cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of CNN-based Approaches for Detection of COVID-19 on Chest X-ray Images

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly contagious respiratory disease, has rapidly become a global pandemic. Chest X-ray imaging could serve an important role in early diagnosis of the disease. Deep learning methods have recently shown promise in disease detection tasks. The aim of this study was to develop a deep learning-based approach for detection of COVID-19 in chest X-ray images. Data were extracted from an opensource COVID-19 database developed by Cohen JP. The data consisted of X-ray images of patients with COVID-19, with other pneumonias or with no findings. The 205 images were randomly partitioned into training, validation and test datasets containing 143, 32, and 30 images, respectively, using a 70%/15%/15% split. The performance of several deep convolutional neural network (CNN)-based architectures, including VGG16, ResNet50, DenseNet121, and InceptionV3, were evaluated on the disease detection task. These networks were first pretrained on the ImageNet dataset consisting of natural images and then further fine-tuned on the task of detecting COVID-19 in chest X-ray images. The networks were then evaluated on the test set by assessing overall accuracy, area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity and specificity. The performance of the networks trained from scratch without pretraining on ImageNet was also compared to the performance of the networks that were first pretrained on ImageNet and then fine-tuned on the detection task. DenseNet121 had the best performance on the test set with an overall accuracy of 90.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 78.6%, 100%), an AUROC of 0.95, a sensitivity of 91.3% and a specificity of 85.7%. The pretrained DenseNet121 also significantly outperformed the DenseNet121 trained from scratch with a 30.0% improvement in overall accuracy. The proposed deep learning-based approach showed significant promise for detection of COVID-19 in chest X-ray images.
Cusp Overlap Technique: Should It Become the Standard Implantation Technique for Self-expanding Valves?

Accurate imaging of the aortic root during valve implantation is crucial for proper prosthesis positioning during TAVR. The purpose of this review was to determine if routine use of the cusp-overlap view should be adopted for self-expanding valves. The use of the cusp-overlap view with the Evolut, Portico, ACURATE neo/neo2, and JenaValve systems is associated with lower post-procedural new permanent pacemaker implantation rates when compared with the standard 3-cusp view, presumably due to more precise valve implantation relative to the conduction system by the non-coronary cusp. By elongating the left ventricular outflow tract and accentuating the right-non commissure in the center of the fluoroscopic view, the cusp-overlap technique allows operators to more precisely control the prosthesis implant depth during self-expanding valve deployment. While the early experience with this approach in Evolut TAVR has been promising, the results of larger studies with longer follow-up across multiple self-expanding systems are warranted.
Photobodies reveal their secret.

Light-induced ‘speckles’, or photobodies, have been long known in plants, but the mechanistic basis of their formation along with their cellular function have remained a mystery. Answers to both questions have now been provided.
Raptor Code for Energy-Efficient Wireless Body Area Network Data Transmission

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is a device developed mainly for the purpose of monitoring the medical condition of a human. WBAN is worn on the surface or in the human body, and it contains a wireless communication device. A WBAN device is required to be small-sized, with limited power and high data reliability. The data reliability can be obtained by using a carefully designed channel coding scheme so that the energy consumed can be maintained at a low level. In this paper, data transmission in Rayleigh, Rician, and Nakagami-m fading channels using Raptor and BCH codes is simulated. Simulation results show that Raptor-coded data transmission consumes lower energy compared to BCH-coded transmission for various fading channels if the transmission distance exceeds 10 meters. Therefore, Raptor code is a good candidate for the channel coding scheme for WBAN.
A Large-brained Social Animal

Publisher Summary A useful starting point in the study of large-brained animals is to scale back from an interest in specific neural structures, and instead look at a much coarser metric, i.e., brain size. “Large-brained” is a relative concept and depends on the group used for the comparison. Great apes, dolphins, and corvids are all large-brained when compared to their close relatives. These groups have diverse neuroanatomical characteristics, yet their similarly complex behavior indicates that they have convergently evolved a remarkable adaptation: high general intelligence. However, for dusky dolphins and other large-brained and cognitively complex species, more studies are needed to generate a consensus about the evolution of “braininess,” especially with respect to the social brain hypothesis (SBH). Complementing efforts to document animal relationships in nature are controlled experiments that illuminate the mechanistic connections between feeling, thinking, and behaving. The mechanisms linking large, complex brains and particular types of social relationships should be explored further in relation to the SBH. Finally, the issue of how to disentangle cause and effect in systems with feedbacks should be addressed further. The path analysis used by Dunbar and Shultz and ancestral character state reconstruction of sociality and brain size both seem to be promising approaches. Additionally, discerning the timescale of relevant ecological and evolutionary processes is critical for establishing the importance of feedback between the two processes.
Load Distribution Inside Piles

