cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and root hydraulic conductivity of several citrus rootstocks under salt and polyethylene glycol stresses

The water relations responses to salt of several important citrus rootstocks such as Swingle citrumelo, sour orange, and Milam lemon have not been studied in detail before. Studies were set up to compare growth and root hydraulic properties of these rootstocks to other citrus rootstocks by exposing them to NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) stresses. Seedlings of 7 citrus rootstocks were irrigated for 5 months with nutrient solutions containing NaCl or PEG that had been adjusted to osmotic potentials of -0.10, -0.20 or -0.35 MPa. The 7 rootstocks studied were sour orange (Citrus aurantium), Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), Swingle citrumelo (C. paradisi x P. trifoliata), Carrizo citrange (C. sinensis x P. trifoliata), rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush), Milam lemon (C. jambhiri hybrid), and trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf.). In both shoot and root growth, Cleopatra mandarin and sour orange were the least sensitive to salt, Milam and trifoliate orange were the most sensitive, and rough lemon, Swingle, and Carrizo were intermediate in sensitivity. Even though the roots were exposed to solutions of equal osmotic potentials, plant growth and root conductivity were reduced more by the PEG treatments than the corresponding NaCl treatments. At -0.10 and -0.20 MPa, shoot and root dry weights were reduced 16 to 55% by NaCl and 24 to 68% by PEG. Shoot root ratio was lowered at the higher concentrations, particularly by PEG. There was a major decrease in root conductivity caused by NaCl at -0.10 MPa (19 to 30% in sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin and 78 to 85% in trifoliate orange and Milam). Conductivity decreased more at -0.20 and -0.35 MPa, but not proportionally as much as at -0.10 MPa. Root weight per unit length increased at the higher salt levels, particularly in trifoliate orange. Water flow rate through root systems followed the same trend as root conductivity; salt affected sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin the least and trifoliate orange and Milam the most. However, reductions in fibrous root length by salt treatment differed. Root lengths of Swingle and Carrizo were least affected by salt while sour orange. Milam, and rough lemon were the most affected. Hence, even though sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin were more tolerant than the other rootstocks in terms of water flow rate or root conductivity, these 2 rootstocks showed a proportionally greater decrease in root length than Carrizo, Swingle, or trifoliate orange.
Surgical interactive multimedia modules: a novel, non-browser based architecture for medical education

Contemporary medical education faces new challenges as the climate of the health care delivery system transforms. Diminished length-of-stay and continuity-of-care have radically altered the way medical students are exposed to and learn about illness. These educational challenges are particularly pronounced in the teaching of surgery. We developed a multimedia application, surgical interactive multimedia modules (SIMM), to utilize rich media objects and high-resolution video to overcome modern didactic challenges. The SIMM client was created using Macromedia Director MX and communicates using XML with an Oracle database containing the rich-media educational objects. The SIMMs integrate digital video, 3-D models, self-assessment tools, and current medical evidence to generate a dynamic learning environment encompassing core surgery topics. Students can access SIMM modules either via a high-speed network connection or by using a DVD. The interface was designed to focus on a narrative timeline that provided students with a familiar metaphor for interacting with the learning objects. Students on the surgery clerkship are currently using four SIMM modules and feedback indicates that they are regarded as compelling and useful educational tools for learning about complex surgical topics. Future areas of research will address student ability to annotate the learning objects and to maintain a personal repository of medical education resources.
The impact of iron on the bleaching efficacy of hydrogen peroxide in liquid whey systems.

UNLABELLED Whey is a value-added product that is utilized in many food and beverage applications for its nutritional and functional properties. Whey and whey products are generally utilized in dried ingredient applications. One of the primary sources of whey is from colored Cheddar cheese manufacture that contains the pigment annatto resulting in a characteristic yellow colored Cheddar cheese. The colorant is also present in the liquid cheese whey and must be bleached so that it can be used in ingredient applications without imparting a color. Hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide are 2 commercially approved chemical bleaching agents for liquid whey. Concerns regarding bleaching efficacy, off-flavor development, and functionality changes have been previously reported for whey bleached with hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide. It is very important for the dairy industry to understand how bleaching can impact flavor and functionality of dried ingredients. Currently, the precise mechanisms of off-flavor development and functionality changes are not entirely understood. Iron reactions in a bleached liquid whey system may play a key role. Reactions between iron and hydrogen peroxide have been widely studied since the reaction between these 2 relatively stable species can cause great destruction in biological and chemical systems. The actual mechanism of the reaction of iron with hydrogen peroxide has been a controversy in the chemistry and biological community. The precise mechanism for a given reaction can vary greatly based upon the concentration of reactants, temperature, pH, and addition of biological material. In this review, some hypotheses for the mechanisms of iron reactions that may occur in fluid whey that may impact bleaching efficacy, off-flavor development, and changes in functionality are presented. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Cheese whey is bleached to remove residual carotenoid cheese colorant. Concerns regarding bleaching efficacy, off-flavor development, and functionality changes have been reported for whey proteins bleached with hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide. It is very important for the dairy industry to understand how whey bleaching can impact flavor and functionality of dried ingredients. Proposed mechanisms of off-flavor development and functionality changes are discussed in this hypothesis paper.
A 2-slot time-division multiplexing (TDM) interconnect network for gigascale integration (GSI)

