cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Lognormal Distribution for Time Spent Showering

In 1987, James and Knuiman published their analysis of a comprehensive domestic water use study conducted in Perth, Western Australia to quantify the components of water usage in approximately 3,000 households. This manuscript corrects errors and omissions about James and Knuiman's study in the US EPA's Exposure Factors Handbook, and it shows James and Knuiman's results in a form and notation more readily used in Monte Carlo simulations.
Characterization of the large deletion in the GALC gene found in patients with Krabbe disease

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) of Krabbe disease results from mutations in the galactocerebrosidase (GALC) gene. Previously, we had identified a large deletion in the GALC gene together with a C to T polymorphism at cDNA position 502 in a significant number of cases of infantile Krabbe disease; however, the deletion breakpoint had not been found. In this paper we show that the deletion is approximately 30 kb starting near the middle of the 12 kb intron 10, and includes all of the coding region through exon 17 plus an additional 9 kb. The deletion junction contains a 4 bp direct repeat and is preceded by sequence identified as belonging to the Alu family of interspersed repetitive elements. Using genomic DNA and a PCR-based test to detect normal and deleted sequences at that location, a large number of patients with all clinical types of GLD were analyzed. Of 21 infantile patients found to be heterozygous for the 502T polymorphism reported previously, 15 had the deletion, one could not tested and five, including a Hmong child, did not have the deletion. Sixteen other infantile patients previously tested were found to be either homozygous (10) or heterozygous (6) for the deletion. In addition, five patients with juvenile and adult GLD were found to be heterozygous for the deletion. In every case tested, the deletion was always found on the same allele as the 502T polymorphism. However, other disease-causing mutations have been found on the 502T allele. With careful genotype analysis these families can receive improved genetic information including patient and carrier identification and preimplantation diagnosis.
Learning Mackey-Glass from 25 examples, Plus or Minus 2

We apply active exemplar selection (Plutowski & White, 1991; 1993) to predicting a chaotic time series. Given a fixed set of examples, the method chooses a concise subset for training. Fitting these exemplars results in the entire set being fit as well as desired. The algorithm incorporates a method for regulating network complexity, automatically adding exemplars and hidden units as needed. Fitting examples generated from the Mackey-Glass equation with fractal dimension 2.1 to an rmse of 0.01 required about 25 exemplars and 3 to 6 hidden units. The method requires an order of magnitude fewer floating point operations than training on the entire set of examples, is significantly cheaper than two contending exemplar selection techniques, and suggests a simpler active selection technique that performs comparably.
Trajectories of Public Assistance Receipt among Female High School Dropouts

This paper maps patterns of public assistance receipt for 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth female high school dropouts between 1984, when they were 19–27 years old, and 1998 when they reached their early 30s and 40s. Using latent class cluster models, I test whether obtaining a GED, occupational training, work experience, marriage, and delayed parenthood reduce the probability of receiving public assistance. I find that dropouts who earn their GEDs within 4 years after leaving high school have a high probability of never receiving public assistance across the 14-year period. Those who earn GEDs 5 or more years after dropping out have a sharply reduced risk of welfare use in mid-adulthood, suggesting that a late GED may act as a turning point for those formerly reliant on public assistance. Although work experience is the strongest predictor of avoiding public assistance, marriage and education provide a more effective route off of welfare for some recipients. On-the-job training and earning a GED later in life increase the likelihood that chronic recipients will permanently exit welfare. Highlighting the diversity within the welfare population, I conclude that no single approach to ending reliance on public assistance will lead to economic self-sufficiency among the undereducated.
The Entry Behavior of Aggressive/Rejected Children: The Contributions of Status and Temperament

This study investigated the entry behavior and temperamental characteristics of aggressive/rejected and nonaggressive/popular kindergarten and first-grade children. An analog entry situation was used to assess children's entry skills. Aggressive/rejected children had more difficulty than nonaggressive/popular children delivering their entry bids in a well-timed manner and engaged in more disruptive entry strategies. They also tended to use more aggressive entry strategies after experiencing entry failure. The children's temperamental characteristics accounted for significant variance in their entry behavior. Temperamental fear made a positive contribution to children's use of socially appropriate entry strategies. The children's status and impulsiveness each explained unique variance in their use of disruptive entry strategies. Aggressive/rejected girls were more impulsive than other groups and tended to be less fearful.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) mediates amino acid inhibition of insulin signaling through serine 727 phosphorylation.

