cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Hyolaryngeal Muscle Activation Using Surface Electromyography for Comparison of Two Rehabilitative Dysphagia Exercises

Objective: To investigate the effects of a resistance-based chin-to-chest (CtC) exercise on measures of hyolaryngeal muscle activation compared with a head-lift exercise. Design: Within-subject, repeated-measures design. Setting: Academic research laboratory. Participants: Healthy young women (NZ20) without a history of dysphagia, cervical spine conditions, neurologic disease, or head/neck cancer (mean age, 22.5y). Interventions: All participants performed an isometric jaw-opening exercise against resistance (CtC) and an isometric head-lift exercise, both targeting activation in the hyolaryngeal (suprahyoid) muscles. The CtC exercise required jaw opening into a chin brace secured against the upper torso for a duration of 10 seconds. The isometric head-lift exercise required lifting and holding the head from a supine position for 10 seconds. The degree to which each exercise activated the suprahyoid muscles was measured using surface electromyography (sEMG). Main Outcome Measures: Microvolts as measured from sEMG sensors placed on the skin surface above the hyolaryngeal muscles (surface of skin above geniohyoid, mylohyoid, and anterior digastric). Dependent variables included the peak microvolts during 10 seconds of sustained contraction and the difference in microvolts from rest to peak contraction for each exercise. Results: Activation in the hyolaryngeal musculature as measured via sEMG was significantly greater when participants performed the CtC exercise compared with the head-lift exercise. Measures of peak microvolts during contraction were significantly greater for CtC (tZ10.72, P<.001) compared with the head-lift exercise, and difference measures in microvolts calculated between rest and contraction for each exercise revealed a 2-fold increase in hyolaryngeal muscular activation for CtC (tZ8.27, P<.001). Conclusions: The isometric CtC exercise resulted in greater activation of the hyolaryngeal muscles compared with an isometric head-lift exercise. Results support the need for further investigations to determine whether the CtC exercise has a positive effect as a rehabilitative exercise for clinical populations with dysphagia secondary to upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction where hyolaryngeal excursion is a physiological
A hybrid method for 6-DOF tracking of MRI-compatible robotic interventional devices

This paper reports a novel hybrid method of tracking the position and orientation of robotic medical instruments within the imaging volume of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The method utilizes two complementary measurement techniques: passive MRI fiducial markers and MRI compatible joint encoding. This paper reports an experimental evaluation of the tracking accuracy of this system. The accuracy of this system compares favorably to that of a previously reported active tracking system. Moreover, the hybrid system is quickly and easily deployed on different MRI scanner systems
Context Dependent Territory Defense: The Importance of Habitat Structure in Anolis sagrei

Territoriality is a potentially costly endeavor, and several mechanisms for mitigating the costs of territoriality have been investigated in the wild. For example, territory owners can reduce the costs of defending territory boundaries by prioritizing defense of the most valuable areas within territories, investing less energy in low quality areas. We staged pairwise encounters between adult male lizards on natural territories in the wild, to test whether male brown anoles, Anolis sagrei, would differentially defend certain regions of their territories over others. Based on our observations that male A. sagrei spend most of their time on elevated perches on tree trunks or branches compared with sites on the ground, we predicted that territory residents would respond more aggressively to territory invasions that took place on elevated perches than to invasions on the ground. We measured significant differences in the behavior of residents following invasion on the ground vs. on the elevated perches, and results partially supported our hypothesis. Males performed more displays and approached intruders more often when territory invasion took place on the ground, but were quicker to attack intruders that entered territories on elevated perches. Our hypothesis was only partially supported, potentially indicating that elevated perches are preferred as outposts to monitor valuable sites on the ground. Our study provides evidence that territory defense varies not just among individuals, but also within individuals at different locations in a territory.
Cumulus Parameterization and Rainfall Rates I

Abstract Modeling of convective rainfall rates is a central problem in tropical meteorology. Toward numerical weather prediction efforts the semi-prognostic approach (i.e., a one time-step prediction of rainfall rates) provides a relevant test of cumulus parameterization methods. In this paper we compare five currently available cumulus parameterization schemes using the semi-prognostic approach. The calculated rainfall rates are compared with observed estimates provided in the recent publication of Hudlow and Patterson (1979). Among these the scheme proposed by Kuo (1974) provides the least root-mean-square error between the calculated and the observed estimates, slightly better than that of Arakawa and Schubert (1974), which was used by Lord (1978a). The simplicity of the approach holds promise for numerical weather prediction. Unlike some of the other schemes this method is not sensitive to and does not require computation of internal parameters such as profiles of cloud mass flux updrafts and downdraf...
Windowed Green Function Method for Layered-Media Scattering

