cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practice Effects and Outcome of Cognitive Training: Preliminary Evidence from a Memory Training Course

Practice effects (PE) are improvements in cognitive test performance due to repeated exposure to the tests, 1 and these artificial improvements have traditionally been viewed as error. However, recent data suggest that PE may have diagnostic and prognostic information in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. 2,3 A logical extension of this research is to see whether PE are related to outcomes of interventions, which is the focus of this study. Twenty-three community-dwelling older adults (age: mean = 72.5 years, SD = 8.9; education: mean = 16.1, SD = 2.4; 78% female, 100% white) completed a 5-week memory training course, based on The Memory Bible. 4 After providing informed consent, pretesting included: self -report ratings on the Memory Functioning Questionnaire, shortened version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test—Revised, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Trail Making Test. At the end of this session, the learning trials of the RAVLT were repeated to assess within-session practice effects (WISPE). Alternate forms were not used within session to maximize PE. Posttesting, approximately 1 week postcourse, included the same measures as the pretesting. Alternate forms were used for RAVLT, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test—Revised, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Trail Making Test to avoid between-session PE. Participants were compensated $25. PE, usually viewed as error, were related to change in cognitive test scores after a 5-week interval. Modest correlations existed between WISPE and outcome change scores on four cognitive measures. All these correlations went in the expected direction, with better PE being related to improvement on these tasks. To our knowledge, this is the first study to prospectively study PE in relation to treatment outcome, although we have observed that PE provide diagnostic and prognostic information. 2,3 Others have also touched on this topic. Baltes et al. 5 dev eloped methods to tap “learning potential” and found them to be useful for diagnostic and intervention purposes. However, those methods consume more time and resources than the WISPE in this study. All these measures, including PE, seem to broadly tap into a person’s cognitive plasticity, flexibility, or reserve, which might be useful in identifying individuals who still have some learning potential to benefit from cognitive rehabilitation. Although there are several limitations for this study (e.g., no control group, small samples, unvalidated memory course, and brief follow-up), additional investigation of PE in treatment studies seems warranted. If these cognitive plasticity proxies demonstrate predictive value, then PE could enrich samples in clinical trials, leading to more effective training programs and better allocation of limited resources.
5'-Single-stranded/duplex DNA junctions are loading sites for E. coli UvrD translocase.

Escherichia coli UvrD is a 3′–5′ superfamily 1A helicase/translocase involved in a variety of DNA metabolic processes. UvrD can function either as a helicase or only as an single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) translocase. The switch between these activities is controlled in vitro by the UvrD oligomeric state; a monomer has ssDNA translocase activity, whereas at least a dimer is needed for helicase activity. Although a 3′-ssDNA partial duplex provides a high-affinity site for a UvrD monomer, here we show that a monomer also binds with specificity to DNA junctions possessing a 5′-ssDNA flanking region and can initiate translocation from this site. Thus, a 5′-ss–duplex DNA junction can serve as a high-affinity loading site for the monomeric UvrD translocase, whereas a 3′-ss–duplex DNA junction inhibits both translocase and helicase activity of the UvrD monomer. Furthermore, the 2B subdomain of UvrD is important for this junction specificity. This highlights a separation of helicase and translocase function for UvrD and suggests that a monomeric UvrD translocase can be loaded at a 5′-ssDNA junction when translocation activity alone is needed.
Characteristics of Gait in Hemiplegia

The following review examines the walking patterns of patients who have hemiplegia, primarily as a result of a stroke. Attention is given to the changes in the distance and temporal factors of walking, phasic patterns and joint ranges of motion throughout the walking cycle, the ground reaction forces, joint moments of force, joint powers, energy expenditure, and muscle activation patterns. The effect of orthotic intervention on these walking parameters is also addressed. A frequently cited issue regarding the gait patterns of these patients was that their walking patterns exhibit significant deviations from normal healthy individuals. Although hemiplegia is primarily associated with unilateral motor involvement, changes in almost all of the parameters used to assess walking were evident on both the involved and uninvolved sides of the body. Last, although hemiplegia appears to reflect a single diagnostic category, there is large interindividual variability in the patterns of gait deviations, which suggests that the management and treatment of these patients need to address the unique deficits of the individual. Key words: gait, hemiplegia, stroke, orthotics
Comparative study of two congestion pricing schemes: auction and tâtonnement

