cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benchmark measurements of H(3)(+) nonlinear dynamics in intense ultrashort laser pulses.

The $\mathrm{H}_{3}{}^{+}$ ion is the simplest polyatomic molecule and is destined to play a central role in understanding such molecules in intense ultrashort laser pulses. We present the first measurements of the intense field dissociation and ionization of $\mathrm{D}_{3}{}^{+}$ using coincidence three-dimensional momentum imaging. Our results show features that are a consequence of this molecule's unique equilateral triangular geometry, providing a fundamentally new system for theoretical development.
Faith-Based Organizations, Community Development, and the Reform of Public Schools

(2001). Faith-Based Organizations, Community Development, and the Reform of Public Schools. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 222-240.
Crustal structure and surface heat flow near the Colorado Front Range

Two important assumptions regarding the Earth's crust are widely accepted: (1) That in the process of mountain formation, the crustal layers are thickened with the development of “roots” sufficiently great to compensate approximately the visible inequalities of elevation; (2) that most, if not all, of the radioactive production of heat takes place in the upper layers by virtue of average concentrations of radioactive elements comparable with those found in laboratory samples. If these two as sumptions are correct, we may expect to find an increased surface heat flow in and near mountainous or plateau regions. The magnitude of the effect to be expected is computed for various sizes of root, distributions of heat production, and intervals since thickening. The analytical results are compared with certain preliminary studies of heat flow along the Colorado Front Range. It is concluded, tentatively, that the more extreme forms of upward concentration of heat production are improbable; but the present data are inadequate for a completely satisfying answer. The bearing of other possible measurements on this problem is briefly discussed.
Teamwork recognition of embodied agents with hidden Markov models

Recognizing and annotating the occurrence of team actions in observations of embodied agents has applications in surveillance or in training of military or sport teams. We describe the team actions through a spatio-temporal correlated pattern of movement, which can be modeled by a hidden Markov model. The hand-crafting of these models is a difficult task of knowledge engineering, even in application domains where explicit, natural language descriptions of the team actions are available. The main contribution of this paper is an approach through which the library of HMM representations can be acquired from a small number of hand annotated, representative samples of the specific movement patterns. A series of experiments, performed on a dataset describing a real-world terrestrial warfare exercise validates our method and shows good recognition accuracy even in the presence of noisy data. The speed of the recognition engine is sufficiently fast to allow real time annotation of incoming observations.
Performance Characteristics of the Immunoglobulin G-Capture BED-Enzyme Immunoassay, an Assay To Detect Recent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Seroconversion

Recently, we developed an immunoglobulin G (IgG)-capture BED-enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) to identify recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (HIV-1) seroconversion for use in incidence estimates. We have established an algorithm for its use; developed quality control reagents to monitor the assay; and evaluated its performance for interrun, intrarun, and operator variability. Analysis of 144 individual plates, which involved multiple plate lots and several operators over more than a year, indicated that the coefficients of variation (CVs) were between 10 and 15% for raw optical density (OD) values in the dynamic range between 0.5 and 2.0 OD units; the CVs decreased to 5 to 10% when the OD was normalized (OD-n; OD-n = specimen OD/calibrator OD). The intrarun CVs were generally in the range of 5 to 10% for specimens with ODs 0.5. The level of concordance between multiple plate lots (n = 6) and multiple operators (n = 7) was quite high (R2 > 0.9). Comparison of the results of the initial and the confirmatory tests with specimens with OD-n values ≤1.5 demonstrated a high degree of correlation (R2 = 0.92); 566 (92%) of 615 of specimens tested in the two modes retained the same classification (recent or long-term infection). The values for those specimens with changed classifications (n = 49) were close to the cutoff (OD-n = 1.0), as expected. The twofold difference in the HIV IgG contents between the controls and the calibrator reagents was exploited to monitor individual plate runs by using a control plot, which was incorporated into the spreadsheet for data entry and run monitoring. This information provides baseline data for the successful transfer of BED-CEIA to other laboratories and the use of BED-CEIA for the detection of recent HIV seroconversion and the calculation of incidence estimates worldwide.
Converging ARQ schemes

The parity check matrix of an (n, k, t) linear error-correcting code provides a unique mapping between binary vectors of length n, whose Hamming weight does not exceed t, and binary vectors of length (n?k), which are the syndrome obtained by multiplying the vector of length n by the parity check matrix. This enables the `compression? of binary vectors having a limited Hamming weight. It is shown in the paper how this principle can be applied in ARQ schemes, where, upon detection of an error in a received message, further retransmitted messages can be made shorter from one retransmission to the next.
Students' Emotions as an Organizing Principle in the Social Work Curriculum

