cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FW: An R Package for Finlay–Wilkinson Regression that Incorporates Genomic/Pedigree Information and Covariance Structures Between Environments

The Finlay–Wilkinson regression (FW) is a popular method among plant breeders to describe genotype by environment interaction. The standard implementation is a two-step procedure that uses environment (sample) means as covariates in a within-line ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. This procedure can be suboptimal for at least four reasons: (1) in the first step environmental means are typically estimated without considering genetic-by-environment interactions, (2) in the second step uncertainty about the environmental means is ignored, (3) estimation is performed regarding lines and environment as fixed effects, and (4) the procedure does not incorporate genetic (either pedigree-derived or marker-derived) relationships. Su et al. proposed to address these problems using a Bayesian method that allows simultaneous estimation of environmental and genotype parameters, and allows incorporation of pedigree information. In this article we: (1) extend the model presented by Su et al. to allow integration of genomic information [e.g., single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)] and covariance between environments, (2) present an R package (FW) that implements these methods, and (3) illustrate the use of the package using examples based on real data. The FW R package implements both the two-step OLS method and a full Bayesian approach for Finlay–Wilkinson regression with a very simple interface. Using a real wheat data set we demonstrate that the prediction accuracy of the Bayesian approach is consistently higher than the one achieved by the two-step OLS method.
A New Olpidiopsis Parasite of Karlingia Rosea from Maryland

This parasite occurred in cultures of K. rosea which had been isolated and grown on bits of onion skin in a water and soil sample collected from a stagnant pool in a pig pen near Frederick, Maryland in April, 1948. Within two weeks after the host sporangia had developed in the substratum a large number of them were found to be infected, and in the course of a month the disease had reached epidemic proportions in several of the cultures. In such cultures as high as fifty-two per cent of the sporangia were parasitized, but in others infection was less severe and even lacking. The epidemic began to subside in six weeks, and after two months no trace of the parasite, except its resting spores, could be found. As far as present studies go, this fungus appears to be an obligate parasite of K. rosea. All attempts to infect cultures of Karlingia sp., K. hyalina, K. granulata, Chytriomyces hyalinus, C. aure.us, C. stellatus, Asterophlyctis sarcoptoides, Phlyctorhiza variabilis, Nowakowskiella elegans, Septochytrium variable, and Cladochytrium replicatum have failed. This parasite is characterized by a monocentric, holocarpic thallus; spherical to oval, pyriform, obpyriform, oblong, or slightly angular sporangia; biflagellate, heterocont, reniform zoospores, and asexual, spherical, oval, oblong or angular resting spores. Morphologically and developmentally its thallus, sporangia and zoospores resemble those of Olpidiopsis species, but it differs from most members of this genus by its asexual resting spores. How-
INCIDENCE OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL EXERTION IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) associated with physical exertion (SCD/E) is a devastating event. The U.S. military records provide excellent data for SCD surveillance given complete capture of all deaths, well-defined population, comprehensive electronic medical record, and accessible surveillance
Exploitation of the Saturation Phenomenon for Actuation of a Flapping MAV in Hovering and Forward Flight

Stringent weight and size constraints on flapping-wing micro-air-vehicles dictate minimal actuation. Unfortunately, hovering and forward flight require different wing motions and, as such, independent actuators. Therefore, a hovering or a forward-flight requirement should be included in the mission and design statements of a flapping-wing micro-airvehicle. This work proposes a design for an actuation mechanism that would provide the required kinematics in each flight condition using only one actuator. The idea is to exploit the nonlinear dynamics of the flapping wing to induce the saturation phenomenon. One physical spring in the plunging direction is needed along with a feedback by the plunging angle into the control torque of the actuator in the back and forth flapping direction. By detuning the feedback gains away from the saturation requirement, flapping kinematics required for hovering are obtained. In contrast, by tuning the feedback gains to induce the saturation phenomenon, the motion is transferred into the plunging direction. Moreover, the actuating torque (in the flapping direction) would then provide a direct control over the amplitude of the plunging motion, while the amplitude of the actuated flapping motion saturates and does not change as the amplitude of the actuating torque increases.
Real-time communication of WAMS simulation substation

The basic functions of WAMS(Wide Area Measurement System) simulation substation are introduced.The problems in its real-time communication on Windows platform are analyzed: the precision of windows timer is low,causing big delay in message processing;the data frames are accumulated in the socket send-buffer if the frame length is not long,causing several data frames arrived at the main station at the same time.Based on Windows platform and the OSI reference model of network communication,solutions are given:use multi-media timer and multi-thread technology in the application level of OSI to improve timer precision;modify the transmission control method of TCP / IP protocol stack on the transmission level of OSI by closing Nagle algorithm of TCP to avoid data overstock.Experimental and debugging results show the proposed solutions are effective and feasible.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever in Yuxi,1999-2010

Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics and trend of typhoid and paratyphoid fever A in Yuxi from 1999 to 2010,and to provide scientific evidence for the disease control and prevention.Method The data from routine surveillance system of communicable diseases were systematically analyzed with method of descriptive epidemiological study.Results Totally 13 977 cases with typhoid and paratyphoid fever A were reported in Yuxi,and the annual incidence rate of fluctuated between 10.29/105 and 99.87/105 from 1999 to 2010,which was the lowest in 1999.There was an increasing trend of the incidence since 2001(mainly in Hongta district),furthermore was an interval of 1 to 2 years between peaks.The incidence rate in 2008-2010 was low.Seasonal variation was single peak with the highest incidence in period of April to November.The cases were reported in all nine counties,and mainly in Hongta and Chenjiang area,moreover,the incidence rate of urban residents was obviously higher than mountain residents.The patients who were peasants,students,workers and cadres accounted 77.85% of the total reported cases.The cases aged 10 to 45 years accounted for 78.93% of total reported cases.The main pathogen was Salmonella enterica serotype paratyphi A.Conclusion Typhoid and paratyphoid fever A have been restrained effectively since 2008,and the cases were mainly young adults and students.Having the prevention in key area among focus groups well done is meaningful to the control of the tyhoid and paratyphoid fever A.
Characterization and standardized detection system of magnetosomes in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense

Objective: To purify magnetosomes,characterize them and build a standardized detection system.Methods: Magnetosomes were purified from cells of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 based on their magnetism,and were characterized by TEM,XRD,FT-TR,DSL,zeta potential and normalized hysteresis loop.Results:(1) TEM,XRD studies showed that the magnetosomes had a particle diameter of 43 nm and a crystal size of 35 nm;(2) TEM observed and FT-IR analyzed results indicated that the magnetosome membrane existed,and there were-NH2 and other groups on the membrane;(3) Zeta potential analysis revealed that the surface charge of magnetosomes was-32.3 mV in ultrapure water.Conclusion: Purified magnetosomes have a uniform size and the membrane exists.So they can be applied to different areas as carriers of nucleic acids,proteins and drugs.
Apoptosis Inducing Factor Binding Protein PGAM5 Triggers Mitophagic Cell Death That Is Inhibited by the Ubiquitin Ligase Activity of X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis

Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) plays a well-defined role in controlling cell death but is also a critical factor for maintaining mitochondrial energy homeostasis; how these dueling activities are balanced has remained largely elusive. To identify new AIF binding partners that may define the continuum of AIF cellular regulation, a biochemical screen was performed that identified the mitochondrial phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5) as an AIF associated factor. AIF binds both the short and long isoforms of PGAM5 and can reduce the ability of PGAM5 to control antioxidant responses. Transient overexpression of either PGAM5 isoform triggers caspase activation and cell death, and while AIF could reduce this caspase activation neither AIF expression nor caspase activity is required for PGAM5-mediated death. PGAM5 toxicity morphologically and biochemically resembles mitophagic cell death and is inhibited by the AIF binding protein X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) in a manner that depends on the ubiquitin ligase activity of XIAP. The phosphatase activity of PGAM5 was not required for cell death, and comparison of phosphatase activity between short and long PGAM5 isoforms suggested that only the long isoform is catalytically competent. This property correlated with an increased ability of PGAM5L to form dimers and/or higher order oligomers in intact cells compared to PGAM5S. Overall this study identifies an AIF/PGAM5/XIAP axis that can regulate PGAM5 activities related to the antioxidant response and mitophagy.
Prophylactic uses of antiarrhythmic drugs in acute myocardial infarction.

No antiarrhythmic drug has been universally accepted for routine prophylaxis of arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction. However, most physicians agree that therapy should begin as soon as possible after symptoms of infarction appear.
Labial talon cusp: A case study of pre-European–contact American Indians

ABSTRACT Background First documented by Mitchell in 1892, the talon cusp is a rare and much-debated morphological variant. The author presents a case study from a pre-European–contact American Indian population. In addition, the author addresses debates in the literature regarding the definition, etiology and description of the talon cusp and provides new evidence within an archaeological context. Methods The author examined the dentition of 301 skeletons for the presence or absence of talon cusp; five skeletons (2 percent) in the population had the trait. Results This skeletal sample exhibited variations of the labial talon cusp that can be graded. Conclusions The results of this study provide further evidence of the antiquity of labial talon cusp in the assemblage of modern humans and, in particular, in American Indians.
Inductive Power Transfer Uplink Using Rectifier Second-Order Nonlinearity

