cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impacts of a limit-feeding procedure on variation and accuracy of cattle weights

Cattle weights can be highly variable and are influenced by many factors, including time of weighing, ambient temperature, feed intake, and cattle handling. A protocol of limit feeding has been in use since the 1980s that was designed to reduce variation in gut fill due to differences in intakes. Cattle are penned and fed a 50% hay, 50% wet corn gluten feed or grain diet (DM basis) at an estimated 2% of BW for at least 5 d, after which weights are taken on 2 consecutive d and averaged for a limit-fed BW (LFW). For this analysis, full-fed weights (FFW) also were taken before the limit-feeding period while cattle had ad libitum intakes. Data from 18 experiments were used to analyze differences within 2-d LFW and between LFW and FFW. For 10 of the 18 experiments, FFW also were measured on 2 consecutive d. Cattle included in this summary were grazing cornstalks, smooth bromegrass pasture, Bermuda grass pasture, fescue pasture, native range, or in a dry lot on a 70% forage diet. The largest differences between FFW and LFW for individual cattle were -39 to +44 kg over all 18 experiments. Differences between 2 consecutive d of LFW were -23 to +24 kg for all 18 experiments. Differences between 2 d of FFW were -14 to +34 kg in the 10 experiments measuring FFW on 2 consecutive d. There was not a clear relationship between FFW and LFW; each weighing scenario had unique environmental conditions that led to different relationships. Differences in both beginning and ending BW were compounded when calculating ADG. Average daily gain was calculated for 15 of the experiments on the basis of either LFW or FFW. Differences between LFW and FFW ADG were -0.29 to +0.31 kg/d. The maximum ADG based on FFW was 1.62 kg/d. This large ADG, on a forage based diet, was likely due to changes in gut fill rather than tissue gain. These data suggest that handling cattle in a similar manner when weighing is more important than limiting intakes to decrease variance between weights. However, limiting intake before collection of beginning and ending BW better estimates empty body weight of cattle, allowing for a more accurate determination of actual body tissue weight gain. Measuring weights accurately becomes especially crucial when evaluating multiple components within a system (e.g., cornstalks to pasture to feedlot). Feeding a standard diet between these components of the system minimizes differences in gut fill due to treatment and allows for a more accurate determination of each component's contribution to the total system.
Paper: A survey of design methods for failure detection in dynamic systems

In this paper we survey a number of methods for the detection of abrupt changes (such as failures) in stochastic dynamical systems. We concentrate on the class of linear systems, but the basic concepts, if not the detailed analyses, carry over to other classes of systems. The methods surveyed range from the design of specific failure-sensitive filters, to the use of statistical tests on filter innovations, to the development of jump process formulations. Tradeoffs in complexity vs performance are discussed.
Quality of Primary Care in Low-Income Countries: Facts and Economics

New research on the quality of care in public and private primary care facilities has significantly enriched our understanding of how health care is delivered in low- and middle-income countries. First, this article summarizes recent advances in the measurement of quality, distinguishing between measurements of provider knowledge and provider effort. Second, it looks at the determinants of practice quality variation in low-income settings, highlighting the limited role of structural constraints such as infrastructure, the supply of materials including drugs, and provider training—the mainstay of much of global health policy today. In contrast, practice quality variation is clearly linked to provider effort, an aspect of provider behavior that can be altered through a variety of means. Third, it provides a broad economic framework to interpret the findings. We look for evidence of specific market failures in the provision of primary care and emphasize that the key difficulty is (and always was) the transac...
ROCSTAR: Data acquisition electronics for TOF PET

Readout electronics are being developed to instrument a high resolution, time-of-flight PET scanner, targeted for breast imaging. The electronics and system design is a modular one, allowing the electronics to be used in many different system geometries. The electronics has been optimized for the H8500 PMT but it could be used to instrument a wide range of other rectangular photosensor arrays. The design of the electronics was presented, along with the results of simulations which were used to determine a set of electronics specifications. The simulations provided valuable guidance in setting out the design of the board. In particular the simulations indicated the need for channel-by-channel DRS4 calibration (to reduce sample jitter) as well as having two DRS4 chips in parallel (to reduce dead-time). The simulations also guided our choice of pulse shaping for the anode/positioning portion of the circuit. Prototype results show that the design falls well within the specifications that we had established.
Long-term survival with an unrepaired single ventricle: what is your dangerous idea?

