cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term cancer bioassays of ascorbic acid.

Kuroiwa et al. [2008] report on the lack of carcinogenesis of coadministration of ascorbic acid and sodium nitrite in male F344 rats, despite causing oxidative DNA damage-associated mutagenicity in vitro and increased levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in rat forestomach epithelium. Earlier studies showed forestomach carcinogenesis was enhanced by this combination after initiation with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine [Okazaki et al., 2006], and forestomach papillomas were induced without prior initiation, using sodium nitrite and sodium ascorbate (Yoshida et al., 1994). Ascorbic acid enhanced butylated hydroxyanisole [BHA]-induced forestomach lesions [Shibata et al., 1993], sodium L-ascorbate following initiation with several nitrosamines inhibited liver but promoted renal pelvis and bladder carcinogenesis [Thamavit et al., 1989], and sodium ascorbate but not ascorbic acid induced neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions of the urinary bladder [Fukushima et al., 1986], implicating the influence of the sodium ion and increased pH on bladder carcinogenesis. Following initiation with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, sodium Lascorbate increased the incidence of adenomas and the number of tumors per rat of the colon (especially of the distal colon) [Shirai et al., 1985]. Ito et al. [1983, 1986] posed that antioxidants have different effects (promoting or inhibitory influences) depending on the organ studied and suggest the importance of a whole body approach to their investigation.
Correlation between biological and physical availabilities of phenanthrene in soils and soil humin in aging experiments

The bioavailability of an organic compound in a soil or sediment commonly declines with the soil-chemical contact time (aging). A series of parallel desorption and bioavailability experiments was carried out on phenanthrene previously aged up to ∼100 d in Mount Pleasant silt loam (Mt. Pleasant, NY, USA) or Pahokee peat soil to determine as a function of the aging period the degree of correlation between the reduction in bioavailability and the rate and extent of desorption and the influence of soil organic matter composition on availability. The mineralization of phenanthrene by two bacteria and the uptake of phenanthrene by earthworms showed expected declines with aging. Likewise, the rate of phenanthrene desorption in the absence of organisms decreased with aging. The decline in initial rate of mineralization or desorption was nearly an order of magnitude after 50 to 60 d of aging. Plots of normalized rates of mineralization or desorption practically coincided. Similarly, plots of normalized fraction mineralized or fraction desorbed during an arbitrary period gave comparable slopes. The partial removal of organic matter from the peat by extraction with dilute NaOH to leave the humin fraction reduced the biodegradation of phenanthrene aged for 38 and 63 d as compared to the nonextracted peat, but the effect disappeared at longer incubation times. The rate of desorption from samples of peat previously extracted with NaOH or Na4P2O7 declined with aging and, for a given aging period, was significantly slower than from nonextracted peat. This work shows that the reduction in bioavailability of phenanthrene over time in soil is directly correlated with reduction of its physical availability due to desorption limitations. In addition, this study shows that removal of extractable humic substances leads to a decline in the rate of desorption and in the bioavailability of the substrate.
HIV-1 Infection Abrogates CD8+ T Cell Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Responses

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are dynamic and sensitive regulators of T cell function and differentiation. Altered MAPK signaling has been associated with the inflammatory and autoimmune diseases lupus and arthritis and with some pathogenic viral infections. HIV-1 infection is characterized by chronic immune inflammation, aberrantly heightened CD8(+) T cell activation levels, and altered T cell function. The relationship between MAPK pathway function, HIV-1-induced activation (CD38 and HLA-DR), and exhaustion (Tim-3) markers in circulating CD8(+) T cells remains unknown. Phosphorylation of the MAPK effector proteins ERK and p38 was examined by "phosflow" flow cytometry in 79 recently HIV-1-infected, antiretroviral-treatment-naive adults and 21 risk-matched HIV-1-negative controls. We identified a subset of CD8(+) T cells refractory to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus ionomycin-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation (referred to as p-ERK1/2-refractory cells) that was greatly expanded in HIV-1-infected adults. The CD8(+) p-ERK1/2-refractory cells were highly activated (CD38(+) HLA-DR(+)) but not exhausted (Tim-3 negative), tended to have low CD8 expression, and were enriched in intermediate and late transitional memory states of differentiation (CD45RA(-) CD28(-) CD27(+/-)). Targeting MAPK pathways to restore ERK1/2 signaling may normalize immune inflammation levels and restore CD8(+) T cell function during HIV-1 infection.
Design of multimedia global PACS distributed computing environment

