cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automation of a problem list using natural language processing.

Background The medical problem list is an important part of the electronic medical record in development in our institution. To serve the functions it is designed for, the problem list has to be as accurate and timely as possible. However, the current problem list is usually incomplete and inaccurate, and is often totally unused. To alleviate this issue, we are building an environment where the problem list can be easily and effectively maintained.
Reconciling the "old" and "new" views of protein allostery: a molecular simulation study of chemotaxis Y protein (CheY).

A combination of thirty-two 10-ns- scale molecular dynamics simulations were used to explore the coupling between conformational tran- sition and phosphorylation in the bacteria chemo- taxis Y protein (CheY), as a simple but representa- tive example of protein allostery. Results from these simulations support an activation mechanism in which the 4- 4 loop, at least partially, gates the isomerization of Tyr106. The roles of phosphoryla- tion and the conserved Thr87 are deemed indirect in that they stabilize the active configuration of the 4- 4 loop. The indirect role of the activation event (phosphorylation) and/or conserved residues in sta- bilizing, rather than causing, specific conforma- tional transition is likely a feature in many signal- ing systems. The current analysis of CheY also helps to make clear that neither the "old" (induced fit) nor the "new" (population shift) views for protein al- lostery are complete, because they emphasize the kinetic (mechanistic) and thermodynamic aspects of allosteric transitions, respectively. In this regard, an issue that warrants further analysis concerns the interplay of concerted collective motion and sequen- tial local structural changes in modulating cooperat- ivity between distant sites in biomolecules. Proteins
On the asymptotic stability of the null solution of linear differential equations with periodic coefficients

A stability criterion for feedback systems with a linear time-invariant forward loop and a periodically time-varying gain in the feedback loop is developed. As most recent frequency-domain stability criteria, it requires the existence of a multiplier having certain properties. A graphic technique is given to determine whether or not this multiplier exists. The proof of the criterion is based on the Floquet theory and the classical theory of Toeplitz forms. Examples to illustrate the criterion are included.
The Amino Acid Sequence of the Monomeric Hemoglobin Component from the Bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata

Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of 147 residues has been determined for the major monomeric component of the hemoglobin of the bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata. The residues at 34 sites (23%) appear to be identical with those in sperm whale myoglobin. Of the 7 "invariant" residues found in vertebrate hemoglobins only three are present in this molecule: the glycine and phenylalanine residues at positions 27 (B6) and 45 (CD1), respectively, and the proximal heme-linked histidyl residue; the distal heme-linked histidine in vertebrate hemoglobins has been replaced by leucine.
PPMLP: A Special Modeling Language Processor for Privacy Policies

In today's age of information technology, there is an increasing concern for the privacy of an individual's records stored on computers. The Internet and security vulnerabilities provide an opportunity for hackers to misuse information. The level of an individual's trust for an organization can be ensured or influenced by the organization's privacy policy. Privacy has become a concern only recently and hence, creating well documented and comprehensive organizational privacy policies still remains a challenge. The paper presents results on a special privacy policy modeling language processor (PPMLP) based on service oriented architecture (SOA) for an organization to model the structure and contents of private policy they want through a meta type of privacy policy specifications.
The Physicochemical Hydrodynamics of Vascular Plants

Plants live dangerously, but gracefully. To remain hydrated, they exploit liquid water in the thermodynamically metastable state of negative pressure, similar to a rope under tension. This tension allows them to pull water out of the soil and up to their leaves. When this liquid rope breaks, owing to cavitation, they catch the ends to keep it from unraveling and then bind it back together. In parallel, they operate a second vascular system for the circulation of metabolites though their tissues, this time with positive pressures and flow that passes from leaf to root. In this article, we review the current state of understanding of water management in plants with an emphasis on the rich coupling of transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and active biological processes. We discuss efforts to replicate plant function in synthetic systems and point to opportunities for physical scientists and engineers to benefit from and contribute to the study of plants.
The social status of Arabic, French, and English in the Senegalese speech community

This study is part of a larger unpublished work. The data collection is based on the Labovian sociolinguistic interview: 200 randomly selected Wolof speakers were interviewed and recorded for 20 minutes in Senegal. They were divided into two groups: 100 subjects over 50 years old and 100 subjects between 20 and 30 years old. Each group comprised 50 males and 50 females. The number of loanwords from Arabic, French, and English in subjects' vernacular was statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon (rank sums) test across three registers (cultural, political, and religious), age groups, and gender. The study argues that loanwords in Wolof reflect the social groups in Senegal and the prestige of lender-languages. First, the article discusses the influence of foreign languages in Senegal. Second, it examines the social status of loanwords from these languages. Third, it shows the relationships between loanwords, registers, age group, and gender in Senegal.
Co-creating value in hotels using mobile devices: A conceptual model with empirical validation

