cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consumers’ Fear of Dissatisfaction with High Involvement Services

In a comparison of the satisfaction expressed by a large sample of consumers with the child care alternatives of relatives, babysitters, nursery schools, and day care centers, the author discovered that significant differences existed. Parents rated communication as better from nursery schools and relatives than from day care centers, but the parents of day care children were more satisfied with activities. Despite these differences, all satisfaction scores were very high. It is suggested that perhaps parents and other purchasers of very high involvement services are unwilling, unable, or afraid to evaluate this type of service negatively because the psychological risks are too great if they admit poor service performance.
Cost model for verifying requirements

Testable requirements are the foundation to any development program. The number of requirements and the technical difficulty of satisfying those requirements are factors that drive program cost and schedule. Being able to quickly assess the scope of requirement verification and costing that activity is essential to the proposal process. For awarded programs, controlling and costing requirements volatility is critical to ensuring sufficient resources to execute the program and meet customer need dates. When considering requirements verification, to include regression testing, a balance is often needed between the cost and the coverage provided. These challenges are commonly encountered during program startup and execution. This paper presents a cost model, Cost Model for Verifying Requirements (CMVR), to assist program managers in quickly assessing the financial impact of verifying requirements as a result of changing (e.g. adding, modifying, and deleting) requirements. Of note, this paper focuses on more formal testing and verification activities, but does not address development and integration aspects. For the CMVR model to provide accurate results, the test team should first fully map requirements to test events. In doing so, requirements should be traced from the stakeholder (e.g. customer requirements) through derived requirements to test objectives and ultimately to test scripts/procedures. Each test script and procedure will need to be assessed to determine the cost (man-hours and duration) to complete the test objective. With the linkage between requirements and test events established, programs can then use the cost model for bidding, evaluating requirements volatility, and developing test sets that optimize the cost-benefit ratio. Bidding: During bidding, requirements are often not fully developed. The CMVR model addresses these ambiguities by providing a portfolio mix (easy, moderate, difficult) based on historical data, enabling program managers to select or alter — similar to tailoring ones 401K plan. Requirements Volatility: Evaluating the impact of requirements volatility on test costs requires assessing development, test setup, execution, and analysis of potential efficiencies that can be leveraged from overlapping tests. Developing Test Sets: With limited time and resources, programs may need to identify a subset of tests to execute (such as for regression testing). Programs will need to determine the focus areas of requirements (Depth), the test requirement coverage (breadth), and the critical must-test requirements. This paper also includes examples of utilizing the CMVR model and demonstrating how this capability enables quickly assessing cost and schedule impacts due to a change in requirements. In summary, The CMVR cost model provides program managers with an important tool to quickly assess the testing cost of requirements.
Making physics popular

I once interviewed the Northern Irish physicist John Bell, who told me a curious tale about the wife of the then-American ambassador to Switzerland. Bell recalled how she rolled up at his office at CERN bearing a dog-eared copy of The Dancing Wu Li Masters, a book by the author and "soulhealer" Gary Zukav, seeking answers to her questions about the connections between quantum physics and Eastern mysticism.
Medicinal Chemistry and Brain Drug Penetrance

Recent advances in molecular neuroscience and neuropharmacology have improved our knowledge of the intricate mechanisms that define and treat infectious, immune and degenerative disorders of the brain and spinal cord. As our knowledge expands, treatment of central nervous system diseases still remains a challenge. One obstacle is drug delivery. Indeed, designed to protect the brain from toxic molecules, the blood–brain barrier also limits therapeutic drug entry into the brain. The dynamic balance between the exclusion and therapeutic delivery remains a key component to improve disease outcomes.
The Discovery of Bonampak. The Lacandone View

The mythology which has grown up around the Lacandones is every bit as extensive and varied as any indigenous mythology. The anachronism of the La-candones in our modern world continues to attract the attention of the adventurer and romantic who returns from the jungle with awesome tales of ancient ritual and mystery.
Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians: Beverly E. Crane, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-4422-6036-8.

Information overload is a real and growing problem; we are being deluged with information from books, articles, and the Internet. In her book, Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians, the au...
Quantitative SPECT with In-111: Comparison of collimators with different resolution and sensitivity