Before analyzing the load distribution inside a pile, this chapter examines the load distribution inside a building column. When a pile is driven, the soil around the pile is stressed. Because of elastic forces, surrounding soil tries to push the pile upward. After pile driving is completed, the bottom soil layers try to push the pile out of the ground due to elastic forces. This action of the bottom soil layers is countered by the action of the top soil layers. Elastic forces acting upward are resisted by the skin friction of top layers. If elastic forces are too large to be countered by skin friction, then the pile will pop out of the ground. This does not usually happen. Through elasticity of soil, the pile is stressed just after it has been driven before loading. These stresses existing in the pile just after driving, before loading, are known as residual stresses. In the past, researchers ignored residual stresses inside piles before loading.
Multi-UAV software systems and simulation architecture

As unmanned aerial systems (UAS) continue to increasingly require greater integration of sophisticated software systems, developing and utilizing best practices and principles of formal software systems engineering can enhance and ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of these systems. This paper highlights the detailed implementation of a number of such tools, including agile software development methods such as automated software testing, and enhanced simulation-in-the-loop testing for multi-UAS virtual and live-fly capabilities. Significant and tangible benefit to active field experimentation is demonstrated through description of these integrated approaches, impacting ongoing efforts in multi-UAS research, testing, and assessment practices.
Correlation functions of the global E 8 symmetry currents in the Heterotic 5-brane theory

We consider the 5-brane placed at one end of the world in the Heterotic $E_8 \times E_8$ theory. The low energy theory is a 6 dimensional $(1,0)$ superconformal theory with $E_8$ as a global symmetry. We calculate the two-point correlator of the $E_8$ current in 6 dimensions and in 4 dimensions after compactification on $\MT{2}$. This correlator is derived in 3 different ways: From field theory, from 11 dimensional supergravity and from F-theory.
On the utility of formal methods in the development and certification of software

During the past three decades, many formal methods have been proposed whose goal is to improve the quality of computer systems. I use the term formal method to refer to any mathematically-based technique or tool useful in either hardware or software development. Recently, formal methods have played a significantly increased role in hardware design. More and more companies that sell microprocessors and hardware chips, including Intel, IBM, and Motorola, are using formally-based tools, such as model checkers, theorem provers, and equivalence checkers, to check hardware designs for flaws. While applied less frequently in practical software development, formal methods have, in a few recent cases, also been effective in detecting software defects. A prominent example is the set of tools developed in Microsoft’s SLAM project which were designed to detect flaws in device drivers [1], a primary source of software defects in Microsoft programs. In 2006, Microsoft released the Static Driver Verifier (SDV) as part of Windows Vista, the latest Microsoft operating system. SDV uses the SLAM model checker to detect cases in which device drivers linked to Vista violate one of a set of interface rules.
Supporting Technologies and Organizational Practices for the Transfer of Knowledge in Virtual Environments

A field study of a global science/technology company provides evidence of the value of both organizational practices and technology tools for supporting knowledge attainment (the combined tacit and explicit knowledge gained in a focal area – in this study we focus on product knowledge attainment) in virtual environments. We present a three-dimensional typology of knowledge management systems. Method of input, form of content, and how the users accrue the benefit of the knowledge help us to argue that organizational practices and technological tools will have independent positive effects on user knowledge attainment. We find attendance at face-to-face community of practice meetings, use of searchable archives, video-on-demand, and full-text search of video-on-demand all positively predict knowledge attainment. We suggest that organizations develop both organizational practices and technical supports for knowledge transfer. An interview with the video-on-demand vendor gives us the context to discuss issues for the support of tacit knowledge in more virtual environments as well as issues of expertise as it relates to support for formal and informal learning.
A near real-time scour monitoring system at Indian River Inlet, Delaware, USA

The Indian River Inlet is the only connection between the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth and Indian River Bays. The inlet has been problematic from an engineering standpoint since locals and state agencies first tried to make the opening permanent in the late 1920's. Localized scour is of particular concern to state officials due to its proximity to supporting bridge piers for Highway 1 that serves as a vital link between towns north and south of the inlet and as a hurricane evacuation route. While a new bridge is under construction and slated to be completed in 2011, engineers are concerned over the safety of the present bridge due to ongoing scour. In response to the progression of the scour on the seaward side of the bridge, a near real-time scour monitoring system was developed and deployed in November 2008. The system consists of two 250 kHz Marine Electronics 3D profiling sonars and two 470 kHz Nortek Continental Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP). The sonar consists of an acoustic transducer in a sealed, oil-filled dome that is controlled by precise step motors. After a complete scan, assuming the maximum range settings have been used, the sonar returns a full hemispherical scan of the inlet bottom within its "viewing" range. One of each sensor type is paired together and housed in a custom-built stainless steel frame and installed below mean lower low water on each of the seaward bridge piers. Each sensor pair is controlled by a single land-based computer using task scheduling software to wake a sensor from sleep mode and initiate a data capture sequence. At the end of a sampling sequence data are automatically transferred through a wireless link to offsite computers for analysis, including merging the individual sonar data sets, and dissemination. Through comparison to recent USACE multibeam surveys, the initial data shows that the scour hole is well-resolved. In addition, preliminary analysis from ADCP data suggests that macro-turbulence during ebbing tide associated with irregular bottom topography may be a controlling factor in the growth of the scour hole.
Closing of the Central American Seaway and the Ice Age: A critical review