Students' frustration with the lack of measurable progress in their practice has always been a major obstacle for them in learning to use themselves differentially and to effect changes in their clients (Saari, 1986). This article discusses the author's approach to tending to students' emotions as a central component in organizing and teaching in the clinical social work practice curriculum. Case presentations and assignments were used to provide an experiential process to help students appreciate the intrinsic human drives toward the fulfillment of emotional needs, and the power of positive emotions in initiating changes in behavior. They served the dual purpose of sustaining students' motivation in learning as well as owning their practice with clients. In recognizing the importance of tending to their own emotional needs, students also became more adept at enhancing their empathy toward their clients.
Calcium and zinc balances of premenopausal women consuming spinach- compared to cheese-containing diets

Abstract A cross-over design was used to assess the effects of alternate 3-wk feedings of identical diets containing either 453 g spinach or 93 g of cheese on calcium and zinc balance, oxalate excretion, and urinary hydroxyproline in 7 premenopausal women. The daily servings of cheese and spinach each accounted for approximately 77% of the calcium and 30% of the zinc provided by the experimental diets. Mean fecal (p
Improvements in a half degree atmosphere/land version of the CCSM

A decadal climate projection between 1980 and 2030 using a nominal 0.5° resolution in the atmosphere and land components has been performed using the Community Climate System Model, version 3.5. The mean climate is compared to a companion simulation using a nominal 2° resolution in the atmosphere and land components. The increased atmosphere resolution has several benefits, and produces a significantly better mean climate. The maximum sea surface temperature biases in the major upwelling regions, including the West Coast of the USA, are reduced by more than 60%. Precipitation patterns are improved in the summer Asian monsoon, mostly due to the better resolved orography, and in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean south of the equator. The improved precipitation patterns lead to better river flows in many rivers worldwide. The atmospheric circulation in the Arctic also improves, which leads to a better regional sea ice thickness distribution in the Arctic Ocean.
Host plant effects on development and reproduction of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae).

ABSTRACT Development, survivorship, longevity, reproduction, and life table parameters of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar), were examined in the laboratory using three host plants, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), Chrysanthemum morifolium L., and euonymus (Euonymus japonica Thurb.). Females deposited similar-sized egg masses on all three plants. Hatching was highest with eggs deposited on euonymus and lowest for those deposited on sunflower. Embryonic development time among host plants was similar while nymph development time was shortest on sunflower and longest on euonymus. Nymph survival to adulthood ranged from 32% on euonymus to 82% for those reared on sunflower. Adult females had similar life spans on sunflower and chrysanthemum. H. vitripennis completed a lengthy egg-to-adult development on euonymus, however, mating did not occur. The onset of mating was contingent on maturation of adult females. The majority of mating activity occurred within the first three days a...
Changes in Kicking Pattern: Effect of Experience, Speed, Accuracy, and Effective Striking Mass

Purpose The purposes of this study were to: (a) examine the effect of experience and goal constraints (speed, accuracy) on kicking patterns; (b) determine if effective striking mass was independent of ankle velocity at impact; and (c) determine the accuracy of kicks relative to independent factors. Method Twenty participants were recruited to kick at 3 different velocities with and without an accuracy requirement. Multivariate analysis of variance determined if relative timing of joint angular velocities changed during the kick. Chi-square analysis determined if calculated effective mass was independent of ankle velocity at impact. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences in absolute constant error and variable error according to independent factors. Results Results indicated that experience and speed affect absolute timing of joint velocities with no changes in the relative timing of peak joint velocity across independent factors. Chi-square analysis indicated that calculated effectiv...
Phase unwrapping by factorization

An algorithm for the numerical factorization of very high degree but well-conditioned polynomials is developed. This is used to factor the z-transform of finite-length signals, and the zeros are used to calculate the unwrapped phase. The method has been tested on signals up to 512 points in length. A complete Fortran 77 program is given for the case of a real-valued signal. Two related analytical issues are treated. First, the interpretation of phase unwrapping as an interpolation problem is discussed. Second, an explanation is given for the observed numerical difficulties in the method of phase unwrapping using adaptive integration of the phase derivative. The trouble is due to the clustering of the zeros of high degree polynomials near the unit circle.
Efficient Expression and Rapid Purification of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Protease

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncovirus that is clinically associated with adult T-cell leukemia. We report here the construction of a pET19-based expression clone containing HTLV-1 protease fused to a decahistidine-containing leader peptide. The recombinant protein is efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli , and the fusion protein can be easily purified by affinity chromatography. Active mature protease in yields in excess of 3 mg/liter of culture can then be obtained by a novel two-step refolding and autoprocessing procedure. The purified enzyme exhibited K m and K cat values of 0.3 mM and 0.143 sec −1 at pH 5.3 and was inhibited by pepstatin A.
Alterations in Lectin Binding to Guinea Pig Spermatozoa Accompanying in vitro Capacitation and the Acrosome Reaction

