LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Higher thyroid hormone receptor expression correlates with short larval periods in spadefoot toads and increases metamorphic rate.

Spadefoot toad species display extreme variation in larval period duration, due in part to evolution of thyroid hormone (TH) physiology. Specifically, desert species with short larval periods have higher tail tissue content of TH and exhibit increased responsiveness to TH. To address the molecular basis of larval period differences, we examined TH receptor (TR) expression across species. Based on the dual function model for the role of TR in development, we hypothesized that desert spadefoot species with short larval periods would have (1) late onset of TR expression prior to the production of endogenous TH and (2) higher TR levels when endogenous TH becomes available. To test these hypotheses, we cloned fragments of TRα and TRβ genes from the desert spadefoot toads Scaphiopus couchii and Spea multiplicata and their non-desert relative Pelobates cultripes and measured their mRNA levels in tails using quantitative PCR in the absence (premetamorphosis) or presence (natural metamorphosis) of TH. All species express TRα and TRβ from the earliest stages measured (from just after hatching), but S. couchii, which has the shortest larval period, had more TRα throughout development compared to P. cultripes, which has the longest larval period. TRβ mRNA levels were similar across species. Exogenous T3 treatment induced faster TH-response gene expression kinetics in S. couchii compared to the other species, consistent with its higher TRα mRNA expression and indicative of a functional consequence of more TRα activity at the molecular level. To directly test whether higher TRα expression may contribute to shorter larval periods, we overexpressed TRα via plasmid injection into tail muscle cells of the model frog Xenopus laevis and found an increased rate of muscle cell death in response to TH. These results suggest that increased TRα expression evolved in S. couchii and contribute to its higher metamorphic rates.
Ergonomics Principles Associated With Laparoscopic Surgeon Injury/Illness

OBJECTIVE
This study sought to investigate the prevalence of laparoscopic surgeon injury/illness symptoms and evaluate associations between symptoms and operating room ergonomics.


BACKGROUND
Although laparoscopic procedures significantly benefit patients in terms of decreased recovery times and improved outcomes, they contribute to mental fatigue and musculoskeletal problems among surgeons. A variety of ergonomic interventions and applications are implemented by surgeons to reduce health problems. Currently, there is a gap in knowledge regarding a surgeon's individual assessment of the operating room, an assessment that, in turn, would prompt the implementation of these interventions.


METHOD
A new survey instrument solicited information from surgeons (N = 61) regarding surgeon demographics, perception, frequency of operating room equipment adjustment, and self-reported symptoms. Surgeons responded to questions addressing safety, ergonomics, and fatigue in the operating room, using a 5-point Likert-type scale that included the option undecided.


RESULTS
Surgeons who responded undecided were more likely to experience symptoms of injury/illness than respondents who were able to assess the features of their operating rooms. Symptoms were experienced by 100% of participants. The most prevalent symptoms were neck stiffness, back stiffness, and back pain.


CONCLUSION
This study supports hypotheses that surgeons are experiencing body part discomfort and indicators of fatigue that may be associated with performing laparoscopy. Results suggest that awareness, knowledge, and utilization of ergonomic principles could protect surgeons against symptoms that lead to occupational injury.


APPLICATION
The purpose of this brief report is to convey the importance of ergonomic principles in the operating room, specific to laparoscopic surgery and surgeon injury/illness symptoms.
[Diagnostic and prognostic efficiency of 24-hour Holter monitoring in patients with syncope].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Syncope is a common condition and complex to diagnose. The yield of the 24h-Holter ECG in this context has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic capacity in these patients.


PATIENTS AND METHOD
Retrospective study of 6,006 consecutive patients sent to our unit for 24h-Holter ECG monitoring for syncope. We registered the diagnostic findings and abnormal findings potentially related to an arrhythmic cause of syncope. The prognostic endpoint was a combination of death or the need for device implantation (pacemaker or defibrillator) within one year.


RESULTS
242 patients (4%) presented diagnostic findings and 472 (7.9%) had some abnormal findings. In 328 cases device implantation was necessary within one year, but up to 66% of these patients did not have any relevant findings on the Holter monitoring. A total of 564 patients presented the combined event, including 36.8% of patients with diagnostic findings and 8.2% without them.


