cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rabies Vaccination Compliance Following Introduction of the Triennial Vaccination Interval – the Texas Experience

Summary In 2003 the Texas Board of Health approved a modification to the Texas Administrative Code that permitted pet owners to have their dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) vaccinated against rabies every 3 years, provided a triennial vaccine was used. The change had been opposed by hundreds in the veterinary community, some concerned that its implementation would be followed by a decrease in rabies vaccination rates. To determine if this decrease had occurred, rabies vaccination rates for 4 years before and after migration to the 3-year vaccination interval were examined. Data for dogs and cats, ≥4 months of age, were collected from the Texas Department of Health Rabies Incident Report database. Each animal’s record included its current rabies vaccination status. The number of animals that were currently vaccinated against rabies was tallied and the percent vaccinated was calculated. From 1999 through 2002, 46% of dogs were vaccinated against rabies. From 2004 through 2007, 56% of dogs were vaccinated against rabies. From 1999 to 2002, 18% of cats were vaccinated against rabies. From 2004 to 2007, 30% of cats were vaccinated against rabies. There has been a significant increase in the numbers of dogs (P < 0.001), and cats (P < 0.001), vaccinated against rabies since the introduction of the triennial vaccination interval. This observational study documents the positive changes in rabies vaccination rates following migration from a 1-year to 3-year vaccination interval.
The dynamic range and domain-specific signals of intracellular calcium in photoreceptors

Vertebrate photoreceptors consist of strictly delimited subcellular domains: the outer segment, ellipsoid, cell body and synaptic terminal, each hosting crucial cellular functions, including phototransduction, oxidative metabolism, gene expression and transmitter release. We used optical imaging to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of Ca2+ signaling in non-outer segment regions of rods and cones. Sustained depolarization, designed to emulate photoreceptor activation in the darkness, evoked a standing Ca2+ gradient in tiger salamander photoreceptors with spatially-averaged intracellular Ca2+ concentration within synaptic terminals of ∼2 μM and lower (∼750 nM) intracellular calcium concentration in the ellipsoid. Measurements from axotomized cell bodies and isolated ellipsoids showed that Ca2+ enters the two compartments via both local L-type Ca2+ channels and diffusion. The results from optical imaging studies were supported by immunostaining analysis. L-type voltage-operated Ca2+ channels and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPases were highly expressed in synaptic terminals with progressively lower expression levels in the cell body and ellipsoid. These results show photoreceptor Ca2+ homeostasis is controlled in a region-specific manner by direct Ca2+ entry and diffusion as well as Ca2+ extrusion. Moreover, quantitative measurement of intracellular calcium concentration levels in different photoreceptor compartments indicates that the dynamic range of Ca2+ signaling in photoreceptors is approximately 40-fold, from ∼50 nM in the light to ∼2 μM in darkness.
Importance-weighted label prediction for active learning with noisy annotations

This paper presents a practical method for pool-based active learning that is robust to annotation noise. Our work is inspired by recent approaches to active learning in two different noise-free settings: importance-weighted methods for streams and unbiased pool-based techniques. In our proposed method, we employ an ensemble of classifiers to guide the label requests from a pool of unlabeled training data. We demonstrate, using several standard datasets, that the proposed approach, which employs label prediction in combination with importance-weighting, significantly improves active learning in the presence of annotation noise. Moreover, the ease with which the proposed method can be implemented should make it widely applicable to a broad range of real-world applications.
A course in bioinstrumentation

Most bioinstrumentation courses have emphasized measurements in the traditional biomedical engineering areas such as biomechanics, medical instrumentation, and medical imaging. I am developing a new text and course, that will expand upon these traditional areas to include measurements in areas of growing importance, such as biosensors, cellular engineering, and tissue engineering. I would welcome suggestions for improvement and volunteers to class test it.
POPULATION SIZE AND GENETIC LOAD IN IRRADIATED POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER.

