cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing TV Watching During Adult Obesity Treatment: Two Pilot Randomized Controlled Trials☆

The more time adults spend being sedentary, the greater the risk of obesity. The effect of reducing television (TV) watching, a prominent sedentary behavior, on weight loss has not been tested in an adult standard behavioral obesity intervention, and the mechanisms by which reducing TV watching influences energy balance behaviors are not well understood. Two, 8-week, pilot, randomized controlled trials were conducted examining the effect of a reduced TV watching prescription on energy balance behaviors and weight loss within an adult standard behavioral obesity intervention. In the first study, participants (n=24) were randomized into one of two conditions: (a) reduce energy intake and increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (INCREASE PA); or (b) reduce energy intake and decrease TV watching (DECREASE TV). As findings from the first pilot study did not show an increase in MVPA in the DECREASE TV group, the second study was designed to examine the effect of adding a reduced TV prescription to a standard intervention to optimize outcomes. In Pilot Study 2, participants (n=28) were randomized to INCREASE PA or to INCREASE PA+DECREASE TV. Outcomes included objectively measured TV watching and MVPA, self-reported light physical activity (LPA-Pilot Study 2 only), self-reported dietary intake while watching TV, and weight. Conditions with TV watching prescriptions significantly reduced TV watching. Both studies showed medium to large effect sizes for conditions with TV watching prescriptions to show greater reductions in dietary intake while watching TV. Pilot Study 1 found a trend for an increase in MVPA in INCREASE PA and Pilot Study 2 found significant increases in MVPA in both conditions. Pilot Study 2 found a significant increase in LPA in the INCREASE PA+DECREASE TV. Results indicate adding a TV watching prescription to a standard obesity intervention did not enhance increases in MVPA, but may assist with reducing dietary intake while TV watching and increasing LPA. Future research should examine the effect of reducing TV watching during obesity treatment over a longer time frame in a larger sample.
A Statistical View of Some Chemometrics Regression Tools

Chemometrics is a field of chemistry that studies the application of statistical methods to chemical data analysis. In addition to borrowing many techniques from the statistics and engineering literatures, chemometrics itself has given rise to several new data-analytical methods. This article examines two methods commonly used in chemometrics for predictive modeling—partial least squares and principal components regression—from a statistical perspective. The goal is to try to understand their apparent successes and in what situations they can be expected to work well and to compare them with other statistical methods intended for those situations. These methods include ordinary least squares, variable subset selection, and ridge regression.
Counterion condensation on a helical charge lattice

We extend the theory of counterion condensation from the standard representation of a locally stiff rodlike polyion as a line of discrete charges to a helical lattice of charges. The number of counterions condensing on a helix with given axial charge density is the same as on a line of the same charge density, but the electrostatic free energy is substantially less for the helix than for the line. In fact, the free energy of assembling the helical charge lattice becomes negative at higher salt concentrations, indicating electrostatic stabilization of the helix due to the mixing entropy of condensed counterions. The electrostatic persistence lengths of the line and helix subjected to locally elastic thermal bending fluctuations differ only slightly. They have the same κ -2 dependence as the Odijk-Skolnick-Fixman persistence length but a different prefactor. It is commonly believed that elastic bending models for the persistence length are applicable to double-helical DNA, but we point out that DNA apparently has unique mechanical properties that do not conform to the elastic model of bending. On the other hand, the helical model and its subsequent generalization to a double helix will serve as a basis for the electrostatic free energy of DNA conformational transitions.
In vitro biologic activities of the antimicrobials triclocarban, its analogs, and triclosan in bioassay screens: receptor-based bioassay screens.

BackgroundConcerns have been raised about the biological and toxicologic effects of the antimicrobials triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in personal care products. Few studies have evaluated t...
Genetic Characterization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in Elite Controllers: Lack of Gross Genetic Defects or Common Amino Acid Changes

Despite reports of viral genetic defects in persons who control human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the absence of antiviral therapy, the extent to which such defects contribute to the long-term containment of viremia is not known. Most previous studies examining for such defects have involved small numbers of subjects, primarily focused on subjects expressing HLA-B57, or have examined single viral genes, and they have focused on cellular proviral DNA rather than plasma viral RNA sequences. Here, we attempted viral sequencing from 95 HIV-1 elite controllers (EC) who maintained plasma viral loads of <50 RNA copies/ml in the absence of therapy, the majority of whom did not express HLA-B57. HIV-1 gene fragments were obtained from 94% (89/95) of the EC, and plasma viral sequences were obtained from 78% (61/78), the latter indicating the presence of replicating virus in the majority of EC. Of 63 persons for whom nef was sequenced, only three cases of nef deletions were identified, and gross genetic defects were rarely observed in other HIV-1 coding genes. In a codon-by-codon comparison between EC and persons with progressive infection, correcting for HLA bias and coevolving secondary mutations, a significant difference was observed at only three codons in Gag, all three of which represented the historic population consensus amino acid at the time of infection. These results indicate that the spontaneous control of HIV replication is not attributable to shared viral genetic defects or shared viral polymorphisms.
Patient satisfaction: does surgical volume matter?