This work introduces two new uplink schemes for inductive wireless power transfer (IWPT) system with significant rejection on the Tx-to-Rx interference and noise. The second-order nonlinearity of the diode rectifier on the tag (target) is utilized to generate a new frequency component at the second-harmonic (SH) frequency of a continuous-wave (CW) Tx or at the second-order intermodulation (IM2) frequency of the a two-tone Tx. The two new frequencies are distant from the Tx fundamental frequency used for wireless powering, so the undesired Tx interference/noise at the Rx frequency can be filtered at the Tx output without compromising the wireless power transfer. The tag-to-reader uplink can be performed at the new Rx frequencies. PCB implementations for the SH and IM2 uplink are demonstrated with the signal-to-blocker ratio (SBR) largely improved compared to the conventional backscattering uplink. Although the Rx signal is weaker at the new uplink frequencies, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SH uplink can out-perform the SNR of the backscattering uplink when a high-power Tx is required. The comparison between the SH, IM2, and the backscattering uplink is provided, in terms of SBR, SNR, and the power conversion efficiency.
Solitary mastocytoma presenting in an adult: report and literature review of adult-onset solitary cutaneous mastocytoma with recommendations for evaluation and treatment.

Background: Mastocytosis is either cutaneous (with skin-limited proliferation of mast cells) or systemic (with mast cells in extracutaneous sites). The onset of solitary mastocytoma in an adult is rare. Purpose: A woman with the new onset of solitary mastocytoma is described. The clinical features of patients with adult-onset solitary mastocytoma are summarized. Recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of individuals with adult-onset solitary mastocytoma are proposed. Methods: PubMed was searched with the key words: adult, CD2, CD25, cell, cutaneous, disease, KIT, KIT D816V, mast, mastocytoma, mutation, pigmentosa, solitary, tryptase, and urticarial. The papers generated by the search, and their references, were reviewed. Results: A 38-year-old Taiwanese woman presented with an asymptomatic brown patch, which morphologically mimicked a dysplastic nevus, on her right abdomen; biopsy demonstrated a solitary mastocytoma. Comprehensive evaluation (including serologic and bone marrow examination) excluded systemic mastocytosis and her residual mastocytoma is being monitored. Adult-onset solitary mastocytoma has been described in 16 patients. Lesions were either on the head and neck (5/14), torso (5/14) or extremities (4/14). Urtication following lesion rubbing was noted in 79% (11/14) of patients. Excision of the mastocytoma [75% (9/12)] was the most common treatment. Other management approaches included corticosteroids (topical or intralesional), antihistamines (systemic) or observation. Systemic symptoms were noted in 5 patients: flushing (3 women) and pruritus (3 women); gastrointestinal symptoms and headaches, flushing and/or anaphylaxis were each noted in one woman. None of the patients with adult-onset solitary mastocytoma had systemic mastocytosis; however, only 3 women were evaluated for systemic mastocytosis. Conclusions: Systemic mastocytosis is common in adults with new onset cutaneous mastocytosis. Therefore, a conservative work up for new onset solitary mastocytosis in adults is proposed to include complete blood cell counts, serum chemistries (including liver function tests), and serum tryptase level and bone marrow biopsy to evaluate for mast cell clusters, morphology and immunophenotype and KIT gene mutation in codon 816. Similar serologic testing should be considered annually for adult-onset solitary mastocytosis patients without systemic disease.
Ring strain energy in ether- and lactone-containing spiro compounds

Ring strain energies (RSEs) have been calculated for oxygen-containing spiro compounds using the group equivalent reaction (GER) formalism. The RSEs for all compounds studied were calculated from the energies of fully-optimized structures at the MP2 + ZPE/cc-pVDZ level and the more computationally costly G4(MP2) method. RSEs for selected compounds were also calculated with the CBS-QB3 method, with less than 1 kcal/mol difference observed between G4(MP2) and CBS-QB3. The difference between the less costly MP2 + ZPE and G4(MP2) methods was less than 1.5 kcal/mol. The highest RSEs were found for the compounds containing two three-membered rings, and these compounds also exhibited the greatest excess strain energy (ESE) of about 12 kcal/mol. The RSEs of cyclic lactones vary with ring size differently than those of cyclic ethers. Cyclic ethers' RSEs decrease by a small amount from the three- to four-membered rings then decrease drastically as the ring increases to 5 atoms, and approaches zero for the six-membered ring, the same unexpected behavior as seen in cycloalkanes. Cyclic lactones' RSEs decrease linearly to almost zero from the three- to the five-membered ring, then increase by 1–2 kcal/mol in the six-membered ring. Lactone-containing spiro compounds exhibit regularly diminishing ESE as the size of the lactone ring increases, down to about 3 kcal/mol in the δ-lactone-containing spiro compound. Substitution of methyl groups decreases RSE in these oxygen-containing spiro compounds, while substitution of fluorine significantly increases RSE, as has been reported in other compounds. But RSE alone is shown to not correlate completely with chemical reactivity of these spiro compounds. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New Directions in Design Cognition: Studies of Representation and Recall