MUTATIONS are widely accepted as the basic raw materials from which evolutionary adjustments are forged by natural selection. When the gene pool of a competent population #aces an environmental challenge, selection may be expected to incorporate any new variants which favorably affect the fitness of their carriers. Using a design which permits frequent measurement of population size under strictly controlled conditions, SMATHERS (1960), CARSON (1961), and CANNON (1963) have shown that increased adaptation to the existing conditions, as evidenced by increased population size and production, can be observed directly in experimental populations of Drosophila melanogaster. In these experiments, genetic variance has been increased by the additions of smell amounts of foreign genetic material by outcrossing. The microevolutionary adjustments within the gene pool that follow are evidently based on the quick incorporation of this foreign genetic material into heterotic systems. The experiments reported in this paper are designed to test the effect of raising the genetic variance in experimental populations in a different way, namely, by the use of large doses of X rays delivered frequently to all the adults in the population. The populations were thus closed ones in which the mutation rate was artificially maintained at a very high level. Under these conditions, the experimental populations represent a sensitive system for the detection of the effects of newly induced genes that cause increase in fitness, whether these effects may be manifested in the heterozygous condition, the homozygous condition, or both. The results clearly show that there is no sustained increase in fitness despite an increased genetic variance as indicated by an observed increase in genetic load. There is thus no evidence for single-gene heterosis or for the induction of new genes having a favorable effect on any of the fitness characters. MATERIAL AND METHODS Four replicate base populations were used in these experiments; all flies were homozygous for five third-chromosome recessives: sepia (se), spineless (ss), ebony-sooty (es), kidney (k) and rough (ro). The mode of derivation of these four populations is given in Figure 1 of CARSON (1961). The two control populations used in the present work, and called here Populations A and C, are the same as those designated as C1-g and C-lh in CARSON (1961). The two populations which received X rays, called Populations B and D, are directly descended from the populations labelled E-3 and E-4 in the figure referred to above Suffice it to repsat here that all flies are ultimately descended from a single mutant strain which has been maintained for many years in the
Substance use outcomes of girls with ADHD in a 10-year follow-up of a prospective longitudinal study

Methods: Healthy cocaine smokers (≥2×/week; use for ≥20 years), aged 50–60, completed a three-day inpatient stay to ensure abstinence before undergoing an fMRI scan including social reward and threat tasks, and a behavioral facial affect recognition task. Participants and a friend/relative provided an assessment of the participant’s daily social function. Demographically matched controls also completed these assessments. Data were compared with t-tests. Results:Data collection is ongoing. To date, 21 cocaine smokers (17M; 4F; all AA) and 13 controls (10M; 3F; all AA) have participated. Initial analyses indicate that cocaine smokers less accurately identified facial sadness than did controls (p=0.04), with no difference in other emotions. Cocaine users also experienced more daily social problems, as indicated by both self (p=0.001) and peer (p=0.02) report. fMRI data are not yet available. Conclusions: Results to date suggest that aging cocaine users have lower social cognition andmore problems in daily social function than non-users. Deficits in social processingmay contribute to functional difficulties, problems accessing relationships as alternative rewards, and reduced success in psychotherapy. Further characterization of social processing difficulties in cocaine users may lead to development of more targeted interventions. Financial support: Supported byNIDA (DA030540;DA034877).
Time to First Cigarette, a Proxy of Nicotine Dependence, Increases the Risk of Pulmonary Impairment, Independently of Current and Lifetime Smoking Behavior

Introduction Cigarette smoking is the largest known risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but little is known about the role of time to first cigarette (TTFC), an indicator of nicotine dependence (ND). This study examines whether daily TTFC is associated with pulmonary outcomes, independently of smoking behavior. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 1461 current adult smokers were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2010. The relationships of daily TTFC with outcomes of spirometry-defined pulmonary impairment and self-reported respiratory symptoms (coughing, bringing up phlegm, and wheezing) were examined (1) at the unadjusted level, (2) after adjusting for smoking heaviness and duration, and (3) after also adjusting for environmental exposure and demographics. Results In fully-adjusted weighted regressions, those reporting TTFC ≤ 5 minutes were three times as likely to have COPD (confidence interval [CI] = 1.30-8.77), had a 3% lower forced vital capacity expired in the first second (FEV1/FVC) (CI = -0.051 to -0.009), were seven times as likely to report coughing (CI = 1.96-26.41), and 16 times as likely to report bringing up phlegm (CI = 3.43-74.82), relative to those reporting TTFC > 60 minutes. Similar associations were often found when comparing TTFC between 5 to 30 minutes and TTFC between 30 to 60 minutes with TTFC > 60 minutes. Conclusions "Addicted" smoking, as measured by earlier TTFC, is associated with a markedly increased risk of spirometry-measured obstructive pulmonary impairment, and of reporting symptoms of coughing and phlegm, even after controlling for smoking behavior and other risk factors for COPD. TTFC may prove valuable in more precisely assessing smokers' risk of pulmonary impairment. Implications This study shows that smoking sooner after waking, a reliable indicator of ND, substantially increases the risk of spirometry-defined pulmonary impairment and self-reported symptoms, independently of lifetime and current smoking behavior. This study adds to a small body of literature examining health outcomes associated with higher ND, including outcomes of COPD. The current study overcomes important shortcomings of these existing studies in at least two ways: controlling for other known risk factors for COPD, and using empirical, spirometry-defined outcomes pulmonary function rather than self-reported COPD outcomes.
Synthesis of CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles via the Ferrihydrite Route