Abstract The service-dominant (S-D) logic paradigm is increasingly gaining ground within the scholarly literature and current hotel industry practice. The S-D logic purports that consumers are no longer passive receivers of firms’ value propositions, but rather interact with firms in service settings, thus co-creating value. Using data from a general population sample of hotel consumers from the U.S., this study developed and validated empirically a conceptual model that recognizes the central role of consumers’ degree of value co-creation in creating valuable service experiences using mobile devices in hotels. It was found that the mobile (m-)commerce habit influences the degree of consumer co-creation, which in turn influences the perceived value of co-creation behavior. In addition, the perceived value of co-creation was found to influence consumers’ perceived value of the hotel stay and intentions to stay in a hotel that facilitates co-creation via the mobile environment.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs – A public health perspective

The impairing effect of alcohol and drugs on driving performance has already been long established. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs (DUI) has primarily been seen as a traffic safety problem and the response has thus been concentrated on legislation and law enforcement. While mandatory substance abuse treatment programs do exist, their role has mainly been targeted for reacquiring driver’s license. In recent years there has …
Evaluation of halftone techniques using psychovisual testing and quantitative quality measures

The quality of an image can be evaluated by performing a psychovisual test or by using quantitative quality measures. In order to assess the performance of different halftone techniques, gray scale images are halftoned in various ways and then presented to human viewers for quality evaluation. Quantitative quality criteria, such as edge correlation, mean square error and local error measures are also used for quality evaluation of the halftone images. Since the ultimate judges of image quality are human viewers, the success of these quantitative criteria as quality measures for halftones is assessed by comparing their results with the results of the psychovisual test.
Effects of strength training intervention in breast cancer survivors.

9565 Background: Oncology rehabilitation programs provide a potential avenue for improving fitness, function and quality of life. Few studies evaluate how cancer survivors respond to such intervent...
Geographic Variation in the Least Cotton Rat in New Mexico

Of the characters studied, meaningful geographic variation in the modern New Mexican least cotton rats ( Sigmodon minimus ) is confined to a slight color cline in the northern Rio Grande Valley segment of the population. Sigmodon minimus goldmani is a recognizable, but probably extinct, subspecies of the least cotton rats. The name Sigmodon minimus woodi is here regarded as a synonym of Sigmodon minimus minimus .
Hybrid Hamiltonian and Green's Function Approach for Studying Native Point Defect Levels in Semiconductor Compounds and Superlattices

We have developed a hybrid method that can be applied to study isolated defects in semiconductor compounds and superlattices. The method is a combination of (1) a long-range tight-binding (TB) Hamiltonian, (2) a first-principles Hamiltonian, and (3) a Green’s function (GF) formalism. The calculation of the GF requires accurate energy band structure, wave functions, and defect potentials. The TB Hamiltonian with sp3 orbitals basis ensures accurate band gaps and band masses while providing the functional form for the wave functions. We calculated the band gaps of InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb strained-layer superlattices and found them to agree well with measurements. The change in potentials caused by native point defects (NPDs) was obtained from a first-principles method using Spanish Initiative for Electronic Simulations with Thousands of Atoms, which also uses sp3 basis. We describe the method of calculating NPD energy levels in compounds and superlattices, obtain some defect levels in GaAs, InAs, InSb, and GaSb compounds, and provide details of the NPD-level calculations.
Application of distributed bus differential protections to dual-bus dual-subsection wiring modes

The application features of the distributed microprocessor-based bus differential protection system MiCOM P740 are presented.Engineering application of the protection system to dual-bus dual-subsection wiring projects shows that the distribution type design is more suitable for some complex wiring modes.Solutions to several special problems are proposed.
Development of the VI-1Vir tual Measurement System Basing on LabVIEW

A new kind of VI-1 virtual measurement system based on the graph programming language LabVIEW is introduced,which is developed by us.Comparing the conventional instrument,it has some advantages such as the interface to be friendly,parameter adjusted more conveniently,realized more easily,high reliability and so on.The characteristic is its high integrated in functions. It gathers low frequency generator,oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer together.It can not only generate some common signals,such as sine wave,triangle wave,square wave and saw-tooth wave,but also can analyze and display the measurement signal waveform and frequency spectrum.
Optimization strategies for the polymerase chain reaction.