In many wire-limited VLSI digital systems the time delay of the longest global interconnect can be a significant percentage of the clock period. However, because semi-global and global wires with shorter wire lengths can have a much smaller time delay, they can remain idle (i.e. not switching) for a significant portion of the clock period even after their data has been transmitted. To capitalize on this phenomenon, this paper proposes that a low-overhead 2-slot Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network should be incorporated into the multilevel interconnect architectures of future GSI systems to help reduce the escalating manufacturing costs that are primarily due to the projected increase in the number of metal layers. Using system-level interconnect prediction (SLIP) techniques, it is shown that a 20% reduction in the number of metal levels could be achieved for a 100M transistor VLSI system with only a 5-10% increase in power dissipation.
A 0.13μm CMOS 4-channel UWB timed array transmitter chipset with sub-200ps switches and all-digital timing circuitry

A 4-channel ultra wideband timed array transmitter chipset is reported in 0.13 mum CMOS technology that is suitable for radar and imaging applications. It consists of an all-digital timing control and impulse generation circuitry chip and a set of UWB pulse forming switches. The all-digital chip creates desired delayed versions of an input pulse sequence, which may be coded and/or pulse position modulated, for all 4 channels. It also converts the input pulse sequence to an impulse sequence. The all-digital chip can be directly connected to an antenna array to generate non-carrier based (impulse) waveforms. It can also control the timing of UWB pulse forming switches that are connected to an antenna array to generate carrier based (pulsed sinusoid) waveforms. The delay difference resolution and maximum delay difference between the impulse sequences at adjacent channels are 180ps and 880ps, respectively. The UWB pulse forming switches achieve sub-200ps rise/fall time with isolation higher than 40dB and insertion loss better than 4dB between DC-6GHz. The proposed UWB timed array architecture eliminates the need for area and power hungry true time delay circuitry that would have been otherwise needed for beam-forming.
Photoinitiated cationic polymerization by dialkyl‐4‐hydroxyphenylsulfonium salts

On irradiation with ultraviolet light, dialkyl-4-hydroxyphenylsulfonium salts undergo reversible photodissociation and in the process generate ylids and Bronsted acids. When the anions are nonnucleophilic in character, as, for example, BF4−, AsF6−, PF6−, and SbF6−, the strong acid which is produced is capable of initiating cationic polymerization. The polymerization of several monomers was carried out to demonstrate the general applicability of these new photoinitiators.
Finite Elasticity Theory as a Model in the Mechanics of Viscoelastic Materials

The object of this paper is to draw attention to the close conceptual relationship between finite elasticity theory, particularly as it relates to incompressible isotropic materials, and the nonlinear continuum mechanics of incompressible isotropic viscoelastic materials. This parallelism in the development of the two subjects is evident, not only in the formulation of the two theories, but also in the identification of the types of problems which are mathematically tractable by analytical methods and whose solutions may lead to predictions of physical interest. In the present paper, the parallel will be drawn mainly for the case when the viscoelastic materials are fluids.
Sexual Abuse as a Precursor to Prostitution and Victimization Among Adolescent and Adult Homeless Women

Previous research indicates that women who were sexually abused as children are more likely to become involved in prostitution and to experience criminal victimization. A sample of 40 adolescent runaways and a sample of 95 homeless women were studied to test direct and indirect models of the impact of early sexual abuse on prostitution and victimization. The results suggest that early sexual abuse increases the probability of involvement in prostitution irrespective of any influence exerted through factors such as running away from home, substance abuse, and other deviant activities. In contrast, the findings indicate that early sexual abuse only indirectly affects the chances of victimization by increasing the likelihood of a life-style based on participation in risky activities and events.
Biological, non-antibiotic properties of semi-synthetic and chemically modified tetracyclines — a structured, annotated bibliography

The first literature regarding unusual properties of tetracycline (TC) hydrochloride date back to the 1960s, with particular reference to bone growth and mild anti-inflammatory properties, e.g., inhibition of chemotaxis. However, it was not until the collagenase discovery paper by Golub et al. in 1983 [1] that intensive interest in the non-antimicrobial properties of TC-based antibiotics developed.
Split, low-dose docetaxel (D) and low-dose capecitabine (C) is an active regimen in metastatic breast cancer with minimal toxicity