Nanoparticles of CoFe2O4 in the size range of 5 nm to 36 nm have been synthesized by first producing two-line Co-doped ferrihydrite and annealing it at temperatures between 573 and 1073 K. Co-doped ferrihydrite is produced by reacting appropriate amounts of FeCl3/CoCl2 solutions with NH4OH at pH = 7. Thermogravimetric measurements provide evidence for the ferrihydrite to CoFe2O4 conversion between 500 and 700 K and x-ray diffraction is used to confirm the transformation to CoFeO4 and determine the particle size. The lattice constant increases initially with the increase in particle size approaching a constant value above 20 nm. The measured Tc equals 788 K for the 36 nm particles. Measurements of magnetization as a function of temperature and magnetic field confirm that the precursor Co-ferrihydrite is a superparamagnet with T ≃ 40 K, whereas for the 30 nm CoFe2O4, the coercivity Hc ≃ 7 kOe at 20 K, decreasing to Hc ≃ 800 Oe with Ms ≃ 60 emu/g at 300 K.
Functionalized hexagonal boron nitride nano-coatings for protection of transparent plastics

Nanocoating is the result of a coating application of nanomaterials to build a consistent network of molecules in a paint to protect the surfaces of various materials and devices. Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) is in two dimensional form with excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical properties. These BN nanocoatings are also a thermally insulating material for heat management. After adding functionalized h-BNs into paints or other coatings, they will absorb the harmful UV part of sunlight and prevent coating against the environmental degradations. The impacts of the environmental factors on the coatings can be substantially eliminated. In the present study, h-BNs were modified with [2-(2-Aminoethylamino) propyl] trimethoxysilane and uniformly dispersed into the polyurethane coatings with different amounts, such as 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8wt% to increase hardness and water resistance, and decrease the UV degradation level of coatings and transparent plastics. The prepared samples were characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Water Contact Angle, and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The test results showed that the nanocoatings with functionalized h-BN provided excellent physical and chemical behaviors against the UV and other physical degradations on the substrates.
From word embeddings to document similarities for improved information retrieval in software engineering

The application of information retrieval techniques to search tasks in software engineering is made difficult by the lexical gap between search queries, usually expressed in natural language (e.g. English), and retrieved documents, usually expressed in code (e.g. programming languages). This is often the case in bug and feature location, community question answering, or more generally the communication between technical personnel and non-technical stake holders in a software project. In this paper, we propose bridging the lexical gap by projecting natural language statements and code snippets as meaning vectors in a shared representation space. In the proposed architecture, word embeddings are first trained on API documents, tutorials, and reference documents, and then aggregated in order to estimate semantic similarities between documents. Empirical evaluations show that the learned vector space embeddings lead to improvements in a previously explored bug localization task and a newly defined task of linking API documents to computer programming questions.
Analysis of rural drinking water microbiological index monitoring results in Shihezi in 2013

Objective: To understand the microbiological index hygienic quality of rural drinking water in Shihezi and provide scientific basis for improving the rural drinking water quality. Methods: According to the GB /T 5750-2006 and GB5749-2006 to detect and evaluate the drinking water quality. Results: The microbiological index of 240 water samples were examined in 2013 and 215 were qualified,with the qualified rate of 89. 6%. Conclusion: The rural drinking water hygienic condition of Shihezi were continuously improved. To protect the health of rural residents,the rural drinking water quality still need to be strengthened the supervision and management.
A finite element method to compute three-dimensional equilibrium configurations of fluid membranes

We introduce a finite element method to compute equilibrium configurations of fluid membranes, identified as stationary points of a curvature-dependent bending energy functional under certain geometric constraints. The reparameterization symmetries in the problem pose a challenge in designing parametric finite element methods, and existing methods commonly resort to Lagrange multipliers or penalty parameters. In contrast, we exploit these symmetries by representing solution surfaces as normal offsets of given reference surfaces and entirely bypass the need for artificial constraints. We then resort to a Galerkin finite element method to compute discrete C 1 approximations of the normal offset coordinate.The variational framework presented is suitable for computing deformations of three-dimensional membranes subject to a broad range of external interactions. We provide a systematic algorithm for computing large deformations, wherein solutions at subsequent load steps are identified as perturbations of previously computed ones. We discuss the numerical implementation of the method in detail and demonstrate its optimal convergence properties using examples. We discuss applications of the method to studying adhesive interactions of fluid membranes with rigid substrates and to investigate the influence of membrane tension in tether formation.
Dangerous Crossings: Animals, Nature, and the Races of Man