This paper introduces a new windowed Green function (WGF) method for the numerical integral-equation solution of problems of electromagnetic scattering by obstacles in the presence of dielectric or conducting half-planes. The WGF method, which is based on the use of smooth windowing functions and integral kernels that can be expressed directly in terms of the free-space Green function, does not require evaluation of expensive Sommerfeld integrals. The proposed approach is fast, accurate, flexible, and easy to implement. In particular, straightforward modifications of existing (accelerated or unaccelerated) integral-equation solvers suffice to incorporate the WGF capability. The method relies on a certain integral equation posed on the union of the boundary of the obstacle and a small flat section of the interface between the penetrable media. Our analysis and numerical experiments demonstrate that both the near- and far-field errors resulting from the proposed approach decrease faster than any negative power of the window size. In the examples considered in this paper the proposed method is up to thousands of times faster, for a given accuracy, than a corresponding method based on use of Sommerfeld integrals.
MHC Variation Sculpts Individualized Microbial Communities That Control Susceptibility to Enteric Infection

The presentation of protein antigens on the cell surface by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules coordinates vertebrate adaptive immune responses, thereby mediating susceptibility to a variety of autoimmune and infectious diseases. The composition of symbiotic microbial communities (the microbiota) is influenced by host immunity and can have a profound impact on host physiology. Here we use an MHC congenic mouse model to test the hypothesis that genetic variation at MHC genes among individuals mediates susceptibility to disease by controlling microbiota composition. We find that MHC genotype significantly influences antibody responses against commensals in the gut, and that these responses are correlated with the establishment of unique microbial communities. Transplantation experiments in germfree mice indicate that MHC-mediated differences in microbiota composition are sufficient to explain susceptibility to enteric infection. Our findings indicate that MHC polymorphisms contribute to defining an individual's unique microbial fingerprint that influences health.
Abstract CN08-03: Breast cancer prevention: Predictors and outcomes of patient decision making

Several options exist for breast cancer risk-reduction in women at moderate to high risk for the disease. However, cancer risk management decisions can be difficult. This is partially due to the competing risks, benefits and limitations of each management option, as well as related cognitive and emotional factors. This presentation draws on behavioral and decision-making research to detail risk management decision outcomes in the literature to date, examining reasons women may choose certain management options over others and why some options, such as uptake of chemoprevention, have not have taken hold in this population at rates previously expected. Data demonstrating the decisions made by women who receive BRCA1/2 test results and other women at moderate to high risk of the disease, including risk-reducing surgeries, screening, chemoprevention, and diet and physical activity will be presented. Potential cognitive and emotional variables related to decision outcomes will be reviewed. The talk will conclude with discussion of future research needs regarding decision support for current risk management options, as well as consideration of cognitive and emotional factors that may impact new risk management options currently on the horizon. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):CN08-03.
Abstract 4088: Targeting glutamine metabolism in breast cancer

Background: Unlike normal cells, most cancer cells primarily metabolize glucose by glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation (Warburg effect). The cancer cells are reprogrammed to acquire these fundamental metabolic alterations during malignant transformation via different mechanisms. These mechanisms include mitochondrial defects and malfunction, adaptation to a hypoxic tumor microenvironment, oncogenic signaling, and abnormal expression of metabolic enzymes. Cancer cells also rely on glutamine for anabolism and ATP synthesis. Recent studies have shown that inhibiting glycolytic pathways leads to a significant inhibition of growth of tumor xenografts. Our group has previously shown the MYC oncogene activates glutamine metabolism which serves as a major energy source in transformed cells. Objective: Examine the antitumor effect of a glutamine metabolic inhibitor, aminooxyacetate (AOA; aminotransferases/malate-aspartate shuttle inhibitor), alone and in combination with chemotherapy (doxorubicin and carboplatin) in a breast cancer xenograft model. Methods: Immunodeficient mice bearing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were treated with AOA alone, doxorubicin or carboplatin alone, or AOA in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent for four weeks. The tumors were evaluated for histopathological and molecular alterations. Statistical analysis: Tumor growth was analyzed using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures data to account for dependence among observations within the same animal. Results: We observed a significant inhibition of tumor volume in mice treated with AOA in combination with doxorubicin or carboplatin compared to groups receiving single drugs (p Conclusion: Our results suggest that targeting the metabolic pathway results in significant tumor inhibition in preclinical models of breast cancer and potentially could serve as attractive therapeutic targets for breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4088. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4088
Seasonal infection pattern of dogs in endemic area of alveolar echinococcosis,Western Sichuan Province,China