10618 Background: Successful therapeutic regimens in metastatic breast cancer must balance efficacy and tolerability. D and C is an active and commonly used doublet in this setting. D upregulates t...
Development of a Candidate HLA A*0201 Restricted Peptide-Based Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

The development of a protective cellular immune response against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most important determinant of recovery from HCMV infection after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The ultimate aim of our study is to develop an antigen-specific and peptide-based vaccine strategy against HCMV in the setting of BMT. Toward this end we have studied the cellular immune response against the immunodominant matrix protein pp65 of HCMV. Using an HLA A*0201-restricted T-cell clone reactive against pp65 from peripheral blood from a seropositive individual, we have mapped the position of the cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope from HCMV pp65 to an 84-amino acid segment. Of the four peptides which best fit the HLA A*0201 motif in that region, one nonamer sensitized an autologous Epstein-Barr virus immortalized lymphocyte cell line for lysis. In vitro immunization of PBMC from HLA A*0201 and HCMV seropositive volunteers using the defined nonamer peptide stimulated significant recognition of HCMV infected or peptide-sensitized fibroblasts. Similarly, HLA A*0201 transgenic mice immunized with the nonamer peptide developed CTL that recognize both the immunizing peptide and endogenously processed pp65 in an HLA A*0201 restricted manner. Lipid modification of the amino terminus of the nonamer peptide resulted in its ability to stimulate immune respones without the use of adjuvant. This demonstration of a vaccine function of the nonamer peptide without adjuvant suggests its potential for use in an immunization trial of BMT donors to induce protective CTLs in patients undergoing allogeneic BMT.
State Builders, Settlers, and Colonial Subjects

In the following chapters, I provide a synoptic account of the history of Palestine and Israel in four periods:4 from the beginnings of Zionism in the mid-to-late 19th century to the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948; from the establishment of the state to its Occupation of the entire land of historic Palestine in 1967; from the Occupation to the first major challenge against it, a popular Palestinian uprising called the Intifada which began in 1987; and from the Intifada through the unending, fruitless and deceptive “peace process” to the present day.
Wildfire, climate, and perceptions in Northeast Oregon

Wildfire poses a rising threat in the western USA, fueled by synergies between historical fire suppression, changing land use, insects and disease, and shifts toward a drier, warmer climate. The rugged landscapes of northeast Oregon, with their historically forest- and resource-based economies, have been one of the areas affected. A 2011 survey found area residents highly concerned about fire and insect threats, but not about climate change. In 2014 we conducted a second survey that, to explore this apparent disconnect, included questions about past and future summertime (fire season) temperatures. Although regional temperatures have warmed in recent decades at twice the global rate, accompanied by increasing dryness and fire risks, the warming itself is recognized by only 40 % of our respondents. Awareness of recent warming proves unrelated to individual characteristics that might indicate experience on the land: old-timer versus newcomer status, year-round versus seasonal residence, and ownership of forested land. Perceptions of past warming and expectations of future warming are more common among younger respondents and less common among Tea Party supporters. The best-educated partisans stand farthest apart. Perceptions about local temperatures that are important for adaptation planning thus follow ideological patterns similar to beliefs about global climate change.
Resistance of Corn Strains to the Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica duodecimpunctata F.1

The southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica duodecimpimctata F., is responsible for a great deal of lodging in corn fields throughout the Corn Belt. The resistance or susceptibility of strains of corn to this insect has been observed at several locations in Illinois over a three-year period, 1937 through 1939.
Effects of chronic hyperprolactinemia on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons.

Prolactin (PRL) secretion is under the inhibitory regulation of the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) system. Short-term elevation in PRL levels has been shown to increase the activity of TIDA neurons, however, the responsiveness of TIDA neurons to chronically elevated serum PRL levels is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prolonged elevations of serum PRL on TIDA neuronal activity. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (2-3 months old) were ovariectomized and implanted (s.c.) with haloperidol (HAL), a dopamine receptor antagonist for 6 or 9 months to produce hyperprolactinemia. Ovariectomized, sham-implanted rats were used as controls. Other groups of intact rats were implanted with HAL or sham-implanted for 9 months and then were implanted with PRL-producing MMQ cells for 6 weeks to further increase circulating PRL levels. TIDA neuronal activity was measured in terms of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in the stalk-median eminence and was correlated with changes in serum PRL levels. After 6 months of treatment, TH activity in HAL-treated rats was 130% higher than that in the control rats. After 9 months of treatment, TH activity in HAL-treated rats was 81% higher than that in control rats. This increase was significantly less than the increase that occurred after 6 months of treatment. Nine months of HAL-induced hyperprolactinemia followed by implantation of PRL-producing MMQ cells, which resulted in very high levels of PRL, did not increase TH activity in the stalk-median eminence. These results demonstrate that hyperprolactinemia over a prolonged period reduces the responsiveness of TIDA neurons, and these effects vary depending on the duration and intensity of hyperprolactinemia.
AQUATIC FUNGI OF ICELAND: PYTHIUM