[1] What role did the closing of the Central American Seaway play in enabling continental ice sheets to wax and wane over North America and Fennoscandia? A summary of relevant evidence presented here permits a causal relationship between them but can be interpreted to show none. The common denominator of such evidence is the approximate simultaneity of that closing with global cooling and the first major ice advance. At the resolution of paleoclimate, however, geologic evidence from Central America places only weak constraints on when interchange between Pacific and Caribbean water ceased. The strongest evidence for when North and South America became connected by a continuous land bridge, the “Great American Exchange” of vertebrates, assigns climate change the causal role, for an arid Central American climate, typical of glacial times, seems necessary for animals that inhabited savannas to pass through Panama. Paleoceanographic and geochemical studies of environments and water masses in the eastern Pacific, western Caribbean, and Atlantic in general call for continual change since ∼6 Ma or earlier, if evidence concurrent with global change near 3.5–3 Ma seems more widespread than for other times. Hypothesized connections between a closed seaway and glaciation commonly call for profoundly different North Atlantic Ocean circulation, but simulations using general circulation models provide a spectrum of differences in circulation for open and closed seaways. Might much (not all) of the evidence implicating the closing of the seaway in global climate change in fact be a consequence of that change and blind to Central America's tectonic development?
A Kalman filter approach for accurate 3D motion estimation from a sequence of stereo images

The authors present a Kalman filter approach for accurately estimating the 3D position and orientation of a moving object from a sequence of stereo images. One of the drawbacks of using a long sequence of images is that the noisy images taken from a longer distance result in larger errors in 3D reconstruction and, consequently, lead to a serious degradation in motion estimation. To overcome this drawback, the authors have derived a set of Kalman filter equations for motion estimation in the quaternion representation. The measurement equation is obtained by analyzing the effect of white Gaussian noise in 2D images on 3D positional errors, and incorporating the optimal 3D reconstruction under the consistency constraint. The state propagation equation is formulated by specifying the error between the true rotation and the nominal rotation in terms of the measurement noise in 2D images. Actual rotation parameters have been computed from the estimated quaternions by the iterated least-squares method. Simulation results indicate that the equations derived are accurate for 3D motion estimation. >
Intensifying insulin treatment: Options, practical issues, and the role of the nurse practitioner

Abstract Purpose: Failure to achieve and maintain glycemic targets in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major clinical issue. Effectively combating the barriers that postpone timely intensification, and educating patients on available treatment options, are key roles of the nurse practitioner. This article summarizes practical considerations in the management of T2D at this stage. Data sources: Published guidelines for the management of T2D, primary and review articles, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribing information. Conclusions: In patients receiving insulin therapy not achieving targets despite dose titration, a change in insulin regimen may be necessary to achieve clinical targets while minimizing hypoglycemia and weight gain. Whichever strategy is initiated first must be tailored to the individual and include on-going monitoring to manage both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. In addition to considerations of glycemic control, the timing and method of insulin intensification will depend on patient willingness, overall health status, meal patterns and routines, and risk of hypoglycemia. Common patient barriers to insulin intensification include regimen complexity and increased risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. Implications for practice: Support and education on available treatment regimens are key to achieve a comfort level with intensifying insulin therapy that will lead to improved treatment adherence.
Some new concepts in then-body and 3-body problems

Then-body problem in 3-space for point masses ofarbitrary magnitude is approached by introduction of a weightedharmonic mean separation and anrms velocity of the particles. It is shown how these averages may be expressed in terms of asingle parameter for each of the cases of positive and negative total energy. The general problems of escape and collision are classified by the introduction ofescape, rest andcollision polynomials. For systems with a non-null total angular momentum it is shown how anrms angular momentum may be constructed and used with aharmonic mean centroidal moment of inertia.
Bowel obstruction caused by a Meckel's diverticulum enterolith: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Meckel’s diverticulum is the most common congenital gastrointestinal anomaly. It may infrequently cause bleeding, perforation, or rarely obstruction. Formation of enteroliths in the diverticulum is uncommon. We present a case of small bowel obstruction from an expelled enterolith.
Smoking and Lung Cancer: Some Observations on Two Recent Reports