Our objective was to explore a more feasible de-worming strategy by investigating the infection pattern of Echinococcus multilocularis spp.in dogs in different seasons.We took the method of cluster sampling in 679 dogs initially in 7 townships of Shiqu and Seda counties.The de-worming of dogs was at the frequency of every three months,and before de-worming,the dog dung was collected for Copro-ELISA test.The result was that the dogs' infection rate rose to 13.25% from April to July in Seda County,but it was low from July to September.And it was also low from July to September in Shiqu County.The infection rate of both counties rose significantly after the de-worming.Therefore,we concluded that the most important infection seasons were spring and winter in Seda and Shiqu counties.In these two seasons,the infection pressure of dogs became much higher,which was more obvious in Seda County.Hence,we should strengthen the management of de-worming of dogs in these two seasons in order to make much better strategies for prevention and control.
Queuing Theory and Water Storage

Method for determining amount of holdover storage for regulating stream flow; derivation of expression for case where discharge varies linearly with reservoir contents; use of queuing analogy to generalize solution by probability routing; effect of sequential correlation.
The Case for Government by Artificial Intelligence

Tired of election madness? The rhetoric of politicians? Their unreliable promises? And less than good government? Until recently, it hasn’t been hard for people to give up control to computers. Not very many people miss the effort and time required to do calculations by hand, to keep track of their finances, or to complete their tax returns manually. But relinquishing direct human control to self-driving cars is expected to be more of a challenge, despite the predicted decrease in vehicle accidents thanks to artificial intelligence that isn’t subject to human distractions and errors of judgment. If turning vehicle control over to artificial intelligence is a challenge, it is a very mild one compared with the idea that we might one day recognize and want to implement the advantages of human government by AI. But, like autonomous vehicle control, government by AI is likely to offer decided benefits. In other publications, the author has studied a variety of widespread human limitations that, throughout human history, have led to much human suffering as well as ecological destruction. For the first time, these psychological and cognitive human shortcomings are taken into account in an essay that makes the case for government by artificial intelligence.
Review of nipple reconstruction techniques and introduction of v to y technique in a bilateral wise pattern mastectomy or reduction mammaplasty.

Introduction: Nipple-areola complex reconstruction (NAR) is the final procedure in breast reconstruction after the majority of mastectomies. Many methods of NAR have been described, each with inherent advantages and disadvantages depending on local healthy tissue availability, previous scarring and procedures, and the operative morbidity of the NAR technique. Nipple reconstructions may be complicated by scars or previous nipple reconstruction, making the procedure more challenging. We propose the use of the V-Y advancement flap as a new method that is suitable for both novice and experienced surgeons wishing to broaden their range of techniques for difficult nipple reconstructions. Methods: A traditional V-Y advancement flap is lifted at the site of the future nipple. Mastectomy scars from prior mastectomy, mammoplasty, or nipple reconstruction can be incorporated into the flap. The flap is folded caudally upon itself and the secondary defect at the apex of the flap is linearly closed. Results: At 6-month postoperative evaluation, adequate nipple projection and patient satisfaction were achieved with this method. Conclusion: The V-Y advancement flap is a suitable method for achieving satisfactory results when faced with challenging NAR. The method is easy to perform, reproducible, has low operative morbidity, and incorporates previous wise pattern mastectomy or mammaplasty scars into the newly reconstructed nipple, thereby decreasing new scar formation on the breast and leading to favorable cosmetic results.
On the Padadigm of Experience Appropriate for Semiotics

The thesis of my paper is that it is doubtful that any distinction should be drawn between empirical and non-empirical semiotics or even between experimental and non-experimental semiotics. This tends to reproduce within the semiotics movement the present academic distinction between the sciences and the humanities which semiotics should aim at discouraging, rather than reinforcing. But to overcome this undesirable dichotomy, it is necessary to disentangle the conceptions of the experiential, the experimental and the empirical from certain other complexes of ideas with which they have become associated by accident rather than necessity.
Risk-induced discounting

We establish a direct connection between time preference and risk about an attribute (health) of the instantaneous utility function. In doing so, we derive a risk-induced discount function that corresponds to a normalized expectation of that attribute. We provide several results characterizing this risk-induced discount function depending on the stochastic properties of the risk, which we model as a discrete Markov process. When it is well-defined, which we refer to as full approximation, the risk-induced discount function coincides with exponential discounting if the Markov process is stationary. However, a slight perturbation of the beliefs can trigger time-inconsistent discounting. When considering non-stationary Markov processes, time-inconsistency also emerges in situations where individuals’ beliefs change in a non-anticipated fashion over time, as exemplified by quasi-hyperbolic discounting. Results are illustrated via several applications.
Success Depends on the Animals: Emigrants, Livestock, and Wild Animals on the Overland Trails, 1840-1869. By Diana L. Ahmad.