We evaluate two mechanisms for setting prices in a QoS-enhanced network with congestion-sensitive pricing and resource allocation based on users' willingness to pay. In the first model, the congestion-sensitive component of the price is calculated by tâtonnement, with the price adjusted gradually to drive down the user demand to the supply level of network resources. In the second model, each user submits multiple bids for different bandwidths, each bid expressing its willingness to pay a certain premium for the corresponding bandwidth during congestion. Simulations show that both approaches provide greater network availability, revenue, and perceived user-benefit than a congestion-independent policy. Both approaches have generally similar performance in terms of perceived user-benefit. The tâtonnement-based model obtains higher network revenue than the auction-based model. The auction-based model achieves higher network utilization at a given level of perceived user-benefit, but has higher implementation complexity and longer set-up delay for new connections. The proposed auction-based model serves more users than comparable auction-based schemes, and has less signaling overhead and greater certainty of service availability.
Distinguishing Context Effects From Context Errors in Judgments of Behavior1

Context effects (assimilation and contrast) are examined in relation to accuracy in judgments of stimuli. Context effects are distinguished from context errors. This is shown to depend on one's definition of true scores, rater tendencies (leniency-severity) relative to true scores, and the direction and magnitude of observed context effects. The framework is illustrated empirically in a study of contrast effects involving performance judgments. Implications for reliability, validity, and agreement of behavior judgments in practice are explored.
The third intracellular loop and carboxyl tail of neurokinin 1 and 3 receptors determine interactions with β-arrestins

Tachykinins interact with three neurokinin receptors (NKRs) that are often coexpressed by the same cell. Cellular responses to tachykinins depend on the NKR subtype that is activated. We compared t...
7.5-14-GHz CE HBT MMIC linear power amplifier

A common-emitter (CE) AlGaAs-GaAs HBT MMIC amplifier was made to operate in X-band. 1-W CW output power was achieved in saturated power operation from 7.5 to 12 GHz. In class A linear power operation, it provides 26-dBm CW power. The amplifier shows low two-tone intermodulation distortion: better than -20 dBc IM/sub 3/ at 1-dB compression point throughout the 7.5-14-GHz bandwidth. The low third-order intermodulation distortion is a direct result of the excellent linear power performance of the CE AlGaAs-GaAs HBT. The combination of good efficiency, low third-order intermodulation distortion, and broad bandwidth in this MMIC amplifier clearly demonstrates the potential of the CE HBT in communication transmitter applications. >
Interferon α but Not Interleukin 12 Activates STAT4 Signaling in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

STAT4 signaling, activated by either interleukin 12 (IL12) or interferon α (IFNα), promotes TH1 responses in CD4+ T cells. Vascular endothelial cells (EC) may also become polarized in response to various cytokines, favoring recruitment and activation of TH1 or TH2 effector cells. Here we have investigated the role of the STAT4 pathway in EC. Cultured human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) express low levels of STAT4, which may be tyrosine-phosphorylated by treatment with IFNα but not IL12. This is because HUVEC lack both subunits of the IL12 receptor (IL12Rβ1 and IL12Rβ2), even following treatment with various cytokines. IL12 phosphorylation of STAT4 can be observed in HUVEC that have been transduced to express the IL12R. To identify STAT4-induced genes we pursued three approaches: analysis by DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR) of the IL12 responses in IL12R-transduced EC; analysis by Q-PCR of IFNα responses in STAT4-overexpressing EC; and analysis of IFNα responses in U3A neuroblastoma cell lines that express either STAT1 or STAT4, but not both. In all three instances we observe STAT4-mediated induction of the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) mRNA, and we confirm the production of each protein in both IL12R-transduced EC and STAT4-transduced U3A cells. These observations reveal that there is a STAT4 response of EC, activated by IFNα but not IL12, and that it may modulate the pro-inflammatory behavior of EC.
Isoperimetric problems on the sphere and on surfaces with density

We discuss partitions of the sphere and other ellipsoids into equal areas and isoperimetric problems on surfaces with density. We prove that the least-perimeter partition of any ellipsoid into two equal areas is by division along the shortest equator. We extend the work of C. Quinn, 2007, and give a new sufficient condition for a perimeter- minimizing partition of S 2 into four regions of equal area to be the tetrahedral arrangement of geodesic triangles. We solve the isoperimet- ric problem on the plane with density |y| α for α> 0 and solve the double bubble problem when α is a positive integer. We also identify isoperimetric regions on cylinders with densities e z and |θ| α .N ext, we investigate stable curves on surfaces of revolution with radially symmet- ric densities. Finally, we give an asymptotic estimate for the minimal perimeter of a partition of any smooth, compact surface with density into n regions of equal area, generalizing the previous work of Maur- mann et al. (to appear).
High-Rate Cancers Among Low-Risk Populations

A review of the tabular material at the Workshop on low-risk populations revealed that the rates were not consistently reduced for all forms of cancer. This report briefly discusses some high-rate tumors occurring among American ethnic and religious groups who are traditionally thought to have a low risk of cancer overall. In some groups experiencing a changing life-style, the rates for certain cancers are rising or falling toward the levels prevailing in the general U.S. population. By elucidating the high-risk and the low-risk states for various cancers in these population groups, one maximizes the opportunities for research in cancer etiology and prevention.
Stability of Solid Electrolyte Interphase Components on Lithium Metal and Reactive Anode Material Surfaces