Abstract Background Patient satisfaction is an increasing area of interest due to implications of pay for performance and public reporting of results. Although scores are adjusted for patient factors, little is known about the relationship between hospital structure, postoperative outcomes, and patient satisfaction with the hospital experience. Methods Hospitals participating in the University HealthSystem Consortium database from 2011–2012 were included. Patients were restricted to those discharged by general surgeons to isolate surgical patients. Hospital data were paired with Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) results from the Hospital Compare website. Postoperative outcomes were dichotomized based on the median for all hospitals and stratified based on surgical volume. The primary outcome of interest was high on overall patient satisfaction, whereas other HCAHPS domains were assessed as secondary outcomes. Chi square and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate whether postoperative outcomes or surgical volume more significantly influenced high patient satisfaction. Results The study population consisted of 171 hospitals from the University HealthSystem Consortium database. High surgical volume was a more important predictor of overall patient satisfaction regardless of hospital complication (P Conclusions High surgical volume more strongly predicted overall patient satisfaction on the HCAHPS survey than postoperative outcomes, whereas volume was less predictive in other HCAHPS domains. Patients may require more specific questioning to identify high quality, safe hospitals.
Buthionine sulfoximine inhibition of cystine uptake and glutathione biosynthesis in human lung carcinoma cells

Abstract Intracellular glutathione (GSH) content of human lung carcinoma cells, A549, in log phase was 25 ± 5 nmol/10 6 cells, which is considerably higher than that reported in other tumor cells. After partial depletion of GSH with diethyl maleate (DEM), addition of cystine to the medium allowed full resynthesis of GSH in 4 hr, cysteine in the same time period led to less resynthesis, and methionine provided minimal resynthesis. Using cystine as the sole sulfur source and with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, 5 m m ) included in the medium after cells were depleted with DEM, inhibition of both cystine uptake and resynthesis of GSH occurred. BSO inhibited [ 35 S]cystine uptake (as early as 10 min) in a concentration-dependent process, ranging from a 28% decrease for 1 μ m BSO to an 85% decrease for 100 μ m BSO compared to the control cells after 240 min of incubation. In addition, GSH resynthesis from [ 35 S]cystine for 240 min was inhibited in a parallel dose-dependent manner, in that 1 μ m BSO caused a 27% decrease and 100 μ m BSO provided a 75% decrease from control values. BSO did not inhibit the uptake of [ 35 S]methionine, but inhibited the low amount of resynthesis of GSH when methionine was the sole sulfur source. BSO did not inhibit the uptake of arginine, phenylalanine, and leucine. dl -, l -, and methyl ester-BSO each inhibited [ 35 S]cystine uptake and incorporation into GSH to a similar extent. The half-life of GSH was 3.5 ± 0.4 hr in A549 cells that were grown in complete medium with GSH synthesis occurring.
Catalysis of hydrolysis of a schiff base by a carboxyl-containing poly(ethylenimine) derivative

Hydrolysis of 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenylidene laurylamine (I) in the presence and absence of laurylsuccinoylpoly(ethylenimine) has been studied. Water attack on the conjugate acid of I in the polymer environment is about 102 times faster than in bulk medium. To achieve the same rate in bulk media by general base catalysis, about 70 M acetate or cacodylate would be needed. This indicates that the reactivity of the carboxylate attached to the polymer is substantially enhanced by the polymer environment.
Meeting the needs of young women with secondary amenorrhea and spontaneous premature ovarian failure

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experiences of young women with spontaneous premature ovarian failure with regard to the initial presenting symptom, promptness of diagnosis, and patient education. METHODS: We asked 50 patients previously diagnosed with spontaneous premature ovarian failure to participate in a structured interview survey consisting of 38 true-or-false, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions. RESULTS: Disturbance in menstrual pattern was the most common initial symptom in the 48 women who completed the interview (44 of 48, 92%). Over half of the 44 women who presented with this complaint reported visiting a clinician’s office three or more times before laboratory testing was performed to determine the diagnosis. Over half of them reported seeing three or more different clinicians before diagnosis. In 25% of women it took longer than 5 years for the diagnosis of premature ovarian failure to be established. Patients who spent more than 5 minutes with the clinician discussing the diagnosis were significantly more likely to be satisfied with the manner in which they were informed (P CONCLUSION: Women with spontaneous premature ovarian failure perceived a need for more aggressive evaluation of secondary amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea. Loss of menstrual regularity can be a sign of ovarian insufficiency, and the associated estrogen deficiency is a well-established risk factor for osteoporosis.
DEMONSTRATION OF HUMAN REAGIN IN THE MONKEY. I. PASSIVE SENSITIZATION OF MONKEY SKIN WITH SERA OF UNTREATED ATOPIC PATIENTS.