Success Depends on the Animals: Emigrants, Livestock, and Wild Animals on the Overland Trails, 1840-1869. By Diana L. Ahmad. (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2016. Xii + 132 pp. Notes, bibliography, index. $31.95.) Diana Ahmad’s Success Depends on the Animals: Emigrants, Livestock, and Wild Animals on the Overland Trails, 1840-1869 is an accessible and at times provocative study of the relationship between Euro-American humans and domestic and wild animals on the overland trails. Organized into seven thematic chapters, the book moves westward with overland emigrants. Ahmad ably mines the rich wealth of overland accounts to paint a vivid picture of the migration’s cross-species society. Ahmad is most successful at illustrating her argument that this … sarah.keyes{at}ttu.edu
A General Approach to Evaluate the Dynamic Fracture Toughness of Materials

In this paper a combined experimental and numerical approach is proposed to evaluate the dynamic fracture toughness of materials. A circular tube specimen, made of Aluminum alloy, 7050-T7651, having a spiral crack on its outer surface is used to demonstrate the technique. A torsional Hopkinson bar is used to generate a dynamic torsion pulse, which in turn creates predominantly a tensile load along the crack line of the specimen. The torque applied on the sample is obtained from strain gages attached on the bars using one dimensional wave equation. Commercial FE package, ABAQUS, is used to simulate the dynamic fracture parameters. In this case the subspace projection method and standard implicit integration in ABAQUS with time increment are used, assuming the system is linear. The angle of twist associated to the torque measured on the specimen is used as input in the model. The dynamic stress intensity factor is determined using minimum strain energy theory. Digital image correlation is used to measure the deformation field near the crack tip. The measured strain/displacement fields are used to determine the exact time at which the crack initiated. The result show that, all the three classical modes of fracture are existing, but mode I is at least one order magnitude higher than the others. Also the dynamic SIF of the Aluminum alloy 7075-T6571 is higher than the quasi-static SIF (i.e KIc d=1.36KIc), The value obtained in this experiment is in well agreement with the values documented in the literature.
Comparison of measures of speech quality for listening tests of text-to-speech systems

Text-to-speech system improvements are best assessed by periodic listening tests. The paper reports on the results of two listening test methodologies: measurement of perceptions of speech quality using a single-item scale and a nine-item scale. The tests engender two important conclusions. First, TTS systems, as well as individual synthesized sentences used to test the system, are factors that affect a listener's perception. Second, the single-item scale can be a reliable and valid substitute for the nine-item scale with appropriate empirical justification when pragmatic considerations such as respondent fatigue necessitate the use of a shorter scale.
Legislating Memory in Rwanda

This article describes and critiques the government of Rwanda’s use of legal and extra-legal means to control memory and history in their country. The regime, to the extent it admits its actions, justifies them as necessary to maintain stability and avoid a repeat of the country’s horrific 1994 genocide. But increasingly, critics claim that Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, along with his ruling coterie, are tailoring memory and history with the aim of legitimizing their autocratic rule. American legal scholars who focus on Rwanda tend to describe what is happening there in terms of First Amendment values, focusing their attention on the Rwandan government’s suppression of political speech. This paper takes a different approach. Borrowing from the disciplines of history, historiography, and memory studies, it argues that Rwanda’s government is surpassing mere suppression of speech and is instead engaging in a comprehensive effort to rewrite history and reprogram its citizens’ collective memory. Scrutiny of the Rwandan government’s program of “memory entrepreneurship” grows more consequential as Donald Trump settles into the office of president of the United States. Before President Trump’s ascendance, the United States and the world community generally condemned politicians’ efforts to fabricate and enforce history as a means of holding on to power. President Trump’s administration, however, has introduced the Orwellian notion of “alternative facts” to the American people and has raised the possibility that bald fabrication paired with aggressive insistence may now be acceptable conduct in the political realm.For Rwanda, the question of whether “memory entrepreneurship” and “alternative facts” are or are not acceptable political stratagems grows all the more urgent as the country approaches a presidential election in the summer of 2017, one that Paul Kagame is virtually certain to win.
Hypertension Treatment and Outcomes in the Era of Population Health, Coordinated Care, and Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA)