Many, perhaps most, general manuscripts relating to adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are introduced by a standard mantra: Congenital heart defects are common and because of dramatic surgical advances, and later medical and catheter contributions, survival to adulthood is now the norm even for infants born with the most severe forms of CHD who otherwise would have died within days to months. There is no doubt that outcomes have improved for people born with CHD. We are, however, increasingly appreciating the longer-term consequences of this triumph, the burgeoning number of adult patients with CHD. It has become painfully evident that too many patients suffer premature disability and death. In the current report, Dr Poterucha et al present a case series of 24 patients with unrepaired single ventricle physiology seen at the Mayo Clinic, all of whom had survived past 30 years of age. ( see page 216 ) Most of these patients had double inlet left ventricle and either pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary vascular disease. In the current era, the chief importance of extended survival in unrepaired single ventricle CHD is the disconcerting questions it raises about our current approach to such patients. Has the paradigm shift towards earlier comprehensive intervention left an identifiable group of patients worse off than if we had done nothing at all? If so, should we be reconsidering our initial approach to a substantial proportion of patients born with a single ventricle? Dangerous ideas are born of necessary creativity in challenging circumstances. In this case, the challenging circumstance, and the real reason for acute interest in unusual survival with untreated single ventricle physiology is the increasing concern about the long-term outcomes of the Fontan procedure. In addition to anticipated cardiac complications and almost universally reduced aerobic capacity, there is a wide array of end-organ manifestations related to …
Effect of endotoxin on plasma catechol amines and serum serotonin.

SummaryElevated levels of epinephrine are found immediately after administration of a lethal dose of endotoxin. Following this, plasma catechol amine concentration is only slightly above control levels. Prior to death, toxic levels of epinephrine are attained. Serum serotonin concentration falls immediately after administration of endotoxin and remains low throughout the shock state.
Questioning as a Civic Act: An Examination of How Social Studies Teachers Define, Develop, and Cultivate Questions for Inquiry

OF DISSERTATION QUESTIONING AS A CIVIC ACT: AN EXAMINATION OF HOW SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS DEFINE, DEVELOP, AND CULTIVATE QUESTIONS FOR INQUIRY The present qualitative study used socio-cultural theory (Wertsch, 1998), pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987), and reflective practice (Schon, 1983) to examine how social studies teachers define and develop inquiry questions. Existing literature reflects a long tradition of equating inquiry with high quality social studies instruction (e.g., Barton & Levstik, 2004; Bruner, 1977; Griffin, 1942) and arguing that successful inquiry hinges on an engaging question (Barton & Levstik, 2004; Grant, 2003), but relatively little attention has been paid to how teachers characterize and develop questions for use with inquiry (Grant & Gradwell, 2010). The main research question was: How do high school social studies teachers understand the role questions play in inquiry? Supporting questions included: (1) How do teachers define inquiry? (2) What traits do teachers attribute to questions used for inquiry? (3) How do standards impact teachers’ understandings of questions used for inquiry? (4) How do teachers approach developing questions used for inquiry? Data included transcripts from semistructured interviews, field notes from verbal report exercises, and documents from teacher completed tasks. Results indicated that teachers identified questioning as an important inquiry skill and civic practice, identified student relevance and complexity as key attributes of inquiry questions, and approached the development of inquiry questions in a deliberate and reflective way. Additionally, results indicated that a proposed state social studies standards document provided teachers with useful terminology and that experience developing and implementing inquiry questions positively influenced teachers’ comfort with inquiry. This study sheds light on the potential of cultural tools to influence teachers’ curricular and instructional decisions. Further consideration of how teachers develop and implement inquiry questions may offer insight into the presence and success of questions and inquiry in social studies classrooms.
New Materials: Natural Elements and the Body in Screendance

This article explores the practice of shooting on location in screendance advocating for a practice that explores the concept of material specificity in order to create grounded conceptual works. In order to metaphorically and literally ground the dancing body, this article examines the crucial dichotomy between intervention in sites and integration of sites in order to understand exactly what stance screendance takes on its settings. In other words, what do artists take from the site and what do they bring to it? I begin by examining various definitions of site-specificity. By surveying theories and practices surrounding the artistic treatments of locations, my aim is to highlight the choreographic and cinematic techniques that connect the dancing body to the environment. I argue that through the use of natural elements these films articulate a version of site-specificity deeply connected to the materiality of each location rather than to its geography or history.
CROSSING-DISTANCE EFFECTS IN DELPHINIUM NELSONII: OUTBREEDING AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN PROGENY FITNESS.