Nutrient overload is associated with the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes. High plasma concentrations of amino acids have been found to correlate with insulin resistance. At the cellular level, excess amino acids impair insulin signaling, the mechanisms of which are not fully understood. Here, we report that STAT3 plays a key role in amino acid dampening of insulin signaling in hepatic cells. Excess amino acids inhibited insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and glycogen synthesis in mouse primary hepatocytes as well as in human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. STAT3 knockdown protected insulin sensitivity from inhibition by amino acids. Amino acids stimulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 at Ser727, but not Tyr705. Replacement of the endogenous STAT3 with wild-type, but not S727A, recombinant STAT3 restored the ability of amino acids to inhibit insulin signaling, suggesting that Ser727 phosphorylation was critical for STAT3-mediated amino acid effect. Furthermore, overexpression of STAT3-S727D was sufficient to inhibit insulin signaling in the absence of excess amino acids. Our results also indicated that mammalian target of rapamycin was likely responsible for the phosphorylation of STAT3 at Ser727 in response to excess amino acids. Finally, we found that STAT3 activity and the expression of its target gene socs3, known to be involved in insulin resistance, were both stimulated by excess amino acids and inhibited by rapamycin. In conclusion, our study reveals STAT3 as a novel mediator of nutrient signals and identifies a Ser727 phosphorylation-dependent and Tyr705 phosphorylation-independent STAT3 activation mechanism in the modulation of insulin signaling.
A normalization scheme to reduce numerical errors in inverse tangent computations on a fixed-point CORDIC processor

An analysis of fixed-point CORDIC (COordinate Rotation DIgital Computer) in the Y-reduction mode, which allows computation of the inverse tangent function, has shown that unnormalized input values can result in large numerical errors. The complexity of a floating-point implementation of the entire system can be avoided by locally normalizing the values before using CORDIC. The authors have implemented the normalization using a method that integrates it with the CORDIC iterations, resulting in an elegant solution to the problem. The method requires only O(n/sup 1.5/) extra hardware and does not affect the latency. It is believed that this scheme can be extended to the other modes of CORDIC. >
Brain Connectivity Associated with Muscle Synergies in Humans

The human brain is believed to simplify the control of the large number of muscles in the body by flexibly combining muscle coordination patterns, termed muscle synergies. However, the neural connectivity allowing the human brain to access and coordinate muscle synergies to accomplish functional tasks remains unknown. Here, we use a surprising pair of synergists in humans, the flexor hallucis longus (FHL, a toe flexor) and the anal sphincter, as a model that we show to be well suited in elucidating the neural connectivity underlying muscle synergy control. First, using electromyographic recordings, we demonstrate that voluntary FHL contraction is associated with synergistic anal sphincter contraction, but voluntary anal sphincter contraction occurs without FHL contraction. Second, using fMRI, we show that two important medial wall motor cortical regions emerge in relation to these tasks: one located more posteriorly that preferentially activates during voluntary FHL contraction and one located more anteriorly that activates during both voluntary FHL contraction as well as voluntary anal sphincter contraction. Third, using transcranial magnetic stimulation, we demonstrate that the anterior region is more likely to generate anal sphincter contraction than FHL contraction. Finally, using a repository resting-state fMRI dataset, we demonstrate that the anterior and posterior motor cortical regions have significantly different functional connectivity with distinct and distant brain regions. We conclude that specific motor cortical regions in humans provide access to different muscle synergies, which may allow distinct brain networks to coordinate muscle synergies during functional tasks. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How the human nervous system coordinates activity in a large number of muscles is a fundamental question. The brain and spinal cord are believed to simplify the control of muscles by grouping them into functional units called muscle synergies. Motor cortex is involved in activating muscle synergies; however, the motor cortical connections that regulate muscle synergy activation are unknown. Here, we studied pelvic floor muscle synergies to elucidate these connections in humans. Our experiments confirmed that distinct motor cortical regions activate different muscle synergies. These regions have different connectivity to distinct brain networks. Our results are an important step forward in understanding the cortical control of human muscles synergies, and may also have important clinical implications for understanding movement dysfunction.
Hypocentral Parameters And Focal Mechanisms of the 1983 Earthquake Near Dixfield, Maine

An earthquake of M c = 4.4 occurred southeast of Dixfield, Maine, on May 29, 1983. The event was widely felt in Maine and New Hampshire and caused a maximum epicentral intensity shaking of V(MM). Five aftershocks smaller than M c = 1.0 were recorded by portable seismographs installed after the main shock. One of the aftershocks was well-located at a depth 2.4 ±0.5 km from the portable seismograph data, while the depth of the main shock was computed to be 1.8±1.4 km from the regional network data. Since the epicenters of the well-located aftershock and the main shock coincided, it is likely that these events originated from the same location. First motion polarities from the main shock suggest reverse motion on north-south oriented fault planes. The earthquakes occurred about 2 km west of the northeast-striking Bald Mountain fault, but they cannot be clearly attributed to that or any other recognized brittle structure in the area.
Is Fracking the Next Financial Crisis: Development Lens for Understanding Systemic Risk and Governance