(1958). Smoking and Lung Cancer: Some Observations on Two Recent Reports. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 53, No. 281, pp. 28-38.
Influence of phenyl-trisilanol polyhedral silsesquioxane on properties of epoxy network glasses

Abstract The influence of phenyl-trisilanol polyhedral silsesquioxane (POSS-triol) on the thermo-mechanical properties and curing of epoxy-amine networks were investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Two of the most common epoxy monomers, diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA), tetraglycidyl diamino diphenyl methane (TGDDM) were used. These epoxies were cured with linear aliphatic diamine: 2-Methyl-1,5-pentadiamine (Dytek ® A) or diamine terminated polypropylene oxide (Jeffamine ® D230). Using an identical curing schedule, when minor amounts of POSS-triol were added to the epoxy-amine networks, we found a significant improvement on value of T g . Due to the small quantity of POSS-triol used, this enhancement in T g is attributed to the catalytic activity of phenyl-trisilanol POSS in promoting a more completely cured epoxy network. This argument is consistent with observed increases in the rubbery plateau modulus due to increases in the crosslink density. But unlike other catalysts such as phenol, we did not observe acceleration of reaction in the pre-gelation stage by this acidic POSS-silanol. Because of its nanoscopic size, this acidic POSS-silanol promotes additional epoxy-amine crosslinking in the post-vitrification stage, which is dominated by diffusion-control mechanisms. We believe this can be utilized in fabrication of fiber-reinforced composites using the resin transfer molding process, where maintaining the low viscosity for a period of time is required to eliminate porosity and to produce higher T g materials at a lower post-cure temperature.
Cosmic Ray Induced Permanent Damage in MNOS EAROMs

Permanent damage to the memory cells in Metal Nitride Oxide Semiconductor (MNOS) Electrically Alterable Read Only Memories (EAROM) has been observed after exposure to a heavy ion beam from a cyclotron under high field (Erase/Write Mode) conditions. The probability of permanent damage depends on the system application.
Palladium-graphite interaction potentials based on first-principles calculations.

Utilisation des calculs «ab initio» d'energie totale pour deduire un potentiel d'interaction entre le palladium et le graphite. Presentation d'une forme parametree, inspiree par la theorie de la fonctionnelle de la densite, pour usage dans les simulations de la dynamique moleculaire et dans l'interpretation des images de la microscopie des forces atomiques du graphite
Nutritional Eye Diseases in Salmonids: A Review

Abstract During the past decade, ocular abnormalities (including cataracts) have become a serious problem in salmonid hatcheries throughout the world. Among the many causes of visual impairment in cultured salmonids, six have their basis in nutritional deficiencies: Vitamin A deficiency causes exophthalmia, along with clouding and severe degeneration of the cornea and retina; thiamin deficiency primarily involves clouding of the cornea; riboflavin deficiency causes a degeneration of both the cornea and the lens; and a deficiency of sulfur containing amino acids, tryptophan, or zinc leads to a lenticular opacity with no involvement of other ocular tissues.
There is no place like home: NBC's search for a daytime audience, 1954‐1957

In 1954 NBC launched Home, a daytime program aimed at women that was meant to complement NBC's non‐primetime Today and Tonight shows. The hour‐long program was hosted by Arlene Francis and broadcast between 11 AM and noon to a national audience. This article examines Home and assesses its role in U.S. broadcasting history. Although Home's reign was shortlived—it went off the air in 1957—it was remarkable in several respects. First, it was the first major network program geared explicitly to an audience of housewives. Second, it pioneered the “magazine” concept of advertising support, a sponsoring structure which allowed broadcasters, rather than the advertisers, to be in charge of editorial content. By the 1960s this became the dominant form of advertising‐network relationship across commercial television. Yet, as Home demonstrates, despite claims to the contrary, this new format did not undermine the overwhelming commercialism of the show's editorial content, it only altered the way it operated. Third, t...
Heterogeneity of antigenic determinants on human spermatozoa: Relevance to antisperm antibody testing in infertile couples

Abstract Sera from 1074 male and 947 female partners of infertile marriages were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to motile sperm purified from ejaculates of the male partners or a donor. In men, 9.2% of the sera were positive for immunoglobulin A, 7.9% for immunoglobulin G, and 5.1% for immunoglobulin M antibodies to their own sperm. In women, immunoglobulin M antibodies to the husband's sperm predominated (10.1%), with immunoglobulins G (8.3%) and A (5.9%) following. Differences between men and women in the incidence of immunoglobulin A ( p p p p p p
A Micro Hydrogen Generator with a Microfluidic Self-Regulating Valve for Sensors and Fuel Cells