Article, see p 1617 SPRINT (Systolic Pressure Intervention Trial) studied whether treatment to a systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal of <120 mm Hg (intensive treatment) was superior to an SBP treatment goal of <140 mm Hg (standard treatment) in adults without diabetes mellitus who were ≥50 years of age at high risk for cardiovascular events.1 In this issue of Circulation , Bress and colleagues2 project the impact of implementation of the intensive strategy on all-cause mortality and serious adverse events (SAEs) in the US population. Implementing intensive treatment, with estimated improvements in mortality despite increases in SAEs, needs to be framed within the rapidly changing healthcare payment and delivery models in the United States.3 Two acts of Congress, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015,4 dramatically shifted the focus of healthcare delivery from fee-for-service to a value-based model with an underpinning that is patient-centered coordination of care.3 Regardless of the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, trends in health care put into motion by this legislation will continue. With the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gained critical tools to support its goal to link 50% of fee-for-service payments by 2018 to alternative payment and population-based care models such as accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes. Including growth in the private health insurance market, upward of 70 million people in the United States may be covered through these alternative payment models by 2020 and 150 million by 2025.5 These forces will affect hypertension management. Strong evidence suggests that team-based, coordinated care with shared decision making improves outcomes and reduces costs, particularly for hypertension.6,7 Coupled with current growth trends in population-based …
An overview of Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI)

Launched in 2006, Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) is jointly funded by the US semiconductor industry and government agencies to support university research to explore non-conventional low-energy technologies that can outperform CMOS on critical applications in ten years and beyond. Alternative state variables, novel mechanisms, and emerging materials have been investigated to achieve low-power devices. As an academia-industry-government collaborative research platform, NRI has built up valuable learning to guide beyond-CMOS research in the future and demonstrated several promising technologies that are worth further exploration.
Native European branchiobdellids on non-native crayfishes: Report from the Czech Republic

Invasive alien species present a global threat to biodiversity, particularly where pathogens and symbionts are involved. Non-native crayfish species can increase their impact on the host ecosystem through introductions of symbiotic fauna. Conversely, non-native crayfishes could serve as hosts for native epibionts, thus substituting for disappearing native crayfishes as well. Here we report the presence of native branchiobdellids on naturalized populations of non-native crayfish Orconectes limosus and Pacifastacus leniusculus living in sympatry with native Astacus astacus . The native crayfish species probably served as a source of Branchiobdella spp. for non-native crayfishes. Two species of Branchiobdella ( B. parasita and B. pentadonta ) were found on P. leniusculus while only B. parasita was found on O. limosus . The level of colonization of inspected specimens and species was also evaluated. The mean number of branchiobdellids found on P. leniusculus and O. limosus was 26.0±15.9, and 64.8±27.7, respectively. Orconectes limosus was more heavily colonized by Branchiobdella despite being significantly smaller than P. leniusculus . Non-native species were corroborated as suitable to host the native epibionts.
The Hidden Roles That Management Partners Play In Accountable Care Organizations.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are often discussed and promoted as driven by physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers. However, because of the flexible nature of ACO contracts, management organizations may also become partners in ACOs. We used data from 2013–15 on 276 ACOs from the National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations to understand the prevalence of nonprovider management partners’ involvement in ACOs, the services these partners provide, and the structure of ACOs that have such partners. We found that 37 percent of ACOs reported having a management partner, and two-thirds of these ACOs reported that the partner shared in the financial risks or rewards. Among ACOs with partners, 94 percent had data services provided by the partner, 87 percent received administrative services, 68 percent received educational services, and 66 percent received care coordination services. Half received all four of these services from their partner. ACOs with partners were more heavily primary...
Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete: A Paradigm Shift.

Background Competitive athletes train body and mind in preparation for competition with mental fortitude often providing the "winning edge." Similarly, the current-day warfighter faces significant physical and psychological challenges and must be prepared to respond to life-threatening danger with mental and physical agility. Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete recognizes the soldier as an elite athlete and provides training required to perform at the highest caliber. Through this curriculum, mental skills coaching in goal setting, imagery, positive self-talk, and heart rate control is integrated into routine physical fitness training. These skills commonly used by professional and Olympic athletes for optimal performance provide soldiers with the ability to manage every day military stressors. Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete supports GEN Milley's top priority of readiness and decreases the cost of Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) failures. Procedures Soldiers from a large military treatment facility participated in a 6-wk sport psychology mental skills training program led by an Army occupational therapist. The training that was integrated into regularly scheduled physical training consisted of 10 min of physical readiness training, 10 min of mental skills coaching followed by push-up, sit-up, and running drills focusing on the mental skills learned. Semi-annual APFT scores following the sport psychology training were compared with the five previous semi-APFT scores for the same company using analysis of variance. Findings Results comparing company APFT scores to the previous five semi-annual tests showed statistical significance of 0.001 with the intervention group achieving an average 13- to 14-point improvement. Post-training survey showed 91% of participants recognizing the benefit of these "life skills" in other Army tasks such as weapons qualification, combat medic tasks, and career planning. Soldiers acknowledged this curriculum as quality hands-on training with the suggestion for further development. Discussion A proactive approach to incorporating mental skills training into the military culture, Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete, is in direct alignment with The Army Human Dimension Strategy of developing mental and physical proficiency. This paradigm shift is both timely and necessary for answering readiness and resilience needs of U.S troops and provides additional tools for attaining optimal physical and mental endurance.
Anticancer Potential of Dietary Polyphenols