Natural gas sits in deposits across vast regions of the United States, and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is the current method used to extract it. Fracking for natural gas has been billed as the next economic boon to poor communities and the key to mitigating the negative effects of climate change. But fracking also involves risks: Risks to our environment, to our communities, and to our markets. To date, the debate about fracking — and efforts to address concerns about the risks of fracking — has largely been a debate about who should regulate, the federal government, the states, or some combination of the two. Framing the current fracking debate as a federalism question is a mistake.This Article argues that the narrow frame of the current fracking debate misses important features of the problem. It argues that fracking is best understood within the much broader context of development in the United States, and more specifically as an example of an approach to development called “hybridity.” The Article maps hybridity as comprised of the following three key features: (1) private actors engaged in difficult-to-regulate activities, (2) involvement of public goods, and (3) creation of systemic risk. Drawing together the financial crisis of 2008, the BP oil spill of 2010, and fracking shows that all three share the common features of hybridity, and give rise to a similar suite of concerns. Regulation alone is not sufficient to address these concerns. Instead, the Article proposes several ways in which the hybridity of fracking might be disrupted, thereby easing the overall risks of fracking while realizing its potential benefits.
The Shape of the Main Thermocline

Abstract The mean ocean density field resembles the state of maximum entropy with given values for the upper water mass, total energy and potential enstrophy. Numerical experiments confirm that the thermocline of a freely evolving two-layer model spontaneously assumes the observed double-lobe shape.
A strategy to implement and support pre-hospital emergency medical systems in developing, resource-constrained areas of South Africa

Abstract Resource-constrained countries are in extreme need of pre-hospital emergency care systems. However, current popular strategies to provide pre-hospital emergency care are inappropriate for and beyond the means of a resource-constrained country, and so new ones are needed—ones that can both function in an under-developed area's particular context and be done with the area's limited resources. In this study, we used a two-location pilot and then consensus approach to develop a strategy to implement and support pre-hospital emergency care in one such developing, resource-constrained area: the Western Cape province of South Africa. Local community members are trained to be emergency first aid responders who can provide immediate, on-scene care until a Transporter can take the patient to the hospital. Management of the system is done through local Community Based Organizations, which can adapt the model to their communities as needed to ensure local appropriateness and feasibility. Within a community, the system is implemented in a graduated manner based on available resources, is designed to not rely on the whole system being implemented first to provide partial function, and can also be implemented to integrate with and support an already existing ambulance system/EMS. The University of Cape Town's Division of Emergency Medicine and the Western Cape's provincial METRO EMS intend to follow this model, along with sharing it with other South African provinces.
Predictors of stage at presentation and outcomes of head and neck cancers in a university hospital setting

Background To increase early detection of head and neck cancers, it is important that disparities associated with access to care are addressed. Methods A total of 351 patients aged 20 to 91 years (58.72 ± 11.70 years) diagnosed with head and neck cancers at a university hospital from 1997 to 2010 were analyzed. Logistic regression assessed the association between clinical stage at presentation and predictors. Cox proportional hazards model assessed the effect of stage at presentation on survival. Results Being African American was associated with increased odds of late stage at presentation (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–4.59), and those without health insurance were 10.97 times more likely to present at late stage (95% CI = 1.30–92.49). Unmarried patients were 1.6 times at an increased hazard of death (95% CI = 1.12–2.24). Conclusion Disparities, such as race and health insurance status, are important predictors of stage at presentation of patients with head and neck cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Splenic uptake of99mTc-diphosphonate in sickle cell disease associated with increased splenic density on computerized transaxial tomography

Splenic uptake of99mTc-diphosphonate was found on the bone scan of a patient with sickle cell disease. No splenic activity was demonstrated on99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen scans and no evidence of splenic calcification was seen on plain abdominal radiographs. A computerized transaxial tomographic scan, however, did demonstrate a small spleen denser than other abdominal organs. The splenic accumulation of99mTc-diphosphonate and the increased density on computerized transaxial tomography could be attributed to microscopic splenic calcifications and/or iron deposits in the spleen.
Incorporating Terrain Avoidance into a Small UAS Sense and Avoid System

A terrain avoidance extension based primarily on the requirements of Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS) using US Geological Survey data was recently integrated into an autonomous airborne sense and avoid system (ABSAA) at the University of North Dakota’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Engineering team (UASE). Given the native capabilities of a system using an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver, a robust terrain avoidance component is an apt extension for ABSAA. This extension was successfully flight tested in August 2011, demonstrating the ability of the autonomous avoidance system to incorporate and balance additional environmental inputs and desired navigational objectives.
Specifying the buffering hypothesis: support, strain, and depression

The concept of «matching» is central to theories of social support, as researchers attempt to specify the links between the type of support, the source of support, and the type of stressor, and to identify their function in the support process. This study examines these links more closely by differentiating between spouse and friend support, and by considering different types of life problems (e.g., role and ambient strains). I hypothesized a continuum of support efficacy whereby spouses and friends can ameliorate the depressing effects of nonfamilial strains (e.g., work strains)
Percentage of reward vs. N-length in the runway