The distribution of surface carbohydrates during in vitro capacitation of guinea pig (Cavia porcella) spermatozoa was probed by labeling membrane polysaccharides with fluorescent conjugates of the plant lectins. concanavalin A (Con A), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA). Lectin distributions over the surface of cauda epididymal cells were characteristic of each lectin studied. Labeling of live and prefixed cells during various temperature regimens indicated that no significant redistribution of lectin binding sites oocurs over the sperm head due either to lectin-induced or intrinsic membrane mobility changes. Spermatozoa exposed to lectins at prescribed intervals during capacitating incubations revealed few alterations in Con A and/or WGA labeling patterns; however, an increase in SBA binding over the surface of the flagellum was observed. Some cells exhibited a diminished fluorescence over the equatorial region with Con A or
New prospects for time domain analysis

The method of moments with scaling functions is applied directly to Maxwell's equations. As a result, we obtain a new three-dimensional time domain scheme with highly linear dispersion characteristics that allows one to incorporate the advantages of multiresolution analysis. First examples suggest significant reductions with respect to computer resources. >
Spatial variation buffers temporal fluctuations in early juvenile survival for an endangered Pacific salmon.

Summary 1. Spatial, phenotypic and genetic diversity at relatively small scales can buffer species against large-scale processes such as climate change that tend to synchronize populations and increase temporal variability in overall abundance or production. This portfolio effect generally results in improved biological and economic outcomes for managed species. Previous evidence for the portfolio effect in salmonids has arisen from examinations of time series of adult abundance, but we lack evidence of spatial buffering of temporal variability in demographic rates such as survival of juveniles during their first year of life. 2. We therefore use density-dependent population models with multiple random effects to represent synchronous (similar among populations) and asynchronous (different among populations) temporal variability as well as spatial variability in survival. These are fitted to 25 years of survey data for breeding adults and surviving juveniles from 15 demographically distinct populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) within a single metapopulation in the Snake River in Idaho, USA. 3. Model selection identifies the most support for the model that included both synchronous and asynchronous temporal variability, in addition to spatial variability. Asynchronous variability (log-SD = 0� 55) is approximately equal in magnitude to synchronous temporal variability (log-SD = 0� 67), but much lower than spatial variability (log-SD = 1� 11). We also show that the pairwise correlation coefficient, a common measure of population synchrony, is approximated by the estimated ratio of shared and total variance, where both approaches yield a synchrony estimate of 0� 59. We therefore find evidence for spatial buffering of temporal variability in early juvenile survival, although between-population variability that persists over time is also large. 4. We conclude that spatial variation decreases interannual changes in overall juvenile production, which suggests that conservation and restoration of spatial diversity will improve population persistence for this metapopulation. However, the exact magnitude of spatial buffering depends upon demographic parameters such as adult survival that may vary among populations and is proposed as an area of future research using hierarchical life cycle models. We recommend that future sampling of this metapopulation employ a repeated-measure sampling design to improve estimation of early juvenile carrying capacity.
Nanocomposites Based on Hydrogen Bonds

Materials with nanoscale dimensions display electronic, photonic, and magnetic properties differentfrom those observed by their respective bulk materials. This article describes the utilization of hydrogenbonds for modular self-assembly of nano-sized building blocks into two or three-dimensional aggregates andthe precise control over their structural parameters and morphologies. We will depict recent investigationson the synthesis and assembly of polymer and nanoparticle-based composite materials both in solution phaseand on solid substrates. The advantages, potential applications, and current challenges associated withthis “bottom up” assembly approach will also be discussed.
Separation Principles in Wireless Networking

A general wireless networking problem is formulated whereby end-to-end user rates, routes, link capacities, transmit-power, frequency, and power resources are jointly optimized across fading states. Even though the resultant optimization problem is generally nonconvex, it is proved that the gap with its Lagrange dual problem is zero, so long as the underlying fading distribution function is continuous. The major implication is that separating the design of wireless networks in layers and per-fading state subproblems can be optimal. Subgradient descent algorithms are further developed to effect an optimal separation in layers and layer interfaces.
Three-dimensional solution NMR structure of Apo-L75F-TrpR, a temperature-sensitive mutant of the tryptophan repressor protein.