The GeneAmp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process has now become a key procedure in molecular biology research laboratories. The PCR technique is an in vitro method in which genomic or cloned target sequences are specifically enzymatically amplified as directed by a pair of oligonucleotide primers. This technique has been quite robust in the hands of the majority of researchers and is extremely flexible, as evidenced by the increasing number of related PCR formats (i.e., inverse PCR, anchored PCR, asymmetric PCR, labeled primer PCR and RNA-PCR). Today's applications include direct sequencing, genomic cloning, DNA typing, detection of infectious microorganisms, site-directed mutagenesis, prenatal genetic disease research, and analysis of allelic sequence variations. Scientists at Cetus and Perkin-Elmer have collaborated for several years to better understand the interacting biochemical and biophysical parameters which affect PCR optimization. Following are many of the current recommendations, offered with the caveat that our understanding of the PCR process is continually evolving.
Achromatic Design of Gradient Index Lenses using Ternary Blends

The addition of a third material to a binary blend allows designers to specify refractive index and dispersion independently in gradient index optics. The effectiveness is demonstrated via a diffraction-limited, f/1 achromatic singlet design.
Assessing Writing Perceptions and Practices of Pharmacy Students 1

This study aims to assess the writing perceptions and practices of pharmacy students. In fall 1996, an anonymous survey of writing self-assessment was administered to 45 second-year pharmacy students in a public health course. Students rated their confidence to communicate successfully for nine specific tasks and to perform 21 writing mechanic skills using a 0-100 scale, where 0 = no chance and 100 = completely certain. Students also indicated the importance of writing in pharmacy practice using a 0-100 scale, where 0 = not important at all and 100 = extremely important. To assess improvement in ability to write position papers, the first and third essays of each student were assessed by a panel of six readers using a holis-tic scoring procedure, where 1 = weakest and 6 = strongest. Writing ability was the mean of each student’s scores on the two position papers. Composite communication confidence and mechanics confidence scores were calculated as the overall mean of all items in the respective categories; simple regression models were tested using these variables individually as predictors of students’ writing ability. The com-posite communication confidence score was 73.2 percent, and the composite mechanics confidence score was 79.0 percent. Students rated writing skills in pharmacy practice as important (75.4 percent). Communication confidence and mechanics confidence were significantly correlated with writing ability (r = 0.334 and 0.419, respectively) and with each other (r = 0.847). Communication confidence explained 11 percent of the variance in writing ability, and mechanics confidence explained 18 percent. Writing scores significantly improved by a mean of 0.60 (SD = 1.13) on the second paper. These findings suggest some strategies for teachers to use in writing-intensive courses. A self-confidence survey given at the beginning of a course can be a productive diagnostic and learning tool. In their responses to student writing, teach-ers can focus less on correcting surface errors and more on issues of critical thinking, use of evidence, and the nature of disciplinary conventions. Finally, teachers can be confident that a writing-intensive course does make a positive difference in students’ ability to improve their writing.
Let’s Get Weird!

This chapter is an introduction to the way that the form of the book (graphica, an amalgam of juxtaposed images and text) is inextricably linked to the theories and philosophies guiding the research inquiry overall. The authors suggest that their “comics-based research methodology” might be one manner of modeling a contingent world, rife with multiple readings, which might foster an experience closer to capturing the time-space-matter experiences of human life.
A profile-based probabilistic approach for the detection of anomalies in the cytochrome C oxidase I amplicon sequences

The cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene is among the most popular markers for molecular biodiversity estimation. In essence, COI-based approaches for taxonomic identification rely on comprehensive reference databases to assign unknown sequences to known species and/or to enhance the identification of new species. As such, for COI-based methods to be effective, the accuracy and integrity of reference databases are critical. However, as COI repositories grow, it becomes difficult to manually curate and validate user-contributed data. This, in turn, propagates prediction errors, therefore reinforcing the cycle. Here, we propose a new computationally efficient approach for identifying anomalies which are either due to systematic biases (indels and chimeras) or to user error (mistranslation and misclassification). Our approach uses COI reference alignments to model substitutions across the marker. The resulting model is subsequently used to screen and identify sequences with incongruous fit to the model. Analysis of the complete set of curated Insecta COI reference sequences identify the presence of numerous anomalous sequences, which makes a strong case for the importance of new strategies to screen publicly available COI references.
The International Temperature Scale: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract: Since its inception in 1927, the International Temperature Scale (ITS) has changed to meet the needs of the time. The ITS protocol specifies phase transitions with assigned temperatures (the defining fixed points), defining instruments (thermometers), and interpolating (or extrapolating) equations. Since 1927, the selection of fixed points and their assigned temperatures have changed, defining instruments have been added and deleted, and the equations have become more complex. Since its introduction in 1990, the ITS-90 has served its user community well. However, its departure from thermodynamic temperature is more than is desirable for the most demanding applications. One approach is to continue making measurements on the ITS-90 ( T 90 ), and then correct the temperatures for better accord with thermodynamic temperature ( T ) using the Consultative Committee for Thermometry’s best estimates of ( T – T 90 ). Alternatively, these shortcomings can be addressed by an evolutionary change that maintains the familiar mathematical structure of the ITS-90, but updates the coefficients of the reference functions and the temperatures of the defining fixed points. The impact on embedded instrumentation is minimal – requiring only an updating of the coefficients of the reference functions and not a complete reworking of the mathematics.
Abstract 20097: Burden of Arrhythmias in Patients Hospitalized With Cardiac Amyloidosis

Introduction: Cardiac Amyloidosis (CA) predisposes patients to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Data on distribution of arrhythmias in this patient population is scarce. We sought to study the p...
Posttraumatic stress disorder in the short and medium term following the World Trade Center attack among Asian Americans.

