cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards a Unified Spatial Crowdsourcing Platform

This paper provides the vision of a unified spatial crowdsourcing platform that is designed to efficiently tackle different types of spatial tasks which have been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years. Several examples of spatial tasks are ride-sharing services, delivery services, translation tasks, and crowd-sensing tasks. While existing crowdsourcing platforms, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk and Upwork, are widely used to solve lots of general tasks, e.g., image labeling; using these marketplaces to solve spatial tasks results in low quality results. This paper identifies a set of characteristics for a unified spatial crowdsourcing environment and provides the core components of the platform that are required to empower the capability in solving different types of spatial tasks.
Helicobacter pylori Makes a Molecular Incision to Gain Epithelial Entry

Helicobacter pylori type IV secretion system injects the oncoprotein CagA into epithelial cells to drive carcinogenesis. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Tegtmeyer et al. (2017) show that a secreted bacterial protease disrupts apical-junctional complexes, paving the way for H. pylori to access the basolateral compartment and trigger pathogenesis.
Scattering: 3-D

In order to appreciate the intricacies of quantum-mechanical scattering, you have to know something about classical scattering. When two particles collide and undergo elastic scattering, both the classical and quantum scattering problems can be very difficult to solve. The first step in the analysis of this problem is to make a transformation to the center-of-mass frame of the two particles. Then the interaction can be reduced to the scattering of a particle having reduced mass μ from a center of potential having relative coordinate r. One calculates the scattering in the center-of-mass frame and then must transform back to laboratory coordinates. I will discuss only the problem of scattering in the center-of-mass frame or, equivalently, scattering of a particle having mass μ from a potential V (r) that is assumed to possess spherical symmetry. The particle is incident along the z axis and has energy E.
Chronic Disease, Prescription Medications, and Food Purchases.

Purpose:Diet-related chronic diseases like diabetes can be dangerous and expensive to treat, especially for patients who do not follow a recommended diet. Meanwhile, prescription drugs can alleviat...
Canine (Pet Dog) Tumor Microsurgery and Intratumoral Concentration and Safety of Metronomic Chlorambucil for Spontaneous Glioma: A Phase I Clinical Trial

Objective Metronomic (daily low-dose) chlorambucil requires further study before use in human patients with glioma. The aim of this study was to investigate distribution and safety of metronomic chlorambucil in naturally occurring canine glioma. Methods Eight client-owned (pet) dogs with newly diagnosed spontaneous glioma were prospectively enrolled. Chlorambucil was administered preoperatively at 4 mg/m2 every 24 hours for ≥3 days and continued postoperatively until death or dose-limiting adverse events. Chlorambucil concentrations in the surgical glioma specimen, cerebrospinal fluid, and serum were analyzed. Dogs additionally received lomustine postoperatively. Dogs were monitored for seizures, myoclonus, cytopenias, and tumor recurrence. Results Complete microsurgical resection was achieved in 7 oligodendrogliomas and 1 astrocytoma (6 high grade, 2 low grade). Median surgical glioma specimen chlorambucil concentration was 0.52 ng/g (range, 0–2.62 ng/g), or 37% (range, 0%–178%) of serum concentration. Median cerebrospinal fluid concentration was 0.1 ng/mL (range, 0–0.3 ng/mL). Chlorambucil was not associated with increase in seizure activity. Six dogs displayed prolonged seizure-free intervals. There was no myoclonus. Three dogs developed asymptomatic thrombocytopenia after 8–12 months of chlorambucil. Median progression-free survival was 253 days (range, 63–860 days). Median overall survival was 257 days (range, 64–860 days). Conclusions The presence of intratumoral chlorambucil indicated an altered blood-brain barrier that varied from case to case. Despite sporadic previous reports of neurotoxicity, prolonged seizure-free intervals supported a high safety margin at this dose in this species. Metronomic chlorambucil was well tolerated. Spontaneous canine glioma offers a robust preclinical model.
Getting and Understanding Data

Research in health care is about quantifying observations and outcomes, which may originate either from establishing the presence or the absence of a condition (diagnosis) (cf., prevalence, sensitivity, specificity) or from monitoring its course (i.e., prognosis) (cf., prevalence and relative prevalence in cross-sectional observation studies, incidence in cohort studies, and experimental designs including clinical trials). The process of quantification may be obtained either in the enumeration of entities within categories (such as groups of male and female patients and severely or mildly decayed teeth) or in measuring certain outcomes in different sample groups (plasma levels of estrogen and testosterone, depth of the dental carries and gingival pocket depth), of which correlations, with no causality, can be derived. Together, these are fundamental tools of research, which determine what conclusion (i.e., inference) can be drawn from certain phenomena under study, the extent to which we may trust the findings (i.e., power), and whether or not our findings may describe the population (i.e., parametric inference) or must be constrained to the sample (i.e., nonparametric inference). An important question henceforth is what might be the circumstances and errors that can jeopardize the outcome of the research endeavor. This chapter introduces three distinct types of errors and proposes corrective ways. The chapter also introduces the concept of applying the principles of continuous (or semicontinuous) measurement to the evaluation of the best available evidence, in contrast to the customary categorical checklists. In conclusion, the chapter contrasts and discusses the distinctions between comparative effectiveness research and comparative effectiveness analysis.
Analytical Treatment of Polar Backscattering from Porous Composites