L75F-TrpR is a temperature-sensitive mutant of the tryptophan repressor protein of Escherichia coli in which surface-exposed residue leucine 75 in the DNA binding domain is replaced with phenylalanine. Biochemical and biophysical studies had suggested global alterations in dynamics for L75F-TrpR, although the structure was apparently similar to that of wild-type TrpR. Herein, we report the three-dimensional solution structure of apo-L75F-TrpR determined by multidimensional (1H, 15N, and 13C) solution NMR spectroscopy. An ensemble of structures was generated from 769 unique NOE-based distance restraints, 68 dihedral angle restraints, and 62 hydrogen bond distance restraints. Apo-L75F-TrpR exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) fold very similar to that of apo-WT-TrpR, with a dimeric core of four α-helices (A−C and F) from each subunit, and less well-defined D and E helical regions of the DNA binding domains. Despite their many similarities, wild-type and mutant proteins display significant chemical shift differ...
RPL: An expert system language with query power

The author introduces RPL (the relational production language) and explores the opportunities it presents for expert database systems. RPL is a language for developing expert systems that bridges the gap between expert systems and database systems. The author also introduces an expert database system architecture based on the RPL approach. Specifically, she proposes a two-level database hierarchy in which the systems' outer level comprises conventional databases and the inner level contains an RPL interpreter using a memory-resident relational database to replace working memory. The system then uses RPL rules to express and control data staging between levels. The author also discusses related work, describes ongoing research, and presents her conclusions. >
Three-Dimensional Elasticity Solution of a Composite Beam:

This investigation was undertaken to develop a rigorous mathe matical solution of stress and strain for a composite pole con sisting of a reinforced plastics jacket laminated on a solid wood core. The wood and plastics are treated as orthotropic materials. The problem of bending of such poles as cantilever beams has been determined by the application of the principles of three- dimensional theory of elasticity. Values of all components of the stress tensor in cylindrical coordinates are given for the core and jacket. Exact values for the stresses have been obtained from computer results, using the basic elastic constants—Poisson's ratios, moduli of elasticity and moduli of rigidity—for each ma terial. A comparison of the numerical results of the exact solu tion with strength of materials solutions has been completed.
Role of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β in Cardioprotection

Limitation of infarct size by ischemic/pharmacological pre- and postconditioning involves activation of a complex set of cell-signaling pathways. Multiple lines of evidence implicate the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) as a key end effector of ischemic/pharmacological pre- and postconditioning. Increasing the ROS threshold for mPTP induction enhances the resistance of cardiomyocytes to oxidant stress and results in infarct size reduction. Here, we survey and synthesize the present knowledge about the role of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3beta in cardioprotection, including pre- and postconditioning. Activation of a wide spectrum of cardioprotective signaling pathways is associated with phosphorylation and inhibition of a discrete pool of GSK-3beta relevant to mitochondrial signaling. Therefore, GSK-3beta has emerged as the integration point of many of these pathways and plays a central role in transferring protective signals downstream to target(s) that act at or in proximity to the mPTP. Bcl-2 family proteins and mPTP-regulatory elements, such as adenine nucleotide translocator and cyclophilin D (possibly voltage-dependent anion channel), may be the functional downstream target(s) of GSK-3beta. Gaining a better understanding of these interactions to control and prevent mPTP induction when appropriate will enable us to decrease the negative impact of the reperfusion-induced ROS burst on the fate of mitochondria and perhaps allow us to limit propagation of damage throughout and between cells and consequently, to better limit infarct size.
Saccharomyces genome database provides new regulation data

The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD; http://www.yeastgenome.org) is the community resource for genomic, gene and protein information about the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, containing a variety of functional information about each yeast gene and gene product. We have recently added regulatory information to SGD and present it on a new tabbed section of the Locus Summary entitled 'Regulation'. We are compiling transcriptional regulator-target gene relationships, which are curated from the literature at SGD or imported, with permission, from the YEASTRACT database. For nearly every S. cerevisiae gene, the Regulation page displays a table of annotations showing the regulators of that gene, and a graphical visualization of its regulatory network. For genes whose products act as transcription factors, the Regulation page also shows a table of their target genes, accompanied by a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the biological processes in which those genes participate. We additionally synthesize information from the literature for each transcription factor in a free-text Regulation Summary, and provide other information relevant to its regulatory function, such as DNA binding site motifs and protein domains. All of the regulation data are available for querying, analysis and download via YeastMine, the InterMine-based data warehouse system in use at SGD.
Enteric pathogens deploy cell cycle inhibiting factors to block the bactericidal activity of Perforin-2