We have developed a fully integrated micro power generator, based on a hydrogen fuel cell. Key to the power generator is an on-board hydrogen production with a passive microfluidic control valve that provides self-regulating operation. Critical integration issues are identified and regimes established for efficient power generation. Preliminary results demonstrate the ability of our device to operate smoothly, with quick - order seconds - response for fluctuating power demands. Energy densities in excess of 150 Whr/L and peak powers of 369.2 W/L are promising for packaging the integrated hydrogen fuel cell into Power MEMS.
Race/ethnic disparities in reproductive age: an examination of ovarian reserve estimates across four race/ethnic groups of healthy, regularly cycling women

Objective To determine whether reproductive age, as indexed by a validated marker of ovarian reserve (antimullerian hormone [AMH]), varies among women of different race/ethnic backgrounds. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Community-based sample. Patient(s) Multiethnic sample of 947 (277 white, 237 African American, 220 Latina, and 213 Chinese) healthy and regularly cycling premenopausal women, ages 25–45. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) AMH level. Result(s) A multivariate model was fit examining race/ethnicity, covariates, nonlinear terms for age (age 2 , age 3 ), and body mass index (BMI 2 , BMI 3 ), and two-way interactions between race/ethnicity and each of the other predictor variables in relation to AMH. After backward elimination, significant effects included race/ethnicity ( F = 8.45), age ( F = 349.94), race/ethnicity-by-linear age interaction ( F = 4.67), age 2 ( F = 31.61), and BMI ( F = 10.69). Inspection of the significant race/ethnicity-by-linear age interaction showed AMH levels were consistently lower among Latina women compared with white women across all ages, whereas AMH levels were lower among African American and Chinese women compared with the white women at younger and middle ages, respectively. The AMH levels were higher among African American compared with Latina and Chinese women at older ages. Conclusion(s) Although the results must be considered preliminary, the findings are twofold: African American women may have lower AMH levels at younger ages but experience less of a reduction in AMH with advancing age, and Latina and Chinese women compared with white women may have lower AMH levels, marking a lower ovarian reserve and a possibly increased risk for earlier menopause.
GROWING AN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

Environmental management is becoming increasingly accepted as a key feature of business strategy. However, academic and practitioner publications on the subject develop few guides as to which processes to follow to integrate environmental concerns and strategy. A three-step strategic management process is proposed which incorporates concern for the natural environment throughout a firm's operations. This can result in the growth and nurturing of an organizational environmental strategy.
Criteria helpful in recognizing shear-zone and diapiric mélanges: Examples from the Hoh accretionary complex, Olympic Peninsula, Washington

A study of the middle Miocene Hoh melanges exposed on the western Olympic Peninsula, Washington, provides criteria for differentiating between shear-zone and diapiric melanges. The shear-zone melange is characterized by a consistent foliation orientation throughout the outcrop, intense pervasive scaly foliation, uniform fold vergence directions, exotic clasts, predominantly phacoidal clasts, and consistent clast long-axis lineations. The diapiric melange is characterized by radial foliation in map view, well-developed scaly foliation at the contacts and poorly developed scaly foliation in the center of the melange, opposite fold vergence directions across the melange, and rare exotic clasts. Additionally, clasts vary in shape from phacoidal at the contacts to angular in the center. In the diapiric melange, large clasts are found only in the center of the melange, and clast long axes vary from tightly clustered at the contacts to near-random orientations in the center. The systematic variation in clast size in the diapir may be due to increased shear at the margins and/or clast migration to the center of the diapir caused by a velocity-viscosity contrast. Interpretation of field data indicates that some clasts rotate continuously in the matrix, yet clast long axes have a definite preferred orientation. This contradiction may be resolved by theoretical models indicating that clasts rotate fastest at high angles to the shear plane. Thus, although clasts above a critical aspect ratio asymptotically approach stability parallel to the shear plane, the long axes of rotating clasts spend a proportionally greater amount of time close to the shear plane. Parasitic folds in the matrix indicate that clast long axes align parallel to transport direction. Small-scale folds in the matrix, clast long-axis lineations, and the mean foliation indicate that the Hogsback section of the Hoh melange was emplaced by a high-angle oblique thrust directed to N10°E.
Buckling analysis of large and complex structures by using substructuring techniques

Abstract Over the past two decades, with the development in structural forms and the use of new materials, modern bridges and buildings have become light, high-rise, and large-span. Therefore, the buckling problems of these structures have become of increasing concern in structural design. This paper presents a method using substructuring techniques for buckling analysis of large and complex structures. The method has the advantage in the reduction of degrees of freedom by using buckling mode coordinates, thus buckling analyses of large and complex structures can be carried out on a microcomputer with high efficiency. The convergence of the present method is discussed. Two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the computational efficiency of the method. The comparison of the computed results ensures that the method is practical and sufficiently accurate.
Development of eye alignment in cats.