Abstract The technique of passive sensitization of the skin of monkeys is a convenient and reproducible method for the demonstration of skin-sensitizing antibodies. Intravenous challenge with a mixture of antigen and Evans blue dye proved to be technically easier and as reliable as administration of dye followed by antigen. The intravenous administration of antigen generally proved to be superior to the direct intradermal injection with antigen. Heating of the sera from untreated ragweed-sensitive patients at 56° C. for 2 hours completely destroyed the reaginic activity as demonstrated by passive transfer in the monkey and human skin, while the hemagglutination titers were not changed by heating. Separation of reaginic sera by ultracentrifugation with the sucrose gradient method suggests that the skin-sensitizing antibody is not a macroglobulin. This technique for demonstrating skin-sensitizing antibodies in the monkey skin avoids many problems inherent in the classical Prausnitz-Ku¨stner method, including the hazard of transmitting serum hepatitis. It has potential value in evaluating human skin-sensitizing antibody and in the standardization of allergens.
CXCL13: a novel biomarker of B-cell return following rituximab treatment and synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives. The B-cell chemokine, CXCL13, is a proposed serum biomarker of synovitis in RA. Its behaviour in the context of B-cell depletion therapy and reconstitution was studied during treatment of RA with rituximab. Methods. Serum samples from 20 RA patients were analysed for CXCL13, RF-IgM and anti-CCP by ELISA before and 2 and 6 months following rituximab treatment. B cells were monitored by flow cytometry. Gene expression in blood and synovial biopsies was determined by qPCR. Results. Patients with detectable B cells at 6 months had significantly higher levels of CXCL13 and RF-IgM and slightly higher levels of anti-CCP throughout the study, including at baseline, compared with patients with undetectable B cells at 6 months. Conversely, 10 of 12 patients with high baseline CXCL13 had detectable circulating B cells at 6 months, whereas no B cells could be detected at 6 months in patients with low baseline CXCL13. Synovial CXCL13 expression at baseline correlated significantly with serum CXCL13 levels, and the synovium of patients with high serum CXCL13 expressed elevated levels of IL-1b, IL-8, MMP1 and MMP3. In addition, synovial CXCL13 expression correlated significantly with several synovial inflammatory markers. Conclusions. Serum CXCL13 is predictive of the rate of B-cell repopulation following a course of rituximab in RA. Serum CXCL13 correlates with synovial CXCL13 measured at a single joint, suggesting synovitis as an important source of circulating CXCL13. Within the synovium, CXCL13 expression is highly correlated with markers of synovitis.
Respiratory Failure Due to Differentiation Arrest and Expansion of Alveolar Cells following Lung-Specific Loss of the Transcription Factor C/EBPα in Mice

The leucine zipper family transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation in various cell types. In this study, we show, using a lung-specific conditional mouse model of C/EBPalpha deletion, that loss of C/EBPalpha in the respiratory epithelium leads to respiratory failure at birth due to an arrest in the type II alveolar cell differentiation program. This differentiation arrest results in the lack of type I alveolar cells and differentiated surfactant-secreting type II alveolar cells. In addition to showing a block in type II cell differentiation, the neonatal lungs display increased numbers of proliferating cells and decreased numbers of apoptotic cells, leading to epithelial expansion and loss of airspace. Consistent with the phenotype observed, genes associated with alveolar maturation, survival, and proliferation were differentially expressed. Taken together, these results identify C/EBPalpha as a master regulator of airway epithelial maturation and suggest that the loss of C/EBPalpha could also be an important event in the multistep process of lung tumorigenesis. Furthermore, this study indicates that exploring the C/EBPalpha pathway might have therapeutic benefits for patients with respiratory distress syndromes.
Fat metabolism in higher plants. LIV. A procaryotic type acetyl CoA carboxylase in spinach chloroplasts.

Abstract Spinach acetyl CoA carboxylase resembles the Escherichia coli enzyme in that it can be resolved into three components: (1) biotin carboxyl carrier protein, (2) biotin carboxylase, (3) transcarboxylase. In disrupted chloroplasts the biotin carboxyl carrier protein was localized in the thylakoids while the other two components were in the stroma. Transcarboxylase activity was difficult to detect in disrupted chloroplasts; however under certain conditions the activity can be stabilized. Spinach chloroplasts contained an inhibitor of the transcarboxylase.
Characterisation of DNA forms associated with cassava latent virus infection

Abstract In addition to the major encapsidated DNA species found in preparations of cassava latent virus (genomic DNAs 1 and 2) there are minor DNA populations of twice (dimeric) and approximately half genome length. Both minor species resemble the genomic DNAs in that they are composed of predominantly circular single-stranded DNA. All of these size groups have a corresponding covalently-closed circular double-stranded DNA form in infected tissue. Infectivity studies using cloned DNAs 1 and 2 show that dimeric DNA routinely appears, suggesting it to be an intermediate in the DNA replicative cycle that can be encapsidated at low efficiency. In contrast, half unit length DNA has not yet been detected after multiple passaging of virus derived from the cloned DNA inoculum. Half unit length DNAs appear to be derived exclusively from DNA 2 and consist of a population of molecules exhibiting a relatively specific deletion. As they have an inhibitory effect on virus multiplication, their encapsidated forms are analogous to defective interfering particles associated with other eukaryotic DNA containing viruses. Small primer molecules associated with the genomic single-stranded DNAs, as reported for another geminivirus, have not been detected in CLV.
How to measure diversity when you must.