Two groups of 13 rats each were trained in the runway for 205 trials. Group 61 received 61% rewarded trials and long N-lengths, whereas Group 46 received 46% rewarded trials and short N-lengths. Group 61 was more resistant to extinction than Group 46, confirming previous findings in the discrete trial operant situation. The results of the present investigation employing extensive training were contrasted with those from investigations employing small numbers of acquisition trials.
Spatial Organization of Ribosome Biogenesis of Escherichia Coli

In living cells, ribosomes are the factories that translate proteins from mRNA. Ribosomal RNAs are synthesized through the transcription of seven ribosomal RNA operons(rrnA, rrnB, rrnC, rrnD, rrnE, rrnG, rrnH), which contain 99% identical genes encoding the 16S, 23S, and 5S rRNAs, and one or several tRNAs. Despite thorough investigation of the structures and functions of ribosomes, the biogenesis of ribosomes in vivo remains poorly characterized. Since E. coli can grow with only one intact rRNA operon with surprisingly little growth defect, the reasons for the presence of seven closely identical copies of the rRNA operons and their possibly distinguishable contributions to the total complement of ribosomes are not yet answered. In this work, we will develop a system to label and distinguish the individual operons while simultaneously determining the amount and spatial distribution of the ribosomes generated by each operon from the other ribosomes. The rRNA operon loci are labeled by the fluorescent repressor-operator system. In order to distinguish between ribosomes, a short sequence is inserted into a phylogenetically variable region of the 23S rRNA of the target rRNA. Single molecule FISH (smFISH) probes targeted at this inserted sequence enable the super resolution imaging of the ribosomes generated from the modified rRNA. The system allows measuring the ribosome output of each operon in different growth state and its kinetics of switching between growth states and therefore will further reveal the biogenesis of ribosomes and its possible contributions to determining global patterns of gene expression.
Atomic-Scale Structure and Stability of the Low-Index Surfaces of Pyrochlore Oxides

The multifunctional properties of complex ternary oxides such as pyrochlores are often influenced by surface structure. Optimizing the surface-driven attributes of these materials necessitates a detailed understanding of the structure and chemical composition of those surfaces. Here we report atomistic simulations elucidating the diverse atomic-scale structures of a set of low-index surfaces [(100), (110), (111), and (112)] in pyrochlore compounds as a function of both A and B cation chemistry. In pyrochlores, the low-index facets are all dipolar, requiring the introduction of surface defects to eliminate the surface dipole. We find that, due to the corresponding higher coordination of the surface cations, the (110) facet is the most energetically stable in all of the compounds considered, an interesting contrast to fluorite, in which the (111) surface is most stable. We also reveal a correlation between the surface energy and the energy to disorder the pyrochlore as a function of B cation chemistry, impl...
The experimental study of infrared imaging detection on water-permeation of rock

In the paper, the simulation experiments on rock samples of different water-permeation were done, and the experimental results validated the feasibility that the field data of infrared imaging detection can analyze water-permeation of rock diseases quantitatively. The analysis is about the thermal imaging characteristics of rock samples of different water-permeation by sun shining, which mainly tell us that the smallest infrared radiation temperature indicator can determine the severity of the seepage rock.
PET and PET/CT in Children and Young Adults

The introduction of PET, and especially 18F-FDG PET, has transformed pediatric nuclear medicine. In particular, hybrid imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT has transformed pediatric nuclear oncology. However, PET and PET/CT have a wide variety of pediatric indications including neurology, sports medicine and orthopedics, pediatric cardiology, and infection imaging, as well as pediatric oncology. Most PET and PET/CT studies utilize the glucose analogue, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). Infants and children provide special challenges to acquiring a technically adequate and diagnostically satisfactory PET or PET/CT scan. Adequate pre-study preparation of the patient and family is critical. Imaging protocols must pay particular attention to the pediatric spectrum of disease, the developmental needs of pediatric patients, and the goal of minimizing radiation exposure. Interpretation of pediatric 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT requires knowledge of pediatric diseases and an appreciation for the patterns of tracer biodistribution that can be seen in infants and children. Issues such as sedation or anesthesia, rarely a concern in adult nuclear medicine, are a normal part of routine pediatric PET and PET/CT. Protocols and departmental procedures must balance the developmental needs of children with the goal of acquiring a diagnostic imaging study that answers the clinical question.
Applications of the Universal DNA Microarray in Molecular Medicine