We present our approach to developing global picture archiving and communication system (global PACS) applications using the Open Software Foundation distributed computing environment (OSF DCE) services and toolkits. Designing distributed global PACS applications using the OSF DCE approach will feature an open architecture, heterogeneity, scalability, and technology independence for global PACS remote consultation and diagnosis applications, including synchronized image annotation, voice and video, system privacy and security. The applications can communicate through various transport services and communications networks. The paper presents the development of an initial global PACS DCE testbed in which the basic functions of remote consultation sessions have been implemented using DCE services. Further research and development work is summarized. >
The Welfare Cost of Hong Kong's Public Housing Programme

Public housing is an important source of accommodation in Hong Kong. Subsidies to public housing are tied to the consumption of housing services. Consumer's consumption pattern will therefore be distorted, and a welfare loss incurred as compared to an equivalent cash transfer. This paper seeks to measure the extent to which tenants' benefit from public housing subsidies. A measure of net tenant benefit is used, which is based upon the Marshallian consumer surplus concept. The results indicate that Hong Kong's public housing programme has had a significant impact upon households' consumption patterns, and that the welfare loss is relatively low.
Democracy and America's War on Terror and In the Name of Terrorism: Presidents on Political Violence in the Post–World War II Era

Democracy and America's War on Terror. By Robert L. Ivie. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2005. 276p. $38.75 cloth, $24.95 paper.In the Name of Terrorism: Presidents on Political Violence in the Post–World War II Era. By Carol K. Winkler. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005. 260p. $65.00.Two recent books on the relation between the rhetoric of political discourse and American democratic politics explore the ways that language can shape political outcomes. Political culture has been a woolly subject for political scientists, specifically because explanatory models of political culture tend to oppose the more predominant institutional models of explanation. But both books convincingly make the claim that political culture can and is shaped by the rhetoric of political elites and that this has a deep impact on the ways in which political phenomena are interpreted and understood in a collective sense. Both analyze political discourse and seek to show how it impacts, shapes, and can even predict certain outcomes in political life.
On the efficiency and accuracy of the boundary element method and the finite element method

The efficiency and computational accuracy of the boundary element and finite element methods are compared in this paper. This comparison is carried out by employing different degrees of mesh refinement to solve a specific illustrative problem by the two methods.
“Sing now, O Muse, of the recessive mutation”: Interrogating the Genetic Discourse of Sex Variation with Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex

Abstract This article interrogates the role of genetic discourse in narratives of human sex variation, both scientific and cultural, by focusing on Jeffrey Eugenides’ bestselling novel Middlesex. The bildungsroman/fictional memoir of the intersexed Calliope/Cal, the novel describes its narrator’s transformation from a childhood lived as the girl Calliope to, when adolescence increases the masculinization of her secondary‐sex characteristics, an adulthood lived as the male Cal. In its beginning paragraphs, the novel both situates the gene as a rhetorical device and mobilizes a genetic explanation as the material cause of intersex. Then, as it documents Calliope/Cal’s two lives, the novel constructs sex as performative. In so doing, it would seem to disrupt conventional notions that lock sex down to a genetic, chromosomal makeup. Yet the repeated use of the genetic explanation contradicts and undermines its attempts to delineate genetic explanations as merely rhetorical and sex as performative. In addition,...
The impact of diabetes upon quality of life outcomes after lumbar decompression

Abstract Background Context Patients with comorbid disease may experience suboptimal quality of life (QOL) improvement following decompression spinal surgery. Prior studies have suggested the deleterious effect of diabetes upon postoperative QOL; however, these studies have not used minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) or multivariable statistical techniques. Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of preoperative diabetes upon postoperative change in QOL. Study Design/Setting A retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary-care center was carried out. Patient Sample Patients who underwent lumbar decompression between 2008 and 2014 were included in the study. Inclusion necessitated a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Outcomes Measures Postoperative changes in the EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D), Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) at last follow-up were the primary outcome measures. The secondary outcome variable was postoperative change in QOL measures exceeding the MCID. Methods Quality of life data were collected using the institutional prospectively collected database of patient-reported health status measures. Simple and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the impact of diabetes upon normalized change in QOL and improvement exceeding the MCID. Results There were 212 patients who met inclusion criteria. Whereas non-diabetics experienced significant improvements in EQ-5D, PDQ, and PHQ-9 (p Conclusion The burden of comorbidities may impact the QOL benefit of decompression spine surgery. In the present study, diabetes was found to independently predict diminished improvement in QOL after lumbar decompression.
Reducing Tobacco Use Through Voluntary Self-Exclusion

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Tobacco is heavily regulated and taxed, yet the majority of Americans who want to quit are still unable to do so. Drawing on the experience of numerous states that use voluntary self-exclusion programs to help problem gamblers, I propose implementing such a program to help those who want to quit smoking. A cost-benefit analysis reveals that, while such a program would entail a modest inconvenience to smokers, it could potentially save thousands of lives and serve as less paternalistic alternative to tobacco taxes.
Introduction to Source Coding