This study investigated patterns of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their predictors among 2,431 Asian American and 31,455 non-Hispanic White World Trade Center (WTC) Registry participants 2-3 years and 5-6 years after the WTC attack. Participants were divided into four PTSD pattern groups: resilient, remitted, delayed onset, and chronic. Asians had a lower proportion in the resilient group (76.5% vs. 79.8%), a higher proportion in the chronic (8.6% vs. 7.4%) and remitted (5.9% vs. 3.4%) groups, and a similar proportion in the delayed onset group (about 9%) compared to Whites. In multinomial logistic regression analyses, disaster exposure, immigrant status, lower income, pre-attack depression/anxiety, and lower respiratory symptoms were associated with increased odds of chronic and delayed onset PTSD (vs. resilience) among both races. Education and employment were protective against chronic and delayed onset PTSD among Whites only. These results can inform targeted outreach efforts to enhance prevention and treatment for Asians affected by future events.
Risk Management Through Market Incentives: Liability and Insurance

Economists generally prefer markets to constraints in the management of external diseconomies. Theory suggests that insurance is the appropriate market mechanism for dealing with stochastic externalities, like pollution. Despite Federal encouragement in RCRA and Superfund, the market for pollution liability insurance collapsed after a brief emergence. Interesting questions are (a) Why has this market collapsed? and (b) Under what conditions can it revive? The adoption of the legal doctrine of joint and several liability results in de facto mutual liability. Consequently, most benefits of risk reduction are external to the firm. Emerging mutual institutional remedies to the diluted incentives for risk reduction are discussed.
Baculovirus-directed expression of the gamma-subunit of phosphorylase kinase: purification and calmodulin dependence.

A recombinant baculovirus containing a cDNA encoding the gamma-subunit of phosphorylase kinase from mouse skeletal muscle was constructed. Cultures of Sf-9 insect cells infected with the gamma-baculovirus produce an intact and soluble gamma-protein. A purification procedure is presented that yields a sample of gamma-protein which is devoid of interfering enzyme activity and which is not associated with calmodulin from the insect cells. The isolated gamma sample has a Km for phosphorylase b of 36 (+/- 6, S.E.M) microM at pH 8.2 and 140 (+/- 25) microM at pH 6.8. These values are similar to those reported for the activated phosphorylase kinase holoenzyme isolated from skeletal muscle tissue. However, the Vmax. of the baculovirus-expressed gamma is 65 and 80% of that of the activated holoenzyme at pH 6.8 and 8.2 respectively. These results indicate that one or more of the regulatory subunits alpha, beta, or calmodulin stimulate the activity of the catalytic subunit gamma in the activated holoenzyme. Addition of calmodulin to the baculovirus-expressed gamma stimulates its activity 1.5-2.0 fold at pH 6.8 in both the presence and absence of calcium. At pH 8.2, calmodulin has only minor stimulatory affects. The stimulation by calmodulin at pH 6.8 results from an increase in the Vmax of gamma with little effect on its Km. This result is unlike that for most calmodulin-stimulated kinases which bind calmodulin only in the presence of calcium and exhibit a decrease in their Km upon binding calmodulin. The change in Vmax. of gamma in the presence of calmodulin and in the absence of calcium presents a novel mechanism for the regulation of a calmodulin-stimulated kinase.
Diabetes Mellitus and the Metabolic Syndrome

Diabetes mellitus (DM) significantly increases risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most frequent cause of death in patients with DM. Coronary disease in diabetic patients is often more complex, more widespread, and more diffuse, making revascularization options complicated. Patients with DM also suffer from an array of microvascular and macrovascular complications. However, the increased cardiovascular risk seen in these patients can be modified by lifestyle interventions, as evidenced by several large clinical trials. The cardiologist needs to be familiar with medical therapy for diabetes, as well as how DM affects management of established cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risks.
A Comparative Analysis of Performance Fees