Polar backscattering from a fiber-reinforced composite which contains regions of porosity, consists of several components. Roughly speaking these components can be attributed to effects of finite beam width, to the structuring of the material and to the existence of porosity. The backscatter amplitude strongly depends on the polar and the azimuthal angles, which together define the position of the transducer. It has been shown experimentally that the backscatter amplitude shows a steep peak when the incident beam is normal to the fiber direction [l]–[4].
Effects of comprehensive genomic testing in a large non-small cell cancer NSCLC cohort: Racial and survival impacts.

8526Background: The clinical outcome of Non-Small Cell Cancer (NSCLC) has been advanced with molecular targeted therapy. To our knowledge, there is no data addressing targeted therapy outcomes base...
Context-Driven Autonomy for Enhanced System Resilience in Emergent Operating Environments

As higher degrees of operational autonomy are sought in engineered systems, resilient command and control (C2) capabilities are essential for mitigating performance degradation and disruptions. Autonomous C2 systems typically excel in performance optimization and failure-prevention within known or anticipated environments, but can exhibit poor efficacy given a lack of preemptive knowledge of needs and environments. This paper presents a context-driven decision engine for resilient C2 of engineered systems in emergent operating environments. The solution integrates diagnostic and prognostic heuristics to 1) assess system state of health (SoH) based on operational availability; 2) establish situational awareness; and 3) drive C2 decisions based on scenario-specific constraints and priorities. The solution is applied to an air traffic management problem for autonomous aircraft operations based on a Federal Aviation Administration Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) concept. Agent-based modeling and Monte Carlo simulation are used to evaluate the incident rate ( λ ) and mission reliability ( $R_{M}$ ) of the proposed context-based solution against rule-based and utility-based C2 solutions, including the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics DO-185B standard and Dynamic A-star Lite (D* Lite) algorithm. Paired t -tests are used to compare approaches based on λ and $R_{M}$ given identical test cases. Results suggest that the proposed context-based solution can concurrently enhance threat avoidance and adaptation capabilities in emergent environments, whereas unilaterally optimized performance is observed via the rule-based and utility-based C2 solutions.
Automated Transformation of Lignin Topologies into Atomic Structures with LigninBuilder

Lignin is an abundant aromatic heteropolymer found in secondary plant cell walls and is a potential feedstock for conversion into bioderived fuels and chemicals. Lignin chemical diversity complicat...
Effects of long-term exposure to elevated temperature on Zea mays endosperm development during grain fill.

Cereal yields decrease when grain fill proceeds under conditions of prolonged, moderately elevated temperatures. Endosperm-endogenous processes alter both rate and duration of dry weight gain, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Heat effects could be mediated by either abnormal, premature cessation of storage compound deposition or accelerated implementation of normal development. This study used controlled environments to isolate temperature as the sole environmental variable during Zea mays kernel-fill, from 12 days after pollination to maturity. Plants subjected to elevated day, elevated night temperatures (38°C day, 28°C night (38/28°C])) or elevated day, normal night (38/17°C), were compared with those from controls grown under normal day and night conditions (28/17°C). Progression of change over time in endosperm tissue was followed to dissect contributions at multiple levels, including transcriptome, metabolome, enzyme activities, product accumulation, and tissue ultrastructure. Integrated analyses indicated that the normal developmental program of endosperm is fully executed under prolonged high-temperature conditions, but at a faster rate. Accelerated development was observed when both day and night temperatures were elevated, but not when daytime temperature alone was increased. Although transcripts for most components of glycolysis and respiration were either upregulated or minimally affected, elevated temperatures decreased abundance of mRNAs related to biosynthesis of starch and storage proteins. Further analysis of 20 central-metabolic enzymes revealed six activities that were reduced under high-temperature conditions, indicating candidate roles in the observed reduction of grain dry weight. Nonetheless, a striking overall resilience of grain filling in the face of elevated temperatures can be attributed to acceleration of normal endosperm development.
Drought-Induced Growth Response of Longleaf Pine in the Alabama Fall Line Hills

Knowledge of tree-growth response to extreme climatic events, such as drought, is useful for forest managers to model the effects of future disturbances, and to develop management plans that mitigate the detrimental impacts. We analyzed the effects of an exceptional drought on Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) radial growth in the Alabama Fall Line Hills, based on site conditions and tree age. Results indicated that radial-growth response to drought was not influenced by site condition as we initially hypothesized, but was influenced by tree age. Management for resiliency to disturbance in Longleaf Pine ecosystems should consider the complexity of individual tree-growth response as a function of age and growing conditions.
Substituting green or far-red radiation for blue radiation induces shade avoidance and promotes growth in lettuce and kale