Publisher Summary This chapter poses some new questions for design cognition and outlines some paths for studying them. After a short review of design cognition's current status, some issues that seem important to understand if design education is to be improved is brought up. Two broad areas are addressed: learning new representations, their internalization, and automatization, as a foundation for developing design expertise; and learning and recall used to structure a design context, framing the design task, and retrieving relevant design concepts. Recall in design pertains not so much to the factual recall as to the responding to contextual conditions, accessed through the use of analogy and other complex associations. Studies in areas of psychology of mental imaging and knowledge representation are reviewed and new ones proposed and the benefits of the new directions outlined. Two design domains are considered, architecture and mechanical engineering. The approach to studying design and the kinds of knowledge it seeks is a continuation of the cognitive psychology tradition of information processing theories of thinking. It however recognizes the huge layer of knowledge based on previous cultural, social, interpersonal, as well as, formal knowledge about the world and how this knowledge is heavily drawn upon in reasoning during design.
Changing the navigator's course: How the increasing rationalization of healthcare influences access for undocumented immigrants under the Affordable Care Act

Abstract A number of researchers have shown that brokers (e.g., navigators and street-level bureaucrats) bridge access to healthcare services and information for immigrant patients through rich personal relationships and a mission of ethical care. An open question remains concerning how the increasing rationalization of healthcare over the past few decades influences brokerage for undocumented immigrant patients. Drawing from fieldwork and interviews conducted in California, as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, I develop the concept of the “double-embedded-liaison.” While other studies treat brokers as acting either as gatekeepers or patient representatives, this study explains how brokers simultaneously operate on multiple planes when new roles are added. I argue that with more formalization and scrutiny at health centers, the impact of brokerage is destabilized and, subsequently, diminished. Two consequences of the double-embedded-liaison brokerage form are: (1) some brokers become disillusioned and exit –resulting in the loss of valuable resources at the health centers, and (2) immigrants move away from the health centers that historically served them. In looking at brokers’ simultaneous performance as gatekeepers and representatives, this research extends brokerage typologies and street-level bureaucracy arguments that largely treat brokerage in a mono-planar rather than in a bi-planar mode. Furthermore, in examining the risks and opportunities brokerage brings to addressing health disparities, the study provides insights into the effects of replacing the ACA or repealing it all together in the Post-Obama era.
Potential determinants of food security among refugees in the U.S.: an examination of pre- and post- resettlement factors

The objectives of this paper are: 1) to examine the socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of food insecurity in three groups of refugees resettled in the U.S.; 2) to describe themes that arose as potential determinants of food insecurity for refugees; and 3) to posit a conceptual model of the potential determinants of food insecurity for refugees and how they interrelate. This is a case study based on the analysis of three nutritional assessment studies conducted with Asian and African refugees (n = 97 combined). A mixed methods approach was adopted with a semi-structured interview questionnaire, containing both quantitative and open-ended qualitative questions. Interviews were conducted in-home by community interviewers. Seventy percent (n = 69) of the sample, which represented a group that has been resettled in the U.S. for an average of 8 years, experienced some level of food insecurity. Themes related to previous food shortage in refugee camps, health care costs, and remittance of resources to relatives back home emerged as factors impacting food security and demonstrating its lack for those who have been resettled for even as many as 8 years. Pre-resettlement factors and transnational remittance have been understudied as they relate to the food security status of resettled refugees. With greater investigation, the knowledge acquired of these factors could impact the way resettlement programs design education, training and counseling for refugees.
Predicting Gated-Peak Grain Noise Distributions for Ultrasonic Inspections of Metals

In ultrasonic pulse/echo inspections of metal components, defect detection can be limited by backscattered “grain noise” from the metal microstructure. The absolute level of grain noise observed in a given inspection depends on the metal microstructure and on details of the inspection system, such as the focal properties of the transducer, the spectral content of the incident sonic pulse, and the receiver amplification settings. In earlier work [1–3], we presented models which account for both measurement system and microstructural effects, and which predict certain aspects of the backscattered noise in weakly-scattering materials. For example, one of the predicted quantities is the “rms noise level”, illustrated in Fig. 1 and defined as the root-mean-squared average of the RF noise voltages seen at a fixed observation time when the transducer is scanned above the specimen. The absolute rms noise level as a function of time (or penetration depth) can be predicted from knowledge of the transducer diameter and focal length, a “reference echo” from a flat surface, and certain material properties of the specimen including its density, velocity, attenuation coefficient, and Figure-of-Merit (FOM).
Black Girl Cartography: Black Girlhood and Place-Making in Education Research:

Drawing on research in education, Black Girlhood studies, and conversations connected to girlhood and cartography, this chapter calls for transdisciplinary analyses of Black girls’ sociocultural an...
Heterogeneity in Short-Term Suicidal Ideation Trajectories: Predictors of and Projections to Suicidal Behavior.