Depending on its genetic causes, outbreeding depression in quantitative characters may occur first in the free-living F1 generation produced by a wide cross. In 1981-1985, we generated F1 progenies by hand-pollinating larkspurs (Delphinium nelsonii) with pollen from 1-m, 3-m, 10-m, or 30-m distances. From the spatial genetic structure indicated by previous electrophoretic and reciprocal transplantation studies, we estimate that these crosses range from being inbred (f ≈ 0.06) to outbred. We planted 594 seeds from 66 maternal sibships under natural conditions. As of 1992, there was strong evidence for both inbreeding depression and outbreeding depression. Progeny from intermediate crossing distances grew approximately twice as large as more inbred or outbred progeny in the first 5 yr after planting (P = 0.013, repeated measures ANOVA), and survived almost 1 yr longer on average (contrast of 3-m and 10-m treatments versus 1 m and 30 m; P = 0.028, ANOVA). Twenty maternal sibships produced flowering individuals; only four and two of these represented 1-m and 30-m crossing distances, respectively (P = 0.021, G-test). The cumulative fitness of intermediate distance sibships averaged about twice that of 1-m sibships, and five to eight times that of 30-m sibships (P = 0.017, ANOVA). Thus, even though progeny of 1-m crosses were inbred to a degree only about one-eighth that of selling, inbreeding depression approximated 50%, and outbreeding depression equaled or exceeded 50% for all fitness components.
Erectile failure in cynomolgus monkeys with atherosclerosis of the arteries supplying the penis.

AbstractWe evaluated by direction observation the sexual behavior of normal and atherosderotic adult male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) toward sexually receptive female cynomolgus monkeys. Marked deficits in erectile and ejaculatory function were found in the atherosclerotic monkeys. These animals were normal in other aspects of social and sexual behavior and had normal concentrations of circulating testosterone. At necropsy, histopathologic evaluation of the urogenital vasculature revealed atherosclerotic lumen obstruction of internal iliac, internal pudendal and penile arteries which apparently resulted in diminished in vivo capacity of these vessels to accommodate the large increases in blood flow required for the production of an erection. These findings provide further evidence for the existence of an association between atherosclerotic obstruction of the internal iliac, pudendal and penile arteries and the occurrence of erectile failure, and suggest the usefulness of the nonhuman primate ...
Atypical hand, foot and mouth disease in adults associated with coxsackievirus A6: a clinico-pathologic study

Background Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a contagious illness most commonly occurring in children 5 years old or younger. The most common cause of HFMD in the United States is Coxsackievirus A16. HFMD is uncommon in adults, and may show other atypical features including a broader spectrum of cutaneous involvement and a greater degree of severity. Methods We evaluated the clinical, histopathologic, and molecular features of three cases of atypical HFMD occurring in adults. Results All three cases showed clinical features that were worrisome for erythema multiforme or a disseminated herpesvirus infection. The histopathologic findings were quite uniform, and showed intraepidermal vesiculation with a predominantly neutrophil-rich infiltrate. A characteristic feature was the specific involvement of the upper stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum, with relative sparing of the stratum corneum. In none of the cases was there evidence of herpesvirus. Molecular analysis performed on two of the cases showed involvement by Coxsackievirus A6, an uncommon serotype in HFMD. All three cases resolved spontaneously. Conclusions Atypical Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease associated with Coxsackievirus A6 represents an uncommon and potentially diagnostically challenging cutaneous eruption. Its recognition is critical to avoid unneeded therapy and to establish accurate prognostic expectations.
Multidomain simulations of coated ferroelectrics exhibiting spatially selective photocatalytic activity with high internal quantum efficiencies

The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of multidomain ferroelectric BaTiO3 coated with thin (10 nm) anatase TiO2 films has been modeled in two dimensions, using physically reasonable property values of each material. The minority carrier current density averaged across the entire surface, composed of equal portions of positively and negatively polarized domains separated by 180° boundaries, is similar to that reported previously for a single negatively polarized domain (modeled in one dimension). This indicates that photogenerated carriers driven away from the surface in one domain can be collected at the surface of the neighboring domain and participate in surface reactivity. For a wide range of physically reasonable domain widths, from approximately 100 to 400 nm, the limiting IQE is more than 90% of the maximum value, and far exceeds that for Z-scheme domain reactivity, where the carriers driven away from the surface would recombine in the bulk. When the potential and the domain width of alternating positively and negatively polarized domains are optimized, the balancing reduction and oxidation currents occur on the surface with a total limiting IQE as high as 90%, implying there exists significant room for improvement of photocatalysts using spatially varying internal fields at or near the reactive surface.
Adaptive search for dynamic targets under resource constraints

Previous work on resource constrained adaptive search for sparse static targets has produced two-stage allocation policies with desirable properties. For example, for large asymptotic SNR, such policies converge to the true region of interest (ROI) and attain optimal energy allocations relative to exhaustive search. This work investigates the problem of extending previous allocation policies to T ≫ 2 stages, with particular emphasis on cases where the SNR for any particular stage is considerably less than the asymptotic SNR. Furthermore, a new formulation is given that can account for non-static targets, including a dynamic transition model for target location and a population model to account for targets that leave or enter the scene. Under this formulation, a dynamic adaptive resource allocation policy (D-ARAP) is proposed that performs well and has low computational cost. It is shown that this policy provides significant gains over an exhaustive search policy in both static and dynamic target cases with near optimal performance as T → ∞. Moreover, D-ARAP is shown to be more robust than a greedy (myopic) policy when there are outliers or when targets may be obscured for periods of time.
Franz Boas and the Progressive Spirit

This article examines the political career of Franz Boas, called the Father of American Anthropology. In addition to being a pioneering anthropologist, Boas realized the impact that scientists could have on public policy. In addition to commenting on issues concerning race, he organized committees to defend free speech in educational institutions and elsewhere.
The Stabilizing Influences of Linking Set Size and Model-Data Fit in Sparse Rater-Mediated Assessment Networks.