SUMMARY Descriptive notes are given for the following species of Fythium recovered from soil and water in various localities in Iceland: P. debaryanum, P. dissotocum, P. echinulatum, P. gracile, P. inflatum, P. mamillatum, P. middletonii, P. monospermum, P. pulchrum, P. rostratur, P. tenue, P. torulosum, P. ultimum, P. undulatum, and P. vexans. A form of P. tenue is reported as a possible intermediate between this species and P. gracile, and a species (of the filamentous sporangiate series) lacking an antheridial apparatus is described but not named. Representatives of Pythium Pringsheim, particularly those forms that fail to produce the sexual apparatus in gross or pure culture, are common in Iceland. Earlier (13), four species were identified, and notes on two unnamed representatives were subsequently (11) published. In this paper I present a descriptive and taxonomic account of sixteen aquatic species of Pythium found in Iceland. One of the two unnamed taxa described in 1969 (11) is assigned to Hesse's Pythium debaryanum on the basis of morphological evidence from cultures grown on hempseed. Save for the species occurring in algae, the fungi reported were isolated and propagated on potato dextrose agar (Difco, dehydrated). Subsequently, the isolates were grown on hempseed halves in sterile, distilled water, and characterized. Specimens preserved on slides are deposited in collections in the Museum of Natural History, Reykjavik. A key to the species of Pythium [exclusive of one unnamed taxon (11)] now known to occur in Iceland, follows.
The Association Between a Sense of Calling and Physician Well-Being: A National Study of Primary Care Physicians and Psychiatrists.

This study assesses the association between calling and physician well-being, clinical commitment, and burnout. In 2009–2010, a survey was mailed to 1504 primary care physicians (PCPs) and 512 psychiatrists drawn from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The primary independent variable was a single-item measure that assessed physicians’ level of calling. Main outcomes were markers of physician well-being (career satisfaction and morale), clinical commitment (intentions to reduce time spent in direct patient care, leave practice in a few years), and experiences of burnout. Adjusted response rates were 63 % (896/1427) for PCPs and 64 % (312/487) for psychiatrists. Forty-two percent of US PCPs and psychiatrists agree strongly that their practice of medicine is a calling. Physicians with a high sense of calling were less likely than those with low to report regret in choosing medicine as a career (18 vs. 38 %; odds ratio 0.3; 95 % confidence interval, 0.2–0.5), wanting to go into a different clinical specialty (28 vs. 49 %; OR 0.4; 95 % CI, 0.2–0.6), or wanting to leave the practice of medicine in the next few years (14 vs. 25 %, OR 0.4; 95 % CI 0.2–0.7). Physicians with a high sense of calling were less likely to report burnout (17 vs. 31 % low calling, OR 0.4; 95 % CI 0.3 to 0.7). Physicians who reported that medicine was a calling may be experiencing higher levels of career satisfaction, more durable clinical commitments, and resilience from burnout. Though physicians may differ on their understanding of the concept of calling in medicine, this study highlights an important factor that should be investigated further when assessing long-term workforce retention in the fields of primary care and psychiatry.
Research on computational method of critical wind speed of tubular members of superhigh voltage transmission steel tubular towers

Transmission steel tubular towers have been widely applied to superhigh voltage transmission lines in China.While some tubular members of the tower under small wind speed easily occurs a transverse vibration to wind direction,caused by Kaman vortex and called breeze vibration.Taking the 1 000 kV transmission line project of South Anhui to Shanghai(Anhui-to-east power transfer) as background,rod end constraints and critical wind speed of tubes connected with different inserting plates are studied by natural frequency and wind tunnel experiments,seperately.The results are compared with the theoretical results.Together with the former study,an overall computational method of critical wind speed is proposed for breeze vibration of transmission steel tubular tower.
Luddism in "Under the Rose"

Manipulating the familiar progress/reaction model of the historical romance, Pynchon in "Under the Rose" (1961) studies the evolution of a human, individualistic society into a new, industrial, mechanical, collective society. His tale of intrigue, anchored historically in the Fashoda crisis of 1898, demonstrates that Luddism–a rational apprehension of the machine–may be an appropriate response to the industrialized, mechanized "machine" which has infiltrated the social and political spheres.
Chromium-Resistant Bacterial Populations from a Site Heavily Contaminated with Hexavalent Chromium