Many investors pay their investment managers fees that include a base component, which is a fixed percentage amount of the fund’s assets, and a performance component, which is a variable amount that is contingent on the performance of the fund. These fee arrangements are typically referred to as performance fees, whereas fee arrangements that do not include a variable component are referred to as flat fees. In this article, the authors provide a comprehensive, ex ante comparative analysis of returns net of fees, taking into account a wide range of features in the structure of the fees, the performance of the managers, and the preferences of the investor. Because the interaction of these features is complex and often subtle, the authors cannot adequately evaluate after-fee performance based simply on the mean and dispersion of the after-fee return nor on the implied option value of the fee. Instead, they employ simulation to produce ex ante distributions of after-fee performance and use the certainty equivalents of these distributions to compare alternative fee arrangements. TOPICS:In portfolio management, portfolio management/multi-asset allocation
Two-Tier Interference Mitigation with Directional Antennas for Small-Cells in an Apartment Building

In this paper, the three-dimension directional antenna is proposed to be installed on the small-cells to mitigate the two-tier interference of the ultra-dense heterogeneous small-cell network. We investigate the impacts of the three-dimension directional antennas and the resource block (RB) usage ratio on the system capacity and link reliability for the ultra-dense small-cell system in an apartment building. The three-dimension directional antenna can provide the strong signal for users with the high main lobe gain, and mitigate the intra-cell interference among neighboring small-cells with low side lobes. Consequently, the average system throughput can be significantly improved under a link reliability requirement. Simulation results show that our proposed 12-sector directional antenna can improve 229% average system capacity compared to the 3-sector directional antenna under the link reliability requirement. Meanwhile, the omnidirectional antenna cannot afford the reliable service quality for users in the apartment building in the ultra-dense heterogeneous small-cell network.
Persistent triangulations

Triangulations of a surface are of fundamental importance in computational geometry, computer graphics, and engineering and scientific simulations. Triangulations are ordinarily represented as mutable graph structures for which both adding and traversing edges take constant time per operation. These representations of triangulations make it difficult to support persistence, including ‘multiple futures’, the ability to use a data structure in several unrelated ways in a given computation; ‘time travel’, the ability to move freely among versions of a data structure; or parallel computation, the ability to operate concurrently on a data structure without interference. We present a purely functional interface and representation of triangulated surfaces, and more generally of simplicial complexes in higher dimensions. In addition to being persistent in the strongest sense, the interface more closely matches the mathematical definition of triangulations (simplicial complexes) than do interfaces based on mutable representations. The representation, however, comes at the cost of requiring O(lg n) time for traversing or adding triangles (simplices), where n is the number of triangles in the surface. We show both analytically and experimentally that for certain important cases, this extra cost does not seriously affect end-to-end running time. Analytically, we present a new randomized algorithm for 3-dimensional Convex Hull based on our representations for which the running time matches the Ω(n lg n) lower-bound for the problem. This is achieved by using only O(n) traversals of the surface. Experimentally, we present results for both an implementation of the 3-dimensional Convex Hull and for a terrain modeling algorithm, which demonstrate that, although there is some cost to persistence, it seems to be a small constant factor.
Suppressing transnationalism: bringing constraints into the study of transnational political action

Studies of transnationalism typically account for homeland-oriented transnational political action (TPA) as the product of varying political opportunities. Yet, the opportunity-driven perspective overlooks why some immigrant and diaspora communities refrain from engaging in homeland politics or are forestalled in their attempts to do so. We address this shortcoming by theorizing how sociopolitical conditions can constrain TPA. Drawing inductively from primary data on Pakistani, Syrian, Libyan, and Yemeni diasporas as well as secondary sources, we identify four sources of constraint: 1) geopolitics and interstate relations; 2) origin-country authoritarianism; 3) weak origin-country governance; and 4) exclusionary receiving-country contexts. By demonstrating how these socio-political forces suppress TPA, we contribute a new theoretical approach that emphasizes the conditions and relations that hinder cross-border political action. In sum, the article illustrates the theoretical importance of understanding variation in TPA and the utility of examining negative cases in the study of immigrant and diaspora transnational politics.
Correction to: The origin, fate, and contribution of macrophages to spinal cord injury pathology.

The original version of the article contains a labeling error in Fig. 2. The boxed molecular description of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages were switched. Ly6CHi, Cx3Cr1Lo, Ccr2Hi should have been associated with pro-inflammatory macrophages on the left, and Ly6CLo, Cx3Cr1Hi, Ccr2Lo should have been associated with anti-inflammatory macrophages on the right.
Meaningful Patient Care Experiences for Minority Graduate School Students.