Previous research includes frequent admonitions regarding the importance of establishing connectivity in data collection designs prior to the application of Rasch models. However, details regarding...
Tactile Discrimination of Randomly Textured Surfaces: Effect of Friction and Surface Parameters

Abstract The aim of the current study is to identify the physical factors that could potentially be indicative of the tactile discriminability of textured surfaces. To this end, the tactile discrimination sensitivity for fine randomly textured surfaces was evaluated and its relation to the surface parameters and the coefficient of friction was investigated. Discrimination tasks were performed using a two-interval forced choice technique and the mean probability of perceiving a difference was measured for pairwise combinations of six fine-grit abrasive papers. The surface roughness parameters of the abrasive papers were measured using a contact profilometer and scanning electron microscopy images helped observe the surface microstructure. The coefficient of friction for each of the abrasive papers against human finger was measured for two sliding orientation of the finger: an ‘aligned’ orientation along the length of the finger and a ‘transverse’ orientation perpendicular to the length of the finger. Possible cases of theoretical probabilities of perceiving a difference for a given pair of tactile samples were proposed and the experimental probabilities were discussed within this context. Based on the evidence in existing literature, three measurable properties were chosen to investigate possible correlation with the mean discrimination probability: root mean square roughness, mean spacing of the profile peaks, and the mean coefficient of friction. Experimental evidence suggests that of the three parameters investigated, differences in the mean spacing and the mean friction coefficients were more indicative of the probability of perceiving difference between a pair of fine textured samples.
Applying lessons from social psychology to transform the culture of error disclosure.

Context The ability to carry out prompt and effective error disclosure has been described in the literature as an essential skill among physicians that can lead to improved patient satisfaction, staff well-being and hospital outcomes. However, few studies have addressed the social psychology principles that may influence physician behaviour. Methods The authors provide an overview of recent administrative measures designed to encourage physicians to disclose error, but note that deliberate practice, buttressed with lessons from social psychology, is needed to implement further productive behavioural changes. Results Two main cognitive biases that may hinder error disclosure are identified, namely: fundamental attribution error, and forecasting error. Strategies to overcome these maladaptive cognitive patterns are discussed. The authors note that interactions with standardised patients (SPs) can be used to simulate hospital encounters and help teach important behavioural considerations. Virtual reality is introduced as an immersive, realistic and easily scalable technology that can supplement traditional curricula. Lastly, the authors highlight the importance of establishing a professional standard of competence, potentially by incorporating difficult patient encounters, including disclosure of error, into medical licensing examinations that assess clinical skills. Conclusions Existing curricula that cover physician error disclosure may benefit from reviewing the social psychology literature. These lessons, incorporated into SP programmes and emerging technological platforms, may improve training and evaluative methods for all medical trainees.
Erosion — Inclined plane, liquid contaminant tracking test

The electrical failure of contaminated insulation surfaces is caused by surface scintillation — tiny arcs. It is often characterized by progressive carbonization in a number of branching and sometimes interconnected channels often called "tracks." The appearance and nature of tracks is dependent upon the concentration of the contaminant and the voltage stress as well as the composition of the insulating material1. With some track resistant material formulations, tracking as described above does not occur, particularly at lower voltage stress and higher contaminant concentrations. Instead, a loss of volume — erosion of the insulation — occurs under the influence of the surface electrical scintillation.
Adjuvant versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer patients with BRCA mutations