In communications engineering, source coding is the first step of processing input signals. It identifies, quantifies, band limits, and converts the analog signals into Digital formats. This book presents the salient concepts, underlying principles and practical applications of the contents of the source coding functions listed above. In particular, this chapter will address the following topics: Identification and Characterization of Input Signals such as analog signal, digital signal and noise Signal to Noise Ratio and its Effects in Communication Channels Shannon’s Capacity theorem and its attributes Measurement and Quantification of signals Estimation of Bandwidth
A two-step surface exchange mechanism and detailed defect transport to model oxygen permeation through the La0.9Ca0.1FeO3−δmixed-conductor

Abstract A framework to model materials experiencing defect mechanism similar to that of La 1 − x Ca x FeO 3 − δ (LCF) membranes is considered. Using the La 0.9 Ca 0.1 FeO 3 − δ mixed-conductor, we propose a model that incorporates a two-step thermodynamically consistent surface exchange mechanism and charged species transport within the material using the Planck–Nernst–Poisson model. The surface reaction mechanism has been proposed under equilibrium; the current study expands the theory to finite rate kinetics and shows significant kinetic limitations for oxygen incorporation. Existing models describing the diffusion of oxygen vacancies may not be applicable at low oxygen partial pressures. Evidence shows that for the La 1 − x Ca x FeO 3 − δ membrane, simultaneous presence of multiple Fe states should be considered. As a result, the surface chemistry and charged species transport models developed in this study conserve the Fe sites and the electroneutrality condition both at the feed and sweep sides of the membrane. The role of a strict electroneutrality condition within the material is also examined. Using inert argon experimental data, we demonstrate the fidelity of the model. Predictions reveal that no crossover in the concentration of Fe Fe • and Fe Fe ′ takes place within our operating conditions; thus, electronic conductivity within the material is of p-type.
Effects of Mechanical Cleaning on Cotton Fibers: Part III: Effects of Card Wire Condition on White Specks

Combinations of gin and mill cleaning sequences have been studied to determine the best way to clean both smooth-leaf and hairy-leaf cottons. The two varieties were subjected to four different levels of lint cleaning at the gin, followed by nine different mill cleaning sequences, for a total of thirty-six samples. All samples were tested for fiber properties (Part II), yarn strength, and fabric strength and appearance. The yarn and fabric properties are reported in this paper. In the middle of the study, the card wire was damaged and subsequently replaced, which presented the opportunity to determine the impact of the card wire's condition on white specks. In addition, image analysis of the fabric samples by Optimas detected the percent white, the percentage of the area of white specks in a specified area of fabric. Because of the variability of white specks, a larger sample size was needed than was available for the mill samples, so only trends can be reported for the mill samples. In general, the more aggressive the cleaning, the higher the percent white. When comparing the effect of ginning, each additional lint cleaner produced an increase in percent white for the worn card wire. The new card wire decreased the percent white overall as compared to the worn card wire. The new card wire samples with three lint cleanings had a significantly higher white speck level than zero, one, or two lint cleaners. Similarly, the harsher the mill cleaning, the higher the percent white. The hairy-leaf variety produced percent white values similar to those for the smooth-leaf cotton for both the old and new card wires. Thus, when confronted with the possibility of a white speck problem, minimal gin cleaning and less aggressive mill cleaning are recommended.
DNA replication and inactivation patterns in structural abnormality of sex chromosomes. I.X-A translocations, rings, fragments, isochromosomes, and pseudo-isodicentrics.

High resolution chromosome analysis and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporation have been applied to study patterns of chromosomal replication (inactivation) in two cases of unbalanced X-autosome translocations, seven cases of X and Y chromosome rings or fragments, and five cases of dicentric isochromosomes (Xq). Our results indicate the following: (1) In (X-A) translocations, detailed replicational analysis of the translocated autosomal segment is informative. Absence of "spreading effect" and partial-incomplete spreading effect are the most common observations. (2) Sex chromosome derived fragments and rings can be differentiated based on their replicational features. (3) Dicentric isochromosomes (Xq) can be classified based on intercentromeric distances, replicational asynchrony, and centromere inactivation. (4) A correlation between intercentromeric distance and degree of 45,X mosaicism was observed in dicentric "i(Xq)" chromosomes. Evidence for spreading effect based on our results and on the review of the literature has been critically analyzed and general rules in evaluating spreading effects (SE) proposed. The cytologic detection of active regions on the late replicating X chromosome and the inactivation capacity of the juxtacentromeric region of Xp is evaluated. It is proposed that centromere suppression and underreplication are related phenomena. Finally, the analysis of informative replicational stages is emphasized and the application of their analysis in basic and clinical cytogenetics demonstrated.
The Role of Certified Medical Technologists in Providing Quality Laboratory Results

