cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole-proteome interaction mining.

Motivation: Am ajor post-genomic scientific and technological pursuit is to describe the functions performed by the proteins encoded by the genome. One strategy is to first identify the protein‐protein interactions in a proteome, then determine pathways and overall structure relating these interactions, and finally to statistically infer functional roles of individual proteins. Although huge amounts of genomic data are at hand, current experimental protein interaction assays must overcome technical problems to scale-up for high-throughput analysis. In the meantime, bioinformatics approaches may help bridge the information gap required for inference of protein function. In this paper, a previously described data mining approach to prediction of protein‐protein interactions (Bock and Gough, 2001, Bioinformatics, 17, 455‐460) is extended to interaction mining on a proteome-wide scale. An algorithm (the phylogenetic bootstrap )i sintroduced, which suggests traversal of a phenogram, interleaving rounds of computation and experiment, to develop a knowledge base of protein interactions in genetically-similar organisms. Results: The interaction mining approach was demonstrated by building a learning system based on 1, 039 experimentally validated protein‐protein interactions in the human gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori .A nestimate of the generalization performance of the classifier was derived from 10-fold cross-validation, which indicated expected upper bounds on precision of 80% and sensitivity of 69% when applied to related organisms. One such organism is the enteric pathogen Campylobacter jejuni, in which comprehensive machine learning prediction of all possible pairwise protein‐protein interactions was performed. The resulting network of interactions shares an average protein connectivity characteristic in common with previous investigations reported in the literature, offering strong evidence supporting the biological feasibility of the hypothesized map. For inferences about complete proteomes in which the number of pairwise non-interactions is expected to be much larger than the number of actual interactions, we anticipate that the sensitivity will remain the same but precision may decrease. We present specific
A Visual and Photographic Device for Recording Radio Signals

The development of a visual and photographic recorder of the tuned vibrator type is described. The most recent forms of the instrument, together with its receiving speed possibilities and behavior toward stray disturbances, are discussed.
Targeted goal setting: helping nurses manage a turbulent work environment.

Nurses in a mid-sized Midwestern US hospital were surveyed to investigate the interrelationships among workplace locus of control (WLOC), preference for proximal and distal goals, and goal setting behaviour. Correlational results found preliminary support for the idea that knowledge regarding an individual’s WLOC orientation may help supervisors optimize goal setting with their nursing staff. Nurses with an internal WLOC engaged in more long-term, short-term, and overall goal setting behaviour compared to their external WLOC counterparts. Nurses with an internal WLOC also reported a greater preference for working with distal goals and perceived greater control over setting their goals compared to nurses with an external WLOC orientation. Contrary to expectations, supervisors were not more likely to possess an internal WLOC orientation or set more goals compared to non-supervisory personnel. Nursing supervisors did, however, perceive themselves as having significantly greater control over goal setting than non-supervisors. Based upon these findings, recommendations are proposed to help nursing supervisors work with their staff to optimize performance.
Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk: a systematic review.

ContextOmega-3 fatty acids are purported to reduce the risk of cancer. Studies have reported mixed results.ObjectiveTo synthesize published and unpublished evidence to determine estimates of the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk in prospective cohort studies.Data SourcesArticles published from 1966 to October 2005 identified through MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CAB Health; unpublished literature sought through letters to experts in the neutraceutical industry.Study SelectionA total of 38 articles with a description of effects of consumption of omega-3 fatty acids on tumor incidence, prospective cohort study design, human study population; and description of effect of omega-3 among groups with different levels of exposure in the cohort were included. Two reviewers independently reviewed articles using structured abstraction forms; disagreements were resolved by consensus.Data ExtractionTwo reviewers independently abstracted detailed data about the incidence of cancer, the type of cancer, the number and characteristics of the patients, details on the exposure to omega-3 fatty acids, and the elapsed time between the intervention and outcome measurements. Data about the methodological quality of the study were also abstracted.Data SynthesisAcross 20 cohorts from 7 countries for 11 different types of cancer and using up to 6 different ways to categorize omega-3 fatty acid consumption, 65 estimates of the association between omega-3 fatty acid consumption were reported. Among these, only 8 were statistically significant. The high degree of heterogeneity across these studies precluded pooling of data. For breast cancer 1 significant estimate was for increased risk (incidence risk ratio [IRR], 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.98) and 3 were for decreased risk (RR, 0.68-0.72); 7 other estimates did not show a significant association. For colorectal cancer, there was 1 estimate of decreased risk (RR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27-0.89) and 17 estimates without association. For lung cancer one of the significant associations was for increased cancer risk (IRR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2-7.3), the other was for decreased risk (RR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.76), and 4 other estimates were not significant. For prostate cancer, there was 1 estimate of decreased risk (RR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.83) and 1 of increased risk (RR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.34-2.93) for advanced prostate cancer; 15 other estimates did not show a significant association. The study that assessed skin cancer found an increased risk (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.27). No significant associations between omega-3 fatty acid consumption and cancer incidence were found for aerodigestive cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, or stomach cancer.ConclusionsA large body of literature spanning numerous cohorts from many countries and with different demographic characteristics does not provide evidence to suggest a significant association between omega-3 fatty acids and cancer incidence. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids is unlikely to prevent cancer.
Identification of dairy farm management practices associated with the presence of psychrotolerant sporeformers in bulk tank milk