As triple-negative breast cancers are associated with earlier recurrences and poorer survival, optimal treatment of early-stage breast cancer is essential. Several retrospective studies in triple-negative breast cancer have reported conflicting results in overall survival in patients receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy. This study aims to analyze outcomes of adjuvant versus neoadjuvant in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer with and without BRCA germline mutations. Patients with stage I or II triple-negative breast cancer who had BRCA testing were identified from a prospective cohort study of 4027 patients. Clinical, demographic, genetic test results, chemotherapy, recurrence, and survival data were analyzed. Overall survival and disease-free survival were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. 319 patients with stage I and II triple-negative breast cancer who met eligibility criteria were included in the analysis. 187 received adjuvant chemotherapy (58.6%) and 132 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (41.4%). 135 were BRCA positive (42.3%) and 184 were BRCA negative (57.7%). There was no significant association between overall survival or disease-free survival and treatment with neoadjuvant versus adjuvant in the overall cohort. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between patient subgroups (neoadjuvant BRCA positive, neoadjuvant BRCA negative, adjuvant BRCA positive, and adjuvant BRCA negative) with respect to either overall survival or disease-free survival. Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant with standard anthracycline- and taxane-containing regimens results in similar disease-free survival and overall survival among patients with stage I and II triple-negative breast cancer regardless of BRCA status. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether similar results are observed with newer agents.
Competing Constructivisms: The Negotiation of PTSD and Related Stigma Among Post-9/11 Veterans in New York City.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stands as a form of psychopathology that straddles moral and psychiatric domains. Grounded in discrete instances of trauma, PTSD represents an etiological outlier in an era of increased attention to the genetics of mental illness and a prime location for social constructivist analyses of mental illness. This examination of PTSD narratives—as voiced in qualitative interviews and focus groups with 50 veterans of the recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars living in New York City—attends to the processes through which veterans conceive and navigate PTSD symptoms and diagnoses. In so doing we highlight the social constructivist positions undertaken by veterans themselves as they varyingly challenge and internalize symptomology in dialogue with psychiatric definitions and the stigma associated with PTSD. Findings demonstrate the rejection of classic psychopathological etiology—in brain disease, for example—by many veterans as well as the complex balancing of benefit and stigma that veterans undertake when making decisions about presenting to psychiatric clinicians. Drawing on veterans’ accounts, we argue for greater cultural specificity in characterizing the diagnosis-seeking behavior of trauma survivors and a greater appreciation for the contradictions and compromise related to both acceptance and rejection of a mental health diagnosis.
Visual Legal Commentary

Much contemporary legal commentary contains nontextual information—everything from graphs and cartoons to geometric diagrams of the relations among legal concepts. No comprehensive account of this practice exists, so that most of those participating in it today are unaware of the rich tradition from which it derives. This chapter explores that tradition, explaining the relations between visual legal commentary and a broader tradition of visual commentary, as well as the important relations between visual legal commentary and the historical consolidation of legal expertise.
Delayed-Choice Experiments and the Concept of Time in Quantum Mechanics

Delayed-choice experiments seem to have a puzzling feature: the present seems to change the past. This is shown to be a result of the paradigm in which such experiments are described. In particular, it is shown that in a description which is based on the philosophy of A.N. Whitehead, this puzzling feature does not occur.
Should First-Price Auctions Be Transparent?

We investigate the role of market transparency in repeated first-price auctions. We consider a setting with independent private and persistent values. We analyze three distinct disclosure regimes regarding the bid and award history. In the minimal disclosure regime each bidder only learns privately whether he won or lost the auction. In equilibrium the allocation is efficient and the minimal disclosure regime does not give rise to pooling equilibria. In contrast, in disclosure settings where either all or only the winner's bids are public, an inefficient pooling equilibrium with low revenues exists.
Effect of atomic order/disorder on Cr segregation in Ni-Fe alloys

Recent irradiation experiments on concentrated random solid solution alloys (CSAs) show that some CSAs can undergo disorder-to-order transition, i.e., the atoms that are initially randomly distributed on a face centered cubic crystal lattice undergo ordering (e.g., L10 or L12) due to irradiation. In this work, we elucidate that the atomic structure could affect the segregation properties of grain boundaries. While working on Ni and Ni-Fe alloys, from static atomistic simulations on 138 grain boundaries, we show that despite identical alloy composition, Cr segregation is higher in the disordered structures compared to ordered structures in both Ni0.50Fe0.50 and Ni0.75Fe0.25 systems. We also show that grain boundary (GB) energy could act as a descriptor for impurity segregation. We illustrate that there is a direct correlation between Cr segregation and grain boundary energy, i.e., segregation increases with the increase in the GB energy. Such correlation is observed in pure Ni and in the Ni-Fe alloys studied in this work.
Pilot investigation of the relationship between hippocampal volume and pattern separation deficits in multiple sclerosis