CONCLUSIONS
24h-Holter ECG monitoring presents a limited diagnostic and prognostic yield in unselected patients with syncope.
Positive Network Assortativity of Influenza Vaccination at a High School: Implications for Outbreak Risk and Herd Immunity

Schools are known to play a significant role in the spread of influenza. High vaccination coverage can reduce infectious disease spread within schools and the wider community through vaccine-induced immunity in vaccinated individuals and through the indirect effects afforded by herd immunity. In general, herd immunity is greatest when vaccination coverage is highest, but clusters of unvaccinated individuals can reduce herd immunity. Here, we empirically assess the extent of such clustering by measuring whether vaccinated individuals are randomly distributed or demonstrate positive assortativity across a United States high school contact network. Using computational models based on these empirical measurements, we further assess the impact of assortativity on influenza disease dynamics. We found that the contact network was positively assortative with respect to influenza vaccination: unvaccinated individuals tended to be in contact more often with other unvaccinated individuals than with vaccinated individuals, and these effects were most pronounced when we analyzed contact data collected over multiple days. Of note, unvaccinated males contributed substantially more than unvaccinated females towards the measured positive vaccination assortativity. Influenza simulation models using a positively assortative network resulted in larger average outbreak size, and outbreaks were more likely, compared to an otherwise identical network where vaccinated individuals were not clustered. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and addressing heterogeneities in seasonal influenza vaccine uptake for prevention of large, protracted school-based outbreaks of influenza, in addition to continued efforts to increase overall vaccine coverage.
A Novel Dry Active Electrode for EEG Recording

The design and testing of a "dry" active electrode for electroencephalographic recording is described. A comparative study between the EEG signals recorded in human volunteers simultaneously with the classical Ag-AgCl and "dry" active electrodes was carried out and the reported preliminary results are consistent with a better performance of these devices over the conventional Ag-AgCl electrodes
An Architectural Evaluation of Java TPC-W

The use of the Java programming language for implementing server-side application logic is increasing in popularity, yet there is very little known about the architectural requirements of this emerging commercial workload. We present a detailed characterization of the Transaction Processing Council’s TPC-W web benchmark, implemented in Java. The TPC-W benchmark is designed to exercise the web server and transaction processing system of a typical e-commerce web site. We have implemented TPC-W as a collection of Java servlets, and present an architectural study detailing the memory system and branch predictor behavior of the workload. We also evaluate the effectiveness of a coarse-grained multithreaded processor at increasing system throughput using TPC-W and other commercial workloads. We measure system throughput improvements from 8% to 41% for a two context processor, and 12% to 60% for a four context uniprocessor over a single-threaded uniprocessor, despite decreased branch prediction accuracy and cache hit rates.
Video observations and model predictions of depth-induced wave dissipation

Time-averaged video observations of the nearshore zone show the process of wave breaking as one or more white alongshore bands of high intensity, corresponding to the preferential location of breaking-wave dissipation on one or more sandbars. Across a known depth profile, similar bands of dissipation can be predicted with existing wave transformation models based on the wave energy balance. This opens up possibilities for estimating bathymetry from video observations by processing observed intensities into a model-predicted proxy of wave dissipation and the inverse modeling of this dissipation proxy into depth. The objectives of this paper are: 1) to present a technique for processing time-averaged cross-shore image intensity profiles into profiles that solely contain the contribution due to wave breaking and 2) to empirically determine which modeled wave dissipation proxy relates best to the cross-shore shape of the obtained breaking-induced intensity. The processing technique involves the removal of background illumination and noise, and, most importantly, a correction for white foam that after being generated in the breaking process remains floating at the water surface. This foam thus contributes to high image intensities but is not predicted by wave transformation models. Based on video and bathymetric data collected at the double-barred beach at Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands and a standard wave transformation model containing the wave and roller energy balances, we find that the modeled cross-shore distribution of the dissipation of the energy of the surface roller (the white aerated mass of water at the breaking-wave front) matches the observed cross-shore shape of breaking-induced intensity well. Other hypothesized dissipation proxies result in a larger (>10 m) seaward bias in the locations of maximum breaking-induced intensity and model-predicted dissipation or do not predict the cross-shore change in the area below the breaking-induced intensity bands correctly.
A rapid protocol for the prevention of contrast-induced renal dysfunction: the RAPPID study.

OBJECTIVES
This study was designed to test a rapid protocol of intravenous acetylcysteine for prevention of radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN).


BACKGROUND
Oral acetylcysteine (NAC) may provide better prophylaxis against RCIN than intravenous (i.v.) hydration alone. Current protocols preclude prophylaxis of same-day or emergency patients owing to the need for prolonged pretreatment.


METHODS
We prospectively randomized 80 patients with stable renal dysfunction undergoing cardiac catheterization/intervention to a rapid protocol of i.v. NAC (150 mg/kg in 500 ml N/saline over 30 min immediately before contrast followed by 50 mg/kg in 500 ml N/saline over 4 h, n = 41, 67 +/- 10 years, 90% men) or i.v. hydration (1 ml/kg/h N/saline for 12 h pre- and post-contrast, n = 39, 71 +/- 8.8 years, 85% men).