Abstract Although red (R; 600–700 nm) and blue (B; 400–500 nm) radiation can be sufficient for plants grown indoors, other wavebands such as green (G; 500–600 nm) and far red (FR; 700–800 nm) can also regulate photosynthesis, plant morphology, and secondary metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine how substitutions of B radiation with G and/or FR radiation influence growth of leafy greens grown indoors under light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We postulated G and/or FR radiation (and low B radiation) would trigger shade-avoidance responses and thus promote biomass accumulation through increased radiation interception. We grew lettuce (Lactuca sativa ‘Rex’ and ‘Rouxai’) and kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica ‘Siberian’) under warm-white (WW) LEDs at 180 μmol·m–2·s–1 (400–800 nm) for 9–11 days and then transplanted seedlings into a hydroponic system with ten different lighting treatments. The air temperature (20 °C), photoperiod (20 h), total photon flux density (180 μmol·m–2·s–1; 400–800 nm), and fertility were maintained the same across treatments. In addition to WW and equalized-white (EQW) controls, combinations of B (peak =449 nm), G (peak =526 nm), and FR (peak =733 nm) LEDs, each at 0, 20, 40, or 60 μmol·m–2·s–1, were delivered in a R background (peak =664 nm) of 120 μmol·m–2·s–1. One month after seed sow, we collected data on shoot mass, leaf morphology, and pigmentation. Substituting G or FR radiation for B radiation promoted leaf expansion and increased shoot mass but decreased chlorophyll concentrations in all crops. For example, lettuce ‘Rex’ grown under 60 μmol·m–2·s–1 of G +120 μmol·m–2·s–1 of R radiation was 38% greater in plant diameter and 54% greater in shoot dry mass compared to those under 60 μmol·m–2·s–1 of B +120 μmol·m–2·s–1 of R radiation. Substituting B radiation with G radiation at 60 μmol·m–2·s–1 also reduced red coloration of lettuce ‘Rouxai’. At the same photon flux density, FR radiation increased leaf expansion and decreased red foliage coloration more than G radiation. We conclude that substituting G and/or FR radiation for B radiation triggers shade-avoidance responses, accelerating plant growth while decreasing pigment concentrations.
Executive function and probabilities of engaging in long-term sedentary and high calorie/low nutrition eating behaviors in early adolescence.

Abstract Purpose Consumption of high calorie/low nutrition (HCLN) foods, as well as high levels of sedentary behavior (SB), may play a substantial role in the development of childhood overweight and obesity. However, the choice to engage or not engage in this behavior may be impacted by limits in executive functioning (EF) - a set of higher order functions related to decision making, planning, and inhibitory processes. Methods The present study, as part of a large multiple health risk behavior trial designed to prevent substance use and obesity, evaluated the relationship between specific subdomains of EF and long-term patterns of HCLN food consumption and SB among a population of elementary school students (n = 709). Results Utilizing a form of mixture modeling based on a latent transition analysis framework, subdomains of EF were found to influence the probability that students would report high levels of HCLN food consumption and SB over a thirty-month period. Gender and socioeconomic status further influenced the likelihood that students with poor EF would repeatedly engage in these unhealthy behaviors. Conclusions HCLN food consumption and SB in childhood can lead to an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. Findings suggest that long term EF training, as well as the creation of environments that support appropriate decision-making, could be an important focus of future health promotion and education.
Novel acoustic coupling bath using magnetite nanoparticles for MR-guided transcranial focused ultrasound surgery.

PURPOSE Acoustic coupling baths, nominally composed of degassed water, play important roles during transcranial focused ultrasound surgery. However, this large water bolus also degrades the quality of intraoperative magnetic resonance (MR) guidance imaging. In this study, we test the feasibility of using dilute, aqueous magnetite nanoparticle suspensions to suppress these image degradations while preserving acoustic compatibility. We examine the effects of these suspensions on metrics of image quality and acoustic compatibility for two types of transcranial focused ultrasound insonation regimes: low-duty cycle histotripsy procedures and high-duty cycle thermal ablation procedures. METHODS Magnetic resonance guidance imaging was used to monitor thermal ablations of in vitro gel targets using a coupling bath composed of various concentrations of aqueous, suspended, magnetite nanoparticles in a clinical transcranial transducer under stationary and flowing conditions. Thermal deposition was monitored using MR thermometry simultaneous to insonation. Then, using normal degassed water as a coupling bath, various concentrations of aqueous, suspended, magnetite nanoparticles were placed at the center of this same transducer and insonated using high-duty cycle pulsing parameters. Passive cavitation detectors recorded cavitation emissions, which were then used to estimate the relative number of cavitation events per insonation (cavitation duty cycle) and the cavitation dose estimates of each nanoparticle concentration. Finally, the nanoparticle mixtures were exposed to low-duty cycle, histotripsy pulses. Passive cavitation detectors monitored cavitation emissions, which were used to estimate cavitation threshold pressures. RESULTS The nanoparticles reduced the MR signal of the coupling bath by 90% in T2- and T2*-weighted images and also removed almost all imaging artifacts caused by coupling bath motion. The coupling baths caused <5% changes in peak temperature change achieved during sonication, as observed via MR thermometry. At low duty cycle insonations, the nanoparticles decreased the cavitation threshold pressure by about 15 ± 7% in a manner uncorrelated with nanoparticle concentration. At high duty cycle insonations, the 0.5 cavitation duty cycle acoustic power threshold varied linearly with nanoparticle concentration. CONCLUSIONS Dilute aqueous magnetite nanoparticle suspensions effectively reduced MR imaging artifacts caused by the acoustic coupling bath. They also attenuated acoustic power deposition by <5%. For low duty cycle insonation regimes, the nanoparticles decreased the cavitation threshold by 15 ± 7%. However, for high-duty cycle regimes, the nanoparticles decreased the threshold for cavitation in proportion to nanoparticle concentration.
Association of Widespread Adoption of the 39-Week Rule with Overall Mortality Due to Stillbirth and Infant Death