1757 Objectives: Development of SPECT-CT and incorporation of various corrections into image reconstruction and analysis methods have made it possible to achieve accurate activity concentration measurements with SPECT. To optimize our use of SPECT to measure the biodistribution of In-111 labeled monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), we compared activity quantitation from images of an anthropomorphic phantom obtained with two available types of medium-energy collimators. Methods: A human torso phantom was configured with simulated lungs, liver, left kidney and tumors (5, internal diameter 1.0 to 3.3 cm) and filled with known In-111 concentrations approximating the biodistribution of radiolabel 48 h after injection of 185 MBq of an In-111 anti-CEA MAb. Relative activity concentrations were as follows: liver 1, lungs 0.08, kidney 0.3, tumors 0.5, background 0.03. SPECT-CT scans (dual 20%-wide energy windows) were obtained with each set of collimators [measured system FWHM at 0 cm = 4.4 (Set 1) or 5.4 (Set 2) mm; nominal septal penetration 0.14% (Set 1) or 1.2% (Set 2)] using a GE HawkeyeTM tomograph (120 views, 30 s/view). True-count sensitivities for In-111 as determined by Monte Carlo simulation were 88 and 126 cps/kBq for Sets 1 and 2, respectively. Images were reconstructed using the OS-EM algorithm (30 iterations, 24 subsets) including corrections for attenuation, scatter and collimator-detector response. A separately-obtained high-resolution (2.5 mm slice thickness) CT scan was coregistered with the SPECT image sets and used to define regions of interest and measure object volumes for SPECT quantitation. Results: Overall, errors in SPECT-derived activity concentration measurements were smaller for collimator Set 1 than Set 2. {% Error [100(SPECT/true-1)] Set1/Set 2: liver -3.6%/8.6%; lungs 2.7%/12%; kidney -7.7%/-3.6%; 1.0 cm tumor (axilla) -5.9%/-20%; 1.5 cm tumor (abdomen near liver) 21%/36%; 2.1 cm tumor (left lung) -7.8%/2.7%; 3.3 cm tumor (abdomen) -7.1%/8.0%; 3.2 cm tumor (liver) 36%/45%}. Conclusions: Collimator-detector response compensation notwithstanding, benefits to SPECT quantitation from the 40% higher sensitivity of collimator Set 2 were more than offset by its 20% worse spatial resolution and higher septal penetration compared with collimator Set 1.
Animal Models for Implant-Associated Osteomyelitis

Abstract Osteomyelitis, or an infection of the bone, remains a major orthopaedic problem without a solution. As these unmet needs stem from our limited knowledge of microbial pathogenesis of chronic osteomyelitis, and the host response required for protective immunity, animal models of bone infection are still being developed after more than a century of research. Moreover, since osteomyelitis research spans the fields of microbiology, immunology, bone biology, biomechanics, orthopaedics and pre-clinical testing of drugs, vaccines and implants, the animal models used for this research must be equally diverse in their size and sophistication. Thus, the goals of this Chapter are to review the clinical problems and the animal models that have been developed to elucidate the etiology of osteomyelitis and evaluate potential interventions. Finally, since bone infections in which biofilm bacteria have colonized the calcified tissue are by definition incurable, we will discuss current biomarker research aimed at understanding in vivo bacterial growth and bone adaptation during chronic osteomyelitis using bioluminescent imaging and micro-computed tomography (μCT) outcome measures, respectively.
Saints of the Casino

To win more money at the local casino, Ranulfo has been creating a saint of himself—an audacious move by any measure. Peter is reminded of Captain Ahab trying to “strike through the mask,” to find out whether a seemingly random, impersonal universe loves him or will destroy him. Later, when commenting on a draft of this chapter, Ranulfo intuitively and immediately agrees with the Ahab comparison, saying, “I’d punch time if I had to…so we’re the same.” Given Ranulfo’s resemblance to Ahab and a customer going through troubles at the casino, Peter gets worried about Ranulfo.
[KCl] Dependence of B-DNA Groove Bending Anisotropy

The energetics of B-DNA bending toward the major and minor grooves were quantified by free energy simulations at four different KCl concentrations. Increased [KCl] led to more flexible DNA, with persistence lengths that agreed well with experimental values. At all salt concentrations, major groove bending was preferred, although preferences for major and minor groove bending were similar for the A-tract containing sequence. Since the phosphate repulsions and DNA internal energy favored minor groove bending, the preference for major groove bending was thought to originate from differences in solvation. Water in the minor groove was tighter bound than water in the major groove, and harder to displace than major groove water, which favored the compression of the major groove upon bending. Higher [KCl] decreased the persistence length for both major and minor groove bending but did not greatly affect the free energy spacing between the minor and major groove bending curves. For sequences without A-tracts, sal...
Differential Regulation of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 and its Implication in Drug Discovery.

Background Cancer cells use several mechanisms to resist the cytotoxic effects of drugs, resulting in tumor progression and invasion. One such mechanism capitalizes on the body's natural defense against xenobiotics by increasing the rate of xenobiotic efflux and metabolic inactivation. Xenobiotic metabolism typically involves conversion of parent molecules to more soluble and easily excreted derivatives in reactions catalyzed by Phase I and Phase II drug metabolizing enzymes. Methods We performed a structured search of peer-reviewed literature on P450 (CYP) 3A, with a focus on CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. Results Recent reports indicate that components of the xenobiotic response system are upregulated in some diseases, including many cancers. Such components include the pregnane X receptor (PXR), CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 enzymes. The CYP3A enzymes are a subset of the numerous enzymes that are transcriptionally activated following the interaction of PXR and many ligands. Conclusion Intense research is ongoing to understand the functional ramifications of aberrant expression of these components in diseased states with the goal of designing novel drugs that can selectively target them.
4.422 – pH-Responsive Polymers for the Intracellular Delivery of Biomolecular Drugs