Abstract Background Increasing numbers of underrepresented in medicine minority (URMM) physicians has garnered increased attention. Pipeline programs aid this effort and are designed to expose learners to the healthcare experience and strengthen academic preparedness. This paper describes the clinical experiences of students who participated in a bridge to medical school Master's Degree pipeline program at a community based medical school. Methods Using qualitative methodology, the authors sought to explore the clinical experiences of three cohorts of graduate school pipeline students on a path to medical school. Thirty six master's level students responded to an evaluation of opened-ended questions at the conclusion of their clinical preceptorship. The responses to three open-ended questions were analyzed via the constant comparison analysis method. Results The total number of clinical encounters during the clinical preceptorship over the three-year period was 633, a total of 144 h. The most common diagnoses seen were related to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Three primary themes were identified regarding students’ experiences in the pipeline program: connecting academic and clinical skills, learning the needs of and how to advocate for underserved patients and the need to increase exposure to underserved patient populations across specialties in medicine. Conclusions The clinical preceptorship linked academic knowledge with clinical skills and provided an avenue for learning about health disparities and patient advocacy for underserved patients. It also identified a need for increased exposure to underserved patient populations across medical specialties.
Association of Defects and Zinc in Hematite.

Zn is an essential micronutrient that is often limited in tropical, lateritic soils in part because it is sequestered in nominally refractory iron oxide phases. Stable phases such as goethite and h...
Reducing Disparities in Receipt of Genetic Counseling for Underserved Women at Risk of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Purpose: Genetic counseling (GC) provides critical risk prediction information to women at-risk of carrying a genetic alternation; yet racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities persist with regar...
Walkability 101: A Multi-Method Assessment of the Walkability at a University Campus:

The aim of this study is to evaluate objective and perceived campus walkability as an environmental support for physical activity within a large Southeastern university. Ten university routes were ...
C. elegans interprets bacterial non-coding RNAs to learn pathogenic avoidance

Caenorhabditis elegans must distinguish pathogens from nutritious food sources among the many bacteria to which it is exposed in its environment1. Here we show that a single exposure to purified small RNAs isolated from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) is sufficient to induce pathogen avoidance in the treated worms and in four subsequent generations of progeny. The RNA interference (RNAi) and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathways, the germline and the ASI neuron are all required for avoidance behaviour induced by bacterial small RNAs, and for the transgenerational inheritance of this behaviour. A single P. aeruginosa non-coding RNA, P11, is both necessary and sufficient to convey learned avoidance of PA14, and its C. elegans target, maco-1, is required for avoidance. Our results suggest that this non-coding-RNA-dependent mechanism evolved to survey the microbial environment of the worm, use this information to make appropriate behavioural decisions and pass this information on to its progeny. Exposing Caenorhabditis elegans to non-coding small RNAs from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces avoidance behaviours in treated worms and their progeny, which reveals how C. elegans discriminates between bacterial species in its microbial environment.
A Study on Statistical Data Mining Algorithms for the Prediction of Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in the El Paso–Juarez Area

This paper deals with ground-level ozone classification in the El Paso-Juarez area using statistical data mining algorithms. The persistence of highly concentrated ozone levels in the troposphere does harm to humans, animals, and plants. So, early detection of high ozone levels is essential to ensure a healthy environment, especially for the elderly, the children, and the asthma patients. For this study, we have used the data sets of air pollutants and meteorological variables from 2015 to 2019 from the El Paso area, which frequently exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Five supervised machine learning techniques are studied to classify the likelihood of high/low ozone days in the atmosphere with great accuracy. These techniques help to obtain primary variables that cause high ozone concentration. We predicted the data based on the key variables and computed the prediction accuracy using several evaluation metrics. The results suggest that supervised machine learning techniques are useful in classifying high/low ozone days in this area.
Optimizing underground mine design with method-dependent precedences

This article addresses an underground mine design and scheduling problem, in which ore extraction methods are determined and resulting mining activities are scheduled. The mining method influences ...
The Senescence-Associated-Secretory-Phenotype induced by centrosome amplification constitutes a pathway that activates Hypoxia-Inducible-Factor-1α

The Senescence-Associated-Secretory Phenotype (SASP) promote paracrine invasion however may also suppress tumour growth, thus generating complex phenotypic outcomes. Although centrosome amplification can induce proliferation arrest, the subsequent fate of cells with centrosome amplification remains elusive. Here, we report that centrosome amplification induces a variant SASP, constituting a pathway activating paracrine invasion. The centrosome amplification SASP lacks canonical features including detectable DNA damage or prominent NF-κB activation. Instead, involving Rac activation and reactive oxygen species production. Consequently, inducing hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and associated genes, which includes pro-migratory factors such as ANGPTL4. Since senescent cells also have poor fitness, it is tempting to speculate that centrosome amplification induced SASP is one explanation for why extra centrosomes promote malignancy in some experimental models but are neutral or inhibitory in others.
Reporting Endometrial Cells in Women 40 Years and Older