Some strains of sporeforming bacteria (e.g., Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus spp.) can survive pasteurization and subsequently grow at refrigeration temperatures, causing pasteurized fluid milk spoilage. To identify farm management practices associated with different levels of sporeformers in raw milk, a bulk tank sample was obtained from and a management and herd health questionnaire was administered to 99 New York State dairy farms. Milk samples were spore pasteurized [80°C (176°F) for 12 min] and subsequently analyzed for most-probable number and for sporeformer counts on the initial day of spore pasteurization (SP), and after refrigerated storage (6°C) at 7, 14, and 21 d after SP. Management practices were analyzed for association with sporeformer counts and bulk tank somatic cell counts. Sixty-two farms had high sporeformer growth (≥3 log cfu/mL at any day after SP), with an average sporeformer count of 5.20 ± 1.41 mean log10 cfu/mL at 21 d after SP. Thirty-seven farms had low sporeformer numbers ( 25% of cows with dirty udders in the milking parlor were 3.15 times more likely to be in the high category than farms with ≤10% of milking cows with dirty udders. Farms with 25% of cows with dirty udders observed in the milking parlor. Changes in management practices associated with cow cleanliness may directly ensure longer shelf life and higher quality of pasteurized fluid milk.
Euclidean correlation functions in a holographic model of QCD

We compute Euclidean coordinate space correlation functions in a holographic model of QCD. We concentrate, in particular, on channels that are related to the $U(1{)}_{A}$ problem, the flavor-singlet axial vector, pseudoscalar meson, and pseudoscalar glueball (topological charge) correlator. We find that even a very simple holographic model defined on a slice of five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space provides a qualitatively correct description of QCD correlation functions. We study the role of anomaly terms, and show that both Euclidean positivity and low energy theorems based on the axial anomaly relation are correctly implemented. We compare the results with expectations from an instanton model of the QCD vacuum.
Automated Testing of Generic Computational Science Libraries

The design and maintenance of large computational science systems can be aided greatly by the use of generic computational science libraries. The object-oriented design of software using a generic library presents many advantages over non-object-oriented or non-generic based software design. However, the testing of generic libraries involves some unique issues not usually faced during the testing of non-generic libraries. This paper describes these testing issues as they pertain to libraries designed using C++ templates. A proposed solution to these issues using a usage model-based automated testing framework would be presented
Some Thoughts on Culture/Media

When I was asked to develop a program in ethnographic film in 1986,1 was determined to develop a curriculum or, more ambitiously, expand the paradigm in a way that would not reproduce the reified dualisms of gemienschafiJgesellschaft that have had a striking and depressing resilience in the field of ethnographic film, visual anthropology, and communications research. Despite the early and important work of people such as Jean Rouch that broke down these barriers, notions of "us" as high-tech and post-industrial and "them" as pretech and underdeveloped still persist. Myriad versions could be summarized and parodied along the following lines:
Measurement of the photorefractive phase shift by polarization interferometry

We present a new approach to measure the phase shift between the photorefractive grating and the interference pattern in two-wave-mixing experiments. This approach is based on using two polarizations for one of the input beams and making them interfere after propagation through the crystal. The real and imaginary parts of the exponential gain are determined independently during grating buildup and erasure. Active stabilization of the optical paths based on this technique is also described and is shown to provide optimal grating formation. The method is applied to an undoped BaTiO3 crystal in which the contribution of traps grating is found negligible.
DMSO Increases Mutation Scanning Detection Sensitivity of High-Resolution Melting in Clinical Samples