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of certified (ASCP) medical technologists in the production of quality laboratory results. The quality of laboratory results was represented by the proportion of satisfactory results on the College of American Pathologists (CAP) survey programs summarized into a Laboratory Quality Score (LQS). Data from Illinois state records for licensed laboratories provided the sample. When all tests were considered simultaneously, a significant positive correlation between the proportion of ASCP-certified medical technologists employed in the laboratory and the LQS was found. The strongest relationships were found in the laboratory areas of hematology/coagulation, microbiology, and diagnostic immunology/ syphilis serology. Even in an economic environment that demands cost containment, the quality of laboratory results must be maintained for delivery of appropriate patient care. The study confirms the influential role of certified medical technologists in producing quality test results, especially for tests in which judgment and interpretation are required for accurate reporting.
Acceleration-free Nonlinear Guidance and Tracking Control of Hypersonic Missiles for Maximum Target Penetration

Guidance and control law design for missiles traveling at hypersonic speeds is an extremely difficult task due to the inherently coupled nonlinear nature of the system dynamics. The controller designs are further complicated by model uncertainty and unmodeled disturbances, which are inevitable in practical application. Beyond the challenges inherent in the system dynamics, additional complications arise in the design of hypersonic missile control laws, where terminal constraints are imposed in order to optimize target penetration. In this research, a robust nonlinear control technique is combined with an optimal control method to develop a control law for air-breathing hypersonic missiles in the presence of model uncertainty and unmodeled, nonlinear exogenous disturbances. The control law presented in this paper is designed to be computationally inexpensive, requiring no observers, online adaptive laws, or function approximators. One of the contributions of this research is detailed theoretical analysis of the performance characteristics of the proposed tracking control design. In addition, maximum target penetration is achieved by generating an optimal desired trajectory that incorporates terminal constraints in the cost function. Specifically, the trajectory optimization routine is designed to minimize angle of attack (AoA) and inertial angle of obliquity (AoO) at impact. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis is utilized to prove global asymptotic trajectory tracking, and high-fidelity numerical simulation results are provided to verify the practical performance of the proposed guidance law design.
The comparison of Staphylococcus aureus carrying Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene between children's isolates and adult isolates

Objective To understand the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus carrying Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene(PVL gene)in isolates from children and adult.Methods The 16SrRNA gene,PVL gene and mecA gene of Staphylococcus aureus from 66 children's isolates and 76 adult isolates were determined by multiplex PCR.After that,the SCCmec genetype and subtype of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)were determined by the other multiplex PCR.Results Among Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from 66 children,7 isolates were MRSA(10.6%).Among Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from 76 adults,39 isolates were MRSA positive(10.6%).The positive rate of MRSA in adult was significantly higher than that in children(χ2 = 26.73,P 0.01).The positive rate of PVL gene in children's isolates and adult isolates were 47.0% and 7.9% respectively.The positive rate of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA)carrying PVL gene in children's isolates and adult isolates were 49.2% and 5.4% respectively.The differences between children's isolates and adult isolates were all statistically significant(P 0.01).The PVL gene in 2 children isolates was SCCmecⅣ.4 adult MRSA carried PVL gene,one was SCCmecⅠ,one was SCCmecⅡ,and the other two were SCCmecⅢ.Conclusions The rate of Staphylococcus aureus carrying PVL gene in children's isolates is higher than that in adult isolates.The Staphylococcus aureus carrying PVL gene in children's isolates is primarily MSSA.
Intestinal malabsorption: differentiation of cause.

The many diseases that can impair one or more of the steps involved in nutrient digestion and absorption are divided into three broad, often overlapping categories: intraluminal maldigestion, mucosal malabsorption, and postmucosal obstruction. Differentiation is usually feasible and facilitates effective treatment—if not cure—in a vast majority of cases.
Primary structure and evolution of the ATP-binding domains of the P-type ATPases in Tetrahymena thermophila

The P-type ATPases (e.g., Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase) occur widely in living cells of fungi, Protozoa, plants, and animals. These ion pumps show a high degree of divergence in their primary stru...
Transformation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor to a DNA-binding form is accompanied by release of the 90 kDa heat-shock protein and increased affinity for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