Numerous compounds found in dietary sources have been correlated to decreased cancer incidence, a statement endorsed by the National Cancer Institute and the American Institute for Cancer Research. These include but are in no way limited to: red wine, ginger, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, turmeric, onion, cabbage, soy bean, green tea, tomato, and potato [1–8]. Of these some of the most well-studied and promising dietary compounds are the polyphenols. Natural polyphenols are as diverse in number as the plant sources which create them. These plant-derived phenolic compounds have been used for centuries both spiritually and medicinally in their whole or extracted form [9]. Medicinal herb use has been limited in modern western medicine in the last century despite anecdotal and historical evidence of efficacy [10–13]. The reluctance to use herbal medicine in modern western medicine stems from concerns over purity to lack of evidence in mechanisms of action. Lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies also cause skepticism [10, 14]. However as modern trends sometimes favor “natural” medicine and the cost of healthcare and pharmaceutics increases, the popularity of herbal medicine has blossomed. Our decade-long knowledge of the human genome compounded by an increased appreciation for epigenetics has sparked interest in the research world. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of healthy lifestyle and nutritious foods in cancer prevention and stimulated a whole new level of research targets. Studies have linked the impact on human health to the individual’s ability to absorb and metabolize polyphenols; thus an understanding of the structure, classification, and bioavailability of polyphenols is essential to understanding the potential of polyphenols to exhibit anticancer activity [15].
SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND CLINICAL SPECTRUM OF DISEASE

Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease characterized by lymphocyte proliferation that progressively destroys exocrine glands. The lymphocytes can infiltrate other and more vital organs and may at times become malignant. Another name for this disease is autoimmune exocrinopathy. It was first described over 100 years ago both as a benign syndrome of oral and ocular dryness and also as a lymphoid malignancy. Thus, Sjogren's syndrome is related to the autoimmune rheumatic diseases, as well as to lymphoid B-cell malignancies.
Supporting the Specification and Runtime Validation of Asynchronous Calling Patterns in Reactive Systems

Wireless sensor networks (“sensornets”) are highly distributed and concurrent, with program actions bound to external stimuli. They exemplify a system class known as reactive systems, which comprise execution units that have “hidden” layers of control flow. A key obstacle in enabling reactive system developers to rigorously validate their implementations has been the absence of precise software component specifications and tools to assist in leveraging those specifications at runtime. We address this obstacle in three ways: (i) We describe a specification approach tailored for reactive environments and demonstrate its application in the context of sensornets. (ii) We describe the design and implementation of extensions to the popular nesC tool-chain that enable the expression of these specifications and automate the generation of runtime monitors that signal violations, if any. (iii) Finally, we apply the specification approach to a significant collection of the most commonly used software components in the TinyOS distribution and analyze the overhead involved in monitoring their correctness.
The role of fibrinogen A alpha chains in ADP-induced platelet aggregation in the presence of fibrinogen molecules containing gamma' chains.

Human plasma fibrinogen (Fgn) is heterogenous with respect to the size of its gamma chains, which differ in that residues 408 to 411 of gammaA chains (93% of total) are replaced in gamma' chains by a unique 20 amino acid sequence (gamma408 to gamma427). In this study, we compared the contribution to adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation of the A alpha chains in Fgn molecules containing predominantly (fraction 1–2) or exclusively (peak 1 Fgn) gammaA chains with that of molecules containing approximately 50% gamma' chains (peak 2 Fgn). Using washed human platelets, we confirmed that the number of peak 2 Fgn molecules binding to platelets in the presence of ADP was about half the number of peak 1 Fgn molecules (18,962 +/- 2,298 v 44,366 +/- 16,096 molecules per platelet), and that isolated S- carboxymethylated (SCM) gammaA chains supported ADP-induced platelet aggregation nearly as well as peak 1 Fgn. In contrast, SCM-gamma' chains alone supported aggregation poorly, whereas a mixture of SCM- gammaA and gamma' chains (1:1 ratio) gave intermediate results. Despite the findings with isolated SCM-gamma' chains, we found that peak 2 Fgn supported platelet aggregation nearly as well as peak 1 Fgn. However, peak 2 Fgn from which carboxy (COOH)-terminal A alpha chain segments had been removed by digestion with plasmin showed a markedly decreased platelet aggregation potential. Peak 1 Fgn core fraction from an 88% to 90% coagulable plasmin digest, or Fgn fraction 1–9, which has a high gammaA/gamma' chain ratio (93:7), but lacks COOH-terminal regions of A alpha chains, supported platelet aggregation to the same extent as did intact peak 2 Fgn. These findings indicate that Fgn molecules containing gamma' chains can approach the aggregation potential of Fgn molecules containing predominantly or exclusively gammaA chains only if intact A alpha chains are also present.
Measuring Option Value