Race as a natural-technical object of knowledge is fundamentally a category marking political power through location in “nature.” – Donna Haraway, Primate Visions Racialized groups have been likened to animals for centuries in Western culture, and because such comparisons have enabled extreme violence, they are considered today to be “dreaded” or even “inadmissible.” The conventional wisdom is that powerful groups have used animalization to “dehumanize” less powerful groups, demoting them from category A (humans) into category B (animals) and thus stripping them of the entitlements, rights, and protections distinctively owed to humans. Of course, this argument assumes an a priori state in which racialized groups were accepted as fully human. I argue in this chapter that racialized groups were never seen as fully human to begin with, so they did not have this status to lose. They were always already animal or animal-like. Animality and nature have been integral not incidental to the production of racial difference (Haraway 1989). Constructed in intimate relationship with animals and nature, Blacks, Indians, and the Chinese in the United States have been located for centuries in a borderlands between human and animal, a fraught zone of ambiguity, menace, and transgression. As a taxonomy of power, race lumps and splits. First, it places all nonwhites into a borderlands between human and animal. The concept of “borderlands” can mean an area around a border and/or an indeterminate area where units overlap, that is, an area demarcated by borders or an area that gives borders the lie. Here I use it to suggest an imaginative space where both liminal humans and the most human-like animals are located – testimony to both humans’ powerful drive to distinguish themselves hierarchically from other humans and animals and their failure to do so in any permanently successful way. It is a space wrought by power but illustrative of power’s indeterminacy. Whites, seen as quintessentially human, have never been located in this borderlands – they transcend the body and nature, they are progressive, they move forward through history, they have civilization and a history. Animals and animal-like humans, on the other hand, are untranscendent, tethered to the body and nature, incapable of civilization and progress, and lacking history.
Synergistic Cysteamine Delivery Nanowafer as an Efficacious Treatment Modality for Corneal Cystinosis

A synergy between the polymer biomaterial and drug plays an important role in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy, improving the drug stability, and minimizing the local immune responses in the development of drug delivery systems. Particularly, in the case of ocular drug delivery, the need for the development of synergistic drug delivery system becomes more pronounced because of the wet ocular mucosal surface and highly innervated cornea, which elicit a strong inflammatory response to the instilled drug formulations. This article presents the development of a synergistic cysteamine delivery nanowafer to treat corneal cystinosis. Corneal cystinosis is a rare metabolic disease that causes the accumulation of cystine crystals in the cornea resulting in corneal opacity and loss of vision. It is treated with topical cysteamine (Cys) eye drops that need to be instilled 6–12 times a day throughout the patient’s life, which causes side effects such as eye pain, redness, and ocular inflammation. As a result, compl...
Stationary versus bifurcation regime for standing wave central pattern generator

Abstract The purpose of this research is to show that the correlation analysis on surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals that originally confirmed existence of a standing wave central pattern generator (CPG) along the spine are reproducible despite evolution of the entrainment technique, different hardware and data collection protocol. Moreover, as major novelty of the present research, it is shown that this CPG can undergo “bifurcations,” here revealed by signal processing extrapolated towards the period-halving dynamical interpretation. The visually intuitive manifestation of the bifurcation is statistically confirmed—using bootstrap analysis—by a shift in the cross power spectral densities, consistently with the standing wave occurring on different subbands of the Daubechies DB3 wavelet decomposition of the sEMG signals.
From Pine Cones to Read Clouds: Rescaffolding the Megagenome of Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana).

We investigate the utility and scalability of new read cloud technologies to improve the draft genome assemblies of the colossal, and largely repetitive, genomes of conifers. Synthetic long read technologies have existed in various forms as a means of reducing complexity and resolving repeats since the outset of genome assembly. Recently, technologies that combine subhaploid pools of high molecular weight DNA with barcoding on a massive scale have brought new efficiencies to sample preparation and data generation. When combined with inexpensive light shotgun sequencing, the resulting data can be used to scaffold large genomes. The protocol is efficient enough to consider routinely for even the largest genomes. Conifers represent the largest reference genome projects executed to date. The largest of these is that of the conifer Pinus lambertiana (sugar pine), with a genome size of 31 billion bp. In this paper, we report on the molecular and computational protocols for scaffolding the P. lambertiana genome using the library technology from 10× Genomics. At 247,000 bp, the NG50 of the existing reference sequence is the highest scaffold contiguity among the currently published conifer assemblies; this new assembly's NG50 is 1.94 million bp, an eightfold increase.
Novel tungsten-incorporated mesoporous silicates synthesized via evaporation-induced self-assembly: Enhanced metathesis performance

Abstract Tungsten-incorporated mesostructured silicates were successfully synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method. Tungsten loadings from 2.9 to 22.2 wt% were achievable, with the corresponding BET surface areas decreasing from 520 to 284 m 2 /g at increased W loading. The W-EISA samples displayed amorphous ordered pore structure with an average pore size distribution of 2.3–3.3 nm. Hydrated isolated tetrahedral [WO 4 ] 2− species and hydrated octahedral polytungstate species were identified from diffuse reflectance UV/Vis spectra under ambient conditions. Uniform distribution of W species, mostly located near the surface, was evident from XPS W 4f photoelectron image. At 450 °C and 1 atm, for the reaction of ethylene + 2-butene metathesis to form propene, the W-EISA catalysts outperform either impregnated catalysts (WO 3 /SiO 2 and WO 3 /KIT-6) or one-pot synthesized W-KIT-6 catalyst, implying better W utilization in the W-EISA catalyst.
The development of magnetic field line wander in gyrokinetic plasma turbulence: dependence on amplitude of turbulence