The binding of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) elicits a sequence of poorly defined molecular events that ultimately yield a heteromeric transformed AhR that is active as a transcription factor. We have previously developed a model of the ligand-initiated transformation of the AhR to the DNA-binding state based on characterization of several forms of the AhR with respect to their physicochemical properties and DNA-binding affinities. The present studies were designed to determine whether, and at what stage, this process of transformation alters the receptor's affinity for TCDD. In rat hepatic cytosol, approx. 10% of the TCDD specifically bound to the AhR rapidly dissociated (t1/2 approximately 1 h), while the remainder was only slowly dissociable (t1/2 approximately 70 h). The isolated DNA-binding forms of the receptor (monomeric and transformed) bound TCDD very tightly (t1/2 > 100 h), whereas TCDD was dissociable from the non-DNA-binding receptor form(s). A lower incubation temperature (0-4 degrees C) and the presence of molybdate partially stabilized the non-DNA-binding fraction of the TCDD.receptor complex and also enhanced TCDD dissociation in crude cytosol. Immunoprecipitation of the different AhR forms with an anti-AhR antibody and immunoblotting with antibody to the 90 kDa heat-shock protein (hsp90) demonstrated that hsp90 was associated with the unoccupied receptor complex as well as with a fraction of the non-DNA-binding TCDD.receptor complex; isolated DNA-binding forms did not contain detectable hsp90. We conclude that while hsp90 remains associated with the AhR, TCDD is readily dissociable; following release of hsp90, however, TCDD becomes very tightly bound, and remains so upon completion of transformation.
Associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with markers of inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity in black and white community-dwelling adults

Abstract Aims Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin classically known for its role in calcium absorption and bone health. Growing evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity. However, prior studies examining the association of vitamin D with metabolic risk factors had relatively low representation of individuals of black race, limiting their ability to characterize associations of vitamin D and parameters of metabolic health in black vs. white individuals. Methods We examined associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations with markers of inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, high sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP]), insulin sensitivity (adiponectin, resistin, HOMA-IR), and obesity (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference) in 1042 participants from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a large national cohort of black and white adults 45 years or older. Results In unadjusted analyses, lower 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with higher IL-6 and hsCRP concentrations; lower adiponectin concentrations; higher HOMA-IR; and higher BMI and waist circumference ( P 0.05 for all). After adjustment for sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle, and laboratory variables, lower 25(OH) D concentrations remained associated with lower adiponectin concentrations, higher IL–6 concentrations, higher HOMA-IR, and higher BMI and waist circumference ( P P interaction > 0.1). Conclusions Lower 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with disturbances in metabolic health in both blacks and whites. Whether correcting vitamin D deficiency could offer a beneficial therapy for disease prevention requires further study.
Projected Coding Intensity In Medicare Advantage Could Increase Medicare Spending By $200 Billion Over Ten Years

Over the past decade, the average risk score for Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees has risen steadily relative to that for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, by approximately 1.5 percent per y...
Performance Monitoring and Root Cause Analysis for Cloud-hosted Web Applications

In this paper, we describe Roots - a system for automatically identifying the "root cause" of performance anomalies in web applications deployed in Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) clouds. Roots does not require application-level instrumentation. Instead, it tracks events within the PaaS cloud that are triggered by application requests using a combination of metadata injection and platform-level instrumentation. We describe the extensible architecture of Roots, a prototype implementation of the system, and a statistical methodology for performance anomaly detection and diagnosis. We evaluate the efficacy of Roots using a set of PaaS-hosted web applications, and detail the performance overhead and scalability of the implementation.
On the Design of Nonlinear Distributed Control Protocols for Platooning Systems

In this letter, we introduce a novel sufficient condition for the stability of acyclic directed networks subject to time- and state-dependent disturbances. Such a condition, which essentially characterizes the behavior of the network in terms of the solutions of its unperturbed dynamics, is applied to address the problem of designing distributed control protocols for vehicle platooning. Specifically, we show how it can be used to design both linear and nonlinear distributed control protocols for the stable platooning of a network of automated vehicles. We illustrate the effectiveness of our approach via a representative example.
Sudden cardiac death in the young: Epidemiology and overview

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly in the young athlete, is a rare though devastating event for families, institutions, and communities at large. It can also affect the nonathlete and occur at rest, although most commonly associated with exercise activities and/or sports participation. Common causes of SCD include cardiomyopathies, particularly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the United States, congenital coronary artery anomalies, channelopathies, among others. This report will explore an overview of the prevalence and causes of SCD in the young.
MALE CONTRACEPTION: Prospects for Sound and Ultrasound