Abstract Memory impairment and hippocampal atrophy are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present pilot study, we investigate whether the mnemonic process of pattern separation is impaired and a predictor of hippocampal volume in relapsing remitting MS. MS participants and healthy controls completed the Mnemonic Similarities Task (MST) along with traditional neurocognitive assessments of memory. 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to estimate whole hippocampal volumes (main aim) and hippocampal subfield volumes (exploratory aim). Results revealed that pattern separation performance was worse for MS participants compared to healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.96). For MS participants, hippocampal volume was more strongly related to pattern separation performance (r = 0.83) than a traditional neurocognitive measure of visual memory (r = 0.65); hippocampal volume was not related to a traditional neurocognitive measure of verbal memory in this sample. No brain-behavior correlations were significant in the healthy control group. Results of the exploratory analysis revealed relationships between pattern separation performance and subiculum, molecular layer, and CA1 hippocampal subfield volumes for MS participants only. Pattern separation assessed using the MST may be a sensitive cognitive-biomarker of memory dysfunction and changes in hippocampal volume in relapsing-remitting MS.
PD-1 immunobiology in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract Programmed death (PD)-1 receptors and their ligands have been identified in the pathogenesis and development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Two key pathways, toll-like receptor and type I interferon, are significant to SLE pathogenesis and modulate the expression of PD-1 and the ligands (PD-L1, PD-L2) through activation of NF-κB and/or STAT1. These cell signals are regulated by tyrosine kinase (Tyro, Axl, Mer) receptors (TAMs) that are aberrantly activated in SLE. STAT1 and NF-κB also exhibit crosstalk with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Ligands to AHR are identified in SLE etiology and pathogenesis. These ligands also regulate the activity of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is an identified factor in SLE and PD-1 immunobiology. AHR is important in the maintenance of immune tolerance and the development of distinct immune subsets, highlighting a potential role of AHR in PD-1 immunobiology. Understanding the functions of AHR ligands as well as AHR crosstalk with STAT1, NF-κB, and EBV may provide insight into disease development, the PD-1 axis and immunotherapies that target PD-1 and its ligand, PD-L1.
A Transforaminal Endoscopic Approach for Treatment of a Lumbar Perineural Cyst: Technical Note.

Objective Perineural cysts are a benign spine pathology but, when they become symptomatic and require surgical treatment, represent a significant challenge to the spine surgeon. Here we describe our experience with a novel endoscopic approach to the biopsy, drainage, resection of the cyst wall, and direct cyst fenestration to the subarachnoid space. Methods A transforaminal endoscopic approach to a large lumbar 2−3 perineural cyst is presented here in a 25-year-old patient. A step-by-step technique for the biopsy, drainage, and resection of the cyst wall is presented. Results The patient underwent cyst resection and fenestration into the subarachnoid space without complication, with immediate relief of his preoperative symptoms and after 1 year remains symptom-free. Conclusions Surgical treatment of perineural cysts in the spine represent a significant challenge to the surgeon, principally due to the risk of spinal fluid leak in the postoperative period. Transforaminal endoscopic surgical access to this disease pathology is a novel minimally invasive surgical approach presented here that allows diagnosis and treatment of a perineural cyst and can be performed in an awake patient.
Bilingual Teacher Leadership: Supporting Linguistically Responsive Practices and Parent Engagement in Schools.

The United States is facing a bilingual teacher shortage, a fact that is particularly troubling as the emergent bilingual population continues to grow nationwide. Prior research suggests that the s...
An improved synthesis of 1‐(1,2,3,6‐tetrahydro‐1‐methyl‐4‐pyridinyl)ethanone, isoarecolone

A convenient synthesis of 1-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-1-methyl-4-pyridinyl)ethanone, isoarecolone, starting with 4-acetylpyridine is presented. 4-Acetylpyridine was protected as the ketal followed by reaction with iodomethane to give the quaterary salt. The quaterary salt was reduced with sodium borohydride followed by deprotection to give isoarecolone in 80% overall yield.
Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Alternative Sample Selection Corrections

Researchers routinely use datasets where outcomes of interest are unobserved for some cases, potentially creating a sample selection problem. Statisticians and econometricians have proposed many se...
Franz Kallmann and Twin Studies

This chapter details the career of Franz Kallmann, the German-born psychiatrist (and former protege of Rudin) who almost single-handedly founded the discipline of psychiatric eugenics in America—ironically, since he himself was forced to flee Nazi Germany to avoid persecution as an “undesirable” himself, due to his Jewish ancestry. This segues into a history of twin studies of schizophrenia, of which Kallmann was a pioneer, and a discussion of the fatal flaws underlying those studies.
Crosstalk-Based Calibration for High Accuracy Ranging Using Software-Defined Radios

High-accuracy ranging measurements require precise knowledge of systematic delays caused by latencies in the hardware system. In this work, a calibration procedure for estimating such delays using intrinsic crosstalk between the transmit and receive hardware internal to a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is presented. Since the crosstalk contains a distorted and attenuated version of the transmitted waveform, the signal received on the receiver channel is processed using a matched-filter to increase the processing gain; the delay between transmission is reception of the crosstalk signal provides an estimate of the intrinsic delays in the system. Since the internal latency is generally static after the hardware is initialized, such a calibration may only need to be performed once at system startup. The approach is demonstrated using SDR hardware and shows centimeter-level delay accuracies for waveforms of 7 ms length and 500 kHz bandwidth.
A Rapid Review of the Reporting and Characteristics of Instruments Measuring Satisfaction with Reference Service in Academic Libraries