Perforin-2 (MPEG1) is an effector of the innate immune system that limits the proliferation and spread of medically relevant Gram-negative, -positive, and acid fast bacteria. We show here that a cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complex containing cullin-1 and βTrCP monoubiquitylates Perforin-2 in response to pathogen associated molecular patterns such as LPS. Ubiquitylation triggers a rapid redistribution of Perforin-2 and is essential for its bactericidal activity. Enteric pathogens such as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli disarm host cells by injecting cell cycle inhibiting factors (Cifs) into mammalian cells to deamidate the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8. Because CRL activity is dependent upon NEDD8, Cif blocks ubiquitin dependent trafficking of Perforin-2 and thus, its bactericidal activity. Collectively, these studies further underscore the biological significance of Perforin-2 and elucidate critical molecular events that culminate in Perforin-2-dependent killing of both intracellular and extracellular, cell-adherent bacteria.
Let Bush and Gore Teach Persuasion

This short essay outlines ways to use the Bush v. Gore briefs as tools for teaching persuasive writing techniques.
Systematic review of interventional sickle cell trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.

Background/Aims:The registry ClinicalTrials.gov was created to provide investigators and patients an accessible database of relevant clinical trials.Methods:To understand the state of sickle cell disease clinical trials, a comprehensive review of all 174 “closed,” “interventional” sickle cell trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov was completed in January 2015.Results:The majority of registered sickle cell disease clinical trials listed an academic center as the primary sponsor and were an early phase trial. The primary outcome for sickle cell disease trials focused on pain (23%), bone marrow transplant (BMT) (13%), hydroxyurea (8%), iron overload (8%), and pulmonary hypertension (8%). A total of 52 trials were listed as terminated or withdrawn, including 25 (14% of all trials) terminated for failure to enroll participants. At the time of this review, only 19 trials uploaded results and 29 trials uploaded a manuscript in the ClinicalTrials.gov database. A systematic review of pubmed.gov revealed that onl...
Analysis of Sanitation Surveillance in Hotels in Zhongshan City from 2008 to 2012

Objective This study was conducted to understand the sanitation status in order to improve sanitation quality of hotels in zhongshan city. Methods Data from sanitation surveillance tests of hotels in zhongshan city from 2008 to 2012 were collected and analyzed according to Standard Examination Methods and Technical Rules of Health Monitoring for Public Places. Results There were 92661 environment surveillance tests in hotels in Zhongshan city from 2008 to 2012 and 96.67% passed the test. The percentage of pass in 2010 was 95.59%, the lowest among the years analyzed. The percentage of pass in categories of noise, temperature and air humidity was relatively lower, recording 85.24%, 91.45% and 92.28%, respectively. A total of 76 244 public objects in hotels in Zhongshan city from 2008 to 2012 were tested and 98.83% passed the test. The passing percentages of aerobic bacterial count and coliform bacteria were separately 98.58% and 99.94%, respectively, among public objects tested in hotels. Conclusion Sanitation quality of hotels in Zhongshan city is relatively good. Noise, temperature and air humidity are the main factors that affect sanitation quality of hotels in Zhongshan city.
CaCl2 treated irrigation water applied to mushroom crops (Agaricus bisporus) increases Ca concentration and improves postharvest quality and shelf life

Four crops of off-white hybrid mush? rooms, Agaricus bisporus, irrigated with regular tap water (controls) and four crops irrigated with 2.8 X 102 M CaCl2 (DowFlake? Process Grade, 77-80%) added to tap water (treatments) were grown. Addi? tion of CaCl2 to the irrigation water significantly im- proved color of mushrooms at harvest without re? ducing crop yield. Dry matter content and size of mushrooms were not affected by the treatment. Ca concentration of fresh mushrooms was significantly increased (P<0.05) by the treatment in both the sec? ond and third flush of the crop cycle. Ca concentra? tions were approximately doubled (?100 to 200 mg/kg, dry weight). Cu was found in lower concen? trations than Ca within the mushroom and was not affected by addition of CaCl2 to irrigation water. Ca concentration was found to be significantly increased in all tissues of second flush mushrooms except in the outermost layer of the cap tissue. Cu was found to be distributed more evenly than Ca in different tissues of the mushroom. Postharvest browning was significantly reduced in mushrooms from the second flush (P<0.05) and the third flush (P<0.10). Color of mushrooms during storage was significantly im- proved by the CaCl2 irrigation treatment but matu? ration, as measured by cap expansion, and weight loss of stored mushrooms were not reduced by the treatment. Ca concentration was found to have a sig? nificant positive correlation (r = 0.39) with color at harvest. A significant negative correlation (r = ? 0.45) was observed between Cu concentration in fresh mushrooms and color (L-value). The ratio of these two minerals, Ca to Cu, was found to have the most significant positive correlation (r = 0.58) with color (L-value) at harvest.
The signed descent set polynomial revisited