Importance To improve neonatal morbidity, efforts have been made to reduce elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks’ gestation, also known as the39-week rule. Prolonging pregnancies also prolongs exposure to the risk of stillbirth. The true association of a 39-week rule with mortality is unknown and studies to date have shown conflicting results. Objective To determine if widespread adoption of a 39-week rule, limiting elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks’ gestation, is associated with an increase or decrease in overall mortality when considering both stillbirths and infant deaths. Design, Setting, and Participants This historical cohort study used birth certificate and infant death certificate data in the United States to compare years before and after the adoption of the 39-week rule. Births between 2008 and 2009 were considered to be in the preadoption period (n = 7 322 234), and those between 2011 and 2012 were considered to be in the postadoption period (n = 6 972 626). Included births were singleton, nonanomalous births between 37 0/7 weeks’ and 42 6/7 weeks’ gestation. Statistical analysis was performed from July 19, 2016, through June 27, 2019. Exposures The exposure of interest was the Joint Commission adoption of the 39-week rule as a quality measure. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes of interest were stillbirth and infant death. Results A total of 7 322 234 births (49.0% girls and 51.0% boys) were included in the preadoption period and 6 972 626 births (49.1% girls and 50.9% boys) were included in the postadoption period. Compared with the preadoption period, there was a decrease in the proportion of deliveries at 37 weeks (−0.06%) and 38 weeks (−2.5%) and an increase in the proportion of deliveries at 39 weeks (6.8%) and 40 weeks (0.2%) in the postadoption period (P Conclusions and Relevance Stable overall perinatal mortality rates were observed in the 2-year period immediately after adoption of the 39-week rule, despite an increase in stillbirth.
Help seeking behaviors of Latinos with substance use disorders who perceive a need for treatment: Substance abuse versus mental health treatment services.

Abstract Objective Perceiving a need for substance abuse treatment is a strong predictor of substance abuse treatment utilization among those with substance use disorders (SUD). Studies have found that when persons with SUD perceive a need for treatment, they are more likely to use mental health treatment rather than substance abuse treatment. Substance abuse treatment utilization is low among Latinos, relative to other racial/ethnic groups. It is unknown if Latinos with SUD who perceive a need for treatment are more likely to use mental health or substance abuse treatment. Methods Data were pooled from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health survey years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Analyses were limited to adult Latino participants who met DSM-IV criteria for a past-year substance use disorder (n = 1889). Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined the role of perceived treatment need on the past-year use of (1) no treatment, (2) substance abuse treatment only, and (3) mental health treatment only. Important covariates included socio-demographics, problem severity, currently being on parole or probation, and poor mental health status. Results Only 5% of Latinos with SUD reported perceiving a need for treatment. Treatment utilization was also low: 83% reported not using any treatment in the past-year. In multinomial logistic regressions, compared to not using any treatment, Latinos with SUD who perceived a need for substance abuse treatment were more likely to report using mental health treatment only. Perceiving a need for treatment and using substance abuse treatment services only was not statistically different from not using any treatment. Conclusions Findings underscore the need for better integration of substance abuse and mental health treatment services to address the health needs of Latinos.
VDR in Salivary Gland Homeostasis and Cancer