There is significant potential for intracellular-acting biologics as therapeutics, but requirement of effective methods for delivery has limited their clinical use. Applications for biomacromolecular drugs are diverse and include nonviral gene therapy, gene knockdown with short interfering RNA, antigen delivery for vaccines, and delivery of peptide/protein inhibitors. To be relevant for these purposes, biomacromolecule carriers must provide stability against enzymatic degradation, be targeted to and internalized by the desired cell type, result in intracellular trafficking to the intracellular environment where the target is located, and present the drug in a bioactive conformation once the target site is reached. Because of the relatively large molecular weight and hydrophilicity of biologic molecules, they cannot readily diffuse through lipid bilayer membranes. Instead, biomacromolecules are internalized through endocytosis, which sequesters them into endolysosomal vesicles and results in exocytotic recycling or lysosomal degradation. In this chapter, multiple classes of polymers are discussed that utilize pH-driven activity to disrupt and escape endolysosomes in order to access intracellular targets. The basic mechanisms of endolysosomal membrane disruption and recent drug delivery applications are detailed for anionic and ‘encrypted’ polymers that physically disrupt lipid bilayers, cationic amine-containing polymers that function as proton sponges, and pore-forming fusogenic peptides.
Native Forb Response to Aminocyclopyrachlor

Native forbs are an essential component in the functioning and diversity of prairie communities. Aminocyclopyrachlor (AMCP) will effectively control many noxious weeds that invade prairie communities; however, its efficacy on desirable broadleaf plants is relatively unknown. Few field studies have been reported, and locating adequate populations of native forbs for evaluation of tolerance to herbicides is difficult. The susceptibility of 10 prairie forb species to AMCP was evaluated in the greenhouse. Species were chosen to correlate with a field study of AMCP and a previous greenhouse experiment. AMCP was applied at 0, 35, 70, and 105 g ha-1 with a methylated seed oil (MSO) plus silicone-based non-ionic surfactant (NIS) blend at 0.25% v/v when plants reached the growth stage simulating a spring treatment for weed control. Blueflag iris (Iris versicolor L.) and harebell (Campanula rotundifolia L.) were relatively tolerant and would likely be unharmed following an application of AMCP in the field. Wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota Pursh), prairie wild rose (Rosa arkansana Porter), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea Vent.), and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa L.) were moderately susceptible to AMCP; however, plants might regrow in the field, since some survived at the highest AMCP application rate (105 g ha-1) evaluated. Skyblue aster [Symphyotrichum oolentangiense (Riddell) G. L. Nesom], Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.), blue cardinal-flower (Lobelia siphilitica L.), and blacksamson echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia DC.) were susceptible to AMCP even when applied at 35 g ha-1. The susceptibility of greenhouse-grown forbs to AMCP was the same or similar to species evaluated in the field and can be used to predict native forb tolerance in the field.
HIV/AIDS and an overweight body mass are associated with excessive intra-individual variability in response preparation

Factors other than HIV/AIDS may influence the cognitive function of patients living with this disease. The present study tested the influence of a common comorbid problem—an overweight body mass. It also examined intra-task variabilities in performance and brain activation as potentially more sensitive indicators of dysfunction than their mean levels. One-hundred seventy-eight participants were recruited and categorized by HIV-1 serostatus (−/+) and body mass (BMI < 26/≥ 26 kg/m2). They performed a simple time estimation task during which response time accuracy and electroencephalographic readiness potentials were recorded. A few hours later, they completed a battery of tests measuring balance and gait. The analyses revealed an advantage of variability over the mean in differentiating groups: the presence of HIV-1 and an overweight body mass were independently and additively associated with greater variability across trials in readiness potential amplitude and response accuracy. The analysis also showed that intra-task variability in the readiness potential, but not in response accuracy, was predictive of decrements in single and tandem leg balance and gait velocity. The present findings suggest that an elevated body mass is associated with, and may contribute to, problems in brain function and motor behavior experienced by patients in the current era. The findings recommend a careful consideration of the manner in which these problems are measured. When the problems are episodic and subtle, measures of central tendency may be less than ideal.
The Limits of Text in Greek Mathematics

This article argues for a limited role of the text in Greek mathematics, in two senses of “text”: the verbal as opposed to the visual; and the literate as opposed to the “oral” (understood in a wide sense). The Greek mathematical argument proceeds not within the confines of the verbal alone, but essentially relies upon diagrams. On the other hand, it does not use other specific techniques, such as those of the modern cross-reference, relying instead upon verbal echoes. The two, taken together, suggest a model of scientific writing radically different from what we associate with our own mathematics. In methodological terms, the article surveys its evidence in detail, and makes comments concerning the methodology of studying ancient texts through the evidence of those texts alone.
Green Engineering and Sustainable Design Aspects of Waste Management