We continue to explore cyclotomic factors in the signed descent set polynomial Q n ź ( t ) , which was introduced by Chebikin, Ehrenborg, Pylyavskyy and Readdy.
Reconciling Land–Ocean Moisture Transport Variability in Reanalyses with P − ET in Observationally Driven Land Surface Models

AbstractVertically integrated atmospheric moisture transport from ocean to land [vertically integrated atmospheric moisture flux convergence (VMFC)] is a dynamic component of the global climate system but remains problematic in atmospheric reanalyses, with current estimates having significant multidecadal global trends differing even in sign. Continual evolution of the global observing system, particularly stepwise improvements in satellite observations, has introduced discrete changes in the ability of data assimilation to correct systematic model biases, manifesting as nonphysical variability. Land surface models (LSMs) forced with observed precipitation P and near-surface meteorology and radiation provide estimates of evapotranspiration (ET). Since variability of atmospheric moisture storage is small on interannual and longer time scales, VMFC = P − ET is a good approximation and LSMs can provide an alternative estimate. However, heterogeneous density of rain gauge coverage, especially the sparse cover...
Is race a risk factor or a risk marker for preterm delivery

Reasons for the persistent difference in rates of preterm delivery among black and white women are not clear. Known risk factors explain very little of the variance. Recent studies have shown that social class does not fully account for poor pregnancy outcomes among black women. Cultural and environmental factors that vary between the races, but not between the different socioeconomic levels within a race, may account for some of the unexplained ethnic differences in preterm delivery. Any potentially negative exposure that is distributed differentially between racial groups warrants particular attention. The major hypothesis of this research is that US black women are chronically exposed to specific stressors that adversely affect the outcomes of their pregnancies. A psychosocial stress model has been proposed to explain the complex interactions of social, environmental, and medical factors that are unique among women of color. To generate data for the stress model, a research strategy has been designed to identify psychosocial and behavioral risk factors that have a physiologic impact on pregnancy outcome. We propose that race is a marker for this stress but is not in itself a risk factor for preterm delivery.
Economic viability of energy beets ( Beta vulgaris ) as advanced biofuel feedstocks

Abstract Low returns and volatility in agricultural prices have led farmers to pursue new cropping opportunities, including bioenergy and bioproduct industrial sugar precursors, such as energy beets. This article assesses the economic viability of energy beet production using integrated agronomic and economic geographic information systems based techniques to estimate yields and break-even prices in North Dakota. The results show that beet yields vary throughout the state, averaging 34.4 t/ha, and are highest in the East, in the Red River Valley, where soil quality is high, moisture is plentiful and heat is sufficient. Production is also viable in the central and northern regions of the state, where soil quality and moisture are less favorable than in the Red River Valley. A smaller scale ethanol plant (75 million liters) would be able to source sufficient materials for production in many locations throughout the state for prices around $30/t.
Fault tolerant control method for interleaved DC-DC converters under open and short circuit switch faults

This paper proposes an adaptive democratic current sharing control scheme for interleaved dc-dc converters under faulty condition. The proposed fault tolerant control approach can achieve the desired output voltage generation, and equal current sharing among the remaining healthy modules as more and more modules fail. The main idea is to adaptively change the outer voltage and inner current controller gains once the fault is detected in the modules. The proposed control scheme is compared to the democratic current sharing control scheme under the fault condition and step load variation. The results show that it achieves improved output regulation and accurate current sharing among the modules. The presented fault tolerant control method has been analyzed, tested, and validated for the interleaved boost converter.
The Aims of Skeptical Investigation

Recently, scholars of ancient skepticism have raised what I call the Tranquility Charge: skeptical investigation aims at tranquility rather than at the discovery of truths; therefore it cannot count as genuine investigation. I argue that the Tranquility Charge, which was not raised in antiquity, rests on too simple a notion of investigation. Investigation need not aim at the discovery of truths. It must, however, be guided by epistemic norms that respond to the value of truth. On this premise, Pyrrhonian investigation can count as genuine investigation. First, it inherits a complex conception of investigation shaped by Socrates and Plato, whose philosophizing does not always immediately aim at the discovery of truths, though it certainly responds to the value of truth. Second, the motivation of investigation can be distinct from its aim. The Pyrrhonist’s motivation, namely that the mind is disturbed by discrepancy, reflects by itself concern with the truth. Third, it is a commonplace that the value of truth is associated with two aims rather than one: the acceptance of truths and the avoidance of falsehoods. The latter is prominent in skeptical investigation. The skeptics’ interlocutors share this preoccupation with the avoidance of the false, a preoccupation that, in its own way, reflects the value of truth.
Time, time stance, and existence.