Chromium-containing industrial effluents are primarily responsible for environmental contamination by toxic and highly mobile, hexavalent chromium. The dilution plate-count method, using media amended with Cr(VI) at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 mg L-1, was used to compare the sizes of Cr(VI)-resistant bacterial populations from a soil contaminated with 25 100 mg kg-1 total Cr [12 400 mg kg-1 Cr(VI)] to those isolated from a slightly contaminated soil (99.6 mg kg-1 total Cr) and two other soils without any history of Cr contamination. Bacterial populations resistant to 500 mg L-1 Cr(VI) were isolated from all soils except the heavily contaminated soil. To determine whether Cr-resistant bacterial populations were indigenous to both the contaminated and the uncontaminated soils, enrichment cultures containing Cr(VI) at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 mg L-1 were employed. Bacterial populations, as high as 105 (colony forming units) CFU g-1 soil, tolerant of 500 mg L-1 Cr(VI) were isolated from all soils within 48 h of enrichment suggesting that the presence of aerobic Cr(VI)-resistant bacterial populations is unrelated to contamination levels or contamination history. However, identification of these resistant bacteria using fatty acid profiles was unsuccessful suggesting that these populations may have unique characteristics. Fungal colonies resistant to 1000 mg L-1 Cr(VI) were routinely isolated from both uncontaminated and contaminated soils. The results suggest that Cr-resistant microorganisms may be present in soils, even those with no history of Cr contamination.
AST to ALT ratio is elevated in disseminated histoplasmosis as compared to localized pulmonary disease and other endemic mycoses.

Severe pulmonary or disseminated histoplasmosis often necessitates presumptive antifungal treatment while awaiting definitive diagnosis. Histoplasma antigen assays have improved sensitivity but results may lag up to 7 days. In order to increase diagnostic certainty, "soft clues" may be looked for in laboratory and radiologic data, such as elevated alkaline phosphatase or ferritin levels and findings of mediastinal adenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. To determine if elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio is specific to histoplasmosis or a non-specific marker for disseminated fungal infection or sepsis in general, we retrospectively examined records of all patients diagnosed with an endemic fungal infection (EFI) at Rush University Medical Center from January of 1997 to October of 2012, and a cohort of septic patients with elevated liver enzymes. We identified 90 cases of EFIs during the study period that met all inclusion criteria (Histoplasma 21, Blastomyces 56, Coccidioides 12, Paracoccidioides 1). We also evaluated 10 control patients with bacterial sepsis. The mean ratio of AST to ALT in patients with disseminated histoplasmosis was 2.69 (95% CI:1.22, 4.16) while for other EFIs, the mean ratio ranged from 0.38 to 1.14 with disseminated coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis respectively (P < 0.0001). The ratio in patients with bacterial sepsis was 0.84. We propose the use of the AST/ALT ratio as a clinical "soft clue" suggestive of disseminated histoplasmosis in the appropriate host, and to possibly distinguish cross reactivity of the Histoplasma antigen assay with other EFIs.
Generalized derivatives of optimal control problems with nonsmooth differential-algebraic equations embedded

A nonsmooth open-loop optimal control problem is investigated. Using lexicographic differentiation, elements of the generalized gradient of the objective function, which may also be nonsmooth, are found after a general parametric discretization of the controls. These computationally relevant objects describe the sensitivity of the objective function to changes in the control parameterization and parameters associated with the embedded differential-algebraic equations governing the system dynamics. Using recent advancements in nonsmooth analysis, the unique solution of an auxiliary nonsmooth differential-algebraic equation system can be used to obtain said generalized gradient elements.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Obesity Prevalence Among Working Age Adults in the United States: Exploring the Mechanisms.

Purpose:Higher prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in rural America have been consistently reported, but sources of these disparities are not well known. This study presented patterns and mechanisms of these disparities among working age Americans.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:United States of America.Participants:The study included 10 302 participants of the 2003-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who were 20 to 64 years old, not pregnant, and with a body mass index ranging from 18.5 to 60.Measures:Individual-level data were from NHANES including age, gender, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, education, and family income. The outcomes were prevalence of obesity and prevalence of overweight and obesity combined. Neighborhood data were constructed from the 2000 US Census providing tract-level information on family median income and built environmental features and from the 2006 ESRI ArcGIS 9.3 Data DVD providing tract-level park location information.Analysis:Geogra...
Characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty

The risks and complication profile of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has yet to be clearly defined as most studies have small cohorts. Using a large inpatient database, the purpose on our study was to determine the overall demographics, hospitalization characteristics, and early complication rates in rheumatoid patients and compared these to rotator-cuff arthropathy patients without RA undergoing RSA. Utilizing United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2013, we evaluated a total of 919 RA RSA and compared them to 8097 patients without RA undergoing RSA. The outcomes included demographic characteristics like age, race, sex, Deyo comorbidity score, perioperative complications, and mean length-of-stay. The RA cohort had 81% females versus 60% in the comparison cohort. This cohort was younger (p = 0.006) and had longer hospitalization time (p = 0.001), but the total inpatient costs were not significantly different (p = 0.15). In regards to Deyo index, rheumatoid patients had significantly higher scores (p < 0.001). The inpatient complication rates for infection (p = 0.9), nerve injury (p = 0.9), and instability (p = 0.19) were similar, but the RA cohort had more prosthetic-related (p = 0.001) and greater tuberosity-related (p = 0.008) complications. The mortality rates were also similar (p = 0.625). In RSA for RA patients, surgeons should be mindful of preoperative risk factors and demographic characteristics that may influence their outcomes. Caution should specifically be paid to the possibility of longer hospitalization time and increased incidence of certain complications, including intraoperative fracture, when compared to non-rheumatoid patients. Close collaboration between rheumatologists, surgeons, and primary care physicians is a must for optimizing and managing these patients.
“Wagering Life” in the Petro-City: Embodied Ecologies of Oil Flow, Capitalism, and Justice in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

This article uses a political ecology approach to examine how urban residents of the refinery city of Esmeraldas “wager life” under conditions of social and chemical toxicity associated with oil ca...
Dysregulated metabolic enzymes and metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells (Review)

Tumor cells carry various genetic and metabolic alterations, which directly contribute to their growth and malignancy. Links between metabolism and cancer are multifaceted. Metabolic reprogramming, such as enhanced aerobic glycolysis, mutations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolic enzymes, and dependence on lipid and glutamine metabolism are key characteristics of cancer cells. Understanding these metabolic alterations is crucial for development of novel anti-cancer therapeutic strategies. In the present review, the broad importance of metabolism in tumor biology is discussed, and the current knowledge on dysregulated metabolic enzymes involved in the vital regulatory steps of glycolysis, the TCA cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway, and lipid, amino acid, and mitochondrial metabolism pathways are reviewed.
An iterative reconstruction algorithm for optical diffraction tomography

An iterative algorithm is presented for optical diffraction tomography beyond the validity of filtered backprojection or backpropagation algorithms. This algorithm is numerically demonstrated to reduce the normalized root-mean-squared error (NRMS) in refractive index of the reconstructed object by a factor of four.
Using change-point and Gaussian process models to create baseline energy models in industrial facilities: A comparison

Abstract Industrial facilities account for approximately a third of energy usage in the world, and effective energy assessments of these facilities require a reliable baseline energy model. Commercial and residential buildings have been baselined with both simple change-point models and models that are more complex, such as Gaussian process and artificial neural networks, and these models are developed and tested with dense high-frequency data. However, industrial facilities have only been baselined using change-point models, and data for the models are typically restricted to monthly utility bills and, therefore, generally sparse data. This investigation compares the effectiveness of change-point models with that of Gaussian process models for baselining industrial facilities using only monthly utility billing information as data. Two case studies are presented to predict electricity usage and two case studies are presented to predict natural gas usage. Both change-point and Gaussian process models provided similar results, and both models meet the recommended NMBE and CV-RMSE from the ASHRAE Guideline 14. For one case study, both change-point and Gaussian process models were applied using available test data not contained in the training data, and both models predicted the monthly energy usage within 10% for 4 of the 5 months of testing data used.
PRIMARY PREVENTION WITH ASPIRIN REDUCES MORTALITY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES AND HEART FAILURE: RESULTS FROM THE THIN PRIMARY CARE DATABASE

The impact of aspirin for primary prevention in those with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and heart failure (HF) is uncertain. Data from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) UK primary care database were analyzed. Those with T2D and HF, age≥55y, and no previous history of myocardial infarction (MI),
A Simple Formula for EHD Film Thickness of Non-Newtonian Liquids

The classical EHD numerical solutions have provided the machine designer with simplified formulae for prediction of concentrated contact film thickness when the lubricant is Newtonian. Many liquids which function as lubricants display non-linear shear response in the range of shear stress critical to the pressure boosting zone of a concentrated contact. A recently developed numerical scheme for incompressible, isothermal line contact is used with a simplified rheological model to obtain a film thickness correction formula for non-Newtonian liquids using a minimum of parameters. The resulting prediction is compared with experiment.
Unintended Wake-Up During Neurosurgery

Unintended wake-up during neurosurgery is a potentially catastrophic complication that can be limited with appropriate vigilance. Light anesthesia may present as movement, coughing, and/or hemodynamic response. Intraoperative arousal can lead to hypertension, increased surgical bleeding, cardiopulmonary complications, and risk of recall. Special concerns in neurosurgical patients also include risk of increased ICP and/or herniation, increased cerebral edema, and potential injury from movement while in pins.
SOCK: rapid task provisioning with serverless-optimized containers