Lithium ion batteries (LIB) can feature reactive anodes that operate at low potentials, such as lithium metal or silicon, passivated by solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films. SEI is known to evolve over time as cycling proceeds. In this modeling work, we focus on the stability of two main SEI components, lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium ethylene dicarbonate (LEDC). Both components are electrochemically stable but thermodynamically unstable near the equilibrium Li+/Li(s) potential. Interfacial reactions represent one way to trigger the intrinsic thermodynamic instability. Both Li2CO3 and LEDC are predicted to exhibit exothermic reactions on lithium metal surfaces, and the barriers are sufficiently low to permit reactions on battery operation time scales. LEDC also readily decomposes on high Li-content LixSi surfaces. Our studies suggest that the innermost SEI layer on lithium metal surfaces should be a thin layer of Li2O, the only thermodynamically and kinetically stable component (in the absence ...
Bursa Formation and Synovial Chondrometaplasia Associated with Osteochondromas

Two adult patients who had synovial chondromatosis occurring within bursae formed around osteochondromas are described. In spite of marked cellular atypia of the cartilage cells, the clinical course was unremarkable, pointing out the discrepancy between histologic changes and subsequent behavior in this condition. Histologic features, in addition, are not always helpful in distinguishing primary from secondary chondrometaplasia.
Preliminary Tests with Possble Repellents Of The Oriental Peach Moth

The writer used several methods for testing repellency in a series of experiments at Riverton;New Jersey, in 1927. Recording the eggs deposited on sprayed twigs in cages (in the insectary), and recording the number of moths coming to bait pans, with and without evaporation cups containing chemicals (in the orchard), seemed the best methods. In the insectary tests, sprays of crude alpha naphthylamine and Dippel's oil gave the most satisfactory results. The orchard tests revealed four chemicals-furfural, Dippel's oil, ammonium sulphide and amyl acetate-which showed at least 50% repellency. An apparatus for use in field studies with repellents is described.
Behavior of explants from human adult bronchial epithelium in vitro.

SummaryExplants of bronchial epithelium were made from 119 adult human lungs removed by operation. Bronchial epithelium taken from patients with carcinoma of the lung grew more often in primary explants than analogous epithelium from tuberculous patients or from patients with bronchiectasis or unresolved pneumonia. Two explants, both derived from cases of carcinoma of the lung, gave rise to permanent strains. The histological appearance of the bronchial epithelium of the donor, even in a segment immediately distal from the explant, did not give an indication as to the growth expected in the explants.Explantation of carcinoma of the bronchus was unsuccessful in 4 cases.
Integrating Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography and Conventional Pharmacokinetic Studies to Delineate Plasma and Tumor Pharmacokinetics of FAU, a Prodrug Bioactivated by Thymidylate Synthase

FAU, a pyrimidine nucleotide analogue, is a prodrug bioactivated by intracellular thymidylate synthase to form FMAU, which is incorporated into DNA, causing cell death. This study presents a model-based approach to integrating dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) and conventional plasma pharmacokinetic studies to characterize the plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics of FAU and FMAU. Twelve cancer patients were enrolled into a phase 1 study, where conventional plasma pharmacokinetic evaluation of therapeutic FAU (50-1600 mg/m2 ) and dynamic PET assessment of 18 F-FAU were performed. A parent-metabolite population pharmacokinetic model was developed to simultaneously fit PET-derived tissue data and conventional plasma pharmacokinetic data. The developed model enabled separation of PET-derived total tissue concentrations into the parent drug and metabolite components. The model provides quantitative, mechanistic insights into the bioactivation of FAU and retention of FMAU in normal and tumor tissues and has potential utility to predict tumor responsiveness to FAU treatment.
American and European Perspectives on Private Standards in Public Law

For over a century, the U.S. and Europe have relied on private organizations to develop and maintain the vast number of technical standards essential for technological advancement, trade, and public safety in any complex, modern society. Today, the U.S. and the European Union (EU) each have a well-established policy requiring the use of private standards in government regulation. Although these policies have much in common, they differ in several key respects. One consequence of these policy differences is that the two governments often use different technical standards to regulate the same goods and processes. In the ongoing free trade negotiations, standards policy thus is viewed as a significant potential source of non-tariff barriers to trade. Some have suggested that the U.S. should modify its standards policy in certain respects in order to address this issue and facilitate a free trade agreement with the EU. This article explores the often-subtle differences in the private standardization systems and governmental standards policies in the U.S. and the EU. It argues that some of these differences reflect discretionary policy choices attributable to each government’s unique history, economic reality, and political commitments. On these issues, both governments have greater latitude to modify their approach to achieve international regulatory harmonization. On other issues, however, fundamental principles of public law constrain how these governments integrate private standards into their regulatory regimes. Any free trade agreement must respect these constraints and accommodate some necessary degree of divergence between the U.S. and EU standards policies. In addition to having immediate relevance for the trade negotiations, this article’s comparative analysis may also help to identify the possibilities and limitations of any governmental framework for public-private regulatory integration.
Intensive care of neonates with type III congenital esophageal atresia