Racial/ethnic diversity has become an increasingly important variable in the social sciences. Research from multiple disciplines consistently demonstrates the tremendous impact of ethnic diversity on individuals and organizations. Investigators use a variety of measures, and their choices can affect the conclusions that can be drawn and limit the ability to compare and generalize results across studies effectively. The current article reviews 3 popular approaches to the measurement of diversity: the simplistic majority–minority approach and 2 multiple categories variants, the generalized variance and the lesser used entropy statistic. We discuss the properties of each approach and reject the majority– minority approach. We provide 5 examples using the generalized variance and entropy statistics and illustrate their versatility and flexibility. We urge investigators to adopt these multicategory measures and to use our discussion to determine which measure of diversity is most appropriate given the nature of one’s data set and research question.
Periodic Systems Dependent on Parameters

This paper is concerned with a periodic system dependent on parameter. We study differentiability with respect to parameters of the periodic solution of the system. Applying a fixed point theorem and the results regarding parameters for -semigroups, we obtained some convenient conditions for determining differentiability with parameters of the periodic solution. The paper is concluded with an application of the obtained results to a periodic boundary value problem.
Refining Evidence-Based Treatments for Late-Life Depression

The recent increase in the aging population, specifically in the United States, has raised concerns regarding treatment for mental illness among older adults. Late-life depression (LLD) is a complex condition that has become widespread among the aging population. Despite the availability of behavioral interventions and psychotherapies, few depressed older adults actually receive treatment. In this paper we review the research on refining treatments for LLD. We first identify evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for LLD and the problems associated with efficacy and dissemination, then review approaches to conceptualizing mental illness, specifically concepts related to brain plasticity and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoc). Finally, we introduce ENGAGE as a streamlined treatment for LLD and discuss implications for future research.
Radiotherapy for epithelial skin cancer.

Abstract Purpose: To retrospectively review patterns of failure, cosmesis, and outcomes according to treatment modality of patients with histologically confirmed epithelial skin cancer. Methods and Materials: The records of 468 patients having 531 lesions were analyzed; 389 basal cell carcinomas and 142 squamous cell carcinomas were treated, 167 of which were recurrent tumors. Median follow-up was 5.8 years. Electron beam irradiation was used in 19%, superficial x-rays in 60%, a combination of electron beam and superficial x-rays in 20%, and megavoltage photons in Results: The overall local tumor control rate was 89%; it was 93% for previously untreated lesions and 80% for recurrent lesions. Patients with basal cell carcinoma had a 92% overall control rate; patients with squamous cell carcinoma 80%. Multivariate analysis showed that local failure was related to the daily dose fractionation. The maximal diameter of the lesion and pathologic tumor type were also significant ( p ≤ 0.01). Treatment type, patient age, and treatment duration were not significant. Overall, 92% of the treated population with cosmesis data had excellent or good results. The overall complication rate was 5.8%, consisting primarily of soft-tissue necrosis. Conclusions: Radiotherapy remains an excellent treatment modality for epithelial skin cancer. Local tumor control, cosmesis, and complications are related to the size of the primary lesion. Recurrent lesions fared worse, and therefore treatment at the earliest possible stage is strongly recommended.
From Populism to Neoliberalism: Labor Unions and Market Reforms in Latin America

In the late 1980s, populist labor parties, which had advanced protectionism and state intervention in the postwar period, implemented market-oriented reforms in Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela. In all three countries, market reforms hurt their union allies. The interaction between allied unions and governing labor parties, however, varied across countries and across sectors within the same country. While some unions endorsed neoliberal reforms, others rejected them despite their long-term alliance with governing parties. While some unions obtained concessions, others failed to do so.This article argues that the incentives created by partisan loyalties, partisan competition, and union competition explain these interactions. Partisan loyalty results from the long-term affiliation of unions with a political party. Partisan competition takes place among union leaders affiliated with different political parties for the control of unions. Union competition occurs in diverse national and sectoral contexts among labor organizations for the representation of the same workers. Loyalty derived from a long-term affiliation with the incumbent party facilitates collaboration between labor unions and the government. Yet, if partisan competition makes loyal union leaders afraid of being replaced by activists affiliated with the opposition parties, their incentives for militancy increase as a way of showing their responsiveness to the rank and file hurt by market reforms. Union competition for the representation of the same workers makes coordination more difficult, thereby weakening unions and making them less likely to obtain concessions from the government despite their partisan loyalty. The article presents empirical evidence from eighteen cases, including national confederations and individual unions in five economic sectors in Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela to test this theory.
High current density and high power density operation of ultra high speed InP DHBTs