The worldwide human population growth rate, which doubled during the 20th century, as well as the increasing fertility rate, have contributed to an increasing and evolving emphasis on contraception. With respect to female contraceptive methods, many have been developed, marketed, and are widely available. In contrast, male contraception has been limited to condoms, which pose logistical challenges, and vasectomy, which is largely irreversible. The use of sound to achieve effective and safe male contraception is a promising but unproven hypothesis. Based on the existing and incomplete totality of evidence, we hypothesize that the combination of sound with a modified ultrasonic technique in a single system will provide a practical delivery method that merges all of the appropriate and prescribed frequencies to have spermicidal qualities that may result in effective and safe male contraception. It is also plausible that any experimental male contraceptive method that heats the testicles where they can no longer produce sperm offers the possibility of a favourable benefit to risk ratio. The single system combining sound with a modified ultrasonic technique includes an acoustically suitable pad to assure proper transmission and delivery without concern for injury from the ultrasound frequencies, an amplification and regulation module, a frequency source generator, the complementary heat created along with external and targeted directionality, and various transport methods, such as wired, wireless, or remote. This methodology also offers the ability to move quickly to prototype, achieve multiple patent crossovers, secure and employ commercially available technologies, and provide the opportunity for rapid regulatory approval worldwide. These concepts have been explored in basic research in many animal species as well as humans. To achieve an adequate totality of evidence, the test of this hypothesis requires further basic research in humans to clarify the relevant mechanisms, clinical and observational epidemiologic studies to further explore the hypothesis, and large-scale randomized trials to detect the most plausible magnitude of benefits of this promising but unproven technology. It is plausible that this technology will represent a major breakthrough to combat world population growth. It is also plausible, that, to paraphrase Thomas Huxley, this beautiful hypothesis will be slain by ugly facts.
A Protein Scaffold Coordinates SRC-Mediated JNK Activation in Response to Metabolic Stress.

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. How obesity contributes to metabolic syndrome is unclear. Free fatty acid (FFA) activation of a non-receptor tyrosine kinase (SRC)-dependent cJun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is implicated in this process. However, the mechanism that mediates SRC-dependent JNK activation is unclear. Here, we identify a role for the scaffold protein JIP1 in SRC-dependent JNK activation. SRC phosphorylation of JIP1 creates phosphotyrosine interaction motifs that bind the SH2 domains of SRC and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor VAV. These interactions are required for SRC-induced activation of VAV and the subsequent engagement of a JIP1-tethered JNK signaling module. The JIP1 scaffold protein, therefore, plays a dual role in FFA signaling by coordinating upstream SRC functions together with downstream effector signaling by the JNK pathway.
Carotid Artery Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting

Symptomatic carotid artery stenosis greater than 50% in high-risk patients for carotid endarterectomy, recurrent internal carotid artery stenosis, patients with prior neck radiation, presence of a tracheostomy, high-carotid bifurcation (C2 level). Asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis greater than 70%, as part of a study or registry.
Recovery of Information and Adjustment for Dependent Censoring Using Surrogate Markers

A class of tests and estimators for the parameters of the Cox proportional hazards model, the accelerated failure time model, and a model for the effect of treatment on the mean of a response variable of interest are proposed that use surrogate marker data to recover information lost due to independent censoring and to adjust for bias due to dependent censoring in randomized clinical trials. We construct an adaptive test that (i) is asymptotically distribution free under the null hypothesis of no treatment effect on survival, (ii) incorporates surrogate marker data, and (iii) is guaranteed to be locally more powerful than the ordinary log-rank test against proportional hazards alternatives when the baseline failure time distribution is Weibull. The proposed test is shown to outperform the log-rank test in a series of simulation experiments. We also prove the optimal estimator within our class is semiparametric efficient by first showing that our estimation problem is a special case of the general problem of parameter estimation in an arbitrary semiparametric model with data missing at random, and then deriving a representation for the efficient score in this more general problem.
Decision Making Related to Health

In the literature related to health, references to decision making usually are concerned with the actions of physicians. Simulations of clinical decision making have been developed to assist in the instruction and practice of physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners. Decision analysis is employed in studying diagnostic problem-solving. In contrast, the health-related actions of individuals—their lifestyles, risk-taking, and use of health services—are studied as behaviors affected by beliefs, attitudes, and social norms. Although people are seen as making decisions about when to seek care and which option to select for treatment (if any options are presented), the general impression to be gained from this literature is that people behave and physicians decide.
Effect of mixing duration on biogas production and methanogen distribution in an anaerobic digester.

Mixing has been shown to have effect on biogas production in anaerobic digestion systems. To further examine this impact, a study was designed to evaluate nearly continuous mixing (mixing for 15 mi...
A novel method for predicting and mapping the occurrence of sun glare using Google Street View

Abstract The sun glare is one of the major environmental hazards that cause traffic accidents. Every year many traffic accidents are caused by sun glare in the United States. Providing accurate information about when and where sun glare happens would be helpful to prevent sun glare caused traffic accidents. In this study, we proposed to use the publicly accessible Google Street View (GSV) panorama images to estimate and predict the occurrence of sun glare. GSV images have view sight similar to drivers, which make GSV images suitable for estimating the visibility of sun glare to drivers. A recently developed convolutional neural network algorithm was used to segment GSV images and predict obstructions on sun glare. Based on the predicted obstructions for given locations, we further estimated the time windows of sun glare by calculating the sun positions and the relative angles between drivers and the sun for those locations. We conducted a case study in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Results show that the method can predict the occurrence of sun glare precisely. The proposed method provides an important tool for people to deal with the sun glare and reduce the potential traffic accidents caused by the sun glare.
Understanding the Relation Between Social Behaviors and Daily Fantasy Sports Risk Behavior

In daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests, participants form a roster of athletes scheduled to perform in a pre-determined list of sporting contests or games. Each participant has the opportunity to win cash prizes, depending on the performance of the athletes on their roster and the performances of the athletes on the other participants’ rosters. Some contests have higher variances than others (i.e., lower percentages of participants winning and higher payouts versus higher percentages of participants winning and lower payouts) and can be considered riskier propositions. DFS operators have mechanisms for interacting with friends on their servers (e.g., referral programs and incentives, friend lists, private contests). To determine whether use of these mechanisms (i.e., social behavior) was associated with preference for higher variance contests (i.e., risk behavior), we analyzed player records (N = 11,130) from a DFS service. We constructed a measure of risk behavior, player risk score, that is based on DFS contests’ entry fees and payout structures. We observed that players referred to the DFS service by a friend and those who had a reciprocal friendship had similar player risk scores. However, those who referred a friend, both generally and among players with reciprocal friendships, were more likely than others to have greater player risk scores, and greater numbers of friend referrals also was associated with higher player risk scores. Although the observed effect sizes were small, the results point to a possible relationship between referring others to play and risk activity. Future research should assess how these small effects interact with other behaviors and motivations associated with DFS play, like playing to escape or playing to earn/win money. It also should examine the temporal relationships between refer-a-friend program participation and risk content choices.
Surgical Trainees' Sense of Responsibility for Patient Outcomes: A Multi-institutional Appraisal.

Abstract Background Surgeon educators express concern about trainees' sense of patient ownership. We aimed to compare resident and faculty perceptions on residents’ sense of personal responsibility for patient outcomes and to correlate patient ownership with resident and residency characteristics. Methods An anonymous electronic questionnaire surveyed 373 residents and 390 faculty at seven academic surgery residencies across the United States. We modified an established psychological ownership scale to measure patient ownership among surgical trainees. Results Respondents included 123 residents and 136 faculty (response rate 33% and 35%, respectively). Overall, 78.0% of faculty agreed that residents took personal responsibility for patient outcomes, but only 26.4% thought residents felt a similar or higher degree of patient ownership compared with themselves. Faculty underestimated the proportion of residents that routinely checked on their patients when off-duty (36.8 versus 92.6%, P Conclusions Most faculty agree that residents assume personal responsibility for patient outcomes, but many still underestimate residents’ sense of patient ownership. Certain modifiable aspects of residency culture including camaraderie, mentorship, and autonomy are associated with patient ownership among trainees.
Vitrimer based composite laminates with shape memory alloy Z-pins for repeated healing of impact induced delamination

Abstract Owing to their unique and outstanding in-plane properties and high specific strength and stiffness, fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates are being used widely for many structural applications, such as aircrafts, infrastructure, and automobiles. Notwithstanding, they are normally susceptible and vulnerable to damage from out-of-plane impact events. Low velocity impact of fiber-reinforced composite laminates often results in damages that are invisible, but would progressively propagate and later results in a catastrophic failure. This study focused on developing a self-healing composite laminate with improved transverse strength and cyclic healing capabilities that would address the problem of delamination. A novel self-healable and recyclable vitrimer-based shape memory polymer (VSMP) was used as the matrix, unidirectional Saertex glass fiber as the reinforcing fibers, and tension programmed shape memory alloy (SMA) wires (Flexinol) as z-pins. This design followed the strategy of close-then-heal (CTH) for delamination healing. Low velocity impact tests, compression after impact tests, and self-healing of impact induced delamination were investigated. The tension programmed SMA z-pins helped resist delamination during impact; the shape memory effect of the vitrimer and SMA z-pins, together with the external pressure used, helped narrow/close the delamination through constrained shape recovery during heating, so that the narrowed/closed delamination can be healed repeatedly by the VSMP itself. The novel hybrid composite laminate provides a promising sustainable multifunctional material system for structural application.
Guided relaxation-based virtual reality transiently reduces acute postoperative pain and anxiety in a pediatric population