By summarizing the intensive care of 16 neonates with type Ⅲcongenital esophageal atresia in the hospital during August, 1998 to May, 2002 the author believes that the main postoperative intensive care includes: carefully observing the changes of the illness; strengthening management of respiratory tract; keeping warm to prevent the sclerosis; fixing tube stomach to avoid disengagement, strengthening the supply of nourishment, paying attention to the quantity and speed of transfusion, preventing and finding the complication in time and health education. The author indicates that it is beneficial to decrease and prevent complication by strengthening the intensive care for the postoperative neonate with type M congenital esophageal atresia.
Simplifying the Proteome: Analytical Strategies for Improving Peak Capacity

The diversity of biological samples and dynamic range of analytes being analyzed can prove to be an analytical challenge and is particularly prevalent to proteomic studies. Maximizing the peak capacity of the workflow employed can extend the dynamic range and increase identification rates. The focus of this chapter is to present means of achieving this for various analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and ion mobility. A combination of these methods can be used as part of a data-independent acquisition strategy, thereby limiting issues such as chimericy when analyzing regions of extreme analyte density.
John Amadeus Wolter (1925–2015)

John Wolter on retirement. Photograph from the Library of Congress Information Bulletin, 23 September, 1991.Dr John Amadeus Wolter, the sixth chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library ...
Multiple squamous cells in thyroid fine needle aspiration: Friends or foes?

Background Abundant squamous cells are rarely encountered in thyroid FNA with only few case reports noted in the literature. Their presence and cytologic features may pose a diagnostic dilemma and challenges for proper classification and follow-up. We intend to gain more insight into the frequency of this finding and its clinical significance. Design Our electronic records were searched over 16 years to reveal 15 thyroid FNAs with abundant squamous cells. The available cytology and surgical resection slides were reviewed and radiologic records and clinical follow-up was documented. Results Only 15 out of 8811 thyroid FNAs from our department contained predominantly squamous cells (0.17%) of which two were interpreted as nondiagnostic, four as atypical, eight as benign, and one malignant. Surgical follow-up was available in eight cases only with benign lesions representing the majority of the cases (squamous metaplasia in Hashimoto thyroiditis, benign epidermoid/branchial cleft or thyroglossal duct cysts, and one case squamous cell carcinoma). The cases without surgical resection were stable on subsequent ultrasound studies. Conclusion Thyroid aspirates with predominance of squamous cells cannot be classified in the current Bethesda categories. Even when interpreted as atypical or equivocal, the squamous cells present in our small case series were mostly benign. The only malignant case was easily identified cytologically because of its higher degree of differentiation. The most common pitfall for atypical squamous cells in these aspirates was squamous metaplasia in the setting of Hashimoto thyroiditis and degenerative changes. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Michael Balint's Group Approach: The Boston Balint Group

Michael Balint was a physician/psychoanalyst who trained in Hungary and emigrated to England in 1939 when Nazi Germany began to dominate Europe. At the Tavistock Clinic, he and his wife met with social workers and physicians around “case discussion seminars.” With his strong interest in medicine and his curiosity about the patient-physician relationship, he initiated research/training groups with interested physicians, which ultimately led to publication of the now-classic The Doctor, His Patient, and the Illness, a rich text that has become a virtual staple of family practice residencies, along with “Balint Groups” for training. Balint refrained from considering his groups “psychotherapy” in order to minimize resistance of his physician-students. But because the groups lasted sometimes for years and explored transference and countertransference in patient-physician relationships, he acknowledged that the result was personal growth of the participants. His techniques are described and an example of a Balint Group (“Boston Group”) are presented here.
Surgical and Endovascular Management of Aneurysms in the Pediatric Age Group

Abstract Aneurysms of the central nervous system (CNS) are extremely rare in the pediatric population. While the cause of CNS aneurysms in adults is frequently related to chronic conditions or acquired factors, such as hypertension and smoking, the pathogenesis of pediatric aneurysms is often quite different, including trauma, infection, and predisposing genetic disorders. Further differences exist between adult and pediatric aneurysms with regard to location, size, and presentation of the aneurysm. Treatment of these lesions has substantially improved over the years with the advent of significant advancements in surgical techniques and the evolution of endovascular approaches.
Deciphering the nonlocal entanglement entropy of fracton topological orders