The dynamics of a turbulent plasma not only manifests the transport of energy from large to small scales, but also can lead to a tangling of the magnetic field that threads through the plasma. The resulting magnetic field line wander can have a large impact on a number of other important processes, such as the propagation of energetic particles through the turbulent plasma. Here we explore the saturation of the turbulent cascade, the development of stochasticity due to turbulent tangling of the magnetic field lines and the separation of field lines through the turbulent dynamics using nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of weakly collisional plasma turbulence, relevant to many turbulent space and astrophysical plasma environments. We determine the characteristic time for the saturation of the turbulent perpendicular magnetic energy spectrum. We find that the turbulent magnetic field becomes completely stochastic at time for strong turbulence, and at for weak turbulence. However, when the nonlinearity parameter of the turbulence, a dimensionless measure of the amplitude of the turbulence, reaches a threshold value (within the regime of weak turbulence) the magnetic field stochasticity does not fully develop, at least within the evolution time interval . Finally, we quantify the mean square displacement of magnetic field lines in the turbulent magnetic field with a functional form ( is the correlation length parallel to the magnetic background field , is the distance along direction), providing functional forms of the amplitude coefficient and power-law exponent as a function of the nonlinearity parameter.
Making sense of digital identifiers for Internet and other online applications: summary of the LITA preconference

In the keynote address for the morning session, Clifford Lynch, Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), provided an overview of the importance of and controversies surr...
Evaluating Seasonal Orographic Precipitation in the Interior Western United States Using Gauge Data, Gridded Precipitation Estimates, and a Regional Climate Simulation

AbstractThere are several high-resolution (1–12 km) gridded precipitation datasets covering the interior western United States. This study cross validates seasonal orographic precipitation estimates from the Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) network; the national hourly multisensor precipitation analysis Stage IV dataset (NCEP IV); four gauge-driven gridded datasets; and a 10-yr, 4-km, convection-permitting Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulation. The NCEP IV dataset, which uses the NEXRAD network and precipitation gauges, is challenged in this region because of blockage and lack of low-level radar coverage in complex terrain. The gauge-driven gridded datasets, which statistically interpolate gauge measurements over complex terrain to better estimate orographic precipitation, are challenged by the highly heterogeneous, weather-dependent nature of precipitation in complex terrain at scales finer than can be resolved by the gauge network, such as the SNOTEL network. Gauge-driven gridded precipitat...
Advancing Suicide Prevention Through a Focus on Firearm Safety

An introduction is presented for an article in the issue on firearm safety as a suicide prevention method.
Understanding the evolution of anisogamy in the early diverging fungus, Allomyces

Gamete size dimorphism between sexes (anisogamy) is predicted to have evolved from isogamous system in which sexes have equal-sized, monomorphic gametes. Although adaptive explanations for the evolution of anisogamy abound, we lack comparable insights into molecular changes that bring about the transition from monomorphism to dimorphism. The basal fungal clade Allomyces provides unique opportunities to investigate genomic changes that are associated with this transition in closely related species that show either isogamous or anisogamous mating systems. The anisogamous species show sexual dimorphism in gamete size, number, pigmentation and motility. We sequenced transcriptomes of five Allomyces isolates representing the two mating systems, including both sexual phenotypes in the anisogamous species. Maximum likelihood ancestral character state reconstruction performed in MESQUITE using the de-novo assembled transcriptomes indicated that anisogamy likely evolved once in Allomyces, and is a derived character as predicted in theory. We found that sexual stages of Allomyces expresses homologs of several genes known to be involved in sex determination in model organisms including Drosophila and humans. Furthermore, expression of CatSper homologs in male- and female-biased samples in our analysis support the hypothesis that gamete interaction in the anisogamous species of Allomyces may involve similar molecular events as the egg-sperm interaction in animals, including humans. Although the strains representing either mating system shared much of the transcriptome, supporting recent common ancestry, the analysis of rate of evolution using individual gene trees indicates high substitution rates and divergence between the strains. In summary, we find that anisogamy likely evolved once in Allomyces, using convergent mechanisms to those in other taxa.
Plant growth and development influenced by transgenic insertion of bacterial chitinolytic enzymes