We report thermal design and characterization of high-current-density InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBT) designed for 150 GHz logic operation. Low thermal resistance DHBTs were obtained through the use of InP collectors and composite InGaAs/InP subcollectors containing as little as 12.5 nm InGaAs for ohmic contacts. When biased at J/sub e/ = 8 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ and V/sub ce/ = 1.45 V (11.6 mW//spl mu/m/sup 2/ dissipation), producing 370 GHz f/sub /spl tau// and 459 GHz f/sub max/, the devices exhibit only 69/spl deg/C emitter junction heating. The DHBTs operate without destruction at 10 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ at V/sub ce/= 2 V, a 20 mW//spl mu/m/sup 2/ dissipation. We also report on the improvements obtained through reducing the InGaAs subcollector ohmic contact layer thickness for improved device heat-sinking into the substrate.
Resolution of subretinal fluid with systemic corticosteroid treatment in acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

Background To evaluate the correlation of subretinal fluid height with visual acuity (VA) in patients with acute Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease (VKH). Methods Clinical information, fundus photographs and spectral domain optical coherence tomography scans from sequential visits of patients with acute VKH treated with oral corticosteroids were analysed. Subretinal fluid (SRF) height and retinal thickness were measured at the fovea. The association between VA and SRF height was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. Results A total of 12 eyes from 6 consecutive patients were included. SRF height measured 824±508 µm (range 45–1900 µm) at presentation. SRF height correlated with simultaneously measured VA. Initial SRF height did not correlate with resolution time and final VA. Resolution of SRF was attained in 36±24 days (range 10–80 days). The presence of choroidal folds (eight eyes) and multifocal retinal detachment (eight eyes) at presentation correlated with lower initial VA but not with the interval to SRF resolution or with VA at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions Serous retinal detachment resolved in 36±24 days in patients with acute VKH treated with oral corticosteroids. SRF height correlates with VA measured at the same time. The initial SRF, no matter how elevated, does not correlate with VA at 3 months after presentation.
BLACK MALE PERSPECTIVES OF COUNSELING ON A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Researchers have reported that it is often more difficult for minority students than White students to adjust academically and socially on predominantly White college campuses (Taylor, 1986). Previous research also suggests that there are differences in both perceptions of stressors and types of problems experienced by both Black and White students. Black students have been found to have greater concern regarding ethnic unity and trust, more academic difficulties, and greater financial concerns than their White counterparts (Pliner & Brown, 1985). There is a growing number of overt racial incidents on predominantly White college campuses across America (Thomas, 1985). The Black student of today will have both emotional and psychological difficulties when attempting to adequately respond to such incidents and atmospheres. Some Black educators consider a predominantly White college or university setting a dangerous place for Black students who are struggling with their own identities. This study seeks to further investigate these areas of research.
IFS Algorithms for Wavelet Transforms, Curves and Surfaces, and Image Compression

This report concerns research topics discussed while the author was at the Institute Mauro Picone (June 25–28, 1990), under the sponsorship of IAC-CNR. These topics involve applications of affine iterated function systems (IFS) [1]. An affine IFS consists of affine transformations T i: ℝm: →ℝm, i=1,…, N; and it generates a discrete-time dynamical system (Xn) in ℝm according to $$ X_n = T_{\omega _N } X_{n - 1} $$ where (ωn) is an appropriately chosen sequence of indices ω ∈ {,…, N}. This sequence (ωn) is said to drive the dynamics. In most IFS applications it is an i.i.d. sequence $$\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {\mathbb{P}(\omega = i) = {{p}_{i}} > 0,} & {i = 1, \ldots ,N} \\ \end{array}$$ where the p i’s are pre-assigned weights. When the transformations T i are strictly contractive, the IFS process (Xn) is a recurrent Markov chain, and its orbit is dense in the attractor A for the IFS, with probability one. The attractor is the unique non-empty compact set satisfying $$\mathcal{A} = \bigcup\limits_{{i = 1}}^{N} {{{T}_{i}}\mathcal{A}}$$
Differential Privacy with Imperfect Randomness

In this work we revisit the question of basing cryptography on imperfect randomness. Bosley and Dodis TCC'07 showed that if a source of randomness $$\mathcal {R}$$ is "good enough" to generate a secret key capable of encrypting k bits, then one can deterministically extract nearly k almost uniform bits from $$\mathcal {R}$$, suggesting that traditional privacy notions namely, indistinguishability of encryption requires an "extractable" source of randomness. Other, even stronger impossibility results are known for achieving privacy under specific "non-extractable" sources of randomness, such as the $$\gamma $$-Santha-Vazirani SV source, where each next bit has fresh entropy, but is allowed to have a small bias $$\gamma < 1$$ possibly depending on prior bits. We ask whether similar negative results also hold for a more recent notion of privacy called differential privacy Dwork et al., TCC'06, concentrating, in particular, on achieving differential privacy with the Santha-Vazirani source. We show that the answer is no. Specifically, we give a differentially private mechanism for approximating arbitrary "low sensitivity" functions that works even with randomness coming from a $$\gamma $$-Santha-Vazirani source, for any $$\gamma <1$$. This provides a somewhat surprising "separation" between traditional privacy and differential privacy with respect to imperfect randomness. Interestingly, the design of our mechanism is quite different from the traditional "additive-noise" mechanisms e.g., Laplace mechanism successfully utilized to achieve differential privacy with perfect randomness. Indeed, we show that any non-trivial "SV-robust" mechanism for our problem requires a demanding property called consistent sampling, which is strictly stronger than differential privacy, and cannot be satisfied by any additive-noise mechanism.
Influence of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Genotype on Airway Function During Exercise in Healthy Adults