The authors discuss a lower bound of nonlocal entanglement entropy (a generalization of topological entanglement entropy). The lower bound applies to Abelian conventional topological order as well as to type-I and type-II fracton models. It provides the physical intuition that each type of topological excitation, created by a deformable string, membrane, or fractal operator, gives a contribution to the nonlocal entanglement entropy. For fracton models, the lower bound is geometry dependent; it can take extensive values.
NeuroAIDS: A Review of Gene Expression in Neurons, Astrocytes, and Oligodendrocytes

Modern biotechnology techniques with focus on RNA and protein gene expression have fundamentally altered our view of the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, in general, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), in particular. Extensive analysis of gene expression enables scientists to assess the simultaneous expression modes of enormous groups of genes. The alterations in adjustment and expression modes of these genes in relation to pathophysiology of NeuroAIDS and HAND provide us with crucial clues into molecular mechanisms of development of AIDS invasion to and infection of human nervous system and how such a vast process affects different tissues within the peripheral immune system and the nervous system. The present chapter focuses on the latest findings in gene expression patterns during pathophysiology of HAND with emphasis on their potential application for treatment of these patients. Specifically, through this chapter we concentrate on the gene expression by the cells within the central nervous system (CNS), neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes during pathogenesis of HAND.
Recent Advances in Neural Electrode-Tissue Interfaces.

Abstract Neurotechnology is facing an exponential growth in the recent decades. Neural electrode-tissue interface research has been well recognized as an instrumental component of neurotechnology development. While satisfactory performance was demonstrated in some applications, such as cochlear implants and deep brain stimulators, more advanced devices requiring higher resolution for recording or microstimulation still face significant challenges in reliability and longevity. We review the most recent findings that shed light on the sources of poor reliability and longevity in neural electrodes, including the material failure, biological tissue response and the interplay between the two. We introduce newly developed characterization tools from electrophysiology models, molecular and biochemical analysis, material characterization to live imaging. Effective strategies for improving the interface are also highlighted. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in improving the interface and achieving seamless integration between the implanted electrodes and neural tissue both anatomically and functionally.
Nonrheumatic Valvular Disease

Most acquired nonrheumatic conditions affecting the mitral valve have mitral insufficiency as their important manifestation. The components of the mitral valve consist of the papillary muscles, chordae tendinae, annulus, and leaflets, all of which play an important and complex part in maintaining valve competence. Involvement of any of these structures may lead to varying degrees of mitral insufficiency.
Hierarchical Modeling of a Manufacturing Work Cell to Promote Contextualized PHM Information Across Multiple Levels.

Abstract With the ever-increasing demand for reconfigurability and modularity in manufacturing, industrial work cells are increasingly integrating newer and more diverse technologies to not only support the production of a wider range of parts, but also ease the repair or replacement of faulty systems and components. Complex relationships between different elements of a work cell originate from the integration of multiple layers of hardware and software needed to successfully execute the complicated manufacturing processes. Much work within the science of PHM (prognostics and health management) has been dedicated towards the management of some of this complexity via monitoring, diagnostic, and prognostic technologies. The strategic application of PHM technologies has been shown to effectively reduce equipment/process downtime and lower maintenance costs. Part of the challenge of PHM, particularly for manufacturers, is to know exactly where, and how to apply PHM within their work cell operations to gain the maximum actionable information. This problem is further compounded for small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) who are typically limited in their resources and investment capital. Effectively designing and implementing PHM requires a fundamental understanding of the overall work cell and its constituent physical components and sub-components. Likewise, understanding the relationships between these physical elements and how these elements relate to one another is critical to determining how the degradation of one element will impact the degradation of another. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is researching various PHM technologies that aim to enhance decision-making at the factory floor to promote smarter maintenance and control strategies. Part of NIST’s research focuses on the decomposition of a work cell into a hierarchical structure to understand the physical and functional relationships among the overall system’s critical elements. This physical and functional decomposition is a necessity to promote a meaningful rollup of diagnostic and prognostic information from the lower levels to the higher levels of the hierarchy. The hierarchy seeks to encapsulate how the overall system, and its subsequent components, will behave when an element within the system is compromised or begins to fail. Neighboring components and sub-components could be subject to the ‘domino effect’ or the ‘ripple effect’, making diagnosing the root cause of a cascade alarms difficult without some reflective model of the system. This paper presents NIST’s efforts to develop a hierarchical decomposition methodology that will support PHM design and implementation within a complex work cell.
Commute quality and its implications for commute satisfaction: Exploring the role of mode, location, and other factors