The role of the chitinolytic enzymes in plants is not necessarilyrestricted to plant defense. Tomato plants transformed with an endochitinaseand a chitobiosidase gene from Streptomyces albidoflavus andgrowth under greenhouse conditions showed a significant reduction in plantheight, and reduced time to flowering compared with the control(non-transformed) plants. The levels of chitobiosidase and endochitinaseactivity in the transgenic tomato plants were positively correlated with earlyflowering, and negatively correlated with plant height. We have not determinedwhether these effects are exclusively due to the expression of the transgenesof endochitinase and chitobiosidase from S. albidoflavus orthe additive effect of these 2 enzymes combined with the endogenouschitinolytic enzymes produced by the plants. However, when control plants were trimmed,early flowering was observed compared with the controls that were not trimmed, whichindicates that wound induced proteins such as chitinolytic enzymes affect thetime of flowering. In addition, the expression of the endochitinase andchitobiosidase genes significantly increased the number of flowers and fruit onthe plants, resulting in an increase in yield of fruit. One of the primarygoals of crop breeding programs is to increase the productivity of plants. These twogenes were directly associated with plant productivity, and should be studied further.
Fear Factor: The Role of Media in Covering and Shaping the Death Penalty,

Substantial work has been done on media's coverage of crime, and particularly violent crime. However, very little work has been done on media's relationship to the death penalty, a topic that presents its own set of complex challenges. This article examines the feedback loop between law and media in the capital punishment context. It first discusses the ways in which the perceived requisites of the media, particularly television, shape coverage of capital punishment. These requisites include the need for immediate, discrete and filmic occurrences, the demand for official sources, and the influence of dramatic conventions like stars and villains, a clear moral, and definitive closure. The paper argues that media coverage governed by these requisites gives short shrift to problems of justice and fairness in individual capital cases, and pays even less attention to broader, systemic problems plaguing the American system of capital punishment. The paper then argues that the administration of the death penalty is, in turn, strongly influenced by the media at a number of crucial pressure points. The feedback loop is especially visible at the legislative juncture, when crime control policies are made; at the prosecutorial juncture, when discretion about capital charging is at work; and at the adjudicative juncture, when both judge and jury must make difficult decisions about sentencing.
Random Thoughts about Randomness

In this paper I shall bring together some philosophical and logical ideas about randomness many of which have been said before in scattered places. For less philosophical aspects see, for example [27].
FREAK WAVES: A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION

A possible explanation is proposed for the occurrence of freak waves, which are defined as waves with larger heights than expected based on the Rayleigh distribution. The suggested cause is due to nonlinearities of superposition of waves which are not accounted for in the Rayleigh distribution. When two waves combine, if their fundamental components add linearly, it can be shown that the combined wave height increases by more than the sum of the fundamental components. The argument does not address the correctness of linear addition of the fundamental components nor does it include energy closure. An example is presented illustrating the concept.
TGF-beta 2 and TGF-beta 3 immunoreactivity within the ciliary epithelium [corrected].

Purpose To determine whether the ciliary epithelium exhibits immunoreactivity for antibodies to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) 2 and TGF-beta 3. The hypothesis was that because the aqueous humor contains mainly biologically active TGF-beta 2, with little TGF-beta 1, the epithelium largely responsible for its composition would also contain this isoform of TGF-beta. The authors anticipated TGF-beta 3 immunoreactivity because TGF-beta 3 often co-localizes with TGF-beta 2. Methods The authors followed a standard immunohistochemical protocol using the avidin-biotin complex and newly available rabbit antibodies to synthetic peptide sequences of TGF-beta 2 and TGF-beta 3. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of freshly obtained rabbit and human autopsy eyes were studied. Specificity was supported by specific peptide absorption of antisera before tissue incubation. Results The pigmented and nonpigmented ciliary epithelia of rabbit and human eyes were stained by antibodies to both TGF-beta 2 and TGF beta-3, and the staining was inhibited by preabsorption of antibodies by peptides of TGF-beta 2 and TGF-beta 3. Conclusions The authors conclude that the ciliary epithelium exhibits TGF-beta 2- and TGF-beta 3-like immunoreactivity that, based upon complementary work from other laboratories, is probably synthesized by this epithelium and is not simply absorbed by it from the aqueous humor.
Children Who Molest Other Children: The School Psychologist's Response to the Sexually Aggressive Child.

The number of children identified as molesters of other children is increasing in school settings. In order to respond appropriately, school psychologists must have an understanding of the phenomen...
Conclusions: Perspectives on the Role of SBRT in the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer

SBRT is emerging as a promising treatment intervention in the management of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. The various prospective single institution and retrospective series which have been published in the literature demonstrate what appears to be comparable PSA relapse free survival outcomes for SBRT patients compared to those treated with high-dose conventionally fractionated IMRT [1–6]. While for most published SBRT series the median follow-up has been 4–5 years, these reports so far seem to dispel the notion and concern that such treatment regimens are associated with significant complications and difficult-to-manage toxicities. As well documented in the previous chapters, the incidence of relapsing disease to date as well as acute and long-term toxicities associated with SBRT has been low, and there is no evidence that the prevalence of severe grade 3 and 4 urinary and rectal related toxicities is any higher than what is observed after conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy. Of course, longer follow-up will be necessary to confirm these observations.
Phase engineering and optical properties of 2D MoSe2: Promise and pitfalls