Serverless computing promises to provide applications with cost savings and extreme elasticity. Unfortunately, slow application and container initialization can hurt common-case latency on serverless platforms. In this work, we analyze Linux container primitives, identifying scalability bottlenecks related to storage and network isolation. We also analyze Python applications from GitHub and show that importing many popular libraries adds about 100 ms to startup. Based on these findings, we implement SOCK, a container system optimized for serverless workloads. Careful avoidance of kernel scalability bottlenecks gives SOCK an 18× speedup over Docker. A generalized-Zygote provisioning strategy yields an additional 3× speedup. A more sophisticated three-tier caching strategy based on Zygotes provides a 45× speedup over SOCK without Zygotes. Relative to AWS Lambda and OpenWhisk, OpenLambda with SOCK reduces platform overheads by 2.8× and 5.3× respectively in an image processing case study.
A System To Detect Mental Stress Using Machine Learning And Mobile Development

Hans Selye1 coined, in 1936, the term “Stress” and definedit as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” Stress was generallyconsidered as being synonymous with distress. English language dictionaries (Oxford & Merriam-Webster) defined it as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” Stress affects over 100 million Americans and is a driver of many chronic diseases. According to American Psychological Association (APA) 2012 study, “Stress is costing organizations a Fortune” and some cases as much as $300 billion a year. The challenges, importantly, for the individuals and the organizations are lack of proactive detection of the stress and inept preventive actions to manage mental health to circumvent adverse effects of the stress. This research paper addresses the challenge by developing and deploying machine learning enabled data driven & Electroencephalogram biosensor integrated mobile application that proactively gleans User’s stressful episodes, infuses collaborative intelligence derived from de-identified yet User relevant demographical, physiological, lifestyle and behavioral datasets and preventive healthcare insights to counter otherwise the long term negative effects of the stresson Users health. The paper presents prototyping solution as well as its application and certain experimental results.1Hans Selye was a pioneering Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist. He conducted much important scientific work on the hypothetical nonspecific response of an organism to stressors - https://www.stress.org/what-is-stress/
Politicians or Advisors: Who Should We Blame?

This paper analyzes a cheap-talk model with heterogeneous receivers who are accountable for the correctness of their actions, showing that there exists a truth-revealing equilibrium. In deciding which message to send, the advisor is aware that he could use this message to affect the electoral outcome, the manipulation effect, or to shape the first period policy, the influence effect. When the first effect dominates the second, there exists an informative equilibrium. In addition, we show that there also exists an ideological equilibrium in which the objective politician makes an extreme policy choice to credibly signal his preferences. Finally, when we allow the decision maker to reveal the message he received from the expert, he uses this option to blame the advisor and avoid the corresponding reputation costs in the case of a mistake. However, in equilibrium only incompetent decision makers disclose the expert's message.
Employing Student Retention Strategies for an Introductory GPU Programming Course

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have become a vital hardware resource for the industry and research community due to their high computing capabilities. Despite this, GPUs have not been introduced into the undergraduate curriculum of Computer Engineering and are barely covered in graduate courses. Bridging the gap between university curriculum and industry requirements for GPU expertise is ongoing, but this process takes time. Offering an immediate opportunity for students to learn GPU programming is key for their professional growth. The Northeastern University Computer Architecture Research Lab offers a free GPU programming course to incentivize students from all disciplines to learn how to efficiently program a GPU. In this paper, we discuss the methods used to keep students engaged in a course with no academic obligations. After applying these strategies, we were able to retain more than 80% of the students who started the course. Moreover, the students gave positive feedback on these strategies.
A Diagnostic Approach to Chronic Abdominal Pain

Chronic abdominal pain is a condition routinely encountered in clinical practice. The differential diagnosis for chronic abdominal pain is broad and can be categorized using a location- and character-based approach. The evaluation begins with a thorough history, comprehensive exam, and thoughtful diagnostic approach. If warning signs are absent and no obvious underlying etiology is identified, patients should be stratified into low-risk versus high-risk categories based on age and associated symptoms. Low-risk patients (age <60 years and without alarm symptoms) may be offered empiric pharmacologic and/or psycho-behavioral treatment directed at the principal underlying symptom without further investigation. High-risk patients (age ≥60 years or with alarm features) may require additional evaluation prior to treatment.
Tibial and calcaneal coupling during walking in those with chronic ankle instability