Abstract The quality of a worker’s commute significantly impacts her well-being. We seek to add to the nascent literature on this topic by examining how travel mode, location, and other personal characteristics are associated with perceived commute quality and then by exploring implications for commute satisfaction. We use data from the annual Campus Travel Survey of students and employees at the University of California, Davis and focus on three dimensions of the commute experience: how stressful the commute to campus is, whether travel time is seen as wasted time, and the degree to which commuters like their travel mode. Our analysis shows that commute quality differs by residential location, commute mode, student versus employee status, and gender. Overall, bicycle commuters and train commuters report the highest quality commutes, all else equal; bus riders report the lowest quality commutes; the results for those traveling to campus by car are somewhere in the middle. We also find that all three dimensions of perceived commute quality are strongly associated with overall commute satisfaction. These results point to several different strategies for employers like UC Davis that aim to improve commute quality in order to enhance well-being: improve the quality of each mode, encourage a shift to modes offering higher quality commutes, identify “mis-matched” employees who are not using the mode that would yield the highest commute satisfaction, use social marketing techniques to change perceptions of and preferences for commute options, and increase housing near work sites to enable more commuters to live within bicycling distance.
Magnetic Plasmon Hybridization in Vertically Stacked Double-gap Nanocavities

In vertically stacked double-gap nanocavities, the strong magnetic-optical interaction between magnetic plasmon modes in individual gap nanocavities can lead to new hybridized bonding and antibonding modes with a tunable splitting energy.
Lifecasting a Living: Why did I choose this Technological Career?

Lifecasting is a business model conducted in online social media contexts, wherein site owners produce content that is intended to be interesting and even financially compelling to an audience of like-minded individuals who participate as both viewers and collaborative content producers on the topic of focus. Largely a business model practiced by young Chinese techno-entrepreneurs, Lifecasting demonstrates how interesting topic knowledge combined with entrepreneurial spirt and marketing sensibilities related to the promotion of the online social media of the Internet can turn into promising careers for certain individuals. A similar phenomenon exists in the West, called "live streaming," but while many might be tempted to compare Lifecasting with Western-style streaming, there are key distinctions for Chinese Lifecasters, leveraging the online social medium as a nascent and productive business model. Lifecast audience members can send instant messages as well as payments and electronic "gifts" to their favorite Lifecasters, a factor which makes Lifecasting as a career quite compelling to some practitioners because of the revenue production potential. Any online social media user can be a 'caster, if they are willing to expend the time and effort to conceptualize, create, share, promote and exchange targeted personal information and experiences to interested groups of the Internet public. In this sense, modern Lifecasting represents a form of peer-to-peer (P2P) customized mass communication. As studied here, Lifecasting is a distinctly Chinese phenomenon. It is prevalent enough in China that the government formally tracks and reports on its progress. To that end, researchers interested in the concept as an aspect of emerging models of technological work should consider how likely the model is to prosper and grow in Western countries, specifically in view of its distinctly Eastern character in current use.
Update on Didactic and Clinical Education in Fluency Disorders: 2013–2014

Purpose This study surveyed didactic and clinical education in fluency disorders at undergraduate and graduate institutions in the United States that provide education in speech-language pathology ...
On supporting associative access and processing over dynamic knowledge bases

Dynamic knowledge bases are a fact of life in many artificial intelligence applications. Using current techniques, however, it is not always possible to provide the desired level of associative access to them whilst meeting real-time, or even near-real-time, performance criteria. This paper argues the case for a hardware associative storage system that uses symbolic pattern matching as its access mechanism. A working prototype of such a system, designed as a co-processor for a workstation host, is then described. The coprocessor is based on an array of custom designed VLSI 'smart memory' chips. These combine storage and search/processing logic on the same die. Parallelism is exploited both on chip and between chips to yield a high system performance. The paper concludes with some examples of how this hardware can be used to support real applications.
The Evolution of an Enzyme

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the evolution of an enzyme. The results gathered from various sources of comparative studies on the primary structure of specific proteins have provided the raw material for speculations on the nature of the variations that have occurred at the biochemical level during evolution. Such speculations invoke the notion that mutations, leading to alterations in the specificity or in the stability of proteins, are preserved or eliminated by natural selective forces. This notion is based on the knowledge from studies on gene–enzyme relationships that mutations can lead to alteration of substrate affinities, thermolability, sensitivity to metal ions, and antigenic structure of specific proteins or enzymes. The interactions between distinct polypeptide chains are important in the expression of enzyme activities.
De Escuelas, docentes y TICs

El objetivo central de este trabajo es explorar y analizar de manera critica los distintos factores que influyen o determinan las actitudes y practicas docentes en cuanto al uso de estas tecnologias en el aula. Adicionalmente se presentan algunas sugerencias para facilitar la adopcion sistematica y significativa de las TICs como herramientas didacticas.
Retinoic acid metabolism, signaling, and function in the adult testis