We assessed the usefulness of revised Bethesda System reporting of exfoliated benign endometrial cells (EMs) in postmenopausal women. Cervicovaginal cytology specimens with benign EMs in postmenopausal women and “out-of-phase EMs” in premenopausal women 40 years and older were identified. Cases with histologic follow-up within 12 months were selected. There was tissue follow-up for 130 postmenopausal women: 10 (7.7%) had significant findings (endometrial adenocarcinoma, 6 [2 (33%) in asymptomatic women]; complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia [CAH], 3; leiomyosarcoma, 1); 20 were receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT; n = 15) or tamoxifen (n = 5); 2 (10%) had significant pathology (endometrial adenocarcinoma, 1; CAH, 1). Eight not taking hormones (7.3%) had significant pathology (adenocarcinoma, 5; CAH, 2; leiomyosarcoma, 1). There were follow-up data for 96 premenopausal women; only 1 (who had vaginal bleeding) had significant pathology (CAH). The difference in incidence of preneoplastic and neoplastic conditions after a cytologic interpretation of “benign EM” between postmenopausal and premeno-pausal women was significant ( P ≤ .025); There was no difference between postmenopausal women receiving or not receiving HRT ( P > .05). Reporting benign EMs for premenopausal women 40 years and older has no clinical significance but does for postmenopausal women, regardless of HRT and symptoms.
Ultrasound-Guided Stellate Ganglion Block With Preserved Motor Function for Upper Extremity Surgery

While stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) is commonly used in the treatment and management of patients who suffer from chronic pain, we are reporting a case where an ultrasound-guided SGB was used for management of acute perioperative pain for a patient undergoing upper extremity surgery. The patient was classified as the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 1, without any significant past medical history, including no history of chronic pain, opioid use, or peripheral neuropathy. The patient was scheduled for tendon repair of the hand following trauma with subsequent lacerations. While general anesthesia, a brachial plexus blockade, or combination of the two are generally used in current practice for upper extremity surgery, these typically do not allow for intraoperative evaluation of motor function. In our case, an ultrasound-guided SGB was used to provide analgesia while still allowing for intraoperative assessment of motor function during the critical components of the repair. This case illustrates the potential advantages of an ultrasound-guided SGB for decreasing acute postoperative pain scores, decreasing overall postoperative pain medication use, as well as maintaining intraoperative motor function in cases where such monitoring may be advantageous and allow for optimal surgical repair.
HSP90-Specific nIR Probe Identifies Aggressive Prostate Cancers: Translation from Preclinical Models to a Human Phase I Study.

A noninvasive test to discriminate indolent prostate cancers from lethal ones would focus treatment where necessary while reducing overtreatment. We exploited the known activity of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as a chaperone critical for the function of numerous oncogenic drivers, including the androgen receptor and its variants, to detect aggressive prostate cancer. We linked a near-infrared fluorescing molecule to an HSP90 binding drug and demonstrated that this probe (designated HS196) was highly sensitive and specific for detecting implanted prostate cancer cell lines with greater uptake by more aggressive subtypes. In a phase I human study, systemically administered HS196 could be detected in malignant nodules within prostatectomy specimens. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified uptake of HS196 by malignant prostate epithelium from the peripheral zone (AMACR+ERG+EPCAM+ cells), including SYP+ neuroendocrine cells that are associated with therapeutic resistance and metastatic progression. A theranostic version of this molecule is under clinical testing.
A Carrier-based PWM to Achieve Minimum Flux of Coupled Inductor for Interleaved Three-level Inverters

Paralleling and interleaving power converters allows higher power rating as well as reduced output harmonics. However, circulating currents occur in the parallel interleaved converters and degrade system performance. Coupled inductor is usually used to suppress high frequency circulating currents. The coupled inductor design is strongly impacted by the maximum flux linkage in the magnetic core of coupled inductor. This paper aims to minimize the high frequency flux linkage of coupled inductor for parallel interleaved three-level inverters. A carrier based PWM which achieves lowest coupled inductor maximum flux linkage for all modulation indexes is proposed. The coupled inductor flux linkage reduction of the proposed modulation is verified by experimental results on two parallel interleaved three-level active neutral point clamped inverters.
Contextual and Cultural Influences on Parental Feeding Practices and Involvement in Child Care Centers among Hispanic Parents

Abstract Background: Parental feeding practices shape children's dietary preferences and behaviors, which can influence a child's weight status. Limited research exists on the precursors and contextual influences of feeding, particularly among Hispanic parents. Therefore, this study explored two areas potentially important for obesity prevention in young children: (1) precursors and contextual influences on parental feeding and (2) parental perceptions and knowledge of the child care food environment. Methods: Four focus groups (n=36) were held with Hispanic parents, predominantly mothers, of preschool children at two child care centers. Parents were asked about influences on what and how they feed their children, awareness of the child care center feeding environment, and current involvement in the child care center. Themes were coded using NVivo10 software (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Results: Participants' childhood experiences influenced how they feed their children. Parents stated that ...
Teaching business ethics with computer-based multimedia? A cautionary analysis