WHEN the eyelids of newborn kittens open, casual observation of the pupils suggests that the eyes must be divergently misaligned. Pupillary divergence may be quantified by photographing the eyes while the cat is facing a distant light source. The images of this light, formed by reflection at the corneas, coincide approximately with the optical centres of the eyes, and the distance by which the separation of the pupils exceeds the separation of these images is defined as pupillary divergence1–5. It declines with increasing age until some time during the second month2. Although it is reasonable to assume that the visual axes are also divergent before this age, this assumption leads to a paradox because surgical misalignment of the eyes of young kittens is known to disrupt binocular connections in striate cortex6. Moreover, development of normal orientation selectivity in kitten cortex may require early coordinated binocular vision7. We have examined this problem using a combination of techniques with which we are able to determine the alignment of the visual axes in the alert cat. Our results show that while the pupillary axes are quite divergent during the first few weeks after birth, the visual axes are not divergent. It is thus possible that kittens experience synchronised binocular vision very early in life.
Dapagliflozin: an evidence-based review of its potential in the treatment of type-2 diabetes

Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor that lowers plasma glucose by decreasing its renal reabsorption. The resulting excretion of glucose in the urine (glucosuria) has transformed what was once solely regarded as an adverse facet of diabetes into a potential novel therapeutic strategy. Glucosuria leads to weight loss, due to a reduction in calories, which is thought to rehabilitate insulin sensitivity, at least partially. By acting independently of insulin action or secretion, dapagliflozin appears to avert or minimize two key barriers to optimal glycemic control: hypoglycemia and weight gain. From the clinical studies conducted thus far in patients with type 2 diabetes, dapagliflozin significantly decreases HbA(1c) (by ~0.5%-1%, from a baseline of 8%-9%), as well as body weight (~2-3 kg), without increased risk of hypoglycemia. Dapagliflozin thus represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of diabetes. While long-term data on safety and efficacy are forthcoming, the results published to date suggest that this agent has the potential to be another option in the treatment of diabetes treatments. This article examines the evidence currently available on the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin.
The role of species-dependent metabolism in the regional brain retention of 18F-labeled muscarinic acetylcholine receptor ligands

We have developed PET radioligands for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor designed to be sensitive to endogenous acetylcholine changes. These radioligands were based on the piperidyl and pyrrolidyl benzilate scaffold and include (R)-N-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-3-piperidyl benzilate (1b), (R)-N-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-3-pyrrolidyl benzilate (2b), and N-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-4-piperidyl benzilate (3b). In the mouse, intravenous injection of 2b produced a heterogeneous receptor-mediated regional retention of radioactivity, whereas in the rat a homogeneous brain distribution was observed. Analyses of blood and brain extracts showed a radiolabeled metabolite for 2b which was formed to a much greater extent in mice than rats. This metabolite may have a higher receptor binding affinity than authentic 2b, and thus be responsible for the apparent receptor-mediated binding in the mouse brain. Our findings emphasize the importance of metabolite analysis in multiple species when developing novel radiopharmaceuticals for in vivo use.
Virulence strategies of the dominant USA300 lineage of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to worldwide health. Historically, MRSA clones have strictly been associated with hospital settings, and most hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) disease resulted from a limited number of virulent clones. Recently, MRSA has spread into the community causing disease in otherwise healthy people with no discernible contact with healthcare environments. These community-associated MRSA clones (CA-MRSA) are phylogenetically distinct from traditional HA-MRSA clones, and CA-MRSA strains seem to exhibit hypervirulence and more efficient host : host transmission. Consequently, CA-MRSA clones belonging to the USA300 lineage have become dominant sources of MRSA infections in North America. The rise of this successful USA300 lineage represents an important step in the evolution of emerging pathogens and a great deal of effort has been exerted to understand how these clones evolved. Here, we review much of the recent literature aimed at illuminating the source of USA300 success and broadly categorize these findings into three main categories: newly acquired virulence genes, altered expression of common virulence determinants and alterations in protein sequence that increase fitness. We argue that none of these evolutionary events alone account for the success of USA300, but rather their combination may be responsible for the rise and spread of CA-MRSA.
Window factor analysis of methylene blue in water

The aggregation of methylene blue (MB) in water was studied by factor analysis (FA) of the visible spectra over a wide range of concentration from 1.000 × 10 -7 to 1600 x 10 -2 M. Abstract factor analysis of data with multiple sources of error (AFA-MSE) revealed three MB species. The concentration profiles and spectra of the species were extracted by window factor analysis (WFA). The profiles were interpreted to be due to MB monomer, dimer and a trimer containing one chlorine atom. The dissociation constants of the dimer and trimer were determined to be 1.5 × 10 -4 M and 3.2 x 10 -11 M 3 respectively.
Spectral Welfare Cost Functions