RESULTS
Radiocontrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 2 of the 41 patients in the NAC group (5%) and in 8 of the 39 patients in the hydration group (21%; p = 0.045; relative risk: 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.98). In the NAC group, mean serum creatinine fell from 1.85 +/- 0.59 to 1.77 +/- 0.73 and 1.79 +/- 0.73 mg/dl 48 h and four days post-contrast (p = 0.02 and 0.023 vs. baseline, respectively). In the hydration group, serum creatinine increased from 1.75 +/- 0.41 to 1.81 +/- 0.6 48 h and 1.80 +/- 0.50 mg/dl four days post-contrast (p = 0.99 and 0.23, respectively). NAC infusion was ceased after the bolus in three patients (7%) due to flushing, itching, or a transient rash.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of i.v. NAC should be considered in all patients at risk of RCIN before contrast exposure when time constraints preclude adequate oral prophylaxis, provided the patient is able to tolerate this degree of volume loading.
On the multiplicity of linear recurrence sequences

Abstract We prove a lemma regarding the linear independence of certain vectors and use it to improve on a bound due to Schmidt on the zero-multiplicity of linear recurrence sequences.
Development and demonstration of a TDOA-based GNSS interference signal localization system

Background theory, a reference design, and demonstration results are given for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference localization system comprising a distributed radio-frequency sensor network that simultaneously locates multiple interference sources by measuring their signals' time difference of arrival (TDOA) between pairs of nodes in the network. The end-to-end solution offered here draws from previous work in single-emitter group delay estimation, very long baseline interferometry, subspace-based estimation, radar, and passive geolocation. Synchronization and automatic localization of sensor nodes is achieved through a tightly-coupled receiver architecture that enables phase-coherent and synchronous sampling of the interference signals and so-called reference signals which carry timing and positioning information. Signal and cross-correlation models are developed and implemented in a simulator. Multiple-emitter subspace-based TDOA estimation techniques are developed as well as emitter identification and localization algorithms. Simulator performance is compared to the Cramér-Rao lower bound for single-emitter TDOA precision. Results are given for a test exercise in which the system accurately locates emitters broadcasting in the amateur radio band in Austin, TX.
Tomato yield, biomass accumulation, root distribution and irrigation water use efficiency on a sandy soil, as affected by nitrogen rate and irrigation scheduling

Florida is the largest producer of fresh-market tomatoes in the United States. Production areas aretypically intensively managed with high inputs of fertilizer and irrigation. The objectives of this 3-year field study were to evaluate the interaction between N-fertilizer rates and irrigation scheduling on yield, irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) and root distribution of tomato cultivated in a plastic mulched/drip irrigated production systems. Experimental treatments included three irrigation scheduling regimes and three N-rates (176, 220 and 230 kg ha ). Irrigation treatments included were: (1) SUR (surface drip irrigation) both irrigation and fertigation line placed right underneath the plastic mulch; (2) SDI (subsurface drip irrigation) where the irrigation line was placed 0.15 m below the fertigation line which was located on top of the bed; and (3) TIME (conventional control) with irrigation and fertigation lines placed as in SUR and irrigation being applied once a day. Except for the ‘‘TIME’’ treatment all irrigation treatments were controlled by soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based irrigation set at 10% volumetric water content which was allotted five irrigation windows daily and bypassed events if the soil water content exceeded the established threshold. Average marketable fruit yields were 28, 56 and 79 Mg ha 1 for years 1–3, respectively. The SUR treatment required 15–51% less irrigation water when compared to TIME treatments, while the reductions in irrigation water use for SDI were 7–29%. Tomato yield was 11–80% higher for the SUR and SDI treatments than TIME where as N-rate did not affect yield. Root concentration was greatest in the vicinity of the irrigation and fertigation drip lines for all irrigation treatments. At the beginning of reproductive phase about 70–75% of the total root length density (RLD) was concentrated in the 0– 15 cm soil layerwhile15–20% of the rootswere foundinthe15–30 cmlayer. CorrespondingRLD distribution values during the reproductive phase were 68% and 22%, respectively. Root distribution in the soil profile thus appears to be mainly driven by development stage, soil moisture and nutrient availability. It is concluded that use of SDI and SMS-based systems consistently increased tomato yields while greatly improving irrigation water use efficiency and thereby reduced both irrigation water use and potential N leaching. # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. avai lab le at www.sc iencedi rec t .com journal homepage: www.e lsev ier .com/ locate /agwat * Corresponding author. E-mail address: lzota@ufl.edu (L. Zotarelli). Abbreviations: DAT, days after transplanting; SDI, subsurface drip irrigation; TIME, fixed time irrigation; SUR, surface drip irrigation; VWC, volumetric water content; iWUE, irrigation water use efficiency; SMS, soil moisture sensor. 0378-3774/$ – see front matter # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2008.06.007 a g r i c u l t u r a l w a t e r m a n a g e m e n t 9 6 ( 2 0 0 9 ) 2 3 – 3 4 24
Microphone based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) micro-pillars and patterned electrodes