BACKGROUND: Mutation scanning provides the simplest, lowest-cost method for identifying DNA variations on single PCR amplicons, and it may be performed before sequencing to avoid screening of noninformative wild-type samples. High-resolution melting (HRM) is the most commonly used method for mutation scanning. With PCR-HRM, however, mutations less abundant than approximately 3%–10% that can still be clinically significant may often be missed. Therefore, enhancing HRM detection sensitivity is important for mutation scanning and its clinical application. METHODS: We used serial dilution of cell lines containing the TP53 exon 8 mutation to demonstrate the improvement in detection sensitivity for conventional-PCR-HRM in the presence of DMSO. We also conducted coamplification at lower denaturation temperature (COLD)-PCR with an extra step for cross-hybridization, followed by preferential denaturation and amplification at optimized critical temperature ( full -COLD-PCR), to further enrich low-level mutations before HRM with or without DMSO, and we used droplet-digital PCR to derive the optimal conditions for mutation enrichment. Both conventional PCR-HRM and full -COLD-PCR-HRM with and without DMSO were used for mutation scanning of TP53 exon 8 in cancer samples containing known mutations and myelodysplastic syndrome samples with unknown mutations. Mutations in other genes were also examined. RESULTS: The detection sensitivity of PCR-HRM scanning increases 2- to 5-fold in the presence of DMSO, depending on mutation type and sequence context, and can typically detect mutation abundance of approximately 1%. When mutation enrichment is applied during amplification with full -COLD-PCR followed by HRM in the presence of DMSO, mutations with 0.2%–0.3% abundance in TP53 exon 8 can be detected. CONCLUSIONS: DMSO improves HRM mutation scanning sensitivity with saturating dyes. When full -COLD-PCR is used, followed by DMSO-HRM, the overall improvement is about 20-fold compared with conventional PCR-HRM.
Dataset traversal with motion-controlled transfer functions

In this paper, we describe a methodology and implementation for interactive dataset traversal using motion-controlled transfer functions. Dataset traversal here refers lo the process of translating a transfer function along a specific path. In scientific visualization, it is often necessary to manipulate transfer functions in order to visualize datasets more effectively. This manipulation of transfer functions is usually performed globally, i.e., a new transfer function is applied to the entire dataset. Our approach allows one to locally manipulate transfer functions while controling its movement along a traversal path. The method we propose allows the user to select a traversal path within the dataset, based on the shape of the volumetric model and manipulate a transfer function along this path. Examples of dataset traversal include the animation of transfer functions along a pre-defined path, the simulation of flow in vascular structures, and the visualization of convoluted shapes. For example, this type of traversal is often used in medical illustration to highlight flow in blood vessels. We present an interactive implementation of our method using graphics hardware, based on the decomposition of the volume. We show examples of our approach using a variety of volumetric datasets, and we also demonstrate that with our novel decomposition, the rendering process is faster.
Climate adaptation wedges: a case study of premium wine in the western United States

Design and implementation of effective climate change adaptation activities requires quantitative assessment of the impacts that are likely to occur without adaptation, as well as the fraction of impact that can be avoided through each activity. Here we present a quantitative framework inspired by the greenhouse gas stabilization wedges of Pacala and Socolow. In our proposed framework, the damage avoided by each adaptation activity creates an ‘adaptation wedge’ relative to the loss that would occur without that adaptation activity. We use premium winegrape suitability in the western United States as an illustrative case study, focusing on the near-term period that covers the years 2000–39. We find that the projected warming over this period results in the loss of suitable winegrape area throughout much of California, including most counties in the high-value North Coast and Central Coast regions. However, in quantifying adaptation wedges for individual high-value counties, we find that a large adaptation wedge can be captured by increasing the severe heat tolerance, including elimination of the 50% loss projected by the end of the 2030–9 period in the North Coast region, and reduction of the projected loss in the Central Coast region from 30% to less than 15%. Increased severe heat tolerance can capture an even larger adaptation wedge in the Pacific Northwest, including conversion of a projected loss of more than 30% in the Columbia Valley region of Washington to a projected gain of more than 150%. We also find that warming projected over the near-term decades has the potential to alter the quality of winegrapes produced in the western US, and we discuss potential actions that could create adaptation wedges given these potential changes in quality. While the present effort represents an initial exploration of one aspect of one industry, the climate adaptation wedge framework could be used to quantitatively evaluate the opportunities and limits of climate adaptation within and across a broad range of natural and human systems.
Rethinking Virtuality and Its Impact on Teams

We propose an extension of the Hollenbeck, Beersma, and Schouten team context model to include a fourth dimension: virtuality—the distance between team members. Based on an analysis of 29 unique approaches to conceptualizing virtuality and a critical comparison of these approaches with the Hollenbeck et al. framework, we recommend that virtuality be measured, along with skill differentiation, authority differentiation, and temporal stability when conducting team research. We conclude that the addition of this redefined construct, virtuality, is warranted based on the following: (a) its uniqueness versus the other dimensions, (b) its impact on team outcomes, and (c) the moderating or interaction effects between virtuality and the other contextual dimensions.
The Price of Anarchy in Supply Chains: Quantifying the Efficiency of Price-Only Contracts

In this paper, we quantify the efficiency of decentralized supply chains that use price-only contracts. With a price-only contract, a buyer and a seller agree only on a constant transaction price, without specifying the amount that will be transferred. It is well known that these contracts do not provide incentives to the parties to coordinate their inventory/capacity decisions. We measure efficiency with the price of anarchy (PoA), defined as the largest ratio of profits between the integrated supply chain (that is, fully coordinated) and the decentralized supply chain. We characterize the efficiency of various supply chain configurations: push or pull inventory positioning, two or more stages, serial or assembly systems, single or multiple competing suppliers, and single or multiple competing retailers.
The Clarification of Average Negative Resistance with Extensions of Its Use