If preferences are not time-separable, economic agents care not only about the magnitude of fluctuations in consumption but also about the persistence and other temporal characteristics of those fluctuations. This paper extends and develops the theory of spectral utility functions, which measure utility frequency by frequency, to illustrate the interaction between consumption volatility and time-non-separable preferences. To highlight the economic implications of the interaction, spectral welfare cost functions are developed to provide a quantitative measure of the importance to economic agents of the temporal delivery of consumption volatility.
Family Interaction in Pediatric Diabetes

Adaptation to type 1 diabetes is optimized in the presence of ongoing family support and supervision. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand how family interactions influence adaptation to the illness. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature on family interaction in youth with type 1 diabetes. Recent advancements in the literature include greater specificity of types of parental involvement, attention to the role of fathers, acknowledgment of the impact of parental distress, increased use of observational methods, and awareness of the impact of culture. Continued parental involvement—particularly monitoring—in the management of diabetes care is important as children transition into adolescence, and the best outcomes are evident when this involvement occurs in a warm, collaborative manner. Parents need support in managing their own distress to maintain this type of involvement.
Metabolism of poly(A) sequences during 3T3 cell growth regulation

Abstract The metabolism and the intracellular distribution of RNA-associated poly(A) sequences from contact-inhibited and serum-induced proliferating 3T3 cells were examined by hybridization with [3H]poly(U). Evidence is presented for the growth-specific changes in the ‘steady-state’ populations of poly(A) sequences as determined by this technique. The results indicate that reinitation of growth in 3T3 cells is accompanied by characteristic changes in total poly(A) content and the size of the ‘steady-state’ poly(A) sequence. The serum-induced state is characterized by: (1) a higher content of RNA-associated poly(A) sequences; (2) the redistribution of poly(A)-containing RNA species from sub-ribosomal to polysomal fraction; and (3) an overall shortening of the RNA-associated poly(A) sequences. The size distribution of newly synthesized poly(A) in both resting and serum-induced cells are similar even though there is a marked reduction in the size of steady-state poly(A) sequences of the RNA from growing cells. The suggestion that there is an enhanced poly(A) processing in serum-induced cells is further substantiated by an increase in poly(A) hydrolyzing activity in growing cells. These findings of the growth-specific cellular pattern of poly(A) sequences in RNA suggest a possible physiological role for the modulation of poly(A) size in the regulation of mRNA expression with respect to cell growth.
Harmonic generation in laser-pumped FELs and stimulated backscattering from plasmas

Abstract Stimulated backscattered harmonic radiation generated by the interaction of an intense pump laser field with an electron beam or plasma is analyzed using a nonlinear, relativistic, fluid theory valid to all orders in the pump laser amplitude. The backscattered radiation occurs at odd harmonics of the Doppler shifted incident laser frequency. The growth rate and saturation level of the backscattered harmonics are calculated and thermal limitations are discussed. This mechanism may provide a practical method for producing coherent radiation in the XUV regime.
COMPLEXING OF THE AMMONIUM ION BY POLYETHERS. COMPARATIVE COMPLEXING THERMOCHEMISTRY OF AMMONIUM, HYDRONIUM, AND ALKALI CATIONS

The binding energies of NH4+ to polyethers, and for comparison, to acetone molecules, were measured by pulsed high-pressure mass spectrometry. The binding energies in the polydentate complexes increase with increasing ligand size and number of available oxygen groups. However, the binding energies are smaller than in complexes with free Me2CO molecules, reflecting the geometrical constraints in the polydentate ligands. The binding energy of NH4+ in various polydentate complexes is similar to that of K+ and smaller than that of H3O+ by 105 ± 12 kJ/mol (25 ± 3 kcal/mol). Based on the H3O+ to crown ether binding energies, these relations can be used to estimate the binding energy of NH4+ and K+ to 15-crown-5 of 248 ± 12 kJ/mol (59 ± 3 kcal/mol) and to 18-crown-6 of 296 ± 12 kJ/mol (71 ± 3 kcal/mol). The order of binding energies of oxygen-containing ligands to H3O+ > Na+ > NH4+ ≈ K+ is reproduced by ab initio calculations on complexes with MeOCH2CH2OMe. The amount of calculated charge transfer to the ligands...
VERTICAL MIGRATION OF THE SMALL ORGANISMS IN A STRATIFIED FLUID