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its ligand 1,25(OH)2D3 (1,25D) impact differentiation and exert anti-tumor effects in many tissues, but its role in salivary gland has yet to be defined. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we have detected strong VDR expression in murine and human salivary gland ducts. Compared to normal gland, VDR protein expression was retained in differentiated human pleomorphic adenoma (PA) but was undetectable in undifferentiated PA and in carcinomas, suggesting deregulation of VDR during salivary cancer progression. To gain insight into the potential role of VDR in salivary cancer, we assessed the effects of vitamin D in vivo and in vitro. Despite the presence of VDR in salivary gland, chronic dietary vitamin D restriction did not alter morphology of the salivary epithelium in C57/Bl6 mice. The localization of VDR in ductal epithelium prompted us to examine the effects of 1,25D in an established cell line (mSGc) derived from normal murine submandibular gland (SMG). This previously characterized cell line consists of multiple stem, progenitor and differentiated cell types as determined by mutually exclusive cellular expression of basal, ductal and myoepithelial markers. We demonstrated VDR expression and regulation of VDR target genes Vdr and Postn by 1,25D in mSGc, indicating functional ligand-mediated transcriptional activity. The effect of VDR signaling on epithelial differentiation markers was assessed by qPCR and IHC in mSGc cells treated with 1,25D. We found that 1,25D reduced mRNA expression of the basal cell progenitor marker keratin 5 (K5) and increased expression of the differentiated ductal cell marker keratin 7 (K7). Further, we found that 1,25D significantly decreased the number of proliferating cells, including proliferating K5+ cells. Characterization of cell cycle by Muse cytometry indicated 1,25D treatment decreased cells in S, G2, and M phase. The inhibition of K5+ cell proliferation by 1,25D is of particular interest because K5+ basal cells contribute to a wide variety of salivary tumor types. Our studies suggest that 1,25D alters cancer-relevant progenitor and differentiation markers in the salivary gland.
Effect of vertical heterogeneity and nano-confinement on the recovery performance of oil-rich shale reservoir

Abstract Due to the effect of compaction, stress-dependent properties such as permeability, porosity, and pore size vary in the vertical direction of shale reservoir. The heterogeneity of physical properties influences the fluid flow in shale formation. Meanwhile, the confinement effects, including large oil-gas capillary pressure and critical property shifts, as a function of pore-throat radius could greatly alter phase behaviors in nano-pores. Thus, vertical heterogeneity affects the interpretation of production performance of an oil-rich shale reservoir. In this study, a compositional simulation model incorporated with confinement effects is applied to simulate primary depletion in an intensively fractured oil-rich shale formation. Stress-dependent properties are assigned to different depth of the pay zone. Two nano-confinement effects on phase behavior and recovery performance are examined, respectively. Simulation results show that nano-confinement effects affect the well productivity through altering the fluid properties and phase behaviors. Inclusion of capillary pressure effect increases oil production but suppresses gas production. Considering critical property shift enhances both oil and gas recoveries. In very tight shale formation, confinement effects are more comparable to gravity drainage on improving oil recovery. As pore size is reduced with depth, confinement effects become more apparent on increasing oil recovery. However, it still cannot exceed the benefits from drilling the well at high permeable formation. Drilling the horizontal well in relatively high-permeability layer that has high permeable adjacent layers could achieve the largest oil and gas recoveries.
FmhA and FmhC of Staphylococcus aureus incorporate serine residues into peptidoglycan cross-bridges.

Staphylococcal peptidoglycan is characterized by pentaglycine cross-bridges that are cross-linked between adjacent wall peptides by penicillin-binding proteins to confer robustness and flexibility. In Staphylococcus aureus, pentaglycine cross-bridges are synthesized by three proteins: FemX adds the first glycine, and the homodimers FemA and FemB sequentially add two Gly-Gly dipeptides. Occasionally, serine residues are also incorporated into the cross-bridges by enzymes that have heretofore not been identified. Here, we show that the FemA/FemB homologues FmhA and FmhC pair with FemA and FemB to incorporate Gly-Ser dipeptides into cross-bridges and to confer resistance to lysostaphin, a secreted bacteriocin that cleaves the pentaglycine cross-bridge. FmhA incorporates serine residues at positions 3 and 5 of the cross-bridge. In contrast, FmhC incorporates a single serine at position 5. Serine incorporation also lowers resistance toward oxacillin, an antibiotic that targets penicillin-binding proteins, in both methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus. FmhC is encoded by a gene immediately adjacent to lytN, which specifies a hydrolase that cleaves the bond between the fifth glycine of cross-bridges and the alanine of the adjacent stem peptide. In this manner, LytN facilitates the separation of daughter cells. Cell wall damage induced upon lytN overexpression can be alleviated by overexpression of fmhC. Together, these observations suggest that FmhA and FmhC generate peptidoglycan cross-bridges with unique serine patterns that provide protection from endogenous murein hydrolases governing cell division and from bacteriocins produced by microbial competitors.
Gun Control: Political Fears Trump Crime Control

As the debate over the 1976 District of Columbia gun ban demonstrates, "gun control" often covers for a hidden agenda. British Cabinet papers declassified in 1969-70 demonstrate that contrary to claims made in Parliamentary debates, the intent of the Firearms Act 1920 was not to reduce or prevent crime, but to prevent a feared Bolshevik revolution in Britain. Direct statements by members of the Cabinet demonstrate an intent to mislead the public about their objectives.
Geometry and Quantum Field Theory