A treatment of the subject of negative resistance and the application to the problem of nonlinear oscillations shows the necessity of clarifying the meaning attached to the commonly used term "average" negative resistance. An average effective resistance R n , based on a simple energy consideration, is introduced which when applied to the above problem affords a correct prediction of the amplitude of oscillation and supplies a meaning for the term "average" negative resistance. An earlier method known as the secant method of predicting the amplitude of oscillation is investigated and found to yield results not in accord with experimental behavior. The quantity R n , being a function of the oscillation voltage V suggests a new type of curve called the R n -V curve which serves to predict the possible amplitudes of oscillation when the negative resistance device is connected to a parallel R, L, and C circuit. Following this a criterion for amplitude stability is deduced which allows one to determine whether or not a possible amplitude is also stable by simply observing the slope of the R n -V curve at the point corresponding to the possible amplitude. A problem of so-called "oscillation hysteresis" earlier reported in the literature is described, and it is shown how the R n -V curve for this particular case offers a simple explanation of the phenomenon.
Identification and Mapping of Self-Assembling Protein Domains Encoded by the Escherichia coli K-12 Genome by Use of λ Repressor Fusions

Self-assembling proteins and protein fragments encoded by the Escherichia coli genome were identified from E. coli K-12 strain MG1655. Libraries of random DNA fragments cloned into a series of λ repressor fusion vectors were subjected to selection for immunity to infection by phage λ. Survivors were identified by sequencing the ends of the inserts, and the fused protein sequence was inferred from the known genomic sequence. Four hundred sixty-three nonredundant open reading frame-encoded interacting sequence tags (ISTs) were recovered from sequencing 2,089 candidates. These ISTs, which range from 16 to 794 amino acids in length, were clustered into families of overlapping fragments, identifying potential homotypic interactions encoded by 232 E. coli genes. Repressor fusions identified ISTs from genes in every protein-based functional category, but membrane proteins were underrepresented. The IST-containing genes were enriched for regulatory proteins and for proteins that form higher-order oligomers. Forty-eight (20.7%) homotypic proteins identified by ISTs are predicted to contain coiled coils. Although most of the IST-containing genes are identifiably related to proteins in other bacterial genomes, more than half of the ISTs do not have identifiable homologs in the Protein Data Bank, suggesting that they may include many novel structures. The data are available online at http://oligomers.tamu.edu/.
A Vna Home Health Care Program Predicting Patients Who Refuse Services

Many studies have been compiled which report patient characteristics and patterns in the utilization of health care services. Very little information is available on the characteristics of patients who refuse sers'ices in a particular program. This article emplov s a sample of 246 home health care patients to describe the characteristics of persons refusing services compared to a group "normall/v " terminating service. The method employed is discriminant anal}sis. The results of the study are substantively consistent with the theoretical and empirical literature on health care utilization. Those refusing service were less likel/v to be insured and tended to have multiple admissions to the program. They Here less inclined to improve in functional status, despite a tendenc y toward a longer stay in the program. Curious/i', fewer nursing visits occurred for these patients, despite their longer stays. Itnplications of the studvfor program management are discussed.
Semantic Data Management: Towards Querying Data with their Meaning

Relational database management systems are constantly being extended and augmented to accommodate data in different domains. Recently, with the increasing use of ontology in various applications, the need to support ontology, especially the related inferencing operation, in DBMS has become more concrete and urgent. However, manipulating knowledge along with relational data in DBMSs is not a trivial undertaking due to the mismatch in data models. In this paper, we introduce a framework for managing relational data and hierarchical domain knowledge together. Our framework persists taxonomies contained in ontologies by leveraging XML support in hybrid relational-XML DBMSs (e.g., IBM's DB2 v9) and rewrites ontology-based semantic matching queries using the industry-standard query languages, SQL/XML and XQuery. Compared with previous approaches, our approach does not materialize transitive closures of ontological relationships to support inferencing. Consequently, our method has wide applicability and good performance.
Selective Reactive Ion Etching of Indium‐Tin Oxide in a Hydrocarbon Gas Mixture

This paper reports on a method for the reactive ion etching of a transport conducting indium-tin oxide (ITO) film that has been investigated. With a gas mixture consisting of acetone, argon, and oxygen, high etch rate selectivities of ITO to a number of underlying materials were achieved. A useful variation on the etch process employs hydrogen chloride in a first etch step followed by the acetone-based etch. Acetone is a source of reactive organic radicals in the plasma discharge that etch ITO films by forming volatile organometallic compounds. Selective chemical vapor deposition of carbon films on surfaces that do not etch can occur using this chemistry, but with sufficient oxygen in the plasma this is eliminated. An analysis of the plasma etch chemistry based on plasma emission spectroscopy is also presented.
Management of Thyroid Nodular Disease: Current Cytopathology Classifications and Genetic Testing