Still shots, videos, music, and movie clips can be helpful in bringing some excitement to the study of business ethics. For several years, Professor McAdams has been using The Great Gatsby as a “text” for discussing American commercial values. That discussion serves as an introduction to a larger examination of contemporary business ethics. Recently, Professor Duclos and her students converted that socratic exploration of Gatsby's contemporary relevance to a PC-based, multimedia “show” employing the efficient and manageable PowerPoint software presentation package. Computer-based multimedia added “flavor” to the presentation, but developing this lengthy lesson required hundreds of hours, substantial hardware/software and a high tolerance for frustration.
Is medical intervention in childbirth inevitable in Brazil

When the United States experienced a steep increase in their cesarean rate beginning in 1996, there were regular references to the case of Brazil which was seen as the archetype of countries that had accepted the inevitability of a rising cesarean rate. The popular explanation for Brazil’s high rate of interventions was that mothers there preferred cesareans, a rationale that was then applied by media outlets to the rising rate in the U.S. with stories on “patient choice” cesareans. The U.S. National Institutes of Health in 2006 even held a meeting on the Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request. While media coverage would invariably include a vivid anecdote concerning a mother who sought a primary cesarean, no one was systematically asking mothers about the phenomenon. When researchers finally did begin surveying mothers in the U.S., however, they discovered that maternal request for a primary cesarean with no medical indication accounted for about 1% of all primary cesareans, hardly enough to drive the 50% rise in cesareans in the US between 1996 and 2009. The lesson was clear – if one intends to speak about mothers’ intentions and experiences, try directly asking and listening to mothers. As one of the researchers who has been engaged for more than a decade in the process of surveying mothers about their childbearing experiences, I’m fully aware of the multiple challenges associated with the process, but two facts have become clear: (1) mothers are, not surprisingly, accurate reporters of this extraordinary event in their lives; and (2) they are generally more than willing to discuss their experiences. Leal and colleagues’ remarkable series of studies of Birth in Brazil take full advantage of these tendencies to explore low risk mothers’ experiences in vaginal as well as cesarean birth. Their very large sample from a wide array of geographically and economically diverse sites provides them with a unique opportunity to explore rare outcomes and subgroups within the population. Their finding that 56.8% of their respondents met their strict criteria for low risk is in itself of interest. Applying their criteria to US birthing mothers as closely as possible given different datasets, the comparable rate for low risk births was 55% 1, though the cesarean rate for these U.S. mothers was 26% as opposed to the 46% found in the Brazilian sample. Of perhaps greater importance is the analysis by Leal et al., of mothers’ experiences in Eugene Declercq
Antisthenes and Odysseus, and Paul at War

Paul's use of military imagery in 2 Cor 10:3–6 deserves closer attention than it has received. Moffatt's translation vividly reflects the descriptions of ancient sieges which underlie Paul's statements:I do live in the flesh, but I do not make war as the flesh does; the weapons of my warfare are not weapons of the flesh, but divinely strong to demolish fortresses-I demolish theories and any rampart thrown up to resist the knowledge of God, I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ, I am prepared to court-martial anyone who remains insubordinate, once your submission is complete.
Common solutions to the Lyapunov equations

Abstract Let A be an n × n matrix with complex entries. A necessary and sufficient condition is established for the existence of a Hermitian solution H to the equations AH+HA ∗ =HA+A ∗ H=I .
Sexually dimorphic gene expression in the gonad and liver of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)

The development of a biomarker for rapid detection of intersex is desirable to researchers and fisheries managers alike. The first step is to identify a marker that has a dimorphic expression pattern. With a focus on sex-specific genes, we assessed the use of vitellogenin (vtg), forkhead box L2 (foxl2) and doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 (dmrt1) as molecular biomarkers for the identification of gender in shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), a species known to have intersex individuals. A total of 61 shovelnose sturgeons were sampled from the Wabash River, Indiana, in April 2008. Results from our study indicate that least 7.5% of the non-females had testicular oocytes. Expression level of liver vtg was not higher in females than males, nor was gonad dmrt1 expression found to be higher in males. Only the expression of foxl2 was significantly greater in females and was found to be useful for identifying gender. Variation in expression levels of foxl2 in gonads of intersex fish limited its usefulness as a single biomarker for identifying this condition. Instead, the use of foxl2 to dmrt1 (foxl2 transcript abundance/dmrt1 transcript abundance) may be useful in the identification of intersex fish, as this ratio increased with increased feminization. We conclude that foxl2 can be used to identify sex, but not intersex sturgeon.