Time is analyzed as being those processes by which a system notes the processes which comprise its own existence. The directionality of time is given by the concepts, past, present, and future. To understand the meaning of these concepts, a set of experiments was carried out with four male subjects in which areas of time were expanded or ablated by means of post-hypnotic suggestions. These operations were carried out singly or in combination. The data suggest that the present is primarily associated with stimulus input, the past with the criteria for defining that input as well as the development of response inhibitions and the future with the directionality of that input. Marked personality changes which range from the occurence of catatonic-like states to obsessive types of reaction and manic-like reactions are associated with different combinations of time alterations. Some of the changes are in accord with the serialist position on time of J. W. Dunne. The concept of death is very important both with regard to one’s view of time and how one lives. While it is important to live in the present, the present has no meaning without at least a past or a future. Implications of these findings for psychopathology in general and schizophrenia in particular are considered.
Linking Corporate Policy and Global Advertising Strategy: A Cross-National Framework for Competitive Advantage

Although scholarly research has provided some linkage between strategy and international marketing, it has for the most part remained very broad in scope and therefore has provided little specific guidance for the international marketing manager. Until recently very little research has developed propositions linking specific
Improving LIWC Using Soft Word Matching

The widely deployed and easy-to-use Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) tool is the gold standard for many computerized text analysis tasks for many medical applications such as patient sentiment analysis, depression detection, and ADHD detection. Compared to most other natural language processing (NLP) tasks, in the medical field it is often very difficult to obtain large-scale data sets, making effective automatic representation learning from complex text patterns (e.g., using a deep auto-encoder) challenging. LIWC can solve this problem by using a human-designed dictionary as a substitution of a machine learning model to convert text into a concise and effective vector representation. However, while LIWC's dictionary is large, some potentially informative words might still be neglected due to the knowledge constraint of the dictionary editors. This problem is particularly conspicuous when the analyzed text is not a formal language (e.g., dialect, slang, or cyber words). To address this problem, we propose a new matching scheme that does not require an exact word match, but instead counts all words that are similar to a key in the LIWC dictionary. This scheme is implemented using WordNet, a large lexical database, and Word2Vec, a machine learning based word embedding technology. The output of the proposed method is in the exact same format as LIWC's output, thereby maintaining the usability. Similar to previous work, the proposed method can be viewed as a combination of human domain knowledge and machine learning for text representation encoding.
Implementing radiation oncology pathways at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

301Background: Modern cancer care faces increasing complexity and the challenge of delivering consistent, high-quality care across growing networks. Dana-Farber Pathways address these concerns by translating expert content into treatment algorithms delivered through a web-based platform and implemented across the network. We had previously built 31 Medical Oncology (MO) pathways. Our goal was to build and implement Radiation Oncology (RO) pathways for common cancer conditions in 18 months. Methods: Partnering with lead clinicians from each disease group, we chose the most appropriate framework for each pathway: expand previously established RO pathway; use corresponding MO pathway; or if no framework was available, develop RO pathway in its entirety. We worked with each disease group to gain consensus about the recommended on-pathway selections that reflect the latest research and institutional standard of care. Implementation consisted of pre- and post-launch department communications about metric goals ...
Selective Nrf2 Gene Deletion in the RVLM Increases Blood Pressure and Evokes Sympatho-Excitation in Mice

Nrf2 is a key transcription factor that regulates redox status by up-regulating antioxidant genes. Previous data from our laboratory demonstrated that increased ROS in the RVLM contributed to the s...
Restricting mitochondrial GRK2 post-ischemia confers cardioprotection by reducing myocyte death and maintaining glucose oxidation

Increased abundance of GRK2 [G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase 2] is associated with poor cardiac function in heart failure patients. In animal models, GRK2 contributes to the pathogenesis of heart failure after ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In addition to its role in down-regulating activated GPCRs, GRK2 also localizes to mitochondria both basally and post-IR injury, where it regulates cellular metabolism. We previously showed that phosphorylation of GRK2 at Ser670 is essential for the translocation of GRK2 to the mitochondria of cardiomyocytes post-IR injury in vitro and that this localization promotes cell death. Here, we showed that mice with a S670A knock-in mutation in endogenous GRK2 showed reduced cardiomyocyte death and better cardiac function post-IR injury. Cultured GRK2-S670A knock-in cardiomyocytes subjected to IR in vitro showed enhanced glucose-mediated mitochondrial respiratory function that was partially due to maintenance of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and improved glucose oxidation. Thus, we propose that mitochondrial GRK2 plays a detrimental role in cardiac glucose oxidation post-injury.
New Approach for Yoghurt and Ice Cream Production: High-Intensity Ultrasound