Preoperative diagnosis and operative planning for patients with thyroid nodules has improved over the last decade. The Bethesda criteria for cytopathologic classification of thyroid nodule aspirate has enhanced communication between pathologists and clinicians. Multiple genetic tests, including molecular markers and the Afirma gene expression classifier, have been developed and validated. The tests, along with clinical and radiologic information, are most useful in the setting of indeterminate cytology. The development of an updated diagnostic and treatment algorithm incorporating all available tests will help standardize the management of patients with nodular thyroid disease and reduce variation and inefficiencies in care.
A Multi-Level Model for Improving Immunization Rates in the United States: Where are the Gaps and Opportunities for Individual, Household and Neighborhood-Level Data?

s / Annals of Epidemiology 25 (2015) 702e719 711 positive indirect effects (p<.05) of perceived discrimination on unhealthy days through perceived stress, sleep disturbances, and self-reported medical conditions (model fit: RMSEA 0.048; CFI .99; TLI; .96; Chisquare/DF 1⁄4 104.4/10). Conclusion: Future research and community health promotion programs should address the experiences of discrimination as this may help improve physical and mental health outcomes among racial minorities. P36. Health Disparities and Barriers to Healthcare Access and Utilization in Elderly Hispanic Diabetics Shweta Shah MHA, Suzzane Boyd PhD. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Purpose: Hispanics have a higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus and its complications than other ethnic groups. This study focused on the role of three social determinants, policy recommendations, and a culturally competent model for diabetes management in elderly Hispanics. Methods: The electronic databases Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ERIC were systematically searched from 1984 to 2014.
Shareholder-Manager Alignment and the Cost of Debt

We investigate the influence of shareholder-manager incentive alignment on the cost of debt using a sample of dual-class firms, where managerial voting rights and cash-flow rights can be separated. We find the cost of debt financing increases in managerial voting rights and decreases in cash-flow rights. However, we also find that the amount of leverage increases in managerial voting rights and decreases in cash-flow rights. Together the results suggest that although the cost of debt increases when shareholder and manager interests diverge, the cost of debt relative to the cost of equity declines, making debt more appealing to firms with high potential agency costs of equity.
Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ: The application of the body of Christ: love and prophecy (1 Cor. 13–14)

The description of the Corinthians as possessing the mind of Christ and being his body speaks of their new existence. In the first chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul indicates that they are distinct from the world which does not possess the νοῦς Χριστοῦ and cannot comprehend the things of God. In their new corporate existence as God's temple, they should cease their quarreling over leaders. In 1 Cor. 12 Paul calls them Christ's body and likewise calls them to unity. Just as both instances reflect the Corinthians' existence as members of a new humanity in Christ, so do both speak of the need to “build” the community of God properly. Even though the Corinthians are already united by virtue of their inclusion in new humanity, Paul wants to “build” the community properly in anticipation of the Day of Judgment (3:10–15). In 1 Cor. 12–14 the Corinthians are the body of Christ, united in the Spirit, and Paul wants them to seek gifts that “build” the community (14:3, 4, 5, 12, 17, 26). The way to do this is love, and Paul says explicitly in 1 Cor. 8:1, “Love builds up.” 1 Cor. 13 is his extended description of love, and 1 Cor. 14 is the application of love to the body, with the result that prophecy is valued more than speaking in tongues.
Mountains of Debt: Crisis and Change in Renaissance Florence, Victorian Britain, and Postwar America

This book surveys the growth and decline of the Florentine economy, and that of Victorian Britain, and relates their experiences to the US in the era following the Second World War, a period notable for accumulating public debt. It also speculates on what options the US may have to avoid the fates of Florence and Victorian Britain in the future.
Free-Watering a Wild Population of House-Mice—A Test of an Australian Hypothesis in California

Population declines of house-mice in South Australia in summer have been attributed to aridity. A free-watering experiment to test the generality of the hypothesis was conducted in California where breeding populations of Mus sometimes decline abruptly in summer. Though neither watered nor control population declined over summer, the watered population was larger, had higher rates of recruitment and survival and ate sixty times less fleshy petioles of Atriplex than the control population. Aridity was further implicated as a population control when reproduction increased sharply when morning dews became regular in late summer. The watered population began then to decline despite peak reproduction and few competitors. Supplemental feeding failed to arrest the continued decline which coincided with an increase in numbers and variety of predators, especially raptors. The mice became patchily distributed favoring dense cover, and the frequency of dark or sooty mice increased greatly. The main ecological differences between California and South Australia for Mus musculus appear to be lack of competition and predation in the latter.
Debonding of Interfaces in Multilayer Interconnect Structures