Publisher Summary Traditionally, addressing wastes has often been a matter of reacting to problems as they arose individually in a situationally dependent way. However, the processes that lead to waste can be viewed much more proactively and systematically, with the focus now being on prevention. Engineers and other waste managers have begun to embrace waste minimization, pollution prevention, and other systematic approach, albeit incrementally. Green design and sustainable approaches to waste apply scientific principles to develop objective-oriented, function-based processes. They consider every element of a product's life cycle in a way that mutually benefits the client, the public, and the environment. Waste products can decrease in volume and mass as green designs replace traditional methods of manufacturing, use, and disposal. Wastes must be managed (and, ideally, avoided) by means of applying the laws of science. The better the designer understands these principles, the more likely that the products demanded by society can be produced and used predictably and sustainably. Therefore, strategic use of physical science laws must inform designs and engineering decisions, and forms the crux of green engineering and sustainable aspects of waste management.
IPMC Embedded in a Pneumatic Soft Robotic Actuator: Preliminary Experiments in Actuation and SensingBehaviors

The configuration of hybrid robotic actuator presented herein consists of a bending pneumatic actuator with an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) embedded within the strain-limiting layer. The strain-limiting layer consists of a thicker layer of material on the pneumatic actuator that resists deformation and in-turn hinders motion. Pneumatic actuators rely on the geometric stiffening of the strain-limiting layer to produce a desired motion. In this hybrid actuator, an IPMC is inserted into the strain-limiting layer. This hybrid actuator is fabricated by using 3D printed molds. These molds are then cast using a silicone based elastomer such as Ecoflex®. The separate pieces of the pneumatic sleeve are then cast together using the same silicone based elastomer. Lastly, an IPMC is then inserted into the slot inside of the strain-limiting layer of the pneumatic sleeve. The objective is to create an actuator that possesses both actuation and sensing capabilities that can be applied to soft robotics. This actuator could be used for the testing and modelling of IPMC sensing because of the capability to test an IPMC using a controlled curvature. This hybrid actuator could also be used as a directional sensor or actuator, such as directional propulsion in underwater vehicles.
Outcomes of Limited Open Achilles Repair Using Modified Ring Forceps

Background:The optimal treatment of acute Achilles tendon ruptures remains controversial. When surgical repair is undertaken, the reported rate of infections and wound-healing complications ranges ...
Hot Loading Reduces Time to Intervention for ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Being Transferred by Helicopter.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of helicopter hot loading on the time to percutaneous intervention (time-to-PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing interhospital transfer. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from 2009 to 2014, looking at all patients who had an STEMI, were transferred from a single non-PCI hospital by helicopter emergency medical services, and who received PCI intervention at the PCI-capable hospital. Differences in loading method, flight details, and patient demographics were analyzed to measure the effectiveness of the intervention. Results During the 5-year study period, 134 STEMI patients were transferred. Sixty-four were hot loaded (47.7%), and 70 were cold loaded. Patients who were hot loaded had a median reduction in interhospital transfer and time-to-PCI of 22.3 minutes from 91.0 minutes (interquartile range, 65-117 minutes) by cold load to 69.5 minutes (interquartile range, 47.5-91.5 minutes) by hot load. There was no increase in reported safety-related events during the hot load process. The median length of hospital stay was equivalent for both groups at 3 days. Conclusions This protocol of helicopter hot loading STEMI patients presenting to a non-PCI hospital significantly reduced the median time of interhospital transfer and time-to-PCI without an increase in reported safety events.
Aneuploidy drives lethal progression in prostate cancer

Aneuploidy, defined as chromosome gains and losses, is a hallmark of cancer. However, compared with other tumor types, extensive aneuploidy is relatively rare in prostate cancer. Thus, whether numerical chromosome aberrations dictate disease progression in prostate cancer patients is not known. Here, we report the development of a method based on whole-transcriptome profiling that allowed us to identify chromosome-arm gains and losses in 333 primary prostate tumors. In two independent cohorts (n = 404) followed prospectively for metastases and prostate cancer-specific death for a median of 15 years, increasing extent of tumor aneuploidy as predicted from the tumor transcriptome was strongly associated with higher risk of lethal disease. The 23% of patients whose tumors had five or more predicted chromosome-arm alterations had 5.3 times higher odds of lethal cancer (95% confidence interval, 2.2 to 13.1) than those with the same Gleason score and no predicted aneuploidy. Aneuploidy was associated with lethality even among men with high-risk Gleason score 8-to-10 tumors. These results point to a key role of aneuploidy in driving aggressive disease in primary prostate cancer.
Forecasting sagebrush ecosystem components and greater sage-grouse habitat for 2050: Learning from past climate patterns and Landsat imagery to predict the future