An introduction to Lie groups and symplectic geometry by R. L. Bryant Introduction to quantum field theory for mathematicians by J. M. Rabin Lectures on quantum mechanics and the index theorem by O. Alvarez Lectures on axiomatic topological quantum field theory by F. S. Quinn.
An Expert System Based Approach to Modeling and Selecting Requirement Engineering Techniques

The importance of requirements engineering (RE) has been raised numerous times in literatures. To choose suitable RE techniques for a particular project in a given situation is a challenging task, requiring substantial expertise and efforts. To help solving this problem, an expert system based approach is proposed. This expert system uses the knowledge from domain experts to model the causal factors of RE techniques. It can select suitable RE techniques for a software project. A web-based questionnaire is created in the first place to collect the expertise available in the community. The information collected by the questionnaire is analyzed and transformed into a new dataset for constructing a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). The resulting BBN integrated with a GUI forms an expert system for RE techniques modeling and selection. Empirical study validates the transformed dataset and shows that the expert system outperforms other predictors in selecting suitable RE techniques in different RE phases.
The vitellogenin of Leucophaea maderae: Synthesis as a large phosphorylated precursor

Phosphorylation of vitellogenin (yolk protein precursor) and vitellin (major yolk protein) polypeptides of Leucophaea maderae was studied by [32P]ortho phosphate labeling and subsequent sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) autoradiography. The vitellogenin molecule was isolated from the hemolymph and fat body by antibody precipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and shown to consist of at least five polypeptides (“subunits”) which had apparent molecular masses of 155, 112, 95, 92 and 54 kD. Labeling studies with 32P showed that the covalently attached phosphorus was distributed in an uneven fashion among the five polypeptides. The two heavily-phosphorylated polypeptides, 112 and 54 kD, corresponded to the large and small, mature vitellin subunits. Quantitative SDS-PAGE analysis of long-term 32P-labeled vitellin showed that these large and small “subunits” contained 55 and 30%, respectively, of the total radioactivity. When fat body was pulse-labeled with 32P we found a heavily-phosphorylated intracellular 215 kD polypeptide which was precipitable with anti-vitellogenin. The synthesis of this intracellular precursorform of vitellogenin (pre-Vg) was under absolute juvenile hormone control. In vitro32P pulse-chase experiments showed that pre-Vg was proteolytically processed within the fat body into some (or possibly all) of the mature vitellogenin subnits. Furthermore, peptide mapping confirmed that all of the phosphorylated vitellogenin subunits were derived from pre-Vg. Since previous studies have shown that phosphoserine residues account for essentially all of the covalently-attached phosphorus of the native vitellogenin molecule, we speculate that the asymmetric pattern of vitellogenin and vitellin subunit-phosphorylation is due to an uneven distribution of phosphoserine residues along the initial pre-Vg polypeptide chain. Finally, we conclude that phosphorylation of vitellogenin occurred post-translationally in the fat body endoplasmic reticulum because we could identify 32P-labeled pre-Vg in purified microsomal vesicles but not in nascent vitellogenin polypeptide chains attached to vitellogenin polyribosomes.
Management Options in Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris: Focus on Ranolazine

Chronic stable angina pectoris results from a fixed coronary arterial obstruction causing an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Current therapy aims to reduce cardiovascular events (vasculoprotective) thereby improving survival, and/or relieve ischemic symptoms (antianginal) thereby improving the quality of life. Vasculoprotective therapy consists of lifestyle modification, antiplatelet agents, lipid lowering therapy and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Conventional antianginal therapy for patients with chronic stable angina consists of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and nitrates, with surgical or percutaneous revascularization serving an adjunctive role. Despite the investigation of multiple novel therapies and medications over the past 25 years, arguably the most significant contribution to antianginal therapy during that time involved the recent introduction of ranolazine. Ranolazine acts via a distinctive pathway, inhibiting the late sodium current of the action potential in ischemic myocytes. Multiple studies have demonstrated that ranolazine significantly reduces anginal symptoms and improves exercise performance in patients with chronic stable angina but does not reduce mortality. Ranolazine does not affect either heart rate or blood pressure, a unique property among the current antianginal agents. Despite its QT prolongation, ranolazine has a proven safety profile and is not proarrhythmic. In fact, in a recent large randomized trial, ranolazine reduced the incidence of supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, new-onset atrial fibrillation and bradycardic events. Ranolazine may confer some additional benefits such as a reduction in HbA1c levels and improved left ventricular diastolic function. Ranolazine is now approved for use in chronic stable angina. Current guidelines recommend beta-blockers as the first line antianginal agent due to the proven mortality reduction. However, for patients with bradycardia or hypotension, ranolazine may be considered as initial antianginal therapy.
A practical synthesis of N‐Fmoc‐l‐pyrazinylalanine via Schöllkopf's chiral auxiliary