Background In humans, β 2 -adrenergic receptors (β 2 ARs) influence airway tone. There are known functional polymorphisms of the β 2 AR, such as substitution of glycine for arginine at codon 16. We sought to determine if this variation in genotype differentially influences airway function during exercise. Methods Healthy subjects without asthma who were either homozygous for Arg16 (n = 16; mean age, 29 ± 2 years [± SD]; mean maximum oxygen uptake [V o 2 ], 32 ± 2 mL/kg/min) or the Gly16 allele (n = 26; mean age, 30 ± 1 years; mean maximum V o 2 , 33 ± 1 mL/kg/min) participated in the study. Baseline testing included spirometry and maximal symptom-limited exercise. On a separate day, an arterial cannula was placed to measure catecholamine levels. Subjects then performed exercise at two work levels (40% and 75% of peak work) for 9 min each and performed spirometry at 3-min intervals for assessment of airway function. Results There were no statistically significant differences between groups in maximum V o 2 or baseline spirometry (p > 0.05). With both light and heavy exercise, the groups had similar increases in the forced expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity (FEF 50 ). FEF 50 increased by 14 ± 4% and 15 ± 3% in arginine and glycine groups, respectively, by end exercise (p > 0.05). During recovery (5 min and 10 min after), the Gly16 homozygotes demonstrated persistent bronchodilation (10 min after FEF 50 = + 7 ± 2% over pre-exercise) while the Arg16 subjects had a rapid return to baseline (10 min after FEF 50 = − 3 ± 3%, p = 0.007 between groups). No differences were observed in the catecholamine responses between genotypes, although the increase in epinephrine in the arginine group tended to be higher (p = 0.07). Conclusions These data suggest that the Arg16Gly polymorphism of the β 2 AR does not influence airway function during short-duration low- and high-intensity exercise. However, during recovery, the Arg16 genotype is associated with a reduced bronchodilation, possibly due to increased catecholamine desensitization.
An Opportunity to Learn US History: What NAEP Data Suggest Regarding the Opportunity Gap

The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which Opportunity to Learn (OTL), is associated with students' achievement in US History. Opportunity to Learn stems from the basic premise that there is an important relationship between the quality and frequency of classroom instruction and students' levels of academic suc- cess. The authors examine National Assessment of Educational Progress in U.S. His- tory (NAEP-USH) assessment data in order to better understand the relationship between classroom- and student-level variables associated with historical knowledge as measured in the 12 th grade. Findings document that instructional exposure (OTL) is a factor associated with learning outcomes; however, the OTL in history is not the same for all student populations. An opportunity gap is evident in these results and suggests that Black students are underserved in U.S. History. However, when control- ling for poverty and other socio-economic variables, students' predictive achievement on NAEP is positively associated with instructional exposure; yet, differences were observed for some but not all strategies measured in the full model. In the aggre- gate and disaggregate models, instructional exposure and motivational factors asso- ciated with OTL account for a large and significant percentage of the proportional variance (r 2 ) in NAEP-USH achievement. We contend that instructional exposure is significantly predictor of historical knowledge. Findings from this study indicate: 1) student and school characteristics are significant factors associated with achieve- ment, 2) pedagogical decisions are important and can greatly impact student learning in US History, and 3) culturally congruent instructional decision-making is needed to ensure positive learning experiences for Black students.
Molecular basis of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation defects

A dozen separate inherited disorders of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation have been described in humans. This represents about half of the potential sites for genetic error that can affect this important pathway of energy metabolism. As the characterization of these disorders at the clinical and biochemical levels has progressed rapidly, so has the delineation of the molecular defects that underlie them. The most commonly recognized disorder of beta-oxidation is medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency; a striking feature of this disorder is that there is a single point mutation that accounts for 90% of the variant alleles among patients with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Molecular defects of other enzymes in the pathway have been identified, and it seems likely that a complete description of these defects at the molecular level is a realistic goal. In basic biological terms, such studies will lead to a better understanding of the genetic control exerted on this pathway. In clinical terms, they will lead to improved understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of these diseases and may well provide the necessary techniques to proceed with the screening of these disorders.
Effect of Rice Bran Extract upon Growth of Organisms from Several Genera