Abstract Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems constitute the largest single North American shrub ecosystem and provide vital ecological, hydrological, biological, agricultural, and recreational ecosystem services. Disturbances have altered and reduced this ecosystem historically, but climate change may ultimately represent the greatest future risk. Improved ways to quantify, monitor, and predict climate-driven gradual change in this ecosystem is vital to its future management. We examined the annual change of Daymet precipitation (daily gridded climate data) and five remote sensing ecosystem sagebrush vegetation and soil components (bare ground, herbaceous, litter, sagebrush, and shrub) from 1984 to 2011 in southwestern Wyoming. Bare ground displayed an increasing trend in abundance over time, and herbaceous, litter, shrub, and sagebrush showed a decreasing trend. Total precipitation amounts show a downward trend during the same period. We established statistically significant correlations between each sagebrush component and historical precipitation records using a simple least squares linear regression. Using the historical relationship between sagebrush component abundance and precipitation in a linear model, we forecasted the abundance of the sagebrush components in 2050 using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) precipitation scenarios A1B and A2. Bare ground was the only component that increased under both future scenarios, with a net increase of 48.98 km2 (1.1%) across the study area under the A1B scenario and 41.15 km2 (0.9%) under the A2 scenario. The remaining components decreased under both future scenarios: litter had the highest net reductions with 49.82 km2 (4.1%) under A1B and 50.8 km2 (4.2%) under A2, and herbaceous had the smallest net reductions with 39.95 km2 (3.8%) under A1B and 40.59 km2 (3.3%) under A2. We applied the 2050 forecast sagebrush component values to contemporary (circa 2006) greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat models to evaluate the effects of potential climate-induced habitat change. Under the 2050 IPCC A1B scenario, 11.6% of currently identified nesting habitat was lost, and 0.002% of new potential habitat was gained, with 4% of summer habitat lost and 0.039% gained. Our results demonstrate the successful ability of remote sensing based sagebrush components, when coupled with precipitation, to forecast future component response using IPCC precipitation scenarios. Our approach also enables future quantification of greater sage-grouse habitat under different precipitation scenarios, and provides additional capability to identify regional precipitation influence on sagebrush component response.
Cognitive Rehabilitation and Exposure/Sorting Therapy for Late-Life Hoarding: Effects on Neuropsychological Performance

Objectives Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by urges to save items, difficulty discarding possessions, and excessive clutter and has been associated with executive functioning deficits. A randomized controlled trial comparing Cognitive Rehabilitation and Exposure/Sorting Therapy (CREST) with a care management control condition demonstrated the efficacy of CREST in reducing hoarding symptoms in older adults. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether CREST may also lead to improved executive functioning. Method All participants were administered a neurocognitive battery at baseline and posttreatment. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to evaluate change in global neuropsychological functioning as well as change in individual executive functioning variables. Results There was no significant group by time interaction for the Global Deficit score; however, there were significant group by time interactions on two of the executive functioning variables examined, such that participants in the CREST condition demonstrated significant improvement in cognitive flexibility and inhibition over time compared with the participants in the care management condition. Discussion Our initial findings support the notion that CREST may be able to improve task switching, an important component of executive functioning, in older adults with HD.
Vaporization of Protective Oxide Films into Different Gas Atmospheres

Vaporization often accompanies high-temperature oxidation and corrosion. In this review, vaporization under a vacuum as well as static gas and flowing gas conditions is discussed. The focus is on common protective oxides—Cr2O3, SiO2, and Al2O3. However, the methods and conclusions apply to other oxides as well. Vaporization into a vacuum is an ideal starting point, as the basic mechanisms for vaporization have been derived from these studies. Imposing an overpressure of a static gas changes the vaporization rates from both a thermodynamic and a kinetic aspect. Finally, a flowing gas is the most common situation encountered in high-temperature oxidation and corrosion. Laminar and turbulent flow effects are treated with both analytic expressions for mass transfer and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A vaporizing SiO2 coupon in a laboratory furnace is examined with both the analytic expressions and the CFD approach.
Optical coherence of implanted silicon vacancy centers in thin diamond membranes.

We report the fabrication and optical characterization of thin diamond membranes implanted with negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV−) centers. The variations in the membrane thickness enable the experimental study of optical coherence of SiV− centers as the membrane thickness is varied from 100 nm to 1100 nm. Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy at low temperature shows that most of the SiV− centers in these membranes feature an optical linewidth ranging between 200 and 300 MHz. Furthermore, there is no discernable dependence of the optical linewidth on the membrane thickness for membranes as thin as 100 nm, indicating the feasibility of incorporating SiV− centers in a varity of diamond nanostructures and still maintaining the excellent optical coherence of these color centers.
Change in prepregnancy body mass index and gastroschisis.