Integration of molecular medicine into standard clinical practice will require the availability of diagnostics that are sensitive, rapid, and robust. The backbone technology underlying the diagnostic will likely serve double duty during clinical trials in order to first validate the biomarkers that contribute to both drug response and disease stratification. PCR/LDR/Universal DNA microarray is a promising technology to help drive the transition from the current paradigms of clinical decision making to the new era of personalized medicine. By uncoupling the mutation detection step from array hybridization, this technology becomes fully programmable. It exploits full use of the sensitivity that the ligase detection reaction can provide, while maintaining a rapid read out on a universal microarray. Thus, PCR/LDR/Universal DNA microarray is 50-fold more sensitive and 10-fold more rapid than conventional hybridization-only arrays. The intent of this article is to provide investigators with a perspective on current uses of this approach, as well as to serve as a practical guide to implementation.
Recent Developments on the Numerical Simulation of Astrogeophysical Flows

In this paper, we present the recent developments of numerical simulation models for astrogeophysical flows, in particular, the propagation of solar disturbances in the heliospheric space.
Equilibrium Ignition, a Minimum Energy Route to Fusion Via Multiple Mass Shell Collisions

It is suggested that the minimum energy route to inertial fusion ignition is where the density of fuel and confining material is sufficiently high that the heat of the thermonuclear fuel can be contained at equilibrium conditions at ignition temperature with negligible penalty of thermal heat loss. Naturally the period of this confinement is established by the "inertial" conditions, but it is found that the scaling of reaction rate and thermal confinement time strongly favors thermal equilibrium conditions within the fuel rather than the standard model where higher temperatures allow the energy production reaction rate to exceed the radiation (bremstralhung) loss rate. Because of the high penalty of the energy within the confinement medium, the "pusher", (~ ×5 that of the fuel), there is a high premium in maintaining the "adiabat" of the high density confining material as close to Fermi degeneracy, i.e., cold, as possible. Furthermore, because of this requirement for a cold adiabat, an efficient route from stored electrical energy, i.e., capacitors, to ignition is suggested. The stable and efficient acceleration of a thin metal shell, a "liner" to modest velocities, ~ 0.5 cm/?s by the magnetic field of the current of capacitor discharge, has been well documented for relatively modest rise times of the current, ~ 5 ?s. Multiple high density cylindrical mass shells, e.g.
Closing the loop

In 1963, the term autophagy was coined by Christian de Duve (Nobel Laureate, 1974) to denote the degradation of cellular self-constituents by the lysosome ( 1 ). In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi for “his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy” ( 2 ). Such discoveries led to the unveiling of autophagy as an evolutionarily conserved pathway that functions in differentiation and development, physiology, and protection against aging and many diseases ( 3 ). On page 1036 of this issue, Tsuboyama et al. ( 4 ) uncover a surprising twist to the mechanism in mammalian cells for forming the autophagosomal membrane, the structure that engulfs unwanted cellular cargo for delivery to the lysosome. These findings have implications for understanding the various roles of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) in membrane-trafficking and mammalian health and disease.
Diffraction Dissociation of π +/- , K +/- , and p +/- at 100 and 200 GeV/c

We report differential cross sections for $h+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}X+p$ ($h={\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{p}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$) at 100 and 200 GeV/c in the region $0.025l|t|l0.095$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$ and $\frac{{{M}_{X}}^{2}}{s}l0.1$.
Is Oral Biopsy Associated With Change in Tobacco or Alcohol Use

Purpose Tobacco and alcohol remain the predominant risk factors for oral cancer, but the relation between having an oral biopsy and cessation of these risk factors is unknown. Therefore, this investigation examined whether there might be an association between oral biopsy and change in risk factor use. Materials and Methods A survey was sent to a cohort consisting of a consecutive sample of subjects identified in the University of North Carolina Oral Pathology database. The predictor variable was oral biopsy diagnosis, with 3 levels consisting of hyperkeratosis, dysplasia, or carcinoma. The outcome variable was change in risk factor use, coded as “no change in usage,” “decreased usage” or “quit.” Other study variables included age, gender, and race. The proportional odds model was used to assess the effect of explanatory variables on change in use, and the P value was set at .05. Results The response rate was 37.4% for a total sample of 605 subjects. White non-Hispanics composed 85% of respondents and women composed 49.5%, with no significant difference among diagnostic categories. The global test for change in cigarette use was significant, with age contributing to variability in behavioral change. Although not statistically significant, larger percentages of patients with more severe diagnoses quit cigarettes and alcohol following biopsy. The youngest respondents were 3.7 times more likely not to quit before biopsy or to continue to smoke following biopsy (95% confidence interval, 1.98-6.91). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that oral biopsy provides an ideal opportunity to focus on risk factor cessation. Different diagnoses provide objective data on which to base a discussion about carcinogenesis and the roles played by the risk factors in this process. Differences in risk factor cessation associated with demographics emphasize the need for all clinicians to address cessation with all patients.
The Death of Childhood