The reliability of microelectronic devices containing multilayer structures is profoundly influenced by the interfacial strength (adhesion) and resistance to fracture (debonding) of the many resulting bimaterial interfaces. Adhesion and consequent structural integrity are closely related to composition and processing conditions which determine key interfacial parameters, such as interfacial impurities, morphology and adjoining microstructures. Residual stresses, thermo-mechanical cycling and mechanical loading may drive time dependent fracture in these multilayer interconnect structures. Moisture present in the atmosphere and perhaps moisture present in the layers themselves can lead to premature failure and reduced lifetimes of these devices. We present unique data showing the effects of interface non-planarity on the interface fracture energy and the time-dependent delamination processes. Data is presented showing the effects of the phase angle of loading on the interface fracture energy and subcritical debonding processes. Behavior is rationalized in terms of the salient chemical reaction rate occurring at the debond tip. Implications for life prediction of devices are discussed.
Synthetic approaches to study aggregation of tripodal linkers on semiconductor surfaces

Two tripod-shaped adamantane derivatives carrying a pyrene chromophore and three carboxylic acid binding groups, and varying in footprint size (∼ 0.7 and 2.7 nm2), were synthesized as models to study how the footprint size can influence the aggregation of organic dyes bound to ZrO2 thin films. Synthetic approaches and binding properties of large footprint tripodal linkers are discussed.
An Analysis to "No Significant Difference Phenomenon" Study in Distance Education

The most debatable studies in the field distance education of U.S. , the " No Significant Difference Phenomenon " study has been introduced, analyzed and evaluated in this paper. Based on his summary of 355 comparative researches on distance education, Dr. Russell (1999) concluded that students who attend distance instruction do not have significant difference in their performances from those attend classroom instruction. Though a critique to this kind of studies, the author suggests that future instruction and research in distance education should build upon an learner-centered framework , adopt multiple evaluation methods, and appropriately recognize the role of technology media.
James Wilson’s Republicanism

The first formal public debate on the new United States Constitution took place in Pennsylvania, site of the Federal Convention, and home of America’s first ‘Republican’ party.1 The Federalists’ spokesman throughout the state-ratifying Convention was James Wilson, a Scottish graduate of the University of St Andrews, and a prominent Philadelphia lawyer. Wilson’s Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament, composed in 1768, had provided many of the arguments that would lead to the American Declaration of Independence2 Wilson signed the Declaration of Independence, represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation, and became a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he was a member of the Committee of Detail, which prepared the first draft of the new constitution. With Gouverneur Morris and James Madison, Wilson was one of the most frequent speakers during the preparation of the new constitution. Wilson had long been a leading figure in Pennsylvania’s Republican party, and a strong advocate of a balanced bicameral republican constitution for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.3
Exenatide improves diastolic function and attenuates arterial stiffness but does not alter exercise capacity in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Background Exercise is recommended as a cornerstone of treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), however, it is often poorly adopted by patients. Even in the absence of apparent cardiovascular disease, persons with T2DM have an impaired ability to carry out maximal and submaximal exercise and these impairments are correlated with cardiac and endothelial dysfunction. Glucagon-like pepetide-1 (GLP-1) augments endothelial and cardiac function in T2DM. We hypothesized that administration of a GLP-1 agonist (exenatide) would improve exercise capacity in T2DM. Methods and results Twenty-three participants (64±4years; mean±SE) with uncomplicated T2DM were randomized in a double-blinded manner to receive either 10μg BID of exenatide or matching placebo after baseline measurements. Treatment with exenatide did not improve VO 2peak (P=0.1464) or VO 2 kinetics (P=0.2775). Diastolic function, assessed via resting lateral E:E', was improved with administration of exenatide compared with placebo (Placebo Pre: 7.6±1.0 vs. Post: 8.4±1.2 vs. Exenatide Pre: 8.1±0.7 vs. Post: 6.7±0.6; P=0.0127). Additionally, arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity, was reduced with exenatide treatment compared with placebo (Placebo Pre: 10.5±0.8 vs. Post: 11.5±1.1s vs. Exenatide Pre: 11.4±1.8 vs. Post: 10.2±1.4s; P=0.0373). Exenatide treatment did not improve endothelial function (P=0.1793). Conclusions Administration of exenatide improved cardiac function and reduced arterial stiffness, however, these changes were not accompanied by improved functional exercise capacity. In order to realize the benefits of this drug on exercise capacity, combining exenatide with aerobic exercise training in participants with T2DM may be warranted.
Dysregulation of lipidomic profile and antiviral immunity in response to hyaluronan in patients with severe asthma

Author(s): Sokolowska, Milena; Chen, Li-Yuan; Liu, Yueqin; Martinez-Anton, Asuncion; Logun, Carolea; Alsaaty, Sara; Cuento, Rosemarie A; Cai, Rongman; Sun, Junfeng; Quehenberger, Oswald; Armando, Aaron M; Dennis, Edward A; Levine, Stewart J; Shelhamer, James H
Nanocellulose-based conductive materials and their emerging applications in energy devices - A review