The option value concept can be traced to Weisbrod’s [1964] short paper that suggested conventional benefits analysis may understate the value of certain types of facilities. Examples include parks, hospitals, mass transit systems, and other facilities that would be difficult or costly to replace. The rationale underlying Weisbrod’s conception is straightforward. When prospective users are uncertain about their future demand for one of these facilities, they would be willing to pay some constant amount, regardless of their actual use, to ensure access to it. Three years later, Krutilla’s [1967] seminal paper identified the special role option value might play in decisions involving the valuation of unique natural environments. As our discussion in Chapter 2 suggested, these two papers spawned an extensive, and complex, theoretical literature.
Preparation and characterization of monodispersed metal hydrous oxide sols

The methods for preparation of colloidal dispersions of metal hydrous oxides consisting of particles exceedingly uniform in size and shape are described in detail. These sols are, as a rule, prepared by aging acidic solutions of metal salts at elevated temperatures. It is shown that the anions play a decisive role in the particle formation. Electron micrographs of such systems, as obtained from solutions of aluminum, chromium, thorium, titanium, iron, and copper salts, will illustrate that certain metal hydrous oxides appear in the form of spherical (amorphous) particles while others give well defined crystalline particles of different shapes. Certain properties and applications of these new inorganic latices are illustrated and discussed.
Body Composition Percentiles in Urban South Indian Children and Adolescents.

Objective This study aimed to generate age- and sex-specific percentiles for body composition indices in children and to assess the variability in these indices, in relation to BMI. Methods Anthropometry and body fat were measured with the BOD POD (Cosmed; Rome, Italy) in 9,702 children from Bangalore, India. Smoothed percentile curves using the lambda-mu-sigma method were obtained for BMI, fat-free mass index (FFMI), fat mass index (FMI), and body fat percentage (% BF). Results Percentile curves for % BF and FMI in boys increased from 6 to 12 years and declined from 13 years on, while in girls, it increased until 15 years. The FFMI percentile curves increased with age in both sexes. The mean FMI declined from 12 years on in boys, corresponding to a large increase in FFMI from that age, while in girls, both FMI and FFMI continued to increase. The 75th percentile of % BF and FMI had greater sensitivity to identify children with obesity. Conclusions This study developed smoothed percentile curves for body composition in Indian children and suggests FMI and FFMI as good indicators of growth in children.
Social Learning Theory and Crime

Social learning theory (SLT) is a leading explanation of criminal behavior which maintains that crime is learned and more likely to occur when individuals differentially associate with people who are criminally involved, experience greater exposure to delinquent models, anticipate or actually receive more rewards and fewer punishments for crime, and have a greater number of definitions favorable to crime. Empirical tests have garnered moderate to strong support for the theory. SLT serves as the foundation for many delinquency prevention and offender treatment programs, and has recently been merged with social structural concepts into a social structure–social learning model.
Test results of microorganism in drinking water in Tonghai County of Yunnan Province from 2011-2013

[Objective]To understand the microbial contamination status of drinking water in Tonghai County of Yunnan Province,to provide the basis for drinking water hygiene supervision and management,and prevent water diseases.[Methods]Retrospective analysis was performed on microbiological test results of drinking water in Tonghai County from 2011-2013. Bacteriological monitoring and evaluation were based on the " Drinking Water Health Standards "( 2006) developed by Ministry of Health. [Results] The qualified rate of microbiological test results of drinking water in Tonghai County was 51. 37%,63. 82%,69. 74%,the total qualified rate of water from the county water supply was 89. 19%,the qualified rate of secondary supply water was 72. 54%,that of centralized water supply in rural areas and decentralized water supply was 52. 72% and 27. 12%,respectively. [Conclusion]The qualified rate of microbiological test results of drinking water is relatively low in Tonghai County. The contamination of centralized water supply in rural areas and decentralized water supply is serious. It is necessary to strengthen the protection of various water sources,and ensure drinking water safety of the people in this county.
Elevated temperature microstructure evolution of a medium-entropy CrCoNi superalloy containing Al,Ti

Abstract A new medium-entropy superalloy was produced based on the compositions of equiatomic CrCoNi and Ni-base superalloy Inconel 740H. Initial alloy design was performed using Thermo-Calc. The aging response and microstructural stability were assessed following heat treatment at temperatures between 600 and 900 °C and durations up to 100 h. Aging from a fully recrystallized state resulted in negligible grain growth and produced γ’ and σ phases. The same phases were present after aging from a cold-rolled state, but partially recrystallized microstructures resulted in multi-modal size distributions and heterogeneous spatial arrangements. Room temperature hardness measurements were used to correlate aging conditions with quantitative precipitate measurements and mechanical properties.
Deep Learning Ensemble Methods for Skin Lesion Analysis towards Melanoma Detection