Abstract Phase engineering monolayer MoS2, selectively controlling the MoS2 2H to 1T′ transition via lithium intercalation, has driven recent excitement in the nanoscale electronics field, due to resultant MoS2 contact resistance reduction and the compatibility of MoS2 with CMOS device architecture. Here, we report the “on-chip” 2H to 1T′ transition for the related MoSe2 system, which has a smaller 1.55 eV 2H bandgap, and for which the 1T′ phase transformation should be more energetically favorable. We report the first on-chip 2H to 1T′ transformation of monolayer MoSe2 on both SiO2 and sapphire substrates. The on-chip 1T′ MoSe2 shows higher transparency despite an increased number of metallic states, indicating tunable optoelectronic properties with potential applications in transparent electrodes and energy harvesting. We also describe the challenges introduced by on-chip phase engineering via n-butyllithium exposure. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that Li+ ions are required on both sides of the MoSe2 monolayer to create a strong thermodynamic driving force for the 1T′ transformation. We observe that patterned n-butyllithium exposures can be inconsistent, with widely variable kinetics. Due to manifest n-butyllithium-engineered 1T′ MoSe2 stability concerns we propose the process is an unreliable processing technique for 2D electronics.
Multilevel Arthrodesis for Adult Spinal Deformity: When Should We Anticipate Major Blood Loss?

Abstract Study Design Retrospective study. Objectives To analyze predictors of major blood loss (MBL) during multilevel arthrodesis for adult spinal deformity (ASD). Summary of Background Data ASD surgery is associated with substantial blood loss. Methods We identified 237 patients with ASD who underwent spinal arthrodesis of five or more levels by one surgeon and who had complete data on blood loss. MBL was defined as normalized blood loss above the 75th percentile (ie, >49%). Patients with MBL were compared with those without MBL with respect to baseline characteristics, preoperative laboratory values, and surgical factors. Alpha level = 0.05. Results A total of 176 patients (74%) had MBL. On univariate analysis, the MBL and non-MBL groups differed with respect to diagnosis of osteoporosis (p = .002), curve type (p = .012), number of levels fused (p Conclusion Patients with ASD undergoing spinal arthrodesis of five or more levels are at risk for MBL. Three-column osteotomy, arthrodesis of ≥11 levels, malalignment in both coronal and sagittal planes, and osteoporosis appear to be risk factors for MBL. Level of Evidence Level III.
Comparative Performance of Fungicides, Biofungicides, and Host Plant Defense Inducers in Suppression of Phytophthora Root Rot in Flowering Dogwood During Simulated Root Flooding Events.

During flooding events in nurseries, Phytophthora root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands often causes damage that leads to complete crop loss. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of f...
Serum Albumin Trend Is a Predictor of Mortality in ICU Patients With Sepsis.

Introduction:Patients admitted to the hospital with sepsis are 8 times more likely to die than patients with other diagnoses. There is no diagnostic test that clearly identifies the presence of the...
Non‐Invasive Ultrasound Quantification of Scar Tissue Volume Identifies Early Functional Changes During Tendon Healing

Tendon injuries are very common and disrupt the transmission of forces from muscle to bone, leading to impaired function and quality of life. Successful restoration of tendon function after injury is a challenging clinical problem due to the pathological, scar-mediated manner in which the tendons heal. Currently, there are no standard treatments to modulate scar tissue formation and improve tendon healing. A major limitation to the identification of therapeutic candidates has been the reliance on terminal endpoint metrics of healing in pre-clinical studies, which require a large number of animals and result in destruction of the tissue. To address this limitation, we have identified quantification of scar tissue volume (STV) from ultrasound (US) imaging as a longitudinal, non-invasive metric of tendon healing. STV was strongly correlated with established endpoint metrics of gliding function including gliding resistance and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) flexion angle. However, no associations were observed between STV and structural or material properties. To define the sensitivity of STV to identify differences between functionally discrete tendon healing phenotypes, we utilized S100a4 haploinsufficient mice (S100a4GFP/+ ), which heal with improved gliding function relative to wild-type (WT) littermates. A significant decrease in STV was observed in S100a4GFP/+ repairs, relative to WT at day 14. Taken together, these data suggest US quantification of STV as a means to facilitate the rapid screening of biological and pharmacological interventions to improve tendon healing, and identify promising therapeutic targets, in an efficient, cost-effective manner. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2476-2485, 2019.
Cardiac Risk Stratification

Perioperative cardiovascular complications pose serious risk, especially to patients with pre-existing cardiac disease. The degree of risk varies widely depending on the patient’s medical comorbidities and type of surgery. A careful medical evaluation before surgery can help inform a discussion of risk for patients and providers and suggest management strategies to mitigate risk. Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and European Societies of Cardiology and Anaesthesiology (ESC/ESA) provide an evidence-based approach to perioperative cardiovascular risk stratification and testing.
Implementation of Flexible Large Power Transformers Using Modular Solid State Transformer Topologies Enabled by SiC Devices