Abstract Purpose Maternal body mass index (BMI) is inversely associated with gastroschisis, but a causal relationship has not been established. As data demonstrating that a change in exposure status is related to a change in the frequency of the outcome can add to the evidence for causality, we conducted a case-control study of change in maternal BMI, assessed using interpregnancy change in BMI (IPC-BMI), and gastroschisis. Methods Data for 258 gastroschisis cases and 2,561 controls were obtained from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and vital records (2006-2012). Logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted association between IPC-BMI and gastroschisis. Results The continuous IPC-BMI variable was inversely associated with gastroschisis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86-0.95). When assessed as a six-level categorical variable, with weight stable women as the referent, the odds of gastroschisis were higher following a BMI decrease of >1 unit (aOR=1.37, 95% CI: 0.91-2.06) and lower after a BMI increase of > 3 units (aOR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.94) Conclusions Our findings suggest that maternal change in BMI is associated with gastroschisis and, thus, add to the epidemiological evidence that can be used to inform our understanding of the relationship between BMI and gastroschisis.
Starting pressure head gradient and flow of Bingham plastics through a scaled fractal fracture network

Abstract In this study, a new approach is developed to determine the starting pressure head gradient and flowrate of a Bingham plastic through a fractal fracture network. The trace length of fracture is assumed to follow a power-law fractal distribution. The aperture of the fracture is related to the trace length by a scaling relationship. Flow in each fracture is treated as rectangular channel-type flow. A dimensionless flowrate ratio is defined by the average fracture flowrate of Bingham plastic over the flowrate of Newtonian fluid in the smallest fracture. The impact of the input parameters that define the fractal characteristics of the network, the pressure head gradient condition and the Bingham plastic properties is quantified and discussed. It is found that the flowrate ratio significantly decreases with the fractal dimension of trace length as the contrast of fracture lengths in the fractal network decreases with the fractal dimension. The flowrate significantly increases with the maximum over minimum trace length ratio in the network. The scaling exponent dramatically enhances the flowrate in the scaled fractal network. The dimensionless flowrate ratio increases with the pressure head gradient in a non-linear fashion. When the Bingham number is small enough, the dimensionless flowrate ratio does not depend on the pressure head gradient. After flows in more fractures have been activated due to the increase in the pressure head gradient, the Bingham plastic flowrate dramatically increases with the pressure head gradient compared to the Newtonian fluid counterpart.
Coming Back from Covid-19: Lessons in Entrepreneurshifrom Disaster Recovery Research

To date, the discussion about what can be done in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic to blunt the economic, social, and psychological costs has largely fo
Surgical versus conservative treatment of unilateral subaxial non-subluxed facet fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background and Objective Unilateral subaxial non-subluxed facet fractures (USNSFF) are a pathology seen in traumatic events such as motor vehicle accidents. Management involves either rigid collar bracing or surgical intervention. There currently is no consensus on the treatment of these injuries; this review aims to examine the extant data for recommendations as to which treatment is more effective. Methods MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane trial register were all searched on January 16, 2020, comparing outcomes for surgical and conservative therapy for USNSFF. The meta-analysis examined rates of treatment failure (need for subsequent operative management) in conservative versus surgical management. The meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model, with visualization in forest and L'Abbe plots. Results We identified six retrospective studies describing 270 patients, with three studies describing 137 patients used in the meta-analysis. Overall, a surgical success rate of 97.7 % and a non-operative success rate of 79.7 % was observed. A random effects model risk ratio of 1.66 (95 % CI: 0.61–4.52) was obtained, suggesting efficacy of surgical management over conservative management. Conclusion The need for surgical intervention subsequent to initial management in the treatment of USNSFF was found to be lower in surgical treatment in contrast to conservative management. However, the studies that were included in the meta-analysis had patient cohorts with much higher rates of neurological deficit and ligamentous injury on presentation, indicating that these may be prognostic indicators of conservative management failure. Furthermore, those that did fail conservative management did not develop severely debilitating conditions. Accordingly, conservative treatment is generally sufficient as a first step in a majority of cases of USNSFF lacking neurological deficit or ligamentous involvement.
Do Self-Reported Drug Allergies Influence Clinically Significant Outcome Improvement Following Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation? A Nested Cohort Study.

ObjectiveTo compare clinical outcomes for patients who underwent osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) based on the presence or absence of one or more self-reported drug allergies.DesignPro...
Ezh2 mediates epigenetic regulation of osteoclastogenesis and bone remodeling in mice

