4)(5). Using the S and E mutations in the β-globin gene as examples, we have developed a multiplexed, high-throughput methodology that uses an array of allele-specific fluorescent beads and the Luminex100 analyzer (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX; www.luminexcorp.com). This methodology distinguishes between the S and E alleles and their wild-type counterparts, HbA and non-E, of the β-globin gene in each specimen, making it possible to determine the genotype at each locus. The methodology is based on the principle that fluorescent microspheres with unique fluorescent profiles, called classifications, can be cross-linked to different analyte-specific reagents and used to create a fluorescence-based array capable of simultaneously assaying multiple analytes in each sample (6). The bead classifications were obtained separately from the Luminex Corporation with surface carboxyl groups for chemical cross-linking to different analyte-specific reagents, which in our studies were 5′-amino-modified oligodeoxynucleotides. As indicated above, each bead classification has a unique spectral address based on its 658 nm/712 nm emission …
Design and development of selective muscarinic agonists for the treatment of alzheimer's disease: characterization of tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives and dev

Abstract Cholinergic neurons degenerate in Alzheimer's disease, resulting in cognitive impairments and memory deficits, and drug development efforts have focused on selective M 1 muscarinic agonists. 5-(3-Ethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine trifluoroacetic acid (CDD-0102) stimulates M 1 muscarinic receptors in rat brain \ Messer, W.S., Jr., Abuh, Y.F., Liu, Y., Periyasamy, S., Ngur, D.O., Edgar, M.A., El-Assadi, A.A., Sbeih, S., Dunbar, P.G., Roknich, S., Rho, T., Fang, Z., Ojo, B., Zhang, H., Huzl, J.J., III, Nagy, P.I., 1997a. J. Med. Chem. 40, 1230–1246. ] and improves memory function in rats with lesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic system. Moreover, CDD-0102 exhibits oral bioavailability, few side effects and low toxicity, and thus represents a viable candidate for clinical studies. Despite the development of functionally selective agonists such as xanomeline and CDD-0102, there is room for improvements in ligand affinity and selectivity. The high degree of amino acid homology within transmembrane domains has hindered the development of truly selective agonists. Site-directed mutagenesis, biochemical and molecular modeling studies have identified key amino acid residues such as Thr192 and Asn382 in the binding of agonists to M 1 receptors \ Huang, X.P., Nagy, P.I., Williams, F.E., Peseckis, S.M., Messer, W.S., Jr., 1999. Br. J. Pharmacol. 126, 735–745. ]. Recent work has implicated residues at the top of transmembrane domain VI in the binding of muscarinic agonists and activation of M 1 receptors \ Huang, X.P., Williams, F.E., Peseckis, S.M., Messer, W.S., Jr., 1998. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 286, 1129–1139. ]. Thus, residues such as Ser388 represent molecular targets for the further development of agonists with improved M 1 receptor affinity, selectivity and activity.