Objective Little is known about suicidal ideation stability, including whether stability is heterogeneous or homogeneous between individuals. Studies of this kind are necessary to understand the progression from suicidal ideation to action. Method This study examined suicidal ideation trajectories, using growth mixture modeling, in a sample of 359 past/current military service members (M age = 32.1 years, SD = 7.7; 88.3% male). Self-reported suicidal ideation information was collected at baseline and follow-up sessions at months 1, 3, 6, and 12. Following extraction of the best-fitting solution, predictors of trajectory status were examined and trajectory status was used to predict suicidal behavior between baseline and month 12 assessments. Results Results revealed four trajectories, Low-Stable (n = 125), Moderate-Stable (n = 101), High-Stable (n = 76), and High-Rapidly Declining (n = 57). In general, the High-Stable trajectory had the highest levels of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, PTSD symptoms, and drug use. The High- and Moderate-Stable trajectories had the highest rates of suicidal behavior between baseline and month 12. Conclusions Suicidal ideation, even in individuals with elevated ideation, is not a homogeneous construct over time. Stability of suicidal ideation might be an important risk factor, even if ideation is only moderately elevated.
Greenberg, Joseph H. (1915–2001)

Joseph H. Greenberg (1915–2001) was an eminent anthropological linguist whose scholarship on typology and language universals was seminal to late 20th-century linguistics. He also developed controversial techniques for the genetic classification of languages and applied them to synthesize a few families out of many languages, most successfully in the case of Africa.
Data mining meets hci: making sense of large graphs

We have entered the age of big data. Massive datasets are now common in science, government and enterprises. Yet, making sense of these data remains a fundamental challenge. Where do we start our analysis? Where to go next? How to visualize our findings? We answers these questions by bridging Data Mining and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to create tools for making sense of graphs with billions of nodes and edges, focusing on: (1) Attention Routing: we introduce this idea, based on anomaly detection, that automatically draws people's attention to interesting areas of the graph to start their analyses. We present three examples: Polonium unearths malware from 37 billion machine-file relationships; NetProbe fingers bad guys who commit auction fraud. (2) Mixed-Initiative Sensemaking: we present two examples that combine machine inference and visualization to help users locate next areas of interest: Apolo guides users to explore large graphs by learning from few examples of user interest; Graphite finds interesting subgraphs, based on only fuzzy descriptions drawn graphically. (3) Scaling Up: we show how to enable interactive analytics of large graphs by leveraging Hadoop, staging of operations, and approximate computation. This thesis contributes to data mining, HCI, and importantly their intersection, including: interactive systems and algorithms that scale; theories that unify graph mining approaches; and paradigms that overcome fundamental challenges in visual analytics. Our work is making impact to academia and society: Polonium protects 120 million people worldwide from malware; NetProbe made headlines on CNN, WSJ and USA Today; Pegasus won an open-source software award; Apolo helps DARPA detect insider threats and prevent exfiltration. We hope our Big Data Mantra "Machine for Attention Routing, Human for Interaction" will inspire more innovations at the crossroad of data mining and HCI.
The Development of Modern Cosmology

The development of modern cosmology was the result of the work of dedicated scientists our several countries, who gave enormous sacrifices to bring us the perspective we have today.
Students Create A Reference Table

As winter turned to spring, my period 7 class was still the one that went most smoothly. It was far from perfect, but all year I felt like I made a better overall connection with this class. This connection translated into fewer classroom management problems, more dialogue, better instruction and more learning. I wish that I understood what was happening in Period 7 well enough to have replicated it in my other classes. I didn’t. I wish that I now had a well defined prescription to share with new science teachers that I work with at CCNY. I don’t. I wish that I had confidence that with more experience I would be able to improve my ability to succeed as a teacher.
Quantitative assessment of angiogenic microvasculature using Ultrasound multiple scattering with microbubble contrast agents