: A practical, gram-scale synthesis of l-pyrazinylalanine (Paa) is described, utilizing Schollkopf's d-valine-derived bis-lactim ether chiral auxiliary.
Revisting Lepton Pairs at the SPS

We confirm the importance of standard medium effects (hadronic rescattering) in heavy-ion collisions by using a pQCD-based model to investigate the dilepton spectra from Pb+Au collisions at 158 GeV/nucleon.
Liver protein synthesis and glycogen storage with the progression of cancer cachexia (649.2)

Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by the loss of peripheral tissue and hypertrophy of visceral organs. The ApcMin/+ mouse model develops an IL-6 dependent cachexia, leading to gradual loss of muscle and fat and hypertrophy of spleen and liver. The purpose of this study was to examine liver function related to protein synthesis and glycogen storage during the progression of cancer cachexia. Livers collected from non-cachectic and cachectic ApcMin/+ mice were analyzed for marker of protein synthesis (p38) and degradation/angiogenesis marker - MMP2 protein expression. Liver glycogen content was examined by PAS staining intensity. The role of cachexia related inflammation on liver metabolism was studied by 10mg/kg/day administration of PDTC, a STAT3 and NF-ΚB inhibitor, for 2 weeks. As cachexia progressed there was suppression of Akt and p38 phosphorylation, and a reduction in liver glycogen content. MMP2 expression was also decreased 97% with severe cachexia. PDTC administration during seve...
Structural and Environmental Requirements for Quenching of Singlet Oxygen by Cyanine Dyes

Singlet-oxygen quenching constants were measured for 19 cyanine dyes in acetonitrile. The most efficient quenchers were 1-butyl-2-[2-[3-[(1-butyl-6-chlorobenz-[cd]indol-2(1H)- ylidene)ethylidene]-2-chloro-1-cyclohexen-1-yl]ethenyl]-6-chlorobenz[cd] indolium and 6-chloro-2-[2-[3-(6-chloro-1-ethylbenz[cd]indol-2(1H)-ylidene) ethylidene]-2-phenyl-1-cyclopenten-1-yl]ethenyl]-1-ethyl-benz[cd]indolium, having quenching constants with diffusion-controlled values of 2.0 +/- 0.1 x 10(10) and 1.5 +/- 0.1 x 10(10) M-1 s-1, respectively. There was a trend toward increased quenching constants for cyanine dyes with the absorption band maxima at longer wavelengths. However, the quenching constants correlated better with the oxidation potentials of the cyanine dyes, suggesting that quenching proceeds by charge transfer rather than energy transfer. The quenching constants for 1,1',3,3,3',3'-hexamethylindotricarbocyanine perchlorate and 1,1'-diethyl-4,4'-carbocyanine iodide were measured in several solvents as well as in aqueous solutions of detergent micelles. In different solvents, the quenching constants varied by as much as a factor of 50. The quenching constants were largest in solvents with the highest values on the pi* scale of Kamlet, Abboud, Abraham and Taft. This was consistent with quenching occurring by charge transfer. Within cells, cyanine dyes concentrate in membrane-bound organelles. The quenching constants were substantial within detergent micelles. To the extent that micelles are models for biological membranes, cyanine dyes may be effective biological singlet-oxygen quenchers.
The Type A/Type B Distinction

Multidimensional typologies of alcoholics are reviewed, including Cloninger's neurobiological learning model, Morey and Skinner's hybrid model, and Zucker's developmental model. The more recent Type A/Type B typology proposed by Babor and colleagues is reviewed in more depth, as is a previous replication and extension by Litt and colleagues. Both the original study and the replication indicate this typology is a useful tool in classifying alcoholic inpatients into two groups and in matching alcoholics to the most suitable treatment. The present study replicates the typology using outpatient samples of male alcoholics. The resulting two clusters are very similar to those identified by the two earlier studies. As expected, the relative proportion of Type A alcoholics is higher in the outpatient samples than in the previously studied inpatient samples. Preliminary analysis of the typology's clinical efficiency suggests that the variables used to classify subjects might be appreciably reduced, thus effecting a considerable time savings in assessment. A discriminant function analysis indicates that using only 5 of the original 16 clustering variables results in a correct classification rate of almost 95%. Future research directions are addressed.
DOES CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AFFECT TOEFL IBT™ READING PERFORMANCE? A CONFIRMATORY APPROACH TO DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING

The TOEFL iBT™ has increased the length of the reading passages in the reading section compared to the passages on the TOEFL® computer-based test (CBT) to better approximate academic reading in North American universities, resulting in a reduced number of passages in the reading test. A concern arising from this change is whether the decrease in topic variety increases the likelihood that an examinee's familiarity with the particular content of a given passage will influence the examinee's reading performance. This study investigated differential item functioning and differential bundle functioning for six TOEFL iBT reading passages, three involving physical science and three involving cultural topics. The majority of items displayed little or no differential item functioning (DIF). When all of the items in a passage were examined, none of the passages showed differential functioning at the passage level. Hypotheses are provided for the DIF occurrences. Implications for fairness issues in test development are also discussed.
Stress wave velocity in granular medium