Abstract Objective – The objective of this review was to examine research instrument characteristics, and to examine the validity and reliability of research instruments developed by practicing librarians, which measure the construct of patron satisfaction with academic library reference services. The authors were also interested in the extent to which instruments could be reused Methods – Authors searched three major library and information science databases: Library and Information Science Technology Abstracts (LISTA); Library Science Database (LD); and Library Literature & Information Science Index. Other databases searched were Current Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); Education Resources Information Center (ERIC); Google Scholar; PubMed; and Web of Science. The authors identified studies of patron satisfaction with academic library reference services in which the researcher(s) developed an instrument to study the satisfaction construct. In this rapid-review study, the studies were from 2015 and 2016 only. All retrieved studies were examined for evidence of validity and reliability as primary indicators of instrument quality, and data was extracted for country of study, research design, mode of reference service, data collection method, types of questions, number of items related to satisfaction, and content of items representing the satisfaction construct. Instrument reusability was also determined. Results – At the end of the screening stage of the review, a total of 29 instruments were examined. Nearly all studies were quantitative or mixed quantitative/qualitative in design. Twenty-six (90%) of the studies employed surveys alone to gather data. Twelve publications (41%) included a discussion of any type of validity; five (17%) included discussion of any type of reliability. Three articles (10%) demonstrated more than one type of validity evidence. Nine articles (31%) included the instrument in full in an appendix, and eight instruments (28%) were not appended but were described adequately so as to be reusable. Conclusions – This review identified a range of quality in librarians’ research instruments for evaluating satisfaction with reference services. We encourage librarians to perform similar reviews to locate the highest-quality instrument on which to model their own, thereby increasing the rigor of Library and Information Science (LIS) research in general. This study shows that even a two-year rapid review is sufficient to locate a large quantity of research instruments to assist librarians in developing instruments.
"We Are Exposed to That College Environment": Exploring the Socialization of Early College High School Students.

Objective: Early college high schools (ECHSs) allow high school students to accumulate credit toward an associate degree at little or no cost, often through partnerships with community colleges. Th...
A computer vision approach for classifying isometric grip force exertion levels

Exposure to high and/or repetitive force exertions can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. However, measuring worker force exertion levels is challenging, and existing techniques can be intrusive, in...
Dynamic Metasurface Antennas for Higher-Order MIMO Systems in Indoor Environments

We propose a MIMO system using a dynamic cavity-backed metasurface antenna (DMA) as a transmit antenna to improve the channel capacity of indoor MIMO channels. The DMA is a printed cavity loaded with tunable metamaterial radiators and fed by radio frequency ports. The DMA can generate radiation patterns that are adaptive to MIMO channels by individual tuning of the metamaterial radiators. In this letter, we study a 4 $\times $ 4 MIMO system operating at 5.9 GHz, consisting of a simulated DMA as transmit antenna and a linear dipole array as receive antenna. Using a ray tracing technique, we simulate indoor MIMO channels and compute MIMO channel capacity at different receiver locations. We demonstrate that the adaptive radiation pattern generated by the DMA can increase the channel capacity. The MIMO system using the DMA can be low cost and low in power consumption, and can find applications where bandwidth, power, and cost represent constraints.
Blood Platelets Organize Pro- and Anti-Angiogenic Factors into Separate, Distinct Alpha Granules: Implications for the Regulation of Angiogenesis.

In addition to contributing to hemostasis, platelets are increasingly being viewed as major contributors to wound healing and tumor growth. This can be attributed to the many angiogenesis regulatory proteins selectively taken up and stored within the alpha granules of platelets and deposited in the local environment of a tumor or wound upon platelet aggregation and adhesion. Platelets contain both pro and anti-angiogenesis regulators, and the mechanisms by which they modulate angiogenesis are unclear. To address this question, we examined the localization of both pro-and anti-angiogenic factors in platelets and megakaryocytes using immunostaining and confocal microscopy. Double immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that VEGF (an angiogenesis stimulator) and endostatin (an inhibitor), are localized in separate and distinct alpha granules. Immunofluorescence for thrombospondin 1, basic FGF, platelet factor 4, and placental growth factor subsequently confirmed the separate and distinct alpha granules. These observations, in combination with a recent report that proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) selectively modulate the release of angiogenesis regulators from platelets (Ma et al., PNAS 102:216), motivated the hypothesis that these distinct populations of alpha granules could undergo selective release as well. To investigate whether PARs facilitate differential release of alpha granules, we treated human platelets with PAR agonists or antagonists and assayed for differential alpha granule release. The selective PAR1 agonist stimulated the release of endostatin-containing alpha granules and suppressed the release of VEGF-containing alpha granules. Furthermore, confocal microscopy studies revealed that in the presence of the PAR1 antagonist ([SCH79797][1]), thrombin stimulated the release of endostatin-containing alpha granules, but not VEGF-containing granules. These observations suggest that platelets may be organizing angiogenesis regulatory proteins into pharmacologically and morphologically distinct populations of alpha granules, which are then susceptible to differential regulation upon platelet activation. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GENPEPT&access_num=SCH79797&atom=%2Fbloodjournal%2F108%2F11%2F393.atom
Subsurface monitoring and surveillance using inter-well gas tracers