In tumors, angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) is established as a biomarker of malignancy. A random, isotropic, high-density vessel network is linked to tumor invasiveness. Ultrasound quantification of angiogenic micro-architecture could help increase the specificity of ultrasound for cancer diagnosis. We exploit multiple scattering by microbubbles populating angiogenic networks to characterize an effective medium diffusivity via the diffusion constant (D). The inter-element response matrix is acquired using an L11-4v linear array transducer operating at 7.8 MHz. D is computed from the time evolution of the incoherent contribution to the backscattered intensity in the near field. D is measured in fibrosarcoma tumors subcutaneously implanted in rats (n = 16), and in control, healthy tissue (n = 18). D is measured for two different orientations (Coronal and Transverse) and the anisotropy of the microvasculature is evaluated via the ratio of the D values obtained in the two different orientations. D was found significantly different between control (1.38 ± 0.51 mm2/μs) and tumor (0.65 ± 0.27 mm2/μs) (p<0.01) and anisotropy of the angiogenic network was observed in control cases (1.62 ± 0.911). For further validation, these results were corroborated with vascular density measurements from acoustic angiography data, confirming increased vessel density in tumors compared to controls.
A Comprehensive Statistical Framework for Determination of Commutability, Accuracy, and Agreement in Clinical DNAemia Assays

ABSTRACT Despite advances in the standardization of quantitative DNAemia tests and efforts to better understand and characterize the performance of reference materials in different assays, it remains unclear how the commutability performance of reference materials is related to intra- and interassay agreement. Building upon previous work, we describe a comprehensive framework to determine the relationship of commutability with assay accuracy and agreement. The use of this framework is illustrated using previously generated data regarding the performance of four quantitative Epstein-Bar virus (EBV) PCR assays with the WHO and ABI standards as examples. The use of these statistical tools can link the performance characteristics of one or more assays with predetermined clinical decision limits and may help improve the development, validation, and clinical utility of such DNAemia tests.
Yin and Yang of Leech Heart Central Pattern Generator: Endogenously Bursting Neurons Yoked Together into a Half-Center Oscillator

We combined experiments and dynamical system analysis to study bursting and other dynamic behaviors of heart interneurons both as single cells and in the half-center oscillator configuration. Our study indicates that the half-center configuration enhances robustness of oscillations making them less susceptible to changes in membrane parameters, while endogenous bursting behavior limits the minimum period of the half-center oscillator and ensures bursting behavior if the strength of mutual inhibition is weakened.
Identification of Axial Spondyloarthritis Patients in a Large Dataset: The Development and Validation of Novel Methods

Objective Observational axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) research in large datasets has been limited by a lack of adequate methods for identifying patients with axSpA, because there are no billing codes in the United States for most subtypes of axSpA. The objective of this study was to develop methods to accurately identify patients with axSpA in a large dataset. Methods The study population included 600 chart-reviewed veterans, with and without axSpA, in the Veterans Health Administration between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2015. AxSpA identification algorithms were developed with variables anticipated by clinical experts to be predictive of an axSpA diagnosis [demographics, billing codes, healthcare use, medications, laboratory results, and natural language processing (NLP) for key SpA features]. Random Forest and 5-fold cross validation were used for algorithm development and testing in the training subset (n = 451). The algorithms were additionally tested in an independent testing subset (n = 149). Results Three algorithms were developed: Full algorithm, High Feasibility algorithm, and Spond NLP algorithm. In the testing subset, the areas under the curve with the receiver-operating characteristic analysis were 0.96, 0.94, and 0.86, for the Full algorithm, High Feasibility algorithm, and Spond NLP algorithm, respectively. Algorithm sensitivities ranged from 85.0% to 95.0%, specificities from 78.0% to 93.6%, and accuracies from 82.6% to 91.3%. Conclusion Novel axSpA identification algorithms performed well in classifying patients with axSpA. These algorithms offer a range of performance and feasibility attributes that may be appropriate for a broad array of axSpA studies. Additional research is required to validate the algorithms in other cohorts.
Performance assessment and standardization in higher education: A problematic conjunction?

Background There is unrealized potential in higher education for greater use of performance assessment, particularly in support of teaching and learning: Well-designed performance tasks can elicit evidence regarding what students know and can do with respect to complex learning objectives. At the same time, there is some pressure, at least in the United States, to widen usage of standardized assessments in order to facilitate comparisons among institutions. Aims and methods We distinguish assessments requiring extended performances of some kind from those involving other response formats. Taking student-produced essays as a paradigmatic example, we examine the processes of assessment design and scoring as they pertain to the validity of the inferences drawn from student work products. We also briefly review the history of standardized assessments and the roles they have played in education. Further, we describe how advances in assessment theory and practice have permitted substantial relaxation in the implementation of standardization. Results Our analysis of these issues in the higher education context draws on empirical evidence regarding both faculty usage of performance tasks (particularly as a means for enhancing the construct validity of an overall assessment) and faculty resistance to the imposition of externally developed, standardized assessments. We also describe efforts undertaken in the United States to strengthen faculty expertise in assessment design, scoring, and interpretation. Conclusions We conclude that performance tasks have an important role to play in higher education, especially in view of the complexity and depth of the learning goals set for the students. For many purposes, they cannot be replaced by simpler, cheaper forms of assessment. Efforts to facilitate comparability in evaluating institutional outcomes, however, have not borne much fruit despite the substantial investments made. We argue that resources would be better directed at improving the quality of assessments developed and employed by college faculty and suggest how that might be accomplished.
Purification and characterization of a dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-sensitive adenosine triphosphatase complex from membranes of Escherichia coli