ABSTRACTChildhood and adolescence are always evolving. Although every new medium has brought with it fears of children and teens being “corrupted” or worse, the onslaught of new technology in the past several decades has had a major impact on growing up. The impact of media violence has helped to instill a climate of fear in children and adolescents so that no one feels safe playing outside anymore—very different from fifty or sixty years ago. Cyberbullying has overtaken in-person bullying as a threat. The availability of sexual images and dialogue has rendered school sex education programs obsolete. The incidence of obesity has doubled in just a few decades thanks to the increased sedentary behavior of young people, who now spend an average of more than seven hours a day with a variety of different media. Schools are trying to keep up with new technology, and administrators think that if all of their students have iPads, they’re doing so. Media are not the only catalyst for the change in childhood and ad...
The Alexandrian Footnote in Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura

This paper contributes evidence to support the widely accepted view that Lucretius may justly be regarded by the reader as a Callimachean poet by synthesizing and analyzing Lucretius’ use of the so-called ‘Alexandrian footnote’ in the DRN. Although most scholars have come to agree with Kenney that Lucretius embraces many of the same poetic ideals as his contemporaries, there are still some who remain skeptical of Kenney’s thesis, and, while Kenney adduces the most prominent parts of the DRN that show signs of Alexandrianism, in fact he only scratches the surface of the extent to which Lucretius practices his own version of Roman neo-Callimacheanism. Moreover, very few of those who accept Kenney’s results have followed his lead by adding corroborating evidence. It is still very much worthwhile, therefore, to explore this aspect of Lucretius’ poetic artistry; this paper’s analysis of the Alexandrian footnote provides further proof that Kenney’s argument is correct, and it expands on his thesis by showing how integral Alexandrian poetic techniques are to Lucretius’ philosophical purposes.
COMPARISON OF COLONIAL BREEDING SEABIRDS IN THE EASTERN BERING SEA AND GULF OF ALASKA

Present day seabird distributions are a product of many factors including: evolution, dispersal, predator-free nesting habitat, food resources, competition, and human influences (Ashmole 1963, Lack 1966, Udvardy 1974, Birkhead & Furness 1985). Seabirds generally live on predator-free islands with abundant food resources nearby. Their populations are often thought to be limited by food (Ashmole 1963, Lack 1966, Furness & Monaghan 1987, Springer 1991, Hunt et al. 1993). In Alaska, seabirds have been greatly affected by introduced predators (Bailey 1993), fisheries interactions (Degange et al. 1993), oils spills (Piatt et al. 1990), and climate change (Agler et al. 1999, Anderson & Piatt 1999). Nevertheless, Alaska still has some of the largest and most diverse seabird colonies in the North Hemisphere (Lensink 1984).
Examining the Impact of Intimate Partner Violence Type and Timing on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Awareness, Interest, and Coercion.

Previous research suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with acceptability of and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, very few studies have examined whether the type (i.e., physical, sexual, and psychological IPV) and timing (i.e., lifetime, past-year) of IPV experiences differentially relate to PrEP awareness, interest, and perceived PrEP coercion. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine associations between lifetime and past-year physical, sexual, and psychological IPV experiences on PrEP awareness, interest, and perceived PrEP coercion. Data were collected from an online survey administered to 210 women and men. Past-year physical IPV experiences (AOR 4.53, 95% CI 1.85, 11.11) were significantly associated with being interested in using PrEP. Lifetime sexual (AOR 3.69, 95% CI 1.62, 8.40), psychological IPV (AOR 4.70, 95% CI 1.01, 21.89), and past-year sexual IPV experiences (AOR 3.01, 95% CI 1.10, 8.27) were also significantly associated with believing a recent partner would attempt to control the participant’s use of PrEP, if she or he were currently using it. Understanding that engaging in PrEP care is influenced differently by the type and timing of IPV has potential implications for PrEP candidacy guidelines and interventions.
Relationship of Opioid Prescriptions to Physical Therapy Referral and Participation for Medicaid Patients with New-Onset Low Back Pain