Significant progress has been made in analyzing low-Reynolds number locomotion in homogeneous fluids. Even though density interfaces due to temperature or salinity gradients (pycnoclines), ubiquitously occur in oceans and lakes, the effects of stratification on the hydrodynamics of swimming of small organisms, their interaction with each other and their migration are very poorly understood. In this article, we implement a direct numerical simulation of the migration of swimmers at pycnoclines and illustrate the role of the diffusivity of the stratified agent on the swimming of small organisms. We demonstrate that for an archetypal swimmer model, squirmer, the migration at density stratified fluid can be largely influenced by buoyancy effects. We also show that the effects of density stratification are increased as the diffusivitty of the stratified agent is reduced. The results demonstrate that the stratification suppresses the vertical migration and consequently affects the life of low Reynolds number swimmers across pycnoclines. Our recent computational results reveal the full nonlinear effects of stratification on the locomotion of small organisms.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Measured, modeled, and causal conceptions of fitness

THIS PAPER PROPOSES PARTIAL ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: in what senses can fitness differences plausibly be considered causes of evolution?What relationships are there between fitness concepts used in empirical research, modeling, and abstract theoretical proposals? How does the relevance of different fitness concepts depend on research questions and methodological constraints? The paper develops a novel taxonomy of fitness concepts, beginning with type fitness (a property of a genotype or phenotype), token fitness (a property of a particular individual), and purely mathematical fitness. Type fitness includes statistical type fitness, which can be measured from population data, and parametric type fitness, which is an underlying property estimated by statistical type fitnesses. Token fitness includes measurable token fitness, which can be measured on an individual, and tendential token fitness, which is assumed to be an underlying property of the individual in its environmental circumstances. Some of the paper's conclusions can be outlined as follows: claims that fitness differences do not cause evolution are reasonable when fitness is treated as statistical type fitness, measurable token fitness, or purely mathematical fitness. Some of the ways in which statistical methods are used in population genetics suggest that what natural selection involves are differences in parametric type fitnesses. Further, it's reasonable to think that differences in parametric type fitness can cause evolution. Tendential token fitnesses, however, are not themselves sufficient for natural selection. Though parametric type fitnesses are typically not directly measurable, they can be modeled with purely mathematical fitnesses and estimated by statistical type fitnesses, which in turn are defined in terms of measurable token fitnesses. The paper clarifies the ways in which fitnesses depend on pragmatic choices made by researchers.
Unionization and immigrant incorporation in San Francisco hotels

This article examines the relationship between immigration and union mobilization. It argues that industries, as mediating institutions, crucially shape the extent and meaning of inter-group differences at work, and thus their consequences for the generation of working class solidarity. Utilizing an in-depth case study of union organizing in the San Francisco hotel industry, the article demonstrates that three industry facets are especially consequential: their occupational structures, labor processes, and class-based organizations. The analysis shows how the ideology, practices, and structure of a local union can utilize and overcome sociocultural and economic divisions in the workforce to build a viable, democratic class-based organization.
The multiregional net maternity function and multiregional stable growth.

This paper extends recent efforts to generalize Lotka’s integral equation to the case of a multiregional population that experiences internal migration. It develops the concept of a multiregional net maternity function and considers the relationships between a multiregional population’s schedule of fertility, mortality, and migration and its stable growth properties.
Do Old Habits Die Hard? A Statistical Exploration of the Politicisation of Progresa, Mexico's Latest Federal Poverty-Alleviation Programme, under the Zedillo Administration

Under his administration (1994–2000), President Ernesto Zedillo replaced Pronasol, the targeted poverty alleviation programme created by his predecessor, with his own programme, Progresa. Pronasol had come under severe attack as a politicised federal welfare programme intended to generate votes for the PRI. In contrast, the Zedillo administration insisted that Progresa was a genuine poverty-alleviation programme devoid of any political agenda. The purpose of this article is to assess whether Zedillo's claim is valid. To do so, I build a statistical model with the aim of identifying the factors that may have influenced the reach of Progresa in 1999, an important year of electoral preparation for the July 2000 elections. The picture that emerges is not entirely clear-cut. On the one hand, poverty indicators played a key role in determining who should benefit from the programme. On the other hand, Progresa also displayed a political edge, revealing that, in certain respects, the executive and the PRI continued to resort to old tricks in an attempt to alter electoral results.
Interpersonal Perception of Skill Efficacy and Behavioral Control of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: A Social Relations Approach

A social relations approach was used to examine the way adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) rate their own and their peers' attributions toward skill efficacy and behavioral self-control in mainstream public school placements. LD students were analyzed while both viewers and active participants in the social context of academic learning. This approach is in contrast to paradigms where children are asked to report on their interpretations of factors that covary with the occurrence of a personal or situational event. The Social Relations Model was used to gather and analyze data in a round-robin fashion across perceivers and targets. Results indicated that LD students viewed themselves individually as less skilled than they viewed their LD peers as a group. This finding is contrary to data derived with typical populations of children and adults. The Social Relations Model is presented as a useful way to research how individuals with learning disabilities develop social knowledge while engaged with t...