Abstract The energy transducing adenosine 5′-triphosphatase (ATPase) complex was extracted with deoxycholate from Escherichia coli membranes and purified 20–25 fold. The detergent-solubilized ATPase complex was inhibited more than 80% by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). Its sedimentation velocity coefficient was 14.7s in the presence of deoxycholate. Phospholipid stimulated its hydrolytic activity and maximized DCCD sensitivity. These parameters clearly differentiate the ATPase complex from the DCCD-insensitive, soluble ATPase prepared by extraction with EDTA at low ionic strength. The purified ATPase complex showed twelve discrete bands on lauryl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Five of these components co-electrophresed with subunits of soluble ATPase. Of the seven additional components, primarily two were precipitated with antibody to soluble ATPase. The protein which specifically reacts with DCCD co-migrated with one of these subunits.
The role of insulin as a key regulator of seeding, proliferation, and mRNA transcription of human pluripotent stem cells

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) show a great promise as a renewable source of cells with broad biomedical applications. Since insulin has been used in the maintenance of hiPSCs, in this study we explored the role of insulin in culture of these cells. We report conditions for insulin starvation and stimulation of hiPSCs. Crystal violet staining was used to study the adhesion and proliferation of hiPSCs. Apoptosis and cell cycle assays were performed through flow cytometry. Protein arrays were used to confirm phosphorylation targets, and mRNA sequencing was used to evaluate the effect of transcriptome. Insulin improved the seeding and proliferation of hiPSCs. We also observed an altered cell cycle profile and increase in apoptosis in hiPSCs in the absence of insulin. Furthermore, we confirmed phosphorylation of key components of insulin signaling pathway in the presence of insulin and demonstrated the significant effect of insulin on regulation of the mRNA transcriptome of hiPSCs. Insulin is a major regulator of seeding, proliferation, phosphorylation and mRNA transcriptome in hiPSCs. Collectively, our work furthers our understanding of human pluripotency and paves the way for future studies that use hiPSCs for modeling genetic ailments affecting insulin signaling pathways.
Race as a component of set and setting: How experiences of race can influence psychedelic experiences

Background and aimsSet and setting function both as a concept that guides research and practice with psychedelic drugs and as a meme aimed at reducing harm among psychedelic users. Referring to non...
"Sex is Easier to Get and Love is Harder to Find": Costs and Rewards of Hooking Up Among First-Year College Students.

Guided by social exchange theory, we utilized thematic analysis to qualitatively identify themes related to the rewards and costs of hooking up from six focus groups of first-year students (N = 38)...
Temperature dependence of parasitic infection and gut bacterial communities in bumble bees

High temperatures (e.g., fever) and gut microbiota can both influence host resistance to infection. However, effects of temperature-driven changes in gut microbiota on resistance to parasites remain unexplored. We examined the temperature dependence of infection and gut bacterial communities in bumble bees infected with the trypanosomatid parasite Crithidia bombi. Infection intensity decreased by over 80% between 21 and 37°C. Temperatures of peak infection were lower than predicted based on parasite growth in vitro, consistent with mismatches in thermal performance curves of hosts, parasites and gut symbionts. Gut bacterial community size and composition exhibited slight but significant, non-linear, and taxon-specific responses to temperature. Abundance of total gut bacteria and of Orbaceae, both negatively correlated with infection in previous studies, were positively correlated with infection here. Prevalence of the bee pathogen-containing family Enterobacteriaceae declined with temperature, suggesting that high temperature may confer protection against diverse gut pathogens. Our results indicate that resistance to infection reflects not only the temperature dependence of host and parasite performance, but also temperature-dependent activity of gut bacteria. The thermal ecology of gut parasite-symbiont interactions may be broadly relevant to infectious disease, both in ectothermic organisms that inhabit changing climates, and in endotherms that exhibit fever-based immunity.
Anxious Generation: a Review of the Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Cardiovascular Disease in Youth

Rising rates of youth anxiety may adversely affect later cardiovascular health (CVH); thus, this is an area of research that could be lacking. Anxiety disorders and poor CVH have been linked in adults by way of negative effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and mortality. Anxiety disorders have also been linked to risky lifestyle and behavioral choices like adiposity, physical inactivity, substance abuse, and poor diet. This paper explores CVD risk factors and diseases in relation to anxiety disorders and traits specifically in youth by exploring CVD diagnoses and risk factors. The results of these studies are mixed but suggest more research is needed into this population as a possible window of early intervention.
Artificial Neural Networks for Discovering Characteristics of Fishing Surveillance Areas