Piezoelectric materials have the ability to transfer energy between the electric and mechanical domains. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) exhibits higher piezoelectricity than other polymer materials such as nylon and polyvinyl chloride. PVDF is a superior material for sensors because its stress constant, the ability to convert stress into electrical energy, is more than 20 times higher than that of lead zirconate titanate. Nonetheless, there is significant interest in improving the effective stress constant of PVDF devices beyond the intrinsic sensitivity of the material. Significant research has focused on improvements in material properties, such as increasing β phase ratio or artificially introducing defects, and processing, such as optimizing stretch ratio and poling temperature or applying a high electric field. This research is focused on improving the stress constant, or sensor sensitivity, by means of design. The acoustic sensor presented in this dissertation exploits the key advantages of PVDF as a sensor material by means of two key design elements aimed at increasing the charge and decreasing the effective device capacitance. The first design element is a stress amplification mechanism through the area ratio between the overall surface exposed to acoustic waves and the area of an array of PVDF micro-pillars. Because PVDF responds to stress, this mechanism increases the amount of charge for a given pressure level. The second design element is top and bottom electrodes selectively
BEYOND BITCOIN: ISSUES IN REGULATING BLOCKCHAIN TRANSACTIONS

The buzz surrounding Bitcoin has reached a fever pitch. Yet in academic legal discussions, disproportionate emphasis is placed on bitcoins (that is, virtual currency), and little mention is made of blockchain technology—the true innovation behind the Bitcoin protocol. Simply, blockchain technology solves an elusive networking problem by enabling “trustless” transactions: value exchanges over computer networks that can be verified, monitored, and enforced without central institutions (for example, banks). This has broad implications for how we transact over electronic networks. This Note integrates current research from leading computer scientists and cryptographers to elevate the legal community’s understanding of blockchain technology and, ultimately, to inform policymakers and practitioners as they consider different regulatory schemes. An examination of the economic properties of a blockchainbased currency suggests the technology’s true value lies in its potential to facilitate more efficient digital-asset transfers. For example, applications of special interest to the legal community include more efficient document and authorship verification, title transfers, and contract enforcement. Though a regulatory patchwork around virtual currencies has begun to form, its careful analysis reveals much uncertainty with respect to these alternative applications. Copyright © 2015 Trevor I. Kiviat. † Duke University School of Law, J.D. / LL.M. expected 2016; Syracuse University, B.S. 2011. I have no financial interest in bitcoin. My thanks in completing this Note are many: to Sheldon Thomas, for introducing me to bitcoin and for many lively conversations on this topic; to Professor Campbell R. Harvey, for inviting me to workshop early versions of this Note in his Cryptoventures course; to Reuben Grinberg and John Weinstein, for insightful comments and mentorship; to the Bluebook ninjas of the Duke Law Journal, for their outstanding contributions; and to my family, for their endless love, patience, and support. KIVIAT IN PRINTER FINAL (DO NOT DELETE) 11/23/2015 6:37 AM 570 DUKE LAW JOURNAL [Vol. 65:569 The circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money.
Automatic speaker age and gender recognition using acoustic and prosodic level information fusion

The paper presents a novel automatic speaker age and gender identification approach which combines seven different methods t both acoustic and prosodic levels to improve the baseline performance. The three baseline subsystems are (1) Gaussian mixture odel (GMM) based on mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) features, (2) Support vector machine (SVM) based on GMM ean supervectors and (3) SVM based on 450-dimensional utterance level features including acoustic, prosodic and voice quality nformation. In addition, we propose four subsystems: (1) SVM based on UBM weight posterior probability supervectors using the hattacharyya probability product kernel, (2) Sparse representation based on UBM weight posterior probability supervectors, (3) VM based on GMM maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR) matrix supervectors and (4) SVM based on the polynomial xpansion coefficients of the syllable level prosodic feature contours in voiced speech segments. Contours of pitch, time domain nergy, frequency domain harmonic structure energy and formant for each syllable (segmented using energy information in the voiced peech segment) are considered for analysis in subsystem (4). The proposed four subsystems have been demonstrated to be effective nd able to achieve competitive results in classifying different age and gender groups. To further improve the overall classification erformance, weighted summation based fusion of these seven subsystems at the score level is demonstrated. Experiment results re reported on the development and test set of the 2010 Interspeech Paralinguistic Challenge aGender database. Compared to the VM baseline system (3), which is the baseline system suggested by the challenge committee, the proposed fusion system achieves .6% absolute improvement in unweighted accuracy for the age task and 4.2% for the gender task on the development set. On the nal test set, we obtain 3.1% and 3.8% absolute improvement, respectively. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.