The active metabolite of vitamin A, retinoic acid (RA), is absolutely required for the production of fertile sperm throughout the reproductive life of mammalian males. Our understanding of the regulation of spermatogenesis by vitamin A has grown substantially since the early 2000s. We now know that vitamin A must be converted to RA within the testis to exert its effects, which include regulating several key developmental events during spermatogenesis and both initiating and maintaining the cyclic nature of this process. The enzymes and receptors responsible for RA synthesis, metabolism, and signaling are well characterized, and extensive localization studies have shed some light on which cell types have the ability to generate, degrade, and/or respond to RA. However, we still understand very little about which of these proteins, and which testicular cell types, are responsible for normal RA function and what the direct outcomes of RA signaling are within the testis. In this chapter, we review our current understanding of how RA controls male germ cell development within the adult testis, discuss the effects of RA on Sertoli cell maturation and differentiation, and highlight key unanswered questions regarding how the Sertoli cells contribute to the overall balance of retinoid metabolism within the testis.
Planning for Aging in Place: Incorporating the Voice of Elders to Promote Quality of Life

Aging in place offers emotional and physical benefits; however, challenges associated with advanced age may make aging in place difficult. As communities across the country prepare for forecasted i...
Learned primal-dual reconstruction for dual energy computed tomography with reduced dose

Dual energy computed tomography (DECT) usually uses 80kVp and 140kVp for patient scans. Due to high attenuation, the 80kVp image may become too noisy for reduced photon flux scenarios such as low-dose protocols or large-sized patients, further leading to unacceptable decomposed image quality. In this paper, we proposed a deep-neural-network-based reconstruction approach to compensate for the increased noise in low-dose DECT scan. The learned primal-dual network structure was used in this study, where the input and output of the network consisted of both low- and high-energy data. The network was trained on 30 patients who went through normal-dose chest DECT scans with simulated noises inserted into the raw data. It was further evaluated on another 10 patients undergoing half-dose chest DECT scans. Improved image quality close to the normal-dose scan was achieved and no significant bias was found on Hounsfield units (HU) values or iodine concentration.
Automated choroidal segmentation in spectral optical coherence tomography images with geographic atrophy using multimodal complementary information

Changes in the choroid have been suggested to be of critical relevance to some eye diseases, e.g., geographic atrophy (GA) of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Several groups have worked to develop automated choroidal segmentation algorithms in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. However, the reported algorithms mainly focus on OCT images with early AMD (or eye diseases with mild/moderate retinal damage). GA, an advanced stage of AMD, frequently presents severe retinal damage and those algorithms may be confounded by the zones of increased choroidal reflectivity due to GA damage. The fundus autofluorescence (FAF) signal from GA regions is more distinguishable and detectable than on OCT images. We propose to use a three-dimensional (3-D) graph-based approach with the complementary information from the companion FAF images to handle the 3-D choroidal segmentation difficulty due to GA. We compare the automated approaches with and without using the FAF-derived GA information against the ground truth. With the FAF-derived information, the segmentation performance regarding both choroidal borders is significantly improved (all p < 0.01). The robustness of our segmentation approach may be of great value for future large-scale quantitative and longitudinal studies of the choroid, particularly in the setting of atrophic AMD.
Cross-domain AU Detection: Domains, Learning Approaches, and Measures

Facial action unit (AU) detectors have performed well when trained and tested within the same domain. Do AU detectors transfer to new domains in which they have not been trained? To answer this question, we review literature on cross-domain transfer and conduct experiments to address limitations of prior research. We evaluate both deep and shallow approaches to AU detection (CNN and SVM, respectively) in two large, well-annotated, publicly available databases, Expanded BP4D+ and GFT. The databases differ in observational scenarios, participant characteristics, range of head pose, video resolution, and AU base rates. For both approaches and databases, performance decreased with change in domain, often to below the threshold needed for behavioral research. Decreases were not uniform, however. They were more pronounced for GFT than for Expanded BP4D+ and for shallow relative to deep learning. These findings suggest that more varied domains and deep learning approaches may be better suited for promoting generalizability. Until further improvement is realized, caution is warranted when applying AU classifiers from one domain to another.
Sample Vehicles for Integrating Education across STEM Disciplines

The paper presents a novel view of integrating education in STEM disciplines, which is based on an historical perspective of how discoveries and inventions are made. Coherent examples of projects that can be used across disciplines are given, and their relationship with the project-based approach is explained.
Effects of high-fat diet on sympathetic neurotransmission in mesenteric arteries from Dahl salt-sensitive rat