Nowadays, the demand for sustainable energy devices (e.g. lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells) has increased rapidly in recent decades. Nanocelluloses (NCs) from plants or bacteria have shown promising potential as their excellent physical, mechanical and optical properties, which are important for fabricating high-performance energy devices. NC materials and their applications in different areas have been extensively reviewed in literature. However, those reviews focused on more broad properties and applications of NC materials but the discussion on the energy applications are far from comprehensive. Technically, NCs are not electrically conductive; however, conductivity is essential for some core components of an energy device. Therefore, various chemical or physical modification approaches have been developed to prepare conductive NC-based materials. Because of the excellent physical properties of NC materials as well as the rapidly increasing demands on renewable materials based energy devices, enormous research efforts have been devoted to the NC-based conductive materials and energy devices. This paper is a comprehensive review focusing on the recent progress of fabricating conductive NC materials and the energy devices, including supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries and solar cells.
How could discharge management affect Florida spring fish assemblage structure

Freshwater bodies are increasingly affected by reductions in water quantity and quality and by invasions of exotic species. To protect water quantity and maintain the ecological integrity of many water bodies in central Florida, a program of adopting Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) has begun for both lentic and lotic waters. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were relationships between discharge and stage, water quality, and biological parameters for Volusia Blue Spring, a first magnitude spring (discharge > 380,000 m3 day-1 or 100 mgd) for which an MFL program was adopted in 2006. Over the course of fourteen years, we assessed fish density and diversity weekly, monthly, or seasonally with seine and snorkel counts. We evaluated annual changes in the assemblages for relationships with water quantity and quality. Low discharge and dissolved oxygen combined with high stage and conductivity produced a fish population with a lower density and diversity in 2014 than in previous years. Densities of fish taxonomic/functional groups also were low in 2014 and measures of water quantity were significant predictors of fish assemblage structure. As a result of the strong relationships between variation in discharge and an array of chemical and biological characteristics of the spring, we conclude that maintaining the historical discharge rate is important for preserving the ecological integrity of Volusia Blue Spring.
An exact approach to calibrating infectious disease models to surveillance data: The case of HIV and HSV-2

When mathematical models of infectious diseases are used to inform health policy, an important first step is often to calibrate a model to disease surveillance data for a specific setting (or multiple settings). It is increasingly common to also perform sensitivity analyses to demonstrate the robustness, or lack thereof, of the modeling results. Doing so requires the modeler to find multiple parameter sets for which the model produces behavior that is consistent with the surveillance data. While frequently overlooked, the calibration process is nontrivial at best and can be inefficient, poorly communicated and a major hurdle to the overall reproducibility of modeling results. In this work, we describe a general approach to calibrating infectious disease models to surveillance data. The technique is able to match surveillance data to high accuracy in a very efficient manner as it is based on the Newton-Raphson method for solving nonlinear systems. To demonstrate its robustness, we use the calibration technique on multiple models for the interacting dynamics of HIV and HSV-2.
Human TFIIH Kinase CDK7 Regulates Transcription-Associated Chromatin Modifications.

CDK7 phosphorylates the RNA polymerase II (pol II) C-terminal domain CTD and activates the P-TEFb-associated kinase CDK9, but its regulatory roles remain obscure. Here, using human CDK7 analog-sensitive (CDK7as) cells, we observed reduced capping enzyme recruitment, increased pol II promoter-proximal pausing, and defective termination at gene 3' ends upon CDK7 inhibition. We also noted that CDK7 regulates chromatin modifications downstream of transcription start sites. H3K4me3 spreading was restricted at gene 5' ends and H3K36me3 was displaced toward gene 3' ends in CDK7as cells. Mass spectrometry identified factors that bound TFIIH-phosphorylated versus P-TEFb-phosphorylated CTD (versus unmodified); capping enzymes and H3K4 methyltransferase complexes, SETD1A/B, selectively bound phosphorylated CTD, and the H3K36 methyltransferase SETD2 specifically bound P-TEFb-phosphorylated CTD. Moreover, TFIIH-phosphorylated CTD stimulated SETD1A/B activity toward nucleosomes, revealing a mechanistic basis for CDK7 regulation of H3K4me3 spreading. Collectively, these results implicate a CDK7-dependent "CTD code" that regulates chromatin marks in addition to RNA processing and pol II pausing.
Addressing New York City's Affordable Housing Crisis