The demographic pressure entails over-exploitation of the coastal regions and the consumption of marine resources in a non-sustainable manner, jeopardizing the species renewal. Several species are currently facing great threat of disappearing from Portuguese coastal waters, namely the Sardina pilchardus, due to illegal, unregulated or not reported fishing. The Portuguese Navy performs regular surveillance and monitoring of fishing activities for law enforcement. Those actions gather useful information about the fishing activity, specifically about the types of fishing gear used. Since the geo-spatial data on a regular map, by itself, was not enough to present a clear picture regarding the predominant type of fishing gears used for captured sardine in the Portuguese coastal areas, we applied an artificial neural network to georeferenced information in order to derive a new layer with the areas where the fishing gears used for Sardina pilchardus fishing are most likely to be found.
Late-presenting congenital polypoid lesion of the nasopharynx.

A 3-year-old girl was referred to our department by her primary care doctor because of a polypoid lesion in her oropharynx that was clearly visible even with simple inspection with a headlight and a tongue depressor ([figure 1A][1]). Her parents reported a history of steadily worsening snoring in
Two-State Reactivity in Iron-Catalyzed Alkene Isomerization Confers σ-Base Resistance

A low-coordinate, high spin (S = 3/2) organometallic iron(I) complex is a catalyst for the isomerization of alkenes. A combination of experimental and computational mechanistic studies supports a m...
Building a skeleton-based 3D body model with angle sensor data

Abstract Human body activity recognition is beneficial for health monitoring, and wearable angle sensors are one of the most significant techniques to provide accurate body motion information, like joint angles and bone lengths. However, angle sensor data are partial and separated, which is inconvenient to describe a whole body motion. In the paper, we built a skeleton-based 3D body model to recover whole body motions with angle sensor data. We took advantage of two sub models: a multi-output regression model to expand body information and a skeleton recovery model to produce joint positions. The multi-output regression model included Gradient Boosting and Random Forest learning regressions. The skeleton recovery model made use of the law of cosines and binary quadratic equations. In addition, we developed an Android application prototype to show the practical scenarios of the 3D body model. In the evaluation, we measured the performance of the multi-output regression model by calculating statistic metrics, including mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE) and R2 score. Moreover, we computed the absolute errors and error percentages of the 3D body model for different joints and different motions. In addition, we evaluated the impact of bone lengths to make the evaluation complete. In total, the accuracy of this 3D body model achieves about eighty percent, while most joints’ bias are limited into 10 cm in real world datasets.
The High Cost of Health Care: Why Some Pay $240 for a $9 Bottle of Pills

Wal-Mart (and Target) each sell many generic drugs for bargain prices: as low as $4 per month. One of these is finasteride, used to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss), which can be obtained for only $9. However, patients in one major health care system do not have access to the Wal-Mart price, and may have to pay up to $240 dollars for an equivalent supply. This unexpected state of affairs is explained by delving into the complex interplay of drug industry tactics, state and federal laws, insurance company reimbursement policies, and the prescription policies of the health care system in question.
The Angular Spectrum Representation of Pulsed Electromagnetic Beam Fields

A completely general representation of the propagation of a freely-propagating electromagnetic field into the half-space z ⩾ z0 > Z > 0 of a homogeneous, isotropic, locally linear, temporally dispersive medium is now considered. The term “free” is used here1 to indicate that there are no externally supplied charge or current sources for the field present in this half-space, the field source residing somewhere in the region ∣z∣ ⩽ Z. It is unnecessary to know what this source is provided that the pair of electromagnetic field vectors are known functions of time and the transverse position vector rT = i x x + iyy in the plane z = z0, as illustrated in Fig. 4.1. The rigorous, formal solution of this planar boundary value problem for the electromagnetic field in the half-space z ⩾ z0 forms the basis of investigation for a wide class of pulsed electromagnetic beam field problems.
The Archaeology and Anthropology of Quaternary Period Cosmic Impact

Humans and cosmic impacts have had a long and intimate relationship. People live in ancient impact craters, such as at Ries and Steinheim in Germany, and use impact breccias for building material. People historically witnessed and venerated fallen meteorites, in some cases the meteorites becoming among the most sacred of objects — such as that kept in the Kaaba at Mecca. People made tools from meteoritic iron, including certain examples from the objects named the “tent,” “woman,” and “dog” by the Greenland Eskimos. And in one of the more peculiar ironies linking humans and cosmic impacts, people carved a portion of an ancient Ohio impact crater into the shape of a Great Serpent. This act not only created one of the more spectacular archaeological sites in North America, but also depicted a symbol used by a number of cultures to represent comets, the very source of some impact craters on the Earth.