Skin cancer has a significant impact across the world. Melanoma is a malignant form of skin cancer. Skin lesion segmentation is an important step in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) for automated diagnosis of melanoma. In this paper, we describe our research work and the submission to the International Skin Imaging Collaborations (ISIC) 2018 Challenge in Skin Lesion Analysis Towards Melanoma Detection. We propose Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based ensemble methods for improving the existing performance of lesion segmentation. The proposed ensemble technique includes VGG19-UNet, DeeplabV3+ and other preprocessing methodologies. Extensive experiments are conducted on the ISIC 2018 challenge dataset to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed model. For evaluation, we utilize the ISIC 2018 datasets that contains 2,594 dermoscopy images with their ground truth segmentation masks. We randomly divided the dataset into 80% for training and 20% for validation. Our proposed model provided an overall accuracy of 93.6%, average Jaccard Index of 0.815, and dice coefficient of 0.887 on the testing dataset.
Vascular Disorders of the Lung

Vascular disorders of the pulmonary system include a range of different diseases that either affect the pulmonary vasculature directly or are the manifestation of extrapulmonary processes that produce secondary changes of the blood vessels. There are two major groups of disorders that affect the pulmonary circulation, pulmonary vasculitides and pulmonary hypertension.
Empty shelves: How your academic library can address food insecurity

Researchers have only recently begun looking at food insecurity on college campuses. Food insecurity is characterized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as limited or uncertain access to nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways due to limited financial resources. Harmony Reppond illustrates this point when writing, “food insecurity for college students can mean running out of food between paychecks, attending campus events in search of food, reducing food intake, purchasing minimally nutritious food that costs less, skipping meals, and deciding between paying for textbooks or food.” Food insecurity is often an invisible condition because of the stigma associated with hunger and poverty. However, the extent and severity of food insecurity on college campuses is alarming. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a literature review and found that college student food insecurity rates exceeded 30% in the majority of published studies. The Hope Center at Temple University conducts an annual survey on student basic needs, which originally covered food and housing insecurity, and has since been expanded to include transportation, childcare, stress, and mental health. Over the last five years this survey has been completed by more than 330,000 students attending 411 colleges and universities, and the Hope Center has found that on average over the last five years 39% of respondents reported being food insecure in the prior 30 days. The rise of student food insecurity is linked to a decrease in public funding for higher education, which in turn has caused a steep increase in tuition rates, combined with more low-income students entering college.
Anhydrous sodium naproxen

The title compound, an­hydrous sodium (S)-(−)-6-methoxy-α-methyl-2-naphthalene­acetate, [Na(C14H13O3)], has two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, with structures closely related to that of the monohydrate. The most significant differences between the two mol­ecules are in the O—C—C—C torsion angles, −10.4 (3) and −37.7 (3)°, of the side-chain carboxyl­ate groups.
Pleural effusion in hematological pathology

A 51-year-old male with a history of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia-2 (CMML-2) presented with fatigue, night sweats, dyspnea, and right-sided chest pain exacerbated by deep breath. Computed tomography scan demonstrated right-sided pleural effusion with atelectasis. Pleural fluid cytology showed reactive mesothelial cells mixed with atypical cells [Figure 1]. The immunostains are performed using the SCIP approach.[1] The atypical cells were immunoreactive for vimentin, CD68, and CD163, while non-immunoreactive for cytokeratin, calretinin, BerEP4, and MOC31.
Electrochemical studies of tris(cyclopentadienyl)thorium and uranium complexes in the +2, +3, and +4 oxidation states

Electrochemical measurements on tris(cyclopentadienyl)thorium and uranium compounds in the +2, +3, and +4 oxidation states are reported with C5H3(SiMe3)2, C5H4SiMe3, and C5Me4H ligands. The reduction potentials for both U and Th complexes trend with the electron donating abilities of the cyclopentadienyl ligand. Thorium complexes have more negative An(iii)/An(ii) reduction potentials than the uranium analogs. Electrochemical measurements of isolated Th(ii) complexes indicated that the Th(iii)/Th(ii) couple was surprisingly similar to the Th(iv)/Th(iii) couple in Cp''-ligated complexes. This suggested that Th(ii) complexes could be prepared from Th(iv) precursors and this was demonstrated synthetically by isolation of directly from UV-visible spectroelectrochemical measurements and reactions of with elemental barium indicated that the thorium system undergoes sequential one electron transformations.