This paper primarily deals with the effect of particle size on stress wave velocity. Both the strain gage technique and dynamic photoelasticity were employed to obtain stress wave velocity and its wavelength in a one-dimensional, relatively large-sized granular medium. The granular medium was simulated with a single chain of circular discs fabricated from Aluminum and Homalite 100
Utility of the MacArthur—Bates Communicative Development Inventory in Identifying Language Abilities of Late-Talking and Typically Developing Toddlers

The present study investigated the validity of the MacArthur—Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) for a group of toddlers 30 months of age. Study 1 examined the concurrent validity of th...
Artificial Nesting Sites for the Propagation of the Leaf-Cutter Bee, Megachile (Eutricharaea) rotundata, for Alfalfa Pollination

The leaf-cutter bee, Megachile rotundata (Fabr.), although endemic to Eurasia, is found throughout most of continental United States where it has been reported polylectic on a variety of floral hosts. In the Pacific Northwest it is oligolectic on alfalfa, taking both pollen and leaf-cuttings from that plant. The bee does not excavate its own holes, but rather accepts any burrow or partially protected excavation that approximates its size. The paper reports that the bee accepted holes bored in timbers and milk straws set in tin containers without any apparent discrimination. Such stocked containers are readily amenable to manipulation and storage. This flexibility would permit the grower to relocate stocked timbers and straws throughout the field each spring, thus insuring adequate pollination of his crop by this bee species.
Augmentative and alternative communication: An historic perspective

During the past 3 decades, the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has emerged as a major development for the benefit of individuals with little or no functional speech. This ...
MO-A-137-04: Robustness of Bone Marrow Sparing in Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of pelvic bone marrow sparing by utilizing intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) in the treatment of cervical cancer, in comparison to that of intensity modulated photon therapy (IMXT); and to investigate the robustness of the bone marrow sparing by IMPT under range uncertainty and patient setup uncertainty. Methods: 3‐field IMPT was planned for five enrolled patients. DVH objectives for PTV and organs‐at‐risk (OAR) aimed to give 45 Gy to the tumor in 25 fractions, matching those of the IMXT plan delivered clinically. The percentage volumes of bone marrow receiving 10 Gy and 20 Gy were set to be reduced in IMPT compared with IMXT. The dose from the IMPT plan was then recalculated in uncertainty scenarios which were combinations of systematic 3% density errors and uniformly random patient setup errors of (0.6cm, 0.6cm, 0.6cm). The robustness of target coverage and bone marrow sparing through the whole course of 25 fractions was then analyzed. Results: In the static scenario, the IMPT plan achieved the same or better PTV coverage and OAR sparing compared to IMXT, and reduced the percentage volume of bone marrow receiving 15 Gy or larger dose (V15Gy) to 32.3% from 60.0% on average. Robustness analysis showed that proper CTV coverage is preserved over the whole course of treatment with the presumed range and positioning errors. The reduction of bone marrow dose is also statistically significant and robust under those uncertainties, with a minimum reduction of V15Gy to 39.9% from 60.0%. Conclusion: IMPT can significantly reduce the volume of active bone marrow receiving low dose radiation, therefore potentially decreasing hematologic toxicity in concurrent chemoradiation therapy for cervical cancer. Bone marrow sparing by IMPT is robust in the context of range and positioning uncertainties.
The Doctoral Degree in Counselor Education and Supervision

The doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) is a terminal or final degree in the field of counseling. This article, provides an abbreviated look at the development of the CES doctoral degree, reviews the development of accreditation standards, reports on current status of the doctoral degree, and comments on the possible future of the CES doctoral degree.
Efficacies of liposome-encapsulated clarithromycin and ofloxacin against Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex in human macrophages.

Abstract The therapeutic efficacies of liposome-encapsulated ofloxacin and clarithromycin against Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare (MAI) were evaluated in a model of intramacrophage infection. Liposome encapsulation was found to markedly enhance the uptake of each of the drugs by human macrophages. The human blood-derived macrophages were infected at day 7 of culture with MAI. Treatment was initiated 24 h after the infection, and the number of intracellular bacteria was determined at days 2, 3, and 4. Liposome entrapment of either ofloxacin or clarithromycin significantly (P < 0.005) enhanced the activities of the drugs when compared with the antimycobacterial effects of equivalent concentrations of the free (unentrapped) drugs. The drugs were used at concentrations close to their clinically achievable peak levels. The efficacy of clarithromycin, either in the free or liposome-entrapped form, was markedly higher than that of ofloxacin. Liposome-encapsulated ofloxacin or clarithromycin plus ethambutol was, in each case, more effective in organism eradication (P < 0.005) than each agent used singly. These results suggest that liposome-encapsulated clarithromycin may be more effective than the free form of the drug against MAI infections in vivo, and the use of a combination therapy with ethambutol could further enhance the efficacy.