Abstract Tracer technology has gained considerable attention recently as an effective tool in the reservoir monitoring and surveillance toolkit, particularly in improved oil recovery (IOR) operations. Gas flow paths within the reservoir can be quite different from liquid (oil and water) flow paths. This is primarily due to gravity override, and differences in density and relative permeability between the gas and liquid phases. An Inter Well Gas Tracer Test (IWGTT) is a key monitoring and surveillance tool for any IOR projects. IWGTT should be designed and implemented to track the flow behavior of gas phase. The test generally entails injecting a small amount of unique perflouro-hydrocarbon tracers into the gas phase injectant stream. IWGTT have been conducted on a limited number of fields across the globe, and sample results of some will be presented. The sampling frequency of the tracers from the producers should be designed carefully to collect the necessary data that will provide insights about the connectivity between the injectors and producers well pairs, gas breakthrough times (“time of flight”), and possible interwell fluid saturations. Different fit-for-purpose unique tracers can be deployed in the subject injector(s) stream and their elution can be monitored in the corresponding up-dip producer(s). In addition to reservoir connectivity and breakthrough times between injector and producer pairs, an IWGTT helps in optimizing water altering gas (WAG) operations and production strategies for gas injection projects, improve sweep efficiency and ultimately enhance oil recovery. It can also be used to identify source of inadvertent gas leakage into shallow aquifers or soil gas, and help in the planning and placement of future wells. This paper reviews the workflow and necessary logistics for the successful deployment of an interwell gas tracer test. It will provide the best practices for designing, sampling, analyzing and interpreting a gas tracer deployment. The paper also highlights the benefits of gas tracer data and their usefulness in understanding well interconnectivity and dynamic fluid flow in the reservoir. The results can be used to refine the reservoir simulation model and fine-tune its parameters. This effort should lead to better reservoir description and an improved dynamic simulation model. The challenges associated with IWGTT will also be shared.
Ecological Context Influences Evolution in Host-Parasite Interactions: Insights from the Daphnia-Parasite Model System*

Parasites exert strong selective pressure on their hosts, and many hosts can evolve rapidly in response. As such, host-parasite interactions have a special place in the study of contemporary evolution. However, these interactions are often considered in isolation from the ecological contexts in which they occur. Here we review different ways in which the ecological context of host-parasite interactions can modulate their evolutionary outcomes in important and sometimes unexpected ways. Specifically, we highlight how predation, competition, and abiotic factors change the outcome of contemporary evolution for both hosts and parasites. In doing so, we focus on insights gained from the Daphnia-microparasite system. This system has emerged as a model system for understanding the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions, and has provided important insights into how ecological context influences contemporary evolution.
Non-Human Germline Interventions.

Cwik (2020) has written an excellent paper. His proposal that we analyze human germline genetic interventions in terms of their targets, goals, possible outcomes, and mechanisms seems sensible and ...
Evaluating the performance of high-resolution satellite imagery in detecting ephemeral water bodies over West Africa

Abstract Pastoralism is a major occupation in Africa’s Sahel region, which spans from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east and has a semi-arid climate. Pastoralists from the region are usually nomadic, moving regularly in search of water and pasture, often for hundreds of kilometers. Traditionally, pastoralists have relied on historical knowledge and transhumance pathways to reach the water bodies (WB). Due to climatic conditions, a vast majority of the WBs in this region are small, sporadic, and ephemeral, therefore there is a need to map and frequently monitor water availability. Remote sensing observations can be used to complement current monitoring efforts. High-resolution near-daily imagery from the recently launched PlanetScope (PS) constellation of small satellites has the potential to complement the existing medium-resolution and infrequent but well established and extensively calibrated sensors like Landsat. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance and applicability of high-resolution PS data to detect and monitor WBs in the Ferlo region of West Africa, in comparison to Landsat-8 imagery. The results indicate that for cloud-free days, PS data was comparable (r >0.88; ubRMSE 0.058). The PS images were able to detect nearly 95% of the WBs, whereas Landsat was able to identify only 32% at the water fraction threshold >40%. Initial results from this study show that the high spatial and temporal resolution PS datasets show promise in monitoring WBs in arid regions of West Africa.