Salle and Dunn1 have shown that 25% aqueous ethyl alcohol extracts of rice bran, from which the alcohol was subsequently removed by evaporation, contain a substance which stimulates the growth of Escherichia coli, but not Alcaligenes fecalis. This substance is related to the carbohydrates, though probably not a hexose, and is possibly identical with the “pantothenic acid” of Williams et al.2The action of this extract on E. coli led us to suspect that other organisms would also be stimulated. Forty-one organisms, which could be readily cultured in liquid media, were selected. The preparation of the extract, inoculation, and measurement of growth were the same as in the previous experiments.1 Experiments performed with those to be reported, but using extract prepared by the method of Williams, i. e., extraction of the bran with 60% methyl alcohol, showed both extracts to have identical stimulating properties. The 25% ethyl alcohol extraction was adopted following a suggestion by Dr. S. Lepkovsky that the ex...
Optimization of solvent and ultrasound-assisted extraction for different anthocyanin rich fruit and their effects on anthocyanin compositions

Abstract Conventional solvent extraction (CE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UE) were systematically optimized for fruit (blueberries, cherries, and red pear peels) with different anthocyanin compositions to pursue high recovery of polyphenols and anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity in this study. The effects of the extraction methods and conditions on anthocyanin compositions in different fruit were also analyzed by HPLC. The optimum were identified as: 60% methanol, 50 °C, 1 h using CE or 70% methanol, 30 °C, 20 min using UE for blueberries; 60% ethanol, 70 °C, 1 h using CE or 80% ethanol, 30 °C, 20 min using UE for cherries; 60% methanol, 50 °C, 1 h using CE or 60% ethanol, 30 °C, 60 min using UE for red pear peels. From analysis, ultrasound specifically enhanced the extraction of total monomeric anthocyanins from fruit by dissociating polymeric anthocyanins in less polar solvent system. HPLC analysis revealed that both extraction methods and conditions altered the amount of specific anthocyanin compounds in fruit extracts, including delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, or malvidin with different sugar moiety. Therefore, different conditions for CE and UE might be implemented for specific fruit with different anthocyanin compositions for maximizing the recovery of anthocyanins.
Power Frequency Voltage Ratio Standard Self-calibration Based on Semi-insulating Voltage Series Summation

In order to study and improve the level of the 110kV frequency voltage ratio standard self-calibration system to meet the requirement of both the rapid development of power grid and voltage transformer test/calibration below 0.005 level,a traceability method based on semi-insulating voltage series summation is proposed.By analyzing the error of the mathematical models based on between the semi-insulating and fully insulating voltage series summation,the analysis indicates that the self-calibration system based on semi-insulating voltage series summation has both higher degree of accuracy and opening with great flexibility.The tests show that new self-calibration system achieves the desired specification.
Brief of Amicus Curiae Authors Alliance in Support of Defendant-Appellees and Affirmance (The Authors Guild, Inc., et al. v. Google, Inc., et al.) (Second Circuit)

In this case the Authors Guild has challenged the legality of Google's scanning, indexing, and display of snippets through its Book Search tool. Authors Alliance submitted this brief in support of Google because the dismantling of Book Search would be harmful to Authors Alliance's mission of helping authors reach readers. Book Search is an important tool through which Authors Alliance members can reach wider audiences. Many Authors Alliance members are authors of the sort of books Google scanned most often for Book Search, which are those typically found in research library collections.The brief explains three reasons why Google's Book Search uses are fair uses under U.S. copyright law: First, because Google’s method of making books more findable — including displaying snippets of text — represents a significant transformative use that is unlikely to serve as a substitute for the original works; second, because Google Books does precisely what authors of books in research library collections want for their books in rescuing them from obscurity in print library collections and making them more discoverable online; and third, because by making knowledge more accessible, Google Books provides broad social benefits to both authors and the public.
Interfacial nondegenerate doping of MoS2 and other two-dimensional semiconductors.

Controlled nondegenerate doping of two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSs) with their ultraconfined carriers, high quantum capacitance, and surface-sensitive electronics can enable tuning their Fermi levels for rational device design. However, doping techniques for three-dimensional semiconductors, such as ion implantation, cannot be directly applied to 2DSs because they inflict high defect density. In this issue of ACS Nano, Park et al. demonstrate that interfacing 2DSs with substrates having dopants can controllably inject carriers to achieve nondegenerate doping, thus significantly broadening 2DSs’ functionality and applications. Futuristically, this can enable complex spatial patterning/contouring of energy levels in 2DSs to form p–n junctions, integrated logic, and opto/electronic devices. The process is also extendable to biocellular-interfaced devices, band-continuum structures, and intricate 2D circuitry.
Accurate and robust low-cost GNSS localization: Ph.D. forum abstract