Large power transformers (LPTs) have been a major concern of the electric power sector as a failure of a single unit can lead to temporary service interruption and utility damages. Replacement of such large and heavy transformer units is a challenging job as LPTs are custom-designed and hence entail long lead times due to its intricate manufacturing process and transportation. On the other hand, solid-state-transformer (SST) technology has evolved as an alternate option for the conventional line-frequency transformers, which offers comparatively reduced size and weight with the enhanced power quality features. With the advancement in wide-bandgap devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) and advanced power electronic converters, SSTs are able to deploy in medium voltage applications. Consequently, the utilization of SiC-SSTs for large power applications can mitigate some of the existing concerns of LPTs. In this paper, challenges and concerns associated with the existing LPTs are discussed. Possible SST modules/cells enabled by SiC devices, which can be connected in a modular structure to achieve multi-cell flexible large power SSTs (FLP-SST) are presented. The effectiveness of the discussed SST cells is validated using appropriate simulations and experimental results of the scaled SST prototypes.
Land-use controls on nutrient loads in aquifers draining agricultural and mixed-use karstic watersheds

Agricultural nonpoint source pollution from the upper areas of the Upper Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River basins accounts for the majority of the excess nitrogen that leads to the Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxic zone. However, agriculture landscapes across the USA, Europe, and China are undergoing major changes related to the proliferation of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that account for a greater proportion of point source contamination. Mitigating long-term nutrient inputs at a large scale (Mississippi River Basin) requires understanding these microscale changes at the small watershed level (less than 100 km2). To assess the control of land-use and subsurface hydrological processes on nutrient fate and transport, temporal patterns in nutrient concentrations in a mixed land-use karstic watershed were analyzed. To assess the control of differential land-use sources on total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) loads within the watershed, 4 months of weekly water sampling was performed at a spring location and at two underground conduit locations. The observed temporal variations in nutrient concentrations are primarily associated with seasonal changes in land-use associated with corn growth. Data show that land-use sources explain much of the temporal variability of TIN at the spring when weighted against the hydrological factor. End-member-mixing analysis of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) shows a progressive increase in the contribution of DOC-enriched sources and a more labile form of carbon toward the harvest time. Overall, during high flow, nonpoint source infiltration from manure-fertilized croplands in the northern branch (NB) dominate DOC loads. Because conduit-dominated karstic aquifers are more susceptible to contamination from direct and fast (< 7 h) subsurface infiltration during late summer rainfall period (July to August), a slight advance in the timing of manure application could substantially reduce nutrient loads to local groundwater. A combined evaluation of subsurface hydrological processes and land-use factors controlling nutrients at the scale of small watersheds is crucial to developing site-specific nutrient management plans and managing the Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxic zone.
Persistence of bactericidal antibodies following primary and booster MenACWY-TT vaccination of toddlers: A review of clinical studies

Abstract The long-term persistence of antibody responses following primary vaccination with quadrivalent conjugate vaccines targeting meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY) and the duration of protection following a booster dose have not been fully elucidated, particularly in children who received primary dosing as toddlers. This review summarizes the findings of one phase 3 and three phase 2 open-label, randomized clinical studies that assessed the long-term antibody persistence of MenACWY conjugated to tetanus toxoid as a carrier protein (MenACWY-TT) in toddlers. Following primary vaccination, antibody responses persisted for approximately 2–3 years and then decreased up to 5 years after vaccination. Geometric mean titers remained elevated for all serogroups up to 5 years after primary vaccination. In children who received a booster dose of MenACWY-TT at 4–5 years after primary dosing as toddlers, antibody responses were documented in >99% of subjects across all serogroups, with minimal decreases in antibody persistence from 2–6 years after booster vaccination. The persistence of meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) antibody responses was similar between MenACWY-TT and MenC vaccine recipients after primary and booster dosing. Together, these findings indicate that antibody responses to primary MenACWY-TT vaccination persist for 2–3 years. Additionally, these findings indicate that in subjects who receive primary MenACWY-TT vaccination as toddlers, the antibody response to booster MenACWY-TT vaccination lasts for up to 6 years and suggest that immune memory is afforded at least into early adolescence, which is an age group at increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease.
Total synthesis of bryostatin 3

Bryostatins are a family of 21 complex marine natural products with a wide range of potent biological activities. Among all the 21 bryostatins, bryostatin 3 is structurally the most complex. Whereas nine total syntheses of bryostatins have been achieved to date, bryostatin 3 has only been targeted once and required the highest number of steps to synthesize (43 steps in the longest linear sequence and 88 total steps). Here, we report a concise total synthesis of bryostatin 3 using 22 steps in the longest linear sequence and 31 total steps through a highly convergent synthetic plan by the use of highly atom-economical and chemoselective transformations in which alkynes played a major role in reducing step count.