Introduction Physical therapy (PT) early in the management of low back pain (LBP) is associated with reductions in subsequent health care utilization and LBP-related costs. The objectives of this study were to 1) Examine differences among newly consulting patients with LBP who received a PT referral and those who did not, 2) examine differences between patients who participated in PT to those who did not, and 3) compare the impact of a PT referral and PT participation on LBP-related health care utilization and costs over 1 year. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records and claims data. Participants were 454 Medicaid enrollees with new LBP consultations (mean age, 40.4 years; SD = 12.0; 70% women). Outcomes included advanced imaging, injections, emergency department visits, opioid prescriptions, surgery and LBP-related costs. Variables associated with a PT consult, PT participation, and subsequent outcomes were evaluated with multivariate models. Results A total of 251 (55%) participants received a PT consult within 7 days of the index LBP visit and 81 (19%) participated in PT. The odds of a PT consult were increased if patients were prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (aOR = 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 3.27; P = .05) or muscle relaxers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.24; 95% CI, 1.03 to 4.87; P = .04). Whereas tobacco users and individual with multiple comorbidities were less likely to receive a PT consult (aOR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.91) and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.23 to 0.78), respectively). Odds of participating in PT were higher for patients receiving an radiograph at baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 2.63; 95% CI, 1.25 to 5.53) or having multiple comorbidities (OR = 2.96; 95% CI, 1.20 to 7.20). The odds of receiving an opioid prescription over the year following the index visit reduced with a PT consult (aOR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43 to 1.00) and with PT participation (aOR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.92). No differences in LBP related costs over 1 year were noted between any of the groups. Conclusions Among Medicaid recipients with new-onset LBP, the index provider's prescription and imaging decisions and patient demographics were associated with PT referrals and participation. A referral to PT and subsequent PT participation was associated with reduced opioid prescriptions during follow-up. There was no difference in overall LBP-related health care costs.
The Panicum mosaic virus-like 3' cap-independent translation element: A translation enhancer that functions in mammalian systems

In canonical eukaryotic translation initiation, the recognition of mRNA by the translation machinery is facilitated through the binding of the 5’ m7G cap structure to eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). This recognition is necessary for efficient translation of the message to occur. In contrast, some viruses lack the 5’ cap structure but have alternative mechanisms to initiate translation and express the viral proteins necessary for replication. The positive-strand RNA plant viruses of the panico-, carmo-, umbra-, (1-3) and aureusviruses (4) contain an RNA structure in their 3’ UTRs that binds eIF4E (2) and through communication with the 5’ UTR, are able to efficiently initiate translation in their hosts. This interaction is proposed to occur through a guanosine residue that interacts with the cap-binding pocket of the protein in a similar way to the m7G cap (3). Control of eIF4E expression has important implications in plant susceptibility to viral infection and has been used to design more resistant crops (5-7). Its control is also important in mammalian systems: deregulated eIF4E has been implicated in many cancers including those of the breast (8), lung (9) and prostate (10), chronic human diseases such as diabetes (11), and developmental disorders such as autism (12). As eIF4E structure and function are highly conserved across kingdoms, and characterizing novel interactions with this protein have potential use in disease control, we sought to characterize this element in mammalian systems . We optimized translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate and HeLa lysate for salt, RNA concentration and incubation time (Aim 1), compared the translation efficiency of reporter RNAs containing PTEs of 9 different viruses in lysates and whole cells (Aim 2), and investigated the ability of the PTE to act as an inhibitor (Aim 3).
Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Association With Survival Among Older Patients With Hematologic Cancers

Importance As the population ages, cognitive impairment has promised to become increasingly common among patients with cancer. Little is known about how specific domains of cognitive impairment may be associated with survival among older patients with hematologic cancers. Objective To determine the prevalence of domain-specific cognitive impairment and its association with overall survival among older patients with blood cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective observational cohort study included all patients 75 years and older who presented for initial consultation in the leukemia, myeloma, or lymphoma clinics of a large tertiary hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, from February 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017. Patients underwent screening for frailty and cognitive dysfunction and were followed up for survival. Exposures The Clock-in-the-Box (CIB) test was used to screen for executive dysfunction. A 5-word delayed recall test was used to screen for impairment in working memory. The Fried frailty phenotype and Rockwood cumulative deficit model of frailty were also assessed to characterize participants as robust, prefrail, or frail. Results Among 420 consecutive patients approached, 360 (85.7%) agreed to undergo frailty assessment (232 men [64.4%] and 128 women [35.6%]; mean [SD] age, 79.8 [3.9] years), and 341 of those (94.7%) completed both cognitive screening tests. One hundred twenty-seven patients (35.3%) had probable executive dysfunction on the CIB, and 62 (17.2%) had probable impairment in working memory on the 5-word delayed recall. Impairment in either domain was modestly correlated with the Fried frailty phenotype (CIB, ρ = 0.177; delayed recall, ρ = 0.170;P = .01 for both), and many phenotypically robust patients also had probable cognitive impairment (24 of 104 [23.1%] on CIB and 9 of 104 [8.7%] on delayed recall). Patients with impaired working memory had worse median survival (10.9 [SD, 12.9] vs 12.2 [SD, 14.7] months; log-rankP Conclusions and Relevance These data suggest that domains of cognitive dysfunction may be prevalent in older patients with blood cancer and may have differential predictive value for survival. Targeted interventions are needed for this vulnerable patient population.
Education in Postcolonial Africa