Abstract Background The use of alternative technologies has recently gained significant importance in the food industry due to the new consumer trends for the novel food processing methods that minimize processing, increase quality, improve processing effectiveness and efficiency, and provide food safety while extending shelf life. Ultrasound has emerged as an innovative technology in the food industry because it is relatively cheap, simple, fast, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and energy saving. High-intensity ultrasound (HIU) causes physical, mechanical, and chemical changes in the material because of the acoustic cavitation, which provides high temperature and pressure by collapsing the microbubbles. Scope and approach This study summarizes the major applications and important advantages of HIU in yoghurt and ice cream production, including research findings. Key findings and conclusions In yoghurt technology, HIU can be utilized to improve homogenization and emulsification by reducing milk fat globule size, to increase viscosity and water holding capacity by reducing syneresis, to enhance gel strength and firmness by increasing coagulation properties of whey proteins, to reduce fermentation time by improving lactose hydrolysis, and to stimulate probiotic bacteria. In ice cream technology, certain benefits can be achieved by HIU application during the freezing process, such as reducing ice crystal size, decreasing freezing time, and preventing incrustation on the freezing surface.
Proof of Censorship: Enabling Centralized Censorship-Resistant Content Providers

Content providers often face legal or economic pressures to censor or remove objectionable or infringing content they host. While decentralized providers can enable censorship-resistant storage, centralized content providers remain popular for performance and usability reasons. But centralized content providers can always choose not to respond to requests for a specific file, making it difficult to prevent censorship. If it is not possible to prevent, is it possible to detect and punish censorship on a centralized service?
SDA: a semi-parametric differential abundance analysis method for metabolomics and proteomics data.

Identifying differentially abundant features between different experimental groups is a common goal for many metabolomics and proteomics studies. However, analyzing data from mass spectrometry (MS) is difficult because the data may not be normally distributed and there is often a large fraction of zero values. Although several statistical methods have been proposed, they either require the data normality assumption or are inefficient. We propose a new semi-parametric differential abundance analysis (SDA) method for metabolomics and proteomics data from MS. The method considers a two-part model, a logistic regression for the zero proportion and a semi-parametric log-linear model for the possibly non-normally distributed non-zero values, to characterize data from each feature. A kernel-smoothed likelihood method is developed to estimate model coefficients and a likelihood ratio test is constructed for differential abundant analysis. The method has been implemented into an R package, SDAMS, which is available at https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/SDAMS.html . By introducing the two-part semi-parametric model, SDA is able to handle both non-normally distributed data and large fraction of zero values in a MS dataset. It also allows for adjustment of covariates. Simulations and real data analyses demonstrate that SDA outperforms existing methods.
A survey on open source software licenses: student paper

Software products have been considered as intellectual properties that are protected through patents and/or law. On the other hand, Open Source Software (OSS) allows access to source code so that the users can read, modify, and redistribute the code. OSS is usually developed under an open environment with collaborations among numerous developers. The software is considered more reliable, and the development process is considered more successful in terms of speed, productivity, and quality compared to software developed under the traditional closed development process. This paper studies the basics of OSS including history and background, and OSS licenses. The OSS licenses implement the "copyleft" concept, which is a method to make software free to use and modify. By studying the licenses, we expect to understand the philosophy of OSS movement in depth and under what conditions, OSS products are distributed.
Animal Protein Intake Is Associated with General Adiposity in Adolescents: The Teen Food and Development Study.

Protein plays a crucial role in the growth and development of adolescents. However, being a secondary energy source, protein’s role in obesity has been sidelined. We examined whether intake of protein (total, animal, plant), branched-chain (BCAAs), and sulfur-containing (SCAAs) amino acids are associated with general body and central obesity and body composition in a cross-sectional study among healthy adolescents. Students aged 12–18 years old (n = 601) in schools near two major Adventist universities in California and Michigan provided dietary data via a validated web-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and anthropometric data during school visits. Intakes of total, animal, and plant proteins, and BCAAs and SCAAs were derived from FFQ data. We defined general body obesity with body-mass-index-for-age (BMIz) z-scores and central obesity with waist-to-height ratios (WHtR). After full adjustment for covariates, multiple regression analyses showed significant positive associations between intakes of total protein (β = 0.101, 95% CI: 0.041, 0.161), animal protein (β = 0.118, 95% CI: 0.057, 0.178), BCAAs (β = 0.056, 95% CI: 0.025, 0.087), and SCAAs (β = 0.025, 95% CI: 0.012, 0.038) with general body adiposity. Animal protein (β = 0.017, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.033) and SCAAs (β = 0.004, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.008) were also associated with central obesity. Total and animal protein and BCAA and SCAA were also significantly associated with fat mass. Our findings suggest that high protein intake may pose a possible detriment to adolescent health. Longitudinal and safety evaluation studies are recommended.