ABSTRACT Osteoclasts derived from hematopoietic stem cells control bone resorption. Identifying novel molecules that can epigenetically regulate osteoclastogenesis has been an important basic and clinical issue. The polycomb group (PcG) protein enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (Ezh2), a histone lysine methyltransferase is associated with epigenetic regulation of numerous cellular processes, it is not yet clear on its involvement in bone cell development and homeostasis. Here, we crossed LysM-Cre mice with Ezh2flox/flox mice to delete Ezh2 in myeloid cell lineage mature macrophages. Conditional deletion of Ezh2 in macrophages resulted in significant increases in postnatal bone growth in the first 6 months of life, but tibia length and body weight gains were not different in knockout mice compared with their wild type controls. Significantly decreased osteoclastogenesis but increased bone mass without osteopetrosis were found in Ezh2 conditional knockout (CKO) mice. In contrast to female mice, one floxed Ezh2 gene copy recombinant with LysM-Cre+ (Ezh2flox/+LysM-Cre+) produced increased bone mass in young adult male mice compared with control mice (Ezh2flox/flox, LysM-Cre+ and wild type). Inflammatory milieu in bone was significantly lower in both male and female CKO mice compared with their respective controls. Deletion of Ezh2 in macrophages triggered increased gene expression of osteoclast suppressors, IRF8, MafB and Arg1 due to decreased Ezh2-induced trimethylation of H3K27me3. Conversely, NFATc1 and Cathepsin k expression were decreased. These findings suggest that pre-osteoclastic cell differentiation is under epigenetic control of osteoclast suppressive gene expression via an Ezh2-dependent mechanisms.
Abstract 15661: Discordant LDL-C Estimates and Incident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: The Dallas Heart Study

Introduction: The Friedewald equation (F-LDL-C) and the Martin-Hopkins algorithm (MH-LDL-C) estimate direct LDL-C from a standard lipid panel. Discordant LDL-C estimates by the two methods may carr...
Adventures in Texas Gardening

Bill Scheick. 2017. Adventures in Texas Gardening. (ISBN-13: 978-1-62349-517-6, flexbound). Texas A&M Univ. Press, John H. Lindsey Building, Lewis St., 4354 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, U.S.A. (Orders: www.tamupress.com). $26.00 US, 232 pp., 68 photos, bib , index, 6.25" × 9.5".
Search by Lackadaisical Quantum Walk with Symmetry Breaking.

The lackadaisical quantum walk is a lazy version of a discrete-time, coined quantum walk, where each vertex has a weighted self-loop that permits the walker to stay put. They have been used to speed up spatial search on a variety of graphs, including periodic lattices, strongly regular graphs, Johnson graphs, and the hypercube. In these prior works, the weights of the self-loops preserved the symmetries of the graphs. In this paper, we show that the self-loops can break all the symmetries of vertex-transitive graphs while providing the same computational speedups. For vertex-transitive graphs with large numbers of vertices, only the weight of the self-loop at the marked vertex matters, and the remaining self-loop weights can be chosen randomly.
What are the consequences of real earnings management

This paper examines the consequences of four types of real earnings management. Using financial statement data, I identify firms that engage in any of the following real earnings management activities: (1) myopically investing in R&D to increase income, (2) myopically investing in SG&A to increase income, (3) timing of income recognition from the disposal of long-lived assets and investments, and (4) cutting prices to boost sales in the current period and /or overproducing to decrease COGS expense. Then, I explicitly examine (i) the extent to which real earnings management affects subsequent operating performance (as measured by both earnings and cash flows), and (ii) whether market participants (investors and analysts) expect the subsequent decline in performance. The empirical results are consistent with all four types of real earnings management activities having a significantly negative impact on future operating performance. Additionally, it appears that investors recognize the future earnings implications of myopic investment in SG&A and cutting prices and/or overproducing to increase current period income. The results are inconsistent with investors recognizing the future earnings implications of myopic investment in R&D and the strategic timing of asset sales. The results are consistent with analysts recognizing the future earnings implications of all four types of real earnings management. I am grateful for the guidance and support from my advisor, Xiao-Jun Zhang, and to Sunil Dutta, Qintao Fan, Maria Nondorf, Shai Levi, James Powell and Mark Seasholes for their insights and suggestions. I would also like to thank Tracey Zhang, Shimon Kogan, Gavin Cassar, Zvi Singer and Tatiana Fedyk for their helpful comments. Errors or omissions are my responsibility.
Peter Cicchino's Farewell Message to Washington College of Law Students

I had originally planned to say that if you’re seeing this video it means that I have died, but it sounded too much like the beginning of a Mission Impossible film. So I’m going to opt for a different beginning. When I began teaching at the Washington College of Law I knew that I had a terminal diagnosis. And the doctors predicted about two years and it looks like they were right. But I have come to love the students, the teaching, the people who work here, the administrators, the walls themselves, so much that I felt that I couldn’t end things without saying some kind of proper good-bye. And I don’t know if this will be a proper good-bye but it is a goodbye of sorts. And it really consists of two things. One is a series of thank yous and the other is a little bit of advice. First the thank yous. I’m not going to mention any names because I would have to name everyone from the security guards who greet me in the morning and sometimes help me with the elevator to the cafeteria staff, to of course my colleagues, administrators, executive assistants, secretaries, students. Everyone has just been so incredibly kind to me. And that’s not a small thing. It seems like, let me say, it may be easy to be kind to a person who’s dying, but I think it’s important for institutions to embody the goals that they espouse. And my experience here, at WCL, at the great Washington College of
Toxins from fish and other marine organisms.