In the postcolonial period, several African countries have undertaken numerous educational reforms to address their social, political, and economic needs. Many of these reforms have been shaped by varied historical happenings within the African continent. Drawing from my educational, biographical research work in Kenya, where I have studied Kenya’s educational development in the postcolonial period using historical frames, this chapter examines how the development of education in Africa has been influenced by its historical contexts, happenings, trends, and needs, the progress that has been made, challenges that have been witnessed, and what the future holds with regard to education in Africa. Given the contextual educational differences that exist among the 55 African countries, this chapter focuses mainly on Sub-Saharan African countries.
Post Scriptum: Illusio and the Reproduction of the Corps—Notes from an Ambivalent Gatekeeper

Humanistic scholarship is adrift. As the intrinsic value of literature, once assumed as a given, has come under question, the scope of the phenomena to be analyzed has widened. Yet literature continues to be a preferred object of scholarly analysis, leading to a mismatch between claims made and proof adduced. This mismatch illustrates a deeper problem that, through Bourdieu, can be described as a loss of illusio: the shared belief in the game among those invested in it. While Bourdieu writes that “one cannot found a genuine science of the work of art without tearing oneself out of the illusio,” he adds that it is “only exceptionally, especially in moments of crisis, that certain agents may develop a conscious and explicit representation of the game as a game, one which destroys the investment in the game, the illusio, by making it appear what it always objectively is … [:] a historical fiction ….”
Detection and Geolocation of P -Band Radio Frequency Interference Using EcoSAR

The high penetration of P -band signals (300–600 MHz) into dense vegetation and the higher temporal stability at low frequencies are key advantages for the estimation of forest properties using synthetic aperture radar (SAR). However, existing services at those frequencies make P -band SAR imagers more vulnerable to the radio frequency interference (RFI). In this paper, a method to detect and geolocate the RFI using digital beamforming (DBF) is presented. The method is implemented using NASA's EcoSAR measurements. This P -band multichannel radar uses a sniffing pulse interleaved during the DBF SAR operation to sense the RFI. RFI detection is implemented with time-bandpass filters while DBF is used to estimate the angle-of-arrival and geolocate the interference. The method is demonstrated for an interferer how EcoSAR could be used to assess the RFI threats to spaceborne missions.
Nanotecnología: herramienta inteligente para la conservación del patrimonio arquitectónico y urbano

El articulo estudia las metodologias Inteligentes y no invasivas que la nanotecnologia viene desarrollando para el mantenimiento, la conservacion y la restauracion de las construcciones patrimoniales. Se incluyen: una sintesis del origen y la evolucion de la nanotecnologia; los avances mas relevantes en cuanto al mantenimiento inteligente del patrimonio arquitectonico y urbano; y los resultados obtenidos al aplicar la nueva generacion de compuestos nanoestructurados sobre los materiales de construccion mas comunes en las obras patrimoniales. Se concluye que el tratamiento de los edificios patrimoniales con nanocompuestos permite un mantenimiento mas eficiente de los mismos, contribuye a su conservacion, y esta generando novedosos y muy eficaces procesos para la restauracion del patrimonio cultural material de la humanidad.
Power consumption during oscillatory mixing of pharmaceutical powders

Abstract The blending of powders is a critical step in pharmaceutical drug product manufacturing as it ensures that each dosage unit will contain the same intended fraction of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Under-blending thus poses a significant risk to patients where overdose or underdose can occur. Similarly, over-blending can lead to manufacturing issues such as reduced tablet tensile strengths as any included lubricants are dispersed further and further with additional blending. For these reasons, powder blending has been extensively studied in the pharmaceutical industry and a wide variety of blending processes have been implemented, including tumble bin and ‘V’ blenders with or without intensifier bars, high shear wet granulators, ribbon blenders, continuous blenders and others. A relatively new oscillatory blending process is presented by the resonant acoustic mixer (RAM), which has gained some interest in the literature. In this work, we explore the mixing energy delivered to powders in the RAM geometry as a function of the relevant process variables such as oscillation amplitude (g-forces), sample bottle headspace, and powder mass. The mixing energy was estimated from the measured temperature rise of mixed powders. Additionally, the mixing process was modeled by both a simplified custom DEM simulation and by the derivation and solution of a second order nonhomogeneous linear differential equation, which describes a ball oscillating in a can of viscous fluid. The experimental data were evaluated in light of both models and results suggest that the derived equation (Eq. (37)) provided a better description of power delivery in oscillatory mixers than the DEM model, which does not account for the viscosity of air. The data also show that more tightly packed powders absorb less energy. This trend was also predicted by Eq. (37) and is the expected trend when confined powders begin to approximate rigid-body oscillators, which theoretically consume no power.
Examples of Activity Systems Analysis Used in Research for Various Purposes

This chapter will provide examples of how scholars have applied activity systems analysis in their work and what new insights their work contributed to the development of activity systems analysis as a viable methodology for investigating complex learning environments. The examples will demonstrate how researchers and practitioners have used activity systems analysis in a variety of contexts for different purposes. The examination of each example will provide ideas on how to use activity systems analysis to design and engage in investigations of human interactions.