Abstract Background It is estimated that nearly 2 million individuals sprain their ankle each year in the US. A majority of these are recurrent injuries, which often results in chronic ankle instability. To better understand the cause of instability, previous research has looked at the coupling or coordination between leg and foot motion during locomotion. Research Question Determine the coupling between the tibia and the calcaneus during the stance phase of walking in those without a history of ankle instability compared to those with either moderate or severe instability. Methods Fifty-four individuals between the age of 18-30 years (15 males; 39 females) participated in this study. Each participant’s history of ankle sprains and score on the Cumberland Ankle Instability survey was used to assign them to either a no, moderate or severe instability group. Electromagnetic sensors attached to the tibia and calcaneus recorded three-dimensional movement of their tibia and calcaneus during the stance phase of barefoot over ground walking. The kinematic data was referenced to the subject’s standing position and time normalized to each subject’s stance phase duration. The relative phase (RP) angle and RP variability between tibia internal/external rotation and calcaneal inversion/eversion motion was then calculated. A one-way analysis of variance test was used to determine if significant differences existed between the three groups of subjects on mean RP angle or variability. An alpha level of .05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results A significant increase in RP angle and variability was found during the mid-stance phase of walking for those with severe ankle joint instability compared to those with moderate or no instability. Significance. The observed decreased coordination and increased coupling variability observed for those with severe ankle instability suggests either residual ligamentous damage, inadequate sensorimotor control, or both.
Life-Stage Differences in Microhabitat Use by Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

Abstract Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) are long-lived, fully aquatic salamanders that inhabit cool, well-oxygenated streams and rivers in the eastern United States. Although once abund...
The Silence Before the Storm: Advocacy Groups’ Current Perceptions of Future Climate Vulnerability

Numerous organizations and institutions have traditionally represented, advocated for, or served those U.S. populations that are identified as vulnerable to environmental hazards and emergencies. However, we know little about how these organizations currently perceive or are acting on these threats to their constituent communities—in particular, the threats from hazards associated with climate change’s effects. This chapter documents the organizations’ current climate adaptation strategies and activities on behalf of these populations if any, and describes key themes regarding the contexts and challenges, surrounding the current state as well as the opportunities for possible future action.
Intrinsic Factors Affecting Female Choice in House Crickets: Time Cost, Female Age, Nutritional Condition, Body Size, and Size-Relative Reproductive Investment

Few studies have examined potential costs of female choice and factors intrinsic to females that affect choice. To examine these factors, female house crickets, Acheta domesticus, were presented with a simultaneous choice between tapes of a priori attractive and unattractive male chirps. Females varied in age, nutritional condition, body size (potential fecundity), and size-relative reproductive investment. Female age had a significant effect on female choosiness: young females were selective, whereas older females were not selective. Nutritional condition, body size, and size-relative reproductive investment did not affect female choice. Females that chose the call of the attractive male spent approximately twice as long choosing as females that chose the unattractive male call.
Selection criteria and techniques for improved cosmesis and predictable outcomes in laser hair removal treatment of acne keloidalis nuchae

A common denominator for successful, long-term treatment of acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) with low recurrence is elimination of hair in the lesions, which can be achieved by surgical means or laser hair removal.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Although laser hair removal typically improves AKN,5, 6, 7, 8 not all lesions are equally responsive to treatment.5 Furthermore, although studies generally report favorable outcomes from laser hair removal in treating AKN, they have also described variability in outcomes5, 6, 7 and the need for a standardized scoring system.8 This report describes a methodology for selecting patients for laser AKN treatment based on height of individual folliculocentric lesions and a laser treatment classification system to maximize patient outcomes and expectations.
Finding “Hope”: An Empathetic Discovery in Designing with Women at a Local Shelter

The purpose of this co-creative design process was to inspire a valued sense of self for underprivileged women through imaginative exploration in a fashion design experience. Fundamental design education lessons were used to empower these women with a vocabulary to collaboratively discuss ideas with the fashion designer. The goal of this shared engagement was to encourage creativity and positively impact the self-confidence of these women by generating a designed garment. Three women from a social enterprise job-training program at a local shelter were invited to join in this collaboration. This program sets out to impart confidence and hope for women in poverty aspiring to improve their situations. Thus, this design project was initiated by exploring a shared understanding of the word “Hope” as an inspiration. To gain empathy for everyone involved, the group collectively began by exploring personal meanings of hope resulting in a word map that initiated the design process. The final design includes a digitally printed wrap skirt made of silk crepe de chine and a silk top developed from two heart shaped pattern pieces. Layered over the silk top is a wrap shawl in the shape of a heart. The final design is displayed at the shelter along with a poster illustrating the process to serve as a reminder of “Hope”.
Natural Transition Orbitals

The result of a calculation of excited states, be it via configuration interaction methods or density functional response theory, is a set of coefficients describing the contribution that individual orbital excitations make to the total transition. Often times, there is no dominant amplitude describing the transition, making its qualitative description difficult. Natural transition orbitals dramatically simplify the situation by providing a compact representation of the transition density matrix. This is accomplished using the corresponding orbital transformation of Amos and Hall, which renders the transition density matrix diagonal and provides a unique correspondence between the excited ‘particle’ and empty ‘hole’. Keywords: natural transition orbital; transition density matrix; corresponding orbital transformation; singular value decomposition