Background: Virtual reality (VR)-based immersive games and content can distract or redirect attention. Distraction-based therapies, such as VR, have been used to reduce pain from acutely painful procedures. However, it is unlikely that distraction alone can produce the prolonged pain reduction required to manage sustained postoperative pain. Integration of VR with other pain reducing therapies, including mind-body techniques, may enhance their clinical impact. Slow breathing and relaxation techniques are used clinically to reduce pain in children. Incorporating techniques such as these into the immersive audio-visual VR experience has the potential to produce synergistic effects. The current pilot study assessed the ability of a single guided relaxation-based VR (VR-GR) session to decrease acute postoperative pain and anxiety in children and adolescents. We also explored whether pain catastrophizing and anxiety sensitivity influenced the ability of VR-GR to reduce these outcomes. Methods: A total of 51 children and adolescents (ages 7-21 years) with postoperative pain followed by the Acute Pain Service at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center were recruited over an 8-month period to undergo a single VR-GR session. Prior to VR, patients completed pain catastrophizing (PCS-C) and anxiety sensitivity (CASI) questionnaires. The primary outcome was changes in pain intensity following VR-GR (immediately, 15, and 30 minutes). Secondary outcomes included changes in pain unpleasantness and anxiety. Results: Based on mixed effects models, VR-GR decreased pain intensity immediately (p 0.10). Conclusion: A single, short VR-GR session produced immediate and acute reductions in pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and anxiety in children and adolescents with acute postoperative pain. These results encourage future randomized clinical trials to compare the effectiveness of VR-GR and mind-body based treatments to reduce postoperative pain outcomes and to reduce requirements for opioid medications during this period.
A d-dimensional stress tensor for Mink d+2 gravity

We consider the tree-level scattering of massless particles in (d+2)-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes. The $$ \mathcal{S} $$ -matrix elements are recast as correlation functions of local operators living on a space-like cut ℳd of the null momentum cone. The Lorentz group SO(d + 1, 1) is nonlinearly realized as the Euclidean conformal group on ℳd. Operators of non-trivial spin arise from massless particles transforming in non-trivial representations of the little group SO(d), and distinguished operators arise from the soft-insertions of gauge bosons and gravitons. The leading soft-photon operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-one primary operator Ja, and the subleading soft-graviton operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-two symmetric traceless primary operator Tab. The universal form of the soft-limits ensures that Ja and Tab obey the Ward identities expected of a conserved current and energy momentum tensor in a Euclidean CFTd, respectively.
A taxonomic revision of taxa in Styrax series Cyrta (Styracaceae) with valvate corollas

Several taxonomic treatments of Styrax (Styracaceae) exist in regional floras of Asia, but the Asian species of the genus have not been comprehensively revised since 1907. A treatment of the Asian taxa of S. series Cyrta with imbricate floral aestivation was accomplished in 2003. To complete the taxonomic revision of S. series Cyrta, we conducted a taxonomic revision of the species of the series with valvate aestivation of the corolla lobes. Our revision comprises 11 species with a combined distribution from eastern India through southern China and Malesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, although the group is absent from the Philippines. We resurrected S. bracteolatus, S. rubifolius, and S. warburgii as species to be recognized, and we corrected the misapplication of S. finlaysonianus, previously used for a species in S. series Benzoin. Styrax finlaysonianus and S. warburgii are segregated from the broader concept of S. agrestis recognized in prior treatments. The circumscriptions of the heretofore poorly delimited species S. confusus, S. faberi, and S. fortunei are clarified and their possible introgressants discussed. We observed unique combinations of characters in some problematic specimens whose taxonomic status remains unresolved because only single specimens with either flowers or fruits were available; at least some of these may represent undescribed species. Lectotypes are designated for Cyrta agrestis, S. argyi, S. bracteolatus, S. calvescens, S. casearifolius, S. confusus var. microphyllus, S. dasyanthus, S. dasyanthus var. cinerascens, S. faberi, S. finlaysonianus, S. formosanus, S. fortunei, S. fukienensis, S. henryi, S. henryi var. microcalyx, S. iopilinus, S. philadelphoides, S. rostratus, S. rubifolius, S. serrulatus var. agrestis, and S. virgatus. A neotype is designated for S. warburgii. Keys, descriptions, distribution maps, and conservation assessments are provided for all species. Styrax agrestis, S. bracteolatus, and S. rubifolius are rare endemics of conservation concern, with highly restricted distributions.
Citizenship and Nationhood in Black and White: Silences of Slavery in Textbooks

An analysis of English-language textbooks from six countries revealed particular silences around the topics of slavery and slave trading. In England and Scotland, only black people were presented as having been enslaved, as there was virtually no acknowledgment of the enslavement of white Europeans. Textbook authors in Ghana, South Africa, and Namibia taught about European traders in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but spent little time discussing Muslim and African slavers. While Australian textbooks included sections on Ottoman and American slavery, textbook authors did not fully address their enslavement of indigenous people and Pacific Islanders. These silences perpetuate narrow, racialized visions of citizenship and nationality.