Abstract Obesity hypertension is driven by sympathetic neurotransmission to the heart and blood vessels. We tested the hypothesis that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hypertension is driven by sympathetic neurotransmission to mesenteric arteries (MA) in male but not female Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl ss) rat. Rats were fed a control diet (CD; 10 kcal% from fat) or HFD (60 kcal% from fat) beginning at 3 weeks (wk) of age; measurements were made at 10-, 17- and 24-wk. Body weight increased with HFD, age and sex. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was higher in HFD versus CD rats from both sexes at 17- and 24-wk. MA constriction measured using pressure myography, and electrical field stimulation (EFS, 0.2–30 Hz) was greater in HFD versus CD in males at 17-wk; this was not due to changes in α2 autoreceptor or norepinephrine transporter (NET) function. Prazosin (α1-AR antagonist) and suramin (P2 receptor antagonist) inhibited neurogenic MA constriction equally in all groups. Arterial reactivity to exogenous norepinephrine (NE; 10−8 - 10−5 M) was lower in HFD versus CD at 10-wk in males. Female MA reactivity to exogenous ATP was lower at 24-weeks compared to earlier time points. HFD did not affect tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or the vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT) nerve density in MA from both sexes. NE content was lower in MA but higher in plasma at 24-wk compared to 10- and 17-wk in both sexes. In conclusion, HFD-induced hypertension is not driven by increased sympathetic neurotransmission to MA in male and female Dahl ss rats.
Discordant attitudes and beliefs about cancer clinical trial participation between physicians, research staff, and cancer patients.

Background/AimsEssential to bringing innovative cancer treatments to patients is voluntary participation in clinical trials but approximately 8% of American cancer patients are enrolled onto a tria...
Salivary Studies of the Social Neuroscience of Human–Animal Interaction

This chapter focuses on salivary bioscience applications in Human–Animal Interaction (HAI) research, an expanding field of interdisciplinary inquiry examining the mutual, dynamic relationships between people and animals and the ways in which these interactions may affect health and well-being in both species. Using a social neuroscience perspective, this chapter provides a snapshot of research on the physiological impacts of animal companionship, pet ownership, and the intentional inclusion of animals as part of a therapeutic or ameliorative process or milieu, Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs), in both humans and animals. While considering a wide range of contexts, populations, species, interactions, and therapeutic outcomes, this chapter will explore empirical evidence aiming to capture the bidirectional links between HAI and the activity of biological systems through examining a variety of salivary analytes. Given the focus of existing empirical work in the field, we will emphasize activity of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA) axis and its main marker, cortisol, although other analytes including salivary alpha amylase (sAA), secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), salivary Oxytocin (sOT), and Nerve Growth Factor (sNGF) will be discussed. After an overview of relevant theoretical perspectives and the introduction of a model describing links between HAI and HPA axis activity, we provide an empirical review organized by intervention approach, population, and species, including dyadic approaches. Methodological challenges, implications for practice, and future research are discussed.
Embracing a Metic Lens for Community-based Participatory Research in Technical Communication

This article responds to recent calls for social justice-oriented work in Technical and professional communication, detailing moments from a participatory photovoice project with community organize...
The Effect of Physical Therapy on Time to Discharge After Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Abstract Background With a lesser degree of tissue destruction, patients undergoing minimally-invasive spine surgery are primed to benefit from early mobilization, which can further enhance recovery and hasten rehabilitation. We aimed to determine the role of physical therapy on earlier discharge after minimally-invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Methods Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) provided patients undergoing one- and two-level minimally-invasive TLIF for degenerative lumbar disease. The study population was divided into patients with a one-day length of stay (LOS 1), two days (LOS 2), and three or more days (LOS ≥ 3) to maintain three equal-time cohorts. On POD 0, physical therapy (or, in very rare circumstances, a spine-care-specialized nurse in patients arriving to the in-patient floors late after hours) must evaluate capacity to ambulate. Results Of the 101 patients, the median day of first ambulation statistically significantly increased from the LOS 1 to LOS ≥ 3 cohort (P = 0.007). Mean distance ambulated decreased from 156.5 ± 123.1 feet in the LOS 1 group, 108.9 ± 83.9 feet in the LOS 2 group, to 69.2 ± 58.3 feet in the LOS ≥ 3 group (P = 0.002). Patient-reported outcomes did not differ among the three cohorts. Following a multivariable ordinal logistical regression controlling for disposition to rehab over home (ORadj = 5.47, P = 0.045), the odds of longer LOS decreased by 39% for every 50-feet ambulated (P = 0.002). Conclusions Time to first ambulation independently increases the odds of earlier discharge, regardless of comorbidity burden and surgical determinants.
International entrepreneurship in the post Covid world

Abstract How will the world look post Covid-19? What is the role of international entrepreneurship (IE) in this new world? This article attempts to answer these two questions. It highlights the changes caused by Covid and how they might affect the scope and types of international entrepreneurial activities in years to come. It also discusses how international entrepreneurs are likely to operate and shape the emerging world order. The article concludes by outlining the implications of these changes for IE scholarship, offering an agenda for future research.