The Rent Guidelines Board determines rent increases for New York City’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. It must weigh the economic conditions of the residential real estate industry; current and projected cost of living; and other data made available to it. To make its decision, it reviews reams of data and multiple analyses of those data. It also held five public hearings at which it heard hundreds of tenants speak, sing, chant, cry, and demonstrate. These hearings are among the only opportunities that tenants have to speak publicly about their housing situations, and they made clear the extremity of the housing crisis in the City, and that it will get worse without significant intervention. New York City cannot expect any meaningful housing assistance from the federal government in the near term. Our observations therefore focus on state and municipal actions that could address some of the issues that regularly cropped up at the hearings: 1. There is a desperate need for affordable housing that is pegged to residents’ incomes; 2. State laws governing rent stabilization must be amended; and 3. New York City needs a repair program for broken gas lines.
Relationships Among Neonatal Mortality, Hospital Volume, Weekday Demand, and Weekend Birth:

Background Research findings indicate that hospital volume affects the quality of care, that quality and demand for care on weekends differs from weekdays, and that giving birth on the weekend increases odds of neonatal mortality. Purpose To explore relationships among neonatal mortality, hospital volume, weekday demand for services, and weekend birth and risk of neonatal mortality. Methods For this retrospective, population-based, cohort study design, data were obtained from 32,140 electronic birth certificate records matched with 92 death certificate records from the Texas Department of State Health Services for 2012. Statistical analyses include descriptive procedures, analysis of variance, bivariate correlation, t-test, logistic regression, and chi-square tests of association. Results Higher hospital birth volume and higher concentrations of births during the week were associated with fewer neonatal deaths. Weekend births were associated not only with higher rates of neonatal death but also with lower birth weight and ethnicity of the mother. Conclusions These findings suggest the need for further study of the ways hospital-level organization of services and resources interact with individual risk factors to play a significant role in raising the neonatal mortality risk associated with weekend birth.
Long-Term Supportive Housing is Associated with Decreased Risk for New HIV Diagnoses Among a Large Cohort of Homeless Persons in New York City.

It is unknown whether providing housing to persons experiencing homelessness decreases HIV risk. Housing, including access to preventive services and counseling, might provide a period of transition for persons with HIV risk factors. We assessed whether the new HIV diagnosis rate was associated with duration of supportive housing. We linked data from a cohort of 21,689 persons without a previous HIV diagnosis who applied to a supportive housing program in New York City (NYC) during 2007–2013 to the NYC HIV surveillance registry. We used time-dependent Cox modeling to compare new HIV diagnoses among recipients of supportive housing (defined a priori, for program evaluation purposes, as persons who spent > 7 days in supportive housing; n = 6447) and unplaced applicants (remainder of cohort), after balancing the groups on baseline characteristics with propensity score weights. Compared with unplaced applicants, persons who received ≥ 3 continuous years of supportive housing had decreased risk for new HIV diagnosis (HR 0.10; CI 0.01–0.99). Risk of new HIV diagnosis decreased with longer duration placement in supportive housing. Supportive housing might aid in primary HIV prevention.
Diffusion of Chemically Reacting Fluids through Nonlinear Elastic Solids and 1D Stabilized Solutions

This paper summarizes a 1D adaptation (Hall et al., Math Mech Solids, 2014) of the reactive fluid–solid mixture theory of Hall and Rajagopal (Math Mech Solids 17(2):131–164, 2012), which considers an anisotropic viscous fluid diffusing and chemically reacting with an anisotropic elastic solid. The present implementation introduces a stabilized mixed finite element method for advection–diffusion–reaction phenomena, which is applied to 1D isothermal problems involving Fickian diffusion, oxidation of PMR-15 polyimide resin, and slurry infiltration. The energy and entropy production relations are captured via a Lagrange multiplier that results from imposing the constraint of maximum rate of entropy production, reducing the primary PDEs to the balance equations of mass and linear momentum for the fluid and the solid, together with an equation for the Lagrange multiplier. The Fickian diffusion application considers a hyperbolic first-order system with a boundary discontinuity and stable approach to the usual parabolic model. Results of the oxidation modeling of Tandon et al. (Polym Degrad Stab 91(8):1861–1869, 2006) are recovered by employing the reaction kinetics model and properties assumed there, while providing in addition the individual constituent kinematic and kinetic behaviors, thus adding rich interpretive detail in comparison to the original treatment (Tandon et al., Polym Degrad Stab 91(8):1861–1869, 2006); two adjustable parameters describing coupled chemomechanical and purely chemical dissipation are added. The slurry infiltration application simulates the imposed mass deposition process and consequent effects on the kinematic and kinetic behaviors of the constituents.
Enemy–Victim Interactions

Enemy–victim interactions, a.k.a. consumer{resource, or exploitative interactions are among the most dramatic interactions we can witness, whether that interaction is a cheetah chasing down a gazelle, or an osprey diving for a fish. Humans have always had a fascination with predators and death, and ecologists are humans, for the most part. In addition, plants are consumers too, but watching grass take up nitrate and CO2 (i.e., grow) is somewhat less scintillating than tracking wolves across the tundra. Nonetheless, these are both examples of consumer–resource interactions; most competition, by the way, is thought to operate through uptake of shared, limiting resources [120, 200].