As mobile computing platforms become more prevalent, there comes a growing need for highly accurate knowledge of the positions of the devices in the network. In outdoor environments such as UAV's, self driving cars, and precision agriculture, the use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS serves as a natural choice for device localization. However, providing the sub-meter localization accuracy required by some of the aforementioned applications requires expensive hardware, while the more common low-cost receivers only provide solutions on the order of tens of meters. At the same time, the ability to share GPS measurements between low-cost nodes, coupled with the unique constraints of the GPS positioning domain, offers novel opportunities for low cost and highly accurate positioning. The goal of this research is to investigate such opportunities in order to create a robust, accurate, and low-cost positioning platform.
Simultaneous Renal Cell Carcinoma and Giant Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma Involving Small Intestine

Background. The concomitant occurrence of a renal cell carcinoma and retroperitoneal sarcoma is extremely rare with only few cases being reported. Methods. We present a case of simultaneous renal cell carcinoma and exceptionally large size retroperitoneal sarcoma involving small intestine. Surgical resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma and simultaneous right nephrectomy were performed. Results. Patient developed recurrent and metastatic disease and underwent debulking surgery following by chemotherapy. Despite aggressive behavior of the retroperitoneal sarcomas, patient is currently (7 years after simultaneous resection and nephrectomy) recurrence-free. Conclusions. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay of therapy for both renal cell carcinoma and retroperitoneal sarcoma. We present a case of simultaneous renal cell carcinoma and exceptionally large size retroperitoneal sarcoma. Debulking surgery and chemotherapy were helpful in our case.
Caliper Method Versus Digital Photogrammetry for Assessing Arch Height Index in Pregnant Women

Background: Foot anthropometry may be altered during pregnancy. Pregnant women often report lower-extremity pain that may be related to these alterations. The Arch Height Index Measurement System is a common method of foot arch assessment; however, the required calipers are costly and are not widely available. Thus, we compared the reliability of a digital photogrammetry method of arch height index (AHI) assessment with that of the Arch Height Index Measurement System. Methods: Ten pregnant women (mean ± SD: age, 29 ± 4 years; height, 166.9 ± 6.8 cm; weight, 63.3 ± 8.8 kg) in their second trimester were recruited to participate, along with a control group of 10 nulliparous weight-matched women (mean ± SD: age, 22 ± 2 years; height, 164.6 ± 4.8 cm; weight, 61.5 ± 8.1 kg). During the second and third trimesters, and once postpartum, AHI was assessed using calipers and using digital photogrammetry. Mixed model absolute agreement type intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine correlation ...
Scaling of dentition and prey size in the California moray (Gymnothorax mordax).

Abstract Scaling patterns of tooth morphology can provide insights on prey capture strategy and dietary patterns as species grow through ontogeny. We report the scaling of dentition and diet and how it relates to body size in the California moray, Gymnothorax mordax. We sampled lengths, widths, and curvature for teeth lining five distinct regions of the oral jaws across 21 G. mordax individuals ranging from 383 to 1110 mm total length. Absolute tooth length in relation to moray size shows positive allometry only for the outer maxillary teeth, while teeth lining the inner maxilla display positive allometry in tooth base width. All other regions exhibit isometric growth in both length and width relative to moray size. Similar to previous descriptions of other moray species, the longest teeth in the oral jaws are the median intermaxillary teeth. This series of three teeth are depressible and rooted in the center of the ethmovomer, the bone that forms the roof of the rostrum. We hypothesize that caudal mobility of the median intermaxillary teeth aids in prey transport by enabling the pharyngeal jaws to remove pierced prey without requiring full abduction of the oral jaws. The predominantly isometric tooth growth in G. mordax suggests that the oral teeth grow proportionately as individuals increase in size. Stomach contents from the field suggest that G. mordax is highly piscivorous. While a strong positively allometric relationship between vertical gape and head length supports the expectation that moray increase relative prey size over ontogeny, we found no relationship between prey standard length and moray size. This suggests that while larger individuals are capable of consuming larger prey, individual G. mordax are opportunistic predators that do not specialize on prey of a specific size over ontogeny.
Classification and automatic recognition of objects using H2o package(Conference Presentation)

Deep learning (DL) is a set of methods that automatically classify the raw data fed into the machine. Deep Convolutional nets composed of multiple processing layers to learn and representation of data with multiple levels of abstraction to process images, video, speech and audio. H2o deep learning architecture has many features that include supervised training protocol, memory efficient Java implementation, adaptive learning, and with related CRAN packages. H2o uses supervised training protocol with a uniform adaptive option which is an optimization based on the size of the network. It can take clusters of computing nodes to train on the entire data set but automatically shuffling the training examples for each iteration locally. The framework supports regularization techniques to prevent overfitting. H2o R has intuitive web interface using localhost and IP address. Using the H2o package in R is easy. The computations are performed in the H2o cluster and initiated by REST calls (in highly optimized Java code) from R. Since SPARK is available in R, H2o uses a single R session and communicates to the H2o Java cluster via REST calls. H2o runs inside the Spark executor JVM. Using these packages in R, we demonstrate the classification and automatic recognition of objects. Further, we use the h2o deep learning package in R Language to classify the NOAA VIIRS Night fires data to detect the persistent fire activity at a given location around the globe.