Publisher Summary Sea creatures from virtually all marine phyla have been a source of food for humans from the earliest days of history, as soon as man began to explore his aquatic environment. Although, fish and shellfish have always been the principal objects of man's harvest from the sea, consumption of such diverse organisms as algae, echinoderms, or mammals has not exactly been negligible. Along with the exploration of marine food sources came the recognition that some species were tastier than others were, and that ingestion of certain other species caused discomfort, illness, or even death. Recent attempts to manufacture a fish protein concentrate, in order to help feed the world's expanding population, have directed attention to the question of marine toxins. Clearly, it could be a dangerous undertaking of far-reaching consequences if one were to catch fish indiscriminately, process the fish into a meal, and distribute the concentrate without knowing whether any of the processed fish are toxic or whether the toxins survive the processing. Indeed, of equal importance, with the problem of producing a palatable and inexpensive fish protein concentrate is the problem of producing one that is safe to eat. This chapter attempts to present a picture of the current state of the chemical knowledge of marine toxins. Emphasis is placed on toxins isolated from fish and shellfish, but toxins from other marine organisms that have been characterized are also included. Many of these species are used as food and many are implicated in the food chain of the marine organisms themselves, a chain which leads from plankton feeders and other herbivores to the large carnivorous fishes.
Kinetics of the Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase-catalyzed Hydrolysis of p-Nitrophenyl Acetate

Abstract The kinetics of hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate by rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been investigated in aqueous solution at 25° in the pH range 6 to 9. Steady state kinetics was examined under conditions in which substrate is present in great excess over enzyme; pre-steady state kinetics was examined under similar conditions and also when substrate and enzyme are present in approximately equal concentrations. As previously observed, the p-nitrophenolate-time curves were biphasic, exhibiting a rapid exponential reaction, reflecting principally the rate of enzyme acylation, followed by a zero order reaction, reflecting principally the rate of enzyme deacylation. The pH-rate profiles for both acylation and deacylation reactions were carefully examined and found to be similar. In each case, the rate constants increase linearly with increasing hydroxide ion concentration below pH 7.5 and then level off with increasing pH in a manner consistent with the ionization of single groups. Thus, kinetically, acylation depends on a basic group, the conjugate acid of which has a pKa near 8.1, and deacylation depends on a similar group, with pKa near 8.7. The number of moles of p-nitrophenolate released per mole of enzyme in the exponential phase of the reaction is a function of pH, rising from about 2.5 to 3.0 below pH 8 to 5.5 above pH 8. Under steady state conditions, an extraneous reaction was noted at very high substrate concentrations; that is, the rate law under these conditions has the form v = k3E0 + kiiiE0S0. For enzyme acylation with p-nitrophenyl acetate, the magnitude and pH dependence of the rate constants are consistent with unaided attack of a crucial sulfhydryl anion on the ester. In contrast, for deacylation, the magnitude and pH dependence of rate constants require the involvement of a second catalytic entity of the enzyme.
Antecedents of dynamic cross-cultural competence in adult third culture kids (ATCKs)

Purpose – The “adult third culture kid” (ATCK) is an individual who has spent significant periods of childhood living outside his or her parents’ culture(s). Research is needed to identify specific experiential variables responsible for the development of components of cross-cultural competencies (CC) in ATCKs. The goal of this study is to gain insight into these relationships and provide a foundation for continuing investigation by examining how early international experience and personality variables impact CC in ATCKs. Specifically, the study examines how four components of early international experience and two characteristics of stable CC impact three dynamic characteristics of CC. Design/methodology/approach – Study participants (159) had spent their childhood years living in one or more foreign countries. In all, 54 percent of the sample was women, and the average age was 22 (SD=1.52). None of the subjects had any international work experience, allowing us to look at the impact of non-work experien...
Parsing and empty nodes

This paper describes a method for ensuring the termination of parsers using grammars that freely posit empty nodes. The basic idea is that each empty node must be associated with a lexical item appearing in the input string, called its sponsor. A lexical item, as well as labeling the node for the corresponding word, provides labels for a fixed number, possibly zero, of empty nodes. The number of nodes appearing in the parse tree is thus bounded before parsing begins. Termination follows trivially. The technique is applicable to any standard parsing algorithm.
Topology, Geometry, and Stability: Protein Folding and Evolution

The protein folding problem must ultimately be solved on all length scales from the atomic up through a hierarchy of complicated structures. By analyzing the stability of the folding process using physics and mathematics, this paper shows that features without length scales, i.e. topological features, are potentially of central importance. Topology is a natural mathematical tool for the study of shape and we avail ourselves of that tool to examine the relationship between the amino acid sequence and the shapes of protein molecules. We apply what we learn to conjectures about their biological evolution.